Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto Franchise that belongs solely to Masashi Kishimoto; I do not own Heaven's lost Property, High School DxD or any other Anime I borrow themes from. The only thing I claim is my OC's and original Story Plot.


Author's Note (A/N): Hey guys I'm back and I know it's been a few weeks but it was for a good reason. I went ahead and wrote Chapter's 57, 58, and 59 together since I had so much momentum and enthusiasm on my side when I was in the middle of this writing process. I'm very proud of both these chapters, especially the upcoming Chapter 58. It's probably one of my best ever done.

So without further ado, Sit back, relax, and enjoy.


Chapter 57

Third Stage: Coliseum

1 Day away. The Chūnin Exam finals would be one day away and everything would change forever. The only thing is people didn't know that. Hiruzen found himself stuck in his office once again tackling last minute paperwork that mysteriously appeared. His wrist hurt from moving his pen across multiple sheets of paper but luckily for him he was soon done and could finally rest. Arthritis was a pain that no senior citizen could escape, even if said senior citizen just so happened to be the Third Hokage. One of the greatest and strongest shinobi to ever live.

'Naruto and Jiraiya should be coming back later on this morning. They decided to stay in Midway for the rest of the week to do more training and to help the town. I want to get their firsthand accounts on the events that transpired last week.' Hiruzen thought to himself as he wanted to hear the story told straight from the horse's mouth so to speak. The threat of Angeloids in the world was a situation to prominent to sweep underneath the rug.

Hearing a tapping at his window Hiruzen turned to see it was one of Jiraiya's messenger toads here to see him. Opening his window Hiruzen let the toad in who dropped off a tiny message scroll for him. Reading the paper Hiruzen was notified by Jiraiya that they were already back in the village but would see him in the afternoon. They were exhausted and needed to rest. Hiruzen could certainly let this slide since it would give him more time to finish the rest of his paperwork and any other last-minute meetings he may have. Unbeknownst to Hiruzen his morning was about to get a little more hectic.

Outside his office lurking around in the Administration District was none other than Konohamaru, Hiruzen's grandson. 'How could Moegi and Udon both be grounded for the day. I told them not to mess with that stupid cat.' Konohamaru pouted as he walked down the street with his hands in his pockets. He was miffed since his best friends were in trouble for messing with Tora the Cat. Their parents scolded them and grounded them for the day so the Third's grandson was alone by himself and very much bored.

Coming around the corner he absentmindedly bumped into a person that he fell on top of. "Konohamaru is that you?" A familiar voice squeaked out as the boy opened his eyes to see he was hovering over Iris's body who was on the ground. The princess had a curious if not a little annoyed look on her face. Accompanying this look was a tiny embarrassed blush on her face for having a boy on top of her, especially since it was one of her closest friends. "Oh crap! Sorry Iris!" Konohamaru panicked in a hurry as he tried to scramble to his feet. The Third's grandson was a clumsy boy so he pushed down hard on Iris's ribcage while trying to get to his feet which elicited a squeak of pain from the blond-haired princess. A deliberate and unnecessarily forceful gust of wind later and Iris was back on her feet with Konohamaru lying face first in the dirt in pain.

Dusting off her clothes Iris sent an annoyed glare towards her friend with a huff. This sort of stuff always happened. "I'm sorry Iris, I wasn't looking where I was going." Konohamaru said as he took a look at his friend. Iris changed up her outfit as was per usual for the fashionable girl. Iris had on a thin white shirt that was tucked into a red orange skirt that went down to her knees. The skirt was red around the waistband and slowly faded out to be red-orange near the middle and a vibrant light orange at the bottom with flower decals at the bottom half. Her hair looked groomed and flawless as usual and this time she had a red hairband in her hair that had a small red ribbon attached to it.

Around her neck she had a few necklaces dangling down to the front of her shirt. One of them was a golden heart shaped necklaces that if opened would show a small cut out picture of Naruto on one side with Eva peeking into frame and Iris on the other. On the back of the pendant were Iris's and Naruto's initials carved out with a heart between them. Iris never stopped at any level to show off how much of a Daddy's girl she was and just how much she adored and loved her father. She also had another locket on her neck that had a picture of her and Chaos together as well to signify their status as twins. Lastly, she had a bear shaped pendant right alongside the other two that was very cute and complimented her and her love for bears well.

Of course, Chaos had the exact same two necklaces around her neck. One was her with her father and the other was with her twin. She didn't have a third pendant to go along with this but she made up for it with the broken metal chain that naturally hangs off of her Angeloid collar. She didn't find anything she wanted so she left it as is. Chaos usually changes up her clothes around the same time as Iris so she had on new clothes as well.

Chaos was wearing a pink striped short sleeved shirt that was mostly hidden by her main choice of clothing. She was wearing blue floral cotton overalls that was frilly on towards the top wear her chest would be and was tied by two blue ribbons behind her neck. The bottom half of the overalls were short shorts with pink trimming at the cuffs that had white polka dots patterned all over it. Four pink buttons went down the center of the overalls in a stylish design and tied to the waistband where a belt would usually go was a blue tied ribbon for more style. As usual Chaos was barefooted while her sister had on some simple shoes that fit her style for the day. Chaos's knee length long hair was groomed and straightened out earlier that morning so it was reflecting the sunlight shining down on it which was giving off a glossy glow that was extremely beautiful to look at and making some girls passing by very jealous.

Both Chaos and Iris received these new necklaces just the other day from a jewelry shop in the Town of Midway. It was one of the shops that was damaged on the street the battle took place on. It was also one of the first buildings Naruto and his army of clones fixed up after the houses and residential buildings were finished. As gratitude for their immense amount of help the owner allowed them to pick out some of his merchandise for free. Naruto put in a special order for handcrafted necklaces and pendants that the owner was all too eager to work on. They were done the same day they were scheduled to leave and Naruto presented them to his daughters who were immensely grateful. His reasons for getting them these presents was because of how hectic everything was for the last month since the Chūnin Exams first started. It was one thing after another and they really didn't have any times to unwind. Chaos was still not mentally okay after what happened to her so the present was a welcomed gift to the psychotic girl who actually shed a tear at the gesture. Such a thing was completely rare for the girl but do to her current mental state she found herself much more emotional than she normally is capable of being.

"So… what are you doing out here by yourself Konohamaru?" Iris asked politely once she lightened up on the glare she was sending her close friend. This sort of situation was common place between the friends. Iris would play the part of the annoyed individual while Konohamaru would play the part of the clumsy and irritable person. Or in his case at least it wasn't so much an act as it was more of a fact he was just naturally clumsy and idiotic.

"I'm kind of bored and Moegi and Udon got themselves in trouble so I've just been walking around. What's up with you guys… where's big brother?" Konohamaru asked as he didn't spot Naruto anywhere. "Daddy's at home checking on things and getting some last-minute things done. He has a meeting with grandpa in a little while so he's been quite busy. Chaos and I decided to just go out and wander around for a bit." Iris explained in simple terms what was going on. "Big brother Naruto let you guys go out all alone…?" Konohamaru exclaimed incredulously. He couldn't believe it. Naruto was usually super overprotective and overbearing when it comes to the safety of his daughters. "Oh… we're not alone, so don't worry about that." Iris giggled as she could sense Yūago and her squad tailing them in the shadows of the village. She was familiar enough with the ANBU Captain's presence to be able to sense and track her if she were nearby.

