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"You know, why don't we just come to these meeting like an hour later? We know asshole-sensei waits at least two hours or longer to come."

Sasuke looked at him and shrugged.

Sakura was sleeping a few feet away from them, someone obviously had a long night.

Naruto was actually kinda proud of her. Ever since Taki Sakura had seemed to notice that she doesn't have anything to contribute to the team. Naruto didn't really know what she was doing to practice, but he knew she was attempting to use her talented chakra control to try to heal.

Which would be useful, because when the Kyuubi heals him it hurts like a bitch.

'And it's ten times faster, and better, and more convenient,' the fox quickly defended.

Someone was a bit touchy today!

Naruto smiled as he heard the fox growl in his mind.

After a few minutes of more silence a voice rang, "Hey guys! I'm here!"

Both him and Sasuke immediately became more alert and Sakura woke up a few second later.

"Oh hey Kakashi," she said through a yawn. "Why you call a meeting so late today?"

"You don't want to here my excuse?" Kakashi asked. "Because trust me, you will not believe how the snow man-"

"Yeah yeah yeah!" Naruto yelled sarcastically. "And the snowman took your book and you chased him all the way to Iwa, where you uncovered his plot to taint all the chocolate milk in the world, but you stopped him. Oh and you accidentally ruined—but you call it 'sacrificed'—Iwa's entire chocolate milk supply and had to run for your life, right?"

"It's like you were there!" Kakashi chirped happily before giving him a bland look. "And if you're so rude I won't give you these," he said as he pulled out some paper.

He handed them out and gave them a moment to look at it.

Hm, Chunin Exams, finally. The blonde was actually waiting for Kakashi to hand these out, the scarecrow was cutting it close.

"Man Kakashi, registration ends in the evening, I though you weren't going to let us participate."

Both Sasuke and Sakura widened their eyes at his statement.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head. "Oops?"

And then he vanished.

"Well," Naruto started, "I really want to do it..."

Sasuke nodded.

Sakura looked at the papers for a while. They all knew that the exams were a team thing, if Sakura didn't want to do it then none of them would.

Of course, peer pressure was the best motivator to an adolescent girl in front of her crush.

"Fine," she said after a few minutes. "Fine..."

"Hey Sakura," Naruto started as they both walked down the street, "thanks for agreeing to the exams. I know you aren't exactly comfortable with taking it so quickly."

She shrugged. "Well... I guess that after all the FUBAR missions we've been on, if anyone has enough luck to get through the exams, it's us."

Naruto smiled, she hadn't really grown much—but the slow acceptance to the ninja life was such a relief. There were still many things that Sakura needed to change, but it seemed like she was on the right path.

"You're right, we have either the greatest or shittiest luck in the w- Konohamaru?" he suddenly said to the kid who bumped into him.

Konohamaru grinned as he stared at his 'boss'.

"Heya Boss! Me and the team were just looking for you!" he yelled.

Naruto looked to the side and noticed Udon and Moegi running towards them also.

"Man Boss, your ruined our surprise!" Konohamaru told him. "We were going to hide and ambush you!"

Naruto sighed in fake exasperation. "Kid, I don't think I play ninja right now, I got to turn in my exam registration to the Hokage's office."

"So? Gramps will cut you some slack anyways..."

Naruto shrugged. "Eh, that old fossil is trying to be more 'adult' and 'professional' with me lately. Maybe the age is getting to him or something..."

"Hey!" Sakura said sharply. "Do not make fun of the Hokage like that!"

Konohamaru looked at Sakura distastefully. "Who is she, Boss? Her forehead is the size of the Hokage monument!"

Sakura twitched, and Naruto simply shook his head.

"Run K, run as fast as you can..."

Konohamaru quickly remembered 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned' and ran away. Udon and Moegi followed because they were good friends... and most likely because they no idea what they just got associated with.

'You should follow them,' Ashura told him.

'Why?' Naruto thought back, 'She may pretend, but I don't think she'll maim them or anything.'

'I was thinking that you would be concerned that they are running into another Jinchuriki.'

