A/N: And now we transition from Nami no Kuni to the Chunin Exams. I wonder how things will go. Do read and review would you kindly?

…

[Nami no Kuni Bridge, one week later…]

It took one week, but the Nami no Kuni bridge was finally completed. After Gato's death, the money he had stolen from the residents of the village was eventually returned to the townspeople, sans the 600 thousand ryo used to pay Zabuza and his accomplice to leave peacefully. After that, the only remains of the criminal businessman's empire were a few small casinos and the brothels he bought. People rejoiced at his demise as they all took back that which was stolen from them, and they too themselves to never again find themselves in such a situation. The shinobi who were hired to protect Tazuna were heralded as heroes to the village, except for Sakura as she had not truly done much; but that was okay for her as long as her 'mistresses' were recognized for their deeds.

As for the kunoichi of Teams Seven and Eleven, they received their explanation from Naruto the second they all saw that he was feeling better. The blind genin told the girls and Tazuna and his family behind a privacy jutsu of his circumstances in the village; how people mistreated and nearly killed him in various ways all because Kyūbi, now identified to them all as Kurama, was sealed into him. They were also told of how she was forced to inflict the Curse of Kazan upon him in order to save his life after his left arm was severed at the shoulder. Most were shocked to learn that he had gone so long with such a heavy burden laid on his shoulders (or his arm, for that matter). The only members of the group not shocked or visibly affected as to his treatment were Yūgao and Meilan, since the former had witnessed it for herself quite a few times (while stepping in just as often), while the latter was busy healing all the scars inflicted upon him by the villagers by giving him all the love she could muster.

The civilians in the room on the other hand had varying reactions. Tazuna felt sick to his stomach because a boy had to grow up so quickly by the time he was taken out of his village to learn to defend himself, while Tsunami wept at the fact that such an injustice was done all because he was chosen to save the village from the mind-controlled demon woman. Inari's reaction on the other hand, was the most visible as he now understood the full extent of his new hero's suffering, as he felt the worst about his actions that led to Naruto's tirade against him nights ago. This didn't change the fact that he now knew that heroes existed, it just served to remind him in the future that sometimes the people who have it the worst in life are in fact the heroes. Feeling inspired to better himself from Naruto's example, the younger boy resolved to forever protect people that needed him.

When the bridge was completed, a festival was held the very second the last inch of cement had dried and hardened, and the people celebrated their newfound freedom on it. They swore to never again fall prey to monsters like Gato, and so the celebration was also to commemorate the formation of the village's police precinct consisting of volunteers inspired by the heroics from the battle of last week with both a rudimentary level of skill in fighting, and a heart of gold to ensure the right thing is done. Sadly however, the heroes who helped inspire the villagers to better themselves could not stay for the festivities.

"Are you sure you can't stay?" asked a crestfallen Tazuna.

"We've got to report back to the Hokage," said Yūgao, wishing she could join in, "We have to be back on time. Otherwise, he'll think something is wrong and will send a search party for us to make sure we haven't gone rogue."

The old man knew she had a point—people would ask questions as to why they had disappeared and where to. "Well then, I can't really fault you there. Remember though, all of you will always be welcome here. And Naruto, if it gets to the point where it is unbearable in that shithole of a village you live in, you can move in with us."

"Thanks for the offer old man," said Naruto, scratching the back of his head with his red arm, "But for now I think I can take care of myself. If anybody I care about comes to harm, then I'll hunt down the offender and punish them in a gruesome manner."

At that, Tazuna could only grunt of amusement at that. "If that woman is sealed in your arm, then I'm pretty sure it'll be more than brutal. Take care of yourselves!"

With one last wave, the seven shinobi left the completed bridge. The pitter-patter of small feet broke the silence that followed. Tazuna looked downward to see the panting form of a little girl with brown hair and blue eyes standing next to him. "Ageha, what are you doing here?"

"I was looking for the blind boy that gave me money," she said, "I had something for him."

"I'm sorry kid, but he just left."

The little girl known as Ageha looked to Tazuna with what passed as shock on her face. It was at this moment that the older man took note of what he saw her carrying in her tiny little arms: it appeared to be a small sword that was wrapped entirely in bandages. "Oh no!"

"What is it?"

Before long, the little girl started running as fast as her little feet could take her until she tripped. Tazuna managed to catch her before she could fall on the tip of the blade. "You okay kid?" As if on cue, he heard sharp intakes of breath coming from Ageha, before noticing the tears on the ground. "I couldn't get this to him…the blind boy…" she said in between sobs, "I heard that one of his swords broke, so I went to Gato's place to get a sword that meant so much to daddy…I really wanted to pay him back for helping me…"

It was then that Tazuna understood why she was carrying a sword in the first place. With a sigh, the old man pulled her into a hug in an attempt to alleviate her sobs. Ageha's father had succumbed to his tuberculosis a day after Tazuna left, and her mother was forced to work in one of Gato's brothels for below minimum wage. The only possession she carried was a sword that her husband had from when he was a ronin, before he was struck down by the bloody coughs of the consumption. "Don't worry kid, you'll get a chance to pay him back," he said, while stroking her back, "but for now, celebrate. Enjoy the life he's given back to you, and pay him back when you see him again."

