Disclaimer: All legal and financial rights over the Naruto universe and franchise belong to Mashashi Kishimoto, Shounen Jump, Bandai games, Viz media Inc. and other associated companies.

A/N:

1) After some deliberation I've decided to go back and fix my references to Danzou's arm being partially crippled sometime before posting 23. From his battle scene with the 'Wood ninja' assassins and the Mist Byakugan user's analysis in the kage council meeting there is nothing wrong with it apparently.

2) The next chapter will only be posted sometime in November, October is REALLY hectic for me and it was pretty hard to even get this chapter done with my schedule. I know it's a linker chapter, but the next chapter should have lotsa action and drama. I apologize that the chapter is short on content and length, but I didn't want to begin the battles then cut everything - do not worry there won't a bazillion 'prelim matches' chapters, one or at MOST two if I push it.

3) As you may have or have not noticed, I'm experimenting with my writing style a bit. I'm trying to slim down the descriptions to the bare minimum while still being clear on what happens and trying to keep one character as the Point of View of each scene [though this probably won't persist in battle scenes which are unique]. I hope it is alright and I know it might be a bit awkward while I adjust to this new style – so I apologize in advance if someone is disappointed or upset with it.

Read, hopefully enjoy and review if possible! (once more, sorry for it being shorter than usual)

Japanese Word Glossary:

Hi no Kuni – Fire Country
Kusa no Kuni – Grass Country
Konohagakure – Hidden Leaf
Iwagakure – Hidden Rock
Taki - Waterfall
Ame – Rain
Suna - Sand
Hime – Princess
Sandaime – The Third
Yondaime – The Fourth
Godaime – The Fifth
Youki – Evil/Demonic energy
Jinchuuriki – 'Power of Human Sacrifice' – nickname for the containers of the tailed beasts
Bijuu – Tailed Beast/s
Jyuuken – Gentle Fist
Goken – Iron fist

(Two days later, hidden base in the Tea Country)

His eyes opened, eerie yellow piercing the gloom as he sat up slowly. In the silence of the small room the snake sannin adjusted to his newest body – the flesh suit once known as Genryuumaru. He peered down at his bandaged body. "This one is strong; I knew I made the right choice by selecting him. He might actually survive the entire duration unlike the previous two."

Orochimaru stood up slowly and flexed the muscles of his new body in experimenting manner. He had been isolated in a weakened, near comatose state for the last two days as his true form, the white snake mutation he had assumed adjusted to possession of a human shell.

He heard the sound of blades being drawn and quirked his brow curiously at the three silhouettes that snuck through the small slit of light left by the opening door. "Oh? What do we have here? How is it that Kimimaro let these amateurs slip past him?" He reached up and tore the bandages covering his face. "Such a waste, have you fools not learned by now that trying to assassinate me is futile?"

He could smell their fear and his lips twisted into a diabolical grin; his serpentine eyes seemed to glow in the darkness. "Come then, if you amuse me enough I might let some of you live to become my guinea pigs."

That exclaim was worst than any threat or curse he could utter; the rumors and stories of what he did to his test subjects legendary. One of them charged while the others seemed to prefer the use of ninjutsu.

"Die, you monster!" the kenjutsu assailant hissed hatefully and charged at him, hoping to capitalize on his weakness post-transformation. The man's blade reflected the torch light from outside at slashed at his torso.

Orochimaru's mouth opened widely as he regurgitated a white snake. The man dropped like a sack of potatoes as the serpent whipped forth and bit into his jugular, injecting its toxin straight into the blood circulating to the brain.

The other two invoked a ninjutsu combination of fire and wind, hoping to sear the loathsome sannin where he stood. The room exploded into bright scarlet light as they aimed the combination jutsu at him, the flames spreading all across the room, devouring all in their hunger.

"Did we get him…is he dead?!" one of them asked.

"No. you didn't…now die," was what they heard behind them before his hands grasped their windpipes from behind before he tugged hard, ripping the vital organs off in a gory display. He snorted as he heard rushing footsteps and stepped out of the room in time to glare at two of his ANBU.

"You're late," he declared flatly and waved his hand, snakes bursting forth and killing the two failures. He snorted derisively before he lifted his gaze towards the panicked figure rushing towards him.

