Chapter Eight
Naruto took a deep breath as he leaned over his sink. The water was running as he stared down into it. A large grin split his face. 'Finally, the Chunin Exams are today.' Naruto reached down, cupped the water in his hands, and brought it up to his face. Naruto ran his hands over his face and sniffed loudly. Reaching up, he grabbed a hand towel and dried his face. He tossed it into the sink carelessly and smiled one last time in the mirror. 'One step closer to going home.'
Sasuke was standing behind his house on the deck. His dark red eyes were staring into the bushes. It was quite out. It was always quite out now. Sasuke took a deep breath let it out. His eyes drifted over to a small training dummy. It was roughly carved out of wood, and large chunks were missing from it. It was littered in hundreds of holes. Sasuke stepped down off the deck and into the yard. He made his way over to the dummy and ran his hands over the rough wood.
" Just like that Sasuke…perfect…now reach back and just let it go…." Itachi said with a smile. Sasuke was holding a shuriken in his hand overhead. The young boy brought his arm down and just let go. The shuriken spun through the air before colliding with the dummy with a harsh thud. "Great job!"
Sasuke snarled and pulled his hand away from the dummy. Turning around, he made his way back into his home. 'After today, I'll be one step closer to killing you.' Sasuke thought to himself as he pulled the door open and slammed it behind him as he stepped in.
"Today's the day, sweetie," Haruno Mebuki chirped. Sakura had just come downstairs from her room. Mebuki was standing by the small kitchen table, setting down a plate. She had straw-colored hair with green eyes. "Wow, you look great!" she said in the same upbeat tone as before she looked at her daughter admiringly.
"Thanks, Mom!" Sakura said happily. Sakura sat down at the table and let out a deep breath. She looked down at her breakfast and smiled. Sitting on the plate were two fluffy pancakes. It was her favorite breakfast. Sakura picked up her knife and fork and started to eat slowly but deliberately. She didn't want to eat too fast and get sick before the exams. 'This is it! Today's the day all my hard training pays off!' Sakura took another bite of her breakfast. 'I won't hold Sasuke-kun and Naruto back. We're going to pass these exams and become chunin together!'
"Are you ready for today, dear?" Mebuki asked her daughter as she looked down at her with a smile.
"As ready as I'm going to be." Sakura smiled brightly at her mom. "I won't be holding those two back! I'm going to give it my all."
"I doubt it'll be you holding them back, dear." She hummed back as she turned around to start washing some dishes. "Don't let that Naruto brat mess these exams up for you and Sasuke-kun."
"Naruto was the one that helped train us, mom," Sakura said back, the smile on her face faltering. "I told you he's stronger than both of us. If anyone's passing, it's Naruto."
"I somehow doubt that boy is capable of passing anything. Let alone these exams." Mebuki tutted as she washed off a plate. "Either way, honey, I know you're going to do well!"
"Yeah," Sakura muttered as she set her fork down. She stared down at her plate pushed it away. She'd lost her appetite. "I'm going to head out now, mom," Sakura said as she stood up. Mebuki turned around to say something, but Sakura was already walking out of the kitchen.
"Good luck!" She called as Sakura left the kitchen. She went and picked up Sakura's plate. "She didn't even finish her breakfast."
"I act like I hate my father, but the truth is I can't because I don't know him." Naruto stopped and looked away. "I would give anything to know him and to have been raised by him despite everything because I hope that he'd have cared about me. You're her father, and you should care about her as much as I do, but you act like you don't care at all, and she's trying every day to make you proud. If you'd seen what I've seen…all the hard work she's put into her training…." Naruto trailed off as he lost his train of thought and shook his head. "I-I don't know what I'm trying to say, but I care about Hinata, and if I have to fight you, or the Hyuga Clan, or Konoha itself, I will. I won't let her be treated as an object…I won't let treated like I was."
Hinata took a shaky breath and slowly and carefully started to tip-toe back to her room. The last thing she wanted was to get cause eavesdropping on her father and Naruto. Her head was racing, and her heart was beating so fast she could hear it.
Hinata pulled her mind away from the other night and looked in the mirror. She was already dressed for the day. She'd been replaying Naruto's words in her head over and over again. It wasn't just what he said that had affected her, but how he said it. After the other day when Naruto had told her about the Kyuubi, she was sure no other secrets were left between them. Now she wasn't that sure; Naruto knew things about his parents that her father also knew.
Not for the first time, she wondered who his parents were. Naruto had always just claimed they died during the Kyuubi attack, but her father knew them at least, so they must have been strong ninjas. Then there was that jutsu he was teaching her, and he even the way he looked. Hinata shook her head and cleared her thoughts. Even if it was true, it didn't matter, at least not to her.
'I can't let Naruto and Father down. I have to pass the exams.' She thought to herself. If she failed and her father decided to make Hanabi the heir to the Hyuga Clan, Naruto could do something dangerous on her behalf. Hinata looked down at the floor solemnly. She didn't want that to happen. This was her problem, a family problem. She appreciated what Naruto said, but this was her fight, not his. Even if she passed, it's not like she could stand by let something similar happen to Hanabi.
Hinata stood up and picked up her forehead protector. Hinata tied it around her neck like she always did and looked into the mirror. There was a determined look on her face. "I'm going to pass these exams." She said out loud to herself as she turned to leave her room. "I can't fail."
Kakashi was standing by a large grey building with several glass windows. He was leaning against a tree with his foot up against the trunk. In his hand was his ever-present little orange book. All around him, ninjas from Konoha and all the other villages were gathering around the building. Some were chatting with each other while others just stayed to themselves. Kakashi flipped a page in his book and sighed. 'This must be what it feels like to wait around on me. It's been a long time since I waited for someone else.' Kakashi was trying to read, but like usual, all he could do was stare at the words while he was lost in thought.
His team had come pretty far in the last five weeks. He was confident all three of them would pass the exams. However, he couldn't help but be worried something else was going on behind the scenes. 'Oto-nin, Orochimaru, mercenaries, and some deal with Sasuke.' Kakashi resisted the urge to let out a sigh. Things were never quite in the ninja world, at least not for long.
