First Exam

After dealing with Lee and his crazy sensei team seven finally made it to room 301. Kakashi stood in front of the door. "Glad you came, Sakura for your sake and the others." Both Sakura and Sasuke seemed confused by the words. "Now you can all formal register for the chunin exams."

"Why? what do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"You see only groups of three can apply for and take the exam," Kakashi told them. "That's the way it's always been."

"But sensei, you said that taking the exam was up to the individual."

"That's right, I did."

"Was that a lie?"

Kakashi looked over to the side. "Sort of…it is an individual decision, but it affects all of you. I didn't tell you guys before because I didn't want the other guys pressuring you."

Sakura looked over at her teammates.

"At the same time I didn't want you to feel a need to enter because of any feelings you have for Sasuke or Naruto," Kakashi continued. "I wanted you to come to a decision of your own free will."

Sakura stared at her sensei. "Wait a minute, are you saying if the others came and I decided not to come with them…"

"It would have been the end of the line I couldn't have let the others in, but it's a mote point. You're all here and for the right reasons. Sakura." When her sensei said her name she smiled and blushed. "Naruto." Naruto also smiled. "And Sasuke." Sasuke wore a bit of a smirk.

Kakashi shut his eyes and smiled through his mask. "I'm proud of you and I couldn't ask for a better team." He stepped aside so they could enter the room. "Good luck."

Sakura and Sasuke went up to the doors and opened them. "We won't let you down, sensei. Believe it," Naruto said. The three entered in and shut the doors behind them.

The three looked ahead of them to see the sheer number of others who were taking part in the chunin exams who were all glaring at the three. "All man, I had no idea there would be so much completion," Sakura said.

"Sasuke, where have you been?" the voice had gotten all three of their attention. Ino came up from behind Sasuke and jumped onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck. Sasuke glared at her clearly annoyed. "Boy, you have no idea how much I hoped you show up here. I've miss those budding good looks of yours."

Sakura's eyes went white as a vein popped out of her forehead. She pointed at Ino and started to yell. "Hey you, porker back off he's mine."

"Miss Forehead they let you in I see you still have those frowns on your billboard brow I see."

Sakura held her fist in front of her, clenching her teeth. "Leave my forehead out of this."

Ino held down her eyelid and stuck out her tongue.

"Oh, it's you guys." Shikamaru and Choji stepped up to the group. "I knew this was going to be a drag, but I didn't know it was going to be this lame."

"I see that you guys are the same as ever," Naruto said annoyed. Ino and Sakura were already getting on his nerves and the exam hadn't even started. Shikamaru seemed like he was ready to start a fight too by insulting him the way he did.

"Sorry, but Sasuke is all mine," Ino told Sakura.

"Well, well what do you know," Kiba said. He and his team walked up in front of the other two rookie teams. "Looks like everyone is back together again." He had a smug look on his face.

"Oh, hi Naruto," Hinata spoke shyly. Naruto looked over at Hinata who blushed and looked away. Naruto could tell Hinata liked him. She was a sweet girl, but wasn't his type by any means.

"You guys too, huh," Shikamaru continued to complain. "Man, everyone is here for this stupid thing."

"Yep, here we all are the nine rookies," Kiba laughed. "This is going to be fun. At least for those of us that are good enough to make the cut, right Sasuke?"

Ino balled up her fist and her eyes went white in annoyance.

Sasuke had a smug smirk on his face. "Kiba, make sure you don't get over confident."

"Just wait, we're going to blow you guys away," Kiba assured them. "We've been training like crazy."

"What do you think we've been doing?" Naruto questioned. "Sitting around pick daisies." He pointed at Kiba. "You don't know what training means!"

"Oh, don't mind Kiba," Hinata said as she twiddled her fingers. "I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it."

"Huh?"

Hinata got nervous again and looked away from Naruto.

Kabuto came up to the group to inform them how they caught everyone's attention. The nine rookies looked to see that everyone was staring at them. Naruto's eyes fell on a girl from the hidden grass with red hair and glasses.

Naruto's eyes shimmered. He realized quickly the girl had to be a survivor from his clan. He have to meet her, but now wasn't the time for that. He didn't want the others to know about his secret plan to revive his clan, but sometime before this exam was over he would have to meet her.

It wasn't long after that, that their first instructor, Ibiki Morino showed up with a group of Chunin examiners in a mist that grabbed everyone's attention from the Rookie nine. "And from this moment your worst enemy."

