I took a look at my profile to see when I had last updated this and apparently it's been far longer than I had realized.

My apologies for the delay.

I'm starting to have a bit more free time now, so hopefully I can find myself back on my old updating schedule or at least post every other week.

I've been receiving your reviews and am quite grateful for them but have not yet had a chance to sit down and respond to them. Posting this before doing so is just going to increase the workload but I will get to them all- eventually.

Hopefully before too many more updates are posted.

Thanks, as always, goes to Ncpfan for all his help.

Let's begin, yeah?

They had split as soon as they had left the sight of the villagers, squad after squad breaking away from what had started as an impressive army until there remained not one single trace of the forces of Nami no Kuni. Parading down the open streets might have been good for patriotage but it was not good when you were planning to move an army into the lands of Hi no Kuni to aid it against an army that the people of fire didn't even know about.

Of course, that's not to say they did this in total secrecy. No, that was a bad idea, one that had far too high a risk of going terribly, horribly wrong.

The last thing they aimed for was starting a war in the process of preventing one. That would be completely unproductive of them and a rather sad waste of resources on their part.

That said, only a handful of people needed to be in the know for it to not be a secret. The most important of those would be, without a doubt, the ruler whose lands they were entering.

How their lord managed to gain sanction for these actions from the Daimyo of Hi no Kuni many had no idea, even fewer could understand how that had gone even farther and allowed Orochimaru of the Sannin to be leading that army.

If nothing else, it reminded everyone there not to underestimate the lord of Wolves.

How strange it was that of all these men and women ready to go to war on the orders of one man only some of them had ever actually seen him-

And even fewer his face.

Then again, it was not their place to question.

Even the forces of the snake, curious as they may be about the man who was working with their master, knew better then to voice any questions lest they be seen as dissenters, for if there was one thing clear it was that the Sage of Snakes was completely dedicated to the man who ruled over his pack from afar like the moon shinning down upon the midnight hunt.

It was like moonbeams through the canopy that they had scattered, off to the places they would sit in wait for what was likely going to be an entire month. They could move later, of course, but that would risk being too late to stop the invasion of Konoha from succeeding. They weren't about to try intercepting the army, that would be foolish, but if the army was to pass them by unknowingly it would open them to an attack from the rear, something that could cripple their attempts and leave whatever Shinobi smart enough to break away easy pickings for the Wolves.

That is to say, easy pickings for them.

If their lord had things his way- and they were determined to make it so- not a single Shinobi foolish enough to attack Konoha would be left alive. Why did he need survivors to pass on the message when the silence of the dead spoke so loudly?

Only one small group would actually be proceeding into Konoha proper, a guard that was to follow Orochimaru of the Sanin as they infiltrated the village they had left behind so many years ago.

Not that they had actually been instructed to do so. No, their task was to accompany Orochimaru as they led Tsukiyomi's army into Hi no Kuni to both defend their lord's territory and place themselves in a favorable position with the Daimyo of Hi no Kuni.

If the snake Sannin wanted to go into Konoha, however, who were they to stop them? Naturally, it had nothing to do with the fact that it would bring more Wolves into closer proximity of their lord in case something were to happen or that they knew the Sannin wouldn't hesitate to aid Tsukiyomi.

Nothing at all.

Rather than watching the video feed- that was just now beginning to show at the beginning despite the actual exam being minutes away from its conclusion- Naruto excused himself soon after Anko left to perform her duties as the second examiner.

Some may have made the assumption that because she had been the one to bring him than without her he felt himself unwelcome amongst the various Jounin- he didn't mind that at all, it kept more people from questioning it more that he wanted his actions scrutinized.

Discarding rules was nothing new to him, neither was performing obviously illegal operations, but this was quite a bit farther than he had dared go before and even with the backing of the Fire Daimyo- who was surprisingly accommodating and understanding about the situation- he couldn't help but worry about what was to come.

Not for himself, certainly, but for his children, for it was they who were placing themselves in danger upon his commend.

Were he to be honest, they probably would have been placing themselves in danger anyway. If not to protect him- which, really, was the most likely reasons for them to endanger themselves regardless of his wishes- then because they would be trying to prove- to themselves, perhaps- that they had a purpose.

They had not enjoyed playing the parts of indefinite sleeper agents who would likely never be called upon to do what they had been trained to. It had been quite fortunate that he had been the one to stumble upon them and it was a good thing he didn't like to let things go to waste, either.

