Naruto, heir to the Senju clan, was highly annoyed as he found himself to be the focal point of the hungry gazes of the council.

The damn Chūnin Exams were tomorrow and he was originally planning to spend time with his girlfriend and his best friend in order to ensure that the three of them were properly prepared for the test. Instead, as he was headed over to Ichiraku Ramen to meet Sakura so they could go to Ino's house together, a purple haired kunoichi stopped him. Bowing to him in the middle of the street, much to the surprise of the onlookers, she asked him to help her lover; begged him to, point of fact. When he asked how he could help when there was an entire hospital of well-trained medics and doctors, she explained how he was poisoned and they needed an expert. This, of course, led her straight to him. He cursed internally.

As he accepted and prepared to give her instructions, an Anbu wearing an orange accented bird mask seemingly appeared out of thin air. With a feminine voice, he was instructed to report before the council on the orders of the Sandaime Hokage. He conjured two shadow clones; one to explain the situation to Ino, and the other to provide Sakura with instructions and an explanation. He told the kunoichi to follow the clone and made his way to the Hokage's Mansion, clearly irritated. As he entered the room he noticed three long tables that formed a sort of incomplete square.

To his left were the clan heads; Tsume of the Inuzuka, Inoichi for the Yamanaka, Shibi for the Aburame, Chōza for the Akimichi, Shikaku for the Nara, and his mother for Senju. She gave him a gentle smile, which was quickly reciprocated. She conversed with Tsume, but the feral looking woman kept her gaze trained on the heir standing before them. Inochi watched the boy intently, already knowing what this meeting was going to be about. Shikaku looked to be a strange combination of bored and tired, while Chōza quietly munched on some snacks.

To Naruto's right were the civilians in charge of various sources of income in Konoha. The females on the council eyed him lustfully, hungrily. He could tell they want him, or perhaps something from him. Something that would more than likely end with him snapping their necks. He scoffed and released a bit of killing intent, but stopped when the Hokage entered the room. With a grandfatherly smile, he took his seat in the center of the middle table that housed the Honored and Esteemed Elders of the village. They too were eyeing him expectantly. He swore to Kami that if someone said something out of line, they were getting a prepared shot of poison senbon to the throat faster than they could think about...whatever the hell was going in their more than likely empty heads.

"Good afternoon, Naruto-kun." said the Sandaime with a kind smile. "How are you today?"

"If you want me to be honest, I'm more than a little annoyed. I was going to prep for the exams tomorrow, but now I have an operation to perform after I leave here." he admitted. "What did you need, Old Man?"

Tsunade sat up at once when she heard him say that he had an operation. One of the elders glared at the boy, a man that wore glasses with white hair and a white beard. Before he could say anything, however, the Sandaime chuckled as though the blonde had told a rather entertaining joke. The civilians and the elders looked at him as though he'd gone mad. Tsume, meanwhile, was impressed at the kid; it took major balls to walk in front of the council and call the Hokage 'Old Man'. The Hokage...literally the most powerful man in the village? Regarded as both 'The Professor' and the 'God of Shinobi.' Yeah, the blonde she'd been unable to take her eyes off of had balls of steel.

"I see. Then I won't keep you long, Naruto-kun." he grinned after he finished his fit of chuckles. "The first point of this meeting is actually in regards to the Chūnin Exams. You see, Naruto-kun, whenever you've been on missions, the reports come back detailing your skill, both in combat and in the healing arts. A while ago, I received a letter from a woman named Tsunami, detailing the aid you gave to the Land of Wave, a majority of which detailed your work in their hospital. Adding this to the work you do within the village makes you eligible for a field promotion. In terms of combat, you can be made a Chūnin, a very high ranking one. From what I've read and heard, you usually finish fights before skill can be evaluated and taken into account. In terms of Medical Ninjutsu, you are eligible to receive the rank of Tokubetsu Jōnin."

