I'm telling you...these chapters are writing themselves. I got to the point I wanted to end this chapter at and then I realized it was 11 1/2 pages in word long. I was like wtf? I've never written a chapter that long. But hey, I loved this story when I started writing it and I still love it.

Her blood was running cold, her heart was beating wildly in her chest, her breaths came short and fast. No doubt about it, Lira was panicking. Not only was the loss of Kitsune affected her but the reaction of Danzo-sama was not something she wanted to face, especially after that serious breach of her training. All that time watching that pink haired weakling must have gotten to her. A month of serious training should put her back on track.

Lira shook her head, dispelled all thoughts of training and focusing on catching up with Sai, it was early evening now and the stars were beginning to come out. She needed to find Sai, dispose of Kitsune's body and get out of this forest as soon as possible. They couldn't stay in the exam without Kitsune and the events would have to be reported to Danzo-sama immediately.

The trees began to thin, they were scorched on one side in a large ring and some were still smoking slightly. Great branches lay on the ground where they had been sliced from the trees; it was obvious that a fight had taken place. Then she spotted them; Sai was kneeling on the forest floor cradling Kitsune's head in his lap.

She jumped down to land beside him, "Sai we need to dispose of the body," Lira said quietly; surprised the other boy hadn't already begun.

"No we don't, he isn't dead," Sai replied and Lira's eyes widened in surprise and disbelief.

Ignoring the sudden warmth that spread all the way to her fingertips she gave an exclamation of surprise. "What do mean? I felt his chakra drain with my own senses and I'm never wrong," she spat.

"There's no point arguing over this," Sai replied his eyes narrowing slightly in mild irritation.

Lira glared at him but put her hand to Kitsune's chest and felt the reassuring thud of a heartbeat. She gasped, she must have imagined it but no, his wrist, his neck, there was definitely a pulse and he was breathing. She could see it now, the slight almost invisible rise and fall of his chest. Then Kitsune winced and bared his teeth, his body tensed and shook.

"What's the matter with him?" she asked starring wide eyed.

"I'm not sure," Sai replied, his eyes downcast, "but we need to find shelter. We cannot pass the exam unless we are all in fighting condition."

"If he doesn't wake up within the four days we have left then we fail," Lira affirmed. She stood helping Sai to holster Kitsune onto his back and the three set off to find a good place to camp out.

¤ º Team 7 º ¤

Kiba and Sasuke turned to face Sakura who was still sniffling quietly and shaking softly. Covered in dirt and very pale she looked much like one of the petals of her namesake that had been crushed under foot. She looked down at the two scrolls in her hands, "Why?" she murmured softly, "why did they do that for us?"

Sasuke didn't answer when she looked at him, what could he say, he didn't know. But they had seemed to know something about that grass ninja and come to think of it. Her headband had changed halfway through the fight; it had been a sound headband. That meant those sound ninja from orientation were involved some how. Were they all that strong?

Akamaru gave a yip, "Akamaru's right, let's just get on with this. I'm tired," Kiba groaned.

"How can you be so dismissive, someone's just died," Sakura snapped at him.

"Look Sakura, I understand that your upset, hell, I'm not too happy about it either but the fact remains that we have to finish the test," Kiba said firmly. "They'll be a proper burial service when the proctors have been notified you can grieve then."

Sakura sniffed once, took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Kiba was right, they had to finish, then there would be time for proper grieving. She looked down at the scrolls again and then began to look around her.

They seemed to be in some kind of entrance hall, staircases on the left and right led up to balconies lining the two walls adjacent to the large double doors they had just come through. Hung on the opposite wall was a tapestry on which were written words in black ink. All three of them read the words carefully.

"What does it mean?" Kiba asked.

"I think it relates to the scrolls," Sakura replied, "the writing mentions heaven and earth, like the scrolls."

"Maybe we have to open them together," Sasuke suggested having read the tapestry twice and finding no other hidden clue or meaning.

"But if we weren't supposed to open the scrolls out there then what would opening them in here do?" Kiba asked looking a little confused.

"Maybe something in this room activates something on the scrolls?" Sakura suggested, she too was at a loss to answer Kiba's question.

