Kumogakure Ninja

Posted: 22-04-11

Updated: 28-06-11

CH24: The Tower of Death

Blue slit eyes and a three-quarter of a seal remaining had Naruto go on a frantic rant.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!"

This couldn't be happening. No, this wasn't happening, Naruto decided with a stubborn nod. "This. Is. NOT. Happening!" he shouted closing his eyes and willing him to focus. "When I open my eyes they'll be the same as I remember them and the seal will be fixed. OK!"

His eyes opened. No good.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck-"

"SILENCE, WHELP!" the Kyūbi snarled. "Cease your inane muttering, it is driving me insane!"

"Well, I am sooo sorry, great 'I can lick my own balls' Kyūbi!" Naruto offered sarcastically, blatantly ignoring the Kyūbi's angry snarl. "Okay, calm down, Uzumaki!" Naruto slapped himself in the face and ran his hands through his hair-

"OK, WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?" Naruto titled his head too view his reflection in the water. "My hair grew…" he noted dumbly, running his hand through his long, shaggy hair. "I got bangs!" Naruto felt the soft, wave locks in his hands and looked directly into the reflection.

He was met with the appearance of a much younger Namikaze Minato.

"Ah!" Naruto yelped falling backwards and scrambling away as far as he could. "KYŪBI WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING TO ME?" Naruto demanded pointing his finger at the Kyūbi. He then immediately noticed his arm was much longer and muscled than he remembered. Naruto jumped to his feet and looked down with wide eyes; he definitely was closer to the water before.

"It appears the excess chakra has enhanced your growth by enabling your body to go into overdrive and speed up your growth hormone production," the Kyūbi observed.

Naruto erupted with joy. "SWEET!" The prospect of no longer being a 'midget' came as a pleasant surprise to Naruto, his stature (or lack off) had always bothered him as it was an easy subject for others to mock him on.

The Kyūbi sniffed, sending a gale of wind at Naruto as it twitched its nose in disgust. "TCHE! You have grown a few inches, Uzumaki Naruto, but you remain the same whelp you were before this all conspired."

Naruto ignored him and did a spin, eyeing his reflection in the water below. He hadn't grown a whole lot, but at least he was as tall as Hari now, maybe even taller. He reckoned now stood at 5'9, considerably shorter than Minato was but taller than his mother at least (and Yugito, which definitely was a huge plus). Admittedly, now that he took a good look, he didn't really look all that much like his father. His hair was the same, albeit shorter, and he retained his own facial structure, giving him a more youthful and energetic look. He sure as hell didn't look 'girly' or 'flaky' like his dad did in his youth, which was a good thing. A very good thing.

"These eyes…" Naruto held his fingers inches away from his orbs as if he was using contacts. "Another result of the excess chakra?"

The Kyūbi merely nodded its gigantic head. "Now that the blasted seal the Yondaime placed on you has partially broken, my chakra is seeping more freely into your chakra pathways and is mixing with your own. These may not be all the results of our mixed chakra, more may come over time. Likely, not all of them will be as pleasant or fortunate," the Kyūbi added with a sinister smile.

"Great," Naruto said sarcastically. These slit eyes reminded him too much of Orochimaru… "Henge!" A column of smoke later and he had his original eyes. "That's better."

The Kyūbi growled in its cage. "I do believe it is time we talk, Uzumaki Naruto," the gigantic fox boomed. "You undoubtedly have a lot of questions…" the Kyūbi trailed off.

"Damn right I do," Naruto replied, turning his full attention on the Kyūbi. "I'm apparently the Sandaime jinchūriki of the Kyūbi no Yokō… and apparently my mother was the host before me. When were you planning on telling me this?"

"When were you planning on conversing with me for longer than three minutes?"

Naruto's eye twitched. "Fair enough, Kyūbi," Naruto conceded begrudgingly. "Kaa-chan told me her great grandmother was the jinchūriki before her and you actually got a long with her just fine. Why is that? Why did you give my mother such a hard time and why are you- no, I suppose I've got it coming."

"Indeed you do, Uzumaki Naruto," the Kyūbi agreed. "I despised your mother because she felt the same way about me. Uzumaki Mito was different…" the fox's tone turned nostalgic. "An angle who treated me as her equal and companion... whereas your mother was true demon. She-"

"Okay," Naruto interrupted the fox. "If I ever hear you insult my mother again, Kyūbi, I'm going to make you suffer, is that understood?" Naruto was being unusually calm. He wasn't screaming, he wasn't pointing his finger; he was simply being calm and assertive. "My mother told me all about her chakra chains, a technique she learned from my great-great grandmother, or whatever Uzumaki Mito was to me... She imparted me with the knowledge and it won't take my long to learn how to use them."

"Very well, Uzumaki Naruto. I will refrain from offending your mother... those damnable chains are capable of harming me, as you undoubtedly know by now," the Kyūbi exhaled deeply through its nostrils. "Uzumaki Mito never used them to harm me when she could avoid it... your mother however was not as... gentle. She hated me as much as I hated her and tough she would not deliberately come here, she would punish me if I disobeyed her. Your mother was not a saint, Uzumaki Naruto, and that is it the truth."

"Kyūbi, I apologise for my mother's behaviour," Naruto inclined his head. "No one deserves to be treated like you were and for that I apologise, both for my mother's actions and my own."

"A little to late to reconcile, Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto smiled evenly. "You know, Kyūbi, I hated you to this very day because I thought you were a monster who only wanted to destroy those I care about and cause me pain," Naruto then added with a mirthless chuckle, "Though you didn't give me reason to think otherwise."

The Kyūbi held its silence.

"I now realise I was a hypocrite, Kyūbi," Naruto said hollowly. "I treated you the same way the villagers in Konoha treated me… hell, I did it longer to you than they did to me. I guess I am not much better than you are."

The Kyūbi bristled, flailing its tails erratically. "What do you desire, Uzumaki Naruto? You speak kind words, but there must be a purpose to them. You cannot deceive me, Uzumaki Naruto, I am far wiser than you will ever come to comprehend. Do not try my patience, out with it!"

"Just call me Naruto," Naruto replied. "And, I guess my purpose is still selfish."

"HOW SO?"

Naruto again chuckled mirthlessly. "If I'm being honest with myself, I'm only apologising to you so I can feel better about myself. I guess there's a part of me that wants to make you feel better too, but if I'm brutally honest… I'm being selfish here." Naruto was reminded of a few nights ago when he apologised to Yugito, although she had been the first to hit him.

"You are not forgiven."

"That's okay," Naruto said with a shrug. "I'm apologising for what I did, but I still hate you for killing my parents, Kyūbi. That won't ever change."

The fox remained silent.

"I saw their memories… I saw you killing my parents as they tried to protect me. You took sick pleasure in killing my mother and father, you… relished in it."

"Do you expect an apology? If so, I assure you I have none to give. No matter how many times you strike me with those chains, I will not yield an apology."

Naruto shrugged again. "I don't care if you apologise or not," Naruto replied. "I wanted to get all that out of the way so I can offer you a proposition."

"Kukuku…" the Kyūbi bared its massive fangs in a grin only a fox could be capable of. "And what would this be? Do you seek vengenace on the one who truly murdered your parents? Do you wish to find Uchiha Madara?"

