Naruto: Shadowed Light

By Stone Shield

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters involved, though I wish I did, as funny as it is.

Hello/Normal Speech

Hello/Thought

Hello/Demon or Summon Speech

AN/ Read This for Updates! There's no telling which story I can/will update next. Plead/Demand all you want, it's whatever comes to me. "You can't rush art." (Old toy restorer from Toy Story 2) It's all really whichever I get into the feeling of. As of the last two weeks, it's been Shadowed Light. But I'm still writing the others. My latest Naruto x New X-Men chapter will be up by next week, if not in the next twenty-four, and the latest Winx chapter is about 60% done. The latter will either be out by Sunday, or by April 6th. And new crossovers, too. You may've seen my "Maybe Stories." Well, soon, I might add a Naruto/Sky High (minus W. Stronghold), a Naruto/ Carmen Sandiego (Naruto x Carmen. Thief/Thief).

Chapter 14 - Turbulent Training Days

In spite of what he showed, he had been shaken by her choice of words.

That the first thing to come out of her mouth upon seeing him was the name of a creature she remembered as an avatar of malevolence and destruction…

A sudden headache rocked him, an aching weakness sweeping from head to toe, but most intense in the former. Whatever reason it may be, the sudden figurative slap from someone he'd long thought dead or the unexplainable soreness flooding his body, he was left…at a loss. What should he feel?

He felt…cold.

Kyubi wanted so very much to comfort him, but no words came. In so many ways, she was partly responsible from the very beginning of it all, and, while she tried her utmost to correct that, right now, she knew not what she could do to ease this pain.

He knew how to fight through pain, exist in its searing clutches as it so often tried to smother you to death. Forcing it back, it was but a dull, aching throbbing in the back of his mind.

And it was in that semi-compromised state that he arrived in front of the desired door. Having sensed the ambient chakra of a Jonin within he assumed Kurenai was inside. Knocking quietly, he waited for a moment before the door opened, a stoically somber Kurenai looking out.

"Yuhi-san," he greeted lowly as she stepped aside, allowing him inside the room.

Inside, the room was no different than a good many other rooms, but, then, they were designed that way, so that equipment could be moved from room to room wherever it was needed. Equipment that he now saw surrounding the bed. And under the blankets was Hinata-san, looking far paler than was normal for her. The fair complexion had turned almost ghostly. She was on oxygen, and was on the receiving end of a saline dispensing IV.

Though, the scene was not as dire as it appeared if you were fairly educated. The IV was to rehydrate her body, supplying some basic nutrients and aiding in replacing lost blood. The oxygen was more than likely to aid in her breathing as her lungs had been weakened by Neji's attacks.

Kurenai stood aside and watched the young man, thinking over every move he made. His reaction during the exam had sold her on the fact that he was no threat to her, far from it in fact. He was very good at hiding it, to the point that even he wasn't aware of it, but she could see the flickerings of worry in him as he gazed upon her unconscious student. "The doctor says it may be several days before she regains consciousness," she apprised, getting a silent nod from the masked blonde. It needed no saying just how badly she was hurt.

Turning to the genjutsu specialist, "You are a credit to the title of "sensei," Yuhi-san," he praised with a small incline of his head, and that was all he said before turning and walking to the door. "If it is alright, I would like to check up on her at a later time," and sent his cool blue gaze in the Jonin's direction, questioning.

She managed a very weak smile, "Of course. I'm sure she would appreciate it." As the door closed after him, she couldn't help but look back to her student and contemplate the events unfolding before her. Events that seemed to be bringing the young pair obliviously closer to one another, without either knowing.

-(Okay, supposed to be a scene break, but not cooperating)-

It troubled him.

That was the best way to describe it.

The ache between his ears aside, seeing the fruits of Neji's anger and resentment had awoken that intangible pain anew. Why did the sight of Hinata-san in her current condition leave him so very worried? She would live, he knew that. So, why?

"Do you think…I changed…maybe a little?"

The only reason he'd even heard her at the time was because of his own heightened senses. And, given all that was going on, he was fairly certain that he had been the only one to hear it. All the same… Something in her words weighed down on him, but not unpleasantly.

Blinking, trying to dismiss the pain again, he shuffled in the direction of his apartment. Sleep, he supposed, would be the panacea to these unexplainable ailments.

She'd been on autopilot ever since.

However the method, unaware of the time, she'd found herself back in the hotel room the Whirlpool teams had been assigned, and, just like that, she found herself on the floor, back to the door, her knees curled up against her chest.

That was her son…

She remembered holding him for just a moment before Minato'd taken him away. Not just to save the village, or her, but to save their little boy. He looked so much like him now. There was so much of Minato in his face.

Her gut wrenched again.

And the years she'd spent recovering, thinking she was alone, that she'd lost them both.

She'd called him a demon, as good as…

…How could she face him after that?

It was that one fearful thought that had halted her from chasing after. As long as she kept away, she would have to witness the damage she'd inflicted…and it tore her up inside.

Tears brimming, she hugged her knees closer and dropped her head. She was a terrible mother.

Sleep came to him as a child would when going to see the doctor. Fitful and uncooperative. And the dull ache hadn't lessened in the slightest.

And he felt…listless.

It began to worry him how difficult it was proving to ignore the sobriquet with which his supposed mother had chosen to label him. It was highly likely that the difficulty stemmed from a deep emotional attachment that had survived his childhood, but that was just one theory.

