Hey everyone! I hope everyone is doing well. This isn't a particularly long chapter but we are nearing the start of the action. Hope you all enjoy.

Instead of going through all of the training stuff we are going to do a training montage.

(BANANAN-NA-NA-NAAAAAAA) Two and a half years pass while doing missions that always get complicated and end up being A or B rank missions. Naruto is now 15 years old.

(BUMP-UMP-BUM-BUM-BUMMMMM) Everyone on the team progresses. Kakashi is now able to use mangyeko sharingan and is as strong and fast as he was in Anbu. Sasuke has learned to use lighting chakra and has taken up using the sword from the series. Sakura has read almost everything on the human body and has started to work in the hospital, as well as starting to figure out to use super strength without the help of Tsunade though she has not mastered it.

(WAHM-WAHM-WAHMMMMM) Naruto has mastered his living fire and can move it like Garaa moves his sand. That being said he still can't control it if there is too much fire present. He also has learned the Rasengan, exploding clone (fire clone), Lightning clone, Jiriaya's hair jutsu, and has a better control over wind than lightning chakra.

(BAAAAHHMMMM) End

Kakashi looked up from his book as his team entered the gate of Konoha. They had just arrived back at the village from another mission that had become more complicated because the annoying blonde knew someone everywhere they went. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and returned to the book.

Naruto walked with a confident stride with his hands behind his head. He now sported the wooden sandals that Jiriaya wears. His style didn't change much except he now carried his two sets of chakra knives. He had grown taller and more muscular during his time training over the past couple years. He was content to play the fool of the group but could snap into a serious mindset so fast that it gave his team whiplash.

Sasuke strutted much to the joy of the young women in the village. He looks about the same as in the series except instead of the rope he wore a sash with an Uchiha crest around his waist.

Sakura looks the same as in the series except that she wears gloves all the time. These gloves have heavy amounts of padding on the knuckles because she has not quite figured out super strength and needs the protection so she doesn't break her knuckles every time she tries to puck something.

The team made their way through the crowds with no trouble towards the Hokage tower. The secretary waved them in and the saluted the aged Hokage who barely looked up to acknowledge them. Eventually he put the papers he was working on aside and clasped his hands together.

"Team 7. Kakashi has told me that you are ready for the next part of your long-term mission. Our allies in Suna have reported that they are missing ninja who were due back from patrols three days ago. When I asked Jiriaya to look into it he found the remains very well hidden. This indicates that there is someone within striking distance of one of the tailed beasts."

He paused to let the information sink in before continuing, "it just so happens that Suna is hosting the chunin exams in a few days. In order to protect Suna's Container they have requested extra man power. I have decided that it would be beneficial for a team to compete in order to stay close to Garaa. You leave immediately."

Team seven nodded once and all disappeared in a shunshin.

The old Hokage leaned back in his chair and contemplated the progress of the team he had just sent to fight S rank criminals. He hoped that it wouldn't come to that, but he knew better. His eyes glimmered with untold experiences that only living through war were made possible. He knew where to look for the signs and how to think like the enemy and there was no doubt that Akasuki would try something during the chunin exams.

The old man scowled, 'I'm getting to old for this crap.' He made a shadow clone that appeared in a cloud of smoke. It settled into the chair he had just gotten up from and began on the paper work again. The old man lite his pipe and wrote a message to Jiriaya who would probably not be too happy that he had sent Naruto on this mission.

He made a concentrated face, 'well if Jiriaya knows he is there then he can step in if he needs to.'

Naruto although stoic during the meeting had now let his seriousness slip away. He amused himself with through tiny pieces of a granola bar at civilian's heads who would turn around wildly thinking it was a bug of some kind.

"Well if we are going to Suna we should probably kick it up into high gear."

Kakashi gave a non-committal nod and turned a page of his book giving no indication that he heard Naruto.

"Hm. Well whatever sensei can play catch up once he realizes we aren't here anymore."