"Tazuna," said one of the construction workers, "since this bridge was your idea, maybe we should name it."

Once he heard that, Tazuna had come to thinking. What was he going to name this bridge? And then he thought of those five ninja-kids and how unbeatable they were together. "I think we should call it the Bridge of Five Elements."

"Five Elements?"

"Yeah, because alone, each of them was tough enough, but together, they were unstoppable. They will be a symbol of what can be done if we are united in cause and in spirit."

At that, the people at the bridge nodded in agreement and at the truth in Tazuna's words. As they began with the festivities, they swore that they would never again let another Gato run their lives ever again, and those five kids gave them the inspiration to stand united!

…

[Naruto's mindscape…]

The darkness of Naruto's mindscape had long since been fixed when GSD and Meilan had come into the boy's life without him knowing it. The floorboards and walls were made of lacquered cherry wood, and the beams were made of lacquered maple wood. Such was the quality and beauty of the architecture that one would not suspect that this house was where a demon lived. One would also not suspect that the house was in fact a villa that was part of an estate built with the lavish tastes of said demon in mind…not to mention she that she now had a brighter place to live in where she could walk around wearing anything she liked, even her own birthday suit, which was what she was currently walking around in at this point.

As she hummed a merry tune through the halls of the villa, Kurama's generous bust bounced with each step down the hallway. Before long, she stopped at her destination. She slid the shoji door open and walked into a room lined with various shelves full of scrolls. At the opposite end of the room was a set of four glass boxes, each labeled with a single kanji written on a scroll hanging above each box. The box with the word 'wave' written over it was the only glass box that was empty, while the boxes labeled 'soul', 'sword', and 'blood' each contained a large scroll within. It was here that Kurama stopped as she looked at each of the boxes with glee, as if she were a child that were in a candy store that could not decide which one to buy—and then she settled her gaze on the box that was labeled 'soul' before lifting the cover and taking the large scroll from its containment.

"I think it time to teach a dog some new tricks," she said to herself, "relatively speaking of course." And indeed it was time for Naruto to learn something new—while GSD had done an excellent job of teaching Naruto the intricacies of being an Asura, she felt it time to teach the kit a new style. And besides, she felt that if he were going to learn a technique to get him places faster, she may as well teach him something that wasn't bastardized…which was what Hiraishin no Jutsu was: a cheap imitation of the Ghost Step technique! Now don't get her wrong, she loved Minato-kun every bit as much as she did Kushi-chan, but she really didn't like it when the brat decided to use those ridiculous-looking kunai to try and perform a technique she was rather good at, and all just to say he could do the same technique! Although to be fair, the brat was inspired by the techniques she taught to dear, sweet Kushi-chan, whom he looked to for inspiration. That and the jutsu was not as versatile as the original technique.

"Do you really think it'll be enough?" asked a gravelly voice, darkening her cheerful mood into a sharp-toothed sneer of anger as the speaker seemed to mock her, "Do you really think that he'll be ready to face me if you get him to sign it?"

"That is not for you to decide," she said with venom in her voice, knowing who that disembodied voice belonged to, "he'll defeat you when the time comes."

"Oh, but you forget Kurama, that the closest anybody has ever come to fighting one of the Avatars of Kazan and winning was GSD…and while he was able to fight his avatar on an even footing from learning all the techniques, he was still not able to gain his sight back because his match ended in a draw."

"I forget nothing!" she barked, with every bit of the defiance in her voice sincere as she stood up suddenly, and her conviction was evident in every word she used, "I have faith that Naruto-kun will beat the avatar that you've put in him just like everyone else afflicted with your curse! I'll see to it that when the time comes, it will be Naruto that walks out of that arena alive! Just you wait, daddy-dearest! He will break your curse and attain enlightenment from his victory! And when he does, he will be free of the blindness that all Asura have to endure! Just you wait!"

After a moment of tense silence, the voice of the Jūbi laughed once more. "We'll see, my beautiful daughter…we'll see." The presence vanished.

