4: Fight or Flight!

Kakashi distributed the applications to the four genin before they departed. Naruto was beaming with joy when he received his. "Alright!" he cheered as he jumped high into the air. He wrapped his arms around Kakashi's neck forcing them to go around in circles.

"Get off of me!" Kakashi ordered. "Don't slobber on my vest!"

"Are you sure we're ready for something like this, Kakashi-sensei?" asked Sakura.

"I have full confidence in your abilities," answered Kakashi. "I nominated all of you for a reason. Your past endeavors have made it possible for me to see how you react in different and difficult situations. I believe all of you are ready, but the choice is entirely up to you. If you feel you are up to the challenge then feel free. If you don't, then there's always next year."

Kocha seemed a little perplexed at the sound of the event. "What are these Chunin Exams? Are they a sport?"

"Oh that's right!" said Yuki. "You're not familiar with Konoha's customs. The Chunin Exams allow us genin to reach the Chunin level of training."

"Thus," continued Sakura. "Giving us more challenging missions such as 'C' and 'B' ranked missions."

"Hmm," said Kocha. "These sound interesting. Perhaps I can participate."

"That won't be possible," said Kakashi. Kocha stared at him in confusion. "I have spoken with the Hokage about you. The way you handled those ninja in the forest you could easily be placed as a jounin. Plus, you're not a full citizen of the Leaf Village or any other village for that matter. He has agreed to meet with you once the exams are finished."

"Cool!" said Naruto. "So when do we start?"

"Hold your horses, Naruto," said Kakashi. "The exam doesn't start for another six weeks. I'm giving you the applications now because I want you all to reflect on your training. I hope to see all of you there."

The genin nodded then turned their gazes to Kocha. She gave a cold stare and said, "Well, since I'm kind of like a 'Sensei' to you all I guess I can spare a few words." The children listened intently. Kocha crossed her arms and closed her eyes as she bowed her head. "Just remember this." She began. "The sum of all is greater than that of its parts. Teamwork is the key to all missions. If you keep this in mind, nothing is beyond your reach. As teammates, work with one another. As friends, help one another. Never abandon your comrades-in-arms. To do so means certain death. Keep that in mind."

"Ma'am!" said the four in unison.

"Now after six weeks," said Kakashi. "Return your applications to the school at three o'clock sharp. Be prepared."

"Sir!" they all said again.

"You're dismissed." Kakashi said casually. "Kocha and I must report on today's training." With that said the two jounin disappeared leaving the genin with their thoughts.

"The Chunin Exams already?" complained Yuki.

"This could get interesting," said Sasuke.

This'll be great! I can finally show off my skills and beat Sasuke at his own game. Maybe then, Sakura will finally like me! Blushing,Naruto looked at Sakura and a little.

"What're you looking at?" said an angry Sakura.

"N-nothing!" stammered Naruto.

"I'm outta here," said Sasuke.

"Wait, Sasuke!" said Sakura. "Maybe we can work on our teamwork. Y'know, like on the way home."

"Forget it," said Sasuke. "Your skills are as bad as Naruto's." Sakura felt like a huge bolder fell on her shoulders. "On second thought, you're worse than Naruto." Sakura was extremely depressed now. As Sasuke walked away, Yuki bent down to Sakura's side and whispered, "He's just in a bad mood. He'll get over it."

Naruto saw an opportunity and he suggested, "Hey, Sakura! We can work on our teamwork together if you-"

"Back off, creep," screamed Sakura as she threw a large stone at Naruto but he ducked. There was a large thud then a voice came up saying, "What the hell?" Sakura covered her mouth as she stared past Naruto. He turned around and saw a pair of foreign ninja. One was a man with a strange shirt that covered his body and purple paint on his face. He carried what looked like a mummy on his back too. The other was a female kunoichi with blond hair in four pink tails and she carried a gigantic fan.

"I'm so sorry!" said Sakura. "It was totally my fault."

"Sorry ain't gonna cut it," said the male ninja.

"You're on your own, Kankuro," said the female. "I'll have no part in it."

"Tch!" scoffed the one called 'Kankuro.' "Fine, but you'll miss out on a lot of fun, Temari." His fist was raised, ready to hit Naruto when Yuki ran in between them.

"Don't even think about it!" she growled. "Look, it was just an accident."

"Too bad!" said Kankuro. "Ever heard, 'If you were sorry you wouldn't have done it?'"

"That doesn't even make sense!" hissed Yuki.

"It doesn't have to 'cause you're not gonna be making sense of anything once I'm done with all of you."

A stone came from out of nowhere that hit Kankuro in the head forcing him to drop his fist. "Ow!" he yelped. "What the heck was that!?"

