The Next Two weeks passed swiftly for the Genin of Konoha.

Each member of the newly minted Genin Teams had elected to take the fast approaching Chunin Exams.

As for the members of Team 7, Kakashi had spent the last two weeks on drilling more and more fundamentals into the trio, with teamwork being the main priority.

Finally the day many of the Genin from all over, anticipated had arrived.

The Sun broke across the horizon signaling the beginning of the day...the day in which the first portion of the Chunin Exams would commence...

"I hate Genjutsu" Naruto muttered as he crossed his arms as he walked side by side with Hinata and Sasuke through the school towards the testing room for the first phase of the Chunin Exams.

"You really have no talent for Genjutsu do you ?" Sasuke asked rolling his eyes but smirking.

"No and who needs it" Naruto exclaimed pouting slightly before Hinata touched his shoulder.

"A-ano that's what we're for N-naruto-kun...to help you as a t-team." Hinata said softly offering the blonde a kind smile.

Naruto couldn't help but beam and Sasuke allowed a small smile.

"Alright we need to keep a low profile when we get there...if what we were told is right, we'll be targeted by the older more experienced genin...it would be best for us to not reveal too much early on " Sasuke said as he began to climb the stairs.

Naruto and Hinata exchanged a look and began to follow suit before a voice called out from behind them.

"Sasuke Uchiha"

Sasuke and the rest of Team 7 turned to see the boy who had spoken was around their age with a bowl cut, a green jumpsuit, and very thick eye brows. Behind him several feet stood a girl with her hair tied into two buns, a Chinese style shirt, and a large scroll on her back. Beside her stood a boy both Hinata and Naruto recognized immediately. His intense cold pupil-less eyes seemed to glare hatefully at Hinata.

"Yes?" Sasuke asked simply as he pushed his hands into his pockets and looked rather bored as he studied the strange boy.

"I wish to test myself against you before the Exams begin...I am Rock Lee and I would very much like to have a duel against you and test the strength of the Uchiha prodigy against my own training." the boy stated with a great amount of enthusiasm.

Naruto pouted feeling somewhat left out though his attention drifted to Neji who still glared at Hinata who was now greatly withdrawn starring at the ground and fiddling with her fingers.

"OI Sasuke what about us keeping a low profile?" Naruto asked as he could see the fire in Sasuke's eyes.

"Well we could always go for another approach...Rock Lee,TenTen, and Neji Hyuuga graduated a year before us. Defeating any of them could send a message to anyone who thinks they can take advantage of us...and plus I want to test myself."Sasuke said before smirking.

Naruto huffed before he looked over at Hinata and gritted his teeth. 'I'm seriously going to knock Neji's block off' he thought to himself.

"Alright what are your terms ?"Sasuke asked finally as he stepped forward.

"We'll follow Academy restrictions and avoid any killing blows...but this will only be a Taijutsu match...no genjutsu or ninjutsu."Lee stated.

Sasuke paused for only a moment. "Fine lead the way" he stated.

Several minutes later Sasuke and Lee found themselves standing across from one another in an empty training room. Hinata and Naruto and Neji and TenTen stood well away watching for the duo to began. Well the more appropriate description was that TenTen was watching the fight, while Neji continued to glare at Hinata, while Naruto continued to seethe silently vowing to keep his cool until Neji said something.

"Sasuke Uchiha I will show you first hand that with hard work a no talented Ninja can overcome a prodigy. Then I will earn Sakura-Chan's affections" he declared before giving Sasuke's a the nice guy pose.

Sasuke sweat dropped. "Can we just get this started...we don't have all day" he groaned as he took a basic taijtusu stance as Lee took a much more complex stance.

With a blur of movement the pair set off trading blow for blow.

Within the first couple of exchanges Sasuke quickly discovered that Lee had the edge in strength and speed. Even with his Sharingan Lee's movements were proving hard to keep up with. At the moment he was fighting a losing battle.

Back on the sidelines Neji's eyes narrowed as he finally spoke.