His displeasure was evident by the gleam in his eyes, "Karin, if I didn't know better I'd think your incompetence was deliberate in an attempt to kill me. I thought I told you to post Kimimaro to guard me while I adjusted to the transformation." His tone was bemused, by the quality hidden behind was anything but - it was lethal.

"F-forgive me, Orochimaru-sama! I was just fetching you the latest r-report from Konoha when Kimimaro came rushing past me, apparently Juugo broke out of his holding cell and starting going berserk!" the redhead stammered and fell to her knees. She groveled at his feet; eliciting a frown from him before he snatched the scroll from her hands.

"What is this…? Is this some kind of joke?" the sannin wondered as he carefully deciphered the encoded message. His eyes narrowed and teeth bit into his inner cheek, "Sarutobi-sensei assassinated? Kabuto captured by ANBU?"

He wasn't concerned with his silver haired protégée; the medic-nin wouldn't break his confidence even under torture considering he applied memory blocking seals on the most intimate of information; just in case he encountered any Yamanaka mind readers. It was unfortunate his cover was blown but it was not unexpected considering Jiraiya was sniffing about Konohagakure as of late.

But the other bit of news irked him. Hiruzen deserved better than to die like a dog. Oh, Orochimaru only loathed the old monkey as much as he loved him. The old man had raised him; nurtured him and been a father and mentor to him for over twenty years. He deserved a warrior's death, an explosive ending like he always wanted; at Orochimaru's hands.

He could boast about vengeance until he went blue in the face. But beneath his bitterness and hatred was an underlying yearn; a need to make the old man proud one last time – by defeating him. It was stolen from the snake by the illness that ate away the Sandaime's strength but he still intended on challenging him if only to give him one last honor.

Orochimaru burned the scroll with a flash of fire chakra; such aspirations were now obviously mute. "Foolish old man, you couldn't have waited another month to die, could you? Feh, such a flawless assassination could only be pulled off by one man. Danzou-senpai, I don't know if I should applaud you or eviscerate you, you pathetic old fossil."

Of course, Orochimaru wasn't entirely surprised as he had long ago unearthed the secret behind the old man's arm and eye. Kabuto's correspondence with Roots as a supposed triple agent had revealed that much. He would have to beware Shisui's eye when and if he and the old man crossed paths in battle; that particular sharingan's genjutsu capabilities were legendarily annoying.

"I had a feeling something like this would happen. It's fortunate I made contingencies due to Kabuto's rather shifty behavior as of late. This actually fits my plans even better and with Sarutobi-sensei out of the way things might actually work much more smoothly than I originally thought they would." the sannin thought before he turned towards Karin.

He started walking away but paused before he reached the turn in the corridor and gazed back at Karin. "Summon Kimimaro, Sound Four, drag Juugo along and then come to my chambers. We have much to discuss."

(Two days later, Merchant town of Eiheiji, Kusa no Kuni)

Tsunade knew something bad was on the horizon; there was no doubt about it. The blonde woman sipped the sake from her saucer and eyed an abundance of suitcases filled with the money she had earned in the last four days in her gambling endeavors.

The last time she had such a lucky streak the Kyuubi had been sighted demolishing border towns in Hi no Kuni. She had assumed the visage of a middle-aged woman earlier when she played poker but now reverted to look like she had in her early thirties.

The buxom kunoichi heard the paper door slide open and her face twisted into a grim expression. "It's about time you stopped jerking around, Jiraiya, I've been waiting for you to show up for hours. I hope you don't mind but the sake was getting cold so I started without you,"

"Oh? You've never treated me before? And I've got you buzzed and partially clothed? Does this mean you've finally succumbed to my suave sexiness?"

She rolled her eyes at him, "How exactly do you clothe for sleeping, pervert? And don't be getting any ideas, I'll break any part of you that touches me," she cooed at him. "You haven't change Jiraiya, still playing games to hide your distress over serious business."

"Oh don't be like that! Gimme a chance, I'll rock your world!" He offered her suggestively as he always did when they met and as always she shot him down nonchalantly.

She eyed him disdainfully. "Not that it isn't good to see you again, snowflake. But you've been following me around for the last couple of days, I can tell. I can't help but feel there's a reason behind that, so spit it out."

