I don't own Naruto or any of its characters, I'm just a fan I enjoyed the anime but I love the fanfics even more, they made me fall for the whole franchise.

Chapter 49

"Why are we doing this again?" Odama asked sighing with his arm on the counter at a 45-degree angle Palm supporting his head. Next to him arranging the many many collections of a blonde-haired Shinobi figurine was Rasen who was slowly doing his job in happiness and extra care.

"Gatō -Sama entrusted us with this assignment, you heard him when the blonde arrived through the door. He said we had to be very attentive to his needs and wants." Rasen explained his voice normal and not a screaming maniac as his fellow colleagues came to call him behind his back.

"Besides, Gatō said it himself he chose me and said I should choose my most trusted man." Tango gave his best friend a bromance-worthy smile that had Odama sighing in defeat accepting his fate of being a clerk for the stand located in front of the Konoha gates.

"Where is the guy that was here yesterday?" Rasen blinked and looked up at the Chunin who signed them into the village. Odama simply looked up at the Konoha Chunin and wondered if he could take him on, he didn't think ninjas were all that. The only ninja he respected was the fourth Hokage, he wanted to be just like him when he grew up. It was kind of funny because Odama was already reaching his mid-twenties, he was past Minato Namikaze's age at the time of his passing.

"He won't be here anymore, let's work well amongst each other Chunin-San." Rasen said in a business-like voice that his been low-Key copying from Gatō, the blonde boy seemed to have that voice as well maybe that was why he could sit in front of Gatō and talk with the man and have him listening.

"Ahh yes, yes let's work well together my friend." Izumo grabbed Rasen's outstretched hand and shook it 2 times before blinking in confusion at his actions with Odama doing the same. "Wait a minute." Wait a minute indeed Odama backed up the reaction inwardly looking at his best friend like a fool.

"What am I saying you're not allowed to sell here." Izumo protested regaining his mentality. Odama only sighed remembering the only line in his act. Nobody trusted him with anything important anymore since his secret jutsu came out, they also said he talked too much and was stupid.

"Chunin-San is this a law you are enforcing and-and and………" Odama forgot his line, now repeating the same word over and over again. Making Izumo raise an unimpressed eyebrow, with Rasen growling in anger at his best friend.

"Look here Shinobi-San and listen carefully. Is it a L-A-W or a RUuuLeeeee that I have to move this stall, if it is bring me a copy of where it is written until then don't bother me unless you are interested in buying the great Naruto-Sama action figurine." Izumo blinked at the words, he remembered hearing on the first day of the Chunin exams from that green-haired merchant.

Rasen proceeded to knock Odama's hip with his elbow to gain his attention. When he did get his fool of a best friend's attention he glared at him and mouthed the words 'get it together' his eyes saying don't embarrass me.

Odama looked back towards Izumo who was a stuttering mess on finding an answer to the question asked, he remembered when he was in that same condition when he met the blonde for the first time, at least to his knowledge. He couldn't believe he forgot his only line, but come on it was so long why couldn't he just improvise and kick the ninja's ass.

"Izumo stop slacking off." Kotetsu called out from inside the gatekeeper booth leaning on his chair while his feet rested on the counter munching on a little stick. Odama looked at Kotetsu's relaxed form and thought since his job was done even though he failed at it, he could relax. Odama pulled a Chair and planned on seating down when Rasen pulled it away making him fall on his ass.

"Thank you for the chair, now go sweep the front of the stand so the customers see we take our jobs seriously!" Rasen shouted with authority and Odama grumbled there it was, when Rasen became like this it was either his way or the highway. Odama pouted standing up and walking off grabbing a broom from the corner and began sweeping the dirt from the spotless street.

"Teach me." Izumo begged, looking at Rasen with pleading eyes. He needed to learn his secrets because this seemed like the kind of jutsu he needed to motivate Kotetsu to work.

"I have no qualms with teaching those who want to work." Rasen said seriously as he picked up a figurine and began polishing it. "THE FIRST LESSON IS TO KNOW THAT HARD WORK IS LOUD!" Rasen shouted again with Izumo pulling out a notebook and writing the lessons down. Kotetsu simply shook his head yawning with a tear escaping his left eye.

"Good luck with that endeavor Izumo, I have far relations with the Nara clan, ahhhhhhh life."Kotetsu snickered, his uncle who told him he was a distant cousin of the Nara clan was a known lier in Konoha who was spending time in prison for burning a club because the owner took his wife, who looked so sexy now with all that money she is being given like allowance.

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Sasuke jumped through the branches of the forest heading anywhere but where Hinata Hyūga was. The girl was starting to get annoying, her lack of response to his advances was not how Sasuke wanted things to go.

