Yuri had finished tying on her leaf headband to pull up her hair after she put on her red shirt and brown shorts and blue sandals. 13 years old and she was finally an official Leaf shinobi! She quickly left her house, to meet up with Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke.
As Yuri turned around the corner, she stopped when she saw a small gathering up ahead. She saw Naruto, Sakura, three kids Moegi and Udon and Konohamaru, who always followed Naruto around. She frowned when she saw Konohamaru being held in the air by a strange boy, dressed completely in black with something wrapped up and strapped to his back, wearing purple warpaint on his face. There was another ninja, standing beside him. She had sandy blond hair tied up in four pigtails, wearing a light purple of the shoulders garment that extended down to her knees, red sash around her waist, fishnets over her shoulders, on her right calf and left leg. Yuri's eyes widen, recognizing her. Temari! Yuri smirked and grinned ear to ear, and slowly walked over, keeping quiet, trying not to make her presence known. As she got closer, Yuri lightly poked Temari behind her back. Temari jumped startled.
"What the!?" She quickly turned around and so did the other boy, who was holding Konohamaru, startled as well. Temari blinked, completely shock and stared at Yuri, like she had seen a ghost.
"Yuri?" Temari sputtered.
"Hi." Yuri smiled. Temari smirked back at her.
"Well, well, I didn't think I would run into you so soon."
"Wait, Temari, you know her?" the boy dressed in black questioned. Yuri blinked at him, not recognizing him.
"Uh, who are you?"
"I should as you the same thing!" he shouted. Temari nudged him in the side.
"Kankuro, you idiot! You don't recognize her? You played with her a little." she hissed at him. Kankuro's eye widen, now realizing, who Yuri was.
"Wait a minute, you mean to tell me this is the sneezy girl back at the village?!" Yuri's eyes widen.
"Kankuro? Is that you!?" she said in disbelief, but also embarrassed hearing her old nickname. "I'll have you know that my immune system is better thank you. Man, I barely even recognize you in that get up. What's with the make up?"
"It's war paint!" Kankuro exclaimed, insulted. Naruto and Sakura were still watching still confused.
"Yuri, you know these people?" Sakura asked her. Yuri nodded.
"Yeah, they're old friends back my home village." She told them.
"Old friends, huh? Well, tell that punk to drop Konohamaru!" Naruto told her, narrowing his eyes at Kankuro, glaring at him.
"Yeah! Put me down!" Konohamaru shouted.
"Not until I teach you a lesson." Kankuro smirked.
"Come on, Kankuro, let him go. If he shows up, we're going to get into a lot of trouble." Temari tried to talk him out of it.
"Yeah, whatever he did, he's just a kid. He wasn't thinking." Yuri told him. Just as Kankuro was about to punch, Konohamaru, a rock shot out and hit Kankuro in his wrist, making him drop Konohamaru. Everyone looked up to see Sasuke in the tree, narrowing his eyes on the two ninjas, juggling some rocks in his hands. Temari blushed.
"Sasuke!" Sakura squealed, happily. Yuri rolled her eyes, annoyed.
"Honestly, what do you see in that guy? He's not that great." She murmured, but Sakura heard her.
"What did you just say!?" She screamed, angrily. Sasuke still kept his eyes on the two Sand ninjas.
"You ninjas aren't from around here. Why are you here?" He demanded.
"Kankuro, you're a disgrace to our village." a deep quiet voice answered, coldly.
A boy was in the tree next to Sasuke, hanging upside down with his arms crossed. He had red hair, dark circles around his eyes, a red tattoo above his left eye, wearing a black body suit with an open neck with t-shirt like sleeves and full-length leggings. There was a white sash over his right shoulder to his left hip, to carry a large gourd that he had strapped to his back. He had his hidden Sand headband, tied to his sash as well. Yuri, recognized him almost immediately.
"Gaara?" Yuri frowned, not believing what she was seeing. Her eyes widen and she smiled and waved at him. "Gaara!" Temari and Kankuro tensed up when they saw Yuri starting walk over to Gaara and tried to stop her. Suddenly, sand came out from Gaara's gourd and whipped out at Yuri. Yuri quickly jumped back, dodging the warning shot. She frowned, looking up at Gaara.
"What's the big idea!?" She demanded. Temari held her back.
