This chapter was brought to you by Team Outback (Razamataz22 and Kakarot Son).

…

"There you are," frowned Baki as he ran a hand along the cloth on top of his head. "Where have you been?"

"Alone," said Gaara firmly, so as to not reveal that he was in a rather vulnerable state. Though it appeared his sand shield was still working, it was still a little slow and unresponsive, and he could barely control sand otherwise.

"Your father almost threw a tantrum when he found out that you've been missing for so long," said Baki as he shook his head. "Anyway, that's of little importance now. I take it things are all well?"

Gaara didn't respond verbally and merely stared back at his sensei.

"I think we're fine," commented Temari as she gently nudged the man in order to remind him to be cautious. "So is everything ready for our little surprise?"

"Well, now that Gaara's here," said Baki as he slowly motioned to the Genin, "we have the final piece in place."

"Piece," repeated Gaara, not really liking being referred to as an object. Had he still been able to hear Shukaku's voice he could imagine it would have been different, but now that he was just himself, it was somewhat insulting.

"Indeed," said Baki, not noticing the indifference within Gaara's voice. "Now, you're aware of the finer details of the plan, but make sure you don't disappear like that again. If you aren't present for the invasion, Suna will almost certainly fall, so please stay where we can keep an eye on you."

Gaara frowned a little. They didn't actually care about him, they just wanted the monster sealed within his gut - he wasn't sure if what the pervert had done had gotten rid of mother permanently - to unleash havoc upon Konoha. Nobody had cared for him back in Suna, so it was a startling realisation to come to that all they wanted from him was his power.

Power… which he didn't have anymore.

…

Naruto knocked with a little more insistence the second time around. Still, there was no answer. He wasn't sure what would be considered proper in this situation now - to back off and come back later or to barge in somewhat unannounced - but he sure as hell knew that Hinata needed someone to talk to. He had felt bad enough already that Neji had instructed him to wait a day before talking to her. Gulping slightly, he turned the doorknob with a hint of hesitation but was surprised to find it unlocked.

Perhaps whoever had gone out last had forgotten to lock it? Then again with the Byakugan, it's not as though the Hyuga really needed more security, since any member of the clan would probably easily pick out a burglar. Slowly stepping in, he called out, "Hello?"

He received no response and walked further into unfamiliar territory. His eyes gazing around the room, he noted that everything was pristine, which he gathered was just a part of being a member of the Hyuga clan.

"Y-You," a strong voice stuttered as Naruto spun towards it. "Why are you here?"

"Uhh," paused Naruto as he looked at the owner of the voice, a young Hyuuga child with hair that fell below her shoulders. "Who are you exactly?"

"My name is Hanabi," she responded before frowning. "Who let you in here? Are you here for my sister?"

"I'm not sure," responded a confused Naruto. "I'm looking for Hinata. You've probably heard of her… Neji told me to swing by and I got told that his Dad said it was alright... or at least it was something like that.. so can I-"

"Well, Hinata nee-san isn't taking any visitors," she almost sneered, her voice mature beyond her age. Neji's father had been dead for years, and she doubted her father would have approved of him visiting, so the blond was most likely trying to wriggle his way around her. "Leave before I call the guards."

"I'm just here to help Hinata," protested Naruto as he drew his hands in front of him. "That's all, I swear. I'm sure she'd be happy to see me too…" Naruto's eyes suddenly widened as he saw that the girl's right arm was covered in plaster. "Hang on, you're Hinata's sister!"

"I just said that," she said unimpressed. "Look, my sister isn't feeling too well at the moment, so could you please leave?"

"Damn, Neji didn't tell me she was sick too," frowned Naruto. "I thought she was just feeling bad because of the cursed seal…"

Hanabi's eyes almost instantly narrowed. Those who had seen the little training incident a while ago had been instructed that if one word were to slip, a kunai would accidentally slip across their throats. Aside from her team and a few other high ranking ninja, nobody else should have known about it. "How do you know about that?"

