A/N - Okay, since I've had people demanding that I update this story, I finally decided to cave in and just do it. Sooo, here ya go! Chapter 7 of To Love Oneself!

Anywho, a loooot of crazy things happen in this chapter. None of it was planned, I can tell you that right now. It all just happened as I was writing the chapter. Still, I hope you enjoy the chapter and how it's turned out.

Before you read, however, I'd just like to say something. Someone recently told me that I should be more like fairy tail dragon slayer and learn from his 'shining example'. That, to me, is a huge insult. I cannot stand that pompous asshole. I know he has a crap ton of fans and people think so highly of him and his writing, but as far as I'm concerned? The guy can fuck the hell off.

Say what you will about my opinion of him, I do not care. Hell, if you hate me for this and feel the need to go telling him what I said here, then fine. I don't give a rat's ass. The guy's got problems, seriously. And I swear he thinks he's God's gift to fanfiction. x.x I just think he's a moron. *shrugs*

Okay, I've said what I needed to say. Go ahead and get pissed off at me or whatever the hell else you're going to do. The rest of you, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 7 – The Forest of Death

Naruto frowned slightly as he looked around the room. All the teams were split up and scattered throughout the room. No two team members were seated near to one another, so they couldn't copy their team's answers. Oddly enough, Naruko had been separated from them as well. She had even been given a test paper of her own! While it was nice that she was being treated like her own person, it was also a bit worrisome. However…

I assume you've figured out the purpose of this test, too? How do you want to go about this? Naruto asked via their link.

That is a damn good question. Wait! Naruto-kun, use your chakra! You can give life to something like you did with mom. So take a paper or something and make a bird or something. You should be able to see through its eyes, so to speak, and get the answers that way. Then you can help me via the link. Sound good? Naruko replied.

I like it. It's the best we have to go on, so let's give it a try! Naruto thought before he tore off part of the test paper and folded it into an origami crane. Focusing his chakra into the paper, he smiled when it took flight, keeping low so as not to be seen by the proctor and his assistants. When it found someone with a completed test paper, Naruto focused on his link to the bird and began to copy down the answers. After he was finished, Naruto had the bird return to him. Afterwards, he gave Naruko the answers. He knew their other teammates would be just fine, considering their unique abilities.

Ibiki had seen exactly what Naruto had done. He wasn't quite sure how it was possible to do as he did, but he chalked it up to another thing that made Uzumaki unique. Still, what was that? There's something different about him and his chakra. It feels somehow…purer? Hmm… Shrugging it off, he looked from Naruto over to Naruko, watching as she finished filling in the answers. She never did a thing, and yet she's got the answers somehow. Is she just that smart? Or is there more at play here than meets the eye?

Deciding it was probably best not to think too much about it, Ibiki resumed his duties. He continued to watch as team after team failed because they were a little too obvious in their cheating methodology. Shrugging, he glanced towards the clock to check the time. Ten minutes to go. Might as well ask them the all important question. I wonder how you'll react, Uzumaki.

"Alright; pencils down and shut the hell up. It's time to present you with the final question. Before we get on with that, however, you have to make a decision. Will you try and answer the question? Or will you run away with your tails between your legs?" Ibiki asked, smirking at them evilly.

"Of course we'll go through with it! We wouldn't be here if we intended to give up when things look tough." Kiba declared.

Before the boy could say anything more, Ibiki turned his gaze on him and said, "It's not quite that simple. You see, this final question comes with a new set of rules. If you try to answer this final question and you fail, you will not only fail the exam, but you'll NEVER be able to advance past the rank of Genin. No more Chunin Exams, no field promotions."

Seeing the outrage on their faces, Ibiki smirked wider and said, "However, if you leave now, you can try again next time and pray you don't have to deal with me again. So, you have two choices: stay and attempt to answer the final question, or you can leave now and save yourself the embarrassment that comes with being a failure for the rest of your lives. What's it going to be?"

Naruto watched as about one third of the Genin fled the classroom, not willing to risk their chances of becoming a Chunin. The whiskered teen frowned when he saw Kiba beginning to raise his hand. Sending a mental signal to Naruko, he watched as she threw her pencil against the back of his head, causing him to yelp and rub his head. "The hell?!"

Naruto grumbled to himself and stood up, looking straight into the proctor's eyes. "It should be obvious now that we're not leaving. So go ahead and hit us with this magical question of yours. We're going to ace it for sure!"

Ibiki smirked at Naruto for a moment before looking around the room. Sure enough, Naruto's little outburst had helped steel the nerves of every other contestant in the room. Chuckling to himself, he said, "Very well then. For those of you who stayed…congratulations! You've passed the first exam!"

As the various Chunin hopefuls squawked in indignation and confusion, Ibiki held up a hand to silence them. Before he could speak, however, a certain pink-haired Genin stood up suddenly and rushed towards the nearest trashcan. When she began to vomit into the can, he frowned in confusion. That's not exactly the reaction I was expecting. Is she okay? Shaking it off, he began to explain the dual purposes of the exam to the remaining Genin.

As Ibiki continued on, Haku ignored him and approached her teammate. "Sakura, hold still." She commanded. Afterwards, she activated a technique that would allow her to scan a patient's body. Running her hands over Sakura's belly, she found out exactly what he problem was. "That's what I figured. You're pregnant, Sakura. You're experiencing morning sickness."

Ibiki stopped and turned his gaze on them. "Can you repeat that, please?"

