(A/N): not really edited rn. There are probably a lot of mistakes. Fun fact: we're already on ep 38 already. (Also the novel's out he)

In synch, (Y/N) and Naruto peeled the scrolls open as Sasuke and Sakura watched nervously. It was not what they expected.
The writing was scant and practically unreadable, surrounding a character for person. (Y/N) blinked, staring at the scroll for a moment. Huh.

"Huh what's this?" Naruto tilted his head in confusion.
"A person..?" Sakura replied hesitantly, looking at the character over (Y/N)'s shoulder.

(Y/N) clicked her tongue, remembering where she had seen that seal pattern before; it was similar to the own array she used on the scrolls with her plushies. Sasuke caught on quickly as the person character inflated and shot smoke.

"This is a Summoning jutsu!" Sasuke exclaimed quickly, wide eyed. "Let go of the scrolls!"
(Y/N) growled at him, throwing hers into the corner as Naruto did the same. "I know duckbutt I was already about to!"

Smoke billowed out continuously from the scrolls, and then with a poof, a figure appeared in the smoke.
The children gasped and stared, as the figure revealed itself slowly.

"Y-you-!" Sasuke gasped.

"Hi. It's been a long time." Iruka, their former teacher smiled, crossing his arms. As usual, he wore the chuunin uniform they had always seen him in.

Naruto was so tongue-tied he couldn't muster a word, and (Y/N) just laughed in triumph. Haha! I told them there must have been a Summoning Jutsu in there didn't I?! GO me!

"W-what's going on?!" Sakura exclaimed.

"It appears you had a rough time of it." Iruka smirked, studying Naruto's beat up appearance.
"What?! Why are you appearing from a Summoning Jutsu Iruka-sensei?!" Naruto questioned, baffled.

"At the end of this second exam we chuunin are to welcome the test-takers. I just happened to be given the important task of being the messenger for you guys." Iruka replied calmly with a smile. He looked at the watch he carried, and sighed in relief, "Just in time. Everyone.. Congratulations for surviving the second exam. To celebrate your passing I'd like to treat you to some Ichiraku Ramen but..."

Enough said! Naruto and (Y/N) were on him before he could move, "YAY! Ramen ramen, believe it!" Naruto cheered.
"I haven't eaten good food in almost a week!" (Y/N) exclaimed with glossy eyes and practically drooling at the thought.

"Oi oi, listen until the end!" Iruka tried, but the two were now cheering and jumping around, even as Sakura and Sasuke dropped to the floor in exhaustion and relief.

"I've done a great job! I'm the greatest!"

Sasuke sighed, falling on his butt as he sat down, exhausted. "They're so energetic."
"YAY!"
"Shuddup!" Sakura exclaimed at them, fed up with all the yelling.

Iruka sighed at them, sweatdropping as (Y/N) and Naruto kept grinning but quieted down. "Man, that scatterbrained part of yours is the same as always eh."

Sasuke huffed in amusement then, smiling minutely. "I see. It's like (Y/N) said before. If we had looked at the scroll in the middle of the exam, what were you going to do Iruka-sensei?"
"Well of course I was!" (Y/N) replied with a huff, crossing her arms. "I bet he would have knocked out everyone and just left us there as food for the fauna!"

Iruka smiled slightly, picking up the scrolls from the floor. "You two are sharp, as usual. You guessed right. The rules of this exam were to test your conclusive mission execution ability. To put it simply, in the case of the scrolls being opened contrary to the rules... "

"In the case of them being opened..?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

"Like (Y/N) said; I was ordered to knock unconcious the test takers in front of me until the end of the exam." Iruka replied with a dark smile.

Naruto gulped nervously, flinching. Sasuke huffed in amusement, "Good thing (Y/N) stopped you."

Naruto trembled, looking teary eyed at (Y/N) and slapped his hands together. "T-thank you (Y/N)-chan!"
(Y/N) flushed a little and coughed, looking away. "I just did the logical thing!"

Sakura sighed, wiping her brow. That was seriously close! "Oh yeah, sensei! By the way, what're the letters on the wall? They're kind of vermiculated and we don't understand the meaning at all."

"Nevermind that, nevermind that we passed!" Naruto cut in with a snicker.

"No... explaining that is one more of my duties." Iruka confirmed, smiling awkwardly.
"Wait really?"
"I just said that right?" Iruka retorted with a sigh. "Give it a read. These are chuunin instructions the Hokage recorded."

"Instructions?" Naruto asked.

