The Chunin exams
Team Yamato had returned to the village. They had gone to a tunnel that led from beyond the walls to an ANBU interrogation unit not far from the door to Naruto's house. The three prisoners Zabuza, Haku and Gato were taken from them by an ANBU team lead by Weasel, a figure Sasuke recognised but said nothing. It would be difficult to not recognise your own brother after all. The team went to their own homes with orders to take a few days off after the mission. In the meantime Konoha's rumor mill had gone into overdrive thanks to team 8 and Ino spreading the official story of the mission as quickly as possible.
A couple of days after the mission the team assembled at Naruto's compound in the briefing room. Danzo was sitting at the head of the table reading through a stack of papers on the latest intelligence.
"Your last mission went perfectly. Konoha has already been able to extract a good deal of intelligence from your captives. With that in mind it is time for you to become Chunin. The exams will be held in Konoha this time." Danzo paused and looked at team Tenzo.
"With your strength you should be promoted easily. There are three stages to the exam: a written test, a survival test, and a tournament of one-on-one fights. You are being assigned a mission during this exam as well. During the second survival exam you are to gather as much intelligence about the other villages as possible. You are also ordered to kill any ninja from Kiri that are entered into the exam." Seeing the surprised looks of the squad he elaborated.
"The Mizukage is losing his civil war. Based on the intelligence supplied by Zabuza we have made contact with the resistance and are supplying them with assistance. To further weaken the Mizukage we will eliminate any ninja he sends to the chunin exams. He has sent word he is sending three teams. During the second stage you will eliminate all of his genin while our ANBU dispose of any Jounin that are sent as guards when they return to their village."
Slightly surprised by this Sasuke raised A question. "Won't that be extremely suspicious?"
"Yes, but the plan for the Jounin is to use a time delay poison so they will die when they are already back home in Kiri. As for the genin it is all a part of the exams. Every village has at one point or another undertaken missions during the exams to eliminate promising young ninja before they become a serious threat. In fact I would not be surprised if your team were the only ones with orders of this type in the exams.
Anyway let me walk you through the exam. Part one is a written test where you will be provided the answers ahead of time so you will pass easily. The second part during which you will carry out your orders will be held in training ground 44. It's a team versus team event fighting to get two scrolls one of each type over five days. Of the scrolls half will be labeled heaven and half earth. I expect you to take up all five days to gather intelligence but all three teams from Kiri must be dead by sunrise on the second day and I am being generous giving you so long.
The third part of the exam is a tournament. Naruto will win, if either of you face him you will surrender. Your promotions are certain if you make it to the third stage so there is no need for you to fight him." seeing that Ino and Sasuke understood the importance of their task Danzo decided to wrap up the meeting.
"You are to report to the academy for the exam in one week. Until then you are on leave, dismissed!"
The week that followed was interesting for Naruto he spent much of it observing the main gate of the village. On the first day he clocked the only team from Sunagakure two of the genin looked older and one around his age. Naruto sensed two powerful chakras in the group he assumed one was the jounin and the other was one of the genin which one he couldn't be sure.
On the third day of the week he saw his quarry three teams from Kirigakure. There were no chakras outside of his expectations among them three jounin and nine genin bordering on Chunin signals among them. They carried a mixture of visible weapons, swords, clubs, bows and a kurisu gama. Nothing of note really he expected that they would be no match for Sasuke or Sakura let alone all three of them.
On the same day Naruto met with Ino and Sasuke at his house/ bunker to discuss strategy. "The way I see it our only focus should be the teams from the Mist. it isnt likely that they will all have the same scroll." Said Ino
"Naturally, the real question is should we split up and each take a team or should we go after them one at a time all together?" Sasuke chimed in with a contemplative look.
"No, we stay together and move fast. If I need to use my full power at any point I need you two there." was the answer Naruto
"What if?..." Ino started "What if we could arrange the mist teams starting points into training ground 44 so we could move in one direction and take them all out right at the beginning." said Ino
"That would be ideal but it would be awfully suspicious. I am sure that Danzo will ensure that they all start close by but having them all right next to each other would be too much." said sasuke
Team Yamato spent the next few hours playing out every scenario they could come up with until it was time for Ino and Sasuke to go home.
For the rest of the week Naruto watched the gate alone. While Ino and Sasuke would visit him once a day to learn of the teams he saw. The only teams that had stood out were the team from Suna on the first day and a team from the new village Otogakure. Naruto, Ino and Sasuke had tried to learn more about both teams from Danzo but he was as in the dark as they were about them. Danzo did reveal one thing the lack of information said something as well. Either they had never done much or they were very closely guarded secrets and therefore very dangerous.
