Sakura noticed she'd been tapping her foot and stopped. "Where's Naruto?"

"He told me he has lost something and went to search for it," Lee explained. He and Sakura stood along with Kakashi, Guy, Neji, Tenten, Shikamaru, and Temari outside the palace of Lady Shion, the priestess of the Land of Ogres. They were scheduled to depart hours ago, but a certain knuckle-headed ninja was holding them up.

"I think it's best to get going," Kakashi said, eyeing their shadows as they became more prominent with the rising sun.

"What about Naruto?" Temari asked.

Shikamaru shook his head, as if his own theory annoyed him. "It'd take him two minutes to catch up, knowing that juggernaut." The others went silent with mutual agreement. After waiting two more minutes, the band of shinobi gave one more look to the castle before taking off.

Meanwhile, in the guest quarters, Naruto had been reduced to flipping the mats lining the floor. He now knelt in the middle of the mess, tearing at his spiky yellow hair.

"Where the hell did I put that thing? Don't tell me I dropped it in the volcano - or in the lake - but maybe it fell off while I was fighting-"

"Leaving, Naruto?"

He looked to the doorway to find Shion leaning there. She was once again adorned in priestess robes, but no crown rested atop her head this time. Her pink eyes were tight on Naruto, but he didn't seem to notice as he chuckled sheepishly, "Ah, not yet. I lost my-"

"This?" she asked and held out her hand. A crystal necklace was wound loosely around her fingers.

Naruto ogled at it. "Whoa, thanks, Shion! You found it." But when he got up and reached for the necklace, Shion snatched it from his grasp.

She stared at him accusingly. "You're a liar. You were just going to leave without helping me."

"What are you talking about? Give it back." For all his ninja skills and the years he'd spent honing them, Naruto could not seem to catch the necklace from Shion's pale fingers no matter how much he bent and twisted.

"You promised me, Naruto."

"Promised you what?"

She squeezed her fists and eyes shut. "To help me pass on my powers to the next priestess!"

Naruto frowned at Shion, feeling the familiar itch of irritation. "Look, not now, okay? Everyone's expecti-"

"Yes, now. I foresaw it," Shion insisted. "It's been the only vision I've ever had that hasn't involved someone dying for me, so it must be heeded. At this time and day, we are to create the next priestess and…" She suddenly looked about the overturned room, intrigued. "Actually, this is the place, too. I'd have wished for a cleaner room, but, beggars can't be choosers."

He watched her, befuddled, as she straightened one mat and settled onto it. "What are you waiting for?" she prompted. "Come on, now, let's get started."

Clicking sounds could be heard within the hollow walls of Naruto's head. The mat, their isolation, "create" a priestess…. Naruto blanched. "Shion…when you say all this, you mean we…we have to…."

"What? Have sex? Of course." She blinked when he let out a strangled yelp. "Do you prefer the term 'make love'?"

Color returned to Naruto, but only the color red, and it covered him head to toe. He pointed at her. "Are you crazy! Doing that…I never agreed to that!"

Shion frowned. "Yes you did. You honestly didn't understand? What did you think I meant, then?"

"I don't know, I…I thought we'd, like…pick a kid from a line-up," Naruto said pathetically. He avoided looking at her at all costs, which included forcing himself to suddenly become passionately interested in the molded ceiling and the stone dragon statue in the corner. Anything but Shion.

"That's ridiculous. It's obvious that I meant to have sex with you."

"Don't say it so casually! On second thought, don't say that ever. What's wrong with you? Have you ever done this before?" he demanded.

"No, but I know the basics." Shion shrugged out of the first layer of her kimono. "Now get down here and take your clothes off."

"This is so wrong!" Naruto turned, necklace abandoned for a chance to escape. He felt two arms sling around his body just as his hand latched onto the door handle. Shion had closed it when she'd come in. Now, he could feel her pressed tightly against him.

She mumbled into his back. "I'm sorry. I know I seem very indifferent about this, but I already saw it happen in my vision. I felt it. It was all so real that to me, we're already lovers; like it's only natural to make love with you." Shion almost said the "s" word but corrected herself quickly. "It's just…I think I'm in love with you, Naruto."

