A/N - Okay, been forever since I updated this one. I used the ol' RNG again and it actually chose this fic, so yay for an update after all this time! lol.

Anyways, this is pretty much an intermission chapter that takes place during the month before the finals. A lot does happen in this chapter though!

Okay, since I am REALLY sick right now (not kidding here) I'm going to cut this short and maybe run to the bathroom again. x.x Paaaaiiiiiin.

Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 4 – Road to the Finals

Jiraiya grimaced as he slowly rose to his feet, still clutching his privates. "Damn kid. What the hell did I do to you to earn that kind of reaction?"

"You know damn well what you did you perverted asshole! You're my goddamn godfather and you neglected your duties to me and my parents because you'd rather peep on women in the hot springs. Why the fuck would I want to spend any length of time with somebody like you?" Naruto growled out.

The white-haired man sighed and said, "Look kid, I'm sorry. I had things to take care of and I couldn't spare the time to sit down for a meet and greet. I had a spy network to run, issues that needed to be taken care of, and I've been trying to get dirt on Danzo and the elders so sensei can finally deal with those sons-of-bitches. You have to understand…"

"I don't want to hear it. You're a self-proclaimed super pervert and you feel your 'research' is far more important than checking in on me to make sure I was well taken care of. You could have easily spared some damn time to let me know somebody fucking cared. Maybe even given me a few tips or teach me something, but you never did. My parents would be ashamed of you." Naruto said, never losing his glare.

Jiraiya frowned and said, "Look, I did the best…"

"Did the best you could. I know, I know. You and the Hokage insist on using that particular excuse. Why are you even here now? Did you really think I'd just forgive you like nothing was wrong in the first place?" Naruto questioned.

"Honestly? I didn't know what to expect. I just wanted to meet you and see how you've been doing. From what I've been able to gather, Kakashi wasn't exactly much of a sensei. So I was hoping to give you some proper teaching. And before you ask, I can teach you this, for one thing." Jiraiya said as he formed a Rasengan in his hand. "This is one of your father's jutsu, the Rasengan. It's pretty much yours by birthright. I had hoped Kakashi would have taught it to you, but that was obviously too much to ask from that bastard."

Sasuke nodded her head and said, "I have to agree. Kakashi hasn't been much of a sensei to the team. I don't mind that he focused on me, but the problem was that he didn't do anything to help Naruto. And Sakura? Ugh. Kakashi failed us as a sensei."

Tenten frowned at this as she looked between all of them. "You were telling the truth about him then? I thought it was an exaggeration. What kind of sensei neglects his students like that? At least Guy-sensei tries to help all of us, even though Neji's stubborn as hell and refuses his training approach most of the time."

Naruto, as if just noticing Tenten, looked from her to Jiraiya and asked, "Did you remove the seal on Ten-chan? Is she better now?"

The Toad Sage nodded and smiled at his godson. "Yes, I did. She wanted to meet you…and ask you some rather personal questions. So what do you say you let us in and we chat for a while? I'd like to teach you, and if you'd like, I'll even teach your friends. I want to at least try and make everything up to you."

Before Naruto could say anything, Kurama walked up to the group and turned his gaze from Jiraiya to Naruto. "Accept his offer, Naruto. We'll work out a proper schedule for you and your friends to learn from us both properly. For now, he's right. We should sit down and chat for a while."

The blonde sighed heavily and nodded reluctantly. "Very well. Come in everybody." he said as he led them inside his home. Once inside, he and Karin set about preparing tea and snacks for everybody. Upon finishing and placing the tea set down, Naruto looked at Tenten for a time before asking, "Ten-chan? What exactly did you want to know?"

Kurama sighed and said, "Kit, you already know what she's going to ask. You might as well just tell her."

Nodding once in understanding, the whiskered teen began to explain. "You want to know why I'm so hated, especially to the point your parents did what they did to make you forget about me." Looking at Kurama at this point, he said, "Tenten, I'm a jinchuriki. There are nine of us in total. We each have one of the bijuu sealed inside of us. Gaara, for instance, holds the Ichibi. Yugito houses the Nibi. Fu holds he Nanabi. Then there's me…I house the Kyuubi." Looking back into her eyes, he said, "The people of Konoha hate me because I'm a constant reminder of what they've lost. They've abused me in various ways, and have even tried to kill me at points. Your parents didn't want you associating with me precisely because I'm a monster in their eyes. I wasn't allowed to have friends. I was meant to be alone and suffer throughout my life. That's how the people feel."