Naruto blinked.

Oh.

Now, Naruto wasn't quite sure how another person like... like him would act, but if the other beast is anything like the fox then that was BAD news.

'Shukaku is a lot more...' Ashura thought for the right word, '...childish than Kurama.'

'You mean stupid right? Or possibly insane and murderous?'

'Possibly? He's definitely more insane and murderous.'

Thad didn't help Naruto's attitude in the slightest. He slowed to a walk as he noticed the pink of Sakura standing still, he approached as nonchalant as possible.

He resisted a frown as he noticed a man in black holding Konohamaru by the collar.

"Naruto!" Sakura called to him as she noticed him.

Naruto ignored her and stepped further towards the man, "Hey, mind telling me why you're holding my friend like that?"

The man looked at him. He had a full black... it looked like a pajama set actually. The full black body suit had some yellow and red designs on it, but Naruto paid more attentions to the guy's face. It covered in purple face paint that obviously meant something in Suna, if his headband was accurate. His hair was hidden from a black hood that had an animal like ear shape to it. He had a giant object covered in bandages on his back.

"This kid ran into me," he said in annoyance, "I really don't like when kids do that."

"Just drop it Kankuro!" A girl to his side said harshly. "Don't do this in a foreign village."

The girl was obviously his teammate. She had blond hair in four different pony tails and similar facial features, albeit a lot more feminine, to her teammate. She had a white dress like clothing on and a Suna headband wrapped around her neck. A large metal beam like weapon was on her back.

Possible siblings, but Naruto didn't really care. He only cared about the Jinchuriki watching them from a few meters away, completely hidden to the human eye.

"I think your sister is right," Naruto said to the newly dubbed Kankuro. "I really don't think you want an international incident on your hands, at least not before you go into an exam filled with Konoha shinobi."

Kankuro stared at him deeply. "You going to stop me?"

"I'm not going to fight you for beating up Konohamaru—the kid can fight his own battles. I will, however, beat the living shit out of you for hurting a Konoha citizen... like any good ninja would."

"You..." Kankuro growled as he reached for his back for what seemed like his weapon.

"I wouldn't do that," Sasuke said from on top of a tree. "or else ninjas a lot worse than me and Naruto will come, and we're more than enough for you."

Naruto felt his heart skip a beat as the other Jinchuriki appeared literally right on the other side of the branch Sasuke was standing on.

"And I'm sure your friend over there doesn't want to cause anything-" Naruto turned to face the Jinchuriki, "-right?"

Everyone except Naruto froze as the noticed the person Naruto just addressed.

His looks were deceiving how dangerous he looked, red hair with brown clothing and a giant sandy gourd on his back. But the aura he put off was terrifying, it made Naruto feel cold inside with how dead and insane the look in his eye's were.

'Shukaku was always a tad creepy,' Ashura noted. 'But he really took it to a new level with his kid.'

'Where the hell does he get a kid like that?'

"G-Gaara!" The girl said weakly.

Gaara. Grade A creep and possible psychopath.

Just kidding, definite psychopath.

Maybe it was the eyes? The dark, DARK circles around his eyes paid him no favor in the 'be my friend' department.

He stared.

And then stared.

Not even blinking.

Looking intently.

At him. Not Kankuro, not his sister, not the kids or Sakura... but Naruto Uzumaki.

'Kill him,' the Kyuubi advised.

'Be quiet,' he thought to the fox.

"Let's go," he said in a raspy voice to his siblings as he appeared next to them.

The followed him with a noticeable distance... they were scared, terrified of their teammate.

When they—no Gaara—when Gaara was out of site everyone remaining release a breath they were all holding subconsciously.

"Shit..." Naruto cursed quietly. "Damn, that guy is scary..."

"Agreed," Sakura said with a nod.

Sasuke just continued staring to where the Suna team left for a few more moments before jumping away.

"I don't like this new jacket," Naruto said to himself as he stared down at his clothes.

'It's nice,' Ashura commented offhandedly.

Naruto hummed as a response.

