Chapter 10: Time and Training

"A subtle thought that is in error may yet give rise to fruitful inquiry that can establish truths of great value," - Isaac Asimov

Over the light din of the small restaurant, a sigh of contentment made its way into Yurushi's ears. Skewers that had once pierced sweetened dumplings were piled on a now empty plate. Yurushi sipped his tea and waited patiently. The dull ache in his legs seemed permanent. Training under Hayate was brutal. Although the team had grown the past several months, Yurushi was still having a hard time warming up to the bandana wearing jōnin. Trusting the man was still difficult.

"Man," Kenshi said as he leaned back rubbing his stomach, "this place has the best dango in the village. Are you sure you didn't want anything to eat Yurushi?"

"I already ate," the redhead answered after another sip of tea. The bitter drink brought warm memories of time spent with Katsushiro-sensei. Days travelling, nights spent by a small fire, the calm baritone of his master's voice, and the lessons learned. All of it was missed, but not mourned over. There were new lessons to learn, difficult as they were to accept. "Besides, Hanami should be here soon."

Yurushi, ready to leave, paid for the tab of Kenshi's meal and for his tea. A jolt to the shoulder brought his attention back to his teammate. "Hey! Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" Yurushi asked, having already figured what the answer was.

"Why did you pay? Now I owe you for that too," Kenshi moaned. "You already saved me in that mission the other day, and I told you I owed you one. I always pay my debts."

Yurushi had to laugh a little bit at that. The mission itself wasn't that big of a deal, and the only thing that he had saved Kenshi from was embarrassment. "I don't really think you owe me anything. We're on the same team, so it's my job to have your back."

"Yeah I guess," Kenshi sighed in defeat. Clearly he was not satisfied with what he saw to be an accumulating debt. "Still, if you hadn't covered me when I messed up then that whole mission could have gone south."

"I guess," Yurushi thought aloud. "Even so, trying to predict just how a cornered cat is going to move is difficult, so it wasn't really a mistake at all."

"Yeah," Kenshi said while standing. Gathering his equipment, Yurushi stood to walk out with his friend. "You made catching that stupid cat look so easy though."

Yurushi wasn't certain how to respond to that, and remained quiet. His years training in Iaidō had encompassed far more than katas, stances, and sword strikes. Since the practice of the particular style of kenjutsu revolves around the initial strike, being able to read an opponent or a situation was just as important as the actual combat. Avoiding a fight was always the desire of a samurai, and apparently ninja as well. The easiest way to avoid an unnecessary conflict was to read a situation and ascertain the level of threat that exists. If it's inevitable, then reading an opponent's movements simply helps to ensure that the first strike remains true. Efficiency is preferable.

Following his fellow swordsman to the door of the small establishment, he gave way for another patron making their entrance. She was young, his age perhaps, and not Hanami to his disappointment. Her hair color though, was equally odd. An unnatural shade of pink flowed from her head long past her shoulders. Jade eyes caught his, and there was a brief moment where he thought he could hear her stutter something. There was something about this girl, and some nagging thought in the back of that suggested that he should know her. Still, she wasn't Hanami and he needed to leave. Joining Kenshi on a bench just across the street, the pair waited for the third member of their squad.

The streets were fairly empty as the late morning approached. People still adorned the parks and gardens, but Sundays were different. They felt lighter, and less busy than the rest of the week. The leisurely attitude had even transferred into the way people looked at him. Perhaps this had always been the way things were, or maybe it was a recent development, but either way people saw him with what seemed to be a bit less disdain than usual. Though, he was still largely ignored.

'Maybe people are in too good a mood to be nasty all the time?' Naruto pondered to himself as he walked at a brisk pace down the road.

The months since Yurushi had graduated from the Academy had brought several changes. Most of those changes were to his cousin's schedule, and a few other were pretty innocuous, but the end result was that they didn't see too much of one another during the average day. This had at least one positive result. Yurushi would often be too tired to object to when he recommend going to Ichiraku's. There had been a few moments where his elder cousin opposed strongly, but those moments were becoming few and far between.

'I hope he's too tired after our training today, 'cause I really want that extra large bowl of miso ramen tonight. Now, if I could just find him already!' Naruto wiped off the drool gathering at the corners of his mouth and buckled down in his search.

Sundays were days off for his cousin, and though the he never took a real break from his training, the redheaded swordsman usually spent the afternoon training with the blond. Naruto had enjoyed the times they trained together, and he felt it had really helped them to connect. The blue eyed preteen had begun to notice serious growth because of all the added assistance. The most obvious improvement had been his grades. While he was far from the top, he was no longer anchored to the bottom of the list, and some of the other students had begun to take notice.

