Chapter 15

The Sandaime Hokage looked down at the teams that had made it through the second round. The record for being the first person to come here had been broken by the sand siblings, and even though Naruto's team was overpowered, it hadn't been the second team to make it here. Perhaps it was because the blond was making an effort to weed out competition.

The teams to have made it were still too many for him to take them all to the finals. It wouldn't be good if he bored people by allowing weak genins to make it to the finals. People would be expecting some good fights.

"Congratulations for passing the second exam," the Sandaime Hokage said to the gathered genins. "Normally, having passed the survival challenge, you should be heading towards the finals of the exams, but there are still too many of you. It is not by a big margin. We will have to cut some of you so that we can accommodate a small number in the finals."

As the Sandaime spoke, the Shikamaru looked around, seeing who had made it. All the suspects had passed the second exam. He had come across a team who'd been complaining about Konoha shinobi hitting them at night. It was not hard to figure out that it was Naruto's team. The blond had a way of doing things after all.

If he had the energy and actually trusted in his abilities to fight against stronger opponents, he would have taken that route as it was the easiest way of getting the scroll. Some teams would have been sleeping; tired from the exertions of the day, and that meant taking their scrolls would require minimum effort.

"Before I say how we will proceed, is there anyone who thinks they can't make the fighting that will occur in the next minutes? If you can't proceed, you can raise your hand…" The Sandaime stated.

Kabuto was quick to raise his hand, saying he didn't have enough chakra to go through and that his teammates were in no shape to fight. Kankuro also raised his hand to the surprise of his siblings.

Naruto looked at the 'genin' for a moment and then looked away. Was it really easy to lie like that? He may not be that much of a great sensor, but he was certain that Kabuto was not tired, even though he was making it look as if he was tired. The Sandaime Hokage wasn't someone who could be fooled that easily and yet he seemed to just accept Kabuto's reasoning without question.

He didn't forget that the man possessed information that should not be known. It was a strange thing that he didn't really feel there was a need to care if the man was a spy or not. Being a former Anbu, he knew how spies worked. It wasn't out of the question for a spy to infiltrate the exams to have better access to certain facilities and being able to move without being flagged.

"Are we going to fight?" Sasuke asked Naruto in a quiet tone.

He was happy to fight anyway. He wouldn't lose here. Not when he was just a step away from making it to the finals and he was certain that in the finals, if things went according to plan, he would get the chance to really fight Naruto. He would also get the chance to fight other strong genins. That was something he was really looking forward to.

So far there hadn't been anyone who provided anything that would make him feel pressured. Sure the raids he did with Naruto were fun, but there had been nothing that made him feel pressed against the wall. He needed to experience that in order to see how strong he has become. Measuring himself against Naruto wasn't really fair; even though he was loath to admit that.

"Likely," Naruto responded in one simple word. He didn't say anything further as the Sandaime spoke once more.

"We are going to proceed in this way," the old man started. "The teams with the most scrolls will be exempted from this round and will head straight to the drawing board for the finals. And the remaining teams will have to fight to secure a spot to the finals."

"Not fair!"

"We all passed the second exam; we must all be treated fairly. Why do we even get to fight while the others get a safe passage?"

The Sandaime Hokage merely smiled as he responded – his tone contained some steel in it. "Not fair?" The old man asked. "Teams who have the most scrolls fought the most teams and actually won those matches, no? Doesn't that mean that they are strong and ready for the finals? Teams with just two scrolls in the meantime were only able to defeat one team; this means that they had less competition. If we are talking about being fair, saying the teams who have just two scrolls have made the same effort as a team with 6 scrolls would be unfair."

Hayate took over from the Sandaime Hokage. "You were all given the same opportunities and the same playing field. Having just one scroll means you have barely just made it – even though that was the requirement for passing the second test. There are those who pass with flying colours and those who do just enough. We cannot simply put those two groups in the same room. Because your results show that you're not equal."

There were a few murmurs with the genins, but neither Hayate nor the Sandaime entertained them. The former merely continued with his job. "Team Baki: you came in first and had the second most scrolls, you're exempted from this round and Team 7: You came in third but had the most scrolls than any other team. We watched you executions, and you have been exempted from the preliminaries…" he paused for a moment and pointed at the balcony. "If you could just go and wait over there…"

Ino looked at Naruto with a careful eye. It wasn't that she was having any evil and naughty thoughts. No, she was just feeling slightly jealous that he gets a get out of jail free card while she has to fight. If she had been on his team, she would have been avoiding any fighting now, but because she was stuck with Chouji and Shikamaru, she had to grind through to get to the next point, it was really disappointing.

"You will not be fighting as teams but one by one matches. Know that right now, you don't represent your team, but actually your village and yourself. Those who will win their matches will go the finals. We will draw the matches for the preliminaries right now…" Hayate said.

The first match was drawn: Ino vs Sakura.

Second match Lee vs Kiba

There were other matches paired up. Hayate dismissed the other genins, and had them wait over at the balcony while Ino and Sakura stayed behind. He said he would call the other teams after each match is over.

Naruto watched as Sakura and Ino battled. It didn't last long, but he had never been so disappointed in his life. "Hinata," the blond said to his teammate, "If you fight like that, don't appear before me ever again. That was pathetic. If I was their sensei, I'd be ashamed to call myself even sensei. Why would anyone nominate such academy students to the chunin exams? The decision to put those children in this rings seems irrational and ill-advised."

All eyes turned to Kurenai and Asuma. "The next match is about to start," Asuma said rather quickly in a bid to have the attention turn away from him and back to the fighting.

Did Naruto had to put to so flatly though? If he didn't know any better, he would have thought that the blond was merely saying it to humiliate him and Kurenai.