Jiraiya chuckled faintly; he slid the door shut behind them after he stepped into the room. He took a sit in front of her and wordlessly poured some sake into one of the empty saucer that was obviously his. "You always were impatient, Hime. Can't we enjoy some sake before we get down to business?"

The sannin's eyes narrowed and her lips twisted into a grim line. "It is when my supposedly old friend has an ulterior motive that I'm pretty sure I won't like behind the first visit he's made in a decade. So let's cut to the chase, what do you want?"

Jiraiya's pouted at her for a moment as he even shifted to a more comfortable position on the tatami mat they sat on. He sighed, "Look, I've been travelling hard and fast for the last three days. Gimme an old man a break to rest his bones a little and enjoy some sake before you go homicidal, will ya'?"

The Senju princess pouted herself and crossed her arms under her breasts. "That miserable pervert always did know how to tick me off." But she also knew he was her last and only true friend in the world. She decided to act civilly and asked in a mild tone. "Is this about the old man? I heard he was murdered, hard to believe, but not entirely surprising all things considered…"

She hit a nerve it would seem as Jiraiya's grip on his cup tightened but she had worded it ambiguously enough to not tickle his temper though his expression did turn grim. "In a manner of speaking," he mumbled before putting down his saucer. "I won't mince words with you, Hime. The jounin of the village, the fire daimyo and clan council have all decided unanimously that you are to be Godaime Hokage."

A silence fell between the two sannin before the medical prodigy burst into peals of laughter. The abrupt and utterly ridiculous notion was about as reasonable as asking her to turn lead into gold. "Jiraiya, you sure have grown quite the sense of humor over the years, for a moment I almost thought you serious."

The toad sage frowned and crossed his arms. "This isn't a joke, Tsunade. Surely you can feel it, war is coming. Konoha can't afford to keep you off the roster any longer."

The last of the Senju snorted dismissively. "I refuse. I've shed enough blood for that village. I refuse to gamble my life for nothing like my grandfather; like our sensei and your own apprentice!"

Jiraiya eyes narrowed, his muscles tensing dangerously. "I'm sorry; I must have mistakenly given you the impression that this was a request. Don't you get it? Sarutobi-sensei is dead. The leniency he gave both of us is over! We've both been called back and one way or another you WILL return with me to Konoha."

"Don't you dare threaten me, Jiraiya," she warned him icily, her brown eyes flashing with lethal impatience. "I have my right to retirement. I gave all a person can be expected to sacrifice for Konoha and fought through two wars. I've done my share; let the younger generation shoulder its own burdens without me."

"That's bullshit and you know it! Once a shinobi, always a shinobi! What the hell happened to you? Where's the woman who became the role model for kunoichi around the continent? Where's my best friend who I admired, who always had my back and cared so deeply for her friends and village?"

Her eyes flashed with pain and moistened faintly as her fists tightened. "She died a long time ago when she lost all her family; lost her fiancé to poor leadership decisions and a refusal to incorporate an acting medic-nin program!"

Jiraiya glared at her before he surprised her by launching himself forward in blurry speed and fisting his hands in her shirt; picking her off the ground and slamming her lightly into a wooden support beam. He shook her several times as if to wake her up. "I don't buy it, Tsunade!"

"Let go of me, Jiraiya!" she hissed at him warningly.

He disobeyed and even went as far as leaning closer, each word hitting her face as he uttered it. "Not this time! I won't let you slip away like I did all those years ago. I have too many regrets in my life!"

"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about but I'm not going back! You can't make me!" she shouted angrily like a spoiled child, her heartbeat racing and eyes stinging. He was bringing up the pain; the longing and loneliness she had buried so expertly for over a decade – she didn't want this, worse it scared her; facing her past..

"I'm talking about this crap you're pulling! I can't stand it any longer. Stop being such a fucking coward! You're better than this!"

"How dare you lecture me, you hypocrite? " she retorted balefully, gnashing her teeth in an offensive manner as she grabbed him around the collar. "You haven't exactly been the poster boy of dealing with your demons! You may have deluded everyone, even yourself, to think you're scouring the world for Orochimaru and spying for Konoha's benefit but I know you! All you're doing is running away from facing the pain of losing him, just like me!"

The way his face paled and his anger deflated told her she had struck home but he surprised her by pressing onwards anyway. "You're right, I WAS a coward, but things are different now. Sensei's dead, we can't hide our heads in the sand any longer, we have responsibilities now and have to carry the torch in his name!"

