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 37

Hinata had awoken first due in fact to her sensitive hearing, the first thing to greet her was Naruto's warmth and presence next to her. She wished she could see his sleeping form and settled for the alternative, activating her Dojutsu she watched his silhouette the chakra circling through his tenkentsu, and the little box of red flames burning lightly in his stomach.

Hinata smiled remembering the promise Naruto had made her, to return her vision and marry her. A blush graced the Hyūga's face, reaching out she brought her hand to his cheek and rubbed it lovingly scooting closer to him. She knew what they were doing was unfair to Ino and Hinata resolved to talk to the platinum blonde girl about her feelings for the golden blonde that she didn't want to ignore anymore but first Naruto had to talk to her.

Naruto awoke to the sound of birds tweeting, and the sensation of his cheek being stroked. He rubbed his eyes and yawned loudly before opening his bright blue eyes. When he did open them he was greeted by the veiny eyes of a Byakugan user with the telltale of its owner being the pitch-black hue it carried.

He grinned of course mornings like these were his favorite since he experienced it for the first time in the first year of the academy when he had convinced Hinata to have a sleepover, which was easy because she lived alone anyway. She used to sneak back home early but after a few times, she didn't bother anymore simply saying she was by his place.

"Morning Princess, why the glare so early in the morning?" Naruto teased wiggling his eyebrows at the blind girl. Hinata giggled and narrowed her eyes in an actual glare though it was a fake one just to play along.

"Morning Naruto-Kun, how did you sleep?" Hinata asked of her blonde best friend deactivating her eyes, dropping her glare, and blessing him with a smile. She felt Naruto's thumbs come to the corner of her eyes and wipe away the crust.

"You know I always sleep like a boss with you around." Naruto told the girl before turning to face the ceiling and stretching his arms. "You ready for the day." He asked turning his head to look over at Hinata who nodded. "Great Chunin exams here we come!" Naruto exclaimed jumping off the bed with Hinata following at a more sedated pace.

Naruto slept with red shorts and a yellow vest a color combination Hinata had pointed out made orange when put together. Hinata had slept with said blonde's bright orange jacket and at some point in the night had removed her ankle-length pants and wore one of Naruto's old blue shorts, her developing hips, and backside stretching the fabric a little too much.

Naruto of course stared, Hinata being blind wasn't bothered by her modesty in front of Naruto and stretched her whole body, arms up and open wide bending a little back involuntarily raising the small orange jacket she wore in the process revealing her flat and defined stomach to the blonde and emphaphismg the two mounds on her chest. Hinata blinked at the new emotion she felt come from the blonde she couldn't describe.

"What's wrong Naruto-Kun?" She asked turning to his signature, she felt him panic, then get embarrassed, and then confused before he responded.

"It's nothing, nothing yes! Must I prepare us breakfast while you bathe?" Naruto changed the subject and Hinata narrowed her eyes in suspicion of that lingering emotion she kept feeling that he was trying to murder.

She moved closer to him and brought her face very close to his, an inch closer and their noses would touch. Naruto blinked and Hinata blinked, the blonde gulped and got lost in a land only he could somehow visit called Hinata Ville, whether he will ever share the location was a big No. Hinata smiled when their noses touched and instead of stopping Naruto who was closing the distance in a trance-like state she met him halfway but turned her head at the last moment so he kissed her cheek.

"I will go take a shower then." Hinata said with a little blush on her cheeks. Naruto returned from his travels at the sound of her voice only to be greeted by Hinata's retreating form dressed in his clothes. He trailed his eyes down her form from head to toe and wondered if Hinata had grown while he wasn't looking or if it was just his imagination.

'Hinata is pretty sexy.' Naruto thought rubbing the back of his head in disbelief at what his brain thought as though he wasn't his brain, not noticing a trail of blood running down his nose.

It took the two genin about an hour to wash up, dress, and have breakfast, of course, if you had breakfast in Naruto's home there was only one item on the menu ramen. Hinata didn't mind she liked the meal but loved it when it was prepared by her favorite person in the world so ate just as much as he did.

They got out of the apartment and Naruto locked the house stepping next to Hinata and taking her hand in his. Hinata had changed her attire. She now donned a lavender and cream hooded jacket with lavender cuffs over mesh armor. She also wore navy blue pants, and black, low-heeled sandals, and wrapped her forehead protector around her neck.

Naruto wore a black form-fitting turtle neck shirt under a burnt orange hoodie he left open with three black stripes running down the length of the arm, he now wore black shinobi ankle-length pants and burnt orange opened-toed sandals he had imported from a small village known for its stylish civilians His forehead protector wrapped around his head.

The two Shinobi's walked along the streets of the red light district talking and laughing at silly things going on. Naruto, of course, had already built a habit of describing things to Hinata by now and he got better at it every time so in some ways, Hinata still 'saw'. The Hyūga heiress smiled placing her head on Naruto's shoulder listening to him.

