(Here you go, guys. I'm glad you're all enjoying this, because I'm thinking about giving the rest of the rookies the ability to bend as well. But not all of them right away. They'll all have to figure it out on their own. Enjoy this chapter.)

After the start of the second stage of the Chunin Exams, squad seven was determined to get their scroll and move on. Unfortunately, they ran into trouble in the form of Orochimaru, the ninja who Naruto saw in his vision the night before. The two boys fought fiercely but even their combined strengths were no match for the power of the rogue shinobi. It was thanks to a combined distraction courtesy of Naruto and Soreth, they were able to elude the creep and escape, much to the rogue's ire.

Out in the Forest of Death, squad seven and Soreth were making their way through it, as Naruto was scoping out some cover. He finally turned and saw a deep hollow under a tree, "Quickly, in there."

The four went into the hollow, and Naruto used earthbending to cover up the hole. Inside the group couldn't see a thing.

"Can somebody turn on a light?" Sakura asked.

"Soreth." Naruto ordered.

Soreth used his flames to produce a campfire on a bunch of sticks giving them a fire. Squad seven panted while catching their breath.

"Ok, what just happened back there?" Sasuke asked in surprise.

"That was scary." Sakura trembled.

"I know." Naruto agreed.

Sasuke turned to Naruto, "Naruto, what was that all about?"

Sakura turned to the Avatar as well, "Yeah. You seed to have known a lot about that Orochimaru guy."

"Not everything, just bits and pieces." he corrected her.

"Still, you seem to know enough. But how do you know someone like that?" Sasuke inquired.

"I never met Orochimaru personally. I saw him in a vision."

"A vision?" Sakura asked.

Naruto nodded, and spoke, "It was after the first part of the Chunin Exams. I went back home hoping to talk to Iroh-Jiji in the spirit world. But through my meditation, I instead ended up seeing a vision from the past involving Orochimaru and Sandaime-Jiji. After that I went to see Jiji and told him about my vision."

"What did he have to say?" Sasuke inquired.

"He told me that Orochimaru was not only a former shinobi of Konoha, but was also his student when he was younger than us."

"Younger than us?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah. Turns out Orochimaru was some 'prodigy' of a shinobi always fascinated with the ninja teachings and jutsu. He was so fascinated he started conducting experiments on innocent lives looking to learn all there is to know about jutsu."

"Experimented on lives?" Sasuke wondered.

Naruto nodded, "Jiji told me Orochimaru was obsessed with not only knowing all the worlds jutsu but a way to become immortal as well."

"Immortal?" Sakura gasped.

"All the worlds jutsu?" Sasuke asked.

"That's right."

"But why would he be here?" Sakura asked.

"And why come after us?" Sasuke wondered.

Naruto had already figured it out, "He came here for you, Sasuke."

"Me?"

"That's right. I realize you have the only thing that can help Orochimaru learn every jutsu."

Sasuke realized it, "My Sharingan."

Sakura realized it as well, "Your eyes copies all jutsu. But hold on, how can Orochimaru use Sasuke's Sharingan to learn all jutsu? He'd have to transplant it in his own sockets like Kakashi-sensei does."

"Maybe through normal procedure, but I have a feeling there's more behind it." Naruto believed.

"What do we do now?" Sakura asked.

"We wait it out here until morning," Naruto answered, "We'll pick up our search for a scroll in the morning."

Sasuke nodded, "All right." So the squad and Soreth got comfortable and soon fell asleep.

Meanwhile back out in the forest, Orochimaru stood where he fought Squad Seven, fuming at his missed chance.

"That brat ruined my chance to brand Sasuke!" he calmed down, "No matter, I still have other chances to obtain him."

"Lord Orochimaru." came a voice. Orochimaru turned and saw the three Sound shinobi from before.

"Zaku, Kin, Dosu. I have a new job for you."

"What is it you desire of us?" Dosu inquired.

"You know of Sasuke Uchiha, remember?"

"Of course. He's the one you're looking to obtain." Zaku answered.

"Correct. I now want you to find him and bring him to me."

"Consider it done." Kin smirked.

"I'm counting on you three. Fail me, and I promise you the consequences will be dire." Orochimaru warned them.

The three were shaken by his threat, and took off without a word. Orochimaru looked out into the forest frowning, "No one will stand in my way of my goal. Especially not some half baked Avatar."