"Sensei's death changes nothing! The fate of the village has never rested on one shinobi's shoulders alone. Isn't that the whole 'Will of Fire' garbage that you and sensei preached to try and cover for the pain of our loss and shame of our sins?"

The intense gleam in his eyes made her feel self conscious and she scowled at that. She wasn't some teenager that could be lectured or reprimanded. His voice trembled, impatience and fury lacing his words, "enough of this crap! Stop lying to me and to yourself! I know you better than this; you aren't a callous bitch who would turn her back on everyone when they're truly in need…"

"Tell me there's another way," her voice trembled but there was a resigned edge to it. He was getting to her, she had battled these doubts herself for years, but the fear was still there. Konoha was like a curse; nothing good could come out of her returning to that kami-forsaken place.

The toad sannin pulled back, seemingly a bit shocked with his emotional responses and catching himself at last. "You know there isn't, Tsunade. Don't force my hand, I don't want to fight you but I will if I have to. Too much is at stake and there is no time to waste."

She turned from him and remained silent for a long time. They both sat in the quiet room for long minutes before she exhaled long, low and hard – deciding to play along with the fire daimyo and jounin council for now. It didn't mean she had changed her mind, it didn't mean she had a change of heart – it only meant she was compromising temporarily so she isn't declared a nuke-nin.

"Tch, It'd be too much of a hassle to be declared a deserter and fight you to the death, pervert. But know this, I cannot forgive the village and nor can I forget the past and losses I've suffered in its name. I will not spit on my family or sensei's memory and abandon Konoha. But I'm warning you, I'm coming back with you for a trial period of six months. If I am not convinced Konoha has changed or is willing to change to my liking, I'm out of there."

The toad sannin frowned but nodded curtly. It was better than he expected; perhaps his recklessness came in handy from time to time. He was actually prepared for her to blow him off and then demolish half the town trying to fight him off to make her point clear.

It was ugly, it was painful but it was realistic and the only way to bring Tsunade back in a manner of days in time to save Konoha from a very ugly situation where they had no acting kage during the chuunin exam or worse, letting Danzou take the mantle. In an optimal situation he'd have had a couple of more weeks to help her to adjust to the idea.

If he'd see in the next couple of months that Tsunade's heart and mind were not changing for the better it would seem he would have no choice but to train a Rokudaime Hokage or take the mantle himself.

Either way, with Tsunade on his side, Orochimaru was in for one hell of a surprise; maybe he could finally get Shima that snakeskin wallet she always asked for her birthday.

(The following morning, Eastern boundary of forest of death)

Naruto sat at the base of a tree, his eyes narrowed and expression grim. His upper body was covered in bandages, the tattered remains of his jacket and mesh armor, were torn to shred and stained to crimson and so he discarded them earlier.

Neji was perched stealthily in the tree branches above along with Shino, the two reconnaissance ninja keeping watch. The other three beside the Uzumaki were resting fitfully; after all, their entire little group kept on moving every five hours to a new location.

They had managed to dodge the 'ANBU' hunting for them so far and considering the backlash of Naruto's earlier youki usage in conjunction with his wounds and the potentially juggernaut of a Suna Jinchuuriki that may still come hunting for him they also avoided contacting other Konona or foreign teams.

"A Ryou for your thoughts…" Ino's voice startled him slightly as she sat beside him. She sat close, sliding her arm around his waist and snuggled against him.

He didn't answer immediately, but her warmth and soothing presence melted some of his tension away. His voice was soft and slightly distant as he kept his eyes fixed forward, "Facing Gaara scared me I guess. It's like looking into a 'what-it' version of me. You have no idea how easily I could've turned into someone like him. When I was a kid, when everyone ignored me, I used to feel just like him…"

Ino bit her lower lip slightly, perhaps his admission invoked old guilt from the times she antagonized him during the academy. "We can't change the past, Naru-kun, no matter how much we want to sometimes. So let's just be thankful it didn't turn out like that and enjoy what we can of the present, ok?"

