Chapter 6: Countdown to the Chuunin Exam
The morning sun shone in through the windows, illuminating the great bed. Sasuke eyed his clock. It was time. "Hey, stop snoring and wake up," he said, kicking the other occupant of the bed.
"Huh... Wha?" Naruto grumbled. He yawned. "Why don't you have an alarm clock, Sasuke?"
"Because an actual ninja has a functional inner clock," the Uchiha informed.
"Yeah, yeah, real ninja this, real ninja that," the blond grumpily protested. "We should drop by Ichiraku for breakfast before meeting up with the others."
"For the last time, our clan cooks make excellent food."
"Yeah, but they don't make as good stuff as Pops."
"Oh, for the love of...!" Sasuke erupted in frustration as he sat up, throwing his arms in the air, spraying dusty teal fragments everywhere.
Both he and the jinchuuriki paused, then looked to the bed. The chakra infused webbing that had bound them together for so many days had finally crumpled.
"Finally," Naruto jubilantly declared. "I'm free. I'm... Eh." He stared at his hand. "Boy, that smells funky."
"It's to be expected. Our limbs have been sealed in that cursed stuff for a while," Sasuke said, as he took the opportunity to finally change his shirt. He clenched and unclenched his hand a couple of times. "I can feel the muscles have weakened. You ought to refocus on retraining it too."
"But that means we can start going on real missions again," Naruto said happily, leaping out of bed and pulled off the dirt shirt he had worn all while being tied to the other genin. "About time. I was getting tired of walking dogs."
Sasuke paused, grimacing slightly at finding himself in complete agreement with the blond ninja. "It would be nice to get back to proper ninja missions."
Naruto looked to the clock. "I hope I can get back home before we have to meet up. I'd really like a proper Ichiraku breakfast before we have to go on a mission."
The Uchiha heir paused. "You are not wrong, your father does make good food," he said, looking out the window. "He could probably even live up to our standards. Would probably pay better and get him out of that dingy hovel you all live in."
"What? That place is great," Naruto protested.
"The lock on your door alone could probably be heard across Konohagakure. Do you never oil it?"
"Aw, it's not that bad." The blond genin folded his hands behind his head. "Besides, Pops would be too stubborn to move out. He loves the place. But you could probably convince him to drop by for an event or something. He's done that for the Akimichis, using their kitchens when he's been hired to deliver for one of their feasts. You know, because running back and forth across town would just result in the orders going cold."
"I see. I will consider it."
"You should. Might liven up this place." Naruto looked around. "Gotta be honest with you, this is a fancy house you live in and all, but it's so big and empty."
"Didn't use to be," Sasuke mumbled.
"Wha? Oh, ehm... I... Yeah," the blond stumbled, feeling slightly mortified. "I... Ehm... I should probably go. I'll see you with the others."
"Sure," came the raven-haired ninja's emotionless reply.
"Right... Yes." Naruto coughed. "Hey, you know... Maybe I'll drop by some day. I mean, if you don't mind. We're teammates and all and... I guess we could train together. You love doing that and I train too."
"I would hope so," Sasuke commented, rolling his eyes. "You're not going to do the team much good otherwise."
"Sounds like a plan then," the blond noted with a relieved smile. "And if you ever want some real ramen, you just drop by. I can probably even get you a free bowl."
"Do I look like I need handouts?"
"Hey, if you want to pay, Pops won't complain," Naruto noted. "But he doesn't like charging my friends." He grinned. "Choji sure likes taking advantage of that." He paused. "Oh, right, I was going. See you later."
"I'm sure I will," Sasuke commented, as the other ninja ran out of the room.
...
Sakura tapped the red-painted wooden railing of the bridge, watching the river flow underneath. Naruto was sitting down, his gentle breathing suggesting he had taken the opportunity to get a nap in. Sasuke was practising with his kunai, trying to get his newly freed hand up to snuff.
The pink-haired shinobi sighed, letting her forehead bump against the railing. "Why does he always have to be late?"
"It's intentional. I'm sure of it," the Uchiha scion remarked. "Probably thinks it's hilarious."
"Well, that would make one of us." She paused. "So, the chuunin exam is coming up."
"I know."
"You planning to see it?"
"As the heir to the leadership of the Uchiha clan, it's practically obligatory," the raven-haired ninja remarked. "But even if it wasn't, it would be good education. Ninjas from all nations will be showing up to participate." He paused, focusing on the snoozing Naruto. "Maybe even he would be able to pay it enough attention to learn something."
"Maybe then we should go as a team," Sakura suggested. "That way, we can talk about things together and maybe come up with new strategies." She took a moment to consider her next words. "No offence, but after our last major mission, I think it would be good to put our heads together and come up with some solid ideas."
Sasuke paused, grimacing slightly at the reminder. "Let us see what we can arrange," he commented.
"Ah, you're all here," came the voice of Kakashi.
The two ninja turned around, noting their teacher walking up to them.
"Naruto. Hey, Naruto," Sasuke called. "He's finally here."
"Huh? What?" the blond drowsily asked. "Oh... Hey."
"Where have you been, Kakashi-Sensei?" Sakura asked.
"I got lost on the path of life."
Naruto blinked. "What does that mean?"
"Nothing. It's the usual nonsense," Sasuke commented grumpily.
"I see you two are finally free of your punishment," the cyclopean ninja continued unperturbed. "Must be a relief. So, ready to get back to work?"
"Of course," Naruto said, jumping up. "So what is it today? Bandits? Kidnappers? Evil business people?"
"I would certainly hope not," Sakura remarked.
"Come on, you have a real ninja mission for us, right?" the jinchuuriki continued, with hopeful eyes.
"Of course I do," the silver-haired ninja confirmed.
"And?"
"It's gardening."
"Oh," Naruto replied flatly, visibly deflating.
"Of course it is," Sasuke noted.
"To be honest, you three are such disaster magnets that even if I had known Jako's web would crumble today, which I didn't, I would not have lined you up for anything that could even potentially turn serious," Kakashi noted. "Plus, the chuunin exam is coming up. There'll be plenty of domestic jobs for you all to do. Which, as I often have to remind you, are real ninja missions." He rubbed his chin contemplatively. "Or do we have to go over that part again?"
"No, I could repeat that particular speech of yours in my sleep," Sasuke noted. "Fine then. Gardening." He eyed his hand. "For once, might actually do some good. Having my arm locked up like that has done it no favours."
"See. You can be positive. For once," Kakashi said. "Now, the client should be here any moment now. In fact, I think I see her."
The three genins turned around. Down the road walked a massive woman clad in simple clothes, her arms muscular from hard work and her hair a mass of brown curls.
"Hey, it's Sama," Naruto remarked.
"You know her?" Sasuke inquired.
"She's head of the spice trade in Konohagakure," Sakura noted. "Anyone who works with food knows her."
"'Ey, Kakashi," the muscular woman said. "These the three tykes you said would be helping me out?"
"That would be the case, yes," the jonin confirmed.
"So, what will we be helping with?" Sakura asked.