Naruto couldn't speak - his heart was pounding so hard that he was sure if he opened his mouth, only his heartbeat could be heard in his throat. Shion stood on tiptoe and kissed his earlobe. "You love me?" he managed to whisper. He was too afraid to speak any louder lest this moment be shattered by his own voice.

Shion slipped around him, planting kisses along his jaw. "Yes." As she stood in front of him, holding him with her eyes, she swiftly locked the door behind her without his knowledge. She slid her arms up and around his neck slowly, seductively. Naruto's eyes were wide and all he could smell was her perfume. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Shion pressed her lips to his'.

They were statue-still for mere seconds, and then Naruto's breath became heavy. Hesitation obliterated, he grabbed Shion's waist, kissing her deeply. While Shion pulled on Naruto's jacket, he practically ripped off her robes. The shinobi attacked her neck and the priestess gasped at the sensation. The dragon figurine along the wall watched with somber eyes.

Graduation! Is This an Enemy?

"Lord Hokage, it's about your children."

"…"

"I'm afraid they've gotten incredibly out of hand."

"…"

"Ms. Megumi has been disrespecting her teachers again while Ms. Kotone and Master Sosuke continue playing various pranks on the villagers. Master Inari was with them, though I believe he was only trying to stop their disreputable behavior."

"…"

The shinobi looked over at Hinata, exasperated. "Is he even listening?"

She bowed to the fair young man. " I'm so sorry. Lord Hokage has been held up with paperwork all week, so…."

"But when it concerns the behavior of his children-" The shinobi blinked at the snorting sound coming from behind the Hokage's chair, which faced the window. "Lord Hokage?"

Naruto turned the chair and twisted a pinky into his ear. "Oh, hey! It's you, Yaso. What are you doing here?" The young man grinned, vein on his brow pulsing.

"Oh, you know, same old reason." Yaso strode towards the door and beckoned to someone in the hall.

Four children filed in, all varying in age but somehow familiar. Each had the large white eyes of the Hyuga clan and sported three horizontal lines on each cheek. The rest of their features bounced from Uzumaki to Hyuga. The children stood in a line before the desk, eyes on the floor.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked.

Before Yaso could explain begrudgingly and for the second time, the eldest child stepped forward. "We…that is, Koto', So-So, and I…. We dropped paint balloons on Sarutobi-sensei from the academy roof," he said quietly. Orange paint was still drying in parts of Yaso's wavy black hair.

Naruto blinked. "That's all?" The alarmed look on Hinata's face immediately made Naruto glare at his brood. "I mean - I'm disappointed in you three! That was really stupid of you to do, and to a jonin."

"You're not disappointed," the girl with spiky black hair said. Her arms were folded, and her eyes were narrowing. "If you are, you're a hypocrite."

"Megumi," Inari, the eldest, said through nervously-clenched teeth. He glanced at their father's stubborn frown.

Kotone suddenly hopped forward, Sosuke following her like a shadow. "Daddy, it was just a joke. Plus it was all my idea. So-So and 'Nari were just dragged into it," she insisted. A short tuft of a pigtail bounced on her scalp every time she moved. Megumi stared at it with growing annoyance.

Yaso also glared, but for what Kotone had done to his own hair. "You're in enough trouble, and your siblings are responsible enough to refuse you. You're not as persuasive as you think, y'know." Kotone's pigtail drooped and she stepped back into line. Sosuke, however, ran to Hinata and clung to her silently.

Naruto rubbed his temples. "Every day you guys are in trouble for a different reason. All right. Kotone, Inari, go clean up the paint from the academy. When you get home, no Ichiraku night." Both children looked like they would die. "For a month." Kotone let out a squeal of pain and fainted. "Okay, maybe just this week."

Inari managed to bow through his trembling. "Yes, sir…."

Megumi smirked with satisfaction. Naruto saw it and scowled. "Megumi, you're not going to the Hyuga estate today."

"What." The murder in her tone was so immediately palpable that Kotone sat bolt upright, shuddering.

"I think I just had a nightmare. Megumi was mad again." Inari knelt beside her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, though he looked terrified as well.

