A/N - Alrighty, here's chapter 3 of A Beautiful Curse! I wanted to work on this story next, sooo...here it is! lol.

Anyways, some of you were disappointed with the match turnouts in the previous chapter, so I'll just say that the matches were completely randomized via a RNG (Random Number Generator). I wanted them to be original and interesting. Even then, the way some of the matches turned out bothered you as well. The biggest example of what I'm talking about is Rock Lee's loss to Omoi. I figured that was pretty realistic, judging by how Rock Lee would ask his sensei if he's sure and all that. A moment's distraction in battle can have devestating consequences, which is what I felt he needed to learn via that particular battle. An opponent isn't just going to sit and wait for you to have a conversation with your sensei and they certainly won't just sit back and let you remove a bunch of weights or something. It's not like they're characters in Dragon Ball Z/Super/etc.

Anywho, that's enough of that. On with the chapter!

Chapter 3 - Revelations

After arriving at Ramen Ichiraku and ordering their meals, Naruto looked at Karin and then at Sasuke, who were sitting beside him. "Alright, here's as good a place as any to talk about this. The old man and Ayame-chan already know about my secret, so it should be fine to talk about it here." he said, a slight frown tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Alright, spill it Naruto. What's this secret of yours that you're unable to speak of in front of others? It sounds like some kind of horrible secret, but what could be so bad that it causes people to hate you the way they do?" Sasuke questioned.

Naruto sighed and said, "Sasuke...you remember how we learned that the Fourth killed the Kyuubi? Well...that's not true. You can't kill what is essentially a mass of chakra given form. The best you can do...is seal it away. Each of the bijuu have been sealed inside of people that are called jinchuriki. Jinchuriki...they aren't born, they're made. And then, after those in charge make us into jinchuriki...we're normally treated with disdain and hatred. People treat us like we're the bijuu themselves. It's...it's wrong, because...because…"

Karin placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and said, "It doesn't make sense that jinchuriki are treated so harshly when they normally don't have any choice in the matter. The people in charge create them...and then they're treated like they're worth less than dirt. I had a feeling you were one when you first hinted at it. But, I could also sense something else within you, despite how warm and inviting your natural chakra is. For what it's worth, I'm sorry you've had to live such a harsh life."

Sasuke was wide-eyed for a time before she eventually said, "Wow. So that's the real reason people hate you so much? I always thought that they didn't like you because of all the pranks you pulled, but…"

Naruto shook his head and said, "Sasuke...one thing you need to know is that I put up a mask to hide my pain. I chose to smile and act like an idiot so people would leave me alone. As for the pranks? Part of the reason behind those is because it was good training. The other reason? Well, I wanted to get back at the people that had treated me so harshly. I still remember my tenth birthday...they tried to kill me for the first time ever on that day. But the Kyuubi combined with my own natural healing factor just refused to let me die."

"Kami." Sasuke breathed out in horror. "I never knew."

The whiskered teen shook his head and said, "The incident was brushed under the rug, in a sense. Those responsible for the attack got off easy...I still don't know why. I know you've had it rough too, Sasuke, because of the massacre, so I don't hold the way you've acted towards people, me included, against you. We just took things in different ways. While you seemed to seclude yourself and distance yourself from people, I continued to wear a mask of idiocy and acted like everything was perfectly fine. It was either that...or try to kill myself again. I've tried a few ways, but when I realized that nothing would work, I decided just to live and deal with it. No matter how hard things got...I just had to deal with it."

Karin hugged Naruto and said, "I'm sorry. If I could have only been here for you…"

Naruto shook his head and asked a rhetorical question, "Did you know that I didn't even learn about why I was so hated until I failed the academy's exam for the third time? I had to learn from a traitor to the village that I contained the Kyuubi, rather than being told by the Hokage or someone else I felt I could trust. That I should be able to trust. No...I had to learn from a traitor, and in a way that could have gotten me killed. It all made sense though. People seem to think I really am the Kyuubi. After all, the traitor's mindset was that I was the Kyuubi in human form. So if he thought that way, I'm pretty sure the majority of the village seems to believe that as well. And the Hokage feeds me the same bullshit all the damn time. "Just give it time. They're grieving and they don't know what they're doing." Blah blah fucking blah! Don't even want to delve into the other crap he's fed me in his attempt to defend the villagers and their actions."

Clenching his fists tight, Naruto shut his eyes tight and said, "On top of that, whenever I ask about who my parents were, the Hokage essentially shuts me down and tells me to stop asking. Hell, he won't even tell me if they loved me or if I was abandoned or anything! So tell me how I'm supposed to be able to trust someone like that!"

Sasuke frowned and said, "Damn. A child deserves to know who his parents are, or at the very least that they loved him. At least I got to spend time with my family before they were all killed. You never got that opportunity. That really makes it hard to trust the Hokage if he's willing to do things like that."

"Tell me about it. Just what else is he hiding, I wonder?" Karin said, sounding suspicious of the entire thing. "And you had to learn the truth about your burden from a traitor? That's just wrong."

"Yep. But the traitor's been dealt with. I kicked his ass. But when I asked why he hadn't told me...the Hokage claimed that I wasn't ready to know about my burden yet. He wanted me to have a 'normal childhood'. You have no idea how much I wanted to just leap over his desk and throttle the asshole for that."

"If he wanted you to live a normal childhood, he wouldn't have let people find out you were the Kyuubi jinchuriki. Besides that, simply being a jinchuriki guaranteed you weren't going to have a 'normal' childhood." Karin said, sounding pretty furious at the Hokage in that moment.

Sasuke nodded in agreement with this statement before something dawned on her. "Wait, you hinted before that that Fu girl was 'different'. Is she a jinchuriki like you?"

