A/N: The story takes time after Sasuke left Konoha. For some reason, which i will explain later, Kurenai died in a mission. This is an AR story, and is not canon (i guess...)
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, and everyone in this story.
-Chap 1: the last chance-
There had been some ruckus going on for a while in the foresr. Several birds even flew away from the forest due to the deafening continuous shouts, as well as barks.
"You're worst than Kakashi-sensei! Just go away and leave us alone! We'll go find a replacement for Kurenai-sensei when we want to!" Kiba barked angrily at Gai who seemed panic. Hinata and Shino were there, of course. She was sobbing while Shino was as calm as usual.
"I'm just saying that you all need to-"
"You shouldn't be our sensei. Why, because you still have your own team and you silly youth thing don't applied to us like it did to Lee." Shino snapped coldly before Gai could finish his reason.
"I-I agree…" Hinata said weakly in between sobs. She didn't dare enough to see eye to eye like what her teammates did. Instead, she looked down to earth all the time with teary eyes.
"See! No one wants you now, so leave already!"
xxx
"Still no use, huh?" Tsunade sighed in disappointment. "Kurenai's death must have struck them so hard that no jounin is able to replace her." She said to the 3 jounins inside her office.
"Well, guess a mother's role is irreplaceable." Kakashi responded, referring her as the mother of team 8. Besides, the fifth hokage hadn't assigned a female jounin to the team yet due to 'afraid that it'll worsened their mental' problem.
"But either way, we can not let them sulking like that forever. It's whether giving them a new teacher or sending them back to the academy, or worst." Everyone got the mental image when each of those kids being dismissed as a ninja. How bad will that affect their respectful family to have their heir being dismissed just because they refuse to take a substitute teacher?
Tsunade took a file that she had ordered Shizune to bring earlier, a file consist of the list of ninja's names in Konoha. She flipped the pages over and over as her face became more and more irritated. Finally she slammed the book down on the desk with a really irritated face.
"Konoha is not in its best state and all jounins are separately assigned to consecutive missions abroad. Kakashi, Gai, Azuma, do you have a name to be recommended? I suppose you three have a good grip on team 8's mental state." The hokage asked.
The jounins couldn't answer her question directly. Now in each of their minds went some unpleasant memories by the traumatized team 8.
"Just because you're so close to her, doesn't mean that you can replace her like she was nothing!"
"Even though we will no sooner have to replace Kurenai-sensei, but we won't take you. Why, because you still have your team to take care of and we refused to become a burden to another teacher again."
"I-it's my fault that she died…P-please, I-I need some time alone...
The reasons that those three ninjas gave them were silly. They just couldn't stop thinking that it was their fault that Kurenai died, and the jounins were there to replace her as if her death were nothing. It's weird to see how they could rebound easily at the hokage's death but fell down deep at their teacher's death.
The atmosphere was filled with intense silence as no one was able to speak up anything. No name was spoken able at the moment, and no option is available except the one done at the , the silence was broken by the knocking sound at the door. The door flung open as soon as the hokage permitted the visitor's entrance. Everyone's eyes immediately fell on the visitor, and a light bulb popped out from their minds instantly.
"Listen up. I got a new mission for you." Tsunade said to the visitor as the visitor eyed her with bewilderness in his eyes.
xxx
It was 9 am in the morning. The team 8 members were now gathering at the place where Kakashi met his students for the first time. Tsunade had told them that they would be given their last chance with this jounin, which if they refused they would be sent to the academy. They didn't have any other choice, did they?
Each of them didn't seem to bother the other's presence, more likely they didn't care. The stared emptily at the sky as seconds went by, waiting unconcernedly for the guest to come.
"What a pathetic sight. I regret myself for accepting this mission immediately." A dark voice exclaimed.
The three students' eyes were on him, wide opened in shock. Of all jounin available, they didn't expect that he would give their last chance. The hokage must be desperate, she has to be!
"The chuunin exam proctor, Morino Ibiki." Shino remarked with slight annoyance in his tone. Kiba and Hinata shot glances at him, not as cold as Shino's, but not a warm welcoming one either.
Ibiki noticed this. Everyone was trying to kick him away, although he wasn't sure the reason why they hadn't spit it out. Perhaps they were afraid of him, or they didn't want to fail as a genin.
"Haven't we told hokage-sama that we will seek her when the right time has come?" Kiba complained angrily.
Ibiki nodded at his statement, "True."
"Then leave us now!" Kiba demanded.
Instead of trying to convince those kids, Ibiki turned around and did as he was told. Everyone was suprised at his reaction, much to their expections.
"Where are you going?" Kiba asked. He was panic.
"The hokage's office."
"For what?"
"To make sure that she strips the shinobi rank away from you three pathetic students." The pathetic students gaped at his blunt statement. Kiba even chased him and gripped his vest.
"You're lying!" Kiba shouted. "You're just threatening us, aren't you?"
"My mission is to give you the last chance to rebound from her death. If you refuse, then the next option shall be used, to demote you." Ibiki tried to walk away, but Kiba hold a firm grip at his black vest. "Let your grip off." He ordered, his voice showed no warmth.
Kiba was battling his own mind right now. He didn't want him to be his teacher, and he didn't want to be a normal student either. Hinata and Shino stared at them while Ibiki pushed Kiba away. Slowly, he walked away from them.
"W-wait!"
Ibiki stopped his steps, but he didn't turn around. Kiba and Shino were now eyeing at the shy girl who stood up. She fidgeting her fingers nervously, eyeing every possible direction except Ibiki's.
"P-please, give us another chance, Ibiki-s-sensei…" She pleaded. Kiba's eyes grew wide at this statement.
"Y-Yeah, please." Kiba's mind was in a mess that he didn't realize that he had pleaded to him.
"You were supposed to give us another chance, weren't you?" Shino asked.
Ibiki stood still, listening to the comments from three little shinobis. He caught himself wondering why the failed jounins were unable to break them like this while he used no effort to do it. But, rice has becomed porridge and it's too late now. He continued his steps.
"Sensei!" They all three pleaded, but he didn't stop. Soon he was out of their sight, leaving those three in confusion and panic.
"You will know what to do if you really want to keep your title as a shinobi, kids." He said in his mind while he left.
A/N: I know that team 8 was not the sulking type, but after seeing what the team 10 became (sorry, I don't want to give spoilers just in case) I think the impact will be worse to the younger ones. Kurenai's death will be explained in later chapter, okay? Please review or I will not continue this story. What's the point of continuing a story that no one read?