Author: Thank you all for the encouraging reviews as well as the constructive reviews. After I had finally thought I was free, I wound up getting another job. Not just that, but it was the Graveyard shift. This added in with my day job left me little to no time to write let alone get an adequate amount of sleep (usually would range from 3-5 hours a day, sometimes only 6 in 48 hours). And not just my ability to write suffered. My social life was shot to pieces. These past months have been pretty stressful for me. Luckily I was able to bring it down to one full time day job now. The process has been exceedingly slow in getting back into the groove of things.

Anyway thanks again. Now I will address some of the reviews.

torasuto kotonashi- Truth be told I am not quite sure if Kurenai was going to find out. The whole date event actually was a last minute decision. I have thought about both ways, but I hope you like the outcome either way.

Tristan76-I'm not going to lie, I enjoy reading your reviews.

Also a special thanks to Starfire99 for giving me a well deserved kick in the butt for my lack of updating. I pray this chapter is to your guys' liking.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with Naruto, because even if I did, there is no way I could make it as awesome as it is.

"Talking"

"Thinking"

Jutsu

{Demon or Summon Speech in Mental Realm}

"Demon or Summon Speech in Physical Realm"

-Scene or Time Change-

Current Ages:

Kakashi and Rin: 25

Iruka and Kurenai: 22

Naruto: 10 (with body of a fourteen year old)

Chapter 11

Even Though I May Die

Naruto woke with a start. Today was the day of the second portion for the Chuunin Exams. As that realization came to light, the boy's mood grew. Grabbing his gear, Naruto leapt out his window. Buildings slide by as the blond proceeded to his team's usual meeting place. After thirteen minutes at a steady pace, Naruto landed soundlessly next to his female comrade.

"Ohayo Tenten."

"Ah!" she squeaked, not expecting him "Gomen Naruto. I guess I am nervous for the second portion of this exam."

A light laugh exited the male's throat.

"No worries. Remember you won't be alone in this part. Have some faith in your team." A smile gracing his features.

"Hai…"

"YOSH!" an over-excited voice rang throughout the clearing.

"Now that the team is all here, let's head to the objective." Naruto stated jumping off into the distance.

-Training Ground 89-

Kakashi sat on a stump as he waited for the contestants to arrive. A sweat drop appeared upon his brow as the man realized that he had been tricked to arrive earlier than everyone else.

"Curse the Hokage…I have a reputation to uphold…"

Someone landing on the ground was accompanied by a sigh from the cyclopean jounin.

"Wow, Hokage really knows how to get people to listen to him." The voice called, the humor in the statement not hidden from the older male.

"Naruto." Kakashi greeted half-heartedly.

The blond returned the greeting with a nod. Naruto took up a spot upon a nearby rock. Closing his eyes, the chuunin-hopeful focused upon his surroundings. Both teammates soon joined him. It didn't take long for the other teams to start arriving. However, the instant the Kumo team showed up, the female member quickly appeared by the blond male.

"Well hello Naruto-kun." She cooed bending down to eye level.

"Right back at ya Aiyoku-chan."

When he opened his eyes, the Naruto got an eyeful of her womanly assets. A heavy blush smeared his countenance. Blood was slowly making its way to his nose. Attempting to hide his…condition, Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose in fake irritation.

"Aiyoku, I really wish you would stop doing that…" he muttered to himself.

A hand upon her shoulder brought the young woman's body upwards. Katai glared, seeping killing intent from almost every pore of his body. It was very subtle but Naruto was able to feel it. Naruto's gentle look vanished in an instant as he stood. Leveling a glare at the shorter boy, the two males stared, challengingly, at the other. No words were exchanged; only slight twitches of the facial muscles gave any hint of their visual 'duel'.

"YOSH! A BLOSSOMING RIVALRY!" Lee shouted and started doing single-fisted pushups in his excitement.

Tenten smacked her forehead and Aiyoku raised her eyebrow. Katai and Naruto paid the boy no mind. Kakashi viewed the entire duel from his place near the entrance. His eye visible widened as the air appeared to distort between the two.

"I should probably diffuse the situation before things get out of hand…" he said getting ready to intervene, "…troublesome brats…"

-Nara Clan Household-

Every male in the compound let out a large sneeze. Two in particular launched the Shoji board across the room via said sneeze.

"Someone used our phrase dear son…"

"It appears so father…"

"Should we go-" the boy inquired.

"No." the dad interrupted.

"Then how about picking up-"

"No."

"Why?"

"Too troublesome…" the older male shrugged nonchalantly.

Soon the two people decided to take a nice nap.

-Back with Kakashi-

"Now-" the jounin began.

