Lionheart: Another update =) Would love to hear some feedback everyone. Thanks

I'm also looking for a beta, or perhaps someone who is interested in writing along with me. Time is a bit short for me, and I do have other things to do. However, I am determined to get this story through to the end and I have roughly mapped out where I want it to go and how it will end.

Who the Hell are they?

"You!"

Madara Uchiha hopped off the window and into the room. "Good evening to you too Sakura. I thought I'd pop by to say hello to the little Naruto. Is something wrong?"

His answer was the scalpel flying towards his face.

"Whoa whoa," cried out the man, raising his arms in defense.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Damnit, where did he go?" Jumping from roof to roof, Kakashi grunted as he looked for any sign of the man he had just fought. At the same time, he silently berated himself for letting the man escape in the first place. Not that there was much he could have done anyway to prevent it. He knew he had been outmatched after he took the first hit. If anything, it was his reputation and ego that had suffered. He wondered how he would be able to look the Hokage in the eye after being given such an enormous responsibility.

With each passing moment, his anxiety steadily grew. He was sure the mysterious ninja had some purpose in the village. And it was going to be up to him to stop him from achieving what he was certain was some malicious plan.

"Captain Hatake!"

Stopping, Kakashi glanced to the side. His eyes widened slightly. Quickly, he knelt down on a knee, "Lord Hokage," he greeted respectfully. As Minato landed, Kakashi took note of the army trailing him. All of them had serious faces.

"We saw the flare," said Minato, "what happened?"

"Lord Hokage," began Kakashi, all business, "I intercepted that man you told me to look out for."

Minato's eyes widened, "And, what happened; where did he go?"

Kakashi hesitated. Sighing he said, "Sir, I lost him."

There was no time for any response. A powerful chakra exploded within their midst. An orange glow surrounded Naruto's body. A change had come over the young man. His eyes had a fierce and wild look about them. He leaned towards the Hokage Residence, almost possessed. "He's here…the hospital…"

And then, to the amazement of all present, he vanished.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Whoa whoa," cried out the man, raising his arms in defense.

The scalpel passed harmlessly through Madara's face, despite his fake worry. There was a crash in the distance as the projectile broke through the walls of a residential building.

Dropping his arms slowly, Madara sighed, "Now, was that really necessary?"

Breathing heavily, Sakura bent into a fighting position. She raised her fists up, "What do you want," she asked?

"Really now," began Madara irritably, "I thought I made myself clear the first time. I wished to congratulate Mrs. Uzumaki there on the new baby." He nodded towards her. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Yeah, there is," she snapped. "You know I don't trust you Madara. Just get out of here."

Madara rolled his eyes, and then stepped forward. He was already prepared as Sakura's body flew past him. A very loud crash that shook the very room, made him cringe. He carefully placed a hand on Kushina to prevent her from falling out of the bed. She recoiled at his touch, staring up at him in fear.

"Let go of her," demanded Sakura.

Turning, Madara noted that a pink chakra was covering the female ninja's body. She seemed furious beyond reasoning. Behind her, a gaping hole replaced what had previously been a wall. The force of her punch must have knocked it clean away.

Ignoring her, Madara said, "You know, they call that destruction of village property." He received a growl in response.

"What do you really want," asked Sakura. Madara turned away from her. To his surprise, she didn't attack him. With an amused smile, he turned to Kushina. The fear in her eyes was replaced with a sort of stubborn courage.

"Wahhhhhhh."

The sudden outburst of baby Naruto distracted all of them. Three heads turned to the crying newborn waving his hands in the air and making a fuss. "See what you did now," said Madara, "you scared the little kid."

Ignoring him, Sakura rushed over to check the baby, who was now in his mother's arms. She shook him gently, while keeping one fierce glance over at Madara. The Uchiha raised his arms in mock surrender, "Hey, hey, I won't do anything here. Trust me, if I had wanted to kill you, I would have done so already."

