(Coming back to you with another chapter that'll set the stage for the next arc of this story.)
In Konoha one morning, Naruto was on his way to the training grounds. When he arrived, he saw his teammates kicking back and waiting.
"Morning, guys." he greeted.
"Morning, Naruto." Sakura greeted.
Naruto took notice their absent sensei, "Still not here?"
"Like that's something to be surprised about?" Sakura asked rhetorically.
"Good point." Naruto admitted, as he sat down on the grass.
Sasuke spoke up, "So, Naruto, any word on the analysis of the drone you brought back from Wave?"
Naruto sighed and shook his head, "Nothing. It's been a few days since we got back, but Oracle, Rhinox, Rattrap, and the others aren't finding anything to trace this drone back to its source of development."
"Let's just hope it doesn't reactivate and send a signal to more of those things." Sakura hoped while worried.
"Don't worry. While I didn't destroy it, I made sure it was damaged enough that it wouldn't come back online." Naruto assured them.
"Well, if they were able to find us in Wave there is an off chance they might find us here." Sasuke noted, which got Sakura concerned.
"Yeah. Oracle told me about that too," Naruto confirmed, "No matter. If someone's targeting me and the Transformers then we'll fight till the last breath."
"That's good confidence, Naruto." Kakashi admitted, as he showed up.
"And where were you?" Sakura frowned.
"Uh, not important," Kakashi rubbed the back of his head, "Now then. You all ready to get back to missions?"
"Yes, sir." Naruto confirmed, as his teammates got up with him.
And so for the day Squad Seven had started going back to standard D-rank missions, which was relaxing to them after their mission in Wave.
When all was said and done, Kakashi dismissed his team and left as well, "Well, see ya tomorrow guys," Naruto said, as he was about to take off, until he stopped and listened closely hearing a cry for help, "Guys, we got trouble." he addressed his team.
"What is it?" Sakura asked, as she and Sasuke looked to Naruto.
"This way!" Naruto said, as they started running through the village.
Soon enough they saw the Hokage's grandson Konohamaru being held by the scruff of his neck by a boy in a black outfit, had purple markings painted on his face, and was carrying something wrapped up on his back. Next to him was a girl with blonde hair tied in four pigtails, and was carrying a giant folded up fan on her back. What the two shared in common was their headbands had the emblem for the village of Suna.
"Those are Sand shinobi." Sakura noted.
"From Suna." Sasuke added.
"What could they be doing here?" Naruto squinted.
With Konohamru and the two older ninja, the one in black spoke, "This is what happens when you don't watch where you're going."
"Kankuro, will you please knock it off?" the girl warned the boy.
"Relax, Temari, this'll only take a second." the boy said, about ready to deck the kid.
"Stop!" Naruto shouted, as Squad seven approached.
"Naruto!" Konohamaru cheered.
"What do you think you're doing?" Sasuke demanded.
"Buzz off, pal. This isn't your business." the boy named Kankuro snuffed.
"That kid is a friend of mine, so it is our business." Naruto argued.
"Kid ran into me." he replied.
"I'm sure it was an accident." Sakura tried to reason.
"Even so, the kid needs to learn to watch where he's going."
"I really wouldn't think about punching him if I were you." Naruto warned him with a smirk.
"And why's that?"
"Uh, Kankuro." Temari said in worry.
"What is it Tema-ri?" Kankuro suddenly realized he and Temari were surrounded by Megatron, Scorponok, Terrosaur, Rattrap, Dinobot, and Cheetor surrounding them with their weapons aimed directly at them.
"Drop the kid, pal." Rattrap ordered.
"You better do it." Terrosaur warned him.
Kankuro ended up dropping Konohamaru who ran over to Squad Seven, "What are these things?" Kankuro asked in surprise.
"Beings that don't take kindly to intruders." Megatron answered, with his T-Rex Head claw aimed at him.
"What is going on here?" another voice called out.
Everyone looked up and saw hanging upside down from a tree was a boy with short red hair, dark rings around his eyes, and carried a gourd on his back. The Konoha shinobi and Transformers were surprised by his sudden appearance.
"Gaara, I was just..." Kankuro began, until the boy named Gaara cut him off.
"Kankuro, you disgrace our village by getting into a petty squabble with children, and bringing more dishonor by trying to pick a fight with other shinobi while we're here? What would father say?"
"Gaara, I-"
"Will you just shut up already?!' Kankuro fell silent, as Gaara descended to the ground and spoke, "I apologize for the idiocy of my brother. I assure you we did not come here to start trouble."
"Then why are you here?" Sasuke inquired.
Temari spoke up, as she showed them a passport, "We're here for this year's Chunin Exams being held in your village."
"That time already?" Naruto asked, before speaking to the Transformers, "Alright, stand down, you guys." the bots lowered their weapons and walked over to Naruto's side.
Gaara eyed the robots, before speaking the the blonde, "Curious soldiers you command. I've never seen anything like them before."
"Yeah they're one of a kind." Naruto answered.
