Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto. However, if Naruto were under the ownership of me, I would have Jiraiya finally get the attention he so rightfully deserved from Tsunade. Why? Because he's awesome. That's why.

Chapter 21: Enter Godaime Hokage

Kakashi was one of the first people to receive the message that Jiraiya, Gaara, and Naruto were planning on making it back to Konoha by later afternoon today. As such, Kakashi had deemed it appropriate to give Sakura, Sasuke, and his newest student, Tayuya, the day off.

Tayuya, however, didn't leave the training ground that morning. She simply sat on the log post and looked up to the sky, deep in thought. Kakashi had been tempted to ask her if something was wrong, but decided it was none of his business.

The last thing he needed was to give advice to a teenage kunoichi. He had enough trouble taking his own advice half the time.

Still, while his thoughts were on the topic of Tayuya, he couldn't help but think back to yesterday evening. He had seen something that unnerved him a bit.

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"Kakashi, what exactly happened to Naruto the other day that's caused his name to be tossed around so much?" Sasuke asked.

The Jounin cursed under his breath; word was bound to reach the young Chuunin sooner or later. He noticed Sakura and Tayuya share a concerned look before turning to Sasuke as well. Kakashi scratched his head, "Well, to be honest-"

"I just want to know. I've heard rumors...I just want to know how true they are. That's all I ask."

"...first off," Kakashi began, "The rumors of Naruto fighting your brother are true, Sasuke. Second of all, yes, Naruto did manage to hold his own against a shinobi that was in an entirely different league than him. However," Kakashi continued, seeing Sasuke preparing to interrupt, "Naruto would have likely been defeated for certain had Jiraiya-sama and the future Godaime, Tsunade of the Sannin, not arrived when they did. Both Naruto and Gaara were down for the count, from what I was told."

"...so Naruto's gotten stronger, huh?" Sasuke sighed, "That idiot's still way ahead of me."

"Not necessarily, Sasuke. You have strengths over Naruto, remember. You have a high level of understanding in the field of Katon, and from what I last heard, you're one of the better tacticians of your class."

"Next to Shikamaru and Sakura," the Uchiha added.

"Sasuke..." Sakura began.

"Look, I just wanted an answer to the question, alright? That's all." Sasuke began, "I'm heading home. I'll see you all later."

Sakura frowned as the Uchiha headed off, "Damn it, if he goes back to his old sulking self, so help me..."

"Take it easy, Sakura. He just found out that his older brother's decided to appear to the shinobi world. Not only that, but he attacked one of his good friends as well." Kakashi spoke, putting a hand on the young kunoichi's shoulder, "Try to put yourself in his shoes for a moment."

Sakura's shoulders drooped a bit as she thought about what her sensei had said. She had been informed on Sasuke's family history just earlier that day by Sasuke himself, and had come to understand him a bit more from it. She knew a little about the Uchiha clan's tragic past, but only from gossip and hearsay.

"I may not have much of an understanding of this predicament as you two, but I think Sasuke's made a one-eighty in his attitude since word of the search for the Godaime got to Konoha." Tayuya commented, "I for one don't want to deal with him being a dark cloud all the time. It gets annoying."

"Now now, Tayuya-chan. That's no way to treat your fellow teammates." Kakashi chastised lightly, "For the record, Sasuke's made a vast improvement in his attitude since Team Seven first formed. Sakura can vouch for that claim, as well as Naruto."

Tayuya rolled her eyes, "Yeah, well, what should we do about it? I'm no psychologist, and I don't have any degree in child therapy."

"Just give Sasuke some space, that's all for now. If he starts showing problems, we'll take further measures to help him out."

"I noticed him rubbing his neck," Tayuya noted, "That mark was appearing again."

Kakashi paused before looking at Tayuya with a even gaze, "Mark?"

Tayuya opened her mouth to speak, then realized her slip. She kept her expression from being too revealing to the Jounin, "Y-yeah, I saw it on his neck."

That shouldn't have been the case. Kakashi was told by Jiraiya that part of the sealing process on Orochimaru's Curse Mark was that it made the mark invisible to the naked eye. So, either Sasuke's will was wavering in resisting it...or...

"Well, that wraps up our meeting for the day. I'll see you two tomorrow."

Sakura bid the two farewell, stating she had to meet with her mother for lunch. Kakashi lingered a bit, and noticed that the second kunoichi on his team had stayed behind.

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Now Kakashi was watching the kunoichi from a tree branch, not hiding himself too much so that she wouldn't grow suspicious if she did notice him. He had pegged her from the start as a rather perceptive and experienced ninja, considering her age. He knew very little about her other than she had a rough life growing up in Kirigakure during the kekkai genkai purging, and that she was not easily deterred from any challenge set before her. Aside from that, she seemed to be a rather hardy character, and was well accustomed to hard work. He also sensed a bond between her and Sakura, which was good news in his book. Tayuya seemed to take on the roll of an older sister to Sakura, offering her pointers in her Taijutsu. Not to mention the girl had a decent rapport in Genjutsu, a field of shinobi arts that Sakura expressed an interest in.

Still, the fact remained that she had known about the Curse Mark of Sasuke's, which he had thought to be a rather tight-lipped secret. Not even Sasuke talked about it, and Sakura wasn't allowed to speak of it to anyone besides the Uchiha, Kakashi himself, or the Hokage.

So...how had Tayuya found out?

"Tayuya, you can go home, you know." Kakashi said, his eye smile present as he approached the kunoichi, "I gave you the day off."

Tayuya frowned a little, and couldn't meet the Jounin's eyes, "I-I'm fine, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi's smile returned to it's usual unreadable masked look, "You sure? You look a bit bothered. Something wrong?"

"Like I said, I'm fine." Tayuya repeated, "I just want to get some training in for the day. That's all."

Kakashi remained quiet for a moment, watching Tayuya as she began to stretch her arms a bit, "I'm glad you take your training so seriously, Tayuya." He smiled, "You're one of the most dedicated kunoichi I've seen in your age group for quite a few years."

"Um...thanks, but I'm just trying to keep my skills sharp." Tayuya replied humbly, "Besides, never know when you're going to be a jerk and throw the infamous 'Konohagakure Marathon Run' on us again." She frowned as he chuckled, "There's nothing funny about running around the village thirty times at seven o' clock in the morning, damn it!"

