Before The Exams

• 1 week before the chunnin exams•

"Again!" Naruto called out as he stood in the middle of training ground 12. He watched as hinata reactivated her byakugan and readied herself once more. Across from her, her opponent, which was a shadow clone of naruto, readied itself as well.

"Start!" Naruto called out and hinata dashed forward and struck at the blond clones chest with her fingertips, only for the clone to smack her hand away and lash out with its own hit.

The original naruto watched the battle with narrowed eyes. As hinata began to dodge, block or redirect his clones attack, he watched her every movement and had to repress his smirk.

He and hinata had been working on creating her own tijutsu form since they were younger and after constant hurtles, setbacks and late nights, it was beginning to come together.

Due to hinata having a rather strong water affinity she was unable to properly use the hyuga clans gentle fist style. Almost every hyuga had a main earth affinity and thats what the clan based their tijutsu around. When in a tijutsu battle their gentle fist style forced them to stay in place like an unmovable brick wall. Like an earth wall.

But hinata was different. Her water affinity was so strong that it affected her body in such a way that it literally wouldnt let her use her families style the way it was supposed to be used. So naruto helped her make her own style..

Hinatas style was basically a ' hit hard and fast' type of style. The attack side of the tijutsu style was the same as the gentle fist in the sense that she still used her chakra to block her opponents chakra points, but the defense side of her style was way different then the gentle fist. Instead of standing in one spot and blocking or deflecting an enemies attack, she flowed around her opponents strikes and kicks and if she was forced to block then she could, but if she couldnt block then she could always deflect or redirect her enemies strikes while flowing around them to find an opening for her to strike at.

Naruto was truly impressed because her style was amazing. Hinatas water fist was beautifully deadly and he felt honored to know that he was the one to help her come up with it.

Naruto watched as his clone lunged at the heiress once more, only for hinata to charged at the clone. Once the clone was within striking distance, hinata spun sideways, allowing the clone to brush past her. She completed her spin and lashed out with her right hand. Her fingertips made contact with the clones back and said clone went up in smoke.

Hinata rested her hands on her knees and inhaled deeply, her byakugan went off and she tried to catch her breath." H-how.. was that.. n-naruto-kun?" She huffed out as she looked towards her boyfriend.

Naruto eye smiled at her." It was amazing hime-chan. Im very proud of you!" He admitted, making her blush lightly before she wiped the sweat from her forehead." I think we should stop for the day." He told her while looking up towards the sun. It was about two in the afternoon and they had been training since eight this morning.

"Okay, but do you think my water fist is good enough yet?" She asked him as she came up to him.

Naruto reached out and patted her head softly." Of course!" He told her." Hinata-chan, you just defeated my shadow clone which was going at you with around mid-chunnin strength. I have no doubt that its good enough." Hinata couldnt help but to smile proudly at her own accomplishment.

Naruto chuckled softly at her expression before he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead through his mask." Come on hime-chan-" he grabbed her hand." Lets get you home to wash up, then were going out for cinnamon buns!" He declared.

Suddenly naruto found himself being dragged out of the training field by an ecstatic hinata." Come on slow poke!" She yelled as she drug him by the hand." Those cinnamon buns arent gonna eat themselves!"

Naruto couldnt stop the sweat-drop from appearing on his head as she continued to drag him.

• 1 hour later•

"You regret your decision now, dont you?" Naruto asked as he looked down at hinata who was lying in her bed with a slightly bloated stomach.

Hinata let out a groan." Never.. cinnamon buns are the best.." she huffed out as she puffed her cheeks up a bit.

Naruto sighed before giving her an amused look." Youre as bad as me when im eating ramen." Seriously. She ate about twelve buns by herself.

Hinata threw a pillow at the blonds face." Dont judge me naruto-kun." She whined out." Its not my fault kami blessed us with those frosted treats of life and love!"

Naruto was about to respond when he sensed a foul chakra.' Kurama, do you feel that?' He asked.