'Jiraiya-sensei is totally going to have to teach me another awesome jutsu when he comes back!' Naruto tried to imagine what else he might learn. The Kage Bunshin technique was so versatile, and was the perfect skill for the creative prankster. He had gotten some pretty solid practice in with his favorite jutsu, and had learned several things about its capabilities. The first was that they were not well suited for menial tasks. The few times that he had made a clone or two to spruce up the apartment while he had run off to do something else ended with the apartment in worse shape than before.

The other things he had learned came after much experimentation to satisfy Yurushi's ever present curiosity. In time, he discovered that any experience of his clones would become his own once they were dispersed. This meant that anything that his clones learned, did, or said would be recorded by his brain as if he had done it himself. Of course, he would know that it was his clone and not himself, but the knowledge would still be his own. How had he not picked on that earlier? He shrugged it off. The whole thing was confusing, and he didn't understand it. There was something about unused chakra being returned or transferred or something. He didn't know but he didn't need to understand to recognize how awesome it was.

His cousin had thought it could be good to use clones to train, but he declined. Jiraiya-sensei had pretty much limited use of the technique to nothing at all. He wasn't going to break those rules. Breaking the rules meant no new jutsu, and he wasn't going to miss a chance like that. Naruto, however, believed Yurushi to be correct because the soon-to-be ninja rarely understood any explanation that his cousin could offer. 'That guy is way too smart. He could at least try and make sense when he talks.'

A familiar cropping of people came into view in the distance. A girl with white hair stood across from two boys sitting next to each other on a bench. As the guys stood, he noticed the swords that were strapped to their backs. The brown haired one was laughing wildly about something. Naruto recognized the one wearing black clothes and short, choppy, red hair.

"Hey! Yurushi," he yelled out while jogging to catch up with the group.

His cousin had taken to his team pretty quick. It was hard not to get jealous of the idea though. Yurushi was a ninja now, not some Academy student, but a full-fledged ninja. He had a team of his own, and they had become good friends. He had a Sensei who helped him to develop further with specialized training and supervision. Naruto, on the other hand, was stuck in school with only acquaintances, and only Yurushi would help him train. It seemed that the redhead was leaving him behind, and no matter what he did to try and catch up, he just kept on lagging.

"Naruto," his cousin addressed him with subtle curiosity written on his face. "What are you doing here?"

"It's Sunday," Naruto answered knowing that the implication was good enough for Yurushi. "I've been looking for you everywhere."

"I'm sorry," Yurushi replied. "I thought I had told you that I was going to be working on some drills and formations with my team today."

"But," Naruto stuttered trying to recall that conversation but remembering nothing. Stuff like that should be written down. "We always train together on Sundays though."

"Sorry bud, but we're kinda busy today," Kenshi offered while tousling Naruto's hair. Naruto grew a deep scowl. Kenshi wasn't that much taller or older than he was. "Maybe next time we can all spar with each other. I hear that Yurushi's been working on some pretty sweet moves with you."

"Yeah," Naruto quietly growled as he fixed his hair. "I wish you wrote a note about this, 'cause now I've wasted like an hour looking for you when I could have been training, you know."

"Sorry," Yurushi, though casual about it, was probably sincere about the inconvenience.

"Well, I guess I'll go train on my own," he huffed. He needed to work himself up. There was no way he could stay focused on training if he was feeling all depressed and gloomy like that dumb Sasuke. "I can't let this slow me down! I'm gonna be Hokage, so I can't let something silly like this stop me!"

"You're gonna be Hokage?" Kenshi asked with an edged glare.

"You're damn right!" He responded.

"Language," Naruto brushed off his cousin's reproach. The blond could feel Kenshi's challenge and he was rising to it. This guy like so many others didn't believe him, but he was going to make his point loud and clear. Uzumaki Naruto was a future Hokage. End of story.

"Sorry," Kenshi chuckled. "That job is gonna be mine."

"What? There's no way I'd lose to you!" Naruto responded indignantly. He hoped the guy continued to not believe him, 'cause the orange clad ninja-in-training would gladly prove him wrong.

"You know what kid? I kind of feel bad about being the one that keeps you from reaching your dream," Kenshi said as Naruto fumed about being called a kid again. "After the few times we've talked and from what your cousin says, I've started to think that you're alright."

"You're not gonna stop me from being Hokage!" Naruto shouted.

"Maybe you can have the job when I'm done with it," Kenshi teased and the girl giggled in response. Naruto was livid. There was no way he'd ever lose out on his dream. Even if Kenshi was a cool guy, the blond knew he'd be Hokage someday.

"Let's go," Hanami chirped in during the lull. "We're wasting time."

