Genin Takedown! All Nine Rookies Face Off!

is episode 23 of the original Naruto anime.

Synopsis
Kakashi explains that the Chunin Exams can only be taken in teams of three. Sakura is shocked that Kakashi lied to them about their free will to choose whether or not they wanted to participate. Kakashi explains that if he didn't say that, Naruto and Sasuke would have forced her to participate. He, however, is very proud that each member of his team agreed to participate. Then Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura enter the Chunin Exam room.

Inside, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura find themselves among many Chunin exam participants. Seeing the rookie Genin, Ino runs up to Sasuke and throws herself at him, much to the dismay of Sakura. Shikamaru and Choji arrive just after Ino and they start to complain. Naruto then starts his round of introductions. First up is Asuma Sarutobi's team, made of Shikamaru Nara, who always complains and is lazy, Choji Akimichi, who is always eating and Ino Yamanaka, who is annoying because she is always fighting with Sakura over Sasuke.

Then three more rookies arrive. It is Kurenai Yuhi's team comprised of Hinata Hyuga, a shy girl who always blushes when Naruto is around, Kiba Inuzuka and his puppy Akamaru, who acts like the boss of the team, and Shino Aburame, who Naruto doesn't know very well but Naruto considers him to be weird and mysterious. The three rookie Genin teams talk smack at each other. Choji heads towards Akamaru with the intent of trying to eat him but he was stopped by Shino who says that he was about to step on a bug. They continue talking until another Genin approaches them. Kabuto Yakushi, who is participating in the exam for the seventh time. He warns the rookies to be careful.

Thus begins his explanation of the Chunin Exam. The exam takes place twice every year, and Kabuto admits that this is his fourth year participating. That statistic causes the rookies some angst over how difficult the exam may actually be. Kabuto then pulls out his deck of recognition cards and starts explaining about the info he's collected over the past 4 years. To extract the info from the blank cards, Kabuto tunes them in to his chakra. Soon an image of the exam's total number of examinees and countries participating appears.

Kabuto explains that they take the exam in teams to deepen their friendships with other villages and to heighten the level of the ninja. However, he thinks the real purpose is to confirm the level of the ninja in each adjacent country and to try to balance out the power. They do this to check and restrain each country's powers. Sasuke asks him if he has information on the other candidates and Kabuto says that he does have information on the other candidates. Sasuke asks for information on Gaara of the Hidden Village of Sand and Rock Lee from Konoha. Rock Lee is a year older than Sasuke. He's done 20 D-rank missions and 11 C-rank missions. The squad leader is Gai-sensei and his teammates are Tenten and Neji Hyuga. His taijutsu skills have increased dramatically this past year, but his other skills are horrible. This is his first time taking the Chunin Exams.

Gaara of the desert completed 8 C-rank and 1 B-rank mission and returned from all his missions unharmed. This is his first time taking the exam. Kabuto then starts talking about the participants from the different villages for this bi-annual Chunin Exam. This includes:


 * Konohagakure - 72 participants
 * Sunagakure - 30 participants
 * Kusagakure - 15 participants
 * Takigakure - 12 participants
 * Amegakure - 21 participants
 * Otogakure - 3 participants

Meanwhile, Kakashi stands outside the main room reconsidering his prior actions in which he demanded that Guy and Iruka respect his decision to allow his Genin into the exams. He wonders now if he was too curt.

Back inside, Kabuto warns the rookies to keep a low profile. Not being one to remain quiet, Naruto immediately grabs the room's attention to introduces himself and vow that he will not lose to any one of them. Ino runs up to Sakura and accuses her of provoking him. Meanwhile, the rest of the ninjas stare at them with anger and annoyance. The Sound team, already annoyed with Kabuto's description of their small country, takes immediate action. They stealthily creep up to Kabuto and take a swing at him. One of them threw some kunai to distract Kabuto while the other gets up close to him and tries to punch him. At first it seems as though he dodges the attack, but soon his glasses break and he kneels down to vomit.

Not long after, Ibiki Morino, the examiner of the first test of the Chunin Exam, shows up.