Usagi reappeared at in the Deep Warren, the home of the hares, just before another of his summoned kin did. "Caerbannog, you look like hell. What happened to you?"

Caerbannog sighed. "I was guarding my cave, just like I was ordered to, and all of a sudden, these knights in shining armor arrived. I heard them and one of them came at me with a sword. Sir Bor was his name. And he was going to turn me into Rabbit STEW! Well, I tore his throat out right there.

"And then the rest of them came at me! It was a vicious few minutes before the ones that survived ran away. And I was about to go get something to eat when the one in gold said, 'Bring forth the Holy Hand Grenade.' These monks came down with a box.

"The King said, 'How does it um... How does it work?' 'I know not, my liege.' 'Consult the Book of Armaments.' ' Armaments, chapter two, verses nine through twenty-one.' 'And Saint Attila raised the hand grenade up on high, saying, "O Lord, bless this thy hand grenade, that with it thou mayst blow thine enemies to tiny bits...' And I knew right there this was going to end bad. '... in thy mercy. And the Lord did grin. And the people did feast upon the lambs and sloths, and carp and anchovies, and orangutans and breakfast cereals, and fruit-bats and large chu...'

"And the second one stopped him, thankfully. 'Skip a bit, Brother...' 'And the Lord spake, saying, "First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin. Then shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it.' 'Amen'.

"And the King said, 'Right. One... two... five.' 'Three, sir.' 'Three.' He threw the damn thing and blew me up! I was just blown up by idiots!"

"I thought I had an interesting day," Usagi muttered.

—oo000oo—

Naruto stumbled to his home again. Stifling a yawn, he opened the door to his home. "Haku-chan? Kin?" No answer. "Must be...out training or something." Naruto walked in and grinned when he saw his bed. It looked beautiful and it was empty. Changing Venom into pajama bottoms, he fell on the mattress and slipped under the covers. He quickly fell asleep.

—oo000oo—

"Kin, take the first shower," Haku told her as she walked in their home.

"Okay. Naruto isn't passed out on the couch yet. What a shock." She laughed as well as Haku.

"Naruto-kun really doesn't know the meaning of relax at times." Haku had become friends with the girl, even if she was a prisoner. Serum learned from Venom's mistake with Dosu. No matter what it was, all feelings of threat from the girl was deal with in the most powerful manner. Usually, it was her just considering escape and Haku had to destroy the bell or other such item she held. Eventually though, she gave up. Haku grew more suspicious by this and watched her even more. But she did befriend her.

Haku even let her train. As long as it wasn't sounds, she didn't care. She could even watch over her while resting thanks to Serum. He never slept it seems. She sat down on the couch and waited. She was worn out, trying to find a way to overcome the sound weakness. And once she found it out, she could pass the ability to Venom and Truth. Naruto may prefer to earn his strength but, in her opinion, too many people were learning about it. And she knew that no secret was truly a secret here.

"Haku-san, I am done in the shower."

"Thanks," Haku said as she stood and went in the bathroom. She shrunk Serum down to a ring on her left hand and turned on the water.

"I'm going to bed," Kin told her, tiredly. Haku couldn't help and chuckle a little. Kin just didn't have the endurance to keep up with her and Serum. She probably wouldn't even have noticed if someone was lying in the bed right now. Haku lifted her head up into the streams of water. She was still asking questions about Sasuke and Haku didn't know why. Completing her mission now would be pointless. More over, she did not see why the mission was given in the first place. Kin had been told by Orochimaru before they left for the exam to kill Sasuke during it, but she never asked why. Because people that questioned him were often killed, Kin had stated.

"Why? What are we forgetting?" She knew the name, Zabuza-sama had told her of him after she got Serum. Because he was worried about it being like Orochimaru's seal. That it would enslave her mind to Naruto. If only she could see the connection. "Serum, can you think of something?" He could, actually. Zabuza had mentioned it also gave them power. If he had been there, then he might have been able to give him the seal. And the three of them would be perfect to test him out afterwards. But more data was needed.

