Chunin Exams: Interlude

Fear and tension hung heavy in the air. Sakura, Sasuke, and Kiba had made it to the tower and were waiting in one of the resting rooms for teams who finished early. A knock sounded at the door causing Team Seven to tense up. The knock was followed by two knocks, then three, then two again. Kiba nodded and Sakura opened the door. Kakashi walked in and the genin relaxed. "What's going on, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked.

"The forest's been secured, and your attacker's gone."

"Who was she…or he…who was that?" Sasuke asked leaning against the corner.

"They're still investigating and will tell us whe-"

"You're lying."

"I am," Kakashi replied rubbing his face. "Sit down." Kakashi locked and sealed the door before sitting on one of the bunk beds in the small room. "The Hokage didn't want me tell you guys this, but he's after you specifically and I think you have a right to know. His name is Orochimaru. He was a student of the Third Hokage and one of the three Legendary Sannin, but he betrayed the village and was branded a traitor.

"But why is he after us?" Sakura asked. This whole situation had her shaken.

"He's not after us," Sasuke replied. "He's after me. Isn't he?" Kiba and Sakura looked between Sasuke and Kakashi as they stared each other down for a few moments.

"He's not after you," Kakashi finally said. "He's after your Sharingan. Going forward we'll need to take precautions to keep all of you safe. Rest for now, I'll update you with new information when I get it."

"Umm, Kakashi-sensei?"

"What is it Sakura?"

"Ziren-sensei and Ms. Mitarashi. They stepped in and saved us. A-are they alright?"

"They're alive, in the hospital recovering, but alive."

Sakura sighed in relief. "We should thank them when the test is over. Shouldn't we Sasuke?" The boy gave no answer, or any indication he had heard her. He had his arms folded and was staring at the ground deep in thought. He had a lot on his mind.

"Speaking of the test when are we going to be let go to complete it?" Kiba asked putting Akamaru on his head.

"Why do you want to leave?" Kakashi asked.

"The test, you know the Second Chunin exams. We never got our Heavenly Scroll."

"But Ms. Mitarashi gave us one," Sakura answered.

"Yeah, gave us. We didn't earn it. We never passed the test. If this Orochimaru's gone then we can go back out and pass."

"That's not a goo-"

"There's no point in us being here if we didn't earn it!"

"Enough!" Kakashi shouted silencing the room. "You three can't leave. That is an order from the Hokage himself. And I wouldn't let you even if it wasn't. Orochimaru wouldn't be here alone. He could have agents anywhere. I'm not serving you three up on a silver platter to him.

"The shinobi from the other villages are watching too. We can't let them know something's going on. Letting a team out once they've been passed would be too suspicious. If you don't like it then suck it up. We are shinobi, we don't put ourselves or our teammates in danger just to placate our pride. This is not a discussion. I'm going to secure the perimeter and talk to the ANBU guards. Remain here. I will fail you back to the academy if I have to."

Kakashi turned and walked out of the door. Sakura sheepishly got up and locked it behind him. "DAMMIT!" Kiba shouted kicking one of the beds. Akamaru whimpered before licking Kiba's face trying to cheer him up. Kiba brushed away his dog before sitting on the bed.

"It's not that bad. We're skilled shinobi, we'll prove our worth in the third test," Sakura began but stopped when Kiba glared at her.

"My dream's to be the best tracker in the world, Sakura. Do you know why. Not because I want the title of best tracker in the world, but because I want to be the best tracker in the world. You don't get to be the best by getting free passes, no matter what bullshit happens to you along the way.

"Kiba's right, we're weak," Sasuke finally said looking up at his teammates.

"Weak? Weak!? We were attacked by one of the Legendary Sannin. Who, I feel I need to remind you guys, put two jonin in the hospital! What could we have possibly done!?"

"He was stronger," Sasuke whispered to himself ignoring Sakura again. She looked to Kiba, but he had turned his back and put his hood up, also ignoring Sakura. She sat against the door in defeat as silence reigned over the room once more.

Ziren entered the Hokage's office the morning after the battle with Orochimaru. Hiruzen was packing tobacco into his pipe. Ziren was worried he was smoking too much lately. But that thought was quickly buried when he saw who else was in the room. Looking out the window all Ziren could see of the man was his red haori and his long silver hair, Jiraiya the Toad Sage. "How are you feeling?" Hiruzen asked once Ziren had taken a seat.

"Sore, weak, exhausted, with some more…unique issues."

"Unique issues?"

"Not going into them, so don't ask. I'll be fine. Eventually. I've already been debriefed, is there something else you wanted to know about the incident?"

"Have you tried working with Anko again to locate Orochimaru?"

