Hey everyone! Hope you're all doing well tonight (or whatever time it is for you). Before I get started I would like to thank Takishima for continuing to review, as well as helping spot a few errors that needed correcting. ^^ I really appreciate it! And now, onto the story~!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the other characters in the series. Okay? We good? Cool.

"Congratulations, you pass."

Nozomi's eyes widened, and her jaw went slack. Was that right? She knew she'd done well, at least on the written exam. The physical, however...not so much. She'd been really jumpy and mixed the clone and transformation jutsu up. Were they really passing her in spite of that?

The brunette looked up as she heard her name, and she gasped softly when she saw the forehead protector Iruka was holding. "Is that…? I mean…" She hesitated, biting her lip nervously. "Are you sure this is okay? I mean...I did mess up on the jutsu.."

Iruka arched his eyebrows before letting out a soft chuckle. "Everybody makes mistakes sometimes. You still demonstrated your ability, so don't be so hard on yourself." He held out the headband. "Take it. You've earned it."

Nozomi nodded slowly, reassured by the man's smile, and with trembling hands, she took the strip of material from him. A thrill of excitement rushed through her as she traced her finger over the symbol engraved on the plate. From this moment on, she was no longer just the cursed jinchuuriki of her clan. Her life was finally going to have meaning.

It took a few tries, but finally she found a way to tie the headband that didn't bother her ears, and she glanced at her instructor curiously. "Um...how does it look?"

"It suits you." The teacher smiled softly and gave her an approving look. "I'm expecting great things from you from now on."

"I won't let you down, Iruka-sensei!" The brunette replied as she tapped the metal covering her forehead lightly. 'Most of the villagers still don't seem to like me, but that's okay. At least, after all this time, somebody finally believes in me.' A small smile tugged at her lips, and she closed her eyes tight, feeling tears beginning to pool behind them.

'Tsunade-sama has given me a purpose -no, a chance- and no matter what happens I won't throw it away. I'll protect the village and everyone in it with my life, and maybe one day they'll stop being afraid of me. Until then, I'll endure. Because that's what a ninja does.' The brunette opened her eyes and gave a small nod of resolution.

"Is something the matter?" Iruka's mouth curved down slightly as he noticed the tears in her eyes.

'That's right. I'm a ninja now, and that means no more crying.'

Nozomi shook her head and dried her eyes with her sleeve quickly. "Thank you for believing in me." Her face radiated nothing but happiness now. "I'll do my best to deserve this headband."

Iruka shook his head, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "I'm sure you will."

…..

"Well...I passed."

Nozomi need not have said anything. The moment she'd come outside wearing her headband, her friends cheered, and she was bombarded with congratulations from everybody. "Thanks, everyone.." A faint blush colored the brunette's cheeks as she smiled shyly. She wasn't used to being in the spotlight...at least, not in a positive setting.

"See? I told you, nothing to worry about!" Sakura exclaimed, pulling her in for a hug that she happily returned. "Now you're a kunoichi like me!"

"Hey, don't forget me!" Ino cut in, knocking the pinkette out of the way as she ran up to Nozomi. "I'm a kunoichi too, you know!"

"Hey, watch it, Ino-Pig!" Sakura stormed up to Ino, who turned to glare at her.

"Oh yeah? What are you gonna do about it, Forehead?"

Nozomi sweat dropped, feeling the electricity crackling between the two and bit her lip. She wasn't overly fond of Ino, but she still didn't want to see either of them get hurt, and Sakura looked like she was ready to punch the girl. Something told Nozomi that if that happened, Ino would retaliate and things would escalate out of control. She couldn't let that happen, especially not in front of the Academy. She needed some kind of distraction.

As luck would have it, Choji provided one at that very moment.

"Alright, who's ready to celebrate?!"

Nozomi gave a relieved sigh as everyone's attention turned to the boy. Sakura and Ino were still almost nose to nose, but they were distracted, the hostility fading from their eyes at the mention of food.

The brunette grinned and raised her hand, her enthusiastic agreement lost in the chaos that ensued as everybody agreed that was a great idea.

