Sweet, 268 reviews as of Halloween. Thank you all for your reviews. I apologize for the lateness, I've been trying to get a job (to pay for gas, games, and books and the like… TT… I want a Wii…). So… I'm putting up a date board on my profile to highlight events when they come up.

Reading the reviews made me realize that some of you are right… Naruto is getting too much tail. But that can go either way, considering the state of the shinobi world. Here's how the harem stands as of now:

Hinata

Sakura

(Fem) Haku

Ino

Kin

Tenten

Temari

Tayuya

And here are the older women that will definitely be in the harem:

Mitarashi Anko

Inuzuka Tsume

Inuzuka Hana

Kazahana Koyuki/Fujikaze Yukie
Kakuyoku Fubuki
Shizune
Uzuki Yuugao
Konan
Ayame
Yugito Nii

Altogether, eighteen women are definitely going be in. I'll probably max out the harem to twenty-five, which means that seven more women will go in. Here are the reasons why I took specific women off the list:

Tsunade – Due to popular demand, Tsunade may be a one night stand, then the Tenmuujin Clan Matriarch; in the process, she may end up getting younger. I'm still trying to work that out, but she will definitely be the Tenmuujin Matriarch.

Yuuhi Kurenai – Naruto is going to be mentored by Asuma during the fic. Since Asuma is the son of Sandaime Hokage (and not a Naruto-hater), Naruto would logically hold a lot of respect for him, passed on from the father. Plus, it'd be a twisted thing to learn someone's moves, then steal their significant other. It's happened to people I know, and trust me, these things end badly for all parties involved. However, if Asuma dies early, then there'll be the chance of Kurenai joining.

Last thing: Kamizuru Suzumebachi (the female bee user from Iwagakure) is being considered for the harem, as are Isarabi and Karin. Well, on with the show.

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

Blah Human dialogue

Blah Summon/Demon dialogue

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Chapter 7: Path to Power – Ramifications and Preparations

As a shinobi, one must expect the unexpected. That is the golden rule, as unknown variables can make or break a situation. Therefore, shinobi are trained to expect the unexpected, and to allow other to underestimate them.

All that went flying out the proverbial window, as Naruto found out. Before him was the Tenmuujin summon animal, but it was the unlikeliest animal of all. He had expected foxes, dragons… hell, maybe even bats for god's sake, but not this.

Crouched before him was a color-combo ash-gray/forest green insect.

How was this insect different from any other insect? Well, for one, it was huge. Naruto could tell it was standing, and the thing was up to his waist.

Another thing: It had a set of mandibles on the side of its head, and it yawned, revealing a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth and a block-like tongue. Its neck extended from the thorax for a couple of inches, and its thorax had the standard six legs of an insect on the side, near the bottom.

The first pair of legs, however, seemed less like legs and more like arms. They had bulky forearms with three blade-like spikes on the outside, and what was supposed to be a combination hand and claw (well, a massive claw, then) jutted out from the end of the forearms.

On its back were four small curved wing buds, and its abdomen was the same size (length-wise) as the head and abdomen combined. The end of the abdomen had two small spikes, which he assumed were stingers.

The insect's head had a spiked crest going from the top to the back, and it had large reflective green eyes with diamond-shaped pupils. In between the eyes were two small slits… nostrils, he guessed. Around the top of the eyes were six triangular plates… armored ridges to protect the eyes, he assumed. Finally, the insect had a blue bandana around its neck, like some semblance of a bib.

Naruto jumped as he heard a voice, then looked back at the large insect. 'No,' he reasoned in his head. Insects can't talk…

The insect blinked. Well, that was strange. Insects don't have eyelids…

"Well?" it asked, it's voice young and eager. "Who are you?"

Naruto realized that the insect could talk. His voice came out in croaks, then he cleared his head, and slowly ground out. "Gomen nasai," he said slowly. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Um… not to be rude… but what ARE you?"

The insect laughed, a short abrupt noise like a combination between a bark and a screech, and said, "Your summon, silly Tenmuujin."

Naruto tilted his head. "I know that… but what animal are you? I know that you're some kind of insect, but which one?"

"Megatonbo," replied the insect. Seeing Naruto blank look, it added, "Mega-dragonfly."

