A/N: This isn't a chapter that is as long as the other two, but I wanted to write something for everyone following. While I certainly appreciate the reviews I have received It would be great to get some longer ones with more detailed criticism. Also Britjam0723 is probably the main reason I didnt just abandon this story out of forgetfulness, so thanks for that. Anyway, enjoy.

Before he left his office, the Third Hokage enjoyed spending some time considering the future. He was this time thinking about Naruto and Sasuke, and what the future had in store for them. Both boys showed strong promise and it seemed certain they would become some of the village's strongest ninja. He had little doubt that someday one of them would take the title and seat, unfortunately, it would likely not be from Hiruzen himself. The Hokage gazed at a picture on his desk from a time long past. The photograph featured him, the previous Hokage, Koharu, Homura, and Danzo Shimura. It was the last name that had him concerned with the fate of the two boys who seemed to be the future. Danzo and Himself had both dreamed of wearing the hat of the Hokage, but only one of them did. The other descended into darkness and distrust. That is the bitterness which comes from a dream deferred. He had seen it twice, and both times he blamed himself. The first was of course when he was chosen over Danzo, and the second was when he chose Minato over Orochimaru. The latter one hurting much more, but neither of these outcomes was the worst thing. Even the Hokage, filled with regret, would likely agree.

One of the boys who dreamed of Hokage would find themselves distrusted and hurt, Hiruzen hoped their relationship to their rivals and to their village would be stronger. Though, in the ninja world more than any other, history tends to repeat itself. With a sigh, most likely rooted in his own uncertainty, the Hokage just sat quietly in the room. He considered how much was happening in the world, for the God of Shinobi, he seemed to have little control.

Just as the Hokage was about to depart from his office for the night there was a glow. The glow came from a drawer in his desk. It meant that he had a letter from Jiraiya. His supremely talented student had invented a seal which recorded a document in one location and materialized a copy in another. It was the safest way to keep the Kage informed, leaks were almost impossible. The person would have to be in the Hokage's office or steal the original. Jiraiya solved one end of that by incinerating the original. The Hokage's office, that speaks for itself. Hiruzen knew that it could not be good news, not this late and not by surprise. The old man picked up a piece of paper from the drawer; it was newly transcribed in his pupil's familiar handwriting.

Sensei

I have finally found out the reality of the attacks on the civilian sector. There was a small collective of Kumo ninja in the Land of Boiling Water. I thought it was unusual so I put a couple of frogs on them. The idiots gave away everything once inside of their safe house. I killed all of them, their plans were to stay in the safe house for about two months or so before going back to Kumo. The attacks have worse inspiration then you can imagine. It seems as though the attack was a coordinated strike, planned in cooperation with Iwa. They are preparing for another war, and the target is us and Suna. My spies inside of cloud have confirmed this, which is why this correspondence has taken so long to reach you. The both of them requested the Grand Competition because they believe they can beat Konoha and Suna, they see it as an attempted blow to morale. It is the belief of my informant that they will declare war officially shortly after that. I still am unsure of their objective.

The eyes of the Hokage went wide as he read. When he was done he immediately ordered a gathering of the council. He began making his way to the chambers. But he could not help but wonder how the bombs were planted. There was a rat. There was only one thing that the Hokage felt was truly unforgivable, an assault on his village. There was be hell to pay.

"I am sorry to have called you all here this late, but this news could not wait," the old man scanned the room and ensured all of his ninja were paying attention intently. "Kumo and Iwa were responsible for the bombing, and they plan to declare war on us at some point after the Grand Competition," he finished. True silence is rare because there is always some sound, a breath, a tapping foot. But save one gasp that was the last sound before void, the Hokage was met with silence.

"I motion that this body declares war on Iwa and Kumo, not to be publically declared, but to understand the nature of our current situation," it was Okami who spoke. There was a sad undertone, the man had surely seen his share of bloodshed. He had hoped his grandchildren, and all the children of this village would avoid war for at least one generation. But that was not the case.

The motion was seconded. War was declared.

"Hidden War Protocol?" the lazy question was asked by Shikaku and the Hokage nodded.