The next day, with Squad seven, the team and Soreth were still asleep in their hollow hideaway. When Naruto head the birds chirping outside, he started waking up. He stretched and yawned, "What a night."

Soreth woke up and yawned as well. The dragon's yawn caused Sasuke and Sakura to stir in their sleep before waking up.

"Morning already?" Sakura yawned.

"Five more minutes." Sasuke groaned.

Naruto spoke, "I wish. But we better get ready. We only have two days left to find us a scroll and get to the tower."

"Then we better move." Sasuke said.

His teammates nodded in agreement, but before they could prepare to leave, Soreth started growling, "What is it, boy?" Naruto asked.

Suddenly taking them by surprise, the earth cover that blocked off intruders shattered. The group stood their ground until they saw standing above the opening were the Sound shinobi.

"I told you I could hear something." Dosu said.

"Great work, Dosu." Zaku said.

"This makes it so much easier." Kin added.

"You three again?" Naruto asked in disbelief.

"Come to take our scroll, huh?" Sasuke guessed.

"Close, but not that close." Zaku answered.

"Then what do you want?" Sakura demanded.

"We're here for Sasuke Uchiha." Dosu answered.

"Me?" Sasuke asked, while Naruto squinted at the team.

"I take it Orochimaru put you up to this?"

"Yes. We have our orders, and we will be taking Sasuke." Dosu said.

Sasuke frowned, "I'm not going with you three."

"Then you leave us no choice." Kin said, as she armed herself with needles.

"Soreth, shoot!" Naruto ordered, as his dragon launched a blast of fire, causing the three to jump back.

Soreth crawled out of the hole and growled at them. Kin was shocked, "Lord Orochimaru didn't mention they had a dragon with them!"

"I got this." Dosu tapped on his metal gauntlets, and suddenly Soreth started crying in pain as he dropped on the ground and rolled around.

"Soreth?" Naruto gasped.

"What's wrong with him?" Sakura asked in concern.

Naruto Aibended at Dosu, who jumped aside, "Get Sasuke!"

Zaku and Kin went to attack, only for Sasuke to arm himself and attack Zaku, leaving Sakura to face Kin.

Sasuke was going at it with Zaku hand to hand, until Zaku held his arms out revealing air holes in his palms, 'What're those?' Sasuke thought.

"Try this!" Zaku called, as two busts of wind shot from the air holes, and blew Sasuke backward making him crash against a tree.

"Sasuke!" Sakura called.

"I wouldn't be worried about him!" Kin called, as she went and attacked Sakura.

Sakura was using all her shinobi training under Kakashi to dodge, but the Sound girl launched some needles. One ended up getting Sakura in the arm, as she recoiled.

"If that's the best you got, then you're a sad excuse of a kunoichi." Kin mocked her.

Sakura frowned, as she plucked the needle out, and spoke, "Don't you ever call me a sad excuse of a kunoichi. I may not be as strong or talented like you, but that'll never stop me from fighting the good fight." she declared, but noticed that the rocks left over from Naruto's earth bending started shaking.

She thought to herself, 'They're moving, just like when Naruto does Earthbending. But they're reacting to me? I wonder...' she performed a spin kick move she had seen Naruto do when Earthbending. Suddenly the rocks were sent flying right at Kin nailing her.

"Ow! Hey, what're you!"

Naruto and Sasuke who had been fighting their respective enemies noticed this, "What the?" Sasuke asked in confusion.

Naruto looked equally shock, "Sakura can Earthbend?"

Sakura managed to earthbend a bigger rock that nailed Kin knocking her into a tree unconsciously. The pink haired girl looked excited, "I can Earthbend!"

Naruto smiled, "Well, what do you know?"

Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other smirking, and took the fight to Zaku and Dosu throwing all they had at them.

"This is insane!" Zaku cried.

"We need to get out of here now!" Dosu ordered.

"What? You heard what Lord Orochimaru said..."

"We'll deal with it, collect Kin, and let's go," Dosu instructed. Zaku sighed as he collected Kin, before Dosu offered them their team scroll which fortunately for squad seven was a heaven scroll, "Take our scroll and pray you survive the events that follow." The two took off with their female comrade.

Naruto picked the scroll up, "Well, guys. We got our scroll."

"So we should head for the tower right away." Sakura added. Sasuke nodded in agreement.

