Trek to the Springs

Inside the Hokage tower, Jonin stood before the Hokage and his advisors as they registered their teams for the upcoming Chunin exams. They went from the oldest teams to the youngest. The vast majority of the senseis with older teams registered their team. As the process continued, it came down to the final four teams.

"Will Team 3 participate in the upcoming exams?" questioned the aide.

Gai, with no theatrics, put his thumb up and said proudly,

"I fully believe that my team is ready for these upcoming exams."

Asuma knew he was next and stepped forward and said

"Team Ten has shown significant progress and is ready for the Chunin Exams."

Before Kurneai stepped forward, she mouthed a light thank you to Anko and Kakashi before she stepped up.

" I hereby register Team 8 for the upcoming exams."

Kakashi and Anko stepped forward. Anko gave a slight nod to Kakashi, indicating that he should speak.

"Anko and I firmly believe that Team 7 is ready for these exams."

Hiruzen had a slight smile on his lips, and he nodded,

"Okay, if that is all, then we are all dismissed for today; if anything changes, you can come to register your teams up to a week before the exams, and you may drop out at any time before we head out to the Land of Hot Water."

"Wait!"

The room turned to see Iruka sitting at a desk in the corner, documenting the participants. He had been holding his tongue, but the thoughts of his freshly graduated students not just participating in the Chunin exams just a year out, but in a different nation altogether, if any of them got hurt. If he didn't speak up, he couldn't live with himself.

"I am concerned about the recently formed teams participating in these exams. It's only been a year since they graduated from the academy; I can understand maybe one team going, but everyone from the graduating class feels like we are rushing them along."

Anko looked at Iruka with her arms crossed.

"Iruka, I can tell you care about the kids, but you know that a year of ninja training can change a lot. Most of these kids have changed in ways you do not know."

" I taught them almost daily for five years; I know these kids," Iruka argued.

"How often have you talked to them in the past year?" questioned Anko

Iruka clammed up at that as he felt guilt rise within him. He had only had passing encounters with some of his students. The number of times he talked to Naruto this past year could be counted on one hand.

Hiruzen gave Iruka a sympathetic look.

"I understand your concern, Iruka; if it brings you some comfort, this exam will be the safest in years; one of the requirements we had to meet was to make the exams less deadly; if there is a time for young genin to participate in the exams, it is this one. "

Danzo huffed, showing his displeasure at the concept.

Iruka nodded

"I understand, sir."

Hiruzen addressed the room.

"The exams are only a little over a month away. Make sure your teams are prepared to represent the leaf to the best of their abilities,"

Team 7 gathered at the heart of the village, their excitement palpable. Today, the leaf ninjas were embarking on a journey to the Land of Hot Water for the much-anticipated Chunin Exams. Anko and Kakashi meticulously reviewed the final preparations with their team.

Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto sat on a bench, Anko stood before them, and Kakashi leaned on a nearby lampost.

"And remember, if you feel hostile or uncomfortable during an interaction with a ninja from a different village, leave the situation and come find us immediately," said Anko.

"Yeah, Yeah, we get it; you've been telling us this for weeks now, I don't know why you have to keep repeating it," complained Naruto

"Because half the things we tell you to go in one and out the other," said Anko

"No, it doesn't," argued Naruto

"Okay, what did I just tell you?" asked Anko

"Umm, something about being uncomfortable and coming to find you guys."

"My point stands."

You should take this a little more seriously, Naruto; if you want to become Hokage, getting into trouble during the exams will look bad.

"Okay, I understand. I'm just so excited; why can't we just leave already?"

During his excitement, Naruto got up from the bench and began to pace around, trying to burn some of his energy.

Sakura rolled her eyes at Naruto's antics and asked her senseis a question

"Have you guys been to the Land of Hot Water before?"

Kakashi shook his head,

And Anko gave a "Nope" while popping the P.

"I've maybe passed through the edge of its border, but I have never actually seen the bulk of the country," commented Anko

"You too, Kakashi," asked Sasuke, knowing that Kakashi had been to many places during his life.

"The Land of Hot Water has always been a tourist destination, but it is not typically where many high-profile incidents happen."

"You haven't been there on vacation," asked Sakura

"Ha, vacation, yeah right, who needs those" dismissed Kakashi

Before Sakura could voice her concern over her teacher's lack of a healthy work-life balance, Naruto toppled backward as something slammed into him. Naruto groaned and rubbed his head as he got up,

"Hey, what the big idea."

