Chapter 53 - Just My Luck

"Why do these things always happen to us?" Naruto wondered out loud. He released a long sigh as he looked at the dark sky. It was full moon and its light shone across the vast forest. The leaves rustled with the night's cold air and Naruto sighed again. He looked towards Hinata who also seemed to be deep in thought, looking at Sai as if to solve a puzzle.

Naruto shifted his eyes towards the last member of his team, one root shinobi by the name of Sai. Sai was the reason of Naruto's troubles as he was currently on his knees on the ground. His pupils were dilated and his face neutral. He seemed to be staring into nothingness. "What am I going to do with you?" Naruto asked rhetorically, nursing his temples and shaking his head.

## Earlier that Day ##

"Naruto-kun" Hinata said in a low voice, trying to hide her blushing face. "Everyone is staring" She said lowering her head and avoiding gazing upon the crowd. She hid her face between her long hair as she looked subtlety around.

Naruto just chuckled and held her tightly by her thighs. Hinata was currently sitting on Naruto's shoulders as they made their way towards the second stage of the exams. The sight of two very strong and popular shinobi walking around a different village was enough to bring attention to them, but their current position only increased it.

"They are just jealous Hinata-chan" Naruto replied, tilting his head up to look at Hinata's red face and chuckled.

Hinata glared at him, well, as much as she can glare in the end. "It's not funny" Hinata pouted, seeing that her fierce glare got her nowhere. "You know that I, unlike you, don't like being the center of attention, much less with foreign people" Hinata mumbled.

"I don't like being the center of attention" Naruto replied.

"Please" Hinata snorted playfully "You and me both know that you enjoy the spotlight"

"Maybe a little" Naruto said and Hinata smiled but got thinking.

"Although" Hinata started in a suspicious voice, narrowing her eyes. "You have been unusually affectionate today. Not that I'm complaining but what brought this on?" Hinata asked curious.

"Nothing in particular" Naruto replied shrugging his shoulders. "Just a talk I had with Kurama earlier today…"

(FLASHBACK)

Everything was quiet in the room. The sun was beginning to rise in the horizon and the darkness in the room started dissipating with the sun shining through the windows. Naruto stirred as the room became brighter and groggily opened his eyes. He shifted in the bed until his eyes landed on Hinata's sleeping form.

Naruto smiled at her peaceful face and slowly turned so that he could observe her more comfortably. He brought his hand to her cheek and brushed her hair away. "She's so pretty" Naruto thought to himself, gently running his fingers over her rosy cheek.

Hinata seemed to feel his touch and leaned in for closer contact. Naruto smiled at her actions even though she was still asleep. "Cherish every moment with her" Naruto heard and turned his attention to the end of the bed where Kurama was curled in a small ball, with all of his tails.

"I already do that" Naruto replied and Kurama opened a single eye. "But what makes you say that?" Naruto asked curious. Kurama had never given him much advice or even mingled much in his relationship with Hinata.

"Just a piece of advice" Kurama said yawning and displaying his teeth. "You have no idea what it's like facing eternity alone" Kurama said and Naruto raised an eyebrow at the bitterness in his voice.

"You have eight siblings" Naruto said confused by the topic.

"You know nothing Naruto" Kurama snorted.

"I know everything about your story" Naruto began and Kurama's eye twitched at his naivety. "I know that Hagoromo created you and your siblings from the Juubi…" Naruto would have kept talking if it wasn't from Kurama's roar.

"Shhhs…keep it down" Naruto whispered as he looked towards Hinata who remained sleeping.

"How long ago do you think all of this happened?" Kurama asked.

"A couple centuries?" Naruto wondered and Kurama chuckled at his answer.

"It has been almost nineteen thousand years since I was born" Kurama replied and Naruto was surprised. There had been ninja for while apparently. "Sure it was fun when we were all together growing up. The first few centuries I was actually happy when we were all together. But then YOU came" Kurama retorted angrily, raising in the bed with all of his tails.

