Yeah, I know it's been awhile since I posted up another addition, but I sorta hit a brain block about halfway through. Sorry for the wait, oh loyal readers. In order to make up for it, this chapter is even longer then the last. With how I'm going, they'll probably just grow longer and longer with each new chapter. As though I should complain. But what I should complain about is the lack of reviews on my last chapter. I would like at least five or six reviews for this one.

If you don't, expect me to start crying and going into Gai-Mode. Fear my innovative speeches and various poses!

As always, I don't own Naruto or any of the characters therein. I'm just a poor guy that's plotting various schemes of world domination for the sake of attention. And when I can get my death ray to work with Windows, I will TAKE OVER THE WORLD!

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"Blah" Normal Speak

"Blah" Thought Speak

Beauty of the Beasts

Chapter 3: Heart Throbs and Throbbing Headaches

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Five almost unintelligible figures ran from tree branch to tree branch, two of them in the midst of thought. Neji seemed to have his thinking scowl on as he stared straight ahead, which was enough to keep TenTen or Lee from attempting to pry anything out of him just yet. Hinata's expression was resembling a woman who was somehow about to start crying, though this was overlooked since this was how she normally appeared. Of course, her pink-haired teammate lacked the tact of Neji's, so she decided to break the almost stifling silence when they decided to have a break halfway to the gate.

"Okay, Hinata, I wanna know where you know that kid from." Sakura practically demanded as she glared at her blushing friend, smirking when she saw her press her fingers together out of nervous habit. "From how friendly you were acting with him, you've both met before. So spill!" she knew the others were wondering the same thing that she was, but it seemed that she was the only one that had the courage to make the inquiry.

Hinata's gaze flickered from person to person, silently hoping that one of them would come to her rescue and keep her from telling them about it. But from the varying expressions of obvious curiosity, it seemed that being saved was out of the question. She turned her pearl-colored eyes to the ground and shuffled her feet from side to side before she sighed in unconscious resignation and nodded before looking back at the group. "It was when I was nine years old…"

-(Flashback)-

A younger Hinata sniffled as she walked away from the glittering lights of the carnival, tears still running down her cheeks after another of her father's verbal lashings about not being suitable as the heir to the Hyuuga House. She wanted to run, but the white kimono with pink flower decorations restricted her movements to a saddened shuffle.

Before she even realized it, her aimless wandering had brought her to a small bridge, and to a young boy sitting on the railing. His expression was unreadable as he stared up at the full moon that hung overhead, his blonde hair catching the moonlight and giving him an almost ethereal appearance. Even the way his open orange coat fluttered in the wind seemed otherworldly to her, leaving the girl unaware that she was staring at him until he turned his head to stare at her, his eyes as blue as the ocean, and seemingly deeper then that.

"Why are you crying?" he asked before he pushed himself off the rail and began to walk toward her. It was then that she noticed the strange looking marks on his cheeks, as though it was a sign he was some sort of animal in a previous life, which made him even harder to look away from.

Hinata blinked and began to rub at her eyes with the sleeve of her kimono, trying not to look so pathetic around a total stranger. "I-I-I wasn't crying." she muttered, blinking several times in order to be sure that she managed to cut short her lamenting.

The boy's face suddenly scrunched in an expression of deep thinking, though the small twitch in the corner of his lip made it seem that such a strain was doing more harm then good. Hinata couldn't stifle the giggle that suddenly escaped her lips, her cheeks flushing as she brought her hands over her lips. The blonde's face immediately snapped back to normal, a wide grin scrawling itself on his lips as he looked at her. "That's alot better. You really should smile more. It makes you look pretty." he glanced at the moon again, unaware of the deep blush that Hinata had grown. Looking back at her, he scratched the side of his head and tilted his cranium in the direction of his hand, another thought passing through his mind that he thought was worth inquiring. "Why are you here instead of at the carnival?"

That put the brakes on Hinata's improving mood, looking rather crestfallen as she frowns and looks at the floorboards of the bridge. "M-My father said t-t-that I'm not a worthy heir to the Hyuuga name." she sniffled in an attempt to fight back her tears, deciding a change in the direction of the conversation was in order. "Why aren't you having fun at the festival?"

The boy was silent for a moment before he casually shrugged, bringing both of his arms behind his head as he grinned. "I was for alittle while, but abunch of people don't want me around, so I figured I'd stay out of trouble and just watch from here." the grin remained plastered on his face as he spoke, though Hinata could see that something about it seemed wrong, as though it was a puzzle that was missing a piece. Such a thing could also have been said for his eyes, though she couldn't put what she thought into proper words.