There was an awkward silence as Sakura checked the baby's vitals with her medical instruments. Kushina stared at her feet, shooting glances over at Madara every few seconds. The sudden realization that their lives were in Madara's hands seemed to have calmed both women down. Sakura was listening to the baby's heartbeat when Kushina spoke up, "Thank you…thank you for not harming my baby…" Her eyes were downcast, but she was clearly tearing up.

Madara grunted and then waved her off. He had moved over to the window and seemed to be watching for something. He smirked, "Aha…"

"What," asked Sakura?

Madara bowed, "Sadly, my visit has been cut short." As he said this, they all felt the powerful chakra signatures approaching the hospital. "As much as I'd love to," continued Madara, "I do not have the time to engage in fisticuffs with your lovely husband." He turned to Kushina, and she could almost see the amused look behind his mask. With a wave, the Akatsuki leader said, Bye now."

And he vanished just as Naruto reached the hole in the wall, "MADARA!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Three Days Later

Once upon a time, Naruto would have given anything to get a single admiring look. Understandable, considering the abuse and loneliness he was forced to endure in his childhood as a result of the nine tailed fox being sealed within him. Also, considering the fact that as a child, attention was the one thing he sought the most. He remembered how proud, how heroic, he had felt when Kakashi had carried him into Leaf Village after defeating Pein. Surrounded and praised by all the villagers. It was the very first time he had been acknowledged like that.

Now it was getting a bit annoying. Ever since that evening, he had been the talk of the village. The story of how he had fought the Nine Tailed Fox spread like wildfire. And, as how usually happens, with each telling of the story, the true events became more and more distorted. Walking past the academy with Sakura, he could just make out the little children's muffled whispers. Of how "Daddy said he wrestled the fox with his own two hands."

Or the gawking instructors that claimed they saw him blast the fox away with Ninjutsu. Or the villagers that had heard he made the fox vanish in the blink of an eye.

"Gah," groaned Naruto, shaking his head. "I can't believe this; they're making me out to be some kind of God."

Next to him, Sakura giggled, "Why are you so upset dear? Isn't that what you always wanted to be?"

"No! Well, yes, but…gah, it's just they don't even know what happened. And here they are making all this kind of crap up. I…"

"OH OH, it's him!"

A trio of giggling girls quickly rushed up to Naruto. They looked to be in their twenties, and were probably, judging by the vests they wore, Chuunin. Sakura's eyes narrowed as she watched them give her husband a good look. All three seemed excited, hopping up and down slightly, with blushing faces.

"Oh wow, you must be the guy everyone's talking about," started the one in the middle. She was of average height, with long brown hair and hazel eyes. "Akuro right?"

Before a slightly amused Naruto could respond, Sakura stepped forward, "Yes, he's my husband."

It was like one of those awkward situations where nobody was sure how to respond or how to proceed with the conversation. The trio of girls all gaped at her in surprise, while Naruto shifted uncomfortably. "I'm Ayame," continued Sakura, with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. More like a glare that threatened they split before she hurt them…badly.

There was some mumbled greeting before the brown haired girl turned, "Oh, um, I just remembered we needed to get to the academy. Hehe, we have a class to teach. Nice to meet you Akuro…Ayame." The other two nodded as well and as quick as they had appeared, they were gone.

Naruto chuckled lightly, watching as they vanished around a corner. He gave his wife an amused glance, with his eyebrows raised and his lips curled into an annoying smile. She glared at him, until they both broke out laughing.

They continued with their morning stroll throughout the village enjoying the scenery and the break from fighting. Shop keepers urged them into their stores; every shopkeeper wants a celebrity in their store. Most places they passed offered free food, weapons, scrolls, whatever it took to boost their reputation.

They were headed to Ichiraku Ramen when a voice stopped them.

"Yo!"

Nearby, Kakashi, in his new form appeared. Sai quickly followed. He seemed different, his hair cut more evenly and his normally pale skin now a bit tanned. For a moment, Naruto and Sakura did not recognize him.

