A/N - Yeah, yeah, I know. I kept you waiting for a long damn time again. I've been busy and I've been working on all of my stories that I can lately. So gimme a break. lol

Anyways, a looot of stuff happens in this chapter. And I can safely say this: the end of this chapter is going to make you guys hate me, I'm sure. lol

Okay, I've got a killer migraine right now and I could use some time to just relax and play a game or something. So I'll cut this here and let you read. Enjoy!

Chapter 5 – The Chunin Exams

Kale frowned as she looked between her teammates. They were currently in their preferred training ground, waiting for Anko to arrive. "Um, are we sure this is such a good idea? Shouldn't the Chunin Exams be, um…c-canceled? T-They're planning to k-kill Hokage-sama and the rest of us t-too. War is serious!"

Naruto shook his head and said, "There really isn't much of a choice. Especially if Daimyo-sama and Hokage-sama can't convince the Wind Daimyo and the Kazekage to rethink what they're doing. Besides that, we need to make our enemies think that we haven't discovered their plans. If we want to spring our trap against them, then we have to pretend like everything's still normal. What better way to do that than by holding the Chunin Exams like normal?"

Yakumo nodded her head in complete agreement with that sentiment. "And, if we get the chance, we can eliminate any enemies we come across in the exams. If killing is allowed, we should take the opportunity to remove as many obstacles as we can. I know you might not like the idea of killing someone, but this is our home and it's our duty to protect it. Besides, there are a lot of innocent people living here. Well…"

Each of the young women looked at Naruto before Caulifla said, "Innocent? Pah! That's a good one. They're a bunch of bastards that would sooner see Naruto dead than show him a lick of respect. Hell, I'm willing to bet they'd hand him right over to the enemy to be killed if they could get away with it."

Kale frowned sadly as she thought about what they were going to be forced to do. "I…I still don't like it. But you're right. I just hope I don't let anyone down."

Naruto smiled supportively at Kale and said, "You'll be okay, Kale-chan. If you don't like the idea of killing someone, just leave it up to us. Okay? You can just disable them or keep them from running away or something. Heck, maybe capturing some of them alive might be good? I'm not sure. But I know you'll be okay. We all will be." Kale offered him a tentative smile and nodded in thanks.

"Sorry I'm late." Anko said as she hopped down in front of them. "Hokage-sama wanted to discuss some things with the various sensei for each team. Also, this should come as no surprise, but I've signed you all up for the Chunin Exams. They're going to start in two weeks, so we're going to need to train you four into the ground. One way or another, we're going to try and overcome your individual weaknesses and improve upon your strengths. You will be ready for the war. As of right now, you four are the only Genin to know about the upcoming invasion. The other Jonin sensei have been informed, but they have been instructed NOT to tell their Genin about what's about to happen. I hate to say this, but we don't know who we can trust. Anyone could be a spy for Orochimaru and his accomplices."

"Is there any way we can determine who's a spy and who isn't?" Naruto questioned curiously.

Anko shrugged and said, "We could, but if we accuse the wrong person and word gets out that we're searching for a potential spy amongst our ranks, they could alert their master and then we'd have no clue what Orochimaru and the others are planning."

Yakumo frowned at this before asking, "What if one of the Jonin was the spy? Wouldn't we have alerted them to the fact we know about the invasion?"

The Snake Mistress nodded and said, "We thought of that. If that is the case, then they'll be walking right into a trap we've laid out for them. However, I don't think we have to worry about one of them being a spy. Ibiki, Hokage-sama, and I believe that one of our Genin is a spy. My money's on someone from Guy's team. But I could be proven wrong. You never know."

Kale frowned and asked, "Naruto-kun mentioned something about one of their team members before. W-Wasn't it, um…Neji Hyuga? Did I get that right?"

Naruto nodded and said, "Yep, that's the guy. He's got a stick wedged way too far up his ass and it's lodged in his brain somewhere. I told you two before that Hinata's got some serious issues she needs to work through. Well one of her problems comes in the form of Neji Hyuga. Back when we were three years old, a Kumo ambassador tried to kidnap Hinata. The bastard was killed, but then Kumo demanded that we hand over Hiashi Hyuga, the one that killed him. Instead of confronting them about it and ensuring that they couldn't pull their shit again, Hokage-sama caved to the pressure and agreed to give them who they were after. Only problem is, his brother, Hizashi Hyuga, took his place."

Sighing irritably, Naruto continued. "Neji decided to blame everybody for what happened to his father. However, his favorite target to blame is Hinata. After all, if she hadn't been so weak, his father would never have had to give his life. He picked the easiest target to hate and abuse. Hinata has never harmed him in ANY way. She's just a victim of circumstance. She's innocent of any crimes. But Neji doesn't care. If it meant he could have his revenge against those who have wronged him, he'll gladly kill Hinata. Like I said before, I don't know how I should feel about her. She's not a bad person or anything, and she's never harmed me or insulted me in any way. But she's got that whole creepy stalker vibe going on. Anyways, got off track there. Point is, Hinata did nothing wrong and, given the chance, Neji WILL kill her. If she was smart and wanted to keep herself safe from that, she'd use that curse seal of his against him. Buuut, we'll have to wait and see how things go."

Caulifla frowned distastefully. "What an arrogant-sounding prick. Blaming a little girl for something like that? The guy's got MAJOR issues. Still, do you think he's the spy? 'Cause I kind of doubt it. Wouldn't he have a problem with Kumogakure?"

Naruto shook his head and said, "If they promised to return Hizashi's body, that right there would be enough to convince him. However, if they sweetened the deal by offering to kill Hiashi and Hinata, they'd have him eating out of the palms of their hands. Though, knowing how Kumo is, they wouldn't actually go through with killing Hinata. She'd be captured and turned into a breeding mare, so to speak. Hinata would be broken and would likely try to take her own life. And that's only if they give her the opportunity to do so. No, they wouldn't permit her to die. That's a fate worse than death right there."

Anko scowled at that and said, "Might be a good idea to remove that problem in the bud regardless of if he's the spy or not. But at least you've given us something to think about. I'll inform Hokage-sama about your suspicions."

Yakumo shook her head and said, "It's not just Neji. I remember meeting Tenten before, and she's an absolute nut when it comes to weapons of all kinds. It's well known that Orochimaru is in possession of the Kusanagi blade. If Orochimaru promised to give her the Kusanagi in exchange for her services, I'm not sure if she'd refuse or not. So she's another potential threat."