"Go back to sleep and maybe it'll stop."

Naruto crossed his arms, as if that gesture suddenly made him invincible to the death aura his daughter emitted like smoke from a chimney. "You've been too lippy these past few days to your family and your teachers. In short, your attitude really sucks. You're not allowed to visit Uncle Neji and Aunt Tenten until you straighten yourself out."

The eleven-year-old's face went red with anger, her hair seeming to spike even more like an animal with its fur standing on end. She hated her hair. She hated the markings on her face. Megumi wished she could just suck all the Uzumaki out of her so that only Hyuga remained. Then - maybe - she would look halfway decent, and her beloved Sho would spare her an affectionate glance. Now, she didn't even have the grace of seeing him today.

Hinata reached as if to touch Megumi comfortingly, but the girl's wrathful presence frightened even her mother. "Megumi, it's all right…."

"Your graduation is tomorrow, you two," Naruto went on, looking at Inari and Megumi. "You'll be put on teams and given to a jonin, who will train you. You have to work hard. At this age, it's about time you stop being foolish." Hinata and Yaso exchanged looks. As if the Hokage could honestly say he'd done the same.

Yaso bowed to Naruto regardless. "Thank you, Lord Seventh." Tiny hands grasped his head before he could stand up. He blinked at Sosuke, who began picking bright paint from Yaso's hair. Yaso sighed heavily. "I forgive you, Sosuke." The five-year-old's big white eyes started watering rapidly. "Yes, I mean it. I'm not angry."

Kotone slung an arm around Yaso's lowered neck. "Wow, Sarutobi-sensei! You're such a nice guy." The raven-haired teen glared at her with great irritation.

"I did not forgive you."

Yaso disentangled himself from the seven-year-old and left. Megumi stomped out afterwards, holding in her anger like a bomb. Inari came up to the desk, block-like blond bangs hiding his eyes.

"Dad, we weren't trying to hurt anybody. Really. We just wanted to have some fun."

"I know," Naruto sighed. He looked at Kotone, and suddenly his face became stern. "Okay, here's the deal: get that paint cleaned up in half an hour and maybe I'll let you have Ichiraku tonight. This is a once in a lifetime chance here. Your thirty minutes starts n-"

Kotone's silhouette hung in the air many seconds after the door had slammed shut. Hinata straightened her windblown hair and Sosuke sat up where he'd been toppled over, dazed.

Naruto held up a limp finger, stunned. "…ow," he finished awkwardly.

Showing off an Uzumaki smile, Inari accepted the challenge and ran to join his youngest sister. The Seventh Hokage groaned like a bear and leaned away from his desk.

"You should go to bed early tonight," Hinata said softly.

"Can't. Meetings, mission distributions, Inari's and Megumi's graduation…." Naruto let his head fall without resistance, making a loud 'thud' on a stack of papers. "Just one of those days, y'know?"

Hinata looked at her husband with worry. Naruto had been having "one of those days" for weeks now. He never outright complained, but it was clear that the recent drop in graduation rates and the declining number of new genin were running him ragged. Without those rookies, menial D-ranks were left to shinobi who belonged doing A- and S-level missions. Jonin and chunin were being assigned to rescue lost puppies and weed out gardens. Hinata could only imagine the constant bickering Naruto had to sit through day after day.

She smiled, now, petting his spiky hair that was deceivingly soft to the touch. "You're working so hard, like always. I admire you for that."

Naruto peeked out from under his bangs with a grin. "I couldn't stand disappointing you, Hinata." He pulled her into his lap without warning and kissed her. Before they could get into making Uzumaki-child number five, Sosuke suddenly came over and squeezed between them to sit on Hinata's thigh. Naruto squinted at him. "Oh, look, the jerk."

Hinata laughed, pulling Sosuke close. "A cute one, at least." Naruto had the expression of a puppy denied his treat and his wife giggled more. "Later, if you have the energy."

The Hokage grinned vivaciously. "I'll have the energy if it means spending it with you," he purred. Hinata smiled coyly and blushed.

