"Blah": Talking

'Blah': Demon speaking/Inner Sakura

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

'Blah': Harry talking to Naruto

I'M BACK! And much faster than ever before! Now that the battles between the rookies are done with, I can focus on the downtime before the finals of the Chunin Exams! For the next month, Naruto will discover the alternate use for shadow clones a lot earlier and might even use it to his advantage.

Azeroth44: Ok, that's enough now! Let's start the chapter!

K: But I still have a lot more to talk about here! I have to announce that I won't make the corrections to the Scroll of Sealing book until I reach Book 5-

AZ44: Dude! Let's finish this book as soon as possible and then we can talk about bullshit all we want!

Naruto: C'mon! Let him at least talk about the difference between this version of the book and the last one!

K: Actually, Naruto, I save that bit for the end of the chapter most of the time.

Naruto: Oh… Ok, then… What else do you have to mention?

K: Nothing much really.

Naruto: Yeah?

K: Yeah… Enjoy the new the chapter, everyone!

Remember: Reviews are welcome and wanted!

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto

Harry Potter is property of JK Rowling

Chapter 13: A Friend From The Past

No one in the chamber could talk for the next several minutes. Everybody tried to calm down and let the adrenaline of that last match tone down a bit. However, Naruto was still shaken and saddened after Lee's bitter loss. He walked back to the stairs, in his isolated area on the terrace, relieved to see Kankuro return to his team and leave him alone. It looked like Kankuro had failed in his mission to obtain more information. But while Naruto sulked, he turned to his older brother about Lee and desired closure.

'It's still not fair… Lee was a lot like me… After all he went through and all that time he worked hard and trained, he lost and now he might not be able to be a shinobi for the rest of his life for all we know… It's not fair for him, Nii-san…'

Harry focused the touch of his hand onto Naruto's shoulder as he consoled him about Lee and his defeat at Gaara's hands.

'I know… But we shouldn't assume he doesn't have a chance as a shinobi… If someone like Rock Lee can learn how to use the Lotus and unlock the Inner Gates at his age in less than twelve months, he could be back on his feet in no time.'

Naruto was not convinced and shook his head, 'How? You heard what the medics said…'

'Oh, don't listen to those idiots. If I were out there, I could have healed him in a heartbeat.'

'Get stuffed. You're not a doctor, Nii-san.'

'You assume too much of me, Naruto. A hundred thousand decades and a boundless universe full of books and scrolls all about medicine and magic, I would be the best doctor this world has ever seen. I don't need a license or a doctorate to know that.'

'You're like a healer now?'

'Yeah, I have been ever since before we met… And believe me, what those medics are able to do won't return Lee to his former health. But if I were out there in the real world, Lee would be back on his feet in a few months.'

'Hold on… Nii-san… You mean to tell me… You know how to fix him?'

'Well… with a few careful instructions, a cauldron, and a fantastic potioneer of a little brother to listen to me, I think we could see Lee back on his feet in a matter of weeks. A little bit of homemade Skele-Grow, Wiggenweld, and a cocktail of simple elixirs should do the trick.'

'HARRY, YOU ARE BRILLIANT!'

'OWW! MIND THE NEW EARDRUMS, WILL YOU?!'

'Ohhh… Gomenasai…'

'Right… We'll discuss this later once we find the time. But for now, let's focus on this final match, stick around for the instructions for the finals, to see what we have in store…'

Hayate Gekko soon walked to the middle of the ruined arena floor; he almost stumbled over debris and solid chunks of concrete before he made one more announcement for the final battle.

"The final match of the Chunin Selection Exams will start now! Will the final two combatants come down here? Pronto!"

The two rookies that were left were Choji and Dosu Kinuta. Both combatants rushed down without the need for the stairs and faced each other over the ruins of the arena. Dosu looked loose and relaxed, while Choji resembled a mountain, half of it due to his size and the other half because he was determined to end the match, win or lose. All Choji seemed to want was to end the match as soon as he could so that Asuma could take him out for barbecue. But Dosu was set to be the lone victor of his team, and show his worthiness to his sensei, even while he seemed to have vanished off the face of the earth.

Back on the terrace, Shikamaru and Ino cheered on their teammate to win his match.

Shikamaru shouted down to his best friend, "Go, Choji! You can win this!"

Ino had an idea to motivate her obese teammate with a certain word he hated to be called that threw him into a furious fit that would turn him into a shinobi's worst dream come true.

The kunoichi breathed in and then she screamed, "Fatso!"

The veins on Choji's face throbbed and rose to the surface at the mention of the one word he hated to be called. Choji's bared his teeth while his bloated cheeks turned red and then the rest of his face as his fat fists shook and his voice boomed.

"I'M GONNA FINISH THIS MATCH IN A FLASH AND THEN BEAT THOSE TWO TEAMMATES OF MINE INTO A BLOODY PULP! NO ONE CALLS ME FAT!"

Dosu decided to incite Choji into a blind rage and antagonized him, "Then I shall make it simple for us both and end the battle as soon as I can, fatass."

"YOU TALKIN' TO ME YOU BANDAGED-UP FREAK?! I'LL SHOW YOU FAT!" the rotund shinobi went into an absolute rage before he weaved one handsign, "Human Boulder Jutsu!"

At once, Choji's signature Akimichi clan technique came into instant effect. Choji's roundish stomach swelled and turned him into a human balloon of sheer massive size. His legs and arms turned into stubs as he teetered from side to side, as his face and second chin swelled to match his stomach. Naruto had to blink as he mistook his old classmate's condition as the result of an Inflation Charm. But the blonde-haired shinobi realized this was the Akimichi clan's Multi-Size Technique, used to turn his former classmate into the size of a shed. Choji sunk his head, hands, and feet into his bulk, turned into a ball, and started to roll his inflated form with a sudden blast of his chakra. Choji rolled and caused the rubble beneath him to crumble into bits and dust.

Choji's rounded form bounced into the air and he dove down towards Dosu's direction Choji continued to roll in a violent manner and screamed somewhere within his bulk and fat in a muffled voice, "CHUBBIES RULE!"

