AN: Alright, I know the last chapter was a bit dry, but seriously! only two reviews? That's a bit odd... anyways, I promise there to be bit more action this chapter near the end, with more in part 3 if I dont finish it here! I promise! Again, Read and Review!

Dis - I do not, in any way or form, hold the ownership titles of either Kingdom Hearts or Naruto. I do however, own much merchandise and any non-canon characters that show up. I do not profit from this FF in any way.

"Speech"

Thought

Inner Sakura

'Biju'

Voice of Destiny/??

--

Chapter - A Training Exam, or, First Strike

--

Part Two

--

Naruto awoke the next morning feeling re-energised and more exited than ever. Today was his first training session with his new squad! Sure, his sensei was late yesterday. Really, really late. But still, he had a REAL sensei now! Well... Iruka-sensei was still his sensei, but he had a squad sensei now!

"This is gonna be awsome!" He cried triumphently as he lept from bed to get ready.

--Later, at Ichiraku Ramen--

Alright! Naruto throught exitedly, sitting at 'his stool' in the just-opened noodle stand. Just gotta get a good meal in and i'll be ready! Ramen awaits! He knocked lightly incase the bell that rung when he had moved the half-curtain into the stand hadn't told them he was here.

"Ahhh, Naruto! Our favourite customer! The usual I presume?" Asked Ichiraku Teiuchi, the owner and head cook, who earned a vigorous nod from the blond. "Alright! One miso beef ramen coming straight up, extra large!" said the old man before moving out back to ready the ingredients.

"Oh, Naruto-chan! You're a shinobi now?" Came the gentle, yet boisterous, voice of Ayame, Teiuchi's daughter, as she entered the front of the shop from the stairs leading to their apartment above the stand.

"Yup! I'm 100 all ninja! Wait... did you just call me 'Naruto-chan,' Ayame-neechan?" Asked the puzzled blond. Since when did she call him that? It was usually 'Naruto-kun' or 'Naruto-san,' never 'Naruto-chan.'

"Oops, must have... slipped or something!" Ayame covered quickly, blushing slightly as the blond boy's face relaxed in understanding. "Oh, Naruto-kun, have you heard about Iwa? The news just started filtering around the village last night! They say Iwa was completely destroyed by some kind of new village or something. They say that the people that did it were all really dark or something and looked kind of like bugs in shinobi-clothing!" She said worriedly. "I hope you wont have to fight anything like that on missions!" She added quickly.

Naruto merely beamed. "Don't worry Ayame-neechan! I'm really tough! Nobody can beat me!" He said boastfully, tumping his chest with a closed fist.

"Alright, here's your ramen, Naruto! And it's on the house! Congratulations on becoming a ninja!" Teiuchi said, placing the large bowl of ramen on the counter before him. It was bigger than the blond's head and filled with more noodles and meat than most men could eat in two sittings. But Naruto wasn't most men.

"ITADAKIMASU!" Cried out the joyful shinobi as he broke apart his chopsticks and began to dig in to the large bowl. It was gone in mere minutes, earning a giggle from an amused Ayame and a nod of approval from her father. "Arigatou, Teiuchi-san!" He said, handing the large bowl back before moving to get up.

"Naruto, can you wait a moment?" the old ex-food ninja called before moving twords the back. "There's something I'm supposed to give you" He said as he went back, earning confused looks from Ayame and said blond. When he returned he was holding a scroll, dark in color and slightly farmilliar. It was only when the old man held it out did he realise from where.

Resting comfortably on the edge of the scroll, lay a black wax seal, impirinted with a spiral leading to another, miniscule, keyhole.

"Lord Hokage asked me to give this to you yesterday, I dont know why" He explained as he held it out to the florange-clad genin, who took it carefully. It was the same in every way exept for the colors and the seal. Pulling out the other to check, he blinked as they began to glow slightly, before, on the first scroll, the kanji for "Light" appeared in black ink, and on the second, the kanji for "Darkness" appeared in white ink. All three onlookers were deeply surprised.

