"Hn" - Sasuke
As he entered the gates, the sun entered his eyes...He didn't mind. He was used to it. Once the light subsided from his eyes, he saw people, ninja and citizens alike, walking in the streets. Street Vendors and shops littered the street. He opens his senses more and feels eyes watching them. ANBU, probably. He smelled the air. The smell of grass and nature. He closed his eyes for a while before he continued the walk to the hotel.
"Gaara?"
Gaara looked at who had called him. Temari.
"Hmm?"
"Are you alright?" Temari said in a concerned tone. Gaara nodded and continued down the street. He saw in the distance, the famous stone faces, with all of its four Hokages. He saw the red, maroon-like building and knew it was the Hokage's building.
"We're almost there" Baki said to his group. Gaara nodded, then saw an orange blur. A smile started forming on his lips. He knew who it was.
They took a left, and they saw four people. Three children, who wore some type of green goggles and a blonde.
A boy, with a blue scarf continued walking, not noticing Kankuro. They watched as the boy bumped into him.
"-Ah, sorry nii-chan!" The boy said with an apologetic tone on his voice
Kankuro looked down "Eh, who's this little twerp?" He said as he picked up the boy on his collar
"Hey, let him go!" The blonde said loudly.
"Let him go Kankuro... You're currently holding the Hokage's grandson in your hands. I would be careful" Gaara said calmly. Kankura looked surprised, and pale, before he let the boy go. Immediately, the boy, ran over to the blonde's back.
"I'm sorry for my brother's...hasty reaction. It might have left a bad image, so forgive him. Let's start afresh. I'm Gaara. You are?" Gaara said with a slight smile and his hand out.
"I'm Naruto, Gaara. It's nice to meet you" Naruto said as he grinned from ear to ear.
A couple of hours before, at the Hokage's office.
"Thank you for meetin with me, Team Seven" Hiruzen started. It was the day where he is to announce the chuunin exams. The sun was barely up, but he refused to sleep, staying in his office, preparing for the long week
"Today, I called you because of some...safety issues." Hiruzen said before he took a puff from his pipe
"What kind of issues, Hokage-sama?" Sakura asked
Hiruzen took a paper and gave it to Kakashi "A patrol spotted some mercenaries near the village. They seemed to be scouting, for something, we do not know yet. I don't doubt that they're part of a bigger mercenary group"
Kakashi read the report "Mercenaries typically aren't pitted against Shinobis. It's either they have the advantage in numbers or they have something planned"
"Someone they think can give them the advantage?" said Sasuke
"Whatever the case, I want you all to keep a look out. Unofficially, you're the strongest team that we have. If you find anything interesting, report back to me immediately."
"Understood" Kakashi nodded, with the others following suit.
"Dismissed."
"Nice to meet you Naruto, we are from Suna, to take the Chuunin exams" Gaara explained
"Oh Suna? I've heard that place! I think I hear about a... tanuki wondering the place? " Naruto said with, as Gaara understood, a reference. Baki's ear pricked up and stood on guard.
"I've heard all about your home as well. I've heard about a certain... fox?" Gaara said imitating Naruto. Gaara felt a shift in the trees, as he felt more and more scrutinized by ANBU.
"Anyways! I need to go! I have some stuff to do! See you later at the chuunin exams, Gaara!" Naruto said as he run in the opposite direction
"What a weird kid" Kankuro said as he watch the blonde fade away in the distance
"The blonde's cute...I hope we see him in the Chuunin exams" Temari commented
Gaara did nothing, but he had a small smile. It was gonna be an interesting
week.
Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke walked the hallways of the Academy. The first test of the Chuunin Exam.
They turned a corner and saw two familiar faces, two chuunins disguised as genins, the gate guards. Naruto watched as the room number faltered for a split second before it returned back to normal.
They looked at each other, then nodded and they walked away, before they heard voices
"Such an obvious genjutsu. Only a disgrace would not notice it."
Naruto turned around and saw a face that he recognized immediately
Negi, with a smug smile, as he looked at the room number. The two chunnin disguised smirked, but opted not to say anything
"Nice job Neji!" Tenten said enthusiastically
"Nice job, Rival!"