"Despite both my and the doctor's objections, yes. Anko agreed to activate her seal again. Orochimaru's gone, or at least outside of my not inconsiderable range."

"So bad news wrapped in good news then. The stress is going to kill me. But yes, there is another reason I've asked you here. Jiraiya."

Jiraiya, finally hearing his name turned away from the window to look at the man who had vexed his thoughts. He looked up at Jiraiya with a perfectly blank expression, the look Jiraiya got from publishers when he negotiated his book deals. Jiraiya wanted to punch him. Jiraiya inwardly jumped in surprise at the thought. He was upset, of course, with failing to properly raise Naruto. But did he personally blame Ziren Adair for that? A part of him did, yes. As much as he knew that was unfair to the man, he couldn't help it. But…no. There was something else here. An animosity buried in his subconscious, almost instinctual. He put the thoughts aside for now and instead focused on the present.

"I'm going to assume you already know who I am and just cut to the chase. I've come to train Naruto to control the Kyuubi's power."

"That's excellent news. I've been sensing more of the beast's chakra in Naruto's system lately. And I'm worried that with another Jinchuuriki in such close proximity that the Kyuubi will be riled up. Do you have a training plan?"

"I have a few ideas, but this is the kind of thing that can't really be planned out too far ahead of time."

"Is that so?" Ziren's skepticism was a physical thing. "Forgive me for saying this Lord Jiraiya, but your reputation precedes you. You're not going to just use this as an excuse to…uh…how to say this diplomatically? Perv on women?"

"Hah, you underestimate me! I am Jiraiya the Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku! One of the three Legendary Sannin, world famous author, and self-proclaimed super pervert!" Jiraiya yelled taking a kabuki stance to accentuate his words. He chuckled to himself before relaxing back to normal. "Or, at least, that's a useful image to project to the rest of the world. You're a smart "merchant" Adair. Surely you understand the importance of playing a role?"

"That I do," Ziren agreed. "I'm also smart enough to know that if one plays a role for long enough, it stops being a role."

Jiraiya barked out a loud laugh before turning to Hiruzen. "Gotta admit Sensei, I underestimated him. You told me not to, but I did anyway." Jiraiya wiped away a tear before looking back at Ziren. "I'm starting to like you Ziren."

"Oh?" Ziren mused a smile on his face. "I doubt that, I doubt that very much. In fact, I would say you hate me. I can feel the passion of your hatred for me very clearly. And this isn't professional hatred…no…I know this flavor of hate. It's personal, it's almost intimate. What insult could I have possibly given you?"

"Saw through that, huh?" Jiraiya instantly dropped his façade of cheer. "Looks like I really did underestimate you." Jiraiya walked to the wall and stared at the picture of the Fourth Hokage hanging there. "Hate's a powerful thing isn't it? Even if you know how destructive it is, how much misery it causes. You still can't sop yourself from feeling it. I don't hate you Adair…well, maybe a little…but I hate myself more. The truth-"

"Jiraiya." Hiruzen said sternly, cutting off his old student.

Jiraiya cleared his throat before turning back. "Sorry about that. Got lost on memory lane. We were discussing training plans."

"Right," Hiruzen said pulling out a folder. "Naruto and his team have already passed the Second Chunin Exam. I was thinking that you and Jiraiya could work jointly with Naruto over the month break until the Third Exam. You can see where you're at and what work needs to be done."

"If I may, you're skilled in Fuuinjutsu, correct, Lord Jiraiya. Naruto's been wanting to learn more about it, but I only know how to break it. If you approach him with the intent to teach him Fuuinjutsu he'll be more receptive to learning about the Kyuubi. He doesn't like talking about it."

"Teaching Naruto Fuuinjutsu, huh…I like that idea. It's a deal," Jiraiya said extending his hand. Ziren got up and took his hand. When he did Jiraiya felt the feeling from before grew stronger at the contact. Animosity was the wrong word for it, too personal, too emotional. No, what he felt was opposition? Antithesis? There was something very off about this man.

"Glad to see you two are on the same page. I need to finish preparations for the Second Exam's finish, so I'll ask you two to discuss the details elsewhere," Hiruzen said gesturing to the door with one hand and slamming a pile of paperwork onto his desk with the other. "Please leave."

"I think that about covers it," Jiraiya said putting away his notebook. He and Ziren had spent the last two hours on top of the Hokage's Tower going over training plans.

"Most of it anyway," Ziren said pulling out his third bag of gummy bears. "There's a few other things, but that's not important right now. Gummy bear?" Jiraiya grabbed a few and chewed them in silence while he regarded Ziren. That feeling hadn't gone away, but he had it controlled to a small simmer. Talking about the mundanities of training had helped. "I have a question of a somewhat delicate nature."

"So long as you're as diplomatic as earlier it shouldn't upset this perv too much."