Yurushi's teammates turned to leave, but his cousin stood there. To anyone else, it would have looked like he was staring into space. To Naruto, however, it looked like his cousin was deep in thought. Whenever he was thinking deeply, planning something out, or memorizing a poem he mentally wrote, Yurushi would zone out. He could think like this when he was doing pretty much anything, but when he wasn't already doing something it looked like Yurushi's brain was out to lunch.

"Wait," Yurushi said suddenly as his mind had rejoined his body. "Naruto could join us for the afternoon."

"Yurushi," the brown eyed swordsman interjected. "I like your cousin and all, but he's just going to be a distraction. We've gotta get ready for our first C-Ranked mission, and sensei said we could use the extra practice."

"He's right," Hanami added. "That's the reason we agreed to train as a team today. Naruto isn't on the team. He'd just get in the way."

"I'm as good as you are," Naruto mumbled to himself. That won an elbow from his cousin as rebuke, and the daggers in the snowy haired genin's eyes didn't go unnoticed.

"What drills and exercises do we need to be working on?" Yurushi asked. That smirk, and the glint in those grayish orbes; Naruto had seen that look before. His cousin was up to something.

"Well," Hanami thought for a moment. "We should probably work on our tracking skills, and Sensei did say that he wanted us to work on setting up and avoiding ambushes. You and Kenshi still need to finish the tree climbing exercise too."

"Hey!" Kenshi glowered at his female cohort. "It's not our fault we haven't finished. Sensei had us try working on that for an hour after every team meeting, and our chakra control isn't as good as yours. Besides, you only finished it yesterday so you can't lord it over us like that."

A small chorus of laughter came from his cousin's team. Naruto was grinning to himself. He couldn't wait for this. Having Yurushi around, knowing he had a real family, and finally knowing that at least some people care about him as a person was great. As he watched the squad interact he knew that he really wanted this too. The companionship, the closeness, and the bond shared between teammates. Iruka-sensei had told him that one's genin team was like a second family, and now that he was beginning to understand what having a family was like he wanted more of it.

"I assure you both," Yurushi said once the laughter had stopped, "Naruto has skills that would greatly help in our training today. I can't speak about them too openly, but if you both don't mind then Naruto really could help."

"How can he help?" Hanami asked bluntly with doubt displayed plainly.

"Let's just say that he knows one of the same tricks that Sensei does, and Naruto's better at it," Yurushi answered with a wild grin.

"What? No way!" Kenshi practically yelled in shock. Naruto was trying to figure out what kind of moves he had that might be better than a jōnin. He didn't know too many jutsu. A nice collection of other skills weren't exactly lacking, but better than a jōnin? They were supposed to be among the best. The blond was pretty confused as to what his cousin was talking about.

"I can't talk about it here," Yurushi answered. "Nevertheless, he would be able to help us out with the ambush exercises. Besides, even if he couldn't it would be better than just working by ourselves."

"Oh come on Hanami-chan!" Kenshi was practically hands and knees, begging the girl. "We just haveta see what he can do. We just haveta."

"Alright," Hanami relented as a rosy hue was growing across her face.

Naruto was literally jumping with his uncontained joy. Now he didn't have to train by himself, and he got to see first-hand what it was like to be in a real life team of ninja. The only way he could make this day any better was to somehow work Ichiraku's into the menu. Together, the team led the way and Naruto was hot on their heels. His cousin believed he could help, and thought he could do something better than a jōnin. Maybe, just maybe, all this time he had spent training and studying, and actually doing his schoolwork really was paying off. Only time would tell.

Moving through the trees was becoming easier and easier. The trail had almost gone cold, but she hadn't lost it since she had first discovered it. She was worried that the detour she had made would have meant losing track of the group all together. There she was, just getting ready to leave a shop, picking up some lunch for her mother, when that buffoon showed up.

Naruto was yelling and bothering a group of people who had been talking across the street. As much as she wanted to leave so she could study for the upcoming test, Sakura knew she couldn't. She had been stuck inside the dango shop until Naruto left. That blond blabber mouth would be pestering her the second he noticed her. So she watched and waited. It was strange to see him speaking to the group. She recognized two of them; the cute one with red hair was especially familiar. They had walked out when she had made her way into the shop. Naruto apparently knew the redheaded boy.

'There's no way that guy is better than Sasuke-kun! He may be cute, but he's nowhere near as good!' Sakura thought to herself as she adjusted her course slightly. The training areas within the village were expansive. Heavily wooded for the most part, but several training fields had a large variety of terrain so that teams could get in a more well-rounded practice.

