Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Chances Missed ❯ A Self Loving Carnage ( Chapter 3 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

By: Specula

A/N: Yo! If you're wondering where I got the name for this chapter, it's the route of Gaara's name; Ware wo ai suru shura which means `self loving carnage'. And if you're wondering what I based Gaara's personality on after they meet, it's pretty much Gaara after the time skip with a hint of the violent tendencies from when he was in the Chunin Exams without the insatiable bloodlust. Also, he doesn't have the `love' tattoo on his forehead in this fic.

As a note, in this fic, according to me Orochimaru is not gay. Do you understand? By not, I mean he is heterosexual. So don't get any ideas, got it? I will not tolerate any `OMG, Orochimaru and Gaara are gay!' crap. Sure, in canon, he did what he does to Gaara in this chapter to Kimimaro, but he also did it to Anko, who unless you're blind and deaf, is female.

Remember how I said I had an idea for Naruto in the Star Wars Galaxy? I think I can kill two birds with one stone and implement that idea into the Living Behind a Mask story. What's the other problem? Sasuke has a whole galaxy to choose from, not just a single planet. And no, I'm not going to pair him with a Twi'lek or a Wookie, or a Mon Calamari, or a Hutt… Oh that's just gross… SasukexHutt… The image is stuck… I'm scared for life… or anything like that. After typing those race names out, I just realized something. Those names are apparently part of the official English language according to Word's spell check. I didn't add them, but there are no grammatical or spelling errors in them… Back on topic, I think the way I want to do it is somewhat… Believable. However, it's up to you guys if you want me to make a side story/sequel to it. Just say yay or nay in a review for Living Behind a Mask or drop me a PM. If the majority of people say `yay', I'll wrap the Living Behind a Mask up quickly and transport them to the Star Wars Galaxy. For those of you who are wondering what time frame of the Star Wars series it will be, I'm dumping them with Luke at the start of episode 4.

As a final note, if I say a fic will feature this pairing or that pairing, it will. If I decide to change the pairing later for some emergency reason, I will change the summary and the entire storyline to suit the change. So, if the summary says it will be a Naruto x Female Kyuubi pairing, that's what it will be.

Thanks again to my Beta, Kyuubi no Yoko 9.

Legend:

'...Human or Lesser Summon Thinking/Small A/N...'

'...Demon or Summon Boss Thinking...'

“...Human or Lesser Summon Talking...”

“...Demon or Summon Boss Talking...”

“...SHOUTING/TWO OR MORE PEOPLE SAYING THE SAME THING/CASTING THE SAME JUTSU...”

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Chances Missed:

Chapter Three:

A Self Loving Carnage:

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A Year & Several Months Later:

Naruto and the other four had been summoned to Orochimaru by Kabuto himself, which usually meant it was important. Once they got to the room, Orochimaru smiled at them.

“I believe all of you are now capable of starting missions. However, the first mission you will complete is of utmost importance to Oto. The objective of this mission is the son of the Yondaime Kazekage; A red haired boy by the name of Gaara.”

Everyone raised an eyebrow in various degrees of shock at this. Orochimaru seemed to sense this and chuckled.

“No, you will not be killing him. On the contrary, I want you to bring him back with you alive.”

Naruto nodded and he tried to figure out what the reason for this abduction was. Orochimaru never did anything without a reason.

“Orochimaru-Sama, what is it about Gaara that interests you?”

Orochimaru smiled at Naruto. The boy was beginning to understand the way he worked quite well.

“This should also interest you, Naruto-Kun. Gaara is another like you, a Jinchuriki.”

Naruto's eyes widened while the others turned to their unofficial leader. Naruto's look of shock turned into a calculative scowl.

“Which one is he?”

Orochimaru smiled.

“The Ichibi's container.”

Naruto's scowl morphed into a devious grin usually associated with a fox that's had a rather cunning idea.

“Leave it to us, Orochimaru-Sama.”

Orochimaru smiled widely.

“I know you will succeed. You will leave tomorrow morning for Sunagakure.”

They nodded and bowed as they left the room. A part of the far shadowed wall warped as things did when a Genjutsu was dispelled, revealing Kabuto. Kabuto looked at Orochimaru in concern.

“Orochimaru-Sama, perhaps you should have sent back up with them…”

Orochimaru smiled at his right hand man. Kabuto was really only concerned about Naruto, and not the others.

“They will be fine. After all, why wouldn't Naruto-Kun attempt to gain more friends like himself?”

Kabuto said nothing which meant he had nothing more to say.

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A Week & a Half Later, Near Sunagakure:

The Sound Five ran across the dunes, seeing the rocky outcrop that Sunagakure was nestled in. Naruto turned to the others as they kept running.

“Going in through the front would be stupid.”

They nodded in agreement. Kidoumaru smiled as he thought about their situation.

“They will probably expect an attack from the back, so why not go over the sides?”

Naruto nodded in agreement.

“Ok, everyone turn on their headsets.”

Everyone pressed the button to turn them on and began testing. Naruto began the procedure.

