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Yuzuki476: That is not possible for now, cause Itachi is in ANBU and Sasuke is still in the Academy.


Chapter 12 Chunnin Exams Begin!

After his encounter with Kabuto, Naruto only had two weeks to prepare for the chunnin exams. For the first and a half week, Naruto solely focused of mastering his Shiden, Domain Expansion and God Speed. But just 3 days before the examination, Naruto stopped his training and let things loose. He was already more than prepared for any kind to challenge he might have to face in the Chunnin Exams, so he choose to rest.

For the first time he noticed so many new faces in the village, and especially since his home was right around the center of the village, he got to see so many of them. All of them were wearing different village hie-ate. Naruto had never noticed the chunnin exams before, but now, this was all a new experience for him. Naruto could tell that a number of them were actually good and could give him some problem, but none of them catched his eye yet.

"Hey, they are all so big and tall. How are you going to best them?" Sasuke asked. Both him and Naruto were sitting on a water tank, watching the market of Konoha and observing the foreigners.

"Almost all of them are twice as old as me. But that is of no concern to me. Your chakra is more refined that theirs. They won't be a problem." Naruto said.

"And what about Taijutsu?" Sasuke asked.

"I can confidently say that my Taijutsu is far better that theirs'." Naruto said. "And not to mention these chains." A golden chain grew out from Naruto's hand.

"That is all well and good, but try not to be so cocky- I mean overconfident." Hiruzen said from behind.

"Good Afternoon, Hokage-Sama." Sasuke bowed before Hiruzen as did Naruto.

"I wasn't being overconfident, it's just that they all look so weak and frail." Naruto said as Hiruzen slapped his head.

"How many times have I taught you, not to judge people on their appearance. This is what happened in the land of rivers, and now you are doing the same thing here." Hiruzen said.

"I didn't underestimate Juzo. I acknowledged his strength, and was serious from the start." Naruto said.

"Even so, be cautious. You don't know what trick they have up their sleeve." Hiruzen said.

"Okay, I get the point." Naruto said.

"Hey, why am I out of this conversation." Sasuke asked as Naruto and Hiruzen started chuckling.

Later that Day

After goofing around for a while with Sasuke, Naruto returned home. As he didn't have anything to do, he started meditating.

"Hey Naruto." Kurama spoke up.

"Yes." Naruto said.

"Would you like to have a summoning contract?" Kurama asked.

"A summoning contract? What kind of summons?" Naruto asked.

"Foxes." Kurama said.

" 'kay, but I wonder why sensei didn't brought this up." Naruto said.

"Maybe he forgot." Kurama said.

xXx

The three days passed quickly and Naruto's wait came to and end. He had almost reached his patience level, and couldn't wait more for the exam to begin. The first round of the exam was set to take place in Academy. Sasuke and Kakashi came to see off Naruto for the first round.

"This is it, the first part of the exam will take place inside this hall." Kakashi said standing before a door.

"Well then, I shall be going now. Naruto said as he approached the door.

"Do your best, Naruto." Sasuke said in a cheerful tone.

"Don't sleep on the paper." Kakashi said.

"Thank you." Naruto said as he entered the door.

"Hey, Kakashi-san." Sasuke said.

"Yes, what is it Sasuke?" Kakashi asked.

"How can I be strong like Naruto." Sasuke asked.

"Why do you want to be strong now? You can do that after you graduate." Kakashi asked.

"Because I don't want to fall behind." Sasuke said. This single line was all the answer Kakashi needed. He saw Obito in Sasuke, who wanted to keep up with his friends.

"I see. Have you awakened your Sharingan yet?" Kakashi asked.

"No." Sasuke said.

"Okay, I didn't expect either. How good is your chakra control? And what is your chakra affinity?" Kakashi asked.

"Naruto taught me how to walk on water, so I can do that. And I haven't tested it using the Chakra Paper, but I think my chakra affinity is fire, like the other members of my clan." Sasuke said.

xXx

It was just a hall with more than two hundred people inside. Naruto could feel the tension in the air. Naruto could sense the bloodlust leaking out from some players, while other like him and Kabuto smoothly held theirs. A number of rookies were sweating from fear just by being in the hall, while others who couldn't bare it left the place.

