chapter 2 chunin exams part 1

oh yeah... Right there..." Naruto mumbled in his sleep. A few feet away a young dark skinned boy with white hair, a lollipop in his mouth, and a cloud village headband sat on a log and sharpened a katana.

"Another one of those dreams." The boy thought.

"Wait... No!" Naruto started shifting around in his sleeping bag, obviously terrified of the direction his dream took.

"Or-Orochi" Naruto was snapped out of his dream when his friend ran over and slapped him awake.

"AH!" Naruto looked around in a panic but calmed down when he noticed the other boy.

"That sounded like a bad one, Naruto."

"Thank's Omoi. It wasn't as bad as they used to be. I'm more annoyed that it interrupted a good dream. I was this awesome martial artist that was trained by gods and had this badass warrior princess wife. Oh, and I could wear orange without people giving me shit for it. That was the best part. Anyway I was with my badass wife when that guy showed up again."

Naruto hung his head low and Omoi put an understanding hand on his shoulder.

"We're pretty close to where you escaped, aren't we?"

"Yeah... I was lucky that Bee sensei and the raikage were there. If they hadn't been... Sis and Karui are coming back, don't mention my nightmare, I don't want sis to worry."

Omoi went back to sharpening his blade and Naruto started packing up his sleeping bag just as two girls walked into the clearing. One was a dark skinned girl around Naruto's age with striking red hair. The other was a beautiful blond in her early twenties."

"About time you woke up, sleeping beauty."

"Hey sis. Did you and Karui go fill up on water or something?"

"Yeah, here's your canteen." The older kunoichi tossed the container to Naruto and he grabbed it, using a little bit of the water to start brushing his teeth.

"Yugito sensei, how much longer until we get to the leaf village?" Omoi asked as he gave his sword a final wipe down and sheathed it.

"Not much longer. We can get there by this afternoon if we really hustle."

"Then let's hustle!" Naruto exclaimed right as he finished his morning hygiene ritual.

"Chunin exams here we come! I can't wait to prove myself against some strong competition!"

How could Naruto know that at that exact moment some of the strongest genin in the leaf village were hoping for the same thing?

"The chunin exams start soon. We should be seeing foreigners in the village within the next few days." A teenage boy with pale eyes said, as he meditated under a tree.

"I know what your thinking, Neji. Promise me that you'll play nice if any cloud village shinobi show up." A cute girl with hair buns said. She nonchalantly tossed a kunai into the tree by his face but received no reaction.

"TenTen is right my friend. Your grudge against them is valid, but it is important to keep ones emotions in check when undergoing a trial as difficult as the chunin exams." A boy in a green spandex and huge eyebrows said.

"Lee, TenTen... Your concern is touching but I am not a man who loses control easily. If any cloud shinobi do appear, I shall conduct myself as is fitting for a Hyuga."

In a nearby training ground, another group of genin were standing around. This group consisted of a girl with the same pale eyes as the boy from earlier, A boy in a grey hoodie with a dog on his head, and an intimidating guy with dark sunglasses on.

"I wonder what Kurenai sensei wants to talk to us about? What do you think, Shino?" The guy with the dog asked the sunglasses wearing boy.

"The chunin exams are soon. Perhaps she thinks we are worthy of competing."

"Ch-Chunin exams? Are we truly ready for that?"

"Of course you three are ready."

They all turned to see their sensei had just arrived behind them.

"Kurenai sensei!" All three kids shouted before running up to the woman.

"So Sh-Shino was right? We're r-really gonna take the chu-chunin exams?"

"Yes Hinata. You all have the chance to take the exams. You have a choice though. If you feel you aren't ready no one can force you to come. However just know that I feel all three of you are ready and fully capable of making chunin."

"YAHOO! I can't wait to kick some serious tail!"

"Although I don't share Kiba's enthusiasm I too believe this is an excellent opportunity for us. Why? Because being allowed to take the chunin exams so soon into ones career is quite rare."

The female of the three just stood there silently contemplating what she should do.