Aiyoku quickly squeezed between the two testosterone-filled males. First she faced the blond, her hands and body rest upon his chest. Lightly she pressed into him before speaking. Suddenly a small scent filled Naruto's nostrils. Just as quickly as it had appeared it vanished; giving no time to analyze the…intriguing aroma.

"What was that…" Naruto pondered before returning his attention to the woman.

{Something is off…} Mitsukai growled.

"Naruto-kun, please pay no mind to my teammate." With a slight turn of her head and a single eye, she glared warningly at Katai. "He tends to forget his place from time to time."

Katai's eye softened enough for everyone to notice. Tenten winced slightly as the genin's reaction. It was not one of adoration but of hurt, bordering on betrayal. It was quite apparent Katai did not like the attention his teammate was giving to Naruto. After all he is a ninja from KONOHA, the long-time enemy of Kumo. Begrudgingly the Kumo male slinked backwards half a step. One more glance between himself and Naruto occurred before he appeared by the third member of their team. The boy's back facing the four. Aiyoku remained where she was, even after granted the extra space. Meanwhile, Naruto was busy processing that all-too-familiar look to notice at all.

"That look…" Naruto strangely sympathized. "Something is going on here, but what could it be."

"Now that he's gone-" still she remained close to the blond.

"Be a little kinder to him Aiyoku. He may be over-protective, but he is just showing his concern for your safety. After all, this is a foreign village and I am a foreign ninja. It could be dangerous to be near me, especially since we are technically against one another."

His comment made her scoot back. Pushing out her bottom lip, a cute pout adorned her unblemished face. Even Lee was blushing at said cuteness.

"Ah…" she whined, "I know you would not harm me."

A quirked eyebrow garnered a continuation from her. A mischievous smile replaced the pout. Before the three Konoha ninja knew it, Aiyoku was pressed into Naruto AGAIN, her supple lips centimeters away from his ear.

"Because, you are already under my spell Na-ru-to-kuuuuun."

Her voice was husky and Naruto could not stem the small trickle of blood that ran down his lip. Her hand slowly caressed his cheek as she sashayed away.

"Naruto you lucky ba-" Kakashi thought before a glare from said blond stopped him.

It clearly stated: "Say anything and I'll tell Rin where your secret collection is." The silver-haired shinobi eye-smiled at the attempt of a threat. Now it was Naruto's turn to smile. Another wordless exchange gave the jounin a nervous sweat.

"No…he couldn't know where my other collections are hidden? Could he?"

A small nod from Naruto heightened the man's blood pressure.

"Damn blonds…"

It was at this point in time that Kakashi realized that all the contestants were present.

"Alright kiddies," he called out, gaining the attention of everyone. "It is time for the second portion of the chuunin exam."

Every shinobi was instantly near the lazy jounin.

"Welcome to Training Ground 89; also called the "City of the Forgotten". A long time ago a massive battle took place on the outskirts of Konoha. The damage done from the aftermath made the area dangerous to even demolish. It was eventually fenced off and made into the training grounds. This portion of the exam will be more like a survival test."

"What will we be doing for this test?" one of the Konoha teams questioned impatiently.

"You know," Kakashi eye-smiled "The impatient ones are usually the first to die…"

Said genin took a step back in fear.

"Now, as I was saying, the test will consist of surviving for seven days within this training ground. Each team will be granted supplies to survive for at least 3 days."

The man paused to retrieve slips of paper from one of the many pouches on his vest.

"These are slips for voluntary involvement. Basically, if you die, I won't be blamed for it." He finished with an eye smile.

Naruto didn't hesitate one second. Grabbing the slips of paper for his team, the boy returned to his team. Katai and his comrades quickly followed the blond's example. One by one, every participant retrieved their slips, signed, and returned them. Once everything was in order, Kakashi acquired everyone's attention.

"If everyone could line up with their team and proceed to the seal array by my right, we can begin the second portion of the exam."

Lined up and ready to go, Kakashi continued his explanation.

"The seal will teleport you to a location within the training ground. Your supplies and further instructions will be waiting for you. Any questions?" seeing no raised hands "Have fun and don't die! Cleaning up is not fun at all…"

The first team vanished into thin air.

-Fifteen Minutes Later-

-DAY 1-

Naruto rose from the ground after regaining his equilibrium. First he checked upon his teammates. Lee was already standing and raring to go. Tenten took another couple of minutes to balance out.

"What is this place?" Lee commented.

From what Naruto could gather, they were atop a tall building; judging from the fact the team could see at least five miles in every direction. Not only that, but the portion they were standing on was also tilted. Some of the building had even been sunk into the earth.

"Let's get off this roof. We might have a great view, but we can easily be spotted."

"You're right Tenten. Let's see if we can find the lowest floor in this place. We'll make our base of operations there."

The trio grabbed the supply bag lying at their feet and headed through the roof access door.

