Naruto walked in the tree inhabited area of his home. He didn't realize how far his feet carried him until the lack of people caught his attention. The pain of seeing Old Man Teuchi and his secret crush Ayame, especially the latter, really exploded inside. The homely vibe and the mouth-watering goodness of Ichiraku Ramen felt like piling rocks on an already sore back.

This really was a sucky time to come back to Konoha. Kyuubi was right in telling him about being mentally prepared before returning. He didn't take that seriously because ignorance was high in his childhood. But he couldn't turn down such an opportunity to test his skills and help the village that his new friends hailed from. Despite knowing said village admonished Fu like him, he figured this was the first step in changing their opinion on Fu. The best laid plans, they say….

Ears picking up clanging noises, Naruto slowly walked further into the area and eventually saw a girl around his age throwing all sorts of weapons into many targets placed in many angles. She wore a sleeveless pink blouse and dark green pants. Her hair was done in a two bun style that probably was uncommon. But Naruto's attention was drawn to her focused dark brown eyes that pinpointed every center of the red and white targets or weapons that was stuck to tree bark. Then her lithe figure was in motion, releasing all weapons clutched in her hands in ruthless aggression. To his shock, she sealed some stray weapons away in some scrolls and unsealed different weapons to restart her training. That seriously shocked him. Along with that, Naruto was stuck to his feet just watching this girl train. It proved to be a very good distraction. So much that his troubles took a back seat in watching her precision being honed. The performance was that great.

It was almost like watching a special dance that lured and entrapped you in a special pull. So majestic….

Even the part when a kunai comes straight at you with unrelenting speed….w-wait a second!

Naruto quickly moved his head to the side and saw the kunai make its mark on the tree. His life just flashed before his eyes then and there…

"The only reason why I haven't attacked yet or called for my comrades is because of you not making a single move against me." The girl turned around and narrowed her brown eyes at him. "Now who are you and why are you trespassing in a private training ground?"

Naruto held his hands up as he revealed his disguised form. "E-easy. I'm not from around here and I was so busy enjoying the scenery that I wound up here by mistake. Konoha is a big place, after all."

"It is." The girl then took out another kunai and wielded it in a threatening manner. "It's big enough that any missing-nin can infiltrate it with the right plans and skills."

"I-I'm not a missing-nin!" By technical standards, anyway. "I'm here to compete in the Chunin Exams." Naruto quickly took out a scroll and unsealed his fake documents and ID card. "See?"

"Don't move." In a quick Shunshin, the mystery girl held the kunai underneath Naruto's chin while she held the papers with her other hand. She made a humming noise as she carefully scanned the papers in hand all the while being unaware of the situation regarding her captive. Naruto tried to ignore the two bumps on his back but he had to remain still else he made the kunoichi react on instinct and slice his neck off. "Your name's Menma, huh? Weird name." The blonde in disguise had a retort for that, mainly her choice of hairstyle, but chose to keep his mouth shut.

"You seem to check out. Still doesn't mean I trust you." For good measure, a Bushin appeared behind Naruto and held its kunai at the ready. While it did that, the real person went to the clearing and picked up all the weapons lying on the ground.

From that point, the clearing was filled with the sounds of metal clacking and footsteps on grass. Deciding to sate his curiosity, Naruto swallowed the saliva in his mouth and spoke. "So…is it too much trouble to learn the name of the girl that might kill me?"

The girl huffed before responding. "Suppose not. The names Tenten."

"Tenten, huh?" Naruto wondered if he ever came across this girl in his prankster days. If she had the same hairstyle, then it was a possibility. Too much happened around that time to give clarity on it though. "I see you're using the wonders of Fuinjutsu to manage your weapons."

"You mean storage seals? It's not much. All I'm doing is putting my weapons in a special space for when I need them."

"Fuinjutsu is more than that, you know." Blue eyes brightened. "You can do so many things once you understand the complex theories and history behind this subject. It's literally groundbreaking, dattebayo!" So hyper in vexing his passion, Naruto didn't realize his verbal slip.

Tenten blinked at the tone of voice. "Wow. You must be really interested in a bunch of squiggly lines to sound like that."

"Fuinjutsu is more than what looks like squiggly lines! It's better than Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, damnit!" Seeing Tenten get tense due to his outburst, Naruto composed himself and got his voice at an even level. "Sorry about that. When you diss the sealing arts like that, regard it as too complicated or even see it way below the level as the other shinobi arts, it personally insults my character." Naruto looked at the scrolls rolled out on the floor and fondly smiled at the cursive calligraphy and directional arrows. "Taking the time to study and nurture every step in creating seals, experimenting them and using them all the while brainstorming the next innovation….that's my philosophy in Fuinjutsu."