Moving them bolth to one hand, Naruto examined the wax seals on each, which, suprisingly, were still firmly-in place, refusing to let the contents of their scroll be revealed. Sighing in dissapointment he placed bolth scrolls back into his kunai pouch, having still not deposited the packet of instant ramen for some reason, although it seemed as though it didn't take up any space at all, the same going for the scrolls that were now tucked comfortably inside too.

Thinking nothing of it, he simply thanked Teiuchi and Ayame and ran off twords the academy to meet up with his squad, not noticing the confused and still shocked expressions on the two's faces. Only one thought ran through Ayame's mind though as the blond sped off.

Why did I call him Naruto-chan?

--

"Bah! there you are Naruto!" Said an irritated Sakura "You're late!"

"Err... Is sensei here yet?" He asked, blinking slighlty. Earning a shake of the head from his pink-haired crush. "Then i'm not late!" He grinned, before falling to the ground rather harshly, a large lump protruding from the top of his head as Sakura lowered her steaming fist. A sudden look of realization came over her face.

"Hey... our sensei never gave us his name!" She said indignantly, frowning and crossing her arms.

"He was late, he fell for that dobe's stupid trick, and even said that the idiot was on equal ground with me in being quiet. He's obviously not all there." Sasuke said coldly, earning a nod from his flower-named teammate. "We'd better just hope he gives it to us when we see eachother today"

--five hours later--

"Gah! Where is he?" Sakura grumbled as she paced back and forth, having already dug herself a nice little rut in the dirt for pacing for the last hour nonstop. Cha! When he gets here, i'll kick his ass!

"Atleast it's not as bad is it was yesterday..." Naruto chimed in, resting on his usual swing across from the entrance to the academy, where he had spent most of his time outside of class when not at ichiraku ramen, sleeping, or pulling pranks and running from them.

Another flash.

It was the day Mizuki had proposed his... alternative, to passing the test. While he had been walking away from the school, he couldn't help but remember a girl's face in the croud, with long, flowning, onyx hair and soft, lavander eyes that showed such care, while at the same time a fire that would not be tamed. He remembered the same look in the eye of that girl from the tower, the one holding the lotus with all the other faces around her, all with those same eyes, but most were cold and scornful twords him. The only other one had been in the circle just above her head, her eyes holding that same caring look, but rather than the fire of spirit he saw in the younger girl's eyes, he saw one of love and passion in the elder's. And he had seen that other girl, just standing behind the younger one.

It was odd. he hadn't been even looking at them, infact he had been facing away, but yet he could still see the look of sorrow and confusion on the two girls faces as he had departed from the academy. He was snapped out of his musings by a fist colliding with the side of his head.

"BAKA! Listen to me when i'm talking to you!" Cried out Sakura as she cracked her knuckles menasingly. "I asked if you've ever seen that guy before!"

"Ite...i-i-iie...Sakura-chan..." Naruto mumbled, shaking his throbbing head slightly as he was clobbered for the second time today. She must get a kick out of hitting him or something, as that was the only possible conclusion Naruto could pull for her behavior twords him. Maybe some girls just liked being in charge. It was all very confusing for the twelve-year-old ninja. ugh... i'll never understand girls...

The 'calm,' 'serenety' and 'peace' in the clearing was, however, disturbed by the appearance of the silver-haired jounin from the previous day.

"Ohayo!" (1) He called cheerfullyto his squad, raising a hand in greeting before almost being forced to cover his ears once again.

"YOU'RE LATE!" Cried Naruto and Sakura again, the boy's surprisingly fast recovery startling the eldest member of the squad. quick... quick... what excuse did you have planned for today?? ooo... that might actually work...

"Well, I forgot to tell you all where to meet yesterday, so I had to search all over the village to find you" He nodded as though this was the most logical explination in the world. And it was, because in all essence, other than the fact he hadn't been searching, it was true.

"YOU LI - wait... you did forget to tell us yesterday..." the two genin blinked, mulling it over in their mind.