Kakashi flipped the page absentmindedly again. He was used to worrying about Sasuke. He'd worried about him ever since he met him. He was filled with hatred towards Itachi, and his desire for revenge was more robust than Kakashi had ever seen. Now that there was a chance Naruto was enabling it, he was even more worried…for both of them. Did Naruto feel the same way as Sasuke? Did he want to take revenge on Konoha for how he was treated? Naruto still hadn't worn his Konoha forehead protector. Kakashi hadn't seen it since the young ninja had picked it up. Would Sasuke help Naruto? Would help with killing Itachi be worth that? What did Naruto have to gain from making a deal with Sasuke? Was it something nefarious, or did Naruto want a friend?
The thoughts went around and around in his head as he tried to imagine how everything fit into place. Assumptions became theories that led to contingency plans, which he then dismissed as ridiculous. He was so lost in his head he didn't notice as his team arrived and started walking towards him.
"Oh wow! You're on time, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto's voice rang out, pulling him from his thoughts. Kakashi snapped the book shut and looked up. Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke were all standing a few feet in front of him, and they were all dressed differently than usual.
Naruto was wearing a pair of black shinobi pants with matching black sandals. The knees around his pants were dark orange. In the center was the Uzumaki Clan symbol. Naruto was also wearing a black shinobi vest with dark orange lining. Underneath the vest was the standard shinobi chainmail shirt that ran down to just above his elbows. Both of Naruto's wrists and forearms were wrapped in dark orange bandages. Strapped to his back in a black sheath was the sword he used when fighting Zabuza. Kakashi's eye rested on the dark orange band tied loosely around his neck. Hanging from the band was his Konoha forehead protector.
Sasuke was dressed in a loose dark blue shirt that hung open and clung to his shoulders. Underneath the shirt was chainmail identical to Naruto's. His sleeves extended down to just below his wrists, and his hands were wrapped in bandages. He had on matching dark pants that were tucked into his black sandals. Holding his shirt together at the waist was a wide black belt with the Uchiha crest stitched into the center.
Sakura was the most changed out of the three of them. Her long bright pink hair had been cut to just below her chin. Two bangs framed her soft face, and her forehead protector was resting on top of her head. She was dressed in a dark red crop top with sleeves that stopped just above her elbow. A chainmail undershirt ran down over her stomach and into a white belt and down her arms to her wrists. She was wearing a pair of dark shorts that ran to just above her knees, and her shins were wrapped in the dark pink bandages just above a pair of dark ninja sandals.
"Well, you all look different," Kakashi said as he looked between the three of them. "Did you all plan this?"
"I don't think so!" Naruto said with a laugh as he rubbed the back of his head. "Did you two plan this when you spent the day together yesterday?" Naruto asked as he looked between Sakura and Sakura. Sakura blushed and looked away.
"Of course, not idiot," Sasuke replied shortly. It was then Kakashi noticed Sasuke's Sharingan. It had fully matured sometime in the last two days. For a moment, he wondered what had triggered the change in Sasuke's eyes.
Kakashi chose not to say anything about it and slid his book into his vest. "Okay, you three. Here's what I know and what I can tell you. This year's exam is split into three different parts. It could be over in one day, or it could take as long as five days." Kakashi turned to look at all the ninja gathering around. "There is a lot of genin around, but you three should be able to get through this pretty easily. I can't say anything else, or I'll risk disqualifying you."
"Thanks for the info, sensei!" Naruto laughed as he stretched his arms. "Oh man, I'm so excited for this. It's going to be fun to fight all these people.
"I didn't say you were going to be fighting," Kakashi replied with a smile under his mask. "I recommend you get in there and mingle a bit before the first part of the exam. You never know when you might need an ally during these things."
"We won't need anyone's help," Sasuke said confidently as he started walking towards the building without looking back.
"Well, I guess we'll see you around, sensei," Naruto said with a shrug as he followed his moody teammate towards the building.
"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said with a slight bow before taking off to catch up with Naruto and Sasuke. Kakashi took one last look at his team and shook his head in amusement. Then with a quick hand sign, Kakashi disappeared in a puff of white smoke.
"Sensei was right," Naruto said as he looked around. "There are a lot of other genin here." Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were still near the entrance to the building. Naruto had pulled them to the side off, and they were standing in a small hallway near the door. "Well, let's get started." Naruto crossed his fingers, and three identical copies of himself appeared behind him with quiet pops.
"Naruto, what are you doing?" Sakura asked as she looked at his clones in confusion.
"Cheating," He replied with a massive grin. The three Naruto's disappeared with almost no trace instantly.
"What!" Sakura shouted as she shook a fist at him. "What do you think you're doing!? You're going to get us disqualified!"
"Hn."
"Oh, come on, it's tradition…at least I think it is." Naruto crossed his arms and laughed. "Either way, don't forget who my master is. Konoha's spymaster. I'm sure I can fool the proctors. Also, if we manage to cheat and not get caught, doesn't that mean we're good ninjas? Which is what the exam is about, right? Proving we're good enough to be chunins.
"Just don't get us disqualified," Sasuke said shortly as he stepped around the corner and back out into the open.
"I swear, Naruto…." Sakura didn't finish her statement as she stomped off, irritated at the blond. Naruto followed behind her and Sasuke as they made their way into the main hall of the building.
The lobby was crowded with ninja from all over. As Naruto made his way through the crowd, he was happy to be somewhere in Konoha where people weren't staring at him. Most of the stares were directed at Sasuke. However, Naruto wasn't too surprised. It wasn't often there was a genin with a fully matured Sharingan in the room.
"Naruto."
Naruto turned back to see Hinata standing behind him. She was wearing the same baggy hoody she always wore and standing with two people Naruto didn't recognize.
"Hey there, Hinata," Naruto said with a large grin. "I was hoping I'd run into you before the exams start."
"M-me too," Hinata stuttered a bit as she looked around. Her eyes shifted to Sasuke and Sakura, who were standing behind Naruto. "Hello Sakura-chan, Sasuke-kun." Hinata greeted them with a short bow.
"Hey there, Hinata-chan!" Sakura greeted back as she waved at her.
"Hey," Sasuke didn't say anything else as he started to look around the room again. He was trying his best to gauge the strength of the ninja he didn't recognize.
"Is this your team Hinata?" Naruto asked as he looked between the two ninjas standing next to her.
"Hey, there, blondie! Names Inuzaka Kiba!" The shorter one with long spiky dark brown hair shouted. A small white puppy with brown spots on its ears poked its head out of his grey hoodie. "This Akamaru! He's my partner!"
"Abrame Shino," the other said softly; he was tallest of the three and just a bit taller than Naruto. He had bushy brown hair and was wearing a pair of circular dark sunglasses. His high collar shirt obscured the bottom half of his face so that all Naruto could see was his sunglasses.
