CHAPTER 32: PRELUDE

Chapter 32: Prelude

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"Boss! You ready to train me?" Naruto looked at Konohamaru, sighing right at him as he stared at him with blank eyes.

"Who said I'm training you?" Asked Naruto, responding to Konohamaru's question without much thought and hesitation being put right onto it.

Konohamaru deflated.

"Wah? I'm your apprentice!" Naruto shrugged, not caring what he actually had to say to him.

"Don't care. Even if I accepted that you my apprentice, doesn't necessarily mean I'll teach you anything. A few tips here and there is more than enough to get you stronger." Naruto heard a grunt escape Konohamaru's mouth.

"That won't make me — no — us stronger!" He pointed towards his current companions.

"Take it if you will. I'm not obliged to be your sensei and teach just because I agreed to it because of your real sensei," Naruto felt the eyes of Satsuki staring holes at his own body.

"But don't sensei's teach?" Naruto looked at the person who had asked that. His eyes met with a kid with short-brown hair, circular glasses, and snot lightly dripping down his nose.

Naruto nodded.

"Sure, but I'm still a genin that is fresh out of the academy. I have no real experience teaching something that I have no interest in." He heard Konohamaru huff in response.

"Anyway, this is Udon and Moegi. We are the Konohamaru Army Corps!" Naruto was not amused for even the slightest bit.

"I'll get going now. Satsuki is dragging me to train with her." Naruto started to walk away from Konohamaru and his two other companions that was he was with.

"Why are you always training with her? What about your own apprentice? I and the other two need to experience growth." Oh, so Konohamaru was complaining. As expected.

"Hm? She's my best friend. I guess. I have friends, but I'm not very close to them. Having one or two bonds is enough for me. Plus, she'd berate and drag me to train with her. Nothing personal." Naruto felt the glares from Satsuki right behind him.

"I do not berate or drag you to train whatsoever."

"Keep telling yourself that." Satsuki huffed, walking right beside Naruto as they walked right towards their training place that they were supposed to be at.

They suddenly heard Konohamaru shout towards them.

"Your girlfriend is rude!" The two stopped. Satsuki turned around, facing Konohamaru with such fierce and dangerous eyes that could kill him in an instant.

He gulped. Naruto saw this and sighed at this foreseen outcome that was about to be created.

"Run," said Naruto, ordering Konohamaru and the other two to run for their lives. Satsuki suddenly appeared right in front of Konohamaru and the others.

"You're dead." Satsuki outstretched her hand out towards Konohamaru. He widened his eyes, quickly running away from her before she could kill him.

"Boss! Help me!" Yelled Konohamaru, racing away from the angered and infuriated Satsuki. Naruto sighed, walking right behind them. Though since he was walking, he couldn't keep up with them continuously running.

Such a waste of time. Naruto thought, hearing each step that he created as he moved along the concrete ground. God, why did he have to teach such an energetic person?

Because he had no choice. Actually. . . he probably had a choice, but didn't instinctively choose out of unknown reasons that Naruto did not know.

As Naruto followed, the more he thought about the chances of the outcome of this situation to ultimately go all wrong and that he will be forced into a nasty situation.

Oh, how right he was.

"GAHH!" Naruto heard someone yell. He groaned, knowing who exactly this person was. Konohamaru. Naruto appeared right around the corner and saw someone with war-paint holding Konohamaru with a grasp.

He walked right beside Satsuki; whom was staring at the boy with a glare. She and Naruto met eyes and nodded, knowing exactly what to do at this moment.

"Let him go," said Naruto, slowly walking towards the person who was around his age. The boy smirked at him.

"Relax, I'm only teaching this guy a lesson. This will be beneficial for him. He doesn't know he is messing with." Naruto shook his head, seeing that this guy was some stubborn fellow.

"I said," Naruto and Satsuki appeared right beside of him. "Let him go." He widened his eyes, seeing how fast they had suddenly appeared right next to him.

He immediately dropped Konohamaru on the ground and got into a taijutsu stance.