Frowning at this, Anko said, "So that's two on Guy's team alone that might be spies for the enemy. Wonderful. We don't have to worry about Rock Lee or Guy, at least. They're just nuts when it comes to training and all their weird challenges. Seriously, who proclaims to the world that they'll climb the Hokage Monument with their tongues alone? That's just messed up."

Caulifla scowled as she thought over the possibilities. Looking at Naruto again, she asked, "What about the other rookies? Who do you think we should watch out for?"

Yakumo immediately said, without hesitation, "Ino Yamanaka. She's always got her ear to the ground and can dig up information and gossip on anybody and everybody. With how much of an Uchiha fangirl she is, all Orochimaru would have to do is promise that he'll give Sasuke to her. I wouldn't put it past Orochimaru to break Sasuke free if it meant he could make use of him in some way. With how easy it is for Ino to gather information on people and things, she'd make an excellent spy. Worse yet is that nobody would ever suspect her and her father, Inoichi Yamanaka, would defend her with every fiber of his being. He would never suspect his dear daughter of working for the enemy."

Anko brought her hand to her face and shook her head for a moment. "Wonderful. If she's the spy, she makes a damn good one. Naruto-kun, Yakumo, what do you think about the other Genin? Anyone we should watch out for besides those three?"

Naruto rubbed his chin for a moment before saying, "I highly doubt it's Shikamaru or Choji. I don't think we have to worry about anyone on Team 8 besides maybe Kurenai, but even then, it's a slim chance. No, I think the three we've already mentioned are the most likely to be the spy. Hell, more than one of them could be a spy and we'd never know it."

Anko nodded and said, "We'll treat the three of them with the utmost caution. We can't afford to get careless. If you four get any kind of proof that one or more of them is a spy, tell Hokage-sama or myself. DON'T trust the other Jonin sensei with the information."

"What about Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-sama? They're back in the village now, correct?" Yakumo questioned. "Can't we trust them?"

Anko frowned for a moment before saying, "I believe we can trust them, yes. But any information you turn up should go straight to Hokage-sama or myself. Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-sama have their own duties to attend to. Speaking of which…" looking at Yakumo, Anko gave her a thumbs-up and said, "I've signed you up to begin learning under Tsunade-sama. You're going to be this team's primary medic and genjutsu specialist. We're going to seriously toughen you up before the end of the Chunin Exams. Naruto-kun, I want you to focus on learning all about fuinjutsu from your mother's notes and whatever else she left for you. Caulifla, Kale, you two should work with Naruto-kun to enhance your abilities however you can. Try to train with this ki stuff you've mentioned before. I want Naruto-kun to learn how to fly like the two of you. I also want you three to master control of that transformation of yours. That means you, too, Kale. You're going to unlock the same transformation as those two, and you three are going to master it. I don't care how hard it is or for the fact that you don't want to hurt anyone. If we're going to war, we NEED to be ready. That, and I don't want you four to get hurt. Who knows who might come after you in these exams? I care about all of you. If you were to be hurt or possibly even killed…it would hurt. You all mean so much to me and I see you as a kind of family. So please, don't go dying on me, okay?"

Each of the Genin before her felt a shiver shoot up and down their spines. "Please don't say something like that again, Anko-sensei. Just the thought of one of us being killed…it's horrifying." Yakumo said, sounding genuinely worried.

Caulifla nodded and said, "Yeah. That just didn't feel right."

"Sorry. I think I'm just frightened by what's coming. War is a serious thing. War is terrifying. And the Chunin Exams are going to be even more dangerous this time around for a number of reasons. I'm just scared for you. All of you." Anko said.

"We understand, Sensei." Kale said. "We'll be careful. We promise."

"Thank you." Anko said. "Now, let's get started. Naruto-kun, Caulifla, Kale, I want you three to work on harnessing that power of yours. Transform if you can and master that power of yours. Yakumo, we're going to work on your genjutsu capabilities. If you ever need to draw something on the spot because you don't have any pre-made pictures, then I want you to be able to draw so fast that it only takes you a matter of seconds to unleash your genjutsu on your opponents. We're going to play to your strengths today."

Looking into Naruto's eyes at this point, Anko said, "When I say stop, I want ALL of you to stop. I know how you four are. You like to push yourselves to the extreme. Not this time. Naruto-kun, you still need to learn everything you can from your parents' archives. Yakumo, you still have lessons this afternoon with Tsunade-sama. Caulifla, Kale, when they leave, you and I are having a spar. I may not have the ability to fly or shoot beams out of my hands or whatever else you're capable of, but I'm a Jonin for a reason. I can hold my own in a fight and I can still whoop your beautiful behinds. Now, get to work!"

Kale blushed prettily at the strange compliment while Caulifla laughed and slapped her own ass. "Damn right it's a beautiful ass. Now come on, Naruto, Kale, let's have some fun! I want to try and get the hang of that transformation. If we can even transform again. I'm not quite sure how we did it last time."

Naruto frowned and thought about what they had done before. After a time, he began charging up his ki as high as he could, though he hadn't transformed. Frowning at this, he continued pushing it as hard and as far as he could…but still nothing happened. Scowling at this, he said, "Dammit. What the hell am I doing wrong? All I remember is this feeling of immense rage and sadness came over me after seeing what happened to Kale-chan."

Kale blinked a few times before she said, "M-Maybe that's the secret? Rage? W-When you think about what happened, d-do you remember feeling anything strange in your b-bodies?"

Caulifla frowned in thought for a time before she pointed at a spot on her back. "There was this weird tingly sensation right here when I was in that form. Lemme see if I can get it working. Then we can focus on the two of you."

Naruto and Kale watched as Caulifla focused her mind before she suddenly exploded with power. Looking at her, they could see she had transformed into a Super Saiyan once again. Her power was so strong that it was making the trees nearby quake and groan against the pressure being exerted upon them.

Looking herself over, Caulifla grinned and said, "This feels GREAT! Naruto, focus on that spot just like I did. See if you can bring out your power."

Nodding once, Naruto closed his eyes and began to focus once more. After a moment, he underwent the same transformation, his power causing some large branches to snap off of the nearby trees. Eyes now wide in awe, he clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to get a feel for his new power. "Damn. Alright Kale-chan, it's your turn."

Kale looked between the two of them unsurely for a moment before she nodded and began to do as instructed. If they were going to fight in a war, she realized that there would be no room for her usual hesitation. She wanted desperately to protect the two people she loved most in the universe: Caulifla and Naruto. That sudden revelation caused her to pause. Naruto-kun? I know I love him, but in what way? Is it like I would a brother or a similar member of my family? Or… Looking into Naruto's eyes, she blushed a bit and quickly shook her head negatively. No, no, no! He's like family to me. But, he does make me smile a lot. Ugh! Dammit Kale! Focus on mastering that power! You can think about Naruto-kun and Caulifla later!