Haku looked into Ibiki's eyes and nodded. "Sakura's preg—"

Before she could finish speaking, the window practically shattered and, shortly afterwards, a banner was revealed, saying that the Taken and Amazing Anko-chan had arrived. However, when they didn't see her anywhere, they began to murmur amongst themselves, wondering where she could be. It was then that they heard it.

"I know, you missed me. You can't stand to be away from your sexy Anko-chan for even a minute, can you honey?" Anko asked. She was currently seated on Naruto's lap, straddling him and rubbing her crotch against his, eliciting a groan from him. "I bet you wish you could take me right here in front of all these people, don't you?"

The other Genin blushed deeply and wondered how the hell Naruto could have gotten so damn lucky. Seeing the looks being sent their way, Naruto looked into Anko's eyes and said, "M-Maybe later, Anko-chan. We kind of have to deal with the Chunin Exams right now. T-Try to…oh that feels good…"

Anko smirked as she reached down and began to rub her boyfriend's cock through his pants. Leaning in closer, she began to nibble on his ear. "Just admit it. You want to take your sexy Anko-chan right in front of all these people. The mere thought turns you on, doesn't it, Na-ru-to-kun?"

Ibiki facepalmed himself and said, "Anko! Behave yourself! Come up here and introduce yourself properly. You still have an exam to run."

The Snake Mistress sighed irritably. Kissing her boyfriend deeply, she soon got off of him and went to the front of the classroom. When she opened her mouth to begin her introduction, she heard the sound of vomiting. Blinking a couple of times, she turned and watched Sakura vomited into the trashcan again. "Umm…"

Haku looked into Anko's eyes and shook her head. "Sakura's pregnant. She's still fit for the second exam, but right now she needs to get this all out of her system."

Anko's eyes widened somewhat before she began to chuckle. "I see. Well, good for her." Looking back around at everyone, she said, "As the banner reads, I'm the sexy and wonderful Anko Mitarashi. And yes, that big hunk of a man over there is my boyfriend and my lover. If you know what's good for you, you'll show him the respect he deserves." Seeing no one speaking out in protest, she grinned and continued on. "Anyways, the second exam will take place at Training Ground #44. If you're smart, you'll follow me. If you get left behind, ask someone for directions. Anyone who fails to show up within the hour will be disqualified. And trust me, this is me being nice. Normally I'd give you like 30 minutes tops. Buuut, I'm in a good mood, so yay!"

After Anko left the room, Naruto and his friends watched as the majority of the Genin hurried off in pursuit of her. Naruto and his teammates walked over to Haku and Sakura and were about to ask if she'd be okay to continue. However…

"Would you two hurry the hell up? I'd like to get there before sundown, at least!" Kiba exclaimed angrily.

Before Naruto or his friends/teammates could reprimand him for being such an asshole, the boy was punched in the back of his head, sending him lurching forward. "Don't be such an asshole! Sakura. Is. PREGNANT! Right now she's experiencing a little something called morning sickness. Don't you care?!"

Kiba turned and snarled at the one who hit him: Ino Yamanaka. "Of course I don't care! She spread her legs for a worthless sack of crap and now she's paying the price for it! I'm not about to let some whore prevent me from becoming a Chunin!"

Before Naruto could beat the shit out of Kiba, Ibiki stopped him. "Stand down, all of you." He commanded. Afterwards, he glared into Kiba's eyes and said, "You can bet I'll be informing your mother about this behavior. How she hasn't managed to beat this arrogance out of you yet is beyond me. Or, we can do things my way."

Despite his instincts telling him not to ask, Kiba went ahead and asked anyways, "What's your way?"

Ibiki smirked wickedly at the boy and grabbed him by the hair. "Let's play a game, Kiba Inuzuka. It's called: How loud can Kiba scream? Doesn't that sound like the most fun you've ever had?"

Despite his inner bravado, Kiba took a few steps backward, only to bump into a rather solid object. Turning around, he saw Naruto standing there with the most pleasant smile on his face. "W-What do you want, moron?"

"Calling my girl a whore is a surefire way to get your ass kicked, Kiba. Now, you can either apologize to her right now, or I can break you. Or let Ibiki-san have fun with you. I'm good with either." Naruto said.

Kiba scoffed and said, "I'm not scared of you or anyone else! Besides, attacking me would make us all late and you know it! Now tell your bitch to hurry up or—gack!"

Haku narrowed her eyes on Kiba as she held his neck in a vice grip. As she squeezed the life out of him slowly, she snarled out, "That's quite enough out of you. I won't kill you, as you are a member of the team and we need you alive and in good health. However, I can and I will neuter you if you continue being an asshole. If you're so damn worried about being late, then leave. Otherwise, if you choose to stay, SHUT THE HELL UP!" And with that, she threw Kiba against the wall before she went and rubbed Sakura's back. "It's okay. The worst of it is over for now, I promise. If you start to feel ill again, just let me know and we'll take a break, okay?"

Sakura smiled at Haku in thanks. "Thank you. And sorry for this."

Naruto gently ran his fingers through Sakura's hair. "It's okay sweetheart. Just take it easy, okay?" Then, as what was going on finally registered in his brain, his eyes widened and he shouted out, "You're PREGNANT?! I'm, um…oh boy. I'm so sorry if, if…"

Sakura giggled a bit and hugged her lover. "Naruto-sama, it's okay. I'm happy. I'm beyond happy, even. I'm ecstatic! I get to have your babies! I'll be bringing our children, OURS, into the world! I told you before that this is what I wanted. I'd kiss you senseless right now, but not after throwing up so much. Sorry honey."