“Sound One.”

Jiroubou went next.

“Two.”

Kidoumaru tested next.

“Three.”

Tayuya tested.

“Four.”

“Five and Six.”

Tayuya smacked Sakon over the head.

“Baka! Since when did your body invading freak of a brother count as a separate person?”

Ukon looked at Tayuya in a mock hurt.

“I have feelings too, Tayuya-Chan.”

In response, he got a smack over the head with Tayuya's Genjutsu flute.

“I didn't ask for your opinion, and don't call me that again, bastard.”

Ukon smiled and went back to `sleep'. Naruto turned his head around.

“Guys, if you see Gaara, alert me immediately, but do not interfere. If anyone's going to convince him, it'll be me. Remove your hitai-ate.”

They nodded and removed their forehead protectors, stowing them away for safe keeping. They were almost within range of Suna. Naruto narrowed his eyes.

“Split!”

All five of them split up to enter Suna from several different directions.

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On Top of the Wall of the East Part of Sunagakure:

Naruto was perched on top of the rocky ledge surrounding the east part of the village.

“This is one, I'm ready to enter.”

Naruto waited for the others to report in.

“Two, ready.”

“Same here with four.”

“Five waiting for instructions.”

“Three, ready.”

Naruto narrowed his eyes and smiled.

“Commence mission.”

All five of them jumped into Suna and began to scout for the red haired Tanuki container.

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With Tayuya:

Tayuya heard several children playing some sort of ball game and she sneered in disgust. However, when she looked around the corner, she saw what was most likely the target sitting on a swing to the side of the playground, holding a teddy bear and looking at the children devoid of emotions. Tayuya smiled as she slipped back around the corner and held her mic closer to her mouth.

“This is Three. I've found the target. Activating tracker.”

Tayuya pulled up her sleave to reveal what to most would look like a watch. It was a watch, however, she pressed a button on the side and the backlight started flashing on and off with a second in between each flash. It was standard ninja equipment in Oto, and it was extremely unlikely that other villages could pick up this particular wave length. Soon enough, the other four gathered. Naruto smiled as he looked around the corner.

“Nice work, Tayuya.”

Tayuya smirked at her accomplishment as Naruto wrapped his cloak around himself, hiding his Oto elite uniform. He smiled and gave his team thumbs up.

“Time to move in for the kill. Make sure no one interferes.”

They nodded and took up positions in the shadows around the perimeter of the playground as Naruto calmly walked up to the swing beside Gaara and took a seat. Naruto purposefully ignored him, looking at the children playing. Gaara noticed him and remained silent, hoping he wouldn't notice him and like everyone else, run away screaming. Naruto sighed and gave himself a slight push, using a speech with Kyuubi's help that he couldn't put into words. While the giant fur ball may only care about itself, it knew that subordinates and allies were important to maintain its' life, and so agreed to help him.

“To be accepted…”

That caught Gaara's attention as he looked at Naruto.

“Is it a crime to want to be accepted?”

Gaara looked at Naruto in astonishment when Naruto looked at him with eyes that showed pain, suffering and most of all, understanding. Naruto smiled weakly.

“Especially since people like us are the only reason other humans still live today.”

Naruto shook his head and gave another slight push, making the chains creek. Gaara looked at Naruto in something close to fear.

“Who are you?”

Naruto looked at Gaara with a sad smile.

“My name's Naruto. I'm just like you, a demon container. I know what it feels like; the pain, the fear, the loneliness, the ache in your heart, the craving for acceptance.”

Gaara looked at Naruto in shock. He was just like him? Naruto looked at Gaara with a smile.

“Gaara, do you want to be my friend? I'm sure you're a really nice guy.”

Gaara practically fainted. This boy was asking to be his friend? Gaara nodded and smiled, happy that he'd made his first friend. Naruto looked stern for a moment.

“Gaara, although we're friends, you can't talk about me to anyone just yet, ok?”

Gaara looked at Naruto questioningly.

“Gaara, I'm not from this village. If they found out, they would kill me.”

Gaara gasped, but readily agreed. If that's what it took to keep a friend, then he'd do it. Naruto looked up when a boy on the field cried out `SHOOT'. Naruto saw the ball fly right over the goal posts and on top of the building. Gaara noticed to. Naruto turned to Gaara.

“Gaara, I'm going to leave for a bit. Don't worry, I'll be back soon.”

Gaara nodded and Naruto disappeared. The other members of the Sound Five appeared next to Naruto as he hid behind a building. Naruto smiled at them.

“It seems that Gaara won't come just yet. It won't be long though; another few days at most. Let's get out of the village and keep an eye on him when we get the chance.”

They nodded and ran up the wall and over the edge of the walls of Sunagakure, keeping a careful eye on Gaara whenever he came close to the walls.

