Naruto- Bloodlines Awakened

Summary- What if things had been different? What if Naruto had one true friend in his childhood who supported him through thick and thin? Just how much would change from that? Read on and find out how one person can change and impact so many lives.

Reviews-

Guest- Unfortunately this isn't going to be a Naruto x Kushina pairing, though it is one of my favorites.

DragonPony022- Sorry but I will tell you right now that I will never do a yaoi pairing. I don't have anything against it but I just won't do it. But Naruto's sword will definitely be involved with his wind manipulation, as you'll soon see.

Windbear- Glad you liked the sword and I'm going to try my best with the interactions between Naruto and Kushina.

Guest- That's good. No complaints about Kushina's return.

WindyCitySlayer1- Another chapter as requested. I don't plan on stopping, especially with so many people supporting the story.

Drkflame89- I can't say whether or not the Sandiame is going to survive the invasion, partially because it would ruin the suspense and expectations of the readers, and also because I'm still deciding on it. And I'm glad you asked that. At this point in the story I would rate Naruto at high chunin level bordering on special jonin level, but he lacks the experience of most chunin and jonin so it's hard to say.

Rebmul- I'm actually going to have a poll about that on my profile, so make sure to check it out.

Shigure Toshiro- Read on to see what happens.

The Fakhouri Legacy- Haha thanks I was hoping to get a bit of a laugh out of that. I've read so many fanfics that have had suspense filled endings like that and I just had to do one for myself.

Shodaimeuzukage17- I'm really glad that you love the story enough to be addicted to it. Enjoy the newest chapter and those that follow.

KakeruPB- If you want to find out how Kushina came back, read on and find it out. Don't worry though, she's sticking around.

Jade Vader- Yes, yes it is.

"Text"- Person talking

'Text'- Personal thinking

"Text"- Demon talking/Jutsu

'Text'- Demon thinking

~Text~- Time skip/Location change

Text- Flashback/Reading

Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto or any other concepts from other anime in any way whatsoever. Wish I did, but sadly I don't. Reality sucks like that.

*A NEW POLL WILL BE UP ON MY PROFILE. THE DETAILS WILL BE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CHAPTER AND PLEASE VOTE. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR OVER 100 FAVORITES OF THE STORY*

Chapter Nine- Family and Training Continues

~Mindscape~

"K-Kaa-san..." Naruto stuttered out in shock, tears stinging at his eyes.

Standing before Naruto was Kushina Uzumaki, second jinchuriki of Kurama and, more importantly, his mother. The strangest, most confusing thing about this was that Kushina Uzumaki died on October 10 when the Kyuubi attacked Konoha.

"H-how? You're dead how are you possibly here?!" Naruto yelled out desperately while trying to get rid of the cruel illusion in front of him, part of him deeply wishing that it was real and not an illusion.

"Kokoro is the reason. I never expected this to happen when it was made, but that katana somehow reacted with the chakra that I had sealed into the Shiki Fuin to help you in the future. It gave me a sort of body inside the seal and the sword. You could say that Kokoro was semi-sentient before, but now I am the consciousness of Kokoro." Kushina explained slowly as Naruto processed the information. It wasn't long till he realized a few major things. He had his mother back, no matter how it happened, he had his mother back in his life.

With happy tears streaming down his cheeks, Naruto lunged at Kushina and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. The red head had been expecting this and happily returned the hug, enjoying the feeling of holding her son in her arms for the first time since he was born.

For a few minutes the two held each other and enjoyed the closeness they now had. Finally Kushina pulled away slightly but left her hands on her son's shoulders. "I saw everything from inside the seal Naruto-kun. I'm so glad that you've become a strong and honorable shinobi. You're so much like your father and he would be so proud of you." The woman said making Naruto smile happily.

"Kaa-chan... who is my father? Why won't anyone tell me about him?" The young man asked as Kushina and Kurama could see the frustration that he was hiding from the outside world.

"Naruto I saw the deal you made with Kurama about your father and I have to agree with it. Once you reach chunin or at least get to the finals of the chunin exams I'll tell you who your father is and everything about him that you want to know." Kushina explained softly as Naruto hung his head slightly in disappointment.

"I will tell you a bit about him though, but nothing that could tell you who he was." She added on as she sat down against a tree and held her son against her chest, slowly running her hands through his spiky mane. "Your father was very very strong. Stronger than me even and it's that reason why we can't tell you who he is yet. Hiruzen knows who he is but he wanted you to be more mature and strong before telling you the news. Your father was a caring man despite his strength. He hated killing with a passion but he would if it would protect the ones he loved. He was a calm and logical man but he had a childish side to him which made everyone love to be around him. Though when he was angered he became a monster to anyone opposing him, especially if those he cared about were in danger." Kushina said as a faraway look appeared in her eyes, like she was reminiscing about the past. Looking down at Naruto she was greeted by a wide smile and she let out a small giggle.

