Disclaimer time: I don't own Naruto one bit. I would like to have some portion of the money that the Naruto series is making.

I appreciate the fact that my first story has had over 6600 hits with almost 80 reviews and more than a handful of readers marking it as their favorite story. I am truly humbled and will do my best to make this a worthy story for everyone.


Hokage's Office

Kakashi, Anko, and Iruka sat in the office giving their report while Chronos, Naruto, and Sasuke patiently waited outside. Actually, most of them waited patiently. One of the three was bouncing off the walls.

"You should have seen it, Otousan. I was acting all scared and Mizuki-teme bought it. He actually thought the great Uzumaki Naruto was afraid. The look on his face when I told him what he could do with his plan was priceless. I am so awesome!" Naruto exclaimed, punching his fist in the air and standing proudly for everyone to see. Unfortunately, no one else was impressed.

"Can it, dobe." Sasuke grumbled. "We are outside the Hokage's office. Quiet down before you get us in trouble."

"I won't get us in trouble at all. You are just jealous of the job I did tonight. What did you do besides launching a few fireballs and standing there all cocky?" Naruto retorted.

"At least I did a real jutsu. You just sat there with that silly grin and a few clones. Pathetic." Sasuke scoffed. "Your clones wouldn't have landed a single blow if I didn't push him into the clones with my fireballs."

"Yeah right, Sasuke. Don't act all high and mighty. I was just as good as you out there. You just need to admit it, teme." Naruto replied glaring at Sasuke.

Chronos quickly sprung to his feet, getting in between the two. "KNOCK IT OFF! Sasuke, would it hurt you a bit to give a real compliment to your otouto?" Chronos asked staring Sasuke down. Just as quickly as he stood up, Chronos turned to stare at Naruto. "Naruto, don't you think you can just tone it down for once? How do you expect anyone to take you seriously if this is how you act after a mission?"

Sasuke just turned his head and grunted. He didn't want to admit it, but Naruto actually did a decent job convincing Mizuki that he was clueless and his clones did land the knockout blow. However, he was too prideful to say anything. He didn't want to let Naruto get the satisfaction of him admitting anyone did better or just as good as an Uchiha could.

Naruto was just as contemplative as Sasuke. 'Why shouldn't I be proud? Why shouldn't I be excited? Didn't I accomplish the mission? Didn't I help bring down a Chuunin? It's not like I am asking too much. Can't someone tell me once I did a good job?' Naruto asked himself.

Chronos saw how the two were acting and had seen the sibling rivalry growing every day. Sasuke still was too proud to ever admit someone did something as good as he could. Naruto was still only looking for some sort of acknowledgment from anyone but making himself look foolish in the process. It was up to Chronos to try to fix that.

"Listen you two. First things first: you both did a great job in completing this mission. You both should be very proud of yourself." Naruto beamed in pride from that statement while Sasuke nodded with a small smirk. "However, both of you have things you need to work on, and that is your professionalism. A member of our new united clan is professional at all times when outside of our controlled space, namely the complex. That means acting calm and respectful around your superiors at all times, Naruto. That also means not looking down on anyone and acknowledging the skills of others as well as the flaws in yourself, Sasuke." Both boys hung their heads at that statement. "Work on that and, just maybe, your goals will be a little bit easier to reach. Do you two understand?"

"Hai, Otousan." Both boys groaned out.

"Good, now after we get done here, we go home and get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow. You have the team assignments tomorrow and your new clan robes to pick up, if you have truly earned them. On the matter of your team, have you two thought of anyone you would want on your team??" Chronos asked studying the two young Genin.

Both boys sat contemplating their ideal teams. They knew already that they would likely be kept together which meant they would have to be paired with someone they could work well with. Sasuke sat and thought who would fit their styles. He knew he was good with ninjutsu and when the Sharingan activated he would be one of the front line fighters. He also knew Naruto's style was wild and aggressive but also loved deception and stealth. They would need someone good in a supporting role as well as one with a calm head and able to plan.

Initially that would mean Shikamaru, but Sasuke knew quite well that there would be a push to have a new Ino-Shika-Cho trio from their own respective clans. Kiba was too much like Naruto to fit and Hinata was too shy to work with. That left Sakura or Shino, the young Aburame who was smart and very logical. His bugs were also great in a support role, but from rumors about his clan he would be gone at times, making it harder to get quality missions. Sakura, however, was just as smart. From what he remembered from class, she was rather good with her kunai and with detecting genjutsu. However she had not much in the way of ninjutsu and was not physically gifted in taijutsu, even though she could beat up Naruto whenever he made an off-hand comment so long as Chronos was not around. Unfortunately she still acted like a fan girl even if it was toned down at times.