"Huh… that's cool I guess." Konohamaru mumbled with a shrug of his shoulders as he didn't understand what Iris was alluding too. He couldn't sense the squad of ANBU black ops nearby. Not many people, shinobi included could… but Iris's wasn't most people. The black-haired boy panned his eyes over to Chaos who hasn't said a word so far, let alone made a move to scare him with her usual antics. This confused and worried Konohamaru a bit since he was usually Chaos's primary victim.

"Hey Chaos are you okay? Is something wrong?" Konohamaru probed as he noticed Chaos was standing slightly a step behind her sister and more behind Iris's back. It looked like she was hiding behind her sister. The child Angeloid had a subdued aura around her instead of the normal chaotic and unhinged presence that everyone who knows her have gotten used to. Your hair wasn't standing on end when around her like usual since you didn't know what she was going to do. "Oh… hey toothless. I'm fine." Chaos said in a lower tone of voice. She wasn't her usual hyperactive self. She was still bugged by what happened to her back in Midway. To Konohamaru's credit he wasn't buying this. His friend wasn't acting her normal self. "Are you sure… you aren't acting right. Are you sick?" The boy asked as he looked the girl up and down to see if anything was wrong with her. He noticed small bags underneath her eyes as well as her eyes themselves having more noticeable red veins in them. She looked tired or disturbed.

"She's just not feeling well right now monkey boy. She hasn't had a lot of energy to feed off of lately and she's been under the weather ever since." Iris stepped in as she intertwined her hand and fingers with Chaos's free hand as usual. She was trying to save her sister the trouble and stress of dealing with this situation. Konohamaru adopted a look of concern on his face as he frowned at this revelation. The look in his eyes right now was the one only a true friend could send someone.

"That's no good at all. Hey, I have an idea. How about we go do something bad to help you absorb some negative energy. You need that stuff to stay healthy, right? If we do that then we can have fun, put a smile back on your face, and get you healthy again." Konohamaru suggested as he grabbed hold of Chaos's other hand. He had an enthusiastic look on his face as if he had just come up with the best idea in the world. A small grateful smile cracked the surface of Chaos's face as a gentle and bashful blush of appreciation and gratitude stained her cheeks. She appreciated what her best friend was trying to do for her. It was very thoughtful and selfless of him. Something the dense and hyperactive 8-year-old usually is incapable of doing. But take nothing away from Konohamaru. When the chips are down and it concerns his friends, he has a heart of gold buried beneath the surface of his skin. It was an admirable quality to have in someone so young.

Iris smiled a soft smile of appreciation as she felt proud of what her friend was doing. "I'd like that a lot toothless, thank you." Chaos thanked with appreciation flowing off of all her words. She would remember this act of kindness her friend did for her. "Come on, we can go surprise attack grandpa before big brother Naruto shows up. That should get us in a lot of trouble and get you all the negative energy you could ever need." Konohamaru suggested as he tugged on Chaos's hand.

"Hold on a minute monkey. Go on ahead we'll catch up in a quick second." Iris suggested as she used her childish pet name for her best friend. Taking a quick second to look between the twins Konohamaru nodded before racing off towards the very tall and massive Hokage Administration building in the background that was less than three blocks away.

"Are you okay sis?" Iris asked as she rubbed Chaos's hand soothingly with her thumb. "I'm scared Iris… what if they come back again. I couldn't even move." Chaos whispered as she squeezed her sisters hand in fright. "Shush! It's ok. I'm here for you and I'm not going to let anything happen to you I promise." Iris said in a tender manner as she nuzzled her face against Chaos's cheek which the unstable girl affectionately returned as she desperately needed her sister's attention and comfort. "What happens when the bad people start coming for you?" Chaos questioned in a vulnerable voice while peering into her sister's sympathy filled blue eyes. Iris smiled a beautiful smile while placing her forehead against Chaos's. "I'll have you there to protect me, I have no doubt in that." Iris said with an overwhelming amount of confidence that overwhelmed Chaos with a feeling of happiness. Iris's rich and vibrant accent sounded like music to Chaos's ears as she practically melted into her sisters embrace.

"Besides Daddy will be here to protect the both of us. We're stronger together that we are apart. Family sticks together no matter what, always remember that ok." Iris lectures as she felt a sense of contentment finally come over Chaos. Her anxiety was starting to fade which was a good thing. Her sister's been in this state ever since the two Harpies showed up. Not even Naruto could fully drag her out of this state. She latched on to him for the entire week without ever leaving his side once because she was so scared. Today was the first day she was separated from him since the incident.

"Thank you, Iris… I love you." Chaos said as her heart or as she jokingly liked to call her reactor felt at peace finally for the first time all week. She needed this pep talk and to be surrounded by her sisters calming presence. "Love you too sister. Now let's go do something bad!" Iris cheered with an unladylike grin on her face that showed her teeth. Her eyes were squinted shut making her look like a carbon copy of their father whenever he grins at them. It started off small and barely noticeable but the sound grew and grew until Iris could hear her sisters signature giggles. This was the first laughter she's heard from her sister all week.

"You look and sound so silly Iris. I never would have expected you of all people to say something like that." Chaos giggled as she embraced her sister in a loving hug. It felt good to feel at peace, and she was lucky to have a kind and loving sister like Iris. Not to mention the rest of her family and of course her father who she absolutely adored and admired.

"Let's go show grandpa what love is." Chaos giggled as her eyes glowed in sadistic amusement. Chaos was back.


Hokage's Office

Hiruzen felt something was going to happen. He felt it in his old bones. Was this something a life-threatening attack coming at him. No, he didn't think it was that serious but he could tell that something was just a little bit off. A knock sounded on his door which brought him out of his musing. He wasn't expecting any meetings just yet and Naruto wasn't supposed to stop by with Jiraiya for at least another thirty minutes. The one thing that put his mind at ease that it wasn't a legitimate attack was the fact his ANBU Black Ops unit stationed in his office at all times weren't reacting. They were a part of ANBU Commander Puma's personal platoon so they were some of the best of the best.

"Come in." Hiruzen ordered as the door creaked open and his grandson Konohamaru entered the room. "Oh… Konohamaru, are you here for another one of your sneak attacks?" Hiruzen said with amusement swimming in his eyes. This would be the young boy's first attempt of the day. He usually averages about three to four a day.

"No, not today old man. I just wanted to hang out. My friends aren't with me today so…" Konohamaru said as he made his way over to his grandfather's desk. He came around the desk and put up the gesture of wanting to be picked up. Hiruzen was instantly on guard as Konohamaru just felt off. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. Nevertheless, he picked his grandson up into his lap like any normal grandfather would. He completely missed the fact that Konohamaru's eyes flashed from black to purple.

Another knock came to the door which confused Hiruzen as now he was starting to suspect something was going on here. Of course, if Hiruzen opened up his senses and used his intuition he'd be able to easily foresee what was really going on here. But since he couldn't sense any danger and his ANBU weren't moving he'd let whatever scheme his grandson had plotted play out. "Come in." Hiruzen repeated as he waited to see what was about to happen.

"Hey grandpa I'm here to defeat you! Give me that hat old man!" Konohamaru screamed as he came running into the room with a shuriken in his hand. With a war cry the boy threw the shuriken at Hiruzen who was now having second thoughts about the person sitting in his lap. The Hokage wasn't worried about a single thrown shuriken from an 8-year-old so he took his trusted pipe out of his mouth to use as a makeshift weapon. Halfway across the room the shuriken suddenly multiplied into two dozen which shocked the old man who now found that he couldn't move from his chair. Taking his pipe Hiruzen's experienced eyes managed to notice that the rest of the weapons in the air were illusions, he knocked the one real shuriken out of the air with a simple wave of his hand.