"Leave them alone," spoke Sasuke's voice. They all turned to see him on the branch of a tree. "Get out of here or you'll really be sorry you messed with the Leaf ninja."

Naruto clenched his fists in anger, thinking Dang it, Sasuke! Why do you always gotta play hero!

"Why don't you come down here and say that again, Pip-squeak!" threatened Kankuro. Sasuke rose from his perch and was about to jump off when a ghostly voice said, "That's enough, Kankuro." Sasuke turned to see a red haired boy with a large gourd on his back. He was upside down and hidden within the shade of the tree.

Sasuke was perplexed. No way! I didn't even hear him! He's almost as good as Kakashi, a Jounin!

"Oh!" stammered Kankuro. "H-hi, Gaara!"

"What do you think you're doing?" asked the boy named Gaara.

"Well, these kids wanted a fight so I-,"

"Shut up," Gaara said in an angry yet patient voice. "You're an embarrassment to our village."

"A-alright," said Kankuro. "Just calm down, Gaara."

"Don't forget why we're here," said Gaara. "If you disrupt the exams I will have no choice but to kill you." Kankuro seemed to stop breathing in his tracks. Gaara turned his gaze to Sasuke and said, "I'm sorry for the trouble my friends have caused. I can assure you that it will not happen again." The boy disappeared in a tornado of sand then reappeared next to Kankuro. Gaara walked over to Yuki and said, "I'm sorry for any harm that has come to you."

Yuki was alarmed by what she saw in the boy's eyes. He was examining her as well. This girl has an interesting power. Gaara thought. I should keep my eye on her.

"Oh, I-it's okay," said Yuki. "By the way, what's your name? I'm Yuki Hatake!" She extended her arm for a hand shake but Gaara did not partake.

"I am Gaara, of the desert." He turned his head to Sasuke who was now standing next to Yuki. "I'm curious about yours as well."

"Sasuke Uchiha." Sasuke smirked.

"Hey! Bet you wanna know my name!" said Naruto. "My name is-"

"I couldn't care less," snuffed Gaara. "Perhaps we'll meet again, Sasuke Uchiha." The trio turned and continued down the alley.

This isn't fair! Thought Naruto. Why is it always about Sasuke!

"Thank you, Sasuke," bowed Yuki. "You really saved the day."

"Come on," said Sasuke. "We have a lot of training to do before the exams."

The sun was high in the air as the group walked down the alley. Yuki looked up at the sky feeling a strong connection to it. She had a feeling that it was happy because she was. Sakura broke her thought by saying, "That was close!"

Yuki, puzzled, asked "What?"

"With those Sand Village ninja," Sakura answered. "They could have really beaten us to a pulp. You were really brave to stand up to that Kankuro guy, Yuki. I mean, the guy was twice your size!"

"It wasn't right for him to start a fight," justified Yuki. "It was a pure accident and he treated it like we planned the whole thing! It wasn't right." That boy Gaara, though. She thought. There's something strange, yet, familiar about him.

"But still!" exclaimed Sakura. "You stood in the cross fire of a punch meant for Naruto! Even I wouldn't do that. Well, unless it was for Sasuke."

"It's just as Kocha-sensei said," said Yuki. "'As teammates, work together. As friends, help one another. We are stronger as one than in separate intervals.'"

"You have a point," said Sakura. "I forgot about that. Kakashi-sensei told us the same thing during our survival training after we graduated from the academy."

"Well, anyway," said Yuki. She leaned in close for a whisper. "I think we should take Naruto out for a bite to eat. He looks a little down."

"Okay fine," said Sakura reluctantly. "But you're buying!"

* * * * * * * *

Kakashi waited for his group to be called to the reporting desk. He thought for a moment about his four genin and how they would fare in the exams. Naruto's got the determination but lacks strategy. He thought. Sasuke has confidence and skill but he still needs to learn teamwork. Sakura has the brains but desperately needs to train and hone her skills rather than focusing on Sasuke. He stopped for a moment as he thought of Yuki. Yuki. She's far from any of the requirements but for some reason, I get the feeling that she'll be alright. She's gotten stronger over the past nine years. I wonder what drives her.

"Squad Seven!" called a familiar voice. Kakashi rose and proceeded to the desk. Iruka-sensei gave him a harsh look and began to read the report.

"You're not still sour about my nominations, are you?" Kakashi asked.

Iruka stopped reading and looked at Kakashi. "I'm just worried." He answered. "All ten of the genin are my students, one is your daughter. How could I not be worried? Doesn't it bother you that you nominated Yuki for such a dangerous exam?"

"I understand where you're coming from," answered Kakashi. "But, I believe in their abilities and their bond as a team. I won't lie. I do worry about Yuki but something inside me is telling me that I'm wasting my time. Yuki has gotten stronger and I believe that she will keep everyone focused."

