Chapter 9 – Team Gai

Sasuke's scarlet eyes flickered around, taking in each and every one of the projectiles surrounding him. His feet crunched as he shifted; the ground was covered in a thick layer of long, sharp needles of ice. More were appearing, the floating tendrils coalescing rapidly until he could hardly see through them. With a sharp nod, he grit his teeth and crouched, and a moment later the spikes began to plunge towards him.

He moved with feline grace and was quickly lost in a cloud of frost, whirling with a kunai in each hand. Within the icy dust he twisted, pivoted, and deflected every shard that would otherwise have struck him. It was a blinding dance, one that had Sasuke lost in the shroud surrounding him. By the time the last of the icicles had flung themselves towards Sasuke the haze had begun to thin. After a moment he was visible again, kneeling on the bed of frost and breathing hard.

"One more time," Sasuke panted, rising shakily. "I was too sloppy that time."

"I can't, Sasuke-kun," Haku breathed, leaning heavily against a tree nearby. The boy looked exhausted, although he was smiling and shaking his head. "I don't have enough chakra to do it again. Besides, that's your fourth time in a row without taking a hit." Despite how tired he was, he looked pleased. "It's only been four days since I started going all out; I can't believe you're already able to keep up."

"Like Naruto always says," Sasuke sighed, smirking as he collapsed into the grass by Haku's tree, "I cheat. There's no way I'd be able to do it without my Sharingan active."

"Maybe," Haku admitted, still smiling, "But you do have the Sharingan." Sasuke shrugged, closing his eyes and allowing them to change back to normal. Haku watched him for a moment before tilting his head to the side curiously. "Did you three always train this hard?"

"I guess so. Well, yes and no. We always trained together, and always took it seriously. But since we came back from Wave Country it's been . . . Different I guess." Sasuke grew quiet for a time, dark eyes fluttering open to watch a few clouds passing by overhead. "It was our first time as a team in a life threatening situation; it turned out to be several of them, actually." Haku blanched slightly and looked away. "I think we all realized afterwards that in order to keep each other safe, we'd have to get stronger."

"Each other? Not yourselves?" Haku asked, glancing back curiously. Sasuke shrugged again, but said nothing. It had been a rhetorical question, really; Haku understood all too well what it meant to gain strength to protect another. He smiled faintly. "I envy you and your friends. To have such love and dedication for one another is truly wonderful. I . . . I am sorry that I–"

"We've been over this, Haku," Sasuke cut in sharply, though with no anger in his voice. "All of us have spoken to you about it, and it's in the past. We're alive, and you're on our side now. That's all that matters." Haku looked away again, but nodded after a moment. "And you can have friends like that too, now," he continued, closing his eyes again. "Hell, you've got three already." The older boy turned back towards him and blinked, tilting his head again.

"Three what?" he asked blankly, as if Sasuke's words hadn't registered at all.

"Friends, Haku. We're your friends; Hinata, Naruto and I are. Why else would we be spending time together?" Sometimes it was difficult speaking to Haku, who seemed to have little to no understanding of how normal relationships worked. It had taken them most of a week to convince him that they held no ill will towards him, and it still came up occasionally. Trying to explain how healthy, mutual friendships worked was turning out to be a daunting task.

"Sasuke's right, Haku-chan." They both looked up as Hinata approached. Sasuke waved a tired hand, and Haku turned to smile at her. "We're your friends, but only if you want us to be," she said gently, though the conviction in her voice trailed off near the end. Haku didn't completely understand why, but he could tell the girl was distracted.

"Thank you, Hinata-chan," Haku said warmly. He still didn't understand how one became friends with another person, but they kept insisting it had already happened. "Where's Naruto-san? Aren't you two usually together?" Hinata flushed slightly at that, and she stopped near the tree to press her index fingers together absently.

"He said he had a meeting with the Hokage this morning," she explained, sinking onto the grass and folding her hands. "He'll be meeting us at the bridge around ten; Kakashi-sensei usually gets there about thirty minutes after that, even though he has us meet there at nine every morning." Hinata giggled lightly at that. It was a little high pitched and awkward, like she wasn't sure how to do it right or was worried that it might be the wrong time. Sasuke lifted his head to blink at her. Had she really just laughed, and at a comment she had put forward herself?

"Is he asking about it?" he asked casually, settling back down. Haku looked down at him, then back to Hinata, frowning a little. She nodded, biting at her lower lip as her brow creased with worry. Sasuke nodded back, saying nothing. Haku knew better than to ask about this; there were some things he could not yet be trusted to be told. Many of them, it seemed, had to do with Naruto, and might have a connection with the strange power he had used at the bridge over a month before.

"How are you two doing with training?" Hinata asked. Sasuke opened his mouth to respond, but Haku beat him to it.

"He's incredible," he asserted with a small, proud smile. "I've been using my Thousand Needles technique at full speed and he can deflect or avoid all of them now." Haku gestured to the thinning coat of needles nearby, most of which were already half melted. "I get exhausted before he does now." It was Hinata's turn to blink now; Sasuke had shrugged as expected, but there was a bit of pink that had risen to his cheeks at Haku's compliment. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen her friend blush, if ever.

"It's not as effective as your divination-thing, though," he remarked at Hinata, "But short of not being inside when the needles come it's the best I've got." Haku shrugged and gave Hinata a wry smile; he was getting used to how stubborn – and often humble – Sasuke could be. Hinata shook her head but didn't object; she, too, knew how stubborn he could be. "Have you and Naruto figured something out for him?"

"Not yet," she sighed, looking crestfallen. "He's still trying really hard, and his speed has increased a good deal as a result. But . . ."

"But it's a lot harder without a bloodline ability," Sasuke finished for her, sounding frustrated for his friend's sake. They both knew that Naruto would never give up his training, and he was at it harder than ever since Sasuke had 'surpassed him'. In some ways it was a good thing; he would get stronger because he had more motivation to. But fighting Haku had made them realize the need for a defense against more advanced abilities. Hinata's technique was the most effective by far, though she was working hard to master a more advanced variation. Sasuke had his Sharingan, and with it and Haku's help he had been able to increase his physical capabilities enough to develop an effective strategy.

"He'll do it," Hinata insisted, "You and I both know he will." Sasuke nodded, though he seemed less confident than she was. Haku merely watched the exchange, eyes alight with interest.

They have such faith in one another, he mused, an old sad smile creeping onto his features. Maybe that's what real friendship is. Trust; they believe in each other no matter what. And they believed in him. Even after what he had done to them, they wanted to be around him, to trust in him. Maybe it wasn't the same kind of friendship yet, but a hope began to burn inside of him that one day it might be. He would like that.

"Alright," Sasuke said after a few minutes of silence, sitting up slowly and covering a yawn. "I'm going to head back and shower before nine. I still don't get why we get there on time when we know he'll be late." Haku had straightened as he mentioned leaving, offering a hand to help him up. Sasuke took the offer without missing a beat, rising and glancing down at Hinata. "Did you want to grab some breakfast with Haku and I afterwards? I think we're going to go to Ichiraku's."

"Sure; I'll meet you there in half an hour. I need to do my morning stretches first." She winced slightly at her own words, and Sasuke smirked. Hinata had pulled a muscle a few weeks earlier while practicing one of her jūken techniques, and had since resolved to increase her flexibility. Haku and Sasuke bid her farewell and set off for their apartment a moment later. Hinata breathed in and out deeply for a minute or so, removing her sandals and folding her legs so that each of her feet rested on the opposite knee. She smoothed her features and tried to relax, enjoying the morning sunlight that warmed her face. As she moved into her series of stretches she tried her best not to think about Naruto and his conversation with the Sandaime. She only succeeded in part.


/*\


Naruto sat on a bench outside of the Hokage's office, his foot tapping steadily on the wood floor. He hadn't been waiting long, but the impending conversation wasn't going to be on a light topic. Outside of his friends – minus Haku – only Iruka knew that he had learned of the Kyūbi sealed inside of him. The Sandaime had always been a calm, reasonable man, but this was a delicate matter.

Quit sweating, boy. The voice wasn't nearly as loud as it had always been in the chamber, but it still rumbled through his thoughts clearly enough to be discerned as something separate from his own. The old man probably realized that you'd figure it out eventually.