An all too familiar giggle sounded out as Chaos revealed herself to be in Hiruzen's lap. "Aegis." Chaos chanted as two small hexagonal patterned spheres appeared around Hiruzen's wrist trapping the Hokage to his own chair. The shuriken that Hiruzen knocked away transformed into Iris who had a smirk on her face. The princess launched a fireball from her foot with a quick spin kick that the old man was definitely impressed with. It was always a treat to see the elegant little girl fight.

Hiruzen smiled as his chakra built up within his body. It felt good to feel the energy of his own immensely powerful chakra humming beneath the surface of his skin. "Fire Style: Heat Conduction Bodily Transfer Jutsu." Without the use of hand signs at all Hiruzen activated his simple Jutsu with no difficulty. Taking a deep breath, Hiruzen sucked up all the heat coming from the fireball directly up his nose shocking the three children who weren't expecting this. In less than a second Hiruzen opened his mouth and released a thick steam cloud of superheated air that Chaos and Iris jumped away from as quickly as they could. "Phoenix Fire: Ember!" Iris chanted as her cheeks swelled up to twice their natural size. Her cheeks turned red from heat as she spat out a thick cloud of embers and superheated gases directly at the Hokage still sitting in his chair who raised his eyebrow at this unique technique. The old man while impressed, was not fazed by this as he had a counter ready.

"Water Style: Water Whip Jutsu!" Hiruzen called out as a cup of water that was sitting on his desk came to life and rose out of the glass it was sitting in to cut right through Iris's attack in the form of a whip. "You might want to take cover little ones." Hiruzen warned as he sucked in a breath of air. Thinking quickly Iris dragged Konohamaru next to her as Chaos put up another Aegis shield just in time. "Fire Style: Stream Jutsu!" Still without the use of his hands the Hokage launched a small stream of fire at the kids who were completely protected by Chaos's barrier. The old man hardly put any real power into the already weak low level Jutsu, he was just trying to play along with the children.

Iris waved her arms around in an intricate manner that brought the flames the Hokage just launched at them under her command. Coordinating in tandem with her sister Chaos dropped her shield once the attack was over as Iris got ready to redirect the flames at their opponent but the Hokage smiled a mischievous smile while letting out a chuckle. "Earth Style: Tile Shifter Jutsu." The old man chanted as the tiles on the floor in the room came to life startling the three kids who were unprepared for this. The tile underneath their feet spun around quickly throwing everyone off their balance and causing Iris to lose control of the flames she was just controlling. The flames sputtered out of existence since it had nothing to command it anymore while the kids fell to the ground in a heap.

Chaos's giggle could be heard first as her wings popped up behind her back. Hiruzen narrowed his eyes at this as he wasn't very familiar with her wings. "Artemis! Fire." Dozens of small purple fireballs launched off her wings at the old man who had to think quickly. "Wind Style: Vacuum Bullets Jutsu!" Hiruzen chanted as small cylinders of compressed air in the form of vacuum less space flew out of Hiruzen's mouth at high speeds that intercepted all of Chaos's fireballs perfectly which the small child wasn't expecting in the slightest.

"You've done pretty well but I think it's time we put an end to this little game." Hiruzen praised with real pride in his eyes as he quickly dodged a handful of shuriken from his grandson by moving his head out of the way. They all did really well. "Earth Style: Terraform Jutsu!" Hiruzen chanted as three chairs made out of the material from the tiles on the floor grew out of the ground behind the children. "Wind Style: Gust Jutsu!" Hiruzen wasn't giving the children any time to react as a gust of wind from his mouth blew all of them off their feet and into the chairs behind them. "Lightning Style: Static Lockdown Jutsu!" The Hokage was on a roll as he generated a small burst of static electricity that stuck the three children to the chairs with a small magnetic field just like static electricity usually does.

Once all three children were stuck to the chairs Hiruzen's mischievous smile grew in proportion as he casted one last Jutsu. "Bukijutsu: Shrapnel Blast!" The pens and pencils stored in the cup on his desk lifted up into the air and pointed towards the children with the erasers directed at them. With a simple motion, the pencils launched at the children hitting them in the forehead each.

"You three did very well… I'm very impressed with you." Hiruzen said with a gentle smile that had the three kids feeling a wave of contentment washing over them. Hiruzen's grandfatherly like aura was a pleasant feeling for the little children as they found themselves being drained of their intoxicating adrenaline coursing through their veins. The fight was over and everything was slowing down to a more calming tone. "Grandpa, you can use all five Chakra Natures… that's so neat." Chaos squealed in her skittish voice with a giggle as she was excited by the immense prowess the old Kage showed. It was a huge feat of skills and one that shouldn't be overlooked. "Hahaha… yes my child. It's quite impressive to say the least. I can use all five basic Chakra Natures which is very rare in the shinobi world. But I'm capable of so much more than that as well. This old man has a few crafty little tricks up his sleeve." Hiruzen chuckled with a twinkle in his eye. He was happy right now.

"But I must ask, what brought on this little attack of yours?" Hiruzen asked with curiosity in his voice. Iris was the one to answer as she piped up with her blue eyes shining in childlike wonder. "Sorry grandpa… Chaos wasn't feeling too well today so we decided to do something to cheer her up." It was a simple response and one Hiruzen understood since he was well aware of Chaos's dependence and need to absorb negative emotions and chaotic energies to sustain herself.

"Well then that's understandable… are you going to let me go now little Chaos?" Hiruzen asked as he idlily looked down at the Aegis shields pinning his wrist to the arm rests of his chair. It wasn't much of a discomfort to the old man. If anything, it was quite relaxing since he didn't have to move around his aching wrists anymore, so he was quite thankful to the tiny terror on that aspect. That, and nothing they could have thrown at him in their playful mood would have been enough to pressure someone of his great stature. "Nope!" Chaos cheered with a skittish laugh escaping her mouth. A look of glee was on her face as she jittered around in her makeshift chair.

"Oh well that's fine I guess. It doesn't really matter since I'm nothing more than a simple Shadow Clone." Hiruzen beamed with his grandfatherly smile before suddenly exploding in a cloud of smoke. "He was a Shadow Clone! Aw man! We couldn't even beat one of grandpa's measly clones!" Konohamaru whined in a typical childish manner while Iris pouted with an amused twinkle in her eye. Chaos was busy laughing in enjoyment of this up until the point the door behind them opened up and four people walked into the room. Hiruzen, Yūago, Naruto, and Jiraiya all came into the room in the midst's of a conversation until Naruto and Jiraiya stopped upon seeing the three children stuck to stone chairs.

"Girls? What are you doing here?" Naruto exclaimed in shock since he wasn't expecting to see his daughters here in the Hokage's office. He was on his way to pick them up from where they told him they'd be, which was supposed to be Ichiraku Ramen. "Hey Dada!" Chaos squeaked which peaked Naruto's interest since this was the first time all week he's heard his daughter speak with such life and enthusiasm in her voice.

Hiruzen took the time to explain away what the children were doing here which shocked Naruto since he never thought the kids would try something so crazy. After a stern talking to from their father that the girls didn't mind since this was what they were expecting Hiruzen had Yūago escort Konohamaru out of the room so that he could have his private meeting with the Uzumaki family. They had a lot to talk about.

"I hear you had a run in with some interesting characters while out on your training trip. I'd very much like to know what they have planned for little Chaos here." Hiruzen said in a serious voice as he prepared himself for a long meeting.