"There isn't much else we can do," Sasuke replied sounding a little irritated. "There doesn't seem to be anyway out of this room but the way we came and they don't expect us to make it back to the gate and the only other thing that every contested has in common is the scrolls."

"I guess," Kiba shrugged.

"Alright then," Sakura nodded and handed one of the scrolls to Kiba, "together then?" The three gave a nod of affirmation and Kiba and Sakura broke the seals and pulled out the scrolls. More writing in black ink and…a summoning seal.

There was smoke and both Sakura and Kiba dropped the scrolls and took a few steps backwards. As the dust cleared a man stood there in regulation blue shinobi uniform with a chunin jacket on and a large scar across the bridge of his nose. "Iruka-sensei!" Sakura cried in relieved delight.

He grinned at them, "Long time no see guys," he pulled a pocket watch out of his pocket, "I have to say I'm impressed, you guys beat the record for this exam."

"Really?" Kiba grinned widely, "So we finished first?

Iruka laughed nervously, "Well, you beat the pervious record, there is one team that finished before you," Iruka looked unnerved and went silent for a moment. The three had seen enough solemn faces that day to know that they shouldn't ask.

"So what happens now Iruka-sensei?" Sakura asked blinking to keep her eyes open. She was beginning to feel very tired.

"Well you're going to have to wait in the tower until morning and then you'll be taken back to the village to wait for the second exam to officially end. But the hard part is over." Iruka smiled, "I'm really surprised you've all done so well. But I have to say you look like you've been through the wars," he laughed.

Sakura took a step forward, she was going to tell Iruka-sensei about the fight, about Kitsune, about everything but then Sasuke grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. She gave a squeak as she landed against his chest; she blushed and for the moment forgot what she was going to say.

Iruka wasn't an idiot, he'd spent years as an academy teacher and as much as Kakashi would like to think differently these three were still his students and he could still read them. They weren't soldiers yet. Sakura was obviously nervous about something and he'd seen the flicker of annoyance that went across Sasuke's face and the expression on Kiba's face spoke volumes. Something had happened to these three that neither of the boys wanted to mention. Had they had to kill? It was often harder on the kunoichi to accept the consequences of battle than for the male shinobi, especially at so young an age. They may be competing in life-risking exams but some of the examiners seemed to forget that these children were just that, children, only thirteen most of them. How could they be expected to carry the weight of adult wars?

It is true that children had a greater ability to grasp concepts, to try new things; to push their limits and extend the hand of friendship beyond the prejudices of their village but those were such innocent ideals. They couldn't be expected to accept blood on their hands without complaint or fear.

But then perhaps he was just over-exaggerating the whole thing.

"Anyway," Iruka gave another grin hoping to dispel the tension that was gathering, "if you go up the stairs you'll make your way into the main area of the tower, just find a couple of rooms that aren't occupied and write your names on the tags on the door. I'll be back to collect you all in the morning." A few hand seals later and Iruka was gone leaving the three genin alone again.

"Sakura," Sasuke said making the green eyed girl look at him, "we're not going to mention this to anyone."

"What?" Sakura exclaimed hotly. Normally she'd follow Sasuke without question but this was madness, the proctors had to know, that ninja was dangerous. "You can't be serious Sasuke, that grass ninja was going to do something horrible to you I just know it and that feeling, that cold…" she trailed off.

Kiba blinked in surprise, Sakura objecting to Sasuke, this was new.

"It has nothing to do with us, they told us this exam would be difficult and that there would be people with more experience," Sasuke snapped.

"I know that," Sakura replied just as fiercely, "but that wasn't just experience and the way that other girl, Lira, and the boy were talking. It's like they knew that ninja was going to be there, coming after you. Something is going on here Sasuke and I know you've noticed it too." Sakura's green eyes burned with a fire that neither of the boy's had really seen their before. Up until this point she'd just been playing ninja, maybe she was actually going to become strong.

Sasuke glared down at her, "They probably did more research on the candidates than we did. If you tell anyone Sakura, if you do anything to get in the way of me and this exam I will hurt you." With that Sasuke strode past her leaving a shocked and scared and hurt Sakura in his wake.

