"This tastes really good mom!" Sakura beamed with an appreciative smile as she ate dinner with her family. Having returned home from The Exams she had told them that she had advanced to the next stage being held next month and Mebuki had cooked Sakura's favorite meal so to celebrate the occasion. Sakura had eagerly dug in having missed her mother's cooking as living off of what you could get by foraging had gotten tiresome after so long

"Eat up, there's plenty more to have." Mebuki seated across said to her daughter with a smile.

"I'm proud of you Sakura," Kizashi told her. "Unlike me, you made it past the Preliminaries on your first try. I couldn't even get past the Forest of Death when I first attempted The Chunin Exams." He said a beaming smile full of pride for his daughter. She had not only won but had proven everyone's assumptions and beliefs about her wrong.

"Thank you Dad," Sakura replied to him. "I couldn't have made it if you and Mom hadn't believed in me." She said to them

After eating supper Sakura went to help Mebuki out with the dishes as they began cleaning up.

A frantic knock suddenly burst the mood catching Sakura's attention. Her mother and father were also surprised at what just happened as none of them had been expecting anyone to appear at this hour.

The knock happened again and this time it sounded like someone was banging and pounding on the door. With a bit of hesitation, Sakura approached the door stepping lightly towards it ignoring her mother's calls. She reached the door and grasped the knob handle on it.

She opened the door and saw the person standing there in the doorway.

"Naruto?!" She exclaimed in shock as he fell to the floor and she caught him before he did just barely missing the floor as he collapsed.

"Sakura…is that you?" Naruto weakly said. His body was covered with bruises and welts as though he had been assaulted. He was moving his head around as if trying to find her.

"Naruto, it's me. What's gotten into you?" She said and his hand moved about as if trying to find her and she grasped it and pressed it against her face to let him know she was here. "Who did this to you?"

"Mebuki get some towels and medicine!" Kizashi yelled to his wife who nodded her head and left to get them as he joined his daughter.

"Help me…" Naruto said as he was in pain as he had cuts on his head and was bleeding from it.

"Naruto stay with me!" Sakura shouted as he was fading from the pain having succumbed to it. She did not know what was happening or who could have done this to him. Naruto could barely make sense of his surroundings.

"Sakura…" Kizashi said in a grave tone to her and she saw sweat on her father's face as he looked on at Naruto and she saw his face and she gasped in terror

His eyes, they were glazed and milked over. They were moving but he did not appear to be seeing anything as panic and fear was on his face as she realized what that meant.

He was blind…

Elsewhere Gaara of The Sand sat on the building of the roof his sand swirling out from his gourd. The Red Haired Jinchuurki sat there not moving a muscle.

He had sensed a fight having erupted earlier but did not take part in it. He saw no reason to do so, it would have been pointless if he had anyway. Bringing a hand up he formed into a fist and the sand around him hardened through his command. The ninja stood up his arms still folded across his chest as he looked on.

"I know you're here, show yourself." He called out having sensed a presence. A ninja, a female one clad in green and yellow appeared and had a smug look on her face.

"So you have some skill of perception after all." She said and wore a hitai-ate of Iwagakure but had a slash through it symbolizing her as a missing nin. "Doesn't matter it won't help you." She said to him. "Your life ends this night." She proclaimed and with her as well were a group of four ninja. Some missing nin as well, while two of them were the teammates of Kabuto who had been defeated in the Exams.

"Another assassin." Gaara said as if bored not bothering to turn around to face her. She was the latest attempt on his life it appeared. While he hardly cared for it, they've been happening more recently he noticed, ever since his father met with the pale snake man and talking about this attack he had been using his sand eye to spy on.

"Hey, look at me when I'm talking to you." She demanded angry that he would not show her the proper respect. "After all, don't you want to see the person who kills you?" She said to him.

"No…" Gaara dryly replied still not facing her.

"Suit yourself," The Kunoichi said to him. "I'm an A Class Chunin, a master of Earth Style Jutsu. I know all about you and have also studied and know Sand Jutsu as well." She proclaimed to him. "So your little sand tricks I've heard about regarding your gourd won't work against me as I'll take just control of them." She said as she got into a fighting stance and the ones with her drew out their weapons preparing to attack him all at once.