Quiet, Naruto growled back, immediately annoyed. When you suggested an easier way to communicate I agreed on the condition that only I would initiate conversations. If you don't mind your own business I'll have the Hokage tighten the seal instead of loosen it. Instead of a biting retort, the Kyūbi chuckled at him. It was odd to have the echo of a monstrous laugh bouncing around in his head.

It is my business as much as it is yours, mortal. You would not have the seal tightened in any case, not when it's your precious hope to help your little friends. The voice faded then, and the fox's presence in his mind receded quietly. The demon remained in the background, and Naruto could feel it if he chose to. He ignored it, trying not to let the Kyūbi set him off. The worst part was that he was right: Naruto wouldn't tighten the seal. In his eyes both Hinata and Sasuke were becoming stronger than him. He was proud and happy for his friends, but at the same time he was struggling to keep up. The Kyūbi knew that. Part of him felt he should rely on his own strength, but another side laced with darker reasoning told him that the power of the fox demon would be a boon for him. The latter argument had won out in the end.

"Uzumaki Naruto, the Hokage will see you now." Naruto glanced up to see an ANBU agent holding the door open. He hadn't heard a thing. The boy nodded and rose, stepping forward into the office with a deep breath.

The Hokage's office was neatly organized, and surprisingly short on clutter. It looked like the headquarters of a man who, among other things, didn't spend more time there than was necessary. The floor was different there than in most rooms, made of smooth, bronze-colored stone slabs. A few bookshelves ran along the walls on either side of the door, filled with thick tomes and piles of scrolls. At the far end of the room sat the Hokage, in front of a stretch of windows that curved around a third of the back wall. His desk was occupied only by a short stack of books and papers, piled up carefully and set aside. The old man looked as placid as ever, chin resting lightly on his laced fingers as he leaned forward onto the desk. The door closed behind Naruto as he reached the center of the room, where he bowed and waited to be addressed.

"Welcome, Naruto," he began pleasantly, smiling very slightly. "What can I do for you this morning?" His tone was grandfatherly, like it always had been when he addressed the boy. Even when he was young and pulling pranks through the village, the Sandaime had always treated him with compassion and patience.

"Thank you for meeting with me, Hokage-sama." Naruto took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and readied himself. "I came to talk to you about the Kyūbi."

Had the old man frozen Naruto wouldn't have been surprised. If his breath had caught in his throat, or his eyes widened, it would only be reasonable. Although it would have been out of character, Naruto would have even accepted an outburst. But the Hokage didn't even blink. He just sat there, looking at the boy with the most impassive expression. A moment later his eyebrow quirked upward, though it indicated curiosity rather than surprise.

"Yes?" he asked calmly. Now Naruto was off balance.

"I – ah . . ." he started, shaking himself after a few seconds and taking another breath. "I found out about the Kyūbi almost a year ago, from Mizuki when he attacked me in the forest." The Hokage said nothing, merely nodding after a moment for Naruto to continue. "Since then I've had . . . Interactions with it. I've spoken to the Kyūbi a few times now." Finally the old man blinked. "I figured out how to talk to it whenever I need or want to. And as much as I hate to admit it, Sasuke, Hinata, and I would have all died at some point had I not been able to tap into its power. It was an accident both times," he continued quickly, as if the admission to using the Kyūbi's chakra was reprehensible. "But it did save our lives.

"I . . . I think I can use its chakra, Hokage-sama. We talked it over and he agreed to help me with it if I agreed to loosen the seal." Now the Hokage's eyes narrowed, and he leaned back slowly in his chair.

"No," came his response a moment later. Naruto blinked and began to protest, but a raised hand stopped him cold. "I understand what you are saying, but even if I could do it I would not. The Fourth created that seal himself, and whether by design or by flaw it is weakening on its own. That is why you are able to access the Kyūbi's chakra now, I suspect." Naruto swallowed and said nothing. "Naruto," the Sandaime continued in a more gentle tone. "I cannot forbid you from using that chakra, but I caution you that the consequences could be grave. Not only for you, but for the village, and for your friends."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, momentarily forgetting his manners. The old man sighed and folded his hands, considering the boy seriously for a while before explaining.

"Naruto, I don't wholly understand the Kyūbi or its chakra, but it is the demon that once destroyed our village and claimed an untold number of lives in its rampage. The tainted chakra that it held is monstrous as well, and that is what is sealed within you." He allowed his words to sink in for a few seconds, still studying Naruto carefully. "From the reports I received from Team Seven, you seem to have limited control over the power that has come to you in times of need. The first time, in the tenth training ground, I felt the Kyūbi's chakra spike, from all the way over here. And Naruto, that wasn't even a fraction of what the real Kyūbi's chakra feels like." His voice had hardened there, emphasizing his point. Naruto swallowed again and looked a bit pale. "If you take too much of that chakra, it's possible that it would consume you. If that were to happen, it's possible that the demon fox could manifest itself using your body as a vessel. I have a feeling that, if it's asking you to loosen the seal, its intentions might lie there."

Naruto was a bit taken aback at all of that. He knew that there had to be risks involved, but he hadn't imagined that the power he had drawn upon had been only the smallest portion of the Kyūbi's energy. An involuntary shiver ran down his spine at the thought of even double that chakra; he didn't even want to think about what a hundred times might do to him. Probably tear me apart.

"Hokage-sama," Naruto began again, tentatively now. "I understand; I won't try to loosen the seal. Not yet, at least." The Sandaime blinked and tilted his head to one side, as if trying to figure out the boy's next move. "If I leave the seal like this, not too much chakra can get out, right?" The Hokage considered for a moment before nodding slowly. "Do you think it would be safe if I started with as little as possible, then worked my way up? The Kyūbi said it would help me control it."

"In return for what?" Sarutobi asked mildly, though his eyes were hard. "I wouldn't put it past the Kyūbi to trick you, Naruto. Have you made any deals with it already?"

"No," he lied quickly, "It just wants more freedom. Not externally, I don't think. He's basically a prisoner and . . . Well I think he's lonely or something." Naruto seemed flustered at that last part, and not entirely sure why he felt that way. A snarl echoed from the back of his mind but he shoved it away. The Hokage was looking at him like he might be insane. "For now I think he just wants to talk to me more. I mean, it must be pretty bad being sealed away in a kid for twelve years right?"

"You shouldn't allow yourself to feel such sympathy for the Kyūbi," the Hokage sighed, eyes softening again. Naruto was a kind boy, and possibly too empathetic for his own good. "But," he continued, rubbing at his chin absently, "I suppose if you pace yourself I can't object. I had expected you to learn of the Kyūbi sooner or later, and perhaps learning to control it would serve you well. However, I will be assigning an ANBU agent to keep an eye on you." Naruto blinked, but the Sandaime waved a hand dismissively. "You won't ever see him, and he'll likely only be there when you're using the Kyūbi's chakra. It's kind of hard to miss, after all." There was an amused twinkle in the old man's eyes now. "I'll inform all of the ANBU and jōnin not to worry about random Kyūbi-like chakra surges. Just try and keep your training to secluded areas as to not draw attention to yourself, alright?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama; I will. Thank you." Naruto couldn't help but grin as he bowed, exchanging a brief farewell before departing.

Oy, fox, he started as soon as the room's threshold was cleared. Was what he said true? About your chakra consuming me and you basically escaping?

If I told you no, would you believe me? The Kyūbi sounded annoyed; it seemed that the Hokage was telling him the truth. I don't need your pity, by the way; I'm practically an immortal being and I do not get lonely. Naruto found himself chuckling at that as he exited the building.

Whatever. Look, I'm still willing to make you the deal. There was a pause from the demon. It was difficult recognizing the feeling of surprise from somebody – or something – else in his own mind, but it seemed that the Kyūbi had been caught off guard. But I'm not going to loosen the seal – or even look for a way to – until I can fully control as much chakra as you can give me right now. After that, we'll find a way to work out the seal problem.

And you expect me to comply with that? he asked contemptuously. You want to simply take and control my power under my guidance, without anything given up front?

I was thinking of it more like working together. Naruto shrugged, both physically and mentally. There's no point in trying to fight you for control; you're way stronger than I am. Besides, I let you out of your cage, so to speak. Now we can at least talk. I don't really have much else to give you right now.It was a long moment before the Kyūbi's laugh began to reverberate through his head.