He sensed the chakra signature approach his door.

But, for now, he didn't wish to see anyone.

Already dressed, he was out the window and gone.

And that was how it was for several days, four to be exact. He couldn't train, his arm nowhere near ready for that. Avoiding anyone and everyone, in general, he let himself be overtaken by his inner musings.

He returned to the hospital a week later. In that time, he'd done fairly little. To be clear, there was little he could do. With his right arm still healing, and doing adequately at that, it would still be a further week before he could gently tread in the waters of chakra usage in that limb. Not that he'd been utterly sessile either. As he had planned, he'd spent that time in rigorous chakra control training. Mostly water-walking and meditation. He had to take constant care so as not to let any chakra spike through the tender chakra conduits in his arm, but progress was still made.

Someone had been trying to seek him out. He knew who it was. Ebisu was an exemplary Jonin when it came to chakra efficiency, and he found his studiousness to be admirable, but he had avoided the man regardless.

It had been a relief, the short time of repose he'd had so far.

The headaches had faded, and while the gnawing sensation in his gut remained, that too was ebbing.

"Hello, Yuhi-san." Stepping like a wraith in through the door, he acknowledged the Jonin before his eyes lit upon the healing kunoichi in the bed. Unlike his first visit, she was conscious, and the color had begun to return to her face, but she still had a fragility about her. White eyes with their ever-present touch of lavender, unique to her, widened in surprise before dancing away diffidently. "And, Hinata-san, it is good to see you are recovering."

Cheeks burning, "Thank you, N-Naruto." Kurenai had told her that he'd come to see her after the preliminaries had finished. It had acted to both hearten and embarrass her. She just hoped that it had not been out of pity. Anything, but that. Nevertheless, she felt a deep vitality that he had deemed her worth checking on what with his training and preparing for the finals. And, right now, she was more than a little self-conscious about being seen in bed, no matter that she was clothed.

Hiding her amusement like a pro, Kurenai gave a muted cough before excusing herself for some water. The closed door became her partner in crime, acting to block her devious smirk from the two teens.

"How is your recovery going?"

Startled by the question, Hinata stammered before her thoughts collected enough to become coherent. "Huh? Oh, um, the doctors…they say I'll b-be in the hospital for another week." It was her heart. The muscle had taken a beating during the match and, until it recovered, they wanted her in the hospital so they could monitor her. Images of Neji advancing on her still filled her thoughts. She couldn't hate him, but there was no forgetting the sting of his attacks.

"That is good to hear," the blonde acknowledged, eliciting a flushing encore in her features.

"He's…glad?"

"Um, th-thank you." Her cheeks burned. Her heart thrummed against her ribs. Only intense effort kept her heart from actually racing. Given her recovery, it was to be avoided. It ached, just a little, but the feelings brought on by his words made up for it.

"Sensei…she told me that you will be fighting Neji in the finals," she asked, redirecting the conversation away from anything that might embarrass her. He nodded solemnly.

"That is true."

"I-I know you're strong, Naruto," she spoke quickly, giving him pause. "What…What are you going to do?"

He feigned serenity at her admission. He himself would admit to being perplexed, as he was fairly certain that he hadn't shown all that much. "I plan to defeat him," he answered simply, turning for the door. But she could see the odd coldness in his eyes at that easy declaration. Few knew him as she did. Most wouldn't have noticed it, but she did.

"N-Naruto?" He paused in his egress to return his attention to the bluenette.

"Hinata-san?"

"Please," she murmured. "Don't blame Neji." He was rather caught off-guard by her plea.

"Pardon?"

"Neji…Neji has reason to hate me," she admitted.

Blinking, he was swift to recover. "There is no reason for trying to end the life of another in a test," he countered. If anything, the turmoil he could feel coming off her only grew, her brow openly knitting. "And hate is a rather…flimsy excuse. You know that his strikes were intended to cause pain," he jabbed. The subtle trace of fire in his tone went unheard. "Perhaps I am not the best to make this argument, but I believe that family is supposed to protect family, not try to kill it."

Now wasn't the time to get too philosophical. He didn't feel like addressing the subject of the Uchiha, particularly the actions and behaviors of its last two members. Correction, last two known Uchiha.

"Neji is hurting," she rationalized, smiling weakly at him. "I-I can't hate him for that. S-Someday, I hope he'll forgive me."

He felt the oddest wince, somewhere deep within himself at her words. Painful, but in a novel way.

Her view of family. The length she was willing to go to for them… He was reminded of his innocent days. He remembered being more rambunctious, but, in this moment, his thoughts centered around his early hunger for family.

Watching other children with their parents, one or both.

He'd often wondered what his life would've been like…with a family.

Not that anyone would've adopted him. His infamy in the village was viral.

"Kyubi." Okay, now that memory actually hurt. One word, and he had been utterly blindsided. Blue eyes locked on the kunoichi, trying to discern just how she could be so forgiving of the pain inflicted upon her by her own family. Surprisingly, he longed to be able to dismiss his own woes so easily.

"How can you do that?" he asked. For the first time, she didn't see that guarded look his eyes had reflected for o long, but, in its place, a yearning curiosity.

"What?"

"The pain brought on by your own family," he elucidated for her. "How can you so easily overcome it?"

She balked at his question. For one, he was asking her. And, second, she hadn't seen this side of him before. Not since he'd changed. He'd been so gritty and full of life, then subdued. Until now. Now, she saw a spark of that old fire in him. But there was sadness there.