"He speaks the truth." Kocha walked up from behind Kakashi. "Be at ease. The students have excellent teachers. Each has or will do their job well. Squad Seven will make it through these exams."

"Who are you?" asked Iruka somewhat surprised.

"My name is Kocha." She answered. "You must be the Iruka-sensei that Naruto brags about. It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

Iruka rubbed his nose saying, "Yep that must be the same Naruto." He looked at Kocha for a while then said, "Could I ask why you're here? What has brought you to our village?"

"I cannot tell you my purpose," answered Kocha. "I assure you I am no threat to this village. I heard that a…'friend' of mine was living here so I investigated. Now that I know the kindness that this village has shown them, I will put my life on the line to defend both it and its citizens."

"Spoken like a true ninja of the Leaf Village!" smiled Kakashi. "Now then, if you are finished, I have some errands that I must attend to."

"Wait, Kakashi!" said Iruka. "If anything happens to them, I swear-"

"You have nothing to fear, Iruka-sama," said Kocha. "They have a well trained jounin as a sensei. I do not think you have anything to worry about." Iruka seemed to calm down by her words and as they left the room he continued to read the report.

* * * * * * * * *

The six weeks flew by fast for the genin as they trained for the Chunin Exams. Naruto sat on his bed eating a cup of instant ramen while looking at his application form. He couldn't believe that Kakashi nominated them for such an important test. He smiled in excitement when there was a knock on his door. He opened it and saw Yuki standing in the hallway. "Yuki!" he said shocked. "What are you doing here?"

"I was in the neighborhood," she smiled. "I thought I'd drop by to say 'hi!' I'm not interrupting anything am I?"

"Huh?" said Naruto perplexed. "No, I was just eating lunch. Wanna come in?"

"Oh! Sure!" said Yuki. She had never been inside Naruto's house before so she looked around the one room house with interest. She noticed that something was missing. "Do you live here all by yourself?"

"Yeah," said Naruto. "It gets lonely sometimes but you get used to it after a while." Deep down, he never did.

Yuki thought about all of those years Naruto spent not having family or friends to hang out with. Not having the joy of sitting down to dinner and talking about your day. Yuki wondered if her real family did these things with her before she lost her memory. She noticed that Kakashi did everything he could to make her happy, like a real father. Does Naruto have a father figure? She thought. Her heart sank as she continued to imagine what Naruto's life was like.

"What the-?" said Naruto snapping Yuki out of her trance. "It was sunny a minute ago! When did it get all cloudy?"

An idea suddenly shot through Yuki's head. "Hey, Naruto!" she said. Naruto looked over at her. "I have an idea. Would you like to have dinner at my house tonight? I'll make my specialty: Spicy curry ramen! This stuff makes Kakashi-sensei sweat bullets!"

"I dunno," said Naruto crossing his arms. "It'd be a little awkward with Kakashi-sensei and Kocha there."

"Don't worry about them." Yuki assured. "Kakashi usually just eats in his room while he files his reports." Naruto didn't look too motivated. Yuki gave a sneaky stare. "If you come, we can sneak up on him and see what he looks like. It'll be fun!"

Naruto thought for a moment then said, "Okay, but only it's because it's hard to turn down a girl."

"What do you mean by that?!" Yuki hissed. "I'm inviting you because we never hang out! Sakura and I hang out all the time and Sasuke is extremely anti-social!"

"Okay! Okay!" said Naruto. "No need to get upset!"

"Then, it's settled!" Yuki raised her fist triumphantly. "I'll go tell Kakashi-sensei! See you tonight!" She skipped out of the door and into the hallway. She stopped at the stairs and pulled out her application form and thought, does Kakashi really think I have what it takes to do this? I don't really have any special abilities other than my Soshigan. Even for that I only know a few jutsu. The only one I'm good at is controlling wind. She walked outside and walked over to a nearby pond near the bath house. She knelt down and, summoning her Soshigan, she cupped her hands and dipped them into the water. She pulled out some water and began to make a sphere out of it. Maybe I need to learn how to control other elements, like fire. Fire would defiantly be useful in these exams. I'll ask Father about it.

Yuki ran home as fast as she could. Once there she tied an apron around her waist and tightened her pink tails. Time to get things ready! The cleaning process took hours, not including Kakashi and Kocha's rooms since they were private domain. Once she was done the clock struck five as she landed on the couch. Phew! She said to herself. I'm beat. I have to get dinner started. Kakashi and Kocha will be home soon from their missions. She rose and began to start cooking when Kocha entered.

"Hi, Kocha!" greeted Yuki. "How was your day?"

Kocha didn't say a word. Yuki knew that she was not trying to be rude. It was just the way she was. For the past few weeks Kocha had been going around the city trying to become familiar with the place while training. Because she was not yet a ninja of the Leaf Village she could not go on any missions.

