Naruto Uzumaki and the Chunin Exams (Re-Written) Chapter 7: The Truth Hidden Beneath, a Harry Potter + Naruto Crossover fanfic

"Blah": Talking

'Blah': Demon speaking/Inner Sakura

'Blah': Naruto's thoughts/other people's thoughts

'Blah': Harry talking to Naruto

Wow! I don't think I've seen so many recent reviews after one chapter submission! Thank you everyone that submitted a review, reading all of them made me feel so ecstatic, I do appreciate them all and I'm glad I made some people happy as well with the latest post! And now we're back, this time much sooner than the last time! And to think that it's been such a long time since I first wrote this chapter in the previous version of Chunin Exams. It sure did bring back a lot of memories while I wrote this.

Azeroth44: Like what?

K: You freaked out over a World of Warcraft game last time.

AZ44: I don't remember.

K: You don't? You don't remember when you went mad when I mistaken the Worgen and called them werewolves?

AZ44: Nope.

Naruto: What about the Land of Titans? You blasted like an active volcano when one of us called it Egypt.

AZ44: You'll have to be more specific than that.

K: You strangled me and roared into the camera that Deathwing would devour our souls over a lost match in 2010's Goldeneye 007 multiplayer mode.

AZ44: Oh! Now I remember! Cataclysm! Deathwing! Eating your souls and the demonic rampage! Now I remember that introduction! We had to cut the introduction short thanks to technical difficulties! Let's do it again!

K: No.

AZ44: Oh, c'mon! Please?

K: No.

AZ44: You're so mean!

K: I don't care. Let's start the chapter before we piss off the readers.

Naruto: I second that! Toss me the popcorn!

K: Catch!

AZ44: I WILL NOT BE SILENCED!

While General Zod over here tries to calm down, let's see how our two wizards will fair out this time around. With Sakura and Sasuke knocked out and Harry still in control of Naruto's body, what in the world will happen?

Remember: Reviews are welcome and wanted!

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto

Harry Potter is property of JK Rowling

Chapter 7: The Truth Hidden Beneath

Once Sakura was unconscious with a bruise on her wide forehead, Harry went to work at once in order to aid the fallen Uchiha and cover his involvement in this most recent incident.

He examined Sasuke to make sure his vitals were normal and that he was still alive. The wizard checked his forehead and determined that the Uchiha was in a lot of physical pain caused from whatever it was that Orochimaru had done to him. His vital fluctuated and his breath was uneven as well as his heartbeat. The sorcerer could feel the venom from the bite course through his muscles and veins but was concentrated at the base of the neck. Harry turned the teen over with little effort thanks to Naruto's muscles and examined the neck. Indeed, at the base of the neck, the venom was concentrated the most and started to form a mark that looked like a tattoo. It was the same mark seen on the crowns of the snakes that Orochimaru used to attack them with.

The wizard then took his borrowed wand and aimed it at the three black blots, where he started to mutter several incantations in order to influence the mark as it formed. He tried to revert the effects and cause it to be cancelled out with magic, but it was unsuccessful. All he was able to do was cause the mark to blur like a blot of ink before it started to form the same mark as before. It was as if the mark was alive and it wanted to survive and form its stable circular structure. Harry tried one more time to hold it back, as he sensed the rest of the venom inside the Uchiha start to flow towards the mark on his neck and overwhelmed his enchantments. He was at least able to stall the formation of the mark and allow him the time he needed to think.

The sorcerer took a breath and aimed the wand at both Sasuke and Sakura after he rested them close to each other and muttered, "Obliviate!"

The end of Naruto's wand created a small whitish orb at the end as the charm wavered over the two teens. Soon, the two distressed rookies looked calmer in their unconscious state as their memories were erased and then modified. The two of them never looked so well rested without all the sweat and dirt on their faces in mind. It meant that the effects of the charms had worked and that the two of them would not remember the same events as the wizard as their memories were switched with false truths. Once he was done, Harry checked to make sure he still had the two scrolls that Sasuke almost wasted and then inserted his brother's wand into his trousers. Now that he was secure and certain that their time in the forest was not wasted, he sauntered over to the two rookies, held onto their almost lifeless cold hands, and willed then to the tower.

Harry vanished out of thin air with a loud crack as he took both the Uchiha and the kunoichi that he hated with him to a much safer location. The two rookies remained oblivious, as the two of them were sucked into what seemed like a vortex and then less than a second later slammed into the earth in a mess that would have otherwise caused them to feel sick and hurt. The sorcerer had taken the children and arrived at the base of the massive tower via Side-Along Apparation. He looked at the immense tower and realized now that it was even more massive than the Administration Building and that it could hold an international Quidditch Pitch if it wanted to. The sorcerer soon carried the rookies over his shoulders, amazed that Naruto was able to lift two teens on his own at all, and took them to the nearest door, locked with a seal. While it turned to dusk, the sorcerer didn't bother to reach down for his wand and instead outstretched his hand and willed the seal on the door to burn into crumbled ashes and dust. He then flicked his hand and the door opened to allow him and the others to come in. Harry then let the rookies down on the floor, closed the door, and locked it shut with his wand this time.

He was exhausted, but with the door locked, the controlled rookie withdrew the two scrolls from his trousers and tossed them on the floor as he unlocked them. The scrolls were unraveled on the floor and released an incredible amount of white smoke, which meant that it had activated a summons. The wizard had no idea what was about to come out of the scroll but he knew that he couldn't fight as he felt his knees buckle while he tried to stand between the unconscious rookies. When the smoke was cleared, the sorcerer could have cried as it revealed to be a shinobi; it was his dear friend Iruka Umino.

The trusted tan-skinned chunin stood on the two crossed scrolls as white smoke encircled him and dissolved in the air while he crossed his arms in a more relaxed manner and smirked a little bit when he saw his little brother. The wizard couldn't believe his luck so far and had used all the skills and abilities he had to use in order to combat one of the Sannin and take the children with him to the tower. It was another miracle that he hadn't died from exhaustion or at least lost consciousness after the seal had been defiled and unbalanced the chakra that once stabilized his little brother.

The sorcerer almost smiled at the man and breathed, "Iruka…"

The chunin blinked when he saw the unconscious kids and then he noticed, 'That's a little weird; Naruto left out the aniki bit… He isn't mad at me, is he?'

"Wait a minute…" he then realized the different color irises were switched from blue to emerald, the exact same shade as his friend, "Harry?"

The wizard nodded and said, "Yeah, it's me. Naruto is unconscious and I was forced to take control over him. Something bad happened in the forest. The Sannin Orochimaru has returned and he's here in Konoha. He attacked Naruto and the others and he forced another seal over the seal that contains the fox demon. It's causing Naruto a lot of problems now, I can feel it," the wizard hesitated as he rested his hand on the seal on his brother's stomach, and then he continued, "He also bit the Uchiha on the neck. I don't know what's been done to him, but there's a mark on his neck and I'm almost certain it's alive. I was able to hold back the effects, but he needs medical assistance now. All three of these rookies need a doctor; I can't heal them."

Iruka was almost overwhelmed with the latest news and events, while his face almost drained at the mention of Orochimaru. He had lectured about him several times in his classes, but he never believed that man would ever return to Konoha. He also didn't think that his little brother had faced him and survived the encounter. The worrisome chunin rushed over and checked both the rookies on the floor and confirmed the details his friend had told him about Sasuke and the mark on his neck.

"When will Naruto wake up?" the tan-skinned chunin asked and then said, "You won't convince Sarutobi or Kakashi that he's the one in control with those irises and that thick accent."