"No."

"No?" the Kyūbi repeated with confusion. "Are you still fooling yourself to have given up on hate?"

Naruto shook his head. "I've seen my dark-self, Kyūbi, and there will be a day I'll have to confront him," Naruto told the beast. "But that's not tied to what I have in mind, nor is Uchiha Madara necessarily involved."

"Then speak, I grow tired of your presence."

'Hey, this is my mind, fur ball, don't get any bright ideas-' or so Naruto would have usually retorted. Instead he nodded and cleared his throat. He knew he would instantly lose the Kyūbi's respect, what little he had, if he gave in to petty remarks.

"I want us to start working as a team."

The Kyūbi fist began to chuckle, then it began to laugh and eventually it began to roar in laughter, shaking uncontrollably as it did so. It bared its teeth in a mocking smile and continued to laugh at him as if Naruto had cracked a humour joke. "You wish to work together? That is the most humorous thing I have heard yet! HAHAHA!"

Naruto clenched his fists, digging his nails into his palms. Being the 'bigger man' was tough, especially when you were being laughed at and mocked at the same time. "Don't push me, Kyūbi, I'm trying to move on from counterproductive hate."

"You met your parents and now believe you have wisen up? Gained maturity beyond your years? BAH! Your arrogance offends me, Uzumaki Naruto. You and I will never have the bond I shared with Uzumaki Mito..."

Naruto gritted his teeth, constantly reminding himself not to get angry. 'He's testing you, don't give in to his taunts. Stay calm,' he reminded himself, clearing his thoughts of negative emotions and taking a deep breath. "I don't want that kind of relationship, Kyūbi. Remember that I hate you and-"

"I despise you…" the Kyūbi finished.

Naruto nodded, "Indeed, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't work together."

"What has prompted this sudden change, Uzumaki Naruto?"

Naruto's smile was genuine. "My parents told me one day I would have to fight you as well as my dark-self for control. They told me I would have to come to control you at some point because the nations have recovered and it's possible a war could break out. I need your power to protect those I care for."

The Kyūbi again felt silent as if something Naruto had said triggered an old memory, of Uzumaki Mito perhaps. "BAH!" the fox finally boomed. "I will cease resisting you as my host... but do not forget for one instant, Uzumaki Naruto, I will tear you to shreds the day you come to challenge me for dominance. These bars will have to open and when they do..."

"I'll be ready for you, Kyūbi," Naruto said with a challenging smirk. He then turned around to leave the Kyūbi, "I'll come back to speak with you in a few days and we can get started. I have some apologising to do and a few errands to run for my old man."

"As you wish."

Naruto turned around to the Kyūbi. "In the meanwhile, enjoy the new scenery."

As Naruto left his mindscape, the grimy sewers turned into the very same park Naruto had visited with his parents.

-ooo-

(Forest of Death)

Yugito blinked hard, forcing herself to stay awake, her hand entwined with Naruto's as she sat next to his unconscious form, looking down onto the peaceful expression on his face. With her free hand she move his bangs aside, swallowing thickly as she fought fatigue. She had drifted off earlier and woken up to raised voices of her fellow Kumo genin as they pointed out what was happening. Yugito had been asleep when his body and hair grew considerably.

It was hours later now and it was just team Kirabi, team Manako and team Kodama. The latter of the three had lost a teammate not a day ago. It was a horrible affair and even now silence reigned for the most part of the cave. The last two members of team Kodama were sitting in a corner, next to the covered body of Hattori Zenzō, the timid genin had died protecting them… Hari was currently taking a power nap in another corner to replenish his chakra after taking several tonics to get the replenishing pills out of his system. Kenichi was out on guard, using his earth jutsu to blend in with the environment. Taiko and Kenji sat close to the exit; the former in the latter's lap as they leaned against the wall and silently enjoyed the comfort they gave one another. It made Yugito long for something like that. This whole ordeal had her realize how much Naruto meant to her. As soon as he woke up she would-

Naruto's hand held onto her own a little tighter.

"Na- Naruto?"

A excited shriek escaped Yugito as Naruto sat up. "Hari!"

-ooo-

'Air!' Naruto's mentally screamed. "UOUAGH!"

Waking up after being clinically dead for twenty minutes was a rather strange- no fuck that, a downright otherworldly experience. First thing Naruto noticed was the fact he couldn't see. He was sure he had his eyes open, yet the world was dark. Furthermore, his sense of hearing was nonexistent. It was quite gone as he could still hear very faint echoes in the distance but they were too soft to be coherent. Lack of oxygen had his brain shut down along with all of his senses to some degree. Fortunately he could still taste the coppery flavour of blood in his mouth and he could feel the soft ministrations of the woollen blanket blades beneath his palms.

He could also feel the tight embrace he was in and he could smell lilacs. Only one person he knew smelled of lilacs... "Yugito." His senses were regaining their acuteness; Naruto could hear how raspy he sounded. Naruto desperately attempt to raise his arms and wrap them around her but to no avail. Right now, at this very minute, every fibre in his being hurt. His limbs felt like led, his eyes were slowly receiving blurry images at best and his senses were still very much impeded.

"Naruto!"

"Hey, Naruto can you see me? Hello? Okay, we need you to lay down Naruto. Come on, pal."

He was couldn't see yet he had his eyes wide open, he could tell from Yugito's gasp. Naruto tried to speak but before he knew it, he was laying down, Hari hovering above him with a concerned expression and Yugito was still holding his hand. "Nghn…" was all Naruto could say before Hari jammed a vial of liquid down his throat.

Naruto felt the reassuringly squeeze in his hand by Yugito and complied, swallowing the liquid. It was tasted of peppermints and left a pleasant burning sensation in his throat. Naruto then found his voice again, finally. "I can't see."

"Is it because of-"

"No, it's hypotension," Hari reassured her and then focused on Naruto. "Naruto, buddy, you're suffering from hypotension. It's not serious, you just need to remain calm, alright? You'll be able to see again soon, once we get your heartbeat regulated and raise your blood pressure."

Hypotension was a nuisance, Naruto soon came to hate. It caused him chest pains, stiff joints, low blood pressure, a loss of vision and severely diminished senses. Luckily, Yugito hadn't let his side once, and refused to rest when Taiko, Kenji, Hari and Naruto had told her to.

"No, I'll go to sleep once I know you're okay," Yugito said assertively. "Don't even bother convincing me otherwise." Catching the exchange of knowing looks between Taiko and Kenji she growled, "What is it?"

"Nothing," they replied simultaneously.

Naruto's nose twitched. "I smell something sour… something acid." The silence that followed unnerved him. "What- what is it? Did I say something wrong?"

Ayame burst into tears with a cry, muffled by the embrace Madao pulled her in as he 'shhed' her soothingly. Naruto tensed, feeling Yugito hold his hand a little tighter.

Hari was the first to speak. "Naruto, there's something you need to know… Zenzō's dead."

Naruto flinched. "What?" He got up, ignoring the screams of his aching body and Yugito's pull. With his growth spurt, he had gained more strength however he was oddly uncomfortable to move limbs larger than he was used.