Sosuke pinched Naruto's nose between his tiny knuckles, face pugnacious. "No way, brat," Naruto said firmly. "No interruptions tonight. N. O." Hinata shook her head fondly and carried Sosuke out so Naruto could work. Their youngest scowled at his father the whole way out.

Someone in a blue hooded jacket came to a stop in the forest outside of Konoha. He reached out and leaned on a tree with his hand, wheezing. The sun was just breaking through the leaves to shed orange light over him.

Suddenly, a shrill whistle pierced his ears. He gasped, pink eyes rounding as his head snapped up to stare at nothing. Then his eyes began to glow and form kaleidoscope symbols spun in his irises. The small flute tied to his outstretched wrist didn't stir, but he could clearly hear its tone.

That single note brought him out of his body so he could look down at his powder-blue hood. He felt himself become the breeze, weightless and without form. He was pulled away by an unknown force through the air in gentle curves and weaves until he was on a wide dirt road. Before him stood two giant green doors, the entrance to a village within towering walls. He had just enough time to recognize the place before he flew backwards, abruptly sucked back into his body.

He gasped again, staggering, but otherwise he kept his ground. A few deep breaths later and he grinned. He threw off his hood, platinum-blond hair springing up in disorderly spikes.

"Almost there…Dad."

"Nanami!"

A girl with bobbed golden-brown hair appeared at the top of the stairs. "What!"

"Don't 'what' me! You'll be late if you don't have breakfast now."

Nanami puckered her bottom lip. "I've been ready for ten minutes now, Mom."

"Well your lazy brother was down here before you; hurry up."

A black ponytail protruded from the kitchen table when Nanami got there, and it was snoring. She narrowed her eyes at it as she entered the room. "Uh-huh. Real early bird."

Temari promptly whacked her eldest with a spoon. "Shikatsuro, I won't have that. Get your breakfast."

"But Dad's not up yet, either," he insisted with a mumble.

"Oh you don't have to worry about that." Their mother smiled but her green eyes were vicious. She handed Shikatsuro the spoon and stalked out of the kitchen. "Honey~" she called sweetly. Nanami said a quick prayer for her poor father.

Shikatsuro yawned as he plucked pieces of rolled omelets onto his plate. "Why do I have to get up early anyway? I don't have academy today."

"It's my graduation," Nanami said proudly where she sat at the table. Her brother gave her a flat look and her smile vanished. "What?"

"I'm waiting for the real reason I got out of bed this morning."

"That is the reason, couch potato."

"Good night."

"Don't sleep on the stove!"

He frowned irritably, pouring sauce into a dipping cup for his omelet. "But why do I have to go to your stupid graduation?"

Nanami turned up her nose. "I wouldn't expect a failing student to understand." Shikatsuro flinched like he'd been stabbed, back to her. "I guess it would be tough mentally, though. If my twelve-year-old sister beat me to being a genin, I'd want to stay away, too." Another stab. "I'm so glad I got Dad's genius instead of Uncle Kankuro's stupid, like you," Nanami sighed airily.

The infamous spoon embedded into the kitchen table an inch from Nanami's fingers. Shikatsuro's eyes were green pools of fury.

"Say it again, and the hand comes off."

She peeked from her hiding place behind her chair, nodding quickly. Shikatsuro looked almost identical to their father, and it was true that he had the same lack of motivation and love for naps. However, the combination of Shikamaru's irate mother and passionate wife had created a short-fused monster. Temari's personality was painfully evident in the fourteen-year-old's quick temper. Nanami always used her God-given intelligence to know when her teasing would earn her a beating. Right now, it told her to shut her mouth and remain still - Shikatsuro lost track of immobile objects when he was angry.

Shikamaru joined them a few minutes later with several lumps on his head and a pregnant Temari following cheerily behind him. After wolfing down her breakfast, Nanami grabbed her new headband and tied it to her forehead, fluffing her bangs with pride.

She kissed Shikamaru's temple. "Bye, Dad."

"We'll see you at graduation," he replied. Nanami's brother bent his fork with the press of his thumb. She carefully skittered around Shikatsuro and hugged Temari.

Nanami pecked the bulbous stomach of her mother. "Please be a kind, gentle little sister? For me?"