Naruto nodded and said, "Her, Yugito, and Gaara are all jinchuriki. Gaara's jinchuriki has driven him to the point of insanity, I'm afraid. As for Fu? She seems nice enough, but, and I'm sorry to say this, you didn't have a chance in Hell of beating her. Hell, she'd probably wipe the floor with me too, despite me housing the strongest of the bijuu."

"She's that strong? Damn." Sasuke said, sounding genuinely surprised. "But...why are so many jinchuriki participating in the Chunin Exams? Is something going on that we don't know about?"

Karin frowned in thought for a moment before she said, "Maybe someone is planning an invasion during the Exams at some point? It would make sense for some of Konoha's enemies to attack at some point, probably at a moment where they can get at the largest number of people: the finals. The problem is, who's planning to invade and which of the jinchuriki are going to be the threats?"

Naruto frowned and shook his head. "I think Fu's just here for a genuine chance at becoming a Chunin of her village. I'm pretty sure that Gaara is going to be a threat, being unstable as he is. If I had to fathom a guess, I'd say he's the trump card that whoever's invading plans to use. Yugito? I'm not sure. It depends on if Kumo's in on the invasion. But again, my money's on Gaara being the big threat."

Sasuke nodded. "Makes sense. Sending a psychopathic jinchuriki out to kill as many people as possible and probably lay waste to the village itself? Yeah, that sounds like a good plan to me. As for Kumo and Yugito? Hell if I know, but I think we should prepare for them as well, just in case. Problem is, how the hell are we supposed to get strong enough to fight them?"

Before Naruto could reply, Karin allowed a chakra chain to extend from her arm and wiggled it around a bit. "If need be, I can try to use these chains to restrain them for a while, but it's not a permanent solution. Compared to other Uzumaki's, my chains aren't quite the same. Mine are a bit weaker, but that's probably because I haven't trained anywhere near enough with them before now. I've always focused more on fuinjutsu and medical techniques. I've preferred to act in a supportive role over all other possibilities. But...if there's a danger to your home and I can help in some way, then I'll start training harder than ever before so I can help."

Naruto smiled at Karin and said, "Thank you, Karin-chan. If you need help, I'll gladly train with you. I'm planning to do some training of my own during the month. The Kyuubi has agreed to train me for the finals, so I'm planning to work really hard so I don't let him down. I want to become strong enough to protect those dear to me. And...I have a few people here in the village that I genuinely care about, so I'll fight to keep them and this village safe, even if I don't care much for a lot of the people here."

Sasuke quirked a brow and asked, "The Kyuubi's actually agreed to train you? How'd that happen?"

"Kyuubi-sensei is actually pretty nice, once you get to know him. Besides that, he's been better to me than a lot of people here. So, despite what others might advise, I've placed my trust in Kyuubi-sensei and am willing to work hard so I don't let him down."

Sasuke thought about it for a time before she decided to ask, "Think you and the Kyuubi could help me with my training? I want to get stronger, though it's not necessarily for a pure reason like yours is. I want the strength to one day kill my brother...but...I also want to be there for you, Naruto. You're my only real friend and I want to hold onto that bond."

Naruto frowned in thought for a moment before he closed his eyes and questioned internally, Kurama-sensei? What do you think?

"While she seems like a typical Uchiha most of the time, she has proven that she's a bit different when compared to them. For one thing, she genuinely seems to care for you, rather than only for herself and her own interests. Most Uchiha only gave a damn about themselves. Best examples of why I hate the Uchiha so much are Madara Uchiha and that Madara wannabe on the night I attacked your village. That damn wannabe ripped me out of your mother and used his blasted eye to control me, using me to try and destroy the village. And yes, before you ask, I know exactly who your parents are. If that old monkey doesn't tell you tomorrow morning when you see him, I'll tell you then. Just know that I'm not fond of either of your parents."

"Anyways, I got off topic for a bit there. In answer to your inquiry about whether or not I'll train the Uchiha next to you, then I will. If only to make sure that she stays loyal to you and doesn't end up stabbing you in the back later, like so many Uchiha are wont to do. Warn her, though, that if she betrays our trust in her, that I will help you put her down like a sick dog. Do you understand me, Kit?"

Of course, Kurama-sensei. And...thanks. If the Hokage doesn't tell me about my parents tomorrow morning, then I'll definitely be asking you. Sorry if it brings up any bad memories, though. Naruto replied before looking into Sasuke's eyes. "He said he'll train you, but...if you betray us, you'll wish you hadn't."

Sasuke nodded slowly and said, "Then I'd best not betray you two. Besides, you're my friend, there's no way I would betray you for anything. I...do remember what Orochimaru said to me, that I'd eventually come to him for power, but I have no intentions of ever doing such a thing. Not so long as I have you here, Naruto."

Naruto blushed a bit and scratched at the tip of his nose as he looked away from her. "T-Thanks, Sasuke. I appreciate that. And...sorry if I've ever come across to you as a pain in the ass or something. I'll say it now that I've always been kind of envious of you, but I never hated you or anything like that."

Frowning a bit, Sasuke shook her head and said, "It's fine, Naruto. Yes, you could be a little annoying at times, but...I was actually kind of envious of you too. You were so outgoing and everything and I just couldn't help but want to be more open, like you were. I understand that you were wearing a mask, but still…"

"Heh, first time anyone's said something like that to me before. Sounds like we're pretty good for one another, huh?" Naruto questioned, chuckling a bit afterwards.

Sasuke found herself blushing at that and quickly looked away. "Y-Yeah, I guess we are, aren't we?"

Karin found herself smirking at this as she said, "You're going to make me feel jealous, flirting the way you are."

Naruto blinked in confusion and asked, "Huh? Who's flirting?"

Sasuke, on the other hand, blushed deeper and shouted out, "We're not flirting! Besides, we're both guys! No thank you."

