NARUTO

Nox Noctis Ingredior

The Coming Storm

Back In Konohagakure…

Naruto's Home…

It was relatively peaceful on the far side of Konohagakure, the estate beside the Hokage Monument standing quietly and under the setting sun. Mia was out in the fresh patch of grass playing ball with Little Haru, both of them kicking it and throwing it to one another playfully. At the same time, Haku was also on leave, watering the plants, dressed in light brown robes and a green apron. It was nice out, and everything was quiet.

That was until the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps caught the three's attention. Turning towards the front entrance, they saw dust cloud in the distance and a figure approaching at shockingly high speed. The thunder of his footsteps and his heroic battle cry soon followed as the person barreled in through the gates and skidded to a halt along the footpath leading up to main building, stopping right beside Mia, Little Haru and Haku. The tall, spandex wearing adult threw his left hand up in the peace sign and let out his symbolic victory yell.

"GOAL! FIRST PLACE!"

The three bystanders blinked in surprise, with Haku noticing the person hanging from Gai's back in a boneless and lop-sided way. Apparently Gai's piggy-backed passenger, who was unconscious at this point, had not appreciated or expected being lifted up so enthusiastically by the head Jonin of Team Gai and legged all the way back to his mansion several kilometers away while in a state of total body fatigue. Poor Naruto was seeing more then just stars at this point as he dangled backwards from Gai's back.

Several seconds later, another roar was heard approaching the gateway, the three bystanders looking around to see two figures heading their way this time. A familiar pink haired kunoichi and green, bushy browed Genin came rushing up to the gate. Both of them were carrying somebody on their back, surprisingly enough, seeing as that they were also enthusiastically running this race. At the exact same time, they skidded past the gates and stopped on either side of Gai, both of them, in unison, throwing their arms up in victory.

"AND SECOND PLACE!" Sakura and Lee shouted with huge grins on their faces.

At their own discretion, both Sakura and Lee picked up somebody as well in their race to try and beat Gai back to Naruto's mansion. They even went to the extreme of hurdling from building to building as they cut across the village to try and beat the Jonin, but failed, resulting in their passengers having their heads knocked about like pin balls. Sakura, on a whim, piggybacked Hinata, whereas Lee had picked up Neji and piggybacked him all the way to Naruto's mansion sprinting, which was understandable.

Both Hinata and Neji were out of it, just as much as Naruto, with drool leaking out of their mouths, accompanying swirly eyes.

"Oooh… travel sickness…Sakura-chan…" Hinata whimpered.

"My balls…" Neji groaned, his legs uncomfortably wedged around Lee's waist, meaning his butt was right on top of his pouch, resulting in him getting a rather nauseating and agonizing bumpy ride all the way here.

"Uhh… why are you racing?" Haku asked, before taking note of the three unconscious Genin hanging from their backs. "And why are they like that?"

"The flames of youth are overwhelming, my friend!" Gai exclaimed, propping Naruto back onto his shoulders properly, the same with Sakura and Lee and their passengers. "Apparently, Naruto-kun, Hinata-chan and Neji-san have all been overpowered by the sheer magnitude of our youths, and have succumbed to the tragedy of accelerated old age!" The over-the-top teacher then raised his hand, turned to Lee and Sakura, and pointed at them. "HENCE, once you are all well rested and recovered, a most vigorous training session is in store for both our teams! We shall meet at Training Field 6; tomorrow; four in the morning: to strengthen your inner flames!"

"YES GAI SENSEI!" Lee exclaimed, saluting.

"Whoosha!" Sakura shouted.

"These three are going to be the death of us…" Naruto, Hinata and Neji thought at the same time.

Little Haru walked up to Naruto's lifeless body and began prodding him with a stick, the same as Mia did for all three of them, hopping from one unconscious Genin to the next and poking them in the shoulders. It was then the Rinnegan little girl smiled happily, and hugged her big brother Naruto-kun.

"Welcome home!"

Shortly after the racers arrived, Anko, Tenten and Kin showed up, looking a little bit flustered at being left behind. Albeit a small spat between Anko and Gai, who took her threats and curses in stride, new introductions were made between Naruto's household guests on the front lawn, and the members of Team Gai. Once that was done, everybody standing out in Naruto's front yard packed it in and went inside his estate. Thankfully, this time everything was clean and quiet, the party animal Zabuza having been called in by the Hokage for a briefing. This meant that Team 7, their friends, and Team Gai had the whole place to themselves.

It was at Naruto's admission that the other team was allowed to stay for the night, and gave them free reign on the hot springs outside. Since it was right after the Chunin Exams, they were all buggered and needed the soak, while he went to bed.

"Ahhhhh…" Simultaneous sighs were heard as Sakura, Tenten, Hinata and Anko as they bathed on their side of the hot springs, with the boys divided clearly from view by a tall, bamboo wall. It was a great, hot bath, and clearly, everyone involved was enjoying it.

"I can't believe this is actually Naruto's place," Tenten said incredulously, looking around at the feng shui garden surrounding their bath, along with the buildings visible making up the estate, and the night sky hanging high above. The candle lights and the fireflies hovering in the steam of the springs made the sights all the more peaceful. "He isn't a part of a clan or anything. How did he get this place?"

"His parents left it for him," Sakura said, smiling at the brown haired girl. "If you want to learn more about his family, you can go ask him. But I can say this… his parents had big plans!"

"I can see that!" Tenten replied, looking about in awe. "It's so nice up here, it's almost perfect…"

"Almost?" Anko queried, looking at the girl with a cup of sake in hand.

"Okay, it is perfect!" Tenten hurriedly replied, looking about the hot springs a bit more. "I wish I lived in a place like this."

"If you want to marry Naruto, then you don't have to hesitate, just go for it!" Anko said, taking a sip. This made Tenten sputter and Sakura and Hinata giggle at the girl's reaction.

"Marry Naruto?"