The Jounin shrugged, "Hey, you three are more than capable of taking that course...anyway, Tayuya, as I was saying...if there's something bothering you, and I can tell something is, feel free to talk to me, Sakura, or Sasuke. We're a team..." He placed a hand on her brown hair, "..and we help each other. Right?"

"R-right." Tayuya spoke quietly, "Thanks...sensei."

"Don't mention it. I'm glad to have you as a student. Don't forget that." With that, Kakashi headed down the road from training ground seven towards his flat. He stopped for a moment to see Tayuya was facing towards the three log posts that were sticking out of the ground, appearing as though she was mulling over something.

If he was right about her, she'd eventually come to him. He had a few ideas on what her problem was...and hoped that he wasn't completely right about them. Tayuya seemed to be a smart, over all good-hearted person. Still, the way she had been acting moments ago seemed a bit off for her.

He'd find out eventually, to be sure.

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"Tsunade...I'd be lying if I was to say I didn't miss you." Sarutobi spoke as he removed his pipe from his lips, "Jiraiya has informed me that you've been on the move from your mountain of debts for quite some time now."

The blond haired beauty rolled her eyes, grumbling insults about the Toad Sage under her breath, "Yeah, you could say that." She couldn't help but grin as she faced her old teacher from decades ago, despite how much she attempted to appear indifferent, "I've missed you too, Sarutobi-sensei."

Hiruzen let out a heartfelt chortle as he emptied his pipe into the tray on his desk, "Really? You make an old man glad to hear that, Tsunade. I see you've managed to keep your practice in illusion strong, judging by your appearance."

"That's...nothing you need to worry about, sensei." Tsunade spoke carefully.

"So it would seem. Bah, listen to me ramble on like this. Let's get down to business, shall we?" Sarutobi removed his hat for a moment, and for the first time since she had entered the office, Tsunade could see the age appearing on the Sandaime's face, "Tsunade, I'm much too old for my title. I nearly died against Orochimaru whom I probably could have defeated if I were only twenty years younger. I'm starting to find it hard to keep track of all the things that need to be done, if if not for my secretary, bless her soul, I'd be forgetting important meetings with clients like the Fire Lord."

Tsunade decided to save the elderly shinobi from going on a long-winded speech, "Sarutobi-sensei, I'm ready to take up the title of Godaime Hokage."

The elderly man blinked before cracking a smile on his face once more, "I should have guessed that you were." He stood up as he replaced his hat upon his balding head. Looking out the window to the Hokage Faces, he sighed, "Tsunade, I won't lie to you; you're taking up the position of Hokage during a time that would be horrible for someone who has never had much experience in leading people, considering the Fourth Shinobi War is just over the horizon for us. You've lead platoons before, I know that, but this is an entire village." He turned back to her, his gaze surprisingly sharp, "Are you certain you can handle this responsibility?"

"Yes, sensei. Besides, if I don't take the position, that crazy little gaki might, then we're all doomed." Tsunade answered.

Sarutobi openly laughed at that, "Yes, Naruto-kun seemed to be rather happy that you decided to take up the position, though he claimed you, and I quote, 'aren't as cool the old man'."

"Little runt..." Tsunade muttered under her breath, "Remind me to send him on a long term D-rank mission when I get the chance." She laughed as Sarutobi seemed to give her a knowing grin, "Eh, who am I kidding? Naruto and Gaara both helped me realize what I've been doing for all these years was simply running from my problems."

"Ah, yes, Gaara. That boy is perceptive as well...I'm sure you're aware of his predicament as well, correct?"

The to-be Godaime gave a nod, "Yes. Those two are both doing well for themselves, considering the burden they carry."

"They're like brothers, in a way." Sarutobi added as he began to rise from his seat, "Gaara's the opposite of Naruto in a lot of ways, but they get along so well, from the little I've seen of the two when they're both before me."

"Yeah, that and Jiraiya's seemed to taken quiet a liking in the two as well." Tsunade smiled, "He looks like he used to when he was teaching Minato..."

"Well, I suppose that's only natural. The two are eager to learn, and absorb anything you teach them like a sponge." Sarutobi stared at the picture of Minato on the wall and sighed a bit, "He seemed happy to get a chance to see his son, even if it was during the middle of an invasion on his home."

"That's right," Tsunade began, "Jiraiya told me Minato was brought back by Orochimaru. How is that possible, considering the circumstances with Naruto's seal-"

"I have no clue, Tsunade, and Jiraiya was just as baffled." Sarutobi replied with a shake of his head, "We can spend more time discussing that later, however. Right now I need to have you meet with the council and go through the proper papers and such to make your title as Hokage official."

The blond seemed to go a bit pale upon hearing this news, "The council?" She groaned, "Damn, I knew that I was forgetting something."

"Haha! Welcome back, Tsunade." Sarutobi laughed as he guided her out of the office to her awaiting council.

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Naruto and Gaara were walking down the main road of Konoha, all the while the villagers were giving them some space to move through. They would have believed it was because Jiraiya, the legendary Toad Sage, was with them as well, but almost all the looks were directed at the two Chuunin.

The best part, however, was that the looks they were getting were almost all of respect.

"...that's Naruto, isn't it? The boy with the Jinchuu-"

"Yeah, I heard that he used it to fight Orochimaru."

"That's amazing."

"No way the Kyuubi would be that honorable...I was wrong about that boy."

"...that other boy's Gaara no Sabaku, isn't it? From Suna?"

"...he's really strong...Jiraiya-sama's teaching both of them, if I remember..."

Jiraiya cracked a small smirk of his own, "Well, boys. Mission accomplished!" He patted both of them on the shoulder and handed them each a slip of paper; a check with at least four zeros on it, "I need to meet up with Tsunade and the old man and get them up to date on a few things. Take the date off. If I'm right, in another day or so the Hokage's inauguration ceremony will be held."

"Cool!" Naruto stated with a grin, "I'll be sure to bring some water balloons and-"

"Naruto, I think that would be unwise. You know how Tsunade-san gets."

"...true. Scratch that idea." Naruto murmured after a moment of thought.

"Gaara? Naruto?"

Both boys looked up at the sound of their names being called. Just a little ways down the road was Temari and Kankuro, along with Baki.

"Temari-chan! Hey, we're back-oof!"

Naruto was wrapped in a hug almost immediately by the kunoichi, "I heard so many things while you were gone. I was worried that you'd be a lot worse than you are..."

Naruto just smirked while returning the hug, "Bah, I'm alright, Temari."

