Naruto smiled brightly when he saw the latest team come into the tower. "Karin-chan, you made it."
"Naruto-kun, you're here already?" asked Karin surprised.
"Yep, we were the second team to arrive," said Naruto proudly. "You made it just in time too. They just called for all of the genin to assemble in the auditorium."
"Not fair," pouted Karin. "I'm exhausted. I have no chakra left either."
"Maybe you can borrow some of mine?" Naruto half suggested, half asked.
"I wouldn't even know how to do that," said Karin pouting further.
"Me neither," said Naruto with a matching pout.
"Well come on," said Karin linking her arm with Naruto and guiding him forward grudgingly.
"Fine," sighed Naruto unable to hide his smile at having family.
"Where are your teammates?" asked Karin as they walked.
"Last I saw Sakura-chan and Ino were jabbering away walking together. I have no idea where Sasuke-teme got off to. Where are your teammates?"
"They're assholes," said Karin grouchy. "I was only assigned to this team cause their previous teammate made chuunin in the last exam and they needed a third but they're total jerks to me."
"Good thing you'll be a Konohagakure shinobi soon," said Naruto.
"So you already talked to the Hokage?" asked Karin excitedly.
"Yep," said Naruto. "I guess we're giving up a few prisoners that Kusagakure wants that we captured before they could and a few missions over the next year or two."
"Isn't that expensive?" asked Karin.
"A little but jiji says we, Konohagakure that is, owe it to Uzushiogakure for us failing to save them in the past so it's all good," explained Naruto as they walked.
Eventually they came to the assembly area and with a quick wave and salute to each other plus a grin they moved to take their places with their teams.
"Welcome to those of you who made it this far," said Sarutobi as he began a long-winded explanation of the purpose of the exams as a substitute for war.
"Due to the number of teams that have made it this far we will be having a preliminary round immediately," explained the jounin proctor Gekko Hayate. "Anyone wishing to withdraw please do so now."
No one moved at all.
"Very well," he said with a cough. He then pointed to a leader board suspended above the Hokage's seat. "Uchiha Sasuke and Kubo Subo remain, everyone else please head up to the balcony."
Sasuke took his spot on the starting line across from the Kusagakure shinobi.
Up on the balcony Naruto stood with Sakura, Kakashi and Karin who decided to stand with him.
"Sakura-chan, Kakashi-sensei, this is Uzumaki Karin, my cousin," he introduced her quickly.
"She looks like your mother," said Kakashi glancing up from his book.
"Isn't she from Kusagakure?" asked Sakura confused.
"Jiji worked out an exchange since I claimed her as part of the Uzumaki clan," explained Naruto.
The call of 'hajime' from down in the arena called their attention to the short lived but devastating fight below.
"Winner, Uchiha Sasuke," said Hayate who like most of those assembled was disturbed by the speed and brutality in which Sasuke executed the Kusagakure genin.
"You bastard," screamed the boys teammate from the other end of the balcony.
"It was his twin brother," explained Karin sadly. "He wasn't a nice person, not to me but that was..."
"Ruthless," said Naruto with a frown. Sasuke made one evasive move on the opening strike from Subo and then stabbed him through the heart from behind before immolating the body from the stab would outward.
"Kubo Bosu versus Aburame Shino," called Hayate reading off the board.
"I'll kill you. I'll make your whole village pay for the life of my brother," said Bosu blinded by rage when he landed in the arena.
"I do not see the need to kill you," said Shino calmly.
"You'd better kill me or I swear I'll do anything and everything to see your family and village burn," said Subo nearly foaming at the mouth.
"I see," said Shino with a hint of anger to his voice.
Kubo attacked blinded by his rage.
Naruto shook his head at the fight. "This is sad. He doesn't stand a chance if he keeps that up."
"Revenge can destroy a person," said Sasuke surprising his teammates and sensei. "The blinding rage, the need to feel anything different but the hatred that boils in your soul."
"It's a dark and lonely road," said Kakashi. "There is an expression. When one seeks revenge one should dig two graves."
"One cannot seek revenge unless one is prepared for exactly that to happen," said Sasuke. "I had that particular lesson drummed into me recently. I have accepted the possibility."