Naruto turned around to see a boy on the ground.

He had short, spiky brown hair, blue eyes, and a small chip in his tooth. He wore a grey helmet with a hole at the top for his hair to stick out of, grey shorts, and a yellow shirt with a red Konoha symbol.

The boy looked up at Naruto with anger in his eyes,

"Watch where you're going."

"You're the one who ran into me, you brat," said Naruto

"Konomaru?" Anko said reconziging the boy

"Anko, "Konohamaru said, his scowl fading as he flinched back, noticing her presence.

He then ran behind Naruto, hid behind Naruto, and began peeking at Anko from around him.

Naruto, unphased, pointed a thumb at Konohamaru

"You know this kid is?"

"Yeah, he's the Hokage's grandson and the biggest brat in Konoha. Speaking of, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with..."

"Konohamaru!" A voice yelled, interrupting Anko

A man with dark hair and brown eyes was running down the street wearing black circular sunglasses. He was wearing the standard Konoha shinobi outfit without the flak jacket, and his forehead protector was like a bandanna.

The man stopped a few feet from Naruto, adjusted his glasses, and said,

"I urge you to stop distracting the honorable grandson from his studies."

"I'm not interrupting anyone".

Naruto stepped away and pointed at Konohamaru

"This kid ran into me."

"Did not"

"Did too"

The man looked at Naruto. "Naruto, I'll have to ask you again to stop harassing the honorable grandson. I still have to make a lot of progress before he enters the academy," he said with a bit of desperation.

"What Ebisu, Konahamaru is still running away from your boring ass lectures. What a shock," Anko said in a sarcastic tone

Ebisu turned, noticing Anko's presence for the first time.

Ebisu straightened his posture and adjusted his glasses,

He gave Kakashi a nod of acknowledgment

"Kakashi, it's a pleasure to see you."

He then turned back to Anko.

"And to comment on my "boring lectures," I have to ask: What do you know about teaching upcoming ninjas with the status level as Konohamaru?"

"Yeah, actually, I've taught Genin for the past year," said Anko, trying to sound nochalant

"Oh yeah, I heard about that. Your team has made quite a name for themselves over the past few months. Still, I suspect you are just riding on the coattails of a great ninja like Kakashi."

Kakashi rolled his lone visible eye.

"That's rich coming from a glorified babysitter."

"I'll let you know that teaching the grandson of the Hokage is a very dignified position."

Anko and Ebsiu kept taking petty shots at one another as Sasuke and Sakura watched on the bench, moving their heads back and forth to the insults like they were at a tennis game.

During this, Konohamaru looked up at Naruto with wide eyes.

"Wait, is your name Naruto"?

Naruto still annoyed at Konohamaru

answered tartly, "Yeah, what's it to you."

"So it is you. You beat Grandpa, and I've been looking everywhere for you."

Konohamaru then leaned in closer and whispered.

"You have to tell me how you beat the old man, I've been trying for ages, and nothing has worked."

Naruto, happy to meet someone who appreciated his accomplishment, rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, there was nothing to it; I just used my sexy jutsu to take him down."

"Really, you have to show me how to do that."

Sure, it's really easy. Let me show you. Naruto began to form the hand sign, but a cough interrupted him before he could begin channeling the chakra.

He saw a stern-looking Anko on pause from her insult spar with Ebisu,

Naruto, we talked about this, which, while helpful, is inappropriate to perform in the village, especially in front of a kid. Are we clear"

Naruto held his head down and dropped his hands,

"Okay," Naruto mumbled dejected

Konahamaru whispered over to Naruto

"You can just show me the hand signs, and I can do it myself."

Naruto shook his head.

Nah, that wouldn't work; for the jutsu to work, you need to visualize what you want to become. Plus, if we did it now, we might get in trouble for public indecency or whatever Anko calls it,"

"Oh, that's too bad," Konohamaru said as his mood visibly dropped in disappointment.

Naruto, feeling bad, came up with an idea

"Hey, I can't teach you, but I can teach you later."

Konahamaru looked up with hope in his eyes

"Really?"

"Yeah, it won't be now since I'm about to go to the exams and kick ass, but once I come back, I wouldn't mind showing you some awesome ninja skills I've picked up."