Sasuke readjusted his belt carrying his sword, Sakura put on a head band to keep her hair from whipping around, and Naruto sealed away his jacket so he wouldn't get to hot. They all looked over to where their sensei had been only to find he wasn't there. They all looked ahead and could barely see the man already at top speed.

Naruto looked irritated, "How the hell does he do that? I didn't even sense him leave."

Sasuke smiled, "Looks like Mr. Leader isn't as good as he thinks he is."

Naruto looked at him crossly noticing that his eyes were closed and took off without warning. He didn't have to wait long before the Uchiha had noticed that Naruto had done the same thing to him and laughed as he picked up the pace so he didn't get caught by the fuming Uchiha.

Sakura sweat dropped as she realized she was getting left behind and picked up the pace as well.

They made it to Suna in the middle of the day on the second day. They slowed down as they approached the gates and handed the guards their papers for the chunin exams. The guards waved them through just as a small but violent dust storm formed in front of the group.

Garaa stepped out of the sand shunshin. Not two seconds later Naruto had him in a huge bear hug. Garaa looked completely out of his element until he gave a slight smirk and the sand clone dispersed covering Naruto in sand.

"Awww! What the hell man?! You do know that most people don't enjoy sand in every nook and cranny right?!"

The real Garaa stepped out from around the corner and spoke in a monotone voice that somehow depicted enjoyment, "fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me."

Suddenly the Naruto covered in sand disappeared in smoke and someone behind Garaa said, "Well then, shame on you!"

Naruto picked Garra up in a hug and before he set him back down he gave him a noogie that rubbed off half of his normal outer shell.

Garaa glared at him and just squeezed his hands together so that the real Naruto was covered in sand and smirked, "Good to see you too Naruto."

"Seriously Garaa, I thought we talked about the sand thing."

Garra looked at the sand covered Naruto, "it is a brother's job to pick on their sister's boyfriend."

The rest of team seven felt like they had just stepped off of a cliff and almost fell over. "You have a girlfriend?!" They all said at once.

Naruto scratched the back of his head, "Well…ya. I didn't tell you guys?" He turned back to look at Garaa when he felt an immense pain on the top of his head.

Naruto rolled on the floor clutching his head as Sakura yelled at him for not telling them.

Eventually they all settled down and Garaa invited them over to the sibling's house for dinner. "There is no reason why you can't come over and enjoy a meal while we aren't competitors."

Naruto looked suspicious, "Is Temari cooking again?"

Garaa sweat dropped, "No I promise we won't poison you before the chunin exams."

Sasuke and Sakura gave Naruto a strange look, "I thought Temari was your girlfriend. Can she not cook?"

Naruto almost laughed, "Well I'm sure she has gotten better since the last time but whatever she made that time melted through the plates… and the table… and the floor…it's best not to bring it up."

The ninja made their way from the gates behind Garaa who lead them to his and his sibling's house. As soon as they walked through the door the group heard an irate voice coming from the kitchen, "Garaa, I swear to God! If you used a sand shunshin in the kitchen without a good reason I am going to kill you!"

Temari stomped into the living room where Garaa and company waited for her to figure out that there were guests.

"Hey beautiful, you still look good when you are mad." Naruto gave her a bright smile.

"…" Temari's voice caught in her throat. She then crossed her arms and glared, "What do you want?"

Naruto waved her off, "Hey don't worry they all know."

The group looked expectantly at Temari.

Temari crossed the room and before anyone could react grabbed Naruto's arm and through him over her shoulder and slammed him on the ground. "You know what that's for."

Once Naruto regained his bearings he looked up at Temari and wagged his eyebrows up and down, "Don't tell me you so happy to see me that you want me bed ridden right away."

Temari and the rest of the room blushed at the insinuation.

Naruto laughed as he got up seemingly unharmed and gave Temari a big hug, "In all seriousness, I missed you."

Temari hesitated for a minute debating whether or not she was still mad at him before hugging him back.