The copy ninja's mind was racing, and had it not been for his face mask, the trio before him would have seen the smile plastered from ear to ear at his cleverness. Score! Lies 1, genin zero...

"Alright, but you also forgot to give us another bit of valuable information." Sasuke said cooly as he walked over, his hands in his pockets.

"Oh? And what would that be?" The cycloptic man asked just as coolly, arching his visable brow.

"Your name." The three added with deadpan expressions.

Kakashi sweatdropped at this. Alright... point to the Genin...

"Well, what is it?" asked Sakura, poking the older man's stomach slightly, her eyebrow twitching dangerously in a way that reminded the adult shinobi of the look his mother used to give him when he was little. Thinking it best to give his name, rather than the usual reply of "Are introductions really nessesary?"

"Hatake...Hatake Kakashi" He said slowly, for some reason getting the urge to add the phrase 'got-it-memorised' to the end for no reason what-so-ever. That was really... strange...

"Okay, Kakashi-sensei, what are we going to be training today?" Sakura asked, her fists placed firmly on her hips, her posture practicly screaming 'you better have something ready for us, or else.'

"Err..." Kakashi began, sweatdropping again." Actually, we're not going to be training today..." He began, earning cries of displeasure from the two more vocal members of his squad. Interrupting their displeased cries he started up again. "Today we're actually going to get to know eachother better, likes, dislikes and such, now come on." He moved away from them, motioning them to follow.

Reluctantly they did, Sasuke in front, with Sakura tailing along beside him, and Naruto grumbling about Sasuke's obvious, and reluctant, pimping abilities... or something like that.

When they reached a quiet, secluded spot, Kakashi turned to all of them and motioned for them to have a seat on the steps they just moved down. Nodding, they did so as he leaned against a light pole before them.

"Alright, I want you to tell me a few things about yourselves, like your name, intrests, dislikes, and goals. Think you can each do that?" he explained. receving a nod, he looked over them with his lone, charcoal-colored eye, before focusing on the brooding figure of the Uchiha boy. "You, Mr. 'I'm-Too-Cool-For-This-Squad', you go first." Growling slightly, Sasuke nodded, before looking up at the silver-haired jounin over his bridged fingers.

"Uchiha Sasuke. I dont like anything, I hate everyone, and my only goal is to get stronger so I can kill a certain person before rebuilding my clan..." He said darkly, sending shivers up the spines of his teammates. Kakashi however, only mentally sighed before turning to Sakura.

"Ohh...I-I'm Haruno Sakura. My intrests..." She blushed slightly before turning to Sasuke. "And I hate..." She now faced Naruto, her blush replaced by a snarl of anger. "And my goal is... to become really strong so I can help out on missions!" She added quickly, seeing the aggrivated look on their sensei's face. Seeing it was his turn to speak up, Naruto burst at the opportunity.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I really like Ichiraku Ramen... and Sakura-chan! I really dont like duck-butt-head over there, and my goal is to be Hokage! 'Tebayo!" He cried out, leaping up to put his point across, only to be knocked on his face by an angered kunoichi.

"Hey! Don't make fun of Sasuke like that Baka!" She barked angrilly, stepping on his back.

Internally, Kakashi was laughing at what Naruto had said. Duck-butt-head? That's a new one on me... but now that he mentions it... Wow!! it really dose look like a duck's ass! Oh... right, better step in before she kills him.. He sighed before clapping his hands together.

"Alright you two! That's enough!" Kakashi said loudly, forcing the two to stop just with the tone of his voice. "It's already getting late, and you three are going to need your energy for tomorow's training session. We'll meet at training ground Seven near the south end of the village, alright?" he explained, earning nods from the three genin before him. A thought crossed his mind just as he was about to leave.

"Oh...and you might not want to eat any breakfast tomorow... you might just throw up." Leaving at this in a swirl of leaves he was just able to catch the horrified looks two of his students gave eachother, chuckling lightly at the mental image.

"He... he LEFT?" The two outraged genin cried out, eyes twitching in anger. While they ranted about the irresponcebility of their sensei, Sasuke merely groaned and walked off, heading home to train on his own as he usually did, completely forgotten by the bickering duo.

