Wow, where have I been? No, seriously, I have no idea where I have been. I remember writing the last chapter then these guys in white coats came and took me to this place with padded walls. Ok, you got me. I have really been working on other projects as well as starting up a nice relationship that has been…very nice. So slap yourself with a fish and hold on because I'm back and ready to make up for lost time.

I think I have an idea about what Madara is really planning. See, if one or two people were able to capture the biju, then I'm sure the villages will be able to handle them. Also, he's in a very weakened state. No, the Fourth Shinobi War will be Konoha vs. the Alliance. Madara ordered Zetsu to tell them about Sasuke after Danzo was found out and used Sasuke as a diversion for Danzo to escape. Right now he's probably half way back to the village while planning on how to keep his position. And that will mean war. Just his style too.

I will be asking for one thing. I need help with my special Halloween section that I like to put into the story. Also, I'm thinking of a new target. Please send me your ideas and I'll get the next chapter out before Halloween.

Let's ROCK! Oh, it's been so long since I said that.

-x-

"Welcome back," said Juri into her mike. "For those of you who are just tuning in, we are now starting round five of the chunin exam. In the first two rounds, victory went to Uzumaki Naruto!"

"Too bad the rest of the matches weren't as brutal," whined Koto who was in the middle of the arena floor. "In fact, ever since Naruto-kun fought, it has been a real snooze fest down here. Kankuro forfeited to Aburame Shino before the match even began. And the match between Nara Shikamaru and Temari, while interesting, lacked any bloodshed. What's a girl got to do to get a little blood down here?"

"That's enough Koto," snapped Juri. "Call the next match already!"

"Alright," mumbled Koto. "Spoil a girl's good time. The next match is Mitarashi Anko vs. Tsuchi Kin."

The two said girls appeared on the scene in an instant. As a wind blew across the field, they both drew their weapons. Anko pulled out her snake like blade, an Urumi, ready to fight with everything she had. She had waited long enough and Hinata was out of the exam. Now all she had to do was win this match in order to one up her rival in love. Kin, holding her scythe with a large bell attached to it by a chain, had her own reasons for wanting this to be over with. She knew that soon the invasion would start.

Yet, as she stood there, she was beginning to have her doubts. Orochimaru had cut off all contact with her. Also, she had no idea what had happened to her teammates. Not that she cared about them but what could happen to her in the near future. Maybe her leader had already taken them back to the village…and pigs had discovered how to fly! As loyal as she was, she knew that failure meant death. There was no escaping that cold hard truth. It was more than likely that she had been hung out to dry now that she no longer had a use other than stalling this exam. And she had no choice but to do it for she knew the fate of those who dared to defy Orochimaru.

"Are you both ready?" asked Koto. She received a nod from both of them. "Alright, hajime!" The two girls wasted not a second after hearing that. Kin rushed at Anko with a frontal attack. Anko, in response, sent her blade towards Kin. Her opponent smirked and moved to the side to avoid the attack. But with a flick of the wrist Anko manipulated her blade to turn around to attack Kin from behind.

Then Anko heard the sound of a bell ring. All of a sudden Kin vanished and the blade was heading right at Anko. She could have canceled the attack or send it elsewhere, but instead she dove to the side. Kin appeared moments later as she swung her scythe where Anko had been.

So that's why Ino was freaking out during her match, thought Anko as she quickly got up. Genjutsu!

"That was very impressive," said Kurenai with a slight nod.

"What is sensei?" asked Kiba.

"That girl Kin is combining kenjutsu with genjutsu," she explained. "Not an easy thing to do for someone so young. It must have something to do with that bell at the end of her weapon."

"That's right!" exclaimed Ino. "I heard a ringing sound just before I started seeing things!"

"Then why didn't we all see it?" asked Tenten. Kurenai shrugged.

"I would have to guess that its effectiveness is either due to range or the amount of people in the area," explained Kurenai. "If it covered too large of an area then the genjutsu might be weaker. Or she can only cast it on a certain number of people at a time. Or it could still be incomplete."

Back on the field, Anko was having similar thoughts. She was no genjutsu expert nor did she have any desire to study it. She was a close range fighter who loved pure combat and thought that genjutsu users were weak. People like that hide in the shadows and used their illusions to wear their opponents out and then attack them as soon as they were too weak to do anything else. Where was the fun in that? But all of that didn't mean that she couldn't figure some things out on her own. Her biggest clue had come from Ino's match. No one had seen Kin use any hand signs, yet Ino reacted like she had been under a genjutsu. The only explanation had to be that weapon of hers.