"Na- Naruto!" Yugito called out to him, attempting to pull him back. There was no way anyone in Naruto's state of health could be moving around. Her attempts were futile as Naruto staggered off to the sound of crying.

Hari tried to stop him but with power Naruto did not know he was possessed he pushed the genin aside with such force he sent him flying into a sprawl on the ground. "Naruto!" Yugito called out to him, but the blonde was not listening. He simply continued to move in the direction of soft cries.

"Naruto!" Kenji shouted only to be ignored as Naruto continued to stagger onwards to acid scent.

As he stumbled, Naruto could smell the acid and hear the soft cries from a corner. He didn't know where he was but he could recognize the smell of ambers from none other than Shimura Ayame, Zenzō's teammate and his academy nemesis.

"Zenzō… where is he?" Naruto reached for his eyes and rubbed them desperation, willing them to regain his vision. He needed to see this. He needed to confirm for himself whether a Kumo genin had died protecting his fellow comrades. He had to know if a friend died protecting him in the battle against Orochimaru.

Responding to his urge, he felt a rush of familiar chakra to head. His eyes felt weird, a weird sensation crept to them and blurry vision came to him. As his eyes took their time to focus, he managed to get a blurred view.

A blanket was laid on top of a human-sized figure, sandals and fingers protruded from under the blanket. On each side of Hattori Zenzō were Shimura Ayame and Hasegawa Madao, both looking up to him with… fear in their eyes. Why did they look at him with such fearful expressions? Why weren't they look at Zenzō? Why were they looking at him? Naruto snarled angrily, dropping to his knees and reaching for the cloth hiding Zenzō's face.

Ayame's hand shot out and grabbed onto his with such strength Naruto would normally have winced.

"Don't you dare," she hissed, it was clearly reflected in her tearful eyes. "He died protecting us. The acid… we were- I was just trying to-" Ayame burst into tears, incapable of continuing her anecdote.

Madao snaked his arms under Naruto's and pulled him back rather forcefully as he growled. "That snake spat acid everywhere before you killed it. And Zenzō- he saved the both of us. We had no way of escaping, since Ayame sprained her ankle and I was trying to save her but… Zenzō ended up shielding us both with his body. He could have run… he could have survived but he chose to save us instead." By now the tears were escaping Madao just as freely. "The acid did horrible things to him, Naruto. I won't let you lift that cloth. Zenzō always had self-esteem issues and he was- you know he was, always worrying about how he looked."

Naruto merely nodded as a profound sadness took him. "I'm so sorry," he croaked through the tears. "It's my fault… I shouldn't have gone to-" He felt absolutely wretched, hurt and filled with such sadness it was if he still had a huge hole in chest. Why couldn't Zenzō survive? Why did he die so easily, when Naruto had cheated death not once but three times since entering the forest? Three times! 'That snake… he killed him… Orochimaru killed him…'

Rage.

Naruto's blood began to boil and veins thickened on his skin.

Unbeknownst to Naruto, crimson chakra began to leak out of his every pore at such a rate Hasegawa screamed in pain and let him go. Naruto's outburst of chakra launched him backwards at such a speed he flew through the cavern. Fortunately for Madao, Kenji and Kenichi ran to intercept him and the latter of two raised a mud barrier that caught him in a soft brace midair. Yugito and Hari simultaneously dashed forward, both of them retrieving square tags with kanji for, 'Repression' on them. Naruto had not time to react and his teammates planted the chakra repression seals on to his back and forehead. The chakra cloak quickly began recede and soon enough Naruto was left standing hunched-back. Upon closer inspection it became clear he unconscious.

-ooo-

(Somewhere Tea Country)

Kirabi sheathed the last of his seven blades a she stood in a destroyed stronghold in the mountains of the Cha no Kuni. This base had been particularly hard to bring down and the assault had taken nearly three days. The Hachibi jinchūriki eyed the group of seven or so ANBU standing around two of their fallen comrades who had died in battle, they had used so much chakra they couldn't activate their self disposal jutsu to render their bodies into nothing the enemy could make use of. Kirabi swallowed hard and grunted, wiping the dirt of his forehead as he went to join them, paying his respects to his fallen comrades Dachō and Nezumi. The Ostrich and Rat masked operatives had been young and promising, allowed on this S-ranked mission because of their excellent sensory skills and medicinal knowledge.

'These Akatsuki pests are becoming more and more of a pain… Why doesn't anyone know who the leader is? I need a fuckin' drink.'

Kirabi had been on this mission for a few weeks now, he didn't know exactly how many, but it had been tiresome. This mission was vital however, the Akatsuki were growing stronger and stronger each day. Nobody knew what their true goal was, if they had any, other than serving as mercenaries for the smaller countries. Reports had indicated Iwagakure had made use of them and had set them with the task to attack Ishigakure's interest. These were all rumours but Kirabi knew they held some truths to them, after all the Hidden Stone was a relatively new village, an creation of the defectors that could no longer server under the Sandaime of Iwa after they had lost the war. Hidden Rock had at first attacked them, but soon other villages got involved, namely Konoha, who as Iwa's sworn enemies grasped any chance to support those that opposed the Hidden Rock. Gradually lesser villages became involved, some with relatively strong support as Kusa and some who were practically unknown as the Hidden Haze, Hidden Forest. Soon everything started to tumble and allies of allies became involved and at some point it looked like the Fourth Great Shinobi War could very well have kicked off without the assassination of a noble, which usually had been the cause of many skirmishes and the First Great Shinobi War. Fortunately the Daimyō of Tsuchi no Kuni had finally stepped in and ordered the Tsuchikage to stand down.

'These pests are connected to the disappearance of the Nanabi, Kirabi. Be careful…'

Kirabi nodded to no one in particular, his eyes still on the fallen ANBU operatives. 'I'm not afraid of those fools, ya'kna mean, it's cuz I is the Killa Bee-'

'Silence, you fool! You can't rap to save your life,' the Hachibi insulted. 'Focus, I'm not worried for your sake. I'm concerned for Naruto and Yugito. Those two have a long way to go before they're strong enough to defeat S-ranked shinobi the Akatsuki supposedly is lead by.'

Kirabi nodded. 'You're right. We've only got two or three more of these strongholds to go. I'll be back for the finals, I hope.'

'Remind me why Kumo is getting involved in this again. You didn't explain it to me very well.'

'OK, listen up, mista chump-'

'No rapping.'

Kirabi face-faulted. 'Fine,' he conceded. 'These Akatsuki fools are getting involved in all kinds of shit. They're mercenaries who work for the highest bidder and since they don't swear allegiance to no one, they can do as they damn well please, or so they be thinking. They've been connected to several uprisings in countries, in some cases they even stab their original contractors, so whether it's the government or separatist factions that hire them, they don't care as long as they get paid.'

'Filth, they do not care for the cause, just the gain.' the Hachibi commented. 'These Akatsuki must be stealing contracts for the villages then, I presume?'

Naruto nodded again, 'Nice catch, Hachibi-yo. Yeah, these guys take on any mission and since they don't have any moral compass or care for who they hurtin', they get a lot of attention. So, not only are they bringing the world in chaos, by aiding rebel and the government factions in civil wars, they're also stealing chunks of the job market.' Kirabi stopped for a handful seconds, allowing the Hachibi to take in the information. 'This ain't all they're doing, they're taking political assassination missions from corrupt officials, they're in the drug game and help spreading opium and other kinds of shit people snort or puff or whatever. Then there's them getting involved in piracy and blockades.'