"You shinobi and your endless lust for power" Kurama barked and Naruto was surprised by the amount of hate coming from his voice. "You drove us apart, forced us to split so that we weren't caught and enslaved like we are now. You forced each one of us to take their own path and to survive in loneliness for fear of our own survival"

"You have no idea what's like living for millenniums all alone. Walking this earth without nothing to look for, always on watch for your people. You never knew how many times I thought about death knowing very well that I would never get it" Kurama sighed and lied back down. "I don't know why that snake seeks it so vehemently, eternity is nothing but a curse in the end. You will eventually tire just like I did, but I for one will never die or perish. I will linger and live on even after your kind disappears from this earth" Kurama said and Naruto never thought about things like this.

"Well…you got me" Naruto said grinning while Kurama just shook his head.

"I'm old Naruto, very old" Kurama began "As I told you, I am around nineteen thousand years old. I watched times of peace and prosperity, and times of war. I watched as kingdoms fell and new ones rose to take their place. I watched as man ventured himself across the ocean, deep into the mountains and high into the sky."

"But above all, I watched as humans began nurturing their energies and began using them. It took time for my father's teachings to spread across the globe. I watched as humanity lived peacefully with the help of chakra but then they realized its full potential. The potential for war."

"Mankind was created with a hole in their hearts. A hole that no possession, power, or knowledge could fill. And in their infinite greed, man dreamed of expanding his dominion over the entire earth. That is how the first chakra wars began that led into the clan wars finally culminating into what we know today"

"You said I had you" Kurama chuckled bitterly. "You will perish to time while I will live on. I'll endure the fall of man and the rise of the next species. I will linger on in darkness and in doubt as nightfall in winter that comes without a star. I will dwell, bound to loneliness under the fading trees until all the world is changed and its long years of life are utterly spent. Maybe then…I can rest in peace" Kurama finished and Naruto was simply staring at him.

"You should focus on the present and like you said 'cherish every moment'. Instead of sulking about the past and future you should enjoy the present. No matter how short it may seem to you" Naruto replied and Kurama snorted at his speech.

"And…and maybe I'll find a way to keep you company through the ages" Naruto grinned while Kurama just chuckled.

"I'll hold you to that" Kurama said before walking out and leaving behind a thoughtful Naruto.

(END FLASHBACK)

"What mess did I get myself into now" Naruto thought to himself as he, Hinata and Sai made their way towards the second stage of the jounin exams.

Naruto wondered what would be like living forever, watching as everyone else perished and he remained behind, untouched by time, immune to diseases. Being forced to adapt as the world changed around him. Choosing sides when Konoha was no longer standing. Naruto may be a lot of things but he wasn't naïve, he knew that the shinobi would come to an end eventually.

Naruto could only wonder what would follow. Would the knowledge to form chakra simply fade away to give way to the singular energies? Would mankind simply forget about chakra and live on as regular 'civilians' leaving behind the shinobi way? Naruto had a lot to think about if he wanted to keep Kurama's promise. Although he knew one thing for certain. If he was going to fulfill his promise of keeping company to Kurama through the ages, then he would find a way to have Hinata by his side.

## Second Stage Location ##

Naruto's team arrived at the location of the second stage of the jounin exams. He looked around and the place seemed a little deserted, too deserted for his own taste. Naruto noticed that his team was the only one there. He looked up to the sun to check the time and rechecked the paper he was given. They were certainly in the right spot.

They were in a deserted plain with nothing but a mountain in front of them and an abyss on the other side. Naruto's curiosity got the best of him and he went towards the abyss and looked down. They were a few hundred feet above the Raikage tower. "Welcome" Naruto heard and turned around to see some chunnin running towards them.

"You are exactly on time. If you follow me to the edge of the mountain I will explain the next stage" the chunnin said and Naruto, Hinata and Sai silently followed him to a small wooden shack at the bottom of the mountain. Naruto curiously looked up but couldn't see the edge of it, the cloud bank blocked his view of the top.

"Now the next stage is rather simple. This is what we call the Crystal Peak Mountain. On top of this mountain are twenty flags. Each team can only take only one. Your objective is to go up or around the mountain and make your way to the forbidden forest on the other side." The chunnin explained and everyone listened carefully.

"In order to pass this stage you will need to collect at least two flags and find the tower hidden in the forest. You have a time limit of five days. Questions?" the chunnin asked.

"You said we need two flags" Hinata said and the chunnin nodded. "We can take only one from the top which means the other will have to be removed from other teams correct?" Hinata asked.

