AN: It's been a while and I finally got this chapter out. I wrote half of it ages ago but haven't been able to finish it until now, mainly because I had some trouble writing some of the characters. Anyway I'm not even sure if this chapter makes sense but it's long, very long. This is still kinda an introduction to the story, mainly so you'll know who's who and supposed to be doing what. I haven't really read this over again so if there are mistakes or if something doesn't make sense I apologize for that now.

Warning: SasuxNaru, this means yaoi people, boyxboy love and whatever else that may entail. Don't say you weren't warned. Oh and very possible OCCness because I suck at keeping people in character.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and am not making money off this in anyway. Please don't sure me.

"I will not get angry. I will not make a scene. I will not Rasengan the first thing I see," Naruto quietly murmured over and over again. Standing by the grand staircase he gripped the intricately carved banister tightly in his hands as his eyes quickly fell shut. With a deep breath he allowed himself to open them again. An immediate frown creased his brows at what he saw. Down below, littering the decorated ballroom was a mass of white and blue, the color of which featured on nearly every single last gown the other contestants wore. He bit his lip as he looked down at his own dress. Much like all the others a tight bodice that laced up in the back and flared out into what looked like a giant tent clung to his slim form. But instead of the white or blue everybody else seemed to be so fond of he had picked a pasty shade of orange that reminded him vaguely of the leaves in autumn, a color he had chosen specifically with the intention of remaining as inconspicuous as possible.

So much for that, he thought sourly, crossing his arms in a pout.

He grounded his teeth in frustration, only barely refraining himself from throwing his arms in the air and demanding why the hell the whole world was against him. With another deep breath he plastered the widest smile he could manage upon his strained face and slowly descended the stairs. And so began a new mantra, "I will not make a hundred replications. I will not try and find orange dye and throw it at all the girls. I will not-"

Just as he was about to finish his last 'will not' he felt the sharp pointy things on his shoes (aka the heels of doom) land on a very odd angle, causing his ankle to roll and a whole chain reaction that eventually resulted in his downfall to quickly follow.

As a ninja reflexes were important. In some cases they were the difference between life and death. It seemed however his reflexes decided to take an unscheduled break and instead of grabbing onto the banister like any sane person would try to do his arms instantly went flailing, his only comfort being that everybody was probably too busy dancing or chatting to even notice what he resigned himself to acknowledging as his embarrassing end. As the cliché goes he saw his life flash right before his very eyes and nearly cried at the unfairness of it all. 'Ramen, I shall never taste your beautiful taste again.'

Instinctively he closed his eyes and awaited the onslaught of pain, wincing slightly when there was a sharp jab to his hand as it hit against the railing. He waited for the rest of the impact and the crack of bones. But the funny thing was it never came. Daring himself to look the blonde cracked an eye opened. He glanced around but instead of a bloodied mess on the floor he found himself relatively in one piece, floating above the stairs a few feet down from where he'd fallen on what looked like a cloud of sand. He let out a relieved sigh and was just about to step off when there was a sudden movement from under him.

"Wha..." he began, only to be cut short when an abrupt jerk caused him to fall.

Without warning the sand began to envelope him, rising to surround his still shocked body in a circular tomb. His mouth instantly flew open but before a sound could be uttered it suddenly stopped closing in and just as quickly began to recede. He felt it move but didn't think to question why as he found himself being safely deposited onto the ground below.

As soon as his body touched the floor the sand began to slip away. Curious as to where it came from he followed its movements with his gaze. Standing not too far away with arms crossed and black-rimmed eyes trained emotionlessly on him stood a red headed youth with the word 'ai' tattooed on the corner of his forehead. A large gourd in which he could clearly see the sand retreating into was strapped firmly to the boy's back. Behind him stood two others, a relieved looking blonde girl and another boy with strange purple markings on his face sporting an equally relieved, if not slightly put out, look on his face.

"Dammit Gaara, can't you control yourself for one fucking second," the other youth snapped, only to fall completely silent as the redhead turned to him. Though still thoroughly annoyed a touch of wariness crept into the older boy's expression as he hastily backed away with his fists clenched.

