AN: Didn't start this one as early as I should have. Oh well. I know you guys are patient. The idea for the Charka Tendrils. I read it in a fanfic once under a different name, and on there it was just a string. If I knew the author or the title of the fanfic, I would give them credit, but since I don't know, I'll say that the original idea was not mine, even though I altered the description to fit my needs. The string he created was only strong enough to levitate a kunai, and I needed something stronger for my intentions, which I reveiled last chapter.

I tried to come up with a good test for the team, since I didn't want to do the "land one hit on me" or the bell test, and I think I came up with an entirely new idea for it, so it's there, hope you like it.

Chapter 4 –

Naruto and his new team walked into training ground 12 to find the jonin leaning up against a tree, chewing on his senbon. He waved them over and Naruto leaned against a nearby training post. Ino opted to sit on a second one, and Shikamaru pretty much just fell backward and lay on the grass.

Hayate looked at the three of them. 'The whiskered one has a look of indifference, but that's just a mask. I can't see what's underneath, though. The girl seems irritated, probably by her teammates. The dark haired boy keeps glancing at the whiskered one with curiosity. Looks like this isn't Whiskers' normal behavior. Heh. Whiskers. That'll make a fine code name if they pass tomorrow's test.'

He coughed. "Alright, I'm sure you all know each other, but how well? Why don't we introduce ourselves? I'll start. My name is Joharo Hayate. I like kenjutsu, barbeque, and chewing on things that won't break easily. I dislike people who hide behind genjutsu, non-team players, and the color orange." Naruto sighed, silently thanking Iruka and Yoko once again for the new clothes. "My hobbies are caring for my swords, training, and spending nights under the stars. My dream is to show the world that the Seven Great Swordsman of the Mist are not the only swordsman that deserve mention." He looked at his three new charges. "Okay, dark hair, your turn."

Shikamaru sighed, but complied. "Troublesome… My name is Nara Shikamaru. I like clouds, sleeping, and shogi. I dislike loud people, and those who hurt my friends." This last comment was accompanied by a slight wave of killing intent. Not really directed anywhere, but still unexpected. "My hobbies are sleeping, watching the sky, playing shogi, and learning about my family's ninjutsu. My dream... I really don't have one at the moment."

Hayate nodded, that was more or less what he had read in the boy's file. He turned to the girl sitting on the post. "Creepily skinny girl with the weird face. Your turn."

Ino was about to protest when, surprisingly, Naruto beat her to it. He had unsheathed his silver katana, and held it out towards their sensei. "I would really appreciate it if you didn't lie about my teammates. I'm sure you would too, seeing as doing so might cause the loss of a limb." Despite having an obvious experience disadvantage against the dark haired jonin, he held his ground, and his voice held nothing but seriousness.

Ino was surprised, to say the least. He was always protective. She remembered witnessing him rush in to defend a 5-year-old Hinata Hyuuga from three kids making fun of her for her eyes. He, who had never even met the girl, put himself in front of a punch for the heiress. Now he was defending Ino's beauty and threatening his sensei for her. Suddenly she realized that, once again, her mom had been right about the boy. If he reacted this strongly to a simple insult, she could only imagine what he would do should any of his friends be in danger on the battlefield.

Then she felt it. Another wave of killing intent, only stronger this time. She wasn't scared by that, she sensed that it was directed at someone else, and that she had just gotten a glancing blow.

She was scared because it was originating from Naruto, and was directed at Hayate. Fearing a confrontation on her account, she quickly leapt off her stump to Naruto's side, and put her hand on his raised sword arm, lowering it. "N-Naruto. It's okay, you don't have to get so worked up about it." She said, feeling the killing intent vanish almost immediately. "He obviously is a lazy sensei who failed to find out our names beforehand, and probably has diarrhea of the mouth."

Naruto smirked at this, and sheathed his blade, once again leaning against the post. "Well, if you're okay with it, I won't kill him. Now, are you going to answer him? I admit, I don't know as much about you as I should, either."

Ino nodded. "Well. My name is Yamanaka Ino. I like gardening, dango, reading, and hanging out with my friends. I dislike working at my family's flower shop and losing. My hobbies are gardening and reading. My dream is to-" She suddenly stopped. She had only ever had one dream, and that was to marry Sasuke. But she realized that his name hadn't turned up once that entire speech. Was he really so far from her mind right now? He wasn't really all that handsome, when she really thought about it. Hell, Naruto was better looking than him, at least now. He certainly didn't have a charming personality, or any personality for that matter. No, she decided. Her dream wasn't to marry Sasuke. But if that wasn't it, than what was? "… I guess I really don't have one…" She finished, crestfallen. She knew Naruto had a dream, he announced it almost every day. She was sure he thought less of her now for not having one, herself. 'Wait a minute! What the fuck am I doing, caring what Naruto thinks? So what, if he's a hunk now, that doesn't mean he's changed his personality. He's still a dobe. A hunky dobe.' Her mind almost choked when it noticed that it had called Naruto a hunk, twice. She shook herself free of the traitorous thoughts as a buzzing in her ears told her that her sensei was talking again.

