The Jinchuuriki with Multiple Bijuus

by DarkDragonFirewing

Superpowered Naruto. Harem. Naruto, raised by the Uchihas at Minato's wish, became Jinchuuriki for six Bijuus. Hmm, Naruto seems to love playing matchmaker in this new chapter, does he?

4. Chuunin Exam Part I

Part I: Start of Something New

Itachi thanked the villagers for their pay and went back to his group, ready to return to Konoha. The villagers had taken all of Gatou's money and gave them an S-class mission pay, which they considered a little too much, considering the mission wasn't that dangerous though they did fought against ninjas. "So, guys, you ready?" he asked.

"We're ready when you are," Naruto replied, looking ahead at the bridge. The bridge was finished yesterday, and they were going to cross it to get back to the mainland.

Itachi nodded. "Alright then, let's go."

Sasuke whispered to him, "Ironic, isn't it? Tazuna-san named it the Great Naruto Bridge. Strange name, huh?"

"Sasuke, I think it's a fine name."

"Fine, sure. Awkward? Also sure."

The trip back to Konoha was uneventful. The only thing happened was that they were attacked by bandits on the way, and Sasuke had taken care of them single-handedly.

Once they arrived at Konoha, they all separated. Sakura went to Ino's house, Itachi went off to hand in his report, and the rest went towards the Uchiha compound.

"You'll love them, Sensei, Haku! The Uchiha clan is one of the strongest clans in the world! They have a kekkai genkai called the Sharingan, and it can copy an opponent's jutsus and stuff. Sasuke's Sharingan only has one tomoe though, but it's still pretty cool…" Naruto drabbled on.

"Naruto, you talk way too much, okay? You haven't stopped talking ever since we left Waves," Sasuke groaned.

Zabuza finally smacked Naruto in the head and snarled, "Shut up already, brat! The Uchiha is right!" He was having a headache from listening to the blonde.

However, Naruto refused to keep quiet. He was too excited for their new guests to move in to live with them. "This is going to be sooooo fun!" He ran ahead towards their mansion, leaving Sasuke, Zabuza, and Haku to stare after him, all thinking the same though, He is the nuttiest kid in the history of the ninja world.

Naruto burst through the door, calling in a singsong voice, "Okaasan, Otousan, we're home, and we brought guests too!"

Mikoto came out from the kitchen and chuckled. "Back already? Fugaku's at the police station at the moment. He'll be back in about one or two hours. So, who are your guests? They're welcome to stay for a while."

Naruto hesitated, his grin faltering slightly. "Uh…actually they're gonna have to live with us for more than just a while…"

Mikoto widened her eyes. "What?"

"Uh…"

"Okaasan, I'm home!" Sasuke called as he entered the door, followed by Zabuza and Haku.

Mikoto gaped. "These are the guests, Naruto?" She stared at Zabuza, who towered over her.

Naruto laughed nervously. "Heheheh, uh, yeah, they'll be living with us, so is that okay, Okaasan?"

Mikoto looked shocked for a while, but then she smiled, having gotten over her shock, and replied, "It's okay with me, but we'll have to check with your father first, Naruto. I don't see why not. We have plenty of guest rooms. So care to explain how you came across them?"

Sasuke and Naruto began explaining everything, leaving out the fact that Haku was a slave…formerly, because there was no need to inform her of that considering that Haku is no longer a slave.

Mikoto smiled brighter. "Well, then, you two can stay here until Fugaku comes back. I'm making tomato soup, so I hope you're staying for dinner. It's Sasuke's favorite."

Sasuke twitched.

Naruto smirked. He knew the Uchiha had a strange addiction to tomatoes and onigiri. Naruto could never understand that.

Mikoto also chuckled at Sasuke. "Have fun, kids." She walked back into the kitchen just as Itachi arrived home.

Itachi panted, looking hurried. "Got a bunch of stuff to tell you guys…" He threw a bunch of papers on the counter and began muttering under his breath as he read, "Chuunin exams…hmm, they seem capable…advancing in missions…uh-huh…register as a villager or a ninja? Hmm…"

"What is it, Nissan?" Naruto peeked over his shoulder.

Itachi stopped reading and chuckled. "It's a lot to talk about. All of you sit down. There's a lot to talk about." He took the papers and set them down on the living room table instead. He sat down on one of the sofa and motioned for the others to do the same. "First of all, I'd like to inform you, Sasuke and Naruto, that there will be a Chuunin Exam in about two months. I think you are capable, but the decision is up to you. I have already informed Sakura's parents, and they say that she could participate…if you participate, of course. If you do want to participate, I'm totally fine with it."

Naruto jumped up. "Of course we'd participate! We're ready!"

Itachi laughed. "Right, I don't even need to ask, do I? You're ready for anything." He looked down at his papers again. "Also, when I handed the report in for Hokage-sama, he said that since you guys have proved yourselves capable of a B-rank mission, he will allow you to take on more B-rank missions and maybe an A-rank mission once in a while. You will have to take a break from missions for the Chuunin Exam; however, your rank won't matter that much, mission-rankwise. So basically, whether you're a Chuunin or Genin, if you want to take on a B-rank mission, you may."

Sasuke grinned. "Fine with us." He was like Naruto; the time when they decide to go on D-ranks and C-ranks again is when they could feel the world going upside down.

Itachi nodded. Then he turned to Zabuza and Haku. "Now, for your registrations into this village, you will either register as a ninja or a villager. Zabuza-san, if you register as a ninja, you can be promoted immediately to Jonin."

"Of course I'd register as a ninja! Living a peaceful life isn't my dream, Itachi."

Itachi shrugged and began filling out a registration form. "I take it Haku's gonna register as just a villager and civilian?"

Sasuke turned to Haku. "We don't know if she could use chakra nor if she has any kind of ninja skills, do we?"

Itachi peered at Haku. "Do you have any ninja skills?"

Haku didn't understand what Itachi meant by 'ninja skills,' so she just gave him a confused look.

"You know, chakra control, uh, basically unnatural powers," Itachi explained hastily.

Haku was silent.

Flashback…

Haku stared at the ice. "Mom, why does water do that? Whenever it gets cold, it turns into ice."

Her mom laughed. "The water's just hiding, Haku. It's right beneath the ice. You don't have to look far."

Haku stepped on the ice and poked the surface. She wondered how water is supposed to hide beneath the ice. It must be really clever to do that! Haku glared playfully at the ice, wishing with all her might that it would show itself. Suddenly, water squirted out and gathered into a neat blob floating above her cupped hands. "Mom, look what I can do!"

Her mom looked around, but when she saw what Haku was doing, her smiling face turned to one of horror. She rushed towards Haku and slapped her hands. "Don't you ever do that again!"

The water splashed onto the ice. Haku stared at her mom in confusion and fear of her anger. Why was her mom so angry? "Mom?" She stepped backwards just in case her mom gets angry again.

Her mom broke down and began crying.

Haku ran towards her and hugged her, crying. "I'm so sorry, Mom!" She didn't know why she was saying sorry, only that it sounded like the appropriate thing to do at the time.

A week later, Haku had killed her father. Now, she was running away from slave traders. Her life was going downhill…just because of her father finding out about her powers.

End flashback…

Haku looked up at Itachi, suddenly undecided whether she should reveal to these people her powers or not. She was also nervous about how they would treat her if she did reveal them to them. Sure, they have powers themselves, but their powers were 'trained powers.' They have techniques and everything, unlike hers. Her mother had said that her powers were like sins. Even her father rejected her once he found out. How will her new family react?

Naruto noticed her discomfort and laid a hand on her shoulder.

Haku looked back at Naruto's eyes and felt safe somehow. She felt as if she could tell them anything, and they wouldn't hurt her. She took a deep breath and said softly, "I do."

Itachi, surprised, asked, "Well, what can you do?" He had never expected Haku to have powers as she didn't do anything abnormal during the fight at the bridge. If she could, she would've protected herself against their attacks, wouldn't she?

Haku turned her gaze to the floor. "I…can't explain it. Can I show you instead, Itachi-sama?"

"Please do."

Haku turned to the glass of water on the table and focused. The water rippled slightly, and then began rising into the air. However, she couldn't hold it for very long, and after a few seconds, she lost control of the water. The water splashed right onto the pile of papers in front of Itachi. Haku gasped. "I'm so sorry, Itachi-sama!"

Itachi chuckled, waving her off. He saved a few of the papers on the bottom, which didn't get wet, and set the wet papers on the counter to dry. "Good thing those kinds of ink don't smear easily." He returned to his seat and considered Haku for a while. "Hmm, you don't seem to have the need to use hand signs to be able to control the water. Interesting."

"Is it a bad thing?" Haku asked worriedly.

"No, no, don't worry about it." Itachi thought for a few seconds and added, "It's not a bloodline thoroughly studied here in Konoha, but there are a few books written about it. I think it's called the Hyoton or something…"

Haku let out a sigh of relief. So they didn't think she was a monster because of it.

"Anyways, basically you could control both wind and water chakras, and since you could, you can also manipulate and create ice." Itachi pondered. Then he announced, "Naruto and Zabuza-san can help train you with water techniques, and then I or Sasuke can help you with chakra control. You haven't been trained as early as we have, so now, it's gonna be harder for you to learn everything."

Sasuke raised a question. "Hey, Nissan, how's she supposed to do missions and rise in ranks? She doesn't have a team to work with."

"I'll ask Hokage-sama about that; maybe he would allow a four-man team for the first time in history. For now though, train her as best as you can, and if the Hokage does agree to let her be on our team, then she will be doing missions with us like normal. If she's good enough, maybe she could join in the Chuunin Exam this year instead of waiting for next year, too."

Haku widened her eyes. She was going to train and work with ninjas! Just a few days ago, she was a broken slave. It was enough to make anyone feel a bunch of emotions all at once. "I-I'm going to train…w-with you?"

"Of course. Your powers can't be put to waste now, can it?" Itachi wrote a few things on Haku's registration form and then stood up, leaving the papers in a neat pile on the table. "I'm hungry, and mother's tomato soup's the best." He saw Sasuke twitched again and laughed. "Sasuke, I bet you can't lay off tomatoes for a day, can you?"

"How can I? They're the best!" Sasuke ran into the kitchen, no doubt to ask for a tomato slice before dinner.

"I swear his addiction to tomatoes increases everyday," Naruto muttered.

At that moment, the door opened, and Fugaku came in, his face still stern as ever. His figure commanded respect – even Zabuza felt slightly intimidated by him. He looked over at Naruto and Itachi and asked, "Back already? Mission successful? I heard that it turned out to be a B-rank mission."

Itachi nodded. "The mission was successful; everyone's back, safe and sound."

Fugaku nodded, proud. "That's what I expect from my children!" He then noticed Zabuza and Haku and asked, "Who are they?"

Mikoto called from the kitchen, "Guests! The kids met them from Waves, and they're going to be living with us!"

"I see…" Fugaku gave a small nod of acknowledgement to Zabuza and Haku before he motioned for Naruto to come over to him. "Naruto, I forgot to give you these earlier. They're scrolls from your parents, so keep them safe. They contained their most powerful techniques and their most important possessions; they're your inheritance." He handed Naruto the scrolls, saying, "They belong to you now that you're a ninja."

Naruto took them, a little shocked. He had never thought his parents left him anything before they died. "Arigato, otousan."

There was an awkward silence until Mikoto called from the kitchen, "Dinner's ready!" Then they heard her yelling, "Sasuke, wash those tomatoes first if you're gonna eat them fresh from the garden! How many times do I have to tell you that? Also, cut them into slices so you won't squirt; you can't bite into them like apples!"

They both chuckled and went into the kitchen/dining room to find Sasuke snacking happily on a raw tomato slice.

Mikoto was ladling out the soup and placing them in front of everyone. "Sasuke, when will you…?"

Sasuke, already knowing the rest of the question, replied resolutely, "Never! I will never, ever give up tomatoes as snacks before dinner!"

"And lunch and breakfast and between snacks and between missions and during missions…" Itachi and Naruto continued a whole list in unison.

"Okay, okay, I get the point. Doesn't mean I'm gonna give up tomatoes though!" Sasuke finished his slices and started on his soup. "Mm-mmm, this is so good!!"

Itachi turned to Naruto. "What did otousan talked to you about?"

Naruto pulled out three scrolls. "Just about my inheritance. My parents left me some possessions and their techniques and stuff. You guys wanna see? I haven't really looked at them yet." He opened one of them and spread it out on the table. They were his family; he'd gladly share all he knew with them.

Everyone, even Sasuke, stopped eating and watched Naruto, focusing on every piece of the scroll. Their expressions turned to one of awe. It was Kushina's scroll. It was filled with kenjutsu techniques, jutsus, summoning contracts, and even a few taijutsu moves. Naruto then opened Minato's scroll. His was similar – only with more jutsus and less kenjutsu techniques. Naruto opened the third scroll. This one was different from the other two in that it held no techniques – only his parents' most precious possessions and valuables.

"Unseal one, Naruto," Itachi told him.

Naruto unsealed an item in the scroll, and a kunai appeared. "A kunai? We have plenty of them, haven't we?"

Fugaku stared at the kunai. "That's no ordinary kunai, Naruto…"

Mikoto whispered, "There's a special seal attached to it. It's the secret to his Flying Thunder God Technique."

Naruto cocked his head. "The what?"

"You'll probably find out how to use it in his scroll he left you."