"What with the chuunin exam coming up, everyone's getting ready for the loads of people who're bound to show up for the spectacle," she explained. "So we're quite busy. I've several fields where I need the weeds sorted from the herbs and not enough hands to go around. That's where you come in. I need your help until the afternoon crew comes in."
"Right. Let's just get started," Sasuke commented without enthusiasm, as Sakura rolled up her sleeves.
...
Kakashi sat on the fence, reading his usual book. He looked up, noting his three students making their way over to him, all with dirtied hands and sweat on their brows. "Well, you three all look like you've had fun. How's work going?"
"Over for now," Naruto said, gently massaging his fingers. "The afternoon crew took over."
"Then we're done here for today," Kakashi noted, closing the book. "We'll see if there'll be more for you to do here in the future. For the moment, I have a different job for you all."
"More busywork?" Sasuke asked.
"I should hope all the work you get keeps you busy," the silver-haired jonin remarked mirthfully. "But hey, I know you want to get some training done. And I do want to help you all get back into shape. In fact, since we've kept things kinda simple while you and Naruto waited to get separated again, I specifically chose this because I imagined it would help you get back to your good, old troublesome selves again."
The raven-haired genin paused. "That is something."
"Indeed it is. Now come along." He got off his post and walked along the road, the others following.
It didn't take too long for him to lead them to one of Konohagakure's many rivers. A small waterfall dragged the water along with a constant rush.
"As you know, people can be so inconsiderate," Kakashi remarked, eyeing an empty milk carton floating by. "So we're gonna have you three try to clean things up here."
"Wouldn't it be easier to do that away from the fall?" Naruto asked.
"It would. But ninja training isn't about being easy," their teacher replied. "Here's how this is gonna work. You can either walk on the water, or walk in the water. Either way, the pull of the waterfall should make this more strenuous than normal. And provide a harmless level of excitement."
The blond paused. "You sure it's harmless?"
Kakashi turned, eyeing the fall in question with his singular eye. "I mean, I guess you could all break your necks or something, but that would be so very pessimistic to presume. But if you're worried, all the more incentive not to fall."
"Thanks. You always know how to comfort us, Sensei," Naruto remarked flatly, rolling his eyes.
"Whatever," Sasuke stated. "He's right. It would actually be good training for once. And the sooner we get back into shape, the sooner we can move on to doing actual proper work rather than these endless chores."
"As I said earlier, I wouldn't expect a 'proper' ninja mission until after the chuunin exam," Kakashi noted. "So do try to temper your expectations."
"You know what? I'm fine with that," Sakura stated. "Considering everything we've been involved with lately, just doing small, local jobs like these will be a relief. Plus, it will give us time to actually train with our weapons," she added.
"Hmm. That is true," Sasuke agreed after a short pause. "The way Naruto was swinging around that club of his was dangerous to everyone, us included."
"Yeah, yeah, we get it. Your sword is so awesome," the blond mockingly replied. "Hey, why don't you try stabbing the trash, Sasuke? I'm sure that will clean the place up in no time."
"If you two would spend as much time working as bickering, Konohagakure would be so clean I could eat sushi off the main street," Kakashi remarked, opening up his book as he leaned against a tree. "So how about you lot get started?"
...
Kakashi paused his walk down the street, looking up at the sun. "Well, there are still some hours left in the day. How about a few more tasks before we stop?" He turned to his students. "What do you say?"
"Can we please take a break?" a thoroughly soaked Naruto pleaded. "I'm still sore all over."
"It's your own fault," Sasuke informed him. "If you had just let that piece of junk go by instead of chasing it like a dog, things would have been fine."
"Hey, Kakashi told us to get as much trash as possible," the blond countered.
"And because you're a klutz you ended up falling down the waterfall. Which meant the rest of us had to stop working to make sure you hadn't smashed your empty head open on the rocks below."
Sakura was quiet, pinching the bridge of her nose hard in an attempt to stop herself from just smacking her teammates together over and over until they stopped making noises.
"You know what? I think I need a break from all this nonsense," Kakashi remarked contemplatively. "And you've all done a decent job today anyway. So let's call it quits for now. I was considering having you all walk some dogs, but there's really no point in tormenting the poor things with your endless arguing. So I'll see you all tomorrow."
"Yeah, yeah. See ya later, Kakashi-Sensei," Naruto said. He paused, then turned to the others. "Now what?"
"We go home," Sasuke replied. "Or at least, I will."
"You don't wanna, I don't know, maybe hang for a bit?" the blond asked.
"I thought you were tired?"
"Of working. But we could all just hang around, maybe chat for a bit. We could even find some of the others. Shikamaru always knows the best places to chill out."
"You know, it would probably be nice," Sakura admitted.
The Uchiha's face was unreadable, but he was quiet for a while. "No thanks," he finally said. "I need a change of clothing and I still need to get my hand back into shape. I'll see you tomorrow." With that, he turned and walked off.
"Well, what about some other day then?" Naruto tried. "You gotta have an off day at some point."
The raven-haired genin paused. "Maybe," he replied and walked off.
The blond sighed. "What's with that guy?"
"Well, he does take his training seriously," Sakura noted.
"Too seriously if you ask me," the blond said, crossing his arms, before mockingly adding: "But I guess that's the Uchiha way."
The pink-haired shinobi paused. On one hand, she felt like reprimanding Naruto for mocking Sasuke. On the other hand, she felt herself kinda agreeing. "They should probably encourage him to relax more," she finally said.
"Yeah, you get it," the blond noted happily. "Hey, so, do you want to hang for a bit?"
She paused, twirling a lock of her hair. "I suppose that couldn't hurt," she finally said, as they began walking down the road. "So, your family must be pretty busy getting ready for the chuunin exam."
"Oh yeah. They're stocking up on as much food as possible," Naruto noted. "Pops been running in and out of the restaurant to coordinate with the Council."
"Yeah, my dad's working overtime with the others to make sure things are getting properly coordinated. Plus, they're getting ready to make extra, well, everything," Sakura said. "So it's kinda hectic at home, but it's a good business opportunity. Honestly, it's a shot in the arm for all of Konoha."
"So, you gonna be busy helping out during the whole thing?" Naruto asked in what he tried to make sound like a casual tone.
"Actually me and Sasuke talked about going to see the events that are open to the public while you were sleeping back at the bridge," Sakura replied.
"Oh," the jinchuuriki said disappointed.
"As a team. The three of us."
"Oh?" the blond said, perking up.
"Sasuke was a bit non-committal about it. As the Uchiha heir, he might have some related duties. I don't know," the pink-haired shinobi continued. "So it might just be the two of us, but I'm sure we can figure something out."
"Oh. No no, that's okay," Naruto quickly informed her. "Yeah, we will..." He paused, staring in front of them. "Wait, what?"
"Hm?" Sakura noted and followed his gaze.
A cardboard box painted like stone sat in the street in front of them.
The blond squatted and looked the box over. After a moment, he declared: "I can see the eye holes, you know. What's up with this?"
"Hah, brilliant skills, Boss," came Konohamaru's voice from inside. "You saw right through our disguise."
