Chunin Exams: Konoha 12; Assemble!

Gai woke up as early as possible, which was 3:00 a.m. for him. Today was a big day. Today was the day his students were going to attend the Chunin Exams.

He leaped out of bed with the enthusiasm of a thousand suns. "YOUTH!" he declared to the empty room, flexing his biceps at the mirror. He brushed his teeth with vigorous zeal, imagining each brushstroke as another step towards his students' success. After a trip to the bathroom and some dynamic stretching, he finished his morning routine, donning his signature green jumpsuit with pride. "Today is the day, my beloved students," he said to himself, striking a triumphant pose. "Today, we shall show the world the power of youth!"

It was 10:00 a.m. when he reached the academy, having jogged there at a brisk pace while doing handstands for the extra challenge. The area was full of students from all over the Elemental Nations. Strong ones, weak ones, nervous ones, and excited ones. Gai scanned the crowd, his eyes sparkling with determination.

"Neji Hyuga," he murmured to himself, spotting his student standing confidently among the throng. The boy was an absolute genius, a prodigy on par with the most talented chunin. He had the potential to go far, very far.

He turned his attention to Tenten and Lee. Tenten was meticulously checking her weapons, her brows furrowed in concentration. "She just needs a bit more proficiency," Gai thought, nodding approvingly. Lee was doing push-ups in the middle of the courtyard, shouting motivational phrases with every repetition. "And Lee... if only he could develop his strategic thinking a bit more."

His thoughts drifted to his eternal rival, Kakashi, who had also entered his students in this year's exam. Sasuke Uchiha, the Rookie of the Year and the solo survivor of the Uchiha clan, was undeniably talented. Sakura Haruno, a prodigy in terms of scriptural knowledge and the Kunoichi of the Year, had brains to spare. And then there was Naruto Uzumaki, the academy's dead last, and the son of the Fourth Hokage.

"Poor boy," Gai mused. "He's been overlooked, ignored, and avoided by the village. Even if he has Minato's genes, the environment he grew up in was not very helpful for his mental and intellectual development. But he has Kage-level chakra reserves. Maybe he has potential."

Gai smirked. Sasuke might be strong, Sakura might be smart, but his team would be the best. They stood no chance against his team.

Just at that moment, someone tapped on his shoulder. "Yo," came the lazy drawl.

"Kakashi! My eternal rival, you arrived early. Quite unusual for you," Gai exclaimed, spinning around.

"Ma, ma, Gai," Kakashi chuckled, his eye curving into a crescent. "I didn't want to miss all the entertainment I'm going to catch from here."

"Quite true, my friend!" Gai grinned broadly. "But it will not be as entertaining as it will be when your students fail the exam because my students are going to prevail!"

"So who is your best?"

"Neji Hyuga!"

"A Hyuga, huh?" Kakashi chuckled. "Well, I have a synthetic shinobi."

Gai's eyes widened in disbelief, his jaw practically hitting the floor. "A Synthetic Shinobi? What in the world does that even mean, Kakashi?"

Kakashi closed his book with a soft snap and finally looked up, his single visible eye crinkling in amusement. "It's quite simple, really. Naruto underwent an experimental procedure. She's now an android made of silicon and wood, designed to be stronger and more resilient."

Gai blinked rapidly, trying to process the information. "You mean to tell me that Naruto, the dead last of the academy, is now some kind of... of... super shinobi?"

Kakashi nodded. "Precisely. Her body is enhanced with advanced technology, giving her abilities far beyond what we initially expected. And she's still got that endless determination and spirit."

"Why do you refer Naruto as 'her'?"

"Because Naruto is a girl, I suppose."

Gai shook his head, still in disbelief. "I suppose I should have known better…but…you have creativity my friend… but... this is beyond my wildest expectations."

Kakashi chuckled. "Thanks."

"That wasn't a compliment!"

"Don't care."

"Huh? What does that even mean? And tell me the truth about Naruto!"

"Hm? You say something?" Kakashi said without looking up from the book he had just opened.

"Curse that hip and cool attitude of yours!"

o—O—o

Meanwhile, at the Academy, the atmosphere buzzed with excitement. Students from all over the elemental nations had gathered, creating a vibrant and competitive environment. Team Seven was among the crowd, their eyes scanning the faces of their fellow competitors.

As Team Seven entered the Academy building, they noticed people shooting them calculative looks, trying to gauge their strength and abilities.

Naruto blinked and was about to ask some of them why they were staring when Sasuke intervened. "Ignore them," he said curtly.

They saw a commotion in front of room 324.

"Please, let us through!" a boy pleaded desperately.

"Tch," scoffed a boy blocking the entrance, a toothpick in his mouth. "You don't have what it takes to be a chunin. Back off."

"I thought this was the second floor," Sakura observed.

