The Exams had started out simple enough. For Hosha, the task ahead seemed trivial. She and her teammates merely narrowed down the possibilities for where the items they needed would be, using the clues they had from their maps and the others that they had gathered by defeating multiple teams. They grabbed their item, a scroll sealed with blood, and started back. Unlike the others who just ran ahead without much thought as to what would be waiting for them, Hosha and her team returned with a plan in mind.

Hatori cast a Genjutsu to cover them as they made their way through the throngs of teams battling it out at the base of the classroom, each of the teams wanting to get the chance to steal the prized items other teams had grabbed.

They went by without trouble, landing in the classroom to find two teams already there. The Elder Konoha Team, Team 5, was there playing cards. Other than them there was one of the Suna Teams, the one with the red head. None of them had any scratches on them, though that wasn't really that odd.

Hosha walked toward the proctor, showing her their scroll as Hatori dropped the Genjutsu. Strangely enough, both of the teams had tensed when they entered, sensing them despite not being able to see them. Hosha supposed it wasn't too odd, however, considering that Sashiko had the Sharingan. Still, she was reluctantly impressed by their skills. The proctor also saw through their Genjutsu, her eyes flashing to them when they entered.

That wasn't too surprising, and oddly enough, it made Hosha want to try harder as the woman, Kushina she remembered, smirked at her.

"Well, good job. Just hand that over and we'll be done." She said.

Hosha tilted her head and instead slid the scroll into her belt.

"You said we just had to show it to you, not that we had to turn it in," Hosha confirmed, watching Kushina carefully. The Kunoichi chuckled and nodded.

"Smart. Well, you keep that then." She said and turned toward the window.

Hosha hummed as she walked back to where her team had been, wary of any traps as they sat down.

Hatori sighed and kicked up his legs, Ikate following his motions.

Hosha flopped over onto her side, resting her head on Hatori's lap without a word.

"I am so tired…" She muttered, snuggling into the cushion she had created. Hatori merely chuckled and reached down to run his hands through her hair.

While they seemed laid back they were still on edge, but they didn't make it this far in their career constantly staying stressed and not taking a break.

Ikate huffed as he cast a glare to Hatori over stealing her, pulling up her legs to lay them across his lap.

"Well you haven't slept in awhile and you did take down two teams on your own. I told you to let us handle them but you insisted. What good are we as teammates if you never let us do anything?" The boy said, a faint pout appearing on his lips.

Hosha chuckled as she stretched out, closing her eyes as she cast a hand over them.

"They weren't worth your time. I wasn't about to let you take out worms. Especially that Team from Kusa. I thought they made better Shinobi than that." Hosha said, a mocking edge to her voice.

"You say that like you're surprised Hosha. We both know they haven't been doing well." Hatori spoke up quietly as he ran his fingers through her hair, enjoying the silkiness. He rather enjoyed being able to do this, since Deidara hardly even got to play with his little sister's hair.

"Hmm true. Could be worse though, they could be like Taki. Poor thing barely has any Genin, to begin with." Hosha said, opening her eyes slowly.

"Then again…" She muttered, thinking about Iwa.

Recently, there weren't many kids graduating. Tensions had run high in the last war and they had to send unfit Genin into the field when they should have been safe in the village. The Genin were slaughtered easily in the strife, and the population of Iwa had never been the same since.

They were coming back, but the recent destruction of the Bomber Clan and the lowering of the Genin Corps in Iwa were causing a fluctuation and shortage in the teams available. Soon the Jonin Population would start to drop as well as the Shinobi died off and not enough Shinobi were there to replace them.

It seemed that the only villages that didn't have this problem were Kumo and Konoha. The two villages were a step ahead of Iwa, and even more ahead of every other village.

Hosha loved Iwa, but even she knew that without establishing a bond, Iwa would decline. The Tsuchikage was trying his best, but he needed support. This move, to accept Konoha's invitation to the Chunin Exams was a move in that direction.