Sakura blinked. "Konohamaru? What are you doing here?"
"We wanted to surprise you, that's all."
"We?" Naruto echoed.
Suddenly, the box exploded in a cloud of smoke that enveloped the group, resulting in a load of coughing.
"Sage's underpants," the blond hoarsely cursed, holding up his sleeve to try to keep the massive cloud of smoke out of his nose. "Could you maybe turn it down a notch?"
"I think we overdid it," a second boy's voice came from the smoke.
"Definitely," a girl croaked.
As the smoke dissipated, the two genin could finally get a look at the occupants of the box. One was Konohamaru, who was sitting on the path rubbing his eyes. Next to him were two others about his age. One was a boy with round glasses and short brown hair, his nose notably red. The other was a girl, her orange hair tied up in two massive pigtails and her cheeks lit up in a perpetual blush.
"Huh? You found some friends there, Konohamaru," Naruto noted.
"That I have. Meet my team, Boss," the young boy said exuberantly, as he jumped up. He gestured to the boy, announcing: "This is Udon."
"Hello," the bespectacled boy said, his voice slightly warped from his stuffed nose.
"And this here is Moegi,"the tailed boy continued, gesturing to the girl.
"Nice to meet you," she greeted them in a chipper voice.
"And together... We're Team Konohamaru," the Hokage's grandson finished and struck a pose, his friends quickly getting up to follow suit.
"Hey, that's neat," Naruto said. "So, what can I do for you today, squirt?"
"We were hoping you could teach us something more about being a ninja," Konohamaru explained. "You see, we're all going to become awesome ninjas together. And then we'll become hokage."
"Ehm..." Udon began. "Can't there only be, you know, one?"
"Oh, right. Ehm..." Konohamaru scratched the back of his neck. "Then... I'll become hokage and you two will become something equally important."
Sakura couldn't help but giggle. "Seems like you got this all figured out," she remarked.
"So, will you teach us, Boss?" the tailed boy continued, making his best puppy eyes.
"Oh... Ehm..." The blond paused, eyeing Sakura.
"It's fine," she said, shrugging. "It'll probably be fun too."
Konohamaru let his gaze wander between the two genin, then smirked knowingly. "Oh, I see what's going on here, Boss. You're on a date, aren't you?"
"Ehm, well, eh..." Naruto began blushing. "I mean... It's not... Officially a date."
The pink-haired girl glanced at him, raising an eyebrow.
"But you were going out, right?" Konohamaru continued with a grin.
"That's so cute," Moegi cooed.
"Well... I mean... I guess we... Kinda were..." Naruto continued, nervously rubbing one ankle with his foot.
Sakura's mouth became a thin line. She took a deep breath and calmed herself, giving the jinchuuriki five seconds to course correct, even as part of herself was yelling at her to throttle him.
"Is she your... Girlfriend?" the tailed boy prodded.
"I mean... We are... It's not like... We've made anything official..." the blond continued, heedless of the danger he was putting himself in, as he shyly twiddled his fingers.
Sakura suddenly found herself in complete harmonious agreement with the side of herself calling for violence. Her hand lashed out with the speed of a whip, her fingers locking in an iron grip around the blond's upper arm. "Naruto," she quietly began.
The jinchuuriki froze. Then he slowly turned to face her, nervously asking: "Yes?"
Her other hand found his chest, grabbing and lifting him in one motion as she spun on the spot, hurling the hollering genin upside down into a nearby wooden fence. The blond slid down on the path in a gurgling heap.
"Boss!" Konohamaru exclaimed in surprise, as Udon and Moegi immediately rushed over to him.
"Hey, you okay, Mister?" the bespectacled boy asked him.
"Could you tell Konoha to stop spinning?" he responded in a daze. "I want off."
"This doesn't look good. I'll check his pulse," Moegi panickingly offered.
"What... What do you think you're doing, you crazy woman!?" Konohamaru accusingly began, pointing at Sakura, who was still glaring at Naruto. "You and your stupid pink hair and you dumb, big forehead and your..." His tirade was cut short by the genin's grasp locking around the wrist of his stretched arm and he suddenly found himself hoisted up by it.
Sakura paused, then slowly turned to lock gazes with the kid.
Konohamaru squeaked, finding his bravado immediately replaced with mortal terror.
The pink-haired shinobi held his gaze for a moment. "I'm going to be nice to you," she quietly informed him. "Not because you're the Hokage's grandson. You could be the Sage of Six Path's grandson for all I care. But because you're just a kid." She pulled him closer. "And kids say stupid things without thinking all the time. But if you ever comment on my forehead again, do you know what I'll do?"
"N-no," he nervously replied.
"I WILL PERSONALLY DRAG YOU TO THE TOP OF THE HOKAGE'S OFFICE AND PUBLICLY DEFENESTRATE YOU!" she yelled.
"Ah, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he begged while flailing and squirming in a hopeless attempt to free himself. "Please don't do whatever that is."
There was a cough for attention and everyone suddenly became aware of two onlookers who had stumbled upon the scene.
One was a large teen, most of his body enveloped in brown clothes, the only really visible part of him being his face, which was marked with lines of dark paint. On his back, he wore a large bundle, wrapped up in layers upon layers of gauze.
The other was a girl, dressed in light-purple clothes, made from a hardy material. Her rough blond hair looked barely tamed by the four pigtails she had arranged them in. She wore a large backpack and strapped to each side of her belt was a large tessen.
Both of them had light-brown skin, marking them as coming from the hotter regions of the world.
The man casually pointed at Sakura. "Can I ask you for directions or are you gonna need a moment longer to threaten that child?"
"Oh, ehm, I..." the pink-haired girl began, looking from Konohamaru to the stranger. "Ehm... Yes..." She carefully put the terrified boy down and coughed. "So... Directions?"
"We're looking for the Hokage's office," the woman said.
"Oh, ehm, just back down the road, left until the big intersection and then go to the right," the pink-haired shinobi stated. "Has the Konohogakure symbol on it. Hard to miss."
She paused. "You, ehm, here for the chuunin exam?"
"That's right," the larger teen said. "We're from Sunagakure."
"Ah. Yes, I figured you'd be from around those parts," she noted. "What with, uhm,. Your clothing and so on."
"Sunagakure?" Naruto mumbled, as he got back up, Udon and Moegi giving him a hand. "That was in... The Land of Wind, yes?"
"Would you look at that. Someone here's been paying attention in school," the woman teased. "Told you these Konoha ninjas were attentive, Kankuro."
"That you did. Well, you have fun beating the snot out of the kids or whatever you were busy with," the other ninja replied. "We have stuff to do."
They both turned and then stopped, both of them immediately tensing up.
Naruto and Sakura leaned to see what they had noticed.
A single figure stood on the path in front of the two. He was thin, a bit lanky even, with very pale skin. Unruly and unkempt crimson hair covered his head and he was dressed in black clothes. On his back he wielded, seemingly with ease, a massive clay gourd bigger than his torso with an hourglass shape. His posture was loose, almost as if he was barely awake, head lowered and gaze focused on the road.
