Hiruzen pulled out his pipe. As he smoked, his body relaxed. He was staring out of his balcony, watching the twinkling stars.

"Mind if I join you, Hokage-dono?"

Hiruzen didn't need to look to know who it was. "You may, Namura-san."

Takeshi moved to stand beside him. They stood in silence for a while enjoying the quiet atmosphere. It wouldn't last, however. "How do they compare to them?"

Hiruzen tilted his head, contemplating the question. With one hand, he lifted the curved stem of his smoking pipe to his lips, drawing in a long breath of fragrant smoke. Exhaling slowly, he watched the tendrils of gray curl upwards, twisting and turning like miniature serpents. "You'll find out soon enough, won't you?" he remarked.

Takeshi nodded. "True enough, but I'll only find out their capabilities during the tournament. I'll be in Konoha for a month and a half, Hokage-dono. Give me something to marinate on."

Hiruzen chuckled, conceding. "Naruto's the spitting image of Minato both inside and out, and while Sasuke takes more after his father, his mother's influence is evident. He isn't as cold as Fugaku was. Make no mistake, the two are talented. Under Kakashi, they may very well surpass them."

Takeshi grinned. "They're the same age Minato and Fugaku were when they accepted the offer. Do you see them following in their footsteps?"

Hiruzen forgoed answering for to watch as Team Seven said their farewells to his grandson. A wistful smile appeared on his face when Naruto ruffled Konohamaru's head, playfully messing it. His grandson pretended to hate the display of affection, but there was the slightest of grins on his face.

Sakura interlocked her arm with her teammates, tugging them along. Naruto and Sakura were laughing at a joke the former had told, while Sasuke chuckled.

Focusing back on his companion, Hiruzen answered him. "The trial must not be going in your favor if you're desperate enough to ask me, Namura-san..."

Takeshi sighed, gripping onto the railing. "They're slandering my son with everything they have, and they've somehow managed to twist it into seeming likely that he's at fault. I need the Daimyo's favor, and those two are my only hope."

"The Royal Advisor not being in the Daimyo's favor? What a curiosity," he commented, raising an eyebrow.

Takeshi gritted his teeth. "I doubt I will be for long. He hasn't confided in me in months. The title's more of a charade than anything else at this point. The Game can be a fickle thing, unfortunately." He straightened himself, stepping away from the railing and turning to face him. "But I can turn it around, Hokage-dono. I've always advocated for the Court to send more support towards Konoha. That can continue. I just need those two to accept."

Hiruzen scratched his beard idly, inwardly smiling. He never enjoyed the game of politics, but he had learned much over the years. Now to pull a few more strings. "Ultimately, it's their choice, Namura-san. I can't force them. But I can, however, influence their decision… as long as Konoha receives a few more amenities."

Takeshi's eyes lit up with understanding. Experienced with the Game, he accepted. "I understand. What are you looking for?"

"I'm assuming you also copied Sakura?"

Naruto nodded absentmindedly. He grabbed the waiver from one of the chunin handing them out. "If anyone knew all the answers, she would. She can be crazy smart sometimes," he said, walking towards a secluded area he could read the waiver.

Sasuke nodded and went off to find his own spot.

So far, the Chunin Exams turned out to be interesting. The second they entered the building, they were hit with a genjutsu; however, Sakura immediately detected it, and they broke past the confused crowd to get to the true location.

They were met with a written exam that… Well, suffice it to say, Naruto learned quickly they weren't supposed to answer it. The questions were too difficult, and it didn't make any sense that they were allowed multiple opportunities to cheat.

And so, he used his Tremor Sense. He focused it on where Sakura's desk was located. If he had used it on the entire room, he wouldn't be able to differentiate who was who and what they were writing. But through using the desk as a conduit, he could feel every movement Sakura's pencil made.

It was a very simple matter to copy it.

And now they were on to their second task, the Forest of Death. He quickly skimmed through the waiver that the crazy girl with the skimpy clothes had required them to sign. Seeing it was a simple "we're not responsible for anything that happens" he wrote his signature on the bottom. He prepared for this for an entire month; there was no longer any doubt on his mind.

Having finished what was required of him, he glanced at the person who'd been on his mind since he first saw her.

