Naruto (ナルト)

Come on!

-Glad you came, Sakura, for your sake, and the others.

Huh?

-Now, you can all formally register for the Chunin Exam.

Why?

What do you mean?

-You see, only groups of three are

allowed to apply for, and take the exam.

That's the way it's always been.

-But Sensei, you said the decision to take the exam

was up to the individual.

That's right.

I did.

Was that a lie?

Sort of.

It is an individual decision, but it affects all of you.

I didn't tell you before, because I

didn't want the other guys pressuring you.

Hmph.

-At the same time, I didn't want you

feeling obliged to participate, because of any feelings

you might have for Sasuke, or Naruto.

I wanted you to come to a decision of your own free will.

Wait a minute.

Do you mean if the others had shown but,

but I decided not to come with them--

-It would've been the end of the line.

If you hadn't come along, I couldn't

have let the others in.

But it's a moot point.

You're all here, and for the right reasons.

Sakura.

Naruto.

And Sasuke.

I'm proud of you.

I couldn't ask for a better team.

Good luck.

NARUTO (VOICEOVER): We won't let you down, Sensei!

Believe it!

Genin Takedown!

All Nine Rookies Face Off!

Wh-- What's this?

Gee, I guess we're not alone.

SAKURA (VOICEOVER): Man.

I had no idea there'd be so much competition.

If being scary-looking was one of the tests,

they've got me beat!

INO (VOICEOVER): Sasuke, where have you been?

Wha?

-Boy, you have no idea how much I

was hoping you'd show up here.

I've missed those brooding good looks of yours.

Hey, you porker!

Back off!

He's mine!

Miss Forehead!

They let you in?

Still got those big frown lines on your billboard brow, I see.

Leave my forehead out of it!

Oh, it's you guys.

I knew this was gonna be a drag, but I

didn't know it was gonna be this lame.

So all three stooges are here.

Hey, you know what, pipsqueak?

Ah, forget it.

You're a waste of time.

NARUTO (VOICEOVER): Shikamaru Nara.

Always complaining, never does anything about it.

The laziest kid in the Academy.

Choji Akimichi.

Akimunchi's more like it.

I think he'd eat his own head if he could.

Sorry, but Sasuke's all mine.

NARUTO (VOICEOVER): Ino Yamanaka.

Now she's annoying, and not just because she's

got the same stupid thing for Sasuke that Sakura's got.

Well, what do you know?

It looks like the whole gang's back together again.

(NERVOUSLY) Oh.

Hi, Naruto.

Hmm?

Hinata Hyuga.

She's OK, but I don't know why she

gets all shy and embarrassed every time I even, like,

look at her.

It's kind of weird.

Kiba Inuzuka and his dog, Akamaru.

Forget what I said about Ino.

This guy's the most annoying of all.

Thinks he's so cool.

Then there's Shino Aburame.

Well, he's just weird.

Kind of a mystery, but that doesn't mean he

isn't annoying, too.

You guys, too, huh?

Man.

Everyone's here for this stupid thing.

KIBA (VOICEOVER): Yep.

Here we all are.

The nine rookies.

This is going to be fun, at least,

for those of us good enough to make the cut.

Right, Sasuke?

-Kiba, careful you don't get overconfident.

Just wait.

We're going to blow you guys away.

We've been training like crazy.

-What do you think we've been doing?

Sitting around picking daisies?

You don't know what training means!

Don't mind Kiba.

I'm sure he didn't really mean anything by it.

Huh?

CHOJI (VOICEOVER): Akamaru's looking plumper.

Juicier.

What do you want?

What's wrong?

-Thought maybe you hadn't seen it.

Huh?

Didn't want you stepping on it.

Why?

You saving it for lunch?

Hey, you guys.

You might want to try keeping it down a little.

I mean, no offense, but you're the nine rookies, right?

Fresh out of the Academy?

I wouldn't go making a spectacle of yourselves.

Just cool it.

This isn't a class field trip.

Well, who asked you?

Who are you?

I'm Kabuto Yakushi.

But really, look around you.

You've made quite an impression.

See those guys?

They're from the Rain Village.

Very touchy.

They all are.

This exam makes everyone tense, and you

don't want to rub them the wrong way right now.

Uh-uh.

You can't help it.

I mean, how could you know how things work?

You're just rookies.

You remind me of myself a while back.

Kabuto.

Is that your name?

Yeah.

-This isn't the first time you've taken the exam?

No, it's-- my seventh.

Huh?

KABUTO (VOICEOVER): Well, they're held twice a year.

So, this will be my fourth year.

Wow, a veteran.

You must really be an expert by now.

Yeah, sort of.

Cool!

You can give us all the inside tips.

Yeah, some expert.

He's never passed.

Well, seventh time's the charm.

That's what they say, huh?

-So I guess all of those rumors about the exam being tough

are true.

Oh man, I knew this was going to be a drag.

Hang on.

Don't give up hope yet.

Maybe I can help you kids out a little,

with my Ninja Info Cards.

What the heck are those?

-It's hard to explain, but these cards

have been chakra encoded with everything

I've learned over the past four years.

I've got more than 200 of them.

So you see, I haven't been completely wasting my time.

They may not look like much to the naked eye.

In fact, they appear blank.

Don't want just anyone seeing this stuff.

SAKURA (VOICEOVER): What are you doing?

-You see, I'm using my chakra to reveal their secrets,

like this, for example.

SAKURA (VOICEOVER): Awesome!

A map!

INO (VOICEOVER): Of what?

KABUTO (VOICEOVER): It shows the geographical distribution

of all the candidates who have come to take the Chunin exam.

What villages they come from, and how many from each village.

Why do you guys think they all come here

to take the exam together, at the same time?

-It's to foster friendship between nations, of course.

International brotherhood, and all that.

And it's true enough, as far as it goes.

But there's another reason.

Yeah.

You see, the important thing is that this way, they

can carefully regulate the total number of Shinobi

that end up in each village, thereby

maintaining the balance of power.

Oh, yeah.

Balance of power.