"Soreth, can you fly?" Naruto asked his dragon who felt much better now that Dosu wasn't using his sound gauntlets, "Ok, let's go." the three climbed on Soreth's back, as the dragon flew off.

The dragon flew through the forest dodging all the trees and branches that were in the way. Naruto finally spoke up, "Sakura, how did you manage to Earthbend?"

"I don't know. I just noticed the rocks seem to respond to my emotions, so I took a chance and did what you did when you Earthbend."

"I'm surprised. I thought Naruto was the only one in the village to bend." Sasuke said.

"Well, anyone could be born with bending in their blood. I mean Master Jinora's Uncle Bumi was naturally born an Airbender, so even a bending can skip a generation." Naruto explained.

"I may have to have a word with my parents after this. Maybe they know about it." Sakura said.

Naruto nodded before looking ahead seeing the tower, "Look alive, people. Tower straight ahead."

"Take us down." Sasuke ordered, as Naruto guided Soreth down to the ground.

"Thanks, Soreth, we can take it from here. You head on home and rest." Naruto ordered. Soreth nodded, and took off into the sky to head back to Naruto's place.

Squad seven approached the tower, before a voice called out, "Hey, you guys!"

They looked over and saw Kabuto Yakushi and his teammates approaching, "Hey, Kabuto." Naruto greeted him.

"Did you find both scrolls too?" Sakura inquired.

"Sure did. Wasn't easy though," Kabuto said, "You guys all right?"

"Better now that we got here." Naruto answered.

"Hope you guys didn't run into too much trouble out there. It's dangerous."

"So we've noticed." Sasuke answered.

"Well, we're going in through the side door, see you guys later." Kabuto said, as he and his team went through another entrance.

Squad seven nodded before going in the front entrance. They walked through a hall before stopping in the middle of a big room.

"What do we do now?" Sakura wondered.

"The proctor said we couldn't open our scrolls until we got here, right?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah." Sasuke confirmed.

"So why don't we open them now?" Naruto suggested.

"Makes sense." Sakura agreed.

So Naruto and Sasuke pulled out their two scrolls. They opened them up and dropped them on the floor. Suddenly in a poof of smoke stood Iruka.

"Hey, guys. You made it." he greeted them.

"Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"How did you get here?" Sakura wondered.

"I'm here to congratulate you for passing the second stage of the Chunin Exams."

"How did you know when to show?" Sasuke asked.

"Those scrolls you were meant to collect were actually summoning scrolls meant to summon me should you make it here with both scrolls."

"So then what would've happened if someone tried to look at them before they got here?" Naruto inquired.

"Then they would be knocked unconscious and eliminated from the exams." the Chunin explained.

"Feel sorry for those did try that." Naruto chuckled.

"Follow me and I'll show you to a room to wait in." Iruka instructed, as squad seven followed.

Meanwhile, as Kabuto and his team walked through the hall, they stopped as Orochimaru stood in the center looking at them.

"Kabuto." Orochimaru addressed him.

Kabuto suddenly smirked deviously, "Lord Orochimaru. I assume things didn't go as planned with Sasuke?"

"Hardly," Orochimaru hissed, "Give me your data on Naruto Uzumaki."

"Very well." Kabuto pulled out his ninja info cards and pulled out the one that had the data on Naruto.

Orochimaru looked at his card seeing Naruto's basics including such info as him being the jinchuriki for the nine tails as well as having strong stamina. Your info on this brat is out of date, Kabuto."

"What do you mean?" Kabuto asked in confusion.

"What I mean is, there is more to the boy than what we originally knew."

"How so?" Kabuto inquired.

"Naruto Uzumaki is more than just the Jinchuriki for the nine tails. He is also the Avatar."

Kabuto looked surprised, while his teammates were confused, "That Avatar, my lord?"

"Precisely. I fought him myself, and his skills in the art of bending are quite formidable. But until he taps into the Avatar state he can still be dealt with easily."

"So what do we do now?" Kabuto awaited orders.

"For now we do nothing, but keep an eye on Sasuke. I will have him and his eyes no matter what it takes. Can you do that?"

Kabuto nodded, "Of course, my lord."

"Good." Orochimaru snickered.

(And there's the chapter, squad seven got through the confrontation against the Sound shinobi, and Sakura is an earth bender. Don't miss next time where it's a battle against the groups. I'll see you soon.)