…

[Konohagakure Council Chambers, five days later…]

It had been two days since Teams Seven and Eleven had returned from their mission in Nami no Kuni, and Naruto had already been called to the council…much to his annoyance as he was dragged away against his will during dinner at Music Night in Chouza's bar with Meilan. It appeared that while they were out, Chouza had hired a pair of musicians around their age to operate a DJ table that the Akimichi clan head had recently purchased, and the female duo played that station beautifully and with such magnificent speed and teamwork—almost as if the two of them were Hyūga members. As they were enjoying the music, and just as Naruto was about to take his first bite out of his unajyu, a couple of ANBU (judging by the chakra levels he sensed) had snatched him away and dragged him off by his shoulders at high speeds with a Shunshin no Jutsu.

When he felt the hands releasing him, Naruto began to scan his surroundings—lots of murmurs being echoed about, pompous voices being heard, grumblings from familiar voices such as Inuzuka Tsume and Akimichi Chouza as well as a few new ones to him that it was a waste of time, oh he had a good idea as to where he was. "Uzumaki Naruto," called out the nasally voice of what appeared to be a fat man, "you are hereby called to the Council Chambers on the accounts of murder, sexual harassment, and threatening a waiter with a deadly weapon. How do you plead?"

Yep, this was going to be a short night if Naruto had any say in it. "I'd like for you to explain yourself, sir," he said, crossing his arms to hide his frustration, "Because I was under the assumption that this was urgent enough for you to be disturbing me at this hour."

"Shut your mouth, demon!" said the fat council member, who was obviously a civilian, "We of the Council do not need to answer to you, now plead guilty already so that we can execute you!"

"You are being charged with the murder of Hatake Kakashi, sexual harassment against Uchiha Sasuke's sister and various other girls of the clan heads, and threatening one Okuwa Ginta with a sword," sighed Utatane Koharu, with a tone of reluctance in her voice, "how do you plead?"

Naruto placed his red hand under his chin, and started to think. "Let's see now," he said, recounting the charges in his head, "Hatake had tried to kill me twice in the mission, so I was actually killing a traitor. In self-defense, no less. The sexual harassment charge is nothing but lies, because I am a friend of those girls, and that man you called Ginta already broke a rule in Chouza-sama's restaurant that said 'no discrimination against customers,' so that was all his fault. All in all, I plead not guilty."

"LIES!" screamed a woman's voice, belonging to a woman with pink hair, "We know you killed Hatake on that mission, and we also know that he had given you motive for a revenge killing!"

"You've seduced our daughters long enough Demon!"

"Monster!"

"Bastard!"

"Inbred scum!"

"Kyūbi-Brat!"

"Your girlfriend should be tied down and gang-raped by every man in the village!"

At that, Naruto started gritting his teeth at every insult aimed at him. This was getting too noisy! And added to the fact that he didn't even get to eat his dinner was really putting him in a foul mood. He clenched his right hand in rage and let his killing intent wash over the entire Council Chambers, making sure that the yelling was silenced as members of the Civilian Council started suffering from what appeared to be the effects of strangulation. "Alright, I've had just about enough of you," he bit out, with as much anger and irritation as he could put into his words, before turning his head to pinpoint the source of a burning tobacco smell that belonged to the Third Hokage, "I just came back from a very stressful mission. I've had to kill a great deal of people, Kakashi included. And then, just as I come back, I get dragged out here for what has to be the worst trial in historybefore I can eat my fucking dinner! By the way, Hokage-sama, I have picked up at least half the people here breaking your law by calling me a 'Demon-child.' Permission to retaliate?"

At this, the members of the Civilian Council looked to the Hokage and the elders with hope in their eyes that their lives would be spared, that they would walk out of this with a slap on the wrist. Unfortunately, their prayers were not answered. They saw only a man who was beyond angry.

It was then that they knew they were all fucked.

"Uzumaki Naruto, I give you permission to execute those who have broken my law," he said, finally, "Kill them all with distinction!"

At that, Naruto's angered frown had stretched into a dark smile. "Yes sir." Naruto took a few seconds first to determine how many convicts there were. Then he flipped over the table in front of him, grabbed a leg, and ripped it off before tossing it in the air to test out its weight and balance. "Too light for a tetsubo, but whatever." Tucking the table leg under his arm, Naruto formed the seal for Kage Bunshin. He dashed towards the Civilian half of the council with his army of a hundred clones and began his rampage of revenge. His first target was the fat member who had first spoken and ripped out his eyes. He didn't scream for long as he then felt a pair of feet on his shoulders and hands that ripped his head off.

Before long, the entire Shinobi side of the council watched as its civilian counterpart was covered in blood and Kage Bunshins. Some members of the council had their eyes gouged out and then left screaming as they bled to death. Others were beaten to death, sometimes with the table leg, sometimes with Naruto's fists, and some of them with somebody else's spine being used as a whip. Everyone knew to run, but they were all paralyzed by the killing intent, and even those who weren't couldn't get out fast enough.

