Hi everyone ... wow ... it seems that I'm starting every chapter with that these days ... lol ... anyways ... we finally finished the first of the two semifinal matches ... I know ... that chapter was &$# and a !&) all the way ... but all the same ... this chapter is here to make up for it ... so I'm crossing my fingers and hope you guys like it ... thanks to everyone who reviewed and those who just read ... i really appreciate it ... lol ... on with the story

p.s. I'm really beginning to like fuzzy brows ... he's really ... um ... "dedicated" to whatever ... coSakura .. cough cough ... sorry .. soar throat ... he feels is precious ...

:)

More then Just a Test

On the last time on The Path to Hokage:

Kabuto was jumping through the trees, healing himself slowly. He reached a clearing in the forest and stopped down. A wooden coffin marked with snakes and snakes surrounding it arrose from the ground. Kabuto bowed down, and said, "My master ... I have failed you."

A ninja slowly stepped out of the coffin, his hair short and black. His eyes were a light, evil green color. His face would have been called handsome, if this were any other shinobi.

"No matter, Kabuto," the ninja hissed. "I have found what I had been searching for. No one ... I repeat ... NO ONE ... stands a chance against me ..."

Kabuto winced, and the ninja continued, "Even Ryo will fall ... and so will Arashi's blood ..." The two ninja disappeared into the rising mist, and the coffin disintegrated into dust.

Not a trace of a meeting place was left. Strangely, a group of snakes emerged from the forest and began to slither around.

Sakura fell out of her seat along with a whole bunch of people including Claire. "Those two will never call quits will they ..." Claire slowly said, laughing brightly.

Sakura smiled back and replied, "Never. They have been rival since they first met, and they allways will be rivals ..."

The tow kunouchi's watched their boyfriend walk away from each other. One for a match. One ... from a match.

Naruto was now at the center of the arena, while the lazy Kaito had just stood up and was beginning to stretch.Naruto pouted angrily and began to yell at Kaito, "YO! YOU LAZY BUM! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

Kaito just looked at Naruto with a look similar to arrogance and a hint of anger. Naruto met Kaito's gaze without blinking and soon enough, Kaito began to slowly walk down the stadium walls.

Sakura was fuming. She agrily whispered to Sasuke and Claire, "That punk has some serious nerves making Naruto wait like that." Sasuke just stared on. Was there more to this? Was Kaito stalling?

Step ... step ... step ... it was driving Naruto crazy ...Kaito was purposely delaying their match. Naruto grew extremely impatient, but he tried to stay calm and began to talk with Kyubi.

Kyubi ... you there ... we need to talk fast ...What kid ... I was having a beautiful dream where this vexen was ... KYUBI! Fine ... Fine ... What do you want to talk about?

As you full well know ... I can't use my bloodline limit's chakra in combination with yours so what do you think we should do in this fight? I really don't think that Kaito will be happy with a victory.

Hmm. ... I agree ... this is a problem ... Kaito will probably go for the kill ... on top of that ... we might have the shadow seal to put up with ... but then again ... doesn't he need a sacrifice before-hand? Ok ... I have an idea ...

Waiting here ... Here it is ... so listen good ... bzz .. bzz ...

Kaito is here ... get ready ... Remember ... Plan A ... then Plan B ... if all else fails ... Run ... Ha ha ... very funny ... Go!

"Are you two ready," the judge said. He turned his head to both ninja. They nodded, and he nodded back. "BEGIN!"

To everyone's surprise, unlike the previous battle, neither ninja disappeared. In fact, they were both just taking steps around each other in a circle. "Huh?"

Sakura was shocked "W T F ..." She turned to Sasuke and asked him what they were doing. Sasuke didn't know what to say. They might just be mocking each other ... or what? ... Then, it dawned to him ... They're testing each other! But why that way ... what could they get from staring at each other?

Naruto smiled inside. Sasuke must be pretty confused right now ... He knows we're testing each other out ... but he doesn't know that we're actually seeing how patient the other is ... To hell with it ...

All of a sudden, Naruto disappeared in a cloud of dust. Kaito smiled, and he too followed.

Sasuke could easily see where both Kaito and Naruto were. Damn ... Naruto's moving at least 5 percent faster then my max right now ... I'm betting he can pull that up to at least 14 percent ... Shit ... this is bad ...

The audience heard a cling sound, and a gust of wind emanated from the center of the stadium. A few seconds later, another one and another one ... and another ... Pretty soon, the audience found themselves in strong gale of wind as they blows became more and more common.

The two shinobi reappeared a few seconds later at opposite ends of the stadium. Neither looked like anything had happened. Kaito snarled at Naruto at rammed into him. Naruto's mouth dropped wide open .

What the ... He's moving way faster then before ... I ... Ca ... can't dodge .. it ... Naruto just stood there in shock, and by the time he tried to, he was hit pretty hard. "GAAH!" he yelled, coughing out some blood.

Naruto landed face first into the dirt, while Kaito calmly landed next to him. Naruto shook as he turned his head. "What was that? ... What di - did ... you do?" Kaito glared at him.

"You have no idea how much I hate you," Kaito said, slowly, with anger resonating from his voice. "You took away my revenge."

"Your revenge," Naruto asked. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You ... and ... Sasuke ..." Kaito's chakra began to extend from his body. "You .. ki ... killed ... OROCHIMARU!" He jumped backwards and threw a kunai at Naruto. Naruto barely dodged to his left when he saw the tag.