A little nervous at having him gaze upon her so intently, she stumbled on a few of her words. "B-Because, they're family," she answered. It was a simple answer that spoke volumes. It pained her to see how little he understood it though. How do you describe the deeper connection of family? "I-I'm sorry if that doesn't help you."

His brow was knit, but the look he sent her was not of disappointment. At least, not in her.

"If you forgive him, then I will not sully your intention," he sighed.

Relief flooded her. She knew Neji was strong, but then so was Naruto, and she knew the blonde lived by certain principles. She hadn't wanted to see him try to hurt her cousin. "Thank you," loosing a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"I cannot promise to be gentle with him though." There was something about that addendum that made her smile, faintly complacent. The fact that he'd had to say such was proof that he wouldn't go out of his way to cause him harm.

As he left though, she felt herself overcome by a content glow. The one she liked, the one who inspired her, had worried for her. For now, things were looking up, and that was all she wanted to think about for the time being.

"There you are."

To be fair, he'd let the Jonin find him. Or, for even further clarification, he'd simply stopped hiding. It had been a week, meaning he had just over three left. He knew with fair certainty that Kakashi had arranged for the special Jonin to tutor him. A weak attempt at hiding any sort of favoritism. Any other reason and the Jonin would've sought him out through the proper channels. "Hello, Ebisu-san," he greeted with a marginal incline of his head.

"I have been trying to gain your attention for the last week," he huffed irritably, fiddling with his sunglasses. "Have you been purposefully avoiding me?"

"Yes." The Jonin's brow twitched over the rims of his sunglasses. "No offense intended, of course," the blonde added. "I simply needed some…time to myself."

Deflating, Ebisu took to walking beside the living enigma that was Naruto. "Kakashi asked me-"

"To tutor me for the finals," the teen finished, getting a nod, albeit reluctantly at being interrupted. "Unnecessary. I have already planned ahead for the finals, but, for now, I can do nothing for yet another week, as you can see," lifting his arm up for him to see. It was a far cry better than it'd been just a week before, but time was still needed.

Some might've found it odd that the genin was speaking so casually to the Jonin, but that would be because they knew not the mitigating factors that allowed such. Naruto, while generally polite, had never been one for the bowing and scraping between rank and position. He was respectful when and where such was necessary, but he would never kneel to anyone.

Ebisu had long since come to better understand the blonde genin. Admittedly, he'd been worried that Konohamaru shouldn't be associated with him, and yet… For all his social inequalities, he had instilled a lasting positive effect on the young Sarutobi. As such, he had been afforded a new outlook on him. A social outcast he may be, but, looking closer, there was a surprising intellect.

When Kakashi had asked this favor of him, it had struck him as odd. Surely it wasn't beyond his abilities to train both his students?

The genin nodded to him, acknowledging his presence before turning back to the large scroll in his lap. "How is Konohamaru?" he asked amiably as the pair walked.

Adjusting his sunglasses, "He is doing quite well." In truth, the small boy was pushing himself to his absolute limit in training, in no small part due to the blonde teen's influence. "You are prepared to face Neji?"

"I have a few options," he admitted. "While I cannot train though, I am reviewing my notes on elemental chakra theory."

Ebisu nodded. "A fairly advanced subject." And by that he meant tricky. Truly. Most ninja didn't begin learning about elemental chakra until they were nearing Jonin level experience in their Chunin career. By the time one became Jonin, they usually had two affinities at their disposal. The subject of theory though was something more reserved for the very patient.

The jinchuriki paused in momentary cogitation… Ebisu was a Special Jonin. To attain that rank was to be as skilled as the rank demanded, but specializing in a certain aspect. Ebisu's specialty was understanding the subtler details of chakra and the basic shinobi techniques. While many other Jonin would abandon the lower level techniques for the bigger ones, Ebisu knew how to make the most out of the weaker ones. "However, if you have the time, I could use some constructive criticism." The following hour of back and forth debate led late into the afternoon. Once more, Ebisu found his understanding of the teen to be lacking.

"But to have such an effect on the user-" It wasn't something he'd come across in his reference materials. But then, it was only through his work in R & D that he had access to Chunin level references, any higher required special dispensation from the Hokage, and that took some persuading.

Ebisu nodded. "Yes. I suppose it is possible that, with you having Wind affinity, if your affinity for that element were high enough, some jutsu of an opposing element, Fire or Lightning, would conflict. Biting back, you could call it. A recoil. What about the seals themselves? Could there be a flaw in the sequence?"

The blonde spared him the lightest of offended glares in response. He was not sloppy. "I wondered if that could be it years ago, but the seal order is true. None conflicted, so it must have to do with the nature of the jutsu itself." The pair pondered on that, eating in silence for a moment.

Chopsticks dangling in air, Ebisu swallowed and restarted their conversation. "It is an interesting theory. I cannot say as I've ever heard of anything as severe as that." Blinking, "Though if anything I would bet that it is a combination of factors." Naruto listened raptly, sipping his tea. "Not only was it a technique that was against your nature, which is in itself rather strong, but it is entirely possible that the jutsu is unusable, if not outright dangerous, to anyone without a significant Lightning affinity."

Nodding, "I had wondered that more than once myself. It's not as simple as just two opposing forces interacting. No, the reaction is so severe from the level of conflict in the interaction."

