Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
A door opened and stepping into the dark room the blonde let out a sigh, fumbling around his home he reached over for the light switch.
"Naruto…" A voice said and he turned his head and saw seated on the couch by himself Kakashi, a single candle was lit on the table. "Come here and sit with me."
Naruto looked at him and frowned. "Can't this wait till morning?" He asked as it was night and he was not in the mood
"You will listen now!" Kakashi said sternly to him.
Naruto grunted and walked over and sat down beside him on the couch of his small home in the darkness. Silence came from both of them for a minute until Kakashi spoke.
"When I was but a Genin studying under my Sensei Minato Namikaze, One of the first things he taught me was that a Team is the same as a wagon. If all is set up and done correctly, it will roll smoothly and easily throughout any surface. If not, the wheels shall fall off and be unable to go, this is the same between you, Sakura, and Sasuke. I sense a great anger rising up within you with every passing day." He said to the boy.
Naruto raised his head up and looked at him.
"I know, I haven't done a good job being your sensei." Kakashi continued. "In your mind you feel as if I don't want anything to do with you. As if Konoha considers you to be nothing but an unwanted burden." He said as he looked at him and saw pain in his eyes as his words where correct. "I know that if this keeps up you will become a person full of hatred unable to feel any form of happiness only loathing and anger. All you want is for someone to look at you, not just stare at you but actually look at you for once, stare past the façade. To see past what other's see and the person you hope to be."
Naruto didn't say anything as he looked at the floor.
"You've kept a mask of false happiness on you but it is slowly falling off your face, unable to cope with the stress you have inside. Showing the feelings that you have as the only one left and the world would rejoice if you where gone. And so you lash out at the anger inside you, at all you perceive hates you. The Council, The Clan Heads, The Villagers, Your fellow ninja, Sasuke, Sakura, even Me." Kakashi said to him.
Naruto looked backed up at him and Kakashi saw tears start to form in his blue eyes.
"You are unique among the other ninjas not just cause of the fact you're a Jinchuurki. If a ninja possesses the right thinking only then will he obtain the gifts of Strength, Knowledge, and Inner Peace. You refuse to hide your emotions and instead confront them as your negative emotions cloud your mind. Fighting an unseen foe. Turned inward your anger and hate becomes an enemy that cannot be defeated no matter what strength you possess, you have tried to defeat these enemies yet they cannot be. As if you believe that no one will ever see past you and so you bottle it up inside you letting it build and build."
Naruto let out a sniff and wiped his eyes and Kakashi put his hand on his shoulder.
"I know I have a lot to make up to you how I treated you in the past, overlooking you in favor of Sasuke. All of us do, not just myself. Jiriaya can teach a lot though this month, but once the exams are over I will train you myself and show you that you are not hated by all. When you face this foe never forget The Leaf and never forget me."
He wrapped an arm around the boy and pulled him into an hug which the boy returned his head buried in his shoulder. He listened as he heard Naruto sob in his arms and a single tear went down his own eye.
"I am here for you…"
Elsewhere…
"The Hidden Leaf Village, Konoha." Haku said as he looked around the place. The boy having successfully snuck in under the disguise of a Carpenter. He looked around the place as the young Shinobi took in his surroundings. He examined the place as things where getting ready for the Chunin Finals.
How soon would many of this place be up in flames?
He looked around the area, so different from Wave, Otogakure, and his home town. He walked freely throughout the area going through the bazaar looking around the Village to see what it all had to offer. The moon shone down upon the village, bathing it in its light.
Once he had gotten past the bazaar and into a more solitary area he made sure that no one was around he leapt onto a tree and then onto a roof of a nearby building. He stood at the top and looked around getting a good view of the entire village. In the distance he could see the carved faces of the Past Hokages in the Mountain. He looked around the entire area taking it all in. He then broke into a run as he leapt from building to building and discarded his outfit and put him back in his regular ninja uniform. He stopped and took another look at the view.
Suddenly he felt a presence from behind him. He turned around and was surprised to see he wasn't the only person there.
The boy had red hair and cold green eyes, a giant gourd was on his back and Haku noticed he had a tattoo on his head as well. A tattoo that had the Kanji that stood for love on it.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Gaara said to him and Haku immediately sensed he was dangerous. "Are you another one of them?" He spat distastefully at him.
"I mean no trouble," Haku defended himself but secretly reached towards hidden senbon.
