CH 22

Naruto - New, Yet So Old - Naruto - New, Yet So Old

The day before they needed to get to the exam building for the first part of their Chunin, Team Seventeen agreed to meet in order to discuss what kind of equipment they should be carrying with them.

"We pack as though we're going on a mission outside of Konoha," Risa said, with her ninja-dog agreeing. "That way we're ready for most things."

"It makes sense," Sasuke added. "The smarter Genins would be prepared for such eventualities. For most others, they've already been through a couple of these exams, so they already have an idea of what to expect."

"So do we," Naruto stated. "Besides most of them would already be equipped for this kind of thing because had to travel to get here."

His then thoughts fluttered from the difference of his past life to his current one and he was surprised that Kakashi-sensei had never thought advise them on the equipment they might need in the past. 'Although to be brutally honest,' he thought. 'We never even once asked him about the exams and we were such self-absorbed brats back then.'

"A-hem," Risa coughed with pursed lips. She was trying to hide a grin as they walked down the street. The blond was distracted, but he really should have been paying attention to the fact that a six-legged cubed rock was following him.

Sasuke smirked and slowed his pace to watch the events unfold like it normally does. He pulled out the blue camera that he'd taken to carrying for such occasions. 'At least today the sun is fully out,' he thought as he knelt down to get a street level view of the six-legged box. 'They are kind of cute in their persistence.'

Risa had her camera out too, only this time Akoba was getting in on the action. He crouched down and growled deep in his throat. She moved to lean against the fence. She caught the blond's mischievous look and she took the picture at the same time that her black haired teammate did.

Naruto knew that the kids were there. For some reason he suspected the brats of having planted some kind of homing device on him because they seemed to always know when he was occupied or not. This time he ran back and forth three or four times with a six legged box running after him, which was also followed by a barking puppy.

He came to an abrupt stop and the box skidded to stop behind him, hoping not to crash into him. Suddenly whoever was in the front and were the eyes of the thing, could no longer see him. Whispers were quickly followed by exclamations of pain, as three children were bopped on their heads by an outside force. The box exploded in three different colours of smoke and coughing sounds.

"Too much gunpowder," Udon muttered.

The puppy sneezed, but at least he'd been rescued the blond before the box exploded and turned over to his bonded ninja before being exposed to the coloured smoke.

"Konohamaru," Naruto said. "What have I told you about the shape of that…that… that thing?"

"I know boss," the boy said with a pout. "But it's the only form that holds the charges for the 'Dynamic Entry' explosion."

"ARGH," Naruto screamed. "How many times do I have to tell you that ninjas do not do DYNAMIC ENTRIES because we work from the shadows and doing anything that stupid would get us killed?"

"But Boss," the Hokage's grandson whined. "It looks so cool."

Naruto sighed, as his teammates chuckled and giggled at the fact that this wasn't the first time he was lecturing the kids on this. He bowed his head exaggeratedly and then he said, "I did not show you this, I know that and you know that, right. If you get killed on a mission because you did a 'Dynamic Entry' it will not be my fault, do you hear me?"

The three kids lined up, saluted and said, "YES BOSS."

"All right, so what do you guys want," he looked at them.

"Can you play missions with us," Konohamaru asked.

Moegi looked at the Kunoichi leaning against the fence. "Risa," she said. "Are you free too?"

"Of course," Risa said. "Hey Udon, did you do the calculations for the smoke bombs?"

"Yes ma'am," Udon replied. "Something when wrong though."

"Naruto's right," Risa said. "It's the configuration of the box. But it could also be because you're using the wrong shape for your bombs. Want some quick tips?"

The boy's eyes sparked and said, "Yes please."

Naruto - New, Yet So Old - Naruto - New, Yet So Old

After having received a bit of ninja instruction or a game of missions, the kids, were playing a strange form of 'Leap Frog'. It was a game of learning chakra control, jumping and doing it as fast as they could. The blond was naturally a part of that, while his two teammates just followed along and took a picture every once in a while.

They had picked up enough speed at the game that sometimes they nearly missed the people on the street and other times toes got crushed, followed by three quick 'Sorrys', and two strolling Genin that followed. Unfortunately there was one person that wasn't pleased with being run into by the Hokage's grandson.