If the people could accept it, then an alliance with Konoha could easily benefit them. They just had to show the people that it was for the best, even it was effectively dismissing their hatred and their sorrow.

"Are you okay?" Hatori asked her, seeing how lost in thought she had gotten.

Hosha nodded slowly, her eyes sharpening. She had to do her best. She had to pass and get to the end, or she wouldn't make it and she wouldn't be able to change anything. She would do her best, so that her village could grow, could survive.

Deidara had once told her that the action of one can seem useless faced with the actions of many, but in true the many would not be so without the actions of that one.

"Yes. We are going to push through, no matter what." Hosha said firmly.

She was thinking of Iwa here, not of herself.

I~~~~I

Shisui sighed as he looked down. Darui had captured their targets in his traps, and currentl, he and Yarui were removing them of their weapons and their valuables, including the two scrolls they had stolen from other teams.

Looking down at the Kusa Nin that was yelling at them for being unfair, Shisui wanted to hit his head on the tree. They were Shinobi, there was no such thing as fairness, let alone allowance. They were Shinobi, they did not care for rules or regulations.

"Yarui, Darui, let's g," Shisui said, dropping down. He reached out for them, the two taking hold of his wrists. They vanished in a blur, appearing suddenly in the room where the Exam had been explained to them.

The proctor turned to them, her eyes flashing with something as Shisui waved the scrolls they had and then turned to march up to the top.

Unsurprisingly, Hosha's team was laid out up there, Hosha resting on Hatori and Ikate while the two males spoke quietly to her.

Hosha perked up when they entered and was angled to see them. A smile twisted over her lips and she almost launched from the laps of her comrades, her agile grace kicking in as she dropped down in front of them, maneuvering through desks and her teammates with ease.

"Oh, you got two! Nice." She spoke up, grinning at them.

It eased Shisui's heart to see the girl smiling, his thoughts wandering back to the broken girl he had seen before when she had told them what she was. It was a nice change of pace to see her back to her normal self.

"Yeah. They were different so we figured it was worth it to get both." He said, and he handed the two back to each of his teammates. They stored them away as Hosha grabbed on to Shisui's arm and hauled him up the steps.

Ikate's eyes narrowed at the behavior and he sat up. Hatori cast him a sideways glance, causing him to pause. The green-haired teen's lips twisted and he sat back, his eyes narrowed on Shisui. He did not like how close the two were.

He didn't speak up about his displeasure and instead watched the boy carefully as Hosha sat down beside the boy, a smile spreading across her face. She hadn't smiled that way in a while.

Ikate was rather annoyed that it took someone like Shisui, another guy, to make Hosha smile like she didn't have to worry anymore.

He supposed he should deal with it though, because she needed support too, even from someone he did not like. Sighing, he looked away, ignoring the gaze Hatori sent his way.

He'd deal with it as it came, he didn't quite want to face his problems just yet.

I~~~~I

Menma groaned as he dropped into the desk, finally finished with the first Exam. His mother was chuckling at the front of the room where she held multiple scrolls that people had given her. Sasuke held on to theirs as he dropped beside Menma and Sakura followed suit, confusion crossing her features.

She no doubt was wondering why they didn't turn their scroll in, and Menma wasn't really inclined to tell her. He had just been buried under ground and had to tunnel his way out while Sasuke and Sakura dodged multiple projectiles. It had not been fun.

Looking up, Menma took in the room. He caught Sashiko waving at him, and he felt himself relax at seeing her safe. He noticed the other rookies, another team from Konoha, several Suna Teams, two Kusa Teams, two Oto Teams, one Team from Taki, and the two Iwa Teams.

Menma was a little annoyed that the Iwa Nin made it, but he also felt like it was good since he would be able to get back at them for what they did to his Ni-Chan.

He was feeling vengeful, and he knew that he had multiple ways to get back at them.

