A/N AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I don't know why (YA HEAR ME, I DON'T KNOW), but this chapter was freakin difficult to get out (note it wasn't that hard to 'write' per se)

We've just been going trough heatwave after heatwave down here (Australia dudes), and my laptop (and I) cannot take it. EVERYTHING BURNS. Typing has never physically hurt me as much as during the midst of summer...

Good news though. Chuunin exams (took me an hour to plan out the tournament draft thank you very much).

Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas, Happy New Years. Anyway, here ya go chumps.

~Chapter 26 - WHEN PRUNING A ROSE BUSH...

The night was silent, the sky dark and moonless, but such were trivial things in his eyes. What had currently caught his attention was the strange woman serving him tea. Her tanned hand placed a simple cup on the table in front of him, steady and moving fluidly as if she didn't fear him. It was a new experience and one he did not know if he liked. He almost flinched when her hand came closer, the sand in his gourd shaking in agitation, calming only when he realised her she was merely petting the fox beside him. "Who are you?" He asked, trying to discern the look in her eyes.

"I thought we already established that Gaara." Miyu replied with a slight smile.

"You merely gave me you name. I know nothing else, nor do I know what you want of me." She spoke his name in the way one would call a friend, without a single bit of fear in her voice.

"I am just a standard shinobi of Konohagakure, nothing more nothing less," She assured, "I didn't call you here to ask for anything either. Instead I was wondering if there was something you wanted from me."

"I don't understand." The red-haired teen replied.

"Did you enjoy the past few weeks?" Miyu asked, veering slightly off topic, "Do you like the peace? The silence?" She tapped her head and he was instantly set on alert, sand rapidly seeping from the top of his gourd.

"How do you know about Mother?" Gaara asked, his voice on the verge of murder, "Why does she not speak to me anymore?"

"Shukaku is not your mother," Miyu clarified with her words falling on deaf ears, "He does not speak because there is nothing to say."

"Lies!" He held his head in his hands, pulling at the short hair, "Were you the one that took Mother from me? Give her back!" His gourd was mostly empty now, its contents swirling around him erratically.

"Kurama." The fox stood, stepping away from the boy and as he left his side the whispers in his head returned.

"Why?" the sand seemed to slow as Gaara focused his eyes on the fox. The voice was the same but its words were different, "Why does Mother fear you?" Instinctively he wanted to escape but it was almost as if something was holding him in place.

"Because I am strong." The fox's deep voice echoed across both their minds, "Shukaku knows me well, but even through his fear, his hatred, he is greedy." It was not the first time he had spoken to the boy, and if anything Gaara seemed to calm at the second voice echoing through his mind.

"Mother does not know you." The jinchuriki denied, as the voice began to confuse him. Whilst its call for blood was absent, the contradicting words affected him more. "She does not know you… know you're, you are an imposter. Leave. You did not, could not. Mother said it is, was forbidden." Miyu wondered how much of what he was conveying, he actually understood. From the mess of words it seemed Shukaku did somewhat recognize Kurama, as well as the circumstances of his current existence.

"Shukaku, quiet down," Kurama all but ordered, "You are overloading the boy." The beast heard his words, albeit begrudgingly, disappearing further into the depths of Gaara's mind.

"She is still there," He was relieved that Mother had not left him completely again. The voice was quiet but clear, a single demand coming to his knowledge. "Mother wishes to be like the fox. She knows you are capable." Gaara turned to the blonde woman. He assumed she was strong even before his mother had told him. It seemed Mother knew what he was supposed to ask of her.

"As always you have the nicest tea, Sensei." Miyu took a relaxing sip of the steaming liquid, stretching out her legs as she bathed in the gentle sun.

"I'm lucky to have such a good supplier," Hizashi replied with a smile, "Otherwise I wouldn't have a chance to see my dear students anymore." It seemed the Hyuuga's tea was more than enough to lure his hardworking students into visiting once in a while.

"I still come by often," Iruka stated adamantly. He knew for a fact he entered the compound at least once a week.

"Ten minutes doesn't count as a proper visit," His teacher retorted, "Especially these days. What have you been up to? Has someone caught your eye Iruka?" The brunet quietly choked on his tea making both of them increasingly curious.

"This is the first I've heard," The blonde replied with a mischievous sparkle in her eye, "I'm hurt that you didn't tell me."

