Mifune's POV (Trial of Janus Site - Land of Iron)
As the Raikage, the Hokage, and the bodyguards finished their meal, Mifune left the room. Having already informed the Kage of the first exam, He knew it was time to notify the Chunin hopefuls. He exited the room and stood before the large group of shinobi. Most of them had just finished their meals and were mingling with one another. He drew his blade silently and slowly before slamming it into the wooden floor below, cracking it from the force. The wood being smashed violently breaks through the chatter of the room. The shinobi focused on him immediately, silence filling the room as they all realized that business had begun.
"Chunin hopefuls and Jounin sensei. My name is Mifune, and I am the Iron Samurai Council Commander General. As such, I have been honored to host the Chunin Exams. This was decided due to the unique circumstances of nearly all Hidden Villages participating. A concern was raised due to the break this group of Genin received. This means that this exam is vital to almost every village. A chance for your homes to display their future. A chance for connection and peace for various villages. A chance for you, Genin, to achieve glory and recognition. But this chance must be earned. In these exams, you will be tested on various aspects that both shinobi and samurai require. There will be three parts to this exam. You will only be informed of the parts as you do them. Remember, it may be held by samurai and myself, but these are still shinobi exams. Now that you have rested after your journeys, it is time to begin! If any Shinobi are not participating in the exam, please follow the samurai on my room's left. He will lead you to the observation room while your Genins are being tested." As he said this, he witnessed the Jounin gather around the samurai he had mentioned before being led out of the room. The Genin before him were all now standing and focused. They all seemed focused and confident; good was a mark of their composure. Unfortunately, it was time to shake such a thing.
"But first, it's time to go over the rules. For example…" Mifune passed for dramatic effect. "You will not partake in the test as you are. See, the exam is with random teams… of course, you're not allowed to harm your teammates under penalty of failing." He waited as their eyes rose to comical levels before they narrowed upon him.
"What the hell! Every exam I've heard of, you do it with your squad!" Kiba roared out angrily.
"Ya, this is ridiculous! I'm not working with our enemies!" An Iwa shinobi called out angrily.
"Certainly not working with any tree huggers."
"Sand shinobi killed my family."
"Everyone knows the Mist is a bunch of savages."
"I don't like those arrogant Cloud bastards."
Mifune felt the smile slip at the uproar. The shinobi world was somewhat divided. He would not allow such anarchy! "SILENCE!" As he said this, he drew his blade at great speed. The booming voice and shrill sound of steel silenced the turbulent room.
"Stop acting like kids! You will be working with each other despite any misgivings you hold! If you intend to climb the ranks, you must be mature. There may be a time you will work with those you disdain. Such is the way of the world. You must display honor and loyalty to become more than a mere Genin. If such a thing is above you, leave before the shame grows. The room went silent. The Genin had not traveled all this way for nothing and would not seek to be dropped before things began.
"Excellent, I will read off Teams now. Team One will be Naruto Uzumaki of the Leaf, Ino Yamanaka of the Leaf, Gaara of the Sand, Samui of the Cloud, and Kurotsuchi of the Stone."
The Genin walked to the front of the room before being led off by a Samurai. Mifune watched as the room tensed as they realized how random this was.
"Team Two will be Temari of the Sand, Sakura Haruno of the Leaf, Kiba Inuzuka of the Leaf, Shikamaru Nara of the Leaf, and Neji Hyuga of the Leaf."
"How is that fair!"
"Ya, almost all of them are from the same village!"
"Life in general is not fair…" Mifune said thoughtfully, managing to cut through the group yet again. "There will be times in your life when you must defy adversity. Yet, there will also be times in which you benefit randomly. I may not be a shinobi myself, but I have battled and met countless amounts. No shinobi worthy of much will complain of fairness." He said, looking throughout the room. It seemed everyone had dropped it for now. The newly formed team marched out of the room.
"Team Three will be: Omoi of the Cloud, Karui of the Cloud, Sasuke Uchiha of the Leaf, Hinata Hyuga of the Leaf, and Kankuro of the Sand." The group left silently as he eyed the remaining group. No outcries this time; it seemed the whiners realized the futility of their moping. He listed off the remaining teams without interruption.
Naruto's POV (Trial of Janus - Land of Iron)
A samurai came for each group and led them out of the building. The group flinched at the cold winds blowing before them as they exited. The stone ground is blanketed in snow. The group was led to a large building surrounded by various copies of itself. Each was cubed-shaped and massive. Each is simply gray and nondescript. Nine massive structures lay beyond the gatehouse they had eaten inside. The samurai wordlessly led them to one of the buildings. Allowing them to enter and observe the room. It was mostly empty, with white walls and two doors, one on the right and one on the front. The sparse room had a painting between the doors of a battlefield. A strange pattern on the roof. And a small table in the center with a note.