Naruto watched in silent apprehension as the other two moved away from the one named Gaara who instantly turned to him with light aqua eyes, the sudden gleam within them sending a silent shiver down his spine. In slow long strides the red head approached him, stopping just a few inches away to kneel down and take his injured arm by the wrist with one hand and run surprisingly gentle fingers over his cut with the other. The minute he was released Naruto instantly pulled away and scooted as far as he could from the psychotic youth before him whose deranged eyes were practically dancing as they fell upon the warm liquid dripping from his fingers.

"Blood," he heard a quiet murmur. As if under a spell the redhead stood, his gaze impassively staring straight ahead as he softly added, "There's not enough blood."

Without so much as another word he walked away, quickly followed by the boy and girl accompanying him. Once they were gone Naruto released the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. Usually he'd be screaming and demanding some kind of apology but for some reason he found himself unable to move.

'Who the hell was that guy?' he silently mused, frowning to himself as he took in what had just happened. 'Damn, that was freaky.' He clenched his fist and glared off into the distance with renewed determination burning within the depths of his blue eyes. 'When I get out of this that damned perverted sanin is going to pay.'

Deciding to put the incident behind him and concentrate on his mission Naruto stood up, brushing himself off as best as he can before straightening and lifting his head. Instead of the many backs he'd expected to see he was instead greeted with more than a hundred pairs of curiously staring eyes. It seemed the incident had drawn quite the crowd, causing his annoyance to grow all the more at the realization these people had done nothing but watched as he first fell down the stairs and then was nearly crushed in a grave of sand by the freaky panda man. He gave everybody the dirtiest look he could manage before stomping off with his head held high towards the buffet he spotted from across the room.

"They better have ramen," he muttered under his breath.

Upon reaching the table his eyes immediately lit up at the glorious feast that met his hungry gaze and though there was absolutely no sign of his favorite meal the large array that was there was more than enough to whet his appetite. In all his years he had never seen so much food. Nor had he ever seen so many different kinds. Happily grabbing a plate he began piling on everything in sight, not really caring what he got since he was determined to try every single last dish anyway.

"Oh my god, how on earth did he get in here?" an overly squeaky voice complained.

He heard a snort and then another say, "I know. Just look at him munching away. I bet the buttons on that shirt is just about to burst."

There was an answering giggle that was soon joined by that of the other girl.

Naruto frowned. Instantly thinking they were talking about him. He turned to the source of the voices to see two girls standing to his side. He opened his mouth to shout something back but quickly closed it again when he realized they couldn't be talking about him, especially since they mentioned a 'he' and he was currently dressed as a 'she'. Shrugging it aside he went back to his neglected food to resume inhaling the meal much like how he would his beloved ramen.

"He even brought in his own potato chips. How utterly common," came a muffled sneer.

"Oh well at least it would stop him from devouring the whole table and leaving the rest of us to starve."

From the corner of his eyes he saw something being placed upon the table. Curiously he glanced at the bag of barbeque chips, slowly allowing his gaze to follow the arm attached to it. A rather portly boy dressed in a dark, obliviously expensive suit stood, a Konoha symbol pinned to the label of his jacket. He was a ninja. From what he heard all the ninjas were required to attend the ball and in place of their usual headband they were to wear the pin. He raised his eyes to the boy's bowed head and instantly felt something turn in his gut.

'He's just like me,' he thought to himself, remembering all the times he'd had to endure all the hateful stares and harsh whispers.

At that Naruto lowered his own head. Before he had a chance to change his mind he walked right up to the other boy and with a fox like grin happily greeted him with an overly cheery, "Hello, I'm Naruto."

Clearly taken aback by the brashness of his actions he saw the youth slowly turn to face him, the expression on the teen's face a cross between confusion and slight apprehension. There was a moment of silence where all they did was stare at one another. Blinking rapidly at the slightly agape look being directed his way Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly, at a complete loss for what to do or say. Social gatherings weren't exactly his thing. Squinting his eyes slightly he learned forward and poked the stranger in the arm as he asked, "Um... isn't this the part where you're supposed to introduce yourself or something?

"Er," was all the frozen statue of a boy could murmur, just before finally shaking himself out of whatever little world he had drifted off into and with a customary bow shyly said, "Chouji Akimichi."

