Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter. I'm excited for the next few chapters and can't wait to start writing. Happy Holidays everybody! I know this is a little late but enjoy this time with friends and family!

Like always tell me what you think of this chapter, your thoughts, likes dislikes and what you think I can improve on! I'm always looking for ways to improve.

Now sit back, relax and enjoy!

Chapter 27

Ishiri bobbed up and down, glaring at his partner as he hung from a chain that was wrapped around one of his hind legs. "Really Naruto? This is the jutsu training you had planned for today?"

Naruto just gave his partner an ear-to-ear smile, his hands still holding the ram seal up. "Bruno-sensei did say you were putting on a few pounds since we started fuinjutsu training. I'm just trying to help you shed some of that extra fluff Ishiri."

"Yeah and your crazy sensei doesn't like dango," Ishiri retorted. His eyes widened when he felt a senbon whiz past his fur.

"Hey don't go dragging me into this mess," Anko said. She sat on the balcony overlooking the inner stadium in the Forest of Death. The place had turned into their near-permanent training ground. It gave them medical equipment incase something went wrong, a place to start from when they practiced tracking and also privacy so Naruto could summon his foxes. All in all it was perfect, no one used it other than themselves.

"And why aren't you the one jumping around and dodging these things?" Ishiri questioned the purple haired kunoichi. "You would seem a better option considering Naruto isn't going to be facing any kitsune enemies any time soon."

"I hate to admit it but you're quicker than me mutt," Anko said, her mouth stuffed with dango. She swallowed the treat and sighed in content. "Besides we saw what happened when you tried to intercept one of those chains. Not exactly stellar results aye?" Ishiri looked to his tail that was still wrapped in bandages. He had tried to deflect one of the chains with a jutsu that lit his tail on fire, it hadn't worked out as planned. "This way the gaki gets to practice his control on a quicker target while there is someone that can deflect it if the chains go wild and he loses control."

Ishiri grumbled something incoherent about snakes and dango before barking at his partner. "Oi, Naruto-baka, let me go!"

Naruto just shrugged before dropping his seal. Ishiri let out a shriek as he fell. He hit the ground with a thud, ending in a crumpled mess on the ground. He got up and stretched, shaking his body of any kinks.

"I'm starting to hate those chains," he muttered.

It had been two weeks since Naruto got Kushina's scroll and hadn't wasted a second in his training. Between the chains, the seals he had been working on to seal chakra, and his other lessons, Naruto had been kept busy. His clones were making great strides in the seal, actually making a working prototype, if you consider not killing both the clone it was used on and the one applying the seal a success. He had gotten a decent mastery of one chain and had been working on a second chain, although that till posed issues for the young Genin. Even his other seals for Suzuki had been a success despite it resulting in an explosion that redesigned the interior of the Kitsune Library.

"You gonna go and see that Hyuga girl again?" Anko asked from her perch. It seemed like Naruto and his partner were done for the day, she looked over at the clock to see it nearly three o'clock in the afternoon. The small team had been going since seven that morning.

Naruto faced scrunched at the thought. "Nah those teme guards won't let me in to see her." Hinata had been released a few days after their walk, and while he could see her when she was in the hospital he hadn't been allowed to see her since. Even Midori couldn't help him.

Anko fell from the perch on the balcony. She landed on her feet and walked over to the two partners. "Yeah that sounds about right for the Hyuga. Had a friend who tried to break in once chasing tail, didn't work out so well." Anko shot Naruto a skeptical gaze. "Don't getting any funny ideas about that either."

"About what?" Naruto asked.

Anko sighed, her gaki was really an idiot sometimes. "About breaking into that compound to see her. Won't exactly work out you know."

"I figured that'd be something you'd encourage me to do," he pointed out. "Hell I'm surprised you wouldn't use it as one of your 'field tests'. You had me sneak into Ibiki's office for Kami's sake. I thought he was gonna catch me!"

"Hey that was a really important mission gaki," Anko snarled.

"You wanted information about your bonus!" he shouted in shock.

