We go back to looking at the Mist sidestory for a bit, and Naruto displays a newfound ability.

Chapter Ten

As Tenzou and his lieutenant looked on, Kakashi finally put down the brush and inkwell he had been using for more than two hours to paint the binding seals on both Sasuke's body and the floor. The jonin then walked around and placed one hand on Orochimaru's Cursed Seal of Heaven.

"Fuuin!"

The two anbu focused on locking down Sasuke's body to prevent his movements from ruining the sealing process. The ink spiraled inward as the energies contained within beat back the corrupting influences of Orochimaru's chakra, causing Sasuke an enormous amount of pain. As much as he tried to scream however, his movements were halted. He could only sit there and give voice to the agony until the mark was completely sealed. When the two ANBU let go of his shoulders, the boy collapsed, unconscious. Kakashi wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Well, that's done."

The three suddenly heard a slow mocking clap. As they looked to the shadows of the room, they saw the traitor emerge.

"Well done, Kakashi-kun. I see Minato's skills live on, though you are far from his brand of genius."

The two ANBU tensed while Kakashi appeared to regard the man casually. "Eh, sensei is a tough act to surpass, unlike you."

The sannin smirked. "Now now, there's no need for harsh words. We're all familiar with each other, except for you, Uzuki-chan."

Tenzou's mind raced. Orochimaru had thought him dead with the rest of his test subjects! How did he-

"Tsk tsk, if I found out about the Kyuubi brat's bloodline, do you really think figuring out what happened to the survivor of my Mokuton experiments would be beyond me? Though speaking of the spawn of that yellow rat, I am most interested to see what potential he has. I would enjoy making use of that…"

Kakashi stepped forward, bringing his right hand in front of his right thigh. "What did you do to him?" His hand crackled and sparks began to fly from his fingers. "What did you do to Naruto?"

"I simply took what I needed to study his…what did the brat call it? Oh yes, Jouton. I see no need to inflict permanent damage on the only source of a bloodline whose potential rivals the great doujutsu."

Kakashi's eye narrowed. "What?"

Orochimaru laughed. "Surely the implications of young Naruto's abilities are not beyond the grasp of the great Sharingan no Kakashi?" he turned to leave only to hear the whisper of two blades being drawn.

"Do you think we will allow you to leave?" Tenzou growled.

The traitor laughed again. "You wouldn't if things were not as they are now. I have agents all over this village. You tell that old relic Hokage-sama that if he interferes in the exams now, I will have Konoha destroyed."

Tora readied herself for a lunge. "You're bluffing. You don't-"

"Stand down!" Kakashi threw an arm in front of her.

Orochimaru gave one final cackle. "That's what I've always hated about Konoha: you are always too soft…"

*break*

Danzo found it curious to be called upon by his rival. It was even more unsettling that Sarutobi hinted at a possible use for the Root. That was the thing: in all the years since Root had been established by the Nidaime, Hiruzen had always heavily disapproved of Root. Wedded to ideals that Tobirima Senju eschewed in favor of practical, if somewhat extremist, solutions, his rival had made it a point to attempt to solve things using peaceful and upfront means, preferring trust to Machiavellian manipulations and constant suspicion. Were this an ideal world, Danzo Shimura would have heartily agreed with Hiruzen methods. But it wasn't, and his activities were needed to safeguard Konoha from various threats that could not become public knowledge. The destruction of the village of Hayashi no Kuni (Land of the Woods), the alliance with Hanzo to destroy the free radicals that were Jiraiya's unaligned students (which ultimately failed due to Hanzo's grandstanding), and the allowance of Orochimaru's plot against both Suna and Konoha by which he intended to find as many security leaks in the village as possible and plug them. They were actions which, at the end of the day, left a bitter taste in his mouth, but they were necessary to protect his sensei and his brother's, creation: the system of the Great Villages.

It was an ominous sign, for Sarutobi to not simply agree to, but to demand, his services. What could possibly make Hiruzen so desperate?

When he saw Zabuza and Haku in the office though, it became readily apparent. Due to his connections, he saw all the reports filed by shinobi on record. Kakashi's story had gotten his attention, but lacked the concrete proof Root needed to justify invading an allied nation. By the looks of things however, the hokage intended to give him proof.

"Hiruzen,"

"For once, I am glad to count on your services old friend."

