Naruto, Sasuke and Madoka head cautiously into the Forest of Death. Sasuke is more worried about Eizo than the exam, however. What if that crazy Anko lady tries to kidnap Eizo? What if she hands him over to Ibiki? Ibiki is scary!

"Sasuke! Concentrate!" Snaps Naruto. "We can't risk getting separated!"

Sasuke glares at Naruto. Who made him team leader?

"Okay, here's the plan," says Madoka. "We find a a team, challenge that team, take their scroll and repeat steps one to three until we have a set. Then we head to the tower and repeat steps one to three on the way."

"Seems legit," says Naruto. "What do you think, Sasuke?"

Sasuke shrugs.

"Sweet, let's do it!"

"This forest is not scary at all," says Karin.

"You are a girl," says Sai. "Girls are fearless."

"Not all girls," says Shin. "Some girls both have and are pussies."

"Shin…" warns Karin.

"Just like Naruto!" says Sai.

"Sai…" warns Karin.

"I thought Naruto was pretty brave in the first test," says Shin.

"Well, you know what they say about compensating," says Sai.

"BOYS!" snaps Karin.

They turn to look at her. "What?"

"We are in a genjutsu." Karin says. "And we are about to be ambushed."

"Already?" complains Sai.

Hinata, Shino and Kiba set up a trap and wait. A few minutes later, a team from the Leaf falls into their trap. Bugs rain down upon the terrified genins. They scream helplessly and are caught up in a net.

"Shino, did you really have to shove a bug down the guy with the bug phobia's shirt?" asks Kiba.

"No," says Shino. "No I did not."

"Shino, sometimes you scare me, man."

Shino grins.

"Hey, guys!" calls Hinata, from beside the net where she just retrieved the team's scroll. "They have the scroll we need!"

"SWEET!" grins Kiba.

Shikamaru, Ino and Choji sneak through the Forest of Death, trying to avoid literally everyone else.

"Why can't we just find someone weaker than us to pick on?" asks Ino, impatiently.

"There is no one weaker than us," says Choji.

"What about Naruto's team?" asks Ino. "They seem pretty weak."

"Don't mistake shyness, nerdiness and plain stupidity for weakness," says Shikamaru. "They are probably one of the strongest teams taking the exam. Naruto alone could kick all our asses in under five seconds."

"What, at the same time?" asks Ino, finding it difficult to believe that the blond truant from their Academy days is that strong. "I don't think so."

"Have you seen what Karin can do with fuuinjutsu?" asks Choji.

Ino has seen what Karin can do with fuuinjutsu. "Yes," she confirms. "She could beat all of us easily."

"And Naruto is twice as good as Karin."

"WHAT!?"

"It's true," confirms Shikamaru. "Naruto is far better than Karin."

"So then is there ANYONE in this forest that we might be able to stand up to?" asks Ino, despairingly.

"..." Shikamaru says nothing.

"So why didn't you challenge the Uzumaki?" demands Neji. "Why the Uchiha?"

"I simply wanted to see if the Uchiha clan lives up to its reputation," says Lee. "I did not think the Uzumaki would be a worthy match."

"Naruto is a crazy little bastard," says Neji. "If you had challenged him, he would have humiliated you."

"Isn't he friends with your cousin?" asks Tenten, landing on a thick branch.

"Yes," confirms Neji, coming to a stop beside Tenten. "He would be a worthy rival for me. I hope I will be able to fight him in the finals."

"Is there anyone nearby that we can fight?" asks Lee.

Neji activates his byakugan and says, "There is a Cloud team at four o'clock. Shall we attack or avoid them?"

"Attack."

"We shall attack with YOUTH!"

Mikoto is still comforting a distraught Fugaku when there is a firm knock on their front door. Mikoto ignores it at first. They will go away soon...probably.

"HEY!" calls a man's voice. "I can sense your chakra! I know you are home!"

Mikoto sighs. "I had better go and see who that is." She pats Fugaku on the shoulder and gets up off the floor. Fugaku hasn't moved in the last two hours, except for rocking back and forth, and muttering to himself about killing Shisui, not being ready for this and castrating Shisui.

Mikoto takes a deep breath and opens the front door. Ibiki Morino, the head of the T&I department, is standing on the doorstep with a sleeping Eizo-Mori in his arms. "I believe this baby belongs to you," says Ibiki Morino, patting Eizo's back.

