Akuma no Buntai: Kitsune, Ryu, Tanuki

by 7th Creature

Treated like trash as kids, three ninja will rise up to become the most merciless, dark legends in all of the Five Great Countries. Leading their team is one of the most feared Shinobi of all Hi no Kuni.

5. Preliminaries

Akuma no Buntai…..Four Days Later

Naruto and Sakura were woken up by a knock on the door. Naruto answered it while Sakura went back to sleep. When he opened the door, a Chunin was standing there. He gave Naruto instructions to meet at a certain room in an hour. Naruto nodded and closed the door, lying back down on the bed with a sigh. Not fifteen minutes later, he was splashed with icy cold water. The blonde jumped up, shaking from the cold. He glared at the cup in Sakura's hands before glaring at her.

His eyes softened when he looked at her. She was already dressed in her ninja attire and only needed to put her Hitaiate and boots on. Frowning, Naruto shook his head to get rid of the water and walked into the bathroom. While he was showering, Sakura took the time to remember the talk the three had had with the Hokage and Anko.

-Flashback-

Naruto, Sakura and Gaara walked into a room, where the Hokage and Anko were relaxing. As soon as they laid eyes on them, the two adults stood up. Anko narrowed her eyes while Sarutobi just stared at them. They weren't expecting them to just pass right through their door. There are guards out there and they would have let the two know they were coming. To add more to the adults' suspicions, they were able to get a videotape this morning about them entering the tower. None of them had scratched besides Naruto's ear being temporarily damaged. Yet, there was still blood on them. They either killed someone out there or were really fast healers. The former was the best possibility for them.

"We need to talk," Naruto announced with a frown. Their attention was brought back to them at those words. Gaara's sand closed the door and locked it before returning inside his pouch. Sarutobi straightened up, staring at them with authority. "What is it?" He asked, motioning to the unoccupied seats in the room. While they were all sitting down, Sakura voiced her reason for being there. "We need to talk about Orochimaru."

That stunned the two adults to their places. Their eyes widened and their mouths hung open. Naruto felt like commenting but held his tongue back, knowing this was a serious matter. "What about Orochimaru?" Sarutobi asked, careful with his words. He didn't know if they knew what they were getting into if they talked about an S-ranked Nukenin.

"Orochimaru's here, in Konoha." This time, Sakura didn't wait for their reactions but rather continued. "He's planning on invading Konohagakure when we're all busy with the Third Phase of the Chunin Exams. He also, somehow, convinced Yondaime Kazekage to consider this offer and they, along with Otogakure, are planning on attacking Konoha." Sakura explained staring at them in the eyes. She kept talking, though, so they didn't have time to comment. "As you both know, Orochimaru is starving for power and wants immortality to acquire it. He's mastered the Fushi Tensei technique. At the moment, he's after Uchiha Sasuke, knowing full well that the Sharingan has the power to copy any jutsu at will. He decided to test Sasuke's potential and placed the Ten Juinjutsu on him, if Naruto's studies are correct. We believe he wants to use the Fushi Tensei on Sasuke to achieve immortality."

Sakura waited for their reactions, half expecting them to laugh at them. So it came to a surprise when they both kept paying attention. "When do you think he'll attack?" Sarutobi asked paying his complete and utter attention to the conversation. When it came to Orochimaru, he wouldn't kid around, even if the information was coming from three not-so-foreign Genin. "We're not sure, yet, but Amegakure has spies working with or under Orochimaru." Gaara informed. Anko immediately tensed at the news, both out of curiosity and shock.

"Don't worry; Konoha won't be alone in this. We're sending Amegakure ninja over here to help you guys. You guys weren't the only ones Orochimaru left with a scar." Naruto supported but he growled out the last sentence. Sakura unconsciously grasped her right shoulder before letting her hand fall back to her side. The blonde shook his head, ridding his thoughts. "Also, I'd like to have permission to seal away Sasuke's Juinjutsu. It may become active during the Final Stage and I don't think that's a good thing." Naruto said with a frown on his face. They didn't know exactly what Orochimaru's plans were and if it involved Sasuke's Juinjutsu activating, they would be in big trouble if Naruto didn't seal it away before that.

Sarutobi hesitated then glanced at Anko. She was grasping the side of her neck, her mind somewhere else. "All right but I'm going to be present."

They understood his words. He didn't trust them fully and he was smart in doing so. If Orochimaru was after Sasuke, they could easily knock the Uchiha out and kill him silently. That would mean Orochimaru will surely lose his only escape to immortality. However, that would also put Amegakure and Konohagakure in worse alliance status than it already is. So, if they seal away the Juinjutsu, they'll be killing two birds with one stone.

Making their way down the corridors, the five got ready to face the sealing procedure.

-End Flashback-

The sealing had gone well and Sasuke had woken up yesterday. However, they weren't out of trouble, yet. The seal was temporary, meaning that, if Sasuke were to force chakra to activate a jutsu, the seal will break and the Juinjutsu will become even more active. But Team Seven and Kakashi were told of the seal but the three Genin didn't go into detail of the upcoming invasion until the Konoha Genin had left the room. When they had left the room, the six, including Kakashi, had discussed thoughts about the invasion. The three had also given up information on Akatsuki, up to a certain point.

They were sent back to their room as soon as the discussion finished. They haven't come in contact with any of the teams, their food being sent to them as they unravelled the mystery that is the invasion. Because, even with all of this basic information they had, it wasn't enough to depend on. Also, right after this phase of the exam ended, Sarutobi will let them rummage through some of Orochimaru's classified files and archives so they could decipher and permanently erase or block Sasuke's Juinjutsu.

Sakura snapped out of her thoughts when warm arms wrapped around her waist. "I don't know how you can think so much. Thinking gives me a headache," Naruto whispered in her ear, sending chills down her spine. The two have also been exploring certain…things about each other these past few days. With not much to do, they would read Ninjutsu scrolls they had brought with them and, when Gaara was asleep, have a heated moment. They didn't go further than kissing and touching, though. And Naruto completely understood. It wasn't the place or time for that.

"That's because your brain is automatically set on Genin-level thinking and I doubt that will change anytime soon." Sakura shot back, turning in his arms and pecking his cheek. She escaped from his embrace and went to put her Hitaiate on. Naruto rolled his eyes then released the seal on Gaara's neck.

While Gaara woke up and started getting ready, Naruto and Sakura checked their equipment. They also checked Gaara's equipment while he dressed. When the three were ready and sure they hadn't left anything behind, they left the room to meet up with the other teams. They walked downstairs into a room.

The room had a statue of hands making the tiger seal at the back of the room and two floors, one on each side, where you could view anything going on downstairs. Sakura looked around, seeing the rest of the teams there, lined up one in front of the other. She got in line first, followed by Gaara then Naruto.

The Hokage watched them get in line and stood up from his chair. "Good morning, Genin. First of all, I'd like to congratulate you all in coming this far in the Chunin Exams. You being here means you've passed the Second Stage of the Exam and are ready to go on to the Third Stage. Now, normally, this would be possible. However, it seems that this year, there are far too many candidates. Do understand that feudal lords and mayor people from all of the nations will be present to watch your battles. There would be just too much time wasted and the event will take more than a day if we let all of you participate. That is why you are here. You are going to take a preliminary round to get rid of the competition. Hayate," The Hokage nodded at a man, who looked pretty bad.

"Is he sick?" Gaara asked, leaning over to whisper in Sakura's ear. Sakura shrugged, narrowing her eyes at the way the man coughed. "Good morning. My name is Gekkou Hayate and I'll be the proctor for this next part of the exams. The rules are simple. You are going to be having a one-on-one battle. Whoever wins, will move onto the next Stage of the Chunin Exams. Notice that this won't affect your team so, if you want to drop out now, you can. Remember, once you've dropped out, you can't come back in and you won't participate in the next Stage." Throughout this whole explanation, Hayate kept coughing. Sakura frowned, knowing something was definitely wrong with his lungs.

"Here's your chance to drop out of the competition," Hayate coughed then looked at all of the Genin. "That's it, I'm out." Kabuto called out, bringing everyone's attention to him. "I was injured during the last Phase and I don't have much chakra. I'm out," Kabuto said as he walked out from his team's line and in front of Hayate.

"He's the one Sakura had said was working with Orochimaru, right? Yakushi Kabuto, was it?" Anko asked in the Hokage's ear. Sarutobi locked eyes with Sakura and she nodded. "Yeah, have Anbu keep an eye on him. I don't want any mishaps." Hiruzen ordered, not breaking the gaze with Sakura. Anko nodded and gave the orders into a headpiece. The Anbu, Konan and Akuma no Buntai had their earpieces in the same frequency, meaning every one of them heard the orders. Hearing the orders, Sakura broke her gaze from the Hokage's and looked over her shoulder, nodding at Naruto.

Naruto grabbed his ear, giving his Bunshin the same orders. He received a positive reply and nodded back at Sakura. Their attention was brought forth when Kabuto left the room. After a minute of waiting, Hayate sent them all to the viewer floors to start the event. A board appeared near the statue, where the names of the fighters will be given at random.

The names shuffled quickly through the board when everyone was in place. Foreign ninja were at one side and Konoha ninja were at the other, with the exception of Kiba's team, who were standing by Akuma no Buntai. The senseis of all of the teams were there, standing behind their team. Konan placed a hand on Sakura's shoulders and squeezed it. Sakura tensed, hoping to hear what she wanted to hear. "You did an excellent job, Sakura." Konan whispered in her ear. Sakura held back the smile that started forming on her face. She nodded instead, thanking her. Praise from the second strongest ninja in all of Ame meant that she was doing the right thing and that someone was proud of her.

Naruto tensed when Konan ruffled his hair, a blush forming on his face. "You did great, Kit." Konan complimented with a smile on her face. Naruto grinned and leaned his elbows on the railing, not able to conceal his happiness as much as Gaara and Sakura.

When Konan told Gaara, "I'm proud of you," he instantly relaxed and closed his eyes. Tears stung at the back of his eyes but he held them back. He sighed and nodded, opening his eyes and blinking really fast to hold the tears threatening to fall.

Konan was proud of them and that was something Konan didn't express much. They'll savour her praise while they can. The screen clicking twice caught their attention. The first match was decided.

Uchiha Sasuke vs. Kinuta Dosu.

Sasuke looked at the Otogakure ninja before jumped over the railing. Dosu gulped silently and walked down the stairs to the already waiting Uchiha. They met in the middle, their gazes meeting. Hayate coughed and placed a hand in between them. "Uchiha Sasuke, Kinuta Dosu, are you ready?" He asked, using his other hand to cover his coughs. They nodded, not taking their eyes off each other. "All right, then. Begin!" Hayate jumped off the middle to stand by the Hokage.

Sasuke jumped away from Dosu, intent on not making the first move. However, Dosu had already made his first move by the time Sasuke landed. "Kyoumeisen," He yelled, and his amplifier started vibrating. The sound waves reached Sasuke's ear. Sasuke fell to his knees while gripping the side of his head. Dosu used that chance to throw kunai. Sasuke saw them coming from the corner of his eyes and reflected them with his own weapon. Standing up, Sasuke looked at the hand that had been gripping his head. Blood was on it but he didn't mind it. Sasuke then went to run at him but lost his balance and fell on his knees.

Dosu ran at him, kunai at hand. Sasuke reached up and blocked the hit with his kunai. Sasuke pushed back, trying to overpower him with brute strength. Dosu swung at him with his other arm but Sasuke ducked and used his feet to do a leg sweep. Dosu fell on his back and Sasuke used this opportunity to jump back away from him. Even though his land was rough and unbalanced, Sasuke was able to catch himself before he fell down again. He ran through hand seals and placed his index finger and thumb in front of his mouth. "Katon: Goukkakyou no jutsu," Sasuke exhaled through his mouth just as Dosu was standing up. A fireball formed as it flew towards the Oto ninja. Dosu jumped out of the way, barely making it out without getting burned.

Sasuke cursed and ran forward. His eyesight became blurry but he shook his head and threw three kunai at Dosu. Dosu dodged them and placed his amplifier in front of him, aimed at Sasuke. "Kyoumeisen," He yelled and Sasuke instantly fell to his knees again, this time gripping the other side of his head. Sasuke cursed as he looked up. His eyes changed into the first stage of the Sharingan. He looked at the amplifier but couldn't decipher what was going on or what he was doing.

Shrugging it off, Sasuke stood up, only for his Sharingan eye to disappear. Sasuke frowned and glared at Dosu. He hissed when he grabbed his neck. Naruto instantly tensed, watching the Juinjutsu carefully. It hadn't broken through the Fuinjutsu he had performed on Sasuke but, sooner or later, the Juin will eat away at the Fuin.

Sasuke then reached into his pouch. He threw shuriken at Dosu, who dodged them easily. However, the shuriken had strings attached to them and Sasuke manoeuvred them to wrap around him. The shuriken dug at Dosu's clothes and held him tight in the strings. Sasuke pulled Dosu to him. Sasuke then kicked Dosu to the air. Sasuke jumped up and placed himself behind Dosu, muttering, "Konoha Kage Boyou," Sasuke went to kick Dosu's middle back but Dose blocked the hit. Using advantage of Dosu being distracted by the kick, Sasuke used his hand to strike him in the cheek. Dosu began falling down but Sasuke moved so he would be in front of him as he managed to land a punch to his gut. That sent Dosu flying to the ground but Sasuke was still on his tail.

