As they waited for the proctors for the test, Shino, in the corner with his team, watched the other teams in interest. You could call Shino as a sort of, recluse. He was smart, yes. He could control any fight, save for a few others in his class using his bugs. But was he socially smart? Probably not. He prefers to be alone, watching others, and spending time with his bugs. He emjoys watching them crawl and wiggle on his skin, their existence dependent on his care. But he knows that won't be forever, as a Shinobi life would be always dependent on his team mates, or that what his father would tell him as they trained together. So thus, he forced himself to be more social, learning a few things here and there. That's why, he learned the power of knowing someone other than his bugs.
For example, his team mates. When he first met Kiba, he was confident, a bit charismatic, but a little brutish. He was always the one leading his team into a fight, if he could. But he also believed in the strength of packs, like wolves. Thus, he was extremely loyal.
Hinata, was a little of the opposite. She wasn't brave, nor confident but she cared about the things she deems that are worthy of being cared for. She cares for her teammates, her family, and most importantly, Naruto. Shino doesn't know why she cared extremely for Naruto, the orange blonde, but she did, and she would crumple whenever they would have the slightest of contact. If Shino understood, it was like love. Though he knew that the development of the brain of genins is still too low to understand the feeling of love. Or was it? Shino doesn't know. But he was extremely curious.
As days passed, he noted emotional and intellectual development of his teammates, as a sort of hobby. Thus he was able to quickly notice changes almost immediately. For example, every time Hinata would meet Naruto, she would get more and more confident. Her stutter became less and less prominent, and her mental health bloomed, seemingly being more and more...relaxed.
Kiba, after the Wave mission, became less...brutish? Or was it his ego? For whatever the answer will be, Kiba became more mature, able to think before he'd act, and overall became better, in Shino's opinions.
He heard a creak and the door opened.
"Well, well, seems like the gangs all here." He heard the boy named Shikamaru speak out, as he finally recognized the ones who just entered as Team seven. Hinata immediately noticed and turned a deep red while Kiba just sneered and look away.
Emotions are really confusing, Shino would think. And he would need more time to learn
As Naruto entered the room, he looked for any familiar faces that he would recognize. He saw Kiba, Hinata and Shino on the right corner of the room, Shikamaru, Ino and Choujo on the other side. In the farthest side, he saw Kabuto, with two girls, which confused Naruto greatly, yet he continued scanning. He spots Gaara, in the middle, who notices him enter, and give a small nod as a greeting.
"Well, well, seems like the gangs all here" Shikamaru spoke up as he notices Naruto enter with Sasuke and Sakura in tow. "Looks like all of us got nominated for the Chuunin exams."
Naruto looked at Shikamaru with a wide grin "The Konoha nine is all here!"
"Konoha Nine huh? I guess so Naruto" Shikamaru said with a grin and a shrug.
"Sasuke-kun!" A Pale blonde tornado shouted as she bumped into Shikamaru and into Sasuke's arm "It's been so long! I've missed you!"
Sasuke looked at Ino with a bored look as he paid no heed to Ino. Ino, on the other hand swooned as Sasuke looked at her, and practically melted on his hand.
Ino opens her eyes, as she finally notices Sakura, with a rather irritated look plastered on her face "Billboard-brow is here as well, huh? What are you doing here, you shell of a woman?" Ino sneered at Sakura, expecting a response
Sakura opened her mouth to say something but decided against it. 'I guess I'll be the mature one today'
"Hmm, cat got your tongue? That's so sad. Now shoo awaay, little kitten. Me and Sasuke-kun is having som-" Ino started to say before Sasuke jerked his hand away from Ino.
"Don't talk to Sakura like that ever again, understood?" Sasuke stared into Ino with his sharingan blazing in his eyes. Ino froze in fear, before she nodded and went back to her team.
"That was pretty harsh of you, Sasuke." Naruto whispered to Sasuke.
"Ehn, She'll get over it." Sasuke replied bluntly. Behind him, a blushing Sakura stands behind him.
"You guys are attracting a lot of attention, you know?" A voice says before he revealed himself. "You see those guys? You don't want to be the center of attention or they'll break your ankles."
"Kabuto?" Sakura said to the silver haired boy. "I thought Tsunade-sama didn't want you to attend this year's Chuunin exams" Sakura asked Kabuto, which was true. Tsunade had said to Sakura that she'd ordered Kabuto to stay for this year Chuunin exams just a precaution.
