Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor do I understand why anybody would think I did. This is being posted as fan fiction after all.

As Naruto leapt away from the training grounds he glanced at a clock in Konoha and groaned, it was already 7:45. Looked like he was skipping breakfast today. Half an hour later he was wondering why he skipped breakfast. Today's training was in the mold of the previous two. Naruto worked tirelessly on the Rasengan while Jiraiya passed the time by spying on the girls below. He wasn't having much luck either. By the end of the day he felt no closer to completing the second stage of the Rasengan than he had in the morning.

The days started to blur together for Naruto. Akana and Yugito were both generally gone by the time he went to meet Jiraiya for the day's training. He'd spend the day working himself to exhaustion while Jiraiya spied on women. The only noticeable difference was when Jiraiya moved to a different training area because he wanted a "change in scenery." When he was done he'd head back to the suite and spend time with Akana and Yugito. This turned into the least repetitive part of the day as it was interspersed with visits to Meitoku in the hospital and a handful of dates with Yugito.

The pattern held for a week and a half until Naruto finally completed the second stage of the Rasengan. The results were comical to say the least. When the ball burst it sent a concussive blast out in all directions. Naruto was blown backwards, skidding across the ground until he crashed into a tree. Jiraiya didn't get off quite so lucky, as the unexpected blast blew him over the edge of the cliff. As luck would have it, he landed with a splash amongst the naked women in the pool below.

Naruto waited a good half hour before climbing down to his sensei. He was about to get caught up in the chaos that ensued. Jiraiya was lying in a battered heap on the edge of the pool, key word being was. At Naruto's approach he leapt to his feet, looking no worse for the wear. "So…you just pretend that they beat you up."

"They're less likely to complain to anybody if they feel they've already exacted retribution. Never seems to cross their mind that they'd have no chance against a sannin."

"People do see what they want to."

"You're smarter than you look kid."

"Thanks, I think."

Jiraiya glanced upwards, gauging the position of the sun in the sky above him. "Looks like it's too late in the day to start on the final stage of Rasengan, it'll have to wait until tomorrow. Tell you what; I'll treat you to dinner. It'll be my way of congratulating you on getting this far this quickly, we could go to a ramen stand or something."

Naruto carefully hid the wicked grin from his features. "Sounds great, I've heard of this nice little place called Ichiraku's…"

Half an hour later, Naruto found himself enjoying the expression of shocked amazement on Jiraiya's face. "H-how can you…where do you put it all?"

"I eat a lot, Yugito-chan does too. It might be part of our bloodline, that or it's a left over effect from being a jinchuuriki."

"I can't see how your parents managed to pay for your food all these years."

Naruto hopped off his stool, starting to walk back towards the hotel. "Our cost of living has been subsidized by our village so far, as have any expenses accrued by our ninja training."

Jiraiya was about to respond, but Naruto was suddenly gone. The young Kumo-nin was five stories up on the corner of the roof. He had made it just in time, as he saw Rin round the corner onto the street he had been walking down not long before. "You avoiding her or something kid?"

Naruto jumped infitesimally in shock as he heard the Toad Sage behind him. "You know, since the age of seven nobody's been able to sneak up on me. Not even Yugito-chan, whose bloodline grants her the same edge it grants me. Then I met you."

"No matter how good you are at something there's always someone better than you. Remember that, it could save your life some day. And now I have to ask if you're avoiding my earlier question."

Naruto grinned ruefully, "You don't let anything slip by you."

"Comes with being a spymaster."

"Yeah, I'm avoiding her."

"Why? She raised you for two years after all."

"That's what gives rise to the problem. It's obvious she still cares about me, but her views of Kaa-san and my ties to Kumo are much less favorable. So speaking with her is kind of…awkward."

"I see, looks like you're in need of my advice."

"Really, I didn't expect you to have much in the way of advice for such a sensitive topic."