And then he slowly began walking forward.
"Uh, hey, Gaara," Kankuro began, suddenly sounding nervous. "You could have just waited by the road, bu-but it's fine. We got the directions, so we can.. Uhm, can..." He paused, as Gaara walked right between him and the other ninja without saying a word.
Everyone paused, unsure what to make of it, as the redhead kept approaching.
Naruto found himself involuntarily taking a step back, as the gourd-wielder changed course slightly, walking up to him.
There was a pause. The blond eyed Sakura, who looked completely thrown for a loop. Then he eyed the two other ninjas from Sunagakure. The woman had her hands on her tessen, while Kankuro was tightly grabbing the strap for his bundle. Both eyed their companion like he was an explosive tag about to go off.
"You," Gaara finally said in a hoarse whisper.
"Ehm..." the blond began. "M-me?"
The redhead looked up, locking gaze with the jinchuuriki. He had no eyebrows and his eyes had heavy bags under them, as if he hadn't slept in days, his green eyes completely bereft of pupils. "We will deal with you." Then he turned around and walked back the way he had come from.
As he headed down the road, the two others breathed out.
"You okay there, Temari?" Kankuro asked.
"Yes, yes. Just thought we were... Never mind that, we better follow."
And with that, the two hurried after the redhead.
Naruto blinked rapidly. "What... What just happened?"
"That guy was creepy," Udon noted with a shiver. "Konohamaru, let's get ninja lessons another day. I wanna go home."
"Yeah, me too," the tailed boy sighed. "We'll see you later, Boss."
"Oh, yeah. See you all later," the blond said, as the kids hurried off. He paused, then eyed Sakura. "Uhm... Hey, I..." He sighed. "Sorry about before."
"Apology accepted," she responded, still looking down the road where the trio had vanished. "Just use your head next time you answer a question like that." She paused, fighting down the part of herself that was tempted to clarify she meant the head above his shoulders. It seemed rather crass to bring up. "But that boy. There was something off about him."
"You don't say," Naruto remarked and shivered. "I though he was about to kill me right then and there. And what did he mean by they'd deal with me? What did I do?"
"Don't know. Seemed like he even scared his teammates. We should probably tell Kakashi when we see him again."
"Yep." Naruto paused. "So, you still wanna hang out?"
"As long as you can behave yourself from now on, sure. Think I'd prefer some company after that run in."
"I pity the ninja who has to go up against him in the chuunin exam."
"Yeah, me too."
...
At the central office, Kakashi found quite the bustle going on, as every single team leader responsible for a at least one genin had been called in, alongside several teachers who served as advisors. A collective which of course included himself.
Behind a massive table, the Hokage himself sat, flanked by a couple of assistants. "Alright, I imagine you all know why you've been called in," he told them. "Those of you who believe your genin are ready for the exam, deliver the papers here."
Several other ninjas immediately formed a line to deliver the names of their students. Kakashi observed this and folded his arms contemplatively.
"Kakashi, my friend," Guy announced, as he walked over to the cyclopean ninja. "You look lost in thoughts. Perhaps you require guidance on the road of life?"
The silver-haired shinobi paused. "I might, actually." He turned to face his bushy-browed colleague. "How do you tell if your students are ready?"
"An excellent question, my friend," Guy replied with a warm smile. "I usually say they need at least two years of experience. But of course, all ninjas are their own and walk their own path. Only you can know for certain whether the fires of youth in them are ready to be carried on to the next step of shinobi life."
"Hmm, maybe what I need is a second opinion." Kakashi eyed one of the other team-leaders, a ninja with a notable black moustache. "How about Masasue? I notice he's signing his team up."
"Yeah, they've had two years too," Guy informed him. "It is the standard, but don't let that constrain you from making the choice that is right for your students."
Kakashi couldn't help but smirk underneath his mask. "You of all people should know I'd never let the rules get in the way of doing right by my team."
"Uhm... Sorry, I didn't mean to listen in," Iruka began, as he walked up to the two.
"You're a ninja. I would be more surprised if you didn't," the silver-haired jonin remarked.
"Right. But are you seriously considering letting Naruto and team go to the chuunin exam?"
"You have an opinion then?"
"I mean, Naruto is a great kid and all, but he barely passed his exam at the Academy," Iruka continued. "Sasuke is competent and so is Sakura, but I really can't imagine they'd be ready after just a year."
"On paper, you'd be right," Kakashi remarked. "But they managed to outmanoeuvre Zabusa and hold their own against his team. They're more skilled than their grades would indicate."
"But they weren't even supposed to go up against someone like Zabuza," Iruka protested. "It was a complete mismatch."
"Well, be that as it may," Asuma noted, as he walked over to the group. "You don't get out of a battle with someone like Zabuza alive unless he's feeling merciful or you've got skills." He exhaled a small cloud of smoke from his cigarette. "And trust me, merciful is not a common mood in Kirigakure. Plus, all the other things they've handled. Not afraid to admit, they've built up quite the impressive resume already."
"But that doesn't mean they are ready to handle things like that regularly," Iruka replied. "It's a lot of responsibility. And they've also made plenty of blunders."
"Oh boy, have they ever," Kakashi sighed.
"Ha, the rough tumbles of life are part of the rocky path we must all take, but the lessons we learn as we get up are among our most precious," Guy declared exuberantly.
"The chuunin exam can be a lot more than just a rough tumble," Iruka continued. "There's always casualties."
A woman with shoulder-length wild black hair and notably red-brown eyes walked up to them. "So, what are you all talking about?"
"Hey, Kurenai," Asuma greeted her, twirling his cigarette between his fingers. "Kakashi is thinking about sending his team to the chuunin exam."
"Which would be crazy, right?" Iruka asked. "It's only been what, a year since they graduated? I mean, would you send your team to the exam?"
"Well, I'm giving them the choice," the red-eyed woman replied.
"I'm sorry, what?" the teacher said perplexed.
"They're ninjas. They deserve the choice," she responded.
Iruka turned to Asuma, looking for support.
"Sorry, I'm agreeing with Kurenai," the cigarette smoker informed him. "I've signed them up. It's their decision. I'll make sure they understand what they're in for, but I'm not going to decide everything for them. Making your own choices is part of being an adult."
Iruka turned to Guy for one last chance at getting backup.
"If the bond between teacher and student be true, then I'd trust them to see each other's hearts," he declared, posing slightly. "If they have found the yearning to throw themselves into the challenges of tomorrow, holding them back would be a crime against their passions."
Iruka sighed.
"Well, I suppose I can't argue against that. Guess I should give them the choice," Kakashi remarked. "However, you're not wrong, Iruka. They are still very new at this."
Asuma smirked. "Fortunately, we have ways to handle this. How about a preliminary test?"
Iruka paused. "That... Could work."
"And I happen to know someone who I'm sure I could get to help," the cyclopean ninja continued. "So let's see how they handle that. If they fail, that'll disqualify them from the get go."
"Okay. Yeah, that does sound fair."
...