"No more than 50% of our ninja may be out of the village at any one time. Food rationing will begin. But first, t we need to find a rat. It seems to me there must be an insider, we must find them before we engage in any wide change. If we don't then the war will begin soon, and time is obviously precious," Hiruzen Sarutobi was looking round, he knew now that the clans would search their own. The anbu would as well. The rat would be exposed by the end of the week if they were still here. Then it would be time to prepare.

The meeting was adjourned. The Hokage walked back to the Sarutobi estate. All his family was asleep, safe and sound. He rest his head on his bed, he was anxious, but confident in the ability of his village. It was only then that something occurred to him, surely a sign of his old age.

"I may have sent our greatest hopes into a potential trap. Anbu," and in an instant there was a tiger masked man standing in front of his bed. "Send a single operative to the team lead by Inuzuka Hana, they may run into trouble."

After saying his peace, he drifted off to sleep. One which was surprisingly comforting and pleasant. The Third Hokage was found in the morning, he died in his sleep. After serving as Hokage for for more than 50 year Hiruzen Sarutobi, the God of Shinobi, died. One could only hope the will of fire remained strong.

Sasuke and Naruto trailed slightly behind the main group. Hana was a little ahead with the Haimaru. In the middle of the shinobi was the traditional escort of the prince; the escort consisted of several "warriors", most of whom were simply nobles trained in martial arts. Then there were servants, and a single older advisor, along with the prince himself.

The three ninja were not accustomed to traveling at such slow speeds. It was taking some time to exit fire country. Of course there was nothing they could do, they weren't just with a client, this man could be their ultimate authority one day. They were all on their best behaviour, but they were also bored out of their minds. Naruto and Sasuke didn't speak much in the back and Hana only had her dogs to speak to.

Soon they were coming up on a clearing where they would set up camp, it was just inside the border of fire didn't want to cross into another country just as nightfall approached.

"Whoosh," a kunai flew from behind toward Naruto and Sasuke. The blunt object sailed in the air only for a short time before falling to the ground harmlessly. These were not ninja attacking, but Naruto and Sasuke turned to guard the escort as if Orochimaru was preparing an attack. Soon enough there were thirty or forty bandits coming out of the trees.

What the bandits did not know is that Hana's pups had warned the two boys with a single yip about half an hour ago. These bandits were of little to no concern so the shinobi had worked to keep the escort moving along as smoothly as possible. The bandits ran toward naruto and Sasuke with Kunai in hand. They were looking for a quick payday. Sasuke and Naruto showed them no mercy.

"Fire Style: Tendrils of Flame," Sasuke raised his hands to his mouth and emptied his lungs of air. About five tendrils of flame shot from his mouth and went toward the bandits. Burning and knocking out about half of them. Some ran away at this point, but a couple of the more confident bandits kept coming. As Sasuke's jutsu came to an end they continued to surge forward, it was Naruto's turn.

"Poison Style: Bitter Rain," Naruto ran through the handsigns which Kakashi had taught him as fast as could. The bandits, luckily, were quite slow. He had more than enough time. Naruto blew a dense cloud above his head, he tapped Sasuke's shoulder telling him to move back.

"What's that supposed to do?" another bandit yelled launching a kunai at the boys. Naruto caught the blade with his own kunai. The bandits ran forward until they were finally under the cloud.

"Activate," Naruto said calmly making the dog sign. One could almost hear the thunder, but there was none. As Naruto made the sign the cloud emptied. Rain fell from the cloud, but each droplet was Naruto's poison chakra. The bandits were surprised, it rained for maybe half a minute. The bodies of the bandits were black with necrosis, their skin was dead. So were they. The escort kept moving, Sasuke went back to incinerate the bodies.

That night camp was set up in the final clearing. The three of them sat with the prince and the other nobles around the main fire. To Naruto's quiet disgust, the servants sat alone. Sasuke had made them a fire.

"Prince Suruda, what do you think of all that's happening?" Hana asked the question.

"It is certainly troubling, my uncle and the other Daimyo are often restless, they all want more. They are often satisfied easily mind you, I don't know how long the Earth Daimyo will find the conquest of that land acceptable," the young prince sounded concerned. It seemed that he was more aware of the world than his uncle. One could only hope that was true of his generation.

"Does the Fire Daimyo have any interest in expansion?" this time it was Naruto voicing a question.

