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3nodding yes yes there should totally be a section just simply devoted to this FF Imean I just read it all the way through for the third time and Im some what infamous for my short attention span being that of a nervous park squirrel soooooo give urself a pat on the back Lord suhikaru for definately the most entrancing naruto fanfic I've ever read ^^ I mean i keep tuning in every day just to see if the next chapter is up mrgreen ninja

Title: For the Love of My Friends
Chapter 33: Tree Huggers and Demon Hosts
Rating: Mature

About ten minutes and a painfully aching jaw later, Naruto paused at the front of his apartment, a hand coming up to touch the aforementioned injury. Damn, she still can't take a joke.

He fumbled around, looking for his key, finding it under some white shorts stuffed way in the bottom of his bag. He pulled it out with a grin, apparently forgetting that he didn't own a pair of white shorts. He stuck the key in the door knob, turned it, and let himself in. Sighing in happiness at finally being home, Naruto dropped his bag by the door. It bounced off of a foreign object, bringing Naruto's attention back to it. Another bag, a deep black, laid in the normally empty spot. He blinked. Several times.
Suddenly alert and tense, he scanned his small apartment, almost expecting to see someone or to see that this wasn't his apartment. The cramped quarters were familiar and were his, and he saw no living person in sight.

Still nervous, he walked forward and pushed the door to his room open. It was empty of life, save for the cheery plants he had stuck on the window sill. They looked well watered and fresh.

He was promptly reminded that he asked Hinata to water them. So that stuff must be hers.
His stomach growled at him angrily, reminding him that he had skipped out on ramen just to get away from his team and their prying questions. He beamed, thinking of the one person who he could con into buying him dinner. Besides, it was about time that he faced his old teacher.

Iruka wouldn't ask him about Kyuubi. And the added bonus was that the chuunin wouldn't judge him harshly if Naruto revealed what happened on the bridge. Maybe, by gauging Iruka's reaction and hearing the chuunin's input, Naruto could come up with a good explanation to tell his team the next time that they cornered him and demanded answers.


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If either mist nin felt nervous, they didn't show it, Kakashi observed approvingly. They both stood tall, their faces carefully blank as the Elder Council read out loud the crimes they had committed to the rest of the room. Like a court room, the jonins sat as the jury and the audience, while the Hokage and the Elder Council sat behind a table far above everyone else in the judges seat, facing the two mist nins.
The Elder Council was a group of four of the oldest and most prestigious citizens of Konoha. Their pasts varied, as did their opinion on the fate of the mist nins. One of them glared hatefully at them, one stared blankly, while the only woman in the council fiddled with her pen. The head of the council read the crimes blandly, in a smooth monotone that nearly put the jonins to sleep.

The Hokage looked down at the mist nins, his hands folded in front of him. His face was impassive, but under the wide Hokage hat, his eyes sparkled with warmth. His grandfatherly face was the only sight that calmed Haku's rattled nerves.

Anko leaned forward, resting her elbows on the backs of Kakashi and Asuma's seats. The rather active woman looked bored. "So what are you guys voting for?" she murmured. Asuma only shrugged.

"I don't know if they're sincere or not." the bearded jonin said, his fingers itching for a smoke. But, alas, it wasn't allowed. "Until I see proof that they really want to join us because they want to live a bit more peacefully instead of just joining us so the hunter nins would stop following them, I'm voting no." Several other jonins, though seemingly intent on what the Elder Council was saying, paid close attention to what was going on between Kakashi, Asuma, and Anko. Asuma turned to Kakashi. "You brought them back, what do you say?"

Kakashi was quiet for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "I believe.. that Zabuza isn't as tough as he seems. Yes, he did attempt to take my and my students' lives. Yes, he was going to kill an innocent man on the order of his employer. But, truly, do we not do that ourselves?" He looked down at his hands. "We were attacked by Gatou. That mad man didn't care if his own hired hands were killed or not. My own student was shot twice by him. He bled, bled so much because he saw worth in saving their lives. Instead of dodging the bullets to save himself, he shoved Haku and Zabuza to safety, paying dearly for his noble deed. I have seen our own Konoha forces sneer at the sight of a downed enemy. I have seen my own allies take the lives of people who did what my student did, their own wounded prides not being able to take the blow. Zabuza and Haku did no such thing. And because they did what they could to slow the bleeding, even calling one of my other students over to help, my student lives. And for that, I am all for allowing them to become Konoha ninjas." Anko leaned back into her chair, for once not having anything to say. The quiet conviction in Kakashi's voice hit her hard, as well as the suppressed grief that he had almost lost one of his students. Many of the jonins who were eavesdropping changed their minds about what they were going to vote. Asuma looked over, arching an eyebrow.

"You've got one hellva pull in this crowd, Kakashi." he said with a smirk. "I think you'll get your wish." Their attention was drawn back to the front of the room, where the head of the council finally finished what he had to say.

He gazed over the jonins absently. "I'd like to thank everyone who came on such short notice." he said, his voice not losing the monotone that the jonins had come to hate. Anko yawned openly and rested her head on Kakashi's shoulder, tossing him a soft 'wake me up when it's over.'

Thehead of the councillooked back to Zabuza and Haku. "Just so you know, the jonins' decision has thirty three and a one third percent weight on your fate. Same with the Elder Council and the Hokage." Haku gulped, looking instinctively over at the Hokage. "If there's a equal amount of votes wishing to send you home to justice and to keep you here as Konoha ninjas, the tie goes to the part where we send you off to hunter nins, though the equal vote rarely ever happens."