"Naruto," Kakashi said to the blond. "Can I talk to you?"

The blond first looked at Lee curiously before nodding. There was really nothing for him to see down there. His team wasn't going to participate, so he could get away without watching anything. Besides, he did not wish to expose his eyes to another ridiculous crap called a kunoichi battle.

"Sure," the blond said.

Kakashi placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder and the two disappeared in a swirl of leaves. They appeared in a room with the Sandaime Hokage present. "Kage Bunshin?" the blond asked, his eyes sizing up the old man before him.

The old man nodded, "Kabuto," the Third said. "You have made contact with him while still at the academy… he revealed some information that should only be known to Anbu. Did he appear before you?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, he did not," the blond said. "I doubt he would have risked something like that."

The Sandaime looked at Naruto curiously. "What do you mean by that?"

"He knows that I know that he has access to secret information despite making himself appear as a failure for a genin," Naruto responded calmly.

The Sandaime was silent for a few moments. "I thought he would have appeared once again since we suspect that he is working with Orochimaru. In any case, this doesn't lift off any suspicions we have on him…"

"Why don't you just go after him and interrogate him?"

"He escaped when we were trying to do that," Kakashi responded. "The moment he left, Anbu were already on his tail, but he managed to lose them. They are still searching, but it's unlikely that they will find him if he was able to slip through them."

"Kakashi-kun," the Third said to the Jonin. "You can go; I want to speak to Naruto about something…"

A few minutes later

By the time Naruto returned to the balcony, the matches were already over and those who had made it were being addressed by the Sandaime Hokage.

"The finals will be held in a month from tomorrow. You will have this time to prepare for your matches and learn what you can about your opponent…" the old man turned to Hayate. "If you will…" the man said.

"We are going to draw the first matches for the finals," the man said.

First match was drawn with Hyuga Hinata vs Hyuga Neji

Second match: Lee vs Uzumaki Naruto

Fourth match: Subaku no Temari vs Nara Shikamaru

Fifth match: Subaku no Gaara vs Uchiha Sasuke

Later that Day

Uchiha Compound

Mikoto shook her head as she watched her son walk away from her. He was looking a lot happier about making it to the finals of the Chunin exams. Perhaps the thought of showing everyone what he could do was appealing to him. Well, she was also happy for her son. What kind of mother wouldn't be happy?

The Uchiha's glance turned towards Naruto – who was sitting beside her at the back of her house. She looked at the small garden, listening to the sound of water rushing through the streams that divided the garden. She felt content.

Naruto didn't share Sasuke's excitement about making it to the Chunin exams. Well, the blond was already an Anbu. This was something small for him and besides, her hero wasn't just a small boy – he was a man trapped in a boy's body. Mikoto giggled at the thought. Perhaps she was starting to lose it.

What would Kushina say if she knew how she thought of her son?

"You look… happy…" Naruto said to the woman on his left hand.

"Maybe I am," Mikoto said calmly, a wide smile on her lips. "I am happy for Sasuke. Seeing him so excited like this, makes me remember the old days. He was a sweet innocent child, and cute…" the woman said smiling.

Naruto didn't immediately respond – he first went through some thoughts before saying something to the woman. "I tend not to think much about yesterday and the last. I really don't care much for the past. Memories we have will always be with us, whether good or bad. Good memories should not hold us back from living the present and the future.

"The little innocent Sasuke of the past is gone. Perhaps parts of him remain but this is the present, not the past. Instead of focusing on the past, how about we look forward to tomorrow? Our future and happiness does not lie in the past, but we can find it tomorrow and now."

Mikoto smiled, it was a bit of sly smile. "You don't know much I am looking forward to tomorrow, dear. If possible, I'd wish for the days to speed ahead…" the Uchiha said in a firm tone, carrying some anticipation in it.

Naruto was forced to turn to look at Mikoto. She had a strange look on her face. Perhaps there was something good that she was looking forward do. He was curious. "What awaits you?"

"You," Mikoto merely said. Naruto gave her a confused look, but she shook it off. "You'll see eventually," she said. "I didn't think you'd be the one to talk about happiness though. Kushina will be ecstatic when she learns of it."

"I can imagine that. I think everyone desires to be happy at some point. Priorities sometimes get in the way…" Naruto said, his eyes staring into the beautiful flowers that breathed a fresh breath.

"If you wish for it, you can have it. You have me, if you require me to show you happiness, I can. I understand that there are some things you cannot ask of your mother…" she paused smiling warmly. "You have given me a chance to live. I know my sons are okay. That makes me happy, but you know, even I sometimes wish to feel alive. I don't want to grow old being lonely."

"You have my mother…"

"There are things she can't give and she is just s friend…"

It took two minutes for Naruto to respond to the statement. He looked at Mikoto for a moment before looking away. "You mean relationship?"

Mikoto nodded. "Your mother says she can't love anyone else but I can. This is why I look forward for tomorrow so that I can claim he who will make me feel alive again."

Naruto raised an eye brow, thinking. "I hope 'he' will be a worthy person, not a despicable man."

Mikoto smiled, it was a beautiful smile. "He is sweet when he once to be and I know he will make me happy."

Naruto thought of it before shrugging off his shoulders. "I have never really given relationships that much of a thought despite my engagement to Temari. Mother does wish for me to be in a relationship when I grow old enough. I think that will be a difficult task for me but I do understand that you need someone who cares for you," the blond faced Mikoto as he added – with a small smile. "I do hope whoever you find will care for you. I can say as much as I do because if not, and turns out to be a sly snake, I will cut off his head."