"My uncle is satisfied. Our country is the strongest, the most prosperous. My uncle values this above sheer size." Naruto nodded in response, glad that the Fire Lord seemed at least sort of intelligent.

The discussion continued for some time. It was quite enjoyable, it was a meeting of the next generation really.

The next morning they all woke up and began on their journey again in slightly different formation. Now it was Naruto and Hana in the rear with Sasuke in the front.

Naruto found himself mostly petting the Haimaru and smiling widely whenever Hana laughed at his antics with the dogs. The two of them knew each other fairly well, Naruto had spent a fair amount of time with Kiba during his last year at the meant he was familiar with Hana as well.

"Hana, what happened during your chunin exams?" the inflection in his voice hinted his curiosity. He was certain that Hana was strong enough to be a chunin.

"My team just wasn't the strongest, the first couple stages are team based typically. We just weren't there as a team," she really was disappointed she was not a chunin yet.

"Well I'm positive we'll pull it off. Especially with you leading us," borrowing a move from their sensei he gave her an eye smile.

Hana shook her head at the boys but there was just a tinge of red on her cheeks.

"It's too bad that only two teams get to compete," Hana thought about whether her brother would be at chunin level at that point. Time was moving fast. Kiba wasn't as strong as Naruto or Sasuke, but he wasn't a pushover.

"Yeah, if tensions build further, take a turn for the worst, there won't be a chunin exam if that happens. A lot of war promotions," Naruto comment darkened what had been a fairly playful conversation. It wasn't too troubling.

"Yeah. Most of the Hokage made their names in a war. This could be where either Sasuke himself ahead of you," Hana laughed as she said the last part, knowing Naruto would not take kindly to such a push.

"I don't know if that's true. I'm meant to protect this village," it was a matter of fact and he said it that way. Hana was puzzled by what he meant but didn't say anything else

They would eventually come to the border of river country, the talking stopped then. They were now on a much higher alert level. The rest of the trip was relatively brief and they arrived at the palace of the Daimyo of River Country in the afternoon.

All of the men carved into the face of the Hokage monument were now dead. Konoha was without a leader and at a time when it was close to facing war. That was exactly what was being discussed inside the council room at the moment. The Fire Daimyo joined via a screen.

Hiashi Hyuga found himself sitting in the seat reserved for the Hokage. He had been designated in the wartime protocol as the person who would become acting Hokage should the Hokage perish. It was a system put in place so that in a time of war there would never not be a final authority, a decider.

But he was not meant to be the next Hokage. So this meeting was necessary. He did however get one privilege, he was awarded the right to offer up a single nomination.

"I nominate Hatake Kakashi, he is a student of the fourth, and a well known shinobi of our village. Not to mention he is among our most intelligent and experienced shinobi despite his age," while all of that was true the true reason Hiashi nominated him was because it would give him a decent amount of influence. Something extremely important to him.

"I do not believe that Hatake is mature enough," Danzo dissented, but Hiashi had been prepared.

"Who do you believe should become Hokage?" Shikaku asked, Hiashi lacked time to counter.

"I think it should be me," Danzo made the bold declaration, but nominating oneself was a risky move. The Fire Daimyo just sat listening still. For his often apparent childishness he was one of the most powerful people in the world.

"I do not think it would be wise to name someone of such advanced age to the position, it puts us in a situation where will we be in this position again far too soon," Hiashi jabbed his opinion in again.

Danzo glared at Hiashi, but the Byakugan wielder was unfazed by the old fool. The Daimyo chose this moment to chime in.

"I have to agree with Hiashi, Danzo," That was the end of the issue. There was no arguing with the Daimyo.

"I have two issues with Kakashi, he is one of the best ninja we have and currently he is teaching what amounts to the most promising of our young ninja," Shibi Aburame spoke up. While his voice was a rarity in the room his input was valued. The Aburame were known, within the village, for their objectivity.

"What about Tsunade?" Okami asked the slug sannin had left the village long ago. Okami remembered witnessing her rise to greatness.

"Even if we could get her to return would she be willing to spend the rest of her time here?"

"What if we request Tsunade's return for as long as Kakashi is teaching his team?" Hiashi chimed in again.

