Chunin Exams

"The chunin exams are upon us. Jonin captains please submit your recommendations." Hiruzen said looking at the jonin in front of him, Asuma, Kurenai, Rin, Kakashi, Gai, and a few other jonin stepped forwards going one at a time to recommend their genin for the chunin exams. An unnamed jonin standing on the other side of Gai went first, Gai stepping forwards right after.

"I'm Might Gai, and I lead team three. Neji Hyuga, Rock Lee, and TenTen. I recommend all three for the chunin exams." Gai said Hiruzen nodded,

"Kurenai Yuhi, I lead team 8. Hinata Hyuga, Shino Abarame, and Kiba Inuzuka. I also reccomend these three for the exams." Kurenai said,

"Asuma Sarutobi, I lead team 10. Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and Choji Akamitchi, I reccomend my entire team for the exams." Asuma said

"Rin Nohara, I'm the jonin in charge of team 4. Kohana Uzumaki, Kanae Uzumaki, and Katsuo Uzumaki. I recommend all three for the exams." Rin said

"Kakashi Hatake. I lead team 7. Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Sai. I also recommend my entire team for the exams." Kakashi said

"Hold on, Rin, Kurenai, Asuma, Kakashi, I know those genin, they were my students, they just graduated are you sure they're ready for an exam as vitally important as the chunin exams?" Iruka asked and Rin was the first to nod,

"I wouldn't have recommended them if I thought Kanae, Kohana, or Katsuo weren't ready, I think they'll surprise everyone." Rin said

"Yes. We'll take em this year and prove to the village we've improved so much." Kohana said the other two quick to agree, walking towards the academy. The first exam being a written test, Kohana ending up seated next to Gaara, with Katsuo sitting near the front next to Hinata, with Kanae ending up seated next to Kankuro. Kanae using her best guess for the second problem, math having been her best subject. Kohana noted the mirrors above the genin her eyes remaining trained upwards as she wrote on her exam paper, following the answers the chunin two rows ahead was giving her. While Katsuo remained in front continued to freak out over the exam. Written tests were what he was worst at and his sisters knew it, so in the event it was a written test, Kohana had told him to let them handle it, answer what he could but not to freak out too much, the boy completely ignoring the latter and completely freaking out. Hinata offering to let him cheat, though he refused, wanting to get by on his own terms. The ninth question was the beginning of psychological torment for the genin, one by one teams dropped like flies. Until there were about 16 teams left in play. Katsuo shaking like a leaf, Kanae going to raise her hand before Kohana stood up from her place by Gaara, slamming her hand on the desk. Katsuo and Kanae looking towards her mostly in shock

"What is she…" Kanae said knowing the plan was to continue on to the third rounds, she mentioned nothing of volunteering to quit. Even if they were threatened with eternal genindom.

"You think you can scare us off as easily as that? Think we'll just turn tail and run like cowards? The Uzumaki triplets don't quit and don't run. We're going to be among the best ninja teams, scaring us away is going to take a hell of a lot more old man." Kohana said, before sitting back down. The rest of the genin seeming to develop a spine and opting to stay in place, passing the exam. Kohana balanced a pencil on her finger pad as Ibiki explained the purpose behind the questions, intel gathering

"Haha! I knew that! It was so obvious! Only a complete idiot wouldn't see that! Right Hinata?" Katsuo said, laughing from the front of the room, Kohana dropping the pencil as she looked at him, looking somewhere between amused and annoyed, as she looked at him, Kanae looking over from her seat facing the outside, 'That idiot had no idea the entire time.' she thought.

The second round was harder and involved surviving in the forest of death for three days. The triplets passing that test easily enough, alongside the Ino-shika-cho team and team 7. As well as the one team from the sound and the sand ninja, as well as team 8 and team gai. Having a death match to determine the finalists they determined.. Shikamaru, Katsuo, Kanae, Kohana, the sand team, Neji, Sasuke, and Shino, who were announced as finalists, told to train for the hard trial that was to take place in a months time.

"Well Rin sensei, are you gonna train me? Who's gonna train me? Are you gonna train all of us?" Katsuo asked and Rin looked over,

"Sure, lets go to the hotsprings and train there, alright?" Rin said and the triplets nodded, trying to walk on water, a skill Rin knew they had, but for some reason, Katsuo was having issues with chakra control..

"Katsuo, you're getting your clothes soaked. Do you need me to show you again what to do?" Rin asked and Katsuo shook his head,

"Come on Katsuo, you've got this." Kohana said, before giggling was heard near the womans bath house, Katsuo running over to where it was coming from, Kohana and Kanae doing the same, completely forgetting the earlier training they were trying to complete, running across the waters surface silently, before Kohana jumped into the air, hitting the back of the mans head, hard.