"What! You two have got it all wrong!" Iruka threw himself into a panicked flurry, moving his hands erratically, "It's not like she-I mean there's no one, no one at all!"

"No need to get so worked up," Hizashi gave the younger a firm pat on his back, "Whoever's got your attention is surely a lucky one, and probably a beauty if they caught your eye."

"You should make your move already," Miyu recommended, knowing her teammate far too well, "She'd be a fool to turn you down. And if this has been going on for as long as I think it has, you might as well push for more."

"I suppose," He had no idea how she would react to his advances, but it wasn't as if anything would get done with him sitting here. "No, you're right!" He seemed to find his resolve, standing up with determination in his eyes, "In fact I'm going to go right now." He abruptly bid the two goodbye before hurrying off, muttering about buying some sort of gift.

"He really left." The Hyuga was somewhat amazed, not expecting the sudden departure.

"He did." Miyu confirmed, unable to withhold the laughter in her voice. With her hand shaking she took another sip of her tea in an attempt to smother her mirth.

"Father!" A voice that had just passed puberty cut though the quiet, followed by steady, quick footsteps.

"Neji," Hizashi's voice was warm, his eyes softening as his son came into their view, "As you can see we have a guest."

"Ohayo, Miyu onee-san," The boy greeted politely, pacing his way over to them.

"You look well," Miyu ruffled his hair as he sat down beside her, much to the boys conflicting annoyance and enjoyment, "Training as hard as usual I see."

"So what's the rush, Neji?" His father asked, amused that his strong-willed son was so easily pacified.

"This," The genin held out a slip of paper with the Hokages official stamp on it, "It seems my team has been elected for the Chuunin Exams."

"Oh?"

"Miyu! It's been a while!" A friendly arm slung itself around her shoulder only to be pushed off by an annoyed Kakashi, "Ah! Don't think I've forgotten about you, my rival!" The arm returned with fervour, this time hooking around the silver-haired ninja's neck.

"I wish you had, Gai." Kakashi muttered quietly.

"I'm not sure if I envy your friendship or not," Sarutobi Asuma cut in, playing with his beard in thought.

"I know I don't." His girlfriend Kurenai was by his side, cringing at Gai's overfriendliness.

"It's better to ignore it." Miyu stated, leaning closer to take a better look at the screens. They had all been gathered for a single reason. As the leaders of the participating genin teams, they were all here to observe the Chuunin Exams.

Weak. Kimimaro looked around the room in disdain, most of his fellow competitors appearing as nothing more than cannon fodder. "You shouldn't make such an intimidating face," Haku advised, prodding his teammate in the arm, "Your scaring them." His smile was cruel yet beautiful, and Kimimaro thought him far more frightening than himself.

"Who did Miyu-sensei want us to watch out for?" Sai asked, keeping his gaze on the door as more and more competitors entered.

"The Suna group and that one." The only indications he made were with his eyes and they easily followed his gaze to an unstable looking red head and then to a nondescript Konoha nin.

"Yakushi Kabuto?" the artist queried, recognizing the bespectacled teen from his…former division.

"You know him?" Kimimaro pressed, having been told nothing but the bare minimum from their teacher. He knew their team easily surpassed the chuunin requirements, though his sensei had warned him they weren't the only ones.

"Somewhat," The artist shrugged, "Rather than say I know him, it more like I know of him."

"Is he a threat?" Haku asked, smiling at the adoring gazes from some misled genin.

"More than an average genin." Sai supposed, basing his guess off what he knew and what he could assume. He was curious about this 'sub-mission' they had been given, and wondered what exactly his teacher wanted to achieve. If there was one thing he had learnt during his brief time under Namikaze Miyu, it was that she was cunning, and always a step ahead.

"Ibiki's really enjoying himself." Asuma laughed as he watched his students easily copy down the answer though the Yamanaka's handy technique.

"If you think he's happy now then clearly you haven't seen him while he's on the job." Kakashi drawled, remembering the horrifying smile of the sadistic interrogator.

"It's nice he has something he enjoys," Miyu replied as if they were talking about a quiet hobby. She had seen all she needed to and it was about time for her to get ready.

"Are you leaving already?" Kakashi asked as she shuffled out of his comfortable hold.

"Yeah, don't be surprised if this little gathering gets interrupted." She commented, stepping out of the jounin lounge. There, waiting for her by the door, was the Hokage himself.

"So?" He asked, leading the way back to his office. His face was serious and set the tone of the conversation, both of them knowing what was at stake right now.