"It is," Sasuke assured her. "They're trying to weed out those who lack potential through deception."

Naruto blinked. "So we should—"

"We should head to the third floor," Sasuke interjected. "Fewer competitors mean better chances for us."

"Ah," Naruto nodded. "So I should knock out everyone so we have no competitors at all." She looked quite satisfied with her plan. "I am a genius. Dattebayo."

Sakura quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her away before she could act on her impulsive idea.

Just as they were about to leave, a voice spoke behind them. "Identify yourself."

Naruto turned back mechanically. "I am Naruto Uzumaki, Rookie of the Year, and the most talented—"

"So you are not only the dead last," said a boy with pale eyes and long hair coldly, "but also a petty liar." He tapped his forehead protector. "I am a shinobi of this village who graduated last year, so I know exactly WHO Naruto Uzumaki is. This year's dead last. Although, I thought you were a boy."

His cold statement drew chuckles from those around them.

Naruto stuttered mechanically. "I…uh…was…assessing…your—"

A girl with two buns on her head stood beside the boy, she offered them a smile. She extended a hand towards Naruto who was still stuttering. "I am Tenten, this is Neji Hyuga. Nice to meet ya'!"

Naruto ignored her, still processing the fact that she was humiliated in front of so many people.

Sakura grabbed her hand and shook it. "I am Sakura and this is Sasuke."

Sasuke glared at the boy. "Sakura, these are our competitors, no need to get so friendly."

"Sasuke Uchiha," Neji took a step forward. "This year's Rookie of the Year. The last loyal Uchiha. I expect a good competition from you."

"Whatever," Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Loser, Sakura, let's go."

Just when they were about to leave, a green blur shot in front of them, and they were immediately on guard but relaxed when they saw the person wearing a Leaf headband.

"Yosh!" The boy clad in a strange green jumpsuit exclaimed. His eyebrows wiggled like maggots. He had a bowl-cut hairstyle. "Sasuke Uchiha! This year's Rookie of the Year! I hope we can have respectable battles."

"Back off, weirdo," Sasuke said, looking bored.

The boy turned his attention to the girls, his jaw dropping. Sakura gulped as he looked her up and down with his mouth open. Then he looked at Naruto.

"Who might these beautiful blossoms be?" he asked, his tone dramatically reverent, his eyes sparkling with admiration.

Naruto blinked mechanically, clearly uncomfortable. "I... uh... Naruto Uzumaki, dattebayo."

Sakura, equally unnerved, stammered, "I-I'm Sakura Haruno. Nice to meet you."

The boy's eyes widened further. "Ah, such lovely names! I am Rock Lee, and I must say, you are the most beautiful things I have ever seen!"

Naruto and Sakura exchanged bewildered glances.

Rock Lee continued, undeterred. "I vow to protect you both from the bottom of my heart for the rest of my life. But alas, you must choose only one of you to be my eternal love! Thus, I wish to know which one of you is better suited for me."

Naruto, looking puzzled, started to say something when Sasuke interjected. "Stop bothering us, or else—" he activated his two-tomoe Sharingan, "you'll wish you hadn't messed with us."

Naruto nodded in agreement. "Acknowledge it."

"Hmph!" Sakura added, folding her arms.

Lee's expression shifted from confusion to determination. He grinned like a madman. "Yosh! So you want to keep both of them to yourself? Very well, I challenge you to a spar as last year's top student." He declared, striking a pose. "If you lose, you will not claim any of them."

Sasuke blinked, his expression one of disbelief. "Hn?!"

Naruto blinked, equally baffled. "Uh… Dattebayo…?"

Sakura blinked, shaking her head. "...cha?"

"Yosh! It appears that you have accepted my challenge! Let's head to the Academy's indoor sparring ground! "

Sasuke sighed, clearly exasperated. "...oh, fuck."

Naruto looked equally resigned. "Dattebayo."

Just then, Kakashi arrived, having witnessed the entire exchange. He sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "This is going to be interesting," he muttered to himself as he moved closer to watch the impending spar without revealing himself.

o—O—o

Unfortunately, Sasuke lost the spar easily. He was now rubbing his head, which was swelling and was currently bigger than Sakura's blossoms.

"Yosh!" Lee declared, striking a dramatic pose. "Since I have won, thus, which one of you blossoms is going to be my eternal lover?"

"...ew," Sakura shuddered. "I would rather date Kiba."

"His character is…questionable," Naruto stated, her robotic voice adding an extra layer of awkwardness. "I suspect he has a hidden agenda."

Lee clenched his fists, his determination unwavering. "I shall not back down—"

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through the entrance and a booming voice echoed. "Lee! What is the meaning of this?!"

Everyone turned to see a man in a bright green jumpsuit identical to Lee's, his bowl-cut hairstyle and thick eyebrows unmistakable. He posed dramatically, a sparkling smile lighting up his face. "I am Maito Gai, the noble and handsome Green Beast of Konoha!"