The woman spoke up, her gaze stern. "Your transgressions have been read. Have you anything to say in your defense?" Zabuza shook his head, looking every bit the rebellious ninja. She turned to Haku. "How about you?" His eyes went back to her. He, like his teacher, shook his head. "Very well then, please-"

The Hokage cut in. "If you could just wait, Kyoko, I have a few questions to ask of our guests."

Stiffly, the woman nodded. "Proceed." The Hokage gestured for Haku to come closer. The boy did as he was asked, though a little reluctantly.

"Why is it you wish join our forces?" he asked kindly. Haku saw no reason to answer him with anything but the truth.

"I wish to remain on the same side as my friends." he said firmly. Sarutobi nodded, accepting that answer.

"Is that one of your friends' blood on your sleeve?" he asked softly. The mist boy was wearing his fighting clothes, which he hadn't had the time to wash yet. Haku lifted up his arm, looking at his sleeve. It, and the entire inside, was covered in hardened blood. His eyes clouded over.

"Yes."

One of the members on the council sputtered. "And that's the loyalty you show to your friends! Why I-" The Hokage shushed him. He looked back over at the boy.

"How did it happen?" Sarutobi prodded. Haku was still gazing at his sleeve.

"We were on different sides, my friend and I. We fought each other, switched off and fought each others' senseis. He was so.. powerful. No matter what you did to him, he'd always jump right back up and fight you again. I admired him for that." Haku let go of his sleeve, meeting the Hokage's eyes. "I am but a tool, so I had no choice but to fight him and Kakashi-san, though I went out of my way to make sure that the genins wouldn't be a part of the conflict. However, our respective fights were interrupted. We were thrown together by sharing a common enemy. I knew that Zabuza-san would be a target, so I tried to get him out of the way, uncaring of what would happen to me. My friend... he saved us both and was gravely injured. I always thought that he was immune to injuries. I had seen him shake off worse, but he bled so much. It was then I realized how mortal he really was." Haku stared at his hands. "He wouldn't stop bleeding, yet.. he kept joking around, trying to keep the atmosphere light though he knew as well as we did that if one mistake was made, he'd die." Surprised, Sarutobi watched as Haku's eyes started to gleam with suppressed tears.

"Yeah, that kid was an idiot." Zabuza said, giving time for Haku to recover. "But a good kid. I should know. I took Haku in, raising him to be the perfect weapon. I am practically Haku's father. That kid and Haku, they're one and the same." His voice was gruff. "Haku wishes to stay with his friends, I want to spend some time in peace without hunter nins on our asses twenty four/seven. So we're here. That's it." He looked annoyed that he had ended up saying more that he meant to.

Kyoko looked over at the Hokage. He nodded, leaning back in his chair. Kakashi prodded Anko lightly, letting her know the boring part was over."Alright. There are slips of paper and pens under your chair. Put down your decision and place it in the boxes that are being passed around..."



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"So then, I caught the guy!" Naruto managed around a mouthful of ramen noodles. Iruka gave him a look. Naruto swallowed, then finished talking. "And we did some negotiations and stuff. It was cool." He had given the chuunin a edited version of what happened on the bridge, including his Kyuubi episode, but not the jutsus he used.
"You know, when I heard that it was an A class mission that they sent you on instead of the C class mission it was supposed to be, I almost went after you." Iruka admitted. "You aren't supposed to go on such high level missions when you're a genin."

"Hey, we did good." Naruto defended. "Besides, how in the world did you guys know that our mission took a turn for the worst, and to send Neji and them after us? Kakashi-sensei didn't have time to send a messenger back to Konoha."

"I don't know." Iruka said truthfully. "But they wouldn't allow me to go. I was needed to make preparations for the Chuunin Exam." Naruto perked up, putting one mystery down to gnaw on another, this time, one of his own secrets.

"Chuunin Exam? That's coming up soon, huh?" he said casually. Inside, his heart started to beat faster with excitement born out of fear. Not only would he have to face Gaara and Kabuto, but Orochimaru would show his ugly face in the second exam to take a chunk out of Sasuke. Naruto was the only thing in between Orochimaru and his plans. The blond had a feeling that if any event that he altered that would have a big impact on whether or not there was a war, it would be in the Chuunin Exam.

"Yeah, in a week. We have to set up places for the people who are coming in, organize the exams-" he cut himself off. "Wait. I know that look on your face." Iruka sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes. "Naruto, I highly doubt that a first year genin will do well in the Chuunin Exam. Besides, Kakashi-san has to enter you." Naruto looked wounded.

"Have you no faith in your future Hokage?" he asked, faking a hurt look. Grinning, Iruka put his hand on Naruto's shoulder, only to have the genin twist out from underneath in a reflexive movement, gritting his teeth in pain. He slid off of his stool and landed on the ground. Iruka immediately jumped up to see what was wrong.

"Naruto!" The blond waved him off.

"It's nothing.. just a wound that doesn't have the intelligence to heal faster!" Naruto scowled at his shoulder childishly. The bullet wounds were taking a sluggishly long time to heal, unfortunately. Whenever Naruto moved his shoulder or started fighting with someone, they ached like hell. Fortunately, the wound in his side was already scar tissue but the one in his shoulder kept opening and oozing blood. He brightened up, remembering something. He stuck his hand in his pocket, pulling out the metal slug. He showed it to his teacher. "Look! Isn't it spiffy?"

Iruka picked it up out of his palm, frowning at the innocent looking metal piece. He hated guns. He used his other hand to pull Naruto up to his feet. They sat down on the stools. Naruto smiled at Iruka, looking every bit content. Iruka met his gaze.