Kakashi nodded reluctantly accepting Sasuke's statement. It still left him feeling somewhat sad.
"Winner Aburame Shino," called Hayate before signaling the iryonin to take away the body.
"Sabaku Kankuro versus. Akimichi Chouji," called Hayate.
Chouji wasted no time once the fight began. "Nikudan sensha," he called loudly turning himself into a spinning ball of death and jetting towards Kankuro.
Kankuro's eyes widened in surprise but did not move as Chouji mowed him down.
Chouji believing he won stopped his attack. He was surprised when Kankuro began to jerk himself into standing position with a clicking and clacking noise. The way Kankuro moved looked mechanical to Chouji. It took him a few seconds to understand this was Sunagakure's infamous kugutsu no jutsu.
"Bubun baika no jutsu," shouted Chouji punching his arm forward as it magnified in size in the hopes of shattering the puppet.
The puppet that was Kankuro began to crack as the plaster gave way. As the fist approached a number of spikes popped out the joints and main body of the puppet.
Chouji's punch hit the puppet shattering the thing with the strength behind it but that didn't stop the spikes from piercing Chouji's fist.
Kankuro appeared then out the bandaged package. "You've lost. The poison on those blades will kill you in about a minute unless you take this antidote," he said holding up a small vial.
Chouji paused, he could try to defeat Kankuro fast and take the antidote but there was no guarantee that Kankuro's antidote wasn't a fake.
"You should feel your pulse quickening about now, maybe your breathing is struggling by now. Soon you won't be able to breath at all."
Chouji frowned angrily. "Fine, I forfeit. Now the antidote. The real one."
Kankuro smirked before reaching into his pouch and tossing a vial to Chouji which he quickly drank trusting the other boy to keep his word.
"You'll be sick for a week but should be fine after that," laughed Kankuro, "What you just drank was a laxative you stupid fat-ass. That's what you get for destroying one of my puppets."
A lot of the Konohagakure genin had to be held back by their sensei and one of the sensei had to be held back.
"That was such a cheap trick," said Naruto annoyed.
"It was but it was still a valid shinobi tactic," said Kakashi as he effortlessly held Sakura back.
"At least he obliterated one of his puppets," said Naruto pleased that his friend did so well under the circumstances. "They can't be that easy to replace or repair."
"They are not, they are truthfully very expensive. Which means he's probably got other nasty puppets just waiting."
Meanwhile, poor Chouji suddenly grabbed his stomach then his ass and bolted from the assembly room.
"Why would any shinobi carry around a laxative though?" asked Naruto. "It sounds like something I'd do in one of my pranks."
"Poison users often have to ingest their own poisons so they can build an immunity. Sometimes they get... Hmm, how should I say this? Clogged? Backed-up? Anyway, you get the idea," explained Kakashi still staring at his book.
Sakura and Naruto both turned a little green at that.
"Anyway, Sunagakure and Konohagakure are allied, we're lucky he chose not to use a lethal poison. I would fully expect next round his poison will be completely lethal so if any of you fight him please keep that in mind."
The trio nodded before looking to the next fight between Tenten and Sabaku Temari that was about to start.
"Ooh," Naruto awed. "This is gonna be neat. Tenten's weapons are mean. So cool but so mean."
"Based on that fan, I'd say Temari-san is a wind user," said Sakura. "Tenten is going to have to be able to get in close to her."
"Doton: yaburu bakuhatsu no jutsu (Earth: rupture explosion)," Tenten called out slamming the ground with her club, utsu-chan, in Temari's direction. A large fissure appeared in the ground from the point of impact and traveling quickly at Temari and widening as it traveled towards the girl exploding upwards every few feet filling the fissure back in again as it traveled.
Temari's eyes widened in shock at the imminent threat and danger to herself. She opened her fan and tossed it into the air and then jumped on top of it.
Tenten smirked when she saw Temari in the air. She immediately began throwing kunai at the girl.
Temari gave her own return smirk as she easily dodged the projectiles. The smirk was short lived as the kunai started detonating at random intervals spewing shrapnel and fire around the point of detonation. When he fan was sheered by one explosion that came too close she was forced to land.
