Double the Pleasure Double the Blond
Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto, he belongs to Kishimoto.
This is a continuation of Blonds-verse, Blonds Have More Fun.
Chapter 5
Yamanaka Residence
"Daddy!"
Ino sighed as her father woke up twice asking if it was a dream and then pass out again.
Naruto meanwhile was making dinner and Ino was not going to let her father continue to act like this.
"Really daddy. If this is how you acted when mom told you she was pregnant with me, this is pathetic."
Naruto snickered as he remembered from their past life when Ino told him she was pregnant with Saru. At first he was in a daze and walked himself to the Hokage's office.
Tsunade said he sat there in shock for nearly a minute before he got a big goofy grin on his face then used the Hirashin to return to Ino and picked her up, spun her around.
"Naruto?"
He turned to see Izumi looking at him. "Sorry, lost in thought." He said.
She looked at him for another minute before speaking again. "I said would you mind adding peppers to mine?"
He blinked and looked at Ino. "Mom, you hate peppers." Ino said.
Naruto blinked again. Isn't it too soon for cravings?
XX
"Anko…"
Iruka looked at her like he would if he watching one of the giant tigers in the forest.
Anko smiled, they were at his apartment and she was snuggled up against him. This side of her always confused him. While she was in public she acted as if she was psychotic and dressed… Best not think of that. Iruka thought.
But here in his apartment she wore baggy pajama pants and one of his shirts. "Aren't you afraid your students will come looking for you? I mean Naruto knows where I live."
Anko smiled. "Brat knows. Believe it as strange as it sounds, Ino and Naruto are my friends. I don't have many." Anko said and he watched as her eyes fixated on the fireplace. "Ibiki and Kurenai were my first and only friends for so long. Then the gaki showed up one day and wormed his way in."
Iruka knew what she meant. He tried for so long to keep a professional level with Naruto, he had wanted to hate the boy but along the way he found out he couldn't. He cared and the blond boy had wormed his way into his heart.
"At first I thought he was insane for wanting to be around me. I cursed at him, hell I tried to fight him, quick little bastard." She muttered and Iruka smiled as he recalled how hard it was to catch Naruto, even for him at times.
"And then he and Ino show me kindness, friendship." Anko snorts. "They invite me, the psycho snake bitch into their home and sit with me over dinner."
Anko recalled the first time she sat with the Uzumaki's and Yamanaka's. "I swear Inoichi expected to see me summon snakes and skin him alive that first time."
Iruka smiled. "Your reputation as it was did proceed you Anko." He said softly. She looked up at him and he gave her a light smile. "You are rather intimidating the first time someone meets you. Even third and fourth introductions you are…." He shrugged leaving it unsaid and looked at Anko for understanding.
She nodded and she was the first admit if only to herself that she did that to protect herself from becoming harmed.
"You know, Naruto and Ino both swore that if they ever get the chance, they plan on killing Orochimaru and making me an offering of his head."
Iruka blinked. "They aren't ready…"
Anko laughed as she snuggled into him once more. "Let me tell you something Iruka. Those two together could put the Hokage to shame."
He looked at her like she was as insane as she pretended to be, but wrapped his arm around her, his mind going a million miles.
XX
It was nearly the day of the Chunin exam and Ino had agreed to meet with Sakura. Her friend seemed to be at a loss on what to do.
"Kakashi sensei told us the other day about the upcoming Chunin exams." She said as they waited for their lunches. Sakura was playing with her glass of water, her fingers tracing patterns on the cold outside.
"What? He should have told you at the beginning of the week!" Ino said and sighed. "Looks like he's reverting."
"Oh, he's been on time for training and he's really been working with us all." Sakura said.
"Yeah, how is your new teammate working out?" Ino asked.
Sakura blushed at this and Ino smiled. "Haku is a good guy. Don't treat him like the Uchiha."
Sakura blinked.
"Haku is a friend of Naruto's. Please don't scare him away." Ino said and looked at her friend. "I know you still have a crush on my honey of a husband, but I think Haku would be very good for you."
Sakura was quiet while she thought about what her friend had just said. "So, you are not sure about the Chunin exams?" Ino prompted back to the earlier topic.
Sakura nodded. "While we are better than we were with…The Uchiha, I don't think physically we're ready. Out of all of us Haku-kun could do it." Sakura looked aside. "How did you and Naruto decide to take it?"