"Don't you think that was a little harsh Sasuke," Kiba demanded. To be honest, as much as he respected the Uchiha for his skill he was a downright bastard at times.

"The same goes for you Kiba," Sasuke replied without looking back over his shoulder.

"You and you're damn revenge, I don't see what all the girls see in you. All I see is a self-absorbed prat," Kiba drawled. Sasuke looked over his shoulder and glared before storming away.

"Thank-you Kiba," Sakura said quietly without looking up at him, in fact, her head was bowed so much that her pink hair hung forward and covered her face.

"You shouldn't let him push you around Sakura," Kiba said softly, "you may not be as strong as him but you're one of the smartest people I know." Sakura slowly rose her head to meet him, her face registering pleasant surprise. "Don't take this like I fancy you or anything," Kiba snipped reverting to his brusque self.

Sakura smiled and than laughed, "Thank-you Kiba," she took his hand and gave it a squeeze, "really, thank-you."

"Come on," he said, "let's go get a room, maybe they have food around here too."

¤¤¤¤¤

Sakura was sitting up against the headboard of her bed with her feet tucked beneath her and her hands in her lap. She was reading from a small scarp of paper that Lira had given her when she had shoved the two scrolls into her arms. In fact Sakura had very nearly lost it. Looking at it now Sakura didn't know what to think for on the paper was written 'Do not trust people with more information than you'.

Sakura couldn't think was Lira might be referring to, Sasuke? The grass ninja perhaps? For a moment Sakura was tempted to go and ask Sasuke but in the light of what he'd said when they had entered the tower that probably wasn't a good idea. He'd probably say she was getting in the way again.

Sakura frowned and drew her knees up in front of her; she always seemed to be in the way. It had been like that ever since they graduated from the academy, it was always Kiba taking the first leap or Sasuke coming to the rescue. The only time she had really been ahead of them was tree climbing and anything else that involved chakra control. It just seemed to come so naturally. She wasn't as good at using large weapons like Sasuke's windmill shuriken and she didn't have a companion with which she worked so naturally like Kiba and Akamaru. She didn't really seem to have anything special at all.

Her chakra reserves were large…just refined. Maybe she could ask Kakashi-sensei if there were any techniques he could teach her that involved excellent chakra control. With that last comforting thought Sakura curled up with the covers pulled up to her chin and fell asleep.

¤ º Team 8 º ¤

The three trudged into the tower, it was very dark outside now and the moon was high in the sky. If it wasn't for Hinata's byakugan and Shino's bugs they'd have had a lot more obstacles and probably wouldn't have made it to the tower till dawn at the least. Kyo still hadn't gotten over the shock that he may very well have been killed by Konoha genin not much older than himself.

"I mean, we're all on the same side really aren't we? If we were all appointed chunin we wouldn't start fighting each other would we? I'll bet all the other countries teamed up and there they were and they were going to kills us," Kyo ranted.

"Please Kyo-kun," Hinata stammered nervously, "don't go on so."

Shino rolled his eyes behind his glasses.

"Well now what?" Kyo huffed with an over exaggerated sigh.

"We open the scrolls," Shino replied, is tone sharp and obviously irritated.

Hinata looked between the two boys, they were so different and not really compatible. Shino was calm and collected, saying the minimal and most effective words. Kyo had a tendency to babble and was easily shaken, he was good at what he did but he was easily shaken. She couldn't say much better for herself though. The first test had made her nervous, more because of the looks of the competition as opposed to anything else. But this second test, the encounter with team Kitsune. She dreaded to think how they might have faired if those three hadn't needed to rush off.

The dark haired girl drew the two scrolls from her pouch and laid them out on the ground. Breaking the seals she rolled them out and stepped back as a waft of smoke rose from the scrolls and standing before them was a ninja they didn't recognise. He wore a Konoha headband and a chunin vest so Hinata breathed a small sigh of relief at something familiar and vaguely comforting. The chunin gave them the same instructions that team 7 had been given and so the three found themselves walked up the stairs, along the balcony, through the door and into a room with a couple of couches, a tv set and a kitchenette. There was also two doors marked with lavatory signs and a winding staircase leading up into the body of the tower.

