Night of Warning

Another week passed and I mastered the Rasengan. Jiriaya disappeared and let me handle training on my own.

I no longer worn my orange and blue jump suite. Instead I'm wearing a grey suite with multiple pouches with a orange stripe down my sleeves and side, along with black pants with a Japanese symbol that means fox on the side.

I was going to Ichiraku for some ramen.

"One large Misu Ramen," I ordered.

"Hey Naruto, I haven't seen you in a long time," the owner Teuchi said.

"Yeah I was busy training," I responded.

"It must have been some training," I heard a familiar voice.

I turned to see Sakura came in.

"Hey Sakura," I responded.

"Nice clothes," She said.

"Thanks, it was from my summoning actually," I said.

"Summoning, I wouldn't think you could summon," Sakura said.

"It's kind of a long story," I said, "I heard about Sasuke."

"Yeah he been gone for 3 weeks now," Sakura said.

"Hey don't worry, last time I saw Kakashi-sensei he said he was training Sasuke so maybe where ever he's at, is where Sasuke's at," I said.

"Yeah maybe," Sakura said.

"Here you go," Teuchi's daughter Ayame said giving Naruto his ramen.

"You do know Kuroda is coming tomorrow right?" Sakura asked.

I nearly choke on my ramen. I got his letter a while back but I forgot about it.

"I got his letter but I almost forgot," I explained, "How did you find out?"

"Hinata told me, she been working on her own Gentle Fist fighting style," Sakura said.

"Oh yeah, the day I got the letter was the last time I saw Hinata," I said, "Kuroda been given special tickets to the event, and decided to come after finding out I was one of the finalist."

"Well you better not let his visit go to waist," Sakura said.

"Ah right," I said.

After lunch I went back to training.

The next day I waited at the gates for Kuroda. Finally he arrived and saw me. "Well I'll be…Naruto is that you?" Kuroda asked.

"Who else would it be," I responded.

"Well I hardly recognize you in that get up," Kuroda said.

"Get-up, these are my new clothes," I said, "I'm a lot stronger than the last time you saw me."

"I'll believe that when I see you in action," Kuroda said.

I helped him to the hotel he was staying at and hearing what people were saying about the finals.

"I can't wait to see Uchiha's match," one of the villagers said.

"Yeah but I'm also looking forward to the first match, the one where the Nine-tail's son is in," the second guy said, "Then there's the two matches with the Hyuga Clan's heiress is in, then there's the one where the Hyuga who was last year's rooky of the year is in."

"Yeah, this year's matches will be interesting that's for sure," the first one said.

"Sounds like the chuunin exam is getting a lot of attention," Kuroda said.

"Yeah but they failed to mention Lee's match against Shino," I said.

That night I hanged around the festival for the Chuunin exam.

I heard more rumors around about the finals more about either my match or Sasuke's match.

Shikamaru saw me on the way to find his dad.

"Naruto is that you?" Shikamaru asked.

"Oh hey Shikamaru," I responded.

"I see you finally put your money into getting different set of clothes," Shikamaru said.

"Not really, it was a gift to me," I responded.

"Well you look more like a ninja now," Shikamaru said, "I hope you weren't spending most of the month getting clothes."

"No way, I've been training like crazy, in fact I got 2 new and powerful jutsus that will blow anyone away," I responded.

"Well at least you're looking forward to your match," Shikamaru said.

"By the way have you seen the others?" I asked.

"Ino's working at her family shop, Choji is recovering in the hospital, Hinata's with her sister, as for everyone else I don't know really," Shikamaru said.

"Oh okay, thanks," I said heading off.

I headed around and found Hinata and Hanabi looking around.

"Hey Hinata, Hanabi," I shouted waving my arm.

"Sister its Naruto, I think," Hanabi said.

Hinata turned to see me coming to them. "H-hello Naruto," Hinata greeted.

"Hi, it been a long time," I said.

"Nearly a month," Hanabi said.

"Have you seen Neji around?" I asked.

"No, but he been busy training lately that we don't see him," Hinata said.

