Sakura and Sasuke frowned as they had been left alone in the team assignment room with a veritable unknown. Some blonde kid named that was obviously not a girl named Hitomi, the third member of the squad, and as they cast curious gazes in his direction he would start to mutter to himself.

"They're looking this way again," he grumbled in annoyance, his voice child-like. "Let them stare, they're merely curious," came a deep baritone in reply as his eyes closed and he crossed his arms. "Why should we ignore them? I say we blow their fucking heads off!" The new voice spoke in an effeminate, if gruff manner and made no qualms about being heard.

Sakura shivered as she turned away, her face paling slightly. "He's not serious is he?'

Sasuke ignored the girl, but still averted his gaze. Something about the blonde seemed familiar and it tickled the back of his senses. It was like a memory was begging to come to light, held at bay.

"Y'know if I had my colony I could have already killed these brats," came an aged voice from the boy in a heavy country accent. "You and your stupid bugs," another soft female voice, alluring by its nature and even dragging the eyes of the two Academy graduates back on the blonde, hoping to hear more.

The boy's face smiled lovingly and warmly in their direction and the kid rose from his seat, a simple gait alluring and entrancing the pair of kids as he made his way over.

Just as the boy was leaning forward, his left hand cupping Sasuke's cheek while the right held Sakura's, a tall man was suddenly there, a kunai to the blonde's throat. "Stop," he commanded simply, his voice completely serious.

Both kids shook their heads as the genjutsu ended and were witness to two snakes slowly slithering back into his sleeves, all the while Naruto giving that same alluring smile. Sasuke and Sakura jumped back immediately, fearful at the near-death experience.

Naruto held his hands up, his face changing from alluring to serious and stern. "Whoever you are, if you get involved again, I'm gonna kill you," he swore.

That was when the most surprising thing occurred, his skin began to harden, looking like stone, yet dense as diamond. His sneer turned cold as he swung his elbow back to try caving in the man's chest, however the man darted out of reach and formed a seal that suddenly had the boy on the ground clutching at his skull, the hardened rock body shifting to normal skin while he screamed in unbearable agony.

"AHHH! STOP IT! I WON'T DO IT AGAIN! AHHHH!"

His pleads for mercy gained him none as the tall man stared down on him impassively until he finally passed out.

Finally, the man released the seal while exhaling lazily. "Kakashi Hatake, your Jounin Instructor, sorry about this," he offered while rubbing a hand at the base of his neck.

"..." Silence was deafening while the two children tried to regain their wits. Sasuke was the first to come out of it, pointing at Naruto. "What the hell is that?!"

Kakashi sighed and shrugged before answering. "He's Naruto Uzumaki. He suffers paranoid schizophrenia with multiple dissociative personality disorders. He's a kid like you, but took a head injury that damaged his brain," Kakashi purposefully lied, his face impossible to discern. "When his other fictitious identities are kept in check, he's a sweet boy. However, try not to be in the same room as him alone. Ever. Some of his identities are really dangerous," he requested as plainly as teaching a kid to cross the road.

Sakura gulped, swallowing harshly at the lump in her throat before moving towards the down form of the boy. "Where did the snakes come from? I don't even see them any more," she queried. Funny as it was, such a technique might be something she could use. Simple, hidden and undetectable. Definitely the traits that would gain her Sasuke-kun's attention!

Kakashi shrugged. "Been trying for years to figure that out. There's a whole wing of research and development working to duplicate some of the sealless jutsu that his identifies use. You've seen two of them, both listed as kekkei genkai for the time being," he informed.

Before the kids could ask any more questions, Kakashi clapped his hands. "Alright, since I have this dead weight here, I'll be returning him to his cell," he addressed.

Sakura and Sasuke nodded while Kakashi made plans to meet the kids the following day at a training ground.

No one noticed until the kids departed the fact that Naruto's form had slacked and gone pale, nor that his body and clothing were no more than a husk, the shedding of skin like a snake...

(Somewhere Hidden)

Hitomi, a young girl that was a promising kunoichi, shivered in the cold dark room, huddled as she was. She honestly had no idea how she had gotten here, much less stripped of all weapons and unable to access her chakra.

The sound of footsteps rang out like thunder and her young heart raced. She moaned out pitifully, hoping for someone to hear her. The was a tense moment when the steps stopped before they started again, her heart thudding in time. Tears began to leak from her eyes as she moaned all the louder.

There was some rustling like metal being moved on hollow wood and suddenly a bright light filled her eyes.

