Naruto strength within (Edited)

Chapter 17

"Hey Kuroki it's been a month already huh? Look at you all tanned now" Izumo grinned and I chuckled, rubbing the back of my head, my hair still in the plait like normal.
"And look at these muscles you were working on taijutsu weren't you?" Kotetsu teased me and I smiled.
"I worked on a bit of everything while also planning my plans out. I have to get going. I will make sure to visit again soon, " I promised before I left. When I walked around the village I saw that they were preparing different stalls and I realised they were getting ready for the celebration. Every Chunin exam the night before they had a festival, it would be my first festival since I normally didn't attend them.
"Kuroki" I heard and turned only to have the breath sucked out of me as Iruka had me in a breath stealing hug talking a mile a minute.
"Calm down Iruka-sensei I can't hear anything you are saying" I laughed a little and he stopped before smiling.
"You seem a lot happier now then a month ago" Iruka noted and I nodded.
"I just needed to get away from the village. All the stress that I was bottling up I destroyed using the energy to train. Just you wait Iruka-sensei I am going to make everyone shocked" I grinned and he chuckled nodding before heading off to do what he was doing before he saw me.
"KUROKI!" I heard squealing and this time I was ready turning and catching Ino as I spun around to stop the speed.
"Hey Ino, how are you feeling? Sorry I wasn't here when you got out of the hospital" I apologised scratching my head.
"Never mind that do you have a yukata for tonight's festival?" Ino questioned looking at me.
"Eh no" I sweatdropped and her jaw dropped.
"We have to go shopping," Ino declared, grabbing my arm and dragging me away. On our shopping trip we ran into the rest of the Konoha 13, even Hinata and Sasuke said hello to me.

When I got to my apartment Ino was shoving me to go get ready while she headed home and I was to meet her and team ten out the front of the Nara clan compound in an hour. In my apartment I quickly did a clean up before heading for a shower and then got dressed in the Yukata that was dark blue with light blue swirling patterns. It was more femine than most but I didn't mind. Even though I had the muscles and such I still had a small slim body to pull the femine look off even though my face was femine.
"Hm I think I'll leave my hair down for tonight, it will surprise everyone since I haven't really had it down since I was a child" I decided, even after brushing my hair it was still largely spiky as it fell to my knees. With that done I was ready so I headed to the Nara compound and stood out the front waiting for the others to come.

"Hey Kuroki welcome back" a voice greeted me and I turned to see Shikamaru there yawning, making me chuckle.
"Same old Shikamaru" I teased and he opened his eyes and went to say something before his jaw dropped looking at me shocked.
"Kuroki wow is that really you?" Shikamaru asked.
"Of course it's me, idiot! I mean all I am doing is wearing a yukata and have my hair down, it doesn't look bad does it?" I asked and Shikamaru looked away blushing red.
"Hey guys wow look at you Kuroki you look even better than I thought you would," Ino squealed with a grin as she dragged Choji along with her.
"Thanks I guess shall we get going" I said and they nodded as we headed to the festival. We spent the night goofing off and having fun playing the games, winning prizes, trying out food and dancing happily and I was glad that Iruka had dragged Naruto out as well.

Meanwhile unknown to us there seemed to be two people on the rooftop watching us.
"I wonder what he is doing...Wait a minute," one person said.
"So you noticed it as well, I wonder how this is possible?" the other asked.
"More importantly, does he know?" the first one questioned.
"More than likely let's stick around and watch the exams before reporting" said the second.

When we were finished at the festival I bid my team good bye and left after waving and walking home, my arms hugging tightly to a large black gothic bunny that Asuma had won for me.
"So this is the one Orochimaru-sama wants us to take" a voice said and I swung around to see the three ninjas from the sound, Kin, Zaku Dosu I think their names were.
"What is it you want?" I enquired looking at him.
"Orochimaru sent us" Zaku answered and that made fear go straight through my veins right then and there. I quickly moved and dodged Zaku's sound attack and jumped onto the rooftop but they followed me up.
'What do I do? There are three of them and only one of me and since they work for Orochimaru who knows what they can do' I thought to myself.
"Katon: great fireball jutsu," I called looking over my shoulder spitting out fireballs at them still running.
"Ha like that would work," Kin taunted before she grabbed a handful of my hair, making me yelp a little. This was why I normally didn't wear my hair down like this.
"Get off me" I growled clenching my hands in anger around the rabbit.
"Ha like you could make me, hold still," Dosu taunted as he walked up and moved my yukata and looked at my neck before their eyes widened.
"The mark where the hell is the mark" Zaku snarled, grabbing my chin, making me smirk a little.
"It hasn't been there since it was put on" I said before I heard a small tap and instantly we were surrounded by ANUBU's there kunai or swords at Kin, Dosu and Zaku's neck making them growl before throwing smoke bombs down and somehow got away while I was sitting there and coughing.
"Are you okay?" one of the ANUBU asked and I nodded.
"Yes thank you for the help" I thanked them and they nodded.
"We were getting back from our mission when we saw your fire jutsu. Since it was on the rooftop we knew it wasn't training. When we saw what was happening we couldn't let it happen," a female ANUBU said and I nodded, thanking them once again before I headed home.

When I got there I shut and locked the door before I slid down the door my hands shaking my legs not supporting me anymore. What happened? Why didn't I fight back harder? I am stronger than them. Why didn't I show it? Why didn't I fight them off? Why did I just sit there doing nothing?...What would have happened if Shikamaru, Ino and Choji were there? These thoughts ran through my head again and again accompanied but the screams that Ino, Shikamaru and Choji let out when we were versing Orochimaru, they were all because I was too weak to do anything.