AN: Thank you everyone who commented last chapter and to everyone who have left kudos. You guys keep this story going. Enjoy!

EDIT: Beta'd as of 8/4

It was the last week of June when Kakashi got called in for a jōnin meeting.

So, it's that time already, he thought with a sigh. He'd known the chūnin exams were coming up soon, he just hadn't known the exact date. Now I do.

He knew he was going to nominate them. It wasn't even a question. It had been five years since the last time a jōnin sensei nominated genin who were fresh out of the academy, so it would come as a shock to everyone if he did. But then again, Kurenai and Asuma knew how hard he pushed them, and he was renowned for his prowess as a shinobi. Perhaps people will just assume his skills rubbed off on them. And perhaps they had. His team had proved themselves on the A-rank mission to Wave, and before that whenever they were training. Hell, they'd impressed him during the bell test with their strength and intelligence. No doubt they would crush the competition in the exam. But…

It's Naruto I'm worried about.

Ever since the boy had unlocked his kekkei genkai, Kakashi had known it was only a matter of time before someone inside the village or outside put the pieces together. It was why Kakashi had pushed so hard to have Hiruzen grant him clearance to tell Naruto about his heritage. If he knew, he could at least be prepared, instead of flaunting his gift like he was sure to do for everyone to see. Even though the villages coming to participate in the exams with them were allies, nothing was guaranteed.

People would talk. They always did.

Minato-sensei, what would you have done…

As usual, he got no response.


It was their day off when Naruto decided to buy some more flowers for his mom. Sakura had decided to join him for the day and tagged along. She'd said her parents were getting overbearing again and she needed some time off. So obviously the best solution was to tag along with him while he visited a grave…

Ignoring the irony of it, the two headed into the Yamanaka flower shop where Ino was waiting for them behind the counter.

"Billboard brow?" She sneered, ignoring Naruto as he went to peruse the aisles. "What are you doing hanging out with Naruto?"

Sakura stopped in her tracks and blinked a few times in surprise. For one, she hadn't seen Ino since they'd been brought back, so seeing a twelve-year-old brat with facing her with lips curled in disdain was a major shock. On top of that, it had been ages since she and Ino were at each other's throats. For a second, she didn't know how to respond.

Eventually, she came to her senses and managed, "We're teammates," she stated dumbly.

Unimpressed, Ino just stared at her. "So are you and Sasuke." She said it as if it were an accusation instead of a fact. "I would've thought you'd want to hang around him. Or have you finally admitted defeat?" the sly smile that followed the end of her sentence made a feeling of unease sink into Sakura's stomach. God, they still hadn't gotten over their rivalry over Sasuke yet, had they? Well, no… of course not. That was never settled until after the chunin exams. And even then…

How childish she had been, fighting with someone who had been her best friend over a boy . A boy who later tried to kill her. Albeit after she tried to kill him, but it was water under the bridge.

"Honestly," Sakura shrugged, crossing her arms. "He's all yours. I'm over it."

Oh, how she wished she had a camera.

Ino's face dropped completely, eyes going wide and mouth hanging open. Dumbfounded and in shock, she might as well have looked like someone had just told her she would be the next Hokage.

Sakura tried not to enjoy the moment too much and was glad when Naruto, poor, sweet oblivious Naruto, came back to the counter with his bouquet of carnations.

He eyed the two of them oddly, then asked, "So like, how much do I gotta pay for these?"


The two were walking down the backstreets of Konoha when they heard a rustling behind them. Rolling his eyes, Naruto turned around, already knowing what he was going to see.

Ten feet behind them, standing out like a sore thumb in the middle of the road, was a box with eye holes designed to look like a rock. It was probably supposed to be a camouflage jutsu, but it failed miserably. The attempt was so horrible Naruto nearly choked on his own laughter, knowing what the person underneath it would be capable of in a few years.

"You're not foolin' anyone, Konohamaru," he said pointedly. "Come out."

With an irritated "humph" coming from the box, it disappeared in a puff of smoke, and standing in its place were chibi versions of team Ebisu. Udon, Moegi, and their fearless leader, Konohamaru. And to top it off, they were all wearing those ridiculous goggles Naruto had been so fond of as a kid.

God, holding back his laughter was gonna bruise a rib.

"Tip for the future," Naruto managed, holding up a finger. "Rocks aren't square. And they sure as hell don't have eye holes or make noise."