Kin, wanting to end the match quickly, charged at Anko and then leapt into the air. As she did she brought her scythe above her head to prepare for the final blow. Anko saw this and prepared herself to counter it when she heard the sound of a bell once more. Now, instead of one Kin, there were several all around her.

Kin thought that Anko would panic. Her genjutsu was simple and effective. Seals were carved into the staff and bell of her scythe which allowed her to move chakra into the bell and then release it into a genjutsu of her choice. All she had to do was think about what she wanted and her opponent would see it.

What happened next, however, caught her off guard. Anko swung her arm at one of the Kin's and her blade pierced it. Then, with a flick of the wrist the blade turned and attacked the next Kin. And then the next Kin. This continued until there was only one Kin left who had no choice but to block. In the nick of time, Kin blocked the blade the staff of her scythe thinking that its power was diminished. Sadly she was wrong as the blade cut through her scythe's staff and pierced her in the chest. She then fell to the ground while still holding onto the two pieces of her weapon.

"I may suck at genjutsu," said Anko, "but I do know how to handle multiple enemies!"

"It's not over yet," grunted Kin as she got on one knee. She then dropped what was left of her scythe and pulled out Anko's weapon from her chest. She then got on her feet and prepared to grab some senbon needles, but Anko yelled, "Dokueki Tsuba no Jutsu!" and sent several purple acidic balls at Kin. The Oto-nin tried to dodge them all, but one grazed her left arm and began to melt away the flesh that it had come into contact with.

Kin gritted her teeth in pain but refused to give up. She grabbed some senbon needles and began to throw them at Anko. So wild and random was her aim that Anko didn't even have to dodge one. Anko, in response, used her blade once one and stabbed Kin's left leg. Kin fell to the ground and then pulled the blade out of her leg.

"What a turnaround!" exclaimed Koto. "In a bloody fashion, Anko has completely turned the tables on Kin." It was true, Kin was covered in blood. Her chest, left arm and left leg were covered in blood. Also her hands were as well from pulling the blade out of her twice.

"That's what you think," said Kin as she got to one knee. "I've out you trapped!" Anko looked at her like she was nuts. Then, from behind her, she heard the sound of a bell ring. Anko whipped her head around and saw a senbon needle with a bell attached to it. She then scanned the ground and saw that it wasn't alone for there were at least a dozen on them. The next thing Anko knew was a ringing that was not that of one of those little bells, but that of a grand cathedral bell. No, it was like she was in the bell tower and hundreds of them were ringing at the same time. It was deafening. Anko's hands covered her ears in an attempt to block out the sound.

This was Kin's chance. She quickly got up and attempted to run at Anko. Well, it was more of a limp to tell the truth. But along the way, she picked up the bladed half of her scythe and when she got close enough to Anko she swung it at her. But as Kin swung it, the ringing stopped and Anko moved back before it could tear through her flesh. Her shirt, however, was a different matter. All that remained was her fishnet mesh undershirt that hid nothing.

"Damn that was close," muttered Anko as stood her ground. She looked around and noticed a few things in the stands that she didn't like. Like, for example, some of the looks she was getting from the younger men in the audience. However, when she looked at Naruto, she saw that his nose was dripping blood.

"This is the end," growled Kin. Once again, the ringing started up and Anko felt she had no choice but to cover her ears.

Damn it, thought Anko as Kin stumbled over to her. I have to do something or else I'm finished! Once Kin got close enough, a kunai shot out of Anko's sleeve and Anko stabbed her side. However, at the same time Kin's attack made contact with Anko's shoulder. Moments later they were both on the ground.

"Is this it?" asked Koto. "A double knock out?"

"Come on Anko-chan!" yelled Naruto. "Get up!" Upon hearing that, Anko slowly stumbled onto all fours and then onto her feet.

"We have a winner!" cried Koto and she raised Anko's good arm.

-x-

Up in the crowd, Kiba was coming back from the bathroom. Seeing Anko without her shirt had caused him some…discomfort. The kind that shouldn't be noticed around women. So he had gone to the bathroom to calm down for a couple of minutes. On his way back, he noticed Haku standing by the railing.

