KG: FINE! FINE! FINE! FINE! FINE! FINE! FINE! TAKE IT! STOP THE PMS! STOP THE LOL MESSAGES! STOP IT ALL!

KG: However, before ANY of you jump out of your chairs! You better understand one thing! We either do this my way or absolutely NO WAY! The only reason I am doing this is that I'm seeing how much I can manage my time in comparison to other important things.

KG: AND STOP PM-ING MY WIFE! Do. Not. Harass her like that ever again or I will definitely leave! We had this discussion with the Ultimate Dojutsu already. Do not test me. Yes, it's my fault for the Ultimate Dojutsu which is why I have a poll up for that and some of the other stories. I haven't been fair and I realize that, but you all WILL NOT treat my wife like that ever again.

KG: Anyway, here. Take it.

Music of the Week: I Ran by Hidden Citizens.

Quote: "There is no greater power and support you can give someone than to look them in the eye, and with sincerity/conviction say, 'I believe in you." By Ken Poirot.

A massive explosion rocked the Chunin Exam Stadium. Civilians unaffected by the genjutsu screamed as nearly all the arena filled itself into chaos. Sun nin and Oto nin filled the area faster than anyone could have expected. A hail of kunai and shuriken came into view. Civilians unlucky enough to get caught in the crossfire screamed as the weapon lodged themselves into seeping flesh exterminating any and all life in their way. One of the civilians screamed as an Oto nin came his way. His eyes widened in fear. "DIE KONOHA SCUM!" The man shouted. However, a splash of blood crossed the civilian's face as the Oto nin fell to the ground lifeless. The man shivered upon looking at the mangled body. He turned back and he noticed a rather young boy in shiny, dazzling armor. His red cape flapped in the wind.

"Are you okay, sir?" Temujin asked. The man seemed too traumatized to answer and the young knight growled before he turned around. He noticed two more shinobi en route to his location. They dashed for him as fast as they could. However, his eyes were easily able to track them. Raising his blade, he clashed his sword with them. Eyes of hatred stared at him, but he fought them down. The weight of the two pushed him down to one knee. Sparks of light splashed off the blades as the man Temujin had been protecting had run off.

Temujin was ready to perform a counter to this sudden weight being pushed down upon him until he heard a shout next to him. He turned and he gasped when he saw Ryuzetsu slam her foot into shinobi. "Ryuzetsu-san!" Temujin called. Her eyes stared ferociously before she blasted them away from her coworker. Landed on the ground she took a second to breathe.

"Temujin, you and Amaru assist Konoha in the evacuation of the civilians. Kamira, Ranke, and Fugai are taking Inari to Tsunami-san as we speak. We have to move out of here!" Ryuzetsu ordered. Temujin sought to obey her without a shroud of doubt in his body. He heard her wish him luck before she dashed off through the air towards her next objective. Temujin turned to the remaining civilians next to him.

He flew his sword into the air. "Follow me if you want to stay alive!" he declared. He ran off and the people quickly followed after him. No one was going to second guess why they were deciding to follow a child, but now wasn't the time and everyone was much too frantic to attempt to do anything about it. Temujin hurried them out of the door one after the other before he noticed the flames beginning to speak in the Chunin Exam Stadium. "Naruto-sama, I pray for your safe return," he said to himself before he ran out of the doors to the Chunin Exam Stadium as well.

Meanwhile, Ryuzetsu stabbed her kunai into the head of another Suna nin. She flung her body and rag dolled the corpse over the edge of the staircase. "Are you alright?" Ryuzetsu asked. Haku panted as she wiped the blood from her face. She quickly turned around and nodded. The white-haired Exodus Metals worker seemed convinced and she turned around to cover Haku's flank. Both were immediately surrounded.

"We have to get to Kisa-sama. Kamira, Fugai, and Ranke are already heading for Zabuza and Tsunami-san with Inari-san. We have to regroup for now," She said. The Hyoton user quickly agreed, but she watched the arena. Countless of bodies, both civilian and shinobi alike, stained the ground coating its grass and trees with their blood. Dismembered limbs and heads littered the ground as well. It could almost make a person gag.

Haku stared down at it all. "Horrible. What does all of this accomplish?" Haku asked. Ryuzetsu didn't have an answer for the ice user. She just turned around and glared forward. Tapping Haku's shoulder, the two vanished out of sight to find their own companions. Both dashed into the hallways of the Chunin Exam Stadium.

-x-

Kakashi and Asuma stood together. Effortlessly, the former kicked one of the Oto shinobi to the ground before permanently disabling him. The latter quickly followed suit. With his knives, he slashed the throat open of one of his enemies. A brief pause allowed them to breathe, but both jonin weren't willing to let their instincts go down at the moment. They watched their opponents begin to surround them again. Kakashi reached for his headband and Asuma steadied his body into a more relaxed posture.

"Need a status of the situation, Asuma," Kakashi said to the bearded jonin. Asuma agreed in kind to this. He quickly released a punch and snapped the jaw of one of the invaders. Kakashi backflipped through the air when a kunai came sailing for him. Both moved to higher ground on the steps of the stadium. The latter blew a puff of smoke from his cigarette.

Asuma held up his blades. "I know. The explosion came from the place where the Kage are. I've seen the anbu heading there as we speak, but we also have to evacuate the civilians. I'm going to the infirmary to retrieve my genin team. I assume Gai's going that way as well. What are you going to do? It seems the Chunin participants don't know about the situation just yet," Asuma said ducking beneath the kick of another enemy. Kakashi appeared behind one of them and snapped her neck letting her die.

The white-haired jonin surveyed their surroundings. No doubt what they had seen on the Tv screens had been a part of what was happening with this current invasion. Kakashi had to retrieve his team, but he couldn't expend time and effort to get to the Forest of Death which was way out of the field of the village. "I'll go with you. It's better if we don't split up. I'm sure Kurenai is catching with her team as fast as she can. We'll have to meet her there. I'm sure a countermeasure is already being established," Kakashi said. Asuma easily agreed with these things.

"Heh, you think we'll let you get away?" one of them asked from behind them. The two surrounded shinobi suddenly found themselves engaged on. Both jonin nodded to each other before. Kakashi slammed his hands together as did Asuma. The two glared forward at their opposition. Asuma took in a large breath of air.

"Katon: Haisekiashō( Fire Release: Burning Ash)" Asuma called releasing a pile of black ash from his mouth. The ash overwhelmed the forces in front of them. The sounds of disoriented screams filled the massive smoke cloud. The sounds of fighting inside the cloud of ash were immense and filled the rest of the noise in the stadium. The two Konoha jonin dashed out of the smoke with the white-haired former Anbu agent holding up his own handsign.

"Katon: Gōkakyu no Jutsu," Kakashi called out. A massive fireball exploded from his mouth and blasted itself into the ash. The screams of the soon to be deceased roared through the fiery ash as they were burned alive. Kakashi and Asuma didn't want the burning for very long before they got to work and started moving into the stadium building as well.

-x-

Fu watched in surprise at the amount of enemy shinobi at her mother's feet. Kisa took a steady breath and steeled her body. The head of Exodus Metals held her injured daughter in her arms. Fu wrapped her hands around her mother's neck. She noticed her mother's deadly gaze. In the face of so many forces, she stood resolutely. The aura around her was very…frightening. "Get her! She's just one woman!" The obvious leader cried as they charged at her. Fu felt the lightning circle around Kisa's body. The green-haired jinchuuriki could feel the power coursing through her body from her mother. She noticed her mother's smile.

"Hold onto me, Fu," Kisa said. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Fu did so. She tightened her grip around her mother's neck. Kisa turned back to the forces which stood against her. She lowered her body and the lightning around her body flourished in the hallway. She gently touched the ground with her hand. Closing her eyes, she took one more breath. "Kinjutsu no Raiton: Kagi Kairō (Forbidden Lightning Release Technique: Endless Corridor)," Kisa called. The Oto and Suna nin gasped as Kisa vanished in a burst of unbelievable speed. The beneath her feet cracked into pieces. Kisa passed each person effortlessly before appearing at the end of the hallway. A chorus of screams came as lightning exploded from the ground, paralyzing any and all forces inside of the wall. The lightning scaled the walls and shook the entire hallway. The five or six groups dropped to the ground. Kisa brushed her long green hair from her face. She stared at the destruction she caused before she ran down the hallway.

Kisa panted as she heard the sounds of fighting and weapons clashing. She kept her daughter close to her chest. She would not have them separated anymore. The green-haired older woman watch Fu opened her eyes as the scenes of carnage passed her by as she looked out the window at the destruction. People running in the streets, dropping like the leaves from the trees, massive fires burned houses, shops, and stores. Streets were paved with the blood of innocents and the guilty alike. There was almost no distinction anymore. "What's going on? Why are they fighting?" Fu asked. She watched her mother's eyes harden.

"My best bet is Sunagakure finally got tired of Konoha's effectiveness in shinobi matters. As for Otogakure, I can't say for sure, but I know Orochimaru is somehow involved. That explosion at the top of the building is sure to be the epicenter of this whole thing," Kisa said. Yet, despite all of this, she couldn't help smiling. Fu had to look at her mother in surprise. How could she be smiling now of all times? She addressed this concern almost as soon as she had noticed it. Kisa turned to her daughter.