Big mistake…
Sand came from Gaara and lunged at him. Haku narrowly avoided it and dodged the next attack. He disappeared using his speed and reappearing behind Gaara threw Senbon right at his neck. Gaara didn't even move as they came at him.
He didn't have too…
Sand appeared and blocked the senbon, stopping them cold and surprising Haku.
"Another assassin, another coming to kill and claim the head of the Demon?" Gaara said and Haku saw his body start to shake. "Did my father set you up for this?"
Haku quickly activated his Kekkai Genkai and surrounded him with Ice Mirrors on all sides. He did not know who this shin obi was but he knew he had to fight to survive. Appearing in them he threw senbon at Gaara with lightning fast speed. Speed that would've took down any ninja.
Any normal ninja…
Gaara's sand stopped the senbon from hitting him, The Suna Ninja didn't even have to move a muscle as his sand stopped them all from hitting him.
Haku looked on shocked, what kind of ninja was this.
"Your blood will please my mother very much!" Gaara snapped and he plunged his Sand into a mirror and shattered it. He did so again to the other mirrors forcing Haku out of them.
Haku quickly did hand seals. "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" He shouted and sent the attack at him, the attack hit Gaara and his sand blocked it but the attack kept it from reforming.
"Water Bullet Jutsu!" Haku shouted and sent another attack at him, Gaara's sand reformed around his head and blocked the attack just inches away from hitting him.
Haku seeing that water was stopping his sand quickly performed hand seals and using that opportunity cast a Jutsu that made him disappear in a whirl of Snow just before Gaara's sand reformed and ensnared him.
Gaara growled at his escaped target, but did not pursue.
Haku reappeared a distance away on the empty streets and seeing he had put enough distance between them wiped the sweat from his brow.
"That kind of Ninja is here?" He said to himself breathing hard. "Better keep clear of that one. He's got the look of a killer in his eyes." He said as not even Zabuza or Raiga had that type of murderous intent in their eyes.
Finding a hotel, Haku got himself a room for him to stay at while he would be staying in Konoha.
The next day…
Neji Hyuga struck the training dummy with his hands, striking it with his Juken and his Byakugan activated as he hit the target in different places. The Hyuga clansmen training. His blows that he was delivering would've been solid and crippling hits if he was fighting the real thing.
He delivered a powerful strike to the heart and stepped back and deactivated his Byakugan.
He heard footsteps and he turned and saw his uncle walking towards him. He bowed his head respectfully to him.
"I see you are focusing on your Juken strikes." Hiashi said to him. "You understand who you are facing correct?"
"Indeed, however his fate shall be to lose against me." Neji said to him.
"Do not underestimate this foe, The Uzumaki clan was once a prestigious and powerful clan in their own right, they once where sworn allies of the Leaf until their untimely destruction."
"But no match for the Hyuga." Neji responded and Hiashi smirked. "Even if he has Shikotsumyaku he is no match for my Juken."
"Do not kill him, defeat him, humiliate him, but do not kill him." Hiashi said to him. "Sarutobi seems intent on keeping his clan alive, and also continuing it."
"What are you saying?"
"Once you defeat him and become Chunin in the exams, Sarutobi will see that the Hyuga are the strongest, and as such He and Naruto will have no choice but to accept an arranged marriage at some point with one of the females of the Clan in order to preserve his own. Other clans such as the Inuzuka may try as well as we talked in secret about it the other day." He said to them as after the meeting he and several other clan heads discussed what had happened. Some where mad at Naruto's words about their own bloodlines but Hiashi had looked past it and had saw an tempting opportunity.
"Not Hinata or Hanabi, but one of the ones in the Branch caste. A child with both the Byakugan and possibly the Shikotsumyaku would be most powerful indeed. The Hyuga name will grow to even greater glory." He said as he had thought about it and remembering how strong the Kaguya was, The Uzumaki where strong as well and although not all of them could possess Shikotsumyaku, the person would be near undefeatable.
"I see, you seek to strengthen the Clan. Make it so no one could try and gain our secrets with the addition of Shikotsumyaku." Neji said understanding his words.
"Indeed, continue your training." He said and turned and left the prodigy in the room.
"Hmph, I may do this for your ambitions Uncle, but my own reasons for fighting is to prove to all my skills." Neji said and resumed his training.
Elsewhere, Sakura Haruno was walking through the streets looking around the area. The pink haired girl saw all that was going on.
She thought back to her match with Kin Tsuchi in the exams and frowned. She had lost, and had lost rather easily to her when she thought about it. Kin had used poison against her and had sapped her of her energy and instead of finishing her had knocked her to the floor with no effort by blowing on her.