Tenten's eyes widened and she said, "But that's not fair to you! You didn't ask to be made a jinchuriki. What happened back then isn't your fault. How can people think like that? It makes no sense!"

Jiraiya sighed and spoke up, deciding to explain. "It's how things work. The people create the jinchuriki and then treat them like shit because they're 'different'. Despite the fact that they created the jinchuriki, they still behave in such a way. It makes no sense, and yet that's how the world works. A lot of places treat jinchuriki as if they're nothing more than weapons. They're not people with hearts and souls, they're simply mean to be obedient weapons. That's how Danzo Shimura thinks, and if he had his way, Naruto would be a mindless tool to be disposed of when he was no longer useful to him."

Tenten scowled at this and asked, "And Hokage-sama hasn't gotten rid of Danzo because…?"

Jiraiya scowled as well and said, "Sensei's afraid to act against him for fear of what his supporters might do. The other elders and the members of the civilian council all favor Danzo and his way of thinking. If sensei were to make a move without sufficient evidence, not only could it backfire and be used against him, but Danzo could escape and plot against the village. I've been trying to get the evidence required to bury that asshole, but I haven't made much progress. If sensei doesn't do something soon, then I'll just kill Danzo myself and the elders too if I have to. I refuse to let them harm my godson any further."

"I'd do it if I felt I was strong enough." Tenten said, clenching her fists angrily. "Anyways…" Looking into Naruto's eyes, she asked, "Can we spend some time together? I want to get to know you better and learn about you. We used to be best friends and I'd like to rekindle that friendship with you. I'd love to help you in your training, but considering we both made it to the finals…"

"I understand. It's fine. But…are you sure you don't want to train under these two as well? It might help. Plus, the company would be nice. I've…really missed you, Tenten-chan." Naruto said, blushing slightly at having to admit such a thing.

The brunette blushed slightly and said, "I'm glad to see you again too, Naruto-kun. And, if you really don't mind training together despite the disadvantage we'd be at against each other…I'll do it. It might be nice training together, after all. I just hope your senseis don't take it easy on me because I'm a girl."

Kurama simply smirked devilishly at her and said, "I'm not taking it easy on anyone. Sasuke, Karin, Kin? Am I taking it easy on you?"

Karin looked directly into Tenten's eyes and said, "Trust me, he's a slave driver. But I can tell we're going to get stronger and stronger. Right Kurama-sensei?"

The Kyuubi smirked and nodded his head. "Correct." Looking at Jiraiya, he said, "I hope you weren't planning to take it easy on them either, Jiraiya of the Sannin. I plan to train them into the ground and build them back up again. Over and over again, until they're at a level I'm pleased with. And even then, I'll continue to torture them until they're strong enough to challenge the world."

Jiraiya grinned at that and said, "You know what? I like the sound of that. Sure, let's make them into the best damn shinobi they can be and then some. Nobody will be able to stop them."

Naruto started to giggle somewhat nervously and said, "Umm…before we start on that though, there's something you two need to know."

Tenten asked, "What's that, Naruto-kun?"

The blonde motioned towards Kurama and said simply, "Meet Kurama, the Kyuubi no Yoko. We kiiiind of asked him for training so we could handle anything, even the invasion that Orochimaru's planning. And yes, we know about it. Not entirely sure what to do about it, but…"

Jiraiya and Tenten simply stared at Kurama for a moment before Jiraiya said, "Well, can't say I was expecting that. Looking forward to working with you."

Tenten just stared goggle-eyed at the Kyuubi before she nodded slowly in acceptance. "Okay then. I'm looking forward to learning under you, Kurama-sensei." she said, bowing her head to him.

Kurama took a sip of his tea, despite being only a Shadow Clone at the moment, and said, "By the time we're finished with you, you'll be able to kill the likes of Orochimaru and Itachi Uchiha, should you ever need to. That's a promise."

"Looking forward to it Kurama-sensei." Naruto said with a grin on his face. "Our opponents won't know what hit 'em."

One week later

Naruto and the others had today off to rest and relax. Jiraiya and Kurama had both insisted that they would need to take a day or two off every now and again to rest and recuperate after how hard they've been training. After all, too much training can be just as bad as too little training. However, Naruto and the others got the feeling that the two of them were up to something big and wanted to take the time to handle whatever it was before they continued with the training.