The wizard informed him, "I know. I will surrender control over him soon. You can tell the authorities that he fainted from exhaustion after he was able to elucidate the basic details when he arrived."

"He's still ok, isn't he?" the chunin asked, as he was worried about his child.

Harry nodded to the worried chunin but then he shook his head as he said, "It wouldn't be wise to assume that the worst is behind him. But other than the mess with the seal, he should be fine. But we need Sarutobi to fix whatever it was that was done to him. I have no idea what Orochimaru did but I can't even reach the Yondaime's seal in the mindscape now. It's like the door to enter the demon's chamber has vanished. Where's the old man now?"

"He's here in the tower," answered Iruka, "There's an office on one of the levels above us and he's with Ibiki Morino now about the first examination and the deaths of three rookies from Kusa."

The sorcerer nodded and then he cleared his throat and said, "That makes this a little bit easier for us then. You'll need to tell him what happened if we want to fix the seal and save the Uchiha. Here's the short version; several hours earlier, Team 7 was attacked. Naruto battled Orochimaru and was forced to use the demon's chakra while the two clashed. Soon after, Orochimaru hit him in the stomach and did something to the seal that made him lose consciousness for a while. When he came to, Orochimaru had fled the scene and both Sasuke and Sakura were knocked out and the Uchiha had been bitten on the neck. Naruto checked to make sure he still had the scrolls, and then he carried his teammates here with his shadow clones to the tower. Got all that?"

"Yeah. Got it…" he nodded back and then he let out a small smile as he saluted to his friend, "I sure wish we could have met under better circumstances than this…"

The wizard nodded, he smiled back at him and thanked him for his incredible assistance, "So do I, Iruka… Until next time."

He then closed his eyes and Naruto crumbled to the floor in a soft thud, beside his two friends. Iruka called for a medical team and once the team arrived and escorted the rookies to the medical center, Iruka focused chakra into his feet and dashed towards the stairs to find the Sandaime as soon as he could. With luck, the old man would be able to send in a strike team to take down Orochimaru, if he wasn't able to flee the scene in time.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was indeed in his alternate office that he used in the tower of the Forest of Death. He didn't use it often, but it served more as a normal conference room, since it was next door to a recreation room. At the moment, the old man was in his desk with Ibiki Morino at his side. The hardened shinobi showed him Naruto Uzumaki's handed-in test from the first examination and the note he had left behind on it. It took him a while but Ibiki was able to meet with the old man and show him the note while he shared his concerns about what the child had meant when he wrote it down.

"Smells a lot like snakes… You don't think this sounds a little bit like our old friend Orochimaru, sir?" asked Ibiki in a concerned tone.

Sarutobi answered after he hesitated, "There's a chance. But we can never be too certain. Orochimaru intended to come back to Konoha to unleash his retribution ever since he defected. But he wouldn't risk an attack or even a small invasion unless he was sure that he would succeed and his forces would never be detected. He wouldn't let his own stink be smelt even in the most extreme circumstance. So the chances that this has a connection to Orochimaru is a little much to consider at this moment… But even if he ever returned or initiated an attack, this scent that Naruto talks about in this note confuses me somewhat. Because it came from individuals that I don't think could even be connected to Orochimaru… We will have to see Anko about this as well and ask what she thinks. Where is she?"

"I saw her leave the area a little while earlier with several other Tokubetsu about the bodies of the rookies from Kusa. She came back here and looked worried and furious-" he started to inform the old leader.

But then the tall shinobi looked to the door to see a familiar tan chunin burst into the office, sweat on his brow and a little bit winded since he ran from the first floor. Hiruzen looked to the familiar shinobi and looked more amused and a little bit relieved when one of his favorite teachers arrived with what he assumed was vital news on the exam. After all, he volunteered to be the instructor that would inform Naruto and his teammates that the three rookies succeeded on their survival test and then lecture them on the third and final exam.

Iruka forced out, "Forgive me, Hokage-sama! Kakashi's team is in the tower now."

"So soon?" asked a bemused Sarutobi.

But the chunin continued and said in a raised and worried voice, "But there has been an incident! Orochimaru of the Sannin is here and attacked them!"

"What the devil?" the old man almost turned white and rose in his chair.

Iruka then told him, "He did something bad to the seal on Naruto's stomach, the one that contains the fox demon, and he bit Sasuke Uchiha. I think a curse mark has started to form on his neck. Naruto used his shadow clones and carried his teammates here to the tower but then he fainted after he told me about Orochimaru. All of them are in the medical center now, sir."

Sarutobi took less than a moment to decide his next course of action and looked to Iruka as he ordered him, "Send word to Kakashi Hatake to come here at once."

Iruka nodded his head to the old man but looked frustrated when he turned around and wondered where in the world someone like Kakashi Hatake would be. There was no doubt in his mind that he would be in a bookstore at this time in a section that would cause him a nosebleed if he wandered around. Not to mention he was still frustrated at the senior shinobi for when he humiliated him in front of the other shinobi and kunoichi last week.

Once Iruka had left, Sarutobi turned to Ibiki and said, "It looks like our worst fears have been realized, Ibiki…"

The man nodded and waited several moments for Sarutobi to make another decision. No doubt the old man didn't need to be worried about his former student in the middle of the annual event, but that didn't mean that he didn't think fast on how to counter him before he made his next move.

He told the tall shinobi, "Anko must have found out that he was here and set out into the forest to kill him. Send the ANBU to find her, wherever she is, and have her come to me at once. We will need her as well if we want a chance to save Naruto and Sasuke."

Ibiki nodded to his leader and left the office to set out and find Anko. He and the other ANBU would have to move fast and find her before she tracked down her former mentor. If not, and she found the Sannin in the forest first, there was a chance he would have her killed and Sarutobi would have a more difficult time to fix Naruto's seal. But even if the ANBU saved her in time, Ibiki still felt a little bit worried about how furious she would be when she was denied the blood of the mentor she desired to shed.

Naruto moaned as he stirred in his slumber. He could have sworn that he heard voices out in the distance, worried or serious tones and voices that made little to no sense to him. He then felt unfamiliar and cold hands touch him, remove his clothes, and the examined him. Naruto felt one or two sets of warm and familiar hands, but their touch did little to comfort him as he sweat and tried to breath slow. He couldn't move and he couldn't see as he was surrounded with darkness, like in the cave he had fallen into earlier. He tried to break free or run, but the trail was endless and he was soon exhausted. Naruto continued to stir and heard more voices; some were familiar while others were more alien to him.

He then started to see a brilliant beam from out of the dark, he followed it and he was soon consumed in a column of wind that sliced his bare skin. He blinked and he saw Sasuke, unconscious on the bloodstained earth covered with mud and dirt while his teammate Sakura screamed and cowered behind him. Naruto looked out ahead and saw Orochimaru as he zoomed towards him with a sword in his hand. He tried to attack the man, but he couldn't move or even blink as the man rode on the back of a snake and continue to run towards him in a blur. Naruto tried to scream as well, but he made no noise as the Sannin reeled his sword back to cut off the blonde shinobi's head. There was an intense emerald flash that reflected off the sword and blinded him as the man closed in to kill him.

When the flash almost blinded him, Naruto awoke at once with his back stuck to an unfamiliar bed. He breathed and tried to calm down while he felt a warm hand hold his own and then another warm hand rested on his forehead. He was a blurred brown-skinned face start to form until he smiled when it came into focus.

