YOU ALL HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH OF A STRUGGLE THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN and im not entirely talking about writers block.
Anyways, from popular demand, I tried to finish this one. Lets see how I did…
-Mayu
Purgatory
Chapter 8
"Before you can continue on to the third exam, we have to complete preliminary rounds in order to even out the numbers. Many more candidates have passed the first and second tests than in the first years and now we have to shorten the numbers by having a random tournament." Sarutobi said, standing before the genin in his Hokage robes and hat.
Several of the genin, namely Shikamaru, had disgusted reactions to this; they had to fight some more?
A jounin dropped from no-where, straightening to reveal a very sick looking man, "Allow me to explain them Hokage-sama," he coughed out, holding a pale hand to his sickly face.
"You will have to fight another genin not from you team due to this random chooser," he waved a hand to the electronic, "this is a no holds fight, you are allowed to take any means necessary to defeat your opponent. However, you are not allowed to kill anybody, as that would be a hell of a mess to clean off concrete." The genin dead-panned.
The electronic board started up, shuffling through names quicker than they could see and finally settled on Uchiha Sasuke and Akada Yoroi.
"Would everybody except the compartments please ascend to the stands?" Hayate coughed out, taking his place in the center.
The jounins went over to stand behind the Hokage and the sannin, the genins climbing the steps on either side to the stands. Sasuke stared down his opponent, emotionless as always.
Up in the stands, Naruto stood along side Sakura, fiddling with the sleeves of his kimono, Spitz nestled in his hair. "Go Sasuke-kun!" Sakura called down, a fist raised in the air. Ino sniffed at her, but she really couldn't bring herself to care.
Sasuke flicked a hand sign to her, 'Shh.' it said, and she snorted, crossing her arms and turning to smile at Naruto.
Naruto was frowning, an oddity in itself, and his hands were now wringing his sleeves with fervor. Sakura put a hand on his shoulder, frowning.
"Something's wrong," he muttered, "Something's not right." She couldn't really say anything to that so she let it be.
Sasuke had trouble with his opponent at the start, before using his genius brain figured it out and decide to beat him his way.
Using pure taijutsu, Sasuke raced around his opponent, faster than any spectator other than his teammates have ever seen him move before and kicked Yoroi straight into a wall. That ended the match pretty fast.
"Winner, Uchiha Sasuke."
"Next, Aburame Shino vs Zaku."
Sasuke joined his teammates, gaining a smile and a punch in the shoulder for his hand sign from Sakura. Naruto glanced at him, poked him in the side and smiled before turning back to his musing.
'Be afraid, be afraid little kitling, things are coming, he is coming, they are coming for you.' Kyuubi sounded amused, a grin ever present on his face.
'Who is coming? Who is coming?' Naruto asked
'They will kill them and take you away, they will take me away, father Kitsune, your father Kitsune will die and it will be YOUR. FAULT.' The fox started roaring, slamming against his cage bars.
Naruto winced, 'I'm sorry! Father Kitsune I'm sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. Please stop.'
But the fox rarely listens to Naruto anymore.
Shikamaru beat kin, using some rather impression brain skills, Tenten was thrashed by Temari, and Shino destroyed Zaku's arms. Then, names on the screen rolled past and came up with
Uzumaki Naruto vs. Inuzuka Kiba.
Kakashi poofed away immediately, suddenly appearing behind said blonde with his signature puff of smoke. Sakura and Sasuke smiled encouragingly at the blonde, ignoring for now, Kiba's hoots and wails.
"Good luck blonde brat." Kakashi eyes smiled and ruffled Naruto's hair, his hands fingering those soft blonde locks a few seconds longer than normal. Naruto looked up at him and smiled, nodding once and leaving over the railing without a word. Kakashi frowned, "What's wrong with him?" he mused, asking Sakura and Sasuke without making his mask move.
"Don't know, he's concerned about something though." Sakura answered, Sasuke grunting with her.
Naruto was standing in front of Kiba, one hand holding the newly awoke Spitz, the other petting him slowly. Kiba was standing confidently, Akamaru by his feet and a smirk on his face, "Don' expect me to go easy on you since your cute." He boasted, grinning a cocky grin.
Naruto giggled femininely, and set Spitz on the floor, in a burst of fire, the small cute little creature grew to reach Naruto's mid-thigh, grew another tail and was now sporting drooling fangs and angry red eyes.