Ino blinked and realized her friend didn't know that the Uzumaki's were given field promotions. Ino as this was her day off was dressed as a civilian so she wasn't wearing her Chunin vest.
"Um, we didn't." Ino said and knew she could lie and keep it as a surprise until the exam, or tell her best female friend besides her mom and Anko. "Naruto and I were given field promotions to Chunin."
"You can do that?" Sakura asked. "Kakashi sensei made it sound like the exam was the only way too…Oh, I'm going to punch him." Sakura growled.
Ino shook her head at Kakashi's antics.
"So…spill." Sakura said once her rant was finished.
"Nothing to it really. You know we do only C-rank and above missions. Apparently we reached a certain level and the Hokage promoted us since we have nearly perfect record of missions completed and out behavior has been upstanding and both Naruto and I showed that we were ready for the position and responsibility." Ino said flipping her ponytail over her shoulder.
Sakura sighed. "What should I do?" Sakura asked her friend. "I don't think I'm ready, but…"
"Talk with your teammates Sakura. You can only enter as a full team." Ino said seriously. "Don't enter because of pressure. The exam will rip you apart." Ino said thinking of what Anko had told them of her plan to weed out the "Undesirables" but not telling Sakura what awaited her. I have my duty after all. Ino thought with a bit of regret. She truthfully wouldn't miss the exam, it had been terrifying in the second part of the exam, and she was amazed that her past self had managed to get through the exam.
And it wasn't due to skill either it was sheer dumb luck. Ino thought. Mentally shaking herself she spent the lunch talking with Sakura and telling her that her mom was pregnant and her dad's reaction.
Sakura eating a salad had watched as Ino polished off a steak along with a mound of fries. "So," Sakura said with a slight blush, "When are you and Naruto going to have a kid?"
Ino sighed and looked away. She missed her little Saru and kept telling herself she didn't kill the Uchiha yet.
"We've decided to wait." She told Sakura. Truthfully we want to wait until it's the time when we had our precious little boy so we could have him again. Ino thought with a hint of sadness as well as some worry which she managed not to show on her face.
XX
Naruto shook his head at the pile of kids that were panting and surprisingly cursing him. "Now, now. Konohamaru I know for a fact your grandfather would never approve of such language from you. And Hanabi, I'm shocked! Shocked I tell you. I didn't think any of the Hyuga knew of those positions and what that entails."
Both blushed at the reprimand.
Naruto looked at Moegi who glared at him. "And Moe, nice job."
Which got a blush from her and scowls from the other two. "I told you all that you'd despise me when this was done, but I also promised that by the time you graduate from the academy you will be fully trained and functioning ninja." Naruto clasped his hands behind his back as he waited for the trio to right themselves and then he spoke again.
"Individually Hanabi you are the best fighter, Konohamaru has the most stamina and Moegi's the best planner. As you three just experienced separately you can't take on a Chunin. Now, try it together. I'll give you five minutes to come up with a plan and use it."
Naruto walked over to a tree and leaned against it while pulling out a book. Heh, Kakashi used to drive me up the wall with this tactic, but it is effective. Naruto thought as he read the book.
He looked up and saw his three students scatter and sighed. Looks like they weren't listening. He thought sadly as Konohamaru soon came right at him.
Naruto easily dodged his attacks while reading his book.
Naruto sighed. "I guess I need to teach you shinobi fighting lesson number one." He said while avoiding Konohamaru's attacks. "Taijutsu." He said.
Konohamaru was getting frustrated and mad. "I AM GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS!"
Naruto sighed and ducked under a spinning kick from the smaller boy while keeping his eyes on the book. Konohamaru landed and raced towards Naruto and the blond mentally sighed at how alike he and his former younger self and Konohamaru were. I wonder if this is Ojii's influence or mine. Naruto thought as he vanished from the wild haymaker and appeared behind Konohamaru with his book closed and his hands together.
Hehe, this will piss him off even more like it did me. Naruto thought. "Hey Ko, a shinobi isn't supposed to be caught from behind." Naruto said as he heard Moegi and Hanabi yell for the boy to run.
"KONOHAMARU-KUN RUN!" Two voices called out. This is far too freaky. Naruto thought.
"Huh?" Konohamaru said even as he turned his head, Naruto was in motion.
"Hidden Leaf Taijutsu Supreme Technique: ONE THOUSAND YEARS OF PAIN!"
Naruto said and Konohamaru screamed as the finger jab connected with his ass and sent him airborne.