Naruto shrugged. "Okay." He rolled back up his scrolls and took them to his room. He wanted to finish dinner. "Hey, Itachi, are there any good TV shows on today?" He whispered to Zabuza and Haku, "Itachi has great taste in entertainment! He just found this really cool anime show about a few weeks ago. We had to go to Waves before we could get a chance to try it out though."

Itachi chuckled. "I recorded all the episodes, Naruto. A guy had decided to make an anime based on us. Cool, huh? Hold on…" He stood up and turned on the TV. The screen flickered on, and he opened up a recorded episode: Enter Naruto Uzumaki. "This is the first episode, I think."

Sasuke groaned, "Why did he name it after Naruto?"

"You want it named Sasuke, Sasuke?" Itachi asked, laughing.

They all watched the first few minutes before Naruto stood up, yelling indignantly, "I'm NOT a prankster! Also, I didn't even go to the academy!"

Sasuke smirked at the scene where he did a perfect transformation jutsu. "Well, I am top in class. That part is correct."

Everyone gaped when Hinata was thinking, Naruto-kun…do your best. "Man, this guy's mind is weird." Everyone covered their eyes at Naruto's Sexy no Jutsu. "AAAAHHHHH!!"

Haku whispered into Sasuke's ear, "You look really serious, Sasuke-sama."

"You mean 'emo'," Naruto corrected. "Anyways, where is Itachi?"

Part II: Teaching Techniques

Two months later…

Itachi's team had just returned from a B-rank mission. They were wiped out, tired from defeating jonins to rescue a feudal lord's daughter. Haku, who was the most inexperienced of the team, was nearly killed, taking a direct kunai to the chest. Many things had taken place ever since Haku joined the team. So far, they had taken on (all of which were successful) two B-ranks and an A-rank mission.

Itachi was carrying the sleeping Haku on his back as they returned to the Uchiha compound. "What do you know? We made it just in time for the Chuunin Exam. It's taking place in four days, so expect foreign ninjas coming in, 'kay?" He laid Haku on their living room sofa and went off to hand in his report to the Hokage.

Naruto turned to Sasuke and Sakura. "C'mon. Let's get some ramen. I'm starving!"

Sasuke and Sakura gave each other a look. With that, they both grabbed Naruto by his arms and dragged him towards another restaurant instead. Naruto, realizing that they weren't going to Ichiraku's, whined the whole way. However, Sasuke and Sakura ignored his pleas. "You're going to eat REAL food, Naruto."

Naruto pouted. "But I don't wanna!" he whined loudly.

"Sorry to say, Kid, but you need more nutrients in your diet. Ramen ain't gonna provide them all. You need more variety of foods." Houkou smacked him inside his head.

What's wrong with ramen? It tastes good!

"Just because it tastes good doesn't mean it's good for you," Raijuu told him. "Remember, ramen doesn't have a lot of nutrients in it. Basically, you'll get full, but you won't receive the necessities you need from food."

Naruto hmphed but allowed himself to be pulled towards the restaurant. As they were about to enter, though, screaming and sounds of a scuffle drew their attention. All three of them entered ninja mode and ran towards the sounds. As they rounded the corner, they found two ninjas, from Suna by the look of their tête-à-têtes. One had purple markings over his face and the other was a blond girl with a fan on her back. The yelling and screaming had come from the academy students whom they were bullying.

Naruto recognized immediately the academy students – Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi. He sweatdropped, knowing that they were Konoha's Number One troublemakers. He asked, "Okay, what did you guys do this time?"

Konohamaru, who was held above the ground by Kankuro (we all know his name, don't we?), yelled in reply, "We didn't do anything! We only accidentally bumped into this creepy weirdo!"

That wasn't very smart, Naruto thought, stepping forward about to rescue Konohamaru.

"Who're you calling a creepy weirdo?" Kankuro growled. He shook Konohamaru, who just glared defiantly at him.

Sasuke threw a rock at Kankuro, hitting his mark exactly at the hand holding Konohamaru. "Let him go. You know, it's smart if you keep a low profile in a foreign village."

Kankuro winced, dropping Konohamaru and growling, "Who are you to tell me what to do, you punk?" He stepped towards Sasuke, who just smirked coolly and played with another rock in his hand. However, Temari stopped him.

"He's cute…so he's mine," she said softly, smirking.

Kankuro gave her a strange look. "You're really strange sometimes…" he muttered under his breath.

Naruto sniffed the air, smelling something strange. "Sasuke, Sakura, can you feel that?" he whispered under his breath. Then he turned his head towards a tree branch right above them.

Temari and Kankuro visibly stiffened. On the branch was their younger brother. He had come to the scene so quietly, they hadn't even noticed him. "H-hi, Gaara."

Naruto, having gotten over his uneasiness, grinned casually. "Yo. So your name's Gaara, eh? Who're your teammates?"

Temari and Kankuro stared at Naruto. Is that blond an idiot or what? Doesn't he know that their brother can kill him in a blink of an eye? As for Gaara, he just stared unfazed at Naruto and his teammates. He jumped down between Temari and Kankuro and replied emotionlessly, "They're my siblings, Temari and Kankuro." That was all he said before he turned and walked off, giving his siblings the message that they have to go.

Naruto cocked his head in curiosity. "They must be here for the Chuunin Exam."

Konohamaru gave him a look. "You just figured that out?"

As he watched the siblings walked farther away, Sasuke shivered involuntarily. The picture of Gaara's eyes was still haunting his mind.

……

"Itachi, how's Haku?" Naruto called, returning home.

Itachi was signing some papers. "She's fine! She's fully healed, training with Zabuza-san at the moment!" he answered. "How was your afternoon?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Just met some genins from Suna here to take the Chuunin Exam."

Itachi paused in his writing, slightly troubled. "Who are they; do you know their names?" he asked quietly.

"Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara."

Itachi narrowed his eyes. "Gaara as well?"

"Yeah."

Itachi sighed deeply. He stood up and said, "I want to give you something. I think, though you're not a jonin or any of the higher ranks, that you're ready to use this." He walked over to a desk and opened the compartment. He pulled out two books. "Here." He threw one to each of them. "They're kinda like ninja profiles. You'll find the more dangerous and powerful ninjas in there. Look up Sabaku no Gaara."

Sasuke flipped through the pages, finding the name after a short search. "It says here he's the one-tailed Bijuu's Jinchuuriki – kinda like Naruto. However, he has practically no control over the Bijuu. He's an insomniac and people believe that he isn't completely sane." Sasuke chuckled slightly at the last part.

Itachi's face remained serious. "Sasuke, this isn't funny. This is a very serious matter. He's unstable – which is what I'm concerned about. We are Suna's allies, are we not? Well then, why would they bring along someone unstable to our village? Gaara could attack our village and destroy it."

Sasuke widened his eyes. "What do you reckon we should do?"

Itachi shook his head. "We won't do anything. We'll wait for their move first, but ready yourselves. Don't let your guard down, whatever you do. Also, be extremely cautious around Gaara and the sand-nins."

……

The Sandaime called Itachi, Kurenai, and Asuma over to him. "Alright, you all had a chance to talk to the genins you're in charge of. Now, who do you think will be eligible to take the Chuunin Exam?"

"Hinata, Shino, and Kiba are capable."

"Shikamaru, Chouji, and Ino are, too."

They all turned to Itachi, wondering what he would say about Haku, a new ninja. Itachi smiled. "I do recommend Naruto, Sasuke, Haku, and Sakura. Their teamwork is excellent, and they are quite capable. Normally, I would've hold Haku back as they already have three members without her, so they could still take the Chuunin Exam by themselves. However, she is a quick learner, so I do think she is capable of advancing to Chuunin level."

Kakashi and Iruka, who were listening in on Itachi's recommendations, stood up. They obviously disagreed on some of his ideas. "Itachi, Haku is barely a ninja! She's been training for only about two months! She's not ready!" Then Iruka added, "Also, Naruto doesn't take fighting serious enough! He's not ready!"

Itachi chuckled. "Both, I believe, are quite ready. Naruto may have the lowest grade in the academy, may be a bit ignorant and oblivious, and, okay, he can be quite immature, but he is ready." I do wish he'd use his brain more often though. The Bijuus' cunning and intelligence shouldn't be put to waste.

Kakashi sighed. "From the way he acts and from his personality, we can all declare him as the number one, knuckleheaded ninja in history."

But you haven't seen his true abilities before, Kakashi.

Sarotobi looked from Kakashi to Iruka to Itachi before declaring, "Alright then. I take it Naruto and Haku will both be participating?"

"Hokage-sama…" Iruka started, concern sketching over his face.

"Itachi said they're ready, and I trust his judgment. If it helps, there will be preliminary exam for the Rookie Nine before the Chuunin Exam to see if they're ready to participate."

……

Naruto and Sasuke looked over their application papers. Both filled them in without hesitation. Sakura shrugged and filled in hers too. However, Haku hesitated; she wasn't sure whether she should apply, seeing that she was training as a ninja for only two months. "I don't know if I should…" she muttered softly.

Itachi peered over his book at her. "If you don't want to, it's okay." He gave Naruto and Sasuke a look that plainly says 'Don't force her.'

Haku looked up at Naruto. "Should I?" she asked him.

Naruto shrugged. "It's your choice."

"It would be a good thing if you did though," Sasuke said out loud.

Naruto jabbed him sharply in the ribs. "Sasuke!" he hissed.

Sasuke grinned sheepishly. "Gomen, gomen, I was joking!"

Haku turned to Itachi. "Do you think I'm ready?"

"I do think you're ready, but the answer to if you should enter or not lies in whether you feel ready or not." Itachi returned to his book.

Haku looked down at her application form and groaned. Making decisions for herself was a lot harder than she had imagine. "Will I die?"

"There will always be a chance that you will." Itachi's reply was plain, simple, and straightforward, but he added, "But the chances are very small though." Your teammates can guard you through the Forest of Death, and the main matches are always supervised by jonins.

Oh, just sign the thing and get it over with; it's not as if you're gonna die, Haku told herself. "I'll participate then." She filled in the application and handed it to Itachi.

Naruto jumped up and did a little happy dance. "Yay! Haku's participating with us!"

Haku turned pink slightly. Why was Naruto so happy just because she agreed to participate?

Zabuza glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "You sure, kid?"

Haku nodded. At least she was fairly sure.

Zabuza had become protective of Haku over the course of two months. Even though he and she were usually on different missions, he would always remind Itachi to watch over her (A/N: plz don't confuse this protective feeling with romance and love. Zabuza's just being fatherly. ZabuHaku is…uh…awkward, considering he's nearly twice as old as her.) Zabuza wasn't sure if she was ready for the Chuunin Exam. She, so far, had only mastered senbon and a few water techniques, which were nearly useless as there won't always be a nearby water source.

Naruto nudged him and whispered out the corner of his mouth, "Don't worry so much about her. She'll be fine."

Zabuza was less than assured, but he just nodded and pasted on his stoic mask.

Naruto turned to Sakura, Sasuke, and Haku. "Hey, wanna train?"

Sakura turned to Sasuke. "Are you going to, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Yeah, of course I will." He stood up and went outside, running towards their training ground.

Naruto smirked. If Sasuke's going, Sakura's going. It was as simple as that. When they arrived at their training ground, they split up into pairs: Sakura with Sasuke and Naruto with Haku. "Haku, come here."

Haku obediently ran over to him, anticipating that he was going to teach her something useful.

"Do you know, Haku, that water is presented in all three forms, gas, solid, and liquid?"

Haku nodded, curious to where this was going.

Naruto explained further. "Well, water is presented in the air as water vapor; it's presented as a liquid as plain water; it's presented as a solid as ice. You, so far, have been able to control both its liquid form and solid form. However, these two forms won't always be present near you, so you'll be in trouble if you're not near a water source. But…water vapor is in the air. It's everywhere…only you have to learn how to 'capture' it. The air has very small amounts of water vapor, so you have to learn how to make the most of it. I'll be teaching you how to capture the water vapor today. It requires a lot of chakra, but it'll be worth it. Tomorrow, if you master today's exercise, then I'll teach you how to draw out water underground. It requires more chakra of course, but if you need more water than the water vapor can provide you, you'll need to know that technique also."

Haku nodded again, enthusiastic. "Naruto-sama, how do you know all this?" she asked in awe.

Naruto chuckled. "I learned it," he replied simply. "I would appreciate it if you don't tell anyone where you learn this from. To most of this village, they just consider me a knucklehead."

"Hai, Naruto-sama." She didn't understand his ways, but she still agreed not to tell.

Naruto twitched, irritated. "Can you stop calling me that? Why do you always call us by that title?"

Haku grinned. "But I want to call you by that, Naruto-sama. You said you want me to have free will, right?" She wanted to see what Naruto would say to that. She had witnessed for herself Naruto's cunningness; now she wanted to see if she can outwit him.

Naruto gaped. Oh, she's good…

"True, little one. She's a clever one. If you tell her to stop calling you by that title, you'll be going against what you told her before – that she has free will to do what she wishes." Kyuubi let out a laugh.

Naruto pulled himself together and sent Haku a glare. "Even Kyuubi admitted that you're clever."

Haku stared at him innocently. "What did I do, Naruto-sama?"