'This guy really loves Fuinjutsu.' To be honest, Tenten envied the redhead. More than once did she try to understand and grasp seals beyond the storage variety. It only came up as an answer to better manage/equip her weapons. One bored afternoon when team training passed, she frequented the library for textbooks on the subject. Particularly for dummies.

Not even the simplified versions made things easy for her. The theories and concepts were HARD.

"You make it sound so un-complicated." A humorless chuckle escaped her lips. "Then again, most of us aren't as talented as you." With that, Tenten canceled the Bushin and rolled her scrolls up.

"Anyone can be talented in Fuinjutsu as long as you're determined to succeed in it. In fact," Naruto fished in his back pocket and revealed an orange colored scroll with a chibi face of a child triumphantly grinning. Rolling it out on the ground and slamming his hand on the center, Naruto picked up two worn books that had multiple sticky notes stuck between the pages. If one looked closely, ink markings that looked rubbed out via finger/spit combo were splattered all over the front and back. "I can lend you these textbooks on the Intermediate Level of Fuinjutsu Theory and Formulas."

Tenten looked at the books before raising an eyebrow at the redhead. "Intermediate Level? What makes you think I can understand that much when I haven't even finished or even started on the Beginner's level?"

"The first step in grasping something new is to look at the dumbed down version. These textbooks contain notes that anyone can understand. The plan was to give these to a precious person of mine but I can't ignore potential when I see it." A small idea came to mind and it made him fish for another scroll. "In fact, let's call this a fair trade. I give you my pride and joy in exchange for helping me with this." In another poof of smoke, the somewhat intimidating Mechanical Drilling Arm made a noise as it fell to the ground.

Tenten's full attention was on the mysterious new weapon. "What is that?"

"You can call that a spoil of war. Or me nabbing the weapon when the owner got his ass kicked by me. Whichever one you choose."

"I've never seen something like this before!" Tenten observed the gauntlet from all angles and scanned the different parts before picking it up for herself to get a closer look. "This thing is a bit heavy…" Nonetheless, her hands were massaging the rusty surface. Then she turned the gauntlet in a vertical angle to scrutinize the metal fingers. For a fleeting moment, she pictured flesh being torn apart because of these things. Hopefully her small shiver went unnoticed. Switching it so the claw was facing down, Tenten slipped her arm into the hole and wiggled her fingers in the surprisingly non-compact space.

"Awesome, isn't it?"

Tenten didn't say anything until she was done feeling inside the compartment. "How do you activate this thing? I can't imagine you just running up to someone and hoping to cave their face in."

"Pass it here." Naruto slid his arm into it after her caught in the air and turned towards a random tree. "Watch. Chishi Kurenai(Crimson Topography!)"

Tenten felt her jaw drop when she saw the metal claw launch itself out of the gauntlet and pierce through several trees with raw destructive power.

Naruto grinned when he saw her expression. "Awesome, right? But there are some adjustments I want with this thing." While Naruto listed his plans for improvement, he was manually reeling the claw in. "First, I want a switch in the hand compartment so I don't have to use a jutsu to activate it. Second, I want to replace the wire with a higher grade that will allow me to channel chakra into it. Third, though I think this one might be a bit tricky, make it lighter and reduce the size a bit." Naruto snapped the claw back in place. "Think you can help me with this?"

She was already by his side. "I may not know how to solve your problem. But I know this owner of a store I frequent that can help!" Tenten looked at the books on the ground before staring at Naruto. "You really don't mind me taking those books?"

"Of course not. The more people that can grasp Fuinjutsu, the better!"

Tenten looked him up and down for a moment before smiling and taking the offered books. "Thanks! This means a lot!" After sealing the books away, Tenten cleaned the clearing of all of her stuff before taking the Drill Arm from Naruto. "I can take this to the store owner and have him look at it. Since you're in the exams, I can let you know when you can pick it up. Is that ok?"

"No problem. I'm glad we came to an agreement."

Tenten nodded before walking away. Suddenly she turned at stared at Naruto. "Wait a sec. I remember you saying something funny."

Naruto blinked twice. "What?"

"You planned to give these books to precious people." Tenten let a teasing smile crawl on her cute face. "Am I precious to you now, Menma-kun~"

Naruto grinned at her. "I have no problems if you want to be, Tenten-chan~"

"Hmm. Just remember that we're opponents in these Chunin Exams. I won't go easy on you. See ya~" For good measure, she swayed her hips a bit before leaving his eyesight.

Naruto just shook his head and looked at the orange hued sky. 'Wow. Just one talk and I don't feel like shit anymore.'

'Very surprising.' Kyuubi let the silence ring before talking again. 'I didn't say anything to you before because your decision in returning was absolute. But from my perspective, you weren't mentally prepared to return.'

'Still not really. But that doesn't mean I won't be ready by the end of these exams to face my demons.' Kyuubi didn't respond to that last quirk.