Sasuke kicked him in the chest at the same time Dosu hit the ground with his back. Everyone heard a bone crack. Most of the Genin there hissed but other remained passive. Sasuke jumped off Dosu and stood to the side as Hayate checked on the unconscious ninja. Sasuke grasped his neck, catching Naruto's attention. "Damn," the blonde cursed as Sasuke was announced the winner.

Naruto jumped down to the arena and grabbed Sasuke's elbow. All of the Jonin tensed, thinking he was going to attack. Leaning in close to Sasuke's ear, Naruto whispered, "After all of this is over, meet me at the Hokage Kaoiwa. Come or I'll go look for you." Naruto growled at the end, making it clear that he wasn't playing around. Sasuke nodded with a frown, though inside he wanted to shit himself. Naruto had a tight grip on his elbow and the growl didn't help him relax. The blonde let go of him and jumped back to his previous place, leaning against the railing.

Naruto's eyes trailed over to the Oto team's sensei then to Sasuke a second later. After watching Sasuke go up the stairs, Naruto leaned over to Sakura's ear. "Orochimaru's here. He's disguised as the Oto Jonin." Sakura nodded, passing the information over to Konan. Konan in return passed the information to the Hokage and Anko. Sarutobi and Anko glanced at the Otogakure Jonin before turning to the screen.

Names flashed quickly as the air in the room became tense. After watching that first fight and how easily Dosu went out, everyone wanted to get their fight done with already. The screen stopped flashing. It was Kabuto's teammate's turn.

Akado Yoroi vs. Sabaku no Kankuro

The fight was over with pretty quickly. Yoroi had used his Chakra Kyuuin Jutsu to absorb Kankuro's chakra. Turns out, it wasn't Kankuro he was sucking the chakra out of but rather his puppet. The puppet had opened its mouth and released a barrage of kunai. Yoroi had been lucky enough to cover his head and face in time before the kunai hit him. With over a dozen kunai embedded in his body, Hayate had declared Kankuro the winner.

The names had been chosen much quicker next time.

Akimichi Choji vs. Matsuri.

It was Kankuro's brunette teammate and Shikamaru's chubby partner. The fight hadn't been long, either. Choji had tried many techniques, as well had Matsuri but the fight ended up in a draw. The both passed out at the same time, having over used their chakra.

The next names were what attracted the Amegakure team.

It was Shikamaru against that other Konoha ninja in Kabuto's team. Shikamaru had beaten him with his tactic skills, something that surprised even Sakura. He had given off the lazy type of person impression. It was true but he was a genius, though that other ninja was pretty weak.

The next names were what had everyone tense and stay still.

Uzumaki Naruto vs. Kamizuki Kota

Kota's eyes widened and they met the apologetic gaze of the blonde. Naruto jumped over the railing and stood in the middle, waiting. Sasuke placed a hand on Kota's shoulders, knowing he had gotten cold feet. Sasuke then started pushing him to the stairs. Kota shrugged his hand off and jumped over the railing. He landed in front of Naruto. Hayate asked them if they were ready. Naruto nodded while Kota answered with a simple, "Hai."

"Begin!" Hayate jumped out of the way but neither moved. Their gazes locked onto each other fiercely, Naruto smirked. "You can drop out if you want. No one will see you as a coward if you do." Naruto said, the smirk vanishing from his face. "Sasuke would, you would, and your teammates would. Amaya would," Kota said, whispering the last part. Naruto heard him and sighed. "I won't see you as a coward, neither will Gaara or Sakura-chan. Sasuke just has a stick up his ass and so does Amaya….I honestly don't want to hurt you, Kota."

"Naruto, I just want to thank you for saving me from that snake. If it wasn't for you, Sakura and Gaara, I would be dead right now, and Amaya and Sasuke wouldn't be here. But that doesn't mean I'm going to run away from a fight where you are my opponent." Kota answered while Amaya and Sasuke fumed in the background. Kota glanced up at the rest of Naruto's team. Sakura was smirking and Gaara nodded.

"Kota," Naruto closed his eyes and sighed. "Are you sure? You have only had a small glance of the powers I have. You've no idea how strong I really am." Naruto opened his eyes again when he finished talking. Kota nodded, grinning. "Yeah. Besides, what kind of fight would it be if you didn't come at me with everything you have?" Kota asked, confidence rolling off every word. "A fight where I don't want to kill you," Naruto said, smacking the grin off his face. Kota stared at him then got into an offensive stance, taking out the katana that had been sheathed at his left hip. 'So, he really is left-handed.' Naruto thought as he got into his own fighting stance.

Kota ran and swung at him but Naruto dodged it and disappeared. Kota stopped his movements and tried to focus on finding him. He heard metal pierce the air and turned around, blocking the katana with his own. Naruto smirked before jumping away, landing a few feet away from the wall. Kota frowned and ran at Naruto again. Naruto sighed and ducked under the blade. Kota smirked, twisted the katana in his hand and swung downwards. Naruto's eyes widened as he was slashed by the small sword.

The Naruto smirked as he poofed off into non-existence. Kota turned around just in time to avoid being cut by kunai. Naruto stood on the railing by Sakura and Gaara, who were leaning against it. The blonde was crouched down, ready to pounce. "Good job. Anyone who isn't a Kenjutsu master would be caught off guard by your sudden moves. However, if they are Kenjutsu master, they'll figure out right away that the way you hold your katana is in an angle where you can shift it and struck your opponents if they duck under your strike very quickly."

Naruto jumped off the railing, patting his own katana. "Too bad for you I happen to be a Kenjutsu user and a very good one. It also doesn't help you that I was watching your moves when you were fighting off the Oni Kyodai during your mission in Nami." Naruto said as he straightened up and crossed his arms. Kota frowned, silently cursing himself for forgetting they were with them in Nami.

"You're all talk but you're weak," Sasuke commented, trying to get Kota to fight. Naruto turned his eyes away from Kota for a second to look at Sasuke. Kota used that moment to attack. He ran at him as fast as he could and swung down on him. Naruto turned to him and back-flipped out of the way. Landing on his feet, Naruto shot out towards him, unsheathing his katana. He swung at Kota, who ducked and rolled out of the way. Naruto jumped up, swinging his katana down on the brunette. Kota reached up and blocked the hit with his blade. Naruto smirked, glancing behind Kota.

"Kota, behind you!" Amaya called as she watched another Naruto run at Kota from behind him. Kota turned around just in time to duck under the strike. The strike, however, hit Naruto. The Naruto that got hit turned into smoke. The real Naruto cursed as Kota rolled from under him and jumped away. "You're good but not good enough." Naruto complimented before disappearing. Kota tensed, looking to all of his sides.

Naruto was sticking to the roof, watching as Kota looked around for him. Sighing, Naruto dropped a smoke bomb right behind Kota. It covered the brunette with smoke and blinded him. Naruto closed his eyes then opened them to reveal them being red with slits. Naruto stopped focusing chakra to his feet and dropped onto the smoke covered area. Naruto landed right behind Kota and disguised his chakra. He made a few hand seals, muttering, "Utsusemi no jutsu,"

"Kota, give up. I don't want to hurt you," Naruto's voice rang out throughout the whole room. It came from all directions, confusing most ninja there. Sarutobi snickered, knowing the details of that jutsu. He couldn't believe Naruto knew that, much less mastered it.

Kota looked around, not sure of where the blonde's voice was coming from. "No, show yourself." Kota demanded, looking around. "Just give up." Naruto said, his voice still echoing around the room. "No, you coward, show yourself!" Kota demanded again. He was getting frustrated, Naruto could tell.

Placing a kunai at Kota's neck but not really touching him, Naruto spoke again, this time dropping his jutsu. "I already did." Naruto whispered pressing his kunai against Kota's neck as the smoke started to disappear. Kota tensed as soon as he heard Naruto's voice. Naruto grabbed Kota's katana and took it away from him. Naruto threw the katana away and out of the disappearing smoke. When the smoke completely vanished, Amaya gasped at the sight under her.

"Give up, Kota. I don't want to hurt you. It's very unnecessary for me to do so. I only hurt people whenever I have to." Naruto said as he closed his eyes. "You have to hurt me now to win." Kota shot back, glaring over his shoulder. "No, I don't. I only have to force you to give up."

"And by that you have to hurt me. I'm not giving up." Kota said and tensed when Naruto pressed his kunai against his neck even more. Naruto stared at the back of his head before sighing, putting away the kunai. "Have it your way, then." Naruto muttered as he kicked Kota in the back, sending him into the opposite wall. Kota slid down to the ground and onto his knees. Kota looked over his shoulder at the blonde. Naruto was just standing there, watching him. Naruto looked behind to say something to Gaara and Kota took that to his advantage.

He ran up to him as he wiped some blood off the corner of his lips. Naruto glanced at Kota then back at Gaara, ducking under Kota's fist. Doing a handstand, Naruto kicked Kota in the ribs then turned around on his hands, hitting Kota's cheek with his other heel. Kota stepped back and Naruto used that momentum to land on all four and quickly take out his katana, turning around to slash his chest. Kota hissed and took another step back, holding his bleeding chest. It seemed that the barrage wasn't over, however, because Naruto pressed on. The blonde grabbed Kota's shoulders and pulled him towards him, ramming his knee in his gut. Naruto watched him double over and grabbed him by the waist, throwing him over his shoulder at the wall behind me.

Kota hit the wall with his back and slid to the ground, landing on his head. Naruto walked over to him and grabbed him by his front collar. He pulled the brunette up and onto his feet. Naruto then proceeded to kick Kota's foot, making him loose his balance. Naruto pushed Kota while he didn't have balance and sat on top of him when he was facing the ground.

Naruto grabbed Kota by the hair and pulled his head up, showing his face to everyone there. "Are you going to give up now?" He asked, a frown adorning his face. "No." Kota spat, slightly coughing. Naruto sighed and got off him only to get on all fours on him and press his knee on Kota's back. Kota grunted, closing his eyes at the pain. Naruto asked again, forcing the boy's eyes to open. Kota shook his head, only to scream when Naruto put more pressure on his injured back, stomach and chest.

Kota's scream did nothing to stop Naruto. Getting into the frenzy that was his demonic side, Naruto put more pressure on his knee, not bothering to ask this time. Instead of making him stop, Kota's next pain-stricken scream only encouraged Naruto to go on. Naruto gritted his teeth, watching as Kota grunted and spat out blood. The blonde then stood up and rammed his heel onto Kota's back.

Everyone watching was alarmed, even the Jonin seemed scared. Sakura and Gaara sensed a familiar chakra in the air. "Damn it, Kyuubi's encouraging him. We need to stop him before he kills Kota!" Sakura ordered as she jumped onto the arena, followed by Gaara. They landed in front of the panting Kota and the growling Naruto. When Naruto looked up at them, everyone in the room gasped. His eyes were red and he was snarling, fangs showing.

"Fuck!" Sakura cursed as she jumped on Naruto, making him fall on his back on the ground. Gaara sent his sand to hold Naruto's hands and legs down while he checked on Kota. Sakura straddled Naruto's waist as she rummaged through one of her pouches. To anyone without experience, it looked like they were about to start making-out with Sakura leaning over him the way she was.

Grasping a piece of thin paper, Sakura brought her hand out and placed the Fuin on Naruto's forehead. The blonde's eyes quickly glazed over before they turned back to blue and his fangs disappeared. Sakura hauled him up to glare into his eyes. "What the hell's wrong with you? You could've killed him if we hadn't stopped you!" She yelled at him, gripping his collar tightly. Naruto flinched at her tone of voice, knowing full well he was in trouble now.

"I don't know what came over me. You know how I feel whenever I hear someone beg me for mercy. I…I go into frenzy, Sakura-chan. You know I can't control myself whenever I have such a strong bloodlust! I'm a mercy at Kyuubi's will then! I only have so much control! With everything that's been plaguing my mind this past few weeks, I was bound to have a breaking point!" Naruto yelled back at her just as fiercely.

"You should've taken your anger out on somebody else, not on a poor Genin! Damn it, Naruto, I thought you had more control than this! You can't let Kyuubi talk you into killing someone!" Sakura gripped his shirt tighter, snarling. "You try having a century old demon sealed inside of you whispering into your ear, promising you all of the blood that will be shed and refusing! You would give into it, too, and you know that damn well!"

That cornered her. Naruto was right. She couldn't have refused. The three of them were cold-hearted killers. It was their job and they liked it. Naruto and Gaara had a harder time to control their bloodlust than Sakura but she had her moments here and there, too. But Sakura wasn't about to admit that.

"It doesn't matter! Kota's innocent, he just wanted to prove that he wasn't a coward, not that he was your punching bag! You should have more control!" Sakura spat, ignoring his earlier comment. "You know that just because I managed to control Kyuubi's Katagawa no Jotai, doesn't mean I have full control of our bloodlust! Fuck it, Sakura-chan, just let me go and apologize! We can argue all we want later!"

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him, making sure he wasn't releasing any of Kyuubi's chakra before getting off him and walking away. Sakura knelt next to Kota, checking if he was breathing right. He had a broken rib and that huge slash on his chest but nothing else seemed seriously injured. Naruto probably bruised Kota's back but that was all. Naruto got up and rolled his right shoulder, Sakura having tackled him to the ground and hurt it. He walked over to Kota, his head down.

