{Land of Wind: Sunagakure: Kazekage's office}
July 2nd
Kankuro, Temari, and Gaara waited patiently outside their father's office while the elder council and Kazekage debriefed their Sensei. They would be told the details of the mission after they had completed the first part of the exams.
'We've been sitting out here for hours now! What is taking them so long?! ' Kankuro thought agitatedly. He didn't dare disturb his brother's peace.
Temari was more patient and seemed to be in deep thought.
This left him as the only one who wanted to get a move on. Konoha is two days travel from here, and he was eager to get the mission underway and get this crap over with. Glory to Suna? he could only hope.
Meanwhile, Temari was thinking about all the possibilities this conflict could bring. She has a good grip on the political stage and understands the concept of world tension very well. She's been taught these things and tutored by her father personally for years. This is why she's so confused. Why? Why attack Konoha, the strongest of the five nations? What was Father thinking?
Temari wanted answers to her questions. She is proud of her country and believes they can win, but it's not destroying Konoha that worries her. It's what comes after. Other villages will see this and jump on the opportunity to wage wars of their own to pick the carcasses of the nations apart and gain territory for themselves. A massive power vacuum will be created, and another great shinobi world war will ensue.
The grip on her arms in her cross-armed stance tightened in a show of agitation and anxiety. She could feel the looming danger, the shadow of war looming over head. It's a terrifying thought.
Those thoughts were interrupted when the door to her father's office was opened, and out stepped their Sensei, with a stern look on his face.
"Time to go."
the three got up from their lounging spots and made to follow Baki out of the hall and to the streets of their village.
It's located in an oasis, and palm trees are abundant throughout the streets and homes. The air was cool and windy due to the drafts the Canyons their village sits against produces, and natural springs help make the sand cool. The buildings were mostly made of clay, stone, and the occasional wooden building. It was a beautiful day out.
On a day like this, she'd be training in her wind style; the breeze is too good to ignore. However, this is no such day. Temari's nerves were on end at the idea of turning against Konoha. Not because she disagreed but because she knew what could come of this. They'll need to be perfect—no mistakes, no missteps.
Gaara is just behind Temari, silent and stoic. Kankuro is on the other side of him, keeping up a fast pace with Baki, likely to create distance between himself and Gaara.
"This is a mission given to us directly by our lord. You will act naturally and give nothing away. There will be no talk of Suna's plan to one another, and I mean absolutely no mention nor hint of anything aside from the desire to pass the exams. Am I clear?" spoke Baki commandingly as the four made their way out of the gates and onto the desert landscape of the windy sands.
"Understood, sensei!" replied Temari and Kankuro.
"Good. Now Move, full speed."
Line break.
{Land of Fire: Konohagakure: Hokage tower: assembly room}
"As you all know, in just three days, genin from other villages we are in good relations with will be sent here to participate in the chuunin exams," announced Hiruzen to the crowd of Jonin gathered within the Hokage's office.
Hiruzen was dressed in his usual robes, the Hokage hat on his head as he leaned forward onto the railing before him.
He looked over the room at the sea of faces and the mix of excitement and unease he saw there.
He continued, "If there are any who wish to nominate their genin, the forms are before you. You can discuss your thoughts on the matter with your genin. As you know, this is not just a test for the genin but also a chance to see what we need to work on for the newest generation."
The crowd looked down at the forms sitting before them, a moment of silence taking over before Gai casually walked up and grabbed one, a beaming smile on his face.
The others seemed hesitant, with one or two also reaching down to take one.
When Kakashi strolled up and took one, Kurenai and Iruka looked stunned, not believing that the man would sign his rookie team up for such a dangerous thing so soon after he started being a jonin-sensei.
In contrast, Ibiki smirked. 'I'll have rookies to deal with, eh? I like that,' he thought to himself.
When Asuma came forward, Iruka grit his teeth, fearing for the students he'd spent time teaching.
He couldn't hold in his shock and voiced it.
"Asuma-San! Why do you wish to put them through that?! They're fresh out of the academy genin. How can you agree with this?! That goes for you too, Kakashi!" asked Iruka angrily.
Kakashi resisted the urge to groan. 'I knew he would get fussy,' he thought to himself before responding." Iruka, might I remind you that these are my students and that I'm very aware of what they're capable of?"