"Why are you so bunched up about? You think I'm joking?" Anko asked, gesturing towards the girl suggestively. "It is a custom in a lot of clans across the countries that a single male head can take as many mistresses as he pleases, especially in the case when that male is the only member of his clan still alive. Naruto was a part of a huge clan once, but most of them have been wiped out. There are others out there from the same clan, but so far he is the only one still alive…"

"Oh… really…" Tenten looked away, a bit crest-fallen at the news. "I… feel so sorry for him."

"Don't be, he's put up with a lot in his life, and it hasn't slowed him down one bit!" Anko continued, pouring another glass. "Take my advice, if you really care about the kid; don't hesitate to make a move on him. A good banging every once in a while is healthy, for girls and boys!" This comment had all the girls in the vicinity blush to the roots of their hair. Anko, unfazed, grinned and held up her glass of sake, "To orgies!" She then downed it in one go.

"Anko-sensei… sometimes… you are too much," Hinata whispered, fidgeting nervously. The purple haired Jonin grinned at the girl and slid up alongside her and Sakura, with the pink kunoichi shuffling away a bit in response, anticipating what was to come from her rambunctious teacher.

"Aww… am I making you feel uncomfortable, Hinata-chan?" Anko flirted, getting rather intimate with the Hyuuga. Hinata blushed brilliantly and looked away, with the Snake Mistress leaning in, grinning from ear to ear. "You know, guys like Naruto do enjoy a good Yuri scene…"

"SENSEI!" Sakura shouted, flushed to her hair, but Anko waved it off.

"Come on, Hinata-chan! Lighten up! It's natural…" Anko continued. She began emphasizing her point by gesturing up towards the fireflies hovering around them. "See those fireflies… well… they're not exactly flies, technically they are beetles. Anyway, fireflies are a species of beetle that use a unique system of chemical signals to attract a mate at night. While the males fly around, flashing their abdomens as brightly as they can to attract the attention of a female, the female remains on the ground, waiting patiently fr the right guy to come along. After spotting a suitable mate, she flashes back a timed response that only that particular male can recognize."

"What… are you… getting at… sensei?" Hinata asked, a little bit more nervous as Anko wrapped her arm around her.

"Well… in other instances, males aren't just signaling to attract a female. In many other cases, male fireflies, instead of trying to find a female mate, actually land and assume the role of the female themselves, and flash their abdomens in an effort to attract another male…"

This had all the girls in the bath staring at her incredulously. While across the way, Gai, Lee and Neji, who were in the same bath, had overheard this conversation and were looking awkwardly around at each other. It was then the brown haired Hyuuga, making sure his washcloth was securely fastened around his waist, stood up.

"I think… I'm going to leave now…" He left the bath as quickly and as calmly as he could.

"Another male, sensei?" Hinata asked.

"Yup!" Anko grinned. "The same goes for girls…"

Sakura and Tenten looked at each other, but then looked away when thoughts on the topic at hand resurfaced, and they just couldn't look each other in the eyes. They both blushed in embarrassment and scratched their heads. At that exact moment, Ryoko came into the bath areas wearing nothing at all, and carrying a bottle of sake. When The Genin saw her, they shrieked in surprise and looked away.

"RYOKO! PUT SOMETHING ON!" Sakura shouted.

"I agree!" Tenten yelled, clamping her hands over her eyes, but opening up a crack so she could get a better look at the woman's figure. "Wow, her bust is almost as big as Anko's…"

"Oh, don't be such babies," Ryoko muttered, stepping into the hot water. "Look at Hinata-chan, she's calm."

In reality, Hinata had passed out while pressed up against Anko, with her head falling onto the woman's chest unintentionally. What it looked like was the Hyuuga was nuzzling the older woman affectionately, which kind of swung in both directions. Letting her student lie back in the springs with a red face and a stupid smile in play, Anko stood up and approached the red head, also butt naked. Neither of the older women brought a towel with them and it shocked Sakura, Tenten and Hinata to no end, because the three of them had shame. Anko and Ryoko didn't.

"Sweet! More sake! Gimme!" Anko exclaimed, making a grab for the bottle, only to have the red head slap her hand away. "Ow!"

"Not on your life, Anko-baka! You'll have to earn it!" Ryoko replied, grinning lecherously at the woman. Anko, considering her grin, smirked as well and, walking right up to her, pressed up against the smoking hot swordswoman. Sakura and Tenten literally had nosebleeds the moment they saw the two women press their perfectly symmetrical chests against one another, and began running their hands over the other's flawless body in a lustful embrace.

"Well then, how's this for earning it?" It only made matters worse for both Sakura and Tenten when Ryoko and Anko started passionately making out. The two girls looked away, and then decided to help Hinata who had sunk down to the bottom of the springs. Fishing her out, the three Genin left the hot springs, leaving Anko and Ryoko to themselves to… do whatever they wanted.

Meanwhile…

Naruto was being well looked after up in his room as he lay out in his now partial body shock. Finally able to move both his arms and hands, except his legs, the blonde was able to perform about… half the tasks he was normally able to complete. It was a relief too, because that meant he wouldn't have to rely on somebody to feed him, which he didn't really want; although his 'nurses' insisted on feeding him, despite his reasoning.

Isaribi and Mia entertained the blonde throughout a majority of the afternoon after he was checked on by Sakura to see if he was going to be okay before she left for the hot springs. They also looked after him, making sure he was comfortable and didn't suddenly die out on them. He was incredibly grateful, and accepted their care with very few complaints. His little sister Haru had accompanied him with till around nine, where she was soon put to bed.

With Little Haru asleep in the room next to Naruto's, and the rest of the guests down in the baths, this left him with the rest of his company.

While Isaribi lay against Naruto on his large bed, smiling happily as they were both propped up against his large pillows and under his blankets, they watched as Mia performed magic tricks for them. The good thing about her tricks was that she was actually good at them. It wasn't like she was the Joker where a flower popped out of her finger and sprayed them with poison gas; she was more like the Mind Freak guy they saw on TV once or twice, but better.

