The First Exam

Naruto was awakened by a ray of sunlight scanning his face. His sudden leap into consciousness flooded his body with excitement and anticipation. He jumped out of bed and straight into the air, yelling, "Let's do this!"

Naruto was knocked off balance and fell to the ground after Sakura threw a pillow at his head. Sakura glared at Naruto and then lay back down to get a brief respite of sleep. However, as her head hit the mattress, she realized she had just thrown away her only pillow.

She then groaned and sat up.

"Who screams when they first get up in the morning like that?" Sakura asked, grouchy as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

Naruto sat up and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, Sakura, I'm not used to waking up around other people."

Sasuke's voice reverberated through the room. "Both of you should get ready and prepare yourselves for today. We're not here on vacation,"

Naruto and Sakura searched for Sasuke's voice and found him meditating on the ceiling.

"How long you've been up," asked Naruto

"Since 5:00 a.m., I've already completed my morning exercises, taken a bath, and was just about finished with my meditations before your outburst," Sasuke said, his tone carrying a hint of annoyance."

"What's got you so serious."

Sasuke sighed and dropped down off the ceiling and onto the floor.

"We can't afford to get caught up in the environment we are in; we are here for the exams and nothing else," Sasuke said

"I understand, but it wouldn't hurt if we enjoyed the Land of Hot Water while we were here; we only saw a little of it yesterday, but I can already tell that this is one of the most beautiful places in the world," said Sakura finding the prospect of exploring the land exciting

Sasuke furrowed his eyes.

"Prancing around and smelling flowers may be enough for you two, but I didn't come here to waste playing around like a bunch of grade schoolers."

Sakura was shocked at Sasuke's harsh words.

Naruto glared at Sasuke,

"What's up yours this morning? You haven't been this much of a jerk in months."

Sorrow filled Saskue's eyes as he felt guilt rise within him,

"Sorry, it's just..." Sasuke sighed and sat down on his bed

Sakura and Naruto waited for Sasuke to continue. Over the past year, they had learned that Sasuke often lashed out when he needed to express his emotions. However, he would later apologize and explain himself after collecting his thoughts.

Sasuke looked down at the floor and spoke.

"I put so much effort into getting stronger. I've always said that I didn't need or want recognition. Still, I think I was just telling myself that just to make myself feel better, I wanted to be recognized for my strength and ability, to have my hard work be evident. That's why I despise being called a prodigy or talented. It makes it seem like all the hard work I've done doesn't exist."

"I used to train constantly with no breaks, eating to sustain my energy and sleeping only out of exhaustion. I practiced fire just until my throat was raw. I felt like I would die from Chakra exhaustion. I'm not good-gifted just because I'm an Uchiha or just a natural genius; I'm good at being a ninja because I worked my ass off."

Sasuke looked up at his teammates.

"I feel the same about this team, the hours we have spent training together, the times when we have been so exhausted that we have to be carried back home, The hundreds of hours of spars. I want people to see and acknowledge the work we've put in; I don't want all of it to be for nothing," Sasuke expressed, his eyes filled with determination and a hint of vulnerability.

Naruto grinned

"Give Sakura and me a little more credit; of course, we're ready," Naruto declared with a determined look, his eyes shining with confidence.

"I understand where you're coming from, but try to calm down; you're supposed to be the leveled-headed one between the three of us," said Sakura

A small smile came across Sasuke's face

"Thanks, guys, you're right."

"What an impassioned speech; even Gai would be proud of that one."

They frantically turned to the corner of the room to see Kakashi leaning against the room wall, flipping through pages of his Icha Icha.

"How long have you been there?" asked Naruto

Kakashi shrugged

"Who knows?, Anyway, go ahead and get ready; breakfast is in thirty minutes, and we will leave a little after."

"I thought the exams didn't start until 10:00 a.m.," questioned Sakura

"Yeah, it doesn't, but this place is pretty far from the center spring, so we have to depart earlier,"

Kakashi then performed a shooing motion with his hand.

"Now hurry along; you know how much I would hate it if we were late."

The Genin rolled their eyes and exited the room to escape their teacher.

After breakfast, the Genin and their sensei made their way to Center Spring. It was pretty easy to follow the path since it was a straight shot as soon as they reached the main road.

Sakura looked around, still amazed at the infrastructure in such a large area; the roads were all stone, and the bushes and surrounding grass looked well-maintained everywhere they went.