Everybody, that is, except for Asuma. The jounin gave a defeated sigh that was drowned out by the energetic gang of youths who dragged him to the barbecue restaurant. One thing was for certain, he was going to work his squad hard for putting him on the spot like this. He only hoped that he had enough in his savings to cover such an outing.

…..

A couple hours later, Nozomi stumbled out of the restaurant, followed by Sakura. Unlike Nozomi, the pinkette hadn't eaten much. As a result, she was much steadier on her feet than the brunette, who feared one wrong step would send her rolling like a boulder. Okay, that was over exaggerating, but she had eaten more during the celebration than she'd had in a long time. Then again, she wasn't like Sakura, who had parents to cook her meals for her day in and day out. She had to make the most of any opportunities she got to eat something healthy, and that was just what she'd done.

Her content smile faded slightly as Asuma's face popped into her head. She could see he was worried about the bill, so she'd offered to repay him once she started taking on missions. She thought that would've helped, but instead he'd smiled and told her not to worry; think of it as a graduation gift.

She had protested, insisting that such a thing was too expensive for a near stranger, but the man had simply laughed. "You're no stranger! Shikamaru called you his sister, and I'm his mentor, so in a way, that makes us all family."

It really didn't, but Nozomi hadn't the heart or strength to argue anymore. Something about Asuma's behavior reminded her of her late father, and she had quickly looked away, trying to push the thought away. Nozomi wasn't one to believe in things like ghosts, but if she did, she would've said that the spirit of her father was watching her through Asuma in that moment.

Thinking about her father made her want to cry, but as a ninja, tears were a sign of weakness, so she inhaled deeply and turned her thoughts to something else.

Shikamaru. He'd been his typical silent self during the meal, save for when he'd had to break up an argument between Ino and Choji. At one point, he caught her watching him and smiled slightly, causing her chest to ache a little as she remembered she'd never be with him. Strangely though, the pain in her heart didn't last long, and she'd found herself smiling back at him. It honestly made her wonder just how strong of feelings she'd had for the boy if she was so cool around him in just a matter of weeks.

It was all too much to think about for now, so she decided not to and turned to the pinkette at her side. "Hey, Sakura-san. What do you want to do now?"

Apologetic green eyes locked with her gold as Sakura shook her head. "I should actually get going. I have a training session with Tsunade-sama." She broke off and shuddered slightly. "There's a woman you don't dare keep waiting."

Nozomi laughed as she pictured the impatient Hokage. "Oh wow, yeah. You'd better go then." Her eyes softened as she smiled at her friend. "Thanks for coming to support me...and for telling Choji-kun and Shikamaru-kun so they could be there."

"Sure, I had a lot of fun." Sakura grinned and winked playfully. "If only I'd known there was going to be a celebratory meal involved -I wouldn't have had such a big breakfast!"

Nozomi's eyebrows rose as she watched the pinkette leave, and she smirked. So that was why she'd eaten so little. Suddenly, the brunette didn't feel nearly as bad for eating as much as she did.

…..

Nozomi burst into her apartment and looked around before kicking her shoes off to the side. She giggled and ran to the bathroom, staring at the hyper looking brunette in the mirror. "I'm home, and I passed!"

Her reflection beamed back at her, and she half-ran half-danced back into her room and spun around, laughing giddily when she got dizzy and toppled over onto her bed. Once the room stopped spinning, she grabbed her pillow and hugged it to her chest, screaming over and over that she was a ninja before getting up and jumping on her bed like the child she used to be.

After a few minutes, she flopped onto her stomach and hugged her pillow again, closing her eyes with a happy sigh.

"Would you calm down already?! You're more disgustingly happy today than usual!" A voice rasped in her mind, and her eyes rolled upward in response.

"Sorry, no can do. I'm a ninja now, and I'm gonna scream it to the world." She retorted, flipping off the bed and almost doing a perfect handstand before crashing onto her face.

Kumoraku snorted. "The entire village undoubtedly knows by now, with the ruckus you're making!"

Sitting up and rubbing her head, Nozomi scowled at the demon's sarcasm and crossed her arms. "Oh, you're just mad that I'm the one who gets to go on adventures, and you're stuck in a cage!"