'They're capable of all of this on their own?'

'These cats are big boys, Hachi-yo!' Kirabi replied. 'All we know right know is that the Akatsuki is rumoured to be lead by this guy named Kakuzu, some old dude who once fought the Shodaime Hokage as a Takigakure ninja and survived. This sounds fishy, since he should be dead cause he has to be over a hundred twenty years old or somethin'.'

'Immortality is not impossible for humans, Kirabi. I have seen it on a few occasions myself.'

Kirabi shrugged. 'I'm sure it isn't. Anyway, this leader, who could be named Kakuzu, is involved with other criminal organisations. Hell, Akatsuki's at the top of the game and a lot of these organisations pay kick ups to them. These guys are thugs, bodyguards, whatever, as long as it pays. They even work with big dogs like Gatō and all that.'

'How is Akatsuki connected to the disappearance of the Nanabi if they're just in it for the money. Did other villages pay for them to abduct the Seven Tails' jinchūriki to usurp more power?'

'No,' Kirabi said with a shake of his head. 'The guys that were reportedly seen taking her wore black cloaks with red clouds. We think they're connected to Akatsuki cause the alleged leader was spotted wearing a similar cloak. Hence why we think those with the cloaks are the top brass. So far we've heard reports of four and a few more rumours of wannabe's trying to gain fame by saying they're a part of Akatsuki when they ain't. Other villages are tight lip about these fools so we can't be sure our information is a hundred, ya'kna mean?'

The Hachibi bristled in his mindscape. 'Hurry back home. I'm even more paranoid now than before. You need to be there to protect those kids, you know they think of you like their father.'

'Yeah…' Kirabi nodded. 'Speaking of which, Mabui-chan said she wanted kids at some point. I don't know if we're gonna last that long, but what do you think Hachibi?'

The Hachibi's response was cut off by an approaching Motoi, who still wore his mask. "Kirabi, we're going to head out."

-ooo-

(Forest of Death)

Naruto woke up hours late to a world of severe discomfort. It wasn't pain he was feeling, but rather extremely stiff limbs, which greatly annoyed him as it impaired his movement. Luckily his senses had recovered and he was pleasantly surprised to find himself lying next to Yugito. She was fast asleep and ignorant to his awakening, so Naruto just laid there and watched her sleep, subconsciously aligning his own breathing with hers.

'Why haven't I ever noticed she's so beautiful?'

That wasn't entirely true as he had established months ago he was attracted to her physically, but now, even when she was covered in dirt and blood stains, her hair was a mess and the bags under her eyes were dark she was beautiful. It was mesmerizing. Naruto's eyes trailed down her body and with a frown and a strong sense of guilt he traced his finger of her S-shaped scar on her hip, noting how it felt like leather compared to the rest of her silky smooth skin.

"I'm sorry," Naruto whispered.

Yugito stirred in her sleep, her lips parting ever so slightly, it gave Naruto goose bumps just watching her. Yugito was so serene and angelic in her sleep, it made her very desirable.

A deviant idea came to Naruto's mind. 'No, you're crazy, she'll kill us!' his mind shrieked at him as he moved closer. 'OK, if she fries our balls it's all on you!'

Naruto cupped her cheek with his hand and leaned in close. His lips met hers in a soft and tender kiss, ever so gentle. Yugito's eyes fluttered and her blue eyes widened as she met his, but before she could break away Naruto pressed his lips further onto her, prompting her to wrap her arms around his neck and close her eyes, tilting her head slightly. As Naruto deepened the kiss, he noticed how she trembled in anticipation. It was very innocent way of her conveying she wasn't really experienced at this. Their previous kisses had been quick, chaste and never deepened for longer than a few seconds. This time there wasn't a life threatening incident to prompt it either, just a regular kiss between a boy and girl who now undoubtedly knew they liked each other.

Naruto thoroughly enjoyed the fact she was being so... submissive. It was totally out of character for her and he loved the fact he was making her feel this way. Neither of them was really experienced, although Naruto had gone a few steps ahead in previous experiences with a certain girl from Ritoru Haaku and she must have noticed him being a little more experienced as she was allowing him full control.

Eventually, Naruto broke away with a huge grin, a grin Yugito met with her own beautiful smile.

"Peaches."

Yugito raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?"

"You taste like peaches," Naruto replied with his grin unwavering. "I never noticed until now."

Yugito blushed bright red. "You... taste like oranges."

Naruto found her blush irresistibly cute and brushed her nose with his own. "I like peaches," he said and promptly kissed her again.

The kiss didn't last longer than ten seconds but it was still very much enjoyable. Yugito's blush increased and her cheeks reddened under Naruto's touch as he cupped her chin.

"I'm in love with you," Naruto said to her with a huge smile. His voice was unwavering; he spoke with confidence and with a supreme sense of happiness. "I guess I have been for a while now that I think of it."

Yugito gaped, not sure what to say. She opened and closed her mouth a few times but then settled for, "Wauw."

"I know, right?" Naruto chuckled. "You don't have to say anything-"

"I'm falling for you," Yugito blurted out. It came out in a very cute manner, sounding nervous but earnest at the same time. Embarrassed by the way she had said it, she decided to silence Naruto's laughter with another kiss.

When they broke away for some air she said with a cute giggle-like laugh, "I like oranges."

Naruto ran his hand through her hair as he did to him. "I spoke to my parents," he said casually, enjoying the shock etched onto her face. "I'm not crazy, Yugito. They left a tiny portion of their soul and chakra with me in case I ever tried to take off the seal."

"What?" Yugito finally managed in a low hiss. "You tried to take off the seal?"

Naruto nodded and yawned. "It's a long story."

"Explain," Yugito commanded.

Naruto leaned in and kissed her cheek. "You know, I never said this before because you'd probably kill me, but I think it's sexy when you boss me around. I guess it's one of the reasons why I'm into you."

Yugito blushed but she didn't waver. "Explain, Naruto."

And explain he did.

It was twenty minutes later when he finished speaking, giving her the important details of what had happened and leaving out only the stories he had been told and the favours his father had asked him.

"The seal is going to get gradually weaker now, Naruto," Yugito said with worry. "We need to let Kirabi know of this."

Naruto nodded to her but kept his content smile as he reached over to her.

"Wh- What are you doing?" Yugito asked as he pulled her in closer.

Naruto pulled Yugito into an embrace as they lay down. He leaned down, loving the fact he was taller than her, and kissed her passionately. His brain was overloading with a powerful sensation as he could feel Yugito's luscious, full lips return it with vigour.

"I, ehm..." was all Yugito could manage.

"I'm sorry," Naruto didn't know why he was apologising.

Naruto kissed her on the head. "Will you be with me, Yugito?" he whispered.

Yugito didn't the answer the question entirely. "Naruto, this is all happening so fast. I'm sorry, I just don't know yet."

"Don't be," Naruto said with a chuckle. "We can take it slow. I know I like kissing you, and I know you like kissing me too but there's more to a relationship than that, isn't there?"