Karin smirked wider as she looked Sasuke over. "Nope. From where I'm sitting, you're a bonafide woman, Sasuke. So I say you're flirting."

The fourteen year-old Uchiha looked herself over before crying comically. "Right...I forgot. Damn it."

Naruto still looked confused for a time until what he had said earlier fully registered in his brain. Once he understood the implications of what he was saying, he began to blush and found it very hard to look at either girl.

Upon seeing this, Karin giggled and said, "See? You were totally flirting!"

Sasuke and Naruto released heavy sighs and hung their heads, as they couldn't think of anything to say in response to that. So, with no words being said, they went about eating their ramen until they had finished. When Sasuke reached for her wallet, Naruto shook his head. "I've got it. I eat here all the time, so I don't mind paying for your meal too, Sasuke. Same for you, Karin-chan."

Sasuke smiled at her friend and nodded her head in acceptance of this. "Thanks Naruto. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Naruto nodded and offered his friend a smile. "Of course. Good night Sasuke."

Karin decided to tease them again. "You can call her Sasuke-chan, you know?"

"No he can't!" Sasuke exclaimed, a bright blush forming on her face again. "Ugh, I'm just going to go. Good night!"

As Sasuke ran off, a bright blush on her face, Naruto and Karin couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "You really shouldn't tease us so much, Karin-chan. Yeah, Sasuke's hot now, but still…"

"There you go calling her hot again. I'm surprised you two haven't kissed yet." Karin teased mercilessly.

Naruto blushed again and looked away, unable to face his clanmate right now. "It's not like that between us. Before Sasuke was turned into a girl, we were kinda close, but now? It's kind of awkward. It's certainly a different experience compared to anything else I've been through before."

"Imagine how it must feel for Sasuke. Poor guy went from being a boy to a girl pretty much instantly. It's going to take a while for her to get used to the change, but I'm sure once she's come to terms with it, everything will be better for her. Yeah, it'll still be a little weird, but I think she'll be pretty happy after a while." Karin said before she rose from her stool and stepped outside of the ramen shack.

Once Naruto had paid and joined Karin outside, he gently took her hand in his own and the two began to walk together back towards his place. Upon arriving, he was shocked to see Kin Tsuchi standing in front of his apartment, as if waiting for him. "Wait, aren't you the girl I let go back in the forest? What are you doing here?"

Kin offered him a smile and said, "I told the Hokage everything I know about Orochimaru and his plans. Then...I asked if I could move in with you. You're the only person I know in Konoha besides that Sasuke person, and I'd rather be around someone I trust, you know? Also, my name is Kin Tsuchi. You're Naruto Uzumaki, right? And who's your friend?"

Karin couldn't help but notice the look sent her way by the ex-Oto kunoichi. So, she's trying to determine if I'll get in the way of her building a romantic relationship with Naruto-kun, hm? Interesting. "I'm Karin Uzumaki, and I happen to like Naruto-kun. We've already kissed too." she said with a smirk on her face.

The ravenette frowned deeply at this and asked, "But you're not in an actual relationship yet, are you?"

The redhead frowned as well and said, "Not quite yet, but if I have anything to say about it, we will be soon. What? Feeling jealous?"

Kin was practically growling now. "You'll be the jealous one when I snatch him up for myself." she said before walking up to Naruto and wrapping her arms around his free arm, bringing his arm snugly between her breasts. "I saw him first, after all."

Naruto, upon realizing that he was stuck in the middle of a territorial dispute between two beauties, couldn't help but blush deeply to himself while an awkward smile formed on his face. "L-Ladies? Calm down. Please?"

Karin glared at Naruto for a moment before returning her gaze to Kin. "Maybe so, but, as I said, I've had his first kiss. I'd say we have something far more special between us than your feeble connection with him."

Growling at the annoying redhead, Kin tugged on Naruto's arm and said, "Come on Naruto-kun, let's go get some sleep. Maybe we can even cuddle. It's bound to be nicer than spending time with a flat-chested bimbo like her."

Eyes twitching, Karin turned Naruto's head to face her and she leaned in, kissing him passionately on the lips, causing him to blush badly while Kin was practically frothing at the mouth. When the kiss ended, Karin licked her lips before saying, "I'm the only woman he needs. Better than some skank from a weak ninja village like yours."

Clutching tighter to Naruto's arm, Kin growled out, "I'm glad to be away from that pathetic village full of monsters! Now I'm here, and I plan to make Naru-kun mine. Nobody's going to come between us."

Naruto winced as it felt like they were going to pull his arms out of their sockets. "Girls! Enough already! I'm not some rope you use in a tug-o'-war game! Karin-chan, I like you. I like you a lot! But at the same time, I want to get to know Kin-chan as well. I want you both to get along, okay? Anyways, I'm kind of tired, so can we all just go in and get some sleep? I'll let you girls have the bed. I'll sleep on the couch. Okay?"

Both girls looked at each other before nodding in agreement over something. "If we're all going to sleep together in the same apartment, then we'll just have to share the bed, all three of us. We're going to cuddle and that'll be that. No arguments!" Kin said.

Naruto sighed, but acquiesced to their request in the end. And so, together, they ventured into Naruto's bedroom where the girls quickly stripped down to their unmentionables, leaving Naruto a blushing, stuttering mess. When they ordered him to strip as well, he was nervous to comply, but he eventually stripped down to just his boxers and climbed into bed, the girls lying on either side of him, both clinging to his arms and pressing themselves against him in such a way that he was having a hard time keeping a certain part of his anatomy down. I'm not sure whether I love my life right now or hate it.

The Next Morning

As Naruto awoke the next morning, he could immediately feel a few somethings brushing up against his morning wood. A deep blush quickly found its way onto his face as he tried to figure out some plan to get out of this awkward situation before anything strange could happen. Sadly, before he could so much as move an inch, both of the teenage beauties beside him began to stir awake, their hands brushing against his rock-hard erection. Upon realizing what they were touching, both young women blushed and quickly backed away from Naruto.