"Yes" the chunnin began. "You can either climb to the top and immediately secure a flag for yourselves and take the other, or you can simply find your way around the mountain and take two flags from another teams. The choice is yours" the chunnin explained and Hinata nodded.

"Engagement Rules?" Sai asked.

"Every team for themselves. The only requisite is that the whole team is alive when you reach the tower, with two flags of course" the chunnin said and Sai gave him his creepy smile. "R-Right" the chunnin said clearing his throat. "Anything else?" he asked but all of them shook their heads.

"Very well. Each team was given a random spot on the bottom of the mountain. The test will begin momentarily" the chunnin said and stepped aside.

"What should we do?" Hinata asked towards his teammates.

"This is the highest mountain in the world. With an altitude of around ten thousand meters (thirty two thousand feet). To normal civilians it would take weeks of training and more weeks to actually reach the top" Naruto mused. "Even if we are shinobi, climbing the mountain without making sure everyone knows the dangers would be foolish" Naruto explained.

"But if we climb to the top we can secure ourselves a flag" Sai said.

"Taking into account that no one has reached it before" Hinata added and Naruto nodded.

"I guess we will make a run to the top. The edges of the mountain are extremely slippery so use caution with your chakra. The temperature will drop severely as we go up. Everyone knows the thermal coat jutsu right?" Naruto asked and got nods from both Hinata and Sai. (1)

"As we go up, oxygen concentration will start to decrease so coat your lungs with chakra to compensate and finally be very careful for random bursts of wind that can detach you from the mountain and send you to your deaths. Everyone understand?" Naruto asked and got nods once again.

"Good. Let's go then" Naruto said as his team positioned themselves at the bottom of the mountain, waiting for the go signal from the chunnin.

"HAJIME" the chunnin yelled as a loud bell echoed through the air. Naruto and his team immediately jumped onto the mountain side, channeling chakra to their feet and sticking to it. They shot upwards at high speeds, intending to secure a flag to themselves.

## Meanwhile Konoha ##

Tsunade sighed as she took a sip from her sake. She shook hers shoulders, trying to get rid of her stiffness as she picked up another report. She started reading when her eyes widened.

Autopsy Report

Performed by Takashi Taro

Assistant: Rin Takara.

Date: June 13 of the 93 shinobi year

Time: 4:30 PM

Summary Report

Name: Hyuuga Hiashi Coroner's Case: 2014-542

Date of Birth: January 8 Age: 44

Gender: Male Bloodline: Byakugan

Evidence of Treatment: N/A

External Examination: The autopsy is begun at 4:30 P.M. on June 13 of the 93 shinobi year. The subject is wearing grey pants and shirt consistent with the traditional garb of a Konoha prisoner. The clothes are on good conditions given that the subject incarceration was recent.

The body is that of a developed 44 year old man, measuring 176 centimeters (70 inches) and weighing 66 kilograms (145 pounds). The body shows scar tissue and many other wounds that never properly healed which is consistent with the subject's medical file. Medically amputated right arm.

Internal Examination:

SKELETAL SYSTEM: The subject displayed numerous broken bones all over the body with particular focus on arms, legs and ribs. The ribs seven to twelve show multiple fractures.

CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM: The heart weighs 300 grams and possess normal size and configuration. Upon further analysis a small blockage was found in the coronary arteries. This prevented proper blood flow unto the heart, preventing the heart muscle from receiving oxygenated blood.

Opinion: Normally a block of this size should not be deadly for the body of a professional shinobi. I infer that the lack of proper nutrition and general living conditions of the prisoner may have led to furthering this problem.

Cause of Death: Acute Myocardial Infarction

State: Body destroyed according to protocol

"Unbelievable" Tsunade muttered, reading the report three times to make sure she missed nothing. "Shinobi with active chakra networks don't get sick unless it's a really deadly disease. It's one of the perks of being shinobi" Tsunade mused in thought. "And even though he was a clan head with very few missions he should still be in shape" She couldn't grasp how could have this occurred. She could only do one thing, she took a deep breath and shouted across the Hokage tower.

"SHIZUUUNEEEEE"

## Back with Naruto ##

Two hours had passed since Naruto's team ventured themselves into the high mountain. Their climb had been rather dull since they didn't come across any other team. The starting points at the foot of the mountain were random and separate for each team so it wasn't completely out of the ordinary.