"Hey, Kota, listen. I'm sorry about earlier. I don't know what came over me. I guess the fact that hurting people excites me too much messed with my head and I confused you for somebody else. I'm really sorry, I didn't mean it intentionally. I just wanted to cause you a little pain to get you to give up." Naruto apologized, his head still down. He hated apologizing so he kept his head down, not wanting anyone seeing his scowl. However, he did mean the apology. His only intention had been to cause Kota some slight damage to get him to give up.

Kota looked up at him then smiled slightly. "Don't worry, I understand, kind of. Besides, I don't want you getting in trouble with Sakura for hurting me too much." Kota said, making Naruto snap his head up. His eyes were wide, not used to being brushed off that easily. He was usually punished when he made a mistake, whether physically or economically, it was all up to the higher Akatsuki ranks.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the smile and nodded slowly, walking backwards, still wary of being brushed off. Sakura and Gaara helped Kota up and told Hayate to call for the medics. Naruto watched, a frown forming on his face. His eyes met Gaara's and he looked away, slightly ashamed.

The medics took Kota away and Hayate announced Naruto the winner. Naruto turned his back to everybody and had his head down as he walked up the stairs, Gaara and Sakura following close behind. When they reached Konan, Naruto was about to run a hand through his hair when he touched the Fuin on his Hitaiate. Growling slightly, Naruto ripped his Fuin off, crumbling into a ball of paper.

The screen shuffled the names again but Naruto didn't pay attention to that. He was being pulled into his mindscape. He closed his eyes, only to open them a second later. He looked around, not bothered by the sewer-like setting. He's been there many times so he knew the place like the back of his hand. He started walking, turning to the left to see a glowing red light at the end of the hall. When he reached the light, he turned to the right and walked into a giant room.

The room itself was plain and had weird marking on the floor and the walls. The only things there were the giant bars of a gate and the seal keeping the gate closed. Naruto crossed his arms over his chest, tapping his foot impatiently. Suddenly, two eyes opened before the bars, revealing bloodshot red with slits. The slits themselves were twice Naruto's height but that didn't intimidate the boy. At least, not anymore.

"What do you want, Kyuubi?" Naruto asked with gritted teeth. He hated talking to the demon, more so when it pulled him in to have a conversation. "Don't show me disrespect, boy. I will not tolerate it." Kyuubi replied, ignoring his question. If it were anyone else, they would have craped on themselves. But Naruto wasn't going to fool around today. "Look here, you oversized hairball, if it was any other day, I would have taken your thoughts and actions into consideration but I'm not in the mood to talk, much less to you."

"Why you ungrateful little-…" The Kyuubi stopped himself, exhaling a decent amount of air to become calm. Naruto's hair flew around wildly, having been standing in front of the demon. "I called you here today because I wanted to talk to you about earlier." The Kyuubi said, resting its eyes on the boy. "Be more specific, fur ball." Naruto demanded with a glare. Kyuubi glared at the name but explained nonetheless.

"Our bloodlust against that Konohagakure ninja wannabe."

"What about it?"

"There's a reason why I wanted you to kill him." Kyuubi muttered, his slits narrowing. Naruto clicked his tongue against his top teeth and slammed his hands on the bars. "Quit stalling and tell me why, you fucking fox!" Naruto growled as red chakra began to come out from the bars and swirl around his hands. It ran up to his shoulders before spreading throughout his back.

"That kid is a spy." Kyuubi finally said, and the red chakra stopped in its path as Naruto's eyes grew wide. Kota was a spy? No way. "Before you deny it, think about it. Why was he so interested in you three? Why wasn't he killed by that snake bastard in Shi no Mori? Why did he shrug off your apology as if it was a normal thing to see someone want to kill you so desperately when it was just a competition? Why was that snake's scent all over him?"

Realization hit Naruto in the forehead like a flying brick. Naruto stepped away from the bars, fisting his hands at his sides. The more he thought of it, the more it made sense. Kota seemed to know a little too much about them and was wary. He had also been observing everything they did, something that hadn't gone unnoticed but was brushed off as simple admiration. And the way he brushed off Naruto's bloodlust. If it was any other normal person out there, they would have freaked and told him to back off. But Kota just shrugged it off and went away with the medics. Then there was the smell. Naruto hadn't noticed it because it was very faint but Naruto was sure there was an underlying smell there and it certainly was similar to Orochimaru's.

"Fucking damn it, it can't get worse than this? So, that means there has always been a spy inside the Ninja Gakko and inside Team Seven?" Naruto asked but he already knew the answer.

"So it seems,"

Naruto glared at Kyuubi before pacing in front of the gate. Kyuubi's eyes followed his every move, silently wondering what the blonde was thinking. Naruto kept looking at the ground, shielding his eyes with his bangs. He stopped and ran a hand through his hair, making it stand out even more. "I have to tell Sakura-chan. She should know what to do." Naruto thought aloud. Kyuubi growled, bringing his attention.

"Why are you so dependent of her? You can think of a plan, why tell her?"

"Because whenever I think of a plan, it either backfires or it has loopholes and I end up getting in trouble for it. She's the brains, I'm the brawns and Gaara's the defence. I thought I told you that last year."

"Or it's just the fact that we like our mate having domination in certain areas." Kyuubi suggest like it was the simplest thing in the world. Despite the situation, Naruto blushed at the word 'mate'. They just started to explore and Kyuubi was already suggesting such things? He saw it coming but he didn't think the ball of fur was that perverted. Still, he couldn't deny the fact.

"Maybe but that's not important right now. I should really tell Sakura-chan so if you wouldn't mind pushing me out." Naruto gestures behind him and Kyuubi snorted. Naruto closed his eyes when he felt a pull.

When he opened them again, he gazed at the battle field below. A guy with glasses stood over the unconscious Zaku. Naruto glanced at the screen, reading the names. Aburame Shino vs. Abumi Zaku. The blonde looked down at the arena before shifting closer to Sakura, about whisper in her ear.

Sakura shoved him in the chest with her elbow, surprising him a little. "I'm still pissed at you for doing that. I'm not going to forgive you as fast as Kota." Sakura said, glaring at him from the corner of her eyes. Naruto set his jaw and stared hard. He moved around her to place a hand on her right shoulder. He knew what would get her to listen to him.

The blonde reached for her shoulder blade but Sakura shrugged him off. Naruto grounded his teeth before grabbing her shoulder and spinning her to face him. He then gently but quickly ran his thumb over the spot where her birthmark was at. Sakura's eyes rolled to the back of her head and she leaned on him for support, a wave of pleasure wracking her body.

Naruto held her and leaned into her ear. "Kota is not who you think he is. He has Orochimaru's lingering scent. Kyuubi thinks he's Orochimaru's spy." He said glancing around to make sure no one was paying attention as the winner was declared. Sakura's eyes shot open and she grabbed the hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure?" Sakura asked in his ear, her voice low as so no one would hear her. "Yes. I'm not sure how he got a hold of Kota but he did. Kota's working for that snake bastard." Naruto confirmed with a growl.

Sakura gritted her teeth and sighed through her nose. Closing her eyes, she leaned on Naruto a little more. "I wish this was all over. I'm so tired." She laid her forehead on his shoulder, wanting to catch a nap. Naruto lowered his eyes before pushing her away slightly, making her open her eyes. His lips twitched upwards, giving her the impression that he smiled.

The sound of two clicks brought their attention to the screen above them. The next fighters had been picked.

Haruno Amaya vs. Yamanaka Ino

Amaya looked over at Ino, who did the same and their gazes met. Amaya grunted and jumped down onto the arena. Ino did the more feminine thing and went for the stairs. While waiting for Ino to come down, Amaya let her gaze fall on Sakura. Naruto was still holding her as they looked at the screen. At the same time, they both looked at her and she looked away just as Ino reached the last stair.

Hayate asked if they were ready and they both reacted with positive reactions. "Begin!" Hayate jumped out of the way but the two girls didn't move an inch. They just stared at each other, heated glares being exchanged. The room remained quiet until Kiba got fed up and yelled at them to start.

"Why don't they move?" Naruto asked, letting go of Sakura's shoulder to lock her hand with his. "They're seizing each other up. They're showing so much hatred towards each other, it would be kind of interesting to see why they were acting this way." Gaara said with his arms crossed over his chest. Naruto raised his brow then looked down at the battle. Ino had moved to take a defensive stance.

Amaya took a step back, getting ready to run at her. Instead, she threw kunai at the blonde. Ino scoffed and deflected them with her own kunai, a mock grin forming on her face. "Come on, do you really think those kiddie tricks are going to fool me?" Ino mocked, waving her attacks off. Amaya frowned, narrowing her eyes at her. She glanced up to see Sakura's bored stare. Their gazes met and Amaya could clearly see the disappointment in them. The red head looked back at her opponent, shaking her thoughts away. She needed to focus, not pay attention to her younger sister's opinion.

As she took on a more serious fighting stance, the academy's Taijutsu stance, Amaya couldn't help but look up again. Sakura had looked away and started a whispered conversation with her sensei. Getting fed up with not being paid attention to, Amaya charged forward. Ino took a step back, prepared for anything. Amaya threw shuriken this time but they were deflected again. That was okay. They were enough of a distraction to cast the only Genjutsu she knew. "Kasumi Juusha no jutsu," Amaya muttered as she finished making the hand signs.

Ino looked around, seeing multiple Amaya surround her. "Bunshin no jutsu? You're unbelievable." Ino said, shaking her head. The real Amaya jumped back and ran over to Ino's right. Ino stayed facing forward, thinking Amaya was there. Amaya threw a weapon then jumped over Ino to her other side to throw another. Ino just stood still, confident that they were Bunshin. When the weapons grazed her skin, Ino's eyes went wide and she prepared for the next attack. She looked to her front, seeing a kunai coming her way. She blocked it then ducked under a punch.

Amaya watched as Ino stared ducking and dodging punches. Amaya then formed a hand sign and Ino turned her back on her and started walking backwards, right into her. Smirking, Amaya took out a kunai to end the fight quickly. That was the plan until Ino turned around and punched her in the face. Amaya staggered backwards, holding her nose. Ino took this to her advantage and made a hand seal. "Shintenshin no jutsu," Her body went limp and she fell to the ground as Amaya gasped, her eyes widening. Because they were so close and Amaya was experiencing pain, the slow jutsu worked.

Ino's spirit entered Amaya's mindscape and giggled. "Oh, yeah, I won." Ino said as she forced Amaya's hand to rise in the air. Sakura scoffed, turning her back to the fight. She knew it was over. If Amaya didn't find a way to break the jutsu on her own, she was done for. Ino studied her reaction before turning to the proctor. "Proctor, I, Haruno Amaya, forfeit this-" Ino stopped talking as she felt a push. Sakura looked over her shoulder, seeing Amaya hesitate. Her eyes narrowed but she turned her head away when she saw Amaya's eyes focus again.

"Anyway, as I was saying, I give u-" Ino stopped again, and this brought almost everyone's attention.

Inside her head, Amaya was watching everyone's reaction as Ino raised her hand. She focused more on her team's reaction first. Sasuke was watching but there was no show of interest. Her eyes landed on her sister's team. Naruto was leaning casually on the railing, his expression clearly stating that he was bored. However, his shoulders seemed tensed, in case he had to go into action. Gaara was to his left side, watching the fight uninterested. Sakura, however, wasn't even paying attention. She had her back to her and her arms crossed over her chest, as if to say she had been expecting this result.

Amaya gritted her teeth and tried to take control of her body but only managed to get Ino to stop talking. Trying again but only succeeding in making Ino stop talking again. Amaya groaned then looked back at Sakura. She still had her back to her but now had started a conversation with Naruto. Amaya's heart dropped some because she had started to develop a crush on the blonde boy….

Wait, what?

Amaya furrowed her brows as she went into thought. After a few seconds, she confirmed it. She was crushing on Naruto and Sasuke. There was nothing wrong with that, right? Well, whatever. All she needed to do was get Ino out of her body so she could impress Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura. Easier said than done. Amaya sighed to calm down and closed her eyes. She imagined kicking Ino out of her head.

Suddenly, her eyes shot open and she looked at Ino's limp body on the ground. Taking advantage of it, Amaya ran forward and punched Ino in the face twice before putting a kunai to her neck. Ino's eyes opened groggily before they widened. "This is it," Amaya panted out. Ino looked at her then at the proctor. She sighed, seeing no quick way out of the situation she got herself into.

"Fine, I give up."

Amaya grinned and stood up, looking around. She frowned when no one clapped at her victory, not even Kota seemed happy about it. However, what made her happy was that Naruto had stopped talking to her sister and Sakura was looking over her shoulder at her. Then again, Sakura was just staring at her, not smiling or congratulating her. It was just a simple, bored stare.

Huffing, Amaya walked over to the staircase, walking up the flights to her team. Kakashi smiled at her, or at least it looked like he did. Sasuke nodded at her in acknowledgement. She turned to the board as the names started shuffling again.

Sakura looked at the screen over her shoulder, having a feeling that the next battle is going to be hers. When the names stopped shuffling, Team Eight shuddered; even Shino had a frown on his face.

Haruno Sakura vs. Hyuga Hinata

Hinata's eyes widened as they landed on Sakura. Sighing, Sakura started walking down the stairs. Hinata hesitated before starting to walk to the arena. When the two stood facing each other on the floor below, Hayate placed his hand in between them. "Ready?" He asked, coughing at the end. "H-Hai," Hinata stuttered, her eyes glancing everywhere besides the girl in front of her. Sakura only nodded her head, her eyes never leaving the Hyuga.

"Begin!"