Naruto if he'd been his younger self would be laughing himself sick as Konohamaru rocketed into the air. However the more mature (mentally at least) Naruto saw his trajectory and vanished with a shunshin and appeared, catching the boy before he hit the ground.
"Didn't get the distance." he said as an explanation setting the boy down and turned in time to avoid the juken strikes from Hanabi.
"Ha, ha, ha." He said. "Nice try Hanabi-chan, but perhaps we should move on to lesson two." He vanished and Moegi who had been sneaking around the edge of the battle found herself in a Genjutsu.
"Genjutsu. Sorry Moe-chan." He said and watched as she fell to the ground sobbing under the "Kitsune Illusion: Hell" and that was what it was, it showed the person what would happen if they were sent to hell. Naruto felt bad, but they needed to know what they were facing, he refused to lose any of them.
Not this time. He silently vowed.
He reappeared behind Hanabi who was tending to Konohamaru. "Now then, lesson number three."
Hanabi spun and went on an attack and Naruto was impressed. For her age she could probably give Neji a run in pure hand to hand.
"Ninjutsu." Naruto said and his hands flipped through a series of seals and the proud Hyuga was blasted across the field by a wind jutsu Naruto developed in his past life.
Naruto was about to say something when he turned to see his father in-law standing at the edge of the field.
"All right you three, that's enough for today. Think about what happened here and we'll try again tomorrow. Remember three Genin together are better than a Chunin." He waved at them and went to speak with Inoichi.
Konohamaru swore he would get even with Naruto for that ass poke.
Moegi was shaking like a leaf while Hanabi was growling about getting revenge for mistreating a Hyuga.
XX
Chapter 6
Yamanaka Residence
Naruto stepped out onto the porch and stretched with a jaw-cracking yawn. Today is the day of the Chunin exam. He thought and stopped. He hid his smirk as he felt three familiar chakra signatures and pretended to be occupied with waking up.
So when the attack came and he side stepped he was actually shocked when his father in-law was walking out the door with a cup of coffee and let out a girlish scream at getting pelted by paint and stink bombs.
"Ah, man. Konohamaru, did you use that skunk stink I gave you?" Naruto asked as he got a whiff and Inoichi was standing there dripping neon pink paint.
Three academy students looked shocked and then fled in terror as Inoichi gave chase. Naruto chuckled.
"That was mean love?" Ino said softly leaning against the doorframe wearing her robe.
"I really didn't hear him there. I figured they would hit the door." Naruto said.
Ino and Naruto stood there watching as the three academy students tried very hard to evade the irate Inoichi. "It'll be good practice for him."
Both turned to see Izumi leaning against the window frame. She smiled. "He was lucky with Ino, she while a tomboy at times preferred to be girlish in avoiding roughhousing."
"You think it's be a boy?" Naruto asked.
"Mother's intuition." Izumi said in answer.
They watched the trio of kids run Inoichi into the ground. Naruto watched and thought about the talk he had with his father in-law last night.
Flashback
"Naruto, I need to speak with you, are you finished here?" Inoichi said looking at the students on the ground.
Naruto paused and then nodded. "You want to talk here or…"
"Come with me…I think I'll need a drink for this."
The pair walked in silence and soon found them at the bar Inoichi visited with Shikaku and Choza. Naruto sat in silence and allowed Inoichi to gather his thoughts.
"I never thought we'd have another child after Ino." Inoichi began, a wry smile on his lips as he looked at his sake cup.
"We'd basically given up by the time Ino was five. Not that we didn't…" Inoichi seemed to blush at talking about this with Naruto, but the younger blond allowed the older to gather his thoughts, praying that his father in-law wouldn't speak the thoughts on what he and Izumi did. I really don't need the details. The younger blond thought.
"As you know the life of a ninja is filled with danger, even in Konoha safety is never guaranteed." Inoichi said after a bit and a sip of his sake.
Naruto nodded at this. He knew more than anyone the dangers inside Konoha's walls.
Inoichi sighed. "While I don't take many missions outside the village, there are times when I must go out…"
Inoichi sighed. "Naruto, I…I need you to do something for me." Inoichi said in a very low voice. "I need you to look after Izumi and the baby if anything happens to me. Not that I plan on it, but…"
"I promise sir." Naruto said. "If anything happens to you, Izumi and your child will be taken care of…" he paused and finished. "I give you my solemn vow, a promise of a lifetime."
