Hi everyone ... thanks for all of the reviews ... yeah ... so ... um ... yeah ... in terms of the story ... we just finished the Jounin Exam Semi - Finals ... and we are now heading into the Final Match between Naruto and Sasuke ... it is gonna be awesome ... yeah ... but before all that ... like most great authors ... I will leave you guys in suspense ...

"BOOH!"

Yikes ... ok ... ok ... one chapter ... then we'll start the fight between Naruto and Sasuke ... yeah ... LET'S GO!

p.s. internet sux sometimes

Remember When

Last time on The Path to Hokage:

Sasuke was slowly waking up in the hospital. When he opened his eyes ... he found Claire hugging him closely. He smiled and turned his head to find Naruto in another bed on the other side of the room.

"Did you win, Dobe?" he asked mockingly.

Naruto grew (funny) angry. "WHAT THE HELL! YOU'VE BEEN UNCONSCIOUS FOR THE LAST TWO HOURS AND THE FIRST THING YOU SAY IS 'DID YOU WIN, DOBE!'"

Sasuke smiled. "Duh ..."

"OF COURSE I WON! ..."

"Ahemm..." Tsunade said quietly from the door.

Everyone turned and acknowledged her.

"I have knews regarding the Jounin Exams ..." she said.

All eyes immediately fell on her. "We're going to have to postphone them."

"WHAT!" Sasuke and Naruto yelled. "WE WANT TO FIGHT EACH OTHER!"

Tsunade laughed. "I'm only going to postphone them for two weeks. You two have to recover from your battles."

Naruto and Sasuke tried to argue but fell back into their beds, asleep.

Life was good in the Village Hidden in the Leaves ...

Sakura was walking through the streets of Konoha. Tomorrow was the big match between Naruto and Sasuke, the two greatest Chuunin the Village had ever seen. They were both lower ANBU level right now, and considering that they were only 17, they had the potential to be the best.

Claire and Ino were walking with her, when they noticed a change in her expression.

"What are you thinking about?" Claire asked. "If your still thinking about the match tomorrow .. I'll ..."

Sakura laughed, "Claire ... It's just that ..."

"What, Sakura?" Ino interupted. "Both of them are great ninja. It's going to be one hell of a show!"

Claire nodded, happily. She turned to Sakura, and realized that she wasn't as happy as she thought she would be. "What's wrong, Sakura?"

Sakura replied, "That's it. They're both the best. THE BEST. But only one of them can win tomorrow ..."

"Oh ... " Ino said. She understood exactly what Sakura was talking about.

"It's like History is repeating itself." Sakura said. "Remember what happened right before Sasuke left ..."

Sasuke glared at Naruto with his Sharingan eyes, "What are you laughing about?"

"Nothing," Naruto responded. "I'm just happy that I'm gonna kick your butt after such a long time."

Sasuke glared angrily at Naruto, "You idiot! Stop daydreaming! Come on!"

"First," Naruto said, "Put on your forehead protector. I'll wait for you."

"I don't need it," Sasuke responded, "You won't be able to put a scratch on my forehead."

"It's not that," Naruto angrily said, "This protector is a sign that we fight as equal Konoha shinobi."

"My Equal," Sasuke snorted. "Don't kid yourself."

Sakura could do nothing but watch as the two engaged in a fight with more and more complex moves up on the roof of the hospital.

At one point, tired of getting nowhere, the two young genin charged at each other with their strongest attacks.

"RASENGAN!" Naruto yelled ready to ram a swirling sphere of chakra into Sasuke as he jumped up.

"CHIDORI!" Sasuke yelled, lightning crackling in his left hand, as he headed down towards Naruto.

Sakura couldn't take any more, and she began to run in between the two. "STOP IT!" Sakura yelled.

The two ninja couldn't stop. Their rivalry might cause their friend's death.

"You know what happened then, Ino," Sakura said, quietly.

Ino nodded. Claire was shocked. "I never knew how deep their rivalry was. I mean I knew they were always fighting each other, but that's far deeper then any rivalry I've ever seen."

"I know," Sakura said, "But as Kakashi sensei once put it, their relation is a mix of many things."

"Care to explain some of them," Claire asked. "I really want to know."

Sakura nodded. "You see ... Their relationship is unique." Claire quietly listened. Ino turned to the bush where she saw a squirrel jump out.

"Back in their days at the Academy," Sakura continued, "Sasuke was always the best, and Naruto was dead - last. Naruto had a crush on me, but I had one on Sasuke like all the other girls."

Claire giggled, "I wonder why ... Please go on ..."

Sakura smiled, and she continued, "And when we ended up on the same team, Naruto felt that he had to prove himself."