The morning was cool and crisp. The streets of Konoha were mostly empty save for the few shinobi wandering about and the store owners opening their shops. Nanami breathed in the beginnings of fall with great excitement.

This is awesome! As of today, I am a genin. I wonder what team I'll have? Who will my sensei be? I hope Megumi won't be on my team - she's kinda scary. And Kumamichi would be a living hell. These thoughts dampened her spirit a little so she squeezed her eyes shut and sent a quick prayer: Please let me be with Subaru or Inari or anybody without a short fuse!

Nanami ran into someone, then, when her eyes were closed. She caught herself but other person dropped without resistance. She hurried to their aid. "Oh man, I'm so sor-" Her words caught in her teeth as she puzzled his features. "…I…Inari?"

The boy she'd knocked over had blond hair and whisker markings on his face, but he was much older than Inari. Plus, his hair was lighter and wasn't straight like the Hokage's eldest son's. And then there were his eyes…. Nanami felt herself shudder. His eyes were blank, just magenta orbs swimming with symbols. He wasn't moving.

She clutched her head. "Oh sweet God, I killed him." Nanami knelt down and started shaking his shoulders. "No, no, no-no-no-no-no. Don't be dead, please. Uhh…doctor, I need a medic!" she said frantically.

Someone grabbed her wrist before she could get up again. "Hey, wait. I don't need a doctor." The teen was conscious, looking at her with those big pink eyes as he held gently onto her hand. The dancing symbols had vanished.

"Who…who are you?" Nanami asked.

"My name's Hoshu. Are you a Leaf ninja?"

She blushed despite herself, adjusting her headband. "As of today, I am…."

"Maybe you could help me then," Hoshu said, letting her go and sitting up. The thin tail of hair at the base of his neck jumped as he looked up at her eagerly. "Could you take me to see the Hokage? I've come a long way. I mean, it's really important that I get to see him."

"Uhh, I have to get to the academy before I'm late. And I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," Nanami said slowly.

Hoshu wilted. "Oh. Sorry."

Her already-weakened resolve wavered at the disappointment on his face. She bit her lip, imagining how angry Shikamaru would be if he knew she'd been alone with a stranger. A young, handsome, boy stranger. At the moment, though, he seemed more like a big lost puppy. She waved the angry-father image away. "Lord Hokage will be at my graduation, though. You can come along to meet up with him."

"Really? That's perfect!" Hoshu's eyes were pink fireworks as he hopped to his feet, which Nanami noticed were bare and calloused. He offered a hand to help her up. "Lead the way, Ms…?"

"Nara. Nanami Nara."

"That's a lot of 'na's," he noted, seeming impressed by the amount. "Okay, lead the way, Ms. Nara."

Nanami walked ahead as Hoshu followed. She saw from the corner of her eye that he was looking around at the village with a mixture of awe and unease. Dad would kill me if he ever found out about this….

"So Lord Hokage grounded you from training with us yesterday?" Sho asked.

Megumi leaned against the wall beside their classroom door. She had her arms crossed, ducking her head so her hair hid the red in her face. "I'm sorry; my father was being dense. But, I'll definitely train with you tonight," she assured him quickly.

Sho frowned a little. "Lord Hokage…. Maybe he was just trying to teach you something. I'm sure that's what he wanted." This earned him a signature Megumi glower.

"Teaching me to be less Hyuga. He wants all his kids to use that ridiculous Shadow Clone Jutsu, and that clumsy Rasengan, and don't even get me started on those perverted techniques. I want to learn the Hyuga way and he won't let me. My Byakugan isn't even active yet." She dug her nails into her bicep. "I hate being an Uzumaki," she growled.

The boy dropped his gaze to their feet, braid slipping over his shoulder. Because Hinata was head of the Hyuga clan, any child born from her and the Hokage were automatically honored as part of the main branch. Sho and his baby sister, on the other hand, were only cadet branch like their father. This being so, Megumi often idolized Neji and Sho as if their roles had been reversed. It was uncomfortable for Sho to have a main branch member think so highly of him.

The bell rang, and Megumi hurried into the classroom without looking back. She really is upset. Sho sighed and tightened his forehead protector before heading inside.