As they approached Center Spring, they began to see more and more people on their way there.

"Why are there so many tourists here already? I thought the tournament wasn't supposed to be here until the end of the month?" asked TenTen

"They are commercializing the entire exams. It was one of the conditions we had to agree to host here," said Anko

"Commercialize how?" questioned Shino.

"The first two exams have had a betting market created around them; most of the people you'll see are business owners and wealthy patrons coming here to place bets; the third exam will be broadcast via cameras throughout the entirety of the elemental nations," explained Kurenai

"Really!"

Ino said as she got lost in thought, imagining herself being praised by hundreds of thousands.

"That's awesome; we'll be like action stars," said Kiba

"Is this the first time the exams will be broadcasted?" asked Sakura

"It's not, actually." Stepping back from a group of leaf ninjas in front of them and joining a conversation

A Genin with onyx eyes and ash-grey hair in a ponytail, he had black-rimmed circular glasses. He wore a dark purple shirt with a high collar, a white undershirt, and dark purple pants with a white cloth waistband. Additionally, he donned dark purple fingerless gloves, armored plates on the back of the hand, and a blue forehead protector.

"Sorry for butting in. My name is Kabuto, and I've competed in the exams a lot over the years. A few years ago, the exams were broadcasted in Konoha, but from my memory they had a bunch of techincal issues, which kept it form catching on." explained Kabuto

"How many times have you taken the exams?" asked Naruto

"This would be my sixth attempt."

"Six!" Shouted both Naruto and Kiba

Neji scoffed and looked away, losing the little interest he had in the conversation.

"Are the exams really that difficult?" asked Hinata

"At least to me, they are, but I'm not too good, so I don't think my experience counts for much. But I'm sure you guys don't have much to worry about with you being favorites and all," said Kabuto

"Favorites?" Shikamaru said, his curiosity piqued

"Oh, have you not seen the betting odds for the teams," asked Kabuto

How would you even bet? There is not enough information about us to do it logically." reasoned Shikamaru

"Jonin had to make a dossier on their teams, who you are, where you come from, your backgrounds, mission records, etc, the bettors," said Anko.

"Why didn't you tell us," asked Kiba

"We decided that you guys shouldn't worry about how you are perceived by the public," explained Kakashi

"If you're interested, the final round of betting was released yesterday," said Kabuto

"Let not," Kurenai said as she tried to dissuade the Genin.

"No, I want to know," said Naruto, with the rest of the Genin in agreement

Asuma shrugged

"What would be the harm?"

"Well, just let me look at this." Kabuto pulled out a portion of a newspaper that looked like it had been cut out, unfolded it, and began examining it as they walked.

"Yep, just like I remember, Team Ten, Team Eight, and Team Seven are all in the top twenty for betting."

"Being in the top twenty means we were favorites?" asked Choji

"Yes, over one hundred fifty teams are participating in these exams."

"One hundred fifty!"

"What about us? Where are we ranked?" asked TenTen

Kabuto scanned the paper with his finger as he went through the list.

"You guys are tied for fifty-fifth place."

Neji, who was pretending to not care, spun around and asked in a disgusted tone.

"How is that even possible?"

His glare focused on Hinata, who reacted by slipping beside Kurenai to get out of his sight.

Kiba stepped toward Neji and said

"Maybe you are not such hot shit as you thought you were."

It's probably because of the dossier we had to write; whatever Gai wrote probably turned away bettors."

TenTen and Neji spun around to Rock Lee and Gai, who were walking on their hands behind the group, doing five handstand pushups every two steps.

TenTen put on a pleasant smile.

"Hey sensei, what did you put in the dossier?

Gai smiled and gave a thumbs up, which looked like a thumbs down from his position.

"Oh, my wonderful student, I've compiled everything neatly in a three-hundred-page document of all your achievements and youthful adventures."

Neji and TenTen went slacked-jawed at Gai's statement.

"How big were yours," TenTen asked Anko.

"Maybe a page and a half."

TenTen pulled out two kunai and threw the blunt end of both at Gai and Lee; they both hit their lower abdomen, causing them to fall over from their handstands.

Lee moaned as he held his stomach.