"Extra dango money is important gaki," she said with a chuckle. "Have to budget correctly. Kunai, dango, sake, these are things that need a budget. How else would I be able to be this awesome?"

"Don't budget much for new clothes do you?" Ishiri muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Anko ask with a sickly sweet smile.

Ishiri and Naruto shivered in fear. That was the smile Ahri would give them before putting the pair into an intense genjutsu. "Nothing," Ishiri shouted with a smile.

"That's what I thought." Anko smirked at the response. She like putting the fear of Kami into the duo. "As for the Hyuga, they don't appreciate people skulking around their compound. There's been a few incidents that have them weary. They kill first and ask questions later and honestly there isn't much the council can do about that. They can always say they were defending clan property and saw a threat and dealt with it. Weak excuse but an excuse the Hokage will buy. My advice is to relax and be patient. She'll be out eventually and you can talk to her then."

"True. Guess I can always go and train with Shikamaru and Team Ten. I'm sure Asuma-sensei wouldn't mind the extra help," Naruto pondered.

"There ya go gaki," Anko said with a pat on Naruto's back. The small group had begun to walk out of the tower. Ishiri would return eventually on their excursion out of the Forest of Death but till then the group enjoyed their walk. "It'll be good work for you and that'll free me up for some fun this afternoon. Got a lot of work to catch up on."

"What dango shop are you hitting up today?" Naruto asked with a deadpanned expression.

"The market that's here for the Chunin Exams. They always have the most exotic flavors," Anko said with a shiver of delight.

•••••

Hinata stood there in the family room of her house, staring at a photo. In the photo stood her parents albeit younger. Her mother had a beautiful smile on her lips while her father had a small stoic smile. If anyone else were to look at the photo they would think her father was annoyed. In between them was a woman with bright red hair and a thousand-watt smile that reminder her of Naruto's. She held a peace sign up using both hands, her arms wrapped around her parents shoulders. She wore a light yellow, short-sleeved kimono-like blouse that was tied with a black belt along her midsection. She wore black shorts underneath along with a pair of black ninja sandals that came up to her thighs.

What really drew her in was the small, red swirl that was embroidered above her heart. It was just like the one that was on the scroll that Naruto had shown her. Behind the trio was a beautiful temple that also had that same red swirl. It had vibrant red pillars and rails with stone steps that led up to its entrance that was two wooden doors. Hinata had never seen such a sight in Konoha.

"Good morning Hinata."

Hinata nearly jumped out her skin when her father's voice shook her from her thoughts. Standing at the entrance was her father. Hinata stumbled a little bit before bowing deeply.

"Uh . . . uh gomen Otou-sama. Good morning," Hinata stuttered out. She looked up to see a questioning look in father's eyes.

"I thought you had a team meeting today?" he pointed out in a voice that cut her deep.

"Gomen, Kurenai-sensei gave us the day off so Shino-kun can train with his father," she explained. Her father nodded before walking past. Getting the nerve to finally ask she spun around. "Wait Otou-sama," she shouted even to her surprise.

Hiashi turned and looked at her with a brow raised. Hinata was not known to be to elevate her volume. Hinata gulped when she felt his eyes on her. "Yes?"

"I-I wanted to ask who that was in the photo," Hinata pointed to the picture of her parents and that mysterious woman. She saw her father walk to the photo and stare at it before closing his eyes and walking towards the hallway that would lead to his office.

"She was a friend of your mother's and also a member of my own Genin squad," he explained.

"What was her name?" she asked quietly.

Hiashi paused at the door, his back still toward her. "Uzumaki Kushina."

"Wh-What happened to her?"

"She died a while back," he said shortly before exiting and closing the door behind him.

Hinata felt her shoulders slump and her hope deflate. She had been hoping that her father would open up and actually talk to her more about it. Instead he did what he always did when her mother came up: he kept his answers short and curt with little explanation.

She looked to see that small smile on his face in the picture, the youthful look in his eyes. He seemed so much happier. Maybe it was the Uzumaki name? Maybe that name just brought happiness to everyone. Hinata remembered Naruto talking about his clan and his mother. Maybe this temple is still standing? I bet Naruto-kun would like to know about this.