"Tch, bring it on." He narrowed his eyes at the two of them. Naruto ignored him and picked Konohamaru up and dragged him away from the war-paint dude guy.

"You know, Suna is allied with Konoha. It'd be quite sad if we were to sever our alliance." Naruto glanced right back at the boy and the other one; she was a blondie — the most troubling ones.

"The hell did you say?"

"You're here for the Chunin Exams, are you not?" They nodded, answering his question with a positive.

"So what?"

"That means you're a genin — as well as us. As a genin, we have boundaries that we shouldn't overlook as a ninja." This caused them to narrow their eyebrows with.

"And as of right now, you are breaking those said 'boundaries' by doing something off-limits. We are the lowest of all the ranks of that exist in this ninja system. We don't get privileges to hit a random person that has yet to do anything wrong." Naruto pulled out a kunai and held it towards him.

"Especially since the person you just tried hurting is the grandson of The Third Hokage." He widened his eyes, realizing what could have happened if he had progressed further.

"We advise you to think before you bark," said Satsuki, backing away and standing right back beside Naruto. They locked eyes with each other.

Before anything else could be said, someone butted into their conversation.

"Kankuro," The guy that had the war-paint covering his whole face suddenly had a surge of facial expressions change from one to another in mere seconds of hearing that voice that contained such malice.

Everyone's heads turned to the tree right next to them and saw a guy with hair that was the same shade as the color blood. Naruto and Satsuki narrowed their eyes at him, wondering who he was.

"You are a disgrace to our village." He turned his head right towards the duo that stood beside each other.

"I'm sorry if he causes you any trouble." They now had a better look at the boy that was hanging right off the tree. Around his eyes were black rings that could potentially indicate that he has had no sleep.

He disappeared and reappeared right beside the other two with a swirl of sand. He looked right towards his other two teammates with such serious eyes.

"Let's go. We didn't come here to play around." The two nodded almost immediately and followed right behind him. Naruto looked at their backs as they slowly retreated.

"You're attending the Chunin Exams, right?" Naruto suddenly asked. The 3 stopped, slowly turning towards him. They all nodded in absolute unison.

"Yes. We are." The boy with the red hair was the one that had responded to Naruto's question.

"I am Gaara of the Sand. The other two are my older siblings." The two nodded, knowing that they also had to introduce themselves to this guy, Gaara.

"I am Ahihcu Naruto."

"I am Uchiha Satsuki."

"I see. I am interested in you two. Mother will enjoy your blood being spilling." The two suddenly tensed up. This guy was someone who they had to be very cautious with.

He's dangerous. The thought the two rivals. Gaara is now a person they have to definitely watch out for. They watched as Gaara and his siblings retreated away from them.

Naruto and Satsuki looked towards Konohamaru and his two friends, Udon and Moegie.

"You 3, go back to your sensei, Ebisu. We have things to do and places to be." Satsuki nodded, knowing that Naruto was right on this part of the spectrum.

The 3 sighed but nodded their heads at the two.

"Fine! But next time, you will train us!" Konohamaru and his army corps started to walk away from Naruto and Satsuki. The blond just sighed, shaking his head at his antics.

"Sure, sure." He had to agree, seeing that they wouldn't stop bitching and complaining when Naruto would refuse at his own personal request.

Once Konohamaru and the others were gone, Naruto looked over towards Satsuki. She was giving him a look that he knew all too well to not understand.

Naruto nodded.

"Train."

