(One week later. Uzumaki-Namikaze mountain lodge)
Kimiko panted as she concentrated on the leaf while keeping a kunai floating in the air with chakra.
"Keep going Kimiko, you're well on your way. Since you have a rare three natural elements, of fire, wind, and lightning we have a lot of ground to cover." She smiled and looked at the large groups of clones practising elemental training.
'She's a damn sponge, it's like she has a photographic memory.' Kushina thought before her thoughts drifted to her son and hoped that she made the right choice about letting Naruto go with the old pervert.
'If he corrupts my son I'll take what makes him a man.' She growled making Kimiko look at her.
"You ok sensei?" Kimiko asked making the woman blink.
"Oh yeah I'm fine just wondering about Naruto is all." She said getting a nod before she turned back to her task.
'This is going to be an interesting month.'
(Konoha chuunin stadium)
Kimiko sighed as she looked down at where Naruto was fighting Kiba both doing great but Naruto had the upper hand once Akamaru was taken out.
"ARF!"
"Hey Aka, what is it?" She looked over to see Sakura holding the injured dog watching the fight.
'Where are you Sasuke? Your fight is coming up.' She groaned as she watched Naruto drive a chakra coated fist into Kiba's back cratering the ground from the impact as the mutt did another Fang Over Fang.
'Idiot.' She thought as she cheered for her friend along with the others as Sasuke and Kakashi appeared on the field.
"Oh, I thought we were going to miss it." Kakashi eye smiled while everyone in the stadium stared at him.
'He was early?'
"Kimiko." Sasuke called out and jumped to the girl cupping her face.
"Come with me." He stated.
"Alright! Everyone break for ten minutes and be back here ready to finish their matches!" The proctor called out
He led the girl to a private area away from the other fighters.
"What is it Sasuke-kun?"
"How are they? No pain or anything right?" He asked cupping her face as his sharingan came to life.
"No, nothing like that. I think everything went fine, what are you worried about Sasuke-kun?" She asked watching a small smile come to his face.
"Just making sure you were alright is all." He said running a thumb over her cheek while she leaned into his hand.
"Thanks, but I'm ok. So no need to worry bout me." She smiled holding his hand that was on her cheek.
"Well come on, I want see what you've been up to this past month." He smiled watching as her eyes shifted into the third stage sharingan making him surprised.
"When did this happen?" He asked stopping and looking at them.
"Lets just say that Kushina-sensei is a crazy woman and leave it at that." She shuddered and laughed a little before looking at Sasuke who was glaring at her.
"Sasuke? What is it?"
"Hn." Was all he said before walking away.
'What's up with him?'
Sasuke growled as he went off to a area alone to think about this new development.
'How can this be, mother never made it past the second stage Sharingan. How is Kimiko already ahead of me?' He thought slamming his fist into the ground cracking it.
"Kukuku. Such anger in one so young." Sasuke spun around to see Orochimaru smiling at him.
"Shut up! What are you doing here? What do you want with me?" He asked as the sage walked passed him and sat down patting a spot next to him.
" Just came to talk Sasuke-kun." He smiled back as the Uchiha stayed in his family style taijutsu stance.
"Forgive me if I decline."
"Well, then listen that's all I ask." He said as the boy glared at him.
"So tell me Sasuke-kun, how does it feel to be weaker than your own girlfriend?" He asked as the boy growled.
"You know I can make you powerful beyond your wildest dreams Sasuke-kun. Your revenge on your brother would be a simple matter under my training and the shame on your clan would be lifted once he dies." The sage stated smirking on the inside as Sasuke relaxed a little.
"What do you want in return?"
"Oh nothing at all, I know how it is Sasuke-kun to be held back by others. My former teammates held me back and in the end I was passed over as Hokage for the simple reason that I was deemed unstable." He stated nearly laughing when the boy sat beside him.
"I still don't see how you gain in all this." He stated as the sage grinned.
"I guess I do have a catch in this offer." Orochimaru looked over at Sasuke with a almost kind smile.
"Join me when the leaf is destroyed and together we will be gods of this world." He said as Sasuke looked away.
"So you think you can teach more to be more powerful than being here in a village? How can that be?" He asked as Orochimaru smiled chuckling.
"Just wait for end of the chuunin exams my boy and you will see." He said getting up.
"We'll be in touch." He stated dissolving into a pile of mud.
'If what he says is true then there may be no way for me to become stronger here anymore.' He thought when Kimiko rounded the corner.
"There you are Sasuke-kun, I was getting worried. Hey are you ok?"
"Yeah I'm fine, just wanted to think is all. Come on, lets get back to the fighters box." He said walking past her.