"You're so much like him and me that it's funny. You love to prank and joke around like me and you have the same power as your father did that made everyone around him a better person. You're fiercely loyal to your loved ones and will do anything to protect them, just like both of us. And just like your father, anyone who threatens your loved ones receives no mercy from you." Kushina finished as a soft, yet deep chuckle caught the attention of mother and son.

Kurama had let the two have their time together but felt it was necessary to comment a bit on something. "Despite what you may think Kushina. That love of pranking you both had actually is another aspect of being my jinchuriki. A fox is a trickster through and through and having me sealed inside of you gave you a greater love of pranking and trickery." The Biju said with a smirk as Naruto shrugged nonchalantly.

"Meh! I don't mind Kurama. It's fun to prank everybody and it's better than staying mad and taking revenge on everyone." The young man replied and soon his mother nodded in agreement.

"He's right, you know. But why wasn't Mito-sama ever affected like us? She was always serious and never played pranks." Kushina asked curiously as Naruto watched in confusion. All he knew about Mito was that she was the first jinchuriki of the Kyuubi and that she was the wife of the Shodaime.

"Ah it's been a while since I've thought of Mito. She wasn't affected by me much because she sealed me in a much different and risky way. It also was since she was an adult at that point and firmly set in her ways and opinions, thus I wouldn't affect her much." The massive Fox replied.

For a few minutes more the three were silent, enjoying the nature around them created by Naruto's thoughts. Finally the young man spoke up with the other major question on his mind.

"So... What now?" He asked.

"Well now I'm going to start training you in here at night when you're asleep. You will,still have to do the physical training but muscle memory and information will be able to be retained from training in your mindscape." Kushina replied before pointing to the sword strapped to Naruto's back.

"I'll also be helping you to learn the more advanced moves of Aka Uzu once you're ready for them and teach you more on how to use Kokoro properly, both in and outside of your mindscape. And don't worry I'll have Kurama set up a mental connection between us so we can talk to each other when you're awake." She explained.

"Already did it Kushina. I figured that you would want that so I set it up when you two were talking. When Naruto wakes up the connection should be fine." Kurama spoke up.

"Thanks Kurama that makes things a lot easier." Naruto replied towards the giant fox.

"Most of our time tonight has been used up, so I'll be explaining some things that I want you to do when you wake up Sochi." Seeing that she had Naruto's full attention, Kushina continued. "I want you to try using your bloodline and wind affinity with Kokoro. It was meant to be able to use your chakra so experiment a bit. I also want you to try using a bit of Kurama's youki. We think that it might affect your bloodline somewhat and we want to make sure now when it isn't a dangerous situation." Kushina explained.

"Affect my bloodline in what way?" Naruto asked curiously as Kuama took over.

"Well the small fire affinity that you have is actually thanks to me being sealed into you. It isn't a guarantee, but I believe that using my youki will amplify your fire affinity while weakening your wind affinity somewhat. It might even make it so you could use Katon jutsu while your Kazekami no Me is activated." Kurama said as Naruto thought over the information.

"So how will we find out if your youki is affecting my bloodline?" The young man asked.

Tapping the side of his head, Kurama simply grinned. "I've been inside you for 16 years kit. I'll be able to notice any differences in your chakra, especially if my youki is involved." The Biju explained.

Before Naruto could reply, a familiar light filled the mindscape and made the blond/red head frown sadly. He knew that he had to wake up eventually, but he wanted to stay with his mother for a little longer.

As if she could tell his thoughts, Kushina smiled and wrapped her arms around Naruto. "It's alright Sochi I'll be able to talk to you at any time and you can come and visit every night." She said softly and succeeded in making Naruto smile.

"Thanks Kaa-chan I'll talk to you soon." He whispered quietly before the light became blinding and Kushina found herself alone with Kurama inside the seal.

~Next Morning, Apartment~

Naruto yawned loudly as he woke up, stretching his arms out before rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Morning Naruto-kun." Yumi's voice called out with more than a small hint of amusement as she poked her head in the bedroom. "Hurry and wash up. I just finished breakfast." The violet haired girl said.

In the next second the bed was empty and the door to the bathroom had slammed shut. Yumi tried to stifle her laughter but wasn't doing well as she walked back into the kitchen giggling happily.

'Never change Naruto-kun.' She thought to herself as she sat down at the table to wait for her boyfriend.

Not long after that Naruto walked out of his bedroom with a towel draped over his shoulder. Even with his hair wet it still didn't look any more tame than usual. Without another word Yumi slid the blond/red head a plate full of pancakes and the two swiftly dug in.