Naruto was now even more confused than before. What the hell was this? "A dragonfly?" he said slowly. "I'm sorry, but you don't look like one…"

"That's because I hatched about a month ago," said the dragonfly nymph. "I'll look like an adult dragonfly in maybe three years, give or take. You should see my brothers though. They hatched about two years ago and they've been adults for about five months."

"Brothers?" Naruto choked out. "There's more of you?"

"Only one of me, because I'm female," she said, holding out a claw. "Call me Chi."

Naruto hesitantly shook her claw. He had a vague idea of why she was called that, judging from the number kanji on her bandana. "Wait a minute, how'd you know I was a Tenmuujin?" he asked.

"All of the Megatonbo know the Tenmuujin by smell. Therefore, only Tenmuujin or their relations can summon us," said Chi. "If anyone else tried, we'd eat them."

Naruto paled. So, his mates couldn't summon them if he taught them how…

"Yes, they can."

Naruto's eyes widened. "How did you…?"

"It was in your eyes," said Chi, pointing at him. "Anyone who's been marked by a Tenmuujin is accepted into the Tenmuujin family. So your mates will be able to summon us if they sign the contract."

Naruto nodded numbly, falling on his backside. "This is all too much…"

Chi laughed again. "If it makes you feel any better, you've been the first one to summon his in the last century or so."

"Why's that?"

"We draw too much attention," said Chi. "One would notice giant dragonflies and either avoid them, or try and get the contract. More than likely the latter. That's why your ancestors ceased to summon us… to protect us and themselves."

Naruto nodded. That was understandable, and he would have probably ended up doing that. Well, that or taking on anyone who tried to steal his contract.

"By the way, I'm hungry. Got anything to eat?"

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Kin stared up at the starlit night from her spot at a hotel roof. The moon was full, and eerily large. She wanted to go with Naruto and the others to wish Hinata well, but the Konoha hospital would have never let her in. That, and her sensei had told her and Zaku to await one of his subordinates.

"Thinking about a certain activity under the eyes of the moon?" asked Zaku, walking beside her, a cast around his stump of a right arm.

"Get away from me," said Kin, on the defensive.

"We're teammates aren't we?" snapped Zaku, casting his dark eyes at his teammate. "What the hell is your problem?"

"You and Dosu tried to kill me, but not before trying to rape me numerous times," snarled Kin, wishing that Naruto were here with her now.

"So?" smirked Zaku. "You don't have any real uses. Besides your Genjutsu-inducing bells, there's nothing going for you except your body… a body only a fool would miss out on."

Kin backed up slowly, knowing exactly where this was going. She felt the low wall hit her backside and tensed. She wouldn't get away unless she jumped; which was suicide in any case, based off the height of this building. Only a high Chuunin or a Jounin would jump off and come away unscathed…

"Come on, Kin-chan," said Zaku, reaching for her with his still-useful left arm. "Give us a little love… you know it'll work for both parties…"

"Hell no," said Kin, drawing two kunai. "Since it's out already, I'm Uzumaki' Naruto's girl. I'll only be with him, and if you come near me, I'll kill you."

Zaku's smile fell, and he snarled, "So… you're his new bitch, are you? Well," he drew a hooked kunai. "I'll put you both into the despair that is death."

As soon as he said that, a sword jutted out of his stomach. He gasped and coughed out a gout of dark red, before falling to his knees. Kin gazed down at him with frightened eyes, then looked up to see Zaku's killer.

The man was wearing the standard uniform of an Otogakure Chuunin; a BDU scarf around the neck, a black bodysuit, and a lavender (?) kimono top with the kanji "Oto" on the back. But this one… he was wearing a pitch-black mask with large slanted white eyes and a pattern of razor-sharp teeth on the upper and lower jaw.

Kin paled, and dropped her kunai in fear. She knew who this was, and she knew that unless Naruto came out of nowhere, she was dead.

"I am Doku," said the masked-nin, as he raised his sword. "Prepare to die, for Orochimaru-sama."

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((a few moments earlier…))

Naruto and Chi jumped from roof to roof, as part of a new nighttime training exercise. "You're fast," Naruto commented as he landed on a rooftop.

"We dragonflies were designed for speed," said Chi as she landed beside her master. "Even as younglings, as we hunt in the water's depths."

"I'm not slowly killing you, am I?" asked Naruto alarmed. "I mean, you need water to live…"

"I'm not a fish," said Chi, giving him a condescending look. "We dragonfly nymphs are amphibious."