"Um, ok."
(Arena)
Down on the battle ground Kimiko watched as Lee's arm and leg were crushed thanks to one of the Sand ninja, Garra if she remembered right. She looked over to see Sasuke watching the fight with great interest and his sharingan active.
'He hasn't said to words to me since his fight with that sound guy. He was ruthless and killed him with a smile on his face.' Kimiko was worried, something had changed in Sasuke after the last break.
'Sasuke, why won't you talk to me? What's going on with you?'
"What the matter Kimiko? Trouble in paradise?" The girl turned to see a smirking Sakura making her growl.
"Shut your mouth Sakura."
"And if I don't? It looks to me that Sasuke-kun might have figured out your little secret." She smirked as the girls eyes widen.
'Has he? Does he know?'
"Oh by the look in your eyes I can tell he has? Don't worry I'm sure he'll find a more proper woman like me than some street orphan." She smirked as Kimiko let out a sigh.
'Ok, so he doesn't know. That's good, if I can I'll take that little secret to my grave with me.'
"What's the matter Kimiko? You look so calm now, you accept that you aren't right for Sasuke-kun? Hm?" She asked as Kimiko looked away.
"Shut up Sakura, you don't know what you're talking about." Kimiko sighed and looked over at Sasuke.
'What's up with you Sasuke? You're avoiding me like I'm Sakura or something and why are you acting this way in your fights? It's like you enjoyed killing that poor boy.' She thought never going to forget the sound of the kids neck snapping.
She looked down at the end of the fight to see the strange boy with the gord on his back looking back at her with narrowed eyes.
'There's something strange about him and also familiar feeling.' She thought as a crazed smile went across his face.
"Will Kimiko Mori and Temari of the Sand please come down." She heard making her sigh. She would have to wait till after Sasuke's match to find out what was wrong with him.
"Practor I give up. I'm still too tired from my earlier fight." She smiled.
'Bullshit!'
"Due to forfeit Kimiko is the winner! Next it's Kin of Sound and Shikamaru!" He called while Kimiko headed back up watching as Naruto booted Shika down to the ground making her laugh and shake her head.
She went up to her friends as Rai and Ryu nodded to her while Santi threw a arm over her.
"Hey don't sweat it Kimiko-chan, you'll get the next one. Either you'll have to beat your boyfriend into the ground or you'll pound that weird sand into fine powder." He said as she smiled.
"Right, congrats your fights to guys you did really great. Can't believe how much you guys have advanced." She smiled as they grinned.
"Well we can see how much you've changed since your training trip with the Red Death." Ryu said getting a nod from the others.
"Well I look forward to it Kimiko, I'm sure it will be something amazing." He smiled getting one from her.
"Will Sasuke Uchiha and Garra of the sand please come down." The practor called. Kimiko sighed as she watched her boyfriend jump down on the ground along with the weird kid.
"Hey Kimiko." She turned to see Naruto walking towards her with Ino hanging off him.
"Hey Naruto, what's up?" She asked as he leaned over the rail.
"Listen I need to tell you about that Garra kid, somethings wrong with him." He said as she sighed.
"So you noticed it to huh? Yeah, after his fight with Lee and even before that I felt a weird vibe from him. It feels like I know him some how but I know that I've never met him in my life before now." She said as Ino looked between the two.
"I admit that the guy is creepy but do you two really think he's that dangerous?" She asked as the nodded.
"I'm going to talk to Kakashi-sensei. That guy is to dangerous and I don't like the look in his eyes." She said her voice full of worry as she went to talk to her sensei.
"Hey Naruto."
"Yeah? What's up Ino?" He asked as the girl tightened her hold on him.
"Well, I was wondering. Would you like to go on a date with me? Please? After this all over, something simple like ramen or something." She said as he sighed.
"I don't know Ino, you know I like Sakura." He said as she tightened her grip on him.
"Just once please, that's all that I'm asking. Just to see if something can come from it." She said as he looked back at her desperate face.
"Alright Ino but just one." He sighed feeling her hug him tighter.
"Thanks Naruto, you're a really good guy." She said as Shika came up behind them.
"Nice fight Shika, never would have thought you would have made her knock herself out." Naruto laughed getting a giggle from Ino before they heard yelling from where Kimiko had went to talk to Kakashi.
"JUST SHUT UP AND WATCH KIMIKO!" Kakashi roared while Kimiko snarled at him.
"FINE THEN! HIS BLOOD WILL BE ON YOUR HANDS!" She screamed as her eyes shifted into the sharingan making everyone but Kakashi go wide eyed before she stormed away just as they heard what sounded like birds chirping.