"Hinata-Sama it seems you still are as pampered and weak as ever. The way you hold yourself tells me everything I need to know. What I can't fathom is why you fight destiny and bother attending these exams...surely you realize you will only hinder your teammates."Neji said as his cold eyes bore into Hinata who said nothing but flinched as if she had been struck.

Naruto growled as he stepped in front of Hinata protectively his demeanor was livid as his eyes were still blue however his pupil possessed a predatorial slit at the moment.

"Neji I don't know what the hell your problem is...but I swear if you don't shut up I'm going to pull that six foot pole out of your ass and beat the crap out of you with it." Naruto said as he clenched his fist.

Hinata's mouth fell open as she looked up seeing Naruto standing up for her.

TenTen turned away from the fight and looked on in amazement at the Blonde. Part of her was terrified for the boy thinking he was picking a fight he had no chance of winning, but a part of her was amused...no one had ever talked to Neji like this before.

"Uzumaki your even more pathetic then my Cousin...after the last time we met and you claimed you would prove me wrong I wasted a bit of time looking into you...your nothing more than a deadlast who failed the academy multiple times. In fact I pity the Uchiha...as he seems to be the only worth while Ninja on your Team. You should simply accept your fate...you will never become Hokage and you will only serve as stepping stone for someone else's rise." he said smirking as he watched the blonde seem to reel from his words.

"You know what I say is true...and know you must accept that a failure will always be a f-" he was cut off by a resounding slap that could even be heard throughout the room.

There was a moment of silence on the sidelines as it took that long to process what had happened.

Hinata now stood in front of Naruto with her palm outstretched shaking violently as tears filled her eyes.

"Nii-san you can demean me...c-call me weak ...maybe you're right, but I won't let you... speak badly of N-naruto-kun...I-I won't allow it." she said shakily as tears began to stream down her cheeks.

Naruto looked on in awe.

'Hinata...that asshole may not see it...but you've grown.' he thought to himself.

Neji's Byakugan flared as he reared his hand back before a voice stopped him.

"Neji enough."

A man that literally looked like a taller Rock Lee landed a few feet from the four.

"This is most unyouthful Neji...now you and TenTen head to the testing room and may the fires of youth be with you both." he exclaimed before giving the nice guy pose.

Neji's eyes still narrowed dangerously as he looked at Hinata.

"As you wish Sensei...Hinata-Sama...this is far from over...I will remind you of your place soon." he said before he turned on heel and made his way from the room.

TenTen groaned as she followed suit. "Come on Lee" She yelled.

Naruto and Hinata turned to see Sasuke and Lee heading towards them with Kakashi following behind them.

Lee offered a friendly smile before dashing off after his team.

As Sasuke approached Hinata and Naruto he grunted.

"Please tell me the two of you didn't see that..." he deadpanned.

"Nope" Naruto laughed sheepishly.

Hinata shook her head but was silent as she still lingered on what she had done and Neji's last words to her.

"Good...that guy was something else...if there are more like him...we'll have to pull out all the stops just to survive." Sasuke groaned.

"Well for starters the three of you could get to the test room before your disqualified before being late." Kakashi said as he appeared directly behind them and offered an eye smile.

Needless to say this spurred the trio to move at a new found speed...

A few minutes later Team 7 walked into the testing room to find most of the other Genin already seated awaiting the proctor of the first exam.

"Heh I told you that was them Shino " Kiba said as he waved at the approaching Genin.

"Bout time you guys showed up...was wondering if you'd thrown in the towel." he chuckled showing his fangs as Akamaru chirped in with an excited bark.

"Not a chance dogbreath" Naruto countered with a grin.

"Kiba do you have to be so loud ?" Shino asked as he looked over at the boy beside him with a quirked eyebrow.

"You know Kiba he can't sit quiet for long"Sakura said as she turned and offered a friendly smile and wave towards Team 7 her eyes stopping on Sasuke a moment longer than the other two.

"Stop eye-humping Sasuke-kun forehead" Ino said from across the aisle.