Temari let go shortly after and smiled, "I see that..." She sighed with the smile still on her face, "I'll talk to you later about all that." She grinned, "Welcome back." Turning to Gaara, she walked up and wrapped her arms around the red head, "Gaara, good to see you're alive as well..."

Gaara was stiff for a moment before he hesitantly put an arm around his elder sister, "Thank you, Nee-san."

Kankuro approached the boys, and gave both of them a pat on the shoulders, "Heard you guys got into a few fights." He smirked as Naruto grinned, "I want the details later, alright?"

Baki rolled his eyes, "Kankuro, don't encourage them like that. They're both lucky to be in the shape they are after fighting both Orochimaru and Itachi Uchiha along with Kisame Hoshigaki." The Suna Jounin turned to Jiraiya, "So...is it true what's been said about this 'Akatsuki' group?"

"For the most part, we have very little on them right now, but..." He looked to Naruto and Gaara for a moment, "What do we have on them seems to be accurate."

Baki gave a nod, "I'll inform Suna as soon as possible, in that case." He began towards the Hokage Tower, "I have a meeting with the future Hokage today, so I should be on my way. Temari, we'll continue training tomorrow morning, alright?"

"Right, sensei." Temari said with a quick nod. Baki then continued down the road.

"Well, I'm actually heading to the Hokage Tower as well. I'll see you kids later." Jiraiya gave a wave before disappearing with a quick Shunshin.

Temari turned back to Naruto, and gave a smirk, "Looks like you've been training hard since you left."

"Heheh, you could say that. How can you tell?"

"The way you're carrying yourself. I can just tell you've changed." There was a glint in her eyes that made even Gaara feel slightly uneasy, "How about we spar?"

Naruto knew that refusing would be a foolish idea.

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"So, it is decided then." Sarutobi spoke as he looked across the table to where Tsunade was standing, "Tsunade, I hereby declare you the Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure. May you continue to guide our village with a sharp mind and strong heart."

Tsunade gave a bow to the Sandaime and the council members. She was relieved to see that so many of them were people she knew to be open-minded individuals; Shikaku Nara, Chouza Akimichi, Inoichi Yamanaka were a few she could place her trust in. Hiashi Hyuuga was one she was a bit uncertain of, but he was a loyal shinobi of Konoha. Most of the clan heads were visibly supportive of her as the new Hokage, which she was glad to see.

Homura, Koharu, and Danzo were of course, skeptical of her as the new Hokage, namely Danzo, but she expected as much. The three elders, along with the Sandaime, had seen two great wars and lived through them. Now another one was starting. They had a right to be that way.

It didn't mean she liked it, though.

"Tsunade, we hope you'll lead this village well in our time of need." spoke Koharu as she along with the other council members stood up.

"We will do our part to give you our counsel as well." added Homura, who gave Tsunade a quick bow, as well as the others.

Tsunade saw her cue to speak, "Thank you, council members. I take this position with a humble heart and much honor. I will see to it that Konoha and her allies make it through these difficult times and remain strong."

Meanwhile, Jiraiya sat outside the window, listening with a smile on his face, "She sure has a silver tongue when she needs it, heheh." He looked to the Hokage Faces and grinned, "I wonder if there's a way for me to get her real face on the mountainside."

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Naruto jumped a few feet to the right as a blast of wind smashed into the ground, sending up a plume of dust into the air. The blond pulled out a kunai and chucked it towards the direction of his adversary, and heard the satisfying clanging sound of metal on metal. Now that he had her location through the dust, he dashed forward, "Got you!"

Temari was a bit bewildered to have Naruto charging her head on. She raised her fan so the metallic side was in front of her, and blocked a punch before putting some space between them. She ran through a few seals and three Bunshin came into existence. The three doppelgangers and their creator dashed towards Naruto.

Naruto didn't have enough time to try and peg the sound of the real Temari's feet hitting the ground, so he placed both his hands out on either side and began to spin, "Fuuton: Odori no Senkaze no Jutsu!"

Temari was blown back while her three illusions disappeared within the spinning vortex Naruto had conjured. Taking her fan out, she began to channel chakra throughout the folded portion, "Hmph, thinks he can just hide in there, does he?" She whipped open her fan to it's full length, "Try this, Naruto! Fuuton: Ibuki no Tatsu!"

Whipping her fan, a stream of blue colored wind blasted forth. The high speed wind collided with Naruto's vortex. Folding her fan up, Temari made a few hand seals, and the wind began to rise up above Naruto's maelstrom, and encircled the whiskered blond, "Ochiru!"

The sapphire wind descended upon Naruto's vortex and within seconds the boy's jutsu fell apart. The sound of Naruto yelling in surprise could be heard, and a figure of tan, green, and yellow could be seen being thrashed about in the violent winds of Temari's wind jutsu.

"Agaru!"

Naruto was suddenly lifted up into the air by the winds, and a moment later he was sent flying into the air, Temari having canceled her technique. Naruto opened an eye in time to see Temari jumping towards him. He forced himself to block her kick with his own leg, and pushed off her before landing on the tree top, "Ungh...that was a new one. When did you learn that jutsu?"

Temari winked, "One of the shinobi's best weapons is the ability to improve." She got into her stance, "I studied a few B-rank Fuuton scrolls while you were gone. They proved to be as good as I hoped, it seems."

Naruto rotated his shoulder a bit, "You caught me off guard with that maneuver of yours. I wasn't expecting wind to be able to be controlled like that."

Temari smirked, "That's what you get for not being prepared against me, Naruto. While you're able to use stronger Fuuton techniques, I have had more experience in using them." She folded her hands into a seal and concentrated chakra into her feet. Naruto's eyes widened in astonishment as she grinned, "Again...I have more experience. I remembered seeing you do this, so it wasn't hard to figure out."

Naruto barely had time to react as Temari literally flew at him, her feet a few centimeters from the ground. He pushed her back and attempted to kick her in the sternum. She caught the foot with her arms, but was not ready for Naruto to spin his other foot around and catch her on the side. She flew a few feet, skidding as she dragged her hands through the dirt to catch herself as she continued floating.

"Yeesh, Temari! Warn me before you go and speed at me like that, haha!" Naruto did the same as her, and the two were now hovering off the ground, "Ready?"

"Do you have to ask?" Temari answered with a grin.

"Fair enough." Naruto got into his stance, "Here I come!"

The two dashed at each other once more, both grinning like it was going out of style, caught up in the rush of a good spar with the person they loved.