'Great. No matter which one I choose, there is a problem. Shino is too quiet, even for my tastes and will be absent for clan matters, while that fan girl will just annoy me,' Sasuke mused scowling.

Naruto, on the other had, was thinking about who he would be able to work with and not create more tension than he already had with Sasuke. He would readily admit Sasuke was great at ninjutsu and better at taijutsu, but he could last longer. Naruto was intense and emotional, while Sasuke was still withdrawn most of the time. Naruto did realize that it was getting easier to interact with Sasuke and the both of them could start to read what the other was thinking. It made for lots of fun when they pushed each others' buttons. So in that sense, Naruto thought of people that able to work with the both of them. He also liked people that were good with a kunai. He never understood why, but that was his way. That left out Shikamaru, Kiba, Shino, and Chouji. None of them were excellent in their marksmanship. That left the three girls, Hinata, Sakura, and Ino.

'Hinata and Ino I could get along with nicely. They have been rather kind the last two months, but neither of them were the best at marksmanship. Sakura was the best of the three with her kunai, but she still gets on my nerves when Otousan is not around. It is not as bad as before. Wait a minute… That's it. Sasuke would go nuts if Sakura was on our team. A fan girl on his team. Perfect.' Naruto thought stifling a laugh.

Sasuke noticed the laugh and grilled him on it. "I know that look, Naruto. What are you planning now?"

Naruto smiled innocently. "Whatever do you mean? I am not planning a thing. I just know the perfect member for our team."

Chronos perked up at that statement. "Who do you have in mind, Naruto?"

"Pinky." That was the only word he needed to say. Both Chronos and Sasuke knew who that meant. Sasuke blanched even though he knew that was one of the two he thought of.

Chronos saw the look and smiled. 'Maybe this will get Sasuke to loosen up if he has to get along with Sakura on a daily basis. He may not really like her company, but he has mellowed some when they worked on the Akanasu plants.'

Before either of them could reply, the door to the office opened with a pair of ANBU dragging an unconscious Mizuki away.

"Chronos-san, come in here," The Sandaime noted.

"Hai, Sarutobi-sama." Chronos stood and turned to his two youshi. "Go home, eat and hit the rack. I'll talk to you in the morning."

Naruto and Sasuke nodded and took off, arguing the whole way about the merits of pink-haired teammates. Chronos shook his head and made his way into the office.


Interrogation Room One

Mizuki was strapped into a chair and sweating profusely. His wounds were not treated from the beating he took from the fists of Naruto's clones. This all stood to amplify the effectiveness of the interrogation methods deployed by one Morino Ibiki. The scarred interrogation master survived the torture methods by Iwagakure during the Rock/Leaf War without giving up any vital information. He held out for weeks before he was rescued by a strike team sneaking behind enemy lines during an attack led by the Yondaime himself. He took a liking to the methods of interrogation and psychological warfare and thrived in his position. As the ANBU Chief of Intelligence, he rarely got a chance to enjoy his work, but he loved to work on the occasional traitor.

After a few minutes of intense negotiations, including the use of numerous sharp objects and toxic substances, Mizuki sang like a canary. With all of the notes he took, he finally nodded to his assistant and a needle was jabbed into Mizuki's forearm, knocking him out.

"Take him to our medics and secure him to await trial," Ibiki ordered.

Anko dropped in as the traitor was dragged away. She noticed the state of the prisoner and was depressed. She wanted a piece of that scum but missed out on her chance. Turning to her counterpart in the Intelligence Section of the ANBU, she smiled sweetly.

"I wish I was there to break him. It would have been so therapeutic. Did he give you anything good?"

Ibiki nodded grimly. He didn't want to answer her question though, for the name he muttered at the end would hurt her so much. "He was stealing the Forbidden Scroll so that he could defect to that new village; Otogakure, or the Sound village. Supposedly, the leader of the village knows of something that is in the scroll and wants it."

Anko soaked in the information and vocalized her thoughts. "I don't think we need to worry about the scroll. The Hokage was going to make sure it was in a place that no one would find. Did he mention anything on the identities of the two he spoke with?"

"No he didn't, but he did mention that the guy who wanted Naruto was after him for a long time. He stated that his two contacts would never speak outside of shadow or disguise. Seeing that Mizuki was supposed to be halfway to Oto by now, there is no way we could use him to flush out those two vermin."

