Protector's pride

SUMMARY: Naruto Uzumaki fought to save his precious people from harm. But he took things seriously very late. This is what happens when the death of one of his precious persons instigate the change in him earlier. This will be an au but will follow cannon pretty closely.

I don't own the series. This story may have some similarities with other stories with same theme but occurrence of that is purely coincidental

AUTHOR'S RANT: THANK YOU GUYS FOR POINTING OUT THE GLARING MISTAKES I DID IN MY LAST CHAPTER, I TRY MY BEST TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEMS BUT WITHOUT A PROPER BETA I CAN ONLY DO SO FAR IN MY SECOND ATTEMPT. AND SO FAR THIS IS THE LARGEST CHAPTER I HAVE PRODUCED.

NOW ON TO THE SECOND ELEMENT REGARDING NARUTO, I THINK I SHOULD MAKE SOME THINGS CLEAR. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES NARUTO WILL GAIN ENOUGH POWER TO USE WATER LIKE SECOND HOKAGE ONCE DID, EVEN HE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE ICE UNTILL FAR END OF SHIPPUDEN. THE SAME WILL APPLY FOR LIGHTNING WITHOUT THE FORMATION OF SHINOBI ALLIANCE OR ATLEAST ALLIANCE BETWEEN LEAF AND CLOUD NARUTO WILL NOT GET RAITON ARMOR. BUT BOTH FIRE AND EARTH HE WILL BE ABLE TO LEARN EASILY FROM HIS TEACHER'S KONOHA. SO PLEASE THINK MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU GUYS WANT TO SEE,

SO FAR EARTH AND WATER ARE LEADING THE POLES, SO PLEASE READ AND REVIEW ALSO TELL ME WHAT YOU GUYS WANT TO SEE FROM ME.

THE CHOICES ARE: 1 EARTH 2 WATER 3 LIGHTNING 4 FIRE

A strange turn of events

'Come on a bit more… a bit more and I will be safe' he chanted like a mantra in his mind. He had been dragging his body just by his sheer willpower but it seemed to reach its limit as well. As the knees gave out beneath him and he crumpled on the path. His eyes were getting fogged over, 'I can't die like this' was the last thought in his mind before the world went black.

Sarutobi watched the man crumple finally; 'you did better than I expected' he thought sternly. He had already made his decisions, "tiger, cat, boar pick up the man and take him to the holding cells. Rat, inform the medics to come to anbu facility within fifteen minutes." Although age hung heavy on his shoulder, Hiruzen Sarutobi was still a force to be feared. A man who in his prime could defeat entire armies had long been asleep in the time of peace, but this incident had forced him to awaken.

"Storm clouds gather around the elemental nations, once more war will come." He spoke in a low voice. Trouble was brewing and once more death will run rampant; the old leader of the leaf could feel it in his very bones. "Ox, Bear I need you to track down Jiriaya and tell him to return we shall need his strength in the field soon."

After an hour or so

Hiruzen couldn't exactly remember when and why he began smoking. He knew it was a bad habit, hell even Tsunade had warned him about this but he just could not stop it. It pained him to think Asuma; his son had also made the same mistake. Shaking his head to get rid of these pointless thoughts, the Sandaime hokage of leaf once again tried to concentrate on the peaceful scenery of the village before him.

A small flicker of chakra besides him alerted him of the arrival of his anbu commander, quickly crushing the erratic thoughts under the persona of a military commander Hiruzen barked ,"report firefly." The tall man in plated armor and a firefly mask sank in to a deep bow before started speaking a deep voice, "hokage Sama the person has regained consciousness, several chakra disruptive seals have been placed on him as you commanded. And your suspicion was correct he indeed is the jinchuriki of the four tailed monkey."

Nodding at the expected report Hiruzen rose from his seat. It was time to meet with the man in question. He remembered Roshi from the second shinobi world war. It took Orochimaru to finally defeat this shinobi, but by then he had leveled an entire outpost with only three shinobi. Still what confused Hiruzen was according to the report from Jiriaya after the third war Roshi had taken retirement from the shinobi corps. "Why on earth is he in konoha so badly damaged?" Hiruzen asked himself for the hundredth time in the last hour but at least this time he will have an answer.