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Two days had come, and as expected, the village populous had amassed around the Hokage Tower as Tsunade stood before them, hat on her head as she looked over her people. She grinned a bit as she was able to see Naruto and Gaara among the hundreds of people. The two were standing on one of the taller trees, one waving to her rapidly while the other simply gave her a nod.

"People of Konoha, shinobi and civilians alike. I stand before you today as your new leader, the Godaime Hokage. Some of you may be concerned with this sudden change in leadership with the approaching war ahead of us, but I assure you that I will see to it that we remain strong in this time of strife!" There were applause, but she held up her hands to signal the need for silence so she could continue, "I will see to it that we continue to keep our strong ties with Suna, as well as our other allies..." She paused, "From this day forth, I dedicate my life to this village as your Hokage!"

The crowds erupted once more into cheers, and the place literally shook from them celebration. Tsunade laughed as she watched young 'Rookie Nine' and a Genin team belonging to Gai gathered around Naruto and Gaara and began to talk animatedly while pointing to Tsunade. The two boys were likely explaining the details of their search for her to them.

The 'Konoha Twelve' and the sibling from Suna had stood out immediately in Tsunade's book. She had a brief hour to herself earlier today, and decided to go over the folders of Naruto. One of the most recent bits of information was his involvement with the small group of young shinobi in the attempted invasion of Konoha over a month ago.

She made a mental note to keep an eye on those twelve kids; they'd likely be making big names for themselves in the years to come.

"That was a really quick inauguration speech." Jiraiya commented, leaning against the wall behind Tsunade, "It was clear and made your point though. Not bad so far."

Tsunade smirked as she tipped her hat up, "You think so?"

Shizune, who was by Jiraiya's side, gave a nod, "I think you're arrival to Konoha has helped brighten the situation for Konoha, Tsunade-sama."

The new Godaime grinned a bit, while settling her hat so it covered her eyes a little, "Good."

"I've got to admit, Tsunade-hime, you look good in that hat, heheh." Jiraiya halfheartedly joked. Tsunade just rolled her eyes while keeping the small smile on her face while Jiraiya continued, "Dan and Nawaki would be proud of what you've done."

The Godaime nodded, "Thanks, Jiraiya."

The masses continued to cheer for Tsunade as she waved to her people. Meanwhile, Sarutobi watched from behind while smiling to himself. He was happy to see his once wayward student return to her home not only as a citizen but also as its new leader. She seemed to have a bit of that old fire that burned in her eyes when she was younger returning to her once more.

For once in almost sixteen years, Sarutobi felt himself relax, knowing that he was able to once step down from the position of Hokage and allow the younger generations to take over.

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About a week had passed for Konoha since Tsunade was made the new leader. In that time, the Konoha Twelve and the sand siblings had taken up several tasks of varying degrees: cleaning the training grounds, sending information and supplies to the different outposts throughout Fire Country, even night patrols within Konoha Forest.

Naruto, being a ninja with dual shinobi registration, had been working within and away from the village, and as such had been rather busy for the whole of the week. By the weekend, Naruto had taken on one B-rank mission that involved escorting mercenary wagons from Konoha to the borders of River Country. He had gone with a platoon made up of two ANBU teams, three Jounin teams, two Chuunin teams, and a two year Genin team. Temari, Tenten, Kiba, Hinata, and Sasuke had tagged along as well with Kakashi, Kurenai, and Baki leading them.

When they reached their destination, they were standing outside a small town right by the two countries' borders. There they met with about thirty Suna-nin of varying rank that were to accompany Kakashi, Kurenai, and Baki's teams back to Konoha while the Konoha platoon remained continued onward to Wind Country, and then to Sunagakure.

The trip back to Konoha would be about three days' travel for the group. They had hunkered down in a small clearing within a thicket just east of the border of River Country. A small fire was going while the group ate quietly, the murmur of faint conversation going on between the shinobi.

"I still don't see why you can't teach me some of those techniques, Baki-sensei." Naruto grumbled as he bit into a piece of venison from a deer they had hunted earlier that day, "I mean, I can use Fuuton just like Temari-chan-"

"Naruto, Temari has the adequate amount of chakra control in order to execute the advanced techniques I'm teaching her. We've been over this several dozen times now." Baki replied with a groan, "Besides, you have techniques in your arsenal that she would have great difficulty performing due to the amount of power needed to perform them. I heard Jiraiya-sama himself has taught you some rather powerful jutsu, so I don't see what the problem is."

"He's got a point, Naruto." Kakashi piped in, "You're a powerhouse for chakra; leave the intricate techniques to those that can use them. I'm sure once you get a better grasp of your chakra down, you'll be able to start using the more advanced jutsu."

The blond just frowned as he continued to eat, deciding that he may as well drop his argument. That and Temari was giving him a warning look. Warning looks from her were not to be taken lightly.

Later that night, Naruto, Sasuke, and two Suna Chuunin were awake and on watch while the others slept. It was a pleasant surprise to Naruto when the two Chuunin introduced themselves and mentioned what they had all heard about Naruto during the invasion, stating that they were amazed that he had managed to go toe-to-toe with one of the Legendary Sannin as well as the revived Fourth Hokage. Naruto laughed a bit, assuring them that it wasn't as amazing as they thought, and that he had barely made it out of that battle with his life.

Now Naruto and Sasuke were sitting on a branch of a nearby tree, listening to the sounds of the crickets chirping their nocturnal melody to the darkness while a few owls hooted in the distance.

"Naruto...is it true that you fought against my brother?"

The blond looked to the Uchiha, and gave a slow nod, "Yeah. He seemed to be holding back, though. He was trying to capture me."

"Capture you?" Sasuke asked, "Why?"

Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but closed it, "I...can't really say. It's classified. Though..." he looked around before continuing just above a whisper, "Information says that it's related to the Kyuubi."

Sasuke frowned, "The Kyuubi? What do they want with the fox?"

"Not sure, but it can't be good." the blond answered, "That's all I really know, however. Ero-Sennin is looking into the matter with his spy network, and we've got Suna doing the same. If it relates to one Jinchuuriki, then it probably relates to the other eight as well, right?"

"Makes sense..." Sasuke spoke, "So...when you fought Itachi, what was it like?"

"It felt like I wasn't even scratching him. He was using Genjutsu a lot, and he used Katon against me. That and he can use the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu like me." the blond sighed, "I tried everything I could, but he just brushed it off without even batting an eyelash."

Sasuke's fists clenched a bit, "So he's strong, huh?"