"That dosen't sound like any fun to me." she says, her voice barely above a whisper as she glances at the ground, sure that her comment had somehow offended the boy who she hadn't even introduced herself to yet. But before she could sink further into self-contempt, she found herself staring down into the eyes of a green stuffed frog. "Froggy-san and I don't want to see you cry again." he stated, nuzzling her chin with the stuffed animal as he slowly brought her pearl-colored eyes back to look at him, the smile on his face a genuine one. She couldn't help but smile right back at him, which caused his grin to span from ear to ear.

He nodded in satisfaction and turned around when he heard a voice call out to him from the other side of the bridge. Hinata tilted her head to the side and saw it was some old man, since his hair was stark white, staggering away from the festival and motioning him over with a drunken wave of his hand. The blond sighed and shook his head before turning and looking back at Hinata, his smile having ebbed. "I'm afraid I've gotta go, but I think Froggy-san would be happier with you then me." he holds the stuffed animal out for her to take.

The dark haired ninja in training blinked and regretfully took the little creature from his hands, wanting to have spent more time with its owner then this. "Will I see you again?"

The boy tapped his chin and shrugged. "I don't know, but I'd like to." he smiles and pats her shoulder. "And you should be more confident in yourself. If people say you're weak, you should try and prove them wrong." he nods and jogs over to the man, waving at Hinata as the two of them make their way down the street and into the shadows.

-(End Flashback)-

The dark-haired kunoichi could feel her cheeks burning by the end of her recollection, especially when she saw that Sakura and TenTen were starting to tear up at the unabashed sentimentality of her tale. Lee, on the other hand, had a bandaged forearm pressed against his eyes as he openly started to weep, babbling incoherently about the splendor of such a youthful exchange. Even Neji's usually stern and discerning glare had softened considerably, indicating that even he had been moved by how his cousin could weave such an overly-romanticized saga. She unclasped her hands and smiled at them, finally able to look them in the eyes as her posture straightened. "Let's keep going." she nodded slightly at her own words, leaping into the branches before anyone could stop her.

Neji looked over at Sakura and TenTen, nodding in silent agreement with his cousin before he joined her in bounding amidst the trees, soon followed by the rest of the group.

---

"Hatake Kakashi, you say?" Maito Gai stroked his chin in what he believed to be a thoughtful posture, glancing at his three Genin trainees. What was going to be a very long lecture was stopped dead in its tracks the moment they mentioned Kakashi. Lee and the others nodded at the semi-inquiry, though Lee was the only one to ask the question that was on all of their minds. "Who is Hatake Kakashi, sensei?"

Of course, there was a reason the other two hadn't asked.

"He, children.." he pauses and grins, his teeth glinting for seemingly no reason. "..is my arch rival!" he clenches a fist and takes a step towards the trio, the twinkle in his eye a harbinger of a fate that sometimes seemed worse then death. "He and I have been competing ever since we were Chuunin, always attempting to prove ourselves better then the other! He is one of the few shinobi in our village whose flame of manly youth actually rivals my own, and I have made it my mission to prove that my passionate strength is far greater then his!" they could practically see the blistering inferno in his eyes.

Just as the instructor took a deep breath, preparing for another verbal salvo, Neji surprisingly spoke up. "Then you can tell us about Uzamaki Naruto." he stated with surprising interest, in both the object of his question and how his sensei suddenly seemed to stop dead in his tracks, the bluster leaving his lungs as Gai looked right back at Neji.

"You three met Uzamaki Naruto?" Gai's voice was surprisingly stern, his features hardening so quickly it took all three of the Genin a moment to register that he was the same man when they nodded. "If he's out and about, then it must be coming soon." he thought to himself, the Jounin's eyes moving from student to student, and eventually resting on TenTen. The passing silence was so heavy you could cut it with a kunai, and she was fighting the urge to start fidgeting as he spoke. "The three of you are dismissed for the day. There is something I must see to." he says before turning around and heading off of the balcony, hands pressed behind his back as he found himself deep in thought over the consequences that could be on their way.

TenTen blinked and turned to look at the others, her expression just about as confused as the rest of them were. "Okay. What the hell happened?" she was trying not to yell when she spoke, but it seemed the only way she could articulate her irritation at how they were apparently lost in the dark. All Lee could do was shrug, while Neji continued staring at the door.