As they left, Naruto felt a headache surge through his head and disappear almost immediately after.

~~~

The Jonin-senseis, some chunin and the Hokage were present all in one room to discuss one important matter that has came up and can't be ignored.

"As you know, the Chunin Exams are on the come up." They all nodded, standing right beside each other in a uniformly way. But they ultimately stayed silent to this.

"And as you can also know, all 3 of the rookie teams are eligible for the Chunin Exams." Everyone nodded, having mixed emotions about letting fresh genin into such a battlefield.

"Can I have the said 3 Jonin-senseis approach me?" They nodded and walked right in front of Hiruzen, The Third Hokage. They all bowed down slightly

"I would like to know if you 3 would like to enter your genin into the Chunin Exams." Hiruzen looked at the first sensei in the formal line, Hatake Kakashi.

"First Kakashi." He nodded.

"I, Hatake Kakashi, lead Team 7. The 3 genin that I am teaching are: Ahihcu Naruto, Uchiha Satsuki, and Haruno Sakura." This was onlt the beginning.

They wanted to know what his decision was.

"And I, Hatake Kakashi, recommend these 3 to enter the Chunin Exams." Iruka widened his eyes, seeing as this was an unexpected decision by Kakashi.

Next was Kurenai.

"I, Kurenai — led the following students: Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuga Hinata, and Aburame Shino." There was slight pause that was created by Kurenai herself.

"And I recommend these 3 to enter the Chunin Exams this year." Even more eyes widened at this decision that was made by her. God, 2 rookie teams entering?

How about 3?

It was now time for Asuma to say if he was going to allow his 3 genin to participate in the Chunin Exams this time around. Asuma took out the cigarette from his mouth.

He let the smoke escape his lips.

"I, Asuma — led Team 10. They consist of: Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, and Yamanaka Ino." And as expected, everyone was caring about his choice.

"And I recommend these 3 to enter the Chunin Exams." And yet again, their eyes widened once more. Another 3 genin entering the Chunin Exams.

9 in total.

"Hokage-sama, if I may?" Asked Iruka, bowing down slightly. Hiruzen looked at Iruka for a moment or two before nodding his head, signaling that he could speak his mind.

"Those 9 genin that they had listed, I knew and taught them all at the academy since they were just 6-years old. I know what they are capable of. They have lots of potential, but putting them in Chunin Exams this soon?" Iruka was trying to change their minds.

"With all due respect, Iruka. I was 6-years younger than my genin team when I became Chunin." Iruka shook his head, gritting his teeth with much anger.

"Kakashi, they're not like you." He just shrugged his shoulders at him, disagreeing with such a statement.

"I would beg to differ," said Kakashi, making the room grow quiet at this. "Sometimes, failing is good. Pain can teach them things that other people can't." Iruka did not like this.

"Are you trying to crush them?"

"No, but this is merely an experience that they can use to improve themselves as a shinobi of Konoha."

"But the Chunin Exams is a serious and dangerous thing to enter! You know that." Kurenai sighed, looking at Kakashi. She blocked Kakashi with her arm.

"Kakashi, I think that is enough." But he shook his head as a response.

"No, Kurenai. Iruka needs to understand that Naruto, Satsuki, and Sakura are no longer academy students that are under his supervision — they are now my students." Before Iruka could say anything else, Kakashi continued.

"I have spent time with them and know their true capabilities. Their abilities as a shinobi has changed greatly in just the past month or two." Iruka narrowed his eyes at him.

"You can't Kakashi. They're still fresh out of the academy." Kakashi sighed.

"Yes, they are fresh out of the academy and had jut became genin. But, they are ready. Naruto is without a doubt a chunin-level ninja — maybe even more. With Satsuki closely and quickly trailing right behind him. And while Sakura is indeed the weakest out of the 3, she has potential to be strong." Before things could have escalated much further, Hiruzen butted in.

"That is enough you two. There is room to argue somewhere else, but not here."

They turned their heads towards Hiruzen and nodded, knowing that they had overstepped their limits and own boundaries as a ninja of Konoha.

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

~~~

It was the next day and the team were waiting around the same red-orange shaded bridge that they had waited in like before. And as normal, Kakashi was late again.

Will sensei enter us into the Chunin Exams? Naruto thought, wondering if Kakashi had the guts to them 3 into a battlefield that held numerous ninjas from different nations and lands.

This was certainly something that Naruto did not want to miss out on. The Chunin Exams were something for them to further their abilities as individuals.