A silent murmur filled the room by those who just arrived exactly. Naruto just face-palmed.
Neji turned around, seemingly satisfied with his work before he turned face to face with Team seven.
There was a second of silence before, of course, an over-active green ball cut through Neji and Naruto, and kneel down to Sakura.
"Hello! My name is Rock Lee! Please marry me, beautiful pink-haired maiden!" Lee said as passionately as he could. Sakura could only look in disbelief and disgust. Sasuke looked at Lee with glaring eyes.
"Lee!" Tenten said as she ran over and dragged Lee back.
Team Seven watched as Tenten berated Lee silently before she faced them with an apologetic look
"I'm sorry about Lee, he's not usually like this. Anyways, my name is Tenten, and this is Neji." Tenten said as she extended a hand out.
"It's okay, I was just shocked, as all. My name is Sakura. This is Naruto and Sasuke." Sakura said as she accepted Tenten's hand.
Neji's eyes glanced over Sasuke with a look of recognition and opened his mouth but was cut off
"Sasuke Uchiha, the last Uchiha?" Lee said with interest
"What?" Sasuke said with an annoyed tone. It was constantly annoying, of course, to be reminded that he was the last in your family. Even if it wasn't true.
"Fight me, please!"
Sasuke raised a brow, with amusement "and why would I?"
"As one who have only learned Taijutsu, and I who have aspired to defeat my rival, I challenge you to a fight!" Lee said as his voice turned more and more passionate, as he would always.
"Lee!" Tenten said, trying to stop Lee.
Sasuke didn't feel no emotion to fight or was he enticed to fight Lee. He knew he would win, the confident, arrogant side of him said.
"No." Sasuke said, with a laidback yawn.
"I will not take a no for an answer! Please fight me!"
Sasuke sighed, before he was suddenly gone. In a flash of orange
"Huh!?" Lee said in surprise. Tenten opened her mouth in disbelief, and Neji frowned.
"How peculiar."
Sasuke's eyes took half a second before his eyes could register that he was in a new area. The third floor of the Academy.
"Sorry. I had to defuse the situation" Naruto said as he fixed his black jacket.
"That's...one way to do it, I guess" Sakura said as she closed her mouth at an attempt to stop vomitting over the floor.
"Anyways, we're here. Are you guys ready?" Said Naruto
Team Seven looked at the door that would take them through the testing room.
This is where everything finally starts. The chuunin exams.
"Ready, as we would ever be" Sasuke said, and opened the door.
"...how about your genins, Kakashi?" said Gai
Kakashi snapped out of his Icha-Icha Paradise in his head and looked at Gai "Ha?"
"Do you think they'll pass?" Gai said, as Kurenai and Asuma looked at Kakashi, waiting for his answer
Kakashi thought about the question with amusement. He put his hand on his chin and mused on it.
"Well, I for one think that they would pass with flying colors" Kurenai said as she drank a sip from her cup.
"Tell me, why?" Asuma said with curiousity. Not that he don't believe that Kakashi's team won't pass the Chuunin exams. But, considering the volatility and, of course, the case of Kakashi's team, makes him think they would pass barely.
"Well, if you had seen them in Wave, their teamwork was like Ino-Shika-Cho level. They were able to act without any prompt from each other. They're also skilled unlike other genin. Frankly, they'll pass, and demolish the building all together." Kurenai said without a blink, as she took another sip
"Dear Kami." Asuma said as he reassesed what he thought about Team Seven.
"But your team hasn't seen my team yet, Kakashi. I worked day and night to make my team greater, and they'll pass!" Gai said enthusiastically.
"Let's see. I have my bets on Kakashi's team."
"Not your team, Kurenai?" Asuma said in surprise
"Oh I did, but I truly believe that Kakashi will win."
"Well...What do you think, Kakashi?" Asuma said as he scratched his head
"Hmmm" Kakashi said before his eyes turned into a familiar smile "I think...you're all right."