A/N - Wow has it ever been a while since I updated this story! lol

Anyways, this chapter took me quite a while to write up, all things considered. I was having so many damn problems. x.x People being assholes, my sister being an obnoxious pest, yada yada.

I don't really have much to say. Lots of things happen in this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 26 – Complications

Naruto and his impromptu team were a bit perplexed when they reached their destination days later. There seemed to be a perpetual thunderstorm plaguing the area, and there was talk of some kind of special curry at a nearby restaurant. It was small and had nothing all that noteworthy about. At least for the most part.

Shaking those thoughts out of his head, he turned and stared ahead at their destination. They could hear someone seemingly chanting something atop the cliff, almost as if he were reciting a poem or passage in a spell book or the like. Glancing at his teammates, he asked, "Do you think that has to do with these 'funerals' we heard about?"

Tenten frowned deeply and nodded her head. "Definitely. If he's burying people alive, he needs to be stopped. Let's hurry!"

Naruto and his girlfriends nodded before they all began hurrying towards the top of the cliff. Upon arrival, they saw someone being buried under many pounds of dirt. Refusing to let this continue, Tenten leapt into the air and swiped her hand over a seal on her weapon storage scroll. Raining dozens of weapons upon Raiga and his followers, she watched as the swordsman turned and sent bolts of lightning arcing across her weapons straight towards her, almost as if they were each mini-conductors.

As Tenten's eyes widened in horror, she prepared for the absolute worst. However, it never reached her. Blinking, she looked and saw a wall of ice had appeared between her and the weapons. When the ice crumbled and fell apart, raining down on the ground, she breathed a sigh of relief and hurried back to her teammates. "Thanks Haku."

"No problem." Looking at Raiga, she frowned and said, "So those are the Kiba blades. They're powerful, but not quite unbeatable."

Seeing Raiga's followers about to attack, Naruto summoned fifty shadow clones and sent them to deal with the bastards. Focusing on Raiga, he was about to go on the attack, only for a strange fog to roll in, blanketing the battleground and blinding everyone. Scowling at this, he tried to figure out what the hell was going on, but wasn't having a great deal of luck.

Fu frowned deeply and shook her head. "Dammit, I can't see anything. Is this some kind of genjutsu?"

Tenten frowned and shook her head. "I don't know. I can't see a thing. It doesn't feel like any genjutsu I've ever seen. Then again…"

Haku nodded as she backed up until she was standing back-to-back with her teammates. "I don't think Raiga's responsible for this. Something else is at work here. Naruto-kun, think you can do something about this fog?"

"Gladly." Naruto said before he began flaring his chakra to insane levels. When he heard Raiga curse under his breath, Naruto threw a couple of kunai his way. When he heard the clang of the Kiba blades blocking his kunai, Naruto disappeared from where he was standing and slammed a fist hard into Raiga's sternum, causing him to stumble backwards and nearly fall to his knees.

Sure enough, the genjutsu dissipated and the girls were able to see a strange bundle attached to Raiga's back. However, before they could question it or hurry to take a look, Raiga stood up and took a swing at Naruto.

Before the Kiba blades could reach him, Naruto quickly withdrew one of his twin kodachi from its sheath and blocked the blow. However, when Raiga channeled chakra through the Kiba blades and electrocuted him, Naruto stumbled backwards a couple of steps before collapsing to his knees, screaming in pure agony.

Seeing this, the girls were enraged. Haku quickly slammed her hands to the ground and ensnared Raiga in ice, covering his legs, arms, and torso in ice. She knew it likely wouldn't hold him very long, but it would be enough for the time being.

Tenten took full advantage of Raiga's condition to burst forward and slam a kunai straight through his skull, right between the eyes. When the light left his eyes, she breathed a sigh of relief. At least, she thought it was over. However, the bundle on Raiga's back began to shuffle and move around. Frowning at this, she took the bundle and laid it down on the ground, staring at a young boy in the process. "Umm…"

Haku frowned and knelt down next to the boy. "Who might you be? Why were you with Raiga?"

The young boy looked visibly upset, but soon gave his name. "Ranmaru. R-Raiga gave me a purpose. He was my whole reason for living. N-Now…now I don't know what to do." He said, breaking down into tears at the loss of his loved one.

Naruto struggled to stand, but once he had he looked at Raiga's deceased body. Frowning, he shook his head and turned his gaze to Ranmaru. "For what it's worth, we're sorry. You sound so much like Haku-chan. Her devotion to Zabuza is commendable. He was her whole reason for living. But, just like she has, you can find a new reason for living if you desire it. You could help the kind people at the restaurant down below if you'd like. They'd take real good care of you. Or you can come with us back to Konoha and let Hokage-sama look over you. She'd be able to find you a good home. It's entirely your choice. We won't try to force anything on you that you don't want."

Fu smiled kindly at Ranmaru and said, "He's right. So, what do you want to do, Ranmaru?"

"I…I can't. Raiga-sama…he was my world. I had a purpose. Now…now…" tears streamed down Ranmaru's cheeks and he didn't know what he could do to remedy this situation.

Haku sighed sadly and hugged Ranmaru close, whispering soothing words into his ear. When he finally calmed down, she laid him back down and said, "I was just like you. If I had ever lost Zabuza-sama, I would probably have killed myself. I wouldn't have known what to do. I couldn't possibly live without him. However, just as Naruto-kun said, I've found a new purpose for living. Love. Love for my darling Naruto-kun. Love for my friends. Love for my new home and our clan head. Ranmaru, come with us back to Konoha. Hokage-sama will help you find your new purpose in life. I promise."

While Haku and Fu chatted with Ranmaru, Naruto knelt down and picked up the legendary swords, the Kiba blades. Looking at Tenten, he held them out for her to take. "I think these would be able to sing far more in your hands than they ever would in mine. It feels like they belong with you. Is that okay?"