"If I'm ever going to become a true Kunoichi, I have to get better." She said to herself. "I've got to start training more and taking things seriously. Naruto was right, he's trained himself and so has Sasuke. I've got to get strong as well, so in the Next Exams, I will be the one who goes on to the next round."
As she was talking to herself she unknowingly bumped into another person.
"Hey watch it you dumb bitch!" The redhead shouted at her in a rude tone of voice. Sakura stepped back as the redhead glared at her and mumbling other foul words under her breath walked away.
"Well she was rude…" Sakura said to herself watching the girl she hadn't seen before go in a different direction.
Meanwhile Kin Tsuchi was by herself throwing senbon at bullseyes, Dosu had said he needed to do some stuff and be back later and Zaku was off doing whatever it was guys with badly damaged arms do. The long black haired girl threw senbon into a target which if it was a real person would've incapticate them.
She thought back to the Forest of Death, seeing what had happened to Sasuke. They where suppose to kill them but that other team chasing after the blonde had interfered and so it was ruined and Zaku had gotten his arms broken by him. He managed to use them in a way during the preliminaries but was still defeated by Shikamaru.
"What happened back there, where we set up?" She asked herself remembering the evil look Sasuke had in his eyes. "No, No way. He wouldn't needlessly sacrifice us and throw us away like garbage." She said trying to convince herself. She had felt fear enter her body after seeing him and so easily break her teammates arms. That could've just as easily been her if things had gone differently.
"Excuse me," A voice said and she turned around and saw a male shinobi she didn't recognize standing before her. "I couldn't help but notice your training with Senbon."
"Yeah? What about it?" She asked not knowing who he was.
The ninja smiled at her. "You have some skill with them, I also train with Senbon as well."
"Oh really?"
"Yes…" He replied and turning around threw senbon at a speed she couldn't follow into a bullseye, all of them hit the bullseye dead center.
"Whoa…" She said as that was beyond her speed and he threw twice as many as she did and he smiled at her again. Despite his rather feminine appearance, she noted he was pretty attractive. "What's your name?"
"Haku," He answered and held out his hand. "And you are?"
"Kin, Kin Tsuchi." She answered and took his hand to shake it. To her surprise he took it and brought it upwards and kissed it surprising the Sound Kunoich at what he just did.
"Maybe we'll see each other again soon." He said to her and left
Kin watched him go and she couldn't help the blush forming on her cheeks at what just happened.
At the Hot Springs…
"This is your idea of training?" Naruto loudly asked again for the hundredth time as he was stuck as a lookout for the perverted Hermit.
"Keep down, the girls will hear you." Jiriaya scolded him. "Lookout's an important duty as well you know, I'm busy taking notes here." He said as he took down sketches of the bathing girls through the peephole. "That's it baby slowly remove the towel."
Naruto groaned in annoyance and shook his head. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea as they had been here for the past two hours and the only thing he had done was kept as a lookout for anyone whilst Jiriaya looked through the peephole for his research.
Naruto growled in irritation, maybe he should've went with Ebisu and Konohamaru instead. At least then he might actually get something in return!
He looked around and his eyes widened in delight as he saw a familiar white haired person making his way towards him. Looking back at Jiriaya he rolled his eyes and went to meet up with him.
"You've finally got some patience eh?" Jiriaya said as fifteen minutes had passed and Naruto hadn't said a word. "Too bad you're not old enough to see this, maybe when you're older I can give you samples of my book."
Still no response…
"Naruto…Naruto?" He asked and finally looked away and realized his student was gone.
"Am I glad to see you again." Naruto said as he and Kimimaro walked together.
"What where you doing with that fool?" Kimimaro asked and let out a cough.
"You don't wanna know." Naruto answered him. "Listen I'm in the Chunin Exams and I could use your help preparing for the next month. Do you think you can train me some more?" Naruto asked him.
"…Yes, I can teach you some of the more advanced moves of Shikotsumyaku, after that you'll have learned most of all that I can teach you." Kimimaro said to him and Naruto detected sadness in his voice.
Unknown to them a red headed girl was listening in on them from behind a tree. Tayuya's eyes widened as she had been spying on Naruto for the past couple of hours and this right now came as a shock to see Kimimaro appear. How'd he get here? He should be back in Oto.
"That brat has Kimimaro's bloodline?" She muttered to herself in shock at what she heard. "How? He didn't have any surviving relatives from Mist, how the hell are they related?" One thing was for certain in her mind though. Orochimaru-sama would want to know this.