Hitomi cried out in glee at her savior. It was some blonde-haired boy with amazing blue eyes. He reached down to touch her cheek, she thought he was going to remove the gag in her mouth, only to be shocked as his body swelled to gross proportions! It was like staring at a water-logged cadaver for a moment before he snapped back to normal parameters...

Only he wasn't himself anymore! He was her! She was looking into a mirror image of herself and right down to her birthmark and blemishes, she couldn't see a difference.

Was he the one that had captured her in the first place?

No!

The hatch began to close, but she saw herself toss something in at the last second. Some thick sack that was... Buzzing?

As the lid was closed, Hitomi tried kicking at the walls of the limited confines, but couldn't get the leverage for anything forceful enough to escape.

Something brushed against her hand. She didn't know what it was, but it felt heavy for a small object and fuzzy.

She quickly pulled her body away from whatever it was, but felt something bump her face and another to her arm. She held still, hoping against hope that whatever it was would leave her be...

(With the fake Hitomi)

The young dirty blonde girl made her way through the front doors of her house with a small smirk that quickly changed to a blooming smile, one that any who knew the brand new Genin wouldn't be surprised to find. "Mom, Dad, I'm home!"

Her parents, both tied down to chairs with thick rope widened their eyes, pleading and motioning at the ropes.

Hitomi dropped her school bag and rushed to her bound parents. "Oh my, what happened to you," she asked in alarm while removing the restraints. It was a widely known fact that Hitomi came from civilian family, the first in ten generations to have the desire and chakra coils to become a ninja. There was no way her parents could have freed themselves.

The two happily hugged their daughter and wept openly while the family of three held one another.

"It was just a prank, dear! We're sorry we worried you," Akimi, the mother, addressed placatingly.

Kensuke, Hitomi's father, held the girl tightly. "We had a friend tie us up. It was just some stupid prank a bunch of the parents said was great to pull on graduating kids. We didn't mean to make you so scared," he explained.

Hitomi narrowed her eyes darkly, but the look softened quickly. Obviously while stalking the original girl, he had missed something. Of course that did explain why it had been so difficult to subdue the class's dead last. She had been on guard thinking sometime was after her or her family... Oh well, it was his family now!

Parents, a house, a..."My room," she hesitantly whispered, looking between her parents.

That's right, he had his own room now! One that wouldn't be broken into! One without the padded white walls. One without the cold steel bars!

Akimi nodded her head, standing quickly and guiding her daughter along the house while her husband, Kensuke moved to collect hid daughters schoolbag and belongings.

"Come on baby, we'll tuck you in. Your Jounin-sensei stopped by. He said he's excited to meet you tomorrow. He wants you to meet at a training ground ~ Oh, this is so exciting," Akimi cheered while walking Hitomi to a certain room and twisting the doorknob.

The room was exciting to the girl! There were pictures of famous ninja on the wall called posters! He was never allowed these things! Books sat on a desk alongside scents that one of his identities whispered were perfect for her. A mirror was suspended on a closet door that was filled with many colorful and pastel clothes, a separate area held weapons and mesh armor of assorted variety!

Akimi snickered as Hitomi dashed to her desk and sat there, gazing in the mirror while while wiping the makeup from her face.

About this time Kensuke arrived with her bag. "Hey sweetie, I heard you got on the same team as Sasuke," he congratulated with an affectionate hand resting on her shoulder.

Hitomi looked up at him with a face of indifference before nodding. "Yeah. There's another girl there too. Sakura," she informed glumly.

The parents shared a look and sighed before departing. They were extremely proud of their daughter! Even at the bottom of the class was an achievement considering she was more athletic than any normal person could boast.

Naruto, the new Hitomi, smiled happily. She had achieved her dream of being loved! Not only that, but she could be a ninja now! Nothing was going to take this away from her, she'd make sure of it.

In the silence and solitude of her bedroom, Hitomi pulled out her other's diary and began to read. The girl was a typical girl. Boy crushes, friends, favorite foods and memorable events all recorded, even a few pictures inserted. It made more than one identity twist his guts in disgust, but she didn't care. If it meant having the unattainable dream, she would relive the girl's past a dozen times.

The sound of something tapping her window drew Hitomi's focus from the diary to the window in question. It also gave notice to the fact that the darkness has come again. She hated the darkness, it was where they sent her so many times before, but never again...

Another rapping of the glass shook the young girl, barely thirteen as was the norm for a graduating class, and had her tuck away the diary, only a month from completing the book.

