(I don't own anything, but the plot. Thanks everyone, just hold in there, more interesting parts in the fic soon! P.S. this chapter isn't too important; it's just there.)

Summary: Naruto becomes stronger than he has ever thought possible, only because of the one choice he made when he was young: merging with the Kyuubi. One catch is one can't live without the other. One has to endure treacherous training, while the other one has to be allowed to leave its "home." You choose what pairings. (1st one is the main; I will involve the others. OR. What ever the majority is, I will do.)

Chapter 25

*Naruto POV*

. . .

I was up and ready as soon as the clock created that very horrid ear-slitting noise. I wanted to train with Kakashi earlier, therefore spar with Sai longer, but my plans changed drastically. I was going to purpose a challenge for the jonin.

I had to talk to Kakashi.

Instead of going to our meeting spot, I headed for his apartment. He could be worse than me at showing up on time at times. I've never really been at his apartment, but I wasn't going to wait forever for him to get up. I jogged to his apartment, at least where I thought it was, since no one was out to notice me yet.

I knocked once. This should be fun.

. . . .

*Sakura POV*

Lady Tsunade had canceled our training today for some reason, and she had told me to go with Kakashi-sensei for it, instead. I stifled a laugh at the time that she gave me to be up by. Kakashi-sensei would never be up this early. Despite my knowledge of his lateness, I made my way to the training grounds at the exact time that she instructed me to arrive on.

"Just because he is late, doesn't mean you have to be," my instructor had said when I complained about it.

I walked to the meeting place, catching a glimpse of the two raven haired boys. I hurried over and smiled at them. "Hey Sasuke, Sai." I tilted my head slightly when Sai was uncharacteristically silent. Yes, he wasn't particularly very talkative, but he always said hello to me nowadays. I frowned faintly. "Sai?" I started to speak, but stopped, eyes widening.

Sai knitted his brows together in confusion and glanced over his shoulder to see an astonishing sight. There was Kakashi-sensei and Naruto. He must be feeling the same thing as me because we could only stare at them. They were on time?! Sasuke sported his disinterested look, but raised a brow at something- no someone- next to them. I recognized it to be Neji.

I was so puzzled that I barely saw Sai edge around me. He wasn't exactly great with people, just like our whole team. I could have giggled at that thought, but caught myself when Naruto started speaking with his normal smile. "Hey guys." His voice cheerful, as usual.

That always made me hesitate. He was always, every single time I witnessed Sai's practice, different. He was much more serious and less, well... happy.

Naruto continued. "We all are going to..." He tilted his head with a slight smirk. "Partake in a little exercise."

"What are we doing, sensei," I asked Kakashi-sensei. I didn't really know why Naruto was talking, while sensei was there.

He shrugged one shoulder. "It was Naruto's idea."

That answered my question, and a horrid realization hit me. Naruto's idea?

. . . .

*Naruto POV*

"It was Naruto's idea."

Haruno froze when Kakashi said that. I couldn't hide my smirk. She knew my problem with training, and she was probably expecting the worse. It was strange to walk on them, being actually almost on time for once. Haruno was both astonished, surprised, and obviously confused, especially from her face. Sai's face showed less of his puzzled emotion, but it was there.

Sai also seemed relieved, oddly. Uchiha's emotions were well hidden, except for the anger that seemed to drape over the boy like a blanket.

"Alright," I chimed. I still hated my persona, but it was more important to hide my other identity more than ever. Kyuubi's fight for power had left the villagers angry and on edge, as well as the Hokage and her suspicions. I needed to play it safe. "Sai and Sakura, you're on a team, and Neji and the bastard are on the other."

Uchiha growled at me with a look that told me to leap off a cliff. "Why do I have to be on a 'team' with him?"

The male Hyuga added, "When, clearly, they're at a disadvantage."

I pretended to think, raising a hand to my chin. "Hm... Perhaps, since the Uchiha needs to learn to work with a team that he doesn't like and because they're great together." In more ways than one, actually. Once I had Sai and Haruno fight against me, and it actually gave me a surprise. I had to really watch their movements to prevent them from hitting me.

Uchiha's dark eyes narrowed even more at my comment, but I continued. "The objective is to retrieve the bells," I showed the bells that I swiped from Kakashi. "From either Kakashi or I." Uchiha crossed his arms, glaring at the Hyuga, which satisfied me. Haruno and Sai shared a look, both happy with my decision (from sensing their emotions and reading their expressions). Kakashi chuckled lightly at the two scowling boys.

"The rules are: that you must try to defeat the other team, while trying to get the bells, and evade Kakashi and my attacks. If someone beats you in the fight, no matter who it is, Kakashi, the other team, or by me, you must come back here and sit." I gazed around the people that were assembled in the training field. They seemed to understand at least. "However, there's a catch."

I hated talking so much. "After the other team is defeated, you will be against your own teammate."

. . . .

"Go," Kakashi told them after my briefing. I was gone in the next second, along with Kakashi trailing me. We soon ran side-by-side in silence. I could feel his eye on me, but I didn't speak. I was thinking. I suddenly made the signs to create clones. Ten clones came out, along with the original me, so eleven all together. "There're close," commented Kakashi.

I nodded once as my clones spread out; I could sense them all closing in. Either the Hyuga or Uchiha would be the probable winners, since Sai was less experienced then them, and Haruno wasn't as fast as them. Plus, they had something both Sai and Haruno didn't. They had their eyes: Hyuga with his byakugan, Uchiha with his sharingan. However, Haruno and Sai, as mentioned before, were great as a team.

Haruno had enormous strength, and Sai could be unpredictable, in both a positive way and a negative way. It could be anyone, hence the reason I made the teams in that way. If I was on a team, it wouldn't be exactly fair, maybe if everyone was against me..? Now I want to find that out. Dang it. I pushed my thoughts out of my mind, so I could focus at what I was doing.

"Spread out," I pointed right. "They're over there, heading this way."

Kakashi shook his head when I tried to hand over the bells. "You keep them."

I had to shrug at that, so the "training" was going to really begin.

(Next Time: The group practice, which you all could have suspected.)

Reviews/"Spoiler":

Kris Awesomeness: thanks for the continuous reviews, tell me how I could improve (anyone can inform me of my faults). Yeah, it does stink, but eventually Sai finds the boy he remembers.