"A pervert told me," said Naruto, making Hanabi's eyes go wide before he continued. "Can I just have two minutes with her? If she wants me to leave after that, I will with no questions asked."

Hanabi weighed up her options a little nervously. Her father would no doubt be disappointed if she were to let an intruder go any further into the house, especially considering her sister's current state, but at the same time her sister needed some kind of an intervention. That sparring match two weeks ago had been the first time she'd ever been hurt by Hinata's hand, or at least enough for the injury to have not faded away by the end of the match. It was the first form of violent behaviour that Hinata, her normally caring and loving sister, had ever exhibited. Whatever that seal was doing, it was definitely changing her for the worse, and had Hinata been in her normal state of mind, she would definitely disapprove of the things it was making her do. If the guy in front of her could help, then she supposed that she owed it to her sister to give it a shot.

"Fine," she grunted in an unladylike manner. "But if you do anything to hurt her, I will repay to you tenfold."

…

Team Nine met upon a training ground a few miles away from their regular one, further away from Konoha than usual. Neji had no doubt that this was so that, when they had an inevitable spar, their techniques wouldn't be compromised by any unwanted eyes so close to the final stage of the exams.

"My youthful team," said Gai as he stretched his arm, himself and Lee going through a set of stretches every bit as ridiculous as their training methods, "as I've told you many times before, I am immensely proud of the three of you for making it so far into these exams. Though you are not rookies like my hip rival, Kakashi's, team - who you have bested by drawing upon Konoha's will of fire in a more youthful manner - or Team Eight or Ten, you have proved yourselves a force to be reckoned with. Now the tournament is only a few days away and before we begin one of our last training sessions, since you will be resting up soon, I ask the three of you to state what the most valuable things you have learned in this past month are."

"Yosh! I shall go first Gai-sensei," exclaimed Lee as he saluted to the man, receiving a nod in response. "I feel that I have learned how to further draw upon the flames of my youth, and refined them better to defeat my opponents. Our encounter with the most unyouthful shinobi we met in the Forest of Death drove me to master the first four gates of the Hachimon."

Neji's brow furrowed. 'That must only be scratching the surface… there's no way Lee would reveal his trump card in front of me. I suppose that I'll just have to do the same.'

"Now, Neji, my youthful student, it is your turn," said Gai as he pointed towards the Hyuga.

"I too have worked on and refined my clan's Gentle Fist Taijutsu style," said Neji monotonously, not wanting to reveal too much. Lee was probably going to be his biggest threat in the exams after all. "Through my own powers of observation, I also learned my clan's Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms technique."

Gai smiled broadly, knowing that his student had youthfully jumped over the obstacles in front of him in order to learn the technique. Though it was a weaker form of the more powerful version that involved sixty-four palms, it was definitely a start given that branch members were never taught the technique. What he didn't say, was that he knew the prodigy was also holding back information on what he had learned, having realised that Lee was doing the same. It made him proud to know that his pupils were all geniuses in their own way. While Neji was what was classified a 'natural born prodigy', he knew that the pale-skinned boy put in his own hard work.

"Now, Tenten, tell us about how you have fanned the flames of youth within yourself." He gave a toothy grin as he pointed towards the girl.

"I worked on my accuracy with my weapons a little. I'll be able to kick the asses of anyone who doesn't have a counter for them," the girl said enthusiastically. "However, as Gai-sensei pointed out, there are some people that might be able to brush them aside pretty easily. So I worked a little on my close range Taijutsu and started learning a Ninjutsu to increase my arsenal. I don't know whether I'll be able to use it in time for the exams but one thing's for certain, I learned to not underestimate my opponents." She thought back with a sheepish smile to her battle against Sakura. "And that I shouldn't draw things out when I don't have to."