They all looked back to see Sasuke on the high wall with what looked like lightning in his hand, before he raced down the wall digging a small trench into the ground before long making it to the sand ball that was Garra and plunged his arm into the ball much to the shock of everyone else.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! BLOOD! MY BLOOD!" They heard watching while Sasuke continued to struggle to get his arm free before they saw electricity dance out of the hole he made before he pulled his arm out along with something else before he freed his arm.
It was at that time that they all began to feel tired making many of the civilians fall asleep.
'Genjutsu!?" Naruto thought while he felt Ino slump on his back.
"Kai."
BOOOM!
He looked up to see smoke where the old man was just as fighting broke out in the stadium while another larger explosion went off and the roar of summons went off.
"Naruto! The village is under attack gather the others and help with evacuating the civilians!" Asuma yelled while Garra was taken away by some sand ninja.
"Sasuke! Don't let them escape! You have a match to finish!" Kakashi yelled getting a nod from the boy as he took off after them.
(Down in the wounded area)
"AHHH!"
Kimiko growled as she dug one of her kunai into the neck of a sand ninja that was in the medic area about to kill some of the wounded.
"Damn bastard." She snarled as Kiba limped up to her.
"Hey thanks Kimiko, you really saved our asses." She looked back and saw his hand out making her smile.
"No prob mutt, I'll always be around to help out when you need me. Take care of him Hinata." She smiled as the girl blushed.
"Come on Kiba-kun, we have to help the others." She called from one of the beds trying to sit up.
"Hey now, calm down. I'll go and make sure that everything is ready Hinata-chan." He smiled and limped away to help where he could.
Kimiko shot through the hallways and came out a opening only to be met with the sight of jutsu flying and the crys of the wounded as the chuunin arena became a full fledged battlefield.
"DIE LEAF SCUM!" A sound ninja yelled swinging a sword while Kimiko blocked the strike with a kunai.
"You first." She growled as a clone popped up beside her pulling another kunai and drove it into his stomach making him drop his sword only for Kimiko to grab it and slice through his neck.
"You come into my village and attack my friends? Suffer my wrath." She said before running to find Kakashi and the others while the sound ninja's head slid off his shoulders.
As the battle raged Kimiko made her way to where she last saw her friends and team. She hopped over the railing diving down on two sand ninja driving a kunai in each ones head.
"Kimiko?" She turned to see Ino and Naruto staring at her.
"Hey, have you guys seen my team?" She asked.
"Yeah, Kakashi sent Sasuke off after that Garra guy and Sakura is helping with the evacuation." Ino stated.
"Ok, I'm going after him. Will you guys back me up?" She asked getting smiles from them.
"Oh yeah you bet."
"I'm coming with you as well." They turned to see Shino coming towards them.
"Right, lets go. I'm going to seriously kick Sasuke's ass after this is over." She growled and took off with the rest of them close behind.
(With Sasuke)
Sasuke panted as he looked at the simi transformed monster that was Garra, who had a crazed smile on his face.
"You are weak Uchiha! Is this all you have to show for your existence!? Your hate is nothing compared to mine! You're nothing but a weak fool!" Garra roared smiling at the downed boy after his latest attack failed.
"Is this all the mighty Uchiha have to offer? The last of your clan is a pathetic weakling!"
'This is her fault! Letting her get close to me was a mistake, I have grown weak and it's all her fault!' Sasuke roared in his head as Garra shot towards him.
"DIE UCHIHA!"
WHAM!
Garra flew back and slammed into one of the trees cracking it from the impact as Naruto and Ino landed behind her to look over Sasuke.
"He's not looking good, Naruto-kun." Ino stated.
"GET DOWN!"Kimiko yelled as Garra shot a glob of sand at the group. But Ino wasn't fast enough and was hit slamming into a tree knocking the girl out cold.
"INO!" Naruto yelled while holding Sasuke.
"You weaklings want to challenge me? What a joke!" Garra roared.
"Bite me sandy! You better let her go right now!" Naruto yelled as the monster gave a savage grin.
"Summoning Jutsu!" Naruto cried.
"Hey kid." A small toad waved as Naruto's eye twitched.
'Are you kidding me! All that chakra and I get Gamakichi!'
"SAND SHURIKEN!"
'Crap!' Naruto grabbed the toad just as he was hit by the sand knocking them back slamming into tree branches before finally coming to a stop after Kimiko grabbed him keeping him from strike hard against a tree.
"You ok Naruto?" Kimiko asked.
"Wow kid you're pathetic."
