It's been a few days since Naruto returned from the country of Waves. People were shocked when they heard team 7 faced Zabuza Momochi one of the 7 swordsmen of Mist two times and they survived. They thought it was because of Kakashi they survived and nobody knew the exact details of the battle between Zabuza and Team 7.
Team 7 became busy with D-rank missions.
Today they have to wait for Kakashi because of the jonin meeting.
In Hokage tower....
"This year we are conducting chunin exams and we prepared everything perfectly for it. Now the jonin sensei who think their students are qualified enough can nominate them. According to rules they should have done more than 8 missions for the village," Hiruzen told them without any change of expression. He wanted to know how many Konoha genin can participate in this Chunin exam.
" As a jonin sensei of Team 10, I would like to nominate, Shikamaru Nara, Chouji Akimichi, and Ino Yamanaka for Chunin exams," Asuma said like a disciplined jonin but he was pretty confident that his team was going to nail the exam.
"As a jonin sensei of Team 8, I would like to nominate, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Hinata Hyuga for Chunin exams, " Kurenai said and she is also confident that one of her students will nail the exam and become a Chunin.
"As a jonin sensei of Team 7, I would like to nominate, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Naruto Uzumaki for the chunin exams," Kakashi said with a confident eye smile. He knew perfectly Naruto or Sasuke would become a chunin and he was not sure about Sakura to reach the preliminary.
"Excuse me lord Hokage but I don't think it is good for the rookies to enter the chunin exam. It's not been 6 months since they left the academy and now they are entering chunin exams," Iruka has to say and he doesn't want to risk his previous student lives in a tournament where life can be taken like a normal routine.
"You don't want to risk their life that is understandable Iruka but now they are my students and I know what they are capable of," Kakashi didn't like the meddling of Iruka and he will not tolerate it.
"I know Iruka it is a tough decision but we have to look for the betterment of our country, and if you want to test their capabilities. You can test them yourself, " Hiruzen wanted his master to participate. He is quite happy with the progress.
"Thank you hokage sama," Iruka said with a happy face. Now he can test whether they are eligible to participate or not.
After some time ...
Naruto was talking with Konohamaru and his gang in the streets and Sakura interrupted their talk.
"Naruto, Kakashi sensei told everyone to be in the training ground at noon," Sakura told Naruto with a rude smile and she was about to turn when she heard Konohamaru.
"Boss, Is she your girlfriend, " Konohamaru asked him expecting that she was Naruto's lover. Not knowing the truth.
"No," Naruto said in one word dashing all the expectations of Konohamaru with a straight face. Sakura was shocked too because once he used to ask her on a date and she used to refuse. Nowadays he didn't ask her on a date or compliment her.
"As expected of the boss, she can never be your girlfriend with such a big forehead," Konohamaru said as a fact with a serious face. But Sakura does not like the comment on her forehead. She looked at him angrily.
Konohamaru understood he did a big mistake and started to run. Sakura chased after him to give him a beatdown.
'Oh crap I almost forget about this scene 'Naruto thought about it and ran behind them to save Konohamaru.
Konohamaru got bumped into Kankuro and he pulled him up with his collar and scarf. Temari is standing behind him. And Naruto can sense Gaara and Sasuke nearby.
"Hey brat you should be taught some lesson for bumping into strangers," Kankuro said to Konohamaru. He wanted to teach this little boy a lesson for bumping into him.
"Hey Raccoon in jacket, put down that boy, " Naruto said to Kankuro while walking towards them.
Before Kankuro could reply, a stone hit him in the hand and some blood came out of his hand. Konohamaru fell from his hand and ran behind Naruto.
"Who the hell are you now, smartass " Kankuro said to the unexpected visitor. He is now angry at another guy for interrupting him and teaching some lessons to a random brat.
"What are you doing in other villages? picking a fight with brats, "Sasuke said to Kankuro from the tree with a prideful smirk.
"It's none of your business, you are going to pay for hurting me, " Kankuro said and took the long bundle which is hanging behind his back. Temari gets tensed at the moment.
"Kankuro, stop embarrassing our village, we are here for the chunin exam. If you don't stop, I will kill you," Gaara appeared on the other side of the branch. Sasuke and others are shocked by his appearance.
Naruto sensed him earlier and now he is sensing three more people watching him and them.
"What's your name," Sasuke asked Gaara directly. He can feel that he is above genin level.
"Subaku no Gaara, and what's your name," Gaara asked him after seeing him hit Kankuro effortlessly with a simple rock. He felt to keep an eye on this guy. He might threaten his existence.
"Sasuke Uchiha," Sasuke said with pride after all everyone knows the Uchiha clan even if there are only two people left in his clan now.
"Let's go Temari and Kankuro," Gaara commanded them to come with him. They followed after him. Soon the three pairs of watching eyes left behind them. Sakura ran after Sasuke to tell him about the afternoon meeting.
"Naruto nii chan, why didn't you say something about you," Konohamaru wanted to know why he didn't tell them about him.
"Let them focus on Sasuke, I don't care about attention. Never sell yourself short, they wanted to know about Sasuke, not me, so don't bother," Naruto said to Konohamaru and left from there. He has a cruel smile on his face. Nobody knows about his plans for the Chunin exams.
In the training ground.....
"This is a Chunin exam participation form. If you are interested in Chunin exams, sign it and bring it on Sunday on the third floor of academy room 306," Kakashi said to his three students with his famous eye smile. He is expecting them to accept it.
"I am ready for any challenge," Sasuke is excited to face new challenges. He has to face a guy like Gaara to improve. To kill his brother he has to become more powerful.
