Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or gain or will gain any profit from using the franchise's chars, they belong to Kishimoto.

A/N:

1) Surprised to see an update so quickly? Well so am I? I had an unexplainable burst of muse and a rare cluster of free time and vwhalla, instant chapter (well…2-3 days or work but still…)

2) I can't promise the next chapter will be out this quickly, I wasn't kidding when I said finals season is around the corner. I'll do my best to write when it's possible…

3) To the anonymous reviewer Dan:
I have many qualms and justifications to most of the content in your rather 'vocal' reviews. (a word of advice, if you believe in a writer and his fic and want him to adjust his fic it would be wiser to not use such profane and violent text, it deters most people) I will not be rewriting the entire story, but certain elements in your reviews touched on weaknesses in my plot consistency and I will address them in all due time. Thank you for your time and effort, I appreciate your candor and if you feel like discussing them feel free to PM me or mail me on the contact info on my profile.

4) Just so everyone I fixed the Kabuto scene in ch. 24 a bit to make it more realistic as the anon review Dan pointed out I didn't account for Kabuto's hair, so I had his head shaved at the beginning of the scene and then he shaved Fu's head as well.

5) I know the chapter is short than usual but I simply don't want to postpone posting for months so I've put the linker scenes in this chapter and starting ch. 26 the finals and more complicated fight scenes and action segments will begin. I wanted to thank everyone for reviewing and sticking with the story so far. I'm very thankful to have passed the 500 review mark so thank you all (both those who praise and those who criticize, all forms of review are welcome!)

6) Happy holidays to everyone and happy new year!

Japanese word glossary:

Hokage – Fire Shadow
Sandaime – The Third
Godaime – The Fifth
Kumogakure – Hidden Cloud
Konohagakure – Hidden Leaf
Kumo – Cloud
Ame – Rain
Juin Jutsu – Curse seal
Nami no Kuni – Wave Country
Kekkai Gekkai – Bloodline limit
Dobe – Dead last
Jinchuuriki – Power of Human Sacrifice – the nickname given to the containers of the Bijuu

(Several days later, Three weeks before the final exam, Hokage's Office)

He frowned thoughtfully as he adjusted his position in his seat, his single visible eye narrowed. She had been glaring into his eyes for the last minute and despite his legendary patience and emotional control even he was beginning to get impatient. "Is there a particular reason you had for summoning me, Tsunade?"

The female sannin, whom he found vain and distasteful for denying and hiding her true age, folded her hands together and spoke calmly; "That's Hokage-sama to you, Danzou. I summoned you to inform you Yakushi Kabuto has escaped his solitary confinement."

Danzou kept his facial features blank as he mentally prepared to manipulate the situation he had been forced into. He had never imagined Orochimaru's little puppet was so resourceful that he could manage not only to fend off Fu's abilities and steal his identity but also escape Konoha ANBU complex with such ease. He spoke coolly with unabashed disdain, "I fail to see how your ANBU's incompetence pertains to me, 'Hokage-sama'."

Tsunade's eyebrows narrowed a fraction and Danzou's lips twitched faintly as the legendary hothead adjusted her position in her seat. "Actually, the covert investigations division of ANBU found something interesting in Yakushi's cell, Danzou. You wanna' indulge me and hazard a guess?"

His fingers tightened against the handle of his chair and he noticed the gleam of satisfaction in the woman's eyes. A sliver of amusement crackled through him. "She has nothing to incriminate me with save circumstantial evidence, so let her play her little mind games."

He didn't reply, his flat glare signaling the Godaime to continue. "Not in a playful mood, old man? Heh, that's fine with me, because I wouldn't be playful either when facing the fact one of my chuunin, Yamanaka Fushashi, who's been presumably dead for the last fifteen years; was found dead in one of my high security containment cells."

She still had nothing to work with but he contemplated activating Shusui's eye's special hypnotic technique to influence her anyway. However, in the end he decided against it. Tsunade's chakra control was legendary; she would detect the disruption immediately. No, he would have to deal with this the old fashion way, lie, deceive and if that fails – fold and compromise.

Danzou shrugged his shoulders and snorted, "If I recall correctly, due to great 'outcry' by the Yamanaka clan, the investigation into the circumstances behind Fushashi's cell's disappearance concluded they were murdered by Kumo-nin. This only proves Kumogakure abducted him instead of killing him and the potential leak of Yamanaka ninjutsu is just another failure to add to the long list of failures committed by Hiruzen."

Tsunade smirked and cracked her knuckles. "Oh, Kumogakure has nothing to do with this, of that I am certain. You see, Danzou, we found a very peculiar seal on Fushashi's tongue. It had to originate from Konohagakure because it shared far too many similarities with the Hyuuga's Juin Jutsu to be coincidental, though Jiraiya theorizes it is far more elaborate in its design and purpose."

Danzou remained calm but inwardly cringed as he realized exactly what Tsunade was getting at. It had been nearly two decades since he had 'commissioned' the snake sannin to design that particular seal. Danzou knew Orochimaru was not as skilled as Jiraiya in fuuinjutsu, but he was considered pretty close and never shied away from creating kinjutsu or experimenting on both dead or living subjects of any given origin. After all which other Konoha-nin save Orochimaru would be willing to experiment on the Hyuuga's most secret seal and try to bastardize it.