"Before you go could you tell us your name?" Sasuke inquired.
"I am Gaara of the desert. And I'm curious about yours and your teammate as well."
"I'm Sasuke Uchiha."
"And I'm Naruto Uzumaki."
Gaara eyed Naruto, as he if he was gazing deeply into his very soul. He approached closer, but the Transformers were prepared to strike if he got too close. Naruto hand signaled them to stand back, and they obeyed.
Gaara got close enough and spoke the the blonde, "I can see it in you as well," Naruto raised a brow, "You carry one inside you too." Naruto gasped at Gaara's words and could tell what he meant.
"I hope to see you again soon." Gaara said, as he and his siblings took their leave.
"What was that about?" Sakura asked.
"Haven't the slightest," Naruto replied, "Pardon me." Naruto took off.
"Hey, Naruto!" Cheetor called, as the Transformers followed him leaving Sasuke, Sakura, and Konohamaru confused.
At the lair, Naruto was sitting at a table enjoying a bowl of ramen while thinking about what Gaara said. Optimus approached, and spoke, "Naruto, you've been very quiet since you got in. Megatron informed me of what happened awhile ago. Your encounter with the Sand ninja."
"What Gaara said to me. You carry one inside you too," Naruto answered, "That can only mean one thing. Gaara has a tailed beast inside him as well. He's a Jinchuriki too."
"Well, that's just prime." Optimus crossed his arms.
"And I'll need to talk to an old friend about that." Naruto said, as he finished his ramen and walked over to a vacant spot. He got in the lotus position and began to meditate.
Suddenly Naruto appeared in some dark chamber before a colossal gate with a tag reading 'seal' on it. He looked up at the gates and called out, "Kurama!"
Suddenly appearing at the gates was the tailed beast himself, "Naruto, I was expecting you."
"I know it's been awhile since we last chat awhile back, Kurama." Naruto began.
"Too long," Kurama replied, "But better now than never again. You've come to learn about the tailed beast that resides with Gaara, don't you?"
"You know me so well." Naruto answered cheekily.
Kurama snickered, "Right. Well, I do know who he houses within him."
"And that would be?"
"Shukaku the sand spirit; the one tail."
"And what can you tell me about him?" Naruto inquired.
"Many years ago the people of Suna sealed Shukaku inside of a tea kettle, and for generations they attempted to merge him within other shinobi, but they all ended in tragedy. For Shukaku is the most wildest of the tailed beasts, and having him inside you can come with a price."
"What kind of price?"
"You noticed the rings around Gaara's eyes?"
"Yes."
"If one tries to sleep, Shukaku eats away at your psyche until there is nothing left. Though I myself could feel the link between the two just as Gaara could feel the link between us. It doesn't appear Shukaku really wants to drive Gaara insane with insomnia, but rather has no control over his urge to eat his psyche."
"Like it's his instinct." Naruto guessed.
"Precisely."
"Gotta feel bad for him because of that. Think maybe there's a way we could help? Like Pervy Sage might know something?"
"I wouldn't deny the possibility on that, but for now it's best you stay out of his way. Unless you wanna find yourself defeated by sand." Naruto raised a brow at Kurama's statement, but chose to let it be.
Naruto came out of his meditation and relaxed. He got up and walked to the lab section seeing the drone on a construction table with Rhinox overlooking it, "Still nothing, Rhinox?"
"Not a bit," he sighed, "Whoever designed this drone is making sure we can't find a way to trace it back to the source."
"Well, just gotta keep this one under observation. Wherever this and the others came from, chances are they could come here too."
"That's what worries us all." Rhinox feared.
"I'm worried about it too. But I'm not gonna let fear stop me from doing my job as a shinobi." Naruto answered.
"And we'll do just the same." Rhinox promised.
"Good. You and Oracle inform me if anything develops."
"Will do." Rhinox answered, as Naruto left to rest up.
That night at the Hokage's office, Hiruzen was looking over some files of shinobi from various villages. Accompanying him was Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
"Well, it's that time again." Hiruzen told his students.
"Indeed it is, sensei." Orochimaru confirmed.
"The Chunin Exams." Jiraiya stated.
"And by the looks of all these applicants, the villages of the great and lower nations have sent quite a crop this year." The Hokage said.
"Let's hope they're prepared for whatever happens." Orochimaru said.
"Especially Naruto and the rest of his former classmates." Jiraiya added.
Hiruzen nodded, "The other shinobi weren't too fond of Kakashi, Kurenai, and Asuma nominating them for it."
"And yet those guys don't realize some of us made Chunin when we were even younger than they are." Jiraiya chuckled.
"The former generation always lacking faith." Orochimaru snickered.
"Well, let's hope that their faith in their students is not misplaced." Hiruzen hoped knowing things in the village were about to get more interesting.
(And there you go. Another alteration is Gaara is not going to be cold blooded crazy because of Shukaku. Rather he's more apathetic about a lot of things. Don't miss next time as the Chunin Exams begin.)