Interesting, mortal; you've got guts, and at least you can respect the difference in our power. A few seconds later he felt the demon nod, which was an eerie thought in and of itself. Hearing a voice in his head was one thing. Being able to feel its actions and the occasional emotion was another. Alright, I'll help you out. But this isn't going to be easy, kid. You're an insect trying to wrestle a mountain.

Sasuke always tells me I'm stubborn, Naruto said with a smirk, leaping onto the nearest building to make his way quickly towards the bridge on the north side of the village. Just don't be a jerk about it and things might work out alright. The Kyūbi laughed again before its presence faded, leaving Naruto to consider his meeting with the Hokage and the conversation with the fox. This was going to be a challenge, but if would make him stronger and able to help his friends then it would be well worth it.


/*\


"You guys are the best!" Naruto bubbled between bites of ramen. He was eating out of one of two bowls sitting on the bridge railing, one of which still had a plastic covering.

"We never would have heard the end of it if we didn't bring you some," Sasuke said dryly, though he held a small smirk as he shrugged. "It was Hinata's idea, though." Hinata flushed and fidgeted with the hem of her coat, mumbling something about ramen and courtesy. Naruto grinned at her.

"Thanks, Hinata-chan; you know me too well." Although she turned an even darker shade of red, a small, appreciative smile tugged at the corners of her lips. That was one of several changes they had begun noticing about her as of late. Hinata wouldn't be herself without the blushing and fidgeting, but she had begun to accept compliments a little better. She smiled more instead of just looking at the ground. On rare occasion, as Sasuke had witnessed earlier, she even laughed. It might have been a delicate, quiet thing, but it was genuine mirth. Naruto didn't quite understand it, but he was glad to see his friend happier and more open.

"How'd your training go, Sasuke? And where's Haku?" Naruto asked, looking around. When he had arrived only Hinata and Sasuke had been there, waiting with his ramen.

"He's reading back at my place; his chakra was really low after this morning, so he wanted to rest." Sasuke told Naruto about his progress that morning and was met with a broad grin.

"Way to go!" Naruto said enthusiastically, holding out his fist towards Sasuke. The other boy rolled his eyes and rapped his knuckles against his friend's. "I knew you'd be able to do it. What do you think you'll do next?"

"I'm not sure," Sasuke shrugged, leaning back against a wooden beam of the rail. "Kakashi-sensei says that the best way to improve is to increase my strength and speed. My Sharingan can increase my reaction time and let me copy some techniques, but he said that it's limited by what my body can handle. So the more I train physically, the better I'll be able to utilize the Sharingan's power." Naruto nodded; Sasuke had mentioned something similar before. "So," he continued, voice growing serious again, "What did the Hokage say?"

"He said I can do it," Naruto beamed, "But whenever I'm training there'll be an ANBU agent watching from somewhere, I guess as a safety precaution." He quickly relayed his meeting with the village leader to his friends. They were as taken aback as he had been upon hearing what could happen if he lost control. Hinata looked distraught, and Sasuke seemed pensive.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata began, releasing the lip she had been biting. "That sounds really dangerous; are you sure you . . ." She trailed off, blinking at Naruto as he smiled and shook his head.

"You know I have to try. Besides, the Hokage said that if the seal stays like it is, only so much of the Kyūbi's chakra can leak out. According to the fox, unless I remove the seal myself it won't go anywhere any time soon. And," he continued, setting down his empty bowl and picking up the other to start on, "The Kyūbi agreed to help me out even without loosening the seal."

"Are you sure you can trust him?" Sasuke asked skeptically. "I mean, I already think it's pretty weird that you can just talk to him whenever you want now. Plus I mean, it's a demon. Demons aren't exactly famous for making friends with people."

"I don't know," Naruto admitted, shrugging and taking a moment to chew through a few noodles. "But I just get this feeling that he's not all that bad. I mean, he's an ass – er, Jerk, sorry," he amended, glancing sheepishly at Hinata. "But I . . . I dunno. I just think he wants to help. Maybe it's fun for him, or maybe it's just a good excuse to be out of that cage." He shrugged again and fell silent, poking at his ramen distractedly. Sasuke seemed unconvinced, and Hinata looked more worried than before, but they both knew that Naruto would go through with it no matter what. He had promised himself that he would get stronger in order to protect his friends, like they all had. And if it allowed him to protect the village at the same time, it would be well worth it.

Kakashi arrived a few minutes later, making some excuse involving a black cat and a ladder. "You three will have a break from missions for a few days," he said blithely. They had a moment to blink at him, then each other, before he continued. "I'm going to be out of the village for three to five days, depending on how things go."

"You're going on a mission?" Naruto asked; he seemed genuinely surprised. "I didn't think you could do that if you were in charge of a genin team."

"I didn't say I was going on a mission," Kakashi responded, "But I didn't say I wasn't, either. All you need to know is that I'll be gone, and I made arrangements for your training in the meantime." Now he had their attention. They had almost exclusively trained together, even when not under Kakashi's guidance. "You'll be joining Team Gai every morning until I get back, starting today. Any questions?" Sasuke shrugged, but didn't otherwise react. Naruto seemed nonplussed but compliant. Hinata, however, had gone a bit pale.

"A-ano, Kakashi-sensei?" she began, and they were surprised to see her stammer rise up almost immediately. "Can we um . . . Could we train on our own, instead?" Hinata wasn't looking at anybody, instead choosing to study the wooden boards under her feat. Her friends looked at her, then looked back to Kakashi, who seemed like he might actually be weighing her request. She looked uncomfortable at the very least, and even a little distressed.

"Sorry, Hinata," Kakashi said after a moment, sounding like he meant it. "I think you three could learn a lot from his team; they're one year your senior, and they're very talented genin. I just recommend not getting Gai on a rant about 'youth', or you'll be sick for hours." Naruto and Sasuke looked at him quizzically, but Hinata kept staring down. "Let's go; I'll introduce you before I have to leave." He turned and began walking slowly away, prompting his students to follow after.

"What's wrong, Hinata?" Naruto asked almost immediately, keeping his voice low. Her grip on her coat tightened a little, and when she finally spoke it came out tense and hushed.

"My cousin is on Team Gai." Hinata glanced up at them, noting their confused expressions and ducking her head again. "He's from the branch family, and we . . . We never got along very well." She left it at that. Naruto looked confused and worried, glancing over her head to Sasuke. The other boy shrugged, but appeared to be concerned in his own way. Almost at the same time – Naruto beat him by only a moment – they each took one of her hands as they walked. Hinata brought her head back up, looking at each of them in turn.

"Don't worry, Hinata-chan," Naruto started with a grin, giving her hand a familiar squeeze. "We'll be there too." It wasn't much, but he didn't know enough about the situation to make any brash statements. Sasuke merely walked along, providing his support through silent contact. Hinata bit at her lower lip and nodded, squeezing Naruto's hand back a little harder than usual. He winked at her, and was glad to see a familiar flush rise briefly in her features.

It took only a few minutes to arrive at the training area Team Gai was using. It was surrounded by trees, and aside from a large boulder and a taijutsu training dummy it looked fairly unremarkable. The scene that they were met with, however, could only be described as chaos. On the other side of the large rock weapons littered the ground, and more seemed to be flying from the trees every second. They were aimed at a severe looking boy with long black hair held back by a forehead protector. He wore simple black shorts, a beige shirt that seemed a little too large, and bandages that covered most of his right arm and leg. But it was his eyes that really drew Naruto's attention. They were white, just like Hinata's, and the veins surrounding them bulged with the telltale sign of an activated Byakugan.

The Hyūga boy spun in smooth circles, deftly deflecting each of the projectiles that might hit him with his hands. They glowed blue with the chakra enveloping them, a display that was both impressive and dizzying as he moved. Naruto almost didn't see the pink blur that shot from the trees towards the boy, meeting him as the last kunai went spinning into the ground. He didn't miss a beat, however. His whirl stopped abruptly as one of his forearms struck the heavy metal of a tonfa in an outward block, the other hand mirroring the movement on an identical weapon.

The girl that now stood locked with her adversary was of average height, with dark brown hair done up in two neat buns. Her face was set in a determined grimace as she strained against him. Her lean, straining muscles were clearly visible, as the light pink top she wore was cut off at the shoulders. With a frustrated 'tsk' she thrust her knee upward, forcing her opponent to bend backwards as a kunai shot towards him from below. In the same movement, as his defense weakened, she jerked back and her weapons disappeared in a cloud of smoke, replaced by a kusarigama. In an instant she was on the offensive again, whirling her chain and sickle with trained precision.