The Village Hidden in the Tree Leaves Shinobi Hospital and Psychiatric/Rehabilitation Center

It was the middle of the afternoon. The meeting took forever in Naruto's opinion and with how hot the sun was he didn't relish the thought of going back outside anymore. The cool air-conditioning of the Hospital building was reprieve enough for him. But one thing did trouble him though. It was quiet… to quiet. The receptionist wasn't even at the front desk which was strange in and of itself. "Hey Naruto that you?" Shikamaru's voice sounded out from the entrance as the lazy boy entered the building. He wiped a bit of sweat off his forehead as he let the air-conditioning cool down his body.

"Hey Shikamaru… it's been a little while huh?" Naruto said with a small smile as he bumped fist with the lazy boy who gave him a bemused smile. "It has… you've been gone all month. It seems to me like you went ahead and got a lot stronger. You've got a different vibe to you now." The genius boy noted as he looked his friend up and down with an appraising eye. Even though the boy was walking with a slight slouch in his step from what appeared to be exhaustion, Shikamaru could also tell that Naruto had a new aura of power about him. A lot has happened to the Uzumaki in the month since he's seen him, Shikamaru was sure of it.

"You could say that… but to be honest a lot has happened to me over the month." Naruto said with a weary smile. He wasn't too full of energy right now. The meeting took far longer than Naruto initially expected since the elders Koharu and Homura decided to but in on the meeting. It turned into a long drawn out discussion as the elders had to put their opinions in. It got to the points where it was a shouting match between Naruto, Eva, and the two elders as they tried to enforce their wills on the Uzumaki family.

It drained Naruto of his energy by the time he left the Hokage's office and made his way over to the hospital. He wanted to check on Hinata and Rock Lee who were recovering in the facility. "A lot is always going on with you." Shikamaru jabbed at Naruto in a sarcastic manner while rolling his eyes. Things were never boring when his blond-haired friend was around. Naruto chuckled at this since he couldn't refute this fact. He wished it wasn't the case but unfortunately, he wasn't in the good graces of lady luck.

"Hi big brother…" Chaos giggled as she appeared on Shikamaru's back with her expressive purple eyes reflecting her happiness as well as her usual insanity and unstableness. "Hey squirt… how you've been?" Shikamaru asked as the group made their way down the halls of the hospital. "I've been fine big brother…" Chaos said with an inflection of pain in her voice. She was remembering what happened back in Midway. "Hey you ok squirt?" Shikamaru asked with a raised eyebrow. He could tell something was wrong with his favorite little mischievous Angeloid. Chaos's eyes misted over a bit in sadness as she tightened her grip around Shikamaru's neck. Naruto's eyes shined with sympathy as he went ahead and explained to Shikamaru all of the interesting events that happened to him and his family over the one-month break. To say that he was exasperated by everything that he heard would be an understatement as Shikamaru just sighed. "Man, that's such a drag."

"Naruto what do you plan to do about this?" Shikamaru asked in a more serious edge as he digested the full story of what was told to him. He couldn't believe something this crazy would happen to his close friend while away on his training trip. Poor Shikamaru, if only he knew what was coming in the close future. "It's rather simple really Shikamaru, I plan to protect my daughter from those things. I will never let them have her." Naruto said with an edge creeping up into his voice. His eye jaded over as he recalled how heartless those Angeloids were as they would rather destroy an entire town filled with innocent people just to get to Chaos. It was despicable. They had no compassion or remorse for any of their actions. Shikamaru sighed as he really couldn't expect any other answer from his best friend. When it comes to his daughters, Naruto gets a little one tracked minded.

"If they decide to show up here in the village anytime soon we'll have the advantage. If Pervy Sage could flat out stonewall their attacks like they were nothing then the same could be said if Shoko or the old man were to get involved. Besides we'll have an entire force of thousands of shinobi who could take them on. The only trick is if we don't strike first and take them out fast they won't hesitate to just bomb our village if they feel cornered or pressured. They're cowards… that's how they fight. The second the fight isn't going in their favor they switch to plan B." Naruto explained in a grim tone that Shikamaru adopted as this gave him a lot to think about.

The lazy genius sighed a long breath as he turned to look at Naruto who was walking besides him giving him a curious look. "This is going to be a huge drag, but if those chicks come knocking again… you know for certain, I'll support you." Shikamaru said with the tiniest smiles threatening to break across his face. Naruto's eyes widened in shock at this bold claim by his generally unmotivated friend. A warmth settled in his heart at this notion as it really meant a lot. Shikamaru would essentially be putting his life on the line for a family that wasn't his own. It was an admirable quality that gave proof to Shikamaru's inner character. A soft smile was Naruto's only response as he happily continued walking down the halls.

"Shikamaru have you been training?" Iris questioned as she looked to the lazy Nara clan heir who she had a soft spot for. She also thought of the older boy as an elder brother figure. But unlike her sister, Iris wasn't so attached to Shikamaru. The relationship they shared was perfectly fine with her.

But when it came to Chaos, the unhinged Angeloid truly cherished the bond she shared with the older boy who showed an interest in getting to know her and seeing what made her tick. Shikamaru's genius like mind was heavily intrigued by the notion of Chaos and her existence and it's what led to the deep seeded friendship that sprung up between him and Naruto and the subsequent bond that formed between him and Chaos. Truth be told, Chaos was rather infatuated with the slothful boy and looked up to him as her older brother figure. In despite of how she naturally views him, you could go as far as to say Shikamaru was Chaos's first crush. He was usually the target of her pranks whenever he's around and at other times she's very lenient with him while harsh on others in terms of her pranks.

"I've trained a little. It was a drag though. My dad wanted to teach me some more of our clan's techniques in preparations for the finals. He also hinted at starting me on more advanced techniques for my training as the next heir to the clan. It's been a real hassle lately." Shikamaru explained as Iris giggled at the black-haired boys complaining. Putting pencil to paper was a monumental task sometimes for the Nara Clan Heir to do so Iris could only imagine how it must have felt for him to actually apply himself and put forth the effort in his training.

The small group made it to Hinata's room to find the heiress and Henrietta engaging in an intense game of Blackjack. Over the years Naruto has exposed Hinata to the grand world of casino gambling games and she has taken quite the liking to them. They would often play together whenever the chance arises and would generally have a goodtime as the atmosphere between the two could get quite competitive. It was one of the few ways Naruto's been able to drag out Hinata's inner fire as appose to her default meek and subdued personality. Naruto could only imagine how dull and boring it must have been for Hinata who was bed ridden all this time. Playing some of her favorite games with Henrietta who's a master at these games must have been a god send.

The group talked for hours in peace about any and everything including what happened to Naruto ever since the end of the Second Exams. It was a lot to discuss and go over and Hinata along with Henrietta dotted all over Naruto with each dangerous event he revealed to them. He of course didn't mind the attention he was getting from his female friends but that transaction eventually devolved into a playful squabble between the girls who were jealous of each other for fawning over Naruto. Eva entered the conversation first as she pushed the two shy girls away from Naruto while complaining about how they were getting to close to him while Iris herself complained about how all of them were trying to steal Naruto's attention away from her.

All the while in the background while this was happening Chaos and Shikamaru were playing together with the psychotic little girl detaching her fingers for the lazy genius to examine. The conversation began to trickle down after a while as the girls tired themselves out playing multiple games with Hinata and just generally catching up with the two older girls.

"Naruto the doctors said I'm well enough to attend the Chūnin Exams tomorrow. As long as I take it easy and don't stress myself out I can go the entire day." Hinata revealed with a cheerful smile on her face that brought one to Naruto's face immediately as he grinned in happiness. "That's great Hinata! I'm glad you'll be able to make it. So, what did the doctor say about your condition?" Naruto asked as he picked up Hinata's medical charts and looked them over again just like he did the last time he was here. "The doctor said that I'm recovering nicely and my heart is getting stronger every day. I only need a few more healing sessions and medications that should last for another two weeks. After that I can be discharged from the Hospital. But since I've been doing so well over the last few weeks they're letting me out for the day." Hinata explained calmly while watching Naruto read through all the papers on the wall.