The Uchiha believed what he said to Naruto, her affection for the blonde must have been admiration being confused as love. He wasn't the type of person who could be good for her, he was sure of it. The dobe only said he loved Hinata to stop him from getting her, Naruto stood in his way since back in the academy days when he use to wrap his arm around Hinata so Sasuke couldn't get close physically and emotionally.

"Stupid blondes." Sasuke growled out bawling his fists, jumping down from the tree tops, he dashed onto the grass below. Sasuke grew frustrated at Ino as well, was the girl so dense that she would leave her boyfriend alone with another girl for hours and hours, letting them have sleepovers? Sasuke growled again barring his teeth seething in anger.

"Help!! Help me!" Sasuke growled out and ran toward the cry for help, just to see if he could find someone and beat some of his frustration into their body. The Uchiha weaved through the foliage hoping over branches, jumping on one tree to push himself onto another tree and repeating the process before grabbing a small branch with a hand to swing himself up and land on another higher level branch now traveling from branch to branch the Leaf ninja way.

"Please don't Kill me!" A red-haired girl screamed in alarm as though about to take her last breath. A brown-furred Bear about the length of four Sasuke Uchiha's and as thick as 5 of him raised its thick and muscular arm, paws open with razor-sharp claws gleaming under the afternoon sun.

It strikes quickly arms coming down with the power to tare the red-haired girl to shreds. Sasuke tsk'd in annoyance he thought it was something fearsome with the way the girl screamed, instead it was a wild animal.

'What is this weak-willed girl doing in these exams?' He thought drawing a Kunai as he soared from the above treetops towards the bear while calling upon his killing intent.

The bear's sixth sense for danger rang out in alarm, it abandoned its attack and instead turned to challenge the danger behind. Sasuke smirked at the sight of blood, his bloodlust suddenly peaking its head out, it had a sadistic quality to it that the bear was not prepared for.

The Uchiha's Kunai plunged into the bear's left eye, making it roar in pain with blood spraying from the wound sprinkling Sasuke with some of it. The bear brought its heavy arms up ready to bash the boy stuck to its shoulder and Sasuke jumped, his Chakra's adhesive quality locked onto the bear's flesh. The bear roared in even more pain when its fur and a Shinobi sandal imprint were left behind with its flesh torn from its meat.

Sasuke twisted in mid-air bringing two Kunais out and throwing one at the bear's right wide-open eye scoring another bullseye right into the bear's black iris the other Kunai came a second later going into the bear's maw and piercing its throat. The red-haired girl grimaced at the excessive brutality.

The bear choking on the Kunai was not kill shot worthy for the smiling Uchiha with hungry red eyes that spun like an electric fan. When Sasuke landed he was already flying through hand seals.

"Fire style: Great Fireball Jutsu!" He exclaimed and Karin blushed at the amount of chakra to come out of that specific Jutsu. Chakra was a drug she couldn't help but return to and the one in front of her was nothing like her senses had ever experienced, it was so intoxicating she found herself feeling warm inside, the girl close to 16 years of age squeezed her thighs together.

Kind of weird to be feeling that way when a bear was being cooked in front of you. The red-haired girl didn't even hear the Animals cries of pain and instead stared at the majestic Ball of fire and kept following it until its source to the open mouth of the raven-haired boy who was glaring at the bear he was cooking alive, looking to get that perfect crispy texture.

The bear ran away from the flames, blind to its surrounding, and a second later it knocked into a pretty sturdy tree and dropped. The bear's mad dash had it knocking the tree too hard, giving the poor animal a concussion. It lay there, slowly the will to fight leaving its body.

Sasuke scoffed and looked at the red-haired girl, it didn't take him a second to feel disgusted, because of the look she gave him. 'Another fan girl, I should have just let her die.' Sasuke berated himself turning around to walk away, the bear already a forgotten memory even though it was only 6 feet to his right, still alive and on fire releasing the smell of burnt fur and cooked meat.

"Wait!" The girl called out. Sasuke simply walked away he didn't care for her thank you and fawning. Sasuke jumped into the foliage feeling his anger subside he was tired of the forest anyway they should just enter the tower.

As the Uchiha traveled, he noticed that he was being followed he looked behind him and found the girl jumping from tree branch to tree branch on his trail.

"Wait please!" Sasuke heard instead go, speed up. The Uchiha complied sending chakra to the soles of his feet, he picked up speed leaving the slower girl in his dust. Sasuke slowed down after some time and continued on his journey in a more leisurely run, he looked up to see the sun ready to set.