Iruka stomped up to Kakashi, a look of anger on his features. "Now look here, Kakahi! I spent years with these students, and I have a clear picture of their capabilities and potential. They aren't ready! Give them a year to nurture their skills."
Kakashi turned to face Iruka fully, and though the instructor tried to stand his ground, Kakashi was a much more oppressive shinobi in nature. "Stand down, chunin. I know what my students are capable of because they saved my life. I have complete faith in them. I understand that you are saying what you're saying because you care, but you are also insulting their abilities and, to me, of all people."
"Alright now, settle down," spoke Hiruzen in a placating tone. "Iruka. Kakashi is right. They are his genin, so his judgment is final in this case. They may have come into the world recently as ninja, but that does not make them helpless. You know this. Have more faith in your former students, and please do not let your worry get in the way of your own judgment as a shinobi. The faster they grow up, the better," spoke Hiruzen.
Iruka sighed and stepped back, and Kakashi did the same.
Kurenai shook her head. 'For Kakashi and Asuma to do so with their fresh from the academy genin teams? I do hope they know what they're doing.'
One after another, Jonin senseis of genin teams began approaching and grabbing a form.
Eventually, when all was said and done, Kurenai decided to take a form to present to her team. She's confident in their abilities, so why not?
She walked beside both Kakashi and Asuma on the way out, her arms crossed. "I hope you boys know what you're doing, enlisting your teams."
Kakashi raised a brow, and Asuma chuckled. "They'll be fine. Besides, their most basic InoShikaCho qualities are already showing, and it's a sight to behold. I believe they'll succeed wholeheartedly.
"Besides," chimed Kakashi dully," You're one to talk, considering you intend to enlist your team as well. Am I right?
She rolled her eyes at the comment. "My team can handle themselves just fine," she said confidently. "Yours? You were complaining about them a few days ago. They won't coordinate the way they're supposed to, you said. Their teamwork is selective at most, you whined." she mocked with a knowing smile.
Kakashi's brow twitched at her accurate recounting of his words.
Asuma snorted.
They continued on, Kakashi making up excuses about why what he said was exaggerated, and Asuma finding humor in Kurenai poking holes in his excuses.
Line break.
{Land of Fire: Konohagakure: Training ground 6}
We find Kiba tumbling across the grass after a rather nasty counter from his female teammate, Hinata.
Akamaru ran up to the side of his face, barking and hyping up his friend, but Where Kiba was determined to impress his crush at first, at this point, he was feeling like a punching bag. He's supposed to be the muscle of the team, but it just doesn't feel that way.
Hinata kneeled next to Kiba, and her proximity made him blush and quickly get to his feet. Because of the heat, she was wearing a sports bra and shorts, and he could feel his cheeks heat up.
"Nice counter," he muttered. "you got me good."
She stared at him with an unamused glare. "This is the same counter that put you down earlier. You aren't learning. Please stop trying to muscle through it and find a way around it. That's the point of this exercise."
"R-right!"
She got to her feet, her arms crossed just under her chest. Before they could continue, Shino came to the yard with refreshments, wearing his tank top and shorts. They were all wearing similar things in an attempt to battle the summer heat.
"Thanks, Shino," said Kiba. Shino poured some ice water into a bowl for Akamaru and then into a cup for each of them.
The three sat down and took a break, sitting under the shade, and Kiba let Akamaru rest in his lap.
Ever since they became a team, the dynamic has been smooth sailing. Hinata was made the pseudo-leader, being the strongest and most talented of them all. Shino didn't protest, and Kiba was too eager to please her, so it was established.
Akamaru was giving him nudges and prompts every time he could, trying to get his partner to ask her out when Shino was busy or not around, but when it came time to do so, Kiba was frozen up, and the chance passed by.
This cycle continues to repeat, and Akamaru is starting to get sick of his friend's antics. Shino was gone for twenty whole minutes, and to the ninken's dismay, Kiba was too busy getting knocked around and dragging out the spar rather than talking to her.
It didn't matter, though. Hinata was well aware of the boy's feelings and had no intention of acting on them. She was only worried about her team's success, and that was all.
As they were all relaxing, Kurenai came into view, and Kiba jumped to his feet. "Well, now. It's about time you got back, Sensei. Hinata was just knocking my block off!"
Hinata rolled her eyes. "I wasn't, Kiba. You asked me for pointers in improving you taijutsu, and i was.