"That sounds wonderful! Maybe Tsunade will decide to stay in the village. Send Jiraiya for her and alert Kakashi," the Daimyo directed. "That should be all," the ninja in the room stood just before the screen went black. The meeting was over. Now Hiashi just needed to reach Jiraiya and Kakashi. He couldn't find the record of Kakashi's mission, which likely meant it was S-rank and of SS-level secrecy.

The room emptied quickly and chatter filled the space between the council members. There was a lot occurring in the village hidden in the leaves. Hiashi made his way back to the office of Hokage with a lot on his mind. There was much to do. He started writing out orders and reading scrolls for mission orders. There was no way he'd ever take this job.

Kakashi found himself with a letter in hand, standing in front of Tsunade Senju. The Third Hokage had asked Kakashi to deliver the envelope to Tsunade. He was chosen because of his tracking ability, but also because Tsunade was less likely to kill someone she knew.

"Tsunade-sama, this letter is from the Hokage. He asked you to read it and consider it seriously," there was nothing else to say and so he handed her the letter. She opened it and began reading, she had yet to speak a word to Kakashi, she was livid to have been found at all.

Tsunade

You know, more than most, that I have made many mistakes. As my student I hope that you can succeed where I failed. Before the last war you came to me and asked to establish a program for training medic nin. I told you that it was a waste of time. I was wrong, and I believe know that you could have helped save many lives.

There is a new war on the horizon, and I cannot repeat the mistakes of my past. I want to ensure that as many of our shinobi survive this conflict as possible. I believe that you can help me accomplish this.

You are often thought of as below your teammates, but that is my fault. You have made contributions to medical jutsu which can change the world. I hope that you can use your knowledge to help save lives. I am so sorry for your losses Tsunade, and I know that it is difficult to move on. I know that you blame me, and I am not sure I can call you wrong. But right my wrongs. Please return to the village.

Sensei

"Kakashi, what is this war?" Tsunade asked, her voice was a little dead. Shizune's face was contorted into a puzzled expression.

"We have information, from reliable sources, which indicates that Iwa and Kumo are planning to wage war against Konoha and Suna," Kakashi said this sternly.

Tsunade looked shocked. This wasn't a small conflict, this was a war. As much as Tsunade had her issues with the leaf village she was getting the opportunity to help save people. She knew that Shizune was growing tired of their life. She had known for some time that she should go home. But she had no reason to, and the bitter anger overpowered her better judgement.

"Shizune, we're going home," Kakashi's eyes smiled. This was a great addition. Tsunade would help save many lives, he didn't want to lose any more loved ones to the ninja world, but that was inevitable. This was what they could do as a preventative step.

The meeting between the two princes seemed to go well. After two days at the palace, the shinobi took their leave. The stay in the palace had been the opposite of a break for Team Kakashi. As soon as they arrived they were greeted by the crown prince of the Land of Earth and a unit of five Iwa Chunin. The three Genin were on guard the entire time. Only one of them slept at a time. They remained on edge but were wholly relieved that they would be leaving.

Suruda had been easy going, but that did not mean he was stupid or lacked savvy. He had been having conversations with the other prince the entire time. He had been learning, about Iwa and about the Earth Daimyo; he himself gave up as little information as possible. It seemed as though the Prince of the Land of Earth was a novice. He spoke with little filter and often seemed careless in how he spoke and what he spoke about.

The Iwa group departed in another direction at the same time they did. Naruto and Sasuke trailed the back. The group made it very far, they seemed to be moving at a faster rate than on the trip here. The border was within sight already.

Things change in an instant. The ground directly below Naruto exploded and he was thrown back about 10 feet, he managed to land. Sasuke was now next to an unknown shinobi. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. A kunai was being driven toward his left temple. He felt unable to stop it, but he could see the movement.

Naruto sent a kunai at the assailant, the ninja forced to block it, Sasuke jumped back giving himself room. Another ninja emerged from the earth under Sasuke. Sending the raven haired shinobi in the air. Hana left the Haimaru guarding the prince and ran toward her teammates.

The first ninja was preparing hand signs and looking directly toward Sasuke. Without any words, five large spikes came out of the ground and were sent toward spiraling toward Sasuke. Naruto was engaged in hand to hand combat with the ninja which had attacked Sasuke from underground. He was powerless to assist Sasuke. But he needed to kick it into high gear. He activated his eyes.