Roshi groaned as the world once again came to view. He tried to sit up but discovered his limbs to be shackled to the bed. 'Heh I should have known. After all who would leave a potential enemy in without precautions?' he thought before trying look around himself. The room he was in seemed to be empty but a bed and a table with various machineries.

"I wouldn't try to move so much if I were you." A voice from nowhere stunned Roshi's attempts to unbind his arms. With a small flash the illusion shattered around him and he found himself lying in a bed in what seemed like a hospital with an entire platoon of anbu with arms surrounding him. Directly in front of him sat Hiruzen Sarutobi the hokage of leaf. "Greetings lord hokage, I would have bowed but as of the moment my limbs seemed to be chained." Roshi replied scathingly.

"Cut the sarcasm Roshi" Hiruzen replied calmly yet with coldness in his tone. "I have neither the patience nor the mood to play with words, so you will answer me truthfully and clearly. Do you understand?" The red bearded man couldn't help but feel a shiver rundown his spine at the old leader's tone. Nodding submissively he waited for the questions to bombard.

"Why were you injured?" this was the first question to escape the hokage's lips. "Cause I was attacked by two s ranked nuke Nin." Roshi replied. "S ranked, you say, so who were they and what were they after?" Hiruzen cold grey eyes locked with Roshi's green ones.

Hiruzen was feeling a sense of dread the moment he heard of two s- ranked criminals attack Roshi. His long tenure as a shinobi had won him a sense of accurate gut feeling and this time his gut said, the legacy of Yondaime was in grave danger. Still he hoped against hope itself, and asked for the reason.

"They were Kisame Hosikagi missing ninja from bloody mist and Itachi Uchiha from your own precious village." The jab found its mark, as the anbu present in the room seemed to tense, while lips of the old hokage turned into a mere white line. "You still didn't answer the question wholly. I ask once more, Why were they after you?" the voice of Hiruzen Sarutobi turned colder than death itself. At that moment Roshi was once more forcibly reminded, of the legend of Sandaime hokage.

"I do not know clearly myself but if my guess is correct then it is related to my burden." Roshi answered straightly. He could see the vein clenching at the hokage's jaw. Sarutobi folded his hands before his face, this news was worse than what he expected. 'It seems that poor Kakashi will have to face the toughest battles of his life soon.' He thought solemnly before raising his voice. "Anbu leave us and find jounin Hatake Kakashi, tell him it's related to his charges."

"Now tell me what happened in the fight?" Sarutobi asked Roshi, he needed to know how strong exactly the opponents were. He had confidence in his shinobi's calibers but s ranked nuke nin were not a force to be taken lightly. That's why he needed learn more about them.


Roshi took a deep breath, as his mind flashed back to the fight. "I had left Iwa for more than a decade. I travelled all over the world while knowing myself a bit more every day. It was my travel that brought me close to Konoha, most of the leaf shinobi I encountered didn't know me just by my looks, and I had long discarded my headband.

However three days ago when I returned to the hut in the mountains, something seemed off. I tried to release in case there was a genjutsu and to my surprise there was. It was a pretty basic one but it had nearly served its purpose as a heavy sword strike almost crashed into me.

I flipped back to gain some measure of distance, before surveying my assailants. They stood there comfortably as if waiting for me to attack. Both of them wore black cloaks with red clouds on it. Kisame was the one who attacked me initially though. He carried the great blade samehada with him.

That sword has strange powers it can absorb chakra based attacks and give it to Kisame to heal his wounds. I found it out the hard way. Once more Kisame moved in to attack me but this time he engaged me in taijutsu only. His strength is formidable, comparable to my own and his technique is solid, however his speed is a bit sloth. I took advantage of that fact to break into his guard and send a powerful upper cut at him. But before I could follow up with some stronger attacks I had to dodge as a large ball of fire exploded just before my face.