««««"»»»»

The day of the Chunin exams was a buzz, the late-night stragglers of the leaf village were quick to awaken the sane sleeping type. The sleeping type ounce awoke became stragglers and the mix came along just fine for the people of the leaf village.

The red light district was the epicenter of this chain reaction with people outside already rushing to place bets on the contenders of the first exams in the set-up betting zones around the village. Merchants were quick to set up shop, taking the best locations before traveling merchants came along.

The Red was Konoha's Poorest location, and so saw many added features like graffiti, taverns, clubs, low-life civilians, drunks, crimes, and that neighbor next door, but it also had hardworking merchants, blacksmiths, tailors, and civilian teachers.

Konoha merchandises we're hung in stores, local foods are placed in buffets set up on tables, and anything in between for the tourist arriving in the village. In the market area of Konoha, we find a Naruto clone walking down an alley with a scroll in hand.

Going through some hand seals he henged into a man in his mid 30's with dark green short spiky hair and a little goatee. He wore plain brown clothes and carried himself as any normal civilian would.

Walking out of the alleyway like it was the most natural thing to do, he began whistling a shanty tune while he walked up to a certain spot he thought would suit his needs. That spot was right there next to the Konoha entrance an arm's length away from the booth being occupied by the 'Gate Keepers' of Konoha.

"Izumo look to the left." The guard on the left told his partner. The man on the left did as instructed and looked in said direction only to notice our henged clone who placed down his scroll and bent down to place a hand on it and in a puff of smoke a little wooden stall appeared.

"What is he doing Kotetsu." The ninja asked back in surprise at the confidence in the man to be so stingy to stand right by the gates. Kotetsu shook his head in disbelief watching the man take out a big black plastic bag from another scroll.

Kotetsu Hagane has long, spiky, black hair and dark eyes. He has a strip of bandage running across the bridge of his nose and a dark-colored marking on his chin. He wears the standard attire of a Konoha shinobi complete with a forehead protector and a flak jacket.

"Let's just leave him Izumo." Kotetsu told his best friend who was the working type, the opposite of Kotetsu who was the sitting type who liked to slack off whenever possible.

"I'm going to talk to him." Izumo told his partner and stood up. Izumo has brown hair and dark eyes. His hair is combed down and always covers his right eye. He wears his forehead protector like a bandanna along with the standard Konoha shinobi outfit which goes all the way up to his chin and a flak jacket.

"What about guard duty?" Kotetsu called out only for Izumo to tap on a piece of paper on the wall next to the entrance of their booth, it indicated Kotetsu was the one supposed to be taking names and signatures. Izumo took a step and he had reached his destination.

"Excuse me." He called out to the man under the stall packing as he whistled a tune, but that tune died quickly and the green haired man jumped up standing straight with a big smile on his face with a box In front of him that was orange in color, it had a picture he couldn't quite make out because of the way the man held it but he saw yellow.

"Ahhh a customer how are you today and how can I help you?" The man asked enthusiastically Izumo barely said fine before he was interrupted. "Let me introduce you to the new toys on the block, they can breathe fire! Walk, and throw kunai it's The great Naruto-Sama!" The merchant exclaimed waving the product in front of Izumo so fast he couldn't even see the damn thing.

"Uhh no, I'm not a customer." Izumo said and the man did a complete 180. Izumi had never seen a person look at him so dirty before like he was trash, no, worse than trash the kind of thing even trash wouldn't want to be associated with and he felt like trash from that look alone.

"So what do you want?" The merchant's voice was so different from before, now it carried with it a tone of dismissal he even bent down to continue packing whatever that product was in the box. Izumo had to clear his throat to remind himself he was a Chunin and above a civilian merchant in society.

"I would like you to move your stall and instead go set it up where the other merchants are located." Izumo instructed calmly trying to act like that look and tone didn't bother him. The dark green-haired disguised clone peeked his head over the counter and looked at Izumo in irritation.

"Is this a law you are in forcing?" The 'merchant' asked and Izumo blinked at the question in confusion or maybe it wasn't confusion but surprise.

"A rule?" He repeated and the merchant glared at the Chunin standing back up looking ready to chew him out and chew him out he did.

"Look here Shinobi-San and listen carefully. Is it a L-A-W or a RUuuLeeeee that I have to move my 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 figure." At the end of that, the man went back under the counter packing in more stuff before coming up and reaching into his black bag.

What came out of the bag made Izumo gawk openly at the action figure's appearance. Standing at 5 inches, dressed in a bright orange jacket and pants Izumo would never forget from an event 2 years back with a golden mane of blonde spiky hair that reached the figure's back with blue eyes, and a big grin on its face was a mini Naruto Uzumaki.

