Released: October 7, 2012. (will be using this to help guesstimate update times for people)

Written: September 21 – October 7, 2012.

Edited: October 7, 2012. (Version 1)

Really, REALLY sorry for the long wait! Been trying to crank out this chapter, but began to feel burnt out; Thus one of the reasons for this late update and why my later updates for this story and Ghosts of the Past will be coming out at a MUCH slower pace. I hope this chapter will make up for lost time.

Made some edits to previous pages to line-up with the grammar used in this chapter.

"Talking/Jutsu"

"Whispering"

'Thinking'

"Text in a book"

"Demon/Summon talking"

"Demon/Summon whispering"

'Demon/Summon thinking'

(Not exactly proper grammar, but helps discern what-is-what when reading)

FYI: My stories shall all be rated "M" for safety's sake. I nor FanFiction are, in any way, responsible for what you choose to read. (cussing, violence, dark matter, etc... all the tasty bits that make up stories will be in my stories. As such; if you're under 18, your funeral if you get caught n00b.)

Disclaimer: I will make it clear that I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, settings, and techniques save my own creations. If anyone spots a problem in my story that goes against this do please let me know so that I may correct the issue.(I may mistakenly take and use techniques, scenarios, or items created by other authors without giving them due credit. It is not that I don't want to credit them, but more because my memory is shit.)

Kyuubi Revealed: The Shattered Veil


Sakura woke up groggily; She had slept terribly the night before. She couldn't stop thinking of what had happened the other day. 'Why did I have to say such mean things about Naruto? Sure, he is annoying as all hell, but did I really need to call him a freak?... and why did Sasuke-kun lash-out like that? I can't remember the last time I saw him that angry...' She rubbed her temples to clear her mind. After she had showered and dressed for the day, she went into the kitchen to get some food. As she opened the fridge to find a salad, she remembered her new sensei's words from the other day. 'Kakashi-sensei probably has good reasons for keeping us from eating...' She thought, sighing as she closed the fridge. Sakura packed her ninja gear she thought she would likely be using for the day before, after bidding her parents a good day, she left for Training Ground 3.


Naruto woke up in a great mood, still bubbly from the previous night's events.


Flashback...


After Hinata had told Naruto her reasoning for not fearing his unmasked self, he had a question that simply HAD to be asked. "Hinata... by chance... d-do you... have you, in any way... wanted to b-be f-friends?" Hinata looked up to him and, after a couple of seconds preparing herself to reveal one of her greatest secrets to her crush, she timidly nodded in affirmation. "Y-y-ye-y-yes..." She whispered out in a stutter. Naruto felt warmth travel throughout his body, from the tips of his toes to the ends of his tails; It was an alien experience that he had felt only a scant few times in his short life, but one he found to be intoxicating. In one swift motion, he enveloped her in a hug. "Thank you, Hinata-hime!... T-thank you so much!... *sniffle* You have no idea how much this means to me..." Before Hinata's vision blacked-out from fainting, she smiled with only one thought on her mind. 'Thank you, Naruto-kun... You have no idea how much you mean to me...'


End Flashback...


When Hinata had fainted, as red as a cherry, Naruto panicked thinking he had hugged her too tightly. However, upon seeing her contented smile in the darkness of his room, he began to think that, perhaps, there was another reason for her fainting. Figuring he could ask her about it later, Naruto picked her up, bridal-style, and carried her towards his front door. After donning his mask and running chakra through his clothes, he opened the door and carried her the rest of the way to the Hyuga Compound. Upon his arrival, a small tussle broke-out between himself and the compound guards whom had believed that he had harmed the clan heir in some way. It ended when Hyuga Hiashi himself came out to begin searching for the whereabouts of his missing daughter. Upon spotting her, he quickly extracted her from Naruto's arms and, after giving the boy a withering look, returned to the compound with his still-unconscious daughter.

Now, many hours after taking Hinata back home the previous night, Naruto could not stop thinking about his new friend. 'I wonder what she is doing right now... Training?... Eating?... Bah, I'll just have to talk to her later and find out!'


As she was packing for today's test with Kurenai, Hinata sneezed/eeped. She blushed a deep scarlet-red. 'Maybe... Maybe Naruto-kun is t-thinking about m-me...' She pondered, her mood lifting from the mere thought of her crush.