Yugito yawned tiredly and began to nod off again as fatigue took her. Naruto pulled her into a closer embrace, allowing her to rest her head on his chest as he felt sleepy himself.

-ooo-

Hours later Naruto woke to the sound of suppressed laughter and sniggering. Peeling open one of his eyes the found Hari laughing with a face-splitting grin. Naruto blink hard, a few times in fact and then realised why.

He had his arm around Yugito still and she was still fast asleep, drooling a little on his chest. Naruto did the most reasonable thing he could think of that moment and met Hari's grin with a shrug and then kissed Yugito on her head.

Hari's eyes bulged, having though he had walked in on an accident but seeing Naruto kiss Yugito so casually had him mouth, 'When did this happening?' Naruto didn't reply and gently wedged himself out of Yugito's arms and staggered to his feet, still feeling rather disorientated he fell forward but Hari was there to catch him.

"Thanks," Naruto said as Hari helped him stand up straight. "This growth spurt is a major pain. This body doesn't even feel like mine, it's too awkward and heavy."

"Are you two together now?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, she wants to take it slow. It's fine though, I can wait till. She said she's falling for me but it's complicated."

"I'm glad for you two, it's about time, honestly," Hari said earnestly. "I could tell she was into you before this mess started but it grew stronger when you were, you know, stuck in limbo. She didn't leave your side once, Naruto."

"A lot happened," Naruto said vaguely.

Hari eyed him curiously, "Ahuh," the medic replied, immersed in thoughts. "OK, I'm a little confused here, Naruto. Just a few hours ago, I was pretty sure you were dead as you didn't have a pulse and you weren't breathing. Then you suddenly came back to life, your hair grew, your eyes turned into slits and you're at least three inches taller- you might even be taller than me. Not to mention now you're 'sort of' with Yugito? How did all of this happen? Start with how the fuck you're still alive."

"It's a long story, but to answer the first question, I have a sort of bloodline limit."

Hari eyed Naruto with a deadpan expression. "That worked in Ritoru Haaku, Naruto, and I already know about the Kyūbi. Did you manage to get brain damaged from, I dunno, not breathing for over twenty minutes?" Hari hazarded dryly.

"Well, it's not a bloodline limit, technically."

"You're confusing me here."

Naruto sighed heavily. "It's got something to do with my clan, not the Kyūbi. I just found out my clan was known for their longevity and vitality. We apparently grow old as fuck and our bodies take a ton of damage but in some cases, especially if you're a jinchūriki, we can survive all kinds of shit."

"Eh?" was Hari's intelligent reply.

And so with heavy, heavy sigh began to explain what had happened in his mindscape. Hari was sceptical at first and at some point just started diagnosing Naruto for brain damage and delirium as the story got wilder and wilder. Eventually, and much to Naruto's relief, Hari stopped the diagnosing but he wasn't convinced to say the least.

"OK, so let me get this straight... You're the son of the Yondaime Hokage, one of the greatest shinobi to have ever lived and your mother's some babe-"

"Hey!" Naruto warned him.

"-who was the jinchūriki before you, but not the first as there was another jinchūriki before her, your great-great grandmother? OK, then you said the Kyūbi actually liked the first jinchūriki but not you or your mother because of obvious reasons and because of... chakra chains, was it? Then, before they left, the Yondaime gave you the Hiraishin and your mother gave you the knowledge to create chakra chains of your own?"

Naruto's eye was twitching. "Yes, in a very simplified way, that's what happened."

"I see," Hari then promptly went through a few hand seals and started his diagnosis jutsu again. "You're creeping me out, I'm going to keep looking for head trauma."

Naruto shoved his hand away. "Hari, I'm serious," Naruto quickly lowered his voice seeing Yugito stir, "I'm not crazy. How would I even come up with this shit?"

"How did you come up with paint tags? I remember Raikage-sama chasing you through the entire village," Hari shot back. "He chased you down the corridors in the academy, covered in pink and orange, remember?"

Naruto sweat-dropped. "Okay, fair enough, but I'm seriously not lying about this- oh hey, Yugito."

Yugito sat up out of bed looking like hell but smiling nonetheless. "What time is it?"

"Eight," Hari answered, looking concerned at her dishevelled and tired appearance.

Naruto turned to Hari, "I'll prove I'm not lying." Naruto strode over to Yugito who raised an eyebrow as Naruto cupped her cheeks and then gave her a chaste kiss.

Upon seeing Yugito return the kiss slowly and a little awkwardly, Hari's jaw dropped.

"What's going on?" Yugito looked from Naruto to Hari.

"He didn't believe me when I told him what I told you."

Yugito poked him hard in the side. "Don't kiss me to prove a point."

"Sorry," Naruto offered apologetically. He then eyed Hari with a satisfied smirk, "See? I told you I wasn't crazy. Everything I told you really did happen."

Hari opened his mouth to argue but was promptly cut off by another voice.

"Naruto!" Taiko woke up and sat up. "What are you doing out of bed- Hari, what's he doing out of bed?" Her eyes widened as she took in his new appearance, slit eyes and all. "What happened to you?"

"It's a long story," Naruto, Hari and Yugito replied simultaneously.

-ooo-

Two hours later after everyone had woke up and had their fill of food and shock at seeing Naruto walking about, they decided to break camp. Kenichi and Kenji were covering up their tracks as Taiko went to a nearby stream and filled their canteens. Yugito and Hari stood waiting by the cave's exit as Naruto approached team Kodama with a large scroll he had unsealed from a smaller one. Naruto's entire torso was wrapped in gauze and he had yet to change, finding lifting his arms still very painful. It was only a small hike to the tower anyway.

"You want to do what with Zenzō's body?" Madao demanded.

Naruto held up the scroll. "We're going to the tower today and none of us want to leave his body behind, right?" Madao and Ayame merely nodded. "We'll save ourselves a lot of time by sealing Zenzō's body in here. It'll be perfectly safe and if you want, you can keep it with you.

Ayame answered before Madao could, "He'll be safe, right?"

Naruto nodded. "He will be saver in here and he'll be easier to transport. The sooner we get to the tower, the sooner we can properly burry him and pay our respects." Naruto was doing his absolute best to stay mature and calm.

Madao then nodded in agreement and nudged Ayame to agree with him. "Alright," he said, "You can do it, but we're holding onto that scroll," Madao demanded fiercely.

"Of course," Naruto nodded reassuringly. "Please stand back a litte," Naruto instructed and they did, backing up only a little but was enough space for Naruto to unfurl the foot long in width scroll and place it over Zenzō. "Fūin!"

With a poof Zenzō's body disappeared and the scroll glowed lightly for a moment. Naruto rolled the scroll up and passed it to Madao. "I'll be there with you when we get there to unseal him, okay?"

"Thank you..."

Naruto shrugged, trying not smile unconvincingly. "It's okay to be sad you know..."

"Have you lost anyone?" Ayame asked in a whisper.

A phantom pain struck Naruto's heart and he nodded. "I lost two of the most important people to me very recently... it still hurts when I think of them... and of Zenzō too..."