Focusing on her task once again, Kale tapped into the feeling she had been seeking and, within moments, transformed. However, when she felt the immense rush of power wash over her, her eyes went blank and she let out a primal roar, her power causing a beam to shoot straight up into the air, frightening everything and everyone in the vicinity.

Before Naruto and Caulifla could react, Kale had suddenly disappeared and reappeared with her fist buried in Naruto's gut. Spittle flew from Naruto's mouth moment before he was sent flying through three rather large trees, finally stopping when he became embedded in the third tree. Coughing out a large glob of blood, Naruto struggled to free himself from the bark.

Caulifla's eyes were wide in horror at what she had just witnessed. Despite the warning bells going off in her head, she approached her the girl she saw as a sister. "Kale? It's me. You recognize me, don't you? You'd never hurt me, right? We're sisters. We love each other like family. Come on, Kale. I know you're still in there."

When Kale's fist impacted her face, Caulifla said, "Nope." before she went flying, crashing hard into the ground between Anko and Yakumo. "Ow."

Anko and Yakumo's eyes were wide as they witnessed what had happened. It became even more terrifying as Kale, in her Super Saiyan state, began flying towards them with a look of pure rage on her face. However, before she could reach them, Naruto latched onto her back and flew backwards with her. When she slammed her fist into his face, he grunted in agony but refused to let her go. He knew that if they didn't find some way to get her back under control, then she'd kill someone. So, against his body's desperate plea, he slowly forced Kale to turn and face him. "Kale-chan, please…" That was all he could get out before Kale's forehead impacted his nose, breaking it and stunning him.

As Naruto's powerup faded, leaving him as a regular ol' Saiyan again, he grunted in sheer agony before he looked into Kale's eyes. "Kale-chan, I know you can still hear me. So…" Another headbutt, resulting in two of Naruto's teeth falling out this time. "Kale-chan, you're my dearest friend. You're more than that: you're family. I love how close we've grown. I love to make you laugh and smile. I even love the time we spend with Caulifla, the two of us doing everything we can to make you smile and be more confident in yourself."

Getting punched again, Naruto felt his jaw break under Kale's fist. Still, he pressed on, despite the overwhelming agony he now felt. "Kale-chan, I think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever met. Your heart is pure, you have a wonderful personality, and you're not bad to look at either." He joked. "Kale-chan…"

Before he could finish what he was saying, she rammed a knee into his sternum, cracking it quite painfully. Coughing up blood, Naruto looked weakly into Kale's eyes and said, "I love you, Kale-chan. I know we haven't known each other for very long, but I know what I f-feel for you." And with that, he pressed his lips to hers, trying to pour every ounce of his feelings into this kiss. It was all he could think of to do to try and bring her back from the brink.

Kale's eyes were wide as she slowly started to calm down out of her rage-filled state. As she began to gain control again, she found herself blushing deeply as she felt Naruto's lips covering hers. Slowly, she began to return his kiss, though it was slow and somewhat awkward as far as kisses went. Then again, she didn't really know what a normal kiss felt like.

When Naruto pulled away, Kale opened her eyes again and looked on in horror as Naruto fell to the ground in a heap, having fallen unconscious. Quickly dropping down next to him, she looked him over and began to cry. "Naruto-kun! Wake up! Naruto-kun!"

Caulifla slowly walked up to Kale, her left hand cradling her broken right arm. "Kale? Are you back to your senses?"

Kale looked tearily into Caulifla's eyes and said, "I'm so, so sorry! I never wanted to hurt either of you! This power…it's not right!"

Caulifla smiled at her sister and said, "You have it under control now. Just remember how this feels and try to stay in control for the next time, okay? How do you feel now?"

Kale shook her head before looking back at Naruto. "I feel normal again. I feel a LOT stronger. But…Naruto-kun, he…"

The slightly shorter Saiyan nodded and looked down at Naruto. "You're right. He's not lookin' so good. Anko-sensei, think we should take him to the hospital?" she asked as she turned to face Anko, who had come over with Yakumo.

Anko nodded once and said, "We need to get you both to the hospital. Whatever the hell just happened, you're seriously injured and Naruto-kun looks damn near dead right now."

Kale quickly, yet gently lifted Naruto into her arms. Without a word, she hurried out of the Forest of Death with the others joining her at her side. Don't worry, Naruto-kun. I promise I'll make this up to you somehow.

Hours Later

Caulifla winced in pain as she poked at her cast. She knew that, until she had healed up, she wouldn't be doing much full contact sparring in the near future. Oh, she knew she'd be fine again in about a week or so, but this REALLY sucked. Still, it was nothing compared to what Naruto had been through. Looking over at the bed Naruto was resting in, she shook her head and said, "That looks bad."

Kale frowned sadly as she turned to face her sister. "I know. I did this to him. All because I lost control. I didn't think it would be that bad. I just wanted to be like the two of you. I didn't want to let you down. And look at what happened because I was so incapable of controlling my own power! I…!"

Caulifla walked over and flicked Kale's nose with her good hand. "Don't go selling yourself so short. You're fine, Kale. Naruto wouldn't blame you for what happened. In fact, none of us blame you. There was no way we could have predicted that happening to you. I think that Naruto getting through to you took some real bravery on his part. Yeah, he got hurt, but he saved you from yourself. You heard the doctor, though. He'll be just fine soon enough. Just gotta give him a few days."

Kale rubbed her nose for a moment before she turned to look sadly upon Naruto. Yakumo had decided to go and begin her lessons under Tsunade. Anko, meanwhile, had gone to speak with the Hokage about what had happened. This left the two Saiyan women alone with Naruto.

Caulifla decided to ask her sister a question at this point. "Sooo, that kiss you two shared. You looked like you enjoyed it."

Kale blushed prettily as she turned to look into Caulifla's eyes. "T-That's, um…none of your business! Right!"

Caulifla giggled to herself and said, "You obviously feel something for him. Naruto admitted it to you, didn't he? He loves you, Kale. Now you have to decide how you feel about him."

Kale frowned as she looked into her sister's eyes. "What about you, Sister? I've seen how you look at him."

The shorter Saiyan shrugged and said, "He interests me. He's strong and reliable, as well. Hell, I think he's the perfect mate for us. And yes, Kale, I mean both of us. I'm willing to share him with you if it means we can all be happy."