Naruto could readily admit he was unsure how things would go. He had been prepared to crush the exams with his team in tow. Now, they have been separated into groups. Luckily, Ino had landed with him. And the blonde doubted Neji would have any real trouble. Absolute lucky bastard. He knew logically he should be friendly and attempt to improve their relationship with the newly formed team. Especially now that they were required to work together. But something about Gaara made his skin crawl. He didn't mind him being a jinchuriki, but he seemed oddly focused on him. Plus, he had taken a good punch with seemingly no damage in that scrap, then somehow tanked one of his favorite Kenjutsu techniques. Of course, it hadn't been full power, but it still should have been enough to cut him badly. But he had merely tanked it with mere sand somehow. To make matters even worse, Gaara stared him down. Which turned out to bring out Ino's more protective nature. She is standing slightly in front of the blonde and staring Gaara down.
In the three months they had spent training, they had significantly grown. Ino now had at least one win each against both boys. A testament to how far she came and what kind of fighter she was. Naruto had never been much for subtlety, smashing or slicing opponents up close until they were defeated. Neji did so with more finesse, but it was the same strategy. Ino fought differently. She had gained some techniques that made her dangerous. Her mind jutsu was disruptive and quick. Especially what had become her trademark jutsu. During this, the young woman became even more outgoing and confident. To the point where she was intending to warn off psychos… Naruto loved his team.
Kurotsuchi and Samui both looked on at the awkward standoff in their team. Samui merely sighed, annoyed that the team chemistry had already sunk.
Kurotsuchi takes a more aggressive approach: "What is this the most hostile three-some ever?" She said with a shit-eating smirk.
Both Naruto and Ino jumped at this. Both stared back owlishly. Gaara sighed heavily before looking up at the roof, seemingly done talking.
"Oh, come on, don't tell me your prudes?" Kurotsuchi continued, her smile growing.
"I would never be with that creepy bastard!"
"I would never be with that creepy bastard!" both called out simultaneously. Kurotsuchi chuckled gleefully, realizing her joke may hold an element of truth. Samui attempted to pretend to be unaffected, but a small laugh escaped her mouth. The group all looked over at her except Gaara.
"So uncool," Samui complained.
"I will cooperate as long as we're on this team, Uzumaki. But make no mistake: At some point in this exam, I will either kill you or capture you," Gaara said calmly, continuing to look at the roof.
The group met the odd declaration with the awkward silence it was warranted. "Umm… is there a story with short, red, and murderous characters here wanting you? By the way, what the hell does that even mean? Don't tell me this is some kind of bo—" Kurotsuchi started with a shit-eating grin.
"No way in hell! If he says something odd like that again, I'll kick his ass!" Naruto yelled angrily.
"I'm not interested in your body, Uzumaki, but merely what is inside it," Gaara informed.
"Well, you better back off! I will fry your brain!" Ino yelled angrily.
"Can you not threaten him? I'm pretty sure a requirement for Chunin is maturity." Samui cut through the odd argument seriously. The three speaking looked at her, confused. But Kurotsuchi merely sighs.
"Fine, I was merely trying to have some fun. You're right, though; we do need to pass this." Kurotsuchi said with an agonized expression. Not wanting to give up on the funny situation. The group went silent for a few minutes to let the tension pass. Naruto and Ino stood on one side, and Kurotsuchi and Samui stood on the other. Gaara stood near the entrance, staring at the roof with utmost focus. Naruto and Ino glared at Kurotsuchi, neither particularly enjoying her so far. There was no love lost to the Stone shinobi as well. Samui sighed, but a certain level of cooperation was needed to operate as a team. She calmly walked over to the two defensive blondes. Kurotsuchi watched semi-enthusiast, interested in seeing how Samui went about befriending them. Naruto and Ino both seemed to tense as she approached.
"Are you both natural blondes?" Samui asked plainly.
"Yeah?" Ino asked while Naruto merely nodded.
"Cool," Samui said simply with a small smile.
"Hell yeah, it is!" Naruto yelled excitedly, immediately throwing an arm around Cloud shinobi. Seemingly forgetting their poor introduction. Samui smiled, not necessarily at the blonde but at him being so personable and forgetful.
"You're a friendly one, aren't you, blondie," Samui said with a smirk.
"Of course! It's kinda cool meeting Shinobi from another village." Naruto started with a big smile. Samui's smile grew a bit.
"Naruto…" Ino complained. Leave it to only Naruto Uzumaki to befriend anyone as long as they seem game. "Fine, we are a team. Naruto and I will play nice." Ino finished with a forced smile. She wouldn't bring it up, but Naruto, having been in close contact with the woman, bugged her for some reason. Plus, why didn't he mind when she called him blondie? She felt her teeth grind for a second before she reigned in her temper. Her thoughts were interrupted by an arm thrown over her shoulders.
"Is blondie over there your boyfriend?" Kurotsuchi asked with a grin.
Ino sighed dramatically before responding. "No, it's just annoying how trusting he is." It wasn't the truth, but it wasn't a lie either.