"So Yumi-chan what are you going to be doing today?" Naruto asked after the two had finished eating.

"Well Yugao-sensei helped me out by letting me train with Gai-sensei on a new project of mine. And no I won't tell you about it until it's finished Naruto-kun." Yumi explained before giggling once again as Naruto froze with his mouth open, having been just about to ask that very question.

"Fine Yumi-chan." The jinchuriki grumbled out in disappointment before glancing back at his partner. "What about Haku-chan? What is she doing?" He asked.

"Haku is working on her medical jutsu on her free time and she told me Zabuza is going to be teaching her more of his Suiton jutsu." Yumi replied.

Naruto smiled and nodded in understanding. Seeing how they'd part ways at this point, Yumi going to train with Gai while he was going to training ground 5 with Yugao, the young man leaned in and gave his girlfriend a quick kiss on the lips before running off. "See you later on Yumi-chan!" He called back to her.

Not looking back, Naruto missed the wide grin on Yumi's face as she walked off towards training ground 9 where Gai and his team would be. Even if Gai was a slave driver, she had Naruto so it would be alright.

~Training Ground 5~

As Naruto walked into the training ground of Team 5 he was greeted by the sight of Yugao going through a few stances of a kenjutsu style. For a few minutes the blond/red head silently watched his sensei.

"Enjoy the show?" Yugao joked as she stopped mid swing and looked over at her surprised genin. Naruto had jumped a bit when Yugao had called him out and blushed faintly in embarrassment once he realized he had been caught.

"Sorry Yugao-sensei but you were really going at it and I didn't want to stop you." Naruto replied sheepishly.

"It's fine Naruto-kun and I sincerely hope that you'll be able to keep up with today's training. We're going to be moving on to more advanced katas of the Aka Uzu and I'm going to have you try to use them to attack me or dodge and defend against my attacks." Yugao explained seriously as her student's eyes narrowed.

A few minutes later found the pair standing silently in the middle of the lake, using the water walking exercise to stand on top of the calm water. Slowly a leaf drifted down through the air and landed on the surface of the water, creating a small ripple.

The moment that happened, Yugao vanished in a blur of movement and Naruto tensed up as his eyes darted around. Suddenly the purple haired woman appeared behind a wide eyed Naruto and brought her blade down in a slash towards the blond/red head's left shoulder. The young man quickly shifted his katana so it was held diagonally across his shoulder. Yugao's blade impacted and slid along the edge of Kokoro as the sound metal grinding against metal filled the air. For a moment the two remained in the same stance before Naruto twisted and flung his arm out to the side, making Yugao follow the same motion.

Taking the chance he lunged forward and tried to slash Yugao across the chest. It almost succeeded until the jonin pulled her blade back and forced Naruto into a standstill with their blades locked together.

Seeing how he wouldn't win the deadlock, Naruto jumped back to get a few feet between himself and his sensei before rushing back in. Trying something new he went in with a diagonal slash to Yugao's left side and suddenly twisted his body around, ending up on her right side with Kokoro held at the older woman's neck.

"Looks like I win this time Yugao-sensei." Naruto said cheekily before the grin on his face vanished as he felt a sharp object poking into his side.

Looking down, the jinchuriki frowned as he saw Yugao's blade held against his side. Just a small movement would push the blade into his body and hit his kidneys, a fatal blow.

"Nice try Naruto-kun, but it's a tie." Yugao replied before letting his sword drop to her side while Naruto pulled his arm away. "You're doing very well so far, especially to force me into a tie. But you can't forget that I'm still holding back until you learn more of the Aka Uzu." She said.

With a sigh, Naruto nodded as he sheathed his sword and moved back towards dry land. 'Naruto-kun make sure to try channeling your chakra through Kokoro. Yugao-chan should be able to help.' Kushina's voice called out from inside the seal making Naruto nod and smile happily.

'Alright, thanks Kaa-chan. By the way should I tell Yugao-sensei about you?' Naruto asked mentally while he walked with Yugao who was oblivious to the conversation going on.

'No... At least not yet. Maybe later on.' Kushina replied before the connection was cut by the blond/red head.

"Yugao-sensei what would happen if I channeled my chakra through my katana?" Naruto asked.

"I'm surprised that you're asking that, but it depends on certain things. If you use normal chakra then it'll strengthen your blade slightly and make it more durable. Elemental chakra has different affects though. Earth will make it more dense and durable. Lightning will greatly increase the cutting power and shock people if done well. Fire will heat the blade and make it possible to even cut through steel if enough control and heat are applied. Water, unfortunately doesn't do much for kenjutsu but wind chakra is by far the best. Wind chakra sharpens the blade to an extreme and can even give an extra length that can be invisible to others. Depending on the control of the wind element, a normal katana could cut through another blade of the same quality with almost no difficulty at all." Yugao finished.