•••••

Naruto jumped through training ground after training ground looking for Team Ten and their chain-smoking teacher. He had been told they'd be in one of the many training grounds that littered the village and its outskirts but he was coming up with blanks.

He sighed as he dashed from another empty training ground and onto the next. He wasn't even halfway there before he could here the sounds of grunting and a rhythmical thumping. He dropped from a tree branch and into the clearing to see multiple dummies sprayed around the grounds in various conditions. Some were shattered in half, others were buried chest high in the ground and still others looked like they had a hole through their chests.

Naruto looked at the devastation before noticing the young Genin in the middle of the mess. Rock Lee was standing and kicking the stone pillar that resided in the center of the grounds. While his kicks were rhythmical, Naruto could tell that each kick was more labored than the last. He could faintly hear the green-clad shinobi muttering something.

"If I cannot do a thousand kicks with my right leg then I will do a thousand kicks with my left. If I cannot do a thousand kicks with my left then I will do two hundred push-ups," Lee challenged himself in a dazed manner.

Naruto looked on and listened as each challenge got harder and the punishment more severe until the ninja slipped and fell. Lee coughed, sweat dropping off of him at an almost inhuman amount. He sat on his knees and used the pillar to push him back into a standing position.

"I could not do a thousand kicks with my right leg therefore I must do a thousand kicks with my left," he barked out. To Naruto's amazement Lee got into a fighting stance and continued kicking the pillar. It didn't last long though before he fell on his butt.

Lee felt his frustration grow even more at his most recent failure. He had been at it, training his ass off, since late the previous night. He thought that he was making great progress, he thought he was finally catching his biggest rival until he heard Tenten rave about his progress. She praised him in a way she never encouraged himself. That's what made Lee the most irate, the fact Tenten acknowledged Neji so readily but not him.

Lee reached into his pouch and retrieved a small red pill. He had taken two already, but needed the boost. He needed to get better to prove people wrong. He needed to prove that he was right, that his sensei was right. 'Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.' That mantra echoed in his head as he brought the pill to his mouth before a voice stopped him.

"Those will kill you, ya know?"

Lee turned to see a blond haired shinobi clad in a baggy orange shirt with black shinobi pants and a skintight black undershirt. There were cuts and sweat marks across his frame, from hard work.

"It is a risk I'm willing to take," Lee said with a new sense of drive.

"Why?" Lee looked at the blond as if he was insane. "What's so important that you're willing to take such a risk?"

"I-I need to get stronger so I can beat a genius. So I can prove that my nindo, my shinobi way is just as good as that of a genius."

"Yeah I understand that," Naruto said with a hum. He looked to the bright blue sky and smiled faintly. "Better ways than killing yourself though. How long have you been out here?"

"Since six o'clock-"

"Damn you do work," Naruto said with a whistle.

"-last night."

"Ok that's it we're taking a break and going and getting some ramen," Naruto said with a chuckle. He walked over and swatted the pill from Lee's hand and grabbed him by the arm. Naruto bent over and slung the arm around his neck, lifting the taijutsu expert up until he was leaning on Naruto.

Lee groaned and pushed Naruto away. "No I need to keep training and getting better. I need to do this my way if I have any chance of beating Neji in the finals. I'm going to finally beat Neji and finally Tenten will praise me too."

"Well your way is gonna get you killed." Naruto now understood why Anko was so adamant about going to the spa and her numerous trips out eating and drinking. The sight of a tired, depleted and zombie-like Rock Lee was a sobering wake up call. "How about we make a bet then."

Lee shook his head. "Guy-sensei warned us about gambling. He called it one of the cardinal sins of a shinobi."

"Fine then consider it challenge," Naruto offered. Not hearing a response, he pressed on. "We'll have a spar. I win and you stop for a break, some food and maybe a nap. You win I leave here with a few bruises and you carry on your training."

"Yosh I would never back down from such a youthful challenge," Lee shouted, albeit with little energy. "When do we start?"

"Now."