'That's… not really what I expected… I wonder what broke her from the Uchiha fan club.' "Okay, Whiskers. You're up."

Naruto smirked. "Yosh. My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like ramen, good people, and learning new things. I dislike arrogant people, and those who judge people based on something they have no control over. My hobbies are training, and hanging out with the couple friends I have. My dream is to become Hokage and show everyone who I am." Hayate nodded, about to speak again, when Naruto continued. "But not just for that." He suddenly took on a serious tone that made you have complete faith in his words. "I'm not going to become Hokage just for my own benefit. I will lead the village to protect those precious to me."

'That's a little more than what I read. He seems to be more mature than his file let on.' Hayate looked at his genin. "Okay. I want you all to meet me back here tomorrow at 8 am sharp for your genin test."

Ino went into full indignant mode. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, GENIN TEST? We already took our test, that's why we're here, sensei!"

Hayate smiled. "That was just to weed out the unworthy. This test will determine weather or not you are really ready to be ninja. Tomorrow. 8 am. And bring everything you need for battle." Before anyone could protest again, he shushined away.

Naruto sighed. He honestly hadn't expected this. He looked over at his teammates. "Anyone want to train with me? We'll probably have our work cut out for us tomorrow." He tried to put as logical a tone to it as possible. As much as he fully expected them to turn him down, he still felt he should ask.

Ino looked at him oddly. She was about to tell him off for some reason she was sure she'd make up in the middle of her rant, when she finally noticed him. His posture seemed almost bored. His expression said that he didn't even expect them to consider it. She was about to accept out of the pure desire to prove him wrong, when Shikamaru beat her to it.

"That's a good idea Naruto. Building some form of teamwork before the test would be a smart move. I'll train with you. Ino, you coming, too?"

She nodded, and sputtered a little before answering. "Y-Yeah! Sounds good to me."

Naruto nodded. "Okay, let's start!"

All Ino could get out was a "Wha…" before Naruto drew his blades and lunged clumsily at Shikamaru, who dodged easily. The three of them launched into a three-way spar for several hours.

Naruto stumbled into his apartment. He had no idea how talented Ino was with explosives. At least he managed to keep lightning chakra running through him during the spar, and he could feel the tightness in his muscles. He knew that next time he would be a bit faster.

Dropping his katanas next to his bed, he unsealed his wind, fire, and lightning scrolls and created a few clones to keep reading them, while he himself made a few more seals in the scroll that held them, as practice.

An hour later, with his clones dispelled, Naruto collapsed onto his bed after his ritual, and slept peacefully.

Naruto tried, and failed, to fight against the sunlight falling through his window. Groaning, he sat up and threw some ramen on the stove to cook. He resealed all of his scrolls into his sash. Holding the sash in his hands, he couldn't believe how durable it was. Yoko had taken the time to explain to him that a seal just behind his right shoulder allowed the fabric to repair itself by leeching a tiny bit of chakra from him. He knew that chunnin flak jackets were made similarly, and felt so lucky that he had something like this as a genin.

His ramen comfortably in his belly, he finished getting dressed and locked up his apartment.

Naruto arrived at training ground 12 to find Ino and Shikamaru already waiting. "Hey guys! Where's Hayate-sensei?"

Shikamaru looked away from the clouds long enough to say he didn't know before turning back to his favorite pastime.

As though on cue (when is it ever not?) Joharo Hayate suddenly shushined into existence right in front of them. "Alright, let's get this over with. I want you all to come at me with any and all means you have. Your objective?" The jonin takes a small scroll from his jacket and shows it to them. "You have to get this off of my person." He slides the scroll back into it's pocket. "by noon. If you fail, you will be sent back to the academy." Both Ino and Naruto were about to protest, but he held up his hand in silence. "I have the right, and I will use it. If you do not want this to happen, I suggest you come at me with the intent to kill." He looked at them momentarily. "BEGIN!"

Instantly, all three genin, even the one previously laying on the ground, jumped into the surrounding foliage.

'This should be interesting.'

In a nearby tree, Ino was waiting for Hayate to stop pacing around so she could catch him in her Mind Transfer Jutsu. It was slow-moving, and she really couldn't chance missing. She felt Shikamaru land softly beside her.

"It won't work, you know." Ino looked at him, confused. "Sensei is too smart for that. He knows your jutsu's weakness. He's not going to stop moving, and he's not going to leave a direction unlooked for long, to counter my jutsu. Come on, let's go meet up with Naruto." Without a word, he dashed off, away from Hayate, Ino following after minor hesitation.

AN: I ended it before I thought I would. It took so long just to get here, im ashamed. I HAVE SO MANY IDEAS FOR LATER! And yet I can't get past this one scene. I'm gonna work on another fanfic for a while. I may or may not post it.