"Does it have to do with that..." Neji's train of thought was suddenly derailed when a hand was waved infront of his face, causing him to blink turn his attention to the owner of the appendage in his space. "What is it, TenTen-san?"

Her eyes narrowed in quiet response, trying to find a way to steal into the mind of her Hyuuga teammate as those peerless white eyes stared back at her. Without warning, she smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "We can worry about it all tomorrow. As long as you promise to keep out of the woods tonight, I can actually sleep in peace." she smirks when Neji reluctantly nods, patting Lee on the shoulder as well before she took her exit out the door that her sensei had left out of afew moments ago.

Lee looked at Neji, who looked right back at him. They could both tell something wasn't right, and it was doubtful they would be allowed the chance to ponder it tomorrow. Only to voice a soft sigh, Neji got to his feet and was the next to leave the terrace, leaving Lee to sit there and try and figure out what was wrong with this sensei and this Naruto person.

He quit after quickly developing a headache.

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It was some time after ten in the evening, and Haruno Sakura was staring at the evening sky through her window, tapping the dull end of her kunai against the table as she tried to think about how odd Kurenai-sensei had acted earlier that day. Unlike Lee and his group, Kurenai-sensei wasn't as easily sidetracked as Gai, and they were in for a long lecture about following a ninja into unknown AND forbidden territory. Like Gai, Kurenai was interested in hearing about Naturo for reasons that continued to escape the Genins' understanding. What was so interesting about that hyperactive midget? Just as she began to ponder the mystery that was Uzamaki Naruto, something pass the shadow of the moon, causing her to suddenly stand up and take up her kunai in preparation for a fight. She wasn't sure what it was, but by the time she had gone to her window and opened it, she saw the person handing something over to his father, who had opened the door and was speaking with what she now knew to be a simple messenger.

Maybe it was a call to a mission from the Hokage. Just the thought of such a possibility was why she had already opened the door to her room and was moving don the stairs, curious to hear what the message was about. What she came to find was her father and mother sitting at the dinner table, their expressions one of a harsh scowl "Mom? Dad? What's wrong?" she reached a hand as she walked towards them, only to have her father hold the letter out for her to see.

Miss Haruno Sakura,

Your have been selected to come to the Great Tower as our guest for the remainder of your time before the Chuunin Exam for special training. When you arrive, you will not be allowed to leave the Forest of Death without special permission from the lead instructor, so it is advised that you pack as many sets of clothes you wish. Laundering services are available at the Tower, so there is no need to bring too many outfits.

Should you be concerned about the prospective missions you may miss, you will be paid as though this were an A-Rank mission. To accommodate your stay, you may select one male escort to accompany you. For further details, you and your parents will go to the Hokage's office at 8am tomorrow morning.

Sakura blinks and looked from the letter to her parents, a confused expression on her face. "What is this? Special training? Sounds more like a bad joke to me." she says to herself, though the grimaces on her parents' face makes her feel such isn't the case. "Do you guys know what this is about?" the initial lack of response causes a nervous knot to form in her stomach.

"It's something that happens every year." her father is the first to speak, his hand clenching and unclenching as he talks to his little girl. "Four kunoichi are picked and sent to the castle for what they call special training. It's true that they do come back stronger then when they left, but they're never allowed to actually talk about what happened there. Some think that it has to do with the curse on the tower. Others think it's because of the monster that lives there." he practically spits out the word 'monster', making Sakura unconsciously wince. Nothing about her fathers' explanation made her feel any better, though it only served to bring up more questions about what had happened earlier that day. "Then why did that Kakashi guy lead us into the woods? Was it because he knew I was one of the selected kunoichi? And it still dosen't explain why they would have a Genin like Naruto hanging around, when he should be in a squad. But he isn't. And who are the other three kunoichi?" she didn't have any of those answers yet, though Inner Sakura was screaming how she welcomed the idea of being stronger then any other female ninja. With any luck, Sakura hoped some of her mental inquiries would be answered tomorrow. Rather then think about it, she decided to try and reassure her parents, who looked like there were planning to try and take on the Hokage rather than let their little girl go anywhere near that Tower.

She straightened her posture and brought a smile to her lips, a fact that got her parents to turn around and face her. "Don't worry, you guys. I'm sure everything will be fine. Besides, it'd be kinda cool to go and be one of the strongest kunoichi in my class." she admitted with a giggle before heading back to her room to pack.

---

The group that had amassed themselves at the Hokage's reception area the following morning was certainly not a joyous one.