Kurenai could only smile and shake her head. "Here. Take a look at this and go over it together."
Kiba took the form and read it out loud.
The prospect of the exams caught the three genin off guard at first, but it was a welcome surprise.
"I'm guessing you presented this to us because you believe we have a chance to succeed in these exams," Kiba said.
Kurenai nodded. "I do. You three have coordinated like a well-oiled machine time and time again. I don't see why this should be any different."
Shino was silent at first, but then, he spoke. "This seems like it should be an exciting experience. I'm eager to learn all that I can from the exams."
Kiba smirked at his reserved friend's response. If he's confident in their ability and not overly cautious like he usually is, then this could be a cakewalk. "What do you say, Hinata?
The heiress took the form and glanced down at it. "I think we'll be fine. This would promote Konoha's genin to the world as the most elite shinobi of the next generation. My only concern is our lack of experience."
Shino nodded. "It is a concern of mine as well. But we've proven that our lack of experience is compensated by our ability to overcome any obstacle together as a unit."
"That's what I'm saying!" shouted Kiba excitedly. "We've got this!"
Hinata raised a brow and looked back down at the form. 'My cousin will be taking these exams, I have no doubt. I suppose that could make things fun.'
Kurenai smiled as she listened to her team's talk and sat down next to her genin team as they continued.'
In the end, they agreed and signed the paper.
Line break.
{Land of Fire: Konohagakure: Training ground 4}
It was a similar case for Kakashi's team. They were training in this unforgiving heatwave, with Naruto assisting Sakura in learning to use earth ninjutsu and Sasuke giving her pointers where he could.
The two boys had just finished sparring, and though under normal circumstances, Sasuke would be satisfied with the results of a spar with Naruto, he wasn't—not when he couldn't tell whether or not the blonde was going all out.
That was beside the point though. The team had all improved over weeks after the wave mission. Sasuke learning new ninjutsu and now having a trump card against Naruto's water jutsu, Naruto secretly mastering the rasengan and learning a high level fuinjutsu while he wa at it, and Sakura learning two new jutsu. one being a jutsu gifted to her by Naruto, and another by Kakashi. one water, and one earth.
She was grateful for both but struggled to improve her earth wall. Even now, Naruto was testing its durability and did not like the results.
"Maybe it's the material i'm pulling from? this isn't very good dirt for an earth wall." she suggested, out of breath.
Naruto shook his head. "I'm no expert when it comes to earth jutsu, but if it can't defend against a simple water jutsu without losing its form, even if only a little, if facing a stronger jutsu, it'll do you no good."
"He's right. They'd plow right through that wall and run you through," said Sasuke matter-of-factly.
Sakura sighed in frustration and looked at her two teammates, but Kakashi's arrival ended all their activities for now.
The three got to their feet and gave the Jonin their undivided attention.
"Ah. look at this. my three little genin finally helping each other imptove without the need of any scolding or guidance from their wise Sensei."
"Just tell us what you want already," said Sasuke, annoyed.
Kakashi chuckled and handed the boy a form. He took a look at it and immediately smirked. 'Yes. Finally.'
Sakura peeked over his shoulder curiously. "What is it?"
"It's a recommendation for the upcoming chuunin exams," said Kakashi in a cool voice.
Sakura blinked a few times in response. "Woah, really?" she asked excitedly, but then a nervous look plastered itself onto her features. "Are we ready for such a thing?"
Sasuke turned to Naruto. "I know you'll agree that we'll nail this thing, so let's sign this. What do you say?" he said with a confident tone and a cocky smirk.
Naruto nodded. "Absolutely. What about you, Sakura? you in?"
Sakura seemed a bit shocked and nervously nodded, something Naruto immediately noticed.
Sasuke smirked and motioned for a pen from Kakashi, and the man sighed. "Each of you will need to sign, so don't go rushing it. I know you are eager to prove yourselves, but if you didn't read it properly, let it be known that this could kill one or even all three of you. You'll be fighting for your lives and right to ascend beyond the status of genin in this exam. Don't go signing off on something just because it seems like a good opportunity." he warned seriously.
His team all took his words with serious expressions, and when Sakura stepped back with a dejected face. "I... I'm not ready to take this sort of step."
Kakashi nodded. "OK. That's understandable. You guys can't go pressuring one another into such a thing without counseling one another. I'll leave this with you guys in case you need it. It starts in four days. And one other thing. All three of you need to sign up to enter this event. I'll see you tomorrow."