Naruto twitched again. This was going to be a long training session. However, he couldn't stop a smile making its way to his lips. He shook his head and returned to training mode. "Okay, basically you disperse your chakra throughout the air. For enough water to even work with, you have to disperse a lot of chakra. Once your chakra is dispersed, uh, kinda form a funnel with them. Draw in the water vapor, and you'll end up with water." He demonstrated; he pulled back his hand and chakra spiraled around it. Water began gathering at the center of his hand. "If you truly master this, and if you have enough chakra, you'll be able to pull in a lot water. Practice, and eventually, this will be like second nature for you. This requires nearly perfect chakra control and high stamina."

Haku watched, fascinated. "Can I try, Naruto-sama?"

Naruto nodded.

Haku imitated Naruto, pulling back her hand and forming a funnel with her chakra. However, the technique used up so much of her chakra that she couldn't even draw a drop of water before she collapsed. I'm so weak… Haku looked up in Naruto's face.

Naruto smiled. "Much harder than it looks, huh? If you want to stop, I understand."

Haku tried standing up, but instead, she groaned and said, "I think I'll stop here."

Naruto nodded and picked her up, bridal style.

Haku didn't know why, but she blushed, turning red.

Naruto turned to Sasuke. "You finished?"

Sasuke smirked. "Long time ago." He was holding Sakura by her arm, holding her kunai hand behind her head. For the last two months, the team, during practices where Itachi wasn't involved in, was divided up into pairs, Naruto with Haku and Sasuke with Sakura. "I want to train with you, Nissan!" he whined.

Naruto grinned. "Sure, Sakura and Haku seemed wiped out." He laid Haku at the base of a tree and led Sasuke off to a farther clearing.

Sasuke turned to him. "I have a question for you. Why don't you want anyone to know your true potential? When are you going to tell Sakura?"

"I'll tell the whole village when its civilians are ready. Either that, or they'd have to find out for themselves. After all, Sasuke, hidden secrets are meant to be found."

Sasuke glanced at him. "Do you have a dream you want to fulfill in your life?"

Naruto was quiet for a while. "To live to my family's full expectations – that is my dream. I want to protect those I love."

"You know, your father was the Yondaime." Sasuke paused. Naruto already knew that. "Itachi told me this. A week before their death, Kushina-san and Minato-san both agreed that once you grow up, you'd be more powerful than either of them, surpassing them. I was thinking; why don't you make your dream to become the next Hokage? You can protect the whole village! Make it your goal to earn the villagers' respect, one at a time."

Naruto was deep in thought. Then he grinned and looked up. In a loud voice, he announced (very manga Naruto-like), "Alright then! My dream is to become the next Hokage!" Then he added, "Dattebayo!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. He was only making a suggestion, and Naruto just agreed to it – just like that. "Dattebayo?"

"That'll be my catchphrase!" Naruto nodded in affirmative. "Dattebayo!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. When they arrived at their destination, he came into taijutsu stance. "Let's spar!"

Naruto nodded and came into the same stance. Sasuke charged at him, delivering a kick to his face. However, Naruto grabbed his foot and threw Sasuke back. Sasuke flipped and charged again, and he delivered a punch towards Naruto's face. Naruto smirked and grabbed his fist. "Too slow, Sasuke!" He kneed Sasuke in the chest, sending him into the air.

Sasuke groaned in pain, but putting his pain aside, he turned his body vertically and sped back down again, aiming for Naruto abdomen. Naruto raised his foot and caught his punch. "Boy, Sasuke, you're slow!" Naruto spinned and back-punched Sasuke in the ribs. In reaction only, Sasuke grabbed his arm and hanged on.

"What the heck are you doing, Sasuke? Let go!" Naruto comically waved his arm back and forth, trying to get Sasuke off him.

Sasuke smirked. "Got you now." He lunged and got Naruto under the chin, sending him into the air.

Shocked, Naruto was immobile for a few seconds. In all their former spars, Sasuke's punches and kicks never connected. Was Naruto getting weaker…or is Sasuke just getting stronger? Nevertheless, Naruto wasn't going full force, so…Naruto looked back down, gritting his teeth. Then he turned his body vertical and sped back down towards Sasuke. Before they knew it, the match was over. Naruto tackled Sasuke to the ground and sat on him, refusing to get off until Sasuke surrendered.

"Alright, alright, you win, now get off me!" Sasuke growled.

Naruto smirked and got off. Suddenly, a ninja appeared on top of Sasuke, taking Naruto's place.

Sasuke snarled, "Why does everyone want to sit on me? I'm not a chair!"

The ninja ignored him. He pressed a kunai to Sasuke's throat and said to Naruto, "Hand over to me the Sacred Scroll, or else your friend dies."

Naruto cocked his head. "Iruka-sensei? What in the world are you doing in that ridiculous outfit?" (Look in the mirror, Naruto. What kind of ninja wears orange?)

Iruka (the ninja) started freaking out. My disguise is supposed to work! "Uh, I'm no Iruka!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. Then he fell over laughing. "Of course you're Iruka! Did you forget who you are?"

Iruka sweatdropped. So much for disguises. "Never mind," he muttered. Just seeing through his disguise was enough to tell him that Naruto was ready for the Chuunin Exams. "I'm outta here." Then he poofed.

Sasuke muttered under his breath, "Annoying teacher. He really needs a life…and a girlfriend."

Naruto gave Sasuke a devious grin. "He does…"

……

Naruto and Sasuke returned to where they had left Sakura and Haku and began telling them the strange incident between them and Iruka.

Sakura giggled. "Hey, something happened to us, too! A ninja attacked us for no reason at all! He attacked me first, but then he went for Haku-chan. I think she might've given him a concussion by accident!"

……

Iruka groaned. "They passed," he moaned. His head felt as if it was splitting in half!

What had happened…

Haku panicked. What was she going to do now? The ninja's coming right at her, and she was in no shape to fight. Out of instinct, she jumped onto the tree branch above. Unfortunately, it was too weak to hold her weight. The moment the ninja was right below her, the branch broke. Falling, she came into kicking position on instinct, and her foot connected with the crown of his head. It was quite a pathetic match.

Part III: Competition

The night before the Chuunin Exam…

Naruto was reading by the lamplight beside his bed, reading about history and geography of the ninja world. It was late – one in the morning. However, he never really needs to sleep; he has boundless energy preserves and great stamina. Also, he would never reveal this to anyone, but he was immortal now. He was one with the Bijuus and would live forever because of the Half-Fusion Technique; it was something Itachi and the Third had not known about. He had limitless time on his hands, most of it spent on learning, reading, experimenting, inventing, and who knows what else. Naruto sighed and leaned back against the pillow. He activated and deactivated his Shakugan, a Dojutsu of his own invention, feeling the chakra rushing into his eyes every time he activated it. It was exhilarating, like a roller coaster somehow.

The Shakugan was basically a combination of the Sharingan and the Byakugan – a white eye with a pupil and tomoes. As Naruto has the ability to use these bloodlines, he also has the ability to combine them together into one. However, it uses immense amounts of chakra if used for too long – not that this was a problem for him. Through the Shakugan, Naruto has the abilities of both the Sharingan and the Byakugan. Against a Byakugan user, Naruto would definitely win because he can copy their moves and defend himself against their Gentle Fist Style, preventing the closure of his tenketsus. Not only that, but he can also see their tenketsus and close them. Against a Sharingan user, he would have the upper hand because he can use the Gentle Fist and close their tenketsus while being able to copy their movements, predicting their attacks and defending himself from the inflicting damage.

Knock, knock, knock. Naruto looked up. "Come in."

Haku opened the door and whispered, "May I sleep with you tonight, Naruto-sama?"

Naruto chuckled. "Of course, Haku." Naruto and his family were used to Haku's behavior. Haku was hungry for affection ever since she came to live with them. Eight years of brutal treatment will take a long time to make up. They all understand this and were not at all bothered by the fact that they have to constantly show affection. Sometimes, Haku would just lay her head on Sasuke's lap for no apparent reason; sometimes, she'd snuggle into Itachi on the sofa during a movie; and sometimes, she'd sleep in one of their rooms instead of her room – more often than not. Out of all of them, she seeks Naruto's affection the most.

Haku climbed eagerly into bed next to Naruto. She went under the covers and then cuddled into Naruto. She was used to Naruto's hard muscles – they were as hard as stone.

Naruto laughed softly and wrapped his arm around her slender form. He was always attracted somehow to Haku's personality: servile, kind, timid, shy, and eager to please.

Haku snuggled in closer and whispered, sounding nearly ashamed, "I'm scared."

"About tomorrow?"

"Hai."

Naruto absentmindedly played with a strand of Haku's hair. "I see…" He, not knowing what to say as he was never good at the emotional level. "Is there a way I can help?"

Haku exhaled gently, her breath brushing Naruto's hand. She raised her eyebrows confusedly when Naruto shivered involuntarily. "Naruto-sama?" She suddenly felt uncomfortable and awkward.

"Ooohhh, Kit! I think someone is falling in LOVE!!" Kyuubi cried out in a sing-song voice enthusiastically.

What in the whole freakin' world are you talking about? Naruto asked indignantly. He can't be falling in love with Haku, is he? No, it was impossible. He had never fallen in love with anyone before. But then, what was with that involuntary shudder? Why did he react so strangely to Haku's natural actions? She was just breathing!

"I'm talking about your hormones kicking in, Kid. You're thirteen now, a teenager! You can't fight nature. Your body will…uh…adjust."

Kyuubi, please, we don't need to talk about these kinds of stuff. It's kinda awkward. Heheheh! Naruto chuckled nervously. Then he cleared his head, ignoring the Bijuus' laughter at him. "Yes, Haku?"

"Are you okay?" She asked, cautious of him suddenly. A vice-like grip of fear clutched her heart.

Naruto noticed her strange behavior and hesitated. "Uh, it's nothing. Don't worry about it, Haku-chan." He sighed and closed the lights. Haku needed her sleep even if he didn't.

However, Haku was far from sleepy.

Flashback…

Haku looked around frantically. Where was she? She remembered turning around the corner two minutes ago to escape from a few drunkards. She ended up in a maze of alleys, each looking menacing and threatening. She was lost.

Haku held her grocery bag close to her chest, as if to take some comfort in it. Shadarsu had sent her on an errand to buy some groceries…at night. It was right after a whipping no less. She cringed, feeling helpless, disoriented, and most of all, frightened. It was dark; she was in pain; and she was lost.

Footsteps sounded behind her. Haku whipped around, retreating backwards until she was leaning against a stone wall.

"Well, now, what have we got here, boys? A pretty little thing, isn't she? Are you lost?" drawled the drunken man in front of her.

Haku trembled from head to toe, her eyes wide with fright.

The man's partner came forward boldly. "I call first." He smirked at Haku. "Now, beautiful, we won't hurt you…"He grabbed Haku, ignoring the scattering vegetables as he did so.

Haku struggled in vain against the man's powerful grip. Then she felt her shirt tore open. The rest of the night, all she knew was unimaginable pain…

The next morning, Haku opened her eyes, but she didn't stand up. She felt pain everywhere. Her limbs felt heavy, and without even looking, she knew she was covered in bruises and scratches. If only she could scream for help, maybe, just maybe… She sobbed. Why? Life was so cruel to her; she just wants to die.

Shadarsu appeared in front of her unexpectedly. His face looked smug; it was as if…he knew she was going to be…oh she couldn't even think that terrible word. "Well now, where have you been, slave? Looks like I'll have to have a talk with you about following through with orders at the appropriate times."

Haku knew what 'talk' meant and trembled.

"But for now, we got a lot of customers to deal with." Shadarsu gave Haku a hard kick, giving her an incentive to get up. He doesn't have all day.

Haku cringed. Pain shot through her body. Still, she stood up obediently and followed Shadarsu home, or at least, his home. She doesn't have a home; everything is his. That night, she got double the lashes than normal. It was the worse day of her life, and she was only twelve.

End Flashback…

Haku's eyes shot open. She sat up in bed, gasping for breath. The morning sun's rays lit up the entire room. "What a nightmare…" she muttered under her breath, though she knew it was no nightmare. It had happened – two years ago. Then she shook her head to clear it of the dream. She wasn't going to sulk over the past. Besides, Naruto would never do such a thing like that to her; it was silly of her to connect that night to Naruto last night.

Haku turned to the side, finding Naruto's spot on the bed empty. She got up and walked to the kitchen, finding only Sasuke and Mikoto in the house. "Sasuke-sama, do you know where Itachi-sama and Naruto-sama went?"

Sasuke winced at her title for him and replied, "Itachi had to go do something for the Chuunin Exam and Naruto is taking a few laps around Konoha. He always does in the morning."

Haku glanced out the window only to see a trail of dust surround Konoha – no doubt from Naruto's running. "How does he run so fast?" she asked softly.

Sasuke chuckled. "Easy. One, because of the Bijuus and two, running is second nature to him. He doesn't get tired from running, even if he's been running forever."

"Can someone run like that without the Bijuus' power?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I think Itachi can run at full speed for a few hours before his strength starts dwindling, but that's the best anyone can do in the village."

"Wouldn't anyone notice a column of smoke every morning?"

"Nah. Ninjas run really fast, and you can't really tell the difference in our speeds unless we're racing each other. From the villagers' point of view, all the ninjas' speeds are the same; they're all fast." Sasuke grinned. "Your speed's faster than most people's, I can tell. However, you need to work on your endurance. You can barely make ten laps around Konoha."

Haku flushed. It was quite embarrassing, even though Itachi assured her that it wasn't her fault and eventually she'll get the hang of it. Sasuke teases her about it all the time, playfully of course, but it doesn't make him wrong.