She had to see them. On the surface, it was to prove that her Sasuke-kun was the best ninja she had ever seen. The way the red haired boy with the striking steel-blue eyes carried himself reminded her of Sasuke-kun. The way he interacted with his genin squad, she supposed since they were all wearing hitai-ate, was entirely different than the last of the Uchiha though. If the pig Ino caught her here, then she would admit this was her purpose, a simple comparison of skills.

Then there was the real reason. If the dumb blonde Yamanaka girl caught her here, then she would die five times over before admitting that this was what drove her to follow this group all the way out here. That reason was Naruto.

'What did that guy mean when he said that Naruto knew something better than their Sensei did?' Sakura thought to herself as she rested on a large branch. Scanning the ground she saw signs of recent activity, when meant that her targets were somewhere around here. Unless she had been tracking the entirely wrong group of four, then she should run into the squad soon.

The peak in her curiosity was enough to cause her to investigate further. So the second it was safe to leave the small dango shop, Sakura rushed home to deliver lunch. Then, her mother, made her stay and clean her room and do her homework. Normally, this was not an issue, but her mother's constant demands always came at the worst possible times. She tried to explain that time was of the essence, and even appealed to her father, but the results were the same. Two hours were lost, and it ate at her that she might not see what had become so special about Naruto.

'Even if there is something special, or different, or cool about him it changes nothing!' She thought as she saw signs of recent activity. Shuriken and kunai knives littered the ground in spots all around the earth below her. She knew she was on the right track, but hoped that she wasn't too late. 'It doesn't matter though, because he'll never be as great as Sasuke-kun!'

Naruto, she had to admit, was improving on all accounts. He was still an idiot, but some of his idiocy was due to a lack of understanding social cues. His grades were now edging him closer and closer to the fiftieth percentile. It was nothing to write home about, but for Naruto, it was nothing to be ashamed of either. His taijutsu, while decent before, had been refined to the point where only a small handful of students could beat him in the class spars. His jutsu, however, was still in need of improvement. The blond still couldn't get the hang of the Bunshin no Jutsu.

The change wasn't entirely sudden, or drastic, but it was noticeable. The mystery as to what caused it lingered, and stuck in the back of Sakura's mind like moss clinging to an old rock. The moss spread over time, and the slow creeping annoyance of an unsolved mystery swept over her thoughts the past year until an opportunity unlike any other presented itself. She had never known Naruto to interact with others in any meaningful way. He had always been alone, and perhaps that would explain why he acts the way he does. The boy simply had no parents to keep him in line.

The fact that he was speaking so casually to people, and genin no less, caught her by surprise. As far as she knew the boy with the mischievous grin had no real friends, but she rarely paid attention to the kid's dealings. She much preferred to give her attentions to Sasuke-kun. 'He's just so cool and dreamy.'

Shaking her head slightly to bring her mind to the present, she kept moving to follow the trail left behind. Her skill as a tracker was basic at best, and largely by-the-book. She understood that she didn't have the depth of skill that a clan born ninja would have, but then again few people had her memory. She could remember just about everything that she had seen, heard, read, or said, and recite it with near perfect recall. It was the balance that she had to Ino's mind jutsu. Sakura was proud of the fact that her simple skill was all her and not reliant on some technique.

The sounds of metal clashing against metal were carried on a gentle breeze, and as the telltale signs of battle became more evident she slowed to find a place where she could observe without being spotted. The broad and radiant green of the forested canopy would be a perfect veil to cover her snooping. Finding a strong branch with just the right amount of cover and had just enough of a window, Sakura took her seat. From her perch she peered down on a clearing. In the opening, she saw a pair of individuals locked in combat.

It was a duel between the red haired genin and his brown haired teammate. Their movements were a contrast of one another, but it was impressive to watch. The brown haired boy kept his movements short and close to the body in a defensive style, but when he attacked it was with broad and powerful strikes. She had thought that the wide sweeping attacks would create too much an opening, but they were carefully timed which allowed him to react quickly and raise his guard. The red haired boy, again, reminded her of Sasuke-kun. His movements were so smooth and fluid. Whether he positioned his blade to block, shunting his opponent's straight edge, parried to create a short lived opening, striking or jabbing to test the other swordsman's guard, or even employing a subtle feint, each movement flowed gracefully into the next. It was as if he was gliding through the air, or moving with the winds.

She wished that her vantage point had been a bit closer so she could hear the conversation that was going on between them. It was probably nothing more than good natured ribbing, but it would give her a better understanding of the young genin. From what she had seen the kid was every bit Sasuke-kun's equal, not that she would ever admit that out loud. The rustle of the underbrush below her drew her attention to another fight that was taking place.

