Disclaimer: If I owned the real 'Naruto', then this would never exist…Gah, the horror! D=

Here is where the pairing nominations currently stand:

Ayame: 3

Ino: 8

Shikamaru: 1

Gaara: 1

Sasuke: 1

Fu: 1

Yakumo Kurama: 1 (If you've forgotten, it's Kurenai's old student, the artist girl with a demon inside her. She's Anime-only.)

Hinata: 1

Kurenai: 1

Tayuya: 2

No pairing: 6

Wow, we've got a real competition between Ino and No Pairing there! Thanks for the opinions everyone, and please keep voting!

I forgot the warnings last chapter! So here they are once again:

WARNINGS: Swearing, mentions of past rape, child abuse

This chapter has been mostly done for a while, but I just hadn't edited. Sorry about the wait! In order to get it out sooner I didn't check really thoroughly, so I hope it's ok enough!

Naruto was dreaming…It was a nice dream, at first. But then it got weird. Sakura had finally agreed to go on a date with him, so they headed out to Ichiraku ramen. It had been going well, but just when Sakura had started confessing her love for him, her hair began to fall out. Pink locks slid to the floor, and ramen noodles grew in their place. Sakura continued, oblivious to her new slimy hairdo. And just when Naruto thought it couldn't get any stranger, out of nowhere Chouji arrived and started to eat Sakura's new ramen-hair. He just kept going while Naruto watched in horror until he had actually eaten Sakura completely! Chouji then patted his stomach and let out a belch that shook the village like an earthquake. But it didn't stop, it all just kept shaking. What was…

"Nar'to." she said once again, shaking his shoulder to wake him.

Naruto struggled towards consciousness. "…Nugh…" It was then that he noticed the creepy monkey's button eyes were about three inches from his face and, still half asleep, he shot up in fright.

"…Nar'to you gots ta get up now." she said, looking up at his sleep-bleared face.

"…Why?" he whined.

She glanced around the room suspiciously. "Someting's at da window and it's scarry."

"What?" he croaked.

"Shh!" she shushed him. "Dey'll hear you!" she whispered loudly. Naruto groaned as he sat up.

"Ok, ok, stay here. I'll check." He walked out the door mumbling about little kids and imaginary monsters.

"See?" He called back in the direction of his room. "There's nothing- GAH! Kakashi-sensei, what the hell?" Naruto shouted at the man leaning casually against the wall, in a shadow. "You scared the shit out of me! How did you get in here anyway?"

Kakashi gave his student a deadpanned look. He pointed to himself and raised the visible eyebrow. "Ninja."

"…Right, well why are you here?" The blonde demanded. Shit, I just hope she has the sense to stay quiet in there, I really don't have the energy for that conversation right now…

Kakashi pushed off against the wall and walked over to Naruto as if nothing was out if the ordinary. "Oh, no reason, I just wanted to check up on my beloved student! You've been MIA for all of our team meetings this week."

Naruto rubbed his forehead. "I thought Sandaime-jiji told you-"

"Oh he did, but I want to know why. When I asked-" demanded "-he said that it was your choice to tell. So, tell?"

"It's four o'clock in the morning!" Naruto growled. Kakashi's one eye gave Naruto a kicked-puppy look.

"But Gai woke me up and I ran away-"

"I don't care! Let me sleep!"

"…Fine, But you will tell me later." He said sternly, climbing onto the window sill. He turned back nonchalantly. "Oh, and tell that little girl I didn't mean to scare her." He dropped out of sight.

Naruto sighed, rubbing a hand over his face wearily. Shit.

And who the hell is this 'Gai' everybody keeps mentioning?

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"So…" Naruto tapped his fingers against the breakfast table as he waiting for the ramen to cook. "I'm going to go and see my team today and hopefully train a little. Did you...want to visit Iruka-sensei?" He suggested to the bedraggled girl, who scrunched up her nose. She was wearing a simple yellow and blue patterned pair of pyjamas, and hadn't brushed her hair yet.

"Hmm, no. 'Wuka is nice but he maked me eat that yucky stuff."

"Yes, I see your point…Who knew they could hide vegetables in a cake? Ugh." Naruto shuddered. Why was everybody so damn insistent that he –they, ate vegetables? Nothing that tastes that bad could be good for you anyway!

She waved her fork slowly in the air, just for the fun of it. "…Can I goes with Nar'to?" she asked hopefully. She hadn't been able to see much of the village yet, because they were almost always inside.

Naruto considered. "Uh…I…guess?" Well, I most likely have to tell Kakashi-sensei today anyway…Hopefully Sasuke-teme and Sakura won't ask too many questions. They've never been very interested in my life before anyway…It should be fine. He assured himself.