"Yipe," Konohamaru said as he fell backwards. (…i…)

The guy was tall, dressed in dark clothes with a painted face and his headband wasn't one that belonged to Konoha. However, he only looked down with a sneer and said in a mocking tone. "That's gotta sting."

Then the guy picked up Konohamaru the shirt and scarf at the boy's neck. Naruto called out, "Konohamaru!"

The guy looked at the kid and stated, "That hurt you little snotface!"

There was a girl with the guy, dressed as a Kunoichi in mesh clothing, pale coloured over clothes, four tails in her hair and carrying a large weapon at her back that they couldn't make out for now. "Knock it off," she told the large guy at her side. "You're gonna get it as it is."

"Put him down you great big lump," Risa said. Akoba growled from his spot in the pouch at her front.

"You heard the lady," Naruto said. "Put the kid down, now."

The guy just looked down at the blond boy and thought, 'These guys must only be freshly new to the Ranks of Genin from Leaf.' Then he looked at them from the corner of his eyes and tightening his grip on the poor kids clothes. "Ah," he said. "I just want to play with him a little…while we're waiting for the nuisance to get here."

"You son-of-a…" Naruto ran at him and before the guy could use a chakra trip wire, the blond jumped, avoiding it and kicked him in the face, forcing him to release Konohamaru. "You wanna play, do so with someone your own age, but then again if you fight now you'll be disqualified from participating in the Chunin exams."

"Why you," the guy in the dark outfit said. He then grabbed Naruto and held him in the same hold that Konohamaru just a moment. "I think you should know that I'm allergic to shrimp, so now I'm gonna pulverize you and then I'm gonna take care of the twerp."

Naruto grabbed the guy's wrist and squeezed hard. The guy's other fist was aiming for his face when that wrist received a sharp stab of pain. A stone fell to the ground and the blond was released.

"Teme," the blond said. "What kept you?"

"Dobe, you should have taken him down or at least destroyed his wrist," Sasuke said, tossing up a couple of rocks and then crushing then with his chakra enforced fist.

'Ooh,' the foreign girl thought. 'At least there's one cool looking boy here.'

"I know I could have, but I didn't want to be disqualified either," Naruto said. He looked at the bully and said, "I'll get my chances during the exams, I'm more than sure of that."

"Hmph," the guy in the black over suit said to the black haired boy in the tree. "Would look you at that? Another little brat."

"Get lost clown," Sasuke said from his perch. "Fighting outside of the Chunin exams is forbidden among the participants. Continue and we will report you."

"Think you're pretty smart don't you little squirrel," the guy replied. "Why don't you come down here to talk?" He pulled off the weapon he was carrying on his back.

"Kankuro," a dark voice, up in the tree behind Sasuke, said. "Don't! You're such a disgrace to our entire village."

"I wondered when you were going to make your appearance," the black haired boy of Team Seventeen said, as he looked at the boy that just looked at him without expression.

"Is that," Naruto narrowed his eyes and then he called out, pointing to the one that had been named Kankuro. "Gaara nice to see again, you know this loser?"

The red haired youth carrying the oversized gourd dropped down from the tree. "Uzumaki Naruto," Gaara said looking at the boy he'd met nearly six months ago. "I did not know that you'd be participating in the exams again."

The blond shrugged, put his hands behind his head and said, "Well I qualified once, so that doesn't change the fact that I can qualify for all future exams."

"Point, but will you pass this time," Gaara asked and then said. "These are my older siblings, Kankuro and Temari."

"My condolences," Sasuke said, getting down from the tree.

"Believe it," Naruto said. "See you around I gotta get the little minions out of the paths of other visiting Genin."

"Heh," Gaara said. "Who're they?"

"Hm," Naruto said and noticed that the red haired boy was directing the question at his teammates. "Black haired broody is Uchiha Sasuke and the girl with the pup is Inuzuka Risa, they're with me."

"She didn't pass the last time either," Gaara stated and then surprised everyone by asking her. "Is your hand better?"

"It is," Risa said without a twitch of fear, but answered with a genuine smile. "Thank you for asking."

"We'll see you at the exams then," Gaara said to no one in particular, leading his team away from the conflict that had dissipated under the fact that they had just become acquainted. It was that and the fact that the red haired guy's brother and sister were afraid of him.

"Naruto," Sasuke said. "How do you know that one?"

"Met him as we were leaving Suna," Naruto said and then his team ushered the kids back to their families.

