Chapter 6 : The Sand Siblings

Naruto raised his kunai, deflecting a flurry of shuriken that shot out from a nearby bush. His eyes narrowed as he turned toward the source, muscles tensed to charge. Just as he was about to move, Sasuke's sharp voice rang out.

"Naruto! Stay in formation!" Sasuke's tone was harsh, cutting through the tension in the air.

Naruto faltered for a split second, but that pause was all the enemy needed. In an instant, six menacing shinobi burst from the undergrowth, launching an aggressive assault. Naruto managed to weave around the first swing, but a swift kick from one of the attackers sent him tumbling across the forest floor. He scrambled to his feet, but two of the enemies were already on him, their movements swift and relentless.

Sasuke, meanwhile, was surrounded by three opponents. Though he was clearly faster than them, the numbers were against him. He ducked, dodged, and countered with sharp precision, but no matter how skilled he was, the sheer volume of attacks began to wear him down. His fists clenched in frustration. After a prolonged struggle, Sasuke found himself overwhelmed, pinned to the ground by the weight of his attackers.

Sakura had her own opponent to contend with. Her taijutsu lacked the refinement of her teammates. Each of her defensive moves was countered, and soon enough, she was on the ground, breathless and defeated.

Naruto gritted his teeth as he struggled against the two enemies holding him down. He thrashed under their weight, but they held firm. Still, there was no panic in Naruto's eyes—just frustration.

Just when it seemed like Team 7 was completely at the mercy of their enemies, Kakashi emerged from the nearby trees, his casual demeanor unchanged as he approached the group. His visible eye crinkled in a familiar smile.

"All right, that's enough," Kakashi's voice was calm, almost lazy. "You can dispel now."

At Kakashi's words, the shinobi holding down Naruto and the ones pinning Sasuke and Sakura all vanished in puffs of smoke, revealing their true nature. Naruto sat up, brushing himself off, clearly unsurprised.

Kakashi walked up to the group, hands tucked into his pockets. "Well, that went about as I expected."

Naruto frowned, looking over at Sasuke. "Why did you get three? I only had two!"

Kakashi raised a hand, silencing Naruto's complaints. "I told them to attack in numbers according to each of your strengths. But remember—none of you could use Ninjutsu. Your clones were at a disadvantage since they can only take a single hit before poofing. That was to make things fair."

Sasuke, still irritated, crossed his arms. "It didn't feel fair."

Kakashi gave a small shrug. "In a real situation, you won't always get to fight one-on-one or be able to rely on your strongest techniques. You need to learn to adapt." He turned to Sakura, who was still dusting herself off. "And Sakura, you need to improve your taijutsu. You're form isn't bad but you're slow."

Naruto's posture stiffened as Kakashi turned to him. "And Naruto… . You completely broke formation, you managed to defeat one of your attackers but if they were enemy shinobi they would not have hesitated to kill you before you had the chance."

Naruto frowned. "Right, I wont do it again, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi nodded. "Alright, morning training is over. Time for a D-rank mission." Naruto looked over to the clearing where his remaining clones were still training and quickly shouted for them to dispel. His memories flooded in as the clones vanished, each bit of progress adding to his own.

Later that day, Team 7 found themselves walking the dogs of the Inuzuka clan for their mission. Naruto, as usual, picked the largest, most unruly dog, which resulted in him being dragged through an active minefield...

Kakashi dismissed the team, and Sasuke surprisingly gave a casual "See you tomorrow" before heading off. Naruto, despite his exhaustion, felt a strange sense of accomplishment. The training with his clones had been paying off, and he could feel his skills improving with each day.

As Naruto walked away, he noticed something odd—an oddly shaped rock, completely square, sticking out from the ground nearby. He blinked and turned around, pretending to walk off. But when he looked back, the rock was still there. Naruto's eyes narrowed.

With a dramatic point, Naruto shouted, "That's no normal rock!"

In an instant, Konohamaru and his "gang" popped out from under their haphazard disguise, dramatically revealing themselves. "You got us, Boss!" Konohamaru grinned, hands on his hips. "Wanna play ninja with us?"

Sakura rolled her eyes from the sidelines. "Playing ninja… as a ninja? Seriously?"

Konohamaru turned to her, sizing her up with a smirk. "Hey, is she your girlfriend, Boss?"

Naruto blushed furiously, stammering incoherently before Sakura, with a furious expression, sent a punch crashing into his face, launching him into a nearby fence. Konohamaru's eyes widened as he yelled, "Boss! No!"

He turned to Sakura, pointing angrily. "What kind of girlfriend are you?!"

Before Sakura could respond, Konohamaru was also sent flying with a single punch. As she stormed off, Konohamaru and Naruto slowly climbed to their feet.

