Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Naruto Dragon Champion ❯ Freedom, recovery and a perverted teacher ( Chapter 11 )

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

Naruto watches the rest of the matches and vows to beat the hell out of Neji for Hinata's sake. He then meets with Kakashi and runs into an old nemesis whos now his teacher...along with saving a female Sound Genin from killing herself, and later explaining her being in his apartment to two irate kunoichi, and later... meeting another person once more.

Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Hentai / Fantasy / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 10.21.2008 | Updated On: 10.21.2008 | Pages: 9 | Words: 18.8K | Visits: 1.3K | Status: Completed

Naruto - The Twin Swords

Disclaimer: I hereby state that I own nothing related to the Naruto series and all media involved.

Chapter 11

Freedom, recovery… and a perverted teacher…

( ): Thoughts

((“ “)): Holy Talon's voice

(( )): Inner Sakura's voice

`Breaking free from one's chains is the dream of every slave, and at times, it seems impossible…but only because they do not give it their all to be free.'

`Freedom however…is worth every moment and every hardship once one is truly free from their chains.'

A Dagern sage's words

In Konoha…

Naruto walked down the streets, dressed in fresh clothes, namely a white shirt with an orange flame pattern on the back and at his personal request the Leaf symbol of Konoha with a Dragon on the background in green thread. He wore a pair of simple blue jeans and his sandals as well…and in his hand were a large number of flowers which he had bought from the Yamanaka family store…Ino was there and she seemed to be very much friendly towards him and he didn't mind…though did try to cop a feel here and there since she would touch his hands once in a while. He was still getting used to the changes his looks placed on him so he was still not sure how to flirt…but he had to leave since time was not going to wait for him.

Holy Talon was still on his back and the blonde ninja was making his way to where the Konoha Hospital was located. He had to pay a visit to someone that won his admiration and he would then say hi to his team-mate Sakura later on.

The Preliminaries were already over and he was already aware of just who were in the competition in the semi finals. Himself, Sasuke, Dosu, Neji, Shino, Kankurou, Temari, and Shikamaru, were part of the soon to be hosted Chuunin Exam finals. The others didn't make it…not that they were dead or anything…but the battles turned out differently for the others as he recalled the battles he saw during the Preliminaries.

Ino and Sakura fought one another and while the two friends were not that serious at first, they proved themselves to be tough as they later fought as true ninja…He was impressed by both of them and they certainly looked like real Kunoichi in combat…he was a bit surprised when Ino cut her own hair the way Sakura did and had to admit that he actually liked Ino with the long hair on her, and he missed Sakura's own long hair…but put that aside…Ino tried to use her technique to defeat Sakura but Sakura managed to fight it and both ended up knocking each other out…and therefore, both of them lost the fight.

He however smiled at them both when they recovered and told Sakura that even if she had lost, she was still amazing and he had no doubt that she could be a Chuunin someday. That made Sakura blush somewhat as she smiled back at Naruto, he then told the same thing to Ino and she also smiled back…though he could tell that Sakura was not all that happy.

He watched the battle between Shino and Zaku and had to admit that it was a real eye opener to see Shino's true ability in action. Zaku was certainly not going to be a ninja after that attack and his arms now being useless and unresponsive to say the least. He couldn't help but feel some measure of pity for Zaku and wondered just how he was going to deal with the kind of injuries he had just suffered.

He witnessed the battle between Temari and Tenten and had to admit that both gave their all out best, and despite having lost…Tenten showed exceptional skill and accuracy…had it not been for her skills in using both her fan and the wind, he knew Temari would have had a heck of a time dealing with the weapon mistress…he had to admit that Tenten's way of storing that many weapons in scrolls was giving him ideas…and seeing Rock Lee save Tenten was interesting to say the least.

He witnessed the battle between Shikamaru and Kin of Sound and admitted that the lazy guy certainly did have good moves as he was able to defeat the Sound Kunoichi despite her own deadly use of sound. His method was quite creative to say the least and that was something that he had to give Shikamaru credit for as he had not yet seen how skilled the lazy Genin was back in the old days of the Academy. He was interested to see just how he would fare against Shikamaru in a fight as well…even with Holy Talon in his hands.

The fight between Neji and Kagari was quick and effective as the Hyuuga clan member defeated the Rain Genin with several quick strikes, and he was out of the fight, The Rain Genin was out of it due to Neji's use of the Byakugan and he was no longer in the fight, despite using his abilities.

Chouji managed to also win his fight and flattened Mubi very quickly, using his clan's jutsus in battle and sure enough, the Rain Genin were all defeated in the Preliminaries, this naturally required the other winners to face one another to further slim down the number of trainees. This made him face off with Kiba and Akamaru…he had been looking forward to the fight himself since he and Kiba did have a few issues to work out with one another.

The fight was quite a work-out as Kiba used all of his techniques to beat him, but he held on and fought back, the fight further injured him and further damaged his clothes but he was able to beat Kiba, as both Kiba and Akamaru worked quite well and gave him a good battle…he had no need to use his Dragon Eye since he could very well see well enough to beat his former foe…but he had to admit, Kiba had been training as he had been given quite the workout to boot. He beat them both but was further wounded, but he knew that he would be fine…before Kiba lost consciousness he replied that Kiba certainly grew stronger…but this victory was his as he also walked back as Kiba was taken to the Hospital by the Medical Ninja.

Sakura was happy that he made it out of that fight well and managed to help ease his wounds from the fight with some help from Hinata, who managed to overcome her shyness and both of them helped tend to his wounds…and for that, he was grateful and made his thanks known to both his team-mate and Hinata. The two girls blushed at that and did their best to patch him up.

The next battle was between the brother of Gaara, Kankurou and one of Kabuto's other team-mates, the one named Tsugiri, the guy was surprising since he could dislocate and stretch his limbs to any length and be as malleable as rubber. He had used that unexpected flexibility to catch Kankurou off guard and surround him like a snake. The Sand Sibling seemed to be in trouble and the ninja told him that he had to either surrender…or he would break his neck…Kankurou refused and in doing so…Tsugiri kept his promise and the others heard the sound of something snapping…some of the other Genin…including Sakura covered their eyes…however, he didn't…namely because Holy Talon had sensed that the one Tsugiri had in his grip was NOT Kankurou himself…but a puppet…and that was proven true when the head fell down…which despite the gruesome way it was done…that would not happen if the flesh of the person was not cut off…and sure enough, it was a puppet head…

The puppet suddenly wrapped it's own arms and legs around Tsugiri, preventing his escape and the real Kankurou revealed himself to be in the place of the pack that the fake Kankurou was carrying, he quickly took advantage to hold Tsugiri tightly in place and then he made Tsugiri lose consciousness, and that was that…Kankurou moved on to the next batch of rounds… It was not long until the next match was announced…

It was one of the fights that got his attention the most.