Mia did tricks in just a T-shirt and panties, giving the pair a rather promising view of her cleavage and curves. However, this was all she needed to wear when she was able to produce flowers and alike out of nowhere, and perform her freaky card tricks. She grew flowers out of the carpets, slapped the rings of kunai together without breaking them, and swallowed swords, although this was a bit of a cliché with Orochimaru's strange digestive system.

Other tricks had her literally make pigeons and crows appear out of her bare hands, as well as produce a top hat out of thin air, and pull out all sorts of random stuff. She even managed to pull out the pair of underwear Naruto was actually wearing, and although it was excellent in foreplay, really didn't make the blonde too comfortable when Isaribi tried to sneak a peek under the blankets.

"Oh, that's nice," Naruto chuckled; watching as Mia pulled out an Icha Icha Book from the inside of the top hat she was holding, easily recognizing who it actually belonged to. "I bet that guy's pissed…"

"Oh… hang on…" Mia set the hat down on the one-legged table in front of her. She stretched her arms and fingers, and cracked her neck from side to side, before reaching into the hat and fumbling around a bit. A few seconds later, she pulled out a familiar silver haired Jonin about half-way.

Kakashi blinked in shock and looked around wildly, still dressed in his Jonin gear..

"Oi! What happened? Where am I?" he sputtered. He then suddenly noticed Naruto and Isaribi lying in the bed in front of him. "Oh! Hi Naruto!"

"Sorry Kakashi-san," Mia exclaimed happily, pushing him back into the hat. When she did, the three of them heard the man's cry fade as he fell about four stories, before a loud thud was heard. The red head then tossed his book in, hearing him yelp a few seconds later when it landed on his face. Mia then picked up the hat and showed them the inside of it, the pair leaning in to get a closer look.

At the bottom of the hat, they saw Kakashi lying sprawled out on the streets of Konoha right outside of Ichiraku's Ramen Stand, dazed and confused. Both Naruto and Isaribi were clearly amused at the sight.

"That must have hurt," Isaribi commented. Naruto waved a hand.

"Nah, he'll be fine. He always gets back on his feet… eventually…"

Pulling the hat back in, Mia attempted another trick. In the meantime, Naruto pulled Isaribi closer into his embrace as they both continued to enjoy the show in their pajamas.

"It may not be a fancy restaurant or bar… but I'm really enjoying this, Naruto-kun," Isaribi said with a sigh, rubbing her cheek against Naruto's shoulder.

"Yeah… this is really nice," the blonde replied. He leaned into her, nuzzling her hair. "We should really do this more often…" Isaribi giggled, watching as Mia pulled out a pig, Tonton oinking as he looked around in surprise.

"Where's your new friend, Kin-chan?" Isaribi asked curiously.

"Oh… Ryoko took her down to the Hokage's office. She had information of great importance that concerned the village and its people, and I couldn't really tag along because… well…" He gestured down at himself. "Can't really move…"

"Will she be okay?"

"She'll be fine. I gave her my word, and she gave me hers. As long as she behaves, she won't be harmed," Naruto stated, looking down at Isaribi. "You have no idea how much documentation I'll have to be filling out this time. I did exactly the same for all of you guys, Ryoko, Little Haru, Zabuza, Haku… I'm not really sure if Mia really counts though, being the God of All Shinobi and stuff. I still think she's just a figment of my imagination," the blonde pondered, looking over at the red head as she shoved Tonton back into the hat and pulled out Akamaru, the cries of a distressed Kiba looking for his friend echoing out of the hat. "Then again, she could be just a ghost…"

"Well… thanks for going through all the trouble. It… means a lot to me… everything you have done for me, and everybody else. I love all of your friends, Sakura, Hinata, Little Haru, Haku-kun," Isaribi sighed, shuffling over a bit more. "I don't care if I have to share you with a hundred women or a thousand friends… I will always be there for you if you need me…"

Naruto looked down at her, blinking in surprise. Isaribi smiled sweetly up at him, a streak of red across her cheeks. For a moment they stared and smiled at each other, before Isaribi leaned up and kissed him tenderly. The blonde responded and deepened it. The purple haired girl wanted it to last as long as possible, of course, with her spectacular breathing, made it last for a full five minutes. When they needed air, they broke apart and smiled at one another one last time, before returning their eyes to the show. When they did, they found Mia holding Temari's fan, waving it around her.

The sight of the familiar weapon had Naruto pause and think for a moment, before looking at the fan with a more apprehensive expression.

"I'll need to go see Temari as soon as I can. I have to find out if she is alright…" the blonde thought, nodding affirmatively. He lay back with Isaribi, and watched Mia perform her next trick with a pickle. "Tomorrow… I'll go see her…"

11:00AM Next morning…

Zabuza, Haku and Mia were sitting at the dining table, waiting for Ryoko to finish up with their breakfast. She had gotten down making sandwiches and porridge after several lessons from Naruto, who was glad to help her out on his off days, and since she was in a cheerful mood, she felt like making scrambled eggs for the guys and gals this morning. Reading a newspaper quietly, with Haku doing the crosswords, Ryoko eventually came out of the kitchen area with a nice plate of hot scrambled eggs and bacon.

Setting it down with a fork and knife in front of Zabuza, as well as Haku, the red head smirked and removed her oven mitts, smiling looking proudly up at her test subje… I mean… the residents of this household.

"Eat up, meat-sack…"

"Thanks a bunch," Zabuza replied. Before he could dig in though, a certain note popped up in his head, and he turned back to Ryoko. "Oh yeah umm… red… next time you've got a girl in your room, please put up noise suppression tags on your walls, or at least keep the noise to a minimum."

Ryoko blinked as she stared at the swordsmen. Realization hitting her like a brick to the face, the woman blushed a brilliant crimson to match her hair color and stumbled backwards, startled. "Uhh… heh… umm… eh… noted!"