After a few minutes, Sasuke was landing on the branch of their temporary hideout. Finding Hinata on her knees with her katana in her hands cleaning the sharp blade and staring up at him having sensed his arrival. Naruto was behind her also on his knees but with his stomach against her back and hands hanging from each side of her shoulders with his head against hers if not for their hair their cheeks would be touching.

Naruto seeing Sasuke growled and lifted Hinata's hair, a second later he kissed her neck surprising the Hyūga girl, but it quickly turned to disappointment when she felt his emotions he only did it to spite Sasuke. Hinata's blade slinked back into her storage scroll tattoo frowning as she pushed Naruto's face away. She felt his surprise and confusion so she turned around on her knees to face him giving Sasuke her back.

"Please don't do that Naruto-Kun." Hinata said softly, her hands coming up to mush up his cheeks. Naruto blinked but when he looked into Hinata's eyes he frowned realizing his mistake. The blonde licked his bottom lip before nodding.

"Good boy." Hinata said appreciatively and gave him a beautiful smile, which he reciprocated with one of his own that was small and filled with shame at the thought of disappointing her. He thought he could get away with the smile because she couldn't see but alas she didn't need to.

"Ouch ouch ouch." Naruto cried hands coming up to grab Hinata's arms that were pulling, twisting, and pinching his cheeks. The pain didn't last long and a second later Hinata's face was inches from his.

"I'm not mad, just be more considerate okay, hurting Sasuke-Kun's feelings won't help any of us." Hinata always the democrat reprimanded the blonde who nodded at her words, he proceeded to remove her hands from his cheeks with no fuss from the girl and brought them in front of him. Naruto bent his head down and gave each hand a chaste kiss rubbing them with comfort.

"Im lucky to have you." He told her, she felt his words and gestures were coming from somewhere pure and not foul like spite.

"Yes, you are." Hinata said with a giggle that had Naruto feeling happy when he heard it like he always did.

Hinata smiled feeling his gratitude at having her in his world before his love for her grew just that little more. The blind girl did not want to do these things in front of Sasuke but she couldn't let outside sources change how she interacted with her best friend. Hinata stood up with Naruto still holding her hands, she rolled her eyes and pulled him up with him grinning like a fool the whole time though she wouldn't know that, Or did she?

"We have company." Hinata informed not looking in said direction of the individual she just sensed in her sensory range. The person was quite far they wouldn't be able to hear them. Hinata activated her eyes discreetly and it wasn't long before the individual began retreating. "She's escaping heading northwest." At Hinata's words, Sasuke dashed in that direction already guessing who it might be.

'If she is stupid enough to follow me, she must be looking to die.' Sasuke picked up speed his anger finding a new target, but when he looked behind him, he saw that the 'dobe' was giving chase too. The Uchiha growled using his greater speed to gain more distance on the Uzumaki. Naruto wasn't worried though, in a test of a straight run, he had a secret.

The blonde placed chakra to the soles of his feet and let it explode, blowing himself forward and closing some of the distance 'Duncan Mac Duckass' has on him. Naruto summoned a clone with a simple cross seal. The clone grabbed him by the hem of his t-shirt and threw him like an arrow with all its strength. Naruto soared before landing, ending up on the same branch Sasuke just landed on.

Both boys locked eyes, it was decided there and then it was a challenge given and a challenge accepted on both sides. They faced forward and did their things to stay ahead of the other. Naruto using the tree walking exercise to blow himself off branches to catch speed and land on the next kept pace with the Uchiha who specialized in speed and acrobatics jumping on branches and on trees vertically to push himself to the next vertical surface repeating the process while using smaller branches to grab onto and swing to throw himself forward.

The red-haired girl couldn't believe the speed in which the two genin were gaining on her. She wondered why they would be so eager to catch her and she felt the only reason was to kill her. She swore she didn't see anything worth talking about, except maybe the obvious love triangle on display.

The Kusa genin jumped down and decided to hide, running wasn't going to end well with those two boys with very different Chakra alignments chasing her like mad dogs. She went behind a tree and covered her mouth with both hands, she stopped her breathing but her heart rate was busy running so fast she thought she might run out of beats.

She panicked when she felt killing intent making her freeze. She was rooted to her hiding spot as Sasuke landed a few feet away from the girl he rescued earlier now as the predator. The Uchiha dashed at the girl being the first to catch up to her. He smirked thinking that he won the race and now he would claim his prize. The Uchiha drew two Shurikens and threw them at the girl, one aimed at her face and the other at her chest.

