Hey guys! Sorry for taking too long. I've kinda been dragging my feet with this chapter since this is mainly setup. In advanced I apologize for any grammar errors and whatnot since I was in a hurry to get through this. Now, as for Lok, man that Book 4 finale nearly destroyed me despite that I already accepted that it was going to end. It's like a part of me left when it was over, which is strangely not the same reaction I had to the end of ATLA.

Thank you to all still followed, favorited, and reviewed this story despite my incompetence and please enjoy this next one.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the Legend of Korra.

Opening song: "Sadness to Kindness" by Little by Little (Naruto)

Ending song: "Wind" by Akeboshi (Naruto)

Chapter 7: Preparation

Man, I'm exhausted Naruto moaned.

It had been a crazy several months after becoming a genin. After being placed in a squad with Sasuke and Sakura under the tutelage of Kakashi Hatake, Naruto was put in situations he wasn't expecting as a ninja.

After countless amounts of boring D-rank missions, the Hokage finally gave them a C-rank mission to the Land of Waves. Unfortunately, it upgraded to an A-rank mission with the threat of rogue ninja like Zabuza Momochi. This became one his most challenging battles, and it was through this experience that he was able to find his ninja way.

After returning to the Leaf village and doing more D-rank missions, Naruto and his teammates were nominated to take the Chuunin Exams. They all looked forward to testing skills to become better ninja, but they never imagined the pressure it put on them. From the Snake Sannin Orochimaru giving Sasuke a curse mark to Rock Lee getting severely injured by Gaara of the Sand in the preliminaries, the Chunnin Exams were more brutal than they expected.

Those who made it through the preliminaries had to prepare for the final rounds which were a month from then. And Naruto certainly took the time to train his butt off for his fight against Neji Hyuga, Hinata's cousin. He started off taking lesson a jounin named Ebisu before said got knocked out by a perverted Toad Sage.

After a while, Naruto managed to convince this man to train him and began to learn summoning jutsu and one other to use against his opponent.

At this point in time, Naruto finished another day of training with "Pervy Sage", and was looking to get something to eat.

I know it hasn't been a year, but I'm really hoping to see Korra sometime soon. He thought.

It was throughout this whole ordeal that he really missed having Korra around. Sure, he had teammates he could rely on and kind of reconnected the rest of the Rookie Nine, but he really looked forward to spending time with his Avatar friend again.

Another thing that was on his mind was when he met the Kyuubi in his mindscape.

Flashback

Naruto wasn't sure how he got here. One minute he was falling down a bottomless chasm to his death, then the next, he ended up in this creepy sewer.

Part of him still wanted to get back at Pervy Sage for putting him through this, but he was overwhelmed by curiosity when he heard a loud bellow. He felt that something was drawing him to come closer, so he followed that feeling all the way to a large room with a giant cage. The cage seemed to function like a gate with tag labeled with a kanji for "seal" placed over where the lock should be.

Naruto tried to see what was inside, but it was pitch black.

"So, the jailor has finally come to see the prisoner," A deep voice said from inside the cage.

That voice sent a shiver down Naruto's spine, "Wh-what the heck is-"

He saw two giant red eyes opening filled with malice and a smile that was anything but friendly.

The beast chuckled, "Come closer, boy."

Naruto was walking closer before he realized it and the beast attempted to strike at through the cage. This frightened Naruto and caused him to draw back.

"No way. So your Kyuubi, the Nine-tailed Fox," Naruto uttered out. So that's the red chakra I've been trying to control. He thought.

The fox grumbled, "How wonderful it would be to kill you and devour you whole, but this cage is keeping me here thanks to this accursed seal. But what infuriates me more is the fact that my host is pitiful enough to require the help of a being as pathetic as Raava."

"Huh? Raava?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow, "Who the heck is that?"

The Kyuubi chuckled again, "Well, humanity doesn't seem to think that much about who she is, so she's probably not worth mentioning."

Before long, Naruto went and demanded chakra for him to use. The fox complied, considering his survival was dependent on Naruto's.

I still wonder who this Raava person was. Naruto wondered. That furball talked about her like I already met her.