People gasped, but Naruto really couldn't care less. Akamaru seemed a bit less sure of himself.
"Alright, Begin!" Hayate jumped back, just as Kiba started to charge. Naruto didn't move, looking through narrowed eyes at the incoming genin.
"This will end it!" Kiba cried, spinning himself, "Gatsuuga!"
Naruto watching the spinning boy approach him until the very last second, flickering away to stand where Kiba hand started a millisecond before Kiba hit him.
Spitz streaked by, after a white streak and disappeared off to the back, keeping Akamaru busy. Naruto, the instant Kiba landed, ran a couple steps, jumped and flickered above Kia, bringing a drop-kick that looked a lot like his mother's taijutsu down on the bestial boy's head. Kiba smelled him at the last instant, blocking and skidding back, dust rising form his shoes.
Naruto giggled, leaning forward, with an arm behind his back, the other coming up to cover his mouth.
"Woops, did you miss? I'm sorry," he flickered in front of Kiba's face, "Lets try again!" and delivered a vicious left hook to the boy's face. Kiba wasn't fast enough to dodge this time, and flew back. Naruto laughed again, and flickered to god knows where.
Kiba panted, trying to find a scent of the boy. Breathing on his neck caused him to jump away and turn. Red eyes glared at him in hunger before they disappeared into blue.
Up in the stands, Kakashi hadn't opened his book and stood holding it, a worried eye trained on Naruto. "He's loosing control, Sakura," the pink-haired girl looked at him, "Did Naruto take his pills in the forest?" Sakura thought for a moment before her eyes widened significantly. That was all the answer he needed.
"Time!" he yelled down to Hayate, and appeared down in the arena.
"Kakashi, you know this is grounds for disqualification?" Hayate glared, his sickly face scowling in annoyance.
Kakashi caught Naruto before he could barrel roll into Kiba's stumbling stomach, the dog-like boy was started to cough up blood.
"I'm sure the Hokage will agree with this, just gotta help Naruto with his pills." A quick glance to the platform showed the Hokage nodding to the silver-haired jounin, Tsunade standing directly behind him, looking worried.
Naruto slumped in his arms, gripping his head and letting out a keening wail. "Kashi, he's screaming…so loud…" he whimpered, turning to press his face into Kakashi's shoulder and clutching his shoulders tightly. While Kakashi would normally enjoy this kind of thing coming from the young blonde, he felt it was rather exposed…especially with Kurenai's harsh red eyes glaring into their forms from a few yards away where she tended Kiba.
Kakashi slid a hand between them and began searching for the bottles of pills he knew were there, he also noticed how Kurenai's gaze became much…much…sharper and felt himself begin to sweat. A thought travelled through his head, a feeling of dread and despair. If she tried to take his Naruto away he would…what would he do? Technically, she was in the right.
"Naruto-kun, come on, where's your pills?" he murmured quietly, lovingly.
Naruto lifted his head with a deep breath, flashing a sad smile to Kakashi before reaching and taking his pills out himself, counting them out, a few more than normal, and popping them in one after another. Kakashi stayed kneeling for this, rubbing the boy's shoulder for every wince and grimace.
"Hey! What is he doing? Taking pills? Is that allowed?" Kiba yelled, over his little blood-breathing fit. Hayate looked to the Hokage, and the old man nodded seriously, eyes still on the small blonde boy.
Kakashi growled lowly, hands still traveling across the blonde boy's shoulders, "You okay now?" he stood and leaned over so he could whisper with the blonde.
"As much as a girl can be, sexy." Naruto looked at him and winked saucily.
"Yep, definitely all right." Kakashi chuckled and pushing the blonde to the center of the arena, so he could start the match again. The jounin appeared up in the stands looking for the world like he hadn't just been caressing his young student so….gently.
Kurenai kept her eyes narrowed.
"Begin….again…" Hayate deadpanned, jumping back.
"Alrighty, Kiba-chan," Naruto began to speak cordially, taking out two kunais and holding them reversed. Spitz was crouching at his side, still with two tails flailing behind him. Akamaru was back with his master, crouching and snarling by his side.
Kiba panted, eying the little blonde in front of him. He already realized that the other was much faster, much stronger than him. He had to get this fight into his advantage. So, he took out his smoke bombs, tossing them as he ran forward, and thick purple smoke enveloped the arena, hiding the fighters from view.