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Next Night:

The Sound Five were watching Gaara as he sat on a rooftop, talking to himself. All five of them noticed a solitary figure appeared behind him and began levitating kunai that were pointed at Gaara. Naruto motioned for them to wait while he went ahead. They nodded as Naruto leapt down behind Gaara and began blocking the kunai as they were projected forward as a wall of sharpened metal. Gaara gasped and turned around to see his new friend blocking the kunai with his own. Naruto snarled at the man, ripping off his cloak to reveal his Oto uniform. He glared at the masked ninja.

“What the hell do you think you're doing? Don't you realise it's hard enough for him to hold Shukaku back with his will alone? You're not helping him! Or do you want Shukaku released again?”

That seemed to strike a nerve, if the subtle flinch was anything to go by. He silently produced another pair of kunai sets and projected them at Naruto. Naruto may have been skilled for his age, but he still couldn't block all of them. Several imbedded themselves in his chest, legs and arms. Naruto grunted as he fell to the ground and remained still, his blood pooling around him. Gaara was being backed into the last pocket of sanity as he saw his only friend die to protect him. Gaara steeled his resolve as he engulfed the masked Suna Nin in sand and then crushed him. He walked up to the ninja and noticed a bandage on his right ring finger. Gaara seized up as he slowly reached for the ninja's face mask and pulled it off to confirm his worst suspicions.

“You are strong as expected… Gaara-Sama…”

Gaara gripped his heart as he felt a foreign power try to corrupt him from the inside.

“Yashamaru…”

Gaara fell to his knees and clutched his head, screaming in pure pain and anguish.

“Yashamaru… Doushite?”

Yashamaru looked up at the sky and noticed it was a full moon. He silently cursed his luck. Shukaku's influence over his container had always become more apparent when it was a full moon.

“It was an order…”

Gaara looked up at Yashamaru as he explained.

“I was ordered to kill you… By your father.”

Gaara looked at Yashamaru with a massive amount of hope in his eyes seen in that of only the most desperate people.

“Then you did this unwillingly because father ordered you to…”

“No… That's not correct.”

Gaara's eyes widened as he felt the last of his will slipping to the foreign force in his body.

“It's true I received the order from Kazekage-Sama, but I could have refused it if I wished. Gaara-Sama, deep within my heart, I hated you. You took the life of my beloved sister when you were born. My sister's memento… I tried to think of you as her treasured child, but I couldn't. My sister did not wish for your birth. She became this village's sacrifice, and she died cursing it. After that, I carried a wound that could never heal…”

Yashamaru sighed and coughed up a chunk of blood.

“This is it. Please die, Gaara-Sama.”

Yashamaru opened his flak jacket to reveal a mass of exploding tags that he had just activated. They exploded, covering the entire roof top in a ball of orange yellow flame. The remaining members of the Sound Five saw their leader just starting to stand up when the explosion went off and charged in.

“Naruto!”

Gaara looked up as four strange people surrounded Naruto who grimaced from the pain, but looked up at Gaara with a weak smile on his face. Everyone present saw that leading outward from the wall of sand in front of Gaara was an area of roof that had remained untouched by the explosion, and Naruto was right in the middle of it.

“Thanks for protecting me, Gaara. If you hadn't made that wall of sand, I'd be dead now…”

Gaara's tortured face brightened somewhat when he saw his friend was still alive.

“Naruto...”

Naruto smiled at Gaara.

“I don't die that easily.”

Gaara looked at Naruto and then back at the blood splattered crater, as if torn by some internal decision. Naruto saw his chance.

“Gaara, this is almost the same thing that happened to me in my village when I left. I had no one, nothing. However, a man saved me from assassination and told me that this treatment wasn't normal. He took me to a village were you are expected to be different from others, a village that won't hate you or try to kill you for being who you are. Since I joined the village several years ago, I've become one of the most powerful people there. The only thing you need to do to stay there is serve our leader, Orochimaru-Sama. If you serve him well, he will acknowledge you and train you. He will give you power beyond your wildest dreams. And for his elites, he takes special interest in them and trains them to be his personal bodyguards. I have no doubt you will be able to join the five of us in the elites in no time at all, Gaara. Will you come with us?”

Gaara slowly got to his feat and stared at them, his eyes completely void of emotion.

“I want to go to this place. I want to be accepted. I want the power to destroy this village for what they've done to me. I'm coming with you.”

Naruto smiled. As he slowly returned to his feet, his wounds completed their rapid healing. He walked up to Gaara and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Let's go, Gaara, my friend.”

Gaara nodded and the six of them left the rooftop just before the nearest ninja patrol got there to inspect the damage, disappearing into the night.

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Two Weeks Later, at Oto:

They had taken another several days to get back than it had taken to get there due to the fact that Gaara was never much of a speed person. Now that their mission was over, they returned to their normal attitudes. When Gaara asked why they changed, Naruto shrugged.

“We figured while we're on missions, it would be better to focus on the mission and not playing around like we usually do.”

One of the days when they stopped for something to eat, Tayuya went on another one of her verbal tirades. Gaara had no idea what any of these things meant and had asked what each and every curse had meant. The four had outvoted Tayuya and made her explain it to Gaara, since she said them and not the others. Sakon laughed at Tayuya was clearly struggling to maintain her `I don't give a damn' exterior while explaining.

