Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the related characters, I just am borrowing them for my own delusions.
Chapter 12
Tsunade glared at Kakashi as they sat in the waiting room. Jiraiya and Anko were finding it hard to hold her back.
"Stay away from my son Hatake. I won't warn you again." The blond Sannin snarled.
"I just wish to speak with him." The Konoha Jonin said calmly.
The other Konoha Jonin were looking on. Many in surprise. Surprised that the famed copy cat ninja was without his usual orange book.
"I don't think so." Tsunade hissed. "I remember the Hokage telling me of you actions all those years ago Hatake. His father asked you to raise and protect him, but hours after he saved this village and died, you try and kill his son. You tried to kill him before the Hokage and your former teammate. You had your chance Kakashi Hatake, I won't allow you another."
"As entertaining as this is, does anyone know about the first exam?" a Grass Jonin asked.
It was Asuma Sarutobi who after lighting his cigarette while ignoring the glares from others answered. "They'll be lucky if they pass."
"Why is that?" Kurenai Yuhi, a Jonin of Konoha asked.
Kakashi turned his gaze from Tsunade, looking at her before he answered. "You're still rather new as a Jonin, so I'm not surprised you don't know."
"Know what?" Kurenai asked.
It was Asuma who spoke again exhaling a cloud of smoke. "The Head Proctor for the first exam is the head of Konoha's Interrogation unit, Ibiki Morino."
Several Jonin winced hearing that name. Many looked at the Oto contingent as they all smiled.
Anko jumped as something cold touched her hand. She saw a palm sized ice mirror appear and a note slip into her hand. A second note already? She thought. The first had been a warning from Haku about Naruto warning them about Scorpion and Sub-Zero being in the exam.
After reading the new note, she scowled and looked at the Konoha Jonin.
"Which one of you is the sensei of a female Hyuga?"
XX
Naruto sighed out loud, he was bored. He saw particles of sand gather on his desk, and soon they formed words.
Do you need help? Shake head yes or no.
Naruto shook his head no.
Do you want to play a game?
Naruto smiled and nodded his head yes. He watched as the sand became the familiar tic tac toe board.
With a smile he lazily traced an X in the top left square.
The sand shifted and formed an O in the center square.
Naruto made another X in the bottom left corner.
An O formed in the left center square blockng him.
He put an X in the center right box blocking a win for Gaara.
An O formed in the upper right box.
Naruto put an X in the bottom right corner.
Damn. Draw. Formed in the sand. Naruto smiled and shrugged.
Another game?
Before Naruto could reply, Ibiki spoke from the front of the room.
"All right you snots. Its time for the tenth and final question."
"Now here are the rules. If you take this question and fail, then you will never rise above the rank of Genin."
"WHAT?" screams filled the room. Naruto saw a teen his age with a dog stand. "YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" the boy yelled.
"SHUT UP!" Ibiki snarled and flashed his killing intent. "My test, my rules. You can leave now if you want and take the test again when some other pansy gives you this test." His dark gaze swept the room. "Decide now if your going to take the test or not."
Several quit, and their teammates were forced to leave with them. Naruto saw that the Uchiha's teammates looked terrified. Both looked ready to raise their hands and quit.
XX
Kurenai looked disturbed after talking with Anko who had pulled her aside after finding out she was Hinata's sensei. The amount of questions… Kurenai shuddered and disgusted with herself about the amount of information she'd given to the Oto Jonin.
"So why are the three of you looking so assured?" Asuma was asking.
Jiraiya answered for the group. "Ibiki might be a master of interrogation and intimidation, but our students have been thru hell nearly all their lives, some of them literally."
Anko snorted retaking her seat. "Tsunade's team won't even twitch, hell I bet Gaara and Naruto are either sleeping or playing a game."
"Like yours will be any worse?" Tsunade said.
Anko gave a shrug. "As long as nii-san stands tall, Haku and Temari will drag Ryu over a river of fire to impress my little brother, even if that meant killing Ryu in the process."
Jiraiya snorted. "That poor boy got stuck with two girls that want to show Naruto that they are the best." He clapped his hands together and smiled. "But then again, my own team has something to prove, and they know if they quit before the other two teams, they'd never hear the end of it."
"Who are Naruto's teammates? I think I recognize the red head from somewhere." Kakashi asked.
"Kin is one of Naruto's classmates. She graduated with him and Ryu or as their teachers called them, the Never Say Die trio." Tsunade said. "Gaara, is the son of the Kazekage of Suna, but for political and personal reasons he and his siblings were traded to Oto and are now part of our village." Jiraiya said, a smirk on his face. The Oto Jonin weren't going to mention Ryu's, Kabuto's or Haku's pasts since all three were connected with Konoha in some way, none of them good.
Kakashi looked at the clock on the wall. "Looks like we'll know soon, the first exam should be nearly done."