"Oh, TenTen, that was a youth-filled toss, but why did you attack me," asked Lee

"Because both of you support each other in your psychosis-filled life that you call youth," TenTen said

"This is why we didn't want to tell you about the betting; going in with a chip on your shoulder or knowing you're one of the favorites can affect your exam performance," said Kurenai

"Why are we favorites anyway? I understand Team 7, but we haven't done stuff close to as impressive," questioned Shikamaru

"For Teams Eight and Ten, you all have clan heritage; the Konaha clans are some of the most famous among the civilian population. Teams Ten and Eight are ranked 12th and 15th. Then Team 7 is in a near tie for second with a team from Cloud." explained Kabuto

"Who's in front of us?" asked Naruto

"It's a dead tie between the team from Iwa, which I heard has the Tsuchikage's granddaughter, and a team from Suna, made of the Kazekage children.

"So it's all about status, huh," said Sasuke solemn at the thought

"Don't get too caught up in these bets, odds, and favorites; just focus on doing your best." encouraged Anko

The Genin nodded to agree. They went through the statement, trying to ignore the betting odds, but it was still in their minds.

They finally arrived at Center Springs, surrounded by a village that appeared to lead up to a much more ornate city on the hilltop, accessible via a large staircase. The town had residential homes, small farmlands, and merchant stands surrounding a central area

situated on top of a large hill.

As they ascended the steps and entered the gates, Yuki, the woman from yesterday, greeted them.

"Oh, good. You're here. You arrived just in time, and the commencement ceremony is about to begin."

"Wow, there's how many people," commented Naruto, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness as he took in the bustling crowd.

"Many of our inns and hotels are already reserved for next month. We are currently designated land outside Center Spring for visitors to set up camps," explained Yuki

As they got closer to the square, Yuki stopped and said

"Okay, the Genin will keep going to the square, and when you get there, you'll see the designated spot for your village. The Jonin may follow me, and I'll show you where you will be during the ceremony."

As they entered the plaza, stone ramparts surrounded the square where the Jonin stood. A symbol of each village was on the ground, designating where each participant would stand. The minor villages had a section to themselves. In front of them, there was a stage for the Genin. They then lined up where the leaves were designated, standing between Sand and Cloud.

After a few minutes, the Daimyo of the Land of Hot came onto the stage from the left. The Kage from the major villages followed him, who went on the stage from the side and stood in front of their respective villages. They were followed by the leaders of the minor villages, with the only village head absent from Hidden Rain.

Going right to left

The Kazekage, Rasa, stood tall with auburn hair and dark eyes. He usually had a very stern look on his face. He wore a simple black jacket and pants with mesh armor underneath, as well as the standard attire of the Kazekage - a loose-fitting green kimono with a white collar and a hat with the kanji for wind. Additionally, he carried a small canister strapped to his hip.

Next to him was Hiruzen, who was wearing his standard Hokage garb

The Raikage A stood in front of the cloud genin. He had dark skin, a large muscular build, combed-back blond hair, a small mustache, and a goatee. His face had pronounced cheekbones and pointed canines, and his top lip was darker than his bottom. He wore a white haori without a shirt underneath and had on the Raikage hat. He had black Fūma Shuriken tattoos on both shoulders and wore large, golden vambraces on his wrists. He wore a gold belt around his waist, a boar's face engraved in the center, black torn pants, Kumo-nin shin guards, and shinobi sandals.

Next to him was the Mizukage. Yagura was a young-looking adult, relatively short, with short, messy, grey hair. His hair fell over the right side of his face and spiked up on the left. He had pupil less pink eyes and a stitch-like scar from under his left eye down his cheek. Unlike the other Kage, he wasn't wearing traditional Kage robes. Instead, he wore a grey, sleeveless shirt with the Kiri forehead protector attached to the front, short-sleeved mesh armor, and a green poncho. He also had a turquoise sash around his waist, a matching green apron over his pants, and a pair of brown boots. Additionally, he carried a club with uneven-sized hooks, which had a green flower on the larger end.

And at the end was Ōnoki, a very short, old man with a triangular beard, a mustache with angular corners, a big red nose, and thick eyebrows. The top of his head was completely bald. However, he had long white hair on the lower half of his head, styled in a traditional chonmage haircut, the back of which was tied with a yellow ribbon into a topknot. Ōnoki wore a split-apart green coat divided into four sections with yellow trimmings and a red collar. He had both sleeves on his shirt but kept the single lapel on his right side. Along with this, he wore sandals.