I had largely escaped that attack but cloak was a bit singed at the ends. I quickly performed earth style: hidden rock spears to attack but both of them dodged easily before a large dragon of fire charged at me. Only by my mastery of earth style jutsus I blocked that speedy attack. As soon as the attack dispelled Kisame attacked once more but this time with his sword. I sidestepped the attack only to move into the path of his kick.

Being pushed back actually gave me the time to perform my lava style attacks. But against Kisame's mastery of water they couldn't do much. Having no other option I drew upon the chakra of my tenant and charged at them with lava coated fists.

Kisame blocked the punch with his sword however to my horror the chakra layer over my fist vanished. However my other fist had hit true and he was thrown back with third degree burns. I had already entered the one tailed state by then, which I hoped would be enough as any more would have surely alerted your shinobis.

Once Kisame went back foot Itachi closed in without giving me a moment's respite. Thanks to his damned eyes he could dance around my attacks and attack himself with his fire style attacks. So far he had displayed proficiency enough to use A-rank jutsus without or with very few hand seals.

Soon Kisame joined the fray his burns healed and then I saw his blade fed upon Yonbi's chakra and used that to heal him. The fight went for around ten to fifteen minutes. But my chakra reserve's were dwindling Itachi had retreated but Kisame was relentless perhaps they knew victory was near. As my last ditch effort I used a quick rock clone and armed it with explosive tags. The explosion from that clone gave me enough time to perform a body flicker. However number of shurikens with fire chakra added in it, bit deep in my body even as the jutsu took hold. For the last two days I had been running and fending off attacks from them until finally I managed to shake them off this time."


Hiruzen listened to the fight with rapt attention, his mind detailing the abilities and the weaknesses of the opponents. Itachi was just as he remembered him to be, but it seemed to him, he was not trying to kill Roshi for he could do it even before Roshi had a chance to react.

Still these were grave news indeed, there were very few shinobi who would stand a chance against monsters of these sorts and only three of them were in the village including himself. The entry of two new chakra signatures alerted him of the new attendances. "Ah! Kakashi Kun, I feel glad that you came swiftly as we have much to discuss, rat you are dismissed for the night." Sarutobi spoke even without facing the masked jounin and the rat masked anbu.

Kakashi for his part was bewildered to see the man on the bed. "Excuse, my rudeness Hokage sama but what is he doing here?" He spoke his finger pointing at the jinchuriki. "You see Kakashi, Roshi here, was attacked by two s ranked missing ninja both very familiar to you." Sarutobi spoke his voice belied his urgency, as his brain was trying to process a suitable way to train both the boys quickly enough for the challenges. "I don't understand Hokage Sama; I have fought countless shinobi in my career that doesn't really explain why I am here?" Kakashi repeated once more. Sure he may have known the opponents but he had faced many opponents in battle so why was this so urgent.

"It was Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hosikagi" said Sarutobi, fully prepared for the look that passed through Kakashi's face. "If my suspicion is correct they are after the tailed beasts and possibly Sasuke." Sandaime concluded. Kakashi was horrorstruck sure he was good but he didn't deem himself strong enough to survive two s ranked ninja.

"What is your command for me then?" Kakashi asked the Sandaime hokage. "Train them as hard and as best as you can. After the first two steps of chunin exams you will get a month, make full use of it. With any luck Jiriaya will return by then." "Excuse me but what have you decided about me?" Roshi asked. "That depends on you, if you want you can join our village otherwise I will have just these memories wiped out" was the answer from the professor of Konoha.

Roshi was perplexed, on one hand he was tired of the bloodshed that followed in the ninja, on the other hand Konoha could save him from the tailed beast hunters. "I agree I will join your village." He said after a while "but I don't want to fight anymore."

"That can be arranged quite easily. But currently you have a task for you." Sandaime informed in a tone that left no room for arguments. "You will go with Kakashi tomorrow to meet his team; you will identify the jinchuriki and train him in the use of his biju's chakra." Roshi nodded his head at the given command, this he could do.