"Iruka-aniki…"

The chunin smiled as he relaxed and sat back in his seat beside the bed at the end of the medical center, "Hi there, bud…"

Iruka relaxed when he saw his child come back to life. For a while he feared the worst when the rookie almost refused to awaken for the last several hours but now his fears were set aside. It was thanks to Kakashi and what little he knew about seals that enabled Naruto to come to so soon. He didn't do much other than send his student an extra chakra boost to the normal seal, which cancelled out the effects of the extra seal. Iruka would have been able to think about Kakashi in a more positive light, but it had been difficult to find him until he found him hidden in the adult-section at a random local bookstore.

Naruto rubbed his sore forehead and tried to sit on the bed, but his brother was there to hold him back and let him down on the mattress.

"Whoa, slow down there. You've been out for a while. Besides, it's not everyday we get to fight one of the Sannin and live to talk about it," he smiled a little bit as Naruto almost fainted from the sudden blood flow from his head to his toes.

Naruto tried to take in that last statement, and soon he remembered the events in the exam at least as much as he could remember and the dream he had moments earlier.

He started to realize and then he tried to move as he worried, "Sannin? Wait… Sasuke and Sakura-chan!"

Iruka lifted his arms up and gestured for Naruto to calm down and he explained, "Sakura is fine, she's rested at one of the bedrooms somewhere in the tower. Kakashi and the Sandaime are with Sasuke now somewhere down in the basement level dealing with his, uh, neck wound… He had this violent outburst earlier when he came to and he had to be detained downstairs…"

The tan-skinned chunin frowned a little bit when he saw Naruto's face become blank and realized that he had focused on his subconscious.

After several seconds, the blonde shinobi returned to the real world and he said, "Orochimaru bit him on the neck. Nii-san was forced to rewrite both his and Sakura-chan's memories in order to cover his involvement in the battle that ensued. Sakura-chan was convinced that he was some monster about to attack her and Sasuke after Orochimaru fled the scene. Nii-san was forced to knock her out."

Naruto tried to move and stretch out his toes but then he froze and winced as he retreated into the bed and felt so weak and sore. It almost felt like he had strained almost all the muscles in his arms and chest, and soon he realized it was the result of the demon chakra he was endowed with while he battle the Sannin on his own.

"So how do we feel?" asked Iruka as he handed his brother some water.

Naruto moaned a little bit before he drank a little bit and tried to relax on the mattress, "Terrible… I don't think I've ever felt this weak before. I don't think I'm able to heal as fast as I should; it still hurts so much to so much as move… It's that damn demon fox's fault. I swear the first chance I have, I'll make sure to deliver it a world of hurt…"

"Allow me to elaborate on that," the trusted chunin decided to enter into a new lecture-method that he wanted to test on his former student, where he took a blank sheet and used chibi characters to make sense out of the situation with the seals, "You see; Orochimaru slammed another seal over the Yondaime's seal that contains the beast and channels its chakra; it's called a Five Prong Seal. Sarutobi said that it's halted the usual healing factor and has choked the normal flow of demon chakra that's supposed to mix with your normal chakra… So we can hold back on the death threats towards the beast, at least for a little while."

Naruto smiled at the lecture for once but then he started to frown when he added, "It's not that alone. I can't mold chakra like I used to at all. It's so much harder to focus even a little bit. I think whatever Orochimaru did to the seal, he also ruined all the hard work I achieved back in the Land of Waves," the blonde shinobi stared at his hand as he tried to mold his chakra to make it feel warm but he felt restrained and his skin remained almost ice-cold, "You wouldn't have another lecture on how to fix it, aniki?"

"I asked the Sandaime about it when he told me about the extra seal. He said that he would send someone to look at it and fix it soon," answered Iruka.

Naruto let out a breath and said, "Well, that's the best news I've heard in a while." he then noticed that he now wore some hospital pajamas and looked around for his clothes, "Did the doctors change me while I was unconscious?"

"Yeah, what's the matter?" answered and asked Iruka as he watched Naruto move around the bed and search under the sheets in a rather distressed manner.

The blonde wizard said, "This is bad! The wand! Did the doctors take it? I can't find it!"

"You mean this?" asked Iruka in a cute voice as he smirked.

Naruto looked at his older brother and saw him wave it above his head, but made sure he never held the handle or the end and instead dribbled it between his index and thumb. He smirked at his little brother and even teased him a little bit as he raised it out of his reach before he let him have it back once he had been amused.

The blonde shinobi breathed at last, "Oh, thanks heavens…"

"Thank me, kiddo!" added the tall and tan chunin and then he said, "Still, I'm shocked that this worthless little stick didn't break in the middle of whatever went down in that forest."

Naruto looked insulted and then he started to smirk and informed his tan older brother, "Worthless little stick? This durable little stick was the reason I was able to ace the exams so far!"

"Hold on a minute there," the older chunin said as he held out his hand and then he ordered in a somewhat excited tone, "Fill me in on the details, kiddo."

The blonde-haired rookie was not able to move around the room, but he was still able to talk a-mile-a-minute as he went into extreme detail about the events in the examinations. With his wand in his hand Naruto was able to detail Iruka on almost all the events from the kunoichi he was forced to use a Shield Charm on to when he and Sasuke worked as teammates for once to collect fish for their dinner and formulate ideas on how to obtain their second scroll. Naruto then told the older man about how he enchanted the environment where the team had rested and was overwhelmed with relief. Iruka had feared that his little Naruto would not be able to survive the forest until he was reminded that with the aid of his secret abilities, the child could become invisible even in the most arduous environments. Iruka continued to listen in as Naruto told him all about when his shadow clones set out into the darkness and ran into Kabuto Yakushi's team and the rookies from Ame and how he had defeated them.

"That's not even the best bit! After the Ame rookies were knocked out, I discovered a Whomping Willow out there in the forest! The real deal!" he almost shouted as he bounced on his bed.

Iruka reached out to calm him down a little and was shocked to hear that an enchanted tree existed in their world as well. He had heard rumors that the forest was alive back when he first entered the exams when he was still a teen, but Iruka never believed in tall tales or ridiculous stories until he met his little brother. But before Iruka could take in the news, he had to think back to his time in the Pensieve and remember what a Whomping Willow even was.

He asked his little brother to make sure he had the idea, "That's the tree that thrashes around and tries to kill other random animals and humans, right?"

"That's it! You remembered!" the small blonde rookie smiled.

Iruka shrugged and asked, "Well, how hard is it to remember a tree that tries to kill someone?"

"Heh!" the child chuckled and then he continued, "I had to freeze the tree in order to save those rookies from Ame, and none of them appreciated it!"

Curious, the older chunin asked, "How so?"

"All three of them tried to kill us," said Naruto as he tried to wave his arms and said in an excited and wondrous voice as he made references to comics that his brother never understood, "Sasuke and Sakura-chan were forced to face the other two and came out unharmed, while I was stuck with the one other shinobi in the world that could make clones! You should have seen me; I was like Thor and the Warriors Three when he faced the Ice Giants of Jotunheim! I didn't kill the rookie that attacked me, but I annihilated all of his clones! Not one soldier was missed!"

Iruka's face was blank for a little bit and then he said with a small smile, "I have no idea what that means, but I bet it must have been a blast!"

"It sure was," the blonde wizard almost shouted, "And I didn't leave without some souvenirs!"