"Indeed. From the presence of the Demon of the Bloody Mist and after seeing Hatake's report, I assume you require my Root to pay a visit to Kirigakure. I profess that I am curious as to what makes this so urgent."

Zabuza had heard rumors of this one-eyed cripple, how he had singlehandedly been responsible for turning a rout of Suna and Konoha forces by Iwa into a shattering defeat before the debut of the Kiiroi Senkou (Yellow Flash). Root's predecessor had, under this man, caused so much damage with so few saboteurs and spies that pretty much every damned village to this day still lived in fear of the man. I am in the presence of gods, he thought to himself. It was humbling to know that despite his own status and reputation, both of these old men were legends who commanded the respect of the entire continent. And they need my help. It was a heady thought for him as he listened to the Hokage explain the proof.

"What would you have me do, Hiruzen? Give all possible aid to the rebel elements in Kiri?" The Professor nodded. "And do so without any trace. It goes without saying that this is a mission far too sensitive for any of the regular forces to undertake."

The Root commander frowned. "I hope you are factoring in Madara's own knowledge. He would have kept track of events as any shinobi should and he would suspect Konoha's involvement. Even the slightest insinuation would poison a chance for allying the world against the man."

"Only in the event of a failure would there be serious harm. With the support of Zabuza-san and whosoever takes the title of Godaime Mizukage, we will have diminished any effect such whisperings could have on a future alliance. In fact, it would work against Madara's purposes because the other villages would consider joining us to prevent such machinations against themselves."

Danzo was still uneasy. "You will forgive me if I do not quite share your optimism. I find that even in the best of cases, things can be overlooked."

Zabuza took the opportunity to chime in. "You won't have to worry on Kiri's part. I can promise you that."

The cripple sighed. "Very well. I shall make preparations. If you would please accompany me, Zabuza of the Mist, we must discuss some things."

After the three had left, Sarutobi looked at the Nidaime's image on the mountain. "I never thought I'd see things his way, but you were right sensei…"

*break*

Even though the preliminaries were closed to civilians, news of Neji Hyuuga's assault on his sweet-hearted cousin had spread throughout the village. Accompanying that was the fact that the demon container had stood up for the Hyuuga heiress and all but swore a blood-oath for revenge. Some dismissed Naruto's actions. He had been raised by order of Hiashi Hyuuga after all. It was possible that the demon brat was merely repaying loyalty to the father of the victim. Others, however, noted that apart from the clan head, the Hyuuga as a whole had disapproved of the boy, and yet he was willing to put his honor on the line for the girl. It wasn't much, but for standing up for someone else in the village, Naruto was beginning to change the village's opinion of him, whether the hardline haters liked it or not.

But the blond didn't care at the moment. He was waiting for the attending physician to leave the wardroom and allow visitors. Hinata's team and sensei stood in the hall next to him. Finally, fourteen hours after the fight, they were allowed in two at a time.

Kiba and Shino went first. Naruto heard Kiba through the door expressing his apologies that he wasn't going to be able to give Neji a beatdown himself due to his loss to Shikamaru. The blond would later ask if his friend had considered letting Kiba pass, and the Nara heir would say that Kiba would never have succeeded. The prodigy had decided that a missed opportunity would hurt the Inuzuka much less than the horrific loss he would have suffered at Neji's hands, and the failure to avenge his teammate. Shino hadn't said a word since his battle yesterday, but the incessant buzzing beneath his coat and the steady rage Naruto had felt from the insect user told him the boy was no happier than his feral teammate.

When they left, it was Naruto's and Kurenai's turn. They quietly entered, and Kurenai stood against the wall while the boy approached his unconscious friend. The jonin noted how gentle he was in touching her wounds, and hoped that someday Naruto would actually notice and return the girl's affections. Given how the village shit on him in his early years, the fact that he turned out decent was a miracle. He deserved someone like Hinata. Then she saw him place one hand on her forehead, and close his own eyes. The boy stood there, as if in a trance, for ten minutes, and then removed his hand. He then looked at her bandages, and whispered.

"I'm going to try something. Just bear with me Hinata-chan."

The jonin watched in curiosity, then alarm, as Naruto's hands lit up with light green chakra. "Naruto what are you doing?" she hissed as she moved to block him. The boy locked eyes with her.

"I'm trying to take away the pain," he said simply. The jonin thought to object until she saw in the boy's eyes a sincere desire to help. She stepped away and watched Naruto place his hands on Hinata's chest.

