Alright, now I'm getting into this fic. I have a pretty good idea where I'm going with it, but at the same time I'm confused about how I'm going to get there. Ah but that's my problem, not yours. You just worry about not overdosing on my awesome writing. Heheh.

Since we have a lot of different talks happening, here's a guide:

(Italics are for any talking that happens in peoples minds. Like the mysterious voices and thinking.

Bold italics are for inner beings like inner Sakura and the Kyuubi if he ever talks while Naruto is awake.

Regular bold is for demons when they talk to their host face to face, like when Naruto talks the the Kyuubi in the sewer.

And boring normal text is for people and summons who are talking out loud.)

Now, here's a response to the first person to review chapter 2:

Actionliker: Hmm, I wouldn't exactly call them spoiled, but they certainly aren't being nice. Thanks for your response.

Finding A Light In The Darkness

Naruto was like the living dead. He felt like he was just observing life, not participating in it. Sure, his body went through the motions, but his mind was always elsewhere. It was like watching a movie, sometimes he'd think back and only have vague memories of what he'd seen and done. Worse, sometimes he'd have no memories whatsoever, and find himself standing somewhere in the village with no memory of how he'd gotten there.

Even when he'd realize he'd just experienced a black out, his mind would just wander off again, trying to remember what he'd done, and why it kept happening. It was a vicious cycle. He just had so many things on his mind now. The Kyuubi, the voices, Sakura and Sasuke, and where his life was going from here with all the things that were effecting him.

"Hey, come on Naruto! Are you sick or something?" A voice finally snapped Naruto out of his thoughts. He shook his head to clear it and looked around. He realized he was at Ichiraku's, and it was Teuchi who was speaking to him.

"Huh! S-sorry, spaced out I guess." Naruto chuckled nervously.

"I asked you what you wanted at least three times! My ramen not good enough to hold your attention anymore?" Teuchi crossed his arms suspiciously, scowling.

"N-no! Your ramen is the best in the world as far as I'm concerned!" Naruto denied the accusation quickly. "I... just have a lot on my mind these days."

"It's fine Naruto, I was kidding anyway. If you want you can talk to me about it. You know, sometimes it almost feels like having another child with you around so often. I'm just glad I don't have to change your diapers!" Teuchi laughed heartily.

"Heh, I outgrew those a long time ago!" Naruto grinned.

"I would certainly hope so. Ninjas certainly shouldn't be wearing those. Now go on, tell me what's troubling you." Teuchi leaned against the shelf behind him.

"Thanks, but it's nothing really." Naruto shrugged.

"Ha, if I'm too intimidating I'm sure my lovely daughter would be just as willing to listen." Teuchi laughed slightly.

"Daddy!" Said daughter, Ayame, complained from the back of the shop.

"Are you saying you don't care about our favorite customer!" Teuchi called back.

"No..." Ayame poked her head around a corner. "Just don't talk about me like that, it's embarrassing!" She then looked at Naruto. "So what is it? Or are you actually going to order something, I'm getting kind of bored back there..."

"Eh, I'll have the usual I guess." Naruto replied.

"Got it." Ayame disappeared back into the confines of the shop and got to work.

In the end, neither Teuchi nor Ayame could get Naruto to talk. They did manage to get him to eat though. The ramen was delicious, as it always was.

. . .

The day after the incident at the ramen shop, Naruto was in his semi-comatose, autopilot state during a D-Rank mission with his teammates. He snapped out of it for a moment, and something occurred to him. Teuchi had noticed Naruto was acting strange, and then both he and Ayame had been concerned. He was around his team even more, and they hadn't said a thing. Why was that? They were supposed to be a team. They must have noticed his unusual behavior by now. Naruto himself knew he wasn't acting right, he just couldn't help it.

"Do you see now? Do you see that they only hurt you?" It was the soft spoken male voice from before.

"Dammit, why don't you just leave me alone, this is all your fault in the first place!" Naruto shouted back at the invasive voice.

"Perhaps these events are our doing, but all we have done is allow you to see the truth. Do you not agree?"