Pushing that thought aside for the time being, Naruto decided to focus on his date with Kin Tsuchi. They had started out with a nice walk through the village, simply holding hands and chatting with one another. They had tuned out the villagers and chose to ignore the hateful looks and jeers. Naturally, this upset a great number of the villagers, but it wasn't like they could do anything unless they wanted to die.

Now, Kin and her date were sitting in the dango shop, enjoying a nice meal of, what else, dango. "Mmm. This is sooo good." Kin said as she savored the taste of the dumpling. "I never got to have these back in Oto."

Naruto smiled at her before popping one of the dumplings into his mouth, chewing it for a while and savoring the taste. After swallowing, he said, "They are delicious, aren't they? I'm glad you're enjoying them, Kin-chan."

"Well of course she is! Dango's the absolute best treat out there. So delicious. So fulfilling. So wonderful!" Anko exclaimed as she sat down beside Naruto, throwing her arm around him. "Sooo, on a date with your friend, hm? Shouldn't you be training for the finals, Mr. Uzumaki?"

"Hiya Anko-chan." Naruto said with a small smile on his face. "Yes, we're on a date. And I have been training. My senseis said I needed a day or two off, so I decided to spend time with Kin-chan. What have you been up to?"

"Oh, you know, the usual. Torturing scumbags, eating the most delicious food out there, planning for Orochimaru's invasion." she whispered in his ear. "Be careful of the Ichibi and Nibi jinchuriki. The Nanabi's fine, but those two are dangerous. We believe that they're the big guns for the invasion. The Raikage's had some interesting dealings lately, or at least that's the information Jiraiya's spy network has picked up. We already know for a fact that Suna's allied with Orochimaru for the invasion. If you fight them, take them down swiftly and don't give them a chance to rise up again. Even if that means you have to kill them to do it. Do you understand me Naru-kun?"

Nodding his head in understanding, he said, "With all the training I'm getting, I'll be ready Anko-chan. I don't care how hard a fight it is, if it means I can protect my precious people, I'll do whatever it takes to win. I won't lose to the likes of them." Patting him on the cheek, Anko kissed his forehead before she stood up and left without a word.

As soon as she was gone, Kin frowned at her date and asked, "What was all that about? Are you dating her too?"

Naruto shook his head and said, "No, we're just really good friends. Besides, I think she's got a boyfriend or something. Not entirely sure. And she was telling me about you-know-what. Numbers one and two are involved."

Eyes widening, Kin nodded and said, "I'll help however I can Naruto-kun. Count on it."

"Thanks Kin-chan. For now, let's eat and then head to the park. It'll be nice to just sit and relax together, don't you think?"

Kin smiled and nodded happily. She was more than happy to just be near Naruto right now. She just hoped nothing happened to ruin their date.

Kurama

Kurama grinned ferociously as he tore apart another Root agent. He and Jiraiya had infiltrated Danzo's lair and were systematically destroying his Root forces and taking everything of interest, such as evidence showing just what kinds of monstrous things he had been up to.

At the moment, he and Jiraiya could both sense Danzo and three of his agents up ahead. Why the old war hawk wasn't trying to escape confused and worried them. Knowing him, he was confident that whatever trick he had up his sleeve would do the trick in eliminating them.

Tearing apart one last Root agent, Kurama motioned for Jiraiya to wait. "Send in a Shadow Clone. I don't like this one bit." he whispered to the Toad Sage.

Jiraiya nodded and created two Shadow Clones, one of which transformed into Kurama. Afterwards, they entered the room while the real Kurama and Jiraiya listened from their hiding places.

"You were foolish to come here Jiraiya. And you, I don't know who you are, but your 'friend' has led you right into a trap. How sad." Danzo said as he attempted to use his implanted Sharingan to influence the Kurama Shadow Clone. When it didn't work, he blinked a couple of times and asked, "What sorcery is this?! Nobody can resist the power of Kotoamatsukami! Just what the hell are you?!"

It was at this point that the Shadow Clones moved. Jiraiya's went after the youngest one, a boy named Sai. Meanwhile, the Kurama clone assaulted both of Danzo's bodyguards: Fu Yamanaka and Torune Aburame. While Sai was taken down easily enough, as he was still young and inexperienced, the Kurama clone was having difficulties battling the duo.

Deciding enough was enough, Danzo unveiled his grotesque arm with all the implanted Sharingan. "I don't know who you are or how you two found this place, but you'll both die here!" And with that, he entered the fray.