"A fair supposition," Ebisu agreed. "Though an interesting question might be whether your high Wind affinity would always conflict or not. Is it simply a matter of control? Or, is it akin to an allergic reaction, wherein the jutsu always reacts to the opposing affinity." It was a rather heavy subject. Most might look at the pair like they were speaking in tongues for all the sense they were making. To someone like Ebisu who thrived on deep thinking, it was an enthralling debate. Spitballing theory after theory, many not so very dissimilar from the others except in the details, it was a challenge for the wilier minded.

"How's it going, old-hrgk!"

To say that the wandering Sannin was undercutting the situation, by a Hell of a lot. Staring down at the blazing eyes of a seriously pissed off Sandaime, deceptively strong hands holding him off the floor, had the Great Jiraiya experiencing fearfully reminiscent memories of his teammate in one of her rages. It was the kind of expression he'd never thought to ever see on the face of the sternly amiable Hokage. And it absolutely scared the shit out of him.

Whatever he'd done…he was sorry. He didn't know what that could be, as he could swear he hadn't pissed anyone too important off…lately. But that didn't mean he wouldn't apologize as profusely as necessary to loosen his once-sensei's grip before it crushed his windpipe.

"Did you know, Jiraiya?" Damn, that was a growl. He hadn't heard the Sandaime do that since…well, he couldn't really remember when. Ooh, not good. "Dammit, did you know?" the aged Hokage snarled, shaking the man easily twice his size like a ragdoll.

"I swear…whatever I dig…'m greely sorri," he managed, choking at the end. Please don't let him die. He still hadn't seen Tsunade in a bikini yet!

Composing himself, Hiruzen dropped his student, giving him the chance to breathe and, if necessary, explain himself.

Coughing, the younger of the two massaged his throat. "By Kami, old man," he wheezed. "What crawled up your butt?"

"Not the time, Jiraiya," the Sarutobi spat, pacing furiously. "I've been trying to get ahold of you for over a week now."

Scowling, he reconsidered the signed copy of his latest book he'd been planning to give him. "What'd somebody die?"

Head wrenching, the aged kage's furious gaze leveled on him. There was outrage there, greatest amongst a plethora of emotions flying through his eyes. "The opposite. Jiraiya, if our time as teacher and student meant anything to you, you will tell me the truth." Jiraiya felt suddenly like someone was walking over his grave. "Did you know that Kushina was still alive?"

"…"

"Jiraiya?"

"Crazy-old-monkey-say-what-now?" The Toad Sannin blinked owlishly. "Can you say that again, sensei? I could swear I had something crazy in my ear." There was simply no way he'd heard what he thought he'd heard.

"Kushina," he repeated being sure to use small words. "She's alive. Did you know?" But the aged shinobi knew the answer almost immediately. Jiraiya may be the spymaster of Konoha, but he'd known him since he was a boy and there was little that he could hide from him. The telltale stiffening in his posture and the immediate tightening along his body may as well have been screams of negation.

"I…I didn't know," Jiraiya murmured, still trying to process what he had just heard. Kushina? But...she'd died. He'd been there to see her and Minato put to earth. Well, Minato at least. Her coffin had been empty. There had been so many dead, and when a wing of the hospital had collapsed… There had never been a recognizable body pulled from the rubble. In retrospect, he felt like a damn fool for forgetting one of the oldest rules in the shinobi practice: If there's no body, chances are they're still alive. And, somehow, he got the feeling the old man had been kicking himself for the same reason. "The survivors of that clan had scattered when the village fell at the end of the war. I'd heard rumors that a few Uzumaki had begun rebuilding, but just that. Only that Kiri was backing them. I stayed away because, well, I didn't really know what to say to them if I did find anyone."

"Ayane Haruno," Hiruzen supplied, trying to grease the creaking gears in his student's brain. "Do you remember her?"

"Uh, yeah," Jiraiya tried desperately to think straight. "She…She tried to get Minato to go out with her." He remembered her primarily because of how persistent the Haruno had been. For every "no" she seemed to only hear "try again later."

"The official story, for those who have the clearance, is that she deceived Kushina on the night of the Kyubi attack. She told her that her husband and child had both died, encouraging her "friend" to seek comfort with family." The latter he was guessing at. "And, to us, she delivered the news that she had died due to complications, even writing out the death certificate as a token of gratitude to a dead friend." Jiraiya's face was cold and drawn, but his hands were balled into fists that shook at his sides. But the experienced shinobi was still in enough control to have heard everything the old Sarutobi had spoken.

"Then what's the "unofficial" story?" He was fighting the urge to tear open the Forbidden Scroll and look up the Edo Tensei just to revive the Haruno and beat the holy Hell out of her.

Stopping at his desk, Hiruzen rested his fists against it, resisting the urge to vent his frustrations against the veteran office piece. "Would you find it odd that the person to discover Ayane Haruno's betrayal was none other than Danzo? That he had found out and had her summarily executed as punishment? And all within minutes of Kushina walking into my office, alive?" Jiraiya's eyes narrowed in understanding at what his teacher wasn't saying. "Because I do not find it odd in the slightest."

It'd been a long time for either man since they'd last wanted so badly to shed blood.

"And he's still alive?" It wasn't really a question. Hiruzen was never so heavy handed. He simply shone light on what they were both considering.

"I don't have enough proof for that, Jiraiya," the Sandaime huffed. "But if I do find it…"

"And the kid?" Hiruzen cringed a little. "I mean, I saw the kid with Ebisu a little earlier," he continued. "Does he know?"