"He wants Sasuke, but why? Of course, his Sharigan. The same thing everyone wants. He wants the Sharigan and the seal is the perfect way to make sure if he can't get it, no one else will have it." She was grateful that Serum took after her. She had use for the intelligent mind with a different point of view. And he had total recall as well.

She rinsed the shampoo out of her hair and dried off. She had taken special care that Serum was clean as well. With most of her body covered, the dirt and grime collected on him instead of her.

Changing into a nightgown, she walked into the bedroom. And knew something was off. Someone else was in here. They're presence was so still, she could not tell who it was in the darkness. She reached for the light switch and turned it on. And let out a sigh of relief. For a moment, she began to wonder why she hadn't felt them enter. It was because Naruto had already been there. And she was right, Kin hadn't noticed.

"We guess we can't get mad at them," she stated. She climbed into bed and laid down with her head on his chest. "Good night, Naruto-kun." She leaned up and kissed him. Even in his sleep, he knew to kiss her back.

—oo000oo—

Naruto woke up, feeling better than he had in days. He tried to sit up and found a weight on his chest. He looked down and saw it was Haku-chan. "Good morning," Kin said from the door. "Comfortable?"

"We are. Whys Haku-chan sleeping on us?"

"I woke up and you were there. So I am thinking you got here when we weren't and fell asleep on the bed. After I took a shower, I just got in bed and didn't notice you."

"That seems most likely." Naruto leaned back. He had nowhere to be today, no training to do. He wasn't going to wake Haku-chan for nothing so he was going to relax. "How are you taking Konoha?"

"Not as weak as I thought it was," she replied. In her hand was a glass of milk. She flicked the glass and listened to it ring. "I still can't believe you are weak against something like that."

"Have you told anyone?"

"No."

"We thank you for that." Naruto closed his eyes. "You are actually okay, Kin. Why did you work for a bastard that wants to kill so many?"

"...He helped me."

Naruto sighed, 'The same reason as Haku-chan.' "What now? Konoha has prepared for war. We don't doubt we will win so long as Gaara is taken out as a factor. What will you do then?"

"I don't know. I know I won't ever return home." She didn't sound all that upset about it.

"Not much of a home?"

"No, it wasn't."

"Well, once the Old Man decides you are free to do as you please, you can stay here if you want."

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you hitting on me?"

"Nope. We have Haku-chan and Hinata-chan, that is all we can handle. We are saying you are Haku-chan's friend and she hasn't many." Haku began to stir and Naruto stopped talking. Once she stopped, he looked back to Kin. "Anyway, you are pretty and all but not our type."

"Why? Because I say I instead of we?"

"Ouch."

"If you two keep talking, you are going to wake the dead," Haku groaned.

"Sorry, Haku-chan. And good morning."

He laughed on the inside when he heard her say, "Blasted sun. We swear we should destroy you."

"Don't want to wake up," Naruto asked instead.

"We found the most comfortable pillow last night."

"Haku-san, we need to go," Kin reminded her.

"Fine, fine." Haku threw the blanket off her, giving Naruto a rather nice view.

"Blue," he asked her.

"What are you..." Haku looked down and saw her nightgown had rode up to her waist. Her hand instinctively went for his face. And he ducked. Which she was planning. And he ducked again. He jumped, landed with his feet against the ceiling, and leaned back to avoid the next one.

"Haku-chan, we were just commenting because we like blue," Naruto said before diving into the bathroom and shutting the door.

—oo000oo—

Naruto met Hinata outside of Ichruka Ramen. "Hello, Hinata-chan." He pulled her mask down a moment and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "How are you today."

"We are fine, Naruto-kun," she told him with a smile on her face. "Neji-niisan is coming home today. Will you meet him with us?"

"...Won't he think we are there to finish him?"

Hinata shook her head. "No. You told him you won't because we asked you not to. And we still don't want him hurt."

"We would think we were there to finish him. So, where do we meet him?"

"Neji-niisan is with his team right now. We were just about to go meet him."

"Okay... We'll race you there."

Hinata smiled all the wider under her mask. "You're on."

—oo000oo—

"We're gonna win," Naruto called to Hinata behind him.

