The Hokage Bunker was abuzz with noise. Usually a quiet place, it was a large room located under the Hokage Tower itself, fifty feet underground and with only the Hokage themselves able to enter and access the room.
But, that was not so today.
Today, the room was filled to the absolute brim, many a top jonin were gathered alongside dozens of active chunin. Elite Jonin, Special Jonin, clan heads, advisors and all.
Despite how many of them that had gathered though, there was a large, respectful distance between the gathered ninja and where the Hokage sat behind a desk, comfortably resting on an incredibly large and soft throne-like chair.
His advisors and former teammates, flanked him from each side, Homura Mitokudo, an old, stern faced man with rectangular spectacles and Koharu Utatane, an old bun haired woman with just as stern a face as her glasses wearing comrade.
"As you all know, it is that time of the year again," Sarutobi spoke up, his voice immediately halting any voices from the gathered ninja and allowing his words to carry over the large room easily, "The chunin exams are once again upon us and it is now time to determine who of our genin will be taking part in the exams."
He let his words hang in the air a bit, looking through the gathered ninja slowly before nodding, "First, I think we'll hear from the those teaching the newest squads of genin," the Sandaime continued, his eyes lingering on three specifically of the gathering, "Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, your thoughts?"
At his prompting, the three named stepped forward out of the crowd of ninja, a beautiful dark haired woman with striking red eyes and a scruffy bearded jonin with an unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth.
Kakashi was the first one to speak, looking up from his ever present book, "I Kakashi Hatake, leader of Team Seven, nominate Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzumaki to take part in the Chunin Exams." he stated clearly and loudly.
For a second, there was silence, before a chorus of shocked exclamations and mutters resounded from behind him.
"A rookie team, is he crazy?"
"Oh come on Kakashi! Are you kidding?"
"Sasuke Uchiha I can see, but that Uzumaki brat? He's useless!"
And so on and so forth, a many were trying to get on Kakashi's case about his bold nomination, but he ignored them boredly.
Things only became more heated when Asuma and Kurenai nominated their own rookie genin teams to take part in the exams.
Especially Kurenai, being only a recently promoted Jonin, having only been one for a few months before becoming a squad leader and sensei.
"All of them, huh?" Sarutobi mused with a light grin, "How rare." few genin teams after all, were talented enough to be nominated for the chunin exams within their first six months of being proper ninja and leaving the academy behind.
"Hold on a second!" a scar faced chunin spoke up. Iruka stormed his way to the front and glared at the three sensei's of the nominated rookie genin teams, "You three can't be serious!"
The chunin and academy teacher glared at them for a moment before turning and bowing to the Hokage, "I'm sorry for speaking out of turn Hokage-sama, but please allow me to say my piece." he apologized.
The Hokage raised an eyebrow, but that was all, before merely waving his hand and gesturing for the man to say his piece.
Iruka nodded, before turning to the three, "I may be speaking out of line, but I know these kids, I taught them for years, it's only been six months, they're not ready!" he stated firmly, "They are talented for sure, each and every one of them in their own way, but the Chunin Exams is on another level, are you trying to get these kids crushed?"
"I became a chunin when I was six, seven years younger than Naruto." Kakashi pointed out with a shrug.
Iruka paused, registering his words, before his glare became lethal, "This isn't just about Naruto!" he spat, "Not a single one of them are ready, not even Sasuke, they need more experience!"
"A lot can change in six months," Kurenai refuted him, "Hinata for instance has changed massively in the last few months and grown in leaps and bounds, she may very well be the strongest of her graduating class now."
"Oh, you disagree?" Kurenai challenged him, "I'm actually in a position to comment because I taught these kids some at the academy myself before I became a Jonin. You may think Sasuke is the strongest, but I'm well aware of his talent, and I was already a chunin myself at their age, yet, I believe I would not be able to defeat Hinata as I was at her age."
Hiashi Hyuga, standing alongside his few clan heads, perked up at the mention of his daughter, his lips for a brief moment, twitching upwards, before being hidden by an impassive frown a split second later.
"No actually, while Sasuke has definitely come a long way himself and grown by leaps and bounds, I already know who the strongest genin is in the village, taking every single one of them into account," Kakashi shrugged, "And it definitely isn't the cute little Hyuga heiress, and I wouldn't be bragging so much about her strength, it isn't exactly your doing."