Hana saw the helpless Sasuke in the air, unable to control his movement. The spikes would be lethal. Hana launched herself from the ground, she threw her body into the first spike. The chain reaction managed to deflect the spikes enough for Sasuke to land safely. Hana misjudged her motion slightly. The spike she crashed into tore into the flesh of her right arm. She gripped her arm and landed on the ground. She immediately retreated to her dogs, leaving the boys to deal with the onslaught while she got their client to safety. She told the Prince and company to run toward the border. She sent two of the haimaru ahead and kept the last one in the rear, protecting the back.

"Poison style: Great Poison Blob," Naruto initiated his version of the Great Fireball. He directed it to the ninja in front of him. The blob of pink-purple poison was a direct hit at such close range. The ninja screamed in immense pain. He was momentarily paralyzed, Naruto ran toward him with Kunai in hand. He sent the ninja tool into the necros skin of the man's neck. Ending his misery. As he did the skin returned to normal, and the pale skin was covered with rich red blood pumping out of his emptying jugular.

Sasuke was not fairing as well, but his newly activated Sharingan was helping. He had realized that the slow motion vision he was experiencing was a tell-tale sign of an awakened sharingan. He was struggling to keep his space. He wasn't nearly as skilled at hand to hand combat.

"Poison Style: Toxic Bubble Barrage," Naruto turned to one of his favorite techniques. He sent out as many pearl sized bubbles as he could muster. He had laid a minefield, hoping Sasuke could make the most of it. Sasuke gave a grateful nod, while his enemy was dealing with the bubbles he would have time to think. He had time to execute his jutsu.

"Fire Style: Hot Knife," Sasuke held his wrist with the other hand. He formed a flat palm and sent as much chakra into it as much as he could. After concentrating it in his hand he changed the form into heat energy. After that, he locked his eyes into his target. He raised his hand and ran at top speed toward him. Sasuke charged the shinobi who was trapped in a sea of bubbles. Naruto saw what was happening and gave Sasuke a lane. Sasuke's hand rammed through the man's chest but almost immediately cauterized the wound. But that didn't mean the damage was done. The man gasped for breath, his lungs unable to fill with air.

"Pick up the body!" Naruto yelled at Sasuke as he went to pick up the other body. Naruto approached the body and reached down to grab an arm. As soon as he made contact, a bomb went off. His body was thrown, and his ears were ringing viciously.

Sasuke managed to lift up the body without issue. After a brief time, Naruto had recovered mostly, but his ears were still ringing. He shook it off as much he could and began running alongside Sasuke toward the border. The two ninja eventually caught up with the escort. Hana had been guiding the escort further into the land of fire.

They had been moving quickly and were a surprising way through the forest.

As they walked into the Hokage's office the three Genin were starting to feel the effects of all that had happened. Adrenaline was wearing off, but in the presence of the Hokage they would never slump or slack.

"Hiashi-sama?" it was Hana that spoke. Ninja should be able to hold their emotions, but the shock was simply so much, Naruto's face especially revealed his surprise.

"Hiashi-sama, where is the Hokage?" Hiashi looked at the boy deeply. He knew somewhat of the connection the Hiruzen had with Naruto. One could even make out the sadness in his eyes at the news he was forced to deliver.

"The Hokage has passed away, he suffered a heart attack in his sleep," the air seemed to shrink out from the room. Naruto's eyes welled with tears, and he lost control of his breathing. Gasping, he tried to keep the tears at bay. He lost his battle, several tears streamed down his cheeks before he regained his composure. Ninja rule number 25, a ninja must never show their tears.

For the following hour the three of them recounted in extreme detail the events which transpired. While it was troubling that Iwa would attempt such a brazen attack, he was very proud of the three young ninja in front of him. After only a couple of days in the hat Hiashi had felt a further attachment to the village, and more concern for its future. He could see that the three of them were tired and that Naruto was struggling to hold in the emotions associated with the Hokage's death. He was preparing to let them leave when a couple of familiar but unexpected faces stopped in.

"Kakashi-sensei! You're back, how was the mission?" Naruto addressed his sensei happily, he had for the moment forgotten the loss. Behind Kakashi there was a blonde woman, and behind her a black-haired woman holding a pig.