"I'm gonna hold you to that boss," Konahamaru said, showing off his chipped smile.

"Boss, huh"

Naruto rubbed his chin

"I like that."

As Anko's and Ebisu's spat died down, an anbu suddenly appeared bowed, gaining everyone's attention.

The anbu looked to Anko.

"The Hokage wishes for your presence in his office."

"Is it urgent?"

"No, and he specifically asked for you only because he has something to discuss with you."

"Really, but we are about to leave in a few hours," Anko said, thinking out loud.

"Thank you, I'll get there as soon as possible," replied Anko

The anbu nodded, and then body flickered away.

"Well, it seems you are busy; come to Konohamaru; we must continue your studies," said Ebisu as he hurried along Konohamaru

Konhamaru gave a deep sigh.

"Fine," he said as he began to walk over to Ebisu.

As Ebisu took his leave, he turned to Anko and said

"I hope your meeting doesn't bring ill tidings."

Ebisu then continued on his way with Konhamaru.

Konaharmau gave Naruto a thumbs up, and Naruto returned it.

Sakura asked Anko

"Why do you and that guy hate each other so much."

"We don't hate each other."

"I couldn't tell," said Sasuke

"We just two different people; he's never really liked me, and I don't like him, but we do have a basic amount of respect for each other as comrades," explained Anko

"So, sis, do you have any idea what Gramps wants to talk to you about" asked Naruto

"Hell, if I know, I will get it out. You guys can stay here. I doubt the meeting will be long."

Anko entered the office to see Hiruzen at his desk with his advisors standing behind him

Anko gave a slight bow

"Hey, should I take a seat"

"That won't be necessary. This shouldn't be a lengthy discussion," said Hiruzen

Hiruzen glanced at his advisors, and Koharu and Homaru nodded approval.

"Well, this has been a subject of discussion between us for a while now, and we've come to a decision,"

Hiruzen looked Anko directly in the eyes.

"Anko, since becoming a sensei, you have demonstrated a gift for teaching and a passion that rivals my own from back in my youth. You have also shown tremendous growth in your maturity as a ninja of Konoha. And with your defeat of Zabuza, your skills obviously outweigh your current position."

Overwhelmed with emotion, Anko's eyes welled up with tears. She closed her eyes, half-hoping that this was not just a dream.

Hiruzen continued

"As you are being sent to represent the leaf with your team, we have decided that it's time for you to represent the leaf at your proper rank of Jonin."

Anko ran forward, embraced Hiruzen, and began to cry into his robes

"Thank you, Thank you, Thank you."

Anko was light for a few more minutes until she finally recovered,

Koharu gave her some tissues, and Anko accepted them

"Sorry about crying. I can't believe this is happening," Anko said, wiping away tears.

"It's fine, but don't cry too much yet. There is another thing I want to give you."

Anko looked at Hiruzen in anticipation.

"As you know, we do not give out anything outside of the uniform to signify the Jonin rank, but since you don't wear it, I decided to give you something else to commemorate this moment. After much deliberation, I decided to trust something important."

Hiruzen reached under the table and pulled out a tempered steel box covered in seals. He channeled chakra to his pointer finger and channeled chakra into three specific areas of the box, and the seals vanished.

"When my teacher died, he left some of his most prized possessions to this office to be used at our discretion,"

Hiruzen opened the box and pulled out two items: a large journal with gold trimming, brimming with added notes, and a sizeable rolled-up scroll.

"This is Tobirama's personal research journal and his work-in-progress jutsu scroll. The only other person I've given this to was Minato. You have a bright mind, Anko, and I have no doubt that my teacher would be more than happy to let some of his research be handed down to someone like you."

Anko closed her eyes.

"Sorry, I'm not trying to be rude; it's just that if I open my eyes right now, I'll probably start crying again."

Hiruzen chuckled

"Of course, since you are about to leave, I'll keep it in this office until you return for the exams; when you do, I will teach you how to seal and unseal the box to store it. Hiruzen then resealed both the scroll and the journal back into the back."

Koharu spoke

"I have a few words for you, Anko."

Anko opened her eyes and looked Koharu in the eyes.

"I can't express how happy I am to be proven wrong about you; over my years, I've seen ninjas who have gone through half as much as you did have to be discharged for the safety of themselves and others. To see you pull yourself out of your master's shadow and grow into the incredible young women before me. You are not only a strong shinobi, but you also hold a strong will as well."