Tenten blushed a bit and looked at her new swords. "T-Thank you, Naruto-kun. I really appreciate this. I'll take really good care of them. Just you watch."

"I know you will Tenten-chan." Smiling kindly at her, he slowly turned to see Haku lifting the bundle with Ranmaru in it into her arms. "Looks like we're ready to get going. I'm really looking forward to seeing what you can do with your new swords, Ten-chan."

Tenten nodded and put her new swords away. Afterwards, with Naruto's help, she collected all of her thrown weapons and sealed them away once again. It was a long process, but it was better than allowing to rust in the poor weather.

As they descended the cliff, moving back towards the restaurant, Tenten smiled at Naruto and reached out, gently taking his hand in hers. When he simply smiled at her in response, she couldn't help but smile back. Naruto-kun, you're just too cute.

Konoha – Days Later

After reporting the completion of their mission, Tsunade smiled at them in satisfaction. "Very well done, all of you. I promise that I'll look after Ranmaru and help him however I can. Once he's better, we'll figure out what to do then."

It was at this point that Kakashi slipped into the office through the window. "Are you going to tell them about the upcoming exams?"

"I was just about to get to that, Kakashi." Looking at the Genin standing before her, she said, "I believe Sean-kun helped to liberate Kirigakure. The rebels have won the civil war and have requested an alliance with us now that things have settled down over there. But, more importantly, for all of you at least, is the fact that the Chunin Exams are to be held in Kiri this time. I will be entering all of our teams: 7, 8, 9, and 10. I will only assign you D-rank missions for the time being. I want you all to spend the time leading up to the exams training as hard as you can. Of course, you need to take a day or two off every now and again so you don't burn yourselves out. But the point remains that I want you all to go in there and win the whole damn thing. I want to prove that Konoha's Genin are the best there are. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" they exclaimed as one.

"Good. You are all dismissed. And Tenten?" seeing she had the kunoichi's attention, Tsunade smiled kindly at her and said, "Congratulations on adding the Kiba blades to your collection. I expect you to train harder than ever to master these new weapons of yours. Don't let me down."

"Of course, Hokage-sama. See you later!" Tenten exclaimed before hurrying out of the room with her friends.

Once they exited the tower, Tenten stopped and looked at Naruto. A blush slowly started to form on her face as she reached out and took his hand in hers. "U-Umm…N-Naruto-kun?"

Naruto looked her in the eyes, already understanding what was going on. Smiling at her, he asked, "Yes, Ten-chan?"

Tenten asked, "C-Can we g-g-go…on a date? I, erm…only if you want to, of course. Umm…"

The blonde chuckled and hugged Tenten. "That sounds lovely. Is that alright with you two?" he asked, turning to look at his girlfriends.

Haku smiled and nodded her head. "That's fine with me. What do you think, Fu?"

The orange-eyed girl nodded and said, "I don't have a problem with it. Haku and I will talk to the others. You go enjoy your date."

Tenten beamed a beauteous smile at them before she practically dragged Naruto with her. "Come on Naruto-kun! I know exactly what we should do!"

Fu and Haku giggled as they watched their fiancé disappear around a corner. Once he was out of sight, Haku turned and motioned for Fu to follow her. "Might as well inform the others. I think Sakura was hoping to take him out on a date when he got back, but it seems she'll have to wait her turn."

Fu giggled and said, "Yeah. She's not going to be happy about it, that's for sure. She'll just have to deal with it." It was at this point that she remembered something and slumped over somewhat comically. "Now that the Chunin Exams are coming up, Jima-sama is going to really work us harder than ever."

Haku giggled and said, "Think of it this way: at least it's not Sean-sama. We probably wouldn't even be able to walk around after he was through with us."

Fu's face blanched somewhat and nodded her head. "You make a very good point. Okay, not gonna complain about Jima-sama's training. No thank you."

"Oh? You don't think my training is sufficient? Very well. I do believe it would be in everyone's best interests if we hold joint training exercises. We'll work every single one of you Genin into the ground. You're going to hate us, but I guarantee you'll thank us at the end of it. Now, do hurry on home. I want you girls to inform the others about the upcoming exams. Then, you all WILL get back to work on what you were working on the last time. Fu, this means chakra control. Haku, you're going to resume your med-nin training. Now do hurry along. I'm off to pay a visit to the other teams' sensei and inform them of my plans." Jima said, appearing behind the duo.

The girls squeaked in surprise before slowly turning around, looking into the taller woman's eyes. "W-We're sorry? Please…"

Jima shook her head and said, "Too late. Now hurry on home. If I find out you've been slacking off, you'll regret it."

"Y-Yes, Jima-sama! Right away!" they exclaimed before dashing off.

Once they were gone, the blue-haired woman giggled to herself and thought, I wonder how you're doing, Sean-kun.

Sean – Weeks later

"Damn. I was really hoping to find Orochimaru and end him. But, this will do." Sean said as he explored another of Orochimaru's hideouts located just off the southern coast of the Land of Lightning.

Karin stopped walking and reached out, gently grasping the sleeve of Sean's shirt. "Sean-sama, I can sense Mom this way. My mother!"

Sean followed Karin's lead. As they hurried along, Sean soon came to a stop. Placing a firm hand on Karin's shoulder, he pulled her back behind him and glared into the darkness. "Whoever you are, come out NOW."

"Damn. You really are as dangerous as I heard." A man's voice could be heard saying from within the shadows. Stepping out into the light, the two Uzumaki's looked the man over. Whoever he was, he wasn't wearing a shirt or a forehead protector to signify which village he hailed from. He wore gray pants that were so dark they might as well have been black. He had a utility belt hanging haphazardly around his waist. "You infiltrated my hideout and killed damn near everybody. You do realize you're going to have to pay for that, don't you?"