It seemed his 'colleague' had ulterior motives even back then. Danzou cursed himself for his mistake all those years ago, he should've known the snake sannin was as mercurial as his namesake. He had never trust the seal alone and the bodies of his agents had never been examined thoroughly by Konoha's medical corps as Danzou always arranged for their bodies to 'disappear' or be 'cremated' just in case.

But now he was in a very bad position politically, he had his back against the wall. Now he had to hope he had enough leverage to keep his neck and tip the scales in his favor on a later date. "Damn that Orochimaru, I should've guessed that snake would not fully keep his side of the bargain and make sure the seal erased itself upon the user's death. Now I have another reason to remove your taint when the chance is ripe, you despicable creature."

Danzou's visible eye widened a fraction and his grip on the handle of the chair tightened; a subtle sign of distress, shock and surprise but a sign none the less."This is bad…If I'm not careful, she just might ruin years of planning and force me to reveal my cards prematurely. Calm down, Danzou. Don't let her see more than she already has…" His arm rose as he stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I see…It is truly disconcerting to think someone would plant sleeper agents amongst us. The question is what exactly it is that you want me to do about it, Tsunade?"

Her smile widened into a feral grin, "Nothing for now, I just wanted to make sure we see eye to eye on the subject of your participation in the defense of Konohagakure. You see, Danzou, I'm a cynic in nature so I'd hate for you to exploit any 'disturbances' on my expense as you've done so in the past on sensei's expense."

Danzou knew that that meant, she wanted him to be in at mercy; to acknowledge she had the upper hand and there was nothing he could do about it. The old war hawk prided himself as a practical and calm individual but he would not be bullied so roughly by this amateurish child. "Never, I am as always, a loyal servant of the Hokage and Konohagakure. I assure you I will offer you the full weight of my support in all defensive maneuvers required."

Danzou nodded his head and carefully stood up, "However, I do have a word of advice…Tsunade. It is in my apt opinion that such spy rings run deep into the Konohagakure's infrastructure and tend to be dangerous once pushed against the wall or attacked directly. Perhaps you would better exercise patience and restraint less they harm our village's esteemed interests."

Tsunade's glare could melt steel, but Danzou weathered it easily, a small smile on his face. Tsunade smirked. "That's good advice, old man. I've actually been a bit proactive myself just in case. I've found and tracked down some similar seal bearers. Also, I've pinpointed several of their facilities in the abandoned districts on the east side, near the former Uchiha compound. I'm keeping an eye on them discreetly while Jiraiya analyzes the seal before I decide how to act next, so I'm good."

Danzou's teeth grit and his eye narrowed; the gleam of arrogance and superiority in her eyes was demeaning and insulting on some level. Had he been a lesser man he would've been upset, maybe even furious but Danzou was practical. He wasn't one to lash out and preferred instead to make sure Tsunade would pay dearly for her childish antics in due time.

But now was not the time. He had to be careful and obey her directives on one hand and implement immediate damage protocols on the other. "If I may be excused, I would rather retire." He was disappointed by his old mistake and the liability it carried. He could tell she wasn't bluffing; she had begun uncovering Roots and could no doubt easily follow his seal-branded agents and eventually incriminate more of his ninja and map organization's infrastructure.

Tsunade had the upper hand at the moment but he was still a master of subterfuge would survive; he had always anticipated such a possibility, as remote as it was would happen. He hadn't branded all his top operatives and he made sure no one operative knew of all of his facilities and dealings. He made sure every cell of Roots only knew bits and pieces of the whole puzzle.

He got up and she dismissed him with a wave of her hand before she went back to sipping sake while filling forms behind her desk. Danzou marched out of the office, limping outside assisted by his cane while inwardly discontent and annoyed by the turn of events as he pondered how he could fix this horrible mishap.

His only consolation in the disastrous turn of events was the fact that despite her current advantage, both she and Danzou acknowledged Roots wasn't out of the game – not yet. "Touche', Tsunade, I underestimated you and Jiraiya – never again. It seems you are far more cunning and resourceful than I initially thought, perhaps your ascension will benefit me and Konohagakure in the long run after all…imagine that…"

(A day before the Chuunin exams, Konohagakure no Sato)

"That's enough, Naruto." He heard his godfather call out from above him. Those words had never been any sweeter as he dropped to his knees in exhaustion. Every breath was a struggle as he sagged and collapsed forward; hitting the unforgiving earth hard.

The Jinchuuriki heard Jiraiya walk towards him but couldn't do much more than open his eyes partially. Everything hurt; fighting against a clone of his godfather was as challenging as fighting both Kakashi and Yamato and then some and twice as painful.

Naruto groaned achingly as he pushed himself back into a kneeling position. He gratefully took the water skin from Jiraiya with a shaky hand, barely able to uncork it. "Here ya go, kid. Drink the water, catch your breath and get up; we've gotta' talk,"

He nodded and drank voraciously, the icy liquid soothing his burning hot body. Once he felt strong enough he shakily rose to his feet. Jiraiya appeared out of nowhere and helped him when he nearly stumbled again. "Hehehe, Sorry, I forget my own strength sometimes, that last kick really knocked your socks off, eh?"

That was the understatement of the century; Naruto had pulled a rare fast one on Jiraiya and had nearly hit him when the sannin reacted instinctively and kicked him with his full strength. The blow had sent Naruto flying fifteen feet backwards straight into a massive tree trunk – not a pleasant experience by any standard.