They had just passed the half way mark and they could already feel the shortage of breath due the lack of oxygen, not to mention the freezing temperatures didn't exactly help. In the end they were shinobi, the strongest warriors available in the world. Even to a decently trained shinobi these conditions were nothing but bothersome. While they would delay them, they surely wouldn't hinder them.

Naruto had begun using his thermal coat to keep his body temperature at acceptable levels. He scanned his surroundings and saw nothing but snow all around them. He turned towards Sai who also had his thermal coat on. His attention shifted towards Hinata who was running in the middle of the group with her byakugan activated.

That was when Naruto felt it. "Hinata-chan" Naruto called but Hinata didn't turn her head. She didn't need it with her byakugan on, she just gave a small nod of acknowledgment. "I can see that you don't have your thermal coat. Aren't you cold?" Naruto asked curious.

"Not really. Its feel nice actually" Hinata replied and Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" Naruto thought curiously. "Nearly negative thirty degrees and she says it's nice" Naruto thought, shaking his head in amusement.

BOOOOMMMM

Naruto, Hinata and Sai immediately halted their progress when they heard a loud explosion ring through the air. They tried to pin point the location of the sound and shifted their attention towards the left which they could see a large column of smoke rising. "Looks like we are not alone in this" Hinata said as she stretched her byakugan range towards the smoke.

"One team down" Hinata said as she watched one team racing down the mountains with an avalanche on their trail. It was quite amusing actually. She knew that they wouldn't die with a simple avalanche but watching them stumble down the mountain as far too amusing to pass.

"Do you have eyes on Shika's team?" Naruto asked and Hinata refocused her byakugan, increasing her range and scanning the whole mountain for their friends.

"They are climbing the mountain as well" Hinata replied. "They are on the other side and just passed the four mile mark. We are the closest team to the peak" Hinata said and chuckled, getting a curious look from Naruto. "Just our luck, we got the steepest path on this mountain" Hinata said and Naruto chuckled as well. Sai remained there, feeling almost like a third wheel with the exception he felt nothing of sorts.

## Couple Hours Later ##

"Welcome to the top of Crystal Peak" some Kumo shinobi greeted Naruto's team as they arrived at the top.

"Looks like we are the first to arrive" Naruto said and the shinobi nodded. "Man what a view" Naruto said looking around and could see nothing but pure white around. The mountain has so high that they stood above the cloud bank. It looked like a blanket of pure white with the sun shining in the blue sky. "I almost feel tempted to jump on the clouds" Naruto laughed and Hinata just shook her head.

"I wouldn't remount that. It's a long way down" the Kumo shinobi smirked. "Here is your flag" the shinobi said, handing a small black flag to Naruto. "Good look on the rest of the stage" the shinobi said and everyone nodded.

"At least it will be faster on the way down" Hinata said as she and her team jumped and started running downwards towards the forest.

"I have a suggestion" Sai said breaking their conversation and getting their attention. "Choju Giga (Super Beasts Scroll)" Sai said and drawing something in his scroll. With a loud screech, three black and whites birds shot from the scroll. They flapped their wings creating a small gust of wind and rose into the air.

"It will be faster" Sai said, jumping on top of one birds while he waited for Naruto and Hinata to join.

"Sounds good" Naruto said, jumping on top of one while Hinata took the last one. With a loud screech the birds plummeted downwards and blinding speeds. "How come you didn't offer this when we were climbing?" Naruto asked, placing a hand in front of his eyes to shield the wind.

"Didn't remember" Sai simply said and Naruto sweat dropped and focused on controlling the bird.

## The Forbidden Forest ##

"So this is the famous forbidden forest of Kumo" Naruto said as he and his team arrived at the entrance of the forest. "I'm impressed" Naruto said crossing his arms as he scanned the forest in front of him. He did admit that the forest did have a certain ominous feeling to it.

The forest itself seemed shrouded in darkness and a cold breeze swept by. Naruto's team ventured themselves into the forest and watched in fascination as the entrance seemed to close itself behind them, as if trapping them in the forest forever. "Genjutsu" Hinata whispered loud enough to her team to hear. They both nodded in agreement feeling the subtle change in their chakra networks.

