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Arc 3, Chapter 7

-Daimyo Box-

"I truly did not expect this turn of events in this wager of ours Kenji-dono," The Earth Daimyo laughed into his robed hand and lightly swung a fan in his other hand. "If it continues in my favor I might just win~" he chirped in a delighted tone.

Yamauichi tapped his foot in excitement as he stared at the two girls glaring daggers into each other eyes. He had only accepted the bet as a silly little joke to entertain himself, he didn't think that he had a chance at winning.

He knew that after he had his hired group of mercenaries- The Akatsuki, kill Naido, the Fire Daimyo would swoop in and reap his reward using his ultimate trump card.

Minato Namikaze.

The Akatsuki was a brutally efficient group, but even he doubted that they could even stop the Yellow Flash, so he was ready to give up the land once Naido was killed… But one day, many months before the Akatsuki even officially accepted the mission, his fellow Daimyo Kenji gave him an offer he couldn't refuse.

"As soon as that old fool Naido is dead I'm sure your well aware of the fact that I will be the one to take ownership of Kusa. But how about this… Should a genin team of your picking from any village within the Land of Earth win the next upcoming Chunin Exams I'm willing to allow you to keep Kusa for yourself. But should a team of my choosing from my country wins then I'll be keeping the Land of Grass."

It irritated him.

Kenji was pulling his leg, filling him with a false hope like he was a child with a piece of candy hanging right above him, just barely out of reach. Although knowing that his chances of winning were next to nothing, Yamauichi agreed. It was better betting on it rather than fighting Kenji over it.

"Kikiyo… Minato's brat made an impression on you did she not? So much so to where that you want her to meet Ko-chan. Tell me, do you think that she will win this fight with Onoki's heir?" Kenji asked in a smooth voice, but everyone in the room/booth could feel the anger lying dormant in his tone.

The last thing he expected was for Onoki to bring out his delinquent granddaughter…

Kikiyo frowned in thought. She thought back to how Naruto fought with her of all people over a stupid necklace that didn't even belong to her.

"Her will is strong, as strong as her mother's…" Kikiyo looked down at Naruto and pictured an alive and younger Kushina glaring defiantly at Kurotsuchi with her red locks flowing behind her. "I don't know how strong she is, but she won't give up on this fight. It's a mission after all." She finished by closing her eyes and re-opening them only to be greeted with the short-haired blonde tomboy rather than the beautiful redhead she was just picturing.

How she missed her rowdy distant cousin…

"Hmm," Kenji hummed while nodding to Kikiyo's assessment of Naruto. He sure hoped that the girl won, otherwise he would have to give up Kusa to that old-

"Kehehe…"

Kenji glared at his fellow Daimyo.

"May the better pawn win."

"Indeed, old friend…"

XxLine BreakxX

-Chunin Exams Arena-

"Naruto Namikaze," Kurotsuchi rolled Naruto's name off her tongue with glee and mirth clear in her voice. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to fight you, I would've just fought you in the Forest of Death or when I first saw you, but you always had shadows following you like the hopeless princess you are." She leaned down to Naruto's eye level.

Her nose was inches away from the blonde's red with anger nose.

"Gonna say anything pipsqueak-"

"Hurry up and start the match. I want to fight the Teme before he mopes off or something." Naruto snapped her head towards Hayate, focusing her glare on him rather than the smirking brunette in front of her.

'I'll get bigger than you in no time anyways dattebane!' She exclaimed in her mind peeking a jealous glance at Kurotsuchi's bigger chest.

Kurotsuchi's smirk only widened in response and moved to mockingly poke at her more endowed chest only to stop when Naruto snapped again.

"Start the round already damnit!"

"Begin!"

Hayate jumped back just as Naruto's shaking fist rocketed up and connected into Kurotsuchi's cheek making a loud smacking noise that rang throughout the entire stadium.

Naruto smirked and huffed triumphantly, 'That'll teach her to make fun of my size… Granny says that I just haven't started puberty yet!'

She eagerly pulled back her fist ready to hit Kurotsuchi some more only to drop her smirk when she felt a hand wrap tightly around her wrist preventing her hand from budging no matter how much she pulled.