Sasuke smirked, but he didn't torture her further. "Get ready. Naruto and Sakura are waiting for us." He glanced out the window. The dust and smoke are settling, signaling the end of Naruto's 'warm-up.' Sasuke himself was already dressed in a dark blue shirt with a high collar, gray shorts, and armguards.

Haku, on the other hand, was still dressed in night clothes. She ran into her room and quickly changed into comfortable clothing. When she came out, Sasuke was leaning against the wall, waiting for her. His eyes were closed, relaxed and confident. His arms were crossed and his right leg was crossing his left. His posture gave him a countenance of ease.

He opened his eyes as Haku approached him. "Ready?" Then he called behind his shoulder, "Okaasan, we're leaving now!"

"Good luck, Sasuke, Haku. Tell Naruto to take it seriously!" Mikoto called out from the kitchen.

"We will!" Sasuke slipped into ninja sandals and began walking towards the Chuunin Exam. "Where could Naruto be? Sakura can't be far either…" he muttered to himself, looking around. Suddenly, Naruto's grinning face appeared upside down right in front of his nose. Sasuke, frozen in shock and surprise, could only gape.

"Sasuke? BOO!" Naruto grinned. Then he frowned and waved his hand in front of Sasuke's face. "Otouto?" He poked Sasuke.

"Naruto, I think you surprised him beyond repair," Sakura said sarcastically, crossing her arms disapprovingly. "It's not a nice way to greet your teammate…and your brother no less."

Naruto jumped down and peered at Sasuke with concern. "Sasuke? Are you all right?"

Sasuke just stared. Then he scowled and hissed, "You could've given me a heart attack!"

"But I didn't. That's all that matters, right? Am I right, bro?" Naruto grinned cheekily. "You're not dying, are you?"

Sasuke 'hmphed' and led the way to the entrance, muttering about 'what curse has my family inflicted on me with a blond ninja for a brother?' He stopped abruptly.

Naruto looked over his shoulder, curious at what the hold-up is. Two genins were blocking the door, bullying two others who were trying to get in. The two blocking the door were saying something about participating in the Chuunin Exam two times or something like that and if the genins couldn't get pass them, then they'll never pass the Chuunin Exam.

Sasuke growled. "Who do those guys think they are?" He stepped forward, about to start a fight, but Naruto ordered him, his voice full of authority, "Sasuke, stop." Sasuke was acting as the leader of the team, but Naruto was its true leader. Only, outsiders would look at it and claim Sasuke to be the strongest, Sasuke receiving the credit for Naruto's decisions. Naruto never cared for credit; he gave it all to his family.

Sasuke stopped, turning around. He knew Naruto enough to trust his decisions. "What?" he asked, still couldn't keep the annoyance out of his voice.

Naruto muttered only one word under his breath, "Genjutsu."

Sakura understood what he meant before Sasuke did. "Genjutsu Kai!" (Genjutsu Cancel) Itachi had taught them all how to release themselves from a genjutsu. "Sasuke, Naruto, Haku, it's a genjutsu! That's no door; it's a brick wall!"

Sasuke, not looking deep into the situation, walked forward to expose the secret. However, before he could say a word, Naruto clamped his hand over Sasuke's mouth and dragged him away, leading the team to the real entrance. "Sasuke, you can be so stupid!" Naruto said, exasperated. "That genjutsu was to narrow down the competition! Can't you see it discourages those who aren't up to it? Those who aren't good enough to participate in the exam?"

Sasuke widened his eyes, understanding. "Sorry, Niisan," he whispered sheepishly to Naruto.

Naruto shrugged and looked back at the 'genins'. The Chuunin exam entrants had transformed back into examiners. "See what I mean? Everything they do here has a purpose to it. Don't trust ANYONE. Don't trust whatever they say. Don't trust what you yourself see." Naruto and his team continued with the application process. Naruto turned around to see face to face with an unfamiliar genin in green spandex and a bowl shaped haircut. Naruto stared, his brain slow in functioning.

All the Bijuus in Naruto's mind halted in whatever they were doing and, too, stared at this stranger.

The stranger tapped Sasuke on his shoulder to get his attention. Sasuke held up a finger, asking the genin to be patient with him for a few minutes. The genin waited patiently.

Finally, Sasuke looked up and asked, a bit rudely, "What do you want?"

The stranger grinned and said in a loud voice, making everyone, even Naruto, wince, "I have come to challenge you, Sasuke Uchiha!"

Sasuke stared, not comprehending. "Uh, what? Do I know you? And why in the world are you asking me?" His eyes plainly said, 'Go away from me, you spandex-wearing psycho! I don't know you, and I don't want to either!'

The stranger gave him a look of pure determination and said, "I want to see how my skills match up against a descendent of the Uchiha clan…and the brother of the prodigious Itachi Uchiha no less!" Then he turned to observe the rest of the team. His eyes landed on Sakura, and his long gaze began to put her ill at ease. Suddenly, hearts took place of his eyes. "THE FIRE OF MY YOUTH IS STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Uh…excuse me? I'm the fire of your what?" He hadn't noticed that the stranger was no longer talking to him.

The stranger blew a kiss at Sakura. Sasuke and Naruto, their faces distorted with shock, gaped. Sakura screamed and 'dodge' the intended kiss. Sasuke, suddenly protective of her, stood in front of the stranger, blocking his vision of Sakura and snarled, "Who the heck are you?"

"I am Rock Lee, the Green Beast of Konoha!" Lee stared at Sasuke and declared, "Let us have a battle for Sakura-chan!"

Sakura gaped. "N-never!"

Sasuke made the same expression. "What? I'm not battling for anyone!"

Naruto, seeing an opportunity to study the competition, suddenly said, "C'mon, Sasuke, show him what you've got!"

"WHAT?!" Sasuke cried. "I'm NOT battling for Sakura!"

Lee finally said the remark that forced Sasuke to accept. "Are you, an Uchiha, scared? Not surprising. I am the strongest of the Konoha genins. You're probably just afraid to lose to me and lose Sakura-chan in the process!"

Sasuke twitched. "Fine! I'll battle you, but I will NOT battle for Sakura! I'm not going out with her, never!" He looked Lee up and down, studying his opponent. "Strongest of the Konoha genins, eh?" Sasuke muttered. "We'll see about that…"

Sakura whispered into his ear, "Just don't lose. I don't want to be a freak's girlfriend."

Sasuke and Lee squared off. Sasuke attacked first. Lee swiftly duck and sent Sasuke flying with an upward kick. Sasuke gritted his teeth and steadied himself up from the floor. "Sharingan!" Sasuke activated his Sharingan.

Naruto frowned. He already knew the outcome of the battle – if Sasuke continues to fight this way. This Lee uses Taijutsu. I hope Sasuke realizes it soon…and keep up. Naruto's eyes were able to follow every one of Lee's movements. However, he knew Sasuke couldn't see them as well as he can; Naruto knows more about the Sharingan than most of the Uchiha elders.

Sasuke widened his eyes in surprise when Lee suddenly appeared behind him.

Lee explained as he prepared for the Shadow Dance. "You don't understand. I use hand-to-hand combat, plain and simple, so even if you can see my attacks, you can't keep up."

Sasuke gasped. His limbs felt so heavy. It's as if his body knew he couldn't escape Lee's attack.

Lee attacked, about to finish Sasuke off. However, someone grabbed his arm with incredible force and threw him into a nearby wall. Lee looked up at the new offender to find a young man with long grayish-blue hair tied back in a low ponytail and red Sharingan eyes. Lee gaped. He had never seen this man in person, but he had heard of him from many, including his own sensei. This man, the Uchiha prodigy, was everyone's idol; this man was Itachi Uchiha. "I-Itachi Uchiha?" Lee idolized Itachi next to his sensei, not because Itachi was one of the strongest in the land, but because Itachi, even though he has a bloodline limit, still works hard to the best of his limits. That was what he heard from Gai-sensei, who seemed to respect Itachi as well. Lee respects Itachi also because of the way Itachi looked upon everyone as his equal and not his inferiors; like many, he also admired Itachi's willingness to sacrifice his own happiness for his country and village.

Itachi straightened up from his crouched position and looked at Lee in the eyes. His voice was casual and calm as he said to Sasuke, "I hope you learn a lesson from this experience, Otouto. Just because you have a bloodline limit doesn't mean you're better than everyone else and that you don't have to work hard." Itachi glanced at Lee's bandages and then his eyes softened. "As for you, I can let your sensei deal with you. I'm not your sensei, so I have no say in this. Where is Gai anyways?"

Lee still stared, speechless. He had never expected Itachi to be so…there was no good enough a word for it.

There was a poof! behind Itachi and a man in green spandex and a bowl-shaped haircut appeared.

Itachi smiled politely and said, "Hello, Gai-sensei."

Gai turned to Itachi and flashed a white, gleaming smile. "Hello, there!"

Itachi motioned to Lee and said, "Your student attacked my brother with a forbidden technique. Normally, I wouldn't mind them sparring, but that was uncalled for."

Gai turned to Lee, his eyes flashing. Then, to everyone's surprise, he punched Lee hard in the cheek. Right afterwards, they both hugged and make up – with a sunset as their background. "I'm so sorry, Gai-sensei!" Lee was yelling.

Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Itachi, and Haku just stared at the weird scene. Then Itachi shrugged uncomfortably and said to his team, "Well, I was just passing by…" He gave Sasuke a meaningful look and poofed.

Sasuke hung his head, somewhat ashamed. He wanted Itachi to be proud of him, not for Itachi to scold him.

Naruto laid a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and said assuredly, "Don't worry about it, Sasuke. You just got to work harder. It has been a while since you trained to your limits – ever since you got your Sharingan." Naruto stared, studying Lee, for a few moments. Then he stated his observation softly, "Lee works hard – harder than most of us think." There was emotion in voice, as if Naruto admired Lee for this attribute.

Then Lee turned around to face them. He finally said, confessing to them, "Before, I lied. I'm not the strongest genin in Konoha. Neji Hyuuga is. But one day, I'll defeat him and become the strongest ninja in Konoha!" He nodded determinedly and left.

Naruto's lips curled up in a small smile. "This will be interesting, the Chuunin Exam I mean. By the way, have you guys noticed that he can't tap into his chakra…?"

Part IV: Uprising Feelings

Naruto walked through the doors into a large room filled with people. "Wow, we're facing a lot of weirdos..." he muttered to himself. "Hey! Sasuke, Sakura, Haku, look! So we're the Rookie Nine!" he yelled pointing towards a couple of genins who were approaching them. He smirked when he saw out of the corner of his eyes Sasuke cringing at seeing Ino. "Okay, Haku, that's Shikamaru, the laziest kid in all of Konoha; Chouji, someone wider than he is tall; and Ino..." he paused, thinking up of a clever discription for her that won't make it so obvious that he dislikes her. "...a kunoichi with fists that I can feel a mile away." He grinned.

Immediately afterwards, Ino launched herself at Sasuke, ignoring everyone else. Sasuke yelped and ducked, making Ino trip over him into Haku instead. Haku's head hit against the floor, and she whimpered as a dull thud sounded. Ino raised an eyebrow at her. "Geez, are you a ninja or what? It's just a fall for pity's sake!"

Naruto growled and pushed Ino off. "Back off, Ino. She's only been a ninja for two months! Give her a break!"

Ino's eyes softened. "Oh...sorry," she muttered sheepishly towards Haku.

Naruto shook his head and helped Haku up. Being extremely empathetic after years of meditation, he could read other's feelings no matter how much they try to hide it. Haku didn't want to embarrass her teammates because of her weaknesses and disadvantages so now she just shrugged, but Naruto could see her eyes watering. Channeling chakra into his hand, he healed the forming bruise on the back of Haku's head. "Anyways, where was I? Before Ino launched herself trying to kill Haku? Oh, yeah!" He motioned to Kurenai's team. "That's Kiba - dog breath as we all call him, Shino - bug boy, no offense, I just need a description, and Hinata - she's a Hyuuga." Naruto grinned happily. "The Nine Rookies! All in the Chuunin Exam! Cool, eh? Wait," he smiled apologizingly at Haku. "I mean the Rookie Ten."

Haku shook her head. "I didn't really graduated from your academy, so I can't really be counted."

"That's nonsense, Haku," Sakura replied, her voice firm. "You're on our team, so you're one of us!"

"Wait, isn't there...?" Shikamaru started.

"We know, Shikamaru, but the Hokage says it's alright to include Haku on our team as she's too old to go back to the academy. She's fifteen." Sasuke waved him off. "Don't worry. She will be both an advantage and at the same time a disadvantage to our team, so you don't have to worry about it being unfair."

Kiba whispered to Shino, "She's HOT! Where in the world did they find her?"

Naruto smirked. "In a mission. I know she's hot, and she's my girlfriend, so back off!"

They were all silent. Haku flushed, turning a deep shade of red. Hinata's shoulders seemed to sag when Naruto said this. Naruto slapped his forehead. "Idiots! I'm joking with you. She's just a friend! Holy macaroni, do you guys believe everything other people say?"

Haku suddenly felt hurt when he told everyone she wasn't his girlfriend though she doesn't know why. They weren't going out in the first place, so why does she feel...bad about it? Is it possible that I want to be his girlfriend? Haku shook her head defiantly. She can't be in love. Naruto was her friend, her mentor, and in some ways, she still views him as a master. But then again, was it impossible that she can be in love?