When several minutes passed, and Kumoraku failed to answer, she snickered. "I thought so."

A yawn escaped her lips and she glanced at the bed. "Well, a little nap won't hurt, I guess" She climbed onto the bed and laid down, suddenly feeling exhausted.

'I guess enough good food can do that to you.' She thought drowsily as she closed her eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.

…..

When her eyes fluttered open again, she glanced over at the clock and shot up from the bed with a gasp. "An hour!" She exclaimed. "What happened to just taking a little cat nap?!"

Ignoring the snide remark her demon made, the brunette brushed the tangles that sleep had caused in her hair before splashing some water in her face. Finally feeling more awake, she decided that it was time to get to work. Now that she was a genin, it wouldn't be long before she found herself face to face with Saera again, and she wanted to be ready.

Nozomi picked up the kunai she kept on her nightstand and smiled softly, thinking back to the day she'd gotten it. 'Naruto-kun...thank you.' She clutched the blade firmly, remembering the promise she'd made when the boy left. She wanted to seriously blow him away when he returned. She also really wanted to impress her sensei.

'I'll become so strong that there'll be no choice but to admit that I'm someone worthy of her time, and his equal!' The brunette balled her fist determinedly.

…..

Nozomi fell back onto the grass and closed her eyes, panting hard. She was a sweaty mess, and every muscle in her body was screaming, but she felt accomplished.

"There you are."

Nozomi's ears perked up and she propped herself up on her elbows, barely containing a moan as her body ached. "Iruka-sensei?"

The dark haired chunin smiled as he approached her, arms folded across his chest. "It looks like you overdid it, Nozomi-san."

The brunette frowned and shook her head stubbornly. "What? Of course not!" Her arms gave out then, and she fell backwards with a groan. "Okay….yes...I did."

She pouted as the man smirked. "But I can't just relax! I have to be ready for whatever test my sensei has in mind!"

"I understand, but working yourself to your limits is unhealthy." Iruka's face softened as he held out his hand.

Nozomi hesitantly grabbed on, a soft hiss of pain escaping her as he helped her up. The concern on his face was beginning to bug her, so she decided to change the subject before he could say anything else. "So, you were looking for me. Was there something you wanted?"

Her question had the effect she was hoping for as the man's eyes lit up with realization, and he nodded. "I thought we'd go out to celebrate your achievement."

Another celebratory meal? Nozomi's eyebrows rose, and she shook her head slowly. "Thanks, but I had a big meal earlier so-" She was interrupted by a low rumble, and her face turned a light shade of pink as she realized it had been her stomach.

Iruka just grinned, his eyes full of laughter he wouldn't dare express any other way. "You were saying?"

The brunette averted her gaze to the ground, pressing her ears back in embarrassment as she mumbled. "I guess I am a little hungry.."

"Then let's go. It'll be my treat." Iruka motioned for her to follow him and she did -only to face plant into the ground. Concerned, the chunin knelt beside her, and she met his questioning look with a sheepish grin.

"Sorry, Iruka-sensei. I guess I really did overdo it. My legs are killing me."

Iruka's brow furrowed at her comment, and he shook his head, giving her a stern look. "Nozomi-san, you can't keep overexerting yourself like that! Part of being a ninja is knowing when enough is enough!"

"Is Naruto-kun good at that?"

The brunette's question caught him off guard, and he frowned. "No...but this isn't about him, it's about you."

"I'm sorry."

Iruka shook his head as she painstakingly got back up into a sitting position. "You have to promise to be more careful. It's okay to be excited and determined, but you still have to take things slow to a certain degree or you end up the way you are now. Do you understand?"

"Yes...I promise." The brunette nodded.

'He must be the one who taught Naruto-kun to worry about those things.' She thought with a soft smile, thinking back to the times the blond boy had expressed concern over her tendency to overwork herself.

"Ok. You need to regain your strength, so let's go eat."

"Thank you." Nozomi smiled gratefully at Iruka as he helped her stand again, and they disappeared in a puff of smoke.

When they reappeared, they were outside of Ichiraku, and Iruka smiled apologetically. "I just realized you might have wanted something besides ramen to celebrate. Would you rather go somewhere else?"