By the end of the bloodbath, Naruto was panting and practically covered in blood that was not his own, in one hand was the broken and bloodstained table leg, and in the other was somebody's spine. The side with the Civilian Council, however, was in much worse shape: some bodies had exploded, others of them decapitated, but all of them were dead in one form or another. He had just a few more to kill before he was done tonight, and he just so happened to be nearby.

The pink-haired banshee trembled as Naruto dropped the leg and spine and hopped up to where she and a fat man sat. The man's head was seized in a vice-grip by Naruto's crimson arm. "The only reason you live is because you didn't break the law," he growled at her, "So, most unfortunately, I can't do anything to you except this." With a jerk, he crushed the man's skull single-handedly, drenching his fist with blood, bone, and brain. "You fuck with me again and this'll be you. Got me?"

Haruno Sakuya nodded in fear; she didn't want this little monster to kill her after all.

Naruto smiled. "Good! Now if that will be all, I've got to get cleaned up and then head back to Chouza-sama's bar to enjoy my dinner." With that said, he left the premises after sending out a pulse of chakra.

Tsume was the one who broke the silence. "If that's what Naruto-kun has in his repertoire of jutsu, I'd hate to see what else he can do to anyone that really makes him mad."

"I think we already did," muttered Inoichi, "We just haven't seen him at his worst."

"I think I'm gonna be sick," said Chouza, trying to get his wind, "I've seen brutal, and I've known that those assholes have had it coming a long time, but this is a whole different ball-game. I suppose that is why you don't want to be on the business end of Naruto's anger." It was quite redundant to say at this point. Some people had had their hearts ripped out and then forcefully shoved down their throats, others were stabbed directly in the stomach with a pen and then left alone in such a manner that the hydrochloric acid leaked out and dissolved their organs slowly, others still had been killed simply because one of Naruto's Kage Bunshin had ripped off their limbs and then beat them to death with it in a violent and bloody fashion.

"Troublesome as this is," began Nara Shikaku, "he actually did us a favor in spite of all that just happened. I am only thankful that my wife is not here to see this. She'd probably take pointers from this on how to beat the shit out of me."

Aburame Shibi glanced at him. "I would not joke about such things," he said, "Besides that, now that the majority of the Civilian Council is dead, they will be forced to elect new officials into the seats. Hopefully, they will not be as stupid."

"One can only hope," agreed Mikoto, almost looking sick to her stomach, "I'd hate to see how Naruto kills them."

Haruno Sakuya however, had this to say about her predicament: "I think I just came…again."

Everyone rolled their eyes.

…

[Meanwhile, Danzo's ROOT base…]

He was known for many things; being a monster, being power-hungry, even being an opportunist. But Danzo had a softer side that many did not know about…and it showed when he studied a wall scroll made from a very famous painter of sparrows on a black pine branch. Upon detecting the chakra signature of a certain person, the old man knew that it was time to get to work. "You do realize that you need not use stealth around me, do you not?" he asked, half in irritation, and half in joy, "there's not much a point to it anyway, as I'll most likely be the only other person other than Uzumaki that can detect you."

"But then again, it keeps up my training in the art of stealth," said Kikyo, walking out from the shadows, "You yourself have been telling me to stay on my toes."

"So I have. What have you to report?"

As she spoke, Kikyo let out a sigh. "The Kyūbi no Yoko is actually a female. Uzumaki Naruto also seems to be able to release her from her seal, as she was the one who ended up killing Hatake Kakashi."

Danzo merely nodded, not even bothering to be shocked by the revelation of the Bijū's gender. "I thought that foolish man would snap eventually. I was just unsure as to how soon. But what about the Kyūbi?"

"I do not think you need to worry about her," continued Kikyo, "From what I've been able to ascertain from Naruto's explanation to myself and the Uchiha twins, she cares about him. As long as Naruto comes to no harm, we need not worry about her being a threat. However I have a feeling that both she and the Baihe girl will be screening all potential candidates for when the CRA is invoked upon him, which will make it harder for me to have his children if I am not up to their standards."

"I see," mused Danzo, "you know what to do. Do everything you can to meet their standards in order to guarantee yourself a seat in the Uzumaki boy's harem. As much as I want that weapon under my control, I want to see my many great-grandchildren running about."

Kikyo merely nodded. "Hai, Danzo-sama." Though privately, she felt a slight prickle of irritation at hearing Naruto called a weapon.

…

[Higurashi Arsenal, next day…]

The sounds of a blacksmith's hammer working on metal filled the background while Tenten had just returned from bringing a box of five steel ingots to her father. She rather liked the way he worked metal like an artist. Although he got paid more handsomely for his commissions on swords and other weapons, Hiten also made money from making high-quality kitchen knives and cleavers for chefs, mostly to spite Fugaku from beyond the grave. One of his latest clients was an Akimichi head chef who was willing to pay through the nose to get a katana-grade steel blade to replace his broken sashimi knife.

