Chrisfragger: You're not gonna like where it goes. I haven't even gotten all that deep into the Hyuga stuff. After Chunin Exams is when the Hyuga really start trying to manipulate Naruto, and that INCLUDES Hiashi. Also, yes...yes she did.

Godaime Hokage: If you want me to write faster for this story vote on my poll.

puppy26: You mean the Naruto story originally? If so, then why the hell are you reading Naruto fics. If you're talking about my story, dude you don't even know where I plan on taking this story, you're gonna end up liking it, I am willing to bet money on that shit, hell, my LIFE AND FREEDOM, on that shit.

Scarllete: Thank you very much. I will hopefully continue to be able to keep up the work that you appreciate.

Guest: Not necessarily. From what we know Kurama did not have as much freedom in Kushina's seal than he does in Naruto's.

Caiz - God of The Mind: Yes totally, because from 2 chapters you can tell my story is canon-following. You can also apparently tell that despite the fact that my first chapter Naruto is ALREADY making the changes that will set his future in my story, it's the same as the canon. I really don't wanna be an ass, but what you said was stupid.

Reign of Sorrow: Not happening, although I do rather like pairing.

SPeCTer-ll7: Hello Mr. Hard Name to Type, no offense, I like your name. Anyways, the Sharingan, Sasuke has not seen Naruto's full speed yet. Orochimaru has, and that's about it. EVERYONE, who is a major character in the story as of yet, which Margaret is not as of yet, ends up seeing Naruto's full speed, and you WILL be impressed. Just know that even LEE AND GUY will be surprised. As for Kubikiribocho are you talking about range, because technically they have the same range, Sasuke and Naruto as of kunai. In close combat, Naruto still has a kunai to defend himself with. Also, I have shown that Sasuke gets a power boost from the partial curse seal, but I have not revealed the drawbacks of such, or if there are even drawbacks. You guys don't know enough to really make that a true factor. His elemental affinities are countered by Naruto's own elemental affinities, which I purposely did. And Naruto's chakra doesn't make him go berserk. That's 3 tails plus, Naruto has thinking capacity in inital mode, 1 tail, and 2 tails - which is pushing it -. 2 tails just makes him go more in tune with his primal state of affairs. And thank you.

RandomWriter21: It's because several people have been guessing at least certain parts of the plot in my story. Like DAMN IT YOU GUYS AM I THAT OBVIOUS? Although I will confirm it right now Naruto is NOT getting the Toad-contract. I was conflicted over which contract to give him, but I made a decision. One was kinda cliche, the other I haven't really seen but is weird for him so. Meh. The one I chose was the weird one. Let's hope it was the right choice, because that contract becomes a vital impact on his strength later on in the series, almost as vital as Akamaru becomes to Kiba actually growing to be pretty damn strong in my story.

A Little Faster

Tenten immediately shot backwards, frowning as she saw Kankuro do nothing. 'When you're enemy shoots backwards you shouldn't let them. It would be obvious they wanted space…meaning that…he must want space too SHIT!'

Tenten immediately reached inside her kunai pouch as she skidded against the ground, preparing to change directions. She threw two kunai forward, before shooting forwards, two kunai in her hands, both of which were explosive. Kankuro smirked and dodged, although it looked slightly stiff. However, no Tenten was too inexperienced to notice.

"He dodged huh," she mumbled, reaching Kankuro. She lashed out with her explosive kunai, cursing as he ducked under it and raised his leg. He shot it out and she used the kuani to block, however Kankuro twisted and pushed. The added force allowed him to push the kunai out of her hand and send her arms flying upwards.

"You're to open!"

Kankuro smacked a punch into her stomach, bending her over beore kicking her in the side, sending her skidding away. Tenten stood, growling as she grabbed her side. However she felt the cool feel of skin and glanced, finding her shirt ripped slightly.