"If I take the chunin exams I could get stronger but what if I fail?"

Deciding that she wanted some time to herself to think, Hinata excused herself. She retreated to an alley within the village where she promised to meet one of her friends in an hour. Said friend was waiting at another training grounds. This pink haired girl was pacing around, visibly angry. To her right were three training logs that her teammates were sitting next to. They were both dark haired boys, but one of them was pale as a ghost. The pale one was scribbling in a notebook while the other one just waited patiently.

"I am so sick of this shit." The pink haired girl said.

"The more you think about it, the slower time seems to pass. You should sit back and just relax, Sakura." The artist of the group said.

"No, Sai! This was supposed to be our day off. I had plans to spend the day with Ino and Hinata and I'll be damned if Kakashi sensei makes me late."

"There are worse things to be late for. Your period for example. Although, Sasuke refuses to go out with you so the chances of that are rather low."

About ten seconds later, their jonin sensei Kakashi Hatake arrived to find an angry Sakura standing above an unconscious Sai.

"The lump on Sai's head looks a lot bigger than usual. You've been keeping up with the weight training regiment I put you on, I'm proud of you." The silver-haired, mask wearing man said, peeking over a small orange book.

"YOU! Where were you this whole time? Reading porn again!?"

"Sakura you don't read porn. You read smut." Kakashi had a little laugh while scratching the back of his head but he only made the young kunoichi angrier.

"Not funny? Well, if I say that I recommended you for the chunin exams will you forgive me?"

Back in town, another genin squad was getting the same good news as they ate in a barbecue restaurant.

"Troublesome" A pineapple haired youth mumbled.

"What do you mean troublesome?! We get to take the chunin exams our first year of being genin. Do you have any idea how rare that is Shikamaru?" A blonde haired beauty questioned.

"Yes I do. That doesn't make it any less troublesome Ino."

"Will there be food?" A rather large child asked.

"Damn it Choji there's more to life than just food!" Ino yelled.

The three genin's jonin instructor Asuma just laughed at the threes antics.

"What's so funny Asuma!" The loudmouthed female of the group asked.

"You three just remind me of my old team when I was your age."

Suddenly Ino jumped out of her seat

"That reminds me I made a promise to forehead girl and Hinata to meet for a girls day out. I should go find them."

She left and the boys had a little chuckle at her affectionate nickname for her best friend.

"You would think she would have dropped the nickname when she and Sakura got over their stupid fight over Sasuke." Choji said between bites of food.

About a year ago, Ino and Sakura had run into each other on their way to the academy. Every time this happened they would race to class with the winner getting the right to sit next to Sasuke. This day happened to be a draw so after she caught her breath, Sakura turned to Ino intent on arguing about who got to sit next to Sasuke. To Sakura's surprise, Ino wasn't paying attention to her. Her gaze was fixed on a student that Sakura had never seen before. Ino blushed a light pink and stared at the mysterious pale boy as he drew on a sketch pad.

"Uh... Ino? Are we gonna decide who gets to sit next to Sasuke?"

"What about the sauce is gay?"

"Ino?"

When Ino noticed another girl was about to sit next to the new boy she ran at top speed and cut her off. She glared at her with an evil eye, silently claiming this newbie for herself.

"Forehead can have Sasuke. This guy is way cuter" Ino sat down and introduced herself with a blush. Sakura meanwhile, strolled over to Sasuke and claimed the seat next to him.

"Today is gonna be a good day." Both girls thought.

Back in the present Sakura and Hinata had already met up after their respective team meetings and were walking to the ice cream shop they planned to meet up at.

"Can you believe it Hinata? We get to take the chunin exams already. I can't wait to get out there and show off how kick ass I am!"

"I-I don't kn-know if I'm ready for the chunin exams."

Sakura looked at her depressed friend with a look of genuine concern on her face.

"Hinata... You're a great ninja you just need confidence."

"I-I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. This is what I'm talking about. You need to get angry. Get some passion in your life. The reason me and Ino are such badasses is because we give it our all to impress our boys."