Tenten grinned more once she saw the fan tear. Running at the point she expected Temari to land with utsu-chan in hand and ready she met the girl.
Temari brought her closed fan up to block the swing from the club not expecting the point where the fan and club met to explode in her direction sending her bodily skipping across the ground before finally impacting with the wall.
"Winner, Tenten," called out Hayate seeing Temari was clearly unconscious from the impact with the wall.
"Please don't ever let her place seals on Gai's nunchaku," said Kakashi with a slight quaver in his voice.
"Or Lee's bo," said Naruto with his own quavering voice. "I told you her weapons were mean."
"I might have to talk to her," said Sakura with a thoughtful look on her face and a finger pressed to her chin causing Naruto to shiver.
"Yamanaka Ino versus Haruno Sakura," called Hayate reading the leader board.
"Get her Sakura-chan," called Naruto, excited for his teammate.
Sakura nodded once and smiled at Naruto.
"Good luck Haruno-san," said Sasuke politely.
"Thank you both," said Sakura jumping over the balcony and landing to meet her best friend in combat.
"Well, this should be interesting," said Ino meeting her friend in the middle.
"Your poison against my ability to heal the poison," said Sakura fairly as she walked to meet her friend in the center.
When they finally met in the middle they both smirked.
"Hajime," called Hayate.
Sakura and Ino both glanced at Hayate before standing up straight and putting arm around the other and as one spoke. "We surrender."
The room was stunned as they both laughed merrily.
"Very well," said Hayate between coughing and laughing.
The girls gave each other a high five before running back to their teams.
"What the hell was that?" demanded Naruto.
"I've been so focused on iryonin training my combat skills have suffered. Ino-chan has been really focused on her poisons and throwing skills. It would basically end up in a stalemate as a result. I'd heal whatever she did to me and she wouldn't use anything lethal on me so she wouldn't be able to put me down either. It would end up in a stupid and unskilled slug-fest that neither of us would win. We knew that coming in today so..."
"Very smartly done Sakura-chan," complimented Kakashi. "We'll be sure to spend more time working on your combat skills now that you've completed your rank I certification."
"Thank you Kakashi-sensei," said Sakura with a bright smile.
"Nara Shikamaru versus Uzumaki Karin," called Hayate earning a murmur from the Konohagakure shinobi present.
Karin though frowned. She had hoped she would have more time to recover her chakra but apparently that was not to be.
"Good luck Karin-chan," said Naruto cheerfully.
"Thanks," said Karin nervously as she dropped over the edge of the balcony.
"Troublesome," whined Shikamaru as he ambled down the stairs and out to the fight area.
Once Shikamaru had finally come to the fight line Hayate began the fight. "Hajime!"
Shikamaru clicked his tongue. "I don't supposed we could just settled this over a game of shogi?" He fully expected an outright refusal.
"Deal!" shouted Karin happily. She was still mostly out of chakra and the idea of a fight was not in her at the moment.
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow before looking to the proctor. "Can we?"
"It's your fight," said Hayate with a shake of his head.
Shikamaru sat down and pulled out a scroll where he unsealed a shogi board and pieces.
Karin sat down across from him excitedly. She was not the strongest fighter normally but she was a hell of a strategist. She like most Uzumaki naturally had a very complex brain. Her father taught her very young how important it was to learn to focus as an Uzumaki prior to his death. It was natural for her to think many steps ahead of everyone around her. Shogi was one of the ways her father taught her focusing and planning.
Once the board was set the pair met eyes before looking at the board then back at each other. This went on for about five minutes without either making a move.
"I surrender," said Karin finally. "You're the toughest opponent I've ever faced."
"Troublesome," said Shikamaru. "We should play again sometime when we have more time."
"But they didn't even move a piece," shouted Kiba.
Naruto looked to Kakashi for an explanation.
"It's surprising," said Kakashi. "I've heard about this kind of thing but I've never seen it. They just played several games mentally in that short time. It's quite astounding."
"How? I don't understand," said Naruto grabbing his hair in frustration.