The three made their way up the winding flight of stairs looking at the doors as they passed. The first door had a label Temari, the nest Kankuro, Gaara, Sasuke, Sakura, Kiba…Hinata stopped for a moment. She flushed a slight pink, Kiba-kun had passed already that was so great. She hurried after Shino and Kyo who were writing their names on the next two doors up.

"Goodnight," she said to her teammates from higher up on the stairs and bowed slightly. The two boys bid her goodnight also and Hinata then entered her own room. It was sparse, with a dresser and a bed but then she supposed that the tower wasn't really built to be lived in. Simply a stopping point, a meeting place for the proctors and momentary resting place for those who had passed.

Hinata had undressed and curled up in the bed before a thought struck her. Team Kitsune had had a bag bulging with scrolls, why hadn't they passed? Perhaps they were in rooms further up…but why would they do that. Unless what they rushed off for had delayed them. Still, it unnerved her and she had a very restless night.

¤ º Team Kitsune º ¤

A dip in the profile of the land had caused the earth there to become saturated with rainwater overtime. The mud had been washed away from beneath the roots of the trees leaving the tops of the thick roots of the large tress exposed forming natural cave like structures. The roots criss-crossed above the team of three, two of whom were conscious and the other who was lying flat out, his head propped up on the bag of scrolls and a damp cloth across his forehead.

Sai and Lira had gathered moss, leaves and small twigs and interviewed them with the roots, and packed down the moss, often in the form of large slabs of bark covered in the soft green plant. This insulated their wooden cave and kept them warm and dry which was good because it was raining heavily.

"Sai, I know I couldn't sense Kitsune's chakra," Lira said quietly, wary of broaching the subject again, "I could sense Orochimaru's so it wasn't because he was out of range. How can someone survive full chakra depletion, I mean I know Kitsune has healing abilities but-"

"It's more than that," Sai said softly.

"What do you mean?" Lira asked, Sai wasn't looking at her, instead he was looking out at the falling rain.

"Lira, if I tell you and Danzo-sama found out we would both be severely punished," Lira's eyes widened, "because I'm about to explain to you two of the greatest cover-ups of the hidden leaf village."

"Cover-ups, for what? Surely a mission can't have gone that badly, I know you and Kitsune have accompanied some of the anbu assassinations missions but –"

"It wasn't any mission," Sai interrupted, "it has to do with a boy name Uzumaki Naruto."

"I've heard that name, years ago now, he was a new member to ROOT, I've never met him," Lira mused.

"Uzumaki Naruto was a very strange little boy," Sai continued ignoring Lira, "he had this big dream of becoming Hokage so that the village would stop disrespecting him. He was always smiling and talking about ramen, he was like no one I had ever met. Not even like brother," Sai went silent for a moment.

Lira studied his expression and it could actually be called that. His face didn't look bored or relaxed so no emotion showed but a genuine emotion. Sai's eyebrows were furrowed and his lips were set in a thin line and turned down slightly in a frown.

"I liked him, he was a friend, he made me feel warm like I was part of something, I can't explain it…I don't know how but it went against our training. You see, Naruto was brought to ROOT as a means of protecting him from attacks, the anbu couldn't afford to keep going out to pick up after the boy because he couldn't defend himself. When it became apparent that Naruto was corrupting me for lack of a better word Danzo-sama took him away."

"Was he executed?" Lira asked in horror, she's seen the lengths that Danzo-sama would go to in terms of punishment but she hadn't known him have anyone killed. But then, she didn't know everyone in ROOT besides those with whom she had trained or shared a mission so she couldn't know.

"No, I wasn't actually there but Maya-sensei told me after, told me that I would never be able to speak to Naruto again. They took him from me and suppressed him, his personality, his believes, his dreams, wiped him clean so to speak. So much easier to install Danzo-sama's ways then," Sai continued swallowing hard. Lira couldn't tell if it was her imagination of a trick of the light but the boy's dark eyes seemed to be glassy.

"And here comes the importance of the first great cover-up, I say first because chronologically it happened before. You know of the attack of the nine-tailed fox?" Sai asked, this time he did look at her and it was a look so intense that Lira had to look away.

"Of course, who hasn't, and of Yondaime who defeated it," Lira nodded in affirmation.