Nozomi surprised him by shaking her head vigorously. "Are you kidding? Ramen's fine- it's perfect!"

"Okay then." The chunin grinned as he helped her onto a stool. Once he was certain she wouldn't fall, he took a seat beside her and gave his order to Teuchi, who greeted them heartily.

When it was Nozomi's turn to order, she stammered, glancing at the menu repeatedly. "Hmm...I know what I got before, but everything looks so good, and I'm hungrier than I thought suddenly. Geez! What am I supposed to do?" Caught up in this "dilemma", she missed the amused smirk that crossed her former teacher's face.

"Iruka-sensei, what do you think I should pick?"

Careful not to let her catch onto his amusement, Iruka shrugged. "Order whatever you want, Nozomi-san. You can get another bowl if you want to try something else after."

The look on her face was priceless as she lit up brighter than a village festival. "Okay!" She quickly turned back to the old man who stood patiently waiting, and Iruka turned his head to the side, fighting back a chuckle at the display of eagerness that reminded him of someone else he knew and missed.

'You've rubbed off on her more than you know, Naruto.' The dark haired man smiled at the thought.

Originally he'd blamed his urge to help Nozomi with her studies on his compassion as a teacher. As time went on, however, and he got to know her, he'd noticed a number of similarities between her and his former student. It only made more sense later on when he learned that she considered Naruto her best friend. He had obviously had a huge influence on her.

At the same time, Nozomi was different enough from the boy that Iruka could enjoy her company; they spent most of their meals talking, with him telling stories about her dear friend as she listened, rapt.

A steaming bowl was placed before him, breaking his reverie, and he thanked Teuchi. His eyes fell on the narutomaki mixed in with the ramen, and a soft smile appeared on his face. 'Do your best, Naruto. I look forward to seeing how strong you become.'

…..

"Thanks for the meal!" Nozomi called out as she left Ichiraku, her ears swiveling back as she picked up Iruka's response.

When he had suggested getting dinner, she'd wondered how she could possibly eat anything else after the big lunch she'd had. She needn't have worried, though, since she'd managed to go through not one, nor two, or even three, but four bowls of ramen!

A wide grin spread across Nozomi's face as she wandered through the village, finding herself distracted by all there was to see downtown. Earlier she'd been completely worn out, but after that meal, she was raring to go again! It would be risky to attempt any more training, but she'd gotten a lot done earlier, so she wouldn't complain.

Besides, after Iruka's lecture, she didn't want to chance overdoing it again anytime soon. As it was, the man had felt the need to give her a teaching right there in the middle of dinner, going over multiple possibilities of things she'd be facing as a new ninja. He had also reminded her that she was no longer one of his pupils, and would be expected to work just as hard as she had for him, if not ten times harder now that she was a genin.

Finally Nozomi decided it was time to go home and turned to head in the opposite direction. She hadn't been walking for long when an ANBU appeared before her, and she stopped, eyeing him curiously.

"Can I help you?"

The masked ninja regarded her calmly. "Kubota Nozomi, you are to report to the Hokage immediately."

Nozomi nodded, raising her eyebrows at his urgency. "I understand. I'll go now."

The ANBU gave a slight nod and disappeared in a puff of smoke, and she set off once more.

…..

"You've got to be kidding me! Tell me it's a bad joke, please!"

Tsunade pursed her lips and shook her head at the near hysterical brunette, folding her arms. "Sorry, Nozomi. No joke. I need you to move back in with Mikkokan Saera immediately."

Golden orbs grew larger as Nozomi stared at the woman in outrage. "But why?! What was the point of me moving out if you were just gonna send me right back? Why do I have to move back in with that woman?!"

All the patience that Tsunade was trying to maintain came undone at the blatant lack of respect in the girl's voice, and she stood up abruptly, storming over to the startled brunette. "'That woman' is still your teacher, Nozomi, and you would do well to remember that. You two may have gotten off to a rocky start, but that is no excuse to be disrespectful. She will not tolerate it, nor will I!"