"He's there," Miyu confirmed, "As I predicted." Whilst she had asked her students to keep an eye out for the more troublesome entrants, she had kept them ignorant of the real danger.

"I see," His expression turned grim as they entered his office, his current guests waiting for the verdict he had just received.

"He is in the village then?" Sarutobi assumed, from a single look at the Hokage.

"Yes." She looked him straight in the eyes before turning to his student, "If you two aren't prepared, I know I am more than capable of handling him."

"No," Jiraiya shook his head, they had both had more than enough time, "I don't care how confident you are in your abilities. I will be the one to fight him."

"As you wish." She believed he would win, but she couldn't trust the toad sage to finish off the man that was once his teammate.

"Hokage-sama," She turned back to Minato, reverting to formal address, "I request permission to interfere with the Chuunin Exam."

Sai had chosen to observe things from an objective standpoint. So the fact they had passed the first test on pure luck hadn't bothered him. He knew Haku had managed to answer one or two questions by himself, and that he himself had cheated his way to a perfect score, but Kimimaro on the other hand hadn't answered a single thing. The tallest member of their team had simply put all his faith into the mysterious tenth question. They were fortunate it had simply been a test of will in the end. And then a scantily dressed woman had broken through the window, dragged them to Konoha's famous Forest of Death, and forced them to sign death wavers.

"Interesting." Kimimaro hummed as he gave the scroll to the artist to hide. When Anko said their numbers would be halved it seemed she had meant it literally.

"Which gate do we want?" Sai asked as he sealed the heaven scroll into one of the many blank scrolls in his pack.

"44." Their captain answered, not sparing a look as they passed familiar teams. This was a contest of skill and he would treat it as such. No matter how much Naruto or Sasuke wanted to fraternize with their friends, it would only be more difficult to pass with another's success weighing on your mind.

"Miyu-sensei said not to pick on anyone," Haku remembered, "So I suppose it would be better to go for teams from other villages?" Unlike his teammate he felt obliged to at least wave to those they knew, slipping a small smile in here and there.

"Possibly," Kimimaro flexed his fingers, the audible cracking noise annoying his teammates more than anything else, "Let just be the first to reach the tower." It was not only a challenge, but a request from their sensei.

"Hai." His two teammates smiled in affirmation, both looking so fake he wondered why they even went through the effort.

"You three ready?" The ninja in charge of watching their gate looked up from his watch, pulling the key from his belt. The younger ninja nodded, waiting patiently for him to unlock the gate, not even twitching as the gate keeper fell into a brief coughing fit. "Alright," He cleared his throat, pulling to lock away, "I expect great things from you three." He didn't even mind that they had vanished before he had finished his sentence.

"Left when we cross the river." Kimimaro commanded as the sped through the treetops. One might think it was unfair on the other teams that they happened to know the layout of the forest relatively well, but it was simply the benefit that came with living in the hosting village. That said though, they were only one of the few team with such information, having come here to train a handful of times.

"There's a team close to us," Sai informed, looking up at an inconspicuous ink bird flying small circles in the sky.

"Konoha?" Haku asked, none of the pausing their progress.

"Yes," The artist paused, trying to understand the message the bird wanted to convey, "Shall we check it out?" Kimimaro nodded an affirmative. If it was someone they knew then they would let them pass unnoticed, if not…bad luck.

"They'll pass us soon." Haku had closed his eyes, putting all his effort into chakra sensory. He may not have been the best, but the brief hints he got where more than enough to locate the potential enemy's position. They covered their presence as the team came into view, two navy clad members following their bespectacled leader.

"We fight." Kimimaro jumped out abruptly, standing in front of their opponents. His mere presence enough to force them to stop.

"Wait!" the shortest member stepped forward, his meek disposition belying his position as leader, "We're from Konoha too, it would be better not to fight."

"Prepare yourself." By the time Haku and Sai had shown themselves, Kimimaro had already begun drawing his sword. The flimsy metal gave a brilliant sheen, but he knew that it would not last. It was a disadvantage of many blades he wielded.

"You're Kaguya Kimimaro right?" Honestly it would be hard to find someone in the village that did not know the pale teen, "Uchiha Miyu's student correct?"

"Namikaze." He corrected, narrowing his eyes. His teacher had forfeited her rights to the Uchiha name years ago, and those that knew her allowed it. If this ninja was calling her by her former title, then he was no comrade of theirs.