And now the very force he had returned them to had grown and was currently on the move to participate in a battle that could be reasonably expected to start a war, a war that could easily spread across the entire world depending on how things went and how the other countries reacted to it.

It should come with little surprise that he was a bit stressed about the coming month.

That said, there was little more to do at the moment but wait. He really needed something to take his mind off of everything.

Not for the first time, Naruto was reminded that he really needed a hobby.

Konoha was just as lax in security as she had remembered, then again they may have been ANBU but she was one of the legendary Sannin.

It also helped that with a simple wolf mask and a guard of similarly dressed escorts it was really, really easy to just walk in the front gates without being questioned.

Well, openly, at least.

One of the guards had stayed back to provide credentials for the group, as was procedure, but for the sake of image Konoha wasn't about to detain the entire group of Wolves when the Daimyo of Hi no Kuni had accepted them and given their leader noble status among his court.

It was known well enough by the populace of Konoha and the surrounding countries and the likelihood of still other countries knowing was high. Too many questions would arise should they be seen stopping the group after the Daimyo himself had granted them access to the village.

The Wolves were accommodating enough, however, to cooperate in this manner to ensure Konoha was more at ease. The fact that it slightly decreased the amount of Shinobi who watched their movements throughout the village had nothing to do with their little arrangement.

Nope, nothing at all.

Okay, maybe a little.

It was just easier for everyone this way.

Not that Orochimaru found herself particularly caring how they got in so long as they had gotten in. Naruto was here and that was the important part, because now she was here, in the same village as him, separated not by countries but by mere blocks- though there could be dozens of them between them at any given moment, she really didn't dwell on that fact.- that she could traverse openly.

Or, as openly as a woman in a mask, at any rate.

Of course, she was also finding that the decreased distance was making things far more difficult for her. She was so close, damnit, but she still couldn't see him.

Well, she could, but she was sensible enough to know that she wasn't exactly a welcome presence in this village- even if she was now a woman and logically no one should believe her to be the traitorous sage from all those years ago. Unfortunately, she had always had some feminine traits to her appearance. Not a lot, but certainly enough to make people overlook her breasts long enough to identify her and cause a ruckus- and getting caught would affect more than just herself and her plans.

It would impact Naruto and his plans, and that was unacceptable to the snake summoner. Both of them, really, not that either of them knew that.

Sadly, only one of them would actually appreciate how similar the student was to the teacher in that aspect.

Considering her loathing for him- her, now- it certainly wasn't the student.

The student, however, was free to spend time with Naruto, Orochimaru's precious godson. It was probably a good thing Orochimaru didn't know about that, actually, not until she had actually had a chance to meet him in person first.

After that everyone else was free to crowd around and shower him with the attention and affection he rightly deserved as her crimson prince.

That would have to wait for now, unfortunately, as work came before pleasure- especially when Naruto shouldn't have been aware that she had made her way inside the village proper- though she would not have been surprised in the slightest if one of her escorts had sent word ahead.

Hell, if that was the case she whole-heartedly approved.

Though, it did reinforce the fact that she needed to take care of her personal goals as quickly as possible. She wasn't too worried that he might not like what she was doing, but at the same time it was better not to risk it. There was also that bit in which should she meet with him she probably wouldn't be able to pull herself away to do what she needed to, and such a shame that waste would be.

She had an amazing opportunity, after all, a chance at the tool that could see her dreams become reality.

The Sharingan, the ultimate tool for learning the Shinobi techniques she had dedicated- and extended- her life to knowing. Immortality, some did not realize, was merely a means to an end for her. She didn't care for eternal life nearly as much as what she could use that life towards and not anywhere close to how much she cared for her beloved godson.

So, the sooner she became an immortal possessor of the Sharingan the sooner she could dedicate herself in her entirety to his care.

If she was really fortunate, she might get a whole pair of Sharingan and be able to persuade Naruto into taking both a powerful Dōjutsu and whatever immortality she manages to perfect. Then they could live forever, mastering techniques until the world looked up to them and saw only divinity unsurpassed.

Not that the Wolves needed any more convincing in Naruto's case.

Words really couldn't describe how proud she was of what he had managed to accomplish.

Still, she would have time aplenty to praise him and all he had done over the last few years when her work was done. For now, she had an exam to crash and an Uchiha to hunt.

A shiver of excitement ran down her spine.

Oh, she was going to enjoy this.

The first drink was enough to calm his nerves and the second served only to provide him with something to occupy himself with as he allowed his thoughts to wash over him like an ocean.

It wasn't like him to be this nervous about anything, he had never had such a problem before.

