Disclaimer: I DO NOT own any of the Naruto series or the characters associated with them.

xXx

Chapter 5: The Exams are Coming; Hinata Proves a Point

Naruto sighed to himself as he laid on a branch of the tree at the center of Training Ground 7.

'How have they not realized?' he thought, ignoring the pacing of his pink haired teammate on the ground below.

Below him, Sasuke and Sakura either leaned against the tree or were pacing around it. Sasuke looked bored, or as bored as he could look while he glared into the distance; and Sakura was looking more annoyed with each passing moment.

"WHERE THE HELL IS HE?!"

Birds scattered into the sky as the girl's temper finally boiled over into an ear piercing screech.

Again, Naruto sighed, rubbing his ringing ears and turning his attention to the presence he felt a distance away in the neighboring forest. Kakashi had been there for over an hour already, either reading his orange book or watching them. Naruto didn't know for certain, but he was betting on the latter of the two options.

'Not like anything will happen.' he thought, knowing full well what their sensei was watching for wouldn't happen.

The one eyed user of the Sharingan was waiting to see if the three of them would begin interacting in a more friendly manner and finally begin being an actual team. Obviously, that wasn't going to happen. Nor would it anytime soon. Naruto knew that from past experiences of trying to get his teammates to open up so they could begin building trust in each other. Their reactions to his prompting had been as expected; Sasuke had grunted and gone back to his brooding while Sakura had attempted to reintroduce her fist to the formerly blonde Genin's head.

Attempted being the key word here as Naruto would quickly produce and then switch with a clone to avoid being hit. The clone would only disperse once it had collapsed and been switched back with the original who would appear in an equally collapsed state in order to keep up appearances. Of course that still left Naruto's head ringing from the force of the girl's hit as even a clone wasn't able to fully take it without some being transferred to the creator, but that was still much better than being the one to actually take the hit.

It had taken several times of that exact scene taking place for Naruto to throw in the towel and abandon the idea of his team getting their act together. If his teammates didn't want to talk, fine, he'd work on other things. Normally, on days like today when the team wouldn't be doing anything except for a few D-ranks and teamwork building exercises Naruto would send a clone in his place to the training grounds. He made sure to pack these clones to the brim with extra chakra to insure they survived through the missions and the following 'training'. Meanwhile, the real Naruto would be training elsewhere either on his own or with Satsuki and Hinata since their team was normally finished for the day long before his was. At some point, normally when Kakashi dismissed them, Naruto's clone would dispel, letting the original know everything it experienced through the day and leaving Sasuke and Sakura with no idea they'd been with a clone the entire time.

Today however, Naruto was content to lay on his branch and wait for Kakashi to make his appearance. He was busy reminiscing on the meal Haku had prepared for breakfast that morning.

'Haku's food is the best I've ever had in my life.' he thought, remembering the way it had made his taste buds explode in ways he'd never thought they could. Remembering breakfast made him think on what would be for dinner that night, the ice user had said something about a stew….

He shook his head. He didn't need to be focusing on the food Haku made; good as it might be. Haku's personality had begun to emerge again over the time she'd been in Konoha. She still had her moments of sadness, especially whenever Naruto broached the subject of her past and Zabuza; but she was still well beyond being the emotional wreck she'd been when they'd returned to the village.

"AAAH!"

Sakura's temper once again reached its limit and drew Naruto out of his reminiscing. He sighed for a third time and jumped from his branch to land in front of his teammates in a crouch, startling them as he turned his attention to the tree line.

"Alright Kakashi-Sensei, you better come out now! I don't think Sakura's going to be able to hold off going on a rampage for much longer!" he stood up and stretched his limbs as the other two watched their gray haired sensei appear out of the treeline from the direction Naruto had been speaking in.

"Wha…Naruto-Baka!" Sakura screamed in rage, raising her fist to hit him, but Naruto simply stepped to the side and walked back to the tree as Sakura fell flat on her face from the momentum of her fist.

Kakashi approached his genin squad slowly, his orange book in his face as usual, but his eye was focused on his team, gauging their behavior, and how they had been since returning from Wave.