Kocha removed her boots and suddenly stopped before walking into the clean house. "What happened?" she asked. "This place is usually a dump."

"I cleaned a little." Yuki blushed, trying not to cry from chopping onions. "I invited Naruto over for dinner. He should be here soon."

Kocha just gave a subtle, "Hmm," and continued to the table in the kitchen. She sat down and watched Yuki cook. Yuki loved this because she loved to show Kocha how much she knew about cooking. A few minutes passed and Kakashi came in through the window in the living room. "Hello, all!" he waved. Kocha stood startled.

"Damn, Kakashi!" she growled. "You can't use the door like a normal human being!?"

"I'm normal?" he asked playfully. Yuki giggled to herself. "Besides," said Kakashi. "Naruto's using it."

"What?" Yuki asked. A knock came at the door. Kakashi opened it and there stood Naruto. "Kakashi-sensei!"

"I admire your determination," said Kakashi. "But too much training can hurt you in the long run."

"T-that's not why I'm here!" Naruto barked. "Yuki-"

"I invited him over!" Yuki said from the kitchen.

"Is that so?" said Kakashi. "Very well then, I haven't had guests since Kocha moved in."

"What are you implying?" Kocha growled quickly.

"Nothing! Nothing!" Kakashi said nervously. Naruto looked up at Kakashi and whispered, "Man, Sensei, you're whipped."

"What?" asked Kakashi but before he could finish Yuki grabbed Naruto and pulled him in. "Come on, Naruto!" she laughed nervously. "Let me show you my room!" She dragged him to her room and closed the door. "That was close!" said Yuki.

"What was?" Naruto asked.

"Don't give them ideas!" she hissed. "They're bad enough single."

"What do you mean?" asked Naruto.

"Kakashi likes to joke around but Kocha is solitary. She finds him annoying sometimes. Although, I gotta admit, it's funny and cute watching them argue. Kinda like you and Sakura."

Naruto looked down at the floor. "You…you know about that?"

"Oh please!" Yuki said. "It's so obvious! You're trying too hard Naruto!"

"Guess you're right." He mumbled.

"Well, I gotta get back to dinner," winked Yuki. "I'll call you when it's done!" She ran out the door and into the kitchen leaving Naruto to explore her room. Naruto walked around and thought, Man! It's your typical girl's room! Geez, stuffed animals, famous male ninja on the walls. He walked to her desk and noticed a picture frame on the top. He picked it up and saw that it was a picture of Yuki when she was little. She had bandages all over her face and Kakashi was leaning on a log behind her roughing up her hair. Naruto never saw Kakashi this happy since they passed his survival exercise. It looked like a photo of Yuki recently after Kakashi found her and took her in.

After a while Naruto was snapped out of his trance when he heard Yuki say, "Dinner!" Naruto put the picture down and walked to the kitchen. Kocha was seated in her usual place while he heard a door shut. Kakashi-sensei likes to eat in his room. He remembered. He sat down across the table from Kocha as Yuki brought the rest of the ramen to the table. Once she sat she smiled, "Dig in!"

Naruto took a bite of the ramen and almost yelped. He guzzled down three glasses of water then yelled, "That was Hot!!" Yuki laughed while Kocha continued to eat like it did not bother her. "Weakling," she muttered.

"What'd you say?" growled Naruto.

"It's okay, Naruto!" said Yuki nervously. "She's just got an iron mouth!"

Naruto growled and as if to show that he was tougher he ate the entire bowl in seconds. After four bowls his face began to turn red but still asked for more. Yuki looked at him worriedly and asked, "Are you feeling alright?"

"More…please!" he squeaked.

Before Yuki could get up Kocha rose from the table and said, "I'm going out. You should get some rest now, Yuki. You have to turn in your application tomorrow if you want to participate in these exams."

"R-right," said Yuki.

Kocha turned to Naruto and said, "You should rest too, if you plan to beat Sasuke." With that she walked passed her boots and walked outside barefoot. Naruto turned to Yuki and asked, "Is she always so cold?"

"I'm not sure," answered Yuki. "She's been like this since last week. She's been going outside after dinner every night since."

"Hmm," said Naruto contemplating. The door to Kakashi's room clicked open and Kakashi walked out with his bowl. He smiled at Naruto and said, "Have you been training hard, Naruto?"

"You bet!" he answered. "Day in and day out!"

"Good!" said Kakashi. "Well, Yuki. That was good but again, a little less spice if you please. I almost set the house on fire."

Yuki laughed as she took her father's dish and began to wash. Naruto volunteered to help and as they washed the dishes Yuki noticed that Naruto had an upset look on his face.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I was hoping to see what was behind Kakashi-sensei's mask!"