Zabuza nodded back, satisfied with her answer. Returning his attention to his meal, he got a fork full of egg and took his first bite of the best looking scrambled eggs he ever seen. The moment he did so he turned green and gagged, spitting out the egg in a coughing fit.

"OH DEAR GOD!"

Wiping his mouth and sputtering inconsistent, unidentifiable curses and various prayers to Kami, he looked up with a stunned expression on his now pale face. Haku, about to take a bite himself, after seeing his sensei's reaction, set his fork down and pushed his plate away, looking at the meal as if it were toxic refuse.

"What?" Ryoko demanded angrily, crossing her arms. "It can't taste that bad! It's just egg and bacon… with a bit of garlic and lemon powder…"

"Ugh… are you kidding? It tastes like dead caterpillars!" Zabuza choked, standing up and rushing to the kitchen to wash his mouth out.

Ryoko curious herself, picked up Zabuza's fork and decided to taste it for herself. The moment she put it in her mouth, she also turned green and several shades of blue, and nearly puked up all over the table if she hadn't spit it up.

"Ugh! He's right! This is uneatable!"

"Really?" Mia exclaimed, pulling Haku's plate over to her and taking a bite out of the breakfast. She chewed and swallowed, taking a moment to slosh around the tastes in her mouth, before her eyes lit up and she beamed up at Ryoko with an XD expression. "Oh my goodness! This is the most delicious meal I have ever tasted! The flavor! The love! The passion! It is just… divine!" She began shoveling the egg down, humming and singing in delight as she chewed and swallowed. "This is truly the food the Gods would eat!"

"Whatever… you can have it," Ryoko said, pushing the plate towards the girl. Mia downed it like a person starved for two months. While she ate and Ryoko went to make them some toasted sandwiches instead, Isaribi came in with groceries in hand. She went up to the kitchen and deposited them on the desk, ready for Ryoko's next experimental batch.

"Here you are Ryoko," she exclaimed happily, pulling out random stuff such as white bread, cheese, ham, lettuce, tomatoes and bean grass. "You can use these to make sandwiches…"

"Got cucumbers?"

"Yup!" Isaribi held up the vegetable in question, earning a smile from Ryoko, as well as a pat on the shoulder.

"You really are a huge help. Thanks a lot kid…" Ryoko then went about making the sandwiches, while Isaribi made tea. In the meantime, Zabuza had pulled out a toothbrush out of thin air, and was scrubbing his teeth over the kitchen sink. He moved out of the way to let the resident chefs do their thing.

"Isaribi can help you out a lot with cooking as well, red," Zabuza said, walking past the swordswoman as she cut the cucumber and tomato. "Become her apprentice or something. She knows her way around…"

"Do you want to die, Zabuza?" Ryoko asked, turning around and brandishing the knife threateningly. The swordsmen went all pear faced and walked off quickly, not really sure if he wanted to give her an answer. He decided to go take a bath, and headed outside for a clean soak.

At the same time he left, Gai came around the corner, looking quite proud. He marched up to the dining table and deposited three bodies, Naruto, Sakura and Hinata, all three of them dirt ridden, exhausted and unconscious. Haku looked at the three of them in surprise, as did Isaribi, who immediately rushed over when she noticed that her blonde savior was unconscious.

"What happened to them?" Ryoko asked in sort of disinterest. Gai grinned and gave her the thumbs up.

"The power of youth is overwhelming, even for the most youthful!" Gai exclaimed, setting himself up for a huge, eloquent speech. "These kids have shown excellent dexterity and great physical strength, able to keep up with Lee and myself. But in the end, all three of them, including Lee, Neji and Tenten, collapsed under the strain of our morning exercises. It's a shame; I was hoping they could carry on!"

"Right…" Ryoko nodded, looking back at her sandwiches. "Well… good luck with the rest of your training…"

"Will do, proctor!" Gai saluted. "I'm going off to do pushups underneath the waterfall!" He then turned heel and left in a hurry, leaving the three animatedly unconscious Genin in the care of Isaribi.

The purple haired girl shook Hinata, poked Sakura, and tried to resuscitate Naruto. Eventually, she tried a different approach. Grabbing whatever was left of the breakfast Ryoko made; she got a spoonful for each of them and shoved it into their mouths. Mia watched curiously as she finished off her last plate as the dreadful effects of Ryoko's scrambled eggs took hold on the ordinaries. Seconds later, all three members of Team 7 returned to the world coughing, choking and spluttering. Faces green, they all held in their urges to vomit and looked around wildly.

"WHAT! What is it? Are we dead?" Naruto shouted. "I'm in my house! I could be dead!"

"Geez… ugh… what is this God awful taste in my mouth!" Sakura burped, slapping her hand over her mouth. "Did a centipede crawl into my throat and die?"

"I…I don't think… whatever it is I swallowed… died yet…" Hinata whimpered, also burping on the food she swallowed.

Isaribi sighed in relief and smiled at Naruto as he regained his senses, looking up at the girl who brought him back into the real world.

"Hi Naruto-kun! What happened to you?"

"I… don't really know," Naruto replied, clutching the side of his head. "The last I remember was standing on a cliff by a beach watching the sun setting with Lee and Gai holding me up like that scene from the Lion King. I… don't really know whether it was a dream or not…"

"We all must have had the same nightmare," Sakura groaned, slapping her hands over a distraught face, warping into one of utter, comical despair. "IT WAS HORRIBLE!"

"My eyes hurt," Hinata stammered, rubbing the bags formed under her crystal clear orbs, her hair looking more frazzled then normal. "It wasn't a genjutsu… it was real…!"

"It was some kind of freakish, reality warping jutsu, like the Sexy jutsu but worse! Seriously! I picked up a pebble and skipped it across the water! It was mind-blowing!" Naruto stated, using hand gestures to try and describe the scene.

"I was attacked by a seagull!" Sakura shouted, running her hands through her hair frantically. Isaribi watched a white feather fall from the pink kunoichi's head. "Seven seagulls… and a crab!"