Kale blushed prettily before she beamed at her best friend and glomped onto her, eliciting a 'Yeowch!' from Caulifla. Blushing worse, Kale said, "S-S-Sorry, Caulifla. I didn't mean to hurt you again. It's just…"

Caulifla smirked at her sister and said, "You got excited. It's fine. I say we tell him how we feel when he finally wakes up. Right now, we should let the guy get some rest. Why don't we go ahead and go get something to eat? Sound good?"

"That sounds wonderful." Kale said, hugging onto her sister's good arm and walking out of the room with her. Sister, you have no idea how happy this makes me.

Council Chambers

Hiruzen sighed as he massaged his brow. These idiots are giving me such a headache. He thought to himself.

What was causing him such distress? The very moment that immense power was felt coming from the Forest of Death, the citizens had scrambled, though most of them were just running around like chickens with their heads cut off. There was no order to the chaos. Hiruzen was damn tempted to send out some of his Anbu to investigate, but held them back. It wasn't until Anko had come to speak with him that he learned the truth. So, with Anko following him, he had called for the council to meet with him in the usual chambers.

Now, here he sat, listening as everyone was shouting and arguing with one another over what could be happening. When one of the civilians declared that it was the demon and his magic at work again, Hiruzen snapped his fingers. Within an instant, the fool's head was rolling along the floor until it stopped right in front of the Hokage.

Seeing that he now had everyone's attention, he said, "Now that everyone is quiet again, I would like to explain what really happened today. As some of you have surmised, Naruto-kun was involved, BUT!" Shooting a glare at the civilians to silence them, he continued. "It's not in the way you might be expecting."

"Team 11 was training in the Forest of Death, which happens to be their preferred training ground. Naruto-kun, Caulifla, and Kale were trying to tap into their latent power so they could get at least some semblance of control over their enhanced abilities. Unfortunately, Kale's power got out of control, and she went on something of a rampage. Naruto-kun managed to get through to her and calmed her down. Unfortunately, he was injured quite severely in the process. He is now resting in the hospital after being treated for several broken bones and fractures. I ask that you all leave him in peace, because Naruto-kun needs the rest if he wants to recover soon." Hiruzen explained.

As the civilians began to mutter amongst themselves, Shibi looked into the Hokage's eyes and asked, "Have steps been taken to ensure something like this won't happen again?"

Hiruzen shook his head and said, "This transformation of hers is another part of her. If we want to make use of her immense power in the coming war, she needs to train until she has control over it and herself. It is my belief that, if she is permitted to stay by Naruto-kun's side, she'll master this new form of hers. Besides, it's obvious to anyone that watches them that there is a special bond forming between Naruto-kun and these girls. I, for one, want to see this bond of theirs grow and flourish as it becomes something beautiful."

Hiashi scoffed at this and said, "Uzumaki's power was easy enough to understand. He's got the Kyuubi sealed inside of him, after all. Then come along these two girls and things have been turned upside down so fast it's ridiculous. All three of them are capable of these transformations now, and it's made them too dangerous to control. I say we use them to breed us an army of freaks that we can actually control before getting rid of them."

Hiruzen scowled at Hiashi and shook his head. "Absolutely not! It's bad enough that Naruto-kun will be placed on the front lines in the upcoming war. I won't force those three to breed an army of super soldiers for us! It's inhumane and…!"

Inoichi frowned and interrupted the Hokage. "If Kale is as dangerous as you say she is, then making use of her properly is key here. She clearly loves Naruto Uzumaki. What if we simply wait for them to have children and mold them into the kind of soldiers we need for the future? If we're lucky, we can control them and make them loyal soldiers of Konoha. Right now, the three of them are just too dangerous. They'll be lucky to survive the war, so I say we make use of them however we can."

When everyone began to agree with the sentiment, the Hokage's head dropped, and he clenched his fists angrily. "You would really rob them of their future? You would hurt them in such a way? What is wrong with you pe—no, you aren't people. You're monsters, through and through. Naruto-kun and those two girls are off limits and that's final! If I hear that even one of you bothers them with your bullshit, I'll personally execute each one of you that gets involved. I can't believe you monsters! This meeting's through. Get the hell out of my sight!"

"You'll see things our way soon enough, Hokage-sama." Hiashi said before he left the room, followed by his fellow councilors.

As soon as they were all gone, Hiruzen slammed his fists down on the table and snarled angrily to himself. "Those bastards aren't going to let this drop so easily. All of this because they're different from them. Just because they're different doesn't make them lesser than you assholes. If Daimyo-sama hears of this, he's going to be PISSED." Eyes widening, Hiruzen was tempted to facepalm. I'm an idiot. All I have to do is notify Daimyo-sama about what was discussed here. He'll sort things out in no time.

"Well, that could have gone better." Anko said as she looked at the Hokage, her arms folded in front of her. "Do you think Daimyo-sama will really help?"

Hiruzen blinked a couple of times. He had nearly forgotten Anko was in the room! He wasn't used to her being so silent. Shaking it off, the Hokage looked into Anko's eyes and said, "It's the only real hope we have. Team 11 saved him and his family. I'm sure he'll help them."

"Here's hoping. You sure you don't just want me to kill everyone and be done with it?" Anko joked.

Scoffing, Hiruzen wagged his finger at her and said, "Naughty Anko." Together, they shared a laugh before they both left to take care of their own business.

The Next Day

Naruto let out an agonized groan as he felt himself coming to. Slowly opening his eyes, he came to the instant realization that he was in the hospital. Try as he might, though, he couldn't recall what had happened to him this time. Before he could quite register what was going on, he was hugged by somebody. Looking at the familiar mop of hair, he smiled softly and said, "Hi, Kale-chan. You okay?"

Kale looked at him with tears in her eyes and shouted, "Am I okay?! Naruto-kun, you nearly died! It's you that you should be worried about. Not me! I was so worried about you!"

The half-Saiyan frowned and asked, "Huh? How'd I end up like this anyway? My whole body's aching right now. I feel horrible."

Caulifla's and Kale's eyes widened for a moment before Caulifla asked, "Naruto? What's the last thing you remember?"

Naruto shook his head and said, "Not much. I remember Kale transformed like we did. But after that? I can't remember a thing."

Caulifla looked at Kale with a deadpan expression and said, "Kale, I think you might have hit him one too many times in the head."

Kale blushed in embarrassment, but shook off her sister's teasing. Looking into Naruto's eyes, she said, "I lost control, Naruto-kun. I really hurt you and Caulifla bad. You…you saved me, Naruto-kun. You really don't remember any of it?"

Naruto shook his head and said, "Sorry. If you hurt me so bad, it's possible that my mind got a bit jumbled up from everything that happened. At least we helped you get control again! That's something to be happy about, right?"