Naruto took his daily shower in lukewarm water and, again, snickered at his poofy appearance after drying. 'That just never gets old...' He thought as he watched his puffed-up tails wave lazily behind him. A moment of crushing despair overwhelmed him as he gazed upon his animalistic body before he reigned it in, remembering Hinata's kind words from the previous night. After he had dressed in his freshly-cleaned clothing, he went to the kitchen to prepare some food before remembering his sensei's warning from the other day. "Damn, and I was looking forward to having ramen for breakfast..." He muttered, all-the-while mentally cursing Kakashi. Naruto thought about eating the unhealthy food of the gods despite the Jonin's warning but decided, in the end, to listen to the more-experienced ninja's advice. He quickly donned his gear, mask, and tail guards. 'Calling them 'socks' all the time just sounds silly...' He thought as he opened the front door of his apartment.


Uchiha Sasuke, one of the two last Uchihas, arrived at Training Ground 3 to find that he was the first to arrive. 'Figures...' He thought as he made to sit at the base of a tree. 'I never expected those two fools to be on-time; They were nothing more than hindrances in the Academy. As for our "teacher"...' He cautiously glanced around the clearing, searching for any trace of his mysterious teacher. '… He is either gauging our abilities by hiding in the trees and watching us before playing late when he "arrives"... or he truly is incompetent.'

It was not many minutes after sitting down that Sasuke spied Sakura walking across the bridge that led into Training Ground 3. He huffed in annoyance. 'Damned pest; I still can't believe I had to act like I actually cared about her feelings for me the other day... But why did I even waste my time snapping at her like I did in the first place?...' Sakura sat down at the end of the bridge, trying her best not to look towards her crush, while Sasuke mulled over the possible reasoning behind his earlier actions.

Another 30 minutes passed before Naruto appeared, a slight skip in his step. Sasuke glanced up before losing interest. Sakura, on the other hand, kept a watchful eye on him as soon as he appeared. Naruto sat down opposite of Sakura, humming a tune to himself. The three Genin sat like this for another hour before Sakura stood up. She took a deep breath before walking over and sitting next to Naruto. After a minute or two of silence, she spoke.

"Naruto..." Said boy turned to look at her. "... I'll understand if you hate me now; I know I would if I were in your position. I guess... What I mean to say is-" "Yo!"

Sasuke glared at the Jonin, irritated by his late arrival, while Sakura sighed, having been cut-off from apologizing to the fox boy (not that she knew that little piece of information). Naruto, on the other hand, was more vocal about his displeasure with the late-arrival. "You're late!" He shouted, pointing at the Jonin. Kakashi ignored him while he looked-over his other two students. "Alright! Gather around so I can brief you all about the test." His three students took seats on the grass before him. As they were doing that, Kakashi pulled out two bells from his pouch. Before he could begin briefing his team about his test, Naruto spoke up. "What are those two bells for, Kakashi-sensei?" Said Jonin gave the Kyuubi Child a hateful glare. "Perhaps if you were more patient and allowed me to speak you would find out?" Naruto glared at his teacher behind his mask before turning away, huffing in annoyance. The boy's two teammates were surprised by the harshness in their new teacher's words.

"Alright, the purpose of today's test is... to take these bells from me!" The three students gave Kakashi a dubious look. "... But there are only two bells..." Kakashi eye-smiled. "How observant of you all! Whomever does not steal a bell from me..." Kakashi turned around and pulled out two boxed lunches from seemingly thin-air. "... Does not get to eat lunch!" The three Genin felt their stomachs growl in hunger. 'So that's why he didn't have us eat...' The Jonin spoke once more, regaining the attention and the ever-subtle ire of his three students. "... Also, whomever does not get a bell will be sent back to the Academy for another year of training." Silence fell over Team 7.

"Now, before we begin, I must let you know that if you wish to have any chance of taking a bell from me you must come at me with the intent to kill." His three students, who were standing at this point, had varied reactions to this piece of information; Sasuke smirked, Sakura looked uncomfortable, and Naruto... seemed indifferent thanks to his mask. "When I say 'go', the test will begin. Are there any questions?" Seeing nor hearing a response from his students, he continued. "Alright then, in: 3... 2-" Suddenly, Naruto pulled out a kunai and rushed towards Kakashi, intending to stab the Jonin. In the blink of an eye, before his teammates could react, Kakashi was behind Naruto, holding the boy's kunai to the side of said-owner's head. "Mah, mah. I haven't said go yet..." He leaned in towards Naruto before whispering into his ear. "... Demon." Naruto turned his head, ever so slightly, to look at his captor. "You said to come at you with the intent to kill; I doubt enemy ninja will wait for a countdown before attacking you, sensei." Kakashi narrowed his normally bored-looking eyes. 'He didn't let himself be affected by my verbal barb... I'll just have to try harder.'