"No, your not!" She shot a web at him and caught his leg. Each other were the only thing they had found so far that defied their spider sense. Hinata pulled, tripping Naruto less than a foot from the finish line. He came sliding back while Hinata ran for it. But Naruto grabbed her leg.

Neji tensed, "Come to finish me off, Naruto," he asked, already in a defensive stance.

"Told you," he said to her before she hit him on the head.

Neji looked at the two in wonder. It took everything he had to hit him and this girl just did it like it was nothing. "Gai-sensei, who is that girl? His girlfriend, Haku?" She was obviously too pretty for him.

"No, she dresses in white," Lee told him. "Naruto, have you come to give me more advice on how to get Sakura-chan to like me?"

"No, Hinata-chan asked us to come."

"Why would she ask you to come but not come herself," Neji asked as he walked to them. "I am Hyuuga Neji. Tell me, miss, would you like to have lunch with me?" Naruto sputtered before he broke out in laughter. "And what is so funny? If you can't tell, I am asking your girlfriend out on a date."

"HAHAHA! ...Neji... HAHA! That is Hinata-chan!"

Neji turned green before he turn back to her and saw that she had pulled down her mask. "Hello, Neji-niisan. Well, I did plan on having lunch with Naruto-kun but if you would rather me have it with you..." She started to giggle as well.

Tenten looked disgusted. "How could you not tell!?" Without even looking, she tossed a kunai in the air, caught it by the blade, and threw it into the crotch of the practice dummy.

"I don't believe I was just hitting on Hinata."

"Believe it," Naruto said, having fallen to his knees holding his sides, still laughing.

Lee looked away and around. It would not do to be laughing at his rival. Gai did the same thing. "...Hinata-sama," Neji said, closing his eyes and looking away, "what did you come here for?"

"We came to meet you and walk you home, Neji-niisan. We asked Naruto-kun to come to show he was no longer mad at you." She gave him a smile before replacing her mask. "We were also hoping to ask something of you, niisan."

"What?"

"Help us improve in Juuken."

This was it. Hinata had been giving off the wrong feeling ever since she got there. Her speak, the way she held herself, being able to hit Naruto. She had discarded her coat and were now wearing bold clothing. This couldn't have been her. "Byakugan." He focused on her and found it was no genjutsu. Her form was a little cloud like Naruto's was but beyond that, nothing was different.

"What happened to you, Hinata?"

"Sometimes, almost dying has the most profound effects. We want to be strong like a person we admire. So he has been helping us become so." She held out her hand to him. With hesitation, Neji put his hand in hers.

And he could see her smile widen all the more. "OMPH!" Neji was now face down in the grass, his arm twisted behind his back. He didn't even remember how he got to it. He was standing then lying on the ground.

Hinata let him go after a second. "And we think we have been getting stronger," she said as she helped him back up.

Naruto looked at his girlfriend proudly. He had wondered how she would react. "Still need us with you Hinata-chan? Or would you like to be alone for you two to make up and conspire against your father?"

"Naruto-kun! We are not conspiring against father. We are just planning on doing things differently when we are the clan leader."

"The elders then," Naruto corrected with a laugh. "Oh, Hinata-chan, we have something for you and Haku-chan later."

"We will meet you at the playgrounds." She smiled at their odd looks and at her choice of words referring to the Forest of Death. "Say tonight at six?"

"We will be there." Naruto watched them leave, Neji rubbing his shoulder, trying to restore feeling to the limb. "Now, Lee, we can help you get Sakura. Alright, now, what helps most in a big impression?"

"...Youthful..."

"Finish that word and we will not help," Naruto warned him. "Lee, not that we hate how you speak. But we are talking about a big impression with a normal person like Sakura. Try again, what helps to make a good impression?"

"...Uh... Sensei?"

"I always did fine with the burning flames of youth," Gai shouted.

"Which, of course, explains why you are single," Naruto told him. Gai was over by a tree, crouching with his knees to his chest and his head hung down. "Lee, look around you at how Hinata, Neji, Tenten, and myself are dressed."