Naruto felt his breath pause as he caught a rare gleam of icy seriousness in the usually jovial sannin's eyes. "Naruto, there is something I need to ask you and I need ya' to be honest with me. Do you hate Haruno Sakura?"

Naruto fired off the first thing that came to mind. "Of course I do! She's crazy! She's tried to kill me and ruin my life plenty of times! What's not to hate about that?"

Jiraiya quirked his brow, "Good…then if I order you to go kill her now, you'll have absolutely no qualms about it? After all, you have no more bonds with her, no strings attached, eh?"

The suggestion hit him like lightning on a clear day. The odd thing was he instinctive answer was different than what he initially wanted to say; it was 'I can't'. His eyes dropped a bit; a shaky, weary exhale escaping his lungs before he stuttered inaudibly, "N-no, I-If it's an order I…but"

The toad sannin chuckled faintly and put a hand on his shoulder. "Oh? Why the hesitation, hotshot? I thought you said that you washed your hands from her? So do you hate her, or don't you?"

"I-I thought I did…but the more time that passes…the more I just feel sorry for Sakura. Sasuke's death…it really fucked her up. I-I didn't really try to help her either. I was…I was depressed and guilty and while calling me 'monster' pissed me off. I think…I think the fact she blamed me for everything while denying her own failure pissed me off even more...the hypocrisy an' all"

Naruto looked up and noticed Jiraiya's eyes were distant and clouded as he spoke. "I knew it; you're a horrible actor, kid. You act all aggressive and angry when you talk back to her, but your eyes; your eyes are just full of guilt and misery. Tch, you're just like I was, so afraid to admit you fucked up you'll even go as far as make things worse just to keep on denying it. We're both proud bastards like that, aren't we?"

Naruto looked away; weeks of denial and inner contemplation surfacing and leaving him with a bad taste in his mouth. It was true nobody could blame him for hating her; but did he really give it all he had? Did he really fulfill his duty as a teammate and tried to save her from her own darkness. The answer was a resonating no that shook something inside him – the ease in which he condemned her just as people once condemned him scared him on some level.

The sannin sighed heavily and turned Naruto around, his blue eyes reflecting in his godfather's brown. "Look, you're a shinobi, Naruto. Death is inevitable and lurks everywhere. But you only die once and it's usually quick while guilt and regret, they sit on your shoulders like a burden for a long time. So if you're gonna try and make up with her then do it now and see for yourself if all bridges are burned. Don't make the same mistake I did all those years ago…"

He looked down for a while and for a moment Naruto wasn't sure if he would elaborate but he did; in a tight and tense manner that rang with ancient pain and regret. "When Orochimaru was breaking, his mind was plagued by the war, his parents' deaths and Tsunade's departure; he hung on the delicate border between madness and redemption. Back then, I didn't try hard enough and when I did it was too little, too late…he was already a monster that could never return to the light."

"You owe it to yourself to give Sakura, one last chance for both of you to climb down from the trees you've holed up in your own mutual stubbornness and pride. But Naruto, if she turns you down now, then you know you're too late and must steel yourself. It's likely you'll have to kill her in the near future considering the dangerous path she's set herself on and if you hesitate, you too may have to deal with the burden of a monster on your shoulders. Killing Orochimaru is my duty; don't make killing Sakura's become yours if you can help it."

Naruto bit his lips and glared into space, he, Sasuke and Sakura were a team. Sasuke's death broke them and instead of trying to pick up the pieces and move on, team 7 destroyed itself. Kakashi-sensei chose him, Sakura swore his death and defamation and he took the easy path out. He ignored her and kept on walking his own path. She saw him under the influence of the Kyuubi, a glowing comet of burning youki and bloodlust as he tore into Haku. How couldn't she think he's was a monster? Maybe, maybe if he told her the truth…maybe then she'd understand…wouldn't she? "Should I tell her what I am?"

Jiraiya shut his eyes; his lips pursed as an hmm escaped him softly. "No, she doesn't trust you, she's partially if not wholly insane. We aren't sure this'll even work so we can't be sure she won't use the knowledge of your burden against you and Konohagakure at large, you'll just have to be creative, eh?"

Naruto snorted and groaned in a slightly whining tone, "Heh, looks like I can't ever catch a break with all this confusing, emotional stuff. Man, this is gonna suck…"

He assumed a flat expression as Jiraiya thumped him on the back hard, nearly knocking him over. His godfather laughed and ruffled his hair before taking off, "Don't be such a sourpuss, Naruto! Life's too short for that. Get on with it then, she's alone in training field 12 so you can still catch her if you hurry."

With that Jiraiya exploded into a cloud of smoke. Naruto glared at the dissipating white smoke and pouted. He couldn't believe Jiraiya left him with a bunch of Kage Bushin again! He looked down at his palm, the scraped, burned and otherwise damaged tissue healing before his eyes before he shut his fist tightly and bent his knees before he leaped upwards, gluing himself to a tree trunk before he kicked off it towards the branches; traversing the woods ever eastwards towards his destination.

(20 minutes later, Training Field 12)

Sakura sighed wearily, sitting with her back against a tree trunk. She sipped water from a bottle; relaxing a bit after a good training session. The combination of dull ache in her muscles, the adrenaline in her veins and the sweat on her skin proving to the genin just how much she had improved.