"He's different," Risa said and Akoba barked something. "You're right there's something off about him. It kind of reminds me of someone."

"Lets get them to their homes," Sasuke said to the disappointed tones of the three younger children. "It's past time and that's enough excitement for today." They obeyed because of the cool looking hawk that landed on his shoulder, which looked at them with masked looking dark eyes.

Naruto - New, Yet So Old - Naruto - New, Yet So Old

The day of the exams all members of Team Seventeen carefully packed, for an imagined difficult mission. They were fully aware that the first part was a paper test of some kind. However it was the second part that they were preparing for.

Naruto and Sasuke both put on their arms and legs bracers that could hold contain elemental chakra, these didn't need Fujin Sigils to hold the charge. They took their time to carefully wrap them to hide the fact that they had that kind of protection on. They all packed their basic camping gear and then added a mix of weapons inside a couple of quick access scrolls. Their swords were packed in order to pull out only after they were separated from the other Genins and only if they felt they were needed. It wouldn't do to show what kind of skills they had just yet.

Risa was happy that Akiko had been able to understand what she'd wanted in her new gloves. They might have looked kind of like the one that the ANBU wore with their uniform, but they weren't really regulation. 'At least my hand can handle the weight now,' she thought, clenching a fist. 'I wonder just how deadly the second phase will be this time. There were an awful lot of foreigners coming into Konoha this past week.'

They met at the Ninja Academy doors and then they all walked in together. They had no issues on the first floor, but walking up to the second they encountered some milling students that were observing the conflict that was taking place. Naruto groaned internally and thought, 'Damn, I think that I'd forgotten about this.'

They watched a boy with a bowl cut hair style, wearing a one piece green jumpsuit and very thick bushy brows take a beating from two pushy youngish looking teenagers. One was looking down at the boy that they'd beaten and saying, "Is someone as talentless as you really planning to take the Chunin exams?"

The second asked, "Why bother?"

The first youth had spiky hair and several bandage patches on his face, while the second a black chin and neck guard and a black bandana headband that hid most of his hair. Spiky then commented on the Genin he was seeing by saying, "Bunch of wet-behind-ears, snot-nose brats, keh!"

"You said it," Neck replied. These two were blocking a door that showed had the number 301 over it.

A girl with buns in her hair then said, "Please we're begging you, please let us in."

She approached and was about to go through when one of the 'supposed' guards punched her in the face. One of the watching Genin said, "That's so cruel."

Spiky turned to glare at them, "What was that? I think that you guys have misunderstood something here…"

"We're here just trying to spare you," Neck continued. "The Chunin exam is incredibly difficult…we should know, we've failed three times so far."

Spiky continued, "There are people who made it, then they immediately gave up being Shinobi…Others have ended up crippled…Some were reduced to the mental capacity of vegetables…So believe us when we say we seen it all."

Neck then said, "Besides all that, Chunin are cell commanders. They lead their units."

"The responsibilities for a failed mission and dead Shinobi rest firmly on their shoulders," Spiky finished with the added, "You little punks have the nerve to apply? We're just saving a step by weeding out the obvious losers before hand."

"That sounds good in theory," a voice said approaching the nasty duo that was blocking the room marked 301. "But you'd better let me through," Sasuke told them with eyes that promised them pain.

Risa stepped forward and said, "We have business waiting for us on the third floor."

One of the milling Genin asked, "What are they talking about?"

"Who knows," another replied.

"Your illusion looks okay," Naruto commented. "But my mind really hates it things that don't add up, like the fact that we just walked up one flight of stairs, when we need to go up two in order to get to the third floor, to get to room 301."

Spiky then said, "Hah!"

"So you figured it out," Neck added.

Sasuke tilted his head and said, "Too easy. Like he said," with his thumb pointed at his blond teammate. "When things don't add up, it means that it's suspicious to begin with, which includes your presence."

The illusion was dropped and Spiky said, "Hey that's not bad. But just seeing through it isn't…" he leaned down was about to kick the Sasuke in the face to knock him down. "Enough!"

"Oops," Risa said, and dropped something on the ground under the guy's crouched body. Sasuke and Naruto immediately jumped back out of the way.

"POP!" A cloud of bright purple smoke exploded under Spiky, who felt a lift and the hard push away from his position into slamming into the wall by the doors. He immediately covered his face in case there was something else to the smoke.