The two Shadow Clones managed to kill Fu, but Torune's blasted insects were proving to be a problem. In fact, it was so bad that both Shadow Clones were dispelled, unable to fight any longer against the overwhelming assault. As soon as they were both gone, Danzo's eyes widened in realization. "Shadow Clones! Dammit! I wasted it on a damn Shadow Clone!" he exclaimed angrily.

It was at this moment that Jiraiya and Kurama slipped into the room, unnoticed by the duo. Kurama quickly decapitated Torune, not even giving him a chance to continue attacking with those blasted bugs of his. Meanwhile, Jiraiya had engaged Danzo in combat, dodging his wind-based jutsu, hitting Danzo where it hurt, and even snapping the man's neck. However, when he appeared a moment later behind Kurama, Jiraiya narrowed his eyes in suspicion. After a moment, it dawned on him. "It's those blasted Sharingan in his arm! We need to either remove the arm or destroy those eyes!"

Kurama nodded before blocking an attack from behind. Afterwards, he spun around and slammed a flaming fist into Danzo's face, incinerating his head. When Danzo simply reappeared elsewhere in the room with a smirk on his face, Kurama simply sighed. Staring at him with a bored expression on his face, the Kyuubi clone asked, "Is that it? Is this really all you're capable of, Danzo Shimura? For all your bravado, for all your precious cunning, you're just a one-trick pony. How pathetic."

Danzo scowled for a moment and opened his mouth, preparing to go into one long tirade. However, the moment he did, he felt a stinging sensation in his arm. Looking down, he saw a bunch of razor-thin needles protruding from each of the Sharingan in his arm. Scowling angrily at Jiraiya, he realized that he had used that blasted Needle Jizo combined with Needle Hell to attack him while he was distracted. "You will pay for your transgressions against me, the both of you! I am a God! I was meant to rule this world! If I can't have what I want, then I'll simply have to settle for taking you two down with me!" he exclaimed as he prepared to activate the seal on his chest.

Kurama, seeing this, quickly flashed through hand seals before appearing behind Danzo, slamming his clawed hand into the old man's back. "Destruction Claw!" he exclaimed, his vile chakra eating away at Danzo until all that was left was bones and goop on the floor. "Good riddance, you pile of filth."

Jiraiya breathed a sigh of relief before he looked around the room they were in. "Let's get what we came here for and then pay a visit to sensei. It's high time he put the councils and those elders in their place. I'm definitely looking forward to this."

Kurama smirked devilishly and said, "It should be entertaining to watch. I'll be sure to bring the popcorn."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Jiraiya said with a chuckle.

Naruto

Naruto couldn't help but smile as he laid on the grass beside Kin, staring up at the birds flying in the sky and trying to determine what each cloud reminded them of. They were holding hands and simply enjoying one another's presence.

"I really like you, Naruto-kun. You've got to be the sweetest person I've ever met. Thank you, for being who you are." Kin said before she turned and kissed him on the cheek. Seeing him blush, she couldn't help but giggle a bit.

"You're welcome, Kin-chan. So long as you're happy, I'm happy. It's really nice spending time with you like this." Naruto said, smiling happily at her.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end at some point. In this case, it was in the form of one Kiba Inuzuka. The Inuzuka clansman laughed darkly as he came into their field of vision. "What the hell is this? Another pathetic whore willing to spread her legs for the likes of you? Why don't you girls get with a real man instead, huh? We could go for a hell of a ride. Then again, I don't think I want the idiot's sloppy seconds."

As Kin turned red with rage, Naruto sighed and stood up, looking calmly into Kiba's eyes. "A real man, huh? Wow, so big and tough. Especially for someone who was too afraid to fight his opponent in the prelims. For a supposed 'real' man, you're awfully pathetic. Do tell me Muttface, which one of us made it through to the finals? Oh wait, I remember, it's me. Heh, you know something that I can't help but find amusing, Kiba? The girl you're really after, Hinata-chan? She'll never touch you. Too dirty. Too disgusting. No, her love and adoration are reserved for me and me alone. And by the way, at least she was brave enough to fight and overcome her opponent. For all your bravado, you're just a sniveling, pathetic little puppy."

Kiba's face turned a dark red from how angry he was. No, angry was too light a word. He was furious, enraged, incensed, you feel free to pick a term. As he prepared to attack Naruto, he heard the jingle of a couple of bells, but paid it no mind. Instead, he went to punch Naruto, only to somehow miss. Wobbling a bit, he couldn't figure out what the hell was wrong with him. Then he heard it again, the sound of bells. Shaking it off, he decided to simply ignore the annoying sound and continued trying to attack Naruto, only for the blonde's visage to suddenly twist and warp before it disappeared completely.