Both boys seemed to register the second warning, and Kakashi disappeared in a flurry of leaves.
There was silence in the training ground, and Sakura felt the spotlight on her as neither of them made a sound or a move.
"W-well... If it's up to me, I don't want you guys losing this opportunity," she said. " I-
"Don't bother," said Sasuke, and the boy walked out of the training ground with the form, leaving Sakura confused and a little hurt while Naruto stared on.
Naruto frowned at his teammate's cold response to her uncertainty and decided to take matters into his own hands. "Sakura, don't mind him. He's as bitter as they come, you know that. If you have concerns, then just talk to me, and we can figure it out together," he said in a much more welcoming and pleasant tone.
In the past, the answer would have been no. She'd have viewed it as him trying to get a date out of her and childishly lashed out at him. This isn't the same. He obviously wanted to help, and his diplomatic and calm tone was something that surprisingly put her at ease.
"Alright... if that's OK.."
He nodded and ushered her along.
Line break.
{Land of Fire: Konohagakure: BBQ spot}
Asuma had already gotten his team to sign. He had to convince Shikamaru of his ability as a leader, though. a nudge, if you would.
Choji followed Shikamaru's example, and Ino thought she'd find her crush in the exams. This is not a sound reason to join, but whatever works for him is fine with him.
"Slow down, Choji. There's plenty for everyone!" exclaimed Ino as Choji devoured the BBQ before him.
Shikamaru sighed as his attempt to grab an extra rib was left, with Choji quickly gobbling it up.
Asuma chuckled and leaned back in his seat. 'hopefully, I can afford this. I wasn't thinking when taking them to this place.' he thought.
His peripheral caught Kurenai on his right, and he almost jumped when she patted his shoulder.
"Can we talk for a moment? I have an important question I wanted to ask."
He turned to her and nodded, getting up from his seat to join her. "I have a few minutes to spare," he replied, following her outside.
Ino smirked and leaned by the window to try to guess what their conversation was about. Her smirk grew and grew, and Shikamaru shook his head.
"Why do you insist on being so nosey?" asked Shikamaru as the boy successfully nabbed a piece of pork he was searing before Choji could grab it.
Ino looked at him with an amused smile. "I think Asuma and Kuranai are dating."
Shikamaru raised a brow. "That's a huge stretch, Ino. Sure, they've known each other since the academy, but to say that they're dating."
Choji nodded his head as he finished the rest of his meat, and Ino turned back to the window.
"I beg to differ. I mean, look at his face! He's obviously stubling over his words... now kurenai is teasing him over it... and look at the way he's rubbing the back of his head like a dork! They're definitely dating!"
Choji took another chug of his drink as Shikamaru sighed. 'Ino is crazy if she thinks that.' he thought.
He scooched closer and was surprised to find that Ino had it all correct. The way they were both talking and reacting to each other was indeed a sign of a romantic relationship.
Shikamaru actually smirked at this. "Well, well, well. You might be right on this one."
"See?! Look at the two! They're like high schoolers on their first date. It's so obvious." she said, her excitement almost bursting from the revelation.
When they saw the two parting, they quickly tried to act natural, and Asuma came to sit down.
"I guess the two of you have worked up quite an appetite. Let's order some more, huh?" Asuma said, his hands up as he flagged the waiter over.
He noticed the smug and satisfied expressions on his genin's faces, and it was almost unsettling. "Is there something you'd like to share?"
Ino giggled while both boys shook their heads, and Asuma chuckled nervously. 'Crap. I think they caught onto me. This won't be fun.'
Line break.
Meanwhile, Naruto had taken Sakura to a restaurant that caught her off guard. It was a sushi spot that looked to be of upper-class caliber.
She gave him a suspicious look, but he took her hand and planted a wad oof cash in it. "Go to the front ad request two seats. I'll be back."
He walked away, and she looked confused at the money, then into the restaurant.
"Ah. Welcome to the Golden Koi Sushi Palace. How can I assist you this evening?" asked the woman at the front desk.
"A seat for two, please, preferably a quiet corner where we won't be disturbed," replied Sakura with a polite smile.
She nodded. "Right this way, ma'am. You'll be sat in our garden courtyard. The view is lovely, and we can also bring a small grill to the table to grill fish right at the table if you would like."