Taki took his last jacket to it's grave—a deep pond filled with the most deadly water in the world: Hero Water.

Honestly he didn't really notice what happened to it until he was walking back to Konoha and felt the wind nip at him. And at the suggestions of literally everyone he decided to find something a little less... flamboyant.

Which was basically black pants with black sandals going up his ankles and, of course, a bright orange jacket with black striped around the waist and wrists. However, it was noticeably thinner and more streamline than his last one.

He didn't quite like it.

'Naruto, I've been out of the latest fashion trends for thousands of years, when I was around it was scandalous for a girl to show her ANKLES, and even I know how bad you used to look.'

"It had style," he refuted weakly.

"What had style?" Sakura asked as she and Sasuke walked towards him, joining him as they walked towards the Chunin Exams.

"My old clothes..."

Sakura smiled.

"I'm glad they're gone!"

Sasuke nodded in agreement.

Naruto just sighed.

Naruto couldn't help but stare at 'Rock Lee' with a little bit of...

Confusion?

No...

Awe?

A bit too gratifying.

Maybe the expression that shows a 'what the hell is wrong with this guy and the world around us for letting this happen' was more better suited to describe his face.

Because honestly—how the hell does a Rock Lee happen?

He was making that a term if it was the last thing he did. It would be great: 'Hey! You're pretty... Rock Lee today!' or 'Stop being so Rock Lee!'

'Naruto...'

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. His imagination got the best of him—not that he wasn't going to make Rock Lee the next big slang—it's just that he had more pressing manners to attend to.

Maybe it was the fact that Lee—despite everything Naruto might have thought about him—actually seemed dangerous.

A person simply does not because a ninja and survive looking like... like... that.

Naruto didn't even want to describe him, less he suffers a seizure just by trying to comprehend what he was seeing.

"Hey Eyebrows... er... I mean Lee!" Naruto said. "As much as you want to... to challenge Sasuke for Sakura's... love? Is that what's happening? Well... don't do it now. I hate to break it to you but we have the Chunin Exams coming up. You know, with the people and the ninja and the chunin and the..." he yawned.

He was tired. Tired of all the shit he has seen and all the shit he knows he is going to see.

Sasuke quickly agreed with a 'he's right' and erratic nod.

Which, to translate, means: 'Get the hell away from me and leave me alone!'

Him and Kakashi had taken the liberty to start compiling a dictionary translating all of Sasuke's mannerisms and words. Despite the outrage of said Uchiha, it was surprisingly accurate.

It was accurate enough to tell what the term 'Hn' means to the slight changes in tone and length.

And in Layman's terms it was just another ploy to piss off Sasuke.

The best part was that even Sakura found it amusing, she even added a few translations of her own—which Sasuke was surely SO grateful about.

"Yosh!" Lee agreed as he jumped away.

"Hey," a voice said to him.

Naruto looked to his side and smiled.

"Neji," he greeted as he looked behind the Hyuuga to see Lee talking to a girl with brown hair excitedly.

Neji didn't even need to look to know what the blonde was thinking of.

"He's a bit... jumpy."

Naruto snorted at the lackluster explanation.

Despite his flashy tendencies and boisterous attitude—Naruto actually wanted to draw little attention as his team entered the room filled with participants.

Not that he wouldn't appreciate a good tussle to get the blood pumping before the exams, but he'd rather not have a few different nations get interested in Naruto Uzumaki and his abilities.

And if Iwa was there... oh god. Naruto was proud to say he looked a lot like the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, even though the former Hokage was probably ten times better looking than him.

But it helped the self esteem to say he had an uncanny resemblance to the Yellow Flash.

'You don't find that strange?' Ashura asked.

'Why would I?'

He didn't know why Ashura sighed—was he missing something?

Handling the Genjutsu trying to deceive them was easy enough, while the two impostors trying to dissuade genin were a bit more... difficult to deal with.

A black eye later and Naruto thought he did a rather good job at being as subtle as possible with what was given to him.

And then Ino ruined it... of course she did...