Naruto smiled and held her close. "I love you, Sakura-chan. I can't wait to see our children. They're going to be beautiful; I just know it."

"Of course they are! We made them, after all." Sakura teased. "Now, we need to get going! Don't want to be late, after all."

"Fucking finally." Kiba groused before he yelped when Ibiki grabbed him by the hair. "The hell?! Let me go you freak!"

"You really don't learn, do you, brat? I do believe I'll be paying your mother a visit soon. She deserves to know exactly what you've been up to. I'd drag you out of here kicking and screaming, but that would get your teammates disqualified, and I really don't want to deny them the chance to advance. So for now, you're safe from my wrath, Kiba Inuzuka. But don't let this go to your head. You'll be seeing me again soon enough, I guarantee it." Ibiki said before giving Kiba a little shove towards the exit. "Be a good dog and obey. Shoo, shoo, little runt."

Kiba scowled at the insults before turning and vacating the room, not even waiting for his teammates. Once he was gone, Sakura looked to Ibiki and bowed her head to him. "Thank you, Ibiki-san. He is such a jerk!"

Ibiki chuckled and said, "Anytime." Looking from Sakura to Naruto, he said, "I'm off to squeeze answers out of that slimy bastard you caught. I've got full faith that you all will go far in these exams. Good luck."

Thanking the man, they watched as he left before they hurried off to catch up to Anko and the others. As they went, Naruko hung back with Sakura and stared at her somewhat enviously. "You're lucky. You know that, right?"

The pinkette took Naruko's hand in hers and said, "You'll have your chance soon, Naruko-chan. I'm sure of it. And, as I promised before, you're going to be their godmother. You'll be there for our babies. You're just as important to me as Naru-kun is. So don't lose hope and don't be upset, okay?"

Naruko smiled thankfully at her and said, "Thank you, Sakura-chan. I know they might not be my children, but I can't wait to hold them in my arms."

"Of course. For now, let's focus on the second exam, whatever it may be. Okay?" Sakura suggested.

"Right. No matter what this second exam entails, just be careful, okay? Kiba's an idiot and there's no telling what could happen. So stay safe." Naruko said.

Sakura simply nodded in thanks before looking at the massive Forest of Death. She had heard Naruto and the others talk about it on occasion, but this was her first time getting a real look at it. Needless to say, it left her feeling a little weak in the knees. The mere sight of it was rather daunting, after all.

Upon regrouping with the rest of the Chunin hopefuls, Naruto was about to say something before Anko suddenly glomped him and kissed him deeply in front of all the Genin there. This, in itself, wasn't the problem. The real problem was the fact that she reached inside of his pants and started to rub his cock until it hardened in her hand. "Theeere we go. What do you say we go over there and get a little…'frisky'? You know you want it, baby."

As Anko nibbled on his ear, just as she had before, Naruto let out a pleased groan. Oh how he wanted to reciprocate her advances, but he knew that they had to get on with the exam. Still…

Anko grinned to herself when her boyfriend squeezed her ass. "Tell your naughty Anko-chan how much you want her."

Naruto kissed Anko fiercely, taking her breath away. "Oh, I love you. If we had the time, I'd give you the time of your life. Buuut…" motioning towards the group of Genin, he said, "We have quite the audience. We need to start the second exam. Maybe later."

Anko pouted cutely at him. When he didn't budge, she frowned at him for a moment longer. It was then that a wicked idea came to her. Kneeling down, she forced her boyfriend's pants down to his knees and took his cock into her mouth. "Mmm." She moaned out around his cock.

Naruto's face turned the brightest shade of red that anyone had ever seen. And yet, despite the fact that he was unintentionally giving everyone quite the show, he couldn't help but grip Anko's hair and begin thrusting into her mouth, eager to get more of this wonderful feeling.

A number of the other girls in attendance, such as Kin from Otogakure, Temari from Suna, and even Samui and Karui of Kumogakure were blushing deeply and proceeded to rub their thighs together, trying not to let it show that the show from the two of them was making them quite horny as well.

Kankuro just gawked in surprise as he watched the bold actions taken by Naruto and their second proctor, Anko Mitarashi. Glancing around at the other Chunin hopefuls, he saw that everyone else were caught off guard as well. However, most of them seemed to be in a state of arousal, most of them females.

Karui leaned closer to Samui and whispered, "Do you think this is normal for them or something?"

Samui was blushing a deep shade of red and said, "M-Maybe. I hope they finish soon. I'm not sure how much more of this I can take."

Meanwhile, Kin stepped back, moving away from her teammates until she was standing off on her own. Keeping an eye on Naruto's cock that kept pistoning into Anko's mouth, she slipped one of her hands into her panties, beginning to rub her nether lips. In order to stifle her moans of arousal, she slipped her free hand's index finger into her mouth and clenched her lips around it. I don't give a shit what Orochimaru wants anymore. I'm going to take this guy for a ride. Oh Kami, I wish that was me! Oh Naruto-kun, soon you'll be mine.

After a few more moments, Naruto grunted as he buried his cock in as deep as he could, shooting his cum down her throat. Pulling back, Anko smirked up at him as she made a show of licking his cock clean. When she swallowed a moment later, she stood up and whispered to him, "Watch out in there, sweetie. You might have a few fangirls after you now."