Yes, business was going well today, although she did sort of wish that she could go out and at least do some exercise. "Hey there, Tenten!" called out a voice from the doorway that made her day brighten up just a bit more.

"Hey Naruto! I…" she said, before her train of thought was interrupted when she noted that half of Naruto's weapons were gone, "Where are your short sword and zanbatou?"

"Broken," he grunted, shrugging, "Used too much chakra on 'em."

With a frustrated sigh, Tenten could only nod in disappointment at the mistreatment of his weapons. "Well then it's no surprise your swords broke; a lot of standard-issue ninja weapons are not meant to handle prolonged exposure to chakra! If you keep breaking your weapons this way, don't come crying to me if you have to sell your Masamune to make ends meet!"

Though he was wearing a blindfold, it was easy to tell that his eyes narrowed. "Do you honestly think I'd do that?"

The bun-haired Weapons-Mistress of Konoha reached forward, and tousled the boy's hair lovingly. "Of course not, I'm sorry. Just make sure you're more careful with your weapons next time. I'd hate to hear that you died because they broke in the middle of a fight."

Naruto let out a sigh. "If that happens, I'll just stick to Tai- and Ninjutsu. All the same though, do you have any chakra-reactive swords I can use to replace my Kumo-standard short sword and my Kirigakure zanbatou?"

Tenten lifted her head up in thought. "Well, I don't think we have any zanbatou in stock, but I'm pretty sure we have some chakra-reactive swords. I'll go see what I can find…" As quick as lightning, she left the area to search the store.

"I'll go find those tonfa I wanted," said Meilan, "you think you can wait for me?"

Naruto smiled and gently squeezed her hand. "Take as much time as you need. I'll wait here for you."

The last Baihe giggled, and ran off into the store with an "I'll be quick!" while he started to focus and meditate.

It wasn't long until Tenten had returned with something wrapped in a cloth. "I'm back!" she said, "I don't have much in stock that's chakra-reactive, but this is the only thing I've got."

Naruto took closer steps to the counter, and placed his hand over the package and started focusing chakra pulses over it. His jaw had hung slightly at what he had found. "I'm detecting a sword with a 20 centimeter-long handle with a knuckle guard over it, and a 60 centimeter double-edged blade that reacts well to chakra made from what I assume is tamahagane from Tetsu no Kuni. Judging from what I've managed to scan, it weighs almost…two kilograms. How was my aim?"

To say that Tenten was surprised at Naruto's assessment was an understatement…there were quite a few layers in the cloth before getting to the blade, but her shock was soon replaced with a look that could only come when someone had found an opportunity to take something they wanted. "Very good," she said, after unwrapping it and unsheathing the blade as she got closer to Naruto, "why don't you test it out? I'm sure you'll find that it's well-balanced."

As the blind genin took the sword gently from Tenten's hand, Kurama started to have suspicions as to what was going on. "Kit, I have a feeling that she's going to…" Before she could finish that sentence, she felt the exact same thing as her host at the moment: a hand entwining itself through his left hand, another hand holding the sword by the lower half of the handle and mimicking his practice swings, but this did not evoke as much of a sensation as feeling Tenten's soft breasts squeezing against his back. "…oh yes, kit! Let her practice with you some more! Let her feel the five years of hard work that GSD had drilled into you! Keep practicing until she wants to get her hands on that other 'sword'!"

The moment was interrupted when the sound of someone clearing their throat was heard. The culprit was Meilan with a pair of tonfa in her hands, tapping her foot on the floor rhythmically, and having an 'I caught you' look on her face. "Enjoying yourself, Higurashi-san?" she asked.

Tenten quickly let go of Naruto about as red as a tomato, composing herself. "Is this all you will be buying?"

"For now," said Naruto, "but can you please tell your father that I have an order for a zanbatou?"

"Yeah, I'll tell him," she said, with a sigh that spoke volumes of her desires, "Now, if that's all, the total comes down to four thousand five hundred ryo."

There was an outraged look on Meilan's face upon hearing the price. "Pardon me, but did you just say that this is all forty-five hundred ryo?"

"The 500 ryo is your tonfa because they are made of solid steel, and the craftsmanship is such that they won't break easily—it should be well worth the price. The other 4,000 is for Naruto's sword—normally a short sword like this is worth about 1550 ryo, but because this is made from steel imported from Tetsu no Kuni and is chakra-receptive, you've got a high-quality blade that costs 4,000 ryo."

"It's fine Meilan," he said, pulling out nine 500-ryo bills, "I can always make this money back at any casino we go to."