Then another came followed by another and they kept on coming until the stall counter was full of them. Then a giant plushy-like version of the action figure was hung with a note saying limited edition Hero of Wave country. The merchant sighed happily looking around at all the toys before jumping on a high stool and blinking.

"You still here, shouldn't you be going to get me some evidence?" At the question, Izumo jumped closing his mouth and pointing at the plushy with shaking hands.

"What are these?" He asked with a shaking voice, with the 'merchant' glaring in annoyance before groaning and throwing his arms up.

"I'll answer you if you buy one Shinobi-San." The clone replied with a no-nonsense tone in his voice gesturing his lips are sealed. Izumo looked at the price and saw they were not expensive and so just pulled out his wallet.

"Ah, a customer!" Izumo jumped again and stared at the green-haired man in front of the counter giving him a big grin and an inviting look. "What we have here is a new type of action figure with the ability to walk, shoot fire and throw a kunai all in the press of a button."

Izumo listened to the merchant in front of him who had become all smiles again swiping the money he took out from his hand and taking out an action figure, not in a box Setting It down on its feet.

"Using seals on the joints of the great Naruto-Sama figurines it is given limited mobility that activates when the button on its back is pressed in different ways." The interest peaked and the mind still confused Izumo nodded his head and watched the merchant turn the figurine around showing him the button on its back.

"If you press once it will take five steps." The button was pressed and the figurine was placed down it took five fluid steps before halting making Izumo nod his head in amazement at the fluid movements.

"Press it twice and it will throw whatever is in its right hand." The dark green disguised clone ducked back under the counter rummaging around before coming back up and showing Izumo a little plastic Kunai for the figurine and placed it in its hand, pressed the button twice and it fired off the kunai with the little hand making a crescent moon motion to do so.

"And press it three times for…." After three presses on the orange button, a little fire came out of the left hand like a lighter. Izumo was impressed at the toy it was cool he would say but the merchant didn't answer his question why did it look like a blonde he knew?

"But why does it look like the genin of team 7 NatutobUzumaki?" He asked and got a confused look from the merchant, making Izumo feel like it was an obvious question with an obvious answer he didn't have to ask.

"Because it's the great Naruto-Sama action figurine." The disguised clone answered wondering what was so confusing about it.

"Why Naruto though?" Izumo tried again and the 'merchant clone' sighed in understanding of what his first customer had in his head.

"Look man just enjoy the toy, and tell whoever asks you about it where you bought it. Now excuse me." The merchant sat on his stool and began whistling his previous tune and made like Izumo wasn't there anymore.

«««««"»»»»»

A Suna team arrived at the gates of one Village Hidden In The Leaves. Baki Jonin, Sensei, and Rasa's right-hand man stepped up looking up at the big sign on top of the equally big entrance to Konoha and he sneered.

'Tree huggers.' He thought chewing gum he spits the candy out on the side and walked up to the gates behind him his three genin followed. Baki had with him all the Kazekage's kids in one team, showing that the man called all the shots.

"You! Chunin of Konoha, I Baki Jonin of THE GREAT VILLAGE HIDDEN IN THE GREAT DUNES OF SUNA!! HAVE COME TO PLACE MY GENIN IN THE EXAMS!! " Baki exclaimed loudly to the Chunin guarding the gates who was busy daydreaming eyes half-lidded, but at the loud voice he looked up to see who would be so loud so early in the morning.

"Shit a Suna ninja!" Kotetsu jumped up in shock dodging to the left before ducking to the right he then jumped up on the ceiling, jumped down leaned to the left, and jumped out of the booth aiming to attack Baki his hands positioned like tiger claws his teeth bared with a determined glare set on his face.

"What the!" Baki exclaimed at the sudden attack eyes widening in shock, before changing into a glare of his own in less than a split second Kotetsu never noticed the shock. Baki ducked easily because the man attacking him seemed to hold little potential in his books to be anything.

"Kotetsu!" Baki heard someone call out when he had just decided to uppercut the man soaring over him, he restrained himself and watched the man with a bandage running across the bridge of his face soared past him.

Kotetsu looked back at the 'invading' Ninja he had just attacked while still airborne everything playing out in slow motion around him. After passing Baki he passed three genin he locked eyes with some of them thinking the female one looked hot.

!!SMACK!!

Baki smirked when the tree hugger met the tree and watched him slide down the thick tree trunk in pain, he spied Kankaru's shoulders shake twice in quick succession the boy still falling for his emotions but he would let it pass he was fond of the brat.

Kankurō wore a Bunraku puppeteer's costume; a black, baggy, full-body suit with a red and yellow circle on the front. He also wears a black hood that covered his head completely and had cat-like ears and a forehead protector on his forehead. He sported a triangular face-paint design, wore gloves, and had his puppet wrapped in bandages on his back.

