After a few months, they adjusted to the new lifestyle. It was painful at first, but then so is any major change. Then the mission to protect the bridge builder happened. Naruto was gone for nearly a month on that one. Kiba, Lee and Tenten sat there, every night, waiting, just waiting, for any news. Even a short letter, a "hey I'm here and still alive" kind of letter would have been great. Nothing. Of course, they had no idea what was going on over there. They were about to murder him for not writing when he came back. Kiba chewed the poor, confused Naruto out for nearly half and hour before he left him explain himself. An hour later a very embarrassed Kiba was kicking himself for being so brash. Tenten was fawning over him, in that typical female way. Lee wanted to pull him aside and have him recant every moment in excruciating detail. Naruto, completely exhausted and wanting nothing more than to sleep for several days, did the only thing he could. He passed out. Lee was disappointed, and Tenten glared at Kiba, thinking he was responsible. Kiba just shrugged, picked the boy up and took him home.

It took a few days, but Lee finally managed to get Naruto to tell them the whole story. He'd heard a water-down version of it from Guy-sensei, who'd heard it from Kakashi, but he wanted details.

"Please Naruto! Tell us what happened!" Naruto sighed. He really wanted to forget most of what happened, but knew he'd never hear the end of it so he told the story. He left out bit's and pieces, mostly the stuff the he and Haku talked about, and toned down the part where he and Sasuke where trapped by the Crystal Ice Mirrors.

Lee hung on every word he said. "Man Naruto, you have all the fun!" he complained as Naruto finished the story. Naruto snorted, "Fun? You call that fun? Geeze Lee, you should be on my team. Want to trade places?" he joked.

Lee smirked, "I don't think that would work. In Lee talk that meant: Hell No! I won't go! Naruto shrugged, which plainly said: Suit yourself. You'll just have to be bored on Guy's team forever then.

Kiba, who understood the messages being passed, said, "Cut it out you two. They won't change the team arrangement's this close to a Chunnin exam."

Naruto blinked, "When's the next Chunnin exam?"

"Next month," replied Tenten. "Guy-sensei already said he wants us to participate."

Kiba nodded, "Yeah, Kurenai said she wants us to also. What's Kakashi said about it?"

Naruto blinked, "Hasn't said a word about it to me yet. He'll prolly make us participate too, if he can convince Sakura to stop being such a baby and do something."

Kiba grinned, "Well, if we can get Ino fired up about it she'll get Sakura riled up enough to participate."

Naruto grinned, "Good. I'm not getting left out of this just because that baka Sakura doesn't want to break a nail or something."

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Fate is cruel sometimes, ya know. Kami really had it out for the boys. That, or one of them had done something really bad to get his Karma turned around like this. Both boys stood in the balcony, eye's glued to the screen, jaws on the floor. Inuzuka Kiba vs Uzumaki Naruto. They re-read the screen. Nothing changed. The other rookies stared at them. This was gunna be one hell of a fight, and they all knew it. Naruto and Kiba still hadn't budged. They practically had to be dragged down to the floor. They stood there, face to face, trading meaningless pre-fight banter. Well, meaning less to anyone else. Only they, Lee and Tenten understood what was being said. I'm sorry Kiba. I don't want to beat you to a bloody pulp, but I will if I have too. I know Naruto, I know. I feel the same way. Let's just try not to kill each other. Agreed. And don't go taking a dive because you don't want to finish the fight. Who said I'd take a dive? I'm just as ready to knock you unconscious as you are to me. I know. Just tell Akamaru not to tear my arm's off, will ya? Alright I'll tell him. Are we agreed that the outcome isn't going to affect anything? Agreed.

They both looked up as Hayate coughed, "Okay boys, ready?" They nodded. "Begin," responded Hayate and jumped out of the way.

Most of the fight is a blur to them. Snip-its of banter, the occasional crack of bone to bone contact. Spinning, lots and lots of spinning. The smell of blood and sweat everywhere. Plenty of pain. And then the final incident. Naruto's lucky break. Coincidence it may have been, but if not for it he would have probably lost. Naruto may be physically stronger than Kiba, but Kiba had the superior speed. Not to mention Akamaru. Can't forget about Akamaru. And with completely false enthusiasm, Naruto used his copied Uzumaki Barrage to knock Kiba unconscious and win the fight. He faked joy at the victory, which Lee picked up on and copied. If Tenten had been there she would have been acting just like Lee, with a little less gusto, but she was already in the hospital thanks to Temari. Which pissed Lee off. Alot. He was already fighting the urger to go kill her, but he had more sense than to openly attack her before his own match. He knew that he needed to be with Naruto, cause the blonde needed all the support he could get right then and there. If it wasn't for Sakura and Kakashi watching him he would have ran to the hospital to be with Kiba and Tenten. Lee would have been right next to him if not his match. Of course, he was there soon enough, thanks to the still psychotic Gaara going a little overboard with their match. In the end, Naruto was the only one of the group who didn't end up in the hospital. And he was only one that made it to the finals. Tenten and Kiba were released from the hospital within a few days. Poor Lee however, didn't do so well. The boy was practically in a coma for the better part of two weeks, his left arm and leg crushed to powder. Tenten rarely left the hospital, staying with Lee the whole time. Kiba and Naruto weren't so lucky. They aren't his teammates, and they aren't his family, so they weren't aloud in his room for nearly a week. And even then they had to go in one at a time. It royally sucked, one in the hospital, fighting for his life, one on the verge of a meltdown because her boyfriend was in the hospital fighting for his life, the other two being torn apart by having their best friends in the hospital and trying to get over what they had to do to each other.

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Then, another bombshell. Naruto was leaving again. That didn't go over too well to say the least. "WHAT!!!?" yelled Kiba when Naruto told him. "YOU'RE LEAVING!!? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?! HOW CAN YOU LEAVE AT A TIME LIKE THIS!?!"

Naruto cringed, "I have to Kiba. It's not like I want to. Did you forget about the exam's already? I still have to train for the finals. If I don't go then I lose my best chance of getting strong enough to win. I'm fighting Neji Hyuuga in the first round remember?"

Kiba spat, "I don't care if you fighting the Hokage himself! That's no excuse for you to run off to kami knows where! You don't even write us when you leave! Do you have any idea how much it hurts to know your out there somewhere and have no idea if you're okay!? Or even alive!!?"

Naruto shook his head, "Kiba, it's okay. I'm not going that far, just a little ways outside the village. It's some old training spot that Pervy-sage likes. It's more that I'm going to be working dawn untill after dusk everyday."

Kiba sighed, "What are you going to do if Lee wakes up and we can't find you? How do you think it's going to affect him, you not being there for him?"

Naruto pulled his knee's to his chest, "Don't you think I realize that? I want to be there for him when he comes around just as much as you do! How do you think I feel about this whole thing?"

Kiba glared, "Then don't go! Stay here and I'll train you for Kami's sake. That way we'll both be close enough to be there at a moments notice!"

Naruto frowned, "I'm sorry Kiba, but it doesn't work like that. Jiraiya is the only on willing to teach me the skills i need. Kakashi sensei has all but given up training me as it is, and now he's dissapeared off somewhere with Sasuke. I don't have a choice here. If i want to have any chance in hell of beating Neji in the finals I have to train with Jiraiya."

"Please Naruto...There's got to be some other way..."

"I wish there was...I really do..."

"Can't you talk to him...reason with him...explain the situation?"

"Tried it. All he said was 'suck it up' and dissapeared."

Kiba sighed, defeated. "All right...I guess I'll have to live with it. I don't know how well Tenten is going to take the news..."