A/N: I'm sure you all read my updated message in the previous chapter, yes? If not, it's not entirely important, I suppose, all it stated was I did figure some things out, but I didn't change any of the previous chapters so no need to re-read. From hence forth I shall try to have a great improvement over previous chapters but constructive criticism is always welcome. Thank you for your patience with this story.

This Chapter – Naruto and the gang return home and the leaf begins preparations for the Chunin exams, add in a little Naruto/Neji/Shino drama and the first competing teams arrive…yes that means we have a longer chapter on our hands, bear with me. I'm aiming to have between 8-12 pages in Microsoft Word per chapter so they should be slightly longer. Read On.

"Spoken word"

'Thoughts'

"Demon speech/speech between host and demon"

"Jutsus"

"Snake/Master speech"

'Demon thoughts'

(Land of Waves)

"So you're leaving us then?"

Team 8 was standing at the foot of the new bridge and we're saying their goodbyes to Tazuna and his daughter. Inari was no where to be found and the villagers were preparing to re-enter the market business and trading with other nations and villages.

"I'm afraid so Tazuna-san, our village needs us to return, and Gato is no longer a threat to you."

"We all appreciate what you and you team has done for us Kurenai-sensei."

"Think nothing of it Tsunami, by the way have you thought of a name for the bridge?"

"Well, we would've liked to have named it after that red haired boy, but he never gave his name and simply vanished, but your efforts we're equally important so we cast it to a vote, it shall be known as The Great Fire-Stone Bridge, to commemorate the cooperation between you and that Stone boy."

"A fine name Tsunami-san. Boys are you all packed?"

"Hai, Kurenai-sensei."

"Then we'll be off, thank you all for your hospitality."

"WAIT!"

"Inari?"

Inari came running up out of breath before holding out a small sealed package to Naruto.

"You met with him, the red-haired guy right, make sure he gets this and that it stays sealed."

"Huh? Why me, what makes you think I'll see him again?"

Inari gave Naruto a look that spoke volumes of his disbelief in Naruto's words.

"Fine, if I see him again I'll give it to him."

"And…?"

"And it will remain sealed until it's in his possession."

Inari gave a small smile as Team 8 turned and sprinted off across the newly finished bridge, the first ones to step foot upon its completed surface. They quickly entered the forests and were way on their way home leaping through the tree tops. Neji sped up in order to scout and Kurenai was preoccupied with the mission report, leaving Shino and Naruto.

"What's bothering you Uzumaki?"

"Hmm? What'd you say Shino?"

"My point exactly, I can not allow any negative feelings on your part sabotage the team."

"Hold on just-"

"Before you get angry, allow me to finish. I would also like to know as your friend."

"Friend?"

"Correct, I do not see any reason why we can not consider each other as such with the amount of things we have been through together, but if you would rather we were not I will cease-"

"No! I mean, that's not it, but you're right, we are friends aren't we?"

"I believe that is what I just said."

"Right, then of course we're friends!"

"Then, what's troubling you….?"

"Oh that, can you keep a secret?"

"Not if it is something that would be dangerous later, decide carefully before you tell me."

Naruto took a quick glance at Kurenai and thought quickly. 'She already punished me for taking off after Gaara, I even missed all the action, how would she react to this?'

"It would be wise to include her as well."

"Kyuubi…why?"

"You'll have to trust me at some point brat; I have no intentions of dying any time soon."

"…If you're sure?"

"Quit stalling, bug boy is eyeing you strangely."

"How can you tell?"

"Just go."

"One sec Shino, Hey, Kurenai-sensei, could you come here please?"

Neji and Kurenai both halted on nearby branches and turned to face him with questioning looks.

"It's not danger or anything; I just need to speak with you Kurenai-sensei."

"Alright, then let's keep moving I want to cover a lot more distance before nightfall, Neji continue scouting."

Neji hid a scowl at being left out and continued ahead at a faster pace while Kurenai slowed her pace to Naruto and Shino's.