"I cannot say for certain. Asking him is out of the question. You've read my communications, you know what he's been through." For all their years and experiences, both men felt the blade of shame twist in them. Each had their own responsibility for the boy's suffering. The Sandaime, for failing him at every turn, and Jiraiya for choosing the greater good of his work over being more present in his godson's life. Neither felt they even deserved to pity themselves for their failures in that. "I trust the boy implicitly, but he has experienced so much pain that I wonder if something like this might be too much. And he is so perceptive that I dare not test the waters for fear he might pick up on the truth." Walking around his desk, he slumped heavily into his chair. "I fear, my student, for the boy we've all damaged so. The weight of our sins on his shoulders could eventually crush him."

"So…how is the kid, anyway?" It was an attempt to diffuse the frustration that now gripped them both.

Hiruzen allowed himself a small smile. "I could be no prouder of him, Jiraiya. I simply wish it hadn't taken such tragedy for him to turn out as brightly he has. He was with Ebisu, you say?" Odd, he should be with Kakashi.

The toad Sannin nodded appreciatively. "Yeah. They were debating some deep stuff on jutsu theory so I left them be. It kind of surprised me, hence me actually coming to see you, you old monkey. Only to find you with your panties in a twist." The Sandaime felt a momentary renewal in his urge to strangle his student. The days of late had killed his appreciation for serendipity, and, if someone wasn't careful, it would kill them too, his hands the tools of Kami in that soon-to-be instance.

"These have been interesting times, Jiraiya," he admitted tiredly. Kushina aside, it had taken a lengthy correspondence to Iwa to convince the Tsuchikage that his genin had not found a descendant of the late Yondaime. He'd really had to sell Naruto's Uzumaki heritage for him to even get anywhere. Even now, he knew Oonoki doubted him. Paranoid old badger that he was, he didn't believe anyone. For now, he'd managed to assuage his fellow veteran into not declaring war.

"When was the last time you slept, old man?"

Looking up bemusedly from his hands, "I think it was a Tuesday," Hiruzen mused wistfully. "Or was it Friday?"

And he still had no idea of the other…issues.

Kiri, one week post preliminaries:

Newly instated as she was as the Yondaime Mizukage, Mei had found great acceptance to her position. After the oppressive, bloody reign of Yagura, the village and its people were overjoyed at the change.

Well, mostly.

From the start, she'd been forced to "clean house." A fair portion of the shinobi force had been unwilling to adjust. Yagura may've been gone, but their animosity towards her ilk, courtesy of Yagura stirring the pot, remained unyielding. They'd been offered clemency in exchange for renewed loyalty to the village, and its new leader, a grand offering given how many of them had been on Yagura's death squads purging the countryside of bloodline users.

Most bent, giving new rule a chance, some went rogue, and those that proved too violent to accept the regime were imprisoned until such a time that they could be trusted amongst people again.

From head anarchist to most recent Mizukage. She had no intention of letting the position go to her head. What she wanted…was to restore Kiri to its days of glory, before the purges and the "Bloody Mist" moniker. It was idealistic, but maybe that was why she had been so accepted as leader.

She was a statuesque woman, all the right curves in all the right places. Auburn hair down to the middle of her back, a hank bundled in a topknot of sorts, several strands falling over her eyes. It was a given that somewhere in her family history, she'd descended from an Uzumaki. As was her style, and prerogative, she wore a slinky blue dress, slit at the hip for movement. It clung to her curvaceous frame while also maintaining an appearance of stature. It was blue, as was traditional of all Mizukages' robes, not that she wore those stuffy old things.

But all of that in no way belied her power. There had been so few candidates for the position of kage level. A beauty though she was, and barely twenty, in the rebellion she'd more than proven her strength.

The latest update on the reformed ninja academy poised in her lap, she peered up from her tea, that ever-present smile adorning her lips. "What is it, Ao?"

The eye-patch wearing jonin had been one of her most trusted lieutenants during the rebellion, not only for his loyalty but his skill, and it was for that that he remained one of her most trusted shinobi. "We have word from our jonin in Konoha, as well as the Hokage."

Perking up interestedly, she gave more attention to him. A missive from the Hokage, in this situation, would most likely mean that one or more of her genin had made it to the finals. "Is it Miro or Kushina?"

"Miro, Mizukage-sama." She inwardly pouted. Of the two, she preferred Kushina. If not for her ferocity then because the fiery redhead had, for a time, trained her. She was something of a family figure to the orphaned bloodline user. "He reports that genin Doru Sinek, Shikaro Uzumaki, and Goza Mire have made it into the final round." Mei smirked triumphantly. Not a bad showing.

Given the academy had been closed during Yagura's last few years, most of the current genin had been trained by the rebellion. They turned out quite well considering the conditions through which they'd been taught. She was a little surprised that only one Uzumaki had made it through. The clan, ragged and recovering though it may be, had a tenacity that seemed to be genetic, passing on to every member. It was thanks in part to their assistance that the coup had succeeded. And, just like Ao, their loyalty and effort had been rewarded. Per their caveat to joining Kiri, they were allowed to recreate Whirlpool as a subsidiary of Kiri.