"More or less. His partner, Kisame Hoshigaki, wasn't much of a cakewalk either. Gaara was knocked out by him, and if Tsunade-baachan, Shizune-neechan, and Ero-Sennin hadn't arrived when they did, the both of us may have been captured."

"I see..." Sasuke replied, looking to the sky, "Naruto...when we get back, I want to fight you. If that's alright."

"Really?" Naruto laughed quietly, "The proud Uchiha wishes to step down to the level of Naruto Uzumaki?"

Sasuke didn't laugh, even though he knew Naruto was only joking, "I'm serious, Naruto. I want to gauge myself against you. From what I can tell, your one of the strongest ones in our class."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "I don't know, Sasuke...I'd be happy to spar with you, but I don't think I'm the strongest. Not yet at least, heh. You'd have me beat if you used your Sharingan, I bet."

"That's doubtful. Kakashi-sensei has actually stated that I shouldn't rely so much on my bloodline's powers and try to improve myself in other areas as well." The Uchiha looked at the sleeping forms down below in the clearing, "I can't help but agree with that. Itachi always spoke about how the Uchiha were so proud of their abilities. While I cannot totally understand why he killed the clan, after looking back from my memories, I remember my clan being rather arrogant."

"Yeah...the Uchiha were often the ones that caught me if ANBU or Iruka-sensei didn't first, heheh."

Sasuke smiled a bit, "I want to continue to become stronger, Naruto. Not just so I can defeat Itachi someday, but so I can bring back honor to my clan's name. I'll do whatever it takes to do so."

Naruto noticed Sasuke rub his neck a little before looking out to the darkness again.

Fwish!

Sasuke and Naruto both reacted on instinct, dropping from their perches while to the two Suna Chuunin landed beside them. Sasuke activated his kekkai genkai, and looked to the pitch black forest, "I...I can't tell for sure, but..." He squinted a bit, "There's definitely a few ninja out there. I don't know how many, though."

Naruto summoned a few clones and roused the others awake. Soon everyone was on the alert, forming a tight circle as Kakashi spoke, "Tenten, do you have one of those slow burning flash bangs on you?"

The weapons mistress nodded, "I got enough to light up half of Konoha if you needed me to." She dug out a scroll and unraveled it while biting a thumb. Kakashi simply nodded, and the kunoichi summoned four from her scroll and tossed them into the air. The others quickly dropped low to the ground as the sky lit up, white light flashing through the darkened space between the trees around them.

Sasuke, Sharingan still activated, threw several shuriken as he got a glimpse of two blinded Iwa-nin standing on the limbs of a tree. They cried out before falling from their perches, dead before hitting the ground.

"Go!" Kakashi shouted, and the teams dispersed, choosing their targets as they did so.

Temari unfurled her fan, and with a mighty heave summoned a gale of wind that blasted several enemy shinobi back into the dark. She made a few seals before dashing forward, a layer of wind wrapped around her right hand. As she ran through the trees, she caught a glimpse of one of the enemy shinobi she had knocked back attempting to get up. He looked up just in time to get a glimpse of Temari leaping forward, and shouting a battle cry before thrusting her hand forward. The Kaze no Yaiba shredded the Chuunin apart as crimson spattered against Temari's purple battle dress.

The unfortunate shinobi's partner looked in shock before drawing a kunai, "You little bitch! That was my brother!"

Temari quickly drew a kunai while blocking his attack, the flashing white light providing her enough lighting to see her opponent. The Chuunin backed up for a moment to attempt another attack on her, but he suddenly dropped his weapon and his eyes rolled back into his skull. As he fell forward, a gentle voice spoke, "Temari-san, are you alright?"

Temari was greeted by Hinata, Byakugan activated and hand in a palm strike position. She gave a nod to the Hyuuga, who smiled back before jumping into the canopy once more.

Meanwhile, Kakashi and Sasuke were in the middle of their campground, engaging two Jounin-level shinobi judging by their flak jackets. The one facing off against the silver haired Jounin smirked, "Heh, well, if it isn't the Copy-cat Ninja himself. I was wondering if our sources were right about you being in River Country."

Kakashi merely blinked, "I see my reputation in Iwagakure is as strong as it used to be."

"Tch, don't get cocky. We've been prepared to take on you, as well as Jiraiya of the Sannin. That invasion was a failure, but we won't make the same mistakes again."

"You sure about that?"

"What are you-gah..." the shinobi fell dead as a Shadow Clone of Kakashi stood behind him, a kunai dripping with fresh blood. Kakashi turned to assist Sasuke, but was yet again assailed by another Iwa-nin.

"Sasuke, hold on..." Kakashi thought as he blocked a kick to the temple.

Sasuke, meanwhile, was having some difficulty. His opponent seemed to be a Katon user as well, which was a bit unusual considering that most were Earth style users in Iwa. Every technique that Sasuke used from his fire technique library was simply countered with an equally strong fire jutsu.

"Consider yourself lucky, Uchiha brat. We were ordered to retrieve you alive." The ninja drew a sword, which immediately lit up with a red glow, "I'll just have to insure that you don't fight back. Sorry, nothing personal."

Sasuke was able to see chakra flowing from the man into the blade. He was embedding it with fire chakra, from the looks of it. Sasuke decided to hang back, and threw a salvo of shuriken, which were deflected by the blazing sword.

Sasuke dug into his backpack, and quickly threw one of his Demon Wind Shuriken. The massive projectile sliced through a few of the thinner trees as it made its way towards the Jounin. The jumped to the side, avoiding damage and getting an opening to attack Sasuke. With speed fitting of an experienced shinobi, the Iwa-nin was upon Sasuke once more.

Now forced on the defensive, Sasuke was ducking and dodging swipes from the red hot blade. Several times he felt light burns form just from the raw heat of the blade. Jumping back several feet, Sasuke went quickly through several hand seals and sparks began forming in his right hand, "Chidori!"

The Iwa-nin reacted on instinct, raising his fire-chakra coated blade as Sasuke's trump card jutsu clashed with steel. The burning sensation of the blade ran through Sasuke's arm, but he ignored the pain for now. Becoming desperate, Sasuke grabbed a hold of the blade, and electricity began to channel through the metallic weapon.

"Graagh!" The Iwa-nin cried out as he was electrocuted. He fell back, twitching violently and frothing at the mouth as his eyes rolled into his head. Now, Sasuke had killed before, he was certain of that; he wouldn't have been able to live through the Oto and Iwa invasion had he not done so. Still...this was the first time he watched his enemy die.