"Kid, I've been running from and avoiding women since I was younger than you are now. It's essential if I'm to be able to successfully carry out my research. Now, your first mistake was to flee straight up. When frightened, most shinobi will flee upwards if possible because it makes them more difficult to track. Because many shinobi learn this it's the first place they'll check. A much better option would be to-"

By this point Naruto had heard enough, and a quick shove to the unsuspecting Sannin's chest sent him tumbling over the edge of the building. He landed with an audible thud, catching Rin's attention and allowing Naruto to leap away unnoticed. "Provide a distraction," he muttered to finish Jiraiya's earlier sentence. He just hoped that Jiraiya wouldn't be too upset about it the following morning.

Jiraiya was already waiting the next morning when Naruto arrived at the pre-arranged training ground. "So umm" he brought a hand up to rub the back of his head nervously, "no hard feelings about last night?"

"No, no hard feelings. Take this though," He tossed a small book to Naruto, whose eyebrow started to twitch as he read the title; The Great Jiraiya's Guide to Evading, Fleeing from, and Getting out of Trouble with Women.

"You realize stuff like this is why I pushed you off the roof last night."

"I thought that it was to avoid Rin."

"That was an added benefit."

"You should talk to her though. She may not be thrilled that you call Kumogakure home, but she raised you for the first two years of your life and still cares for you deeply. She still blames herself for losing you, to losing to Akana when she came to kidnap you. It's been eating at her for over ten years now."

"How many women should you talk to that you avoid?"

Jiraiya sighed, "That's different kid, and you know it. Besides, just because I make a practice out of something doesn't mean you should too. But I suppose we aren't here to discuss your social interactions. I'm going to show you the final stage of the Rasengan, pay attention." He pulled out a balloon, and blew it up. Then he held it in the palm of his hand, watching Naruto expectantly.

Traces of skepticism leaked into Naruto's voice, "The final stage is holding a balloon."

"I expected a bit better from you. A shinobi has to observe with more than just his eyes."

Naruto cursed inwardly at his mistake as he focused on his other modes of perception, particularly his ability to perceive chakra. He found out what Jiraiya was doing almost immediately, sensing the swirling orb of chakra furiously spinning just under the skin of the balloon. "You have the Rasengan in there, but you're not popping the balloon."

"Correct; that's the third stage of the Rasengan, control. It's much more difficult than either of the first stages. Right now, you're partially formed Rasengan isn't that dangerous. It'll shred clothing, maybe tear skin. But as you become better able to contain the power in a limited area the Rasengan will grow in power until it can do the damage I demonstrated when I first showed you the technique." He tossed Naruto a bag of balloons. "Get going kid. This step's going to be the most difficult by far. But when you're done, you'll have mastered one of the most powerful and difficult jutsus in existence."

Naruto quickly inflated a balloon; tying it off with quick, efficient motions. He hefted it to eye level as his chakra began to swirl within. It was time to get to work.

A week went by; Naruto was still working on the final stage of the Rasengan. At least it was a lot more satisfying than the last one. It may have been a more difficult, but at least the progress was noticeable. As his training went on he could keep the balloon in one piece for longer amounts of time. It started to bulge before bursting instead of suddenly tearing itself to pieces, indicative of less pressure being placed on the inside of the balloon. Still, it was slow going. Two and a half weeks had passed, leaving only a week and a half to finish the Rasengan. He definitely wanted it ready in time for the finals, but it was going to be close.

At the moment he was resting, forced to by the slight burning feeling of his palm. It was a bit frustrating, having chakra burn limiting his progress instead of his actual chakra capacity. "Interesting," Naruto rolled to his feet as Yugito's voice drifted down from above, "it seems that your preoccupation with Kage Monuments even extends to Konoha."

"What can I say," Naruto turned as he spoke, motioning towards the village below with a sweep of his arms, "the view's almost as spectacular from this one as the one back in Kumo. Besides," he rapped his fingers on the stone beneath him, "the Yondaime's head also serves as his tomb according to the tour guides. I suppose that this is as close as I'll ever get to him."