"He always looked up to you, Naruto," Ayame said, force once referring to him by his first name. "He always used to say he called you senpai because he wanted to be just like you... strong and wild. I thought he was an idiot but it looks like he did go out the way he wanted, you know?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, unsure what to say. Madao excused him however, and pulled Ayame aside. "Come on, let's get our stuff ready."

"You handled that well," Yugito reassured him as she caught his distressed expression once he returned to them.

"Yeah, you did," Hari agreed.

"I did?" Naruto repeated, "I was trying my hardest not to cry. I mean... Zenzō was one of the nicest guys I knew..."

They nodded understandingly; well aware the deceased genin had looked up to Naruto quite a bit when he was still alive.

"I owe you two an apology," Naruto said after a moment of silence.

Yugito and Hari shared a look before she asked, "What for?"

"For everything that's happened these last few days. Ever since this exam started I've been nothing but a show off and I kept getting us into trouble. What, with me rushing off to play hero all the time, getting myself stabbed half a dozen times between that Iwa kuniochi and Orochimaru... I shouldn't have gone to save Sasuke. Hell, he's not even here to thank me is he?"

"Naruto..." Yugito started.

"No," Naruto replied firmly. "I know my intentions were good and I know you're not angry at me because of that... but you should be. I deserve to have you guys angry at me. I endangered you and Hari countless times since we got here and it's time I grow up."

His teammates fell silent, not knowing what to say so he continued. "I am trying, I really am. I want to do better; I want you two to be safe, now more than ever. From here on out, no more jokes... well not all the time," he finally added with a grin to let them know he was still the same Naruto to some extent. "It's just time I stop being a stupid kid all the time, you know? Don't give me that look, please, guys, you know it's true just much as I do."

Hari opened his mouth to reply, an angry expression on his face but as he spoke Taiko once again interrupted him.

"Guys, we're leaving. Time to go!"

Naruto checked the pouches hanging off his utility belt and nodded. "Let's go."

-ooo-

The trip to the Tower of Deathwas mostly uneventful. Taiko held up a genjutsu till they reached their destination as it was very common for some contesters to ambush others close to the tower to steal the scrolls they had and to eliminate as many contesters as they could. They walked two by two in four rows with three feet space between them to avoid setting off traps.

For the most part, Kenji kept Taiko company as she lead the convoy with Madao and Ayame next, whom were very quiet for the most part. Hari and Kenichi walked behind them, being quite a formidable duo with Hari's extraordinary sensory abilities and Kenichi's quick use of Doton jutsu for defences. The last two were Naruto and Yugito, who were also silent but rather were enjoying each other's company and exchanging a few words.

It was strange for Naruto- no it was downright otherworldly how things had changed. Before the second stage, he and Yugito were on friendly terms, they weren't very close but friends nonetheless. Now they were in the beginning of a new relationship. Before the second stage he had been brash and provocative, wanting to fight as many people as he could. He certainly didn't feel the need to test his limits now, and not just because he was still very sore and banged up but because he finally realised what a fool he had been.

He glanced at Yugito, she didn't notice, but he was fine just watching her as though she was some magnificent creature he had never seen before. Naruto gave her hand a squeeze to let her know she was on his mind. Yugito for her part was a little unnerved by his intense gazed and blushed, it wasn't as bright before but it was still cute he noted as she squeezed his hand. Naruto didn't peg her to be comfortable with public display of affection and kept it at a minimum, though he did decide he wanted to take her out on a date as soon as this was all over. She deserved a wonderful night, even if she tried to protest otherwise.

'What would she like to do on a date?' Naruto wondered. 'It definitely can't be a restaurant, that's way too cliché... Should I ask her- no that would be stupid. It's one of those things I would just have to know, or so Kaa-chan mentioned. Then again…' A fond smile crept to his face. 'Dad did say it was unreasonable for any man to just know what a woman was thinking. Damn, why is this so hard?' Naruto frowned, an expression that did not go unseen by Yugito.

"Something wrong?" she asked quietly.

Naruto gave her a reassuringly smile. "No, just thinking I'm going to have to cut my hair soon, it's getting annoying and keeping up this Henge is a waste of chakra," he lied to which she nodded, although she did eye him for a moment too long to believe him. "It's nothing important, Yugi-chan," Naruto added a kiss on her cheek.

Yugito raised an eyebrow, "Yugi-chan?" she repeated. "I'm not calling you Naru-chan or Naruto-kun, it doesn't suit you."

"I know it doesn't, but Yugi-chan does suit you, it's cute," Naruto then whispered in her ear, "You're very cute when you blush, Yugito, it's irresistible." The way Naruto whispered it into her ear got him another blush, a bright red one. He was marveling at how cute it was and was about to make a comment when Yugito elbowed him in the ribs.

"Whatever you're trying to do, stop it."

"I'll need some convincing," Naruto said playfully.

He was pleasantly surprised when Yugito eyed the others first, and upon noting they weren't looking their way, she turned and planted a chaste kiss on his lips. His eyes didn't even close before she pulled away and dragged him along to keep up the paste. Naruto just went along with it, smiling like an idiot as he did so.

-ooo-

"We're here," Kenji announced.

They stood thirty yards away from the massive tower known as the Tower of Death. It was simply huge, easily standing at fifteen stories high and over a hundred meters wide. The building was truly a fortress as it once had been in the First Great Shinobi War, the only Great War that had been fought on Konoha's turf as well as others'. The tower still served as a stronghold, many decades later, and was actually a building used by Konoha's ANBU and Hunter Nin squads for both training and interrogation, although those facilities along with the intelligence facilities were understandably off-limits for them.

"It's huge," Taiko exclaimed with a tired sigh. Upholding a genjutsu strong enough to hide eight people for over two hours had taken it out of her.

"This is where we split up," Naruto sounded like he was asking rather than announcing. The others nodded so he turned to Ayame and Madao tried to sound as gentle as he could, "You guys want some time alone, I can tell," they looked at each other but Naruto only nodded understandingly, "I'll create a clone to escort you inside and to unseal… Zenzō once you're ready. My clone will immediately cancel itself once you tell it to leave, okay?"

"Thank you," Ayame said with a tearful nod.

"Yeah, thanks."

Naruto shook his head. "Zenzō was our comrade, too, he wasn't just a member of team Kodama, he was a member of team Kumo," Naruto then said through gritted teeth, "I won't swear vengeance, he wouldn't have wanted us to get caught up in it… but what I do promise is that I'll remember his death the next time I come across Orochimaru. You have my word, I won't hesitate to kill that snake-"

Unfortunately this caused Ayame to burst out into tears, it was surprisingly (and understandably) out of character for the tomboyish girl who had been an emotional wreck for the past few days. Naruto swallowed hard, unable what to say to her and then just turned to Madao instead and returned his nod. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." A column of smoke later and Naruto merely looked at his clone, which then turned to Madao, jumped up and transformed into a kunai midair.

Madao caught it and eyed Naruto with confusion.

"A precaution in case they ask questions," Naruto answered his questioning look. "We're not on the same team, they wouldn't let us in together. Just… tell it to do its job once you've done whatever it is they ask you to."

"Thanks… Naruto."

Naruto flinched. "Don't thank me… please don't see this as a favour," Naruto said quietly, almost a whisper. "Zenzō was my friend too. We weren't as close as you three, but he was still my friend and I will mourn him with you. We all will."