The effect was immediate. Blood returned to the girl's face and her breathing eased just a little. Her pulse monitor, which had been displaying weaker than normal pulses, showed stronger electrical signals. Muscles that the girl's body had unconsciously tensed in response to pain, relaxed. Hinata moaned through the respirator as Naruto pulled his hands away. Kurenai was awed.

"H-how did you…"

Naruto stared at his hands. "I…don't know…it just felt right…"

*break*

Hiashi sighed. Oh Hizashi, look how I failed you. He had never wanted his brother to sacrifice himself to appease Kumo, but his brother took the decision out of his hands. " 'I freely chose to die to protect my brother and choose my fate for the first time…' " the Hyuuga clan head swirled his cup of sake before downing it in one motion and pouring another, his fifth for the morning. "I should have told Neji the truth long ago," he berated himself. "I should have headed this off."

"And would things have been better?" a familiar voice asked him.

Hiashi didn't turn around. He didn't have to. He knew his father's voice anywhere. "Perhaps they might have been…"

"And perhaps not," his father rebuffed him. "What you decided in the past is in the past. It is set in stone, and there is no going back. What matters is now. What will you do, now?"

"Neji would not believe me if I tried to tell him the truth now. He would only consider it when he has been humbled. In all likelihood, Naruto Uzumaki will be the one to do that. I would wait until that time."

"And if the boy is not successful?"

"Then I pray that someone else will be."

*break*

Naruto was on his way to the training grounds to blow off some steam when he heard a voice behind him.

"Yo."

Whirling around, he snapped at the newcomer. "What do you want?"

Jiraiya took in the sight of the boy he hadn't laid eyes on for six years. If there was any difference between Minato and his son, it was the whiskers and the angry scowl on his face.

"I heard about Hiashi's daughter," the man said as he walked past Naruto, who turned to follow him. "It's quite a mess he's got on his hands."

"Why do you care, and who are you anyway?"

The man turned slightly and smiled. "Name's Jiraiya. I've been hearing a lot about you lately."

Naruto growled. "And I care why?"

Jiraiya bent down. "Look kid, I've been where you are. Being angry about it isn't going to change anything-well maybe for you, but it won't change things very much. You got more important things to worry about."

"She's my friend!"

The sage held up a hand. "And the hospital is doing their best to take care of her. The way I hear it, she'll live. Your big problem is facing your opponent. And why do I care? Sarutobi-sensei asked me to train you."

Part of Naruto's scowl vanished. "Really?"

"Yep."

"What about Kakashi-sensei?"

"He's going to be busy looking after your teammate. Someone's gotta keep an eye on that love bite my old teammate gave him."

The blond's eyes narrowed. "Orochimaru was your teammate?"

"I'm part of the Sannin, kid. Who do you think we are? And actually that reminds me: your pink-haired teammate told me you had a needle mark on your neck. You know what Orochimaru did to you?"

Naruto racked his memories, which were somewhat hazy from the Kyuubi's influence. "…I think he took some of my blood, and sealed a bit of the Kyuubi's chakra into a piece of jewelry."

Jiraiya swore.

"Why? What's so bad about that?"

The sage shook his head. "I'll tell you after the exams. Right now, we need to get you started."

"On what?"

"Proper use of the Kyuubi's chakra for one thing. Better control over your Jouton for another."

"How do you-never mind. But what do you mean about the Kyuubi's chakra? I've been using it-"

"You've been drawing on incredibly small amounts compared to its real capacity, and you've nearly lost yourself in it. The Kyuubi's chakra is enormously concentrated with malice. You haven't once handled the real deal. The seal on your chest is too tight to let any more than trace amounts leak out."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Trace amounts? But that gave me a huge boost!"

"The Kyuubi had an influence on you from a very young age. Your body is simply optimized to use even the smallest amounts very efficiently. Eventually though, you're going to need to use its chakra in the raw. I'm the only one who can handle training you for that."

The blond frowned. "So how do we get started?"

"First, you learn the water-walking exercise. Then we'll go from there."

"Water-walking?"

The sage grinned.

*break*

"AUGH FUCK!"

The white-haired man laughed to himself as Naruto fell down into steaming hot water for the umpteenth time.

"Having fun there, kid?"

"Fuck you-AGH!"