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The next morning found all the thirty six jounin senseis in the hokage's room. Despite being extremely tired from the ordeals of last night, Sarutobi had no other choice but let this meeting take place. "As you all know this time Konoha will hold the chunin exams and all the allied countries are sending teams. I want to know who among you deem your charges to be ready."

Asuma was the first to step forward, "I am Asuma Sarutobi, sensei of team ten and I nominate Shikamaru Naara, Chouji Akimichi and Shino Aburame for this test. I deem them prepared." This declaration caused a lot of whispering to start in the room, after all its not every day you nominate a fresh genin team for the exams. Next Kurenai came forward, "I, Kurenai Yuhi leader and sensei of team eight of Hyuuga Hinata, Haruno Sakura and Inuzuka Kiba nominate them for the chunin exams." The whispering grew in magnitude, even Kurenai the newest jounin dared to send her charges to the exams, was this generation really that much better.

Kakashi stood at the back with his book of porn held near his nose, but his mind concentrating on the command Hokage gave him last night. The genins were forbidden to be alerted of the situation for the current time, that was the decree but Kakashi felt it was a folly. He snapped out of the stupor when he heard Maito Gai nominate his team for the exams, stepping forward Kakashi stated in a clear voice, "I, Kakashi Hatake commander of the seventh squad nominate my team for the exams."

"Kakashi, will it be wise to nominate the team, I mean it contains the dead last from this generation." A jounin with black bandana asked but as usual the question reached the deaf ears. Kakashi collected the forms for the participant's and body flickered away before appearing on the hokage mountain."Took you long enough." the gruff voice of Roshi greeted him, standing head to head on the rocky surface the two watched over team seven.


"That blonde one is a strange jinchuriki, his chakra reserves dwarf mine even without the beast's help. But why is he so happy?" Roshi asked thinking back to his own childhood. Or if he could call it that, all he had was training, to become the ultimate weapon for his country. A life governed by only blood, trained by the best Iwa had to offer he never had a chance to learn how to live. "I envy him, at least you tree huggers have done one thing we never thought of doing." Roshi said as bitterness filled him to brim. For so long he hadn't cried, even the tear glands no longer knew of their function.

"Don't think like that, Naruto's life wasn't much better. Well he was not turned into a weapon true but he was hated all his life. Still he never gave up; he stood taller than rest and stronger than all. That is Naruto Uzumaki for you, you break him down and he will stand up again stronger than ever." Kakashi answered his mask hiding the smile that adorned his lips. "An Uzumaki you say and that man's child as well, seems like the boy was born for this job." Roshi said, before continuing, "and tell the anbu squad to stand down I am not going to hurt this kid. We are shinobis, we are trained to kill, and it is a silly reason to hate a child for his old man's work." Kakashi was flabbergasted the man beside him just unveiled an s ranked secret most of Konoha never managed to work out.

However he knew better than to just trust the man, he had taken precautions to prevent anything bad happening to Naruto. Roshi managed to sense only one of the four teams tracking him. Moreover he would rather die first than allow any harm to fall upon the blonde. Simultaneously the two s- ranked shinobi body flickered to stand before the team.

"You are late." Naruto reminded his sensei while the rest two settled for glaring at the lazy sensei. "Hey seriously this time I have valid reason for being late. I had to officially nominate you guys for the chunin exams that start in a week." He stated defensively, waving his hands frantically. "Sensei, who is the man standing beside you?" Sasuke asked without caring for tact, the customary scowl still marring his face. He could sense power sleeping within the man, power so strong that it scared him. But then with this power even Itachi would fall, 'I need this power' he thought, 'and then you shall be able to rest in peace mother, father'.

Kakashi's voice quickly broke him out of his train of thoughts. "Sasuke, for this whole week I shall train you in extensive use of sharingan and hopefully take it to the next level." gaining the nod of acceptance Kakashi turned to the lone female of squad seven "Ino, I have spoken with your clan, for the next week you shall receive advanced training from them." Ino nodded a bit disheartened, she expected to train with Sasuke and maybe gain closer to his heart.