Once more, Mikoto giggled. She really could see that happening. Naruto would seriously do that. "I love that you care for me… granted how closed you are, I think it is something special and it makes me very happy."

Two days later

Kakashi didn't know how he was going to start this conversation with Naruto. He didn't want to come off as favouring Sasuke from Hinata. They had all made it to the finals of the Chunin exams, but he wanted to train Sasuke alone. With recent events and the fact that he was lot more suited to teaching the Uchiha Ninjutsu than Naruto, he thought it was best he focused entirely on Sasuke.

The Uchiha had a tough match against Subaku no Gaara in the first round and given how the genin performed, Kakashi wasn't going to take any chances. He needed to do everything possible to make sure that he decreased the gap between Naruto and Sasuke. If he manages to do so, the Uchiha would like be able to get the better of Gaara.

"Kakashi," Naruto said looking at the Jonin, "I actually wanted to speak to you about something," the blond said.

Kakashi blinked. "I also wanted to talk to you about Sasuke…" the stared for a moment, trying to read Naruto's expression but all he got was an indifferent mask that just stared back at him. "You wanted to talk about him?"

Naruto nodded. "It will be best if you take your time with him to teach him Ninjutsu. Lightning could be his greatest element, I do not know much about it. With this, I figured it would be best if you take your time to teach him whatever you think is best."

A little time away from Sasuke would do him good. It would be good to see how far the Uchiha progresses when he is being taught by someone else stronger. He did the best he could, but he could not teach Sasuke everything. Kakashi was an experienced Jonin and someone who had also taught him, so they could benefit something.

"I had something similar in mind," Kakashi said. "You wouldn't have a problem if I teach him a dangerous jutsu, would you?" Sasuke was by all means Naruto's student. The blond communicated with the Uchiha's mother and has been overseeing his training for some time now, it was only best he ask the blond's opinion.

"It doesn't matter what you teach him," Naruto said with an indifferent shrug. "At this point, I think he does need something strong in his arsenal. If he doesn't learn anything, he'll start thinking I am holding him back. Sometimes you need to nurse his pride a bit, but not too much or else he will become full of himself."

Kakashi nodded, inwardly he shook his head. Naruto had a thing about arrogance. It was like the blond saw it as a disease and was not above reminding Sasuke that he had his limits. Always remain humble, no matter how far you think you're progressing – that is something that Naruto apparently told Sasuke.

Despite all his skills and genius, Naruto was never the one to be smirking and hitting himself on the chest looking all puffed after accomplishing something – he always maintained the line.

Well, when it came to discipline, the blond was like a trained royal child. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he saw most people as low lives. He was above them, and his way of living should be better. Of course, he wasn't the one to lord over people.

"Hinata?" Kakashi asked. At least he had to know how the blond would deal with the Hyuga. Honestly, Kakashi was just a sensei in name to the girl, Naruto was her real sensei. Even so, he was the leader of team seven, he could not simply hope for the best without making sure that things would be okay. "How are you even going to deal with your own training?"

"I have sort of hit the barrier of my age," Naruto said calmly. "There isn't much I can learn now. I just have to perfect what I do know. Perhaps Fuinjutsu can do and I need to get better control of the power sealed within me."

Kakashi didn't show any reaction to that. Naruto didn't have a problem about talking about the Bijuu sealed within him. Someone else would be nervous about starting, but Naruto was not. Sasuke knew about the Bijuu and Hinata most likely knew about it. Being a Jinchuriki was something normal for Naruto and not a burden that he was forced to carry by the Yondaime Hokage.

The Sandaime Hokage didn't even seem to have a problem with him using the power of the Bijuu. The old man said it was fine as he was sure that Naruto wouldn't be corrupted by it, and as long as he wasn't drawing it unconsciously, there was no risk of the power taking over his body. Better control over it would be good for him when he does come to face other Jinchurikis.

"You don't really have a problem with using that power, huh?"

Naruto shook his head. "It is available. Only foolishness would lead me to avoid using it, even though it does cause my body harm. Well, that depends on how much I use anyway. A small portion does no harm since my body has grown used to it because it was been inside of my body since birth. I do understand my limits… I must admit that I have become rather dependent on it… every time I think of a troubling situation, the power comes to mind," the blond paused for a moment. "I must improve if I am to avoid becoming too dependent on it that without it, I will become helpless in battle."

Kakashi nodded. "That is something that you have taught Sasuke well… Hinata uses her Byakugan almost exclusively though…"

"The Hyuga taijutsu style is based around the Byakugan. Trying to teach her to fight without it, would require teaching her a new style. I will try to help her fight without it nonetheless. There will be enough time during this month," the blond paused. "I will need to leave the village to be able to get all the time needed to train…"

"You're going to leave the village without your mother?" Kakashi sounded shocked as he spoke.

"Don't be ridiculous," Naruto said with a blank look on his face. "Mother is coming along. I also need her help with some Fuinjutsu…"

"Will Hiashi allow his daughter to leave the village with you though?" Kakashi didn't see that happening. That man wouldn't allow for something like that to happen. With how the man viewed Naruto, it was likely that he was going to think the blond would influence his daughter in a bad way, even though he has discarded her.

"He doesn't have to agree to it," Naruto said indifferently. Seeing a raised brow from Kakashi, the blond explained. "Hinata is a shinobi of the hidden leaf, thus a subordinate of the Sandaime Hokage. If he says that she was taken away by her sensei for a month long training camp in preparation for the finals, he would not complain, especially if the Sandaime approved of it."

"Well that is what official records will say anyway," Kakashi said with a smile. "Do you really think these things on your own? That is just using a technicality to get what you want… have you spoken to the Sandaime about it?"