Gaara looked on up staring at the moon. "The Moon, its full tonight." He calmly said as he looked on at it.

"So what about it?" She asked him looking on.

"You maybe confident of your skill and perhaps deservedly so, and on a different day and night, I likely would have had some trouble with you." Gaara said and The Kunoichi suddenly felt something resonating from him. Something much more vicious. "However, on nights like this when the moon is full…that is when he is at his most wild and brutal." Gaara said as he uncrossed his arms. "Which I have little means of stopping him when he wants out."

"Hey, what's going on? What do you mean he?" She said as she backed up a step not sure what was happening as one of Gaara's hands started to transform becoming more claw like and covered in a substance and other parts of his body were starting to as well as the beast within was being set loose. Those with her started to lose their composure at what was happening and she hissed sharply at them for being cowards.

Although she felt fear herself…

"Farewell…" Gaara said his voice having changed tone as he turned around and looked at her for the first and last time as he lashed out and attacked.

Upon hearing what had happened to his student first thing that morning, Kakashi had immediately rushed over to Sakura's house to check on him. They had hoped it was just a minor setback and his vision would restore itself, but Naruto was still blind even after the night had passed. Mebuki had tended to him, a ninja she was not but she had enough knowledge of ointments and medicine to give him to help soothe the pain his body was in. None in the Haruno household had gotten even an hour of sleep after what had happened

Kakashi after going there had taken Naruto to the hospital for a checkup to see if they could help him with medics and using healing jutsu. Despite their efforts however, they couldn't restore his sight. They ran analysis and discovered the source of his blindness after doing blood work. After having done so, Kakashi had taken and guided Naruto to The Hokage's office to inform him of what had happened and the actions done last night.

Naruto seated beside him had bandages across his face, covering up his eyes. He sat there a scowl on his face as The Hokage looked on at him.

"That's enough!" Dosu Kinuta ordered them commanding the three to stop what they were doing having watched it happen. "I can't very well defeat him a month from now if he's not alive." He told them and they stopped their beat down and pulled Naruto up to his knees holding him up by his arms

Naruto, blood stemming from his head from the pummeling he had gotten from them looked on through his bruised face as he was held up by the three ninjas. The ambushers had beaten the daylights out of him after he had been lured into the trap that Dosu had purposely lead him to. The entire thing was a setup all along, Dosu had lured Naruto here knowing that he would follow him and when he did, the three had attacked him. Unprepared for the assault, Naruto had been brutalized and beaten down.

Naruto struggled to lift his head up, not an inch of his body had not been hit or beaten by them.

"Rash as well as idiotic…" Dosu said with a sneer behind his bandaged face as he looked on at Naruto. Naruto despite his state glared and bringing his lips together spat right at him. Dosu narrowed his lone eye and brought his gauntlet covered arm up and struck him across the face with it. Naruto's head ringed from the blow across his skull. "I've met plenty of your kind multiple times and each one I've defeated the same way." He said to Naruto. "The first sign and chance they get, they run headlong, unaware of the fact that its exactly what I went them to do." He said and struck Naruto across the face again.

Naruto cried out from the steel gauntlet colliding against his head but he raised his head back up, no matter how many times they hit him or tortured him, he would not fall down.

Dosu stared at him angry at how defiant it was. "From the moment I saw you I hated that look on your face." He said to him. "I suppose I'll have to fix that then." He stated and reached into his pocket and pulled out an object.

It looked like an egg but was painted black, similar to the ones Naruto had been working on during his training. Naruto's eyes widened in realization as he knew what it was.

Dosu crushed it in his fist and taking it in hand threw it right in Naruto's face, the powder going directly into his eyes. Naruto screamed in agony as it went right into his face unable to defend himself as everything began to go dark.

"It's a rare type of poison he's been infected with, from a toxic plant that grows only deep in the wastelands of The Land of Wind." Kakashi said to The Sandaime as he explained the source of Naruto's blindness. "Its used to blind people and has been used as a means of torture. Its effect is temporary but we have no idea how long its effect can last. Days, Weeks, Months it can be before his sight returns." He told The Sandaime who nodded a grim look on his face.