Naruto's grin widened at that and he was just about to clap the other boy on the back in greeting when he remembered what and who he was supposed to be. He scratched the back of his head again. This time in deep thought. Trying his hardest to remember what he was meant to do and the quick training he was forced to undergo he bit his lip as he quickly glanced about the place for some form of help. It was then he spotted one of the other girls greeting some important looking men. His eyes never leaving the sight he silently moved to replicate the gesture. Awkwardly he gripped either side of the ruffles on his dress, legs twisting into the practiced position as he tried for the elegant curtsy he was supposed to have already perfected. But rather than the graceful show he had just witnessed from across the room as he turned to face the boy he lowered his head right about the same time Chouji decided to raise his from the bow. The impact was sudden and unexpected, his nose impacted with Chouji's forehead with a loud crunch sending both back much to the amusement of the on looking pair who couldn't help but comment on the little display.

"What a clumsy oaf," one of them commented in between snickers. "Oh my god, I can't believe that little girl actually got this far. Isn't Naruto supposed to be a boy's name? What a loser. I heard she was the last qualifier."

"I bet it was probably only out of pity. A dead last. No competition for us," chimed the other.

"Who the hell you calling a dead last?" Naruto demanded indignantly, still holding his nose. "I have more chance at winning this thing than either of you dog faced women."

With that he blew them both off, poking out his tongue at the clearly flabbergasted and spluttering pair as he dragged away the equally speechless teen away from them. When they were far enough away from the harpies he suddenly stopped and finally remembering his stomach turned back to his companion and bouncing a bit asked, "Oi, oi, do they have ramen here?"

Chouji slowly shook his head, unable to help but be stunned at what this girl had just done for him. Apart from Shikamaru no one had ever really stood up for him before. A slow smile touched his lips as the blonde seemed to pout for a moment before finally deeming the buffet a good enough substitute and stuffing her face at a rate that could definitely give him a run for his money. After a moment she turned to look at him with a brow raised in silent challenge. He smiled for a moment. Then without a word he turned to the banquet laid out before him. With a determination and passion in his eyes that could give both Gai and Lee a run for his money he let out a loud "Yosh" before digging into the table of delicious food beside the one he now knew as Naruto.

Ten minutes later and over twenty plates between them both Chouji and Naruto waddled away from the table. Both clutching their stomachs as they found a place to rest and sit down for a bit while they bodies digested the serious load they just consumed.

"Before I forget, here," Naruto heard the other boy say.

He turned to his side and looked down at the outstretched hand to find the Konoha pin being held out to him. He frowned slightly at the gesture, trying to figure out exactly why it was being given to him.

As if reading his mind Chouji said with a small smile, "Please wear it. I guess you can see it as a small token of the friendship we have struck up tonight."

"Friends?" the suddenly very young looking blonde repeated with wide eyes, the word a seemingly foreign concept to his own ears. Slowly raising blue eyes from the pin and up to the face of the slightly blushing teen Naruto smiled warmly before carefully taking the offered gift and placed it securely onto the strap of the dress he wore. He turned back to the still blushing boy with a grin and before he could help himself quickly glomped him, not caring at all for the pretense of manliness or in this case, the pretense of a dignified lady.

Chouji felt his face burn ten shades of red. If he could look at himself he was sure he probably resembled a tomato by now. Though there were girls he was on friendly terms with none had ever even tried to hug him before. No. That was always strictly reserved for Prince Sasuke and at times Neji. So, as one who has never been this up close and personal with the opposite sex before Chouji had to commend himself on a job well done. He was blushing but at least he was still conscious and hadn't fainted from the shock of it. Unsure of what to do or say he remained absolutely silent, only to have his poor face burn even brighter at the sound of an ever familiar lazy drawl mutter, "Tch, troublesome."

"S-Shikamaru," Chouji stuttered in a very Hinata-like fashion as he looked up to face his best friend who, although wore his usual expression of bored indifference, had a silent brow raised with something akin to amusement shining in his eyes. "This is Miss. Uzumaki."

Naruto quickly pulled himself away, a light blush staining his own cheeks as he placed a hand to the back of his head and attempted to laugh the incident off. "Sorry about that. I tend to not think when I act sometimes."