He said the four words that made Iruka want to hug him, if not adopt him to solidify the father-son bond that was already there, screw what everyone else thought. "I missed you, sensei."


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"Chuunin Exam? What's that?" Sakura and Ino, well into their gruff routine of greeting each other without revealing that they actually cared, turned to their two other companions, Shikamaru and Kiba. The latter was scratching his head in confusion while the other leaned against the wall outside the hospital, not looking very friendly at all.
"It's exactly how it sounds, mutt boy." Shikamaru said sharply. Kiba growled.

"Don't mind him." Ino said, defending Shikamaru's nasty attitude. "Chouji got sick during one of our missions and had to be brought to the hospital."

"Oh." The snarl that had exposed Kiba's fangs relaxed. He knew that Shikamaru's relationship with Chouji was as close as his and Akamaru's. Akamaru, sensing his train of thought, nudged Shikamaru's leg with his head. Slowly, the often lazy genin leaned down to scratch the small dog's ear. "So, this exam thingy, what's it about?"

Sounding more tired than angry, Shikamaru answered. "Konoha is hosting it this year. It's to decide which genins become chuunins. All the villages participate. It's also a way to advertise their village and increase their popularity. It's a substitute for war."

"Advertise?" Ino piped up. "Why would our village need to be advertised?"

"Simple." Sakura said, crossing her arms over her chest. "With every mission, Konoha gets money. Villages, may they be of ninjas or civilians, need money to run. If Konoha was known for having faster and stronger ninjas than, say, the hidden rain village, more people would come to Konoha to issue their requests. More missions, more money."

"It's also about pride." Shikamaru said, nodding to her. "Konoha wants to be known that it is the best. Same with all the other villages."

"Yeah, ninjas from other villages are already starting to pour in Konoha. I hear there's three teams from the hidden mist village, the hidden rain village, and bunch of other villages I don't give a damn about... only one from the sand and sound villages though." Ino said, counting off the villages on her hand. "Our village has at least six teams already to participate, and they haven't finished the registration yet."

"So.. can we sign up for it?" Kiba asked, a grin on his face at the thought of showing off in front of countless of foreigners. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"No. Our teachers have to enter us." she said. "It's to decrease casualties. Only teams that have enough strength will make it through the exam alive. I doubt that first year genins will be accepted." Kiba sighed dejectedly.

"But we can watch the final exam, apparently." Ino added in. "My dad was talking about taking me to it." Their conversation was immediately cut off when Neji stalked toward them. They all instinctively moved back. Even though his face was impassive as always, they could tell that he was pissed.

He stopped in front of Sakura. She blinked, almost retreating away from him, but at the last moment, held her ground. Neji was quiet for a moment, obviously trying to figure out what he wanted to say. He mentally cursed when it came out all wrong.

"Do I look like a female to you?" He winced at his own tactlessness. The younger genins blinked owlishly at him.

"Uh.." Sakura started to laugh nervously. "I don't think I want to know why you asked that.." Ino just gaped at him, not believing that she was hearing a Hyuuga male ask if he looked like a girl. However, Kiba and Shikamaru gave him a once over.

"Yup." Kiba decided. "You look like a girl." Shikamaru nodded.

"Planning to switch teams?" he drawled, taking vindictive pleasure in Neji's slight embarrassment. The Hyuuga rolled his eyes.

"That's not why I asked." he said coldly, turning back to Sakura. "Were you not the person assigned to putting all of our stuff back in our respective bags?"

"Hey, I was searching for a certain idiot who was shirking his chores!" she defended, not liking his insinuation that she did not do what was ordered. "I asked Lee to do it for me." An unholy glint shined in Neji's eyes, one speaking of vengeance.

"Lee." he hissed. He nearly strode away, then paused to toss something over his shoulder. "Be careful when you unpack your bag. You may find... unsavory items in there."

Having a quick mind, Sakura immediately figured out what he meant. She covered her eyes with her hand, looking embarrassed. "Lee..." she groaned. Sakura was somewhat relieved that she had dropped her back pack off at her house without looking through it. She could only imagine what Neji had found in his back pack to make him ask if he looked like a girl. Whatever it was, she hoped it wasn't hers.


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Hinata boiled some water, feeling a strange urge to have ramen. It must have been the news that Team Seven was back in town that made her desire something that reminded her so much of her favorite blond. She knew she should leave. Hinata was pretty sure that she could ask either Sakura or Ino if she could sleep over at their house. She knew that she didn't want to go home yet. Would she even be wanted? She sighed, not hearing the door open behind her.

"Hinata-chan.." she heard someone mumble. Hinata whipped around in a sudden fright, accidentally burning herself. There, in the doorway, the dying light of the day shadowing his face, Naruto stood. A strange longing look passed over his face before it was quickly masked.

"N-Naruto-kun." Hinata whispered, instantly hating the involuntary stuttering that came with it. Absently, she put her hand over the burn mark and healed it.

Naruto grinned, making the universal stop sign with his left hand. "Wait a second." he said, chuckling lightly to himself. He went back outside and closed the door behind him. She could only blink owlishly at where he once stood.

The door swung open with force, hitting the wall with a bang. "Honey, I'm home!" Naruto called out cheerfully. He bent over, laughing his head off. It was strange how the smallest things could amuse him, she thought. Of course, to him, it wasn't as funny as it was sad. Naruto never had someone to go home to. "I've always wanted to say that.." he murmured, so low that Hinata almost missed it.

He closed the door behind him, taking his time locking it. Hinata took the time to calm herself down, hoping that her face wasn't too red. However, her small semblance of control was immediately scattered to the four winds at his next words.