The next day, the trio of genin gathered on the same bridge as the previous day. Naruto sat down to catch some shuteye, Sasuke got out a couple of kunai for practise throwing and Sakura pulled a book out of her backpack.
Only for Kakashi to walk up to them. "Well, you all look less than ready," he remarked, causing Naruto to jolt up.
"Huh, what?" the blond erupted. "Is it midday already?"
"Why would it be midday?"
"You never show up on time," the blond complained. "Not unless it's important. And today..." He paused. "Wait, we were just supposed to do more d-rank work, right? Did something happen?"
"I have to agree with Naruto on this one," Sasuke remarked. "Do you have an actual mission for us this time or is this your idea of a joke?"
"Oh boy," Kakashi sighed. "So, Sakura, do you also want to hurl a couple of accusations at your poor teacher, now that everyone seems to be having a go?"
"I mean... I figure you'll tell us if there's anything," she remarked. "That reminds me. Me and Naruto have something to report in."
"Huh? Oh, right, the creepy guy," the blond exclaimed.
"Creepy guy?" Sasuke asked.
"Yeah. We ran into these three ninjas from the Land of Sand," he explained.
"Land of Wind," Sakura corrected.
"Yes, that one. And one of them, his name was, uhm, Gaara I think."
"That's what they called him."
"Yeah. He was really creepy. He walked up to me and told me they'd deal with me later."
"What did you do?" Sasuke inquired.
"What makes you think I did anything?" Naruto asked offended.
"Because just about every time you open your mouth it's to say something stupid," the Uchiha remarked, much to the blond's visible annoyance.
"Actually, Naruto is telling the truth," Sakura remarked. "It was completely unprovoked as far as I could see."
"But his teammates looked like they were terrified of him. Like, they looked really scared," the blond added. "So I don't think they had a problem with me."
"And here I hoped you'd stay out of trouble," Kakashi remarked, shaking his head. "That being said, threatening behaviour like that is unacceptable. I'll make sure to report that in, see what Sunagakure's representative has to say for himself on this one." He rubbed his chin. "On that note, how are you all feeling about the upcoming chuunin exam?"
"It will be educational, no doubt," Sasuke remarked.
"Yeah. How many events will be open for an audience?" Naruto asked.
"The last part," Kakashi responded. "Now then, how would you like to actually take part in them?"
A short moment later, Naruto began laughing. "Oh. That's funny, Kakashi-Sensei," he remarked between guffaws, as Sakura giggled and Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Us getting into the chuunin exam." He sighed happily and rubbed his eye. Then paused. "Wait, you're serious?"
"Yep," he replied.
"What?" Sakura exclaimed. "But we've barely been genin for a year."
"And now you sound like Iruka," the cyclopean ninja noted. "Listen, it's voluntary. If any of you three feel you're not ready for it, all you have to do is not sign up." He withdrew three slips of paper from his combat vest. "I've signed you up as possible participants, but it is ultimately your choice."
"Awesome. Thank you Kakashi-Sensei," Naruto said, reaching out for a slip, only for the jonin to yank them away.
"Patience," he admonished. "Let me make some things clear first. The chuunin exams are no walk in the park. It will test every single skill you have at your disposal and odds are, you will get hurt. You may in fact die." He let his gaze glide over the three of them. "And you may not even advance in rank, even if you make it to the end. If any of this is a problem, don't sign yourself up and wait for the next one in two years."
"Are you kidding? I'm gonna show everyone what I can do," Naruto said, eagerly taking a slip. "This is gonna be awesome."
Sasuke walked up and took another slip, noting: "I've been waiting for an opportunity like this."
Sakura hesitated. "How long... How long do we have to decide?" she asked.
"First part starts tomorrow at noon, at the Academy," Kakashi explained. "Just show up at classroom F-3 and deliver your slip. That will give you admission. Now then, while I'm sure you were all eager to pull weeds and walk dogs, I have been advised to give you a nice, calm day to consider things. So you're all off duty. I'll see you all later." With that he turned around and walked off.
"Oh boy, the chuunin exam," Naruto said with stars in his eyes, staring at the slip. "I'll get to look cool in front of the whole village. No, several villages. Now everyone will see how great a ninja I am."
"Yes, I'm sure they will," Sasuke remarked dryly.
"And what does that mean? Oh, I get it." He folded his arms. "You think I'll bungle it, don't you?"
"And what if I do?" the raven-haired Uchiha remarked.
"Nothing," the blond continued, leaning against the railing of the bridge. "Just that, you said it yourself. Back in the Land of Waves. You barely did better than me. So if I fail, well..."
"Oh, do shut up," Sasuke hissed.
"If the two of you could stop fighting for a second," Sakura sighed. "Listen, do you both really think we're ready for this?"
"Of course we are," Naruto happily stated. "Kakashi believes in us. And we beat the likes of Zabuza, Jako, the Sharks."
"I suppose that is all true," the pink-haired girl replied. "But still... What about you, Sasuke?"
"If we aren't ready, then we will have to become ready," he remarked. "I refuse to spend any more time shovelling dirt for peasants. I need to get stronger and the odd jobs most of us genin are saddled with are not good enough."
"I see," she quietly remarked.
"I mean, you don't have to if you don't wanna," Naruto remarked. "Then me and Sasuke will just take the exam."
She chuckled humourlessly. "No, I guess you two don't need me."
The jinchuuriki blinked. "Wait, no, that's not what I meant. It's just..."
"I know," she said. "But it's probably still true." She crossed her arms. "I'll think about it. And I know you two are eager, but I'll advice you do the same nonetheless." And with those words she walked off.
"There's nothing to think about," Sasuke remarked. "If I have a chance at advancing, I must take it." He turned and began leaving.
"So, what are you going to do?" Naruto asked.
"I must make sure that my mind and body is ready for tomorrow."
"So more training then? Jeez, you're relentless."
...
Twenty minutes later, Naruto was wandering about the outer reaches of the village, lost in daydreams about the upcoming chuunin exam as he walked among the trees of a small forestry area. In the theatre of his mind, he saw himself go up against ninja legends, masters of chakra, elite assassins of every description, with him beating them up one by one. His face lit up in a goofy grin as he imagined the Hokage being so impressed, he'd immediately retire and give Naruto the job in front of everyone.
His quite frankly unrealistic daydreams were cut off by the sound of Konohamaru yelling: "Hey, wait up, Boss."
Yanked out of his imagination, the blond turned to see the tailed boy and his two companions running up the road. "Hey, how are you three doing?"
"Just fine," Konohamaru replied, as he and the others took a moment to catch their breath. "What about you? Yesterday was kinda scary, huh?"
"Yeah, well, I don't scare easily," Naruto remarked proudly.
"That's why you're such a great ninja, Boss."
"But, ehm, do you think you have time to teach us about being a ninja?" Udon inquired.
"I dunno," Naruto slowly said. "What with me having to consider going to the chuunin exam, I might not have time."
"You're going to the chunnin exam?" Moegi asked. "That's so cool."
"It is, isn't it?" the blond remarked with a grin. "But hey, I guess I have enough time to..."