Meilan laughed. "It's not your capability of earning tons of money from casinos overnight that I doubt; it's just the idea of a casino letting us past its doors willingly after what happened in Saikoro City. Word does travel fast you know, and I don't doubt that they know your face at this point."

"Hey, it worked in Gato's sector!"

"That's because you were unrecognizable! They all thought you were a fake monk!"

After taking the money and watching as the duo left the arsenal with their purchases, Tenten was confused. What did Naruto do in Saikoro City? And then, it hit her like a ton of bricks when she recounted a tale she'd heard. A few years ago, there was an underground gambling community known as Saikoro City that was supposed to have been the second Tanzaku City. The city was sent to the slums in a few nights when all the casinos were bankrupted within a month, and the culprit was supposedly a blind young man accompanied by a girl who went to all the casinos and won every game at every table. And the worst part (for said casinos) was that there was no cheating whatsoever on the part of the boy, as the girl told him of all the results. This boy was known as the legendary "Blind Casino-Killer", and he was said to have a poster on his head posted in all casinos that said to never let him enter. He was even banned from horse races. To think that Naruto held such a title had caused her jaw to drop.

…

[Meanwhile, at Training Ground 3…]

Haruno Sakura was being brutally trained by her mistresses. She'd been going at it since this morning when the two of them brought out whips and demanded that she run twenty laps around the forest without using any chakra, which she did, and wound up more tired than a dog past its prime. As of this moment, they had her wearing weights and doing push-ups, much to her frustration. "Please forgive my insolence, Mistresses," she cried between repetitions, hesitant due to the fact that the two of them had whips in their hands, "But may I ask why it is necessary for you to make me do these exercises?"

"It's simple really," said Satsuki, "if we are going to keep a slave, we want more than just someone who is good in bed,"

"Or for that matter, someone who simply caters to our every whim," continued Tsukiko, grabbing her sister by the hip, "what we are also looking for are bodyguards."

"People who can also act as protectors."

"And in general, we want someone who is well-rounded."

The two of them spoke in unison. "In short, we don't just want you simply to service us in and out of bed; we also want you to protect us. Otherwise, the next slave we decide to break in will be our new favorite because he or she can do all that you can do and more."

"You have really good points there girls," said a voice from above, "although, normally it's easier to get slaves that specialize in one thing than to get well-rounded ones."

The twins and their slave looked up and saw Mikoto, in what appeared to be a Jōnin flak jacket. "Mom!" greeted Tsukiko, "What are you doing here?"

"Are you our new sensei?"

"The Hokage actually did something right for once, and actually came up with good arguments for me to be your team's sensei," answered Mikoto, "I won't bother you on the details, but I will say that it's a good thing he did, because the original Civilian Council was against it…and now that most of them are no longer in their seats, nobody can dispute against me teaching the two of you about your Sharingan eyes proper."

"Uh, Mikoto-sama," said Sakura, "I'd hate to ask, but did my mother survive?"

Mikoto smiled at her daughters' slave. "Don't worry, she did, but now she'll have to be smarter about what comes out of her mouth."

Sakura sighed with relief, she did not want to be an orphan this soon.

"Anyway, I've read the reports, and have heard how the two of you handled yourselves on the Nami no Kuni mission, and I've got to say that I'm impressed," said Mikoto, turning to her daughters, "I'm actually glad that Kakashi is dead. That hypocrite's done enough damage already. So, going back to my point, the two of you have done so well that I've decided to enroll the entire team in this year's Chunin exams!"

The three genin were wide-eyed. "This soon?" asked Tsukiko, "But we've only been genin for a relatively short time!"

"That, and we were teaming up with Team Eleven at the time," continued Satsuki, "Are you sure about this?"

The look of pride on Mikoto's face was unmistakable. "I'm positive."

It was at this moment that Sakura raised her hand. "Sensei, I'm not sure about this. Can I go home and think about this?"

"Since today is my first day as your sensei, I'm giving you all a day off to think about this, "said the Uchiha Matriarch seriously, "but remember, the Chunin Exams are in a few days, and if you don't sign a consent form to take the exam by then, the entire team won't enter."

With that said, Sakura left the training ground to go home and think about her decision. The twins looked to their mother with an inquiring look on their faces. "I'm pretty sure we are ready for these exams…" started Tsukiko.

"…but what about Sakura? Why are you giving her this opportunity?" finished Satsuki.

Mikoto looked to her daughters with a confident look on her face. "While the two of you do have a good point about this, I'm allowing her this chance to join on purpose," she said, as the twins motioned for her to explain herself, "I want her to see what being a ninja is really about, and what it takes for her to be an Uchiha slave in this house. If she survives, I'm expecting that she'll take her training more seriously, but if she doesn't, then I recommend the two of you go out to find a new slave and testing your knowledge on how to break your own."