"Oh shut up! I'm still learning ok!"
"And who is this hot babe, your girlfriend Naruto?"
"What no! She's just a friend, she's dating that guy over there!" Naruto paniced pointing at the downed Uchiha.
"Oh well what a loss."
"Shut up! Anyway you better get out of here Kichi." Naruto said.
"STOP IGNORING ME!" Garra yelled swinging at him cutting a huge hole into the wood.
"Holy crap!" Kimiko yelled as Naruto shot towards Garra.
"Let Ino go right now!" Naruto yelled using his shadow clones to get behind him before being knocked away by his tail.
BOOOM!
'He used a explosive on Garra's weakest point. Amazing and very clever, just who is this kid?' Temari thought as she watched the girl jump at Garra while he was distracted.
"Let her go now!" Kimiko raged delivering a chakra infused fist into his face slamming him into the ground creating a large explosion kicking up dust everywhere.
"Naruto help me out here!"
"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" They yelled as the entire area was filled with Naruto and Kimiko clones.
'How is this possible!? I didn't know that Naruto knew that jutsu to! How far have I fallen behind? How weak have I become staying with that girl as she passes me up!?' Sasuke growled as he tried to get up as a dog landed in front of him.
"Yo kid."
'Incredible! I've never seen so many shadow clones before!" Temari gaped as the mass of clones shot towards Garra.
"Uzumaki-Mori 4k Barrage!" They all yelled landing blow after blow on Garra.
"I WILL NOT LOSE MY EXISTENCE TO THE LIKES OF YOU!" Garra screamed as a giant sand arm shot into the sky destroying most of the clones and knocking the two into trees, while the area was covered in dust.
"So he's finally emerged." Temari said staring at her little brother in fear as the monsters golden eyes shown through the smoke and dust.
"The perfect possession." She gasped.
"To think that you made me use this form." Garra stated as sand wrapped around the both of them.
"AH!"
"NO! NARUTO, KIMIKO!" Sasuke yelled as his body locked up.
'Damn it!'
"This is the end! Sand Buria-"
"SUMMONING JUTSU!"
Naruto smiled as he looked over at his shocked friends face.
"What? Oh it's you again, what do you want? Oh and who is this?" Gamabunta asked.
"Hey chief! This is my friend Kimiko, but listen I need your help. Will you fight with me today chief?" Naruto asked as Gamabunta looked at Gaara's fully transformed state.
"Piss off."
"WHAT!"
"Why should I go out of my way to mess with a guy like that? Do I look like some sap to you?"
"Oh come on you said you would make me one of your henchmen! What kind of boss doesn't help out his henchmen when they need him!?"
"Yeah I did tell you that. But it was never made official since we never sat down over a cup of sake."
"Give me a break here chief I'm not even 21 yet!" Naruto cried freaking out as Gamakichi jumped in Kimiko's arms.
"Aw come on pops help the kid out a bit. He saved my life after that big jerk over there tried to mess with me." Gamakichi said.
"Come again?"
"Yeah if it wasn't for Naruto and his friend here I could have been killed."
"Is that right? Well then kid you and your girlfriend are going to be accepted as my henchmen." He said as Kimiko's eye twitched while Naruto beamed at being the boss's henchman.
"Hell yeah! Alright let get'em boss!"
"Hold on tight kids!" Bunta ordered as they shot towards the Shukaku.
Temari watched the two giants duke it out in awe as the giant frog cut the Shukaku's arm off losing the sword in the process.
"This is amazing! Who are those two?" She gasped while the two fired off jutsu at each other getting drenched in the process from a water jutsu.
"I need to get out of her it isn't safe anymore." She stated turning and jumping away.
As the battle raged on Kimiko growled watching as the toad boss had to jump away unable to keep a hold on the demon.
"Come on boss you got to hold onto him if we want to get a shot at him!" Naruto yelled.
"My body wasn't made with claws you idiot! So I can't dig into it to hold on." Bunta said glaring at the sand demon.
"But we can do a transformation jutsu so I can grip him but truth be told I'm not that good at it. So one of you will have to be the one to think of something with fangs and claws." He said as Naruto grunted.
"I'm spent from all those clones and summoning you and Kichi. Kimiko you'll have to do it." He stated getting a nod from the girl.
"Got it, alright boss toad. Ready when you are." She said getting a grin from the toad.
"Alright here I go." He said and shot towards the demon.
"TRANSFORMATION JUTSU!" They both called out as a huge cloud of smoke appeared.
'What the?' Sasuke thought as they emerged from the smoke making him go wide eyed.
"That the-!"