"What's cookin', good lookin'?" Naruto said casually, sliding into the chair in his makeshift kitchen. He rested his elbows on the table as he watched Hinata drop the fork she had been stirring the noodles with in her embarrassment. She hastily picked it up.

Naruto laughed quietly to himself. She still was so shy. She had been more confident in his future, but any advances he made immediately turned her back into the shy shuttering little girl he knew so well. They had gotten together, through the forceful interferences of Sakura, but no matter how close Naruto held the blue haired girl to his heart, he had been firmly convinced that Hinata only needed him for his company and comfort, as many ninjas found themselves doing. That is, until Neji dropped the news of Hinata's feelings toward him several years after her death, and only a few seconds before the most exhausting trip of his life. Literally.

"J-just ramen." she said shyly, turning back to the pot. Hinata didn't think her face would turn back to its normal color any time soon.

"'Just ramen'?" he echoed, mocking great shock. "Are you sure you even know me? Ramen is my god! That, and coffee. Those two are the prime reasons why I'm so damn short, you know." She laughed softly.

"I'm s-sure you'll grow up to be a lot taller than the rest of us." Hinata said kindly. Naruto grinned, though she couldn't see it. Of course he would. The only person that had been taller than him was Lee, who grew like a damn bean stalk. And looked like one too.

He sobered up a little, noticing the way her shoulders were hunched over. Her delicate fingers griped the fork tightly. Her head hung low. Understanding Hinata's body language was like a second nature to Naruto. She was upset about something, and was trying pretty damn hard to hide it.

Hinata was glad that she had misjudged the amount of ramen packets to put in. There was enough for both her and Naruto. She pulled out two bowls, surprising Naruto with her familiarity around his kitchen(not to mention that there was actually clean dishes in the apartment). She poured some in hers, but much more in Naruto's, setting them both down on the table.

Naruto very nearly leapt upon the offered bowl, the fact that he just had ramen an hour ago not effecting his appetite in the slightest. He finished in barely a minute. Hinata ate at a more sedate pace. She kept her eyes on her bowl, feeling Naruto's gaze on her like a ton of bricks. Naruto pushed the empty bowl to the side, resting his elbows on the table and his chin on his hands as he carefully tried to piece together what he was about to ask, as opposed to jumping right in and asking bluntly. He knew that she would retreat if she felt threatened, and the last thing Naruto wanted was for Hinata to fear him, or any unwanted questions he might ask her. Heh, just a few hours ago, he had been running away from questions, yet now, he was the one forcing them.

"Hinata-chan.." he murmured, gaining her attention, "why are you here?" She flushed and started to stutter an explanation, but Naruto cut in. "I like having someone over at my apartment, don't get me wrong. It's lonely sometimes. I normally wouldn't ask, merely thank my blessings that someone wants to be near me, but you seem very troubled." He was playing dirty, pulling out his rarely used sympathy card. So what? It worked like a charm, opening her up so she'd tell him what was wrong.

"Oh, Naruto-kun." Hinata said, her eyes sad. "I just.. w-well.." Above all things, she was pleased and humbled that he actually cared. It was rare that someone noticed her at all, never mind when she was feeling sad. She told him everything, not suppressing one thing. Told him of the pains of being an heiress, of her secret training, of how she felt so inferior to her younger sister. When he nodded, showing he was listening, she grew more confident. She started pacing, telling him with a bit more heat about what had happened between her and her sister. When he grew annoyed, she quickly defended her sister, telling him a bit more about the girl she hardly knew herself.

"And so.. I came here." she finished. Hinata fidgeted. "And I r-realize that I'm invading your-" Naruto waved off her words.

"Don't give me that crap." he said bluntly. "My home is your home, Hinata-chan. I'm really proud of you, rebelling against what you don't think is right. Hyuuga law or not, the second you got that forehead protector was the second you became an adult, free to make your own choices." Naruto took her hands in his, his serious blue eyes holding her pale ones. "I'm proud to have you as a friend, and if you need anything, just know this: I'll be here for you." She flushed, retracted her hands and mumbled something about cleaning up, hastily taking the excuse to get away from him.

Naruto sighed mournfully. With Hinata, it had always been one step forward and two steps back. He had patience though, something his younger self hadn't had an abundance of. He had tried to stay away from Hinata, convinced that she somehow have a better life if she wasn't involved with him, but she drew him back to her, like a moth to a flame.

He got up, giving Hinata her space. He grabbed his back pack from beside the door and flipped it upside down, letting the contents fall to the floor. What the hell? he thought, finally noticing and seeing foreign clothing mixed in with his own. Naruto lifted up a pair of white shorts, easily recognizing them as Sasuke. Putting that aside, he lifted up a silky shirt, the same style that Tenten always wore. Then below that, there was a roll of fighting bandages, either Neji's or Lee's. Then the very last strange item made Kyuubi howl with glee and Naruto flush a dark red, before he realized all of the fun that could come out of the item.

He chuckled sadistically, stuffing the white bra in his pocket. "Hinata-chan!" the genin, her face finally retreating back to its normal pale tone, turned to him, her eyes questioning. "Let's go. There is much mischief to be making."



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"So.." Ino drawled out, her hands twitching. Sakura blinked at her, feeling an odd sense of deja vu. Somehow, the nervousness that her on again, off again friend was showing reminded her of her own anxiety over asking Naruto about his strange blood limit.
They had gone to one of their old hang out spots, in one of the training areas. For some reason, the blond insisted that Shikamaru had to come. Sakura hadn't objected. After such a mentally and physically exhausting mission, the last thing she wanted to do was start their regular battles. Ino seemed to hold the same idea in mind.