"I see, how reprehensible." He said in disgust at what had happened. This isn't what The Exams were about, they were to be a test of skill and goodwill between neighboring countries, not sabotage and crippling others as such had been done. This as well as the news he had received beforehand that a body of a Earth Ninja had been found dead in the alleys with severe wounds and slashes this morning was startling.

Sarutobi pondered this events, a feeling that they were linked together despite seeming as far off as possible. The poison that Kakashi described, it seemed like that which was only found in The Red Sands of Suna in that which only a Puppeteer of renown infamy of theirs would use due to how cruel it was.

"The other wounds he got will heal and recover on their own in a matter of days. He's lucky he didn't have a concussion from the blows he took to the head." Kakashi spoke up. "However there's nothing I'm afraid we can do for his lost of sight. Sakura and her family have let him stay with them last night and I think they will continue to do so until he heals."

"Good." The Sandaime pleased at their hospitability they were showing towards Naruto in his state.

"I fear however that this ambush by the Sound Ninja was more than just trying to eliminate a potential opponent for the Exams." Kakashi said as Sarutobi looked on. "I believe that the Ruler of this new Village has sinister motives." He said and Sarutobi caught his expression and knew that it was serious what he was telling him and wanted to talk to him in private.

"I see, I'll have Naruto escorted back to the Haruno household Kakashi I assume there's more you wish to discuss with me?"

"Yes." He replied and Naruto feeling as though they were talking as though he wasn't even there spoke up for the first time.

"But what about my fight?" He protested at what he was hearing.

"Dosu will be disqualified and removed for his actions that he did, the fight between you will be called off." Sarutobi explained to him.

"What? No you can't." Naruto said speaking up anger in his voice at what they were saying. "I'm going to beat that guy." He said to them in defiance at what he was told.

"Naruto you are in no condition to fight." The Sandaime told him. "It'll be months before you can be able to resume being a ninja I'm afraid."

"I don't care, I'm not going to drop out and let that bastard win. I'll fight him and beat his ass there." He told them clutching a hand into his fist.

"Naruto be reasonable, you can't win, not in your state. I'm sorry but you're going to have to dropout, there'll be more Exams and opportunities for you to become Chunin." Kakashi said to The Genin.

"No!" Naruto exclaimed in anger. "Screw you guys! I'm not dropping out and that's final!" He said and stood up." I'm going to train, even by myself if I have to and I'll beat him and I will win The Tournament!" He said and turning around stomped loudly over to the door and pulling it open went through and slammed the door shut.

"Naruto," Sarutobi called out to him after his display. "That is my bathroom you just walked into."

Orochimaru sat on his throne in his private chambers. His arms were resting on the edges of it which befitting his nature were shaped like the head of a snake. He sat there looking on at the ninja before him. While he appeared calm in truth he was on the verge of murdering the impetuous shinobi before him.

Dosu Kinuta stood before his master, The Bandaged Ninja standing there looking on at him.

In the background behind them were three men, the ones who Dosu had taken with him to attack Naruto. One had on an elastic suit covering him, the second had pale skin and orange shades while the third who stood in the middle had on a gas mask covering his face and streams of smoke emitted from it.

Those three were the ones who had gone with Dosu to put his ambush into place. Having followed his orders and attacked and beaten down Naruto

"I don't recall having gave no such orders for you to attack." Orochimaru said to him. "You've risked exposing my hands to Konoha due to your actions." His words hinting at his displeasure of Dosu acting independent just now. He did not mind if his men had a vendetta against others of The Leaf, but he had no desire for them to draw attention or make a spectacle out of it and ruin his plans before they started.

"What's done is done, The fool has been blinded and weakened. He'll be of no threat to anyone." Dosu replied to him but Orochimaru wasn't amused.

"He hardly was a threat at all." He stated to him. "Any other time I'd have you significantly punished as a lesson, but right now in the exams you're more worth to me alive and stable. Get out," He ordered him and Dosu took that as his incentive to leave which he did

"Dosu," Orochimaru suddenly called out to him. "Never act without my permission ever again. Is that clear?" He warned him and a snake slithered out of his sleeve baring its fangs as a message of what would happen should he go maverick again.