"Yeah? Well the 'truth' sucks!" Naruto growled. "I was just fine with the way things were!"

"No, you were not. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here."

"Well... that's... dammit, just go away! I don't need you! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Naruto waited for another response, but it seemed the voice had decided to listen.

"Naruto... I think it's dead. Move on already." He heard Sakura mutter. He looked down at his hand and saw the weed he had pulled from the garden they were being forced to tend had been smashed flat by his vice-like grip. A grip fueled by his frustration with the voices in his head. Or was it his frustration at the realization that they might be right?

. . .

He walked slowly, and he did so because if he walked any faster, he'd probably crash into things. It took him longer to react to the world around him. Probably because he wasn't even paying attention. So much so that his eyes were wide and blank; almost glazed over. So much so that he walked right past Hinata as she did her best to greet him after building up the courage.

Hinata was shocked. He had been so nice before, and now he completely ignored her. Was it some sort of sick joke? Was he actually a cruel person? But no, that didn't make sense. He had been so distraught before over what he had said to his teammates. Hinata turned around to follow him; she wanted to know what was going on.

She quickly managed to catch up with him. He was walking with his head hung slightly, staring at the ground, and arms dangling almost limply at his sides. She realized he seemed even worse than the last time she had seen him. She approached him again,

"N-Naruto?" She stuttered, but got no response. She took a deep breath, and then reached out to touch his shoulder in an attempt to get his attention. She nearly coughed up her heart he jumped so suddenly in surprise.

"Wh-wha! Who's there!" Naruto shook his head. "O-oh, Hinata, didn't see you there..." He laughed nervously.

"I sp-spoke to you twice..." Hinata replied confusedly, wondering why he hadn't noticed her. It was a stark contradiction to last time. Last time he noticed her when she had been hiding, this time she had walked right up to him and he hadn't noticed her.

". . . oh. . ." Naruto sighed, and hung his head. "Sorry..."

"I-is something wrong?" Hinata asked.

"No, nothing for you to worry about." Naruto put up a fake grin to try and assuage any concerns she might have.

"B-but... there is something, isn't there?" Hinata didn't let up.

Naruto sighed again, "Look Hinata, I don't want to bother you with my problems again. I just need to go home and relax." He then turned and tried to walk away. Hinata was too nice of a person, he didn't want to trouble her with his own issues. She'd be better off not hanging around him.

"I-it doesn't w-work that way." Hinata called after him. Naruto turned and looked back at her, confused,

"What doesn't?" He asked.

"Y-you don't want to bother me, b-but this way I'm just going to worry even more b-because I don't know what's w-wrong." Hinata explained.

"W-worry?" Naruto looked a bit surprised. She was worried about him?

"Th-there are two kinds of selfish, Naruto. Th-the kind when people k-keep things to themselves because they're g-greedy...and th-the kind that keep things to themselves b-because they're trying to protect others, b-but they really just make others w-worry even more." Hinata continued. She felt a bit dizzy afterward. She had said a lot more than she was used to saying all at once. Not to mention she was talking to Naruto, and about something so... sensitive.

"And I'm the second kind, right?" Naruto smiled slightly, realizing she was completely right. Hinata nodded.

"Also, y-you said we should talk again... I-I want to talk now." Hinata blushed deeply. She felt uncomfortable being so direct. She was a shy person, and here she was giving it her all to convince Naruto to talk to her.

"Alright, alright, you win." Naruto shook his head in defeat. "For someone who's not a people person, you sure know how to make a really good argument."

"I-I read a lot..." Hinata conceded. It was true, half of that speech had been copied form a book she'd read not too long ago...

"Well, you gotta get your material somewhere." Naruto grinned amusedly. "Come on, we can use the rooftops again." He waved for her to follow him and headed to the rooftops so they could talk alone. Once they were both sitting on the rooftops, Naruto turned to Hinata. "Just one question first."

"Wh-what?" Hinata replied.

"You said you were worried about me... why?" Naruto asked. He found it strange that Hinata would be worried about him, he didn't know her that well. Sure she was a nice person, but why would she worry about him? For some reason the question turned Hianta's face bright red.