He chuckled. "Well, at least I now know who is most likely to fail this test." Naruto ground his teeth in anger and growled in response. "Now, let's try this again; In 3..." Sasuke widened his stance, prepared to flee in any direction. "... 2..." Sakura readied herself, her hand hidden in the pouch strapped to her waist. "... 1..." Kakashi removed the kunai that he was holding dangerously close to Naruto's head before forcefully pushing said Genin away. "... GO!" His three students ran off into the woods, Naruto stumbling a bit to keep from falling after being shoved away by Kakashi. "... I suppose I'll give them a head-start... Half-expected Pinky to rush at me with the way she was digging through that pouch of hers..." The Jonin mused as he pulled out his favorite book, speaking for his own benefit.


Naruto ran through the forest, thinking about how best to acquire Kakashi's bells. '… How does a Jonin think that we mere Genin will be able to take him on or even get close enough to get those bells of his?...' He stopped behind a thicket of bushes to think more about the current situation. '… There is no way I can get close to that bastard and I can't even imagine my supposed teammates doing so... unless... we team... together...' Naruto frowned at the thought of his two team members. 'Sakura is out from that plan; She would rather die than ever work with me. Sasuke... He might work with me if it were for his own gain...' As much as Naruto loathed the idea of working with his rival, Sasuke would possibly join him if he explained the benefits of teaming together against the Jonin. His mind set, Naruto set out to find his raven-haired teammate, thinking of what to say to sway his rival towards cooperation against the Jonin.


It was only after a couple of minutes of searching did Naruto find Sasuke confronting Kakashi in a clearing; The Jonin was reading a little orange book while Sasuke went on to say how he was 'not like the others'. Kakashi responded, saying how he was 'looking forward to seeing the strength of the revered Uchiha Clan.' In a blur of motion, the Genin threw several kunai at Kakashi's feet, forcing the Jonin to jump to the side in order to dodge. Smirking, Sasuke threw a kunai to the side. Said kunai cut a rope that was hidden in the underbrush, releasing a swarm of sharpened steel at the Jonin. Kakashi barely dodged the horde of weapons before Sasuke was upon him, sending expertly-performed kicks and punches at the silver-haired ninja. Both Naruto and Kakashi were surprised by Sasuke's skill with Taijutsu; Naruto because he had never seen Sasuke perform these moves before and Kakashi because he never expected to be pushed so hard in hand-to-hand combat by a mere Academy Student. The Jonin, having blocked each of Sasuke's strikes, pushed the Uchiha away but not before the raven-haired boy was able to lay a finger onto one of the bells. 'I can't even read Icha Icha Paradise while fighting this boy!...' Kakashi thought, wearily eyeing his 'student'. Smirking once more, Sasuke made several handsigns before bringing a hand up to his mouth and shouting, "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu! (Fire Release: Grand Fireball Technique)" Kakashi was flabbergasted. 'What!? How could a Genin learn, save even know about, that technique!'

Not knowing any of the Jonin's thoughts during the battle, Naruto chuckled in the bushes he was hiding behind in amusement at Sasuke's attempts to take on their sensei in a one-on-one fight. 'I'm actually surprised to see the Teme get so close to our sensei, but does he really think he can take on a Jonin at his level?! The man has probably killed more people than Sasuke has even met!' His chuckles stopped when he noticed the Jonin make no move to dodge the fireball bearing down on him. 'The hell?!' Naruto thought as the Jonin was hit full-on by Sasuke's jutsu. Sasuke, on the other hand, smirked in triumph as his 'teacher' was burned to nothing more than ash. His smirk wavered, however, when his technique ended only to reveal a heavily-charred log. He took up a defensive stance as he searched the surrounding wilderness for Kakashi.

'A Body Replacement Technique just before my technique hit; He is more capable than he lets on... Now, where could he be... To the left?' Sasuke looked to his left, only to find nothing of interest there. '… To my right?' He looked over to his right to have the same results as before. '… Behind?' He glanced over his shoulder; No Jonin there. '… He must be above, then!' He whipped out his kunai and, preparing to continue the battle, looked up... only to see the clear sky above. A breeze blew through the small clearing Sasuke stood in, carrying with it a tumbleweed that should not even exist in heart of the Fire Nation. Sasuke's shoulders slackened in a comical fashion as he sighed. '… The bastard left...'