“Maybe you should take Jiroubou's advice and not speak like that.”

Tayuya scowed as she smacked Sakon over the head with her flute.

“I don't care what that fatass said, you two headed freak.”

Gaara was trying to comprehend this. Naruto had told him that no one would pick on others because they were different. Naruto sighed and looked at Gaara.

“There's a difference between when she's swearing at someone who's not her friend and someone who is. For those of us who are her friends, she'll make one name from our physical appearances and will only use that to refer to us. To everyone else, she'll use general cussing and most likely kill them if they step out of line.”

Gaara nodded slowly. Tayuya looked back at Gaara and Naruto and scowled.

“Does he get much sleep? He looks like an insomniac…”

Naruto smiled. This was Tayuya's process of thinking up a name for a friend. Gaara looked down but felt Naruto's hand on his shoulder. He looked up from the ground to see Naruto smiling at him.

“She's trying to decide on a name for you. It's a good sign.”

At this Tayuya threw a rice ball at Naruto's head. Not expecting it, Naruto copped it right to the face. It slid down his face before he pulled it off and took a bite out of it. After munching several times and swallowing, Naruto smiled.

“Tasty. Thanks, Tayuya-Chan.”

Everyone but Gaara and Naruto sweat dropped. Tayuya fumed at her unofficial leader's strange reaction. Jiroubou raised an eyebrow as he took his own rice ball.

“I don't think we'll ever fully understand you, Naruto.”

Naruto shrugged as he chucked the last of the rice ball into his mouth, chewing several times before swallowing. He cracked a grin at his friends and team mates.

“What's there not to understand?”

Kidoumaru looked at Naruto deadpanned.

“The fact that you can turn an insult into something so weird.”

Sakon agreed.

“Who the hell would cop a rice ball to the face and then thank the person who threw it?”

Naruto smiled widely.

“Me.”

They all sweat dropped again. Tayuya snorted at Naruto.

“And that's the point the fatass was trying to make, fox boy. You're the only one who would do something that screwed up.”

Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly. They talked for a while longer before they continued back towards Oto. When they asked Gaara how much faster he could go, he said not much. Apparently, he focused on power over speed. Once they got to the gates of the Oto village, Gaara shrunk back behind Naruto out of habit. Naruto sighed. Is this how he acted when he first came here? Naruto walked up to the guard who saluted them.

“Naruto-San, Orochimaru-Sama requested that you be sent to him immediately upon your arrival.”

Naruto nodded and they walked through the gates. Gaara quickly noticed that people gave him a single glance and then went back to whatever they were doing. Since Naruto had come here almost three years ago, Oto had prospered immensely. When he first came here, it was nothing but an overgrown underground bunker in the middle of no where. Now however, it had a proper village surrounding it. Naruto led his team mates and new friend to the entrance to the bunker and the guards posted outside the door saluted as they passed. Naruto led them down the spiral stairs and through the secret passage way into the main area of the ninja headquarters of the village. Naruto walked passed the door to Kabuto's research room, wondering absentmindedly if he was here or in Konoha. His silent question was answered when the door opened to reveal Kabuto. Kabuto smiled at Naruto and raised a hand in greeting.

“Good to see you back again, Naruto-Kun.”

Naruto smiled at Kabuto.

“Arigato, Kabuto-San.”

Kabuto smiled when he saw a head of red spikes hiding behind Naruto. Feigning ignorance, he looked questioningly at Naruto.

“Who's your friend, Naruto-Kun?”

Naruto smiled as he looked at Gaara and then back at Kabuto.

“This is Gaara. Gaara, this is the man who saved me three years ago. Don't worry, he won't bite… Unless you try to attack him, anyway…”

Gaara slowly made his way out from behind Naruto and saw Kabuto crouching in front of him and smiling.

“Pleased to meet you, Gaara-Kun. I'm Kabuto.”

Gaara nodded and mumbled a hello. Kabuto smiled and stood up from his crouching position and sighed as he pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

“Reminds me of you when I brought you here, Naruto-Kun.”

Naruto smirked slightly.

“We were all like that once.”

Kabuto nodded in agreement.

“Indeed. Well, I'm being deployed back to Konoha for a few months. I'll see you guys later.”

They nodded as Kabuto walked down the hallway and disappeared into the shadows. Gaara looked at Naruto questioningly.

“Naruto, what is this Orochimaru person like?”

Jiroubou looked at Gaara.

“Gaara, I suggest referring to Orochimaru as Orochimaru-Sama. He's very strict about formalities, even with Naruto who is pretty much fourth in command of Oto behind Orochimaru-Sama's apprentice, Kabuto-San and Orochimaru-Sama himself.”

They nodded in agreement. Naruto led the party right to the heart of the underground headquarters. The two Jounin guards nodded at Naruto and one of them knocked on the door. They could hear Orochimaru's voice from within.