The battle between two members of the Hyuuga line…Hinata and Neji…the moment Naruto heard Neji belittle and insult Hinata calling her a born failure, telling her about how hard she struggled and failed to be up to the standard of the Hyuuga and she was fated to be a weakling for the rest of her life as it was her fate and destiny…he was enraged by this and it proved to be true when he used his enhanced physical strength to bend one of the rails as he saw the utter amount of tears threatening to flow and the despair in the shy girl's face.

Neji continued his actions of mental torture on Hinata and Naruto could take it no longer as he shouted at Neji to shut his trap before he came down there and did it for him permanently, and he told Hinata not to listen to those words and stand up for herself and prove Neji wrong, that she could be stronger and better by showing her determination and will…and finally, he told Hinata to fight and give Neji the beating he deserved for his words.

As he thought about the fight, he saw that while Hinata was from the man branch…Neji was the more skilled and seasoned fighter in the Hyuuga clan's fighting style and he was able to defeat Hinata…but only after he was forced to use more serious attacks and when Hinata stood up, even Neji was hesitant to strike…Naruto was even more impressed with Hinata and even when struck by a potentially fatal blow, Hinata still stood up…and said something that made Neji lose his cool and he tried to kill Hinata…but was stopped by several Jonin, including Kakashi and Hinata's ANBU body guards.

Neji snorted in disgust and said that the main branch gets all the good treatment…but his words were cut short when Naruto leaped at him with Holy Talon unsheathed and the Hyuuga boy managed to evade a deadly and very much fatal strike from Naruto which by all rights would have cleaved Neji into two. The two faced each other and Naruto growled out a warning.

“You had better pray to the Gods that you and I don't meet…because I WILL beat an apology out of you for your words Neji Hyuuga…even if you are related to Hinata.”

Neji stared back at him and turned and left…Naruto turned and ignored the looks being given to him by the Jonin and even the ANBU as he walked over to Hinata and checked her condition…she was still alive but badly injured, Hinata tried to talk to him but she wasn't able to finish her question before she fainted…he had consulted Holy Talon and the living sword told him that she could be healed in the same fashion as Sakura…and with that…Naruto summoned the silver green flame and that surprised the other Jonin and the ANBU, including the Medic Nin…however, Kakashi had seen this before and so did Sakura…the Jonin had seen Naruto use the silver green flame to heal that heavily wounded boar in Wave Country…and Sakura had seen him use that same flame to both revive himself and to save her life.

They then told the others that it was all right and Naruto proceeded to unleash the flame and placed Holy Talon on Hinata and the silver green flame covered Hinata and that also got Neji's attention…and when the flame faded…the others were stunned to see Hinata was unharmed by the blaze…and to the utter surprise of the Jonin and the Medic Nin…Hinata's body was healed of her internal injuries…even her heart beat and breathing rate was back to normal.

They took her away as Naruto glared at Neji and to further show his plans to make Neji pay for his treatment of Hinata, he took out the sword and aimed it at Neji…who looked back.

Holy Talon however sensed that there was more this conflict between Hinata and Neji…due to it's long years of existence and the many generations of knowledge and wisdom it had collected, along with what it could sense from Neji that the young man had his own amount of grievances towards the family of Hinata…there appeared to be some considerable history for Neji and the rest of the Hyuuga line and it decided to keep that in mind and soon tell the blonde ninja to keep an open ear and mind…it had a feeling that there was more than just the surface impressions that Neji was showing.

The next fight was another thing that made him very interested…

And it was between Gai's protégé and close student, Rock Lee against none other than Gaara, the fight was pretty much in the favor of Gaara since his Sand Shield protected him quite well from Lee's attacks…Sakura asked why was it that Lee didn't use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, and it was then that Gai told them how Lee had been very much like Naruto at first when he was younger, he had a total lack of ability in both Ninjutsu and Genjutsu when Gai found him…but he encouraged the boy to master Taijutsu instead and became a Taijutsu master.

However it was still not going to be easy as Gaara's sand proved to be more than an adequate defense from Lee's attacks despite his speed…that is until Gai called to Lee to remove the weights he had on…Lee was a bit surprised at first but with Gai's approval removed the weights…Temari smirked and thought that there was no way Lee could beat Gaara merely by removing his weights at all…but her tone changed the second the weights hit the ground as they were actually quite heavy…so heavy in fact that they made craters in the ground and unleashed a pair of large clouds…and to the shock of everyone…even Naruto and Holy Talon, Lee was moving at three times his normal speed and was already bypassing Gaara's sand shield, that was also enough to put Gaara on edge as he wasn't expecting this all of a sudden…as Lee moved too fast for his sand to effectively defend him as some of Lee's attacks were getting too close for comfort and it was then that Lee's speed and power struck home Gaara was hurt.

The youngest of the Sand Siblings was far from happy as he went after Lee, intending to maim him for the attack and managed to give Lee a run for his money, but Lee was not giving up yet as he used the same move as before when he had fought with Sasuke…but with Gai giving him permission and nothing stopping him this time…Lee finished the move by opening the three gates of chakra…Naruto was then told how chakra was regulated by eight gates and chakra energy would be increased by forcibly opening those gates…Kakashi however was not happy that Gai taught Lee that since of the intense strain that would put on Lee and might even kill or cripple him.

Lee then unleashed his full power and amazed Naruto as he unleashed his forbidden move and opened the two gates after using the first three…the change in Lee's skin tone was only the beginning as his speed and power increased to five times more than normal as Lee went all out…using a series of high speed moves from the floor to the air as he pounded Gaara. Kakashi was stunned and Gai was proud…however as Lee unleashed the next and final strike…Kakashi saw that Lee's body was so badly wounded that there was no way he would be able to move in the least.

Gaara then revealed his secret as his Sand Armor cracked and his sand saving him, just like Zaku's air current manipulation skill saved Dosu before…revealing that despite Lee's best efforts, the Sand Sibling still survived and was out for vengeance as his sand had cushioned his fall after Lee's devastating assault…to everyone's horror, Gaara lashed out in a blood rage and crushed both Lee's left arm and leg…and Lee couldn't move as his body was damaged severely…without him being able to evade the attack.

Gai stepped in and saved Lee, as Gaara was declared the winner…Lee however was still standing, despite the fact that he was already unconscious…making Naruto look at him with great respect and both he and Gai were horrified at the fact that the Medical Nin said that with the extent of Lee's injuries…his bones cracked and his muscles snapped…along with his arm and leg being crushed…he would never be able to live as a ninja again…even if he should survive and be rehabilitated. Gai was the most devastated of all and spoke that it was his fault that Lee was this way…while Kakashi apologized for his harsh words before.

Naruto tried to use the Holy Talon to heal Lee's injuries but Holy Talon sensed that Lee's injuries were too extensive for it to heal completely…there were too many bone fragments that were in his body that had to be dealt with…however it told Naruto that the best it could do for Lee was ease some of the pain and heal the muscles well to recovery until he was properly treated for the bone fragments in his body…it pained Naruto and it took both Kakashi and Holy Talon to restrain him. Kakashi then apologized to Gai and helped Naruto focus on the finals as well.