Sasuke glanced at Haku's direction and smirked. 'Looks like someone has a crush on my oblivious brother.' Then Sasuke frowned, imagining what happens if Naruto did find out that Haku loves him and he doesn't feel the same way. 'That wouldn't turn out so well. Haku's been hurt by so many that she loved in her lifetime. If Naruto doesn't love her back, he'd hurt her. Badly.' Sasuke sighed. How did he involved himself in romance anyways?

Flashback...

"Sasuke, I love you! Tell me your answer already instead of standing there like a cold !#$!" Sakura cried. She was getting extremely frustrated at his lack of response. She launched herself at Sasuke, grabbing the front of his shirt and glaring to his face. "Tell me, Sasuke," she whispered softly as she looked into his obsidian eyes. Suddenly, she felt all her anger drain away as she stared into his confused, incomprehending eyes. He was deeply confused of what to tell her.

All this time he had thought she was only another fangirl, she was actually, truly in love with him. He sighed and took in a deep breath. "Sakura, I don't know if this is what I want at the moment, 'kay? It's all happening too quickly for me, and I'm not ready. I don't know who I truly love and it's too early for me to have a girlfriend anyways. C'mon, we're ninjas. Missions and training before romance. Get yourself together, Sakura." He turned away. Suddenly he was whipped around, Sakura's grip on his shoulder.

Her eyes were downcast as she whispered brokenly, "I knew you were hard to get, Sasuke, but I never figured you'd be this much. I'm begging you, Sasuke, give me a chance."

"Sakura, I told you my views already." He was getting extremely impatient with this conversation. "Even if I do like you," he said, emphasizing the 'if', "my job and family comes first right now." His eyes softened. "Maybe we'll be together someday, you'll never know." He reached out and touched her cheek with one hand. "But, I'm certain of myself that I don't want to get involved in romance right now."

"Sasuke..." Sakura shivered slightly at his touch. There was a spark to it, even Sasuke has to admit. Still, that won't convince him otherwise. "...you already got yourself involved." She leaned towards him and they touched noses. "I may want you to be happy, but I also hope that the person you want to be happy with is..." She paused, losing control of her emotions. A tear came out the corner of her eye and rolled down her cheek before she finished, "...me." She turned away. "Then again, I'm being selfish, am I?" Before he could respond, she ran away from him.

End Flashback...

Sasuke sighed. Why him? Why can't he just be like Naruto? Carefree without having to worry about problems until they came to him. Sasuke, now, was worrying about something that wasn't even his problem in the first place. Oh, well, at least Sakura doesn't treat him any differently than before their 'conversation'.

"I see that you guys are newbies."

Sasuke whipped around in defense position automatically. Itachi had taught him that if a person isn't standing in front of you, he's about to attack you from behind. It wasn't always so, but Itachi said better safe than sorry. "Who are you?"

Kabuto put two hands up in a peaceful gesture. "I'm Kabuto from the Leaf Village. I come in peace."

Naruto glanced at him, and his eyes narrowed dangerously though he didn't say anything.

"Careful, Naruto. Something's not right about him. He says he's from the leaf village, but his smell's not right. He smells crisp and cool, like stone and caves, not like the forest as the leaf village is in." Kyuubi growled. "There's also a familiar smell about him; careful, kit."

Houkou placed a hand on her shoulder, calming her slightly.

Yeah, I can tell, Kyuubi-chan. Something's definitely not right about that Kabuto guy...

Sasuke lowered his guard. "What do you want?"

"I just want to tell you to be careful. There's a lot of powerful genins here. As you're newbies, I suggest you keep a low profile. I've taken the Chuunin Exams six times already; this is my seventh time." Kabuto smiled in a friendly way. "Anyways, I just want to help you out. Over the last few years I've taken the exams, I've collected information about most of the contestants and put them inside these cards." He showed them a pack of cards and explained, "All I have to do is channel my chakra into it and the card will reveal information about the contestant. In the past years, the Chuunin Exams has been a way for villages to distribute and restrain power of each village evenly, so none could take advantage of the other. Currently, there's 72 participants from Fire Country, 30 from Wind Country, 15 from grass, 12 from Waterfall, 21 from Rain, and 3 from Sound. Just a side note, the village of Sound has just been created. Anyone whom you want to know about?" Then he grinned. "Just for laughs, I'll do you first." He gestured to Naruto.

Naruto's eyes flashed as Kabuto took out a card. Kabuto's eyes widened only for a second, reading Naruto's stats, before Naruto yelled, "NO!" and sliced the card into a million bits with his kunai. Everyone in the room stared at him. Naruto panted slightly before he closed his eyes and began to breath to calm himself. "Sorry for losing control of myself a few seconds ago," he said coldly.

Kabuto readjusted his glasses before saying, "That's alright; however, your stats are interesting. Clever of you, acting as buffoon and making everyone think that you're a weak link while in reality..." Kabuto smiled in an innocent sort of way. "...you could kill everyone in this room before they even know what's happening."

The whole room suddenly became quiet, the other contestants studying Naruto carefully. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "You're joking, right? Naruto's got the lowest score in our graduation exam, and he can't even catch a bullseye on a target with a kunai. You sure he's that powerful?"

Kabuto nodded firmly. "The cards don't lie."

All the rookies stared at Naruto, who's mind began working out a way to lie. There was only one way to do this. If he says he couldn't, most likely they'll think he was lying. In this situation, he was going to have to rely on his own teammates to lie. Everyone would sooner believe his teammates who had worked with him for months than himself, whom they would think is just trying to hide his true power, or Kabuto, who hasn't even met him until now. Naruto focused chakra out of his 'third eye' and telepathically told Sasuke, Sakura, and Haku to lie for him.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Kabuto. "Your cards are wrong then. We've been with him for months, and I've been with him for years and am his brother! His jutsus are clumsy, he can't control his chakra completely, his stamina may be high, but his ideas and mind are immature and completely wild. He can't think in pressuring situations, and I've beaten him up many times during missions when he gets annoying. Trust me; he can't hurt a fly even if he wants to."

Kabuto raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps my cards could've been wrong."

"It's completely wrong, Kabuto; he's not smart or strong. I think you might've confused his stats with Sasuke's," Sakura controversed.

Around the room, the tension lessened. Naruto let out a sigh of relief. Surprise was a ninja's number one weapon. "So we're cool, right? I'm still the strongest person in this room though!" he yelled just for the sake of keeping up appearances. And then Sakura smacked him behind the head...just for the sake of appearances. However, his outburst did stir up the room. All the foreign ninjas glared at him, thinking the same thing - 'Who does this brat think he is?'

Ino growled at Naruto. "Now look at what you did! Didn't Kabuto just told us to keep a low profile?"

Naruto let out a nervous chuckle at everyone's glare. "Can't you guys take a joke?"

Suddenly two ninjas burst from the crowd, lunging at Naruto. Naruto glanced at their tete-a-tete's and recognized them as Sound nin's before he whispered, "Fuuton: Kougeki ryuuyou!" (Wind Element: Divert Attack) The wind was slight enough that the ninjas only though they had missed Naruto accidentally but strong enough that Naruto didn't have to move to avoid the attack.

Instead of hitting Naruto, the ninjas sped towards Kabuto instead, both of them having been diverted around Naruto on each side.

Kabuto ducked and smiled.

Kiba grinned. "He's alright!"

Then Naruto whispered, "No he isn't."

Suddenly, Kabuto's glasses broke and he bent over vomitting. The sound ninja's turned to Naruto, hissing, "We missed you once, but watch yourself, kid. We won't miss you again." Then they disappeared.

"Wow, you're one lucky genin, Naruto," Kiba said, patting him on the back. "They could've killed you, bro!"

Naruto glance at Kabuto and groaned. No matter how much he wanted to just leave Kabuto there after what he did, Naruto couldn't bring himself to do it. He sighed. 'If I'm in a mission, my enemies would just kill me right after.' Naruto reached over, channeling his chakra into his hands and passing it over Kabuto's back, approximately where his stomach and intestines are. He's not as hurt as I thought he is. Naruto finished and stood up. Kabuto ceased vomitting and looked up at Naruto questioningly.

Ino gaped. "What happened?"

Sasuke yawned and replied boredly, "He has healing powers; he's pretty much the only one on our team who has medical skills, so he's our doctor."

"All right then, genins," said a voice. "The Chuunin Exams are about to start."

Naruto looked up and his eyes lit up with recognition. "Ibiki Morino, the torture specialist." He sighed and reached into his pocket. If Ibiki thinks he's a pervert because of this, it's all Jiraiya's fault. He went up to Ibiki and handed him a wrapped package.

Ibiki raised an eyebrow at Naruto. Out of the corner of his mouth, he whispered, "Naruto, you know I don't take bribes. You're not getting extra credit in the Chuunin Exams for bringing me presents."

Naruto rolled his eyes. Ibiki had been his teacher for about two weeks under the alibi of a mission, teaching Naruto methods of torture. Naruto whispered back, "Jiraiya told me to give it to you." Naruto smirked cheekily and pranced off.

Ibiki stared cautiously at the package before opening it. His eyes widened to the size of plates when he saw that it was the sequel to the Icha Icha Paradise series. The other examiners read over his shoulder as he opened to a random page. Then blood spurted out of their noses and they all fell on the floor, sprawling with goofy grins on their faces. The female examiners picked up the book curiously before they all turned red and smacked Ibiki and the other examiners on the head...very hard.

Naruto fell over, laughing on the floor. Everyone stared at him. Did this kid do some kind of a jutsu to give the head examiner a nosebleed and then another jutsu to control the movements of the other examiners? Only Sasuke knew the full story, and he was trying to hold in his laughter so hard, it hurts.

Part V: Mutual Suffering

Ibiki cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed. "Anyhow, um, begin." (This was right after he gave the rules, which I don't want to have to rewrite again)

Naruto yawn. He swears he can just answer the questions using the Bijuus' brains, but it wouldn't be fun. After all, Ibiki did want them to cheat. He searched the room until he decided to just use a Byakugan or a Sharingan or something instead of doing anything fancy. "Sharingan!" Coincidentally, Sasuke was placed right in front of him, so now he was copying the copycat. He smirked, enjoying his own inside joke.

He finished at exactly the same time Sasuke did and deactivated his Sharingan, deciding to study some of the people in the room. He decided to spy on the only other Hyuuga in the room outside of Hinata - Neji. Naruto closed his eyes, laying his head on his arms, and breathed. He focused his chakra into his third eye as always when he was about to do something that requires psychic abilities and then after a few seconds he found himself in some kind of mansion. The transition was complete. He was inside Neji's mind without Neji even aware of his visit.

"Okay, this is obviously the Hyuuga mansion," Naruto muttered. He walked through the halls casually, not even bothering to hide when Hizashi came around the corner. They were all memories, and he had nothing to be afraid of them. Then he saw a younger, more carefree Neji following his father.

"Otousan, where are we going?" he was asking.

"You'll see, Son." Hizashi's voice was stoic, except Naruto can detect a sadness in them.

"This must be something about the Caged Bird Cursed Seal," Naruto muttered. He had learned about it with the Hokage a few years back, and though Naruto hated the aspect of the Branch Family practically being slaves to the Head Family, he had to admit that the system was effective. Naruto followed the two as Neji's memories rushed him along.

"Lay down, Neji."

Neji laid down obediently, obviously trusting his father that everything would be alright; he still doesn't know what's about to happen. Finally Naruto knew he wouldn't be able to stand watching the next scene as this innocent boy was crushed spiritually. Naruto pulled himself out and, returning to his body, he looked back at Neji and saw Neji's eyes were troubled, obviously by the memory Naruto had just witnessed.

Naruto's heart twisted as he began to experience what Neji experienced. This always happens after he performs the technique. Naruto would, for a few moments, experienced exactly what that other person experienced in his or her memory. Now, Naruto could feel a pain in his forehead as Neji did when the seal was placed on him. Then he felt shock, anger, and betrayal as Neji's father told Neji what had happened. Naruto made a slightly audible groan, and Sasuke and Hinata next to him glanced at him, wondering what's wrong with him. Naruto shook his head and decided that he wanted to experience others' pains so that he could understand them.

He felt slightly guilty about invading others' privacy, but it was worth it. He won't take advantage of them this way as he swore an oath of secrecy when his teacher taught him this technique; basically he was going to have to contain all the information to himself, not even able to tell the person whose mind he invaded that he invaded their mind at all! Whatever he knows will be an advantage to him only.

An idea popped into Naruto's mind. Gaara... He could reach into Gaara's mind! This way, he'd know more about the dangerous boy. Naruto was nervous as he channeled his chakra to his third eye once again. When he invade someone's mind like this, he can't use jutsus or do anything to defend himself in cases when dangers in that person's mind finds him. For example in this case, if Gaara's Bijuu somehow meets up with him, he was going to have to make a run for it. Memories of the Bijuu are okay because they're just memories, but if the real thing appears to defend Gaara's mind, well, it was a risk he's going to have to make.

It was cool and dry in Gaara's room. This was obviously when Gaara was smaller. Naruto looked down at Gaara on the bed and gaped. He was hugging a teddy bear in his sleep! This has got to be a joke, right? Naruto couldn't help smiling; Gaara seemed so innocent, so carefree. Suddenly Gaara began twisting and images of the Shukaku flashed in front of Naruto.