"Ah, the bug guy and the dog guy!" Naruto said excitedly as he looked between them. He narrowed his eyes and looked between the two. "Which one of you is the dog guy?"
Everyone stood there in shock as they stared at Naruto in confusion. Except for Sasuke, who was glaring at the blond nin with his Sharingan.
"Are you serious? Idiot," Sasuke asked shortly. He rolled his eyes and sucked his teeth.
"Of course not!" Naruto rubbed the back of his head and laughed. "It's obviously this guy," Naruto said, pointing at Shino.
"You're kidding me, right!?" Sakura shouted as she stared at Naruto wide-eyed and looked between Naruto and Shino, then back to Kiba, who had Akamaru in his hoodie.
"I am the bug user," Shino replied in a flat mater of fact tone. "It's a specialty of the Abarame Clan."
"Makes sense," Naruto said, rubbing his chin. "Since that guy has the dog." Naruto nodded and winked at Hinata. Hinata smiled and resisted the urge to laugh at Naruto. She instantly felt more relaxed than she had before.
"Look at that Hinata," Kiba said as he stepped forward and put an elbow on Hinata's shoulder. He pointed at Naruto's forehead protector. "He wears his forehead protector the same way you do."
Hinata's eyes roamed over the forehead protector for a moment before she looked away, her face red. "I hadn't noticed."
Sakura turned and looked between Naruto and Hinata for a moment as she looked at their forehead protectors. She got a sly smile on her face and got closer to Naruto. "Neither had I," Sakura said in a drawn-out tone. "Why are you wearing it like that, huh, Naruto?" Sakura's voice had picked up a teasing melody as she gently elbowed him in the ribs. "You have a crush on Hinata or something?"
"Yeah, there, pal! What's up with that?! Don't tell me you have a thing for Hinata." Kiba barked as he straightened out and pointed a finger at the blond.
Hinata flushed and turned away as her face got hot. Other ninjas had stopped to stare at them and listen to the conversation.
"Or something," Naruto answered Sakura with a loud laugh as he laced his fingers behind his head. Hinata turned to lock eyes on Naruto, and he winked at her. Hinata couldn't help but smile as she turned away.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! What's going on here?" Kiba asked as he looked between Naruto and Hinata. "I'm the one who has a crush on Hinata!" Kiba shouted as he pointed a thumb at himself.
"K-k-kiba-kun!" Hinata stuttered as she looked between him and Naruto. Even more, teams had stopped to stare at the spectacle. "Pe-p-people are watching; they'll b-believe you if you say that."
"I guess we'll just have to settle it during the exam then!" Naruto said with a laugh as he started shuffling his feet and threw a fist at Kiba.
"You bet your ass we will!" Kiba shouted back as he flashed Naruto a toothy grin.
"Alright, well, we have to make this official," Sakura said matter-of-factly as she rubbed her chin.
"Y-you too, Sakura-chan?" Hinata asked in a defeated tone. She looked between Sakura, Naruto, and Kiba with a worried expression.
"Winner gets Hinata," Shino stated plainly as he crossed his arms and looked at all four of them seriously.
"Shino-kun!" Hinata let out a breath and seemed to deflate. Her face was brighter than Naruto had ever seen it.
"Alright, alright," Naruto said as he waved his hands. "We should probably stop before she faints."
"Thank you, Naruto," Hinata said softly as she sank into her shoulders. She felt the heat in her face start fade.
"He's the one that started this," Sasuke snapped, finally entering the conversation. "Don't just thank him like that."
Everyone stopped to stare at Sasuke, who was looking at Naruto with an irritated look. Each of them had a look of surprise to varying degrees. Sasuke wouldn't usually comment on something like that or get involved.
"Besides," Sasuke said as he crossed his arms. "Hinata could do better than either of you two losers."
"That's probably true," Naruto replied with a grin. He moved over and threw an arm around Sasuke. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, buddy. Want to join us for the fight for Hinata's heart?" Naruto asked as he gently placed his other fist on Sasuke's stomach.
"Get off me," Sasuke grumbled as he shrugged Naruto's arm off his shoulder. He turned to see Sakura giving him a weird look. Sasuke frowned, and Sakura turned her head away, looking dejected.
'Does he like Hinata-chan too?' Sakura asked herself as she glanced between Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke. 'Probably not, right? He's never acted like he's liked anyone before.'
Naruto caught the look Sakura gave Sasuke, and a slight smirk crept upon his face. "What about it, Sasuke? Or would rather fight for Sakura?"
Everyone froze when Naruto asked that. Everyone knew how Sakura felt about Sasuke and even remembered the fights it would cause between her and Ino. Hinata, Shino, and Kiba each looked between Sakura and Sasuke for a moment waiting for what Naruto said to blow up in their face.
"Hm," Sasuke grunted as he looked away from Naruto.
"That's not a no," Naruto laughed as he clapped Sasuke on the shoulder. "She could do a lot better than you too."
Sasuke didn't respond to Naruto; instead, he just shrugged Naruto's hand off his shoulder again.
"T-that's not true," Sakura muttered as she tried to avoid making eye contact with the Uchiha.
"Are you all done arguing about the trash now?" A voice broke through the group that was dripping in arrogance. Naruto turned to see a young man a bit older than himself and a bit taller. He had long black hair that fell down his back. Two long bangs framed his fair face. It was his eyes, Naruto noticed first. They were like Hinata's, white and utterly devoid of pupils.
"Neji-nii-san," Hinata said softly as she bowed her head. He shot her what looked like a disgusted look before looking back at Naruto. His eyes traveled up and down Naruto like he was trying to size the blond up.
"We're here at the Chunin Exams, and you all don't have anything better to do than argue about Hinata and her?" Neji jerked his chin towards Sakura. "I guess it makes some sense. Trash likes to stick together once it's been dumped. I expected more from you, though, Uchiha. But it's not like you have any parents to teach you better."
"I'd watch your mouth," Sasuke replied with a deadly hiss as he locked eyes with the Hyuga, his Sharingan spinning gently.
"I'd do more than that," Naruto said, stepping through Sakura and Sasuke. He got right up into Neij's face. "Say one more thing like that about my friends, and I'll take you down right here."
"Naruto…" Hinata stepped forward, her head down. She placed her hand gently around Naruto's wrist and pulled on it. "It's not worth it. You could get disqualified."