One might also note he had never really made plans like this before, either. Most of his work over the past few years had been in the heat of the moment, taking advantage of opportunities he was fortunate enough to be presented with.

Now, however, he had plots, plans that were to be coming into fruition soon.

Plots that he had time to ponder the consequences of.

He would be the first to admit he was nervous, but he was also quite confident that his Wolves would never ask such a thing.

And that was the source of it all, the Wolves- his Wolves.

He was their leader, their guide, their father, and it was his duty to so what was best for them.

It was a role he was happy to preform, a purpose he was happy to fulfill.

Knowing that, the nervousness was more than worth it- a small sacrifice to ensure his children were taken care of.

Children.

It was such an odd thought but he found that he rather liked the notion that he was a father of so many, that they all looked up to him for guidance and would take his words to heart without hesitation.

For a long time now they were, he knew, his family.

And there was nothing more important to an Uzumaki than their family.

It came without warning- but it didn't.

There were signs, both subtle and obvious, but they had all been overlooked.

The brief skittering of panicked animals was to be expected in such a situation, the resulting silence- unnatural, were he to think back on it- garnished no attention as they kept focused only at the task at hand.

That had been a mistake, they knew the forest was dangerous- the crazy examiner had said as much- but even if they hadn't realized just how dangerous it would be during their visit they should have kept more alert.

Such a mistake could have easily lost them their lives, as it was it had nearly cost them victory.

The world, it would seem, had been merciful this day, but that was not to say she had not punished them in other ways.

The crash of a serpent, a streak of pale flesh, haunting yellow eyes that burned into your soul and a venomous bite that vanished in a swirl of long black hair.

It was over almost as soon as it had begun.

"You're mine, Sasuke-Kun." The voice had whispered softly. "And if you behave, perhaps I'll grant you more gifts like this one."

His strength vanished with her passing, as if she had taken it with her, and he rushed to obey gravity.

Consciousness had abandoned him before he finished.

"Sasuke-Kun!"

There was pain.

And then nothing.

The tree was almost too convenient, likely having been used by countless others in this exact same situation- or, at least, situations close enough to their own- over the years, but neither of them felt like arguing with fortune that seemed to be improving in their favor.

This, if nothing else, might go right.

And to think, the exam had only just started. Room for improvement, she supposed, but also plenty of time for things to get much, much worse.

The Uchiha had been a great deterrent and while he wasn't the strongest- that was her position, thank you- he was still a huge tactical advantage, especially when with him incapacitated more teams would be confident enough to take them on.

Everyone knew that the Uchiha were fearsome but it was a far fewer number that was aware that the Uzumaki were traditionally superior- something that had carried over to their team exactly so.

And as strong as she was, she was not so foolish to believe she could take on a team of more experienced Gennin on her own. At least, not without help.

Briefly, eyes darted to the flash of pink that had settled down by their downed teammate and taken it upon herself his care.

Not that she blamed the girl. They both- well, the three and their Sensei, really- knew that the civilian-born girl was not suited to combat or survival situations such as the one they now found themselves in and she did her best work as a supporting role. Now, however, that's not what they needed.

The Uchiha- Sasuke- was stable enough, but that said nothing for when he would be awake again, let alone able to continue on. Even then, there was a difference between being able to continue on and being able to help the group.

It was a very distinct possibility that the boy was going to be a hindrance to the group, a rather costly liability. Unfortunately, there was no hope for the other two if he was unable to make it, as the exam was team-based. Their chances hung almost completely upon their teammate waking up and being well enough not to drag the entire team down.

Victory, perhaps, wasn't the biggest concern at the moment, actually. They could always try again when there was less of a chance of interference from, well whoever that had been. Certainly not a Genin, that was for damn sure.

For now, survival was the primary objective. Promotion simply wasn't worth the risk of getting killed by a more vicious team or because they made a mistake and were punished for it by the forest they were currently trapped in.

Hell, at this point she was strongly considering hunkering down and waiting for the exam to end. Gods above knew she had more than enough provisions for that. In fact, she probably had enough provisions to feed every team within the forest for the entire duration of the exam and then some- and that was including Chouji's infamous appetite.

Then again, the giant cave created by a massive tree was, perhaps, not the most hidden of locations. Defensible, yes, but the idea was to keep away from combat until they were in a better position. Sitting there waiting for inevitable fights were not within their best interest at the moment. luckily, convincing her fellow Kunoichi of that shouldn't be too hard.