"Then I suppose the Hokage's letter is an invitation to the final matches?" Ao had her permission to screen some of the more official missives to save on time, and, as she'd forewarned him, he had been awaiting the letters now in hand. Outside of missions, he worked as her bodyguard and assistant, screening all the paperwork. What needed her attention she would get, anything else was relegated to the appointed village council.

Nodding formally, "It is, Mizukage-sama. The finals are to be held in three weeks."

Looking thoughtfully away, she shrugged before taking up her tea again. "Is that all?"

Shifting uneasily under her lazy gaze, "Um, there actually is, Mizukage-sama." Her sole visible brow rose. "A wrinkle, you might say."

In her mind though… "You're getting wrinkles." Twitching, she held her fury in check, only the deathly calm in her voice showing her feelings on the chosen wording. "What was that, Ao?" she asked far too sweetly.

Ao's brow beaded with sweat. "Um, that is, Miro has reported something odd." She hadn't attacked him yet, so he proceeded to argue the case of his prolonged existence. "As it turns out, there is a Konoha genin in the exam who bears the Uzumaki surname." Mei blinked and just like that the oppressive intent vanished.

"An Uzumaki in Konoha?"

Taking great relief in her puzzlement, Ao let out a sigh. Live to face death another day. Tragic, really.

Day 10

Bandages slipped through the air to pool at his feet as he unwrapped his arm. Gingerly, he flexed the digits, moving up through the muscle groups. From twitching his fingers to clenching his fist. From grasping a twig to lightly punching a log. He tested his healing appendage with all the care of one who expected to have never seen such again. It was healed up enough that all that remained of his pain was a phantom tingling along the extremity. All in all, it had healed much faster than either he or Kyubi had expected. Chalk it up to years of youki influencing the cells of his body, culturing resilience.

Good fortune had to smile on him sooner or later, right?

For the last several days, ever since his day of discussion with Ebisu, all he'd really been able to do was rest. Mostly. The advantage of being hindered physically was that his mind remained sharp. It allowed him the opportunity to work on, if not finish, a few small side projects.

Grabbing the sealed scroll off his writing table, he slid it securely into his vest's inner pocket. The contents being one of the "side projects" he'd been dabbling at. It was a consultation, really. Little more than that. Shinji and Momo in Research and Development had broached a work in progress with him and asked his opinion. They'd given him a few notes and the outline of their plan, and, after some careful thought between the teen and his demon, he had compiled their joint thoughts on the venture. He'd drop it off after lunch.

In regards to Kyubi… His sister had been rather quiet as of the preliminary fights. And only recently had she resurfaced. According to her, it had been to allow him his due "brooding emo" time, after which she cackled uncontrollably. He wanted to smack someone for that one.

But just the other night though, she had taken him into the seal while he slept, and proposed to him the most interesting thing. Something to take his fighting to…the next level. Learning it was still difficult given its complex simplicity. An ironic oxymoron.

Now though…

The night was comfortable, cool but not unpleasantly so, with an intermittent breeze. He'd taken to sitting on the roof of his apartment building, a mixture of relaxed contemplation and meditation under the moon, time meaningless.

His nose twitched, blue eyes blinking before reorienting. Climbing quickly but smoothly to his feet, he leapt away.

"Heh," the Suna Jonin smirked. His uniform had stopped the strike, surprising the Leaf ninja, but there were other tricks left to be shown. "But you can't stop a blade of wind," he lectured, bringing up his index and middle fingers together. Hayate's eyes widened as the fingers slashed outward.

He was scored from shoulder to crotch by the nigh invisible wind jutsu, world going a mix of red and black.

The colors any shinobi attributed to death.

-(Another scene break. These glitches are really annoying.)-

And that was the sight he was witness to from afar.

Himself being more or less ripped in half and killed. It was a sobering sight if ever there was one. At his side, hand firmly upon his shoulder was Uzumaki, shushing him. From there, the Suna Jonin bolted and he was left for the crows.

"What...what the Hell's going on?" he hissed at the genin, doing his best to hush his coughing. He really didn't want to risk being exposed after being saved from death once already. The blonde teen's response though was to wobble.

"Reinforced…shadow clone." A miracle considering how his arm was still damaged and the disruptive seal still in place, hindering his jutsu.

And it was then that he noticed just how pale the usually unusually tan boy was, in far contrast from his normal skin tone. Catching the subtle dripping, he looked to see the blood pouring from a gash on his left arm. The Special Jonin's eyes widened in understanding. That could explain the blood…

"Used…blood," the boy confirmed. With blood, it offered plenty of splash while maintaining the body little bit longer due to the inherent chakra within the crimson fluid.

He'd been on his protection detail enough times to know just how flexible the boy's skills were. "Take…Hokage," the teen rasped, falling but to be caught by the perennial cougher. Taking the boy's words to heart, he chose speed over caution, only taking a moment to wrap a quick bandage to slow the bleeding before supporting the teen against him and bolting for the Hokage Tower as fast as he was able.

"Hokage-sama!"

Head snapping up from the reports before him, Hiruzen couldn't have ever said he'd expected the sight before him. The fairly unflappable Gekko Hayate looking tenser than he could recall ever seeing him, all the while supporting a profusely bleeding Naruto Uzumaki against his shoulder, the latter's eyes blinking dazedly. Most likely from blood loss.