"Neji-kun," a small brown-haired woman spoke up from behind him. "Maybe we should just move on." Naruto looked back and saw a shorter woman with grey eyes and a sharp chin standing behind Neji. She had her hair wrapped in two buns on the top of her head on either side.
"Leve it, Tenten," Neji said snapped as he glanced back at her.
"Hiya!" There was a loud shout as a blur descended onto Sasuke. Sasuke reacted instantly, lifting his arm to block. However, he was still pushed back several feet. A tall young man with a green jumpsuit and a bowl cut landed on the ground. "If we're all going to fight. Then I want to fight you!" The young man shouted as he pointed at Sasuke. "A prodigy born from one of the village's great clans! I Rock Lee want to test my strength against yours, Uchiha Sasuke."
"Fine by me," Sasuke said with a smirk as he lowered himself into a fighting stance. The others around them started to back up to give Lee and Sasuke space. In a matter of seconds, the general lull of chatter had stopped, and everyone in the room was on edge, except for the boy in the green jumpsuit.
"Well then," Naruto said with a smirk. Naruto drew a kunai into a reverse grip from the holster on his right leg as he turned back to Neji. "If they're going to fight, why don't I beat some manners into you."
"Naruto!" Sakura snapped as she turned back to Sasuke. "Sasuke! Both of you stop now before you get us disqualified." Sakura turned back to Naruto. "How do you think this is going to look? Konoha shinobi fighting amongst themselves before the exam even starts." Sakura whispered harshly.
"Naruto," Hinata whispered to him. "You don't have to do this. Please don't fight Neji-nii-san."
"As if someone like you could stand a chance against me," Neji said with a smirk. "It's your fate to live your life as nothing. An orphan abandoned by his parents and dumped onto the streets. Dressing up as shinobi to play pretend. I'll be doing you a kindness by reminding you of your place in our world."
Hinata froze as the words came out of Neji's mouth. She looked up at him, her face hard. She glanced between him and Naruto, whose face had taken on a dark look. Hinata squeezed Naruto's wrist and let go.
"Let's see how true that is," Naruto said as he felt Hinata's squeeze of approval. Naruto slid the kunai back into his holster. "I won't take it easy on you now." Naruto reached up and drew his sword from its sheath.
"Let's have fun Sasuke-san!" Lee shouted as he disappeared. Sasuke's eyes widened in shock. He'd almost lost track of him, but his Sharingan didn't fail him. He was faster than Naruto and no doubt physically stronger. However, Sasuke was able to see his moves clearly and smoothly ducked the kick that lashed out at his head. He couldn't stay close to this ninja. He was so fast that even with his Sharingan predicting his moves, Sasuke wouldn't be able to keep up in close quarters.
"Shadow Clone," Sasuke crossed his fingers, and two copies of him appeared behind him. Sasuke was barely quick enough to swap with one. Lee's fist slammed through his clone, which disappeared in a puff. Sasuke flipped back and pushed chakra into his legs. Jumping straight up, he flipped and landed on the top of the ceiling sticking to it with his chakra.
"Keeping your distance is a good strategy!" Lee called as he swiftly destroyed Sasuke's other clone with two devastating kicks. Lee looked up at Sasuke with a giant grin on his face, his eyes shining with excitement.
"Fire Style: Holy Phoenix Flower," Sasuke brought his fingers up to his lips and molded the chakra into his chest. Inhaling, he moved the chakra into his throat and exhaled. Several small balls of fire launched from his mouth.
Lee dodged them as he moved towards Sasuke at blinding speeds. Sasuke dropped from the ceiling just as Lee jumped towards him. Turning in the air, Sasuke blew one last fireball.
"Missed me!" Lee shouted as the fireball soared over his head. Lee kicked himself off the ceiling and dived towards Sasuke. However, there was a loud bang. The fireball had collided with the roof, causing it to break apart. Several chunks of plaster and wood started to fall. Lee turned, and his eyes widened in shock. Flipping in mid-air, he placed his feet on one of the debris and used that as a springboard. He dodged each piece of the ceiling with relative ease jumping from one piece to the other.
Sasuke landed on his feet and jumped back once again, trying to create as much distance between him and the other ninja as he could. Sasuke couldn't believe his eyes as he examined the ninja with Sharingan. Rock Lee had chakra, but he hadn't used any of it as far as Sasuke could tell. It was all taijutsu. 'I'll have to use genjutsu,' Sasuke thought to himself. It was easier said than done, though. Sasuke would need to be able to make eye contact and hold it. The oddly dressed ninja was so fast Sasuke wondered if he could do it.
"Impressive, you really have earned the title of prodigy." Rock Lee said as he landed across the room and smiled at Sasuke. Reaching up, he started to unwind the bandages on his forearms. "However, I'm going to end this now and show the world that hard work is more valuable than just being a genius."
'He's prepping for something!' Sasuke crouched, and his Sharingan spun in his eyes as he focused on the nin. 'I have to be prepared for anything.' The ninja moved faster than he had the whole match. Sasuke could see every twitch in his muscles. He knew what he was going to do, and as Sasuke tried to tell his body to move, Lee was already on him. He felt a foot connect with his chin and his feet leave the ground.
Lee jumped off the ground and followed up with several more kicks. He kicked Sasuke into the air, and he grit his teeth as his muscles protested the effort. Lee lifted his wrists and prepared to wrap Sasuke in the unwound bandages as they approached the ceiling. However, he looked up and was shocked to see Sasuke crouched on the roof as he had been at the beginning of the fight. He tried to look away, but it was too late. He'd locked eyes with the ninja on the roof. Using Sasuke's body as leverage Rock Lee flipped and kicked the Sasuke on the roof with his heel. It disappeared in a puff of smoke.
'Nice try! It's all over!' Lee wrapped Sasuke in bandages and clung to him tightly. Flexing his muscles, Lee started to spin him and Sasuke as fast as he could. They turned faster and faster as they got closer to the ground. There was a large bang that echoed through the building as they crashed directly into the ground.
"I don't need you to take it easy on me," Neji said with a smirk. Everyone started to back away from them as they squared off. Neji took a step back from Naruto and sank into the gentle fist taijutsu stance.
"That kind of attitude might get you killed one day," Naruto replied with an edge in his voice. Naruto didn't move or attempt to get into any fighting stance.
"Not by someone like you," Neji said harshly as he looked between Naruto and Hinata, "or her."