And the chances are also high if I fight him. Naruto thought, recalling back yesterday when he and Satsuki had encountered that bloodthirsty red-head.

Gaara. Naruto thought, feeling a sudden headache come in and go. This was certainly an odd one for Naruto. Headaches don't just appear and disappear in a blink of an eye.

Now that I think about it, this happened to me yesterday when we met Gaara. Naruto thought, pondering if there was a connection to that he was missing.

The only thing that I could possibly think about that is remotely possible are the chances that the Kyuubi is the one giving me these headaches. Naruto heard someone appear right on top of the bridge.

"Hello." They all looked up and saw Kakashi looking down on them all. He eye-smiled at them as he jumped down to match their current level.

"Sorry, I got lost in the road of life." Sakura huffed with much annoyance.

"Liar."

"Haha. . . anyway, I do have something special that I wanted to show you 3." They raised an eyebrow, noticing how he was pulling something from his pouch.

"What's that?"

Kakashi outstretched his hand towards them, showing 3 small pieces of paper sticking out of his hand.

"These 3 are your Chunin Exams application form. I had recommended you 3 to participate in the Chunin Exams." Naruto and Satsuki were satisfied with this development.

While Sakura was very unsure.

I can fight that Gaara person and. . . Naruto. Satsuki looked at the blond right next to him. She wanted to fight him so badly. He was someone who was able to measure and exceed her standards as a shinobi.

"But even if I did recommend you 3 into the Chunin Exams, this is still very much an optional choice that you can decide on your own." They nodded, looking at the pieces of paper that the had just been given.

"This is all I had to inform you 3 for today. These exams start in 5 days. You 3 can take the days off until the day has come for the Chunin Exams." The 3 nodded once more, understanding what he was saying.

Kakashi then disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Chunin Exams. Naruto thought, looking right in front of him. There was no way he was not entering the exam. This was an opportunity of a lifetime that he could just not pass up.

They all started to walk together back home.

I don't know if I can hold my weight. I'm not strong like the other 2. Sakura thought, deeply deciding if she entering the Chunin Exams or not will be beneficial.

The only good thing I have going with me right now is my good chakra control. But that is mostly due to my chakra reserves being much lower than the other two. Sakura thought, comparing herself to prodigies of their graduating classroom.

They're probably better of without me, right? Sakura thought, looking at the ground as they walked right on it. But these Chunin Exams that are being hosted, hey can help.

Help her get stronger she means.

And getting stronger is certainly a good thing, is it not? But what are the chances that she does improve along the way? Around 50%. That means another 50% was on the other side.

Decent chances.

Maybe I can ask questions on how I can get stronger. Sakura thought, briefly glancing at Naruto and Satsuki. She knew they were most definitely going to enter the exams.

It was just their nature to do dangerous things without much hesitation.

Sakura envied them for that. They were strong and were brave enough to face even the toughest of challenges that was blocking their own goals.

Can I be like that? She thought, wondering the chances of such things happening. Maybe. Just maybe that could happen. The best possible chances of her getting stronger is to study an area that she could be good at.

Maybe she could be like Tsunade and specialize in medical ninjutsu. Something like medical ninjutsu will be very hard to master for people like Naruto and Satsuki, but her?

It may just be possible for me to study in that area. Sakura thought, noticing that Naruto and Satsuki had just stopped. She did the same and raised an eyebrow at them.

She was just so lost in thought that she did not know what was happening around them all.

"Someone is here," said Satsuki, narrowing her eyes as she looked around the area that they were in. They all got into their stances and all looked around with their eyes darting each corner.

"Come on out," ordered Naruto, pushing his hand into his holster and pulling out a singular kunai being tightly held within his hand.

"It seems you all are quite good." They heard a voice that was hiding in the shadows of the tree all around them. In an instant, a man had appeared right in front of them.

He had a black cloak that covered his body and a veil that covered most of his face. But the most notable thing about him was his forehead proctor that he had embedded on his wooden hat on his head.

"You're part of Ame — Amegakure." Naruto narrowed his eyes at him.

~~~