Chapter Seven
Gaara had been waiting in his room when Naruto came bursting in bubbling with excitement at his success. But Gaara didn't respond. He kept a mask, for what would Naruto say when he found out that that sandstorm had been his fault? He'd hate him. Or not. But the suspense was . . . making him nervous. And Gaara did not do nervous.
Nevertheless, he was toughing it out and waiting anxiously to make sure that Naruto was okay, and, more importantly, alive.
So, Gaara did not respond, because he found out what he'd wanted to know. His only friend in the world was alive, despite Shukaku's efforts to prove otherwise.
"Hey, Gaara, are you listening? And then there was this huge sandstorm and my wind jutsu did nothing against it! I had to make clones and they covered my entire team! Hey, Gaara, I don't think you are listening!"
Gaara turned to face his friend and took a deep breath, shut his eyes, and opened his mouth, "I caused the sandstorm."
There was silence and then, "Really, what happened?" there was only curiosity in the blonde's voice, and Gaara looked up, slightly relieved and strangely not surprised.
"Shukaku said that you weren't my friend, that you were going to leave me," Gaara smiled slightly, "I told him, that since you were curing Kurama, I would cure him!"
Naruto smiled at that, "That's great! We can work together on –" his exclamation was cut short by a yawn and Naruto's eyes suddenly drooped, "Ano, Gaara, I'm tired, so I'm going to go to sleep. Do you mind if I stay here tonight, I don't feel like walking back to the hotel, but . . . I had wanted . . . to tell you that . . ." and Naruto was out, leaving Gaara with an unconscious blond on his bed, snoring.
ooOoo
So, maybe it hadn't been the best of ideas to send two children out to an Iwa outpost without a completely detailed mission. In Root, when a team is sent out to 'scout out' an enemy outpost, they are expected to annihilate said outpost. The problem had been that there had been no other more experienced Root agents to go and supervise.
Great.
Danzo was not in the best of moods as his agents sat kneeling in front of him and he read the report. But, there was not much he could do and so he sighed and lowered the mission report as he looked critically at the two.
"Good job," he lied, "Get a larger team and train with them. In a month you need to go and annihilate that outpost."
And then the Sandaime would get blamed for starting another Shinobi war. Things were going to be perfect. Kumo and Iwa were looking for any reason to fight nowadays, from what his sources told him.
ooOoo
Hinata's clothes were getting soaked from her sweat and her muscles were beginning to ache, but she wasn't about to give up and disappoint her father. She really wanted to see Naruto in the exams!
They'd been practicing kata and chakra manipulation and she had found that she didn't have nearly as much as Naruto, because he seemed to have inexhaustible reserves.
She'd asked her father about that, but he acted really weird. He kept trying to change the subject, and wouldn't answer her question.
"That's enough for now, Hinata. We'll begin again tomorrow, and if you keep this up, we'll leave for Suna in three weeks. That is, if he passed."
Her face lit up. She didn't really need to know why Naruto was the way he was, it was only important that he was who he was. Everything else didn't matter.
ooOoo
Naruto and Gaara could be found under the hot Suna sun dodging shuriken, Naruto was flinging them at Gaara and Gaara was catching them with his sand and flinging it back. Ah, the joys of murderous youth.
Honestly, what had Jiraiya been expecting to find? Whatever it was, it certainly wasn't the smiling blond that looked the spitting image of his father playing with the spitting image of the Yondaime Kazekage. He could just imagine the two as the kage their fathers were.
He smiled slightly at the six year old children before he walked up to them and attracted the attention of the smiling red-head. The smile disappeared, and a cautious expression took its place.
"Who are you?"
"Me?" Jiraiya was having fun playing the clueless one, "Why, thank you for asking! I am Mount Myoboku-gama's holy master sennin, also known as toad sennin, remember it!"
Naruto and Gaara stared at him for a moment before Naruto opened his mouth, "Why does that sound so familiar?"
He turned to Gaara who simply shrugged and looked down at the shuriken in his hand that his sand had handed him before he flung it at the sage.
"Hey kids," Jiraiya shouted catching the shuriken on his forefinger, "don't go playing with this stuff if you don't know how to hold it properly." He moved forward, gently took Gaara's fingers and curled them around the metal star correctly into an easy, relaxed, and flexible grip."
The red head looked at his hand in concentration and then looked up at the white-haired sennin. After a moment of scrutiny, Gaara replied, "Okay, so who are you?"
Jiraiya sighed and lowered his head to his chest in mock defeat when Naruto spoke up, "I remember! You were Yondaime's sensei! Kakashi-nii told me about you!"
Lifting an eyebrow at the blond, Jiraiya frowned; he was pretty sure the kid knew who his parents were . . . but he quickly turned that frown upside down and smiled at the kids and replying, "I am also the illustrious writer –" he paused, realizing that his audience was much too young to even entertain such thoughts and then continued, "of Tales of a Gutsy Ninja! You should read it. The main character's name is Naruto!"