"Shut it Ino-Pig" Sakura yelled as her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Troublesome women" Shikamaru murmured. He like Ino didn't seem much different, save the fact he seemed to have put on perhaps 10 pounds of lean muscle since he'd become a genin, something in which he hadn't done voluntarily.

Of course Choji looked almost the same as the academy as he sat with his hand buried into a bag of chips.

The back and forth between Ino and Sakura only grew louder until someone else spoke up momentarily silencing the pair.

"The Lot of you should really quiet down...your drawing too much attention to yourselves." an older boy with grey silver hair said as he strode past Team 7. He bore a leaf headband but looked several years older then the rest of the rookie 9.

"My name is Kabuto Yakushi, A word of wisdom the Exams really begin well before this first exam...I've learned that through multiple attempts" he said as he adjusted his glasses.

"Huh what do you mean ?" Naruto asked as he scratched his head in confusion.

"Everyone in this room is sizing up one another and those of you who are fresh genin are prime targets for the older more experienced Ninja here. " he said as he offered a warm smile to the genin around him.

Several of the Rookie 9 tensed at this while Sasuke seemed fairly unphased.

"If you've been here multiple times...is there anything you can tell us that could help ?" he asked quirking an eyebrow.

Kabuto smiled. "Yes in fact I have cards with a great deal of information on most of the Ninja attending this Exam, is there anyone in particular any of you wish to know of." he said lowering his voice slightly so that only those standing fairly close to him could hear.

"Rock Lee and Neji Hyuuga" Sasuke stated without hesitation.

Kabuto extracted two cards and applied chakra to each as he studied them.

"Let's see...both Rock Lee and Neji Hyuuga are on the same team. Rock Lee is a Taijutsu specialist that has no apparent talent for ninjutsu or genjutsu so it seems all of his training is poured into furthering his understanding of the strong fist style. As for Neji Hyuuga he is last year's rookie of the year. In addition Neji is labeled by many as the greatest prodigy the Hyuuga clan has ever produced, his understanding of the gentle fist style combined with the fabled Byakugan makes him a top competitor for this years exam...many expect he will certainly make the finals." Kabuto said.

Sasuke nodded pleased with the bit of information.

"Anyone else?" Kabuto inquired with a smile.

"Gaara of the Sand" Naruto said drawing some looks from the other leaf Ninja save Hinata.

"Hmmm well it seems there is very little ...it seems however he has already accomplished several Rank A missions and apparently has never received an injury in the process." Kabuto stated.

'Impossible' several of the surrounding genin thought before a loud commotion grabbed their attention. Three Ninja wearing headbands with a symbol for sound appeared behind Kabuto and one of the three who was almost completely covered in bandages struck Kabuto with his gauntlet which reverberated through the room and in the process cracked Kabuto's glasses.

"I believe that is enough out of you" the covered genin said as he eyed the prone Kabuto that Naruto and Hinata slowly helped him to his feet.

'So much for a low profile' Sasuke mused to himself.

Before the altercation could elevate a booming voice from the front of the room could be heard.

"Take your seats immediately... the first Exam is about to begin" he declared.

Those who still stood quickly found their places and awaited the instructions for the First Exam...

Naruto looked at the test before him in horror, he had actually listened to Ibiki's explanation and knew if he screwed this up that Hinata and Sasuke would pay the price. He groaned for the umpteenth time as he face planted the desk.

'I'm so screwed' he thought glumly to himself.

What Naruto failed to realize was that this test actually encouraged cheating to test a Ninja's capability of gathering information without being detected.

He raised his head when he heard a small voice beside him.

"N-Naruto-kun...you can copy my test if you want" Hinata stammered quietly her eyes never leaving the paper that she had scooted slightly towards the blonde.

Naruto shook his head. "No way Hinata...I don't want you to get in trouble because of me...don't worry I've got this in the bag" he whispered before he looked back at his paper.

'I say that but I don't have a clue what any of this crap is' he thought before he took a deep breath.

'I'm sorry guys' he thought as he began to space out as he listened as one by one countless individuals were caught cheating and asked to leave the room.