Still, he wondered about how he would do it. He already knew from Sasuke that the girl, Hosha, was different. She didn't break under torture, she hardly even lost her spirit. The girl had looked Kakashi in the face, dealt with his Genjutsu prison, and come out of it with more strength then before.

She was built out of tougher stuff that most shinobi and Menma begrudgingly was impressed by it. He had been shocked before, and he had collapsed in less that ten seconds. She had withstood multiple shocks, had stared down Kakashi as she was shocked repeatedly until she fell unconscious.

Menma frowned as he looked her over, wondering how she did it. It just wasn't natural. Not even his father could do what she did, at least he couldn't without a special technique, but the girl had been bound and-

He froze. Blue eyes met his own and a smirk twisted across Hosha's lips as she met him head on. Her pupils were slit and filled with mirth, tearing into his very soul.

He couldn't think, couldn't breathe.

He knew that look. He had seen it in his dreams.

Menma turned away sharply, his breathing quickening as he stared down at the desk.

There was no way that that thing had anything to do with the Iwa Kunoichi. There was just no way that that would be tied to her….right?

"Me-"

Could she be linked to those nightmares, to the ones that startled him out of his sleep and left him shivering in terror?

"Me-ma!"

There just was no way. She couldn't be related to the fo-

Menma jolted when someone grabbed his shoulder. He reached up to grab the wrist, to defend himself, before he looked up into Sasuke's eyes. He froze and suddenly realized Sasuke was trying to get his attention.

His breathing was rushed and he felt like the room was spinning.

Sasuke squeezed his arm and started to exaggerate his breathing, guiding Menma's shoulders. Menma focused on the movement, the up and down rhythm. He copied it, shifting as he felt the stress seep away.

Several minutes of just breathing passed by before the white noise of the other teams discussing things came back and the sound of Sasuke's voice was no longer muffled by Menma's own terror.

"Hey, you alright?" He whispered, staying quiet. He had shifted, shielding Menma from the gazes of the other teams.

Menma shook himself, clearing the last bit of jitters as he nodded.

"Y-Yeah…I'm okay." He said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Sasuke nodded, carefully removing his hand.

"Kushina was about the tell us about the next Exam, but she got called away. We have to wait for the next proctor."

Sasuke informed him, and Menma nodded meekly.

"Okay." He said.

Over Menma's shoulder, Sakura cast a worried glance at Sasuke, directing her worry for Menma at him.

Sasuke nodded sharply at her, and she reached to rub Menma's back as he sat back.

They stayed quiet, ignoring the noise around them as they focused on Menma.

They weren't sure what had spooked him, but whatever it was, they didn't want it to happen again.

I~~~~I

Orochimaru stood in the lab, staring at the results from the lab. His lips were set in a firm line as he stared at the results.

Iwatoshi Hosha Naruto. To think…all this time the girl had been in Iwa. That the Namikaze's eldest brat had been right under their nose this entire time, hiding in plain sight as a Kunoichi of their enemy.

"Tsunade, what is it?" Orochimaru heard her voice before he saw Kushina. Tagging along behind her was Minato, and in front of them was Tsunade.

Tsunade looked up at him as they approached, nodding as she handed the problem off to him.

Off in the corner was Jiraya, stiff and uncomfortable. Ever since Orochimaru hunted the man down he had been reluctant, and after showing him the results he had been even more reluctant to tell Minato the truth.

They all knew how hard it was for Minato and Kushina to accept her death, but to give them hope, to tell them that Naruto hadn't died that night?

It would be tough, but Orochimaru wasn't about to leave them in the dark. He didn't like Minato or Kushina much, he didn't agree with a lot of their methods, but he did care for Michiko, and she wanted nothing more then to give the two closure.

"Orochimaru-San? Jiraiya-Sensei?" Minato spoke, looking them both over in confusion.

It was indeed an odd sight to see all of them together. For all that Orochimaru cherished his teammates, he much preferred Tsunade's company to Jiraiya's, and Minato knew that from experience.