"Oh I guess you been training separately, so that makes sense," I responded.

We walked pass a bar where I stopped hearing Kuroda.

"Yeah one of my friends is in the finals," he said.

"Hold on guys," I said going in.

"Oh hey Naruto," Kuroda greeted.

"Kuroda are you drinking?" I asked.

"Yeah why don't you join me," he responded.

"No way, besides I have friends I made after meeting you here," I said.

"Well then let them come in, and I'll tell them how you found the killer of my assistance, not to mention one how you're going to fight your way to number 1," Kuroda said.

"I told you earlier that some of those finalist were the friends I made here," I responded.

"Oh yeah that's right," Kuroda said, "Well I better get back to the hotel, don't…" Kuroda passed out before he finished.

"Kuroda," I responded.

I carried Kuroda outside where Hinata and Hanabi. "Sorry guys but apparently my old friend Kuroda decided to pass out," I said.

"It's okay, go ahead," Hinata said.

I carried Kuroda to his hotel room with the spare key he gave me and laid him down on his bed.

I headed home when I caught onto Gaara's scent. Shivers went down my back thinking Kuroda was in the same hotel as Gaara. I decided to look after Kuroda not wanting to leave him un harm.

However Gaara seemed to caught onto me as well and somehow got into Kuroda room somehow.

Just then Gaara found himself unable to move.

"Thanks for coming Shikamaru," I said.

"Yeah well its still a drag that you woke me up for this," Shikamaru said as his shadow connected to Gaara.

"Now why are you here?" I asked.

"I thought that I pull you out in the open if I attack your friend," Gaara said.

"Why you want me?" I responded.

"You're a son of a demon thus born a demon yet found confort in humans," Gaara said, "While I was born with one just to be treated as one."

"What?" Shikamaru responded.

"I heard rumors that Jinchuurikis were mistreated, but I didn't think it could be bad considering you only have a demon sealed in you," I said.

"I was born into the world by taking the life of the woman who was my mother, and became a secret weapon by my father who had the one-tail beast the Shukaku sealed in me. I was raised in the art of ninjutsu and was what I thought was loved. Until I turned 6 years old when there was an incident," Gaara said.

"What happened?" I asked.

"My father had ordered my assassination," Gaara respond.

"Wait how can that be, you said he spoiled you," Shikamaru said.

"It had to do with the Shukaku right?" I asked.

"What?" Shikamaru responded.

"Yes, my spirit was unstable and I became a threat that needed to be dealt with," Gaara said, "Since then I been wandering about my existence and I came up with the idea that I have to kill those who oppose me to prove my existence."

I understood what Gaara meant as I been through the same way. No one trusting me because of who my father was, and ending up not trusting them. I look at Kuroda and thought about Takashi. If I haven't met them, I probably be like Gaara or worst.

Then I realized what my father was talking about, he was warning me of Gaara's power not just because of the Shukaku, but also because Gaara is unstable because of what he been through.

I bit my thumb and made the hand signs the moment Shikamaru's shadow retreated. Gaara's sand came at us but I slam my hand on the ground shouting, "Summoning Jutsu!"

Akagitsune appeared and broke the sand.

"Since when did Naruto learn a summoning jutsu?" Shikamaru thought.

Gaara left finding it pointless at the moment.

"Naruto was that guy why you summon me?" Akagitsune asked.

"Yeah, sorry but he was causing trouble," I responded.

Akagitsune nodded and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Well now that's handle I'm going to bed," Shikamaru said.

"Alright night Shikamaru," I responded.

Shikamaru waved before leaving. I know one thing and that is that I'll need my sleep for the tournament.

A/N: Yeah I set it up that way so that Naruto learn more about Gaara's past. Anyways fast update but I hope this one was a good one to you all. Review please

Next Time: The finals occurs today and all the finalist is there. Except for Sasuke which is getting on my nerve because I thought he would have return by now. Anyways the fights starts and they're intense, but Kabuto is planning something. What is going to happen? Read to find out...