"You… PERVERT!" she yelled as she flipped over, the mans head forced down before he looked up once more, being reminded of Kushina and Minato as Kohana's hair floated over her head,

"Some people are trying to train ya know! So knock off the pervy peeping!" Kohana said

"I was just doing research." he said,

"Research?! I show you research old man!" Kanae said going to jump forwards before being grabbed by Rin,

"Master Jiraiya. I didn't know you were in town today. What brings you here?" Rin asked and Jiraiya hummed,

"If you three want me to try and train you some more advanced moves then master the walking on water first, Katsuo take off your shirt, this is a trust exercise and your getting it wet anyway." Jiraiya said, the boy doing so,

"Old man, how come you agreed. To train us, I mean." Kohana said as Katsuo and Kanae danced on the water, Jiraiya hummed,

"You three remind me of people from my past.. The forth hokage and his wife, Kushina. He was my student. Katsuo bares such a striking resemblance I just had to. As for you and Kanae, you two look so much like Kushina, so I couldn't resist" Jiraiya said and Kohana looked over

"Did you know our parents? What kind of people were they?" Kohana asked and Jiraiya looked over,

"They were kind, heroic, very nice people." Jiraiya said,

"Alright pervy sage, so Rin sensei taught us some water style and some wind style jutsu before she had to leave, so what are you gonna teach us aside from the walking on water thing?" Kanae asked, Jiraiya had all three of them sign contracts with Mt. Myoboku. Before teaching them summoning jutsu, Kohana was able to summon one small toad right away, Kanae getting a tadpole with Katsuo getting a toad that was just barely out of the water. The toad Kohana summoned said his name was Gamakitchi.

"Woah no way, you did it Kohana. I… think" Katsuo said and Kohana looked over

"Arent… uh… summonings supposed to be big?" Kanae said

"Hey! Show some respect! I'm Gamakitchi from Mt. Myoboku! Who are you brats!" he said raising an orange fin, and the triplets looked at him

"Uh… hi Gamakitchi, I'm Kohana, the one who summoned you. This is my brother Katsuo, and my sister Kanae." Kohana said

"Well would you look at that. Kanae, Katsuo, looks like you've got some work to do to catch up to your sister, and Kohana you've got some work todo before you can summon the giant toads, but this is a good start." Jiraiya said noting the small toads

The chunin exams ended at Sasuke's match, feathers falling over the crowd, putting them to sleep, alongside Katsuo, who was sat behind the stands, and Kohana who fell ontop of Shikamaru. The four, Sakura, Katsuo, Kohana, and Shikamaru were selected to go after Gaara and Sasuke.

"Right. Lets go." Kohana said the team splintering off, Shikamaru and Kanae staying back to face the ninja coming from behind with Kohana and Katsuo continuing on with Sakura. Catching up to Gaara and Sasuke was relatively easy, Katsuo kicking him away from Sasuke, Kohana seeing to his wounds, while Sakura and Katsuo went in for the attack, Sakura ending up pinned to a tree,

"You're chakra levels have been exhausted, stay here, recover your chakra." Kohana said as she jumped in with Katsuo, the boy summoning the giant toad from Mt Myoboku. The two landing on top of his head,

"Hey! Boss!" They said Gaara had employed his playing possum jutsu, summoning Shukaku, the one tailed beast forth.

"One of you better know firestyle signs! The other prepare a transformation!" Gamabunta said

"Yes sir!" Katsuo said as he prepared a transformation, Kohana preparing firestyle signs

"Toad oil bomb!"

"Fire style! Fire flower jutsu!" Kohana said the fire mixing with the oil and exploding near Shukaku's face, Naruto using the transformation jutsu to transform the three to the 9tailed fox, the only thing he could think of. After headbutting Gaara and causing him to drop his jutsu, the three fell to the forest floor, Kohana catching Katsuo.

"Why would you go to such lengths for people outside of yourself?" Gaara asked his eyes wide as blood dripped from his forehead,

"You must be very lonely to say that." Kohana said a tear falling down her face

"It's almost unbearable, right? The feeling… of being all alone." Katsuo asked, and Gaara hummed surprised, as Kohana walked forwards, he yelled for her to stay back, Kohana ignoring in favor of placing her hand on his forehead,

"You have been defeated, there is no need for me to attack you further. But that doesn't mean we should leave you to suffer. I know some medical ninjutsu." She said

"We would give our lives for our friends. Which is why if you attack us

again, we won't hesitate to kill you." Katsuo said

"Why are you doing this, I'm your enemy, why would you go to such lengths for them?" Gaara asked

"Because, if it wasn't for them, we'd still be alone. They saved us from ourselves. Saved me from my loneliness." Katsuo said as he continued forwards, the blood drying on Gaara's forehead, Kohana jumping over to Katsuo, healing his wounds as well,

"His chakra is all but completely used, So Sakura and Sasuke should be fine, not to mention Sai, so don't worry too much. You're almost out of chakra too, brother." Kohana said as she healed him, Temari and Kankuro jumping down behind them.

"Sand Shinobi. I hope we can mend the relationship between our villages in the future and be friends." Kohana said as she stood, turning around to face the two, who were ready for a fight,

"Don't. We. we lost." Gaara said from the ground, Kohana had healed him just enough that he wouldn't die, but that didn't fix his exhaustion problem.

"Those three… Kohana, Katsuo, and Kanae, have all been alone, their whole lives, like me. Ties to others brought me only pain, but.. I think… I think I want to redefine those ties and learn how to share pain, joy, sorrow, all the emotions, with others. I wonder if I too, can have friends one day." Gaara said with Kankuro standing behind him, he'd decided to join the normal forces, he was already promoted to Chunin following the exams.