Inside, Naruto was snickering, giggling, dancing around to dodge the Inuzuka. The dog boy was becoming increasingly frustrated, and also slightly scared. If this little blonde could dodge him inside his smoke, where HE should have the advantage, how in gods name will he beat him?
Naruto got bored easily, and he really wasn't in the mood to fight. The pills were making him sleepy and all he really wanted was a nap. He flickered off into a corner of the stadium, unnoticed by Akamaru who was circling the dark smoke to catch him if he falls out. Naruto concentrated past his sleepiness, brought his hands together and made a hand seal, five clones popped into existence. He sent them off to take up positions around the cloud, one flickering into it to keep Kiba distracted and he made the signal.
All five clones (including the original) brought out all their kunai, wrapping explosion seals around every single one with a smile for each.
And then they tossed them ALL into the cloud. The explosion was immense, not with fire but with pure force. Kiba flew out and smashed into the wall, a deafening crack as he did so. He fell to the ground with a definite thump, Naruto beside him in an instant, kneeling beside his head.
"Kiba-chan….Kiba-chaaaaaan." He called, poking the boy in his side and with no response shrugged and flickered to his spot, letting the medic nins take care of him.
"Winner, Uzumaki Naruto."
Naruto looked at Kakashi and Sakura; "Did I go too far?" he seemed worried. Sakura smiled and gave him a quick hug, "No, you did fine." Sasuke patted him on the head, which was all he needed to say.
And Kakashi, in an effort to maintain his dignity under the scrutinizing glares of Kurenai and Tsunade both just smiled at the boy, taking out his book, "Well done 'Ruto." Naruto beamed at him.
"Will Nara Shikamaru and Tsuki Kin please come down?" asked Hayate. Naruto bounced over to where Shikamaru was sitting down and chirped happily in his ear, "Good luck little deer."
Shikamaru gave him an odd look, and then smirked slightly, running a hand into the blonde hair. He then took a leisurely stroll down to the arena, where his opponent was impatiently waiting. Naruto stood there with a consternated expression, bringing a finger up to poke at his bottom lip.
Ino noticed him, "Naruto? What's wrong?" the blonde girl eyed the small boy, curious to see why her rival and her Sasuke-kun loved him so much.
"My hair is a drug." He told her seriously, pointing the finger he had been poking his lip with at her.
Ino sweatdropped, "Uh… Okay."
The fights didn't really get interesting for a while. Naruto went over to his team and sat against the wall, looking off into space, his head turning to stare at something unseen every once in a while.
Shikamaru won, Shino won, Sakura won-against Ino no less, it was a good thing Kakashi trained her harder than the boys…she blew the blonde girl away- Chouji lost, Hinata lost, other than that it was non-important genins that Naruto didn't really pay attention to.
Then something caught his attention.
Gaara vs Rock Lee.
Lee was yelling and excited, but Gaara gave no notice he had even heard the examiner. Simply appearing in the arena below in a whirl of sand.
As their fight lengthened, and whispering and evaluating happened on all sides of the room, Naruto became quiet. Then he was silent and clenching his fists to his stomach. Finally, Naruto began to shake.
Gaara panted, growling in his chest. Mother was screaming at him, to kill this fool that tried to defeat her. His hair became wild, sand dropped in clumps from his face, his sand armor was failing but the sand grew every passing second.
Kyuubi was growing agitated. Growling in a low disgusted voice, 'Sand mongrel, betrayer of brothers, little rat stepping out of turn. Should kill him, yes I should, tear him to pieces, rain his blood in his own sands, drown him in it, kill him, kill him now.'
Naruto shook his head silently.
'Oh, have you been listening little kit?" wheedled Kyuubi, his voice suddenly sweetly disgusting, 'have you missed the voice of your true father Kistune? I love you little childling, I do what I can for you, you know that. Why don't you do something for your tired old father hm?"
Naruto put his hands to his ears vainly trying to force the voice out of his head.
"Those medicines, they don't really block me out do they?" Naruto reached into his wonderful white robe, taking out his big bottle of pills.
"They won't work, its no use." The blonde popped a few in, "KILL HIM! Kill the weakling tanuki, weakling mongrel DOG! SPILL HIS BLOOD, SPILL ALL THEIR BLOOD! Kill it, kill, kill, kill, tear, rend flesh, spurting blood, fountains, rain, rivers dripping down your fangs."