"S-Sorry Naruto-kun!" Kin exclaimed, sounding pretty embarrassed. He's pretty big. Makes me wonder how good he is with it. She thought with a perverse giggle.

Karin was having similar thoughts and was giggling as well. "Looks like someone's happy to see us." she teased.

Naruto covered his face with his hands and let out a deep groan. "Please, don't tease me. Just let me get showered and dressed so we can be on our way to see the Hokage. I'd like to get that stupid meeting out of the way." he said, trying not to look at the two scantily-clad women.

Kin smirked as she looked at him, but she decided to spare him some 'misery', if you could even call it that. So, climbing out of bed, she put her clothes back on and blew him a kiss. "I'm going to go next door and take care of a few things. Then I plan to come with you to see the Hokage. Try not to miss me too much while I'm gone." she teased with a wink before she left the room.

Karin, not wanting Kin to get one up on her, leaned in close to Naruto and whispered in his ear, "Want me to join you in the shower, Naru-kun? I could wash your back for you."

Before Karin knew it, Naruto was out of his bed, through the door and into his bathroom. Seeing how he reacted, Karin couldn't help but giggle to herself hysterically. "Oh Naru-kun, you're just too easy to tease."

Hokage's Office

Naruto, Kin, Karin, and Sasuke were all standing before the Third Hokage in his office. The reason for Sasuke's presence is really quite simple: she had been on her way to Naruto's apartment so they could train together when she came across Naruto with two lovely ladies on his arms. Strangely enough, she felt a foreign feeling when she saw them together with Naruto, but she couldn't place what this feeling was, exactly. So, pushing that aside, she chose to walk with them to the Hokage's tower and then his office, willing to wait to train until after the meeting.

Looking around at the four in his office, Hiruzen frowned for a moment and said, "I was under the impression that it would just be the two of us, Naruto-kun."

Naruto shook his head and said, "I trust them, Hokage-sama. I'm sure that whatever you wanted to talk to me about will be safe with them. So what's up?"

The Third Hokage looked around at everyone for a moment before he ordered his Anbu to leave them. Afterwards, he activated a silencing seal to keep those outside from hearing what they were about to discuss. "Very well, Naruto-kun. As you no doubt know by now, you are a member of the Uzumaki clan...one of the very last in existence. So I'll talk to you about them first, and then I'll get into the meat of the conversation afterwards."

Seeing Naruto and the others remaining silent, Hiruzen nodded his head in thanks before he began. "Naruto-kun, the Uzumaki clan were highly recognizable by their signature red hair. Almost all Uzumaki had red hair and, well...the majority of them were quite, erm…'feisty', let's say. Uzumaki's could have wild temperaments and it made approaching some of them a tad difficult. However, they were masters of fuinjutsu, the Sealing Arts. They were also known for their large chakra capacities and for having such dense chakra that they could manifest certain chakra constructs. Finally, the Uzumaki's had their own village, Uzushiogakure. They were allied with Konoha and...we failed them in their time of need. They were attacked by a joint alliance between Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure. Even now I don't know just how they gained access to the isles of Uzushiogakure, as the Uzumaki's had such a powerful barrier in place, and they had a natural defense in the form of raging whirlpools that surrounded the island. Personally? I think someone betrayed them, and I've got a damn good guess as to who it was, too. If I had proof, I'd nail the son-of-a-bitch right now for everything he's done, but he's so good at covering his tracks, it's ridiculous."

Naruto frowned at this and asked, "Who do you think it was that sold out my clan? And why weren't we taught about the Uzumaki clan in class? Why did I have to wait to find out until I met Karin-chan?"

Hiruzen sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose out of a mixture of frustration and tiredness. "His name is Danzo Shimura. He's a warhawk and claims he's a patriot of Konoha. He claims to have the best interests of the village in mind and that everything he does is for Konoha. Problem is? Everything he does only benefits himself. He's a greedy, evil son-of-a-bitch and he's done nothing but cause problems not just for me, but for the village as a whole. If he had his way, we'd always be at war until either our village was destroyed, or every other village finally submitted to us and accepted us as the superior village. Suffice it to say, Danzo is NOT a good guy."

"As for why you didn't learn about the Uzumaki clan in the academy curriculum? The answer to that is quite simple...and highly disappointing. Danzo, Homura, and Koharu helped pass a motion to wipe our affiliation with Uzushio from the records. They made sure that the Uzumaki's would never be remembered in our village, and yet everyone still wears their symbol on their flak jackets. This decision of theirs only cements the possibility of Danzo being involved in Uzushio's downfall."

Naruto scowled at this and said, "If you don't manage to get any evidence on him soon, then I might as well just kill him before he can cause anymore harm. I'm not pleased to hear this, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen sighed and nodded his head sadly. "I understand, Naruto-kun. However, I have more to tell you. I...know I should have told you this information a long time ago, but…" Sighing again, he closed his eyes and said, "Naruto-kun...your parents were Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. And yes, that Minato."

Naruto's eyes went wide as he immediately looked at the Fourth Hokage's portrait hanging on the wall nearby. "M-My own father...sealed the Kyuubi into me?! He cursed me to this life of utter hell?! Why?!"

The Third sighed and shook his head sadly. "Naruto-kun...I can't begin to explain the reason behind Minato's decision. I'm not him, and I cannot understand the way he thinks...or rather, thought. However, I am quite positive that your mother would never have wanted to seal the Kyuubi within you. She's the type of person that would rather have taken the beast with her to the grave. I'm pretty sure Minato convinced her somehow that sealing the Kyuubi within you was the best thing they could do at the time. I know he would have preferred for the village to see you as a hero, but...I'm sad to say, your father was a naive fool sometimes and placed far, far too much faith in the villagers."