"An enemy team?" Sai asked, placing a hand on the hilt of his Tanto. He scanned his surroundings very carefully trying to ascertain any danger.

"No" Hinata replied with her byakugan activated. "It seems it's been here for a while" Hinata explained.

"Probably one of many traps placed here just for this stage" Naruto offered and both agreed as they moved forward. The forest seemed taken from a horror movie. The forest was thick with trees so high that it dwarfed them, light barely seem to penetrate the cloak of leaves at the top.

On the ground some type of black flowers while every other dead, their leaves withering away. Impassible terrain blocked with rocks and thorns that seemed a natural occurrence. A sound rang through the forest, a small owl hooting. "This is really one creepy place" Naruto shivered.

"Scared?" Hinata teased.

"Oh sure" Naruto replied sarcastically "This coming from the one who launched a full water dragon inside our bedroom to kill a spider" Naruto said deadpanned while Hinata huffed.

"They are mean little buggers. Besides it worked didn't it?" Hinata asked while Naruto just shook his head.

Suddenly Naruto turned and flung a kunai to his left. The kunai sailed through the air at blinding speeds, one could almost hear the whistle.

*THUMP*

Naruto looked around and noticed his target. A beast, eight-eyed, eight-legged, jet-black, hairy. A gigantic black spider, with legs measuring up to 10 feet, poisonous green liquid dripping from its fangs and a kunai embedded deeply in its skull, between its multiple black, pupiless eyes.

"Scared?" Naruto teased while Hinata just smiled and shook her head in defeat.

"What did I tell you?" Naruto asked turning back to Hinata and pointing towards the animal. "This place is creepy" He said and Hinata just shook her head.

"Can you locate the tower?" Sai asked and Hinata nodded sitting down and crossing her legs. Her chakra flared and the veins of her face bulged out. She focused and extended her byakugan range. She saw past the tree, past the blockade of thorns and rock, past the river that split the forest and reached the outer edge of the forest.

"There are hundreds of those things here" Hinata said in a gasp. She watched with her byakugan as a pack of nearly ten of those spiders dismembered other animals. "And just as many snakes of equal size"

"Great" Naruto replied in a sarcastic voice.

"You could burn it down" Kurama offered while Naruto chucked at his opinion.

"I could but I doubt that the Raikage would be pleased" Naruto replied.

"Found it" Hinata said, breaking Naruto from his conversation. "The tower is about ten miles south east. I also spotted a couple of teams around, setting up traps and ambushes. Two teams have flags on them" Hinata explained.

"Which team with flag is closer to the tower?" Naruto asked and Hinata extended her arm, pointing in some direction. "Lead on" Naruto said and Hinata jumped forwards.

Not even half an hour later Hinata motioned and everyone halted their progress. Naruto activated his sharingan and could see three chakra signatures half mile away. "What's the plan?" Sai asked as he observed the enemy kumo team from the trees.

"Spring the trap" Naruto smirked and brought his hands in a T shape. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Jutsu)" Three clones appeared next to the original Naruto. Two of them were enveloped in smoke to reveal a Sai and a Hinata. Without a word being said, the clone team jumped forward as if not noticing the traps.

"Enemy shinobi" one of the Kumo shinobi yelled and his team sprang into action. "Shit…it's the team from Konoha" the Kumo shinobi yelled as they took out kunais and flung them. Hinata reared her right arm and pushed it forward, releasing a pressurized ball of wind that simply swept the kunais away.

"Raiton: Sandaboruto (Thunderbolt)" The hands of one of the kumo shinobi started sparkling as they were enveloped in a blue aura. As he shouted the name, dozens of sparks were unleashed upon Naruto and his team. Naruto picked up his fan and released a gust of wind, dispelling the kumo's lightning attack.

"Damn" the Kumo shinobi muttered. The kumo team picked their swords and rushed forward to meet Naruto, Hinata and Sai head on. As they closed their distance and the clash seemed unavoidable Naruto smirked and the clones dispelled, leaving behind a cloud of white smoke.

"Where are they?" one member asked to another.

"I don-" the shinobi didn't manage to reply as he fell to the ground with a thump sound.