Before the speech began, Naruto focused on a strong feeling as he approached the square. He closed his eyes. It felt like his chakra was spinning at an incredible speed, and his body began to feel hot. Then, he sensed five different chakra signatures in the area. Naruto opened his eyes and looked towards the section where the minor villages' Genin seated.

His gaze instantly focused on a girl gathered among the Genin from Hidden Waterfall.

She was a petite, caramel-skinned kunoichi who wore an orange clip in her short, layered mint green hair that matched her eye color, which was also orange. Her ninja outfit consisted of a short, sleeveless white midriff shirt with fishnet armor underneath, long white armlets, and fishnet shorts with a short white apron skirt over them. Her forehead protector was worn on her right arm. She also carried a cylindrical object wrapped in red on her back.

She bounced on her heels and bobbed her head like dancing to a rhythm only she could hear. She turned to Naruto, smiled toothily, and proceded to converse with someone next to her.

Naruto then turned toward the ramparts where the Jonin stood.

He spotted a cloud, Jonin.

She had long, straight, blonde hair bound with taut bandages, dark eyes, and red lipstick. She wore a short-sleeved black and purple blouse, black pants with a cloud-like design, purple fingerless gloves, and a chain of blue beads wound around her left hand. She also wore the standard Kumogakure forehead protector, sandals, and a kunai holster strapped to her right thigh. Additionally, she had bandages around her arms and legs and a red belt around her waist.

She was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, uninterested in the events around her. Naruto noticed that she looked at him out of the corner of her eye; a brief flash of interest showed on her face before she turned away and continued to stare forward blankly.

Naruto panned over to where the Iwa Jonins were.

He saw a man with red hair, a mustache, and a beard that tapered off to a point. The man was wearing a large headpiece with a three-pointed crown-like ridge. He also had an Iwagakure forehead protector, a ring, and a prominent gray piece of armor running across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. His outfit included a long-sleeved magenta kimono shirt and pants, a mesh armor shirt, a fitted black suit underneath, and calf-length sandals. Around his waist, he wore a brown sash that held a brown armor-like breastplate with a front pouch.

He stood at attention but turned toward Naruto and gave him a nod.

Naruto then turned his attention to the Kage on the stage; he focused on the Mizukage. His chakra felt unmoving and dead, as if it was at a standstill. Naruto looked at him for a few moments longer, but Yagara gave no indication that he knew of Naruto's presence,

Naruto then focused on the last resonating presses of chakra; when he turned to look at his surprise, a boy was already staring back at him.

The boy had fair skin, green eyes, and short auburn hair. He lacked distinctive pupils or eyebrows, had tanuki-like black rings around his eyes, and wore a black body suit with an open neck, t-shirt-like sleeves, and almost full-length leggings. With this, he wore a white cloth over his right shoulder and the left side of his hips. He had a wide leather band from his left shoulder to his right hip, with which he carried his sand gourd and wrapped his forehead protector around.

A manic smile spread across his face, sending a shiver down Naruto's spine. He quickly looked straight ahead, sweating.

Sakura noticed Naruto's panicked state.

"Are you okay, Naruto?

Naruto nodded dumbly, "Yeah, just a little nervous.

Sakura didn't fully believe him, but she resigned herself,

The Daimyo of Land of Hot Water stepped forward to the mic on stage,

"I welcome all of you today to our beautiful paradise, our home. I want to thank all the villages participating in the Chunin Exams. It's a time-honored tradition that brings us together to showcase our individual strengths, determination, and the unbreakable bond between us all. These exams are not just a test of skill and prowess but a testament to the unity and camaraderie that thrive within our shinobi. Let us celebrate this opportunity to learn from each other, forge new alliances, and demonstrate the unwavering spirit of the ninja. As we embark on this journey, may the spirit of fair competition guide us, and may the bonds between us grow even stronger. Good luck to all the participants, and may the best shinobi rise to the top!"

The crowd erupted with claps and cheers.

The Daimyo waited for the crowd to quiet down and said

"Now, you may follow the exam proctors to the first test."

They arrived at the building for the first exam. It spanned a lengthy distance, and you could barely see the back of it from the front. It had five large front doors, each labeled one through five. As the crowd of young ninjas settled, one of the proctors stepped forward and began to speak.

"Okay, through these doors are identical obstacle courses. This course will test each of you to see if you and your teams have the baseline skills necessary to participate in this exam. The course must be completed within ten minutes; you will be disqualified if your team cannot continue or if one or multiple team members are absent when you finish the course.