"I-I umm, well, umm." Hinata began pushing her pointer fingers together nervously. The only way she could think of to answer that would be revealing that she liked him, and she didn't think she was ready for that.

"Umm?" Naruto leaned over towards Hinata, putting himself in her personal space. Now, last anyone knew, it wasn't possible to turn yourself into a tomato. Not even with the vast array of ninja techniques that had been created over the years. However, Hianta came pretty close as her face turned bright red in response to Naruto getting closer.

Hinata quickly turned away, starting to feel faint. "Oh, why must I be like this." She said mentally, wishing she had a spine that wasn't made out of rubber.

"Are you O.K. Hinata?" Naruto asked, thankfully sitting back as he spoke.

"Y-yes." Hinata turned back to him, feeling the ability to breathe returning to her. "Um, w-well, after we talked last time, I-I assumed we were f-friends. Friends w-worry about each other. R-right?" She held in a sigh of relief, glad she had thought of a good answer that didn't reveal too much.

"Oh, yeah, I guess you're right." Naruto nodded. However, now he had a new question. Why did Hinata want to be his friend. No, scratch that, why did she already consider them friends? Sure he'd agreed to talk to her, but still. Nobody else wanted to be his friend, so why Hinata? Then again, he hadn't screamed at Hianta will stabbing at all her most sensitive emotional areas like he had with his teammates...

"M-my turn I guess." Hinata said, taking a deep breath. "Wh-what was b-bothering you?"

Naruto sighed and hung his head, "Do we have to talk about that?"

"D-didn't talking h-help last time?" Hinata reminded him.

"Ugh, I guess." Naruto conceded her point. "Alright, but under one condition."

"Huh?" Hinata looked confused, not expecting to have to barter with him over a conversation.

"I get to ask you something else." Naruto said.

Hinata actually giggled slightly, "O.K., b-but making it a condition w-wasn't necessary." She smiled.

"Oh..." Naruto mumbled, feeling a bit stupid.

"So?" Hinata asked, getting back to the original question.

"Right... that..." Naruto sighed again. "Alright, here it is." He thought for a moment, thinking of how he could explain it truthfully but without actually telling the truth. "Well, it's like I have voices in my head." Actually, he did... "And they're all arguing with me, each one wanting me to see things its way, and I can't decide which one is right." Even though they were all saying the same thing: 'screw your teammates, they hate you anyway.'

"A-arguing with you?" Hinata asked, wondering what exactly was going on in Naruto's head.

"Well, you remember what I told you last time, right?" Naruto looked up at the sky, both talking and remembering at the same time.

"Y-yeah." Hinata nodded.

"Well... it's like part of me actually does hate them. I was just angry at the time I guess, but I don't hate them, I don't want to drive them away. But, part of me wants to forget about them..." Naruto just kept staring at the sky as he spoke. "I keep saying no, but the voices always seem to come back every time they think they've been given a reason..." He looked back at Hinata. "And now I just keep thinking, and thinking. Wondering if they're right, wondering if Sasuke and Sakura will forgive me, and even wondering why I keep wondering... and it never gets me anywhere."

"I-is that why y-you ignored me?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah, when I start thinking, everything else just kinda fades away. Heh, everyone's always called me an idiot, maybe I don't have enough brain to think and pay attention at the same time." Naruto grinned wryly.

"Th-then everyone is w-wrong." Hinata protested.

"Well, I'm glad someone thinks so." Naruto said. "So, that's my story. My turn to ask again."

"O-O.K." Hinata said, waiting for his question.

"So, you told me you're not a people person... but I think it's more than that. You just don't seem confident about... much of anything. I think it's more than just being shy, something had to cause it. What was it?" Naruto asked, his unusual perceptiveness kicking in.

"W-well..." Hinata looked down. She knew exactly what he was talking about, and she did know what had happened. Her uncle had been killed because of her, and now her cousin hated her. She wasn't skilled, so her own father figured she was just a waste of space, a disappointment not worth his brother's sacrifice. She had no reason not to agree with him, after all, her sister who was half her age was a challenge for her during sparring.

