Okay I'm really sorry I haven't updated in awhile but school is trying to eat me and I don't know the password to get on the computer so even when I do have free time I can't.

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I crept quietly around the Hokage's office. When I found the door I was looking for I knocked quietly on it. It opened quickly and there stood my older cousin: Risuke. He frowned at me. "What are you doing here?"

I smiled. "I'm bored." He shook his head and sighed. "Can't you go bother your teammates? I'm very busy."

"Aww…poor Risuke. Only chuunin level and already working like jounin." Risuke's like the exact opposite of me. Serious, hardworking, and…uh…very lame. I stopped smiling. "Anything interesting going on?"

"I can't tell you."

"You told me stuff last time."

"Last time I wasn't thinking and I got in trouble."

I shrugged. "Okay, fine! I guess I'll go…and bug my aunt." Heh, heh, pun. After five steps Risuke stopped me. "Hang on." I paused. "I don't want to worry you…but I feel you should know." Uh oh. He's really serious. Maybe I don't want to know.

"What is it?" Being curious sucks.

"Akatsuki members have been spotted around the guardian gates."

I raised my eyebrow. "Huh?"

Risuke did a heavy sigh. "The 12 guardian ninjas. You've never heard of them?" I shook my head.

"You know Asuma right?"

I nodded. "Shikamaru's teacher and friend."

"He used to be a part of that group. He might still be I don't know but the point is the guardians were attacked by two people who were wearing the Akatsuki uniform but don't tell anyone. I just want you to be on your toes in case the worse happens okay?"

"Um…okay." He closed the door in my face.

Naruto has the Kyuubi inside of him. That's obvious. Could they be coming here for him? I decided I'd pay him a visit if he wasn't too busy. I haven't seen him for a couple days anyway.

-----Ichiraku----------

I saw Naruto sitting with Kakashi and Yamato at the shop. Naruto was laying on the counter muttering about food. "Where's Ayame?" asked Kakashi lazily to the owner, Teuchi.

"She's on vacation!" Teuchi replied and pointed at two men. "These are the men I hired in replace." One guy man introduced himself as Nishi, the other Matsu. They gave Naruto a bowl of ramen and the owner started to yell at them. When I got closer I realized one of the new men accidentally put their finger in the soup a little.

"The customers aren't here to taste your hands!! Nishi! Make another!"

"Aye sir!"

I walked up to Naruto but he didn't notice me right away. "So…h…hungry….." he murmured. Nishi tripped in his hurry causing the owner to yell at him as well. Nishi and Matsu ran out and hid behind Kakashi. "Teuchi-san, calm down." He said putting his hands up. "That happens a lot."

"That's the problem!!" Teuchi yelled.

Kakashi noticed me standing there and waved lightly. "Oh, it's Akizakura. Done with daily training?"

"Of course." No.

I looked at Naruto. "Has Naruto been working hard?" Naruto was drooling freely now. "He got up early and started his training immediately." Replied Kakashi looking at him.

Wow. Naruto's working hard. After a lot of screaming and yelling Naruto got his bowl of ramen and ate it like there was not tomorrow while Yamato just stared at the ramen disapprovingly.

"OKAY! I'M COMPLETELY ENERGIZED!!" Naruto shouted happily. He whipped his head to face me. "Akizakura! You're here!" His powers of observation are absolutely amazing.

"Hang on Naruto." Kakashi said calmly. "I've got something extremely cool to show you…"

Naruto started at Kakashi. "What do you mean?" Cool to show? I wanna see too. I mean if someone like Kakashi says it's cool it's got to be cool. Right?

"First I need to explain some things." Kakashi replied. Naruto frowned at him. "I hate explanations…"

"Don't worry…I have a way with words…"

This ought to be good. Kakashi glanced at Yamato. "Yamato, here, if you wouldn't mind."

Yamato frowned. "What? Isn't it the sempai who that's supposed to pay in these situations?"

Kakashi smiled under his mask. "In my eyes, once I respect you, sempai and kouhai mean nothing…granted…you're pretty much the only kouhai I've ever respected…" I noticed he said this with a twinkle in his eye. Kakashi then looked away and closed his eyes frowning sadly. "Although I suppose I could…"

"Oh no! I'll take care of everything!" Yamato called and smiled as he took out his wallet. Kakashi did a quick peace sign behind his back while Naruto snickered and I stood there feeling a little sorry for Yamato that he fell for that. He must really respect Kakashi for it to work so easily.

As Yamato payed for their meal I faced Kakashi. "Mind if I come with you guys and observe?"

Kakashi glanced at me. I smiled sweetly. "I won't get in the way. Promise"

"I don't see why not." He said tiredly.

I smirked.

------Training Grounds-----------

"So what do you want to show me?" asked Naruto. "Let's review first…" said Kakashi. Kakashi basically explained a chakra controlled technique that was important as "elemental re-composition" and "spatial re-composition" where one can control the shape of chakra and then I zoned out.