The blonde ninja gave a growl and vowed to somehow help lee no matter how far he had to look for a solution…Lee was one of the guys who won his admiration and he would do anything to help the fallen but thankfully still alive Genin.

The Preliminaries were now over and he and the other survivors were told that they had a month to prepare before the finals started, so for today, they could rest and recuperate. They were then told that only one may become Chuunin or a small number of them since only he, and the Daimyos can decide who is worthy to be Chuunin when Shikamaru asked the question on why only one of them would take the rank of Chuunin.

Naruto thought about all those things and wondered how he was going to deal with such foes when the time came…it was not that he doubted himself…with Holy Talon's aid, that of the essences of the previous Dragon Champions and his growing abilities, he knew that he had a good chance of victory…but still, it certainly didn't make things easy for him.

Holy Talon had told him that while he was far stronger, faster, tougher, and given unique abilities, he was still a novice and not yet up to the standard of the previous Dragon Champions and that was a truth he had to admit to…after all, Shana herself was considered the mistress of the Dragon Eye and while he was able to use the abilities of the female Dragon Champion, he was not at her level of ability. Holy Talon however stated that with enough time and training…Naruto would certainly develop into a fine Dragon Champion, along with becoming a great ninja of Konoha. Naruto smiled at his companion's words…though only he could naturally hear Holy Talon…unless the sword reached out to others with telepathy…allowing them to hear his voice…the same way he had done with Orochimaru back in the Forest of Death.

He put that out of his mind for the moment as he arrived at the Hospital and went to the counter, the nurses looked at Naruto and were somewhat unable to recognize him at all…no doubt due to his changes in looks and increase in body build, height, and muscle mass. Naruto nodded and spoke to the nurse in charge at the desk.

“Excuse me Miss?”

“ Yes? My name is Kaori by the way, Can I help you sir?”

(Sir? That's a new one…normally I'm called brat, delinquent, and worse.)

((“It no doubt has to do with your new looks.”))

“I was wondering what room Hinata Hyuuga is in, I plan to deliver these to her since she is recovering.”

Kaori looked at the flowers and smiled…whoever this handsome young man was, Hinata would no doubt be happy to have visitors…she thought that only her sensei Yuhi Kurenai, and her Genin team-mates Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame would visit the recovering Hyuuga heiress. But this one was a new stranger.

“She's in the third floor, room 51 and we'll be sending her some food later on, you can visit her now if you like…may I take your name sir?”

“My name's already well known…and you should recognize we well enough Miss Kaori.”

“Oh? I beg to differ, I've never met you before…”

“I used to wear an orange jumpsuit and goggles…and I was quite the prankster then…and I still am…the name's Naruto Uzumaki.”

The hospital staff in the room gasped as Naruto left the counter and headed for Hinata's room…the female nurses were stunned at that announcement as they had not expected the hunky teen to be none other than the container for the Kyuubi. However they couldn't help but notice something different about him. Kaori wondered how Hinata would react once she saw who her visitor was.

Hinata opened her eyes and then smiled a bit as she smelled the faint smell of roses and lilacs…she recalled that she was in the Hospital after she was taken away for treatment after losing to Neji…she recalled being looked after by Naruto who was by her side…and she recalled that she was not unable to finish her question to him.

(I…guess I'll never know how Naruto-kun thinks of me…)

She turned as the door opened and to her utter surprise found herself looking at none other than her crush Naruto…who was carrying a tray of food and a glass of water to place near the table. Naruto had gone back to the hospital counter after leaving his flowers near Hinata and asked to carry the food to her…the nurses consented and he had just arrived when Hinata had awakened. She blushed bright red as she found Naruto looking back at her with a warm smile of surprise as the blonde spoke.

“Hi there Hinata, I'm happy you're awake.”

“N-N-Naruto-kun?! W-W-What are you…doing here?”

“I came to give you those flowers actually…as a way to wish you well and hope you get better.”

Hinata looked at the lovely white roses and indigo lilacs and she blushed even more as she realized that Naruto had come to visit her. He then placed the food on a table nearby and placed it ready for Hinata to use, he placed Holy Talon off his back and placed it nearby on the bed. He then gave the plate of bread to Hinata to eat and he noted that her hands were a bit shaky…no doubt since it had only been a day since she had been taken in from her battle with her cousin. The thought of Neji doing that to Hinata was enough to anger him greatly…and he vowed to make Neji pay for his words and for Hinata's sake as well…though he was not going to jump in blindly, he had a feeling there was more it that just merely Neji's own words.

He put that aside and reached out for the plate and held it for Hinata…the Hyuuga heiress blushed bright red as she touched her crush's hands and she willed herself not to faint.

(I mustn't faint!! Please….not now.)

“Naruto-kun?”

“You're still exhausted from that fight with Neji, right?”

“Hai…”

“I guess I should help you then…if it doesn't bother you too much…”

Hinata shook her head and nodded as she rested her arms on the bed and spoke.

“Go ahead Naruto-kun…”

Naruto nodded and got the bread knife and placed the butter on the slices of bread and gave each small bit to Hinata who blushed bright red as she took it in and ate the first slice, Naruto then took the role of being a nursemaid to Hinata and helped her finish her bread and he then got the bowl of warm soup to her and she began to take several sips as Naruto fed her gently…

Hinata blushed at the thought of Naruto doing all this for her, and she cherished the moment and didn't mind at all as Naruto helped her eat her food. She then assured him that she was strong enough and drank her glass of water after finishing the soup, the fish and the rice crackers as well. As soon as she was done, she smiled at Naruto and replied as best she could.

“T-T-Thank you Naruto-kun…”

Naruto nodded and gave her his usual smile and then spoke to her.

“Hinata…I have to confess something…”

Hinata's heart-beat began to increase as she tried to speak.

“W-W-What is it Naruto-kun?”

(What is it you want to say?! Do you like me?! Please…I have to know!!)

“You know…back then I always thought of you as…”

(What…please…tell me what you thought of me Naruto-kun…I…please I must not faint!! I have to know!!)

Hinata felt her heart race at the expectation of what she had long waited for Naruto to say to her…she wanted to know.

“That you were a weird, timid and odd girl.”

Hinata felt downcast and wondered of her shyness had finally caught up with her and she wondered if this was what Naruto truly thought of her and she felt even more sad…and she tried not to cry and say something that would truly make her feel even more embarrassed.

“Naruto-kun…I…”

“But now I see you as a kind, strong hearted, brave, and talented person…and I happen to like that a lot, I like people who are like that and I want to say that you are truly a kind and strong girl who can be a great deal more than most people would think.”

Hinata blushed bright red as she heard those words and she couldn't help but hear those same words that Naruto said.