A streak of yellow and orange cut across the forest floor weaving its way through the trees in an effort to avoid pursuit. The pursuer was another streak to Sakura's eyes, but the color was of a white and a variant purple. With each change of direction the orange streak made a healthy mix of shuriken and kunai embed into a nearby tree. This fight was undoubtedly between Naruto and the girl of the genin team. Sakura couldn't help but feel as though she knew how this fight would end, but Naruto had changed quite a bit. 'I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now, but I don't think he'll impress me very much.'

Watching as he dodged the well-aimed flying metal, she noted that Naruto's speed had improved greatly. Not nearly as fast as Sasuke-kun, but fast enough to keep out of trouble. He was running across the forest frantic, and his panic was evident in his movements and expressions. The blond wasn't even trying to counter attack right now, and he wasn't giving much thought to where he was going either.

From her vantage point, Sakura studied the trail Naruto was blazing and noticed that the trees got closer together where he was headed. Also, the brush was thick, and the terrain uneven. If he didn't turn around he would be working his way into a corner, and the third member of this unknown genin squad would win their little spar. The girl in question seemed to pick up on this fact as well. She dropped back to what may have been the limits of her range, and carefully threw her weapons in a way to direct Naruto's movement.

The mauve clad girl allowed her pace to become more languid, and that allowed the emerald eyes of Sakura to study her form. The drop in speed was to allow an increased concentration for more precision with her shuriken and kunai, but it was also because the girl was tiring out. Sweat beaded on her brow and her breaths were calmed gasps for air. Whatever Naruto had done before the curious Haruno had arrived worked for a while. If he hadn't started letting himself be corralled into a trap, then he might have won.

Finally, the inevitable happened. Naruto's pace and the uneven footing he was traversing had finally conquered him. Nearly tripping, the boy managed to catch himself with his hand and try to carry on, but by this point it was too late. Wire snaked its way around him, creating a barrier that he looked at in shock and wonder. To his credit, Sakura admitted, the orange clad boy tried to bring his hands into position so that he could form hand seals. 'Kawarimi?' Sakura questioned to herself, 'Nice try Naruto, but you got the hand seals all wrong to use that technique. You might not be a total idiot all the time, but you are far from being a true genius like Sasuke-kun.'

The wire tightened in the blink of an eye. All the slack was gone and the poor blond was trapped, bound to the nearest tree. His hands were too far apart from one another to hope to use a jutsu to escape, and were nowhere near his kunai holster. The match was over.

"I finally got you," the white haired girl declared coolly as she landed a few meters away from Naruto's makeshift prison. "Yurushi was right, you're a lot better than I thought you'd be."

Naruto grinned at the compliment, "If you let me out I can show you just how good I really am."

"Not a chance ramen boy," the girl giggled. "I guess you aren't as good as me after all, but you aren't bad. Good spar."

"It was a good round Hanami," Naruto said in what seemed to be a congratulatory surrender. "Maybe next time, you know?"

"Yeah," Hanami agreed as she moved in to make the kill. "Maybe after you become a genin and get good training with your jōnin-sensei, then you'll be a serious threat. Who knows, maybe you'll even beat me someday."

"Someday?" Naruto asked as Hanami pointed the kunai near his throat unthreateningly. "When I was talkin' about next time, I wasn't talkin' about me, you know."

Sakura was confused what her classmate could have meant, especially when that troublemaker's grin sprouted. He was in no position to win this match, but just then, another figure dropped down from the canopy above. It looked like Naruto, it moved like Naruto, and it dressed like Naruto. Still, there was no way that it could actually be Naruto. 'He didn't use the kawarimi, and that hand seal wasn't even a real one. How could he have done this?'

"I was really talkin' about you," the body-double of Naruto said with a brazen confidence as he placed a kunai gently at the back of the neck of his opponent.

"But, when did you?" Hanami asked with an utter loss for words desperately searching for an explanation like Sakura had been. "How did you? I was watching you this whole time. You didn't make any just now. Ever since Kenshi-kun and I ambushed you I never gave you a chance."

"Right after we split up and I started running through the trees I hid behind one and made a Bunshin take my place," Naruto explained as a wild smile grew on his face. "Pretty good plan huh?"

'Bunshin?' Sakura stared in disbelief. There was no way that was a regular doppelganger. Illusions didn't interact with their environment, and that clone was still tied up. The blond had skills that he had hidden away, and Sakura was flabbergasted that he had kept this a secret. The only reason he hadn't graduated was because he couldn't perform the Bunshin no Jutsu, and here he had mastered some highly advanced variant. 'How did you do that Naruto? How strong are you?'

"Don't you ever run out of chakra?" Hanami asked Naruto exasperated by the sudden revelation of her loss.

"I dunno," the blond answered thoughtfully as he holstered his kunai. The copy of the orange clad nuisance that was tied helplessly to the tree disappeared in a puff of smoke. "I never really tried to use it all before."