(A/N: Ace Phoenix – "Objection! Dragonfly nymphs have gills, so they can't breathe out of water! Your summon animal is flawed, because they're exactly like fish!"

Dez Guardius – "Yes, but a larger animal sometimes means a different biology, so the summon animal does not have gills in this sense! Instead it has Book Gills inside the abdomen, meaning that as long as the Book Gills are wet, they can survive on land! Like Horseshoe Crabs!"

Ace Phoenix – "… Nothing further.")

Naruto frowned and looked up. "You know, I could've sworn that I heard two guys arguing about something over there," he said, pointing to the group of buildings east of them. "It sounded like… meat and pudding…"

Chi raised her head and Naruto heard a snuffing noise. "Naruto-sama, I smell blood… to the west. And I think I smell one of your mates."

Instantly, Naruto raised his head and inhaled, taking in the scents on the night's air. He instantly knew who this was; who Chi had said was in danger. "Kin-chan!" Growling, he was off like a bullet, training his senses on the one who would dare to lay a hand on his mate; with Chi following right behind him.

((back to regular time))

Kin watched in fear as Doku raised his sword to strike her down. She knew she was a goner like Zaku, because Doku was one of Oto's top assassins. He was a Nuke-nin from Kusagakure, but he wasn't as strong as… them.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a growl, and Naruto appeared in front of her. "Na-Naruto-kun!" she gasped.

Naruto ignored her and bared his fangs at Doku. "You would dare to lay a hand on my mate!?" he growled, extending his claws.

Doku positioned his sword so he could strike down both Genin. "Uzumaki Naruto… Orochimaru-sama wants you dead the most."

Naruto grinned. "Orochimaru's next on my hit-list. As for you… farewell."

At that moment, Chi launched herself at the Oto-nin out of nowhere, hissing angrily and lashing out with claws and teeth. Doku was caught by complete surprise, and it cost him dearly.

Chi tore out Doku's throat in a flurry of motion. As the Oto-nin fell to his knees clutching his profusely bleeding throat, Chi latched her jaws around his crown and applied instant pressure. With a loud crunch, she crushed Doku's skull and let the limp body fall back.

Kin clutched at Naruto in more fear. "Na-Naruto-kun," she gasped, her eyes wide. "Wha-what is th-that?"

"Chi," said Naruto, massaging Kin's back. "That was a little much, wasn't it?"

"Gomen, Naruto-sama," said Chi as she poked at the dead assassin. "He threatened your mate, and we Megatonbo have sworn to aid the Tenmuujin in any way possible."

Kin was still wide-eyed at Chi. "Th-that's a dragonfly?" she asked shakily.

Naruto nodded, and gathered her up in his arms. "Chi, I'm taking Kin home. You can go… well, wherever you summons go when released."

Chi bowed her head and latched her claws into the dead assassin. "I'm taking him with me, because I'm hungry. I will let my family know that the Tenmuujin have returned, and we are ready and waiting."

Naruto nodded, then realized something important. "Wait, Chi!" he said, but the dragonfly nymph had already disappeared with her meal. "Crap," he muttered, then lifted Kin in his arms bridal style. "Let's go home," he said.

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(A/N: The events involving Hayate are the same as canon. As for Dosu…)

Dosu lay gasping on the roof, bleeding profusely from massive wounds all over his body. He hadn't expected Gaara to control his sand to that magnitude… and now, he was paying for it.

He was pretty sure that his limbs were useless, but he wasn't ready to die. "I swear," he spat out at the spot where Gaara once stood, blooding gushing out of his mouth. "I swear… I'll kill you… Sabaku no Gaara. I'll trade all… so I can kill you…"

As he lay there dying, a small gust of wind kicked up. His vision fading he looked up to see a dark figure with spiky hair and piercing gray ringed eyes, with pink in the area that was supposed to be white. "Wha…?" he choked out, before all went black.

((the next morning…))

As the sun rose, five ANBU surrounded the corpse of Hayate Gekkou, the Chuunin Exam Preliminary Proctor. The purple-haired cat-masked ANBU held his (Hayate's) sword, and then muttered, "Hayate-kun… What happened to you…?"

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In the Hokage's office, Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage, had a grand majority of the Jounin there assembled for a meeting, and his Hokage hat was off. Beside him were his two former teammates, now members of the Shinobi Council, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu.