A look of concentration grew on Naruto's face as he considered what the jonin had told him. Already he was getting various ideas but they all needed testing. Deciding to get the most important part down, the young man began to channel his Futon chakra into the blade in his hands.

Slowly a faint glow of chakra surrounded the katana before a visible aura of wind coated the entire weapon in a pale white covering. "Wow... This actually isn't that hard." Naruto muttered as he held Kokoro in his hands.

"It's impressive that you can channel your chakra so well into the blade on your first try, but the main difficulty is keeping it up in the middle of combat." Yugao explained as she lashed out with her katana. The blade slammed against Naruto's but the Futon chakra surrounding the blade had vanished.

"I see what you mean sensei." Naruto replied once Yugao had pulled away. Though there was a question that was nagging at him from when he had been looking at the wind covered blade. "Yugao-sensei what would happen if I tried to launch the wind the blade?" He finally asked.

The questions that the young genin was asking surprised Yugao quite a bit. Mainly because most genin rarely even touched on elemental manipulation, much less think up such advanced ideas.

"You should be able to do it at some point Naruto-kun. Suna shinobi use battle fans to help with Futon jutsu. The only Konoha nin that really uses Futon chakra is Sandaime-sama's son Asuma. I can try to ask him for help if you'd like." Yugao said before taking notice of the now golden eyes of her student.

"Can you step back a bit Yugao-sensei I want to try something." Naruto spoke up as gold tinted Futon chakra coated the blade of Kokoro. Already Yugao could notice some small differences in it.

The wind was much sharper now and the coating around the blade was thinner, yet much more concentrated. Like usual Naruto's Kazekami no Me gave him incredible control of his Futon chakra. Regardless of that knowledge, the purple haired jonin stepped back a bit and watched her student to see what he would do.

Naruto brought his arm back, grabbing the hilt with both hands before swinging the blade in a horizontal arc. With his control he made the sharpened wind fly off of the blade in a crescent of chakra. It traveled nearly 60 feet across the clearing, cutting straight through a few trees that were at the edge. Once the technique finally faded away three trees collapsed with scarily clean cuts through the trunks.

Yugao was just as stunned as her student as the two observed the damage that Naruto's technique inflicted. To be able to do so much on only the first attempt was incredible, especially with an element as wild and violent as wind.

"Naruto... What was that?" Yugao finally asked as she turned towards an awestruck Naruto.

"I'm not sure Yugao-sensei. I was just thinking it might be possible to make a ranged technique with Kokoro using my wind chakra. I want expecting... That." Naruto replied while gesturing to the fallen trees.

"That was easily an A-rank Futon jutsu Naruto, and it's not even perfected yet." Yugao warned as the blond/red head nodded seriously.

"What do you think of Fu no Kizu (Wind Scar), sensei?" He asked as he allowed a small coating of wind chakra to cover the edge of his katana, not enough to launch another jutsu, but enough to be visible.

"That sounds like an accurate name for a technique like that Naruto. After all if it can do this now, imagine what the landscape will look like when you perfect it. But can you use it without your Kazekami no Me active?" Yugao said.

"I'm not sure. May as well find out." Naruto replied quickly as the golden glow of his eyes returned to the normal amethyst pools.

Once again Futon chakra began to coalesce around the blade of Kokoro. This time though, Yugao could notice that it wasn't as concentrated or sharp as the last time. "Fu no Kizu (Wind Scar)!" Naruto exclaimed as he swung his katana in the same fashion as before.

Even without the incredible control of wind that Naruto's Kazekami no Me gave him, he was still able to launch the sharp crescent of wind almost 30 feet away before it faded away. The Futon chakra wasn't as concentrated as before and thus the blade of wind wouldn't create as clean a cut in its current form. The cut it would leave at this point would be more befitting of the name it had been given. Had there been a tree in range of the technique, Yugao was sure that the Fu no Kizu (Wind Scar) would have left deep cuts and gouges in the bark before cutting it through.

"Alright then. It seems like right now you can only use the Fu no Kizu (Wind Scar) at half its full potential without your bloodline active. It's likely that you can practice and bring it to the same level after some time though." Yugao spoke as Naruto listened to every word.

"Now let's continue your training in the Aka Uzu. I want you to try incorporating your regular chakra into the blade as much as possible while we spar until it becomes second nature to you. After that move on to Futon chakra. We need to work hard and I'm not going to go easy on you Naruto." The purple haired jonin said seriously.

With a nod, Naruto's expression grew serious and he entered a basic starting stance of Aka Uzu. With a blur of motion the two vanished and the sound of metal clashing against metal filled the area.

~Training Ground 9~

Yumi staggered back and groaned, clutching an arm to her bruised middle before looking up at the man responsible for her current situation.