"That sounds wonderful, thank you."
After being led to the spot, Sakura got comfy on the large cushions on the floor. A small table with a vase and some tea was set up before her. The room was a courtyard that was covered in vines and a koi pond nearby. 'Holy crap! This place is nice! Is this a date?! Because if it is... wow!'
After the waiter assigned to her gifted her with a menu and a few water options, she saw Naruto come from around the corner and sit down on the other side of her.
"Is... is this a date, Naruto?" she asked hesitantly.
He barely reacted when he responded. "No. I wouldn't deceive you into a date. I just wanted to talk.
She felt relieved and disappointed at the same time. 'I suppose he'd have expected me to lash out if it were the case. ' she thought sadly. "What's with the fancy spot then? And why can you afford this?!
Naruto calmly hushed her with a simple gesture and pointed at her menu. "Find something to eat."
She blinked. "Are you not going to order?"
"No.
She frowned again and crossed her arms. "Naruto, what's going on?"
He raised a brow. "I want to have a discussion about your lack of confidence."
She huffed at his response and looked at her menu.
The waiter returned.
"What will it be?"
"The tuna, please," she answered.
The waiter bowed, looked at Naruto, and grimaced. 'The fox brat?! What is he doing here?!'
Naruto waved him off. " I don't want anything. I'm just a guest. I wouldn't want her to have to pay for any more than she has to."
Sakura blinked at that. 'What the-? Is he insinuating that I...'
The waiter left, and Naruto crossed his legs and leaned forward. "Why do you wish to skip out on the exam-?"
She blinked, her mind still trying to comprehend the previous statement. 'Wait, wait, wait. What is going on?!' she thought to herself.
Naruto crossed his arms, waiting. "You still haven't answered me."
"Huh?!
The boy sighed. "The exams, Sakura," he said quietly.
Sakura shook her head. "Naruto, how can you afford all of this? Do you really only want to talk?"
Naruto gave her a cold look that caught her off guard, and she relented. "S-sorry. What was the question again?"
"The exams. Tell me what's on your mind," he spoke in the same tone as before.
She gave a sad sigh and stared down at her menu. "Listen. I... I'll only hold you guys back... or worse. Get you guys killed. I'm not strong like you guys, and I don't want to get into a situation where that might happen. I'm... I'm terrified, to put it simply."
Naruto leaned forward, smirking. "Tell me everything.
Line break.
An hour later, Sakura poured out everything to her friend, and he nodded the entire way.
He listened with an ear out and asked the occasional question to clarify or further elaborate. He got what he was hoping for.
She told him about how her self-esteem had plummeted after the mission to Wave, her feelings towards the lack of bonding the team does outside of missions, and her regret for not trying to improve herself as a shinobi.
There are so many flaws, and it seems that the more she speaks about her self-doubt and problems, the more she wants to break down.
"Do you get it now?" she asked in an annoyed tone, looking to be on the verge of tears. "I wanted us to at least talk about this together with Sasuke, but like usual, he blew me off," she said dejectedly.
She expected him to make some kind of I told you so remark, but he was quiet.
She looked back up at him and saw that his eyes were closed as if in thought.
"N-Naruto?" she asked hesitantly. 'Why is he so hard to read?! I hate this side of him!'
She looked down for a moment to think for herself, but he tapped the table and spoke. "Sasuke isn't good with people, and neither am I, so the lack of team bonding is understandable. I'll try to fix that. I'll help you get to where you need to be, and so will he. I understand where you are, trust me. I was in your shoes a while back. But you have to trust your teammates if you want to get through this."
"But, you don't understand!" she interjected, a worried tone in her voice. "I just told you how bad I am at fighting!"
He nodded. "Sure. Against me and Sasuke, it would feel like that. But you've never fought anyone aside from us. You just don't see your own strengths and capabilities."
She sighed and was quiet, staring at him, hoping he could read her expression of uncertainty.
He smiled and was about to say something else when the owner of the establishment walked to their table and respectfully bowed to Sakura. "I am terribly sorry, but the guest you have brought with you has been banned from my establishment. Please find somewhere else to dine," he said politely, though he had an eye on Naruto and glared at the boy.
Sakura looked shocked, while Naruto merely smiled. "No need. Just refund her my seat, and I'll be on my way."
Sakura's head whirled back to Naruto's direction in shock, and the boy got up and walked out, followed by two men dressed in suits.