Her eyes lit up. "Yay! So wheres we goin'?"

"To my team's meeting spot, we're called Team Seven! It's the best team ever!" Naruto bragged, completely unashamed.

"Best team ever!" She repeated with an enthusiastic laugh, throwing her arms into the air. And almost hitting Naruto with the fork.

Damn, this kid is dangerous! He thought with slight nervousness as he put more distance between himself and the spiked object. "But before we go, we still need to decide on your new name, remember?"

"Oh!" She gasped. "Can Huggie help 'cide too?"

"…Sure, why not." Naruto replied, still not used to the whole stuffed-monkey-has-an-opinion thing.

She trotted back into the room, monkey in tow. She set him up carefully in a sitting position at the table, although he quickly drooped over once she removed her hand. Sighing, Naruto pulled out a Kunai, planning to stick it into the already blade-dented table and let the stuffed animal lean on it as best it could, but he was distracted by a small whimper.

"…What?" He blinked.

She said nothing, just looking down at her bare feet with watery eyes.

"Wh-Hey! Don't start crying!" He looked at the Kunai he was still holding. "…Is it this? I'm not going to hurt you or anything!" Kami, did this kid really think he would do that? I mean, sure he wasn't completely comfortable around her –and that was an understatement-but he would never actually hurt her at all! Was he really doing such an awful job at all this that she believed that?

"N' more…n' more, n' more, n' more tessing…"

"…Hey, are you ok?" What a stupid question. He thought slightly bitterly. But what else was he supposed to say?

"…N' more, pease…"

Naruto ran a hand through his hair in stress. "Shit. I've broken a child. I knew this was a bad idea." Putting the Kunai away, he knelt down in front of her unsurely. "Um…It's gone now, you can calm down."

The whimpering died down, although the slight shaking to her frame continued. She warily raised her eyes. "Gone?"

"Yep, all gone." He said with a small, false smile in an attempt to reassure her.

"…No tessing?" She whispered, glancing around as if somebody was trying to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Um, no…" Wanting desperately to change the subject, Naruto stood back up, retrieved the now cooling ramen and placed it in front of her firmly. "Now finish your breakfast, I won't have any ramen wasting you hear?"

She giggled a little and went back to slurping up the noodles. By the time she had finished one and a half bowls, Naruto had already downed four.

"…Hey." He began uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, ok? For…scaring you before."

"S'ok. I fo'give Nar'to!" She grinned happily, capturing Huggie in a tight hold.

He watched as she jumped out of her chair and bounced out of the room, leaving him alone.

"Yeah…" He whispered to himself. "I suppose I forgive you too." Even if I will never forgive her. Shaking his head against the sudden thoughts, Naruto once again pushed it all into the back of his mind. Acknowledging the harsh reality of 'parenthood' could wait until another time, when he was sure he was ready to deal with it. One thought however refused to fade.

"…Kaiya…" He mused out loud, nodding to himself. It seemed he had finally found a name.

Forgiveness.

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Where the hell is that baka, he hasn't shown up in ages! Sakura fumed as she stood in silence at Team Seven's meeting place. But who cares! At least now he isn't in the way all of the time of my bonding with Sasuke-kun…Although she began to almost miss the blonde's irritations, because at least he did something! The tension –silence- was killing her!

"Um…Sasuke-kun," she blushed when he glanced over with indifference. "Would you like to-"

"No."

"O-oh. Ok Sasuke-kun, another time then." She smiled. Sasuke almost snorted, but that would require breaking his personal code of non-reaction.

A few minutes later, Sakura got up the courage to try and start a conversation again. "Where do you suppose Naruto has been lately, even he's not stupid enough to forget all our meetings, right Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn."

"He could be sick I guess, it would serve him right for eating that crap all the time." She attempted with a weak laugh.

"Hn…"

Yes! That one sounded like he was paying more attention, right? It was a sign! Sakura thought with excitement. This was her chance! "Well, he might be coming today, so I guess it doesn't matter. But, in the mean time we could-"

"No."

Aaand shot down again. Sakura internally wilted. She knew he was just playing hard to get, and as much as it made him seem so cool, it was hard on her sometimes! Why couldn't Sasuke-kun just let her instead of shutting her out?

"R-right. Sorry Sasuke-kun, I'll…let you think quietly now." While I daydream-ahem, PLAN- our wedding, eek! A white Kimono with tiny little sakura petals cascading down the side and-

"Hello children!" Sakura reared back in surprise as their grey-haired Sensei appeared out of thin air. She scowled.

"You're late Kakashi-sensei!"