The smoke dissipated quickly as a soft breeze blew through the hall. The gathered Genin began to snicker, giggle and then a couple of them laughed. Spiky was struck with a familiar looking fluorescent dye that had afflicted the Shinobi of Konoha a couple of months back.

"Well look at that," Neck replied. "Looks like we now know who the culprit was!"

"Wrong," Risa said. "I just liked the idea and improved upon it. By the way, I'd get out of those clothes before they completely disintegrate off your body. Don't worry though, it'll leave you with your weapons and perhaps a bit of dignity."

Neck looked at his partner and noticed that the colour was eating his clothes. Holes had appeared and were getting larger by the minute.

"Looks like you guys were right," Naruto said. "About how difficult things can get. So maybe the two of you should quit if it's too hard for you. Come on guys, we have a deadline to meet and they've stalled us long enough." He walked ahead of his companions whistling, '99 Ninjas that Battle and War'.

Behind them Neck twitched visibly and then forced his partner into the room 201 that had been revealed to had been hidden under the illusion. "You'd better get out of those."

"Nonsense," Spiky said. "I'll just drop the Henge."

They both dropped their Henge, but that didn't stop the dye from eating the clothing underneath. "Shit," he removed everything and emptied all his pouches quickly before the dye could eat through his equipment. He looked back at the closed door and asked, "Kakashi's brats do you think?"

"Yes," Neck replied with certainty. "The others that stepped up must have been Gai's. Looks like we'll have to keep an eye out on them."

"Little bitch was right," Spiky replied. He partner looked and then laughed. "My dignity has been saved." He shook his head and pulled out a spare set of clothes to put on and asked, "By the way, why did you twitch at the tune that blond kid was whistling?"

"Ever have a sleepless night because some tune kept repeating itself in your head," Neck told him and when he received a nod, he continued. "Last night I had a hard time falling asleep because I kept thinking that I heard someone singing 99 Ninjas that Battle and War."

"Oh, that's a nasty one," Spiky said finally changed. "Well let's join the rest of the Proctors. I think we have a good crop this year." His buddy only nodded.

Naruto - New, Yet So Old - Naruto - New, Yet So Old

Naruto was laughing remembering the shocked expression of Spiky and the twitch that Neck had when he began to whistle. 'That one must have had a sleepless night, keh, keh. I wonder who else was tagged by the Fujin musical stamps.'

Sasuke chuckled, then turned to his teammate and asked. "Improved huh?"

"Well of course," she replied with her nose up in the air to indicate pride. "It's the little details that are important."

"Like that guy's dignity," Sasuke prodded.

"It would only take the clothes he's wearing with one exception," she replied with a grin. She received curious looks and the beginnings of grins as she continued, "He'll still have his underwear."

"Hah, brilliant," Naruto said. The black haired boy just shook his head and continued to chuckle. His amusement made his eyes sparkle in dark light.

"I'm glad to see that you guys have decided to show up," Kakashi-sensei told them. "Yo," he said when they looked at him and he raised his hand up in greeting.

"What has you three so amused," Tokuma-sensei asked. The three Genin looked at one another with troublesome grins and then looked back at the man, trying to look innocent. "That look hasn't worked on me for years. I'm only here to wish you luck and to tell you, Sasuke, that Kasumi has been sitting outside one of the windows, glaring at a couple of the Proctors and some of the Genin that had arrived before you."

"We've registered her as your familiar, but you really should have her with you," Kakashi-sensei told him.

"She's fine as long as they leave a window open for her," Sasuke said. "She's not some house-pet you know. I can't bring her into every building, besides she was supposed to have gone hunting."

Kakashi-sensei grinned from under his mask and Tokuma-sensei coughed in his hand to hide the fact that he wanted to laugh.

"I believe that she did," their grey haired Jounin-sensei said. "I think that a couple of the Genin have even seen her enjoying that meal." The black haired boy only grinned at that and shrugged. "I'm only here to wish you luck too. You've all been filed as participants to the exam."

"Thank you Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said. Then he opened the double doors to a room filled with Genin from many different Shinobi Nations. Risa followed him and so did the Uchiha, who immediately walked to one of the back windows that was opened to allow a breeze to flow into the room.

Kasumi flew to his shoulder. She noised her contentment at the meal she ate and how funny the people looked when they were watching her from the window. She then fluttered her wings and settled comfortably on the re-enforced shoulder padding getting ready to nap.

