The exams were to be held in Konoha in October.
That left them about three months to prepare. Kakashi seemed to think it was more than enough.
Or at least, that's what Naruto thought he got from the man. It was kind of hard to read a lone eye. And the man liked to fuck with their minds anyway.
"Okay, maybe I have no idea what he thinks."
Training was going great, though. Sure, he had almost no free time, the sessions were painful, he was running low on chakra all the time since he had clones doing more theoretical work, and he was actually tired most of the time.
Sure, there was all that. He didn't care, as long as Kakashi trained them all to their limit, which he was doing with surprising zeal.
He hadn't known what to expect of the stern looking man, but he turned out to be a somewhat quirky, generally casual sort.
All in all, he liked him. Well, at the end of the day, at least.
Not when he made them do mud runs in the early mornings.
Not when he made them eat as much protein as they could fit in their daily lunches.
Not when he had them stretch until Naruto felt they were ready to become contortionists.
Not when he laughed while they failed at water walking.
But yeah, the rest of the time.
He was having them do so much practical work that it felt as though he was running them through ANBU bootcamp. Or that's what Sasuke had said. He himself had no idea what ANBU meant, besides shady murders.
Luckily, he had his clones doing most of the reading for him.
He would get around mentioning them to Kakashi, but... not yet.
He was kinda terrified of what sort of devilish routine he'd concoct if he knew about them.
Speaking of.
When Sakura had asked how he managed to read this much, he had explained his clone trick, without mentioning the basement full of them.
It was the first time he saw such envy on her face, and he wasn't sure how he could help, since she didn't have the reserve to maintain even a single one for long.
Sometimes he wondered if she felt lonely.
Ino and him were likely the only ones she had regular contact with, and she had decided against going to civilian school, choosing to learn on her own.
Sasuke -- and Toru, to a lesser extent -- would likely spend more time with her, but...
Sakura had gotten used to the change in depth perception that came with only having one working eye somewhat easily, but the arm was more difficult to deal with.
She still remembered the way her arm had cooked, and felt a bit strange around both Uchiha.
Maybe therapy would help, but unlike the physical aspects, they didn't come for free for shinobi.
To Naruto, there was something to be said about it. The village would keep a ninja in working shape, but nothing would be done to help them cope with the... unique aspects of their profession, such as the widespread trauma, and detachment that usually came with it.
No wonder some of the shinobi were so screwed up.
A more traitorous part of him wondered if this was done on purpose, even.
There were some questions he didn't feel ready to ask Sarutobi-sama.
Same thing went for his dreams.
As for Sakura... well, Naruto would make sure to check on her.
Especially now that Ino was busy preparing for the exams as well. He was glad that Asuma seemed to be doing well enough to resume his duties to his team, considering they were going to risk their lives soon.
"So yeah, that's how to use the Lightning Palm. I think you got it down."
"Thanks." Naruto said, actually feeling grateful. "Having a few non-lethal jutsu helps a lot, sensei."
"I mean, it can be lethal, if you want." Kakashi shrugged. "Just overcharge it."
"I'll keep it in mind." Naruto waved off.
"Next one is a very handy one when traveling, as you can use it to recharge electronics. Make sure to get the voltage right, though, you don't want to fry your things."
Across the training grounds, two of Kakashi's clones were teaching Sasuke and Toru some Fire Release jutsu.
"Also, make sure to actually name your techniques, at least in your mind. It sounds goofy on paper, but it makes the difference, when it comes to your ability to visualize it."
"Do we have to scream their names?" Toru asked. The theatricals were the best part of the whole thing.
"Only if you want to."
They managed to cram a whole lot of last minute training in these three months, in the end.
Gaara of the Desert looked up as the door to the theoretical first exam opened.
Strange. There was nothing that really stood out about the mousy brown haired Konoha shinobi.
His teammates were Uchiha, for sure, and stood with easy confidence, scanning the room with sharp eyes.
He himself was of medium height, and lightly muscled. Probably a close-range specialist, even though he couldn't see any weapon on him. Likely sealed, then.
But there was something about him that screamed familiarity.
Had Gaara been anyone else, this would have been a reason enough for him to engage in light conversation, and see why he felt that way.
Gaara decided he'd introduce himself later. Then he'd crush him to death.
Karin (no clan) felt him enter the room as well.
The boy, who was apparently from the Sarutobi clan, according to the markings on his traditional -- even kinda outdated -- black ninja gear, had one of the strongest presences in the room.