Naruto: I like people who are like that…

Naruto then got up, acquired Holy Talon and bade Hinata farewell, but before he did, he made sure to mention something to Hinata.

“By the way…Hinata, there's a special card there for you in the flowers…I should leave and let you rest…hope you're be fine enough to go and see me fight Neji in the finals.”

Naruto then placed Holy Talon on his back and now left the young woman as she looked at his leaving with a deep blush on her face…she then managed to recover herself and reach out for the nearly flowers and found a small card there and when she opened it, there was an important message there…from Naruto himself.

`Hi Hinata…

If you're reading this then I hope that you will be all right soon and I hope that you will get well. Don't feel bad even if you were defeated…you showed true strength out there and I have no doubts that regardless of what others say, you will be a great ninja someday…keep working hard and train hard to be the best Hinata!

Naruto'

The Hyuuga heiress smiled brightly and felt tears flow down her eyes and she blushed and then hugged the bouquet of flowers and held them tight to her chest and sighed as she smelled the wonderful fragrances and she looked out into the sun and the village from her hospital window.

(I will be stronger!! I will become a great ninja someday…you'll see Naruto-kun, I will be stronger…thank you for acknowledging me…someday I'll tell you how I feel….I promise!!)

Hinata then held the bouquet closer as she decided to get some rest, and when the nurses came to take a look at her, including Kaori, she couldn't help but smile at the utterly blissful look on the Hyuuga heiress's face…she knew that it was Naruto who had visited her and she couldn't blame the young Kunoichi since she was quite stunned to see Naruto look so handsome herself…she put that out of her mind as she decided to check on Hinata's condition. And was happy to see that despite all that had happened…she would be on the road to recovery soon.

Later…

Naruto left the Hospital to take care of some other matters, namely to grab his lunch and to see how Sakura was doing and then visit to see if Sasuke was still breathing…he found out that Kakashi had used the binding seal on Sasuke to contain the Cursed Seal. He hoped that his team-mate and rival recovered so they could face one another in combat. For now he was in the mood for a meal and a good one at that.

However he heard something in the distance and went out to locate it, and was now in the forest outside of the village and to his shock…he found none other than the Sound Kunoichi Kin ready to plunge a kunai into her own throat!!

She might have been the enemy before…but there was no way in hell he was going to let someone commit suicide in front of him. He quickly rushed in and managed to stop her just as the kunai was about to pierce her throat, he saw other injuries on her as well once he was closer, bruises and cuts…along with burns…he couldn't help but wonder who would do this to her. Kin yelped and turned to see none other than the blonde ninja she had met before and she became angry as she tried to free her arms from his grip.

“Let me go right now!!”

“And let you kill yourself?! Are you nuts or something?!”

“What do you care?! We're not friends or team-mates and we're not part of the same village…and I am an enemy…why the hell should you care about my life since it's already over?!”

“You're still breathing aren't you?! Knock it off!!”

Naruto was able to get Kin's arms and force her hands that held the kunai away from her throat…his enhanced strength now more than enough to stop her from killing herself….but that certainly didn't mean that Kin was going to just give up as she struggled against the Konoha ninja, and unknown to her novice Dragon Champion. Naruto managed to free the kunai from her grip and tossed it away as it bit deeply into a tree. Kin was not giving up as she managed to kick Naruto in the gut and force him to release her…but he was able to stop her before could get to her weapon.

Kin struggled to escape Naruto and tried to pound him with her fists, but the blonde held on tight…trying his best to keep her from killing herself and it was not long before Kin unleashed a string of curses at him, Naruto however held on and kept her still until Kin broke down and began to cry.

“I…hate this…I'm so useless…”

Naruto held her close until he was sure that she wouldn't try and do something that would seriously endanger herself…as he released her slowly…Kin didn't even bother to go for the kunai…but turned to Naruto and spoke.

“Fine…if I can't kill myself…you kill me!”

“What?! I just saved you from committing suicide and you WANT me to kill you?!”

“Please!! I failed…to do what I was supposed to do here…my life will end one way or the other anyhow…I can never go back…and I…”

“Look…you might be a Sound Genin, but you're still a human being…I can't kill you…”

“You HAVE to…I can't go back….either to my village…or to my team…if I do…my life is over...”

“What the heck are you talking about? You have a team don't you?”

“I'm just there for show…Dosu and Zaku don't give a damn about me…I was merely around to help them get into the Chuunin Exam to kill Sasuke…my life is nothing to them…”

“But what about you're village…and you're family…don't they…?”

“I have no family…they all died when I was a baby and I am an orphan…I was raised in the village of Sound and I am a follower of Orochi…AAAAAUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHH!!”

Kin screamed as a seal suddenly appeared on her neck and seemed to spread…stunning Naruto and Holy Talon. The Sound Kunoichi struggled with the pain and seemed to claw on her neck as if she was being burned by fire…the blonde ninja tried to restrain her and the sword then sensed that the seal had power over Kin and it spoke quickly to it's master.

((“Master Naruto!! That seal on her neck is the one causing her pain!! It resembles some sort of obedience curse that I know of.”))

(Can you deactivate it?)

((“I can try…hold her steady and let me touch the seal!”))

Naruto did just that and despite some considerable difficulty restraining Kin and holding Holy Talon, he was able to press Holy Talon on Kin's neck. The sword glowed deep blue and then the seal seemed to recede and the seal slowly began to fade. In a few moments, Naruto watched as the obedience seal faded from Kin's neck…the seal seemed to be similar to Sasuke's own Cursed Seal…but only in looks. He had heard that on occasion some lords would place such seals on the bodies of their followers to keep them from revealing information that was too sensitive…

However, Naruto already understood what Kin had said…Orochimaru was the head of the Sound Village and would no doubt be already here somewhere in Konoha…but he couldn't attack him, lest the plans of the Council and the Hokage would be revealed. For now however, he busied himself with Kin's condition.

The Kunoichi was out of it and seemingly asleep and none the worse for wear…Naruto had no idea what to do at the moment and he spoke to Holy Talon.

(How is she?)

((“She's fine…but she will need to rest and recover…the seal's done some damage that will take time to heal…but she will recover through proper treatment…however, I recommend that we hide her somewhere…it would not be wise to leave her like this.”))

Naruto nodded and quickly carried Kin to his apartment…

As soon as he got there, he locked up the apartment and used his training in enchantments and wards taught to him by Holy Talon to seal up his home after physically locking it with his keys. The wards were not harmful to him, but would react if anyone with dark intentions tried to enter…they would get a powerful but non-lethal shock if they continued to try and break into the place. That was enough for Naruto as he set Kin on his bed and covered her up with a blanket.

Naruto then made the decision to grab his frog wallet which was full of money and buy some food for Kin…he had no idea on what the girl wanted to eat but he knew that ramen would be included as well…but he was not that ignorant of the basic food groups. He had intended to take a break for a while, but decided now to get some food and supplies for the girl under his care.