Naruto and his friends could have watched the battle until its conclusion if not for the other pair occupying the clearing. Both were dressed in tight, forest green jumpsuits and wore bright orange leg warmers. Both had black, bowl-cut hair that seemed to shine in any light. Both had opted to wear their forehead protectors as belts, backed by a red cloth. And best of all, both were standing on their heads, rotating slowly in circles as the older of the two exuberantly instructed the younger.

"Lee!" he bellowed, eyes afire with strange passion. "This is the essence of youth! You must train your senses to be focused no matter the situation!" Every sentence was a joyous exclamation, even though his face was beginning to darken from the blood flowing to it.

"Yes Gai-sensei!" Lee chirped as sweat ran up his face towards the ground. He was looking a bit queasy, but seemed to be trying to match his teacher's enthusiasm. All in all it was an odd – and somewhat disturbing – spectacle. Even Hinata was staring openly, and Sasuke had a look of mixed disgust and embarrassment.

"Eyebrows . . ." Naruto muttered shakily, his own eyebrow twitching once or twice. All at once the commotion in the area came to a halt. The two that were sparring abruptly stopped and faced them warily. Gai kicked up from his position and landed solidly on his feet, while Lee wobbled and toppled over ungracefully.

"Kakashi!" Gai cried, smiling so wide that Naruto was concerned that his face might break. "Late as always; you'll never grow stronger if you always procrastinate. You need to seize your youth! Ah, and these must be your students. I am Maito Gai, Kakashi's eternal rival!" Almost everything the man said came out loud and joyous. "This is my protégé Rock Lee! And over there are the other members of Konoha's strongest team – Tenten and Hyūga Neji!"

"Sensei," Tenten groaned, burying her face in one of her palms. "They've already started looking at us weird because of you and Lee." Neji remained silent nearby, his expressionless eyes fixed on Hinata. She fidgeted under his gaze, looking away quickly.

"Yo, Gai," Kakashi replied, sounding as bored as usual. "These are my students and members of Team Seven: Hyūga Hinata, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto." They bowed in turn to the eccentric group, each back to his or her mostly-normal demeanor. Sasuke appeared to be as nonchalant as Kakashi, Naruto looked curious but friendly, and Hinata was reserved and slightly pink. "I'll be leaving them in your care for a few days."

"Yosh!" came the tall man's exuberant response. Lee looked from his sensei to the newcomers, and assumed an expression similar to the older man's. "Lee, Tenten, Neji: this is a perfect opportunity for you to test your skills. I expect you to train hard with your temporary teammates for the next few days!"

"Yes, Gai-sensei," they all chimed with varying amounts of enthusiasm. Lee seemed ecstatic, Neji was his polar opposite, and Tenten appeared to be somewhere in between.

"Great. You three have any questions?" Kakashi asked his team. They shook their heads. "Alright then, play nice. Gai, try not to kill any of them, or worse." He waved at that and vanished in a plume of white smoke, leaving his genin to blink at his final words. Worse?

"Wearing one of those might be worse than dying," Sasuke said under his breath, causing Naruto to stifle a laugh. Hinata turned red – and a little green – at the thought of having to wear one of the audacious jumpsuits.

"Are you really an Uchiha?" Lee asked at once, eyes intent on the dark-haired boy. Sasuke nodded, but his expression didn't change. The boy's eyes lit up and he turned immediately to Gai. "Sensei, I want to spar the Uchiha first!" Sasuke blinked, and tilted his head, but still said nothing.

"Ah Lee, I see that the fires of youth inspire you to test your strength. What do you say, Sasuke-kun?" Sasuke shrugged and stepped forward, rolling his shoulders slowly before speaking.

"I don't see why not; we are supposed to be training with you." He stopped a few meters from Lee and blinked once. As his eyes opened they were already changed, the red irises of the Sharingan already studying his opponent. Lee took in a breath and faced Sasuke, seemingly undaunted by the intimidating stare. Naruto and Hinata glanced at one another and nodded at the same time, circling around the pair. They leapt up and settled on the boulder a fair distance from where Sasuke and Lee would clash, and after a moment Tenten, Neji, and Gai followed. The other girl jumped up to join them, smiling before turning her attention back to the match. Neji and Gai remained standing.

"I've heard a lot about the Sharingan," Lee said calmly, dropping into a strange taijutsu stance. Seeing that they would begin with hand-to-hand combat, Sasuke stepped into his own form. "Since I heard of you I have wanted to test my strength against those eyes of yours."

"Do you want to talk, or fight?" Sasuke asked bluntly, features still set in boredom. "You won't be fighting my eyes, Lee-san; you'll be fighting me." That got Lee to look at him curiously, but then grin and nod.

"You're right, Sasuke-san. Let's begin." Lee took in another deep breath, set himself, and dashed forward at break-neck speed. If not for his recent training with Haku, Sasuke wouldn't have been able to react quickly enough to the onslaught of blows that came at him. Lee wasn't quite as fast as Hinata, but his blows were solid and designed to break bones instead of damage tenketsu and internal organs. Each and every block came with a price, and the boy was fast enough to keep Sasuke on his toes. But he hadn't been training hard for nothing.

Lee seemed baffled – as did his teammates – when Sasuke struck the first blow of the match. It had come after the older genin had seemed to vanish, reappearing in the midst of a whirling kick that had forced Sasuke to duck. Lee had transitioned the move perfectly, landing and pivoting on his hands to thrust another hard kick directly at his opponent's jaw. If Sasuke hadn't trained using Haku's jutsu, the blow would have landed. There was no time to dodge the kick; Lee's series of movements had been executed flawlessly. However, the boy's balance would be precarious, and Sasuke's eyes picked up the subtle strains in Lee's muscles as the blow came. He leaned back at the same time his left palm flew forward, striking Lee's shin with a sharp jab that threw off the kick's momentum and sent it out instead of up. In the fraction of a second that the taijutsu specialist was thrown off balance, Sasuke twisted and slammed his heel into the side of Lee's skull in a powerful spinning hook kick.

As Lee toppled sideways and rolled along the ground, Tenten gasped and looked bewilderingly towards Sasuke. Neji's eyes widened slightly, and his lips quirked up in a small smirk. Gai was shaking his head, but Naruto was beaming. Even Hinata allowed herself a tiny, proud smile for her friend.

"I've only ever seen Neji or Gai avoid that combination," Tenten breathed, staring at the boy that had just knocked her teammate down. "That's . . . Impressive."

"That's an Uchiha," Neji corrected smugly, "And from the looks of it he's a genius of his clan. It's not surprising that Lee got hit first."

"Neji is right," Gai said, speaking loud enough so that Lee could hear as well. "Lee underestimated him." He watched Sasuke for a moment as the boy resettled into his stance. You taught him well, Kakashi.

Lee tumbled to a crouch, clutching at the side of his head and wincing. He looked as shocked as the rest, mouth hanging agape for a few long seconds before he finally bowed his head to Sasuke. "Gai-sensei is right. I thought that you might be more arrogant and neglect your physical training due to your kekkei genkai. I see now that you have worked hard to make sure your body can keep up with your Sharingan's sight." Lee rose to his feet slowly, and Sasuke nodded towards him in response to his show of respect. "I will come at you seriously now, Sasuke-san."

The match lasted two or three minutes longer, and every second was filled with blurred motion and powerful strikes. Once Lee had regained his focus, Sasuke was hard pressed to land another blow. The boy wasn't just good at taijutsu; he was an expert. Every strike was precise and powerful, every block was executed perfectly, and all at a speed that Sasuke could hardly keep up with. By the time they disengaged, both breathing hard, Lee had scored several more hits than his adversary and gained the upper hand.

"Excellent!" Gai boomed, beaming at the two exhausted genin. "That was a glorious match, filled with the power of youth. Lee!" The green-clad genin straightened and saluted his teacher, slowly regaining his breath. "You must train harder if a genin a year your junior can nearly beat your taijutsu."

"Yes sensei!" Lee cried, sounding just as into it as Gai. "I will do one thousand push-ups and walk fifty laps around the training ground on my hands!" Without further ado he dropped to the ground on the spot and began counting out his exercises. Naruto and Hinata glanced at one another, clearly perplexed, before Tenten explained.