"Hayate, what's the meaning of this?" he snapped, clearing the distance from the back of his desk to the pair at speed he'd not had to show in some time. Eyes immediately locked onto the bleeding limb and the rough patch job. "In the chair, Hayate," he instructed, taking Naruto's other arm. Seating the boy, Hiruzen knelt down to better examine him. Pulling down the boy's cloth facemask, he took in the pallor, or lack thereof, to his normally tan cheeks. Stepping back, he was back at his desk, rummaging around in a drawer before retrieving what he'd been so adamantly searching for. A blood replenishing pill. It was his secret stash. He would be no good to face the day if he lost a pint from every chapter of his student's books. A wise man planned ahead, especially for his…special time.

He knew that Kyubi would restore him, but he wasn't willing to take any chances, and decided to help it along at least. "Naruto, can you hear me?" he asked, loudly and right in his ear. The blonde grunted tiredly. "This is a plasma pill, Naruto," he informed, jamming the small orb passed the pale lips. "Try to swallow it." At first nothing, but then, with deliberate slowness, he saw the boys jaw start to move and could hear the grinding of the medicinal supplement between his molars. Smiling in weary relief, he looked to the special Jonin. "Report," he ordered crisply.

It was difficult, especially out of breath, but he did his best not to cough for the duration of his explanation. "Sir, tonight I was witness to a conversation between a Sand Jonin and the Leaf genin, Kabuto Yakushi, wherein they discussed plans of an attack." Gulping air greedily, he maintained the pace. "I was discovered. Uzumaki faked my death at the Sand Jonin's hands to save my life." All the while, the kage had been examining the Konohan Uzumaki. His pulse was incredibly shallow. Just how much blood had he lost?

"Jisan?"

He smiled wearily at the slurred whisper. It had been a very long time since the boy had referred to him so informally. "You're quite the mess, Naruto-kun," he chided, giving his best worried grandfather glare.

"…Seal," the blonde murmured.

Nodding quickly in understanding, he turned to the sword wielder. "Lift his shirt, Hayate." If he was confused at all by the request, let alone anything else that had happened during the last few hours, the Jonin didn't show it, instead only doing as instructed. Left hand clutching his right hand's wrist, the fingers of his free hand glowed one after the other. "Brace yourself, Naruto-kun." There was no telling if he was conscious enough to understand, but it was still better to make that assumption. Jabbing the five digits forward, his hand hit the blonde where he knew the seal to be. The swirl-centered, double-tetragram formation illuminated, followed by the five-pronged seal that had been so hastily added, but, as soon as all that appeared, the newest addition burned away. "There." It didn't surprise him at all to see that, almost on the spot, the boy's color seemed to improve. His face was no longer ashen and drawn.

Standing straight, back cracking audibly, the elder Sarutobi kept his eyes on the teen who was improving before his very eyes. "It has been kept under wraps, Hayate, but Kabuto Yakushi is a spy. As of the end of the preliminary stage of the Chunin Exam, his treachery was discovered." The deceptively skilled "genin" had made an attempt on the Uchiha scion while he was unconscious in the hospital, and forced a draw against Kakashi of all people by manner of fleeing. "We suspect he is working for Orochimaru." His wayward student did bring so much trouble to his doors.

Hayate grimaced. Not so much at the information, but at the unspoken trust and binding in being told all of this. But then, given what just happened, he might be too deep in to be kept out of the loop.

"Oro…chimaru," the blonde slurred, eyes open but blinking tiredly.

Once again, it was a surprise to all to see the proficiency of his healing.

"Don' wanna," he broke off and shook his head before groaning. Bad idea when still low on blood. "Don' wanna do that again." Ever so slowly, his speech was improving alongside his state of consciousness.

"Are you alright, my boy?" Hiruzen queried gently.

"I'll…be fine," he assured, still drowsy. "Had to reinforce my clone…with blood. It was the only way to make…it convincing." Already, he could feel the familiar warmth of his sister's youki bubbling within him, nurturing his body into restoring itself quicker.

"You really must stop worrying me like this," the Hokage chided, rubbing his brow. He wasn't too surprised to find dampness along his receded hairline. "Why were you there, Naruto?"

The blonde nodded. "That is the question isn't it? I've been suspicious of Kabuto ever since the beginning of the exams. It was nothing definitive at first, he simply felt…off." Hiruzen nodded. A shinobi lived through training, but survived by their instincts. "Then I started noting other oddities. His knowledge of the exam contestants, for one, is far beyond what a genin could have, no matter the number of times he's taken the test. He has the slightest scent of snake upon him, though it is covered well by the smell of disinfectant. You can't pick it up unless you're actually looking for something wrong about him. And before the preliminary fights, I am quite certain he lied when he excused himself, though that is just conjecture." Sighing, he pulled himself up straighter in his chair, removing the wraps to take in the pink skin that had once been a rough gash.

"All of which has turned out to be true," Hiruzen scoffed, shuffling back to his chair. Why did things always have to go bad in the crux of it all?

"It was simply chance that they were meeting not too far off from where I was. I had been meditating when I caught his scent along with that of the Suna Jonin's, and decided to investigate. Seeing Hayate-san, I decided to intervene as he seemed to be caught off guard by the wind user." Eyes shifting to the swordsman, "No offense intended."

Hayate shrugged. Hey, he was alive. "None taken." Hell, now he just had to explain to Yugao how he'd let his guard down. The irony of it all. Surviving the enemy…only to die at the hands of the girlfriend. A tale as old as time. He sweatdropped at that inevitable end that awaited him.