"This looks fun." Naruto said as he finally let his bloodlust flood the whole examination hall. It was so great that others' dwarfed in comparison to his. Many started leaving the hall immediately, while some even fainted. Within a minute, of the total 266 gennins only 145 were left in the hall.

"Now now Naruto-kun, there is no need to be so violent." Kabuto said as Naruto held his bloodlust again.

"If they can't bare it, then how are they going to compete further. I am merely doing a favor to them by letting them escape while they still can. There is no need for them to die in vain." Naruto said as he felt countless glares on him.

"Oh, did I accidently hurt the feelings of these WEAKLINGS? I am so sorry, I didn't meant to hurt you… I wanted to crush you!" Naruto taunted. For him, mocking and taunting his enemies and seeing them lash out was fun. He enjoyed crushing his enemy in every way possible.

"HOW DARE YOU INSULT US LIKE THAT?" This was the general reaction of the other gennins.

"Quiet!" The examiner shouted.

"Take you seat, and stay silent. Utter a word and you will be expelled." He spoke.

"My, I would have loved to play with you weaklings a little longer." Naruto said as he took his seat. Others couldn't do anything but glare at him, and even that was futile as he didn't give a flying fuck about that.

For Naruto, calling the exam easy was an overstatement. He had seen when it started that the point of the first exam was to make use of ninja techniques, and cheat without getting caught by the examiner.

He had confidence in the strength of his memory. Ever since he was five, he had read a lot of books in between bouts of training, to develop his ninja techniques. That habit didn't change when he started at the academy, or after he became a gennin. So Naruto had all kinds of knowledge tucked away in his brain: The history of the ninja continuing from the Sage of Six Paths. Alliances, treaties, laws of uniformity among the different lands. Fundamentals, advanced techniques, practical strategies in fighting. Theory on physical ninja arts, Kekkei Genkai. Introduction to chakra. Tailed beast, ninja beasts. Overview of sage barriers and natural energy fundamentals. And many other documents, books, theses.

Thus, there was no need for him to cheat.

A balance between brain and brawn. This was the most important element of Naruto's ideal ninja.

When there was first a clear mind, superior physical abilities could be amply shown off. But no matter how skilled in the ninja arts the body was, if a ninja was unable to make appropriate decisions, failure was almost inevitable. And in the world of the ninja, failure was directly linked to death.

The face of his Mei, Toji and Ebisu, killed by Juzo Biwa, came to life in the back of Naruto's mind. He slid his pencil across the page as if to banish the terrifying vision. His answer sheet was already filled in.

After finishing his own test, Naruto observed the other examinees as one after another was ordered to leave, suspected of cheating. Who was cheating in what way?

Out of curiosity, he sent his chakra out in all four directions.

Some were slipping into the minds of their targets; others, watching the movements of hands. Still others traced out the answers from the sound of pencil rubbing against paper. They were all cheating with the technique they were best at. Naruto coolly picked out who was using what type of technique.

Everyone there was his rival. If he could study their skills, he would be able to choose the most advantageous circumstances when they fought. Everyone else was in three-person groups. Naruto was alone. He had no teammates. It was quite plausible that in one of the tests before him, he would end up in a three-against-one situation. Obtaining information now on his enemies was also an important fight for him, in order to turn the tables in an unfavorable situation.

"Time!" the examiner for the first test called out. "Put your pencils down. Everyone still here, go to the second exam. The results of the first exam will be announced once the second exam is complete."

"Question!" One of the test takers raised a hand. The supervisor nodded permission to speak. "Does that mean that even if we pass the second exam, we won't be able to proceed to the third exam, depending on our score on the first exam?"

"That is what it means, yes."

The examinees all started to talk at once.

"Quiet!" the examiner roared. "You are on the road to become chunnin. And once you are chunnin, you will be in the position of leading a team. Not all missions yield immediate results. There will sometimes be cases where you will turn all your mental energies toward the job at hand, while you are waiting on another result. During this exam, you should have expended every effort. In which case, trust in your own abilities, and fight in the second exam with all your might." The rousing cry of the jonin left the test takers speechless. "Now, off you go to the second exam."