"This is normal, don't worry," she sighed, kneading her temples. "Everything has to be over the top or it isn't normal." Naruto laughed at that, and Hinata choked at a giggle before falling silent. He glanced at her, wondering what was causing the sudden increase in tension. Her eyes flicked to Neji and back down again, and then he understood.

"My turn!" Naruto said happily, kicking off of his perch and landing in a swirl of his black coat. "Neji, want to spar? It'd be a great training opportunity for me." That is, if he's at least as strong as Hinata is. From what he had seen as they had approached, it wouldn't be difficult to believe.

"You won't have a chance," Neji said flatly, not even looking at him. "I'll spar the Uchiha when he's recovered; he's the only one worth testing myself against." Naruto blinked, then glanced back towards Hinata before regarding the proud boy again.

"Hey, I'm Sasuke's teammate, and we all train together. How do you know I won't give you a challenge?"

"You were an average student at the academy, and you're well known for being a delinquent. In what world do you think you'd have a chance against me, especially without a bloodline ability of your own?" Naruto clenched his jaw, and Hinata winced. Naruto's days of being a prankster had yet to be forgotten, it seemed, and Neji had said the one thing that she knew would set her friend off.

"So what if I don't have one?" Naruto snapped. "I bet I can beat you down without it."

"Naruto-kun," Hinata began tentatively, not wanting the situation to escalate. Not to mention, she knew more about Neji than he did. "He's–"

"You should listen to my pathetic cousin, Uzumaki. I bet she doesn't want you to get hurt fighting me," Neji sneered. It was Hinata's turn to set her jaw and stare down at him. The fact that he had called her pathetic was completely lost; all she had focused on was that he had insulted Naruto's strength.

"Naruto-kun is not weak," she said quietly, though her voice was hard. Naruto blinked up at her, then grinned and rubbed at the back of his head. Tenten looked between them for a moment, smiled knowingly, and winked at Hinata. She blushed immediately and looked back down, though her expression lost none of its resolve.

"Neji," Gai chided, clicking his tongue at the boy. "Do not be rude to our guests. If Naruto wishes to spar, you will fight him." Neji cast a glance at his sensei, rolled his eyes, then nodded. He strode casually to the clearing as Sasuke made his way back to lean against the rock, flexing his fingers and rubbing at his forearms.

"That guy throws punches like battering rams," Sasuke muttered, wincing as he felt his wrists. Hinata slipped down and placed a hand on his arm to begin healing him. He gave her a small appreciative smile before turning to Naruto. "Kick his ass." His eyes were back to normal now, but they were hard and angry. He had apparently overheard their conversation.

"You bet," Naruto replied coolly, giving them a thumbs-up before moving to face Neji. Hey fox, it's time to start teaching. Give me as little of your chakra as you can. I mean it; the very smallest amount you can squeeze through the cracks.

You sure about that, kid?the Kyūbi rumbled, voice filled with its usual mockery. I've never had to purposefully siphon my chakra for you to use; I don't know what will happen. You could lose it the first time. He considered his own words for a moment before continuing; he seemed to be grinning somewhere inside of Naruto. Of course, that would be fun too.

Just shut up and do it, Naruto growled, forming the ram seal and crouching into a ready stance. Neji raised an eyebrow and didn't move. I'll channel, you start trickling. A massive contemptuous snort was all that he got before he felt . . . Something.

It wasn't a particularly overwhelming feeling like it had been before, but he could feel the chakra pouring into him. Apparently the smallest amount that the Kyūbi could leak through amounted to over double Naruto's innate and already massive chakra stores. On the outside nothing seemed to change at first, leading Neji to continue staring, unimpressed. That is, until Naruto opened his eyes again.

"I didn't think there was a bloodline that only turned your eyes purple," Neji mocked. His laugh was cut short as a tidal wave of alien murderous intent hit him, and he froze, staring at Naruto.

Hinata and Sasuke had both taken in a breath when they had seen the color of Naruto's eyes. But now they just watched grimly as orange chakra erupted around their friend, consuming and covering his body completely. His previously indigo irises abruptly reddened, and his pupils elongated to slits. It wasn't the same violent burst of energy that it had been on the bridge; it was more similar to the first time when Naruto had nearly killed Mizuki. The shroud of orange chakra stayed, however, swirling about him until it settled into a cloak with one long tail of energy twitching back and forth behind him.

Gai tensed and crouched immediately, but Sasuke held out a hand to him as if to block his path. The jōnin blinked down at him, alarmed, but he shook his head. "Don't worry," he assured the eccentric man, keeping his eyes on Naruto. "He has it under control." Of course, none of them – not even Naruto – knew that to be true, but they had faith in him. After a few quick glances between Naruto and Sasuke, Gai relaxed and leaned back again. His features were hard now, though, eyes narrowed and worried. Tenten and Lee merely looked confused, and the latter had even stopped mid push-up.

Naruto fell to one knee, one eye closed as he grimaced. Too much, he barely got out, grinding his teeth as the chakra threatened to overwhelm him. Less.

You think this is easy?the Kyūbi nearly roared at him. It's not my fault that your weak flesh can't handle the smallest fraction of my power. Despite the tone, Naruto felt the chakra slowly ebb away until his head stopped throbbing. The haze that had settled over his vision slowly began to clear, and he was able to stand again. If you can't handle this, you're not even worth the time to teach.

Some teacher you are; is this just the sink or swim method? The fox simply growled at him. Naruto looked down at his hands, then the rest of himself. He was coated now in a razor-thin layer of orange chakra that seemed like just another layer of skin, though it covered his clothing as well. Every now and again a portion stirred and bubbled like boiling water before settling back with the rest. Naruto's eyes, unbeknownst to him at least, had returned to their original bright blue.

"What are you?" Neji asked tightly. Naruto looked up and grinned at him, noting that the boy's Byakugan was already active.

"Sorry about that. We can start now," he replied, ignoring the question. Sasuke smirked and made an approving sound, while Hinata simply let out a relieved breath. Gai kept staring hard, though he no longer looked as worried. "Ready?" His opponent nodded slowly, sinking into a jūken stance. Just like Hinata, so far.

Neji was ready, though apparently Naruto was not. He was gone in an orange flash of movement, ending up overextended inside of Neji's guard. The Hyūga's eyes went wide, but he leapt back nimbly before the other genin could recover from his blunder. He's not used to moving that fast. But that didn't stop Naruto from practicing; it would only be a matter of time before he got used to it.

The beginning of their duel consisted of many touch-and-go encounters. At every clash Naruto primarily dodged Neji's attacks, well aware of the damage they would cause if allowed to land. Meanwhile, Neji was getting a feel for his adversary's speed and power. It was impressive – even he could admit that – but it wouldn't be enough to beat him. As soon as he realized that, Neji went on the offensive, and the tone of the fight changed immediately.

Naruto knew that Hinata was fast, and Sasuke's training was allowing him to catch up to her speed as well. But if they were quick, Neji was lightning. Like Hinata his strikes carried less power than Naruto's, but the chakra pulsing from his palms was viciously strong. Every time one of Neji's hands came into even light contact with Naruto a spike of pain shot through him; it felt like being stabbed with senbon. It was like getting struck by Hinata but with twice the ferocity.

They disengaged and Naruto stumbled back, breathing a little hard. Neji was strained noticeably more, but he had also been landing the vast majority of the blows. Try a little bit more; I can't keep up with him yet.

Kid, I know your limits better than you do. If I give you any more you'll be on a rampage in no time. I agreed to teach, so let me decide what you can handle. Naruto couldn't argue with that, but it didn't stop him from getting frustrated. This guy had insulted Hinata, and every fiber of Naruto's being wanted to make him pay for it. The Kyūbi sighed; he could tell what was going on without being told. Only a sliver more, but if you start losing it I'm cutting it off completely.

Thanks. He braced himself for the incoming chakra surge, but it didn't come as expected. Power lurched its way into him sluggishly, and the orange layer began to expand outward. After a moment it settled, creating a visible film of writhing chakra a centimeter or two from his skin. There were spots on his arms and chest that the energy skipped over completely, however.

He hit quite a few of your tenketsu. You could force my chakra through, but you also might lose control of it that way. This is foolish, even for you, mortal. Naruto gave Neji a tight grin, showing off a pair of elongated canines. His eye color was back to wavering between blue and red, but settled eventually on pale cerulean with only a hint of crimson near the edges.