"Is this why they are called tree huggers Baki-Sensei." Baki looked to the female of his group, Temari the Kazekage's first-born daughter a prodigy in the wind release and already a master tactician who watched the downed leaf nin.

Temari has teal eyes and sandy blonde hair, which is gathered into four consecutive pigtails. Her outfit consists of a single light purple-colored, off-the-shoulders garment that extended to halfway down her thighs, with a scarlet sash tied around her waist. In addition to incorporating a fishnet worn over her shoulders and legs, specifically on her right calf and her left thigh, she also wore her black forehead protector around her neck.

"It is because they are fools Temari." Baki told the girl before turning around and coming face to face with another Chunin who was glaring past him at the downed man groaning on the floor. Then there was Gara their Jinchuriki and that was enough said about the boy.

"Sorry about that Baki-San please come to the booth I'll sign your entourage in." Izumo instructed to the ninja he recognized from the mission briefing scroll he and Kotetsu had received earlier in the morning.

Baki scoffed and followed the man who scurried away, he looked over to his right and found a green-haired man watching the scene from his stall packed with boxes and Baki wondered how a stall could be set up, so upfront in a key location of a village, the actual front gates.

"Please sign here and here then we can have you inside." Izumo instructed pointing at said areas, Baki picked up the pen and signed the form dropping the pen, and stared back at the Chunin.

"Welcome to The Village Hidden In The Leaves, please move forward towards Hokage tower, where someone will be assigned to be your guide." Izumo instructed the ninja and his genin indicating to them they could move only to grimace a second later.

"GEEEET YOOOOOOOORRRRRRR ACTIONFIGURETODAY AT LOW PRICES, I GIIIIIVVVVE YOU! THE GREAT NARUTO-SAMA!!! THE MOVING FIGURINE!!!" Izumo wanted to cry, between his best friend Kotetsu who had stopped groaning and now just laid there trying to slack off, and this persistent merchant he was getting the displeasure of knowing he knew he would be having a very long day.

Coming up from a distance was four-man carrying a luxurious carriage on their shoulders panting, heaving, sweating, exhausted and pale. Izumo only had one thought cross his mind.

'IM FUCKED!' Izumo screamed inwardly.

«««««"»»»»»

"I I I." Odama repeated like a broken record while he walked he had been talking the whole journey from Suna to Konoha and had ended up malfunctioning about an hour ago.

"I see it!" Odama suddenly exclaimed in happiness shocking his colleagues.

"Okay people look alive we are approaching our destination!" Rasen bellowed to the other three men around him. He looked around before slapping Mango behind the head. "Shoulders out!" He shouted at the man.

Gatō's guarding detail arrived at the gates just as team Baki walked away from a stall having the displeasure of meeting the disguised clone selling some blonde gaki action figurines. He wouldn't let them pass until Baki threatened to destroy his stall.

"Kotetsu, get off your behind and come help me here!" Izumo called out to the Chunin slacker still on the floor. Kotetsu groaned and stood up he proceeded to walk into the booth and sit down next to his partner before looking up at the new arrivals who dropped the carrier they carried on their shoulders.

A short man walked out of the carriage wearing black shades and wearing full back, looking relieved to be outside. Walking out behind the man was a lady wearing a straw hat obscuring her vision.

"Oh, this place is so bland, the weather is so cliché." Orimaru commented and Gatō looked over at the woman who had decided to travel with him to try and convince him more about where he should invest money that wasn't even his own anymore.

'Why is she going so far, does she like me?' Gatō had to wonder because this was getting ridiculous he needed space to breathe and this woman who had now come to hook her hand around his wasn't offering it.

"Yes miss Orimaru-San." Gatō simply agreed not caring, anywhere was better than Suna in his books the weather was only good for sick people who needed to sweat a lot and idiots who would think living in the sand was something to smile and be proud about.

"Good morning sir and ma'am welcome to the Village Hidden In The Leaves. Please state your reasons for visiting, Names, ages, and affiliations." Izumo said coming up to the short man and tall lady.

The two gave the details requested with Gatō adding his colleagues Rasen his favorite and the rest of the hood rats. The disguised Orimaru gave fake details of course but who would know? 5 minutes later they were instructed they could enter and enjoy their day.

Taking a step with his 'lady' friend. Gatō was met by many familiar faces grinning back at him and he blinked seeing all the action figures of his young boss on the stall counter.

"Hey, boss it's that kid!" Odama exclaimed pointing at the plushy version of the blonde he remembered making fun of him in Wave country and that's when a face came out from under the counter.

"GEEEET YOOOOOOOORRRRRRR ACTIONFIGURETODAY….,….."The merchant stopped and gawked at the people in front of his stall, he recognized all the males in the group except the female in Gatō's hands.

'What are they doing here?' The disguised clone wondered eyeing the short man next to the tall woman.