She raised an eyebrow, crouching with narrowed eyes. 'A mere kick can't cut shirts…what was that?' Kankuro however smirked and charged, the white straps on his back remaining stationary despite his movements. Tenten jumped, avoiding his hits before she reached into her kunai pouch, grabbing a scroll. She extended it, bitting her finger. The young Genin trailed her blood against the scroll as several different forms of weapons appeared. She smirked, grabbing them with her hands before she began to fling them towards Kankuro in a hail of dangerous killing machines.

"Take this! Kangei no Somo Ryuu (Hail of the Dragon)!"

The spikes shot towards Kankuro, forming a large pile as they all bombarded him. Tenten landed, a frown on her face. "I didn't want to kill you….why didn't you listen? Now it's gonna be a pain to seal these all back up again."

XxX

Naruto frowned as he saw Tenten begin to seal her weapons back up. "No…something's wrong." Sakura glanced at him. "What do you mean?"

"It's just…Temari basically said that Kankuro shouldn't have fought because it would have attracted too much attention. It had something to do with that white thing on his back. I just have a bad feeling. I mean, Tenten is by no means weak, but he didn't even use it, and he looks like he likes to jump the gun. Then there's also that."

"That?" Lee asked, a tad of anger in his voice as he assumed Naruto was suggesting Tenten could lose.

"The proctor hasn't called the match."

Lee's and Sakura's eyes widened as their heads snapped back to the field so fast they should have gotten whiplash.

XxX

Tenten was preparing to seal the last item, a double-sided kusarigama that had no ball, simply two sickles, however suddenly her senses kicked in and she grabbed the weapon, and ducked. Depending on how you looked at it this was good, as a senbon went right through where her head would have been if she had remained standing.

Tenten twirled on her feet, putting the scroll in her pocket and grabbing the kusarigama. "Who did that?"

"Over here genius." Tenten's eyes widened as she saw it. Two Kankuro's.

"What the hell! There are two of you?" The Kankuro further in the back smirked, before moving his fingers as if he was playing an instrument. The Kankuro in front shot forwards, its body making a rattling noise. Tenten raised an eyebrow, however she twirled the kusarigama, sending one sickle towards Kankuro. However he raised his arm, and Tenten watched with shock as her Kusarigama clanked off of it, as if it was the sound of metal hitting chakra enhanced wood. She dove beneath Kankuro's legs however, whipping her Kusarigama around his legs, tripping him while pulling the other end.

The sickle she threw came speeding back, ripping across Kankuro's face and sending skin flying. Tenten stood, her eyes keeping track of the clones. However, she cursed as her Kusarigama was blown off of the binded Kankuro, making her back flip away, Kusarigama twirling above her head. She glared at Kankuro, only for her eyes to widen.

"What the hell is that!?"

Kankuro laughed. "That, it's a puppet. I'm a puppet master."

Tenten cursed her look. Only she would fight someone who as adept in weapons. She looked the puppet up and down. It resembled a three-eyed, four-armed humanoid with jagged teeth and had a spiky brown hairstyle protruding from the top of its head and framing the sides.

'But it probably has all sorts of weapons concealed in it…'

"Why give a puppet hair? It seems pretty useless." Kankuro shrugged. "If enemy ninja can't see the body it's a good trap." Tenten frowned, noticing the blue chakra strings going from the puppet and the blue chakra coating Kankuro's hands.

"I guess it's time this battle got serious," she called, her legs shifting and bending slightly, as the kusarigama twirled above her head. Kankuro laughed, waving his arms. The puppet charged towards Tenten, blades slipping out of its wrists.

"I guess so. Get her Crow!"

Tenten cursed, launching a sickle at Crow's legs, however the puppet jumped and shot forward, despite being in midair. 'So it can fly….troublesome.'

Tenten snapped back the kusarigama while pushing chakra into her legs. She bent lower as Crow advanced, and shot up into the air just before he reached her. She then reached into her kunai pouch, pulling out a scroll. She opened it, before she trailed blood from her finger across it. She then closed it before she landed, slamming it against the ground horizontally.