"Go Choji! GO CRUSH HIM!" cheered on Ino.

Dosu ducked and slid to the side to avoid Choji's rolls of destruction. He did this for about ten seconds before he tricked him to run into a wall. Choji was embedded in the face of the wall and tried to pull himself out. The whole scene looked ridiculous as Choji released his feet and hands from his bulk and shook his now enormous rear end about for all the world to see. But five seconds later, Dosu descended from the air and thrust his fist into the Akimichi's malleable backside. His attack was useless as Dosu's arm was submerged into a bed of soft fat. Choji remained unscathed and chuckled, as all Dosu seemed to do was tickle him. But then the much older teen rolled back his sleeve with most of his arm still stuck with the heir of the Akimichi.

Dosu then stated, "You're dead, fatass."

The mummified individual flicked the metal case around his arm and caused a incredible wave of sound to vibrate. The wave of sound turned out to do more damage than irritate most of the audience members in the stands. Choji screamed and then he inflated a little bit more before he burst into smoke and his clan technique was cancelled out. Once the dust and smoke cleared out, a small thud was heard and the Akimichi heir was unconscious; his mouth drooled and his nose ran with mucus and blood while his brain felt like it had been turned into mush. Dosu straightened his back and stood over the obese heir to one of Konoha's most illustrious clans.

"More than seventy percent of the human body is made out of water. Water transmits sound. Basically, your whole body is turned into a giant ear that I can penetrate. That is my specialty after all. My gauntlet emits a powerful vibration of sound that's like poison to the ears of anyone who listens to it," he said as he rested his foot onto Choji's wide bum.

Hayate looked down at the clan heir's unconscious form and announced, "The winner is Dosu Kinuta!"

Dosu walked back to the terrace, alone. With no one around to talk to him about his win into the finals, he was alone with his thoughts. And all he could think about was what his sensei would think of him after the news. Back down in the arena, the medical team checked over Choji to see if he was in critical condition. But when he started to come to, the medics asked him if he could hear them and all the fat teen was able to mutter was, "I want… to eat… barbecue…"

The medics sighed in exasperation, "What more can someone expect out of an Akimichi…"

Asuma leaned down on the rail with his students, disappointed but he still smiled, as he knew his most obese student at least tried to win, "Looks like I still have to take him out for barbecue…"

"You are still aware that Choji still eats about as much food as his father, right?" asked Shikamaru.

Asuma stood still for several moments before he almost hit his head on the rail, "Dammit…"

Hayate walked to the central area of the arena, cleared his throat from whatever illness his throat was stricken with. The man then cracked a small smile; relieved that the matches were done, 'It's over… after almost seven hours…'

Sarutobi looked down to Hayate and smiled down at him too, relieved that the matches were done.

'At last, the finals will soon begin…' the old man thought.

The sickened instructor held his arm out while he announced, "This concludes the first half of the Third Exam's matches!"

Sarutobi walked down to the arena floor and returned to where he stood earlier when he addressed the students. The victorious rookies that advanced to the finals in attendance formed a horizontal line in front of the old man. All of them watched the Sandaime as the three proctors of all three examinations stood in front of the old man, like a small human barrier. It didn't look like it, but the three proctors were all still their in front of their leader to protect him from assassination at the hands of the foreigners in the room. Whenever Konoha hosted the Chunin Exams, the proctors would remain close to the Hokage, especially in the presence of shinobi from other countries. Ibiki and Anko seemed to have done this before, while Hayate looked to be new to the whole experience and seemed well relaxed in front of the rookies, as most of them were still children.

Hayate then announced, "To the victors of the ten individual matches: You are now cleared to continue to the finals of the Chunin Selection Exams! Congratulations!"

Sakura turned her attention from the finalists and looked over to Kakashi, worried as one of the ten victors was not down there to listen to the final set of instructions.

She started with, "Sensei… I wanted to ask-"

"Is it about Sasuke?" asked Kakashi.

Sakura nodded and her teacher answered, "Well, Sakura… I don't know that much about it… But I wouldn't be too worried over it…"

After he set his lie aside, Kakashi remembered the curse mark of his one student's neck. As well as when the Uchiha first awakened when he received it, how violent he turned out to be and attacked one of the ANBU in the room there to contain him. He was also a little bit worried, as Sasuke didn't seem as reluctant as he should have been to use that curse mark or let it stretch across his skin when it activated. Kakashi soon turned to look back at Sakura and faked a smile to reassure her.

He said, "You'll have to excuse me, Sakura, I have to stand outside for a bit of fresh air. Be sure to listen in and inform me on the details for the finals, ok?"

Kakashi saluted to his kunoichi student and then he vanished into white smoke. Down in the rubble remains of the arena, Sarutobi smiled, as he looked down at all the faces of the final candidates.

'Including the absent Sasuke Uchiha, there are five rookies from Konoha, three from Suna, and one lone victor from Otogakure…' the old man thought as he tilted his hat and announced, "Now then, I shall now cover the details for the final matches…"

Naruto listened to his leader, his attention focused on the details of the finals with a mixture of motives and emotions. He was somewhat nervous about the finals and who he would have to battle, he also wanted to leave soon so that he could find a cure for Lee's condition, and then his attention turned back to the old man, determined to also know what he needed to know to become chunin.

'Let's hear it, Grandpa… We don't have a lot of time to waste… ' the blonde-haired shinobi thought.

Sarutobi breathed in some smoke from his old wooden pipe and educated the attentive students, "As I have mentioned before, you will be conducting your individual battles in front of everyone. Not only will you be performing in front of the daimyos and the Kage leaders in attendance. You will also be fighting in front of several of your own comrades… most of them are Konoha shinobi, due to the location, of course," the old man chuckled a little bit at the truth on the chosen area and continued, "Each of you will represent the fighting strengths of your respective villages. So we want you each to do nothing short than the very best of your ability in each of your shinobi talents…"

Sarutobi took a breath of fresh air and said with a more stern tone, "The final matches of the Chunin Exams will commence in one month from now…"

Naruto blinked at the information, he then raised his hand and asked, "How come we don't have the finals now? Or in about a week from now?"