Sakura's mind was racing as the pair of ninja worked their way through the forest floor to return to the duel in the clearing. She had never seen Naruto in action before, and had no estimation of his skills beyond the classroom. The blond had proven that he could get one over a genin with relative ease. Clearly, she had misjudged the blue eyed annoyance most severely. He had not been lax in training his skills, and did not have a lack of skill, but had been hiding them. For what purpose, and for what reason, Sakura couldn't tell.

'Naruto has a jutsu that lets him make a solid clone of himself and he hasn't talked about it, bragged about it, or shown off with it. Not even once. Where did he learn something like that anyway?' Sakura was pushing theories, and eliminating impossibilities as the subjects of her observation were slipping out of earshot.

She decided that more research was needed in order to figure out just what Naruto had done, and returned her study to the four young ninja now gathered together. Again, from where she sat, there was no way to hear what was being said. She could sneak a little closer, but didn't want to risk discovery. Having seen all that she needed to see for the time being she prepared to leave. What more could be said, other than Naruto was not the same moron that he was in the years past.

'He may still act like an idiot, and he's definitely not as cool as Sasuke-kun, but I won't underestimate his skill again,' the pink haired preteen decided as she left to go home. She wasn't going to go out of her way to befriend the rascal, but she wasn't going to belittle, berate, or beat up on the kid. That is, unless he deserved it for doing something stupid. Naruto was hiding secrets, and if there was one thing that Sakura liked it was a good mystery.

Wiping the sweat off of his forehead, Naruto was excited. The work out was over and it was almost time for some ramen. He could almost smell the broth and hear Teuchi's laughter at his usual order on an endless supply of his favorite dish. Yurushi and the rest of his team were finishing up a quick conversation about some of their training exercises before they departed. It was a team thing, so the blond waited patiently. The better he behaved, the more likely Yurushi would comply with a visit to Ichiraku's.

'He thinks he's so smart,' Naruto thought to himself, 'bribing me with ramen like that. If I really wanted ramen then I'd just do whatever and get some anyways, but if I play his little games then he'll come with me. Ramen is so much better when shared.'

Goodbyes were exchanged and the redheaded sword slinger walked over towards him, looking plenty tired. "Let's go," he said.

"I'm hungry," Naruto declared almost pleading for the answer to his unasked question.

"Fine," Yurushi theatrically groaned, "let's go to Ichiraku's."

"Yeah! Alright! Miso ramen, here I come," the blond shouted with excitement.

He started to sprint to his favorite destination before he realized that his cousin was taking a much more relaxed pace. Not wanting to leave his family behind, Naruto stopped and rejoined Yurushi as they calmly walked to the much frequented restaurant.

"Naruto," Yurushi said getting the whiskered boys attention. "You did really well today."

"Do ya really think so?" Knowing that his cousin never gave praise lightly, Naruto knew the answer but wanted to be sure.

"Of course," Yurushi's response was calm and level. Yurushi himself was much the same. Rarely did he display an overflow of emotion. There was that odd and kind of scary moment the other night that his cousin still hadn't said anything about, but other than that Yurushi was pretty much in control. The redhead wasn't as shelled up as he used to be though. "I have only ever seen Sensei use twelve Kage Bunshin during a single training session, and he looked exhausted afterwards. You easily made three times that today."

"Wow!" Naruto marveled at that fact for a moment. "Does that mean that I'm just really good or that your Sensei is really bad?"

"Actually," Naruto didn't really care one way or the other. He was better with a technique than a jōnin was. Even though he knew that not every ninja knew every jutsu there was to know, but that simple fact had to count for something. "Hayate-Sensei is supposed to be one of the more prominent practitioners of the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu in the village. He says that the technique is quite difficult to master, and trying to learn it when you aren't ready could get you killed."

Naruto couldn't help but feel a little odd about that one. People could die learning a move he practically mastered in a single afternoon. What made him so different? Why was he able to succeed where so many others failed? What was it that made him so special? 'Is that the reason why the villagers all hate me? Is that why they think I'm dangerous? Is this why they don't want me to be a ninja?'

"I would say," Yurushi said, snapping Naruto from his quizzical thoughts. "That your talent with that particular skill shows that you have great potential. I think it means that you could be a great shinobi."

With a smile creeping up his face Naruto followed his cousin to their favorite dining place. Pangs of jealousy, tendrils of insecurity that were gripping his heart, and the fear of being left behind, all of these emotions that were born when Yurushi became a genin were slowly melting away. The unsettled attitude and restless desire to prove his worth had started to skew his vision of the only family he had. His cousin got to be a part of a real shinobi squad, and trained with his team, and went on missions. All of those things were no longer secretive points of contention. He wasn't being left behind or forgotten. His family believed in him, and for now, that was enough.