"Yeah. It seems my little brothers in town." Kurama then began to cackle." Hurry up and go fuck with him kid! That stupid sand rat needs to know im still better then him!" Kurama declared rather loudly.

Naruto mentality groaned." Sorry hime-chan, but i have to go now." He told her softly and she frowned.

"Why?"

"Ma ma, now that would be telling." He teased as he leaned over her. He slid his mask down and pecked her on the lips before giving her a bright smile." You take a nap and let your gut burn all that food." He poked her stomach, only for her to swat his hand away.

"Fine!" She pouted before smiling at him." Go on and get." She shooed him off and he chuckled.

"Love you hime-chan!"

"L-love you too." Hinata stuttered out with a bright blush as he vanished. She let out a sigh and rolled over in her bed. She still couldnt help but feel the butterflies in her stomach whenever he told her that he loved her...

• with naruto•

Naruto appeared in the middle of the road and couldnt help but to snort at what he was seeing.

He could see some kid dressed up as a cat holding konohamaru up by the neck of his shirt while moegi, udon and hinabi hid behind sakura who looked about ready to attack the cat boy. He noticed the sandy blond girl that had a war fan standing off to the side as well. He then saw sasuke sitting up in a tree branch glaring daggers at konohamarus 'attackers' while the ichibi jinchuriky stood on a separate branch with his arms crossed and a dark look on his face.

"Put me down you cat freak!" Konohamaru shouted out as he tried to get free.

"What did you call me brat? First you bump into me and then you disrespect me? Gah! Ive about had it with you pathetic leaf-" kankuro stopped talking as he felt the sharp edge of a kunai rest against his throat.

"What the-" tanari shouted out in shock as a blond boy simply appeared behind her brother. She reached for her fan only to stop as a kunai rested against her throat as well. She glanced behind her to see the same blond boy.' Shadow clone?!?' She thought to herself.

"Ma ma, its not very nice to beat up kids ya know." Naruto stated in a cheerful tone as he pushed the kunai just a tad bit closer to kankuros throat." Especially when its the third hokages only grandson.." he added.

The puppeteer seemed to pale though due to his make up, naruto couldnt tell much. Kankuro then dropped konohamaru and the boy scrambled back towards sakura.

"Boss/Aniki/Naruto!"

"Where did you come from?" Kankuro asked the blond.

"Oh you know.. here and there.." naruto mumbled before he withdrew his kunai, grabbed the puppeteer by the back of his shirt and pushed him towards his sister.

"Who are you?" Tamari asked as she helped her brother up. The clone that held her hostage had vanished.

Naruto ignored her and eye smiled." Hello one-chan!" He called out and the two sand siblings paled when gaara appeared in front of naruto.

"You.." gaara began in a deep dark tone." Your eyes make mother scream..."

"Nah, the ichibis just an idiot." Naruto replied calmly.

"How do you-"

"Im number nine!" Naruto cut kankuro off as he held his hand out to gaara. He watched as gaara slowly extended his hand.

"Mother.. mother wants your blood!" Gaara shouted out as he fully thrusted his hand forward and the gored on his back exploded into a stream of sand. Said sand flew towards naruto.

"No gaara dont!" Tamari shouted out, but it was to late. The sand surrounded naruto, blocking his body from view before it crushed him.

"Oh no.." kankuro muttered out in shock. This was not the plan! They were ordered to wait until the third stage of the exams before they attacked!

"Youre not very nice." Gaara froze as a hand rested itself on his shoulders. His sand shot back towards him but it was to late. The hand forced him to spin around and crazed, shocked teal eyes met purplish ringed eyes." Stand down ichibi!" Naruto ordered coldly." Or ill rip your soul out.." he added with narrowed eyes and much to the shock of both the sand siblings and the konoha genin, gaaras sand fell lifelessly to the ground.

"H-how did you.."

