Chapter 156: Chūnin Rank

Disclaimer:

Naruto and all of its characters belong to Shueisha and Masashi Kishimoto.

I own nothing but the original characters I create.

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

-Author notes-

Chapter 156: Chūnin Rank

Three weeks later, Hokage's Office.

"They have just entered the village, Lady Tsunade," a member of the ANBU informed her.

"Thank you, Bear. Make sure they come directly to my office...I must speak with them," Tsunade said grimly.

"I warned you," Elder Koharu said with a smug smile.

The large stack of papers on Tsunade's desk had done nothing but grow over the past week, mostly letters from the Hidden Sand Village accusing them of various crimes and attempts to break the peace treaty.

"Lady Tsunade, please stay calm. You can't start yelling and throwing things as soon as they walk through the door," Shizune said nervously. "The Carpenter's Guild is beginning to complain about the constant repai-"

"I know!" Tsunade shouted. "I can control my temper."

"I wish that were true…" Elder Homura muttered and Koharu nodded in agreement.

"Why are you two even here?!" Tsunade demanded, pointing at the two elders. "This is just a minor matter of promoting a few genin. It shouldn't warrant your attention."

"If the Jinchūriki is getting a promotion, then it is an important matter," Koharu said.

"Yes, the Council will be very interested in this information," Homura added.

Tsunade sat back in her chair, trying to relax before the group arrived.

It wasn't long before there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Tsunade said, wanting to get this over with.

The first to enter was Jiraiya, who was wearing a guilty expression. He clearly knew she was angry.

"Oh Tsunade, you look as beautiful as usual!" Jiraiya tried to charm her.

It only made Tsunade grumble.

"Greetings, Lady Tsunade. We brought all our genin back from the exam," Kurenai said with a polite bow.

The genin entered next, greeting the Hokage respectfully, well most of them, at least.

Tsunade observed their unkempt and exhausted appearances. "Did you run into trouble on the way back?"

"A little bit…" Kurenai replied, unwilling to elaborate.

Tsunade turned her attention to Jiraiya. "Well? What happened?"

"Not much. We just passed a bit too close to the Valley Village. Some chūnin started chasing us," Jiraiya said. "It wasn't that serious, really."

"The Valley Village? You were supposed to cross north of there, near the Hidden Rain Village," Shizune pointed out.

"Konoha has been enemies with them for two generations. What were you thinking, getting that close to there?" Koharu said.

"Were you attacked?" Homura asked.

"Yes, they attacked us first," Ino replied.

"You entered their territory…" Tsunade eyed the group. "You were supposed to follow the marked route. Who decided to change it?"

All eyes turned to Naruto.

"Why am I not surprised?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

"It was a shorter route," Naruto said matter-of-factly.

"Why was Naruto in charge of the route?!" Shizune exclaimed.

"He wasn't! I left Hinata in charge," Kurenai said.

"Well…" Hinata looked embarrassed. "I can't say no to him…"

"That's dangerous," Kurenai muttered.

"It's all Naruto's fault! We almost got killed!" Kiba shouted.

"Stop exaggerating. It wasn't so bad," Naruto grumbled.

"I was stabbed!" Kiba exclaimed while grabbing at his butt.

Ino was having trouble holding back her laugh while thinking about how Kiba was hit on his behind by a lost shuriken.

"Is not funny!" Kiba's face was getting red.

"Okay, that's enough!" Tsunade sighed. "I'm sure I'll hear a lot more about this in the coming week, but let's set that aside for now."

"So…did we pass the exam?" Naruto asked eagerly.

"Please say yes," Jiraiya stepped forward. "I don't want to go through this again in six months."

Tsunade looked over the group of genin. "Kiba, Ino, Chōji...you did not pass. I'm sorry."

"What?!" Ino exclaimed.

"No!" Kiba collapsed on the floor.

"Don't be so dramatic, Kiba," Kurenai scolded. "You can try again soon enough."

Chōji was the only one who seemed unbothered.

"You were all very close, but there are still some glaring weaknesses that need addressing before promotion. I'll discuss this personally with your Senseis as soon as I can."

"So, I passed, then?" Naruto asked eagerly, already thinking about the ninja library and what he could access as a chūnin.

"Does that mean I'm a chūnin too?" Hinata asked, genuinely surprised.

"Yes, congratulations to the three of you," Tsunade said. "Come back tomorrow to receive your new uniforms." Her gaze settled on Naruto. "Also, Naruto…"

"Yes?"

"You are banned from ever setting foot near the Hidden Sand Village." Tsunade frowned deeply.

"Huh…?"

"Don't 'huh' me...you know what you did." Tsunade grumbled.

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A bit later, after everyone else had left the office.

"You can come out now," Tsunade said.

A ninja wearing a white mask dropped from the ceiling.

"What do you think?" Tsunade asked.

"About the mission?, it was a bit of a disaster...Mister Jirayia should had paid more attention to wh-"

"I know that...but I was referring to Naruto in particular." Tsunade interrupted him. She did not a reminder about what happened in the Sand Village.

"About Naruto?" Kakashi removed the mask, letting it rest on top of his head. "I'm glad for him. He looks so much like his father…though I don't think Minato was ever so reckless, even in his younger years."

"No, he wasn't," Tsunade agreed. "Are you sure you don't want to return to your position as a jōnin sensei? The next generation could learn so much from you. It's a waste to have you in ANBU."

Kakashi shook his head. "It was my failure as a sensei that led to this outcome. I should have predicted that outcome and be better prepared for it...I was too close to the boy and got blinded."

Tsunade wanted to tell him it wasn't his fault, but she'd tried that many times before. Kakashi still blamed himself.

"If you change your mind, come talk to me."

"Thank you, Lady Hokage. And thank you for letting me know about Sasuke."

"No problem. It's the least I can do." She also felt a bit responsible after all.

"Then…I should return to my duties." Kakashi replaced his mask.

Tsunade nodded. "Very well. You may go back to your post, Fox."

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