"Great," Anko muttered in frustration. "We got nothing much from him at all. I got an urge just to go grab him and tear that traitor apart." She started twirling around a kunai in her hands. "Anything else that the traitor said?"

"We did get the identity of the person running the show in Oto." Ibiki stated calmly as he turned to walk away. If he did mention the name, he wanted to be away from Anko in case she got angry. Being around an Anko in a bad mood was never conducive to good health.

Anko waited for a few seconds as the silence grew as Ibiki walked away. Never the one for being left hanging, she ran up to him and blocked the exits, spreading her arms wide. "Tell me the name, Ibiki."

"Move out of the way. I need to report this to the Hokage," Ibiki sternly commanded.

"Not until I get the name."

"Move now, Anko."

"NO!"

Ibiki sighed and whispered the name in her ear. Her eyes went wide and her arms dropped to the side. Ibiki took in the look and shrugged, resuming his walk towards the Hokage's office. Anko, on the other hand, was swimming with emotions, none of them pleasant. The name that was whispered was the one that put her in the hell she lived in for the past few years. It was a name of a man she once trusted, cherished, and quite possibly even loved. It was a name of a man who scorned the village, experimented on countless innocent lives, and even marked her with a curse mark. She reached up and touched the spot on her neck where it was placed. It was because of that mark and the man who gave it that she was scorned in the village. Glares and insults were always thrown her way. She was always called a "snake whore" or the "traitor's slut". Except for a few friends she had, one that seems to be getting closer each day, she was a pariah in Konoha.

She gripped the kunai tightly and threw it at the far wall. It impacted with all of the loathing she had of the vulture that did this to her and sunk a couple inches into the wall. She imagined it was that ingrate that was impaled with the kunai. She imagined it was Orochimaru, the Snake Sannin.


Fire/Sound border

As the sky started to lighten, a lone figure grew rather restless. He had sat patiently, unmoving, attentive, and dutifully waiting for the arrival of a package. The man, with his albino white hair and pale skin, usually was not one to be sent for such trivial matters as this was described by his Lord.

He had served Lord Orochimaru loyally, without failure or descent, for the longest time. He was in with his master at the beginning stages of the Sound and would stick with him until the end. He held no pretensions as to why he rose steadily, becoming his favorite tool of warfare. His kekkei genkai, the Dead Bone Pulse, was almost wiped out and resurrected in him and made for a valuable asset. Being able to manipulate and grow his skeletal structure to use as weaponry harder and deadlier than any steel was something to be feared.

So when Lord Orochimaru sent Kayuga Kimimaro to stand at a border and wait for a man carrying a scroll, either the scroll or the man was of high importance. Nevertheless, Kimimaro was in a losing battle with his legendary patience.

Just as quickly as the albino was gaining a sense of frustration, it left just as quickly as he sensed a person approaching. As the person approached, he could tell it was not the man he was noted to be coming, but a known counterpart.

After waiting a minute longer, a man with round wire-rimmed glasses and silver hair appeared in front of him. Noting his presence, Kimimaro came to one natural conclusion.

"It appears that the mission failed, Kabuto." He replied to the new arrival.

"It appears so. The pawn was followed and an ambush was waiting for him. Even the plan to have our temporary ally capture the jinchuuriki was foiled. As we speak, the scroll is being secured by the Hokage and the pawn is under the care of the Leaf's chief interrogator," Kabuto replied with a smirk while pushing up his glasses.

"Unfortunate. Lord Orochimaru will not be pleased. If the pawn talks, what kind of damage are we looking at here?" Kimimaro asked coldly.

"It would be negligible. At most, he knows Lord Orochimaru wanted the scroll, but not why. He also doesn't know of the invasion plans, or the identities of me and the temporary ally. The plans are still safe." Kabuto replied as he turned back to return to Konoha.

"I see you are heading back. Is there a message you wish to send?"

"Nothing right now. I am not sure if there will be enough time to try and retrieve the scroll again before the invasion. I will do my best to obtain it as well as monitor our primary subject." Kabuto noted as he disappeared from sight.

Kimimaro turned and made his way back to his Lord to deliver the news, knowing full well that he would be angry.


Konoha Ninja Academy

Typically, the classroom was not as busy as it was today. Most of the students would be grumpy or apathetic at the start of another day of classes. Unlike those days, a day like today was most special. Today was the day that the new Genin would be split into their teams and given to their Jounin instructors. From here on out, these young kids would be thrown into a world of violence and be judged as adults, even though most were not past the age of twelve or thirteen.