"Why would he have to do that?" Claire asked. "I mean ... didn't he have friends ..." Ino paused looking at Sakura.

Sakura continued. "Naruto has always felt alone in his life. He never knew his parents, and the village shunned him for something that was not his fault."

"Why?" Claire asked. Ino shook her head. Claire understood that she was supposed to leave that topic alone for now.

"Naruto was constantly seeking acceptance and recognition," Sakura said. "He saw that beating Sasuke was the only way he could do this, and earn everyone's respect."

"And Naruto grew stronger and stronger," Ino said. "Sasuke did too, but not as much. That was where everything went wrong. Do you know why, Claire?"

"Itachi," Claire cursed. "Renegade S - class missing nin. Sasuke's brother."

"Yeah," Sakura said. "Sasuke lost his whole family, and he wanted revenge."

"But his brother was so far ahead of him, and he needed to grow fast in order to catch up to his brother," Ino said, "and get his revenge on Itachi, the person responsible for tearing his world apart."

"That's when he noticed how fast Naruto was growing, right?" Claire asked.

"Yeah," Sakura answered. "Naruto was growing so much faster then him, and Sasuke couldn't accept it. He used to be far more powerful, and now, here was Naruto catching up, inch by inch."

"You see, Claire. Naruto had already received everyone's recognition except Sasuke's. That's who he wants to acknowledge him as a great Shinobi," Sakura concluded.

"But Sasuke can't acknowledge it. It would undermine his own goal to defeat Itachi. It would mean he wasn't growing fast enough."

Claire and INo were quiet for a while. "That's a very complex and delicate relationship for two young rivals." Claire said.

"Yeah," Sakura replied. "It is."

"Now isn't that touching," a voice said from a tree above them.

"What the hell?" Claire yelled looking up at a strange figure in a black kimono like cloth with red clouds over it. "Who the hell are you? and Why are you here?"

The figure jumped down. He said, "I don't think my name is of extreme importance, but I'll humor you. My name is Rei, and I am here to kidnap you and Sakura."

Sakura realized that none of them stood a chance against a member of Akatsuki, and she tried to by some time, "Ino run. Tell the others about this guy." Ino ran away.

"Aren't you gonna follow her?" Claire asked.

"No," Rei said, "My mission is to get you two girls in order to lure your boyfriends out to face the power of Akatsuki."

"HA!" Sakura laughed, "Those two can easily kick your ass."

"Who said anything about me facing them," Rei said, smiling evilly.

"Hu-" Claire and Sakura began to say when they were hit at their necks by a new arrival.

"Na ... ru ... to ..." Sakura murmered as she fell down to the ground.

"Nice job stalling," the shadow said as Sakura lost consciousness. "Master Ryo will be most happy with our success."

Sakura passed out.

Ino burst into the Hokage's room yelling, "AKATSUKI!"

Tsunade burst up. "WHAT! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED? WHERE'S SAKURA?"

Ino huffed, "Akatsuki took ... her and Claire ... they ... told me to ... tell you ..."

Naruto and Sasuke ran into the room yelling, "What just happened?"

Tsunade replied, "Akatsuki's in Konoha."

Sasuke cursed, "Itachi ...that && ... WHERE THE HELL IS HE!"

"No ..." Ino said, slowly trying to regain her breath. "It ... It's not ... him ... "

"What," Naruto said. "Are you sure? I mean ... who else would want anything to do with us?" He looked at Ino.

Ino took a couple of deep breaths before saying, "I'm sure ... He said ... his name was ... Rei ..."

"Whoever this Rei is," Naruto said getting up, "We're gonna kick his ass ..."

"Naruto ..." Sasuke said, "Don't rush into things ... they want to fight us ..."

"Where's Sakura? And Claire?" Naruto asked.

"They've been captured ..."

Outside the Hokage building, several ninja grabbed their ears when they heard two young Chuunin yell:

"IT'S WAR!"

Sasuke and Naruto were about to jump out of the window to meet their opponent when a note suddenly appeared and landed at Tsunade's desk.

"What's that?" Naruto asked. "Is it information about where we're to meet those idiots.?"

"Yeah," Tsunade said, "They want to meet you at the Jounin Exam stadium. They want you two, Jiraiya, Kakashi, Gai, and me there as well for some reason."

"Well ..." Sasuke said. "Looks like we're gonna pound some serious Akatsuki butt soon ..."

Notes: yeah ... hoped you guys liked the chapter ... i feel so bad ... I feel like I'm letting you guys down ... after making you guys wait for so long ... i have like super short chapters ... I'm really sorry ... and I'm really trying to make my chapters longer .. .yeah ... so please stick with me ... it'll get better soon ... yeah ... thanks