"Naruto, don't do this," Sakura whispered anxiously as she stepped back. She looked over to see Sasuke and Lee fighting. "Those two fighting is already bad enough."
"Sorry, Sakura," Naruto replied. "However, this branch house Hyuga needs to learn some manners when addressing his betters," Naruto emphasized as he smirked at Neji. The reaction was instant. Neji snarled and lashed out, his fingers glowing blue with chakra.
Naruto gently swerved out of the way from the strikes stepping back on one foot. Neji continued to advance towards him. Naruto easily dodged each of his strikes. As Neji lunged at him, Naruto stepped to the side and lifted his sword. He brought the hilt down in between the ninja's shoulders. Neji groaned as he fell forward a bit before catching his footing.
"You're right," Naruto said as he made space between them. "I was abandoned as a child." He locked eyes at Neji, who was glaring at him. "I was left in an orphanage that didn't want me, and when they decided they were sick of me, I was left on the streets. Until the Hokage found out and dumped me in a shitty apartment."
Neji ran forward faster than before. This time it was a flurry of strikes Naruto couldn't just dodge. Naruto stepped back and brought his arms up to block. Blocking several strikes, Naruto tilted his head to avoid a strike to his face. Channeling chakra into the blade of his sword Naruto blocked a strike with his open hand and quickly brought his sword down in a vertical strike. A blast of water exploded from the blade. It connected with Neji's chest. He was thrown backward onto his back. Had Naruto used wind chakra, he would have flayed Neji.
"I know how the branch family is treated in the Hyuga Clan," Naruto said as Neji got back on his feet, his face contorted in anger. "The difference between you and me, though, is that I won't accept anyone else's future for me. Unlike you, I'll make my own future."
Naruto disappeared and reappeared in front of Neji. He drove his fist into Neji's stomach. Neji doubled over as the wind was knocked out of him. Naruto reached up and grabbed Neji by his hair, and pulled his head back. Naruto lashed out behind Neji's knee with his foot, bringing the older teen down to his knees. Naruto stuck his sword into the ground, reached up with his other hand, and wrapped it around Neji's forehead protector. He pulled it off with a quick yank.
"I had a feeling it was under here," Naruto said as he stared down at Neji's forehead sadly. In the center of Neji's forehead was a green left-facing manji with hooks on the end of each line. Two lines ran from the edge of his forehead to the center manji, each with small hooks on the end of them. They were inverted on either side. Naruto narrowed his eyes and got closer to it.
"Enough." Naruto felt his wrist get yanked away from Neji's hair. He turned to see Kakashi standing there staring down at him lazily. Naruto dropped Neji's forehead protector, and it landed with a loud clang. "Save the fighting for the exam," Kakashi said as he released Naruto's wrist.
"Fair enough," Naruto muttered as he pulled his sword out of the wooden floor and sheathed it quickly. Neji was glaring at Naruto as he stood up.
"You've seen my burden," Neji said as he wrapped his forehead protector around his head. "I underestimated you. That won't happen when we fight again. Fate is unavoidable Uzumaki Naruto, and it's you're fate to be nothing and no one. Just like her." Neji sneered in Hinata's direction as he said the last part.
"I don't care what you say to me," Naruto said as he turned away from the Hyuga. "But you better watch your mouth when you're talking about Hinata and my friends, or I'll show you my burden." Naruto turned to lock eyes with Neji. "Trust me when I say you don't want to see it."
"Naruto," Kakashi said softly but with a firm edge. Naruto didn't respond; he just started walking towards Sasuke.
It was over the moment Rock Lee locked eyes with Sasuke. Sasuke watched as Lee wrapped his arms around nothing. With a great effort, the young ninja started to spin freely towards the ground and was about to smash into it until a large man appeared, catching the Lee out of mid-air. Sasuke released the chakra holding him to the ceiling, and dropped to the floor with a flip. As he landed, he heard Naruto's voice behind him.
"You done already too?"
"Yeah," Sasuke replied shortly. "Did you win?"
"You should know better than anyone; there isn't any genin here that could beat me," Naruto replied with a large smirk. "Also…Why the hell are those two weirdos dressed the same!" Naruto asked loudly as he pointed at them. The man that had caught Lee was also dressed in a tight green bodysuit. He even had the same orange leg warmers as Lee. The only difference Naruto could see was the green ninja vest.
"They even have the same haircut," Sakura said shortly as she stood next to Naruto.
"I know! What is this some weird cult?" Naruto asked as he looked between the two with wide eyes.
"Release!" The larger man said as he made a hand seal. The genjutsu on Lee was dispelled, and he suddenly found himself standing in front of his sensei.
"What happened?!" Lee asked as he looked around in confusion. "Did I win?"
"No, you didn't!" The older man shouted at his pupil. "You looked an Uchiha in the eye. That's one thing you never do in a battle with one Lee!" Guy reared back and then punched Lee in the face. The young man flew backward and fell onto the ground. "How dare you use that technique for something so petty!"
"What the hell?!" All three of them asked out loud.
"Forgive me, Guy-sensei!" Lee cried as he got on his knee's tears pouring down his face. "I got carried away! I wanted to prove myself!"
"My precious student," Guy said as he choked back tears. "I'm sorry for striking you, but you need to learn you can't use that forbidden technique frivolously."
"What the fuck is happening here?" Sasuke asked in a disbelieving tone. The three of them were staring at the two of them, their mouths ajar.
"Please forgive me, sensei! It won't happen again." Lee wept openly in front of Guy.
"I forgive you, Lee!" Guy said as he moved forward and swept Lee up in his arms. Guy embraced his student, lifting him off his feet.
"Why are his eyebrows so thick?" Naruto asked as he stared at Guy. "Both of them have super thick eyebrows!"
"That's what you notice?" Sakura asked in a deadpan tone.
"Don't you dare insult the great Guy-sensei!" Lee shouted as he turned to look at them. He stopped shaking his fist at Naruto, and then he stopped and moved so fast Naruto thought the ninja had teleported.
"You are the most breath-taking beauty I've ever seen," Lee said as he reappeared in front of Sakura, his eyes wide.
"What!?" Sakura shouted as she took a step back. Naruto and Sasuke both looked at each other with shocked expressions.
"You are so gorgeous. " Lee said as he reached out to try and hold Sakura's hands. "Please be my girlfriend."
"What?! Are you serious? No way!" Sakura responded as she took another step back.
