Greetings ladies and gentlemen, we have officially begun the Chunin Exam Arc, consisting of the training of Team Seven, as well as a few side shows. Now, for all of those wondering where I've been, work has been kicking my hind-end, and I sadly got caught up in a very addictive game, Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Anyway, back to the story!

This chapter shows our favorite team training, as well as a little question that's probably been rattling around in everyone's head..what about Shikamaru? We'll get to that hear in a little bit, because this chapter will answer a fair few questions. Also, I'll be focusing my attention on this story strictly for a while, so my other stories are, sadly, on full hiatus.

21: Utahime

All was quiet in the Leaf Village as dusk settled in. True to his word, Jiraiya and Naruto had spent was was left of the day after his team's return training the young blond in the ways of the sword. To say that Zabuza's sword was too large for him to use was an understatement. The sword weighed more than the boy could bear.

So, as it was, Naruto was forced to use a wooden sword, and Jiraiya had placed chakra weights on his arms and legs. By the time the day ended, Naruto couldn't even move. As Naruto was bandaged and placed into bed that evening, Pakura cast a worried glance at the boy, "Aren't you being a little harsh with his training?" She asked of the Sannin, taking note of the welts on her son's wrists and ankles from the weights, "I've never seen him as tired as this, not even when we trained to defeat Zabuza."

Jiraiya, leaning against the wall beside her, just sighed, "Weren't you just saying that he needed to kick things up a notch?" He asked, giving a small smile, "Besides, his father went through something similar as a boy, and he didn't have the well-spring of chakra that all Uzumaki have."

"Yes, I know, but still - " She said, looking at her son's uncomfortable expression as he slept, only for Jiraiya to chuckle.

He pushed off of the wall and crossed his arms, "We both know why he's doing this, Pakura-chan, and we also know there's no way we'll be able to stop him from doing just what he wants, especially if it's for the sake of another." He said, smiling, "He'll be fine, I promise. You may not know it, but Uzumaki are extremely resilient, and heal abnormally faster than normal shinobi do. Then you take into account the Kyuubi's chakra, which causes him to regenerate chakra at will, and heal his wounds almost instantly. Naruto will reach his full potential in no time."

Pakura sighed, "I know you're right, but seeing my boy in such a state after only a few hours," she shook her head, "I suppose I'm thinking too much like a mother now, aren't I?"

Jiraiya shrugged, "I thought of Minato and Kushina as my own children when they were still Genin, so I'm no better," he said truthfully, "Speaking of children, how's Haku settling in?"

In answer, Pakura stepped across the hall and quietly slid the door to another room open. Inside the room was a small bed, turned down for the night, yet the person that was to occupy the bed was not in it. Instead, the girl that had been assigned the room sat hunched over said table. A small candle sat burning beside her, nearly burned down to the base, while the girl's hunched form rested on her arms, fast asleep.

"She's been studying all day since we got back," she sighed, frowning as she entered the room, "The poor thing's exhausted." Carefully, she picked the girl up from the table, and laid her down on the bed, pulling the blankets over her.

"Understandable, considering all that's happened to her these past few days." Jiraiya sighed, "Even worse, I've heard that the elders have gotten wind of the girl's abilities, and are already pestering Sarutobi-sensei to find her a husband."

Pakura huffed, and placed her hands on her hips, "Over my dead body!" She hissed, "The girl's not a brood mare!"

"Some people won't see it that way," the aging Sage sighed, "The only reason you haven't been getting pestered about such things is because the elders are afraid of you, and because Naruto's also a carrier of the Shakuton. Meaning that whoever he marries will be encouraged to produce as many heirs as possible."

Pakura giggled slightly, "If I know Temari-chan, then she's more like me then the elders will wish to know." She said, moving out of the room, "Come along, we should get some rest for tomorrow's training sessions."

Jiraiya nodded, moving down the hall to his room. With the Chunin Exams being moved back by three months, he had a total of six months to get Naruto ready for his trials.

Meanwhile...

"Homura, for the last time, the answer is no!" Hiruzen Sarutobi growled, his glare focused on the councilmen in front of him, "The girl will be allowed to live as she pleases, and I will not dictate to her the values of her technique, rare as it is!"