Naruto stood up, the words of the examiner in his ears.

xXx

"Not like you can surround all three of us," the boy said with a grin.

Naruto dropped his eyes to the scroll in his hand.

Those who would become chunin were scattered about the area known as the forty-fourth training ground, nicknamed "Forest of Death." The scroll in his hands had the character for "heaven" written on it in bold, black calligraphy.

"Taking the chunin exam by yourself is suicide," a different boy shouted down to him from behind.

And then the laughter of a girl came, ear-splittingly high-pitched.

The three ninja were spread out in a triangle formation around Naruto. On their foreheads, they wore the protectors of the village of Kirigakure.

"Quit laughing, this is not a comedy set up." Naruto glared at the girl.

He then looked at the boy standing in front of him, the most assertive of the group, maybe fifteen or sixteen. He seemed to be the leader.

"If you hand over the scroll like a good boy, we won't kill you. But if you're gonna fight back, then I can't promise anything." The boy had the scroll that paired with the one in Naruto's hand. It would have "earth" written on it.

The aim of the second exam was to reach the tower in the center of the training ground, with both Heaven and Earth scrolls in hand. In small squads of three-person cells, the examinees were given either a Heaven or an Earth scroll, and sent scattering throughout the training ground. There, they were to take the complementary scroll from its owner, wherever they might be in the field. After getting both scrolls, they had to make it through the Forest of Death, with its man-eating beasts, poisonous insects, and all kinds of dangerous creatures, to reach the tower standing in the center.

The time limit was five days. In other words, the examination required exactly that much time.

Just after three minutes of entering the Forest of Death, Naruto was suddenly attacked by the enemy, the Kirigakure ninja before him.

Rather than making the foolish move of searching for the matching scroll, Naruto was heading straight for the tower at a much slower pace. Just like he wanted the Earth scroll, his opponents wanted the Heaven scroll. If he moved toward the tower, his opponent would certainly come to him. It was just as he planned.

The Kirigakure ninja had already confirmed that Naruto held the Heaven scroll— he had deliberately held the scroll open as he walked toward the tower for that purpose. These three were the ones who had fallen into Naruto's trap.

"So, three against one. Be good, and—"

"There's an item in the examinee qualifications for this test," Naruto cut off the boy in front of him, "that you have to participate in a three-person cell. So why am I here alone like this?"

"Maybe your teammates ditched you," the girl called out from the left, like she was making fun of him. The boy in the back laughed.

Turning his head the slightest bit towards the girl, Naruto noted, "The other two are waiting in ambush. Can't you anticipate that much, at least?" Careless smile still on her lips, the girl's face grew pale.

"Relax. I was alone right from the start," Naruto said, and turned his gaze back to the leader. "The only conclusion you can come to from this three-against-one situation is that it's to your advantage. As a leader, you're a failure."

"Y-you watch your mou—"

"You're even using my childish appearance as fuel for your carelessness."

"Hey, Tenma, let's just finish him already," the boy in the rear called, sounding uneasy.

The leader, Tenma, swallowed with a gulp the saliva building up in his mouth, sweat running down his forehead.

"Why doesn't it make you uncomfortable that I'm here alone? Why don't you consider the possibility that I was allowed to take the test alone? Don't you think there's some meaning behind the fact that I'm taking the test alone, when the basis for the test is the three-person cell?"

"Tenma!" This time, it was the girl. The opposing team was starting to lose themselves in an unfathomable fear.

"G-get him!" Tenma half-shrieked, half-shouted, and shuriken were launched at Naruto from three different directions.

In the next instant, the leader before Naruto, and the boy to his rear, both started running. The girl leapt up, aiming for the top of his head. He was caught in an attack from both sides, and if he fled upward, the girl would catch him.

'Physical Fundamentals for the Three-Person Cell, Chapter 1, Paragraph 3. Such a childish strategy.' Naruto thought.

Naruto didn't move.

The shuriken dug into Naruto. Countless shuriken stabbed every part of his body.