She watched on for a good five minutes as she saw Naruto pull out a bone sword just like Kimimaro did so many times before.
Suddenly with her advanced hearing she thought she heard the sound of a pen against paper. She quickly detected the source of and she created a Bushin.
Jiriaya from twenty yards away was humming to himself was doing his newest project, he hadn't seen the boy yet but he had seen an opportunity that was irresistible to the Toad Sannin.
"What the hell?" A voice shouted and his head shot up and he saw above him in the trees the red headed girl looking down at him with a pissed off look on her face.
Most likely from the sketch he had drawn of an older version of her with her upper body naked.
Naruto and Kimimaro suddenly heard the sounds of a fight breaking out.
"I'M GONNA RIP OFF YOUR COCK YOU DAMN PERVERT!" A voice screeched and they turned and saw Jiriaya being attacked by someone Kimimaro recognized.
"What is she doing here?" He asked himself in disbelief.
Tayuya attacked him with murder in her eyes and Jiriaya avoided her attacks with a grin on his face.
"You gotta be kidding me." Naruto said as well as he watched. Tayuya swung at him but missed as he easily avoided her attacks.
She punched at him and her caught her wrists. "You got a lot of spice and fire in you." Jiriaya said to her. "You'd be a lot of fun if you was ten years older and grew up some more down there." He said his eyes on her chest.
Tayuya scowled and went to kick him in the groin. Jiriaya however being on the receiving end of it a many time in the past was ready and caught her leg with his hands. She swiped ineffectively at him as he was out of reach as she hopped on one foot.
"Hey Naruto! Catch!" Jiriaya shouted and spun her around and shoved her sending her directly towards him. The two collided and she pulled herself off him and turned around ready to attack him.
"Hey! Cut it out!" Naruto said wrapping his arms around her waist trying to hold her still, he then recognized her as that girl he had seen in Wave. She thrashed wildly in his arms trying to break free and kill Jiriaya who looked on laughing.
"What are you doing here?" A voice said and she turned her head and saw Kimimaro glaring at her. "This is the second time you've followed me, I wonder if I should kill you to make sure that doesn't happen again." He said to her and she lost her ferocity
Naruto let go and she backed away from Kimimaro glaring harshly at her. "Me? You're the one who's going off you jackass!" She said with a scowl
"Alright enough," Jiriaya said and walked forward. "I don't know who you two are but you're taking my student away from me, I'll have him back now." He said to Kimimaro.
"Hmph, I don't think he can learn much from someone such as you." Kimimaro responded.
"Don't underestimate me boy," Jiriaya said and folded his arms across his chest. "I know far more than you could learn in a dozen lifetimes." He said and taking note of his features knew instantly who he was. "There is more I can teach him aside of his bloodline than you can, Kaguya, you must be the one Sarutobi brought in to teach him." He said to him "Where you and the girl from, Grass? Taki? Stone?"
Kimimaro didn't say anything and looked back at Naruto. "Naruto possesses Shikotsumyaku as do I," He spoke and let out a cough. "You could never understand what he can do with it."
Jiriaya smirked. "There is more to winning a battle than just using your bloodline, a Clan that relies on it too much will be crippled once someone figures a way to negate it."
"What do you suppose he trains for this month then?" Kimimaro said dryly.
"Hmph, a mixture of us both. We both train him this month." Jiriaya said surprising Naruto.
"Two tigers cannot share the same cave." Kimimaro replied to him. "Nor can two senseis train one ninja."
"Maybe so but I think a truce can be held until one of them finds another cave." Jiriaya answered.
"…Fine then."
"Hold on," Naruto interrupted and stepped forward. "I'm not going to spend all of this month hearing you guys arguing over how I should train or what I should learn. I got more important things to do than learn one thing from you and then told to forget it by the other. I'd rather work by myself than listen to you Jiriaya or you Kimimaro argue all the time." He said and walked past them.
He was suddenly unexpectedly grabbed by the shoulders by both of them and he was flung to the floor with a loud thud. Jiriaya and Kimimaro then both put one foot on his chest.
"Rule number one," Jiriaya said to him.
"Always listen to your sensei." Kimimaro finished and the two looked at one another.
(This kids' going to be in hell) Tayuya thought to herself as she watched Naruto squirm underneath them.
"What about two tigers not sharing the same cave?" Jiriaya asked him.
"That depends on if the Tigers are willing to have a truce." Kimimaro replied a smirk on his face.