"Sasuke!" she yelled loudly enough to make Naruto wince—damn sensitive hearing.

'It's useful,' the Kyuubi defended yet again.

Wow, someone was rather sensitive the minute their siblings shows up...

Ino ran up to Sasuke and attempted an attac- a hug? In a commendable show of faith she exited the ground and flew towards the Uchiha with her hands outstretched.

Of course Sasuke was a lot less faithful than Ino was. He sidestepped the blonde and she landed lightly before she could hit anyone else.

She had surprisingly good agility for her... tendencies. And Sasuke—despite the giant crest of his famous clan stitched onto his back—also stayed rather nonthreatening. They seemed nothing more than regular Genins, which would hopefully keep thrill seekers like Gaara off their backs.

"So you made it too!" Kiba said so loudly. Naruto sighed as he had no choice but be drawn into a big commotion in a quiet room.

Great. Konoha would piss all the other opponents off before the exam even started.

Konoha had a reputation that was being tarnished by the boisterous and arrogant rants of Kiba and even Sasuke—well minus the boisterous for the Uchiha.

"They're not doing us any favors, are they?" Shikamaru asked lazily from his side. Luckily the teen knew how to use his brain and decided that Naruto's course of action was the best.

"How much money will Konoha lose because of their attitude?" he said, not expecting any real answer.

"Well if they weren't going to start trading with us now... the future generation has already given them a reason not to..."

Another sigh from the blonde boy.

"Hey kids," an older voice said to them (who Naruto newly dubbed the 'Rookie Nine', despite hearing it many times before), "you should really quiet down, your attitude is really not sitting well with the rest of the room."

Actually, a lot of people didn't really mind, the conversation lightened the mood enough for a lot of the teams to start conversing to themselves. But the new man's loud voice invited everyone to start glaring at them—something Naruto noticed all to clearly.

There was something wrong with that man.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked, staring at him in clear distaste.

"Me? I'm just Kabuto. I figured I should help the first timers," he smiled sheepishly, "I've done this more than a few times."

Naruto snorted blatantly. This man was lying through his teeth... he was just too nice and too nonthreatening to bee anything but bad and threatening.

It wasn't his attitude to instantly distrust people—but he always had a knack for knowing bad people from good—and just like the feeling he got from Danzo or Mizuki he got with Kabuto.

Kabuto, in an attempt to disarm Naruto's suspicion, pulled out a deck of cards.

"My sensei says to always know your enemy," he said as he fingered the cards. "I have information on almost all of the participants of this years exam."

"Almost all?" Naruto asked.

Kabuto smirked. "Well not me, obviously. I don't need one on myself."

"And your team?"

"I figured that was a given too," he said with a shrug.

"Naruto!" Sakura reprimanded him with a smack to the head—the blonde rubbed it and still stared at Kbuto. "Sorry about him. He's usually not this rude to people trying to help."

"What do you have on Gaara from Sand and Rock Lee?" Sasuke asked.

Kabuto shuffled his cards—if it was for anything other than cosmetics was unknown—and pulled a random one out. He smirked and flipped the card dramatically to see it, nodding in approval as he did.

"Gaara, a Suna nin and the youngest son of the Kazekage. His team consists of his brother Kankuro and his sister Temari, they are both highly rated, but not as revered as he is. He's done 11 B-rank and 5 A-ranks—and, check this out, it says that he has never been injured once while in the field or out of it. He's untouchable according to rumors."

Kabuto licked his lips after talking and started to shuffle his deck again.

"Rock Lee," he started as he pulled out another card, "He's a year older than you guys and a member of Team Gai along with his teammates Tenten and Neji Hyuuga. They're another highly rated team with 50 D-ranks, 43 C-ranks, and 8 B-ranks. Surprisingly, Lee has no talent for any chakra related techniques, he's pure taijutsu through and through—and apparently very good at it."

Naruto didn't pay as much attention to Lee's bio as he did to the last word Kabuto said about Gaara...

'Rumors'... whispers in the wind—stuff passed from random guy to random guy.