"Um S-Sakura... Sasuke and Sai aren't your and Ino's b-boyfriends so why do you call them your boys?"

"Hey they might not be ours right now but one day we'll convince those two idiots. I bet if you had a crush you'd get stronger to impress him too. What about those teammates of yours? Kiba's kind of cute I guess."

"I-I don't like Kiba and Shino like that. They have g-girlfriends anyway."

"What? Both of them? I can kinda see Kiba with a girl, but Shino?"

"Y-yes Kiba is dating an intern at his f-family's animal shelter and Sh-Shino is dating Kiba's girlfriends sister."

"Oh, so Kiba hooked his friend up. I guess that makes sense. Well... there has to be a guy we can hook you up with."

"HEY FOREHEAD GIRL! HINATA!"

"I'd know that screech of a voice anywhere!"

The two girls turned around to find Ino running toward them.

"I'm sorry I'm late. Asuma took us out to eat in celebration of being chosen to take the chunin exams."

"Oh you too? Me and Hinata had our teams nominated as well!"

"That's awesome! Anyway what were you two just talking about?"

The three girls start walking towards their favorite ice cream shop.

"We were talking about how Hinata needs to get her a man."

"S-SAKURA!"

"It's true and you know it!"

"Ooooh any interesting names come up?"

"Well as it turns out she can't date her teammates since their already dating some civilian girls."

"Oh, that's too bad."

Hinata's face starts getting noticeably redder the more the two girls openly talk about her lack of a love life.

"Sheesh Hinata have you ever even liked a guy?" Ino asked with a legitimate curiosity.

"Well... Th-there was one boy a long time ago."

"Oh tell us about him." Ino and Sakura said at the same time.

" I d-don't know his name but he was always p-protecting the kids at the playground I used to go to from bullies. He e-even saved me from getting b-beat up once. I-I always wanted to talk to him b-but I was too shy. I never m-managed to even a-ask his name and none of the o-other kids knew it. I-I followed him once to see wh-where he lived and he went to an or-orphanage. I th-think he got adopted be-because I haven't seen him in years."

"What did this guy look like" Sakura asked curious to know more about her friends only crush.

"H-He had spiky blonde hair and birth marks that looked k-kinda like whiskers on his face".

"You mean like that guy up ahead?"

"WH-WHAT!?"

Up ahead of them entering their favorite ice cream shop was a group of four foreign ninja. The tallest one was a blonde haired female and most likely the jonin sensei of the three shorter kids. The other three were a dark skinned boy with a lollipop in his mouth, a dark skinned girl with fiery red hair, and a slightly shorter than the rest blonde haired boy with whisker like marks on his face and a bright orange tracksuit. The four ninja walked in and the girls who were watching the scene from afar were stunned. They were just talking about Hinata's only crush and here they find a boy that looks exactly like him.

"Could it have been him you think forehead girl?"

"Why are you asking me Ino pig? Hinata? Was that him?"

"I-I-I th-think m-maybe. B-but those w-were cl-cloud ninja. Wh-why would a b-boy from o-our village b-be a cl-cloud ninja?"

"You said he was an orphan. Maybe he was adopted by someone who lived in the lightning country?" Sakura stated in a know it all tone.

"Why don't we find out girls?"

With a devilish grin Ino grabs Sakura and Hinata by the hand and drags them into the ice cream shop.

"Why did it have to be the cloud village?" Were Hinata's only thoughts as she was dragged into the shop behind what could possibly be the man of her dreams.

After the girls step into the ice cream shop a man in an anbu mask steps out from the shadows of a nearby alley.

"The legacy of the fourth has returned and it appears he has an admirer. I must inform Lord Danzo immediately."

With his new information, the Anbu vanishes in a swirl of leaves.

Author's Note: I kept a fair bit of the original chapter in this rewrite. I added a bit of new stuff too, like the flasback with Ino and Sai. I hope ya'll like it. As always review and flame and all that good stuff.