YAY!! I love the Chuunin exams, and I have a different viewpoint on it :)

I can't believe I managed to find time to write this But then again, I'm procrastinating for my Math Extra Credit as well...

Happy Early-Christmas, anyhow :P

Disclaimer: I don't own Neji. No, I don't. I don't want to. He is free like a bird

Neji: Fate cannot be changed.

Me: Yes it can!!

Neji: Fate cannot be changed.

Me: ... gives up.


November 6, Year of the Crescent Moon

- 8:03 in classroom for an announcement -

Morino Ibiki stands in front of us, looking menacing, jagged with his multiple scars, and...stupid.

He's been standing there for at least ten minutes; the act has long been old now, waiting for the last Genin to arrive.

Finally, Naruto stumbles in, looking positively small next to the teacher's towering frame.

"UZUMAKI NARUTO!"

He blinks sleepily, rubbing his eyes. His socks are mismatched, his jacket is obviously backwards, and his hair is tousled...untidily but yet still boyishly... "W-what?!"

"Sit down." It's a voice that can make anyone pee in their pants, but not me; I've figured the voice is just another mask to frighten students into behaving. Sure enough, though, it works.

Naruto gulps and hurries to sit next to me. "Scary, huh?"

There's suddenly a whirlwind before I can speak. Iruka appears, tall and lean like always. "I've come to explain the Chuunin exams!" he announces, and glances at Morino Ibiki. The scarier of the two nods in understandment, and disappears.

Iruka clears his throat. "As you may know by now, the Chuunin exams are today. There are too many to become a Chuunin, so this exam is used solely for the process of elimination.

Short Chuunin exam explanation: these are held twice every year. You must have completed at least eight missions and a satisfactory acceptance from the Jounin in which you were assigned it. There are other villages participating to see how we may improve our skills...This year the Sound village and a number of other smaller villages will not be in the Chuunin exams. The villages are Konoha, the Sand village, and one exchange student from the Waterfall village." (A/N: I just thoughts that sounded cool exchange student...waterfall...)

Iruka takes a breath.

"Every few years the rules are changed to match the levels of Genin. This year there are, instead of three, seven parts," he announces, and then continues without pausing,

"We choose partners for each of you to help with motivation and competition. You will participate in these seven tasks solely with your partner. Judges will write down and score for both of you in speed, endurance, technique, skill, etc - At the end we will tally up each of your scores, and whoever has made the seventy point cut will be made a Chuunin.

The most anyone can receive in one part is ten points; the seventh and final part differs and you may get bonus points. So while a normal Genin may have, say, fifty points, the Genin who stand out will have more points. But then again, it's possible no one is to be proved profficient enough for a Chuunin."

He looks up from the paper. I notice his face is slightly blue. "Any questions?"

I stay silent, my stomach feeling strangely empty, yet full.

Nnbody raises a hand, and he continues.

"Partners are as follows. This ordering is completely random.

Shino Aburame, TenTen;

Shikamaru Nara, Temari;

Chouji Akimichi, Naruto Uzumaki;

Kiba Inuzuka - "

"Are they our partners for the whole exam?" Rock Lee calls out.

Iruka stops listing the names and nods. "The whole thing."

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei!"

I detect a slight roll of the eyes before Iruka continues, this time with a tired air, and I lean forward.

Kiba...Kiba and who? I feel like screaming, wondering -

"Kiba Inuzuka and Sakura Haruno..."

I sit back, feeling somber and my heart seems to stop. Why...? Why do I feel...

"...Hinata Hyuuga, Sasuke Uchiha;

Neji Hyuuga, Gaara;

Kankurou, Rock Lee;

Ino Yamanaka, Yumeki Etsuko."

Sasuke?!

"At precisely nine o'clock you will meet at the main gate with your partner." Iruka surveys the room, and then finally puts away his cursed paper.

"Dismissed."

After a few seconds of digesting the news, I parade after the class in a single file. Lucky Hinata... Sasuke stands behind me.

He just stands and sort of stares, like he's examining something or focused. I have a feeling that if I wave a hand in front of his eyes, he won't respond.


- 8:46 -

It's about half an hour later when I walk out of my house dressed in layers. I know I'm nervous.

I was so hyped up on training yesterday. So intent on becoming stronger...surer...

Smarter...

More confident...

But now it's just a waste of time! I know I'm never going to become a Chuunin. Curse Kiba...but then again, as soon as I get this over, I'll just know never to participate in this kind of thing again.

"Oy, Hinata!" Blond hair flashes besides me. "Are you going to the main gate?"

"Baka," I reply, slowing my pace to match his more leisure one. "Of course."

"Yeah...sorry." He places his hands behind his neck, his elbows out. I notice that his jacket is worn correctly, his socks match, and his hair is somewhat more under controlled.

Somehow I liked it messy.

"Who's your partner?"

I see Ino up ahead, and instinctively lower my voice. "It's Sasuke." I make it as quiet as humanly psosible, but Ino hears.

"SASUKE?! Lucky you!!"

She joins us as Naruto makes a retort. "Lucky?! No way!" He turns to glare at Ino. "He doesn't deserve a partner! Besides," he adds, his nose wrinkling, "He'll just get in the way." His beautiful cerulean eyes squint.

A loud oomph escapes his lips. "Owwww!"

Sakura comes next to me, the farthest place from Ino. "Don't badmouth Sasuke, will you, Naruto? He's a - "

"He's an idiot is what he is," mutters Naruto.

Sakura raises her hand again and Naruto cringes right on cue, just as Sasuke steps out of his house.

"Sasuke!" Ino sees him first. Talks to him, walks with him, flirts with him first.

"How are you doing?!"

I barely hear his reply as he walks on. "Fine without you."

Ino's face is considerably more vulnerable, but she smiles forcefully. "Tha-that's fine."

She stays quiet and waits for us. Sasuke doesn't once look back.

If this is all an act to make me scared of him, it's not working.

It just increased my determination.

Sympathetic countenances await as Ino tries not to look at us.

Sakura is the first to break the silence. "Um...H-how's your cousin, Hinata?"

I shoot her the bird, and her eyes are full of apology and necessity. "He's fine."

"Erm, yeah...he's strong, right? I mean, he actually won the arm-wrestling thing out of all of us..."

Her voice trails off, and she half-smiles. "Well, I better go to Kiba..."

She doesn't know how utterly lucky she is to have a partner who actually has emotions, who cares for others. Capable of kindness and caring...

Pretty soon Naruto leaves to look for Chouji, and Ino sighs. "Nervous?"

"Yeah."

"Well, good luck, Hinata."

She scrutinizes the crowd. "There - that's Yumeki. I - I'd better go."

She hurries off, averting my eye contact.

So it's me alone.

I'm stuck on a search for Sasuke, the Dark and Mysterious One.


After a few moments I find him; his dark clothes easily in contrast with the other Genin. He's standing below a huge, crooked tree just out of Konoha's boundaries. Plus his arms are folded and his eyes look like they might just kill anyone standing in his way.

Nice try to intimidate me. But no.

You know I'm here.

As I walk steadier, calmer, surer, his eyebrows raise slightly. Did he expect at least this much from me, the Weird Girl?

"Good luck."


Yay Hinata!

Yay Sasuke...

YAY NEJI!!

Somehow the varying levels of enthusiasm are scaring me, too :C

Well, cross your fingers for Hinata and NEJI!!!!

Lumberrrrrrrrrrry