The three remaining ninjas in the room shifted as they dared to move

"You three stay." Orochimaru said suddenly stopping them from leaving and he turned his attention to them as he stood up from his throne. "I gave you three powers when I experimented on you and yet you choose to go and follow the words of a easily replaceable Genin." He said as he stood up. "I am the one who is in charge and makes the commands! Not anyone else!" He snarled at them his killing intent filling the room aimed right at them.

"Give me one reason why I should allow any of you to leave this room!" He shouted at them as he was preparing to kill them all himself.

The one in the middle backed up as if trying to make a break for it and run, but he'd get five feet at most before he found himself skewered on a blade.

But he had no intention of running…

The one on the left suddenly let out a gurgled cry of pain and fell over to the floor a cutting blow on his back from the other who had stabbed him in his unprotected back blood emerging from it..

Orochimaru looked on a bit surprised at his actions but a smirk showed on his face. "It's not enough." He told him.

Wrapping his arms around the neck of the other who struggled to break free but couldn't break the hold.

A loud snapping sound was heard and the man's arms dropped to his side as he went limp and the mask wearing ninja dropped him to the ground with a thud

Orochimaru witnessed the sight and allowed a smile to form on his face and nodded his head in approval at how he had turned on his own teammates in order to save himself.

"Very well Kigiri, I had planned on you three being sent on a suicide mission against The Suna Jinchuurki as I have done with others to test his power but you have proven just how far you will go to me. You shall live." He informed him as he had sent out prisoners, missing nins and those he had no use for, promising them great rewards if they could defeat Gaara unaware that they were being lead to their deaths.

Kigiri bowed his head in recognition as smoke from the mask he wore emitted and covered up the two not yet dead bodies.

The long haired Oto kunoichi sat on her knees on the floor behind her was another woman, this one older with ivory like skin and dark blue hair done in a bob style. The woman had a comb in her hand and was stroking Kin's head with it. Running the edges of the comb over her long hair.

"My Daughter, I'm quite pleased with your success." The elder woman said to Kin who sat very still not moving a muscle as she took hold of her hair and ran the comb through it. Down from her head from her shoulders and past her back. "You made your Mother very proud my dear Daughter." The woman said with a smile, and yet nothing was pleasant in it.

Kin slightly nodded her head still not moving as she felt her ''mother'' lift her hair up by the back and expose her neck.

"I was so pleased to hear you succeed and advance." The woman said as she took Kin's hair in hand. "I was afraid of what I must do should you fail and disappoint me." She said as she twisted her hair in hand and if it had been around Kin's neck, would have snapped it like a twig and her long nails would've punctured her flesh. "So would have been our Master, disappointing him is the same as disappointing me after all." She lightly chastised Kin as she fiddled with her hair and continued to comb it, the tips of it laced with poison from the body of a pufferfish which was the reason for her staying still as one movement could cause her to slip up and nick and infect her skin with it. If that happened, Kin's fate was sealed.

"Remember my Daughter." The woman said to Kin. "Show no mercy, give no quarter ever." She said a hiss in her voice as a snarling look appeared on her face as Kin remained emotionless. "Kill all those in front of you. Serve your Mother well, or be punished for your failure." She said before her face returned to its normal doting look much unlike the wild animalistic visage she had just displayed. "There, all done." She said as she put Kin's hair down. "You may go now." She said and gave her cheek a playful kiss as if a mother saying goodbye to a child on its way to school

Kin stood up and hastily left the one person who inspired nothing but fear in her heart.

Sakura looked on from a distance at the figure seated on the bed in the room. She watched on as he sat there his eyes covered up by the bandages he wore as he barely moved a muscle.

Naruto had no family, relatives or guardian, so Kizashi and Mebuki had opened up their home to him and let him stay with them during the time period until he recovered. He was staying in a spare bedroom they had in their home. Welcoming him with zero hesitation on the matter. She hadn't even have to ask them if they would as Kizashi had wasted little time in making the spare room livable for him.

She had meant to start her training against her upcoming opponent for next month immediately today, she knew she had to get ready for her fight against Kin Tsuchi who would be a deadly foe to face, but upon finding Naruto at her doorstep and seeing him in the state he was in she had to put it on hold so she could help him with the condition that he was now in.