"Hehe," Kurotsuchi laughed softly.

Naruto gulped and took a step back when Kurotsuchi lowered her hand from her cheek revealing a cruel smile supported by a purple bruise on her cheek. The way Kurotsuchi's eyes sparkled in thrill disturbed her immensely…

"What the hell is wrong with y-" Naruto's words were beaten to the punch when Kurotsuchi dragged her forward and slugged her fist square into her whiskered face.

The crowds thrilled cheering dwindled into a tense and awkward silence as the blonde was sent tumbling along the burnt and destroyed ground. The silence was deafening, so deafening to where that it highlighted Kurotsuchi's joyous laughter despite her giggles not being that loud.

"Shut up and stop laughing! That was a lucky shot, it won't happen again!" Naruto swore, bringing herself up from the ground.

She crossed her fingers and murmured, "Shadow Clone Jutsu." A group of twenty or so clones came to life in individual clouds of smoke. The clones wasted no time spreading out, encircling Kurotsuchi, charging her after the original made the first step, evident by the scuff marks on her face and clothing.

XxLine BreakxX

-Chunin Exams Stands-

Ken gulped uneasily.

He would've said something, but he was at a loss for words at the moment.

"This fight is escalating fast." Haku voiced the thought everyone was silently having as Naruto and her clones fought against Kurotsuchi in hand-to-hand combat.

"Ne, Haku-san…" Sakura turned towards Haku; she looked over Karin and Ken. "Do you think that Naruto will lose against her too, like Sasuke-kun?" She questioned Haku and then looked back at Naruto. The way Kurotsuchi was slapping away Naruto's attacks and dodging without destroying the clones was concerning her greatly.

Needless to say, but Naruto was an overly competitive person, 'Is she purposely trying to anger Naruto?'

Haku looked at Sakura and then towards Ken.

He smiled at how worried his friend was over Naruto.

Ken wasn't showing it on his face, but deep within his eyes Haku could see the concern and worry thrashing around much like the waves that frequented Ken's home village.

It relieved, and reminded him that no matter what was eating Ken up, he would continue to be the good-spirited softie that spared him.

"Naruto is an entirely different case than Sasuke-san in terms of strength… I cannot even begin to understand how strong she is, Remember the bridge? It might've been a situational power, but if she can use it again then this fight is hers." Haku answered with a small frown growing on his face.

He hated thinking back to that day, against Naruto in that feral state.

Karin shuddered at the looks Sakura and Haku shared, even Ken to some extent. She felt like there was a dark implication hidden beneath his words that she couldn't pick up on. Truth be told, she always felt like there was something dwelling within her cousin, something dark and malicious.

Could that be the situational power that Haku was talking about?

Sakura's face was pale white, but she nodded nonetheless. She was terrified of even thinking about that day on the bridge. It was an unspoken rule between her, Kakashi, and Naruto to not mention what happened on the bridge.

She glanced at Ken; he was the only one who didn't react too negatively to Naruto's dark power that day. Even Kakashi and Zabuza stopped fighting and turned back towards Naruto with shocked expressions.

She swore to never speak about it again, but she'd make an exception today… "Do you think that she'll use it to win Ken? You know how much she likes being number one at everything…" She tried to laugh at her tasteless joke but couldn't when Ken frowned at her.

"She won't. She hates using it," His piercing amethyst eyes lowered down from the pinkette to his open palm. He rubbed his thumb over the faint scar that imprinted it.

She'd be sad if she used it on Kurotsuchi and injured the girl just like she unknowingly did him, he knew that much.

'Hurry up and win blondie so that I can get my dumb necklace back and deal with Danzo.'

XxLine BreakxX

-Chunin Exams Arena-

Naruto's concentrated frown that twitched with every movement she took was shattered when Kurotsuchi finally decided to attack her and her clones back. It was fast, too fast for her clones who had gotten used to Kurotsuchi's dodging and blocking to react to.

They were each dispelled or destroyed for lack of a better word, by the Iwa kunoichi's sudden vicious attacks, leaving the original standing all alone in front of Kurotsuchi.