Karin scowled at the man and said, "Deiki. Careful Sean-sama, his kekkei genkai makes his skin as hard as steel."

"Indeed. I'm afraid you simply don't have a chance in hell of beating me, Sean Uzumaki. If you're smart, you'll run away with your tail between your legs. I was placed here to keep you away from your dear sister. Besides, she has made for such a fine test subject." Deiki said, a sadistic grin on his face.

Sean quirked a brow and asked, "Is that it? That's your power? Karin, I'll deal with him. You go ahead and find your mother. I do believe she has probably missed you a great deal."

Karin and Deiki blinked in confusion. After regaining his senses, Deiki glared hard at Sean and exclaimed, "What the fuck do you mean 'is that it'?! You can't possibly hurt me! You have no chance in hell!"

Sean smirked and changed his element to his newly acquired one. Afterwards, he pointed his palms towards Deiki and said, "Burn."

Karin watched in utter fascination as his hands turned into flamethrowers, so to speak. Fire consumed Deiki and he began to scream. Deiki thrashed around and tried to escape the blaze, but Sean continued to roast him alive. When it was finally over, the poor man was literally ashes on the ground.

Shrugging, Sean looked into Karin's eyes and said, "Go on. Go get your mother so we can leave. I don't think anybody else is here, so you shouldn't have any problems."

Karin simply nodded and hurried off to get her mother. Once she was gone, Sean activated his Byakugan and took a careful look around. There are a few others here, but they don't seem to be a threat to us. Can't quite determine if they're friend or foe. Regardless, we won't be sticking around long enough to find out.

When his niece returned to his side with a tall redheaded woman in tow, Sean took a good look at her. She was certainly a beauty with long, flowing crimson hair, violet eyes, and a decent bust, only about a B-cup. She was slender and stood almost as tall as himself. However, these were a mere afterthought. Looking straight into her eyes, he asked, "Will you be okay? What the hell did they do to you?"

The woman shook her head and said, "Orochimaru…he wanted to see if my blood and chakra would help cure him of whatever happened to him. When nothing worked, he ordered that I undergo certain tests. I don't know what for, but I've been poked and prodded so many times by now, I barely feel the pain anymore. I feel so weak…"

Sean nodded in understanding. Looking into Karin's eyes, he ordered, "Run a diagnostic scan. I need to know what we're dealing with here."

The younger redhead nodded and began to perform her scan. When her eyes widened and she began to shake, the blue-haired man scowled and asked, "What's wrong?"

Karin stepped away from her mother and said, "Whatever they injected her with, it's attacking her bloodstream AND her chakra pathways. If…if something isn't done soon, Mom could die."

Sean scowled at this and said, "How long does she have?"

Karin shook her head and said, "Two weeks at the most. Or…two days. It depends on how strong her will is to survive."

The Uzumaki clan head nodded once before turning to face his sister. "Karin, I'm sending you and your mother back to Konohagakure. Tsunade-chan can save her. First though, do you know if there's a lab here somewhere?"

Karin nodded and hurriedly guided her mother and uncle straight to the laboratory. "This is it. But why do you want to visit the lab?"

Without a word, Sean walked over to the vials and looked them over, along with the stoppers. After ensuring that they were clean, he held his arm over the vials and cut into his flesh, allowing the blood to flow freely into the vials until they were full. He watched as his natural healing factor kicked in and slowly began to seal the wound. Looking at the four vials he filled, he took two of them and poured his chakra within the blood, making it shine brightly. The other two vials he left alone.

Laying out a storage scroll, he sealed the vials away after putting stoppers into them to keep them from spilling over. Walking over to Karin, he handed her the scroll and said, "You're going to give these to Tsunade-chan. My blood and a sample of my chakra. If I'm correct, she can use these to come up with a cure for my sister."

"But, what about the hunt for Orochimaru's hideouts? I'm the only one that knows where they are! You still need me." Karin questioned, almost pleading.

Sean shook his head before he unsealed a map of the Elemental Nations from within his shirt sleeves. Holding it out to Karin, he said, "Mark down all the hideouts you can remember. Make sure the details are specific and to the point. I'll find your uncle and aunt, as well as my parents. Right now, your mom needs you, Karin."

Nodding slowly in understanding, Karin took the map and walked over to a table. Spreading the map out, she began to draw circles on the map to signify the locations of each of Orochimaru's hideouts. She also made sure to jot down notes that would help him find and enter said hideouts. Once she was finished, she rolled up the map and gave it back to the clan head. "Here, Sean-sama. I hope it helps. And, thank you."

Sean simply smiled at her and ruffled her hair a bit. "Let's get you and your mother home. I promise that I'll be okay."

As they left the hideout, she looked up into his eyes and said, "I'll be holding you to that promise. You're still risking a lot, Sean-sama. I hope you know what you're doing."

Sean smirked at her and said, "Oh, I know I'm being reckless. But what I'm doing will help everyone in the long run. If I do my job right, the nations will finally be at peace. No more war, no more chaos. We'll tackle the Akatsuki problem directly so that they can't harm anyone else. And I definitely won't stop until I've killed Orochimaru and freed our family."

Karin nodded and said, "Alright. I'm ready to go."

Sean nodded as they stepped out into the light of day. Turning around, he held up a single hand seal and said, "Boom." Together with his family members, he watched as Orochimaru's hideout exploded from the inside, destroying all that remained and killing whoever else was left inside. Afterwards, he turned to his niece and sister and summoned forth a giant eagle of wind. "Rouros, take these two to Konoha. Go as fast as you can. My sister needs Tsunade-chan's help IMMEDIATELY."