Naruto could confirm that this was what the doctor wanted as well based on the notes in the medical charts as the smile on his face grew larger with each passing second. "The doctor said I should have died from a hit like that…" Hinata trailed off as she held a hand up to her chest with her eyes reflecting how she felt about that notion. Naruto's eyes showed the same as he couldn't imagine Hinata dying that day. "…but my heart was protected thanks to our little princess here." Hinata said with a pleasant smile as she cuddled Iris to her chest with a warm aura surrounding her. She was till this day very thankful for what Iris did for her… even if she didn't know exactly what affect her meddling had on her body. She wouldn't be alive right now if it weren't for Iris's intervention.

Iris blushed with a bashful smile as she buried her face into Hinata's chest as a swell of giddiness welled up in her stomach. Any child would feel ecstatic about being praised for their actions and Iris was no different. "I'm happy you'll be able to make it Hinata, and I promise I'll get Neji back for what he did too you." Naruto said in a more serious note as he grabbed Hinata's hand. His best friend smiled as her cheeks flushed red in embarrassment. Even after all this time she still gets embarrassed anytime her best friend becomes affectionate with her. It was very touching and endearing.

"Will you be ok fighting him… I don't want you to get hurt?" Hinata asked as her lavender colored eyes shined with worry as she knows just how strong her cousin is. "You should be more worried about Neji being the one who's going to get hurt Hinata. Someone needs to finally teach him a lesson and beat it into him that fate isn't the only force in the world. I will walk out of that match tomorrow as the winner. It's a promise of a life time." Naruto said in a passionate voice as his eyes stared directly into Hinata's soul. He wouldn't settle for tying with the boy, nor would he allow himself to be beaten by Neji. He was winning no matter what.

A peck on the cheek was Naruto's answer to his declaration. The blond haired Uzumaki's whole face was stained red and Hinata who just kissed him looked like she needed to stay an extra month in the hospital with how red her face was. But all cute moments come to an end as the other girls in the room made their presence known again. "HINATA!" Eva and Henrietta yelled as they both started to pinch the indigo haired girls' cheeks in retribution for her actions. "No cinnamon buns for you!" Henrietta exclaimed as she had made her intentions known from earlier in the day that she'd get Hinata her favorite treat.

Naruto sweat dropped at this as Iris who was just being affectionate with Hinata five seconds ago was now giving her a childish glare as she hopped out of Hinata's arms and jumped into Naruto's lap while wrapping her arms around his neck both affectionately and defensively. Her adorable childish pout and glare combo was in full affect as Hinata had her face stretched out by her two friends.

Let it be said that Chaos was having a feast on the amount of negative energy floating around the room. The best part is it was from her family who were horsing around with each other which added a sweet aroma to the sensation of it. The little walking apocalypse was laughing her head off while watching the others interact with each other.

It would be another thirty minutes later before Naruto and Shikamaru would leave Hinata's hospital room to go visit Rock Lee. Naruto left Iris and Chaos in the room with Hinata since they weren't going too far and the girls were a little tired. It was the Uzumaki families only day off since tomorrow the Third Rounds begin. Although, Naruto was confused by the unnatural insistence that Iris was giving him to actually go visit Lee's room. She was being a little forceful in that regard. It was uncharacteristic of her to do so, it made him a little wary since he's come to notice that bad things happen whenever Iris starts to act out of character.

With that being said Naruto just couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. He had a bad feeling in his gut that he was trying to ignore but the closer he got to Lee's room the worst the feeling became. It was to the point that he started to speed walk towards the hospital room which concerned Shikamaru a lot.


In seconds, the duo reached Rock Lee's room only to discover he wasn't alone. They were rendered speechless to see Gaara in the room standing over Lee's bed with a cloud of his infamous sand snaking its way across the defenseless boy's body. He was going to either crush his prone form through constriction or suffocate him to death. Either option wasn't appealing and wouldn't be allowed to happen. Right as Gaara was about to enact his unwarranted vengeance against Lee he suddenly found that that he couldn't move his body anymore. "Shadow Possession Jutsu successful." Shikamaru said as Gaara slowly turned to face the two intruders with a deadly glare.

"What are you doing?" Naruto growled as he stared directly into Gaara's eyes with a glare of his own. He never thought this is what he'd find coming into Lee's room. "I'm here to kill him, you're interrupting." Gaara retorted as his sand was still floating around Lee's bed. Naruto channeled his chakra into the room as the sand floating in the air started to freeze over preventing it from harming Lee any further. "We're not going to let that happen." Naruto countered as his chakra hummed beneath the surface of his skin. It would appear he could never catch a break. But he wished a potential fight didn't have to break out right next to Lee who is asleep in his bed unaware of the danger he's in.

"You already beat him in the exams, that should have been enough. Do you have a grudge against Lee?" Shikamaru asked as he tensed his shoulders. The murderous glint in Gaara's eyes were shooting bolts of anxiety up and down his spine. "I have no grudge against this boy, I simply want to kill him that's all." Gaara said in the most monotone voice possible. It was as if he were speaking of the weather. "How could you even say such a thing? Are you out of your damn mind?" Naruto exclaimed in anger as the notion of just simply killing a person just for the mere action of doing it was the most insane thing he could ever possibly think of. "Unfortunately for you pal we won't let you do as you please. So, you may as well pack up and go home." Shikamaru challenged but on the inside, he was sweating a little bit.

'I've always thought something was off with this guy. We all saw the way he fights during his match. If he decides to make a move right here and right now I'm not so sure Naruto and I can successfully stop him. This room is far too small and Lee's body is in the way.' Shikamaru thought to himself gravely as he didn't want to risk putting an ally in danger, especially since Lee was defenseless. "I will kill the both of you if you get in my way… especially you Uzumaki. I want your life the most." Gaara said as more sand started to pour out of his gourd. The murderous glint in his eye was increasing by the minute the more he looked at Naruto and the blond-haired boy could feel this killing intent from a mile away. It was incredibly potent.

"You fight like some kind of monster… like a demon. You're merciless and unrelenting. But don't think for a minute that something as imposing as that would be enough to stop us from defending ourselves." Shikamaru spoke as he subtly added a little more chakra to his hold on Gaara. He didn't know what was going to go down and he really wanted to be prepared for the worst. "He may fight like one Shikamaru, but he isn't one. I've lived with the real deal for most of my life and I've got my own monster inside me from day one. The thought of fighting him doesn't scare me. It's just the lengths he's willing to go too." Naruto countered as a deep frown came to his face at mentioning the Nine Tails.

Shikamaru casted a sympathetic look to his close friend at this as he's known for a long time too of Naruto's burden. "Interesting… it all makes sense now. You're a Jinchūriki too." Gaara intoned which shocked both Naruto and Shikamaru to their cores. "You're a Jinchūriki…" Naruto whispered in morbid shock and dread. He never thought he'd meet another Jinchūriki for a long time, let alone ever in his life time. There should only be nine in the world and to meet one such individual out of a world with millions if not more people is much more than just a simple coincidence. "I carry inside of me Shukaku the One Tailed Tanuki Sand Spirit. He was sealed inside of me while I was still in my mother's womb by my father Rasa the Fourth Kazekage. He wanted the village to have an ultimate weapon to be used in times of need so I was chosen for this burden. My eventual birth killed the woman I would have called mother and sent me into the arms of my father who raised me into the weapon our village desperately needed." Gaara spoke in a bone chilling voice that chilled Naruto's and Shikamaru's hearts to their very cores. It was unfathomable.

