Herro, prease. Now that I'm free, I can start updating more often. If you want me to, that is.

READ THE DISHCLAIMEH: I DON'T OWN NARUTO, BUT I DO OWN A HAMSTER, AND HIS NAME IS NIKOLAI.

"Well... alright, Naruto," said Kurenai, finally.

Naruto dragged his eyes from Hinata's, who continued to stare at him admiringly, and rested them on the Jonin's face. He cocked his head questioningly.

"I'll see what I can do. I'm still going to send you back to the academy, but perhaps I can find a replacement for the team. I suppose it would be unfair to fail Shino and Hinata for your mistake," she said, averting her eyes to gaze into the clear, blue sky.

Naruto grimaced at her wording, but plastered a huge grin across his face, and turned to Hinata, who was now twiddling her fingers, somewhat guiltily. However, at his smile, her cheeks flushed a deep red, and she sank back into her coat a few inches.

Kurenai glanced at the pair of them, smiling sadly, half-amused, and half-pitying.

"I guess I'd better be off then. I'm sorry Naruto-kun. I hope you make it next year. I want to be the first to know when you do," she said, nodding to him.

"You bet I'm gonna make it next year! I'm gonna be Hokage someday!" he replied, sticking his hands behind his head, closing his eyes and stretching his fake grin even wider.

Kurenai shook her head affectionately, chuckling.

"I hope to see you soon, Hinata," she said warmly.

There was a sudden gust of wind, pink petals swirled around Kurenai, and when the breeze died, and the petals settled, she was gone.

"Well, Hinata-chan, looks like ya' got another chance! I'm really happy for you!" he exclaimed, his voice a little strained from the effort of trying to keep it cheerful. He was genuinely pleased that she might get a chance to become a ninja, and wished her all the best, but there was a small part of him that ached in bitter jealousy.

Hinata, however, didn't seem to notice, and attempted to smile back, but her bottom-lip trembled slightly. She bowed her head, so her bangs hid her eyes, and swallowed.

"B-But, Naruto-kun... I-If anyone de-deserves to b-become a ninja, it's y-you! Y-you worked so har-" she mumbled, trying to force the words out, but her voice squeaked and died mid-sentence. She licked her lips, and tried to speak again.

However, before she could, a hand clapped gently on her shoulder, and her tongue froze in place, her eyes widening considerably. She lifted her head slightly, and felt her legs buckle at what she saw.

Naruto stood before her, his hand gripping her shoulder, his deep, cerulean eyes gazing into her pale, pupil-less ones. His trade-mark grin lit up his face, this one genuine, and it made the young Hyuuga swoon. The gentle afternoon breeze ruffled his messy, blonde hair.

"Hinata, I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for people like you," he declared, somewhat sheepishly.

THUMP.

"What the- HINATA?!"

"SHIT, I KILLED HER AGAIN!"

Shino stood, still atop the Hokage monument, waiting patiently for his insects to return.

He had sensed that the kikaichū had managed to temporarily disrupt Naruto's chakra, to break the genjutsu placed over him.

With some difficulty, apparently.

However, it seemed that it was not just his strong chakra flow that had been to problem in disrupting Naruto's chakra.

Shino could now see his bugs, buzzing in a small swarm over the top of the Fourth Hokage's stone head. He frowned, noticing their odd, sluggish movements, and stretched his arm out, allowing the kikaichū to fly down his sleeve, into a small hole situated by his elbow, and into his body.

Before they had been planted on Naruto, he had ordered his bugs to collect a small sample of the orange ninja's chakra, should he ever need to identify his chakra in the future using his insects.

He now felt them wriggling under his skin, rather slowly, and up his arm to the nearest chakra point. He signalled for them to release the chakra into his own stream.

An air-shattering yelp of pain escaped Shino's throat, and he collapsed to his knees, his entire body shaking uncontrollably.

"What... kind of chakra... is this...?" he hissed through his teeth, as a piercing agony erupted all over his arm. He desperately urged his insects to draw the chakra back out.

The same insects who had deposited the chakra sucked it back out, and crawled out from his coat, attempted to fly, and subsequently dropped to the floor.

Shino lay there on the ground, panting heavily.

Strangely, he still sensed foreign chakra within his body, and realized this must be Naruto's chakra. But if so, what was the chakra he had felt before, that had felt so... evil? The chakra he felt now was powerful, but certainly not as horrible as the chakra that had caused him such agony.

Shino slowly rolled his head to search for his insects, and quickly spotted them, lying a few inches away from his right arm.

He sat up, still breathing heavily, and leaned over to inspect them.

The kikaichū seemed to be in major discomfort, as they were flailing their small legs around wildly, rocking back and forth across the dirt.

Shino shifted his sunglasses slightly, and upon closer inspection, saw that the insects seemed to glow a slight red. One or two of them were now still, dead, and small amounts of chakra leaked from their skin, and disappeared into the air above them.

'What kind of chakra is this?' Shino repeated, bewildered, amazed, and frightened.

OOOH, YEH, SHIT JUST GOT REAL!

By the way, the last little bit is all made up. I don't know if Shino can really do that, or if the Kyuubi's chakra would cause him pain, or something. But, yeah, stuff. Thanks for reading. And, please, R&R! :D