He then turned to the newcomer, taking in the pineapple like spikes of his ponytail and his completely laid back stance. With his hands in the pocket of his trousers and shoulders hunched he looked like he couldn't even be bothered to straighten himself out and stand properly.

"Naruto Uzumaki, nice to meet you."

The lazy ninja eyed the blonde suspiciously before giving a brief nod and simply murmuring in reply, "Shikamaru Nara." His eyes then caught the sight of his friend's pin on the orange dress. His curiosity hiked even more at that. Silently he wondered exactly what was going on and with a clear look to Chouji asked the questions he was too lazy to give voice to. Why did you give that to her?

"Righteousness," was the simple reply, much to Naruto's confusion who wasn't quite sure what his newfound friend was talking about. His gaze flitted between the two, trying to follow the conversation they seem to be having and wondering if they were using some kind of jutsu that allowed them to read each other's minds. He then saw Chouji's gaze lowering as the same expression he had when those girls had been taunting him suddenly returned. "Some people were teasing me... and she stepped in and stopped them."

Naruto frowned. He wasn't quite sure what was happening but he didn't like what this new guy was doing to his friend. He suddenly stood up and standing in between them glared at this Shikamaru. "Oi, pineapple head, what the hell are you doing to him? I don't care who you are. If you upset him I'm going to hit you so hard your grandchildren will be reeling from it."

"Naruto, Shikamaru is-"

"Heh, troublesome," the newly dubbed 'pineapple head' again muttered, though it was hard to tell the corner of his lips dipped up ever so slightly into a small smile as he regarded the feisty blonde standing protectively before his best friend. Without a word he released one hand from his pocket and reaching for the lapel of his suit undid his own pin. When he saw the same question in Chouji's eyes he had just moments ago he shrugged and simply said, "Kindness." He then turned to the clearly flabbergasted blonde and letting out a sigh explained, "Chouji is my best friend and any friend of his is a friend of mine. Take it."

Mutely Naruto did as he was told, more confused than ever as he idly played with the pin in his hand.

"Let's go. The announcements about to be made and we have to be present onstage," Shikamaru said to his smiling friend who simply nodded in return.

"I'm sorry to leave you like this but duty calls. Since you're in this competition I guess I'll see you around," Chouji happily said to the still rather perplexed blonde.

"But I might not still be here," was the response he got, but rather then the sadness he expected he couldn't help but hear the satisfaction in the words. "I'm probably going to fail the next test."

"You're not too bright, are you?" Shikamaru murmured with a clearly assessing stare.

"Huh?" Naruto uttered, taking a full ten seconds to finally realize he'd just been insulted. "Hey!"

"Look underneath the underneath."

"Eh?" came the all so intelligent reply.

He rolled his eyes before turning on his heels and walking off with Chouji following closely behind. Never once turning back he waved an arm in farewell and though it was troublesome to do so decided to make it all adamantly clear to the clueless dolt, "Congratulations, you passed the test."

With very much the same reaction he had when he was told he made it into the competition Naruto blinked and blinked and blinked. He again tugged at his thankfully secure wig and almost cried as he practically yelled to whatever deity thought it funny to mess with his life, "Why the hell do you hate me so much? What the hell did I ever do to you?"

To anyone passing they would see a clearly disgruntled blonde girl, dressed in a strangely tasteful orange dress, shaking her fist up at the wobbling chandelier as she continued to cuss using words that would make even a sailor blush. Suffice to say many people could be seen making it a point to carefully avoid the crazy nut job who for some odd and inexplicable reason had a major vendetta against the innocent lights and crystals hanging overhead.

Making a show of straightening his tie and pressing the invisible wrinkles out of his suit Iruka walked out onto the stage with all the dignity he could muster. In his wake leaving behind a severely beaten and bruised silver haired jounin who despite his claim to fame as the 'Copy Nin' and the prince's private tutor, like all men, was utterly defenseless in the face of the backlash from his own acts of perversion. Although if asked he would adamantly reply that it was worth it and he would do it again if given the chance.