Before Lee could even respond, a fist was connecting with his jaw. He stumbled back before taking another shot to his mid section. Naruto took a knee and jerk it up into the face of the doubled-over Lee. Lee's head rocked back leaving his midsection exposed for a roundhouse kick to land from Naruto. The kick sent him flying back into the stone pillar. Feeling his opponent was down for the count Naruto launched forward with a scream, his right hand cocked back into a fist. He threw it forward only for his eyes to go wide when Lee had some how caught the punch.

Lee looked up, a cut visible above his right eye, with a small smile. "It isn't polite to surprise a comrade like that," he said before throwing his free hand forward.

Naruto parried the blow but had to jump back to avoid the spinning kick of the taijutsu expert. Lee shot forward and Naruto found himself on the back foot. He parried and dodged strike after strike before finding his opening. Lee overextended on a punch, which Naruto sidestepped with ease. Naruto grabbed the offending appendage with his hand that was closest to Lee leaving his outside hand free. Taking his opening Naruto connected a punch to Lee's kidney before pulling the arm back. He heard a sickening sound from the captured arm and a scream of pain from Lee.

Naruto threw the arm down and spun Lee. He connected two more punches with his opponent's jaw and another kick to the sternum that sent the green shinobi into the stone pillar again.

"You're getting sloppy because you're tired. These mistakes you're making now aren't helping you at all. You just got beat at your own game," Naruto tried to reason with the downed shinobi, but Lee wouldn't listen.

"I . . . I'm not done yet." To Naruto's amazement Lee got up. He heard a click before Lee vanished. Next thing Naruto knew he was flying back from a kick. Naruto went on the defensive again as Lee put on more and more pressure. Naruto could hear his bones creak with each punch. Lee was letting him have it.

I've got to get out of this some how. Naruto parried more and more punches before ducking and taking a swipe at his opponent's legs. He got his desired result, Lee jumped back and gave himself some distance. Naruto did the same thing and brought two fingers from each hand up into a cross.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu." Five clones appeared around him. One reached back into his kunai pouch and produced a tag while the others rushed forward. The real Naruto opened a scroll up in front of him and activated a seal before vanishing from sight in a cloud of smoke.

The four clones rushed Lee who also launched himself forward. Two clones met him straight on with a punch each. Lee caught both punches and pushed them outward toward the two clones who were trying to circle around. He jumped in the air. "Leaf Hurricane," he shouted as he spun. The kick sent the clones barreling into their compatriots at such a speed that all four clones popped.

No sooner had Lee landed on the ground, he found himself wrapped up tight with a weird chain that glowed blue. The chain wrapped around his midsection and kept his arms close to his body. He turned to see Naruto standing behind a scroll, that the chain was coming out of, holding a hand sign. Lee was so focused on the real Naruto that he missed the clone that came up behind him and placed a seal on the base of his neck. The clone jumped back and made his own hand sign. "Fuin," the clone muttered.

Suddenly Lee felt a huge weight on his body. The weight was so enormous that it brought him to his knees. He tried to push himself up but finally succumbed and hit the ground. Now lying on the ground face down the chains stopped glowing, their color turning back into the grey of steel. He tried to move but stopped when he felt a knee on his back and a kunai to his throat.

"You lose this round Lee," Naruto said while breathing decently hard. It had been a workout on top of what he had already done with Anko and Ishiri earlier in the day. He was glad that little extra work with the chakra chains had paid off.

"What did you do to me?" Lee struggled to ask from his position on the ground.

"Weight seal. The more chakra used in the sealing the heavier it gets. Learned it about a weak ago. Didn't know how much to add, glad I didn't kill you," Naruto said with a chuckle.

"I really am a failure than huh? If my taijutsu is always going to fail to some jutsu I don't have shot a of learning."

Naruto shook his head and deactivated the seal. He picked his opponent up and slung an arm around his neck in support. "Not at all. Your taijutsu is the best around, well at least in our age group. Few people can handle your speed and one or two punches is all it would take for anybody to think twice about continuing a fight with you."

"But you fought back and even got the better of me if a few of our trades. Very un-youthful for someone who is suppose to be a taijutsu expert," Lee said somberly. He had rarely lost to anyone other than Neji in a spar, yet here was this new kid he had never met and he had stayed with him using taijutsu, his own specialty.