Suddenly, he felt something wrap around his ankle. Looking down, Sasuke saw a hand rising from the earth beneath him latched onto himself. An ominous chuckle reverberated through the clearing before Kakashi spoke, almost as if he had been reading Sasuke's previous thoughts. "No, Sasuke... BENEATH!" Before the Uchiha could react, he was pulled neck-deep into the earth; He could barely recall hearing Kakashi say "Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu (Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique)" before feeling the ground surround and contain him. After patting some dirt off of himself, Kakashi crouched down to look at Sasuke's head.

"Exemplary performance, Sasuke; You're understanding and usage of Ninjutsu and Taijutsu is leagues above what I ever expected from a fresh-from-the-Academy Genin. There is, however, one thing you seem to have forgotten..." Sasuke grimaced before he finally spoke. "And just what could that be..." Sasuke hissed out, shamed to have been out-smarted by this... this... fool. Kakashi responded, wagging a finger in front of Sasuke's face. "Mah, mah, Sasuke; Have you already forgot what to call me?" Sasuke growled in agitation before he re-worded his previous question. "And just what could I have forgotten, Kakashi-sensei..." Kakashi continued wagging his finger before the boy's face. "My, you are a rude one; I'll tell you if you use The magic word..." Sasuke shook in rage for a few moments before he reigned it in. He restated his question once again between clenched teeth. "... Please tell me what I have forgotten, Kakashi-sensei..."

Said Jonin eye-smiled. "Much better! Now, as for what you forgot during our little skirmish..." Sasuke stared expectantly at Kakashi as said Jonin struck a thinking pose. "... It would appear that you forgot that... I'm a Jonin and you're a Genin!" Sasuke glared at Kakashi murderously while the Jonin stood up, chuckling. He began speaking once-more, but his lighthearted tone-of- voice had turned hard and cold. "Did you really expect to be able to fight me at an even level? I'll admit that you're good, but good enough to truly test me? Never. I have years more experience than you and I am far more proficient in the ninja arts; Ninjutsu, Taijutsu-" As Kakashi spoke, a feminine scream could be heard off in the distance; The first sign that Sakura was still a part of the test. "... And Genjutsu... Oh how I love Shadow Clones and mind games..." Said Kakashi as he returned to his unassuming self, chuckling some more.

"Your greatest mistake is that you made little effort to conceal yourself; Something that gets far too many ninja killed out in the field." As Kakashi turned away, he threw some parting words Sasuke's way. "It's just as they say; The nail that stands up is the first to be hammered down!" As he watched the Jonin disappear using a Shunshin, Sasuke grumbled in anger. "That damned man. Who is he to-" "He is right, you know..." Sasuke spun his head towards the voice, only to see his self-appointed 'rival' walk out from the bushes lining the clearing. "What do you want, Dobe; Are you here to gloat over my defeat?..." Naruto shook his head. "No. I don't see the purpose in doing so... right now... But, as Kakashi-teme said, you disregarded stealth. We are ninja, Sasuke; Stealth and deception is what makes us what we are." Sasuke listened to Naruto's little lecture before he spoke up. "... So, is that it? Did you reveal yourself only to give me a lecture?" Naruto shook his head. "No. I actually came looking for you." Puzzled by that response, Sasuke spoke. "Why?" He questioned. "Why, to team up against Kakashi of course!" Naruto answered, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. The Uchiha looked at him in disdain.

"And just why would I want to team up with an idiot like you?" Naruto looked at him before striking a thinking pose. "Oh, I don't know... Maybe because we will have a better chance at getting the bells if we do?" Sasuke glared at him. "... And because you would be able to wipe the metaphorical smirk off of his face?..." Naruto quickly added. Sasuke thought upon the boy's words for almost a minute before speaking. "... I will do so, but on one condition..." "And what condition would that be?" Asked Naruto. "... Don't get in my way." Replied Sasuke. "Funny..." Spoke Naruto, grinning behind his mask. "I was about to say the same thing to you..." Sasuke smirked as Naruto came forward to dig him out.


Well... This chapter was a bitch to write. Had a hard time deciding on what I wanted to happen, but ultimately came up with what is written here. As I've said earlier, updates will be coming out much slower; This is mostly due to me starting 2nd semester classes in college. Anyway, R&R so I can improve my writing skills. Also, if any of you are interested, read my other story, Ghosts of the Past, for some hot HALO/Mass Effect/Killzone action.

PS. Don't forget to vote on muh poll!