"Hey Haku-chan," he called out. Haku noticed this and gave him a slight nod. "Been here long?'

"Of course," she said. "My cousin is in the finals after all."

"So, what do you think?" he asked. "Who do you think is going to be a chunin?"

"Well," began Haku. "It's tough to say. Hinata won't for making the match too personal. She cared more about proving something than winning. Anko won't if she doesn't quit before the next round. She's injured and will need treatment right away. Shikamaru is defiantly a chunin for his tactics and for knowing when to give up. Naruto-itoko might be able to become a chunin as well, but they might look poorly on him fighting back to back like that. It'll depend on the judges."

"But he won," said Kiba. "Isn't that what's most important?"

"No," said Haku as she shook her head. "What's the point if you complete a mission and your whole team is dead? Sometimes you have to know when to run away or not fight. Naruto-itoko hasn't reached his limit yet so it's still anyone's guess."

-x-

"And now it's time for the final match of the first round," said Juri. "Due to interference in the second part of the exam, Uchiha Sasuke has been allowed to take part in the final part of the exam. He will be facing off against Gaara. Who will win?"

"Save it Juri," said Koto. "Will Uchiha Sasuke and Gaara please report to the floor."

-x-

As soon as his name was called, Gaara turned and walked down the stairs and into the hallways that lead to the arena floor. He had been feeling better lately. Ever since Haku had stopped by, he had been sleeping better. All he did was eat one of the cookies that she had left and he was out like a light. Never before had he felt so refreshed. Sure he still had the dark circles around his eyes, but that was to be expected. As Gaara walked into the final passageway he was stopped by two Kusa-nin.

"Hey kid, our boss wants you to lose in this next match," said one of them.

"He bet a lot of money on the Uchiha to win," said the other.

"You're in my way," said Gaara. These two guys really annoyed him. Had he been his usual self, he would have killed them without saying a word. Right now, he was giving them a chance to walk away with their lives. Sadly, it seemed like they didn't care if they died.

"You little shit," said the first. "Don't you know anything? This exam is not about you. It's for the Daimyo's to gamble and gloat with each other. Now you're going to lose or else we'll make sure that you never make it outside. So what's it going to be?" Moments later, their screams were heard and then quickly silenced.

Moments later, both Gaara and Sasuke were facing each other. Both looked at each other with eyes that were ready to kill.

"Are you both ready?" asked Koto. "Alright, hajime!"

Gaara wasted no time. The cork in his gourd shot out and sand poured out of it. Moments later a Suna Bunshin of Gaara was created. Unlike what Naruto usually did, Sasuke had no problem seeing the difference between the two. Sasuke charged, aiming for the real Gaara, however the sand clone moved in and blocked the attack. And it didn't disappear. In fact, Sasuke's arm was stuck inside of it. For a moment at least. With great effort Sasuke pulled it out and backed away a bit.

"Seems your defense is as good as Kakashi said it would be," said Sasuke with a smirk. "But don't think that it'll be enough to keep you from me."

"Bold words," said Gaara. "You couldn't even make it to this round without someone helping you. You're nothing but a joke. You're barely even worth putting up an effort or even killing." At that, Sasuke growled.

"I'll show you," he snarled. Once again he charged at Gaara while doing hand signs this time. The Suna Bunshin moved to intercept the attack, but Sasuke jumped into the air and yelled, "Kasei Handou!" Moments later his foot was set a flame and he did heel drop right on the Suna Bunshin's head and destroyed it. "Never underestimate the power of the Uchiha clan!"

"That attack is similar to what Uzumaki uses," said Gaara while completely unaffected. "However, there are differences. First, you had to use hand signs. Also there is the difference in power between them. Your jutsu doesn't hold a candle to his." Sasuke was about to respond when the sand underneath him began to rise. "But that doesn't mean that I should let my guard down."

Sand was about to wrap around Sasuke when he suddenly vanished. Gaara's eyes widened in surprise for a moment. He then sensed Sasuke was right behind him. Gaara turned his head just in time to see Sasuke's foot being blocked by his sand. Sasuke vanished again and reappeared in front of him. Once again he attacked and was blocked by the sand. However, this time he got a little closer. Over and over Sasuke kept vanishing and reappearing to get a hit on Gaara and kept on failing. Finally he yelled "Kasei Handou!" and landed a flaming kick into Gaara's stomach. This sent Gaara flying in the air until his sand caught him and placed him gently on the ground. For the most part he was fine, but some of his sand armor had turned into glass.