Without pausing, the two boys racing at him from in front and behind tried to catch him in a pincer attack, and drove kunai into his belly and his back.

Blood jetted out of Naruto's mouth. The two boys didn't have the luxury of watching this; as they yanked their kunai out, they took a half step back. Immediately, the girl landed on Itachi's shoulders, and plunged a dagger through the crown of his head.

"Got him!" she cried out, happily.

But much to their surprise, Naruto started melting and suddenly reformed into a demon like creature. The said demon them scared the three senseless, to the point where they fell on the ground in fear.

Naruto watched for a while from the top of a remarkably tall tree nearby, observing the silly way his enemies were being taken down. Eventually, he dropped down in front of them.

"Release!" The demonic creature disappeared at his cry. Not understanding what was happening, the three ninja stood dumbfounded, their eyes finding Naruto all at once.

"Be good and hand over the scroll." Naruto held out his hand toward the leader. "If you do, I'll let you go. You see, I have no interest in killing weaklings like you."

"D-don't underestimate us." Tenma dropped his hips and began weaving signs. The boy and girl to his left and right also wove the same signs. "Got it?"

"Right," his teammates responded.

"Water Release!" Tenma shouted, and that's as far as they got.

"So you have chosen death, fine then." Naruto said as he also stared weaving signs, but at a much faster pace. After he was finished, he blew out high pressure wind stream that formed a sphere around the Kiri ninjas and the next instant, cut them into countless pieces.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere." Naruto said as he finished his jutsu. The three of them were cut down even before they had the chance to perform their jutsu.

Naruto walked to their corpses and picked up the bloodied Earth Scroll.

Time Elapsed: 7 minutes.

"Alright, come out!" Naruto said as cleaned the scroll. But whoever Naruto was calling didn't show up. Irritated, Naruto quickly made some hand seals and inhaled some air. He then shot a Vacuum Bullet at a tree, but right before the it hit the tree, Kabuto came out from behind the said tree.

"How did you know that I was here?" Kabuto asked.

"I ain't going to explain my abilities. But hey, your bloodlust was leaking out." Naruto said.

"I see. Unfortunately, I would have to finish you here. You are too much of a nuisance to leave alive. If I don't end you here, you might be a problem for me in the future." Kabuto said.

"The feelings are mutual, where is the rest of your team by the way?" Naruto asked.

"I left them behind, they would only get in the way." Kabuto said.

"Tell me, what does your cards say about me?" Naruto asked.

"You know about my cards?" Kabuto asked.

"You were showing them to others when I entered the hall?" Naruto said.

"Okay, lets see." Kabuto said as he took out a card with Naruto's info on it.

"256 D-Rank missions, and 1 S-rank mission. Impressive. Now about your stats, 99.9% in all fields. Magnificent. And over a hundred kills in such a short career. So, you are no stranger to death." Kabuto said.

"109 as of now, but it will be 110 sooner." Naruto said.

"Let's get this over with." Kabuto said as his hands got covered in green light.

"Chakra Scapples, so you are a medic." Naruto said as Kabuto dashed at him but Naruto had already activated his Domain Expansion beforehand.

The moment Kabuto entered his range, Naruto sidestepped and avoided his attack while cutting his back with Shiden. But as the cut was delivered, Kabuto turned in mid-air to graze Naruto's guts with Chakra Scapples, before finally falling back.

This short exchange was enough for both of them to understand that if they fight further, either both will die or leave badly injured. But for Naruto, he hasn't showed his trump card yet, so he was still willing to fight.

"What was that? Chidori?" Kabuto asked as steam started coming out from his wound, and in a matter of seconds, the wound was gone. It was the same with Naruto, his internal injuries by the chakra scapples were quickly healed at the same time the wound was acquired.

"No, it's my original technique, Shiden." Naruto said.

"Looks like I will have to play rough." Kabuto said as he bit his thumb and applied the blood on his palm before making a set of hand seals. But before he could finish, Naruto quickly weaved the same hand seals as before shot multiple Vacuum Bullets at Kabuto, preventing him from making the hand seals and dodge the bullets. But of the multiple number of Air Bullets, it was impossible for him to dodge all, and one of the bullets managed to hit the left side of Kabuto's guts, blowing up that part of his body.