"These exams require a requisite period to get everything prepared, Naruto-kun…" the old man informed him.

Neji asked, "What does that mean?"

It seemed that none of the students understood the entire scenario that surrounded the exams. Sarutobi wasn't all that shocked to see this, as he was aware that children and students are not allowed to attend the Chunin Selection Exams, and did not know much about them to start with. The annual event is reserved for adult civilians, licensed shinobi, and the honored visitors from the various countries. However, the finals of the exams were often televised live to the locals in the area to entertain the masses and document the rookies on their skill sets. Once in a while, in a household or two, a few kids are allowed to watch the finals. Back when Naruto was still little, the students at the school were allowed to watch the violent matches on a wheeled-in television set in class or in the auditorium. But ever since the Uchiha massacre, those annual events were cancelled.

Sarutobi looked solemn and informed the students, "We need a certain period of time to distribute the invitations to the daimyos, the feudal lords, and other figures that arrive to these events. Not to mention that it takes a little time for those without chakra to arrive here and become situated to examine the battles and attend the local festival… I must not forget, that you candidates need this period of time to prepare and better understand your opponents. And in turn, you must also understand yourself."

Kankuro seemed to be confused at this.

"I mean, of course, that this is also your training period." the old man smiled, "In this one month, you can use whatever intelligence you have gathered while watching the previous ten matches and analyze who you will be fighting. Once you've learned more about your enemy, then your chances of winning are much greater than they were on your first fight… In the preliminaries, you are put into a situation that you had no idea or have any information on any of your opponents. The idea of the finals serves a purpose so that you will be forced into obtaining and learning different techniques in order to succeed, like what you did in the First Exam with Ibiki's class. For whatever methods of fighting you used before can now be seen through and only work against you in the finals…"

Naruto swallowed at the idea that he would have to work even harder this time around. Not to mention the idea that some of the most refined and influential people would be there to watch him. He would have felt more excited, but when he looked back at his current shinobi skills, he didn't have much on the table. He was a clever trickster and he could create shadow clones on a whim, but his other skills were basic at the most. Naruto would need to learn a new set of skills and learn more about the other victors if he even wanted to stand a chance to win. But he was comforted at the idea that Kakashi would be there for him and teach both him and Sasuke as well.

"In order to make these finals work out for everyone equally, we give you this one month to prepare yourselves. Each of you must take the opportunity that has been presented to you and work your best to obtain new skills and train vigorously. But don't forget to take some time to rest. No doubt, all of the stress from the previous battles must have left some of you tired and weary…"

Naruto looked over at Neji and stared at him with the intention to beat him senseless when the time came. He then started to think about Sasuke and then looked over at Gaara. If the odds were not in his favor, Naruto would be forced to battle with Sasuke or even Gaara now that he realized that.

The blonde-haired shinobi tried not to think about his teammate and instead thought, 'I shouldn't treat this free time too much like some vacation. There's almost no time for me to relax or kick back…'

"Those are the basics on what you need to know, everyone," said Sarutobi, "But before you can go to attend to your training or take the afternoon to rest, I must ask that you must stay for one last moment. There is one more detail that should be covered."

Naruto moaned out loud, unable to hold it in, as he was certain that all of them were about to be dismissed.

Sarutobi looked at him and said, "Now, now. Don't be so anxious. Anko is going to come up to you and have you select a slip of paper from out of that box. Please, take one slip each."

{{A Quarter Quell + Katniss Is Chosen by James Newton Howard}}

Anko did as she was instructed and walked over to each of the nine rookies and allowed them to take one slip of paper. She slowed down when she reached Naruto and winked at him. Naruto wasn't sure what to think, but assumed she was glad that he was able to survive the forest and make it to the finals. Once everyone had taken a slip, each of them opened the slips to reveal a bold number written in black ink.

Ibiki called out to the finalists and commanded, "Now that everybody has a slip, starting with the person at the left of the line, call out the number written down!"

Dosu said he had the number eight, Naruto said he had one, and Temari said she had number seven while her brothers received numbers five and three. Shikamaru had the number nine, Neji said two, and Shino said he had six. Ibiki decided that Sasuke will have number four and wrote down the numbers and names in accordance.

Sarutobi then said, "Now I shall tell you all how exactly the tournament is going to be set…"

All of the victors twitched and were shocked to discover that the finals were set as if it were an athletic event.

Shikamaru asked out loud, "We drew numbers was so that we would be set into slots?!"

"Ibiki," asked the old man, "Please show them the list?"

The tall and scarred man him and show the finalists how the matches were set. The rookies were matched at random, but this time, the entire system was set in a similar fashion, as an athletic tournament would be with brackets. Naruto was able to understand it without trouble, thanks to his obsession over Quidditch. The first two rookies that were in line were Naruto and Neji for the first round. Followed with Gaara and Sasuke, Kankuro and Shino, and then the final match, Temari who would fight either Dosu or Shikamaru, depending on which one of them would win.

Shino looked as emotionless as ever, Dosu looked frustrated, Temari was conflicted, and Shikamaru looked bored and disappointed, as he was the one shinobi that would have to be in an extra round. Kankuro was relieved; contented that was not in the same bracket as his little brother. Gaara looked amused, as he would be forced to face two of them most interesting rookies he had seen in the last week. Neji seemed to be satisfied that he was selected with Naruto. The older rookie smirked at the selection, while Naruto decided to stare back at him, also satisfied at the selection.

'This couldn't be better…' the blonde-haired shinobi thought with malice.

Back on the terrace, Sakura was worried and terrified when she read the chart from the distance. Once she learned her beloved Sasuke was chosen to with the most malicious rookie out of the entire bunch of misfits, she felt her stomach fall into her lower intestine. She didn't even seem to think about her best friend as he was selected to fight one of the fiercest warriors in the roster.

Sarutobi nodded, once he was sure the chart had been read, "It is now time that you must each prepare for the individual battles. I recommend that you rest well and do what must be done in order to succeed. I recommend that you each get help from your jounin sensei. Even if two or three of you have the same one, your teachers will and should be able to train each and every one of you fairly. After all, they are like a part of your family now. Go to them as soon as we are done here."

