Disclaimer: Not mine.

Warnings remain the same.

The evening was full of firefly's, all of them gracefully dancing around, casting a soft glow on the well-trodden grass. Nevertheless, though small, Naruto found the tender beauty a comfort to his ever stressed mind. If nothing else, it reminded him of what his life had been, which in turn made him think of his father and mother, his whole reason for being here now. Mindful of the elegance the bugs produced, and not wanting to disturb it he walked slow. A relief to his tired muscles and aching feet. The moon itself seemed to be joining in with the graceful dance, as its soft glow reflected off the trees and grass even the tents were elegant under his soft light. He breathed in deep, relishing in the peace and quiet, not so commonly found in the training fields of warriors.

Then his thoughts were wavered by the sound of footsteps behind him on the grass, and his illusion of peace shattered. Turning, he faced an unexpected visitor, as the Captain stood before him. Although, while the moon was glowing softly, and the light bugs were dancing near the grass the man before him was cast in shadow, and he could not see his face nor hardly his body in the darkness of the night. He could make out the skin where it was visible nearly glowing in the moon's light. He could also see the muzzle of his father's mare just behind the man.

When his leader spoke, it was not a voice of malice or anger, instead it only held with it the steal tone of absolution."You," he said, and handed something of leather into his hand. "Are unsuited for the rage of war, so pack up, go home, you are through. How can I train the likes of you?" With those final frozen words the man turned and left to his own tent. Leaving the tan man cast in the cold moonlight, his blond hair standing out and glowing in the fragile setting, his blue eyes no longer visible in the darkness presented.

Minding his steps once more, he turned the wind brushing against his face harshly, and grabbing at the wet trails there.

A glimmer of light suddenly shone in front of his eyes, brighter than its counterparts nearer to the ground. Tempted to smack it away with his mood as foul as it was, he instead stared forlornly as it rose even higher and out of his line of reach.

It cast a silhouette upon the large wooden training post, and over the spear stuck at the top. Which sparked something within him, he knew not what, but his determination had never been so fervent. Now following the insect, he walked to the post, and stared up at it, looking at his goal with new eyes now. There had to be a way to reach it besides brawn, or swiftness, there had to be something else to it he knew, something strategic.

Seeing the weights lain on the grass, he picked them up and evaluated them, his eyes searching for anything that would be of aid, any trick, or hidden secret buried within the metal. Nothing appeared before him. Although… He looked to the fabric attached. Thinking on it, they could have tied them around their waists and climbed that way -although doubtful that would garner much results either-, however, the Captain had always insisted that they wear them around their wrists.

Suddenly it came to him, and he let out a delighted smile. Even if regardless he had to go home, at least he would have some form of satisfaction. Because while he was aware that he could be rather dense, this was a rare exception!

Now sure of himself, he took one of the ribbons, and looped it around the post, the small hole he created forming an opening for the other weight to be placed through. Taking a deep breath now, he began to leverage himself up the pillar.

It strained on his arms, his legs felt like nothing more than useless additional weight. Occasionally however, he could used them as an extra boost.

So focused was he on his task, that he saw not the light peeking the horizon, and the Alpha's leaving their tents with ragged clothing and large yawns. He did not hear their encouragement rise steadily as he got closer to his goal, No, instead of that, it was simply he, and himself doing something astounding. Upon reaching the top, the sweat pouring from his entire body as if he were a broken well, he sat at the top and simply gazed over the valley for a moment, a lightened feeling in his head. The rolling hills, and the large cliffs in the distance the sun waking up in the East. He felt accomplished. That was when he saw the small forms of people below him, and heard their cheering, he even saw Jiraiya and Sakura down there yelling enthusiastically which made his face flush with heat. Feeling bold, he took the spear jammed into the side, and launched it down towards the Captain's tent. 'Not suit for war indeed!' That of course was when the Captain came out to investigate the noise with his hair held back, and once more, no shirt.