"So what's this all about Naruto?"

"Um, well I should start from the beginning."

"A good place, so what is it Naruto?"

"Well…the thing is…"

Naruto gave a brief recount of his life from meeting Orochimaru and Kyuubi to his encounter with Gaara. Needless to say both Shino and Kurenai were shocked.

"You know of the Kyuubi and have met Orochimaru?"

Naruto winced at Kurenai's tone and turned to run, but Kurenai grabbed his arm and kept him running at length with her and Shino.

"Hold it Uzumaki, I'm not angry…yet, first I want some answers. And stop that whimpering, I'm glad you told me about this, even if it should've been brought forward sooner."

"I'm sorry."

"Now's not the time, first of all did Orochimaru use any strange jutsu on you?"

"No, he just supervised and taught me some jutsus."

"And your snake?"

"His originally."

"And Kyuubi, has he suggested anything besides this mating business?"

"No."

"I see, Shino, catch up with Neji and keep going till you hit the river –he is not to know of what you have heard- I need to speak to Naruto alone, you and Naruto can speak later."

"Hai, sensei."

Shino sped away after leaving two females for tracking purposes and soon he and Neji were gone from sight, leaving Kurenai and Naruto to listen to the bird calls around them.

"So am I in trouble again sensei?"

"No, not yet anyway, I'm glad you brought this to me and trust Shino with this knowledge."

"So what's going to happen?"

"That depends on what I'm about to find out. Take off your shirt and exude your chakra."

Naruto did as he was told, shivering as a breeze passed through the tree tops.

"Ok, do the same thing with the Kyuubi's chakra."

Again Naruto exerted his chakra drawing up the Fox's.

"Ok, you can put your shirt back on, there are no forbidden jutsus on you and your chakra system seems normal."

"So I'm off the hook?"

"Not quite, how do you feel about Orochimaru?"

"Well…he did take care of me before Anko came, and he taught me a lot."

"Let me rephrase that, whose side are you on Uzumaki, the Leaf's or Orochimaru?"

"W-what?"

"Think about that, I won't report this and I have no reason to distrust you, but I expect an answer in two weeks time, otherwise I'll have to kill you…From now on I'll be personally supervising your training, now let's catch up."

Kurenai turned and sprinted off after Neji and Shino, Naruto trailing behind her.

"Well that went well."

"About as well as could be expected brat."

"But I finally have human friends, and sensei isn't going to kill me."

"Yet, she basically just put you on probation."

"When?"

"The training deal, it's to keep an eye on you."

"Then I'll have to prove she doesn't have to."

"Then whose side are you on? Not to mention you can antagonize Gaara with the wrong decision."

"Damn, that's right; if he hates Orochimaru then I'll never have a chance with him."

"But, he's also an Iwa-nin, and Konoha doesn't exactly have an alliance with the Stone currently."

"So I'm screwed."

"Royally."

Naruto was sure Kyuubi's cackling could be heard from miles around since animals began running in the opposite direction of him and the birds quieted at his approach.

'How did my life get so screwed?'

"Its very simple really, you were born."

Kurenai turned to look at him strangely as they zoomed by dozens of branches at full speed, no doubt wondering about the wildlife behavior. Naruto shot her a shaky smile, one that did not placate her, but she let the subject drop and focused on reaching her other two pupils.

They reached Neji and Shino at a clearing a ways off the main road. When they approached it was obvious some type of disagreement happened between the two, Neji's Byakugan was activated and Shino's coat was literally crawling along his body.

"Is there something you wish to tell me? …Neji? ...Shino?"

"No sensei."

Shino chose not to answer, but instead turned once more towards Konoha and set off through the forest. Kurenai threw one more curious glance at Neji before racing off after Shino, Naruto not far behind her and Neji trailing at the end. As Shino ran insects from his immediate radius began swarming around him, his mood affecting even non-Kikaichu insects. Kurenai could even feel his chakra radiating off of him.

"Shino, this is madness."