Homura frowned, "But surely you can see the benefits of having not only the Shakuton, but its polar opposite, the Hyoton, within our shinobi forces?"

"Of course I see it, and don't call me Shirley," Hiruzen quipped, "But the girl has no desire to become a Kunoichi again, and I will not force her. Nor will I force her into marriage. Her life is her own, and that is final!"

The elder grimaced, "But, Hiruzen - "

"That's Lord Hokage to you, Homura," the Sarutobi patriarch growled, "Now you can either get out of my office, or I can throw you out the window." He said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder, "While I would greatly enjoy the second option, I would highly recommend the first because I doubt that you would survive the fall since you've let your old shinobi skills dull so greatly since the last war."

"Fine, but this isn't over, Lord Hokage," Homura turned to leave, but felt an iron grip on his shoulder. He turned around to see the Hokage smiling at him in a deceptively pleasant way.

"Threatening your Hokage, are we?" Hiruzen smiled, "Happy landings."

Outside, the window of the Hokage's office was shattered as Homura came flying out, flailing wildly, only just managing to save himself before he hit the ground with an awkward flip, "Gah, my back!"

Meanwhile, Hiruzen observed his former comrade from his ruined window, "Ah, well, can't have everything." He said, sitting back down at his desk, and taking out a case of his favorite tobacco to begin stuffing his pipe, "I really am getting too old for this job. Perhaps I can convince Jiraiya to take over after the Chunin exams?"

"Do you really think it's such a good idea to put that pervert in charge of the village?" Yugao's disembodied voice asked from her usual hiding spot behind the couch. "I think Pakura-san would probably burn the office to the ground if you did."

Hiruzen chuckled as he lit up his pipe with the tip of his finger aflame, "Well, I dare say I could choose Kakashi, but I think he's still too young for the job, and I know Naruto certainly is." He said, smiling at the thought of seeing the boy grow into a fine Hokage.

"What of Lady Tsunade?" The woman asked.

Hiruzen then gave a sigh, "She would make an excellent addition to the village as the Hokage, provided we can locate her," he said, taking an appreciative drag from his pipe, and letting it out, "As a Senju, she hold quite a lot of respect because of her grandfather and great uncle, but given how her life has ended up, I highly doubt she will return to us any time soon, and with all of Jiraiya's sources looking for Danzo, I can't see her being found unless she just waltzes through the front gate."

A sigh came from the young woman, "I suppose you're right," she said, the frown notable in her voice, "Still, it would be worth finding her given that Sakura-chan and Haku-san are studying her techniques."

Hiruzen nodded, taking another long drag from his pipe, chuckling, "Training the youngsters brings back some fond memories." He said, thinking about the members of Team Seven, each one of them similar to his old students in a few ways. Sasuke certainly had potential to be stronger than Orochimaru, as Naruto did with himself and Jiraiya. Sakura already had pure, raw strength tucked away in that small body of hers, all she had to do was draw it out properly.

Speaking of Orochimaru, the aging Hokage wondered just what the treacherous Snake Sannin was up to. He had his suspicions about Danzo's involvement with the man, being that he had argued on Orochimaru's behalf when the Fourth Hokage was selected, but neither had shown themselves in many years, Danzo hopefully being dead from the wounds he obtained during their battle atop the tower. But Orochimaru usually showed movement every now and again if only to keep the old man on his toes.

=x=

The girl felt uneasy as she stood in front of her master. Normally, Orochimaru summoned all of them for a mission, but she was alone. It was also close, extremely close, to that time when Orochimaru summoned a potential vessel for the White Snake. She had seen only once before, and she never wished to do so ever again. His last chosen vessel had been a woman, stronger than herself by a great margin, yet she'd succumbed just like all others before her. She'd never forget the look of revulsion and terror on her face when Orochimaru revealed his true form, and eaten her.

She had that very same potential, yet she had not yet proven herself to be a worthy vessel, thank the gods.

"Do you have any idea why I've summoned you, Tayuya?" Orochimaru asked of the kunoichi, his smooth voice sending shivers down her spine.

Tayuya shook her head, "No, My Lord," she said, quietly, keeping voice low and respectful.