"Hmph," Konohamaru replied, chubby arms crossed over his chest. Moegi and Udon seemed to take the suggestion to heart though and were nodding thoughtfully.

Behind him, Sakura chuckled.

Evidently having grown bored of the conversation, Konohamaru looked up at the two genins and frowned.

"Hey, what's with the flowers, bro?" Konohamaru asked, peeking up at the bouquet of carnations in Naruto's hands. Then, a mischievous sly grin slid across his face. "Is it for her?" He smirked, gesturing to Sakura.

Naruto blanched.

"Psh, as if," Sakura cut in quickly, sparing Naruto from an awkward explanation. He really didn't feel like saying they were for a dead relative, or lying and saying they were for someone else. "No, he's carrying them for me," she continued. "Cuz he's such a good friend."

Thank you, Sakura, he thought, shooting her a small grin.

Konohamaru however, didn't seem convinced. "Sure," he deadpanned.

"Whatever," Naruto sighed, waving him off. "Believe it, don't believe it; I don't care. Just get better at the camouflage jutsu so we don't have to do this again." It might have come off as rude, but you couldn't be a good shinobi if you got spotted every five seconds.

"Fine," Konohamaru spat. "But I betcha can't catch me!" And with that, he took off running in the other direction, kicking up dust in his wake. Naruto wouldn't have bothered following, as he had things to do until he heard a scream.

Konohamaru's scream.

A cold feeling settled in his stomach. He shared a look with Sakura. "That's not good," he said and took off after him. Moegi and Udon were hot on their heels as they ran down the dirt road. When they rounded a corner, they were overcome with a sense of deja vu.

"Hey, put me down! Put me down!" The screaming was coming from Konohamaru, who was being held aloft by his scarf by a boy dressed in all black.

Sakura and Naruto froze in their tracks, breath caught in their throats from the sight that greeted them.

"You know it's rude to bump into people," the boy said. "I oughta teach you a lesson, brat." He pulled his fist back to throw a punch, making Konohamaru flinch away, but was intercepted at the last minute by a girls cry.

"Kankuro, no!"

Because that's who was standing in front of them. Kankuro and Temari of the Sand. The Kazekage's children. They'd come for the chunin exams with their brother-

"Gaara," Naruto breathed, finishing his thought aloud. Sakura shot him a quick, uneasy glance as if telling him to shut up.

"Put the brat down, you dumbass," Temari continued, oblivious to the time traveler's presence. "We didn't come here to pick fights."

"Hey!" Naruto shouted, getting their attention. It was hard to look at them let alone speak knowing what he did about them, and consider them friends and comrades. But he had to pretend he didn't know them, and that they were just some thugs picking on his friend. Not an easy task for him to do. "Let our friend go!"

Blinking, Kankuro glanced lazily over at him, almost surprised he hadn't noticed him sooner. "And why's that?" He asked with a bored tone, seeming to come to the conclusion that Naruto wasn't worth his time.

Naruto grimaced. Konohamaru wouldn't like this one. "Because that's the Hokage's grandson you're picking on. Judging by your headbands, you guys are foreign ninjas so I doubt you wanna get on the bad side of this village, y'know."

Like the cloth was burning him, Kankuro immediately lets go of his hold on the scarf, dropping the boy unceremoniously onto the ground. It looked like it hurt. Well, Naruto thought with a sigh, it had gotten the job done…

"You're from Suna, aren't you," Sakura said, stepping forward. The two siblings looked over at her. "What are you doing here?" It was a pointless question for them, but it had to be asked for the sake of the "conversation".

Temari took the initiative this time. "Chūnin exams," she said, holding up a slip of paper. It was the same slip Kakashi-sensei would give to them in a few days that allowed them to enter the exams. "Konoha's hosting this time, and our sensei recommended us for it."

It wasn't the only reason they were here, obviously. But they couldn't let on that they knew that.

"You need three people to enter the exams," Sakura noted. "I only count two."

Then, the voice that Naruto was both dreading and waiting with bated breath to hear said, "Perhaps you need to work on your counting skills."

Naruto froze, fists clenching of their own accord. He looked up at the tree to their right to see the face the raspy voice belonged to and felt his mouth go dry.

It was Gaara.