The other genin wordlessly nodded, both surprised with Naruto's sudden calm, level-headed maturity and agreeing full heartedly with his words.

Ayame then stepped forward and embraced Naruto into a crushing hug, "Thank you," she whispered and then promptly kissed him on the cheek. She was blushing, but Naruto didn't notice as she quickly turned around and grabbed Madao by his hand and walked off with him.

Naruto touched his cheek ever so lightly and then turned to Yugito, smiling apologetically but she shook her head, indicating she was fine with it and then walked off to another entrance on the building, leading her team as Taiko, Kenji and Kenichi went their own way.

"See you guys in the finals!" Naruto called out to them.

Kenji and Kenichi waved back, "You bet on it!"

-ooo-

(Inside the Tower of Death)

Naruto stood in a wide room with doors on the other side, it was devoid of everything but lighting. None of the other genin were here, neither were there chūnin waiting for them. Puzzled he looked around him, raising an eyebrow as he wondered what was going on.

Yugito frowned, "Hand me the scrolls, Hari," she ordered and he did so. Yugito laid the scrolls out and unclipped them one by one. "Let's try channelling chakra through one," and she did. The results were instant as she channelled her chakra into their Earth scroll.

The Earth scroll glowed brightly and the Heaven, Light and Darkness scrolls began to glow. Yugito pushed them out to unfurl their entire length and the Kanji on the scrolls turned liquid and seeped together to form one large seals pattern above the scrolls. It was an ingenious piece of Fūinjutsu Naruto came to realise as a column of smoke emitted from the seals pattern on the concrete floor, followed by a poof!

"A teleportation seal?" Hari gasped. "I didn't know those existed."

Naruto frowned as the smoke began to clear, "No, that would be too convenient. It's gotta be a beacon or something-" Naruto fell silent as a Konoha chūnin appeared before them. "You again?" It was one of the chūnin he had ran into before, his hand was still wrapped up in bandages.

Kamizuki Izumo face-faulted, "This has to be some joke!" the chūnin exclaimed, "Why do I get the crazy one?"

"Hey, I'm not above breaking your other hand to prove a point!" Naruto shot back. "Er, sorry," he quickly amended catching the death glares Hari and Yugito were shooting his way. "In all fairness, you threw the first punch."

Izumo sweat-dropped, it was a fair point. "OK then," the chūnin coughed, shifting into serious expression. "You have successfully obtained all four scrolls needed to pass on to the third stage of the exam. Before I let you three move on, I have to explain the meaning of these scrolls."

"The meaning?" Hari repeated.

"He means what they stand for, Earth, Heaven, Light and Darkness," Yugito answered. Then turning to Izumo she gave a small bow, forcing her teammates to do the same. "We'll be glad to hear what you have to teach us."

"Er… yeah, sure." Naruto grunted noncommittally.

"Right," Izumo said eyeing him dryly, he then turned his attention and smiled at Yugito, at least the pretty kunoichi was being polite. "The entire purpose of the second stage of the Chūnin Exam is to realise your own potential and your own lacking. The four scrolls symbolise the four most important elements of the shinobi world." Izumo coughed again. "Heaven symbolises the mentality and intelligence of a shinobi, if you are intelligent you are aligned with Heaven if you're not, seek to be as the best shinobi are as strong mentally as they are physically. Intelligence is key, without it you will fail. The Earth scrolls represents the physicality and the strength of a shinobi. Intelligence and power are just as important as each other, the wise shinobi will seek to balance these two the best of his abilities."

Team Kirabi nodded, they all had a good balance of intelligence and strength.

"The last two scrolls were added this year due to the high amount of genin participating and because of recent… issues between governments. The Light and Darkness scrolls represent the integrity of a shinobi. Do you take joy in killing your enemy? Or do you take pride in serving your village and country? The shinobi world is not for the faint hearted, you will see bad things happening. At some point, should you survive until then, you will be the one causing these dark deeds. That is what it means to be a shinobi, to sacrifice not only your body but your soul. The foolish shinobi will stick to either Darkness or Light, the good shinobi will realise the lines between good and evil are blurred on the battlefield."

Team Kirabi nodded, understanding most of what the chūnin was saying.

Izumo wasn't doing a good job at this and it was showing, but the chūnin pressed on. "Let me put it this way," he tried again, "Light represents the good of a shinobi's deeds, protecting their village, doing the bidding of the commanders, inspiring the next generation and so on. Darkness is the element within the shinobi world that represents the… distasteful aspects of being a shinobi. To kill, to torture, to manipulate, to maim… these fall under the mandate of each and every shinobi that serve their village faithfully. A good shinobi maintains a balance of all four; intelligence, strength, good and evil. It falls on you, and nobody else, to find your balance, to become the shinobi you want to be." Izumo then finally said, "The purpose of the second task was to show you what you and others are capable of. Many terrible things happen, especially to kunoichi, in these exams."

Naruto tensed, knowing exactly what Izumo meant.

"From those expressions, I can tell you've experienced a lot of the things I'm talking about," Izumo observed. "Then I suppose my job here is done. You have seen for yourself what the battlefield is like. I have nothing else to teach you, you are free to move on."

And team Kirabi did, quickly. They did not say a word as they walked past Izumo and entered through the double doors.

…

An hour later Naruto laid on his bed looking at the ceiling and going over all that happened in the past few days. He was tired, he wanted to sleep but he couldn't. Perhaps a mental block was causing his inability to sleep, though he hadn't tried very hard to fall asleep either.

Yugito and Hari were off to get some food from the cafeteria, he wasn't hungry. Earlier he had felt a tug as his mind and the memories of his Kage Bunshin reached him. Ayame had stopped crying, thankfully.

'Dad… Kaa-chan… what the hell is going on?' Naruto sat up and ran his hand through his hair, thinking he really would have to get a haircut soon. He cancelled the Henge as soon as he entered their assigned room.

The door opened and Yugito walked in, Hari was nowhere in sight. "Hari's off to talk to Miyabi, suspect there's more going on though," Yugito explained as Naruto closed the door behind her and she placed a tray of food on the nightstand.

"Good, I wanted to talk to you in private," Naruto reached into his pouch and flung a privacy seal at the door.

"What is it?" Yugito asked, sitting down next to him on the bed and pulling the night stand in front of them to serve as a table. "You seem distracted."

Naruto circled his arms around her thin waist and pulled her close.

Yugito tensed. "Are you having doubts about wanting to be with me?" she asked quietly.

"No, of course not," Naruto kissed her on the head. "It's just that a lot of things are happening incredibly fast. I wanted to know if you don't think we're moving too fast, Yugito," he tenderly rested his hand on hip.

Yugito felt a tingling sensation under the skin contact. "I'm not sure either. A lot of things have happened, and this relationship is one of them, but I like being with you. I like kis- kissing you." Yugito hated herself for stammering, it was so undignified in her eyes and she usually spoke will utmost confidence.

Naruto lay down with Yugito and she rested her head on his chest. They lay silently for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's presence without having the need to talk. Yugito then sat up and reached for a sandwich off the tray, she took a bite and then fed some to Naruto whose stomach was growling.

"You need to eat," said Yugito. "Get your strength back up in the next two days."