Before team Yamato knew it exam day was upon them and they were standing in front of the academy.
"Let's do this!" exclaimed Naruto. The others were excited but not like him. He had been hidden with great care for his whole life by the entire might and security infrastructure of Konohagakure. After the exams there was no going back into the shadows the whole world would know about him.
The team walked slowly through the academy when going up the stairs on the second floor they encountered an argument between a group of genin and who Sasuke recognised as two chunin in disguise. A genjutsu had been placed over the door saying it was the third floor. The chunin were refusing to let anyone through the door but when one of the genin decided to attack with a kick to the chunin who countered with a kick of his own both were grabbed by a genin in a green leotard a bowl cut and bushy eyebrows. All together he cut quite a picture.
"There is no fighting allowed before the exams!" Yelled bushy brows as Naruto had dubbed him in his head.
"We are all on the wrong floor anyway" said Sasuke "Drop the genjutsu on the door so the fools can join the exams"
Team Yamato simply walked up to the next floor past the other genin. When they were in the hallway leading to the exam room the bushy eyebrowed genin and his team caught up to them.
"You are Sasuke Uchiha! The strongest genin of your graduating class. Fight me please."
Sasuke looked slightly confused and turned to Naruto. A move the other team noticed
"What do you think?" Sasuke asked
"We have the time if you are quick about it." Was Nautos reply
"Good. Then I accept. What is your name anyway?"
"I am Rock Lee!"
The two teams moved to a larger space down on the ground floor. As they moved Ino and Naruto observed the other team.
'A Hyuga, and judging by his headband placement a branch house member. His Chakra is definitely chunin level he will be one to be careful of' thought Ino
Naruto meanwhile had already assessed the Hyuga and was trying to work out the kunoichi of the group 'She is cute, judging by the hip pouches a weapon user probably specializing in ranged attacks given who her teammates are.'
Soon Sasuke and Rock Lee were facing each other in a wide and tall room in their opening stances.
"Fight!" Yelled Ino
Rock lee disappeared in a burst of speed appearing mid heel drop kick behind Sasuke who blocked with a forearm guard. Wincing in pain Sasuke flipped away creating distance and activating his fully mature Sharingan.
"So that is the Sharingan. I was hoping you could use it!" said an excited Lee who disappeared again this time into a rising handstand kick striking Sasuke in the chin sending him into the air. Lee followed after him his bandages unfurling to wrap around Sasuke when they were pinned to the wall by a senbon with a pinwheel on it of all things.
Lee and Sasuke fell to the floor both landing feet first.
A large what appeared to be a clone of Lee was standing next to a tortoise. "Lee what have I told you about using that move!" the man shouted
"Not to use it unless my ninja way is on the line Gai sensei!"
"YOU IDIOT!" Yelled the older man as he punched Lee straight into a wall
"Hello young genin! I apologize for my students' behavior"
Team Yamato got into a huddle. "What should we do?" "there both sooo weird" "why are they dressed the same?" then all together "strategic retreat!" yelled Naruto and the team retreated in a high speed shunshin towards the exam room.
Huffing and puffing they gathered outside the doors.
"Alright this is it"
Naruto flung open the doors to a crowded room leading his team in.
"Sasuke-kun!" yelled a pink haired girl approaching, leading a group of six ninja hugging him. Naruto didn't recognize any of them but they wer all leaf genin with obvious clan affiliations; he assumed he knew some of there relatives among root and the ANBU.
As what he assumed former classmates were talking he noticed the approach of an older genin with gray hair.
"You guys might want to quiet down you are making a scene" said the older boy
The nine genin turned to look and every eye in the room was on them and radiating murderous intent. Most of the group recoiled at the display.
Sasuke smirked "Naruto I think they are trying to intimidate you"
"Really then i guess I will show them some real intent" said Naruto as a dark look took over his face as he stepped in front of the young konoha genin. An ominous orange aura surrounding him briefly as he began to release an intent of such intensity only a few in the room had ever felt.
"If you want to fight and die you are in the right place but now is not the time. I suggest you mind your own business" said Naruto his aura dissipating
Naruto had held back and only matched the intent of Zabuza but the effect had been what he was looking for, the KI from the crowd had stopped.
"Hey who is that guy?" whispered Sakura to Ino
"That is our team captain Naruto Uzumaki" Said Ino
A huge cloud of smoke appeared by the chalk bord "Shut up you maggots the first test is about to start. Get to your seats!" yelled a huge scar covered man Naruto recognized as Ibiki Morino