"I mean, what the heck was that? It wasn't genjutsu or ninjutsu!" Naruto continued, now looking more paranoid then ever. "It was like I was stuck in that weird, 1960's color wheel, where the blobs were all mashed together, on a poorly made music video!"

"N-Neji was attacked by a dolphin…" Hinata said, remembering the rest of the scene. Ryoko snorted and looked over at her.

"Did it sprout a pair of legs, bark and ate him?" the woman asked from the stove.

"I'm… pretty sure it was a squirrel that got mixed up in the illusion…" Sakura informed.

This conversation went on for another half-an-hour, with Naruto, Sakura and Hinata recounting the horrors they faced in Gai's excessive training regime, as well as the hours of standing they did in the student and teacher, custom-made illusion. In that time, Isaribi listened intently alongside a clearly amused Mia, Haku, and Ryoko, who was successful in her attempts to make them toasted sandwiches.

It was a pretty fun morning…

Later that day…

"Here you are Temari-chan," Naruto exclaimed, helping to feed her soup as she lay in her hospital bed wrapped up in bandages and casts, looking like half a mummy from Sunagakure. The golden haired girl sipped the soup and smiled up at Naruto, happy that he was able to come down after a taxing fight the day before and a rigorous training session or torture workshop with Gai and his students.

"You don't look so good, Naruto-kun," Temari giggled, noticing the bags under his eyes and the many Band-Aids he had pasted over his face. "Team Weirdoes really drove you into the ground, didn't they?"

Naruto chuckled. "You don't know the half of it. But then again, after passing out at least five times during their runs around Konoha, their insane push-up routines and their iron-pumping, it's made me realize how much stronger I need to get." The blonde stirred her soup as he sat beside her, blowing on it to cool it. "Gaara is a step above me… and I thought I was stronger then him after all these years. But apparently, he's stronger still…"

"Well, he's had a lot of practice," Temari said, her face falling. "His dad sent assassins after him to try and kill him… I think it was his way of crafting Gaara into the ultimate weapon…"

"That's a bit too much," Naruto replied, feeding another spoonful to her. "I mean, I had Akatsuki after me for years, was chased by wild animals, battles missing-nin, and even now, Anko still sends giant snakes to try and eat me. The latter is mostly for the shits and giggles, but it's training nonetheless." The blonde looked up at Temari, crest-fallen. "Gaara is strong for being able to get through all that."

"Well… you helped him out a lot," Temari chided, her smile growing back. "Becoming his first genuine friend pushed him away from the shadows. It's made all our lives better."

Naruto nodded and continued feeding her, the golden haired girl marveling at his smile and eyes. The hospital room they were confined to was pretty much empty, with the doors to the wing open on the far side, where nurses and doctors were seen passing by through the soulless hallways.

"So…" Temari began again, looking at the blonde curiously as he set her empty bowl down. "How do you intend to go about training till the exams?"

"Physical exercises and working real hard on the jutsu I already know. I've got plenty enough; all I have to do is improve them, particularly my Chameleon Technique. That ought to come in handy in the future," Naruto replied, crossing his arms and looking down at his feet in thought. "I'll need to increase my chakra levels too. If I'm fighting Takagura, then I'll need all the energy I can…"

"WAIT! You're fighting that guy right off the draw?" Temari sat up a bit, but winced at the sharp pain from her ribs. She lay back down, looking at her blonde friend with concern. "You never told me that!"

"Sorry… heh… must have slipped my mind," Naruto chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "I figured I'd surprise you at the exams…"

"Well, I'm shocked, that's for sure!" Temari coughed back. She furrowed her brow as she stared at him. "Listen, Naruto-kun. That boy is not an ordinary Genin. He is powerful… really powerful, and his eyes are empty and soulless… he'll kill you without a second thought. I think he's even more powerful then Gaara, given how this guy acts and how much chakra he can muster effortlessly. You're going to have a hard time against him if it comes down to one on one."

"I know," Naruto leant back in his chair, sighing. "Him, Gaara and myself, all three of us are jinchuriki. We're all in the same league of shinobi, meaning only I should be the one to deal with Kirigakure's Three-Tails!" The blonde looked up at Temari, seeing her blinking at him in surprise. "I don't know what's going on with the Kiri Ninja, but I'm going to find out. And if they mean to cause any harm to my friends or my village, I swear on my life, I will protect you all, and defeat them if it comes to it…"

Temari, a little bit overwhelmed by his speech, smiled back and nodded her head affirmatively. "Good luck then, Naruto-kun. Give him one from me!" She thumped the air with her good arm, but settled back after the zaps of pain reached her head. The kunoichi grinned up at the boy. "Still hurts… that was stupid…"

Naruto chuckled and leaned over, kissing her lightly on the lips. The girl was a bit surprised by the sudden show of affection but returned it enthusiastically. While they kissed, there was a knock on the door behind them, causing them to beak a part too early for their taste.

Looking over at the entrance, they saw the Third Hokage standing there, hands behind him and accompanied by two other people who Naruto recognized. The brown haired nurse standing on the Third's right was none other then Kakashi's teammate Rin and on his left was Kin, looking fresh as a daisy and smiling brightly. The old man smiled and approached Temari's bed, with Rin walking up to Naruto and patting him on the shoulder.

"Okay lover-boy, I need to check up on my patient now," the kunoichi exclaimed. Naruto nodded back happily and moved aside. Bidding Temari a sweet, friendly good-bye, he moved off with Hiruzen and Kin to the far end of the room, the former Sound Genin greeting the blonde with a warm hug.

"I assume everything went well?" Naruto asked, looking between Kin and the Third. Sarutobi nodded affirmatively, giving the young trouble-maker a kind smile. He then patted Kin on the shoulder.

"She cooperated with us, and told us everything we needed to know," Sarutobi said. Looking around, he walked up closer to Naruto and bent down to whispering distance. "Because you know what is going to happen in Konohagakure in a month's time, you're going to have to share with me the information you possess. I'm also going to talk with Temari about it, but I'd prefer to hear this story on all angles possible."

