Naruto's POV:

So, this is the written exam... The piece of paper in front of me contains questions ranging from those a genin could answer with ease to questions a jounin would be incapable of responding to with certainty. I stare at the piece of paper watching the way the words can shift and change in front of my eyes. I stare at the meaningless words that are written in contrasting ink. My brow furrows before I place the page back onto the desk, resting my head onto its cold surface. What's the point in answering these whimsical quizzes if the thing I'm supposed to be fighting for won't be long lasting? Is there even a point in assisting a team that hates me?

I look around at the surrounding jounin and fellow genin. My eyes meet Sakura's. Her brow is furrowed, nose scrunched up and a scowl directed to my very soul. 'Ah, so she still blames me for the beating that Team 9 gave her... Can't say I'm surprised.' With a subtle roll of my eyes, I continue to glance around the classroom, eyes roaming through their surroundings. My eyes find a head of red. I watch as he scribbles onto the assigned assessment sheet. I watch the way his eyes are narrowed in focus. I watch the way that he holds his pen in his perfect pale hand. I watch the tilt of his head as he continues to the next question. I watch as-

"Alright, time's up!" The jounin instructor yells. Wait- seriously?! Surely I wasn't staring at Gaara for that long! ... Right? The jounin instructor continues to talk, unaware of the current crisis at hand. "Alright, now for the last part of the exam. Whoever's remaining will get the last question of the exam. However, if you score it incorrectly, you will be forced to be a genin for as long as you continue to breathe. You can leave now if you wish to repeat the exam the next time it's held. If one teammate raises their hand, the whole team is forced to leave."

The room went silent.

My eyes saw fearful glances around the room, my ears heard panicked mutters and my arms felt the vibrations of pens tapping the desk repeatedly. Then, I saw Gaara. A calm in the storm. His eyes stared at mine, deadpan, relaxed. Wait- Gaara knows I'm staring at him. I turn around, my face feeling heated. What the hell is happening!

The jounin coughed before he started to talk. "Well, for the few teams remaining... You passed."

The room burst out into cheers.

A window smashed open.

Naruto's mind went blank.

Author's Note: Another chapter! :D Naruto is currently having a gay crisis and constantly forgetting that he's in the middle of an exam. Now we just have to wait until Naruto finally figures out how he feels... Sheeeeesh, this is gonna be a long book...