"Oh well, I'll worry about that later. I better go find something to eat," Naruto finished his thoughts out loud.

"Hey, Naruto!"

Naruto turned to see Sakura coming toward him.

"Hey, Sakura-chan! You've come back from training to?" Naruto greeted.

The pink-haired kunoichi nodded in affirmation.

Before her graduation from the academy, Sakura decided to take her kunoichi training more seriously worked on some elemental jutsu. Thanks to that as well as training with Team 7, she managed to beat Ino in the preliminary rounds of the Chuunin Exams.

"Did you just get done with training too?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, though it really built up an appetite for me!" Naruto replied.

Sakura then noticed the tears in Naruto's jumpsuit. It seemed to have been worn down by the training.

"Hey, don't you think you should find a new outfit?" Sakura asked.

"Huh?" Naruto looked down at his clothes and then back at Sakura, "What do you mean?"

Sakura sighed before she answered, "I mean buy some new clothes. You can't look prepared at the final rounds of the Chuunin Exams with your clothes torn up."

Naruto winced a bit in response. He didn't want to think about going to stores that wouldn't let him in.

"Uh, don't worry about that. I'll fix this up myself, or just get something else out of my closet," he said quickly while grinning.

"Oh no you don't," Sakura retorted as she grabbed her teammate's sleeve, "We're going to get you something new; at least so you won't be ridiculous wearing orange."

"Gah! Wait Sakura-chan! I'm fine, really!" Naruto said to no avail as Sakura dragged him to get new clothes.

Naruto sighed. Well I guess this will be a long day.

BOOM!

Another boulder fell victim to Sasuke's new attack from his training with Kakashi. He was leaning over with hands on his knees as he was trying to catch his breath.

He's been making progress with his new jutsu, and he would need it for facing Gaara in the final rounds. He wondered how Naruto and Sakura were preparing.

Speaking of which, he thought about his time with the team so far. At first, he thought having teammates like them would hold him back, but he was fairly surprised by the both of them. He remembered a time in the academy when Sakura was just one of the annoying fangirls that would fawn over him, but since graduation she seemed to take being a ninja seriously and would often act as the voice of reason whenever he and Naruto butt heads with each other.

Naruto he also thought was just a nuisance that would get in the way of everything. However, he's seen how strong Naruto was physically and it amazed him how well they work together. He also showed some skill using a martial art that he hadn't seen others use before. The only other person he saw using that form was the dark-skinned girl Naruto used to hang out with.

That was one of the things that bothered Sasuke. He was curious about the abilities that girl used and who she was, but when he asked Naruto about it he would just talk a bit about the fun activities he did with her, but wouldn't elaborate on her powers. Another thing that bothered him was that he didn't know how Haku was defeated while he was unconscious in the Land of Waves mission. Sakura said that she didn't see the fight, but felt a strange chill in its direction. He had a feeling his blonde teammate was hiding something and he didn't like it.

But, whatever the case, he had to focus on becoming stronger to face Gaara. That would bring him one step closer to avenging his clan and killing his older brother. He could dwell on the other stuff later.

The raven-haired genin got in his stance and practiced once more.

Hidden Leaf Traing grounds

Hinata practiced with her Gentle Fist strikes with her Byakugan active.

Even if I didn't make it to the final rounds, I have to train with everything I have to get stronger. She thought.

She felt herself get exhausted soon since the injuries she sustained in her fight with Neji still had lingering effects.

I can't stop now! I have to continue to push myself and get stronger! Hinata yelled in her mind.

She suddenly heard panting behind her and turned around to see a familiar polar bear dog sitting there.

"Oh, it's you, Naga," Hinata said as she went over to pet the animal.

"Hey, Hinata!" she heard someone yell.

Hinata looked and saw Korra running toward her and Naga.

"Korra-chan! You're here too," Hinata said happily as she hugged her friend, "I didn't think you'd be back so soon."

"Yeah, well. The White Lotus told me about the Chuunin Exams event and seeing the final rounds as a good chance to see ninja from different nations, the friendship between nations and all that stuff," Korra replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"I see," said Hinata as she nodded, "My teammates and I were nominated to take the Chuunin Exams, and Naruto-kun and his team were there too."