"I'll understand once you see it, Fu. For now, we have to get back to the others. Once you're safe then you'll start seeing why I had a reason to smile," Kisa said. Fu stared at her mother in silence. Her mother's feet bashed into the floor over and over until she turned a corner. The wind on her face, the Nanabi jinchuuriki could honestly say that she never felt so free at the moment. Never had she felt further from Taki than right now. Yet, never had she felt happier when she felt her mother's possessive arms around her.

Suddenly, Kisa slid to a stop. She turned her back to a wall. She could feel the presence of two chakra signatures. Her breath was a tad shaky, but nothing she still couldn't handle. She stepped out of the corner. "Kisa-sama!" she heard and she noticed Ryuzetsu and Haku just in front of her. She seemed greatly surprised by them both and released a breath. She allowed herself to relax if only briefly.

"It's good to see you guys. What's going on outside?" Kisa asked. She didn't like the look on Ryuzetsu's face, but she had told the green-haired woman what was happening. Complete chaos was happening outside. Konoha, Iwagakure, and even Kumogakure were attempting to quell the threats from Sunagakure and Otogakure. Civilians were being escorted by genin and chunin. They had been looking to find Kisa so that they could have her regroup with the rest of the team and the presidents of the companies. They also noticed who Kisa had been holding. Fu glanced at them.

"So…you're the Fu that Kisa-sama always spoke of. It's a pleasure to meet you, even if we don't have too much time for pleasantries," Ryuzetsu said. Fu easily agreed with those sentiments. She also gave Haku a brief acknowledgment. Both could see why Kisa had resorted to carrying Fu. After the girl's battle with their president, no wonder she probably felt like she couldn't move, especially not with all of the bandages around her body.

Kisa pushed up her shoulders to accommodate her daughter better. "Enough talking, let's get out of here. Ryuzetsu, Haku, cover my flanks. We're going nonstop," Kisa ordered. Both females saluted her and took their positions at the front. The three dashed off with the fourth in her mother's arms. They quickly turned down a separate hallway. They failed to notice Kakashi and Asuma running through the halls towards their own objectives.

-x-

From on top of a far off rooftop, Naruto stared down at the village engulfing itself in flames. He noticed the smoke of the Chunin Exam Stadium where the Kage were. Orochimaru was over there. Naruto could tell that much. That snake always did have a flair for the theatrical. That was something the blonde was beginning to learn about the Sannin. Despite the situation before him, his eyes belayed no concerns. A shadow came down to his side and landed next to him. He didn't turn around. "You always were the fastest of the three of us when you had to be," Naruto stated. A hand on his shoulder had him turn to Atsui, his older half-brother. The older blonde smirked.

"And don't you forget it. You're just likely I managed to get over here in time. I can't stay long because I'm being contacted by the rest of the Kumo nin. What did you need me for?" Atsui asked. Naruto turned around to him and handed his brother a key. Atsui took notice of it. It had been the key to the blonde's house and workshop. The Kumo nin frowned for a moment, and his eyes took a sharp look. He stared at his little brother. Naruto looked at him resolutely.

"You…finished it, and you've already found the person to give it to? If I recall you haven't even finished your own, or mine, or Samui's." Atsui said, a challenging smirk. Naruto rose an eyebrow before he turned back to Konoha. He let the silence take him for a moment. Smoke filled his nostrils and the sounds of war filled his ears.

"I need more time for you two. Besides, there is no better person for it. So can you hurry and grab it? I don't want to keep you from your other duties. I'm sure Samui is still dealing with Gaara," Naruto recalled. Atsui chuckled and threw the keys up in the air before catching them once again. Who did his little brother take him for? Such disrespect to his speed. With his hand, he patted Naruto's head and ruffled his hair much to Naruto's indifference.

Atsui dashed off. "I'll be there in a hot flash, little brother!" Atsui said as he ran off. He dashed from rooftop to rooftop. This left Naruto alone and he rubbed his head. Honestly, he greatly disliked it when people tried to do that. With a sigh on his lips, Naruto took one more lasting look at Konoha before he vanished in a volume of smoke. No one was wiser to him being there as he had merely been a clone standing to deliver a message.

Meanwhile, in the Forest of Death, Naruto glanced down at Sakura. She seemed to be peacefully resting. The memories of his brother filled his mind and Naruto shook his head. A small smile appeared itself on his face. He really did have some foolish siblings. His eyes then took a serious tone. Yes, Samui was now dealing with Gaara. Strong his sister was, but she hardly had the capabilities to do battle with a jinchuuriki.

Reaching into his pouch, the blonde pulled out a bag of smelling salts. He knelt and held them to his pink haired teammate's nose. The scent irritated her nose and she squirmed before releasing a slow cough. Sakura gently opened her eyes and gasped when she noticed Naruto looking at her. "Naruto-sensei?" she asked, her vision a tad hazy. Naruto helped her lean up. She shook her head before standing to her feet. She was a tad wobbly for a moment, but she managed to find herself given enough time.

"If you came for my coins then I think I'll just have to hand them over because I don't think I can fight yet," she claimed. Naruto would have given a smile if the situation were not so important. Sakura took notice of his gaze and she straightened up. Naruto didn't seem to be in a jovial mood, granted he was almost never like that, and he seemed to have something to tell her. She watched Naruto face the direction of Konoha. Sakura turned that way as well as stiffened. It was far off, but she could smell the stench of smoke and fire.

Naruto turned to her. "Otogakure and Sunagakure have invaded Konoha. The entire village is in chaos. No doubt people are dying and fighting," Naruto said. Sakura's eyes widened. The safety of her parents was quickly prevalent in her mind and she was ready to make a dash for the village, but she demanded herself to calm down. Naruto wasn't finished speaking. She just had to wait and listen. The two young genin looked at each other and the blonde finally faced her once again.

"I know how important it must be to you to worry about your family. It's a natural response, but there is a reason I'm telling you this. Sakura, you will be one of the most important factors in Konoha potentially surviving this. In this forest, is Sabaku no Gaara. He's currently fighting my elder sister and her team. Sakura, you will be the one to defeat Gaara. I have that faith in you," Naruto said. Sakura widened her eyes. She would be fighting that unstable shinobi from Sunagakure. She closed her eyes for a moment and Naruto watched her gather her thoughts.

She opened them. "Why won't you do it? You're strong, Naruto-sensei. You could take him down," Sakura reasoned. Naruto slowly nodded. He knew he could. It would definitely take some work on his end, but he could definitely do it like she was thinking. Her logic actually made him smile despite how simple her reply was.

"I could do it, but it wouldn't mean anything if I did. Sakura, it has to be you. Gaara is hurting. He won't learn to cope with himself if he's beaten easily by someone like me. It has to be someone who shows him that there are always ways to improve and that there are people who can improve you. You have that more than I ever could," Naruto told her. She opened her mouth to say something, but then she closed it. She tightened her fists through her gloves. She still wasn't so sure about this, but the firm look in her teacher's eyes made her grin.

Sakura smirked. "Well, if I have to knock some sense into him then I'll do it, Naruto-sensei!" she said. Naruto watched her hop into a tree branch, but he quickly appeared in front of her. She was surprised at this action and she jumped when he flicked her in the head. She rubbed face for a moment. She then noticed his rather…annoyed facial expression. She stiffened when she noticed him entirely unamused by her enthusiasm. Naruto turned back to face Konoha. "Naruto-sensei?" the pink-haired girl asked. Naruto remained silent as if scolding her for her rashness. Apparently, training in patience was going to have to be a point in the program at some point as well.

"While I am pleased that you're eager to meet my expectations of you, Sakura, you have also insulted me. I had a special gift that I made for you to show you the depths of your abilities and the impression they have left on me. However, I suppose I could give it to someone else if you would snub my hard working in seeking to better you. I will keep this in mind the next time I attempt to make you anything of value," Naruto commented. Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat when she noticed how serious his eyes had been. She hadn't meant to hurry along, but the longer this war went on then the more she would worry about her parents. If that was the case then she would have much preferred to have something to take her mind off of it.

Sakura took a step forward. "You…made something for me?" Sakura asked. Naruto turned to face her. He walked until he was so close that she could feel his breath just on the tip of her mouth. Had she not been staring directly at his face in utter seriousness, she might have thought this to imply something else. Green eyes stared into blue ones.

"It will be hard for you to defeat Gaara right now. You're going to find that he not like any shinobi you have ever faced before. He will kill you if you are not prepared. What I'm going to give you will help you, if you can wield it correctly…," Naruto cut off. Sakura widened her eyes. She was unsure of what Naruto planned to give her, but it sounded very powerful. She watched him hop to the ground.

"You remember where my house is correct?" He asked. Sakura quickly nodded her head. She dropped down with him. By the position of his body, he was ready to run back to Konoha. She watched him quickly summon a clone. It quickly dashed off through the trees leaving the original and his student alone. Both turned back to the village.