Sasuke only pursed his lips to hide his grin and told his teammates, "She had a good meal and people stared at her."

Naruto snorted at that and then glanced around the room. He immediately noted which ones were going to be trouble, like the trio from Sound that were staring at Sasuke. The Grass Genin that were going to die and a few others, those with Kabuto looked like they'd be trouble. 'Didn't Kabuto have two tall stooges with him in the past,' Naruto wondered and then he a quick chakra signature check, which revealed the Evil Medic's actual third. 'So she didn't sit still? Hm, I wonder if she's even improved or changed.'

"Naru…" Sasuke began as he too had noted the chakra signature of their former teammate on another team. It was a good thing that he'd been doing that for a while, as he'd been able to side back step Yamanaka Ino's running jump and attempt to get a hold of him. He managed to trip her up and everyone saw her land flat on her face.

"Oops, you really should watch where you're going," he said casually and then turned to his blond teammate and continued his question. "Did you notice?"

"Yep," he said and leaned back against the wall of the room, where he was then joined by the Uchiha and Risa, "Akiko's cousin is in this exam too." He explained to the girl with the pup.

"Oh, this should be interesting," Risa said. "But I don't see her."

"She's in disguise, so we'll just ignore them for now," Sasuke said, as Ino was picking herself up off the floor.

"Sasuke-kun that was mean," she pouted and then she tried to latch onto his arm, but refrained when a certain black-faced hawk was upset at the jostling she'd received and skreetched her displeasure at the girl. "What…"

"Stay away," Sasuke said. "Kasumi doesn't like the noise you're making and neither do I."

"But I could hardly wait," the white-blond girl said with what she believed was a cute pout. "It's so exciting seeing you after all this time, didn't you miss me." (…ii…)

"No," the black haired said very quickly and bluntly.

Ino blinked and then looked around for her pink haired rival and she asked, "What did you do to billboard head?"

"Who," Risa asked.

"Sakura," Ino said. (Cell 10) "Wasn't she a part of Team Seven?"

"Hm," Sasuke looked around noting others that were deemed 'Rookies' because they appeared to have all been part of his graduating class. "Team Seven was disbanded," he answered absentmindedly.

"That's not possible," Nara Shikamaru (Cell 10) stated. "Cells are created with the best possible matches."

Sasuke snorted and Naruto laughed.

Risa shook her head and watched as the younger Genin congregated together around her team. 'My boys sure pull at them like the fabled piper,' she thought, while petting Akoba. 'They are not the ones traveling and seeking out these others.'

"What's so funny," Akimichi Choji (Cell 10) asked. "He's right you know."

"He may be the smartest, but he obviously doesn't know that teams can be disbanded," Naruto said with a laugh. "Looks like we know something he didn't."

"Our team wasn't a good match," Sasuke said. "We petitioned for a change to cell members." He shrugged with the shoulder that wasn't holding his familiar. "They agreed and made the change."

"Really," Ino said. "So who's on your team now."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and answered, "Obviously those three are a team. They even dressed similarly."

"What three," the white-blond twit asked.

"Gee, we must be good at concealing our presence," Risa said to her blond teammate.

"Nah," Naruto said. "She's just unobservant because she hasn't looked passed the Teme."

"Dobe, watch it or else…" Sasuke looked to his right at the blond, who just stuck out his tongue at the black haired boy.

Ino looked and saw Naruto and another girl standing next to her Sasuke. "Who're you," she said the girl. "You're not going after my Sasuke, are you?"

Risa looked sick at the thought and coughed. "I don't go for anyone younger that me, so no, I'm not after Sasuke."

"Hey!" A gravelled or growling like voice interrupted their conversation. "So there you are." Another boy appeared with a dog hanging from the hood of his jacket.

"Uh…Hi," a shy Hyuga girl, said from behind the loudmouth boy.

"Looks like the gang's all here," Inuzuka Kiba (Team 8) said loudly. It was like his voice had only one volume.

Shikamaru glanced at them from the corner of his eye and said, "Including you…unfortunately."

"So…" Kiba said. "All three of this year's newbie trios decided to apply hunh?"

Risa and Naruto looked at one another, pointing to themselves and saying, "Newbie…me?"

Sasuke noted the exchange with a smile, but turned back when the loudmouth asked, "I wonder how far we'll get. What do you think Sasuke?"

