I do not own Naruto, this story is for entertainment purposes only.I came to terms with that a long time ago...(Sniffs)

Notice: Post time skip appearances!

Son of Terumi

Chapter 5: When visiting new places

Road, Land of Fire, four days later

"So why do I have to wear a stupid mask again?"

"Do you want the short answer or the prepared one?"

"What's the difference?"

"He thrives on being a tad ornery when he's technically not on mission," Sio sighed.

"Eh... I'm bored enough anyway, what's the prepared one?"

"Because it's awesome! Makes you a man of mystery and mystery in itself ups the level of coolness around a person!"

"... Go on..."

"To top it off you can almost never be identified if you commit a crime! Seduce women with your mysterious presence alone! Have your enemies run around in circles trying to deduce your identity! Intimidate people by just letting them think what kind of sadistic smile hides behind said mask! Hell, we look like some kind of elite unit! Masks, quite simply, are awesome!"

"And yet despite how "awesome" they are, it's a requirement for this mission for at least Naruto, whose face hadn't been seen my a Leaf shinobi at this point in time."

"And there goes my good mood," Naruto sighed. He groaned in mild irritation as he ran his wooden hand through his loosely bandaged hair. While doing so he turned to Sio, long having adorned her own mask which she wore to Wave. "What's bothering you?"

She gave him a sidelong glance in return before returning her sight toward the forested stretch of road they were traveling on. Before them was a jonin of Kiri, their 'sensei' for the sake of formality, amongst other reasons of course. In front of him of course was another team from Kiri compromised of genin and another jonin as the leader of which, one of whom consisting of his little sister.

"We're nearly there," she finally answered him, earning a dreary sigh from her oldest partner. Once more as a precaution they, Naruto and Sio, check themselves for anything aside from their masks that could be construed as a... misrepresentation of their 'official' ranking as genin themselves: Gone were the Anbu vests and other guards associated with it. For Naruto his pants and sandals remained as did Sio's for that matter, in the place of his jacket however was a long sleeved dark blue shirt, over which was a strapping that held a padded sleek shoulder guard to protect his left shoulder lacquered into the same gray associated with other flak protection from Kiri. Also held aloft by the same strap, though to his side, was an angled kunai case just over his hip. As for Sio, she wore a a white cheongsam that poorly hidden a sizable, but concealed, bust. Garnishing it, however, golden filigrees in the form of small schools of fish and the occasional shark. On her own pants leg was strapped with a kunai holster.

The only addition made for Ken, aside from behind equipped with a sheathed nodachi that perpetually rested on his shoulder, since before leaving was what originally was a blank mask, sans the Kiri stamp, since he didn't like the others that were available; the moment he found a marker her scribbled a zigzagging smile onto his mask that was as ferocious as it can be under the circumstances. Needless to say that, while no one disapproved, his cat was the only one to approve of it aside from himself.

Seeing nothing amiss, the overall mood marginally became more dour as Naruto straightened himself as they approached the gate where a crowd of shinobi from other villages both well known and barely heard of were congregating to enter for the exams. Though the eye essentially eyed suspiciously by both the other visitors and the village guards alike, as was the case with any other team wanting entry, they passed without incident the moment their papers were cleared and IDs were handed out to proved the authenticity of their legitimate participation and stay.

During the chaos that was the bureaucracy to enter the village, the two teams were split up into their respective groups.

XVX

Konoha

"So, want to explore the town a bit or just go straight to our hotel?"

"Eh..."

"With all due respect, Lord Terumi, I think it would be best to wait at the hotel until your mother and the honor guard arrives..." the jonin carefully suggested.

"Hey," Ken spoke up, "I see a ramen stand."

It took less than the time to blink an eye for the blond masked shinobi to redirect himself towards the sighted ramen stand, Ken not too far behind with a groaning, mortified jonin and a their silent teammate following soon after. All but Ken however came to a halt when a blue long haired teenage girl in a lavender jacket with a cream hoodie bumped into Naruto without paying attention and landed onto her rear with a surprised "oof!" Around her neck was a black Leaf shinobi headband, and to further showcase her status as a shinobi she wore shinobi style sandals and had a kunai case wrapped around her blue pants leg. Not too far behind her were two others, possibly members of her team, one of whom with a large white dog at his side was urgently jogged towards their fallen comrade whilst the other kept a more measured pace whilst observing those from Kiri.

Regardless, the masked shinobi bent down and offered a helping hand up which she gratefully accepts.