“What is it?”

The guard's expression remained stoic, much to his credit.

“Orochimaru-Sama, the Sound Five have returned.”

There was a moment's pause before Orochimaru answered.

“Come in.”

The guard looked at them as he let them pass. A look that said `thank god'. After they had entered the room, the door clicked shut and they were cast into almost total darkness. They could make out the faint outline of Orochimaru sitting in his `throne'. Naruto stepped forward and bowed before raising his head to smile at his leader.

“Mission success, Orochimaru-Sama.”

Orochimaru smiled at Naruto and then at the other four.

“I expected no less from you five.”

Orochimaru focused his gaze at Gaara who remained motionless. Gaara saw Orochimaru smile.

“You would be Gaara-Kun, then?”

Gaara nodded.

“Hai, Orochimaru-Sama.”

Orochimaru smiled as he motioned Gaara forward. Gaara looked at Naruto who nodded. Gaara stepped forward and stood directly in front of Orochimaru. Orochimaru stood and placed a hand on Gaara's cheek.

“What is it you seek? Power? Acknowledgment? Revenge?”

Gaara blushed mildly at the sign of affection but answered with a steady voice.

“I want to be acknowledged like a regular person. I want to power to crush Suna for turning me into this.”

Gaara looked at himself to indicate his point. Orochimaru took his hand away and sat back in his chair.

“That's not possible.”

Everyone looked at Orochimaru in shock, waiting for his explanation.

“Gaara-Kun, here in Oto, there is no such thing as a regular person. All of us were outcasts from our own villages because they were unable to accept the fact that we are too different from them, and so they fear us. By creating this village, I wished to create a place for all those who are shunned by the villages for their own foolish reasons to call home.”

Gaara's eyes lit up. This place was full of people like him, who would understand him? He would do anything to stay here.

“And you wish for acknowledgment, power and revenge?”

Gaara nodded.

“Hai, Orochimaru-Sama…”

Orochimaru smiled and chuckled softly.

“If you serve me, I will give you the power you need to complete your revenge. If you sever me as well as the five behind you have up to now, I will acknowledge you. Will you do it?”

Gaara smiled and nodded his head.

“Hai, Orochimaru-Sama.”

Orochimaru smiled.

`Perfect. I now have two ultimate weapons under my possession…Akatsuki will not likely attack me now, considering they always work in pairs to take out a single Jinchuriki…'

Orochimaru looked at Naruto.

“Naruto-Kun, I assume you know what to do?”

Naruto nodded.

“Hai, Orochimaru-Sama.”

Orochimaru smiled at them.

“I will most likely need you again in the near future. Good job.”

They bowed and left the room with Gaara in tow, but Naruto remembered something and turned back around.

“Orochimaru-Sama, is it possible to grow parts of or all of your body with chakra?”

Orochimaru's eyebrow's raised.

“Why do you want to know, Naruto-Kun?”

Naruto began recounting what he had seen and felt since he woke up after the level two activation, and his conversation with the Kyuubi before getting to the point.

“So because I can't summon, I was wondering if it is possible to grow a part of your body with your chakra. At the least, I want to be able to increase the length of my hair to cover my entire body, but preferable be able to grow in size so I can tower over regular people.”

Orochimaru smiled as he thought about what he could do.

“And why would you want to cover your body during the second stage, Naruto-Kun?”

Naruto smiled.

“I look half dead when I activate my second level seal. I want to be able to grow my hair to completely cover my body. If I could also increase my body size, it would have much more of an effect on my opponents as well, Orochimaru-Sama.”

Orochimaru smiled. Indeed, having the reincarnation of a black furred Kyuubi would be particularly frightening.

“I will see what I can do, Naruto-Kun.”

Naruto bowed again to Orochimaru.

“Thank you, Orochimaru-Sama.”

Orochimaru smiled as he began thinking through the possibilities.

“No problem, Naruto-Kun. You are dismissed.”

Naruto led Gaara and the others out of the room and down the dimly lit hallways towards the first stop. Naruto pushed open a door to reveal the room Kabuto had stopped to get Naruto's clothes after he had his first meeting. Naruto walked passed the rows of folded sheets and blankets, grabbing some clean towels before getting to the clothes. He walked up to the single pile of Oto Elite clothes and looked through it to find one about his own height, since Gaara stood practically level with him. When he found one, he pulled it off the stack and then walked back out. Naruto closed the door behind him and handed the clothes to Gaara and the towels to everyone. Gaara was about to put them on when Naruto stopped him.

“We should all probably have a shower. It's been almost a month since we five had one.”

“No kidding. You guys all smell real sweaty.”

They all looked at Tayuya in the same dead panned expression. Sakon spoke their minds.

“And you don't?”

Tayuya smacked him over the head.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Kidoumaru whispered to Naruto.

“How many brain cells do you think he has left after being hit so many times?”

Naruto shrugged.