Tsunade's eyes went wide. Tears blurred her vision and pride swelled thickly in her chest. Inoichi was extremely pleased. As the young man his beloved dandelion was dating, he couldn't have been happier. Tsume was surprised, but she had to wonder why she seemed so...attracted to him? Magnetized? Who really knew, but he had an air about him. A powerful one. So needless to say, she was impressed with the 'mini-Tsunade'.

"I assume I can't do both?"

All eyes went to him, regarding him with looks of incredulity. Here was the Sandaime Hokage offering the boy the position of high ranking Chūnin or Tokubetsu Jōnin, and he still wanted to take the damn Chūnin Exams? Most people present, save perhaps four in attendance, thought the boy a strange combination of brave, arrogant, and foolish.

Brave? Most definitely. If he were to be called 'arrogant' or 'foolish', however, he would alert the insulting party to his status as a Senju. Not an Uchiha.

"You can, but why would you?" the Sarutobi clan head asked, genuinely confused.

Naruto shrugged. "What better time to show off, I suppose. Besides, I've been training one of my teammates and a member of Team Ten. I'm highly interested in seeing how far they've truly progressed."

"Ah yes." Hiruzen breathed. "If I remember correctly, it is Ms. Ino Yamanaka and Ms. Sakura Haruno."

A blonde woman on the civilian side sat up straighter, her eyes trained on the boy with the intensity of any shinobi. At once, Naruto could tell that she has either had training, or was a shinobi at one point in her life. Her scrutiny didn't last long, however, as she narrowed her gaze at him.

"You are the one responsible for training my daughter?" she asked, her voice laced with a hard edge.

Naruto nodded, fearless. To his left, Tsunade tensed up, ready to bury the mother on the other side of the room if she needed to. The blonde woman stood and went to him, standing menacingly before the genin. Tsume had a firm hold on Tsunade's shoulder as she too tried to rise in defense of her baby boy, her own eyes narrowing at the standing blonde mother. The woman, Mebuki Haruno, sank to her knees and bowed reverently before the Senju heir. This alone shocked the entirety of the council. Her palms were pressed to the floor and her forehead rested on the backs of her hands. Naruto got on one knee as the woman sobbed, repeating 'Thank you' as though it were a mantra designed to help her maintain her very sanity.

As a retired kunoichi, Mebuki had always tried to break her daughter out of the fantasy that her precious 'Sasuke-kun' would pull her out of whatever mess she was in. She tried in a myriad of different ways, but her warnings and teachings fell upon deaf ears. Her daughter's blind and obsessive devotion was quickly consuming her. But something happened to her daughter during her first C-ranked mission, something that she refused to talk about. The past two months had seen a profound change in her daughter. One that made Mebuki sing praise to Kami above, and pray that she would meet the one responsible. Even if it was that damn Uchiha.

Naruto helped his fellow blonde up and hugged her; not that he had much of a choice since the crying mother latched on to him. After a solid five minutes, she composed herself and returned to her seat. They would talk later.

Hiruzen cleared his throat, touched. "Well, I think I speak for the council when I say I look forward to the three of you performing in the exams. It is the two young ladies that you are usually never seen without, however, that bring about the second purpose of this meeting."

The man next to him, scarred and heavily bandaged with an air of deceit, was the one to speak up. "As the heir to one of the founding clans of Konohagakure, you will be placed under the CRA."

"CRA?" Naruto asked, searching his memory before recognition near instantly lit his eyes. "Clan Restoration Act?"

Tsunade's head snapped in the direction of her sensei, her eyes hard and incredulous. Tsume found herself slightly relieved as well as excited. It was imperative that she discovered why the hell she couldn't seem to take her eyes off of the young man that stood stunned before the council. Mebuki seemed excited, plans already hatching in her head. Inoichi's eyes darkened much like Tsunade, and just like the suddenly angry blonde mother, stared at his Kage as though he were mad. No doubt this would hurt his baby girl.