Sakura was left confused, not understanding why he was thrown out. 'Why take me to a restaurant you're banned from? Just what am I missing here?'
Line break.
It wasn't long before Sakura met up with the blonde outside the establishment, and she grabbed his hand and put the money in it. "Here, this is the refund," she said, her arms crossed after performing the action. "What was that about Naruto?" she asked firmly,
Naruto stared at his hand and smirked. "I played a stupid prank in the dining room when I was young, so they banned me. I took you there because I thought it'd impress you. I know how much you like sushi. Sorry, I made it a little weird.
She shook her head and punched his arm lightly. "Next time you want a date, don't be an idiot and just ask, alright?" she asked as the two made their way back.
Naruto chuckled and walked silently alongside her.
She expected some kind of response to the subtle confession that she wouldn't have been against the idea of going on a date, but he simply nodded. "Noted."
What the blonde didn't confess was that his prank never happened. It was a lie. The owner simply views him as a ticking time bomb like most adults. Not that it was her business to know.
Line break.
{Land of Fire: Konohagakure: Hyuuga compound}
Hiashi sat with his father, Hiroshi Hyuuga, watching another spar between his two daughters.
Hinata was easily dancing around Hanabi's strikes, holding back enough for the girl to gain a sense of experience in their fights. Hanabi grew increasingly excited at the prospect of beating her older sister one of these days.
"They are truly gifted," spoke Hiroshi.
Hiashi nodded in agreement, watching the match with a sharp eye. "It's almost like watching two birds in the air. One is more confident and sure, and the other needs to prove herself. Hinata is wise in the way she moves. It reminds me of... how Hizashi would fight."
Hiroshi nodded. "A shame they weren't born male. Yet, they proved me wrong in judging them so quickly. Hinata has come far compared to her weakling days, and Hanabi... well... she's got that fire that'll burn anyone who tries to put it out."
They heard a yelp from Hanabi and witnessed Hinata once again putting the girl on her backside.
Hanabi was panting, a bashful smile on the girl's face, and Hinata shook her head. "You are so clumsy. Stop trying to match my speed and focus on using it against me."
"O-ok! Let's go again!" the girl exclaimed, jumping to her feet.
Hinata raised a brow, and Hanabi blushed before composing herself. "I-I mean. 'Ahem.' I am ready for another round, Onee-chan," she said calmly.
Hinata glanced at her father, who raised a hand and shook his head. "That is enough for today, actually. I don't want you exhausting yourself when you still have a few days of school left before the weekend starts."
The girls both bowed in respect before walking back inside together, and Hiashi walked to his father's side to discuss the future for them.
Meanwhile, Hanabi was ushered away to take a shower while Hinata made to take her own elsewhere in the clan's living quarters.
She passed Neji, the boy stopping to give her a courteous greeting, which she returned with her own bow.
Of course, this was only a formal greeting. Hinata could feel his glare, his hate, his discontent with the world around him and with what she had and what he did not.
The girl walked away, leaving her cousin behind as she made her way back to the showers.
Once the boy was sure Hinata was gone, Neji crossed his arms and leaned against the wall to ponder the recently acquired information. His younger cousin will be taking the exams.
It is an opportunity he won't pass up. He'll finally get to take her down a peg or two and make her pay for what her side of the family has done to his.
If Hinata believes herself to be safe, she will have a rude awakening. He'll be fighting not for the clan as a whole but for his side of the family to prove that the branch family of their clan is superior to them.
'Just you wait, Hinata. Just you wait.'
Line break.
Four days later.
July 6th.
D-rank after D-rank was given to Team 7 as more requests were made.
These few months were the busiest for Konoha's ninja teams, as missions were in abundance and money was to be made.
The kids noticed that more merchants and caravans were making their way into and out of Konoha. It was a prosperous time for the economy.
Their missions became more interesting as a result. One of which was an interesting one.
A traveling circus for kids that was supposed to be performing for the academy lost some of its animals, and as a result, Konoha requested that they be found and brought back to the circus before it was time to perform for the school. A silly thing indeed.
Naruto had been the fastest in retrieving the apes, Sasuke was able to reel in the cats, and Sakura was able to lure their camels out of hiding.
Aside from that, they also did some normal things, such as cleaning gutters, trimming lawns, helping move heavy furniture into apartments, and one request they all wanted to forget was helping a farmer clean out his pig pen. The only request outside of the gates of Konoha was still technically within the borders of their territory.