Both of Haruno Sakura's parents were standing alongside their daughter, mentally preparing their verbal armament that was going to be launched at the Hokage. Hinata could feel Neji staring at the back of her head as he stood behind her, Hiashi examing one of the kunai that TenTen's father had made. The newest arrival, Yamakazi Ino, was speaking to Sakura in quiet voices, trying to discern what on earth this mission was about. Amongst the four young women, it seemed that TenTen was the most relaxed of them all, balancing one of her kunai against the tip of her finger as both a form of meditation and practice.

Five minutes after eight, and the crowd began to grow less patient for admission into the office. And considering the anxiety that has been stewing in them since last night, it was not promising to be a good scene. Thankfully, before any of the parents beat the door down, a young woman with dark brown hair came in, several small folders in hand. When all the attention was suddenly focused on her, she blinked and looked at all the people sitting around in the waiting area. "Why didn't any of you go in?" she casually inquired as she reached for the door handle and turned it with no trouble at all, opening it…

..and greeting everyone to the sound of the Godime Hokage snoring like a freight train.

Shizune and several others had to reach out for something so they wouldn't fall flat on their faces. The Hokage's assistant sighed and shook her head as she walked in, knowing the others were following after her as she shuffled around the piles or paperwork on her desk, and quickly dropped it in the only open spot she could find with all the noise that she could make.

The Hokage snorted loudly and suddenly sat up, letting the group get a good look at their befuddled looking leader. She didn't even look in her thirty's, which lead many to believe that her youthful appearance was a kind of genjutsu. Those closer to her knew the truth behind the jutsu, but they'd rather die then divulge it. As the blonde yawned and rubbed her eyes, her already revealing choice of apparel seemed to show off even more cleavage when she pulled up her arms, challenging the virtue of every married man to keep their eyes above the neck line. Of course, Hyuuga Hiashi was considered single, though his survival instincts told him sneaking a glance would get his head removed from his shoulders. TenTen's father, who was also single, considering taking a peek, but he was sure his daughter would never forgive him for ogling her idol.

"What time is it?" she grumbled while turning to look over at Shizune, who rolled her eyes and took out her pocket watch for the Hokage's inspection. Ten minutes after 8. Tsunade rubbed her forehead, her hand resting over the diamond shaped mark on her forehead, and tried to recall again why she had taken this job. A phantasmal cry of a young boy caused her back to go straight, remembering what this meeting was about. When she drew her hand away, her expression was all business, reaching out and taking her least favorite pen before she began tapping it against the desk, using the rhythm to organize her thoughts before she spoke. "Before I get to the mission, are there any concerns your parents would like to make?"

That was just asking for trouble. All at once, several voices suddenly barraged her ears as an incoherent babble, holding up her hand to silence them before randomly pointing to one of the parents. Sakura's father nodded and stood up. "Hokage-sama, you can't be serious about this exercise. We understand why you are doing this, but that still means you are sending our daughters into the clutches of that…monster!" he said that last word out with bitter disgust, which quickly turned to fear when the pen in the Hokage's hand was crushed as though it was made out of paper. The entire arm shivered for a brief instant, though it was quelled far sooner then her glare.

For several moments, no one spoke, though Tsunade's sigh was the first noise to permeate the air. "He has given me his word that none of the girls shall be harmed, and he has never broken his promise yet." a small smile flittered over her lips before she became serious once more. "I know you are all concerned, but just like it has been for the past two years, it is primarily a training facility. If all of you will also remember, most of the children that have gone on this mission have become Chuunin by the time of the exam." she explains, a fact that certainly piqued Neji's interest. The blonde noticed the young Hyuuga lean forward slightly, now listening with rapt attention, as were several of the other Genin. Sure that the proper bait had been laid, she refocused her attention on the assorted parents. "Now, if you all excuse me, the rest of this discussion must be made alone with the Genin only." she puts on her authoritative tone, which keeps the parents from objecting as they all file into the waiting room.

When the door closed, Shizune handed the Hokage a handkerchief, which she used to clean the ink and plastic from her hand and her table. Tossing it into a wastebasket, she brushed her hands together and looked over at the children casually. "Now, what I am about to tell you is confidential. No one outside of this room knows this, and if I hear anyone else even mention this information, I will have you all stripped of your ninja rank and lobotomized before you can even blink." her voice never raised to a yell, though her voice did grow deeper and more menacing with each passing word. Hinata 'eeped' and seemed to shrink into her seat. Sakura and Ino looked positively mortified at the thought of being left a vegetable, and TenTen shuddered and gripped her kunai alittle tighter. Even Neji cringed in his chair.