Orochimaru chuckled, "As you know, I have been masquerading as Suna's Kazekage," he said, smiling thinly, "As such, I have plotted to attack Konoha soon with both Suna, and Oto's combined forces, but a rather bothersome hitch has arisen." He said, and rose from his seat, "You see, I had planned the attack to be during Konoha's Chunin Exam period, but it had been made know that a monumental event is to take place."

"What's that, Lord Orochimaru?" She found herself asking.

"A joint exam held within the Land of Iron," the Snake Sannin said, "For the first time in the history of Shinobi, all five of the great villages will be in attendance, as well as their Kage, and respective Daimyo. For such a wondrous event, Lord Mifune of the Samurai has offered the Land of Iron to host the exams, since it is neutral territory, as such, security will be nigh impregnable with five different Shinobi nations in attendance, as well as Samurai guards to keep the Kage and the Daimyo safe."

"And what is it you wish to do?" She asked.

"Why, I want you to spy for me, my little song bird," he said, reaching out to tilt her chin up so she would look at him, "You will begin in the Leaf, for three months you will stay there. And then return here, and report back their strength. And then you will train for another three months until the exams take place. Whereupon you will enter as a Genin, along with two others I select." He said, smiling as the girl quivered at his touch, her fear leaking off of her skin in waves. "While I may not be able to enact my plan yet, this is an invaluable opportunity to gather much needed ingredients, for several of these young Shinobi will undoubtedly be carriers of rare Kekkei Genkai, such as the Scorch Release and Sharingan of Konoha. Should the chance present itself, you are to take anything that may prove useful to me during your time in the village, and collect samples of DNA from notable Genin should you come across them."

She knew that she was playing with fire, but the question begged asking, "But I thought that those pills Kabuto is making could produce a Kekkei Genkai?" She blurted out, "I know I've seen some of the other sporting Sharingan, too."

Instead of getting angry, the man simply laughed again, "You are quite right, my dear, for the medication that we took from Danzo's informant can indeed produce a Sharingan eye within the person who takes it. Kabuto even managed to work out the mishap of going blind from it's use. But the Scorch Release is an elemental Kekkei Genkai, work so much more than anything I've ever seen, and there will be more for the taking for Kumo has Storm and Swift Release, while Suna has Magnet Release. Iwa and Kiri have Lava and Steam Release, and should one appear, Konoha has the Mangekyo Sharingan, what I have strived to obtain for years now. Do you understand, now, Tayuya?"

"I do, Lord Orochimaru," Tayuya nodded, gulping. "When should I leave? And by what name should I go by?"

Orochimaru chuckled again, "But I've already given you a name, my little song bird, and I would like it if you left soon. You will be able to infiltrate the village more easily in this time of year as the Rinne Festival draws closer."

=x=

Temari felt a vein pulsing in her neck violently as she sat with the annoyance of her life. She was currently on the roof of the Kazekage's residence, sat at an elaborate table, set with a lavish feast. Normally all of the delicacies on the table would make her mouth water, the scent alone would have made her hungry, if only she were in better company.

The man sitting at the table with her was, unfortunately, the man she was betrothed to. Kurokawa Masamune, a man that possessed the name of a fearsome warrior, and a great architect, but he was neither. He was, as most lords of the land were, round, with a thin beard, and mustache. He smelled heavily of an overpowering perfume, a scent she couldn't place, but no doubt worn to impress.

"My dear lady, why aren't you eating?" Kurokawa asked, his voice, high and almost child-like. "Is the food not to your liking?"

Temari huffed, "Believe me, Lord Kurokawa, it's not the food, it's the company," she said, her arms crossed as the man frowned at her, "You know that I don't appreciate any of this," she gestured to their surroundings. "My village is on the verge of bankruptcy, and here I sit at a lavish dinner while ninety percent of my people down below are starving."

"Which just means that you are a cut above the common rabble," Kurokawa said flippantly, "My dear, darling, Temari-chan, you are the most beautiful flower this desert wasteland has to offer, which means you deserve the finer things in life. Everyone else are simple desert lilies compared to you, my desert rose. When we marry, our children will - "

"Our children will be nonexistent," Temari cut him off with an angry wave of her hand, kicking up a harsh breeze, "I have no intention of marrying you, or anyone from your house!"