Shikamaru raised his hand and said, "I have a question."

"Go ahead, Shikamaru-kun…" the old man smiled.

The slothful shinobi asked, "So if this a tournament, does that mean that only one of us will become chunin? Just one lone victor out of us ten?"

"No," the old man shook his head, "Quite the contrary, seeing as there are going to be several judges around the arena you will be performing in, myself, the shinobi leaders, the Kazekage, and the lords from the numerous countries, the men and women which that might want to hire you one day for missions. In the tournament, these judges will make a complete evaluation over each of your abilities in battle. It is then, that it will be determined whether or not one or all of you have the correct qualifications to become chunin."

Naruto continued to nod his head while he absorbed this new information. All he wanted more in the world at the moment was to leave.

"Even if one of you might lose in the first round of the tournament, some of you might still be able to become chunin… based on how well your performance is," said the Sandaime.

Temari moved in closer and asked if there was a chance that all of them could become chunin.

Sarutobi answered back with, "Yes, but there is also a chance that absolutely none of you might be able to become chunin, Miss Temari… The chance to be involved in more rounds and continue to fight also increases your time to display your abilities further. Giving you an ample opportunity to increase your chances of attaining the right to become chunin…"

The victors stood there in silence, their minds centered on how even one of them would be able to advance to the chunin rank. Meanwhile, others in the line were focused on other matters on their minds.

Sarutobi smiled and said aloud with enthusiasm before he shooed them to leave, "Without any further delays, good luck to you all! You are now dismissed for the next four weeks!"

Naruto and the other rookies scattered about the chamber as the teams on the terraces walked back to the stairs to leave. The blonde-haired shinobi listened in on the other victors that took their time while some of them left without a word. He could hear Shikamaru whine, as usual, how he didn't want to have to avenge Choji and then be landed with another match with a kunoichi. But the wizard didn't move that much as he took a minute to think before he ran off. He started to think back to Hinata's match and remembered how skilled Neji was. He then turned to think about what he would have to do even if he stood a chance to defeat the Hyuga nemesis.

'In the second round, if I'm able to beat Neji, I'll have to fight either Gaara or Sasuke…'

The blonde-haired shinobi looked back and watched Gaara leave with his brother and sister.

'He was able to defeat Lee without so much as a scratch on him…Neji is also a big deal too. I can't use magic and I don't know jutsu that can hit him from a distance. I'm stuck with shadow clones. I don't know how I can avoid that Gentle Fist if we're forced to attack each other in close-combat… I need Kakashi-sensei's help on this one, now more than ever. I need an ace in the hole if I want to have a chance to win.'

'Good idea, mate. But first, I think we should find him…'

'Wait, he left me and Sakura-chan?'

Naruto looked to the terrace where he saw Sakura, but no Kakashi. He assumed he must have left to check on Sasuke. But as he was about to leave with Sakura, the blonde-haired shinobi almost doubled over as the medication wore off and the strain on his chakra coils felt like strained and twisted rubber bands. Naruto's hands shot to his stomach as he tried to rub it out, but it was useless and hurt more than ever. Once he was able to numb it out after a few minutes, Naruto walked over to Sarutobi. The old man took a smoke and focused his attention on the child.

"Grandpa, I wanted to ask about the man that was supposed to fix the You-Know-What…" he said as he winced.

Sarutobi nodded as he frowned to see the child start to feel the effects of his ruined chakra coils, "Yes, Naruto-kun. Gomenasai. He was too distracted to come here as I said he could."

"It's no trouble," the blonde-haired shinobi shook his head, "But where is he now?"

Sarutobi reached into the sleeve of his robes and handed Naruto a list.

"This old friend of mine is a hermit. He doesn't like to stick around in one location; he feels he has to move on to new locations all the time. It earned him the nickname Sennin in his travels. Here is a list of locations here in Konoha where I know he will turn up. But don't check the fried chicken restaurant until around noon. I made sure to write that down there."

Naruto unfolded the list and remembered some of the locations that were mentioned on the list:

Suzuka's Western Fried Chicken

Training Ground Number 7

Top of Hokage Administration Building

Tea Shop on 31st Street

Romance Novel Bookstore

Konohagakure Hot springs, woman's bath wall

Naruto read over the list several times before he looked back to Hiruzen.

He then asked, "Will I find him before sunset?"

Hiruzen frowned after he checked the time, certain his old student would be drunk at a local host club about this time and answered, "I'm afraid not. You should check these locations tomorrow. You live with Iruka, so he should be of assistance if it need be…"

Naruto could have kicked the rock next to him but he knew better. As the blonde-haired shinobi sulked and frown, the old man looked over at Hayate Gekko. He noticed him listen in on their conversation while Ibiki and Anko discussed the finals and mentioned bets. The old man then looked back at Naruto and decided a reunion was in order. Naruto was about to march out of the chamber when the Sandaime held him back at the shoulder.

"Hold on, Naruto-kun! You should at least have an escort out of the Forest of Death in that current condition. Kakashi will return a little later for Sakura-chan and return her back home…" the old man then looked to the three Tokubetsu in the line and called out, "Excuse me, Hayate! I need someone to escort Naruto-kun back to Iruka Umino's house. You mind to take on the task as his escort back home?"

Naruto blinked and stared at Hayate in awe after Sarutobi mentioned him. The man in-between Ibiki and Anko cleared his throat, flushed, and then he was enthusiastic to take on his esteemed leader's orders.

"Y-Yes, sir!" he answered with a bow of his head.

The older man marched over to Naruto and led him out of the arena. But as Naruto turned to leave, excited, as he was to see his former caretaker, he turned to his teammate and call out to Sakura. The kunoichi didn't seem like she could hear or even see, so Naruto raised his voice a little bit louder and break her out of whatever caused her to become so unfocused.

Naruto looked to the terrace and shouted to his teammate vital instructions, "Sakura-chan! I have to leave now! But when Kakashi-sensei comes back, tell him I need to talk to him ASAP! Got it?!"