"I'll guide you halfway to the village. Go to my house. You'll find my older brother there. He'll give you your weapon. Quickly come back here and show them why I value you so highly as my precious student," Naruto said. Sakura placed a hand over her mouth, but she resisted the urge to have the tears fall from her eyes. She firmly acquiesced to his order. She would have liked to ask about him having siblings since he was an orphan, but now wasn't the time nor the place. She just had to follow his orders. That was all. Nothing more. Nothing less.

"Good, let's go," Naruto said and dashed off. Sakura was right behind him. On their way to the village, he quickly healed her as best he could. Sakura would need all the strength she was able to get.

-x-

Samui growled as she rolled out of the way from a flurry of wind blades which sliced the trees and branches to pieces around her. She barely had the time to move before another hail of senbon fired her way. Her tantō in hand, she blocked each strike with expert precision, but she had no way of getting to that massive ball of sand at the far end of the field. The rising KI in the area was enough to make her unsteady. Whatever that thing was, it wasn't good at all. Her cold eyes glared at Kankuro and Temari. The former held his puppet in the air. Its creepy wooden face dared her to attack. The latter held her giant fan in full view.

"Take one more step forward and you're finished!" Temari said. Samui's gaze tightened for a moment. She panted and she was sure her chakra was quickly drained away. As expected, doing battle with a jinchuuriki was a lot tougher than she had accounted for. Not to mention she was now fighting two members of the invading force. Blood slipped off Samui's face.

Samui had to find a way to stop…whatever was going on there. Yet, she was sure she was almost close to passing out. Just fighting Gaara as he was had most of her skills in check. That sand armor of his didn't help either. "I don't know what you're planning, but I can't do that," She said, finally standing to her feet. Kankuro and Temari seemed amused by her persistence. Both readied their individual weapons.

"Face it girlie, the Chunin Exams are over. Gaara has nothing to do with you anymore. So be a good Kumo bitch and get lost. This is a war on Konoha. You Kumo snobs don't need to get involved! Get lost and we'll forget we even saw each other," Kankuro stated. Samui's eyes hardened. She tightened her grip on her blade.

The Kumo genin stared at her opponents. "And what are you going to do if you conquer Konoha?" Samui slowly asked. Temari's gaze hardened. Despite Samui's tired state, she still seemed to have more than enough chakra to make a good stand. Something was definitely wrong with this situation. However, despite these misgivings, Temari was the one who spoke.

"We're going to make them all pay for what they put us through! You have no idea of the humiliation that we have endured because of this village! Everyone will watch when Gaara destroys their jinchuuriki erasing their last fleeting hope for survival! It's cruel, yeah! But, if there is anything Sunagakure has learned over its many years of being second-rate to Konoha is that life is not fair!" Temari answered.

Samui remained silent. No matter how implausible it sounded, images of her youngest brother laying at her feet filled her mind. Those images…were much uncalled for. Samui did not appreciate them at all. A breath escaped her lips. "That's…not cool," she replied, her tone a lot darker than was previously heard.

Temari barely managed to react in time as Samui slammed her fist into the Suna kunoichi's massive fan. Lightning rolled off Samui's body. Her hair stood on end as her fist dented Temari's fan. Kankuro cursed before he moved his puppet. The chakra strings connected to its frame and he swung the Crow at Samui. The blonde Kumon in turned her gaze towards the young puppeteer. With a flip of her leg, she slammed her foot into Temari's chest forcing a rough cough from her. Temari slammed into a wide tree before sliding to the ground. Samui turned her body smashed her foot against the Crow. Kankuro was stunned when he saw Crow break into pieces. The two Suna siblings seemed surprised when the Kumo kunoichi faced them. Streaks of lightning raced down her form. She seemed to be panting heavily, but her resolve was in full view.

"I don't know what Konoha has done to you nor your village. I admit, I'm not inclined to protect Konoha, but I have a little brother who lives in that village. I will not let you harm him," Samui affirmed. Temari and Kankuro. The former picked up her dented fan. Both cursed while Samui tripped forward. Her breathing quickly grew labored for a moment, but she continued to stand. Temari and Kankuro noticed this. The former stood to her feet with a heavy growl.

She slammed her fan on the ground before she picked it back up. "Then I'll blow you and the rest of your damn people into the wind! Futon: Kamaitachi no Jutsu (Wind Release: Sickle Weasel Technique)," Temari called out swinging her massive fan. A heavy gale of wind blew across Samui's visage. She could feel the blades of wind tear her clothes and her skin. She watched Kankuro pull out a kunai with an explosion tag. He quickly threw the kunai into the wind. A massive explosion flew through the forest shaking the trees and rocking the earth. Temari and Kankuro watched the raging firestorm. Both felt the sweat drop from their faces.

The fire started to settle down and the two Suna nin started to slow their breathing, but it wasn't for long because they heard a chuckle in the trees. "Oi oi, what's going on here? Can anyone join in on the fun? Ganging up three vs. one isn't fair now, is it? Granted, I guess we are shinobi. Fair isn't in our vocabulary. But you really should at least let others in on the fun. How about having some fun with yours truly?" a confident voice asked. Temari and Kankuro glanced up and they noticed Samui in Kurotsuchi's arms.

"I thought you hated Konoha! We're not here for you stubborn rock nin!" Temari called out. Kurotsuchi smirked before she flipped them both off with her middle finger. Kankuro seemed to seethe even harder. Samui coughed as she rested on Kurotsuchi's shoulder. The blonde Kumo kunoichi turned a tired gaze to the Iwa nin.

"Hey! I think Iwa's better than Konoha and all of your villages, but do I want you all to kill yourselves? Probably, yes, but I'd rather do it myself! Besides, even to my surprise, I have some people in that village I like. Don't go ruining my fun," Kurotsuchi said before setting Samui down. She rested her down on a tree branch before she turned to the others. It hadn't even been long from her victory over the weapons girl that she had been watching the interactions and decided to intervene.

The two Suna nin seemed greatly displeased by her presence until they also noticed someone else drop down. Kurotsuchi turned her head and she gave a short grin when she saw Naruto glare forward. "Yo blondie, how's it going? You gonna fight too?" Kurotsuchi asked. Naruto turned to give her a look. Despite himself, he found her attitude rather interesting. It forced a smile to appear on his face.

"That's not my current objective, no. I'm here to only say my piece before heading back to the village. How is Samui?" he asked. Kurotsuchi observed Samui. She seemed much worse for wear. The blonde definitely appeared exhausted, but she seemed like she would pull through if given enough medical attention. No doubt it had been hard for her to handle two shinobi at once on top of fighting a homicidal jinchuuriki.

The Iwa kunoichi turned back around. "She'll be fine. She's just exhausted," Kurotsuchi said. Naruto nodded, silently thankful for those words spoken to him. A clone he may be, but he still had more than enough sufficient strength attempt to deal with these three Suna shinobi in front of him. He took a step forward.

"Sabaku no Gaara, I know you can hear me in there. Take all the preparation that you need. You will see how foolish your ideals have become very soon. Do you remember the words I spoke to you those weeks ago? When you have fought as hard as you can you will understand the true depths of your own incompetence. Existence is not proved by how others have told you to live, it is proven by how you have told others you have lived. That is true strength of purpose," Naruto said.

Temari and Kankuro tensed for a moment, but everyone was surprised when massive spikes shot from the giant ball of sand. They flung themselves at Naruto at an incredibly high speed. Temari, Kankuro, and even Kurotsuchi was surprised at the amount of velocity coming from the attack. Everyone stilled when the spikes stopped right at Naruto's throat. Admittedly, this little scare wouldn't have done anything except annoy the clone, but it made Gaara seem pleased with himself so Naruto allowed it. Slowly, the spikes withdrew themselves back into the sand barrier from where they originally came from. The others seemed to relax before Naruto turned around. "You will get your match soon, Gaara. You should consider my words until then," the young genin from Konoha said before he turned around. He didn't even feel surprised when he felt a sudden chakra signature. Naruto's eyes hardened. It took a few moments, but the others were quick to pick up on this signature as well.

"Wrong, Naruto. He will get his match now, with me, and no one will get in our way!" A person said standing on a tree branch. Temari and Kankuro stared in disbelief. Just how many people were going to show up right now?! They were surprised they weren't even getting swarmed by the Anbu at this point! Kurotsuchi and Naruto turned to the tree branch. Everyone took notice of Uchiha Sasuke. Naruto also noticed the swirling mass of dark chakra around him. The next thing that made Naruto's glare deepen were the marks of the curse seal on Sasuke's face.

Kurotsuchi snorted. "Sorry to ruin your little vendetta, Uchiha, but the Suna trio is mine! Now be a good little pink-eyed shinobi and get lost!" The Iwa genin claimed. Sasuke sent her a murderous look, but she was hardly concerned about. Now granted, the Uchiha's chakra was a tad…disturbing for Kurotsuchi, but she was not about to be upstaged by some upstart conceited clan brat!

Sasuke dashed to the ground. His smile didn't fill Temari and Kankuro with a whole lot of confidence. "Get involved and I'll kill you, Iwa. That sand-wielding bastard actually had the audacity to say he could kill me! I'm going to show him just how insignificant he is! I saw the look in his eyes when he asked our names. He completely disregarded me! He treated me as inferior! He considered me inferior to Naruto of all people! I am an Uchiha…," Sasuke said weaving through some handsigns. Naruto rose an eyebrow at those signs. So…Hatake had actually gone through with teaching Sasuke that technique.