By far Naruto had changed the most, not just physically, but now that he was letting the world see who he was it was clear that he'd changed mentally as well. Kakashi had always suspected there was something more to his blonde Genin, especially since he'd been switching himself with his clones for several months now. Kakashi didn't mind him doing so either, the clones' memories were transferred to the original once they were dispelled so why not let Naruto abuse them for team meetings and go train himself?

As for the other two under his command however, neither had matured much since the mission to Wave. Kakashi was at a loss of what to do with them and how to make them see that they needed to work together to survive in the world once they advanced in rank. Speaking of which…

"I'm surprised Naruto, I didn't realize you were a sensor." he said, keeping his tone light as he stowed his book in his hip pouch.

He watched as the boy shrugged his shoulders indifferently and stood by the tree ignoring the glares being sent his way from his teammates.

"Just gotta know how to do it." Kakashi heard him mutter in response, he nodded to himself and mentally noted it as another thing Naruto had been hiding.

Clearing his throat, Kakashi turned to address the team as a whole. "Now, before we begin the day's activities I feel it's best that you know I have signed you three up for the Chunin Exams." he paused to gauge their reactions.

"The Chunin Exams? They're coming here?" Sasuke asked, Kakashi nodded, feeling worried about the look of hunger on the Uchiha's face.

"Yes," he responded, shaking the worry away for the moment. "Taking these exams will allow you three the chance to show your skills off to the village and the dignitaries who come to watch. Should you pass, you'll have earned the chance at a promotion to the rank of Chunin."

Kakashi reached into his hip pouch and produced three slips of paper. "These are the forms you'll need to sign inorder to enter. If you decide to, then you'll have to be at the academy in two days for the first of the exams."

Taking his form Naruto felt a surge of determination through his body. This was his chance to prove that he had what it took to advance, if not for the important ones in his life than for himself.

He signed the paper and handed it back to Kakashi without a second thought. It was shortly after that Sasuke did likewise and a few moments later that a hesitant looking Sakura did too.

Kakashi studied his students again, determined to make them as ready as he could in the two days they had until the exams. Stowing both his book and the three forms back in his pouch he began to raise his intent, letting the three know he was serious.

"Alright then, now we train."

xXx

Naruto grunted as we made his way through the village several hours later.

Kakashi's training had been brutal for the genin of team seven. The first thing the silver haired Jonin had made them do was run a hundred laps around the training grounds and then spared each of them in order to test their stamina and ability. He'd limited them to only taijutsu in order to better judge them.

Out of the three of them, Sakura had fared the worst. Having complained the entire time the pinkette had collapsed into a sweaty heap after her third lap. The sparring had been even worse for her as the basic academy style she used had quickly been picked apart by kakashi. Even then, Naruto could tell the man had been going easy on the girl, but the fact that she hadn't even been able to hold her own was disappointing.

Sasuke had fared much better, having come from a clan, he'd been used to long, grueling workouts. Sadly, and although the laps had only winded him, he hadn't been able to put up much of a fight against their sensei. Of course being unable to use chakra in the spar also meant Sasuke hadn't been able to use his Sharingan with his clan's taijutsu style. odds were it wouldn't have helped; Kakashi had experience with the eye and knew how to counter it.

Finally, when Naruto's turn for sparring had come up everyone had been surprised at how well he'd been able to keep up with Kakashi. The blonde's spar had lasted much longer than either of his teammates. Eventually though; Kakashi had still out maneuvered the genin before ending the fight and passing judgment on his students. Afterward, the Jonin had produced three clones of himself and sent one off with each of his genin to train.

Naruto brought himself out of his thoughts as his apartment building came into sight, most of what the Kakashi clone had had him work on were things he'd already known needed improving, but there were some other faults the clone had pointed out that Naruto hadn't known needed work. For that he was grateful.

"I'm home!" he called out as he walked through the door to his home. Immediately he was greeted with the mouth watering scent of beef stew, and the sight of Haku turning to him from the kitchen section of the apartment.

"Welcome home, Naruto-sama."

xXx

"So that's him?" a voice asked in the Hokage's office as two figures watched Naruto and Haku begin their dinner.

Hiruzen nodded in affirmation as he stopped channeling chakra into the crystal ball and stowed it in a drawer of his desk. His guest meanwhile moved to sit in the chair across from him.

"How is he doing?" the white haired man asked, crossing his grayish clothed legs and leaning back in his chair.