But to everyone's surprise, Naruto let loose a string of foul curses and threats to the bandaged man. It went on for a few minutes and everyone had differing reactions; Tsume was trying her damnedest not to burst out into a round of raucous laughter, but it was getting harder with each word the ballsy blonde spoke. Mebuki blushed at some of the imagery the boy her daughter held above most other used and wondered where he learned such language. Tsunade looked oddly proud of her legacy, smiling and clutching her face in silent laughter. Inoichi, the elders, the civilian council and the rest of the clan heads were gobsmacked at the audacity of this boy. Even Hiruzen had to tip his hat down to hide the fact that he too would soon succumb to laughter.

"And then you can fold up whatever pathetic sack you have dangling between your legs, cut the fucker off, and mail back to a motherfucker and get a refund, because the shit clearly lacks the goods its supposed to fucking come with." he finished raging.

Danzo was, in a word, surprised. The boy cleared took after his mother, who (with Tsume Inuzuka) was currently cackling madly at the boy's verbal rampage. He sighed before he pulled out his trump card; intent on getting the blood of the Senju within his ranks. The weapon had gone missing years ago and he felt it his duty to fortify the militaristic might of Konoha.

"It's either you or your mother."

All sound stopped as Tsunade stood, enraged. "Fu-"

"Fine," Naruto snarled, all eyes once more going towards him. "My Kaa-san is still mourning. I'll do it, Danzo. Not for your twisted ambition or Konoha, but for my mother to be left in peace."

'Twisted ambition?' Hiruzen thought looking at the satisfied smirk poorly hidden on his former sibling-student's face. "Very good. The council will have-"

"I will choose my brides." Naruto snapped, and before Danzo started again, he said. "You are not the Hokage. Deal with it."

"Very well," Hiruzen smiled, trying to alleviate the tension that appeared so suddenly in the room. "You are dismissed, Naruto-kun. I wish you a successful operation and look forward to seeing you in action during the Chūnin Exams."

He turned to leave but looked over his shoulder at the scarred man. "The roots of the tree hidden in the shadows will wither and die before you. The Senju see all."

"The Clan Restoration Act?" Ino was shocked, missing the smile that touched Sakura's lips. "D-Does that me we-"

"No." Naruto said with an air of finality. "You really think I would let you go so easily?"

The trio were silent as they sat in Ino's bedroom, preparing for the exams. Sakura was tainting (or enhancing, as Naruto called it) her black bladed tanto with a hemotoxin of Naruto's design, using a thick paintbrush to spread the poison deliberately across the length of the blade. Ino polished the set of weapons her koibito gifted her, neatly setting them in her kunai and weapon pouch respectively. Naruto was distractedly enhancing his senbon and kunai, while sharpening the tools that weren't soaking.

Sakura and Ino exchanged looks before looking at the whiskered genin. Ino walked over to him and gently took the tools away from him before sitting on his lap. Gingerly, she lifted his face to see the eyes that she loved so much. Planting a playful kiss to her koibito's nose, she nuzzled his neck and just breathing in his scent; that subtle scent of jasmine that was somehow undetectable when he didn't want to be found. Ino could feel her best friend's jealous gaze burning into her.

"What else did you guys discuss in the meeting?" the pinkette asked, more to distract herself from the burning in her chest than anything.

Naruto's eyes went to the ceiling for a moment before he remembered. "Oh! Yeah, actually. The Old Man wanted to give me a field promotion. High ranking Chūnin for my combat ability and Tokubetsu Jōnin for my medical skills."

Both girls were stunned silent. Sharing a look, their eyes wide, neither could form words to actually convey the thoughts echoing wildly in their minds. Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I think I could have become a full fledged Jōnin if I didn't end my fights so fast. According to Ji-chan, I end my fights before my skills could be evaluated. Which is true enough, I suppose. The only fight that was drawn out was the first fight with Zabuza and that wasn't even my best form."

"W-W-Why didn't you accept the promotion?" Ino asked, shaking him violently.

"My best friend and my girlfriend are taking the exams. As your trainer, I want to see how well you both have progressed and to take it with you. Besides, Team Seven wouldn't be Team Seven without a blonde poisonous healer. It's kind of my niche."

Sakura was still stunned silent, gazing at her crush with a look of longing and purest admiration in her eyes. Ino shook her head, laughing at his reasons.