Lightning engulfed Sasuke's hand. The sound of a thousand chirping birds filled the air. Temari and Kankuro quickly readied their weapons, or what of their weapons they could make since Samui had destroyed them. Kurotsuchi narrowed her eyes. "His chakra's actually visible? What kind of jutsu is that?" She thought to herself. She watched Sasuke take out a kunai and place it in his mouth.

"…and you will understand what makes a shinobi elite! I AM AN AVENGER!" Sasuke hollered as he charged forward at Temari and Kankuro. The two Suna genin quickly watched him come. His Sharingan flared wildly. The ground tore beneath the Uchiha's power. The noise blasted in the ears of everyone. Temari quickly took charge after Sasuke. She swung her fan releasing a furry of wind blades that furiously spun themselves towards Sasuke's position. She watched Sasuke smirk. Sasuke spun his body and avoided the wind blades with ease. He jumped over another one. Kankuro growled and moved to intercept. Despite being a puppeteer, Kankuro was definitely not terrible when it came to taijutsu.

He threw out a punch, but Sasuke easily read the move. The Uchiha surprised them both by jumping over Kankuro's body. The dark-haired genin roared as he swung his legs and kicked Kankuro into the ground. Without effort, Sasuke passed Temari and Kankuro. "Shit!" Temari said. She turned around and dashed after Sasuke, but she quickly found that his speed was far superior to his and he made his way towards Gaara.

"Kurotsuchi-san," Naruto suddenly said. The Iwa nin turned to him for a moment. She noticed that Naruto wasn't focused on Sasuke specifically, but he was focused on the giant sand prison that Gaara had created for himself. "I don't have much time left. Try not to let that foolish Uchiha die, I ask you. I admit this request to you would be offensive, but Samui's team isn't anywhere near here and I can't expend the resources to find them. And, please, protect Samui-san for me, I care for her a lot," Naruto spoke. He gave her a light bow before he popped out of sight letting her now he had been a clone.

Kurotsuchi raised an eyebrow before she brushed the underside of her nose. Rolling her eyes, she supposed it wouldn't have been so bad if the blonde was the one asking. "RAH!" she heard Sasuke shout as he jumped into the air. The ball of lightning in his hand expanded in response to his anger. Temari and Kankuro could only watch in utter shock as Sasuke cried. "CHIDORI (One Thousand Birds)" Sasuke shouted as he stabbed the massive lightning jutsu into the sand sphere!

"Gaara!" Temari cried. Sasuke smirked, but no one heard any noise. Sasuke was also aware of something else. He couldn't move his arm. He grunted as he tried to pull his arm out of the sphere of sand. It didn't take long for Sasuke to screaming. Kurotsuchi, Temari, and Kankuro gasped at his screams. Sasuke could feel utter pain fill his body as he tried to free himself. A monstrous roar escaped from the sphere which shook the forestry around them. The sound nearly deafened Sasuke's ears. It felt like his arm was being torn off.

"You idiot! Get out of there," Kurotsuchi called out slamming her hands on the ground. "Doton: Doryūsō (Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears)" she exclaimed. The ground broke apart underneath Sasuke as massive earthen spikes stabbed into the sand sphere effectively crushing it and softening the pressure enough that Sasuke was allowed to free his arm. The sight surprised everyone when they saw the nigh mangled look of Sasuke's left hand. The wrist was snapped, and blood seeped out of the claw marks along the length of his arm.

While Sasuke tended to his arm, he and the others turned back to the wide gap in the sphere. A deep growl came out which made Temari pale. "No, it's too soon. We're too far away from the village. Gaara…has started his transformation," Temari thought. Kankuro felt a bead of sweat fall down from his face when massive sand-covered claws stepped out of the sphere. A spiked tail slipped through the hole in the opening. Jaws hungry for the blood of all in their way clenched. The face that those jaws bore held the expression of a raving sand demon. Sasuke's eyes widened as did Kurotsuchi.

"What the fuck is that thing?!" Kurotsuchi asked as Gaara came out of the sphere, his body engulfed in the sand of a demon and his eyes maddening with anger! Temari and Kankuro watched him stare at Sasuke. His animalistic snarls were heard by everyone and his teeth dripped with the want and desire. The want for death and the desire for blood were these things!

"I will kill you, Uchiha. I see hatred in your eyes, but it's weak! You don't know true hatred. You will justify my existence! I will kill everyone here! You are all nothing to me, Suna is nothing to me, this war is nothing to me! I WILL NOT DISAPPEAR! NOW YOU ALL DIE!" Gaara cried at the top of his lungs. The wind he bellowed shook them all. Fear embedded itself into Temari and Kankuro. They remembered the times when Gaara was like this. Nothing was going to stop him now. They were all going to die. They were all going to die before the shifting sands of the jinchuuriki of Shukaku, the One-Tailed Beast!

-x-

"Mom!" Inari called as he ran into Tsunami's arms. Tsunami quickly grabbed her son into a protective hug while Kamira, Fugai, and Ranke regrouped with Zabuza. The heads of Aeterna Wings and General Clothing and their guards watched the interaction for a moment. Mutsu and Kara placed their weapons away for a brief period before attempting to survey the area.

"How is the situation outside?" Zabuza asked. Fugai folded her arms. Kamira and Ranke leaned against the wall. By their expressions, there was not much to be said. It was looking very bad and the sounds of fighting were still apparent in everyone's ears.

Kamira rolled her neck. "Not good. Suna and Oto have most of this sector cut off. No doubt they're looking for the executives of the companies. Ryuzetsu and Haku went to retrieve Kisa-sama and her daughter, once that's done we can head to the bunker. Popular belief aside, we're not here to help Konoha. We're here to protect our company heads. Gozu and Meizu are back at the bunker looking after Zaku and his partner. We would have to get out of here and take everyone to the entrance," Kamira said.

"And just how are we supposed to do that? We're surrounded, aren't we?" Ranke asked. The others turned to her for a moment. The room was still silent, but it didn't take long for them to hear laughing. The group turned around and everyone noticed Kara giving a soft chuckle. She flipped a portion of her light grey hair from her eyes. Mutsu gave her a stern look, but Kara was hardly deterred by it. After a moment, she cooled herself and cleared her throat.

"Heh, never would I have thought you shinobi to be scared of sneaking around. Tell you what, since we're all in a rather unfortunate situation then I'll go out there and save you guys. Having the great and powerful Exodus Metals in gratitude to Aeterna would make the whole world for me," Kara said. Zabuza noticed the anger suddenly appear on Kamira and Ranke's faces. Daichi chuckled and Ayano was not pleased by it.

"Yo Daichi, I can go, right? I promise not to toy with them this time. I'll get it done as quickly as possible" the sharp-eyed woman said. Tsunami glanced between them and she was sure she noticed some kind of company competitiveness going on here. Inari seemed to be watching the interactions as well. Daichi seemed…immensely pleased with himself somehow.

"I don't see why not. Just attempt to keep the neutral casualties to a minimum. Once you're done return here. Not a second more. I'm sure the others will be grateful to our company," Daichi replied. Tsunami raised an eyebrow. She…didn't like the way he worded that. Meanwhile, Kara smirked and fingered her sword.

"Hai. Alright, I'll go save you guys. Just stay here and cower like brats," Kara said walking down the hall. She turned around a corner. Ayano gave Daichi and furious look on her face. Her fingers clenched her embezzled fan before she swung her head to her own guard.

"Oi Mutsu, I don't approve! Go out there and show that unruly tomboy swordswoman who's boss! Go now!" Ayano said. Mutsu closed his eyes and rolled his shoulders. He wouldn't say it, but he had been a tad bit annoyed at this statement as well.

Everyone watched the taller silver-haired man sigh. "At once, Ayano-sama. I shall take my leave," He said walking past the others. Daichi raised an eyebrow at Ayano, but she just stuck her tongue out at him in a very childish and unladylike manner. The former merely shook his head while she folded her arms.

"Tsunami-sama, may I go as well?" Tsunami glanced back to see Fugai, a very unpleased look upon her facial demeanor. The Head of the Exodus Metals' Shipping Division really wished Kisa was here to handle issues like this. Tsunami was, by nature, not very competitive. She never saw the true purpose of people having to inflate their own egos and satisfy them to some extremist point, but the truth still held that they were all in trouble and if this was Fugai's way of dealing with the issue then as long as Tsunami could get Inari to someplace safe then she was willing to indulge in this…whatever this was.

"Erm…sure. Go ahead, Fugai-san," Tsunami said. Fugai gave a small bow before she walked off. The cape that she wore with her armor flapped in the air before she turned around and moved behind a corner. Kamira, Ranke, and Zabuza could see the steel in her eyes. The Demon of the Mist rolled his eyes. How pointless could this have all been?

Ranke leaned off the way. "Let's gather up. When they're done. We'll have to be ready to move," she said. Daichi and Ayano agreed. Inari stayed close to his mother while Zabuza, Ranke, and Kamira took point to attempt to intercept any potential stragglers. The executives were ready to leave the building.