Naruto stared down at Gaara, listening to the mad ravings of the most powerful demon in the world and he popped a few more pills.
One. Gaara slammed Lee into the wall. Two. Lee disappeared under a mountain of sand. Three. Lee escaped. One.
Sakura bit her lip, noticing her teammate's increasing pill popping. Kakashi was having a whispered conversation with guy, in the other side of Team 8, and, giving a significant glance to Sasuke, she hurried over to her teacher.
"Sensei." She whispered urgently, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. Kakashi stopped his argument with Gai and looked at her.
"It's Naruto, he's…" she bit her lip, "reacting badly to Gaara." Kakashi nodded stiffly to Gai and walked back with Sakura, his grey eyes focused on the tense face of his smallest student. It was Kyuubi, he knew, but at the rate the blonde was popping pills it seemed the fox wasn't disappeared as usual.
When he put a hand on the young blondes shoulder and looked into his face, his eyes asked his question.
"He's so loud, Kakashi-sensei, so very silent." The blonde said, his eyes flinching to watching something invisible, "Their hands are so cold." He whimpered, wrapping his arms around himself.
Kakashi didn't know what to do; the boy was slowly drawing further away, and retreating into the world he lived in. The man knelt down, putting himself between Gaara and Naruto. "Naruto, I want you to listen to me," he gently shook him, "please? Listen to me, come on."
Naruto focused on his face, blue eyes opened as wide as they could go. Even now, Kakashi saw red encroaching around the edge of his iris…the Kyuubi was a persistent bugger.
"Alright, Naruto I wan—" "Do you remember when I wanted to kill you?" Naruto interrupted him, suddenly as alert as he had ever been, his eyes searching Kakashi's face intensely.
"err…yeah?" Kakashi did remember, that day on the Academy roof. It also made him remember his stupidity and foolishness concerning the young boy's early life. Naruto shook his head violently, "I don't want to anymore okay? Not anymore!" he was insistent, suddenly strong hands gripping Kakashi's vest in a desperate lurch.
Kakashi felt his heartstrings pull. The boy sounded so heartbroken, "Alright Naruto, alright, it's all right, just don't listen to him anymore. He knows nothing." Kakashi whispered to the poor child, his sharingan eye filling with tears.
Naruto gave a shuddering breath and then collapsed against Kakashi, knocking him over. He wasn't as small as he used to be…that might have been because of Kakashi's training.
Kakashi sat back against the wall, the blonde crying against his chest. He had Naruto's head pressed sideways into his vest, and put his arm over the other ear, knowing somehow, that the Kyuubi was loud; too loud for the blonde to handle. Also, the menacing force of Gaara, who had just destroyed Gai's student, was bothering him.
Sakura knelt next to them, putting a hand on the blondes back. Sasuke leaned against the wall on the other side. Kakashi was suddenly overwhelmed with pride of his team, of how they had grown. Who were they at the beginning of the team? An unknown crazy boy, a dark avenger and a girl with no self esteem.
The moment lasted for only a bit, and then the wrath of a large-chested woman fell upon them. Well, not wrath per se, it was more of a cold, freezing storm.
"Hatake." Tsunade bit out quietly under her breath. Kurenai was watching the proceedings with thinly veiled smugness. Hinata, however, was watching with pity and disappointment of her teacher.
Kakashi cleared his throat, suddenly aware of the compromising situation, "Tsunade-sama. Um, Naruto was having tenant problems, and, shouldn't you be monitoring the match?" he asked nervously, suddenly aware that it was nearly the end of the preliminaries.
"Sarutobi has it." Her eyes narrowed, watching him intently, "what's wrong with my son?"
Kakashi stood up, taking Naruto with him. The blonde boy seemed out of it, staring off into the distance but not ever letting go of his sensei. He leaned closer to Tsunade, aware that the other teams were close by. Sasuke and Sakura stood on both side of them, making sure that there was good space between Team 8 and 10 form their sensei.
"Those medications don't work anymore. Naruto can barely handle the Kyuubi in his head. Something is wrong with that Gaara kid…Ruto's reacting with his presence and nearly just overdosed himself trying to block out the thing in his head." Kakashi's voice had become angry.
Tsunade didn't shift her expression, "Impossible, I made those pills myself, they're strong enough to down a horse."
Kakashi resisted the urge to sneer, knowing she would be able to see it under his mask, "Well, they're not working anymore are they?" he was being rude and he knew it. But this was Naruto he was talking about.
