The Red Flash

Chunin Exams

Two weeks after the Wave mission and Kakashi was at his wit's end. He wanted to know what the hell had happened to his team. Where was the excellent teamwork that led them to defeat such strong opponents. Where was the concern for each other? Where was the determination? It was as though returning to Konoha had brought back their bad habits threefold.

Sakura was even more determined to get Sasuke to notice her. Kakashi had thought she would finally get serious about becoming a ninja after feeling so useless in the Land of Waves, but no one run-in with Ino, and she had forgotten all about that. She also seemed even more determined to bring down Naruto than ever before.

"ETERNAL RIVAL! I FOUND  YOU!" The sudden loud scream jarred Kakashi from his thoughts and nearly caused him to jump. Only years of training prevented it. How six-foot-tall green spandex wearing overly loud crazy could sneak up on him would forever be a mystery, no matter how many times it happened.

"Ah, did you say something?" Kakashi said as he stood, flipping open one of his treasured Icha Icha Paradise books.

"How  unbearably hip of your rival!" Maito Gai cried, pointing the finger at the relaxed-looking jounin. "That does not matter; I have simply come to tell you that no matter how bright the flames of youth might shine in your students, those flames of my students shall always be brighter. My  students will prevail over yours in the Chunin exam, or I shall do ONE  HUNDRED laps around Konoha's walls on my hands!" He finished off his exuberant and loud speech with a thumbs up and a scarily bright student.

"Oh, is it time for the Chunin exams already? I'd forgotten." Kakashi lazily flipped a page, not taking his eye off the book.

"That hip attitude rival will not fool me!" Suddenly Gai seemed to realise the time. "Ah! I am late! NO! I don't wish to become unyouthful  as my rival!" He then ran off, kicking up a dust trail behind him.

Kakashi sighed as he lowered his book; he had not seen a word after Gai had mentioned the chunin exams. The truth was he had forgotten about that. 

Sakura wasn't exactly ready for Chunin Exams; hell, if she kept going like this, he wondered if she ever would be.

With another sigh, Kakashi put his book away and turned to the Hokage's tower.

"Where is Kakashi?" The Hokage asked, only mildly perturbed as he had grown accustomed to the jounin's habitually tardiness. No one in the room answered him. He supposed that was to be expected. "Well, we might as well start..." He was cut off as the door opened, admitting a one-eyed shinobi into the Hokage's office.

"Sorry, I'm late." Although honestly, he had only found out about the meeting once he'd arrived, those messenger chunin were getting rusty. "I left my  refrigerator on and had to go back to turn it off." Nobody commented on the outrageousness of this excuse because, really, what would they say?

"That's alright. Let's get down to business, though." He turned to address the others in the room as well. "Kurenai, Asuma, Kakashi, do any of you  believe your genin team is ready to participate in the chunin selection  exams?"

"I, Yuuhi Kurenai, jounin sensei of squad eight, nominate  my team of Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, and Hyuuga Hinata to take the  chunin exams." She had stepped forward as she had begun to talk and now stepped back as she finished.

"I, Sarutobi Asuma, jounin sensei of  squad ten, nominate my team to take the exams." He hadn't even bothered to take the cigarette out of his mouth.

There was a slight lull as everyone waited for Kakashi to speak. Finally, the Sandaime got tired of the silence and asked, "And you Kakashi? What of your team?"