--Meanwhile--

"FALL BACK!" Cried a terrified shinobi of Konohagakure no Sato, the village hidden in the leaves. "Let Yukai-San take care of these beasts! Retreat to safety!" He cried again, before a large, demonic kunai was plunged through his back, withdrawn without leaving a scratch on him before a glimmering heart rose from his fallen body and dissapeared into nothingness as his body fell away.

The creature responsable, about four feet tall and wearing what looked like a violet tunic, trousers, mask and shoes, with crawling, shifting black skin and glowing yellow eyes visable beneath it's forhead protector gazed at the woman before it. The symbol on it's forhead protector was unlike any she had seen before, it did not belong to a shinobi village, yet this creature swung it's kunai knife with the grace of any trained ninja. What was this thing?

"Hmph... you're the creatures that destroyed Iwa? You dont look so tough... You will pay for this with your very lives.." She muttered, leaping back as the creature threw it's weapon at her, before throwing a rain of her own, only for them to pass through the beast and imbed themselves into the ground behind it. "W-wha?"

She landed a few feet away, focusing and readying herself, forming a quick series of handseals. "Alright, try this on for size! Katon - Endan!" She cried out, a large fireball escaping her lips and forming into a large dragon, plowing it's way through the creature, along with several others that had sprung forth behind it, disintegrating them all.

"Alright everyone! Head back to the village! We'll try to lose them!" She said, leaping away as more appeared, firing off another roaring flame before leaping away before more could appear. We must warn lord hokage of this! The creatures have exited the land of earth and are en route to the land of birds!

--The Next Day in Konoha--

The sun shone brightly into Naruto's room, hitting his sleeping face to reveal the twisted look of agony on the boy's features.

The scene in Naruto's mind wasn't a plesant one. The creatures from before ran rampant throughout the streets of konoha, laying waste to everything in their paths. Stealing hearts from everyone they could find. And it was like he could do nothing to stop it. Then he heard that voice again... from before...

Do you wish to save them?

Looking around, Naruto blinked, to see where the voice had come from throuout the mayhem as he twisted and turned in his sleep. Bolth the ominoucity and farmiliarity of that voice beginning to pull at his mind.

Do you wish to stop all this?

Naruto nodded quickly, finding himself again unable to speak.

Would you give your very life to save those you hold close?

Naruto nodded a final time before waking. But not before hearing the voice's one last declaration.

You... are ready...

--at training ground seven--

"Bah! Where is he?" Cried an outraged Sakura as she paced back and forth again, on the verge of digging another rut into the ground here.

"Errr... Sakura-chan... you're going to wear out your shoes if you keep doing that..." Naruto said as he walked up only for his head to meet her fist, again.

"BAKA! Did I ask you?" She growled, cracking her knuckles dangerously at the grounded boy. Sasuke merely sighed and shook his head before turning and looking away from the two, keeping watch for their procrastinative sensei, who was already several hours late apparently.

--

Another four hours passed and squad 7 was already beginning to feel the effects of their self-induced starvation. Naruto layed pitifully on his stomach across a small boulder that rested in the clearing, Sakura was leaning on a tree, trying to find a way, any way, to keep her strength up. Sauske however, was simply sitting, calm as ever on the stump that he had been sitting on for the last several hours. It was inhuman how he could sit there this long.

"Ugh... where's Kakashi-Sensei? It's been almost all day... it's nearly lunchtime..." Naruto mumbled, rolling onto his back and groaning loudly. Sakura mearly whined, not having energy enough to do something as much as yell at her blond teammate. It was the sound of approching footsteps that allerted the two that somone else was coming.

"Ohayo" Kakashi greeted them in his usual care-free manner, raising a hand and giving his famous 'eye-smile.'