"What hap-" His other teammate also fell to the ground and the last member was left all alone against three shinobi of Konoha. He didn't get much time to think as he felt a small pinch in the back of his neck and everything went black. Once the smoke had cleared the original Naruto, Hinata and Sai jumped into the clearing.

"Nice job" Naruto said and Hinata thanked him, pocketing her favorite senbon. There were three missing senbon from her stash, those three were presently attached to the neck of the kumo shinobi, one senbon for each.

"Here is the flag" Naruto said, picking up the flag, making their count two. "Hinata-chan, finds us a good place to rest and we will continue on tomorrow" Naruto said and Hinata nodded, using her byakugan to scan the nearby area.

*CLANG*

Naruto heard a small metal noise and turned just in time to see Sai unsheathe his tanto. He wondered what he was doing with his sword out and his eyes widened when Sai approached the Kumo team and raised his arm.

*SMACK*

It was just a blur to Sai eyes. In a moment he was about to end the Kumo team and in the other his hand was in a vice grip at the hands of Naruto. "What do you think you are doing?" Naruto asked, narrowing his eyes at his teammate.

"Finishing the enemy team" Sai simply replied, his hand still gripping his tanto.

"Why do you want to kill them?" Naruto asked. "They are unconscious and we have their flag"

"Kumo is not allied with Konoha. The exams gives free reign upon the battles and thus no backslash. They are enemy shinobi who one day may pose a threat to Konoha" Sai simply replied, looking intently in Naruto's eyes.

"This is just a competition, there is no need for blood. Lower your weapon" Naruto said.

"They I shall make it clean" Sai countered and Naruto resisted the urge to face palm himself.

"There is no need for deaths" Naruto said in a serious tone but Sai seemed unrelenting.

"It is best to kill the weed before it grows" Sai said.

"I'm the team captain. Lower your weapon that is an order" Naruto ordered and Sai nodded.

"Yes sir" Sai said, slowly lowering his arm and sheathing the tanto, his face emotionless, giving nothing away. Naruto released the grip on his arm and went to join Hinata.

"Damn root shinobi and their emotional conditioning" Naruto thought as he released a long sigh and turned to his teammate. "Come Sai. Let us make camp and rest for the night" Naruto said.

## Middle of the Night ##

The night came quickly and darkness enveloped the forest. The trees already made the forest dark during the day but at night, there was nothing but pitch black darkness. Sai looked up at the ceiling of trees to see a few rays of moonlight break the cover and provide some much needed vision.

Sai shifted his attention to his surroundings. At the bottom of the tree both Naruto and Hinata laid asleep while Sai kept guard. He looked towards the edge of the small clearing and spotted the ninja wire glistening under the moon. A few feet away, explosive tags attached with wire as well.

Sai got up and silently opened his pack. From it, he retrieved a single scroll which contained the information of his mission, given to him personally by Danzo. He slowly unwrapped the scroll to get the mission description but was surprised by the lack of it. When he read what the mission entailed his eyes widened and his mouth opened in shock but no sound came out.

Dispose of Senju Naruto and Senju Hinata

(FLASHBACK)

The place looked like a pit. Sai looked around to see multiple wooden bridges. One above another. Sai walked to the edge and looked down only to find darkness at the bottom. Suddenly he heard footsteps and noticed Shimura Danzo approaching him, flanked by two shinobi, one on each side.

Sai immediately got onto his knees. "Danzo-sama" Sai said, bowing his head in greeting of his master.

"Welcome Sai" Danzo said and Sai slowly raised his head. It was customary to never meet the eyes of their master unless addressed first. "I have a very important mission for you" Danzo replied and Sai nodded, his face although seemingly emotionless and natural, portrayed determination and attention.

"Tomorrow you will be called to Hokage's office where you will receive your mission which will last nearly one month. You will be the third member of one of Konoha's teams that Lady Tsunade will be sending to the Jounin Exams in Kumo. Understand so far?" Danzo asked and Sai nodded.

"The exam will have the same structure as the chunnin exams. The first stage will be some sort of basic skills evaluation, the second stage will be a survival exercise and the last stage will be the tournament." Danzo explained and handed Sai a single scroll. "Your mission is specified on that scroll which you are only to open during the second stage of the exams, preferably when you are alone. Understood?" Danzo asked.

"It shall be done Danzo-sama" Sai replied pocketing the scroll.