"I'm sure you've already heard this," said Sandaime, "the body of Hayate Gekkou was found near Kikyou Castle."

There were cries of "What?" and "Hayate?" , followed by Anko's "Did Orochimaru kill him?"

"It's too early to conclude that," said Kakashi, glancing at Anko. "Hayate was most likely trailing the Oto-spy Kabuto. But it is true that Orochimaru is trying to pull off something."

"Then we must cancel the Chuunin Exams, and go after Orochimaru…" said a brown-haired Jounin with a scar covering the left side of his face. This was Namiashi Raido, one of the aides to the Hokage.

"No," said Sandaime. "Orochimaru threatened us not to cancel the exam after he revealed himself to Anko. And the Chuunin Exam is where the ninja of all our allies participate."

"What do you mean?" asked Homura.

"Orochimaru has enough power to conquer a small country. After he left the village, I'm sure that all the other villages had their eyes on him. He harbors a grudge against Konoha… any of our enemies would want him."

"Then can it be," asked Raido, "that our allies have conspired with Orochimaru to destroy Konoha?!"

As Kakashi elaborated that the alliances between the villages were little more than verbal agreements, Sandaime lowered his head slightly. "That is why we have concluded," he began, "that Suna and Oto will attack Konoha during the final part of the Chuunin Exam."

As the gasps of horror that erupted from nearly every Jounin in the room, he continued. "We do not know yet if this can be confirmed, but we cannot afford to make mistakes. However, should it come to pass…" here he gave a little grin, "we will assemble all of Konoha's power and fight."

With that, the meeting had ended, and the Jounin began filing out of the room.

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Naruto woke up to feel a warm female body clutching him. Naruto closed his eyes, then inhaled the vanilla scent. Yes, it was Kin… his Kin, who would have died the previous night if he hadn't been training with his summon.

That got him thinking, and he slipped out of bed, kissing Kin on her cheek as she curled up sighing. Pulling on his clothes and putting his scroll on his back, he left Kin a note letting her know what he was doing for the day.

As he exited his clan grounds to meet Jiraiya once more, he reflected on what happened the past few days. Rescuing Kin from death, meeting his clan summon, Jiraiya training him…

Without mentioning his rapidly-growing ha… no, family, he knew that he would have to expand the Tenmuujin grounds. It was nice-sized currently, but it was too small for rebuilding the Tenmuujin. That got him thinking… How was he going to expand his complex with attracting a lot of attention?

That question sprung another question in mind: What was he going to do about his summons? He didn't understand contracts, but he had a feeling that without designation, he would summon random animals; either toads or dragonflies.

With that thought in mind, he knew who he had to see; the only person he could really trust since he was young. He just hoped he wasn't busy.

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"Blasted, damned paperwork," cursed Sandaime, as he filed away paper after paper. "Damn you Minato, why did you do this to me?" he lamented as more and more paperwork appeared out of nowhere. They were like ants; every time he got rid of one, three more would take its place.

"Because you're old, Sandaime-jiji," said Naruto, appearing in his window.

"As much as I appreciate your appearance," said Sandaime, casting a small grin at his surrogate grandson, "can't you see I'm busy? And why didn't you knock?"

"The window was faster," said Naruto, as he stepped in. "And plus, why don't you just use Kage Bunshin to get the paperwork done faster?"

Sandaime mentally kicked himself for not thinking of it earlier. Muttering the technique, he said in relief as he was relieved of that scourge by his clones. "Now that that's out of the way," he said, turning to Naruto, "What do you need?"

"I have two things I need to know," said Naruto. "First… if you have two summons, how are you able to summon one or the other when needed?"

Sandaime stroked his beard. "Well, the person in question would need to have Summoning Tattoos in the shape of the animal that they summon on their arms. However, only the person who summons the animals can do that."

"How do you do it?"

"First, you need a solid picture of that animal. It has to be painted, otherwise it won't work. Second, you need to paint the animal on parchment. Again, it has to be parchment, otherwise it won't work. Third, you need to wet it, then channel your chakra into the parchment before it dries. Bear in mind that it would hurt… a lot. After that, you should be able to summon whichever summon you need, be it toad or dragonfly. Just rub your blood on the tattoo you want, and perform the summoning technique."

"Yay, more blood," said Naruto sarcastically, then his mind caught up with what Sandaime said. "Wait, what did you say about dragonflies and toads? Because I don't…"

"Naruto," said Sandaime, giving him a look.