"Im an elite jonin kid. Your little sand trick wont work on me." Naruto replied as he stared the red head down.

Both tamari and kankuro finally noticed the blond boys jonin vest and their hearts almost stopped.

"H-how.. m-mothers silent.. why is she silent?!?" Gaara cried out as he held his head and clenched his teeth. He glared at naruto." What did you do to moth-"

Naruto cut him off with a cheerful head pat." Calm down calm down. Your mothers perfectly fine." The blond stated as he walked towards sakura and the younger kids. He stood next to sakura and looked back towards the sand siblings." But do keep the ichibi in check while its within my walls yeah?" Naruto gave them an eye smile." Itd be a shame if i had to kill all of you and re-seal the one tails into a different vessel, right?" The cheerfulness in narutos tone sent chills down the sand genins spines.

"Aniki!" Naruto caught hinabi as she flew into his arms and hugged him.

"Boss! You were so cool!" Konohamaru shouted as he stared up at his 'boss' with stars in his eyes. Udon and moegi just looked at him in awe. It amused naruto greatly.

"Hmm, was i?" Naruto asked with a head tilt as the sand siblings quickly left the area. Gaara had made sure to reform his gored before he left, which was good cause it wouldve been a big mess to clean up.

Sasuke silently landed next to naruto and looked at the blond with a raised brow." Whats the one tails?" He asked in his ever present bored tone.

Naruto suddenly became very serious as he locked eyes with both sakura and sasuke." Ichibi is the one tailed bijuu." He told them.

Sakura looked frightened." Y-you mean bijuu as in the nine tailed fox?" She asked and naruto nodded.

"Yes. The one tails is sealed into the red head." he told her as he held hinabi." The one tails is the weakest of all nine bijuu but its still able to destroy entire villages so be careful guys. Judging from what i felt and saw from the kid, the seal he has that holds the ichibi is incredibly weak. Theres no telling how much influence his bijuu has over him." He finished calmly.

"Youre a jonin so you must know of a way to kill a bijuu right?" Sasuke asked." Id like to know just in case he comes after us in the chunnin exams."

Naruto chuckled in amusement." Dont be foolish sasuke. Its impossible to kill a tailed beast."

"The fourth did it." Sakura replied with furrowed brows and naruto looked at her.

"Ill let you two in on a little secret." The blond began." Tailed beasts are literally giant masses of chakra given both form and sentience. Its impossible to kill chakra, you can only seal it away. And you could destroy a bijuus body but itll just reform later on. Wether it be a year from now or ten, they will always reform." He told them.

Sasuke furrowed his brows and grunted." So youre saying that you can destroy a tailed beasts body but itll always reform?" Naruto nodded." Then the kyubi can reform as well?.."

Naruto cleared his throat." Telling you anything about kur-kyubi is a breach of village security. The official reports claim that our fourth hokage killed the giant beast in his last moments." Naruto let out a soft sigh." Hes our hero.." he added.

"You sound like a fangirl." Kurama scoffed at his container.

'Bah! Shut it kurama! You just ruined my newly improved ' kyubi speech' alright?' Naruto mentality huffed.

"Oh for fucks sakes, youre dropping hints like a bitch. Just tell them im in here already!"

'Ma, itll be funnier to watch them try to figure it out on their own alright? Itd be boring if i just told them.' Naruto replied.

"But you just said that tailed beasts cant be killed.." sakura pointed out, snapping naruto out of his conversation with kurama.

Naruto looked at her and eye smiled." Yeah. They cant be killed." He nodded.

"Then its reforming?.."

"Nope."

"Gah! Youre confusing me!" Sakura cried out as she pulled at her hair.

"Anyways!" Naruto looked at hinabi, who he was still carrying, and the other three children." You guys want some ice cream?" He asked them.

"YES!"

"Well come on then." Naruto motioned for them to follow while leaving a thoroughly confused team seven behind.