Still grumbling under his breath Iruka went to take his stand by the few assembled ninjas on stage. Namely, those directly involved with the competition as well as Prince Sasuke's own personal guards. All of whom, he proudly noted, were once students of his. He tore his eyes from the ragtag bunch and looked to the crowd below, desperately searching for the same blonde, blue-eyed girl who had caught his attention earlier. The girl he now knew, thanks in part to Kakashi, was Naruto. His breath caught the moment he spotted the orange clad blonde in amidst the sea of the prince's supposedly favorite colors, blue and white. A fond smile touched his lips at the sight. Glad to know that the little boy he once knew was still as loud as ever. Even dressed as a girl he was flashy. Although he had many questions as to why Naruto would even think of doing such a thing and entering a contest such as this they were immediately drowned out by the simple relief he felt in knowing that he was okay. For so long he had feared the worst. To have all those fears assuaged once and for all was the greatest gift any one could ever give him.

"I'll make it up to you Naruto. Somehow," he quietly promised to himself.

"YOSH!" a green clad ninja loudly exclaimed, effectively gaining the attention of all as he jumped onto the stage. He clenched his fist, eyes shining as he erupted to the crowd with a loud cry of, "The power of youth burns brightly in all our beautiful contestants. I, Gai Maito, can proudly say I will happily serve any of you with youthful zeal and devotion."

There was a collective sweat drop from both the competitors and the guards as a well timed spotlight and pose quickly accompanied the impassioned proclamation. Though it looked like it came out of nowhere if one was to pay enough attention they would notice the 'thumbs-up' was being directed up to the distance balcony where a similarly dressed boy who was manning the lights returned the gesture with equal enthusiasm.

"However, it is with my greatest regret to announce that we must say goodbye to some of your youthful spirit tonight," he continued dramatically. "Now, will all the contestants with at least two Konoha pins please step to the right while those who do not make their way to the left."

There was a sudden murmur as the crowd parted with forty seven on one side and twenty two on the other. Among the smaller group was the young blonde, orange-clad cross dressing boy who was trying desperately to disappear and go unnoticed.

Slowly turning to the left where the smaller crowd was assembled he said, "I am sorry to say that you have all been eliminated. You have failed to acquire any pins and therefore are deemed unworthy of continuing any further."

"What!" came a loud cry from one of those disqualified. "What do you mean? We were never told about needing to collect any pins. What kind of a test was that? No one did anything."

"But that's where you're wrong young lady," Gai returned in an all knowing voice. "As Iruka said you were to be all tested on poise, grace and manner. However the problem with that is anybody can fake it. I'm sure most of you have been raised your whole life learning how. Before the ball I and my eternal rival Kakashi along with the prince's many trusted comrades brainstormed a list of traits associated with all three that we would want in our future queen. With that done we assigned each of the one hundred ninjas in attendance one. Their job, as those of you who have passed should know by now, is to look for the contestant in which they feel embody this characteristic best and therefore help guarantee their continuance in this grand competition by giving them their pin." He paused for a moment as he looked over the crowd with a wide grin, blindingly white teeth sparkling. "And to make sure you all are given a fair chance to excel the things we were looking for varied from co-ordination to politeness and good table manners. To have forty seven of a possible fifty only reaffirms my earlier words, the power of youth is indeed burning strong in you all!"

A collective sigh sounded throughout all the ranks of ninjas as the exclamation brought upon another bought of poses and colored lights they were all still trying to desperately find the source of.

Gai looked to the nins behind him. Nodding slightly he said with a grin, "Please escort these lovely young ladies out and make sure they have the proper escorts to their rooms. You will all be required to vacant your rooms tomorrow but for tonight feel free to use them as you please."

The five of the six boys who could be usually found guarding the prince silently made their way towards the mostly now sobbing girls, each of their reactions varying from "troublesome" (Shikamaru) to remaining completely stoic (Neji) or just plain old unresponsive (Shino).

Although he wasn't too thrilled with being put in charge of such a chore Chouji surmised that Kiba was doing enough complaining for the both of them and also that in order to complain meant he would have to stop eating his chips. Easy to say the only sound to come from the young ninja was the continued chomping of his precious crisps as he went about his job. With a note of satisfaction he saw the pair that had been tormenting him earlier among the group and not surprisingly they were the most vocal about their elimination. He glanced around and instantly frowned and paused at what he saw or to be more precise who.