Naruto noticed that not only was Hinata not answering him, but she was just staring at the rooftop beneath them, trembling.

Hinata shut her eyes tightly, suddenly all she could think about about was her pile of failures and disappointments. Why didn't she have confidence? Because she had no reason to have any. Suddenly though, she was mercifully snapped out of her thoughts. She opened her eyes, and her face regained its redder than rosy complexion when she saw that Naruto was crouching in front of her, hand on her shoulder.

"Never mind Hinata, I didn't mean to make you upset. Maybe you'll feel like talking about it some other time." Naruto smiled reassuringly. In hindsight, he should have know a question like that might cause problems...

"Th-thank you." Hinata took a deep breath to calm herself.

"How about we talk about something else, anything you want. Maybe something not so depressing.' Naruto laughed slightly and moved back to sitting across from her.

"Th-that would be nice." Hinata nodded, face slowly returning to a somewhat natural color.

And so they talked about things like their favorite food, though Hinata already knew Naruto's. Then again, so did just about everyone in the village who knew him. They talked about just about anything they could think of worth talking about. Naruto found he could actually focus on talking to Hinata and not be dragged back into the darkness that was clouding his mind. He found he could actually be happy while talking to her.

. . .

That night he found himself back in the Kyuubi's sewer. He looked up, and found that the path of lights were already lit, and followed them to the Kyuubi's jail cell.

"Hmph, you go from one weak human girl to another. I'm disappointed, don't you want to be strong?" The demon asked, it's red eyes glowing in the darkness from behind the bars that trapped it.

"What? Hinata?" Naruto asked. "What's wrong with Hinata?"

"She's weak! Arguably even weaker than the other bi-... girl..." The Kyuubi forced itself not to insult Sakura, wanting to keep Naruto from withdrawing from the conversation out of anger.

"At least she's nice to me." Naruto crossed his arms. "I can actually think straight around her."

"Fair enough... fine, have your frivolous little conversations, just remember that someone like her can only drag you down in the end." The Kyuubi grumbled.

"Or maybe I'll just be strong enough for both of us. You said you'd make me stronger, when are you going to get to it!" Naruto snapped.

"Have patience, kit. Becoming truly strong is not simple, and you seem hell bent on doing it the hardest way possible. You cling to those two you call teammates, you make friends with a girl who has no backbone, and you're so messed up in the head I haven't been able to contact you even in your dreams!" The Kyuubi ranted, growling loudly in frustration.

"S-sorry." Naruto sighed.

"Hmph, at least I reached you this time... maybe that girl isn't so bad if she snapped you out of it. But that's besides the point. I've been thinking about these voices. I haven't come up with much, but they seem to be affecting you even when they aren't talking. They're definitely tied to your increasing abilities. The bitch voice pops up and you get better at fighting even when she's being quiet. That older bastard appears and suddenly you seem to know what everyone's thinking. Then that new one... I'm not sure about him. I think he's trying to do the same thing I am, make you stronger, they all are, but he's trying to do it through your emotions."

"Well he's doing a really bad job..." Naruto grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"That's because you're stubborn!" The Kyuubi roared. "I don't like these voices messing with you, but that one has a point."

"Yeah, you said that last time." Naruto shook his head. "And what do you mean I know what everyone's thinking, if I did, I'd know what Hinata was so upset about!"

"Hmph, bad choice of words then. But think, you did knew something was bothering her, so much that she can barely talk to people, and when she does she stutters like a retard. You knew the Hokage was a perv and was hiding those magazines. You knew exactly how to piss of Sasuke and Sakura. See where I'm going with this?" The Kyuubi explained. "Maybe you're not a mind reader, but you seem to know things you shouldn't."

"R-right..." Naruto sighed. "So what should I do? I can tell them to shut up, but they just come back later, I can't block them out."