She then sealed her kusarigama into a different scroll, before she unsealed a blade. "Bring it on," she mumbled as she rushed forwards, preparing to engage Crow directly.

XxX

"These two are really going at it," Lee mumbled. "It's quite impressive." Kiba nodded. "Yeah. That girl is pretty strong. She might even give Shino or me a run for our money." Neji laughed, looking at the Inuzuka as if he was an idiot.

"A run for your money? No. The Aburame would likely give her a challenge, but you? Listen here mutt you'd get demolished."

Kiba rounded on Neji, a ferocious snarl on his face. "Say that again, white eyes!" Neji opened his mouth but Hinata stepped in between them. "T-That's enough you guys. N-Now, isn't the time to fight, but to support our friends."

"She's right," Kurenai said. "You two fighting wouldn't do anything good to either of those two down there."

Choji turned to Shikamaru. "Hey Shikamaru, what's that thing that Kankuro guy is using? He said it was a puppet."

"Yeah, I want to know too," Ino asked.

Shikamaru sighed, obviously not wanting to explain. However he submitted to his teammates wishes, although not willing. Azuma had given him a look telling him he'd regret if he didn't.

'Traitor,' Shikamaru thought. "Look. I don't know much about it, but I know there are these people who use puppets to fight. The better masters of them usually come from Suna. They're apparently very good at fights that aren't up close and personal. You might have heard of one of them, 'Akasuna no Sasori (Sasori of the Red Sand)'. He's famous."

Ino frowned. "I think I heard my father talking about him one time. He said he had become a rogue ninja. I hope I don't meet him ever."

Shikamaru nodded. "You should hope so. He was known for incorporating people he had killed into his puppets, even somehow allowing them to use the techniques they had in real life. It's why akasuna is in his nickname."

XxX

"Kankuro is struggling with this girl," Gaara mumbled. He wasn't asking, he was stating it. Kankuro was struggling to defeat Tenten. Baki nodded. "You're correct Gaara. She is likely one of the worst matchups he could have come across. Being a weapons-"

"I don't care. I just want to see blood."

Temari stepped away from her brother slightly, a sad look on her face. 'Gaara…'

XxX

Tenten blocked one of Crow's blades, missing the clear liquid that flew off of it from the force, before spinning inside, slamming her elbow into Crow's body, sending it skidding backwards. She then swung horizontally, attempting to bisect the puppet, however the puppet leaned backwards at an awkward angle, avoiding the blade before something popped.

Tenten glanced downwards, to see to knives sticking into her legs. She cursed, osing feeling in them as she plummeted towards the ground, blood spilling over onto the ground. She glared at Kankuro, her vision becoming foggy.

"Poison…" she mumbled. Knakuro nodded. "All of Crow's weapons are laced in fast-acting poison. One of his weapons getting into the bloodstream is enough to put down a lion. Luckily for you, I have the cure on me. You'll get it…if you surrender."

XxX

"No way…" Naruto mumbled. "Tenten might lose." Sasuke nodded. "I suspected." Naruto and Lee rounded on him, rage in their eyes, but he put his arms up in a defensless look. "Look, I didn't mean it like that. I mean I know she's strong, but Naruto you saw the way he carried himself when you went after him. You were most definitely stronger than him, yet the way he brushed if off after he was let go…he's definitely not exactly weak. Plus, I knew what Tenten could do, but I had no idea what he was capable of. However, once I saw the puppet I knew she'd been in trouble."

Kakashi nodded. "Solid information, as always Sasuke."

Sasuke simply nodded as Naruto grit his teeth together. "Come on Tenten."

XxX

Kankuro sat down, looking at Tenten with an amused look. "Look, if you don't surrender that poison will kill you. I won't lose a wink of sleep over it too."

Tenten continued to slowly make handseals, however Kankuro had had enough. "I'm not looking to make our village enemies of the Leaf here, so I'm gonna end this."

Kankuro stood, swiftly chopping Tenten's check and knocking her unconscious.