"Are you finally going to start fighting, cause I sure hope s-" Naruto started.

"Pfew that was a good workout pipsqueak!" Kurotsuchi interrupted the blonde and stretched her arms up in the air all the while grinning down at Naruto. "But how about you next time make more of those pathetic clones for me to train with?" she inclined her head to side playfully.

Naruto's scowl deepened at being interrupted.

If looks to kill, it would be safe to say that Kurotsuchi would be dead. Naruto kicked the ground and tightened her fist in anger, her assessment of Kurotsuchi was completely off. She was going to have a harder time than she thought to deal with her… The blonde didn't have much time left to reflect upon her misjudgment due to the brunette running towards her at speeds she could just barely react to.

She ducked her head under a swift kick aimed right for her head and lifted her forearm to block the punch soaring towards her rib. It stung like hell; she was sure that something inside broke just from that single punch.

She continued blocking and just barely dodging lethal attacks that would cost her the match as she was slowly pushed closer and closer into the stadium's wall. Taijutsu was never her preference just ass-kicking… And making it up on the go. She was seriously regretting not taking up Lee on his offers of training with him and Bushy brow Sensei.

Just as her back hit the wall with a soft thud, she expected the worse to come- A flurry of punches and kicks that she couldn't evade, but to her surprise and slight frustration, Kurotsuchi stopped attacking and backed up from her with that same happy smirk plastered on her face.

"Tch," Kurotsuchi shook her head in mock disappointment. "I waited this long just for this. Killing you isn't going to be near as fun as I would have liked it to be, but I guess seeing your father's tormented face will be, don't you think, Princess?" She finished directing her gaze towards the Kage box.

Naruto lifted her back from off the wall and glared at Kurotsuchi for sparing her and then glared at the Kage box only for her glare to deepen. She hated that her father was looking at her the way he was. She wasn't going to die, nor was she going to lose to Kurotsuchi so why was he looking at her like that?

She'd much rather see him cheering her on!

She let out a low unhearable growl that vibrated through her body and focused her sharp blue eyes back on her opponent. "I don't get you, you idiot!"

Kurotsuchi's grin faltered some and she sweatdropped, 'Wouldn't that make her the idiot then?'

"You could've already beaten me if you wanted to, but you haven't! Why are you drawing out this fight so long! If you want to kill me then hurry up and try to you, dumb idiot!" Naruto couldn't keep her question bottled up anymore.

She was being toyed with and it was finally pissing her off.

"Hahaha, you're not just a princess, but also a dumbass too!" Kurotsuchi held her flat stomach as she pointed and laughed at Naruto.

"What the hell is so funny!?" Naruto roared taking a step closer to the laughing girl.

"What's funny is that you could've just given up already, but you haven't! I'm happy that you're such an idiot with a stupid amount of stubbornness. I think I'll just continue playing with you until I grow completely bored with this fight." Kurotsuchi also took a step forward and venomously spat out "fight", as though it was but a joke to her.

"Damn right I'm not giving up! I might be an idiot but I'm not going to die nor lose today you… You bitch!"

The crowd was stunned by Naruto's choice of words.

"Hurry up and kick her ass Blondie!"

Naruto didn't need to turn back and grin at the owner of the voice that just cheered her on. She shot a determined thumbs up in the air towards where she knew Ken was and lowered her arm. She couldn't afford to lose now, no matter what.

Naruto extended her hand out towards Kurotsuchi who merely raised a brow in confusion at the useless action, but then shot her brows up in surprise and… delight, when a pulse of blue chakra rotated to life around Naruto's palm.

The air itself vibrated and shook under the force of the condensed rotating ball of chakra now swirling in her hand. Again, just like with her fight with Neji, the crowd went wild, shouting praises and encouraging words as she created the world-famous, or rather world-infamous jutsu again.

"I don't know why you want to kill me Kurotsuchi-baka, but after I get you back for those lucky shots earlier I'll make you tell me!"

"Hmph, of course, you don't know why that bastard is ashamed of his crimes!"

The two girls ran at each other with two conflicting emotions on their faces. Determination and Hatred.