"Hey," they both greeted, gawking at Sai, with confused expressions.

"I'll explain later," said Kakashi, "now's not the best place. Hokage wants us…let's go!"

The four of them vanished. Meanwhile two pairs of eyes watched them from the shadows of an alleyway.

"Those were the ones Sir," said one of the men, a young masked ANBU. He knelt at the side of an aging man with grey hair and a patch over his eyes. Danzo, elder of Leaf Village, stared warily at the spot the four new Shinobi he had been watching were. He had heard the rumors of the men who had single handedly fought off the nine tailed fox. And he had also heard the story Minato had told them the previous night about their abrupt presence in the village. Unlike the ignorant and fat clan heads, he didn't believe a word of it, and now, it was up to him to find out their identities and purpose.

"Who…the hell…are they," he muttered.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Lord Hokage." They bowed simultaneously, lined up in a neat row in front of Minato and Sarutobi.

Minato nodded, "I have some good news and some bad news." He paused, waiting for a reply, but instead saw four neutral faces staring back at him expectantly. "Ahem, anyway, the good news first I guess. There was a meeting last night by the council…they were so impressed by your alleged performance three days ago that they took our story about your backgrounds without question. They look forward to your Jounin Exam results, although, they, as well as I agree you would make fine Jounin."

"That's…good," asked Naruto? "I thought we were keeping a low profile."

"That's a bit hard," interrupted Sarutobi, "considering your displays of strength against the nine tailed fox. We're going to have to proceed very carefully. While most of the council, like I said, is ignorant, we are getting a lot of heat from Danzo. And that brings us to the bad news. Kakashi spotted two of his Root members stalking him and he's been having you followed all day."

"Those three girls," said Naruto suddenly. Sakura turned to him, her mouth wide open.

"What?!"

"There were three girls that ran up to us," explained Naruto. "That brown haired girl was no Chuunin instructor, but she certainly played her part well, bringing her friends or acquaintances along. I saw her hands…heavily calloused from holding swords, as well as several hidden weapons on her body and in her vest. No Chuunin instructor I know wields swords enough to have hands like that, nor do they carry kunais with exploding tags in their sleeves."

There was a brief moment; both Minato and Sarutobi stared at him with surprise, clearly impressed with his observations.

"Danzo was there as well," noted Sai. "I followed him this morning. He's had Root members follow Kakashi as well as myself, and he's been keeping tabs on Naruto and Sakura."

Minato sighed, "He is certainly going to be a nuisance." Minato paused and turned his head out towards the window. "I can guarantee you Danzo will watch those exams like a hawk. And even though you do have the council's approval as well as the skills, the Jounin Exams are tradition. We can't just let you skip them. Kakashi was promoted during the war, but seeing as how we're at peace right now…"

"Its fine," said Kakashi, "although it would be nice if you could tell us what to expect."

Minato nodded to Sarutobi, "its fine. We already established their abilities are far beyond Jounin level."

Sarutobi nodded, "Right." He cleared his throat, and then began, "The Jounin Exams take place over the course of two days. On the first day, Jounin candidates will be brought up in front of the judges, typically me and Minato, although we expect Danzo will demand to be there. You'll be tested on all three Ninja battle skills, Genjutsu, Taijutsu, and Ninjutsu. For the Genjutsu round, you will simply be required to dispel a relatively simple Genjutsu and then cast one in return on your opponent. For the Taijutsu round, you will be required to touch a ninja of our choice who will run around the field trying to avoid you. This test is timed, so…" He shrugged.

"Sound easy enough so far," said Kakashi.

"The Ninjutsu one is the hardest for most people. We require all candidates to have mastery over at least two elemental techniques. For you four, I'm sure that's no problem."

They nodded. "That's it," asked Naruto, skeptically. "Wow, it sure doesn't take much to become Jounin. I could have done it when I was 15."

Minato laughed, "Haha, cocky are you? We haven't even told you what the second day is."

Naruto rolled his eyes.