"Sasuke, behind you!"

The Uchiha turned around in time to see an Iwa-kunoichi with a kunai jumping down upon him. He whipped a kunai at her, which she deflected before kicking him in the face. He rolled across the ground several times before getting up and drawing another kunai, "What the hell are you Iwa-nin after?"

The kunoichi smirked, "We were told that two very valuable shinobi of Konoha are among your group; the son of the Yellow Flash, and the last loyal member of the Uchiha clan. Judging from those red eyes, I'm guessing you're the latter of the two. That makes things tough, because unlike the blond kid, you're wanted alive."

"They're after both Naruto and me?" Sasuke thought, "Damn...looks like either Orochimaru tipped off Iwa about him, or they figured it out some other way."

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

The Uchiha and kunoichi both looked in time to see a blur of wind flying at them before it enveloped the woman. She screamed in pain as dozens of small cuts appeared on her body. She fell to the ground as the winds died down, and a small white weasel appeared in front of Sasuke as his summoner landed.

"Naruto? You can summon weasels?"

"Just Kamatari, no one else!" Naruto replied as he flashed a grin, "You alright, Sasuke?"

"Yeah...but the ninja are here to capture me and...well, I think they want you dead, Naruto." Sasuke answered, "They know about your dad, it seems."

Naruto's expression became dour, "Ero-Sennin told me this would probably happen..."

Sasuke's Sharingan spun a bit as he looked into Naruto's piercing sapphire pupils, "Just stay with me; I won't let them kill you and you can cover my back as well."

"Cover your back?" Naruto laughed, "So I have to hang back?"

Sasuke smirked a bit, "You're too reckless; you'd go and charge headfirst if given the chance."

Naruto just waved a hand, "Whatever, let's go help the others!"

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It was about a half hour later when they fighting had stopped. Kiba had sustained a serious gash on his arm and both legs, but was otherwise fine. Akamaru had a minor limp, but Kiba fixed him up quickly with his knowledge in animal related first aid, and now the young nin-hound was wearing a splint on his leg as Kiba carried him.

Two of the Chuunin from Suna had been hit with poisoned weapons, but managed to bleed out the poison for the most part. One of them stated he had a minor stomach ache though, and his fingers were a bit numb. Kurenai had some serum of sorts, and after identifying the poison as a plant-related toxin, applied it to both areas where the poison entered their bodies.

Other than that, no major injuries were sustained. Kiba had even managed to restrain one of the Iwa-nin, who was now being questioned by Kakashi.

"Nice work, Kiba. You did a great job with the enemy; you've got some good handiwork skills with rope." Kakashi praised while turning to the Inuzuka, "ANBU could use more shinobi like you in the Hunter and Tracking Division."

Kurenai smiled, "Kiba's actually been considering that option for some time now. His mother said he would probably do well there; a lot of Inuzuka go into that field for at least a few years while serving Konoha."

"Heheh, yeah, Akamaru and I did pretty well, didn't we boy?"

"Arf arf!" the white colored dog replied while licking Kiba's face.

Kakashi returned his attention to the restrained enemy ninja, "Now then, I have a few questions for you. It would be in your best interest to answer them."

"Go to hell..." replied the Chuunin, "I won't tell you anything. I'm a shinobi of the Hidden Rock; I won't betray them."

Kakashi nodded, "As to be expected of a loyal ninja. Still, you really should answer my questions. That or I force them out."

In response, the Chuunin spit in Kakashi's face.

"I see...Kurenai, could you have rookies go gather some more firewood?"

Kurenai nodded, noticing the edge in Kakashi's voice. She shuddered; Kakashi had been a nominee for the ANBU interrogation division in his younger years. She heard a few stories, but didn't like to think much about them.

"Baki..." Kakashi continued, "I remember you saying that you had a method that involved a heated kunai, right?"

Baki gave a nod, "It's a bit extreme, but we don't have much else if we need to go to the harsher methods of questioning."

"Fair enough. Get the kunai ready." Kakashi replied, returning his gaze to the Iwa-nin, who glared right back, "You kids go get some firewood now, and see if you can round up any wild fruit. Don't come back for fifteen minutes."

Tenten, Temari, Kiba, Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke couldn't help but cringe when they heard the screaming from the Iwa-nin as they gathered wood and some wild berries.

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The following day, Kakashi and Baki left the enemy Iwa-nin along with the kunoichi Naruto had knocked out tied to a tree. Naruto then sent a toad to inform Konoha of their two captives. By tomorrow the Hidden Rock nin would be in Konohagakure's prison walls. The small scuffle last night was more or less the first 'unofficial' fight of the Fourth Shinobi War.

All together, there had been twenty-one shinobi from Iwa that had attacked the group last night. Judging by the fact that the Suna and Konoha ninja had gotten out relatively unharmed, either Iwa was lacking proper training, or had sent out an inexperienced group to intercept them.

Having Kakashi, Kurenai, and Baki along also may have affected the fight, but the point remained that the fight had been very one-sided.

"Naruto and Sasuke, if what the enemy told us is true, you two will likely be unable to take many missions leaving the village for awhile. Sasuke, as much as I hate to say it, the Sharingan does place a lot of importance upon you. Naruto, I'm sure you can understand why your safety is a priority to Suna and Konoha." Kakashi looked up to the midday sun, "Let's try and pick up the pace a bit. I'd like to be home by tomorrow afternoon."

The night came and went without incident for the shinobi. The following morning they were on the move by a quarter to seven. At four in the afternoon, they reached the front gates of Hidden Leaf, a bit tired, but happy to be back.

"Kiba, I want you to go the hospital and get those wounds treated properly. We managed to clean them out, but you still have the risk of infection."

"Kurenai-sensei, I'll be-" the Inuzuka bit his tongue as he received a stern look from the Jounin, "Yes, ma'am."

"Glad you see things my way." Kurenai stated, her attitude taking a complete change as she smiled, "Hinata, go along with him to make sure he doesn't decide to change his mind. Make sure they get Akamaru looked at too."

"Yes, sensei." Hinata replied while taking one of Kiba's hands as he grumbled a bit, Akamaru sitting on top of his head.

"We're going to go to the hospital as well. We may be fine, but there could still be trace amounts of that poison in our bodies." spoke one of the Chuunin from Suna. After giving a quick bow to the others, they headed towards the direction that Hinata and Kiba were taking. The remaining shinobi from Hidden Sand except Baki went to the village gate station to inform Konohagakure of their arrival.