"I don't think she's even human…" Konohamaru muttered, rubbing his head. "Did you see how big her forehead is?"

Naruto barely had time to react before Sakura spun around, her eyes burning with fury as she chased after the pair. Their sprint through the streets of the village came to an abrupt halt. Konohamaru flew backward as he collided into a tall, imposing figure with dark face paint. The boy with the painted face smirked down at him, lifting him effortlessly by the collar. "Well, what do we have here?" he mused, eyes gleaming mischievously as Konohamaru dangled helplessly in the air.

"Put him down, Kankuro," the blonde girl next to him sighed, her tone casual but edged with warning. She crossed her arms, her two large, fan-shaped pigtails swaying slightly. "You know you'll pay for it later if you keep this up." Her eyes shifted lazily to Konohamaru, clearly uninterested in the confrontation but aware of what trouble it could bring.

Sakura, now calm from her earlier chase, quickly stepped forward in an attempt to diffuse the tension. "I'm really sorry about this," she said, bowing slightly. "We didn't mean for him to run into you." Her eyes flickered to the face paint boy, now revealed as Kankuro, hoping to avoid an incident.

Naruto, however, had different ideas. "Hey!" he shouted, anger boiling as he watched Konohamaru struggle. "Put him down right now or else!" Naruto's fists clenched tightly, his knuckles white with the force of his grip.

Kankuro's smirk grew wider as he glanced toward Naruto's forehead, noticing the leaf shinobi headband. "Heh. We've still got a few minutes before the person we're waiting for shows up," he said, his voice dripping with amusement. "Why not have some fun with these punks until then?"

Konohamaru kicked and squirmed in Kankuro's grasp, his small hands tugging uselessly at the arm holding him up. "Put me down, you jerk!" he yelled, his face red with anger.

Naruto couldn't take it anymore. "I said, put him down!" He sprinted toward Kankuro, eyes blazing with determination. However, just as he was about to reach them, Kankuro shifted his fingers slightly, and Naruto suddenly found the ground pulled out from under him. He was flung into the air, barely managing to land on his feet with a stumble.

"What the hell was that?!" Naruto shouted, glaring at Kankuro in confusion.

Kankuro chuckled, "Leaf ninja… wimps, all of you."

Sakura stood frozen, analyzing the situation. These shinobi were definitely outsiders, she realized. But why were they in the village? Outsiders causing trouble in the Leaf, even if from an allied village, wasn't something to take lightly.

Naruto, however, continued to throw insults. "You better put him down, or I'll—"

"Shut up, Naruto!" Sakura snapped, wrapping her arm around his neck in a headlock. "You're being stupid! Threatening them isn't going to solve anything."

Kankuro sneered. "I don't like weaklings, and that runt over there is the worst of the lot," he said, nodding toward Naruto.

At this point, the blonde girl, Temari, sighed heavily, clearly annoyed. "Fine, Kankuro, do whatever you want, but I'm not getting involved in this."

Naruto gritted his teeth, about to charge Kankuro again when—THWACK—a rock suddenly flew through the air, striking Kankuro's hand with precision. The force of the impact made him wince, loosening his grip just enough for Konohamaru to drop to the ground with a soft thud.

"Who—?!" Kankuro growled, turning toward the source of the attack.

High in a tree above them, Sasuke sat coolly, arms crossed. His eyes gleamed with confidence as he spoke. "You're a long way from home, aren't you?"

Kankuro's expression twisted with irritation. "Arrogant jerks like you are what I hate the most." He reached for the large, wrapped object on his back, tugging at the bindings. "I'll make you regret—"

"Kankuro, you're seriously going to use Crow for this?" Temari interrupted, her voice tinged with disbelief and worry. "You're going too far!"

Just as Kankuro began to unravel the object, another figure suddenly appeared, standing upside down on a nearby tree branch using the tree-walking technique. His presence was cold and commanding.

"Kankuro, stop it. You're an embarrassment to our village," the figure said icily.

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly, inwardly stunned. How long has this guy been here? I didn't even notice him…

Kankuro stiffened at the voice, his hand dropping immediately from the now half-unwrapped "Crow." "S-Sorry, Gaara," he stammered, fear evident in his tone.

Gaara's gaze remained cold as he stared down at his teammate. "Have you forgotten why we're here?" he asked sharply, not bothering to wait for an excuse.

Kankuro started to protest, pointing toward Naruto, and the others. "They started it—"

"Shut up," Gaara cut him off, his voice sharp as ice. "Or I'll kill you."

Kankuro swallowed hard, the threat clearly not lost on him. He said nothing more as Gaara turned toward the others.