Hinata flinched slightly at his voice before jumping back, going into a defensive stance of the Juuken. Sakura didn't move an inch, instead just settled to watch her opponent. Hinata didn't move, either, after she had entered her family's Taijutsu style. Hinata activated her Byakugan, watching Sakura carefully.

"You saw us, didn't you?" Sakura's question rolled out of her mouth before she could stop it. Hinata froze, knowing exactly what she was talking about. Her team had seen the Amegakure Genin kill the Takigakure team. It had been brutal, something Team Eight will never forget. It had been their first time watching someone kill in front of their eyes. To make matters worse, the three hadn't gotten a scratch on themselves during that fight, meaning their power was beyond theirs.

"Hai," Hinata muttered, nodding her head. She didn't want to piss the girl off; she didn't feel like dying just yet. Sakura hummed, glancing to the side. "Hinata, how old are you?"

"Thirteen,"

"And that was your first time seeing death happen right before your eyes, correct?"

"Yes."

Sakura huffed, looking around the room. If it was her first time seeing anyone die right before her, then none of the Rookie Genin there had seen the depths of real death. And that wasn't saying much of their skill in real combat.

Sakura's eyes snapped over to Hinata before she disappeared. Sakura appeared behind Hinata, holding up the serpent hand seal. A swirl of wind surrounded Hinata before it died down. Hinata's eyes became glazed over as Sakura dropped the Genjutsu on her. Because during their small talk Hinata had dropped her Byakugan, Sakura had been able to trap her inside a Genjutsu. "Magen: Narakumi no jutsu," Sakura announced as she watched Hinata's facial expressions change.

Inside the Genjutsu, Hinata had suddenly appeared on the rooftop of an alley. She was kneeling down, looking over the edge. Her eyes widened when she saw the man raping the young girl. Closing her eyes, she tried to block out the images and sounds coming from below.

Sakura saw Hinata close her eyes and try to cover her ears. Sakura made a simple hand sign and four Kage Bunshin appeared around Hinata. Kiba was about to yell out her name until he noticed that the Bunshin hadn't attacked but rather opened Hinata's eyes and took her hands away from her ears. The pink haired Kunoichi waited until the scene was over and the young girl killed until she made another hand sign.

Hinata watched as the man pulled out a switchblade and whispered something in the girl's ear before slitting her throat. Then a shuriken was thrown at the man's head, killing him in an instant. Hinata's eyes widened when she realized she had thrown the weapon. That's when her stomach decided to take action and she returned her breakfast.

Sakura dropped the Genjutsu and dispersed the Kage Bunshin, looking at the Hyuga with a bored stare as she threw up her breakfast on the floor. Everyone in the room groaned, some of them getting a stomach ache because of it. "Sakura-chan, you're so cruel." Naruto commented, shaking his head with a smirk. He knew what she had done to Hinata and the results amused him slightly, because that was how she had reacted at the scene when it was over.

Sakura dropped her hand, the shuriken Hinata had thrown in between her fingers. Sighing slightly, she rummaged through her pouch before walking over to the girl. Hinata looked up when a pill came into her line of vision. "Here, it'll help stop the nausea." Sakura said, having knelt down in front of the girl to hold out the pill. Hinata, warily, took it and swallowed it, her stomach quickly stopping the tossing and turning.

The Amegakure Kunoichi stood up, placing her hands on her hips. "It was a pretty hardcore scene, right? You wouldn't believe me if I told you that I saw that when I was only six." Sakura informed, bringing a gasp out of Hinata's mouth. "Of course, I didn't kill him, my sensei did. I didn't know how to throw a shuriken at that moment, yet. I reacted the same way you just did. Though I have to admit, I lost some of my humanity that night because of it." Sakura looked over at the younger girl before shaking her head.

Hinata stood up, lowering her eyes. "You comprehend what being a ninja is more than any other Genin here," she said, her stutter leaving her. Sakura watched as Hinata looked at her, tears running down her face. "I think it is because you have been through so much…That you have been through so much and because of that you behave this way. You're scared and to cover it up, you act cold towards everyone else. You kill because you don't want to be killed. You survive because you're still finding your way."

Sakura's eyes softened, a small smile overcoming her lips. However, the smile was more to herself than to the Kunoichi standing in front of her. "You were right in the first two parts. However, I kill because it is my job and partially because I like it. I do have a purpose; I found my way the day my sensei took me under his wing." Her eyes hardened and her smile turned into a smirk, making Hinata take a step back. "I'm going to take my revenge on the Haruno clan and I'll dispose of those who stand in my way."

Hinata shook her head, bringing her hands up to her chest. "Revenge isn't the way, Sakura-san!"

The pink haired girl frowned, "You think I'll forgive them if they go down on their knees and beg? After all the shit they put me through, after all the glares, insults and neglecting? I'd rather set the Kyuubi no Yoko free on Konohagakure than forgive them. They can all go rot in Hell for all I care. I've no bonds with them, why should I give them mercy when they didn't to me?"

"Because it's not the right thing!"

Sakura chuckled, closing her eyes for a second. She opened them to glare. "It's not the right thing? We're Shinobi, we're going to kill or be killed sooner or later. We're all going to Hell, might as well have a reason for it." Sakura placed her hands on her hips and leaned on one leg, looking to the right slightly. Hinata shook her head, not believing what she was hearing.

"No-"

"Hinata," Said girl looked at her, flinching under the stare. "Thank you for trying to reason with me but I've been pursuing this path for the past seven years. I'm not going to give it up. It's what has made me this strong so far. Revenge is my forte, whether people like it or not." Sakura concluded then rested her hand on the hilt of her katana. Hinata saw this and activated her Byakugan.

'Atta girl,' Konan thought, smirking. The fight was going to start and Sakura seemed ready.

The Hyuga heiress got into her Juuken stance. She extended her left hand at Sakura, showing her palm. The other hand was close to her midsection in the same position as the other one. She had taken a step back, lowering her body a bit. Sakura crouched to the ground low, her right hand on the hilt of the katana. Her other hand reached out, as if it had claws. She spread her legs, her eyes meeting Hinata's.

That was it. Time to get down to business.

Sakura was the first to move. She ran at Hinata at a speed not many here could keep up with. She unsheathed her katana, holding it backwards. She brought her hand down, planning on slashing upwards with her sword. Hinata sprinted backwards, avoiding the slash. Sakura picked up her speed and slashed down, only succeeding in slashing Hinata's lower arm. Hinata winced in pain, avoiding another slash.

Sakura jumped back, quickly making hand seals when she landed a few good meters away from the heiress. "Katon: Housenka no jutsu," She yelled out, putting her fingers to her lips and exhaling through her mouth. Small balls of fire erupted from her mouth, flying towards Hinata at an alarming speed. Hinata moved to the side, avoiding them completely. They embedded themselves in the wall. When the fire went out, five shuriken had taken their place.

Sasuke's eyes widened, his eyes landing on Sakura, who had switched back to using Kenjutsu. 'That's one of the Uchiha clan's Katon Ninjutsu. How does she know how to use it properly?' Sasuke thought, then his eyes widened when he remembered what they had discussed in Nami.

-Flashback-

When the smoke cleared, Naruto stood there with his arms crossed. "Pathetic. Do you really think you're going to beat Itachi like that?" Naruto asked his voice rough and overpowering. Sasuke's eyes shot open as he looked at the kitsune.

"How do you…?" Sasuke trailed as he stared at Naruto with wide eyes. "Who do you think trained us?" Sakura asked walking up by Naruto, Gaara following her example. Realization fell on Team Seven as they stared at the Akuma no Buntai. Sasuke then glared at them. "Where's Itachi?" He asked and they knew that they had hit a rough spot. "We don't know. He comes and goes, you know. He never stays in one place for long," Sakura said with a shrug. And that was only half-true. He doesn't stay in one place for long while traveling. However, Amegakure is his home now. Of course he's going to stay there.

"You were trained by Uchiha Itachi?" Amaya asked as she walked up to them. "Yes. Is something wrong with that?" Gaara asked turning to her.

-End Flashback-

'Itachi taught her…' Sasuke concluded as he watched the rest of the fight.

Sakura ducked under Hinata's strike then sprinted forward while still in a crouch, tackling Hinata to the ground with her shoulder. Hinata fell on her back, hissing in pain as Sakura stabbed her in a non-fatal spot in her midsection. Sakura watched her carefully as she coughed up blood before placing her hand on top of the wound, where her katana was still embedded in. "Don't move," Sakura commanded as her hand glowed green. Hinata grunted when Sakura pulled out her katana and stopped the bleeding momentarily.

"Have medics take her. I stabbed her in a non-fatal place but she could bleed to death if not taken care of quickly. I've stopped the bleeding but I guarantee you it won't last long." Sakura said, glancing at Hayate. He called for the medics as Sakura got off the Hyuga. She stood to the side, watching as Hinata was hauled onto a stretcher. Sakura nodded at Hinata in acknowledgement when she had looked at her.

"Winner of this match is Haruno Sakura." Hayate announced and Sakura started walking up the stairs. When she reached her team, Naruto and Gaara rewarded her with small grins. The girl rolled her eyes but smirked back at them. Konan placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed, whispering a low "Congratulations," in her ear before going back to the position she had been in during the whole ordeal.

"You're so cruel." Naruto told her with a chuckle. Sakura smirked, shrugging. "But that's why you love me," This earned her a low, seductive growl. "Oh, yes, I do."

Gaara rolled his eyes at the exchange but nudged Sakura in the shoulder, turning his head away as soon as she focused her attention on him. Sakura snickered and grabbed him in a headlock, rubbing his head and earning a groan of pain and embarrassment. "Suck it up, Tanuki."

Two clicks caught their attention as they went to gaze at the screen, Gaara having a little trouble because of the headlock he was in. The names made Sakura let go of Gaara.

Inuzuka Kiba vs. Sabaku no Gaara

Gaara grunted, a little disappointed that Sakura had to stop her ministrations. Sakura nudged him, and then nodded towards the arena. Gaara got the message. They could do that some other time, right now he just needed to win the fight. He jumped down onto the arena and looked at Kiba as he waited for him.

"Ready?" Hayate asked then jumped back, declaring the start of the match. Gaara wasted to time in small chat like his teammates had done. He manoeuvred his sand to grab Kiba's ankles and threw him at the ground. However, Kiba recovered at the last minute and landed on his feet, jumping away to dodge the sand. He landed and took out a pill, giving one to his dog, who was hiding in his hood.

"Juujin Bunshin," Kiba announced before white smoke surrounded the dog. Gaara watched, slightly interested in what's happening. So far, Kiba and Shikamaru have been the ones who had intrigued him and his team. Shikamaru had plenty of tricks up his sleeve and seemed like a pretty good tactician. Then, the fact that he didn't either underestimate or brag about his strength had captured all of their attention. He had seemed to know when his limit was. You were pretty powerful and careful if you knew your limit.

The smoke around the dog disappeared, bringing Gaara's attention back to the fight. The dog had turned into Kiba and that made Gaara wary. Whenever he fought with Naruto's Kage Bunshin, he knew which one was the real one because the Kage Bunshin didn't bleed or have heartbeats. And because he knew of Naruto's typical strategy of letting his clones do all of his dirty work while he stood back, watching.

Of course, he wasn't fighting Naruto but an Inuzuka and his familiar.

"Shikyaku no jutsu," Kiba's eyes became thinner slits and he grew more animal-like canines. His nails grew to become one inch claws. Kiba went on all four, his hood falling off to reveal brown hair. He bared his fangs, glaring at Gaara. The red head smirked, crossing his arms. "Oh, come on, then." Gaara taunted, liking where things were headed.

"Let's go, Akamaru." Kiba ordered as he ran at Gaara using all four limbs, Akamaru following him. "Gatsuga!" Kiba and Akamaru jumped in the air, spinning at a rapid pace. Gaara watched the come closer before side-stepping their attacks. Gaara watched as they drilled on the ground then jumped back. He noticed something about them and shook his head, already seeing a flaw in their technique.

Their attack stopped and they stood there, Akamaru seeming to be standing on all four while Kiba stood, crouched to the floor. Gritting his teeth, Kiba prepared for another attack.

Up in the stands, Shikamaru scoffed, bringing everyone's attention. "Kiba made a fatal mistake. Gaara noticed a flaw in their synchronized attacks. He's going to use that as his advantage when they attack him again." Shikamaru informed and Sakura and Naruto couldn't help but chuckle a little in an evil way.

"Gatsuga!" Kiba yelled as he started spinning, along with Akamaru, and flew towards Gaara. Gaara jumped up then landed right by the attack. Akamaru's spin started slowing down before Kiba's until it came to a complete stop. Gaara grabbed the pup and jumped away, holding him by his two front paws. Kiba stopped spinning when he heard Akamaru whimper.

He glared at Gaara then gasped when Gaara made a Suna Bunshin and had it press his katana against Akamaru's head. The pup whimpered as Kiba snarled at him in fear and plea. "Let him go!" Kiba yelled, taking a step forward. At the step, the Suna Bunshin pressed the real copy's katana even closer to Akamaru's head. "Let Akamaru go!"

"You know what to do." The real Gaara said, nodding towards Hayate. Kiba gritted his teeth before smirking. Smoke surrounded him and Akamaru. Gaara grunted, Akamaru suddenly becoming heavy. When both smokes disappeared, Kiba had taken Akamaru's place and vice versa. Kiba broke away from Gaara's hold and turned around, punching Gaara in the face. It would've hurt, if it had been the real Gaara. The Suna Bushin's face got deformed when Kiba's fist connected but then a grin formed itself on his lips. The sand from the Suna Bunshin wrapped around Kiba's fist, holding him in place.