Sai gave a dry, hollow laugh, "But there in lies the secret, he didn't defeated it, merely locked it away. Sealed it within the body of a baby, a boy that would later grow up to be Uzumaki Naruto."

Lira gasped, "Sealed in a mere boy? But how? The tailed beasts are huge amassments of chakra, to store that in someone, storing that much excess chakra would cause them to die."

"Yes, which is where the genius of the Yondaime's seal comes in. It was designed so that the chakra of the fox would gradually leak into the chakra of the host, combining with his and eventually become a full integration," Sai explained, "but with that chakra would come the will of the fox."

"That person would have huge chakra reserves then wouldn't he…wait," Lira's eyes widened as she looked down at Kitsune, at the scars on his face that had often reminded her of whiskers, "Kitsune has huge chakra reserves…"

Sai merely watched her for a moment before continuing, "Sarutobi-san decreed that no one who was not of a conscious age and so would not remember the fact that the fox was sealed inside Naruto would be sworn to silence. To give Naruto the best chance at life, but that did not stop them from instilling their hate in their children. Their hate for a boy who knew nothing of what he was and they attacked him mercilessly, this is why he was brought to ROOT. But the chakra mergence started the moment the fox was sealed."

"All those years ago, when half of the ROOT training area was destroyed in a freak accident…it wasn't an accident was it?"

"By suppressing the consciousness of the host it allowed the consciousness of the Kyuubi no Kitsune that had become part of him along with the chakra to take over. The amount of chakra Naruto had absorbed was not enough for Kyuubi to take on a very dangerous form and he was eventually suppressed but not without causing serious injury to many and damage.

Are you beginning to understand now Lira?"

"The reason I couldn't sense Kitsune's chakra…because it wasn't his he was using anymore, it was Kyuubi's," Lira swallowed hard. "I guess that explains his code name."

She looked down at the sleeping face of Kitsune, his blonde hair damp and falling in soft waves around his head. The black curse mark still bright against his neck and his cloths torn, muddy and covered in specks of blood. To think inside this body was a demon beyond control, that only the conscious thought of this individual was keeping it at bay.

"Sai, what'll happen when he wakes up?" Lira asked suddenly frightened. The curse mark had a one in ten chance of letting the host survive, a statistic formed from the fact that only one out of ten test subjects of Orochimaru had survived. The proctor or the second exam; Anko Mitarashi.

"I don't know," Sai replied. "You need to sleep Lira," he said as he saw her eyes drooping, "I'll keep first watch."

Lira nodded and yawned, too tired to argue she curled up close to Kitsune to keep him warm and fell fast asleep in minutes. The soft rain lulling her into a deep sleep. Sai watched her slip into unconsciousness. Whatever Kitsune was like when he woke up, whether he would be Naruto or Kitsune or something else altogether, no one could know. The mission couldn't stop now.

¤¤¤¤¤

Kiba awoke feeling much better. The bed was soft and comfortable, Akamaru was certainly looking much better but as Kiba's stomach gave a loud grumble he was reminded that he had no had a proper meal in over 24 hours. Getting up and getting dressed Kiba double-checked he had everything and exited. Akamaru lead the way down the stairs and gave an excited yip.

"What's that boy? Team 8 have passed too?" Kiba affirmed as he came to the bottom of the stairs to see Shino, Kyo and Hinata all gathered around the table with hot bowls of porridge steaming in their laps.

"Hey guys," Kiba gave a call and a wave in happy greeting. Going to get himself some breakfast he joined them, decided to sit beside Hinata and not noticing the blush that spread over the small girl's cheeks. "When did you guys get in?"

"Late last night," Kyo replied, "and I'm glad we did, I wouldn't to spend a night out there."

"Yeh, I wouldn't be too keen either," Kiba replied looking out of one of the many windows that showed the tops of the trees. "There are some pretty dodgy teams out there," he was thinking of the grass ninja they had encountered.

"You're telling us," Kyo said looking jumpy, "you know that team Kitsune?"

"Yeh?" Kiba asked looking up, maybe team 8 had heard seen them, maybe Lira had been wrong after all.

"They tried to kill us."