They didn't face each other, relaxing on the grass like old times, watching as the sun dipped lower and lower in the sky. Shikamaru sat against a tree nearby, looking and acting much like their guard, but Sakura had a feeling that he was just there for moral support. He took charge of the conversation that Ino was nervous to begin. Heh, nervous. Sakura never saw that one on Ino before.

"How's Naruto?" he asked, sounding uninterested. Sakura spared him a glance.

"He's fine." she said cautiously.

"Wasn't he hurt?" Ino rushed in, sitting up suddenly. Sakura didn't like that look in her eyes. Ino looked worried. For Naruto? How could that be? She rarely spoke two words to the blond, and they usually were 'shut up', a occasional 'idiot', 'moron', or another variation of the definition to spice up the mix. "Shouldn't he be in a hospital?"

Sakura blinked again. "Uh.. No.." she said, sitting up as well. An odd light appeared in Ino's eyes. It was thinly concealed hope. Could her vision been wrong and Maemi's device been faulty? Could it all have been just a really bad dream? "Well, Naruto did get beat up some. He got a shuriken to the stomach and two bullet holes, but he's still walking." Sakura finished casually, not realizing that she had burst Ino's hopes. Ino sighed, letting her head hang between her knees. Damn.

Shikamaru tore his eyes away from his team mate's devastated face when he heard a twig snap. He turned his head, seeing the very person that they had been talking about walking stealthily over to the girls, a faintly confused Hinata trailing after him. Naruto met his eyes and brought his finger to his lips. He wanted to scare the girls.

Naruto held up a hand to stop Hinata, then promptly pounced on the two serious looking girls. He covered their eyes with his hands.

"Guess who?" he said in a sing song voice. He was hurled off and away from them when Sakura's rage triggered her unnatural strength.

"Dammit, Naruto!" she called out angrily. Naruto quickly bounced up, going back over to her.

"Now, Sakura-chan.." he said in a mockingly reprimanding tone. "I had something to tell you, but if you're going to be so ungrateful and cruel.."

Again, Sakura felt that twinge of curiosity sift through her anger. "And that was?" she asked sharply, sure that it was going to be something as stupid as his 'Relaxation no Jutsu'. When Naruto smiled merrily before taking her hands in his, she knew her gut instinct was right.

Naruto winked at Hinata before turning his gaze towards his pink haired team mate, his eyes suddenly mournful and sad. Another flawless act played by the foxy ninja. "Poor, poor Sakura-chan.." Naruto said, shaking his head. "I know I'm such a fine catch and all-" Sakura tried to yank her hands from his, but the other genin had an iron grip. "-but, I'm afraid I must decline your advances." Sakura turned red, her agile mind catching on to his meaning.

"You're hitting on Naruto?" Ino said in a disbelieving voice. "Come on, I thought you had better taste than that." Naruto stuck his tongue out at her childishly while Sakura stuttered out denials. Hinata blinked, not sure what Naruto was doing, but very firm in her belief that he was just kidding around. There was just too much brightness in his eyes for him to be serious about what he was saying.

"Tch." Shikamaru muttered. " If Sakura is hitting on Naruto, then why is Naruto refusing? He's had a thing for her since.. ever."

Naruto grinned. "Glad you asked!" he turned back to Sakura, his face once again mournful. Her face was purple with barely suppressed rage. After all, Sasuke would be annoyed if she killed Naruto, wouldn't he? That was the only thing keeping the blond in their plane of existence. Naruto patted her hands twice and gave her a mockingly sympathetic look. "You see, Sakura-chan, where once your advances were welcome, they are now not. For my heart belongs to another!"

Sakura's eye twitched dangerously, a sign that she was three seconds away from flattening Naruto. She was beginning to think that they could just get another idiot to take Naruto's spot on the team. Sasuke probably wouldn't mind all that much. "And who could that be?" she said bitingly. "The lady at the ramen stand?"

"Nope!" the genin replied cheerfully. "It's Hinata-chan!" All at once, three heads turned to the shy Hyuuga. She turned red, then an ashen pale. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she dropped to the ground in a dead faint. Shikamaru stretched out, nudging her with his foot.

"Damn. I think she blacked out." he said, shooting an annoyed glance over at the ecstatic fox host. "Way to go, Romeo."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, letting go of Sakura's hands. He really wasn't proud of his own back handed way of telling Hinata that he cared a lot about her too, but he just couldn't see himself walking up to her and just telling her straight out. For one, it was embarrassing. And he'd end up fumbling and saying something stupid. This way, she's hear him say it, but not be really sure if he was serious. He preferred it that way.

"Aww, that's so cute." Ino cooed. Shikamaru snorted.

"That's not the point!" Sakura shouted, grabbing Naruto by the neck. He flailed for a moment, then accepted his fate. She shook him relentlessly. "The point is that you're lying about me hitting on you!" Naruto, slightly blue faced, just grinned at her with his winning smile.

"B-but I've even g-got proof!" he wheezed. Ino pushed the two apart, allowing Naruto precious moments to get his oxygen.

"Proof, eh?" Suddenly, Ino and Naruto had identical impish grins. Inner Sakura cursed. Attack of the blonds. Ino looked over at the shorter boy. "Lets see it, tough guy."

Sakura crossed her arms over her chest. "Go ahead, I'd like to see it." she glared. "Because there should be no proof of me hitting on you because.. what a strange yet true fact.. I didn't hit on you!"