On the outside, the holding forces of Sunagakure and Otogakure continued to establish their perimeter around the executive building. "Have you gotten the door unlocked yet?!" One of the forces asked over their microphone. There was a curse over the frequency of the connection.

"What the hell do you think? I'll tell you when we have the…Attack! Get into formation!" The group that laid beyond the door quickly heard the sounds of metal clashing and people screaming. The sounds of death ran through the mics like rain through a grey sky. Those on the other side felt a bead of sweat fall down their faces upon hearing the pain, the terror and the cries from the upper floors.

"Oi, what's going on! Give me a status report! What's going on?! ANSWER ME!" The leader called, but everything went silent. A firm swallow came from his group. It had taken so long for the team to secure this perimeter while Orochimaru dealt with the three Kage at the very top. So why was this happening?! They had gathered as much research as they could into the three companies that had come to the Chunin exams. Could a team from Konoha, Iwa, or Kumo have come to their aid before they realized it? No, that couldn't have been possible. Surveillance had shown that no one, but the three executives and their guards had been in the room for the last three hours!

"Sir, the doors are opening!" one of the others said. The group quickly prepared themselves when the doors blasted open. Everyone was surprised when they saw a decapitated head fall down the stairs. The others shivered as it rolled down showing them the shocked expression of the person it had once been attached to. "What…what the hell?" the leader asked. Everyone glanced up when they heard shouting.

"I said I had him! Just let me save you, ungrateful idiots!"

"I don't need you to save me. I'd rather myself get captured by the enemy than have your sorry ass save me!"

"Enough of your arguing. I don't like having to cooperate with the two of you either."

"Then get lost. I can take care of them myself."

"Stop being such a spoilsport and let others in on the fun."

"Konoha's in an agreement with us! We don't need you!"

"Learn to share, you stuck-up bitch!"

"Enough! You're both giving me a headache,"

"How about you get some personality, you gigolo!

"What did you call me?!"

"She called you a gigolo, you femboy! Look at your boss! She probably gets off on that type of thing.

"Not as much as yours!"

"Fuck off both of you! You're only going to get in my way!"

"Don't order me around, wolf lady."

"Yeah, someone should really get you a leash!"

"You would be the one to say that."

"Yeah, I wou…WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!"

"Shut up and let me deal with this!"

"You shut up and go back to your sugar momma! I've got this!"

"I SAID I HAVE IT!"

The team couldn't stifle their surprise when they saw three people step out of the hallway. Fugai, Kara, and Mutsu stood together glaring down at the teams of five divided into at least ten people each. The complaints between the two women and the single man slowly started to calm down as their gaze fell over their opponents. The aura that surrounded them was more than enough to give off the feeling of experienced killers. The guard of Aeterna Wings, the guard of Ayano's General Clothing, and one of the top three guards of Exodus Metals stood together albeit with as much contempt for each other as for their enemies. Fugai rolled her shoulders. Mutsu took a calming breath. Kara stared down at the others, a sickening smile on her face. The three smirked. "To put it simply. I'm more than enough for third-rate shinobi like these guys!" they said at the same time.

The leader of the groups growled, and he raised his hand. "Attack them! Kill the guards and take the executives hostage!" He screamed. The groups quickly found themselves and began to charge at the three guards. Kara didn't wait for Mutsu and Fugai to move. She just moved forward without them. She unsheathed her blade and ran down the stairs. Her legs were a flurry of activity until she jumped on the air. She stabbed her blade into the head of one of her opponents. Their body fell back carrying the momentum for her. With her foot, she kicked them down the staircase and turned back to the rest of her targets. Five sets of kunai were thrown at her, but she easily blocked them all with her long blade. The grin on her face never left before she dismembered two other shinobi.

"Is that all you got?! Faster! Move faster!" She called as she raised her blade overhead and slashed another person in half. The others took a step back but quickly started to surround her. The woman was more than ready to move again before Fugai and Mutsu appeared in front of her. The Suna nin snarled before one of them quickly sped through multiple handsigns.

"Fūton: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)," The feminine voice hollered. A blast of wind launched itself at their position. Fugai stood in front of Mutsu and Kara. Quickly, her body started to change. Her skin darkened and she could feel her teeth sharpen. Her claws lengthened as well. Everyone seemed surprised at her sudden transformation in taking the appearance of a snarling wolf-like creature.

"I told you! We don't need your help," She growled out and took in a massive breath of air. She howled as hard as she could and the compressed air that shot from her mouth pierced through the wind technique from the Suna nin and pierced her chest. The Suna nin coughed out blood much to the surprise of the rest of the team. The groups quickly turned on to Fugai, but she was hardly concerned by their presence. Her wolf-like visage stared them all down. With amazing speed, and impressive balance she grabbed the neck of one person and ripped it open before she slammed their broken body into its comrades. She turned her head and she noticed Mutsu right next to her. Kara was seen off to the side too.

The three guards quickly dismantled the forces surrounding the area. "Hasaiten (Smashing Point)," Mutsu said placing the edge of his scabbard on the ground. The structure ruptured, and the staircases cracked into pieces. The enemy forces screamed as they were crushed beneath the power of the silver-haired male. He gave no emotion to their plight. He turned his head and he noticed Fugai and Kara standing off to the side. Despite her long nails and animalistic hands, Fugai was quick to race through her individual handsigns.

"Katon: Kamiryu Endan (Fire Release: God Dragon Bombs)," She called, and her large snouted-mouth open releasing a torrent of flames down the massive hallway. To the side, Kara jumped off the nearby wall and held up her blade. In the fluorescent lights, her blade shimmered. A soft ring floated through the air and the grey-haired woman's eyes gleamed.

"Shiver and weep! Tan'Bunitsuren (Single Division)," she breathed out and swung her blade it a wide arch. An arc of pure, white energy flew through the air and collided with the flames of Fugai's jutsu propelling it forward. All forces were engulfed in its pressure and the screams of the damned filled the hallways. For Kara, herself, this was like the perfect symphony that her ears could enjoy. The three watched the flames until they heard sounds behind them.

The three guards turned around and noticed their executives and semi-coworkers run up behind him. "It's this bad already?" Ayano asked when she saw the destruction. Fugai reverted back to her human form and took a short breath. Honestly, that stupid stone was going to be the death of her. In any case, everyone regrouped with each other and they made their way to the doors. Kara kicked the doors down and everyone made it outside. The sun in their eyes, they took notice of the fighting going on. Inari clutched his mother when he looked at the bodies of the injured and the dead. Tsunami placed a hand over her mouth, but there was no room for pity and sympathy.

"Come on, this way! We're making a dash for the bunker," Fugai said. Everyone agreed. Kamira picked up Inari and Zabuza picked up Tsunami. Mutsu, reluctantly, picked up Ayano, and Daichi was feeling a tad bit…emasculated when Kara picked him up as well. The group quickly ran through the roundabout structure and were about to turn an open hallway across the exit.

"There are the executives! Get them!" The group turned their heads and they noticed another separate unit of Otogakure shinobi heading for them. Fugai cursed. The fighting just didn't seem to stop now did it?! She turned her body and she was ready to fight once again, but she gawked when she heard the unit scream as three senbon landed into three separate people. Five stray kunai flung through the air and took care of the others as they fell to the ground. The group watched as three figures dropped to the ground. The staff of Exodus Metals smirked when they noticed Kisa, Ryuzetsu, and Haku drop to the ground.

"You guys are late!" Ranke growled out. Ryuzetsu scratched her cheek and Haku laughed to herself. Fu stared at the people around her. There was Team Fugai who…turned out to not be much of a team anymore and there were even the other head bosses of the most powerful companies in the world. This…was a tad out of her league in terms of what to do. This was perhaps even more apparent when Daichi gave her a glance.

"Kisa, what are you doing with a kunoichi from Taki?" The head of Aeterna asked. Fu now noticed almost all eyes on her, but Kisa held her daughter as protectively as she could. The older green-haired woman's eyes narrowed.

"Is there something wrong with a mother reclaiming her daughter?" Kisa asked. Daichi and Ayano seemed very surprised at this news, but Kisa wasn't in the mood to play twenty questions at the moment. As the others expected of her, she quickly established control amongst everyone asking what the everyone had planned for. Fugai had motioned for the bunker at the location that they had all agreed upon a couple of days ago. Ryuzetsu went on to comment that Amaru and Temujin would meet them over there later. Kisa seemed pleased by this, but she also noticed everyone's staggered states.

"Alright, we're heading there! Keep up and we should be able to make it!" Kisa said. Everyone agreed, and they dashed out of the outside alleyways and into Konoha. A group of Suna and Oto nin sought to go after them, but they were quickly blocked by a surrounding group of Konoha Anbu. However, upon closer inspection, they were much younger than the standard Anbu age limit.

-x-

Atsui picked through the lock with Naruto's key and opened up the door in his house. It was very quiet. He quickly closed the door behind him. A deep sigh escaping his lips, the Kumo made his way through the structure of the rooms. Once he came into the hallway, Atsui gasped and ducked his head when a kunai came overhead. He quickly rolled and leaned against the wall. "Whoa! Whoa! Friendly here! It's me you idiots!" Atsui called. There was a silence for a moment and he noticed Gozu and Meizu come from the side of the hall.