"I'm fine, I'm collecting samples. At this pace we'll reach Konoha before sundown and we are well within border and scout patrol areas, there is no significant argument against my actions."

Shino's short and clipped tone, not to mention he sped up even more contradicted his claims of his well-being. Neji apparently was over whatever had happened as he was keeping pace with Naruto and trying to engage him in conversation. And Naruto…he refused to even look at Neji and kept glancing at Kurenai nervously. Her team was falling apart before her eyes and she only knew what was wrong with one of them.

'This has got to be a dream, or rather a nightmare; if I can't even keep team cohesiveness what am I doing being a jonin…?'

The rest of the trek was passed in silence, save for the buzz of insects, and as soon as Team 8 hit Konoha's Gate they all ran in different directions before Kurenai could get a word out. Naruto ran towards the Hokage Monument with Rapy wrapped around his waist leaving a cloud of dust in his wake and pushing past several now annoyed villagers.

'Heh, good strength and stamina training.'

Shino actually slowed down to a more moderate pace, leaving the forest insect at the gate and headed towards his family grounds, but as Kurenai looked closer she could still see his coat crawling along his arms. Neji seemed to have gotten annoyed at Naruto ignoring him headed straight for the Hyuuga Compound at a very brisk pace, not needing to push villagers aside, as they jumped out of the Hyuuga's path. Kurenai could only watch in silence before walking calmly towards the Hokage Tower to report. Her eyes betrayed her inner turmoil, 'What am I going to do?'

(One hour after Team 8's arrival, Konoha's Gate)

"Hold it! You can't just walk right in; state your name and business."

"Ahh of course, how forgetful of me."

The Gate guards intercepted a group of foreign shinobi, the tallest one had answered, in a very silky and smooth voice.

"I am Seiko Fura, and this is my genin team, we are the competing team from Otogakure."

"So you're the Sound team? Let me just check your papers…everything checks out, go ahead through, good luck in the exams."

"Thank you for your kind words, come along team."

The four shinobi entered Konoha and soon disappeared within the crowds.

"Do you trust them?" One of the guards asked his partner.

"About as much as I trust waking up tomorrow."

"Heh, you actually made a joke."

"That was no joke, there's something unsettling about them."

"Worry about it later, the Sand Team and the Kazekage are approaching."

"That's not….Welcome Kazekage-sama!"

The Kazekage of Sunagakure passed the guards a sparring look and kept walking with his personal escorts. The Sand's competing genin team was trailing after him, looking in awe at all the trees and wildlife around them.

One of the guards visibly relaxed after the Kazekage had left.

His partner snickered at him.

"Lighten up we got quite a few more teams to check in. Speak of the devil here comes the Cloud team, watch them, they aren't exactly allies."

Before either guard could speak up the leading jonin held up their passes, the Raikage's signature clearly visible on all of them and strode pass without a word, her team in step behind him. One of the genins, a kunoichi cast a brief glance over both of them on her way through.

"Did you feel that?"

"How could I not!? There's something about that girl that doesn't sit well."

The rest of the day passed in a similar fashion as the expected teams arrived and checked in at the gate. One guard let out a huge yawn as he stretched.

"Is that all of the teams?"

"For Today? Yes, the rest will arrive in a few days."

"Great and there is our replacements, lets go."

A/N: Couldn't think of anything for the Bridge name and I realized I really neglected Naruto in that arc so I couldn't very well name it after him, and Gaara was undercover so I couldn't name it after him, so I compromised. All OCs still not introduced will be in the next chapter.

Next Chapter: Gaara and the Stone arrive in Konoha, more Team 8 drama, relationship building and the like, yes this and the next chapter are mainly fillers, deal with it, the action starts in chapter 13 as the chunin exams begin. And if you want action, wait till Gaara meets his siblings and Father again. And just where is Itachi and the Akatsuki? I know! Do you?

So was this better? I know a lot of you are waiting on the romance, it gets a jumpstart next chapter, other than that any other issues? Reviews FTW!