Rouros nodded to his summoner and allowed the women to climb onto his back. Afterwards, the three of them bade goodbye to Sean before they disappeared into the horizon.

Once he was alone again, he glanced in the direction of Kumogakure. Time to work my magic. He thought silently to himself as he began his journey towards the village. If they knew what I was about to do, they'd probably kill me. He thought with a chuckle.

Naruto – Later that day

Naruto and his loved ones laid on the ground, each of them panting hard as they struggled to catch their breath. True to Jima's words, she had gathered the various sensei for each of the teams, as well as the assistant sensei that had helped them before. Each of the teams had been worked into the ground, only to get back up again and go through the same regiment every day for weeks now. Sure, they would give them a few days to rest and recuperate, but this was ridiculous!

Forcing himself back onto his feet, Naruto looked at his fellow rookies, taking in their current state. He couldn't help but frown as he looked at Neji. He may have lightened up a bit, but he was still the same old jackass he had been since meeting him all those months ago. He was arrogant and truly thought himself better than everybody. However, at least he wasn't going on about fate this and fate that. Gotta find the silver lining somewhere!

Taking a deep breath in to steady himself, the whiskered teen, now 14 years of age, stared hard at the various sensei and said, "I can still—"

Before he could finish speaking, they heard the loud cry of an eagle overhead. Looking up, Naruto's eyes widened and he said, "That's one of Sean-sama's summons! What's he doing here?"

Jima frowned deeply and said, "I don't know. I've got a bad feeling about this."

"As do I." Yugao said. "All of you, stay here and continue your training. We'll go and see what the heck's going on."

The Genin watched as the sensei all took off towards the Hokage tower, where the creature had flown towards. Once they were gone, Naruto frowned deeply and said, "I don't like this. What if something terrible has happened?"

Hinata stood up and took her lover's hand in hers. "I'm sure Sean-sama is okay. If it's something serious, they'll let us know. For now, let's just do what they said and train. Okay?"

The blonde nodded once and said, "Alright. You're right, Hinata-hime. Alright people! We've still got some training to do!" When the others groaned, he chuckled and said, "I know, we're all sore and exhausted. But we need to work past our limits if we want to get any stronger. I know I, for one, would like to become so strong that Sean-sama doesn't recognize me when he gets back. I want to fight by his side and prove that I can and will be his equal."

Sakura smiled at her boyfriend and said, "That sounds good to me. Alright, I'm ready to continue."

Soon enough, each of the Genin stood up and began to work themselves harder than ever. Whatever's going on, I hope you're alright…

Tsunade

When a giant eagle had deposited two women outside of her office windows, Tsunade wasn't sure what the hell was going on. However, stepping outside, she saw Karin, of all people, holding a crimson-haired beauty in her arms supportively. "Karin? What the hell's going on here? Where's Sean?"

Karin shook her head and said, "We found my mom. But they did something terrible to her. Sean-sama sent me back here to ensure she gets the help she needs from you. He…he gave me these."

When Karin handed her the storage scroll, Tsunade was about to examine it before Karin grabbed her wrist tightly. "Not out here. Unseal them at the hospital. Sean-sama seems to think that if you use those, you can save my mom. Please Tsunade-sama, help my mom!"

The busty blonde frowned deeply and began to examine the woman Sean's niece had brought to her. Deciding to say fuck her Hokage duties for the day, she took the woman into her arms and hurried with Karin to the hospital. Don't worry Sean-kun, I'll save your sister. Just be careful out there.

Glancing behind her, she saw the various Jonin sensei following her. They probably want to know what the hell happened. Most likely their Genin are worried. Sighing, she called for her Anbu and instructed them to inform Shizune of where she was going. If she needed Shizune's help, she'd call for her, but not now.

Upon reaching the hospital, Tsunade looked at Karin and said, "Some Jonin will be here shortly. Explain to them exactly what happened. Afterwards, I want them to return to their teams and tell them not to worry. It's up to them to decide what they should tell the Genin."

The redhead nodded and said, "Please, just save my mom. I'll do anything you say. All I ask is that you help her."

The Fifth smiled at the young Uzumaki and said, "Of course. Your mother will be just fine." And with that, she hurried inside the hospital so she would work towards curing the woman. Of course Orochimaru would do something like this. That rotten bastard.

Outside, Karin watched as the various Jonin appeared in front of her, each of them with an inquisitive look on their face. Seeing Jima, Karin could feel tears welling up in her eyes. "Jima-sama…"

The blue-haired woman hugged Karin close and asked, "What happened sweetie? Are you okay?"

Karin clung to Jima and shook her head, tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks. "It's Mom. Orochimaru did something terrible to her. Uncle Sean sent me here with Mom so she could get the help she needs. I think…I think Sean-sama's going to do something reckless again. I don't know what to do. I wanted to help him, but Mom…she…she…"

Jima hugged her closer and said, "Everything will be okay Karin. Hokage-sama will save your mother. As for Sean-kun, he'll be fine. I'm sure he knows exactly what he's doing."

Karin nodded slowly, but didn't say anything. Instead, she just clung to her friend and sobbed. Mom…

Kakashi looked at Karin sadly and asked, "I know this is hard on you, but where were you two the last time you saw Sean?"

Karin said, "We were in the Land of Lightning. We were about a three-day hike from Kumogakure. I think he plans to go there and speak with the Raikage."

Genma frowned at this bit of information and shook his head. "Well, shit. Sean's one of the last remaining Uzumaki. I wouldn't be at all surprised of the Raikage tries to keep him there against his will. I'm honestly not sure who would win if a fight broke out between the two of them."