Naruto caved and said, "Sandaime-jiji, are you so bored that you'll spy on me?"

Sandaime chuckled. "Why can't an old man check on his grandson?"

Naruto snickered. "Old is right… but still, how'd you… never mind, so that's what I need to do?"

Sandaime nodded. "Although I'd rather you not try the Summoning Tattoos, it will raise questions if you do summon dragonflies with people watching. So, the only alternative is the Summoning Tattoos."

Naruto nodded. "Second, I'll need to expand my clan complex, because it's going to be too small in the future."

Sandaime raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that? You're not doing anything… risky, are you?"

Naruto started to sweat. 'Damn, he's onto me.' "No, not at the moment," he said, chuckling at his half-truth. Well, it was true. He hadn't done anything with his mates lately.

"It's just… I need to expand it, because I'd expect a population boom in later years, and I want the expansion done early so I won't have to do it later."

Sandaime nodded. "I think that I could pull a few strings and get some men and supplies to…"

"That's okay," said Naruto. "I just need the supplies, and Kage Bunshin will do the rest. I plan on adding at least four more buildings, and the back area is really open… I think at least a couple more could fit there, but I'll worry about it later. I really want it done by the end of the month."

Sandaime nodded slowly. "Okay… but how are you going to build four building, each the size of the original, in a matter of weeks?"

Naruto grinned and said, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto… I'll find a way."

"Very well," said Sandaime. "It'll take at least a week for the supplies to arrive. I'll summon you when they come, and move them to your area."

"How do you know where I live?"

"I'm Sandaime Hokage, the Professor. I know nearly everything."

Naruto laughed and went to the window, then turned around. "Arigatou, Sarutobi-jiji. You know, I haven't said this… but you're the wisest man I know."

Sandaime relished in the compliment, but decided to play a trick on Naruto to keep him guessing. And to prove that no one could predict the Professor. "Where am I?" he asked, looking around jokingly. "What day is it? …I like pudding."

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"That was fucking bizarre," said Naruto as he arrived back at his complex. "I never want to get old…" He opened the gate to see Kin and Haku talking to each other under the Sakura tree. "Hey girls," he said, waving.

(A/N: Haku's present outfit in WotS is basically a dark green version of Shizune's outfit with the kanji "Ten" in white on the back, and a white obi around her waist.)

He found himself tackled to the ground by two overjoyed kunoichi, and he grinned to himself as he felt their magnificent bosom(s) pressing against him. 'It is good to be me, no?' he asked himself in his head.

"Where did you go, Naruto-kun?" asked Haku, lying beside him.

"To see Sandaime-jiji," he said. "Speaking of which, I need help from the two of you. I just signed two summoning contracts, so I need to make summoning tattoos. One of a toad, and one of a dragonfly."

"Summoning tattoos?" asked Haku, while Kin looked off thoughtfully. "Now that you mention it," said the former Oto-nin, "Orochimaru had a tattoo around his arm, shaped like a snake. He would rub his blood on it, then perform the summoning seals."

Naruto nodded, and pulled the two inside. "We've got tattoos to make." When they were inside, he searched through the building until he found two pieces of parchment. "I'd feel a lot better if you made the outlines… my handwriting is messy, and I'd rather not screw up on the pictures."

While Haku and Kin drew the outlines for the tattoos and filled them in, Naruto took off his scroll and jacket, clad only in his netted shirt. Sitting on the bed, he thought about how he was going to expand his complex without anyone really noticing. Seriously, it would be rather hard not to notice a bunch of work going on…

"Finished," he heard, and he looked up to see Haku holding a picture of a solid orange toad, and Kin holding a solid dark-gray dragonfly picture. Holding out his arms, he said, "Press them down on my arms, and I'll wet them, then fuse them to me."

"Naruto-kun," said Haku hesitantly. "Are you sure this is safe?"

"Yep," he said, as he poured water on the parchment. "Sandaime-jiji told me that it'll hurt a little, but it'll be okay."

When Kin and Haku had both wet parchment pieces held to Naruto's forearms, he slowly raised his right arm and put his index and middle finger on the parchment, pressing down on it. He did the same with the other and, inhaling deeply, forced his chakra from his fingers to the wet parchment.