Nanami yelped a little when he almost collided with her. "Ah, sorry!" She smiled sheepishly. "Big day, huh?"

"It is," Sho said politely. His eyes flickered to Hoshu, who stood behind her and studied Sho curiously. "Er…?"

"Oh, right. Hoshu, this is Sho Hyuga; he's graduating with me. Sho, this is Hoshu…something. He wants to-"

"My mother talked about someone like you," Hoshu blurted suddenly. He paused, then pointed at Sho excitedly. "Yeah! Big white eyes, long brown hair, really collected - I think she said his name was Neji-something or other."

"Neji Hyuga is my father," Sho said, looking at Nanami. She shrugged helplessly.

Hoshu hit his palm with his fist. "That was it, Neji Hyuga. Wow, it's so weird. It's like an alternate universe, us meeting like this," he laughed.

Sho blinked calmly. "I'm sure it is." Then he abruptly grabbed the shoulder of Nanami's mid-drift jacket and lugged her into the classroom, slamming the door shut in Hoshu's face. "Why is that man following you?" Sho asked her sternly. His exterior was calm, but she could see the alarm whirling in his intense eyes.

Nanami walked over to sit at the end of a table, Sho settling for a seat just across the aisle. "I don't know! I knocked him over on my way here and he asked me to take him to the Hokage."

"I've never seen him in the village before."

"Neither have I. You think he's after Lord Hokage?" Nanami whispered.

Sho chanced a furtive look back at the door. Hoshu was ogling into the room through the small window with no attempt at stealth whatsoever. "Either he's an extremely talented assassin, or a complete idiot. It's best if we tell someone he's here, though. We'll inform the Hokage as soon as we're released to go meet our families." Nanami nodded dutifully.

"Alright, kids," Iruka said, standing at the front of the classroom. His brown hair was peppering with gray from the years of teaching immature children to be semi-mature genin. "First of all, congratulations on making it to genin. You've all worked very hard to come this far. However, your work isn't over yet. I can take those headbands back as easily as I gave them to you." He took a moment to grin at the gasps of horror. "You'll be assigned to three-man cells, then you'll be given a jonin to train you. If that jonin doesn't think you're fit to be genin, it's back to square one. But first, after your teams are announced, you'll go outside for the graduation ceremony."

He beckoned at Yaso, who stepped forward with the team lists, and a collective sigh issued from all the girls. Yaso Sarutobi was fifteen and already jonin, a genjutsu wielder rivaled only by his mother, who had also gifted him with beauty. He was the classic case of a genius heartthrob. Nanami gazed at him with an enraptured smile.

"Team One," Yaso began. He read down the list, mixed reactions occurring as genin got their dream team or their living nightmare. "Team Four," he said now, "Naoki Akimichi, Subaru Inuzuka, and Mamoru Haruno."

Naoki turned to his twin, who mirrored his anguish. Separated. How could they go on like this? Subaru huffed indifferently and the brown puppy on his head grumbled in sleep. Mamoru looked up from his one-handed push-ups, but like always, his face was void of emotion.

Yaso smiled at the lack of complaints. The female genin nearly died holding in their squeals. "Team Five: Kumamichi Inuzuka, Naoto Akimichi, and Megumi Uzu-"

CRACK!

"Er…Megumi Uzumaki…."

Megumi removed her fist from the crater in the table, anger not receding. The students around her scooted away from the sheer blood-lust shrouding her being.

Naoto shuddered at his fate while Kumamichi smirked. The beagle puppy in his shirt barked nervously. "We got the wannabe Hyuga, Myu," Kumamichi cackled under his breath.

"Team…Six." Yaso rolled his scarlet eyes at the interruption. "Inari Uzumaki, Sho Hyuga-"

WHAM!

"…and…Nanami Na-"

Wu-BAM!

"Megumi, stop it. The desk is in pieces," Iruka scolded.

Nanami felt a presence whose heart beat only for her blood and she stiffened. She glanced warily at Sho, but he only shook his head.