Sighing again, Hiruzen looked up at the ceiling and said, "Unfortunately, only an Uzumaki can safely contain the Kyuubi. And...you were the only healthy Uzumaki in the village at the time. Your mother was dying after the Kyuubi escaped its seal. I highly suspect that there was foul play involved and someone found where they were hiding out while Kushina gave birth to you. Whoever it was must have done something and extracted the Kyuubi from your mother. I don't know why anyone would do such a thing, or who would have such a vendetta against Konoha that they'd unleash that beast on our village, but…"

"Hmph. Whatever the case, what's done is done. What I really want you to hold onto when you think about them is that those two loved you very much. They were so excited to give birth to you. They were positively giddy at the thought of raising you and being a happy family. I wish they could have been here to do just that. But...they aren't. All because of the events of that night."

Naruto remained silent for a while, just trying to process everything he had just learned. Before he could utter a word, however, Sasuke spoke up. "So why are you only just now telling Naruto about his parents? Shouldn't this conversation have taken place ages ago?"

The whiskered youth looked Hiruzen in the eyes, waiting to hear his answer to that question. "In truth? I didn't feel Naruto-kun was ready to hear such information. I worried that he might go shouting it from the rooftops that he's the son of the Fourth. Can you imagine the shitstorm that would have followed such a declaration? No. I decided to keep such information to myself, waiting for the day that Naruto-kun would be ready for such information."

"Did you really have such little faith in me, Hokage-sama?" Naruto bit out harshly. "I've never been stupid. I wouldn't have gone around screaming that to the people of the village. They'd claim I was lying and probably beat me worse than usual for daring to spit out such a lie. And before you say anything, that act of idiocy and smiling all the time? That was my mask. I'm a lot smarter than I've let on, and it bothers me that you couldn't see past that. You should have told me that my parents loved me, at the very least."

Hiruzen frowned at hearing this and asked, "How come you never confided all of this in me, Naruto-kun? If you had just been honest with me…"

Naruto scoffed at this and asked, "Like you've been honest with me? I'm sorry, Hokage-sama, but I knew you were lying to my face every single time I asked about my parents. On top of that, you lied about why the people hated me so much. You claimed not to know, when you knew very well what was going on. How could I trust you?! You claim to have had my best interests in mind, but you clearly didn't!"

The Third Hokage sighed and shook his head. "Regardless," he said, trying to change the topic, "what's done is done. I was going to tell you that I believe it's time you received your inheritance from your parents. This includes their home in the clan district. I'll escort you there now so you know where it is and can get moved in. Kin and Karin have already expressed an interest in moving in with you before, so if you're willing to have them, there is plenty of room for the both of them."

Naruto decided to just let the matter drop, since it was obvious that Hiruzen didn't want to talk about his failures any longer. Karin and Kin, however, narrowed their eyes at the Hokage and couldn't help but feel disgust just being around him. Sasuke, meanwhile, wasn't sure what to think. After all, if he would hide such things from Naruto, could he be hiding even more that she didn't know about? She certainly had her suspicions…

Still, they followed after the Third until they reached Naruto's new home. Staring at it through the gate, he couldn't help but be in awe. "Wow." he breathed out. "It's amazing."

"That it is, Naruto-kun. Now, there is a seal on the gate that's attuned to the blood of your parents. They left it open, in a sense, for your blood to work as well. They included that after it was confirmed that Kushina was pregnant with you. So, simply use a bit of your blood to open the gate and we can go inside. You'll have to key in Karin and Kin so they can have access as well, so you'll definitely want to begin studying your parents' fuinjutsu books." Hiruzen explained with a smile.

"Makes sense. Alrighty then, here we go." Naruto said before he bit his thumb hard enough to draw blood. Smearing a bit of blood on the seal, he watched as the gate swung open, allowing them entrance into his compound.

Hiruzen led them up to the door and withdrew a key from his pocket. Unlocking the front door, he allowed the Genin to enter before he did. Once inside, he looked around with a nostalgic smile on his face. "It's been quite some time since I was last here. It still looks the same as it did before they passed away."

Karin looked around and said, "It looks like seals are in place to prevent dust from accumulating and to withstand the passage of time. Pretty impressive work. I wonder though, which of them designed these seals?"

The Hokage chuckled a bit and said, "They both did. Minato-kun and Kushina-chan were both seal masters and often worked together when designing new seals to be used."

The redhead nodded in understanding before she left to go and explore, Kin following shortly after. Naruto looked around at what he could immediately see, and couldn't help but notice a few pictures hanging on one of the walls nearby. There were pictures of his parents, and in some of them he noticed a white-haired man that seemed to be rather tall as compared to most people. Frowning at this, he turned to Hiruzen and asked, "Who's that guy with my parents?"

Hiruzen looked at the person in the photos and shook his head sadly. "That, m'boy, is Jiraiya, one of my old students. He also happens to be your godfather. He may not have been there for you growing up, but he does send a monthly allowance for you."

Naruto clenched his fists tight and asked, "I have a godfather? And he's never bothered to come see me even ONCE?! I don't care if he's the one sending me money, the least he could have done is come let me know that somebody fucking cared about me!"

The aged Hokage sighed and said, "I understand, Naruto-kun. Unfortunately, part of the problem is the fact that he runs this village's spy network. But that doesn't excuse his negligence whenever he was actually here in the village. I tried to advise him to see you from time to time, but he never did. And for that, I am sorry."

"Let me guess, he'd rather spend his time doing something else, wouldn't he?" Naruto questioned irritably. "Screw his godson, he had more important things to do than make sure his godson was loved and grew up properly. Well screw him! I don't need someone like that in my life!"