Kiba opened his mouth in shock, his eyes widened slightly and he just stared at Kyo. This couldn't be right, he had to be wrong, I mean team Kitsune weren't cute and cuddly but surely they wouldn't try and kill other genin…especially not other leaf village genin. "You're lying," Kiba said looking confused.

"No, they had us cornered and then the girl gets all weird and says something like the enemy's on top of the principle, whatever that meant," Kyo shrugged. "It was really freaky."

"Wait, what time was this?" Kiba asked.

"Like just after we started the test," Kyo replied, "that's where we got our scroll, the girl had a big bag of them and one must have fallen out. She was scary, she was all like are you sure we're rookies, I think she wanted to kill us the most out of all three."

Kyo continued to babble but Kiba wasn't listening. A little while into the exam…rush off…enemy on top of the principle?

"What do you know Kiba?" Shino asked and Kiba raised his eyes to meet the black glasses of his friend.

"I think when they rushed off, it was to get to our team," Kiba said trying not to let his voice shake.

"D-did they try to…to k-kill you too K-Kiba-kun?" Hinata stammered looking up at the other ninja with wide eyes.

"No, they started helping us. There was this really weird grass ninja who started attacking us with snakes and things and then they suddenly showed up and started fighting her. They got us out of there alive, if they hadn't shown up when they did things might have been different," Kiba hung his head. He didn't know what the think now; it's difficult to feel sorry that someone who saved your life has died when said person tried to kill one of your best friends. The enemy of my enemy is my friend had to be the worst possible thing to say right now.

"Then they were looking for you, or your team or they knew about this grass ninja. You obviously weren't a threat to them so the enemy must have been this grass ninja you were talking about," Shino concluded.

"B-but what w-would they won't fr-from Kiba-kun's team Shino?" Hinata asked looking between the two. Kyo, who had stopped rambling was listening closely.

"It seems it would be more a point of keeping Kiba's team away from this grass ninja," Shino replied.

The conversation might have continued if two things hadn't happened. The first was a sound of a door opening and closing, some voices, some feet on steps and then suddenly Kabuto and his similarly dressed teammates came stumbling through the door to the social area. At the same time Sakura came downstairs, a piece of paper clutched in her hand and she gave a gasp when she saw Kabuto.

¤¤¤¤¤

Sakura had woken up feel bright and refreshed and ready for the new day. She was looking forward to relaxing back in Konoha with a nice long bath, not to mention the look on Ino's face when she found that Sakura had finished before her would probably add to the kick. Sakura rolled over, not quite ready to get out of the warm cocoon she had built for herself overnight just yet. Then her stomach gave a protesting grumble and so she rolled out of bed. She heard a crinkle as her foot connected with paper, looking down she found the note Lira had given her, it had fallen off her bed in the night.

Reaching down Sakura picked it up and contemplated it some more as she got dressed and headed downstairs. When she reached the bottom she saw Kabuto and his team stumble through the far door, maybe she could ask him about his information cards to see if he had anything on…

Do not trust people with more information than you

…oh. Sakura gasped.

¤¤¤¤¤

Kitsune groaned and opened his eyes looking around as his vision cleared and sharpened. He sat up suddenly, where was he? He should be in the forest of death not in a bed, had Sai abandoned the mission? Then Kitsune took note of himself and was shocked to find himself smaller than he should be. Dressed in a pair of shorts and a white t-shirt with an orange swirl on the front he looked over to the mirror on the far side of the room. Staring back was a boy no older than eight but it was still him, the scar over the bridge of his nose proved that.

Could this be a genjutsu? Or maybe just a dream…but Kitsune had never dreamed.

He pushed himself from the bed and began to investigate the room. It was sparsely decorated, very few belongings but something about this place felt like home. Walking over to the only door Kitsune cast about for chakra signatures but there was nothing so he went out. He found himself confronted by a room with a sofa and a small kitchenette. Investigating the cupboards he found packets and packets of…instant ramen?

How could anyone eat that pot of chemicals? It nearly made Kitsune wince thinking about it.

"Who are you?"

Kitsune spun around. Another boy had come in through what he assumed to be the front door of the apartment. This boy, he was…identical to Kitsune but he didn't have a mark across his nose. Three whisker marks on each cheek but the rest was the same. The bright blond hair, the azure eyes, Kitsune swallowed.