"Come on, Sakura, don't be so hard on bushy-brows here," Naruto said with a laugh as he laced his fingers behind his head. "You can't turn him down in front of Bushier-Brows-sensei, can you?"
"Naruto, shut your damn mouth!" Sakura shouted as she shook a fist at him.
"Ah, the eternal springtime of youth! So beautiful!" Guy shouted as he watched on. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Might Guy Konoha's Noble Blue Beast!"
"But you're green," Naruto replied with a loud laugh as he pointed at the jonin. "What kind of nickname is that?"
"I told you not to talk badly about Guy-sensei!" Lee shouted as he turned his attention from Sakura back to Naruto.
"It's okay, Lee," Guy said as he rested a hand on Lee's shoulder. "He's said nothing disrespectful to me."
"Are you serious?" Sasuke asked as he looked between Naruto and Guy.
"Guy," Naruto turned to see Kakashi standing a few paces away from them, his nose in his book. "We have to go; the exams are starting soon."
"Right!" Guy gave them all a thumbs up. "Good luck, you guys" Then Guy and Kakashi both disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"I better go find my team! See you around Sasuke-san!" Lee said as he gave the dark-haired Uchiha a wave. "I hope we get to fight for real during the exam." Lee turned around and made his way back into the crowd.
"Those two are weird," Naruto said while nodding his head. "Really fucking weird."
"Let's go," Sasuke muttered as he started to walk towards the crowd. Naruto stopped and frowned for a second.
"I'll find you two in a minute," Naruto said as he turned around and walked in the opposite direction. Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but Sasuke did something very uncharacteristic and stopped. Reaching up, he gently pushed her shoulder.
"Come on, he'll find us," Sasuke said as he pushed Sakura in the direction he'd been walking before.
Sakura turned a light shade of pink as she looked up to see Sasuke once again walking away from her. She looked down at her shoulder and let herself smile a bit. She looked back up and started after Sasuke,
"Wait up, Sasuke-kun!"
Naruto rounded a corner into a hallway behind the area Sasuke had been fighting in. As he turned the corner, he came face to face with a slender woman. She was wearing a skin-tight chainmail bodysuit that ran down her thighs with nothing underneath. She also had a light orange miniskirt with a black belt wrapped around her hips with an extra strap that wrapped over her navel and behind her side. She also had on knee-length brown overcoat laid gently over her chest, covering her breasts. She had large brown eyes and dark hair tied up in a fanned-out ponytail.
"Don't tell me she really dresses like that?" Naruto asked as he approached her, his eyebrow raised.
"Yup," She replied, then in a puff of smoke, turned into an exact copy of Naruto. "Took a bit, but I was able to snag these." He handed over a bundle of scrolls.
"Thanks," Naruto said as he dismissively waved his hand. The clone disappeared with a puff of smoke. Opening the scrolls, Naruto's eyes darted over them quickly. Kneeling, Naruto pulled out a small notebook and pen from a pouch secured behind his back., Flipping open the notebook, Naruto promptly started to copy what he saw on the pages. Once he was satisfied, he ripped the two pages from his notebook and slid it and the pen back into his pouch.
Naruto crossed his fingers, and with several subtle pops, eight copies of him appeared. "All right, get to the forest before anyone else and stay hidden. Four of you map it out as best you can in the next couple of hours and get the info back to me. The other four take up strategic positions. Get any info to me you think I'll need." The eight Naruto's nodded and then disappeared.
Naruto picked up the scrolls and stood up. He molded his chakra into water and let it soak the paper until it became a soggy mess. He found a trash can nearby and dumped the evidence. Then he silently made his way around the corner and back into the crowd. Naruto moved through the area Sasuke fought in and back into the main room where everyone was. Once again, a dull chatter had started as everyone moved on from the fights.
Naruto's blue eyes scanned through the crowd as he looked for Sakura and Sasuke. It took him a couple of seconds, but he quickly made his way to them once he caught sight of Sakura's pink hair.
"Naruto, are you okay?" Hinata asked immediately as he reached them.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Naruto said with a smile. Naruto handed a piece of paper to Sasuke. "Memorize that." He said quietly before giving one to Hinata. "You too, and pass it on to your team.
Sasuke looked at the paper for a second before passing it to Sakura. Sakura looked at it with wide eyes.
"This isn't just the answers. It's the plan for the whole exam." She whispered harshly. "Where did you get this?"
"Tricks of the trade," Naruto said with a smirk; he brushed his nose with his thumb and let out a laugh.
"This is incredible!" Kiba shouted with a laugh. "Thanks, man!" He passed the note to Shino, who examined it quietly.
"If we get caught with this," Sakura whispered again as she narrowed her eyes at Naruto. Naruto rolled his eyes and plucked the paper out of Sakura's hand. Then he took Shino's and handed them back to Sasuke.
"This is a test proving ourselves as ninjas. We should pass for what I just pulled off." Naruto replied. He watched as Sasuke lit the sheets on fire and turned them to ash that fell softly to the ground.
"Thank you, Naruto," Hinata said softly as she looked down with flushed cheeks. "Are you sure you should be helping us, though? We're going to have to compete."
"I'd rather you guys get a chance than some losers from another village, or better yet, some losers from ours."
"Come on, now that we know it's a genjutsu, we better get to the exam room. It's going to start in a few minutes anyway." Sasuke said as he turned to the stairs and pushed chakra into his eyes. After a second, the light genjutsu surrounding them disappeared for him.
"Right," Naruto said as he made a hand sign. "Release," Naruto pulsed his chakra through his body sharply. Instantly the stairs became visible. The rest of them followed suit and made their way up the stairs. Once they got to the exam room, they pulled the door open and made their way inside.
There was a large man with facial scars standing at the front of the room. He wore a black bandana with his forehead protector on it and had on a long dark cloak.
"Welcome, genin." He said shortly as he looked at them. "Congratulations on passing the first test of this exam. You'll find you've been assigned a seat at random. Until we begin, feel free to stand or do as you please."
Naruto looked around, and a grin broke out over his face. "Looks like we're sitting next to each other, Hinata."
"Yes," she replied with a smile.
"What's going on here, Hinata-chan!" Kiba shouted as he looked between them. "Don't tell me you've forsaken me?"
"N-n-no, not at all Kiba-kun," Hinata replied shyly as she flushed red.
"Didn't we already go over this," Sasuke said with an agitated tone. "The two of them like each other, and she doesn't like you. Let's move on."
The five of them sat there looking at Sasuke with deadpanned expressions. What had gotten into him today?