"Sorry, sorry," He hastily apologized, "I'm Yakushi Kabuto. My group and I aren't looking for a fight, we just want to pass the test."

"I apologize for the rough treatment," Haku said more for formalities sake rather than actual sympathy, "But you have the scroll we need."

"How could you know that?" One of Kabuto's teammates asked, irritated that they were being held up.

"Oh, we just happened to know the scrolls each team received." The ice user answered easily. It had been a simply matter of Sai's useful techniques. After all, who would've suspected something of some harmless ants?

"Wha-How?!"

"Our conversation is over." Kimimaro had given them ample time to get ready, and if they weren't prepared it was their own fault.

"Wait, we'll give you our scroll peacefully," Kabuto reasoned, "So please let us go-" He had barely finished his sentence before he was forced to jump back, dodging a dangerous slash from the swordsman.

"Haa." Haku sighed into his sleeve as he watched the beginnings of a fight. It hadn't been very long, but he felt he had come to understand his taller teammate. They were similar in their loyalty to their respective masters, so when their sensei had stated Yakushi Kabuto was a threat to be dealt with, Haku expected nothing less than their current situation.

"It's a fight then." One of Kabuto's two teammates ascertained, "Yoroi, leave Kabuto to deal with the Kaguya. We'll eliminate the smallest threat first." They turned on the former mercenary and Haku couldn't help but feel insulted. They would pay dearly for marking him as the weakest.

Dodge. Kabuto barely had time to think of anything else as he barely evaded the blade, ducking as his opponent preformed a powerful slash that would have easily taken off his head. He barely saw the chance to counter, the chakra scalpel in his hand looking particularly inferior as aimed up for the exposed side. He wasn't quick enough. His blade hadn't pieced flesh, or slipped between the swordsman ribs to land that deadly blow on his heart. Instead he hand was roughly smacked back by the handle of a second sword. He had studied the info on his opponent for countless hours, but as expected it was a lot harder facing him in person.

"Come on," He panted, flipping back to dodge the fatal cross slash, "Let's talk this out." Kimimaro didn't even acknowledge him, the bored look in his eyes pulling the medic into despair. Was he being played with right now? He dodged to the side, feeling somewhat successful at the sight of the katana lodged in the tree trunk. To his amazement though, the Kaguya never stopped his flow, simply releasing the blade and drawing a new one from who knows where. How many more swords did he have one him? Kabuto had heard legends of the Kaguya and of their kekkei genkai, but he had yet to see anything other than flashes of silver. "Misumi, Yoroi, We're-" He turned his head, looking for his comrades whilst formulation an escape plan, only for it to crumble at the bloodshed he saw.

"Sorry to inform you, but your teammates are no longer able to fight, thus disqualifying you from the exam." Haku didn't bother to clean his weapon, instead leaving the hunk of metal laying in a pool of blood while he patted down his kimono. All too late Kabuto seemed to realise one teammate was missing, feeling the reality of his mistake when his back collided with something other than a tree and his arms were restrained.

"We are currently ahead of our schedule," A monotonous voice informed, his words coming from behind the medic and confirming his fears, "As soon as we're done here it should only take a couple of hours to reach the tower."

"I see." He didn't even look at him. None of them did. Kimimaro turned his head to the side, mid swing, as something seemed to catch his interest, not even twitching at the spray of blood that hit him. And then Sai dropped him, stepping over him like a mere obstacle. He did feel some sort of relief as they believed him dealt with, giving him a brief moment to focus his chakra on healing the fatal wound.

"Gu-ah…" A foot landed on his back, pressing him against the ground, and aggravating the already excruciating wound.

"I almost forgot," Kimimaro's voice came from above, marking him as Kabuto's current abuser, "Sensei said you were unexpectedly persistent. She would be disappointed if I didn't confirm your death."

A/N Thank you for reading. (Please let there be no errors)

And here we have vague Gaara scene (of which the results will be scene later...though he'll still be the loveable, bloodthirsty child we know).

Iruka has a crush, whoooooooooooo.

Uh, Jiraiya and Hiruzen are in town...

There's Kimimaro's superiority syndrome showing a bit, Haku's hidden cruelty/sadism/deceit/whatever, Sai's uncaringness (read: apathy) and more of Kimimaro's superiority.

By the way. Kabuto's dead. That happened :D