"Damn it," he said, before the explosion knocked him into another wall, again. "Why would you care about that? He was evil ... " Naruto tried to speak.

Kaito glared at him. "That bastard murdered my brother!"

"O ..." Naruto said, "Crap ..."

"Damn right,' Kaito said, " HE RUINED MY LIFE!"

Sasuke stared at the two shinobi. Brother ... is he talking about that ninja Orochimaru said joined him a year before I came along ?

xxx

Kaito was jumping through the trees in the forest. "You'll never catch me, Niko!" He was laughing with a smile on his face. He turned around to see his best friend in the world trying to catch up to him.

"KAITO!" Niko yelled, "You'll pay for dumping that bucket of water on me!" As serious as the look was on Niko's face, he was just joking around. Life was good for these two.

Danzou suddenly appeared in front of the two boys, and they immediately stopped and quietly bowed saying ,"Danzou - sama."

Danzou looked scared, and he yelled out as he saw a muffle in the bushes, "RUN!" He pushed them out of the way as three Sound ninja immediately appeared and surrounded Danzou. Kaito and Niko stopped and glared at the ninja.

"What are you fools doing?" Niko yelled. "We are the top two ninja in the Root! We will take you out in less then a second." Kaito raised his kunai, already going through a series of seals.

"Hold your horses," a chilling voice emanated from behind them, "or else, your grandfather might have a bit of a problem."

The two boys turned around to see Orochimaru smiling evilly at them. "You see ... I want something from him. And unless I get it ... your grandfather might not survive this."

Kaito glared at Orochimaru and yelled, "YOU TRAITOR!" A hand stopped him. Kaito looked up to see Niko stopping him.

"Don't even try, Kaito," he said. "He's way too powerful for any of us." He looked at Orochimaru carefully, before saying, "What do you want, Orochimaru?"

Orochimaru smiled. "Straight to the point I see. I like that." He turned to face Danzou. "You should be like that, Danzou - sama. Anyways ... I want you, Niko."

Kaito stopped struggling in shock. Even Danzou seemed dazed. "What do you want with him?" Kaito managed to yell out before Niko silenced him with a wave of his hand.

"My brother has a point there, Orochimaru," Niko responded. "Why would you want me, a thirteen year old boy?" He glared. "I won't consent to anything unless I know what's going on." He took out a kunai, and told Kaito to do the same.

"We'd rather die then serve you," Kaito finished.

Orochimaru laughed, "Very well. You will get the info you want, but ... " He snapped his fingers. The Sound Ninja immediately grabbed Kaito.

Niko glared at Orochimaru. "I have to come with you no matter what? Right?" Orochimaru's smile was getting uglier and uglier each second he stood there in fron't of them.

"Right," Orochimaru mocked. "I want you because you have the potential to be one of the greatest ninja the world has ever seen. You would make an excellent ... how do I say this ... heir to my power and minions .." He laughed.

Niko didn't understand what Orochimaru meant by "heir" but he knew that it wasn't anything good for him. All the same .."Fine .. let's go."

Orochimaru and the sound ninja vanished. Niko turned to Kaito and said, "I'm so sorry, Kaito." He started walking backwards, away from Kaito.

"I love you, little brother," he said, "Good bye." He disappeared.

Kaito ran to where Niko had stood seconds ago. He hit the ground over and over again. "NOO!" He glared at the ground, and Danzou noticed black chakra seeping up from the ground onto Kaito.

Kaito's eyes turned black and he yelled into the sky, "I WILL GET YOU OROCHIMARU!" He broke down, "And ... sniff ... I will ... find you ... brother ..."

xxx

"Do you no why now?" Kaito mocked Naruto. "You took away everything I lived for. Orochimaru is gone. The Sound Village is gone. My brother is gone." His eyes turned black. "And ... It ... It's ... ALL ... YOUR ... FAAULLT!" He yelled.

Naruto, who had recovered, from his earlier shock jumped backwards. The shadow seal is being released Kyubi ...I know, kid ...Plan A? Do you really need me to say yes? Yes ... Ha ha ... very funny ...

Kaito glared at Naruto as he became more and more feral in appearance. "You think that this is just a game ... a game in the form of a match ..."

Naruto began to gather chakra. In his mind ... he had just entered Kyubi's gate, and was entering the cage.

Kaito yelled, "THIS IS MORE THEN JUST A TEST!"

Naruto didn't even wince slightly. Kaito's chakra aura flared up. "This is Revenge!"

Sakura was in awe. "Kaito is releasing even more chakra now then he was during his match with Zatek. This chakra ... it's limitless."

"Don't forget, Sakura," Sasuke interupted, "That Naruto's chakra supply is nearly limitless as well."

"That's true," Sakura replied, "But all the same .. I'm scared for Naruto."

"Don't worry," Sasuke said. "He'll be ok." Sasuke squinted his eyes. What's going on? He was losing his sight. He was losing focus ...What the hell? Sasuke fell over, unconscious into the stands.

Sakura and Claire yelled ,"SASUKE!"

Naruto smiled. "Well ... sorry to burst your bubble but ... " His chakra aura flared up as well.

"I don't plan on letting you win this."

Hi everyone yeah ... I know this chapter was kind of longer but still not competing with my longer ones ... yeah ... so please forgive me ... I fixed the internet problem just to face another one ... I broke my wireless card ... nothing big .. .but it sux for me ... enought about me .. yeah ... Next chapter: The Conclusion to the Semi's: Kaito's Hidden Strength.