A Genin raised their hand and asked.

"Do we need a whole team to pass?"

"Yes, and one more thing: With each team's run through the course being timed, we decided that the teams with the top five times would get a bonus for the next stage of the exams."

That comment caused a slight uproar among the genin.

"Okay, we will now announce team names and what doors you will go to; once you hear your name, you will be disqualified if you do not enter the door within two minutes."

The proctors invited the first batch of teams to the doors and let them enter the course.

After around half an hour of little talk and tempered anxiety, Team 7 was called to door three.

The three of them sped off through the front of the crowd and got to the door in under fifteen seconds.

The proctor gave an impressed nod and opened the door

"Remember, the course begins once you cross the line."

They stepped through the door, and before them was a long hallway; as they approached the light, they entered a room filled with water; in front of them, along the edge of the water, the wood was a red line. On the far side of the room was an open doorway that led to another long hallway

Sakura took a deep breath and turned to Naruto and Sasuke

"Are you guys ready?"

Sasuke nodded

And Naruto began to hop up and down and do exaggerated stretches

"You know it."

"I'll count down," said Sasuke

"Okay, let's go on one."

"Three... Two ... One"

Water splashed upward as the three of them sprinted to the other side of the room, and obstacles began to rise from underneath it.

Naruto put his hands in the ram hand sign, summoned four clones, and had them stop before the obstacles. Recognizing the maneuver, Sasuke and Sakura jumped up into the air above the clones, with Naruto following suit.

The clones then went through hand signs and performed

Wind Release: Great Breakthrough

This launched the three of them above the room's obstacles, and they used the momentum to jump over to the other side of the room. They landed and continued their stride into the hallway leading out of the room to the next room. As they reached the end of the hallway, they came to a circular room with six doors. There were no visible markings or indicators of where each door led.

"Sakura" said Sasuke

Not needing any further explanation, Sakura bent down on one knee and placed her hand on the ground

"On it"

Sakura closed her eyes and channeled her chakra through the ground. She began to map out the path through each door. Sakura then discovered that each door led to the same place, but each went through a labyrinth, with each door putting you at a different spot in the maze. After recognizing multiple dead ends and traps, Sakura sensed the outline of a room at the end of the maze.

Sakura opened her eyes and pointed to a door on the left.

"That one"

The three of them burst through the door and went into the labyrinth.

"Take two rights and a left and then one more right," Sakura informed

As they took the final right, they entered a long hallway leading to another room. It was completely blank when they entered, with no entrances or windows.

"I thought you said this was the right way," asked Naruto

There had to be no other path forward unless Sakura began to disrupt her chakra to check for genjutsu. Sasuke was already on it as he activated his Sharingan and scanned the room. He spotted a concentration of chakra in the corner of the room,

"There," Sasuke said as he pointed to the corner.

All three of them yelled "Kai" as the disrupted chakra

Revealing a hatch in the corner of the room. Sasuke yanked it open, revealing a ladder they descended around fifteen feet.

Sasuke jumped down, and Naruto and Sakura followed. When they landed, they went forward, and as they advanced, the flat ground became a slope as they went upward. Once the ground leveled out, they saw the light from outside at the end of the hallway.

This empowered them, as they began channeling as much chakra as possible to their lands as they dashed forward at blazing speed.

As they exploded from the tunnel, they were nothing but blurs. As they slid across the ground, trying to stall their momentum, they were surrounded by other participants in the clearing.

Team 7 looked at the leaderboard to see that their time was right at the top, at 2:25

Naruto yelled as he hugged his teammates and began to jump around. The outburst attracted attention, but they didn't care as they enjoyed the moment,

After the moment, they waited and watched to see if anyone would beat their time.

Team 8 was the first to come close; they had a time of 3:02, which put them in sixth place; when they finished, they came over to Team 7

Kiba whistled as he looked over to see Team 7's time.

"Man, I thought we were doing well; I don't see how anyone can beat that."

"Don't sell yourselves short; you guys did awesome," said Naruto.

"We did quite well, but I doubt we would have had such a good time if you hadn't been so focused and composed, Hinata," Shino complimented.

"No, I didn't..."

Sakura gave Hinata a stern look,

"You should accept the compliment, Hinata. Shino doesn't give them out lightly."

Hinata took a deep breath and smiled

"You're right; thank you, Shino."