"Fair enough, deserved that. It's actually about Naruto." Jiraiya watched Ziren. The man was fidgeting and looking around as though he couldn't make up his mind and was planning an escape. He looked up at the Hokage Monument before nodding to himself having come to a decision. "I didn't want to say anything earlier as Hiruzen seemed opposed, but Naruto, he's…" Ziren gulped before turning to look Jiraiya dead in the eyes. "Naruto, he's…he's Minato Namikaze's son, isn't he?"

*CLANG*

Ziren and Jiraiya were locked together, kunai to sword. The knife had was a breath away from striking him. Jiraiya blinked in surprise before jumping back. He looked at the kunai in his hand, he didn't remember drawing it, or attacking. Surprise and confusion at Ziren's question unbalanced him, sent his thoughts spiraling. The opposition he felt surged forward and took over, he had acted on it. Despite knowing he shouldn't have attacked like that, he couldn't bring himself to regret it. He looked up, Ziren still had his sword drawn, a defensive stance ready. Steadying his breathing to calm himself Jiraiya put the knife away. "How the hell do you know that?"

"Well I didn't," Ziren began. He sheathed his sword carefully when he realized Jiraiya wasn't going to attack him again, in the immediate future anyway. "I had suspicions and suppositions, nothing concrete, until now. Thanks for confirming, I guess? I've pissed off two of the Three Legendary Sannin in as many days, what am I doing with my life?" This last part Ziren muttered to himself.

"Only Hiruzen and I know the truth. I made sure of that, I erased every possible record of Naruto's parentage. How did you even have suspicions?"

"Nobuo Takaki."

"What?"

"The answer to your question, Nobuo Takaki. A man who regularly requests the aid of genin teams."

"Explain."

"After I adopted Naruto, I searched for information concerning his birth parents. I found nothing. I looked and looked but it was like Naruto popped into being with the Fox's defeat. I'm sure that helped people's perception of him. I gave up because I found absolutely nothing. I didn't even know if he was an actual Uzumaki or if his surname was purely for memorial purposes. It wasn't until recently that I got my first clue to his origins.

"Naruto's first C-rank mission was to escort a merchant by the name of Nobuo Takaki. A peculiar man, a ninja fanatic and the epitome of routine. Every week without fail he hires a genin team, even if he doesn't actually need to leave the village. While traveling he talked about some of the other shinobi he traveled with. One that he mentioned was Kushina Uzumaki." Ziren felt a flare of recognition from Jiraiya at the name, good.

"That couldn't have been right. I found no Uzumaki shinobi working for Konoha in my investigation, and I investigated thoroughly. So, either Takaki made this girl up," Ziren paused dramatically. "Or someone scrubbed her from Konoha's records. But why? That's the question I kept asking, and I must admit my curiosity was getting the better of me. I pushed my investigation further than what I thought safe, but I wasn't caught so it was all good."

"Get to the point."

"No one appreciates a good story anymore. The point is that there was a hole in Takaki's perfect routine, a week he didn't hire a genin team. I checked the records of Takaki's company and yes, there was a receipt for the hiring of a shinobi team that week. So, either Takaki embezzled exactly enough money hire a genin team, or Konoha's records were erased. Now that I had a timeframe to work with, I was able to narrow my search for this mystery Uzumaki, that's when the inconsistences started adding up.

"Specifically, a class in the academy with seventeen students, that regularly requested equipment for eighteen students. I guess it could be that a teacher was skimming some from the top, but there's not much money in used, dull training kunai. Once is a coincidence, twice is a trend. I was confident that this Kushina was real, but that didn't answer my other question. Why? Why go to so much trouble to pretend she never existed? Was it because she was Naruto's mother? Makes no sense. Was she the last Jinchuuriki of the Nine-tails? Likely, but Naruto didn't receive the same treatment. So, why?"

"You like the sound of your own voice, don't you?"

"Better to a windbag than to be a pervert, wouldn't you say?"

"I still haven't decided if I'm killing you or not. Keep saying stuff like that, it'll make the decision easier. But I'll let you pontificate a little longer."

"Much obliged. It finally clicked when I looked at the class list again. One name stood out against the rest. Minato Namikaze, the future Fourth Hokage. All the pieces came together then. They must have gotten together somehow, either marriage or a one-night stand, or something and Kushina got pregnant."

"They were married, happily."

"Oh good, I'd hoped it was that one. But it explained everything. There are many people who'd want to kill Namikaze's son. You had to protect Naruto by erasing that link."

"Hiruzen and I decided to leave Naruto with his mother's name, so he had some connection to his roots. But from classmates to parents together is a giant leap of logic." Jiraiya chuckled to himself sardonically. "If I hadn't overreacted, you'd have no idea if you were right or not."

