A Thrilling Tale; The Genius In Disguise

Reunions (exams)

"Okay, okay, okay. How about Shikamaru, Sasuke, and Shino." Naruto prompted. Sakura thought about it for a moment.

"That's a hard one... Definitely marry Sasuke though." She answered. Naruto laughed and shook his head.

"Just how basic can you get?" He mocked.

"Oh yeah, then what about you."

Naruto scoffed. "Kiss Shino, marry Shikamaru, and kill Sasuke," He said confidently.

"Hating Sasuke is just as basic as liking him. You know that, right?" Sakura deadpanned.

"I don't hate Sasuke; the other options were just better." Naruto refuted.

"Do you two really have time to be lazing around like this?" Sasuke interrupted, joining his teammates on their walk.

"Of course we do. We're ready enough for the exams anyway." Naruto draped his arm around his emo counterpart only to fall forward as he ducked under the blonde's embrace.

"Personal space, thanks," Sasuke said as he moved to the other side of Sakura.

"Where have you been, away?" She asked.

"Training." The raven's response was so obviously backhanded. "Some of us actually want to do well." He shot a look at Naruto as he spoke.

"I'll be just fine. I mean, I AM the strongest member of our team, and the best fighter. But if trash-talking me makes you feel better," Naruto shrugged. Sasuke was about to test that claim but a shrill squeal interrupted him.

Team seven ran to the source of the sound, an otherwise empty and secluded street, to find Ino standing face to face with a spikey-haired, blonde girl.

"Ino!" Sakura ran to the girl to make sure she was okay. Sasuke stayed behind a bit as he approached the situation. Naruto... where'd did he go anyway?

"Another one, really?" The blonde girl groaned.

"No wonder he wanted to leave..." she and Sakura both got into fighting positions as Ino ran behind Sasuke.

"This is going to end terribly," Sasuke said as he tried to figure out how he could intervene. Too bad someone had other ideas as everyone heard a faint.

"Fight, fight, fight, fight, fight, fight." Coming from behind a guy in a hood who was standing on the wall of the alley.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled. He stopped trying to encourage a brawl and smiled.

"What?" He blinked innocently. Sakura was going to bash his head in, but Temari beat her to it

"Where have you been, asshole? We haven't heard from you in like a month!"
She scolded. Naruto shrugged, sitting on top of her fan now that it was lodged into the wall.

"I've been busy, being a ninja is ha-Aa!"

"Excuses! We were worried." Kankuro interrupted as he trapped the boy in a headlock.

"Alright, alright! I got it. You're messing up my hair, man." Naruto wiggled out of Kankuro's grasp and laughed.

"Wait wait wait! You know these people, Naruto?" Ino asked, looking between Sakura, Naruto, and these 'mysterious' new people.

"Yeah, what about it?" The blonde rebutted. Ino looked to his teammates.

"You learn to not question after a while... So, how'd you made friends in the sand village?" Sakura gave Ino a supposedly reassuring pat on the back as she went to greet the sand nin.

"The less questions you ask, the better." Sasuke added.

Ino just kind of stood there in shock while team seven casually conversed with them. It was mostly banter and a lot more digs at Sasuke than she was okay with. It was more confusing since they mostly came from Sakura.