A genin shouldn't be hearing rumors. Hearing rumors like Gaara's was something a person heard outside of Konoha. Genin's don't take missions that allows them to have enough freedom to sit down and listen to rumors.

That was espionage. That was reconnaissance.

That was NOT genin. Genin did transport the package, escort the not-so-wealthy, protect the thing, and for the more highly skilled genin teams—dispatch the bandits or cooperate with other village's teams.

And if Kabuto failed the exam multiple time like he said, there was no way he could be anywhere close to hear and collect information—the most precise and valuable thing to collect—of all things.

'I personally find the amount of chakra he has and control of it he's showing is more than enough proof he's not what he seems,' Ashura added.

'But you can't incriminate a person on how much chakra control he has,' Naruto thought. 'Or even what he hears. I need more... I need...'

"Hey Kabuto," he asked. "What do you have on me?"

Just bring up the Kyuubi, he mentally begged.

If Kabuto just brings up anything about it then he was done. Then Naruto had all he needed to go to the Hokage and get someone more professional to see if his hunch was correct.

Kabuto looked at him for a few moments before shrugging.

"Sure."

Instead of shuffling he just pulled a card out. Naruto could feel him channel chakra into it to reveal the words on the card.

"Naruto Uzumaki," he read. "Classified. Classified. Classified." he said bluntly.

What?

"Your public record files are under level five authorization," he explained. "I literally couldn't even find a record with your name unless I was the Hokage or an ANBU captain. But I figured I should make a card anyways, just because. I assume that you've been on the same amount of missions as your team, but when I referenced Team Seven's missions with the missions of it's members—Sakura and Sasuke—I found some differences."

Now that got people's attention.

Kabuto cleared his throat. "The full Team Seven have been on 4 D-ranks, 5 C-ranks and two A-ranks. But the incomplete Team Seven, a team of two, has another A-rank in their records."

Naruto actually growled at the older man. "You have rather good detective skills for an apparent weakling."

"Apparent is the key word."

That bastard was actually taunting him!

"Wait!" Kiba yelled. "Why did your team do A-ranks huh!?"

Thank god the door slammed open before he had to answer.

"All of you punks shut up!" the presumed test giver, a rather grizzled man with scars and a bandanna, yelled as he stormed to the middle of the room.

Naruto blinked as he looked at him... scary.

"My name is Ibiki Morino," he said in a threatening tone. "I will be the first proctor of this year Chunin Exams. This-" he pulled out a stack of papers "-is the first part. A written exam."

Naruto resisted a groan—most people did with how terrifying Ibiki was.

"Here are the rules, I'm only saying them once." Ibiki waited a moment for everyone to pay attention. "The test must be completed when I end time. The minimum score for passing is three wrong, there are twelve questions. You will absolutely NOT cheat no matter what—we will have chunins watching every student. If they catch you cheating twice, you and your entire team will fail."

He looked around, letting it sink in.

"Do you all understand? You better..."

Naruto sat at the desk silently, taking note to every chunin situated around the perimeter of the room.

He sighed and looked at his test—taking in the questions.

"You!" a chunin yelled. "Seat 38!"

"Me!?" a participant asked confused.

"Don't think I didn't see you cheat! You and your team are done!"

Naruto rolled his eyes as an altercation between the 'team' that had just been eliminated. Apparently the 'teammates' of the guy who got eliminated were not happy and decided to beat the crap out of their friend in front of everyone.

It would have been unnerving if Naruto didn't know the group and how they were all chunins in disguise.

Plants—placed to add more pressure to the exam.

And they were doing a pretty good job, people were already sweating.

Maybe it was also due to the fact that the temperature in the room was unsteadily getting warmer and warmer as the seconds passed.

'This stuff is easy,' Ashura commented as Naruto skimmed through the questions.

'Well then let's do this.'

AUTHORS NOTE: Not as long as I usually do, but I felt this came together quiet well. Also it hit me hard how rough some of the beginning chapters are, I will attempt to make them better. And so for the people who actually pulled through the horror of inexperienced Snapers, thank you.