"Sorry I'm late you three... You see, a black cat crossed my path and-" "LIAR!" The two called out, again filled with energy fuled on pure rage at the white haired jounin's cronic tardiness. Shrugging, Kakashi merely looked around. "Nothing to say Sauske?" He quietly commented, mentally chuckling at the 'Duck-butt-head' comment from earlier. No reply came from the midnight haired genin however. That is, untill a voice came from the oppocite direction.

"Hmm? Oh... you're finally here..." Called Sauske Uchiha. Carrying an empty bento. And wiping his mouth with his arm covers. He had just eaten.

All three of his teammates turned back to look at the 'Sauske' sitting atop the boulder, as it slumped over and revealed itself to be a stuffed dummy that only looked like the Uchiha.

"Wow.. didn't see that coming" Muttered Kakashi, blinking. He quickly shook his head. "Well. it seems Sauske actually managed to out smart you bolth, even if he did break the 'no eating' rule-"

"Actually..." Sauske started up "It's after noon. you said we weren't allowed to eat breakfast, so I just got lunch."

Everyone stared, dumbfounded at the Uchiha. Apparently, he wasn't best in the class for nothing.

'well... maybe I should have shown up sooner...' Kakashi thought to himself, blinking repeatedly at the young boy. "ehem... as I was saying, it's time we began your first training exam. This exam will tell us if you're really ready to become shinobi... or if you'll be sent BACK to the academy."

"What? But sensei! that's not fair!" Sakura called out.

Sauske and Naruto merely sat back and watched her one-sided argument with her teacher. One from boredom, the other from a lack of energy to do elsewise.

--

Naruto chuckled. It was all too easy. After learning just what their training session was, Naruto, Sakura, and Sauske had split up in different directions. Sakura falling to a Genjutsu by the jounin. Naruto had found a bell, one of two they were instructed to retrieve, sitting in a clearing under a tree. Moving twords it quickly to avoid traps, he reached for it... only to be caught in the very trap he was trying to avoid.

Now suspended by his ankle a good twelve feet off the ground, he saw his teacher come out of the treeline and begin to lecture him about it being an obvious trap. That was, untill a bent kunai spun past his head like a shuriken.

"Very good... taking advantage of my monolouge... Monolouge.. very villan-esque of me, ne?" Kakashi chuckled, tilting his head to the side and giving Naruto an eye smile as he did. It was rather lucky he did this, as the kunai that Naruto had flung before decided to return to him, whizzing back over the startled jounin's shoulder and sailing up, clipping the line that held Naruto up, and releasing him as it embedded itself into the tree.

Naruto, having swung himself back from throwing the kunai in the first place, had swung in the oppocite direction from momentum, and had clung to the tree. Now, reaching up and hooking his foot on the handle sticking out of the tree, he hoisted himself up almost effortlessly and drew it from the bark, before stabbing it in and using it to 'slide' down the tree, building up momentum as he plumeted, while keeping it in check with the blade and his foot pressing against the tree.

Kakashi was still in shock. Never before had he heard of somone using a bent kunai as a bladed boomarang before, let alone to release themself from an ankle trap. It wasn't untill Naruto was about to reach the ground did he react.

Naruto rushed him, bent kunai in hand as he charged the white-haried man. It was then shuriken bound to wires burst from the treeline, wrapping around kakashi and startling him further as Sauske leaped from the trees, his fingers already at his lips as he began a jutsu Kakashi knew well..

"Katon - Endan!"

A fireball traveled along the lines of metal held in the boy's teeth, and Naruto had to leap back to avoid the flames that engulfed the man. When they died away, a charred log fell to the ground.

"What the hell were you thinking? I could have gotten fried!" Cried out the blond, glaring daggers at his teammate. Sauske merely shrugged.

"Hmph.. serves you right. Anyways, I do have to say.. you were useful... as a distraction." Sauske then turned away, renewing his search for his sensei as Naruto stuttered behind him, finally managing to speak.

"A distraction? I nerely had him!" Naruto cried, growling as his hands moved to an all too farmiliar position. "Kagebunshin no Jutsu!"

A solid circle of Narutos stood around a shocked Sauske. Kakashi, from the bushes, was also shocked at this revelation. Since when did Naruto know shadowclone? A single naruto walked up to Sauske.

