"So you're telling me, lord Uzukage, that you need our help in finding Orochimaru." Zenitsu repeated calmly with a deathly pale face.

"Yes." Naruto nodded without hesitation.

Zenitsu stared at his village leader for a while.

And fainted. Crying comically.

"I knew he would react like this..." Naruto sighed and put a hand on his masked forehead, shaking it from side to side.

"Lemme do it! I'm gunna sense that bastard Doroshigaru and beat him to a pulp!! RAHAHAH!!!" Inosuke laughed maniacally, getting weird looks from the examinees and examiners.

"Your orders are to find him, and find him only." Naruto ordered sternly. "Do not engage him within his chakra range at all cost, Inosuke. I do not want to risk the lives of not only my best sensors and trackers, but children as well."

Inosuke wanted to retort, but a silent look from his leader shut him up.

"Yes, Uzukage."

"Good, start when you are ready, and make sure Zenitsu comes too."

"WHAT?! NOOOOOOOOOO!!! LORD UZUKAGE PLEASE RECONSIDER!!!" Zenitsu screamed as the boar masked half naked man one year younger than him laughed in glee.

The two arrived at the entrance, and froze.

Zenitsu was deathly pale.

"He's here..."

Inosuke gripped his swords, prepairing to rush in, but his Leader's earlier words made him stop.

"Monitsu." His hands shook lightly. "Oi, Fox, the snake's here." Naruto's sensitive hearing made him freeze.

"H-he's over th-there..." Zenitsu shakily pointed to a jounin looking intently at the battle.

"Thank you, Zenitsu, Inosuke. You may go."

Zenitsu wasted no time. Inosuke, however, hesitated. He glanced briefly at the disguised snake, and made his departure. They'll be around for a while.

Naruto sighed as he locked his gaze on the figure, hands fisting at his sides.

"Fucking bastard..."

Sasuke, who was watching the preliminaries, moved his gaze to the hatless Uzukage. His fox mask portrayed no emotion, but he could see the clench of his fist.

The masked face moved, and for the first time, the Kage's and the Jounin's eyes meet.

The Uzukage has heterochromatic eyes, azure blue on the right, and crimson red on the left.

His eyes are piercing sharp.

"Sasuke-kun, what's wrong?" He heard Sakura ask.

After Naruto left, she was disheartened. She deeply regretted what she had said and done to the blonde, she wishes she could take it all back. Sasuke was not so different.

Team 7 is never Team 7 without Naruto.

And they sure don't like that new guy.

"Nothing." She sighed.

"I wish we could turn back to how we were before. I want a chance to change how i acted with him. With both of you."

"Hn." 'Me too.'

"The winner is Yogi of Uzushiogakure!" The proctor called the match, and Sakura's student returned with a dissapointed frown.

"I'm sorry, sensei." Sakura only patted her head encouragingly.

"It's alright, Momo-chan, you can train harder for the next exam!"

Yaoyorozu Momo, while her ability to shape and solidify Chakra is powerful, could't keep up with Yogi's speed and raw power from his Kekkei Genkai.

"Yeah! You'll make it next time, that's for sure!" Her teammate, Tohru, pumped her fist into the air.

Hagakure Tohru, she can cover her skin with a thin layer of Chakra and bend light with it, making her invisible and unsensible. Though her clothings gives her position away.

"This is only your first time, it's hard but this is only a small step to your dreams!" Ochako patted her arm.

Uraraka Ochako, her third teammate, she can make things float by channelimg Chakra to it.

Sakura smiled at the sight. If only things were like this...

"May the next competitors proceed to the battle grounds: Kaminari Denki of Uzushiogakure versus Tomioka Giyuu of Konohagakure!"

Sasuke nodded at one of his students, said boy jumped down without a word.

Giyuu was an orphan raised by his sister in the outskirts of Konoha. She was killed by rogue nins when he was young, and an old swordman, Urokodaki Sakonji adopted him.

His two original teamates who were also adopted by Urokodaki, were killed on their first Chuunin exam, and were replaced by two others. Shinazugawa Sanemi and Kocho Shinobu.

(They deffinitely don't like his new personality, but are gradually warming up to him.)

Sakura sighed as she looked at her old teamate and his mini-look-alike. Sasuke still blames his irresponsibility for the loss of his two students, and Giyuu blames himself for not being strong enough to help.

It's terrifying how trauma changes people, especially when it involves your closest relatives.

Why, oh why did Tsunade-sama group these two together...

__________________________________

"The winner is Tomioka Giyuu of Konohagakure!"

Giyuu returned, looking impassive. Sanemi clicked his tongue.

"You're worth no shit if you don't even get past the preliminaries, Tomioka."

Giyuu said nothing.

"Ara ara, are you ignoring us after cheering you on, Tomioka?" Shinobu poked him, smiling.

He said nothing, chosing to stand next to Sasuke.

"Good job, Giyuu-kun." The man said as he patted Giyuu's head, resulting in flowers floating in the background.

Shinobu only chuckled, and Sanemi hid his fond smile.

"The next match consists of Kocho Shinobu of Konohagakure, and Tokito Muichiro of Kirigakure!"

"That's my cue!" Shinobu chirped, jumping down onto the arena.

Sasuke just groaned.

Sakura chuckled at his misfortune.

__________________________________

Unfortunately, Shinobu lost. The young looking boy is surprisingly skilled in Kenjutsu.

"May the next contestants proceed to the arena, Shinazugawa Sanemi of Konohagakure and Ashido Mina of Uzushiogakure!"

"The Uzu teams sure are strong, huh, Sasuke-kun." Sakura analyzed the chatting bunch, and the weaponless pink haired girl with the Acid Release who's fighting toe to toe with a sword wielding Sanemi.

"Hn."

"What do you think about the Uzukage?" She then looked at the masked man who's looking at the fights. "His chakra feels really familiar."

"Hn."

"You too? Glad i'm not the only one."

"The winner is Shinazugawa Sanemi of Konohagakure!"

The last two battles were fast. The two winners are from the Sand and Mist respectively, going by the names Rui (a white haired boy who uses Chakra strings) and Kota Izumi (the boy with the horned red cap and powerful water manipulation).

Naruto felt a shift in the air, and glanced at the snake in disguise through the eyes of the mask. The man was leaving.

He nodded at Kurama, who summoned a messenger crow to deliver a message to the shinobi units in their village.

He then glanced at Sasuke, who's looking straight at him again, before leaving.

"These contestants shall proceed to the next rounds: Hinata Shoyo, Kirishima Eijirou, Yogi, Shinaguzawa Sanemi, Tokito Muichiro, Tomioka Giyuu, Rui, Kota Izumi. You have two months to rest up and prepair." The proctor announced. "That is all."

"Ya hear that? Let's get something to eat and rest up!" Kousuke called to the two Uzu teams, getting cheers from the six.

Kuro's team waited no time in dragging Izuku, Shoto and Katsuki to the ramen shop, followed by Kousuke's team and a laughing Kurama.

Sasuke watched the red haired, red eyed man with activated Sharingan eyes.

Why does the man have pure red Chakra..?

Wasn't it supposed to be the Kyuubi's?

______________________________________

Hey, guess who's back :)

I know this chapter is shit, took me a long ass time to come up with a plot, so this is all you get right now.

Apologies for the wait, my head was fucking empty.