Kai sighed in relief when they arrived at the village gates. Cassie wasn't heavy, but carrying her for a long time still took a toll on him.

"Kai, are you sure you don't want someone else to carry her?" Akane asked. "I know you've got a high endurance level, but I know you've got to be getting tired."

Kai shook his head. "You know as well as I do that if she wakes up and anyone other than me is carrying her, she'll flip out."

"True…"

"I can handle it for a bit longer. It's not a big deal."

Kai gave a weak smile. He really was tired, but his pride wouldn't let him admit it.

"We'll go and see the Hokage, and then we can figure out a place for the six of you to stay," Kakashi interrupted their conversation.

"What's a Hokage?" Tyson questioned.

"The Hokage is the leader of our village. He'll help us figure out what to do."

"Oh…"

Kakashi led them to the Hokage Tower and took them in to speak with the Hokage. After getting everything straightened out, it was decide that the bladers would be split up between two houses. Cassie, now awake, insisted that she not be separated from Kai or Max. As a result, the decision was changed so that all six bladers would stay with Ayame and Naruto, who shared a small house.

Once outside, Kakashi turned to speak to the bladers.

"The Hokage wants the other jonin and I to teach you all how to defend yourselves. Tomorrow, you'll be put on different squads and will begin learning basic ninja skills."

"If you mean stuff like basic martial arts and throwing kunai and shuriken, we already know that stuff," Akane said.

"How?" Kakashi questioned.

"I've been taking martial arts since I was little. So have Rei and Kai. Cassie has, too, but we still have to teach her some. We teach Max and Tyson, too. Tyson's also been learning martial arts since he was young."

"All right, then, we'll test your skills and then decide where to start you all from," Kakashi said. "Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Ayame, Suri, why don't you all show them around the village. You can split into groups."

As Kakashi walked away, the ninja looked at each other.

"Well," Sasuke said, "I'm leaving. I need to train. I don't have time to play tour guide."

Sasuke left, leaving the others to show them around the village.

"What's his problem?" Akane questioned.

"He's just a jerk. Ignore him," Ayame said.

"He makes me think of Kai," muttered Tyson, glancing at the Russian.

"Anyway, let's get going," Sakura spoke up. "Day after tomorrow we'll get you guys some good clothes."

"But, we brought clothes with us," Rei said, motioning to their backpacks.

"Yes, but at the most, you only have a week's worth of clothing," Suri said in her usual quiet voice.

"Besides," Ayame added, "your clothes make you look too outlandish. You need good ninja clothing."

"Hey, guys, can we go to Ichiraku's first?" Naruto said suddenly. "I'm starving!!!"

"You're always starving," Sakura snapped.

"Ichiraku's? What's that?" Max asked. Naruto gaped at him.

"Only the best ramen place in the world!!! How can you not know about Ichiraku's?!" the blond ninja exclaimed.

"They aren't from around here, remember Naruto?" Ayame asked.

"Yeah, but–"

"Actually," Akane interrupted. "We're all kind of hungry, too…We were out in those woods since yesterday, so we didn't eat much…"

Kai nodded, then blushed as his stomach growled. Akane, Tyson, Naruto, Ayame, and Max busted out laughing. Sakura, Cassie, and Suri giggled quietly, trying to hide it. Rei was practically smothering himself, trying not to laugh.

"Well, that settles it!" Ayame laughed. "Ichiraku's it is! C'mon, this way."

Ayame, Naruto, Suri, and Sakura led them to a ramen place nearby. After everyone finished eating, the four genin led them around the village. It wasn't long before Sakura left the group, saying that she needed to get home so her mother wouldn't start worrying. Hearing Sakura say that made something come to Max's mind.

"You three haven't talked about your families much. How come?" the blond blader asked.

"…" Naruto and Ayame, who had been chattering almost non-stop, both went silent. Suri, however, was apparently startled by the question and almost tripped.

Almost immediately, Kai, Akane, Cassie, and Tyson pieced together the problem. Max and Rei didn't. Max could only tell that he had completely killed the mood and began searching frantically for a way to change the subject. Luckily, he didn't have to find a subject change, because a girl that Suri apparently knew walked past them then.

"Hinata-chan!!!" Suri exclaimed happily, running over to the indigo-haired girl, just as relieved as Max for the potential change–of–subject. Hinata turned to Suri and smiled.

"Hello, Suri! What are you doing here? I thought your squad went to investigate that chakra outside the village."

"It was them. They wandered too close to the village, and there were these ninja after them because of their chakra. We rescued them!" Suri motioned to the Bladebreakers. Then she seemed to realize something. "Oh! I'm sorry you guys, I was being rude…Hinata, this's Max and Cassie Tate, Kai Hiwatari, Rei Kon, Tyson Granger, and Akane Hiroyuki. Guys, this's my best friend, Hinata Hyuuga."

Hinata smiled politely. "Hello."

"Hi!" Tyson, Max, and Rei said together.

"Nice to meet you," Akane said.

Kai and Cassie nodded politely in greeting to the Hyuuga girl.

"What're you doing out here now? It's starting to get dark out…" Suri asked.

"I was going to meet with my squad. We wanted to get in some after-dark training, so we can work on our ability to fight in bad visibility conditions," Hinata replied.

"Oh, cool." Suri looked back at Ayame and Naruto. "How come we never do anything like that?"

"Because Sasuke's too high and mighty to hang around us longer than he absolutely has to," Ayame said.

"And if Sasuke won't, neither will Sakura," added Naruto.

"…Good point…" Suri shrugged.

"Hey, why don't you all come with me?" Hinata suggested. "If they're new in the village, then they should probably meet some of the people here, so they can meet Kiba and Shino. And Kurenai-sensei, too."

"Good idea, Hinata," Naruto said. Hinata blushed.

"O-our training area is this way," she stuttered, becoming more nervous since it wasn't just Suri she was talking to now. She led them to her team's usual training area.

I probably won't be updating this tomorrow, so I want to go ahead and tell everybody Merry Christmas!!! Or just Happy Holidays!!!