The blond paused and stared at the man for a moment. So, that's where he got his name. That explained so much.
Gaara simply looked back and forth between the two before speaking up in confusion, "Did you want something?"
"Why yes, yes I did," Jiraiya replied with a half-smile, "I am here, under the Hokage's command to train Naruto-kun, my godson."
At those words, the two boys stared at the for further explanation and the white-haired, perverted sennin sighed, "For the chuunin exams." Realization dawned on their slightly chubby faces and Jiraiya bit back a snort. The red-head was taking his cues from the blond.
It was almost comical.
Jiraiya grinned, this would be beyond fun. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go get balloons and as much water as we can find."
"Why?"
Jiraiya just smiled, making extra sure to make sure that his smile was as deranged as possible. "To explode them, of course."
The two exchanged a glance and then turned back to him. Naruto opened his mouth, "Are you sure you're a responsible adult?"
Jiraiya sighed. His attempt at intimidation seemed to have not worked.
ooOoo
Temari and Kakuro had been studying all that they could on self-defense ever since their father and uncle told them they'd be seeing their 'brother.' They weren't ignorant of what he kept contained, but he was still family, right? At least that was the story Temari was trying to sell the both of them.
They had been looking at all sorts of defensive weapons at the Suna training grounds when they saw him. And for once, he wasn't alone. And he was smiling.
ooOoo
"Alright, the first thing we need to do is find a bathhouse."
The two six year olds stared at him, Naruto in confusion, and Gaara as if the old man had lost his mind.
"This is Suna, there are no bathhouses," Gaara replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and in hindsight, Jiraiya realized it was and nearly started to cry dramatically.
"You've got to be kidding me. I'm not being paid enough for this," he sighed looking up at the sky before turning to the two children, "Well then, I guess we'll just have to make do with the training grounds. There ought to be some women there."
"What do girls have to do with anything?" asked Naruto as he and Gaara hurried after the white haired man.
He didn't answer.
ooOoo
When Gaara decided to follow Naruto around for the rest of the month, he didn't think he'd be included in the training being offered the blond by the legendary Sennin of Konoha. He thought he'd just get to spend time with his first friend in the world.
He also had not expected to see his siblings. So when the trio entered the training ground, Gaara was smiling at the story that Naruto was telling of his days teasing Sasuke and playing with Hinata. Gaara really wanted to meet them.
And his smile didn't leave his face as they approached the weapons stand, because Jiraiya had already handed Naruto a water balloon and had turned to him and began him on shuriken drills.
For once, someone besides his uncle was helping him. He held the shuriken just as Jiraiya-san had told him to and threw the shuriken. But then something caught his eye: two children, older than him, were staring at him from the weapons table as if petrified.
He tilted his head at them before turning back to Naruto who was concentrating on his water balloon.
"Naruto, do you want to meet my brother and sister?"
Naruto turned to him with a slightly blank face before a smile spread across it and he nodded.
"Sure!"
Gaara turned to his brother and sister, who were eyeing him warily, and began walking towards them with Naruto at his back.
Their eyes became slightly panicked and Gaara wondered for a moment why he always got those looks, but that's not right. He didn't always get those looks. There was also Naruto, who had only ever looked at him as a friend, as a human.
Then there was the fact that they were his family. If he didn't have them, who did he have? Besides Naruto, of course.
"Gaara," his elder sister began, and he was happy because she didn't seem as panicked as his brother did. Of course, his brother looked like he wanted the earth to eat him up, so it wasn't much of an improvement. It did, however, make her his favorite sibling.
"Temari, Kankuro, this is my friend Naruto."
They stared and Naruto came up behind him, a wide smile on his face, as he waved at them.
"Hi!"
They looked at him curiously; where was the fear?
"I'm, training for the chuunin exams at the end of the month, and Gaara's helping me! He said you're his brother and sister, do you tell him stories like Kakashi-nii does with me? Because that would be so –"
"Whoa, you talk a lot. How old are you, anyway?"
"Six."
There was a moment of silence as the two siblings stared at him and so the blond turned to look at where his teacher – Jiraiya – was staring at a group of Suna kunoichi in the paddock beside them.
He frowned. Why was he staring at those ladies? And thinking back on it, why had he even wanted the bathhouses? And then it hit him and he smiled just like Kakahsi-nii did when Naruto was about to go out into the village dressed like his otou-san.
"Oi, ero-sennin get over here!"
Jiraiya jumped and glared as the kunoichi he had been ogling glared.
He turned and glared at the blond, "And how would you know words like that?"
Naruto grinned, "That's what everyone calls Kakashi-nii!" the blond chirped and then turned to look at the Sand siblings.