"What about me, sensei?" Naruto asked confused at the no mention of him. "That is where I come in?" the unknown man spoke, he had a gruff voice and there was something in him that sent shivers through Naruto's spine. "I am Roshi, a new addition to your village and your temporary teacher. So brat, follow me?" Roshi was seriously having fun; unless he was sorely mistaken the biju that this boy harbored was kyuubi. 'Well I never expected a vessel of that beast to be like this.' Roshi thought as he continued to the spot, hokage had ordered to use.


"Got to admit that old ass has some choice of spot." Roshi spoke surveying the ground provided, a huge open field with a stream running by it. 'The serenity of this place will come handy.' He thought glancing at the impressed blonde beside him. Stopping once he was sure he was enough distanced from the civilians Roshi motioned his charge to sit. "Naruto Uzumaki, you and I are not so different. Tell me, what is it that ties us together?" He spoke to the curious boy sitting in front of him.

Naruto heard the words and subconsciously his hand inched over his stomach, the seal that chained the great beast. "We are monsters." He replied in a small voice. "Wrong, neither we nor the ones we guard are monsters." Roshi corrected, before continuing, "We are weapons like every other shinobi, and the only difference is that we are hated while others are worshiped " "But that is wrong; Kyuubi almost destroyed our village without any reason." Naruto argued back. "That's what it seemed like, but since when we get to see everything as it truly is. The most important rule for the shinobis is to look beneath the surface." Roshi said calmly, "I have harbored the four tails in my body all my life, and I can tell you this we are not so different." "Then what of the blood lust I felt when I tapped into its chakra." Naruto argued back, Haku's death had filled him with reluctance to ever use that vile power. "If I left you chained and trapped in darkness for all your life, then hatred will be all that you can feel. That is the way human's treat them." Roshi answered finally shutting up Naruto.

"Today I will teach you to contact your prisoner and talk to him. For one day this power may very well save your life." Roshi spoke in a stronger voice, "don't you think people can be mistaken just like they mistook us for the jailed." Slowly but surely the message was starting to sink in Naruto. The deaths of Haku and Iruka flashed in his mind. 'If I could control this power then they would have been alive. Just because I couldn't control the power it ended up killing Haku chan' Naruto thought with no small amount of bitterness.

"However this kind of power must only be used in emergencies unless you want to die an early death." Roshi spoke airily while his charge freaked out. Once Naruto had managed to calm down enough, Roshi began the instruction. "To meet the biju, you must concentrate on your chakra and pull yourself towards the chakra that will feel different." He instructed as Naruto closed his eyes and tried to get hold of the chakra.

For a while nothing happened, only silence governed as Naruto grew frustrated but then he felt it, his chakra warm and powerful flowing around him. It cut him from the noise and hubbubs of the daily life a whole new kind of sensation. Until he felt a different power lurking at the corner, more potent and corrosive feeling, 'is this Kyuubi's power? It is really malicious feeling.' Naruto thought before pulling himself deeper to reach the source of that power.

Roshi was astounded at the amount of chakra flickering around the blonde. 'He is channeling chakra all over his body; the boy has inadvertently used a very powerful technique.' He pondered on the true capacity of the young boy while on the surface this boy resembled no characteristics of the yellow flash. It seemed that genetics had done his job correctly if the potent feeling of chakra was anything to go by.


"What the fuck is this place?" Naruto cursed out loud, he had tried to locate the core of that chakra and in turn landed here. By all accounts this place was nothing more than a sewer well a pretty big one though. Ankle deep water filled the place, as Naruto moved forward trying to find an exit. The tunnel opened after a while in front of a huge prison gate or the front of a cage. A piece of paper with intricate symbols hung from where the lock should have been.

While every muscle of his body screamed to turn back, Naruto felt an unnatural pull from that cage. He stepped closer until the distance was less than six feet. "SO MY JAILOR COMES TO MEET ME." Voice dripping with venom spat. And two glowing eyes, ten times size of a normal beast's materialized in the dark. "TELL ME, WHY SHOULD I NOT TEAR THE FLESH OUT OF OUR BONES?" The great beast roared teeth longer than swords glistened in the light. "Cause you can't kill me, if I die you die." Naruto yelled back the mere sight of the beast was filling him with hatred, as years of loneliness, hatred for doing something he never did.