All of the "adults" in the room were shocked to see each other. Hiashi saw Tsunade and wondered what she was doing here, Kakashi had left on his mission before the third had died and before a decision had been made. Kakashi, Tsunade, and Shizune were shocked to see Hiashi Hyuuga standing behind the desk of the hokage.

"Naruto, Hana, Sasuke; if you three wouldn't mind excusing us for the moment. I'd love to hear about your mission later," his students followed his orders and left the room. They bowed to the Hokage on the way out.

One Week Later

Tsunade walked into the room for the first time as Hokage. There had been some pause. The funeral of the third and her own coronation, but the matters at hand could not wait longer. They had to deal with the threat.

"Hokage-Sama!" they all announced, standing as she entered the room. While Hiruzen had relaxed the formality everyone was careful to show her the utmost respect. For now she would let it continue.

"Okay. There is really only one matter we need to discuss. Our response to the attempted capture of the prince of the land of fire," she began taking her seat, "I ask all of you to keep in mind that there has been no further escalation and no further chatter. The world is waiting for us."

"The tsuchikage. I believe it is time for a definitive show of strength, but not a foolhardy run into battle, we are not samurai. Let us tell the rest of the world that the Leaf is home to the best ninja the world has. Let us assassinate the Earth Shadow."

Everyone was a gasp, it was not Danzo who spoke these words. It was not the babbling of some war hawk. It was the voice of reason, Shikaku.

"I stand behind this," it was several voices that chirped back in accidental unison. It was a testament to the idea that Danzo, Okami and Hiashi could agree on a singular measure.

"Is there anyone with reservations?" Tsunade asked the room.

"Only that if we fail there will be war," Shibi spoke, moving his glasses up to his eyes as he did.

"And if we do not, there will be war as well. A village without a leader is not as much of a threat. An alliance with only one head is easy to defeat," it was Asuma who spoke in support. He had been made the representative of the Sarutobi clan.

"I agree. But i believe we should go bigger, and bring the village to its knees. Kill their kage and then some of their larger trading partners," it was a surprise hearing this from Tsunade who typically hated war. She saw this as a means to stopping it and she would do anything to avoid it.

"The elimination of the kage and then some high profile trading partners. The kage should be killed shortly before the exam," Shibi said joining the discussion now that the general idea had been decided.

"Yes, if they don't show they seem weak. If they send a new Kage then it will be a rushed decision and they'll likely lack the manpower for any immediate assault."

"I will remain in the village for the tournament. For the time resigning as Hokage. Kakashi will attend the exam as the Hokage and as their teacher," Tsunade spoke after Kakashi.

"Yes. A lot seems to be riding on the performance of those three, but after their last mission I feel confident," shikaku weighed in again.

"Shikaku, using our intelligence put together a list of the 15 most important private individuals to Iwagakure. We'll sporadically have some of the lower importance individuals killed, test their reactions," the man nodded to his hokage.

"The during the exam we take out the big targets no time to address the issue with a new kage away from his village," Kakashi chimed in. He occupied a fairly unique position. He had only his council seat for the moment, but he was Hokage-elect. In a year or two he would be in that chair and therefore he commanded a certain amount of authority. At the same level as the Jounin commander of Hiashi. The ones on the council who held the most clout. But he was very much concerned with creating a power dynamic issue, he wouldn't step on Tsunade's toes, she was his leader.

"Kakashi, do you think they have a chance?" Danzo opened his mouth in the moment of silence.

"If they continue to progress at the same rate. They will win," the man was confident in his students. Danzo simply nodded, he was unsure what to make of the answer, was it a result of hubris?

Gaara often stood alone, up on the kage tower. The winds were strong, but the sand was not nearly as dense in the air. You could see far. He would sit and stare at the village an alien in his home. Regarded as a demon who drank the blood of anyone. He had killed children younger than him, but also ninja. There was nothing anyone could do, not even his father.

"Gaara, I have decided to teach you," the Kazekage lied like a used goods salesmen. In other words he wasn't very convincing. Gaara hardly looked his way. The council had decided that he must be trained further before his journey to Iron Country. In Suna the Kazekage was slightly less despotic than the leaf and a majority vote of the council and the support of the prince who sat on the village board could overturn his decision.