"So, do you think we could train together? I mean I have to fight Gorou of Suna first, and I don't really know how he fights . . . I need to know everything!"
The Sand Siblings stared at him confused. He was being serious?
"Umm. Sure," the siblings traded glances but nodded as the blond made ten clones and then set them to staring at the water balloons.
"So, what do the people of Suna do best?"
The twins exchanged looks. "Should we really be giving out village secrets?"
"You're not, though! It's not like you're teaching me. I bet I could find out about it from Ero-sennin!"
"Ero-sennin?" the blond girl asked with a bit of disdain in her voice and Naruto turned to her with a mischievous smile painting his face and once again, Jiraiya glared at the little kid.
"Because he's so obsessed with all the ladies!"
ooOoo
Hinata was eating breakfast with her family when a scroll from the Hokage was delivered by a hawk to her father and as he quickly opened it and scanned its contents she couldn't help but feel that it had to do with Naruto.
She hoped he was okay.
She stared at her father as he finished the scroll and rolled it up before looking to her mother. Hinata was nearly bursting with the anticipation when he finally turned to her.
"Naruto has passed the first and second parts of his exam," Hinata beamed at this and Hiashi continued, "In approximately one month, the finals will be held." He stared into his six-year old daughter's eyes. "That means that for the next three weeks you must train."
But Hinata didn't mind. Naruto was almost chuunin! The thought made her giddy with excitement and she couldn't help but not care about the upcoming three weeks of grueling practice her father was going to put her through; Naruto was safe and he was going to be Hokage in no time.
ooOoo
The training ground frequented by many genin teams seemed almost peaceful except that there wasn't an overly energetic green beast running around and trying to get two academy students to join them.
Neji glared at Lee once more before turning to Tenten, "I apologize for his enthusiasm. It can be a little hard to swallow."
But she didn't mind; she simply giggled at the spandex-clad genin that was so excited about having yet another training partner.
"This is wonderful, Neji-san! That means we can be like a real genin team! Gai-sensei will be so proud of our youth!"
Neji rolled his eyes.
"Did someone say youth?"
Neji paused in slight panic. Why did Lee have to mention youth just as Gai-sensei was arriving? Couldn't he have mentioned it at the start of his rant? Or did he do that too? Neji couldn't remember anymore.
"Gai-sensei, Neji-san brought Tenten-san to train with us! She is said to be very good with kunai and shuriken!"
"Wonderful! I have more wonderful youthful news as well, Lee!"
Tenten spared Neji a look and raised an eyebrow as if to ask, 'Are they always like this?' But it was alright, she wasn't going to leave, because from what Neji could tell, she looked amused, not frightened.
So, Neji nodded slightly before turning back to Gai-sensei.
"We are going to Suna!"
Silence reigned for a moment before Lee broke out in a wide smile and slight disappointment.
"Naruto-san has advanced? That means that I must train harder! Tenten-san, we must run around the village at least five hundred times!" he grabbed Tenten arm as she grabbed Neji's hoping that he could keep her grounded.
Such a vain hope.
ooOoo
A figure in green flashed by the window of the tea shop that Itachi and Shisui usually frequented. In fact at that moment, the two were sharing a complacent silence that neither seemed willing to break, until Shisui sighed.
"Is it wise to take Sasuke to Suna?" Shisui placed his teacup back onto the table as Itachi raised an eyebrow and took another lingering sip.
"He'd never forgive me if we left him behind. Officially this isn't a mission." He took another sip and Shisui folded his arms on the table.
"He needs to know that something might happen. It won't be good if he were caught in the crossfire because he's trying to find out what's happening."
Itachi finally put his cup down and folded his arms, mirroring his cousin, "I know, but I don't want to destroy his innocence just yet. He's only six."
"And war may be coming – he'll have to fight then anyway."
Itachi retained a stoic silence before he caught his cousin's eyes. "I'll tell him today, find out what he wants to do."
"He'll still want to go Itachi."
"I know, Shisui-nii. But, if I can spare him, I will."
ooOoo
Kiba was nearly jumping with anticipation as he returned to the Inuzuka kennels after another day of learning with Shino. They'd both been studying how to read and write – or rather, Shino was studying and Kiba was balancing a pencil on his nose.
The only reason he'd even left Shino to his studying, though, wasn't because of the work that Shino was pushing on him; it was because he'd seen the Suna bird flying to the Hokage tower, which meant that he'd get to hear if his sister was going to be in the finals! His excitement did not extend to the blond genin on his sister's team, whom he viewed as a tag along, but he was excited for his sister nonetheless and so was sprinting home.
Inuzuka Tsume was a very controlled woman. She did not seem the type of woman to worry about others, but if one of her colleagues had seen her as Kiba had when he found her, scroll in hand, they would have asked whether the Kyuubi had taken more than just her husband on the night it had attacked.
Kiba frowned as his mother slowly came to her surroundings and gave him a weak smile.