"Ah, Sakura-san! To be honest, two of the interns wanted to attend this year but they needed another member to qualify. That's why I'm here." Kabuto explained as two girls come forward and greeted Sakura.
Sakura looked at Kabuto with doubt but before she could able to ask any questions, a SLAM fills the room as the door opens with a tall, burly man.
"Sit down, maggots or else I'll shove down my boot deep into your asses that'll you'll taste the underside of my boot!"
"Have you confirmed what the reports said, Boar?" Hiruzen asked a masked ANBU.
"Hai, Hokage-sama. They gathered just north of Konoha, about 20 miles away from the gate."
Hiruzen nodded, and gave a paper to the ANBU "We have to act as normal. See if you can dispose of them silently. Give this to Shikaku and tell him to gather any Shinobi that he could without risking exposure or reducing our capability to guard the village."
"Hai, Hokage-sama." The ANBU nodded.
Hiruzen rubbed his forehead as he took a rare drink from his alcohol cabinet 'Let us hope that this exam will go on as normal'
As she answered the exam with all that she could, Hinata notices, as she look beside her, a blonde boy not answering his exam. Naruto, who, with feet confidently raised and laid back, didn't bother to finish the exam or even start. He knew the truth. He just needed to wait until the exam finishes, and he's free! Suddenly he hears a faint whisper beside him and his ears perked up.
"Naruto-kun? Do you want to copy f-from me?" Hinata asked with a faint whisper he could barely hear.
He grinned with confidence "No need, Hinata. See, I figured out this exam, and I don't need to do anything that'll just make me mentally tired! Don't worry, Hinata." Naruto assured Hinata.
Hinata looked at Naruto with doubt but as she hear the clock tick it's last tock, she hears the tall,burly man she now know as Ibiki Morino.
"Alright! Pencils down, this is the last test!" Ibiki barked, as multiple people groaned in defeat. "Beware, that those who doesn't answer this perfectly, then...You're not allowed to enter the next Chuunin exams! Those who wish to quit now, do so. You have another shot next year."
A few seconds of silence occur before multiple people stood and raised their hand. Ibiki took a look at Naruto if he would also raised his hand, which he was surprised when he didn't barely move an inch. As the last few genin were left, Ibiki smirked.
"Okay, the people who are left in this room! You all pass." Ibiki said with a smirk "Shinobi, when given missions, are required to give their lives or sacrifice something to acquire vital information for the village. Those who are willing to give up, do not deserve to be Shinobi!" As he said this, multiple people shouted with glee, as Naruto smirked knowingly.
"You know what to do dobe?" Sasuke asked for the 3rd time since
"Yeah, yeah. We have to streamline the Chuunin exams by reducing the participants. I got it ever since you guys told me this morning..." Naruto pouted before he took a big sip of Ramen
"Just to be careful, Naruto. We don't know what could happen now that he is out of the picture." Sakura said as a precaution
"Yeah, I get it! I'm not that~ stupid!" Naruto said with fervor before he looked at Sasuke and Sakura "What?"
"Now for the se-" Ibiki started to say before there was a crash and suddenly, a busty woman in a trenchcoat appeared.
"Wow, Ibiki! You totally reduced the runts!" She said with amazement "Nice job!"
"Well there are a lot of people who didn't deserve to be a Shinobi." Ibiki said with pride
"You got that right! Alright, my name is Mitarashi Anko and I'll be your proctor for the second exam! Follow me."
"I can't believe we're stuck here just 20 miles away from Konoha. This is a fucking death trap!" A skinny man said as they walked through the campsite "I bet that we'll all be dead later in the night, I just know it!" He said, with the other man just nodding in agreement
Suddenly a kunai flew in the air, and with a sudden WOOSH. The man falls with a thud and a dark figure stood tall in front of the dead man's companion.
"Then you shall die today." The figure said as he took the kunai and brushed away the blood. The man runs away in fear, before a stout man comes running in front of the man and saluted.
"Is everything in place?" The figure said. All around the figure, multiple men worked throughout, carrying box of supplies to tents stationed around the place. Multiple men could be seen sharpening swords or practicing with the others.
"Yes, everything should be in place. We can move out as soon as you command it."
"Perfect." The figure said menacingly "Konoha shall fall and we shall have the Jinchirukis with it."