CHAPTER ONE
Centre stage-Part 1
Konohamaru hadn't faced too many dangerous adversaries in his Shinobi career. Most of his missions consisted of D rank escort missions around the village, or simple community service. There was of course, the battle with one of the paths of Pain from when he was younger, where he had somehow emerged victorious despite the odds.
But nothing had prepared him for the challenge he was facing at that moment. Despite all the training his team had undergone with arguably the greatest shinobi of all time, despite the air of confidence team Naruto had when they first entered Sunagakure's arena to participate in the first chunin exams in three years and the first jointly held exams in history, Konohamaru and his team composed of close friend Moegi, and less-close friend Hanabi Hyuuga were anything but confident as they faced down their opponents across the arena. The young team collectively held their breaths as they waited for the instructor to formally commence the battle and took one last look at the team across them.
Comprised of two boys and a girl, all around the same age as themselves (and looking every bit as nervous as the Konoha genin), the team from Kumo tried their best to look intimidating in front of their opponents from Konoha, both cracks could be seen in their collective demeanor.
Konohamaru closed his eyes in an attempt to calm himself down as he tried to remember all the things he had picked up on the way to the fourth stage of the exams they were about to partake in. His mind drifted to the last training session he had with Naruto before traveling to Suna to partake in the exams...
"You're going to have to do better than that Konohamaru!", came the voice of none other than Uzumaki Naruto, who was standing a few metres away observing the three young genin sprawled on the ground before him.
"Come on, make this entertaining for me at least, this is boring!", he complained jokingly.
The sound of heavy panting drew Konohamaru's attention to his left, as a familiar head of long, brown hair raised up towards Naruto from the ground, pale lavenders eyes tiredly focusing on the young man.
"Time out!", Hanabi Hyuuga meekly pleaded, before faceplanting again.
"I second that", an equally exhausted Moegi added as she gingerly readjusted herself to a sitting position.
"Big Bro, you promised you'd go easy on us" Konohamaru directed at Naruto. "I'm beginning to think you agreed to be our sensei just so you can beat us up without repercussions"
"Hmm, that might be true…", Naruto cheekily responded before adding, "But gaining experience against superior opponents is the surest way to improve on your own self. You gotta keep punching above your own weight y'know"
"I don't see how getting beat up every two days is gonna help us in the exams but you're the sensei I guess" Hanabi said, rolling onto her back
"He's right though, you never know who you're going to face in the exams" came a much lighter voice from the background. "It's wiser to push yourself against stronger opponents than get comfortable with easier challenges, even if you don't seem to come out on top during your training, you're still most likely going to perform at a higher level than a team that doesn't train as hard", the voice belonging to none other than Hinata Hyuuga, who had been watching the spar all along continued.
"Exactly" Naruto said with a renewed enthusiasm. "You don't get to me or Hinata's level by getting comfortable, you need to keep pushing yourself harder"
Konohamaru rejoined the conversation, getting back on his feet, "Well it's a bit harder for us to improve as a team when some of us are clearly not doing enough"
At this point, Moegi also gets on her feet. "Huh? we're all doing our best here Kono"
"Well one of us happens to be an impulsive yet underperforming shinobi who keeps ignoring her teammates and trying her own thing no matter how many times we ask her to coordinate with us or how many times she gets beaten by the EXACT SAME MOVE" Konohamaru made sure to stress those last few words, while glaring at the brown-haired culprit in question.
"Huh, me?!" Hanabi responded. "Don't you know like, two jutsus each? I don't need to hold myself back to your levels just so we can get crushed as a team." She completed with a frown on her face.
"Oh yeah, and how's that working out for you princess?"
"Listen here, Sarutobi brat!", at this point Hanabi had gotten up in Konohamaru's face, the latter taking a few steps back as a result. There were few things that enraged her as much as being referred to as "princess" by Konohamaru in particular, even though it was technically the truth. "I'm the powerhouse of this team, and you know it!, Hanabi declared, placing her hands on her waist. "You two are meant to provide me support while I take on the bigger threat, we've discussed this!"
"We didn't discuss anything! You just say that every time you get your butt kicked to push the blame on us!"
"Come on guys, not this again..." the plea came from Moegi
"Alright Hanabi, that's enough" Hinata walked up to them and placed a hand on her younger sister's shoulder. "Picking fights with your teammates is pointless and silly"
"But I didn't start anything, Konohamaru is the one who accused me of holding us back"
"You are holding us back"
"Why don't you say that a little closer to my face you little brat!" Hanabi responded to Konohamaru's accusation by taking a few steps closer to him.
Konohamaru folded his hands before responding, "Now me doing that would be dumb, see unlike some people, I study my opponents before engaging them, and seeing as you specialize in taijutsu and close range attacks, it'd be wiser for me to maintain distance".
"Of course any shinobi with half a brain would pick up such a basic detail but Hanabi is just built different", he added with a sarcastic shrug.
At this point Hanabi made to lunge at Konohamaru, who had begun to step back in a panic. He'd come to realize he didn't need to do much evading though, as his brunette attacker was struggling against the tight grip of her dark haired older sister, while Naruto had already stepped in between the two genin.
"Alright, I think we've done enough for today guys" Naruto declared, when Hanabi appeared to calm down a bit.
"If you people, and I'm talking to you Konohamaru and Hanabi, keep on fighting each other so often you're not going to do so well in the upcoming exams, teamwork is very important and you have to learn how to cooperate"
"You guys have to learn how to rely on each other and work as a group. Play to each other's strengths and weaknesses , that's what me and Hinata have been trying to teach you for weeks now" Naruto's words were mainly directed at Konohamaru and his partner in crime.
"A lot more weaknesses than strengths with this bunch…" Hanabi muttered. This didn't go unnoticed however, as she was met with a stern glare from Hinata and Moegi.
"Hanabi do you always have to be such a little sh-"
Hinata interrupted Moegi before she could complete her sentence, which was sure to aggravate her recently mellowed out little sister. "So far I've noticed some improvement, but you still have a way to go"
"We're very sorry sensei, we promise to do better" Moegi apologized on behalf of her squabbling teammates.
"Apologizing to me will get you nowhere you know, all that matters is proving yourselves when the real test comes around. I'm just doing my part here, I can't force you to learn" came the honest response from Naruto.
"Now, it's getting late so I suggest we call it a day and round things up here eh?" , he added, rubbing his hands and looking expectantly at Hinata.
"I second that", Moegi agreed while raising her hand.
Hinata giggled lightly and raised her hands in a mock show of defeat. "Alright, let's eat".
"Alright!" all three genin and their sensei cheered with glee at the prospect of lunch. Their response elicited even more laughter from Hinata as she beckoned Hanabi to help her layout the picnic she had prepared beforehand.
As they ate, Hinata looked at Hanabi, then to Moegi and finally settled her eyes on Konohamaru. She had considered herself as a sort of 'shadow sensei' to team 4 ever since she heard that by a stroke of luck, none other than Naruto himself was going to be the one mentoring her own sister Hanabi. She'd come to grow quite fond of the other two genin overtime, and they also liked having her around during training sessions...her home-cooked lunches playing no small part in their opinion of her of course. Over the months, she and Naruto trained the young Shinobi to the best of their abilities, preparing them for the enormous task they would be forced to tackle.
The largest chunin exams in shinobi world history.