He found out immediately that it was an understatement when Sandaime-jiji told him that it would hurt. The pain hit him like a blast of heat; he felt his arms burning where the parchment was pressing down, and he felt the searing pain like a hot brand burning into him. He let out a low noise of pain, but he kept his arms there, knowing that if he let go, then he'd have to start all over again.

Haku and Kin were startled and fearful for their mate's well-being, but he looked up at them through pain-filled eyes and grinned; even in this situation, he was optimistic. "This really hurts like hell," he gasped out. "But it's nothing… compared to that accident… I had a while back. When I think of that pain… I can stand this…"

Within a matter of minutes, it was over. Naruto let the parchments drop from his arms, revealing the smoking new tattoos there; toad on the right arm, dragonfly on the left arm. "Yatta," he muttered, then he fell back.

Haku and Kin were at his side, calling his name. "Relax," he said, his body currently feeling like lead. "All I need is a quick nap…" With that, his eyes drooped shut and he was out like a light, a silly grin on his face.

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When Naruto came to, the first thing he noticed was the sun shining through the window. The second thing he noticed were the two girls sleeping next to him, curled up next to him on either side. Inhaling, he analyzed their scents, and stored them away for the future. "Kin-chan smells of vanilla, and Haku-chan smells of fresh spring rain," he muttered, and sat up. Stretching, he felt the bones in his back pop, and he felt rejuvenated. Looking at the clock, he jumped in surprise. "Holy crap, it's 9AM!?" he half-whispered, half-yelled. He had been asleep the entire day and into the next morning.

Frantically dressing, he left a note for his sleeping mates, then ran out of the compound and to the river where he and Jiraiya were supposed to meet. When he got there, he found the Gama-Sennin looking through the bushes and giggling perversely.

"Jiraiya, will you stop doing that?" asked Naruto tiredly. "It's making you look bad."

"Where the hell have you been, gaki?" snapped Jiraiya as he turned around. "I was here the entire day, a day I could've spent out on the town."

Ignoring Jiraiya's comments, Naruto raised his right arm and pulled down the sleeve, revealing the toad tattoo. "Need I say more?" he said.

"No," said Jiraiya, bending down and inspecting the tattoo. "You did this yesterday?"

"Hai. It hurt like a bitch, but it was worth it."

Jiraiya chuckled to himself. 'This kid's something else… like the reincarnation of Minato.' "Okay then," he said. "Summon something."

Naruto nodded, bit his thumb, rubbed the blood across the tattoo, and did the seals. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" he yelled, and in a blast of smoke, he summoned a massive toad… only it wasn't the toad either of them were expecting.

The toad was wearing a navy blue yukata with a basa (conical straw hat; think Akatsuki hats) tied to the back, a netted shirt under the yukata, and he carried a black staff that was Y-shaped and spiky at the top. The toad blinked and looked around. "How the hell did I get here?" he asked at loud.

"You summoned Gamaken," said Jiraiya in slight awe. "Not as good as if summoning Gamabunta, but still…"

"Oy, Jiraiya!" shouted Gamaken, looking down at the two. "Why did you summon me in nothing's going on!?"

"He didn't," said Naruto, stepping forward. "I did."

Gamaken blinked, then laughed. "As if this little gaki could summon me! Granted, I'm not as strong as my brother, but I'm still damned useful!"

In response, Naruto raised his right arm and pulled down the sleeve, revealing the toad tattoo. "Like I said to Jiraiya, need I say more?"

Gamaken blinked again, then leaned down and looked at Jiraiya. "Oy, Jiraiya! Did that kid really…?"

"Yeah, he did," said Jiraiya, smirking. "He's really something else, just like my last apprentice."

Gamaken squinted down at Naruto. "Now that you mention it, he does look like Arashi-san. Well, At least we know that the new Summoner is a good one… maybe he'll summon 'Bunta at some point."

Jiraiya laughed hesitantly. "Well, when it comes, it'll come."

Gamaken laughed too, and then disappeared in a puff of smoke. Naruto, who had been quiet, spoke up. "Who was that?"

"That was Gamaken," said Jiraiya. "The younger brother of the boss toad, Gamabunta. He's a bit weaker than Gamabunta, but he's fast, and he can create his own style barrier; nothing can get in, unless it was ungodly powerful."

Naruto nodded, then stumbled slightly. "Whoo," he said, massaging his head. "Summoning him took at lot more out of me than I thought."