He struggled with his feelings over the Kyuubi many times before but he had never shared his most intimate musings with anyone - until now. "I know that, believe me, Ino-chan. I've learned my lesson about putting the past behind me with Sasuke's death. It's just sometimes when I think about the Kyuubi I'm scared. I don't want to become a human weapon like Gaara but somehow I think when a ninja war breaks out as a container that's exactly what I'll be forced to become…"

She started talking but then stopped herself. Ino then snaked her other arm around him and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I don't think anyone that cares for you will treat you like a weapon, Naru-kun; it's all about perspective. Remember how we were taught in the academy about information manipulation? One man's monster is another man's hero, like how to Iwa Yondaime-sama is the devil incarnate and to us he's one of our greatest heroes. As long as we care about you and have your back, isn't that enough?"

He glanced at her, his smile widening as he suddenly felt the urge to kiss her overwhelm him and did just that. He felt her stiffen in his arms surprise, her soft gasp swallowed in his mouth before she kissed him back. He pulled back after several moments and smiled at her, "I guess you're right. Thanks, Ino-chan…"

"Ha! I'm a woman, I'm always right and don't you forget it!" she whispered in a mock-airy manner and winked at him.

Suddenly they broke apart as they heard a voice echo through the forest; amplified by speakers. "Attention all examinees, the second exam is officially over. No more fighting is permitted; failure to comply will result in disqualification. All teams report to the tower in the center of the forest immediately!"

"Hm, looks like we made it after all;" Naruto heard Shikamaru drawl in relief as the shadow manipulator joined him and Ino. He inwardly groaned at the bad timing, he was hoping to perhaps snag another kiss or two from his girlfriend but alas; that was not meant to be.

"So it would seem. I must admit you rookie genin aren't half bad, you're far tougher than one would expect," Neji agreed coolly as he and Shino climbed down the tree. Naruto and Ino stood up and joined the rest of the genin as they prepared to set off.

Kiba landed in front of everyone with Akamaru on his head. "Enough talk, let's get moving, I'm dying for some real food and getting out of this place!" He complained audibly and took point.

It wasn't long before they reached a massive stone and wood tower in the center of the forest. The two Konoha teams met two chuunin that blocked the entrance and demanded to see their scrolls. Once the pair of proctors made sure that their scrolls were authentic and proven to be untouched they were allowed to enter.

They were all led to a waiting area where they were instructed to wait. Time passed and teams eight and ten were joined by Lee, Sakura and Tenten that looked worse to wear. There was a tense and uncertain moment as the three teams were unsure whether to converge and exchange information or remain apart.

Naruto's spine crawled with that same eerie resonating sensation and looked over his shoulder. It would seem that the decision was made for them as Gaara and his team stepped into the room. The presence of the monster in human skin caused Naruto to shift to a more offensive stance; teams eight and ten following his example and stepping protectively in front of the other team; they might have their individual grievances but they were still comrades.

Gaara and Naruto locked eyes, the tension in the room rising before the redhead shot nodded his head at Naruto. The Uzumaki let out the breath he unknowingly held as the sand sibling moved to a corner of the room and sat silently.

He turned to his former teammate, his self-declared 'eternal rival' and Tenten and spoke firmly. "Look guys, I know none of you trust me, but I hope you'll listen to me anyway. If any of you is set to fight Gaara, forfeit; otherwise you'll die."

Sakura haughtily snorted at his warning. "Who are you to issue such a warning? Just because you're afraid and are too weak to defeat him that doesn't mean…"

"This isn't the time for your paranoia, Sakura!" Ino surprised Naruto with her venomous whisper. He grinned lightly as he watched Sakura's surprise melt into a barely suppressed ire. His girlfriend continued intensely, "I saw what Gaara can do; none of us are on his level. He can kill any one of us in a heartbeat, so just…just listen, alright?!"

Naruto watched Sakura's eyes narrow a fraction; a strange gleam filling them. He was about to comment when the crimson-haired kunoichi's lips pursed into a thin line and she nodded curtly; grunting in affirmation. "Wow, she's actually cooperation and not raving mad accusations. Is the world coming to an end?"

He followed Sakura's gaze as she looked past them and laid eyes on the unsettling jade eyed rain Kunoichi. Naruto noticed Lee and Tenten tense as well and his eyes narrowed. "So you guys fought with that crazy bitch, eh? Anything special we should know about her…?"

Naruto noticed the weapon mistress wanted to say something but held herself silent. His eyes travelled to Lee and he hazarded to guess the weapon's mistress was giving Lee a chance to make amends with Neji and Naruto.