Naruto pulled up his pants and secured them in place again. Afterwards, he took a moment to try and catch his breath and steady his nerves. Once he felt calm again, he whispered back, "I blame you if that happens."

Anko simply giggled at him before she returned to her post. Looking around at everyone, she clapped her hands together and said, "Alright kiddos! Now that we've got the pre-show entertainment out of the way, let's get on with the second exam, shall we?" Seeing she had everyone's attention again, she let a smirk playfully tug at the corners of her mouth. "Now, before we begin, you've got to sign these nifty waivers saying that if you drop dead in there, we can't be held accountable. Trust me when I say you're going to experience true hell in my little playground."

Kiba scoffed as he looked past Anko at the mighty Forest of Death. "How bad could it possibly be? This'll be a cakewalk."

Anko scowled at him for a moment before clapping her hands again. "Alright, so the mutt over there's not going to last in there. Too bad for him. Now, sign these little beauties and we can get on with the show."

After all the waivers were passed around, Anko decided to get on with the rules of the exam. "Your second exam is a simple one. You need to take these two scrolls, Heaven and Earth, and get to the tower in the center of the forest. Once you turn in your waivers, your team will be given one of these scrolls. Your primary goal is to take down the other teams until you have both types of scrolls in your possession. What this means is that you're going to end up fighting other teams in there. But, not only that, you have to contend with a whole bunch of nasty creatures in there. And trust me when I say that you're better off avoiding them, lest you meet a grisly fate. Sound good? Glad to hear it. Now, sign your little friends there and collect your scrolls. I want to get on with the fun!"

Omoi scoffed and said, "You've already had your fun. It was disgusting."

Anko narrowed her eyes at him, but before she could say anything, his redheaded teammate clobbered him in the back of the head. "Oh, shut up. You're just jealous that he's getting some and you're left in the friend zone."

All Omoi could do was hang his head and sigh. Bastards.

Anko smirked at Karui and gave her a thumbs-up, which Karui gladly returned. I'm gonna like her. I wonder if I could bring her into the harem? Might be kinda fun.

One Hour later

After being allowed into the Forest of Death, Team 8 hurried to find a suitable location to take a break. They needed to formulate some kind of plan. After all, they only had five days to get the right scroll, in this case an Earth scroll, and get to the tower. Thankfully for them, Kurenai and Anko had taken them into the Forest of Death on numerous occasions, so they were already quite familiar with a portion of the forest's layout. They had yet to explore the forest in its entirety, but they were comfortable enough to avoid certain dangers and make use of other problems to hamper their opponents.

The team had unanimously decided to have Shino carry their scroll. He thanked them for their faith in him, and they explained that it was probably safest with him. The other teams, minus a few, would be targeting Naruto, Naruko, and Hinata, so it made sense for Shino to hold onto it.

Now, however, they were standing in a small clearing, staring at a woman from Kusagakure whose killing intent would have frozen lesser men and women. However, they had already experienced some truly intense killing intent, so they managed to push through their nerves and stared defiantly at the woman. "Who are you and what do you want with us?" Naruto questioned the stranger.

The woman smirked and licked her lips with a long, snake-like tongue. "Who I am is of no importance, Naruto-kun. However, you did a very naughty thing when you killed my dear Sasuke-kun. But no matter, I suppose I can forgive you for your transgressions. Only if you choose to join me, however. I can give you everything you could ever want. Money, power, women, friends. People for you to call your precious family. You may think you have all you could ever want here, in Konoha. However, I can give you so much more."

"You are mistreated here, Naruto-kun. Nobody truly cares for you. It's all one big façade. After all, they can't allow the village's primary weapon to leave for greener pastures. So, they use you. They pretend to care, all to ensure you have precious people to cherish and protect. I saw what you did with my failure of a student. Anko-chan sure has grown up, hasn't she? However, she's loyal to the village and will therefore do anything that is asked of her. She doesn't truly love you. Nor does she truly care for you. She has been ordered to do what it takes to ensure your loyalty to not just the village, but to the Hokage as well."

"Then there's Kurenai. She doesn't truly cherish you like she does your teammates. Just as Anko-chan, she is merely being used to enslave you and keep you loyal. Then there's your little friends. Once they learn the full truth about you, do you really think they'd stay by your side? If you need proof, just look at the Hokage. Until just recently, he was willing to bend over backwards to please the council and Sasuke-kun. Tell me, Naruto-kun, does what I said sound so impossible?"

Naruto frowned and closed his eyes for a moment as he thought over everything he had just been told. After a few minutes, he opened his eyes and looked into the woman's eyes. "I know who you are now. Orochimaru of the Sannin. The Hokage's wayward student and perhaps the worst traitor to the village, more so than even Madara Uchiha or Itachi."

The kunoichi smirked before she reached up and removed the face she had borrowed, revealing Orochimaru in all his glory. "There's that intelligence I so love about you, Naruto-kun. You deserve so much better than empty words, false promises, and dashed hopes. If you join me, I promise that you will be respected and treated as a valued friend and member of my village. You will never want for anything again. And, if even that's not enough to entice you…"

All paused as Orochimaru removed the rest of the disguise and began to fondle her breasts in front of him. If Naruto had to guess, they were a large C-cup. "If you join me, I can give you all the pleasure you could ever desire. You can have me, Naruto-kun. I'd lavish you with attention. I'd give you many children. I'd make you happier than you've ever been. All you have to do is join me."