Hiruzen sighed again. "You know those books you've seen Kakashi and I read? Jiraiya is the author of those books. His favorite thing to do is peep on women in the hot springs. I do believe that whenever he's been here in the village, that's where he's always gone after reporting to me. So, yes, I do believe that he felt that was more important than seeing you. Again, I am sorry, Naruto-kun. I should have insisted harder that he see you, but…"

"It's not your fault he'd rather be a peeping tom than a good godfather. At least you tried." Naruto said. "You're not perfect, and you've certainly made mistakes, but you tried on some level."

The Hokage gave Naruto a small smile and said, "If you'd like to meet him, I have ordered him to return to remove that seal from your friend, Tenten. I plan to keep him here in the village for a while."

Naruto shook his head. "No. If he can't make the time to come see me, then I don't need him." Sighing, Naruto looked into Hiruzen's eyes and said, "Kakashi has been a negligent teacher, Hokage-sama. He focused primarily on Sasuke and ignored Sakura and me. All he's taught the two of us is the tree-climbing exercise. He's also tried to drill in us the importance of teamwork, but…"

Sasuke sighed and spoke up at this point. "Sakura's been the big disappointment there. She'd rather fantasize about me and try to get in my good graces by beating on Naruto and putting him down, thinking it would please me. Sakura refuses to work with Naruto and I always refused to cooperate with her. Naruto and I can work together alright, but I'll admit I've been a pain to work with. Still, we're capable of working together when we needed to. Still, I have to say that when you assigned us to Team 7 to work under Kakashi...you made a mistake, Hokage-sama. I really don't think Kakashi's sensei material. He just doesn't care."

"Is he now? I expected him to take training the three of you far more seriously, but if you truly feel that he's failed you as a sensei, then…" Sighing, Hiruzen rubbed the bridge of his nose for a moment. "Ugh. I truly thought he would be good for you. And I thought the three of you would become a great team, but…"

Taking a moment to think on it, Hiruzen shook his head and said, "I'll have a talk with Kakashi. I'd very much like to see how he justifies his negligence as a sensei. I'm disappointed that he hasn't done anything to snap Sakura out of her fangirl tendencies. She's turned out to be one big disappointment. So has Ino Yamanaka for that matter. I truly believed that she and her teammates would prove to be just as capable as their parents were. But…"

Naruto sighed and shook his head. "Yes, she's just as much of a fangirl as Sakura is. I highly doubt she's taken her training all that seriously. That and the two of them are dieting, which isn't very smart, especially if they want to become capable kunoichi."

Groaning, the aged Hokage shook his head in disappointment. "Looks like I need to have a talk with my son as well. Damn it." Sighing, he looked at Naruto before he walked over to the nearby table and pulled out some scrolls and letters. Placing them upon the table, he turned back to Naruto and said, "Those scrolls contain your inheritance. The letters were left for you by your parents. I'll leave you to it. I need to have a talk with a few Jonin and see what the hell their excuses are for their failures. Take care, Naruto-kun."

Naruto watched as the Hokage left his home before he turned to stare at the items left behind for him. Before he could peruse their contents, Sasuke tapped him on the shoulder. Turning to look at her, he saw her fidgeting in place nervously, unable to look him in the eyes. "Sasuke? What's up?"

Building up her nerves, Sasuke looked into Naruto's eyes with a small, barely noticeable blush on her face. "Naruto...I'm tired of living on my own in the Uchiha compound, in the house where my parents died. It's lonely and all it does is bring back all kinds of memories that I don't want to continue reliving. So...I, um...Kami this is harder than I thought it would be." Sighing, Sasuke closed her eyes and said, "Please let me live with you!"

Naruto blinked a couple times as he tried to register what Sasuke had just requested. When it finally pieced together in his mind, he blushed and looked anywhere but at her. Scratching lightly at the tip of his nose, he said, "Um...sure. I don't have a problem with that. It certainly looks like I've got plenty of room here, so I don't see anything wrong with your request. But, are you sure? Knowing what you do about me now, you have to know that the people won't take you living with me very well."

Sasuke scowled at this and flicked her friend in the nose. "Do you think I care about what they think? All they do is try to suck up to me and it's annoying as hell. If they try to convince me to move out, I'll just tell them to fuck off. I like you, Naruto. You're my best friend and I'd feel better if I stayed here with you than living on my own a moment longer. So if you're willing to put off reading those letters for a bit, let's go get my things so I can get moved in."

"Sure. Just let me ask Karin-chan something real quick." Naruto replied before he prepared to go off in search of Karin. He didn't need to leave the room, however, as both Karin and Kin came into the room just seconds later.

"This isn't a normal house, it's way too big! It's like a damn mansion!" Kin exclaimed excitedly. "I can just tell I'm going to love it here."

Naruto chuckled a bit and nodded his head in agreement. "I'm looking forward to living here as well. It's a big step up from where I used to live. That apartment was a horrible place to live."

"Speaking of your apartment, we need to go get everything packed up and moved in here." Karin said. "Then we need to get Kin and me added to the security system so we can come and go freely."

"Speaking of which, I was hoping you could help me figure out the seal so we can link you three into the security system. Right now, without training in fuinjutsu, I have no idea how to do that." Naruto said a bit awkwardly. "I was also hoping you could help me learn fuinjutsu. My parents were obviously skilled in that art, so I'd like to become even better than them at it."

Karin smiled at him and nodded her head. "Of course I'll help! As for altering the security seals to allow all of us here entry and exit to your lovely estate, that should be easy enough to do. Just leave it to me Naru-kun!"

"Thank you. Now, let's go get everything packed so we can officially get moved in here."

Everyone nodded in agreement before they left the house, locking it with the key that Hiruzen had left behind with the letters and scrolls. Together, they set off for Naruto's apartment first, as he wouldn't have all that much to move as compared to Sasuke.

As they walked through the village in the direction of Naruto's apartment, they couldn't help but notice the looks the villagers were sending their way. They also began to hear what they were saying, and it caused all of them to scowl.