"Nah I wouldn't look too much into it. You were tired; you got sloppy. Even with that though you were still able to get the better of me at the end. I just used something you weren't expecting," Naruto explained with a smile. "I bet after a long, goodnight sleep you'd be able to kick my butt up and down this training ground, but don't think I'd let you do it that easily."

"That would be a most youthful rematch," Lee agreed with a small smile. It felt good for someone other than his sensei to encourage him and give him praise. He had to admit that the spar was fun and the whiskered boy was spirited. "I never got a name. I have to know my rivals name!"

"Rival huh?" Naruto looked at the hobbled shinobi with a smile. "Ok bring it on then, I won't back down from a fight. You can call me Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto."

Lee's eyes grew wide at the name. He recognized it from the written portion of the exam. And now that he took a closer look he also recognized that the guy who just beat him was the same assistant at the first and second stage. He laughed. "Another genius for a rival."

Naruto snorted at that. "First time anyone's called me that. I'm used to being called 'baka' or 'dobe'. I was labeled as the dead last in my class for the longest time even when I improved. Nah I'm a lot like you Lee, I got better through hard work and determination."

"How do you know so much about me?" Lee asked in mild shock.

"When you're called a genius of hard work then you gain a reputation, one that travels." Naruto looked in front as they walked along the path, a failure holding up another failure, two people who had been dealt a bad hand but continued on. "After what I just saw I would say I have to agree with them: you're a genius of hard work."

Lee looked from the jinchuriki to the ground as the words raced in his mind. A soft smile reached his lips. His head looked back up to the road ahead, a renewed vigor in his beaten visage. "I see more youthful challenges in our future Naruto-kun."

"I'd like that Lee," Naruto said with a thousand-watt smile.

•••••

Hinata walked around and fiddled with her hands. She looked to the corner of her to see her team walking next to her. Kurenai had a small, content smile on her lips, Kiba's grin was wide as he watched Akamaru zigzag across the street they were walking, and Shino walked with his calm demeanor. The team was returning from a training session, well training for Shino.

Kiba and Kurenai had put him through the ringer to get him prepared for the finals that were only days away. Hinata had watched from a distance, her injuries still not allowing her to participate in team activities. Still she enjoyed her time outside and out of the walls of the Hyuga compound.

The group was now walking through the streets looking for a place to eat. They were still in the more industrial area when a building caught Hinata's attention. She paused and turned to see the Konoha Library standing there. The building itself was very ordinary, red bricks with a faded sign and dulled windows. Being in a shinobi village, the more civilian centered buildings were often overlooked.

Hinata stared intently at the door before she squeaked when a yip broke through her thoughts. Hinata looked down to Akamaru who put his paws on her knee and stood on his hind legs. She bent down and scratched him behind his ears earning a low growl of appreciation.

"Hey Hinata why'd ya stop?" Hinata turned to see Kiba and the rest of Team Eight walking her way. "Are you feeling alright?" Kiba asked with a slight hesitation.

Hinata shook her head and looked down at her feet. She stood up and twiddled with her fingers. "Gomen I . . . Um I just saw this building and thought of something."

"A library? Why would you want to go to something like that?" Kiba asked with a confused look on his face.

"There are things that can't always be taught on the battlefield Kiba," Kurenai teased her student. "Maybe if you had actually read your textbooks in the academy you'd know that."

"Hey I read enough to pass," Kiba whined. He turned back to Hinata, ignoring the giggle that came from his sensei. "So why'd this place catch your attention?"

"W-well there is something I want to l-look up," Hinata squeaked out. "I was hoping they'd have something here."

"Hey Akamaru and I can help you. What do you say buddy?" Kiba's response was a whine from his partner. "Don't be a chicken Akamaru it isn't going to be that bad."

"I don't think that is a good idea," Shino said from Kiba's side. "They won't let Akamaru in and last I checked he use to eat your textbooks."

"That was because he was a puppy," Kiba defended his ninken.

"You fed it to him."