"Gai-sensei!" Lee exclaimed, looking both horrified and excited.

Gai's expression turned stern as he marched towards Lee. "Lee, you know better than to engage in sparring matches right before the Chunin Exams! You must conserve your youthful energy for the challenges ahead!"

"But Gai-sensei," Lee protested, "I was merely defending the honor of these beautiful blossoms!"

Gai's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Team Seven. His gaze lingered on Naruto, who stood there with her white hair and frilly black dress, looking decidedly out of place. He didn't say anything about her appearance, but his shock was evident.

"Well," Gai said, recovering quickly, "it seems you have met my eternal rival's students. Team Seven, I presume?"

Kakashi, who had been quietly observing, raised a hand in greeting. "Yo, Gai."

Gai's eyes narrowed. "Kakashi! I see your hip and cool attitude remains unchanged. But today is not about our rivalry. It is about guiding our youthful students towards success!"

Before they parted ways, Lee turned to Naruto and Sakura, his eyes shining with determination. "I shall win each of your hearts!"

"Sasuke-kun's heart too?!" Sakura exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Sasuke looked horrified.

"I had already observed that he has a questionable character," Naruto stated with a nod. "Dattebayo."

"...no." Lee blinked, his confidence momentarily shaken. "But you blossoms shall indeed fall for me."

"Yeah, when hell freezes over," Sakura stated flatly.

"Indeed, when…I…uh…" Naruto stuttered, trying to come up with a metaphor.

"We shall see then," Lee declared, his resolve unshaken.

With that, Team Seven watched as Lee and Gai walked away, their matching green jumpsuits a bizarre yet memorable sight. The Chunin Exams were already proving to be more than they had expected, and this was just the beginning.

o—O—o

Pushing aside the doors of the exam hall, Team Seven entered. Immediately, they were swarmed by…

"Sasuke-kun!" Ino appeared before them, fangirling and annoying Sasuke.

"Cha! Hey, Pig! Keep your dirty hands off Sasuke-kun!" Sakura fumed.

"Indeed. Otherwise, they will get dirtier," Naruto added. "Dattebayo."

"Haaa?" Ino's eyes widened in anger as she recalled Naruto's prank where she had been tricked by the Uzumaki into buying expensive clothes. "Naruto-Baka!" She grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her furiously as she yelled. "You still haven't returned my money!"

Naruto remained unfazed, although she was looking for an escape route.

Sakura sighed in relief, grateful that Ino's attention had shifted away from Sasuke-kun. Sasuke rolled his eyes, clearly irritated by their antics.

"Shut up, troublesome woman," a lazy voice cut through the noise. Shikamaru and Choji appeared beside them, with Shikamaru looking as disinterested as ever and Choji munching on a bag of chips.

"Were you guys forced to enter the exam too?" Shikamaru asked, his tone betraying his boredom.

"No," Sasuke replied curtly.

Shikamaru sighed deeply. "I was forced by my mom to attend this exam. Our teacher also told us to participate…"

He glanced at Naruto, who was still being shaken by Ino. "So Naruto is really a girl now, eh?" He sighed again, rubbing his temple. "I lost a good friend."

"Why?" Sakura looked offended. "Can't girls be friends?"

"Nah, women are too troublesome," Shikamaru replied bluntly.

"At least she eats ramen, right?" Choji asked, munching another chip.

Sasuke and Sakura shared a glance, both thinking about Naruto's unhealthy obsession with ramen.

"Yeah," Sakura replied. "On our last mission, she went to catch a shark for ramen… She came back in bad shape. Let's just say… Kakashi-sensei fixed her."

"'Fixed her'?" Shikamaru frowned. "Is she what, a machine?"

Before they could respond, Team Eight appeared. Kiba, bold as ever, announced, "I'm gonna beat everyone's ass in this exam!" Shino greeted everyone by not greeting anyone, while Hinata had her Byakugan activated, staring at Naruto who was still being shaken by Ino.

Kiba's eyes widened as he looked at the white-haired girl in the frilly dress. "That girl is hot!"

Sakura smirked. "That's Naruto."

"No way!"

"Impossible. Why? Because Naruto Uzumaki is a boy and that girl is not under any henge. Although she feels…odd."

"It's true," Sasuke stated. "It's really the loser."

"The fuck?!"

"Really?"

Finally, Ino joined them, having beaten Naruto enough. "You have more beatings coming, asshole!"

Naruto dusted herself off, looking unfazed, but she was really sad. She couldn't fight back against Ino because her 2B body wouldn't allow her to hurt a 'loyal Leaf shinobi'. She had been humiliated by that pale-eyed boy earlier, and that green jumpsuit-wearing boy had also creeped her robotic self out.