"We're going to have a new litter in three months, Kiba. I think you're ready, what do you think?"
Kiba's eyes became comically large and Tsume smiled a bit wider.
"We're going to Suna to watch the finals of the chuunin exams and when we come back you'll be going into the Academy. I need you to be on your best behavior and I need you to promise me that if anything happens to me," she swallowed, pausing, "you'll find your sister and make sure nothing happens to either of you."
Kiba gave her a reproachful look, expecting a better explanation, but she offered none and repeated, "Promise me."
"Okay, okaa-san. I promise."
Tsume smiled, ruffled his hair despite his protests and shouts of 'hey!' and smiled at his disgruntled expression, "wake up bright and early tomorrow, I need to show you the clan katas."
His face transformed and he smiled widely. And although Tsume was wary of the coming days, she was glad that Kiba could still smile.
ooOoo
Ino and Sakura were arranging flowers in the park when Sasuke showed up with his brother, and although the girls would have wanted nothing more than to go and profess their 'undying love' they held back. It seemed to be a serious conversation. Instead they talked about the upcoming chuunin exams.
"And kaa-san and tou-san said that as long as I stay with Ichirou-nii-san, I can go see him in the exams!"
"Sakura, I don't know if that's so great, my dad said that things are getting weird between the other countries and that that's why I can't go with you."
"What? You're not going?"
"Otou-san said no, so I guess not."
"But, that means I'll be all alone!"
"I don't know why you'd even want to go see a couple of people fight each other. It seems pretty troublesome to me."
The two six-year-old girls whirled around to see another six-year old, with a spiky pony tail and a lazy expression on his face and his companion, a chubby, happy-looking child eating a bag of chips.
"Nobody asked your opinion, Shikamaru."
The spiky haired individual rolled his eyes at the two girls and muttered, "Troublesome women" before turning around and walking toward a bench and laying down."
"Who was that?" Sakura asked Ino with a slightly offended expression on her face. Ino rolled her eyes at the boy before turning back to her pink haired friend.
"That was Shikamaru, and he is the laziest person I have ever met," Sakura nodded her head in agreement, "Anyway, let's talk about Sasuke, he's much more interesting. You know how we're going to the academy next month? Well, I heard that he's going to try for graduation as soon as possible! And you know, his big brother graduated when he was . . ."
ooOoo
Fugaku sat in his office at the police station completely swamped with paperwork. There wasn't as much to do as the Hokage had to deal with, he was sure, but that didn't make him feel any better.
The fact that the Uchiha were still blamed for the death of Yondaime did not sit well with the Uchiha and their plans for a coup had been foiled for the simple reason that a war seemed to be coming up and if – when - the Uchiha succeeded they did not want to deal with a war and weakened force.
He stacked another set of papers and set them aside before pulling more papers together and beginning to go over them.
A report on a burglary that had been apprehended by his nephew Shisui. A report on vandalism of the Academy apprehended by his own cousin. A report on spying by one of Danzo's minions . . . apprehended by Itachi.
He smiled and then scowled. It was just like Danzo to keep tabs and suspect the Uchiha. He'd been keeping tabs on the clan since the Kyuubi attack and even though they had been planning a coup, they had put that aside because of the current tensions between the big five – Kiri counted, it was in a Civil War after all.
But still, he was proud that his son had apprehended the Root Agent. In fact, hadn't Sandaime shut down that operation? The Sandaime really knew next to nothing about what happened in his own village . . .
Itachi was growing up though, he'd make a good clan head, even if he was soft-hearted.
ooOoo
The Sandaime finished signing the last of his paperwork when the door opened, and expecting another stack of his endless bane, he sighed and reluctantly looked up.
"Geez, Tou-san, I would have thought you'd be a little happier to see me." Drawled the Hokage's wayward son as he took his cigarette out and appeared to contemplate it for a moment before flicking it out the window.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at the younger Sarutobi and sighed, "I thought you were bringing me more paperwork," Asuma snorted before composing his face. "What are you doing here? I thought you were one of the Guardians. Not that I mind, but . . ."
There was a pause, then, "The Twelve of us had a falling out. I sided with you."
The old man looked up and raised one of his eyebrows. "And why did you do that."
"Because you're my father."
"Think about that answer a bit more and then come and see me. Would you like to be reinstated as a Konoha-nin?"
Asuma paused, then nodded.
"Kakashi is in a pub, I believe. He's celebrating." The look on Asuma's face was almost funny enough for the old man to laugh. Instead, he smiled slightly. "His pupil has made it into the third round of the chuunin exams in Suna."
"Kakashi has a pupil?"
"I'll leave him to explain everything to you."
ooOoo
Kakashi had been beside himself until he received the missive from Suna telling him that Naruto had succeeded in getting to the third test – to take place in a month. Now he was celebrating solo in a pub and thinking of his old team with Minato-sensei, Obito, and Rin. He wondered if he could make a team like that – Naruto acted enough like Obito for it to work . . . maybe.