Her stamina had increased exponentially, Danzou's grim prediction having been realized as her metabolic speed coupled with high protein and carbohydrate diet accelerated the growth of her muscle tone. Her once scrawny, almost skeletal body now much curvier, fuller and was framed by perfectly proportioned muscle tone; her constant training and the supervision of her various sensei having made sure of that.

Four months ago she was hopelessly weak, now she no doubt surpassed many of her age mates in power, speed and especially in lethality. "Don't look now…I think snake-whore's playing tricks with us again, Sakura-chan…"

Her emerald eyes shot upwards, glancing at the silhouette that landed on a branch not far away. She locked eyes with 'crimson-eyes' human mask; the innocent blue almost convincing; almost had she not witnessed his true demonic form. "I ain't taking another beating from that crazy bitch because of being complacent!"

"Sakura, we need to…whoa!" she heard 'Naruto' call out to her, as he dodged the shuriken that nearly took out his left eye. Sakura had taken off her chains to ease the blood flow through her forearms earlier; something she sorely regretted now. But it was of no consequence; she would just improvise and that'd buy her enough brownie points not to get a beat down from Anko.

Naruto spoke in clipped, short words as he brandished a kunai and deflected her follow up projectiles. "Will you calm down, Sakura? I'm not here to fight you!"

Sakura hesitated only a moment before she brought her hands together and started running through some hand seals. "Uzumaki always uses Kage Bushin, it's like his fucking trademark. The fact he's holding back must mean it's another trick! And even if it wasn't…this ain't a bad excuse if we do 'accidentally' kill him, no?"

Electricity danced between her fingers; crackling audibly as it condensed into a small sphere between her hands. She noticed 'Naruto's' eyes narrowed as he shifted his grip around the kunai. His posture stiffening as an audible screeching sound was the prelude to a vortex of rushing air that coating the blade of his weapon.

She hurled her projectile while sprinting sideways, catching a glimpse of 'Naruto's slicing through the lightning ball with his wind covered blade. She turned around quickly in mid motion, unsheathing another Kunai in time to flick her wrist; aiming to unleash the projectile at her target.

Before she could continue her attack a hand caught her wrist. "Stop it, Sakura! I'm not kidding around! I just want to talk; will you cut the crap already? We're not supposed to fight before the finals and I for one don't feel like getting disqualified cause' you're paranoid."

Naruto's eyes were narrowed, his lips slightly parted through a snarl; his sharper incisors once more reminding her of that horrible day. She suppressed a shudder and glared into his eyes blue eyes while her inner persona cackled at the irony,"Eh? What do you know? It actually IS monster-boy in the flesh and it looks like he wants to talk…ain't that sweet of him?"

Sakura frowned and nodded her head. He let her go and she cautiously packed her kunai back in her pouch. She waited for Anko to spring a tarp on her and horrible pain; but nothing happened. She exhaled a small sigh of relief before she snapped impatiently. A tinge of curiosity touched her as Naruto had not bothered trying contacting her in months; not since she tried to kill him that second time in Nami no Kuni. "Tch, whatever. What do you want, Uzumaki?"

Naruto took a few steps back, and the flame in his eyes dimmed; his lips pursing. "What this shit? Why the hell is hesitatin'? Don't tell me… he's come to make up with us? Hah! That's rich…"

The monster in human's clothing mimicked a remorseful expression rather expertly and for a moment she was almost convinced; but only for a moment as he lips twisted into a scowl when he spoke. "The truth is, we gotta' talk…cause' back then, in Nami no Kuni you and I. We were both scarred and broken by Sasuke's death and…"

Sakura had an answer on the tip of her tongue, but a morbid sense of curiosity got the better of her and she decided to let him speak his part till the end. "Heh, could'a fooled me, Naruto. You don't look too torn up to me? Hell, you've never been better, you bastard."

"I was wrong to break all contact with you. Even though you tried to kill me, I didn't try to understand your side of the story, Sakura. I sank into my own guilt and pain and excused how I treated you with how you treated me. But I know now that should've tried harder – we were teammates damn it! I …but it was easier for me to just turn my back on you and for that I'm sorry."

Sakura glared at him flatly, burning fury and hatred searing through her. How dare he apologize? How dare he pretend to be human now after all the shit she had to go through? She wouldn't accept it! She couldn't accept it, not after losing everything. "You're sorry? That's it? Did you come all the way out here just to give me some piss poor apology after four months of shitting me, Naruto?"

"Oi, what exactly did you expect? It's not like you came halfway and tried to bury the hatchet either? You tried to kill me? You tried turning our friends against me? What more could you fucking want from me? I'm trying to forgive and forget here but you ain't making things easier, ya know?"

"You killed Sasuke and got away with it! Worse, you get praised for it! The fucking golden child of Konoha from what I hear? Kakashi's apprentice and Jiraiya's heir, not too shabby for a kin-slayer. You wanna know what I got outta the whole deal, Naruto?"

He tried to speak up but she beat him to the touch. Venom laced her words as her eyes burned with hatred and unshed tears. "No! This time you'll listen to me, until I'M done, you bastard! Kakashi-sensei abandoned me to my fate and I got picked up by some nasty old bastard instead, he humiliated me, beat me, broke me and then…he blackmailed me into servitude by holding my mom hostage. Now my mom's dead and what was it all about! Because I demanded justice! For that! Everyone I ever knew, everyone I ever trusted screwed me over…except Ino-chan."