XxLine BreakxX

-Chunin Exams Infirmary-

Hiashi felt as though he was seated within a room that had a bomb within it, slowly ticking down; number by number, ready to blow when it hits zero. He at first assumed it was because he was watching over his sleeping nephew.

But when Neji had woken up and spewed out apologies to both him and his daughter for his past behavior, he grew worried and nervous.

Something wasn't right…

He still felt the ever-looming threat of something terrible happening to not just him, but his daughter and nephew as well in a few minutes. He knew that it must've been really bad since it got him, a seasoned war veteran and accomplished shinobi the chills.

"Byakugan," He whispered, activating his clan's dojutsu while simultaneously standing up from his seat. Sweeping aside Hinata's concerned look and Neji's attentive glance, he searched their room for any hidden shinobi or threats.

He came up empty.

Not content with finding nothing within the room, he furthered his vision to expand around, and through most of the med area, he amplified his eyes when he noticed three passed out children.

-The sand genins…

'Wait the Jinchuriki!' He yelled mentally only to advert his gaze and deactivate his dojutsu when a pair of menacing blazing red Sharingan stared him in the eye as though its owner would devour him alive.

'The Uchiha clan shouldn't be able to do anything to disrupt the peace in Konoha! So how and why is that damned Uchiha messing with the Jinchuriki's seal!?' He quickly grabbed ahold of his daughter and nephew and performed a Shunshin (Body Flicker Jutsu). He needed to inform Minato, but not after ensuring his family's safety.

XxLine BreakxX

-Chunin Exams Stands-

Ken, Karin, Haku, and Sakura all watched with anxious eyes as Naruto desperately tried to connect a Rasengan into Kurotsuchi. The blonde used every trick she had up her sleeve, all to no avail.

The gap in skill between the two was much too big.

"Come on you dummy," Ken mumbled, as Naruto came to a stop and deactivated her Rasengan probably concluding that it was useless to try again.

The arena was a complete mess only added on by the destructive force of Naruto's Rasengan. There were craters along the stadium's walls, holes scattered on the blackened ground, and even within the bark of some of the few remaining trees that weren't burnt to the ground after Sasuke's and Kurotsuchi's fight.

"You done, idiot princess? I guess I'll stop toying around with you."

"Just shut up and fight me already… Stop running…"

Ken cringed at the desperation in Naruto's voice. He too would be desperate and upset if his enemy also played around with him rather than just ending the fight or fighting him back.

"Naruto-baka! Behind you!" Sakura's call came right in time.

Naruto turned her body to the side narrowly escaping the Doton release clone that had emerged from the ground behind her.

"Naruto!" Sakura called out again, but this time to late.

"Doton (Earth release): Earth Fist Jutsu!"

Just as Naruto dodged the clone's attack she was blind-sided by the original Kurotsuchi, who's fist was encased in a thick and sturdy layer of solid earth. She cried out as her arms which were crossed protectively over her chest were hit by Kurotsuchi's attack.

"This isn't going to end up well if she doesn't use that power, Ken…" Haku whispered solemnly as Naruto struggled to pick herself up from the ground.

"She's going to win without using it," Ken whispered bitterly before he turned to Karin due to the redhead pulling at his sleeve. She was shaking and her eyes were pointed up at the sky.

Fearfully.

"What's wrong Karin? Do you sense something again?" He grew to trust in her sensing capabilities more than he trusted his eyes.

"There's… There's a large almost invisible layer of chakra building up above the stadium. It's dark… As dark as that Hidan guy's chakra Ken-kun." She exclaimed and hugged her face into his side to hide from the dark chakra.

XxLine BreakxX

-Kage Box-

Minato gripped the arm of his chair when Naruto picked herself up off the ground and glared heatedly at Kurotsuchi.

"Hmph, that brat needs to learn when she should give up," Onoki snorted in a mixture of both amusement and annoyance.

Minato sighed and leaned back into his chair, knowing that giving up wasn't in his daughter's vocabulary. She would continue to fight until she either won or until she couldn't anymore.

"I take it she gets her stubbornness from you Namikaze?" Rassa spoke up for the first time in a while.