"It seems in defeat against the youthful Sakura, your mind has truly come out the victor," declared Gai before he started boasting about how proud he was of his students. Neji's thoughts drifted away from Gai's monologue, fully knowing that it would be something about 'youth' or 'passion'. Instead he silently prayed that Naruto was doing his best to get Hinata out of her slump.

…

Naruto couldn't help but feel awkward as he was lead through the hallways of the compound by the young girl. Every now and again, they would come across some of the elder Hyuga members, and Naruto's ears could pick up the word 'filth' and 'demon' every once in a while. He couldn't help but admit that it felt a little strange to actually know what they were all now referring to, but like always, he pushed it to the back of his mind as an afterthought. He had more important things to worry about.

"Over there," said Hanabi, pointing towards a corner in the garden where Naruto could see the hunched over figure of Hinata crawled up in a ball, hugging her knees as if her life depended on it. The area itself was next to the wall of the compound - the furthest part from the entrance - and he believed that Hinata had chosen this spot as it would possibly be the most isolated one in the area. Naruto swallowed nervously before he took a slow step forward, only to be stopped as he felt the hem of his outfit be gripped by small fingers. Looking down he could see that Hanabi had a vice like grip on his jumper and small tears were starting to swell within her eyes. "Please… help my nee-san."

The tears in her eyes never fell as she felt a comforting hand placed gently atop her head. A few members of the clan who were passing by saw this interaction as a great dishonor, but Hanabi couldn't help but feel confused as to just what was happening while her grip on his clothing loosened.

"You can trust me."

By the time Hanabi looked up, Naruto was too far out of reach, his strides purposeful as he made his way to where Hinata sat. For the young Hyuga, this feeling of reassurance was unfamiliar to her. Was this how people treated one another outside the clan walls? For some reason, she couldn't help but smile and turned around; there was no need for her to see anymore. She didn't know how, but somehow she knew that everything was going to be alright.

A few members of the Hyuga clan couldn't really help but be curious, as they watched the orange clad Genin walk towards the heir of the clan as if it was nothing. He did nothing to announce his presence and acted as if being the heir to such a prestigious clan meant nothing. Furthermore, when he got within touching distance, he placed his hand on Hinata's shoulder, and before anybody could react, there was a puff of smoke before the two humanoid figures were replaced with two logs.

It took Hinata the better part of five seconds to realise that the location around her had changed. Looking up, she felt her features start to become hot as she looked upon the face of her crush. "Do you mind coming for a run?" he asked. "If we don't get some distance soon I'm going to be arrested for kidnapping."

…

Sasuke caught a punch from Sakura effortlessly, and used his grip on the girl's fist to twist her forearm painfully.

"Fine, fine, you win," the girl said breathlessly, not having the energy to break out the boy's hold. The fight she had had with Tenten just a day prior had left her fairly exhausted; being poisoned and whatnot wasn't very pleasant. And even if she did manage to get out of his grip, she was willing to bet she wouldn't last much longer anyway.

"Now, now, Sasuke, there was no need for you to play rough like that," said Kakashi's familiar voice as he made an appearance.

Sakura blushed slightly as the implication of what the one-eyed pervert was saying ran through her head. "We were wondering when you'd make an appearance, Kakashi-sensei."

"I had half a mind to not turn up at all," admitted the masked Jounin. "But there's something I need to talk to the three of you about. Find Naruto and meet me back here in half an hour."

"Why don't you just tell us what you've got to say and we'll pass it onto Naruto?" asked Sasuke, despite knowing just how stubborn the man in front of them was.

"Where would be the fun in that?" And just like that, he was gone as fast as he came.

...

Hinata panted lightly as she bent over, clasping her knees. As soon as Naruto had uttered the word 'kidnapping' she realised just what the blond-haired boy had done. While it was nothing menacing in nature, the fact that apparently nobody had been told beforehand would mean that the entirety of the clan would be searching for her until she returned, and even then it didn't mean that Naruto would be out of the woods.