"Not quite," Ziren said pulling something out of his pocket. "I had a piece of evidence no else did. "He held it up to the skyline, angling it just so with the Hokage's Monument. Jiraiya walked up and took the photograph from Ziren. It showed Naruto, maybe nine or ten, trying to make a very serious face. It wasn't a very good one. Right next to the photo Jiraiya saw the Fourth's face on the mountain. "They really look alike don't they."

"They…" Jiraiya choked. "They really do." Jiraiya lowered the photo and stared at it.

"What was your relationship to Naruto?"

"I was supposed to be his godfather. I was a really shitty one, wasn't I?"

"Yes, you were." Jiraiya flinched at sting in the words. It was no less than he deserved.

"Does Naruto know?"

"He doesn't. That's the one thing you guys did right. He's too immature to handle a secret that dangerous. Still gets too excited and flaps his lips sometimes."

"I'll need more details on your investigation. I need to alter some things."

"Already took care of it. Records altered, dates erased, bribe-able people character assassinated. No one can follow the path I took."

"You're really protective of Naruto, aren't you?"

"Of course." Jiraiya looked one more time at the picture in his hand before handing it back. Ziren shook his head. "You can keep it, I have plenty of pictures. Think of it as a peace offering."

"I don't know…I don't think this will fit in with the rest of my collection."

"Nope. No, give it back. You've lost picture privileges."

"It's a joke. I accept the peace offering. I hope we can be friends, for Naruto's sake."

Ziren shook his head sadly. "I don't think we'll ever be friends, Jiraiya. I just don't think it's in our natures. But we can at least get along, for Naruto's sake." Ziren started heading for the stairs down when Jiraiya spoke.

"You like asking this question, but I don't think you've ever answered it. Why?"

"Pardon?" Ziren turned back as Jiraiya leaned against the railing.

"You're a resourceful man, Adair. You avoided my detection for eight years, the only one who's pulled something like that is Orochimaru. I'm sure you could've figured out how to deal with the Kyuubi's chakra on your own. Or illegally enter our archives and get the info that way. You've shown you're capable of that at least. So, I ask you, why?"

"I told Hiruzen-"

"Sensei is getting old, sentiment is clouding his judgement. He may have accepted those answers, but not me."

"I've seen a lot of this world, more than most. I don't care for it much. Not the villages, not the nations, not the wars. Especially not the wars. But there is something I do love about this world. I love the people in it. Everyone from the highest Kage to the lowliest farmhand. Everyone has a story, a life, a love, a hope, an ideal. Weaving into the beautiful tapestry that is the world.

"Tell me Jiraiya, how many of these wonderful stories are cruelly ended because of war? Too many. Far too many. For the longest time I thought myself aloof, detached from politics, above it all. Taking in Naruto showed me how arrogant, how foolish I had been. No one's above it all. We're all part of the world, our actions affect it, and the world in turn affects us. So, I made the choice that would allow me to affect the world in the profoundest way.

"Hiruzen has been a stabilizing force in the Elemental Nations ever since he resumed the position of Hokage. No matter how questionable you think his actions, they were done to ensure war wouldn't ravage these lands again. I wanted to help, I want for all stories to reach their natural, peaceful conclusion. I understand the hypocrisy some might find in my words. I have killed in the past, and I have no doubt I'll kill in the future. I am an optimist. I believe we'll achieve that world one day. But that optimism is tempered by realism. There are many who do not want such a world. But above all I want Naruto to be able to achieve his dreams. We couldn't do that outside the system, so we're going to change it from within. That, Jiraiya, is my answer."

Naruto and Hinata were sitting on one side of the magnetic travel chess set and Shino on the other. They were facing him two-on-one. They were losing. Since they finished the test quickly, they were stuck in the tower until the test finished. There was only so much they could do to keep themselves occupied. Kurenai had left to take care of some administrative work. "Check," Shino said moving his knight into position.

"What!?" Naruto shouted staring at the board. Hinata mumbled to herself as she tried to think ahead to see if they could come back, they couldn't. "But we…that's…we can still..."

Hinata patted Naruto's shoulder and shook her head. "W-we can't, Naruto."

"That's 2-0, best three out of five?" Shino asked as he nonchalantly played with a beetle in his hand.

"That's it, when we get out of here, I'm challenging you to ramen eating contest!"

"Unlike you Naruto I do not accept challenges I have no hope of winning," Shino said while packing up the board and pieces.

"I d-don't think anyone w-would accept that k-kind of ch-challenge from you Naruto," Hinata added laying back and sighing in boredom.

Naruto grunted in annoyance and crossed his arms in thought. He snapped his fingers as an idea struck him. "How about a candy eating contest?"