Naruto sighed and shook his head in disappointment. "And now they believe I've enslaved you girls and turned you into my pleasure slaves or whatever. How stupid can these people get?"

"Very, apparently." Sasuke said, shooting a nasty glare at some of the villagers to make them shut up. "It looks like they don't know I've turned into a girl, yet. I wonder how they'd react to that news."

Karin giggled a bit and said, "You could just shout it out from the rooftops that you're a girl now, if you want to. Who knows? It might just work."

Sasuke sighed and shook her head. "I'd really rather not. Who knows how these idiots will react if I were to suddenly shout something like that at random?"

Kin giggled and nodded her head in agreement. "Knowing how stupid people can be, they'd probably be in denial and claim you were slandering Sasuke's 'good name'. Unless it's thrust right in their faces by the people in charge, they'll never believe you've turned into a girl."

The young Uchiha sighed and shook her head. "I'll never understand how people can be that damn stupid."

"They just are. Let's hurry up and go get our things packed so we can move into my new home together. I don't want to deal with any of their bullshit today." Naruto said as he quickened his pace, leaving the others to hurry after him.

"They really bother you sometimes, don't they Naruto-kun?" Kin questioned, sounding fairly upset.

Naruto shut his eyes for a moment before saying, "Sometimes...yes they do. I can usually just brush their crap off, but there are times where it just gets to me. Know what I mean?"

"I've never personally experienced something like that, but I'd like to say I understand. I am sorry you've had to deal with all of this before." Karin said as she hugged onto one of his arms, holding it snugly between her budding breasts.

"Thanks, but it's okay. Well, as okay as it can be, I suppose." Naruto said with a shrug. "We should hurry up though. I'd like to see what my parents left for me and I'm also looking forward to getting some training in." And with that, everyone nodded in agreement before they hurried off towards Naruto's apartment.

The Next Day

A large, white-haired man with a horned headband with the kanji for Oil on it, was currently standing in the Hokage's office, looking at Tenten curiously. His sensei, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had explained the situation to him, and the more he looked at the seal hidden under Tenten's hair, the more his scowl deepened. "Tenten, I'm going to need you to sit perfectly still. In order to remove this seal on your head, I need to inscribe seals on your face and chest. The process could take a while, so, despite how you may feel, I need you to remove your top and allow me access to your skin unhampered by your clothes."

Tenten frowned at this and asked, "Do you really need me to take my top off? Can't you, y'know, just inscribe the seals on my face or something?"

Jiraiya shook his head and said, "No, Tenten. This is no time to be embarrassed. I've seen plenty of women without their tops before, so seeing you without yours won't affect me, I promise. Besides that, when it comes to seals like this, I'm a practiced professional. I'd never delve into some perverse habit if something like this is involved."

Nodding slowly, Tenten slowly removed her top and then her bra, a deep blush forming on her face. She couldn't look at either of the two men in the office and instead shut her eyes tight. "J-Just...get it over with."

Jiraiya sighed and slowly nodded his head as he went about drawing the seals on her skin. Seeing as he highly doubted she'd be willing to have her hair shaved off, practically leaving her bald, he needed to inscribe seals on her face, over her eyes, her nose, past her lips, and down to the center of her chest right between her breasts. By the time he was finished, he put one hand to the seal between her breasts and then his other on a seal he had placed on her forehead. "Here goes nothing. You're likely going to feel some pain, but I need you to push through it. Ready?"

Right as Tenten went to say that she was ready, Jiraiya surprised her by activating the counter-seals. Wincing in agony as they went to work, she soon slumped forward against Jiraiya.

Finishing up, Jiraiya watched as the seal atop her head was destroyed. Once it was gone, Jiraiya picked up Tenten's bra and shirt and asked for one of the female Anbu hiding in various locations throughout the office to dress Tenten again. After she was, Jiraiya let out a sigh and shook his head in disbelief. "To think her parents would go so far to ensure Naruto didn't have any friends, even in her. I wonder how she'll react to this?"

"We're about to find out. It looks like she's coming to." Hiruzen said as he watched Tenten slowly sit up and rub at her eyes. "How do you feel, Tenten?"

Tenten groaned a bit and said, "I feel...different. I can't really describe it. But...I remember the face of that boy from the orphanage now. I even remember his name. What I don't understand is why my parents put such a seal on me. They told me it was for my own good, but it hurt when they put it on. Why would they want me to forget Naruto-kun?"

Jiraiya frowned and said, "For a reason we can't say. If Naruto wants to tell you himself, that's his choice. However, out of respect for him, we can't tell you or anyone else about his secret."

The brunette frowned at this, but nodded her head in understanding. "Alright. I'll just have to ask him about it then."

Hiruzen sighed and shook his head. "I'd rather you just let the matter drop. It's his secret to keep, and very few people your age know the secret."

Tenten shook her head and said, "I think I have the right to know why my parents would go so far to ensure I forgot about my best friend. But...that does raise the question of what you're going to do about my parents. After all, isn't doing something like this illegal?"

Jiraiya nodded. "Yes, it is. They forced a seal on you without your consent and harmed you in the long run. Sensei, what are you going to do?"

The Third said, "I'm going to have them arrested, and after that? Well, I'm not too sure. I don't think this warrants their death, but at the same time, one can't help but wonder what type of punishment is truly appropriate for something like this."

Jiraiya scowled at this and said, "They took away one of Naruto's friends through force! They practically crippled their adopted daughter! I'd say this constitutes as child abuse on some level! I'd throw them away so they could rot in a jail cell for the rest of their lives. If you don't do something about them, I will."

Tenten frowned and said, "Please...don't kill them. They aren't bad people...just…"

Hiruzen sighed and shook his head. "The best I can do is exactly as Jiraiya-kun said: lock them up and throw away the key. It doesn't matter how good they've been to you, they committed a crime and need to pay the price."

