Darkened Paradise (Naruto Fanfiction)

Chapter 18:Circle of Sloth

Hope you enjoy the chapter :)

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Disclaimer: I own nothing :(

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Naruto was stood in a small office that had been set up in the tower for the Hokage during the chunnin exam. It didn't have any windows and the wall paper, which might have been white at some point in the past, was peeling off the walls. The carpet was covered in a thick layer of dust and whenever he moved it caused a small cloud to rise into the air. In front of him, sat at an old wooden desk, piled high with a Kage's greatest enemy, paperwork was the old man himself.

He had a serious look on his face that was matched by the young blonde stood in front of him.

"So he's here already, he wasn't supposed to show up until the finals."

Nodding his head in agreement Naruto walked over and leaned on the desk.

"Exactly, something's not right. From what Temari and Kankuro told me, the plan was for him to kill you at the final in the chaos from the invasion. For him to risk showing himself early means he has a second motive, and Sasuke is at the centre of it."

They stayed in silent's for the next few minutes, thinking about what it all meant, when the door to the room opened and in walked Kakashi followed by the sand trio and Baki, their sensei.

They had been reluctant at first to reveal that they knew about the invasion to the Sand-jonnin, but it turned out they didn't have to. Two days before the exam started he had found a way to get to the Hokage without being noticed and told him of the impending invasion. It turned out that the whole thing didn't sit well with the man; he believed that an alliance was something that shouldn't be broken, a belief that had led him to betray his Kage, but in his eyes not his village but by the time he got there Hiruzen was already told by Naruto.

The man's surprise at being told what had happened to Gaara and the fact his seal was fixed had been enough to bring him to tears. He had been the guardian for the three kids for so long he had come to think of them as his own, even Gaara.

With his cooperation they had been able to effectively plan a counter for the upcoming invasion.

"What's this about; I thought we agreed not to meet before the invasion. It's too much of a risk."

Turning to see the group as they walked in, Naruto waited for them to close the door before he answered.

"That fucking snake was in my forest."

At those words the almost always serious face of Baki turned shocked.

"Impossible, he's not supposed to be here until the last stage of the exam."

"Exactly"

Temari, Kankuro and Gaara were worried by the blonde's serious attitude. They hadn't known him long but it didn't seem right for the insane boy, it was even scarier then when he was acting crazy.

Over the next hour the 7 of them tried to think of what reason Orochimaru had for showing himself too early. Then came Naruto's explanation of the seal he had put on Sasuke.

"From what I can tell it's the completed version of the cursed seal that Anko-chan has. It's trying to convert his chakra, though I don't know what into. It seems to be thicker and more potent; his body doesn't like it and is trying to fight, like a disease. I also found a kill switch; we would have three attempts to remove it before it turned his chakra into pure poison and killed him. This is basically the same thing hers does. But unlike hers it also has a compulsion seal mixed into it."