Shino opened his mouth to respond before pausing. He tapped his chin in thought as he processed Naruto's request. "You are a glutton, and that gives you a distinct advantage. However, my sweet tooth is strong. Very well, challenge accepted."

"What about you Hinata? Want in?"

"N-no. I'll s-sit this one out."

"That settles it then, eating contest when we finish the test." Naruto said definitively. A minute passed in silence before Naruto's stomach rumbled. "I'm bored, let's go get some food." The three genin left the room and headed to the "cafeteria." It was just a storage area with a bunch of military rations for the teams that finished early. Going to get them was no walk in the park. Teams tried to better their odds by ambushing other teams that had passed. A few genin had already been disqualified for being caught trying it. With their sensory abilities fully functioning it was easy to get to the food without getting jumped.

Shino ordered his Kikaichῡ to inspect the packages of food for poison before they touched it. "We got company," Naruto said when he sensed others approaching.

"Glad to see you three make it through," Yamaji said as her, Wakai, and Haku entered the room. "I was almost worried that I wouldn't get to fight you."

"What, and not get the chance to kick your ass like Sensei kicked Zabuza's ass? Not likely."

"Lord Zabuza was caught off-guard. He wouldn't have lost otherwise," Yamaji said coming to Zabuza's defense.

"No such thing as a fair fight. If Sensei had the element of surprise, then he was just better."

"So you admit Sir Adair being better was situational?"

"Of course not, Sensei would just find another way to surprise his enemies."

"Yamaji, we are here for food, not idle chatter. Lord Zabuza gave us orders, follow them."

"Yeah, yeah." Yamaji said walking up to the shelves.

"These ones have not been tampered with," Shio said handing Yamaji some rations.

"And you know that how?"

"My Kikaichῡ have been bred to detect and breakdown over two-hundred different poisons and toxins. The Aburame are the premier poison testers on the continent."

"I was reading about the big clans in Konoha?" Yamaji let a Kikaichῡ beetle stuck to the rations packaging crawl onto her hand. "Is it true these things actually live inside you?"

"That is correct." Shino held his arm out as a beetle crawled out of his flesh.

"That's actually pretty cool."

Shino was quiet for a moment before he responded. "You do not find insect living inside my body disturbing?"

"Well…maybe a little. I mean I wouldn't be able to handle it. But if it works for your clan it works. You guys have to be doing something right, you're the premier poison testers on the continent. Although…" Yamaji looked up at the rations before looking back at Shino. "That probably also means your good at poisoning." She tucked the food under her arms. "I'll just feed it to Wacky first, see if anything happens."

"Let us return to our room," Haku said when he saw that Yamaji had their food.

"Hey, you guys wanna play some cards with us?" Naruto asked pulling a deck out of his pocket. "If I have to play Shino in chess again, I'm going to snap the board over my knee."

"Do that Naruto and you'll find a beetle in every bowl of ramen you eat."

"Whoa! Calm down Shino it was just a joke. No need to overreact."

"I am well aware it was a joke Naruto. I was joking too. I would never do something like that, because your revenge would be something behold."

"I'm down for a couple hands," Wakai put in. "I know some fun games from Kiri that are really fun."

"Lord Zabuza told us not to cause trouble."

"We're not causing trouble. Unless you guys want to gamble? I mean…I'm down for that if you guys are?"

"Don't do it," Yamaji interjected. "Waky's a lousy cheat when money's on the table."

"One: it's WAKAI! Two: if I was such a lousy cheat, Yamaji, you would have caught me by now."

"So you admit to cheating?"

"Wakai. Yamaji."

"Fine," Wakai sighed. "Killjoy."

"We apologize for bothering you, we shall be on our way." Haku bowed and ushered his teammates out of the room.

"I-it would have been nice to play w-with someone else f-for a change."

"Another round of chess?"

"Shut-up Shino."

"You give up too easily Naruto, you and Hinata almost put up a fight."

"Sh-shut-up Shino."

"R-right this way, sir." The hostess led him deeper into the restaurant. The woman studiously looked ahead of her. He could see the cold sweat run down her neck. She was scared. Other patrons openly stared at him. A single look sent their eyes back down to their food. The hostess led him into a hallway where their private rooms lay. "H-here you go sir." She opened the door for him. When she closed it behind him he could hear her sigh of relief through the door.

"Glad you chose to show up, Zabuza," Ziren said filling two cups with sake. Zabuza surveyed the room. The table in the middle with Ziren measuring out liquor. The décor was…tasteful? People called décor tasteful, right? Across from him, leaning against the wall was Ziren's sword. It was just out of Ziren's reach, a sign of respect and trust when two sword masters meet. Gingerly Zabuza set the Kubikiribōchō down next to Ziren's sword before taking a seat.