Now, we find both Naruto and Sakura on their way home after a surprisingly easy day of chores.
Sakura and Naruto had finally been getting along much more smoothly in recent days. Sakura had gotten much more accustomed to his presence, not even getting mad when he cracked a joke about how she couldn't find one of the animals. Still, she laughed, much to Sasuke's surprise.
Naruto stopped suddenly, and she turned to look at him. "What's wrong?"
the boy sighed and turned to the tree. "OK, kids. C'mon down."
her eyes widened when three kids plopped down into a ninja pose from the branches.
"Hah! I told you he'd notice us. It's not surprising since it's my big bro," Konohamaru said excitedly.
Sakura smiled at the sight, Naruto kneeling down to Konohamaru and his friends' level.
"What do you want? I played ninja with you guys yesterday," the blonde said amusedly.
"We were wondering if you could get us something to eat," Moegi said cutely.
Konohamaru nodded. "Yeah! Let's get something to eat! We've been watching you all day, and it's really tiring watching you clean out some guy's gutters and sweep his floor."
Sakura's brow twitched. 'They were watching us do chores? How did I not notice them?'
Naruto sighed and stood up. "Then surely you understand why I don't have the energy to deal with you guys right this second. So how about this?" said Naruto as he rummaged through his pocket. Why don't you guys go and get something on your own? Here. This should be enough for some sweets."
Konohaaru snatched it quickly and ran, his friends following behind. "Thanks, Bro! I'll see you tomorrow!
"Wait, Konohamaru! Don't go spending it without us!" yelled Moegi, chasing after the boy, Udon following close behind.
Naruto sighed and got back to his feet. "Well... that's dealt with."
Sakura's lips twisted as she tried to suppress a laugh.
Naruto smirked. "what's so funny?" he asked with a grin.
"That was kind of you," she said, her lips trying hard not to form into a smile. "They were all over you. I guess you're pretty good with kids, aren't you?"
Naruto sighed and put a hand to the back of his head. "I dunno. I just... There's nothing wrong with being a good role model. Older kids never gave me the time of day, so I figured..."
He was silent, his head turning back to where the kids had disappeared. "Something's wrong."
The girl blinked in confusion, "Huh? What is it, Naruto?"
Naruto started walking down the path the kids took. "I'm about to find out."
Line break.
"Konohamaru! Wait up!" yelled Moegi as the boy ran to his favorite ice cream stand.
He wasn't paying attention to where he was going, his mind focused on the savory treat, so he ran head-first into someone and landed on his butt.
He groaned and looked up to see a boy wearing an all-black suit and war paint that he believed to be weird makeup.
"Do you need something"? The boy asked, annoyed.
Konohamaru frowned and shot to his feet. "You bet I do. You made me drop my money!" he exclaimed.
Both Udon and Moegi stopped a short distance away from the scene as Kankuro picked up the wad of cash and whistled, "Wow. A kid running around with this much money. I bet there's some really lucky family who's missing this right now."
"Give me back my money!" demanded the boy, trying to reach up to Kankuro and get the money, but the older boy only smirked and held it up higher.
Temari sighed. "What are you thinking, Kakuro? Give him back his money."
"What? I'm only te-
"Water style: water vortex!" yelled Konohamaru, a pathetic stream of water hitting Kankuro in the face.
Temari resisted the urge to laugh as her brother gripped the money angrily. His eyes focused on Konohamaru, who had his hands in a cross-handseal.
"You really shouldn't have done that, kid," he growled as he grabbed the boy by the shirt.
Konohamaru squirmed and started kicking the boy's chest in anger. "Put me down, you punk! And give me back my big bro's money!"
Kankuro growled. "Your money's the least of your problems!"
the boy yelped in pain as Kankuro's grip tightened.
"Kankuro-"
"Cool it, Temari. We have plenty of time before he shows up. I'm gonna make this twerp pay!"
"Konohamaru! yelled both Udon and Moegi, both in tears and unsure of what to do.
Temari sighed. "I'm not gonna be part of this nonsense."
'Then you won't mind me stepping in to discipline this clown?"
Asked Naruto from behind them both.
Temari whirled in surprise, jumping away. She saw her brother suddenly wrapped in chains, and the boy was forced to drop Konohamaru as a result.