…

[Streets of Konoha, ten minutes later…]

As Naruto and Meilan walked down the street, the former felt three chakra signatures following them. Now one of them he knew by his tobacco scent, but the other two were new to him. This was interesting now that he thought about it. With a light tug, Meilan knew to stop, but that didn't stop the inquiring look on her face. "The three of you can stop following us now," he finally said, "you may be able to fool other people while hiding under a box, but you can't fool my senses; so why don't you come on out and introduce me to your friends Konohamaru?"

A nearby box had fidgeted upon hearing Naruto's declaration that the jig was up, and it was no surprise: if this were the market district or the restaurant-heavy part of town, then a corrugated cardboard box of canned peaches would not have been out of place, especially near a garbage can—but this was already near the clothes district! With a sigh, the box lifted, and out came Konohamaru and two other children with him in different outfits: Konohamaru was dressed in the same yellow shirt, blue scarf, and beige shorts as last time, but the newest additions to his outfit was a band that went around his eye-line with eye slits, leather bands buckled around his wrist and upper arm, and the shinai slung over his shoulder; his glasses-wearing friend with the runny nose and the bowl cut however, wore an open burgundy vest with a long tail and high collar over a black tank-top, and thistle-colored shorts, carrying what appeared to be a box of fireworks strapped to his back; the only female of the group had orange hair done up in a puffy V-shape, wearing what appeared to be a small black pinstriped jacket, a red blouse, and a black skirt with jagged red trimmings at the bottom, along with what appeared to be a small black stovepipe hat while carrying a 2cm-thick pine dowel at her side.

Konohamaru then faced Naruto with a confident smirk on his face. "It figures you'd find us out this quickly, and that's why I've decided to follow you. Boss, I'd like for you to meet my friends, Udon and Moegi," he said, indicating to the boy and girl respectively, "and we're the Konohamaru Corps."

"Good on you," said Naruto with a smile, "you've already got a team setup ready for you. I may not be able to see, but what I smell should tell me enough of what your team will be like in the future. Don't bother asking—I want it to be a surprise to all three of you as to how this team will work. Until then, do give all the teachers except Iruka and Suzume a hard time for me would you please? I've always wanted to see who can top me in pranking them with the most creative booby traps yet."

A bit of laughter had come out of Meilan upon remembering a prank that was pulled on the faculty of the Ninja Academy while she was attending with Naruto. A plot was enacted in the Teachers' Lounge before classes broke for lunch. As Iruka and Suzume settled down at their part of the room, they found themselves laughing as everyone started disappearing one by one after taking a few bites out of their meals and then fighting over who would use the restrooms first. It was soon found that the culprits tampered with the other teachers' lunches by spiking their bottled drinks and leftover meals with a tasteless and odorless laxative. Nobody did catch the culprits, and even Iruka tried to get the students to talk, but Meilan, Naruto, and Ino all swore each other to secrecy at the fact that they were responsible for that prank in revenge for those teachers punishing the blind genin simply for asking questions and answering other questions correctly.

"Will do Boss!" said Konohamaru walking away with his friends before he bumped into someone. That person was a guy wearing what appeared to be an all-black cat suit and purple markings on his face with something contained in wrappings strapped to his back. On his forehead was a hitai-ate with the crest of Sunagakure no Sato printed on its metal surface.

"Hey, watch where you're going, squirt!" he shouted angrily.

"You watch where you're going!" retorted Konohamaru, "You walked into me!"

The larger boy seized Konohamaru by the front of his shirt and lifted him up. "What the hell did you say?!"

"Kankuro!" called out a feminine voice from behind, "Just put him down! He's not worth it!" The voice belonged to a girl with blonde hair done up in four short ponytails and teal eyes. She wore an oversized off-white shirt that was tied over her hips by a red sash, and underneath was a fishnet mesh. Slung across her back was what appeared to be a giant, metal fan. Around her neck was a hitai-ate that stated that she too was from Sunagakure.

"Shut up, Temari," said the boy now known as Kankuro, "This little brat needs to learn a lesson in manners!" He cocked his fist and was about to smash it into the little boy's face when his punch was caught in what felt like a vice-grip around his wrist.

Meilan twisted his wrist until he dropped the younger boy. "And what lesson would that be, you makeup-wearing freak?" she asked with fury in her eyes, "To bully other kids? Do you honestly have nothing better to do than to pick on those weaker than you? You're pathetic!" Rather than punching him, she changed her grip on his wrist, put her other hand under his elbow, and then drive Kankuro's fist into his own nose.

Stumbling back out of Meilan's reach, Kankuro felt his face and found that he had a bloody nose from practically punching himself. With rage at his humiliation, he reached for the pack at his back and started reaching for one of the bands. "You bitch! Now you've done it!"

"Kankuro, you really sure you want to bring Karasu out in the open like this?" asked Temari, concern crossing her features.