Her lips quirked into a small smile, "It's not often you let your sensitive side show like that."

He chuckled slightly, "Look who's talking."

She slugged him lightly, muttering under her breath. "Ass."

He lowered himself to a sitting position, pulling Yugito down onto his lap as he did. His breath was warm against her ear as he spoke. "We haven't been able to do this enough lately, just the two of us."

"It's the price of success I suppose. Too many things that need to be done; not as much time for yourself, or those close to you. Still, it's for the best I suppose. Neither of us would be content as civilians."

"Yeah," Naruto leaned backwards, bringing Yugito down with him. They ended up on their backs, staring at Konoha's clear starry skies. "I guess that just means that moments like this need to be treasured."

"Mhmm," Yugito murmured her agreement as she snuggled into Naruto's side. The couple just stayed there, lying under the stars and content to simply bask in each other's presence.

Of course, not all of Naruto's nocturnal encounters were so pleasant. The best example of this came two days later when he encountered Sabaku no Gaara. Naruto had been traversing the rooftops, his norm while in Konoha when he sensed the jinchuuriki's chakra signature. Unfortunately, Gaara had sensed his as well so attempts to circle around and continue towards the hotel weren't very effective. It was odd though; Akana would have had trouble picking up his chakra signature with the care he had been using to mask it. Perhaps Gaara had an easier time picking up his presence because he was a jinchuuriki; it was something that made sense even if he had no way of telling if it was true or not.

Whatever the reason, Naruto found himself standing across the roof from Gaara. He may have been in his usual impassive cross-armed stance, but Naruto could still feel the psychotic bloodlust rolling off of him. Still, his gourd was corked so it at least looked like there was hope for a civil conversation…for now at least.

The two stood still for a second, sizing each other up before Gaara's voice rasped across the distance between them. "There's something strange about you, different than anyone else I've seen. It has mother excited, she's eager for your blood."

"I find that odd, seeing as how I've never met your mother." He considered throwing in how odd it was for a human to desire another's blood, but decided it would be wise not to antagonize the obviously unstable jinchuuriki.

"She has. She's always with me; a voice in my head urging me to attack, maim, kill. She wants blood, she relishes it. And yours, she wants yours more than any other. Except maybe that girl with you, the one who's just like you."

Naruto took a moment to mull Gaara's latest statement. The girl Gaara was talking about was obviously Yugito, which only served to reinforce his belief that it was his bloodline that interested Gaara. And the voice inside Gaara's head, it seemed to explain the Suna-nin's instability. Of course the question as to where the voice came from still remained. Perhaps it was some sort of multiple personality disorder. But Naruto could only guess at that, he never was much of a psychologist. Although the possibility that the voice was the demon's influence was not one that could be ignored. "Your mother sounds like a wonderful person," he muttered.

"She understands me; she knows that I must kill in order to exist."

"You must kill to exist? What kind of reasoning lead you to that conclusion?" Naruto fought the urge to settle backwards into a defensive stance, not wanting to provoke the crazed Jinchuuriki.

"My father created me to be a weapon, to be a hidden asset to protect the village. I scared them, terrified them, causing them to hate me. Then it happened, the first assassination attempt. I crushed him with my sand, lethally wounding him. Only then did I learn that it was my uncle, that he had volunteered when my father asked for an assassin. The leader of the village no longer wanted me, the weapon meant for its defense. The village I was born to protect and existed to serve wanted me dead. I had no purpose; do you know that it's like to have no purpose? It was during the second assassination attempt that I realized it, my new purpose. I exist to kill, I'm a monster."

"No, you contain a monster. There's a difference Gaara."

Gaara's head slapped around as if he had been slapped, and Naruto tensed as the cork shifted dangerously in the neck of the gourd. "How did you know that?"