"For a time, my father pampered and protected me… but ever since I turned six he has tried to have me killed more times than I can count. Those who become too strong are likely to be feared. I became too powerful for my father to handle and all of his plans became undone. So, he chose to scrap me instead to save himself the hassle of dealing with an unhinged and uncontrollable Jinchūriki. But even those plans failed as every would-be assassin he'd send after me would all meet the same fate. No one can touch me due to Shukaku's sand protecting me. My father created a monster that he couldn't control." Gaara continued as Naruto took a step back in simple shock. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. This is how he would have turned out if he didn't have his loved ones come into his life, and even when he did it didn't actually make his life any better. It just simple gave him a reprieve and a place to find comfort for when things got rough. It never actually fixed the problems he was having.

"He didn't love you at all. How could he have done that to you?" Naruto whispered as his eyes involuntary misted over with tears. He couldn't possibly imagine what Gaara must have gone through. He in some regards nearly went through the same struggles as Gaara did as the matrons at the orphanage tried to have him killed and that led to the accidental death of his first friend Kenichi, it's what also led him to meeting Eva for the first time.

He knew what it was like to have people want you dead and to actually go through with it but to hear that his own father was the mastermind behind these attacks instead of it being just random unconnected strangers struck a chord within Naruto's heart. The first rays of sympathy and companionship had been ignited within Naruto's heart. He felt sorry and sympathetic towards Gaara for the first time since meeting him.

"Love… for a time I thought what my father did for me was love. But he was a fool. I grew numb inside. I couldn't find my purpose in this world. Every person born into this world needs a purpose to live and with each death that I stacked onto my hands from all my assassins I eventually came to realize my purpose. I live solely for myself; I love only myself; as it was the death of my mother that brought me into this world, it is the deaths of others that will sustain the life she has given me and make me feel happy to be alive and as long as there are other people in this world besides me I will continue to kill so that I may prove that I exist. I will never disappear and I will never lose my reason to exist. Your life Uzumaki… The life of you and your family. No one has touched my soul more than you have so far in my life and if I am to continue living I must kill you all. Only then can I prove that I exist." Gaara spoke as he delivered an iconic speech with so much weight in it that it actually allowed tears to fall from Naruto's eyes. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was too much for him. He never thought there was another soul out there who was like him and has suffered so much.

"This is what I meant when I said your souls are so similar Daddy." Iris's voice piped up as everyone turned to the door to see Iris and Chaos standing in the door way with the princess having a sorrowful look of compassion and sympathy on her young face. She truly felt sad for the life Gaara was forced to live. He didn't deserve any of it. "Iris! Chaos! What are you doing here?" Naruto exclaimed as he didn't even sense them approaching. He was so caught up with his emotions that he didn't feel his daughters coming, despite the fact he shares a deep bond with them.

"I sensed him coming a while back Daddy. I came to make sure everything was okay." Iris responded as she stepped into the room. "Did you know he was here already Iris?" Naruto questioned as he had a feeling his daughter knew something. "Yes… this was a fated meeting that needed to happen. That's why I had you leave the room earlier at that precise time. You needed to see and hear this." Iris spoke as her voice got a little deeper. Her eyes where slowly shading themselves a greenish color which instantly made Naruto realize what was really going on. 'Lady Sōkyoku… she's starting to manifest herself more and more these days. I thought she told me a long time ago that she wouldn't full return until Iris was around ten. How come she's pushing things now and Iris is still only six?' Naruto contemplated as he dried his tears. He needed to be strong now. Sōkyoku was interfering once again which let Naruto know that this was some type of important event in his life and judging by what he just heard come out of Gaara's mouth he could safely agree on that matter.

"He's a Jinchūriki Iris… did you know this?" Naruto questioned as Shikamaru quietly listened in the background. This was extremely important and he would catalogue everything that was being said today. He had a lot to talk to Naruto about after all this was over.

"He's more than that father… much more. He's a Par Animo (Soul Pair) ~Latin~. He has a near identical soul to you. That's why my avatar has been getting the two of you confused. His soul bares such a striking resemblance to you that in a spiritual sense you can argue that you are brothers. It's why you've both led very similar lives." Iris explained in her deepening voice which brought a shocked looked to Gaara's face and an even bigger one to Naruto's. "So, in a sense… you two are spiritually related." Of all the things in the world he was expecting to hear today, this was not one of them. He was related… or more so spiritually related to Gaara. They were twins if what he was hearing was correct. Naruto didn't know how much more he could take. To many things have been happening to him over the past month and a half. He felt like he would collapse any second now.

"Iris what is going on?" Shikamaru whispered in shock as he was hearing things he couldn't even begin to understand. "Mother…" Gaara mumbled as he grabbed his head in pain while looking at Iris. A mental overlay of his very own mother was imprinted in his mind anytime he looked at Iris and right now it was causing him a lot of stress. "I'm not your mother unfortunately… at least not in the direct sense my child." Sōkyoku's voice sounded out as her eyes turned an emerald green. A subdued smile was on her face as she gazed at the distraught boy who was in mental distress.

Once again Sōkyoku was manifesting herself for an unknown reason and Naruto could feel the majestic phoenix's presence coursing through his veins once more. "What are you planning Iris?" Naruto asked as he refrained from speaking Sōkyoku's name. It was forbidden for mortals to speak or hear her name. To Naruto's limited knowledge she was some kind of ancient deity. "Your future…" Sōkyoku snipped back with amusement hidden in her voice as she turned and leveled her gaze up at Gaara who was being crippled with his mental anxiety and distress.

"You poor thing… you don't know what love is. But I can teach you." Chaos whispered into Gaara's ear with her skittish voice as she simply appeared on Gaara's back latching onto his gourd while wrapping her arms around his neck. Her purple eyes showed her excitement that was escalating by the second as everyone felt Gaara's chakra spike. Once again Chaos was able to bypass Gaara's ultimate defense without it immediately trying to attack her. Gaara couldn't take anymore as he started to growl. Chaos disappeared from Gaara's personal space as a huge cloud of sand spewed forth from his gourd into the air. The deranged boy let out an aggressive wail as the sand fashioned itself into multiple tendrils made to skewer people alive.

Naruto reacted on instinct as his chakra came rushing out of him in waves that actually started to shake the room from the intense pressure of it. A thick encasing of ice sprung up around Rock Lee's bed to protect him from what Naruto was sure to be an uncontrollable rampage by Gaara. Sōkyoku remained as calm as ever as she didn't even blink. In fact, she was no longer even looking at Gaara. She was looking towards the door and standing there was none other than Might Guy and ANBU Captain Shark.

"Alright that's enough…!" Guy shouted as he walked into the room while leveling a glare at Gaara who by some unforeseen force managed to reign himself back in and force himself back under control. His sand started to retreat back into his gourd as he glared back at Guy. A grimace of pain was on his face as he clutched his head in mental agony. More memories of his past were flashing before his eyes tormenting him as his instability once again showed itself. "This is no place to carry out a fight… save this aggression for the Chūnin Exams tomorrow." Guy informed as he never took his eyes off of Gaara who seethed silently in the middle of the room. "I'm leaving…" Gaara abruptly stated as he made his way over to the door.