He should ask the Hokage. In fact, he would. The fact that Naruto was six probably wouldn't be that much of a problem.
Kakashi took another swig of the sake, making sure no one had seen under his mask when the door to the pub frequented by most jounin opened and in walked his old friend Sarutobi Asuma.
"Since when did you get back?"
"I got back about an hour ago and talked to my dad. He said you have a pupil? Why have I never heard of this? I thought you went into ANBU."
Kakashi nodded, "I did. Uzumaki Naruto though has been my 'pupil,' or rather apprentice, for three years. He has another sensei though. You know him. Genma-san."
"Th-the kyuu-"
"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you." Kakashi glared with his one eye.
"But, what happened?"
"Didn't you hear about what happened with Kumo?" Comprehension dawned on his face.
"Oh that? Was he the one that stopped it? The daimyou was scared Kumo were actually going to declare war."
"They may yet do that."
"What?" Asuma raised his eyebrows.
"All shinobi are to be on high alert at the Suna exams. Suna has been warned and we are offering all of our support."
"That . . . why?"
"Iwa and Kumo have been too friendly lately. And we're pretty sure that they know about Naruto."
"What about the kid."
"Don't you think it odd that his last name is Uzumaki and that he's a blond?"
"No."
Kakashi rolled his eyes and stood up. "You'll get it when you see him."
"Get what?" called Asuma through the door. "Damn Scarecrow."
ooOoo
Katsue sighed as she flopped down onto the floor of the training grounds as Shirou and Gorou released her from the cloth.
"Have you made anymore poisons?" Shirou asked as he leaned over her and shielded her from the sun.
"Yes." She growled.
"Antidotes?" he replied with a devious smile.
"Of course, but they're not going to be on me. I left them with sensei."
"And what about –"
"Shirou, just drop it. I need to rest a bit. I think you might have dislocated one of my shoulders."
"Oh." Shirou frowned. "Why didn't you say something in the first place?" and then he picked her up bridal-style and carried her to the medics on the side of the grounds.
"There you go, all better. Be careful, now. We don't want to see you get hurt from an old wound in the exams. We need every able shinobi to fight."
"Hai," Katsue muttered as she rolled her shoulder in its socket and avoided the eyes of her teammates.
"You all should rest now. The sun's going to be going down soon."
"Come on, Katsue, I'll take you home!" Shirou announced with a cheeky smile on his face.
"Sure you will," Katsue mumbled.
"No, really! On my honor as a shinobi of Suna, I declare it a mission!"
"Then you just sullied your reputation and failed, because I'm going home alone!" Katsue smiled and then ran off, jumping onto the roof and hopping home.
"She just loves playing hard to get, doesn't she?" Gorou smirked at his elder twin.
"Alas, she does! What am I to do?" The amusement in their faces was enough to deserve them a smack over the head from Katsue, had she been there to see it.
ooOoo
Deidara growled as he flung more kunai at Akatsuchi.
"Sometimes I can't stand Kurotsuchi! She thinks she's absolutely the most wonderful thing to have happened to Iwa since her grandfather un! Sometimes I want to just blow her up and make her art un! Then she might stand a chance of making that claim true un!"
Akatsuchi sighed as he deflected the kunai towards the trees and unrolled the scroll his sensei had given him for the new earth jutsu.
"Deidara, just give it a rest. Kurotsuchi is too focused on killing that Konoha kid to notice even if you did blow her up."
"That's the problem! She's not even fighting with me anymore! It's not normal!"
"Deidara, really, shut up! I'm trying to concentrate on learning this jutsu."
"Why? It's not like you'll be able to master it by the time the month's up. Didn't sensei tell us to hone what we already know?"
"Yes. And that's why on my breaks I'm studying the other jutsus."
Deidara gave Akatsuchi an incredulous look and then shrugged his shoulders, adopting a bored expression.
"Good luck with that then, you'll need it." There was that smirk of his – now everything was right with the world again. "I'm going to go find sensei and see what he can tell me about that kinjustu that Iwa has hidden about molding chakra into clay . . ."
Akatsuchi, not really paying attention nodded, "Yeah, you do that . . ."
ooOoo
"Yo!"
Karui and Omoi jumped at the arrival of their sensei, and Samui simply looked up with a blank expression on her face.
"Sensei."
"I have talked to my nii-san and we have agreed that the three of you have surpassed my help."
"That's a horrible rap." Omoi muttered and Kirabi pretended not to hear.
"Anyway, the new team will be called Team Samui, when you all become chuunin yo."
The other two looked slightly annoyed, but understood – Samui was the most 'cool' of the three of them and would be a better team leader than either of them.