"Who knows, maybe if you actually thought, and got that stick out of your ASS for once, you'd see that we were a TEAM!"

These words alone shocked both spectators. All three charcoal colored eyes stared at the blond, before teh Uchiha came to a resolve, nodding faintly. It was all Naruto needed to continue.

"Then lets work together and squash this guy! With my energy and your..well.. I dont know what you have, but I'm sure we could beat him! Now.. if only Sakura-chan was here... she could help too..."

Kakashi merely sighed. Naruto had singlehandedly just broken the Uchiha boy's pride. Okay, maybe that was a bit strong. But he had atleast chipped it. Kakashi watched as they silently planned.

One Naruto paused slightly however, hearing that voice in the back of his mind say something before he turned back to Sauske, it's meaning unclear.

"You have gained strength... Use this Trinity well..."

--

Sauske stood in a clearing, completely alone. They had untill dinner to defeat this guy, and he wouldn't give in that chance for anything. Kakashi noted the shadow-clones hastily henge'd into random things around the clearing, the most obvious being the three-foot across leaf hanging from a tree a few feet away.

Kakashi sighed. The eyes all over the clearing would make a sneak attack impossible. And Kakashi was sure they had narutos underground, so Headhunter jutsu was out of the question.It looked like a frontal attack was all that would work now... ah well, they were just genin, what could they do?

--

Sauske watched as kakashi walked around from behind a tree ahead of him, an orange novel placed before his face as he drew closer.

"hmm? oh, there you are... heh, you're almost out of time" He commented, motioning twords the setting sun. Sauske made no move to look at the sun, prepared for anything the jounin could throw at him.

"Alright then... since you're going to be so formal about this, lets start shall we?" Kakashi gave an eye smile, before charging the Uchiha. Sauske didn't even flinch.

"NOW!" called out a voice, stopping Kakashi in mid-punch as smoke erupted around him, distracted, Kakashi saw five or six Naruto's appear from pebbles at sauske's feet, surrounding the jounin before a fist came dangerously close to his face, jumping out from the ring of blonds, they followed, calling out battle-cries as they attacked.

Fending off a kick from one, Kakashi had to swerve in mid-air to dodge a punch from two others, each aimed at different sides of his head, while a tackle was thrown at his chest. It was then a barrage of kunai flew around them all, kakahsi, seeing this coming, replaced himself with one as it stabbed into a clone, causing it to explode as the others sailed at him. It would appear they had prepaired for him to swtich with one, as they all converged on a point. he was not expecting this. Nor was he expecting all of those shuriken to transform into more narutos, all throwing shuriken at the jounin. These too had wires.

Sailing past him, they turned into even more Narutos. These all threw weapons twords the ground, before even more narutos appeared from these. These two had really planned this out! Kakashi had never seen an ambush this complicated, nor met the person who could use this much chakra without becoming exausted. All these clones, and all these transformations.. that kid had to have god-like stamina!

Before he realised it, he was trapped within, what could only be described as, a web of wires and blades and blonds. His arms were actually stuck out at his sides, wires at all angles keeping him from moving them to make handsigns, even to preform a simple kawarimi. Looking through the densly woven webs, he saw they were attatched to trees, rocks, and weapons in the ground. And, worse yet, they had backed him into a small dip in the treeline, meaning that he had cornered himself in a sense. He honestly wasn't expecting this kind of trap to be devised...

Time froze for Naruto as the voice in his head called out, it's final words before his mind returned to it's current place.

"Rival's Power!"

"Now we end this!" Cried out all the Narutos at once. Each drawing a final weapon, that bent, boomarang kunai, before throwing each and every one into the mass, each trailing a spinning wire behind it as they looped effortlessly through the wires. binding and drawing them together, creating a dangerous snare that appeared to be in-escapable, even to the white haried jounin.. but if he could just get to his headband... maybe he could escape...

"Katon - Endan!"