“Not as many as he had before, that's for sure if he hasn't learnt his lesson yet…”

Kidoumaru silently agreed as they came up to the bathrooms. Tayuya pushed open the door to the female room while the boys' went into the men's room. The four boys that were already part of the Sound Five took off their purple rope sashes and put then on the bench. Kidoumaru saw Gaara looking at them and half smiled.

“Once you `graduate', you'll get one of your own. Come on, we're taking a shower.”

Gaara nodded and followed them into the block. He saw each of them take a different stall, so he followed their example, taking one at the far end near Naruto. He still felt somewhat unsafe here, so he tended to stick near what he knew was safe. Gaara saw each of the boys, or more correctly, their hands hanging their clothes and towels over the top of the stalls so they didn't get wet and they could put them back on after they had finished. After each of them had finished their shower, they dried themselves and changed. Once they stepped out of the stalls, they waited for Gaara. Once he stepped out, they took their towels and dumped them in the laundry bin near the door. When they stepped outside, they saw Tayuya standing there looking very peeved.

“What the hell took you so long?”

Gaara looked at her, answering for the group.

“From my experience, females enjoy the shower for an unknown reason. I assumed you would have taken longer, so I took my time.”

Tayuya looked at Gaara and tried to refrain from whacking him over the head.

“The hell you mean you thought I was going to take longer insomniac?”

Naruto smiled and put a hand on Gaara's shoulder.

“Welcome to the club.”

Gaara looked up at Naruto for an explanation while he just smirked.

“She's given you a name, meaning that she's accepted you into the group. Tayuya's name for someone is sort of the unofficial approval of everyone else in the group.”

Gaara nodded and smiled slightly. He now had five friends. He was not regretting coming to Oto whatsoever. The group continued down the hall until they got to a corridor with doors set in it along one wall. Each of them split up and took their own door, but Naruto indicated to Gaara which one he should take, the one directly in front of his. Naruto looked at Gaara and smiled.

“It's too late to do any sort of decent training, so we have to stay in our rooms. We'll come and get you tomorrow and see what sort of training Orochimaru-Sama wants you to do. Night, Gaara.”

Gaara nodded at Naruto.

“Night, Naruto.”

They both took their separate doors and retired for the night, unsure of what the next day would bring.

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Next Morning:

At Five AM, Naruto knocked on Gaara's door. There was no response, so he knocked again.

“Oi, Gaara, you up?”

“I do not sleep.”

Naruto should have guessed. The black rings of insomnia around his eyes were a dead give away. Naruto focused back as Gaara opened the door in his new robes and nodded to him.

“Good morning.”

“Morning.”

Gaara shut the door behind him and stepped beside Naruto as they walked down several corridors to a set of double doors which Naruto pushed open. Gaara noticed it was a mess hall, and judging by the number of people in here, the main one. Naruto led Gaara up to a line of people and grabbed a pair of trays. He handed one to Gaara an absent mindedly held his tray by his side. They moved up with the line until Naruto noticed one of the Jounins start yelling at the cook for taking so long. Naruto sighed as he put his tray down and motioned Gaara to follow him. Gaara also put his tray down and they stood behind the Jounin. Naruto waited until the Jounin finally realised that there were people behind him and turned around to look at them. Naruto stare at the man.

“I'm wondering how exactly you made it to Jounin when you didn't notice us for a good minute and a half.”

The Jounin sweat dropped. These two were his superiors and answered only to Orochimaru. Gaara looked at the man with narrowed eyes.

“You said they were taking too long? I do not see others complaining. You have been in line for exactly 2 minutes and 46 seconds since we arrived. At that point, you were near the back of the line, indicating you had just come in.”

Naruto smiled at Gaara's monotone voice. Naruto looked back at the man.

“Well, if it's still not fast enough for you, maybe you could do it faster by yourself? You'd look good in an apron and chefs hat…”

The entire room apart from Naruto and Gaara sweat dropped. The Jounin nodded and scurried off with his food while Naruto nodded at the server who smiled at him before taking Gaara back to their spot which the latest addition to the line smirked as he vacated for them. The Genin spoke up to them.

“Thanks for taking him down a peg. He's my Jounin Sensei and sometimes he's too full of himself for his own good.”

Naruto turned around and grinned at him. The boy wore bandages that covered his entire head except his left eye.

Naruto looked at the Genin in interest.

“I don't think I've seen you around before… You new?”

Dosu smirked and nodded as he extended his hand, which Naruto took.

“Kinuta Dosu. You're Naruto, right?”

Naruto nodded and turned to give a sidelong glance at Gaara when Dosu extended his hand. Gaara slowly extended his own hand and took it. Naruto sighed and shook his head.

“Gaara, we're really going to have to work on your social skills…”

Gaara nodded while Dosu took his hand back. By now, Naruto and Gaara were pretty much at the front of the line. When Naruto stepped up he smiled at the chef.

“Naruto-San, thanks for backing up my work mate.”

Naruto waved it off.

“Some people are too stupid to realise that without the `trash' as they call them, things around here won't work.”

The chef smiled as he began pulling plates out of the heated glass display.