"Okay. But we're not chuunin yet." Samui said with half lidded eyes – she'd stayed up late the night before studying a scroll on kenjutsu forms.
"Yeah," Kirabi smirked, "Which is why –"
"Kirabi, I hope you weren't messing with your students." A nineteen year old blond kunoichi smirked from the roof of the adjacent building before hopping down.
"Y-Yugito-san!"
She smacked him over the head.
"Yugito-sama!
"H-Hai!"
"Anyway, you had better be working hard. Technically I'm not supposed to be here, but Raikage-sama got some information about some jinchuuriki here and wanted me here in case anything went out of control – they're supposed to be very young or something." Then she smiled, "I believe Kirabi here has been less than motivating for you three but it stops here. Drop and give me sixteen hundred."
They dropped and began push-ups and she raised an eyebrow.
"I meant sixteen hundred ryou, but that works too."*
ooOoo
"No, no, no, you're doing it wrong!" Naruto shouted at the toad sennin who stood there with an amused expression on his face.
"How?"
"You need to put in more chakra!" Naruto whined as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and Gaara stood not too far away a smile playing on his lips, "Do you even know how to put in more chakra?"
Okay, maybe that hadn't been the best thing to say to the toad sennin, but he was six.
"More chakra? You think you can channel more chakra then me?"
"Well obviously! If you can't even do a simple Henge –"
"There's nothing simple about this Henge! I'll show you channeling a lot of chakra! Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" And flashing through the hand signs – boar, dog, bird, monkey, and ram – the toad sennin slammed his hands onto the ground and summoning a large toad.
For a moment no one moved.
Then Naruto grabbed a scroll, flashed through the same signs and summoned Pakkun. A smirk on the six year old's face looked slightly out of place.
"You're not the only one that can summon animals."
Jiraiya in turn stared at the ninken that was looking between the sennin and his godson and with a slightly serious expression on his face said, "Want to sign the toad contract. It is your birthright, technically."
Naruto's face broke out into a smile and Gaara looked on curiously as it suddenly became pensive.
"Only when I pass the chuunin exams! I will, dattebayo! And then you'll pass that scroll on to me!"
His smile was nearly blinding, and Gaara mirrored it. It seemed quite out of place in the training ground.
ooOoo
Far away, in Mizu no Kuni, the Yondaime Mizukage mused over the civil war breaking out and the purging of the bloodlines. The Sanbi had been rather complacent lately, remaining calm in his seal, and now there were very few left, if any at all were, of the ancient Mizu bloodlines. The Yuki clan in particular was practically dead.
The young Mizukage glanced back out the window, ignoring his paperwork. The seven swordsmen had suffered a loss with the defection of Kisame. And he could see that Zabuza was getting restless.
It seemed quite pointless to drive them away. With the purging of the bloodlines, only those with the strength to survive would. He – had he lost his mind? He didn't know. He didn't think so . . . but sometimes he wondered, and then it went away and he could see the red spinning eyes.
ooOoo
Zabuza had no idea that the Mizukage was musing over his loyalty. Not that is was without reason. Zabuza was annoyed by his kage. What kind of moron weakens their forces, especially with the tensions between the other four great nations?
As Zabuza walked along the road, he paused, a little girl – or was it a boy, he was pretty sure the chakra signature said it was a boy – was fighting with a dog. And the kid lost. He kept walking, making his way to a bridge. The kid probably wouldn't last anyway. It was time for him to give that information to the resistance spy.
ooOoo
Naruto and Gaara swung on the swing in the park a week before the final exams were to start.
"Hinata-chan's leaving Konoha tomorrow, Gaara! Isn't that great? You'll get to meet her, and Sasuke-teme, and Kakashi-nii!"
Gaara smiled. "Have you gotten that balloon down yet?"
Naruto frowned. "No. I think I'm doing something wrong. I just can't seem to get it to pop."
"Maybe you're spinning the water the wrong way . . ." Naruto paused and stared at Gaara for a moment for jumping up and smacking himself in the forehead.
"Ugh! Why didn't I see it before? Kakashi-nii told me about this once!" and then Naruto was running back to the training grounds, Gaara hot on his trail, with the crowd readily rushing out of the way of the demon and his weird blond friend.
"Ero-sennin! Give me another balloon!" Naruto commanded with a proud smile on his face and Jiraiya lifted an eyebrow.
"You've had your clones at it for hours. They're still at it."
Naruto looked around them and then canceled the jutsu before smiling and looking at the sennin expectantly.
"Fine." The sennin gave Naruto one more balloon and smirked as Naruto concentrated on it. Five seconds later, the balloon popped and Naruto and Gaara beamed.
"I told you I'd get it." Jiraiya took a moment to stare at the blond prodigy.
"Next step is to pop this rubber ball. It's more power than anything else."