As soon as he arrived in the super market…a lot of people looked at him…some of the villagers still gave him angry and hateful looks, but some were interested in his sudden changes…while those who were sympathetic to his situation were sad for him…Naruto however smiled and understood their fear of him…but he would not forget his promise to inquire Holy Talon about the fate of the Kyuubi inside of him.

He bought food, namely fish, meat, vegetables, fruits and some other cooking supplies…this got the attention of many of the shoppers as they normally saw him buying instant ramen most of the time he was in the shop…but they paid that no mind. Naruto was able to haggle the prices of his purchases before the store clerk who was actually one of those who sympathized with him, the male clerk had long since given up his dislike for Naruto since the boy certainly was not like a demon…and as such was willing to lower the price for his purchases and he was happy that Naruto would now try having a different diet for a change. Naruto thanked him and managed to have enough money left over and he made his way back to his apartment.

As soon as he got home, he turned on the cooking equipment he had in his apartment… he had only cooked on rare occasions when he couldn't buy any instant ramen or when he would not have enough money to buy ramen at his favorite place, however, under Holy Talon's suggestions he did try eating other food, though he would never give up on ramen to say the least… while Holy Talon had gotten some lessons in cooking with technology…since the things Naruto had didn't exist in Holy Talon's world…Naruto learned some good cooking recipes from the sword as it had been in more than one feast to say the least in it's years of existence.

He got to cooking and hoped that Kin would be all right.

Later…

Kin opened her eyes and wondered just where she was…at that all of her memories came back to her and she sat up and found herself in a bed…she looked about and wondered just what was going on…several things quickly came to her attention.

She was in a bed…and there was no doubt that the bed belonged to a guy since some of the things in the room screamed male…

She was still clothed…meaning that she was not…well…violated would be the best description.

She felt only a slight throbbing of pain on her neck…and nowhere else…so she was not sent into a fight or had been…

She put those thoughts aside as she suddenly saw the door open, but as she tried to move, she found herself tired and the pain from her neck forbade her from moving…she then found herself facing none other than the blonde ninja from before…she then thought back on the Forest of Death and now and wondered just what he was going to do to her…, she would have fought…but she was too tired to fight right now…and after all…what was the point…she had failed Orochimaru-sama and no doubt would be punished severely…or killed for her failures…

“I know that Orochimaru is your leader you know.”

Kin looked at Naruto who sat down on the bed next to her and she couldn't help but say nothing as Naruto looked at her…she didn't know why…but with Naruto looking at her with those silver rimmed blue eyes..she was feeling…different. So focused was she that she yelped when she felt his hands on her face…namely on the large bruise on her left cheek.

“What are you doing?!”

“Who did this to you?”

Kin was taken aback by the gentle tone in Naruto's question and the delicacy on how he touched that bruise on her face…No one had ever shown gentleness to her in all her life…anywhere…but she tried to fight it once more and be the ruthless Kunoichi she tried to be…

She managed to knock away Naruto's hand and tried to reach for her kunai…but found her pouch empty…Naruto shook his head and replied.

“You're unarmed right now…and the removal of that seal made you weak…you're not bound to Orochimaru anymore…besides…I know for a fact that snake bastard would use you as a tool, he cares nothing for life you know…only thing he cares about is power…”

“Why do you care?! I am…”

Naruto sighed and spoke.

“You are now yourself…not some pawn of that snake summoning bastard, not anymore, I made sure of that…don't you know that your master sent you to kill Sasuke…”

“I know that…”

“…but he never told you that he had placed a Cursed Seal on my team-mate in that fight did he?”

Kin's eyes widened at that…she knew all about the Cursed Seal and some of the effects it could give to those who could control it and the violent killer rage it gave it's recipient, she had met a band of Orochimaru's cadre that had the same seals and she heard the stories…she however had no idea that Orochimaru had given one to Sasuke and he was still alive.

“He wanted you to kill Sasuke…because he knew that the Seal would activate and Sasuke would kill you all…he used you as sacrifices to make Sasuke his…he doesn't care about you at all…your pawns to him…nothing more.”

Kin tried to fight it…to deny it…but it was all true after all as she had seen something in her master's expression that terrified her and she knew about his nature towards others, including herself and she nodded.

“You're right…but why are you doing this? Regardless of what you think…I am an enemy of your team…why do you care?”

“Because I am me…I don't treat others as pawns for power…and I can sense…that you're not purely evil at all.”

“How can you be so sure? I could very well kill you when you least expect it you know…”

Naruto answered that by taking out one of his own kunai and handed it to her…

“Then try and kill me…”

Kin held the weapon and tried to summon her will to strike at Naruto…but she looked at him and saw patience, compassion, and something…safe in his gaze…he was far different than Zaku and Dosu who treated her as nothing more than baggage and one they would kill without hesitation…she knew the two to be like that after all…and Orochimaru was a cruel and evil man…

This blonde kid…one that she would have done cruel things too… was the only person to show her genuine kindness and compassion…unlike those she knew in Sound and her team-mates as well…he was actually showing her kindness and now she had a choice…attack this young man who saved her from killing herself and showing her kindness that she in a way didn't deserve for her actions and return to Sound and lose that…or put that down and let him help her…though how he was going to do that was beyond her.

She sighed and placed down the kunai and handed it back to Naruto and then she spoke.

“I can't…compared to how your treating me to the others back home…you're a saint…but I can't stay here…and how can you help me anyway?”

“One thing at a time okay Kin-san? The first thing is for you to eat, after that, I'll tend to your wounds.”

Naruto then went away and returned with a long tray and it was covered with small lids…Naruto grabbed a nearby small table that he rarely used and then placed the food before Kin, he removed the coverings and revealed the food that he cooked in preparation…he hoped that it was enough and it seemed to be to Kin's liking as she sampled the food and seemed to relax herself more effectively, as she finished some of the food, Naruto handed her a glass of water…and tasted the water himself when Kin gave him a certain look when he handed it to her…he was still alive and Kin drank the water.

As soon as that was over, Kin decided to tell Naruto about the beating she had been subjected to by Dosu who took out his frustrations on her for Zaku's defeat and permanent disability to be a shinobi…and how their Jonin sensei…Orochimaru in disguise allowed her to be beaten by Dosu even more and by some of the Hidden Sound ninja for their amusement…thankfully she was not violated since the Sound ninja were not interested in her at all in that regard…using her as a mere punching bag and calling her useless.

Naruto was angry at this and he told Kin that soon, he was going to make those Sound ninja who hurt her pay for treating her like garbage…and Orochimaru as well…and unlike before, she was not angry at that, but felt even more happy… and when she was done telling her story to him, Naruto checked her wounds…reaching out for one the half full containers of healing ointment he had with him, namely the one handed to him by Hinata, Kin didn't stop him as he helped patch up her wounds and she had to admit that despite feeling a bit put off relying on someone else than herself…it was nice to be taken care of as well….