Naruto watched in stunned disbelief as the very much female Orochimaru sauntered ever closer to him. When she was merely a few feet away, he asked, "U-Um, weren't you, y'know, a guy? How can you be a woman? I'm so lost here!"

Orochimaru simply giggled and closed the rest of the distance between them. Wrapping her arms around him, she leaned in and gently nibbled on his ear. "I've always been a woman, Naruto-kun. I wanted to be respected. I wanted to be feared. I wanted to be loved. I was something of a late bloomer. And even when these started coming in, I hid them and continued to live the life of a man, just so I wouldn't be looked down on. Besides, I'd never met anyone that could capture my interest so thoroughly. Not until I saw you."

Leaning back so she could look her desire in the eyes, she soon leaned in and captured his lips with hers, kissing him with all the passion she could muster. Hinata and Naruko stood by in shock as they watched this foul harlot seducing their boyfriend! Quickly prying her off of him, Hinata exclaimed, "What the hell do you want with Naru-kun?! Stop trying to poison his mind like this!"

Naruto quickly shook himself out of his daze and said, "I-It's okay, Hinata-chan. Naruko-chan." Seeing them look into his eyes, horrified expressions on their faces, he offered them a reassuring smile. After they backed away, he looked into Orochimaru's eyes and said, "I'm sure some of what you said is true. You're right that I don't trust the Hokage. He may have changed recently and is trying to do right by me, but it's hard to trust someone like that. Someone that would try to take away the one good thing a boy has."

Shaking his head, Naruto looked into her eyes again and continued. "I'll even buy the possibility that Anko-chan and Kurenai-chan were given such orders to keep me loyal. However, I don't believe that's the case with them. I truly believe they love me, just as I love them. I also believe in my friends and loved ones. My teammates. Haku-chan. Sakura-chan. Hell, Sakura-chan is having my babies! I don't believe any of it is fake. But…you are right about the vast majority of people. So many people have hurt me before. They've made me feel isolated and so alone. I don't truly feel loyal to the Hokage or to the village. Hell, I've even entertained the thought of leaving someday to try and make a better life for myself elsewhere."

Sighing sadly, he looked into Orochimaru's eyes again and said, "I don't care what you've done in the past, Orochimaru. I believe in giving everyone a fair chance. But…I can't go with you. As for Sasuke, I'm sorry." Looking squarely in her eyes, he said, "Sasuke had to be put down. He used his Sharingan to manipulate the people of Waves and forced a child to kill his mother. Sasuke aimed to force himself on Haku-chan, and he tried to kill me as well. If help hadn't arrived when it did…I'd be dead. So, I am sorry, but I don't regret what had to be done."

Orochimaru simply giggled and said, "It's okay, Naruto-kun. Yes, I wanted the Sharingan for myself, but I'd much rather have you instead. And as I said, I can and will give you everything you might desire. Even myself, if you so wish it. In fact, if you wanted to be alone right now, I'd give you the time of your life. I'd even bear your children for you. Just imagine how powerful they could be. How wonderful our family would be. If you want, and if you truly trust them, bring your friends and loved ones with you. You'd be far better off with me than you would be here."

Before Naruto could ask, Orochimaru held up her hand. "Naruto-kun, there is a powerful group of S-rank missing nin out there that have formed an organization known as Akatsuki. I used to be a member of this particular group for a time. However, their goal is to capture the nine jinchuriki and extract their bijuu. The problem is that, when a bijuu is extracted forcefully like that…the jinchuriki dies. There's been no exception to that rule. I couldn't bear the thought of harming you, my dear Naruto-kun. So, I left the organization and set out on my own. I decided to build my own village as well as a series of hideouts throughout the Elemental Nations. I wanted to protect you. I refused to let anyone hurt you. I refused to let anyone have you."

Sighing sadly, she shook her head and continued. "They claim that their goal is to bring peace to the Elemental Nations via means of violence and genocide. They don't care who they kill. They don't care who gets hurt in their mad ambitions. If they have their way…you'll be killed, Naruto-kun." Stepping past the girls, she walked up to Naruto and placed her hands upon his cheeks with a tender touch. Afterwards, she closed the distance between them and kissed him again. When they parted, blushes staining their cheeks red, she grinned saucily at him and said, "Please, get your loved ones and join me. I'll always keep you safe. The people of Konoha would gladly sell you to them instead of protecting you. You know that as well as I do. If you want, I can sneak you out of here tonight. It's entirely up to you."

Naruto hung his head for a time before looking at his teammates unsurely. Seeing their supportive smiles, he looked into Orochimaru's eyes and saw her pleading look. She sure as hell seemed genuine to him, and he wasn't sure what to say or do. So, he decided to just speak and figure it out later. "Orochi-chan, I can't leave. At least, not yet. There are things I need to do here. I need time to figure everything out. I can't possibly make a decision like this without consulting everyone first. So, if you can wait for me, I'll try to notify you when I can. I just hope you can forgive me if I choose to decline your offer. Don't get me wrong, you don't seem anywhere near as bad as people have made you out to be, so that's not what would make me decline your offer. I just…I need to be sure of something first."

Orochimaru nodded in understanding. "I see. Well, let me sweeten the deal a bit, just to sway you in my favor just a bit." She teased. "I'll help you make a body for Naruko-chan to exist in. A real body that can get pregnant and carry your children. One that would allow you two to truly be together instead of just being in possession of a shadow clone. Think of it as my welcoming present to you."