Father and son in-law shared a look. It was another brick in their foundation.
End Flashback
Naruto made a second vow, Inoichi would come to no harm, already he had him followed.
A hard elbow to his ribs had him looking at his wife. "What?"
She gestured to the yard. "Go help daddy into the house." Ino said.
Naruto had told her of the talk, and she had agreed with Naruto's plans.
Nodding he walked out and pulled his father in-law to his feet and put the older man's arm over his shoulder.
"Reminds me of last night Inoichi-san." He said teasingly, "At least this time you're sober."
"Shut up brat." Inoichi said winded from the chase of the three kids who were across the street and hiding safely behind a vendor's cart and looking on.
"Can't keep up with three academy students. Looks like you need to get back to training."
"Yeah daddy." Ino said watching her husband help her father into the house. She looked across the street and winked, Konohamaru, Moegi and Hanabi gave her grins and then slapped hands with one another.
Inoichi groaned while Izumi looked on. She was well aware of her daughter and son in-law's plan to get Inoichi into shape and by using the three students they proved their point.
Naruto grinned as phase one was underway.
XX
Academy
Naruto looked down through the genjutsu as there so were many were stopped by the simple trap on the second floor.
"And this time there is no Uchiha to blow it." Ino said from next to him.
Naruto had told her of the time Sasuke had blown it and thus managed to get many more teams into the exam that just weren't very deserving.
"Maybe this will save some of them from a painful death in the second exam." Naruto said seeing the Rain team still there as well as the Sound team.
He spotted Lee playing along with the Chunin and shook his head at the eternal Chunin in Izumo and Kotetsu and the fun they were having.
"Look, there's Sakura." Ino said.
Naruto saw that she was with Haku and Shikamaru and noted she looked a lot more relaxed with this new team. "So she did decide to try." He said.
"She's been doing a lot better." Ino said and told him of her talk with the pink haired girl.
"Haku…huh." He looked on for a moment and smiled. "It actually looks like a good pairing." He looked once more at Team 9 and sighed, but Lee while a friend had never been right for Sakura and Naruto thought she settled for him as a consolation prize.
As if reading his thoughts, Ino touched his arm. "Come on, we need to meet with Ibiki and it would do well for the others not to see us." She said noticing as Team 7 made their way up the stairs avoiding contact with the others and keeping the trap active.
Naruto nodded once more, the changes he and Ino made already evident. I wonder if the snake bastard will be here. He vowed to make sure that Orochimaru was taken out as quickly as possible.
Accidents have been known to happen. He thought as they shunshined away before Team 7 made it up to the third floor.
XX
"About time you two brats showed up." Ibiki practically snarled as he was getting ready for the entrance.
"Just watching Izumo and Kotetsu thinning the Genin out." Naruto said nodding at several other Chunin.
Ibiki grunted as he studied his youngest testers. Anko swears by them, and she never talks about anyone other than Kurenai. Since she became a sensei she's over the moon about these two, and for them to make Chunin before the exam is something. Ibiki thought as he explained that the Chunin were already amidst the testers and to be left alone as they would already have the answers and the purpose of the exam.
Naruto and Ino exchanged looks and smiled, both thinking that it was different to be on this side of the exam this time.
I've got my eyes on you two. Ibiki thought as he watched them mingle with the other examiners as they planned on what to do.
"Its time." Ibiki said after ten more minutes allowing the gathered Chunin to plan on how they were dividing up the room. He noted that the Uzumaki's asked for the back of the room.
I really will be keeping an eye on you. Ibiki thought as they performed a mass shunshin.
"Alright you brats!" he said appearing in the room. The Chunin arrayed behind him glared at the students, but it was the killing intent from Naruto and Ino that got the attention and had a Genin, Akado piss himself and faint.
Ibiki would have sworn that his newest examiners were directing their killing intent. But that's not possible. They aren't old enough to have mastered that yet. He thought as a couple other Genin went down and were failed right there. Anko, what the hell have you been teaching them? He thought and decided to speak with her and the Hokage after the exam.
Kabuto scowled as he was forced from the room with his two useless teammates after Akado's fainting and display of wetting himself.
XX
Ino and Naruto stood at the back of the room with their clipboards. They smiled secretly at one another at their effect on the gathered Genin.
Naruto was pleased with removing Kabuto and his team. He had a Kage Bunshin watching them and sent another to the Hokage about the loyalty of the spy and his team.