-10 Minutes Later-

"Are you insane!" Tenten shouted.

"I don't find a problem with it." Naruto shrugged.

"YOSH! THIS WILL TEST OUR STRENGTH OF HEART!"

Tenten was furious. Why did she have to have these two on her team? The young girl once again looked at the double-doors before them. Of all the buildings they had to be teleported to, it had to be a hospital. Not only that, but on the lowest level contained…a cold shiver racked her spine.

"Why did it have to be a Morgue…" she whimpered.

"Fine," Naruto huffed, kicking open the door. "I'll check the racks for bodies."

Before Tenten could stop the blond, Naruto disappeared into the dark room. The rusted metal door slowly creaked closed. Every once in a while, a distinct grinding sound would permeate the hall and then a slam followed. Each sound echoed and made the weapon mistress jump. Three more minutes passed before the door slowly creaked opened. Naruto walked out brushing his shoulders. Tenten released the breath she had not known she had been holding.

"It's all clear. It's dusty and old, but it will suit us. The cremator has a huge chimney that we can use as an access point. It will also help provide a place to start a fire and heat the area."

It took the team twenty minutes to completely set up their 'base of operations'. After everything was set, Naruto turned to his fellow companions.

"Lee. Scout out the area. See if you can locate any teams near our position. Tenten. Set traps on each and every floor leading to this place. There is no such thing as overkill in this situation."

The weapon mistress grew a dark grin upon her countenance. It scared both of the boys to the extent that they took a few steps back. Naruto was the first to gain his courage.

"Um…so…LEE! I think now would be a perfect time to remove your weights. If you are caught, the rest of us will be in severe danger. In this test it is imperative to not lose a single member." He stood tall before making his final order. "I will search this building to see if I can rummage any supplies as well as find any extra escape routes. You have your orders. MOVE OUT!"

"OSSU!" they both called before starting their individual tasks.

"Kage Bushin no Jutsu" the blond whispered, forming this trademark hand sign.

Eight clone poofed into existence.

"I want a two hundred foot perimeter set around this building. Four of you take north, south, east and west positions. The rest of you fill in the gaps. Disguise yourselves according to where you position may be."

"HAI BOSS!"

Once the clones disappeared, Naruto set to work exploring the hospital. Hours flew by and the sun eventually began to sink below the horizon. The morgue was deathly quiet upon his entry. His two teammates had yet to arrive, so he decided to start a small fire to warm the room. Lee was the first to arrive.

"Yosh! I never stopped running from the moment I left. Such youthful training!" the boy stated placing his weights back on.

"Oh brother…" a feminine voice sighed. "Lee, you need to be careful. We can't afford any one of us to be exhausted. We will need every bit of energy in order to survive."

"She's right Lee. Leave nothing to chance. Use only what you need."

"Gomen…" Lee's head hung low in shame.

His teammates padded a shoulder, reassuring the taijutsu specialist to 'just remember for next time'.

"Now, down to business." Naruto started. "Tenten?"

"Yes?"

"I would like you to handle the food and first aid. You like to diet and definitely have a better understanding of what our bodies need. Can you do this?" he asked holding the supply bag out to her.

Tenten accepted with a nod of her head.

"Breakfast will be the biggest meal. It is what gets the body going for the day. Then the meals will get smaller." She thought for a few moments before continuing, "Also, I was thinking that we do four-hour shifts for watch duty. This will allow us all to get eight hours of sleep, as well as give us plenty of time to search the area for supplies, other teams, and so forth."

"Then it's decided. One person will stand guard. I trust Tenten put the term of "overkill" to shame with her traps. I highly doubt anyone could get through my shadow clone perimeter and those traps without detection. However, if problems come to fruition we will be forced to change the sleep/watch schedule."

"Then I will take first watch!" Lee called pumping his fist into the air.

"I will take the second shift then." The blond stated.

With the rotation decided, Naruto and Tenten set about making their beds and lay down.

"Wake me in four hours Lee. It would be un-youthful to be even a minute late."

Tenten sighed as the taijutsu user 'YOSH'ed and Naruto chuckled.

"Men…"

Eventually the room fell deathly quiet. All that broke the silence was the soft breaths of the unconscious. Lee sat cross-legged, straight back, and waited patiently for the time to pass. Of course, he was too full of energy and began to do pushups.

-Four Hours Later-

-DAY 2-

"9985…"

Naruto groaned. His bed was rock solid.

"9989…"

Did he fall off his bed again?

"9993…"

And what was the perpetual COUNTING!

"9996…"

The blond male jumped to his feet, ready to pull Kageshin from his sheath.

"10,000! Yosh! Tied my record!"

"Lee…dare I ask what you were doing?"