"Winner: Kankuro Sabaku," Hayate called, before breaking into a fit of coughs. The medics rushed onto the field, putting Tenten on a stretcher. Kankuro walked up to them after wrapping Crow up. He handed them a vile. "It's a cure to the poison. Although she'll have to crap for a long while afterwards. It's not exactly tasty."

The medics nodded, taking the vile before they walked off with Tenten.

Hayate nodded to himself, looking at the screen as it began to cycle through names.

XxX

"She lost…"

Naruto was shell shocked. "No way…Tenten couldn't have lost. He's weak…"

Kakashi shook his head. "That's where you're wrong Naruto. Listen closely. Weak, strong, all of those are relative. As you grow stronger your image of those who are weak and those who are strong change. Kankuro and Tenten would be weak to me, as you are, however Zabuza was strong. Kankuro and Tenten are weak to you, no offense, but Sasuke or Shino compared to you would be a challenge."

Naruto was silent. Kakashi sighed before turning to the screen. He paled. He glanced at Sakura who had a dark smile on her face. She began to walk towards the arena, looking eagerly at Ino.

"Ino and Sakura…well this will be boring," Kiba stated. Naruto nodded. "You're right Kiba. Unless Ino has improved drastically she's about to die."

Shikamaru and Choji looked at Naruto with wide eyes as Ino went down to meet Sakura. "Die? How much has she improved?" Choji asked. Naruto smirked. "Let's just say she could give Kiba a run for his money, possibly even defeat him."

Kiba snarled. "No way!"

'Why is he always the one we go to when we talk about people beating?' Naruto thought, but shrugged it off. "I'm not joking. Sakura, unlike Ino, is no fangirl. She's strong enough to at least push Sasuke and me, and I have no doubt that by the end of these exams she'll be close to being equal to both of us. She's no prodigy, but her hard work has really begun to show. Ino will lose if she's the same way she was."

"Yeah, like you said Tenten would win. Look where that got you," Neji said, taking a jab at Naruto even though he too believed Sakura would win. Naruto rounded on Neji, his teeth mashing together.

"Do you want to get another ass kicking by me?"

"Bring it Uzumaki!"

"Gladly!"

Guy and Kakashi held their disciples back, frowns on their faces. They glanced at each other, nodding.

These two needed to fight before one of them ended up killing the other.

XxX

"Are you ready to lose, Billboard Brow!" Ino called, a sneer on her face. However, Sakura's face retained its peaceful look as she simply dropped into a stance. Ino frowned, wondering what the change in Sakura had been but paid it no mind. It's not like it would let the girl defeat her, she was a clan kunoichi after all.

Ino had no idea how wrong she was.

Hayate looked at them. He smirked as he saw the pink haired girl though. 'If I was betting on which one I think would win, she'd be my bet.'

"Begin."

Ino smirked as Sakura slowly reached into her kunai pouch. "Ino…I've already won."

Ino scoffed. "No way."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Really? I'm assuming that you don't realize that the second the match began I cast my genjutsu on you."

Ino scoffed, although she began to feel nervous. Sakura's lips weren't moving as she said that, it sounded like her voice came from…everywhere. It was…terrifying.

"Give up Ino, unless you want to be embarrassed more than you already have."

Ino cired out in rage, attempting to run towards Sakura however her body was restricted. She then felt a harsh blow and her head snapped to the side, shattering the genjutsu like glass. She looked forwards, finding Sakura looking at her, her hand extended.

She had slapped her.

Sakura then pointed to the wiring binding Ino's body. "Give up. This wire explodes Ino, if I wanted I could kill you right now."

Ino paled. "You're joking." Sakura smirked. "Try me."

Ino broke into a cold sweat. "What happened to us being friends?" Sakura snorted. "That ended when you and I became fangirls. However, I grew out of it, you didn't. Ino why is it so hard to recognize that added onto the fact that Sasuke doesn't like weak girls, you won't live to see the outside of the village of you stay as you are."