They heard a whimper and Kiba looked over his shoulder to see Gaara holding Akamaru by one of his hind legs. "Akamaru!" Kiba yelled, trying to break free from the sand. He punched it and everyone in the room heard a crack. Groaning in pain, Kiba bit his lip. With his knuckles broken, he being captured and Akamaru held hostage, he had no other choice but to give up.

"Fine, I give," Kiba grunted and winced in pain as the proctor announced Gaara the winner. Gaara gently put Akamaru on the ground before turning his back to them. Kiba grabbed Akamaru with his uninjured hand as the Suna Bushin dispersed. He looked up to stop Gaara before he climbed up the stairs. "Hey, wait!" Gaara stopped, turning to look at him. Seeing that he got his attention, Kiba kept going. "Why didn't you kill me?"

Gaara furrowed his eyes, a confused expression overtaking his face. The brunette continued when he saw that expression. "You guys killed that Takigakure team in the Shi no Mori without showing any mercy or having any remorse. Why didn't you kill Hinata or me?" Kiba asked, his stare hard. He didn't get this team at all. They were confusing him and he didn't like to be confused. Gaara turned his back on him, walking up the stairs.

"Hey, I'm talking to-"

"There was no need in killing you," Gaara interrupted as he reached his team and leaned on the railing to look at him. "Out there, it was kill or be killed. In here, all you have to do is make your opponent give up. There was no need in killing you or the Hyuga. Besides, those ninja had it coming, with what disrespecting Naruto here. And if we had killed you or the Hyuga, who was to be the next Head, Amegakure's alliance with Konohagakure could have worsened. We are in no position for that." Gaara explained, though most of it was just an excuse. Truth was, they were going to be present at the Third Phase. If they managed to survive whatever surprise attack Orochimaru and Kabuto had in store for them, they could be pretty useful. That was why it was silently agreed not to seriously injure any of the Konoha ninja. Now, Oto and Suna forces were another thing…

Kiba looked down and nodded, leaving with the medical team to get his knuckles checked.

The next two fights had been over pretty quick. Rock Lee vs. Tsuchi and Tenten vs. Sabaku no Temari. Lee had won by using only Taijutsu and showed everyone that he was pretty fast, probably even faster than anyone else there. Temari had won by using her Futon element but had come in a close call to Tenten's weapons. Since it had been an odd number of participants, Neji had gotten a free pass onto the next part.

Pretty soon, all of the winners had gathered in front of the Hokage and Jonin. "Congratulations to you all. Every single one of you passes onto the Third Phase of the Exams. It will be similar to this one, a one-on-one battle. However, as I said before, there will be a bigger audience watching. The Final Phase will take place in one month at Konoha's Tournament Arena. We have scheduled the fights as followed: Fight A will be Uzumaki Naruto vs. Hyuga Neji, Fight B will be Nara Shikamaru vs. Aburame Shino, Fight C will be Sabaku no Kankuro vs. Rock Lee, Fight D will be Haruno Amaya vs. Haruno Sakura and Fight E will be Uchiha Sasuke vs. Sabaku no Temari. Sabaku no Gaara will not fight in this part but rather the next. For the other half of the tournament, the fights will be as followed: Winner of Fight A vs. Winner of Fight C, Winner of Fight B vs. Winner of Fight D and Winner of Fight E vs. Sabaku no Gaara."

"I congratulate you all once again for making it this far. You are dismissed." The Hokage bowed at them before turning to the ninja behind him. Naruto stretched his arms, looking at his teammates. "Well, looks like we don't have to fight each other, then." He said, receiving two nods. "Come on, we should get lunch." Konan suggested as they started walking out of the room. "There's also something we need to talk about," Sakura added and by the tone of voice it was important and n

eded to be discussed as fast as possible.

As they made their way out, all of the Genin's eyes were on them. Amaya grounded her teeth, glaring at her sister's back. 'Don't think that just because you won against Hinata means that you're going to beat me.'

Akuma no Buntai….An Hour Later

Konan looked over the two, her eyes narrowing. Naruto had just explained what Kyuubi had informed him of Kota and Sakura had backed it up with some details of her own. She had to give it to them, they were the perfect duo. She had never seen them in action herself but she had heard from the other Akatsuki members that the two, if not all three of them, were quick to reconsider and throw details or information into the suggestions. Now that she had a chance to work with them, even if just for a few days, she could see that Itachi had trained them well. She thought back to a conversation she had witness between Itachi and Pein a month ago.

-Flashback-

"From what I've heard of Deidara and Sasori's reports on missions with them, they're pretty remarkable." Pein said, looking up from a mission report. "You've trained them well, Itachi."

Said man closed his eyes then shook his head slightly. "No, they've trained themselves." Itachi said before opening his eyes. "They're naturals at this. They were meant to be a team. I just gave them the necessary items and information for them to succeed. They've been held back by their parents, leaders or peers. No one would volunteer to wake the powers within them. I just did what I thought was correct."

"And you were right in doing this. With them, we could have a huge impact on Ame just as well as in other nations. These kids have a tendency of tricking everyone into thinking they're the enemy when they're actually doing the right thing. This world will be rid of any bad guys in no time with them."

"They're not tools, Pein." Itachi warned, his eyes glaring. Pein scoffed. "I never said they were. Members of Akatsuki aren't treated as mere tools but rather human beings working together to accomplish a goal. And whether you want to admit it or not, you're proud of them and wouldn't trade them for anything else in the world, not even your family."

Itachi stood quiet, knowing that the orange-headed leader had a point. "You are correct. I wouldn't trade them for anything, they're my family and so is the rest of Akatsuki. However, going back on topic, do you really think they'll be ready to face this?" Itachi asked, his eyes softening just slightly to show his worry.

Pein leaned back in his chair, folding his arms and closing his eyes. "The decision is not mine but rather yours. You've been their mentor for the past seven years. I've only been sending them on missions and scheduling their training sessions with the rest of Akatsuki. I haven't seen them in action yet, nor do I plan on doing so any time soon. The decision for them to take control is yours and yours only."

-End Flashback-

Konan snapped out of her thoughts when Sakura called for her. "Nee-chan, we'll leave you to think about future plans and decisions. Also, I wrote down some of the details on a scroll, knowing you'd want to go over them with Pein-sama as soon as you leave." Sakura said as Naruto and Gaara waited for her at the door. Konan raised her brow, questioning her. "I know you're leaving tomorrow to discuss further details and plans with the rest of Akatsuki while we stay here. I wrote down everything they need to know there and a few of other stuff." Sakura explained as she reached for the doorknob to close the door.

"All right, where are you three headed?"

"We're going to get lunch and check on our Chakra no Shizen Buredo. We'll be back by nightfall." With that, the three of them left the room. Konan turned to her backpack and resumed packing.

In the streets, Naruto and Gaara were arguing about where they were going to eat lunch. Naruto, as always, wanted Ramen but Gaara felt like eating sushi. Sakura watched them, half amused at the statements they were throwing at each other. When Naruto threatened Gaara with a growl, Sakura decided that it was enough. "Why don't we eat some BBQ?" She asked, getting their attention. Gaara stared at her before shrugging, agreeing with her. Naruto sighed, knowing that majority always won, and nodded with a disappointed frown.

Sakura rolled her eyes before jamming her hand in his pocket, where his own hand was fisted in. She intertwined their fingers together, bringing a grin to his face. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gaara staring at them with a frown on his face. With her free hand, she grabbed his ear and brought him closer, wrapping her arm around his neck when they were close enough. "My two little demon boys, you give me such a headache sometimes." Sakura stated, humour lacing off every word. Gaara chuckled, smiling up at Sakura while Naruto huffed and looked away but a grin betrayed his act.

Haruno Residence….

Amaya sighed as she opened the front door to her house. She took off her sandals and plopped down on the couch right next to her father. "So, how did it go?" Haiiro asked, taking his eyes off the scroll to look at her. Amaya sighed again and leaned her head back, letting her hair fall over the neck of the couch. "I passed. I'm going to the Third Phase of the Chunin Exams." Amaya announced, though she didn't sound very happy.

"You don't sound very happy about it." Haiiro concluded, narrowing his eyes at her. "I'm not." Amaya replied, trying to avoid his stare.

"Well then, you better cheer up. I didn't come all the way from Yugakure no Sato to see you sulking all day." A voice boomed, making Amaya stand up immediately and turn around. "Daichi-jiji, Arisu-obaa-chan!" Amaya cried out, running over to hug her grandparents. Daichi had long white hair, similar to Haiiro's in style and black eyes. Arisu had pale brown hair and hazel eyes.

Amaya hugged them then let go to grin at them. "So, what's this? You entered the Chunin Exams and managed to go to the last round?" Daichi asked, holding her shoulders. "Yeah, it's going to be a one-on-one battle." Amaya confirmed as Haiiro stood up, and Keiko and Hitomi came downstairs. "Do you know who you're fighting against?" Arisu asked, smiling down at her.

Instantly, Amaya's smile faltered and became a frown. She looked down, glaring at the floor. "Yes, I know." Her whisper was barely audible and tension grew between the people in the house. Haiiro had frowned, knowing something was wrong with his daughter. Daichi had let go of her and Keiko had walked over to them to see what had happened.

"Who are you fighting?" Haiiro asked, kneeling down to her height. Amaya glanced at him before answering.

"Her,"

Her parents' eyes widened. Haiiro looked down then stood up, determined to talk to the Hokage. Amaya caught up with what he wanted to do but held him back, telling him she'll take care of it at the fight. Haiiro had agreed, thinking that Amaya was stronger than Sakura.

"Well, we shouldn't just sit here. The fight's in one month and I know you two are going to spend the rest of the time training so let's go out and celebrate your passing of the First Two Stages." Arisu said as she made her way to the door. Everyone followed soon after, heading out to get lunch.

Akuma no Buntai…..

"Damn it, Gaara, that piece was mine!"

"Exactly, it was yours."

Sakura snickered at their actions as Gaara chewed on the last cooked meat. They had divided the pieces to have equal amounts but Naruto had been so wrapped up in the rice that he didn't notice Gaara sneaking some of his pieces until there was only the uncooked pieces there.

Sakura dipped a piece of bread in the BBQ sauce before placing it in her mouth as she watched her two teammates argue over the food. Her eyes landed on Naruto, who was seating by her, then on Gaara, who was in front of her. She reached over to turn the meat as they continued their bickering. Looking around, she saw that their swearing and cursing had gotten the attention of many customers.

Hitting them over their heads, Sakura shut them up. "Shut the hell up before I kick you out and eat the rest of this by myself." Sakura hissed in their ears, receiving two shudders. The two immediately resumed eating, fearing their teammate's wrath. Sakura sat back down, happy to get some peace and quiet. She apologized silently to the workers and customers before going back to her food.

Naruto's nose twitched and he sat up, looking over their booths to the entrance of the restaurant. He nudged Sakura in the shoulder before signalling her to look over. Sakura sat up on her knees and looked at the entrance, groaning when she saw who it was entering. She sat back down, followed by Naruto. Gaara sent them a questioning look before looking over at the entrance. He looked back at Sakura and smirked. He had to dodge the cutting knife thrown at his face or he wouldn't have had an eye.

"Don't. Fuck. Around." Sakura growled under her breath but, somehow, both of them heard her. Naruto chuckled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, whispering something into her ear. Gaara rolled his eyes at their actions and snagged a few of Naruto's pieces again. Sakura shook her head at Naruto's words before pushing him off and reaching for some meat.

As Amaya and her family passed by their table, Sakura glanced at them. She raised her brow when she saw her grandparents. 'Jiji-san and Baa-chan are here? That's something you don't see every day.' Sakura thought, narrowing her eyes at the bunch. They landed on Hitomi and she laid her head down on the table, watching her. It was like looking at a mirror when she had six years and if she dyed her hair and eyebrows brown.

"Gaara, that's my piece, damn it!"

Naruto's voice snapped her out of her thoughts as she glared at her teammates. "Both of you stop it. You're bringing unwanted attention to us." Sakura told them, raising her head off the table. The boys looked at her before shutting up. Sakura sighed and pushed some of her pieces to Naruto, whose mouth watered as soon as he saw them. He leaned over and pecked Sakura's cheek. "I love you so much," He thanked her then started devouring his meat. Sakura rolled her eyes and looked at Gaara, sticking her tongue out at him. Gaara glared and popped a ball of rice in his mouth.

Sakura snickered as she started eating again. Looking around, she decided it was time to act. "You two, let's go." Sakura said, quickly standing up. Gaara took a bite out of a piece of bread before following her out the door. Naruto put three rather big pieces of meat in his mouth before laying down money to pay for the food. He grabbed Gaara's unfinished piece of bread and followed his team out the door.

"Where are we going, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked once he had swallowed the food in his mouth. Sakura only stared forward, ignoring his question for the time being. Gaara and Naruto looked at each other before getting serious, knowing whatever was going to happen next was going to be pretty intense. Finally, after ten minutes of walking, Sakura stopped on the entrance to the section where all of the training grounds were stationed at. She glanced over her shoulder at her team before taking a few steps forward.

"We're doing something we didn't tell Konan-nee-chan."

Otogakure Team….

Zaku huffed, looking to the side as his teammates glared at him. Orochimaru had just come by, asking more of their services for the invasion. Zaku had talked back but only received scolding from Kin and Dosu when Orochimaru had left them with a plan and blueprints of the invasion.