"You're such a dork, Whiskers."

Naruto scoffed goodnaturedly. "Indeed. How about I get us some dinner? I'm starving."

Sakura stay unmoving as the blonde male took his leave. Ino stared at the pinkette. She was glad that Naruto made them make up and restore their friendship. It was good to have her best friend back, and even though she was certain they once again had the hots for the same man, the Forehead-Girl maintained a respectful distance. Even though she was a little down about them forcing the CRA on her lovable poison factory, she didn't miss the look of hopeful excitement dawning in Sakura's viridescent eyes. She sighed and flicked the other girl in her forehead.

"He's gone to us food, Forehead." Ino rolled her eyes. "You can stop drooling now."

Sakura glared at the girl. "Whatever Ino-pig. In any case, you seem like you're surprisingly okay with this whole mess."

"I'm not." Ino sighed. "But I... I love Naruto, even though I haven't told him yet. So I'll do my best to support him no matter what.

Sakura paused, her mind racing at the possibilities about what she was about to propose. In truth, in any other scenario differing from the one the trio was suddenly thrust in. Only in their world would this idea even have any kind of merit. The only reason she didn't try to propose this earlier was due to the obvious bloodlust the other kunoichi carried in regards to anyone eyeballing her man in any manner that wasn't purely platonic.

"Hey Pig…"

Ino looked to the green-eyed girl, ready for her to shoot her shot in regards to join her koi's now mandatory harem. The thought of having to share him with Kami knows how many other girls was enough to make her sick. But it was either that, or they would force suitors on his mother. She knew him well enough to know that he had his hands effectively tied. Ino could guess that it would have been the same outcome if they even hinted at putting his sister under the CRA. He was so protective of his family, and she loved it. Honestly, she was surprised that he wasn't arrested for murdering a village elder.

"Let's make a deal," she said, her resolved like stone. "If we fight and I win, I join Naruto-kun's little...harem."

The both shivered. "And if we don't fight in the exams?"

"Then we'll fight under watch of a sensei and settle it that way." Sakura said.

Ino shrugged, feeling as though she had nothing to really lose. "If you win and we somehow agree to a threesome, which I won't unless I'm absolutely blackout drunk, don't expect me to each you out, Forehead."

"Welcome to Training Ground Forty-Four, gakis." said the proctor of the second portion of the Chūnin Exams, Anko Mitarashi. "Or as I like to call it, The Forest of Death."

Naruto's mind went to the first part of the exams, where a man named Ibiki Morino was the proctor for a written test. The written portion was to test their ability to gather information without being seen. Those with dojutsu or clan jutsu, like Sasuke, the Hyuga pair, or Shikamaru utilized it. Those with creativity, like Tenten used it. Those that knew the material via studying, such as Naruto and Sakura, answered the test questions thusly. Before that, however, the blonde had an encounter with a trio of genin from Sunagakure.

After an accident where Konohamaru bumped into the one in a black suit with something wrapped on his back, two of the trio feared Naruto; their previous 'Those Konoha tree-huggers ain't shit' mentality being thoroughly rearranged when Naruto broke the wrist of the boy named Kankuro and was preparing to slash the throat of the girl named Temari. The kunoichi trembled, unaware that any genin could move that fast. Clearly, she never met the youngest of the blonde Senju. It wasn't until the youngest of the group appeared, a redhead with the kanji for 'love' carved into his head. His eyes were dead, drowning in loneliness and anger. His threat, no; his promise still rang clearly in the blonde's mind.

'Shut up, Kankuro.' he said. 'Or I'll kill you.'

The bloodlust rolling off of him was obscene, matched only by the killing intent that Naruto released to keep his pinkette teammate at ease. The other two Suna genin, however, looked as though they were experiencing a living nightmare. The fear they had for the red haired boy was palpable. The fear they now had for Naruto was thick enough that it could be sliced with a kunai.

'What is your name?' he asked the Senju heir, his eyes questing, searching for what could only be described as a worthy sacrifice.

