The day of the Chunin Exams arrived, and Team 7 made their way to the academy alongside Karin's temporary squad. Karin's teammates, Sai and Ashi, were with them. Sai, as usual, was a closed book, offering nothing but a quiet presence.
The hallway ahead was a surging mass of bodies, a dizzying collection of flamboyant and strange outfits. Unlike the standardized flak jackets of Chunin and Jonin, Genin were free to dress however they liked, and it showed. It looked less like an exam and more like some bizarre festival. Genin from nearly every small village in the Land of Fire had come, a show of support for Konoha that packed the halls.
'So many heads,' Naruto thought, a wry smirk playing on his lips. 'A single area-of-effect jutsu could probably rack up an insane kill count right now.'
They found the crowd bottlenecked in front of a classroom door labeled 301.
"You've got to be kidding me," one of the two Konoha shinobi guarding the door sneered, knocking back a Genin who tried to push past them. They were disguised as fellow examinees, but their skill was clearly a cut above. "You think you can take the Chunin Exams with a level like that?"
"I'd suggest you kids turn back while you still can," the first guard, Izumo, said.
"You're all way too weak for this," his partner, Kotetsu, added with a smirk, as they effortlessly knocked another challenger aside. The other Genin could only watch, fuming but too intimidated to step forward.
"Enough with the theatrics, Lee." Sasuke said, his voice laced with its usual coolness as he approached the ninja who had just been "defeated."
"Ah, Sasuke-kun! I knew I would see you here!" Rock Lee sprang to his feet, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Naruto-sensei said we should feign weakness so as not to attract too much attention. He called it 'playing the fool'!"
'That's not how you play the fool,' Naruto thought with an internal sigh.
"Naruto-sensei!" The moment Lee spotted him, his body went ramrod straight as he snapped to attention.
"Just Naruto is fine when we're in a crowd, Lee."
"Yes, sir!"
"Great," Naruto muttered, though his expression was anything but troubled. "Now it'll be impossible not to attract attention."
"With our strength, does it truly matter if we attract attention?" Neji said, stepping to Naruto's side. "I have been waiting for this day. The time you spoke of... it is close, is it not?"
Naruto nodded. "Yup."
"It is the choice of fate," Neji murmured, his tone taking on a familiar, almost mystical quality.
"Let's head up," Naruto began, but before he could finish his sentence...
"Get! The! Hell! Out! Of! My! Way!"
With a shout from Sakura, the door to Room 301 shattered into splinters. The number plate flickered, the illusion breaking to reveal its true number: 201.
She dusted her hands off. "There. Much better."
Someone on the side stared. "Your teammate... is certainly... unique."
"Isn't she?" Naruto grinned. "She's Sasuke's future wife."
'So that's the kind of girl Sasuke is into,' Neji thought, his usual composure momentarily rattled.
While they were talking, Rock Lee's focus had shifted entirely to his rival. "Sasuke, it has been too long. Our record stands at fifty-five wins, fifty-five losses, and fifty-five draws. I look forward to our next match in these exams." His voice filled with confidence as he added, "I will not disappoint Naruto-sensei."
"Hmph." Sasuke snorted, lifting his chin. "I won't be letting Naruto down either," he said, glancing at Naruto from the corner of his eye. "The only one who will stand by his side is me."
The group made their way up to the real exam room, 301. Pushing the door open, they found the space densely packed with even more examinees.
'What a bunch of misfits,' Naruto thought, scanning the room. 'Barely any of these Shinobi from the smaller villages have a ki that would even break double digits.' Even the ones from villages like Kusa and Taki seemed to be here just to fill the roster.
"Sasukeeee-kun! What took you so, oh, Naruto-kun, you're here too!"
A figure lunged toward Sasuke in a gust of fragrant air, but he sidestepped her easily.
"Ino-pig! Stay away from my Sasuke!" Sakura bristled before anyone else could react. "Sasuke is my wife!"
'Did I just hear that right? Leave it to Sakura to be that domineering.'
"Ino, long time no see," Naruto said with his signature roguish grin. The moment she saw it, Ino's face turned beet red.
Spotting Sai and Ashi standing behind Karin, Ino's eyes lit up. Unlike Sakura, whose world revolved around Sasuke, Ino had a simple appreciation for all handsome boys.
"Hinata!" Naruto called out, walking straight toward Team 8's position.
"You rookies certainly know how to make an entrance," a plain-looking ninja with glasses remarked, approaching them with the air of a seasoned veteran. "A little advice from your senpai: you might want to keep your voices down."
"Kabuto Yakushi," Naruto said, his voice low and even. "You've failed the Chunin Exams seven times, making this your fourth year. You've completed 163 D-rank missions and 28 C-rank missions." He deliberately left out a few key details. "I saw your file when I was looking through Grandpa Danzo's records," he added, putting a slight emphasis on the name.
'Isn't there a saying in the Shinobi world? If you don't know who to blame for a mess, it's Danzo. If you don't know who invented a forbidden jutsu, it's the Second Hokage. And if a spy shows up and you can't place them, it's always Kabuto Yakushi.'
The man was a professional, a veteran spy who had worked for Orochimaru, Sasori of the Red Sand, and even Danzo himself. Orochimaru had once said Kabuto's skills were on par with Kakashi's.
"Kabuto-senpai, that means you must be very familiar with the Chunin Exams," Naruto said, his eyes narrowing into a sly grin. "How about giving us juniors a few pointers?"
A flicker of genuine surprise crossed Kabuto's face before being replaced by a friendly smile. "For a kouhai as cute as you, Naruto-kun, I'd be happy to offer some advice."
'A veteran actor,' Naruto noted. 'Not a single flaw in his performance.' It would have been perfect if not for the faint malice he could feel clinging to the man.
"You know who we are?" Sakura asked, hands on her hips as she sized up Kabuto.
"Before he took us on, Kakashi-sensei's pass rate for Genin teams was zero," Naruto explained before Kabuto could. "Combine that with his reputation as Konoha's 'Copy Ninja,' and it's no surprise his students would be under scrutiny. Right, Kabuto-senpai?"
Naruto had to admire the guy. He was the perfect support operative. If possible, he would poach Kabuto for his own team in a heartbeat. His composure hadn't even flickered at the mention of Danzo's name, a true professional with an iron will. That was especially impressive, considering Kabuto's hatred for the man was the real deal: a grudge for the murder of his adoptive mother.
"As expected of you, Naruto-kun," Kabuto nodded, admitting it freely. "To be precise, I've been keeping a close eye on all of this year's rookies." He gave a self-deprecating shrug. "After all, I'm just an ordinary Genin who has failed seven times in a row. Naturally, I have to be fully prepared with my intelligence gathering."
'A kindred spirit,' Naruto thought, his eyes narrowing slightly.
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