Gamabunta shot towards Shukaku dodging air bullets left and right before slamming into the Shukaku.
"GO NOW YOU TWO!" Bunta yelled and Naruto shot towards him cracking a fist across the boys face as they both landed on the nose of the beast.
"AWWW! COME ON I JUST GOT HERE!" The demon yelled as he was pulled back into the seal while Garra woke up from his forced sleep jutsu.
"I'll kill you both for this! I will not cease to exist because of the likes of you!" He roared as sand trapped Naruto while Kimiko jumped away in time landing on Naruto's shoulders.
"I've had enough!" She crouched and used Naruto as a springboard ready to deliver one hell of a punch to the boy, only to be captured by some sand.
"Why do you fight so hard? Why do you risk your life someone as weak as these fools. I can see I was wrong thinking the Uchiha was strong. But you, I can see pain like mine and a burning hate like mine as well." He said looking to her eyes.
"Because I found friends!" She roared rearing her head back and slamming it into the boys forehead slamming them both into the demons body cratering the area behind Garra as the body of the Shukaku crumbled away.
Naruto was able to land on one of the as Gamabunta disappeared while Kimiko and Garra landed on the tops of opposite trees.
The two stared at each other panting as Bunta's sword disappeared almost like a signal for the two as they shot towards each other.
As the two neared each other Garra swung his fist only to hit air as Kimiko ducked under the strike and came up with a solid uppercut while flipping in the air delivering a axe kick sending the boy to the ground with devastating force.
'How is she so powerful? Is her strength really her friends? How is this possible?!' He thought as he heard Kimiko land on the ground not to far away from him.
"You know, you and aren't very different Garra. I know how it feels to be in that pit of darkness. I know the hate you feel for your villagers I had the same for them, I know what it's like to be targeted by the very people that you swore to protect and shunned for what you had no control over." She panted standing up and walking towards him.
"How did you change? Why give your loyalty to the ones that made us who we are?" He asked as she gave a fond smile.
"I found friends that care for me." She said as flashes of Santi, Ryu, Rei, Naruto, Hinata and Ino flashed through her head.
"Teachers that cared." She smiled wider as flashes of Kushina, Gai, and Iruka-sensei went through her head.
"A father figure." She smiled even wider as Draco flashed in her head smiling at her.
"And someone precious to me." She said even as her smile faded a little while Sasuke's face flashed through her head.
"Someone precious?" He mumbled as he looked into the trees as Temari and Kankuro flashed in his head before he turned back to see Kimiko walking towards him with a kunai in hand.
"I'll kill anyone who tries to take them away from me if I have to." She growled glaring at him as his eyes widened.
"N-No stay away!" He panicked as she walked towards him just as two other sand ninja landed next to him.
"That's enough Kimiko." Naruto said as he landed beside her holding Ino as Shino came from the bushes behind her.
"Everyone is ok." He said smiling as she looked around.
"Where's Sasuke?" She asked as Shino stepped up.
"The Uchiha is heading back to the village." He said as she looked down before looking at Garra.
"You know Garra, I don't see why we can't be friends you know? I'm sure your sister and brother love you very much. Your sister was worried sick about you when Sasuke hit you with his Chidori." She said as Garra looked at Temari who gave a small nod.
"So what do you say? You want to be friends?" She asked and for the first time Kankuro and Temari saw a genuine smile come to his face as he nodded.
"Thank you, friend." He smiled.
"Name's Kimiko Mori by the way. Now you guys better get out of here before ANBU comes by." She said getting a nod from them as they jumped away to return to their lines as they heard the sound of the retreat.
"Are you sure it was wise to let them go Kimiko?" Shino asked looking at the girl as she fell to a knee.
"KIMIKO!" Naruto rushed to her side when he spotted the blood droplets on the ground.
"Kimiko, are you ok? When did this happen?" He asked as she smiled up at him making him really notice how pale she looked.
"Don't worry about it, but could you guys help me get to the hospital? I'm sure that my room is still open by now." She panted while Shino picked her up before taking off towards the village.
(With Garra)
Garra looked at his brother and sister thinking of the years he lashed out at them or threatened them feeling guilt beging to surface from all the years that he scared them and made them fear him.
"Temari, Kankuro. I'm sorry." He sighed getting shocked looks from them before a huge smile went across Temari's face.
"Don't worry about it Garra." Kankuro said.
"Yeah, it's ok we forgive you." Temari said watching a smile come to his face.
"Thank you." He said as a image of Kimiko flashed in his mind.
'Kimiko Mori. I'll be sure to keep in touch with you, friend.' He thought smiling wider.