"You're annoying." Gaara spoke. Yuri's eyes widen and she pushed Temari off of her.
"Why are you acting like you don't know me? Gaara, it's me, Yuri!" She told him. "I know it's you! I recognize that bright red hair anywhere!"
"I know no such person and you're getting on my nerves. I will kill you if you get in my way." he said, coldly. Yuri's eyes widen in shock.
"What about our promise!?" She shouted. Then Yuri saw that Gaara wasn't wearing the ribbon that she had tied to his wrist, so many years ago. Where was it!?
"I made no promise." Gaara spoke. Then he vanished in a cloud of sand, shocking everyone and suddenly reappearing next to Temari and Kankuro, who backed away from him a little. Yuri still kept her gaze on him, silently. What happened to him? This wasn't the timid boy she knew back at the village. His eyes held a bloodlust to them.
"You still didn't tell us why you're here!" Sakura shouted. "The Hidden Sand Village is one of Konoha's close allies. But according our treaty, your ninjas aren't permitted to cross the border without permission."
Temari pulled out her passport, showing it. "Weren't you told anything? We're here to take the Chuunin Exam."
"Chuunin exam?" Naruto asked her.
"Ninjas from the Hidden Sand Village along with ninjas from other nations are sent to compete against Konoha's own candidates. Mainly to maintain the skill of all shinobi at the same high level of excellence. Also to foster friendship and understanding between ninja and of course to maintain the balance of power between the lands themselves." She explained. Gaara turned to Sasuke.
"What's your name?" Gaara asked Sasuke.
"Sasuke Uchiha." Sasuke smirked.
"Hey, I bet you want to know my name!" Naruto smiled.
"Come on, we're going." Gaara started to walk away, ignoring Naruto. Kankuro followed behind him quietly. Temari shot Yuri a glance as if telling her sorry and she quickly followed after them.
"Gaara!" Yuri shouted at him, but he ignored her. Naruto and Sakura walked over to her and Sasuke hopped down from the tree, keeping his eyes on the three Sand ninjas.
"What is up with that guy?" Naruto asked. "Wasn't he the one you were always telling me about? I thought he was your friend?"
"I don't know. Two can play this game." Yuri frowned.
"Come on, let's go meet with Kakashi-sensei. He had something that he wanted to tell us." Sakura said.
"I wonder what he wants now?" Sasuke questioned.
"You know he's going to make us wait for him to show up. Might as well take our time getting there." Yuri suggested. Naruto, Yuri, Sakura, and Sasuke left. Yuri noticed a strange white bird flying in the sky heading to the Hokage building, wondering what it was then she quickly followed after her team. They waited at the bridge that Kakashi told them to him at. Another hour went by and Kakashi poof himself on top of a pillar and waved down at them.
"Sorry, I'm late. I wandered off a little."
"YOU LIAR!" Naruto and Sakura shouted at him.
"What is it that you wanted to tell us?" Yuri asked him. Kakashi pulled out four slips of paper that were forms.
"I recommended the four of you to take the chuunin exams." he told them.
"What?" Yuri, Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura all asked at once, surprised.
"All you have to do is fill out these forms and show up tomorrow at the academy. It's completely up to you if you want to or not. Just show up at room 301 around 4:00." Kakashi told them, handing out the forms. The four took the forms from him.
"Good luck!" Kakashi waved and poof in a cloud of smoke, vanishing.
"There's going to be a lot of tough competition." Sasuke murmured.
"Like strange guy with the make-up." Naruto added and shivered when Gaara came into his mind. "And him..." Sasuke and Yuri looked at him.
"Well, what do you say? Are we all in or not?" Yuri asked them.
"I'm definitely in! I'm not going to let anyone beat me!" Naruto shouted.
"I'm in." Sasuke replied. Yuri turned to Sakura.
"Sakura?"
"I'm not so sure about this." She murmured. Yuri's eyes widened.
"Really? Why? I thought you would be. You're the smartest ninja in the entire village. You're in the top of our class." She spoke.
"Until you showed up." Sakura spoke, sarcastically. Yuri's eyes widen a little before they dropped, slightly.
"Come on, Sakura, don't you think your being a little mean?" Naruto spoke.
"We can't do this without you, Sakura. You're apart of our team. We need you." Yuri told her. Sakura's eyes widen a little in shock.
"Alright. I'm in." She smiled.