His blue eyes moved around the room and smiled as he watched his friends and former classmates working on the test. His eyes found the Grass team and he was nudged by Ino.
Looking at her clipboard he nodded.
"Fifty-seven." She called out and both Uzumaki's watched as the Grass nin's head jerked up.
"You and your team are out." Naruto said.
He saw the look of disbelief on the nin's eyes, then the narrowing of the gaze.
"Why?"
Naruto strode forward, his gaze locked on the eyes shielded by the whicker hat the pseudo-woman wore.
"Because you're a missing nin." Naruto said and launched a kunai at the grass nin.
The widening of the eyes would have been comical, but all hell broke loose the moment Naruto said those words and launched the kunai.
XX
Chapter 7
Chunin Exam, Room 301
Shock was the biggest emotion in the room as the hurled kunai covered the distance in the blink of an eye.
The Grass nin used a replacement jutsu and the kunai stops inches from Kiba's face as Ibiki appeared and grabbed it out of the air.
The Grass nin that Naruto attacked was glaring at said blond while the teammates of the grass nin looked surprised.
"Since when can Yono use a replacement jutsu?" one of them asked.
Said nin cursed. "Damn you."
Orochimaru knew that getting out of here was a priority as there were just too many people for him to fight, despite his being a Sannin.
"Oto to me!" the female voice shouted and was gone.
Ibiki narrowed his eyes as the Otogakure team formed around the revealed Sannin. "Orochimaru, what in blazes are you doing here?"
Said Sannin laughed. "Just visiting." Orochimaru said as he and his team powered their way out the door before the gathered Chunin could interfere and the Jonin present could get further, they did manage to subdue the Grass team and seal the rest of the room off.
Ibiki rounded on Naruto and Ino. "Discussion…NOW!"
The husband and wife shared a look and nodded. They followed Ibiki out of the room, already alarms were being sounded and Ibiki doubted that they would catch Orochimaru.
XX
"JUST WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" Ibiki snapped once they were in a room and security seals were raised.
"You know about me, right?" Naruto asked.
Ibiki narrowed his eyes.
"My sense of smell is nearly as good as a member of the Inuzuka clan. I caught the scent of serpents and since I know of only one other person besides my sensei that would have that smell, I made a decision."
"In a room full of Genin." Ibiki growled.
"I agree, I miscalculated a bit…" Naruto was saying.
"A BIT? Do you know the kind of damage you could have caused in that room if a pitched battle had taken place?"
"I am. But I was hoping I would have surprise. I thought there were seals on the room to prevent shunshin and replacements from being used."
Ibiki paused and blinked. "Sonova…" he called for Anbu and ordered them to check the seals around the room. He then sent another off to report to the Hokage and another off to see how the pursuit is going.
"We'll have to cancel the exam." Ibiki said. "With an S-rank criminal here it would be bad, especially with how open we are with all the foreign nin in the village."
Naruto and Ino shared a look. "What if we used this as a trap. I doubt that Orochimaru has finished whatever he was after. I mean, can you see him actually sitting in the exam without a damn good reason?"
Ino put a finger to her bottom lip. "The Uchiha." She said and Ibiki's head snapped around to look at her. "What was that girl?"
"No one knows about what happened to the Uchiha outside of Konoha. What if he inserted himself into the exam to get the Uchiha?"
Ibiki cursed and made the decision to put three squads of Anbu on the little bastards cell.
"We'll talk to the Hokage, but know this, your ass chewing has only been delayed."
"Sir, yes sir!" Both Uzumaki's said and followed him from the room to speak with the Hokage while he had the Chunin keep the Genin in the room and added several patrols around the academy.
XX
The Hokage had decreed that the exam would continue with Anbu on roving patrols. Sasuke's cell had been moved to beneath Anbu headquarters and several seals had been ordered to be placed upon him, one of which was a suicide seal should he leave Konoha's walls.
Ibiki restarted the exam and the Uzumaki's were now kept close to him as they watched several more teams being eliminated.
Ino sighed in relief as Sakura and her teammates passed. Naruto leaned over and whispered in his wife's ear. "Haku is a better fit with Sakura and Shikamaru."
Ino nodded and listened as Ibiki gave his speech to the people who had survived the tenth question.
It is funnier to watch from this side of it, and more teams quit this time around without Naruto there to challenge Ibiki. Ino noted. She thought her friends would give up, but after they exchanged looks their resolve hardened.