Minato shook his spikey blonde hair at Rassa's attempt at lightening the room's mood. "All from my wife Kushina-chan."

"Ahh, the Uzumaki las!?" Onoki smirked at the pained expression on Minato's face. "Yes, I remember her, the reports of her troublesome chain ability… That Hiruzen lucked out with that one I say, I suppose your daughter didn't inherit those chains?" he scoffed before shaking his head at his question. "Of course, she doesn't, if she did maybe she wouldn't be scurrying around like a sniveling rat!" He jeered.

Minato rolled his eyes at the Tsuchikage and bit his lip nervously when Naruto just barely rolled out of the way of a hurling glob of lava. It seemed Kurotsuchi was done "playing," as the girl had dubbed the beginning of the fight. The hairs along his arms were upright in alarm and telling him to get ready to pounce-

He would save Naruto if it came to that point, the Exams and the mission be damned.

Onoki snickered again much like the patronizing old man he was.

A small burst of chakra from behind gathered him and the other Kage's attention. He slowly turned back, making sure to keep one eye on his struggling daughter and one hand on his tri-pronged kunai.

Standing on top of a pile of fallen leaves, the perp was damn near instantly restrained by Akatsuchi, who had in a show of surprising speed for a man of his shape and size grabbed him into a bear hug. Kakashi lazily held his kunai to the perps throat and finally, Baki had his hand on the intruder's shoulder with a seal shining brightly beneath his palm.

"One of your's Namikaze? Akatsuchi enough," Onoki questioned and motioned for his guard to let go of the pale-eyed man. Only Hyuga's eyes held such a tint…

Minato nodded and then locked eyes with his former teammate. "Yes, this is Hiashi Hyuga, the clan head of the Hyuga clan's main branch. Rassa could you…?"

Rassa nodded and nudged his head to the side. After Baki deactivated whatever seal he had on Hiashi he continued. "There Baki will not be a problem, but there must be a reason for this sudden intrusion."

Minato smiled thankfully at Rassa for his understanding and looked at Hiashi who was adjusting his traditional white and brown robes. "Is there a reason for your err… sudden visit Hiashi? Is Neji-kun alright?"

He sure hoped so. Maybe he would have to forbid Naruto from using the Rasengan for a bit of time to teach her a lesson on restraint.

"No Minato-sama."

Minato blinked in surprise when Hiashi addressed him by his first name rather than Hokage-sama, or even the less formal Namikaze-sama.

"Something is looming over the entire stadium gathering chakra as we speak."

Each of the three out of five great Kages narrowed their eyes at the sky, with their bodyguards stepping beside their respective leader. It took a second, but Minato saw it- There was a slight waver in the space itself in the air.

"Kakashi-" Minato's eyes widened and then glared when the sky flashed an ominous purple as white feathers rained down on top of the unsuspecting spectators.

"Kukuku, Minato Namikaze… I have come to extinguish my sensei's last flame," Hiashi's voice distorted and twisted into a sickly rough voice that was uncannily familiar to Minato and Kakashi.

Minato crinkled his nose in disgust when he turned back only to see Hiashi's skin shedding off from him and sprouting from beneath his friend's molded skin arose Orochimaru just like he remembered him all those years ago. Straightened long black hair, pale white skin, and yellow eyes rimmed with the purple markings that could only belong to the snake sage.

"…Orochimaru, you've already failed. I've already removed the curse seal from Sasuke-kun, and we both know that you're not strong enough to distinguish Lord thirds flame. Konoha will never fall to the likes of you."

"Kukuku, whoever said that I was going after Sasuke-kun? Maybe that's what I wanted you all to believe while I scope out the real prize."

Minato didn't like the smirk that grew on Orochimaru's face. Was he talking about Ken?

"Who knows maybe it's those two girls down there? They do look like promising future vessels-" The snake Sannin slithered to the right dodging the translucent cube of destruction that Onoki had just launched towards him. The area where he was just standing at, was destroyed, disintegrated into nothing, along with the wall behind him.

"The all-powerful particle style for me? It must be my lucky day, I've always wanted to analyze that jutsu of yours Onoki-dono," Orochimaru licked his lips and squinted his yellow eyes in delight at the old man.