"Naruto," he called, frowning as bright blue eyes suddenly met his for a moment before quickly turning back around and rushing out. Not willing to let her go he stopped eating and quickly dashed after her, catching a tan hand in his and halting the blonde in her movements. "What are you doing here? You made it. We even told you so."

Naruto let out a very nervous, girly laugh at that and squeakily said, "Oh really. I thought it was some kind of a joke."

Chouji frowned. "But you heard Gai. He explained everything." No one can be this dense. What is wrong with her?

"Ehehe," the blonde laughed nervously. "Sorry, I wasn't really listening. Thick brows kind of had me hypnotized for a bit with those giant caterpillars of his."

He slowly nodded despite his skepticism. He may not be a genius like Shikamaru but he didn't need to be to know Naruto, for some reason, didn't want to stick around and though he knew he should've just let her go he found himself unable to do so. For some reason he was determined to keep the blonde in the competition. Gently taking her by the arm he escorted the young girl to the other side of the room under the questioning looks of his teachers, teammates and the rest of the qualifiers. Although slightly uncomfortable with their gazes he took it all in stride and guided her towards the two he knew would keep an eye on her and make sure she goes nowhere. He gave both Hinata and Tenten a pointed look before leaving Naruto and going back to help the other guys, ignoring their questions and looks.

From where she stood Tenten glanced at the blonde, slightly intrigued by Chouji's reaction to her and his insistence she stay. But more importantly by the fact she was able to tear him away from his seemingly inseparable bag of treats for more than a moment. Could it be he had a crush on a contestant? She found herself smiling at that. Or was she that great of a candidate. Whatever it was Tenten was determined to find out. From what she could see the girl was trying to escape and didn't seem to worship the ground the Uchiha walked on, which in her book was a definite plus. She had eyes and she would be lying if she were to say she didn't think the prince attractive but that was only one plus in a long line of minuses. So why was she here? Why was she in the competition? The same reason Hinata was, as a spy. They wanted to do more than just test these girls. They wanted to know who they were, inside out. Not just the face they wear for the sake of company. And since she wasn't too fond of their current ruler she was determined to do all she could to make sure the winner wasn't a screaming fan girl, that their future queen would be someone worthy of the title and station, someone strong, someone she could admire. She looked at the blonde with slightly narrowed eyes. The girl was going to have to show more than just a dislike for the Uchiha to get her vote but she was willing to do what Chouji was silently asking them to.

Still pouting from his foiled attempt at escape Naruto stared as the thick browed weirdo continued to ramble on about something or other. It wasn't until another, this time a scruffy looking man with a burning cigarette in mouth took the stage and the next test was mentioned that he finally paid attention.

"Tomorrow, we shall begin the next test," the man who introduced himself as Asuma Sarutobi announced. "As a queen it is important to be able to handle all situations and be prepared to deal with any and everybody. Therefore in order to give you all a real taste of what's expected and also let us see how you handle people you will all be given a chance to participate in a mock diplomatic meeting to discuss real issues concerning our kingdom at the moment. As some of you may know both of the princes of Suna and their sister are here for diplomatic talks. For one lucky girl there will be a seat for in this meeting where Prince Sasuke himself will be present. Until then feel free to enjoy the rest of the night however you shall please."

The moment they were dismissed Naruto headed back to his room. With his hands propped on the back of his head he let out a long deep sigh. Despite being oddly touched by Chouji's earlier statement about being friends he couldn't help but wonder what everybody's reaction would be if they knew who he truly was. With a small bitter smile that seemed so out of place on his usually grinning face he continued to walk through the grounds in deep thought, not once noticing the dark figure slowly following behind but immediately spotting the one hopping out of the palace windows with what looked like a large scroll on his back before him. He stopped and frowned. Remaining still he watched as the man turned and instantly felt both his fist and teeth clenching at the familiar face that met his glaring eyes.

"Mizuki," he growled in a low, dangerous voice at the sight of his old academy teacher dashing away. Without a thought to what was happening or what he was doing Naruto immediately followed, still very much oblivious to the brown haired chunin with a scar running across his nose behind him, clear worry furrowing his brows as he shot after the two in close pursuit.