Naruto: I Kizaru Took Over Team 7

With the suicide of the Root ninja, Danzo survived, but Kirito's actions had sent shockwaves through the shadows. After the incident, Danzo became much more cautious and kept a low profile.

Days turned into weeks, and life in Konoha became uneventful. Naruto and the others had completed their mission in the Land of Waves, and the village had returned to its routine. The once-exciting days seemed distant as the villagers went about their mundane tasks.

Kirito, too, slipped back into his daily routine of laziness, avoiding any major confrontations. However, change was on the horizon.

One bright morning, as the sun began to rise, Yuhi Kurenai knocked eagerly on Kirito's door.

"Kirito, Kirito, are you awake?" she called playfully.

"Did you miss me?" she added, her voice laced with teasing humor.

Kirito groggily opened the door, still half-asleep. Before he could say anything, Kurenai rushed into his arms, grinning widely.

"Kirito, tomorrow is the Chunin Exam!" she exclaimed. "How much has your disciple improved?"

Kirito, still feeling the effects of his nap, raised an eyebrow at the sudden shift in conversation. He slowly let Kurenai go, a sigh escaping him as he processed her words.

Time had flown by, and the Chunin Exam had arrived without him even noticing. News of the exam spread quickly across Konoha, and ninjas from all over the land began to flock to the village.

Meanwhile, Naruto, who had just completed another task, was playing with his younger brother, Konohamaru.

"Boss, do you think you have what it takes to become Chunin?" Konohamaru asked, his voice full of excitement. "Grandpa says this exam is huge, with tons of Genin from all over. Only the best can become Chunin!"

Naruto puffed out his chest proudly. "Hmph, no one is better than me! Uzumaki Naruto will definitely make it!"

Konohamaru rolled his eyes and ran ahead, making a face at Naruto as he did.

"Boss, you're always lying!" he teased, not even looking at where he was going.

*BANG!*

In an instant, Konohamaru ran straight into someone's arms. The stranger was a man with a puppet wrapped in bandages, his face marked with strange patterns. His glare was intense as he lifted Konohamaru off the ground with ease.

"What's the matter with you?" Naruto shouted angrily, rushing over to his little brother.

The man, wearing a forehead protector from the Sand Village, looked back at Naruto with a smirk. "What's your problem? Are all the people in Konoha this rude?"

Naruto, realizing the situation was escalating, quickly apologized. "I'm sorry. He didn't mean it."

The man raised an eyebrow. "Spineless. And you're the so-called 'number one Genin'?"

He continued to lift Konohamaru, mocking him.

Just then, a cold voice came from above.

"Kankuro, stop causing trouble."

A young man with short red hair, the word "love" inscribed on his forehead, and a large gourd on his back appeared, hanging upside down from a nearby tree. It was Gaara, the One-Tail Jinchuriki.

Kankuro fell silent as Gaara gave him a stern look. He gently lowered Konohamaru to the ground.

Then, a woman with long blonde hair and a massive fan on her back walked over from the distance. "Let's go, the registration has already started."

Naruto stared at the trio, who were clearly not from Konoha. "Are those ninjas from other villages?"

Konohamaru asked, his voice full of wonder.

Naruto snapped out of his thoughts and answered confidently, "Just watch. I'll definitely make it onto the list of promoted Chunin this time."

With newfound resolve, Naruto rushed off to find Sakura and Sasuke to discuss the upcoming Chunin Exam.

---

The next day, the Chunin Exam classroom was packed with candidates from all over the ninja world. Among the 90 Genin from Konoha, many famous faces were present, including the "Twelve Little Strongmen" from the village—Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and others.

As the exam neared, the various teams gathered in the hallway. In addition to the familiar faces from Naruto's group, other teams like Team 8 (Yuhi Kurenai's team) and Ino-Shika-Chou were also there.

In the midst of the crowd, a silver-haired Genin named Kabuto caught everyone's attention. With a warm smile, he introduced himself.

"I'm Kabuto, a Genin from Konoha. I've taken part in six Chunin Exams."

He went on to explain that although he hadn't passed, he had accumulated some valuable experience that he was willing to share. Kabuto quickly captured the group's attention as he detailed the exam format, explaining the different ninja villages and the number of candidates.

Naruto, eager to learn, asked, "Can you share your experience with us, Kabuto?"

Kabuto obliged, using a ninja card to further explain the details to everyone. Soon, Naruto and the others considered him a valuable ally.

However, unknown to them, Kabuto was not as friendly as he appeared. He was actually an undercover agent for the Hidden Sound Village.

As the group chatted and bonded, the first part of the Chunin Exam was about to begin.

A man with a ninja headband and visible scars appeared before the group. He was Mori Ibiki, the examiner for the first test.

"First exam, the written test!" Ibiki announced.

A hush fell over the room. Naruto groaned, realizing what this meant.

"Why a written exam?" he muttered. Naruto, who struggled with academics, wasn't thrilled at the prospect of a test. Still, he couldn't back out now, so he sat down and prepared for the worst.

The exam began, and the tension in the room was palpable. Each candidate used their own unique methods to try and cheat or gain an advantage.

Inuzuka Kiba had his dog Akamaru standing on his head, looking around to peek at others' answers. Gaara, on the other hand, created a sand-made eyeball to spy on the papers. Shino Aburame released a tiny fly from his neck to copy the answers, while Kankuro used a puppet to simulate the examiner and sneak away to cheat.

Meanwhile, Sasuke and Neji Hyuga, with their superior eye techniques, used their Sharingan and Byakugan to see through others' bodies and copy their answers.

Two hours passed quickly, and the first exam came to an end, setting the stage for the challenges that lay ahead.