Unlike what most people thought, Maito Gai wasn't always a loud and jovial fool. When it came to training and taijutsu, he became frighteningly serious and what many would call a slave driver.

Looking down at her wrists and ankles, Yumi growled in annoyance at the weights that were slowing her down. Gai had explained how they would help increase the power behind her punches and kicks and they would improve her speed as well.

She couldn't complain though, no matter how much she wanted to. After all she had voluntarily asked for the man's help.

"You need to work harder Yumi. The barrier needs to be stronger and closer to you so that you don't fell the impact and that I won't be able to hit you." Gai said seriously as Yumi nodded silently.

With a flicker of pale white, a small barrier lit up around Yumi's body. "Bodi Shoheki (Body Barrier)." The girl muttered quietly.

The concept of Yumi's Bodi Shoheki (Body Barrier) was to use her bloodline to create a small, strong barrier around her body. The idea was similar to a suit of armor as Gai had pointed out. It would help to block against attacks and add some extra force to Yumi's attacks when the chakra hit against a target.

Unfortunately, the jutsu wasn't yet perfected so Yumi couldn't make it how she wanted it to be. She was struggling to bring the barrier closer than two feet away from her body. While that may seem good, the completed jutsu was meant to surround her like a second skin. It also wasn't as durable as it needed to be, as Gai demonstrated when he broke through it with ease.

Without another word Gai shot forward towards Yumi, who adopted a defensive stance while trying to keep her barrier up. It still rattled her whenever Gai's fists impacted against it, but the violet haired girl was able to keep it going under the assault while moving to attack the older jonin.

Soon the two had been going for 5 minutes and Gai was forced to hide a small grin. During this time, Yumi had been focusing more and more on the fight, but as she did so her Bodi Shoheki (Body Barrier) remained strong. In fact it actually began to shrink in size and it was eventually a coating of chakra the shape of the girl's body only 6 inches away from her skin.

"That's enough for today Yumi-chan. You've made excellent progress." Gai spoke up as Yumi stopped and looked at the jonin in confusion until her eyes caught a glint of white and she noticed the chakra barrier surrounding her body. It still wasn't perfect, but in one day she had taken massive steps forward with help as opposed to struggling on her own.

"It seems like you subconsciously keep your Bodi Shoheki (Body Barrier) up while fighting. You simply need to work on it more and make it into a sort of reflex so you don't have to split your focus on your opponent and your jutsu." Gai explained to a tired Yumi.

She had an all new sense of respect for Naruto, Gai and their insane stamina. 'How could anyone manage to keep up with Gai and still be fine?'

"Head home and rest Yumi. We'll continue tomorrow." Gai ordered as the young girl nodded and tiredly trudged off back towards the apartment she and Naruto shared.

~Apartment Complex~

As Yumi walked in she sighed and flopped down onto the couch. A moment later she blushed faintly at the sight of a dripping wet, shirtless Naruto who had just came out of the shower.

"Oh hey Yumi-chan." Naruto said happily before he saw his girlfriend's red face. Following her gaze he blushed in embarrassment and quickly moved into his room to get changed.

A few minutes later Naruto walked back out and chuckled nervously. "U-um... Sorry about that Yumi-chan." He muttered as he sat down next to her on the couch.

Without a second thought he stretched out an arm and pulled Yumi closer to him so that her head was resting on his chest. It wasn't long after that when her breathing slowed and she fell asleep.

Looking down at his sleeping partner, Naruto couldn't help but want this moment to never end. Even after an hour passed he couldn't find the will to wake Yumi so he lifted her up into his arms as carefully as he could. Seeing how she didn't wake up he slowly carried her into the bedroom and laid her down in the bed.

"I'm going to protect her... I won't let anyone hurt her ever again." Naruto vowed to himself quietly before walking out of the room and towards his own bed.

He never noticed the happy smile on Yumi's face as she heard his words.

~Three Weeks Later, Apartment Complex~

Yumi and Naruto were sitting on the couch in their apartment looking at the papers in their hands. All of Team 5 had been working hard for he last three weeks and the paper was proof of that.

~Flashback, Training Ground 5~

Haku, Naruto, and Yumi were all sitting in the clearing in the training ground of Team 5 waiting for their sensei to arrive. It wasn't normal for Yugao to be late so it was obvious something was going on.

In a swirl of leaves Yugao appeared along with Zabuza and Hayate. The three jonin had been working just as hard for the last week.

For the first two weeks of training, the three genin had trained separately. Naruto with Yugao and secretly Kushina. Yumi with Gai and his student Lee on occasions. And Haku with Zabuza. All three of them had progressed well and thus the three jonin decided that it would be best to bring them together for the third week.