"The second day," continued Sarutobi, "will pair up all candidates into teams of two. There are roughly twenty candidates, so don't expect to be paired up with the person of your choice. Ninja need to be able to work…"

"…With anybody, yeah, yeah," interrupted Naruto, "just tell me what to do."

Kakashi sighed and placed a hand to his forward. Sai smiled creepily. Sakura stared at the ceiling. Minato turned to hide a smile that came to his face, while Sarutobi glared at him, "You're Minato's son alright."

"HEY!"

They all laughed. "Anyway," continued Sarutobi, "before I was interrupted…." Naruto rolled his eyes again. "In teams of two you will be required to complete a B-rank mission. You'll be accompanied by a pre-existing Jounin who will submit a report to me of your performance at the end of the mission. You all are required to obey the Jounin's every command; think of it as a way to test your ability to follow directions."

At this, Naruto found himself at the center of attention. He shrugged, "I can follow directions…when I want to."

"Yeah right," said Sakura, "that test is gonna be a nightmare for you."

"Oh yeah," added Sarutobi, "Sometimes the missions put you against ninja of other villages." He smiled, "It won't hurt your performance if you manage to stay alive." He smiled pleasantly at them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Try not to die, he says," grumbled Naruto. They were all back in their cozy little apartment, lounging around. Kakashi sat on his own bed, reading. Sai sketched a picture in the corner, while Naruto and Sakura sat on their shared bed.

"Good advice," said Kakashi, not looking up. "I'd hate to see you bite the dust before me, ehehehe. Try to stay alive, Naruto."

Naruto groaned, rolling over onto his stomach. He gently rested his head in Sakura's lap. "Tch, whatever! So what are you guys going to do for the test?"

"Remember what Minato said," Warned Sakura, massaging his back gently, "nothing too showy."

She turned to Kakashi with a look, "that means no Lightning Blade for you. And no Rasengan for you, Naruto!" Both males glanced uneasily at each other.

"Whoa, Sakura, take it easy eh? We get it."

"We'll be fine," agreed Kakashi, "I don't plan to use any of my special techniques anyway. I'm more concerned about the second day test. And you all should be too. Especially you Naruto. Because you've never really worked under a Jounin before have you?"

Naruto looked up, and tried to recall his previous leaders, "Well, we've been on missions with Asuma Sensei and…Kurenai Sensei too right?"

"No," said Sai, who looked up for the first time, "those were ninja that you were used to working with. This test will put you with a person you know nothing about…and worse, who knows nothing about you."

Naruto closed his eyes, "I get it…they're testing our ability to follow the Jounin leader…even if he's a complete idiot, and how well we can complete the mission with him or her."

Kakashi laughed, "Haha, well, you understand my concern then." His eyes turned more serious. "I've heard stories…" he continued, "just please don't underestimate this exam. It's not about teamwork…well it is, but it's so much more than that too. That Jounin pretty much determines whether you fail or pass."

"I can imagine Kakashi as a Jounin Captain," said Sakura suddenly, "I bet he failed everyone." They laughed.

Kakashi sighed, "I remember that test…all the way back when…when you all were first going for Genin. Back then, you guys were young…so young and immature. Hmph! You really were the first team I ever passed." He laughed. "Just remember, this time, it's a new game. It's a complex test and even I'm not sure how it is graded. So, be careful."

"Teamwork right," said Sakura, "yeah, if we just work together with the team…it'll be fine."

Kakashi shook his head, "I wish it were that simple. We …" he paused. "We've got company."

On cue, there was a knock at the door. Kakashi quickly changed his appearance. A moment later, the door opened. The last person they wanted to see stood before them. Naruto growled lightly, but remained a neutral expression. Sai visibly tensed, while Sakura and Kakashi merely looked on with serious expressions.

"Good afternoon," said Danzo. Two root members stepped in after him. "I was wondering…" continued Danzo, "if you would answer a few of my questions. You see, I can't help but wonder…" He opened his visible eye just a crack, "just who the hell you guys are."