Chapter 38

Gaara was speechless. He had no idea what to say to Tenna. He does have a demon inside of him and at times he can't control it, but recently nothing dangerous has happened involving the sand demon.

Tenna squeezed on Gaara's shirt tighter and took long breaths for her to stop crying. Then she looked up at him and stared into his eyes. "Gaara?" she asked sounding worried, but not giving up on her last question. "Gaara…can you r-really hurt the ones you l-love?" Tenna said in between tears. Her breathing became heavier and her nose was getting stuffed up.

"Tenna, please you must understand that Shukaku can take control of my body and make me do awful things, but I'm not making him do that unless I summon him out. You have to believe me when I say this Tenna…I would never hurt the ones I love on purpose, but sometimes I can't control Shukaku." Gaara explained.

Tenna looked down at the ground and then let go of Gaara. "Gaara, let's get back, I wanna go home now. I should get ready for the third part of the exams anyway…" Tenna said solemnly. Gaara didn't say anything, he watched as Tenna got up from the bench. He moved aside so she could walk, and then followed behind her.

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Naruto and Kiroko were running all around looking for Kakashi, luckily Kiroko had the bright idea of looking for him at the Hokage's office. Kiroko was humming a tune happily and skipping down the hall of the building. She was excited to see her lovey. Naruto for once walked normally, he didn't seem hyper at all. He probably had the memory of the girl and the forest of death playing in his head.

Once Kiroko found the correct door she smiled widely and opened it. Once she did she felt all shaky and she felt like she was about to lose he balance in any second. When Naruto saw Kiroko frozen, he ran up to her and peeked inside. And there he was, Kakashi, but as a 26 year old man again.

"Kakashi?" Kiroko asked stunned. Naruto was always thunderstruck but he had the guts to ask what Kiroko was afraid of saying, "Kakashi-sensei, why are you back to your normal age?" he asked.

Kakashi sighed and walked up to Kiroko. Kiroko took a step back and her eyes shook with disappointment. "How could you…" she muttered underneath her breath. You could tell by Kakashi's face that he was upset as well. "Kiroko, I'm sorry. But the power I obtained couldn't be used in the current body I was in. I was in pain for the past two days that you were gone." Kakashi explained.

"But you were my boyfriend! I can't date you now! That would be…like illegal!" Kiroko shouted furiously, but deep down she was in a lot of emotional pain, and she was beginning to tear up.

Kakashi turned the other cheek, he couldn't bare too see her cry. Naruto was upset on how Kiroko was taking the news, so he put his arm over Kiroko for comfort. Kiroko roughly pushed Naruto off and ran out the door.

Tsunade cleared her thoart and then spoke, "I'm sorry Kakashi, but what we had to do was not an option. If you hadn't come to me in time, you probably would've died from the pain you were suffering."

Naruto's eyes widened once he heard that Kakashi could've died. "Are you all right now sensei?" Naruto asked worriedly. Kakashi nodded solemnly, "If you'll excuse me, I need some time to myself right now…" Kakashi said as he walked out of the room.

Naruto watched as Kakashi walked out of the room gloomily. He looked down and then looked at Tsunade. "Granny Tsunade, you think they'll be okay?" Naruto asked apprehensively.

Tsunade looked at the depressed boy and got up from her desk to comfort him. "They'll be okay Naruto…they'll be okay" Tsunade said as she hugged the young ninja.

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After awhile Naruto left the Hokage's office and went back to his place. He lied on his bed and looked up at the ceiling, wondering how the third part of the exam would be like. He shut his eyes and before he could actually fall asleep there was a knock on his door. He got up and opened it and saw Tenna looking down gloomily.

"Tenna, you okay?" Naruto asked nervously checking if she was physically hurt. "I'm fine, just a little bit emotionally sick…" Tenna exclaimed. "Can we have one of our friend talk overs?" Tenna asked. (A/N: Their "friend talk overs" were usually held when Naruto, Estuko, or Tenna had a problem then they would talk about it and make each other feel better. Naruto and Tenna had one when Estuko was claimed dead.)

"Sure thing, come on in" Naruto said opening his door wider. Tenna walked in and sat on the floor. Naruto joined her and waited for her to start talking, "So what's up?" he asked.

"It's about Gaara…" Tenna started. Naruto rolled his eyes, Tenna saw him and grabbed a throw pill from Naruto's bed and smacked him with it teasingly. "Sorry! Go on" Naruto said hugging the pillow as he listened to Tenna.

"I just found out he has a monster inside of him…" Tenna said worriedly. Naruto sighed, "I have to monster too ya know, but you don't seem to have a problem with that." Naruto exclaimed. Tenna looked towards the window and then got up. "I don't know, for some reason it's not the same…" Tenna said sitting on the window sill.

"What are you talking about? It is the same!" Naruto exclaimed, sounding a little confused. "Naruto, no offence but this is the time where you shut up and ask if I'll be okay…" Tenna said looking at the night sky. "Sorry Tenna…" Naruto sighed, "These are the times when I really wish Estuko was here with us…" Naruto laid on his bed and stared at Tenna as she leaned against the window sill.

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Tenna ended up sleeping over at Naruto's house. She slept on his bed, while Naruto slept on the cold hard floor with a couple of blankets to keep him warm.