"Gomen Kiba-kun bu-but I'll be ok. I don't want you to have to leave Akamaru outside," Hinata said meekly.

"You sure you don't need any help Hinata?" Kurenai offered assistance this time. Seeing Hinata nod her head, she decided to drop the subject. "Well then if you need any help then you know where to find us. We'll save some barbeque for you. Come on you two, we'll have some lunch and get back to work."

Kiba looked from Hinata to the rest of his team that had turned and began walking to the restaurant of their choosing. He looked back before sighing and reluctantly followed. "Hey wait for me!"

Hinata looked back and entered the building. She stood there and fiddled with her fingers as she looked around the library. The library had some old oak tables with lamps on them in the middle of the large room with rows and rows of books and scrolls around with the tables. She walked in and looked at the various aisles.

"Can I help you?" an elderly woman asked. The woman had snow white hair that was pulled up into a clean bun. She wore glasses that covered a few of the wrinkles around her eyes. She gave her a warm smile. She reminded Hinata of a kind grandma. She wore simple clothes and it was obvious she was a civilian.

"Um a-are there any scrolls with village layouts?" Hinata asked curiously.

The woman's smile turned to confusion. She blinked her eyes a few times before smiling again and nodding. "Yes we do. Maps of the city are public knowledge, well mostly. There are some things the Hokage keeps secret. You shinobi and your secrets," she said in a teasing manner.

She led the young Hyuga to the back of the library where it was a bit darker. Hinata noticed some dust that had settled on the shelves of the public records section. The librarian seemed to notice this. "It's hard to keep this place clean. I don't have much help and few people visit. Civilians tend to go to the capital for any research or to help their studies and the shinobi have their own records so they don't visit much either."

"It must be hard to feel left out," Hinata empathized with the older woman.

She only got a shake of the head. "I love books, I've never had to work a day in my life. Sure it can get lonely but whenever I can get to help a young thing like you it always makes my day. Too many kids these days ignore books. Makes this old heart feel good that a member of the younger generation still remembers this place." She stopped and looked around before smiling and nodding. "Here you go miss. These are all the building records of civilian and municipal buildings in Konoha. If you need any help then I'd be more than happy to assist you."

"Arigato," Hinata said with a small bow. She took the most recent book and walked to one the tables. She sat down and began to flip through the book. Thirty minutes went buy before she closed it with a sigh. Maybe I need to go back a bit further.

Hinata repeated this process for hours until she closed the final book, the tenth she had gone through, and put it on top of the ever-growing stack. She sighed again and shook her head with a sad look in her eyes. She hadn't found a thing during her search. She had seen a few plots of lands change hands, building constructed and demolished but no sign of a temple fitting the description she saw in the picture. All the other temples and shrines she found were in the middle of the city or in areas she had remembered in her various walks through the area. She felt her enthusiasm slowly vanish.

"Haven't found what you were looking for?" Hinata turned to see the elderly librarian looking at her with a sad smile. Hinata simply shook her head. "Oh dear well maybe I can help. After all you are the only one here and it is my job to help those that need it."

"Um . . . well I'm looking for an old temple," Hinata explained. "It-It was out in the forests with red pillars and a red roof. It looked like it had a stone path leading up to it."

The old librarian put a finger under her chin and hummed thoughtfully. "Well that's peculiar, maybe we can find something in the Konoha history books," she thought. She walked over to a different area of the library and thumbed through rather large books. Hinata eyes traced the books and saw the history of all the hidden villages, a few clans, the warring clan era and even the shinobi wars. "Hmm it seems that this would be the best book," the white-haired woman said as she reached up and grabbed a small book from the shelf.

Hinata looked at the book that was now in her hands. The History of Shrines and Temples of Hi no Kuni, the book's title read. She thanked the librarian and returned to her desk.

Hinata felt the little hope she had slip as she kept flipping through the book. She had to admit that some of the shrines and temples the book showed were beautiful and ornate, but they weren't what she was after. She was about to give up as she flipped a page near the end of the book. She froze when she stared at a picture of the Shodaime and his wife standing in an old black and white photo, but the building behind them was what really caught her attention.