The cry called for the second time today as clones exploded and wires were coated in flame, each being drawn closer and closer to the trapped jounin. They had trapped him in a flaming net. reaching his headband, he lifted it, before seeming to vanish into thin air. Appearing outside the web, he could only watch as the trees at the edge of the blaze smoldered and burned at the intense heat being generated from the force.

A small jingle at his waist made him blink. The bells were gone. He had lowered his gaurd when he had escaped. He had returned his headband to it's place over his eye, and now he had lost the bells. To who though?

Turning around quickly, Kakashi was starteled as a three-foot long leaf burst into the form of naruto, bolth bells hanging from his grip as he grinned, leaping away from the shocked jounin.

"you've gotta be kidding me..."

Sakura woke slowly, an odd pain in arms as she tried to move to sooth it... only to find herself bound to a stump on the training grounds. Tied there. While Naruto and Sauske opened their own Bento.

"well, Looks like Naruto and Sauske pass... Sorry Sakura, but i'm afraid you have to be sent back to the academy. This is what you get for arguing with your sensei." Kakashi shrugged lightly, ignoring sakura's stuttered fury.

"I'll give you another chance to pass tonight. but if you feed her, you all fail! Bye!" Kakashi dissapeared in a swirl of leaves. While Naruto began eagerly digging into his bento. Or.. he would have had Sakura's anger not been hidden by embarrasment as her stomach growled loudly. Sighing heavily, Sauske held out his bento.

"Wha? B-but Sauske-kun! If you give me that you'll fail!"

"I've already eaten. and I can just re-take the exam. If you're starving you'll be too tired to help us take him again and pass." Sauske said quietly, Naruto nodded, holding out his bento too. He was starving, but his love for Sakura-chan drove him on.

"Come on... eat sakura-chan...you're hungrier than I am." Naruto said, picking up a riceball with his chopsticks and holding it out for her to eat.. It was true though. Sakura, afraid of what she would be doing today, had even skipped dinner last night. Naruto however, had thought ahead and eaten till his stomach couldn't hold any more. This was why he lasted as long as he did.

Sighing, Sakura accepted their help, letting her teammates feed her. It was half a dream come true, Sauske feeding her, but Naruto ruined the experience just by being there. In her dream, he was burning alive, feeding the fire to Sauske and her own romantic dinner.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Cried out a booming voice. Sakura spat out the riceball the Uchihad had just fed her, as the three whipped around to see an enraged Kakashi, flames seeming to burst out around him from his rage. "YOU THREE..."

They prepaired for the worst.

"Pass."

They weren't expecting this. Kakashi explained.

"This whole exam was to test your teamwork abilities. Sakura, while you went off on your own, Naruto offered to help, but you turned him down. That is why I caught you in that genjutsu, and that is why you were tied to the stump. Sauske, no matter how reluctant you were to realise it, you did realise that you needed help to get the bells, regardless of wether naruto got one or not. And Naruto, as much as it hurt you to say that you needed Sauske's help, you overcame your pride as much as he did to ask for that help from him.

There is a saying I picked up from an old friend: Those who abandon their mission are trash, but those who abandon their friends are worse than trash. By helping your team mate when she was tied up, no matter if you got the bells or not, you saw that you needed to work together to complete the mission. You cant leave anyone behind, and because you saw this, all three of you pass." He eye smiled wider than the three of them had ever seen.

"I'd also like to say, that was very well planned out you two, if I hadn't done what I did, I would have been caught and roasted" Kakashi chuckled, but was curious when the blond started up as well.

"well sensei... it was really all on-the spot! We only talked about the big things, like what each clone would do, and what sauske would do, and where to put the extra clones incase you kawarimi'd out of there before we finished." Naruto said, scratching the back of his head and giving his famous foxy grin. Besides... it hadn't really been like he had meant to do any of that. it was like his body automaticly knew where and when to throw the kunai, and how many clones to make. Next chance he got though, he was going to the weapons store and having a few more of those bent kunai made... they were extremely helpful.