So it is not surprising that today was a day when all the students were talkative and eagerly awaiting their Academy sensei, even if it was for the last time. That was not the only thing that was mentioned today. Word travels fast in a shinobi village and the events of yesterday were not hidden for long, even if not all of the details were known.

"Did you hear Mizuki-sensei was thrown in jail?" one student asked.

"Yeah, I heard he stole something and got caught." A second student replied.

"I heard it was Sasuke and Naruto that caught him." The original student noted.

"You sure?" the other student replied "Didn't Naruto fail the exam? No way could he have done anything. It had to be all Sasuke's work."

"That was what my kaasan said, even though I don't believe that baka could really do anything right."

Their conversation was interrupted by a cough. They turned to see Sasuke and Naruto standing there. Sasuke was the picture of calm, but Naruto was smiling cheekily. Both students just looked at the floor and sat down in their seats. Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other and shrugged before making their way to their seats. Sasuke made it to his seat first while Naruto decided to sit on the desk itself.

"Why are you doing that, dobe? Can't you sit down like a normal person?" Sasuke muttered glaring at the fool in front of him. 'Why does this baka always do crap like this? He is just making a fool of himself. It is embarrassing that we are related now.'

"I like it. It's more comfortable than those damn seats. Combine those seats and Iruka-sensei's boring lectures and they should call this a torture chamber and not a classroom, teme. It isn't like those seats are the throne you would prefer sitting on." Naruto countered. "Anyways, you should get a new insult to use on me. I am not the dobe anymore."

"Yes you are, baka." A rough voice called out from a row away. Turning to the direction of the comment, Naruto spotted Kiba smirking at him, with Akamaru sitting perfectly on top of his head. "Actually Naruto, why are you even here? I didn't think failures were supposed to be here."

"Wow dog breath, I didn't think your eyesight was as bad as how you smell. Maybe you should be more observant." Naruto replied with a grin while readjusting his Konoha hitai-ate.

Kiba's eyes widened slightly. "How did you manage that one, fox boy?"

Naruto cringed at Kiba's name for him. He had it ever since their first day at the academy together. Before, he didn't pay it any mind and ended up becoming friends with the young Inuzuka. After finding out about the Kyuubi sitting inside him, Naruto never really liked the name since it reminded him of his affliction. Naruto never corrected it once, because he didn't have the heart to and was worried that questions would be raised by the sudden change.

Shrugging it off, Naruto continued the conversation. "Simple enough for an outstanding ninja like me. I passed a make-up test."

"Whatever man, I'm just glad you made it. It would have been boring without you. Now at least I don't have to worry about looking bad. You will do enough of that for all of us." Kiba replied with a laugh.

"Keep thinking that, dog boy. Have you thought of who you will be paired with?"

"To be honest, so long as it is not Mr. Moody next to you, I'll be just fine."

Both boys laughed as Sasuke glared at the duo in turn. Sasuke would have made a witty comeback, but the conversation was interrupted by a loud shriek.

"HA! I BEAT YOU INO-PIG!"

"IN YOUR DREAMS, FOREHEAD-GIRL. I GOT HERE FIRST!"

Everyone turned to see Ino and Sakura stuck in the doorway, both struggling to get into the room first. Even Shikamaru leaned up from the desk to stare at them before placing his head back down to rest, muttering softly about how troublesome girls were.

After a quick push, both girls popped through the doorway and rushed to where Sasuke was seated. Seeing seats available next to the object of their affection, they raced to grab a seat. In their haste they knocked into Naruto, causing him to brush lips with his aniue. Both boys' eyes widened and after a quick pause, turned to wretch their breakfasts on the floor.

Instantly, the room grew twenty degrees colder. As the two looked around, they noticed all of the girls except for one shooting daggers through the young blonde with their eyes. The exception was Hinata. On one part she was afraid for her crush's health. The rest of her was mad at Sasuke, Sakura, and Ino for stealing her chance at being the one to give him his first kiss. Sasuke turned back and grinned. Naruto saw this and instantly was worried. Sasuke's grin usually meant pain for him.

"Naruto, I think you might want to run." Sasuke stated coolly.

Naruto gulped and made a quick dash for the door, only to run into Iruka. Iruka looked down at the young Uzumaki and gave him a smile, remembering the events of yesterday night.

"Going somewhere, Naruto?" Iruka asked.

Naruto merely scratched his head and replied simply, "Nowhere sensei. Just avoiding a fate worse than any ninja art."

"What would that be?"