He took the proffered cup and saluted with it before downing the alcohol. He relished the burning feeling as the drink worked its way down his throat. Zabuza sighed in appreciation before setting the cup back down. "Enjoying it?" Ziren asked refilling the cup.

Zabuza sipped the second cup much slower, savoring the taste. "Can't remember the last time I had booze this good."

"Surely Gatō had something decent in his wine cellar?"

"Gatō had shit taste in alcohol. It was the only aspect of his pitiful life he didn't always buy the most expensive item. Why did you call me here?"

"First of all, congratulations on winning the war. And congratulations on your team passing the second test."

"Is the Hokage listening in?"

"Cut to the chase why don't you? It's not like I've had an emotionally trying day and wanted to enjoy some drinks and engaging company. No, no let's get right to business."

"I care about your day, why?"

"Worth a shot to get some compassion points. Forgot who I was talking too. But no, the Hokage did not send me. I'm here to check up on my investment."

"Most people, if they called me an investment, would have their heads rolling on the ground. You've earned enough of my respect for me to see where you're going with this."

"You're a smart man Zabuza, you have to know the effects of the Kiri civil war ending will have on the rest of the Elemental Nations. The world's holding its breath waiting to see what happens next."

"So, you want to get me drunk in the hopes I'll reveal everything?"

"No, I just wanted a drink. Emotionally trying day, remember. But back to the topic at hand, what are the Mizukage's plans for the future?"

"What makes you think I know the Mizukage's plans, and why would I tell you?"

"I let you know about that secret passage, so I figure you owe me. And come on Zabuza, you're the Mizukage's right hand. She listens to your counsel above everyone else's."

"I don't know where you're getting your intelligence, but I'm just a Jonin instructor."

"Tell you what Zabuza, don't treat me like an idiot and I won't treat you like one. I have sources in Kiri, reliable sources. There are a lot of rumors going around, a lot of people calling you Kiri's shadow kage."

Slowly, very slowly Zabuza set his empty cup down. "I will say this once, Ziren. I am not the Mizukage. I am barely even a counselor. And I am not, in anyway, a shadow kage. I turned down the hat because I am the Demon of the Mist. I'm not the one to clean Kiri of its bloody legacy. I was made by it, I am the bloody legacy. Lady Terumi isn't like that, she can lead Kiri into the future. Yes, I advise her on occasion, but I am no kage."

They were interrupted by a knock at the door. "Your food is ready, gentlemen." The waiter placed the food on the table before fleeing Zabuza's glare.

"So, what are Lady Terumi's plans to wash Kiri clean? Oh, try their karaage, it's fantastic."

"Mm, these are good. I'm not going to discuss my village's plans with an enemy shinobi."

"Are we enemies? We fought sure, but that was a strictly professional incident while you were a mercenary. Unless, the Mizukage is throwing her lot in with Kumo?" When Zabuza ignored the bait and kept eating Ziren pressed on. "That's the real reason you've come to the exams isn't it? You're scouting Konoha out as an ally."

"Perhaps I am, perhaps I'm not."

"Fine be cagey. I'll just sense the answer from your emotions."

"I think you overestimate yourself."

"All the time, that's not important."

"Fine, ask your questions. If you think you're so good you might even get an eyebrow lift from me."

"If you're going to be like that, I'll just ask the big one. Are the Mizukage and Water Daimyo really feuding?" Zabuza hesitated for a brief second as he reached for another plate. That was an interesting swirl of emotions there. "I'm right, how interesting."

"'Feuding' gives the Daimyo too much credit."

"Ooh, this sounds spicy."

"I'm sure Sarutobi will love hearing this," Zabuza sighed in defeat.

"Did I forget to mention that?"

"Mention what?"

"I told you I wasn't sent here, I'm not here as a shinobi of the Leaf. What you say here won't be heard by the Hokage. I'm doing this for me. I swear to you as a swordsman what you tell me won't reach the Hokage."

"If not for Konoha, what do you get out of my homelands future?"

"I'm not from Konoha, Zabuza. I've joined relatively recently. Let's just say that I have assets in the Land of Water. With the war over it's time to turn a profit on them. Knowing how events unfold ahead of time maximizes profit."

"You let me live, raid Gatō's treasury, and gave me intelligence that turned the war to our favor…for money?"

"Money's a magical thing, you can do so much with it. It's always good to have a little extra."

Zabuza chucked darkly reaching for more alcohol. "I think I'm finally starting to get you, Ziren." He thought for a moment before nodding. "Very well, I do owe you after all." Zabuza pointed over to Ziren's sword. "Swear on your blade that the Hokage will hear nothing of this."

Ziren stood and picked his sword up. "I swear," Ziren said holding the hilt to his heart.