"Hell yeah! This bitch is gonna get it now! You hear that you wh…"

Before he could finish his sentence, Kankuro froze when he saw a katana blade threatening his neck. "Now, I know you're new around here, so here's a fairly simple rule," said Naruto with false cheer, which then gave way to grim satisfaction, "Don't insult my girlfriend, or I'll fuck you up. Got it?"

"Y-you and w-what army, asshole?" stuttered the boy in black.

"The army of me, myself, and I," drawled Naruto, "Plus the person in that tree."

At that, Kankuro's eyes had widened, and started swinging his head around to find the person that the blind genin was talking about only to see a sight he really didn't want to see. Short, red, and disheveled hair, black clothes, white sash, and a large gourd slung across the back. The most defining features of this figure were the kanji for 'love' written over the left eye, the Sunagakure hitai-ate tied around the left bicep, and the black rings around cyan eyes. "Kankuro, you're an embarrassment."

The figure performed a Suna Shunshin, and appeared before the boy in the cat suit. "G-G-Gaia," he stuttered in terror, "I was just-"

"Shut up," said the gloomy, red-haired girl, "or else I'll kill you." Doing as he was told, Kankuro immediately shut up and watched as the girl then turned her attention to Naruto. "As for you, what is your name?"

"The name is Uzumaki Naruto," said the blind genin, "Forgive me, but I am curious as to why three ninja from Sunagakure are here."

At that, Temari's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know? You're blind."

Naruto grinned slightly. "While I am unable to see anything, my other senses are extremely sharp, so I can pick up the smell of desert sand on all three of you. That, and you just told me. Now, back to my question, why are you three here?"

The blonde girl in the Suna team was impressed. Her fellow blonde was able to pick up on such small details even without eyes. "If you must know, we're here because of the Chunin Exams being held in your village."

"I see…" said Naruto, understanding the purpose of the Suna ninja, "Well then, I won't hold the three of you back any longer. Just don't make any more trouble while you're here."

Gaia walked closer to Naruto. The silence between them was tense, but it was clear that the red-head was studying him. "I apologize on the behalf of my brother," she finally said with a disturbing grin on her face, ignoring the indignant and outraged look on Kankuro's face, "We shall get going now."

Once it was clear that there was nothing left to be said, Meilan took Naruto by the hand, and led him away, with the Konohamaru Corps in tow. "What's up Gaia?" asked Temari, when she was sure that the five Konoha natives were out of earshot, "Is there something special about him?"

"Mother wants his blood especially," answered Gaia, still grinning madly as the Sand Siblings walked away, "She says he is like me…"

…

A/N: With Naruto's rampage, I decided to show what happens when people really test him. To people who are curious as to which element Meilan, Satsuki, Tsukiko, Kikyo, and Naruto are, Here's the list:

Meilan: Byakko, the White Tiger of Metal

Satsuki: Suzaku, the Red Bird of Fire

Tsukiko: Genbu, the Black Tortoise of Water

Kikyo: Seiryu, the Green Dragon of Wood

Naruto: Kiiryu, the Yellow Dragon of Earth

…

Updated Character Classes:

Satsuki: Blade Master/Berserker/Rogue (with Curse Mark), Blade Master/Rogue/Soul Bender (no Curse Mark)

Tsukiko: Blade Master/Berserker/Rogue (with Curse Mark), Blade Master/Rogue/Necromancer (no Curse Mark)

…

Dungeon Fighter Techniques Used:

Murderous Wave: Asura—Naruto getting really angry

…

Songs Used:

"Reset (Thank-You)" by Rei Kondoh from "Okami": Konoha shinobi leaving

"Kaine: Escape" by Okabe Keiichi from "Nier": Kurama's vow

"Rage of Sparta" by Gerard Morino from "God of War III": Naruto getting angry, then his rampage

"Nine-tailed Demon Fox" by Toshiro Masuda from "Naruto": Kikyo sees Danzo

"Sakura's Theme" by Toshiro Masda from "Naruto": Seeing Tenten

"Sneak Chamber" by Nujabes from "Samurai Champloo": Confronting the Sand-Siblings

…

Vocabulary/Culture Notes:

Consumption—Japanese term for tuberculosis.

Taoist Elements—it recurs in Naruto…the five elements in Taoism are earth, fire, water, wood, and metal, all of which creates balance through creation and destruction. In destruction, earth destroys water, which destroys fire, which destroys metal, which destroys wood, which destroys earth. In creation, water creates wood, which creates fire, which creates earth, which creates metal, which creates water.

Unajyu—barbecued eel served on rice

Tamahagane—this is the steel used in the creation of a katana, its name literally means 'jewel steel'.

Saikoro—this is Japanese for 'dice'.