"Death by Fan Girl," Naruto stated while pointing at the girls in the class out for his blood in the most painful of methods each could conceive. Iruka chuckled and motioned him to go sit down.

Naruto sighed in defeat and turned back to the rows of desks, only to see that his original place was taken. All that was left was a seat on the top row between a sleeping Shikamaru and Hinata. He rambled his way up the stairs and sat down, causing the Hyuuga heiress to blush, even though they sat together before.

Just then, he remembered about the party and reached into his coat, pulling out invitations to hand out.

"Hey Shikamaru." Naruto stated nudging his slumbering friend. Seeing no response, he nudged him again. "Shikamaru, wake up man."

"What do you want, Naruto?" Shikamaru groaned turning his head to look at him lazily.

"There is a party at my place tomorrow night. Here is the invitation." Naruto replied sliding the invitation to him. Shikamaru just inched his elbow over and dragged it back to him, without letting his head rise an inch.

Naruto shook his head in disbelief and turned to Hinata. "Hinata, I got an invitation for you to the party as well." Smiling, he extended the envelope to his friend.

Hinata blushed slightly when she grabbed the envelope timidly. "A-arigatou, Naruto-kun. I didn't need the invitation. I was going to be there anyways."

Naruto smiled and chuckled absentmindedly. "Oh yeah. I remember you said you had something you practiced for the party, right?"

Hinata nodded and turned her head, feeling a stronger blush coming on. The thought of the song she was going to sing and knowing he was going to be watching served to generate a warm but nervous feeling inside. Naruto shrugged and turned back to the front of the class. 'Maybe she didn't want to talk more. That's a shame. I like talking to her.'


Konoha Village Council Chambers

Sarutobi never liked going to one council meeting. Between the clan heads, village elders, and other various representatives, the Council was hard to deal with. Regularly he would have to put up their constant whining about inconsequential matters or the occasional request to eliminate the 'demon brat' as they called Naruto.

The council never liked the fact that they owed their life to an infant and a deceased Hokage. They would have preferred the truth had been something similar to the cover story of the Yondaime and the Demon both dying on the battlefield. That story was only concocted after the council tried to order Naruto's execution the next day. Hopefully today, the problems with the council would lessen.

The council had eleven standing members and two seats that were vacant, one for the Uchiha clan and one for the Uzumaki clan. Between the clan heads for the Yamanaka, Nara, Inuzuka, and Aburame, the clans supporting the Hokage and Naruto were few. The Haruno and Hyuuga clans along with the two civilian representatives were always the ones to ask for Naruto's head and disagreed with Sarutobi's plans at almost every turn. The only saving grace was that the two elders Koharu and Homura along with Danzo, their military advisor, were always siding on the idea of having Naruto become a living weapon. Ever since the initial vote to let Naruto live in the orphanage or in his own apartment and to shield the younger generations from the knowledge of the sealing, they were mostly silent on any issues. With what would happen from the new member standing in front of the council, it was likely that the council would not be as much of a problem anymore.

Chronos stood at attention in his new clan robes that he designed. He kept the same stone face that he was taught to wear from the first day of boot camp. He didn't look at anyone or through them. He stared at a spot directly ahead of him, making it appear as if he didn't even know anyone was there.

Chronos redesigned the new clan "robes" after he remembered the first time he was ever wearing a uniform similar to this. Of course, he still had to get used to not wearing a cover, but just getting back into his best uniform was comforting, even if they were designed slightly differently. His uniform jacket was still a dark navy blue with red piping, but the buttons were now made from gold molded around steel. It still had the high choker collar, in remembrance to the Leathernecks of old. The insignias on the collars and buttons were the Konoha symbol that adorned every hitai-ate. The insignia on the gold buckle attached to the pearl white belt around his waist was of an eagle grasping on two spheres, one containing the Uchiha Fan Symbol and the other possessing the Uzumaki Spiral. Kudou Tsuu was sheathed in its scabbard and hanging gracefully along his left hip from the belt.

His ocean blue slacks with the blood red stripe along the outside of each pant sleeve was immaculately pressed. However, he was still uncomfortable wearing the black leather sandals instead of polished black dress shoes. He still managed to get the pearl white cotton gloves so he did not feel too out of place. He even had the urge to do a field day inspection on the council chambers. Chronos chuckled inwardly at the thought of berating the council for having a chambers not cleaned to Marine standards.

"I bring this council meeting to order," the Sandaime commanded. "We are here to welcome back a once valued member of the council. For a number of years, the council has had two vacant seats, one belonging to the Uchiha and the other to the Uzumaki. Today before us we have one Uzumaki Chronos, who will be filling both seats."