Nodding in acceptance Zabuza motioned for Ziren to take a seat. "I could use an outside opinion on this anyway. After the war the Water Daimyo put forward a candidate to be the new Mizukage. Let's just say him and the Daimyo were "friendly." All for naught though, Mei Terumi won the hat in a landslide. The Daimyo wasn't pleased. The civil war hit the country hard, and he wanted someone who would answer to him in that position so he could prevent another one."

"He's short-sighted if he thinks a village would be respected if run by a Daimyo's stooge."

"He's desperate, we all were. The war lasted ten years. When Lady Terumi started ruling as the Mizukage the Daimyo started making her job pointlessly difficult. Second guessing her decisions, calling her to his side to ruin her schedule, putting useless riders in terms for the rebuilding funds. Mei has a hard-enough job as it is, she doesn't need this jackass making it harder."

"Making her tenure as Mizukage ineffective. People get fed up, replace her with the Daimyo's stooge, and suddenly things start getting done. It could work, but at what price?"

"That's his plan, and too great a price. Kiri can't afford this type of politicking right now. His agent has already started spreading rumors about how much more effective he'd be."

"Has no one looked at Suna and Wind lately? That's what your Daimyo wants. Two people too stubborn to work together making everyone's lives harder. What has the Mizukage done in response?"

"She's been trying to compromise with him, reason with him, even capitulated a few times. It's not going to work though, not until the Daimyo gets what he wants. She's too inexperienced to deal with this problem. Running a resistance is apparently a lot easier than running a government. So I took the burden on myself, and am solving the problem."

"Zabuza," Ziren felt the air leave the room as the implications of Zabuza's word fell on him like a weight. "Are you planning a coup?"

"Not planning, planned. The plans have already been put in motion."

Ziren picked up a cup and the bottle of sake. He stared at the cup for a moment before dropping it and drinking from the bottle instead. "Are you serious!? Kiri just got out of ten-year long civil war, and you're throwing it right into another. Even if the rest of the nobles don't have evidence, they'll know the village is involved. This isn't going to end without war."

"Don't underestimate me, Ziren. I am aware the other nobles will know. Which is why I made sure the man taking over the throne was involved since step one. Our crimes are his crimes. He's the scapegoat that'll ensure there is no blame on Kiri. Not only that, but the plan is for the coup to occur just before Konoha's Third Chunin Exam. Since Kiri shinobi have made it to the third round Lady Terumi will be invited to watch. Which means that both Terumi and I will be out of the country when it happens."

Ziren finished off the bottle of booze before he spoke again. "And who are you putting on the throne?"

" A noble by the name of Sawa Shiro."

"Why am I surprised it's him, why'd I think it was anyone else? Listen up Zabuza. Sawa Shiro is not human, he is ambition wrapped in human skin. You do know he orchestrated the death of his three older brothers, right?"

"Allegedly. You're well-informed about the Water Daimyo's court."

"I'm well-informed on all Daimyo's courts, don't try to change the subject. Shiro will not stand to share power with someone else, kage or otherwise, and he especially won't be content sharing it with a woman. You haven't solved the problem, just kicked it down the road some."

"And when we must deal with it, Lady Terumi will be more entrenched in her position and will have the experience required. I did what needed doing, and I'm prepared to pay the price for those actions."

"Of course you're prepared to pay the price you short-sighted moron! People like you are always prepared to pay the price. Have you stopped and considered that you aren't the only one that's going to be paying? If your plan doesn't work then Kiri will be drenched in blood again, the Land of Water will be drenched in blood again."

"Do not judge me, Adair! Do you think I made this choice lightly? I know the cost of war, I would not have gone down this path if there were any other option available to me."

"Tell me Zabuza, how many of these options didn't involve bloodshed?" The Demon of the Mist narrowed his eyes in anger. "Does Lady Terumi even know?"

"She doesn't need to know. The plan will work, Kiri will be free to recover."

Ziren held Zabuza's gaze for a moment before sighing and hanging his head. "You're right Zabuza, you can't clean Kiri of its bloody legacy. You are as much a product of it as you claim."

"Now you understand why I couldn't accept the position of the Mizukage."

"I understand, Zabuza. I understand perfectly well. But answer this, just a Jonin instructor. Planning a coup against your government behind the back of your Mizukage, doesn't that sound like something a shadow kage would do?" Zabuza opened his mouth to retort but was cut off by Ziren. "Don't say anything, I'm not the one who needs to hear the answer. I have some business to take care. Enjoy the food, it's all payed for." Ziren grabbed his sword and opened the door to leave before turning back. "And I hope for your sake, for everyone's sake, that your plan succeeds."