The Hokage crossed his hands on his desk as he leveled a piercing gaze at the man. "Had you been here more often, you'd know how he's doing, Jiraiya-kun."

He struggled to keep his voice as level as he could as a glimmer of rage shone in his eyes. Hiruzen had asked, time and time again for Jiraiya to return to the village more often than he did in order for the man to better care for the child, as was his duty.

"Don't give me that, Sensei!" the now named Jiraiya said with a glare. "You know why I couldn't stay in the village any more than I have been. I had my spy network to maintain and Minato's enemies would have worked out who his son was!"

"But you would have still been here!" Hiruzen exclaimed, standing from his seat and channeling a large amount of his intent at his only remaining student. He was tired of excuses, be they civilian or ninja alike. It was time everyone began taking responsibility for their actions since the Kyuubi attack. It was always the same excuse with Jiraiya, but no more. Hiruzen was having none of it.

"The one thing that boy has needed in his life was someone to be there for him! I did my best to be that person for Naruto, but even then there was only so much I could do, even as Hokage." Hiruzen took a breath to try to calm himself. He'd just regained control of the council, it wouldn't do to suffer a self induced heart attack. "Since you couldn't be bothered to do your duty as his godfather Naruto-kun has suffered more than any person has a right to! The things the civilians have done to him…" he trailed off in a whisper, once again plagued by memories and the guilt of the atrocities Naruto had been through.

"But-" Jiraiya tried to get out, but Hiruzen cut him off.

"I don't care!" he said. "No more excuses! No more running! It is time you did what you promised Minato and Kushina you would do!" He sat back in his chair and glared at his student. "If you have to dissolve your spy network, so be it! There are other ways to gain information about our enemies, without leaving an innocent child in the village to suffer at the hands of fools and bigots who can't tell the difference between the scroll and the kunai sealed within."

Jirayia could only stare in shock at his sensei in response to the man's outburst. But as the moments passed he began to realize the old man was right, he'd been running from his duty as a godfather, and as a result Naruto had suffered at the hands of the civilian populace. Had he not been out traveling the continent for his spy network none of it would have happened.

The toad sannin nodded, a spark of determination in his eyes as he looked back up to the Third Hokage. "You're right, sensei." he said "but I'll need some time in order to sort my contacts out. Afterward, I swear, I'll do my duty as I promised all those years ago." he explained.

"How long do I have before you'll need me in the village again?" Jiraiya asked, plans were coming to his head as to how to handle his intelligence network. He meant everything he told the old man, he was going to begin taking his duties as a godfather seriously.

"Preferably, the second exam." Hiruzen said after a moment of studying his student. He was suspicious of whether he could really trust him on his word now, Jiraiya had made the same promise before. He decided he'd wait and see if Jiraiya actually stuck to his promise this time. If he didn't…well, there was more than one way to bring him back to the village.

Jiraiya dipped his head in acceptance of the timeline. "I'll be back before the second exam is over." he moved to the window to leave so he could get a start on what he needed to do.

He wasn't going to dissolve the spy network, but perhaps he could train someone to take it over and handle all the traveling required while still reporting back to him within Konoha.

"Don't disappoint me." Hiruzen told him as crouched on the seal. Jirayia didn't respond, but as Hiruzen turned back to his paperwork he smirked. He'd not allow himself to disappoint his sensei again. He'd take Naruto and shape him into a powerful shinobi, so powerful he'd be stronger than the Rikudou Sennin himself.

-The next day-

Naruto woke early the next day, being sure to not wake the sleeping Haku next to him.

Why she slept next to him had, at first, been a mystery to him as she had started off sleeping on the floor next to his bed. The morning after their arrival in Konoha Naruto had been woken by the feeling of a warm body next to him, and after freaking out for a moment had worked out that the ice user had climbed in with him at some point in the night.

Initially he'd put it down to a one time thing, but it happened again the next night, and the night after that. After a while Naruto had just flat out told her to climb in with him when they retired for the night instead of waiting for him to fall asleep.

Haku had blushed a crimson color during that talk but had inevitably given in and done as told after seeing Naruto's logic.

Nothing had happened between the two teens other than Haku cuddling into her master more and more as the nights went on. Naruto had made sure of that.