With a small wave of his wand, Naruto summoned his weapons pouch and searched the contents until he discovered the most valuable item he had obtained in the river. He searched the contents and almost feared that he lost it in the battle with the Sannin, but he was mistaken when he felt the cold and wet substance located at the bottom, mixed with the branches and leafs. The blonde child smiled and he landed the slime-covered knotted mold of tentacles on the table beside the bed. Naruto smiled at it in awe while his older brother stared at the mess with revulsion and even itched backwards when he mistook the natural weed for some dead creature.

The chunin asked in a little bit of alarm, "What the hell is that?"

"It's Gillyweed," exclaimed the blonde child as he held it in his hands and stared at it in fascination, "I found it in the riverbed where we found the fish for dinner!"

Iruka could have sworn that he knew what it was when he heard what it was called and tried to recollect one of the countless memories he had witnessed in the Pensieve in order to remember what it did to someone whenever it was consumed, "Wait a minute! I know that name! Don't tell me what it is! I know this one!"

"Gillyweed enables whoever eats it, to breath underwater and form webbed hands and feet!" the blonde wizard blurted out the answer when couldn't hold it in.

Iruka smacked his knee and said, "Damn! I almost had it!"

"I didn't think that this even existed in this world. It makes me wonder what else I could find out there in that forest. If it weren't for that troublesome white snake on the loose, Nii-san and I should sneak out and look around the forest for more!" the child said as he looked out the window and stared at the dark woods.

But then Iruka insisted in a somewhat humorous tone mixed in his insistent voice, "You won't while I'm still around!"

"Fine," sulked the blonde wizard as he crossed his arms.

Iruka then noticed the other items his little brother had stashed and distracted him with his own curious nature, "So what are those?"

Naruto looked a little bit amused, as he showed his older sibling what else he had discovered, even while there wasn't much to show, "Um, let's see… Mushrooms, dirt, a little black stone, some branches, and… more dirt… Once Orochimaru is out of our business, I should come back to this forest and search around for more souvenirs."

"Heh! We'll have to see about that, Naruto…" the chunin chuckled and ruffled the child's blonde hair before he stood and insisted that his child should take it nice and slow in order to recover, "You need to rest now."

The blonde wizard was soon overwhelmed with the need to sit back and rest. So he relaxed his head down and had a nice small but calm talk with Iruka about his return to teach at the school and that Konohamaru Sarutobi and his little friends were three of his most troublesome students. Naruto chuckled a little bit and wished his brother the best of luck. Over time, the blonde shinobi needed to rest a little bit while the older chunin beside him leaned back in his chair and watched over his child as he watched him wince or relax. After about five minutes, Iruka felt he needed to reassure his little brother and ruffled his hair a little bit.

He then said, "Sometime soon, the world will be back to normal…"

"No, it's not…" the blonde shinobi's stomach let out a howl and he whined, "I'm starvin'…"

Iruka smiled and looked out the window as he asked, "You want me to find some Ichiraku Ramen?"

"Some tea and cookies would be a nice start, thanks," the little wizard smirked as he leaned back and sank into his mattress and Iruka chuckled.

Several hours later and after Iruka was allowed to leave the tower and the forest with an ANBU escort, Naruto took some time to rest and heal from the burns in his muscles, he remained in the medical center alone with a nurse or two that attended to his needs. Even while he rested, he was still worried about his teammates and wondered when he would be able to see them. While Naruto was not too fond of his rival, he was still concerned about Sasuke and what had become of him. The rookie shinobi remained bored and ill informed until a certain someone came in to visit him. Naruto stared out his window and tried to determine the exact time until he heard the sound of feet and the doors into the medical center slid to the sides to reveal the Sandaime as well as several ANBU soldiers. The ANBU soon surrounded the room while the kind old man walked into the medical center and he smiled at Naruto when he saw him from across the room.

Sarutobi smiled as he saw the child sit on his bed and said in a warm and welcome voice, "Good afternoon, Naruto-kun. You're awake at last, I see. You had me worried for a while."

"Grandpa," the blonde-haired shinobi beamed as the old man walked over to him.

It almost felt like he hadn't talked to the old man in months. And it seemed that the difference in the time since their last encounter showed. To Naruto, it looked like Sarutobi had decided to cultivate a beard as well as a mustache in the time since their last face-to-face encounter. The additional facial hair could have been the result of the amount of work he dedicated himself to since the old man had not been seen in months to hand out missions and instead left that work to other shinobi. No doubt, the Chunin Exams would need a lot of his time and assistance since it was such a remarkable worldwide event. But no matter what the circumstances of his additional facial hair were, Naruto sure did think his loveable elder would look cooler and a lot more like a wise wizard if he decided to grow a beard. It would make him liken the old man to Albus Dumbledore or even the famous Merlin, but he set it all aside as the blonde shinobi noticed the ANBU closed and locked the doors while some of them moved in a cautious manner as the two tallest and widest soldiers in the back crossed their arms. Sarutobi sat down in the chair beside the bed and looked to the blonde child with a more serious look while the thin ANBU in the medical center leaned back on the bed across the room as he stared at the lone Uzumaki.

Naruto's smile started to fade a little bit and noticed the old man had his test folded in his hands and the blonde wizard asked, "What's the matter?"

The old man made the child feel a little bit nervous while he unfolded the test and showed Naruto the note he had written down.

"I'm afraid we need to sit down and discuss this note you wrote on the exam," the old man said in a stern but warm tone as he insisted the child to tell the truth and then he said, "And I also need you to tell me more about what happened in the forest with Orochimaru."

Naruto looked down at his old test and re-read the details he wrote while he listened to his older brother and the details the two of them rehearsed several times. The child soon cleared his throat and started his tale: the truth hidden well within the truth.

"Well… Sakura-chan, Sasuke-teme, and I entered the classroom and we met our old classmates from school. But then this much older rookie named Kabuto Yakushi walked over to us and then he showed us these weird cards that he turned into detailed dossiers about us."

"Dossiers?" asked Sarutobi.

Naruto nodded and he told the old man all about the teen he had encountered, "Yes. Somehow he was able to obtain almost all our information when he focused his chakra into these blank collector cards and then he showed off all our statuses to the other rookies like we were collectibles. And that's when he started to let out this terrible odor. He smelled a lot like a snake, to me, it was like some foul rotten stench."

"Smelled like snakes," the old man asked, "What does that mean, Naruto-kun?"

The blonde-haired shinobi was forced to lie this time and told him as he shook his head in subtle denial, "I don't know how I can do it… but somehow I know what snakes smell like, even from a distance… I've been able to do it ever since I was little, so for all I know I could have been born with an enhanced sense of smell… And this Kabuto-character smelled like he bathed in a tub full of cobra venom."

"Hmm…" the lie seemed to work but there was a small indication on his wrinkled old face that he was more curious about the child's enhanced abilities and he said, "I had no idea that about that… Please, continue, Naruto-kun…"

Naruto maintained a subtle mental shield as he relaxed on the bed and he went into more detail about his and his older brother's suspicions about the much older rookie that stood out to them.

"Well, I smelled this same exact scent from the rookies of Oto that attacked Kabuto in the classroom a few moments later after he mentioned their homeland… And then I noticed that the scene looked a little bit… rehearsed. It didn't look all that natural when the Oto-nin lashed out at him; it was like a scene out of an old anime or a comic book. And that's when I noticed the smell. It seemed too much of a coincidence that the rookies from Oto and Kabuto were so similar. So I wrote it down on the test once I was done. But I'm not sure what it could mean."

