บท 112: Chapter 112

"Ahem," Kakashi coughed into his hand, getting the attention of his team before things got out of hand. "Well, I'm glad to see you three came. Had one of you not made it, I would have had to disqualify all of you."

Naruto tilted his head in confusion, "Why? I thought the Chunin Exams were optional?"

"They are, but they also have to be taken as a team," Kakashi shrugged.

"So then why didn't you tell us that?" asked Naruto, a little annoyed that his sensei would leave out something so important.

"I didn't tell you and Sasuke that because I knew either one or both of you would have tried to pressure Sakura into taking it."

Naruto sighed and conceded the point, "Yeah I suppose that's true."

"But none of that matters now. You're all here, and all for the right reasons," Kakashi gave them an eye-smile. "I know I don't say this too much, but I'm proud of you three."

The three genin grinned. Well Naruto grinned; Sakura had a small smile, while Sasuke was smirking. The three genin stepped past their sensei and opened the doors where the Chunin Exams would start.

The very moment team seven had entered the room; every single Genin began glaring at them. Many of the genin teams, who were older than them by several years began leaking killing intent at the trio. Sakura paled and began to shake, having not had much experience with killing intent other than Zabuza and the Kyuubi's at the battle on the bridge, and even then she had passed out before it could get too bad. Sasuke looked a tad nervous, but soon regained his Uchiha bravado.

Naruto, who had been subject to far worse, both from Zabuza and Anko shrugged it off and began glaring back, giving a few teams a dose of his own killing intent that he had Anko help develop. He grinned when several genin began to look away.

Just as the trio were about to find a place to sit a loud squeal erupted behind them.

"Sasuke-kun! I missed you so much!" Ino jumped on top of Sasuke, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, "Did you miss me too?"

Several tic marks appeared on Sakura's forehead, "Get the hell off him Ino-pig!"

Ino looked over at Sakura and pulled her eye lid down while sticking her tongue out, "Why would I do that forehead girl. After all, Sasuke-kun and I have a lot of catching up to do."

"Man you guys are here too, so troublesome."

Naruto turned and smirked at seeing Shikamaru and Chouji walking up to them, "What's up you two? Been having fun?"

"Meh, trying to do something 'fun' is far too troublesome," Shikamaru said with a yawn.

Naruto rolled his eyes at the answer he had come to expect from the lazy Genin. He had occasionally taken to hanging out with the two on Sunday when he was not training, and had come to know the two decently in that time together.

"Yahoo, we found you guys!"

Turning again everyone saw Kiba, Shino with Hinata staring at Naruto as she hid behind Shino. Kiba walked up to the group with a large, cocky grin, "I hope you guys are ready to lose to my team! Cuz we're gonna rock!"

Naruto smirked, "I was wondering what that smell was, I should have known it was you Kiba."

Kiba stopped and growled at Naruto, "What was that dobe! You want me to kick your ass!"

"Just try," Naruto's grin widened a small trace of bloodlust in his grin, "I'll take you to the pound."

Kiba began to growl at the blond and looked like he might actually attack him. But before he could, a new voice entered the picture.

"You know, you guys should really keep it down."

The three new genin teams looked over to see one of the older kids walking up to them. He was wearing a purple shirt and pants of the same color. He had round glasses on and white hair with a Konoha headband strapped to his head.

He pushed his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose, "You guys are the rookies who just came out of the academy right? I wouldn't be so loud if I were you."

"And just who the hell are you!" asked Kiba with a growl, still upset that the dead last had made fun of him.

The purple clad Genin just smiled as if not bothered by the rude remark, "My name's Kabuto and before you get angry at me, you should look behind you."

Everyone did and was instantly subject to the glares and the wave of killing intent sent to them, particularly the genin from Amegakure (Village Hidden in the Rain). Most of the rookie genin shivered at the killing intent they were now feeling.

"That team from Ame, I hear they have rather short tempers," Kabuto muttered to them.

While some of the other rookies were trying to regain their lost courage, Naruto just smirked as he jumped on top of one of the tables. "Alright listen up you chicken shit pansies! My name is Uzumaki Naruto, if any of you want a piece of me get in a nice and orderly single file line and I'll kick each and everyone one of your asses real quick!"

That statement was met with various reactions from the ninja in the room.

"Yosh! Naruto-kun seems to be in full form today!" Lee said at seeing his friend and sparring partner so enthusiastic.

Tenten chuckled, "Is it just me, or has he gotten even worse with that mouth of his?"

"It's the fate of losers like him to be loud," Neji sneered.

Both Tenten and Lee looked at Neji with a frown. Their teammate had been getting progressively worse with his fate rants, ever since Naruto had shown up and started training with them in fact. Both of them were nearing their wit's end on what to do about Neji's attitude. However, they kept their peace for the moment.

"It's that damn kid again," Kankurou glared at the blond as he hopped off the table, "that punk's gonna get himself killed."

Temari looked over at Naruto with a smirk, "I don't know, I think he makes things kind of interesting. Maybe I should see if he wants to go on a date after this."

While Kankurou began to sputter, Gaara just stared at Naruto with an impassive gaze.

Two of the ninja from Kumo looked over at the odd blond kid who was yelling before turning their attention back to their conversation.

The other Kumo ninja, a blond-haired kunoichi also stared curiously at the blond for a few seconds before dismissing him.

"Wow Naruto, enthusiastic much?" asked Chouji, feeling a bit better now that the killing intent was gone.

"You know, sometimes you're more troublesome than Ino," Shikamaru muttered.

"What was that Shikamaru?" Ino glared at him and pretended to roll up her nonexistent sleeves.

After the rookies got over Naruto's proclamation of lying on a heavy ass kicking, they turned back to Kabuto.

"Your name is Kabuto-san right?" asked Sakura.

Kabuto pushed his glasses up, something Naruto was beginning to think was a habit for the other Genin, "Yea, that's right."

"So is this your second time taking these exams?" The pinkette asked.

"No this is my…seventh," Kabuto replied, an embarrassed blush on his face.

"Seventh?" Naruto asked incredulously, "Either you suck so much balls it's amazing you're still alive, or these exams are harder than I thought."

"It's the latter I assure you," Kabuto chuckled. "However you know what they say, seventh time's the charm. And it's not like I didn't get anything out of it," The purple clad shinobi reached into his pouch and pulled out a deck of cards. "Since you guys are new and all, why don't I give you a hand."

He kneeled down on the ground and began channeling chakra into the top card. There was a small burst of smoke as he flipped it over. The rookie genin leaned in to see that it showed a map of the elemental nations, on each nation was a bar with a number.