Hurricane [Gaara]

Chapter 14

A whole year went by. Since Sasuke Uchicha's betrayal to the Leaf. The incident built a newfound determination within Naruto. To grow stronger. To get his teammate back. To protect those he cared about. And so he left Konoha to train with the legendary Sanin, Jiraya of the Leaf, in order to accomplish his goal. His whereabouts became unknown to everyone.

Suna and Konoha kept busy in solidifying their alliance. More often than not the two Villages shared and traded missions. It strengthened the bond of their ninjas. In a way never seen before. And behind the walls of Suna, the Village began to rebuild their Ninja Academy program modeled off same design Konoha used. The progress of their Genin became instantaneous. And tricked up to the ninjas training to become Chuunin, Jounin, even special forces in some areas.

The Chuunin Exams came around again. And Suna played host to the various candidates from the nations. The First Exam took place at the Academy. Much like Ibiki's test, this one was written, full of difficult problems that forced individuals to cheat. However, there was a catch this time. One those who's already been through this did not anticipate. Halfway into the test elite ninja rushed the room and grabbed the students from their seats. All of them were dragged to the lower levels, their faces covered by a hood. Some fought back, others too shocked to do anything. As always, Azmaria and Gaara were the toughest competitors to control. And handful were knocked unconscious in the struggle.

The test: handling yourself in an interrogation. The ninjas were separated and then accused of cheating on the exam. Many caved in instantly. The fear of torture on their mind. Others were more resistant. But then they failed when the ANBU Ninja resorted to dunking their heads and upper bodies into a large bucket of water. Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, Azmaria, Tamahome, and Sachi refused to open their mouths. To give into their taunts and threats. One of the men who held the Soldier underwater earned himself a bloody lip and nose thanks to the headbutt he received. He'd stupidly let up on his grip for a moment. They, along with a majority of Leaf Ninja and a small collection from the Land of Water and Earth passed onto the next round. Sakura had joined Ino and Choji's team. Since her own disbanded. Besides, the two-person team were in need of a replacement. Shikamaru was the only individual from last year's exam to make Chuunin. The pink-haired Genin had no intention of sitting by while her teammates were MIA.

"Why is there a bruise on the back of your head?" Tamahome asked. He noticed the drying blood on the Soldier once she joined them. Despite it nearly blending into her black hair.

"You should see the guy I headbutted," Azmaria smirked. The older teen chuckled and checked for any damage. "He looks a lot worse."

"That was a cruel thing they did back there," Temari stated. The blonde shook out the water from her hair. "What the hell was that anyway? I don't know of any Chuunin Exam that's done something like that before."

"Maybe because last year there were too many who passed?" Sanchi suggested. "If you look around there really aren't a lot of us still around." It was true. Nearly sixty percent had dropped out.

One of the Leaf Teams captured the Soldier's attention when the examinees gathered to head to their next location. "Hey, Hinata?" Azmaria questioned.

"Y-Yes?" the girl asked shyly.

"Where's your cousin? Team Gai?"

"They wanted to wait another year before retaking the exam. Lee is still recovering and trying to rebuild his strength. They didn't want to do this without him."

That was an understandable reason.

The Proctor too the Genins into the deserts. Far from Suna's border and into the canyons. This would prove to be a challenge for many. Steep cliffs, loose rocks, poisonous insects and animal, and the hot desert sun awaited them once inside. This exam would probably kill a majority of the ninjas who were not used to warding off dehydration. The rules were simple and the same as last year: recover a second scroll from another team and make it out of the canyon south of their position. Chuunin escorted the teams to various parts of the terrain so no one started too close or knew where their opponents would be. A gong sounded through the valley to announce the start of the Second Exam moments later.