Kale slumped over. She wanted so bad to bash her head against a wall right now. Shaking it off, she looked into Naruto's eyes and said, "You…you told me that you love me. And…" Leaning in close, she steeled her resolve and placed her lips to his, giving him the best kiss she could muster up with her dwindling courage. When they parted, she was blushing up a storm and found it impossible to look him in the eyes.

Blushing just as badly as Kale did, Naruto looked to Caulifla and asked, "Did…umm…what the hell happened back there?!"

All Caulifla could do was laugh. The whole situation was just great in her mind. I am so glad we came to this planet. This is just too much fun!

Two Weeks Later – Day Before the Exams

Sure enough, Naruto and Caulifla had healed quite quickly, as compared to the rate it would have taken a Human to do so. They had been instructed not to push themselves too hard, though. At least for a few days. That wasn't really what was on Naruto's mind at this moment, however.

After the kiss they shared in the hospital, Caulifla and Kale had admitted their feelings for him and told him that he could either be with both of them, or neither. If he took one, it was pretty much a package deal for him. This hadn't been a problem for Naruto. He genuinely loved both of them. The three of them made for one strange family, but they loved their little dynamic.

At the moment, Naruto was walking by himself, trying to scope out the competition for the Chunin Exams that were set to begin tomorrow. So far, he had seen three teams from Kumo and the one team from Otogakure. Right now, he was staring at a little altercation happening before him in an alleyway. "Seriously?" he deadpanned.

Konohamaru looked pleadingly at Naruto and shouted, "Hey! Are you going to help me here or not?!"

The half-Saiyan sighed and looked at the black-clad teen that was holding Konohamaru aloft. "You might want to let him go. That's the Hokage's grandson you're about to pummel. I'm sure you don't want to start an incident and get kicked out of the village before the exams have even begun. Do you?"

The teenager from Suna blinked at him for a moment before he glared at the brat in his grip. "The least this brat could do is apologize to me for being such a disrespectful little punk!"

Naruto nodded in understanding. Looking at Konohamaru, Naruto smirked at him and said, "You heard the man. Give him a sincere apology. If you don't, well…" Here, Naruto pointed out a number of Anbu ready to move at a moment's notice. "You don't want them to kill this poor guy, do you?"

The young man's eyes bulged slightly as he took in the sight of the various Anbu that had surrounded him. Quickly putting the brat down, he was caught off guard when Konohamaru kicked him in the shin before dashing towards the main street again. However, when the brat tried to run by Naruto, the Saiyan reached over and grabbed him by his hair, hoisting him up in the air and pointed his face towards Kankuro. "Apologize for being such a little brat. NOW."

Konohamaru scowled at Naruto and said, "Make me! You're just a freak of nature. Everybody says so!"

Naruto sighed angrily before he slammed his fist into Konohamaru's face not just once, but TWICE. Afterwards, he dropped the kid on his ass before looking towards Kankuro and his absolutely gorgeous sister. "I apologize. He's never learned proper manners and he's a major pain in the ass. I hope he hasn't offended you two."

Temari blinked as she looked at the sobbing boy. "Umm, are you sure you're going to be okay? Didn't you just assault the Third's grandson?"

Naruto shrugged and said, "Meh. The brat needs to learn to respect his elders and his betters somehow. He's been spoiled too much. Anyways, you two are from Suna, huh? Is that girl in the tree with you, too?"

"Girl in the tree…?" Kankuro muttered before he and his sister looked that way. When they saw a redheaded girl glaring at them, both he and his sister began to cower in fear. "G-Gaia…umm…"

When the now named Gaia appeared before her older brother and sister, she glared into Kankuro's eyes and said, "You're a disgrace to our village. You're lucky I don't kill you now."

"S-Sorry, Gaia. It w-won't happen again."

"Good." Gaia said before she turned her attention on Naruto. "You are…different. Mother warns me that I should fear you, but you intrigue me. I will be keeping an eye on you. What is your name?"

"Naruto Uzumaki. Nice to meet you, Gaia-chan." Naruto introduced. "As for this mother of yours, she's number one, isn't she?"

Gaia's eyes widened for a moment before she asked, "You…you are like me, aren't you? What number do you hold?"

"I'm number nine. I do hope we meet in the exams, Gaia-chan. Might be nice to have a new friend like you. If you're up for it, of course. Personally, I just hope we don't have to fight each other." Naruto said, shrugging his shoulders casually.

Gaia's eyes were wide, and she said, "Is that why mother fears you?"

Naruto shook his head and said, "It's not just that, trust me. Like you said, I'm 'different'. If we meet each other again in the exams, why don't I tell you about it then? Like I said, I want to be friends. Not enemies."

"I see. I will think on your offer of friendship. Farewell, Naruto Uzumaki." Gaia said before she turned and walked off with her siblings following close behind her.

Looking at Konohamaru, Naruto sighed and said, "Stop your blubbering already, dammit. Go whine to your grandpa about me. I don't care." And with that, he walked off, leaving Konohamaru to be tended to by the Anbu.

The Next Day

Naruto and his teammates currently stood outside of the academy building. They didn't look excited or happy. No, they were quite upset at the moment. Whoever the spy was, they still had no clue who it could be. No proof had been dug up; no mistakes had been made by the spy. "We're really going in blind, aren't we?" Caulifla asked irritably.

"Yep. I have no doubt we'll kick ass, but I'm honestly more worried about you know what." Naruto said.

"No sense in worrying about it now. We'll just have to deal with it when we finally get some proof." Yakumo said. "Now come on, let's get in there. We're ready for this. Remember our goal."

Kale and the others nodded once. "If we get the chance, eliminate enemies of Konoha. Ruthless precision and no mercy shall be given."

"We work as a team. No matter what, we stick together. If we do that, we'll all come out of this alive. Alright?" Caulifla said. When everyone nodded once again, she said, "Good. Let's go." And with that, the four Genin of Team 11 entered the academy building.

As they walked up the stairs to the second floor, they saw a large crowd outside of a room that said it was room 301. Despite being such an obvious genjutsu, even to Caulifla and Kale, so many Genin were being fooled by it. As they made their way to walk on by, they saw a boy clad in nothing but green get knocked backwards by some obvious Chunin in front of the door. Naruto recognized him easily and motioned for the girls to follow him quickly. Sadly, before they could reach the stairs, a voice calling out to them stopped them in their tracks.

"Naruto-kun!" a female's voice called out to them. When they turned to face the person, they saw it was Tenten of Team 9. "Were you going to just walk by without saying hi? I thought we were friends?"

