The Chunin Ninja Exams

My brain was vibrating!

White steam poured from Naruto's head, and his skin was scorching red.

"Dammit! Why is it so hard to rebuild a mere hole through the heart?"

His power was so pathetic now that every inch of him felt miserable. He could barely breathe. His veins weren't carrying blood anymore, but boiling guilt, and even the air seemed to mock how weak he was!

"Yah!!"

Naruto's overheated lungs contracted violently, blasting out thick white steam like a chimney. His Chakra gathered with the sound, nearly tangible as it clung to Haku's chest, and tiny pink buds of flesh grew, inch by inch.

When the last gap finally closed, a rush of transcendent pleasure surged through Naruto's mind. He stared blankly, his consciousness hazy, then sprawled out like a starfish in the flower field, now reduced to scorched earth.

Haku slowly sat up and opened the left side of her kimono. She reached out and touched herself. The once-gruesome fatal wound had vanished.

A life that had already ended had been dragged back from Hell's gates by Naruto's Medical Ninjutsu.

The price was clearly steep.

She smoothed her blood-matted black hair and asked between breaths, "Why did you save me?"

"How would I know?"

Naruto studied Haku, who was even prettier than Haruno Sakura, and suddenly felt a chill. Could I have been seduced by her beauty?

No, impossible!

His adoptive father had trained him to resist beautiful women by taking him to a virgin hot spring for a whole year.

His heart was already as hard as iron, just like his—

Haku started to explain, then pressed her lips together. She watched the ice melt as the seawater carried it away, as if seeing herself in it.

A life nobody needed, with nowhere to go even if she kept living.

Just then, a small boat came ashore. Haruno Sakura and Sasuke jumped out and hurried over, bending forward as they ran.

Seeing Naruto lying on the ground, apparently beaten by a beautiful girl, Haruno Sakura panicked and threw a shuriken at Haku.

"What are you trying to do to Naruto?"

Haku didn't dodge. The shuriken grew rapidly in her pupils, but just before it reached the tip of her nose, a well-defined fist caught it by its short handle.

Haruno Sakura and Sasuke stopped and looked at Naruto in confusion.

Haku asked woodenly, "Why did you save me again?"

"Why does there have to be a reason?" Naruto's eyes held no thought at all.

"I kill when the mood takes me and save when I feel like it. Why should I need a reason? You're lucky I've taken a liking to you today."

A glimmer appeared in Haku's dark eyes. "You... need me? Like Mr. Zabuza did?"

Haruno Sakura suddenly grew tense.

Naruto! You said you'd wait for me to decide!

Naruto asked without hesitation, "What did Zabuza have you do?"

"He treated me like a tool." Haku lowered her head slightly. "But I thought of him as family."

Naruto froze.

A tool? Family?

What kind of beastly keywords were those? He felt like he'd heard them somewhere before.

Naruto shook his head. "I won't treat you like family, and I definitely won't treat you like a tool."

The light in Haku's eyes went out.

Haruno Sakura, on the other hand, smiled. As expected, Naruto only had eyes for her.

But Sasuke's gaze suddenly turned intense. He went over to Haku and crouched in front of her. "I need you."

Reviving the Uchiha Clan was not something one person could accomplish. After killing his brother, he would still need to build a following.

Haku shook her head. "Your eyes are a lot like Mr. Zabuza's. I already have an unfinished dream of my own."

Sasuke was cold by nature and rarely made the first move. After finally bringing himself to ask, he'd been rejected.

He couldn't help glancing at Haruno Sakura. Was he destined to attract only shallow girls who liked him for his looks?

While he was busy brooding, Haku darted into the woods without looking back. When she returned, she had Zabuza's Kubikiribōchō slung over her shoulder. She held it out to Naruto.

"You really shouldn't have. I only saved your life, and now you're giving me a present."

Naruto grinned and accepted it without hesitation. He swung it twice across his body, hoisted it over his right shoulder, and said, "Thanks. See you."