Why did I come here? I thought I was trying to decrease my boredom. I got up this morning, talked to Risuke….oh yeah. I wanted to check on Naruto because of the Akatsuki. Naruto's yelling brought me back to reality.

"Oh yeah! This is gonna be easy!!"

"If it was easy I wouldn't have to develop the chidori." Kakashi said. He held up hand and laid it out flat. "This is what I wanted to show you…" Chakra started to swirl around the palm of his hand. The chakra, rotating at a fast speed, formed an orb shaped chakra rasengan.

"You can do the rasengan too?!" shouted Naruto.

"Yes, but this is all I can do." Kakashi held the rasengan a little higher. "I can't combine my 'elementally recomposed' lighting chakra with the 'spatially recomposed' chakra of the rasengan."

"It takes incredible amount of skill or natural talent." Stated Yamato.

"Even my teacher…" said Kakashi. "Who devised the rasengan only got this far."

So Naruto has to learn a technique that not even the fourth could master…poor Naruto. He's got his work cut out for him. The rasengan itself was never fully developed.

"From here on out you can't be taught." Said Kakashi. "You know why I'm telling you this?"

Naruto stayed silent. Kakashi smiled at him. "It's because I have great expectations for you as a shinobi, Naruto. I believe that only you can surpass the fourth hokage."

Wow. Kakashi really is a nice guy if you overlook everything bad about him……….wait….if I did that with everyone of course they'd be nice.

Note to self: stop thinking idiot thoughts.

Naruto's training was…very boring. Once the chakra of the Kyuubi started to come out but Yamato took care of it with his earth jutsu. He complained that he couldn't stop the kyuubi's chakra every time and Kakashi replied by telling him that Naruto needs his help to learn that jutsu.

After a couple more hours Naruto plopped down on his butt. "What's wrong?" asked Kakashi. Naruto didn't look at him but just continued staring at the ground tiredly. "It's no use….."

Kakashi's eyes widened. "Naruto, are you actually giving up? That's not like you."

"Forming just the rasengan is hard enough…but this is a whole different thing. It's impossible."

"It's not impossible! You just need to try harder!" I shouted at him. "How can someone like you be giving up over something as trivial as this?" Naruto looked at me and frowned more. "Easy for you to say." He said. "You're not trying to surpass what the fourth invented."

I frowned at Naruto. "And being Hokage is supposed to be easier?!"

Naruto stopped frowning and stared at me.

"Just think of this as training for you to become Hokage. Leading a huge village like Konoha has gotta be harder than trying to figure out how to level up the rasengan."

Naruto looked down again his sad face returning. "Leveling up the rasengan is just like trying to look right and left at the same time." Naruto replied.

"That's easy." Stated Kakashi. He made a clone of himself. "If I look right…" said the clone looking right. "And I look left…" said Kakashi while looking left. "Problem solved." They said at the same time.

Naruto stared at him then smiled. "I get it!!"

"Hm?"

Naruto made two clones and did the rasengan again with his clones helping him form it, only this time it was a perfect bright sphere. I smiled. "You did it!"

Naruto smirked. "Of course! What would anyone expect from the future Hokage?!"

Oops…I think I might have made Naruto more of a ego maniac guy with my short speech there.

"I got one of my clones to do the 'Elemental Recomposition'!" Naruto yelled happily.

"You really live up to your title. 'Most Unpredictable Ninja'." Said Kakashi. "Naruto…how shall I put it…?"

Naruto and I looked at Kakashi eagerly to hear what he had to say.

Kakashi smiled under his mask. "I think I'm starting….to fall in love with you."

"…………………………………………………"

Both of our eyes widened as big as dinner plates as we frowned greatly. Naruto's new rasengan blew up in his face sending him and his clones back. "UWAHA!!!"

I jumped away from both of them until I decided I was at a safe distance.

"Don't surprise me by saying sick things like that!! Jeez!!!" hollered Naruto. "My jutsu just blew up in my face just when I was getting the hang of it!!!!!"

Kakashi scratched his head while walking towards Naruto and waved his hand to try to calm Naruto down. "No, no…I didn't mean it like that…It's that, you see…."

"NOT ANOTHER STEP CLOSER!!!!" screeched Naruto shaking his arm

"YOU SHOULDN'T HIT ON YOUR STUDENTS KAKASHI!!!" I hollered eyes still wide.

Kakashi sighed. "You both misunderstand."

A couple feet away a ninja jumped in front of Yamato. "I have a message." He said.

Naruto glanced over to the two. "What's going on?"

"Kakashi-sempai!!!" called Yamato. "We're putting the training on hold to go back to the village!"

"What happened?" asked Kakashi.

Yamato said nothing at first.

"Sarutobi Asuma-san…has passed away."

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Whenever I get a review I get so happy that I just start writing some more. (No, I'm not trying to get you people to review just so I'll update. (I'd update no matter what…unless I died.) I'm just saying you reviewing people make me really happy.

And if the next chapter is not interesting may I be horribly slaughtered………I mean……get lots of ice cream… . Sorry there was no Sai in this one ;-;