Naruto frowned in confusion for a moment before it clicked in his head. "We were in the orphanage together, weren't we? That was so long ago I almost completely forgot about it."

Tenten nodded and said, "Yep! Same here, actually. But when I heard you had passed your Genin exam, I wanted to see you again. Think we can get caught up sometime after all of this is over? I'd love to reconnect and renew our friendship from back then."

"That sounds nice. But for now, we're technically rivals in these exams. So don't take it easy on me just because we're old friends. Okay?" Naruto said.

"Sounds good to me! I'll make sure I kick your butt, Naruto-kun!" Tenten said cheerily.

Chuckling softly, they were about to leave, but the third member of Team 9 approached them with a sneer on his face. "So, you're Naruto Uzumaki. You don't look that impressive. What the hell does that worthless girl see in you, I wonder?"

Naruto shook his head in disappointment before he turned and said, "Let's go girls. I don't want to deal with this guy right now. Maybe later, if he decides to be nice. Goodbye, Neji Hyuga. It wasn't nice meeting you."

As Team 11 walked off, Tenten glared at her teammate and shouted at him. "What the hell is your problem?! The first time I get to see Naruto-kun in thirteen years and you decide to be an asshole to him?! I reiterate: what the fuck is your problem?!"

Neji scoffed and said, "You wouldn't understand. Nobody ever does."

Room 301

Just outside the real room 301, Naruto stood with his teammates as they looked into their sensei's eyes. A silent message was clear between the five of them. No words needed to be said. After some time, Anko simply nodded at them before she left, allowing them to enter room 301.

Upon stepping foot inside the room, they were hit with a blast of killing intent. Shrugging it off, Naruto and Caulifla hit everyone in the room with their own massive killing intent, effectively shutting them up. "Good." Caulifla said.

Walking over to the nearby wall, each member of Team 11 decided to lounge there for the time being and wait for the other teams to arrive. Sure enough, Team 9 stepped through first. Tenten looked furious with Neji, but she turned and waved happily to Naruto after a moment. She seemed genuinely happy to see him again. "I really don't think she's a spy." He said to his teammates.

Kale nodded and said, "I get that same feeling. That narrows it down to the other two."

Caulifla frowned as she watched Neji for a time. "I don't know. Something about that guy just screams bad news to me. We definitely need to keep an eye on him, just to be safe."

"Agreed." Yakumo said. It was at this point that Team 10 entered the room. "Then there's her."

Naruto and the other members of Team 11 nodded their heads. "I hope Inoichi was able to knock some sense into her. Guess we'll see." He said as he watched Team 10 approaching them.

As soon as they had reached the members of Team 11, Shikamaru exchanged a fist bump with Naruto, a small smirk on his lips. "I knew you'd be here, you troublesome bastard."

Chuckling softly, Naruto nodded at his friend in greeting. Turning to Choji, the Saiyan held up a finger and unsealed a package of potato chips. Handing the bag to Choji, he said, "There ya go. Figured you might like to try something a little different this time. Hope you like it."

Choji eagerly accepted the chips before staring into his friend's eyes. "You're a great person, Naruto! Thanks!"

"Anytime, Choji." Naruto said before he turned his gaze to Ino. "Hello again, Ino. How have you been?"

Ino frowned and shook her head sadly. "I…I don't know anymore. Sasuke's been imprisoned, his eyes were gouged out, his chakra sealed…and all because he did such a horrible thing. But what really hit me hard was Sakura's death. I never thought I'd miss her so much. It helped me realize just how stupid I've been. And how dangerous our career is. Daddy talked to me about everything. I want to be a better kunoichi, but it's hard to find the motivation when guilt is weighing you down, you know?"

Kale frowned sadly at her and said, "What happened to them was not your fault. You know that, right?"

The blonde nodded and said, "I know. But I never got to apologize or mend our relationship somehow. Chasing after Sasuke was stupid. He would never have given us the time of day. Daddy told me what he did and why he was punished the way he was. I'm so, so sorry."

When Ino bowed to them apologetically, Team 11 waved it off before Naruto said, "Hey, no worries. Everything's okay now. I'm glad to see you're maturing, Ino. It's a good sign. I know you'll be okay."

Sharing a knowing glance between themselves, Team 11 quickly decided that Ino was unlikely to be the spy either. However, they wouldn't rule her and Tenten out just yet. There was always a possibility.

Before the conversation could continue further, Team 8 entered the room. Kiba loudly said, "The fuck? They're actually letting a moron like you participate in the exams? Their standards must have really been lowered if they're allowing the likes of you to enter."

Naruto shrugged it off and said, "You might just be right about that. After all, how'd a weak little puppy like you even pass the true Genin test? They must really be desperate for some fresh recruits."

Kiba snarled at the insult, but before he could attack, Hinata spoke up. "H-Hello again, Naruto-kun. It's n-nice to see you again. H-How have you and your team been?"

Ignoring the dog brain, Naruto smiled pleasantly at Hinata and said, "Oh, we've been great. I've rather enjoyed getting to spend so much time with my lovely girlfriends."

Hearing this caused everyone to freeze. Hinata felt like her world was shattering and crumbling around her. "G-Girlfriends?"

Naruto grinned and hugged Caulifla and Kale close, planting a kiss on both of their cheeks. "Yep. I know, they're beautiful." He said with a chuckle.

Kale blushed in embarrassment, while Caulifla looked smugly at the other rookies. "What? You guys have a problem with it?"

Hinata collapsed to the floor on her hands and knees. The word 'girlfriends' kept replaying over and over again in her mind. I missed my chance. They took my Naruto-kun! It's not fair!

Kiba was practically frothing at the mouth at this point. "How the hell does a loser like you have TWO girlfriends?! Where the fuck's the justice in that?!" Looking the two Saiyan women over for a moment, he snarled out, "Must just be desperate whores that don't know what a real man looks like."

Caulifla glared at him and began to crack her knuckles. "That's it. Time to smash a mutt's skull to paste." When she took a step forward, a voice called out to them, causing her to pause mid-step.

"Whoa, whoa! Easy there! You're all attracting just a bit too much attention. You might want to take a look around the room." As the rookies glanced around the room, the bespectacled man said, "Everyone's already on edge as it is. They've got a lot of pressure weighing on them right now as it is. With you lot behaving like this, it's going to make you easy targets."

Naruto frowned as he looked the man over cautiously. He smells like snakes. Not like Anko's either…

Kiba scoffed and glared at the newcomer. "What the hell would you know? Do you think I'm scared of all these jerks?"