He did look at those still here and remembered how the two that left looked. "...You mean I should not wear green?" He looked depressed about that. So Naruto knew it would be bad when he told him what it was he shouldn't wear.

"No, Lee, you can wear green. What else is there?"

Lee hesitated and started dancing around the bush in hopes he was wrong. "...My leg warmers."

"Lee, be serious," Tenten told him. "Naruto-kun is trying to help you."

Lee hung his head. "My youthful spandex."

"Right," Naruto replied. "Lee, normal people do not wear spandex. Because unless it is designed to be otherwise, it reveals things better left unknown. We hope you are fortunate that your's was."

"Naruto, that is most un-youthful!"

"It is also the truth," Naruto replied. "Lee, do you honestly think you will be 'un-youthful' in clothing unlike your sensei?"

"..."

Naruto dropped his head in his hands. "That is where you say no. Gai-sensei, what is the proudest moment for any teacher?"

Gai was back on his feet, his fist in the air. "When the student has surpassed the sensei!"

"Lee, for that to happen, the student can't do everything just like his sensei. But he can still be like him. That is what you want, right?"

"It is," Lee said, a little quiet.

"Now, I know Sakura likes shopping. Maybe if you ask her a little quietly, not a whisper, but definitely not shouting, you can probable get her to take you shopping for some nice clothes. Now repeat after us. "Sakura-chan..."

"Sakura-chan...

"...We would like to ask you a favor."

"...We would like to ask you a favor."

Naruto slapped his forehead. "Lee, you don't say we, you say 'I' and 'me'."

"Lee, you don't... Oh, right. Ahem. I would like to ask you a favor."

"We were hoping you could help us..."

"I was hoping you could help me..."

"...Pick out some nice clothes to wear."

"...Pick out some nice clothes to wear."

Naruto nodded. "You can stop now, Lee."

"Hai. Will that really work?"

"Believe us. Men has some of thee worst sense of fashion there is. Practical over the fashionable."

"But your clothes look good."

"Special case in ours. Now, some of the best dress guys ask a girl they know to help them dress nice. And remember to use nice over youthful from time to time."

"...This is going to be harder than I thought," Lee stated.

"Nothing worth it is ever easy, Lee," Gai told him. "...Do as he suggest. Though it breaks my heart, you can at least still wear your cloths during missions."

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!" Both were drop kicked.

'WE HATE IT THAT THAT THING AVOIDS OUR SPIDER SENSE BECAUSE IT IS NON DANGEROUS!' Naruto took a deep breath to calm himself. "And no using the genjutsu either."

—oo000oo—

Naruto nodded at that he had done his good deed of the day, stopping that hug, and was about to leave. "Hey, Naruto-kun, wait," Tenten said to him.

"Yes?"

"Can you...show me that thing you do with the weapons?"

Naruto smiled, it would figure that the top kenjutsu genin of Konoha would want to know about it. "Sure, Tenten. What type of weapon would you like to see?"

"That sword again. The one you almost killed Neji with."

Naruto nodded and formed it in his hands. "Here it is. You can hold it if you want, just not for long." Tenten smiled and grabbed it by the handle. And the blade fell when Naruto let go of it.

"My god, this is heavy!"

Naruto grabbed the eye at the end and lifted. "This is based on an actual weapon. It is just as powerful as the original. We call these our Shadow weapons because that is what they are, a shadow of the original. They will not last when taken away from us. Something that has worked in our advantage."

"...Can you show me how to use this," she asked eagerly. "Is this a skill anyone can learn or only people related to you?"

"We don't know about that but we know only a very few people can." Tenten almost looked like she would fall to tears over that. "Just myself and Haku-chan. But we can teach you to use the zanbatou some. Do you have one?"

"No."

"They are too powerful for a mistress of blades not to have one. We'll go find a store with one today and start your training in it later. We would start today but we still need to train for the third exam." He stood up and held out his hand for her to lift herself up with. She took it and marveled at his strong but soft grip. 'No, stop thinking like that,' Tenten told herself. 'He is taken. Ta-ken! Plus, you like Neji!' 'Just admit it, you think he is super cool and hot!' 'You shut up.'