The Uchiha just looked at Kiba and replied. "Trying to psych us out by trying to act cool, Kiba?"

"Who's trying," Kiba said. "I am cool."

"Not," Risa said with a snort and her pup agreed.

"Oh, well lookie what's crawled from the den, why are you here cousin," Kiba asked. "Didn't you already fail once?"

"Like that matters," Naruto said. "It just means we've had a chance to gain more experience to prepare for the next time."

"Now who's acting cool," Kiba said with a derisive laugh. "The way we trained there's no way you can beat us, hee, hee."

"Oh shut up," Naruto said. "There's no way that you can take on Team Seventeen."

"I..I'm s..s..sorry Naruto," Hyuga Hinata (Team 8) said, pushing her two index fingers together in her nervousness. Aburame Shino (Team 8) only looked on through his black glasses.

"Aunt always did say that the dog who barks the loudest is actually the weakest," Risa stated and did that ever cause Kiba to growl louder.

Someone from another part of the room said, "Would you guys do us all a favour and just shut up?"

The person that talked to them showed up and Naruto had to hold onto every bit of patience not to snap at the young man that walked towards them. 'Kabuto,' he thought. 'I'll make sure that they catch him this time around.'

"You three gangs of would-be hotshots are all Genin right? Kids barely out of the local Academy?" He huffed and said, "You all look wet-behind-the-ears and runny-nosed. This isn't a school field trip you know."

Ino was the first to say, "Who the heck do you think you are?"

"Name's Kabuto," he said. "So what?" He looked at the rest of the room beyond the circle of the youngest Genin in the room.

"Why," Ino said, turning to look around like everyone else.

"That group behind you are from Amagakure, Those-Who-Hide-In-The-Rain. They are also known to have very short fuses," Kabuto told them. "Everyone's on edge waiting to take the exam. So I figured I'd tell you before someone takes offence, snaps and decides to beat the crap out of you."

"That's stupid," Sasuke said. "They'd be immediately disqualified if they allowed their emotions to take control like that. Are they professional ninjas or emotional children?"

"You've got guts, I'll give you that," Kabuto said. "Because of that the least I can do is give you tykes some vital intelligence on what you're in for with…" He held up a deck of what looked like normal playing cards. "These Shinobi skill cards."

"Shinobi skill cards," Ino asked. "Have you heard of something like that Shikamaru?"

"They're personal," Kabuto said. "I made them and to put it simply, the contain information about the skills we use, which are transformed into symbols and burned into the cards using chakra." He shuffled the deck and then placed in on the ground, saying, "It took me years to collect the intelligence needed for this exam. In all there are almost two hundred cards."

He took the top card off and flipped it to show both sides. Then he continued, "They only look blank…" he put one on the ground and spun it with a finger, channelling chakra into it. "The only way you can read the data on the cards…

One of the Rookies leaned forward and asked, "What's he doing?"

"By using my own personal chakra I can call forth information. Each deck created is linked to its possessor, so for example, cards like this one," Kabuto explained. An image appeared in on the face of the card. It was a map of the Shinobi Nations.

"Looks like some kind of combination between a map and a bar graph in three dimensions," Shino commented on. "What kind of information is this?"

"This shows how many applicants each Shinobi Nation is sending to the current Chunin exams," Kabuto told them. There were a total of 153 individuals counted, which meant a total of 51 Genin Cells or Teams in the room looking at them.

Gaara had approached them with his siblings to listen to the curious explanation of the cards. "Do your cards have information on individual ninja?"

"You have someone particular in mind," Kabuto noted that these three, Sand Genin were curious and that this team seemed younger than some of the other teams from Sand in the room.

"Those three," Gaara pointed to Team Seventeen.

"Interesting," Kabuto said. He did a swipe of his hand over the deck of cards and pulled up the three members of Team Seventeen.

"Team Seventeen, jointly trained by Hyuga Tokuma and Hatake Kakashi for the last three months, team comprised, Inuzuka Risa, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto." The older youth then said, "That's a strange combination."

"Uchiha Sasuke, twelve years old, missions to date, fifteen D-Class, eleven C-Class and one B-Class, that's interesting. Generally well rounded in all recognized in the eight normal stats recognized by the Shinobi recording boards, with a higher percentage in Ninjutsu and Speed. This is his first time at a Chunin exam."