Better end it quick, then. As if on cue Neji dashed forward with the same idea in mind. Just before he reached Naruto he spun, going down into a deep crouch and spreading his arms wide. Naruto recognized the form immediately.

"Hakke: Sixty-Four Palms!" Hinata was on her feet the moment she had seen Neji drop into his stance, and she now stood clutching the hem of her coat so tightly her knuckles turned white. Sasuke glanced over, shook his head, and nudged her shoulder. She caught his look, visibly calmed herself and nodded, sinking back down silently to watch as Neji's movements began to blur.

Naruto was easily able to counter the first few sets of blows, but as the series progressed he struggled to keep up even with the additional energy provided by the Kyūbi. "Thirty-two strikes," Neji continued, arms becoming blurs as they lashed out to strike at Naruto's tenketsu. Naruto was only able to block or dodge ten, and again he felt himself stagger back. "Sixty-four strikes!" The last statement came out as a grunt, but the attacks came regardless of the obvious strain Neji was under. Naruto didn't even have a chance to avoid them. He crossed his arms in a desperate defense and was all but thrown back in a barrage of blows; they were so fast that it felt like they had all landed at the same time.

Naruto collapsed onto his knees, arms falling to his sides like leaden weights. Every part of him was in agony. Neji straightened slowly, managing a disdainful look through his labored breathing. "I've closed your tenketsu; the match is over." He turned to walk back to the boulder, but froze halfway there as another blast of strange chakra washed over the clearing. He turned slowly back to Naruto, mouth slightly agape and eyes widening in fury and disbelief.

The blond boy was standing again, and though breathing hard there was a fierce grin on his face. His eyes were red now, but for the moment he still seemed to be himself. "Not yet, Neji-san. I still haven't paid you back for what you said to Hinata." The aura of the Kyūbi's chakra twisted and pulsed, and the beginnings of a tail began to form behind him. Five seconds, he said tightly, watching as his vision began to blur. Cut it all off in five seconds. Even as Neji dropped into a ready stance Naruto burst forward at full speed, gathering as much chakra as he could in his right hand. Unfortunately for the older boy, that much power wasn't meant to be blocked.

Neji flew backwards as the blow connected with his jaw, moving fast enough to cause whiplash for anybody who might try to follow his movement. Luckily Gai had seen it coming, appearing behind his student to catch him before he struck a tree or the big rock. Neji seemed dazed but functional, and after a moment he was back on his feet, rubbing at his jaw and glaring at Naruto. He got one last cheeky smile from the blond, and then the orange chakra faded. After a stumbling step, Naruto began to fall forward, his face contorted in obvious pain. Hinata and Sasuke were at his side before he hit the ground, catching him under each shoulder to support his weight with their own. Despite his condition, he was still smiling weakly.

"I think you proved your point," Sasuke muttered as they made their way back to their seats, shaking his head. "That was pretty incredible, but it looks like it takes a toll on you."

"Yeah," Naruto wheezed, still short of breath and aching all over, "Kinda sucks; wasn't ready for it." Hinata was silent, her cheeks burning a brilliant pink, although she looked more worried than embarrassed at what he had said on her behalf. "I still lost, though. He's tough."

"You should be proud that you did so well, Naruto-kun," Lee stated gravely as he approached. "Neji is my rival, and he is very strong. I've heard that even among the main branch of the Hyūga he is considered a genius." Naruto smiled a little wider at the encouragement. It wasn't that he hadn't been satisfied with how he had done; he was just so exhausted and hurt everywhere. Lee seemed to understand, and he returned the small grin with a bright one of his own.

"What was that chakra?" Neji demanded as he and Gai approached. He was looking a bit worse for wear, but unlike Naruto he could still stand on his own power. "You shouldn't be able to use any with your tenketsu closed; you should hardly be able to move."

"Secret," Naruto shrugged. It was mostly true, at least. When Neji looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel over the curt response, Naruto sighed and waved a hand feebly. "I've trained with Hinata-chan for over five years. I found my own way around it." That wasn't quite a lie, but it made a lot more sense than anything he could explain to the irate boy. Neji's eyes narrowed, and with one glance and a snort at Hinata, he stalked off into the woods. Gai watched after him for a time before turning to Naruto, the serious expression he wore seeming somehow misplaced on his features.

"He can be very proud," the jōnin explained, watching Naruto intently. "And he hasn't encountered anything like that before. You probably rattled him."

"Serves him right," Naruto muttered as his friends helped him sit down at the base of the boulder. "He shouldn't have said what he did about Hinata." He wasn't able to see her turning bright red as his eyes closed, but he heard her speak hesitantly after.

"It's okay, Naruto-kun. The Main and Branch houses don't always . . . completely get along." She finished the statement a bit lamely, as if the words she had chosen didn't convey how she felt about the topic.

"Why not?" he asked curiously. The strength in his voice was already beginning to return.

"It's . . ." Hinata hesitated before shaking her head. "It's complicated." He opened his eyes at that, and she gave him a look that told him it was something to discuss later. He nodded and shrugged, then grinned at her.

"Well, I guess it's your turn then." Naruto said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster in his state. She blinked at him and paled a little, looking to Tenten and Gai nervously. Naruto lifted his arm painfully to nudge her leg with his elbow, winking when she looked back down at him. "You'll do great; I know you will." Her color returned and she gave him a small nod with an accompanying tiny smile.

"Of course she will!" Gai thundered, seeming to have found his spirit again. "Now you two, show us your fires of youth!" Tenten rolled her eyes, smiled encouragingly at Hinata, and jumped from her perch. "And Tenten: no lethal weapons until tomorrow."

"They're all lethal," she said incredulously. Gai eyed her sternly and she pouted at him. "Fine, just the blunt ones then." The girl stomped into the clearing, muttering under her breath about not being understood.

Hinata paced after her adversary, squaring off opposite the girl before settling into her modified jūken stance. Tenten cocked her head sideways and scrunched up her eyes at Hinata. "That's a weird jūken stance. I've never seen Neji do one of those." Hinata smiled faintly at her but quickly smoothed over her expression in preparation for the match. Tenten shrugged and reached behind her belt, pulling out two scrolls and flicking them open deftly. A moment later, after a pair of smoke clouds billowed up from the parchments, she was twirling two pairs of nunchaku at her sides.

It turned out that Tenten was very used to fighting a close-quarters specialist. She utilized her superior reach at every given opportunity, dancing nimbly around to keep Hinata at a distance. After a minute of using the first pair of weapons she transitioned smoothly into others, alternating every minute or so in order to keep her opponent on her toes. After the nunchaku came the metal tonfas she had used against Neji, followed by a quarterstaff, and finally by a pair of what looked like maces with heavy, round metal heads.

Hinata held her own against the older girl, using speed to her advantage. Taking a hit from any of the weapons would hurt, not to mention the possibility that they could break bones. She had the most difficult time with the nunchaku and steel maces, but was able to put Tenten on the defensive with the other weapons. The girl seemed genuinely surprised at that, and even took a few hits as a result.

After five minutes of constant back and forth they both were breathing laboriously. Hinata had succeeded in dodging the majority of Tenten's blows, but the few that had gotten through had done enough. She held her weight largely on one leg, as if the other had been badly bruised or even broken. One arm was shaking violently as it strained to stay up and ready; it had likely suffered minor nerve damage.

Tenten was in no better condition, surprisingly. The maces were on the ground beside her, and she was down on one knee and wincing in pain. "You," she panted, sounding impressed, "You're almost as fast as Neji, but your style is so different. I thought I'd be dealing with straight jūken. What was that?"

"jūken," Hinata responded, equally breathless. "But many of the movements are modified and crossed with goken techniques."

"I noticed you included a lot, lot more kicks than Neji ever does. And you channeled chakra into them?" She seemed to be in moderate disbelief when Hinata smiled demurely and nodded. Tenten whistled softly and stood up stiffly. "Well, color me impressed. It's always great to meet another strong kunoichi. Want to call it a draw? I think you landed more hits, but I'd say mine did a fair bit more damage." She winked and Hinata nodded again gratefully, turning to walk back to where the rest were gathered. Tenten moved to her quickly and helped, taking up the weight on her injured leg's side. Hinata flushed but thanked her, casting a glance at Naruto who had been struggling to get up and help her himself. He grinned and settled back down, appearing to have recovered quite a bit during the bout of sparring.