They were to act as the forces inside the village along with most of the Sunagakure ninja. Because they were all beaten in the Preliminaries, they couldn't get close enough to guard Orochimaru while he dealt with the Hokage. So, that meant, that they were to act as first offence and attack any Konoha Shinobi they encountered, including that stinking Amegakure Team. Orochimaru had asked of them to get rid of the three but they were sure that he had meant of it as an order.

Now, before Dosu or Kin had a word in, the sound of a katana being unsheathed caught their attention. They looked over their shoulders, only to have blades placed at their necks.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Naruto teased, humming at the end. His eyes were covered by his long bangs, something the three noticed that all of them were doing. Naruto grabbed Zaku by his hair and pulled his head back, completely exposing his neck. "Make a move and I'll rip you to shreds." The threat was accompanied by the katana cutting some of his neck.

"Give us the blueprints and/or any information you guys have on the invasion before we decide to give you a slow but painful death." Sakura threatened, pulling on Kin's hair. Gaara's sand grabbed the blueprints in Dosu's hands before it placed it in his pouch. "Good. Now talk. You have sixty seconds." Sakura commanded and everything came out of their mouths. They gave details, numbers and identities along with squads and forces. Sakura listed every small detail before she heard enough.

"Your sixty seconds are up. Goodnight," Sakura sliced Kin's head off, blood spluttering all over her katana and arm. She held her head before throwing it over her shoulder, blood dripping on her cheek and hair. Gaara sliced Dosu's head off clean before cleaning his sword on his jacket then sheathing it. Naruto was the most gruesome of the three. He sliced Zaku's neck half way before walking in front of him and slicing his chest open. Then, he stabbed his heart, closing his eyes to avoid blood landing in them. Letting go of the body, Naruto tried to wipe some blood off his face, only to have it smear all over his cheeks and chin.

"Come on, we need to pick up our weapons." Sakura said, walking away from the scene. "Aren't you going to burn them?" Gaara asked as they started walking out of the training ground. "I have a feeling Orochimaru wasn't planning on having them in the invasion forces." Sakura said before deciding it would be better to sprint on trees and rooftops. They took off to the trees, soon after jumping on rooftops.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, bumping chakra into his legs to come side-by-side with the other two. "Think about it. Why would you put someone who's injured in the inside forces? Even if it's just an act, there's not much point in it. Whether it'd be an act or not, it wouldn't make a difference. Besides, you guys know the requirements for the Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei. Orochimaru isn't going to waste such an opportunity to have weakened allies. He wouldn't just let them be when they will be killed out there anyway due to their weakened state. He would rather 'sacrifice' them instead of other more able Shinobi. Taking them out would lower their chances of winning." Sakura explained as they landed on the closest rooftop and began sprinting to the Ninja Equipment Shop.

The two thought on that, seeing her point. "Still, you didn't answer my question." Gaara stated, shaking his head slightly. Sakura didn't reply right away, instead settled for jumping across two more rooftops before answering.

"Why would I burn them now when a Kage Bushin already did?" Sakura asked, looking back over her shoulder. That was the end of the conversation. They focused on remembering where the shop was at. After being unsuccessful in finding it from above, they decided to from below. They landed on the streets and started walking around, ignoring the strange looks they got. They found the shop not five minutes later and went in, making a bee-line towards the counter.

When the man glanced at them, he jumped and stood up. "What the- Hey, are you three okay?" He asked, looking over the dried blood on their faces and bodies. Sakura waved his question off then asked for their weapons. "Right, I have them right here." He reached for something under the counter and pulled out three cloth-covered katana. "There was a slight shipping problem and the sheaths won't be here until next week. However, everything else you asked for is right here." He handed them the weapons as each of them took out their share of the payment.

After paying, Naruto sealed their weapons into a pouch. The three left after purchasing more kunai and shuriken. Now, they were walking aimlessly through the streets, not minding the blood on them. Sakura glanced to her right and grounded her teeth.

She was trying to avoid them as much as possible. Fate seemed to have other plans because, every time she turned a corner, a member of her family was there. The whole clan probably knew that she was alive by now. Amaya could never really keep her mouth shut about certain things. So, the only way for the 'bumps' to stop, was to take care of them.

Sakura turned, leaving her teammates puzzled. They followed after her after sharing a confused look. Sakura walked over to her family, getting at a certain distance where she could hear what they were saying. Amaya was talking to a girl with dark brown hair and blue eyes. Sakura recognized that girl right away. 'Haruno Kasumi. It looks like our cousin hasn't changed a bit,' Sakura thought as she watched them laugh.

"Well, congratulations, Amaya. Who are you fighting in the next part?" Kasumi asked, stifling a giggle at the thought of Ino losing to Amaya. The red head frowned and looked down, answering rather lowly, "No one of importance." Her answer gave Sakura a chance to get into the conversation. Because the adults were wrapped up in their own conversation with Sho, they didn't notice the Amegakure team heading their way.

"Aww, you think your own sister is unimportant? Amaya, that hurts." Sakura feigned hurt, running her finger from her eye down her cheek, smearing some of the blood there. Amaya and Kasumi turned to them, their eyes widening as soon as they saw them. Sakura smirked, liking their reactions. She then proceeded to shake her head as if disappointed, "Shame on you."

"What are you doing here, Sakura?" Amaya asked, her eyes turning hard. Sakura brushed the glare off, instead settling for leaning against the nearby tree. By this time, all of the adults had turned their heads in the direction of the commotion. Keiko's breath caught in her throat when she saw her daughter. Haiiro clenched his fists, clearly upset. Sho's eyes had widened. Arisu and Daichi were staring at the scene, slightly confused.

"Naruto, why don't you take this one?" Sakura asked, looking over at the blonde. Naruto then took on a thoughtful expression, scratching his cheek with his index finger. "Hmm, let's see. Oh, yeah! We're Genin and the Chunin Exams are taking place on Konoha this year. Clearly, you know what we're doing here, considering Sakura-chan's your opponent on the last stage. Gaara, anything you wanna add?" Naruto asked, looking over at his younger brother. Gaara shrugged and looked away, not wanting any business in whatever the two were doing.

Haiiro walked over to them, grabbing Sakura's shoulder. He was about to drag her away but a hand grabbed his wrist. Naruto glared at him, tightening his grip on him. He ripped his hand off Sakura's shoulder and pushed him back slightly. "You touch her again and I'll rip you to shreds." Naruto threatened, growling at the end. Haiiro looked at him then at his second daughter.

Sakura placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder then walked around her father, standing face-to-face with Amaya. "I just came to clear a few things up." She said, glaring into her sister's eyes. Amaya glared back, not about to be intimidated. The Ame Kunoichi smirked, showing her rather long canines. "I'm not interested in being Head of the Haruno clan. I've no bonds with you guys so don't come asking for trouble. You saw what I did to Hinata, I can do worse to you and neither of these two plan on stopping me." Sakura took a step back then turned around, starting to walk away. Naruto and Gaara waited for her to walk up to them to turn around.

Keiko took a step forward, hesitating what she was about to do. "Sakura, wait." She called out, making the girl stop. Sakura looked over her shoulder at her. Keiko stared at her, her eyes watering. She closed her eyes, trying to remember that girl that pleaded her to support her little sister. That girl that had always smiled at the mention of her older sister leading the clan. That little girl that had never misbehaved with anyone. That girl that would flinch at the mention of death.

"Keiko," Sakura called out, bringing a gasp out of the older woman at the mention of her name. "I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Amaya last week. I'm not the Sakura you knew. She died the night she left the village. However, a part of her still lives. I guess you're just unfortunate enough to never see that little girl smiling at you." Sakura said, turning to her. Keiko looked down. The pink haired ninja sighed before staring intensely at her mother. "Keiko, look at me." When Keiko didn't even glance at her, Sakura gritted her teeth. "I said, look at me." Her tone had taken a darker, more demanding tone. Keiko flinched and looked at her daughter, tears running down her eyes. She gasped when she saw her eyes, finally noticing the blue ring around the pupil.

"You see this?" Sakura asked, pointing to her eye. "I'm not The Haruno Sakura anymore. I'm not the second daughter of the Haruno clan's Head and this is proof of it. I'm just Haruno Sakura, proud Kunoichi of Amegakure and part of Akuma no Buntai, Amegakure's Akatsuki's devil squad. I'm sorry if I put you through any pain but I don't regret leaving. I have a younger brother, an older brother, a very annoying but caring boyfriend and a handful of people that care about me. Whether you like it or not, I don't give a crap but I'm not coming back. The only reason why I'm here is because of the Chunin Exams and I'm pretty sure none of us will take it again."

Keiko shook her head, not believing what she was hearing. "No, you're wrong. The Sakura I know is still in there." Keiko replied, her tears never stopping. Sakura snickered, looking away. "I just told you, she's still in here. She just doesn't love you guys anymore, at least, not after she found out the truth behind the Haruno clan. After all you guys have put me through, do you really think I'm going to come running into your arms and kiss you?" Sakura chuckled, placing a hand on her hips.

"She's totally lost it," Gaara whispered in Naruto's ear, watching the scene. "Are you kidding me? That's so hot!" Naruto replied, his eyes trailing down to Sakura's lower back. Gaara rolled his eyes but he couldn't help but follow Naruto's eyes, silently agreeing with him.

Sakura looked back at her family, the ring in her eyes getting thicker and fangs appearing under her lips. "You can all go to Hell for all I care." She growled at them. She looked at Hitomi, who had cowered behind the tree. Sighing, she withdrew her fangs. "Don't get me wrong. I still care about Hitomi. Even if she doesn't know it, there's a bond we share. If she wasn't here, I'd honestly kill you." Sakura said, looking at her father at the end.

Haiiro laughed, "What makes you think you can kill me?" He asked, shaking his head in disbelief. "Ask Amaya who saved her ass in Nami no Kuni. Ask her who saved her team during the Second Phase of the Chunin Exams. Though, to answer your question…I've killed Anbu before, I think I can take on a simple Tokubetsu Jonin." Sakura answered, waving him off. She looked at her teammates, who instantly looked up at her face. She narrowed her eyes at them before nodding.

Gaara disappeared in a swirl of sand while Naruto walked over to her. He wrapped his right arm around her waist and smirked at her family. He leaned over and licked the side of her face. Sakura smirked as the two disappeared in a whirlwind.

Haiiro cursed, punching the tree. Keiko started wiping her tears away while the grandparents stood there, having no idea what just happened. Hitomi came out from behind the tree and stared at the spot where Sakura had been, hundreds of thoughts going through her head. Amaya gritted her teeth, turning to walk away. Kasumi just blinked; glad she had avoided the girl's wrath.

Akuma no Buntai….

"So, why did you want to talk to them if they annoyed you again?" Gaara asked from his bed. They were back in the Inn, where they had Shunshin to. He was leaning his back against the headboard of his bed. Naruto was on his bed, lying down with one arm behind his head. Sakura was lying down by him, her head on his chest. The boys had taken baths to clean off the blood and changed clothes. Naruto had a black t-shirt with orange shorts and Gaara had a light hazel t-shirt with the standard black Shinobi pants. They had taken their Hitaiate off, leaving Naruto's hair to fall into his eyes every once in a while.

"I thought they would stop showing up everywhere we went but I guess it just riled them up even more." Sakura answered, running her fingers over her stomach.

"That was pretty stupid. They probably want your head now." Gaara stated, looking over at them. Sakura shrugged, grinning over to him. "It was worth a shot, right? Besides, it might be good practice if I get to fight the Haruno's clan Head." She said, making him roll his eyes. "You may be smart but you can make idiotic choices at times." Gaara said, avoiding the pillow thrown at him. Naruto only laughed at them, groaning when Sakura shut him up with a kiss.

"What are we going to do tomorrow?" Gaara asked, wanting their kiss to end. Not that it bothered him. No, it just annoyed him to no end when they would do it in front of him. It was cute at first but now it was getting on his nerves.

"Hokage-sama said we could mess around with Orochimaru's archives and research tomorrow. But we should get up early to try out the Chakra no Shizen Buredo. After eating breakfast, we can show up in his office." Sakura said, sitting up and taking off her belt. Gaara shrugged and looked out the window. Naruto watched Sakura get her clothes and walk into the restroom.

When he was sure she had locked the door, Naruto turned to Gaara with a smirk, "Don't worry, kid, we'll get you a girlfriend soon."

Gaara scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Who said I wanted a girlfriend?" He glanced at the blonde from the corner of his eyes before looking back outside. "Because you're going to turn into a teenager in a few months, duh." Naruto replied, shrugging. Gaara turned to him with a blank expression on his face. Naruto clicked his tongue against his top teeth, rolling his eyes skywards. He sat up, crossing his legs.

"When I was your age-"

"You mean last year?"

"Yes, last year. Anyway, I wanted a girlfriend by that time. Surely, you'd want one, too."

Gaara raised his non-existent eyebrow then shook his head. "What makes you think I'm like you in that category?" Gaara asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Naruto grinned, pointing at him. "You're a Jinchuuriki and so am I. I've no doubt Shukaku's a pervert, just like Kyuubi. And the fur ball's the biggest pervert I've ever met. I bet Shukaku whispers a few things in your ear about getting a mate." Naruto concluded, his grin getting bigger when he saw Gaara's blush. "Aha! I knew it!"