"Who are you?" Kitsune asked in response, not wanting to answer this apparition.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki," the boy smiled, "but who are you?"

"I'm Kitsune," he answered, unnerved by the fact the boy was neither scared of a presence in his home or hostile. "Where am I?"

"You're in my apartment, or the memory or it," Naruto replied stepped forward towards the cupboards holding the ramen.

Kitsune backed out of the way, not wanted to get too close. "A memory?" Kitsune was confused, some genjutsu were able to reach into your subconscious and draw out deep secrets in your heart but none of this seemed familiar to Kitsune. "What do you mean by that?"

"What you see around you is what I see in my memory for this part of us is mine," Naruto replied.

"Part of us, what are you talking about?" Kitsune snarled, "stop talking in riddles."

"I can't explain it, I don't remember what happened," Naruto replied smiling again and all of a sudden the image of the apartment disappeared. Dissolving into a mass of colours that seemed to fall beneath them leaving only black. Naruto and Kitsune were left standing facing each other over a great black chasm. Kitsune didn't dare take a step now that he couldn't see the floor.

But then another room began to form around them. Grey walls, an operating table in the centre of the room. "This…this is in ROOT," Kitsune's eyes widened, was this Naruto configuring the genjutsu, should he attack? What could he attack with?

"This is where our memories meet," Naruto replied as a door began to appear in one of the grey walls. "That is the way out for us," Naruto continued as he began to walk towards Kitsune. Kitsune backed up until he was pressed against the wall, "Don't be afraid." Naruto was a foot away now, he reached a hand up and poked Kitsune on the forehead, "We'll be Hokage one day datte be yo."

Then Naruto began to disappear becoming a million droplets of light that seemed to envelope Kitsune and fuse into him. Kitsune, who had been feeling a cold panic up until now suddenly felt warm, safe and complete. As if some part of him that had been missing for a long time had filled up a hole he hadn't even realised was there.

Now standing alone in what he recognised as a torture chamber Kitsune considered what had just happened. With nothing better to do and no obvious way out of what may be a genjutsu or not he made for the door and opened it. If this genjutsu had really been playing off his memories this door would have opened out onto a corridor lit by torches and with black walls and the feint smell of damp. Instead the corridor was dry and grey and there were many many doors.

There were also three directions; in one direction the corridor was bare and plane. Down the one in front of him there were black swirling marks on the walls and the other, the other was just as bare at the first but there was definitely something different at the end of that tunnel.

He stepped forward intending to investigate the tunnel with the black markings-

Don't go that way

Kitsune stopped, that was Naruto's voice. He cast about but he couldn't see the other boy anywhere. He stepped forward again-

Don't go that way

This time the voice sounded slightly older but it was still Naruto, Kitsune tried again and each step he took the voice rang a little clearer, a little older until he recognised it as his own voice. Then a pair of scaly webbed hands seemed to sprout from either wall of the corridor on both sides of him. Reaching for him, enclosing him, pulling him further in.

There was a darkness at the end of this tunnel, a great overwhelming darkness that you could loose yourself forever in. But Kitsune didn't want to loose himself; he still had to complete his mission. And Sai was waiting for him to come back. Sai…

"You're a really great artist, I've never seen anyone draw like that," Naruto said as he leaned over Sai's shoulder to look at the picture book in the boy's lap. Sai frowned and closed the book, hiding it from Naruto. "Oh, how come I can't see?" The blonde whiskered boy pouted.

"It's for my brother," Sai replied looking at Naruto warily. He wasn't sure what to make of this new boy.

"Oh you have a brother," Naruto blinked, "I've never had a brother or a sister. I don't remember my parents either, what about you Sai, do you remember your parents?"

Sai shook his head.

"Do you have any other brother's or sister's Sai?"

Sai shook his head again hoping that silence would deter the blonde but he appeared to be wrong.

"I know, since I've never had a brother before and you only have one then I can be your brother too," Naruto grinned. Despite the hostility in this boy he'd never really known anyone who hadn't run away at the site of him so to have someone who would at least respond was an amazing thing to have.