Overwhelmed by Koharu's heartfelt words, Anko couldn't hold back her tears.

Koharu then handed over the whole box of tissues, and Anko accepted it.

Homura smiled, "Well, after that, I don't have much to add, but I hope you continue to prove us wrong."

Anko turned to Danzo, who had sat unmoving the entire time.

"What gives old man, don't have anything nice to say?" questioned Anko

If someone was perceptive or delusional enough, they might have seen Danzo's mouth twitch upward a minuscule amount.

"I don't have anything to say; I have always felt that you have wasted your potential as a ninja, but now that you are using your intelligence and skills to help the village, I have no complaints," Danzo said

"Okay, party pooper."

Hiruzen spoke

"While I wish I had more time to celebrate your achievement, Anko, we have to leave the village in a few hours, and I have to change out of the robes that have been snotted over."

"Anko sniffed. "Sorry about that."

"Now get out of here, go tell your team the good news."

Anko gave a mock salute.

"Yes, sir."

She then hurried out of the office to go find her team.

Anko practically skipped out of the Hokage tower; she got some strange looks but didn't care. This was the happiest she had felt in years; as her mind drifted to her past, tears started forming at the corners of her eyes, which she wiped away quickly as he returned to her team.

Team 7 was greeted by a jubilant Anko, her grin stretching from ear to ear, infectiously spreading joy.

"What's got you so chipper?" asked Kakashi

Anko stopped and pointed at herself.

"Guess who's no longer a special Jonin?"

Naruto gasped, "Gramps fired you."

Anko rolled her eyes,

"No, I got promoted!" she exclaimed, her voice brimming with glee at the word 'promoted.

Naruto sprinted over to Anko and leaped at her; Anko caught him and began spinning him around.

"That's amazing, sis!"

Anko, let go of Naruto.

"I know I'm still in a little disbelief myself."

Sakura got off the bench and went to give Anko a quick embrace

"I'm so happy for you, sensei!" Sakura said while smiling up at Anko."

Sasuke had a slight smile on his face.

"I'm glad to know that the elders are competent enough to make such an easy decision,"

Anko turned to Kakashi.

"Anything to say"

Kakashi had already closed his book and had his eye closed; when he opened it, he began talking.

"I'm not good at congratulations, so I'm just going to be honest,

Before I started working with you, I felt you should have gotten a chance to become a jonin, but since then, it has been clear to me that you deserve to be among the elite in the village; I know how much it means to you, and I'm happy to see you represent the village at your proper rank."

Anko suddenly hugged Kakashi, who froze up upon the contact.

"That sounded more like a pr statement than congratulations, but it's the thought that counts," Anko said as she wiped away tears from her eyes.

Kakashi let go of a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"Come on, let's head to the gates before I start crying again," said Anko

As they went toward the gates, Anko was going over potential nicknames to give herself.

"The snake mistress of Konoha? No, that's too long."

"You know you don't need a nickname, right?" said Kakashi

"Says the guy with the coolest nickname in Konoha," Anko said, a tinge of jealousy in her voice

"Are nicknames really that important?" asked Sakura

"Yeah, they are. Gaining a title or name can represent your reputation around the ninja world. They also put it on your page when you get in the bingo book."

"That doesn't seem that important," Sakura commented as she thought of the utility of having a nickname.

Anko shrugged,

"It depends on how you look at it, and to be honest, if you guys live up to your potential, you'll get a nickname whether you like it or not, so it's better now you pick out one so you don't end up with something lame."

"How is it you became less mature after you got your promotion," Kakashi said

Anko, ignoring Kakashi, asked the genin a question

"So, what would you want your nicknames to be?"

Naruto, prepared for this question, said

"I have gone through a lot of them, but the two I like the best are The Storm of the Leaf or the Uzumaki Storm or something similar.

"Why Storm?" asked Sakura

" I thought of it because I can make a whole bunch of wind with my clones, and it sounds cool."

Anko nodded. "I can respect that."

"What would you want your nickname to be Sakura," asked Naruto

Sakura looked up to the sky in contemplation.

She had never thought of one before; a name suddenly crossed her mind.

"Oh, I think something like Sakura of the Roots would be cool."

Naruto stared at her blankly.

"What does that even mean?"