"Shut up, Naruto, I don't want to talk about it." Gaara muttered, turning away. Naruto chuckled, getting up and sitting down on Gaara's bed. He grabbed him by the neck and started rubbing his head playfully. Gaara groaned, closing his eyes at the slight pain. 'Why am I always the one being held like this?' Gaara thought, though his grin showed that it wasn't a complaint.

The red head opened one eye then grabbed Naruto by the waist, pushing him. Naruto laughed and pushed back. Gaara gritted his teeth as he pushed Naruto. Naruto lost his balance and the two fell on the floor, laughing. Gaara sat on Naruto's stomach while holding him down with his elbow. Naruto pushed on Gaara's chest as he gripped his leg, trying to pry him off. The blonde kicked at one of Gaara's leg, making him stumble. Naruto took the advantage and pushed him off, sitting on him afterwards. Gaara groaned, trying to push him off his stomach.

Naruto only laughed then got off, offering his hand. Gaara looked at it before grabbing it. However, once both were standing up, Gaara tackled Naruto to the ground, catching the older boy off guard. They fell to the floor hard, making a loud thud. Gaara grabbed Naruto in a headlock, keeping him there. Naruto grabbed Gaara's arm, struggling a little.

The door to the bathroom opened but that didn't stop the two from wrestling. Sakura came out of the bathroom and leaned against the door, watching them bond. She winced when Naruto elbowed Gaara's stomach. She folded her clothes and went back into the bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror. She had a black vest with a white t-shirt under and a grey skirt. She got rid of all the fishnets and took off her boots. She still had her weights on but they acted as bracelets for anyone without knowledge. She took off her Hitaiate and replaced it with a white headband.

Sakura came out of the bathroom and smirked when she saw Naruto on top of Gaara. Seeing her opportunity, she ran over to them and jumped on Naruto, making both boys groan.

"Fuck, Sakura-chan, you're heavy!"

"Damn it, you two, get off!"

They whined and that only made Sakura put more weight on them. They groaned in pain. Sakura laughed and got off them. Naruto immediately tackled her to the ground, followed by Gaara. She groaned, cursing at them. Even though they were concentrated on wrestling each other, they knew they were being watched by Haiiro and Amaya from the roof across the Inn.

"Get off." Sakura groaned out, trying to push them off. Gaara got off then pushed Naruto off her. Sakura quickly got up and tackled him. They hit the floor with a loud thud. Naruto rubbed the back of his head, where he had hit the wall with when Gaara had pushed him off his girlfriend. He watched as Gaara and Sakura wrestled. The blonde's eyes lit up when he remembered one of Sakura's weaknesses. He stood up and ripped Gaara off her. He knelt down in front of her and leaned over her, all the while grinning like a madman.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him, having had her wrists held down above her head by Gaara's sand while she had been fighting with him. "Keep her wrists and legs pinned, Gaara. I'm going in." Naruto told Gaara over his shoulder before he turned back to her. Sand wrapped around Sakura's legs before she could react. She glared at Gaara then turned her gaze to her boyfriend. His eyes landed on her stomach, making her eyes widen in realization.

"Naruto, don't you dare-"

Naruto ignored her warning and brought his hands down, brushing his fingers over her sides. Sakura arched her back, glaring at him. "I swear to Kami, Naruto, if you don't stop now, I'm going to-" Naruto interrupted her by running his fingers over her stomach. Sakura shivered and growled at him. In the background, Gaara chuckled in amusement.

Finally, Naruto started tickling her. Sakura started laughing, shaking her head from side to side. Gaara snickered while Naruto only grinned. Sakura tried to kick but Gaara's sand held her feet down. "Na-ru-to, st-op it!" Sakura gasped, only to start laughing harder when Gaara joined in on Naruto's game. Naruto grinned at Gaara before moving his hands down and gripping her hips.

Sakura gasped when she realized what he was going to do. "Naruto…" She threatened, managing a weak glare at him. Naruto licked his lips before running his fingers down to the juncture of her pelvis and her thighs. He dug his fingers in and Sakura stared laughing again. Tears started falling down her eyes but the two boys only tickled her even more.

"Gu-ys, th-at's en-ou-gh! Hah, my st-om-ach hu-rts! Th-at's en-ou-gh!" Sakura cried out, trying to move away from their fingers. Gaara stood up, stopping his actions. Naruto moved up, replacing Gaara's sand on her wrists with his hands. He looked up, looking out the window. He stared at Haiiro and Amaya for a bit while Sakura caught her breath. The blonde looked down at her when she shifted under him. "I'm going to kill you." Sakura declared, grounding her teeth.

Naruto shook his head, smiling down at her. "No, you won't." He replied with the most confident tone he could manage without laughing. Sakura raised her brow at him, "What makes you so sure?" Her answer was only a wink and a pair of lips brushing against her own.

Gaara looked away from the scene, instead settling for looking through one of Sakura's medical books. He glanced at them when he heard a groan. Sakura had pulled on Naruto's hair and now was sucking on his jugular. He watched them with slight interest. Naruto had his hands on her hips, his thumbs rubbing over the little skin the shirt showed.

Gaara suddenly grabbed his ear, something that didn't go unnoticed by the two teens on the floor but, with the position they were in at the moment, they didn't want to pay attention. Gaara nodded to no one before letting go of his ear and turning to his teammates. "Hey, you two, Konan-nee-chan left the village just right now. There was an emergency in Amegakure and Pein-sama needed her there as soon as possible. She said that she'll contact us next week and not to make any ruckus. She already told Hokage-sama and he said it was fine for us to stay here. Also, if we need anything, she said that you knew how to contact her, Sakura." Gaara explained to them, crossing his arms when only Sakura turned to him.

"All right, I understand. I have a scroll in one of my pouches. She gave it to me on the way to Konoha. I just apply blood to it and a messenger will appear. She didn't tell you what the emergency was, right?" Sakura asked, only paying half a mind to the conversation. Gaara watched as Naruto licked the side of her neck before shaking his head and shrugging at Sakura's question. Sakura sighed then roughly pushed Naruto off her, sitting up. Naruto rubbed the back of his head while glaring at her.

"What are we going to do now?" Naruto asked, standing up and walking to Gaara's bed. Sakura just sat on the floor, thinking. She shrugged after a few minutes. "Itachi-sensei said that we weren't so experienced with actually controlling our elements without our Buredo or basic Ninjutsu, meaning we shouldn't play around with that without Akatsuki supervision so that's out of the question. " Naruto explained, sitting down by Gaara.

"We could walk around. I've only been in Konoha once and it was only for one day. It's better than staying here the rest of the day." Gaara offered with a shrug. Sakura narrowed her eyes before standing up and grabbing her belt. She threw them theirs and started heading for the door. "I guess that's a yes..?" Naruto asked, looking at Gaara. The red head shrugged before following his teammate out the door.

They left the Inn and Sakura led them straight to the training grounds. They went to the training ground next to the one where they had killed the Otogakure team. During the whole trip, Amaya and Haiiro had followed them. The three were getting annoyed but it was their choice to watch them so they didn't interfere with their plans. Besides, if they confronted them, things will only get worse.

Sakura turned to her teammates once they were in the middle of the training grounds. She made the first handsign for a Katon jutsu, smirking at their reactions. Naruto had grinned while Gaara looked wary. "Itachi-sensei said not to mess with our Elemental Chakra without supervision." Gaara said with a cross of his arms. Sakura waved him off, "Itachi-sensei said not to mess any further with our Elemental Chakra. We have complete control of our Chakra no Shizen Buredo and some of the basic Ninjutsu. We surely can mess around with that." Sakura said, watching as Gaara's eyes lit up slightly.

"All right then, it's decided. We're training." Naruto said, unsealing their Buredo. He looked over them, not able to cover the grin that spread across his face.

The blades were a few inches wider than the normal katana. At the end of the hilt was a string of their perspective colours. Sakura's was red, his was orange and Gaara's was maroon. His Buredo had the design of an orange claw on the hilt. The outline of the Kyuubi was on the blade in orange, the nine tails spreading through the blade, all the way to the tip. The hilt itself was black, as were the other two. Sakura's had a red dragon running along the blade with the tail design drawn on the hilt. Gaara's had a brown tanuki on the side of the blade and the outline of a gourd on the hilt.

Naruto handed them their perspective blades. They tested the movements for a while before they decided to test their strength. Naruto was the first one up. He faced a tree and got into a crouch, holding his blade to the side. "Shizen Buredo: Futon," He yelled out, slashing his blade sideways. A strong gust of wind emitted from the blade and went through the tree. At first, it seemed like nothing happened but then the tree slight in half. Naruto jumped out of the way to avoid getting smashed by the tree.

Naruto landed and looked down at his blade, checking it over. He was amazed at the fact that there weren't any scratches on the blade. He looked at the tree before grinning. "That was so fucking awesome! I wanna do it again!" Naruto called out, getting ready for another round. Sand pulled him back to the side-lines, where Gaara and Sakura had been standing at. "Ladies first," Sakura said, winking at Gaara in a thanking manner. Naruto crossed his arms and watched, shrugging off the sand around his shoulders.

Sakura crouched down in front of another tree, her blade held backwards. "Shizen Buredo: Katon," She swung her katana upwards. An arch of flames raced towards the tree, coating it in fire as soon as the flames touched it. Sakura's eyes widened when the flames reached the top of the tree, bringing it down. Naruto cursed and started forming handsigns as quickly as possible. "Suiton: Mizurappa," He took out a scroll just in time for the jet of water to come out and cover the burning tree.

"Holy crap," Naruto muttered, looking at Sakura. She looked down at her blade before shaking her head. "Gaara, it's your turn." Sakura said, nodding towards the trees. Gaara nodded and walked to a tree, spreading his legs apart. He crouched down, holding his blade in between his legs. He brought his blade up over his head as he kept his eyes on the tree. "Shizen Buredo: Doton," He brought his Buredo down onto the ground. A crack was heard before the ground under him gave out and began to crack. The crack made a line towards the tree. The tree suddenly split it half vertically when the crack reached it.

"Okay. This is officially the best weapon I've ever had the honour of holding." Naruto said looking at his blade. Gaara nodded, agreeing with him. Sakura frowned while she looked at hers, knowing something was wrong. Their former blades weren't even half this strong and it really didn't matter whether it was a new metal or not. She had put the smallest amount of chakra she could master into the attack. And it burned down a whole fucking tree! There was something going on with this and she was going to find out what.

Unknown to her, Naruto and Gaara had similar thoughts but didn't dare voice them. There were some things best left unsaid and this was sure one of them.

Haruno Residence…..

"Daichi-san, is something wrong? You've been quiet this whole afternoon." Keiko pointed out, sitting down at the dining table with the older man. Daichi blinked, raising his head to look at her. "Oh, nothing. I've just been thinking about how much Sakura and Amaya have grown." Daichi said with a smile. Keiko frowned and leaned back in her chair. Daichi followed her example but crossed his arms. "I was also wondering why Sakura was so rude to us. She didn't even greet us. She also seemed to hate Amaya and Haiiro. You don't happen to know why, do you?"

Keiko tensed, hesitating in choosing her next few words. "Keiko, I have a right to know what's going on with my granddaughter." Daichi said with a hint of anger in his tone. Keiko sighed then looked over to the living room, where Arisu and Hitomi were playing. She looked back at her father in-law before nodding. "Sakura was kidnapped when she was six, along with the village's Jinchuuriki, by Uchiha Itachi the night he massacred his clan. A year later she came back but only for a day, having been running some errands. I was the only one who knew she had come. She was announced dead a year after that but I knew- no, I felt- that she was still alive. When Amaya told us Sakura had come back and was participating in the Chunin Exams, I couldn't help but feel proud. Then when we ran into each other in the streets earlier, I thought she was coming back home but Amaya and Haiiro only seemed to anger her further. I've never seen Sakura that way and it scared me." Keiko explained, tears threatening to spill.

Daichi listened intently, nodding every once in a while. He rubbed his chin when Keiko finished her story. He glanced at her then stood up. "I need to talk to her. I think I know something about her that no one else does. I'll be right back." With that said, Daichi left the house without another word.

Kitsune, Ryu, Tanuki…..An Hour Later

Gaara ducked and jumped back, avoiding being kicked in the stomach. Naruto grunted as he pushed forward, trying to land a hit on the red head. Gaara moved his head to the side, dodging the punch by a few centimetres. Naruto did a leg swipe, finally catching Gaara off guard again. Gaara fell on his back but rolled to the right just in time to avoid being hit by a heel. Naruto did a handstand and kicked Gaara in the chest as he stood up. Gaara hit his back against a tree, closing his eyes at the pain. He heard a slight rustle in the shrubs before ducking under the punch.

He grabbed Sakura's wrist and threw her at Naruto. Sakura landed softly in Naruto's intertwined hands. Naruto then threw her at Gaara. The red head jumped away as soon as her fist was close to his face. Sakura punched the tree, wincing when she heard her knuckles crack under the pressure.

Naruto jumped on Gaara, who tried to jump away but a kunai to his throat stopped him. Sakura chuckled, holding her kunai with her left hand. "Face it, Gaara. We're better at Taijutsu than you." She mocked, making him sigh. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." Gaara panted out, trying to catch his breath. Naruto snickered as Sakura put away the kunai and started healing her injured knuckles.

In the trees, Haiiro was frowning while Amaya was getting anxious. Sakura was better than they thought. So far, the three have only practiced Taijutsu and Kenjutsu but their level in mastery far outmatched even Haiiro in those departments. Whoever taught them had to be an excellent teacher. However, if what Amaya told him about Uchiha Itachi being their teacher, then he had no doubt that they were probably stronger than they're letting on.