"Something wrong, Tenten," Naruto asked as he placed his sword on his back.

"No, just thinking about how I could wield one of these large swords when I can't lift this shadow."

"It isn't easy. But with training, maybe you and us could form the Seven Swordsman of Leaf."

"Now that will be the day," Tenten told him. "Just as soon as I get the Keiri and you get the Samehada. And I know that sword will never accept anyone."

"Actually, we would prefer the Keiri. After all, this is the Kage Keiri."

Tenten froze and spun. "You mean to say you have seen the actual Keiri? The Executioner!?"

"Seen it? We have held it. A black blade as tall as a man with a handle a little longer than two feet long. The person that wields it is the new Mizukage, Momichi Zabuza."

"And you know him!? You have met him!? You took his sword from him!?"

"Yes, we know him. Yes, we took his sword from him in a fight. Kakashi-sensei did most of it though. It was very cool, seeing him stand on water and use mist to cover up his movements."

"...You use what you call the Kage Keiri. As well as the Enmu no Jutsu to hide your moves... Are you a fan of him?"

"No. Not originally. We learned the Enmu no Jutsu when this traitor stole a scroll from the Hokage along with the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. He had somehow slipped away from us but we had the scroll. So we skimmed through it for some techniques to counter him with should he have done the same. We chose a jutsu that hid us as well as the Kage Bunshin."

"How did it end?"

"...Bad. But we learned them, we survived, and the scroll was returned. We actually first used a katana but we like the Keiri better. Only one thing has ever stopped it." Naruto started walking in the direction of the stores. Tenten had to wonder something. Who did it end bad for. Because he didn't seem the type to lose to anyone.

—oo000oo—

"Mizuki-sensei, stop and return with us," Naruto had ordered the chunin after he had finally came for the scroll Naruto had recovered. In his hands were two katanas. Behind him, webbed to the tree, was the scroll.

"You got the drop on me, Naruto. Don't think you are going to keep me from that scroll. I deserve it for all the time I was forced to guard the demon of Konoha!"

"Demon? We know it is hard to deal with students but that is no reason to call us demons."

"Not them, you."

"...Oh, you mean the Kyuubi. We know. Now please surrender, sensei."

"You still think of me as that!? Here, let me make it as clear as it will ever be!" He pulled his headband off and cut a slash through the leaf. "Is it clear now?"

Naruto was shocked. He knew Mizuki didn't like him for the Kyuubi. Few people did. But to hate him so much to go that far... "Why, Mizuki-sensei? You have a fiancé. You introduced us!"

"...It doesn't matter! She doesn't matter! All that matters is getting that scroll!" Naruto dropped his head. "Oh, and just to let you know, all those hard test you got before you woke up, those were my doing! I was trying to make you fail from the start!"

But Naruto wasn't listening to him. "...You would do that to Tsubaki? She loves you. Can you honestly do that?"

"Gr. If she was here, I would kill her just to prove my point! Actually, I think once I deal with you, I will go and kill her anyway!"

Naruto shot his head up, disbelief written on his face and a few tears sliding down from his eyes. He planted both blades down in the ground before he reached up for his mask. He pulled that down for the first time ever. It covered his face so that he wouldn't have to face this next part. "We pray that Tsubaki can forgive us then. Enmu no Jutsu." Naruto formed the handsign the scroll had described and pushed chakra out through his whole body. The scroll said that it could have been black or white, depending on the mentality of the caster. It was dark.

Mizuki looked all around him, trying to find Naruto. But he saw nothing. But he did hear him. Naruto was jumping from tree to tree like he did when playing. Now Mizuki wished he had paid more attention to that. "Die, traitor." Blood and the sound of something hitting the ground came next. But Mizuki never heard it.

—oo000oo—

Naruto and Tenten came to a store and found what he was looking for. "Tenten, this one." On the wall was a zanbatou. It was as long as the Keiri but nowhere near as wide, it was only six inches. It held the same thickness while the handle was one a foot long. It had a single blade that curved at the end. Just above the handle was a design of orange flowing lines. It reminded them of a katana.