"Really? So did he make it to the final rounds?" Korra asked with excitement.

Hinata smiled and nodded in affirmation.

"Yes!" Korra shouted as she jumped up and down in excitement, "Haha! I can't wait to see him kick everyone's butt!"

Naga barked in agreement.

Korra put her hands on her hips after she calmed down, "So, are you training so you can be ready to knock some heads in the finals too?"

Hinata's good mood immediately vanished at that point.

"Well I-I… (sigh) I was beaten in the preliminary rounds," Hinata replied while looking down in disappointment.

"What? What happened?" Korra asked in bewilderment.

"I was put against cousin Neji in one of the matches. I did the best I could, but he still beat me," Hinata replied, still looking down.

"Oh, that must have been rough," Korra replied in sympathy.

She already learned about Hinata's cousin, Neji, and how he always put her down. She and Naruto helped Hinata have more confidence in herself, but she knew Neji would be a tough opponent considering his prowess with the Byakugan.

"Yes, part of me was frightened to face him," Hinata replied as she started to smile, "But when I resolved to not run away and remembered how you and Naruto-kun encouraged me, I didn't have to take his insults to heart."

(Chuunin Exam prelims: Hinata vs Neji)

Both Hyuga clan members stood across from each other in arena as other genin and their jounin sensei stood above them on the two balconies. Naruto stood with his teammate and sensei as he watched with anticipation.

Neji glared at his cousin as the proctor permitted them to start.

"Before we begin, there is something I must say, Lady Hinata," Neji said.

Hinata was a little caught off guard before Neji continued.

"Lady Hinata, it's best that you forfeit this match," he said, coldly, "You are not fit to be a ninja."

Hinata grimaced for a bit before trying to relax herself.

"You're too gentle and kind. You don't like inflicting pain on others and you avoid conflict. The only reason you're here is because the Chuunin Exams are taken in a team of three, and you didn't want to disappoint your teammates by holding them back. Am I wrong?" Neji continued.

Hinata didn't answer him back.

"How cruel," Sakura said in sympathy from her position on the balcony, "He's tormenting her psychologically; putting her in a fragile state of mind so she'll no longer have the will to fight."

"You don't have to worry about her," Naruto replied as Sakura turned to him in confusion and Kakashi looked down at him with curiosity.

Naruto continued to look down on the match with intense focus.

"Hinata's not the weakling Neji thinks she is," he continued as he turned to Sakura with a grin, "He'll soon realize it'll take a lot more than that to break her down."

Sakura blinked and was taken aback by Naruto's confidence and looked back at the match in curiosity as Neji continued his speech.

"Regardless of what you try to rationalize, the fact remains that you are nothing but a burden. That is your destiny as a failure who is not fit as the heiress of the Hyuga clan. You can't change that no matter how hard you try-"

"Cousin Neji," Hinata interrupted.

Neji was shocked. Hinata spoke as if his speech to her had no effect on her at all. She spoke as someone who was sure of herself.

"If you're going to attack, then you might as well do it now," Hinata replied as she got in her Gentle Fist stance, "You may be right. I am who I am, but I won't be defined by what you say. As long as I have the will to fight, I won't run away!"

In that moment, she activated her Byakugan with determination. This is what she's been working for. She remembered how Naruto and Korra helped her. Naruto was always optimistic in the midst of failure and kept on trying until he succeeded, and Korra carried strength and confidence with her wherever she went, but was also kind and protective of those she cared about. They both inspired her the most and she wanted nothing more than to be strong like them.

Others looked at her with surprise and Naruto smiled at her with pride.

Neji stood amazed before he regained his composure and settled into his stance.

"Very well, you've sealed your fate, Lady Hinata," He said before he too activated his Byakugan.

"Let us begin," Hinata declared as the two Hyuga's charged at each other.

(End flashback)

"I managed to fight evenly with him for a while and even inflicted damage on him, but he eventually beat me and I fell into cardiac arrest," Hinata finished.

"That's horrible!" Korra said, astonished, "I didn't think that guy would be that brutal."