“The usual, I presume?”

Naruto nodded and the chef placed a bowl of ramen, a plate of bacon, eggs and sausages as well as a glass of milk on his tray. Naruto smiled widely at the man.

“Thanks, old man.”

The old man waved him off and looked at Gaara with a smile, who stared blankly at the man. Naruto sweat dropped. He would have a lot of work to do…

“Gaara, pick the things from the display you want to eat.”

Gaara nodded and looked through the display.

“Four sausages, three eggs, six rashers of bacon, a bowl of… Ramen and a glass of milk.”

Naruto smiled. It seemed that being a demon container gave you a dramatically increased metabolism. The chef dumped the stuff onto the plate and Gaara stepped up beside Naruto while the two joined their team mates at the unofficial `elites' table. Naruto took his usual seat next to Tayuya while Gaara took the seat to his other side. Naruto picked up a knife and fork and began shovelling the food in, much to the other's amusement.

“You act like you haven't eaten in months, fox boy.”

Naruto looked up at Tayuya, half an egg hanging out of his mouth.

“Wel, I kinder haphent-“

Jiroubou gave Naruto's poor display of table manners a reproachful look.

“Naruto, talk when you don't have a mouth full of food.”

Naruto shrugged and ate the rest of his mouthful before smiling.

“I said I kinda haven't. Rice balls and ration bars every day for a month isn't what I call food…”

No one could really fault him there. Naruto put his now clear plate that was not too long ago covered in bacon, eggs and sausages to the side and dug into his ramen. Everyone else ate their food at a much more sedate pace. After Gaara had finished, Naruto looked at him.

“Gaara, does your sand always protect you without you controlling it?”

Gaara nodded while Naruto's face scrunched up.

“Then it's going to be kind of hard for Orochimaru-Sama to give you the power he said he would…”

Gaara looked at Naruto and slightly tilted his head to the side.

“Why?”

Naruto didn't want to explain too much here in the mess hall.

“Basically, he uses a seal that will bring your full power to the surface forcibly. I'm not allowed to talk about it in public, though.”

Gaara nodded as he finished off the last of his ramen and put it to the side. Now that everyone had finished their breakfasts, they stood up and put their trays in a pile on top of the pile of them from other people who had finished their own breakfast. They headed out the door and immediately felt Orochimaru's presence nearby. Orochimaru stepped out of the darkness and smiled at his prize students.

“Orochimaru-Sama, did you need something?”

Orochimaru chuckled at Naruto.

“I have been researching my records of jutsus from my days in Konoha. It seems that the Akimichis were able to increase their size by use of chakra. However, it is a clan bloodline jutsu, and I was not able to find an Akimichi willing to part with the secret…”

Naruto smiled at the implications. He never got to perform his medical experiments on an Akimichi to learn their bloodline jutsus.

“Would you like us to retrieve one?”

Orochimaru smiled widely.

“Very perceptive, Naruto-Kun. Yes, I want you to go to Konoha and retrieve an Akimichi. This could be useful to the both of us…”

Naruto nodded. He didn't like the idea of going back to Konoha, but if it was to help him kill them later, it was worth it. He was broken out of his train of thoughts by Orochimaru talking to them.

“However, I wish for the six of you to come to the underground training area at midday. Do not be late.”

They nodded as Orochimaru turned to leave.

`I will see just how much they have grown…'

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Midday, Underground Training Area:

The six of them wondered why they had been called. The only time Orochimaru ever called them there was when they would engage in some form of combat. Whether that combat was a spar or keeping the prisoners in line, since it was also the prisoner's exercise area. The six of them walked through the dimly lit corridors, through steel doors and finally onto a ledge that overlooked the `exercise area' to see Orochimaru there with Kimimaro on his knees in front of him. He looked at his five companions to see them looking down at the exchange with interest. Kimimaro stood and looked up at them.

“Which do you choose? To die? Or to Obey?”

Sakon predictably got ready to jump over the railing.

“Obey… Is what you'll do!”

Everyone but Naruto and Gaara jumped down, making Naruto sigh as the two remaining boys jumped down to join them. Sakon, Kidoumaru, Jiroubou and Tayuya activated their cursed seals and charged. Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief as Kimimaro dispatched each of them with one blow. Kimimaro turned to Naruto and Gaara, his Gaia Seal still active.

“Which will you choose?”

Naruto sighed and activated his cursed seal, letting off a wave of killer intent.

“I may have been willing to listen to you, but after you did that to my friends, I'll have to decline both of them.”

Kimimaro quirked an eyebrow slightly as he charged Naruto, only to be driven back by a blast of black chakra that came off Naruto's fist. Orochimaru smiled as Naruto drove Kimimaro back with a second wave of chakra. From what Naruto had heard, close combat with Kimimaro was not even remotely considerable, so he was forced to try and keep him at bay. Naruto gave a look at Gaara who nodded and held up a hand, crushing the floor tiles to make sand which he engulfed Kimimaro with. Gaara looked at him with a look that would make flowers wither.