Oh, REALLY? Kakashi thought, rolling his Sharingan eye only because they couldn't see it. "Ah, I'm sorry Sakura, Sasuke! I got a little caught up with writing a mission report, but I left it for later because you my precious Genin come first!"

"Tch. Right." That would actually be a good excuse, for once, if it wasn't for the fact that he doesn't go on missions without us unless it's urgent. Sasuke thought. Which is very unlikely.

"Kakashi-sensei, what are we doing today?" Sakura inquired politely, inwardly praying it wasn't another ridiculous D-rank.

Kakashi practically glowed. "Well, since you asked so nicely. We are just going to have a light training session when Naruto gets here, since while he's 'off duty' he isn't allowed to do all that much right now." Sandaime-sama knows how Naruto deals with stress, so I have to agree it is best. Whatever the situation is, there is no doubt it's taking a toll. We can't have him destroying the grounds…

"The Dobe's off duty? What the hell did he do now?" Sasuke grunted in annoyance.

"HEY! I didn't do anything Sasuke-teme!" An annoyed voice called out from the path leading up to the bridge.

"If you hadn't done anything, and you're not hurt, then why would you be off duty? It was probably another one of your idiotic pranks!" Sakura scolded with her hands on her hips.

"Maa, maa, calm down everybody, I think you're scaring our guest." Kakashi cut in, gesturing to the figure standing directly behind Naruto. She peeked around him with wide, nervous eyes as she reached up one hand to fiddle with Naruto's jumpsuit. The ever-present Huggie was hanging dangerously close to the ground from her limp arm, his long legs almost trailing in the dirt.

"What…who is that?" Sakura asked in surprise. Naruto stepped aside so they could get a better look, leaving her in the spotlight like a startled deer.

"This is…my…um, Kaiya." Naruto struggled. He had told her of her knew name on the way over, and she immediately took a liking to it, once Huggie had approved it of course. She said it sounded pretty. "Kaiya, this is Kakashi-sensei, or as you know him 'the scary-window-guy', and this is Sakura-chan, and that is Sasuke-teme." He listed off his team, pointing to each of them as he went.

"Wow, she looks just like you! Naruto, why didn't you ever tell us you had a sister! We are your teammates, we should know!" Sakura exclaimed. Naruto fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Oh...she's not my, I mean, she's-"

"Naruto is an orphan Sakura, he can't have a sister because his parents died a long time ago." Sasuke cut in, unknowingly saving his blonde teammate's ass.

Sakura looked bewildered. "But…Look at her! Maybe…maybe Naruto only thought they died, but really they're alive! That could be possible, right Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura speculated. It seemed like a perfectly reasonable conclusion.

Kakashi just shook his head in response. I know for a fact that Minato and Kushina both died that night, there is no mistaking that. Kushina may have had a few relatives left somewhere, but this girl looks nothing like her, she has Sensei's hair! But Minato-sensei was an orphan as well…it could be possible, but then why the whisker marks? "No Sakura, I can assure you that that is not the case."

"So who is she then?" She asked, confused. Naruto rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"A…relative I'm looking after for a while. She came to watch us train today." He explained.

"Awesome, it'll be great to have another girl around this time, right Kaiya-chan?" Sakura winked. This was the perfect time to show Sasuke-kun how good she was with kids!

Kaiya squinted at the pink-haired girl. "Um…Are you a Man?"

"WHAT?" Sakura shrieked. "No, I'm a girl! And someday I'll be a woman, then a wife and then Okaa-san to Sas-um, somebody's children! But I will never ever be a man!"

The blonde girl's head tilted to the side. "…But you has no boobies."

…

…

…

"NA-RU-TO!" Sakura roared.

"What? I didn't say anything!" He yelped, dodging his teammates fists as she charged at him.

"You made this innocent little girl like you!" She hissed in fury. Really! Corrupting a child!

Kakashi sweatdropped. "Um, Sakura, I think…it was an honest question rather than an insult." He said, watching the obviously startled Kaiya struggle to understand the sudden turn of events.

Sasuke was subtly trying to still his chest, which was shuddering with internal laughter. At least the Chibi-Dobe didn't have the same blind obsession with Sakura. Sakura, who was meanwhile attempting to explain that girls don't get…them, until they got older, which was why neither of them had any. Kaiya blinked and pointed at Sasuke.

"Is 'suke a Okaa-san too?"

Time froze.

Or at least, it seemed to. Even the birds stopped chirping, as all attention was turned to an innocently curious Kaiya, whose finger was still pointed at the last Uchiha. Kakashi was the first to move.

"Um…no." He answered mildly.

"Oh…but's pretty!" The blonde girl protested.