Now the young samurai's eye began to twitch, "Now, see here, young lady, my father - "

"Your father bought me as if I were nothing but a cheap whore," the wind began to pick around the girl when she stood up from her chair, buffeting the man with sand, "But he made a very big mistake! I'm not a simple tramp that you can buy off the street for a few nights! I am a proud kunoichi of the Village Hidden in the sand, daughter of a clan that gained their name because so many of them have gone on to become Kazekage!"

The wind began to howl as storm clouds began to role through the sky. "What are you doing?!" The man roared over the wind, shielding his face, "Stop this at once!"

His cry went unanswered as the wind grew so fierce that it drowned out all other sound. Funnel clouds began to form above them as Temari's eyes began to glow an eerie green. The table was ripped from the roof top and sent flying over the rails, nearly throwing the young lord off in the process.

The guards posted around the tower came onto the roof, Baki at the lead, "What's going on here?!" He roared over the wind as the funnels began to descend toward the village. The Jonin immediately homed on in his surrogate daughter, noting the state of her. "Temari! You have to stop! Control yourself!"

"DO SOMETHING!" Kurokawa screeched loudly.

Baki growled at the man, "Be grateful she hasn't blown us all to hell!" He snapped, plowing forward against the wind, "Temari, answer me!" He called out again, but the girl remained unresponsive. Baki ground his teeth, noting how close the tornadoes were getting to the ground. "Dammit!" He rushed forward, slamming his fist into her gut. Temari coughed, and slumped against his shoulder, knocked out cold.

The wind storm immediately began to fall apart. Taking the girl in his arms carefully, he removed the girl from the roof, ignoring the voice of the young Daimyo demanding and explanation.

"Baki-sensei!" Kankuro and Gaara yelled as the man strode down the hall with the girl in his arms, "What happened?" Gaara demanded.

Baki shook his head, "Temari just used an extremely powerful Wind Style that I haven't seen since...her your mother," he frowned, looking at the girl in his arms as the two boys looked at him in shock, he looked at them, frowning, "Not a word of this to your father. If this gets out, then Temari-chan will have more than just Lord Kurokawa after her."

"Wait a minute!" Kankuro snapped, "Mom wasn't that strong! How could this be something she had?!"

"You didn't know your mother until after she retired from the battlefield." Baki said, sighing, "Karura-san was a master of Wind Style, just like Temari, but unlike your father, Temari inherited a different Kekkei Genkai, Taiton; Typhoon Release."

The two brothers looked at each other in surprise, "I've never heard of it, have your Kankuro?" Gaara asked.

"Not me," the puppet user said, "All I ever hear about as far as Kekkei Genkai go is Magnet Style, like Dad's Gold Sand."

"It's purely wind manipulation, on the highest levels," Baki said, looking down at the two with a slight smile, "She's not just generationg wind with her chakra, she's using natural wind to create wind storms such as the one I witnessed outside. Whatever Lord Kurokawa did to trigger this, it must have sent her over the edge."

"Will she be alright?" Gaara asked worriedly.

Baki gave the boy a reassuring smile, "She'll be fine, Gaara-kun, she just needs rest after using such a powerful attack."

Kankuro sighed, "It's good luck that Dad's out of the village right now, but what are we gonna do about Lover-boy?" He asked, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at the roof exit.

"He won't want any of this getting out," Baki said, smiling widely, "He's far too proud to let slip that his intended fiance scared the shit out of him. He'll just chock the whole thing up to a freak weather shift."

Kankuro laughed at that, while Gaara gave a small smirk. "Now, Gaara, while your brother and I tend to Temari, I want you to go down to the archives, and look for anything written by your mother on her Jutsu. Temari is going to need it if she's going to learn to control this."

=x=

One Week Later: Konoha

Sasuke fell to his knees, sweat dripping from his face and hair. He stared out across the field at the figure before him. Itachi stood with a small smirk on his face as his brother picked himself up from the ground, "You're getting better, Sasuke-kun, much better than I thought at your age." He said, as he grabbed a towel from a low hanging branch and tossed it to him.

"It...it's still not good enough, Itachi-nii," the boy said, dabbing at his face, "I have to get stronger so I can help my team!"

Itachi smiled at him knowingly, "Admirable, but you have to slow down. You've gained ample footing in just a week since returning from Wave, as have your teammates. But as you are now, you won't make any more progress."

"Why not?" Sasuke asked.