"Atsui! Approach with some more caution! We almost killed you!" Gozu said, holding out his hand. The older brother to Naruto grabbed his hand and he was pulled to his feet. Atsui released a sigh and patted the dust off his clothes.

Meizu quickly passed him and looked out the window for a moment before boarding them back up. "Not that we're not glad to see you, but what are you doing here? Isn't your Raikage in trouble?" he asked. Atsui nodded, but he didn't stand still. He walked through the house, Gozu, and Meizu behind him.

"Yeah, and I need to get going. I'm not planning on staying here. Naruto needed me to get something from his workshop. How are Zaku and his partner girl?" Atsui asked when he turned down a hallway and opened a door which led down to the basement. Gozu muttered some words to his brother. The younger one quickly nodded and walked off to the upstairs. No doubt to keep a check on Zaku and the girl in question. Meanwhile, the older brother followed Atsui down the stairs.

"They are both resting currently. Zaku seems to be doing better with his recovery though he's still unconscious. He'll pull through. He's always been a tough little idiot," the older Demon brother said. The blonde nodded as they came down into the basement.

He unlocked the door to Naruto's workshop. It was very hot, but they stepped inside nonetheless. Atsui noticed the massive furnace. It seemed to be turned off. However, judging from the heat it had only seemed to turn itself off recently. Either that or one of the Demon brothers had turned it off as per Naruto's instructions. He took note of the weapon's name from the note on the wall as well as the person to receive it. In any case, Atsui grabbed the specialized gloves and opened the furnace. He knelt down and grabbed a hold of a very firm and hard hilt. "What the…this thing is so heavy!" Atsui said. He groaned as he pulled out the weapon from Naruto's furnace. It slashed the ground beneath its weight before Gozu helped him pick it up. Both cursed before they slammed it onto the table.

"What…is this?" Gozu asked. Atsui panted, but despite this, he had a wide grin on his face. Lord, the person who could wield this thing would be a very formidable if unstoppable opponent. Both took a short breath and the blonde began to wonder how he was going to even carry this thing. Time was of the essence. He grabbed a cloth and tied the weapon to his back. He could feel his breath going ragged just from attempting to hold it. However, he managed to stand with a bit of Gozu's help with shinobi wire.

"Alright, Gozu, I'll see you later I guess. Can't stop for tea time!" Atsui said before he walked up the stairs. Gozu would use this term so that he could save the sibling of Naruto from the detail and adjectives that he could have actually used. Atsui quickly walked out the door and cursed, but he managed to find his strength and dashed off while Gozu quickly closed the door, checking for any hostiles as he did so.

-x-

Naruto and Sakura entered Konoha about five minutes ago. Once they had done this, Sakura quickly took notice of the flames surrounding the village. She could hear people screaming and asking for help. She hated this feeling of leaving them. She wanted to help so much that she nearly made her mouth bleed from her teeth sinking into it. "Don't worry, Sakura. Just focus on your own assignment. Konoha has more of us than you would think. Iwagakure and Kumogakure are also assisting us. They will be alright," Naruto said. Sakura snarled, but she turned her head away and nodded.

It took about another three minutes, but both landed on a rooftop. "Alright, Sakura. You know the way to my house. This is where you and I shall head in separate directions. Here is a photo of Atsui. He'll give you the give I have made for you and with it. With that, you will defeat Gaara and become one of the most influential members in the preservation of Konoha," Naruto said. He leaned forward and gently patted Sakura's head.

"However, no matter what you do or how this turns out. I will always be proud of you," Naruto said. The pink-haired kunoichi felt her cheeks redden from his praise and his touch. She wished she could have enjoyed it more before he dashed away at an even faster speed than when he had been with her. It only served to remind her that she still needed more training so that she could impress him more. She watched him go in the direction of the Chunin Exam Stadium. This her all alone. With a short breath, she dashed in the direction of his house, her speed as impressive as always.

-x-

On the very top of the Chunin Exam stadium, Hiruzen, A, Onoki stood before the Kazekage. "If this is your way of declaring war then you've successfully done so, Kazekage-dono. You must have a good reason for this, correct?" The Tsuchikage asked, clearly unamused by this situation. The Kazekage stared at the three Kage. Not the best situation to find himself in, but he could still make this work as well.

"I have nothing against you, Raikage-dono, Tsuchikage-dono. You just have the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Had you stood to the side or even assisted then this would not be your problem. Yet, here you stand with your enemy. Have the years of slumbering resentment dwindled away? How about you, Raikage-dono? Have you made acquiescence with Konoha as well?" the Kazekage asked.

A and Onoki were not pleased by these words and neither was Hiruzen. "Kazekage-dono, if you have business to settle with Konoha then we could have done this with negotiation and discussion. Why damn your own people to hell just to satisfy grievances? We can still do that if you so desire," the Sandaime Hokage said. Kazekage merely smirked.

"There won't be a need for that Hokage-dono. After all, why men don't negotiate with the dead. After all…," The Kazekage said reaching for his face. A and Onoki tensed as did Hiruzen. They watched as the Kazekage pulled the flesh from his visage and he snapped it off like paper from a book. Hiruzen immediately scowled as did Onoki and A upon seeing the face of Orochimaru, the Snake Sannin.

"You were the one who taught me that, Sarutobi-sensei," the former Sannin of Konoha had said. A needed no further words nor demonstrations. Onoki and Hiruzen watched the muscular Raikage charge at former Konoha nin.

"YOU DARE SHOW YOUR FACE HERE, OROCHIMARU!" A screamed as he cocked his fist back. Orochimaru frowned before he jumped out of the way when the Raikage slammed his fist into the hard roof. The leader of Otogakure flipped through the air before he landed off to the side. The smirk on his face never left when he straightened his posture.

"Raikage, Raikage, always the one to act before thinking. What could I have done to be the recipient of such hatred?" Orochimaru asked. A growled before his eyes burned the fury of his hatred into the Sound nin. He could feel his muscular body trembling with desire. The desire for death and vengeance.

The Raikage turned to face him. "Orochimaru, it was you, wasn't it? You were the cause of the explosion in the underground Kumogakure facility! What did you do to my subordinates Samui and Atsui seven years ago! Answer me!" The Raikage shouted and the blonde-haired man dashed for the Sannin's position again. Orochimaru backed up a couple of steps away from the Raikage and watched him decimate the structure once again.

"Forgive my memory, Raikage. You see I've had so many subjects. It's hard for me to remember the names of two insignificant people that don't draw my attention," Orochimaru said. The Raikage snarled and he was ready to charge again before Hiruzen and Onoki appeared in front of him.

The Raikage towered over both, but he kept his eye on them. "Calm yourself, Raikage-dono. Orochimaru has always had that effect on people. We'll have to think of a way to combat him. We'd do well not to underestimate his strength. Despite his methods, he still holds the most partners of any shinobi in current history. The number of techniques he must have learned have no doubt turned him into a very powerful shinobi," Sarutobi said.

As much as Onoki was unwilling to agree with the Hokage of Konoha, but he had to concede that point. There couldn't have been a single person who didn't know that the Snake Sannin had a plethora of shinobi techniques at his disposal. Even before his path as a missing-nin, the Sannin was well-known for being a powerful shinobi. How dangerous was he now?

"Hokage-dono is right, Raikage-dono. It will take the three of us to stop him until the reinforcements arrive. I never noticed it, but he placed explosion tags beneath the building. The guards can't get close in confidence," Onoki remarked. Hiruzen and A glanced down and they noticed Darui, Jiraiya, Akatsuchi working frantically with the Konoha Anbu beneath them.

Orochimaru quickly took notice of their gaze and grinned. "I see. I would like a private audience as well. If you're worried about disturbances then I guess we can make this setting a little more…intimate," Orochimaru said. The three Kage quickly turned to him when he snapped his fingers. Instantly, the three Kage found themselves surrounded on four corners of the rooftop by four Oto shinobi. Judging by their chakra, they were vastly different from the other Oto nin who were currently working with Suna in destroying the Village in the Leaves. Three males and one female were the associates, but…the Kage began to wonder if perhaps they were more outmatched than they thought.

"Tsuchikage-sama!" Akatsuchi called. Jiraiya and Darui cursed for a moment. The Anbu around them collected themselves while Jiraiya pulled out a piece of paper.

"Fuck it. We don't have the time to worry about the tags beneath the stadium. We've got to secure the Kage and save the village. You, Rice head, Chubby, quickly engage with the Anbu. I'll be right behind you," Jiraiya said, pulling out a scroll and an ink pen. The two jonin gaze at the Toad Sannin with glares of immediate hatred for the names, but quickly reacted and jumped forward. The white-haired Sannin quickly wrote a sealing tag and then slapped it on the ground. Forcing his chakra into it a current of electrical force. The forces quickly surged into the ground and beneath the stadium disarming the explosion tag deep in the earth. Jiraiya took a slow breath before he jumped after the others.

"Boss! Are you okay?" Darui asked. Everyone noticed the white-haired dark-skinned jonin from Kumo and the big-boned Jonin from Iwagakure charging towards the platform with Konoha Anbu right behind them. Hiruzen could even see Jiraiya was on his way as well. So could Orochimaru.