Sakura couldn't help but agree to that statement, although she was still miffed at her Sasuke-kun being called a girl. Naruto finally burst into hysterics and crippled over, unable to properly stand in his laughter. Sasuke was partly offended, and also partly concerned. What if this was the beginning of another Fangirl? He didn't need kids coming after him too! He would never admit that there was a very small part of him that was amused.

"Never change, Kaiya." Naruto snickered. "Never change."

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The sun was only just beginning it's decent behind the Hokage Mountains, and after a infuriatingly slow-paced day of training, Naruto had made his way to the Hokage Tower to speak to the Sandaime.

"I'm telling you Jiji, something was seriously weird. Just the sight of my Kunai and out of nowhere she was really upset! She was mumbling stuff about testing and not wanting it anymore. What the heck was up with all that?"

Hiruzen let out a small puff of smoke before returning his pipe back between his wizened lips. "Yes…I've already called for the assistance of one of the Yamanaka clan's Shinobi to evaluate her mental state." He said somewhat grimly.

Naruto searched his memory for the name, it sounded vaguely familiar… "As in Ino's clan? What can they do?"

The Sandaime nodded and began to explain. "The Yamanaka clan specialises in jutsus affecting the mind. It can be useful for not only offence, but also interrogation-"

"You're going to interrogate her?" The blonde interrupted. Hiruzen waved him down before continuing.

"No, no! As I was saying, they are skilled at interrogation because of their ability to search through a person's mind and memories, although they must be rather specific as to what they are searching for or they could become lost. The mind is a very complex thing."

"…So you want to check her memories? And hey! You said you've already called them, how did you know so soon?" Naruto asked suspiciously.

The Sandaime smiled in an almost sheepish way. "I have admittedly been checking up on you both from time to time with my crystal ball, to see how everything is progressing."

"Pervert." Naruto muttered.

"Hmm?" The Hokage raised his eyebrows in question. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Nothing."

Hiruzen nodded in approval. "I have set the appointment for tomorrow at noon, just bring her here then. It shouldn't take more than an hour or two to find what we need to know."

"…Ok Jiji, but make sure they know what they're doing."

"Of course." The Sandaime said, as if it were obviously going to happen with or without the blonde's conditioning. "Although I fear that her reactions earlier may reveal something of the testing she spoke of which we may not wish to believe."

There was silence in the Hokage's Office as both were covered in a depressive aura. Snapping out of it first, Hiruzen let a slightly forced smile take up residence on his face.

"So, Kaiya huh? It's a beautiful name." And extremely appropriate given the circumstances.

"Oh, yeah…I just randomly thought of it, it's no big deal." Naruto shrugged. He didn't want to go getting all sentimental over it. It's…just a name.

"Well at least now we can finally fill out that particular pile of paperwork, it has been mocking me all week." The Sandaime said, glancing morosely at a relatively small pile of paper which was overshadowed by larger and much more intimidating ones. "Now I think it's about time you relieved Iruka of his babysitting duties, he has to teach a whole class of children tomorrow as well." He said with a wink. Naruto had dropped Kaiya off at Iruka's before coming here, but only because he knew Iruka-sensei would happily help him out.

Naruto laughed. "Ok Jiji, cya later!"

Hiruzen watched the blonde shoot out of the room fondly, before picking the first piece of paper off the pile and beginning to write in his familiar script.

Uzumaki Kaiya.

He leant back in his chair, raising the pipe to his lips and taking a deep breath in, closing his eyes. Minato, Kushina, I know you are just as proud of him as I am. I only pray that the path remains free of hazards as it has thus far. I'm truly sorry it came to this, but I know you will watch over them both when I cannot.

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Naruto walked along the familiar route to Iruka-sensei's house, never noticing the following shadow until it leapt in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.

"K-Kakashi-sensei?" he stuttered in shock. Did the man have to be so sneaky? It wasn't fair!

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." The Jounin waggled his finger back and forth condescendingly. "No running away this time!"

Naruto shifted. "Uh, Sensei, could I talk to you another-"

"Oh no!" Kakashi interrupted. "I am usually I patient man, I have never once skipped to the end of a book! But there is only so much I can take of this…mystery stuff!"

"Of course, you only read smut…" Naruto muttered.

"No changing the subject! It's time you told me the truth." Kakashi said, changing from cheerful to serious in an instant. It made Naruto wonder which of them was real, if any. Or was it both? You could never know with Kakashi-sensei.

"So who is she Naruto?"

Well there you go! Her name is Kaiya! Which just in case you missed, apparently means forgiveness. Next chapter we have another Flashback of Kaiya's past, and Naruto is forced to face his demons (And no, it is not the Kyuubi)!

Don't forget to vote! ^_^

-TITM