Naruto was looking at the Suna team, more importantly the red headed Gaara. Ino saw her husband and knew that he wanted to approach his friend. Everything came to a stop when the window exploded.
Both Ino and Naruto exchanged looks as the banner unfurled and revealed Anko.
"You're early." Ibiki growled only to have Anko give him one of her big grins.
"All right you little shits'. You're ass's are mine. Get your butts to Training Ground 44."
She ignored the protests of those that said they didn't know where that was. "Then follow those who do." Naruto said.
Anko turned and grinned at her student before looking at the group of Genin. "Do you need a special invitation? Move your ass's! You have fifteen minutes to get there or I'll personally kick your ass's out of the exam."
The room cleared leaving the Uzumaki's with Anko and Ibiki who dismissed the gathered Chunin and Jonin to help set up the next exam.
Once the door was closed Anko's grin dropped and she looked at her students, whacking Naruto atop the head.
"AH! ANKO! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!" the blond yelled cradling his abused skull.
"What do you think dumb ass?" Anko snarled. "Going after Orochimaru, what the hell were you thinking?"
Naruto dodged another head bop and glared at her. "I was thinking of getting that bastard and avenging you!"
This stopped Anko who got a strange look in her eyes.
Ibiki coughed. "Don't forget kid you owe me a full report."
Naruto waved him off and looked at his sensei and friend. "Don't we have an exam to run sensei?"
Anko shook herself. "Get a move on brats, and don't think you getting me all mushy will save you from a lecture later."
Ibiki watched the two Chunin go and looked at Anko. "Kid damn near had the drop on Orochimaru." He told her. "If someone hadn't messed with the seals on the room he would have."
Anko looked around the room for a moment. "There's another traitor here then. I'll have the brats sniff 'em out during the exam. The bastard wouldn't have left that easily."
Ibiki nodded. "I'll be increasing patrols and guards around the village."
Anko looked at her boss. "So, what do you think of my brats?"
Ibiki snorted. "I think that the boy acts like you and the girl will follow him to the gates of hell and break them down if they had to."
Anko's grin didn't reassure him at all.
XX
Once they were out of sight of Anko and Ibiki, Naruto created several Kage Bunshin's. "You and you keep an eye on the Uchiha. If Kabuto or Orochimaru show up one of you dispel and let me know. The other one try and delay them until I get there."
"Yes boss!" the clones said and ran off.
Ino looked at the last two clones. "You two enter the forest and keep an eye on Konoha's Genin teams. Same rules as the last pair."
"Sure thing hime!" they chorused and rushed off.
Ino put her arms around Naruto. "We need to be careful love." She said. "I changed too much with what I did to the bastard."
"It will be okay Ino-hime. And your dad will be in shape by the time the invasion happens with what I have Konohamaru and the others doing."
Ino smiled as she remembered Naruto's orders to his students. They were to attack Inoichi whenever he seemed to slow down, especially if he stopped to drink at the bar with his friends.
"Come on, Anko should be at training ground 44 by now." Naruto said and they rushed across the rooftops, Ino smiling at what they were going to do during this exam.
XX
Training Ground 44 – The Forest of Death
The pair landed behind Anko as she was terrorizing the gathered Genin. Ino leaned in close to Naruto. "There are less teams than last time." She whispered to her husband.
"That's a good thing." Naruto whispered back.
They saw Team 7, Team 8 and Team 9 had passed. Naruto spotted the Suna team, the Rain team and his eyes narrowed as he saw Kabuto.
"We're going to have to deal with a certain weasel." He said in a low voice as Anko had a pair of Jonin pass out the forms that waived Konoha's responsibility for the death of any one during this part of the exam.
"Yes dear." Ino said. Her eyes went from Team 7 to Kabuto's team. She narrowed her eyes as she saw one of Kabuto's teammates looking at Naruto. She could feel the killing intent from here.
Snake in new skin. She thought. We will be hunting you Orochimaru. The question is when did you switch?
Naruto felt it and saw his wife's attention and knew as well what he would have to do in the forest. I just hope its easier this time. He thought as Anko worked on scaring the hell out of the Genin before ordering them to their gates.
Now all we have to do is wait.
XX
Chapter 8
Forest of Death
Naruto watched the Genin rush about and had to laugh, it was definitely better from this angle than being on the ground starving and being abused.
A rustle caught his attention and he turned to see Ino and Anko landing next to him.