"Hey, old man," Naruto said to the store owner. "Mind if we look at that blade?"

He was about to say no until he saw the one Naruto had on his back. "...Looking for another zanbatou?"

"Yeah, something like that."

He stood up, giving Naruto a better look at him. His left eye had two scars over it. And his left arm was inside his red long coat. "...Alright. You can get it down without killing someone, you can look at it."

Tenten looked up at it. The zanbatou was at the top of the wall, with several weapons between it and them. "There is no..." Naruto jumped up onto the ceiling and picked up the blade.

"Nice, very nice. Lighter than the Keiri but still heavy enough to cut through anything. 'Remember the fallen'," Naruto read from the blade. This blade had been used. And one look at the store owner said he had been the one to use it. "You know, it took us a long time to find a store that sold one of these. And this is the only one here."

"They are more popular in Kiri," the man said up to him.

"...Yes, the Mizukage even uses one," Naruto stated. "This from there?"

"No."

"Hmm. Well," Naruto dropped down, "here you go, Tenten. What do you think?"

She picked it up by the offered handle. "It's still heavy. But at least I can lift this one up."

"...You thinking of getting that, girl," the owner asked.

"The...Seven Swordsmen..." She was beginning to strain to lift it. "...use these. Naruto-kun has...met one and has begun...moving his style similar to the one he met. Take it back. Whew. And he is in the next exam."

"You met one," he asked. "Which?"

"Momichi Zabuza," Naruto told him.

"So that is the Keiri."

"Kage Keiri," Naruto corrected.

"...I am closing the shop," he said to the few customers he had. He took back his sword, reached up, and put it on the hooks.

Naruto looked at him, wondering what he said. Though he had a suspicion. "Oh well. Hey, Tenten, we had heard that Zabuza was coming here to watch to final exam. You know any truth to that." The man stopped mid step.

"He is dead," he said to him. "Zabuza would never be parted from his sword. Not alive at least."

"We told you. This is the Kage Keiri. We made shadow blades." Naruto formed a shadow of the sword he just held. "We like the Keiri so we made one for ourselves." He let go of the lighter weapon and let it dissipate. "Zabuza is now the Mizukage."

He looked back at Naruto. "...He did it?"

Naruto smiled. "Maybe we should have a chat, after the others leaves. Swordsman-sama." He nodded.

—oo000oo—

"Talk," the older man ordered him.

"First, are we right? Are you one of the missing Seven Swordsmen of Mist?" Tenten gaped at Naruto then the man in red.

"Is that true?"

"...It is. But I am retired."

"Red clothes, the scar... You are Lone Wolf Auron! That must have been the Ashura, the Counter Blade!" She was about to run back for it.

"Tenten, manners," Naruto said to her. "We met Zabuza-sama a few months ago. Right before he killed that fake Kage."

Auron nodded. "Good to know. That man did some things I could never approve of. So, you trying his style as well as his sword?"

"We are trying. Pulled out every bit of information on him from our sensei, Kakashi, that we could. Their pass fights and the one they just had."

"...Have you gotten the voice down," Auron asked. Personally, that was his favorite part of Zabuza's attack. He no longer knew how many had surrendered just by hearing that voice but never seeing where it came from.

"Not quite but we are working on it. Maybe you could teach us to better use this," Naruto asked.

"Yeah, I think I would like that. You too miss, if you are interested."

"Of course I am!"

—oo000oo—

Naruto stood in the arena next to Lee and Gaara. He was looking up at all the ninja and politicians that were there to watch. Hayate stood just in front of them. Up in the stands, he saw Auron as well as Tenten, Hinata-chan, Neji, and others he knew. Kin and Haku were not there for the former's protection.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Sarutobi called out. "Both I and the Mizukage wish you welcome to Konoha!" Naruto smiled up at the disgruntled swordsman. He must have realized too late that there was more to being a Kage than fighting. He'll mention Kage Bunshin to him later. "It is unfortunate that the Kazekage will not be joining us today. But we shall continue."

"What is he doing here," Sasuke asked.