He had almost reached the shore when he remembered something and turned back abruptly. "Do you know where Gato is?"

"I killed him."

Naruto gave a little "Oh," then hopped into the boat, unable to make sense of it.

Her teammate had died, so she killed the employer?

Though that employer really hadn't been a good person.

Then why take the mission in the first place?

Naruto stopped thinking and didn't dwell on it. Those tangled, obstructive thoughts would only make him weaker.

Using the sword as an oar, he began rowing with a vigorous huff and puff, as if he had endless energy.

The bridge's construction resumed and was completed successfully after three weeks.

The only ones who came to cause trouble were a Pirate Group of robbers and looters. The Fishermen's Militia, organized by Naruto, drove them all off and took their loot for themselves.

Naruto knew all too well that until the world changed, nobody could save anybody else. Only by becoming strong could you survive.

It was like feeding a stray dog on the roadside a hot dog. It would be full that day, but the next day it would still be a stray, fighting other strays over food.

Before returning to Konoha,

Sasuke, who had mastered tree climbing, finally couldn't hold back. With Kakashi there to witness it, he fought Naruto in a real match.

He activated the One-Tomoe Sharingan he'd awakened from the hatred he felt over his clan's slaughter, and managed to track Naruto's movements.

Unfortunately, even though he could see each punch Naruto threw and where it was headed, he couldn't keep up.

He was thoroughly defeated.

"Sasuke, try your best to catch up with me."

Those words became Sasuke's nightmare. He woke up startled again and again in the middle of the night.

After returning to the village, Team Seven was once again assigned D-rank missions.

Naruto had received five hundred thousand ryō from Hiruzen Sarutobi's purse, so he wasn't short on money anymore. He wanted to refuse, but Kakashi persuaded him to keep going, saying it would build up his record.

Meanwhile, whenever Naruto went shopping for groceries, he kept noticing all sorts of strange people. From the symbols on their Forehead Protectors, he could tell they were foreign shinobi.

There was a sense that a storm was brewing.

On the last day of June, with no missions or training scheduled, Kakashi waited until Team Seven had assembled, then produced three applications bearing the character "Chuunin" and stamped with red wax.

"I've recommended you for the Chunin Ninja Exams. Those unfamiliar shinobi who've recently appeared in the village are your opponents in the exams."

Kakashi glanced over the three of them. "I'll warn you in advance: there's a risk of death. Whether you participate is up to you."

Haruno Sakura looked hesitant, while Sasuke immediately took an application.

Kakashi handed the remaining two to Naruto, then turned and waved. "If you've decided to participate, fill in your names and hand them in to Room 301 by four tomorrow afternoon."

Naruto casually handed his form to Haruno Sakura, but she didn't reach out to take it. "What is it? Scared?"

Haruno Sakura nodded. Her instincts had always drawn her to Naruto. "My skills haven't improved much since I graduated from the academy. Those shinobi from other villages are a lot older than us. They look really strong."

Naruto was already over 1.6 meters tall. He reached over and ruffled Little Sakura's pink hair. "Then just give up."

Haruno Sakura nodded. Naruto was so gentle.

Sasuke shoved his hands into his pockets. "Haven't you noticed? Those shinobi from other villages are all in groups of three. That has to be a requirement for taking the exam."

Naruto raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Of course I know."

Sasuke's eyes darkened, as if a layer of gray mist had settled over them. "So if Sakura gives up, then we have to give up too. I can't give up. I have to take the exam. I'm already thirteen!"

"Sakura, you're smart. Your analytical skills are the best in our whole year. I need your help. Come take the exam with me."

It was the first time Sasuke had ever said he needed her. Haruno Sakura bit her lip, then nodded and murmured, "Okay." She reached out toward Naruto, who was holding the application. "Give it to me."

Naruto's face darkened until even the sunlight couldn't make out his features.