"Any sign of Kabuto and Orochimaru?" he asked.
Ino shook her head. Once the Genin had been released the Uzumaki's had pulled Anko aside and told her what they noticed. That had led to the hunt.
"The Anbu watching the gate said they rushed into the underbrush as soon as the whistle blew." Anko said. Naruto had not been happy when he was told Kabuto's team had been let back in after he had them removed. The old man had better explain it to me later because this is not my idea of fun. The blond thought.
"He's masking them." Naruto said as he looked around.
"Which team; will he go after is the question." Ino said. "With the Uchiha out of his reach and not in the exam, who would make a tempting secondary target?"
Naruto closed his eyes in thought and they snapped open and he spoke the same time as his wife and Anko. "Hyuga!" from Anko, while the Uzumaki's had a look of fear on theirs as they said "Hinata!"
Naruto was about to leap when Ino grabbed his arm. "Or it could be Neji."
Naruto swore. Neji was still a dick at this point in time and his ego would get in the way.
"We'll need to split up." He finally said.
Anko nodded. "Right, we can do more damage that way." She said with a grin. I'll go for the boy, you two try and get to the girl and get her out of the line of fire."
Ino and Naruto went towards the east while Anko was heading for the south- eastern part of the forest. All three prayed that they were in time, while also hoping that they were wrong.
XX
With the Uzumaki's
Ino and Naruto found Team 8 rather easily as they weren't diverting from the path too much from their gate's direction. Naruto noticed Shino was manipulating the insects of the forest while Kiba and Hinata crept along, Akamaru would give his owner short barks or whines.
"What should we do?" Ino asked in a low voice as they watched Team 8.
Naruto bit his lip then clicked his com-link. "Jester and Flower to Psycho."
Ino's eyes widened. She'd never thought Naruto would play by the rules. But she thought about it, this was their friend's lives at stake.
"It's Viper you brat!" Came Anko's annoyed voice. "And I've got a problem. Gai's brats have split up."
Ino and Naruto shared a look.
"We've found Team 8, should we hold or get them out?" Naruto asked.
"Pull 'em. If we have too we'll give them an automatic bye into the next round."
Naruto nodded. "Copy that Viper. Good luck on your hunt. We'll deliver the package and meet you at the coordinates alternate coordinates in twenty-five."
Their only answer was a click.
"Let's do this."
The Uzumaki's vanished with a shunshin and reappeared in front of Team 8.
Kiba leapt back with Akamaru giving a whimper. Hinata gave a gasp and Shino's only reaction was to raise an eyebrow.
"Hinata Hyuga." Naruto said with authority. "Due to the infiltration of a missing nin in this exam, we are to escort you and your team to safety."
"What? No way!" Kiba said making a slashing motion with his arm.
"Kiba, this is no time to try and play an alpha." Naruto said looking at the other boy. "S-Class missing nin the Snake Sannin Orochimaru is in the Forest of Death, and we believe that since he can't get to the Uchiha he will go for an alternate target and that means the Byakugan."
Hinata covered her mouth. "What about Neji-nee-san?"
"He's being retrieved as we speak. We need to move now."
"Bullshit!" Kiba growled. "You're just trying to mess with our chances in the exam!"
"That's enough Genin!" Ino snarled. "We need to get Hinata to safety. Put your fucking ego to rest." Ino remembered why she didn't like Kiba. He thought more about himself and his dick than anything else until he was older and had the shit beat out of him several times by his sister and Hinata.
"Come on." Naruto said and took Hinata's arm. "Ino, you get Shino while I take Hinata and Kiba."
A bark and Naruto nodded. "Sorry. And Akamaru as well."
Ino nodded. She extended her arm. "We're going to do a mass shunshin." She explained to Shino.
Ino watched as Naruto extended an arm for Hinata and the girl was blushing and stammering like mad, Ino prayed she didn't pass out until they were safe. Naruto meanwhile wasn't as nice with Kiba as he grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.
They vanished with a leaf shunshin.
In the shadows a serpent slithered along a branch and ate a large caterpillar.
XX
With Anko…
She found the spot where the kids had split up, but wasn't sure who went where as they'd all taken to the trees.
She was happy to hear Naruto and Ino report that they'd gotten Hinata to safety of the tower with Anbu watching over her and her teammates.
She had a couple of minutes left and she leapt to the trees herself, planning on meeting her team and then searching the forest together for the other Hyuga.