"It's said that a master can look another in the eyes and see their first moves. From there they can just see the whole game proceed, every move and possible move followed by the conclusion of the game. It is a really scary ability. I've heard of true samurai doing the same thing. I've experienced something similar once in my shinobi career during a small conflict over trade rights in Cha no Kuni with a Kumogakure shinobi. We still fought but we both knew at the start of that fight what the outcome would be. It was sad that neither of us had any choice in the matter but to fight regardless of what we knew," explained Kakashi in more detail.
"Could I ever do that?" asked Naruto.
"Maybe someday," said Kakashi honestly.
Before Naruto could ask anymore about it, Hayate announced the next fight. "Uzumaki Naruto versus Inuzuka Kiba."
"Yatta!" shouted Naruto and Kiba at the same time.
"We get the easy fight, Akamaru," said Kiba excitedly as he landed in the fighting area.
"You wish," said Naruto approaching the fight line.
"As if you have any chance at all, dead last," said Kiba with a sneer.
"You know, I've been wanting to wipe that look off your face for days. I didn't think I'd get the chance before you fell to some wannabe punk-ass bitch," said Naruto with a grin seeing how much Kiba was getting worked up.
Kiba snarled at Naruto. "I'm going to make you eat those words. Shikyaku no jutsu!" Kiba then dropped low to his hands looking even more feral than before.
"Oh, so you want to go feral huh?" asked Naruto with a mimicking snarl of his own. He pulled on kyuubi's chakra causing red chakra to surround him. He too then dropped to his hands matching Kiba's stance as he continued to become more and more feral. His canine teeth sharpened and elongated while his fingernails turned into claws. The red chakra then began to form a single tail behind him. When it stopped his chakra cloak flashed once sharpening into straight smooth lines around him instead of the bubbly mess when he first started training to use this.
"What the hell is that?" asked Kiba unable to stop his shaking.
"Sorry Kiba," said Naruto, his voice several octaves deeper. "You don't stand a chance."
Akamaru bit Kiba's hand causing him to snap out of his fear.
"Heh, just a cheep imitation," said Kiba.
Naruto smirked slightly before vanishing.
Kiba's eyes widened looking around for Naruto.
"You sure about that?" asked Naruto softly in Kiba's ear from directly behind him.
Kiba jerked his head to look over his shoulder to see a fist jetting toward him surrounded by swirling chakra.
Naruto's fist impacted Kiba's cheek launching him across the floor spinning and rolling as he went.
Kiba managed to get his feet under him and slid. His eye though was swelled shut already as was his cheek swollen. He probably had a broken orbital and jaw—not that he knew or cared.
Naruto blurred again, this time reappearing inside Kiba's reach but before Kiba could react Naruto kicked low hitting Kiba's upper leg causing a very loud snapping noise to fill the auditorium. Kiba's body tumbled end over end once again.
Kiba tried to get his feet under him again only find that one of his legs could no longer support his weight.
"Lights out," said Naruto standing behind Kiba before giving him a quick hit to the back of the neck with the butt of a kunai.
"Winner Uzumaki Naruto," said Hayate signaling the iryonin to begin treating.
Naruto meanwhile was working to defuse the kyuubi cloak and draw the chakra back in. Once that was done he dragged himself back to his teammates doing his best to ignore the looks of fear and surprise from the other genin, even a few jounin.
"Good control there Naruto," said Kakashi as Naruto rejoined them. "But don't you think you could have held back a little bit. Maybe save that as a trump card."
"He had it coming," said Naruto tiredly as he slumped down against the wall. "I needed to send a message that I'm not the dead last anymore. That I'm strong and capable. And by using kyuubi like that it sends a message to the other villages."
"I understand," said Kakashi. "Even still, it would have been a better display during the finals."
"I don't want the villagers to see that. They would just fear me more, but here. Here we're all shinobi. We all understand a bit more than most, both the light and the dark."
"What do you mean kyuubi?" asked Sasuke.
Naruto had suddenly realized that the bastard Uchiha was right next to him. "Well shit, that cat's out of the bag."
"It's not like you could have kept it in the bag at that point anyway," said Sakura. "You have to know every one of the other genin from our year are going to be asking you about it."
"Shit," said Naruto with a heavy sigh. "I'm too tired to explain. I just want to nap."