Team 10 exited their tunnel next, completing the test at 9:50. The three were exhausted as they exited the tunnel and sat nearby.

Team 7 and 8 went over and greeted them.

"Man, you guys really cut it close; what happened? Both of us got under three minutes," bragged Kiba

"Actually, our time was a little over three minutes," Shino clarified.

"Same difference," said Kiba

"Not everyone has special eyes or sensing abilities to get through a maze," said Shikamaru through labored breaths

The leaf teams continue to sit there and banter, waiting for the exam to be over.

As the last teams ran the gauntlet, Naruto thought out loud.

"Man, I wonder if TenTen and bushy brows have gone through yet, it would suck if they didn't pass."

"It wouldn't suck that bad; that would mean we wouldn't have to deal with Neji," said Kiba

Just as a gust of wind came from the second tunnel, Team Gai burst in. They were all composed, and Neji immediately turned to them with a cocky smirk, which then turned into a slight frown upon seeing the leaderboard. Team Gai was in second place at 2:27.

Naruto grinned and did a fake laugh at Neji.

"Ha Ha Ha"

A crease formed on Neji's forehead, and he looked away and walked to sit down somewhere.

"Wow, it must be hard for him to carry around that much ego," said Ino

After another half hour, the final teams finished the course, and the proctors came to the back of the building and spoke.

"Good job, everyone. Quite a few passed, but that's okay; this was more of an evaluation for the subsequent examination, which will be a lot more complicated; those who have not placed in the top five, please follow the proctors to the starting location of the next test, those who had wait here. We will hand you your reward."

Team 8 and 10 said their goodbyes as they and the other Genin began to make their way to the next test.

As the top teams gathered and waited, Sasuke examined the top competitors. Each name was on the leaderboard, and it took some time to determine each Genin's identity.

Team 7 kept their top spot, with Team Gai following close behind in a close second.

In the third spot was a Team from Cloud that consisted of Omio, Samui, and Karui

Omio was a young Kumo-nin with short, spiky, white hair and dark eyes accentuated by upward-curving eyelashes. He wore a dark outfit, which included an overlong shirt with a hood, red bandage hand guards, Kumogakure shin guards, a black forehead protector, and a Kumogakure flak jacket. He had a thoughtful expression and was sucking on a lollipop. Additionally, he carried a long sword on his back.

Samui, a tall, fair-skinned girl, stood with a stoic, aloof expression. She had blue eyes and straight, shoulder-length blonde hair cut in an asymmetrical bob style. She wore a low-cut outfit that displayed her cleavage, with mesh armor underneath, a short skirt, red hand guards, and high boots. She also carried a tantō strapped horizontally to her lower back.

Karui is a dark-skinned kunoichi with long, spiky red hair and amber eyes. She wore a long, short-sleeved dress with frilly edges, two simple yellow earrings, fishnet stockings, thigh-high boots with white soles, and a forehead protector, which she wore like a bandanna. She also carried a long sword on her back.

Sasuke's gaze went over the Iwa team, which consisted of Kurotsuchi, Suzumebachi, and Ibuki.

Kurotsuchi had short, black hair and distinct pink eyes. She wore the standard attire of the Iwa-nin, consisting of a red uniform with her right sleeve missing and a lapel over her right leg, fishnet tights, and a skirt over them. She also wore regular shinobi sandals and gloves. She had a blade in a red and gold ornate sheath on her waist.

Suzumebachi had shoulder-length brown hair with a single lock falling onto the right side of her face and going over her right eye just slightly. She had steel-grey eyes with orange markings in the corner. She wore what appeared to be an altered purple kimono dress with red trimmings. She wore a yellow sash around her waist and thigh-length stockings that merged into her sandals.

Ibuki had spiky brown hair that puffed out like an afro, with a fake explosive tag hanging off one of the ends; he had dark blue eyes, wore the standard Iwa ninja uniform but had both sleeves missing, and wore red pants and brown shinobi sandals.

He then looked at the Team from Suna;

which consisted of Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro.

He recognized Gaara, who had looked at them since they arrived.

Temari had teal eyes and sandy blonde hair gathered into four consecutive pigtails. She wore a single light purple off-the-shoulders garment that extended halfway down her thighs, with a scarlet sash tied around her waist. Additionally, she incorporated a fishnet worn over her shoulders and legs, specifically on her right calf. She left thigh and wore her black forehead protector around her neck.