"Think we should be fine here," said Naruto as he eyed off the clearing. Unlike Hinata, he showed no signs of fatigue, but considering the intense ball of energy that he was it came with no surprise.

"N-Naruto-kun, why are we here?" asked Hinata as she lifted her head.

"There's something I have to show you," said Naruto, looking HInata in the eye as she stood upright. Without further warning he began taking off his jacket and shirt which made Hinata go a deep shade of crimson. That was until he put his hands into a seal and started moulding chakra. At first, confusion ran supreme, until black ink linings began to surface upon his chest.

"What… what is that?" asked Hinata as she closed the gap between them to get a closer inspection of just what was in front of her.

"Just like how you have that seal upon your neck, I too have a dark secret," said Naruto speaking with an air of confidence that was out of character. At first Hinata was startled that Naruto knew just what marked her skin, and unconsciously raised a hand up to cover the marking as her crush continued. "These things, while dark in nature, are part of who we are, and we just have to accept that."

Naruto breathed in deeply as he tried to remember the speech he had prepared. After Neji had told him to come in the next day, Naruto had spent the rest of the evening trying to figure out just how he was going to do this. At first, he thought that if Hinata was in her room and it was just the two of them they would be able to have some privacy. Since they were in the open, however, he had needed to change his plan, but that didn't mean that his speech had been altered.

"These markings… they're not the end of the world, far from it, in fact. Something like this isn't going to stop me from becoming Hokage, and the one you have shouldn't stop you just from being who you are."

"Naruto-kun..."

"Hold up, I'm not finished," said Naruto before realising that Hinata's interruption had caused him to forget where he was. Before he could do anything though he felt Hinata's arms wrap around him and embrace him in a hug.

"It's enough, Naruto-kun," said Hinata as she held on tightly, her breathing matching his as her breasts pressed against his upper torso. Naruto was about to respond and say that he still had more to say, but was unable to say anything as he felt Hinata's lips press against his.

It was a moment that only lasted a second at most. While Naruto was lost in the confusion of it all, Hinata's mind went into overdrive, and the last thing she recalled was the taste of Naruto's lips upon her own before she passed out.

...

"There he is!" yelled Sakura as she pointed to a blond figure in the distance, another figure with black hair on the ground beside him. "I wonder what's going on. Looks like someone might need help."

"Let's check it out," saidSasuke as the two dashed towards their teammate at full speed. A few seconds later when they too were by his side, Sasuke called out to the blond to get his attention. "Naruto, what's happened?"

Oddly enough the blond ignored him. Sasuke frowned but diverted his attention to the dark-haired girl on the floor, "Sakura, you might want to check out what's wrong with the girl while I figure out what's wrong with the dobe here."

"Aye ay- wait… that's Hinata!" said Sakura in shock as she finally looked at the pale face of the girl. "Why is she on the floor?"

"Maybe that cursed seal of hers is acting up again," suggested Sasuke, turning away from Naruto.

"Nah, I don't see anything weird happening," Sakura moved the girl's forehead protector slightly so that it didn't cover the seal on her neck. "I better check her pulse, though."

Sasuke nodded as he turned back towards Naruto, facing the blond boy. A dazed look was on his face and his eyes looked rather starstruck, and Sasuke realised that it was surprising to see the hyperactive blond so quiet even though he was conscious. "Snap out of it, Dobe. The hell happened here?"

"... I have no idea..."

...

Sakura threw her hands up in relief, Hinata back safe and sound in her clan's compound and the rest of her team before her. "So are you finally going to tell me what happened over there with you and Hinata?"

"Nah, I'd rather keep that private," said Naruto, unsure if he wanted to reveal to his crush that he had kissed another girl. He still felt a little flustered and was most of all just confused at the moment.

"C'mon, did Hinata tell you some super special secret or something?"

"Even if she did, it's not like I could tell you, Sakura-chan," Naruto said as he stuck his tongue out playfully, figuring that would distract her.