Before Naruto could say anything, Orochimaru leaned up and began to nibble on his ear again. "I'm serious about everything, Na-ru-to-kun. Everything I have, everything that I am, will all be yours. In fact, I'm quite willing to make love to you right here and now if that'll convince you to join me."

Blushing furiously, Naruto had to calm his nerves before he replied. "As tempting an offer as that is, we are in the middle of an exam right now. Erm, if you want…you could come with us? We'd be able to spend a bit more time together that way. I would like to get to know you better. But, only if it's okay with you three?" he asked, looking around at his teammates.

Shino simply said, "I have no objections. The ones you should worry about are those two."

Naruto looked in the direction Shino pointed and released a groan. "Girls, please don't be upset by this. There's a lot we all need to figure out, and we need to take some time to really think on everything we know. We've all been through so much lately, it's ridiculous. I know it may be a risky move, but having her along might help."

Naruko frowned for a time before she looked into Orochimaru's eyes. "Did you mean what you said? You can help Naruto-kun make me a body? I could truly be with Naruto-kun?"

Orochimaru smiled at Naruko and said, "Of course. I am quite the scientist, after all. I'm sure if the three of us put our minds to it, we can figure something out in no time. You deserve to be with the one you love, after all."

Naruko closed her eyes and mulled the offer over in her head. Finally, she opened her eyes and nodded. "Very well. I'll accept you and your help. Doesn't mean I like the idea of you stealing Naru-kun's time."

Everyone looked into Hinata's eyes at this point. Seeing everyone looking at her, she was about to speak, only to pause and look up into one of the nearby trees. When their new guests dropped down into the clearing, she looked worried. "Kushina-sama? Anko?"

Orochimaru frowned, but she didn't make any sudden movements. Instead, she hid behind her beloved so the two powerful women wouldn't have an easy shot at her. Seeing this action caused Anko to scowl and she demanded, "What do you want with Naruto-kun? Why are you even here, Orochimaru?"

Kushina grumbled to herself and said, "I heard everything. I'm not sure how sincere you've been, but I admit to being intrigued. You're right that things aren't great for my children here in this village. But, at the same time, it is their home. And…you've hurt some people we care for. Such as placing that wretched curse seal on Anko here."

Anko glared fiercely at Orochimaru as she reached up and rubbed the curse seal on the back of her neck. "Why did you do this to me, Orochimaru? Why are you even after Naruto-kun?! And don't feed me that crap about being in love with him, because I'm not buying it!"

Orochimaru sighed and said, "No matter the answer, it will not please you. Your hatred for me is clouding your mind. However…" Walking up to Anko slowly, trying to show that she wasn't there to threaten her, Orochimaru pressed her fingers to Anko's curse seal and removed it, absorbing her soul fragment back inside of herself once more. Afterwards, she returned to Naruto's side and hugged one of his arms, sandwiching it between her breasts. "Hopefully that goes some way in helping you to believe me."

Anko's eyes were wide and she began to shake, unable to believe what had just happened. Tears began to slowly trickle down her cheeks and she collapsed to the ground on her knees. "W-Why? You…you removed it. This is a dream…isn't it?"

Orochimaru shook her head and said, "It's no dream. Naruto-kun cares for you a great deal. If you truly love Naruto-kun, then it's best that I extend the olive branch, so to speak. I do not want there to be animosity between us. Besides, we're going to be in this little harem together, so it's best that we get along."

Naruto went to refute the harem comment, but Orochimaru claimed his lips again, causing him to melt into her embrace, slowly returning her affections. When they parted, he said, "I-It's not…a…erm…it's not exactly a harem, per say. It's a polyamorous relationship. We're all h-happy together. But, h-how would we make something work between us? If I stay here, I mean. Oh Kami this is awkward."

The Sannin giggled and said, "If you're willing to come with me for a time, I can assure you that I'll give you a present you'd cherish for all eternity. That is, if it's okay with your future wives here?"

The whiskered teen blushed heavily at the insinuation. Before he could stop himself, he said, "M-Maybe later. We have to finish this exam first. Erm…yeah, later."

Orochimaru smirked at him and said, "You're not saying no. Do you want your naughty Orochimaru-chan? Do I turn you on?" Reaching down, she began to rub his hardening cock through his pants, giggling to herself as she did. "I'm well worth the wait, I guarantee it."

"Oookay! Erm, let's go everybody! Scroll. Get. Yeah. Oh man." Naruto said before he turned and ran in a random direction. Shino sighed and chased after him, not willing to let him be alone in such a dangerous location.

After the two of them disappeared into the darkness, Kushina looked into Orochimaru's eyes and asked, "So what are you really after? I know you know about Naruto-kun's chakra. Are you seeking to make him your new vessel? What exactly is your angle here?"

Orochimaru frowned at them before saying, "Naruto-kun's chakra is certainly unique, and I have known about it for a very, very long time. But I'm being truthful when I say that he interests me greatly. I've never been in love before. And then I saw him and my heart began to flutter. It felt like there were a thousand butterflies in my stomach and I got all tingly when around him. Or when thinking about him. I desire him a great deal. I want to be with my beloved now and forever. And…I can't do that so long as he remains here in Konoha. You KNOW how they treat him. You've all seen it firsthand. The villagers, shinobi and civilian alike, refuse to allow him to have any happiness. I had Kabuto spying on the village and giving me updates regularly so I would know what was happening here. But, the one I had him truly focus on was Naruto-kun. I wanted to know absolutely everything about him. Favorite color, favorite book, favorite plant, favorite underwear, EVERYTHING! And I absolutely REFUSE to let the Akatsuki have him! I don't care if I get hurt trying, I'll kill anyone that tries to hurt my precious Naruto-kun."

