My first Naruto fic! When Kakashi leaves on a confidential mission, a new ninja (said to be second only to Kakashi in skill) takes over training Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. Who is she? And what connection does she have with Kakashi? Read and find out!
 Author's Note: In this story, it should be noted that Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura are several years older, about 15. This is simply for the sake of the plot in later chapters. Kakashi, Iruka, and any other characters ages should be noted to have remained the same.
Disclaimer: All Naruto characters and related trademarks besides my Original Characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

Fre-kun: Except Kakashi and Sasuke! MINE! Grabs

Kakashi: Sweatdrop Uhm, please let me go…

Sasuke: Blush Sweatdrop

Kakashi: Security?

Heh heh. Fre-kun's a loser.

CHAPTER 1

"So, you're leaving today then?"

"Yes."

"Then they'll be here to say goodbye, shouldn't you wait?"

A pause.

"I didn't tell them."

"But don't you think…"

"They'll ask too many questions," he slung the bag over his shoulder. "Make sure they don't when I'm gone."

"He's going to be mad."

A shrug.

"It's not like I'll never be back. A few weeks, maybe a month or two at the very most. Besides, they'll be fine. She'll look out for them."

"When will she be here?"

"Tomorrow morning, around 6 probably," he answered. "We'll probably just miss each other on the road."

"Why don't you wait then? See her before you go?"

"If I did that, then I probably wouldn't leave."

"Guess not," a sigh. "So then I get sent to the wolves by having to deal with all of the complaining."

"Well, you know Naruto will give you much more trouble than she will."

"That's who I meant."

He chuckled and looked back over his shoulder from his place at the door.

"Just do me a favor for me and watch her back, Iruka."

Iruka laughed and said, "She'll be mad at you if you think they're going to be a problem for her."

"It's not that. She'll be more than a match for Naruto's smart-mouth. Just… She hasn't been back to the village for awhile. Watch out for her."

"Haven't I always?" Iruka grinned.

"Thanks, Iruka. And don't tell them anything they don't need to know. She's going to have to make that call."

"Got it. Be careful. You die out there, and she'll kill you."

With nothing but a nod and a slight wave over his shoulder, Kakashi walked out the door. The Hokage suddenly stepped up next to Iruka.

"It's true. She has been gone for quite some time, hasn't she?" he said to the younger man.

"Almost three years," Iruka answered.

"Has anyone had any contact with her over that time?"

"No one but Kakashi, and not too often from what I know."

"She'll be here about 6 in the morning? I suppose I should go meet her then."

"No, I'll go," Iruka said immediately.

The Hokage smiled slightly.

"Anxious to see her, are you, Iruka?"

"Not hearing from someone in three years can do that to you," he smiled back.

"Very well, Iruka, you can meet her."

"Thank you, sir."

Kakashi walked down the street to the gate of Konohagakure Village, keeping an eye out to make sure that Sasuke, Sakura, or Naruto weren't around to see him leaving. Perhaps he should have let them know he was leaving, but there wasn't much point, they'd know tomorrow. And besides, like he'd told Iruka, they'd ask too many questions. Questions that they didn't need the answers to yet. And Naruto's persistence wasn't what he wanted to deal with at the moment. There was too much on his mind. For a fleeting moment, Kakashi wondered if they would be alright while he was gone, but he stopped worrying as soon as he'd started. He glanced at the piece of woven thread peeking out from the cuff of his glove. She'd take care of them.

"Alright, what'd you want!?" the blond-headed boy snapped as he burst through the doors.

"Good morning to you too, Naruto," Iruka said sarcastically.

"What's the big idea of walking me up so early!?" he yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Iruka and Hokage the 3rd.

"Naruto, it's almost 11:00 o'clock, you lazy bum!" Sakura shouted at him, hands on her hips.

His faltered slightly.

"Oh yeah…" but then he regained his diligent composure. "Well, whatever it is, couldn't it have waited until I was actually awake!?"

"You're awake now, numbskull," said Sasuke.

"Shut up, Sasuke!"

"Don't yell at Sasuke-kun!" Sakura smacked Naruto in the head.

"OW! Hey, that hurt!"

"That was the point, numbskull," Sasuke said again.

"Sasuke, you call me that one more time and I'll…"

"AHEM!" the Hokage loudly cleared his throat, bringing their bickering to a halt. "If I could interrupt for just a moment."

Sakura turned red and bowed in apology, Sasuke simply looked at him, and Naruto crossed his arms with a 'hmph'.

"Thank you. Now, I have called the three of you to speak about…"

"Hey," Naruto suddenly looked around, "where's Kakashi-sensei?"

"Naruto, pay attention!" Iruka shouted at him.

"But where's Kakashi-sensei? Shouldn't he be here too?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"If you had allowed me to finish, I would have told you that his meeting was about Kakashi," the Hokage said, keeping his patience.