Sitting back in his chair, the hokage took a moment to consider the gravity of recent events. "I assumed something like this might be in store, given my former student's interference within The Forest." Removing his hat, he scratched his head in a brazen show of informality. Letting out a harsh breath, he took his pipe from his lips. "Hayate, I have a mission for you."

Glad to be in more familiar territory, "Sir?"

"From this point on until the Exams are over you are to remain incognito, and reside in the unused wing of the tower in Training Ground 44." Hayate balked. "For now, no one outside of this room is to know you are alive. If either the Suna Jonin or the spy was to find that you had survived, he would no doubt believe that you had relayed the information of his meeting and all it entailed." Steepling his fingers, he regarded the pair before him: the downed blonde and the worried Jonin. "We must control the board. As long as they think you are dead, they assume that we are still in the dark on their plans. Which gives us an advantage."

Hayate gulped. Yugao…she would think he was dead, for at least two weeks. To Hell with her smacking him around for letting his guard down. For this…he'd be lucky to not end up in the ICU. And those were the punishments he'd receive if she took it easy on him. He loved her, but when someone pissed her off it brought out a mean streak that defied the laws of nature.

"I'm sorry to question you, Hokage-sama," he voiced. He was as good as dead, why hold anything back now? "But what you're asking will undoubtedly have me beaten to death by my girlfriend."

Despite the seriousness of the night, Hiruzen nodded sagely. "Then you die as a hero." He tried not to smile too broadly.

"I will send flowers," Naruto added, his fatigued stupor lending him levity.

Hayate wanted to cry.

Kakashi and Sasuke:

"Calm down, Sasuke. You'll never get the exercise down if you don't stay focused," the Copynin lectured from where he sat, nose buried in his Icha Icha. The sun had only been up for a few hours, and already the teen was showing frayed nerves. It was a day in, day out struggle to keep his head level. From the moment he dragged the boy out of the hospital, he had subjected him to speed training. Power could wait. If he didn't have the necessary speed, the power would be useless anyway.

Staggering, Sasuke snarled angrily. He ached and ached, but felt no difference in his strength. All he'd done for days now was run and run. "How is any of this going to help me get stronger? You haven't taught me any jutsus powerful enough to help me defeat that Suna freak!"

Eyes still on his porn, "Is it Gaara you're so worked up about facing? Or maybe Naruto?" The young Uchiha scowled fiercely, only affirming what Kakashi already suspected.

With a slow shake of his head, Kakashi glanced lazily at the seething boy. His normally apathetic gaze was filled with…disappointment. "Sasuke, I would think you'd know by now that you can't just butt heads with an opponent like Naruto."

"…" Sasuke just sulked.

Sighing at the lost chance to read his…literature…the Jonin shut his orange book and slid it back into his weapons pouch. Scratching his head, he thought over how best to say what needed to be said. He didn't hate the blonde jinchuuriki, not really. He was okay with him, while leaning more towards general disinterest. "Sasuke…you will never match up to Naruto in raw power."

That was it.

Sasuke knew it, or at least he suspected. Nevertheless, he sent a withering glare at his Jonin sensei with enough killing intent to level most Chunin.

Kakashi ignored it and continued. "What you need to understand, Sasuke, is that your teammate had Chunin level reserves by the time he was four, and without training." Sasuke stiffened. How was that possible?

"Right now, his reserves are high Jonin level." Sasuke remained frozen, and yet for all the disbelief, he couldn't deny it. "You can't fight him head on. His chakra capacity and potential are beyond what most shinobi reach in their prime. His stamina is at a level no one's should ever be at. He heals quickly. And, he has a quick, analytical mind that works with lethal efficiency on the fly."

"…So what are you saying, sensei?" Sasuke spat venomously.

"I'm saying that if you want to face someone like Naruto, and most of all walk away the winner, let alone alive, that you need to play to your advantages, not his. True, Naruto is stronger than you, but only in certain respects." At this the young avenger lifted his eyes to look at the Jonin with pure curiosity. Kakashi smiled, realizing he finally had the boy's attention. "Naruto specializes in ninjutsu and taijutsu, and with his monstrous reserves and stamina-" Okay, maybe he felt a little guilty about the term monstrous. Just a little. Maybe. "His lack of fighting experience aside, that makes him a dangerous opponent. However, he has his weaknesses which you should have picked up on by now. Let's list them, shall we?" Sasuke was listening like a rapt child. "What have you noticed about Naruto's chakra control?"

Sasuke thought back. "It's…horrible, for a genin," he mumbled, remembering how the blonde wasted so much chakra in his jutsus.

Kakashi nodded sagely. "Yes. The downside of Naruto's chakra reserves being so large from birth is that he never learned to control his chakra until it had reached the level of a low Chunin. And with its continuous growth-" he left the thread hanging.

"His control will always be terrible," Sasuke finished, realization dawning on him.

"Exactly, he may have more chakra, but your control, now, is beyond him. With the rate his chakra keeps increasing, he may never reach high Chunin level control," the Copynin surmised thoughtfully. "Okay, now, with that in mind, what else can we surmise?"

And like a light bulb, albeit an evil one, the Uchiha's eyes lit up. "Genjutsu," he said with a vicious smirk. "He can't use genjutsu, and that means he can't defend against it." Kakashi nodded.

"Among other things, I'm going to teach you a few genjutsu that may work on Gaara, and your teammate, should you fight him." Sasuke's sneering grin would have made most shudder.

AN/ And another chapter bites the dust.