"I'm sure I don't need to explain the importance of every mission I give correct?" Danzo asked, taking a deep breath and looking firmly at Sai.

"In Root, you have no name. You have no feelings. You have no past. You have no future. There is only the mission" Sai recited and Danzo nodded at his apprentice.

"You are dismissed" Danzo ordered and Sai bowed his head once again before walking away and disappearing in the darkness of the tunnels.

"Permission to speak freely?" Danzo shifted his attention towards his right. The shinobi to his right wore a short, black jacket with red straps on the shoulders. He also wore a red short kimono under the jacket with a black sash, a pair of black gloves, dark-colored pants, and regular shinobi sandals.

"Granted Fu" Danzo replied and focused on what the shinobi had to say.

"Do you think Sai will be able to accomplish the mission?" Fu asked while Danzo hummed.

"Naruto has grown strong, far too strong to be controlled. That is the problem with strong shinobi and the reason why most defect from their villages. Young Naruto may not believe it, but power and fear are the absolutes of this world. And when some shinobi reach power beyond their leaders then it gets very complicated"

"What do you think Naruto would do should Lady Tsunade ever issue an order that would oppose his beliefs? Do you think he would abide by her orders if they conflicted with his own gains?" Danzo asked but Fu remained silent. "Shinobi are nothing but weapons and I do not wish for one that will not obey me" Danzo explained.

"And about Lady Hinata?" the shinobi to Danzo left asked. He was a fairly tall and lean-built man. He had fair-skin and short spike dull black hair. His glasses were built into the mask, obscuring his eyes and he was also heavily clothed. He wore a short black jacket with red straps over the shoulders, and a high collared, all black outfit with a red sash around his waist and what appeared to be an apron over his pants.

"Yes Torune…Senju Hinata, formerly known as Hyuuga Hinata, disowned daughter of the former clan head, Hyuuga Hiashi" Danzo chuckled slowly. "Naruto did a remarkable job with her. She may seem shy, serene, kind and very fragile but she's just as much of a princess as I am" Danzo replied in a thoughtful manner.

"While she doesn't possess the raw power and strength that Naruto does, she is just as deadly. You saw what she did to Hiashi, her own father and one of Konoha's strongest. In fact, in some points, I do believe the girl to be more dangerous than the boy himself. Naruto is loud and brash, Senju attributes, and in the end I should be glad that he didn't inherit the Uchihas ones. The girl on the other hand…" Danzo mused.

"She is smart, objective and decisive. Necessary traits for medics after all" Danzo explained. "She wouldn't just jump into war like him. If I know her as well as I think I do, she would stick to the shadows and wait for the best moment to strike, like a true shinobi. Her beauty alone would get her anywhere she wished, and with her talents and my training, she would be a Hokage to remember" Danzo said wishfully.

"I do not fear the one who jumps into the battle without thought, I fear those who hide in the shadows, the man behind the man behind the man. And she just strikes me as a person who would be the master mind, hiding in the shadows and working with peons. But alas, she shares the same philosophy of her husband" Danzo finished and sighed in defeat. She would have been a great in root.

"If both of them are all that, what makes you certain that Sai will accomplish the mission?" Fu asked and Danzo chuckled darkly.

"Even a Kage falls to a kunai"

(END FLASHBACK)

"I have my orders" Sai thought as he saw the scroll in front of him disintegrate into speckles of dirt. He looked towards Naruto and Hinata who were sleeping near the tree. And with the stealth training he had, he put his plan into motion.

He slowly and quietly as the night, started unpacking the necessary items for his mission. He took out and unsheathe his tanto, laying it on the ground. From his pack he took a single vial which had some skull etched on the label, some kind of poison. And finally, a single strand of some kind of wire, transparent and almost invisible to the naked eye.

The girl would die from the poison. Even if she was a first class medic on par or better than Tsunade herself, she would die in her sleep. Sai picked the wire and poison, and jumped into the tree, standing right above her. He took out the wire and held it right above her mouth. Sai took the poison and dropped a single drop in the wire.

Sai watched in anticipation as the purple drop slowly made its way down the wire. Once it reached in the, it simply fell from the wire and directly into the lips of Senju Hinata. Hinata seemed to have felt something on her mouth as she licked her lips and rolled to the side, like nothing had ever happened.