Finally Ibiki's room filled the room as he addressed the remaining genin.

"For those of you who remain...there is one final question...the 10th question." Ibiki states ominously.

The remaining genin seem to visibly tense as Ibiki continues to speak.

"I will give you all a chance to decide for yourselves if your ready for the 10th question, those of you who decide to back out will fail and as a result your entire team will fail with you, but you can attempt the Chunin Exams again. For those of you who answer the 10th question and fail...will not only fail...but will remain Genin forever. Choose now." he barked.

Several genin immediately stood deciding to bow out in order to save their teams future chances.

Sasuke tensed as he looked down at Naruto and Hinata.

Hinata's hand quivered as she was considering raising her hand however before she could Naruto's hand shot up surprising many of the Rookie 9 that saw him. However he immediately slammed his hand down on the desk before standing up.

"I've come too far now to back down...no matter the result I won't back down...me and my team will see this exam through till the end Believe it." he declared as a fiery determination could be seen in his eyes.

Hinata smiled softly as she felt he confidence bolstered and Sasuke actually smiled as well.

'You big idiot...you tell me to not make a scene earlier and then you go and make one yourself...though you're right...there's no going back now' Sasuke thought

Those who remained in the room seemed to feel a renewed confidence as well from the blonde's outburst as no one else stood up.

Ibiki hid a smile as he studied the entire room for a moment before clearing his voice.

"Very well then...I have no choice then... but to pass you all" he said.

"What?"Temari cried as she stood up clearly confused.

"What was the tenth question then?" Kiba asked.

Several others seemed happy if not confused by this twist.

"The truth is ...there is no 10th question...the entire point of this first portion is to put heavy pressure on all of you to see which of you are truly ready. If your not willing to put everything on the line...then your not ready to be Chunin, in addition this test was not designed for a genin to be able to answer these degree of questions. Many of you may have noticed that sitting amongst you are chunin who have answered their tests...your objective was to cheat without being caught...it is a scenario you would face on various missions, when your objective is to gather information without being caught in the process. Shinobi missions are always risky, courage and confidence are required as Chunin must hold to their decisions..." before Ibiki could say anything further a window shattered as a woman leaped into the room.

She wore a tan overcoat, complete with a fitted mesh body suit that stretched from her neck down to her thighs. In addition she wore a dark orange mini-skirt, as well as a forehead protector,and shin guards. She had light brown pupil-less eyes and her violet hair was pulled back into a spiky ponytail.

"Wow Ibiki looks like your losing your touch...there's a lot more then I expected...don't worry though there will be less then half left when I'm done." she announced.

Ibiki rolled his eyes. "You could have just used the door...their all yours" he muttered.

"Alright Maggots my name is Anko Mitarashi and I'm the proctor of the second exam...I expect to see all of you maggots outside the Forest of Death within one hour...or you'll be failed immediately." she said as she offered a cheeky grin to her team before vanishing in a poof of smoke.

"That woman is kind of crazy, but she does have a sense of style." Ino said sincerely.

"You mean troublesome, though probably not half as troublesome as you."Shikamaru muttered the last part to himself.

"What was that Lazy ass?" Ino yelled from her seat.

Following Anko's instructions the remaining genin stood up and began making their way to the door wanting to ensure that they didn't keep the Snake Mistress waiting.

As the room was finally empty Ibiki began looking over the papers, stopping at Naruto's.

'Heh I passed a kid who failed to answer a single question...but he certainly is interesting' he mused to himself.

'Naruto Uzumaki huh ? I look forward to seeing if he can back up that little speech or not' he thought as he wondered how much Anko would torture the remaining genin.

Naruto wiped the blood off of his cheek as he scooted away from the 'crazy snake lady' and back over to his team.

"Oi what a nut job" he muttered as he looked at the release form papers in his hands.

Hinata just giggled softly as she studied the papers in her hands nervously.

Sasuke smirked "Alright enough joking around...we need to make a plan for when we get inside the Forest of Death." he said as he crossed his arms.

"Eh what do you mean ?" Naruto asked scratching the back of his head.