Naruto folded his arms, unafraid of the boy unlike those they were both surrounded by. 'Visitors first.'

'I am known as Sabaku no Gaara.' he said, his voice an eerie monotone.

'Senju, Naruto.' the blonde answered. 'Five.'

The redhead's eyes widened for the briefest of times as he said, 'One. Mother is looking forward to tasting your blood, Senju.'

A wild, feral look appeared in Naruto's eyes as they changed from azure to crimson. 'And I'm looking forward to spilling yours.'

A kunai sliced through his cheek as Naruto was rather forcefully returned to the present. Teasing arms wrapped around his shoulder in a playful manner as a tongue lightly licked the blood that dripped haltingly.

"I hate being ignored, blondie-kun." a sweet, near seductive voice whispered in his ear.

Naruto held up a bloodied finger and tasted the crimson fluid that coated his digit, his voice low and husky. "Shame, Proctor-chan. I would've liked to taste more of you."

Anko paused, a chill racing up her spine as a shallow cut open on her cheek. He didn't move. She didn't see him move. No genin could move that fast. She released her hold on Naruto and caught the kunai that flew at them. A genin with a ridiculously long tongue, apparently from Kusagakure, had returned the weapon with the force used to throw it.

The Tokubetsu Jōnin was put on edge, but continued to explain the rules of the second portion of the exam, which basically boiled down to secure the two scrolls, make it to the tower in the heart of Training Ground Forty-Four in five days, and survive. As Anko was passing out waivers for the genin to sign, Ino walked over to her boyfriend, slightly annoyed at the flirty proctor and the fact that Sakura pressed a bit closer.

"Are you okay, Whiskers?" she asked, but suddenly felt a tiny bit ridiculous as she noticed the cut had long since healed. Even as a shinobi that specializes in medical ninjutsu, her boyfriend's ability to heal off any damage he may take in a matter of seconds was freakish.

He grinned and caressed her cheek before taking the stack of waivers and passing them up. "I'm perfect, Ino-chan. Just do your best. Both of you."

Sakura nodded with determination blazing in her eyes. Ino flipped her ponytail as though to say 'You expected any different?' He pulled Ino into a tight hug and brushed his lips sensually against hers, then pulled Sakura into a nice hug.

"Don't get hurt, but don't show them what you're made of just yet." he told Ino, then to Sakura, he said. "I'll have your back. Sasuke should be sufficiently skilled enough to keep up."

The Uchiha snorted his derision, but said nothing. As the de facto leader of Team Seven, it went without saying that following his lead would be the wisest option… in most cases anyway. At one point during Sakura's two-month training period, when Sasuke had pointed out that he was better than the Senju heir in every way imaginable, Sakura brought up a very valid point.

'Did you snap Zabuza's spine with a single kick?'

The gates opened and the genin raced into the forest, Ino pressing another light kiss to her koibito's lips before taking off with Team Ten.

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke raced through the trees in silence. Conjuring several shadow clones, the whiskered genin sent them off to scout in several different directions. Sasuke's Sharingan was blazing, looking for any chakra signatures while he occasionally scanned his teammates in order to see if there were any disruptions in their flow of chakra. After an hour or two, Naruto cursed his decision to thoroughly hydrate prior to this current point. Team Seven landed quietly on the ground.

"Sorry," he said, blushing in embarrassment. "I kind of can't hold it."

"Naruto!" Sakura hissed in a manner that showed that she was clearly embarrassed mention the blonde's private business, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she both had impure thoughts and tried desperately not to include the affectionate '-kun' to his name. "Just hurry up."

He raced away; close enough to rush back in case there was any need,but far away enough that his teammates wouldn't just happen upon his nudity. Ino had violated his shadow clones enough, and with the looks he'd been getting from Sakura as of late, he was not looking for a repeat; lest he happen upon the wrath of his blonde lover.

As Naruto finished relieving his bladder, he adjusted his clothes and turned around. His gaze traveled upwards as he had a single thought before his world went black.

'That's a big ass snake.'