Completely disoriented at this point, he collapsed to his knees and felt his consciousness slowly fading. Then, he suddenly felt his pants falling down, or were they being taken off? He couldn't figure it out. The last thing he felt before the bliss of unconsciousness overtook him was the feeling of two needle-like objects piercing his balls. He wanted to scream out in pain, but it was at this point that he passed out, unable to take anymore. Thankfully for Akamaru, he had passed out atop Kiba's head long before this as a result of the powerful genjutsu.

Once he was finally unconscious, Kin grinned viciously and proceeded to remove any chance of Kiba passing on his genes to the next generation. Using her knowledge on human anatomy and the like, she proceeded to render Kiba sterile and unable to get a girl pregnant, should one ever willingly touch him. Once she had finished, Naruto helped her replace Kiba's pants.

"We should probably get out of here now." Naruto suggested as he began to lead Kin away from Kiba's unconscious form. As they walked away, he asked, "Are you okay Kin-chan?"

Kin took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. Without a word, she turned, grabbed both sides of Naruto's face, and kissed him passionately. Afterwards, she smiled contently and said, "Sooo much better now. I don't like being called a fucking whore. I'm proud of the fact that, despite everything I had to put up with in Orochimaru's service, I protected my virginity from those assholes. I refuse to be called a whore."

Hugging her close, Naruto suppressed his blush and said, "It's okay Kin-chan. Kiba's just an asshole. Don't let what he says get to you, okay?" Feeling her nod against his chest, he began to gently comb his fingers through her long, beautiful hair. "Why don't we go home and cuddle for a little while? Would that help?"

Kin nodded happily and said, "Definitely! You'd better not try to back out of it now Naruto-kun."

Chuckling softly, Naruto held her close as they made their way back towards their shared home. He had to admit that despite Kiba being an asshole, they had had an interesting and enjoyable date. And ending it with cuddling was just wonderful. If only he knew just how she wanted to cuddle…

Hokage's Office

Hiruzen's eyes widened at all the evidence this unknown stranger and his old student had gathered from Danzo's base of operations. Looking into Jiraiya's eyes, he asked, "Just what is all of this, Jiraiya? And who is this person?"

Jiraiya pointed at the stack of files and other such documents sitting on the Hokage's desk. "That is everything you could ever want to nail Danzo for every crime he's ever committed. But since we killed Danzo, you can now use it to deal with your old teammates and the civilian council as you see fit. You may not have been willing to go against Danzo, but the two of us? We just don't care about his precious butt buddies on the council. It was time to take charge and kill the son-of-a-bitch. As for who this is? Well, his name's Kurama. But more importantly, he's also known as the Kyuubi no Yoko. And before you say anything, Naruto's fine. Kurama's been a big help in training the kid and he's actually a pretty good guy once you get to know him."

Hiruzen blinked a couple of times from the shock of it all, but soon nodded his head. "I see. Well then, putting all of that aside, it will take a bit of time to sort through everything here. But, I don't see why we can't take the fight directly to the council right now. Even if I don't know everything that's in these files, we can still make use of their presence to make those bastards sweat. I think it's high time they pay the price for their crimes, just as Danzo had to."

Jiraiya shook his head and tapped a few fingers against the files. "That's too risky right now. Put your focus on reading through all these files. Make use of your Shadow Clones to get it done faster. Once you understand the contents of these documents, then call a council meeting. You'll need all the knowledge on Danzo's dealings as you can get if you want to have any chance of putting those assholes in their place." Blinking after a moment, Jiraiya looked at his sensei quizzically. "Actually, now that I think on it, why haven't you been using Shadow Clones to speed up your work? You do remember that their knowledge and whatever they do, see, hear, etc. is transferred back to you, right?"

Eyes widening at the information, Hiruzen soon began to cry comically. "I'm so stupid."

Jiraiya and Kurama simply sweatdropped at this. Without a word being said, the two of them left Hiruzen to his own devices. For the time being, they wanted to get some rest and do their own thing for a few days before they resumed training Naruto and the others.

Naruto

Naruto was currently a blushing mess as he laid cuddled up with Kin. When they entered his home and proceeded to his bedroom, she had immediately stripped down to her bra and panties, which were incredibly arousing to look at, and ordered him to strip as well. So now, here he was, dressed in only his boxers, cuddling with Kin.