"Inuzuka Risa, fourteen years old, missions to date, thirty-two D-Class, nineteen C-Class and two B-Class, hm. High stats in Taijutsu, Ninjutsu and Speed, with the rest being just a hair above average, failed one Chunin exam, so this is your second attempt huh?" He looked at the girl who just looked back at him blandly without giving anything away. "Looks like I might have to update these."

"Uzumaki Naruto, twelve years old, missions to date…is this right?" He asked the blond boy, who looked at the card and nodded. "Missions to date, thirty-nine D-Class, nineteen C-Class missions and two B-Class missions. Average stats in nearly everything, but Stamina is your highest factor, quickly followed by Speed. Failed a Chunin exam too, how's any of that possible?"

"Genin at age ten," Naruto informed them with a nonchalant shrug, surprising most others in the room. "I was with Risa at the one she failed because I was one of her teammates."

"I see," Kabuto said. "I wasn't at that one. But as you can see, Konoha, Suna, Ame, Kusa, Taki, Oto…This year nearly every hidden village has sent their outstanding Genin to compete in this exam. I don't know much about Oto, Village Hidden in Sound. It's part of a new, small nation, so intelligence on it is lacking. However, the other villages that are competing are well-known, respected, and home to some formidably powerful Shinobi."

Hinata didn't like the sound of that and she asked, "Anybody besides me feeling a little outclassed?"

"So what you're trying to tell us…" Ino asked.

"Everyone here is Elite and hand-picked by their Nation," Kabuto said. "They're the best young Ninja in the world. They have to be because this kind of exam is without any mercy." He was looking at them and thinking he'd succeeded making them quake with fear.

"Hah," Naruto said loudly. "You hear that Sasuke-Teme. We were picked because we're Elite!"

"Dobe," Sasuke said with a wry grin. "I was always Elite. You just needed the extra time in rank until I came along to pull you up to the right level."

"What was that," Naruto mock growled at him.

The three from Sound weren't too happy to hear that the village that they came from was considered under par. They attacked Kabuto with a strange swipe that caused him to throw up and shattered his glasses. They put off a strong vibe of 'killing intent'.

One of them said, "You're a pushover aren't you? Pretty sad for someone with all that information."

"You'd better add this to you card," another Sound Genin said. "The three applicants from Sound will make Chunin this year!"

'Those idiots are going to die,' Naruto said. He glanced quickly around the room and noticed that everyone was speculating on the attack. 'Name of the village gave away their signature attack.'

'Sound as a weapon, huh,' Sasuke thought. 'Shouldn't have shown it off because everyone is going to thinking about it and most of the smart ones will have already figured it out.'

An exploding sound and smoke at the front of the assembly room, forced everyone's attention in that direction. A loud voice called out saying, "WOULD EVERYBODY PLEASE SHUT UP!"

About thirty uniformed people appeared at the front of the room and only one was wearing a black trench coat over his. His face was severely scarred and he totally looked like someone you did not want to mess with. "Sorry to keep you waiting," he told them. "My name is Morino Ibiki. I'm one of the Proctors and Chief Examiner for the first part of this exam.

He pointed a blacked gloved finger to towards the back. A lot of the young 'Elite' had begun to sweat at the sight him. "You…" Ibiki said. "Kids from Sound Village! You can't carry on any way you want, when the exam's about to start or do you want to be disqualified?"

"Sorry sir," one of the said. "It's our first exam and we got a little carried away."

"Is that so?" The man asked in casual tone. "Well then let me lay down some ground rules. From this point on there will be no more fighting without the express permission of the examining officer. Even if that permission is granted, anything that endangers another applicant's life is strictly forbidden."

Ibiki then looked at them with a glare that looked like it could kill them as he said, "Any of you little piglets who break that rule are out! Disqualified! No second chances! Got that?"

The one of the Sound Genin had to say, "So this is a test for little girly men?"

The troop of uniformed people behind the Chief Examiner sneered at the kid's attempt to seem that much more experienced than the rest of the youngsters in the room.

"You wish," Ibiki said. "The first part of the selection exam is about to commence."

Naruto - New, Yet So Old - Naruto - New, Yet So Old

TBC…

(…i…) Conversation taken from the manga – starting Vol. 4, pg.136.

(…ii…) Conversation taken from the manga – starting Vol. 5, pg.49.