"I honestly don't know kit. They seem to pop up more when you're in trouble though, so the faster you get stronger the better. First we need t-" The Kyuubi was cut off when suddenly Naruto felt himself get a massive headache. The sewer and the Kyuubi faded away, and he woke up.

"What the hell?" He sat up inn bed, clutching his head. He felt wide awake, unlike how he usually felt upon waking up.

"Why would you listen to the beast!" It was the voice of the man that had appeared like a ghost before.

"You do not need it!" This time it was the female voice that had nearly caused him to kill Sasuke.

"It will only lie to you. It tried to destroy your village. It is a being of hatred, why would it want to help?" With the third, softer male voice, all three were accounted for. Never before had all three spoken at once.

"J-just leave me alone!" Naruto shouted out loud. He was alone, no need to be quiet.

"Answer my question." The older male voice ordered.

"He's never done anything to mess with me. He's actually reasonable!" Naruto growled.

"And we are trying to harm you? You know that isn't true. You're confused." The voice replied.

"You are upset with us and you're scared because of what happened with your so-called friend." The softer voice added.

"I only intended to allow you to show your strength. I merely showed you how." The female explained itself.

"So what, this is all a big misunderstanding and I should just trust you? I should ignore the fact that most people don't have a bunch of ghost voices talking to them? I should just consider myself lucky? I can understand the Kyuubi, but you make no sense!" Naruto clutched his head with both hands now, trying to shut the voices out.

"When have we ever truly led you astray? All of what we have done has been in your best interest." The older one said.

"Yeah, and what about my friends?" Naruto glared, though he had nothing to glare at.

"They are not your friends..." The softer voice actually sounded annoyed. In fact, it was the only voice that seemed to show any real emotion.

"You have only been getting stronger. You have more reasons to trust us than to not trust us." The older one spoke again.

"Then tell me who you are!" Naruto ordered.

"We are your strength." All three answered at once.

"That doesn't tell me anything!" Naruto yelled, getting angry. They were so cryptic it made his head hurt even more than it already did.

"You must learn to trust. Until then, you will continue to lack the strength you desire." The older voice spoke. After that, they all went silent. Naruto lay back in bed, thinking about what they'd said, and hoping that when he fell asleep he'd be back with the Kyuubi, but when sleep came, it was only a dark, dreamless slumber.

. . .

A few things happened as time continued to roll on past. Naruto seemed to grow farther apart from his team, including Kakashi who seemed wary of him for some reason. Though, part of him couldn't blame the man. He'd probably be wary of himself too. But still, while he tried not to let it show, it hurt.

On the other hand, he was talking to Hinata quite often now, and he was proud to say the girl seemed to be opening up a bit, even if it was just around him. He'd even invited her to train with him, and after some coaxing, she'd agreed. They'd only trained together once so far, but he thought he'd managed to help her out quite a bit. She was far more receptive to working with him than Sakura had been. Though, that was probably because Sakura didn't like him...

Lastly, Kakashi had made an announcement. It just under two weeks, the Chuunin Exams would be upon them, and they were going to be in it. Naruto felt ready, and he was sure Sasuke was too. He wasn't sure about Sakura though, she was the weakest of their group. Sure he'd trained with her a few times, and had done his best to help her improve, but he hadn't accomplished anything truly significant. And sure, Kakashi had stepped up their training a little, but it wasn't a very strong effort on Kakashi's part.

There was something that Naruto almost found funny though. Sakura pretty much hated him, but yet sometimes when Sakura thought Naruto wasn't looking, he'd notice her practicing things he had taught her. Part of him was actually happy to have made a difference, and another part of him mourned what could have been if it wasn't for his outburst.

But was it really his fault? He had started to question that. At first he had just shoved the voices away, but now... now he wondered. He had yelled at them for a reason right? Wasn't he the only one who had a right to hate? Why was he trying to apologize, it should be the other way around, shouldn't it? Hell, Sakura should be kissing his feet, he'd gone out of his way to help her and be nice to her!