"I know many things that you wouldn't expect, and it's not like I can share all my methods with you. Now, I must take my leave." Naruto leaned backwards, disappearing as he fell over the edge of the roof. Gaara wasted no time in reaching the edge and looking down, but Naruto was nowhere to be found. He extended his senses but couldn't sense his chakra either, Naruto was gone. "Araiki Naruto," Gaara muttered under his breath, "you will help to prove my existence."

Nine days later Naruto found himself sitting across from Jiraiya in a small barbecue. "So, you still haven't fully mastered the Rasengan have you?"

"No, I'm getting close, I can tell. But I'm not quite there yet."

"You'll still try to use it won't you?"

"If I have to. Life or death fights aren't good situations to hold back in."

"I suppose, but be careful with it. The Rasengan is as likely to blow up in your face as anything else if you haven't completely mastered it. If you do find yourself in a position where you need to use it, try to build a bit of space between yourself and your opponent before forming it. At least then if something goes wrong you'll have a bit of time to react."

"Yeah, sounds like a good idea."

Jiraiya raised his head, looking Naruto dead in the eye. "Be careful out there kid. I think you've already gotten an idea of how much Neji seems to hate you. The Hyuga clan head, Hiashi, isn't terribly pleased with you either. The Hyuga clan as a whole seems a bit prone towards holding grudges, whether they're rational or not. I don't doubt that Neji received some special training over the past month, so don't be surprised if he shows something he wasn't capable of during the preliminaries. I was really hoping you'd manage to get the Rasengan down by the end of the month."

"I guess I'll just have to adapt if need be."

Jiraiya grinned, "Improvisation, the mark of a true warrior1. Minato was always good at that. Good luck kid, I have a feeling you'll do great tomorrow."

Naruto's resulting smirk was decidedly feral. "The Raikage sent me here to show off what To-Remu Yajuuki can do, it's something I have every intention of doing."

Naruto got back to the suite that night to find his team waiting for him, including Meitoku who had recently been released from the hospital. Akana looked up as he entered, "Good, I need to speak with you and Yugito before tomorrow's match."

Naruto rolled himself over the back of a chair, settling down in it with a sigh. "What about?"

"The Raikage and I had a long talk about this before we left Kumo. We've decided that, despite the tendency of shinobi to keep secrets, the mechanism and abilities of your kekkai genkai need to be revealed during the finals tomorrow."

There was a long pause before Yugito broke the silence, "Why, people will be able to prepare for it."

"Yeah, I know. Unfortunately, that's the price wielders of a bloodline pay. The greatest strength a village gains from possessing a bloodline is the renown it brings. That's why kekkai genkai tend to be so widely known. Think about, the Sharingan, the Byakugan, Shikotsumyaku; villages very rarely take action to suppress information about them. Clients seeking to hire missions know that the village has a set of shinobi with a unique skill set that can't be found anywhere else. If that skill set fits the mission profile the client is likely to approach the village that houses the kekkai genkai.

Take the Hyuga Clan for example; they're some of the best infiltrators and kidnappers around. Their Byakugan let's them see through solid objects in all directions, making it much easier for them to avoid guards and pick the best routes while infiltrating buildings. Strikes from the Jyuken can disable their targets with virtually no additional ill effects, which aids greatly in subduing a target. Many clients, even those from nations with their own major shinobi villages, approach Konohagakure to hire members of the Hyuga clan for that type of mission.

The fame of a bloodline can also prove beneficial to a shinobi, despite foreknowledge of its abilities. Taijutusu specialists used to dread having to face a wielder of Shikotsumyaku. People hesitate to use most high level attacks against the Sharingan in fear that it will be copied and disseminated. The reservations the reputation a bloodline brings can often overcome the disadvantage of having some of your secrets revealed."

Naruto sighed, rubbing his face with his hand, "I understand. When should we reveal the intel?"