Smoke bombs detonated around the group, cutting the conversation short.
"Wh-what's going on?" Naruto coughed. "Hey, Konohamaru? You okay?"
"I'm right here, Boss," the tailed kid said, voice muffled by his sleeve, as the smoke dissipated. "And so's Udon."
"Wait. Where's Moegi then?" the blond asked as visibility returned, noting only the presence of two of the youths.
He heard an unpleasant chuckle from behind and spun around.
A large person, their frame obscured by a massive cloak and their head barely visible underneath a great straw hat stood on the road. Held in his arms was a struggling Moegi.
"Help me," she begged.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Naruto challenged.
"Why don't you keep up and find out?" the man challenged in a raspy voice, as he turned around and ran off with the screaming girl.
"YOU COME BACK HERE, YOU BASTARD!" the jinchuuriki yelled, as he began pursuing.
"Boss, we'll be right behind you!" Konohamaru called, as he and Udon attempted to keep up.
As he ran through the dense woodland, careful not to trip over exposed roots, Naruto found his mind racing to come up with some sort of plan. He had no weapons on him but his own body and he was pretty sure the unknown assailant would be armed. He could easily imagine the guy packing a katana or something similar underneath his coat. He'd have to be careful if he was to beat the guy.
He found himself slowing slightly, remembering what Kakashi and Sakura had been saying.
As a ninja, fighting was to be his last resort.
He rubbed his head. "But then what am I supposed to do?" he asked himself frustrated. "I'm not good with plans. And I gotta get Moegi away from that creep. What would Sakura do?" He paused, thinking back. Then he smiled, folding his fingers in a hand sign.
With a poof, three other Narutos were brought into existence.
"You know what to do, guys," the original informed them.
"You can count on us," one of the clones remarked, as they all ran off in different directions, before the original continued his pursuit.
It didn't take him long after that to finally catch up with his target. The huge ambusher was waiting by an old tree, to which he had tied Moegi.
"Naruto, help!" she called as soon as she saw him.
"Not a step closer," the man warned the blond, drawing a kunai and holding it to the girl's throat. "One wrong move and she'll never speak another word."
"What do you want, you jackass?" the jinchuuriki called.
"I've heard about you, Naruto," the man continued. "You managed to nick the Scroll of Sealing. I want you to return to the village and bring it to me."
"That thing again?" the blond asked. "What do you want with it?"
The man chuckled. "Does it really matter when I've got your friend at kunai point? Well, since you're curious, that scroll is worth a lot of money. Plus, I could secure a pretty cosy job with any other village I want by handing it over to them. But it's preferable to losing you little friend here, yes?"
"Little friend?" Naruto asked with a cocky smile. "All I see are two dummies."
The man paused, the turned his head.
He was indeed pointing his weapon at a straw replica of a person.
"What?!" he exclaimed and looked around.
"Up here, you big dolt," came another Naruto's voice, causing the kidnapper to look up. In the tree stood a clone of Naruto, holding a relieved Moegi. "Should have paid attention."
"And you should have kept you mouth shut," the man noted, bending his knees to pursue. "I'll just take the girl back and..."
"Now!" a Naruto clone yelled as he jumped out of the bush with another clone, in the process throwing a weighted net.
The heavy thing landed on the assailant, pinning him to the ground.
"Hah. I only yelled to get you to look," the clone in the tree stated, as he jumped down. "And you fell for it."
"Now, time to haul you in," the real Naruto declared. "I'm sure Konoha's interrogators would love to hear about your plans to steal from us."
The large man chuckled. "Well then," he noted. "You've outmatched me. But if you think this was a challenge, I promise you, the chuunin exam will have much worse in store for you." Then there was a puff and all that remained was a pile of leaves.
"Did you get him, Boss?" Konohamaru asked, as he and Udon finally caught up.
"No, he vanished," Naruto sighed. "Typical." He turned to the clones. "Hey, thanks for helping out without making a fuzz."
"You're welcome," one of them noted, leaning his head against his arms. "Nice to be out for a non-suicide job."
"Yeah, you could send us out for more of those," one remarked.
"I'll think about it. For now, back you go," Naruto replied and undid the clones, causing them to vanish.
"Uhm, where did you get the net and dummy from, by the way?" Moegi asked, staring curiously at the items.
"Oh, well, there's caches of this stuff all over the village. For emergencies," Naruto remarked. "I'll make sure to put them back in case anyone needs them."
"But hey, that sure was awesome, Boss," Konohamaru remarked.
"Yeah, that was really smart, the way you saved me," the redhead eagerly cheered.
"Aw, thanks you guys," Naruto replied with a blush. "Ehm, but I should probably report this whole kidnapping thing. I'll teach you ninja stuff another day."
"That's okay, Boss."
...
Sakura sat on a bench by the small playground in the middle of the village. Thoughts of the chuunin exam still buzzed in her mind. She had considered going home and maybe having a chat with her parents about it, but she just didn't feel like talking about it openly. And it wasn't that she thought it would be hopeless. Even she couldn't deny that their team had tackled some dangerous situations and come out the other side alive. Between her knowledge, Sasuke's training and Naruto's power, they had a lot to draw on.
But there was no doubt that if she were to participate, she would have to face other ninjas. And she might fight them. She might defeat them. And she might enjoy it.
The thought caused an involuntary shudder to go through her. Her mind returned to that day in the Land of Waves, when she had tricked the Devil Twins. As far as she had known, she had consigned them to death by drowning.
And beating them had felt good. Too good.
The thought made her feel queasy.
"Hey, Sakura," came Sasuke's voice, jolting her out of her thoughts. She had not even realised the raven-haired genin had approached her, so far away had she been in memories.
"Oh, hey, Sasuke," she greeted him. "Sorry, I was... Thinking."
He nodded. "The chuunin exam?"
"Yeah."
"I actually wanted to talk with you about that." He looked around. "Can we go for a walk? It's kinda crowded here."
"Go for a walk?" she asked, nonplussed. "Oh, ehm..." She coughed. "Sure, I'd love to." She got up, dusting off her clothes. "So, where to?"
"Training area this way should do just fine," the genin remarked as he walked off, the pink-haired girl following.
She observed him for a bit as they walked. "Hey, how do you think Naruto will do in the chuunin exam?"
"He'll do fine," Sasuke replied. "We've defeated Zabuza, Jako, Sabiru. He can handle it."
"Yeah. You're probably right," she agreed.
They walked in silence for a bit, soon after reaching the area that the Uchiha had mentioned. A couple of logs had been set up to allow for people to practise throwing weapons.
"Well, we're here," the pink-haired girl said. "So... You had something you wanted to say?"
"It's... Look, don't sign yourself up," Sasuke finally said. "I don't think you're ready. You'll just get yourself hurt."
"You think so?" she replied, twirling a lock of her hair. "You're probably right though. I'd probably just hold you and Naruto back." She smiled softly. "But thanks. For caring."
"Oh. Uhm." He coughed, scratching the back of his head. "Just looking out for my teammates."