A man was there, shrouded by a black cloak, only a pair of eyes peering through as the man's face. She opened the window cautiously while the many voices railed about her stupidity.

"Hello?" Her voice shook, equal parts acting as it was her own fear shining through.

The man shuffled into the room quickly, his clash being pulled off to reveal purple hair and an accented face, one that held a proud smile. "Hitomi-chan," he addressed before wrapping her in his arms affectionately before taking her lips in a light kiss.

Hitomi's lips tingled when the man moved away causing the girl to lightly blush while touching them gently. A warmth filled her belly that the voices seemed to enjoy, but left her perplexed.

"I've been wanting to say 'congratulations' all day," he revealed in glee before letting kiss do the talking again, this time his tongue slipping against her lips, briefly parting them.

Hitomi felt her hands moving, bidden by one of the many within to respond in a certain way as wave after wave lust rushed through her mind, every single one of the voices sending images and sensations at her mind, demanding this moment happen.

The man moaned as she moved her hands to more responsive areas before pulling away, albeit with great reluctance. "Oh, I wish that could, but not yet. Three more years, he whispered in promise, his breath hot against her lips.

Hitomi pouted but gave a small nod. She was still unused to to the sensations and thoughts running through her, but she understood the word 'no' in it's many iterations.

The man once more kissed her softly and nodded. "You're gonna be a great ninja! I, Mizuki, swear that on my life," he added the last bit in a playful manner, eliciting a light snicker from Hitomi.

As the man darted from the window, cloak covering him once more, Hitomi collapsed in her bed with a soft sigh, her eyes heavy and heart light. It was a first of many things today and she would make certain it wouldn't be last for a long time...

Sleep quickly reached out to embrace the pretender and lulled her into a new world, one that didn't consist of nightmare doctors stabbing her with needles of poison, didn't have the Hokage utilizing her seal to subdue her over and over until she stopped trying to kill him. No, her dreams were lovely dreams of a family hugging her while she slit the neck of Kakashi, them Mizuki would give her another soft kiss...

In another room soft moans and rhythmic vibrations danced from the floor and walls merrily as the couple within enjoyed their own party. None had any idea of the man entering, much less leaving from the room next door.

As Akimi climaxed, her entire body seizing up and her back arched in a beautiful display of grace and poise, the door slid open.

Kensuke couldn't cover himself and his wife's union fast enough as he tried to look over his shoulder at the person that was watching. It came as a surprise and a startled squawk when he realized it wasn't his daughter at all.

Standing there was a tall, slender woman with pale flesh, her face equine and symmetrical. She wore nothing but the tattoos of life-like snakes and as she casually strolled in, neither participant complained nor rejected her.

That night the three enjoyed each others embrace time and time again before the woman casually got up and walked away, washing in the bathing room before Hitomi awoke.

(Training Ground)

Hitomi arrived a bit early, her smile still present after eating a wonderful breakfast, the first home-cooked meal she had ever experienced, and took a clever hiding place in a bush, overlooking the "meeting place".

The voices had so much experience with being ninja and had shown her where to go. She couldn't hide the smile on her as easily as she hid her presence and suppressed her chakra.

Sakura and Sasuke arrived together, both looking annoyed but sat right in the open.

Hitomi frowned. She couldn't hear what the two were saying, but it was foolish to stay in the open like that! The voices said so!

She didn't want to compromise her hiding place, tucked halfway into the shadows while the wind rustled the bushes. But, just then, something stirred, shuffling through the branches overhead. It gave her an idea and one of the identities agreed.

"Where the heck could Hitomi and Kakashi-sensei be," Sakura ranted while tapping her foot in annoyance.

"Hn," Sasuke uttered while sitting with his hands steepled, eyes dark.

The sounds of something moving drew their attention only to see a little squirrel dart through the grass, pause to look for predators and dash again.

"Awww, it's so cute! Don't you think so, Sasuke-kun?" While Sakura cooed over the rodent, it carried itself right up to the pair and stood up on its hind legs with hollow eyes, eyes that revealed the creature was dead, yet still animated.

The creature's mouth and vocal chords moved in a manner that was anatomically impossible as it spoke to the pair.

Far off in the bushes, Hitomi's mouth moved as well, words forming on her lips but no sound coming out.

"Why are you two standing here," the squirrel inquired in a monotonous, slow and high-pitched voice.

"Eek! A talking squirrel?!"