Moegi and Udon gasped in surprise at the sudden appearance of their Idol and jumped when they felt a hand on their shoulder to see another Naruto behind them. Sakura ran to look up at the scene as well.
The pinkette was shocked at how fast the blonde moved to help the boy and almost didn't see what happened.
Kankuro was angered as the boy approached, the clone releasing him and letting him fall to his knee.
"Sorry to do that, but I can't let you touch this boy. He's the grandson of the third Hokage," said the real Naruto.
Temari silently gasped and glared at a sweating Kankuro. 'way to go, you doufus! You're making us look stupid!
Temari quickly bowed in respect. "Please accept our sincerest apologies; we were unaware of this."
Naruto waved it off. "I'm sure my knucklehead brother did something he shouldn't have to provoke you," the blonde said as he gripped Konohamaru's shoulder a bit tighter, getting a yelp from the boy. "I'm guessing you three are here for the exams?"
Temari nodded. "Yeah. we... three?"
Naruto looked confused as well. "There's three of you. you two, and the one in the tree."
"Huh!?" yelled Kankuro, and in a swirl of sand, Gaara appeared between them, freezing them in shock and fear.
Gaara stared at the blonde, wary and annoyed. The voice that keeps him awake is agitated more than ever. The moment those chains engulfed his brother, the beast cried out in terror. 'blood! I want his blood!'
Gaara grits his teeth in annoyance and glares at Kankuro. "Don't ever pull a stunt like that again."
the boy gulped. "Yes, Gaara.
"Konohamaru, apologize to these two," said Naruto.
Konohamaru gave his idol a confused look. "Huh?! But why?! He stole my money!"
"Not another word, or no ice cream."
"Fine. Sorry. Happy?"
The boy nodded, and Kankuro tossed the money back to him.
Naruto smirked. "Good. Now we're even."
He turned to the two and gave a smile. "I am Naruto Uzumaki, and that little troublemaker is Konohamaru. Those two are Udon and Moegi, and The girl behind me is my teammate, Haruno Sakura. The other one in the tree is Uchiha Sasuke."
Sasuke hopped down, annoyed and intrigued as he approached.
Temari and Kankuro were surprised that they didn't sense the Uchiha there, whereas Sasuke was still trying to wrap his head around Gaara being so close to him and undetectable. it was baffling.
Gaara nodded and turned to walk away.
Kankuro followed behind, and Temari gave both Naruto and Sasuke an appraising look, smirking to herself as she walked away. 'Interesting. Very interesting. Konoha is full of surprises, it seems. This will be interesting.'
Sasuke crossed his arms. "That was uncharacteristic of you, treating them so well.'
Naruto shook his head. "They are foreigners. There was no telling how they would react to being assaulted. I needed to get to this little troublemaker-" Naruto said while ruffling Konohamaru's head-" before they did any real damage."
Sasuke shrugged. "The redhead looks dangerous, but I think we can take 'em," he said as he eyed the siblings' backs.
"That was so cool! Can I see your chain again?!"
Naruto looked down at Moegi and smiled, dangling a mini-chain from his finger, and Moegi took it in excitement.
The blonde turned back to his two teammates with a serious face. "If they're here now, then it won't be long before Kakashi summons us. It's starting soon.
His two teammates nodded, and after Konohamaru's friends left to get their treat, the three genin left to meet their Sensei at the entrance exam, and right on time, too.
Line break.
"Ah. you're all early." Said Kakashi. "I was just about to go get you guys."
The man smiled through his mask as he got a glimpse of their newfound unity.
The three gave the man their usual greetings before looking up at the large building in front of them. "Is this it?" asked Naruto.
Sakura looked a little nervous, and Sasuke looked on with indifference.
Kakashi nodded. "This is where the exams will start. I'm glad to see that you have all come to a decision and have decided to partake. Had it been only two of you, you wouldn't have been able to move forward with this. But that isn't important anymore. You need to move. I just want you three to know that I am proud of you. Good luck on the exams."
The team gave a bow, and Kakashi let them through.
'This should be an interesting experience. Let's see if they'll rise to the challenge.
He watched as his team walked down the hall and closed the doors, hoping they would come back in one piece. The exams are no place for the unprepared, for only the strong survive.
Line break.
End chapter.
{Author's note}
Sorry for the delay. The next chapter will be out tomorrow same time.