Before he could though Sakura grabbed his wrist, stopping him and that pissed the Uzumaki off. He noticed the other genin also seemed to get uncomfortable and/or confused over the lack of inner-village loyalty and the taijutsu specialist seemed conflicted when he realized this himself.

His conscience won over and he shrugged Sakura's grip, but his hesitation alone spoke volumes to Naruto about of how much the psychotic bitch had sunk her claws into Lee and twisted him."She's extremely well gifted in genjutsu and I think she might use doton jutsu. She's fast, smart and calculating. If I had to describe her I'd say she's a mix of Sakura-chan and Shikamaru…"

The Uzumaki frowned, that was a very dangerous combination. He glanced stealthily at said kunoichi and watched her loiter in the shadows, ignoring her own teammate as if he were beneath her. "Who the hell is she? And why the hell does she seem so eager to murder me with her eyes? I don't even know that crazy bitch!"

Two more genin, each seeming in their early twenties rushed into the room. One of them was wearing black glasses, a black piece of cloth concealing his lower face. The other was wearing round spectacles and a similar black cloth.

One of the 'ANBU' from the exam stepped into the room. She spoke firmly and motioned them with her hand. "Akadou Yoroi and Tsurugi Misumi are the final two to arrive; follow me please."

The various genin obliged and walked through a narrow corridor and into a wide arena like area with two balconies suspended above it. Upon these balconies stood the massive Rain-nin that accosted Naruto earlier that week and Baki of the sand.

There were ornamental statues decorating the room. On a small podium erected against one of the walls stood Hatake Kakashi, Sarutobi Asuma, Yuuhi Kurenai, Maito Gai and another Konoha Jounin.

Kakashi took a step forward and spoke up. "Congratulations to you all for successfully passing the second chuunin examination test. To those of you who lost comrades, we apologize, but this is the reality of high ranked missions and wars and cannot be avoided at times. Unfortunately, despite the exam's harsh requirements and details there are still too many of you left for the third and final exam."

There was a murmur of discontent amongst the genin but nobody dared speak up as Kakashi continued. "Your reservations are noted, but that is beyond the point. The final exam is the most important of them all to you chuunin aspirants and your villages in particular. It is the ultimate opportunity to showcase your personal growth and to promote your village in front of the allied Daimyo in a series of public one-on-one duels."

The Copy ninja spoke onwards. "Once these 'preliminary battles' are finished, you will each of the winners will be allotted a number and paired up for the finals. Then you will all be dismissed and be given a month to recover and train for the final exams."

"I'll take it from here, Kakashi." A voice called out once the sharingan user finished. It came behind the genin as a young man walked around them and joined Kakashi at the podium. The man was wearing a jounin flak jacket, a bandana covered his shoulder length hair and he toyed with a senbon needle in his mouth.

"I will be the referee, my name is Shiranui Genma. I have only one rule that you need to know: 'My word is law'. You will begin fighting when I tell you, you will cease when I tell you; anything more or less will be considered grounds for immediate disqualification, am I clear?"

Naruto looked around him, wondering how the match ups will be. He was excited and yet at the same time somewhat nervous; hoping he wouldn't ruin any one of his friends' chances to get promoted. "Heh, maybe I'll get lucky and get to settle the score with Sakura."

He paused when he caught Kakashi glancing quite coldly at Yoroi and Misumi for some reason. His sensei's eye seemed apathetic to most; but Naruto had learned to feel his sensei's moods and he was definitely angry for some reason.

Before he could think into the situation Ino tugged on his sleeve and startled him. "C'mon, we have to get to the balconies, I'll fill you in on what you missed while you were zoning off, silly."

He followed her up the stairs towards the balcony and watched as all the Konoha jounin besides Genma leaped up to the balconies and joined their various charged and teams. He approached Kakashi and Asuma who were talking with Shikamaru that was probably briefing them on Gaara's status as container.

Naruto was about to give his own input on Gaara and ask about the whole situation with Yoroi and Misumi specifically when all talking suddenly ceased as an electronic board against one of the walls ignited into life. It began flashing through the names of the contests randomly until two names ominously flashed on the screen: "Hyuuga Neji v. Rock Lee".