"Don't have to be so blunt, their buddy. You'll break his heart." Naruto said with a laugh as he patted Sasuke's shoulder.
"So, you're not denying it?" Kiba growled as he pointed at Naruto. Naruto wasn't paying attention, though. His eyes had wandered onto another genin team standing in the far corner. It was the team from Suna he and Hinata had seen the other day. He locked eyes with the redhead, and once again, an unsettling feeling passed over him.
"Hey," Naruto said quietly as he peeled his eyes away from them. "Do me a favor; if you run into them during the exam, don't engage them."
Naruto turned to look at Hinata seriously before looking at Kiba and Shino. Kiba looked at them in confusion and back at Naruto.
"Why not?" Kiba asked as he looked at them. "They look kind of weak to me."
"I just have a bad feeling about them," Naruto said as he looked between the three of them. "I don't want to fight them either if I don't have to."
Sasuke looked at Naruto with a bit of shock before he, too, looked at them. 'Even Naruto is wary of them?' Sasuke asked himself as he looked at them. There didn't seem to be anything special about them. His eyes settled on the small redhead for a second, and he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
"We'll try our best," Shino said as he looked at Naruto through his glasses. "Thanks for the heads up."
"Well, look who it is!" A loud blond shouted as she made her way across the classroom. They all turned to look at her as she strolled over. She had long blond hair and a round face with light blue eyes. Her blond hair flowed down her back in a ponytail as one long bang covered the right side of her face. "I'm not surprised you made it up here. I'm sure Sasuke-kun had to figure it out for you, Billboard Brow."
"Actually, it was me who figured it out," Naruto said as he laced his fingers behind his head and grinned at her.
The blond stopped and looked Naruto up and down with what looked like a predatory look. "Well, you don't look so bad yourself. I can't believe big head here got on a team with the two hottest genins in the village."
"Shut up, Ino-pig!" Sakura snapped at the blond. Naruto looked at her in surprise and then looked at Sasuke. He rolled his eyes and turned away. It must have been something Sasuke was used to seeing.
"What's happening here?" Naruto whispered, leaning down towards Hinata.
"They used to be friends," Hinata whispered back as she looked between Ino and Sakura. "But they both like Sasuke-kun."
"Makes sense, except I don't understand how more than one person could like him. He's kind of a downer." Naruto muttered as he poked Hinata in her ribs.
Hinata giggled and turned around to try and stifle her laughter.
"You think that's funny, Hinata-chan?" Ino asked Hinta, her face bright red. "I thought you were more polite than this pink monkey."
"Oh n-no Ino-chan," Hinata muttered as she straightened her face. "Naruto said something funny, is all."
"Yeah, I was just surprised when Hinata told me you both like Sasuke. I mean, he's kind of a downer, you know?" Naruto slumped his shoulders and let his face fall slack. "I will kill everyone," Naruto said in a bland, dull tone.
Kiba let out a roaring laugh as he heard what Naruto said, and both girls turned to give the blond death stares.
"Shut up!" They both shouted at him simultaneously.
"Hey, don't talk to him like that!" Sakura barked at the blond. "He isn't your teammate; he's mine!"
"What so that means you're the only one who can tell him to shut his mouth? Doesn't that mean you should be nicer to him since you're on the same team!"
"Why, you little piglet!" Sakura shouted as she shook a fist at the blond. "How about I beat you down right here!"
"As if you could! Your forehead is so big and bright all my attacks would land flawlessly!" Ino shouted back. Two other ninjas had come to stand next to Ino now. One was very large with a round face and red cheeks. He had long brown hair and dark eyes. The other was smaller and much leaner, with his dark hair tied up into a spikey ponytail.
"Ino, come on, your bringing attention to us," the smaller drawled out.
"Not now, Shikamaru!" Ino snapped as she turned towards him before whipping her head back to look at Sakura.
"I'd pulverize you, little piggy!" Sakura snapped back as she pointed at the taller girl.
"Maybe this is getting out of hand." The larger one said as he lifted a hand. Naruto noticed he had a bag of chips in his other hand.
"Shut up! Choji!" Ino barked as she drew herself up to her full height and stared down at Sakura. "I'd like to see you try! The only way you're pulverizing me is if your forehead accidentally crushes me!"
"Both of you shut up." Sasuke barked as he started between the two of them. "You're both drawing attention to us. You're turning us all into targets. They're going to think we're weak and come after us."
The two girls finally seemed to sink into themselves under Sasuke's gaze. Sasuke glared at them both before looking away. Everything seemed to calm down a bit as Ino and Sakura refused to look at each other stubbornly.
"Guess we'll just have to rely on Sasuke to keep them in check." Naruto laughed as he leaned against a table.
"I guess so, man; what a pain in my ass," Shikamaru grumbled as he scratched the back of his head. "I'm Nara Shikamaru by the way."
"Uzumaki-"
"Naruto, Yeah, I remember you," Shikamaru said casually. "This is Akimichi Choji." Shikamaru said, pointing his thumb at the larger guy. Choji was currently stuffing his face with chips.
"Hey," he said in a muffled tone through a full mouth.
"What do you mean you remember him?" Ino asked as she looked Naruto up and down with narrowed eyes. "I would remember someone as good-looking as him."
"Would you?" Shikamaru hummed as he sat down on a desk and looked up. "He left the village when we were eight. He was in the first year with us for a few months."
Ino looked back at Naruto for a few moments before a light bulb went off behind her eyes. "Oh yeah!"
"Now that you mention it, I kind of remember you too!" Kiba said as he scratched his chin. "You were that shrimpy blond kid."
"Talk about growing up," Ino said with a sly smile. She moved over to Naruto and laid a hand on his arm. Naruto looked at her with raised eyebrows.
"He's taken pig," Sakura snapped quietly.
"I am?" Naruto asked as he looked at Sakura and then back to Hinata. She was flushed bright red and staring down at the floor.
"Yeah, you are!" Sakura said in aggravation. "Hinata called dibs Ino-pig respect it this time!"
"You are so full of it, Billboard Brow! I liked Sasuke first!" Ino seethed back at the pink-haired girl.
"If you two don't stop this incessant arguing, I won't like either of you." Sasuke snapped as he looked back at all of them.
The group sat there in silence for a moment before Shikamaru spoke up. "So, where have you been?" Everyone outside of his team and Hinata seemed interested in the answer.