She giggled. "Of course."
Suddenly, there was a puff of smoke, grabbing both of their attentions. A large man covered in a massive robe, a big straw hat on his head, had appeared standing on one of the logs. "Isn't that cute," he rasped in mock cheerfulness. "Unfortunately for you, your little date ends here."
"What do you want?" Sasuke challenged, drawing his kunai.
"My client would rather not have an Uchiha get in the way of his prized students. So I'm afraid you gotta go." With a swift movement of his arm, he hurled a series of shuriken at the raven-haired genin.
Sasuke dodged to the side, responding with a throw of his kunai.
The man leapt into the air without a sound, his large cloak billowing as be threw a metal ball.
The Uchiha scion threw another kunai, aiming to knock the orb off course. But when the two projectiles met, the ball exploded into a hail of sharpened points, like a rain of daggers.
"SASUKE, WATCH OUT!" Sakura yelled, eyes wide.
But it was too late. The sharpened projectiles slammed into the genin, nailing him to the ground with a pained scream.
And then all was silent.
Sakura stared, then slowly approached his prone form. There was barely a spot left that hadn't been run through. "Sasuke," she softly said, kneeling down besides him.
"Sasuke, please... Say something."
There was no response.
She leaned over his lifeless body and began loudly sobbing.
"That deals with that," the attacker said, from his position on the log. "Now, you listen here, girl. You better stay out of the chuunin exam, or you little blond... Friend..." He paused. "Are you laughing?"
"I'm sorry," Sakura giggled. "I just couldn't keep playing along. I gotta get better at that."
"What are you...?"
"This is the shoddiest excuse for an deception I've ever seen. You got his looks right, but you're really clueless when it comes to how he acts." She pulled her leg back and kicked the body as hard as she could. It exploded into a shower of leaves and sticks. "They way he talked to me. I've never seen Sasuke show that much affection for anyone. And he'd never just openly praise Naruto like that." She folded her arms. "And besides, he'd have dodged that attack, no problem. How long did it take you to come up with this nonsensical performance?"
"Well, you saw through my little ploy. But if you don't rip that little slip of yours up and forget about the chuunin exam, I will take you down for real," the man threatened.
"How? You're not even here. You're just as fake as that Sasuke was," she remarked.
"You sure of that, little girl?"
"Yeah. Your disguise is good. But it's full of little flaws. Like when you jumped. Your clothes should have made a billowing sound. Classic mistake."
"Gonna put that little theory of yours to the test?" he asked, drawing another ball.
"Bring it," she challenged, walking towards him.
He threw the orb.
Sakura stared it down as it approached, before it harmlessly dissipated against her. She smirked.
"Heh. Very well. You saw through me," the man admitted. "But in the chuunin exam, things will not be as obvious and the dangers will be very real. You be sure of that." And with those words he flickered out of sight.
Sakura paused, staring at where the illusionary assailant had stood. Then she fished the slip out of her pocket. She stared at it for a moment. The whole thing had been fake, but it had reminded her. Her teammates would be in danger. And even if she had her reservations, she couldn't abandon them. The only way she would be able to give her all to help them in the chuunin exam, would be if she was there with them. With newfound determination, she turned around and began her walk home.
...
The sun had gone down. Night had fallen over Konohagakure.
In a room in the main offices, Iruka sat in a sofa, hands folded in contemplation. He once again glanced at the others as they waited. Kakashi was reading his book and Asuma stood by the window enjoying a smoke while talking work with Kurenai.
There was a knock on the door and all turned to face it.
It opened, allowing the large man with the straw hat in.
He paused for a moment. And then everything from his skin to his clothes took on a rough, brown texture reminiscent of bark. And then it all split apart into numerous branches, which slowly shrunk and retracted, until it all had pulled back into an acorn held in the hand of the one underneath.
He had short, brown hair and notably almond-shaped dark eyes. He wore a grey uniform with matching combat vest, into which he gently put the acorn he had used. "You really put me through the wringer today, Kakashi," he remarked.
"I knew you'd be able to handle it," the jonin responded.
"Well, how did it go?" Iruka asked.
"They all passed the tests I devised," he answered. He rubbed his chin. "Sasuke near splintered my disguise with one of his strikes."
"Quite impressive, a genin getting a hit in on a member of ANBU," Asuma joked.
"Well, I did hold back," the man replied. "Wouldn't have been fair otherwise."
"So Naruto passed then," Iruka surmised.
"Indeed. Came up with quite the clever strategy," the man informed the teacher. "I had to leave myself open for him, but it's the sort of tactics that would work on both less experienced ninjas and common criminals."
"Well, there you have it," Asuma noted, his tail giving an involuntary happy swish. "All of our students seem ready to take the chuunin exam."
"How did your students take the offer, by the way?" Kurenai inquired.
The cigarette-smoker took another drag and exhaled a cloud into the night. "Shikamaru was his usual self. Ino and Choji seemed excited though."
"I know Hinata is very nervous," the red-eyed ninja continued. "But the others are very supportive. I think she might just sign herself up."
"She's certainly skilled," the ANBU ninja remarked. "Managed to spot me at a fair distance."
"Well, if that was all, I think we can call it a night," Kakashi noted, closing his book. "After all, tomorrow is a big day."
...
The next day, Sakura found herself standing outside the Academy. She had left early with the well-wishes of her parents and arrived in good time. And now she stood, nervously eyeing the clock on the wall, her stomach churning anxiously.
"Hey, Sakura," Naruto called, as he ran up to her, catching her attention. "So, you decided to sign up?"
"Yeah. Figured we better stick together," she replied. "We are a team, after all."
"Good to hear," the blond replied. "By the way, craziest thing happened yesterday. Some goon tried to kidnap Moegi."
"Goon?" the pink-haired ninja echoed.
"Yeah. But I managed to save her."
"That's... Awesome. Did you report it in?"
"Of course I did," Naruto noted, folding his arms. "I'm not stupid. They said it would be taken care of."
"I figured you had." She rubbed her chin, then looked up. "Oh, hey, Sasuke."
The raven-haired genin nodded. "So, made up your mind?"
"I have. How was your day?"
"Some guy broke into my bedroom, saying he didn't want an Uchiha in the exam this year," he replied. He paused. "I ended up setting my bed on fire fighting him. But I got him."
"Did he wear a large straw hat, by any chance?" Sakura asked. "Because I think we've all had an encounter then."
"So something happened to you?" Sasuke remarked.
"Yeah. Tried to intimidate me with an illusion." She folded her arms. "You think maybe it was Kakashi?"
"Even if we ask him, I doubt he'll give us a straight answer," Naruto noted.
"Talking about someone I know?" a voice asked, and the three genin looked up. Kakashi was sitting on a branch above them, reading his book.
"Kakashi," Naruto began, pointing accusingly. "Did you kidnap Moegi yesterday?"
"No, but I did arrange for it," he replied, as he jumped down. "What about it?"
The jinchuuriki paused. "I'm not sure. I didn't expect you to actually admit it."