The girl already knew she was out of her league in this situation and it would only take a single hint about the danger her precious Uchiha was in to get her to cave in and follow her lead.

Naruko might have felt bad about that if it wasn't to ensure their survival.

Panting and trembling- a mixture of rage and exhaustion, no doubt- her former apprentice glared loathfully at her in a manner that warmed her heart.

Scratches and cuts adorned the purple-haired secondary summoner and the Snake sage had the feeling there would be plenty of bruises to go with them by evening.

The woman was going to wake up sore tomorrow, that was for certain.

Well, if she was allowed to wake up at all, really.

It would be easy to end her now, she was still no match for the woman who had trained her- well, she had been a man during the training, but it was the same person, at least- and to be honest very few were. You don't become legendary for nothing, after all.

She had actually- as a he- become famous for losing to one of the most fearsome Shinobi of modern times, Hanzo, but the fact that she had survived a battle against him, even with two allies, was a testament to their skill and power.

The real question was did she really want to kill her old apprentice?

It wasn't out of any sentimentality or bond that she paused long enough to contemplate this, but more because it seemed like such a waste. At the same time, however, her former apprentice had the potential to become a thorn in her side eventually and that's not something she wanted, not when she was so close from being able to devote all her time to her crimson prince.

The decision was taken from her hands with a face in the distance- a very distinct face.

A white Wolf snarled back at her.

It hadn't been part of her escort, for they had all been dismissed and were no doubt reporting to her prince at this very moment, and that meant it was either here for the exams in general or to watch over the examiner in specific.

The shaking of their head indicated the latter, which meant her former apprentice was- in some way, perhaps even one unknown to her- associated with Naruto.

And if that was the case she wasn't going to try interfering, not when it risked upsetting him in any way.

"Oh, pity, looks like you've made some friends. We can't play anymore, it would seem, but it was good to see you again Anko-Chan."

And with that she slipped back into the forest, leaving the Wolf to ensure the Tokubetsu Jounin was okay.

Idly, she wondered if her old apprentice had even realized that she was now female.

He didn't need to turn around to know of their presence or feel their own nervousness, something that didn't do his own nerves any favors. Silently he drained another drink, focusing on the burn as it trailed down his throat.

That would be his last for the day, he couldn't risk doing anything more than boosting his confidence enough to clear away the unease he felt.

"Report." It was short and clipped, an order that was to be carried out without question.

Not that they would ever question him.

He couldn't decide if that was actually a good thing.

"The army moves, Lord Tsukiyomi, and will be in place to turn the tides against Suna." The one who spoke was kneeling- they all were, really- and did not so much as lift his head without permission. It was the difference between those who had been given a task and those who were simply found near one of the dens.

Idly, he recognized it as part of their Root training, Danzou's attempt to take the average Shinobi's ability to transition between relaxed and combat states taken to the extreme in hopes of making living weapons.

Their personalities had prevented the conditioning from being successful, so instead it had simply enhanced an ability most experienced Shinobi already had.

Not a bad thing, by any means, but yet another reminder that his children were set apart from the rest.

They were better, yes, but they had their own flaws.

Danzou's failure, however, had helped smooth them down. When it came to Shinobi, they didn't get much better than what Danzou had accidentally created- that which Danzou had not seen the true value of.

Naruto found himself once again grateful towards the man and briefly wondered what his reaction would be if he were to call him 'Uncle'. It would be amusing to see, if nothing else.

"Good, good." His voice reflected nothing of the turbulent trouble of his thoughts , rolling between odd wonderings and incessant worrying. He would need to get ahold of himself and soon, there was no way he could spend a month like this.

He supposed he might be more at ease during the break between exams, as then he'd have more information to mull over. He could make plans and contingencies with hard information. Speculation as to the results of the first, most critical parts of the exam? Not so much, unfortunately.

The fact that he could practically feel his subordinate's own unease, however, did little to provide assurance that the month would pass easily.

With a barely audible sigh- though one he was certain his Wolves had been able to hear- he asked; "What happened?"

It was a little less accusatory than something like "What did you do wrong?" but the idea was much the same. He knew something was up and had deduced that it wasn't favorable. His Wolves, despite any nervousness, loyally answered.

"It's Orochimaru-Sama, Tsukiyomi-Sama," It was the same one to speak, as was often the case when they were performing their duties. One was always chosen- or perhaps lost the draw, he wasn't too sure – to act as the voice for the gathering of Wolves. Be it three, three dozen, or every Wolf under his command- come to think of it, he didn't actually know those exact numbers. He needed to look through Sai's latest reports soon, at least that was somewhat productive- when they were following his orders only one would speak.

