a note from the desk of ethereal damsel

I've decided to go back and "renovate" the first few chapters of Catalyst. If anyone has any suggestions, just review and I'll see what I can do. If you're a new reader of this fic, then all I can say is, "Lucky you. You get to read the new and improved (how can it be new if it's improved?) version of Catalyst." Keep checking back for notes from me in the next few chapters; once I've finished working on them, I'll discuss the changes I've made and my plans for the future.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, because this fic is not, nor is it in any way associated with an underground copyright infringement. I love you Masashi Kishimoto. (>'.')> The only characters I own are Kanzaki Kaya and her relations, Kirei and assorted children and adults from the Village Hidden in the Clouds, and Aoyama Kiyoshi.

That said, enjoy. :3

"Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke: I would like to introduce you to the new member of Team 7. This is Kanzaki Kaya," Hatake Kakashi said.

A girl with chestnut-colored hair stepped out from behind Kakashi. She had steely-blue eyes that shifted from their currently downcast position to meeting Team 7's curious stares reluctantly.

"Um…hello."

"I'm Haruno Sakura!" said the lively girl with bobbed pink hair. "And this is Naruto," she added in a clipped manner, jerking her thumb towards the boy with quill-like blond hair and strange dark marks like whiskers on his cheeks.

"I'm going to be the next Hokage!" he said, grinning proudly.

Kaya looked towards the third member of Team 7 for some sort of greeting.

"Uchiha Sasuke." He gave her no more than his name, and an impenetrable gaze.

Kaya looked at him. His skin was pale, especially in contrast to his tousled raven hair. And his eyes…they were blacker than jet. She smiled slightly. On his face, there was a ghost of a smile, quickly gone.

During this brief greeting, Sakura was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

"Well, uh, welcome to Konoha! Can I give her a tour, Kakashi?"

"Go ahead, Sakura," said Kakashi resignedly, picking up "Flirting Paradise".

Sakura grabbed Kaya roughly by the shoulder, whisking her away from Sasuke.

"I'll take you to the ramen bar, shall I?"

"Ah, okay…"

"You can't stop me from joining you, Sakura-chan! Not when I'm hungry," Naruto cried, leaping to her side.

"Are you coming, Sasuke-kun?" asked Sakura hopefully of the dark-haired boy.

"Nothing better to do."

"Alright, it's settled then. To the village!" said Naruto enthusiastically.

"This, Kaya, is the home of the best stuff on earth," proclaimed Naruto. "Ichiraku."

The four of them entered.

"Hey, could I please have four bowls of ramen, on the house? We have a guest today," Naruto asked of the man behind the ramen bar. "And I'm out of meal tickets…" he added, mumbling almost inaudibly.

"Not today, Naruto. You see, the dishes are dirty. If you and your friends were to clean them for me, I'm sure I could compromise."

"Of course we'll clean them!" said Naruto happily. Anything for ramen.

"Come over here to the sink then," the man said. "I'm glad to have found some help."

Naruto walked behind the bar and Kaya followed. Sasuke went after, and Sakura came last, reluctantly.

"Clean these dishes and the ramen is yours." The man left the room.

"It's been nice meeting you all," said Kaya uncertainly.

"I suppose you're wondering what we're all like?" Sakura inquired. Without waiting for an answer, she went on. "Well, we're all Genins. Naruto is basically the idiot of Team 7. I'm the smart, studious one. And Sasuke-kun is…amazing." Here Sakura blushed and giggled.

Naruto, feeling a bit left out, deemed the time was right for him to jump into the conversation. "I'm going to be Konoha's next Hokage," he reiterated, grinning proudly.

"That's nice," said Kaya, suppressing the urge to laugh. Naruto certainly was forward.

"What about you?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Well," said Kaya, caught off guard. "I like to read…I find history fascinating…and I like to write, poetry mostly."

"That's…interesting," Sakura said. This girl could barely string a sentence together in the presence of others.

Naruto blinked stupidly, but then spoke. "Sasuke, aren't you going to explain yourself?" he said reprovingly.

Sasuke said nothing, only staring haughtily at Naruto as he continued washing the dishes.