Admittedly the ice user was attractive in all the right ways, but he wasn't going to start making any advances on her. It was much too soon after her father figures death, and he certainly did not want anything to happen without knowing how she felt about him in return. Besides, he still had to figure out what to do with the girls he already had gunning for his attention before adding any more to the list.

Naruto shook himself out of his thoughts and moved to gather his clothes to get dressed for the day. Shortly after he quietly latched the front door to his apartment and took to the roof tops. Haku wouldn't worry herself as he'd told her his plans for the day during dinner the night before and she'd be waking shortly anyway to get to her training at the hospital.

As he traveled, Naruto breathed a deep breath of the cool morning air as excitement began to surge through his veins. He had two days before the start of the Chunin exams, and he had no intention of letting them go to waste. Lucky for him, he had two willing and equally determined training partners to help him in using those days to the fullest

Naruto felt a grin form on his face as he caught sight of the training ground. The next two days were going to be fun.

xXx

Satsuki rose from her bed with a groan of annoyance. She hated it when the waking world ended her dreams, especially those that involved or featured a certain blonde in any way.

'Right when it was getting to the good stuff too!' she thought. A blush colored her face as she remembered Naruto had been hovering over her and that neither of them had been clothed. His weight settling on her had been pleasant, she had been able to smell his scent like never before and…something…had been pressing against her inner thigh.

Satsuki threw the sheets off herself as she felt the heat from her face and leapt to her feet to begin getting dressed and doing anything to distract herself from the dream to avoid being late for her and her friends' training session. The last thing she needed was to leave Hinata alone with Naruto longer than a minute or two.

'Can't let Hina-Chan get the upper hand and steal Naruto-kun from me.' she thought, throwing her clothes on at a rapid pace.

Ultimately though, Satsuki knew Hinata wouldn't do anything without her there. The two had agreed a long time ago when they had realized the other had feelings for their mutual friend that they wouldn't do anything unless they were there together to keep the competition even.

'Still,' Satsuki thought, stepping into the hallway of the house she shared with her mother and Sasuke. 'I shouldn't take too much longer, just to make sure.'

She quietly made her way through the house and out into the morning. Satsuki took all of a moment to enjoy the peace of the time of day before her form vanished in a burst of speed.

Sasuke may be the physically stronger of the two, but Satsuki was by far the faster of the twins. It was something she took much pride in and even more joy in finally being able to show it. She was going to take even more joy in being able to shove it in Sasuke's face during the exams if and when the chance came about.

With that thought in mind the young Uchiha raced through the village to meet her friends.

One thing was for sure; they were going to be working hard to ensure they all made it through the exams and advanced their rank. That way they'd truly start to show the village who they really were.

xXx

Hinata's day didn't start out as pleasantly as either of her two friends' had. It rarely ever did, truth be told, but this morning took the cake.

After being rudely awoken from her sleep by the impatient knocking of an anxious branch member she'd been informed that her father and the elders required her presence in the dojo at once. Hinata had bit back the urge to verbally curse, but she'd been expecting this at some point, especially having told her father of her team's coming participation in the Chunin exams. But she hadn't expected it to be so soon.

'and right when Naruto-kun was about to tear my clothes off and ravish me.' she thought to herself, remembering the dream she'd been so rudely taken from. Hinata quickly dressed, forgoing her usual attire of a baggy jacket and instead choosing to go with a tight fitting chain mail shirt that showed off her already considerable chest. The Hyuga heiress scowled as she looked at her jacket. In all honesty she hated the thing. It kept her too warm and she felt too restricted when she trained with her team.

The only real quality she liked about it was that it hid her figure from the eyes of those she didn't want ogling her, like her perverted teammate Kiba and generally anyone else who wasn't Naruto. It also served as a way to convince the populace and her clan that she was the shy weakling she wanted them to see her as.

Now though, as she made her way to the family dojo, Hinata felt herself smirk in a predatory manner. She was going to enjoy showing them all that they'd been fools. She stopped for a split second outside the dojo in order to gather her thoughts before entering. She didn't bother to knock and wait for permission to enter, Hinata wasn't going to let the old farts think they had any say in her life any longer, so best start here.

Hinata walked into the room and stopped in the center. Before her stood Hiashi and the elders of the clan behind him. Beside Hiashi however stood Hanabi, Hinata's little sister.