Naruto landed in front of her a second after Sasuke threw the projectiles taking the shuriken into his body. Sasuke looked on in Surprise but his brain also registered that his thrown weapon hit the blonde in the head and stomach both in critical locations he felt some sudden relief strike him like he was finally free. 'Naruto' went off in a puff of smoke and a second later another blonde landed in the obvious clone's previous spot.

Sasuke grunted disappointed that it was only a clone he struck, he began walking over to Naruto who glared at him standing protectively in front of the taller girl who shook in her boots with tears of fear dripping down her eyes. The Uchiha genin drew a Kunai and twirled it in his left hand before grabbing it in a reverse grip.

"Move dobe." Sasuke warned, but deep down wishing Naruto would not listen. He wasn't disappointed when the blonde stood his ground. "It looks like I will get to kill you sooner than I expected then," Sasuke said killing intent growing more and more potent the more he called on it, it felt so natural to him like he was meant to invoke fear in others.

"Don't take another step Uchiha, I have business with this girl." Naruto warned making a clone that made another clone and they both drew kunai.

Sasuke simply scoffed at the two doppelgängers before he dashed at them all like a God of war unafraid of the consequences of his actions.

Hinata dropped in front of Naruto a second later surprising Sasuke, his eyes widened when she dashed at him right after touching the ground. In her hand, her blade glistened in the evening sunlight as she swiped up knocking the Kunai out of Sasuke's grasp, and a second later her katana's sharp edge was pressed against his neck.

"What are you doing, did you not hear What he said?" Hinata's voice came out cold and controlled, her words coming out like an angel of death whispering your death was near. Her orbs of endless darkness glared up at him. Eyes looking like a gateway to some place of endless suffering.

Sasuke bared his teeth at the girl and stepped back shoving the blade away from his neck before glaring at the problem. Sasuke's eyes landed on one Naruto Uzumaki who looked at him indifferently like he was dismissing him. Him Sasuke Uchiha! second child to Fugaku Uchiha, the clan head of the Uchiha clan! Being seen as a nuisance, being looked at like your common civilian! Sasuke growled taking a step to move passed Hinata but she didn't let him. Instead, Hinata shoved him away by his chest and swung her blade down drawing a line in front of his feet very close to chopping off his toes.

"Don't cross that line." Hinata warned with veins slowly crawling in the corner of her eyes, her orbs turning even darker and leaving it looking like an abyss. Her dojutsu activating was a warning an uncharacteristic look of conviction in her eyes that told Sasuke he would have to go through her first before reaching his target.

Sasuke's nose began to flare in anger, his teeth bared as he pulled the ugliest face of anger that had all his handsome features twisted and corrupted, chest expanding and deflating as he breathed in and out raggedly.

The Uchiha looked from Hinata's serious face that made it clear which side she stood on before staring at Naruto over her squared shoulders. Sasuke took two steps back nodding at them in acceptance of what he saw as Naruto turned Hinata against him. Sasuke decided he was gonna kill the dobe. Was he not a ninja, why did he have to wait for some big event to do the deed? An assassination attempt seemed like an option available as well the dobe had better watch his back from now on.

'It would silence him about Mizuki as well." A voice in his head told him. Sasuke didn't hear voices but that day at that moment he thought he heard a voice say 'yes' in agreement with his decision. Sasuke jumped up on a branch and jumped toward their little tree house he was gonna break it down. They didn't need it anyways.

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The red-haired girl blew a sigh of relief watching the raven-haired genin jump away from their location, that was intense. She looked a little down at the mane of blonde hair in front of her belonging to the boy that was looking at her weirdly in the first stage of the Chunin exams, she now realized he wasn't Orochimaru.

The Kusagakure genin looked to the Hyūga girl, she blinked finding her Katana was not in her hand anymore. The redhead couldn't see the blonde's expression but she saw his head bop up and down in a nod. With the Hyūga nodding back.

Karin wore a mesh shirt and stockings, a purple skirt, a light brown short-sleeved jacket with an orange stripe going across the chest, and black sandals. She also had the Kusagakure forehead protector on her forehead. Which was what the blonde who turned to face her was staring at in confusion.

"Silly, it's destroyed of course you would be aligned to another village." Naruto chuckled light-heartedly at the taller girl before extending a hand toward her. "Naruto Uzumaki at your service." The redhead looked at the offered hand still a bit fearful but the amount of chakra at the blonde's disposal was making her calm and yet lustful.

"Karin." She said unable to control herself as she tried to flirt with Naruto taking his hand in hers and shaking it with some sensual emotions dripping out of her voice. Naruto didn't pick up on it just smiling broadly in his mind all he wondered was if she was a fellow clansman. Hinata did feel the underlying stench of lust rolling down Karin's emotions she frowned squinting her eyes at the older girl.