"I'll keep my mouth shut, I won't even te-"

"What did you call us here for?" asked Sasuke, although he found the revelation just as… interesting as the rest of his team, he wasn't sure how to add to the conversation.

"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei, are we're going to get more elemental Jutsu?" asked Naruto as he stretched his arms, brushing off Sakura's comments. "I mean, we've already had so much practice with the last set you gave us, it's not like we're going to get any better at them."

"Hmm, I don't really think my cute little Genin need more destructive firepower quite yet," said Kakashi with a hint of a smile. "And besides, if I were to let them learn new Jutsu, I'm sure they'd spend most of our upcoming mission practicing them instead of focusing on the mission."

"Besides, it's not like all of us can master Jutsu in a couple of hours, Dobe," said Sasuke as he crossed his arms, knowing that, while the Lightning Jutsu he had been given was powerful, it was also incredibly difficult to perform. It required control over his Lightning Affinity that he had not yet gathered, as in its most basic form, he needed to coat his fingertips with lightning chakra without electrocuting himself.

"Well, we can't all copy Jutsu instantly with our creepy eyes," retaliated Naruto as he gestured to both Kakashi and Sasuke.

"And some of us don't have any super special abilities at all," said Sakura irritably. "So could we please just shut up and listen to this mission Kakashi-sensei's talking about?"

"Well, let's play a game," Kakashi almost smirked. "Why don't you tell me what your mission is going to be?"

"How are we meant to know?" asked Naruto incredulously. "For all we know, we might be going to Wave because Gato was mysteriously resurrected and he's threatening to blow up the bridge."

"Hmm, somehow I doubt that," Kakashi said with a chuckle as he whipped out the first edition of Icha-Icha.

"Don't be stupid, Naruto," said Sasuke with a light scowl, more to dismiss the idiotic comment than insult the boy. "It's obviously something important or he wouldn't have said that last bit about us being too distracted with new Jutsu to focus on our mission. I don't think he'd be worried that much if we were chasing Tora, the cat."

"Sasuke's right," said Sakura, her brow furrowing as she thought about it a little more. "Destructive firepower… does that mean we're going someplace where we've got to be careful to not overdo something? Like maybe guarding a rare treasure as it's being transported across the continent?"

"Or maybe we're doing something in the Chunin exams," said Naruto hopefully, not wanting to leave Hinata behind.

"We need to 'focus', so maybe we're fighting off a horde of bandits or something of the like?" suggested Sasuke, knowing that it was unlikely but he didn't exactly have much to go by.

"I…" began Kakashi, as he lowered his book, a serious expression appearing on his masked face, "have no idea."

Naruto eyebrow twitched, the comedic tone in which his sensei had finished the sentence irking him further. "What was the point of that, then?"

"To test your analytical skills," Kakashi shrugged indifferently, his voice resuming a slightly more normal tone. "Sasuke's and Sakura's are decent. You, on the other hand, could use a little more work."

Naruto stuck out his tongue. "Analyse this!"

"Ignoring the dobe's stupidity," said Sasuke, a smirk rising on his face when Naruto let out a cry of protest. "Who knows what our mission is if you don't?"

"The Sandaime," said Kakashi before revealing a little more information. "From the summons I was given earlier, it seems to be about 'C' ranked."

"So with our luck that means we've got another Zabuza after us," said Sasuke with a frown.

"The last one didn't turn out too bad," noted Sakura optimistically, recalling the kiss she had shared with Sasuke's henged form with happiness.

"So it's about time we had another one go to shit then," said Naruto with a goofy smile.

"Now now, let's not get ahead of ourselves," said Kakashi, silently hoping that the mission wasn't an envoy one. His tolerance of civilians had been running low as of late. "We were due at the Sandaime's office… let's see, two hours ago."

