(A/N: Lady Hiran here! Let's not beat around the bush! Ai-chama? Take it away!)

Yo! This is Ai-kichi! Signing out! Now taking over the Recap isss (Drumroll please?) Chie-Hiran, The Wise One!

(elderly old lady/sage hobbles out)

Thanky kindly.

The authoress tells me that she has received numerous inquiries as to when the pairings in this fic will be revealed.

I am here to tell you that your patience will be rewarded, so do be patient.

The pairings will be revealed in upcoming chapters.

Now, on to the Recap.

Hajime and Hotaru managed to return the Konohagakure villagers to their rightful time.

How lovely.

Now, after making some new acquaintances, they have decided to stay and watch the Chunin exams.

That is your Recap.

Phwuuhhh…I need a nap.

Zzz…zzzzz…zzzz…

"BRRR! It's sooo COLD!" Naruto complained, shivering violently.

He and Hajime walked through Konohagakure; it was currently snowing.

"C'mon, Naru-bozu! 'taint that bad!" Hajime said cheerfully, dressed in a heavy sweatshirt, scarf and a pair of leather gloves Hotaru had brought along in case of such emergencies.

He had switched out his Chinese shoes for leather hiking boots (also courtesy of Hotaru), which now crunched through the layer of snow.

"Shyeah r-r-right!" Naruto snapped, "You have a sister to look out fer ya! Speakin' a which, where'd she go?"

She had mysteriously vanished over tem minutes ago (not that Naruto, in his infinite wisdom, had noticed).

"Dunno." Hajime smirked, "Why doncha ask her yerself?"

"What's THAT supposda-?"

"NAAARRUU-PYONN! HAAAA-CHAAANN!"

Hotaru came dashing towards them, her arms loaded down with Inari-zushi.

She now wore stretch pants beneath her Chinese dress, a pair of leather gloves, a heavy sweatshirt and scarf.

Hotaru, also, had traded out her Chinese shoes in favor of leather hiking boots.

Her knapsack and sword case still adorned her back and the ubiquitous tekko were still enfolded around her forearms.

"Shah'ee! Ah 'oo'en 'ee'ist!" She cried, her voice muffled by another inari zushi, protruding from her mouth.

(Translation: Sorry! I couldn't resist!)

She swallowed, "Here! Have one! There uber nummy!"

Naruto, upon spying the Inari in her hands, rushed over and snatched one up, the kyuubi chakra getting the best of him.

"Here ya go brother!" Hotaru grinned, popping one into her younger twin's mouth, "They're delicious!"

Hajime took hold of it with one hand and chewed it happily.

The three ate with enthusiasm all the way back to the stadium.

Hajime and Hotaru pulled off the heavy outer (and in Hotaru's case, under; ya can't forget those stretch pants) clothing; switching their hiking boots off in favor of their Chinese slipper-shoes again.

"Hey, you guys! Welcome back!" Rock Lee said cheerfully.

"Mmmph mmph mmph mmmph! Mmmmph!" Hajime said happily through a full mouth.

Hotaru waited until she finished chewing to speak.

"Heyas! We got Inari-zushi!" she said merrily, "There's enough here for everyone!"

"Nice!" Chouji said greedily, lumbering over to where Hotaru, Naruto and Hajime had situated themselves.

Nara Shikamaru stared hard at Hotaru and Hajime as they ate.

"How childishly you eat." He muttered, taking one of the pastries.

Hotaru merely smiled up at him from her spot on the floor, crumbs sprinkling her cheeks and chin,

Aburame Shino took an Inari-zushi and sat down across from Naruto.

"Are these…any good?" he asked, sunglasses flashing.

"MM-HMM!" Naruto replied through a mouthful of food.

"I'd take that as a yes." Kiba chuckled, taking an Inari-zushi of his own.

"S-say…H-Hajime-san? Hinata asked shyly, "N-Neji-aniki…and myself had noticed…about you…and H-Hotaru-san…is a very unusual chakra."

"Pftt! Hee hee hee!" Hotaru snickered.