"Must be dying for something to do," Naruto said to him. "Besides, what better way to judge new blood of a village?"

"Too true," Hayate muttered.

"The first match, Uchiha Sasuke and Rock Lee will begin in five minutes," the Hokage said before sitting down. "I wonder how many of them are enemies?"

Zabuza glanced at him then looked back around. "Probably around twenty at least. And I don't doubt the Kazekage chickened out when he received word I would be here as well."

"Yeah. I am looking forward to the same match as you," Sarutobi stated.

"Are you now? And which would that be?"

"Naruto. He has shown he can control ice recently. So I am interested in what else he can do besides what he has shown." He looked at the Mizukage who had started coughing.

"You mean to tell me the Uzumaki clan is related to the Yukina clan!?"

"Yukina? Zabuza, what are you talking about?"

"...Nothing. Just an old dead clan from Mist. One that I thought was alone."

"Ah... I don't know if they are. The only Uzumaki ever to live in this village for a long period of time is Naruto. His mother was here for less than a year before she left us, Kami rest her soul."

"And no one else knows anything," Zabuza figured.

"No one. So Naruto is stumbling around in the dark. His Kekkei Genkai is very peculiar. At first it was just enhanced reflexes. Then he could produce these swords. Then, before the mission he met you, it was revealed he had two equal elements. I knew they would form a different element. I just didn't know which."

"So Haku can..." Of course this was part of the act right here. "Maybe I should have found a way to get Naruto to Kiri."

"Nah, I never would have let him go. By the way, those two are the last of their clan, it appears." He grinned, letting it sink in.

"...They wouldn't," Zabuza stated.

"I caught them considering it just three weeks ago. First they will have to make Uzumaki an official clan first. Which means a seat on the council. Not many will be happy about that."

"Tell me you were able to squash it."

"For the moment," Sarutobi said to him. "But Naruto has been quickly showing his value. He beat a Hyuuga to get here. One that is famed as the most powerful user of the Byakugan in generations. It is... I honestly kind of hope he pulls another stunt like that today. For more than one reason. There are a lot of people who owe Naruto an apology. And it won't take much more for them to give it."

Zabuza nodded. 'So the kid didn't steal her ability. He had it from the start.' "It is time, Hokage-san."

"So it is." He stood back up. "Let the third exam begin!"

—oo000oo—

The Kazekage heard the sound of the exam starting and grinned. "Baki, are the men ready?"

Baki frowned but nodded. He should have been with his students and had said so. "All is set. We wait only for the signal."

"Good. We will finally pay the Leaf back for everything."

Baki turned and walked back. Kankuro was still there with his sister and brother. Where he should be. He sighed. "Just like a leader, so quick to place the blame on any person's shoulders but his own." All the men and women that Gaara has kill, he drove Gaara to it. The Daimyo's lost of faith with the Hidden Sand, he was the one that gave him the slight of how the Ninja village didn't need the Government. He could only pray that Gaara met up with his father.

—oo000oo—

Orochimaru waited. He had missed his chance in the Forest of Death because of the blond that was moving up the stairs. But he shouldn't have put his faith in those three either. He never would have thought they would find Uchiha before he had a chance to mark him.

How he wanted to curse both of them. The boy could be useful with his ability to create weapons and use ice. And with the Kyuubi inside him, he could one day be even as powerful as he was. But the Kyuubi would burn out the seal.

—oo000oo—

Hayate raised his hand. "Uchiha Sasuke!?"

"Hai."

"Rock Lee!?"

"Hai!"

"First match of the Third exam ready. GO!" He brought his hand down, signaling the start of the match.

—oo000oo—

Author's notes: I was just thinking about the opening of G Gundam with Domon. So I had to put the opening to it in as the opening of the Chunin Exams. And yes, I did have the Rabbit guardian of the the Cave of Caerbannog from Monty Python a summoned Hare. There for a laugh, nothing more. Auron is in fact Auron of Final Fantasy X. The Ashura is one of his swords, one that gives him counter attack, magic counter, and evade and counter.

Progress report on Operation Tame Azure Beast. The eyebrows are the next to go!

See ya space Cowboy