The entire third week was spent with teamwork exercises and learning how to use each other's jutsu and styles to back each other up. To make it a true challenge, they had to practice against Yugao, Hayate, and Zabuza at the same time. It forced them to use all the skills that they knew and all that they had learned to succeed in the tasks they were given.

They had even created collaboration techniques between themselves to make their jutsu more dangerous and effective.

Haku's training was more difficult than those of her teammates. She had learned a variety of Suiton jutsu and had been taught some kenjutsu by Zabuza and Hayate. Unfortunately the amount of Hyoton jutsu that existed in Konoha were only those which Haku possessed, so she had the difficult task of creating her own jutsu through experimentation. In the end though, the training had paid off. Haku's chakra levels now rivaled Zabuza's and her speed was the highest in Team 5 when Naruto was not using his bloodline. She had created a few new jutsu and had become scarily accurate with her senbon after being introduced to Tenten.

Naruto had been put through hell, though it was all worth it in the end. Through the harsh training of Yugao, Naruto's reflexes and reaction time had skyrocketed. He had brought his Fu no Kizu (Wind Scar) up to 60 feet without his bloodline and 100 feet with his bloodline active. With the Kazekami no Me active, Naruto's speed had surpassed Yugao's and his strength had increased through use of weights. At this point the young man's skill with the Aka Uzu style had advanced to the point where Kushina deemed him at high chunin level in kenjutsu.

Yumi had traveled leaps and bounds in her skills over the three weeks. Her Bodi Shoheki (Body Barrier) had become almost second nature and it was now a second skin. Depending on the amount of chakra she put into it, the jutsu could withstand quite a beating. She had also figured out other techniques to use while incorporating them into her taijutsu, making her a dangerous foe in hand to hand combat. With the weights that Gai gave her, Yumi's speed easily surpassed that of any genin in her graduating class and even some chunin and her strength made her a horror when angered.

"Sorry we were late everyone, but we had to get these from the Hokage." Yugao said as she held up three sheets of paper.

"What are those for Yu-sensei?" Naruto asked curiously.

Another thing that has changed over the three weeks was the relationship between Yugao and Naruto. The two had gone on a couple dates over the time and Yugao had accepted Naruto as her boyfriend though they weren't extremely public about it. Yumi was alright with it, though she had Naruto take her on more dates as well. All three of them had become very close and Naruto actually had a date scheduled for that day.

"These are forms for the chunin exams in two days. I've decided to sign you three up for it and I expect you all to do well." Yugao explained as she handed each of the genin one of the papers.

'The chunin exams... If I do this and become chunin I can finally learn about my father...' Naruto thought silently as he took the form with a serious expression.

"This will be perfect to test your skills as a team and individually." Yugao continued on. "I won't be disappointed in any of you if you choose not to take the exams or don't become chunin, but I think you all are more than ready."

"No way sensei. We've all pushed ourselves harder than ever to get stronger and there's no way Team 5 is going to back down." Naruto said as Haku and Yumi nodded in agreement.

"Glad to see you still have that backbone gaki. Remember to bring those forms to the exams in two days or you won't be allowed inside. You all have the day off and I want you guys to relax and prepare yourselves for the exams. They're different in every village, but they are all difficult." Zabuza spoke up before the three jonin left in a Shunshin.

~Flashback End~

After that the genin had split up. Naruto and Yumi had gone back to their apartment and Haku had gone to the hospital. She had actually gotten a position as a medical ninja in training so she worked shifts in the hospital to help. It gave her some extra money and additional training as well.

'I can't joke around about this. The chunin exams are going to be my biggest challenge yet.' Naruto thought to himself as he wrapped his arms around Yumi.

'You're right Sochi. I still remember my chunin exam and it was challenging. It's doubtful that it will be the same as mine so I can't help you, but I will wish you and Yumi good luck.' Kushina's voice called out from inside the seal, causing Naruto to grin softly.

"Thinking about the chunin exams Ruto-kun?" Yumi asked as she turned to look into Naruto's eyes. She had come up with the nickname recently and no matter how many times he tried, the blond/red head couldn't stop Yumi from calling him that. It only got worse when Yugao started calling him by the nickname as well.

"Yea I was. Kaa-chan just warned me that I need to take it seriously and she won't be able to help me. She also wanted to wish us good luck." Naruto replied.

During the first week Naruto had told Yumi about his mother and the violet haired girl was extremely happy that her boyfriend had his mother back in his life now. During the third week Kushina had given him permission to tell the rest of his team about her. They were all shocked by the concept but none more than Yugao and Hayate.

At first they were both skeptical until Kushina had Naruto say some things which only she would know. It was more than enough proof for the two jonin and they were glad that Kushina was back.