Naruto's eyes were wide, the way he averted them showing guilt and confusion. "I-I didn't know…damn it! I'm sorry about all the shit you've been through, Sakura. But it isn't my fault! I didn't kill Sasuke and I'm not the monster you think I am! Let me help you, I can fix it…I'll talk to Jiraiya and Tsunade-sama, me and her get along and he's my sensei!"

She and Inner Sakura spoke in unison vocally and inwardly in the same broken tone. "Fuck you, you damned monster! Why do you keep on lying to me!? I saw you! I saw you glowing in freaking red with claws and fangs; the whole demon shebang! What the hell do you call that, eh? Don't give me some bullshit excuse about a Kekkai Gekkai either, your aura was different...it wasn't human!"

Naruto's surprise and shock seemed to melt into some neutral expression, his eyes partially shut and chin clenched tight as if he had something on the tip of his tongue that he dying to say. But he didn't and instead he looked at the ground intently. Whether it was shame or denial she didn't care much; she wasn't done yet.

"Besides, even if I did believe you, which I don't! Why the hell would I want your help? You come in all of a sudden expecting me to forgive and forget what you've done? Are you outta' your fucking mind, Naruto? It's way too late for me to trust you or need anything from you!"

Naruto's voice was heavy and breathy as he spoke slowly; still not looking at her. "So…you're determined to kill me after all, Sakura? There's no way…we can somehow call a truce and try and get over this…?"

Sakura paused, thinking for a moment at the tempting offer now that the steam had blown out. He was offering her redemption; to get back on the brass' good side and maybe even find a way back into the hearts of the other genin. Then reality slapped her in the face with bone-crunching force; there was no second chance for her; not in Konohagakure.

Danzou knew or would know soon enough just who pinpointed his bases to Tsunade. Shikamaru and Chouji would never trust her again after their mission to Fukoka. Tenten saw through her mask in the forest of death and preliminary matches and Neji intended to brutalize her for harming the weapon mistress. Hinata despised her for hurting Naruto and Kiba's blind Inuzuka pack mentality meant there was no solace there.

Worst, she was branded as damaged and psychotic, a broken puppet of Danzou's; the shadowy individual that was regarded with distrust and contempt by many of the jounin and apparently the Godaime. So no, his words were as hollow as his denial regarding killing Sasuke. "I'm willing to forgive you and forget all of this on one condition, Naruto."

She savored his confused, hopeful expression before she grinned at him darkly. "Turn back time; make it so none of this shit ever happened to me. If you do that, it'll all be water under the bridge. Otherwise, sleep with one eye open, crimson-eyes, cause' one of these days I'll settle my score with you!"

Naruto's face melted into an unreadable expression before he turned his back on her. He spoke over his shoulder briefly in a quiet; subdued manner. "Fine, have it your way Sakura. If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get. There's only so much forgiveness and understanding I can offer you before even my thick head gets the point that you're beyond hope. For what it's worth, I truly am sorry – for everything."

He started walking away but then stopped and spoke once more, "Look, I can't just turn my back on you again as tempting as it is. So despite everything…i-if you somehow do change your mind my offer still stands because I feel obligated to help you for all that shit you've been through."

Sakura trembled with fury; unbelieving at the audacity behind his words. Her violent alter ego concurred when she said, "Ha! Look at this arrogant piece of shit! How dare he speak high and mighty like that! He's nothing but a monster and hypocrite!"

"You're still part of Konohagakure, the most forgiving village out there. Look at me, all my life everyone saw me as a loser, a good for nothing orphan that was better off dead and even I got a second chance. But it won't drop down on you like rain, Sakura. You gotta meet with me or the others halfway if you really want to change things – think about it…"

Sakura crossed her arms under her breasts and looked away, dismissing his words; unable to accept them since he was the voice behind them. She knew there was some truth in what he said; but fate just didn't like her, there was no redemption for her, not with Danzou. His vengeance had yet to come and after meeting that bitch Tsunade, she didn't trust her as far as she could toss her to protect her from his wrath.

"One last thing, Konohagakure's my home and I know you hate it and many of the people in it for what happened to you. But it if you hurt anyone I care about or come at me with the intention to kill again I feel obliged to tell you." He turned towards her and his eyes flickered briefly in burning crimson as his bloodlust spiked. "I'll kill you."

Sakura watched him melt into the woods; oddly, her rage was gone and only one thing was left – no emotion at all. She expected vindication; the sense of accomplishment for crushing Naruto's spirit and making his realize just how much of a fraud and bastard he was. Instead, a part of her realized her path was set in stone; whether disaster or triumph would come – there truly was no more turning back.

(Later that night, Naruto's apartment, Konohagakure no Sato)

The Uzumaki sat on his bed, his back pressed against the wall. One leg dangled over the bedside while the other was folded against his chest. He held a picture in his hand, the photograph a memento Tsunade had granted him a week ago. With him holding the knowledge of his progeny she and Jiraiya had deemed he had earned the right to know how his parents looked like.