The four shinobi at the side grinned and slammed their hands on the ground. They then clasped their hands together. "Shishienjin (Four Violet Flames Formation!)" They called. Jiraiya instantly recognized the jutsu when he saw the massive purple wall beginning to form. Panic in his eyes, he added chakra into his steps and sped in front of the others much to their surprise.

"Stop! Get back now!" Jiraiya said. Everyone landed on the rooftops but quickly jumped back as the wall enclosed around the three Hokage and Orochimaru. For the four shinobi performing the jutsu, their own positions were resoundingly secure from any outside attack. The Konoha Sannin growled and turned to Orochimaru. Both former students of Hiruzen gave each other detestable looks, but Orochimaru's was the only one that held any sort of satisfaction in it.

Darui and Akatsuchi looked at the massive purple wall. Neither touched it as per Jiraiya's instructions. "How do you propose we get around this? I take it we're not just going to find a front door to this," the jonin from Kumo said. The one from Iwa quickly took out a kunai and flung it at the wall. Everyone watched the kunai explode in the fire before effortlessly incinerating.

"No one's getting in or out of that. Had we recognized it we could have focused our efforts on the four creating the technique, but it seems they have walled themselves off as well. You're a seal master, aren't you, Jiraiya-san? Can't you destroy the barrier?" Darui asked. Pretty soon, all attention was put into the Toad Sage which had Jiraiya fold his arms.

He faced them. "Don't even think it's that easy. It's kind of hard to work on a barrier when you can't touch said barrier. Plus, I don't have the required ink for this. Now I'm not saying I can't break it. I'm just going to need a bit of time. Looks like you guys will be in for a show while I work. Anbu, you won't be of use here. Go help the village," Jiraiya said. Normally, someone would be irritated at the way the Sannin had mentioned that, but they merely saluted him and dashed off leaving the three guards to their Kage alone. Jiraiya quickly took out a pen and paper and started writing. The plus side to this situation was that the Toad Sage was aware of this barrier and could work faster. That didn't make it any less difficult.

Meanwhile, the three Kage stared at the massive purple barrier. "There. Now we have a whole bunch of time to ourselves before that imbecile attempts to break my barrier. Now, then Sarutobi-sensei, they say history tends to repeat itself. Do you remember the time you cast me out? Do you remember the time you prevented me from nearly completed the culmination of my research? The key to learning every technique that humanity has ever made? Will ever make?" Orochimaru asked.

Hiruzen gave a sorrowful sigh and shook his head. "No single individual can know everything, Orochimaru. I had hoped you would learn to see your own mortality as a strength and a blessing, and not a liability. In addition, the heinous acts you have performed not just on fellow Konoha residents, but upon people around the world has twisted your feeble mind into justifying anything as long as it will better your cause. The mistake I made in letting you go, I have lived with the guilt all my life and so many people have suffered for it. I've failed as your teacher, but I will not fail as your Hokage. For all those who have suffered because of you, for all those who have died because of you, for all those who have had to torture themselves over their lives because of you, I will appease them all and bury you where you stand, in Konoha soil. This shall be done before the eyes of the Raikage and the Tsuchikage!" Hiruzen said throwing off his Hokage robes revealing his battier attire.

His form consisted of a black jumpsuit with mesh segments over the lower portions of his limbs and a green gauntlet that covered most of his right arm. He also wore an armored hood with a bandanna-like forehead protector tied into two very long straps. The Raikage and the Tsuchikage took note of this and both smirked. "Orochimaru-brat. Had you left Iwagakure out of your little…folly I would have been willing to do the same, perhaps depending on my mood, but the sins you have aggravated against Iwagakure are numerous and relentless. You will not survive to see the sunset this day!" Onoki said, a sudden grin on his face.

Everyone then watched the Raikage take off his robes as well revealing his very muscular dark-skinned build. Massive, golden vambraces circled around his wrists and a massive, golden belt circled around his waist. "You have a lot of arrogance to attack three Kage and that will be your undoing! You will pay for the atrocities you have committed and the rest of your men will follow, Snake! I will exact my revenge on behalf of my subordinates! There will not be a single sorrowful memory to befall your death!" A spoke.

Orochimaru smirked before he opened his mouth. The three Kage watched in grotesque fashion when a small white snake extended from his lips. It opened its mouth releasing a vibrant handle. Orochimaru grabbed it and pulled out the Kusanagi, the Grass-Mowing Blade. "Hehehe, well then, let's get on with my presumed death. Your bodies will make excellent subjects," Orochimaru responded, a sadistic grin on his face.

However, a wide three-dimensional cube surrounded the Snake Sannin. He looked at it in surprise. "Kukuku, no restraint, ne, Tsuchikage?" Orochimaru asked from the confines of the squared prison that he now found himself in. The Hokage and Raikage stared at the box before giving Onoki a small glance. So…that was the famous Dust Release of Onoki, the Fence-Sitter of Iwagakure.

"Raikage-dono, Hokage-dono, I would like to get on with this farce as quickly as possible before suffer anymore loses. Sorry, but I'll be taking this one," Onoki said. Orochimaru could feel the weight from the box. It was very heavy to even attempt to move out of it. However, Orochimaru seemed very excited at the prospect. He watched the Tsuchikage slam his hands together.

"Jinton: Genkai Hakuri no Jutsu (Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique)," Onoki called out. Instantly, the white cube exploded. The ground ruptured itself and a massive hole appeared on rooftops. The confines of the box easily protected anything outside of its width. The light was rather fierce to the eyes, but once it settled there was no sign, speck, nor chakra signature of Orochimaru to be noticed. He was…just gone.

However, despite this…A, Hiruzen, and even Onoki were not pleased with this. That…was way too easy. If there was one thing, Hiruzen ever learned in his entire career as a shinobi then it was that no mission, no opponent, and no situation was ever easy. The three instantly felt a flood of killer intent over them. A cursed and quickly pushed the two elderly Kage out of the way. The long blade of the Kusanagi flew past the three of them and stabbed itself into the tile of the roof. Hiruzen and Onoki slid across the ground while the Raikage snarled and turned around. The three saw the form of Orochimaru from the ceiling tile, his blade extended.

"Not going to ask me how I escaped, Tsuchikage?" Orochimaru asked. However, Onoki merely folded his arms and refused to rise to the obvious taunt from the missing-nin.

"Any shinobi worth their pride would understand that it would have taken more than that to defeat you. I'll be honest, I thought I had been overestimating you if you had died in such a manner, Orochimaru-brat," Onoki said, a sharp stare in his eyes. The Snake Sannin frowned for a moment, but his smirk returned. He exploded out of the ceiling and dashed into the air.

Thrusting his sword down, he charged at the three Kage below him. Hiruzen quickly threw three sets of kunai at Orochimaru's position. The Sannin deflected them all with ease. The Raikage stamped his foot on the ground before he dashed into the air with a very surprising amount of speed. Lightning chakra quickly coursed through his body. Orochimaru swung his blade down hitting the Raikage's golden braces. Lightning sprawled over the area cracking the tile of the roof. The sounds of clashing metal rang in the air. "Kuku, the infamous lightning armor! Not many people have survived to see it," Orochimaru said. A was far more expressive in his hatred for the Sannin with an intense growl.

"And you will be added to that list! NOW SHUT UP AND DIE!" A hollered and with a swung of the momentum of his body, he planted his foot into Orochimaru's midsection. With immense pressure and focus, the kick blasted the Snake Sannin out of the air and into the ground. The Sannin landed with a hard thud on his hands and knees. He then glanced up to notice Sarutobi swiftly moving through handsigns of his own.

"Katon: Karyū Endan (Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet)," Hiruzen called, taking in a wide breath of air. He then expelled a hot stream of flame from his mouth that raced itself towards the Snake Sannin. Orochimaru tried to get to his feet, but he quickly noticed the Tsuchikage behind him. Onoki slammed his hands on the ground pushing chakra into the roof's surface.

"Doton: Chidōkaku (Earth Release: Moving Earth Core)," Onoki called out. A slab of stone bashed into Orochimaru's backside shoving him into the oncoming flames, ushering in a massive explosion that rocked the platform. The Tsuchikage floated off into the air once the flames overcame both Orochimaru and the stone slab the elderly Iwa Kage had just used.

"Hokage! Behind you!" A shouted. Hiruzen turned around in surprise and ducked himself beneath the swing of Orochimaru's blade. Hiruzen took out a kunai and clashed with Orochimaru. The Hokage stared into the eyes of his former student before both pushed themselves back. Orochimaru glanced up and he noticed the Raikage overhead. He backflipped away once the Raikage slammed his fist into the ground.

"Kukuku, so three enemy villages can work together under neutral circumstances. However, before you three start believing you have any true chance against me, I think it best I squash your beliefs right now," Orochimaru said. The immense and expansive partner seal on his arm started to glow and instantly the three Kage were on guard. However, none could have been more shocked than when the Kusanagi pieced through Hiruzen's arm. Darui, Akatsuchi, and Jiraiya stopped his seal work for a moment to stare, in utter shock, at Orochimaru stood between the Raikage and the Tsuchikage. He held his blade through Hiruzen's arm and the Hokage felt the pain surge through.