"The Uzumaki Shrine?" Hinata mumbled as she read the passage. Her eyes were glued to the book as she continued reading. According to the book, the shrine had been built for the Shodaime's wife, Uzumaki Mito, so she could remember her homeland. It was said that it was an act of love from the fame Senju for his wife that also signified the bond between Konoha and the shinobi village of the Uzumaki, Uzushiogakure.

Hinata's eyes ran and ran through the information before finally finding the things she wanted to find out the most: where it was located. Just outside of Konoha's walls a few miles east. She took the book and nearly ran to the front where the librarian was.

"Is there a place where I can copy this?" she asked earnestly.

A few minutes later she went bounding out of the library with a few papers in a manila folder that she kept pressed to her chest. Now to find Naruto-kun.

The elderly librarian just looked at the big stack of books left by the Hyuga heiress and sighed. "Kids these days don't know how to put their things back," she said with a mild annoyance.

•••••

Naruto and Anko walked through the streets and enjoyed the sights and sounds as the crowds had only grown larger and louder, the finals only being a day away. The duo had taken the day off, relatively speaking. They had an early morning spar followed by meetings at the T&I Division that involved security and evacuation measures if anything were to happen. Afterwards they walked around, got some ramen and of course Anko's dango.

Anko looked scanned for another sweet stand when her eyes fell on a sign that got her thinking. With one felt swoop she grabbed Naruto by the back of his collar and started dragging him to their new destination. "Come on saki time to teach something really important."

Hinata found herself walking around with Yuhi Kurenai and enjoying the festival around them. She had been disappointed when she couldn't find the whiskered blonde the previous day but was still enjoying her time, the manila folder still tucked in her jacket incase she were to come across his path.

The pair were walking and enjoying the sights when Kurenai stopped, a distinct voice hitting her ears. "Oi barkeep, two shots of your best whiskey."

"Really Anko-chan?" Kurenai piped as she broke through the crowd to see a stand that was selling alcohol from a neighboring country. "Poisoning your apprentice this young?"

Anko turned with a smile on her face, dango stick between her teeth. "I'm just making sure the gaki knows what good alcohol tastes like and make sure his first drink is with someone that will protect him."

"Like you did when we went out with Genma for his birthday last year? You got him so drink he couldn't hold a senbon his mouth," Kurenai said with a gleam in her eyes.

"I just made sure he had a good time," Anko said with a smile.

"Is that why you blackmailed him?" Kurenai asked with a smile of her own.

"We both know that Kato Shizune won't be returning anytime soon," Anko said with a wave of her hand. "Besides it was an easy way to get free dango for a month."

"You hired a prostitute and took pictures to make it look like her slept with her," Kurenai said deadpanned.

Anko just shrugged her shoulder. "It was a fun night, I don't remember you complaining when you left with a certain smok-" Anko was interrupted when Kurenai slapped a hand over her mouth. Anko swatted it away and started laughing. She stopped when she heard a clang of two glasses on the stands bar. "Oi gaki, bottoms up," she said as she handed one glass to her apprentice who had been watching the exchange with little interest. She took her own glass and clanged it on the glass Naruto was holding before shooting back. She gulped it down and slammed it on the bar with a sigh of satisfaction, the burning feeling good going down her throat.

Naruto looked at the glass and took a sniff, reeling a bit when the smell hit his nostrils. "This is suppose to taste good?"

"It's an acquired taste," Anko told him. "Now stop being a wimp and shoot it back gaki, you're embarrassing me."

Naruto sighed and threw his head back, downing the drink in one gulp. He coughed when he felt the taste burn into his taste buds and the liquid burn his throat as it went down. "This is disgusting," Naruto said through coughs.

"A-are you ok Naruto-kun?"

Naruto looked up, a wide smile blossoming on his face when he saw Hinata standing there, her hands clasped in front of her. He nodded. "Yeah Hinata-chan! Anki-sensei is just trying to kill me with this disgusting stuff."