He was limping as he fought desperately to keep his mind in check but a hand on his shoulder stopped him from leaving the room. "Yes, you will be leaving young man but you'll be coming with me. We need to have a little talk with your sensei about your actions today. You've broken several laws while in my jurisdiction." Shark spoke in his monotone voice while looking down at Gaara. Shark was a pretty tall individual well in the six-foot range. "Get your hand off of me." Gaara seethed as he attempted to move from his spot but Shark's grip was iron tight. "Don't test me child." Shark said as he broke his usual monotone voice to subject a very cold and stern into his stance. Gaara backed down on this as he was still fighting a mental battle inside of his mind and he couldn't handle fighting another contest of wills with another person right now.

"Make no mistake, I will kill you Uzumaki just you wait… I'll kill you all." Gaara whispered in a deadly tone as Shark tightened his grip on Gaara's shoulder. "Let's go." Shark said as he used the Body Flicker to take him and Gaara away.

It took a minute but the adrenaline eventually left everyone's bodies as Naruto went about thawing Rock Lee's body out. The ice was gone in moments leaving the aspiring Taijutsu Master completely unharmed. The boy woke up a little while later groggy from his extended nap. He was filled in on everything that has transpired which left Lee shaken up from the notion that he could have been murdered in his sleep with no way to defend himself. It truly scared him.

"Iris… is there anything you can do for Lee. Can you heal him?" Naruto felt compelled to ask as he saw the pitiful state Rock Lee was in. His skin was pale and sweat was building up on his forehead. The boy was not doing good and with his arm and leg in heavy casts it made him feel highly uncomfortable. Truth be told he felt absolutely miserable and it broke Naruto's heart to see such a strong and determined young man stuck at the bottom of what was probably the lowest depth of his life. "You can heal Lee? How? Can you!?" Guy exclaimed as the thought of his prized student being healed filled is heart with hope. Even though the doctors managed to save his life they couldn't save his career. He would never be a shinobi again, let alone the fact he'd probably have severe trouble walking and using his body for the rest of his life.

Sōkyoku's serene and graceful smile waned as a remorseful look started to mar her perfect face. "I'm sorry father but there will be side effects if I heal Lee." Sōkyoku spoke in her regal and elegant tone that captivated Lee since this was his first-time hearing either Iris or Sōkyoku talking. This was his first time meeting them to be precise. "Side effects what side effects?" Guy asked in concern as he was both curious and cautious of what these possible side effects could mean for his precious student.

"If I heal him he will regain the ability to use Chakra. He was born with a genetic defect that prevents him from channeling his body's internal chakra to the outside of his body or to the surrounding environment. If I heal him… not only will he be able to use chakra like the rest of you, but unfortunately in the process… he'll lose the one thing that makes him truly special. He'll lose his dream." Sōkyoku answered with a sad smile on her face as she watched the shocked looks appear on everyone's face, but the biggest one was on Rock Lee's face. "All it would take is one simple touch…" Sōkyoku trailed off into a cynical whisper as she held up her palm and a beautiful yet equally mesmerizing golden flame coated her hand in a hypnotizing manner.

Lee looked at the golden flame for a long time as if he was hypnotized by it but in reality, his entire life was flashing before his very eyes. Small tears started to well up in his eyes that fell without his consent as Lee took his one good arm to wipe them away. After a long pause, he spoke. "Your name is Iris correct?" Lee asked in a soft and vulnerable tone. "Yes, my name is Iris Uzumaki… it's nice to meet your acquaintance Rock Lee." Sōkyoku said with her signature elegant curtsey that was extremely formal and lady like. She truly acted the part of a royal princess. Her rich accent that was enhanced by the fact Sōkyoku was present was like music to everyone's ears.

"It's nice to meet you Iris… I've thought long and hard about your proposal and I have to decline. You are right. My dream to be the world's greatest Taijutsu master is what makes me special. It's kept me going in my darkest hours and it's what defines me. Even if my career is now over and I can no longer be a shinobi I want to stay the same. I don't want to cheat in life and suddenly become as strong as everyone else. So… I'm sorry. But I'll have to decline." Rock Lee said as he fought as hard as he could to keep the tears from falling down his face. This was his entire life on the line right now. This was everything to him and he was giving it up still for a dream and idealism that he could no longer chase. This was the hardest decision he's ever had to make.

Sōkyoku lowered her hand as the golden flame disappeared off her hand. She lowered her head as everyone in the room missed the proud smile that graced her face. "As you wish… I won't heal you as you've requested but I can tell you are in an immense amount of pain. The medications aren't helping you deal with the pain. I'll help you get rid of that nuisance. It's the least I can do for you… you're a strong and resilient young man." Sōkyoku offered with a benevolent smile as she walked up to Lee's bed side and poked her index finger to his forehead. In a second all the pain and discomfort he was feeling simply disappeared as if it was never there to begin with.

"Thank you…" Lee mumbled in awe as he wasn't expecting all of his pain to simply disappear with a simple tap of the finger. Sōkyoku continued to smile as she turned around to walk away. Naruto scowled at this as he just simply couldn't take it anymore. Something big was going on. Lady Sōkyoku was manifesting herself and acting autonomous of him more and more lately and he felt like he was missing out on something important.

"Iris we need to talk after this." Naruto said in a serious tone as he grabbed onto Sōkyoku's arm. His eyes were jaded over into a dark navy blue and he was staring down at his daughter like any serious father would do when they wanted to have a stern conversation with their child. The atmosphere was a little tense and being aware of this the ancient deity flashed her eyes a brighter green in response to this declaration as her smile grew slightly amused and cocky. "And I'll be waiting father… come Chaos. Let's go back to Hinata's room. We'll bring her some Cinnamon buns." Sōkyoku said as her voice began to soften over the course of her statement. Her influence was receding as she and Chaos walked out of the room. The last of Sōkyoku's influence to be seen was her smirk and even that faded as she left the room.

Naruto sighed a tired sigh as he turned to Shikamaru who was giving him a certain look. "I think we have a lot to talk about Naruto as well." The lazy genius simply stated while stuffing his hands in his pockets. While his body language showed that he was mentally exhausted the look in his eye expressed a different message. He really needed to talk with his friend. "I couldn't agree more young man." Guy's voice concurred as Naruto spied the serious look the Elite Jōnin was sending him.

"And I have to go talk to someone too." Naruto sighed as his eyes reflected the amount of stress and exhaustion he was going through right now. He was honestly starting to think some kind of god was meddling with his life because he could never just have a simple day stress free. Something big always had to happen and a lot of stress and mental exhaustion often accompanied the end of each day. Along that same vein he was also starting to think that mysterious god that's meddling with his life was the one that resides within his soul. Sōkyoku was becoming more and more active as the days go by and that had to mean something. It just had to… and Naruto was going to find out why.


It was nighttime and Naruto had bags underneath his eyes as he knocked of a rich looking door. "Come in." The voice said as Naruto entered the room to see his boss for the last six years sitting behind his desk with his ever-present cup of tea in hand and documents in the other. It was Dino Pasquinelli the Kingpin of the Jasmine Dragon Mafia.

"Naruto what a surprise… I wasn't expecting you tonight. I thought you would have spent this day at home with your family? You don't have to work until after the Third Exams are over." Dino questioned as he placed his cup of tea down. "I know sir but life likes to throw me curve balls. I'm here to asked your permission for something." Naruto asked as he unceremoniously dropped himself into the chair that sit in front of Dino's desk. The old man raised an eyebrow at this lack of decorum as he noticed the haggard and stressed out look to one of his most favorite agents. His eyes had bags underneath them and he was walking with a slouch.