"Push-ups my youthful comrade. I got tired of waiting so I thought I would get a little training in."

"A little? What has Gai-sensei been filling his head with?" a sighed escaped Naruto's mouth. "Well it is my turn to keep watch. You go to sleep. I will wake Tenten when it is her turn."

After giving the "Nice-Guy Pose", Lee was out like a light. Naruto soon summoned Kageshin on top of his lap. He began to meditate with the blade; the scythe and double broadsword joined in.

"What do you guys think so far of the exam?"

{This will be a worthy challenge.} Tenshu retorted.

{There are at least two teams you will not have to worry about. Those Konoha punks, on the other hand, know their place. That Aiyoku girl and her team will be the one to watch out for. She has been up to something ever since your first encounter.} Mitsukai stated, rather disgruntled at the woman's advances on her master.

Kageshin decided to stay silent for the moment, seemingly focused upon something else.

"Well I for one hope that we do not cross paths in this portion of the exam. I bet Katai would jump at the chance to kill me."

{The boy will definitely be an opponent to be wary of. He may be a genin, but I know he is a seasoned warrior.} the double broadsword informed. {Just because that Kumo woman has him wrapped around her finger, does not mean he is a push-over.}

"And if he is a taijutsu expert like Lee, he will be giving me trouble. The only reasons I have even been able to beat Lee is due to his lack of chakra and he is always wearing those weights."

{Well I can teach you a few 'moves' Naruto-kun…} Mitsukai cooed.

Resisting the urge to palm his forehead, Naruto decided to address the silent Nodachi.

"Hey Kageshin-"

{Something is watching us!} the blade interjected. {I smell a LOT of blood nearby and the source is moving…}

Naruto wasted no time. Drawing the blade, he cautiously moved to the door. Utilizing the small windows built into the door, he peeked through the least dusty portion of the glass. At first there was no sign of movement.

{Let me give you a boost Naruto.}Tenshu whispered.

Silver coloring appeared around the pupil in the left eye. Once again, no movement, however; there was that unpleasant feeling of another's eyes upon him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, his skin goose-bumped instantaneously. Several tense seconds oozed by.

{THERE! Left side, fourth doorway.} Mitsukai burst out.

Indeed, there was something that quickly slinked back into the shadows of the darkened room. Summoning five clones, Naruto gave them a silent command to watch over his comrades. He returned his gaze to the hallway. The shadow quickly moved to the opposite doorway. It didn't even activate any of the traps that Tenten had previously placed. Whoever or whatever it was, its stealth and speed was nothing to laugh at.

Maito Gai had challenged the weapon mistress to a test. He gave as much time as she wanted to set up any number of traps. If Gai could not make it through in a relatively unharmed fashion, then the team could receive a week break from his 'To Hell and Back' training regime. She quickly accepted. Truth be told, Gai never made it through even half of the traps. She had thought of everything. When it came to traps and weaponry, Tenten was second to none within her respective age group.

The fact that this…thing passed them by without hesitation, spoke volumes of its capabilities.

"Maybe it's a ghost…" Naruto chuckled nervously.

{Man up and go after that thing!} the scythe yelled.

Two mental chuckles further angered the ten-year-old.

"FINE I'LL GO!"

Naruto glided through the hallways. He used every ounce of knowledge he had on Tenten to avoid setting off any of the traps. Luckily most of the traps were meant to attack outwards. As in, they would not be aimed towards their base of operations, but rather away. Any activation of said traps would instantly notify the three of an enemy intrusion.

How much time flew by, Naruto didn't know. All he did know was that he now found himself face to face with the Mental Health wing of the Hospital.

"Really?" an audible sigh escaped his lips, "Why do I have this feeling that this is the worst possible place it could have gone."

With a little 'encouragement' from Mitsukai, Naruto slipped through the double doors without a sound. His eyes quickly adjusted to the bleak darkness of the Mental Health Ward. The shadow-figure once again slinked into the corridors. Naruto quickly followed.

"This thing is leading me somewhere…"

{I think you're right. If not it would have attacked you by now.}

Left, right, down the hall pass three shattered doors, over a gaping hole in the floor and a quick right. The blond tried his best to keep the figure in his vision all the while keeping a safe distance. Just in case the thing decided to attack. After a final left turn Naruto found himself in a large padded room. Behind him, in the hall, appeared what could have been a steel door. It was hard to determine thanks to the contorted condition it was in.

{Whatever was in here, obviously had broken out.}

"That's a foot thick, steel door! What was being held in here?"

{Naruto…turn around…}

Facing into the room again, his blood ran cold. Almost every inch of the padding was covered in a black substance. The way the substance stained the walls made it appear to be splatters patterns.

"Don't tell me, this stuff is all blood."