Well, the largest chakra source was the girl with lime green hair, by far, followed by the terrifying red-head carrying a gourd.
Sarutobi came third, but at least his chakra didn't feel as... oppressive and non-human as the others.
She didn't like being here. She hated feeling so weak, compared to the many powerful signatures she could feel in the room. She hated being weak.
In truth, she hated a lot of things about her life, in general.
She had wanted to be a shinobi, to become powerful, and free.
The higher-ups had just made her a tool for others, instead.
She hated Kusa, she hated Konoha too. She dreamed of being alone, close to the sea.
Karin had been forced to participate, in order to make sure her teammates survived.
Her own fate didn't seem to matter much, other than this.
Ino had winked at Naruto when she caught him staring at her team.
He nodded, wishing her good luck silently once more. They had talked the night before, in any case. He didn't want her to be associated with him too much, in case the exam turned south.
He smiled at Neji, who smiled back. He wasn't worried much about him, since the teams facing Gai's students were likely to be the ones to pity, instead.
Hinata grabbed Sasuke's sleeve, whispering him good luck in a quiet tone, before leaving.
Besides a redhead who stared at him with murder in his eyes, nothing was too out of place. You could get used to anything.
The exam started without much fanfare, a quiet affair.
There were some mental games being played, it seemed.
So the exam was likely not about simply answering the questions.
What were the required qualities for a chūnin again...?
"Leadership...? Nah, makes no sense here. Preparation? Yeah, that must be it."
Always be prepared.
Well, he had done the required reading beforehand, so the exam was pretty straightforward.
He couldn't help but notice a ton of people cheating, but well, if they hadn't wanted to read the dry books, he couldn't blame them much.
The ability to improvise was almost as important as preparation for a ninja.
When he turned to look at Toru, he saw him staring at him somewhat sheepishly, Sharingan on.
He mouthed. "What?"
Toru mimed writing and waited.
"Oh." Now he got it.
He snorted.
Well, if his teammate needed to copy off his paper, who was he to deny him?
The tenth question was another test meant to see who was too weak-willed to pass, likely. So he waited.
Plus, no one in this room had the pull to force them to remain genin, even less so when it came to the people from outside Konoha.
"Well. Maybe Kakashi or the old man could."
And they'd be dickish enough to do it, too.
The second exam was taking place in the Forest of Death.
"How nostalgic..." Toru whispered. Sasuke tried to fight back a smile.
"Now it's time for you children to sign these waivers, in case you were to die. We don't want Konoha to be responsible, of course." A man with short cropped green hair laughed.
To pass, they only had to make sure to arrive at the Tower in the middle of the forest with a scroll of Heaven, and a scroll of Earth.
Easy enough. Plus they kinda knew the layout, by now.
"Toru. Sasuke."
They turned to face him.
"We should be able to manage just fine, right?" They nodded. Kakashi was a dick, but he knew what he was doing. If he felt they were ready, they likely had been for months. Or that's what they figured, at least."Well, I have a favor to ask."
"Shoot." "Do tell."
"Can we make sure that everyone from the Academy makes it out alive? I don't care about them passing, just that." Naruto asked.
They looked at each other, then at him with identical smirks.
"Well of course, we were planning on it anyway." Sasuke shrugged.
Toru continued. "But... Is there someone in particular you want to keep an eye on?"
For some reason, Naruto felt vaguely embarrassed, as well as annoyed.
"Of course not."
It didn't seem to convince them.
They went into the forest after around half the people had gone in.
They were the last Konoha team to go in.
Naruto nodded to his teammates, and summoned three clones, using around a fourth of his chakra. A hefty cost, but he'd manage.
He weaved.
Dragon, Ox, Tiger, Snake.
"Lightning Release: Starlight"
A ball of light, smaller than a fist appeared in his hand.
The Sharingan could see in the dark, sure...
But he couldn't. And this was more chakra-efficient anyway. It also had the advantage of bringing greedy enemy teams straight to them. Part of him wondered if this wasn't being overconfident.
His clones split, tailing the other Leaf teams.
He would have sent one to after Neji's team too, but he could be very competitive and he knew the older boy would likely burst his clone the moment he saw it, no matter how good his intention had been.
Hinata was likely to notice him anyway, so he would have to make sure to stay more than a hundred meters away.
He sent it after Team Four, the one team he wasn't very familiar with.
They were still Konoha ninjas, so comrades, technically.
Team Six leaped into the trees. The exam was on the moment they had entered.