Sai rolled the wire up and took out his tanto. Poison wouldn't work on Naruto due to him being a jinchuuriki. In fact, short of taking out his head and piercing his heart, killing a jinchuuriki as no easy task. But this one was asleep. Sai pointed his tanto at his target and leapt from the tree.

The tanto glistened under the moonlight as Sai pointed it at Naruto. The tanto pierced through Naruto's ribcage and embedded itself deeply into his chest, severing the carotid artery. Naruto's eyes shot open and his mouth opened but no sound came out as he died instantly.

Sai got up and left his sword on Naruto's chest as he approached Hinata. He brought a single finger to her neck to search for a pulse. He found none. He let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding as he made his way to his backpack. He took out a single scroll and drew a bird on it.

"Go to Danzo-sama" Sai said and bird shot into the sky with two simple words.

Sai turned around to collect his things and disappear from the forest. "This is a new low even from Danzo" Sai heard and froze on the spot. He turned towards the origin of the sound and saw nothing but a pair of glowing red eyes with three black tomoes spinning.

Sai quickly turned to the bodies of Naruto and Hinata only for them to shimmer out of existence. "Genjutsu" Sai whispered to himself. "Since when?" Sai asked as he gripped his tanto that somehow was still in his back.

The owner of sharingan eyes walked out of the shadows and into the moonlight. Naruto and Hinata stepped into the clearing, completely unharmed but with annoyed expression on their faces. "How long you ask?" Naruto asked smirking slightly.

"My dear friend" Hinata smiled. "You have been under our genjutsu before we left the hokage tower in Konoha" Hinata said and Sai was shocked. "Tsunade-sama warned us about you and I didn't wish to take any chances" Hinata explained. Naruto's eyes glowed and Sai gulped, feeling light headed. Sai dropped his tanto and fell to the ground on his knees. He his pupils were dilated and he seemed to stare into the nothing.

"Just my luck. Why do these things always happen to us?" Naruto wondered out loud. He released a long sigh as he looked at the dark sky. It was full moon and its light shone across the vast forest. The leaves rustled with the night's cold air and Naruto sighed again. He looked towards Hinata who also seemed to be deep in thought, looking at Sai as if to solve a puzzle.

"What am I going to do with you?" Naruto asked rhetorically, nursing his temples and shaking his head.

"We still need him alive to complete this stage" Hinata said, warning Naruto not to take rash actions.

"I'll keep him under my control and make him drop the exams when we reach the tower" Naruto said and Hinata nodded. "What about Danzo?" Naruto asked.

"I suggest we let things run its course until we can come up with something" Hinata suggested and Naruto nodded.

"Sai, can you run?" Naruto asked and Sai just nodded. "Good. Let's hurry back to the tower then" Naruto said and all three of them left the clearing.

## At the Tower ##

Naruto, Hinata and Sai arrived at the tower two hours later. Sai's conscious mind was being kept locked within a genjutsu and now he was nothing more than a puppet, waiting for his orders.

"Welcome to the hidden tower" a shinobi at the door greeted Naruto's team. "Do you have the flags?" he asked and Naruto handed him his two black flags. "Very well. You may proceeded inside and wait for this task to end. There are rooms available for you to rest" the shinobi explained and everyone nodded.

"I wish to drop the competition" Sai suddenly said and the shinobi stumbled in surprise.

"What? Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes" Sai simply replied.

"Fine I guess. Senju Naruto and Senju Hinata will proceeded to the third task. Good luck" the shinobi said and watched as the team disappeared inside. Once Naruto, Hinata and Sai found their room, Sai disappeared into Naruto's dimension where he would stay for the next month.

## Next Day – Root Headquarters ##

Danzo was working in his office when he was interrupted by a loud screech. He looked up to see a black and white bird flying towards him. Danzo took out a simple scroll and watched as the bird crashed into it and formed words.

Mission Accomplished

"I never doubted him for a moment" Danzo smiled to himself. "Fu, Torune" Danzo said, hitting his cane on the ground. In front of him dropped his most loyal followers. "Being Operation Phoenix" Danzo said and both shinobi nodded, disappearing from view.

"Soon" Danzo chuckled darkly.

"Konoha will burn and better one will rise from the ashes"