"You can't quit now," said Jiraiya. "I'm gonna teach you some of my own jutsu."

Naruto was still Naruto, so he jumped at the chance to learn jutsu. "Yeah yeah, you said I could learn Hari Jizou! Wait, what is that anyway?"

Jiraiya shifted into a stance, and put his left hand in a half-Ram Seal. "Hari Jizou!" he said, and his spiky white hair wrapped around him, leaving only part of his face uncovered before it hardened and stuck out like quills.

Naruto analyzed it with his special eyes, and nodded. "I see," he said, as Jiraiya went back to normal. "It's like a mobile armor."

"Correct," said Jiraiya. "It's an example of a strong defense and a strong offense. It protects against most attacks, and it can stop the enemy from inflicting physical attacks. All you do is concentrate your chakra into your hair, and it will do the rest. Granted, it doesn't really work like that unless you're under attack, but you use it long enough, you can use it outside of battle."

"Cool," said Naruto. "When do we start?"

"Right now," said Jiraiya, and he whipped out two kunai and charged at the startled Naruto.

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The sun was setting as Naruto dragged himself to his compound. "Damned… sadistic… slavedriver…" he gasped as he threw off his scroll and jacket, and fell on his bed. He was out like a light later, the day's events having drained him.

Jiraiya had attacked him, in an effort to get him to use Hari Jizou. It worked, and Naruto was soon blocking every technique Jiraiya sent at him. When Jiraiya had sent a huge fireball at him, Naruto knew that he wasn't blocking this one, so he jumped onto the river, utilizing the water-walking exercise. Then it all started over again.

Naruto was asleep, but the primal part of him was alert. Someone was approaching, and his body remained still, even though he already knew who it was. His mind drifted slowly awake as he inhaled the vanilla scent of Kin, who curled up next to him. Smiling lightly, he wrapped his arms around the now-apparently naked Kin, kissed her softly, and the two drifted off to sleep.

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Haku entered the compound around 10AM the next morning, today being her free day. She sighed, thinking about how Naruto-kun had thrown himself into his training, pausing only to rest or bid them well. Granted, it was a good thing that he was doing it to protect them, but he was going to burn himself out the way he was going. Also… her mind stopped thinking as she entered the master bedroom, and she took in the sight before her with wide eyes and a blush.

Naruto was lying on his back, with Kin on top of him, her short cries of ecstasy sounding more like gasp. As she could see, the two were covered by the sheets, but they were doing the deed, if Kin's backward and forward motion were any indications.

The amazing yet disturbing part of this was that the two of them were still asleep. 'Kuso,' she cursed in her head, stepping closer to the bed. 'That should be me… but Naruto-kun said he wanted me to grieve for Zabuza-sama, so he made no motions… But…' Haku turned away and was ready to exit the room, when she felt something furry grab her wrist.

Looking down, she saw that the end of Naruto's ponytail had wrapped itself around her wrist, and was pulling her to him. This caught her completely by surprise, so she was unprepared for the arms wrapping around her waist. "Stay," she heard, and she looked down to see Naruto grinning up at her, with Kin sleeping beside him.

"Na-Naruto-kun…" said Haku, before she let out a gasp as Naruto slipped his hands beneath her kimono top, massaging her perfectly-sized breasts.

((LEMON TIME. SAME RULES AS BEFORE; NO LIKEY, NO READY. DISCLAIMING IS KEY, AS THIS SITE ROCKS AND I'D LIKE TO STAY A MEMBER. FULL LEMONS FOR THE STORY MAY BE UP ON BY NEW YEARS.))

All things considered, Haku was clearly ready to officially become a Tenmuujin. Her pheromones and unwillingness to let his hands leave her were clear examples. Naruto kissed the nape of her neck, and she shivered at the heat of his breath on her neck.

All too soon, she moaned in protest when his hands left her breasts, then she felt him pull her backwards. Letting him take control, she eased into his lap and let him undo the lower part of her kimono.

At length, she felt something long, hard, and warm come in contact with her thighs. She shivered at its heat and size, but she felt on some instinctive level that her Naruto-kun would never do anything to hurt her. Swallowing slightly, she lifted herself up and slowly drew the organ within her, gasping as it slowly invaded her most sacred of regions.