While Sakura was shouting the obvious, Sasuke had taken a defensive stance, kunai held at the ready. "Who's there," he barked out, eyes scanning the field but seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

The squirrel spoke again. "Hi-to-mi..." it revealed before falling on its side. "Hide... Get away... From... The open," she implored as the rodent went stiff.

Sasuke nodded and dashed off to hide, Sakura on his heels.

Nearly an hour of sitting in silence passed quickly to reveal Kakashi casually stroll into the clearing before bending at the half and picking up the squirrel while nodding.

He was honestly impressed with this team, as they were the first to actually surveil the place, even if two hadn't understood at first. But, relating a message via a squirrel was something Chuunin came up with. Now had they destroyed the squirrel he'd have said Jounin rank.

With the squirrel being placed in his pouch for an investigative study later on, Kakashi took time to pull out two bells. "Hello little Genin, as you all should know me, I'm Kakashi Hatake, your Jounin instructor. You've all passed Academy, but now I'm going to see if you can pass my Bell Test. There are two bells here, you must have one in your hand by the time the timer runs out," he explained clearly and loudly where all the kids could hear him.

"Come at me with the intent to kill if you intend to get a bell," he encouraged before reaching into his pouch and pulling out a small orange book.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he continued to stalk, hoping at least one of his teammates would act first. As another hour passed and his belly grew noisy, he decided to act.

"Hm?" Kakashi looked up in interest as Sasuke came rushing down from the treeline into the clearing. He kept an eye out for any other aggressors but could find none. With a casual shrug he readied to defend himself from Sasuke.

What he nor Sasuke expected was Hitomi to have already set a trap that Kakashi had walked right into. Hidden in the bush, she formed a single seal, her gleeful smile only growing as she whispered "katsu".

A small hiss was Kakashi's warning as the squirrel in his pouch detonated with alarming concussive force! The Jounin was fast and acted quickly by ripping the entire pouch free and throwing it with his left hand, unfortunately it detonated prematurely just as he was releasing it. At that same moment Sasuke closed on him, his topnotch Taijutsu coming into play as he hurled kicks and punches as the injured and badly burned Kakashi, who could only deflect with one hand, his legs having seized.

Sakura wanted to cheer for Sasuke and almost did when she heard the voice of Hitomi coming from some glowing blue wire on the ground. "Sakura. Sasuke needs your help. Throw as many kunai as you can at Kakashi, keep him distracted and I'll do what I can," she commanded before the line faded away like... "A chakra string!" The concept was incredulous! Delivering a message through a chakra string, no one had ever told her it was possible. Then again, no one said it wasn't...

Sakura popped out from her bush and began to rain steel death on Kakashi.

The Jounin caught the first kunai and used to push Sasuke away with a desperate slash. The brief moment have Kakashi a second to get away, only he hadn't seen the chakra thread now wrapped around his ankle in his moment of distraction. Lightning raced through his body and stopped his heart for a fleeting moment before jump starting it again. Over and over the voltage violated his person as Hitomi ignored his screams of pain.

There was glee in her eyes as she was finally getting the revenge she deserved on one of her many oppressors. Kakashi began to smoke from his hair as it caught fire and his body toppled over, continuing to convulse violently.

"Hitomi-chan," Sakura cried out from her bush. "Stop, he's down already," the pinkette implored, snapping Hitomi back to her present reality. She cut her electrical feed to the wire and let it dissolve while Sasuke grabbed the bells.

To the surprise of all there the man on the ground exploded into a cloud of smoke while a perfectly healthy Kakashi stepped into the clearing clapping his hands proudly.

Hitomi nearly broke character with a glare when Sakura shrieked in alarm. "Kakashi-sensei?! Then who was that?!" The "that" she was in reference to was the spot the clone died in.

"That, my children was a shadow clone. Remember, there are many types of clones out there and they come in handy. It may save your life when you see something suspicious."

At his words Hitomi considered and realized that her squirrel trap had been what tipped the man off, so they had been dealing with a clone the entire time. She wasn't ready to take him yet if he saw through such planning so easily. She'd have to bide her time and try something more subtle in the meanwhile.

Kakashi eye-smiled at the group as he announced. "You all pass, by the way. Congrats," he offered before stiffening and admitting, "you're actually the first students I've ever had pass, so I don't even know where to begin," he joked.

Sakura pointed directly at him as she and Hitomi neared him and Sasuke. "Teach us that clone thing! It seems really important," she suggested.

Kakashi laughed jovially. "You kids really want to learn clone jutsu? To do that you're gonna need to go through heaps of chakra control and building exercises."

The three nodded at him in interest, not at all afraid of putting in the effort.