Inari looked back at Megumi as she sat with her head bowed before the ruined table. He knew her heart was breaking even though others thought it to be monstrous moodiness. The eldest Uzumaki had the ability to spot love a mile away, and he knew his sister really liked Sho. Having a sweet blond with top grades and intellect on Sho's team while Megumi was left in the dust was a real kick to the heart. Inari knew he could say nothing without getting his throat stomped in, so he turned to gaze woefully out the window.

Yaso grimaced. That better not be my team….

Somehow, the rest of the class was compiled into teams and the children were marched out to greet their families and acquire their sensei. Hoshu was still in the hallway, and he put his hand on Nanami's shoulder as she left the classroom. His face was pinched with worry. "Ah, Ms. Nara, seeing the Hokage's pretty urgent."

She pulled out of his grasp. "What's so important that you need to see Lord Hokage this instant, anyway?" she demanded. Sho and Inari hung back, the former intent on the answer while the latter simply waited out of manners.

Hoshu looked as if he felt ambushed - and then his eyes landed on Inari. The younger boy only blinked but Hoshu almost seemed to get sick.

"Are you the Hokage's son?" he asked miserably.

"Yes, I am. Do you need something from my father?" Inari felt Sho take his arm, and he watched with puzzlement as the Hyuga boy sent Hoshu a blackened glare.

"Let's go. Nanami." She sent the teen a look before hurrying to walk with her new team. Hoshu remained in the hall and watched them go. He particularly stared at the yellow spiral on the back of Inari's tan and blue jacket. Hoshu gritted his teeth in rage.

Naruto stepped back from his speech of congratulations and welcomed Inari over with a high-five. "Man, am I proud of you! I'm glad you graduated, too," he added as Megumi went to stand at attention beside Hinata. "You guys are developing so fast. Pretty soon you'll be the strongest shinobi in the Leaf. Who knows? You might surpass me some day."

Megumi glared at her feet and let her accursed hair hide the tears in her eyes. I'm counting on it.

Naoto and Kumamichi stood a little away from the Hokage's family, and the chubby boy looked frightened. "Ms. Megumi doesn't look happy to have us on her team…."

"What, are you kidding?" Kumamichi chuckled. "This team's the best! Oh, the fun we'll have with that stick-in-the-mud, eh, Naoto?"

The shorter of the two looked at the other like he was insane, which was most likely true. Kumamichi Inuzuka was fabled to have spent the first six years of his life living in a cave with starving wolves. His wild behavior and sharp canines definitely didn't hinder the rumor. Myu whimpered at her master's eagerness to cause trouble and cuddled further into his shirt. The two boys avoided their female teammate and ran for their families.

Choji, Ino, Sakura, Lee, Kiba, and Ayumi gathered around their children excitedly.

"You did it, Mamoru! That is my boy. Look at you; the exuberance of youth is practically radiating off of your body," Lee exclaimed.

Mamoru blinked apathetically. "It is?"

"Blindingly so!" The man knelt and took both of his son's shoulders. "The fiery passion in your eyes is what makes you my beloved son!" Suddenly, a fist crashed into the top of Lee's head and the jonin fell unconscious. Sakura glared down at him.

"I told you not to say that in public!" she hissed. Mamoru looked blankly down at his wounded father until Sakura embraced him affectionately. "We really are proud of you, Mamoru."

"…Thanks."

"Don't cause trouble for your teammates," Choji coached his twin sons. Ino was too busy reveling in the fact that Sakura had spawned a child with the Beautiful Green Beast of Konoha. "Be kind to them; help them out. It may be tough at first but soon you'll all form an unbreakable bond with your team, one that can never be broken. Take a look at me - my teammates ended up being the love of my life and the best friend I ever had."

Naoto nodded solemnly, but his brother looked over his shoulder at his own new teammates. "Does that mean I have to marry one of those guys?"

Choji wiped his face with a meaty hand. "Naoki, shut up." Naoto itched the back of his neck, glancing warily in Megumi's direction as if she had eyes in the back of her head.

Meanwhile, Subaru punched his father's fist after Kumamichi's turn. "Ukyo says this is a waste of time." The brown dog blending into his hair harrumphed with approval.