"The bigger the stage the better, and the sooner it's revealed the lower the chance that something goes wrong. Your match against Neji, some of your secrets won't remain so for long against Jyuken and the Byakugan anyway. Wait for a break in combat, preferably when you've already got him on the ropes. And if he starts figuring things out on your own, cut in and tell people yourself. It seems much more impressive that way."

Naruto sighed as he flipped onto his feet. "Got it, I'm going to hit the bed for tonight. Want to make sure I get enough sleep for tomorrow."

Yugito hopped onto her feet as Naruto entered his room, "Sounds like a good idea, I think I'll go to bed too. See you tomorrow."

Meitoku stared at the closed doors for a long moment after his teammates left the room. "How do you think they'll do tomorrow?"

A small grin graced Akana's features and pride laced her voice, "They're going to blow the audience away," she paused for a moment, her voice becoming a bit more introspective, "Hopefully not literally."

Naruto and Yugito were up early the next morning. In a rare change of pace, no words were exchanged between them as they prepared for the upcoming day. They took care while getting dressed; double checking each knot, each strap, and each wrap of the bandages around their legs. They were determined to leave nothing to chance. Then they unfurled a scroll across the floor. There was a puff of smoke as dozens of kunai and shuriken appeared. Each one was individually tested; examined for nicks of the blade, balance, and even the wrappings of the kunai handles. They weren't done until an hour later, finally having everything ready to their satisfaction.

They found Akana watching in silent approval as they finished up. That was about when Meitoku left his room as well, fully dressed and kitted out. Akana's gaze lingered briefly over each of her students. "Okay, let's move out."

Team Four traveled to the stadium via the streets, opting to conserve as much of the Araikis' chakra as possible. The resulting scene was typical of Naruto's stay in Konoha. They were given a decent birth by the rest of the crowds on the streets, subjected to constant stares while whispers of Namikaze-sama echoed around them. Naruto bore it with the stoicism he had developed during his stay in Konoha. It seemed to be a long, long walk to the stadium. Upon arrival, both Meitoku and Akana wished Akana luck before departing to the stands. Naruto let out a deep breath before heading into the arena, Yugito by his side.

The remaining competitors assembled in a line across the middle of the stadium. Sasuke was conspicuously absent, an observation Naruto filed away into his mind for later analysis. He had bigger things to worry about now, namely the Hyuga that was three spots to his right. A Konoha-nin appeared in front of them via sunshin. He was tall, dressed in standard Konoha gear with a blue bandana wrapped around his head. A bit of his brown hair escaped the bandana, falling down to about his jaw and a senbon was held casually in his mouth. His eyes swept over the assembled gennin, measuring them briefly before speaking. "My name is Shiranui Genma; I will be your proctor for the final exams. Rules are the same as the preliminaries, you can use any amount of force you deem necessary. Also, I reserve the right to end a fight immediately if I determine that one combatant can no longer continue. And remember," his gaze settled on Neji, "killing is allowed but not encouraged. If you can subdue your opponent without killing him or her do so." A sharp burst of killing intent, also aimed primarily at Neji, was emitted to help get the point across. "Now, if all the combatants besides Araiki Naruto and Hyuga Neji would report to the training area we can begin the first match."

As the rest of the chuunin-hopefuls climbed the stairs Naruto and Neji were left alone on the floor. They stood across from each other, both staring unflinchingly into his opponent's eyes. Tension and killing intent filled the air, felt even by some of the audience members in the lower seats. There was a rash of people suddenly leaving to head to the bathroom or concessions and even Genma had to suppress a slight shiver that ran along his spine.

Higher up in the stands, Hyuga Hanabi sat next to her father and clan head Hyuga Hiashi. "Father, is that him?"

"Yes. Araiki Naruto, formerly Uzumaki Naruto, bearer of To-Remu Yajuuki, former Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, son of the late Yondaime Hokage, and the second target the night of your sister's attempted kidnapping. Quite an impressive list for one so young."

"Can Neji defeat him?"