At some point, Kin had fallen asleep and was now breathing peacefully with a content smile on her face. Meanwhile, he was a blushing mess who was trying very, very hard to will a certain 'problem' away. How am I supposed to fall asleep like this? I've got a really hot girl lying half-naked next to me and I can't get my damn boner to go down! What the hell am I supposed to do?!

Sighing, he turned over on his side and looked into her peacefully sleeping face. Smiling, he brushed a few of her bangs out of her face and whispered, "You're beautiful, Kin-chan."

Seeing her smile in her sleep, he figured she must have heard him and unconsciously reacted to that. Then, he found himself looking down at her breasts. Despite his better instincts screaming at him not to do it, he began to trail his hand from her shoulder, slowly down her arm and then against her side and belly. Her skin was so soft that he couldn't help but admire her toned, yet slim body. She had obviously trained hard and ate well to get a body like this. Then his hand slowly started to move upwards towards one of her breasts.

Seeing what he was doing, he quickly retracted his hand and turned over again, blushing fiercely. Dammit! I need to control myself better! I almost…I almost touched her breast without thinking about it! What would she have done if I had?! Oh Kami, I can't deal with this. What do I do?!

Behind him, the black-haired kunoichi couldn't help but smirk to herself. Just a little more and I could've teased him a bit. Oh Naruto-kun, you are far too innocent. I'll make sure to 'corrupt' you soon enough, just you wait.

One week later

Sasuke frowned as she stood outside of her old compound, staring in at the desolate place. She had brought Naruto with her to help her look over some things and hopefully move some stuff into her new home with Naruto. However, the moment she made to step across the threshold into the Uchiha compound, two citizens stepped up and blocked their way. Glaring at them, she said, "Move."

One of the men simply scoffed and shoved her into Naruto. "Not a chance girly. We're not about to let some demon and his whore desecrate the great Uchiha-sama's home. I suggest you leave before things get violent."

The raven-haired girl glared fiercely at them and shouted, "I am Sasuke dammit! This is MY home! Now get the fuck out of my way!"

Hearing this caused both men to laugh before the second one went to backhand Sasuke. However, he blinked when Naruto caught him by the wrist and started putting pressure on it. "The hell do you think you're doing Demon? Release me at once or the council will be on your ass faster than…"

Before the man could continue, Naruto snapped his wrist up, breaking it before he kicked him in the knee so hard he damn near shattered his kneecap. Afterwards, he glared at the other man and said, "This is Sasuke you idiots! And she told you to get the hell out of her way. Now leave!"

The first man tried to punch Naruto, only for Sasuke to leap up and kick him in the side of the head, sending him crashing to the ground. Afterwards, she leapt upon him and began to slam her fist into his face over and over again. She would have ended up killing him had it not been for Naruto.

Pulling Sasuke away from both men, Naruto looked her in the eyes and asked, "Sasuke, are you okay? I know it's hard, but…"

Breathing heavily, Sasuke soon turned and prepared to walk into her compound. "I'm fine Naruto. Just…really pissed off. And I feel weird. And I'm bleeding, erm…down there. I don't know what the hell's going on but I'm so pissed off and I want to break things! I'm really, really confused and very frustrated and I just do not know what to do! Why the hell do girls have to bleed down there? It's so…so confusing!"

Naruto blushed BADLY and simply said, "I…I don't know why. But it sounds like you're having your, erm…period. You really have fully turned into a woman. I don't think there's any going back to being a man at this rate. Holy crap."

Realizing what she had just told Naruto, Sasuke found herself blushing furiously. Storming away from him into her compound, she blinked when she and Naruto were suddenly stopped by an Anbu. "Now what?" she demanded angrily.

The Anbu looked her calmly in the eyes and said, "Hokage-sama requests your presence. Both of you."

Sasuke sighed and asked, "Can it wait for just a little while? I want to get some of my things moved from the compound to Naruto's place before some looter or something steals anything."

The Anbu frowned in thought for a moment before he looked at Naruto. "Teach her the Shadow Clone Technique. You can use your Shadow Clones to pack everything you need. The Hokage cannot be kept waiting for much longer."

Naruto nodded in understanding before he took Sasuke off to the side. Taking the time to explain the jutsu to her, he showed her the hand seal and focused his chakra before creating three Shadow Clones. Nodding her head in understanding, Sasuke proceeded to practice it for a time, testing how much chakra would be needed to form just one of these clones. After a time, she summoned forth a single Shadow Clone and smiled. "Thank you Naruto. All right, I want you and Naruto's clones to go through the compound, find everything of value and pack it up into these storage scrolls. I want everything moved back into our new home before we're finished with our meeting. Don't dilly dally." Each of the clones nodded before they set out to collect everything. Afterwards, the duo walked up to the Anbu once again and allowed him to take them straight to the Hokage's office.