Jiraiya shook his head. This reminded him a lot of Kushina. The tomboy had demonstrated herself to be in possession of quite the colorful vocabulary until she stopped burning herself dropping in. He had learned about that while talking to her sensei at the time.

"Gah! THERE! HAPPY? I finally got this!"

His eyebrows rose. Not quite as fast as his father, but still amazing for a kid like him. "Okay. Now I want you to stretch your senses out and see how many people you can feel around us."

Naruto frowned, but complied. What was usually a simple exercise suddenly multiplied in difficulty. It was hard for the blond to divide his attention between staying on top of the water and feeling the emotions of people around him.

"You see how hard it is?" Jiraiya asked. "This is the first step toward using the Kyuubi's chakra: managing how much of it you allow to flow through your body while you are focused on something else. It's hard at first, but we have a month to get you up there. Now forget about sensing people, and try and fight me," The man stepped onto the hot water.

Naruto had the sinking feeling this would end badly for him.

*break*

The jonin from Suna glanced around cautiously before stepping down the alleyway. He then came face to face with Kabuto Yakushi.

"Orochimaru-sama sends his apologies for the sudden change in plans, Baki-san. There is a blond brat whose abilities would have jeopardized the invasion."

Baki frowned. "Surely one kid can't be that powerful…"

The silver-haired youth laughed. "Your youngest charge would indicate otherwise. In any case, it is not a question of how strong he is, but of his ability to detect our sleeper agents. Orochimaru-sama has pulled them back to enable them to bypass the brat's senses."

"Wouldn't it be simpler just to kill this brat?"

"Not when he is a personal patron of the Hokage, the Hyuuga clan head and Jiraiya of the Sannin."

The jonin frowned. Great, more complications. "Is there anything else we should know about?"

"Your own forces should keep their distance from the Great Wall until after our saboteurs remove their inner defenses. The push forward will, as discussed, be backed by Orochimaru-sama's summons."

He nodded. "I will inform the Kazekage of this."

"You do that," Kabuto smirked in amusement. "In the meantime, I have to dispose of an unwelcome guest. You cannot hide, Hayate-san."

Baki whirled around just in time to see a blur fly down the opposite end of the alley. "Damn!"

Hayate was chilled, and not because of his chronic health problem. What he saw, what he heard, someone had to know! Someone had to stop this! Someone-"Fuck!"

Kabuto blocked his path. "Going somewhere?"

Baki ran up behind the man just in time for him to spin around, unsheathe his blade and attack him personally. "Mikazuki no Mai (Dance of the Crescent Moon)!"

The man from Suna swore and ducked the first two blows before being caught in the shoulder by the third. Unfortunately for the Konoha proctor, the blow was too shallow.

"Nice try," he said, gripping the arm of the man before him. "But not quite good enough," and his fingers formed a deadly blade of wind.

*break*

It took three weeks, several headaches, four trips to the hospital and more sake than Naruto had thought was humanly possible to consume, but Jiraiya pronounced the boy ready for the next part of the exam and had damned near ordered him to take the last week to rest up. Naruto had decided on the second to last day to pay a visit to Hinata. He found her in the company of her team. Kurenai had told Hinata what Naruto had done for her, and now the girl was even more shy then before about her crush.

"Yo, you alright?"

"H-hai."

"Well in two days, I'm going to beat the shit out of your cousin. He's going to pay for what he did to you Hinata-chan."

Hinata paled slightly, and for a moment her team was concerned for her health. "P-p-please d-don't hurt him t-too bad! I-I-"

Naruto frowned. "He almost killed you and you don't want me to beat him up?"

"H-he's been hurting…a-ano, I can f-feel it.N-Neji-niisan has b-been hurt f-for a long t-time…"

The blond clenched a fist. "Well he's taking it out on you, so someone's gotta smack him around and get him to wake the fuck up."

"A sentiment I wholeheartedly agree with Uzumaki on," Shino added.

"N-Naruto-kun…"

"He'll live, but I'm going to set him straight. You can count on that."

Kurenai knelt down and whispered into Hinata's ear while the girl watched her crush depart. "You're lucky to have him, Hinata."

Later that day, Hiashi would find himself greeted by a panicked Team 8.

Next time is Neji's beatdown and Part One of the Invasion.

Naruto did NOT heal her. He lacks the medical knowledge to do so. What his chakra did was act like Morphine. It responded to his desire to help Hinata.

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