Naruto shook his head. "No," he said. "I will, but I have already told Hinata to prepare for the journey away from the village. We won't be going far anyway, but a distance enough to avoid unwanted eyes."

"Well, I'm sure the Sandaime Hokage has already figured you'd want to continue training Hinata and he will be making preparations of his own. His schemes need to work with you doing your part," the Jonin said carelessly. "What about the Sand Siblings?"

"They leave today for Suna and will return to the village in time for the exams…" Naruto responded calmly.

"Well most genins are returning home," Kakashi said, finding no surprise in that. Then again, Sunagakure was the only other village that had participants in the finals. The others were from Konohagakure. It wasn't that much of a surprise that the Hidden Leaf was dominating, the host nation tended to be the dominant force in the exams.

"How are you going to prepare your match against Lee, though?"

Kakashi was sure that Naruto would get the most challenge he has ever received in that genin. If the extremist in training hasn't been slacking off, then Lee would be a frightening opponent for Naruto. There were battles that even strategies would not help that much – especially in one that would be dominated by speed and physical strength.

Going against Lee would require Naruto drop his precious sword and focus on Taijutsu. Ninjutsu wouldn't do if you can't hit your opponent. It would be possibly for the first time that the blond would actually be fighting without his sword.

"I will figure something out," Naruto said calmly. "Physically, he is stronger than me and he is also faster than me. I am not slow by any means… I'm not too troubled by it either way. My focus this month will be on Hinata. She has to put on a good show…"

"Just make sure you don't neglect your own training," Kakashi said seriously. "Lee isn't someone you'd want to underestimate…"

Naruto stared at Kakashi blankly for a long minute before speaking – on the different matter. "Was the Orochimaru matter resolved?"

It would be a problem if the snake continues to trouble Sasuke. He needed the Uchiha for things to work out for him and if Orochimaru wanted to get in the way of that, Naruto would have no problems in plotting for the snake's death. He already detested the kind of human the snake was anyway, so if he became persistent with Sasuke, he would only get mad.

Naruto went deep into his head when he thought of getting mad. It has been quite some time since he actually lost it. He always remained calm, no matter what. Even when the villagers were cursing him in front of his mother, he had always remained calm. Perhaps it was because his mother was mad, and there was no need for him to be infuriated as well.

Two furious Uzumakis would only lead to a massacre.

"The Sandaime is dealing with it," Kakashi said a bit too quickly. He kept his mask when Naruto stared into his visible eye. He didn't want to let slip of anything about Orochimaru's plans. The Sandaime was sure Naruto would make his own plans and those plans would not benefit Konoha in any way. "I'll see you in a month…" the Jonin said before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Uchiha Compound

Mikoto looked at her son with a small smile. She was not disappointed that he was actually leaving the village to do some training, but rather she was happy. Kakashi came highly recommended and if he took things seriously, he would end up helping her son greatly. She would have preferred it if he was also going with Naruto, but she couldn't always get what she wanted.

"You seem a little excited about this," the Uchiha matriarch said to her son. It had been a long time since she saw him so excited like this – it was nice seeing that something could excite him. Perhaps his sensei had promised him something good.

Sasuke nodded, "With just me to focus on, I know Kakashi-sensei will not slack off. He was actually serious about training me, so I think we will be learning something that will help with my development."

It wasn't that he wasn't learning anything useful with Naruto, but he did need some time away from the blond. The thought that the blond was still his age still lingered within his mind and sometimes that didn't make him focus. But with the blond away, he could focus on wiping out that indifferent mask. Yes, he would tear off that mask.

Mikoto looked at her son carefully, "Are you not just excited that you'll get to train without Naruto and learn something that he doesn't know?"

Well, she could see that happening.

Sasuke didn't deny it. "Not just that, but we all win our rounds I get to face him in the finals, I will have something he won't see coming. Sometimes it is difficult knowing that whatever I do; I just can't seem to catch up to him. This is my chance…"

"You can catch up to him if you try hard enough, Sasuke," Mikoto said confidently. "Naruto is still just like you. You are of the same age and you're both geniuses. You also possess something that Naruto doesn't, the Sharingan."

"Naruto has the Sharingan…" Sasuke corrected. He was sure that his mother was very much aware about this. Naruto didn't seem like he capable of hiding things from her so the blond had to have told her about the Sharingans he has.

Mikoto shook her head lightly. "The Sharingans Naruto has can never be used in the same way as you. He cannot use any ability other than what is programmed into the eyes unless he implants them…"

Sasuke nodded, "Well, he is still a Jinchuriki…" that meant he housed chakra that didn't seem to have an end. Chakra was essential in a shinobi battle; Naruto was likely to be better because of his already large amounts of chakra.

"Naruto's strength has nothing to do with the Kyubi, dear," Mikoto said firmly. "Even without the Kyubi, Naruto has much more chakra than you, which is why he can use Kage Bunshins without any risks, but you can't. Despite the fact that he has large amounts of chakra, Naruto's fighting style isn't centred on Ninjutsu, is it?"

Sasuke frowned, shaking his head, "No," he said. "You never see him releasing jutsu after jutsu. Sometimes I even think he only knows two or three jutsus. He isn't afraid to use just one jutsu the entire battle."

"But it is quite effective," Mikoto said. "In any case, don't look at Naruto as a mountain you cannot climb my son. I believe that with hard work, you can do it. You are my son and Itachi's brother. It may not come tomorrow, but I know eventually, you will be better than Naruto. He isn't great it everything either."

That was something that made Sasuke smile, a beautiful smile that would have made Sakura turn crimson as a classic Hinata would and then faint a second later. "Thank you mother," he said. "Naruto is a short range fighter. He always needs to get close to his opponents to win. I think I will better my mid-range techniques to help make up for that weakness."