The Jinchuuriki watched silently as Neji walked down the stairs and Lee nonchalantly leaped off his spot on the balcony to the arena below. As Gemna talked to the two contestants Naruto's eyes narrowed he took a place beside Kakashi.

Even though his sensei squeezed his shoulder and Ino held his hand he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of foreboding as Neji assumed his Jyuuken stance and Lee slipped into a loose Goken stance.

"I have a bad feeling about this …"

(Meanwhile, abandoned road, somewhere in Hi no Kuni)

"Oi, Kakuzu! Are you sure we're going the right way this time?" a sharp and impatient snarl rang through the air.

Kakuzu, the treasurer and bounty hunter of the Akatsuki sighed mightily. He kept on walking at his steady pace; rewarding his zealous partner with no reply.

The nuke-nin paused as a tight grip latched upon his shoulder. He turned his gaze over his shoulder, eerie red and green eyes flashing with dangerous impatience. "Let go of me, Hidan."

The berserker did not relent and even went as far as brandishing his scythe at him. "Not this time! I'm sick of you looking down on me, Kakuzu! You give an answer now or I'll send you straight to Jashin-sama's stomach!"

"As if you could," the former Taki nin snorted dismissively. When he noticed the zealot didn't seem to get the hint and let go he sighed once more. "Troublesome idiot, this time we actually met my contact so I'm certain we're going in the right direction."

The silver haired immortal smirked as he let go of the elder ninja; obviously satisfied by his victory. Kakuzu grinned beneath his mask, he had a good feeling about this bounty; his money senses were tingling and that was always a sign of good tidings.

He adjusted his cloak and chuckled softly to himself, soon his coffers would be full, Pein would be pleased and Konoha would suffer a crippling loss. Yes, his luck was definitely changing for the better – now if only he got a chance to get rid of Hidan and his life would be perfect!

With that blissful notion bouncing inside his head the treasurer of Akatsuki kept on walking. They travelled in silence for several more hours before they reached a hill top. Kakuzu's eyes widened as he looked down at three travelers heading up the hill.

"What the hell, Kaku…zu…?" Hidan questioned from behind him.

The former Taki-nin's eyes were gleaming menacingly as he ripped his cloak off. He motioned Hidan with his head towards the blonde sannin and her charge Shizune while he locked eyes with the more dangerous sannin, Jiraiya. "Jiraiya and Tsunade of the Sannin…did you know that your joint bounty is nearly four hundred million ryou?"

"Mah, Kakuzu! Why do I have to take the wimpy-looking bitch? I want to fight the white haired guy!" Hidan complained in a whining tone that grated on Kakuzu's nerves.

He retorted apathetically at that. "You're not going to spoil my bounty with your idiocy, Hidan. Not this time. Shut the hell up and do as I say for once."

They glared at one another before a massive killer intent flooded the area. The two Akatsuki leaped away from one another as the ground beneath them exploded as a tremor shook the area. A menacing female shout followed as Tsunade charged at the zealot with murder in her eyes. "Who the hell are you calling wimpy, you piece of shit!"

Kakuzu sighed under his breathe as Hidan unleashed a battle cry from his left and charged right at Tsunade and a slightly nervous looking Shizune while brandishing his scythe. Hidan laughed wildly, murmuring to himself illegibly as he blurred towards the two kunoichi.

The green and red eyed nuke-nin decided against warning Hidan to exercise caution. If he was lucky maybe Tsunade would kill that idiot while he dealt with the real threat. Adrenaline pumped through him as he watched the toad sannin's grinned at him in a somewhat unsettling manner.

Jiraiya spoke in a light and somewhat dismissive manner as his chakra spiked violently. "Kakuzu of Akatsuki, you saved me the trouble of hunting one of you bastards down, how kind of you."

Kakuzu quirked his unseen brow. "Oh? The rumors of your infamous spy network are accurate, Jiraiya-san. Neither my identity nor our organization's name is information common men are privy to; but you are no normal man, are you? So…now that we're here is there anything you want to ask of us before we kill you?"

Jiraiya sneered lightly at his taunt and didn't give it particular regard. "I don't know what you want with the Jinchuuriki you are hunting down and truthfully it doesn't really matter. But know this; you two won't touch even a hair on Naruto's head because right here and right now Tsunade and I are going to kill you two!"