"Oh… and what would this special permission entail my boy?" Dino asked in growing curiosity as it wasn't too often Naruto came to him with inquiries like these. He usually has the bad habit of solving his problems on his own regardless of the difficult. "It's about my match tomorrow against Neji Hyūga." Naruto said as his tone darkened a bit. The tired and haggard look was still weighing him down as he looked at his boss but the look in his eye was anything but exhausted.

Neji Hyūga was going to lose this match tomorrow.


Jutsu Library

1.) Aegis - A unique ability that Chaos demonstrates. She creates a light blue shield that has hexagonal shapes as its pattern. The shield is in the shape of a large sphere that increases its diameter and can encompass anything Chaos wishes it to. Chaos can also summon her Aegis shield at long ranges to encompass objects that are not connected to her; effectively allowing her to trap people, objects, and targets within an inescapable prison.

2.) Fire Style: Heat Conduction Bodily Transfer Jutsu - This is an advanced Jutsu developed by Hiruzen in his younger days as a way to counter his friend Dino. With this technique, Hiruzen is able to suck up the heat and moisture in the air around him either through funneling it into an outstretched appendage coated in his chakra or through his nose or mouth. This renders almost any and all Fire Style Ninjutsu and just regular fire ineffective and in some cases outright useless against the Hokage. Once inside of his body Hiruzen can then channel the heat he has collected back out of his body either through the opposite appendage or opposite orphacise. If he inhales the heat through his nose he has to exhale the following exhaust through his mouth and vice-versa.

3.) Phoenix Fire: Ember - A simple fire technique Iris can use in any form she chooses. Iris's cheeks usually expand as she fills her mouth with fiery gases and embers. She then shoots this out of her mouth in the form off a small cloud of embers and flames that can give a person 2nd and 3rd Degree burns if used directly against them. It's not a particularly powerful technique and the most Iris usually uses this technique for is to start camp fires or when she's cooking.

4.) Water Style: Water Whip Jutsu - The user creates a whip made of water that can wrap around the opponent. The user can also channel lightning chakra to shock anyone wrapped in it. The whip can be created from any volume of water including a simple glass of water.

5.) Fire Style: Stream Jutsu - The basics of Fire Style. It is the exact same as it's other elemental counterparts such as the Wind Style: Stream. The user exhales a spray of fire from their mouth in a narrow radius in front of them. The flamethrower scorches anything it touches but the user unless he/she moves their head will have no control over the direction of the attack. Also, the attack will lack many attributes including destructive power and shape transformation.

6.) Earth Style: Tile Shifter Jutsu - A unique and fairly crafty Earth Style Ninjutsu, the user channels their chakra into the surrounding earth or materials around them and shift its stance at a moment's notice. It is a subtle technique that doesn't have proper battle field applications but can be used effectively for menial tasks, stealth related missions, and other supplementary preferences.

7.) Artemis - While her wings are manifested Chaos can conjure her tainted flames and target multiple objects or enemies at the same time using her targeting systems. When they fire they are fast, traveling two to three times faster than the fire balls she shoots from her hands. They are smaller and in the shape of bullets. They have a lot of piercing power but a lower amount of explosive power. They are good at intercepting or bombarding targets.

8.) Wind Style: Vacuum Bullets Jutsu - The user takes a deep breath and then exhales several small blasts of wind chakra in such a manner that they are dispersed over an expansive range, enough to make it difficult to avoid them entirely without taking any damage. Due to the properties of this technique, the expelled blasts are capable of piercing into and potentially through an opponent's flesh when they collide with it.

9.) Earth Style: Terraform Jutsu - A very powerful and versatile Jutsu that allows the caster to mold and shape any piece of mineral into any shape they desire. There is no limit to what can be created by this technique but the only drawbacks to this effective technique is the fact the user has to have a substantial quantity of the material being used in their creation and an equally proportionate amount of chakra to mold the materials. It should also be said that the more intricated and detailed the structure becomes as well as how large it is affects how well this technique can be used. It takes massive amounts of chakra to be consumed for more complex structures and creations.

10.) Wind Style: Gust Jutsu - A low C - Rank Jutsu that creates a gust of wind that blows an opponent off their feet. The unique functionality of this technique however allows for the gust of wind to come from a multitude of places. Ex: Hands (Palms or Fist), Feet, Mouth, or through a weapon (Fan or other weapon that can generated air based on movement).

11.) Lightning Style: Static Lockdown Jutsu - A fairly low ranking technique that allows the user to generate a static field of electricity around a target that makes them involuntarily magnetized and susceptible to being restrained to other such objects. It's good for restraining and trapping individuals who are unruly and non compliant.

12.) Bukijutsu: Shrapnel Blast - A very simple yet versatile move that allows the user to control inanimate objects in their surroundings and use as weapons. By streaming chakra to said objects the user can then lift them in the air and launch them forward at their target. It can be used on real weapons for the most lethal affects, shrapnel and debris fields; or simple everyday objects such as pencils.

13.) Shadow Possession Jutsu - This is the signature secret technique of the famous Nara Clan. The user extends their shadow on any surface even water and as far as they want as long as there is a sufficient area. Once it comes into contact with a target's shadow, the two merge and the target is forced to imitate the user's movements. If the target is out of range, the user can produce a better light source to increase their shadow's size or rely on pre-existing shadows for their shadow to freely travel through. It's also possible to split one's shadow, either to trap more opponents at once, or to create a distraction.

14.) Body Flicker Jutsu - A high speed ninja technique that allows the user to travel at high speeds in micro burst. Usually the technique is accompanied by a special effect that masks the movement of the user.


[Par Animo (Soul Pair) ~Latin~] - A Soul Pair are a duo of souls that are near identical in every conceivable sense. The individuals these souls belong to will inevitably live very similar lives and depending on circumstances will also find polar opposite phenomenon happening within their lives that differentiate them for each other. On a spiritual level they are virtually identical and can easily fool anyone adept at sensing souls and spiritual energies and their signatures. It is also inevitable that these two souls will eventually meet each other and change each other's lives.

There are other phenomenon and quirks associated with the relationship shared between a Par Animo but those are still yet to be revealed.


Author's Note (A/N): Hey guys this chapter was very fun to write. A lot has happened and we finally get the Naruto vs. Neji match next chapter. In this chapter we get a mini skirmish between the girls and Konohamaru against the Third Hokage and they get wrecked with Hiruzen having both hands literally tied down. Chaos herself gets a much needed pep talk that helps her cope with the revelation and trauma of the Harpies coming after her from the last chapter.

Naruto and Shikamaru go to the hospital to visit Hinata and Rock Lee. Hinata is ecstatic to see her close friend and they strike up a conversation that end in a quick peck on the cheek. This of course predictably ends in a playful squabble between the girls in the room with Naruto caught in the awkward bystander position.

Things take a turn for the worst as the duo come across Gaara trying to murder Rock Lee in his hospital room. Naruto and Shikamaru stop him from doing this to which Gaara goes into his past and reveals much of himself to the shock of the boys who find out about just how many similarities Naruto and Gaara share which is driven home by Iris who reveals why this is so.

Naruto asks Iris if she can heal Lee to which she says its possible but he would regain the ability to use chakra. Lee ultimately declines much to Iris's approval but Naruto isn't so happy with the ancient goddess residing in his soul. Lady Sōkyoku is becoming more and more active. What does that all mean.

Finally Naruto speaks with his boss for a request in his upcoming match with Neji. He's convinced he will win... he has to.


Next Chapter: Chapter 58 (Uzumaki vs. Hyūga)


That's the end of Chapter 57 I sincerely hoped you enjoyed it.

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Published: 10/2/2017