With her warning given proper depth, Tsunade nodded and continued where she had left off. "For the past eleven years, there has been a curse residing in the tower that resides in the Forest of Death. It was because of a failed jutsu performed by the Sanadime Hokage, which made a normal life for those caught by the curse impossible. Another gift from the Kyuubi." she practically spits that name out, the name turning everyone's blood ice cold. Every child growing up had heard tales of the demon Kyuubi, and how it claimed the life of the Fouth Hokage in order to defeat it. Tsunade didn't go into the details of the actual curse, since they would find that out soon enough. "After several years of study, we have found that the curse is kept in place by the malice that remains from the Kyuubi, focused around a single person. No modern jutsu we have developed seems capable of combating the curse, but there is another way." she rests an elbow on the desk as she leans forward, the Genin all unconsciously doing the same. "Actually, there are two, but I will not allow that slacker the benefit of another alternative." she thought to herself, though the others thought she was just being dramatic before she spoke. "It's love. Along with it being a training exercise, we are sending you to see if any of you are actually compatible with him, and hopefully break the curse."

The reaction was so loud that even Sakura's parents heard it in the other room. "WHAT! You're saying this is like some of sick dating service?" Sakura was on her feet and pointing at the Hokage like she had spontaneously grown three more heads and was singing in a barbershop quartet. Inner Sakura was even less restrained, bellowing that she was out of her mind if she thought she could get any of them to fall for some guy they've never met before. Hinata's cheeks were deep crimson as she twiddled her fingers together, wanting to completely sink into the chair now. TenTen and Ino had their jaws hanging open, and the only reaction that Neji gave was a quirk of his eyebrow.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes and rose to her feet, easily dwarfing Sakura in her shadow. "This is to help members of our village, young lady. They are forced to live almost all of their lives in that tower, stigmatized for something that isn't in their control. If you called yourself a member of Kohona, you should be willing to do anything to help your fellow citizens!" she slammed the palms into the desk, causing the pillars of paper to sway precariously. The Hokage ignored it as she continued her speech. "We're not asking you to fake falling in love with him. The curse will only be broken if he finds true love. If you don't, then you will have gotten two months of training with top ranking ninja, and be compensated as though you have all been through an A-Rank mission. You will also be allowed another Genin to go along with you. Preferably someone that's actually in your squad." she sits back down and crosses her arms. "The guide will be here at noon, so I suggest you find that escort quickly. Dismissed."

Rather than argue, the Genin quintet wordlessly nod and rise to their feet before shuffling out the door, a new voice chiming in after the door closes. "You'd think they'd be more interested in going. It's like something out of a fairy tale."

"Or something out of your perverted books." she retorted and turned her attention to the shadows. "So, what do you think? Was Kakashi as right as he thought he was?"

She could tell that the owner of the voice was thinking the same thing, though he was always more vocal then she was when it came to that sort of thing. "I think so. The kid thinks this all a waste of time, but I think that he may just change his mind when he sees that Hyuuga girl again." he chuckles lightly, even managing to get a grin out of Tsunade. "My question is will this little plan of yours work? That boy may be cute, but he has the personality of a block of wood. Do you think they'll buy it?"

"As long as Naruto keeps quiet until the moment of truth, everything should go off without a hitch." she cackled at the interweaving conspiracy she had planned, which sent a shudder down the man's spine. He really hated that laugh, and it only made her laugh even more.

Of course, what her company said took some of the bluster from her sails. "You do know you just jinxed yourself by saying that, right?" he commented, which was capitalized by the tallest mound of paperwork toppled over, creating a cascade effect that left all of the neatly organized piles in a disorganized heap.

Tsunade stared at the mess, dumbfounded, then turned her glare to the shadows, only to find her cohort no longer there. "..Jiraiya.." she growled, then looked to where Shizune had been standing in the hopes of assistance with her paper plight, only to find her also gone. The closing door told the Hokage where those two cowards had gone, and she felt her migraine starting to build with a vengeance. She poured charka to her fingers and began to massage her temples, only to find that it only seemed to anger her throbbing headache.

So much for a sure thing.

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There we go, ladies and gents. Another chapter wrapped up and sent for your viewing pleasure. I'm also looking for some proofreaders for my work. If anyone's interested, please email me. And if you review, I may be more willing to consider your proposal.

Read and review, or face my INNOVATIVE WRATH!