"I understand," Naruto nodded, glancing over at the golden haired girl, who was having her casts and bandages looked over. "However, I think that anything I can give you at this point will be just a repeat. But…I can give you a report later tonight…" Looking back up at the old man, the blonde gave him his serious, knowing expression, which Sarutobi knew well. "I'm meeting up with a Kiri Genin tonight. I can give you the whole thing in brief later onwards, once I've acquired the Intel I need."

"Very well…" Sarutobi breathed out, pulling his pipe out of his mouth and extinguishing it. He then glanced down at Kin, seeing her looking up at him as well. He gestured to the young teenager, then at the blonde whom she also had great affection for. "I've put in the paperwork to have her move in with you and made her a permanent citizen of Konohagakure. Her passport and documentation will be sent to your estate as soon as possible. However, I'm afraid until this Invasion debacle is over and done with, I cannot have her registered as an official ninja of the village just yet. We have eyes and ears placed on all foreigners entering Konohagakure as we speak, meaning that my ANBU forces are stretched thin." Naruto and Kin stood by one another, listening to the old man as he gave them the run down on the situation. "We've compensated for the shortage of ANBU with the former ROOT shinobi now responding to me, but we're still undermanned. I'm going to have every available Jonin and Chunin pulling in to monitor the events, so I expect full cooperation from you Naruto, and no wandering off anymore. Deal?"

"Got it, chief," Naruto nodded.

In agreement, the Third gave them a silent nod and headed over to Temari's bed, with Naruto and Kin leaving the wing of the hospital and heading out. While the pair marched hand in hand down the hallways, the blonde looked over at the raven haired girl and smiled.

"Feel like some dango?" he asked.

"I'd love some…" Kin wrapped her arms around his, and the two went out for lunch.

Meanwhile…

Those Genin who were able to make into the third and final part of the exams have immediately gone into rigorous training regimes of their own. A great majority of them have gone to see Jonin who could train them, while a handful of them just didn't really care. However, for all those who were desperate, and felt that their skill level was inefficient for the up and coming tournament, they were really getting into training.

Lee trained with Gai relentlessly, applying training weights over his regular ones, and shadow sparring under his sensei's guide. The Jonin watched from a distance as his student ran through combinations demonstrated, and corrected him with either a shout or a trip.

"Repetition is the key Lee!" Gai shouted, watching as the boy spun kick through the air, almost succeeding in prolonged levitation with the velocity of his kick. "Do the combos over and over again till you have perfected it to the point it becomes a subconscious and unconscious reflex! While genjutsu produces visions of the world, and ninjutsu breathes energy, taijutsu breathes life! Life is hard, and your goal is to overcome it Lee!"

"YES GAI-SENSEI!" Lee roared, his punches throwing sweat off of his body.

In spite of not being a part of the final exams, Neji had taken it upon himself to get stronger as well. With the help of Tenten, he began perfecting a new defensive technique he had learned by watching clansmen of the main branch family, as well as a new style of Gentle Fist. He and Tenten shared the same field as Gai and Lee, only they confined themselves to a more narrow space in order for Neji to work harder in learning his technique. It took a lot of physical and spiritual energy, but the boy was determined to excel to a level above his fellow shinobi.

Gaara had taken the liberty of exploring the village, not really feeling the need to get any training in. Right now, he just wanted to relax and drink in the sights. Kankuro was the same, but chose to focus most of his time fixing up his puppets and adding new tricks to them, such as poison blades and gas. He even went on to adding some new additions to Crow, including a projectile launcher. To him, mastering his puppeteer techniques and adding extra weapons to them, was the best he could do at this point, particularly against his dog of an opponent.

Naruto met up with Gaara with his friend Kin later that day and the three of them went out for dango. It was by some hilarious coincidence that they passed by Ino, who was jogging with Asuma, the girl crumbling under the strain of weights the teacher was making her wear. Choji and Shikamaru jogged behind them, all three of them literally dying. Obviously, Asuma wanted to put all his students through their paces, shaping them up for the future.

While Ino and Lee worked, Gaara relaxed and Kankuro played with his toys, Kiba was working harder then he ever had in his life. After hearing the tough time he had fighting the Uchiha in the preliminaries, Hana decided to move Kiba up the ladder, and tossed him into training with their mother. As terrifying and as painful as it was, at least the teen was spending time with his family, not to mention checking up with Kakashi and arranging lesson times with his sensei, who was also training Sasuke, and as best as he could, Shino. It was hard figuring out what to teach the bug user, but eventually decided to train him in a couple of taijutsu and ninjutsu techniques that he could use.

Hinata went to Anko and Kurenai to train her, the two Jonin kunoichi sure to give her something to work on. Sakura also accompanied them, but later focused on learning from Ryoko and Haku on technique and chakra. Naruto agreed to work in conjunction with his teammates, but a little bit later, once he had gotten his training out of the way. He also organized to distribute his time fairly between his friends and exercises, and arranged to get lessons from Anko and Jiraiya, if he ever bumped into the old man around town.

Of course, the Kiri Team was rarely to be seen the following month. But more on that later…

Everyone had issues and responsibilities to focus on, good guys, and bad guys…

That night…

Ichiraku's Ramen…

Having spent the day catching up and working hard, Naruto and his team got together and headed for their favorite Ramen Bar. Having not forgotten the meeting with the Kiri Genin, the three of them aimed to be as punctual and as prepared as possible, not knowing whether Miki really wanted to talk, or she had some sort of ambush planned for them. It didn't come as much of a surprise to them when they found the blind girl sitting alone on the far corner of the Ramen stand, downing her second bowl. She was fully dressed in the same outfit they saw her in the day before, and was still armed to the teeth.

Sensing the members of Team 7 sit down next to her, the white haired girl smiled and turned to them, pale white eyes staring through the darkness she saw, towards Naruto, Hinata and Sakura.