Hinata proceeded to walk up to the blond and redhead before doing a karate chop to break their handshake all the while glaring at Karin. Karin grimaced remembering what she saw earlier when she spied on them and most recently how Hinata stood up to Sasuke.

"You don't have a clan name?" Hinata asked standing next to Naruto and doing something so unlike herself she wrapped her hands around the Uzumaki's arm and pressed it into her chest showing Karin she should back off. Karin seeing how deep that arm went realized she might not have a chest to stand on compared to the Hyūga.

Naruto still smiled but you could see a tinge of pink on his cheeks. The blonde cleared his throat and picked up the conversation.

"Are you not Uzumaki." Naruto asked directly making Karin blink in confusion, but she still remembered hearing that name before.

"I don't think so." Karin said slowly looking kind of lost at what would make him think they were from the same clan, the blonde was well blonde and she was a bright redhead.

"You have characteristics of members of the Uzumaki clan Karin-San, the red hair for instance is a big giveaway." Hinata was the one to speak voice cold towards Karin who gulped a little at the black eyes staring her down even though she was the tallest one around.

"Yeah yeah, what Hime said!" Naruto exclaimed his smile getting even wider and Karin felt that calming effect make its presence again. The girl kept her emotions in check and didn't act on her impulses since Hinata's glare became even more dangerous.

"I don't know about any Uzumaki clan, I got my red hair from my mother, I don't know my father, but we are refugees in Kusa." When Karin spoke of her mother Hinata felt her emotions turn sad and when she spoke of her village she got angry but it quickly dropped to suffering and disgust. Karin rubbed her arm with her hand.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Naruto began and Hinata felt that he meant those words. Naruto can relate to not having a mother and so could Hinata so the girl's pain was something they both could understand. "I lost my mother when I was born, my best friend lost hers when she was 5 we understand what it might feel like." Naruto continued and gave Karin a sad smile, Karin simply nodded not up for talking about it.

"Well I think you are an Uzumaki, you look a lot like my mom, though she was prettier and had nicer hair you are close enough." Karin looked at Naruto weirdly, while Hinata laughed.

'A mama's boy.' Karin deduced she decided to not even bother with arguing on that aspect she had better things to worry about like how she will explain to her sensei that her teammates are dead and that they failed Orochimaru-Sama.

"Where are your teammates?" Hinata inquired, she felt Karin's anger rise once more and dismiss their well-being.

"Fuck those idiots!" Karin swore not caring that the two boys she traveled with were all shredded and probably feeding some hungry forest critters.

"Why don't you come with us to the tower?" Naruto asked broad smile making it to his face not caring for the girl's teammates either, it was nothing personal just not his business. Karin looked at the blonde and the girl grabbing onto him and wondered if it was such a good idea to go with them.

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Itachi arrived in a puff of smoke on the night of the third day of the Chunin exams and smiled at his team nobody looked injured and they all smelled fresh. Maybe he was worrying for nothing or not Itachi looked to Sasuke who simply looked up at the tower unbothered but his balled fists showed he was seconds away from exploding.

Naruto was talking to a red-haired girl with a Kusa headband, Itachi wondered if she was an Uzumaki. Hinata smiled at him seeming the only one happy to see him or acknowledge his presence.

"Good work on making it to the tower and collecting both scrolls. The exams are still ongoing for another day on the fifth day at dawn the exams will be over. You will be moving on to the next phase on that day for now you can relax and enjoy yourselves you all deserve it." Karin was a blushing mess looking up at Itachi as he spoke. She wondered if all leaf nin were so attractive with attractive chakra to boot.

"Thank you Itachi-Sensei." Hinata said politely bowing a little at the man who smiled and nodded back.

"Remember to relax." Itachi said before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"Let's head in then, to the next phase!" Naruto bellowed to the heavens marching to the door and kicking it open like a boss. Hinata shook her head following behind him with Karin jogging quickly inside to not be left alone with the enraged Uchiha.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted walking into the tower as well hoping to get a good fight in the next round.

Authors Note:

Sigh it's so hard sometimes, anyways on the next chapter is preliminary first round and lemme be honest I plan on making Naruto and Ino have a heart to heart but I'm not starting a harem, I hate the responsibility of one girlfriend already having many is a dead man's wish.

I couldn't get to Orochimaru and Kabuto's interaction after that whole ordeal with team 7 popping up out of the blue. I don't over think what I write, if the argue just no the situation called for it... it's just death that has me second guessing a lot

Enjoy