"Hey, um," Naruto broached carefully recalling what had just happened. "You're sure that Jiraiya-sensei won't count this against me right? I mean he said I wasn't supposed to use Kage Bunshin for training."

"You'll be fine," Yurushi answered quickly with no caution or concern. "Jiraiya-sensei said that you couldn't tell anyone that you know the jutsu, and he also said that you couldn't use it when you were training alone. Since you were training with my team and I told them you could use it, then you didn't break the rules."

"If you say so," Naruto suspected the loophole wasn't as open as Yurushi thought it was, but his cousin sounded really confident. The blond just wanted to be sure that he wasn't missing out on a chance to learn a new technique.

The silence returned as Naruto strolled alongside his kin. The onset of dusk was a beautiful time of day in the village. The sweltering heat of high noon was waning as the sun was sinking below the horizon. There was nothing better than Konoha, and being with family made it even better. Though thoughts of the coming evening rattled through Naruto's head they always made their way back to the same point. Yurushi hovered over him, sword pointed at his face, fear rolling over him in waves, and the sudden shock that overcame his cousin's face. That was not a simple nightmare, and Naruto imagined that it wasn't the first time the young swordsman had that bad dream.

"Hey, um," the blond stopped when Yurushi's eyes shifted, putting his focus on him. This was a touchy subject, and he really didn't want to make his cousin mad. It could ruin the ramen. "About the other night-"

"Just drop it," the redhead scolded. "I'm sorry I scared you, but I don't want to talk about it."

"But I just wanted to-"

"I said drop it Naruto," his cousin interrupted harshly. "Just let it go."

The blond snapped his mouth shut. He really was concerned, but he decided to just do as his cousin asked and let the topic go. If Yurushi wanted to talk about it, then he'd start off that conversation. That is, if he ever wanted to talk about it. Sulking slightly as he walked, Naruto was disappointed that he may have ruined the flavor of ramen with the foul mood he had created.

The mission was a simple one. Barely a C-Rank by any stretch of the imagination, and it was only the prospect of combat that gave the mission such a designation. The problem itself was standard fare, and well within the capabilities of his genin. Hayate requested to be assigned this mission specifically. There was something that he wanted to test, and the results would determine what focus he wanted his squad to have.

A farmer had come to Konoha, representing himself and five other victims who had recently discovered that livestock had been stolen from them. The lush and rich valleys were fed by the tributaries that flowed into Kawa no Kuni. What those mighty currents had done to the landscape over the eons had left it perfect for farming rice, and many of the families that farmed that land had done so for generations. The numerous farms along the western boarder were largely meant for the crop, but the farmers relied on livestock so their families could eat.

The man that they were now escorting was in his early fifties and talked ceaselessly about how difficult the season had been, how he had pulled several tricks to save large portions of his crop, and how the approaching harvest should be a good one. Hayate wasn't sure if the man was putting on airs in an effort to impress or if he was just that chatty. Not that it mattered much either way; this client was of the utmost importance.

Farmers from this particular region grow much of the rice that Konoha consumes. They held a critical importance to the military efforts of the village and the nation as a whole. If any farmer from Hi no Kuni requests a mission the Hokage sees that it is dealt with swiftly and efficiently. Any minor inconvenience to the daily lives of the men and women responsible for growing the food could lead to a major crisis later on. Shinobi couldn't fight on an empty stomach, and a village like Konoha was far from self-sufficient. They relied upon their fellow countrymen to supply their needs, just as the farmers relied on shinobi for protection. It was the give and take of modern civilization.

"So how do you plan on catching the thief Shinobi-sama?" The graying farmer asked as they followed the bend of the dirt trail.

"Hayate is fine Junji-san," he corrected warmly. "I was actually planning on letting my students take the lead on this assignment."

"What? Really Sensei?" Kenshi blurted in shock.

"Not to sound rude, but are you sure that's wise," Junji questioned. "I mean, they're kids. Do they have much experience with this sort of thing?"

"I've been teaching them for a while now, and I believe they're capable," he confirmed. "Besides, I'll be watching very carefully to make sure the job gets done."

"Well, I guess I'll leave it to you then," the old farmer shrugged. That was far too easy. Hayate had expected a little more fight out of the man, but perhaps he wasn't nearly as skeptical as he first sounded. He was glad the man was compliant. This mission was a good opportunity for his students to learn the ropes. Sooner or later they'd have to figure these things out themselves, and a simple mission like this was perfect.