Nozomi flinched as the woman towered over her and took a step back, gulping. "Y-yes, ma'am. It won't happen again!" When the Hokage's stance relaxed, she heaved a soft sigh of relief. There was a long pause before she found the courage to speak, careful not to sound rude this time. "So...why do you suddenly need me to move back in with her?"

Tsunade paused, a conflicted look passing over her face as she stepped back and resumed her previous position behind her desk. "As your teacher, Saera will need to know your whereabouts at all times in order to arrange training sessions. This could prove difficult if she has to come find you all the time, so I'm putting you back with her to reduce that possibility."

Nozomi blanched and shook her head, frowning. "That's why you're uprooting me like this? That makes no sense! Why can't you just tell her where I live?" The brunette paused, fixing the older woman with a wide eyed pout. "Hokage-sama...please! I'm happy living alone!"

Conflict. She could've sworn she saw a glimmer of it in the Hokage's amber eyes just before she shook her head. "I'm sorry, Nozomi, but this is not open for discussion." She said firmly, watching the brunette's shoulders sag. "You have until the end of the day to get moved out. I'd stop complaining and get packing if I were you."

Nozomi's ears pinned back, and she clawed at the palms of her hands in anger as she bowed slightly.

"You're dismissed."

The words had barely left Tsunade's mouth before the brunette spun on her heel and stormed away. To heck with being respectful! She opened the door roughly, nearly running into Shizune as she marched angrily into the hall, grumbling about how unfair the Hokage was, and cursing under her breath.

Bewildered, Shizune approached the fifth Hokage slowly. "You're sending her to live with Mikkokan-san again?" Her voice was laced with concern as she spoke, her forehead creasing slightly as she frowned. "Why?"

Instead of the sharp response she was bracing herself for, Tsunade simply sighed and shook her head before picking up a piece of paper and holding it out.

Shizune took and unfolded it, her eyes scanning its contents. When she reached the end of the note, she cast a startled look to Tsunade. "This is…!"

The Hokage nodded and sighed inwardly. "This move is related to her training, Shizune. Even if it means making her miserable, we can't interfere. We have no choice but to trust Saera's decision is the right one."

"I guess you're right." Her dark haired assistant nodded slowly, laying the paper back on the desk with a sigh. "But still…..why would she want Nozomi-san back after all this time..? It's not like they parted on friendly terms."

The only answer she got was a shrug, coupled with a slightly glazed over look from Tsunade. "Your guess is as good as mine."

…..

"I can't believe this!" Nozomi fumed as she packed up her belongings. "First she makes me wait forever to be able to get away from that place...then, just when I'm finally used to being alone again she wants me to move back in! It's just not fair!"

The brunette groaned unhappily as she leaned against the door, letting herself slide down onto the floor. "Why? Today of all days! I was so happy, now look what's happened!"

She sighed, recalling Iruka's words earlier. He'd warned her that many responsibilities would be placed upon her shoulders, and along with them, different expectations. She'd eventually be asked to do things that were out of her comfort zone, and she'd be expected to follow through.

When he had said that, Nozomi had thought he meant missions that would cause her discomfort, but now she found herself wondering if perhaps the instructor had known this would happen and was trying to prepare her. He couldn't have, could he?

With a sigh, the brunette picked herself up off the floor and went back to packing. It didn't take long to finish, as she really didn't own too many things, and all too soon she was ready to go. Glancing down at the few boxes before her, Nozomi decided she didn't feel like making multiple trips; in spite of the voice in her head warning her not to use anymore chakra, she created three clones.

The minute they came into existence, her chakra levels split to accommodate them, and she knelt down as a rush of dizziness went through her. 'I'll be okay. I just have to get to the old apartment, and I can dispel the jutsu.' She reminded herself, forcing a grin.

Once the brunette was able to stand again, she and her duplicates each picked up a box. Glancing back at the apartment one last time, Nozomi sighed sadly as she recalled the good memories she'd made before setting out.

…..

It was no surprise to Nozomi that the apartment was dark when they arrived. Once her clones had brought everything in, she released the jutsu, and she was flooded with relief as her chakra levels went back to their low but manageable state.