All of Konoha's jōnin sensei were gathered in the Hokage's tower in a room solely designated for jōnin meetings. The Hokage himself sat at the front in his large chair if one could call it that. It more resembled a stuffed cushion than anything.

They were all gathered to discuss the upcoming chunin exams. It hadn't been stated, per say, but the implication was obvious. They were jōnin, if they didn't realize what the meeting was about by now they didn't deserve the title. Kakashi hadn't been a part of a full meeting since team assignments three months ago when he'd been given the little bastards.

Fleetingly, Kakashi wondered if he'd known then how much of a pain in his ass they would be if he would have fought harder against taking them. In reality, it wasn't like he had much of a choice. He was the only one in the village who had a sharingan to keep the kyuubi under control and teach the last Uchiha how to use his. Even if he'd failed them, he still would have gotten them again next year, and be stuck in this stressful situation of whether he should or should not recommend them for the exams.

God, being a sensei was hard.

How had Minato-sensei done it?

The sound of a cleared throat brought him back to reality.

Looking forward, he fixed his eye on the Hokage, who was starting to address his assembled subjects.

"You've been assembled here for only one reason," he started. "It should be obvious by the members here."

"It's already that time," Kakashi sighed.

Behind him, he heard Genma speak up. "It's already been reported to the other villages," he reported. "There's been an increased influx of foreign nin in the village lately." Then, "So when does it start?"

There was a pause in which Hiruzen took an inhale from his pipe. Kakashi watched patiently.

"Well," he finally said, smoke billowing from his lips. "I'll announce it properly seven days from now. On the first day of next month… the chunin exams will commence."

The feeling of unease that had settled in Kakashi's stomach only seemed to grow worse.

"Now," Hiruzen said. "Let's hear from those teaching the new genin."

Kakashi glanced over to look at Kurenai and Asuma. Both of them had hard looks on their faces as if determined about some resolve of theirs.

"Kakashi, Kurenai, and Asuma." They stepped forward. "Well? Would you like to enter the exam?" After a short silence on their part, he continued. "I don't have to tell you, but once a genin has completed eight D-rank missions, they qualify for the chunin exams, if nominated by their sensei that is," he corrected himself. Then, shooting a look at Kakashi, added, "And I know for a fact some of you have completed well over eight missions."

Both Kurenai and Asuma glanced over at him, Kurenai shooting him a withering stare.

Kakashi sweatdropped. Yes, he may have pushed his genin a little harder than necessary in the past, but they handled it fine. No need to work up a sweat over it. Or a genjutsu, he added mentally, eyeing Kurenai warily.

"Asuma," Lord Third said, breaking him off his train of thought. "Are there any genin you recommend from your team."

Asuma nodded and stepped forward. "Team 10, Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and Choji Akimichi…" Kakashi waited to hear the verdict. "Under the name of Asuma Sarutobi, I nominate them to take the chunin exams."

A surprised murmur rippled through the assembled shinobi. Most jōnin sensei didn't nominate their genin who was only fresh out of the academy. To do so meant either Asuma thought very highly of them, or very low. For if nothing else, the chūnin exams were a great way to dissuade genin from continuing on the path of a shinobi. Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the man.

In front of them, the Hokage nodded in acceptance before turning to Kurenai. She stepped forward.

"Team 8, Hinata Hyūga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame... " Kakashi stared, waiting for her response. "Under the name of Kurenai Yūhi, I nominate them for the chunin exams."

This time, the reaction was larger. Two rookie teams nominated for the exams? It was practically unheard of. As Kurenai stepped back, she locked gazes with him, and for a second, she seemed to be daring him. But the moment ended quickly as she took her place to his right again.

All eyes were on him now.

The pressure in the room seemed to be growing. Both Kurenai and Asuma had nominated their teams, and they had no experience of B or A-rank missions under their belts like his team did. If he didn't nominate them, they might think he was lazy or didn't care, and in turn, would be seen as a poor sensei. Even so, Kakashi wouldn't care either way. But his team had already proven themselves capable to everyone in the village. He was known for pushing them hard, and seeing how they all came back unscathed from Wave meant they were very skilled.

So if he didn't nominate them, what did that say about his faith in them?