Anko hit her apprentice on the head before turning to the bartender. "He doesn't know what he's talking about. That is some good stuff, smooth with a pleasant burn." Anko's smile grew wider, she could have fun with this situation. She turned to the two female members of Team Eight. "Oi Kurenai-chan, how would you and your gaki like to have a few drinks with me and mine? I was thinking about vodka next then ordering a bottle of sake and walking around the festival some more."

"Uhuh Anko-chan, not happening. I know what that smile and gleam in your eyes means no good," Kurenai said in a accusatory tone.

Anko feigned hurt as she put a hand over her heart. "Kurenai-chan I'm hurt that you would accuse me of such a thing. I'm only teaching my student about the better parts of life."

"I've heard that one before," Kurenai said with a smile. "Besides I have to get Hinata back home soon. Kiba's running around with Akamaru somewhere and Shino is taking the day off preparing for tomorrow." She turned to Hinata with a small smile. "Let's go Hinata."

"You're such a spoil sport," Anko pouted before turning back and ordering two shots of vodka and a bottle of sake.

Hinata was about to follow her sensei before she remembered something. She turned back and looked at the blond Genin. "N-Naruto-kun I found something you m-might like," Hinata said shyly as she produced the manila folder.

Naruto looked curiously at the folder before opening it and staring wide-eyed at the title. Anko looked over his shoulder with equal wide eyes. "Damn didn't know there was such a thing in Konoha," she said with a whistle.

"Where did you find this Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked, an awed look on his face.

"W-well Otou-sama has a picture of it in the f-family room and I just thought you'd like to know," she squeaked. She turned beat red when Naruto wrapped her in a bear-hug. She tried her hardest to not pass out.

"This is fantastic Hinata-chan! You're the best," he shouted enthusiastically getting many patrons to look at him with raised eyebrows.

"I-it was no-nothing Naruto-kun," she said softly before hearing Kurenai call for her. She turned to leave before feeling a hand grasping her wrist, she turned to see Naruto scratch his cheek with a smile.

"I was wondering, ya know if you didn't have any plans for tomorrow . . . if you wanted to go to the finals with me dattebayo," Naruto asked with slight embarrassment.

Hinata had to calm her racing heart. She felt her cheeks heat up. "I-I-I-I wo-would like tha-that N-Naruto-kun," she squeaked.

"Cool," Naruto said with a thousand watt smile. "How about we meet at the academy and then go to the stadium?" His only response was a nod before Hinata turned and ran into the crowd and the awaiting Kurenai.

Naruto watched the retreating Hyuga with a smile on his face. He lurched forward when Anko wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "That's my gaki! Way to ask her on a date Casanova," she teased with a smile before hearing the clang of two more glasses hitting the bar top.

"I-it isn't a date," Naruto defended before another drink was shoved into his hands.

"Yeah yeah and the Sarutobi's don't smoke. Now drink, we got more stuff to do today," she said before throwing her own shot back.

"But I wanna go check this shrine out," Naruto shrieked.

"You can do that before your date tomorrow. Now drink maggot."

•••••

Sabaku no Rasa was not a happy man at the moment. He was about to plunge his village into a war, an invasion of their only major ally and his partner in the matter was not holding up his part. Dressed in his Kazekage robes, the redhead paced before he heard a slithering sound.

Rasa and his bodyguards turned to see Orochimaru and a few of his own bodyguards materialize out of the rocky terrain of the border of Kaze no Kuni and Kawa no Kuni. He growled at the smile the Sannin member had on his face.

"What the hell were you thinking sending a shoddy Genin team? You promised that you'd be there during the invasion, that was part of the plan to take out the Hokage," he barked at the pale man before him.

"Kukuku my dear Kazekage I still intend to be at the finals. I have my own plans with a few of the Konoha shinobi," he purred.

"Yes, yes the Uchiha prodigy," Rasa waved off. "But tell me how you plan on being in attendance when you have no Genin in the finals?" he asked as he approached the Sannin member with clenched fists.

"I said I would be in attendance," Orochimaru said with a sickly smile. Before Rasa could react a sword was piercing his body. He looked up to see sickly yellow eyes accompanying an equally sickening smile. "I never said you'd be with me."