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YURI WALKED beside Kakashi as he led their journey through the market. It was a strange feeling being friendly to someone she declared she hated so many times. But she was doing this for her team and perhaps a small part of herself. 

Her mother always told her that holding grudges isn't healthy for Yuri's mind but you can't help how strongly you feel. But walking beside Kakashi and talking candidly was... nice. She would never admit it to him or her squad but a small part of her was enjoying this. 

"So you've never been to Konoha before?" Kakashi asked down to Yuri. 

She shook her head. "Never. It is a lot smaller than I imagined."

The copy ninja laughed under his mask as he dug his hands into his pockets. "So now you're here, where do you want to go?"

Yuri looked around the marketplace, saw a small ramen shop, and heard her stomach growl. "Ichiraku Ramen?"

Thanks to Naruto, Kakashi sighed, thinking of all the money he had spent at that small restaurant in the past few months. "As long as you don't have Naruto's appetite." He commented as he led her over to the small hut. 

Yuri laughed as he held the curtain up for her to duck under. "No promises."

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WHILE THE two jonin were munching away on their ramen, their genin were finishing up their difficult written task. Team 4 of the Mist had understood the assignment - cheat and don't get caught. Their prep talk with Yuri the day before helped them understand that they needed to work together. However, Team 7 of the Leaf had a harder time comprehending the teamwork aspect of the task. But they all passed and were off to the next round. 

Teams 4 and 7 rushed out of the building expecting to see their squad leaders waiting for them but there were nowhere in sight. 

"Where's Kakashi Sensei?" Sakura asked, her head whipping around hoping to catch a glimpse of silver hair. 

"And Yuri Sensei?" Sezaki asked doing the same.

"You don't think they..." Naruto trailed out using one finger to drag along his throat with a gulp.

"Most likely." Sasuke shrugged. "We should probably find them before one of them dies."

The two squads rushed around Konoha in search of the two jonin, asking multiple locals if they'd seen them but to no avail. That was until Doremi stopped a man with a black bowl cut wearing a green jumpsuit. "Excuse me, sir? Have you seen a woman with pink and blonde hair? She's wearing a Mist headband."

The man turned around. "Ah, Yuri." Might Guy trailed off dreamily.

"Bushier brow sensei, you know Yuri Sensei?!" Naruto asked dramatically.

"I had the lovely pleasure of meeting her yesterday with that Kakashi," he spoke lowly as he spoke of the Copy Ninja. "Have you lost your sensei? Again?" Guy asked with a booming laugh.

"Sort of. They were meant to see us after the written exam." Yaragi explained quietly.

Might Guy face hardened. "That damned devil is stealing my chance with Yuri!" He turned and ran into the marketplace, searching for the pair with the group of genin close behind him. 

"Kakashi wouldn't be stealing your chance with Yuri," Sasuke grumbled with an eye roll. "He doesn't even like her. I don't get why we're looking for them as if they're together."

"You're so right, Sasuke!" Sakura gushed. "As much as I admire Yuri Sensei, Kakashi Sensei wouldn't want to hanging out with her willingly-"

Just as they said that they saw Yuri and Kakashi laughing together walking out of Ichiraku Ramen. The group stopped in their tracks dumbfounded as the two jonins continued to walk around the market square unaware that they had been found by their genin. 

Yuri laughed as Kakashi hit his head on the top of the doorframe on the way out of the ramen shop. Kakashi grumbled as he rubbed his head. "Shut up, Ren." 

This only caused Yuri to double over in laughter. "You can't... tell me what... to do, Hatake." She breathed out between chuckles. "You know, you're surprisingly... adequate company."

"I wish I could say the same for you," Kakashi smiled sarcastically down at her. 

Yuri slapped his arm. "Shut up. Admit you enjoy my company!" She threatened. 

"Or what?" The silver haired ninja chuckled.

Yuri glared up at him but ended up rolling her eyes. "Or I'll just keep making you spend your money on me." She laughed.

Kakashi scoffed as dangled his significantly lighter coin purse in front of her. "I was already doing that..."

"And you'll keep doing it." She smiled up at him with an mischievous twinkle in her eye.

Kakashi sighed. "Fine, you're -" But he cut off by a manly, booming shout of his name causing him to sigh. He was thrown to the ground by Might Guy in front of Yuri. 

"How could you betray me like this, Kakashi?!" Might Guy yelled down at him. 

Yuri held in her laughter at the sight of the two men on the floor before her. "What?" Kakashi looked up confused at Guy. 

"I thought I was obvious in my affection towards Yuri!" Guy scowled. "And I see you on her date with her!"

Both Yuri and Kakashi froze in horror. "What?!" The both exclaimed, their faces resembled a white sheet of paper. 

"Are you not on a date, Yuri Sensei? It looked like a date..." Doremi asked her sensei with her hands locked behind her head casually. Both jonin turned even paler as they realised their genin were there too. 

Suddenly Yuri's expression hardened. "Don't say that again..." She seethed out. "This was not a date." She grimaced. "This was a... peace offering." She looked down at Kakashi with disgust. "Was." She emphasised. "When this is over, we are back to enemies. The next chance I get, I will have your head to add to my collection." She spat. 

Kakashi scoffed as Guy let him back up. "Why wait? Why not kill me now?" He poked.

Yuri snarled. "Orders. We can't touch each other until the end of the exams. After then, you're dead." She stormed away. "Team 4! Follow."

The Leaf Ninja watched the Mist Ninja leave. "Jeez, what did you actually do to her, Kakashi Sensei?" Naruto whistled. 

Kakashi sighed and closed his eyes. "It's a long story."

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THE NEXT day, the genin were summoned in the outskirts of the Leaf Village. There, they met Leaf Jonin, Anko, who introduced the next Chunin Exam - the Forest of Death. 

Anko handed out a standard consent form for everyone to sign. She explained that some of them may not return from the forest so getting their consent was important for the risk. 

"The first thing you need to know is that this test will tasked every one of your survival skills," Anko explained. She then described the terrain if the battle training zone - a locked tower surrounded by water and trees. "This is an anything goes battle, you're fighting to get these scrolls - a Heaven Scroll and an Earth Scroll." She showed two enclosed scrolls - one white and one blue, both labelled respectively. "Altogether, there will be 26 teams taking part in this exam. So half of these teams will be going after the Heaven Scroll, the other half after the Earth Scroll. Each team gets one kind of scroll."

"Okay..." Sasuke drawled out. "How do we pass the test?"

"All members of your squad must bring both scrolls to the tower. There's a time limit too. You must finish within five days."

"Oh great... this is gonna be a drag." Shikamaru sighed. 

Anko continued. "There is also some ways you can get disqualified. First, if all members can't make it to the tower with both scrolls after five days. Second, if a team loses a member or a member cannot continue. And third, and more importantly, no one is allowed to open the scrolls."

"What if it flaps open and you happen to accidentally read it?" Naruto asked nervously. 

"Let me put it this way for you, young man. You. Don't. Want. To. Know." Anko smiled tensely, nearly at her wits end. "Everyone stand at a gate and we will start shortly. Last piece of advance. Just don't die!"