All the shinobi that were part of chunin exam had taken their random seats for the written exam. All eyes were set on the instructor as he explained the rules of the written test. After he explained that all the scores to a team average out to decide who pass and failed, Sakura shouted out.

"Quite, I'm not finished there are still more rules," Ibiki said.

Naruto could already guess she was thinking of him. All Sasuke and Sakura saw was the goofy side he portrayed to the people. He would show them both what he could do now that he decided to take that mask off and cast it away forever.

After Ibiki finished informing every one of all the strict rules of the exam, the test began. Naruto took the test in his hand and started to read the questions to himself. Each question was tougher than the last and Naruto quickly realized that he didn't understand any of them.

He knew he was smarter than what people gave him credit for, but these questions seemed completely impossible for any genin to understand. He then remember the rules and thought about how they were represented.

He gazed back down at his quiz. They must want us to cheat to know how to get the information, he thought. The only questions now, who held the answers and how to get them without anyone noticing.

Meanwhile several others had also figured this out and began to cheat their way through the exam. Sasuke used his sharingan to copy the pencil strokes of the person in front of him, Neji used his byakugan, Tenten used her mirrors that she had rigged on the ceiling, Ino used her mind transfer Justu on Sakura, while Gaara used his third eye, and a sound ninja listen to the strokes of the pencil.

Naruto was still figuring out the best way to get the answers without being seen. He heard as several people were being called out and disqualified from the exam. While he was thinking, his eyes slipped over to Hinata who sat beside him. She seemed to be breezing through the exam unlike him and most of the others he had to gather information.

He smirked, getting an idea. He removed his headband from his head and putting it down between him and the Hyuga girl. He adjusted the metal of the headband to reflect Hinata's test in it. Naruto used this to copy every one of her answers without anyone noticing.

The clock ticked to the time of the tenth question. All of the genin in the classroom were nerves and tense about the situation as Ibiki began to speak. "But, before I give you the question there are some more rules you need to be aware of."

The door opened and Kankuro entered back into the room after taking a bathroom break. "Huh?" He seemed confuse when he looked at the instructor.

"Ah, made it just in time I hope you found your trip to the bathroom enlightening," Ibiki said. "Well, take your seat."

Kankuro walked back to his seat, giving Termari the answers on the way.

"Very well then, rule number one each of you is free not to be given the final question," Ibiki continued. "If you choose not to answer the final question then despite your answers to the other nine you fail which means that your teammates fail as well."

The genin mumbled about who would choose to fail.

"If you choose to answer the question, but fail to answer correctly than you will be bared from getting to take the chunin exam ever again."

"Hey, that's bull man!" Kiba stood up and pointed at the Ibiki. "What kind of rule is that? There are lots of people here that have taken the test before." Akamaru barked.

Ibiki laughed. "I guess you're just unlucky. I wasn't making the rules before, but now I am."

Within minutes several ninjas began to raise their hands thus kicking them and their teammates out of the exam. The disappointment was clear in the air. The sound of people leaving their seats as their numbers were called to leave was clearly heard.

Worry and anger filled those who remained not knowing if one of their own teammates would raise their hand at any moment. Sakura looked down at where Naruto was. She thought Naruto was too stubborn for his own good and believed there was no way he could answer the final question.

Naruto then slammed his hand down his hand before Sakura could even get her hand halfway up. "Don't underestimate me! I don't quiet and I don't run! You can act tough all you want I don't care if I get stuck being a genin for the rest of my life I'm still going to be Hokage!"

Naruto's hand trembled in anger. He knew one of his teammates was sure to believe he couldn't handle whatever was coming next. He needed to convince everyone in that room of the opposite. Ibiki looked straight at him. "If for any reason you want to quiet now is your chance."

"No way, I don't give up that's my ninja way," Naruto said. Those words inspired all that still remained.

"There is one thing I have left to say and that is that each of you have passed the first exam," Ibiki said, surprising everyone. All of the remaining shinobi were shock. Ibiki then explained the meaning of the test and the reasoning behind the rules.

Suddenly a black ball flew through the window, scattering the glass. Two kunai were thrown up into the ceiling, unwrapping the cloth that held a kunochi inside of it. "Heads up, boys and girls this is no time to be celebrating."

The woman stretched out her hand to the side. "I'll be your next propter, Anko Mitarashi. Ready for the second test?" She lifted her fist up in the air. "Good, let's go! Follow me!"