She found herself looking at Naruto and had to admit, that up close and without his fearsome looks in combat he was quite the piece of eye candy…she liked the blonde hair mixed with silver that seemed to mix well instead of clash with one another, and the same could be said for his eyes…which were deep blue edged with silver…that seemed to add an `out-worldly' quality to him, but it was not a scary quality, like that or Orochimaru…but the look of a being who cared for life…a…protector's eyes was the best description she could come up with.

He was like a handsome young man…more a young adult than an adolescent and he was certainly good looking…smooth features that spoke male…and muscles…

Kin blushed bright red at that as she found herself looking at his arms which were well muscled and no doubt…her heart beat began to increase as her imagination once more began to get faster…

Naruto, being the still somewhat clueless self that he was wondered why Kin's face was suddenly bright red and he reached to her forehead...making Kin gasp.

“Are you all right?”

(My heart's beating like a damn jackhammer here! My face is no doubt so red I could pass for a tomato right now…and he's asking me if I'm alright?!)

“I…I'm fine!”

“You sure? I mean…you're face is so red…you sure you don't have a fever or something?”

Kin blushed even more as she felt Naruto move his hand from her forehead to her neck, which made her all the more sensitive to his touch.

(God!! His hands feel soooo nice…I…damn it girl! Get a damn grip on yourself…man I want to grab him and kiss him right now!!)

Kin came close to just grabbing Naruto and ravish him…injured or not…but it was then that Naruto pulled his hands away and spoke to Kin.

“Listen…Kin, I need you to do something for me…”

Kin was already active and after feeling Naruto's hands on her forehead and neck…in his thickheaded attempt to see if she had a fever…she was willing to do just about anything for him!

“Name it.”

“I need to take care of some other matters first, so I have to leave you here for a while…is it okay if you stay here in my apartment for the time being and rest. I will be right back to clean the dishes for you, okay?”

Kin was somewhat disappointed that he was not asking her to do the deed, but she restrained herself…she was still tired and weak, not just from the beating she got from Dosu, but the pain she was subjected to be some of the other Sound ninja who were about secretly, but also from having the seal removed. Besides it would be bad form for her to just jump and ravish her rescuer…and she needed to rest anyway.

“Okay…but what if Orochimaru-sama and Dosu find me?”

Naruto grinned and replied.

“Don't worry…I have quite a few ways to make sure no one just waltzes into my home without being announced…you'll be safe here from them until I come up with a more effective solution on how to help you.”

And that was true…the wards and enchantments that Naruto had placed in his apartment were powerful enough to sense those with evil intentions and ward them off with painful and strong results, along with shielding the occupants, a trick Holy Talon had taught him a few days ago and he had used it on his own apartment…though they would not be of much use if they were not evil and therefore could be avoided by them.

Naruto then left the apartment, leaving Kin to think about all that had happened…it was still too much to take in, but she decided that if there was ever a chance that she could be happy in life for once, and this chance was now…she wasn't going to let go of it no matter what happened to her…with that in mind…she decided to wait and see what Naruto would do to help her…but she was feeling tired and decided to get some sleep.

In another part of the village of Konoha…

Orochimaru was planning his next set of moves in his plans to finally settle old accounts he had with Konoha, but he had a new jutsu that he could find of some use…and he already had some plans on how to achieve that particular jutsu…but he needed to have some subjects to use them…willing or not…

However, one of his Genin was gone…and he couldn't find her…no matter, if she killed herself…it was of no consequence at all to him, since he had an ideal replacement for the missing one…someone who no doubt had doubts about his plans and he will do nicely enough.

He turned and out came Kabuto…

“Ah Kabuto, you made it after all…”

“You seem to doubt me already Orochimaru-sama…”

Orochimaru smirked and replied.

“What do you mean by that Kabuto?”

“For one thing…you didn't tell me that the Sound Genin were under you're command…not to mention that you no doubt had Sasuke as part of you're plans, not to mention you hesitated in killing the Hokage when the chance came up…what are you going to do about someone else though…he came close to beating you severely I heard.”

Orochimaru nodded.

“Ah yes…Naruto Uzumaki…I had thought that his abilities were merely that of sheer luck…but he has proven to be quite the fighter…and that sword of his…I have never seen such power before…it is a shame in nearly killed me when I held it… that sword is not a normal weapon Kabuto, it is alive…”

Kabuto looked at his master with some surprise.

“Alive? What do you mean by that Orochimaru-sama? No weapon can be alive…even chakra enhanced weapons are merely weapons, they are not alive is such a sense.”

“Ah…but Holy Talon is alive…it spoke to me when I released it before the flames that protected it consumed my body…it was powerful…it's very voice in my mind spoke in power, unlike anything I have ever heard before, and it was able to wound me in a way that I never felt before…it came close to killing me as well.”

“Are you sure?”

“Oh yes…Naruto has become a very interesting individual, yet he also a grave threat to my plans involving Sasuke-kun. That boy, the last of the Uchiha survivors is led by his hatred…such delicious hatred…but Naruto is a threat since he is interfering with my plans for he is turning Sasuke from the path I want for him…if he continues to influence Sasuke…then he will no longer be after power…I will not let that happen.”

“Really now…then what should be done?”

“Nothing much at this point and time, however…it would be best that you help keep them separated so Naruto does not influence Sasuke too much…if they want to stop me…or even if you try to stop me…then the best way is to kill Sasuke-kun, and in you're case Kabuto…now's a good a time as any for you.”

Kabuto gave a slightly surprised look at his master Orochimaru…he looked serious about it…

The S-ranked ninja then smiled and replied.

“I am just joking anyway.”

The Hokage Tower…

“That's quite a request Naruto-kun…but are you sure about your decision…this could…come back and haunt you, you know.”

Sarutobi said as Naruto was before him while they were in their office…the blonde ninja nodded, as he couldn't blame the Hokage for saying those things…after all, despite his words, Kin was still a member of Sound, and was an underling of Orochimaru, Naruto told Sarutobi that it was Orochimaru who was the head of the Sound village, which would explain why the Sound Genin were after Sasuke. And asking to give a convicted enemy of Konoha asylum was a very high request…since there was a chance Kin could still turn on Konoha.

Naruto knew that well…but Holy Talon stood by him and he knew that the living sword would not do so if it thought that his decision would lead to the fall of Konoha.

“I know Old Man…but at least give her a chance to prove herself…if anything goes wrong…I will be the one to carry the blame…I came with this decision…and I will live with the consequences of it….whether good or bad.”

Sarutobi looked at Naruto and saw that the blonde meant every word he said and he wished that Naruto's true family were all alive to see how their son was growing up to be…it would have been a great moment…and Naruto would no longer be left alone to fend for himself…but that was not going to change anymore…nevertheless…Naruto had truly grown and was becoming something more.