"Still doubt my power?" demanded Sasuke.

"Yes," replied Gaara. "Had that been the Sempuken and it had landed a direct hit, I doubt that I would still be standing here. All you are is a cheap knock off."

Sand shot out from around Gaara and became like a whip that tried to attack the raven haired ninja. Sasuke, who had just recently learned how to move at these speeds, wasn't used to the strain it put on his body and didn't have the stamina to use it for long periods of time. So right now he was a little winded. But he refused to lose here.

As Gaara kept up the attack, he looked up for his sensei. He knew that soon the attack would begin and wanted to see how much longer it would be. All he needed was to look at his sensei and he would know. However, he saw someone else that made him stop looking. It was Haku. What is she doing here? The invasion will begin soon, he thought. Damn it, she doesn't know! Why do I care so much? I have never given anyone else so much as a second thought before so why is she so different? As these thoughts continued, Gaara's assault seemed to slow down a bit. Finally, Sasuke was able to get a safe distance away. He then ran up the huge wall until he was halfway up.

He's not even paying attention to me, thought Sasuke. Well it's time for him to learn that it's a bad idea to ignore an Uchiha! With that, Sasuke began a series of hand signs and when he finished it was as if he was holding lightning in his hand.

-x-

"That jutsu," muttered Gai. "I can't believe he taught the Uchiha that jutsu."

"What is it?" asked Tenten. Gai shook his head.

"It's Kakashi's one and only original jutsu," said Gai. "It is very powerful and difficult to control properly. Too much for someone so inexperience as Sasuke."

"That's rich coming from you," said Kakashi as he walked onto the scene. "Didn't you teach Lee two very dangerous jutsus that could kill him?"

"That's different," said Gai. "I taught him those over time and made sure that he would know only to use them properly. But Sasuke…"

"Is my student," said Kakashi.

-x-

Back with Sasuke, he was now racing towards Gaara. As he did, he left a path of destruction in his wake caused by the electricity in his hand. He then shot out his hand, raised to kill. "Chidori!" he yelled as he neared Gaara. However, before the attack could connect with Gaara, who hadn't been paying any attention to Sasuke, leapt to the side and avoided the attack. Everyone could only stare in amazement. It was unheard of.

Gaara ran to the wall and then up it. Soon he was with the spectators with one goal in mind. Several chunins tried to stop him but they were pushed away by his sand. Then his sand went for the target, Haku (as if you hadn't guessed it).

"Hey, let her go!" demanded Kiba as he glared at Gaara. However, Gaara didn't stay long as he and his captive made a hasty retreat. Sasuke followed him, fully intent on finishing their fight.

With the other combatants, Naruto was gripping the railing. What the hell was going on? Why did that guy just grab his last living family member? He was about to take off when all around the arena feathers seemed to drop from the sky. Suddenly, all his anger vanished and he fell asleep.

"What's going on?" demanded Koto as she watched everyone fall asleep. Suddenly Baki appeared in front of her. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Well, first off, why aren't you asleep?" he asked. Koto blinked.

"I'm a reporter," she said. "I don't rest until the job is done."

"That wasn't what I--" began Baki but his other two students appeared in front of him. He turned to them quickly. "What's going on with Gaara? The invasion has begun and he's running away?"

"W-We have no idea," stammered Kankuro.

"Well find him and bring him back," order Baki. "He's our secret weapon and the ace in this invasion." With that, his two students vanished.

"You heard it here live folks," said Koto into her mike. "Suna is attacking Konoha during the chunin exam. I can only imagine the bloodshed!"

-x-

Back with Naruto, he was just waking up thanks to Urahara. Shikamaru was next to him with a lump on his head.

"What happened to you?" asked Naruto.

"That's what he gets for faking being under a genjutsu," answered Urahara. "Anyways, the village is under attack. Sasuke is following Gaara who…"

"Who has Haku-itoko," finished Naruto. With that he shot into the air and sped off after Gaara.

Urahara sighed. He figured that this might happen. However, Naruto was their best shot at beating Gaara. After all, everyone else would be busy with the invasion. He was the lowest ranking person they could spare at the moment who had the power to take someone like that down. He then looked at Shikamaru and sighed again.

"Looks like you'll have to catch up and provide support," he said.

"Troublesome."

-x-

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