"Yes, he was," Hinata looked down in worry, "and now I'm more worried for Naruto-kun since Shino told that he vowed on my blood that he would beat Neji and he has fight him in the first round."

"Well your cousin is tough, no doubt about it, but you probably shouldn't worry that much," Korra said as she rested both arms behind her head, "You know Naruto will find a way to win."

Hinata looked up surprised before she smiled, "Yeah, you're right."

Suddenly, she went into a coughing fit and fell to her knees.

"Hinata! Are you alright!?" Korra asked, frantically.

The pale-eyed girl recovered for a bit: "I'm fine. I guess my body still isn't fully recovered from that fight."

Korra supported her up and brought her over to Naga.

"C'mon, I'll take over to Master Katara. She'll help you get better," she said as they both got on Naga and rode off.

Meanwhile, at a clothing shop

"This seems like a good place for something," Sakura said as she and her blonde teammate walked into a clothing store.

Naruto got more nervous by the second.

"Look Sakura-chan, you really don't have to do this. I can get some new clothes later," Naruto said, waving his hands.

"What's with you today?" Sakura asked with an eyebrow raised in confusion, "It won't kill you to get a new outfit. Besides, you need something more respectable for a ninja than orange."

"Good afternoon. Is there anything you need," the store clerk said as he smiled at Sakura. However, he scowled the minute he saw Naruto.

"You! Get out of my store, freak! You'll scare away the customer!" he yelled as he demanded Naruto to leave.

"No, it's alright," Sakura intervened as she got in front of the clerk, "He's my teammate. Besides, we're here for him and I'll make sure he won't cause any trouble."

"Look, I don't care!" the clerk yelled back, "I don't want this filth anywhere near my store!"

Sakura gained a tick mark on her forehead.

"Look pal, I just got done with training, I'm in dire need of a shower, and I'd like one less interference to get my teammate some new freakn' clothes!" Sakura yelled in the face of the clerk, "and when I'm this annoyed, I have no problems making your life a personal hell, ya got that!?"

The clerk shook in fear.

"R-right. Sorry for the inconvenience," the clerk apologized as he left the two genin on their own.

Naruto looked at Sakura with wide eyes.

"Thanks. You didn't have to do that, Sakura-chan," Naruto said in appreciation.

"Don't sweat it. I have to stick up for my teammates. So why was that guy so pissed off?" Sakura asked in curiosity.

Naruto's eyes averted Sakura's gaze.

"I guess he still held a grudge from all those pranks I pulled," he lied.

Sakura sighed, "Well, don't cause more trouble for yourself. C'mon, let's get you something to wear."

You're not fooling me, though. Sakura thought, sadly. There's something you haven't told me or Saskue-kun.

Naruto followed along, feeling a bit guilty. He still hasn't told his teammates about the Nine-tails inside of him. He also didn't tell Hinata since he was afraid that it would give her clan more of a reason to keep her from being friends with him.

"Well come on and pick something out already," Sakura said, getting impatient.

"Alrighty then. Hmm," Naruto looked intently at the assortment before he saw what he liked.

"Aha! This one!"

Sakura sighed, "Does everything you wear have to be orange?" she grimaced, "Oh well, it's at least better than that jumpsuit."

Day of the final rounds: Leaf Village arena

Everyone was gathered in the arena in preparation for the final matches. Civilian, ninja, and feudal lord alike sat in the stands to spectate the fight and the Hokage and Kazekage sat in their section.

At the center of the arena, seven competitors were lined up in front of the exam proctor for this event, Genma Shiranui: Neji Hyuga, Gaara, Kankuro, Shino Aburame, Temari, Shikamaru Nara, and Sakura Haruno.

However, Naruto, Sasuke, and Dosu were not present.

Where are those two? Sakura thought, worrying about her teammates. She didn't want either of them to be disqualified.

Up in the stands, Kiba and Hinata were waiting in their seats for the event to start with Korra and Katara sitting next to them.

I wonder where Naruto-kun is, Hinata thought worriedly, I know he wouldn't want to run away from this.

"Hinata," Korra said as Hinata turned to her.