{It is.} Kageshin whispered. {There was a slaughter in here.}

The left wall had streaks starting from the middle of the wall, ascending to the upper corner, near the door. A large spot was visible beside the door and an even larger pool sat below the impact point.

{The first victim…} Tenshu breathed.

Naruto froze once again as he noticed streaks going under his feet and out the door. Taking a little more time to analyze, a shiver racked his spine. They were finger trails…bloody finger trail going back INTO the room. This person had been dragged back into the room, where he met his end. The large splatter that encased the entire floor attested to that.

{Number two…}

The evidence of three more kills appeared on the ceiling, the other wall, and the far right corner of the room. Early rays of sun began to pour in through a hole in the ceiling, flooding Naruto's vision with a more intense image of the slaughter. What caught his eye the most, however; was the wall opposite the doorway. There was only one evident kill here, but one could still determine where the body had been. The lack of blood in one area of the wall bore this indication. It was difficult to see at first, but as the rays of sun continued to flood the room, the rough outline of a human body was present. It appeared that this victim literal exploded.

"I've had enough of this room. Let's head back to base."

Quickly finding an exit to the building, Naruto reentered through the use of the morgue chimney. Naruto moved to wake Tenten once he got back inside. Once she was coherent, the young woman began her watch shift and allowed the boys to sleep in peace. Her shift was uneventful however, as she probably believed that all the other teams were still asleep as well.

"Naruto, Lee, wake up." She called.

In an instant Lee was up and raring to go. Naruto was a tad bit reluctant. A well place kick in the ribs made him more compliant. Breakfast was eaten in relative silence. After finishing, Naruto decided to issue the orders for the day.

"Lee, you still capable of doing recon?"

"YOSH!"

"I'll take that as a yes…" turning to the female of the team, Naruto continued his orders. "Tenten, I was unable to find a relatively safe exit route. I think we will need to make one. This morgue is approximately fifty feet below the surface."

"You want to try and dig a tunnel to the surface?" she questioned.

"Emphasis on the word 'try'. The only question is where would be the best place to try?"

"Well, while I was setting my traps up, I noticed a room connected to the morgue. I believe it's the mortician's office. There's a closet that would make a perfect entrance/exit."

"Awesome. We will begin there. Lee!" Naruto grabbed his chin in thought.

"Hai?"

"Go ahead and begin your recon. Report before lunch around noon."

"YOSH!"

With a giant leap, Lee shot up the chimney and disappeared into the surrounding area.

"What kind of material is the ground outside?" Tenten questioned.

A clone popped into existence. Wordlessly the clone henged into a lizard and made its way outside. Three minutes passed before Naruto grabbed his head.

"It appears to be mostly clay. Probably the cause of this building being tilted."

"Well if we can heat the clay enough we can form some form of support to prevent a cave-in."

"I'll take the trays from the morgue cabinets to reinforce the tunnel as well."

"Then let's get to work Naruto. An enemy can attack at any time."

With a nod from the blond, the two set to work.

-Two Hours Later With Lee-

Lee decided to continue from where he had stopped the previous day. Reaching a forested area, the taijutsu took to the high branches. Minutes flew by as he continued to search. His scouting remained fruitless until he reached a large clearing. Stopping on the highest branch possible, Lee held his breath upon the sight. Right beneath the boy, was one of the Mist teams and the Kumo team. Two of the Mist ninja were incapacitated; the last facing off against Katai. The fight ended in an instant. One moment the two combatants glared down at each other, the next Lee's perch shook violently. Looking down, Lee's eyes widened at the scene below. The Mist shinobi's body was cratered into the tree's base; Katai's fist indenting the other's stomach.

"Such power…Gai-sensei would be impressed."

Lee's gaze shifted to the other two members of the group. His eyes noticed the third Kumo member pointing towards his current position. A quizzical look spread across Aiyoku's face, before it was replaced with a soft smile. Suddenly Lee's vision began to twist and turn as a wonderful scent washed over him.

"Intoxicating…"

The only thing that broke Lee from his aroma-induced trance was a massive spike of killing intent. Add in the fact that Katai was now inches from his face; Lee had less than a second to move out of the way. Shards of tree showered both males as the attack landed. In an instant, the Konoha ninja vanished into thin air.

"Return Katai." The young woman commanded.

Said male quickly returned to her side.

"It's now time to hunt." A devious smile crossed her face. "You're up Shinji."

-With Lee-

Lee grunted softly as he removed a piece of tree from his shoulder. He had to return to the base quickly. In mere minutes, Lee disappeared down the morgue's chimney.

"LEE!" Tenten yelled upon seeing the condition of the boy's shoulder. "What happened?"