"I am ready too," Sakura is ready to follow Sasuke everywhere. She can't leave him alone because Ino can take him anytime from her.
"I am taking the chunin exam," Naruto said with a smile as if he was expecting it. After all, he does not want to remain Genin forever. He has a lot of plans for this Chunin exam.
" Don't forget the time I will be waiting for you there," Kakashi said to his Genin team and disappeared from there in shunshin.
All the members of Team 7 agreed to participate in the Chunin exam. After they agreed on this they left the ground for the preparation and more practice for what is about to come in the exam.
In the evening...
Naruto was walking home after some self-practice. When Hinata came to him.
"Hello Naruto kun, I wanna tell you something. Can you walk with me," Hinata asked him with a very surprised tone. Then Hinata looked in his eyes lovingly.
"Yeah sure Hinata, let's go to the nearby training ground," Naruto said to her like it was normal for them. Naruto and Hinata walked together and she was trying to talk with him, but he didn't bother to listen.
"You know I love you so much Naruto kun, " Hinata said with a lot of confidence while looking at him in his eyes. In response, Naruto did something unexpected. He punched Hinata in the gut.
"You know why I punched you Hinata, because you are not her, your transformation is good but your acting sucks, and I am not attracted to guys," Naruto said to fake Hinata with a smile. Hinata changed into some unknown masked shinobi which he didn't recognize, he took out a blade.
They charged at each other, Naruto took out his tanto which he got from his mother's belongings. They clashed with each other. They exchanged blade after blade and tested each other out to find the flaws in their kenjutsu.
"How did you recognize me and when," that random ninja is curious about how he got caught. One thing is sure to him this boy is good at catching people off guard. He wanted to catch him off guard but things became reverse. He blocked another of Naruto's attacks.
"When you came to meet me, your body language was different, even you tried to mimic her. She is a little confident and not overconfident. Your chakra signature is like someone is hiding something from me and her chakra signature is like a river. By the way, she immediately blushes when she looks at me in the eyes," Naruto told him like he knows Hinata like an open book. They parried for a few more minutes. No dangerous moves were made by both sides.
"You are good, Kakashi produced a fine student," a random ninja said and left like he was testing him.
'So they were testing us for the Chunin exam, I hope I didn't hit him so hard in the gut, I should improve my chakra sensing a bit more in range, I sensed Iruka sensei watching me from a distance,' Naruto thought about it and left to his house for his other preparation. A nasty surprise is what he is looking forward to giving other participants in the chunin exam.
With Kakashi...
"They are all good and ready for the chunin exam, they all passed the test," Iruka appeared behind Kakashi and told him the result of his test.
"Told you Iruka, have some faith in your students," Kakashi said with confidence. He knew what his students were capable of and he wanted to see how much they could improve. This is a world of shinobi where you can't hide from danger but you have to face it.
"I am happy to see they have improved so much in little time, but I was surprised to see Naruto using kenjutsu. The Anbu who went to test him was impressed and he told me Naruto caught him totally off guard," Iruka was genuinely impressed by the fact that Naruto learned kenjutsu and was praised by someone very good at it.
"He might have sensed you, forgot to tell you but he is a very good sensor like all uzumaki's. Maybe even better and he taunts like hell that opponent loses his cool. I expect him to become chunin this year. He is very cunning for his good and his plans are out of this world, " Kakashi said to Iruka with pride in his student. Something which is noticed by Iruka.
"He already knew that we were testing him which is surprising, but what do you think about Sakura and Sasuke," Iruka was curious about the progress of other members of team 7. He felt like Kakashi wasn't confident about his other students except Naruto.
"Sasuke is good, no doubt about it. But he is revengeful which clouds his judgment. He likes to prove himself and is very prideful like a lone wolf. Not a chunin material if you ask me honestly but still he can become chunin by skills alone," Kakashi answered him truthfully. He knows from the very beginning he is difficult to handle. Most of the time he likes to search the way he can become more powerful.
"What about Sakura, " Iruka was more curious about Sakura now.
"Sakura has perfect chakra control, she can become a medic or a genjutsu mistress. She can improve faster but she is too much stuck on Sasuke, as a fan girl. I didn't like it. She can improve during the chunin exams that's why I am sending her," Kakashi sighed at his helpless situation. He hopes she can improve after looking at what other kunoichi are capable of especially those who are similar to her age.
"Your situation is quite bad, Kakashi. I hope Naruto is not giving you a hard time," Iruka is surprised by how things are going in Kakashi's team and he doesn't like it either.
"Except for his food bills, I am not worried about him. He has solutions for everything most of the time. He changed a lot if I remember correctly. I still remember how others froze up in front of Zabuza. Naruto laughed at him and destroyed the tree with one attack in which Zabuza was standing. I hate to admit it but he scared Zabuza with his tricks. Even he mentioned Might Dai the eternal genin and father of Might Gai in front of Zabuza which earned a lot of reaction," Kakashi remembers the incident in the back of his mind like yesterday. He also remembers how his eternal rival Gai lost his father but didn't drown in sadness but strived to become like his father.
"I never expected Naruto to be this good, you other students may come on the right track sooner or later Kakashi. I also heard that Gai's students are also participating this year in the chunin exam," Iruka told Kakashi with a smile. Everybody knows Gai takes his rivalry to the next level.
After having a nice talk with Kakashi, Iruka leaves for his home. He is sure that this Chunin exam is going to be very exciting. He retired to his bed, he has a lot of work in Hokage's office during school holidays.