Once they had arrived, Sasuke looked into the old man's eyes and asked, "Are we in trouble, Hokage-sama?"

Hiruzen smiled and shook his head. "Not at all. I just realized that it's time we announce what's happened to you to the village. One of my Anbu reported what happened to me and I don't want the same thing to happen again and again. That, and I can't have you beating people to death for trying to bar you entry into your home all the time." he said with a chuckle.

Blushing in embarrassment, Sasuke muttered, "Sorry. I just can't seem to control myself right now."

The Hokage simply smiled at her before he motioned for them to follow him. "I already informed my Anbu to gather the villagers. I just hope they take the big reveal well and don't panic. Or start a riot. Either of those would be very bad right now. It's a good thing I've already dealt with the assholes on the council, otherwise they'd very likely screw all of this up somehow, in some way."

Naruto looked at the Hokage curiously. "That's right, Kurama-sensei did say you had what you needed to deal with them finally. How'd that go?"

Hiruzen looked into Naruto's eyes and said, "Long story short? My old teammates are set to be executed for their hand in Danzo's crimes. And I've disbanded the civilian council. No longer will they have any hand in shinobi affairs. Things are running so much smoother now."

"Glad to hear it." Naruto said as they walked along through the crowded streets. People had gathered all around, foreigners and local citizens alike. Pushing their way through, they soon stopped in the center of the village on a raised platform.

"Citizens and guests alike, I'm going to keep this short and to the point. Something happened to the Sasuke Uchiha you know and love. During the second stage of the exams, Team 7 came under attack by Orochimaru of the Sannin. As a direct result of their encounter and a seal placed upon him, Sasuke has been transformed, in a sense. If you'll look beside me, you'll see a charming young woman. This is Sasuke Uchiha. He has become a woman in every sense of the word. I know this may come as a shock to all of you, but I want you to continue treating her well. She is having a hard time adjusting to her new body and her current situation. Try to show her your support as you did when she was a he. And just so all of you know, she has moved in with Naruto Uzumaki. I will NOT have you calling the women staying with Naruto 'Demon whores' or anything of the like. I plan to announce something important to you all after the exams are over and everyone visiting Konohagakure has gone home. Treat them with respect. If I hear about ANYONE mistreating Naruto and those living with him, I will have you EXECUTED. There will be no exceptions and nobody to protect you. That is all. You may go about your business again." Hiruzen explained before he walked off, leaving Naruto and Sasuke to deal with a barrage of questions and shouts of denial and outrage.

Sighing to himself, Naruto looked at Sasuke and shrugged. "Well, what do you want to do now? Everyone knows you're a girl now. One good thing about this is you won't have to worry about fangirls anymore. Bad news? Guys are bound to start hitting on you."

Groaning, the Uchiha palmed her face and said, "I really don't want to think about that right now, Naruto. Let's just go home and get some training in. I need to relieve some stress. And I'm still trying to figure out how to put on a damn bra. While they support these big things," she said, lifting up her breasts with her hands, "they're still kind of uncomfortable. And is it bad that I miss my penis?"

Blushing slightly, Naruto scratched at his cheek and said, "Nah. If I was in your shoes, I'd probably be feeling the same way. Just give it some time and you'll get used to it Sasuke. I know that's not what you want to hear, but you're a bonafide girl now and I don't think there's any way to change you back. Rather than fight it, it might be better for you to try and get used to the changes. Though I can't do anything to help you with the, erm…bodily functions females have. Maybe ask Karin for some advice? Because you don't want all your underwear to get ruined because you're bleeding like crazy down there."

Sasuke blushed furiously, but nodded her head in understanding. "You're right. I just…it's REALLY awkward to think about having to use those feminine products. But you're right, I don't want all my, erm…oh Kami this is embarrassing. I don't want all my damn p-panties to be ruined. Freaking hell."

Naruto didn't even try to say anything. Instead he just continued walking with her back towards their shared home. He would let Karin and Kin help his friend, because there was no way in Hell he was going to go shopping with her for feminine hygiene products.

Day of the Finals

As Naruto stood amidst the competitors in the arena, he couldn't help but think about everything that had happened during the month. Overall, he had to admit that he had greatly enjoyed the past month. He was finally getting the kind of training he really needed, and he even had a few girlfriends now that he was definitely looking forward to getting to know better. Plus, he had grown closer to Sasuke, in a weird way.