Mikoto finds her voice. "Yes…" she says. "Where did you find him?" she is horrified. How did they miss Eizo wandering off? How long has he been gone for?

"He turned up outside the Forest of Death just as the second round of the chunin exams was about to start. Anko gave him to me to return him, since I really only needed to be there for the first round. I hope you don't mind that I used him to scare a prisoner into talking. All I did was put him on the prisoner's lap, and your little pirate did the rest. I swear he knew exactly what he was doing to that spy."

Mikoto stares at Ibiki, then at sleeping, smiling Eizo and says, "I think you better come in and explain everything."

"Are you sure?" asks Ibiki. "I only came to drop him off. I still have to report what we uncovered to the Hokage."

"If we try to move Eizo, he will wake up," says Mikoto. "Unless you want a screaming baby on your hands, we had best leave him until he wakes on his own." Something is bothering Mikoto. She can't quite put her finger on it, though. Trying to figure out what it is she is missing, Mikoto leads Ibiki into the living room, where Fugkau is still kneeling on the floor in a state of shock.

"What's wrong with him?" asks Ibiki.

"We just found out that Itachi is pregnant with Shisui's baby," says Mikoto.

Ibiki starts laughing, and it is terrifying.

"What is so funny about that?" snaps Fugaku. "That little s### defiled my precious, underage daughter, and you just LAUGH? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry," apologises Ibiki. "It is just that when Anko asked me to take Eizo home, she joked that the only reason you might not have noticed his absence is if Shisui had gotten Itachi pregnant and you just found out." Ibiki manages to squash his laughter and adds, "I did not imagine that it would be true."

Eizo shifts in his sleep and sighs, burrowing into Ibiki's shoulder.

Mikoto remembers the question she was going to ask. "You said Anko found Eizo outside the Forest of Death, what was he doing there?"

"Apparently he wanted Sasuke to play with him," says Ibiki. "But babies aren't allowed in the Forest of Death, and since Sasuke made it to the second round, Eizo had to stay with Anko."

"What did you just say?" asks Fugaku, sternly.

"Sasuke made it to the Second Round of the Chunin Exams," repeats Ibiki. "Team Seven did very well in the first round. I am sure they will all make it to the finals."

"I. Forbade. Sasuke. From. Taking. The. Chunin. Exams," Fugaku grinds out. "How. Did. She. Get. Past. Itachi's. Super. Vision?"

Ibiki's expression turns very serious. "I am afraid you cannot withdraw Sasuke now that she has entered. Only under special circumstances can a parent or guardian withdraw a contestant, and in those circumstances the parent or guardian must have the support of the jounin sensei or Hokage." He sighs. "Was Shisui anywhere around at about the time the exams started?"

"...Yes, he was getting Itachi weird food when we got home."

"Then Shisui is probably the reason Sasuke managed to sneak out." Ibiki adjusts his hold on Eizo and adds, "Lord Fugaku, do you remember that spy your policemen captured the other day?"

"Yes, the one who's scared of babies?" says Fugaku, sounding a little more alive than before.

"I'm afraid I used your son to crack him," says Ibiki. "All I had to do was put the little pirate on the man's lap, and he started freaking out. Then the baby started being all cute and cuddly, and the man spilled everything. I need to report to the Hokage, but as the head of Leaf security, you should know as well. Will you come with me to the Hokage now? What I have found needs to be relayed at once."

Fugaku sighs. "Very well, but leave Eizo here."

"Eizo? Is that what his name is?" Ibiki carefully takes Eizo off his shoulder and gives him to Mikoto.

Eizo wakes up and mumbles, "Pirate?"

"No, no pirates," says Ibiki. "You're home with Mummy now."

Eizo lays back down on Mikoto's shoulder and goes back to sleep. Mikoto is stunned. Eizo never simply goes back to sleep. "You wouldn't be interested in babysitting him from time to time, would you?" she asks, dazed. "You are uncommonly good with him."

"Alright," shrugs Ibiki. "He's a good kid. And smart too."

"Let's go see the Hokage then," says Fugaku, and the two scariest, sweetest men in the village left to go speak with the Hokage.

And that is about when it sinks into Mikoto's brain that Eizo knowingly helped torture a spy for information. Mikoto sits down on the couch in shock.

Her babies are all growing up so fast.