Naruto started giggling. "Suit yourself." he reached into his pocket, pulling out the suggestive article of clothing, a white bra. Flaming red, Sakura tried to grab it out of his hand, but Ino was quicker.

"Ah." she said, sage like. She twirled the bra around on her finger, grinning like the cat that ate the canary. "This is very incriminating evidence."

"It was Lee!" Sakura snapped in her defense. She refused to look at Naruto.

"Lee's bra?" Naruto couldn't help himself. Sakura kicked him in the head. He rolled head over heels, stopping in a slight crouch. He pouted, seemingly unaware of the large bump on his head because he once again forgot to put on his forehead protector.

Sakura glared, explaining herself for the second time that day. At least the cold Hyuuga hadn't gotten the wrong idea that she was flirting with him! "He put the clothes away, that's how you got it, you damn fool! Besides, how do you know that's mine and not Tenten's?"

Naruto's eyes lit up, his mouth opening to make a comment that would probably get his head ripped off, but Ino immediately covered it. "She left herself open for that one." she told him, shaking her head. "It's just too easy." Naruto's shoulders slumped in his disappointment.



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It started to get late and dark, and all of them needed to get back home. Hinata woke up and was steady fast in her determination to not look at Naruto at all. Instead, she practically clung to Sakura, who violently growled at Naruto when he invaded her bubble, making the blond go out of his way to get away from her.
They walked back into the heart of Konoha, at the crossroads where they would eventually spilt up and go home. They turned to each other.

"Well, guess we'll see you guys later?" Ino tossed over her shoulder, glancing back at the two genins from Team Seven and Hinata. Shikamaru and Ino walked the same path home, though his route was a lot longer than hers.

"Sure." Naruto said, waving at them. "Bye!" Shikamaru and Ino repeated the gesture, then started their way home. Naruto watched their retreating back for a moment before turning to Sakura and Hinata. "I hope Haku and Zabuza are okay." he murmured. Hinata had been informed just who Haku and Zabuza where a bit earlier.

"What reminded you of them?" Sakura asked.

Naruto shrugged. "Just a thought." he said evasively. He turned to Hinata and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable, Hinata-chan." She smiled back, nervous but in no way angry at Naruto for embarrassing her like that. Just the words that suggested that he liked her as much as she liked him, even in jest, were what made her day.

"Well well well.. Look what the cat coughed up." Hinata blinked, turning to the voice. It was Kiba, his dog lazily sleeping on his head. Behind him, Shino looked disinterested in what was going on, even as he acknowledged her presence with a slight nod. "Don't you have a curfew, chibi?" Sakura looked at Naruto, trying to gage how he was responding to Kiba's taunts. The blond looked bored, but he was twitching.

"Kiba-kun, that's not nice." Hinata said in defense. Kiba felt slightly guilty, though he had no idea why. He shook off the feeling, pushing the sight of Hinata's disappointed eyes to the back of his mind.

"Little kids like you should have curfews. Your mommy is probably worried sick by now." he said, laughing at the blond. Naruto still didn't rise to the bait, though his chakra spiked for a moment.

"Orphans don't have curfews, fool." Kiba's head snapped to the sound of the voice. Sasuke emerged from the shadows, looking more than a little unfriendly. His dark eyes glared and froze Kiba to his spot.

"Sasuke." Naruto said, turning to his friend. "Tone down the iciness. Kiba's stupid. He didn't know." Sasuke looked at Naruto for a long hard moment, then scoffed, turning his head away.

"Suit yourself." he said shortly. Having no parents had always been a sore point with him, even more so since he was destined to kill the man who murdered them. Even so, Naruto had never known a parent's touch. Never known the security a child felt in a parent's presence, the joy and pride when the parent complimented the child, the love the child felt from them when they snuck into the child's room at night and pulled the blanket over them. He pitied himself, for losing them at such a young age, but he pitied Naruto even more. And sometimes even envied him for not having the same painful memories.

Kiba met Naruto's eyes, a silent apology passing from the Inuzuka to the fox host. Kiba looked guilty but he was prideful aswell. He wouldn't say sorry out loud to one of his rivals.Naruto merely smiled. Shino gave Naruto a piercing look(how Naruto knew that the bug user was looking at him through his dark glasses, even he didn't know), then he turned to look down the middle path, suddenly alert and cautious.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked of the genin. Everyone turned to the middle path, peering into the darkness. Hinata was worried. Naruto had responded to whatever Shino had sensed at the same time the bug user turned. What was it that they sensed?

Naruto took several steps back, shocked at the feeling of youki in the air. What the hell! Gaara? Two figures eventually became visible in the night. The genins tensed, recognizing the sand forehead protectors.

"And just what the hell are you two doing here?" Kiba growled at them. Temari and Kankurou gave him disinterested glares.

"Chuunin Exam, fool." Kankurou said harshly. "But of course, a little weakling like you wouldn't know about that, would you?"

"You're on our turf now." Sasuke said just as harshly. "If one of us starts a fight with you foreigners, all we'll get a slap on the wrist. But you'll get sent back to whatever hell hole you crawled out of."

Naruto pushed Sakura and Hinata behind him, alert eyes scanning for the one and only sand nin that he was wary of. He had felt a slight twinge of dark amusement in the air, emotions he could feel because of a similar fate shared with the other demon host. Gaara had been his friend, but even he would have admitted that the only thing that would have amused him in his younger years was the spilling of blood.

"I'm not getting involved with this." Temari stated, a yawn escaping her lips. "We were supposed to be going to the hotel, not picking fights with little kids. You be the one to take the fall for this." She leaned against the wall of the store nearby, looking disinterested in the events that would follow.