Naruto eyed her curiously. "Go on a date with me."

"Eh?"

Naruto sat up and chewed on the last few bites she offered him. "I want to take you out on a date," Naruto repeated. "You want to take it slow, and that's fine, but could we have a proper date. Will you go out with me?"

Yugito didn't quite know what to say. She'd been asked out a few times– a lot of times before, mostly by academy students both younger and older than her and she had always replied with the same cold, passive 'no' but being asked out by someone she liked, someone she admitted was falling in love with, was a whole lot different.

"You can say no if you don't want to, Yugito," Naruto assured her. "I'll just keep trying till you say yes though," he said with an unconvincing smirk.

"Is that so?" Yugito raised an eyebrow with feigned curiosity, smiling as she did it.

Naruto nodded confidently with a supreme air of arrogance that did not suit him. "I'm sure you'll go out with me eventually, after who wouldn't want to go out with a handsome, dashing young man like me?"

Yugito laughed again and turned away, reaching for another sandwich. "We'll see where it goes, Naruto. For now let's concentrate on the exam. We've got a few days to go," Yugito said. "I'm not saying no, but I'm not saying yes either, at least not for now."

Yugito turned to look over her shoulder and found Naruto fast asleep and snoring loudly.

A tick mark appeared on her temple as she held up her hand and lightning sparked ominously.

-ooo-

Hari's pulled back his hand from the door lever just as he heard the shriek of lightning followed by Naruto's high pitched screams for mercy. Hari genin sweat-dropped and he promptly turned around. 'Best to let those two work it out,' Hari chuckled nervously, terrified at the thought of interrupting. 'Yep, this not your battle, Hari. Naruto's your best friend but do you really want to get electrocuted again, no? Then keep on walking, you know she attacks indiscriminately.'

Hari swallowed hard, shuddering as he remembered the last time he and Naruto were electrocuted by Yugito. "OK, off to Miyabi it is."

-ooo-

(An Hour Later)

Yugito threw a pillow of Naruto's head. "Go take a shower, you smell."

Naruto shook his head with childlike defiance, "No!" Yugito reached for another pillow and neared him as he crawled behind the low table. "Maybe if you give me some encouraging? How about you join me?"

Fzzsht!

Naruto had to duck low in order to avoid a bolt of lightning that would have surely killed him if it struck. "Woah!" he exclaimed jumping to the ceiling and sticking to it. "I was just kidding, Yugi-chan. I'll take a shower."

Yugito's cheeks had a dark red tinge to them. "Good," she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"In two days."

A tick mark protruded on her temple. "Two days? Why would you need to wait two days?"

Naruto merely grinned and jumped down. "I'm going to spend some quality time with the Kyūbi, you know, hang out." Catching her narrowed eyes he then said with a chuckle, "I'm kidding! It's not going to be quality time, but training. I've got to see what I can do with the knowledge Kaa-chan and my old man imparted with me."

"Surely that's going to take longer than two days, Naruto. Why are you in such a rush, you can work on it after the exams can't you?" Yugito crossed her arms with a frown. She had hoped they could take these two days for themselves and figure out what they wanted to do- if there was something they wanted. Still, she was determined not to be as clingy as those villagers who couldn't stand not being with their boyfriends for long than a few hours. "We still haven't talked about us."

Naruto drew her closer to him and kissed her forehead. "We will as soon as the second stage is over. They'll have to give us some downtime after being stuck in the forest for ten days. We'll have plenty of time, just for you and me. Nobody else."

Yugito raised her eyebrow skeptically. "That's a big commitment to make, Naruto. You sure you can do that without training?"

"And you're worth it," Naruto shot back with a grin. "What, you don't believe me?"

"I do, but shouldn't we spend that time preparing ourselves instead of talking about us? We should use the time we've got now rather than time we should spend on something else."

Naruto nodded. "You're right. I'll let this wait for a while."

"No, go," Yugito told him with a shake of her head.

"Eh?" Naruto said with a confused look. "I thought you wanted to-"

Yugito shot him a sly smile. "I just wanted to win the argument."

"Ho, ho," Naruto began to chuckle as he clearly remembered what his father had told him the other day, 'Early victories are huge in the start of a relationship' his father had said. Looks like Yugito was asserting herself as the dominant one. Naruto smiled, he was just fine with that. It was rather sexy.

The blonde reached for a few pillows of his bed and the furniture and placed them in a corner, making a comfortable area for him to sit cross-legged. Yugito didn't say a word as he did so and waited for him to close his eyes.

"I'll see you in two days," Naruto said.

Yugito nodded turning to the door. "I'll let Hari know not to disturb you."

"Don't I get a kiss for good luck?"

Yugito smiled. "You don't need luck."

"You got me there," Naruto said with a grin.

His eyes closed as he took a deep breath. Yugito left, closing the door quietly as he went through breathing exercises, immersing himself within his mind. It had been a while since Naruto did this, meditating to enter his mindscape, the last time he did it was back in Ritoru Haaku. Naruto remembered how he used to hate meditating, it was so boring and mundane, and no movement was involved. Yet, the benefits were worth it. A clear mind, renewed vigour and focus as well as clarity on what he wanted and what he needed.

A deep breath.

-ooo-

(Naruto's Mindscape)

Naruto walked down the hill as he neared the enormous wicket cage that held the Kyūbi behind bars. The fox looked up, sensing his presence and crinkled its nose with disdain.

"You have come, Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto nodded. "Hello, Kyūbi. It's time to start, any advice you can offer is appreciated."

"No," the Kyūbi replied, "I will not aide you in developing weapons capable of harming me. This is your own task, not mine. I will not aid you."

Naruto shrugged, "Fair enough, Kyūbi."

Time to get started.

Author's Notes

And that's that.

To those who are really concerned about the pairing, I'm sorry but their initial get-together won't last very long for plot reasons. Don't worry, they will get back together eventually, but the plot I have in mind (and it's a good one believe you me) demands they're split up fist. Not doing it to be a douche bag, but simply because character development shouldn't just come from the main character and their relationship will come out stronger after the dramatic ordeal. Hate it or love it, this is how I intended for it to go.

In regards to Naruto and Kyūbi: they hate it each other and always will, but that don't mean they can't work together.

Gatō didn't die in this story. He was never there, he was behind Zabuza and Haku's operations in Wave Country but he didn't actually go there himself. That's one illogical thing I don't get, surely one of the richest men in the world such as Gatō wouldn't be as foolish to have only thugs as his bodyguards? Argh, Kishimoto's logic sometimes fails me. Did you know there was a gun for sole in the store Sakura visited during the same arc? A friend of mine pointed it out. It's around chapter 19, behind the counter, go take a look for yourself.

Another thing: NO, Naruto does not like a carbon copy of Minato. He looks similar but he's easily distinguishable from Minato and his facial structure still resembles Kushina a great deal more. His grow spurt wasn't a big deal either, just a few inches nothing more. I only had him grow a little only to make it more realistic for his eyes to have changed as well- a change inspired by the Hidan and Kakuzu arc. When Naruto was using the RasenShuriken he had bad ass eyes, they were blue with slits.

Lastly, what did you guys think of my portrayal of Akatsuki? Let me know in a review!