"You're probably going to have to explain. Better sooner than latter. You have an advantage right now in that everyone has seen you use it and more importantly control it even if you put Kiba down rather thoroughly," advised Kakashi putting his book away.
Naruto thumped his head on the wall behind him once for his own stupidity in not thinking everything through before the fight. It didn't change the fact that he thoroughly enjoyed putting the smack down on Kiba.
"I'll arrange a meeting for once everyone is recovered enough for it to be explained," said Kakashi.
"Sounds good to me," said Naruto before glaring at Sasuke. "So look, I don't trust you, that much should be obvious to you at this point. But due to my own big mouth you know I have something to do with kyuubi. So here it is, on the day I was born, the day the kyuubi attacked Konohagakure, in order to stop the shithead, the yondaime sealed said shithead inside me. Any questions? None? Great, let's move on."
Sasuke blinked once. Nodded. Then looked back to the fight below that was about to commence.
"Naruto," called Kakashi breaking Naruto's glare. "I know you're tired but this is a fight you need to watch. Gaara is Sunagakure's jinchuuriki."
Naruto immediately bounced up to his feet and gripped the rail tightly to watch the fight about to take place in spite of his fatigue from using the kyuubi's chakra.
"Is he controlling sand?" asked Naruto watching Lee attack relentlessly.
"It seems some of it is automatically responding," said Kakashi thoughtfully.
"Even when Lee manages to be silent to close in the sand is reacting," said Naruto.
Down below Lee threw some smoke bombs hoping that if Gaara could not see then his sand could not react.
A large gust of wind cleared out the smoke instantly revealing Gaara unmoved and still undamaged.
"How is Lee supposed to hit him?" asked Sakura concerned.
"I don't think he can," said Kakashi. "I believe even I would be hard pressed to hit him with taijutsu only."
"Why doesn't Rock-san use ninjutsu?" asked Sasuke.
"He can't," said Naruto. "Something with his chakra coils is messed up or something. All he can use is taijutsu."
"That is unfortunate," said Sasuke. "He should withdraw before that sand kills him."
"Lee still has a trump card," said Naruto with a shiver. "If Gai lets him use it."
Kakashi's eyes narrowed towards Naruto. "How much sparring have you been doing with Lee-kun?"
"A lot actually," said Naruto. "He's one tough guy. He's the first sparring partner that I haven't been able to beat by attrition."
"And how do you know he has a trump card?" asked Kakashi not liking this.
"He helped me train with kyuubi's chakra which is why it is as refined as it is. In return he got to practice his trump card on my clones and me to an extent," explained Naruto watching Lee dart around the room now that his weights were off.
"It looks like he's finally getting through the sand," said Sakura excited that Lee might actually have a chance.
"He's still not making actual contact with Gaara though," said Sasuke. His sharingan eyes studying every aspect of the fight.
"Gai taught him the gates didn't he?" asked Kakashi unveiling his sharingan eye to watch closer.
"Yeah," said Naruto watching as Gaara's sand began to toss Lee around. "Is it me or has Gaara's control of the sand gotten faster since he uncrossed his arms?"
"It has gotten much faster," said Sasuke.
"How many gates can he open?" asked Kakashi.
"I've only seen him use 3 and that laid him up for 2 weeks afterward. I'm pretty sure he can use twice that many," said Naruto, his eyes glued to the fight.
"That was reckless of Gai," said Kakashi. "I understand that Lee has chakra issues but to put his life at risk like that... I'm disappointed."
"I don't see how opening the gates at this point would make a difference," said Naruto. "You should tell Gai-sensei to have Lee withdraw. Gaara hasn't even tapped into the bijuu's chakra yet."
"I'll be right back," said Kakashi walking away and towards Gai's team.
Naruto watched the ensuing argument from the two men. Gai's hands and arms gesticulating wildly. Counter to Kakashi's completely calm demeanor with his hands in his pockets. Finally Gai bowed his head, tears brimming at the corners of his eyes. He nodded once more before jumping into the arena between Lee and Gaara.
"My student forfeits," said Gai earning an appalled look from his student.
"But Gai-sensei, I can still win this!" shouted Lee defensively.