Roshi cursed inward as he could very well feel the power in the boy fighting within trying to defeat himself. 'Hey old ape, it is time to help the kid out.' Roshi called out to the beast caged inside his very being. And a burning shroud covered him before reaching out to Naruto's body.

The anbu squad watching over them jumped into action. One fluid motion drawing Katana from their backs they charged a lone hand signaled them to stop. "Now is not the time, they are in control." Spoke the man with bear mask. Before looking at two weapon of mass destruction, communicate with each other.

Naruto suddenly sensed he was not alone before he heard another booming voice in his head, from a far, "don't judge someone without knowing, young one. There is more than what meets the eye in case of this big furred fox." 'Who are you' Naruto thought, 'you know me as yonbi.' The voice replied, before a red surge of chakra from the cage broke the connection. "STAY OUT OF HERE." Kyuubi roared shaking the cage violently, "I DON'T CARE FOR YOU, YOU OLD MONKEY." Naruto got to his feet, "that hurts, fur ball no need to get so violent. All I want to know is why you attacked my village all those years ago?" he shouted.

"WHAT IF I SAY, I JUST FELT LIKE DESTROYING IT." Kyuubi answered fixing his one eye in a staring contest with Naruto. "Then I don't believe it. Monster or not, no one acts that way." Naruto replied feeling a strange calm even as he faced the terror incarnate. "MONSTER, YOU DARE CALL ME MONSTER. WHEN ALL MY LIFE I HAVE BEEN CAGED AND USED BY YOU PUNY SACK OF FLESH. YOU CAME HERE TO CONTROL MY POWER DIDN'T YOU THEN TASTE IT." a lone tail sneaked out of the cage wrapping around Naruto's ankle. "Gaah…" Naruto screamed in pain, he could feel the orange chakra creating a shroud around his body.

Years of being neglected by the citizens flashed before his mind, and the whispering in his ears was slowly driving him crazy. He was losing himself to the rage, until the words of the Iruka flashed before his mind. ""Well I couldn't let my...cough...cough...little brother die could I?" he felt the rage lessen as the words of Iruka flashed again and again until slowly consciousness came back to him. And once again Roshi's word came back to him "neither we nor the ones we guard are monsters." Gritting his teeth against the pain Naruto called out to the great beast, "I am not like them kyuubi. I can understand what you must feel like." The pain increased tenfold as the beast's unblinking eye fixed on the blonde. "YOU CLAIM TO KNOW ME, THE MIGHTIEST OF TAILED BEASTS. THEN PROVE IT REMOVE THE SEAL SET ME FREE." The beast roared, Naruto could feel a chakra tail to form behind him. "Maybe someday I will but first I will make sure every bit of your hatred is gone." Naruto said, miraculously he could feel the pain lessen. "YOU MAKE ME LAUGH, KIT. I SHALL GIVE YOU ONE CHANCE. YOU MAY TAKE ON MY POWER AS LONG AS YOU CAN CONTROL. BUT BE SURE THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE EASY. RIDDING ME OF MY HATRED IS GOING TO BE IMPOSSIBLE. DON'T FAIL ME." Kyuubi roared.

Naruto opened his eyes as he was thrusted back to the reality. He seemed more in tune with the nature; even slightest details seemed visible to his new eyes. Roshi seemed a bit skeptic, "one tail, is that best you can do. Then I must say it's pitiful." Naruto let the insult slide before a feral grin appeared at his face. "Let's begin the training, shall we."


As Naruto quickly dropped in to his usual taijutsu stance, Roshi merely cocked his eyebrow, "you have spunk I give you that kid." He vanished in a burst of speed before appearing behind Naruto with his fist ready, only to hit thin air. Naruto had disappeared from that place. Years spent in battle field, honed Roshi's senses to such an extent where mere shift in air pressure was enough to know enemy's position. And that saved him this time. As the drop kick Naruto attempted missed by the breadth of a hair. That attack created a crater where it landed. Standing at the centre, Naruto growled at his attack missing before a fist slammed into him throwing him back.