He spoke softly, his eyes slightly glazed as the picture blurred before his eyes. His voice shook slightly as a conflicting maelstrom of emotion ranging from guilt, excitement and nervousness compacted in his chest tightly. "Mom, dad, I'm nervous, godfather says tomorrow we might go to war and the whole situation with Sakura, it's such a mess…

He wished one of them were there to offer him some advice but that was wistful thinking. Sakura had hit the nail on its proverbial head: there was no changing the past. There was no use lamenting what could never be, so he kissed the photograph before he reverently put it in one of his drawers before he moved to lie down on the bed.

He tried to calm the butterflies in his chest and lump clogging his throat as he glared at the ceiling for a while. His eyes drooped after a while and he shut them briefly. A voice spoke up on the other side of the room, its quality haunting as he recognized who it belonged to. His eyes snapped wide open and he sat up." What's with the long face, dobe? Stop being such an emotional idiot and pay attention."

"S-Sasuke…?" Naruto glanced at the fallen Uchiha, now sitting on one of his kitchen chairs. The chair was backwards; his dead comrade's arm curled on the back rest. His brown eyes glared into Naruto's blue and the Jinchuuriki felt a chill run down his spine, "A-Am I dreaming or have I finally lost it for real?"

The Uchiha snorted and his lip curled a tad; "Will you shut your mouth, dobe? You reek even to my dead nose."

Naruto blinked, pinched himself and when Sasuke didn't vanish he stammered uncertainly. "Wh-what are you doing here, Sasuke? Fuck, how the hell am I even talking to you?! You're dead…"

Sasuke smirked, the cocky expression nostalgic as he quirked his brow at Naruto challengingly. "You're too stupid to understand the details, so drop it. As for why I'm here, I've got some questions for you,"

Naruto frowned, confused; surprised and just a bit apprehensive "Eh? S-sure, I guess…"

Sasuke's expression turned somber, his brown eyes dim as he spoke firmly. "How did it feel, Naruto? You killed him, my murderer, didn't you? I died before avenging my clan…I never got to feel it. Is it really worth it?"

The question caught him off guard, his eyes widening a bit. He exhaled heavily and looked away from his 'dead' teammate. "I…no it wasn't really worth it, Sasuke. I just felt empty and…unfulfilled. Sure, it's felt good for a while, but it doesn't accomplish anything."

Sasuke's eyes flashed red, the sharingan spinning as his voice rose slightly. His eyes were wild and burned with emotion as he spoke, "How can you say that?! You avenged me! You wrought justice upon that bastard! Are you saying I devoted my life for nothing? That I died for NOTHING?!"

Naruto looked into his eyes challengingly, "No! You died to protect Sakura and me! You didn't die for nothing…you died a hero! But revenge, nothing good comes out of it! Look at Sakura-ch…Sakura! She's obsessed with avenging you and now she's becoming a psycho!"

Sasuke's sharingan faded and he shook his head, exhaling derisively. "So…if I die protecting something I'm a hero. But if I die bringing a criminal to justice I'm a madman? Is that your logic, dobe? Still the naïve idiot, aren't you? What about Itachi, who will avenge clan Uchiha now?"

Naruto eyed his 'teammate' quizzically, a bit unsure and suspicious but he pressed on – it was just a dream after all. "I promised I'd do it and I'll be true to my word, Sasuke! But I can't put everything else on hold for that! I've got responsibilities to the people I care about, to my village…those things are here now, they have to come first or what did you sacrifice your life for?! I'm not the idiot! You were! Did you give your life away just for me to throw it away carelessly while endangering not only myself, but the village and all of our other friends?"

Sasuke seemed contemplative and Naruto couldn't tell if he was approving or not, what was up with the Uchiha, he was acting awfully weird – this wasn't like him. "So…revenge is for madmen, but your 'devotion' is better, dobe? The same loyalty and devotion you showed Sakura when you abandoned her to her fate?

Naruto inhaled through grit teeth, bowing his head in shame. Those words smashed into him like a punch to the gut. "It's n-not like that! Sakura, she wouldn't listen, I tried at first and she tried to kill me, Sasuke! I tried again and she attacked me again!"

The Uchiha's voice was cold, his eyes flashing red again. Those sharingan sent a chill down his spine, "Sounds like excuses to me, dobe. I thought you were the ninja that never game up? The 'Hokage to be' who would take on the world? Was that all bullshit? Is this who I gave my life for?"

Naruto's eyes fell, his fists tightening, "Life doesn't always work like we want it to, Sasuke! Sakura didn't want my help and by the time I wanted to give it, she became too crazy and bitter to accept it! Sometimes shit happens, you lose things you love, you suffer and think the world is over, but it isn't! You keep on fighting; you keep on living because as long as you breathe…you can always find something to fight for, to believe in!"

He spoke in a shaky manner, knowing it was a dream so he might as well speak all he truly felt. "It hurts, but…but sometimes, you gotta put your own desires on hold for everyone else. My father, the Yondaime, he left behind my mom and me; he CURSED me as a Jinchuuriki for Konoha's sake. He gave up everything to protect everyone else, even those he didn't love and maybe hated. So what should I do? Should I go kill EVERYONE in Konoha for stealing what could've been my life?"