"That's good. I'm glad she's supporting us and we'll definitely succeed as a team." Yumi replied making Naruto's grin widen as he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"You're right... Do you think any of the other rookies are going to be in the exams?" Naruto asked as Yumi shifted around and leaned against the jinchuriki's side. All members of Team 5 hadn't interacted much with the other genin for a while when their training began since most of their time was taken up.

"Maybe, who knows. I'm pretty sure that Gai's team is going to be in it and they'll be a challenge for sure." She replied.

For a bit the two were quiet, lost in their thoughts of training and plans for the exams. Finally Naruto groaned and grabbed Yumi's hand, catching her attention and snapping her out of her thoughts.

"How about we do what Zabuza-sensei said and relax. I'd still like to take you on that date today." Naruto proposed with a goofy grin.

"I'd like that a lot Ruto-kun. Where to this time?" Yumi asked.

"How about ramen?" Naruto suggested with a hopeful look. Yugao had kept him from having ramen for the entire three weeks of training, and even though he wasn't as addicted to it as he was years ago, he still loved the food and the family who made it.

Yumi giggled loudly and poked the young man in the chest. "You just can't give that stuff up can you?" She joked. "But yea, that would be fun."

"Alright! Ichiraku's it is!" Naruto shouted happily.

~Ichiraku Ramen~

After a half hour the young couple could be found walking into a familiar ramen stand. Naruto sighed happily as he caught the smell of ramen and the good memories that came with the scent.

"Hey old man Teuchi!" The boisterous jinchuriki called out loudly as he took a seat with Yumi.

"Naruto?!" Teuchi said in surprise as he walked over to the counter and smiled widely at the boy. "Where in the world have you been?" He asked as a young girl a few years older than Naruto walked out from the back.

"Tou-san did you say Naruto?" Ayame asked curiously before her eyes met the familiar spiky head of hair. "Naruto-kun!" The ramen chef exclaimed as she jumped forward and gave the young man a tight hug.

Naruto chuckled and returned the hug and smiled at the father/daughter pair. "Sorry about not being around. My sensei has been training me into the ground for the last three weeks and I didn't really have any chances to get ramen." He explained.

Teuchi simply waved his hands and grinned. "It's fine Naruto. Just glad to have you back." The old man replied. "Now, what can I get for you two? First bowl is on the house!"

"Two bowls of beef ramen for me Teuchi-san." Yumi said politely.

"I'll have three miso and a pork ramen!" Naruto called out as Teuchi and Ayame got to work on the orders.

Luckily the small shop was fairly empty at the time so the four were able to talk freely and the two genin were able to tell the pair all about what had happened for the past three weeks. The couple had already finished their meals but the conversations continued for nearly an hour.

"The ramen was great as always old man!" Naruto exclaimed as he and Yumi paid for their meals. The sun was high in the sky and it was a little after noon.

"When isn't it?" Teuchi joked. "Just make sure to visit more often Naruto." He finished. "It's ok Teuchi-san. I'll make sure Ruto-kun remembers to tell you two if he'll be gone for a while." Yumi spoke up with a small giggle as the young couple walked out of Ichiraku's hand in hand.

"So what would you like to do now Yumi-chan?" Naruto asked before they were interrupted by a small figure jumping onto the jinchuriki's back.

"Hey boss!" The small boy said as he clung to Naruto's back.

The sight was a funny one and Yumi couldn't help but giggle in amusement. "Hey there Kono. How are you doing?"

"I've been great Nee-chan. I wanted to introduce you to my friends." Konohamaru said as he jumped off of Naruto's back and pointed to two other children standing with him.

Pointing to the other boy of the group, the youngest Sarutobi began his introductions. "This is Udon." He said before pointing at the orange haired girl of the group. "And this is Moegi."

The two ninjas in training smiled and waved at the genin, who returned the gesture with a smile and wave of their own.

"Hey boss could you play ninja with us?" Konohamaru asked.

"I've got a better idea Kono. You three try your best to hide nearby and then Yumi and I will come looking for you. You all can use anything you know to hide and we won't use any jutsu." Naruto proposed, getting eager nods from the three academy students.

The older couple sent off the kids and waited a bit to go searching for them. Just before they were going to start they heard a commotion in a nearby alleyway.

"Hey let me go!" Konohamaru shouted.

That was all that the two needed to hear as they quickly dashed down the alley where the voices were coming from. When they arrived they saw a guy wearing a black body suit with a large bundle wrapped up on his back. Standing a bit away from him was a young girl with blond hair styled in four ponytails and she had a large metal fan on her back.

What drew the most attention though, was the fact that the guy was holding Konohamaru up by his shirt while glaring at the boy. The girl seemed to be annoyed while Udon and Moegi stood back in worry.

"You should learn not to bump into people like that brat. Maybe I should teach you a lesson." The young man said angrily.