Tenten set to work patching up the wound. It was difficult to speak due to his accelerated return. Once his breathing came to decent level, Lee told both teammates about what he discovered. Naruto stayed silent throughout the entire exchange.

{I smell her on Lee…} Kageshin commented.

"So I wasn't imagining it then." Naruto confirmed. "What are the chances we will be running into that team during this portion of the exam?"

"I do not know what happened. One moment I was watching Katai obliterate the tree below me with his opponent's body, and the next thing I realized is something started to distort my senses. The scent was intoxicating…like I was losing my grasp on the world. I barely escaped Katai's assault."

Naruto's eyes widened in recognition. The same situation nearly happened to him several times before and every time, Aiyoku was there. This apparently was her ability, but what did it cause to the affected? How come it took so little for Lee to fall to the technique's vice, but for him it was only brief incidents? So many questions! A sigh escaped the blond ninja. Running a hand through his hair, Naruto looked his comrades in the eyes.

"Be prepared team. I have an annoying suspicion we will be seeing Aiyoku and Katai again…really soon."

"If that is the case, can we do anything to bolster our defenses?" Lee inquired.

"I don't think so," Tenten informed. "This Aiyoku girl seems to enjoy playing with her 'prey', my women's intuition is telling me she won't aim to hurt you until the third portion. After all, I highly doubt she has shown all of her cards. Not only that, but I wouldn't be surprised if she would like to 'sink' a few more of her fangs into you Naruto."

A shiver trickled down his spine.

"Just great...wait for me Kurenai. This is going to be a long week."

Team ten laid low for the rest of the day.

-DAY 3-

Naruto woke with a start. Cold sweat drenched his body.

"Damn that woman…" he spat.

Every single dream was filled with the Kumo kunoichi.

{Her fangs are in you deep Master.} Mitsukai broke him from his silent cursing.

"You're right Mitsukai, what can I do? I can't afford to be around her. Things are getting worse and if this continues…I will lose Kurenai's trust and possibly so much more."

{…I wish I could help Master, but I have no wisdom to offer you. Just be sure to use the head on your shoulders.}

The scythe's connection disappeared. Running a hand through his hair, Naruto let out another exasperated sigh. He then stood on his feet, effectively popping everything back into place. Tenten smiled as the male walked up beside her.

"I will be doing recon today. Do NOT let Lee over-exert himself."

"Hai, be safe Naruto."

"I will."

With a salute, the blond vanished.

"Hopefully some fresh air will clear my mind."

Naruto reached the forest surrounding the urban landscape. It felt wonderful. The wind whipping through his hair; bending around his form. Oh how he loved the feeling of weightlessness. It was relaxing. Nothing compared to this serene experience.

"I wonder if I will run into my fellow village-mates." A smirk crossed his features.

Searing pain shot through his skull. He crashed into the next tree; hitting a few branches on the way down. After his fall ceased, Naruto lifted himself off the ground with a groan.

"Remind me not to make clones and have them sustain such long lifetimes."

Naruto began to sort through the memories of his three dispelled doppelgangers. He had no need to relive the first portion of the exam. Those memories were discarded immediately. More of the memories were discarded as their significance proved to be little. However, the final images that passed before him produced a frown. The first clone's last moments included the angered face of a very familiar Kumo shinobi. The second's gasped in surprise at a fist shot through his chest. Naruto smacked his forehead as the last clone's final moment flashed through his mind.

"How disgraceful…" blood slipped out of Naruto's nostril. "I swear she will kill me without fighting me."

The final clone had basically been seduced by Aiyoku. Oh she knew how to make a man quiver in his boots with just her charm alone. What she said before the clone died from blood loss made him jump to his feet.

"It's time to hunt down Naruto-kun and his team. Even better," she paused before looking off to the right. "He is really close by."

Adrenaline coursed through the male's body as he climbed the nearest tree. Upon reaching the top branch, Naruto tensed. Katai and Aiyoku were standing on a branch some thirty feet in front of him. The third Kumo team member stood silently behind the other two.

"Oh how I have missed you Naruto-kun." She purred.

Naruto's glare did not falter as he locked eyes with Katai. Though he was looking directly at the Kumo ninja, the female understood that he was also keeping tabs on her.

"What business do you have with me and my team?"

"Oh-ho-ho, straight to the point. That's what I like about you Naruto-kun, you're so direct." Again she cooed. "So I take it that those 'Konoha Shinobi' were actually your clones the entire time? Brilliant idea! By impersonating your comrades with your clones, you increased your chances of survival in the exams. I love how your devious mind works!"

"I don't want to appear harsh, but currently you are my enemy right now. I cannot allow you to bring harm to my comrades. If you oppose me, I will fight without restraint."