Hiruzen had also done what he could to try and make up for his mistakes, but he still wasn't sure how to feel about the old Kage. Jiraiya, on the other hand? He hadn't quite forgiven him for his neglect, but at least he was putting forth a serious effort now to make everything better for him, so he couldn't really complain. The others had been growing stronger as a result of the training as well, so he was pleased.

Another thing that caused him to smile was the fact that he and Tenten had actually gone on a date at one point just a few days ago. It was a simple affair, just enjoying walking around and chatting with one another before stopping at Yakiniku Q for a bite to eat. Tenten had admitted that she wasn't exactly a 'girly' girl, but Naruto had assured her that he liked her the way she was. At the end of their date, she had kissed him on the cheek, causing the both of them to blush deeply before she ran off towards home.

Thinking about that brought his mind to Tenten's parents. They had both been locked away with their chakra sealed. There was no chance for them to ever be set free. Tenten was now living on her own, and he had considered posing the option of moving in with him to her, but had decided against it for the time being. He wasn't sure how she'd feel about it if he asked her such a thing so soon after her parents were imprisoned.

After a moment, his thoughts moved towards his other girlfriends: Karin and Kin. Ever since the day they cuddled together, Kin had been making it a point to sneak in at night and cuddle up to him in the same state of undress as she had that day. When Karin found out about this, she started to do the same exact thing, only she made sure not to wear a bra. Poor Naruto wasn't sure what to say or do in these situations, but he also found that he couldn't really complain. It was a good life.

Naruto's thoughts then drifted to Kiba and he found himself chuckling a bit. The idiot still walked around, claiming himself to be an alpha male, still with the same big ego. And yet, he remained clueless to the fact that he was now sterile. Whenever Kiba saw him, usually when he was on a date, the mutt had taken to trying to harass him, only to be ignored or shoved aside without a care in the world.

At one point, Kiba had tried to attack Naruto for daring to disrespect him, so Naruto proceeded to break Kiba's right arm, then his nose, and finally his left leg. He was tired of dealing with Kiba's crap. Then, just to add insult to injury, Naruto told Kiba that he might just ask Hinata out and take her on a date right in front of him, just to rub it in that he never stood a chance with the girl of his dreams. Was this mean of him? Perhaps even spiteful? Yes, but he didn't care anymore.

His thoughts were derailed when the proctor cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention. "All right, just so you remember the order and who you're up against, here's the deal." Genma said as he showed them the chart, reminding them of who was facing whom in each match. Once they understood, he said, "The rules are the same as in the prelims. You fight until there's a clear victor. I can stop the match at any time. Killing is permissible, but it's highly frowned upon. And when I say stop the fight, you stop the fight. Understand?" Everyone nodded in understanding.

Everyone turned to the Hokage as he began to speak. Naruto couldn't help but notice the other Kages watching Hiruzen, some of them with barely concealed glee. Frowning deeply, he realized that they were likely in on the invasion plan and were more than likely going to kill the Hokage if given the chance. Dammit. I may no be his biggest fan, but it's not like I want him to die. Jiraiya, Kurama, I hope you two can do something.

When the Hokage's speech ended, Genma said, "All right. Will everyone except Naruto Uzumaki and Temari leave the arena?"

After everyone left, Naruto looked into Temari's eyes and smirked at her. "I really don't want to hurt that pretty face of yours, Temari-chan. So, out of respect for you, I'm going to make this offer once before we begin. Please forfeit."

The pigtailed blonde frowned and lifted her iron fan into her hands, preparing to do combat. "Sorry, but I have no intention of just giving up like that. I don't care how much stronger you've become, there's no way you can win."

Naruto chuckled darkly and said, "Funny. I was about to say he same thing to you. Such a shame."

After a few moments, Genma announced the start of the match before leaping away. As Temari went on the attack, Naruto simply grinned ferally and said, "Bring it on."

A/N - And that's the chapter! Hopefully you all enjoyed it. I did the best I could with it, considering for a while I had no idea what I wanted to do. XD I was running a big ol' blank for the longest dang time. But once I started writing, it all came pretty easily, thank goodness.

Anyways, I have no idea what I'll be working on next. And right now I'm sick as hell. I feel like I'm married to the damn toilet right now. x.x TMI, I know, but screw it.

Look forward to whatever I work on next!