Kushina frowned deeply and asked, "Then why were those three underlings of yours talking about killing Naruto-kun? They seem to think you gave the order to kill my Naruto-kun."

Orochimaru blinked in confusion for a time before it dawned on her. "Shit. I told Kabuto to give them their instructions. They were supposed to make contact with Naruto-kun and try to sway his allegiance from Konoha over to me. Tell him the benefits and give him whatever he asked for. He…Kabuto…dammit." Palming her face, Orochimaru said, "Kabuto probably told them that I wanted them to kill Naruto-kun. Why, though?"

"Because he's jealous of Naruto-kun." Hinata said matter-of-factly. "He doesn't want the competition when it comes to who gets your attention."

Everyone else blinked a few times as that registered in their brains. "Well…that's not good." Kushina said. "Kabuto's been arrested and taken to T&I to be interrogated. They're going to try and squeeze all the information they can out of him. It won't take much for him to sell Naruto-kun out as a possible mole within Konoha, working for you. I wouldn't put it past him to convince them of that."

Orochimaru scowled fiercely and looked at her student. "Anko-chan, is there any way you can deal with Kabuto? Remove him before he can convince them of a lie?"

Anko frowned at this and shook her head. "I'm still acting in the role of proctor for this exam. But…I can probably leave a couple of shadow clones to keep an eye on things while I go and deal with him. But, I get the feeling it's too late to do anything about it now. I just hope Hokage-sama can convince everyone that Naruto-kun is NOT a mole. They'll try to kill him again, I'm sure of it."

It was at this point that Orochimaru came to another realization. "Wait, I don't hear Naruto-kun anymore." Looking back into the darkness, she and the other women hurried off in search of Naruto and Shino. Please be okay!

Naruto

Naruto paused after a while and leaned back against a tree. "Holy crap. My life was never meant to be normal, was it? How did all of this even happen to begin with? After I met Naruko-chan, everything started to change. Now I've got more girls than I could ever have asked for, and more and more women seem to be flocking to me. None of this makes any damn sense!"

"It is a bit perplexing, isn't it?" Shino asked as he stepped up next to his teammate. "Are you going to be okay? Please, don't hesitate to talk to me."

Naruto smiled at Shino and said, "Thanks, Shino. And yes, it's very confusing. I can't quite make sense of it all. I mean, look at everything that's happened! Sakura…Sakura's pregnant with my babies. Anko quite literally sucked me off in front of EVERYBODY. I'm dating her and Kurenai both. I revived somebody with my chakra. I…there's just so much that has happened recently, and I don't know how to deal with it all. It makes no sense."

Shino nodded in understanding and leaned back against the tree next to his friend. "True on all counts. I will not pretend to understand it all, but I don't think this is a bad thing. You deserve to feel loved, Naruto. If I can be perfectly honest with you about something?" he questioned hopefully.

Naruto looked into Shino's eyes, or what he could see of them through her sunglasses, he said, "Sure. What's on your mind Shino?"

Without saying a word, Shino unzipped his jacket before taking Naruto's hand and placing it on his chest. What Naruto felt there shocked him into a stupor. "U-Um…Shino? You've, erm…you've got breasts."

It was then that Shino giggled and said, "That is because I am a woman, Naruto-kun. And before you ask, I never told anybody because I didn't feel it was important to know. Everyone always assumed that I was a man and I felt no need to correct their mistake."

Naruto nodded slowly and said, "I see. Umm, why are you telling me this?"

Without a word, Shino turned to face Naruto and leaned in, giving him a tender kiss on the lips. "Because I was tired of being dishonest with myself. Seeing you with all these other women is…frustrating. I decided to be open with you about my feelings and myself. If you decide to leave with Orochimaru, I want you to take me with you. You've never treated me like I'm some kind of freak. You complimented me and even helped me find new bugs to add to my hive. You treat me far better than anyone else outside of my family. Therefore, I have decided that you shall be my husband. We will be together, Naruto-kun. That is a fact."

Naruto nodded along in understanding. Once Shino had finished, Naruto held up a finger and said, "I see. Excuse me for a second." And with that, he promptly fainted on the spot, collapsing to the ground like a ragdoll.

Seeing this caused Shino to giggle again. Sitting down, she placed Naruto's head in her lap and began to gently stroke his whiskers. When he nuzzled his head into her hands as if asking for me, she simply giggled some more and continued with her ministrations. She loved listening to him purr contently like this.

However, after some time had passed without their teammates and the others appearing, Shino began to worry. This worry was made worse when she saw Team 9 land on the ground, staring coldly at the two of them. Gently nudging Naruto awake, she asked, "What do you need with us?"

Tenten and Lee both shrugged before looking at their teammate, Neji. "We're just following him." Tenten admitted.

Neji smirked cruelly at the duo from Team 8. "I was hoping to run into Hinata-sama, but killing the two of you will have to suffice. Killing her precious boyfriend and teammate will crush her like nothing else I can think of. I hope you've said your prayers, because Fate has decreed that you die before me today."