Naruto created fifty clones before he and Gaara ran off again.
ooOoo
"How do you know that your parents loved you?" Gaara asked the next day before they began Gaara's own jutsu arsenal. Naruto had filched a chakra paper from his sensei's pack and had discovered that besides the sand, Gaara had an affinity for wind.
There was a moment where Naruto smiled sadly and lifted up his shirt, channeling a bit of chakra and the smile began more terribly sad as a swirling pattern appeared.
"My parents wrote this with their blood to save me and the entire village. If that's not love, I don't know what is."
"My kaa-san died when I was born. I killed her." Gaara whispered. They were both being uncharacteristically solemn.
"No you didn't." They both turned to see the toad sennin staring at them. "You didn't kill your mother. The person that sealed the Ichibi in you did. They didn't even do a good job of sealing it either – "
"Shukaku."
"What?"
"His name is Shukaku."
"Well, even then, you didn't do it."
"But, she loved me, right?"
"From what I've heard from Yashamaru – you know how we talk while you guys sleep? – she loved you more than anything."
Gaara smiled a bit at that before he and Naruto set to work.
"Yashamaru said that wind affinity is found mostly in Kaze no kuni and that we are the best at it. And we don't have leaves. I'm telling you, we're going at it the wrong way!" Gaara growled as he stared at the leaf that Naruto had unsealed from a scroll and that refused to cut.
"And I'm telling you that this is how Kakashi-nii taught me to master it!"
"And you said it took you three weeks with a hundred clones."
"Yeah, so don't feel bad! You're doing better than I did at first!"
"But my chakra's still not listening to me. I'm putting too much and it turns to sand, I put too little and nothing happens."
There was a moment of silence between the six-year olds as Naruto stared owlishly for a moment.
"Oh!"
"Oh what?"
"We need to teach you tree-climbing."
"But there are no trees."
More silence.
"So?"
Gaara glared. "We can't climb trees if there are none."
"We can just climb the buildings."
ooOoo
The next day dawned brightly on Konoha, and as the Hokage was about to leave the village, the village was in a flurry of activity. And in the playground by the Academy entrance, a sixteen-year old chuunin with a scar across his nose stood watching as the next batch of new genin boasted to their parents that they were now ninja.
He sighed and turned to the Hokage that was walking toward him, a smile on his face and a scroll in his hands in full kage dress.
"Iruka-san, your assignment is still ongoing, and if you like it so much, you can keep it for a while longer. You've been doing a wonderful job."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama." He opened the scroll with the roster for the next batch of academy students and smiled –the incoming six year olds included that little Hyuuga girl he had met at that shinobi store.
"And remember, Iruka-san, don't dally around with teaching them civilian things. Teach them exactly what they need to know. I'm afraid we will need as many able shinobi very soon." The Hokage's face had become grave, not like its usual grandfatherly expression at all and Iruka was taken aback by the seriousness in the voice.
War.
"Hai."
ooOoo
As Iruka walked away from the Hokage, the Hokage thought back to the girl recently recovered by his ANBU – the abandoned student of his former pupil. She was a good shinobi, but caution was to be exercised – especially in light of the fact that war was on the horizon.
He sighed; it was still hard to believe that his little pupil could be responsible for such pain and suffering.
Looking over Konoha, the aging man felt his age and remembered Biwako, Minato, Kushina, Hashirama-sensei, Tobirama-sensei, and all those that had died before their time. The world was a cruel place.
ooOoo
Orochimaru was having no such thoughts for the dead. He was traveling through Kaminari no Kuni (the Land of Lightning) with his Akatsuki partner, a nuke-nin of Suna. They weren't doing much. Occasionally Sasori would growl at Orochimaru to hurry up and Orochimaru would chuckle.
"I know you hate waiting around, Sasori-san, but good things come to those who wait." That smirk was insufferable.
"I don't need good things. All I need is my art. You are not my art, so I have no qualms with destroying you."
"Sasori-san, don't be so pessimistic." The drawling, scooping voice of the sennin was coupled with a sickly smile.
The essence of their banter was very repetitive. Threats and admonishments were traded. And that was the strange thing. There were no Kumo-nins around, even though the two Akatsuki members were in broad daylight.
After two more hours of walking and bickering, the two nins became quiet, and apprehensive.
"Why do you suppose we haven't been met yet, Sasori-san?"
There was a contemplative silence and then the puppet-man spoke.
"Kumo has been emptied."
ooOoo
The genin team that had been hired by the Sarutobi and Hyuuga families to watch over the kids while they went to Suna was slightly nervous. They had a one year old and a two year old that both seemed to be determined with pulling the hair out of the female teammate and refused to eat the food, instead having fun flinging it at the genin and jounin as if they were throwing stars. The sushi was particularly good ammunition for this.
And that was when they were alone. With the two children together, this genin team did not want to see what the toddlers were capable of doing to them.