Yet there was that part of him that wouldn't fully commit to that line of thought. Like it or not, he was stuck with those two for the foreseeable future, and he still had memories of those few good times he'd had with them. Fighting along side Sasuke against Haku, each trusting the other with their lives, and before that when they'd worked together to save Kakashi. Sure they didn't get along well, but they made a good team when it came down to it.

And Sakura... well... that was a tough one. He remembered way back, to that one time she'd almost been nice to him. Unfortunately, irony dictated that the moment would be ruined by the fact that he was too lazy to clean out his damn refrigerator, and his stomach had chosen that exact moment to rebel. Considering his track record, he supposed at the time Sakura had had no reason to think of him as much more than a worthless troublemaker.

He and Sakura had always had one thing though, one thing that the two of them had shared day after day after day. It was just one funny little thing, something that had never stood out until now. Something that most wouldn't even take note of. Every day their team would meet, Kakashi would be late. And every day their team would meet, he and Sakura would complain about it together. It was the one thing the two of them had always agreed on without fail. Sure Sakura had often seemed annoyed by his complaining, but she always had complained right along with him and the bulk of her annoyance was probably aimed at Kakashi, not him.

Now though, the three of them would just stand there quietly, waiting for Kakashi, none of them even attempting to make eye contact. Then Kakashi would arrive, tell them what they had scheduled for the day and they'd get to it. Naruto's presence seemed to make them all uneasy, and talking was scarce. Sakura rarely even bothered to fawn over Sasuke.

He had hoped that over time they might forgive and forget, but it wasn't looking very likely right now. The past just wouldn't let him go. It wouldn't let him forget that there had been a time that the three had shared a strange bond of friendship. It wouldn't let any of them forget what Naruto had said. He was stuck between his own not wanting to let go, and his former friends' anger.

. . .

Naruto and Hinata had decided on two specific days that if possible, they would always try to talk. However, it turned out that they usually ended up talking on more than just those two days. Often they would just bump into each other and couldn't help but get lost in conversation. This was one of those times.

"So, did your sensei tell you about the Chuunin Exams?" Naruto asked Hinata. They were currently walking aimlessly together through the village. They rarely used the rooftops anymore, now perfectly comfortable just talking out in the open.

"Yeah, Kurenai-sensei told us that she thought we could handle it." Hinata replied. She still talked softly, but had grown comfortable enough to not stutter too much anymore. Occasionally she would if their current topic made her nervous, or if someone she knew spotted them talking. She also usually still stuttered when talking to people other than Naruto, a stark contradiction to how it used to be.

She supposed it was because Naruto seemed genuinely care. Others just didn't seem quite as concerned about her and were just so used to her shy behavior they didn't bother touching on the subject, while Naruto always joked around with her to try and help her loosen up. He never outright said anything about her confidence, or lack-thereof, but she could tell he did some of what he did to help her.

"What do you think?" Naruto asked. He had a feeling, no, he knew Hinata wasn't feeling quite up to it.

"I-I'm not so sure. I mean, K-Kiba-kun and Shino-kun are strong, b-but... me..." Hinata looked down, clearly worried. She was probably more worried about letting her team down than she was for her own safety. Naruto was sure there was more to everything, but whenever he even got close to the subject Hinata would just shut down.

"Well then, you know what we should do then?" Naruto asked, grinning widely.

"Wh-what?" Hinata looked at him, curious.

"We should train together again, come on!" He grabbed Hinata's hand, which of course made her blush, and led her to one of the training grounds that weren't being used.

"Umm, sh-shouldn't you be worrying about yourself and your team?" Hinata asked, looking at the ground blushing. She was more than flattered that Narruto wanted to help her, but she didn't want him to neglect himself.

"Nah, I'm pretty much invincible!" Naruto grinned, but then sighed. "Besides, I don't think they want anything to do with me?"

"That's not true! You're a good person Naruto, they just need to realize that!" Hinata assured him. Forcing herself to regain composure, if only to make what she said more convincing to Naruto.

"Heh, you keep reminding me of that." Narruto couldn't help but chuckle. That's pretty much what she always said when Naruto started whining about his teammates hating him. He figured it must be true if Hinata was so certain, but he cold never seem to convince himself.