XX
"So blondie," Ibiki said standing right in front of Naruto. "You gonna go crawling back to Oto?"
Naruto yawned loudly. "You say something scarface? I was about to take a nap while you weeded out the wheat from the chaff."
Ibiki smirked. "I asked if you were ready to quit, or are you wiling to bet your ninja career and stay a Genin for life if you fail?"
Naruto snorted as another team walked out. "Bring it on. My sister is scarier than you or this test when its her time of the month. Besides, I'd like to see you enforce that genin thing outside of this village."
Ibiki scowled as several victims, i.e. genin that looked ready to quit, didn't.
Damn brat. It took him minutes to disrupt an hours work. Ibiki thought.
"And besides even if that was possible, and I do get stuck as a Genin for the rest of my life, it doesn't matter."
"And why is that?" Ibiki asked, curious to see what the blond would do now.
"That just means I'll be the worlds strongest Genin that will be able to kick a Kage's ass. So bring on your tenth question, because Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze won't back down no matter what, that's my way of the ninja. Never Say Die!"
"TESTIFY!" Ryu and Kin yelled from their seats and the Oto group chuckled at that. Naruto looked at Ibiki. "Give me your best, I'll take it, chew it up and spit out the change."
Crap, he's dispelled the fear effect.
"Anyone else want to save their ninja careers and quit now? Last chance."
Ibiki loked around and sighed mentally while keeping his face blank.
Forty-two remain fourteen teams. He tallied it up.
"No one?" he asked when no one moved.
"Well then, you all pass." He said and smirked at the looks of disbelief as gasps of surprise and yelled, "What about the tenth question?" and the sighs of relief filled the room. The chunin around the room smiled.
Ibiki pulled off his bandanna and the room fell quiet as he began to speak.
XX
Anko twirled the pair of kunai by their rings as she looked at Kakashi. "So one-eye, if Ibiki's the first exam, whose got the next phase?"
The gathered Jonin Sensei's looked at Kakashi.
The copycat ninja sighed. "Sadly it's not a ninja. The Hokage felt that the second test would be more difficult and didn't want any show of favoritism so he contracted an outside source."
"Well, spit it out. Whose in charge of the second exam?" Anko demanded.
Kakashi sighed. "He's got many names, but the one he's given us at this time is Lu Yan."
Jiraiya dropped his saucer, his eyes widened. "Did you say Lu Yan?"
"Yes, why?" Kakashi asked and many in the room looked at the Sannin as he paled.
Jiraiya looked at Tsunade who looked at him in concern. "Lu Yang is the given name of Master Pure-Yang, also known as Lu the Progenitor by some Daoists. He dresses as a scholar and wears a sword strapped to his back that will dispel evil spirits."
"Why does that name sound familiar?" Tsunade said.
"Lu Yan is Lu Tung Pin. One of the eight immortal/deity's revered by Daoists." Kakashi's eyes widened. "What one of the eight is doing here is a cause for concern."
Anko muttered something and both Sannin looked at her.
"What?"
She sighed. "Before the exam started I got a message from Haku. Natas's freaks are here as well. Sub-Zero and Scorpion with an unknown third. They're de-aged and sitting in on the exam."
"Who is Natas?" Kakashi asked seeing the two sannin look worried. "A threat." Jiraiya muttered.
"Think we can grab the kids and hit the border before they realize it?" Tsunade asked, concern for her adoptive son's safety overriding all.
"No. Naruto won't run." Anko said. "And the others will close ranks around him."
Jiraiya nodded. "The second stage of the chunin exam just became more dangerous."
XX
The remaining teams looked at the scholar who was drunk and standing at the front of the room looking at them with complete boredom.
"You couldn't have lost a few more Ibiki-san?" Lu Yan asked.
"Feel the room."
The drunk looked at the group with bleary eyes. "Bah. They'll be cut down to half or more by the time they reach the end of my exam." The man let out a belch and sighed. "Alright, report to…" pulled out a scrap of paper and tried to focus his eyes on it. "Forest of Death, the nice Chunin here will escort you."
"And where will you be?" a brave Genin asked.
Yu held up his gourd. "Refill." With that he vanished in a burst of water and the chunin got up and started to heard the kids out."
Ibiki sighed before collecting the tests. He got to the one where the blond was sitting and read the note.
Damn brat. I just might try to hire him someday.
Ibiki went to inform the Hokage of the dangers in the group of Genin and wondered how things got so out of control. I blame Danzo and his people for creating the weakness in Konoha, but the bastard still hasn't been found.
AN: Lu Yan is borrowed slightly from history and the movie Forbidden Kingdom. I didn't like many of the remaining Jonin in Konoha that didn't have a team in the test. Up next the Forest of Death and…"Damn it's cold out here."