Kakashi frowned thoughtfully and said, "Honestly? Sean would have the advantage in a fight like that. Kumogakure is most famous for its Raiton-users. If Sean employs his wind techniques and his Byakugan, I think he could actually pull off a victory."

Kurenai frowned and shook her head. "I do as well. But it wouldn't be easy. The Raikage is known for his speed and strength. If Sean-kun isn't careful, he could be seriously wounded."

Anko smiled at Kurenai and said, "Just have faith that he'll be alright. Seanie knows what he's doing. I say we believe in him and hope for the best."

Jima frowned for a moment before she stood up and looked back at her fellow Jonin. "I'm going to stay here and wait with Karin. You all should go make sure the others don't slack off. And try to break the news easily to them about what's going on. Make sure they know not to worry and that everything will be alright."

"Of course. Let's get going." Kakashi said before he turned and led the way back to the Uzumaki compound.

Once they were gone, Jima took Karin by the hand and led her inside the hospital. "I'll stay with you until we heard the good news, okay? I'm sure your mother will be just fine."

"Thank you, Jima-sama." Karin said.

Naruto

When the Jonin sensei finally returned, the Genin quickly stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to the men and women that had been training them. "So, is everything okay?" Naruto asked, desperately hoping for some good news.

Kakashi shook his head sadly and said, "Sean sent Karin here with her mother. Orochimaru did something terrible to her and she needed immediate medical attention. Don't worry, Sean and Karin are both okay. But Karin won't be journeying with Sean any longer. She's here to stay. Their last known location was in the southern area of the Land of Lightning. It would seem Sean plans to visit Kumogakure. For what purpose, we don't know."

Neji scowled at the idea that someone would willingly go to Kumo after what they had done to his father. Hinata, on the other hand, looked incredibly worried. "But, Sean-sama's an Uzumaki. Didn't they try to take Naruto-kun's mother before? I doubt that the Raikage will be so willing to let Sean-sama just waltz in and then leave without a fight."

The older Hyuga scoffed and said, "If he plans to consort with those monsters, then we'd be better off if he stayed there. We don't need a traitor like that in our midst."

Naruto snarled and went to slug Neji, only for Anko to grab his wrist. "Don't, Naruto. He's not worth it."

Those that cared about Sean gave Neji the nastiest glares they could muster. Without a word, Hinata stood up and approached Neji. When he simply smirked at her, she rushed forward and slammed a fist hard into his face, knocking him flat on his ass. "You take that back right now! Sean-sama isn't some traitor! Everything he does is for us. He wants to ensure that everyone he cares about will be fine. If Sean-sama is going to Kumo, it's for a damn good reason. So shut the hell up and pull that stick out of your ass before I have to do it for you!"

Neji scowled as he stood up and spat a glob of blood out onto the ground. "You'll pay for that." he said as he prepared to attack her. Before he could, however, Kurenai grabbed him by the wrist and said, "You're damn lucky I don't trap you in the strongest genjutsu you've ever seen. First you badmouth my fiancé, then you try to assault Hinata-chan. She is like a daughter to me and I refuse to let you try and harm her. I can guarantee you that if you EVER hurt her, Sean-kun would DESTROY you."

Practically snarling at Kurenai, Neji aimed to strike her with a palm strike, only for Kakashi to swap places with her and take the blow that had been meant for Kurenai. Groaning, he pushed through the pain and slammed Neji into the ground, pinning him there. "You aimed for her womb. You were aiming to kill her unborn child! How DARE you?!"

Kurenai could feel tears prickling at her eyes. "He…he was trying to kill my baby. You MONSTER!"

Hinata hurried over to Kurenai and performed a quick diagnostic technique to ensure everything was alright. Once she was sure Kurenai and her unborn child were alright, she turned to glare at Neji. "You deranged psychopath. You would dare to kill an unborn child? No hesitation. No remorse. You really wouldn't care. I hope Hokage-sama does something about this, or else I promise I'll kill you."

Neji scoffed and looked back at Hinata and Kurenai from where he was pinned. "It would serve her right for daring to bear that monster's child. I don't care why he's going there. Whether it's to make peace with them or whatever the fuck he's doing, he's still a traitorous bastard for daring to set foot in that village! It's obvious he isn't going there to destroy those bastards like they deserve! I hope they kill him! Just as I hope you have a fucking miscarriage."

Kurenai placed her hands over her baby bump and said, "You are a foul person. I had hoped you would have learned your lesson after failing to make it to the finals of the Chunin Exams, but obviously you didn't. Anko, can you please just…get rid of him? I don't care what you do with him or where you put him, I just want him GONE."

Anko nodded before stepping over to Kakashi's side. "You going to be alright, Kakashi?"

The silver-haired Jonin nodded and said, "I'm just a little sore. He didn't hit anything major. Are you taking him to T&I? I'm sure Ibiki would love to take a crack at him."

"If Inoichi wasn't locked up, I'd get him to deal with this little bastard. So, for now, Neji's going to be getting some quality one-on-one time with Ibiki. I'm going to head to the hospital afterwards and wait to speak with Hokage-sama. Something NEEDS to be done about Neji and his rotten attitude." Anko said before grabbing Neji and disappearing with him.

As soon as they were gone, Kurenai breathed a sigh of relief. Before anyone could say anything more, they heard a small splash. Then, she felt it. Gritting her teeth in sheer agony at the pain that hit her, she said, "I…I think it's time. Somebody get me to the hospital. NOW!"

Yugao nodded and quickly disappeared with Kurenai, moving as quickly as they could for the hospital. As soon as they were gone, Hinata giggled giddily. "Oooooh! I wonder how many she's having? This is so exciting! Come on, Naruto-kun!" she exclaimed before grabbing her fiancé by the hand and rushed off with him.