Kankurou grinned, his hands going in front of him. They could barely make out glowing blue strands connected to his fingers. "Don't worry. There won't be a big enough piece of them left to be used as evidence against me.. after I'm done with them."

Sasuke and Kiba hesitatingly got into defense positions, the only proof of their reaction to that statement was the sweat on their faces. "We out number you." Kiba said, putting on a brave face. "It is you who will be scattered into a billion pieces." Shino took a step forward, putting his hands on Kiba and Sasuke's shoulders.

"I do not think that fighting would be the best course of action." Shino said quietly, for their ears only, "Though I do not doubt that, together, we could defeat him, what I worry about most is the dark shadow that trails them retaliating in his defense. We could not stand up to the shadow's might. This is what my bugs tell me." They paused, looking at the bug user.

"Tch!" Kankurou scoffed. "All of you fools put together couldn't defeat even the weakest of the sand nin! You tree hugging fools are pathetic."

"Just because we entertain thoughts of peace doesn't mean we aren't powerful ourselves." Naruto stated calmly. His eyes narrowed, becoming as sharp as shards of blue glass. "Are you picking on us because the one you really want to pick on would kill you if you looked at him the wrong way?" Kankurou reeled back, his shock too great for him to rein a hold on his emotions and keep a black face. Just how the hell did he know? "It is not you that strikes fear in our hearts. It is the one that follows you that makes our hearts race. The very one that you fear yourself. It is his oppressive and immense dark aura that makes us falter." The serious look on Naruto's face dimmed as he grinned humorlessly. "Don't take credit for his work." Naruto's half hearted smile dropped when he felt a twinge of curiosity from the shadows, with a healthy dose of blood lust.

He and Shino shared a disturbed glance. For once, Naruto was glad that Shino and his bugs were rather sensitive to their surroundings. He needed an ally.

Naruto stiffened when he felt the brush of sand against the back of his neck. Gaara was rematerializing right behind him, right between the two girls that he had shoved behind him. Before the other demon host was completely solid, Naruto pulled Hinata and Sakura away from him. All attention was drawn to them at the motion.

Cold teal eyes met a pair of blue. They dared for the blond to back down, to back away like Naruto's friends and even his own family did. Naruto only stared at him blankly, his arms crossing over his chest. There was a hint of challenge in his defiant stance.

Gaara could only sigh mentally. If only he could accept the silent challenge and send the strange genin's limbs to scatter all over the pathetic city where he was forced to come. But Baki said that, in order for things to run smoothly, the only killings he could do had to be in the Chuunin Exam. It would draw too much attention if a random genin disappeared in an area where Gaara was frequent to haunt.

"I believe that what you said isn't completely true." Gaara murmured. "Care to explain why you lied?" Kankurou hastily backed up, not wanting to be caught up in a coffin of death and sand, or something as equally dreary. Temari pushed away from the wall, backing away as well. They both knew how Gaara detested liars.

Naruto only looked confused. "And how is it that I lied?" he countered.

"You said I strike fear in your and your companions' hearts." Gaara said, crossing his arms over his chest. "If that was true, why is it that I only sense fear from them, but not you?" Strange, his aura had people running away from fear before he even knew they were there. Yet the other boy stood so close to him and didn't even flinch. All it would take was a simple mental push and he could break the idiot's neck with a strand of sand. How naive of him not to fear Gaara, the demon of the sand.

Naruto looked away, closing his eyes. "Alright, I suppose I did lie. I hate a lot of people, people who could easily break my neck if they had the chance and could possibly go after the people I care about. But I fear.. no one." His eyes opened, narrowed into navy blue daggers. "Not even you."

Gaara looked over the Konoha genin carefully, something about him triggering a strange sense of deja vu or a recollection of some kind. Something about him was so familiar, something he was sure he had seen every day, in the reflection of a mirror...

He stiffened at the hated demon within rose to look at the human that his cage was so interested in. He chuckled darkly, a single name trickling through Gaara's mind. Kyuubi..

A demon host. Gaara thought, his eyes glowing with a golden sheen. In the back of his mind, he was interested, curious even. Had his life been as bad as Gaara's? How many people had betrayed him? Did he revel in the feel, sight, and smell, as Gaara did? Did he ever try to take his own life when the mental pain became too much?

He pushed the questions out of his mind, pushed away the fresh feelings of pain they brought with them. He grinned in a feral way in his mind. A battle between two demons, and the unlucky fools attached to them. So much blood would be spilt.. And maybe, he'll kill me and I won't have to suffer anymore.

"Not even him?" Gaara pointed to himself, somehow knowing that the blond would understand that he meant the demon in him. Then he pointed to Naruto's stomach. "Or him?" Naruto shook his head.

Unconsciously, in his annoyance of the simple fact, his own mixed version of chakra and youki pressed down on the people in front of him, a instinct that was brought along by his demon tenant, to subdue and dominate weaker opponents without moving a finger. They shivered, and Naruto snarled at the scent of their fear. His mixed energy pushed back against the overbearing pressure ruthlessly, surprising Gaara into submission.

The red haired nin gazed at Naruto. "You're a fool." he stated, reining in his blood lust. Naruto recognized the retreat, pulling back in his chakra and dropping his defiant stance. "An ignorant fool."

"Ignorance is bliss." Naruto countered, grinning at the other. Gaara's face didn't change expressions though he almost didn't stop the reflexive eye roll. He growled at the blond when he seemed to only become more amused at his loss of control.