The bespectacled man chuckled softly and said, "Not at all. I'm just trying to be helpful. We're all on the same side here. We're Genin of Konohagakure and we should help each other whenever we can. For instance, I can give you information on every Genin in the room. I'm something of an expert when it comes to these exams."

Naruto frowned deeply at this and decided to test the man. "If that's the case, then what can you tell us about me?"

Kabuto blinked confusedly for a time before saying, "Huh? Why would you want information on yourself?"

"Just humor me. The name's Naruto Uzumaki. Yours?"

The man shrugged and said, "Kabuto Yakushi. And let's see here…" Pulling out his deck of info cards, he poured chakra into one and began to read the information aloud. "Naruto Uzumaki. You possess both chakra and some unknown power source. You've been on a number of D-rank missions, a few C-ranks, and even an A-rank. Teammates are Caulifla, Kale, and Yakumo Kurama. Yakumo was a new addition to the team after said A-rank mission. It says here your father was a man named Carron and your mother…"

Before Kabuto could say anything more, Naruto pointed his finger straight at Kabuto's forehead and shot a razor-sharp blade of ki straight through Kabuto's skull. When he collapsed to the ground a moment later, the life leaving his eyes, Naruto said, "And that's how you deal with a spy in your midst."

Everyone's eyes were wide in shock and horror. Ino looked at Naruto and said, "Y-You just killed someone. You killed a fellow Genin of Konoha!"

It was at this point that the proctor appeared in the room with a number of Chunin. Looking at the dead body, Ibiki said, "Good job, Uzumaki. I heard everything. You made the right call. Of course, squeezing him for some information would have been wonderful, however."

Naruto shrugged and said, "I'd rather not risk the man being set loose by his comrades and whoever he's working for. Best to take care of the problem now while we have the chance."

Nodding in understanding, Ibiki looked at Kabuto's teammates and said, "Take those two for a trip to T & I. Tell Inoichi I need him to handle them. My duties lie here at the moment. And get rid of the body before it starts stinking up the whole blasted academy!"

Once everything had been taken care of, Ibiki had everyone draw a number before each of the Genin took their seats. Once everyone was seated, the proctor looked around and began to explain the rules of the test. The test was simple enough, and Naruto and his teammates easily figured out the purpose behind the first part of the test. However, not one of them had the means to cheat, so they simply flipped their pages over and waited for the final question.

Seeing their nonchalant attitudes about the test, Ibiki quirked an eyebrow in curiosity. Huh. They're not even going to try and get the answers. Gutsy move.

When it came time for the final question, Ibiki knew that the members of Team 11 wouldn't be shaken by his attempt at intimidation. They were made of sterner stuff than most of the other Genin that were present. Still, that didn't mean he couldn't have some fun with all the other little Genin.

After giving his ultimatum, Ibiki watched as team after team left the room, unable to handle the immense pressure being put on them by the final question. When it looked like Hinata was about to give up, her nerves getting the better of her, Naruto spoke up. "You've got the whole intimidation thing down pat. You've given us quite the show, Proctor-san. I think it's time you call it now. Nobody else is going to give up."

Quirking a brow at this, Ibiki looked from Naruto to the Hyuga heiress. Why is he trying to help her? Or is it because of him? He wondered, looking over to Kiba. Knowing Uzumaki, I'm willing to bet that he wants a chance to kick Kiba's ass in an official setting. Bolstering Hinata's confidence is just a means to an end. Poor girl.

After waiting a moment longer, Ibiki called an end to the first exam, happily proclaiming that everyone that remained had passed the first exam. When asked what the purpose of the first nine questions was, he proceeded to remove his bandana and show everyone exactly what the test truly entailed.

A moment later, the window burst into tiny shards of glass and a banner spread out in front of Ibiki. Reading the lettering on the banner, Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. "Gotta love Anko-sensei."

Sure enough, a few seconds later, Anko appeared before them, striking a pose just to get a laugh from her cute little Genin. "Alright, enough of the fun times. I don't intend to stall things any longer. Sorry, Ibiki, but I'm stealing them away now. Everyone, follow me to Training Ground #44!" And with that, she was gone.

Before Team 11 could leave, Ibiki approached them. "We need to talk about something real quick. Anko already knows to wait for your team, so you won't be penalized for being a little later."

Nodding their heads in understanding, they waited until everyone had left the room before Naruto put up some silencing seals. Seeing he had their attention, Ibiki said, "That man you killed most likely worked for Orochimaru. But I highly doubt he's the only spy he has in his employ. Have you four narrowed down the suspect list?"

Naruto shook his head and said, "Not really. Ino and Tenten seem pretty unlikely choices, but we can't exactly rule them out just yet. Neji, on the other hand? Something just doesn't sit right with me. Call it a gut feeling if you want, but I don't trust him."

Yakumo smirked at him and asked, "Are you sure it's not just because he's an asshole?"

Chuckling at this, Naruto said, "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." Looking back into Ibiki's eyes, he said, "I think we should inform Anko-sensei to keep an eye on him anyways, just to be safe."

"Good idea. I'll inform Hokage-sama as well so he can have a few Anbu tail him." Frowning at this point, Ibiki shook his head and said, "We still have Danzo to worry about as well. His lair hasn't been found yet, and we have no way of knowing where he currently resides or what his plans are. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he's assisting Orochimaru somehow. I want you to remain careful when you're in the Forest of Death. There's no telling what could happen in there. Stay safe, all of you."

"Of course, Ibiki-san. Thank you for your concern." Yakumo said before she looked at her teammates. "We should get going. Don't want to keep Anko-sensei waiting too long, after all."

Bidding goodbye to Ibiki, Team 11 hurried after the others. As soon as they were gone, Ibiki frowned to himself and said, "I hope this bad feeling's just a case of the jitters. Otherwise, I don't know what could happen."

Forest of Death

As Team 11 stood with the other Genin, each of them listening to Anko's spiel, they couldn't help but get the chills. Glancing around, they easily saw a Kusagakure kunoichi eying them like pieces of meat. It was honestly more than a little creepy.

Shaking it off, they proceeded to sign the waivers before taking their scroll and walking off to their designated gate. Upon arriving, they checked their scroll to see which type it was. Seeing it was an Earth scroll, they realized they'd have to get a Heaven scroll while inside the forest. It was decided that Naruto would carry their team's scroll within his inner pocket, which had a storage seal within it. This way, the scroll would remain perfectly safe, regardless of what might happen.

Looking at his teammates, Naruto said, "We stick together in here. I don't want us to be caught off guard by anyone because we lagged behind or something. So, let's be careful and keep the fighting to a minimum if we can. I hate saying that, but we gotta play this smart."