"It's because I go underground a lot, and I'm from the Leaf, so trees and stuff," Sakura explained, becoming a little embarrassed.

"Yeah, I still don't get it."

"It's not like your name is much better, storm bozo or whatever, right guys," Sakura said as she looked to the others for support,

Sasuke turned away

Anko shook her head in mock disappointment.

Kakashi looked down at Sakura,

"Sakura, do you want me to tell you the truth,

Sakura nodded

"That may be the worst nickname I've ever heard of."

Sakura held her head down in despair.

Anko put a hand on Sakura's shoulder

"It's okay; they can't all be winners."

Naruto looked at Sasuke.

"Do you have any nicknames you want, Sasuke"

"No"

Of course, Sasuke had come up with a few he preferred to be called over the years, but he wasn't telling a soul that; that was only for him and his journal to know.

As they arrived at the gates, they saw the teams congregating near the gate and some other ninjas going on the trip.

They spotted Gai, Kurenai, and Asuma, who were already there with their teams, grouped together in conversation.

Anko and Kakashi joined the other Jonin, while Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto joined the other genin.

"Yo," Kakashi said as they walked over.

"Ah, Kakashi, I see you are late again.

"Does it really count as being late if we haven't even left yet

"It does since we were given time to meet here; showing up mulltiple hours early is the most youthful thing to do."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, Gai, I'm actually the reason I was late this time; I had a meeting with the Hokage," said Anko

"Really, what was that about" asked Asuma

"Guess who's a Jonin," said Anko, her joy from earlier back in full force

"You're kidding," said Kurenai

Nope"

Kurenai embraced Anko

"I'm so proud of you. We have to celebrate—not now, of course, but maybe when we get to The Land of Hot Water."

"So, Dad has finally convinced those old coots of something," said Asuma

HAHA

Gai slapped Anko on the back hard, almost toppling her over

"I'm glad your youthful spirit has been rewarded, Anko."

The Jonin continued to talk about the details of Anko's promotion while the genin were having a conversation of their own

After a while, the Hokage approached, surrounded by his guard of Anbu; despite her mask, Yugao could be recognized as the squad leader due to her distinct purple hair.

Many in the crowd took a bow upon seeing their Hokage; Hiruzen stepped forward, stood in the middle of the open gate, and faced everyone.

"Before we embark, I would like to take the time to tell you how proud I am of each of you participating in these upcoming exams. You all represent the Will of Fire from the passing of teaching from sensei to student. Each of you will show the world that the leaf is still the strongest in our culture, village, and the ninjas we produce."

His speech incited some cheers from the crowd.

Hiruzen then began explaining the details of their travel

"Now, we will be tree running up to the border with one thirty-minute break at the three-hour mark. We should make it to the Land of Hot Water by evening,"

The convoy then got into position with the Hokage leading the charge with his Anbu squad on all sides. The genin were all in the middle, and the Jonin outlined the formation as they made their way to the Chunin Exams.

The convoy stopped at the border of the Land of Fire and began walking on the road to their destination. The path they were going down changed as dirt turned to stone.

A small building came into view, with two guards posted outside; once one of the guards saw their approach, one went back to say some words to someone stationed in the bullying. After a few minutes, a woman came out dressed in a formal yukata, with her hair down up in a lavish bun.

Hiruzen stepped forward and began conversing with the woman. After a few minutes, he motioned for everyone to come forward; the woman started to speak as they approached.

"Hello, Leaf Ninja. My name is Yuki, and welcome to The Valley of Hotsprings. Your Hokage and his escort will head to Center Spring to meet with the other leaders. I will lead the rest of you to the Inn, where you will stay."

Hirzuen stepped forward and said,

"I urge you all to treat the land and people here respectfully. You should see me tomorrow when you head to Center Spring."