Ino frowned. "What are you talking about? I've gone on missions outside of the village plenty of times." Sakura frowned. "But you were with your sensei weren't you?" Ino nodded. "Then it's not the same unless you had to fight a life or death battle! When you're a ninja you have to stomach things you don't want to do. You have to fight. You have to train. You have to push yourself."

Ino's bangs covered her eyes as she heard Sakura. "You have to kill Ino."

Ino's eyes widened in horror, before they quickly changed into outrage. "Who do you think you are! You're just like me Sakura! Do you know what people call you? A less attractive, clanless version of ME! Besides, it's not like YOU, have EVER been in a life or death battle."

Sakura paused.

XxX

Naruto sat on the railing. "Kakashi-sensei, when Sakura attempts to murder Ino we're gonna have to do something huh?" Kakashi nodded. Sasuke paled. "That woman's rage is terrifying."

Naruto smirked. "I think that's why you like her. Admit it, you're a masochist."

"I DO NOT LIKE HER DAMN IT! AND I'M NOT A MASOCHIST!"

XxX

Sakura looked at Ino, her eyes cold, hard. "Are these the eyes of a person who hasen't done something they regret? I've killed Ino, so has Naruto, and so has Sasuke. All of us have blood on our hands, all of us train, and all of us push ourselves. Ino when Sasuke, Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, and I went to the Wave we encountered Zabuza Momochi, and do you know what he said?"

Ino was silent.

"He told us this, in these exact words, 'You think wearing a headband makes you a ninja? When you've hovered between life and death so many times that it doesn't faze you, you may be called a ninja. When you've become so deadly that your profile has been entered into my bingo book, then you may have earned the title ninja. But to call upstarts like you ninja is a joke. You're just brats.'"

Ino, no, the entire audience was silent. "I surrender," Ino mumbled, but Sakura wasn't done.

"No! You are not escaping this so easily! You need to hear this! He crushed us, he made Naruto and Sasuke look like children. He captured Kakashi-sensei. It was THREE GENIN VERSUS A JONIN. It was a slaughter, but we pulled through with teamwork and strategy. Yet, none of that mattered. Really, it was luck…that man was a monster. I clearly remember what Kakashi sensei said. That man had murdered dozens before he even became a Genin. He had to kill his ENTIRE CLASS, to become a ninja."

The audience was silent, and all the Genin, bar Gaara, Sasuke, and Naruto, were horrified. Each for different reasons, although Sasuke and Naruto still didn't like hearing the story.

"He…that man….without pause or hesitation, a young boy who wasn't even a ninja, approached the class and took down over 100 other students. IMAGINE IT INO! Imagine it. Young ninja like you, eating together, training together, and then comes the final exam, when you change the rules. Kill or be killed. You can't stop while you opponent still breathes. He was your friend, he shared your dreams! But now, he was a threat. And do you know what Zabuza told us? He said, that it had felt GOOD!"

Ino was in tears, the wire around her having fallen as her body shook with sobs. She wasn't crying over the story…she was crying as all her mistakes had now caught up with her, and they were being unforgiving.

"Zabuza fought us again, but this time he had an ally, a person Naruto had met a few days before! It took Naruto's and Sasuke's combined efforts to defeat Haku. And what's worse is that we don't even know if he's dead! Naruto had to knock him off a bridge into the water, unconscious, and he was his friend. And after that we had to come face to face when realizing that we had cost a young boy his life and his mother and grandfather their family because we had failed in protecting them! Come on Ino! Tell me, do you think you can handle that as the way you are now?"

Ino shook her head as her body racked with sobs. "N-n-n-no," she said, choking on her own words. Kakash sighed, disappearing and reappearing behind Sakura, putting a hand on her shoulder. "That's enough, Sakura. The match had already been called. You won…and she got the message."

Sakura fell to her knees, nodding slowly. Asuma went down as Sakura and Kakashi walked back off the stage, collecting Ino and taking her outside. The girl needed to be consoled. Asuma knew she needed a wake-up call, but one as harsh as that was a little much.