In a small group like this it wasn't much, but when he was meeting with larger gatherings in Nami it was undeniably strange for the amassed Wolves to be perfectly silent save one. In fact, if he wasn't so used to the Wolves and their mannerisms it could have been rather off-putting.

It was a good thing this was only done as Wolves, as if it had carried over to their daily lives they could never have blended into Konoha as sleeper agents in any capacity.

The Wolf continued, completely oblivious to the musings of his master.

"They would not remain with the Great Pack-" Or, in other words, the army he had obtained. "and instead came here within Konoha's walls. We don't know what they're planning but they ran off soon after arriving."

Naruto pondered it for a moment before giving a soft hum.

"I see. And how did Orochimaru-Dono enter Konoha?" The feeling of unease grew and for a moment he had the mental image of naughty, chibi-Wolf children who had been caught trying to sneak sweets before dinner. It was a rather amusing thought.

"We, uh, dressed them as a Wolf, Tsukiyomi-Sama."

Naruto gave a quiet snort.

"Quite apt, I'd say."

"Tsukiyomi-Sama?" The Wolf questioned, not following. His fellows were similarly curious but held their tongues well.

"It's only appropriate that they be dressed as a Wolf." He explained, still not turning to look at those that had gathered in the room with him. "For they have been released amongst the sheep."

The calm manner in which he said such was the complete opposite of his nerves. That's just what he needed, Orochimaru doing who-knows what in the village when he was trying to have the Wolves lay low to avoid scaring off Suna too soon.

"Split up, find them, and keep careful watch." He ordered. "If at all possible try herding the Snake Sage back here or to the den, I don't want them out and about when we have an army hiding throughout Hi no Kuni."

"As you command, Tsukiyomi-Sama." Even without turning he knew the kneeling Wolf pressed closer to the wooden floor before turning and hurrying away, eager to fulfill his wishes to make up for having brought and loosed the snake summoner upon Konoha.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Naruto sighed before heading for his desk. Might as well go through the reports, at least they might be able to distract him for a few hours.

"This is a bad idea." His voice was like churning gravel, showing his distaste with the situation. To be fair, it wasn't too different from his regular voice.

Still, she resolutely ignored his comment, focusing instead on the figure slowly putting distance between himself and them. The bad idea mentioned could very well be the fact that he was going off alone or a reminder that should the most influential clan of his destination discover his secret they would face even more problems than they currently did. Neither of those reasons- though they were quite true and she whole-heartedly agreed- were the cause of her current company's displeasure.

"Do you have any better ideas, Zabuza?" She asked, not yet turning to face the rouge Kiri Shinobi. Technically, they were all rouge, he was just one of the few the world noted for it.

"Yeah," He grunted. "Just about anything else. I keep telling you, no good is going to come from reaching out to them."

"We don't exactly have much of a choice. You know this."

His snort was sharp and short. It also sounded distinctly unamused.

"I do, and if they don't already they will soon enough. That's the last thing we want."

"They helped Wave, why not us?" She had yet to turn around, knowing that her hands would immediately find her hips in a most un-leader like fashion. She was supposed to represent her forces and be an example for them and so she would refrain from making this argument, one they had many times previously, seem like any more of an argument than it absolutely had to be.

Her voice, however, had no such qualms and Zabuza could practically hear the hands resting on her hips.

"They took over Wave." Was his counter. He had used it several times before and he was sticking with it. The statement alone quite nicely summed up a lot of the issues this plan had. Nevertheless, he added a bit more so she wouldn't try attacking the fact that he had brought it up once more. "Either they live up to their namesake or someone saw them and named aptly. Either way they will tear us apart in our weakened state and take everything for themselves. It's what they do."

He shook his head, wishing she'd listen and spare them all the trouble that would follow with those she sought.

"They are Wolves, and they will devour everything they can."

Her arms, already loosely crossed over her sizable bust, tightened in agitation.

"Then they can devour Yagura, and when they have filled themselves on him we will send them back to their den."

He gave a sigh but didn't argue, there was no point.

She didn't seem to want to believe that if they killed Yagura then this would become their den, yet another place completely under their control. Nami no Kuni was already theirs and they had found the support of Hi no Kuni if rumors were to be believed.

Knowing that, there was little doubt their touch reached into Konoha, Hi no Kuni's Shinobi village.

Zabuza had to wonder how much of the world they would actually manage to acquire-

And how much of it he would see come to pass in his lifetime.