Tsunade gave him a searching looked before kneeling by her adopted son. "Naruto? Naru baby, it's mum." She wheedled, trying to turn his head towards her.
The blonde's head swung like it was a hundred pounds and he regarded her with that thousand mile stare that drove straight to her core.
"Naru, why were you taking you're pills? Only a few should work." Tsunade brushed his hair back.
Kakashi resisted a huge impulse to slap her hand away, remembering that she was his mother. Just not a very interested mother. Kakashi busied himself with keeping the boy standing and avoided the other teachers' eyes.
"You lied." Naruto whispered, still staring into Tsunade's heart, "the pills don't work." The woman looked like she had just been slapped in the face. Kakashi felt a moment's pity.
While they were all occupied, all the matches had finished.
"Will the winners all come line up in the arena please?" Wheezed Hayate.
Naruto twitched and fell out of Kakashi's grip. He held his teammates hands as they walked down to the arena. Kakashi watched over them from the teachers section, a silent Tsunade and a seething Kurenai beside him.
Hayate began his speech on the month of training, handing out the numbers. The third exam went like this.
Nara Shikamaru vs Temari
Kankuro vs Aburame Shino
Haruno Sakura vs Uchiha Sasuke
Uzumaki Naruto vs Gaara
Vs Dozu
Team seven trooped out of the arena, blinking against the surprising sunlight.
"A month." Naruto mused, "What are we going to do for a month?" he still held the hands of Sakura and Sasuke, swinging them back and forth like a small child.
"Train! Of course,w hat else is there?" Kakashi eye-smiled back at them, holding his book. Before they could say anymore, two Anbu popped down from out of knowhere.
"Hatake Kakashi and Uzumaki Naruto, the Godaime wishes to see you." One spoke.
Sakura blinked, "Godaime? Did Sandaime retire again?"
"We are not authorized to say." Said Two.
"Then why did you say Godaime in the first place?" Sasuke said crossly, "now, we'll just go about spreading rumors."
The anbu were silent before One said, "All of you come with us."
Sakura and Sasuke were smirking, and they caught the subtle wink their sensei sent at them. At least Team Seven could face this as a team.
Tsunade sat at her desk, wearing her brand new hat and holding a newly opened bottle of sake. Behind her stood Sarutobi, Kurenai and Jiraiya, all with varying degrees of emotions. Sandaime was resigned, tired and seemed to wilt under his age. Kurenai was somewhat angry, confused, and suspicious all at the same time, but also a smug feeling of righteous victory seethed underneath. Jiraiya was just bored with the whole thing, but also worried of consequences, both for his teammate and his son.
The Anbu and team seven stomped into the Hokage's office, inciting a scowl from the blonde woman.
"I thought I said I just wanted Hatake and my son?" she demanded, Anbu One stepped forward.
"Forgive us Tsunade-sama, but Uchiha and Haruno became privy to unauthorized information."
Tsunade waved him away, "Whatever, I don't care. So, Hatake Kakashi, do you know why you have been called here?" Kakashi fidgeted, "Um…no…Hokage-sama." He replied belatedly.
Tsunade's gaze sharpened to include Naruto by his side. The blonde wasn't looking at her, he was looking at the pale shades around him. Not very many were in this office, just two large prominent ones. They were stronger, but they didn't reach for him. They just watched.
"Naruto-kun, do you know why you're here?" she asked, her voice just a bit softer. Naruto suddenly smiled, tilting his head directly to the left towards Kakashi and said, "Maaaybe." Then his smiled dropped and he glared.
Tsunade twitched at that, but overcoming it she turned her gaze to the ninja she could control, and feeling a headache in the back of her head she wanted to get it over with quickly.
"Hatake Kakashi, you have been charged with the child molestation and pedophilia on one Uzumaki Naruto, such serious charges merit two months in custody to determine your innocence. Anbu, take him away. May Kami save your soul you disgrace of a human." She snarled, coming out form behind her desk. Amid Sakura's cry and Sasuke's yell, two Anbu appeared on either side of the silver haired jounin. He seemed zoned, blinking and his mouth opening like he wanted to say something.
Finally sighing, the man lowered his gaze and exited the door without trouble, deliberately not looking at the blonde child behind him, if he did nothing could have gotten him out of the room.
Tsunade knelt before her adopted child, smiling at him, "Are you alright Naru-chan? Did he hurt you or scare you?" Naruto just stared at her, shocked.