But if he did…

Sakura was wise beyond her years and an expert in chakra theory. Her strength, however much she tried to hide it, was incredible and was already starting to understand basic medical ninjutsu without his aid. In a few years, he wouldn't be surprised if she was on par with Lady Tsunade.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was as skilled as one came. His taijutsu was impeccable, and he was insanely fast. He's practically mastered the sharingan using scrolls from his clan and had already unlocked the third phase. His mastery over both fire and lightning nature was nothing to scoff at, and he already showed a high aptitude for kenjutsu.

And Naruto... He was a powerhouse, being both an Uzumaki and a jinchūriki. But he was also the son of the Fourth Hokage and Kushina Uzumaki, two well-known jōnin with far too many enemies. If he showed his chains, which he undoubtedly would, he was sure it wouldn't take long for people to put the pieces together. True, they might just accept that it's an Uzumaki kekkei genkai, as it wasn't solely used by Kushina, but still, he worried.

His genin were strong. They were capable, also yes. But they would be in danger. Because of their skills, they would be made a target in the exams. And while they'd shown they can go toe to toe with much stronger enemies, they'd never done it on a scale like this. Shinobi with far more experience and knowledge pressing down on them, possibly breaking them. He didn't want that for them. They already had the look in their eyes that only seasoned shinobi had. Haunted. He didn't want to see that worsen because he pushed them into something they might not be ready for.

But still, would it be fair to deny them of this? Kakashi didn't know. It was all so convoluted.

"Kakashi," Hiruzen said, finally addressing the man. "What of your team?"

Making up his mind, Kakashi stepped forward.


Naruto could only help but stare wide-eyed at his fellow jinchūriki. He was standing upside down on a tree branch, watching the proceeding with empty eyes. There was a chilling air of apathy about him that sent a shiver down Naruto's spine. It was a drastic difference from the Kage he had been fighting with not four months ago.

"Gaara," Kankuro choked out. "You surprised us."

Instead of responding, Gaara disappeared in a cloud of sand before reappearing in front of his siblings, back turned to Naruto and Sakura.

"Let's go," he rasped out. "We've wasted enough time as it is." The two older siblings swallowed nervously before sharing a look.

"Alright," Temari nodded. "Let's go."

"Hey, wait!" Naruto shouted, stopping them in their tracks. "Who are you guys? What are you guys?"

Panicked flashed across Temari and Kankuro's faces as they stopped. Only Gaara seemed unaffected.

It was Kankuro who spoke up first. "What do you mean 'what'?" He sounded like he was trying to keep up his casual, bored facade, but his voice shook slightly, giving him away.

"I can sense something wrong about you guys," Naruto bluffed. "Something bad. What's up with that?" He was trying to get at Gaara. He had to make a connection with him. He couldn't let him continue being so nihilistic and psychotic. He had to help him realize he was loved and cared for. He had to help him.

"You, with the gourd." He pointed straight at Gaara. The boys back was still turned to him, but Naruto could see how his shoulders tensed up. Next to him, Temari and Kankuro took a small step back, both paling.

"It's you, isn't it? What's your name?"

There was silence for a moment after his question. Behind him, Konohamaru was clutching at his pant leg, Moegi and Udon doing the same with Sakura, who was shooting him a look that said: "What the fuck are you doing". Well, sorry Sakura, no time to explain now.

"You wouldn't ask a monster for its name," Gaara finally said, looking over his shoulder with empty eyes. "Why care for mine?"

Naruto grit his teeth, fists clenching tightly at his sides. "I don't believe in monsters," he rumbled. "Only bad circumstances." Kurama wasn't a monster, Itachi wasn't a monster, Obito wasn't a monster. The world had turned its back on them. But that didn't have to mean they were monsters.

"Hmph," was all he got back.

He turned away again, ready to take off onto the roofs before Naruto yelled out, "Well my name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm not scared ah you, cuz if I'm right, then we're the same. And I'm no monster!" He jabbed a thumb at himself. All three siblings froze at the statement, the meaning of it sinking in. He'd just admitted he was the same as Gaara, which meant he held a bijuu too. But he was announcing it for the world to hear instead of threatening lives like their brother.

"In fact," Naruto continued loudly. "I'm gonna prove it to ya in the exams. So, what's your name?"

The smirk the future Kazekage gave him was more chilling than any empty stare of his had ever been. "I'm Gaara," he said simply. "And I doubt you will." And with that, he was gone.

AN: Go check out my AO3 version for this chapters art!