Kurotsuchi. The girl who, without any obligation, was kind to him–an enemy. Even worse than an enemy, the son of the person Iwa hated most.

Everyone knew of Minato Namikaze's deeds in the war. Through killing a thousand shinobi, he cemented Konoha's win over Iwa. They hated Konoha ever since, even going so far as cutting all ties, including the Chunin Exams. It was… curious that they were here now.

But she was able to disregard all of that to be kind to him. He didn't appreciate it at first, but the more she talked, the more he was able to distract himself from hearing those jonin–

Naruto slowly controlled his breathing. Calm down. Now is not the place. After a few seconds, his heart rate returned to normal.

–discuss his fate. She never gave too much away, but he learned about her life, her character, and even her goals. She wanted to become the strongest Tsuchikage and lead her village to the greatest prosperity it had ever known.

He respected such a lofty ambition. He didn't contribute anything to the discussion, but… he felt like they connected.

After what happened, Kakashi had told him of what he'd done. It didn't sit right with Naruto, but after the man - Kitsuchi, he believed his name was - had just… watched as his friends brutalized him, Naruto honestly couldn't care much about him. But Kurotsuchi, however, he could feel pity for. To have to watch her father lose a leg like that… He expected her to be cold with him.

But to have her stare at him with rage was disconcerting.

Having noticed his staring, Kurotsuchi glanced at him. She held his gaze with a steely expression on her face, but after a moment, she scowled and pointedly turned her back on him.
Naruto sighed.

"I would stay away from her, Naruto-san."

Naruto almost flinched, but he held himself back. That would be too embarrassing. Gazing at the person who spoke, he was greeted by the sight of Ranmaru and his ever present smile. Despite that, however, his eyes didn't reflect any amusement.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "I don't think that's any way to greet someone after we haven't seen each other in a month, y'know."

Ranmaru chuckled. "You're right, but as much as I want to be cordial with you right now, I think it's more important to warn you." His smile fell and his eyes grew harder. "I don't know what exactly happened, and I'm not going to ask, but whatever it was, that girl isn't the same. When I first saw her chakra, it was normal, unassuming. But now it's dark and malignant, and contains even a hint of depression. Most of it is directed towards you right now."

Naruto bit his lip, staring at Kurotsuchi. Of course she blamed him and of course it would go beyond coldness, but… he had honestly hoped that wasn't the case.

Naruto nodded. "Thank you, Ranmaru. I'll stay away for her sake. I can understand why she'd feel that way. Kakashi-sensei really ruined her dad."

"Mm. Don't forget what they did to you, my friend. Whatever happened was deserved. It's unfortunate someone who wasn't involved got hurt because of it, but the world never is fair. Anyhow, how are you holding up?" The serious aura surrounding Ranmaru disappeared, replaced by a grin and twinkling eyes. "Konoha's quite an interesting place. I wanted to find you, but Raiga-sama and I arrived rather late. Could you tell me about it?"

Naruto shared in his grin, happy he could talk to a friend. "Okay, after this, you have to see this part of the forest that is just divine. It's one of the best views in the village, and there's a lake there that is just to die for, y'know?"

He was looking at her again.

Kurotsuchi clenched her teeth when she felt his stare boring down on her for the eighth time. She tried to ignore it, but when it kept continuing, she had enough.

She scowled at him, hoping he'd just leave her alone, but he held her gaze. Huffing, she turned her back on him. He should get the hint after that.

Her pencil snapped in her hand when she continued to feel his stare.

Kurotsuchi felt a surge of anger and frustration, desperate to escape from his pitying stare. She yearned to unleash her fury, to let out a scream, to do anything to break free from his unwanted attention.

He stopped. She sighed in relief when he did. Curious, however, she used the senses she had awakened the past month. She almost flinched thinking of the training she had endured to gain it, but she quickly shook away the memory.

Another individual was talking to him, distracting him from bothering her. Whoever it was, Kurotsuchi owed them.

Finished reading the waiver, she signed it on the bottom. She got up and walked to hand it back to the chunin.

She wanted to be done with the Exams as soon as possible. She hated being here, in the village responsible for her father's… fate.

Tears almost poured from her eyes when she thought of the memory but she held them back. Not here. Not now.