He held his breath as the man cast his eyes upwards to stare at him, worried of a reprimand. However, instead their eyes met even from the height difference. There was a moment where nothing happened, a moment where a thousand of Naruto's thoughts flew by at breakneck speed of all manors of things. However, after that moment; Madara tilted his head, looked briefly to the spear and grabbed it from the ground where it had been buried, cast his eyes once more to the man who had thrown it: and smirked, eyes squinting, so close to it, that Naruto had almost mistaken it for a smile. Before the tall -small to Naruto's eyes- man turned back into his tent, spear in hand.

Naruto knew for sure at that moment, he had not been kicked out of the army.

In the afternoon of the very same day, he began to feel ill. At first he thought it simple dehydration, he had not drunk all day after all. So he took his water skin and drank two whole portions of the water there. However, after another round of combat with Ino, it became evident that was not the case. His head felt light, and his legs weak there was bile in his throat, and an itch in an unspeakable place. Knowing not what ailed him, he left the spear with Ino as fast as he could depart, on the excuse of needing a small rest before moving to his tent where he knew Iruka and Kakashi would be of same aid. Abit slowly however, in fact, he considered himself lucky once he reached the opening at the ridge of the training field. As by this point his skin felt as if it were pulsing with heat. His hands were quivering and twitching at his sides, legs and feet felt light and fell heavily on the soil beneath him. Sweat dripped down his brow and ran down his face in rivulets, his abdomen was clenching painfully at nothing, his eyesight was blurring by the time he got inside.

'Danty,' he thought reverently once inside, he was dainty. Leith and smooth with soft muscle. It was aggravating, almost appalling. He stood out because of his height and mass, but even with the training he did he was no closer to gaining visible muscle then he had been when he had rested peacefully within his village. Whatever ailment he had been plagued by, it seemed that it was affecting his emotions and thoughts, for while he felt no better even as he lay upon his itchy bedding, his mind strived to think. Strange abstract thoughts that hardly held any leverage over him were suddenly and unabashedly at the forefront of his mind. While his more reasoned rational thoughts slipped back into his subconscious were he could only just remember the logic of them.

Muscle and proof of worth were suddenly grappling for his attention upon his mind, and as a result he could feel something tightening and coiling in his lungs, burning them. Anger, he recognized before it consumed him.

He lashed out as hard as he could, there was a passion beneath his breast, though he knew not what it was for, he took a leave of his senses and hit anything within his fist's sight. When he felt his right fist strike solid flesh and bone he felt a dulled thrill of satisfaction as he heard a startled shriek. It was short lived.

A hand roughly seized his wrist and he was pushed down onto his bedding and he yelled in outrage. 'How dare they! He could beat this little-' The weight on top of him increased, and he found trouble in bringing air into his lungs.

Distorted though it may be he heard a voice."Kakashi stop! Let him go this instant!"

"He hit you!" Something thudded against his chest violently, and his breath left him soon after that.

Although unnerved by the action he could now push down his emotion and come back to his rational mind. Focusing his eyesight, he could only just see the vague visages of his two protectors, then he felt that same burning heat once more.

The groan escaped his throat unheeded.

"Kakashi, find some yerrow, quick!"

"Whatever for?" Spoke a grated voice.

"He's going into heat! We have to stop the inflammation before it gets to that point!" Now, as much as this particular situation was worrying, the words themselves striking fear and panic into his chest without a moment's pause, as much as he felt the swift brush of energy into his limbs begging for him to run, as much as those impulses spring forth, he held fast to himself, and recognized that he was in fact lucky, as it had to occur. Better now than when they were battling the enemy.

"I-Iruka?" He clenched against his voice, aggravated at its weak tone and whispered word.

"It's alright Naruto, as soon as Kakashi gets back with that yerrow, we'll be able to lower the inflammation of your mating gland, and your heat will be halted until the next new moon." With little to no energy left he could not even bare to raise his head, and rested upon his futon exhausted. He knew without a doubt that he would have to attend training in the morrow regardless of his condition. Although he had no idea of just how he was to accomplish that with how he felt now.

Mentally, he registered that fact that it was Kakashi fetching the yerrow. That, he knew, would take a long time. Kakashi was many things, quick however, was not one of those things.

A long afternoon followed.