"You have speed but only speed is not enough." Roshi said expressionlessly, before charging once more at Naruto who was crouching on the land his lone tail swishing in the air. This time Roshi attacked with a high kick that Naruto blocked with his forearm. 'Shit…it was a trap.' Was all Roshi could think before a punch hit him in the gut. Naruto smirked before getting surprised as the Roshi he just punched turned to dust. However he didn't have long to ponder as a rock encrusted fist crashed on the place he stood moment's ago. Growling in frustration Naruto lashed out at the stone creature, which also swung his arm again.

Roshi watched in surprise as the fist easily tore through the construct like nothing. His hands blurred before he slammed them on the ground, 'Iwagakure hidden jutsu: army of rock'. Around him more rock creatures were forming steadily. Once the number reached ten, he stopped feeding chakra to the attack. 'This attack seriously drains me. I wonder how Onoki still use it in larger magnitude." He spoke to no one in particular before body flickering away on top of a tree.


Naruto growled as ten more such constructs came at him. Quickly dropping in to four limbs he dashed at them, zigzagging and dodging the attacks they sent at him. He closed in on the largest one of the lot. Running straight up he delivered a brutal mule kick to its face. The head exploded in dust as the momentum gained from that kick allowed Naruto to tear through a number of them. There were only three more left, when Naruto could feel an overwhelming amount of fatigue the chakra cloak around him disappeared as a punch headed towards him. Quickly creating a clone to take the hit Naruto jumped backwards. The stone creatures stopped for a moment before breaking down in to tiny fragments.

"You maintained the cloak for ten minutes, which is good; however you didn't use any jutsu why?" Roshi asked appearing before the heavily breathing blonde teen. Looking sheepish Naruto replied, "I didn't think of it." "I deduced as much, it seems that the nine tail's chakra drives you to a baser extinct however your chakra attacks will be more powerful in this state so think of it next time. One more thing I saw you use clones, I must warn you not to use any kind of clones once you are using its chakra." Roshi told, his demeanor changing to a warmer attitude. "You have massive power and speed boost up, if you can train and control them more. You will be able to beat many jounins in this mode. However you must be aware that many of your attacks are easy to read, so work on that more. I shall train you in using you tenant's chakra until the chunin exams start in six more days." "Roshi sensei I have a question. Why can't I use kage bunshin in that mode?" Naruto asked his face scrunching up in concentration.

'he is really a kid, at least he has easier life than I did' Roshi though before answering, "every kind of solid clone divides the chakra in various ratios but dispel with one hit with the exception of the rock clone I used. While we use the tailed beast chakra, the beast can choose to feed on our chakra but only the amount we spend. Right now you spent nearly infinitesimal fraction of what truly Kyuubi's capacity is and he might have taken that chakra off you. So if you use solid clones he feed on your chakra more as your using large amount of his chakra. That's why if you use it recklessly you may just end up dead from chakra exhaustion" watching the kid freak out Roshi had to forcefully suppress his laughter, 'innocent even after being a jinchuriki. You are a remarkable kid.'

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It was the highest honor to be chosen for this task, and Zaku was ready to lay down his lives if it meant success for his savior. He along with two others was given the special task to do in the heart of the very village that caused him so much pain. "Are you ready to set out?" a voice sounded behind him, gentle yet spine chilling. Zaku bowed before his leader, his savior, "yes my lord. I shall not fail you". "Good see that you don't or else I will be displeased." The man spoke before coming forward in the sunlight, his skin was unnaturally pale, but what really set him apart were his eyes. Silted like a serpent's the eyes were yellow in color, more importantly the eyes looked hungry.

Orochimaru watched flanked by his guards as the team handpicked moved out to reach Konoha, a crooked smile played on his lips. "Orochimaru sama, we must leave at once." spoke another man dressed in same way of the traitor sanin. The man had white hair and fair albeit sickly complexion; just above his eyes two white dots were visible. "I know Kimimaro Kun; we shall set out right now." Orochimaru replied. The man nodded before taking his position at the back of four guards.

