Danzo Hokage

Sasuke's Request

Chapter 14: Sasuke's Request.

-

AN: This will be the end of the Chunin Exams. As such Sakura wins her fight as does everybody that matters. I could cover them but really I'm sick of the Chunin Exams by now. The non-leaf ninja will be promoted in their respective villages so that means the sand siblings would be promoted in Sunagakure and everybody else in Konohagakure. The next chapter will be soon after the exams, about a week post-exam.

-

Chunin Exams Medical Bay

-

Sasuke awoke with one of the worst headaches he had ever felt in his whole life. Rolling off the bed he eyed the room. It was, of course, one of the many medical rooms set aside for the participants of the Chunin Exams. Thinking back on his fight against his sunkissed teammate, Naruto he couldn't help but feel an understandable level of anger at his skills. He was so outclassed by Naruto that it boggled his mind how his teammate could get that strong so quickly. It had, after all, only been four weeks. Had he truly trained that hard? Was it truly possible that he was that much better than him that even four weeks could make him that much better then he himself was? Thinking about his own training he felt he hadn't taken it nearly as seriously as his teammate obviously had. This he would change as soon as he was able. He wasn't going to be his lesser any longer. He would prove to him and to his father that he was worthy of the leaf emblem. So with that thought in mind, he soon walked out of his room and made his way to the observation balcony. Seeing as he was clearly out of the exams he saw no sense in delaying this any longer than he absolutely had to. He would speak to his father about upping his training whether he thought he was ready or not.

-

Chunin Exams Observation Balcony

-

Sakura was blown away by the ease Naruto had won his match. She knew first hand how hard Kakashi had pushed them and to see all that be brushed aside like it was nothing made her wonder if she had the skills to make it as a true ninja. As the daughter from a civilian clan, she knew she was disadvantaged from day one. Even so, she had pushed herself to prove she had as much right as any clan child to proudly wear the emblem of the village. That being none other than a leaf. But Naruto was by far the most gifted of his generation and anybody with any sense knew that fact, especially the poor Genin who had been forced to fight him in the academy. Even back then it was clear he was something only seen maybe once par generation. A fact that no doubt made his father extremely proud of his son.

"So Naruto-kun how was your training"? Sakura asked after refilling his sizeable pool of chakra. A task that took several minutes to do seeing as he was the host of the nine-tailed beast, Kurama.

"It was really, really hard Sakura-chan. Isao-sensei trained me day and night. All of the ANBU in Root did. Isao pushed me to be much more tactical in my fighting. Yama-chan trained me in tracking ability as well as refining my overall fighting skills. The others in Root mostly just left me alone or called me runt. So when I faced them I made sure to do my best to beat them up". Naruto said thinking about his time in Root.

"Did you ever beat them Naruto-kun"? Sakura asked.

"Nope. Root ninja are the best of the best. Hell Kakashi-sensei tried out but failed. Being a Root ANBU is no joke Sakura-chan. They are the elite of the elite.  So I never really stood a chance. They mostly just toyed with me but even so, I did land a hit or two on them. They seemed happy with that so it wasn't all bad". Naruto said as he rubbed the back of his head. A tendency he got from his father. She found it cute in a sort of sisterly way.

"How much were you holding back"? Sakura asked making the boy eye her with an amazed expression on his face.

"You knew"! Naruto said taken aback by the fact she knew he was holding back on Sasuke. He thought he had hid that well enough to go unnoticed but it seemed she wasn't at all fooled.

"Of course I knew you doofus. I'm your teammate and besides that, we have known each other for like ages. Why would I not notice that"? Sakura said as she found the very idea utterly ridiculous. He was acting like she hadn't known him for most of their lives. This, of course, was ridiculous enough on its own seeing as the two had been friends since they had first met at the ages of one and two years old. Their families being as close as they were all but made the fact they would be friends all but a certainty.

"I was hoping he had improved some more. So I only gave it maybe a third of my max. Kakashi-sensei really seems to have taken it easy on you two". Naruto said once the fact she was able to see him holding back wear off a bit.

"His family trained him too, Naruto-kun". She replied but even she knew it was light training at best. His father deeming him not ready for anything much more than that.

"Oh well, I'm sure he will be given a Chunin vest. Lord Danzo should know how hard Root is and how well he did.

"But it was so one-sided. Why would he be given a vest"? Sakura asked finding the idea a loser would be promoted to the rank of Chunin a bit much. After all in all the exams ever taken in the leaf, nobody who had lost was promoted to the rank of Chunin. Not even once. So the idea that this would happen was a statistical improbability so low that not even his grandmother would take such a bet, and she took alot of bets on things that were long shots.

"I'm sure he will, Sakura-chan. Lord Danzo knows Sasuke did well enough to wear a vest. If he doesn't I'll vouch for him". Naruto said looking sure of himself.

"You can't do that Naruto-kun your not a Jounin nor a clan head. Your endorsement would mean nothing to them. If anything it would likely be seen as you overstepping". Sakura said making the boy deflate at the news. Just as he was about to voice how stupid a rule that was Sakura pointed at Sasuke who had just exited the tunnel to the stands.

Sasuke-kun down here"! Sakura yelled making a fair few people give her angry glares at her yelling. However aside from looking her way and nodded his head, he kept moving towards his father. This, in turn, made her upset at being dismissed by the boy.

-

It took a while to find his father in the mass of humanity at long but at long last he found his father and called out his name. Fugaku upon hearing his name called looked to the side to see his youngest son waving his arms in the air. Forming a clone so as not to miss anything he soon made his way over to his son to see what it was he wanted.

Yes, son what is it"? Fugaku said in that deep powerful voice he had come to know.

"I want you to up my training starting immediately. I don't want to be left behind by my teammates any longer. I'm a Genin dad, not a baby so you should stop acting like I am". Sasuke said. Fugaku, in turn, said nothing as he eyed his youngest son long and hard. But when it became clear he wouldn't yield he gave in.

"Fine but understand this son this will be much harder than anything you have ever done in your life. You shall meet with the clan elders and they will test you. As you are my son I can't vote for you to undergo this training. So it is them that you must please with your skills, not me". Fugaku said before the pair soon returned to watch the rest of the fights.