"Naruto!"

Blue eyes noticed the familiar figure of Fu running towards him. "Hey, Fu-chan…"

"Don't you hey me, mister!" Fu jabbed her finger in his chest. "Did you know how much damage control I underwent because of your sudden action? You got some explaining to do, ssu~"

Naruto nervously chuckled at his predicament but had a quick solution. "You know, I was just about to go somewhere special. Care to join me?"

"The view from here is beautiful, Naruto!"

'That was so easy.' Still, he couldn't blame his fellow companion. From atop the historic figure of the Yondaime Hokage of Konoha, the view of the village was absolutely mesmerizing. The sunset rays really play a huge part in highlighting the beauty of the settlement. Houses bathed in the orange glow and street lights couldn't compete with the radiant luster.

"In my younger days, I would always come here and just stare at this image. It would always cheer me up or give me new prank ideas. I have Jiji to thank for that…"

Seeing Naruto's face illuminated by the evening light made Fu's heart beat a little faster than normal. She didn't know why but it didn't last long. "Really?"

"Yeah…" Naruto didn't say much further and let his eyes stare at his home, soft winds playing with his untamed hair.

"So it's safe to assume this cliff is the equivalent to my forest. This place is nice. But nothing matches the comforting aura of a natural forest, ssu~"

"We all have our ways of coping. When it comes to special places, cherishing them comes naturally, dattebayo."

"You're right." Fu let her chin rest on her knees and wrapped her arms around them. "Do you feel better now, Naruto?"

The answer was delayed a bit due to the response needing words that string nicely. "To be honest Fu-chan….I do feel a bit better. But it still hurts." He felt her orange eyes on him so he deactivated his Henge seal and let a true smile crawl on his face. "Trust me, Fu-chan. I'll be fine now."

Right then and there, as her heart raced again and cheeks tinted red, Fu decided that Naruto was someone to completely trust no matter what. She already knew worrying for him would never cease but at least he kept his promises.

Nodding, Fu got up and stretched her lithe body. "Let's meet up with Hoki. We got a test to take in the morning, ssu~"

"Gotcha!"

They say when an animal, more specifically prey, is surrounded by predators and stared at like fresh meat on the market instincts flare to the highest point. Every muscle movement was tense, ears focused on growls and footsteps, eyes piercing the surrounding environment. It was that moment that defined the survival skills learned from adapting the trials of nature. In simple terms, put up or shut up.

Uchiha Sasuke perfectly understood this as she stood to a corner and glared at the mass amount of foreign entities. Kakashi wasn't lying when shinobi from different countries attended and made their presence known. He stressed two things in particular; Stick together with your comrades and watch your back. Something about teamwork was tossed in there but that was nothing new when the Cyclops was referenced.

What did this mean to Sasuke? Nothing much. Though testing her capacity on the other hand….

"You know, boys don't like it when girls paint their pretty faces with ugly frowns."

An unladylike snort later and Sasuke acknowledged her 'ally' with a lazy glance. "Funny you talk about looks when your 'teammates' don't find you attractive."

Yakumo looked at her team and frowned back at Sasuke. "They're not worth my time. I would've jumped at the chance at solo entrance into these exams but nope. Need your team. Bleh."

"These are the Chunin Exams. Teamwork is a core factor."

"You're the last person that should be preaching about teamwork."

There's that tension. It distracted Sasuke, if only to inflict herself with an illusion of not being surrounded by predators. "You're right. Teamwork is something I don't need to take down anyone who gets in my way."

There it is. Her 'ally' tensed with that last statement. The thought of proving her dominance created a smirk on her beautiful face.

Yakumo suddenly chuckled. "Chatting with you is always engaging, Uchiha."

"Sad that others don't share the sentiment." It was true. Most people find her speech either downright chilling or nonexistent. The latter because of civilians only believing the words spewing from their mouths. Urges of planting Chidori(Thousand Birds) into their skulls always popped up-

"It's been too long since I've seen that beautiful face!"

What do you know? The urge popped up again.

Inuzuka Kiba strolled into the exam room with his two teammates with a haughty air. Fangs revealed themselves as he grinned at Sasuke. "Seriously, fate is an asshole for keeping us separate."

She didn't even grace him with her coal orbs. "No. Fate is doing its job if nuisances like you are kept away."

Kiba only laughed. "Damn. That tongue is as sharp as ever!" He winked at his team then increased his 'manly' charm. "You know, we could explore with that tongue more after a date with yours truly. What do you say?"

As much as Yakumo secretly enjoyed the torture session with her rival, the mutt seriously pissed her off. "A shinobi who can't even keep his hormones in control. How sad your sensei must be." She emphasized sensei because of the particular subject.

"Watch your mouth, Kurama! If you act more dignified like Sasuke-chan here, then boys would notice you more."