Sasuke groaned. "We need to decide how we're going to approach this beforehand...if each of these other teams are receiving scrolls...it's logical to assume half of the teams will receive heaven scrolls and the other half will receive earth scrolls. We need to think of the best way to get what we need and get to that tower, as quickly as possible." he said.

"Ano...maybe we could join forces with another leaf team " Hinata suggested quietly.

Sasuke quirked a brow as he scratched his chin in thought.

"Oi I'm with Hinata-chan...think of it Sasuke, together we could get to that tower unscathed ." Naruto said with a grin.

Hinata blushed faintly having received a compliment from her boyfriend.

"Alright fine...but we need to make sure whoever we try to work with can be trusted...Leaf or not, there's no guarantee that in that forest former comrades won't turn against each other." he said with a serious expression.

Naruto frowned but nodded while Hinata fidgeted slightly before speaking again.

"Sasuke-kun I think we can trust Team 8 " she said as she glanced over at Kiba,Sakura, and Shino that stood about thirty feet away.

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah...I think you're right...I'm going to go talk to them before this begins...since we'll be beginning from a different gate we can use your Byakugan or perhaps Kiba and Shino's abilities to find one another early on." he stated as he stuck his hands in his pockets before he began to approach team 8.

While Sasuke approached Team 8, Hinata and Naruto were left standing by themselves.

Naruto sensing Hinata's uneasiness reached out and grabbed her hand before offering a gentle squeeze.

A blush tinted Hinata's cheeks as she looked up into Naruto's cerulean gaze.

"N-naruto-kun?" she questioned her lavender eyes showed uncertainty.

"Everything is going to be just fine Hinata-chan! Believe it " he exclaimed as he gave her his foxiest grin.

Hinata relaxed slightly as she offered Naruto a small smile before squeezing his hand in return.

"Hai" she said softly.

A moment of silence fell between the pair before Hinata felt a shiver go down her spine. She turned to look over her shoulder as she bit her lip nervously.

'What was that feeling...it felt so cold..'she thought to herself before she heard a voice bring her back to reality.

"Earth to Hinata-chan ...you ok ?" Naruto asked as he once again invaded her personal space as she turned to face him she found her face but inches from his.

"I-I'm f-fine...b-but N-naruto-kun is so c-close" she stammered as she blushed furiously.

"Oh hehe sorry about that Hinata-chan,I forget how foxy you think I am " Naruto chuckled as scratched the back of his head and winked at her before pulling away.

Hinata only blushed more as she fidgeted with her fingers and stammered out an unintelligible response.

"Alright you two enough fooling around...it's time to go" Sasuke stated as approached the duo again with his hands still in his pockets.

As the pair looked up they noticed that many of the other teams were mobilizing to their respective gates.

"Wooohoo alright let's go" Naruto cheered.

Hinata smiled as she restrained herself from giggling at the blonde's enthusiasm.

"Pipe down Idiot... if you're that loud when we're in the forest, you'll give away our position." Sasuke chastised as he shot the blonde a serious look.

Naruto pouted but said nothing further as he crossed his arms and followed behind Sasuke towards their respective gate.

"Ano Sasuke-kun...will we be working with Team 8?" Hinata asked softly as they neared the closed gate.

Sasuke looked over at Hinata and nodded. "Yeah...Shino left one of his bugs with me...so he should have no problem finding us once we get inside and if all else fails Kiba's nose and your Byakugan should make it fairly easy for us to find one another. Let's hope joining forces isn't a mistake." he stated.

Hinata smiled and nodded slightly.

Naruto placed his hands behind his head in boredom as he stared at the closed gate.

Several more minutes passed before finally each of the gates fell simultaneously and Team 7 like many of the other genin teams stepped into the unknown...

*Author Note* Hey guys! I know this wasn't exactly the most exciting chapter, but I promise the ones to come will be better and will differ quite a bit from Canon. I appreciate all the support I've gotten so far with this fic! It's really given me the motivation to write more often. Again thank you for reading and reviewing and I'll see you next time ! :D