Tenna was the first to wake up. She brushed her hair from her face and her eyes glistened from the sun's light. She got up and looked out the window; it was a bright lovely day for a fighting match. She went to the bathroom, took a shower, and brushed her teeth. Once she got out Naruto was just beginning to get up.

"Rise and shine! Get up sunshine!" Tenna said as she threw a pillow at the sleepy Naruto. Naruto fall back from the loss of balance, and then got up and started yelling at Tenna. Tenna started giggling at Naruto, and then Naruto just gave up on the yelling and went into the bathroom.

Tenna ate the only thing edible in Naruto's refrigerator, a roll and water. After Tenna was done eating her pitiful breakfast, she started looking through Naruto's fridge. He had two pint cartons of expired milk, some old rotten cheese, half a bar of mold-ish butter, and baking soda.

"Oh.My.God!" Tenna shrieked as she smelled the awful stench coming from the gruesome substances in Naruto's refrigerator. She closed the refrigerator door quickly and sat back at the table waiting for Naruto to get out of the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, Naruto came out squeaky clean from the bathroom. He had his towel around his shoulder and blue plaid boxers on. He grinned, feeling nice and clean for his exam. Tenna got up from the table and put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. Naruto then looked at Tenna confusingly, "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Naruto, do you know what's in your refrigerator!?" Tenna shouted. Naruto walked towards his drawer and took out a clean orange jumpsuit. "Umm food?" Nartuo replied as he started pulling up his jumpsuit.

Tenna shook her head, "No! I took a quick look in your in your fridge and I couldn't even tell what you had in there. You had mold and junk going in there, ya know that?!" Tenna shouted.

Naruto really wasn't paying attention. He could care less what people thought about what he kept in his fridge. "So…I threw it all away." Tenna exclaimed. Naruto froze and then turned to Tenna with wide eyes, "Tenna! That was all my food! Money doesn't grow on trees, ya know!! How am I supposed to buy food! Do you expect me to starve?" He shouted.

"That's what I was going to tell you. I'm taking you food shopping, and don't worry, I'll pay for your food…as long as it's really necessary." Tenna explained. "Now finish getting dressed so we can go quickly before the exams start."

Naruto put his hands threw his jumpsuit and dried off his wet hair with his towel. "All right, I'm ready" he said 5 minutes later. Tenna smiled, "Okay, let's go"

Naruto and Tenna walked to the nearest food centre. Tenna and Naruto both carried around baskets to carry the food in. At the end of their food shopping, Naruto finally had good food in his fridge. It contained of fresh cartons of milk, fruit, instant ramen in little cartons, two loaves of bread, and other decent foodstuff.

"All right, let's go to the exams! The third part is one of my favorite parts of the whole exam!" Naruto said aloud happily as they left his house.

"I know Naruto, you told me this already…" Tenna said. Having to deal with Naruto, without Estuko, was all she could handle.

In a couple of minutes, both young ninjas made it to where the exams were being held. "I thought you guys were never going to come!" Konohamaru yelled as he ran to Naruto and Tenna. "Well, we're here now. Is Kakashi here?" Naruto asked anxiously.

"Why do you ask Naruto? Wouldn't Kakashi-sensei be here?" Tenna asked confusingly. Naruto turned to Tenna, remembering that he forgot to mention to her that their sensei turned back to a 26 year old again. "It's a long story. I'll tell you later" Naruto exclaimed. "Ahhh! I forgot to buy some shurikens that Kiroko asked me to buy for the exam! I'll be right back!" Naruto said as he ran out of the building.

"Naruto! Wait! The exams are about to start!" Tenna yelled, but it was too late, Naruto was out of there. Tenna sighed, "That boy…you can never get through to him…" she thought to herself.

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Naruto ran all the way to an equipment store and bought new shurikens for Kiroko. He put them away and ran as fast as he could back to where the exam building.

Unexpectedly a kunai was shot and hit Naruto on his shoulder. He stopped and shouted "Ow" and then plucked out the kunai from his shoulder.

"Hey what's the big idea!" Naruto shouted to whoever threw the kunai. He turned around and two men were walking up to him.

"We're with the ninja from the rock village. And we heard about you." One of the men said. "Yeah, and we know that you have that fox demon inside of you. So we're here to obliterate you so you can't make it to the exams." The other man said.

"Wow, your friend must be really weak, huh?" Naruto smirked. The two men growled and charged at Naruto. Naruto stood his ground and was ready for their attack, but suddenly a huge boomerang swung around and knocked the two men unconscious.

"Estuko" Naruto said in his head. And as he said, the girl stood a few feet away from him and the men. The boomerang came swinging back to her, then it disappeared in a poof of smoke.

"Estuko, why did you just take them out?" Naruto asked as the girl walked up to him. "Why do you keep calling me that?" the girl smirked. "'Cause that's your name" Naruto smirked back, "So why did you do it?" he asked.

"Do what?" The girl asked naively. "Don't play dumb. Why did you help me out?" Naruto asked again.

The girl was just two feet away from him now, then she looked him straight in the eye and for once in a long time she smiled at a Leaf Villager, "I remember I told you I'd be here forever, and I said I'll always be your friend. I made a promise and I'm gonna stick with it 'till the end." The girl said kindly.

Naruto was shocked at first. Now for sure he knew it was Estuko. "Estuko…" he said softly. The girl smiled wider and then walked passed Naruto. "See you inside Naruto!" she shouted as she walked away. Naruto turned around and watched as she walked down the road.