"Dattebayo," she replied softly, her voice tinged with an unfamiliar sadness.

Shikamaru noticed the change in her tone and raised an eyebrow. "So, Naruto, how's life as a girl?"

Naruto cocked her head to the lefy. "It's… ok."

Choji offered her a chip, trying to lighten the mood. "Here, have a chip. Food always makes things better."

Naruto took the chip, grateful for the small kindness. "Thanks, Choji."

Kiba, still processing the revelation, shook his head. "This is too weird. Anyway, don't think I'm going easy on you just because you're a girl now, Naruto."

Naruto straightened, her resolve returning. "Do bring it on, Kiba. I have yet to use some of my new moves like the Reaper Death Seal technique. You will be a good practice dummy. Dattebayo."

Kiba sneered. "Like hell I'll let you!"

"Oh, indeed, you would." She countered. "I have a bridge named after me: The Great Naruto Uzumaki Bridge. What accomplishments do you have?"

"A bridge named after you? Stop throwing lies!"

"It is a fact. Dattebayo."

Hinata, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke up. "Naruto... you look… good."

Naruto blinked, surprised by the compliment. "Uh... thanks, Hinata. But I'll still try my new techniques on you if I get the chance. You stating facts about my looks changes nothing."

"Umm…you can try the Reaper Death Seal anytime on me if you want."

"Ok."

As the group settled into conversation, a boy slightly older than them with grey hair and round-shaped glasses approached them. "You know, you're drawing quite a lot of attention to yourselves," he remarked, gesturing subtly towards the room.

They turned to see that indeed, people were looking, or more precisely, glaring at them.

Naruto took a step forward, surprising everyone. "I am Naruto Uzumaki, the future Hokage, and I'll defeat every single one of you. Dattebayo."

There was a moment of stunned silence before the foreign shinobi erupted into laughter.

"She's nuts!"

"What an idiot,"

"Mother says you're annoying."

"Interesting…"

"She looks like a h—"

"Yeah, what a—"

Naruto looked unfazed, but mentally, she was seething.

'Bitch, Reaper Death Seal, now!'

-The targets are—

'Foreign shinobi. They are making fun of our village.'

-So we are showing them their place?

'Dattebayo.'

-Initiating Reaper Death Seal in 3, 2...

Naruto felt an odd sensation above her face, as if something was materializing. Knowledge flooded through her mind.

The Uzumaki Mask.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees as a sinister-looking mask appeared over her face.

She began to form hand signs…

"Summoning—"

She halted as somebody tapped her shoulder.

She blinked behind the mask and looked back. It was the older Konoha shinobi. He smiled nervously, clearly terrified as he stared at the legendary mask. "Uh… Uzumaki-san, right? If you kill them all, then you'll be taken under law because you'd be starting a ninja war."

"They mocked our village," she stated flatly.

"Correction: They mocked YOU. Besides, I expected our future Hokage to have more control over her emotions."

"Fine," she relented, then looked at the frozen foreigners. "But if they mock US again, I'll try another technique on them: Domain Expansion."

With that, the mask disappeared. She returned to her friends, who were shocked. The amount of killing intent she had just radiated was something they had never experienced before.

The older Konoha shinobi introduced himself as Kabuto. "The exam is really hard," he told them. "This is my seventh time."

"Wow! You must be really experienced then!" Sakura exclaimed.

"He failed the exam six times, he is a loser," Naruto stated emotionlessly.

Everyone looked at her, noticing her bad mood.

Kabuto continued, unfazed. "Throughout my attempts, I've gathered information about the candidates." He showed them cards which resonated with his chakra, causing information to appear on the blank cards. "Do you have somebody in mind?" he asked them.

"Red hair, kanji for 'love' on the forehead," Sasuke said.

"Hmmm… there…" Kabuto located the card. "Gaara of the Sand." He proceeded to tell them about Gaara, including his formidable reputation. Sasuke then asked about Neji and Lee.

Finally, Hinata, with a shy glance at Naruto, asked about her.

Kabuto nervously brought out her card. "Naruto Uzumaki. Genin under Kakashi Hatake. Academy's dead last but… has defeated Zabuza Momochi of the Bloody Mist and the last Ice bloodline user. Has defeated Gato, the mafia in Wave Country. Has a three-kilometer-long bridge named after her there too…"

Everyone, except Sasuke and Sakura, listened with their jaws practically hitting the ground. Naruto looked visibly pleased, striking poses with each of her accomplishments being read aloud.

Suddenly, a scarred man with a hard face, wearing a trench coat, appeared on the dais.

"Silence, maggots! The first phase of the Chunin Exams begins now!"

Author Note: I have a question: What happens when the 365 day limit turns 1 or 0 on the document manager for each file? Do they get deleted? How does this affect the published story?