The village was filled to the brim with people, and it was bathed in golden light as the sun rose over Konoha. Tension filled the air as Team 7 stood again at the training grounds. The Chunin Exams were no examination by name; they were the gateway to respect, authority, and prestige.
Naruto was actually bouncing up and down. "I'm so excited! I can already imagine it—me standing proudly tall, the crowd cheering, and the Hokage presenting me with the Chunin vest!"
Scoffing, Sasuke folded his arms. "Before you start dreaming, you might want to try to pass the first round."
"Hello! I'm going to get through with flying colours, believe it or not!"
A New Round of Faces
Other groups of genin arrived as they began training drills lightly. Each experienced genin and would-be rookie was training seriously, which meant the word had spread.
A dark-haired young man came down from the trees and stood with them. He was recognized as a Hyuga by his light-colored eyes.
"Naruto Uzumaki," he uttered in a calm tone. "I heard you were selected. Tell me how far you can reach."
Naruto's eyelids closed. "Oh, do I know you?"
The boy replied, "Hyuga Neji. Don't forget the name."
Neji was followed by his teammates, Tenten, who smiled graciously, and Lee, who wore a green jumpsuit and had thick eyebrows.
Lee smiled. "Nice to meet all of you! Let's all try our best on the exams!"
Naruto leaned to the side. "What's the matter with this guy?"
There were other groups that came, some from far away, others from Konoha. The most interesting was the Hidden Sand Village group. In them was the red-haired boy Naruto had already seen with the gourd.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "They are not normal."
As enigmatic as ever, Kakashi simply appeared. "Good eye. That redhead's name is Gaara. He's powerful. Leave him alone unless you're ready."
Naruto scowled. "What's wrong with him?"
Kakashi didn't say anything. He simply stared at Gaara, whose vacant eyes contrasted with Naruto's.
The world stood still for an instant.
Tensions and Training
Team 7 practiced to refine their skills during the countdown for the test. With little instruction from Kakashi, they were able to find out what they were good at but, more importantly, what they were not.
Naruto spent hours perched on top of a tree, drenched in sweat, working on mastering his chakra. "Come on, I can do it just as good as Sasuke!"
Sakura soon perfected hand seals as she honed her ninjutsu and memory recall. "I will never let Ino get the upper hand."
Always the lone wolf, Sasuke trained until dusk, each session building up his Sharingan. To further challenge his flexibility, he began to mix taijutsu and fire-style jutsu.
They met Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji in the middle of an afternoon on a brief break.
Ino smiled at Sakura and said, "Well, well. It looks like we will once again be rivals."
Sakura grinned defiantly and said, "Bring it on."
Shikamaru sighed. "Why does it feel like this is going to be so boring?"
Choji crunched on a few chips. "I'm good as long as they don't remove our snacks."
The increasing tension was palpable even as the lighter moments broke. All were prepared for the test, some in fear, others in hope.
Naruto's Resolve
Naruto lingered late into the night at the training grounds and punched a log until his knuckles were bleeding. "Stupid tree. Why is it that I'm not getting stronger faster?"
Behind her was a gentle voice. "You're working too hard again."
She was Hinata. She brought a water bottle and a towel with her.
Naruto blinked. "Oh, I see. Thank you."
She whispered, "You've already become so strong." "Don't second-guess yourself. Keep going forward. I believe in you."
And, after looking at her for a moment, he blushed and rubbed his cheek. "Hey, Hinata, thanks. That means a lot."
She spun around to him, mumbling to herself, "I'll be watching… cheering you on, Naruto-kun."
Naruto looked up towards the heavens. "Okay. I won't disappoint anyone. I'll prove to everyone, including that Gaara guy, that I'm going to do this to win."
The Exam Eve
Konoha was quieter than usual the night before the first stage. Most of the genin had already gone to bed, and the streets were empty.
Naruto gazed down at the village from the top of the Hokage Monument.
He leaned in, whispering, "I've gotten so far. From being the unpopular kid to a ninja with teammates and a sensei, and now an actual chance to prove myself…"
He grinned. "Tomorrow marks the beginning of something big."
Sasuke approached him from behind.
"Dobe, don't get so worked up. These tests aren't to be taken lightly."
"I understand," Naruto answered. "I'm going to give it my all because of this."
Sasuke hardly ever nodded. "I don't want to lose so that I can beat you."
Naruto chuckled. "Haha! Sasuke, the same to you!"
The tension hanging over Konoha prior to the storm escalated as the stars twinkled brightly in the sky. Everything tomorrow would be changed, both in the ninja world and for Team 7. Sakura smiled as she rolled her eyes. "Naruto, don't get ahead of yourself."