As soon as they were gone, Kakashi palmed his face and groaned for a moment. "Okay, since today's crazy as hell, you're all dismissed. Go do whatever you feel like for the rest of the day. Genma, I'm going to check on Karin and her mother. What are you going to do?"

Genma shrugged and said, "I think I'm going to go enjoy a stiff drink. Today's been way too damn crazy."

Kakashi chuckled and said, "True enough. See you later."

After the others had disappeared, Kin looked at Tayuya and said, "Well, I think they've got everything handled. Why don't the rest of us go relax in the hot springs for a while? I know I could use a good soak."

When Kiba began to giggle pervertedly, it was obvious he was imagining some of the girls in the nude. While not a bad guy, he could still be a bit on the perverted side sometimes. So, giving him a good smack upside the back of his head, they walked off, each of them aiming to do exactly as Kin had suggested.

Ibiki

The torture specialist frowned as he watched Neji through the glass. Frowning deeply, he turned to Anko and asked, "This little brat did all that? Why?"

Anko shrugged and was about to say something, only to feel her unborn child to begin kicking. Wincing a bit, she rubbed at her belly and did her best to soothe her child. Once she was settled enough, she looked into Ibiki's eyes again and said, "He tried to kill Kurenai's babies. The little bastard seems to think Sean-kun's a traitor, simply because he's going to Kumogakure. We don't know what Seanie's thinking of doing, but it's definitely NOT to start a war with them. Most likely, he's out to make peace between our nations and form an alliance. Neji didn't take too kindly to that and lashed out."

"I see. And what do you expect me to do about it? Just keep him here until Hokage-sama can decide his fate?" Ibiki questioned with a raised brow.

The Snake Mistress frowned in thought for a time before looking into Ibiki's eyes. "You're skilled in the art of mental warfare. You can get inside of his head, get him talking. I want to know every little dark secret he has. I want to know about this grudge he has with Seanie-kun and Hinata. I want you to get everything you can out of the little bastard."

"I see. Very well, then. I'll see what I can get out of him." Ibiki said before he went into the room Neji was in. Looking into his eyes, the older male could see nothing but hatred and anger within the 15 year-old's eyes. If Neji wasn't strapped to the chair, Ibiki was certain that the boy would lunge at him in an attempt to kill him. Hell, he was half-tempted to release him just to see the punk try it.

Shrugging those thoughts off, he sat down across from the Hyuga and asked, "Why do you feel so angry right now, Neji? What has you so upset?"

Neji scowled at the large man before him. "Everything." He said, but didn't elaborate on what, exactly, he meant.

"Everything? That's an awful lot of things to be mad at. I know you lost your father at a young age. The Hokage, at the time, caved into the Raikage's demands at the time. I understand that he wanted to avoid another war so soon after everything that had happened, what with the Kyuubi attack and all. So, if you were going to be mad at somebody, why not the Hokage? Who did you really blame for your father's death?" Ibiki questioned.

Neji scoffed and said, "It should be obvious. I blamed that weak, sniveling little girl. If she hadn't been so weak, my father would still be here! He deserved to live, not that asshole, Hiashi! They were weak and they were cowards!"

Ibiki frowned at Neji. "You do realize that a fully grown adult had tried to kidnap a three year-old girl, right? Nobody that young could have fought off the kidnapper. As for Hiashi, he acted to save his daughter like any good father should strive to do."

"You sound like you actually believe that. Hiashi was a villain! And Hinata…ergh! They're the reason my father, a truly good man, was killed in place of that coward Hiashi! Hinata acts like the perfect little princess and everybody treats her like she's some kind of saint. She is SCUM! She might as well have sealed my father's fate. Mine as well." Neji said, sounding dejected at the end.

"I'll admit that I was never fond of Hiashi. He was a cold man that treated his daughters cruelly. As for Hinata? She has her flaws, but she's a good person. She cared about you, Neji. She never hurt you. Hell, I don't remember a single time where she made use of the Hyuga Clan's Curse Seal. You chose to hate her because she was an easy target. I bet killing her would have made you happy for a time, but it wouldn't last for long. You would only continue to seek revenge against anyone and everyone, simply because you need someone to hate. You blame others…but I think the one you really hate, the one you really want to blame…is yourself, Neji Hyuga." Ibiki said matter-of-factly.

"What the hell are you talking about?! There is no feasible reason to hate myself! I'm not responsible for what others have done! I was cursed by Fate since the very moment I was born. Cursed to live life as a slave to those monsters! Cursed to lose my father! There was absolutely NOTHING I could have done to save my father. There was nothing I could have done to exact revenge upon those that killed him. And yes, I loathed the Hokage for giving in when he should have done differently! Hell, he could have spoken to the daimyo of the Land of Fire and explained the situation to him! It could have been settled diplomatically, but he was a goddamn coward! I wish he would just drop dead!" Neji exclaimed, nearly frothing at the mouth.

"I see. So you choose to blame fate for your problems. But at least you accept the fact that you couldn't do anything to change your father's fate. Is it so hard for you to accept that Hinata cannot be blamed for what happened? She was a child at the time, even younger than you were. Could you have fought off a grown man at that age?" Ibiki questioned.

Neji glared hard into Ibiki's eyes and shouted, "At least I would have fought rather than be so weak as to let myself be captured in the first place! I hoped I would get to kill her in the Chunin Exams, but I was denied my goal. Where is the justice?! Fate decreed that I would succeed. But…"

The interrogation specialist shook his head in disbelief. "You're delusional if you believe all the bullshit spewing forth from your mouth. Now, you admitted to me that you wish the Third Hokage would drop dead. What do you think that would solve, Neji? Can you explain that to me?"

"It's what he deserves. If nothing else, it would at least make me feel better." Neji said.