Gaara woke up, horrified. Dark circles appeared under his eyes as he tried to stay awake to keep the Shukaku from taking control of him. Naruto watched, anger rising up in him. "How can anyone allow a child to bear so much?" Naruto whispered, remembering his own childhood. Kyuubi may be a demon, but she had never tried to take control of him before. They were as close as brother and sister; he had never had anything to fear from her. But here... "No wonder he's unstable and everyone says he's an insomniac. He's trying so hard..." Naruto reached out, trying to touch Gaara, but his hand went right through the image.

Then the scene blurred and in front of him was a dying Yashamaru. "...I hate you." Then Yashamaru revealed to Gaara that he was covered in exploding tags. "Please die..."

Naruto couldn't stand it anymore and pulled himself out. I have Sasuke and Itachi and the Uchihas. I have Kyuubi and the Bijuus. Gaara had no one, not even his siblings who feared him. Naruto inhaled deeply holding his emotions in as Gaara's experience fused with as his own. Then he sighed. He felt drained, but there was one more person whom he wants to have a share in her experience. He took a deep breath and moments later, he was watching Haku's memories play.

"Father, what are you doing?" Haku cried.

Her father turned towards her, his knife bloody from killing her mother. "Die, Monster!" Before she knew what happened, large spikes of ice speared their little home, making it look like a giant porcupine and killing her father, who had nearly killed her. "Father...mom..." Haku stumbled out of their home, unfeeling tears running down her cheeks.

Naruto once again felt the urge to comfort. He wanted to take all the pain away. However, even he is helpless to change the past. The scene blurred and Naruto found himself as a spectator of one of Haku's tortures. One of her masters was leaning menacingly over her, yelling, "You clumsy fool! That's a priceless antique! That cost me a fortune!"

Naruto saw the broken pieces of the vase in the corner of the room.

Then Haku's master took out a wine bottle and crashed it against the side of her head. Blood dripped down her cheek and down her chin, but she just knelt there, helpless against her master's punishment.

Naruto withdrew and immediately felt the agonizing pain on the side of his head. He felt helpless and hopelss, exactly how Haku felt at that moment. Naruto bit his lower lip and once the pain subsided, he felt so tired he collapsed onto his desk, breathing heavily.

"Naruto-kun, what's wrong?"

Naruto looked up into Hinata's concerned face and forced a smile. "I'm alright, Hinata-chan. Nothing wrong at all. Just tired. This exam is really straining," he lied. This was the hardest part - to not tell anyone what he saw or how he's feeling after a 'visit.' He sighed and withdrew into his own mind and into Kyuubi's beautiful garden. "Kyuubi-chan..."

"You travelled into other's minds again, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

Kyuubi smiled sadly. "Why didn't you visit their other, happier memories after you're finished looking at their past horrors? That way, you won't hurt so badly. And why do you only want to look at their suffering?"

Naruto shook his head. "I don't want to take too much advantage of them, even if I won't tell anyone else what I know. It's wrong. I might stumble onto their deepest secrets - like who they love or something like that. I just want a share of their suffering. It just seems fair. I have so much good things in my life, it's time I start taking in the bad."

"So you're going to refuse a share in their good memories?" Kaku asked.

"Yes. I won't take advantage of them. The only advantage I'm going to take is that now I know why they act the way they do and their greatest suffering."

"Well, Naruto, seems like you're looking into the troubles of the most suffering of this group. You can't change their pasts and how they feel about them, but you can certainly change their future. Change them, and you can change the world."

Naruto nodded and withdrew from his mind just as Ibiki ordered everyone to stop what they're doing.

"Before I give you the tenth question, you can decide whether to take it or not. If you decide to take it, your whole team will have to take it, and if any of you gets it wrong, we'll fail one of you and that person can never take the exam again. The rest of you will pass for credit of your bravery. If you decided not to take the question, you'll all fail but you all can take the Chuunin Exam again."

Naruto grinned, knowing Ibiki's ways. The basic question is asked in a more harder form: Your teammates or yourself? In this case, it's better to quit as then you'll fail as a team instead of sacrificing one person for the others. "Ibiki-sensei, I quit."

Sasuke and Sakura gaped while Haku watched him with accepting trust. It was because of him that she became a ninja and got into the Chuunin Exam in the first place. If he decides that it was better if they all fail, she was willing to accept that.

Ibiki's lips twitched as he struggled not to smile and he said, "Alright then, out the door."

Once they were out, Sasuke growled, "Naruto, you just failed us! What's the point of that?"

Naruto smiled at Sasuke coolly. "Answer me this question, Sasuke, do you care for your teammates or yourself more? That's basically what Ibiki is asking. This test is the test of our knowledge of the ninja philosophy: those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their friends are worse than trash. Think about it. What happens if just one of us answers his question wrong? Are you really going to sacrifice one of us just to advance?"

Sasuke thought for a second and then widened his eyes. "Whoa, didn't thought about that. Wonder if anyone else is coming out." No longer that he said it that Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee came out, Neji's face calm with Tenten looking worried and Lee looking confused. "Sorry I had asked."

Then Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro came out, obviously Gaara only doing it because he had knowledge of the ninja philosophy. Sasuke muttered to himself, "Now, I'm really sorry I had asked."

Naruto chuckled and flashed a smile Gaara's way. Gaara eyed him coldly and Naruto got reminded of how hard it was to get Haku to view him as a friend. He let out a sigh and leaned against the wall, eyeing the next few teams who came out. To his surprise, seventeen teams come out. They're good. Ibiki needs to do better than this. Too many people understands the question. Naruto laughed when he saw Kiba's face when he came out; Kiba still hadn't figured it out though, so it was obviously Shino who understood the question. Shikamaru was the one who understood the question from Asuma's team. "Hey, guys!"

Kiba growled, "We failed! What are you so happy about?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "No, we haven't. In fact, we're the ones who passed."

Kiba raised an eyebrow. "How? Did he just say that if we don't take the question, we failed?"

Naruto grinned. "Wow, it really was a good thing you have Shino on your team. Understand Ibiki-sensei's question in its basic form, Dogbreath. Do you really want to sacrifice your teammate just to pass? The basic question is: What do you value more - your teammates or yourself? This is the question that will determine whether you pass or not. During a mission, you must learn to put value on others and the mission - valuing things outside yourself. Kurenai-sensei taught you that, didn't she?"

Kiba flushed, embarrassed. "Uh, yeah, I kinda forgot."

"Oh, well, it doesn't matter. You guys passed anyways." Naruto shrugged and waited. Everyone was staring at him strangely, and then he realized his mistake. Stupid, you acted too smart. You're supposed to play the buffoon, remember? Naruto sighed. A ninja must never lost the element of surprise, no matter how good he is. I'm a dunce...

Then the door opened and Ibiki came out. "Well, you guys failed. Go on. No use standing outside at the door."

Then, at that moment, Gaara's eyes flashed, and Neji's eyes showed an expression of surprised coldness. Sasuke glanced at Naruto in horror and shock, and Kiba glared at them. Only Naruto remained calm and cheerful. "C'mon, Ibiki-sensei, admit it! Your questions are getting too easy! Twenty teams passed! Don't be embarrassed that you're losing your touch!"

Ibiki glared at him and then sighed, defeated. "The blonde's right; you all passed."

"Yeah, but now you're about to experience the next set of torture..." An evil laugh sounded behind them and they all turned around. Naruto raised an eyebrow at Zabuza. Suddenly a woman draped cloth over him and threw Zabuza out the open window.

"I told you, Zabuza-kun, I'm supposed to appear first!" Anko pointed a thumb at herself. "Next time, listen when I tell you something." Only a groan was heard as a reply. "Anyways, let's see how many midgets passed, shall we?" Anko turned around and cried out, "Great flying cows! Ibiki, you're passing all of these guys?! If you're getting too soft, we're going to have to replace you!"

Ibiki smirked. "I'm not getting soft; these generations are just getting smarter."

Anko sighed. "No fair. Now you're leaving me with the task of failing them. What? You're too lazy to do it yourself?"

"Nah, I just figured I have to get you off your own lazy butt and away from all those dangos you're addicted to." Ibiki smirked at her. "It's surprising how you can stay so thin, eating so much. Most women would look like they're pregnant by now."

Anko glared. "Hey, there are children here. No making adult jokes."

"I'm not talking to them. It's not our job to watch our mouths around children; it's the children's job to watch their ears around adults. They should close their ears if they don't want to hear. That way, both the children and the adults have what they want, instead of the adults having to close their mouths just because of the children." Ibiki smiled as Anko struggled to think of a comeback.

Anko sighed. "Alright, you win. C'mon, you maggots, follow me!"

Sasuke whispered to Naruto as they followed Anko, "Did she just called us 'maggots'? Aren't those tiny bugs in their 'baby' stage? I would've thought she would've called us 'kids' or 'little ones' or something."

"Teachers can be strange, especially when their students are taking a test." Naruto smirked. They came towards the edge of the Forest of Death, where the teams began to separate. "Hey, this is the Forest of Death, ain't it, Sasuke? Itachi-niisan ran us through this place billions of times!"

"It was only seven times, Niisan."

"Whatever." Naruto's team received a scroll with the kanji sign for 'Earth' on it and was then given the instructions - "Basically, catch another team, take their scroll, make sure you have both a 'heaven' and 'earth' scroll before preceeding towards the Hokage Tower in the middle of the forest. DON'T open the scrolls until you arrive there. Have fun!" Anko smirked and went off.

Naruto tucked the scroll away into his pouch and waited for the signal to begin. Then...they were off.

Part VI: A Promise To Keep

Naruto grinned. They didn't even know what hit them. All he did was sprint up to them, 'pickpocket' their scroll, and get out of there before the genin noticed his pouch was lighter than before. Now, Naruto was flipping the scroll over casually and playing with it. His team had decided to just take up camp until the last minute. They were too 'inexperienced' to have already finished the test; keep everyone thinking like that was their top priority. "Hey, Sasuke! What's your catch?"

"Three hares! Hold on, I'll catch another one..." Sasuke was about to leave when Naruto grabbed his arm and whispered, "No need, Sasuke. Haku's a vegetarian, remember? Oh, and hide your catches quick. She might get sick from just seeing the dead animals."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "How does she get all her protein in, then?"

Naruto replied simply, "Soldier pills. The rest of her diet comes from plants." Then he added, "She's a pacifist; she hates killing, especially animals because they're defenseless against us. However, the soldier pills only provided her enough energy and no more; that's why her stamina is lower than the rest of us."

Sasuke sighed. "Then let's cook these quick before she comes back. And I thought Sakura was anorexic; at least she eats when she needs to."

"Haku wasn't raised as a ninja, Sasuke. She wasn't taught to kill, so the sight of death scares her even if they're killed for the rest of us to live. After all, her parents were farmers, so she's used to eating vegetables anyways." Then Naruto again added quietly, "Or not eating at all for days." He sat down on a log and helped Sasuke skinned the hares before cleaning them and cutting them into pieces to be cooked as a stew. "Where's Sakura anyways?"

"With Haku, looking for herbs and whatnot. Why?"

"Just curious is all." Naruto took out a handful of salt and poured it into the large pot. "This isn't an exam; it's a camp out and a vacation." And it pretty much was as none of them feared attackers. Most of the genins right now would be having lunch, and even if they do attack, Naruto could sense them a mile away.

"True. It's not everyday a genin team finished the second part of the Chuunin Exam in less than an hour. Plus having a rabbit stew feast for lunch."

......

Haku winced as the smell of fat and blood reached her nose. It was fainter than it would've been if Sasuke and Naruto hadn't cleaned their workplace so carefully, but Haku could still smell it. When they arrived, Naruto and Sasuke were waiting for them, and Sakura handed the handful of spices and herbs to Sasuke for seasoning.

She immediately went into hers and Naruto's tent, hoping to escape the smell, and it helped...a little. She absentmindedly pulled out an apple from her basket and bit into it. How ninjas could just kill like that was a mystery to her. She knows they needed the protein, and that's how they have such high stamina, but how could they kill without feeling anything? She had seen Itachi just cut a man in half with his sword and continued relentlessly as if he had done it so many times that it was second nature to him.

A few minutes later, Naruto came in and told her, "We're done now, and I think the smell's fading."

Haku nodded and came out. He was right; the smell was so faint, she could only smell it if she really concentrates on it.

"Naruto, you and Sakura should go check out the status of the others. After all, we all are kinda allies. Maybe a bit of help here and there wouldn't hurt. I'll stay here with Haku."

"Why don't you want to go with us, Otouto?" Naruto asked curiously. Sasuke wasn't one to just sit back while others are in action.

"Believe it or not, I'm tired. Too much had happened this morning." Sasuke rolled his eyes when Naruto just gave him a look that plainly said - "You're kidding, right?" "Just to remind you, Naruto, you hadn't been the one whose pride had been crushed by a random ninja with overgrown eyebrows."

Naruto laughed. "Fair enough. But, Sasuke, if you had kept training instead of depending on your Sharingan so much..."

"Shut up, Naruto."

Naruto chuckled and said, "'Kay, Sakura, let's get outta here before Sasuke blow a fuse." He could already see a tick forming above Sasuke's eyebrow and Sasuke's eye twitching. Then, when Sakura joined him, they ran off into the woods and disappeared.

Immediately after he was sure that Naruto was out of earshot, Sasuke turned to Haku. "Do you have feelings for Niisan?"