"Foul fiend," Onoki crinkled his nose. "Namikaze I trust that you can exterminate this pest. Akatsuchi we're done here, this is a Konoha problem." He floated up and flew down towards the two fighting girls but not after glaring at Orochimaru.

Akatsuchi, having no reason to stick behind hopped down and followed after his Kage.

"Kakashi, make sure that the unconscious civilians remain all right, and keep an eye on, Sasuke, Ken, and Naruto. Protect your students no matter what." Minato ordered in an uncharacteristically stern tone.

Just as Kakashi nodded and leaped out from the room the entire ground shook as a massive bang erupted somewhere outside the stadium.

"Seems like my little pet has awoken from his forced nap Minato? Kazekage-dono, I must thank you for leaving your Jinchuriki so unguarded."

Rassa snapped his gaze back to where the explosion rang out and closed his eyes. There was no mistaking it, that was the Ichibi's (One-Tail's) chakra. "Baki, go and check on my foolish children, I fear this… man has done something to them."

Baki saluted and hurriedly disappeared in a shower of sand and wind leaving the three Kage level shinobi all alone in the room together.

"Rassa you don't have to, I can tak-"

"Quiet Minato, we are allies plus he has harmed my children," Rassa interrupted Minato and scowled at Orochimaru's mocking smirk. "Don't think of me as helping you if it makes you feel better, think of it as a father wanting to kill the monster that hurt his children."

"A bit too late for that kind thinking isn't it Kazekage~dono," Orochimaru replied in singsong.

" I have my reasons monster, everything I do is for the betterment of my village and my children's future as Shinobi. Gaara's just happens to fall in line with being my village's Jinchuriki," Rassa said monotonously as golden sand flowed out from the tiny pot attached to his belt buckle.

"Kukuku let's enjoy our time together while we still can, Minato, Rassa." Orochimaru jumped through the gaping hole Onoki had made earlier with the two Kages following after him.

XxLine BreakxX

-Chunin Exams Stands-

"Sensei!"

Kakashi eye smiled at the pink blur that hurried to his side and glomped him into a tight hug. He gently patted Sakura's head and glanced around at all of the unconscious civilians seated around them, and then to the thin clouds of smoke rising from further within the village.

What bugged him the most wasn't the raging Biju outside nor the fact that a massive purple barrier rose in the direction his sensei had followed Orochimaru to. What bothered him, was the fact that Ken and Haku left to who knows where leaving Sakura and Karin behind.

"Kakashi-san? I-Is Konoha under attack? Will my mother be all right?" Karin asked fearfully as the explosions and sounds of fighting grew louder tuning out the fight taking place in the stadium's arena.

"Considering who she was with, she should be fine. Very few shinobi can defeat let alone, leave a scratch on Tsunade-hime, and yes we are currently under attack by I believe… Sound shinobi." Kakashi replied and went to sigh but stopped when his other student, Sasuke landed in a crouched position on top of the railings.

When did he get so many students?

"I saw Naruto's pupil heading in that direction Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke mumbled dryly.

Kakashi followed Sasuke's finger and frowned in confusion- that was the Daimyo's box…

He mentally cursed his luck and glanced down at where Naruto was still desperately trying to close the distance between herself and Kurotsuchi. She was beaten up pretty badly, the worst he's ever seen her in fact.

And hovering right above her, was Onoki pointing and laughing at the whole skeptical, finding Naruto's desperation amusing. The Copy ninja sighed, there was no way he'd be able to stop the fight with Onoki there, along with his guard Akatsuchi.

There was only one thing he could do then, believe in Naruto to win.

"Sasuke, I want you to locate and bring back Ken and Haku here while I oversee Naruto's fight and watch over the civilians. You missed a lot over the month, but Ken and Haku are now my students just as much as you and Sakura here are, I expect you to treat them as such." Just as his sensei ordered him in an unfamiliar tone, he ordered Sasuke.

His eye smile widened when he received a stiff nod in turn before the Uchiha stalked off to where Ken and Haku had run off to. He'd get them for that when they got back, you don't leave your comrades behind no matter what, especially two young girls.