Naruto told the rest of them about Jiraiya and how he took Naruto in after an accident in the village. He told them he'd trained under him and had come back to Konoha to become an official ninja. He told them a few stories about Tsunade and the one-time Jiraiya got them chased out of town when he fell from a tree into an all-women's bath. The tension in the group seemed to ease considerably as more teams started to fill the room.
"Once I become a chunin, Ero-sennin can take me on as his apprentice, and I can leave and go traveling with him again," Naruto said the last part with a large grin. The atmosphere changed a bit as the words came out of Naruto's mouth. Sakura and Hinata seemed to be shocked by this statement and looked at Naruto with surprised expressions.
"Are you really going to leave again, Naruto?" Hinata asked softly. Naruto turned to look at her with a sheepish smile on his face. "Not right away! Also, it probably won't be for as long." Naruto lied a bit at the end. Honestly, once he left with Ero-sennin, he didn't plan on returning to Konoha. That, however, was a conversation for another day.
"What about Sasuke and me?" Sakura asked as she looked between Naruto and Sasuke. Sasuke wasn't shocked by the news, having heard about this before. He and Naruto had a deal, and he was confident the blond would find a way to honor it.
'Naruto is going to leave me again.' Hinata thought as she looked down at the floor. 'Why won't he just stay here? He has Kakashi-sensei, Sakura-chan, Sasuke-kun, and me now.' Hinata was pulled from her thoughts when she felt a hand snake into hers. She looked up to see Naruto smiling down at her. He gave her hand a quick reassuring squeeze and pulled back before anyone noticed. Hinata smiled back at him. She couldn't help it.
"Alright!" A loud voice shouted throughout the classroom. "Take your seats!" It was the man with the long jacket and bandana.
"We got this!" Naruto said reassuringly to everyone. They all broke apart besides him and Hinata as they moved to take their seats next to each other. Naruto looked around and clocked Sakura's and Sasuke's positions. Naruto turned back to look around but didn't recognize any of the other ninjas in the room beside the ones he'd already met.
"My name is Morino Ibiki, commander of the Torture and Interrogation Force in Konoha. This is the first official test in this exam. It is a written exam testing your knowledge of basic ninja tactics and strategy. You should all know this information already. You will have one hour to complete the test. You are allowed one bathroom break if needed, but you must be tied up and escorted. Cheating will not be tolerated. Anyone caught will immediately fail. For you to progress to the second part of this exam, you will need to pass this test as a team."
Naruto recognized the intimidation tactics immediately, and it was already having the desired effect from what he could see. Naruto resisted the urge to chuckle. There had been detailed plans in the scrolls and on the paper he'd given his and Hinata's team. This whole part of the exam was supposed to be about intelligence gathering. They were all supposed to cheat. Several plants in the room had the answers; everyone was supposed to find them and cheat off of them. Then there was the eleventh secret question he had planned. It was all a show. If you couldn't cheat, you had a way to prove you were brave enough to fight if confronted. As far as Naruto was concerned, they'd already passed this portion of the exam when he stole all the plans.
Several proctors walked around and passed out the test. Naruto stared at his test with a smirk. He wasn't even going to bother. Once the proctors finished handing them out, Naruto laced his fingers behind his head and leaned back.
"You may begin," Ibiki thundered. Almost instantly, everyone bent over their papers and started scribbling. Everyone except Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, and Kiba. Sakura and Shino seemed to be filling there's out anyway, even though they all knew they didn't have to. Naruto reached under the long desk and slid his hand into Hinata's. Naruto watched as her face flushed pink, but she returned the gesture and closed her hand around his.
As Naruto sat there holding Hinata's hand, he looked around and watched as several genin seemed to figure out the test. Naruto saw the girl from earlier, Tenten, using a set of mirrors she'd attached to the ceiling. She was using a bit of ninja wire to manipulate them. It looked like she was helping her other teammate with the enormous eyebrows. Naruto frowned. If he noticed it, then undoubtedly, Ibiki did as well. 'There must be some kind of standard then. Don't make it too obvious or something.'
'What's up with those four? They're not even trying. Hell, they look like they're just relaxing. Is it possible they know it's a setup?' Ibiki thought as his eyes roamed over Naruto and the others. 'Two of their team members are filling out the exam without any help too. If they figured the 11th question out, then they've already passed this exam.' Ibiki resisted the urge to look impressed as he started to observe the rest of the class.
Naruto zoned out as he heard several numbers being called. People were getting caught for being too obvious left and right. Eventually, everyone was pretty much done, and the scratching of pencil on paper had stopped. Naruto straightened out and pulled his hand from Hinata's. Naruto watched as Ibiki stared at him with a smirk.
"Now it's time for the last question!" He shouted with a laugh. "You can either answer this question or not. Let me warn you, though if you get it wrong, you won't ever be able to become chunin." Ibiki didn't look away from Naruto as he tried to gauge the blond's reaction. The whole group had seemed to know what was going on, but the blond had been so relaxed it was obvious. Ibiki didn't even bother to look as almost a dozen teams started to filter out from the room. "Alright, then let's get started." Ibiki pointed at Naruto. "You'll be the first to answer the question."
"Alright, shoot," Naruto said with a grin as he laced his fingers behind his head and leaned back in his chair. Naruto kicked his feet up and put them on the table.
"Are you sure you want to do this, kid? If you get it wrong, you'll be a genin forever."
"Worse things in life than that," Naruto said with a smirk. One more team got up and left quickly.
"Alright then." Ibiki crossed his arms, and his eyes swept the room one last time. 'A bit more than usual here today.' "You all pass," Ibiki said as he smirked at them. 'The kid knew for sure.' The change in atmosphere was immediate as several genins breathed huge sighs of relief.
"Well then, let's get this show on the road!" Naruto said as he let his chair slam on the ground. Just as his chair hit the ground, a window to the right broke as a brown blur landed in the room with a flourish of showmanship.
"Still have this many kids, Ibiki? Are you getting soft in your old age?" It was the woman Naruto had turned into to steal the exam information. "My name is Mitarashi Anko, and for some of you, I'll be leading you to your deaths today."
A/N: This is a pretty basic chapter. Unfortunately, nothing too fun happens in this one. I had a lot of trouble writing it because I wanted to jump into the fun stuff, but I also wanted Naruto to meet everyone else finally.
I will try and get the next chapter up sometime tomorrow night to make up for how boring this one is.
Please feel free to leave a review and share your thoughts and criticisms! I really love going through them!