Sarutobi remained still as a statue while he sat there on the chair. He blinked once or twice until he nodded his head and scratched his beard a little bit, "Tell me more about the events in the forest and Orochimaru…"

Naruto was nervous for a moment, more nervous than he ever felt while he was in the same room with his favored elder. But he never faltered. Not even for one moment while his shield was raised and he still felt the ANBU in the room stare down at him to intimidate the truth out of him. He did fear, for a moment, that the old man didn't believe his recollections. But his face said so otherwise, as he noticed the muscles in the man's wrinkled face start to relax, which was an indication that he did indeed believe him.

"Yeah. In the forest…" the child hesitated for a moment to remember what his brother had told him to tell the old man and he said, "After we found the Earth scroll, we were about to make it to the tower until we were ambushed with this hurricane and I lost Sasuke and Sakura-chan… And then this massive snake tried to eat me, so I used shadow clones to kill it when it swallowed me whole. Once I was free, I followed the trail of destruction back to Sasuke and Sakura-chan and found Orochimaru with them. He had the same smell as the other rookies but it was so much worse. That's when I knew then that we were in a lot of trouble."

Naruto cleared his throat and he took a drink of water that Sarutobi had handed him. Once his throat was clear and drenched, the blonde shinobi continued his truthful deceit.

"He summoned another snake and it attacked me. After that, I think I started to lash out at him and the snake. I started to burn inside and then I knew that it was the demon chakra inside me. I tried to hold it back, but I was so furious and I couldn't control it. After a while, it felt like I was blind until I was held down. And then I felt a hot hand touch the seal and I screamed… It hurt so much and then I must have blacked out, because the next thing I remember is when Sasuke and Sakura-chan were unconscious. I didn't know what to do next, so I took the scrolls, created some shadow clones, and carried them both here to the tower. I remembered Iruka-aniki in white smoke, I told him what I knew, and then that's it. And that's all I remember."

Sarutobi stared at Naruto, which made him feel a little bit intimidated now. Even with his mental shields raised to their maximum, Naruto failed to hide the small line of sweat that trickled down his face and fell from his chin. An excellent shinobi such as the one in front of him could catch a detail like that and determine Naruto's somewhat fabricated recounts in a heartbeat. But with luck on the child's side, the kind old man smiled and then he nodded as he rested his hand on the child's shoulder when he sensed a small amount of unease that was misread, "That's all I needed to hear, Naruto-kun."

Naruto grabbed a bit of his sheets in his hands and asked, "Sakura-chan and Sasuke will be ok, right?"

"Sakura is exhausted but she should be in her room somewhere here in the tower. As for Sasuke Uchiha, Kakashi is with him at the moment with Anko Mitarashi." he explained.

Naruto stated, "Iruka-aniki told me that he had a mark on his neck…"

"Yes, he does," breathed Sarutobi as he looked down at his knees and then faced the child with a confident look on his face, "But don't be too worried about it. The curse mark is still there on his neck but we've sealed and contained it in time. You were wise to come here so soon; otherwise Sasuke would have turned out a lot worse than he did. He'll have to continue to resist the mark, and he still needs time to rest. But don't let this incident create tension between teammates. All is well for now, Naruto-kun… All is well…"

Naruto looked down at his sheets and couldn't hold back the fear he felt for his dark teammate. He heard that the Uchiha had a violent outburst down in the basement and worried what affects this curse mark had on him or would have on him later if it wasn't treated well. Naruto knew a lot about curses thanks to his advanced studies in DADA and he knew that his teammate would not be well if he had a curse tattooed on his skin. While he didn't consider Sasuke to be a close friend to him, like Iruka, Shikamaru, Choji, or even Harry, he still valued the Uchiha as a comrade and cared about him as a normal friend would.

The blonde wizard deliberated the situation in his head until he asked at last, "How was this, um… curse mark contained?"

"Kakashi and I were able to encase it within an Evil Sealing Method," the old man informed him with the utmost confidence in both his voice and his face, "If Sasuke has the will to resist the curse's influence, then he should be fine from now on. The seal works on the will to resist the curse and should shield him from the affects. You should be able to see him soon once he's calmed down from the incident earlier before the extra seal was added. He had a violent outburst when he was awakened and almost hurt one of the ANBU, but he should be back to normal before the Third Exam starts…"

As if the old man could sense the child's distress, Sarutobi rested out his hand and raised his chin so that the child could see him smile and assured him. Some of the ANBU in the room turned the other cheek at the small moment the child had with the old man. The whole lot of them seemed a little bit nauseated as their esteemed leader showed affection to the blonde shinobi while one or two of them didn't seem to mind as said shinobi started to smile as well.

Naruto nodded as the Sandaime released his chin, "Ok… I think I feel a little bit better now…"

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded to his child and then he turned to look at his silent soldiers in the medical center. All of them stared at the leader and then followed his next orders when he raised his voice to them.

"Leave us," he told them in a stern tone.

Almost at once, the ANBU listened to their elder and left the medical center faster than a normal walk as Naruto noticed them move so fast that all of them seemed to turn into blurs in their movements. The blonde shinobi was a little bit unnerved when he saw the silent soldiers move. He was a little bit envious of them because all of the ANBU soldiers had the chakra control that was stolen from him and wished with all his heart that the extra seal on his stomach wasn't there to restrain him so. But then the blonde shinobi looked to his esteemed and trusted elder as he wondered out loud the reason he dismissed the ANBU at all.

He asked him, "What is it?"

"I feel it would be better to have the ANBU leave while we discuss the other matters at hand, Naruto-kun," the old man insisted as he turned back to face the rookie.

Naruto asked him in a somewhat concerned and nervous voice, "Other matters, sir?"

"Yes," nodded the Sandaime as he talked in a smooth tone, "There is one other issue that we need to discuss, about what Orochimaru had done."

The blonde-haired rookie was about to raise his t-shirt while he asked; "Is it about the seal?"

Sarutobi forced him to release his shirt and that he didn't need to see the seal. Embarrassed at his own insistence, Naruto released his shirt and blushed a little bit as he crossed his arms. He soon faced the Sandaime as he told him all about what he had done in order to fix the seal on his stomach and return him back to normal.

"Yes," he answered, "I called someone to take a look at it and fix it. With a little luck on our side, he's arrived here in Konoha now. He knows a lot about fūinjutsu, so he will be able to reverse the seal Orochimaru used without fail."

Naruto smiled and said, "It's about time; it wouldn't be fair if I continue on with the exams with this extra seal…"

"I understand," nodded the Sandaime, "I will see to it that the man I hired will be here soon."

The rookie shinobi rested his hands on the bed beneath him and asked, "Who is he?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi flinched a little bit when he was asked and he seemed to hesitate. The other wizard hidden from view noticed the old man faltered a little bit in him movements and he seemed to want to hold back on an answer. But soon, the old man cleared his throat and told Naruto more about the man that was soon to come to his rescue.

The old man answered the oblivious rookie but he sounded vulnerable or restrained while he said it, "His name is Jiraiya, and he's one of the other famous Sannin. He was an old student of mine and an old friend… at least I like to think he still is… I haven't talked to him since… Well, around the same time when we started to live at the same estate… We haven't been on the best of terms since then…"

"Where is he?" the rookie asked.

Sarutobi shook his head and answered, "I'm not sure… But I have to admit that I am afraid that he won't be here on time… In the event that he doesn't arrive in time for the final examination, I feel that these will be required in the final exam, Naruto-kun."

The old man reached into his robes and withdrew a small translucent container filled to the brim with medicine. Naruto observed the substance inside and looked shocked as the old man offered him the medicine when he realized what it was.

"Soldier pills?"