She discounted one of the tracks as the girl as the marks were lighter.
So it's down to the Hyuga and the mini-Gai. Anko thought and shook her head. She hated multiple choices and just knew she'd pick the wrong one.
Anko followed on for a bit and came upon a clearing where Kakashi's new team was fighting with Oto nin. She found the Gai-clone with them and saw all three were doing well.
Making a choice she dropped to the forest floor.
"HOLD!" Anko commanded and the battle stopped, luckily for the Oto team as Haku had reappeared behind the team leader with a kunai made of ice poised to strike a killing blow.
Lee had the other male down while Shikamaru trapped the girl and Sakura had been inches from connecting with her fist.
"What the hell?"
"Stow it pinky. There's an emergency with an S-Class nin in the exam." Anko noted the looks in the eyes of the Oto team.
"You were the shits from the first exam. You aren't supposed to be here either."
Dosu tried to run, but Haku hit him with a pinpoint senbon strike and he went down. The other male tried to move and Lee knocked him out with a hard bop to the head.
Anko looked at the girl who was trapped in the Nara's shadow bind.
"Can you hold onto her?" Anko asked.
Shikamaru sighed. "Yeah." Shikamaru said with a sigh, his muttered "Troublesome" was ignored.
"As I was saying, there's an infiltration in the exam, you are to make your way to the tower."
"But we don't have a scroll." Sakura said.
Anko shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Just make it to the tower." She looked at the Gai-clone.
"Kid, we need to find your teammates."
Lee frowned. "Its important and I don't feel like explaining." Anko said as he looked like he was going to say something annoying like his idol.
Anko looked at the three Oto nin. "Tie them up and leave 'em here. Tell the Anbu in the tower where you left them."
She leapt to the tree and looked to see them standing there.
"Waiting for a special invitation? MOVE YOUR ASSES!"
Team 7 did as ordered while Lee leapt to follow Anko.
"Which way kid?" she asked.
Lee gestured and Anko mentally cursed as that was the second choice. Knew I should have taken the second choice. She leapt in the direction, not bothering to wait for the mini-Gai who followed after her by several paces.
XX
Naruto pulled his pocket watch and checked it again. "She's late."
Ino was leaning against a branch. Once they dropped off Team 8 they had rushed into the forest before her or Naruto decided to reeducate Kiba as the idiot was shooting his mouth off.
Ino looked at Naruto. "You think she found him?"
"Neji or the snake?" he asked.
"Either…both." Ino said.
Naruto nodded. "I think she has or is close to it. Anko will encounter him, but we're not letting him mess with her."
Naruto leapt to the trees. "Hey!" Ino called. "And how are we supposed to find them in this?"
Naruto looked at his wife. "Think about it. We'll find Neji and the snake, because we found Team 8 were we knew we'd find them."
Ino nodded as she had recalled about where Team 8 was in the forest from her last time when her team had snuck around in the brush avoiding combat with everyone.
"So…where?" she asked leaping after her husband.
"Follow me, everything will be alright." Naruto said with confidence.
Ino shook her head. "I knew allowing you into the music store would be bad. Now you're using song lyrics in quotes."
Naruto grinned. "I could always talk about myself in third person and make broad sweeping gestures and raise my eyebrow."
Ino's growl told him what she thought of that. "Keep it up love and you'll be sharing the garden with daddy."
Naruto's laugh filled the forest. He knew it was an empty threat because his wife hated to sleep without him.
XX
Neji scanned the area with his Byakugan.
"You might as well come out. Hiding from me is useless." He called out.
A cold chuckle from above and a pale figure stepped out. "See Kabuto. While the Byakugan is my second choice, it still is an exquisite bloodline."
Neji looked at the two men that stepped onto the branch. He leapt up stood across from them. They were kicked out in the first exam. Neji thought.
"You are a fool then." Neji reached up and ripped his hitai-ate off. "I'm a branch family member." On Neji's forehead was the Caged Bird Seal.
He frowned as Orochimaru laughed. "You think that little seal will stop me? Didn't the elders on your Hyuga council ever tell you slaves that it was I the Loyal Snake Sannin Orochimaru who made that seal back in my own days as a ninja of this pathetic village." The Sannin taunted, making the word loyal sound like a curse.
"So you see Hyuga, branch or main family you are all toys to me." Orochimaru looked to the young silver haired man with him. "Kabuto…fetch."