…

Hinata's eyes blinked open slowly as she wondered just where she was. As her sight began to regain focus, her senses informed her that this was her room of all places. It didn't make sense though; if she had been sleeping and it was all just a dream, then why was wasn't she wearing her pyjamas and why was she atop her sheets instead of beneath them?

"Hinata-sama, you're awake," said a member of the branch family who was standing nearby on guard. "Thank goodness."

"What… what happened?" asked Hinata as she tried to figure out just what was going on.

"That rogue kidnapped you in the blink of an eye, and everybody we could gather was quickly sent out in order to get you back safely," she said. "Yet not an hour later we discover that, while everyone was out searching for you, you had returned and were unconscious in your bed. I don't know what that fiend did to you to make you pass out, but the Hyuga shall not rest until he is here groveling at your feet for forgiveness."

"Please… could you leave me be for a moment? I need time to think," said Hinata, wishing to be alone.

"Yes, of course. Please do not hesitate to call me if you need anything," she said as she made her exit, softly closing the door behind her.

Hinata, meanwhile, was left with her thoughts as she realised everything that had happened hadn't been a rather vivid dream. She had actually kissed her beloved Naruto. The fact that he seemingly shared a similar burden to her was nothing more than an afterthought, as her fingers caressed her lips, causing tingles to shoot up her spine.

It was in this slight shivering that she heard the rustling of paper coming from her coat pocket. Reaching inside, she pulled out a piece of parchment, opening it up she began to read the contents inside.

Hinata,

As I said before, I know of the burden you bear and the problems such a thing can cause. What I wanted to say, though, was that you can not let this govern your life. You are Hyuga, Hinata, one of the sweetest and kindest people I know, and nothing, especially some black hickey is going to stop you from being who you are.

I would've preferred to say this to you face to face, and I can only write so much down before they realise I'm still here, but I want you to promise me something. I won't make you promise never to use the seal on your neck as there may come a time where something like that can save your life but I want you to promise me that you'll never stop being you.

Think you can do that for me?

I've got to go, I think they're starting to realise I'm here.

Naruto

P.S. The kiss was nice

Hinata couldn't help but smile at those few words on the bottom of the page, the simplicity of it was just like Naruto. Looking out the window, Hinata watched as birds flew past and her lips parted ever so slightly.

"I promise."

...

"So you're not mad that we're late?" asked Naruto in disbelief as the village leader merely nodded.

"It's something I've come to expect with Kakashi," chuckled Sarutobi. "Now we have serious business to discuss. I have a mission for Team Seven."

"You better have not dragged us all the way out here to paint some damn fences, jiji," exclaimed Naruto while his other teammates simply sighed at the lack of respect the blond showed the Hokage.

"Rest assured that this one will be a little more interesting," smiled Sarutobi. "It's similar to that mission with the bridge builder you had a while ago in that it will almost certainly pan out perfectly normally, but there's also a small chance of it rapidly climbing in rank."

"Sounds fun," said Sasuke sarcastically. "I take it we're the only available team, Hokage-sama?"

"More or less," the man acknowledged. "Unfortunately, I have to regretfully inform you that you'll miss the final stage of the Chunin exams since this mission will occur simultaneously with the third round."

"I told ya it would be something to do with the Chunin exams," said Naruto proudly.

"Not quite," chuckled the Hokage once more. "You see, you won't be here in Konoha for it."

"What exactly does this mission involve then?" asked Sakura, sick of all the suspense.

"Very well. The four of you will be over in Suna by the request of the Kazekage, where you'll remain inactive. Their collateral if anything is to happen to the Kazekage while he is here."

"You mean the Kazekage is coming over to watch the Chunin exams?" questioned Sakura in disbelief. That didn't happen too often these days with the tensions between the major villages.

"And would you seriously just give us up like that, jiji?" asked Naruto, a disappointed tone in his voice.