"So, what do we train on now?" Naruto asked, letting Gaara catch his breath and Sakura heal her hand. "Genjutsu is out of the question, seeing as that's your one and only weakness. Winning would be too easy." Sakura said, though there was a hint of a mock in there. Naruto glared at her playfully, which only made Gaara chuckle.

"I wouldn't get too cocky. Gaara and I are better at Ninjutsu and you know that damn well." Naruto challenged, smirking when her eye twitched. "Okay, so we all have weak spots. Can we move on, please?" Sakura said, pushing the subject away. Naruto only snickered and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pecking her dirty cheek.

"How about we talk?" A voice sounded out, catching their attention. They turned around, kunai at hand. Daichi held his hands up, smiling nervously. "Whoa, whoa, I'm not a ninja. I'm just a citizen." Daichi announced, watching as Sakura dropped her stance. Gaara and Naruto looked at her then at each other before straightening up. However, they kept a close eye on the old man.

"What is it, Jiji-san?" Sakura asked placing a hand on her hip. Daichi walked over to her, kneeling down to her height. "You've really grown up, Sakura-chan." He told her with a smile. Sakura looked away, sighing lightly. "Please, don't call me that. I'm no longer attached to you guys." She said, avoiding his eye.

"Maybe not emotionally but you're a part of my blood. We're always going to have an invisible bond, whether you like it or not." Daichi explained, his smile faltering. Sakura took a step back, providing more space between them. The older man sighed and stood up, narrowing his eyes at her teammates. "These are the brats you call teammates, huh? Well, I just have one thing to say to them."

Daichi leaned down to Naruto's eye level, glaring into his blue eyes. "Deflower my little girl and I'll crush you." Daichi threatened, shocking all three of them, even Haiiro and Amaya. Naruto blinked then took a step back, a blush forming on his face. Gaara bit his tongue, trying to keep himself from laughing. Sakura looked away, blushing. "Sir, we're not, uh, planning on mating, yet. I'd like to get married first." Naruto said, his blush increasing tenfold when a small snicker passed through Gaara's lips.

"Mating?"

That was the last straw for Gaara. He started laughing, enjoying Naruto and Sakura's embarrassment. Naruto glared at him, though the blush wasn't helping him. Sakura sent the kunai in her hands to the redhead's forehead but Gaara only ducked under it and fell back on the ground, still laughing.

"Jiji-san, Naruto and I just started dating. We're not going that far any time soon." Sakura said, trying to ignore the laughing Jinchuuriki. Daichi hummed then shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "Okay. Well, I didn't come here to have a talk to you about sex but rather to tell you something."

"What is it?" Sakura asked, sitting down on the ground by Gaara. Naruto sat down by her. Gaara panted, trying to catch his breath before sitting up to listen in. Daichi sat down in front of them, his eyes never leaving Sakura's.

"You know what those eyes are, right?" Daichi asked, pointing at said part of the body. Sakura shook her head slowly, watching as her grandfather sighed.

"All right, let me start from the beginning."

(A/N: Sorry for the late update. I'm going to explain a few things about my timing with updates. It is hurricane season, meaning there are hurricanes coming in and out of the Caribbean Sea all of the time. I'm sure you've all heard of this year's Irene. Well, it hit my country and we were left without electricity for almost three days. So, whenever you hear that a hurricane or a strong tropical hits Puerto Rico, don't expect me to update quickly. On top of that, updates will be irregular. I will still update on weekends but I just started school and school is priority.

Okay, we're going to find out just exactly what Sakura's eyes mean. Also, about the fights. I myself am not satisfied with any of them. I am sorry if they're not up to your standards but I haven't watched Naruto or any kind of Anime in months. Yes, I read the Manga but I skip some fights because I honestly think there's more action in the Anime fights than the ones in the Manga.

So, who didn't expect Kota working for Orochimaru? I hadn't thought about it. The idea just wrote itself out. Then again, it might be a good thing this time. *Shrugs* Who knows? Anyway, if you're confused about the Third Stage fights, here's the order in which they will be taking place:

First Part:

A: Uzumaki Naruto vs. Hyuga Neji
B: Nara Shikamaru vs. Aburame Shino
C: Sabaku no Kankuro vs. Rock Lee
D: Haruno Sakura vs. Haruno Amaya
E: Sabaku no Temari vs. Uchiha Sasuke
*Sabaku no Gaara sits out

Second Part:

Winner of Fight A vs. Winner of Fight C
Winner of Fight B vs. Winner of Fight D
Winner of Fight E vs. Sabaku no Gaara

I don't really have anything else to say so here's the Glossary:

Bunshin no jutsu- Clone Technique is a Ninjutsu technique which every ninja learns at the Ninja Academy. The Bunshin technique creates a copy of the ninja without substance. The copy resembles the ninja in every way. This clone can function as a distraction or as means to confuse one's opponent. As soon the Bunshin gets attacked or comes into contact with an opponent, it will disperse.

Byakugan- White Eye is the blood inheritance limit of the Hyuga Clan. The Hyuga clan was one of the founding noble families of Leaf village. The clan itself is said to be the ancestors of the Uchiha clan who possess the bloodline of the Sharingan eye. When the "Byakugan" is activated, the clan member gains an extra-sensory perception, which gives them penetrating sight and telescopic vision. This allows them to see the tenketsu; the internal chakra coils system 361 pressure points. This vision also grants the member a near 360° view of their surroundings, the higher the skill of the clan member, the further the distance from which they can sense incoming attacks. Unfortunately the vision does have a weakness, a small blind spot that extends outwards from the vertebra of the upper back. The clan uses this ability in conjunction with their own chakra creating the Juuken (gentle fist) fighting style. The clan member can use their fingers or palms to emit chakra to flow into their opponents body's at the tenketsu points. When the hand draws close enough to strike, the clan member can stop or increase their opponent's chakra flow. The internal chakra coils which spread throughout the body also wrap around the internal chakra producing organs. So if the internal coils are attacked, it also damages these internal organs. Because a ninja cannot train their internal body, such damage can be a critical hit for even a highly skilled ninja. The tenketsu serve as the connectors and exit points for the chakra pathways. So when they are stopped by the Hyuga clan member, the ninja greatly loses his or her ability to utilize their chakra for jutsu.

Chakra Kyuuin Jutsu- Chakra Absorption Jutsu is a special Ninjutsu technique used by the Leaf ninja Yoroi. After activating the technique, Yoroi's hand will glow with chakra. When he touches his palm on his opponents body, he can withdraw the physical and spiritual energy out of them. By reducing their chakra, it greatly increases his advantage over his opponent.

Fushi Tensei- Living Corpse Reincarnation was a specially developed Ninjutsu technique developed by Orochimaru. The technique prevents death by allowing the caster to leave his body and inhabit the body of another. This allows one to remain in the world forever as they are not restrained by the age limits placed on one's physical body. When Orochimaru takes over the body, the original individual is not totally wiped out, a small piece of them remains behind to become a part of Orochimaru's subconscious. Orochimaru wished to use this technique to take over the body of an Uchiha clan member; this would allow him greater ability to fulfil his goal of learning all the jutsu of the world. When Orochimaru switches bodies, he is forced to inhabit that body for a period of years before he will be able to use the technique again.

Gatsuga- Double Piercing Fang (Fang Over Fang -Viz Translation-) is a Ninjutsu technique utilized by the Inuzuka Clan. An esoteric use of the Jujintaijutsu, in which the Inuzuka in their bestial form, and the familiar in their Inuzuka form, shower their target with multiple, spinning attacks. The force of these attacks can reduce boulders to rubble. It is one of Inuzuka Kiba's signature techniques.

Jiji/ Jiji-san- Grandpa, Grandfather

Juujin Bunshin- Beast-Man Clone is a Ninjutsu technique utilized by the Inuzuka clan. First the clan member and the familiar may ingest a soldier pill to help their strength and stamina. Then, acting in conjunction with the clan member, the canine familiar will transform themself into a copy of the clan member. While in this form they can accomplish many of the same techniques as the original.

Juuken Ryuu- Gentle Fist Style is fighting style utilized by Hyuga clan members; it is the strongest style of Konoha. The Byakugan has a penetrating ability to see the tenketsu; the internal chakra coils system 361 pressure points. The clan member can use their fingers or palms to emit chakra to flow into their opponents body's at these precise points. When the hand draws close enough to strike, the clan member can stop or increase their opponents' chakra flow. The internal chakra coils which spread throughout the body also wrap around the internal chakra producing organs. So if the internal coils are attacked, it also damages these internal organs. Because a ninja cannot train their internal body, such damage can be a critical hit for even a highly skilled ninja.

Kasumi Juusha no Jutsu- Mist Servant Technique is a Genjutsu technique that creates false attackers to delay and confuse the enemy. Though these servants are not real, the actual ninja is able to remain hidden and throw kunai and shuriken matching the movements of the servants. This makes it appear the false servants are capable of attacking. When the enemy attempts to attack the servant, they will merely disrupt the servants' illusion body but not destroy it.

Katon: Housenka no jutsu- Mythical Fire Phoenix is a Ninjutsu technique utilizing the Fire Element. The ninja does the necessary hand seals and then emits a series of small fire balls. The ninja can also hurl a projectile which is covered in these same flames. To the opponent the attack appears to be only the balls of flame, they do not see the hidden threat within the flames. Meaning that even if the flames are put out, the projectiles still converge on the target. The flames can be used to cover different projectiles like shuriken or kunai.

Konoha Kage Boyou- Leaf Shadow Dance is a Taijutsu technique that is used to position a ninja's opponent into a vulnerable aerial position. The ninja will first quickly appear below their opponent, then with a switch upper kick they will launch their target into the air. The ninja will then jump into the air to "shadow" the target with the target's back to their chest.

Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei- Resurrection to the Impure World is a Ninjutsu technique which had been forbidden because of its dark nature. The technique involves the summoning of dead souls from the afterlife back into the real world. Normally Kuchiyose (summoning) involves the use of the caster's blood as compensation for summoning, Edo Tensei is different though. The ninja will first sacrifice a living person to provide the vessel that the dead soul will inhabit. The dead body will then be coated in ash and dirt to resemble the soul of the person that was resurrected. When the ninja wishes to recall the souls, a portal will open in the ground and the caskets holding the bodies will appear. When the caskets open the bodies will be grey and in a state of minor decay. At this point the dead souls are able to remember their past life, but they are at the command of the one who summoned them. One final act will fully wipe out their conscious and make them under the command of the one who summoned them. The ninja will place a fuda (charm/tag) of some form into the head of the body. This will then give vitality back to the body and make it a pure killing machine. When Kabuto began utilizing the jutsu, he used fuda which granted the soul some measure of their personality, which allowed them to retain their unique fighting style and some measure of freedom. When a portion of the dead body is damaged, the ash and dust will merely return and fix the damaged body part. The only way currently known to stop the resurrected person, is to utilize the Shiki Fuujin technique and remove the soul from the body.

Obaa-chan/ Baa-chan- Grandma, Grandmother

Shikyaku no Jutsu- Four-Legged Technique is a Ninjutsu technique utilized by the Inuzuka clan. After forming the needed hand seals, chakra begins to emit from the body of the clan member and they take on a more canine-like appearance. These body changes give them increased speed and agility.

Shintenshin no jutsu- Mind Body Change is a Ninjutsu technique originally used for spying. The ninja forms the needed handseals and then projects their spirit out of their body into their target. This can be another ninja or an animal. Unfortunately the spirit flies in a straight line at a slow speed. If the target moves and avoids the incoming spirit, the ninja's body falls lifeless until the spirit can find its way back to the body several minutes later. Because of the risk involved, the ninja must be very careful. When used in conjunction with a binding technique the chance of success greatly increases. While inhabiting the body of their opponent, the target still remains in their mind but their mental processes are forced aside as the ninja takes control. However if the target has strong mental fortitude, they can overpower the intruder and force them out of their body. Also while in the body of their target, if the ninja takes sudden physical damage, their original body will be hurt as well.

Shizen Buredo: Doton- Nature Blade: Earth Style

Shizen Buredo: Futon- Nature Blade: Wind Style

Shizen Buredo: Katon- Nature Blade: Fire Style

Suiton: Mizurappa- Water Style: Violent Water Wave is a Ninjutsu technique utilizing the Water Element. After forming the needed handseals, Yahiko will expel a strong jet of water at his opponent.

Suna Bunshin no Jutsu- Sand Clone Technique is a Ninjutsu technique utilized by the Sand ninja Gaara. The clone functions like a normal Bunshin, except it is made out of sand. The clone itself can be formed out of the Suna no Tate that protects Gaara. When a ninja goes to attack the Bunshin, the malleability of the sand allows the blow to sink into the sand, which can then wrap itself around the limb to constrain the attacker.

Ten Juinjutsu- 'Heaven' Cursed Seal

Utsusemi no Jutsu- Empty Cicada Shell is a Ninjutsu technique used by Jigumo. Forming the needed handseals, Jigumo will project his voice to different area to hide his location and the number of allies at his side.

Yugakure no Sato- Village Hidden in the Hot Springs

A few people kind of complained about the bold words. Note that they will not be repeated. The jutsu, yes, but other things like villages and honorifics won't be bold except in that one chapter I present them in for the first time. Also, if you want drawings of this story, check out my profile. I have the links there. Anyway, thanks for reading,

7th Creature