The Sandaime nodded and answered, "Yes… Jiraiya wasn't the most reliable student I ever had when it came to a deadline, so in the event that he doesn't arrive in time to fix the seal before the next exam starts, then take these. You will be on the same level as the other rookies for at least one hour with the aid of this medicine. If he doesn't arrive, make sure to take them."

"Isn't that cheating?" the blonde-haired shinobi asked.

But the old man dismissed him and insisted, "No, it's not. Soldier pills are considered shinobi tools in events such as the Chunin Exams. It would be considered unfair to enter a tournament with sabotaged chakra control. But I have to admit that these are a little bit different from the standard soldier pills. It has more of a kick to them; so make sure to take them around the same time as the exam starts. Is that understood, Naruto-kun?"

"Yes sir!" the blonde rookie saluted to the old man and smiled at the same time.

The Sandaime chuckled and commented, "I see Iruka has started to rub off his influence over the once untamable Naruto Uzumaki."

"Heh!" the child returned with, "The same could be said for him too!"

From there on out, the Sandaime and Naruto Uzumaki took some time and talked about familiar trivial nonsense. The kind of talks the two of them shared back when both lived at the Sarutobi estate. The old man needed the break after all the hell he had been stormed into with the incident of Orochimaru and Sasuke Uchiha. He needed five minutes to have a normal conversation with someone other than an ANBU, Kakashi, or a worried member of the council. All he wanted was to be with someone he liked; so he sat there in the medical center and listened with interest as Naruto told him all about the adventures he had ever since he had become a rookie. While the child left out all the details that involved his secret abilities, the old man found his treks across all of Konoha and the Land of Waves to be a lot more engaging than a massive amount of documents and paperwork that needed his signature. It was moments like these; little conversations and stories about mindless babble about rookie missions and chores that made Sarutobi feel warm inside and also nostalgic. Naruto and his little missions (while dull compared to the feats and accomplishments soon to come in the child's future) reminded him what it was like to be a shinobi, back when times were much easier and the world didn't seem as dark or routine as it was to him now. Sarutobi was an old man but it was children and rookies such as Naruto Uzumaki in front of him that whisked him back to the times he wished he could return to.

When Naruto finished his stories, it felt like a small vacation had been cut short. Hiruzen realized what time it was and knew that the council would be furious and intolerable if he was late. The old man would have to return soon and make sure that the civilians are never made aware of the recent incidents. He looked to the blonde-haired shinobi with a sad smile who returned his smile as he sensed the end of their little convention.

The old man said, "I've missed our little conversations… so much, Naruto-kun…"

"Me too, Grandpa…" the child nodded.

Sarutobi soon stood to his feet and the ANBU outside slid the doors and awaited their leader, "Well then, I have to leave and take care of business now, Naruto-kun. The Third Exam starts tomorrow at noon. Make sure to relax here for a little while more and then we can find another room close to Sakura-chan soon. You are free to wander around the tower tomorrow but are forbidden to leave with Orochimaru on the loose. Make sure to arrive at the stadium on the first floor at the end of the week to start the exam with the other rookies. Is that understood?"

Naruto nodded his head and bid his favorite elder a fond farewell as he soon turned to leave with the ANBU at his sides.

Once Sarutobi had left the medical center, Naruto lied down on his bed and returned to his subconscious. It took a little bit more time than usual thanks to the extra seal, but soon he returned to his older brother's chambers and found him in another chamber outside the bedroom, on a couch near the warm fire and all the relics from his time in school. The older wizard relaxed as he stared at the enchanted flames and watched them shift colors of scarlet, blue, and even emerald each time the fire crackled and released an incredible scent in the air. The blonde-haired wizard waltzed around another chair across from his wise mentor. He sat down and tried to relax his sore and tender muscles but also seemed a little bit nervous or worried even while the chair he sat on was one of the warmest and most comfortable seats in the entire subconscious realm. Naruto looked to his older brother and then he asked him about the matter that was on his mind.

"You think he believed me?" he asked him.

The wizard sat back in his seat and answered, "I'm not sure. Sarutobi's face was difficult to read until he mentioned this Jiraiya character… But even if he didn't believe it, Sasuke and Sakura's accounts on the events will convince him that it's the truth. You'll have to remember to add in other small details on the events here and there but make sure that the basic 'truth' is consistent, so that it doesn't sound like it's been rehearsed. If the recollections sound rehearsed or too similar, the shinobi or even the ANBU could detect that it's a lie. You see, it's an old tactic that the Germans used in World War II to find out whenever someone lied. It wouldn't shock me if another culture from another world such as this one would be able to think of similar lie-detection method. Shinobi are barbaric, but are also clever."

Naruto took a breath as he sank further into his soft chair while his older brother leaned backed, reached back, and then rested his head in his hands. Naruto did a similar motion while he flashed back to the events of the battle. Most of them were unclear after he was slammed into the trees but then he remembered that his mentor had taken control over him for a while and wanted to know what it was like for him to have returned to the real world for a short while and how it felt to battle one of the most formidable shinobi on earth.

He asked his older brother, "So… You had fun kickin' that snake-teme across the world and back, Nii-san?"

"Yes, I did," the older wizard smirked as he leaned back further, but then he turned more solemn as he was certain his little one will have remembered the events when the demon took control for the second time, "But… You must be real furious with me when I accessed the demon's chakra and then later took control over at the end of the battle, huh?"

But Naruto shook his head, "No, not at all. You had to do what needed to be done in order to save us, Nii-san. But I sure do wish I could have been there to see it. You must have looked so cool while in control over me."

"It sure was convenient," the wizard nodded but then he frowned a little bit, "But don't make a habit out of it. Your irises switch colors whenever someone else is in control over the host's consciousness."

The blonde wizard nodded and sank back into his seat, "Got it."

Harry then sat closer to his little brother and decided to distract him from the recent traumatic events in order to ease the obvious stress he felt. The older wizard sounded enthusiastic as he reminded the child that he was still in the middle of the examinations.

"So…" he smiled as he reminded the child in a more cheerful tone than usual, "The Third Exam is around the corner now. I almost can't believe that it's almost done. You'll be a chunin before the week is even out!"

But the blonde wizard stared at his hands and showed the older wizard that he had doubts about the exams now, "I wouldn't be so sure about that. You think that medicine from Sarutobi will even work on me?"

"Sure," he said as he remained truthful as well as informative, "I took a look at them and it seems like the old man told the truth. It's an enhancement that should create the same amount of chakra if the seal hadn't been defiled like it was. But it will be difficult to control the enhancement. Orochimaru sure did a number on that old seal. Make sure to take them when the match starts and end the match ASAP."

Naruto crossed his arms and said, "That other Sannin better make it here soon…"

"Don't be too worried about it, mate," the dark-haired sorcerer said, "Even if the Sannin doesn't arrive on time, at least Sarutobi made it so that our match will be fair. But even with a diminished chakra control, no one on earth can be as resourceful and clever as the famous Naruto Ignotus Uzumaki."

The blonde-haired wizard smiled a little bit and said, "Thanks…"

Harry reached out to mess around with Naruto's ruffled hair and made him chuckle. He then stood to stretch out his arms while he walked around the chamber in order to find another distraction from the incident with Orochimaru. He decided the best method of distraction would be to start another lesson. It had been a while since Naruto learned a new charm and he felt it would be best to teach him one that would serve him well, since Naruto was at a Fourth Year level at least.

"Well then… Now that we're here, we should test to make sure that extra seal doesn't affect a wizard's incredible skills and abilities… So how about we learn a new charm?" he asked with a wide and adorable smirk.