"T-thank you. I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and—"

"It's not a problem. I wasn't exactly looking either. See you later," he waved off apology and waved to her goodbye before walking off. Idly he glanced back at her and raised a hidden eyebrow after noticing her clear... yet depressed looking eyes. Just as he stopped and moved to say something another intervened, the one with the dog who wore black all over plus a leather jacket with vertical zippers for pockets, his headband worn more traditionally than his counterpart's.

"Hey! Who do you think you are to knock her down like that!?" He slide to a halt with a snarl on his lips that all but pointed out the fang-like tattoos on his cheeks. In no time flat he was already hunched over, ready for a brawl.

"It was simply an accident—" he started to say only to be interrupted by the flustered, worried girl as she tried to placate her comrade.

"K-Kiba! I'm sure i-it was an accident!" she almost cried as she got between them, her hands waving about frantically in front of her.

Perhaps given that they knew of each other it seemed to do the trick, to a degree at least. Though he still had his snarl he did at least stand up straight and scoff. "Consider yourself lucky, you punk! My girlfriend here has a soft spots for small fries like you."

"Small fries, huh?" Were it not for the minute aura of killer intent and the fact his dog was backing away while growling feebly in surprise, Kiba probably wouldn't have whiped around so quickly to come face to chest with their behemoth teammate who was undoubtedly grinning viciously under his mask. "Sounds to me like you want to pick a fight." His grip dangerously gripped the handle a tad tighter. The kitten riding on his shoulder eagerly meowed before hopping off, landing atop of and springing off Kiba's head to happily perch itself on Sio's shoulder for a change with nothing but a snarl from Kiba in exchange.

"Ken! We are not here to cause an incident!"" the jonin warned.

"I agree with that sentiment, Kiba," the third one spoke at last. By far he was the most covered up with his light gray hooded jacket that went as far as his knees, his charcoal gray shirt with a exceptionally high collar that covered everything beneath the bridge of his nose, and his black goggles. His own headband, black as the others as well as strapped to his forehead, was still seen though faintly underneath his hood covered head. "It would not be wise to spark an international incident. I would not doubt the Hokage would not turn a blind eye if he believes you're the cause of it."

"Huh?" With a growl, Kiba turned to his compatriot. "What are you talking about?! If anything they're the ones who want to start something!"

"T-their foreheads," the kunoichi offered demurely.

"Huh?" By the time he switched back to the tallest of the four, by now the blonde's hand was gently, almost lazily tugging at the sleeve of his teammate's arm while uttering to him what sounded like 'save it for later.' Quickly the feral looking teen darted his gaze from one forehead to the next, then to the jonin present, then to the last of the masked trio.

"Hey!" He backed up and pointed a finger at their general direction, "I don't know who you guys are but I know you can't just waltz into another shinobi village! What's your business here?!"

"They're most likely here for the Chunin Exams," the one in the hood suggested. "Otherwise it wouldn't make sense for them to walk in the village in broad daylight without at least the Anbu to challenge them, much less a jonin or a chunin."

"Huh? What exams—Waity, they're this week?! I thought we had another month!"

"No, it's this month," the hooded shinobi replied evenly. Despite the nature of his eyewear he pushed them up as if to adjust them whilst eying those from the Mist village as they quietly walked away, the tallest of which more agitated than the others; the blond hair gave Hinata a polite bow much to her surprise before leaving.

"Urgh! I should've known it was the exams... Let's go find Kurenai-sensei then!" He turned to the Mist shinobi and scowled. "Yeah! That's right, walk away! Wouldn't want to cream you before the exams start!"

Unceremoniously Naruto raised up his hand up as they walked away and gave him the one finger salute.

XVX

"Tch! Could've used a scrap. Would've helped tide me over to the exams at least."

"Yes well you have the second part to look forward to. As I understand it, it can get pretty brutal at times."

"This is keeping in mind that the exams haven't changed."

"Information gathering, teamwork and single combat; I don't see a good reason to mix with that order, do you?"

Sio sighed from behind her mask. "Neither do I," she admitted. "Yet it would help disrupt the strategy of a experienced taker of the exams or anyone they helped prepare for it."

Naruto glanced at her. "So what's bothering you, exactly?"

She refused to answer, let alone acknowledge the question...

From underneath his mask, Naruto frowned then grinned impishly as he remembered something... "You know I seem to recall you acting this way when Rokuro first joined up with us."

With what he could only imagine was a smoldering glare on her part, she turned her sights to Naruto.

"You're jealous, aren't you?"

... Even with a mask on, if looks could kill. Meanwhile the jonin made sure to give himself extra distance between himself and the swordsmen.

"So what, are you two lovers are something?" Ken asked whilst the kitten seemingly agreed with his question with a mew. Underneath his own mask he raised a brow as a sputtering Naruto and a indignant Sio gave him their undivided attention despite walking along the street.