"Looks like I am have the upper hand now." Naruto said but Kabuto continued the hand seals and summoned a giant snake to aid him.

"Snake? Last time I checked, only a traitor and his pupil had them. What was his name… Orochimaru! Right?" Naruto said as he dodges the fangs of the snake. But as he jumped away, the snake exhaled huge about poison in the area, that even reached Naruto.

"Die… You brat." Kabuto yelled at the top of his lungs. In a matter of seconds, the poison started to take effect, and suddenly Naruto dropped on his knees.

"Why… you-" Naruto said before finally falling on the ground. He was out cold, without a trace of life.

"That's what you get for being cocky. Finally, a potential threat is eliminated." Kabuto said as turned to look around for any witness.

But as soon as he turned away, he moved just in time from getting beheaded, but his right arm paid the price. Naruto had severed his arm off using his Shiden, and was now standing before him.

"Yeah, Poison doesn't work on me. Try to be a little more creative." Naruto said. But what happened next, Naruto hadn't considered to be a possibility. The snake that Kabuto had previously summoned, swallowed Kabuto whole, before dispelling.

"What happened?" Naruto asked dumbfounded.

"Reverse Summoning. It is a trick to escape from an unwanted place in an instant." Kurama said.

"He got me this time." Naruto said.

Time Elapsed: 28 minutes

"Well since I have both the Heaven and the Earth scroll, there is no need for me to stay here any longer." Naruto said as lightning cranked up all around him. The tower was 12 kilometre away from him.

"GOD SPEED" Naruto said as he vanished from that area leaving a trail of electricity behind.

xXx

"Who do you think is going to come first?" Shisui asked. Both him and Itachi were sitting on the top of the tower, observing the examination.

"Naruto, no doubt about that." Itachi said.

"How about a bet then, 100k Ryo if he doesn't come first." Shisui said.

"Okay, 1 Million if he arrives first." Itachi said.

"What, are you crazy? It's worth 5 S-rank missions." Shisui said.

"I am betting because I am confident." Itachi said.

"Okay, I accept." Shisui said.

"Here he comes." Itachi said as both of them could see a trail of lightning in the forest and the next instant, Naruto was standing before the tower.

"Hey guys, watcha' doing up there?" Naruto asked.

"Nothing, just hurry up and register yourself." Itachi said.

" 'Kay" Naruto said before entering the tower.

"You knew about his technique, didn't you?" Shisui asked,

"I said I was confident." Itachi said with a smug face.

"Hasn't its been just 30 minutes since the second phase started? He sure is fast." Shisui pointed.

"Heh, my record has just been shattered into oblivion. Kids these days." Itachi said.

Otogakure

Orochimaru was sitting in his lab, dissecting some unfortunate child, when a seal made on a scroll glowed before disappearing.

"This early?" Orochimaru said as he picked up a test tube full of blood, and applied some blood on his hand. He then went outside to summon the same snake as before. After being summoned, the snake spit out Kabuto, who had managed to survive even after so much blood loss, thanks to his Mitotic Regeneration Technique.

"Look at you, all torn up." Orochimaru said noticing his missing right arm and blown up left side of his gut.

"I just underestimated my enemy." Kabuto said.

"You do realize that if I don't use that, you will die." Orochimaru said.

"That is why I had to resort to reverse summoning, to get here immediately." Kabuto said.

"Follow me, now I would have to fix you up." Orochimaru said as he and Kabuto entered a different laboratory.


Author's Note

This one was fast. To be honest, I took some material from Itachi Daylight Novel. Though that shouldn't be a problem as this is just a fanfiction. Anyways, some noticeable development happened in this chapter. Like, Kakashi has taken Sasuke under his wing at this early in the story and Kabuto has been chased off from the village. Now, they are going to get major power ups in the later story. And Sasuke will be above chunnin level by the time he will graduate the academy. And now that the first and second phase of the examination is over, only third phase remains, and you can easily guess what is going to happen in the next chapter. Till then, do drop a review.