"Kankuro just let the kid go. He's not worth it." The girl said in annoyance.

"No way Temari. I'm going to teach this brat a lesson to respect his betters." Kankuro growled out as he brought his free hand up in preparation to punch the boy making Temari roll her eyes.

Before either of the two could move a crimson red blade was held to Kankuro's neck, just brushing against the skin. Instantly he and Temari froze as she followed the blade to the one holding it.

"Maybe you should let the grandson of the Sandaime go and I won't have to kill you." Naruto said dangerously as Temari finally snapped out of her shock. Just as she was about to move and help her brother a kunai was placed at her own neck.

"It's best that you stay out of this." Yumi said coldly as she glared at the other girl.

The mix of having a blade to his throat and the knowledge of just who the young boy was caused Kankuro to quickly drop Konohamaru to the ground. After a second Yumi released Temari and pulled the Sarutobi back to his friends. Naruto held Kokoro to Kankuro's neck for a few more seconds before he moved to Yumi's side, yet he never sheathed the blade.

"Why are two Suna nin here for the chunin exams causing so much trouble?" Yumi asked as she took notice of the forehead protectors on the two with a hourglass design in the metal.

Instead of answering, Kankuro growled and began reaching for the object on his back as he got ready for a fight. Suddenly a new voice called out from a tree behind the Suna nin.

"Kankuro what are you doing?"

Hearing that voice instantly made both siblings freeze in fear as a whirlwind of sand appeared between them and Naruto. From the sand emerged a young man around Naruto's age with short, dark red hair. He had green eyes and dark circles around his eyes. On his forehead was a tattoo of the word 'love' in kanji, and on the boy's back was a large gourd of some kind.

"G-Garra we weren't doing anything." Temari quickly stuttered out before the new arrival turned to her and glared.

"Shut up or I'll kill you Temari." Garra said with a calm voice, but everyone could hear the underlying threat.

Turning back to the couple, Garra bowed slightly before speaking. "I'm sorry for the foolish actions of my siblings. My name is Garra no Sabaku. These are my siblings Kankuro and Temari."

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki and this is my girlfriend Yumi Suzaku." Naruto replied cautiously.

A murderous glint appeared in Garra's eyes as he stared at Naruto. "You're strong Naruto Uzumaki. I hope to fight you soon. Mother is calling for your blood." The redhead said before vanishing in a swirl of sand soon followed by his siblings.

'Shit!' Kurama's voice shouted from the seal and made Naruto jump in surprise.

'What's going on Kurama?' Naruto asked mentally.

'That kid, Garra, he's like you kit. He's the jinchuriki to Shukaku. The sand put me on edge but the comment about blood made me sure. Shukaku always drove his jinchuriki crazy and bloodthirsty. This whole thing just got much more dangerous for you if he has singled you out.' The Biju explained as Naruto put the knowledge away to bring up later on.

'Thanks Kurama.' Naruto muttered silently before coming out of his thoughts.

"Kono, you guys be careful from now on. I may not always be there to help you." Naruto warned before walking off with Yumi.

A little while later found the couple sitting in their apartment once again. The date hadn't ended on the best note due to the meeting of Garra, but at least some useful information had been gotten from it.

"Yumi-chan... I was talking with Kurama and he told me something you need to know." Naruto spoke up.

"What did Kurama say?" Yumi asked as she turned her full attention towards the jinchuriki.

"That Suna nin, Garra, he's a jinchuriki like me. He has Shukaku inside him and it's apparently driving him insane." The teen explained as Yumi's eyes widened in surprise. To know that there was a second jinchuriki, and a mentally unstable one at that, in the chunin exams with them was a dangerous thought which quickly put Yumi on edge.

"I'm guessing you just realized how much more dangerous and difficult this is going to be huh?" Naruto asked softly, getting a nod in response.

"Don't worry, we'll beat him. With Kurama around I'm sure we can figure out some way to beat or even avoid Garra. Tomorrow we'll tell Haku and Yu-chan about Garra, and we should probably tell Jiji as well if he doesn't already know." The calming words of her boyfriend helped to reassure Yumi and banish most of her worries for the time being. They had one more full day till the chunin exams began and they would need to use it to plan.

Chapter Nine Finished.

I'm really glad that everyone is enjoying that Kushina is back. I tried to be original in my method and people seem to like that.

The chunin exams start next chapter and things start to get crazy.

I'm thinking of possibly letting Kushina get out of the seal at some point, but I'll need original ideas on how to do it if I do decide to have it happen. I'll have a new poll up on my profile for ideas. If anyone has an original idea on how to get her out send a message about it and if it's good I'll include it on the poll.

The chunin exams will be the time where Team 5 will be showing some more skills and the results of all their training will be put to the test.

Till next time. Read, Rate, and Review.

-Okaze