"N-no we're not!" Naruto scandalously cried.

"Married then!"

"No!"

"Huh... and for a moment I was thinking those gossip mongers were right for once."

"Ugh..." With a sharp slap of wood on wood his wooden hand palmed his 'face.' "They only call us the Married Couple because we're hardly apart from the other!"

"Whatever," Ken scoffed.

"L-let's just get to the hotel already."

"Agreed," Sio said tersely.

"Hm?" One by one their attention fell upon the back of the other jonin-sensei for the other team that came with them as well as the other two genin, all of who were gathered around the entrance to a fenced alleyway.

"Oi! What's going on?"

Whilst the genin were startled by the time they looked in their direction, the jonin almost lazily turned to them before he realized just who was coming towards them. Under half a second he snapped himself into full alert and gave a respectful bow just before they stopped in front of him. "Nothing, sir!" When he stood straight he added onto his answer, "Just a training exercise, Lord Terumi!"

"In another village? On the first day no less?"

"It's definitely... curious to say the last," Sio concurred.

"Well admittedly it's more of an impromptu training exercise!" the jonin laughed aloud as he nervously crossed his arms whilst scratching one of them. He began to anxious sweat as the hidden stares began to bore into him.

It didn't take long for the duo to march past him and step through the threshold of the alley, their partner lagging behind. From behind his mask the swordsman narrowed his eyes to give a half lidded glare at what he saw: Ayane, standing proud, against a smirking teen in what appeared to be a slightly baggy cat-like suit, a headplate bearing the i shaped symbol of Suna on its forehead, with purple markings on his face, most of which were triangular in nature along the edges of his cheeks and chin whereas thin claws all but encircle his eyes. He was facing her and before him, held erect by a single hand, what appeared to be a mummified totem with dirty brown hair sprouting out of the top of which. To his side was a kunoichi of sandy blond hair which were pulled up into four separate pigtails, her headband, a grayed blue, was around her neck. Her own choice of garb consisted of a white battle kimono top which went as far as her knees but bared her fishnet covered shoulders much like her fishnet covered legs. Her own obvious weapon of choice, though still sheathed as she seemed more content to stay on the sidelines than anything, was a large battle fan held to her by a red sash.

Just beyond them, however, was the other 'Naruto,' in the company of his pink haired teammate and a motely collection of three kids at least half their age.

With a dreary sigh the swordsman cracked his neck before he sauntered forth, quickly gaining the attention of everyone present save for Ayane till she grew curious enough to peek past her shoulder. Sio, during which, stayed at the mouth of the entrance with Ken as they looked on with varying degrees of interest.

"Brother?!"

Whilst the swordsman from the Mist approached the genin's side, the pink teammate of the only other male blond adopted a confused frown and leaned over to whisper something to her partner's ear.

"Oh great," the Sand Shinobi said with a scowl. "Let me guess, gonna play hero too, big boy?"

"Let's just get a few things straight," the swordsman grumbled. "I sincerely doubt both our villages wants to create an incident just before the exam itself," he turned and gave a pointed glare at Ayane who had the decency to shrink away from him in embarrassment. "That said," he turned back to the Sand shinobi, "I have no idea how this standoff came to be but let's just agree to walk away before someone gets hurt."

The genin from Suna viciously smirked as his free hand reached for the bandages on the object within his grasp. "Yeah, well, I'm not exactly keen on some spoiled brat thinking she can pick a fight and get away from it."

"Hey!" the other 'Naruto' barked. "You're the one who's been picking fights here!"

The Sand shinobi scoffed and began to pull at the bandages when another presence made himself known.

"Kankuro, back off."

Genin stopped dead in his tracks, his heart seemingly stopped as well as the blood from his face fled elsewhere as did his teammate. "You're an embarrassment to our village."

Slowly but surely all eyes to the source, in turn sighting the speaker to be a younger genin then all of them save for the trio by the Leaf team who stood upside down underneath the shade of a tree branch of a nearby tree. He had short red hair and dark rings around both of his pale eyes, on his left side of his forehead was a blood red tattoo for the kanji meaning "love." He had on a dark short sleeved body suit similar to the 'cat suit' in quality that covered a under layer consisting of a fishnet shirt, revealed only by the small stretch of the 'shirt' that traveled halfway out of both sleeves. Halfway down each ankle was tapping that went as far as the base of his toes, though obscured slightly by the black shinobi sandal wear. Of greatest note, however, there was a large sand colored gourd on his back, held in place by a Y-shaped brown leather harness crossing his chest.

"Have you forgotten the reason we came all the way out here?" he spoke up once more.