The screen began to rotate through names, yet all eyes remained on Sakura who was silent and sober as she waited patiently for the next match to be announced.

"Naruto-kun," Lee began. "Is all of that true?"

Naruto frowned, looking at the ground. He said nothing, but his eyes revealed it all. Everyone was looking at him, and for once it was a time when he didn't want attention. Finally, he opened his mouth.

"Every last bit of it. It's…not something I like remembering."

"Rock Lee versus Choji Akimichi."

Lee smirked, clenching his fist tightly. "YOSH! My flames of youth has selected me to fight! I will win!"

Lee hopped over the railing landing in the arena as he scowed the stands for Choji. "Where are you, Choji Akimichi!"

Choji slowly walked down the steps, stepping up to Lee, munching on some chips. Lee smirked and gave him a thumbs-up. "I hope that we can have a youthful bout my friend!"

Choji grunted, although he threw the bag behind him. Not because he wasn't hungry, but because it was empty. Hayate looked at the two of them, before he nodded. "Begin."

Choji immediately clasped his hands together. "Baika no Jutsu (Multi-Size Technique)!"

Choji's body explosed with chakra before it exploded outwards, enlarging in size. He smirked before he channeled his chakra once more. "Nikudan Sensha (Human Bullet Tank)!" Choji's arms, legs, and head were sucked into his body before he began to slowly rotate, picking up speed as his body created friction.

"Take this!" he roared, somehow. Lee however smirked, nodding to himself. "I will give it my all! Argh!" Lee rushed forwards, both of his arms cocked back. Choji rushed him, spinning like a boulder, however, while his body may have spun like a boulder he was not as sturdy as one, not that it would have helped. Lee's fists shot forwards like rockets, slamming into Choji five times per fist.

Choji froze, his body shuddering before he fell to the ground, unconscious. The crowd was silent as Choji began to shrink back down to his normal size.

"No way…so fast…so furious," Hinata mumbled, awed at Lee's strength. "I knew he was strong...but this? He's a monster."

Naruto sighed. "Hinata-chan. Lee wasn't going all out then, if you think he's a monster, wait till you see what he can really do."

Hinata glanced at Naruto. "You know his best?" Naruto frowned. "His best? No…even I don't think I know that…but I do know that unfortunately for him…and luckily for me…using it is forbidden. Otherwise…I'd lose to Lee."

The screen began to rotate names as Choji was taken by the paramedics and Lee arrived back on the stands. Everyone watched, keen with interest. The end was coming closer by every fight. People were getting anxious. Finally, the names stopped.

"…Crap."

"Sabaku Temari vs Kin Tsuchi."

Temari walked down to the field, followed by the Oto Genin. The fight as nothing extraordinary, if not one-sided. Temari easily one in the first attack…swinging her fan.

"Some fan user she is…" Kankuro mumbled, his eyes narrowed.

The screen began to rotate more and more before the names finally stopped on the two people who wanted to fight each other desperately, although for completely different reasons. Naruto frowned. "You have GOT to be fucking kidding me."

The Oto Jonin smiled very happily. This was perfect to him.

"Sabaku no Gaara vs Naruto Uzumaki," Hayate called.

I apologize for chapter size. It was originally supposed to be much larger, but as you can see, inspiration struck and I could not write anymore. I HAD to write this upcoming fight if I was gonna go anywhere. I already know the winner, and I will not be telling so don't ask. Just know that after this fight I'm no longer going into the other prelims fights, because I really don't want to. The winners and matchups for the finals will just be a surprise. Yes, it's complete laziness, I apologize. But I'm gonna be pouring a lot, like at LEAST a 5,000 word chapter - likely MUCH FUCKING LONGER - into this next fight, and I'll be pumping out ideas to make it as AMAZING as possible. Like more epic than Lee vs Gaara is what I'm going for.

BRING IT ON BITCHES.

Well I'mma rest up so I can get ready.

Oh, and Akame ga Kill is FUCKING AMAZING.

See you guys later and avoid the Earl.