"Do that," Mikoto said. "And when you come back, make your mother proud, okay?"

"Of course," Sasuke said firmly.

"What will Naruto be doing?"

"I don't know, probably going to train Hinata to prepare her for the match against her cousin. He has been a little 'obsessed' in getting her into the right fighting spirit. He has done a good job so far, but with how much time he gives the girl, you'd think that he actually cared…" Sasuke said in thought.

Mikoto seemed amused. "Don't speak of Naruto like that. He is a sweet person. You just never see that side of him…" she said.

Sasuke looked at his mother with a stare. "The first few days, he treated Hinata like a pet mother," the raven haired said firmly. "I don't care much, but it says something when a person looks at another person not as a human but a pet. It was almost creepy at first..."

Mikoto laughed, "Well that is Naruto," she said. "He is special in his own way. Perhaps this is why I like him so much. He sees things differently, and while flawed, I think he is a good person."

Sasuke didn't tell his mother that the only person who could actually say that with confidence was her and the blond's mother. Not even Kakashi had at least once said that Naruto was a delightful person. The blond was just an indifferent person. His mother just liked the blond…

He shook his head clearing those thoughts. His mind almost drifted into a foreign land – it would have been something uncomfortable. "I will see you when I return mother…" Sasuke waved at his mother as he walked away from her.

Hokage Office

Allies were something valuable in the Elemental Nations, but one could never be too sure that they would be there to help in the time of need. The Sandaime Hokage had sent a message to the Yondaime Kazekage to talk to him about what he had learned about Orochimaru's plans. He needed Suna to offer a helping hand as a sign of their friendship and strong alliance.

It was still early days, but he was having a bad feeling. The man had so far said that he would only come to Konoha during the day of the finals, so they won't have much time to talk before that. He only hoped that things would work out for the best though.

But in case things don't work out, he would have a plan. You could not fully expose your back in the Shinobi world. There was always something that was looking forward to stabbing you. The Sandaime would make sure that even if things with Sunagakure don't work out; Konoha would be in the best position to handle its problems.

Of course he thought the possibilities of Sunagakure turning their backs on them were very low. Granted, the talks they have held and the agreements they have signed were not just a farce, nothing could go wrong. Sarutobi believed so. He had come to trust Rasa – but not with his life of course. Every Kage always did what was best for their villages – that meant anything was possible.

"Orochimaru has surely grown arrogant in his power…" The Sandaime Hokage said to Jiraiya – who was sitting on the window frame, looking outside from the tower into the streets of the village he called his beloved home.

The Sannin continued staring outside for a few moments before looking back inside the office and to his former sensei. "Yes," the man said in a quiet tone and a small nod. "I can't really believe that he is going to do it though…" he paused for a moment, studying the Third carefully, "How are you dealing with it though? Orochimaru was your favourite student."

The Sandaime Hokage lost his smile for a moment as he put on a disappointed look on his face. He shook his head, wiping the look off his face. He turned his eye sight towards the ceiling as he responded, "I did see him as my son and even though people told me that he was evil in the inside, I was blinded by my love for him. Even when faced with the chance to do right, I still could not do it," the old man shifted his gaze towards Jiraiya and put in a hardened mask. "But this time I will not."

"You plan to face Orochimaru…" Jiraiya stated with a frown. "You've not been getting any stronger sensei. You're way past your prime…"

The Sandaime smiled bitterly, "I know," he said. "But this is something that I must do. I have made so many mistakes in the past, and although I have been trying to correct them, the consequences still weigh up on me. I can still fight."

Jiraiya wasn't going to doubt his sensei. In his prime, the old man had been called a god of shinobi and that wasn't just something that was given to him because he was better – he had been an excellent shinobi and his genius made him feared and respected all over the Elemental Nations. He believed there was still one more fight with the Sandaime.

Besides that, Orochimaru was his greatest blunders. He had allowed the snake to leave the village when he could have stopped him. For the old man to have peace in his when he does face death, he would need to correct the mistake that he made.

"But if I see that you're struggling, I will not hesitate to interfere," Jiraiya said in a firm tone. "I cannot allow you to die. You can hate me in the end, but this village still needs you, sensei. Even though you're way old, you're still a pillar that cannot be shaken. You have had your faults, but you have always tried to do what is best."

Hiruzen smiled warmly, "I don't plan on dying anytime soon, Jiraiya," he said. He wasn't being completely honest with his former student. If killing Orochimaru meant sacrificing himself, he would do it. Of course he would worry about Naruto, but he was sure he had made plans for things to work out.

"Honestly sensei," Jiraiya said with a bitter smile. "I have lost Minato, no family left, Tsunade-hime isn't here, and if you go as well, I'd really be lost…" the Sannin said in a calm yet sad tone.

The Sandaime didn't say anything. This one of those moments he needed to get something strong to drink or his pipe. But he suppressed the urge. "You can try to get Tsunade back, and you still have Naruto and Kushina-chan…"

Speaking of the blonds just made the Toad Sage frown. "Tsunade has been refusing my advances and she has come close to breaking my bones each time I try to get her back to the village and Naruto, although he is my god son, won't acknowledge me as family. Kushina doesn't have a problem though…"

He could get along with the two just fine… his time away with them from the village had proved that. While he might not have grown closer to Naruto, he was still able to understand the blond a bit. If they share something in common, Naruto wouldn't have a problem with him. The blond didn't hate him anyway, just didn't care.