"Huh? Hi-chan? That wasn't funny." Hajime said, confused.

"I-I knah-know! AH-HA-HA!" Hotaru cried, shrieking with laughter, "S-somethin's t-tickling mee-yeeAH ha ha!"

-pwip-

"Hi-chan?" Hajime asked slowly, "Since whennn have you had fox ears?"

"F-fox eeYA-ha ha! I-I do na-ha ha hot!" Hotaru said indignantly (or as indignantly as she could between the peals of laughter)

"Wait just a minute." Sasuke said, reaching over Hotaru's head.

He lifted a very familiar fox kit over the pale blonde teen's head, who proceeded to lick the Uchiha's nose.

"Nuh?" Hotaru said blearily, tears left over from the giggles dancing in the corners of her ice blue eyes, "TANPOPO? How did you get here?" she asked taking the kit from Sasuke, who began to wriggle from the joy of seeing his master.

"Tanpopo?" Naruto asked, puzzled, "I thought his name was Popotan!"

"Popotan is just a PLAY on Tanpopo, moron." Sakura growled.

"Oh!" Naruto said as two and two came together in his head.

"Must've crawled into yer pack, sis." Hajime observed.

"But doncha think I woulda noticed all that wiggling before now?" Hotaru asked.

"Maybe Popotan was asleep." Hajime suggested, "I mean, it is winter after all."

"Good point." Neji said pointedly.

"How troublesome." Shikamaru sighed, absentmindedly stroking the tiny fox kit's head.

"That must be it." Hotaru nodded as Tanpopo, smelling all the people, squirmed free to investigate.

"Myaa! Popotan!" Hotaru cried, charging towards the Sunagakure siblings in her pursuit of the little fox, "Come back here!"

Gaara reacted instinctively.

His intuition, basing on her movements, told himthat she was about to assail him.

Hotaru scooped up Tanpopo, "Gotcha!" she cried happily.

"Suna shuriken!" Gaara snarled, sending a barrage of sand shuriken at the girl.

Almost no time to react.

The only thing Hotaru could do was twist her body in such away so that the deadly weapons avoided both Tanpopo and her vital points.

-SHNK-

"AAAAUGH!"Hotaru screamed, clutching her side, blood seeping out between her fingers.

Hotaru hit the floor with a thump, Tanpopo still cradled in her arm.

"You SUNNAVA-!" Hajime snarled, preparing to strike.

"You're DEAD!" Naruto roared.

"HAJIME! NARUTO! STOP!" Hotaru cried sharply.

Naruto and Hajime screeched to a halt.

"H-Hi-chan…" Hajime sputtered, "But-but he just-!"

"It's…it's okay." Hotaru said, painfully pushing herself upright, clutching her side with one hand, "H-he thought I was going to attack…it…it isn't his fault…and besides…"

She looked into Gaara's pale green eyes, black rimmed from almost life-long insomnia.

"He…is like us, brother." Hotaru said quietly, "Like you…like jii-chan…and…and like me as well."

Hajime paled and glanced quickly at Gaara.

"Him?" he whispered harshly, "A jinchuriki?"

"Mm." Hotaru nodded.

"How can you be so-"

"A jinchuriki knows brother." Hotaru said softly, "It maybe somewhat diminished for you…but…I'm sure you sense it, too."

Hajime looked at Gaara hard before kneeling down to inspect the wound.

"How izzit?" he asked.

"'sokay." Hotaru replied smilingly, "See? 'salmost gone!"

She pulled aside the torn fabric to prove her point.

Hajime just growled and swooped her off the ground.

-BAKBAKBAKBAKBAK-

Hotaru whacked Hajime repeatedly on the skull with her fists.

"Whaddya think your doin'?" she asked, slightly irked, "Put me down."

"Nuh-uh." Hajime grunted, "I'm gunna get that thing checked out."

Gaara, Temari and Kankuro watched this display progress with amusement.

"Brother…tell me…do you have children?" Hotaru asked softly.

"What kinda stupid ass question is that?" Hajime snorted, "Ya know I don't!"