"You summoned me?" Hinata asked, her voice calm, collected, and unnervingly uncaring (1). It annoyed the young girl that she had to put up with her clan's stupidity so early in the morning when she had better things to do than be here.

If Hiashi and the elders had been surprised by the change in Hinata they didn't show it, to an outside observer anyway. To Hinata she saw the twitches in the corners of the elders' mouths and the narrowing of their eyes. She repressed the smirk that wanted to bloom on her face.

"Hinata," Hiashi began, his voice cold and callous as per usual when talking to his oldest daughter. "As you and your team are partaking in the upcoming Chunin exams, the elders and myself have decided you should be tested in your abilities. Yourself and Hanabi will spar, should you fail to make an impression your title of clan heir will be stripped and given to your sister."

"And if I win?" Hinata asked, raising a brow in feigned interest. Truth be told, Hinata knew she could easily leave Hanabi in a bloody heap if she so wished, like what the man before her had done so many times to her. Unlike Hiashi though, Hinata had made a promise to protect her little sister to their mother on the woman's death bed. That had extended into the mask of shyness Hinata had crafted around herself, only it manifested itself into the inability to lift a finger against the child when Hiashi made them spar. However, as her eyes moved to Hanabi, Hinata saw the smugness in the girl's eyes, the same arrogance and overconfidence that she was going to win. It was the same in the eyes of the elders and Hiashi; they were confident the Hyuga clan would have a new heir that day.

Hinata's blood boiled at the sight.

"You shall remain the heir of the Hyuga clan." Hiashi replied, his tone tight. Hinata's new attitude was obviously getting to him, but she didn't notice, she was to focused on her sister to be bothered with their father at the moment.

"Very well." she said, her tone was the same as before, but Hinata was making it so. Her sister may have been the most important person in the world to her (besides Naruto), but seeing the younger girl looking down on her just like the rest of the clan?

'It's time I taught the brat not to be like father.' Hinata thought, resolving to do just that as she settled into her modified stance. The adults in the room quickly vacated the floor and Hanabi took the traditional Juken stance.

Several seconds passed as the two children of Hiashi stared at one another. One in arrogance as she was surely going to win like she always did, and the other in barely repressed anger as she realized she'd been much too soft in her mask when it came to her sister.

"Haijame!" Hiashi barked, bringing his arm down to start the spar.

Immediately Hanabi darted forward, her hands striking like snakes and Byakugan blazing furiously. Hinata dodged the first strike and the second before she saw an opening and took it.

Her arm moved in a clockwise motion, swooping low under the coming strike and deflecting it before Hinata's other hand quickly grabbed the arm and pulled the younger girl toward her and stepping in close, taking Hanabi by surprise as she quickly used powerful and precise strikes on the girls shoulders and wrists to paralyze the muscles and disable her chakra pathways. Finally, and as even more anger began to surge through her, Hinata ducked low and swept a leg behind the stunned girl's legs, knocking her to the ground.

To those watching it was a major surprise that the normally shy and meek daughter of the clan head was suddenly showing such skill and wiping the floor with her younger sister, it was even more of a shock when Hinata placed her foot on the girl's stomach and looked down on her sister with her arms crossed and a angry look on her face.

"If I really wanted to, Hanabi, I could send a burst of chakra through my foot and into your heart, stopping it and killing you instantly." Hinata said, glaring down at the girl before looking at her father and the elders off to the side.

"I win." she said and made to leave the room, but before she did she stopped and regarded the stunned group. "Don't try this again. I'm not that shy weakling you took me for, and I never was. Amazing what I did when you were looking down on me, huh? Imagine what I could do now if you had actually supported me and not knocked me down at every chance."

With that she turned and walked out of the dojo, leaving her sister battered and struggling to regain the use of her arms and the elders as stunned messes. Like she said, she had better places to be.

Hiashi could only stare after Hinata, shocked and angry. 'how is this possible?'

xXx

Cut!

Okay, so I hit a bit of a block on this one, especially there at the end with the fight, but still, I'd like to see any thoughts and comments you guys might have….so long as they are constructive. I've had some not so nice reviews the last few months.

Next chapter a certain set of siblings make their appearance and the exams start.

See ya next time!

(1) I think the word I was looking for was aloof but I'm not sure.