He took a deep breath and then replied.

“All right…I'll grant you're request…but with several stipulations Naruto, Kin must remain under guard namely she will be under the observation of Kakashi himself after the Chuunin exams are over, she must also remain away from the eyes of the rest of Konoha until the end of the Chuunin exams and when that happens, she will be allowed to sign papers to make her a citizen of Konoha…when that is done…she will be assigned to work in a Genin Squad…however, all that will be null and void if she decides to betray us and aid Orochimaru again…if that happens…then you must deal with her personally…do you understand me?”

Naruto nodded and that was that, Sarutobi sighed and then spoke once more.

“Once we deal with the Chuunin exams, and with Orochimaru's plans for our village, I will speak to her myself…you have told me much and this further tells me that we must and we will stop Orochimaru's plans…for if he treats his own followers with wanton cruelty and sadism…then we must ensure that he will not succeed in doing the same thing to our own people.”

With that matter settled, the blonde ninja left and decided to deal with another matter, to see how his team-mate Sasuke was doing.

Later…

As Naruto made a return trip to the hospital, he ran into Kakashi as well. And he was curious as to what the Jonin was doing here…he walked over to Kakashi and greeted his Jonin sensei.

“Kakashi sensei…what are you doing here?”

“Oh, hi there Naruto…I came here to see how things were for Sasuke…what are you doing here as well?”

“Just wanted to see how he was doing..after…well, you know what I mean anyway…by the way…can you train me? I can really need to learn some brand new jutsu for the next stage!!”

“I figured you were going to say that…however, I have other priorities…”

“Let me guess, you want to train Sasuke right?”

Kakashi nodded and then took Naruto as side and the two spoke more privately, the Jonin could tell his blonde student was disappointed in him, and he couldn't blame Naruto for that…but the situation demanded his attention.

He had recently managed to stop Kabuto from killing Sasuke…the Leaf ninja then revealed that he was a spy and a servant of Orochimaru as well and was a highly skilled one to have killed all of the ANBU guards that Kakashi had requested to guard Sasuke. He noted that very well and despite this, he did his best to convince Kabuto to leave, Kabuto was able to escape, using disguises and elaborate jutsus as well…fooling Kakashi with one of the dead ANBU used as a puppet with his clothes and face on while he had taken the disguise of the same slain ANBU and escaped…Kakashi could tell that despite Kabuto's age and youth…he was not someone to underestimate, so he himself would have to shape up and be stronger than before…and if Orochimaru had such talent at his side…things were not going to be easy.

That was why he had come to a very serious decision on Sasuke's fate…

“I know you might not like this…but you and I know that Sasuke has already been infected by the seal…and there is more to it…as Sasuke grows even more used to it's presence, it will soon become a great temptation for him, the Cursed Seal, once it adapts, grants levels of power to the user and infected…but it will ensure also that it would make Orochimaru's grip on Sasuke even stronger…so I plan to teach him a jutsu that could very well help him become less dependent on the power of the Cursed Seal…it's not perfect…but I see no other alternative right now…”

“I…I guess you're right about that…but what about me anyway, don't I deserve to be trained as well?”

“You do…and I have no doubt that you will be quite an interesting sight soon enough in the Chuunin exams…with your abilities…I have no doubts you can be far greater than ever before. And I swear that when you are ready…I will teach you as well”

“You do?”

Naruto was surprised at the way Kakashi spoke and he could sense that his Jonin sensei meant every word.

“Yes I do…for now however, I have to let another teach you more techniques…he's an elite Jonin Tutor and he is quite skilled indeed…he might help you a great deal.”

“Really? Who's that?”

Naruto got his answer when another person joined them.

“It's been quite a while Naruto Uzumaki.”

The moment Naruto heard that voice…he was stunned and gave a look of utter shock and disbelief…

(Please tell me I just imagined that!! It can't be him again…)

Naruto turned and sure enough…he recognized the Elite Jonin Tutor Kakashi was talking about…he pointed at finger at the Jonin and shouted out

“AAAAAAAHHHHHH!! THE CLOSET PERVERT!!”

Sakura and Ino were busy walking towards their respective homes. They had just gone to the Hospital to see Rock Lee, the Genin had managed to once more sneak out of the Hospital and got through his usual training regime despite the nurse's insistence that he rest…Sakura and Ino were stunned that even with such fatal injuries like that, Lee was still determined to be strong…it was only Sakura who managed to convince Lee to stop and have himself brought back to the hospital in a stretcher.

They had come to see Sasuke previously but he was still confined and was not allowed to have visitors for the time being, and when they arrived there finally, it seemed that Sasuke himself was gone…making the others very worried, and so were they…

As they walked towards their homes, Ino decided to ask Sakura a question, the same question that had plagued her ever since seeing Naruto again with his new form and looks, not to mention that sword he now seemed to carry around.

“When did Naruto suddenly become such a hunk Sakura?”

Sakura blushed a bit as she too had to admit that Naruto had turned into a very attractive guy, she then recalled her own reaction when he reappeared in front of her and Sasuke in his new looks and form.

“I wish I could explain that…all I know was that I saw him come out like that…I don't know what happened to him in the least…so I can't really answer how he suddenly turned into that.”

Ino saw that Sakura wasn't kidding, but she smirked and spoke once more with a more sultry tone.

“Well…whatever happened to him. I certainly don't find the changes weird…if he had looked like that when were all younger, I would have gone after him instead of Sasuke-kun…but even if it's a bit late…I love the new looks he has…you're lucky to have both guys with you…”

“Ino!”

The blonde laughed and smirked.

“I think it's the truth you know…you now have two hot guys to be with…though I am a bit happy for one thing.”

“What's that?”

“He didn't change too much, he might be a lot better now…but if he wasn't a loudmouth, I would never recognize him. At least he didn't turn into a totally different person.”

Sakura agreed with that and then Ino decided to drag Sakura with her as they began to make their way to a certain part of Konoha.

Later…

“Man…I can't believe that I have to work with him of all people…”

Naruto scratched his head and sighed as he recalled his discovery that he was going to be working with that Jonin who was none other than Ebisu…the very same Jonin he had knocked out with Sexy Harem Jutsu…he couldn't help but recall the look on the Jonin's face and how he had come close to revealing it to Kakashi, who at the time had no idea that the two knew each other…and he was curious what Jutsu Naruto was talking about.

Ebisu however managed to convince him to keep silent about the event and the two decided to meet the next day to begin the challenge placed by Ebisu on him. The blonde hoped that the guy was not going to be a weak guy…but then again, Holy Talon did teach him never to look down on anyone just yet.

As soon as he got home, he arrived and checked on Kin, finding her still resting and thankfully alive…he would have to wait for her to wake up and give her the news…but for now he cleaned up the small table and then made sure to get the dishes and take them to the kitchen for cleaning. As he did so…he decided to take off his shirt since he had to be careful with cleaning the dishes…there was kink in his faucet in the kitchen that had a tendency to drench him with water…which was why he normally was bare-chested when in the kitchen of his apartment.