"Yosh!" Gai exclaimed, extending his arm in an exaggerated thumbs-up as he gave the girls what they were beginning to assume to be a signature smile. Just like Lee, a ray of light must have hit his shiny white teeth at just the right angle, creating a sparkle that flashed for an instant near the corner of his mouth. "I'll give you three a few minutes to recover. Lee, Tenten, Neji; we're going to run a lap around Konoha using only one leg!" Without waiting for them to respond he bounded off towards the nearest section of the outer wall, Lee following immediately after. Tenten gave the other three genin a helpless look and trotted after her teacher, clearly unenthused. After a moment there was a rustling nearby, then silence; Neji appeared to have been near enough to follow his sensei's order.

"Are you alright?" Naruto asked Hinata as they left, turning concerned eyes to his friend. "Those weapons looked like they hurt."

"I'm okay; it's only a few fractures and a lot of bruises." She winced and shifted to lay her uninjured hand on the opposite wrist to begin healing it. Naruto didn't seem convinced, but he didn't get press it. He knew Hinata was strong, and it would only be insulting to treat her like she wasn't. Instead he smiled at her.

"I never really thought about your style being so different from regular jūken. I guess it helps when the person you're fighting expects something else, huh?" He shook his head, keeping the grin. "But you did better than me and Sasuke; you tired her out before she even knocked you down once." A bit of pink invaded her features before she shook her head back at him.

"She wasn't able to go all out on me; remember what Gai-sensei said? She would have used a lot of ranged weapons if he hadn't told her not to use anything sharp."

"You would have handled that just fine," Sasuke said evenly, leaning back against the rock and closing his eyes. "We all know how you handle projectiles." Hinata blushed a little more and continued her healing. After finishing she stretched a little before turning her attention to Naruto, mending his injuries as best she could.

"So," he continued while she was working on Naruto's tenketsu, "What happened with the Kyūbi's chakra? You looked like you were losing control or something for a second there, and I don't think all that damage is from Neji alone."

"No, but most of it is," Naruto laughed. He explained what had happened briefly, and shrugged near the end of the description. "I think I can almost handle it with that tail thing sticking out. But I almost blacked out when he just started me there; I think I need to slowly ramp it up until I can tolerate the power. It just feels so . . . Weird, I guess. I don't know how to describe the feeling when the chakra wraps around me. At first it feels kind of gross, like it's dirty or something. But after a while it stops and just feels heavy."

"That makes sense in a way, I guess," Sasuke started slowly, looking pensive. "I mean, the Kyūbi is a demon, and from what you said it's always kind of grumpy – no offense, Kyūbi." Naruto had informed them that the fox could see and hear everything he did, and every once and a while they also acknowledged the presence. "Maybe its chakra has taken on its anger or hatred or something. Chakra is supposed to be a unique signature; maybe since it's been alive so long the Kyūbi's chakra just took on some of its prominent traits." After a moment's thought Naruto slowly nodded.

"But why are you so hurt?" Hinata asked gently, running her hands down one of his arms. It wasn't that she held no interest for the theories, but her concern was in Naruto's health.

"Most of it was Neji," he repeated, but he looked down at his hands after a few seconds and considered it. Why am I so beat? Even after serving as Hinata's practice target I don't get this tired.

I warned you that it's dangerous, the Kyūbi growled. He seemed a little angrier than usual. I didn't give you that last burst of chakra; you took that, fool. Naruto blinked, and he felt the demon roll its eyes. If you get emotional enough, you subconsciously draw on it against my will. And if you do it again, I'm through helping you. My chakra will eat away at your pathetic body unless you get used to it first. Naruto blanched at that and nodded dully, drawing a worried look from his friends. He told them what the fox had said.

"You'd better listen, then," Sasuke sighed. "I understand that you want to get stronger, and you're not exactly the most patient person I know, but this is serious. If you don't take it slow, it could kill you." Hinata nodded vigorously in agreement, and Naruto raised both hands in a conciliatory gesture.

"I will, I will; I promise."

After finishing the day with Team Gai they had returned home tired and sore. Following the intense sparring matches they had performed a series of exercise drills including distance running, sit-ups, push-ups, and more directed taijutsu training. Gai had them paired up and going through slow drills, correcting forms and demonstrating technique with Lee. After that they did some work with weapons, led largely by Tenten and Gai together. They had finished the day with yet more drills, sparring, and finally a ten mile 'cool down' jog.


/*\


Two more days of the grueling regimen passed, and by the end of the third day Naruto had gotten a feel for the Kyūbi's chakra. It no longer felt as foreign, for whatever reason, and while he was still unable to form the tail of his cloak he was capable of holding a thicker layer for a longer period of time. Although he felt like the progress was slow, the fox was always there to berate him about how idiotic he would be to skip ahead.

Haku had come to observe the training for the first day, joining in on a few drills and speaking amiably to the members of Team Gai; he even tried to talk to Neji, who gave him the cold shoulder more often than not. Haku's forte was not in taijutsu, and as such was encouraged to participate more and more to improve himself. Two days did little for him in that regard, but he appreciated the welcome more than anything else.

On the evening of the third day, a few hours after returning to his apartment, Sasuke sat in a reclined chair on the balcony. He was watching the moon intently, expression far away and a mask of stoicism. As he did most nights, Sasuke was thinking about his friends, his deceased family, and Itachi. It wasn't as if he was unhappy with his life at the moment, but there was that ever-present, terrible lonely feeling of having lost something precious. In his case, the loss had been incalculable. The lives of his mother, father, friends and neighbors had been lost, and all at the hand of his older brother. It was a hurt that would never go away, and he knew it. With that sadness came thoughts of bitter revenge, that one day he would seek out Itachi and take his vengeance for what had been done.

At some point in the midst of his brooding he noticed a presence nearby. "You're still awake?" he asked mildly, not looking away from the moon. Haku stepped from the doorway and sank into the chair next to Sasuke's, folding his hands in his lap.

"It's hard for me to sleep sometimes," Haku said calmly. "I could ask you the same question."

"Just thinking," Sasuke sighed, running a hand back through his hair. "Sorry if I kept you up." He stood and turned to walk back into the apartment, but stopped as he felt a hand touch his forearm. He blinked down at Haku questioningly, and the other boy hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"I don't mean to step out of place, as I am a guest in your home. But you always seem so . . . sad, Sasuke-kun. May I ask why that is?" Sasuke regarded him for a long moment before shrugging and leaning back against the railing of the balcony, looking back into the darkness of the apartment.

"A few years ago my older brother killed my parents, as well as every other member of my clan. I was the only one left alive," he offered bluntly, not even a hint of emotion in his voice. Haku's eyes widened, his lips parting in silent empathetic horror. "I'm not really sad all of the time; Naruto and Hinata have helped me through the years. I owe them a lot, really, especially since they agreed to help me get revenge on Itachi. It's just a little hard to deal with sometimes, when I'm alone. I'm actually kind of glad you moved in here, to tell you the truth. It's dumb, but I guess it's just nice having somebody else around. At the very least it keeps me from dwelling on the past so much."

Haku had only a limited grasp on personal space and social etiquette, so perhaps Sasuke should not have been surprised when the older boy took his hand gently and squeezed it. His eyes were sad, but oddly warm as he looked up at Sasuke. "I'm sorry," he said simply, pausing for a moment before continuing. "Maybe one day I'll be able to help you get your revenge." Sasuke looked down at him for a long time before shrugging, looking away uncomfortably and taking his hand back.

"Maybe, but it's not good to dwell on. I'm going to bed; I'll see you in the morning." He pushed off the railing and stepped to the door, pausing there to look back and nod to Haku. "Thanks." Then he vanished into the darkened apartment, leaving the other boy to peer after him with the ghost of a somber smile on his lips.


/*\


Hinata stirred from her sleep, blinking her eyes open slowly. It was still dark outside, and from what she could see of the moon through the window it was only a little after midnight. A muffled noise kept rising up periodically from somewhere outside of the bedroom door, and it was likely what had awoken her. She slipped out of bed, padding over to and opening the door cautiously. The sound – actually several sounds, it seemed now – was coming from the living room. She could hear them more clearly now, like the low noises made by an angry wolf. Hinata drew in a sharp breath and moved silently from the doorway. Naruto-kun.