Naruto continued to sit there on the bed. A constant look of anger on his face. Despite his eyes being covered up she could tell that that was in them as well as despair over what had happened. He had proclaimed that he would become Chunin and now he was being forced to dropout.

Sakura looked on at him and shook her head. Quite a change from what had happened to him with his predicament. She wished she knew a way to help him. To give him some comfort, but right now if she tired she would likely only risk angering him and make him say something he didn't want to. She knew he only wanted to be left alone right now. Perhaps in an hour she'll talk to him.

There was suddenly a knock on the front door drawing her attention.

"I'll get it." She said and walked to the door and opened it. "Sasuke?" Sakura said a bit surprised at who she saw standing before her in the entrance to her home.

"Sakura." Sasuke Uchiha replied to her as this was the first time that Sasuke had ever shown up at her door. "How are you?" He asked as they hadn't seen one another since the preliminaries.

"I'm fine, Naruto is as well."

"Is he? I heard he got into an incident."

"Yes…Naruto's blind right now Sasuke." Sakura said to him letting him know what had happened. "His vision has been taken from him." She said looking for any sign from Sasuke about what had happened to their teammate but other than a brief nod of his head he made no other action.

"Naruto is living with us until his sight returns, he's staying at a spare bedroom we have. He got attacked chasing after someone and apparently they hit him with something that has blinded him." She told him letting him know why Naruto who had no living family or relatives was staying with them.

"Hmph, I shouldn't be surprised." Sasuke said and Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Only a matter of time before something like this happened. But enough about him, I have something to discuss with you. Something important."

"Oh?" Sakura replied a bit curious at what he wanted to discuss with her.

"Yes, I have been thinking over something regarding you." Sasuke said to her and Sakura looked on at him.

"When you turn eighteen, I want you to carry my child." Sasuke told her and Sakura's eyes widened threatening to pop out of her head at what he just told her. "I decided after thinking it over that you'd be the best fit to carry on the next generation of Uchiha." He said to her as she had to double check to see if he had said what she thought he said.

Sakura looked on at him his words filling her mind. He wanted her? He wanted her to bear and be the mother to his children. He had chosen her out of all the girls to do so. She was to be the bearer of his children.

"After I've avenged my family, I will start a new Uchiha family and of all the girls I know, I've decided that you will do to be the mother of my children." Sasuke said to Sakura who looked on at him her head wrapping around what he was saying.

"W-What?" Sakura said her voice shaking at what she had just heard right now

"I've given it thought and out of all the females I know and encountered, I believe that you'd be the best fit to bear my child so that the Uchiha Clan shall be reborn. You shall be The Matriarch of it." Sasuke said to her as he made her an offer. "Bear me a strong child so that the Uchiha can expand once again and its greatness shall forever be known and never be snuffed it like it has been." Sasuke said to her.

Beforehand she would have been elated and thrilled that he had selected her, that he had wanted her. This having been the one thing she had dreamed of.

But now…

This was no life; being the mother to a child of a detached figure who only saw the use for her was as breeding stock. And even if she gave him a son or daughter, he'd probably just take it away and tell her to give him another one. The only value was in how fast she could give him a child and if she couldn't, find someone else who could. He wasn't seeing her or wanting her as a person, but only as a tool that he could use.

That was no relationship, no life to be had. Not an ounce of love to be found in it. She wanted a life with someone who'd love her as a person and not just as an object. That would be nothing but a farce of a marriage, a shallow parody of what a real one should be like which she would find herself hating at being stuck in.

"Do you accept?"

"No," Sakura slowly replied and Sasuke looked on at her confusion in his eyes at what she just said. "I refuse your offer Sasuke."

"What?" Sasuke told her not understanding what she was saying. She should have automatically said yes. Always before that was all she ever talked about. And now that he had given her an offer, she had rejected it? "What do you mean?"

"That's not the future that I've envisioned Sasuke, I'm more than just a baby popping machine for you or anyone." Sakura told him. "I'm sorry but if you want me, if you really want me, prove that you actually deserve my attention and love, instead of thinking that I'll automatically be with you just because you said so."

"You're making a mistake." Sasuke warned her a frown forming on his face. "I'm giving you an offer you wouldn't ever receive again."