A loud thump came from one corner of the council. The thump came from a hand striking the council table with much force. The hand belonged to one Haruno Piichi, head of the Haruno clan. She was in her late thirties, with golden red hair and the body and grace of a ballerina. Unfortunately, she had the temper of a cornered wildcat.

"This person can't be filling both seats. He's an Uzumaki." She forcibly stated, scowling at Chronos. "He can't possibly take the Uchiha seat."

"On the contrary, dear Haruno-san, he also has Uchiha blood within him." Sarutobi countered, holding up a scroll. "This scroll was written by Uzumaki Yamada and Uchiha Kina and was sealed with a blood seal. His blood opened the seal, confirming that he is a descendant of theirs."

"So, the deserter had children and their offspring have returned to us," A midnight haired man with absent eyes retorted. "What makes you think he will stay loyal to the village?"

With that statement, Chronos lost his Marine reserve and glared at the man, bellowing at his with his most potent voice, usually kept for when Naruto stepped out of line or when he was lecturing privates back in the day.

"What is your name?"

The man scoffed at Chronos as if dismissing a bothersome fly. "I am the leader of the Hyuuga clan, Hiashi. It would do you well to remember my name, Uzumaki."

"I will, but for no other reason than to know who gave me my first insult here on this council," Chronos replied with as much coldness that he could muster, almost literally dropping the temperature in the chambers.

"It was not intended as an insult. I was merely stating a fact. Your ancestors were deserters therefore that is in your blood. Now, I would like my question addressed. What can you possibly offer as comfort against that fact?"

Chronos felt an anger that he rarely felt towards anyone, but this man brought it out of him. It was time to set this person straight. He focused his gaze directly at the Hyuuga and let him feel and hear his anger. "Obviously, you have never dealt with me or any other Marines. WE ARE NOT TRAITORS OR DESERTERS!! Unless this village betrays my family, I have no reason to go anywhere but here. Now I will forget the insult you unwittingly spoken, but if you insult me again you will find something round and explosive shoved down your throat."

One of the other clan members spoke up to try to diffuse the situation. "It would seem that you brought some of your Marine traditions forward. I take it those robes were inspired by them?"

Chronos turned to him and saw a man relaxed in his chair, with rough brown hair and a lackadaisical look on his face. For some reason, that immediately brought one person in mind. "That would be correct. These are designed from a uniform called Dress Blues. They would be worn at the most formal of events, from celebrations to weddings and funerals. On a side note, you wouldn't be related to one Nara Shikamaru, would you?"

The man smiled and nodded politely. "I am his father, Shika. You wouldn't be the person that got my son into that game, Risk?"

"Aye, I am the culprit, even though I am glad that he helped with that business venture. Maybe we should play a game sometime."

Sarutobi cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the council. "We need to get back to the subject at hand. Are there any more objections with Chronos taking his seat or seats on the council?"

"Not an objection, but an observation." A blond haired man stated. "I noticed both the Uchiha and Uzumaki clan symbols on the buckle of your belt. You also have been introduced as Uzumaki Chronos. If you were to properly hold both seats, you would have been announced with both clan names as your own. Those facts seem to contradict. Care to explain?"

Chronos smiled. "Simple really. Until both clans are self-sufficient and repopulated, I am merging both clans will be considered part of a larger one, a Marine clan."

"Speaking of repopulating, since both clans have a Kekkei Genkai, I feel it might be time to look into invoking clan restoration laws. We would not want the Sharingan or the Nyuurou Saisei to be lost," Danzo stated plainly.

"Clan restoration laws? Would someone care to explain that?" Chronos asked curiously.

Sarutobi sighed. He hoped this issue wouldn't come up, but leave it to Danzo to think that Kekkei Genkai were worth more than the people that used them.

"To put it simply, you and Sasuke would be placed into multiple arranged marriages for them to have many children." Danzo informed Chronos.

"Absolutely not. If this council forces women on my son or myself, then you will force us to leave, as that would be a considered a betrayal of the highest sort." Chronos replied furiously. "If my sons end up wanting multiple wives, let them choose it for themselves. I personally will not follow down that path. If they pick up anything from me, then do not be surprised that they will want many children from just one mother. I was the youngest of five children. I highly doubt that Sasuke or Naruto would want any less, given enough time."

"Fair enough, Chronos-san." Danzo replied calmly. "But if Sasuke or you do not end up having children in a reasonable amount of time, we will take action. In the meantime, it would be reasonable for them to have an insurance policy."