He did not find this decision to be objectionable. Gaara was a monster and a weapon of the village. This was the last stage of preparing a kunai, it needed to be sharpened and then it needed to draw blood.

Gaara had still offered no response, he instead stared blank eyed and unwavering, unmoving.

"We will first test your ultimate defense. Come with me," and he put his hand on Gaara's shoulder. Not in a loving way, in a controlling fear inducing way. Gaara was afraid of only death, and he was aware that his father could kill him.

Gaara was taken underneath the sand. Into a training site. It was nicknamed the box. It had no sand in it. It was a one-way glass chamber. Gaara was placed inside, with only the sand which protected his body.

Three doors opened and the seen quickly mirrored a contest of gladiators. Four doors opened on the side of the box opposite to Gaara. They were missing nin, jounin. They were in full gear. Each of them had been promised their freedom if they could kill Gaara.

Naruto was sound asleep in his home. A knock at the door snapped him awake rather quickly. Even a ninja who was sleeping soundly was always on edge. He got to the door to see a masked agent knocking.

"Your presence is requested by the Hokage immediately. I will be escorting you," the shinobi spoke with little emotion, the voice belonged to a woman. Naruto only nodded and got dressed as fast as possible. He followed the Anbu's path, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. Eventually they made it to the Hokage's tower.

"Good, Naruto you're here. There has been a kidnapping. Hanabi Hyuga was taken from her home after a group of three ninja were detected entering our barrier." It was Tsunade herself speaking. Naruto scanned the room. Sasuke was present along with Hinata, he could guess this meeting was for high risk targets.

Hinata stood strong, there was pain in her eyes, but she was a ninja and would not shed a tear. She was also holding a fist tightly, she wanted to be searching for her sister.

"I need you all to stay here until the situation is dealt with," the hokage spoke again.

These three ninja were all unique and very much key to the village's future power. None of them were replaceable.

Time passed and the level of anxiety in the room was increasing dramatically.

"It hasn't been announced yet, but since you will all be participating I find no issue in telling you early," the three genin, the three strongest of their graduating class, all seemed distracted for the moment. They listened intently to what the Hokage explained next. "In one month we will be holding a special tournament of sorts, all active genin teams in Konoha are required to participate."

"But what is the goal of such an activity Tsunade-sama, it seems like a wasted effort to fight amongst ourselves," Hinata spoke although quietly.

"Yeah, wouldn't our time be better spent training, the grand competition is around the corner," Naruto chimed in.

"Well the tournament serves a dual purpose. It provides Genin the opportunity to gain combat experience and examine their standing. It also gives us the chance to survey the state of our military. The Lord of the Land of Fire will be attending the final phase. He will even be selecting a ninja for his personal guard. Of course none of you will be eligible for such an assignment," the kids now had wide smiles on their faces. This tournament was one that could bring a great deal of prestige. "Unfortunately you'll have to wait like everyone else for more information." As she finished speaking doors barged open.

"Tsunade-sama we have recovered Hanabi and all the assailants. One of her eyes was removed. She has been taken to the hospital." The Anbu had not yet finished speaking. Tsunade was out of the door and on her way to the Hospital. There was no one better than her to perform the surgery. Hinata followed closely behind.

Naruto and Sasuke stood still in the office having received no directions.

"Is there any word on who committed the crime?" Naruto asked the Anbu operative who had been left standing in the entryway.

"No. The ninja were without headbands. They were killed on contact as they were about to remove Hanabi's other eye," It was only after the masked ninja spoke for a second time that the boys realized who it was. Kakashi removed his mask and let his hair up. It was technically against the rules for him to reveal his identity. But he was the next Hokage so he figured he wouldn't be punished too hard. Plus these were his students, two of the people he cared most about.

"Kakashi-sensei, I don't mean to be callous, but can i go back to sleep. I expect a difficult day of training tomorrow," Kakashi nodded in response. The two boys headed back home.

The voice of the anbu operative who came to alert him stuck in Naruto's head. It reminded him of Hana's voice. He thought about the two of his teammates. He saw Sasuke as his friend, but also his competition. Sasuke was his only roadblock to becoming Hokage. Hana was different, she was his best friend's sister. She worked harder than either of her teammates. Naruto loved training with her.