The air in the tower war electric, the final day of the exams had finally come. All passing teams were standing in rows at the base of the tower. Every genin stood tall and proud as their jonin instructors stood on a raised dais at the back of the room beneath a statue of two hands forming a seal. In the center of these shinobi stood the Hokage. Despite his short stature he seemed to fill the room and managed to cow even the rowdiest genin.

"Have to say I'm almost impressed with your performance, maggots!" Anko shouted striding in to the room. The genin quieted instantly when the proctor entered the room. She stood in front of them, surveying those that passed. "Almost." She pulled out a clipboard and started reading. "Number 32 you used a C-rank wind ninjutsu, you and your team are disqualified."

"What do you me-" the genin was cut off as a kunai sliced his cheek.

"Don't interrupt me. I told you no techniques ranked D or above. Did you really think we weren't paying attention? Number 87 you used a D-rank genjutsu and Number 138 you used a B-rank fire technique. Very impressive, give yourself a pat on the back, now get out of my tower." The disqualified genin started protesting but were silenced with one look from Hiruzen. Acknowledging their defeat, the disqualified genin filed out of the room. This left seven teams remaining, twenty-one genin.

Naruto looked around, checking out the competition. Choji, Shikamaru, and Ino passed. Kiba's team passed too, though they looked sullen for some reason. Yamaji and her team passed, which he knew. Naruto saw Hinata's cousin, Neji, and his team as well. There was also a team from Oto that passed. But above all Gaara passed. He had been glaring a hole in the back of Naruto's head this entire time. Naruto locked gazes with him for a second before turning back to the front.

"Now that the losers are gone I can say, unequivocally, that I am impressed with your performance in the test. Congratulations!" Anko shouted getting a cheer from some of the genin. Before we continue the Hokage would like a say something."

"Thank you, Anko," Hiruzen said stepping forward. "I would also like to congratulate everyone who passed. And to commemorate your passing I wish to tell you the true nature of the Chunin Exams." The electric atmosphere sobered quickly at Hiruzen's words. "We have all allied nations send their genin to participate in one exam instead of having multiple individual exams. This is to promote friendship and cooperation among the villages. Or that is what we tell civilians. I tell you this, so you understand the truth about the world you're entering. The true nature of the Chunin Exams…is war."

Mumbling came from the genin when Hiruzen said this. "Do you not find the way the villages operate to be paradoxical?" Unbidden Shinkō's words bubbled up from Naruto's memories. "What do you mean by war?" Naruto finally asked.

"If you look back at history, all of us allies were once enemies. It is possible we will be enemies again," Hiruzen explained. "The village is the nation's strength; the shinobi are the village's strength. The Chunin Exams allows us to demonstrate our power to the Daimyo's as well as to each other. They are a warning to each other. 'This is our power, fear us.' And so, we wage this war in miniature, risking your lives. That is what it means to be a shinobi, to offer your lives for the sake of the village, for the sake of your home. For it is only when lives are on the line do we discover our true power. And with that true power show the rest of the world our strength. That is the true purpose of the Chunin Exams. So, continue risking your lives, and reach your true potential."

Hiruzen finished and let the silence linger, letting his words sink in. Once a minute had passed, he opened his mouth to continue when another shinobi appeared. "If I may, Lord Hokage?" Hiruzen nodded. "I am Hayate Gekkou, the proctor of the Third Chunin Exam. Before we move onto the next exam, we need to narrow down the competitors with a preliminary."

"A preliminary!? But didn't we already pass the test?" Sakura asked.

"As the Hokage mentioned many important people come to watch the Third Exam. We can't waste their time with a long, drawn out tournament. Normally we only have half this many genin make it this far. To narrow down the participants a preliminary is held. If anyone doesn't want to participate, now's the time to say so."

"I forfeit." Every genin turned to look at Kiba. "I'm out."

"Very well. You may leave." Kiba turned and began heading for the exit. Sasuke ignored him, and Sakura couldn't look him in the eye.

"Afraid to fight, little pup?" Kankuro asked as Kiba walked past him.

"I got my own reasons. If you want to fight come find me after and I'll kick your ass."

"Pretty big talk for a quitter."

"Say what you want, but I could smell the grease a mile away." Kiba patted Akamaru on the head before leaving the tower behind.

"Dosu." Dosu looked away from the proctor as he explained the preliminaries to his jonin instructor. His facial features were hidden behind an expertly made mask, but the white hair was a dead give-away. "You have bee given orders from the top." He spoke so quietly that only Dosu with his super hearing could pick it up. "Crush him, break him, but do not kill him." Dosu was about to signal who he was supposed to crush when his eyes were drawn to a large electronic display near the ceiling showing the combatants in the first preliminary battle. Dosu Kinuta vs. Sasuke Uchiha.