“Which will you choose? To die? Or obey?”

Kimimaro grimaced as he forced the sand off him with a wall of bone that extended from his body. Kimimaro went straight for Gaara and tried to stab him through the heart with his bone sword. Gaara didn't even flinch as the bone sword got within a meter of him and was stopped by a wall of sand. Naruto smiled as he came up behind Kimimaro and attempted to lodge a kunai into his neck. He smirked when it did connect, only to reel back as it only pierced the skin and would go no further. Kimimaro looked at Naruto before punching him into the back wall with his Gaia Seal's enhanced physical strength. Naruto got out of the crater and snarled.

“You asked for it, teme. This time, I won't go easy on you.”

Gaara and Kimimaro's eyes widened as the lines of flames flashed and widened to cover his entire skin. His ears grew in height and became pointed at the tips; his yellow hair turned black and grew in length to cover his entire back in a mass of black spikes. He grunted as his nine tails appeared one by one and he opened his eyes to revel black whites and the same red irises as the first stage. However, this time, the mass of black chakra he was expelling took form around him and his middle tail like a semi transparent suit of black armour. He grinned ferally at Kimimaro.

“Let's see what you've got.”

Naruto came up to a slouched standing position and brought his hand down in a vertical slashing motion, extending a black chakra arm to smash into the completely dumbfounded Kimimaro and slam him into the back wall. Naruto lowered onto all fours and charged him, letting out a snarling war cry as he slammed Kimimaro back into the dent in the wall just as he was getting up. Naruto's chakra hand grabbed Kimimaro's neck. He wasn't going to risk having his bones puncture his real hand.

“Let's get one thing straight here. I'm fine with listening to your suggestions, comments and requests, but the second you start ordering me around and doing that to my team mates, you're stepping over the line. I can tell you only just got that seal, so you can't activate level two or even use level one effectively. Right now, I could destroy this whole arena if I wanted. Now, what do you chose? To die? Or to Obey?”

Kimimaro grunted as he turned his head to the side. The hand of Naruto's chakra armour tightened, causing Kimimaro to let out a slight gurgle as his wind pipe became severely blocked.

“ANSWER ME!”

Kimimaro looked at Naruto in disgust, more with himself than Naruto. He obeyed only Orochimaru. However, if he wanted to live, he would have to submit. He looked at Orochimaru who just smiled at him with a momentary raise of the eyebrows which Kimimaro took as `make your decision'. Naruto let Kimimaro go and watched in satisfaction as Kimimaro started gasping for air. He looked back up at Naruto before lowering himself into a submissive bow.

Naruto looked to Orochimaru who nodded slightly. He turned back to Kimimaro. It was time to take him down several pegs.

“It's about time you saw what you were supposed to do. From now on, we are the Sound Seven, but you will be lower in the chain of command than my four team mates you beat. Understood?”

Kimimaro nodded slightly.

“Hai.”

Naruto deactivated his cursed seal and smirked at Kimimaro before going back to his team mates.

“You guys ok?”

The ones who could move nodded slightly. Naruto looked at them in amusement.

“You guys aren't helping yourselves by having your cursed seals active, you know.”

All four of them deactivated them. Naruto felt Orochimaru come up next to him.

“Naruto-Kun, that was splendid. It is a true pity I cannot use you as a container because of the Kyuubi…”

Naruto sighed and shook his head.

“Kyuubi is both a blessing and a curse…”

Orochimaru smiled as he put a hand on his subordinate's shoulder.

“How true…”

Orochimaru looked over his seven subordinates before looking back to Naruto.

“I assume you know why I called you here?”

Naruto nodded.

“To test the Gaia seal's power.”

Orochimaru smirked and nodded.

“It's strong if it needed me to go to stage two of the Hell Seal.”

Orochimaru smirked as he motioned Naruto to follow him and they walked over to Kimimaro. Kimimaro looked at Naruto in well controlled anger while Naruto stared at him.

“Kimimaro, do not worry. The Gaia Seal will increase in strength with time. For now, however, it would be wise to do as Naruto-Kun says.”

“Hai… Orochimaru-Sama…”

Once the four of his injured team mates had recovered enough to walk, they shakily stood up. Naruto turned back to Orochimaru.

“Orochimaru-Sama, when do you want us to leave for Konoha?”

Orochimaru chuckled.

“As soon as possible.”

Naruto nodded and lead his team mates out of the prison ground to begin preparing for the extraction mission.

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A/N: Finally, done! Ok, a couple of things: 1: The mission to capture an Akimichi will not be featured, because it's not to capture any known one and nothing really exciting is going to happen, but I need it to `happen'. 2: Next chapter will feature the Chuunin Exams. And instead of a single Oto Genin Team, there will be 3. Naruto will be Zaku/Kin/Dosu's Sensei during the preliminaries. And if you're going to scream at me saying `omg, they'd recognise Naruto right away', you're an idiot. Considering OROCHIMARU was their Jounin Sensei in canon, I don't think they'll recognise Naruto.