"Raiton: Chakura Mōdo (Lightning Release: Chakra Mode)," Orochimaru said and the three Kage grunted as lightning exploded from Orochimaru's body. The power of the lightning chakra pushed Hiruzen and Onoki away while A flared his own lightning chakra. He tried to combat Orochimaru as much as he could, but even A was left stunned when the Snake Sannin's chakra overpowered his own and sent him flying.

"BOSS!" Darui shouted as A slammed into the ground. The three guardians stared at Orochimaru's chakra rolling off his body. The lightning sparked at random intervals over his body. Onoki and Hiruzen leaned up and saw the Snake Sannin staring down at them. A rolled over with a cough and leaned up as well.

A brushed a hand from his mouth and noticed blood. He then turned back to the thunderous form of the missing-nin. Orochimaru's hair quickly straightened itself out in response to the lightning around him. "Kukuku, you would not believe the lengths I went through for this technique. Splendid is it not? But you have no time to relax. For I have already evolved it," Orochimaru said and he slammed his hands together again.

"Suiton: Suiguso (Water Release: Water Armor)," Orochimaru called. Instantly the light from the chakra exploded when his water techniques mixed with the lightning nature of the armor. The lightning got even more sporadic with the introduction of the water element. The platform shook with unprecedented intensity. The pieces of tile levitated in conjunction with Orochimaru's power and chakra, but…he didn't stop there. A wide grin on his face, he raced through handsigns again. "Katon: Gokatetsu (Fire Release: Great Flame Armor Plating)," the snake Sannin spoke once again. Flames surrounded his body and the lightning wrapped around it like a fine cloak. The heat scorched the area they all stood on.

The flames settled into the lightning and everyone took note of Orochimaru standing in the midst of it all. The three Kage stood to their feet. "Are you impressed, Sarutobi-sensei? Just think, because you were too kind-hearted to see the bigger picture you denied Konoha having this kind of power. I might not have it yet, but I'm close to becoming…the Ultimate being!" Orochimaru spoke, the fire and lightning working in kind.

The three Kage stared at the immense technique. It seemed to be a perfect armor through and through. One might have loved the beauty of it if not for its current purpose. A released a breath and Oniki discarded his Tsuchikage robes. Hiruzen stared at the technique. He then followed this action by closing his eyes.

He opened his eyes and bit his thumb. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Enkōō Enma," Hiruzen called. A large puff of smoke came over the area and the others noticed a large monkey with unkempt white hair and a Konoha headband. He wore black mesh armor over a sleeveless kimono. His gaze powerfully, and defiantly stood against Orochimaru even in the face of the amazing power in front of him. He noticed the Tsuchikage and the Raikage next to his friend.

"I told you that you should have killed him when you had the chance, Hiruzen," Enma called. Hiruzen would have smiled if not for the situation. He knew his friend was right. If only things had been different then all of this could have been avoided. Perhaps he wouldn't be here attempting to kill one of his favorite students.

Sarutobi nodded. "I know, my old friend. Now I have troubled not just you, but also Raikage-dono, and Tsuchikage-dono for fixing my mistake. Will you help me right the wrong I should have done those years ago?" Hiruzen asked. Enma snorted. What kind of silly question was that? The Monkey King hopped into the air before transforming into a large and sturdy adamantine staff. Hiruzen swirled the staff around before slamming it into the ground. A's body quickly flared with his lightning armor and the Tsuchikage held the same white cube in his hands as before. The three glared defiantly at the Sannin. Orochimaru licked the tip of his Kusanagi. Such a fun little event to have happen.

-x-

Sakura continued as fast as she could. She was sure that she was fairly close to Naruto's house. She glanced at the picture one more time of the Kumo nin. For all her running, Sakura didn't find the time think on much of the situation at the time. The young genin merely kept running as fast as she could.

Upon landing on a rooftop, she turned her head and she saw Atsui struggling across the rooftops as well. It had to be him. No one else had hair like that. Not that she was aware of anyone like that anyway. She quickly picked up her pace and dashed for him. She watched him land on another roof and she landed in front of him. "Are you Atsui-san?" Sakura asked. The blonde panted for a moment and he looked at the pink-haired girl. He quickly recognized her as his little brother's teammate that had been late for the exams but had put on such an astonishing performance that it impressed Atsui to the core.

With his best efforts, he tried to lift himself up but was unable to do so. "Oh, you're that Sakura girl, right? Sorry, I can't stay long to chat. Doesn't look like your village is in that state either. I have to get this to Naruto," Atsui said. Sakura stared at the massive blade strapped to Atsui's back. Its amazing structure made it give off a formidable appearance, and yet…Sakura felt something resonate with her. She swallowed slowly.

"Really? Naruto told me to head to his house. He had something for me and he gave me your picture. He said…you would give it to me?" she asked and held out the photo. The Kumo nin looked down at it and his mouth dropped slightly. He looked at Sakura and then at the photo. Confusion filled his mind. This massive blade was…for Sakura?! Atsui didn't mean to belittle the girl in any way, but he was sure that if he couldn't even lift this beast then she would definitely be no different.

"You…finished it, and you've already found the person to give it to? If I recall you haven't even finished your own, or mine, or Samui's." Atsui said, a challenging smirk. Naruto rose an eyebrow before he turned back to Konoha. He let the silence take him for a moment. Smoke filled his nostrils and the sounds of war filled his ears.

"I need more time for you two. Besides, there is no better person for it. So can you hurry and grab it?"

Atsui swallowed the lump in his throat before he slowly nodded. He unstrapped the ropes to the blade and grunted as he slipped it off his back and into the roof. Sakura felt a bead of sweat drop from her face when he bashed with such…authority leaving a tiny indent in the structure. "W-We-Well, I guess this is for you then. G-g-g-g-go-good luck. I have to go help my teammates now. Stay hot!" Atsui said before he dashed off. Sakura stammered at his choice of words, but she moved back to the blade before her.

A very powerful longsword, a very firm grip of adamantine metal. The picture of a demonic boar rested at the crest of the blade's sheath. The red face of the blade spilled down into its black body. The four rows of spikes that rested in a fashion similar to that of a crown for the demon boar. Sakura trembled. She remembered Atsui having so much trouble holding it that it looked like he would fall over and it would crush him beneath its mighty power. Her hand trembled and she had to grab herself to even stop such fear, excitement, and desire.

"I know how important it must be to you to worry about your family. It's a natural response, but there is a reason I'm telling you this. Sakura, you will be one of the most important factors in Konoha potentially surviving this. In this forest, is Sabaku no Gaara. He's currently fighting my elder sister and her team. Sakura, you will be the one to defeat Gaara. I have that faith in you," Naruto said. Sakura widened her eyes. She would be fighting that unstable shinobi from Sunagakure. She closed her eyes for a moment and Naruto watched her gather her thoughts.

Sakura released a breath and she stopped her miserable trembling. Her green eyes burned into the handle of the sword and she grabbed it.

"Sakura, it has to be you. Gaara is hurting. He won't learn to cope with himself if he's beaten easily by someone like me. It has to be someone who shows him that there are always ways to improve and that there are people who can improve you. You have that more than I ever could," Naruto told her. She opened her mouth to say something, but then she closed it. She tightened her fists through her gloves. She still wasn't so sure about this, but the firm look in her teacher's eyes made her grin.

"Quickly come back here and show them why I value you so highly as my precious student," Naruto said.

Sakura growled as the weight of the blade held against her. It was so heavy. It was very heavy. It felt like her arm was about to snap off. The sword slid across the rooftops with Sakura's attempts to lift it, but she relented and dropped it. She released a breath. She stared down at the sword.

He leaned forward and gently patted Sakura's head.

"However, no matter what you do or how this turns out. I will always be proud of you," Naruto said. The pink-haired kunoichi felt her cheeks redden from his praise and his touch.

Sakura closed her eyes. She then opened them again. "Naruto-sensei gave you to me. You…are…going…to…cut what I…want…you…to…CUT! SHANNARO!" Sakura screamed as her chakra ran through the blade. She watched it seem to glow with a very odd energy and instantly Sakura found all weight and resistance gone. Well, not all weight, but the feeling of insurmountable pressure from the blade was gone. It was still very heavy, but the pink-haired girl held the blade into the sun. Its body gleamed in the light of that glorious star. She felt a piece of paper hit her feet. She glanced down and picked it up. She smirked. She turned back to her newly held blade. "Lord Enma's Fang." She said. She grabbed the sheath for the sword and strapped it to her back. She then turned back to the direction of the Forest of Death.

Forcing chakra into her legs, Sakura dashed back into that deadly forest. "I'm coming for you, Gaara-san! Naruto-sensei entrusted your defeat to me, and I would rather cast my hitai-ate in the mud and live in shame for the rest of my shinobi career before I betray Naruto-sensei's expectations. I'll teach you the true meaning of the value of self and others!" Sakura thought as she dashed off as fast as she could, all else removed from her thoughts.

KG: I guess that's good enough. I'll try to keep more open communication with everyone, but do not give my wife that behavior ever again. I mean it.

KG: See you later.