"It isn't, Subaru," Ayumi insisted. Kiba folded his scarred arms.

"Your mom's right. Every ninja's put on a team. If you can't work with others, you can't be a shinobi. Ukyo can keep his negative comments to himself."

Akamaru set Ukyo in a dominant glare and the pup growled, squeezing himself into a tighter ball. Subaru sighed heavily. "Yes, sir."

"I'm looking forward to working with my team," Kumamichi yipped. Naoto shook his head wearily. Was he really going to be okay with a half-crazed animal and a wrathful woman on his team?

Sho and Nanami approached the Hokage and his family now with purpose. Nanami hid behind her new teammate to avoid the death stare of Megumi Uzumaki. Naruto noticed them and grinned. "So you guys are Inari's teammates. It's good that you all know each other. I expect you three to work well together."

"Lord Hokage, there's a strange person asking around for you," Sho began.

"Strange person? Like what?" Naruto's big blue eyes were bright with curiosity that conflicted with the fact that he was over thirty years old.

Nanami took it from there, explaining how she'd run into this stranger who called himself "Hoshu". Naruto's face grew grim.

"It's probably nothing, but I'll have some jonin look out for the guy. What does he look like? What's he wearing?"

"Well-"

"There he is," Sho hissed, tensing. Hoshu was leaning against the tree on the edge of the academy yard. He was in shadow, and the swing beside him moved creakily in the breeze. Sho's special eyes could have spotted him if Hoshu had been in complete darkness.

Shikamaru, Neji, Tenten, and Temari arrived to meet them, tiny Chinatsu seated on her mother's hip and lanky Shikatsuro dragging his feet behind his father. "Is something wrong?" Neji asked.

Naruto narrowed hardened eyes at the silhouette. "There might be. I'll be right back." Hinata took her husband's shoulder and shook her head.

"You're the Hokage and he wants you. Send someone else," she reasoned.

"We'll go," Shikamaru said, glancing at Neji. The Hyuga jonin gave a curt nod. "We'll take him to the interrogation facility."

"Daddy," Chinatsu murmured. Tenten held her closer and cooed soothing words to her daughter.

"Do we know if he's a shinobi?" Neji asked.

Nanami shook her head, beginning to sweat at the thought of actual danger. "He never said anything about it, and I haven't seen him use…." Her green eyes widened. "No - when I bumped into him, his eyes had these weird symbols swirling in them, like a kaleidoscope."

"You talked to him?" Shikamaru asked, voice sharp. His daughter suddenly forgot her fear of Hoshu as the possibility of being grounded forever loomed over her.

"Come on," Neji ushered, sparing Nanami for now. The shinobi pair moved swiftly around the crowd towards Hoshu, who made no sign that he acknowledged their arrival. The group of parents watched tensely, Naruto especially on edge. Sho and Nanami exchanged looks. Although the boy was much more calm about it, both feared for their fathers' safeties. Shikamaru and Neji stood before the teen cautiously but with authority.

"What's your purpose here?" Shikamaru asked.

Hoshu took his hands from his pockets and shrugged off of the tree to face the jonin. His eyes were filled with dull anger. "I want to see the Hokage." His voice sounded strangled.

"You'll have to come with us before that happens," Neji said.

"He's right over there." Hoshu's pink eyes shot to where Naruto stood with his family. "I only need a few minutes with him."

"You either cooperate, or we do this the hard way," Shikamaru said sternly.

"Try me," Hoshu snapped. He reached for something in his pocket - and gasped. Neji had been prepared to take a shot at his chakra points, Shikamaru kneeling to create a Shadow Possession Jutsu, but now they stopped. The teen gaped into the distance as his eyes started glowing a stark rose color. He dropped onto his side without protecting himself from the fall.

Neji crouched by him cautiously, Byakugan active to catch any sort of trick. What he saw instead made his insides twist. He reached down and grabbed the thing Hoshu had tried to take out of his pocket, and he stared at the square of paper, face ashen. He looked back at Naruto, who gave him a look that brooked an answer for the strange behavior occurring across the field. The veins receded from Neji's eyes and he looked up at the puzzled Shikamaru. "Let's get him to interrogation."