"I wouldn't suggest taking your time for too long. Friendly, dependable guys like him tend to be snatched up before too long. I mean, not my type, personally. Needs some edge for that. But surely it will be popular soon." Kurotsuchi said with a frown as she watched the two shinobi talk.
"It's not like that. Not fully anyway, and this isn't the time to discuss it." Ino replied, feeling defensive.
"Listen, I know I was stirring the shit earlier. But I only bring this up because your infatuation is all over your face. And if he was my prey, I would be worried about a woman like her around him." Kurotsuchi finished.
Ino resisted the urge to yell at the woman, instead looking to see if what she said held any truth. Naruto and Samui were both holding out their tanto and seemingly discussing Kenjutsu. Ino was no slouch with the standard kunai or shuriken, but she had never shown an aptitude for melee weapon combat. Naruto said they had some things in common, with the two laughing at some joke. "One is still not interested in him. Two, what does she have that I don't?" She asked, fire burning in her tone.
"I can name two things she has over both of us," Kurotsuchi replied with a smirk as she held her arms underneath her chest. Ino gasped indignantly at this before looking over at the two again. Naruto was leaning against the wall as he held his sword for her to observe. The busty woman leans forward to observe it. Giving the blonde Uzumaki quite the show. Ino felt her teeth grind again. She was perfectly comfortable with her size, but those things weren't fair! Kurotsuchi seemed not to mind being outmatched, with her chuckling at Ino's reaction.
"Well, fine, but Naruto and I are practically best friends," Ino replied smugly.
"The best friend angle?"
"It's not an angle. Naruto is great, but I'm not some damsel who chases after men. If he wants a shot, he'll have to try it himself." Ino replied, annoyed.
"I thought you didn't like him.~" Kurotsuchi sang smugly.
Ino growled, annoyed. Kurotsuchi interrupted her growl with an apologetic smile. "Besides, they both use the same weapon. She seems to find him entertaining. He's not hard on the eyes, nor is she with her healthy growths. Surely, you see the threat."
"Maybe she is. But I have no claim." Ino answered sourly. "Not even sure what I want…"
"Probably won't know for a while…" Kurotsuchi replied, trailing off. "But I've always felt a woman has to go out and get what she wants. Ain't that right, Mister Ginger Emo?"
"Do not test me. But yes, I concur that we must take what we want." Gaara answered darkly, looking them both in the eye. Now refrain from speaking to me, humans. " He raised his head once again to the roof.
Ino walked close to Kurotsuchi. "Isn't the opinion of a psycho a little dubious?" She whispered.
"Perhaps," The Stone shinobi answered honestly. "But in the shinobi world, it's par for the course. My old man has always said that all the good shinobi are crazy."
Ino sighed at the truth. Kurotsuchi seemed like a more confident and crueler version of herself. But Ino had decided long ago, after losing the friendship between her and Sakura, that she would go out for what she wanted regardless of circumstances. And how to coexist when she disagrees with others. She wasn't sure if she wished to see Naruto romantically. She was sure she wouldn't let him wander off with the first woman he met. Besides, she felt Samui wasn't perfect for the blonde.
Before the group could discuss things further, a samurai entered the room. He posed in front of the group of Genin and seemed to wait for them to gather and go silent. Once these conditions were met, he withdrew ascroll. Reading from a prepared script.
"The first test of the Chunin Exams is dubbed Trail of Janus!" "As you can observe, there are two doors in this room. Your goal is to reach the final room, the Goal Room. Whatever path you take is up to you. But be cautious. As you traverse the course, you may tread into a Shame Room. Any member of your team that enters such a room will automatically fail this exam. Any questions?"
Naruto's hand flew up absurdly quickly. "What's stopping me from punching a hole in the wall to determine the correct door?"
"You may attempt to do so if you please. But I would warn y-"
His words fell on deaf ears as Naruto flew forward at some point, having summoned a clone. Both held their Riptides that glowed blue with chakra. One went for a wild vertical strike while the other did so horizontally. The blade wafted through the air, leaving a blue hue as they did so. Both blades smashed into the wall with a loud boom. "Smashing Waves!" They called as smoke filled the room.
"A commendable effort." The samurai's voice rang out, cutting through the silence the sudden moves of Naruto had caused. As the smoke cleared, an orange glowing barrier shone throughout the room. "We know how destructive even Genin can be and prepared this room for thinking like your own."
"Fuinjutsu…" Naruto trailed off, seemingly interested in something that could casually shrug off one of his moves.
"Cool…" Samui was impressed by the technique the Uzumaki had thrown out casually and the barrier that tanked it.
"Damnit Naruto…" Ino complained, lamenting over the situation he had created.
Gaara didn't even seem to notice the commotion happening in the room. Now, seemingly doubly focused on the pattern in the roof.
"Any more questions?" The samurai asked. He waited for a few moments before exiting the room from the entrance. The entrance was immediately covered by the barrier, locking them in.
The trial of Janus had begun.