Kakashi blinked. They hadn't planned it all? That enormous trap that would have defeated even Kakashi wa Sharingan? Something was definatly up about this kid... It was like he could act without thinking and know exactly what he had to do... it was like he could enter your very heart and tempt you to do things you wouldn't normally do... That kind of power could be dangerous... but he was too young to realise what he could do, so for now, they were safe.. it would be best to alert the hokage about the events of this boy's exam.

"Alright you three! get some rest! Our first mission is tomorow!" Kakashi dissapeared in a swirl of leaves, leaving the three genin proud, fed, and looking forwards to a good nights sleep.

--

Several weeks had passed, and news of the attack on towns in the land of birds, and now even other shinobi villages had spread througout the elemental nations. All were on gaurd for this unstoppable foe, crafted from pure darkness as the rumors stated.

Sarutobi sat in his office, smoking his pipe as he usually did while his mind was troubled, and the days paperwork had been tamed for the most part. He worried for the people of the village of leaves, as much as he worried for the safety of the rest of the land of fire. There was also the startling revelation of Naruto's acheivement. Creating that many full shadowclones, transformations, and fighting on that level, while starved for nearly an entire day, and also acheiving to chip at the wall of Sauske's invinceble pride... that boy truely was something else.

There was also the fact that Naruto held bolth scrolls of destiny, the scroll of light, and the scroll of darkness. If that boy unlocked those scrolls... all hell would break loose for the boy, but hopefully he would be ready. All sandaime could do was hope.

It was only when a grumpy Naruto and squad burst into the room, did he turn to look at them.

"Ah.. Naruto... here for another mission I see? Very well then... lets see.. hmm.. It would appear that the cat Tora has gone missing again... her owner-" He was cut off abruptly by the blond.

"NO! No way in HELL am I going after that mangy flea-bitten cat again! Infact, if I ever see that cat again I'm going to skin it alive and give its pelt back to the owner as a scarf!" The blond pulled at his hair as he roared in outrage. "We want something more challenging! We've been genin over a month and we've done nothing but D rank missions! Even that Inu-baka Kiba's team has gone on a C ranked mission!" Naruto yelled again

Sakura, Sauske, and Kakashi, long ago realising that this was an average conversation between the blond and their leader, sighed heavily. Although the two younger members did agree, they wanted something a bit more challenging. Sarutobi sighed heavily, closing the D ranked mission file, and pulling out another, marked "C rank missions"

"Alright.. you want something more challenging I see.. we have a C-ranked escort mission to the land of wave. If you accept you'll be escorting Tazuna the bridge builder back to his country so he can finish construction on the bridge to the mainland from his country." Sarutobi explained, pulling out the only C-ranked mission in the file.

"Alright! We accept! alright guys?" Naruto grinned, turning to face his team.

They all sighed heavily, but nodded, smiling, or eye smiling in kakashi's case. Turning back, Sarutobi smiled as well, nodding and handing Kakashi the mission form for him to look over.

"Prepare tonight, for tomorow you leave for the land of waves!"

--

AN: Whew... that took a while sorry it took me so long, and sorry this chapter is a bit long! But.. hey! there was action! To all those that may complain that Naruto and Sauske worked just a little TOO efficiently together, you've gotta remember it was a limit, Those two were working without their minds actually telling them what to do. It was just like in a game, someone you cant see is controling your body and making you do your best. Had it not been for that clone, they would have been too exausted(especially in naruto's case) to get the bells.

hope you all enjoyed, and thanks go out to all those who supported me and never gave up hope that i'd continue this! I will not let this fanfic die, that's the promise of a lifetime! nice guy pose

Next time: Naruto and squad's first real mission to the land of waves begin, and things are stirring in the waters of the land of waves... These strange creatures continue to ravage the ninja world, their mission as unclear as thier target, but one thing will be certain: the challenges they face will hopefully only make them stronger, as the trials to come become more demanding! A betrayal, a Friendship formed and shattered, and more action than any previous chapter in any of my fics before this! Read next time on Naruto - A Destined Heart!

- Ja Ne! -