"No Lee, you cannot break this one with your current skill level. You already know this," said Gai. "Do not worry my most youthful student. We will continue to stoke the flames of your youth until the day comes that no defense can withstand the youthful power of my Lee-kun."
"Gai-sensei!" shouted Lee with tears in his eyes to match his sensei.
"Lee!"
"Gai-sensei!"
"Kokuangyo no jutsu!" shouted the hokage enveloping the room in darkness to protect all those present from the inevitable man-hug that was to ensue.
After five count the hokage dropped the jutsu to see the two breaking apart.
"That was close," said Sarutobi. The ANBU flanking either side of him nodded in agreement as did all the other jounin in the room.
"Winner Sabaku Gaara," said Hayate with a single weak cough.
Gaara used a suna shunshin to vanish and reappear with his brother and sensei.
"Whoever ends up fighting him is going to have to bring a whole new level of bad-ass," commented Naruto to his team and Karin.
"For the first time I'm glad I lost," said Karin with a shiver. "His chakra is horrible. It's scared, lonely, angry, confused, and full of hatred. It's all his chakra too, not the demon's that I felt there."
Sakura shivered at Karin's description. "I don't like the sound of that."
"He's a weapon," said Sasuke. "He was sent here as a message from Sunagakure."
"Not a very good message either," said Naruto darkly.
"Hyuuga Hinata versus Hyuuga Neji," announced Hayate. It was the final fight of the preliminary round.
"Kick his ass Hinata!" shouted Naruto seeing how nervous the girl was. He couldn't keep back his smirk when he saw the glare Neji leveled at him in return. He not so subtly stuck his tongue out at him in return. Naruto smiled brightly when he heard and saw Hinata giggle at the response. The giggle from the girls next to him didn't hurt either.
Down below Hinata and Neji both settled back into the traditional jyuuken stance and activated their byakugan.
"You've already lost," said Neji confidently. "I can see it in your stance. In the slight shiver of your hands and knees. You are already fated to lose."
"Don't listen to that blowhard!" shouted Naruto from the balcony. "Just fight your fight! But before that repeat after me! Go screw yourself Neji-teme!"
Hinata blushed deeply at the thought of her saying such a vulgar expression. It reminded her of the first part of the exam with Ibiki-san. Then it struck her, she didn't have to be afraid to fight him anymore. She knew she would probably lose but that was okay. She just had to show up and fight.
Hinata closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I may be fated to lose Neji-nisan and that's okay. I want to fight you anyway but for me. I can't always be afraid."
Neji sneered at her. "Stupid prideful main house fool."
Hinata shifted her stance back and lower. She had only begun to experiment in creating a soft style of jyuuken. It was horribly incomplete but at least she had her stances adjusted as she thought they should be as well as the transitions to move from stance to stance.
Neji's sneer seemed to amplify. "You can't even get a proper jyuuken stance right."
Hinata sprung forward almost gliding along the floor with an arm back.
Neji frowned at the foolishness of the move. He simply stepped forward to strike her down in one hit. The only problem is he didn't hit anything.
Hinata continued her forward glide and ducked low under the strike only to spin quickly around his forward leg. She struck quickly with a knife edge hit to his exposed armpit and continued to move past him as his arm dropped completely useless.
The look of shock on his face was something no one in the auditorium would ever forget.
"What the hell have you done?" demanded Neji. "What the hell style was that? That is not jyuuken or if it is how dare you bastardize our sacred art."
"I was told traditional hard style jyuuken did not fit my body type. I've been working to create a soft style that fits me," she explained calmly with only a few stutters. She was still in near shock that she had completely surprised Neji. Unfortunately she knew that would also mean he'd begin taking this much more seriously.
"Soft! That's all you are is soft," said Neji, his eyes blazing with rage.
"I am soft," said Hinata quietly except that she sounded very proud of the fact that she was.
Neji outright snarled as he began a relentless assault on her. Even with only one arm he was devastating. He was simply faster and stronger than her in every way. She could not have possibly kept up.
The fight ended with Hinata fairly beat up and bloody with bruising covering her arms.
Hayate interfered at this point as he saw Hinata trying to struggle to her feet. "Winner Hyuuga Neji." He then signaled the iryonin to come take Hinata for treatment.