The rest of dinner went smoothly with Naruto and the sand siblings doing most of the talking… excluding Garaa who gave mostly one word answers.

After Dinner Naruto suggested a walk with Temari while Team 7 went to find their hotel. Temari and Naruto walked down the street near each other talking and laughing. Both Naruto and Temari wouldn't admit it, but they always missed each other when they had to be separated for long periods of time.

Nt long after they started walking Naruto got the sense that they were being followed and looked back cautiously.

Next to him Temari gave a depressed sigh, "Looks like the fan boys are back."

Temari was, as far as anyone in the sand village was concerned, single and attractive. Once they knew they had been spotted they started to come out of their hiding places with signs ranging from will you date me to marry me. Temari cursed when she realized she didn't have her fan to angrily throw these idiots away.

Naruto surprised Temari by picking her up and whispering in her ear with a serious face, "Time to use the strategy that I always use if I'm in a tight spot."

As the crowd got closer you could hear them muttering about how someone from another village was trying to capture their princess.

Naruto transitioned his serious face into a mischievous smile, "My ultimate strategy" Naruto made a seal "Suddenly there were hundreds of Naruto's and Temari's everywhere.

Everyone froze and looked around as all of the clones took a deep breath in, "RUN!"

The clones took off in all different directions. The chaos that ensued afterwards was later referred to the Naruto invasion. The large amount of chakra used got the attention of all of the anbu and jonin who thought they were being invaded by an army of blonde teenagers who were also holding another blonde teenager in their arms. There was panic in the streets and by the time people figured out what had happened the sun was peeking over the horizon.

The next morning Naruto was sitting in the Kazekages office after he had been woken up by an unhappy group of anbu. They had found him sleeping in his pre-arranged hotel with his teammates.

The Kazekage looked as though his permanent scowl had deepened overnight. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Naruto cocked his head to the side, "what do you mean? Did something happen?"

The Kazekage formed a tick mark on his head, "Given that roughly 800 copies of you and Temari were running around playing hide and avoid from the anbu… yeah I'm pretty sure that you had something to do with that."

Naruto groaned, "Oh man! It happened again. I have this condition and its super-secret so please don't tell anyone."

The Kazekage and the anbu present leaned forward expectantly.

Naruto squirmed, "I have sleep-jutsu."

Everyone in the room face vaulted.

The Kazekage was the first to recover and glared at Naruto's smiling face. "If you weren't friends with my kids I would throw you in a cell and make your teacher do all of the paper work to get you out, which I hear could take a long time."

Naruto's smile never disappeared as the Kazekage waved him out of the room stating that he had better things to do than deal with a juvenile prank. Naruto secretly believed that it was one of his most successful pranks ever.

After the dismissal he headed back to the hotel and was greeted by his teammates who looked ready to get going.

Kakashi looked up from his book, "Well look at that you're the one that's late this time."

Naruto gave him a sour look, "I have already been to the Kazekages office this morning."

The rest of his team didn't seem surprised. Sakura gave him a deadpan look, "What did you do this time?"

Naruto hesitated, "I um… never mind we got to get going in order to make it to the exams."

Kakashi wished them good luck even though he didn't think they needed it.

Team 7 walked into a circular building and found that there was a large crowed of genin. Naruto turned to his teammates and grinned then looked at Sasuke directly.

"Don't be nervous Susuke I will protect you."

Sasuke almost replied with his traditional 'hn,' but caught himself and flipped Naruto off instead.

Naruto smiled and covered Sakura's eyes, "put your boyfriend away Sasuke there are children present"

Naruto's joke was interrupted by a large man with half of his face covered by hanging fabric, "Listen up maggots! Welcome to the Chunin Exams!"

So... how was it. Like always reviewing helps me stay motivated (including negative reviews). No one is perfect anyway. I hope you all are gearing up for a strong school semester. And for no apparent reason here is a quote, "If you fall, I'll be there."-Ground

Konoha Civilian