Sasuke stared blankly at narutos retreating figure before looking at sakura who had her face scrunched up in confusion as she thought over the blonds words.

He mentally scoffed as he too thoughts about narutos words. If the nine tails cant be killed and isnt reforming, then that left the only other option. The nine tailed fox is currently sealed inside something or someone. The only question was who or what was holding the fox?

He looked at narutos back and frowned. Hed have to ask his mother about it later. Maybe she knew something?

• 2 hours later•

"So the kazekage thought he could sneak his unstable jinchuriky into my village hmm?" Hiruzen asked as he sat back in his chair and huffed away on his pipe.

Naruto nodded." Yeah i guess so. It seems to me that what i heard in akatsukis base was true. That old snakes planning to hit our village with sands backing." The blond stated calmly.

Hiruzen hummed and looked at jiraya who was leaning against the far wall with his arms crossed." What do you think jiraya?" He asked.

Said sage sighed." Well ive officially confirmed that orochimaru is running the new sound village over in rice country. My spies tell me that sound doesnt have nearly enough shinobi to attack us by themselves so it makes sense for them to go to another village for help." Jiraya explained.

"But why would the kazekage work with orochimaru?" Naruto asked the two older men." I mean, the entire continent knows about the snake and how treacherous he is. Why would they work with someone like that?" The blond asked with confusion dancing in his eyes.

"Desperate times calls for desperate actions naruto." Hiruzen stated." For years now the wind lord has been sending us most of the missions that were supposed to be given to suna. As of right now Suna is only hanging on by a thread. Their funds are drastically low and ive heard that the kazekage has been selling some of his gold dust just to keep his walls standing." The aged leader said.

"I can see why theyed be angry. But angry enough to attack us?" The blond looked skeptical." Why dont they just end our alliance and go to iwa for help?"

"Because if the sand succeeds in defeating konoha, the strongest hidden village, then itll restore the wind lords faith in his own hidden village." Jiraya told his student." Plus, if we did lose then suna and sound would be able to claim our lands and whatevers left of our village. That would give them a foothold within fire country and them having a foothold here would bring them even more clients which means more money." Naruto nodded in understanding before he looked back at the third hokage.

"So what are we gonna do old man?"

"That depends." Hiruzen began." Can you and kurama deal with the ichibi?" Naruto nodded his head." Then we'll let them attack."

"What?!?" Naruto shouted out in shock.

"Listen naruto." Hiruzen began, motioning for the boy to calm down." War is more than just spilling blood, it also involves politics. Ill be quietly beefing up our security so that when they do strike, we'll be more than ready. Now thats the ' spilling blood' part of the battle. The political side is this: how many more clients do you think our village would get if we not only won against one hidden village, but two hidden villages who dared to attack us at the same time?"

Naruto frowned." So we'll allow konoha to be attacked just so we can make a few extra coins?" He asked.

"Its not just that naruto." Jiraya chimed in." The fire lord is close friends with the wind lord and if we just attacked another hidden village then we would be labeled as the ' war starters' and that could not only damage our reputation with our clients, but it could also damage our reputation with the fire lord. And that wouldnt be good." The white haired sage explained in a calm tone. 

Naruto sighed and rubbed his head." Politics suck." He groaned out." Alright ill go along with your plan old man and i wont start anything." Naruto promised." But you need to get up and go train!" He ordered as he got up and pointed at the hokage.

".. excuse me?" Hiruzen asked dumbly.

"You heard me! Now get your ass up!" Naruto replied as he walked around the desk and began to pull the older man up." If orochimarus coming for your head, then you need to get stronger so you can kick his ass!" The blond explained as he began to drag the old man towards the office door." Ill be damned if konoha losses another hokage." Naruto stated as they left the office with a laughing jiraya following behind them.

"I dont know why youre laughing jiraya-sensei. Youre gonna train too."

"WHAT?!?" Jiraya cried out." You cant tell me what to do ya know! In a sannin!"

"Suck it up you old pervert!"