As the two toddlers were put into the same playpen and their parents left, the two looked at each other curiously, and then, to the horror of the genin team and their jounin-sensei, smiled at each other.
ooOoo
Danzo watched as the Hokage left the village to see the exams. He knew what was brewing, and he knew the Hokage did too. He silently applauded his colleague, and old rival. The Hokage had taken necessary precautions, and even if war broke out, Konoha would not be completely defenseless, but that also meant that they would need more spies.
It was time to blackmail the orphanage.
He'd need that hidden card before the end.
ooOoo
The sun set as Naruto and Gaara panted next to each other in the Suna training grounds, Gaara's siblings not too far away and panting as well from their exercises.
Although after five seconds, Naruto stopped panting and jumped back up again – Gaara and Jiraiya staring at him in shock.
"How do you have so much energy?" Gaara asked with surprise and awe in his voice.
"I think it's Kurama."
"Kurama?" Jiraiya asked with a raised eyebrow.
"That's the Kyubi's name! He told me!"
Jiraiya began stuttering as he stared at the blond. Why hadn't Sarutobi-sensei told him?
"That's great! You know I think we should get to the gate, the Konoha contingent should be arriving soon."
Naruto and Gaara both jumped up in excitement, Gaara slightly late and continuing to glance at Naruto.
Naruto shouted "Hinata!" before grabbing Gaara's hand and pulling him along. "You'll love her! I know you will! And Sasuke-teme!"
ooOoo
Yashamaru and the Kazekage watched as the Konoha contingent entered the Suna gates. The next few days would be very tense, as both Kumo and Iwa were arriving within the day.
"You need to make sure that the genin in the arena cannot escape if fighting does break out in the middle of the exams. If we are lucky enough to get through the exams, we will have to be on high alert."
"Hai, Kazekage-sama."
"How is Gaara?"
"The influence of the other jinchuuriki has done wonders for him."
"Good. Keep them close during the exams."
"Hai, Kazekage-sama."
They watched from the tower as the unmistakable red and blond heads of the two allied jinchuriki rushed to the gates and practically attacked the Hyuuga mass.
ooOoo
"Hinata!" Naruto's voice could be heard as soon as Kakashi walked into Suna.
"Hello, Naruto."
The blond spun around, and the red head next to him did too.
"Kakashi-nii!" and the next moment Kakashi found himself on the floor with a mass of yellow hair in his face.
Damn it. Now he couldn't see Asuma's face!
"Naruto, get off." He growled and laughing, the fishcake complied.
"Kakashi-nii, this is my new friend Gaara!"
The jounin's attention turned to the redhead next to Naruto and took a step back.
"Kazekage-sama, have you shrunken?" But that wasn't right. The Kazekage was almost in his forties and this kid looked to be six . . . just like Naruto.
He groaned internally, but then eye-smiled and scratched the back of his head – a habit that he noticed Naruto was copying at that moment.
"He's Gaara, the Kazekage's son. We've been training together, and some of the things he can do are so cool, dattebayo!"
"Ah, hahahaha." Kakashi returned Naruto's sheepish smile and then motioned to Asuma who, he noticed with a smirk, was staring at Naruto as if he'd just grown two heads.
Naruto really looked like his father.
"Asuma-kun, this is my pupil, apprentice, otouto-chan, whatever you want to call him, Naruto. Naruto, this is my friend, the wind specialist, Asuma. He came back to the village three weeks ago from that mission I told you about."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "You're the Sandaime's son, right!"
That seemed to pull Asuma out of his stupor.
"Hello!"
"Hello! Come on Gaara! You have to meet Sasuke-teme and Hinata-chan dattebayo!"
"Goodbye Naruto!"
"Bye Kakashi-nii!"
And then the two jinchuuriki were barreling through the Hyuuga contingent that, when seeing the blond hair and blinding amounts of chakra had parted.
"N-N-Naruto-kun?" the quiet voice of the Hyuga heiress made the two whirlwinds stop and stare. Hinata was staring at them with wide eyes and Gaara suddenly felt self-conscious.
The awkward silence was only broken by the arrival of three others.
"Hey, Naruto." Sasuke had arrived with his brother and cousin.
Naruto turned to Gaara and faux-whispered, "that's Sasuke. You know . . ."
There was a silence and then Gaara opened his mouth.
"Hey, Sasuke-teme!"
Hinata giggled and then stopped as Sasuke scowled. And then they all bent over laughing again, even Sasuke cracked a grin.
*16, 000 ryo = 16, 000 yen =202.9424 US dollars or 163.7984 euros
Thank you so much for all the condolences. They have really helped. Sorry for the late update, school and life got to me and now I'm at the end of a much needed vacation in Europe where I don't have that much time or internet connection.
Thank you to you all!
This chapter is in loving memory of my step-grandmother that past away on May 22, 2012.
-GlidingOne