"Naruto is just a little detached," the Sandaime Hokage said. "He doesn't care for making bonds just for the sake of it. Naruto doesn't ignore you when you try to talk to him – he speaks to you freely. Don't force things, just allow things follow through their course and it will work out. As long as you keep making an appearance in his life, Naruto will notice you."

Jiraiya managed a smile at hearing this, "I just…" he trailed off when he heard a knock at the door.

"Enter," The Sandaime said.

The door slowly opened as Naruto stepped into the office. He eyes travelled from the old man sitting behind his desk and then to Jiraiya – they lingered on the Sannin for a moment before looking back at the Sandaime Hokage.

"Ah, Naruto-kun," the old man said happily. "Have you come for the preparations?" He spoke without explaining what the preparations were for. He knew Naruto would get it.

The blond nodded. "I'm leaving the village along with my mother and Hinata…" he said. "We need permission for that."

The old man nodded with a smile. "I have already prepared the documents and signed them. You should be good to go tomorrow morning. "Is there anything else that you'll need?"

Naruto shook his head.

"You need to keep something in mind, Naruto," the Third said in a serious tone. "Now that you have caught Orochimaru's interest, he will likely be after you as well. If you don't mind, it would be best if you permit Jiraiya to make visits every now and then. He will be doing the same with Sasuke."

"That is fine," Naruto said calmly. "I just wanted to make sure that things were in order. I have already had Hinata pack her things. I will see you tomorrow morning then…" the blond.

"Before you leave," The Sandaime started. "I want you to visit the gravesite at around 4pm. You should meet someone there…"

Naruto looked at the old man questionably but all he got from the Third was a smile and so he nodded and then disappeared from the office via Shunshin.

"What are you planning?" Jiraiya asked curiously.

The Third continued to smile before a few moments before he finally responded to his former student. "Naruto's captain in Anbu, well former captain. She is having some troubles and I'm sure she will be there at the site by that time. Naruto made a bond with his team during his Anbu days, so I am sure he will be useful…"

The Toad Sage shook his head. Well, his sensei was always scheming something. When was he ever going to take it easy? "Sensei," Jiraiya started. "Do you think that Orochimaru would try to get Naruto to follow him when he realizes just how he thinks?"

The Sandaime nodded. "There is no doubt about that," the old man said firmly. "But there is no chance Naruto will actually follow Orochimaru. If anything, he would join the hunt for my former foolish student. Naruto detest people like Orochimaru and would never allow him to get close to his mother. In Naruto's eyes, she is a pure person, just like Hinata is, and if Orochimaru got closer, he would only try to corrupt them."

Jiraiya appeared to think for a few moments before speaking once again. "Well, at least we don't have to worry about that. He also formed a rather strong bond with Mikoto and Sasuke seems to be willing to follow him without question…"

"He has," the Third said with a small nod.

"How are you going to handle things though? You're okay with him leaving the village along with his mother because he won't be able to notice the increase in security. Anbu forces already know, and the Jonins will be informed shortly. With Naruto away, he won't know…"

"But if he finds out while away, he won't bother returning," the Sandaime Hokage said calmly. "If something like that happens, it won't be good for him. The villagers will turn on him as the Jinchuriki and shinobi who fled from his responsibilities. They won't say he is Minato's son, they will say he is nothing like their hero."

Of course if something like that happens, Naruto would have an excuse to never set foot in the village. There were other factors that could sway the blond though and one was Uchiha Mikoto. The Third was positive that Naruto wouldn't just abandon the village without talking to her first. Mikoto would not leave because she has her clan to look after.

This meant that Sasuke would also be around the village with his mother still here. Things could still work out.

"Don't you think he will just disappear when he learns that the village is under attack?" Jiraiya asked.

The Sandaime smiled, "I have a plan for that," he said. "Don't worry about it – it is solid. It will make sure that Naruto fights for Konoha without any worries about his mother… you just worry about what you have to do and leave Naruto to me."

Jiraiya didn't like the glint in his sensei's eyes. It was always there when the old man was plotting something and he just hoped that it was something that wouldn't backfire. But whatever it was, he was sure it wasn't something he wanted people to know.

"What about Danzo?" The war hawk had not been just sitting quiet as the Sandaime ran the show. He was doing on his own share of scheming. It may not be anything 'illegal' but it wasn't something good when it was being planned by the man. There was always a sinister motive behind Danzo's actions after all.

The Sandaime's smile was replaced by a frown as he responded to Jiraiya. "That is a problem, but I am trying to limit the damage that he is doing. For now, we have Orochimaru to worry about. But of course that doesn't mean that we must take our eyes off him. One little slip and he will be ready to pounce."

Hyuga Compound

Hinata nervously glanced at her father, with her mind working out a few ways on how things would go about with what she was going to say to him. Trying to get him to talk to her hadn't been easy, but she had managed it. Perhaps he was willing to speak to her because she had made it to the final round of the Chunin exams.

"Father," Hinata managed to say the word without stuttering. Perhaps it was because she didn't hold many nice feelings towards the man. She wouldn't say she hated the man. Despite everything, the man was her father and nothing would change that. Even so, she didn't hold too many fond feelings towards him.

Naruto was always telling her to speak her mind, but when she was faced with those unflinching eyes, she could never really speak her mind about certain things and to think the man who could stare at her coldly was her father. She was nothing more like a slave bought at a hefty price for the Hyuga to use, but since she had been deemed useless, they had discarded her, but still wished her to live because they had paid a hefty fee.

"What is it, Hinata?" Hiashi questioned in a stern tone.

"I-I'm… I…" Hinata swallowed when her father merely stared at her coldly, twitching slightly at her stuttering. Any second now and he would stand up and leave the room. She would not be able to say anything to him. "I am going to leave the village with my team for this month before the final round of the Chunin exams."