"To answer Sakura, yes. As for you Naruto, I never said that I was giving any of you up," replied the Hokage. "I have no doubt that should the situation turn bad, Team Seven will be able to retreat to safety. While this outcome is unlikely, it'll be good practice for you to be ready for something to go wrong. As ninja, you must expect the unexpected, and can rarely afford to be unprepared for a situation. "

Kakashi didn't even hear the complaints of his students as he stood in thought in a pose that would likely have Gai condemning his rival's 'hip attitude'. He had been on one of these kinds of missions a long time ago, and they were frequently done between allied villages. Essentially, they were there to bolster the numbers, but as the Hokage had said, they were collateral. If Suna was to receive a letter of any kind stating that something had happened to the Kazekage, then all hell would break loose and they were expected to shed the first droplets of blood triggering a war.

That being said, he doubted that any of his students would die without a fight. They had improved steadily since coming under his tutelage and, perhaps most importantly, Naruto still hadn't become Hokage yet.

…

Naruto stood awkwardly at the gates of the village, his usual cheery self seemingly gone. He was still disorientated from all the commotion that had occurred earlier on but with a little luck, Hinata would find the note he had left her. Since the Hokage's orders were absolute, he and the rest of his teammates were due to miss out on supporting their former classmates in the next stage of the exams. The boy had briefly toyed with the idea of leaving a clone behind, but he didn't want to have a few weeks' worth of memories gushing down upon him when he returned.

"You alright, Naruto? You seem a bit out of it," commented Sakura from nearby.

"What? Yeah, of course, I'm fine," said Naruto, startled by the sound of his teammate's voice.

"If you say so. I just hope you packed enough for the trip," said Sakura, hoping that the blond didn't want to share her toothbrush or something just as ridiculous. After all these years, she was still just know getting to know what he was capable of.

"That's enough you two," said Kakashi. "Alright you three, we've got a job to do and I hope you packed a lot of cool clothing because you'll be needing it."

Naruto blinked a couple times upon hearing these words. He hadn't considered the fact that since they were going to be in the middle of the desert that he wouldn't be needing to wear his iconic jumpsuit. How was he going to showcase the colour orange now?

"Just how long are we going to be in Suna?" asked Sasuke.

"Until the Kazekage returns from his trip," said Kakashi rubbing the back of his head. Just like the students in front of him, he wasn't really happy with the timeframe. As the details specified that they would have to wait until the village's leader returned, the Kazekage could potentially take a vacation in Konoha and stay an extra couple weeks to discuss contracts with the Hokage and they'd be stuck in Suna for over a month.

It was still better than chasing Tora though.

"Don't think this trip means you can slack off," said Kakashi. "While in Suna, we will still be training during our time there, and since we're technically on a mission, we won't have to go doing 'D' ranked missions despite how much I love boosting your teamwork."

All three of the students could pretty much feel the sarcasm drizzling from his voice.

"I wonder who'll get promoted," pondered Sakura as she turned her head towards the stadium the tournament would be being held in.

"Lee," said Sasuke, recalling how he had been challenged by the spandex wearing Genin before the first exam. He had learned a lot from that fight, and despite his overly joyous nature, he didn't doubt that the powerful teenager would earn his flak-jacket.

"Hinata will definitely get promoted," declared Naruto pumping his fist.

"We'll find out when we return, or perhaps you'll get a message of who succeeded while we're over in Suna," said Kakashi. "Come on now, let's stop wasting daylight. We've got a long way to travel."

"Yes, sensei," said the three Genin in unison as they leaped out of sight, travelling faster than ordinary civilians could ever dream. Their departure, however, didn't go unnoticed as Gaara watched from atop a nearby building.

During the battle that he had had with Naruto and Jiraiya, Gaara had heard the white-haired man say, "meet what you could have become". The volume he had said it with, however, worried him. Had he said it so that not only Naruto could hear him but also Gaara himself?

Laughing and talking with teammates, just having a good time with friends… could such a future still exist for him?

...

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