"Don't worry about a thing. He'll show up without a doubt," Korra assured her friend.

Hinata smiled back, "I know. Thanks."

Kiba grunted, "Well he better hurry if he wants to even fight, but even if he does show up, his chances against Neji aren't looking good."

Korra narrowed her eyes at Kiba, "Don't you doubt him for a second! He'll be here and he'll win dog-boy!" she said sternly.

"Alright, alright. Just calm down. I was only listing the facts," Kiba replied with his arms raised in front of him.

He was really uncomfortable sitting in the same area with Korra, but since she was a friend of Hinata he supposed it would be alright… as long as she didn't do whatever she did with the ground to launch him into the air again.

Soon enough, they all saw someone come rushing into the arena.

Korra squinted before she saw who it was.

"He made it!" she yelled.

Sure enough, Naruto finally made it in time for the matches to start. As everyone who knew him besides Sakura looked, he was dressed differently. He was no longer wearing his orange tracksuit and had on black shorts with his shuriken holster attached and a short-sleeve jacket over his mesh armor. Both his pants and jacket were outlined with orange and had both his white swirl with a tassel on his left shoulder and the red swirl on the back of his coat.

Right now, Naruto was trying to catch his breath.

"Whew! Made it!" he declared.

"Where have you been?" Sakura questioned as she stormed in front of Naruto, "You didn't forget you're the first to compete, did you?"

"Sorry, just lost track of time," Naruto replied sheepishly while scratching the back of his head.

"Both of you, quit messing around and stand with the competitors," Genma called to them.

The two quickly nodded and did as they were told while Genma brought out the updated bracket for the final rounds. It turned out that Dosu was removed, so Sakura would have to fight whoever won in the Shikamaru vs. Temari match.

Everyone else watched as the proctor ordered Naruto and Neji to stay in the arena while the other participants went up to the balcony.

"Naruto, good luck," Sakura said as she made her way up.

"You'll need it," Shikamaru added as he joined with the others.

Naruto nodded to them before he faced Neji with eyes filled with determination.

"It's starting," Katara stated.

Korra watched with baited breath for Naruto's fight to start. She then began to wonder about the other competitors in the Chuunin Exams and decided to observe them on the balcony.

Sakura looked different from the bratty girl Korra used to despise and Shikamaru looked as lazy as ever, but since he was here he must be something. The guy with the shades and coat Korra didn't seem to recognize, but he seemed like a force to be reckoned with. Another one of the ninja looked like a weirdo wearing a cat suit and makeup. The girl next to him had a cold and cocky look on her face and carried what seemed to be some kind of large fan. That last guy, however, really caught Korra's attention.

He had red hair, light-blue eyes with black lines around them, and a red kanji on the left corner of his head. He also was carrying a large gourd on his back, but what really unnerved Korra was how emotionless his face looked. She couldn't tell how strong he was, but something about this guy was really unsettling for Korra. She only felt more so when he made eye contact with her.

She didn't know why, but his glare was intense and all sudden Korra felt like she couldn't breathe. She felt almost certain that this guy wanted to kill her!

She snapped out of it when she felt her master's hand on her shoulder.

"Korra. Are you alright?" she asked with concern.

Korra blinked a few times.

"Yeah, I'm alright," she replied, "Guess I lost my head for a second there."

She brought her attention back to Naruto and his opponent.

Was I just imagining all of that? She wondered.

Up in the waiting area, Gaara was gripping his head in pain.

"KILL HER! KILL HER, NOW!" a voice yelled in his head.

Gaara chose to restrain himself for now though, since he didn't think that girl was worth the attention. He was sure she wasn't even a ninja, yet for some reason, "Mother" seemed unsettled by the very sight of that girl. He decided that he will focus on the match right now and worry about the dark-skinned girl later.

"Got anything to say to me?" Neji asked the blonde, smugly.

Naruto raised up his fist at Neji with unwavering resolve.

"Only what I said before. I vow to win!" he replied.

Genma looked at both contestants before speaking.

"Alright then, let the first match…BEGIN!"

Thanks for reading and please review. I'll try to work on the next chapter as soon as I can. God bless you all and Happy New Year! :)