Hinata was a lot more surprised than Hiashi at her audacity. The former Hyuga heiress had spoken in a firm tone, not asking her father for permission to leave the village but merely informing him that she was leaving. It sounded as if his opinion didn't matter in her decision to leave the village.

Getting over his surprise, Hiashi put on a not so amused mask on his face. "What makes you think that I am going to allow you to leave the village?" He asked, merely out of curiosity. He was daring her to give a response.

If the Sandaime approved of it, then there was no way he could stand in the way. She was serving the village as a member of Konoha's military force. If her sensei said she had to be at the training ground at 12am, she would have to be there. He could only use his power to make the Jonin in charge of her 'reconsider' things.

"I was only informed to tell you that I leave tomorrow and will return on the day for the finals," Hinata said in a humbled tone, her eyes not facing her father. It was a big ask for her to speak without stuttering, but facing the man straight in the eye would just shatter her confidence.

"Do as you like," Hiashi said dismissively. "It isn't like I have much hope for you anyway. You have disappointed me long before, I cannot expect anything good from you."

Interestingly enough, Hinata didn't feel downed by those harsh words. Perhaps it because she now knew that she was a lot better than what her father believed her to be.

Senju Compound

Kankuro stared into the sky running a number of thoughts inside his head. They were ready to leave the village and return to Suna, but it wasn't the return that was making him worry, but rather, what Baki had told him and the fact that he had to keep it a secret from his brother and sister.

His sensei had informed him of Suna's planned invasion to Konoha. The man didn't seem to agree with it, but still had to do what needed to be done because he was following orders of the Kazekage. The man had ordered his forces to prepare for war, and shinobi would do so. Sunagakure wasn't in the best of places, but still, it wasn't really in a position of power. It heavily depended on Konoha to thrive.

He didn't understand all that, but he still had to do what he needed to do. He didn't think that his father would plot against Konoha, but it was happening. Kankuro didn't really care about anything; he just wanted to make sure that his siblings were safe. It keeping this information from them would keep them safe - then he was going to do so.

Temari and Gaara were being kept in the dark because according to Baki, the two were much closer to Naruto and his mother. If Suna was going to betray Suna, it would really be betraying them. If the two knew, they would no doubt tell Naruto about it or his mother.

Kankuro had seen how Naruto acted around his mother and he had heard what his sister said about the blond when things relate to this mother. Kushina also really cared about his siblings, but he could not risk anything, even though he knew that. He didn't really care that much about Naruto anyway. It was a little easy for him to go about things.

"You've been spacing a lot recently," Temari said walking up to her brother. "What is bothering you brother?"

Kankuro turned to face his elder sister for a moment before looking at Gaara – who was just behind Temari. "Our father," the puppet user said. That was something believable because he was actually worried about his father.

Gaara looked at his brother carefully. He knew when someone was hiding something and he was sure that Kankuro was hiding something as well. But because he didn't know how serious things were, he couldn't say anything. Besides, he believed that his brother would come around when he feels there time is right for him to tell them what he is keeping bottled up.

"He has not been himself recently," Gaara said calmly. "I wonder what has been happening around. We are no longer to wander into the Kazekage tower and there has been a lot of activity within the village."

Kankuro was glad he had his face mask on; otherwise there would be some worries on his face. Gaara wasn't stupid. He was very observant, but he was not going to let anything slip through unless the redhead decided to use interrogation to get information. Kankuro really didn't see that happening, though.

"I wonder what is happening…" Temari added her own thoughts. "I thought things had changed, but now things seem to have returned to the way they used to be…"

Baki walked up to the three siblings before anything could be said. He got straight to the point, "I just received a message from the Kazekage," he said. "He said you're all to say here, as long as the Uzumaki permits it. If not, we will find you a hotel. I will handle your training, so you don't have to worry about anything."

Of course staying here was just a way for him to keep his presence in the village so that he could study the village's defences and study where and how he could attack. Understanding the enemy from the inside would be better in order to take them out.

There would be a lot of questions if he appeared in the village every now and then without anything really. With his students he could get in and out of the village in the pretence of taking them out on a training field outside the village. They had made it to the finals, so no one would question anything.

"I don't think Naruto's mother will have a problem," Temari said. "But the problem is that Naruto won't be in the village along with his mother. He didn't say anything about the details, but he told me that he would be leaving the village for some training time."

All the better, Baki thought. He could make use of the compound without worrying about the Uzumakis catching him. He just had to worry about Konoha's Anbu, but he was sure that he could handle things smoothly.

"I have already spoken to the Sandaime Hokage and he is okay with everything… you just have to talk to Kushina-san…" Baki said.

"Talk to me about what?" Kushina suddenly asked, as she walked towards the Suna shinobis, with Naruto slowly walking beside her.

Baki turned to face the woman. He really needed to keep his guard up a lot more. He hadn't felt the presence of the two before the woman spoke. In fact, he hadn't even felt the presence of the blond beside her until he saw him. What was with that blond, anyway?

"Rasa-sama has requested that you allow his children to stay here while they prepare for the Chunin exam finals. They only told me that you were leaving the village…"

Kushina blinked. "Well yeah, we are leaving the village, but I don't see any problem if you stay here anyway. I will have Mikoto-chan keep an eye them while away…" she paused turning to Naruto. "Would you rather we leave with them? It could be fun…"

Naruto shook his head. "They will be opponents in the finals, it will be best I not see anything of their abilities as they train," the blond responded calmly.

"Well, I tried," Kushina mumbled.

Naruto wasn't worried about the three staying here while he was away. The Senju compound didn't have anything valuable in it that they could find. The only valuable thing was protected by a blood seal, and finding it wasn't likely unless they were searching for it. The rest of his 'assets' were inside the safety of his house.