Every part of Kurotsuchi's body hurt. Each step she took caused her to want to scream, every air her body needed to live was difficult to produce, and her chakra coils burned, needing desperate rest. She wanted to so badly give it that rest, to just stop and sleep in the middle of the village, but if she did that, her grandfather would have hell to pay.

The Tsuchikage had taken personal responsibility for their training for the Chunin Exams. At first, she was excited. To be trained by a Kage? That was a privilege only the elite earned.

She regretted it as soon as they began.

Her grandfather did not relent. He put their body under the most intense pressure imaginable, and if they broke, medics on hand would fix them to do it again. If they ran out of chakra? They were stuffed to the brim with chakra pills the Research and Innovation Department had been experimenting on. Her grandfather had nonchalantly told them they weren't sure if there were side effects, but that they were going to be used nonetheless. With how much her coils burned, yes, there were side effects.

And she had three more weeks of this.

Sighing in relief at making it home, she opened her door, and was instantly hit with a rotten smell. She scrunched her nose up at the smell. Walking into the kitchen, she side eyed the numerous bottles of booze.

"I thought I told him to stop drinking so much," she complained. "I bet he hasn't even showered like I asked him to." As much as she wanted to collapse on the couch, she forced her body to head to her father's room, roaming through her house. When she reached his door, she wanted to puke. The smell coming from it was disgusting.

Opening the door, she froze at what she saw.

Her father's lifeless corpse gazed back at her, a bloody knife laying on his hand.

Her grandfather was furious when he found out. Her already brutal training was doubled in intensity. For 24/7 she and her team trained. Her grandfather expected brilliance from her, and nothing else. And he constantly raved about how she needed to win against those Konoha dogs or else there'd be consequences.

She hadn't even been allowed to grieve.

She handed the waiver to the chunin, not making eye contact with them. When they nodded in satisfaction, she walked to where her team was supposed to meet after they finished signing.

Her grandfather gave her two objectives: win, and kill the son of Minato Namikaze.
A memory of her father smiling flashed before her eyes.

Kurotsuchi's eyes hardened.

She would gladly do both.

The gates opened for them.

Naruto rushed through with his team in tow. As they blurred on top of the trees, Sakura asked what their plan was.

Sasuke spoke up. "We're going offensive. We find a team and steal their Heaven scroll as quickly as we can."

Naruto closed his eyes and focused on his chakra. When he opened them, his chakra flooded through the ground. "If any team gets close, I'll find them." His eyes lit up in excitement at the thought.

Sakura nodded beside him. "Okay, good. If everything goes well, maybe we can finish this faster than anyone else."

"Hn. Maybe. In the meantime, you're responsible for our Earth scroll, Sakura. Your genjutsu will be useful for that."

Sakura nodded. "If anyone beats us, I've put a genjutsu that makes the scroll look like a kunai, and an illusion on an actual kunai that makes it look like the scroll. If they aren't expecting a genjutsu, they'll be caught in it."

The three sped up, hoping Naruto would catch a signal from any team that neared them. They were one of the last teams to be let loose, so most of the teams should be active. He wondered if they'd encounter one of the Konoha teams…

If they did, they wouldn't show mercy. The second exam was a free-for-all.

All bets were off.

It was twenty minutes later that Naruto was able to catch a sign of anyone. From the very edges of his jutsu's range, he could sense three people jumping through the trees.

Naruto frowned deeply, motioning for his team to quicken their pace. "They know we're here," he said to the others.

After a few minutes of running through the trees, he realized the problem.

One of them was a sensor. They knew they were being followed.

Naruto bit his lip. His mind raced as he thought of a solution.

Lightbulb moment! he thought with a smile. Raising a hand sign, he formed three Earth Clones. Sakura and Sasuke didn't need prompting to understand why the clones placed their hands on their backs.

Naruto had poured quite a bit of his chakra into his clones, so he wasn't surprised when he shot through the air at speeds he could barely handle. The clones couldn't launch them at a straight angle - that was just asking to hit a tree - so they shot them straight up in the air.

They were midair, the wind buffeting their faces. Soon, they'd be helpless against gravity bringing them back down to the ground. Before that, Naruto quickly weaved a set of hand signs and launched his teammates forward. He couldn't utilize his Tremor Sense when he wasn't touching the ground, but he was putting the math he learned in the academy to use. He had an estimate of where the enemy genin should be.