"I see. Tell me, Neji. When Hiashi was put to death for his crimes, how did that make you feel?" Ibiki asked.

Neji smirked cruelly at this and said, "He got exactly what he deserved. It was only a matter of time until he'd perish at the hands of his betters."

"That is not what I asked. I asked you how you felt." Ibiki said sternly.

Neji shrugged and said, "Relieved. Happy. Hell, I was ecstatic, even! Finally, the man I so loathed was DEAD! You can't imagine the elation I felt!"

Ibiki frowned and shook his head in disgust. However, rather than comment on it, he decided to move on. "I bet it frustrated you that another clan took in Hiashi's daughters, didn't it? They were now out of your grasp and protected by one of the strongest people in the village."

"I was furious. I knew I wouldn't be able to touch them, let alone kill them like they deserve. I came to loathe that man. He was enemy #1 in my mind. Protecting those weak little bitches like he was." Neji admitted.

"I see. Let's skip forward to today. You've been doing these joint training sessions for a while now. What made you decide to act out today, of all days? Why did you attempt to murder Kurenai's unborn children?" Ibiki asked.

Neji grinned evilly and said, "Why not? I was waiting for the right moment to strike. That fool, Sean Uzumaki, has approached Kumogakure where I hope he dies. I decided to take my chance to remove his foul spawn from this world in my own way. I would have succeeded too, if not for Hatake. Everyone is out to make my life a living hell! I can't stand it any longer!"

Frowning further, Ibiki asked, "Why, though? I don't understand your thought process. Uzumaki-sama, Kurenai Yuhi, Hanabi…none of them ever did anything to you. Even worse is the fact that you tried to murder unborn babies. There was no way that they could have committed a crime against you. You're going to need to explain your thought process to me here, Neji."

"What's there to understand about it? I've already said all I need to say on the subject. If I can't be happy with my family, the only person that ever cared about me, then why should I allow anyone else to be happy? They all deserve to suffer for taking away the only person that ever mattered to me!"

Ibiki quirked a brow and said, "Hinata and Hanabi both cared about you. Regardless of your attitude, regardless of how you treated them, they loved you and wanted to help you to be happy. Don't you see that you were NEVER alone? Not truly."

Neji scoffed and said, "That's where you're wrong. If they truly cared about me, then they would repent for their crimes. They'd suffer as I have suffered. Then I might buy that they 'care about me'."

Shaking his head in disappointment, Ibiki rose from his chair and began to pace around the room. "I think I'm beginning to understand you better now, Neji Hyuga. You're a complete psychopath. You have no regard for anyone else and what they're going through. You wish harm upon others and desire nothing more than to kill all those you feel have wronged you in some way. You have no conscience. You don't even consider the consequences of your actions. You just want to make the world burn because you truly believe that everyone, on some level, has hurt you in some way. I have everything I needed now. Hokage-sama will decide what to do with you. Farewell, Neji Hyuga." Ibiki said before he left the room.

Looking into Anko's eyes, he chanced a glance back inside the room and shook his head. "Damn kid's insane. I'm honestly not sure who is worse between him and Sasuke Uchiha." Looking back into Anko's eyes, he said, "Once Hokage-sama is finished for the day, give her this." Handing Anko a notepad, he said, "I wrote down everything he said, as well as my own personal judgment on that. Make sure she reads it. I want to know what her plans are for this bastard."

Anko nodded and said, "What's scariest to me is the fact that he seems to share the same logic with Orochimaru. It's disturbing on a whole other level. I'll make sure she gets this. Thank you, Ibiki."

Ibiki smiled at her and said, "Of course. Now, I've got other people to interrogate. Ones I won't be so nice with." After saying this, the duo went their separate ways.

As she made her way outside, Anko groaned and leaned against the wall. She wasn't as far along as Kurenai was, but damn was her unborn child active lately. All she had to do was hold out for a few more months and she'd be giving birth to a darling little boy or girl of her own. Though, she was starting to wonder if she was having more than one, considering how active the child is. Come on, Anko. You can do this. Just make it to the hospital and you can relax.

Taking a few more steps, she let out another groan and slowly fell to her knees. Gritting her teeth, she struggled to try and stand, only to have to lie on her back and cry. This hurts. This hurts so damn much. I…I wish you were here Seanie-kun.

It was at this point that a trio of kids hurried up to her. Recognizing them as the Konohamaru trio, she offered them a strained smile and said, "G-Get me some help. Please. I need to get to the hospital. I need help."

The trio nodded as one. Looking to his friends, Konohamaru said, "Moegi, you stay here and look after her. Udon, we're splitting up. We need to find someone to help her!"

After her friends left in search of help, Moegi looked into Anko's eyes and said, "I don't know how to help you, but I'm here if you need me."

Anko simply smiled at her and said, "Just…stay with me. I really don't want to be alone right now."

Before Moegi could say anything, Konohamaru ran back up with an Anbu agent. When he removed his mask to look down at her, she smiled and said, "No idea who you are, but I could really use your help."

"Just call me Tenzo, ma'am. I've got you." He said, lifting Anko into his arms. Looking at the small trio, he said, "If you're worried about her, come to the hospital later. She should be just fine." And with that, he disappeared, hurrying with Anko to the hospital.

Looking to her friends, Moegi asked, "Wasn't that Mrs. Uzumaki? Do you think we should follow them to the hospital?"

Konohamaru nodded immediately. "Yeah! Come on!" And immediately, the three of them hurried off.

Tsunade

Tsunade frowned as she looked over the test results from her scans and the other tests she conducted. "Damn. This really doesn't look good. I wonder…" Walking over to the table where she had laid out the storage scroll, she unsealed its contents. Looking at the vials of blood, she frowned and thought for a moment over what she was seeing. When it finally donned on her what Sean had done, she took all four vials and sealed them away again. Afterwards, she rushed off to run some tests on them. Sean-kun, I sure as hell hope your idea works!