Naruto and Shino both rose, preparing to combat their new foe. Naruto glanced at Tenten and Lee and asked, "Do you support his lousy choice? You have to see that he's a deranged psychopath hellbent on revenge."

Tenten looked at Lee for a moment before the two of them stepped away from Neji. "We don't agree with him. I'm sorry Neji, but we won't help you with this. You're on your own."

Neji scoffed and said, "Very well then. I can handle this on my own. Now DIE!" And with that, he lunged forward, aiming to kill Naruto first.

Naruto scowled and prepared to strike, only for Shino to unleash a massive swarm of kikaichu from within herself. When they swarmed at Neji, he scowled and quickly made use of his Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven technique to protect himself from the insects and sending them scattering in all directions.

Seeing this, Naruto scowled deeply and said, "I see you've been training for this fight. You've learned some pretty advanced techniques. However, you greatly underestimate us, and for that you will pay. It's such a shame, too. Hinata-chan never did anything to hurt you, and yet you're hellbent on getting revenge against her for something that WASN'T HER FUCKING FAULT! You're fucked up, Neji! You'd be free from your curse by now if you weren't such a horrible person! Now, because you're such a fucked up person, you're going to die. That is what Fate has decreed today, Neji Hyuga. You cannot predict the whims of fate, nor can we or anyone else for that matter. No, Neji, we decide our own fate. And right now, I choose to believe that you're going to die here today. So bring it on, asshole!"

Neji scoffed before he grinned at the duo. "It's far too late to stop me now. You're both within the field of my divination. Prepare to die! Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!" And with that, he went on the attack.

Nobody expected what came next. The moment Neji lashed out at Naruto, he released a burst of his holy chakra to ward off Neji's attack. However, his chakra seemed to target the curse seal on Neji's forehead, leaving him screaming about his forehead burning.

Frowning in confusion, Naruto watched as steam began rising into the air from behind Neji's forehead protector. After a few minutes, Neji finally ceased his screaming and collapsed to his knees, too exhausted to stand. Looking down at his foe, the blonde said, "That was a mere taste of what my chakra can do to you, Neji. I removed your curse seal. You are finally free from that wretched abomination. Now, I am going to give you a choice. Turn and walk away with your teammates. Get your second scroll and make your way to the tower. Or you can stay here and try to fight us. You will die. No questions asked, no mercy, no forgiveness. You'll just die a meaningless death. It's your choice, Neji."

Neji looked up into Naruto's eyes, or at least he seemed to be. Oh, his eyesight was still intact, but he was currently unseeing. He appeared to be in a catatonic state, barely registering what was happening around him.

Looking at Neji's teammates, Naruto said, "You should probably take him and get away from here. Get the scroll you need and make your way to the tower. I would really rather we not have to kill him. At least you two deserve a fair shot at becoming Chunin. I don't want his idiocy to cost you your promotions."

Lee nodded and picked his teammate up. Looking into Naruto's eyes, he said, "That was a most youthful thing you did for him, Naruto Uzumaki. I hope we see each other in the next exam, whatever it may be."

"Of course, Lee. We'll be looking forward to it." Naruto said, smiling as he watched Team 9 disappear into the darkness.

Once they were gone, Shino turned to Naruto and smirked sultrily at him. Shoving him against the tree again, she pressed herself against him and captured his lips with hers. When they separated, she said, "I've been wanting to do that for such a long time, now."

Naruto blushed and said, "I can tell. We'll have to tell the others, you know that, right?"

Shino simply nodded and rested her head in the crook of his neck. Placing tender kisses along his skin, she whispered to him, "I love you Naruto-kun. We will be married and I will give you everything I am."

Naruto nodded slowly and said, "S-Sure, Shino-chan. Umm, maybe the others are looking for us? We should probably go back for them."

Shino pouted at him and asked, "You don't want to stay here and spend a little alone time with me?"

Naruto blushed worse and said, "T-That's not it at all, Shino-chan! I just don't want them to worry about us. We have been gone for a while, after all. I'm sure they're worried about us."

Frowning at her teammate and romantic interest, she said, "I'm not attractive enough for you, am I?"

Naruto sighed and palmed his face. "Now you're just putting words in my mouth." Seeing her grinning at him, he chuckled dryly for a time before he said, "You're evil, I hope you know that."

Shino grinned saucily at him before leaning in and kissing him once again. "Here is my promise to you, Naruto-kun. I will always protect you. Now and forever."

"Thanks, Shino-chan. That means a lot to me." Naruto said before he took her by the hand and hurried back towards the clearing they had left the others at. My life makes no sense anymore, and yet I love it. I can't get enough of all this chaos! He thought with a chuckle. Oh, things were interesting indeed and he couldn't wait to see what else may lie in store. The second exam had only just begun, after all. They still had four days, plus the rest of today, to finish this stage of the exam. He could only hope that things wouldn't become too chaotic in the days to come.

A/N - And that's the chapter! I know, a lot of weird things ended up happening and stuff probably didn't make a lick of sense half the damn time. lol. Still, as I said before, none of this was planned. I just started writing and things ended up like this. *shrugs*

I honestly couldn't decide how to end the chapter. Took me a while to really find a good place to call it done. Still, I sincerely hope you enjoyed it. If not? Oh well. Can't please 'em all.

I have no idea what I'll work on next, as usual. I'll just pick something at random, probably. Whoooo knows? lol