"Minato-San. I believe it's wise we just let you see it for yourself before we explain anything." Orochimaru spoke, turning to the side so they could see the test results. Kushina opened her mouth to snark at him, no doubt about using their blood samples, but froze when she saw that their image was paired with three others.

There were Minato and Kushina, just about a 50% match, then Menma, who was around a 25% match, Raida of the Bomber Clan at 40%, and finally, Iwatoshi Hosha, the giver of the sample.

Minato stepped forward before he pushed past Orochimaru to take in the full screen. Orochimaru stepped aside to let him, watching as Kushina dragged along behind him.

"Recently, Iwatoshi Hosha faced off against young Hatake's Team and Tenzo's Team. It was on that mission Tenzo discovered that the girl carried something unique to only a select few…She had the chakra of a Jinchurikki," Orochimaru began, watching the two carefully.

"They informed my bumbling teammate, coming to several conclusions. Not wanting to inspire false hope Jiraiya asked my apprentice to gather a sample to cross examine with Hosha's own. She was unable to hide the test from Tsunade andme…And this was the result." He finished.

Orochimaru examined the two parents carefully, watching as Kushina teared up and Minato pressed a hand to the screen.

"S-so…This m-means?" Minato started, stumbling over his words as his voice caught.

"Yes, Iwatoshi Hosha Naruto is actually Namikaze Naruto. How we aren't sure, but the proof is there. I doubt that Iwa knows this, or she wouldn't be here or even alive at this point. I think, that night, she was taken away to the Bomber Clan where they adopted her as one of their own. One thing I am not sure of, however, is how she matches with Raida of Iwa." Orochimaru said, glancing back at the data.

"T-that's…That doesn't matter too much. It's her, it is really her…O-Oh Kushina, our baby girl…" Minato spoke, looking to his wife. Kushina had her hand lifted to her mouth as she started to cry, and the two rushed to each other in an embrace.

Orochimaru sighed, feeling rather crappy about having to interrupt the moment. He wasn't heartless, he knew that times like these called for affection if one was to survive. He also knew, however, that sometimes you have to point out the obstacles before people think everything is okay again.

"You can't forget that she won't know this. To her, you aren't her parents…And you will have to fight to get her to see you as such. It will be hard and you still have to find out how to break it to her." Orochimaru said.

Jiraiya sighed and looked away as he pitched in.

"The Teme is right. You will have to do it carefully and in an environment, she is comfortable in. If you do it any other way she will deny it and deny you. Invite her over after the second Exam, let her bring along a friend or two that she trusts, and do it carefully. Let her see the results and think about it herself. Don't force anything on her, it'll end badly. Then,..." Jiraiya looked up at Tsunade, not wanting to say it.

"Give her space," Tsunade said, looking at her adopted Niece and he Hokage.

"Give her time to comprehend and leave her alone to figure it out herself Minato, Kushina. Give her time to decide where she wants to go. You can't force her into anything, no matter how much it hurts." She finished, closing her eyes tiredly.

Minato and Kushina looked at each other, and though Kushina looked like it hurt her to think about it, she nodded at him.

Closing his own eyes, Minato thought about his torment over the years, the nights spent wanting nothing more than to hold his baby girl.

He could wait, even if he didn't want to, he could wait just a little while longer to have her in his arms. Before it was a fantasy, now it could be a reality.

"O-Okay. We can do it. W-We will." He said softly, clutching Kushina to him.

It would be hard, but he knew they could do it.

Now, they just had to figure out how to break it to Menma.

I~~~~I

I wanted to make this chapter longer, but at the same time, I knew this was the part where it should end. This opens up the next part of the story and gives me grounds to work on. Everything is tying together and soon it will all come to fruition. I can't wait, because I have been waiting to write this part since I started this. Ever since I read the original story I adopted from Vangran, this image has been in my head, and I can't wait to show it.