"About him? Why? Where'd he go? What happened?"

"If you keep your mouth shut, maybe we can find out," Sasuke said without looking at him, a twinge of annoyance to his voice.

"Why you…"

"Naruto, shut up!" Sakura slapped him again.

"Yes, as Naruto took note of, Kakashi is not with us at the moment," the Hokage said, ignoring Naruto's pouting whimpers as he rubbed the bump on his head. "And you have come here so that I may inform you that he will not be back for some time."

Naruto stopped rubbing his head to look up in surprise. Sakura stopped glaring at him and looked at Iruka and the Hokage. Sasuke's arms uncrossed, a sign that he showed some slight interest in the matter.

"He won't be back? Why not?" Sakura asked.

"Hey will be back, Sakura. Kakashi has been sent on a confidential mission that requires him an extended leave from the village. A temporary change, but a significant one, especially concerning you three," the 3rd said, entwining his fingers. "Which is why, until Master Kakashi's return, you will be assigned a new sensei."

"WHADDA' YA' MEAN HE LEFT!?" Naruto yelled. "HE JUST UP AND LEFT THE VILLAGE WITHOUT EVEN TELLING US!? I… Wait, new sensei?" Naruto blinked.

"You are so oblivious!" Sakura snapped, giving him another good crack on the back of the head.

"Yes, Naruto, a new sensei. Someone who will continue to instruct you in your training in Kakashi's absence," the Hokage answered in a slight sigh.

"But why do we need someone new?" Sakura questioned innocently. "If Kakashi-sensei will only be gone for a little while, we should be able to continue our training on our own."

"Who does he think we are, babies!?" Sakura said internally, contrasting to what she had said to the Hokage. "Kakashi-sensei's left for awhile, so he thinks we need a babysitter!?"

"If his absence was only going to be a few days, that would normally be the case, but it's possible that Kakashi could be gone for several months."

"So Kakashi-sensei's gone and you stick us with some two-bit substitute? Man, that's just cheap," Naruto said indignantly.

"I assure you Naruto; you won't be given any 'two-bit substitute'."

"While you don't really deserve it with that tone you're using, your new sensei happens to be one of the best ninja in the village, second only to Kakashi. He chose the replacement personally," Iruka told him sternly.

"Eh, why do we need to train anyway?" Naruto asked with a bored expression, folding his hands behind his neck. "Nothing's happened lately."

"Because it's necessary," the Hokage said, his tone taking a more serious turn, causing the three younger ninja to look at him. "There may be no threat at this point and time, but that does not mean that you should not be prepared. The training may be needed in the near future."

Naruto cocked his head slightly, trying to figure out what the Hokage meant by that.

"But, enough with these formalities. I believe now is a good time to introduce you," the Hokage continued.

"Would that be my cue then?"

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke jumped when the new voice spoke and turned their heads to look further down the room, behind Iruka. A figure none of them recognized leaned against the wall near the window, arms crossed, eyes cast to the floor. They hadn't even noticed. Had they been there the whole time?

"Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, this is Ha…" the newcomer cleared their throat and Iruka hesitated a moment. "Sasume," he finished, and the three of them realized that it was a girl as she took a few steps forward to stand near Iruka. "She will be your new temporary sensei."

"WHAT!? NO WAY!" Naruto cried, pointing at her. "SHE'S OUR NEW TEACHER!? Wait," he smirked slightly, "this is a joke, right? She's not really going to be our new sensei. Come one, where's Kakashi-sensei hiding?" he looked around, as if expecting Kakashi to suddenly jump out.

"No, Naruto, this isn't a joke. And you're going to act a bit more respectful," Iruka said sternly again.

Sasume didn't say anything. She stood silently, arms crossed, looking at them. Almost as if she was studying them. It made Naruto feel a little uneasy. But Sasuke studied her right back. Her hair was gray and swept to her left, her bangs hanging over her Hitai-Ate Leaf Headband. Her eyes were also gray, and there was something that gained Sasuke's interest for a moment. They were bright, but hard at the same time, almost cold. Like the sun peeking through on a cloudy day. And there was something about them, something that was almost avoiding being seen. Was it… Sadness? There was just something… Something in her presence that seemed so familiar. Something about her hair and her face. Something Sasuke couldn't put his finger on.

He contented himself by being the first to speak to her and asked, "How old are you?"

"Sixteen," she answered.

Her voice too. What was so familiar about this girl? It nagged at the back of his mind, at least until Naruto found his voice again.

"SIXTEEN!?" he yelped. "SHE'S BARELY OLDER THAN WE ARE! WHAT LEVEL IS SHE?!"

"Jonin," the 3rd answered calmly.

"JONIN!?"

"Naruto, quit yelling!" Sakura shouted. "If she's as good as Kakashi-sensei, what level did you think she'd be?"