The convoy followed Yuki through the valley. As they saw many road branches off of the main ones that led to a small collection of houses or a stand, along a lot of the paths were stood, selling things from food to clothing, they passed a staircase that looked to lead up to a hill that had a market square at the top of it. Along the roads were benches and small sitting areas, each a reasonable distance ce away; above were paper lanterns with seals on them, which had started to glow slightly as nighttime approached

"How do you guys find your way around with so many roads?" Asuma asked

"I know it may seem like a lot, but once you are here for a few weeks, it becomes easy to navigate yourself; many visitors say that exploring the valley and finding shops and locations was the best part of their stay here," replied Yuki

"So, are we heading to where all the other participants are staying?" Kurenai asked

Yuki shook her head

"We have decided to keep each village separate from the competition. An Inn is this way; the valley is structured strangely due to its history. Once Yugakure was dissolved, the surrounding region where the village was located went back under the control of the Daimyo; most of the surrounding forest was unused, and they discovered multiple significant springs in the area. This led to development all throughout the region, and many small towns, resorts, and inns were built around the springs. The center spring is what we call the former ninja village. " explained Yuki

"So, where are the other villages staying?"

"Some are staying in some of the towns here, some are staying at resorts, and one is staying at an Inn like you. The one you are staying at is built around one of the smaller springs, but they have graciously offered to keep the onsen and rooms reserved for your village," said Yuki

They finally arrived at the Inn once the sun was setting.

The Inn was a significant one-story building that stretched out into a circular pattern that surrounded the hot springs in the middle, which could be seen from outside,

"It may look small from the outside, but they have enough space here to fit all participants in your village comfortably,"

Yuki then took a bow.

"Now, I bid you farewell; I hope you enjoy your stay in the valley."

As they entered, each of the staff was waiting. The manager staying in the middle introduced himself; hello, leaf Shinobi. Welcome to our establishment. We already have a list of everyone here; once we announce your name, one of our workers will lead you to your room.

"Can we check out the hot springs?" Ino asked excited

"Yes, you can; after we escort you to your rooms, you are free to explore the Inn to your heart's content," said the manager

For the room situation, each genin team got their own room with three beds, while the jonin had to pick from several two-bedroom

Anko and Kurenai choose to room together, and Kakashi and Asuman choose to room together as well; Gai, instead of rooming with someone else, decides to use his personal green and orange futon that he brought at home to stay with Asuma and Kakashi.

After the rooms were set, everyone went to enjoy the hot springs in the center of the Inn,

The entrance to the springs was overseen by a clerk, who, with the left side being labeled for men and the right for women,

The hot springs were shaped into a large half circle with a thick wooden and bamboo divider.

Naruto and Kiba had taken to taking turns dunking each other in the water; Chouji had begun to partake in the complementary snacks given out at the Inn while lounging near the edge, next to Shikamaru, who was in a deep sleep, with a towel, over his face. Rock Lee and Gai had to do laps around the springs. While Kakashi and Asuma were relaxing and preparing for the busy weeks ahead.

Neji was meditating on top of the water, and Sasuke was sitting next to Shino, glaring daggers at Neji.

Shino, noticing this, asked, "Does Neji's mediation irritate you to such a degree."

"No, it's not his meditation, just more him as a person."

Shino thought about how insufferable Neji was just from his few hours' travel and his distasteful looks at his teammates,

"understandable"

On the girl's side, Ino was teasing Hinata.

"Hinata, this is your chance."

"Chance for what?"

Don't tell me you haven't thought about spying on Naruto with those eyes of yours.

Ino began to laugh but stopped when she felt Hinata's hand come across her face.

Hinata was glaring at Ino

"Don't joke about such things; it's unbecoming," Hinata said, her voice stern and forceful.

Hinata then noticed that everyone was staring at her. Her face became bright red as she began to stammer.

"Sorry, Ino, I just," Hinata paused, trying to explain her character actions.

Ino busted out into laughter as the rest of the girls followed.

Hinata, embarrassed, began to slowly sink herself into the water.

"I'm happy that you hold yourself to standards, Hinata," Kurenai said teasingly.

Hinata sunk deeper into the hot springs.

After leaving the hot springs and returning to their rooms, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura lay in their beds.

Looking at the ceiling and unable to sleep, Naruto spoke, "Are you guys still awake?"

"Yeah," said Sakura.

Sasuke sat up in his bed and nodded.

"I can't sleep. I'm just so pumped up for tomorrow," said Naruto.

"Yeah, but we have to," said Sakura.

"Guys, let's kick so much ass tomorrow; I want Anko and Kakashi sensei to be proud of us and show everyone just how awesome we are," exclaimed Naruto.

"I can get behind that," Sasuke said.

"Tomorrow, we will show them what Team 7 can do," Sakura agreed.

The Genin rested that night, excited, anxious, and prepared for the challenges of the exams.