Kin awoke and decided to at least get out of her normal clothes…she took off the outer vest and then her boots and then her pants…she wore a pair of deep green shorts underneath the pants and a dark black shirt underneath her vest. She felt full from the food and had to admit that while Naruto was no high class chef, he made some good food to eat.

She decided that maybe she should go get her face washed and since she needed to also get a shower…she could kill two birds with one stone.

However…fate had a cruel yet hilarious way of doing things…since the moment she opened the door, was the very same moment Sakura and Ino came into the scene. The two had decided to visit Naruto to see how the blonde was doing, the reason was it was just a friendly visit, however they also had other ideas…though both tried to hide it, and to really spike the drink…Naruto came from the kitchen…shirtless and covered in sweat and water as he cleaned the dishes.

All three parties looked at one another and they were stunned…only Holy Talon…which had been placed nearby on a wall by Naruto could only speak to itself as the tension in the air grew very thick.

((“This is not going to be pleasant.”))

And sure enough…

“WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!”

The people in Konoha were somewhat startled when they heard a massive shout of two female voices…they wondered just what was going on and when things seemed to be quit once more…they decided to go back to what they had been doing.

In Naruto's apartment…

Things however were far from quiet…

Naruto felt like he was in front of an execution squad as Sakura and Ino glared at him while he was in the living room of his apartment. The two female Konoha Genin were not happy to see that Kin was in Naruto's apartment and in her current state of dress as well. The Sound Genin was also not looking good as she sat on Naruto's couch…looking at how this situation was going to play out…she didn't say it out loud…but the glares Ino and Sakura gave Naruto were really something else…

(Man…how did this happen? I should have explained before Naruto came in as he did with his shirt off…and me with some of my uniform off…man this is not good…)

Sakura was the first to start off with the interrogation.

“Naruto…did you or did you not do something with this girl from Sound?!”

“Sakura-chan I swear I didn't do a thing to Kin! I was just cleaning the dishes in my kitchen when you and Ino showed up…I swear!”

“Really? Then explain to me why the heck were you shirtless and she's only dressed in a shirt and her darn shorts when we came in here then?!”

Kin was about to speak but Sakura spoke to her.

“I'll deal with you later…I don't understand why Naruto would help you after you tried to kill him and Sasuke in front of me when they were unconscious back in the Forest of Death…but if I found out you…did something to him…you're going to get it.”

Naruto was confused at first when that was said by Sakura, but he quickly put two and two together and spoke out in a bit of a panic.

“I didn't do THAT with Kin Sakura-chan!! I swear to you here and now that nothing like THAT happened between me and Kin…she's still recovering from her injuries from those bastards in Sound…and I am not going to take advantage of a girl in that condition!!”

Sakura and Ino glared at him and after a few more minutes, the two Genin decided to be a bit lenient and stopped glaring at the blonde ninja. They noted that Naruto meant every word, they then directed their attention to the Sound Kunoichi next.

Ino took the forefront this time and glared at Kin.

“So what's your story then? What are you doing in Naruto's room and apartment for that matter? And it had better be a damn good reason.”

Kin gulped and filled them in on how she had been found by Naruto just as she was about to kill herself for her failures…and how he had freed her from the seal and took care of her…naturally she left out the feelings that the blonde ninja sent through her when she felt him tend to her injuries. It was after she was done that Naruto told them all about the Hokage's decision to let Kin be part of the Leaf village after the Chuunin Exams…and his part to make sure that she was on their side…however, it was then that a certain bird carrying a message container began to peck on the window…getting their attention.

Later…

Naruto sighed as he got out of his apartment and shook his head as he walked for a while…Sakura and Ino were not entirely happy with the announcement given by the Hokage…while Kin was overwhelmed a bit that the Hokage of Konoha was allowing her a chance at a new life…so much so that she had no problems with the stipulations given to her…however when they read the message from the message bird the Hokage had sent, the apartment was once more in a bit of an uproar as the letter said that until Kin was cleared and given her documentation papers…she would have to stay in the same apartment that Naruto stayed it…there were some extra rooms in his place so that was why she would be his room-mate until she was cleared to be a citizen of Konoha.

Ino and Sakura were not very happy in the least…yet they could do nothing as it was an order from the Hokage himself…while Kin blushed bright red at the implications of the message…Naruto himself was not liking this very much.

He had managed to convince both Ino and Sakura that he would not do anything to Kin…especially THAT…and thankfully the two accepted that for now…however they made sure to state that they were going to keep a close eye on Kin…and Naruto as well.

(By the Kami…things are really starting to be really hard…)

Naruto sighed and then turned and spotted someone he seemed to be familiar with…the blonde ninja went closer and closer…and as soon as he was close enough, he recognized the hair, the clothes and the face.

(Whoa…is that…Haku?)

“Oi! Haku-san!!”

The person turned and gave Naruto a look and then a smile.

“Hello Naruto-kun…good to see you again.”

Naruto smiled out widely as he rushed over and greeted Haku with a handshake…it had been quite a long time since he had seen the young man and it was surprising to see him in Konoha of all places, maybe he could finally get the chance to be friends with Haku.

Haku himself smiled…though a bit sadly…he had a feeling that there would come a time he would face Naruto…but for now…he was not a ninja…but just Haku, and he was going to enjoy this time with his blonde companion.

“I never thought I'd see you here! This is great! Say…you've never had ramen before right?”

“No…at least not to my knowledge…why do you ask?”

“Cause I know a great place that serves the best ramen in Konoha…come on, it's my treat!”

Haku nodded and followed the hyper-active blonde and went to the Ichiraku Ramen Stand. The gentle hearted boy knew that he was in a good chance to gather information about Naruto…but a part of him did consider Naruto a good person and so decided to enjoy this day with him.

To be continued…

Author's notes…

Not one of the best chapters I've cooked up, but heck, it keeps things going for the story…Haku has now met Naruto again, Kin has just gotten a lucky break, Hinata has just gotten flowers and some very important words and encouragement from Naruto…and what does that mean for the rest of the cast at large?

Ah well…things are going to be a bit different from now on. Now I know I promised to have the explanations on what happened to the Kyuubi on this chapter, but I decided that it would be better in the chapter when we have a certain Toad Sage in the mix so it can be better explained…There's nothing wrong with the Seal on Naruto's stomach mind you…and both Holy Talon and a certain Dragon Lord will explain the details. And we will have Naruto learn how to summon you know what and you know who soon enough…them plus the Dragons and soldiers will be worth the efforts.

I won't make any previews yet since it's not all that important right now, and in the next chapters…we're going to have more interesting situations as time goes by before the finals of the Chuunin Exams and the soon to come invasion…and the preview I made before will now be hosted on the next chapter…so see you there!!