And his friends would be on them quickly.

As Naruto fell, one of his clones shot through the air to meet him. He welcomed the hand that launched him towards where his friends were.

When he was about to land in the forest - roughly, he might add - he swiftly performed hand signs. Wind poured from his mouth to slow his descent. When he was satisfied with his speed, he ended his technique. Bracing himself, he harshly landed on the ground.

The forest now open to his senses, he quickly pinpointed where Sakura and Sasuke were. He grinned when he sensed the three figures from before in the same location as his friends.

A battle. And he wasn't part of it?

Time to remedy that.

Speeding through the forest, Naruto quickly arrived at his destination. He blinked when he saw three genin - with Kusagakura headbands adorned on their foreheads - struggling against Sakura and Sasuke.

They were engaging in a taijutsu fight with two boys - one with black hair and the other with brown hair. The opposing genin were being overwhelmed, but their other teammate - a girl with red hair - was staying out of range to assist with kunai and shuriken.

Without her, the boys would crumble quickly against the onslaught, and Sakura and Sasuke were too preoccupied with them to focus on the girl.

Good thing Naruto was here to help. Prowling through the forest silently, he maneuvered himself to get closer to the girl.

Or at least he tried.

When he neared her, the red head twisted her feet, pivoting her body. That was the only warning he needed to roll out of the way, dodging the kunai thrown at him.

He was sure he was silent…

His eyes lit up. So she was the sensor.

Forgoing stealth, he leapt out of his cover and charged her. Panicking at how fast he was running towards her, she hastily shot as many shuriken and kunai as she could at him.

He rapidly strung through hand gestures, unleashing a powerful gust of wind. The armada was sent flying in all directions. He inwardly giggled when Sakura sent him a fierce glare. A few had narrowly hit her.

The gust of wind continued barreling through. Too fast for her to dodge, the girl was caught in its midst, launching her back.

While she was disoriented, he rushed her, appearing before her in moments. Grabbing a kunai and hitting the back of her with the blunt side, he knocked her out.

With a grin, he turned towards his friends.
Free from any distractions, they swiftly knocked out the other two Kusa-nin.

As he approached the group, he raised a raised fist and gestured for Sakura to bump it. She met his fist with her own, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Naruto glanced over at Sasuke, who was rifling through the belongings of the defeated genin, searching for the coveted scroll. The sound of rustling cloth and clinking metal filled the air as Sasuke rummaged through the bags, his eyes scanning each item with fierce determination.

"Did you feel that was too easy?"

Naruto hummed, raising an eyebrow. "Nah. Personally, I thought we spent too much time on them."

Sakura fidgeted with her fingers, and cocked her head to the side. "Why? The Chunin Exams are supposed to be difficult. I didn't expect things to be so… easy. The first exam was nothing. I studied all those answers years ago, and you and Sasuke-kun easily copied me." She sent him a playful glare, and poked his shoulder. "And don't you think I'm happy about that. I'm going to choose where we're going to eat next time as payment."

Naruto grinned, bumping his hips against her, matching her teasing. "What, it's going to be Hebi's again, eh?"

Sakura sniffed and crossed her arms. "Don't you dare tease me about that when you love Ichiraku's just as much. And answer the question!"

"Fine, fine," he said, rolling his eyes. "I mean, Sakura, we've been training for two months. We had a mission in between, but it didn't last too long. While we trained nonstop, the other genin teams had to complete D-ranks on the side." He shrugged. "It just makes sense we'd be a lot stronger compared to them."

Sakura gave a small nod. "That–"

Sasuke interrupted her, throwing a scroll towards her. "They had the Heaven scroll, thankfully. You know, you two could've helped me look instead of chit chatting," he said, glowering at them. They sent sheepish looks back. Rolling his eyes, he continued. "As much as I'd like to hurry to the tower, there are definitely going to be a few teams waiting to ambush us. Best not to risk it."

"That makes sense," Sakura said. "I think we should wait a couple days at least before we try our luck. We could spend that time preparing. Maybe scope them out."

Sasuke directed an eyebrow to Naruto. "Find us a good place to rest, will you?"

With a roll of his eyes, Naruto got to work.

A/N: I got lost on the road to life, but I found my way, thankfully.

Hi, guys. Tell me what you think, would you? :)