"Neji is a genius, a true prodigy of the Jyuken style. He will not lose. Besides, the Byakugan is the superior of any bloodline hastily created through seals." Beside him, Hanabi nodded slightly before turning her attention to the match below.

"Finally," Neji said, his voice just loud enough to carry to Naruto, "fate has finally provided me with the opportunity to avenge my family, my father. I will defeat you today, fate has decreed it."

"We make our own fate Neji; it's a fact that has already been proven in my life," traces of anger leaked into Naruto's tone as he continued, "Today, I'll see if I can open those eyes you're so proud of to that fact."

They were interrupted as Genma's amplified voice echoed throughout the arena, "Begin."

Neji wasted little time, the bulging veins around his eyes denoting the activation of his Byakugan as he charged Naruto with breathtaking speed. He expected the boy to leap away, keep his distance and avoid the dangerous Jyuken strikes. Instead he stood his ground, slipping into his taijutsu stance as Megurushi no To-Remu flared to life on his skin. Those events happened near simultaneously, and it was a fraction of a second later that Neji got his first good luck at Naruto's chakra system. He couldn't help but feel a bit of unease at what he saw.

But then they were upon each other. The civilians watching the match couldn't even follow the series of blows that ensued, even many of the shinobi couldn't. Those that could found themselves enraptured in the deadly dance. Everything was a blur to Naruto as he reacted on instinct and reflex. He ducked under one palm thrust, spinning aside to avoid the other. Then he lunged out to one side, slapping a hand against the ground to support his weight and slashing the claws of his other across. Neji blocked the attack, but Naruto didn't pause; turning a one-handed cartwheel. The claws of his feet slashed across Neji's chest, only managing to tear a thin line in the boy's jacket as he bent backwards at the waist to avoid the blow. His thoughts became even more blurred as the exchange continued; block, kick, slash, punch, duck, jump, kick. All the while analyzing Neji's strikes, deciding which ones could come through and which blows he couldn't take.

Neji nearly growled in frustration as the two broke away from each other, barely managing to swallow the sound with typical Hyuga stoicism. The brief sense of unease he had felt upon seeing Naruto's chakra system had only grown.

Up in the stands, nearly every Hyuga realized something was wrong as well. Naruto had been struck by several palm strikes, more than enough to disable him. But Naruto was still standing, apparently unaffected by Neji's Jyuken strikes. His curiosity getting the better of him, Hiashi activated his Byakugan to examine the young Araiki. He noticed the differences in Naruto's chakra system almost immediately, the same ones that had Neji so concerned.

Oh, the coils were still the same. It was the chakra itself that was different. Most noticeable was the color, a slate blue instead of the normal brighter hue. He spared the attention to examine Yugito's as well, finding it to be a yellow-orange. The differing color was obviously related to their bloodline, as it was the same color of their respective Megurushi no To-Remu and other aspects of the bloodline. While it was certainly interesting and worthy of later consideration, it wasn't the color alteration that bothered him the most.

Naruto's chakra didn't flow.

Author's Note: I realize that some of you may disagree with the plan to intentionally reveal the capabilities of To-Remu Yajuuki during the finals. However, the Byakugan would be able to figure out much of what's not already known anyways. Particularly since it concerns chakra circulation, as you can tell from the end of this chapter. Besides, I think that all of the points Akana are well-thought out and valid. Bloodlines can go a long way towards enhancing a village's reputation, but only if people outside the village know about them. Besides, can you really say you don't want to learn more about the bloodline? Next time, To-Remu Yajuuki Revealed.

Translations:

Megurushi no To-Remu: Translates to Markings of the Totem. This is the first stage of the kekkai genkai To-Remu Yajuuki. It is easily identified as the user's chakra appears on their skin in a pattern of tribal markings. While in this state the user gains enhanced speed, strength, and sensory ability. Additionally, their nails turn into claws and they gain the ability to utilize the rest of their bloodline's techniques.