"Because you're not resting," Itachi said, smiling at the boy's dumbfounded look, "As your work your body, your muscles rip and tear themselves, and strengthen themselves as they also repair themselves. The same can be said of your chakra reserves." He explained, "The more chakra you use each day, the more your reserves will compensate for the loss, thus strengthening your reserves."

Saskue nodded, "Okay, I think I get it." The boy said, recovering from the training session, "But what else should I do?"

Itachi chuckled and jerked his thumb over his shoulder, "Well, I don't know about you, but I was planning to take Izumi around the festival grounds since the Rinne Festival is nearly set up. Why not ask Sakura and Naruto to walk around with you, and enjoy the sights?"

Meanwhile...

Tayuya frowned as she moved slowly through the gates of Konoha with the large group of people as they hurried to see what the festival had to offer. It was a completely alien feeling to mingle with these people. As she passed through the gates, the guards didn't even think to check her over. She wasn't even hiding her chakra. But she could sense a few of the entertainers with small amounts of chakra, which meant these people knew how to utilize it to a certain extent, if only to put on a show.

'I can't believe I'm inside the walls of the second most powerful village known to the Elemental Nations,' she thought to herself, frowning as she passed by the shops, and the people bustling about, some of them waving to the troupe. 'And they don't even suspect me!'

Granted that she had only a moderate amount of chakra herself, but it was much more than what these people around her had. Yet no one suspected her of treachery.

She reached into her pocket, fingering the small bottle of pills given to her. As her hair had been dyed black, if she was seen with a Sharingan, she would easily pass for an Uchiha, even with her slightly darker skin. She could just barely pull it off. She didn't like the idea of using the pills, but given the chance to take a Jutsu from one the Leaf's renown clans was something she didn't dare pass up, given how Orochimaru desired many of them.

The Curse Mark was bad enough, but to think of using a pill that had once caused its users to go blind after the effects wore off was frightening. No, even if she was backed into a corner, she would rather die than use the pills, even if the blindness had been weeded out from the drug.

She moved slowly out of the troupe and into the crowded streets of the village. The first thing she needed to do was find a place to stay until her time in the village was over. And then she needed to figure out the lay of the village; all of the alleys, and any sort of way to get out of the village if she needed to. All she would need to do that was to wander the village, playing at seeing the sights of the festival. After that, she would need to find a way into the Konoha library. Once there she could copy any Jutsu that she might find interesting, or useful. Oto was a strong village as it was, but that was only because most of her forces were enhanced by Orochimaru's tinkering. They lacked any truly powerful Jutsu unless it was possessed by Orochimaru himself.

If she could steal a few note worthy techniques, then she wouldn't have to resort to the Sharingan drug.

She continued to ghost right through the crowd, easily avoiding contact with anyone until she rounded a corner, and bounced into someone that was just coming around the corner. 'Dammit!' She cursed herself, allowing herself to fall onto the ground. 'I just had to be a fucking civilian!'

"Sorry about that," said a lazy voice as a hand entered her line of sight, "You're not hurt, right?"

Tayuya looked up the arm the hand belonged to, and found herself staring at a black-haired boy, his hair tied up in a spiked pony-tail that made his head look like a pineapple.

She took note of the head-band hanging loosely around his neck, and nearly lost her composure. He was a Shinobi, a Genin if she had to guess. And from the bored expression, she had to guess that he was a Nara. 'Okay, think...don't make a scene, and don't make him cry like a pussy...' She thought hurriedly, and reached for his hand, letting him help her up.

"No, I'm not hurt," she said, keeping her voice soft.

The boy frowned as she stood and dusted herself off, "You're not from around here, are ya?" He asked, frowning, "Did you come in with the performers?"

'None of your fucking business!' She gave the boy a smile, "Yeah, I just got here, really," she said, "It's my first time here, so I don't really know my way around."

"Figured," he said, scratching the back of his head lazily, "Anyway, I'm Shikamaru Nara."

"Uh...my name is...Utahime..."

And so many plots begin to come together as Team Seven's training begins, and Temari discovers a latent power she never knew she had. Orochimaru begins his plans for taking Kekkei Genkai anew, setting his sights on the Chunin Exams as a feeding ground for his peculiar tastes, while a spy enters the village.

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