He turned to the genins. "I'm afraid we have to go." he said, even though he looked down at them like they were insects, he was still distantly polite. He started to walk away. "Kankurou. Temari." His two siblings jumped and pushed their way through the crowd, following after him. Gaara paused, tossing one last thing over his shoulder. "You will be in the Chuunin Exam. You will make it through. Then, when we meet again, I will kill you." With that said, he trailed after his siblings, their forms being lost to the darkness of the night. Naruto watched them walk away, a very unsettling feeling coming over him. Somehow, with the luck that always seemed to be involved with him, he had once managed to pull Gaara out of his darkness. Could he possibly do it again?

Naruto felt the weight of his friends' stares like a lead weight. He closed his eyes, preparing himself mentally. "Well, if that isn't a vote of confidence.." he said cheerfully, spinning around to toss them a fake smile. He defiantly didn't like the way that Kiba and Naruto's own team mates were looking at him, awed and a bit afraid. He turned to Shino, his eyes narrowing. He arched an eyebrow as a silent question. If Shino and his bugs could sense the youki in Gaara, then they could sense the same in him. Would the stoic boy tell?

Shino shook his head. Naruto shot him a relieved smile. He could deal with the details later, as long as nobody else found out about his tenant. He grabbed Hinata's hand and started to walk home.

Unconsciously, Kiba, Sakura, and Sasuke formed a wall of resistance, standing in his way. Feeling his tension, Hinata squeezed his hand gently. He turned to her, feeling comfort in her presence. As long as she stood by him, as long as she didn't know about Kyuubi and hate him like all the rest...

"What was that about?" Sakura asked, tugging on his vest to get his attention. "Do you know that guy?"

Naruto paused, considering his answer. "In.. a round about way, yeah." In an other worldly, alternate dimension sort of way. Where the sky was no longer blue, but a dreary grey. Where the world is bathed in blood and the person responsible for it was free from justice because he perfected an immortality jutsu. What Naruto wouldn't give to seal Orochimaru's soul to a toilet for all eternity.

ahhh! its been so long since i last saw your last chapters! i look forward to your future chapters! on what happens later in the series! so yeah , continue with the wonderful ness!

that was great lord suhi!!!!! this fan fic is by far, the best i have ever read! and i have read A LOT of fan fics!!!!!

hai hai xd ninja

Title: Almost
Rating: PG or PG-13 (It depends on your standerds)
Character(s): Sakura Haruno
Summary: It always made her feel a little special that, despite her big forehead, she was a beautiful girl.

*Warning*-There is an Eating Disorder in this story, if you have a problem with Eating Disorder, I sugguest you do not read! Thank you

One of my friends actually wrote this, (don't worry I asked for her permission) and I'm just posting it here for her.


As a child, she loved to be told how beautiful she was.

It always made her feel a little special that, despite her big forehead, she was a beautiful girl.

Even though she had low self-confidence, she knew she was beautiful and nothing was ever going to change her thoughts about her appearance.

Throughout the years, people would tell her that she more beautiful then ever.

Her hair was long and flowing at one point, but cut down once again to it's innocent short style.

Her eyes were a bright piercing green that was an attraction to many, her body was also beautiful.

It was naturally thin, and there weren't many curves to it, but they say it makes her beauty unique.

She knew she was beautiful and nothing was ever going to change that...

The scale numbers raced before her eyes as she set foot on the scale once again, stopping a two digit number as it did this morning; 79.

She sighs with sadness and moves to the bathroom mirror and stares at her body with hateful eyes once again.

Her eyes are no longer a bright piercing green, but a dull faded green-gray. Her hair that was once a beautiful shade of pink, is now also a little dulled and constantly falls out.

People no longer stare at her with admiration, but with a confused look. No longer do they complement on her radiant beauty, instead they whisper to one another about how frail she looks. When she looks in the mirror, she does not see the frail body everyone gossips about...

Instead of the beautiful frail body she is, she sees' someone who is not thin, but obese.

Someone who is ugly and does not deserve to be called "beautiful" when she is not. She wonders how they can even called her frail, tiny, and thin when she's only the opposite.

"I'm not..." She tells herself, touching her obese reflection in the mirror. "I'm not beautiful or thin...I'm not even smart. I am stupid...stupid to think that he would actually...return my feelings..."

Bowing her head, she see's her ribs, that are pressed firmly against her skin. Her fingertips run gently along the bones and move down to her curved in stomach, down more to her hip bones.

She keeps her fingers there for a moment. They don't understand what she's going through, and never will...

Her hand slowly moves from her hip bones, back to her stomach, then to her ribs once more. She keeps her eyes closed as she then bring her hand up to her collar bone.

Things had never been the same since he left.

The day he left her, he took a part of her that she needed to survive. Without that piece of her soul, things changed, she was no longer eager for the next coming day and was overcome with depression that made it impossible for her to even care. She began to fade away.

When he left she knew her life was going to change, she just didn't think it'd turn out like this.

It's been two years since he left the village, and each passing day he does not return another peice of her fades away from her body.

As a child, she loved to be told how beautiful she was.

It always made her feel a little special that, despite her big forehead, she was a beautiful girl.

Even though she had low self-confidence, she knew she was beautiful and nothing was ever going to change her thoughts about her appearance.

Years have gone by and no longer is she the innocent little girl with bright green eyes and flowing pink hair. No longer does she believe that she is beautiful.

She see's herself in the mirror as an obese girl with boring green eyes and disgusting pink hair.

"I'm not beautiful or thin..." she says to herself, "but I'm almost there..."



Nice feedback would be nice, she's really shy and sensitive about her work.