Naruto beamed as the chakra-burns in his muscles vanished in an instant, "It's about time!"

The older wizard smiled as Naruto started to follow him out of the current chamber in an over-enthusiastic manner like when he was six. The new chamber was reconstructed to resemble his old DADA classroom, but this time the rows and desks were removed and instead filled to the brim with boxes and wooden chairs scattered all across the area. The familiar skeleton of the dragon loomed over the two wizards as the two of them entered the vast chamber and faced each other. Naruto's clothes were transformed into his school uniform, minus the robes, the tie, the black dress shoes, and all the colors that represented Gryffindor House. The blonde wizard loved the fact that he would have been sorted there had he been a Hogwarts student, but it didn't seem to make sense to wear the exact colors of a House of a school that didn't even exist in his world. Still, he felt more comfortable in the clothes he wore now while he took out his wand and smiled at his older brother as he also took out his wand and started one of his short lectures.

Harry cleared his throat and then he started, "The charm we will work on this time is called the Seize and Pull Charm. As the name states: whenever used the charm shoots out an almost unbreakable lasso that latches onto a solid target. This charm can be used like an indestructible cable while the user concentrates and maintains the charm via the wand. You can use this in the heat of a battle to seize someone at the feet and toss a shinobi or kunoichi across certain areas and terrains. With a little luck, the sudden hurl could knock someone out if the victim is slammed into a wall or it could even be used to break someone's neck if the charm is used in a more violent manner and if the victim moves too fast…" the older wizard hesitated at what he said and then he said as he rubbed the back of his head and smiled, "But… let's make sure we don't have to resort to that."

"Noted," nodded the blonde wizard and smiled in a more humorous manner, "No broken necks."

The much older sorcerer nodded and continued, "Good. Now the incantation for this charm is Carpe Retractum."

"Carpe Retractum… Carpe Retractum… Carpe Retractum…" the blonde child memorized the words as he chanted it to himself until it was stuck inside his head and he nodded, "Got it!"

Harry smiled as he cleaned his wand and demonstrated the movements, "Excellent. In order to use this charm; first reel back the arm, aim the wand at the victim, and release the charm with the incantation. Follow after me."

The older wizard faced a wooden box in between him and his blonde little one. He blinked and then he reeled his arm back as the end of his wand radiated with heat. He then slashed the air with his wand as if it were a sword while Naruto stared and made sure he never missed even one detail as if he could watch the scene that followed in slow motion.

The older wizard shouted, "Carpe Retractum!"

And at once, there was a flash and then an elastic orange lasso shot out from the end of his wand and the end latched onto the box he aimed for. While the wizard was not a shinobi, it sure did look like he could have been an excellent one as the elastic bands latched around the box and almost cracked the wood it was bound towards. He then thrust his arm to the side and the box the charm was attached to was tossed across the classroom and tumbled into several other chairs and boxes that were scattered all around him and his little brother. Naruto stared in awe and couldn't wait to test his skills.

He said and then shouted, "Whoa… Me next!"

Naruto ran into the middle of the area to choose which box or chair he wanted to use and toss around the room. Once he had selected a box to use, he wouldn't rest until he had mastered the newest charm. But before the blonde rookie could even reel back his arm, his wise mentor held him back and made sure he listened to his stern and detailed directions before the small wizard made a mistake and caused the lasso to burst out and tie him into a mess.

"Make sure to maintain control over the charm. The Seize and Pull Charm is not too different from the Levitation Charm as far as concentration is concerned. Go ahead now and let's see what we can do," he said as he released his brother's wand arm and made sure he attained a distance so that he wasn't slammed with a box or a chair.

The small blonde wizard then saw a box from across the classroom, he aimed at it, reeled his arm back, and then he shouted, "Carpe Retractum!"

There was another flash and the lasso burst out of his wand like it did before and latched around the box he had aimed at. Once attached to the box, the band constricted into a firm wire, and then Naruto thrust his arm back with all the strength in his torso. The box flew into the air and Naruto beamed until he noticed the box was about to hit him in the head. He frowned and then he ducked down as fast as he could before he knocked back into the real world.

He shouted as he ducked, "WHOA!"

And the box soared over his head and crashed behind him while his older brother observed his little brother with his arms crossed. Naruto stood after he heard the crash and saw the box smashed on the floor between two other untouched wooden boxes. At first he was relieved that he wasn't hurt, and then Naruto smiled and chuckled that he was successful in the use of the charm.

"Cool…" he breathed out as he smiled.

The older dark-haired wizard then commented after he looked at the box and then his little student, "You could use a little more finesse."

When Naruto returned to the real world several hours later when he started to master the Seized and Pull Charm, he stared out his window and watched as the sun started to set into the trees of the forest outside. He was certain the other rookies were out there in the woods and almost felt bad for them while he sat down in his somewhat comfortable bed while most of the other rookies out there were stuck outside and had to rest with kunai in their hands. But while the blonde-haired rookie was able to rest with a mattress and a warm blanket, he remained restless as he wondered about his teammates. He wanted to see them and make sure at least one of them was fine.

He looked down at his feet hidden under the smooth white sheets and tested all his muscles. Naruto wasn't as sore as he was earlier and he was certain he would be able to leave the medical center and search for his teammates in the tower. He looked over the bed to see his clothes folded on a table and abandoned he his mattress in favor for one little adventure. Naruto climbed down his bed and discovered he could walk like normal while the burns in his muscles were now so minimal that it didn't bother him. He switched outfits but left his coat behind in case someone came around and wondered where he was as he soon sneaked out of the center. He ducked down underneath the window that lead into the nurse's office and soon waltzed down the hall for the rooms Sarutobi mentioned earlier. With a little luck, he would be able to find at least one of his teammates on his own.

He searched several halls and checked the names that were written down on dried eraser boards attached to the doors where the rookies that survived were able to shower and rest. There weren't a lot of teams that made it so far and so most of the dried eraser boards were blank. But those few that were filled out included names, village of origin, and the time it took them to reach the tower and finish the exam. Naruto saw that the Oto rookies had made it, as well as Gai's team, but then he noticed that the one rookie team had made it as well. But his interest in the team's arrival to the tower was more centered on the time it took for them to finish the exam. It said on their dried-eraser board that Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari arrived an hour and a half after the test had started. This shocked Naruto and his brother as the two of them stared at their names and wondered how fast and skilled this team was to have obtained their scrolls and arrive here at the tower in such a short amount of time. But to be honest, Naruto didn't think much about Kankuro since he defeated and humiliated him earlier before the exams even started. His concern about this rookie team from Suna overall was more focused on Gaara and Temari, since he never seen them in action. While he stared at their names and wondered about them, Naruto felt his forehead burn and soon after heard someone at the other side of the door and saw a shadow. He soon dismissed the burn on his forehead and walked as fast as he could from the door and headed towards the closest staircase. After he left the corridor, the shadow that loomed out soon returned to the room.

Naruto walked down the stairs to a new corridor. There were windows that curved with the rest of the tower and there were more rooms lined with benches and chairs in between each door and almost all of the white boards on them were blank. The blonde shinobi walked down the hall, checked the doors, and distracted himself with the dark forest on the other side of the windows he was sure wouldn't hold back a crazed white-skinned Sannin unless there were defensive charms or seals hidden on said windows. As Naruto fantasized what it would be like if his world were more like the one his older brother came from, he heard a noise and sensed someone at the end of the corridor. The voice sounded familiar and whomever it was he was certain he heard sobs.