"That's right! Heaven in this text refers to the human head, earth refers to the human body." Iruka explained. "If heaven does not exist, enrich your knowledge and prepare for the chance. In other words...if your weaknesses are inside your head Naruto, learn various logics in preparation for your missions."

"Hmph! So meddlesome!" Naruto pouted in response, crossing his arms as Sakura giggled behind her hand. (Y/N) sighed with a smile, shaking her head. Got a point.

"If earth does not exist, run through the fields in search of an advantage. If your weaknesses are in your physical strength Sakura, it means you must not slack off on your daily training." Iruka continued the roast as Sakura giggled nervously, scratching the back of her neck.

"And if you combine both heaven and earth, any perilous mission is the right way. In other words, what can also be called a rule of might and become a safe mission." Iruka added, looking at (Y/N) and Sasuke this time.

"Then what about the spot with the missing letter?" Sakura asked.

"The letter refers to chuunin. The one letter for person that was in the scroll from earlier goes there." Iruka explained. "These five days of survival were to test the test--takers' fundamental abilities as chuunin. And you guys cleared it in fine style. A chuunin is of unit leader class; they have the responsibility of leading a team. Be more deeply aware of the necessity of physical strength and knowledge in missions!" Iruka lecture. "I want you to take on the next step never forgetting this! This is all of the messenger task I was given."

"Got it!" Naruto exclaimed with a smile, saluting.
However, Iruka had stopped smiling, and was now frowning in concern. "But, as for the final part of the exam, don't push it too far. Especially you Naruto, you're the biggest worry..."

(Y/N) gaped in disbelief at him as Naruto retorted, "Iruka-sensei. Since the moment I received the leaf headband I was no longer an academy student, you know? There's nothing to worry about, believe it!" He grinned, grabbing his headband. "Also this is the proof you gave me that I'm full fledged, right? That I'm scatterbrained may not have changed, but I'm not a kid anymore! I'm now a ninja!"

Well said! (Y/N) clapped once softly, smiling gently at Iruka and Naruto. I understand he cares, but since we were in the academy, this was inevitable! He cannot baby Naruto forever, however much it may seem like the right thing to do. I understand his point, however. But if he cannot trust him to be strong, which other adult will? We all need someone to believe in us.