The brunette sighed, but nodded her head in understanding. "I know. Um...is there any chance I could meet Naruto-kun and see what he's like now? All I've got to go on is my early childhood memories and what little I've seen of him since the beginning of the Chunin Exams, which really wasn't that impressive…"

The Hokage smiled at her and nodded her head. "Of course you can. I warn you that he's got three young ladies living with him, one of which is the recently transformed Sasuke Uchiha. Before you get the wrong idea, he's not some lecherous pervert. He's actually a very well-behaved young man, and he's proven to be far smarter than even I expected. And despite everything that he's been through, he's become a fine, young man. I fully expect him to become stronger and stronger in his effort to achieve his dreams and protect those dear to him. I bet he'll surpass me, given enough time, of course."

"You've really got that much faith in him?" Tenten questioned unsurely. "I'll admit, it's impressive that he's made his way through to the finals, but…"

Jiraiya shook his head and said, "Naruto's been dealt a bad hand in life. His sensei has been a neglectful asshole that couldn't be bothered to train Naruto properly, only focusing on that Uchiha boy, or girl now, I suppose. In the academy, he was being sabotaged, though I don't know why sensei didn't do something about that when he did get proof such a thing was happening." At this, Jiraiya glared harshly at Hiruzen before returning his attention to Tenten. "So you see, Naruto's not entirely at fault for his subpar skills as a shinobi. He's had to train himself so far, and you can only get so far without proper guidance. So I plan to approach him soon and invite him to learn under me. I just hope he accepts and doesn't try to do his on his own. He needs guidance if he wants to be able to take on the other Chunin hopefuls in the tournament."

"Really? Naruto-kun's sensei really hasn't trained them? How the hell did they get through the first two tests without any real training? Are you sure about all of that? 'Cause that only makes me more suspicious of what this secret of his could be." Tenten questioned as she folded her arms across her chest.

Hiruzen sighed and nodded his head. "Yes. Kakashi-kun hasn't been a good sensei to his team. He did nothing to curb Sakura's fangirl tendencies. He didn't reprimand her for her abuse of Naruto-kun. In fact, the only one he bothered to teach at all was Sasuke. I have a feeling he's doing that in an effort to honor his late teammate's memory somehow, but he's failed tremendously as a Jonin sensei. I'm considering removing him as Team 7's sensei and putting someone more capable in charge. I'm also thinking about removing Sakura Haruno from that team and swapping her for someone else. However, I can't seem to figure out who to replace her with and which team I should put her on."

Tenten frowned at this and shook her head in disbelief. "She's a mockery of a kunoichi. She makes us real kunoichi look bad. I'd simply remove her from the ninja corps. entirely, but the choice is yours, Hokage-sama. Now, can someone please take me to Naruto-kun? I want to meet him."

Jiraiya nodded. "Have to say, I agree with you. Enough about that, though. Let's get you over to Naruto-kun's new home. You're going to be surprised." he said, smirking at her as he led her out of the office.

Once he was alone again, Hiruzen rubbed at the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Jiraiya-kun, you're only going to piss Naruto off more. He wasn't exactly happy when he learned about you…"

Naruto

Naruto was currently sparring with Sasuke, as per Kurama's suggestion. He apparently wanted to see what areas the two of them needed to improve in, and watched from a Kyuubi-enhanced Shadow Clone as the two of them duked it out.

Yes, Kurama had instructed Naruto in how to make a Shadow Clone 'puppet' of sorts for Kurama to inhabit and instruct the two of them. Well, four now, as Karin and Kin had both asked him for guidance as well. Damn puppy dog eyes. Whoever invented that cursed technique had best be rotting in Hell.

After a while, Kurama called a stop to their spar and looked between the both of them. "Alright, I do believe I've seen enough, at least in the form of taijutsu. Naruto, we're going to need to get you a proper form of taijutsu that fits your battle style better. Right now you're pretty much a brawler without much real form to speak of. Sasuke? You rely too much on countering an opponent's move, and then when you get frustrated, you seem to throw out all form of combat in effort to strike your opponent by any means necessary. So we'll need to work on your patience and your temper before we really get into the juicy bits of training."

Nodding in understanding, they were about to speak when they heard a strange humming sound. Karin, recognizing it for what it was, said, "It looks like we've got company. They're waiting at the front gate."

Kurama sighed and said, "Go greet your guests. Once they're gone, I expect you four to work even harder to make up for time lost."

"Of course, Kurama-sensei!" they each shouted before they walked off to go and greet their guests. However, as they neared the gate, Naruto began to recognize the man standing there and couldn't help but clench his fists tight. "Jiraiya? That is your name, right?" he asked as he opened the gate.

Jiraiya nodded and with a smile, said "Yep, that's me! Jiraiya the Great! How've you been, kid?"

Twitching angrily, Naruto began to chuckle darkly as he said, "I'm going to kick your ass, damn it."

The white-haired man blinked at this and asked, "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. What did you say?"

Glaring into Jiraiya's eyes, he didn't speak. Instead, he punched the older man in the dick as hard as he could, watching as he crumpled to the ground in the fetal position as he cradled his jewels. "I said I'm going to make you suffer you wretched jackass!"

Tenten could only blink in shock as she watched all of this unfold. Just what the hell did I walk into?

A/N - And that's the chapter! There wasn't exactly a lot of action in this chapter, as it was more centered on dialogue and whatnot. Still, I do hope you enjoyed the chapter.

As you can see, Karin and Kin have become rivals aiming for Naruto's attention. On top of that, Sasuke has moved in with Naruto and is starting to act a little more girlish, whether she realizes it or not.

Anyways, I'm exhausted and I can't really think of much else to say. So, hope you enjoyed the chapter!