"I knew you'd come here today… eventually…" she murmured with a knowing smile.

"You didn't wait for us here for two days straight, did you?" Naruto asked.

"Actually, she did," Ayame informed. She served Team 7 their usual order, at their admission months ago to prepare their serves as soon as they walked in, and smiled in delight at her three favorite customers. "She told me not to worry; she said she was waiting for somebody important. I guess you guys are that…'somebody important' persons… eh?"

"Indeed," Sakura nodded, turning to the bowl in front of her and breaking two sets of chopsticks between her and Hinata. The Hyuuga, a little exhausted from her day with Gai in the morning and Anko mid-day till now, nodded her head and went on to have her tea.

"So… you wanted to tell me something, Miki?" Naruto asked, giving the girl a serious expression, yet still maintaining an air of curiosity about his look. "It had to be important that you couldn't even let your teammates know…"

"They may be my teammates on this mission, but they are not close comrades," Miki said, giving the boy a strange look before turning back to her bowl, stirring the contents passively. "I left my comrades back in the village when I was hired to sub in as Kirigakure's Genin team participating in the Chunin Exams…"

"You were hired?" Naruto asked. He looked over at his teammates, both of them looking around, before turning back and nodding, after making sure the area was clear. The blonde turned back to Miki. "That's not necessarily a good thing in our case…"

"No, it certainly is not," Miki replied, taking a sip of her broth from her spoon. "In truth, the only reason I'm telling you this is because I'm concerned for the safety of my village and the alliance between Konohagakure and Kirigakure." She glanced up at the blonde, frowning. "Out of my entire team, I am the only Genin actually from Kirigakure. The other three are rogue ninja originating from my village with their own agendas. Though the Mizukage is aware that she has one team participating in the exams, the original Jonin and the three Genin meant to participate were killed several miles away from Konohagakure, and were replaced."

"How did you get the documentation to get you past security and into the exams?" Naruto asked. "Surely you couldn't forge them that good, not even the Third Hokage saw past your fake identifications. He knows something is up with your group, but certainly not from your passports, otherwise he would have mentioned it to us…"

"Our Jonin leader managed to get them through with a powerful genjutsu pasted onto the papers, so that whoever looks at the documents, sees our photos and details instead of the actual owners," Miki said. "We met a contact who fixed the documents for us. The fake I.D's and forms have managed to hold up this far with that same genjutsu…"

"That's insane," Sakura said, leaning over and looking at the girl. "Genjutsu can only be produced and held up when in direct contact of the user. There's no way it can be pasted onto random objects as small and flimsy as I.D cards, it's impossible."

"It's a permanent, potent illusion," Miki stated. "Your security details will never be able to crack a level of genjutsu like that. However, that's not important…" She looked between the three of them. "What is important is you three knowing of our purpose here. Our team leader, the big guy in the hood, intends to attack Konohagakure at the same time Orochimaru will."

"Hang on… your Jonin teacher?" Hinata asked, blinking in surprise at her future opponent. "H-How does he plan to go about fighting Konoha all by himself?"

"You don't know him," Miki said, frowning as she began summing up her leader's abilities. "He's incredibly powerful and extremely dangerous. I didn't need to identify his profile in the bingo book, I felt it the moment I met him. He's stronger then Takagura and myself… even stronger then your Hokage."

"What about Takagura, and you… what are your roles in this?" Naruto asked.

Miki sighed and shook her head. "You obviously know that my ghost of a teammate is Yagura. The former Forth Mizukage is actually being controlled by a powerful juinjutsu technique created by our team leader, who plans to use the power of the Three-Tailed Beast to take over Konohagakure. Eclipse is also involved in his attack plan, to blanket the entire village with his storm technique and decimate it. He's much more powerful then he lets on though… smoke is not his only trump card…"

"And you…?" Sakura queried, raising an eyebrow.

"Look… I'm only sharing you this information to clear the name of Kirigakure and any involvement my village has in this attack," Miki said, furrowing her brow at the three members of Team 7. "We cannot control the actions of our rogue ninja, and we have every available Hunter Nin tracking them down. I could have been a part of the hunting party, but instead, I was hired by this group of rogue ninja through our village; as a result I cannot break my deal with them…"

"Who are you, exactly?" Naruto asked, looking her up and down curiously. "You certainly abide by a strong deal-binding code of conduct, and you're much more sensible then any ninja I've ever come across. You're not an ordinary shinobi from the Village Hidden in the Mist…"

"Before I tell you who I am, I will make you a deal," Miki said, turning to face the blonde fully on the stool. "If I give you this next important piece of Intel, then you must promise me that the Mizukage attending the Chunin Exams in audience with your village leaders will not be blamed for the attack. I can only go so far without stepping outside of the boundaries of my responsibilities in this mission, as well as insure the continued alliance between our villages, and the safety of Kirigakure. Our Team Leader plans to kill the Mizukage, as well as the Hokage and the Kazekage, if his attack should succeed."

Naruto sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Looking at his teammates, he saw the concern, and knew they were thinking the exact same thing as he was. Frowning, he turned back to Miki and nodded.

"I may not like it, but a deal is a deal. You have my word…"

"I am one of the newly appointed Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist," Miki said, watching Naruto's expression turn from one of seriousness to one of surprise. His teammates were also shocked at this news, but continued to listen unheeded. "I have replaced Kariya, the Hurricane of the Hidden Mist and my old master, who was killed by Zabuza Momochi in an attempted coop against Mizukage Ameritus, also replaced years ago. I am now my old sensei's equal, and have been hired to attack the Leaf Village."

"That's… a snap…" Sakura shook her head, processing the newly acquired data in her head. "You're one of the Legendary Swordsmen?"

"There are only three of us currently working for Kirigakure, including myself, Chojuro and Kagari. The four others of the last group who went rogue have yet to be replaced, and won't be until we have reacquired their swords," Miki informed. "Speaking of which, I believe you, Naruto… also desire information on Kisame Hoshigaki, former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and now an S-Rank criminal working for the Akatsuki."