"Love isn't some cheap bargaining chip that people can use whenever they feel like and take for granted like you believe Sasuke." Sakura told him. "I value love greatly and would rather be in love with a poor pig Farmer than be stuck as the trophy of a Daimyo. Now, if you don't have anything else to say or do here I'd please ask you to leave as I have matters to attend to."

"You're being foolish." Sasuke said as he took a step forward. What was she getting off on, love? That was only a simple tool to be used the same way of a kunai or shuriken.

"My Daughter has politely asked you to leave." Kizashi Haruno said as her father stepped into view standing behind Sakura a warning frown on his face. "And I ask as well that you leave before any unwanted trouble springs up." He said letting Sasuke know he wasn't tolerating anything.

Sasuke looked on at them before turning around and departing and leaving. The two watched on as his figure disappeared down the street

Naruto sat on the bed in the spare room. He had heard Sakura and Sasuke's voices talking from earlier and wondered what was going on out there, but he wasn't thinking about it as he sat there a miserable look on his face over all that had happened.

In less than one night, his dreams and goals had went down the toilet and no matter how they put it, that bastard who did this to him won in the end. He cursed to himself angrily, Dosu had won and destroyed everything he had fought for.

He couldn't even go down the hallway without someone guiding him, that was how helpless he was right now. Having lived by himself for years, he hated that he now had to rely on people just to do the simplest of tasks. He grudgingly was forced to admit that Kakashi and Sarutobi was right, he couldn't compete at this state.

"Naruto," Mebuki's voice was heard and he shifted his head to where her voice was coming from. "There is someone here that wishes to see you." She told him as she stood in the doorway speaking to him.

"I don't want to see anyone." He mumbled to her as he didn't want to see anybody right now. He just wanted to be left alone.

Footsteps were heard as somebody stepped into the room.

"I said I didn't want to see anyone." He said in an annoyed tone.

"Too bad," A voice, a voice that wasn't Mebuki nor anyone he recognized said. "I've come to see you whether you want company or not." The male voice said to Naruto.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked but the man did not give his name.

"I hear you've decided to go ahead and give up, from what I heard I didn't take you for a quitter." The man said and it sounded like disappointment was in his voice.

"I'm no quitter." Naruto said a scowl on his mouth as the man was mocking him.

"Are you? If that's the case then why are you seating there sulking?" The man asked him and Naruto gritted his teeth as he had enough of this. "Unless sitting like a bump on a log and being less productive than the Nara's is your training method." The mysterious man said to Naruto

"Get out!" Naruto ordered him and the man let out a chuckle.

"Good, you got some fire in you after all." He said as if pleased. "How come you're not using that fire to motivate yourself and get out there and train then?" He asked Naruto and there was not a hint of mocking in it.

"They told me I can't compete due to what's happened." Naruto said wondering who this guy was.

"From what I heard, people said you've never become a ninja and you never let that stop you before. Way I see it, you just need someone who can train you for this next month."

"And you're the one who's going to train me?" Naruto said dryly not expecting an answer.

"Precisely." The man said and a look of shock appeared on Naruto's face at what he just said.

"I'm going to train you, I've met with Sarutobi and the Old Man has given me permission to train you for this month until the Exams resume. You're going to be learning under me for this period." He told Naruto. "I know you want to get back in there, that's why I'm here with you now. Trust me Naruto, you want nothing more than to get back at the person who did this to you and I'm going to see to it that you do. From what I've heard, everyone's already written you off as having dropped out. What do you say we prove them the hell wrong and show them that no burden is too great to overcome?"

"But I can't see." Naruto told him and he heard the man scoff as if that wasn't important.

"So? What difference does that make? There's been ninja who've been born deaf, blind or missing a limb and still became a damn good one. Instead of sitting there crying about the lousy hand of cards you've been dealt by life, how about instead that you find a way to win with them." He told Naruto. "Life's not fair, anyone can tell you that, but what are you going to do when the odds are against you? Do nothing, or overcome them?"

Naruto sat there as he listened on to the man. "Well, what do you say?" The man asked him.

"What do I call you then?" He asked and the man smiled at him

"You can call me Jiraiya."