Katai almost flinched as he saw the normally cerulean orbs begin to fade to crimson. Mitsukai materialized in his hand and with a swing of the blade, the top portion of a tree fell to the forest floor. Aiyoku began to fan herself, she could feel the power radiating off the blond.

"Now now Naruto, didn't I tell you…" she smiled predatorily, "You are already under my spell."

In that instant, Naruto's vision began to distort. His breath began deep and labored; a tightening of his stomach further worsened his condition. All he could focus on was the scent that radiated from her body and attacked his being. It called to him; caressed him. Naruto found it difficult to controls his body's impulses. Her smell was trying to pull him to her. He could faintly hear the scythe cursing the succubus that stood before her master.

{NA…O! You're…like…dog…..in heat! Pull you…..lf…..gether!}

Aiyoku began to gesture to the male. A single finger from her smooth hand curled and unfurled; calling Naruto forward. Step by step he dragged himself toward her. The need to be by her only increased as time passed.

"Forgive me Kurenai…I can't control myself…"

After a couple hops, Naruto landed ten feet away from the three enemy shinobi. Mitsukai's voice finally broke through the kunoichi technique.

{TAKE THIS YOU STUPID HUSSY!}

The scythe suddenly extended; slicing through the air, intent of separating Aiyoku's head from her shoulders.

Blood dripped slowly down the blade. Broken from his trance, Naruto pulled his scythe from its victim with a sickening squelch. Putting distance between them, the blond intensified his glare.

"I see you still have some resistance left." A giggle escaped the woman. "Thank you for protecting me Katai."

Gripping his wounded shoulder, Katai responded without taking his off Naruto. "Any time hime."

A soft green glow covered her hand and Katai's shoulder stitched itself back together. Once the wound was gone, the dark haired male sprung into action. Aiyoku was unable to stop the boy before he leapt. Sheathing Mitsukai for the moment, Naruto jumped to meet his opponent mid-air. Throwing a left straight, the Kumo male sent Naruto crashing to the forest floor. A crater formed from the impact.

"Katai st-" she began before Shinji placed his hand upon her shoulder.

A shake of his head informed Aiyoku to remain silent. One attack led to another. Each shinobi took turns hitting or throwing their opponent around. After a few minutes of struggling Naruto summoned Tenshu and met Katai's punch with his own fist. A tiny shock wave spread from the impact and a sickening crack split the air. Grabbing his now broken arm, Katai gasped as Naruto took hold of the uninjured left arm. The blond then proceeded to kick out the other's legs, slammed the boy's face into the ground, and wrench the arm behind his back.

"Give." Naruto commanded, placing a foot in the middle of Katai's back.

"Nev-"

Twisting the arm more, the groaning of the arm's bones became audible. For added emphasis, Naruto redrew the scythe and place the blade near the neck.

"I would prefer to not have your teammates carry your corpse back home."

Aiyoku and Shinji appeared several yards away from Naruto and Katai.

"It seems you are quite serious about this Naruto-kun." Her gaze was hard and did not fit on her flawless face.

"Of course I am." He spat out blood before continuing. "I must become a chuunin. I do not care who my opponent is or how many there are. I will achieve my dream."

"What will it take for you to release my teammate?"

"Stop messing with me and my team."

"I can only fulfill one of those."

"And why is that?" he glared.

"In my village, power is everything. I am attracted to power." A coy smile and lustful eyes spread across her features. "Out of all of the candidates for chuunin, you are the strongest. It's hard not to be attracted to someone with your capabilities."

A sigh from the male made Aiyoku raise an eyebrow. The scythe inched away from Katai's throat.

"I am sorry, but I already have my sights set on someone. Plus, I am not some piece of meat that you can play with!" The blade returned to being pressed into the Kumo nin's neck.

"Then can I offer supplies in exchange for my teammate's life?"

"No…"

Summoning a Shadow clone, the carbon copy quickly dispelled.

"I should now have enough supplies to last me and my team the rest of the week."

Aiyoku's eyebrows rose again.

"You replaced more than one team with your clones."

"Truth be told, I actually had five teams replaced. Only two of them made it through the first portion. You destroyed the first team, and I just recalled the second team."

"Your clones can share memories?" Katai exclaimed before being silenced with a twist of his arm.

"You could say that. Now, if I remember correctly, you have nothing to give me in exchange for his life."

She hung her head in defeat.

"Then I am powerless. You win Uzumaki."

"Finally…"

In an instant, Naruto removed the scythe and kicked the defeated male. Katai crashed in a lump at her feet. Aiyoku looked on in shock. Why was he being merciful? What could he possibly gain by releasing her teammate?

"What the-" Katai began.

"Shut the hell up boy!" the blond commanded with a glare.

All three ninja shrunk back at the aura emanating from Naruto's body. This time, his left eye glowed a deep silver color while the other remained blue.