After checking around to make sure that Saera really wasn't home, she made her way to her old bedroom and opened the door, her face falling. Everything was exactly as she'd left it, only everything was coated with a thin layer of dust. Clearly, nobody had entered or cleaned the room since her departure.

Deciding that she'd rather not move in with it in such a condition, Nozomi got to work. Almost an hour later, the floor shined and the bed was made up with clean bedding. After opening the window to let out the stale air, the brunette began to unpack.

By the time everything was put away, it was dark out, and she pouted at the realization that she'd missed watching the sunset. Predictably, her would be roommate still had yet to come home, so she decided to go out anyway.

The trip to Naruto's apartment was much shorter now; she arrived quickly and got into her regular spot, laying down and gazing up into the vast sky.

"A lot happened today, Naruto-kun." The brunette sighed softly. "I wish you could be here." It was silly to talk to someone who wasn't there, she knew. Yet, somehow doing so helped relieve the tension she felt from the day's events, and before she knew it, she was pouring out her heart to the nighttime sky.

…..

Sunlight poured in through the window and streamed across the slumbering brunette's face, making her groan and cover her eyes. "It can't be morning already.." She mumbled groggily, a heavy yawn escaping her.

She peeked out from under her arm, only to find that it was, indeed morning, and moaned. "Maaaan...I feel like I barely slept!" She lamented, flopping onto her stomach with a huff. "It's all the Hokage's fault. If she hadn't made me move back, I'd have slept like a baby...but I never could rest peacefully here."

Droopy, golden eyes slowly closed once more, and she buried her face in the pillow, hoping to go back to sleep. In this position the sunlight enveloped her body like a warm blanket, and it wasn't long before her skin began to get hot.

Nozomi lifted her head to glare at her window, squinting when the light hit her eyes. "Okay...fine! You win!"

With a groan, the brunette reluctantly peeled herself from the bed and got dressed, yawning as she brushed the tangles from her hair. Deciding to see what Saera had for breakfast, the brunette opened her door, only to find a note on it.

"What the..?" Curious, she tore the paper off and turned it over, reading its contents.

There's still one more test, so don't celebrate just yet.

Prepare yourself, and meet me at the training field.

The note wasn't signed, but Nozomi had a pretty good idea who had written it. Her lips curved into a small smirk as she pictured the look of disbelief her teacher would be wearing when she saw her progress. After today, things would be different. Saera wouldn't be able to ignore her anymore.

…..

'What's taking that kid? She can't still be sleeping, can she?' Saera rolled her eyes from her position beneath the tree.

She'd come out here early, figuring that Nozomi would find her note quickly. The girl never did sleep well in their apartment, from what she'd remembered.

'I had hoped that she'd be here by now. The whole point of moving her back here last night was to build her frustration so that she'd show her full potential during today's test!'

The crunch of dirt and grass drew the blonde out of her thoughts, and she smirked as her eyes landed on a familiar head of brown hair. 'Finally!' The bored look vanished from her face as she stood up quickly, approaching the brunette.

"I was beginning to think you weren't gonna show up." She murmured.

"I wouldn't just run away!" Nozomi ground out, furrowing her brows. "So what's this all about?"

"Oh, you won't, huh?" A teasing look appeared on Saera's face as she stepped back, hands on her hips, and she nodded. "Okay then. Today is the day for you to try to prove you're worth being taken on as a student. If you're really ready to be a ninja, you shouldn't have any problem."

The brunette nodded, trying not to look annoyed at the implication that Saera still thought she might not be worth her time. "Fine. Just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it."

Saera's eyes gleamed dangerously, and she shot the girl a wicked grin. "Kill me."

She felt like the ground had been yanked out from beneath her, leaving her to fumble for balance that was no longer available to her.

Nozomi's eyes bulged and she stared at the woman, slack jawed as she wondered if her ears had somehow misheard. "...What…?"

"You heard me." Saera smirked deviously. "Kill me, now."

To be continued

Hehehe Saera has such a way with words, doesn't she? Poor Nozomi. x3 The next chapter I post will finally catch me up to what I've posted elsewhere online, so updates might slow down (mainly to allow me to build up some more fodder. x3)

Anyways, read, review, all that good stuff, and I'll be back soon!

~NinjaKitty91