Naruto was aghast with awe, as Haku squirmed around him, her moans of pleasure like music to his ears. He slowly pulled her down, then felt her stiffen as he came in contact with a familiar barrier. "Ai shiteru," he whispered in ear, then swiftly took her virginity. He heard Haku cry out, and he felt her stiffen. He held his Haku-chan, whispering sweet-nothings in her ear as he let her… adjust to the new addition within her.

When he began to move, her whimpers of pain turned into coos of pleasure, and she squirmed again, wiggling her hips as the two felt the all-consuming pleasure of slow love-making take over.

((END OF LEMON. GOMEN NASAI, BUT I'M TRYING TO PLAY IT SAFE. I FIGURE THAT WITH SHORT LEMONS, WE ALL GET THE MOOD, AND IT SETS US UP FOR THE FULL LEMONS THAT WILL COME BY NEW YEARS. ALSO, I WON"T GET BANNED FOR PROVIDING YOU GUYS A FULLY-DETAILED LEMON. SAD? YES, BUT YOU GUYS ARE WORTH IT. THEREFORE, THE STORY FORMAT IS HAVING AT LEAST 1 SHORT LEMON EVERY THIRD CHAPTER AT LEAST.))

Moments later found Naruto sitting on his bed, with Haku curled up next to him covered by only a sheet, and Kin still sleeping, a smile on her face. Haku still cooed every so often, and Naruto giggled perversely at their activities. "Haku-chan," he said, stroking her hair. "I never knew you could use your Kekkai Genkai like that…"

Haku blushed deeply. "Gomen nasai, Naruto-kun. I was just so hot… and ice cools all who are hot."

Naruto chuckled. "No need to worry, I'm okay. By the way, do you have the results of that blood test?"

"Hai!" nodded Haku, and she stood up, taking the sheet with her. The sheet was wrapped around her like a towel, and Naruto growled on the inside at not being able to see his Haku-chan's luscious body. She went over to her pouch, and pulled out a folded sheet of paper.

"The tests showed that there were large changes done to you, such as certain genes being unlocked."

"Um… what does that mean?" Even though he was smarter, Naruto was still science-talk illiterate.

"In the human body, there are genes that are active and genes that are inactive. This determines how the body develops, and it's also what separates us from the animals. The genes that are responsible for this are called Repressor Genes. Are you with me so far?"

When Naruto nodded, she continued. "However, there will be the occasion where these Repressor Genes fail to activate, and cause mutations in the person as they develop in their mother's womb. Most of the time, it's due to inbreeding, but it can happen over time. An example is the Inuzuka clan; certain Repressor genes failed to activate with their founder, and they develop enhanced senses as a result. Because this can be genetic, it was passed down the generations, and you have the Inuzuka clan as it is now."

"And that's what happen to me?"

"Hai," said Haku. "Something happened to you, and it changed your genetic structure. You're still human, but you've gotten certain animalistic traits to you as well. Whatever happened, it's changed your body to adapt to a primitive state of the world. You're like an Alpha Male… the strongest of the species, and willing to do all to protect your family."

'So, that's what happened,' he thought. "Haku-chan, come. I have something to tell you…"

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I'm finally done with Chapter Seven. As you all can see, Naruto's second summons are Dragonflies. Don't knock the dragonflies; they're the oldest and nearly best insects of all time. Next chapter will have Naruto's revelation to Haku, and Haku telling him a story of her own. Also, more training, the expanding of the Tenmuujin compound, and Hinata comes back. Hooray!!

After Hinata shows, the Chuunin Exam Finals will begin, and the matches that we have all been waiting for (read: Naruto vs. Neji). Hopefully, I'll have that done by the end of November. Reason is because I have to do some experiments for my General Physical Science class, report my findings, then turn them in on the 30th. Good news about them; I'll enjoy them because I get to use stuff that can turn out dangerous if you know how to use them… (insert evil grin here)

Lastly, thanks for all the reviews and Story/Author Alerts/Favorites. As for Naruto's fourth Tomoe, me not mentioning it was deliberate because I wanted you all to see it in action, then explain it. As for the fifth Tomoe… well, let's just say Naruto will hate his ancestors for "being so damned cryptic". Also, training with Asuma will be in later chapters, and you readers can try to figure out who the mystery man who took Dosu away.

Happy Birthday, Ryan L. Spradling, and may the rest of you loyal readers have a Happy Thanksgiving! Ja ne!