"Do ya want to?" She asked, her eyes glowing with a feral light, "Because if you don't put me down in the next five seconds, I swear ta GOD, I'LL RIP YER SACK OFF WITH MY BEAR-FUCKIN'-HANDS!"

Hajime abruptly let go.

Hotaru twisted her body so she landed safely.

"Peh." She snarled.

Hotaru pulled herself onto the ledge and sat down, legs crossed, staring out over the fighting platform awaiting the next fight tetchily.

A cold chill of apprehension tore through her soul.

"Uh-oh!" she thought, "This is worse than Kakashi-perv!"

Speaking of whom, Kakashi had just spotted Hotaru and was about to ask if he could have an Inari-zushi when she leapt ten feet in the air (somehow pilfering 'Come Come Paradise' in the process) and…

-WHAKTHAKWHOKTHOKTHROKKRAKKROK-

…struck thin air.

Hotaru landed by the rapidly growing congregation of people, assembling to receive an Inari-zushi.

The air where Hotaru had landed her blows began to shift and warp until finally, an middle aged man with a shock of white hair appeared; face almost indiscernible beneath all the lumps left by Hotaru's patented, Beatcha-With-A-Book-Corner-Technique.

"Thought so." Hotaru snorted, "My Perv-dar is never off."

"Jiraiya-sama!" Kakashi said, surprise filling his voice.

"Eh? So this is the Ero-sennin, huh?" Hajime asked, raising an eyebrow, "Yo, Hi-chan! What was he doin' that was so pervvy?"

"Whaddya think, bro?" Hotaru snorted, "He was attempting to grope me while invisible."

-…pok…pokpokpok…-

"I'm going…to kill him…" Hajime said quietly, cracking his knuckles.

"Yo! Kakashi!" a female voice boomed.

A tall woman, with straw blonde hair and HUGE breasts, strode into the room.

"Have you seen Jirai…YYAAAAAAAA!" Hokage Tsunade screamed, rushing to the fallen man's side.

"Jiraiya-san! Who did this to you?" she cried.

-Goosh-

-WOK-

"Answer my question, super letch." Tsunade growled a veined popping in both her fist and her forehead; Jiraiya had just felt up her breast.

"That girl…over there…" he moaned, barely cognizant.

Tsunade turned her angry gaze on Hajime, who, with his rather long hair, large round eyes, and baby face, is often mistaken for a girl (sucks bein' a twin and a pretty boy! Heh heh!).

"How dare you do this to Jiraiya!" she shouted, drawing back a fist, "DIIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!"

-KAKRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM-

A huge crater imploded the floor.

"Waugh!" Hajime cried, "Hi-chan! Do somethin'!"

"Okay!" Hotaru smiled.

Hotaru appeared only inches away from Tsunade, truly freaking her out.

"Hello, Ms. Lady-ma'am!" she grinned, "I apologize for bein' so rough with your friend, but he really deserved it! He was trying to feel me up under cover of invisibility!"

Tsunade's eyes narrowed as she turned to glare at Jiraiya, "He failed to mention THAT particular portion of the program."

Hotaru held up Tanpopo.

"Hi-chan is sorry, that she is-pyon! Do forgive her-pyon!" She voiced through the fox kit.

Tsunade smiled and petted the kit's head.

"You're forgiven…it's okay."

"YAY!" Hotaru cried happily, snuggling Tanpopo close, "She's not mad anymore! Woo-hoo!"

"So childish…such naiveté is so rare…so endearing…she and her brother are like a pair of baby animals…" Tsunade thought.

"Tsunade-sama? May we?" Iruka asked.

"Yes. We have much to discuss." Kakashi said gravely.

"Mm." Tsunade nodded, grabbing Jiraiya by the feet, "Tell me of all that has happened."

She and the two Jounin walked off as she dragged the pseudo-conscious Ero-sennin by the feet.

(A/N: Next chapter, Pairings revealed, Orochimaru! EEEEWWW! and perhaps a surprse visit from the Akatsuki! R&R!)