Kushina smiled as she looked at the Sand kids, "Well, come on you guys. If you are going to stay here for a month, we need to stock up the food for you stay. You're my guests, so I can't have you buy your own food."

Root bases

Danzo narrowed his eyes at Orochimaru as the snake Sannin walked through his 'house' with Kabuto right beside him. "What are you playing at Orochimaru?" The war hawk demanded as the snake neared him.

"What do you mean by that, Danzo?" Orochimaru asked innocently. He knew what the man was talking about, but it was fun seeing Danzo make that face. He got a glare from the man and he merely laughed in response.

"Don't make me reconsider colluding with you, Orochimaru," Danzo stated in a firm tone.

Orochimaru shrugged. "You didn't have a choice in the matter. For you to get what you want, you need me…" the snake smirked. "You shouldn't say such careless things, Danzo. I could handle things on my part without you, but working with you making things a little interesting…"

Danzo was quiet for a few moments as he mulled over his thoughts. If he really had any other option, he would have not have asked the Sannin for his help. Well, it just happened that the snake was acting and it was something that could work for him and so he decided to hitch a hike.

"Nevertheless, if you're going to continue working with me, I'll need you to tell me when you are going to do things that I will find troubling…" Danzo stated firmly.

"Continue?" Orochimaru said in an amused tone. "Come on, Danzo, we both know that as soon as you have Konoha in your hands, you will try to get rid of me. I'm useful right now, but once you have gained what you need, you will try to kill me. I have been working with you for a long time; do you really think that I naively walk with you thinking we can be real partners?"

"I guess I will have to find the answers on my own then," Danzo said, ignoring Orochimaru's question. "I want the Uchiha, and I will very like it if you keep your distance… Naruto is also off limits…"

"You can't have everything you want, Danzo," Orochimaru said calmly. "Speaking of Naruto-kun, what can you tell about him? He seems a lot more interesting than I first thought."

"I heard he humiliated you," Danzo said. If he could smile, he would be smiling right about now. He really did some satisfaction in knowing that the snake had been humiliated by a mere brat. "That must have wounded your pride."

"Kukukukukukukuku," Orochimaru burst out laughing. "I must say he caught me by surprise. I didn't think that I would see the Hiraishin in action in his hands, and he seems to control the Kyubi's power to some degree."

"There is more to him than that," Danzo said. "He is a cunning child, and a former Anbu. I will need him for my new Konoha. The power of the Kyubi needs to be used for Konoha's safety and goals…" the war hawk paused as he changed the subject. "How are things at your end?"

"Fine," Orochimaru said with a grin. "Things are moving smoothly. I just hope you don't plan on stabbing me in the back right after I kill my sensei…"

"I will be busy," Danzo said. "I'm sure you'll have something planned up just in case."

"You know me," Orochimaru said, smiling. "Make sure you hold you end of the deal Danzo. I don't want to use threats, but there will be consequences if you don't. I have nothing to lose in this, but with you, you have everything to lose."

Graveyard

Naruto was surprised when he saw Yugao at the site. He was not really expecting to see her of all people. The Sandaime had said that he would meet someone, but never did he think that he would meet her of all people. What was she even doing at a place like this? And what did the old man have planned? This wasn't just something random. When it came to him, Sarutobi didn't do random stuff, everything was always calculated.

The blond shook off his thoughts and walked towards Yugao. As he grew closer to her, he heard a sobbing sound. Naruto didn't make much of it until he got closer to her. She was standing in front of a stone – who was buried under the stone didn't interest him at all, but he was surprised to see tears streaming running down her cheeks.

The blond frowned slightly as he realizing that the woman was crying. She didn't even seem to have noticed his presence at all. Naruto just stood there, his eyes analysing the look on her face: her eyes were all red, and she looked anguished.

This was the part of humans that was very much interesting. Sometimes these vile creatures could look so broken that it was almost sad. Naruto could not say that Yugao was pretending. She wasn't the kind to do so. She looked to be in pain.

Naruto could not empathize. He did not feel a damn thing within him. There was nothing that could make him move towards her to comfort. The only tears that moved him were his mother's. When had he last seen them? He could not even think of taking such a luggage to his mother so that she could comfort it. His mother was not a machine used to comfort people.

He was basically useless in this kind of situation, so why had the Sandaime brought him to this place? Naruto smiled when he realized something. He was never going to have pieces of his own. The Sandaime was a cunning and manipulative geezer who kept besting him. He had Hinata because the old man had pushed her into his hands, and now he was throwing him another piece to use.

It was like all the pieces he had on his board were all handpicked by the crafty old man. How Naruto hated knowing that everything that he was doing was according the old man's plans. He just could not get away from the web that connected him to the Sandaime's schemes.

This was another piece for him, huh? Well Naruto wasn't going to push Yugao away. He was going away for some time; he could use someone else to teach Hinata while he worked on his reflexes and taijutsu. He was going to face a speed demon in the finals; it would not do him good if he neglected his training.

He was not looking forward to having his mother nurse a wounded hurt, but this had to be done. Yugao would always be grateful for her help. He had come to understand loyalty was much stronger than strings of manipulation. Of course that depended on people – with humans, anything was very much possible.

Naruto took Yugao's hand and the disappeared in gusts of wind.

End of chapter

I know it must be frustrating that no matter what Naruto does, the Sandaime always seems to have the upper hand. It would be fair if Naruto does have his little moments, but at the moment, he isn't losing anything and only takes the initiative because things work well for him in the end.

I'm done with chapter 16, so I will post it within the next 24 hours…