"Y-You can count on me! But be sure to rest like the Sandaime said and don't be so reckless!" she shouted back after she had faded into a trance about Sasuke's fate.

As Hayate led Naruto out of the entrance, he couldn't hold back the smile that rose out from nowhere and started to turn into a smirk. Once the two of them entered the atrium, Naruto continued to walk, but then turned around to see Hayate, leaned on the wall with his arms crossed and a smirk stretched wide across his face. Naruto broke a small smile as he turned to look at him.

"Naruto Uzumaki… It's been a while, huh?!" he said in a cool, relaxed voice.

The blonde-haired shinobi said back, "Hayate Gekko… Yes, it has been…"

For a moment, the two of them were silent until both of them broke into wide smiles and ran into each other. The two of them embraced each other and laughed as the atrium echoed with their voices. Hayate almost lifted Naruto into the air and swirled him around as his toes hovered above the floor several inches, almost a foot. He soon released Naruto before the blonde-haired shinobi moved in for another hug. Hayate chuckled one more time before he removed Naruto from his torso and held him back to look at him. Naruto did the same; amazed to see the familiar face from his childhood, now more chiseled and stretched out into the man that would have been a stranger to him had the two of them not noticed each other.

Naruto exclaimed, "Look at this! You're so much older now! You're an adult! You were still a chav the last time we met!"

"That was almost a decade ago!" he said back, cleared his throat, and then he exclaimed, "AND LOOK AT YOU, NARUTO! You're almost a man! Is that facial hair I see?!"

The blonde-haired shinobi let his smile fade before he checked his chin and cheeks, "Wait… Is it? Do I have facial hair?!"

"Heh," the man chuckled in amusement, "No."

Naruto frowned at his former caretaker, "Oh, thanks! I needed that! For a moment there I was on cloud-nine, Quicksilver!"

"Hahahahahahaha!" he chuckled, and rested the back of his head in his hands, Naruto sometimes did. He smiled as it seemed Naruto's obsession with comics hadn't died even a little bit since he was a toddler, "Ahhahaha… I missed this…"

Hayate led Naruto out of the Forest of Death with the assistance of the Shunshin no Jutsu. It was what most older shinobi use that causes them to vanish out of thin air and leave behind a small white ball of smoke behind in their wake. Kakashi used it a number of times, but Naruto never used it or vanished with someone else that used it, until now. The sensation was almost instantaneous and when the ride was over, Naruto felt as if he had floated down to the floor. He blinked and then he realized he was back in Konoha, on the outskirts of the forests and entered the metropolis area. He felt weird after the ride and it took Naruto some time to balance out before his friend Hayate led him in the right direction.

The older man shook his shoulder and asked, "You ok?"

"Erm… Yeah, I'm fine…" he lied.

Iruka's house was located on the other side of town, so he and Hayate took their time to talk each other and reconnect. The two of them walked around and talked for at least two hours, and both of them learned a lot about each other in the time since their separation. Naruto told Hayate all about his first time at school and the few friends he had made in his time there. He then told him all about Iruka and then his adventures as a rookie, from the bell test to the Land of Waves. When it was Hayate's turn to tell his tale, Naruto remembered how he had remembered Izumo and Kotetsu from before the start of Ibiki's examination: those two clowns were on the same rookie team as Hayate. He then told the blonde-haired rookie how Izumo and Kotetsu were such troublemakers and used to tease their teammate Hayate all the time, but the two of them still cared for one another regardless. As Harry listened in on these numerous accounts and tales, he started to liken Izumo and Kotetsu to Fred and George Weasley and chuckled in amusement. Hayate then recounted the several times Izumo and Kotetsu invited themselves to see Naruto with their teammate and introduced the child to classic pranks. The older man then told Naruto about how he became a chunin and after he had to leave Naruto, dedicated his studies to become a master swordsman. He traveled the world and learned so much about various sword combat that the council awarded him the rank of Tokubetsu, an honor awarded to a fair few shinobi and kunoichi. Once he had attained the rank, Hayate became recognized as Konoha's master swordsman. None of the other shinobi, kunoichi, or even the samurai was able to beat him with a blade.

Naruto offered his old friend with praise and congratulated him on his rank and title. The two of them strolled the streets and rested near a local park, after a little bit of time, the two of them reminisced on their old kiddie adventures to the playground or to the local market. Naruto laughed as each of his memories came back to him, clear as a window and he looked back into his past and all the good times he shared with his favorite caretaker, still not able to believe he had forgotten all about them for some time.

"That reminds me, Naruto," said Hayate, "Ever hear from Jim the Fish much?"

The blonde-haired shinobi beamed and then he wore a sad smile at another reminder of the better half of his childhood, "Jim the Fish! No, I haven't heard from him in a while. I think he moved back to Kusa a while back. He was nice man, he was. Jim would let us look at the fish down at the market that he sold and wouldn't shoo us out like all the freeloaders. Jim even let use have free bits of fish, hence the nickname. He was a nice man, that Jim the Fish."

"I don't think he liked the nickname we invented…" the older man said after he thought about it.

Naruto soon started to nod as his smile faded a little bit, "Yeah, neither do I… Who would want to be called Jim the Fish?"

"No one I can think of…" said the swordsman.

His blonde-haired friend then shook his head, "Can't think of one…"

There was a bit of an awkward silence between the two of them as both of them started to remember that both of them had a bad case of diarrhea sometime after the two of them chanted 'Jim the Fish' to Jim the Fish and he soon offered the both of them a free clearance trout. No doubt it must have been his retaliation to the endless chant that caused the other local storeowners in his area to snicker at him. Both Naruto and Hayate brushed the realization over their shoulders and thought the two of them did deserve it at the time. After that, no one ever knew Jim the Fish's real name. No wonder Jim needed to start fresh, back at Kusa. But aside that one remembrance, the two shinobi smiled as more memories came back to them, one after another.

Hayate then asked his small friend, "We had some funs times back then, huh?"

"Yeah…" smiled the blonde shinobi, and then he wondered out loud, "How could I not remember until now? And in such detail; I was so small at the time. I shouldn't remember that far back…"

The older shinobi answered, "Beats me. But truth be told, I couldn't remember either until the Chunin Exams…"

"Me too!" said the little wizard, "Isn't that weird?"