Haku jumped. Were her feelings really that obvious to see? To tell the truth, she doesn't know herself if she was in love with Naruto or not, but it sure feels that way. How did Sasuke found out? Sakura didn't even have a clue, or did she but she just didn't want to show it? "I don't know, Sasuke-sama," she answered quietly. "I don't understand this feeling I have for him."

"Typical. Most of your life you couldn't express your feelings to anyone, so I guess it's natural you don't understand your own feelings." Sasuke shrugged. "But from where I see it, you actually, truly love him. I don't even think this is just a crush for him anymore. After all, those who are raised by harsher conditions when young has the tendency to not go overboard with the crushes and romance."

"So I really am in love with Master?" Haku asked softly, feeling slightly stressed by the whole situation. She had never been in love before and she had only known Naruto for a little more than three months but it felt as if she had known him all her life. Then she widened her eyes in surprise of herself; she had called Naruto "Master" for the first time in a while.

Sasuke shrugged again. "I don't know. That's how I see it. You have to decide for yourself; no one knows you better than you."

Haku groaned. Ever since she became free, people always let her decide her own feelings and decisions, which is a lot harder than she thought. "What is love? What does it feel like?"

Sasuke fidgeted uncomfortably. "I-I don't know. No one does. Not even Itachi. I asked him once, and he said 'not even the most wisest man in this universe, not even largest and knowledgable books, can define or explain such a word as love because love is beyond the mere human understanding. We do it, but we can't define it. This shows how limited we are'." Then Sasuke muttered to himself, "Itachi always has been sort of like a philosopher."

Haku sat down on the ground and wrapped her arms around her legs, laying her chin on her knees, curling up like she always does when she was thinking. "Sasuke-sama, have you ever fallen in love before?"

"Uh..." Sasuke muttered awkwardly, "No, but someone did fall in love with me. It was kinda uncomfortable knowing someone likes you and you can't return their feelings. It makes you feel guilty..."

"So if I tell Naruto-sama how I feel and he doesn't like me back, it will hurt him because he knows he can't return my feelings and he will feel guilty?" Haku asked quietly. She felt torn between two decisions. One, she could tell Naruto and risk rejection, which will not only hurt her but also him. Or two, she could just keep it to herself and torment only herself. Either way, she might get hurt, but does she really have to take Naruto down along with her?

Sasuke realized his mistake too late and replied hastily, "Well, not necessarily, everyone's a little different..."

"Either way, I'll get hurt in the process," Haku muttered, more to herself than to Sasuke. "Why should Naruto-sama be in pain because of me, too? Besides, I don't even know if I'm in love or not." Then why does it hurt so much, thinking about not being able to BE with him? Does love really hurt so? So many people act as if love is such a blissful experience. As if her body's reactions wants to reveal her true emotions, tears began to blur her vision and run down her cheeks. She felt cold and numb. Why does my life always have to be so miserable to live? Even when something good, like Naruto-sama freeing me, happens to me, something bad always ends up as a result. Am I really so bad and terrible inside that I must be punished my whole life? What have I done?

Sasuke watched Haku cry. She sounded so hopeless as if there was no point resisting fate for her. Sasuke sighed and did the only thing he could think of. He sat down, leaning against a tree, and pulled Haku against his chest. He wasn't good with words, but with his limited knowledge of Haku, he could tell that she needed some kind of comfort right now. He had never comfort anyone before, Naruto and Itachi never needing any kind of emotional comfort; he was never needed to comfort others; he had always been the one comforted, so now he could only depend on how Naruto and Itachi acted before, not how himself had acted.

Haku buried her tearstained face into Sasuke's shirt, making it wet. "I'm so sorry, Sasuke-sama. This is my problem, and I'm putting part of it on you."

Sasuke whispered gently, "It wasn't your fault; I was the one who broached the topic in the first place anyways. Let it out, let it out, let it out..."

Haku felt so weak, both physically and emotionally. "I'm sorry for being weak, too," she muttered, wiping her tears. "I don't know why I'm so sensitive. You all are so strong..."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, making Haku giggle through the tears. "Oh please, you're not weak, Haku. It's not possible to hold back emotions beyond your control. Trust me; we all have moments where our emotions take the better of us." Saying that, he remembered when Sakura ran off, crying, because of him rejecting her. "In fact, Naruto and Itachi sometimes view them as strengths."

"How can they be if they make me break down like this?"

"That's not what they meant. Through experience, they learn to somehow let out their emotions a different way, using it to power their jutsus beyond their usual strengths instead of keeping it inside them." Sasuke smiled. "One day, you'll learn how to do it, too. It all comes from experience." Then Sasuke added softly, tucking a strand of Haku's long hair behind her ear, "And (I very rarely say these kinds of things so you can believe me when I say this) you're an amazing person, Haku. You're selfless, empathetic, and everything a boy could want from a girl. You give everything without thinking of any type of reward. If Naruto doesn't like you, he won't like any other girl. I know him; he likes girls like you, but you know what? He just waits for the girl to come to him; never does he come to her. Why? Not because he's afraid of rejection himself, but because he wants to be sure that the girl likes him and is ready. He doesn't want to rush anything."

"But what if he doesn't like me? Then, like you said, he could feel guilty about not being able to like me because he's so sensitive to me feelings."

"Oh, forget what I said already."

"But I can't because you're right. I won't risk it, Sasuke-sama..." Haku lowered her eyes and her voice became a whisper. "...not even if I'm going to have to hurt myself in the process. He did so much for me, and how grateful am I if I, in turn, cause so much trouble for him?"

Sasuke closed his eyes. He was going to have to take matters into his own hands if Haku won't. She doesn't deserve to be hurt just because she was too selfless; if she won't tell Naruto, eventually he will find someone else and there was no telling how broken Haku would be.

......

"Otouto, you're quiet tonight. Normally, we'd be talking nonstop about the day. Is there something wrong?" Naruto glanced concernedly at Sasuke while unrolling his sleeping bag. "You can't fool me, Sasuke; what is it? Maybe I can help you."

"It's not me who needs help." Sasuke knew this was a good time to tell Naruto about Haku's feelings for him. Before going to sleep, the brothers share everything that happened to them that day - everything from their opinions on the local news to secrets that they would confide only in each other. Itachi, who normally work extremely late, joins them later on in their conversation.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, and then his eyes twinkled. "Is it about Haku or Sakura?" he asked simply.

"Haku actually."

Naruto nodded. "Alright then, what is it about Haku-chan?"

Sasuke was silent for a moment, contemplating the best way to explain the situation to Naruto. Then he said, "Have you noticed the way she's been acting these last few days? I think she likes you."

Naruto smiled. "She might. I kinda already guessed that. I'm just waiting for her to make the first move. I don't want to rush the romance..." Naruto trailed off, frowning slightly and remembering his experience in Haku's mind. During that short moment, he also got a few glimpses at Haku's memories and so he knew about what had happened to her prior - a sexual assault. And so, Naruto, being careful and cautious with her feelings as always, pretended like he had no attraction to her so that she won't feel uneasy around him - just in case Haku doesn't share the same feelings as he does. I have a promise to keep, a promise that says I won't hurt her in any way.

"Actually, she does...a lot," Sasuke muttered. "She told me this afternoon while you and Sakura were gone."

"So that's why you didn't want to come!" Naruto laughed.

Sasuke ignored him and continued. "But she doesn't want to tell you about her feelings because she was afraid that if you don't like her back, you might feel guilty inside and she doesn't want that. She doesn't want you to be hurt - emotionally, so she decided to keep it all inside even though it will hurt her terribly."

Naruto's eyes fogged over as he retreated inside himself like so many times when he began thinking. Haku likes me, but because she loves me, she doesn't want to tell me in case I might feel guilty in the process. But doesn't she understand that that will only hurt her in vain? Eventually, another girl will ask me out and then what? If I say 'yes', Haku would lose me because she never risked the chance to have me - because she doesn't want me hurt. If I say 'no', I'll be hurt anyways, so her efforts to protect me will be in vain. I hate the idea of approaching a girl in romance first, but I guess it's inevitable if I'm to keep my promise to her.

"Sasuke, is Haku sleeping right now?"

Sasuke shrugged. "She's probably watching the stars; she sleeps pretty late from habit because of 'you-know-what'." Haku's past slavery was a very careful topic to discuss among the team in sensitivity to Haku's feelings even though she pretended as though she doesn't mind.

"Ah..." Naruto walked out of the tent, calling back to Sasuke, "I'll be back late tonight, Sasuke. Go to sleep." He sniffed the air and followed Haku's scent to a nearby stream. Haku was sitting there, arms wrapped around her legs and chin laying on her knees. Naruto shook his head exasperately. If a ninja attacks her now, her life would end very quickly. "Haku."

Haku stiffened and looked up, relaxing after seeing that it was only Naruto. "Good evening, Naruto-sama."

Naruto sat down next to her and smirked upon seeing her blush at the close proximity. "There's a topic I want to talk about, Haku. Something important. Just a few minutes ago, Sasuke told me about your feelings for me. Is that true?"

Haku turned away, not able to force herself to lie to Naruto's face. "It's true." How could he act so calm? Is it because he doesn't have the same feelings for me? Why can't I remain calm like in all other situations? Deciding that, since he was so calm, he must not be in love with her because, as most of you know, when you talk to your crush, you feel nervous and everything, Haku replied quickly, "But it's fine if you don't like me back."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "It seems that because we're trying to protect each other out of love, we have gotten nowhere. Haku, I..." However, before he was able to say what he meant to say, a scream, Sakura's scream, sounded through the evening air. "Dang! Haku, let's go! Seems like the genins aren't that dull after all. It was foolish mistake to think we're safe in the middle of the night." He ran off with Haku right behind him, wondering what he meant by 'out of love'.

Part VII: Revealing the Snake

Naruto arrived at a clearing to see Sasuke gasping for breath while being held by the throat by a sound-nin. "Haku, stay back. Let me handle this." Haku obeyed, and Naruto took out a mask he wore during his years abroad. No doubt the sound-nins will recognize him easily. He was infamous for killing hundreds in a blink of an eye. The mask was black and in the shape of a fox. He also took out a black cloak and wrapped it around himself, and then stepped out into plain view. "Sasuke, what is going on here?" His voice was deep and cold, so cold that Haku suddenly feared him.

Kin looked up from where she was stepping on Sakura's head. When she saw Naruto, her face paled and her blood turned colder than ice. "Z-Zaku, Dosu, th-the Night Fox!" she breathed, her breath got caught in her throat. It was possible that she could fear Naruto now more than even Orochimaru, her master.

"Put the boy down, Zaku." His voice was but a hiss, a cold sound that could freeze the forest. It was the voice of a murderer, a true assassin who was completely indifferent to whomever he kills. It was hard to connect the warm, genial voice of Naruto's to this demonic one. "And release Sakura, Kin." Kin immediately stepped off of Sakura, who looked as if she was about to murder her.

Sasuke felt his blood ran cold. This can't be Naruto, can it? No, this must be another...no not a genin. Maybe a true demon. Sasuke's nerves were going overload.

Zaku looked up and yelped with shock. Naruto constant killer intent was beyond human, not that he is. His eyes locked onto Naruto's red eyes, and then he found he could no longer breathe. Naruto was choking him to death, without even touching him. "Pl-please...mercy..." Zaku felt fear for the first time from someone besides Orochimaru.

Naruto laughed coldly. "What would I know about mercy? Don't you know the ninja motto? Mercy to friends, death to enemies. However, I will release you only if you do me...a favor," he drawled boredly. "Basically just answer an question truthfully that I set on you. I can tell when you lie."

"Yes, yes, anything!"

Dosu cried out, "No, you idiot!"

"Quiet, fool. Question one, who are you? Answer truthfully!" Naruto always started out interrogations with the same formal question.

Zaku felt his breath came in again and answered, "We're sound-nins taking the Chuunin Exam." He perceived a look from Dosu and silenced immediately, saying no more from the simplest, plainest truth possible.

Naruto's eyes flashed red, and Zaku's lungs refused to function once again. "What is your true reason for attacking us? I noticed you didn't even care to look for our scrolls."

As Zaku felt his windpipe open up once again, he sweated as he tried to tell the truth without revealing any private, secret info. "We're attacking for our Kage and leader...as genins."

Naruto laughed. "Of course. However, what is the name of your kage and leader?"

Zaku faltered. Though he feared the terrible Night Fox, he still feared Orochimaru. If Naruto sets him free, no doubt Orochimaru would follow through with his threat. Zaku could only stare in fear as Naruto walked towards him menacingly, each step graceful but threatening.

However, before he could drive Zaku through with a katana or anything of the sort, there came a harsh chuckle from above. The sound-nins cringed and Dosu whispered, "Orochimaru-sama, we are graced by your presence."

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and smiled. "You're the only one who should be happy to see me. Kin and Zaku won't be so happy once they found out what their punishment is. I say, Zaku, how about I surgically remove your still beating heart and force you to eat it? And you, Kin, how about I skin you alive?"

Kin and Zaku paled and, trembling, got down on their knees and began to grovel pitifully.

Naruto looked up as if indifferent. "Orochimaru. The most retarded of the Three Sannins. Not only physically sick and looks like a snake with a creepy long tongue but also mentally morbid."

Orochimaru glared at Naruto. "Who do you call sick, Night Fox? I heard rumors that you butchered a child and ate the flesh."