"What was the deal with that?" Sasuke inquired annoyed. "Trying to convince us not to go to the exam?"
"Actually, it was Iruka who was concerned you and your classmates wouldn't be ready after only a year," the cyclopean shinobi responded. "But we team leaders can sign our students up for a preliminary test. A way to get a quick evaluation. Which you passed with flying colours, might I add."
"Oh. I suppose that makes sense," Sakura noted.
"And before you worry, we asked Konohamaru and his friends to help out," Kakashi continued. "So Moegi knew she wasn't in any real danger. They were quite eager to to see you in action, in fact."
"Oh. I see." Naruto folded his arms. "Well, I can see why they'd want to see me use my awesome skills and so on."
"And Sasuke, Magiko Uchiha ordered the guards to let the guy in. So no, you don't have to consider getting anyone fired," the silver-haired ninja elaborated. "Everything is quite fine."
"Except for my bed," Sasuke remarked. "Fine. Whatever. Anything else? We have twenty minutes left and I'd rather get going."
"One last thing. Are you all taking the exam?" Kakashi asked. Getting confirmations from all three, he continued: "Good. Then I don't have to send you home."
"Wait, what do you mean?" Naruto asked.
"Just that, well, the team can only go up if all are in," he explained. "If any one of you had not showed up, none of you would be eligible."
"What?" Sasuke said. "You did not mention that at all."
"I wanted your honest choice without feeling pressured," Kakashi replied. "Especially considering how eager some of you are. But hey, I won't take more of what little time you have. Do try to have fun." With those words he turned around and walked off.
"That man," Sasuke groaned frustrated, rubbing his temples.
"Well, let's go," Sakura noted and headed towards the building, the others following in tow.
The Academy was mostly empty as they entered, as most normal activities had been suspended. But from a nearby stairwell, they could hear the voices of chatting people.
"It was, what, F-3, right?" Naruto asked, as they began ascending.
"That's what Kakashi said," Sakura remarked. "Anyway, I take it your family is busy with all these foreign ninjas who're coming to town?"
"Oh yeah. I couldn't even keep track off how many different lands we had guests from," the blond replied. "And it's gotta get better once the exam becomes open for an audience."
"Wish I could help out my parents, but this is important," Sakura noted. "What about you, Sasuke? Do all these people affect your clan in any way?"
"Not at the moment," he remarked. "Policing the ninjas coming in is left to ANBU. But once the civilians move in to see the big event, I'm sure they'll have plenty of work keeping the commoners in check."
"Ah, here we are," Naruto noted, eyeing a group of people down the hall. "Let's queue up."
He took two steps, before being halted by Sakura going: "Naruto, wait."
"Huh, what is it?"
"What floor are we on?"
The jinchuuriki looked at a nearby sign. "Third floor?"
"No, Sakura's right," Sasuke noted. "I don't think we've moved that far up." He leaned over the railing, looking down the staircase. "This is the second floor."
"What's up with the signs then?" Naruto asked.
"A genjutsu, probably," Sakura hypothesised. "A trick."
"Probably to sort out the most hopeless candidates," Sasuke agreed. "If you can't even keep track of what floor you're on, you shouldn't be a chuunin."
"Oh." Naruto eyed the flock standing by the wrong door. "Should we... Say something?"
"Why? Less competition this way," Sasuke told him, as he began walking up. "Besides, if nobody on their team can see through this, they'll just get themselves hurt."
"He's kinda got a point," Sakura agreed after thinking on it. "I feel sorry for them, but perhaps then it is better they wait until next time."
"Yeah, I know," Naruto sighed, as he and the pink-haired girl began walking up to the actual third floor. "Still feels kinda scummy."
"You're a ninja. If your rivals are making mistakes, take advantage of it," Sasuke stated.
As they reached the landing of the next floor, Naruto heard a thumping sound coming up the wooden stairs. He looked over the side, then grinned. "Hey, Bushy-Brows. Up here."
"Naruto. Good to see you," Rock Lee noted, as he jogged up the staircase. "Sakura. How are you doing this fine day?"
"Ehm, just fine," she replied. "And you?"
"I am most excited to be participating in these upcoming challenges," he replied with a big grin and a thumbs up.
"Hey, you two know each other?" Naruto asked Sakura.
"Yeah. We jog together occasionally," she told him. "What about you?"
"We were classmates," the blond noted. "Until, well, I didn't pass."
"Sometimes, the road to success is long and arduous," Lee remarked. "But it is worth travelling none the less. Both me and my sensei have walked many a hard road together for this reason."
"But I bet you don't know him," Naruto noted, turning to Sasuke. "Meet Rock Lee. He's a great guy."
"I see," the Uchiha scion remarked without an iota of care. "Where's your team?"
"They went ahead. I wanted one last jog before we were to start," the tracksuit clad ninja replied. "The fires of one's youth must be maintained with rigorous training and exercise. Even these upcoming challenges must not keep one from maintaining one's self."
Sasuke blinked.
"See, Lee here is as nuts about training as you are," Naruto informed him with a grin. "Bet you two would have a lot to talk about."
"Sasuke? Sasuke Uchiha then, I take it," Lee noted. "It is a great honour to meet you."
The raven-haired genin nodded in response.
"I hope we will get the chance to match our skills and wits against one another," the bushy-browed ninja continued. "For you see, it is my desire to challenge the strongest of the genin in order to prove my skills."
"I see. I guess my reputation is getting around," Sasuke noted with a smirk. "But don't expect me to hold back."
Lee paused for a moment. "Oh, I apologise. I may have communicated what I meant unclearly. I have no doubt that you will be a worthy opponent and I mean no offence, but you are not the strongest genin. I merely meant challenging you would be a good way to get stronger, until I can face him."
Sasuke's face revealed he had in fact taken offence, an expression that was amplified when Naruto four seconds later burst out in laughter and Sakura intently began looking at a nearby wall.
"You should see your face," the blond giggled. "Turns out the Uchiha isn't the biggest deal around."
"Do you want to be thrown back down the stairs?" the raven-haired genin coldly asked him.
"Wait, then who is the strongest?`" Sakura asked.
"In my honest opinion, it is my teammate, Neji Hyuga," Lee explained. "He is formidable and skilled. I have yet to best him in battle. But one day, I will be strong enough to win." He paused. "Anyway, I must thank you for this talk. It was nice. But we must move on, for time passes even as we speak and the hour of the chuunin exam is almost upon us."
"Oh, yeah, he's right. We better move," Naruto noted, as Lee jogged past them. "Hey, catch you later, Bushy-Brows."
"I will," he called back. "All of you, take care."
Sasuke scowled, as they followed down the hall.
"You okay there?" Naruto teased.
"I can't believe he thinks a Hyuga to be more of a threat than my clan," the Uchiha scion responded.
"Well, he's got one year more of experience," Sakura noted. "That does probably give him an advantage."
"We'll see about that," Sasuke snorted. "Anyway, we're here. The actual room F-3."
"Cool," Naruto noted. "So, everyone ready?"
The two others nodded.
"Then here we go." He put his hand on the handle and opened the door.