As soon as she rounded the corner to the living room she froze, staring wide-eyed at the couch where Naruto lay. He was covered in a cold sweat that glistened in the glow of the orange chakra that surrounded him in a thin haze. His expression was strained and . . . Angry. The noises Hinata had heard were occasional snarls and harsh growls coming from Naruto's own mouth. He was twisting and turning on the sofa, obviously troubled and restless in his slumber.

She went to him immediately, feet silent on the floor. "Naruto-kun," she whispered worriedly, placing a hand on his bare shoulder and trying not to think about the physical contact. He groaned and tried to swat at her hand in his sleep, but she held firm and shook him. "Naruto-kun." Hinata's voice came with more urgency now, and she shook him again harder still.

Bleary, sanguine eyes opened slowly beneath her, and she took in another breath at the sight of his pupils. Naruto's eyes went wide with panic and he sat up abruptly, nearly throwing Hinata back with the movement. He looked around wildly, breathing too quickly. Naruto was in a panic.

"Hey," she said as gently as she could, keeping her voice hushed. "Calm down, Naruto-kun. You're okay." His head whipped around and he stared at her for a long moment, and after a time his breathing began to slow. Normally Hinata might get flustered at the extremely close proximity of Naruto's face to her own, but at the moment she was taken in by his eyes. She had seen them change from afar, and even seen them red up close in Wave Country. But this was the first time she saw them change back up close. The crimson irises slowly gained blue, transitioning from malevolence into a rich purple calm. Halfway through the spectrum to a lighter indigo his pupils started retracting, rounding out to dilated spheres as the surrounding color settled on a familiar bright blue.

"Hinata-chan?" he whispered, now looking confused and frightened. "Did I wake you up? I was having . . . I was having a nightmare, I think." She shook her head and touched his arm; he was trembling.

"It's alright. I came out and saw you covered in the Kyūbi's chakra, and when you sat up your eyes were red . . ." She trailed off and looked away from him, thankful to the darkness for hiding her rising blush. Naruto blinked at her and sighed unsteadily, leaning slowly back down to lay on his back. He grabbed a shirt from beside the couch and began wiping the moisture from his skin as he spoke.

"I think . . . I think I was dreaming about the Kyūbi, or something. But it was like I was the Kyūbi, somehow. It was so vivid and felt so real. It even seemed . . . familiar. I know it doesn't make sense, but that's just how it felt." He was still shaking as he dropped the shirt back to the floor, closing his eyes again for a while before grinning sheepishly up at Hinata, who was still perched beside him on the edge of the sofa. "Thanks for waking me up. That was . . . Scary."

"O-of course," Hinata responded quietly, still looking down. Her index fingers were pressed together in her old nervous habit. "I'll let you get back to sleep," she mumbled, moving to rise quickly. She was stopped, however, by Naruto's hand placed atop her own. She blinked and looked back to him. The boy wasn't looking at her, and something told her that he was just as glad for the flush-concealing darkness as she was at the moment.

"Can you – I mean," he started awkwardly, not sure how to get the words out. "Do you think you could stay, just for a while?" Naruto couldn't quite get anything else out. He wanted to tell her how frightening the dreams had been, and how simply by being there she made him feel calmer. But none of that made it to his mouth, so he just stayed there, feeling more dumb by the second for even asking.

Hinata chewed at her lower lip and turned an undocumented shade of red at his request. But the feeling was only a natural response; she could see and feel how scared and vulnerable he felt. Using the Kyūbi's chakra was taking a toll on him mentally as well. As a response she sank down next to him slowly, pulling a discarded blanket up and over them both. She was all too aware of him as she positioned herself carefully to face away and out into the room, trying to be considerate of his personal space while respecting his request to have her nearby. There was a part of her – a fairly large part, she admitted to herself – that wanted Naruto to put his arm around her. But it was a selfish thought, she told herself; she was there to comfort him right now.

Naruto lay completely still for a long moment, not even daring to breathe until he had to. When he had asked her to stay he hadn't meant quite like that, but before he could think to tell her as much he couldn't help but notice how warm she was. He couldn't think of a way to describe it, save to say that it was incredibly nice feeling. As she turned away he mirrored her position, thinking it the most respectful way to go, turning to face the back of the couch so that they were back-to-back.

He smiled a tired, bashful smile as sleep threatened to take him again a few minutes later. His hand lifted slightly to move back, and he found her own resting close by. With hardly a thought their fingers twined together, finding a comfortable position to rest in as Naruto whispered behind Hinata. "Thanks."


/*\


The next morning, as Sasuke, Hinata, Naruto, and Haku were eating breakfast at Ichiraku, Kakashi returned to Konoha. He appeared on the stool next to Sasuke, sitting as if he had been there the whole time.

"Yo," he greeted them casually. "How was training with Team Gai?" They gave him their accounts individually, noting high and low points as well as their progress. Naruto, after a glance towards the counter and the kindly owner, noted his 'special training' was progressing well with some minor complications. Kakashi raised an eyebrow at that, but was tactful enough not to ask about it until later. "And what did you learn from them?"

"That I don't want to have to see Gai and Lee crying and holding each other ever again," Sasuke muttered. Naruto snorted and choked a little on his ramen, and Hinata stifled a giggle. "I know I learned how much of a difference one year can make. They're strong, don't get me wrong, but I think given the same amount of time to train we'd be able to beat them consistently. Fighting a weapons specialist was interesting, though. I thought it was kind of silly at first, but I learned pretty fast that Tenten's skill is nothing to scoff at."

"Heh, she got so mad when you broke her quarterstaff yesterday, Hinata-chan" Naruto teased. She ducked her head and looked guiltily embarrassed, though she couldn't help but smile a little. "I know I learned not to get a hundred and twenty-six tenketsu hit in one attack," he continued wryly. "And that Hinata's cousin is a jerk. But Tenten was really nice, and like Sasuke said it was really challenging sparring with her. I think the most important thing I got was from Lee, though; he's basically a taijutsu master, but he got there through hard work alone. Even though he can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu, he's determined to be a great ninja. I think that's really cool."

"I um," Hinata started, fidgeting with her fingers under the counter. "Sasuke and Naruto-kun covered most of it, I think. But I did learn some better jūken techniques from watching Neji-nīsan." Naruto glowered at that, but couldn't argue with her. Like Sasuke had pointed out, the other genin had trained for an extra year after the academy. He had to admit – begrudgingly, of course – that Neji could fight better than Hinata. "And also that adding variety to our training might prove useful."

Kakashi nodded once. "Good. Gai is eccentric, but he's one of the strongest jōnin in the village, and an old friend of mine. I had been hoping that you might learn something from his team." He was quiet for a few seconds before continuing, tone casual and conversational. "Well," he said, raising a hand to Teuchi to place an order. "When I reported in with the Hokage this morning I learned something pretty interesting." They all turned to him curiously, though as far as they could tell his expression remained neutral. "Apparently the next chūnin exams are being held in Konoha, and they start in two weeks. I was thinking about it while I was away, and you all are very well developed and talented for your age." Haku still seemed confused, but Sasuke raised both eyebrows in surprise. Hinata blinked, then her eyes widened in realization. Naruto considered Kakashi's words for a few seconds before grinning broadly. The jōnin looked over at them finally, tilting his head and smirking under his mask.

"How would you three like to take the Chūnin Exam?"


Author's Note:

Heya folks. Sorry for the slightly longer-than-normal wait on this chapter. My work schedule changed recently, and on top of odd hours for writing I'm having to juggle coordination with Rhi (my beta, who was kind enough to edit this chapter for me).

I saw a comment or two on chapters being entirely in bold, and after a few experiments I discovered that chapters 2 and 3 are indeed bold, but only if viewed on a mobile platform. Rhi and I are working on fixing that (somehow), but in the meantime please accept my belated apology for the inconvenience.

An additional note (from the future!): I started editing a few words that are used in the story for consistency's sake. Words such as "chūnin" or "jōnin" used to be written modified with either "uu" to replace the former and "ou" to replace the latter. Since then I've decided to correctly romanize the Japanese words and add proper macrons (change made in Chapter 20, and slowly being applied to the rest).

Thank you for all of the follows and favorites, and especially the reviews. I'll say it time and time again: I'm only encouraged to write more every time I see them.

See you next time!

- Wes