"That's because I'm right." Hinata smiled. For some reason that made Naruto feel about ten times better and he decided to forget about all the unhappy thoughts for the time being.

"If you say so, but come on, we're here to train, right?" Naruto reminded Hinata, playfully slapping her on the back, startling the girl a bit.

"R-right." Hinata gave in. She supposed she needed all the help she could get.

"Now, I have no idea how the hell your fighting style works, so I'm going to teach you a few of the things I know. After all, a little unpredictability never hurts..." And so the training began. Naruto did his best to teach Hinata as many tricks as he could – tricks no one would ever expect form a Hyuuga.

. . .

The current day concluded what was now the fourth training session Naruto had given Hinata. Hinata was picking up something new every time, and Naruto had high hopes for her. However, what she had said before had him thinking. As much as he cared about Hinata and her making it through the exams, he really should be worrying about his own team. Should he really penalize his team because he was afraid of them rejecting him? Well, if they did he supposed it was their fault, but he figured he shouldn't give up until that actually happened.

This was why he was currently hiding around a corner that had Sakura on the other side. He figured out of his two teammates, Sakura was the one most likely to accept his help. Besides, Sasuke didn't really need that much help. Well, here went... something.

He walked around the corner and walked over to Sakura who was relaxing on a bench outside of a small restaurant she had just finished eating.

"So, have a nice lunch?" Naruto asked nervously.

"Yeah, it was great... until you showed up." Sakura glared at him.

"I don't suppose there's any chance we can put that whole hate thing behind us and move on is there? I really don't want you to hate me Sakura." Naruto begged. To his mild surprise, Sakura seemed to think this over for a few seconds. Like, actually considering his words, not just thinking of the best way to tell him to get lost.

"What do you want Naruto, I'm trying to actually have a good day here." She grumbled. Well, at least she hadn't told him to go away... or say that she hated his guts... or just outright tell him to fuck off. A small victory. Maybe.

"Well, Kakashi told us about the exams. I was hoping we could start training together again, at least until the exams start anyway." Naruto explained himself.

"You seriously think I want to spend extra time near you?" Sakura asked him incredulously.

"No, but I do think you want to do better than Ino." Naruto replied cleverly. "Come on, you know you were improving when we trained together, I still see you practicing the stuff I showed you." He had to hide a triumphant smirk when he saw Sakura shrink back embarassedly.

"Y-yeah, well... still, I don't want to do stuff... near you..." Sakura stuttered, thrown off by his answer.

"Weak Sakura, weak." Naruto shook his head amusedly at her comeback. "Come on, we're teammates, it's training, not a date. You're a ninja, you're obligated to work hard to get better."

"Grr, when the hell did you get so smart?" Sakura growled at him.

"About the same time you started hating me for it." Naruto laughed, grinning like an idiot at this point. Messing with Sakura was actually kind of fun. He nearly lost it when he saw Sakura almost laugh at his reply.

"Sh-shut up jerk!" Sakura shouted at him, crossing her arms.

"So, see you at the training grounds in an hour when you're done digesting?" Naruto asked.

"Hey, don't just decide things for me!" Sakura scowled at him.

"You'll be there?" Naruto repeated, eyebrow raised expectantly. Sakura just stared at him with a look full of loathing for a moment, but then hung her head in defeat and sighed.

"Ugh, fine..." She grumbled.

"A wise decision!" Naruto grinned, and walked off.

"Jackass." Sakura muttered when she thought he was out of hearing range.

"I heard that!" Naruto called back.

"So what!" Sakura shouted back.

Sure, Sakura clearly wasn't happy about the whole situation, but if she actually showed up in an hour, well, that really would be a victory on Naruto's part.

. . .

An hour passed, and there was no sign of Sakura, but Naruto wasn't too worried, no rules said she had to show up perfectly on time. Perhaps she had lost track of time or something. Though, when another fifteen minutes rolled past, Naruto began to get suspicious. Another ten minutes later, he began to consider giving up.

He was glad he didn't, because, while quite late, Sakura did show up.