Sasuke spoke in a somewhat uncommon manner, an air of apathy and detachment ringing behind his words. His sharingan's tomoe were slowing down. "I applaud your for your idealism, dobe. But we'll see how strong your belief is once you see the truth. War changes everything, the truth becomes subjective and gray, you'll bury your comrades, you'll murder dozens if not hundreds of enemies and the village you love, well…you'll see it isn't wine and roses soon enough"

Naruto's eyes narrowed as the tomoe stopped spinning. Sasuke would know about his vow, also his intonations and talking pattern were very similar but somehow off especially now. Naruto's voice came out darkly as he brought his hands together. "I know the world isn't perfect, story of my fucking life. I also know the Hokage isn't about being strong; it's about making the hard choices you never want someone else to struggle over. Nothing will make me turn my back on my village, to turn on my loved ones."

He gathered his chakra, the energy bubbling within his chest as it spread through his limbs. His hands shifted into the tiger sealm "I don't know who you are or what your angle is, you son of a bitch! But I won't falter; I won't hesitate or stop fighting until I die! I will win and I will fail and I'll hate myself from time to time, but that's life…now get the fuck out of my head! KAI!"

Sasuke's apparition blurred, those eyes which were the final clue gave the illusion away, the left one containing the fully matured Sharingan, haunted him. The figure vanished and Naruto woke up with a start, panting heavily. He could've sworn he heard a soft, masculine chuckle but it could've just been the wind or the fox playing tricks on him.

He got up and rushed around his room, noticing the chair was back in the kitchen and everything else seemed to be in place. He couldn't shake the odd feeling of being watched but without evidence otherwise he was forced to let it go.

He shook his head and lied back down and covered his face with his hands, trying to calm down. Only one question haunted his sleep that night, depriving him all but an hour or two of sleep. 'Was that a dream or was that a genjutsu?'

(Morning of the final Chuunin exam, Naruto's apartment, Konohagakure no Sato)

Naruto woke up with a start as someone shook him. He struggled briefly as his eyes snapped open. He looked around wildly and saw it was Kakashi who woke him up, "Ma ma, wake up, sleepy-head. I know you're my apprentice, but it'd be best if you didn't catch my tardiness anytime soon, ne?"

The Jinchuuriki sat up in his bed slowly, weary and dazed. The memory of the bizarre dream-not dream haunted him still. He sniffed the air and his stomach grumbled at the smell of the broth of the gods. He murmured quietly as he got up, clad only in his Pajama bottoms. "Kakashi-sensei, would you take it the wrong way if I told you I love you?"

He caught the sharingan wielder quirk his visible brow, "Heh, I had a feeling you'd be grateful if I smuggled you some ramen. Here, eat up quickly; we've only got an hour or so before the exam begins. I promised Ino I wouldn't let you sleep in."

The Blonde blinked and laughed a bit nervously, thinking about the earful he'd get if he did defy the fiery Yamanaka. Why were all the blondes in his life so boisterous and dangerous? She and Tsunade should open a club of something.

He practically inhaled the Ramen before he rushed about his room. He yawned, rubbing his aching eyes; the blue bags under them a clear sign of sleep deprivation. It took him several minutes to wear his attire. As he tied a black bandana to conceal his blonde hair and then worked on his headband he turned to his sensei. "Say, Kakashi-sensei, can I ask you something?"

Kakashi nodded and Naruto sighing as he caught sensei's face was plastered in his smut novel once more. He told him of his dream/genjutsu and the copy ninja put his book away. The jounin rubbed his chin with his left hand and rummaged through his weapon pouch with his right hand.

He handed Naruto a black pill, "Here, you know what today is; we can't have you falling asleep, now can we? Take this pill; it'll give you a 'pick-me-up'. As for your 'experience' last night, I'll admit it is a bit strange but I think it's just pre-exam excitement, Naruto. Nobody would sneak into your room just to play mind games with you. Besides who'd know so much about you and Sasuke except me and Sakura – and Sakura would not have used genjutsu."

The genin swallowed the black pill and shivered as the bitter peppermint taste filled his mouth. He exhaled and slapped his cheeks several times to wake himself up. He hopped several times and nodded, "I guess you're right, sensei. But I could've sworn…oh well…let's get this show on the road!"

They took off, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. The Uzumaki's eyes were narrowed as he noticed the number of celebrating civilians was rather slim and unimpressive. In previous years the streets were packed; the bustling city coming alive as foreigners and civilians all traded and had fun. "Ne, Kakashi-sensei, where are all the people? It's usually way more crowded during the chuunin exam."

The Jounin glanced at him in mid-leap and eye-smiled at him, "Don't worry, Naruto. Everything will be just fine. You keep your head in the game and leave security and defense details to us Jounin. You've got a tough opponent ahead of you so you can't afford to get distracted. Just remember what me and Jiraiya taught you and all the tips and advice we gave you. If you do that, I'm pretty sure I'll catch you bragging over your new chuunin jacket soon enough."

The Uzumaki sighed and nodded uncertainly. He and all the genin had been told about the speculated war and of the finals being a possible front for an invasion. Not to mention ominous promise 'Sasuke' gave him hours earlier didn't help calm his nerves. "Whenever someone assures me it's all going to be ok, I usually end up royally fucked over…I've got a bad feeling about this…"

They reached the arena quickly and with time to spare. He caught Kakashi glancing him and quirked a brow. "Watch your back, Naruto. If the rumored invasion does happen today, fight with your entire arsenal to protect Konoha. If you must, you may even go against our previous agreement and use the fox's chakra if it is necessary…"

His eyes widened and he glanced at his Kakashi questioningly. His sensei nodded, his visible eye shut and then waved his hand as he turned to leave. "And lighten up, I'm sure you'll do fine and get promoted. Just remember, don't give the Kyuubi too much leverage if you do choose to lean on its power…"

Naruto leaped down to the ground, landing lightly on the balls of his feet. He could hear a mass of people ahead as he made his way towards the massive double doors to the arena.