Naruto raised an eyebrow hidden behind his mask. "Rumors are never to be trusted, Snake. Someone must've seen me performing surgery to save a child; then, reaching a fast conclusion, they went off to spread rumors that made me more terrible than I really am. Not that I mind the fear radiating from people."

Orochimaru jumped down onto the ground and bit his finger, summoning four large snakes. "Kill the fox." Turning to Dosu, he ordered, "Grab Zaku and Kin. They deserve their punishment."

A snake lunged towards Naruto, and he spinned around, escaping from harm's way. Naruto unsheathed his katana, but then a scream penetrated the air. Naruto spinned around to see Orochimaru holding a kunai to Haku's throat. Sasuke was desperately fending two other snakes off, and Sakura already had a bleeding arm covered in a greenish goo that was obviously poison. "Haku, Sasuke, Sakura..." Then at that moment a snake smacked Sasuke into a tree, and he felled down unconscious. "Kage Buushin no Jutsu!"

A shadow clone rushed over to try and clean out Sakura's wound and heal while another went over to defend Sasuke. Naruto charged at Orochimaru, who dug the kunai into Haku's throat. A stream of blood trickled down, staining her yukata. "Let her go, Orochimaru."

"See what happens when you love, Demon. I know who you are, Naruto. And I also know who you love. If you don't love this weak, spineless filth of a shinobi..." Orochimaru twisted Haku's arm behind her back. "...you wouldn't've hesitate to kill me even if she's killed in the process. I hate people like you. Acting like a hero, Naruto? Well, there's nothing you can do about this."

"Why are you doing this?" Naruto asked, gritting his teeth.

"You see, I'm willing to make a deal. I want your body, Naruto. You're strong, smart, not to mention you're half-demon. I would love to have your body. You give me it, and I'll release your girlfriend."

Naruto shivered. The way Orochimaru said it creeped him out. However, Haku deserved to live... "Fine, but you have to let her go first. You're the villain."

Orochimaru smirked. "No way, you come here first. Take it or leave it."

Naruto sighed and walked towards Orochimaru, removing his cloak and mask. Haku wanted to scream for Naruto to stop, for him to save himself, but she found her voice gone. Then her brown eyes met Naruto's cerulean blue ones, and they were what released her limits. Haku felt her love for him flow through her veins in the form of chakra, and with it, she collected enough water from the air to form thin rope. She controlled it and it wrapped itself around Orochimaru's neck, froze into ice, and yanked him away from her. "You will not hurt Naruto-sama, and you will leave us be!"

Naruto raised his eyes in surprise as the water jabbed at the summoned snakes, killing them all, and then wrapped itself around Orochimaru. He had never heard her say anything so forcefully before. Orochimaru snarled and disappeared in a poof as Haku's chakra finally depleted, leaving her exhausted to the point of collapse.

Naruto caught her before she hit the ground and smiled tenderly. "Now, Haku, where in the world did you get all your chakra from?"

"From loving you..." she replied, closing her eyes. "But it doesn't matter." Tears rolled down to the sides of her face as she explained, "I know you can never love me back. You're just so much better than I can ever be..." Naruto silenced her with a finger to her lips.

Then Naruto smiled and said gently, "Haku, please shut up." He leaned down and kissed her passionately in the lips. He saw Haku widened her eyes in surprise before she deepened the kiss. When they finally broke apart, Naruto asked, "Why did you ever think that I would not like you back? You're the best person I could ever ask for."

Haku lowered her eyes. "You acted as if you didn't want a girlfriend."

"Ah, I guess that was fault on my part, huh?" Then he added, "Oh, now that I thought of it, there had been an easier way for you to use water techniques without using so much energy!"

"How?"

"Sealing it in scrolls!"

Haku's right eyebrow twitched. It was the first time she had ever been annoyed at Naruto. All this time! If she just sealed water into scrolls, it wouldn't have cost her so much energy, and it would still be lightweight to take around. "Why. Didn't. You. Tell. Me. This. Before?"

Naruto chuckled nervously. "It didn't cross my mind until now. Heheheh!"

Sasuke had finally woke and suggested to Haku, "Do you want me to punch him for you? I think you'd like that very much, Haku."

Haku sighed. "I do, but it's kinda too troublesome now that I thought of it."

"You sound like Shikamaru." Naruto carried her back into their tent, which he had restored after the sound-nins attacked. "Haku, I have to go do something important, 'kay? I'll be back in an hour or so. Get some rest." He kissed her forehead, adding, "Good night."

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Haku. Don't ever forget that or think otherwise." Naruto laid with her for a few moments, savoring the moment, before he realized that if he doesn't hurry, he might be too late. "I have to go." He tucked her in and then went outside. He breathed in the cool air before running off in search of Orochimaru.

......

Orochimaru's scent led him to a clearing where there was a group of sound-nins surrounding Orochimaru, Dosu, Kin, and Zaku. Kin and Zaku were pale and were trembling uncontrollably. Orochimaru was smiling sickeningly and Dosu was also pale. "Dosu, I say we punish Zaku first, don't you agree?"

Dosu nodded, looking too nauseous to speak.

"Zaku, lay down and hand yourself over nicely now..." Zaku looked around him like a trapped animal before trying to escape. Two of the sound-nins grabbed him by the arms and forced him down to the ground. Two other nins grabbed his kicking legs, and Orochimaru grinned maliciously. "This will serve as a demonstration to all who doubt me. Dosu." He motioned a hand. Dosu handed him a knife, and Orochimaru sliced open Zaku's shirt, revealing his chest. "Look at the bright side, Zaku, you'll be able to serve me even after your death. Your body will be useful for me." Orochimaru, with precision, dug the knife into Zaku's chest and, as if doing open-heart surgery, he cut out the flesh protecting and hiding Zaku's heart.

Zaku widened his eyes in horror as Orochimaru slowly pulled out his heart which was still connected to his chest by a few arteries. (A/N: I know I said in my profile that I hate gory scenes. Well, I found this scene necessary to do to show Orochimaru's cruelty towards his subjects.)

"Open wide, Zaku." Orochimaru yanked Zaku's mouth open and laid Zaku's heart into its owner's mouth.

Naruto, who had just arrived, bent over and vomitted uncontrollably. He looked pale, just to see Orochimaru clamped Zaku's mouth close. Zaku died instantly, having bitten his own heart. Then Orochimaru turned to Kin. "Dosu, hand me a skinning knife. I think I should skin this worthless kunoichi head downwards. I think her scalp would look very beautiful on my wall."

Naruto decided to use his father's famous technique. He closed his eyes, and in a blink of an eye, his body flickered and disappeared. Kin had began groveling on the ground in front of Orochimaru, begging for mercy, but Orochimaru's knife was right over her head. However, Naruto's body flickered in front of Orochimaru kicked him back. For a moment, Orochimaru thought that Minato had returned to life. Naruto turned around in supersonic speed, kicked the other sound-nins out of the way, grabbed Kin, and used his father's technique again, flickering into his and Haku's tent.

Haku heard him tripping over the sleeping bags as he couldn't see the place he was flickering to. Basically, Naruto had to watch his step. Haku gasped at the sight of Kin's pale face and asked, "Naruto-sama..."

Naruto shook his head and laid the shocked Kin down on his sleeping bag. "Hey, that was close, huh?"

Kin swallowed before asking, "Who are you, and why did you help me? How did you help me? You just kicked Orochimaru-sama away in a blink of an eye just like..."

Naruto grinned and put on his Night Fox mask. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki at your service." Kin nearly fainted. "You're the Night Fox? But you're just a genin...and you helped me? Why?"

"I couldn't allow people to get tortured in such ways by Orochimaru if I can help it." Naruto smiled at Kin kindly. "Don't worry; we won't torture you or hand you over to the ANBU for being in league with that Snake. You're safe with us. If you need anything, just say. We'll be staying in the forest to train for the next few days anyways."

"Why are you doing this for me? Aren't you even going to tie me up outside so that I won't get the chance to kill anyone here?" Kin asked in confusion. Orochimaru, at Sound, would've made his subjects' lives as miserable as he can just to force them into submission by fear. Isn't that how the Hokage is to the leaf-nins? Isn't that how ALL the Kages were? It was their duty to make their subjects submit and fear them, wasn't it? If so, then their ninja subjects wouldn't be so kind as this blond was being. If it were Kin, she would've tortured Naruto the moment he was at her mercy.

"That's a nice idea, not to mention cautious and creative, but I really think it's too much trouble to tie you up. It's one in the morning, and you can go tie yourself up if you want, but I'm going to sleep." Naruto collapsed into Haku's arms and immediately fell asleep. Haku sighed and decided that no matter how crazy the idea sounds, she would trust Naruto on his decision to allow Kin to sleep in their tent. She, too, fell asleep seconds later.

Kin listened to their breathing before an idea came to her head. If she kill Naruto, Orochimaru would surely grant her impunity. Naruto was probably lying that he wouldn't hand her over anyways. Ninjas are always liars. Kin reached into her pocket and took out a kunai. She was about to slice Naruto's throat before her conscience, at least what was left of it, held her back. She was in debt to him, a debt she knew that is the highest debt to be paid. She owes him her life, not his death. Was she really so ungrateful that she'd kill him in his sleep when he had gone through so much trouble to rescue her? Was she so spineless that she would attack him when he was most vulnerable? In the end Kin couldn't bring herself to kill the innocent-looking boy, sleeping in the arms of his girlfriend. "I bet he knew I couldn't bring myself to kill him," Kin muttered to herself, slightly annoyed at her weakness.

Naruto's lips, she swear, curved into a smile in his sleep. "Impossible," Kin muttered again. "Since when does a person hear from the world of reality in his sleep?" She laid down and floated into an uneasy sleep. It wasn't long before her nightmare started. Orochimaru was scalping her...she could feel blood trickling down her face...Orochimaru was laughing...she was helpless against his power...

"It's okay...it's just a dream..." someone was muttering tiredly.

Kin opened her eyes, which were crying the whole time, to Naruto hugging her, trying to soothe her. His eyes were half-closed from drowsiness, and he was muttering words she could barely understand but know that he was trying to comfort her. When he saw her awake, he smiled sleepily and yawned. "Finally I can go back to sleep. It's three in the morning," he said half-playfully, half-sleepily. "Don't worry about Orochimaru; he's probably on the other side of the forest..." With that, he fell backwards, falling asleep before he even hit the pillow.

Kin was no longer sleepy and instead spent the whole night watching Naruto sleep. I owe my allegience to him, not to Orochimaru. Kin wondered briefly whether the Leaf Village would accept her, but then she realized it was impossible for them to if they knew where she came from - especially after the invasion. After a few conflicting moments, Kin decided to tell Naruto about the invasion once he wakes up.

.......

The next morning, Kin was surprised to find herself had fallen asleep. She thought she could never get some rest in. The smell of cooking fish reached her nose, and she got out of the tent hungrily.

Sasuke looked up at her and smiled politely without saying anything, having decided that it would cause trouble to do anything that would remind her that she had been their enemy just last night. Sakura, however, was a different matter. She scowled as Kin approached them, still mad at her for the humiliation Sakura had suffered at her hands.

Kin laughed slightly at Sakura's shorter hair, which she had the pleasure of cutting. She had to admit - Sakura was much cuter with shorter hair.

Naruto handed her breakfast and moved over on the log to allow room for her to sit. "You're probably wondering where Haku-chan went. She's off sealing water into scrolls right now in preparation for other battles she might fight in."

Kin nodded, slightly interested in the fact that they have four members on their team. "She's not born here, isn't she?"

"Nope. I think she was born in Snow Country." Naruto finished his breakfast and then asked Sasuke, "How many days have we been here?"

Sasuke counted off his fingers and replied in surprise, "Two days. That went fast. I thought that battle with the sound-nins lasted hours." He opened his pouch and paled. "Both our scrolls are gone," he whispered. "Orochimaru must've taken them when we weren't looking."

Naruto shrugged. "Oh, well, it's only two scrolls. Good thing we didn't lose something like ten scrolls - which we don't have anyways."

Sasuke scowled. "Well? Let's get some scrolls."

"Sure, sure." Naruto stood up and stretched. "Change of plans. I smell some grass-nins near the Tower. Let's get them and go straight to the Tower right away. I was hoping we might have some extra time to train in the forest, but I see that it's going to be risky with everyone wanting everyone else's scrolls."

The five genins, including Kin, surprised the grass nins, who was easily defeated by Naruto's powerful genjutsu. As Naruto guessed, they had two scrolls, enough to advance. However, the land closest to the Tower was probably booby-trapped. Many genins set traps around there for unwary teams, knowing that they have to get past the outer rim of the Tower before they could reach it.

Naruto muttered, "Byakugan!" and led his team safely around the traps set. "C'mon, let's open our scrolls now..." Then Naruto heard a scream in the distance and shivered. It sounded as if someone had been crushed to death. He opened his scrolls and Iruka poofed in front of them. "Iruka-sensei!"

Iruka, whom Naruto had grown fond of ever since his return, smiled and said, "Good job, Team, you completed the Second Part of the Chuunin Exam." He gave a meaningful look at Naruto, being one of the few who knew what had happened to Naruto the last few years and remembered that Naruto was the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki. "How about I treat you guys to ramen tonight?" He raised a questioning eyebrow at Kin before asking, "You were allying with sound-nins?"

"Not sound-nins. Sound-nin," Naruto replied. To avoid explaining too much, he explained, "Kin's teammates died."