Hayate started to become more hesitant and tuned at as the details of a certain event in their childhood started to come back to him, a moment that he swore he would look into as soon as the time came. And now that his memories started to flood back into his mind, one after one, the best time was now.

"Naruto there's this…" he started as he cleared his throat in between almost all of his sentences, "There's this one moment we were both involved in that I've wanted to discuss for a while now, between the two of us… Ever since we were both kids…"

The blonde-haired shinobi asked in hesitation, "What is it?"

"Well… You must have been too little to remember. But it was before I had to return to team missions… We were at this park and you wanted to play on the swings so much. No one else was around; it was late in the afternoon. Anyway, we reached the swing set; you had a lot of fun and you were laughing and all that good stuff… But then you swung too high, because you were so excited at the time. I tried to warn you to slow down but then you did the unthinkable… You shot out from the seat and flew into the air."

The short wizard let out a held in breath, worried for a moment that whatever Hayate wanted to talk about was serious. He then assumed he must have been hurt bad when he flew off the swing and his old caretaker had forced him to never tell Sarutobi about the incident, "Yeah, I was a dumb little kid back then. But I must have had one hell of a bruise."

"No, I mean… You flew," said the swordsmaster.

The blonde-haired wizard almost turned white as the memories came back to him and he stammered, "What?"

"You flew into the air, like a bird," he said, "You floated it out there in midair and hovered for five minutes. I looked around. No one was around to see and no one was around to influence me with genjutsu. But I know what I saw was real. You were in midair like some kind of… I don't know how else I can describe it!"

Naruto felt like a cold storm brewed within him, freeze him to his seat as he felt his stomach churn and heard his older brother cover his face with his hands. Neither one of them ever believed even for one moment that someone ever witnessed Naruto use his remarkable abilities, back in the time when Naruto couldn't control his magic. But it now looked like he had one witness that wasn't a former victim that lost their memories of the incident from the traumatic side effects; such as the bad child Naruto threw over himself and landed him in the forest. The blonde-haired wizard forced himself to return to the real world as he followed his heart and decided to talk about it with his old friend, worried about who else he told and if his secret was in fact a secret.

He started with, "You see…"

"That's not the end of it!" said the swordsmaster, "You floated down as the sun set and did it a second time!"

Naruto felt another stab in his stomach and tried to talk to his friend, "Hayate…"

"I told the Hokage about it, but he never believed me," said the older man and Naruto was able to let out another breath, relieved that no one seemed believe him, "He said I must have hallucinated and he took me to a rehab center for, like, a week or two to clear me out."

The blonde-haired wizard blinked and then he turned to his friend to distract him for a moment, "You went to a rehabilitation center?! How come?!"

"Uhhh… Umm…" the swordsmaster hesitated as his face turned a little bit red before he threw in the towel and said, "Ok, I'll admit it now while I'm ahead… All of Konoha knew about it at the time… But back when we were kids… I used to smoke marijuana. The ANBU found me with a whole stash on me one time and Sarutobi held it against me."

Naruto was shocked as the wasted condition of his former caretaker's face and health made a lot of sense now; he was a stoner, "Whoa…"

"Yeah…" he said, embarrassment laced across his face before he returned to the matter at hand, "So the Sandaime never believed me about the incident and thought I was stoned when it happened."

The blonde wizard distracted him from the incident to tease him, "Still looks like it to me."

"No, I don't," he threw back.

Naruto smiled as he teased, "Yeah, it does."

"No! I don't!" the swordsmaster raised his voice.

And the wizard threw back like a small child, "Yeah! It does!"

"THAT'S NOT THE-" the older man screamed but then he calmed down and tried to discuss the situation and better understand it, "Look… I saw what I saw… It should have been a hallucination, because I smoked a little bit beforehand, but I know what I saw was real. Other than Sarutobi, I never told another soul about it, Naruto. No one… If it was real, I still won't tell anyone, so don't be afraid to tell me the truth… Look at me… You remember that afternoon… So tell me, was what I saw real?

The blonde-haired wizard was able to calm down a little bit, relieved to no end to learn that Hayate never told another soul about the incident and the one man he did tell never believed him. It reassured Naruto and his older brother that their secret was safe (to some extent) but he didn't know what to do now. Naruto never wanted to tell others about his secret until he was much older and Konoha didn't hate or mistrust him as much. Iruka's inclusion was an accident, and Naruto wanted to wait until after he was a chunin to reveal his secret to Kakashi as well. He wanted to wait and make sure he could trust Kakashi, then wait and let one friend learn about him at a time. But now his intentions had to be altered and he had to make a choice: tell Hayate the truth and let him into his circle or stun him and erase his memories. Naruto couldn't decide on what to do next as he tossed the two choice around in his head. He channeled himself out of the real world for a moment to make his decision, until his former caretaker shook him awake after he remained silent and motionless for several minutes.

He forced the blonde-haired shinobi to look at him, and asked in a serious voice, "Naruto, look at me… Was it real?"

He looked at his former caretaker and remembered what he was like when he was a toddler: Kind, attentive, fun, and warm. He blinked and it almost looked like, for one moment, his former caretaker looked the last time he ever saw him, with a rounder face, fewer shadows, and an attractive aura about him that made the small Naruto of before feel safe, welcome, and wanted whenever he was around him. Even now when he looked at him, he could still sense that same aura about him. Naruto would have reached for his wand to stun him out cold. But he relaxed his hand and let it fall to his side.

He admitted, "Yes… It was real, Hayate… I remember it…"

Hayate raised his brow at the teen, shocked to see that his recollection was correct. He stared at Naruto for a little bit and then he relaxed. The swordsmaster tried to rationalize the situation and remembered the incident over and over. He tried to determine how Naruto did what he did when he was a child, but like all the other times he could not reach even one solid conclusion.