"What exactly has been stolen Junji-san?" Yurushi spoke up. He hadn't made a sound since they left the village, but now that he's been given the lead he has to step up. Hayate grinned; he had been hoping to get the redhead to take more of a leadership role in the group. He had a level head and had sharp instincts. Two things a decent leader needed.

"I've lost two goats and a pig, but my neighbors have lost more than that," the farmer recounted. "I've heard someone say that they lost a couple calves."

"Why would people steal animals?" Kenshi pondered. "Seems like kind of a dumb thing to take."

"I wondered that myself, but my neighbor's son went to a village to order some seed for the next season and he swears that he saw people selling one of my pigs that had been stolen," Junji answered.

"So they're stealing from the farmers and selling to other people? That's horrible!" Hanami proclaimed with concern. Hayate was proud of the girl's steady growth. She had several successes in training and in the D-Ranked missions that the team had been assigned. The confidence that she had in her own skills was bolstered each time she got a win. The early success helped her to overcome her axiety. He knew that he would need to teach her how to cope with failure, but right now he was enjoying watching her blossom as a promising kunoichi.

"Farmers from other villages are the ones our livestock are being sold to," the farmer growled. "These guys know what they're doing. We don't go too far out for supplies and we can't seem to stop them ourselves; that's why we need your help."

"You said these guys," Yurushi interjected. "Are you saying that there is more than one thief?"

"Son, have you ever tried to catch a frightened pig?" Junji asked with a chuckle. The boy shook his head in the negative. "It can be damn near impossible to do by yourself."

"Wouldn't you notice a bunch of people walking around your house late at night?" Kenshi asked. Blunt as ever, but it was a fair question. The Muramasa boy was also growing quite well. His skills with a blade were becoming less sporadic and more defined as he settled into a style of kenjutsu that fit him. Hayate needed to check and see if his clan had any techniques of their own, and if not he would pass his techniques down to the boy.

"They don't do it at night," the weathered man corrected. "They hide just out of sight and wait until we're all busy in the fields during the day. They move so fast. It's gotten to the point where I have to have someone keep an eye on the livestock I have left."

"I don't guess you know who's doing it then?" Yurushi asked knowingly as Junji denied. He was probably hoping for a direct confrontation. Find out who it is, go to where they are, and take back what was stolen. It was a simple, upfront, and honest approach to serving justice. 'How very much like a samurai Yurushi,' Hayate chided mentally. 'The direct approach won't work here. Start thinking like a shinobi!'

"How many people know you came to Konoha to hire ninja?" Yurushi asked. The furrowed brow was a good sign. The kid was working on something.

"Just my family," the farmer answered. "I went with my son into town and see if I could buy a new goat so we could have milk again, but on the way there I decided to just keep walking and get a shinobi. I sent my son home and I walked to Konoha. Buying a goat won't do any good if these bastards are just going to steal it from me."

"Good," the redhead seemed pleased with what he heard. "When we get back tell all of your neighbors that you bought that goat."

"Umm, Yurushi," Hanami spoke up quizzical about what the plan was. "He doesn't actually have a goat so why do you want him to say that?"

"We'll just be spreading a rumor," Yurushi returned. "One of us will pose as a goat."

"Oh, I get it!" Kenshi perked up with excitement. "We'll be the bait and catch the thieves in the act. Sounds like a nice plan Yurushi!"

"Yeah, that should work great!" Hanami concurred.

Hayate quirked an eyebrow. The immediate thought was to stage an ambush. He had them train so they could learn how an ambush works and methods to guard against it, but perhaps this could be the focus for the squad. Every ninja knows the basics, but specialization in something was a different game. Just like tracking, assault, or infiltration, it takes a group of individuals with very particular skill sets for a squad to have a particular specializations. The ambush required the members to have a combat focus, but there also had to be some proficiency in tracking and stealth. If this was his team's natural inclination, then he'd train them for it.

"You guys are thinking too small," Yurushi lectured. "We let the thieves lead us to the heart of the group driving this and we shut it down at the source."

"What makes you think that this is bigger than some low life thieves?" Junji questioned with clear irritation.

"Actually," Hayate spoke up. "I think he may be on to something. Someone could be buying the animals from the thieves and reselling them in other towns. It could be small time crooks, but it wouldn't hurt to check if there is something bigger going on. After all, if we don't take out the source of the problem then it will only come back later. Nice work Yurushi, that's thinking like a shinobi."

The boy bristled at the praise, and the tired jōnin could only roll his eyes. The kid still struggled with the idea of being a ninja, but the right changes were taking place. After months of training, lessons, and missions, Uzumaki Yurushi was starting to hold the right mindset for the job he accepted. No matter how much Yurushi resisted or how much he might dislike it, the boy was finally becoming a ninja.