Once he stood closer to the source of the noise, Naruto realized who it was at once. He had found Sakura, and she sat there alone on a bench next to the door that had her name written on the small white board. She had a small but warm blanket swathed around her and she was dressed in white clothes with her headband removed, so her fuchsia hair started to cover some of her wide forehead like it did in the time before she even met Naruto and had a crush on Sasuke Uchiha. She covered her face and tried to mask her obvious sobs as she remained outside her room and cried.

Naruto frowned at his teammate in sadness and started to walk over to her. He was slow and didn't want to scare her, as she remained oblivious to him until he announced himself from a fair distance. Naruto couldn't stomach to see his crush in such a state and was determined to fix whatever it was that had been done.

"Sakura-chan," he said, and soon cleared his throat and looked sad to see his teammate in such an emotional state.

The kunoichi twitched in astonishment and then she did her best to hide the tears on her face and clean them with her sleeves before her blonde-haired teammate could see. She sniffled and hid her face until it was somewhat clean and whatever cosmetics she had earlier were erased from existence.

"Naruto… You're awake?" she asked while she continued to wipe her face clean.

Naruto nodded and walked over to the bench to sit down beside her. He made sure he maintained a safe distance in case she was defensive and wanted him to stand back. But she never hissed at him and threw back a hurtful remark. Instead, she looked at him and sniffled as she failed to hide the fact that she had cried for what looked like a while. And it would seem that no one had been around to talk to talk or comfort her. She remained silent until her teammate wondered what in the world was the matter.

He asked in a soft and warm voice, "Why are you crying?"

"I-I don't know…" she shook her head and she started to break down all over again as she talked more and more, "I-I haven't seen Sasuke-kun since that horrible battle in the forest… N-no one has talked to me since… a-and I-I-I don't even know what's the matter, I-I don't know where Sasuke-kun is, o-o-or Kakashi-sensei, and I-I-I don't know what to do! I'm so s-scared and I'm s-s-s-so useless!"

Sakura's face had turned red and tears rolled down her cheeks as her voice cracked at the last word she said. She had fallen into another wave of silent sobs as tears raced down her face in torrents. Naruto felt his heart sink in his chest as she watched her emotional breakdown. He felt so bad for her and felt the need to comfort her, so he reached out a hand to her and rested it on her shoulder. She twitched at the contact but then the killer-kunoichi let him hold on. Sakura would have struck her teammate across the face if he ever so much as touched her, but instead she started to lean closer towards him and let him hold on.

Naruto was a little bit shocked that she never hit him, but soon he smiled at her and felt his heart rise inside his chest and swell with warm, as his cheeks blushed a little bit. Sakura turned to face her blonde-haired teammate and she felt her own heart start to rise and swell as well.

Naruto looked down at his sunken teammate and acted a lot like one of his older brothers whenever he was sad or felt downtrodden.

"It'll be fine now, Sakura-chan, I swear it," he smiled as he told her the truth in a voice that radiated with assurance and warmth, "Sasuke is downstairs with Kakashi-sensei now. And that mark on his neck has been sorted out with. The Sandaime said that he's fine. He had an outburst earlier when he came to, but he should be fine and we'll be able to see him at the end of the week. He'll be fine."

Sakura stared at her teammate and felt the tears on her face start to flow much slower than earlier. The blonde shinobi continued to talk in that same warmth and assurance.

"B-But what about that monster?" she asked, "W-What about Orochimaru?"

Naruto wasn't sure where that terrible man was, but if his mentor was able to land a curse on him, chances were that he wouldn't dare come back and face a wizard's wrath and he said with that same warm confidence, "That monster isn't a mile close to us now. With Kakashi-sensei and the ANBU in the tower, he wouldn't dare return and attack… We're safe now, Sakura-chan. And even if he does come back, I'll never let him near us a second time."

"Y-Y-You swear it?" the kunoichi asked one more time.

The blonde shinobi smiled and nodded, "Yes, Sakura-chan… You can count on me… After all, what are friends for?"

Sakura stared at Naruto Uzumaki and even started to crack a small but warm smile. She leaned close to her teammate as she held her hands close to her mouth and tried to reach for her blanket. Naruto noticed and so he raised the blanket back over her shoulders so that she remained warm. Naruto acted a lot more like his older brothers and failed to notice that his female teammate smiled and stared at him for a while. Sakura noticed that her blonde-haired teammate never reached out to embrace her but instead acted a lot like her mother would whenever she was bullied or hurt. After she had talked to Naruto, all of her worries and woes seemed to vanish now that she wasn't alone. She didn't feel as lost or scared as she did before, and now she looked forward to the future and safe while she was with her once idiotic teammate. She started to reflect on his behavior when the exams started, the intellect he showed in the forest, as well as how he treated her now and Sakura started to re-think about how she felt about Naruto Uzumaki. She then leaned closer to him as exhaustion started to overwhelm her.

She muttered in a low and even sweet voice, "Naruto…"

"Yeah?" he asked.

Sakura hesitated and blushed a little bit out of frustration aimed at herself when she remembered and realized how horrible and unfair she had been to her teammate ever since the two of them were in school when it now seemed that all he ever wanted was to be friends.

She let out several hidden and remorseful tears while she admitted in that same uncommon voice, "Thanks so much… You're the best…"

Naruto smiled and then he blushed a little bit, "You're welcome, Sakura Haruno."

To Be Continued…

And we're done with this new one!

Now, in this new version of this chapter I left out the Carpe Retractum Spell Challenge inside the mindscape (which was derived from the Prisoner of Azkaban PC game), as well as the scene where Naruto was somehow able to tie himself into a mess with said charm before he mastered it mere seconds after he learned the words, I also cut out the random moment where Naruto flees the scene where two shinobi are snogging and kick him out (who were supposed to be Hayate Gekko and his ANBU girlfriend, but I failed to address that in the previous version), and I also left out a few somewhat repetitive conversations between Naruto, Iruka, and the Sandaime. And that's about it!

Naruto: Oh, I see it now… This is much better!

K: That whole chapter was ok then, huh?

N: It was a little boring. But at least it answered some questions. And Sakura-chan and I are closer than ever now! Woot!

AZ44: You idiots! NaruHina has been confirmed! Don't deliver false hope to the readers like that! Besides, I hate NaruSaku! It doesn't make sense and it would never work out between them! She's a total bitch and a horrible teammate and a terrible excuse for a friend to Naruto! She insults him all the time, she hits him all the time, she's useless, she is selfish to no end, and she's still devoted to that two-faced bitch Sasuke!

K: Oh-no! He'll start another debate! We need to silence him!

AZ44: I WILL NOT BE SILENCED!

N: Quick! Use this! (He tosses over the Phantom Zone Projector)

K: Brilliant work! Azeroth! Look over here!

AZ44: What's that?

K: Say cheese!

(Activates the device and shots Azeroth44 until he vanishes into the Phantom Zone, while a shadow clone comes out of nowhere and covers Naruto's ears so that he doesn't hear about his future)

He should be fine in there until the next couple of chapters. And I want to take this opportunity to make one thing clear: Sakura and Naruto's relationship is drastically different in Dark Path of Shinobi, where I bash her in a more extreme manner and where she's vicious and merciless to Naruto. But I should mention that Book 5 will be re-written in the future and the scenes with Sakura there will be much different. I won't list the details of their future here, but I can assure the audience that it won't be as extreme as it was in Dark Path of Shinobi.

And that's the latest chapter and news! Make sure to leave behind a review if you liked it and I'll see you guys next time! Later!