His eyes narrowed faintly as he looked up ahead of him and saw the finalists. Neji was standing next to Ino and Shikamaru, the three silently waiting near the left door. He jogged towards them lightly. The Hyuuga noticed him first, and murmured something to his teammates that perked up; his girlfriend waving at him animatedly while Shikamaru just smiled faintly. His morose expression shifted into a wide grin and he joined his friends.

He then cast a glance at the other contestants; a nervous tension filling his lower gut. The Ame kunoichi locked eyes with him; those icy emerald eyes bone chilling as she leaned against the right door. The puppeteer slunk in the shadows, keeping his distance whereas his former teammate squatted slightly in a safe distance.

His blue eyes narrowed; there were only minutes before they would be called to enter the arena. So the question was where the hell was Sabaku no Gaara?"

(Stairway to the Kage box, other side of the Arena)

His green eyes peered into his father's brown. Neither ninja flinched or blinked as Sabaku no Nori regarding his weapon, who happened to be his son coldly. "Baki reports that you've been acting strangely, Gaara. I trust you know what must be done?"

Gaara snorted, his expressionless face only shifting into a scornful scowl; "I don't take orders from you, Kazekage. I will do what I must...however I must." The Kazekage's eyes narrowed warningly, a gesture the Jinchuuriki replied to by quirking his naked brow challengingly.

His father adjusted the cowl that concealed his lower face and nodded. He glared at Gaara with impotent rage in his eyes before he broke the stare; as usual unable to look into Gaara's lifeless eyes for long. "See that you do, boy. I'm warning you, I won't tolerate failure from you."

He turned dismissively from his father, ignoring his displeased aura and sparking killer intent. He the coward depart and then looked into his right open palm. Uzumaki Naruto's behavior and actions haunted his thoughts for weeks now. The ferocity; the sheer power all held back by some tremulous self-control and emotions the Jinchuuriki didn't understand: Loyalty, devotion and love.

His shut his eyes, Yashamaru had once tried to explain it to him and Naruto's exhibit in the Forest of death gave it some substance. He now understood this 'love' somehow compelled one to protect those he or she 'loved' at great lengths; even at the cost of their own existence.

Shukaku still beckoned him to murder and haunted his sleep but Gaara was slowly adjusting to its horrible presence within him. He stopped calling it 'mother' and spent the last month on trying to grow stronger by manipulating sand independently and leaning less on his 'partner's' youki.

He wanted to understand everything he was ignorant to. His previous path had become dull; while murdering people had its perks but the thrill of victory was so brief it faded before he could truly savor it. He had thought himself invincible; unstoppable, until Naruto nearly killed him and proved him there were alternate paths.

Now he sought a new path; a new way to understand why he was alive and what he should live for. His jade eyes peered over his shoulder; his father had already vanished up the stairs. He still wasn't sure what path he should walk on,

He started melting into the sand; preparing to reform in the arena as he heard the speakers summon them to the main stage. "Kazekage, I do not know what path you chose for me but I have my own will and when the time comes I will decide what I must do to find my place in life and prove my existence."

(Kage box, main exam Arena, Konohagakure)

Jiraiya stood beside Tsunade, a small smirk plastered on his face. His old teammate was clad in the full Hokage regalia, the formal wear quite unpleasant to the buxom blonde. His dark eyes flicked from side to side; his gut feeling told him Orochimaru was close, he could feel the snake-sannin's foul presence at the fiber of his being.

The toad sannin frowned as a random thought struck him as he scanned the arena. He couldn't tell which of the ninja they posted were really loyal to Tsunade or were Danzou's puppets. That was a scary thought considering the upcoming events. "Why'd you have to go and confront Danzou like that, Tsunade? Do you honestly think he will abide you?"

"No, actually I'm quite certain he didn't and that's the beauty of it all. Sakura's initial findings were just the tip of the iceberg. Hyuuga and Aburame elite have been shadowing anyone branded by that seal for weeks. They've already pinpointed suspicious locations and potential associates. Besides, he knows we're on to him so for now he'll be too busy with controlling the damage than to scheme against me."

He shrugged and commented off handedly as he sensed the Kazekage. "I guess it's too late to have second thoughts now. It just seems awfully risky, especially with your lousy luck,"

Tsunade glared at him briefly before he caught her turn her gaze towards Sabuku no Nori, the Kage stepping onto the platform; flanked by a single bodyguard and bowed he head, "Kazekage-dono,"

"Hokage-dono and Jiraiya-sama, what a pleasant surprise." He spoke coolly, his sharp eyes narrowed faintly as he took a seat beside Tsunade.

Jiraiya screened out the banter and pleasantries Tsunade shared with the Kazekage. His eyes instead focused on the arena below; watching the contestants. The speakers boomed as they greeted the esteemed guests.

He watched as Neji and Sakura were called for the first fight and shut his eyes. "It starts…"