"Well, I need to go report the mission's success to the Godaime." Kakashi stated as he dug into his pocket for Icha Icha, "Great work everyone." He looked to Sasuke for a moment before continuing, "Sasuke, I wanted to congratulate you on the fine alteration you made for Chidori two nights ago. It was well executed."

With that, the Jounin vanished in a whirl of leaves. Kurenai bade the four remaining kid farewell and did likewise. Baki was the last to leave them, stating he had to go meet with the Hokage as well with the other Suna nin.

"Well, I don't know about you guys but I'm hungry!" Naruto stated as he stretched a bit, "Ichiraku's, anyone?"

"I actually like the sound of ramen right now." Tenten replied.

Temari gave a nod while Sasuke simply shrugged while following the whisker-marked blond. Within five minutes they were feasting on bowls of the delicious noodle dish.

"Teuchi-san, another bowl, please." Sasuke spoke as he set down his chopsticks. The elderly man laughed while giving a nod to the Uchiha.

"I'm impressed, Sasuke. This is the first time you've had three bowls in one sitting at my place."

"I'm hungry. Besides, while Naruto is a bit of an idiot, he does have good taste." He smirked as Naruto gave him a flat look, noodles hanging from his mouth.

"Sasuke, be nice to my customers. I don't want to lose them, haha." Teuchi joked as he brought another bowl of the special beef and tomato ramen. The ramen bar owner had learned from the Uchiha himself that he had a love for the red fruit, and immediately went about creating a dish that appealed to Sasuke's tastes. Seeing as how Naruto had been gone for quite some time, Sasuke and Sakura had become two of his reliable regularly paying customers.

Temari and Tenten had each ordered chicken and vegetable ramen, and were still on their first bowl, engaging in conversation on current prices of exotic weaponry.

"Naruto..." Sasuke began, "When we have time...I want to spar with you."

Naruto looked up from his bowl and grinned, "You got it, Sasuke. Name the time and place and I'm there."

"How about now? Training ground seven."

"Er...right now?" Naruto asked, "Can't you wait for a little bit? Maybe tomorrow. I mean-"

"You said name the time and place. Now, training ground seven." Sasuke repeated, a competitive glint in his eyes, "Unless you're chickening out." Sasuke placed down the payment for his meal and got up.

"Now I never said I wouldn't, but...gah, damn it." Naruto slapped down a few ryu notes, "Keep the change, old man."

Temari and Tenten, having overheard the challenge issued by Sasuke, got up after paying their bills, "May as well go watch. Anything that separates Naruto from his food is definitely important."

It wasn't long before the four found themselves at training ground seven, Naruto scowling a bit while Sasuke had a smirk on his face still, "Come on, Naruto. It's not like you can't go back and get more ramen later."

"Yeah, but I might not be hungry later." the blond countered, "Let's get this going already."

Sasuke took a stance while Naruto did the same.

"Ground rules?"

Sasuke shrugged, "No kicking in the groin?"

"Good enough." Naruto answered.

Tenten and Temari watched from the shade of a tree, both interested in seeing what would happen. The wind user looked to Tenten for a moment, "So, why do you think Iwa wants to capture Sasuke alive?"

Tenten frowned, "It's just as Kakashi-sensei said; the Sharingan. They're probably after his bloodline. Kind of like the case with the Hyuuga and Kumogakure years ago."

The blond kunoichi gave a nod, "That makes sense..."

"What about Naruto? What's with the sudden order for him to be killed?"

Temari opened her mouth to speak, but didn't speak right away. She instead went quiet for a few moments before replying, "I...I think it's because of his parents."

"Parents?"

"Well, if you haven't heard now, you will eventually." Temari continued, "Naruto's father was the Yondaime Hokage."

Tenten's eyes widened, "You're kidding me. Naruto's dad was the Yellow Flash?"

Temari nodded, "Correct. Naruto just found out recently, from what it sounds like."

The weapons specialist looked back to Naruto, "Wow...do you suppose that Iwa has a grudge that they're directing towards Naruto for all the deaths caused by Minato Namikaze during the Third Shinobi War?"

"I wouldn't doubt it. They probably fear he'll end up becoming just as much of a threat to their forces in the war."

"So, wait, why wasn't Naruto ever informed of his heritage?" Tenten questioned, "If I recall correctly, Minato Namikaze was a superb ninja while he was alive."

Again, Temari was silent for a few moments, "I...I think it was to protect him from the very thing he's facing right now; being hunted."

Tenten shook her head, "Poor guy. He had an amazing ninja for a father, but the Kyuubi had to go and kill him..."

"Yeah..." Temari replied, biting her tongue. She wouldn't go into anymore details without Naruto being there to speak for himself.

Turning their attention to the two boys, they noticed that they had begun to spar. Sasuke and Naruto were trading blows in a Taijutsu match at the moment, Sasuke's technique showing a bit more finesse compared to Naruto's. In truth, Naruto never really had much of a need to develop a style; his strength alone was usually enough to compensate for a lack of any real form. However, Baki had insisted that Naruto learn at least the basics of one style. It was effectively named the 'Falling Falcon' style because of the way it coordinated powerful strikes with quick and at times unpredictable movements. The style was very easy to improvise with, and seeing as Naruto had never been a specialist in Taijutsu, preferring to overwhelm and brawl with his opponents, it was a perfect style for him.

Sasuke caught Naruto in the ribs, sending the blond falling over to the ground. Naruto quickly recovered and ducked under another kick before attempting to deck the Uchiha in the jaw. Sasuke caught it, and pulled Naruto in to knee him in the gut. The blond reacted by instinct, blocking the knee with his own. The two locked gazes for a moment before pushing away from each other.

"Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!"

Sasuke spat out a barrage of fireballs, which Naruto began to sprint ahead of in order to avoid being burnt. Skidding quickly, he flipped over the incoming balls of fire and went through a few seals, "Fuuton: Kazebakufuu no Jutsu!"

Sasuke was forced to move as the wave of high pressure air smashed into the ground where he was standing. Narrowly avoiding being slammed into the ground, the Uchiha dashed forward while Naruto was landing. The two locked kunai together as they met, both intent on making the other lose ground. Though he tried, Sasuke couldn't match Naruto's raw strength. He eventually felt his feet begin to slide back, and made a split second decision to jump back, craning his neck back as Naruto attempted to kick him with a roundhouse kick.

"Naruto sure can keep on the offense." Tenten noted, "Though it looks like Sasuke's got more control over this battle. He seems to be able to counter most of what Naruto throws at him."