"Wait up for me Duckbutt-kun!"

Sasuke turned back and glared at the redhead running his way and then to Kakashi. Receiving a shrug, he groaned in annoyance and continued with Karin following behind him.

"Sensei… Can I maybe go as well?" Sakura asked with her fingers timidly playing with the ends of her hair.

"Sorry Sakura," Kakashi replied. "I have no say over what Karin does. She is neither a student nor a ninja of ours. But don't worry she only has eyes for Ken and Haku doesn't she?" He smiled beneath his mask and ruffled her pink hair some more, chuckling and bringing up his hands in surrender when she playfully punched him in the side.

"Yeah, you're right Sensei… that perv won't do anything to Sasuke-kun, plus someone needs to be here to cheer Naruto on! Go Naruto!" Sakura let go of Kakashi and leaned over the railing hollering her cheers as loud as she could.

She wasn't strong enough yet to be tasked with missions like Kakashi just gave Sasuke, but she was more than qualified to cheer her teammate on in the meantime.

"Yeah, Naruto whoop her ass for me and forehead-girl!"

The pinkette smiled at the sight of Ino leaning on the railing across from her with the members of Team Ten standing beside her with smiles on their faces.

"Good job Sakura-chan, I'm sure Naruto will win now." Kakashi ruffled her hair one last time while waving at Asuma from afar.

XxLine BreakxX

-Daimyo Box-

"Ken, what about Naruto's fight? Or that explosion? Don't you wanna know if she's all right?" Haku questioned.

"She'll be fine, Naruto will win."

Haku couldn't help but believe that the blonde would win with how fiercely Ken had proclaimed her victory.

"What now then?" He questioned again as they came to a stop outside the door that they were eavesdropping through earlier. Unlike last time the sounds inside the room were hearable outside the door.

It was mostly the shuffling of the Samurai's armor and muffled shouting.

Ken walked forward and placed his palm on the door and after applying a drop of his chakra into it, it split apart into evenly sliced pieces of wood. The room's occupants were just as surprised as Haku was when Ken destroyed the door.

Surprise quickly turned into malice unfortunately for the two.

Haku quickly withdrew and threw a volley of senbon at the kunai's soaring straight for Ken's head, and sighed in relief when the kunai's and senbon fell harmlessly to the ground.

"Hehe Thanks, Haku, I was hoping maybe these nobodies would have passed out like the people outside," Ken scratched the back of his head and smiled at Haku over his shoulder.

"Now you want to talk Ken? Focus on what's in front of you," Haku muttered as the Samurai and Ninja guards stalked towards them with upset frowns at being addressed as "nobodies."

"Yeah, yeah-" Ken ducked beneath the long katana that swiped over his head and snatched up one of the fallen kunai's from the ground.

This was exciting!

His blood was pumping overtime as he dodged to the side avoiding the angered Samurai's attack- It was nowhere as fast as Hidan's scythe or even Kakuzu's detachable arm.

He used his newly equipped kunai to slash at and parry the rapidly descending blade that threatened to split his head in two. Sending a burst of chakra into the floor beneath him, he smirked when a thick woody vine emerged from beneath the Samurai and entangled the man in mere seconds.

As the rest of the stunned guards gawked at Ken in shock, the atmosphere in the room suddenly grew colder.

"It's just two brats! Get them!" Yamauichi snarled furiously from behind the guards breaking them from their daze. His lower lip trembled in fear at the smug smirk Ken was sending him.

"Hai!" The guards yelled in unison.

"Die you little-" The shinobi guard who'd gotten to Ken before the others, was caught off guard by the wood beneath his feet shooting up and hitting him in the jewels… "Li-little s-shit." He crumbled to his knees, and then to his back, knocked out cold by the dirty attack.

"Haku, is that jutsu ready?" Ken asked as he glared at the men slowly approaching him with cautious grimaces.

Haku too glared at the approaching guards and nodded, but froze when a massive fireball soared past him, hurling straight for Ken and the Guards.