"You're late." Naruto said loudly.

"Yeah yeah, sorry." Sakura waved it off, clearly not meaning it.

"Well, as long as you're here I guess." Naruto shrugged, deciding not to press the matter. After all this work, he didn't want to drive her off.

"So what exactly are we going to do?" Sakura asked, putting her hands on her hips impatiently.

"Well, we have barely over a week, so we're going to focus on just a few specific things that I think will help you the most." Naruto explained.

"Like?" Sakura raised an eyebrow, interested since Naruto seemed to have actually put some thought into this. "Alright, seriously, when did Naruto grow a brain?" She wondered.

"I think the best strategy for you that we can work on in such a short period of time is focusing on counter attacks, I don't think you're ready for starting an attack, at least not on your own. I'm gonna warn you that it's a bit risky, but I have faith in you, and if I'm wrong, well, you probably won't be around to beat me up over it, right?" Naruto explained jokingly.

"Oh yeah? Screw. You." Sakura glared. Alright, maybe it was too soon for joking.

"Heh, sorry. But I'm serious, you remember what I taught you I'm sure, so let's start there." Naruto went on, gaining a more serious tone and expression.

That was how Naruto spent the last eight and a half days before the Chuunin Exams. Splitting his time between helping Hinata and Sakura train. In stark comparison, he enjoyed training Hinata, and while they got a lot done, the two also had fun. With Sakura however, it was all business. The girl just didn't seem to appreciate any humor he tried to bring into it. At the very least, Sakura was trying. He figured she was probably trying to prove some point that only she cared about and didn't really need proving.

When it was over, Naruto noticed a difference in both girls. Hinata was more confident, and a closer friend than ever. Sakura, while still keeping her distance emotionally, wasn't quite as awkward to be around, and seemed to take her role as a ninja a bit more seriously. That and her abilities weren't quite as much of a joke anymore.

. . .

"Alright guys, the exam is tomorrow, you still feel up to it? Any cold feet?" Kakashi asked, looking the three of them over, though he only spared Naruto a glance.

"Hn, of course I'm up to it." Sasuke scoffed.

"Yeah, I'm ready too." Sakura nodded with an unusual confidence in her eyes.

"Bring it on!" Naruto grinned.

"Hmm, well, that's good to hear. The first part of the exams will be at the academy, be there tomorrow morning." Kakashi said, gave a nod of farewell, and left.

. . .

Not far from Konoha, a meeting was going on in secret between two rather shady individuals.

"What is it, I assume you have a good reason for coming to me?" A dark figure asked.

"Of course. There's been an unusual development that I thought you'd find very interesting." A younger voice replied.

"And what would that be?"

"The Kyuubi vessel, the one called Naruto, he seems to have gained some unusual traits. Apparently he even defeated the Uchiha, nearly killed him in fact."

"Really? That is interesting. Tell me everything you've learned..."

Oh no! Evil dark meetings of DOOM!

Some of you are probably taking a fit over the whole Naruto still being nice to Sakura despite everything she's done to torment him. I realize exactly what I've written, and I know what I'm doing, alright? So take a deep breath, and wait for the next chapter.

Lastly, don't think I left out the rest of you lovely reviewers, here's what I have to say to you!

Deltabeta26: Then I'll bet you liked this chapter eh? I like to think the Kyuubi is intelligent and experienced due to how old it is. To just label it as a mindless destructive monster is lame. (by the way, what happened to alpha? Haha. Get it? I'm making fun of your name! Oh I kill me.)

Vaanarash: You think the plot is thickening now? Wait until later! I answered your 'when is this taking place?' question via PM, but I think this chapter also answered it pretty well, eh?

Dusk Ado: Damn straight it's excellent! And I'm glad you mentioned the verbal beat down thing, that was something I really focused on because, in my opinion, it was one of the more important events in that chapter. I even asked a friend to help me with it... he didn't do a very good job, but still, the point is I put a lot of effort into it.

Thank all of you for your reviews! I hope you review again for this chapter. And thank you in advance to those who haven't reviewed yet but decide to!