"I know. I-I mean they challenged us!" Kankuro said as he placed the 'totem' onto his back while trying to wave a placating hand up. "He-here's what happened—"

"Shut up."

The Sand shinobi flinched.

"Or I'll kill you," the red head hoarsely threatened.

"R-right... I was totally out of line! I'm sorry Gaara." By now both hands were raised to placate the red head whereas the blond kunoichi of Suna nervously raised up her own balled hands as if she herself wasn't sure on what to do. Both sets of hands dropped when Gaara switched his attention to those of the Leaf.

"I'm sorry for any trouble he caused," he 'apologized' to them with the sincerity of a corpse. His gaze then diverted itself to the Mist team, particularly the masked stare of the sword wielding blond who examined him as much as he did of the blond. The moment he was seemingly satisfied with his observations he dispersed into a spiral of short lived sand before reappearing with his own apparent team in a crouch. By the time he stood up, the Mist shinobi gently tapped the shoulder of the kunoichi before turning around and walking back to the rest of his group, his younger sister following suite the moment she realized what was silently asked of her.

"Hold on! Hey!"

The pair stopped and, like before, all eyes turned to the pink haired Leaf genin as she stepped forward enough to make herself more pronounced than those with her.

"I can tell by your headbands you come from the Village in the Sand and Mist respectively! The Mist aside, even though the Land of Wind and Fire are allies, no shinobi is allowed in another's village without permission!" She took another step forward. "So state your purpose and it better be good!"

When the Sand team fully turned to her, her hand hovered over her own kunai case. As for the Mist shinobi, Ayane scoffed just before walking off again in step with her brother while the Sand team answered on their behalf, even going so far as to show their IDs.

"Hey! You! Identify yourself!"

Again the Mist shinobi stopped to look back, as did those from Suna as the last member of 'Naruto's' team finally appeared.

"You mean me?" the Sand kunoichi offered hopefully with a slight blush.

"No, the guy with the gourd on his back..." Seeing no reason to stay in the slightest, the pair from the Mist village made to leave once more. "And the sword with the paper bombs attached to it."

Only Ayane stopped to turn and give him a loathsome scowl much to the dark haired boy's visible irritation. It however took her a full second to realize that her brother hadn't stopped or hesitated in the slightest.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!"

"Let's go Ayane," he said simply as he neared the entrance. "I had enough drama for one day."

"Yes, Brother."

"Hey!" Sasuke cried once more forcibly than before only to be ignored by swordsman and his sister as they ventured to their respective teams.

XVX

Meanwhile, Hokage's office, Hokage Tower

"Ah, Lady Mizukage, I understand congratulations are in order given that the civil war has ended. How are you and your village faring these days?" the older kage greeted from behind his desk, unfettered by anything save for a few scant scrolls neatly tucked into the corner of which.

Mei Terumi politely smiled at the elder man, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the "God of Shinobi," of what was arguably the strongest shinobi village of the five great villages... thanks to being the prime benefactor of the misfortunes of others; not many have work in a desert climate short of bandit eradication and even fewer want to be a part of a civil war as a client to be targeted by the other side... amongst other things.

"Quite well, all things considered." Her smile pinched a little, earning a none-too-subtle frown from the Hokage.

"You must understand my position, Lady Mizukage," he offered. "If we were to assist you as you had originally requested back then, I have little doubt that either Iwa or Kumo, if not both, would've taken notice and take advantage of our vulnerable state, especially since our forces were already weakened considerably by the Kyuubi attack just a few years years before then."

"I understand completely," Mei assured him with her still pinched smile. "But that doesn't change the fact that we're getting along without you."

The man from behind his desk perked a brow. "I apologize if this sound presumptuous but a part of me was under the belief that you were coming in hopes of forging an alliance with us now that the dust has settle as it were, given of course that you were coming here yourself," he folded his hands underneath his chin as he leaned forward from his seat at the desk. "Was I wrong then?"

Her smile gained a sardonic quality to it. "Other than to say 'hello,' I'm simply came here to Konoha in order to ensure that nothing unexpected happens in the exams." She turned and walked back to the door.

His brow raised itself a little further despite her back was to him. "Are you implying that you don't trust my shinobi?"

"I'm saying that when villages get together like this just about everything is up in the air, isn't it?" She opened the door and stopped midway through it. "Besides, when we get right down to it, shinobi and shinobi villages aren't all that nice when you get right down to it, no matter what we'd like others to think, am I right?" Before he could answer, she slipped through the door, leaving him to ponder what she was talking about.

Silently he leaned back into his chair, his hands in a steeple before him. Grimacing to himself, he turned to a picture on another corner of his that held the frame of a smiling blond child no greater than six years old.