Sasuke was about to release a quiet sigh until her eyes caught something at the doors. Familiar red hair. 'He's in these exams?'

'He' was Naruto in disguise. The tan girl and some other guy joined him in eyeing everyone in the room. Once the male finished his observation, he got reprimanded by the older boy for saying something out of line.

And for some reason, she felt a small spike in killing intent. A quick glance revealed the team from Suna as the culprit. More exactly, the kunoichi with the gourd. Seafoam eyes glared a hole into the Taki boy like he raped her in some universe. Weird.

In fact, double the weird because the Kumo team was also staring at him. What the hell?

"So Sasuke-chan, ignoring that rude interruption, what do you say about that date?" He didn't hear her voice. "Sasuke-chan?" Kiba saw his girl staring at something behind him. Following her eyesight, he laid his eyes on some random redhead talking rather loudly with some hot chick with killer legs. He would've paid attention to the chick but this guy was hogging his 'man' time. And damnit, he was top dog around here!

Sasuke watched Kiba walk to the redhead. 'This should be entertaining.'

"The heck's your deal, kid?! Do you want us to get killed this early into the exams?"

Naruto thought he stated his opinion rather clearly. That opinion being the opposition non-threatening from where he was standing. Seriously, most of these Genin looked like highway thugs or try-hard ninja. He sorta blamed that on the foes her fought before but still.

"I'm just saying. These guys don't look threatening to me."

Hoki covered his face with his hand. "Geez. Why did I agree to have you on the team?"

"Don't worry, Hoki. Menma just showing his confidence, ssu~"

"If his confidence causes me to fail-"

Naruto stuck his tongue out grinned. "We're not gonna fail this." The grin stretched when he faced the competition and thrust his fist out. "Hear that? Menma's the name of reference when you realized your ass got kicked!"

"Tch. Brat's like him really piss me off, ya know."

"Don't worry about him, Kankuro. With his attitude, death will come to him."

Kankuro was about to reply to his sister when a crazed chuckle made him freeze. "That's right, Mommy. He's looks ripe. So ripe. His blood will satisfy you….*giggle*. I know, Mommy. I love you too."

Great. Nightmares are coming again.

"That's the guy Yugito-sama was talking about? He's nothing special."

"I dunno, Karui. He did say our asses was gonna be kicked by him." Omoi became tense. "What if he's actually some Jonin nuke-nin in disguise and taking these exams as some sort of sport? What if he's a disciple of some legendary shinobi that no one has ever heard of?" Omoi slowly turned his head. "What if he's the devil in disguise? He's a redhead after all. And considering how Karui acts on her worst day-"

Ignoring her female teammate's treatment to Omoi, Samui just coolly stared at the redhead. According to Yugito-sama's report, this particular Genin had unusually high chakra levels. Along with his female teammate. She could actually feel a latent power coming from the redhead but all her natural senses picked up were higher than average chakra levels.

Samui didn't plan on discouraging her idol's tip but the expectation wasn't high enough. Besides, she reminded him too much of her brother Atsui.

"Not cool."

"Hey, who do you think you are?"

Naruto turned around and saw a boy wearing a fur lined, hooded coat with dark grey pants and red markings on both cheeks. Combined with the white fur coating the dog in the hoodie, memories from his childhood revealed the identity of this shinobi. 'Kiba?' Once Kiba got in his face, he frowned and narrowed his eyes. "I think I'm the one who is going to dominate these exams!"

"Oh yeah?! You're several years too late to be thinking that crap! Know why? Cause I'm the one dominating these exams! Right, Akamaru?" An energetic bark made Kiba form a fanged grin.

"Bring it on, dog breath! The look on your face when I'm through with you will be etched on everyone's faces!"

More killing intent spiked throughout the room. If a civilian walked into the room, they would've choked due to the pressure. Or at least think it was a warzone with glares centered on Naruto or anyone else. In a sense, they would be right.

The Chunin Exams was a substitute for war after all.

"Alright maggots pipe down and shut up! The first part of the Chunin Exams begins now!"

I apologize, my lovely fans. If you didn't read my profile then I'll explain the delay: exams and a small writer's block. Mostly exams. That messed up my writing mojo. But my semester is finished so back to focusing on this story.

Anywho, to address somethings. For the whole 'not ally' thing, Naruto won't wrap a headband around his head and work under a Kage like a loyal shinobi. That doesn't mean he won't work with any nation's ninja if the goals co-align. This Naruto is a free spirit. If you wanna read a Kage intended Naruto, I direct you to the other million fics on this sight.

Can't remember anything else. So yeah, look forward to an original first exam. Criticism is gold. (BTW, its practically a given Naruto will attract TOO many women. Real life fangirls want to marry him...right? Just wait with the girls down the road...heheh. One relationship will be pretty rocky.)