"Ok… Ok… Ok… Ok, ok, ok, ok, ok…" he rambled as he teetered back and forth to soak the truth in and then he said, "So it was real then… You flew into the air, like a bird… Twice! I have no reason to tell someone about this, so don't be worried about that, so, relax, kiddo. What I want to know now is how in the world was that even done? Was it some kind of telekinesis or some cool comic book mutation? Or did it have to do with the You-Know-What red fuzzball fox? The Sandaime told me about the incident with the Shodai's ancient scroll so… What was it?"

Naruto decided to do what he felt he had to: he withdrew his wand and then he told his old friend the truth, "I'm a wizard."

The blonde-haired teen stood from his seat as the sun set down on the mountains. He remembered a charm he learned a few weeks back, raised his arm to the skies, and a blue beam shot out from the end of his wand. There was a small white burst that almost blinded the Tokubetsu, but when his vision came back, the entire area received a sudden chill as snow fell down from the heavens. The sun had set, Konoha was blanketed with dark skies, and Hayate looked around to see ice form around him as fresh, real snow showered down on him and his small friend. Naruto had used the Glacius Charm to set the small area of Konoha into short winter wonderland. The sounds of the rest of the world tuned out from the snow as Hayate shivered and stared at the wonder Naruto created. For a short while he saw his breath as he looked at Naruto, who smiled at him with his arms crossed and a wand in his hand.

Hayate stared at his friend and all he could let out was, "Oh…"

He then fainted from shock and landed on a soft collection of snow that formed behind him. Naruto cancelled out the short winter and looked down at his friend.

"Ok…" he said, "That is a first."

(A/N: Yeah, I know I took a little bit of Elsa's magic from Frozen for this scene, but all the other methods and charms to introduce Hayate into Naruto's magical abilities didn't work as well and made Naruto look more like a destructive force or a threat, so I went for a more fanciful direction)

Naruto let the snow and ice melt after a few minutes and remained with Hayate until he awoke. He set him back on the bench and shook him around until he came to. The swordsman was still somewhat delirious from the shock and needed to sit down somewhere that wasn't outside and now wet with melted ice and snow. Naruto half-carried Hayate to Iruka's house, as he remained oblivious to where he lived now. The blonde-haired wizard took a few alternate routes to avoid witnesses and all remained well until the two of them reached Iruka's block. Naruto was forced to unlock the door without his wand, which took him over five minutes. But soon after, with the two of them inside the house, Naruto carried Hayate to the couch and threw him down to relax.

"Now then…" he said as he left him and wandered about the kitchen, "I'll make us some tea…"

A few minutes later and after Hayate consumed a considerable amount of tea and cookies, Naruto sat down with him and started to tell him his tale. The swordsman was lost at the mention of Hogwarts School and asked Naruto for a more efficient method to tell him the entire account. It took a few minutes for Naruto and Harry to think about it until he used his wand, touched the center of Hayate's forehead, and somehow transferred more than two hours of information into his former caretaker's mind. The swordsman almost fainted a second time and had one hell of a headache for a moment. Naruto asked him if he was ok, unsure what kind of method his brother used to toss him all those recollections, but he was certain that he didn't want to do it a second time. Hayate needed about ten or more minutes to soak it all in, so Naruto refilled his tea and offered him some water too. After at least another half-hour, the swordsman was able to talk and all the information that was forced into his mind had been absorbed. It saved Naruto's voice but it took a lot out of his older brother to do all that as the older wizard rested on his massive bed and watched the scene turn out in the real world.

"Wow… Just… Just wow…"

Naruto sat back down on the couch and had a little bit of tea as well, "So that's the whole tale… from start to finish… I understand it must be a lot to take in…"

"It is…" the swordsman answered.

The blonde kid asked, "You need a moment?

"I'll be fine…" he then noticed he had finished his latest allowance of tea and it wasn't until now that he took in the flavor and wanted more, "Could I have more tea?"

Naruto answered, "Sure."

"This is incredible…" breathed the Tokubetsu.

The small wizard nodded and said, "I know, who would have believed sorcerers were real…"

"No, I mean this tea!" exclaimed the swordsman as he took in the sweet flavor, "This is the sweetest brand I've ever had! It doesn't taste like munched leaves in hot water. What's it called?"

Naruto raised his brow and then he answered, "English tea. It's from the same world Nii-san is from. It's common where he comes from. It was some of the best he ever instructed me on how to make. I like to have some whenever I sit back and relax. I can't stand the kind of tea sold all around Konoha, it's not as sweet as I'm used to…"

"A taste of another world…" the swordsman wonder out loud and drank a little bit more, his stomach still able to hold in it's contents, "Ahhhh…"

The blonde-haired wizard soon asked his former caretaker, "So… how about it then?"

"The tea?" the swordsman asked, "I like it! It's nice,"

Naruto shook his head and hesitated with a small frown, "No, I mean… You won't tell the Sandaime and the others about this? Iruka swore he would never tell because he cares about me and he's a schoolteacher… But this is different. You're now one of the most elite shinobi in Konoha, the same level as Kakashi-sensei."

"Now, I'm a little bit above that," the Tokubetsu almost snorted

But then the blonde-haired wizard raised his voice, not in the mood to mess around, "All the more reason for me to ask: Are you going to tell anyone about my secret?"

The swordsmaster lowered his tea back onto the coffee table. He looked at Naruto and stared back at his tea. He remained silent for some time but soon he looked back at Naruto and made his decision. But before Hayate could answer his old friend, the front door of the house clicked and Iruka walked in with his arms full of books and filled with various sheets and forms. He locked the door with his foot and walked into the kitchen and slammed the books down on the counter. He walked about the house and didn't seem to notice the extra shinobi in his home sat beside his little brother. Iruka walked around the kitchen and even went into his bedroom to switch uniforms, as the one he wore had sweat marks on them from slave labor.

"Hi there, Naruto! Well done! I heard all about the match with Kiba! I wished I were there to see it! But son of bitch Daikoku forced me to work later! I stuck around at the school for a bit to finish tomorrows workload, so excuse me I arrived a bit late. Ichiraku's was crowded so we'll have to stick with lamb stew tonight! I know I said we would celebrate with ramen, but this time around I think we should…"

When he returned from his bedroom with new clothes, Iruka realized Konoha's titled swordsmaster was seated on his couch. He froze still and stared at the man from the entrance to the hall and started to walk into the main room, much slower until he stood there and continued to watch the new guest with an awkward but humorous look frozen on his face.