Uchiha Shishui groaned as he let himself fall back. On the other side of the training ground, Uchiha Itachi sat down on a stump with a bit more grace.
"Are you worried?" Shisui asked.
"...Just a little tense."
A tense Itachi looked pretty much like a regular Itachi to most people, mostly because he was a master of the poker face. Shisui knew him a bit better than that, though. "Because of the exam?"
"Not the exam itself." Itachi sighed. "It's more about who they sent this year."
"Anybody interesting?"
Itachi threw him a side-look. "You could say that. Waterfall sent their jinchūriki. Not much is known about her though."
"The Seven-Tails, then? I hope Sasuke and Toru are careful, then."
Suna became much weaker as a village when they lost possession of Nanabi, it was no secret.
"There's more. Ever heard of Gaara of the Desert?"
Shisui frowned. "The Sand's unstable jinchūriki? They actually sent him?"
Itachi nodded.
"God, I hate this creepy little fucker."
Itachi blinked. "You met him?"
"I had the chance to, yes. When I was sent to Suna for three weeks, two years ago."
"I remember."
"Well, the Kazekage has about as much control over his son than the kid does over his Bijū." Shisui snorted.
"Not much, then?"
"None."
Team Eight had learned a few things about tracking under Hyūga Kō's leadership.
Rule number one: The tracker sets the pace.
Kiba's nose having the furthest range, he was the one currently leading.
They had easily managed to steal an Earth scroll from one of the weaker Sand teams.
Kiba stiffened and held up a hand, motioning Shino and Hinata to stop.
"I smell blood. And I think I heard something." Being an Inuzuka, all of his senses were sharp, even though his smell was by war the strongest.
"Where from?" Hinata asked.
"Down, I think. To the east."
She held up her hands in the Ram seal.
"Byakugan."
Her sight expanded. Even after years of using it, it felt strange. She couldn't tell which part was weirder, the near perfect field of vision the Hyūga dōjutsu provided... or seeing the world in the restrictive way the way people did normally.
She located the source of the noise Kiba had heard easily.
Under the remains of a broken tree was a Rain ninja.
"I see someone, Kiba, Shino. They're alone, and injured, too. I don't think it is a trap." She said.
They consulted each other, before deciding to go.
A teenager, three or so years older than them lay there, bleeding from a leg injury. It didn't look particularly dangerous, but he had already lost a lot of blood, according to the trail he had left.
He noticed them quickly.
"What the hell?" He grimaced and tried to reach for a weapon. "No, no, no..."
Shino spoke. "We're not here to fight you, we already have a scroll."
"Why should I trust you?"
"You can't know that." Hinata said, acknowledging the truth. "But I assure you, we just came to see if we could help."
"Don't come any closer!"
"Come on man, we're not trying to trick you." Kiba held up both scrolls. "See? Got what we need already."
"That's not the problem!"
"What is?" Shino asked.
Hinata saw something else. "Kiba, wait. Don't approach him. There's something weird about his leg."
He halted, looking at her curiously. They had never been close in the academy, but ever since they had been put on the same team, he had learned that while she was not the very talkative type, she usually had something important to say when she did speak.
She activated the Byakugan again.
"Oh no."
"What is it, Hinata?"
"It's in me...? Is it in me?!" The genin started getting more agitated. "Please, no. Please!"
"There's foreign chakra in his leg. It's spreading through his body at a slow rate."
"What is it doing to him?" Shino asked.
"I don't know yet. We shouldn't get any closer, though." Hinata decided.
Kiba sighed. "Sorry, you've heard her."
The teenager said nothing, but he was getting frantic. He was muttering something... What was that?
"A demon?" Kiba asked, his curiosity now piqued.
"There's a demon in the forest! It killed my teammates! It... It... really killed them. Both." There were angry tears in his eyes. "Now it's going to kill me too."
"Oh no." Hinata said, feeling miserable for him.
"Look, I'm sorry, man." Kiba said. "I think I see who you're talking about, though. The short, red-haired guy from Sand, right? We did well to avoid him then, guys."
Shino's insects started buzzing heavily.
Hinata's byakugan noticed a heavy chakra approaching. No.
It wasn't approaching. It had been close to them the whole time.
It had been hidden from the Byakugan. Hidden from Kiba and Shino, as well.
All three of them tensed.
A girly laugh echoed in the forest. The injured ninja shivered.
"What does Suna have to do with this?!" The Rain genin was now shouting. "I'm talking about this monster girl from Waterfall!"
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