Chapter 3: Lightning Strikes and Disguises

Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Naruto

"Damn it, now we have to stand and wait for Itachi to find us," spat Naruto.

"Quiet down Naruto, it's not really that bad," said Gaara quietly.

Naruto argued with Gaara for the next few hours only to be interrupted by Itachi running up to them from behind yelling something about headbands. He arrived and gave a ninja headband to Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara.

"Remember our little mission in Kumokagure when we had to escort the Raikage's eldest daughter, Celestia, through the Valley of Lightning Strikes?"

"Yes," Gaara, Sasuke, and Naruto said in unison.

Flashback

"Alright, all we have to do is keep the Raikage's eldest daughter safe in her carriage for a few minutes while we trek across the Valley of Lightning Strikes," informed Itachi.

"Why do they call it the Valley of Lightni-?"

Then a lightning bolt came down and made contact with Naruto right before he could finish his sentence. Naruto, rather than getting hurt, became energized and ran the carriage all the way to the end of the valley.

End of Flashback

"Hey that's not funny. I had spaz attacks for two weeks," murmured Naruto.

"Anyway, remember when he said that he would repay us in any way we wanted?"

"I believe I remember him saying something like that," replied Gaara.

"Well, since the Chunin Exams are coming up I asked him if he could instate you three as cloud ninja. Now we must make our way to Konahagakure for them."

They journeyed for three days all the way to Konaha. Right before they were in a radius where someone could see them, Itachi told Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara that they each needed to use a genjutsu that will change their appearance because the village isn't expecting them to show up. Naruto turned into a tall person with short, green hair and red shades with a silver ninja suit. Gaara's genjutsu cast him as a short person with black hair with a red shirt and black pants. Sasuke was medium sized person with dark brown hair with some blue and grey robes. Itachi just put on a mask that covered his hair and changed his clothes. To make things seem less suspicious, Itachi told them to address him as sensei. The gate watchers let them in after identifying them as a four man cell for the Chunin Exams. Itachi told them to go explore the village while he did some paperwork for the exam. Just before he disappeared, Itachi tossed Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara their fake IDs. Naruto walked away from the group just in enough time to see a discouraged, pink- haired, girl sitting on a bridge.

"Hey, are you okay?" asked Naruto as he sat next to the girl on the bridge.

"No, my teammates think I'm useless in every way possible," answered the girl.

"That can't be true; you seem like a very strong and wise person. By the way what is your name?"

"Well, my name is Sakura and the strong and wise part is kind of true. I am one of the smartest in my age group, but all I'm pretty weak ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu wise. So what is your name?"

"My name is Rengu Zaki. How about we train together for the few weeks until the Chunin Exams?" asked Naruto.

"That sounds like a great idea! Lets start tomorrow," said Sakura in a happy tone.

They got up and walked the streets of Konaha discussing a training regimen for the days to come. After talking for a while, Naruto and Sakura saw some kids getting bullied by some sand ninjas. One of them held a kid by his shirt collar while the other two watched in amusement. Naruto unsheathed his katana and walked over to the sand ninja.

"Put him down or I'll chop the thing on your back into pieces," spat Naruto.

"Yeah right like I'll believe that, said the sand ninja.

The sand ninja decided to put the kid down and talk to the other person instead. He revealed himself to be Kankoro and the two other sand ninja were Temari, his sister and Waki. They parted ways and just as Naruto walked away, Gaara and Sasuke appeared and they came up beside him and Sakura. Naruto told Sakura, Sasuke and Gaara's made up names. Sakura decided to go so she waved goodbye and left.

"So, did Naruto get a girlfriend," teased Sasuke.

"No you jackass, we're just going to be training partners before the Chunin Exams come," said Naruto angrily.

"Itachi bought us a room at a hotel near the east outer wall. We should be going now," stated Gaara.

They made it to the hotel and checked in. Each of them fell asleep in their beds moments on entry.

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Two Weeks Later

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"We need your team name please," said the guard outside.

"We are team 0, sir," answered Gaara.

Right after getting the okay to go in the academy from the guards outside, Gaara, Sasuke, and Naruto walked down the halls of the ninja academy so they could get to the first exam room. A road block of people filled the corner of the hallway trying to get in a room.

"The sign has a genjutsu that has it say 301, but it is 201 so lets move on," stated Gaara bluntly.

The three of them went to the actual examination room and sat in the three seats assigned to them. The examiner walked in the room and told the examinees that his name is Ibiki Morino. Each proctor handed out a test to each person and Ibiki spoke up.

"Alright you damn maggots there will be no talking in here. That is unless you want to defy me. You all have a test in front of you. This measure's a ninja's intellect and ability to think of ways to get you and your comrades out of certain situations. For each question you miss, your teams points suffer also. With that said lets begin the Chunin Exams first stage."

Sasuke used his Sharingan to copy answers. Gaara used his third eye of sand to see another person's answers. Naruto just sat there staring at his test with a blank stare thinking that his only hope is the tenth question. In just forty minutes, the Chunin proctors eliminated quite a few teams. Five minutes later Ibiki stood up and walked to the center of the room.

"Now it is time for the tenth question. This is a risky question because if you miss it you will never be able to take the exams ever again. All who want out can get the HELL OUT OF MY ROOM."

"Ummmmm, we quit."

"Us too."

"We don't want to go on anymore."

"We don't handle these situations very well."

"Get the wimps out of the room right now before I get very angry. Now that they're out of this room let's get this tenth question out of the way. All of the people left in here pass."

"What the hell did you just say?" asked Naruto with a confused expression on his face.

Right before Ibiki had the chance to respond, a blur crashed through the window and many shards of glass flew all over the classroom.

"Ah, hello Anko, just a bit early don't you think," Ibiki said.

"Twenty- three teams th-."

"MY EYE, THERE'S GLASS IN MY EYE. I CANT GO ON said a random sand gennin.

"I mean twenty- two teams that will make their way to the second exam," Anko said in a partially creeped out voice.
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End of Chapter 3

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