The fiery explosion shook the entire room filling it with a cloud of thick black smoke. He perked up when he heard, "Tch, I missed some," and, "What if you hit one of my harem members, you dummy?" It was Sasuke and Karin, standing behind him with Ken emerging from the wall next to the two.

"Sasuke-san, I hope you weren't aiming for me, were you?" Haku inquired with a senbon dropping into his hand.

"Hn," Sasuke replied taking a step past the Yuki as the smoke cleared itself from the room revealing all but three of the guards were laid out along the floor. "I'm here to bring you two losers back to Kakashi-sensei, but it seems that I'll first have to help you two clean this mess up." He finished with an arrogant smirk.

"Now the Uchiha heir!?" Kenji slammed his fist against the wall. "Minato will be hearing of this Kikiyo… Kikiyo! Wake up!" He turned to his wife and glared at her startled face.

"S-sorry dear," she quickly apologized and looked at her husband, "Yes, I'll be sure to mention this treachery to Minato, but…" she trailed off again as she stared into Ken's piercing violet eyes and then to the wooden vine he had manipulated earlier. "Who is that kid Kenji?" she questioned pointing to Ken.

She was barely a teen when her uncle Hashirama died, but she recognized that jutsu anywhere. Over the course of a month now, she's heard rumors of Tsunade having an heir, but brushed it aside as fake news… But seeing it in person now made her question everything.

Why didn't Tsunade tell her that she had a child? That her child was a Mokuton user? And finally, why was her child glaring at her and her husband with so much malice?

She was broken from her thoughts when a large and plump man; Akatsuchi landed inside of the room next to Yamauichi with his hand offered out to the Earth Daimyo.

"Onoki-sama ordered me to escort you out of here m'lord, or would you like for me too," Akatsuchi looked away from his country's Daimyo towards the four kids. "Take care of them?" he finished.

Kenji glared at the smirk that grew along his fellow Daimyo's face as the man fanned himself. He knew the old man's answer before he even knew it.

"No need for that, this is a Land of Fire squabble that doesn't involve us. Take me to Onoki at this instance," he waved as Akatsuchi picked the old man up and placed him on his back. Getting ready to leap out from the way he had come, Akatsuchi was shocked when a thick branch rose from the ground and wrapped itself firmly around his leg.

"Land of Fire squabble my ass you geezer! You, you're the one who killed Oldman-Naido, so you're in this just as much as those two!" Ken pointed at Kenji and Kikiyo.

Akatsuchi stared questionably past the few guards left at the problematic black-haired kid and tilted his head when Yamauichi began beating against his back insisting that he hurry up and escape. With a simple flex of his big leg, his muscles hidden beneath his meaty legs were enough to break his bindings and escape the room.

"He knows Naido?" Kenji whispered in surprise not expecting anyone to know of what they've done to Naido. "Where is that yellow bastard when you need him?" he grumbled and sneered at his wife's once again astonished expression.

"Who's-" Sasuke paused his speaking and dodged back, dragging Ken and Haku with him when a white-masked ninja appeared before them with two more appearing next to the Daimyo.

"More of them… Great," Ken glared at the white-masked ninja standing between him and the Daimyo. He could see his necklace, wrapped loosely around Kikiyo's neck; it was just as golden as when he gave it to Naruto.

He was so close.

"Lord Kenji, Lady Kikiyo, Danzo-sama has ordered us to escort you two to safety." One of the masked ninjas in the back next to Kenji and Kikiyo spoke up.

"Hmph, Root I take it? Before you take me to Danzo, I want to know who that boy is?"

"Ken Senju, heir of the great Senju clan and user of the legendary Mokuton Lord Kenji." The Root operative spoke before he, and his partner performed Shunshin's (Body flickers) taking the Daimyo and Kikiyo with them.

Before Ken could shout or express his anger a loud familiar roar reverberated through his and everyone else's ears. The top of a molten made tiger's head could be seen from the balcony they were standing at. Its menacing eyes glaring down at what he could only assume was Naruto.

Chapter End

An: Sorry about the late update, this was a bitch to write tbh. I hope you enjoyed it, thanks for reading. The next chapter is the final part of this Arc I swear lmao. Changed up the formatting again, i'm just trying out different things...