NEAR THE BORDER OF HIDDEN SAND VILLAGE

A group of six shinobis were waiting for their allies to come. Five of them were clothed in identical flak jacket of sandy color while the man standing in front of them wore a brown cloak covering his body; he was the Yondaime kazekage of hidden sand, a strong and cunning warrior whose ferocity in battle was only surpassed by his will to reach the sky. To make sure that his village stays strong he had sacrificed his wife, and sealed the one tailed raccoon in his youngest child. But lately all his attempts have been in vain, the wind daimio had drained his village dry and this was the last chance he had to retaliate.

His eyes caught the six silhouettes coming from the opposite side, 'so they come, I wonder if I can really take this risk.' He stood tall however despite of the small tendril of cautiousness he was feeling. Orochimaru was the first to greet, bowing a little he called out, "my greetings, lord kazekage it feels good to see you healthy." "Cut the pleasantries, Orochimaru, my shinobi's have already set out for leaf but has the infiltration gone as planned?" Fourth kazekage, Shiroi Subaku growled. A forked tongue flicked out of his lips, as the silted eyes glinted in amusement. "The plan is going perfectly; the only question that remains is the boy capable of doing what he must do." Several tendrils of golden dust shot forward forming spears with incredible sharpness. Orochimaru smirked as the pointy weapons stopped an inch away from his eyes, "you amuse me Kazekage dono, and some would even go as far as say you interest me. As you surely know, my interest is not something you would like to have." The voice was still calm and gentle, yet it possessed steel that unnerved the surrounding sand shinobi. It was in these moments Shiroi was forcefully reminded of the legends that surrounded the serpent sage. 'I am making a deal with the devil, but to save my village this is not a price I can shy away from.' He thought solemnly before the dust weapons scattered away.

As the convoy from sand village started their journey back to their village, the six shinobi in white robes stood for a few more moments in silence. "Orochimaru sama, the risk is too much for us to ignore. According to Kabuto's latest report leaf has already mobilized even your old comrade is returning to the village." Kimimaro spoke ignoring the sudden flare of pain cruising through body. The long tongue flicked out of Orochimaru's lips as the sanin carefully pondered the situation, he was well aware of Jiriaya's caliber but this time he was running out of patience. 'Twelve long years I waited for my revenge on leaf, the country that betrayed me grows prosperous in peace. Every year their fame grows and the ache in my heart increases. I was too weak then but not now, I am closer to immortality than any other man ever managed to come.'

"No Kimimaro kun I shall strike now, with the destruction of leaf's Uchiha clan, my goal seems impossible. I must have Sasuke Uchiha, and chunin exams are the best time." He spoke even as fire started to eat his body from below slowly but accurately teleporting him to his base, the rest of the guards followed suit.

NEAR THE BORDER OF LEAF VILLAGE

Sitting at the gate guard's post Izumo and Kotetsu were having the time of their life. Usually they were bored out of their minds from sitting for hours at a stretch. But thankfully for them, at least this time they were having fun watching at the foreign chicks. This time it was groups from sand entering the village; so far fifteen of them had entered, Izumo was just about to close the gate when he saw them. Four sand shinobi walking calmly a teen aged blonde girl with four pig tails and one large fan flanked the left, a weird looking boy with makeup and a bundle on his back flanked the right but what really caught the eye was the one striding in the middle. The boy was young, if Izumo were to guess he would say the boy looked below thirteen, with flaming red hair covering his head and a red kanji of 'LOVE' near his left temple the boy radiated power.

Standing behind the group was one who could fight on par with any of the jounin Konoha had to offer. A veil covering the half of his face, Baki moved forward crossing the gate. Izumo and Kotetsu were flabbergasted to say any damn thing. The only thought that crossed the mind of the two chunins were, 'holy shit'. After all not every day you see the family of kazekage come to leaf to participate in the chunin exams.

To be continued….