Kankurō wore purple face paint in a triangular design. He also wore a black, baggy, full-body suit with a red and yellow circle on the front. A black hood covered his entire head, featuring cat-like ears and a forehead protector.

In the brief intermission, the proctors ordered the teams to stay apart, despite that Kurotsuchi broke that rule and approached Team 7

As she approached, Sakura her hand out and greeted her

"Hello, my name is Sakura."

The girl walked past Sakura and ignored her hand as she walked before Sasuke.

She squinted her eyes and began to examine Sasuke closely. Sasuke did his best to maintain his calm and uninterested demeanor, but he began to falter under the girl's intense gaze,

"So you're the last Uchiha, huh? You don't look like much, but if you could lead these chumps to the top spot, you must have some skill."

She backed away slightly and introduced herself.

"My name is Kurotsuchi."

"Hey, why didn't you introduce yourself to me and Sakura" said Naruto

Kurostuchi rolled her eyes.

"Because I don't recognize your clan names, and I doubt clanless ninjas would be worth conversing with."

"You you…" Naruto stammered, his anger overwhelming his speech

"I have you know that I will be the next Hokage."

Kurostuchi laughed,

"Like someone of no status like you could be a Kage. The only people who become Kages are those among the strongest in the world and those closely related to current ones. Since I'm both of those, I'm a lock for the next Tsuchikage."

"What do you mean by both"

"My gramps is the Tsuchikage, and since I'm easily the most talented of my generation, I'll get to take his place when he kicks the bucket. Fodder like you two will most likely deliver messages about Iwa's victory in the next war. "

"Shut it!" Sasuke yelled; his volume surprised everyone and got everyone's attention.

"Do not denigrate my teammates, clan or not. They have worked hard to get here and don't need to flex who their family is to make themselves feel better."

Kurostuchi put her hands up in a placating gesture, and a cocky smirk came across her face as she started to back away.

"So, the Uchiha has a backbone. Hopefully, that will keep you alive. A fight with you will be interesting." She then made her way back to her team.

Naruto began ranting

"Oh my god, that girl is just so so,"

"Insufferable, spoiled, uptight, ugly, mean, spiteful, rude and bratty." Sakura's calm tone rising in anger as she continued

"Yeah, all of those," Naruto said, a little dumbfounded.

"Ignore her. She just trying to get under our skin," said Sasuke

"Thanks, Sasuke, by the way, for standing up for me and Naruto."

Sasuke huffed,

"I just told her the truth: who she thinks she is, evaluating people by their names."

Then, the proctors produced a box with a hole in it and placed it on a table,

"Okay, inside are slips of paper that have information on them that can assist in the next exam; they won't make much now, but they will once the next exam starts; one member of each team may come to grab a slip at random and make their way east to the starting area of the second exam."

On the other side of the city is a lounging area for the Jonin.

Woo, that's what I'm talking about," Anko yelled as she down more drink.

"Anko, they've been in first place for about an hour. You don't have to keep yelling about it," scolded Kurenai

"For real, it's not like they won the whole thing, I'm just glad my team passed," said Asuma

"I agree with Anko; we should tell the world about our team's youthful accomplishments during the first test."

"That's what I'm talking about Gai"

Anko yelled through the lounge, getting some eye rolls.

A sand Jonin, tired of Anko's outbursts, turned around and yelled,

"It's not that much of an achievement; this exam is a joke, a nicely packaged product for the civilians to eat up because they can't handle what it means to be a ninja,"

"You've probably just mad your team failed," said Anko

Her comment clearly hit a nerve, but the Jonin continued. He gestured around the room,

"We all probably went through hell during our exams, so why should these kids get an easier test?"

"Oh, that's great logic. I was traumatized. Why can't they be, too," Anko quipped, inciting some chuckles from around the lounge.

The sand jonin rolled his eyes and turned back forward to his drink.

As the room quieted down and went back to regular conversation, Kakashi said

"Are these exams really that safe,"

"What do you mean?" asked Gai

"I don't know how peaceful this place is; it's off-putting."

"I think you're just uncomfortable with being at rest. This place is paradise, or whatever they call it; I haven't heard of anything major happening here in years," assured Asuma

"Maybe you're right; I might be worrying too much."