"Yeah, I'm hunting the bastard down. What info do you have on him?" Naruto asked.

"Just this…" Miki reached into her kimono and pulled out a scroll. She slid it over to the blonde, who took it without hesitation. "Information on Akatsuki that our contact gave to us with the intention of giving it to you, the Nightwalker…"

Naruto frowned. "You know me?"

"Apparently… but our team leader wasn't really fond of the idea of exchanging information like this, since he assumed you were a rogue ninja like us, but then found out you were the jinchuriki of this village," Miki replied, getting to her feet. Picking up her parasol, she opened it up and propped it on her shoulder, staring down at the blonde. "He doesn't like jinchuriki for some reason…" Naruto snorted, while Sakura and Hinata just shook their heads.

"There's a shock," Naruto commented. "He may act creepy, but he looks like a total push over…"

"Be careful," Miki warned. "I recognized Ryoko as one of the original Seven Ninja Swordsmen at the exams, and I found out that you are also harboring Zabuza Momochi somewhere in Konoha thanks to his partner, Haku. As much as it is a dishonor to our village, they are no longer a part of Kirigakure, so attempting to assassinate them at this point is meaningless. However, their presence here puts you in great danger…"

"Why?" Sakura looked up at her, surprised by that note.

"Our team leader hates the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist just as much as he hates jinchuriki. He's had a grudge against them for years…"

"Wait!" Naruto stood up. "You don't mean that he is…"

Near Naruto's Estate…

Standing outside of the gates to Naruto Uzumaki's home, the hooded Kiri Jonin of Miki's team glared up at the building in front of him. Attempting to get close to it, he got zapped by a high powered electric charge from an unknown barrier, and staggered back from the recoil. Though the protective barrier did stop him in his tracks, it didn't faze him one bit. However, what did get his attention was the presence of another assailant waiting in the shadows. He turned around, just in time to see Anko Mitarashi hop down from an overhanging branch, and land on the footpath behind him. Crouching low, she grinned up at the big intruder as he glared at her from under the shadows of his disguise.

The Snake Jonin grinned and reached into her pouch behind her, drawing a kunai.

"A little too close to the fire aye, big boy?" the woman pointed, slowly rising to her feet. "That's private property…"

"Leave kid… unless you want to die," the hooded, Kiri Jonin hissed back, his tone deep and raspy. Anko chuckled, pulling out her combat knife from behind her and running her tongue along its blade.

"You picked the wrong kunoichi to mess with tonight," Anko snapped back. "Unless you've checked your bingo book recently, I'm not the kind of person you want to catch out on a full moon. This is my student's home, and I won't have some oversized brute knocking down his door and raiding the place."

"I never pick my opponents incorrectly," the man flatly stated, turning to face her fully. "There is not a single shinobi alive who can bring me down."

"How so?"

"Thousands have tried, and thousands have failed," the Jonin replied, raising his right hand from under his cloak and grabbing the rim of his hood. Anko tensed, and readied herself for a confrontation. "Upon seeing my face, you should know…"

Pulling back his hood, he revealed a chiseled, scarred face from years of conflict. It only took Anko one glance to recognize the face, and she nearly dropped her knife in shock.

"No way…"

"Are you kidding me? You know who the guy actually is, and you're still working for him?" Naruto asked. "What ever happened to hunting down the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and bringing them to justice, or eliminating them?"

"Unless they are admitted as a shinobi to another Hidden Village at their consent, then we can't really do anything about it. It's the law of shinobi, trading allegiances is common among us because we are expendable assets, and we solve our battles on the field, not through discussion. If something becomes a problem, you stop it, any way you can," Miki said, looking at the shocked faces of Team 7. "However, our team leader is far too powerful now for any of our Hunter Nin to bring him down."

"How do you know? You haven't tried to fight him, and you're heaps strong!" Sakura stated.

"I was hired by him. I took an oath to accept any job I am given, especially when paid up front. When the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist make a deal it cannot be broken," Miki said, before glancing over at Naruto again. "Even if I did fight him, he would destroy me…"

"Hikita!" Anko choked, trembling on the spot as she stared at the face of the scarred man. "Rogue ninja of the Village Hidden in the Mists and former member of the legendary Seven Ninja Swordsmen…"

The Jonin grinned at her. "The moon speaks my name… only the one who wanders shall be safe from my wrath… don't give me a reason to destroy you." When he said this, the tall, clinically insane warrior marched towards her, the woman still staring at him in silent fear. However, instead of attacking her, he walked right by her, his cloak swishing in the wind. He stopped as soon as he passed the woman, the swordsman glancing behind him with a snide grin still on his face. "If you want to try and kill me now… here's your chance. Take it…"

Anko remained silent, sweating bullets and staring ahead of her.

After a minute or so, Hikita chuckled and looked up towards the night sky. "You have chosen your fate wisely. Only the smart shinobi will calculate their odds of survival and take the best course of action. Fighting me will surely end with your name on a tombstone…" He continued walking on, leaving the woman to her thoughts. "Besides, I didn't have any intention of hurting your precious student; I would be acting outside of my responsibilities then. That boy is someone else's prey…"

He vanished when he evaporated into mist, leaving Anko alone on the footpath leading up to Naruto's house.

Trembling uncontrollably, the woman gulped and glared down at her hands. Her kunai was hanging loosely in her grip, the shock too much for her to bare.

"I was about to fight one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist head to head! I must be out of my mind!"

TO BE CONTINUED…

Author's Note:

I know Miki is working for both sides in this gig. I designed her to be the character who is extremely and equally loyal to her clients and to her village, not to mention powerful and difficult to really understand or know. In this case, she is a double agent, playing a role as both a good guy and a bad guy (or is she really a bad guy? There are more surprises in the later chapters, so enjoy). Oh yeah, and I wanted to do a scene with Ryoko and Anko for a while, don't worry things will unfold more further in the story between them and Naruto.