Iruka smiled slightly. "I see. I'm sorry, Naruto. " The one who might truly understand the strength of these kids after all might be you, Kakashi.

~~~><><><~~~

"First off, congratulations on finishing the second exam!"

(Y/N) stood behind Sasuke, staring at his duckbutt hair and not quite listening to Anko's speech. They had been ushered into a room with the rest of the surviving teams and lined up without any order. Somehow they had ended up in the middle, close to the other rookies and the foreign teams. In a low stage in front of them stood the jounin, sensei included, and the Hokage, all lined up very nicely and orderly in comparison to them.

(Y/N)'s eyes fell on Kiba's team to their left, Shika's and then snorted quietly when she spotted a fired up Lee staring at his sensei on the stage to her right. She could spot the barest glimpse of red hair to the far far right. Gaara...

"What? All the Leaf Village rookies are here.." Sakura wondered quietly.

"Say say! Old man hokage and Iruka-sensei and even Intense Brow are here believe it!" Naruto turned back to whisper. "It feels like everyone's assembled!"
"Hmph, I don't have a good feeling about this.." Sasuke muttered, eyes narrowed.

(Y/N) snorted, unable to take him seriously as she had the perfect view of his duckbutt haircut. "When do you not?" But to be fair... he's kinda right. She glanced to the right corner, to the sand gourd. That Gaara gives me the creeps...

"Now then, we will have the explanation of the third exam from the Hokage! Listen carefully everybody!" Anko yelled, catching everyone's attention. "If you will, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, clearing his throat. He stepped away from the Jounin line and forth, closer to the teams, somehow not tripping on that very long Hokage coat. "Before the explanation of the third exam thst we will start from now, I have just one thing I want to tell everyone flat out. About the true purpose of these exams."

(Y/N) pursed her lips. Oh man, here we go. Please, the answer is obvious, don't chat for too long.

"Why do allied nations conduct the exams on a conjoint basis? Raising the levels of the shinobi and friendship among allied nations. It won't do to have the wrong idea of the true meaning of that statement. These exams are so to speak.. a microcosm of battle between allied nations."

Beside (Y/N), the girl from before with the buns couldn't contain herself. "What does that mean?"

"If we look back on history, the allied nations of today were once neighboring nations that continued to vie with each other and battle for power. In order to avoid a futile crushing of each others' military strength, those nations mutually selected a place to battle. And that was how the chuunin exams originally began." The Third Hokage explained.

"W-why do we have to do such a thing?" Naruto quesitoned suddenly. "We're not doing this to select chuunins?!"

"There is no question that these exams are to select shinobi worthy of becoming chuunin. But on the other hand, these exams also provide a venue for shinobi who carry their nation's pride on their backs to fight for their lives!"

(Y/N) raised a brow aat that, crossing her arms. Obviously it's about fighting a war, but not really fighting it and keeping an eye on each other. But to say that... I mean, most of us are really young. Isn't that... twisted?

"Nation's pride?" Sakura repetead incredulously, seemingly just as disturbed as (Y/N) felt.

"Many feudal lords and those of prominence from many nations who request shinobi for work are invited to this third exam as guests." The Hokage added impassively. "And the feudal lords and Head Ninja of each village of the nations will watch your battles."

(Y/N) tensed, dragging a hand down her face. Oh great, so no pressure at all!

"If the gap in national power becomes unbridgeable, the strong nations are inundated with job requests. The requests of nations deemed weak, on the other hand, decline. And therewithal, we can exert pressure upon each eighboring nation... that is to say, just how much military our strength our village is developing and has."

"Even so, why is it necessary for us to fight for our lives?!" Kiba finally exclaimed, voicing (Y/N)'s thoughts.

You know, I've never thought much of Hiruzen Sarutobi. He's been nice enough to Naruto, but really, he could do better. He knew the reason why were getting bullied, yet did nothing. Both Sasuke and I have been left to fend for ourselves, getting an allowance of our family's money every month, yet completely alone. You know, for a Hokage that supposedly cares about the young ones, he doesn't really show it. This is kinda fucked up. (Y/N) scoffed.

"The nation's strength is the Village's strength. The village's strength is the shinobi's strength. And the true strength of the shinobi is created only in a fight for one's life!" The Hokage replied, completely unbothered by the protests of the children.

We are children though?!

"This exam is a place to see the strength of home country shinobi, and a place to display this as well.. It's because it's an exam where you truly fight for your life that this has meaning. It's for this very reason that you forerunners fought in this exam, a dream worth striving for."

Tenten burst angrily, "Then why use the expression 'friendship'?"

Up until now, (Y/N) hadn't really thought much about how fucked up Hiruzen was. Now, she was beginning to rethink a lot of stuff. I mean, saying that children, literal CHILDREN that the majority of us are, should be sacrificing their lives for their nation's pride... What the fuck geezer. That sounds like a really roundabout way of trying to excuse your way of thinking. (Y/N) growled, and then sighed. I suppose it can't be helped that some think that. Just a little bit more than a decade ago we were in war still.

"I said it at the start, didn't I?! That it won't do for you to have the wrong idea of the meaning!" Hokage continued impassively, completely unaffected by the emotions of the young genin.

Well that's bullshit! We should try to form strong bonds between nations instead of trying to constantly calculate each other's moves and power! That's how wars start! This is ridiculous! To put the nation's pride first in such a way.. how many lives would he be willing to sacrifice for such ridiculous notions?! (Y/N) growled lowly, a small puff of fire coming out of her nose and getting dangerously close to Sasuke's terrible haircut. Looks like Naru and I will have a looooot of work to do when we become Hokage huh...

"It's a custom where balance is preserved by fighting and removing life. This is the friendship of the shinobi world. This is a fight for life with the pride of the village and one's own dream on the line." Hokahe retorted, continuing to explain his ancient way of thinking as if it would make it better.

"Heh, I'm convinced."
(Y/N) facepalmed, and regretted that she wasn't behind Naruto so she could pull his ear.

The red head from Sand growled in annoyance, "Anything is fine. Just tell us the content of that fight for life test."

"Very well." Hokage nodded. "Now then, this is where i'd like to explain the third exam. But actually..." he cleared his throat, as a chuunin appeared in front of him and the applicants.

The man kneeled, looking at the floor. "Hokage-sama, please allow me, Hayate Gekko, who was given the task of judge to speak first."

"I leave it to you.." The Hokage relented.

(Y/N) stared curiously and gratefully at the newcomer who had cut that terrible indoctrination speech short.

"Nice to meet you everyone...Umm... there's something... I'd like you all to do..." The shaggy looking shinobi turned around to meet the applicants' gazes, coughing between in each word he uttered. "Before the third exam.... And that is a preliminary to the third exam, with participation in the main battle on the line."

HUH?! (Y/N) gasped and slumped her head against Sasuke's back. Oh come on! We're going to fight again?! I haven't had a proper meal in days! AND we just fought like, two hours ago!

"Hey quit it! Your head is heavy!"