"Sasume graduated from the Ninja Academy when she was 6," Iruka informed them, "and became a Chunin before she was 8."

"Hah! Kakashi-sensei graduated at 5!" Naruto pointed mockingly at her.

"Naruto, stop that," Iruka snapped, clearly getting irritated by the young ninja's behavior. "Sasume could have easily graduated at that age if…"

He stopped as both Sasume and Hokage the 3rd cleared their throats. Iruka cleared his own and composed himself again.

"I'm not as good as Kakashi. I'm second to him, you were told that," Sasume said to Naruto, something in her voice silencing him.

But Naruto quickly regained his courage… And his smart-mouth.

"Sasume, huh?" he leaned toward her slightly. "You got a last name with that?"

"Not one that matters to you," was her answer.

"Oh-Oh yeah? Well, how do you know Kakashi-sensei then? Iruka-sensei said that he picked you out himself."

"Another fact that's of no concern to you," she answered in the same firm, but not patronizing tone. "If there is something you need to know, I'll tell it to you. If not, you don't ask."

"Why? If you told me, you'd have to kill me?" Naruto scoffed.

"Do you really want me to answer that question?"

Naruto faltered again, not expecting her to say something like that. Iruka, on the other hand, struggled to keep a snicker from escaping his lips. The Hokage secretly smiled into his fingers.

"Well," Sasume said, looking at her new trainees, "I can assume that you're Uzumaki Naruto."

"Heard of me, huh?" Naruto grinned and crossed his arms.

"I've heard that you're loud, brash, impatient, and get yourself into way more trouble than you can get yourself out of."

"Wha- HEY!"

Sakura giggled, Sasuke sniggered, and Iruka was trying harder than ever to keep himself from laughing.

"WHO TOLD YOU THAT CRAP!?" Naruto cried.

"No one actually, I just gathered that from watching you spazz over the last twenty minutes," Sasume gave him a tiny shrug.

Naruto looked ready to blow. Sakura was now giggling so hard that she had both hands clamped over her mouth and her shoulders shook from the effort. Sasuke sniggered again. Iruka had to cough to hide the laugh that escaped. Sasume was totally ignoring the Death-Glare she was getting from Naruto and turned her attention to Sakura.

"Haruno Sakura," she said, causing the other girl to look up at her, "exceptional Chakra control for a young ninja. Also a rather fine tactician from what I've heard. Good potential. Even if a little more worried about boys than Ninjutsu."

Excluding the last part, Sakura smiled proudly at the compliments that she'd just received. Sasume looked at Sasuke, who looked straight back. Unlike most people he looked straight in the eye, her gaze didn't waver in the least. Her eyes remained right on his as she spoke.

"Uchiha Sasuke, survivor of the Uchiha Clan. The top graduate in your class, I believe? Two Sharingan 'Mirror Wheel Eyes', undeveloped, but still strong."

Sasuke avoided showing it, but he was slightly surprised. She spoke about them as if reading from a book. Somehow, this girl knew about them. And she knew a lot. Suddenly, Sasume started across the floor to the door. She stopped just before opening it and looked back at them.

"Well, come on," she said.

"Where are we going?" Naruto asked.

"Wow, you really are as thick as they say," she said, looking back at him.

"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!?"

Sakura couldn't even cover up her mouth now; she just started flat out laughing.

"I'm your temporary sensei," Sasume answered, ignoring Sakura. "That means I conduct your training and what I say goes. And I say that training starts now."

"Wha… But…" Naruto stuttered. "You just got here… You… You haven't been our teacher for ten minutes and you're already dragging us off for training!? Come on!"

"Eleven minutes."

"Huh?" Naruto looked confused.

"I've been your teacher for eleven minutes now," she said, pointing to the clock on the wall. "I would have considered your argument, had I been your teacher for only ten minutes, but your whining just made it null and void. Now, come on."

Iruka couldn't help himself. He laughed as Sakura, Sasuke, and a dejected looking Naruto followed Sasume out of the room.

"Hmph, still the same after three years," the Hokage said with a slightly amused smile, looking after them.

"Silent but deadly," Iruka chuckled, shaking his head. "She hasn't changed at bit."

"Amazing that they're related, isn't it?" the Hokage looked up at Iruka.

"Oh, not really, when you think about it," he looked out the open door as Sasume and the other disappeared down the steps. "Maybe their personalities seem opposite," he laughed again. "She's twice as serious as he is. But," he smiled slightly, "their bond is stronger than anything I've ever seen. Anyone who knew them could see that."

"Yes, I suppose you're right. Now we'll just have to see if those who don't know her can see it to."

Iruka nodded, still smiling. He could tell that there were going to be interesting times in Konohagakure Village.

Well, there's the first chapter! Hm, seems things are going to get interesting fast! R&R please! I really want to know how it is. I'm proud of it!