"We apologize for any trouble," Gaara said flatly, his tone void of warmth. "We'll be leaving now."

As they turned to go, Sakura, still baffled by the encounter, called out. "Wait—what are you doing here? Foreign ninja can't just go around starting fights in other villages, even if we're allies."

Temari, having regained some of her usual casual demeanor, pulled out an ID card. "Relax, we have permission to be here," she explained. "We're here for the Chunin Exams."

Naruto blinked, tilting his head. "Chunin Exams? What's that?"

Temari shot him a mocking look. "Seriously? You don't even know that? You're clueless."

Konohamaru, now standing next to Naruto, piped up eagerly. "The Chunin Exams are the tests all Genin have to take to get promoted to Chunin. It's a big deal, Boss!"

As the Sand Siblings turned to leave again, Sasuke's voice called out, stopping Gaara once more. "Hey. What's your name?"

Gaara paused, turning his head slightly. "Gaara of the Sand," he said in that same neutral, cold tone. His eyes flicked briefly over Sasuke before he asked, "And yours?"

"Sasuke Uchiha," Sasuke replied confidently.

Naruto, never one to be outdone, grinned and stepped forward. "Bet you're dying to know my name too, right?"

Gaara didn't even bother turning fully toward him. "I couldn't care less," he said bluntly, leaving Naruto speechless as he walked away with Kankuro and Temari in tow.

- With Kakashi -

In the Hokage's office, a gathering of Jonin had convened. The air was filled with a mix of anticipation and tension as the upcoming Chunin Exams were the topic of discussion. Seated at the head of the room, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, calmly surveyed the shinobi before him. His wise, weathered eyes glimmered beneath his hat, though the lines of age and responsibility weighed heavily on his face.

"The Chunin Exams will commence next week," Hiruzen announced, his voice authoritative yet calm. A murmur rippled through the Jonin in attendance, many nodding in agreement. Some had already taken note of the foreign shinobi arriving in the village in preparation.

The Hokage glanced toward three specific Jonin standing toward the front: Kakashi Hatake, Asuma Sarutobi, and Kurenai Yuhi. "Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai," he called, his tone shifting to a more direct cadence. "As the Jonin leaders of our newest Genin teams, it's time for you to declare whether or not you'll be nominating your teams for the exams."

Each Jonin stepped forward in turn, their expressions calm yet contemplative.

Kakashi was the first to speak. "Lord Hokage, I would like to nominate all three of my students for the Chunin Exams. Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke of Team 7," he declared confidently.

Next was Asuma, his rugged demeanor softened slightly as he nodded toward the Hokage. "I also wish to nominate my students for the exams. Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and Choji Akimichi of Team 10."

Finally, Kurenai stepped forward, her crimson eyes reflecting a quiet confidence. "I would like to nominate my team as well," she said. "Hyuuga Hinata, Aburame Shino, and Inuzuka Kiba of Team 8."

The room was quiet for a brief moment as the Hokage considered the nominations.

Suddenly, the quiet was broken by a familiar voice. "Wait just a moment!" It was Iruka Umino, Naruto's former academy teacher, who had been quietly standing in the back of the room. His expression was tense, his concern for his former students evident.

"Lord Hokage, I must protest!" Iruka said firmly, stepping forward. "These Genin—they've only recently graduated from the academy. They haven't been ninja for long enough to be prepared for the Chunin Exams!"

His eyes lingered on Kakashi, his concern especially strong for Naruto, who he felt wasn't ready for such a grueling challenge. "They've barely had time to gain experience in the field. Isn't it too early for them to take this step?"

Kakashi's single visible eye gleamed with understanding, but his tone remained steady and calm. "Iruka, I understand your concerns," he said. "But they aren't your students anymore. They've grown since the academy. They're ready."

Iruka, still uneasy, glanced between the Hokage and the other Jonin. He knew Kakashi was right—technically, they weren't his students anymore—but his bond with Naruto and the others was hard to break. "I just... I don't want them to be put in danger they're not ready for."

Hiruzen exhaled softly, the weight of his position as both a leader and an elder on full display. "Iruka," he said gently, "the Chunin Exams are a time for young shinobi to prove themselves, to grow, and to face the reality of our world. The Jonin leaders are confident in their students' readiness, and we must trust in their judgment."

Iruka opened his mouth as if to argue further, but closed it, realizing the futility. Instead, he bowed respectfully. "I understand, Lord Hokage."

With that, Hiruzen nodded, officially noting the nominations from the three Jonin. The meeting proceeded, but Iruka's unease lingered, a shadow of doubt clouding his heart. Meanwhile, Kakashi stood quietly, confident in his team, knowing they were about to embark on one of their most difficult trials they'll have as young genin.