"I am curious, Councilman. Why did you not include Naruto in your statements?" Chronos asked internally seething at the slight that Naruto is being given.

"That boy is a demon and his only worth is as a tool for the village. It is doubtful it will still have the kekkei genkai or any respectful woman would ever want to sire any offspring from a demon child." Danzo answered.

"CALL MY SON A DEMON AGAIN AND YOU WILL NOT BREATHE ANOTHER OUNCE OF AIR!!" Chronos shouted with all the anger he could muster.

"ENOUGH!!" The Hokage shouted, letting loose a decent dose of killing intent. The whole room fell silent and shifted in their seats.

"We will discuss all of this later. I would prefer to finish this up. I doubt anyone wants to be in this room longer than necessary." Sarutobi interjected quickly. No one objected. "Then we come to the next point of the meeting…"

Chronos absently listened while he was consumed with his thoughts. The council deciding on who was to be paired with Sasuke and himself did not sit well with him. He also couldn't shake the hatred for that man who called Naruto a demon and only worth being a tool. For some reason, he thought the problems with them were only beginning.


Konoha Ninja Academy

Iruka looked up at his students for the last time that they would be considered his students. This day always was difficult for him. 'You always gain a bit of an attachment to the ones you teach,' He thought as his gaze scanned over each student in turn before finishing his gaze on the blond maverick sitting in the top row. 'My old hitai-ate looks good on him. Take care of it Naruto.'

"Good morning, class." Iruka started. "Before we begin, I must say that it has been a pleasure teaching every one of you for the past few years. Some of you have been easier than others, while some of you still insist ON SLEEPING!!!" Shikamaru raised his head enough to prop it on a hand in a thinking pose.

"Now that I have everyone's attention, we will start with the team assignments."

As Iruka went though each team and the sensei they were assigned, Naruto turned to Shikamaru. "Hey Shikamaru, got any preferences to who will be on your team?"

Shikamaru sighed. "I already know who it is."

Naruto shockingly gazed back at his lazy friend. "How did you do that? Who told you?"

"It would be too much of a hassle to explain. I'll sum it up. My dad teamed with parents of two others in the class so naturally we will be teamed together." Shikamaru stated pointing to Ino and Chouji.

"So you don't have any insight as to who my team would be??"

"Do not be surprised if it is Sasuke and either Sakura or Hinata." Shikamaru replied with a sigh. Hinata perked up from that statement. That changed with the next announcement.

"Team seven will be under the command of Hatake Kakashi. On team seven will be Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto centered on Iruka's announcement eagerly awaiting his fellow teammates. "Uchiha Sasuke" Sasuke and Naruto nodded at each other, already knowing what would happen. Hinata perked up as well as the fan girls for Sasuke who hoped their name was called next. "and Haruno Sakura." A loud squeal came from Sakura followed by a groan from Ino and the rest of the Sasuke fan club.

Hinata hung her head. Naruto spotted the fact that Hinata was depressed and really wasn't paying attention to the rest of the team assignments, even after her name was called to be on Team Eight. It was at that point that he decided to do something nice for her.

"Hey Hinata, have I ever thanked you for your help with my plants??" Naruto asked slyly.

Hinata broke out of her doldrums to look at her crush. She looked through her memories and failed to recall a moment, so she shook her head in the negative.

"Well then Hinata, at the party…" he said looking at her intently. Hinata held her breath slightly.

"I guess I will." Naruto finished with a warm smile. Hinata melted inside as she soaked in the warmth from his smile. She never broke from her daze until a red-eyed woman shook her slightly.

"Wake up, Hinata. It is time to go." Kurenai stated. "The rest of the team is waiting." She said motioning to Kiba and Aburame Shino, the quiet and reserved bug user, hidden behind his trench coat and dark sunglasses. Hinata nodded shyly and rushed off to join her teammates.

Naruto was getting frustrated. It has been two hours sitting here waiting for their new sensei to arrive. Everyone left, even Iruka, and the room took on a cold and lonely nature. The only thing that pierced the silence was the continual attempts by Sakura to make small talk with Sasuke. Every attempt was met with a grunt by Sasuke and a snicker by Naruto, followed by a slap or yell from Sakura.

With his frustrations growing, he decided to take action. Scanning the room, he found only one thing that would work for a prank. Walking over to the blackboard, he took an eraser and went over to the door, propping it onto the top of the door.

Pleased with his work, Naruto went back to his seat. Both Sasuke and Sakura looked at Naruto with incredulous looks.

"What do you think you are doing, baka?" Sakura asked in irritation.