"I don't want another brother," Sai replied.

"Oh," Naruto shoulders slumped and he looked miserable.

Sai winced, his training told him to be emotionless, to not form attachments but something about this blonde made him want to reach out, to form a bond that he didn't fully understand.

"But I guess you could be my sister you're so girly," Sai said tonelessly.

Naruto grinned and tackle him, throwing insults and punches until both boys were tired out from laughing and fighting.

A roar shook Kitsune to the very core and brought him back to the feel of those cold clammy hands wrapped around him. Then a red bubbling fire seemed to flood down the corridor and burn the hands away, burning Kitsune too and it hurt. It was an unnaturally burning, his skin rippled and bubbled and burst under the heat. Kitsune screamed.

¤¤¤¤¤

Lira was starring at Kitsune in fear her back pressed up against one of the thick roots. Sai wasn't looking too happy either. First Kitsune's body had been enveloped in swirling black and purple chakra, a sign that the curse mark of Orochimaru was beginning to take over. Then it began to get redder as a bubbling, red and orange chakra began to consume him. Kitsune's face twisted into a mask of intense pain.

"Lira, he's burning," Sai said forcefully.

"What do I look like? A medic-nin?" Lira demanded her fear making her snappish. She reached into her pouch and drew out a water pouch; popping off the top she emptied the half empty contents onto Kitsune.

The water hissed and turned to steam but it did seem to help a little as the raging chakra began to fade and disperse around them. Then Kitsune gave a roaring scream, his back arched and his hands reached for the mark on his neck. He scratched at it with elongated nails, his fangs showed and then it was gone. The chakra went, the tension dispersed and Kitsune collapsed on the ground his eyes opening slowly and focusing on Lira and then on Sai.

"What day is it?" he croaked.

"Day five," Lira replied with a half laugh as she let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

Kitsune pushed himself up into a sitting position his breathing a little laboured. "Are you two alright?" he asked.

Lira's eyes widened and she blinked, "Yes we're fine," she was shocked. She'd expected him to ask about team 7, the mission not whether they were her and Sai were alright.

"And team 7?"

"Safe inside the tower since day one," Sai replied, "come on, we'd better hurry." Sai helped Kitsune to his feet and the three packed up the small camp that Lira and Sai had made while they were waiting out the unconscious Kitsune.

"Sai?"

"Hm," the black haired boy looked up at Kitsune who was starring at him with an odd look on his face.

"You're a good artist."

Sai didn't know what to make of Kitsune's strange behaviour, instead he just focused on making sure the three of them got to the tower in time. With Kitsune in this state he didn't really want to have to face Danzo-sama.

Lira, who had heard Kitsune's compliment, was even more confused than Sai. Sure he'd told her about Naruto and about some of the things they'd done she had never known Naruto before he became Kitsune. To her Kitsune had always been impassionate and focussed only on the mission. His subordinates were there to help complete the mission however that may be. He hadn't stayed behind to fight Orochimaru out of self-sacrificing friendship, it was because he was the strongest and would take the longest to wear down giving them the maximum amount of time to put some distance between Orochimaru and the Sasuke. But now…she wasn't so sure. She didn't want to form a bond with Kitsune because that would get in the way of the mission Danzo-sama had given her.

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Well that's the end of the longest chapter I have ever written.

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ddd - No he doesn't have infinite chakra, especially when he is 12, Kitsune is only middle chunin level, he isn't like shippuden Naruto. But yeh, I hope this chapter cleared this up for you.

shyalchemist - Thank-you

x-Xanti-x - I wish I lived 20 minutes from a big con like that. Oh well I shall pm you nearer the time and arrange it.

Ella Clevek - Thank-you, I'm glad you think it's original. Enjoy the update.

Akane Cross - I assume Sai has explained to you last chapter's events. I didn't take too long to update did I?

Menchi-kun - Lol I updated

AnsemMesna - Well he's a bit knocked up mentally but he'll be fine

shirilyle - Enjoy

Angel-chan - Hope you enjoyed the chapter

lightdark54 - Soon enough?

Ketsueki-Ken - Well...someone's passionate. Anyway, I'm glad that someone approves of Naruto being bitten. I was warned that people might think it cliché.