"You…took him away?"
"Naruto…" Sakura started, lifting a hand to go to him. Tsunade waved her and Sasuke away.
"Naruto-chan, I know it was for the best, he isn't the one for you. It was bad for him to have ever touched you, we'll take care of him for you." Her gaze hardened.
He shook his head, "no…that's not…no.."
What did I tell you.
Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, ignoring whatever his mother was saying now.
Didn't I say things would turn out for the worse for you? Your wonder-boy Silver is gooooone now. Nobody to save you now if I take over. Nobody nobody nobody. The Kyuubi grinned.
"No…He's….no!" He wrapped his arms around his head and squatted. Tsunade clucked over him, her face worried, "my dear what's wrong? What's wrong? Your not sick…Jiraiya! Get over here! There's something wrong!"
Jiraiya, despite have an expression of disapproval towards the woman's actions immediately began to get to his boy. Then, a voice spoke that none but Naruto had ever heard. It was booming, clear as day.
You're mine.
Chakra exploded around the boy, causing Tsunade to shoot back and ram into Jiraiya, the both of them being pushed into the wall.
"NO! NO GO AWAY! HE'S HERE! HE WOULDN'T LEAVE ME!" Naruto screamed, eyes wide and his hair unruffled amid the storm of the blowing, boiling red chakra around him. Pleading, his eyes turned towards Tsunade, towards his mother.
"YOU MADE HIM LEAVE! NO NO NO NO NO NO! HE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO LEAVE! SHUT UP! GET OUT OF MY HEAD! Why would you do such a thing mother."
Then he was still, eyes growing dim, All Naruto saw was a shadow,, a large shadow of a giant fox, creeping out from under him. Tsunade held a hand to her mouth, shocked at the display. Kurenai, trapped between the Hokage's desk and the wall was just as shocked, wondering at the strength of the boy, and at his reaction. Was she wrong?
Sakura and Sasuke were huddled at the side of the room, eyes fixed on the form of their teammate. "He's losing this time Sasuke-kun." Sakura whispered. The dark haired boy only swallowed.
Down the stairs, Kakashi walked in silence between his guards, thinking voer everything he had done, what he had given in to the blonde. But, something bugged him.
'I don't regret anything' he thought, and he smiled. Then, a terrible feeling of malice and chakra exploded from behind them, in the office.
You're mine.
The Kyuubi…Kakashi's eyes hardened. Not yours, MINE.
"Sorry Hana." He turned in a flash and punched the woman Anbu in the stomach hard enough to send her into the way, and a leg the other direction in the unknown Anbu Two.
Within seconds he was up the stairs and throwing open the door, flinching at the heat.
There was his blonde. Naruto. Without a second thought, and using a stupid amount of his own chakra, Kakashi formed a protective shell around himself, spending chakra simply to harden the outside into a seamless cover. Any crack and the Kyuubi's chakra could needle its way in and destroy him.
Kakashi dived, ending with his body encircling the kneeling boy. Kakashi didn't speak this time, instead, he spoke to Kyuubi.
"Let. Him. Go." He growled, his voice with an uncharacteristic feral quality, anger saturating his words and a painful threat hovering behind them. He could feel Kyuubis anger, his offense to be order around, but he was wary around Kakashi, for some reason, the being didn't harm him.
It receded.
Chakra storm fell, the presence left, Kakashi released his own shield, and everybody gave a sigh of relief. Kakashi fell over sideways, having spent all his chakra.
Naruto fell with him, groaning when he hit the floor, "Furry bastards too much of a damn opportunist." Then he snuggled into Kakashi's shoulder.
Struck by the hilarity of the situation, the jounin broke into laughter, falling so he was lying flat on the floor of the Hokage's office, a young blonde at his side and his leader and team sitting around them.
Tsunade was gaping, "Whaa…what?"
Kurenai was shitting bricks. 'That was the Kyuubi. THE KYUUBI' the kid deals with that in his mind constantly?
Jiraiya was grinning at Kakashi, "Well boy, you sure do know how to pick them."
Kakashi rolled his head to look at the big man, who had one arm around the shell-shocked Tsunade, "Don't I know it." The statement earned him a punch in the side from his favorite blonde.
THAT'S ALL I CAN DO!
ALL I CAN DO.
Next is the month before the exams and the exams themselves.
-mayu