"Naruto's always been more inclined to go with his gut instincts. Though, it's never good to underestimate him; he's good at coming up with on-the-fly plans that work." Temari spoke with a smirk, "Still, over all, I think Sasuke has the advantage here; the Sharingan, and an arsenal of fire jutsu to use. Naruto's more in favor of Fuuton and close combat."

"Don't forget about his clones." Tenten added.

"That too. He can summon more clones than most experienced shinobi could within a month's time."

While the two kunoichi continued to watch, Sasuke and Naruto were turning up the heat. They had stopped pulling their punches, and Sasuke was taking a more offensive approach. He had his Sharingan active, namely to keep up with Naruto's speed.

"He's really gained a lot of speed since he left back in Wave Country. I never really realized how much though until now..." Sasuke thought as his kekkai genkai helped him keep a peg on the blond.

Catching a fist from the Jinchuuriki boy, he twisted Naruto's arm, but was caught by surprise when the Naruto before him dissipated in a puff of smoke.

"How did-?" He didn't have any time to react as the sound of metal whistling through the wind caught his attention. He jumped away as several kunai landed where his feet had been. Three Shadow Clones began to attack the Uchiha while the real Naruto hung back, running through a string of seals.

"No you don't! Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

The giant fireball blasted through the clones and made its way to Naruto. He cursed under his breath as he was interrupted from completing his jutsu, and jumped into the air. He realized his mistake too late, and found several shuriken flying towards his arms. He twisted his body to avoid the projectiles, but was unable to counter the sudden appearance of Sasuke.

Naruto blocked a punch to the face, then another to the side of the head. Sasuke grabbed a hold of one of his left wrist and palmed him in the left shoulder before kneeing him in the gut. Naruto then felt himself spun around once before feeling an impact in the gut from the back of Sasuke's heel.

Sasuke looked down to the blond, "The Shishi Rendan alters a lot with every use..." He noticed Naruto getting back up though, much to his surprise, "You're still capable of fighting, huh?"

Naruto spit up a little blood, but appeared fine otherwise, "Heh, you could have warned me."

"You should have been paying more attention."

Naruto just shrugged before getting back into his stance, "Whatever, let's go. Round two."

The boys ran at each other again, fists smashing into each other, then each having a leg block the others from kicking them. Sasuke attempted to deliver a series of punches, but Naruto seemed to gain a second wind, raising his hands up as Sasuke delivered a volleying barrage of punches. Before he could react, Sasuke was dealt a powerful jab to the jaw from Naruto, and staggered a bit. He tasted blood.

"Damn it..." Sasuke growled, a bit angry for falling into such an obvious trap, "Lucy shot."

"Didn't look that way from here," Naruto retorted, though he was grinning, "I don't know what you're complaining about; so far blow for blow, I've taken the beating around here."

Sasuke's Sharingan spun a bit, "Don't try and patronize me, Naruto. I'm serious about this."

The blond frowned a bit, "It's just s a spar, Sasuke."

"It's not just a spar. I need to see how I measure up to you in strength. You lasted against my brother. I need to see if I could do the same." the Uchiha began, "So don't go and take it easy on me just because we're both teammates."

"Sasuke..."

"I said don't take it easy on me!"

Naruto was forced to block a powerful haymaker, nearly stumbling to the ground as he withdrew from behind his arm, "Hey, what gives! That was not a spar-level punch, teme!" Naruto would have griped more, but his words caught in his throat.

Sasuke was slowing developing flame-like markings on his skin. He grimaced, "The Curse Mark...so that's what has gotten him all rattled up."

Meanwhile, Sasuke was fuming. He hated the fact that while he was getting worn down, Naruto only seemed to be getting tougher to take down, "Damn it! I thought I was better than this! Why is he suddenly able to resist my attacks like this? Wait..."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. There was one attack he hadn't tried yet.

Should he use it? No, if he did...but this was Naruto. Surely he'd be able to dodge. Sasuke could see what would need to be improved by watching what Naruto would do.

"Hmph..." Sasuke ran through several seals, and suddenly his hand lit up. His Sharingan blazing, he ran forward in a sudden burst of speed.

"What...what is that?" Naruto asked himself. Sasuke's hand was glowing, and it almost appeared to be like lightning. Wait, lightning!

Naruto smirked, "Nice try, Sasuke, but that won't work!" Naruto channeled chakra into his hands quickly, and wind began to envelope both of them. Sasuke jumped up before thrusting his hand forward, the chakra surge sparking like a concentrated lightning storm in his palm.

Naruto raised both hands, and for a moment he was able to halt Sasuke. However, it was only for a moment...

Had Naruto known just how powerful the Chidori really was, and if he had perhaps once gotten a real glimpse at what it was capable of, maybe he would have known to dodge. However, Naruto had been thinking of countering Sasuke's lightning with his wind, as normally wind would negate the electrically powered jutsu.

Unfortunately, he had underestimated Sasuke's jutsu. Being the case, he was shocked when a second after he halted the attack, Sasuke's crackling hand broke through his wind-reinforced palms and rammed into his right shoulder.

The sound of flesh being pierced. A scream from a boy. A cry from a girl. The sound of a body dropping to the ground while another boy began to call to the other in a panicked voice.

"Naruto! Naruto...shit!" Sasuke looked into the unfocused eyes of Naruto, who was suddenly shaking, "N-Naruto!"

"Get off him! Get off him!" Temari screamed, pushing Sasuke off. Naruto was still breathing, but his clothes were stained in his own blood. Ignoring this, Temari ripped a portion of her sleeve and pressed down on the wound before turning to Tenten, tears in her eyes, "Tenten, go get help, now! He's in shock!"

Tenten blinked once before wordlessly dashing to the hospital as fast as she could. Sasuke stood there, trying to wrap his mind around what was happening. He looked to his hand, and saw the red liquid on his fingers.

Blood. His friend's blood. Naruto Uzumaki's blood was on his fingers.

End of Chapter Twenty-one: Uh oh! Reckless move, Sasuke! What now? A friendly spar turned into life-threatening situation! Crap, what do do? Well, looks like you'll have to wait, huh? Yeah, sorry, but it's happening. I'm an evil prick that way. Go ahead, say it! Ahahaha!

I would also like to thank Paradox Jast for helping make this chapter what it is. Thanks, as always, Jast!

Anyway...um, please keep an eye out for the next chapter. Until then, later!