"Just teaching our new sensei a lesson. No one makes Uzumaki Naruto and his brother wait," Naruto replied with a smug look.

"You know that will never work dobe. Kakashi was the one who taught our Otousan. He can't possibly fall for that trick."

Naruto glared at Sasuke. "You need to come up with a better name, teme."

Just as Sasuke was about to respond, the door creaked. All three Genin turned to see the silver haired Jounin walk in, only to be hit by the falling eraser, enveloping his head in a cloud of chalk dust.

Kakashi peered through the dust to see Sasuke just rolling his eyes, Sakura twitching her eyebrow in annoyance, and Naruto rolling on the ground laughing. He sighed, shaking his head sadly.

"My first impression of you three is… I hate you." Kakashi deadpanned. "Meeting on the roof in fifteen minutes." With that note, Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Sakura slapped Naruto on the back of his head and stomped off while Sasuke just sighed in disgust.

"Good job, knucklehead. Good way to start things." Sasuke muttered over his shoulder as he walked out the door.

Naruto just held his head and walked after the two. "No one ever appreciates a good prank."

Kakashi stood in front of his new team and was worried. He knew Sasuke and Naruto from the time they spent together in the last couple of months, but really didn't know their pink-haired teammate. From what he knew from Iruka, Sakura was a smart kunoichi and good with a kunai, but nothing more. He also told the Jounin about how Sakura was constantly doting over Sasuke. 'Well Copy-Ninja, here goes nothing. I hope I do you proud, sensei.'

"Since we are all here now and not dealing with a simple prank," Kakashi said glancing at a sheepish Naruto, "Why don't we share a little bit about ourselves?"

The three new Genin looked at each other, not knowing where to begin.

"Ano, sensei, why don't you show us how it is done?" Sakura suggested.

"Alright then. My name is Hatake Kakashi. I do not feel like sharing with you my likes or dislikes. Dreams for the future??? Not going to say. I do have a few hobbies." He said with his one lone eye in a U shape.

"Bah. We didn't learn anything but his name." Sakura muttered under her breath.

"Now it is your turn, Pinky."

"Me? Well, my name is Haruno Sakura. My likes..." She blushes glancing at Sasuke. "I dislike Naruto-baka and Ino-pig. My dream is to be a great kunoichi and…" She blushes a deeper red glancing at Sasuke one last time. All three of the guys roll their eyes.

"Sasuke, your up."

"As everyone knows, I am Uchiha Sasuke. I have many dislikes. I like training and my Otousan. My hobbies are learning new jutsus. My dream for the future is to revive my clan and I used to have an ambition but it is now a mission."

"What mission is that?" Kakashi said raising an eyebrow.

"Capturing and dragging a certain man back to Konoha." Sasuke said darkly.

'That is interesting. Maybe Chronos has gotten through to him a little,' Kakashi thought.

"Finally, we have our prankster."

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, Konoha's number one unpredictable ninja. I love good food, especially ramen, if my Otousan lets me eat it. I also like training, my Otousan, and my friends. I dislike those who can't laugh, those who are arrogant and look down on others, and those who hate people for things out of their control. My hobbies are my plants and ramen. My dream is to become the greatest Hokage ever and have everyone respect me." Naruto finished with him pointing at the Hokage Monument.

Both Sasuke and Sakura rolled their eyes at their rambunctious teammate while Kakashi nodded.

"Now that we've gotten introductions out of the way, tomorrow we will have a test."

"Test? What kind of test? We already passed the graduation exam…" Naruto asked, slightly put off.

"That was only to see if you were fit to be qualified to become Genin. To finally become Genin, you must pass a test given by myself," Kakashi said smirking under his mask.

"No problem. We will pass your test just fine." Naruto responded confidently. Sasuke nodded in agreement while Sakura seemed unsure.

Kakashi laughed. "You may think so now, but only nine people will become Genin out of the twenty-seven who graduated. The rest will head back to the academy."

"But... that is a sixty-six percent failure rate!! You can't send us back!" Sakura shouted.

"I can. Show up tomorrow at seven at Training Ground Seven. Bring your ninja gear and don't eat breakfast. You will only throw it up. Ja ne." Kakashi said disappearing in a puff of smoke.

All three looked at each other and started to wonder if all their training would matter tomorrow.


(A/N): I can't wait to do the next chapter, but I am even more excited that I am actually going to be writing a second story at the same time. Within a week's time, I plan on publishing 'War of the Three'. I hope you will enjoy this crossover as much as I have enjoyed thinking it up.