"Just remember that I held you life in MY hand." The aura dispersed, "Now if you will excuse me, I have a team to take care of."

With a quick turn, Naruto vanished into the foliage. Aiyoku sighed before she began to heal her teammate's injuries once again.

"You baka…" she whispered.

-With Tenten and Lee-

Both Konoha ninja jumped as Naruto came crashing down the chimney. His breathing was labored and sweat drenched his body.

"My heart…it's beating…so rapidly. I can barely see past this haze. What is going on with me?"

{I think she has some sort of ability to influence your hormones.} Mitsukai commented. {She induced a high state of lust in you with just her scent alone.}

"How can I face someone who can basically control my body's impulses?" he whispered to himself.

"Naruto! What's wrong?" Tenten questioned.

"I ran into the Kumo team…" Naruto took a large breath to calm himself. "I was able to escape."

"She did a number on you too?" Lee questioned, his seriousness not befitting of his normal persona.

"Hai. If I faced her in the future it would be too soon."

"Why is that?" Tenten was thoroughly confused.

"She has an ability to induce some form or hormonal influx. She nearly incapacitated me by causing a high sense of lust in me." Naruto visibly shivered. "And I believe that the more you come in contact with her ability, the greater the effect…"

"That would explain-"

"Yah…" the blond cut her off. "She sees me as the most powerful male in the exam and that has garnered her 'affections' as it were."

Silence reigned in the morgue for quite a few minutes. Suddenly three thuds broke it. Cautiously, Tenten opened the incinerator's door and scanned the room.

"Maybe-"

"Hey is the boss in?" a voice scared the young girl.

Instantly she threw a kunai at the voice's owner.

"Dang!" another voice commented with a smirk. "A little on edge Tenten-chan?"

Opening the doors completely, three Konoha shinobi stood before her. In fact it was the team that had caused the little episode with Kakashi before the second portion had even begun. Something was off. Two of the ninja were sporting a very mischievous smile. Almost the same one that-

"NARUTO! EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"

Three simultaneous 'poof's turned her attention to the three shinobi. In their places, stood three replicas of Naruto. It took the blond several minutes to explain that he had made five teams worth of clones, disguised them as a couple teams that had not made it to the first portion, and all that had transpired.

"So basically these clone teams were meant to provide us an edge in the Chuunin Exam."

"Correct!" Uzumaki smiled scratching the back of his head.

"Isn't that cheating?" Lee questioned.

"There was nothing in the rules about it/" Naruto smiled again with a snicker. "But think of it this way. We now have supplies to last us the rest of the week. Plus I am positive that the proctors noticed. The fact that they didn't report me means that I am in no immediate trouble."

Tenten sighed.

"Well it's getting late. We will need to eat dinner and decide the guard duty schedule."

Team ten settled down for the night. Lee would get first watch, then Tenten second watch, and finally Naruto would finish guard duty. The first two shifts passed without a hitch. However, for Naruto, the feeling of being watched returned. Just like the previous time, he created five clones and exited the morgue. Once again Naruto traversed the hospital. It only took twenty minutes to reach the bloodied room. Nothing had changed.

"Why am I being led here?"

Out of curiosity Naruto actually entered the room. The farthest wall had gained a great deal of his attention. Placing his hand upon it, Naruto examined it.

{Something is off.} Tenshu warned.

Naruto pushed against the wall with a small portion of his strength. A tiny groan split the night air.

{There is something behind this wall… Either that or the structure has rotted.}

"Well only one way to find out."

Summoning Tenshu's gauntlet form, Naruto proceeded to obliterate the wall. A foul stench overloaded his nose and he nearly threw up the contents of his stomach. Covering his mouth with arm, the blond entered the darkened room. Vials and jars filled with…probably best to not say, lined hundred of shelves. A lone desk stood in the center of the room. Piles upon piles of scrolls and parchments covered its surface. Stepping closer to the desk, Naruto began to go through the materials. Many of the parchments fell apart in his hands. He was only able to pick up a couple words before they crumbled. Some revealed the results of experiments. Others talked about the mental status of patients. However, a large scroll peeked his interest. It looked liked nothing he had seen before. The quality of the paper was too thick. At least thicker than the scrolls he was use to. The texture was rough and fibrous. Opening the item, Naruto gazed upon the first couple of sentences.

"The Golden Age of the Samurai-" he read aloud.

After reading a few more paragraphs, Naruto stopped.

"What is a Samurai history scroll doing within the walls of Konoha?"

Little did the blond know that there was a pair of glowing red eyes watching him from the shadows.

Author: Well, there is the eleventh chapter of Blazing Tundra. Like always review and let me know how I can improve things. Thanks for reading and I hope to be able to get the next chapter up within a week or two.