"More special treatment for the main house," snarled Neji at the interruption. "Not that the main house will survive the changes coming."
Up on the balcony Naruto watched the overly one-sided fight. He was not happy with how Neji treated Hinata but understood that she needed to fight this fight. Him going in for the kill on his own family though just about sent him over the ledge. "He'd better hope we don't face off in the finals."
"He's a tough opponent," said Kakashi calmly. "But he is very one dimensional as a fighter. I would bet he ignored whatever training recommendations were given to him by SIPA."
"That is very arrogant," said Sasuke surprising his teammates.
"Not too long ago Uchiha-san you were just as arrogant if not more so if I remember correctly," said Kakashi glancing at the boy out the corner of his eye.
"I have suffered many defeats since then," said Sasuke reluctantly.
"You two had best go down and draw your positions for the finals," said Sakura calling their attention.
"We'll wait here for you two," said Kakashi. "Once you know your order and who you're fighting we'll discuss training for the next month until the finals."
"I've got iryonin training so I shouldn't interfere in their training," said Sakura.
"Don't worry about that," said Kakashi. "I will definitely find time to work with you on some offensive abilities so we don't have a repeat of today. Maybe you and Ino can train together even. You can teach her some iryojutsu and she can teach you some poisons."
"I'll talk to her tomorrow. I just want to go home and sleep at this point."
"I understand," said Kakashi. He looked at Karin next. "The hokage has informed me that you'll be transferred to Konohagakure officially in about a week. He's making arrangements for you to attend SIPA so we can figure out where place you once the exams have ended."
"Where will I be living?" asked Karin slightly nervous.
"Your clan head owns the building he lives in. You'll be given an apartment there," explained Kakashi.
"Wait, Naruto owns a building?" asked Sakura surprised.
"He bought his building not too long ago. Tazuna-san's construction company has been renovating it to make it a clan house."
"How can he afford that?" asked Sakura still shocked.
"The village is paying for it," said Kakashi simply as if it wasn't a big deal.
"Why would the village pay for something like that?"
"We owe the Uzumaki a great deal. It's just that simple."
"Thank you Kakashi-san," said Karen gratefully.
"Naruto will take you to buy some basics tomorrow to get you started. Basic furnishings have already been provided. Naruto will show you to your new home once we're done here. Kusagakure will bring all of your possessions when your contract is signed over to Konohagakure." Kakashi paused and hummed to himself. "Am I forgetting anything?"
"Umm, what is SIPA?" asked Karin. "You've mentioned it a few times now but what is it?"
"I can't tell you yet," said Kakashi. "Just know that you'll be attending once your transfer is complete."
"Is it some kind of indoctrination program?" asked Karin with a slight quiver in her voice.
"Not at all," said Sakura with a laugh. "It's actually awesome. I just can't tell you about it yet."
Karin nodded firmly. "Then I'll look forward to it."
"We're back," called Naruto as he and Sasuke walked up to the waiting team.
"Who do you each fight?" asked Kakashi.
"I fight Neji first," said Naruto with a vicious grin.
"Hmm, that should be an easier match up for you," said Kakashi.
"Why do you say that?" asked Naruto not that he wanted to disagree. He was just surprised.
"You can tap slightly into kyuubi to reopen your tenketsu," explained Kakashi. "You'll have to improve your subtlety if you want to hide the use from the audience but you have plenty of time to work on that aspect. Beyond that you've seen him fight. I'm sure you've been plotting on how you'd fight him since then. I imagine SIPA will be able to help you with that."
"I'm sure Shiho-chan and Atsui-jiji will be able to help me out," said Naruto.
"Beyond that I have no doubt you've got a dozen other projects going on in your training. I'll give you a day by day exercise plan if I'm unavailable for any reason," said Kakashi.
Naruto nodded once.
"Sasuke?"
"I am to face Gaara," said Sasuke calmly.
"Hmm," murmured Kakashi thoughtfully. "You and I will go see Danzo as soon as we're done with dinner to discuss your training schedule."
Sasuke nodded.
"Well then," said Kakashi. "Let's get out of this place. Dinner's on me. It's a treat for my cute little genin doing so well in their first chuunin exam."