Sadly, as she was speeding through the halls towards her destination, one of the doctors stopped her and said, "Hokage-sama, Kurenai has gone into labor. We figured you might want to be there for her."

Tsunade frowned and asked, "Why not Anko? She and Kurenai are much closer than I am with either of them."

The doctor went to reply, only for a nurse to come running up to him and the Hokage. "Hokage-sama! Daniel! Anko Uzumaki has gone into labor! I think there's some complications. You need to come see!"

Tsunade looked incredibly worried now. "It's still two months early for her to be going into labor like this! Dammit. Has she been under a lot of stress lately?"

The doctor frowned as he looked into the Hokage's eyes, a serious expression on his face. "Today alone, both Anko and Kurenai have experienced great distress. Neji Hyuga attempted to kill Kurenai's unborn babies, and Anko took him to pay a visit to Ibiki. Chances are, she's pushed herself too hard and became further stressed out by whatever she must have heard. If she's having more than one child…"

Tsunade nodded and looked seriously into their eyes. "I'll go and help Anko. Doctor, return to Kurenai's side and help her through the birthing process. I'm counting on you."

After the doctor and the nurse ran off, Tsunade walked up to Karin and Jima. Looking into Karin's eyes, she said, "I think that, by using Sean's blood and chakra, I can save your mother. However, there's a rather dire emergency I need to deal with. Neji Hyuga attempted to kill Kurenai's unborn children. She is currently in labor and could use someone's company. Jima, I'm counting on you to be there for Kurenai whereas I cannot."

"Of course, Hokage-sama. But there's more you aren't saying. What is it?" Jima questioned.

Tsunade frowned and said, "Anko's gone into labor as well. It's still two months early for this to be happening. I think all the stress has finally gotten to her. I need to attend to her immediately and ensure nothing happens. Karin, you are free to go in and talk with your mother. She'll be just fine, I promise."

The redhead nodded and bade the two of them goodbye. Afterwards, she hurried into her mother's hospital room so she could watch over the older woman.

As soon as she was gone, Tsunade nodded at Jima before she hurried off. The two of them made sure to find out exactly where they were going so they didn't waste any time reaching their destinations.

Upon reaching the room where Anko was, the busty Hokage frowned deeply and went about the proper procedures before entering the room. Walking up to the snake mistress, she looked her squarely in the eyes and said, "Anko, I want you to try and calm yourself. Take deep breaths in and let them out slowly. I need to examine the problem thoroughly and figure out what's going on."

Anko nodded and began to do exactly as Tsunade instructed. After her fifth time, she looked back at Tsunade and said, "They've been pretty active today. I knew it couldn't have been normal, but I didn't expect this. Please, help me."

The blonde nodded and said, "Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is: you're giving birth to twins. Bad news is the fact that there is a…complication."

Anko's eyes widened and she asked, "Complication? What's wrong?! They're both okay, right? Please, I don't want to lose my babies!"

"Calm yourself, Anko. When I tell you to, I want you to push as hard as you can. If you can't do it, I'm going to have to perform a Caesarean Section. We'll give you some painkillers, but this is still going to hurt like hell. Now PUSH!" Tsunade ordered.

Anko gritted her teeth and began to push as hard as she could. After a few moments, she laid back, panting heavily. Soon enough, she heard Tsunade shout at her to push again, so she did. This process repeated a few more times before Tsunade told her to stop one last time. However, when she didn't hear crying, Anko looked at Tsunade and asked, "What's wrong?!"

Tsunade gently unwrapped the umbilical cord from around the baby's neck. Afterwards, she proceeded to give the baby CPR until it finally started to breathe on its own. Looking the baby over, she said, "It will be alright, Anko. Your little girl will be okay. But, just to be safe, we'll keep her in the hospital and monitor her condition."

After handing the baby girl to a nurse to be weighed and helped, Tsunade turned back to Anko and said, "I know you're in pain, Anko, but I need you to start pushing again. Ready? PUSH!"

Anko grunted as she began to push again, screaming out in sheer agony as she struggled to get her baby out. "Come…on…! Oh Kami, I don't think I can do this. It hurts!"

Tsunade shook her head and offered Anko a supportive smile. "You're almost there. Just focus on your breathing. In. Out. In. Out. There we go. Now, I need you to give one last push. You can do it."

Anko slowly nodded before giving one last, powerful push. Once the process was over and her second baby had been pushed out, Anko collapsed backwards, crying from the agony she had just gone through. I did it…Sean-kun. I think…I need a nap.

When Anko stopped moving, Tsunade's eyes widened and she hurriedly handed the little boy off to the nurse. Walking up to Anko, she began to perform a diagnostic scan. Anko's vitals were low and she was barely breathing. Barking out orders, she began doing everything she could to save Anko's life. I am NOT going to let you die like this! Your children need you! Sean-kun needs you! You're stronger than this. I know you are! So don't you dare die on me! Tsunade thought to herself, desperately trying to save one of her dearest friends. Please, don't do this to me, Anko!

A/N - Okay, I know, I know! That is an EVIL place to cut the chapter off. However, I wanted to leave you guys in suspense with a nasty ol' cliffhanger. I couldn't resist. lol

I'll try not to keep you guys waiting too long for the next chapter. It kinda depends on a few things, though. Still...

The next chapter will be interesting to write and read for sure. I plan to delve into Sean's time in Kumo, so I hope you're looking forward to that. And then there's the Chunin Exams to look forward to! Yay! lol

Okay, not much else to say. I dunno what I'll work on next, so bleh. :P