"Hi…" he said.

The other man answered back, "Hello…"

"Naruto, who is this?" the chunin asked.

The blonde-haired teen told him, "This is Hayate Gekko, and he's one of the caretakers that used to watch out for me when I was little. He's one of the best ones I ever had."

"Great…" he nodded back and then he turned back to the swordsmaster, "You're also one of the Tokubetsu for the Chunin Exams…"

Hayate answered in a somewhat awkward tone, "Yeah… I am…"

The room was silent for a moment, as Iruka seemed to arrive at one of the worst times. There was no room or time to be courteous, so Iruka decided to be more blunt in order to receive the answers he needed about the situation.

The chunin looked to his little brother and started with, "Naruto, I hate to be rude, but tell me, he's here because…"

"He knows," he answered.

Iruka blinked, "He knows about what?"

"About me…" he then withdrew his wand and waved it around for him to see, "And this…"

The chunin's face twitched a little bit but maintained his smooth and calm demeanor, "You told him?

"He knew…" answered Naruto.

Iruka asked his little brother, still in a controlled voice, "You showed him?"

"Yeah…" the wizard answered and then he asked, "Am I in trouble?"

The tan-skinned chunin didn't move an inch until he boomed out and teased in a half-serious voice, "GO TO YOUR ROOM!"

(A/N: A little bit of Sokka, Book 3: Fire reference there XD I couldn't resist!)

Naruto believed his older brother was serious and retreated into the room that was meant to be his bedroom. There was a finished desk, dresser, closet, and a bed but with no mattress and no sheets or blankets. The blonde wizard still left some of his clothes and trinkets here while he shared a bed with Iruka until he could afford a mattress and finish his bedroom. Naruto sat down at his desk and stared down at his feet, stressed out from the whole situation. He could have cried but his older brother rubbed his shoulders to ease the tension and waited with him to await the outcome.

Back in the main room of the house, Iruka sat down and shared some small talk with Hayate. But small talk was but an understatement as Iruka asked the swordsman about his relation to Naruto and how he reacted to the news that he was a wizard. Hayate thought it was incredible and a wonderful gift after he had witnessed the surface of Naruto's most recent memories. Iruka ate several cookies in a rather ridiculous manner while he stared at Hayate and didn't seem to blink at all. Once the chunin assessed that the Tokubetsu was truthful and meant no harm or threat, he started to relax and treated the man with a decent level of respect.

But after the two of them talked about their various adventures with Naruto Uzumaki, Iruka felt he had to discuss the most important matter when it came to what he learned about the blonde-haired wizard.

"You are aware that this is… this is massive news… and Konoha isn't the most tolerant when it comes to the unknown…" he said.

Hayate nodded while he held onto his tea and drank a little bit more, now rather fond of the drink from another world.

"I mean, if this news is let out, if one of us tells the Sandaime or even the other elders, all of us will be in serious trouble… And Naruto will receive the worst of it… no matter how we look at it, Naruto will be the victim…" he added.

Hayate shook his head and then he said, "I know… I've seen it all. I know what the master wizard knows too… But I've known Naruto ever since he was a toddler… Whenever I look at him, I can still see that sweet innocent little face he had back then, when he was so simple… I understand how much that kid suffered and I'll be damned if I ever have to throw him back into that darkness… Don't think for even one second that I'll tell someone about his secret. No one could ever understand, let alone tolerate…"

"Yeah?" asked the chunin.

And then the Tokubetsu revealed, as he was sure Naruto couldn't hear him, "One of the reasons I never disliked Naruto was because I was and still am devoted to him… I swore an unbreakable oath that I would watch out for that kid and save him from all harm… I swore the oath to the Yondaime himself…"

"The Yondaime?!" the chunin stammered.

Hayate answered, "Yes… Minato Namikaze selected me and several trusted others to watch out for Naruto and protect him with our lives… After he died and after I became a shinobi, I was selected to care for him when he was forced to leave the Sarutobi clan… And when I met him, I liked the kid almost from the start… I loved that kid and I still do… He's like a little brother to me… But that's the same case with a lot of us that become close to him… You, me, and that Potter…"

The chunin and the swordsman looked as Naruto's room door clicked and he walked out, still nervous and stressed out from the outcome. Before the wizard and his invisible older brother could hear him, the Tokubetsu let Iruka in on one more statement that solidified their trust for one another: "This secret of his holds true to what I swore I would die to do…"

Hayate then arose from the couch and stood to face his old friend and he said, "Naruto… I won't tell another soul… Your secret's safe with me…"

"You're a diamond!" the blonde wizard beamed before he ran into him and the two reunited friends embraced.

Iruka smiled at the scene, as he was certain his exhausted and unseen friend within Naruto was relieved as well. But then the tan-skinned chunin's smile started to fall as he wondered about the reason behind Hayate's oath and the true relation Naruto had with the Yondaime Hokage.

To Be Continued…

There we have it! The new and improved chapter!

In the original version, Hayate and Naruto's reunion dialogue sound more forced, and neither one of them mentioned a previous experience to create a foundation for a friendship. But in this version, I made the relationship more personal and I hope it sounded more natural. When Naruto revealed his secret to Hayate, it was because of a bunch of civilians tried to kill Naruto while he was exhausted from the events in the Chunin Exams and Naruto defended the attack with an advanced Shield Charm. I also had a scene where Naruto went to his old apartment after Hayate fainted, knocked out one of his neighbors by accident, and then later Confunded his violent landlord to bewitch him into treating him less violently. Iruka also arrived in the apartment after a long-winded speech and explanation about how much Hayate and Naruto cared about one another and Iruka had a more ridiculous reaction to see Hayate.

I hope this version is better than that old version, and next time we will have Jiraiya's return to Konoha!

If you guys liked this new chapter, then please be sure to leave me a review! I love reading them! See you guys next time!