Everyone nodded, even Caulifla. When the gate opened, they hurried inside and quickly took to the trees. Glancing around, Naruto created a veritable army of shadow clones and commanded the majority of them to transform into his teammates. Once they had, he sent them off throughout the forest to keep an eye on everything and hopefully warn them of impending danger.

Taking to the ground at this point, Team 11 proceeded to move carefully. They would stay low for the time being and stretch out their senses to try and determine if any teams were nearby that might be lying in wait. So far, Naruto hadn't sensed anyone, nor had the others. Then, it hit them like a tidal wave washing over them. A MASSIVE burst of killing intent that temporarily froze them in their place.

Looking towards the source, they couldn't help but frown. It was too dark to see who it was, but when a powerful gust of wind burst forth, it sent each of them flying. Grunting as his back hit a tree, Naruto soon stood straight again and glared ahead, hoping dearly his teammates were okay. When the Kusagakure kunoichi from before appeared in front of him, Naruto frowned to himself. "Where's the real you?"

The kunoichi laughed for a moment before saying, "My, whatever do you mean? You're so cold to me, Naruto-kun."

"I'm not going to play games with you, Orochimaru. What the hell do you want?" Naruto questioned, getting angry at the thought that his teammates could be in serious danger.

Smirking sinisterly at the Saiyan, Orochimaru reached up and removed the face he had temporarily borrowed. Looking into Naruto's eyes, he said, "I want you, Naruto-kun. And Caulifla as well. You two have to pay for what you did to Sasuke-kun, after all. But, there's just something special about you, Naruto-kun. And I always get what I want."

"Uh-huh. Whatever you say. I suggest you get lost and leave me the fuck alone." Naruto said as he prepared to fight this rotten clone.

"Oh, very well, Naruto-kun. If you want to be so vulgar and uncouth about this, then I suppose I am left with little choice. I'll just have to take what I want from you!" Orochimaru's clone said before it went on the attack.

Yakumo

Yakumo groaned as she slowly came to. She had hit her head hard when she was blown away by that wind technique. Glancing around at her surroundings, she realized that she had no idea where she was. Expanding her senses, she tried to pinpoint the location of her teammates, only to fail. We're too far away. I don't even know which direction I need to go! Please be safe!

Picking a direction, Yakumo began to walk in it, hoping that she was going in the right direction. As she walked, however, she picked up a few voices communicating with one another some distance away. Frowning at this, she felt her danger senses going off, warning her to stay away from the source of these voices. However, despite the warning bells going off in her head, she decided that, whatever it was, it warranted investigating. So, using the stealth she had had drilled into her by Anko, she snuck up on the source of said voices.

"…I don't see what you see in that loser. Fate has branded him a failure and that is what he will always be. Just like that worthless cousin of mine. You did promise me you'd take care of her and her wretched father for me. Or do you plan to renege on our deal?" Neji's voice could be heard saying.

Cackling could be heard from another man. "You worry too much, my little protégé. I have it all well under control. Although, the loss of Kabuto was a blow I wasn't expecting. Naruto-kun is certainly skilled. More so than I would have expected."

"Orochimaru-sama? What exactly do you want with that fool anyways?" Neji asked aloud.

"Due to Sasuke-kun's punishment, he is no longer a suitable candidate for me. Naruto-kun's body, on the other hand, would fit me so much better than Sasuke-kun's ever could. Not only does he house the Kyuubi no Yoko, but he's got two different energy sources within him. If I could harness that kind of power, I wouldn't need to worry about a couple of measly Sharingan."

"I see." Neji said. Before he could say more, however, his senses went on alert, and he quickly activated his Byakugan. When he spotted their little eavesdropper, he scowled and said, "We've been found, Orochimaru-sama. What are your orders?"

Orochimaru cackled gleefully and said, "Kill her. I can't wait to see Naruto-kun's reaction to seeing his dear friend murdered at the hands of a traitor. How fun it will be."

Hearing this caused Yakumo's eyes to widen in horror. Quickly pulling out picture book, she dashed off as fast as she could go while trying to select a suitable picture for her genjutsu. Sadly, as soon as she thought she was in the clear, Neji appeared in front of her, cutting her off. Spinning her picture book around, she tried to ensnare him in a genjutsu, only to suddenly cough up blood as Neji's instant attack got past her guard. Clutching at her chest with one hand while her picture book fell to the ground, she began to gasp in sheer agony. Slowly, she fell to her side, weakly moving her head so she could look into the eyes of her assailant. I hope…they kill you…Neji Hyuga.

Caulifla

Caulifla breathed a sigh of relief as she joined up with Kale. They hadn't been blown too far apart from one another, so they were grateful for that. However, they had no idea where Naruto and Yakumo were or if they were even okay.

"I-I've got a bad f-feeling, Caulifla. A REALLY bad feeling." Kale said as they searched for their wayward teammates.

"Same, Kale. Come on, let's go this way." Caulifla said as she led her friend deeper into the forest in search of their loved ones. After some time, they entered a darker section of the forest, somewhere they didn't quite recognize. As they walked, their bad feeling only continued getting worse and worse.

Slowly, they delved deeper into the forest until they stumbled upon a scene that would haunt them for many nights to come. Lying before them on the ground, some few feet away, was Yakumo. She wasn't moving and they couldn't tell if she was still breathing or not. "Yakumo!" Kale screamed as she hurried towards her friend. "Oh Kami! Yakumo, please open your eyes!" she screamed as she knelt down and tried to shake her friend awake.

Caulifla walked up to Kale's side and looked down at Yakumo. She had no idea if Yakumo was even breathing or not. Looking at the specks of blood on the forest floor and around Yakumo's mouth, she frowned deeply to herself. No physical wound. This is internal damage. Like what a Hyuga can do. Clenching her fists angrily, Caulifla said, "Neji Hyuga…I'm going to murder you."

A/N - And that's the chapter! I told you that you were going to hate me by the end of the chapter! lol

Anyways, I want you guys to give me your opinions on if Yakumo should somehow survive, or if she should die. I'll take all of your ideas into consideration. I know what I want you guys to decide. Buuuut, I'm curious to see how you respond.

Anywho, like I said, a lot of stuff happened in this chapter. Naruto, Caulifla, and Kale have entered a romantic relationship, Kabuto was killed, Neji was revealed to be a spy, yada yada yada.

Again, I've got one hell of a migraine right now. I can't remember what the heck else I was going to say. So I'm ending this here. I need to take one of my pills to kill this damn migraine. . Fucking hell.