In a cave deep underneath the Land of Hot Water, The Valley of Hell was an extensive open cave system with a red lake and river, with the minerals in the soil creating a blood-like appearance. Deep into the valley was an old abandoned village which was in ruins, the dark red river running through the center of the village

A man with beige hair, a mustache, a goatee, and violet eyes is wearing a baggy light brown tunic decorated with green and khaki stripes along each hem. Underneath, he has a teal shirt and pale green pants. He also wears a red headband under his hair and oversized diamond-shaped sunglasses. He wears a pink bangle on his right wrist, and he has plain flip-flops on his feet.

He was shifting through the remains of a rotted structure,

A young girl walked behind him, kicking rocks. She has long, waist-length, spiky, light-blonde hair with two thick strands reaching onto her rosy cheeks. Her violet eyes are complemented by small brows. Her outfit consists of a black high-collared sleeveless undershirt, a sleeveless pink kimono-like shirt, long light grey pants, black fingerless gloves that reach her upper arm, a brown pouch wrapped around her waist, white bandages wrapped up to her knees on both legs, a brown belt, and grey sandals.

In a place so bare, she struggled to find anything to do to distract herself from the ruins of her village. She walked toward the rock she kicked, and she came to the water's edge. In the bloody-colored water were multiple skeletons and a skull stuck at the bottom, the empty sockets staring back at her. As she stared down, she heard footsteps and looked to see the source.

Upon seeing who it was, she turned toward the man shifting through the rubble and said

"En some guy is coming," her voice cold; she went next to a rock wall and sat down, putting her knees to her chest.

En sighed as he emerged from the rubble and turned to meet the gaze of his new guest.

A man with medium-length grey hair that was slicked back and distinctive purple eyes. He wore an open black leather jacket with fur on the nape, revealing his Yugakure forehead protector around his neck and Jashin amulet; his forehead protector bore a slash across the village symbol, and blue pants with long, black shinobi sandals. On his shoulder, he was carrying a Triple-Bladed Scythe.

"I have to ask, why are you in this graveyard, Hidan?" said En

"Oh, you know of me," Hidan said with a smile.

"Of course I do; you're the guy who went on a murder spree before you left Yugaakre; I also heard that you caused quite a stir at the coliseum when I was out."

"Oh, about that, do you think you can get me unbanned?" asked Hidan.

"Only if you promise not to kill everyone you face."

"Nevermind them," dimissed Hidan

"Now, while I enjoy a good chat, I have to ask how in the hell you know of this place, and better yet, how did you know I would be here?" En asked, his tone hinting at a veiled threat.

"To be honest, I wasn't looking for you; I've known of this place for a long time; I just happened to see you enter and recognize you, to think that the famous En Oyashiro is a part of the Chinkoke clan."

"I'm not, En gestured to the girl; she is. I took her from here years ago; she was the only survivor; we're here now to look for any information to train her in her kekkei genkai.

Really, that's the story," Hidan said, not fully believing En.

"Yes, that's the story. Now drop it and tell me what you want from me."

Hidan dropped the issue and decided to explain his offer

"I wish for help with causing a slaughter."

"Why would I want to help you? "

"Hidan threw over a blood-covered book journal.

"That is the full roster for everyone in these exams; I grabbed it off some chump earlier this week; I know you are looking for young kids with Kekkei Genkai. This exam is a gold mine for them."

En looked over the names. It was true; some of the world's rare bloodlines gathered in one place.

"Why? What's your motive" asked En

Hidan spread his arms wide.

"My motive, outside of offering sacrifices for my wonderful lord Jashin," Hidan's smile turned into a grimace.

"The pacifists above believe they are invincible, that their little paradise is permanent and impenetrable; do you know how much fear was in this nation in the years after I left, but that has all but faded now; they no longer fear death; they no longer fear Jashin, And as the humble man I am, I realize such a task, will be challenging to do on my own so I'm asking for help,"

"What would you want, "

"It's simple: If you help me kill and make sacrifices to my lord, I'll help you capture any cattle you want to recruit."

En rolled it over in his head; this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"You drive a hard bargain, I'll accept."

He turned to the girl.

"Chino, get your things; we'll head out soon."

Chino gave no response and continued sitting.

"So when will we start

A manic smile spread across Hidan's face.

"Lord Jashin blessed us with perfect timing. They leave The Valley of Springs in a few hours."

"How convenient, does your god often line things up for you like that?"

"Only when a bloodbath is on its way."