Ink Stained Leaves

by Lostbasin

The Nine-Tails attack on Konoha left the village feeling defeated and on edge. Will the arrival of a newly reunited clan be what it needs to make a come back and once again show the ninja world why they are the strongest? What affect will their arrival have on a certain blond haired prankster? Human Ammy, rated T for now, may change as story progresses.

14. Dear Teammates

Welcome one and all the the next installment Ink Stained Leaves! As usual, any relevant news will be down on the bottom.

I own nothing in regards to Naruto or Okami.

---

Ink Stained Leaves

Chapter 14

Dear Teammates

---

.xIx.

A lone shaft of light shone through the dim chamber, illuminating a simple stone altar. Waka stood next to it, grim determination etched on his features and a glass container in his hand. He wasn't alone, his two companions stood at his sides, looks of worry on both their faces.

"Are you sure they're ready?" asked Hayazo.

"Don't have much choice if they're not. The time has come." Waka replied somberly as he placed the container on the altar. "Nine years is going to have to suffice. Have you been practicing the procedure?"

Hayazo's only response was an unimpressed glare. Rather than give a proper reply, the old thief went to the altar and laid out several silver instruments. Waka gave a resigned sigh as he turned to his second accomplice.

"Are you ready for this Tayuya? You don't have to help, it'll just take a little longer is all."

The red headed girl shook her head. "I can help. I'm ready." she said, her voice hardened with resolve.

Waka smiled down at her reassuringly and couldn't help but think back on the little stick of a girl he found all those years ago. Tayuya had grown into a fine young woman, well, mostly. Her language at times needed some work and her fashion sense could use a little more… color. The dark grey tunic and black shorts she chose to wear didn't really befit the young musician, especially after hearing her music.

"Alright. Let's get this done." Waka said as he lay down on the altar.

"You sure you don't want the anesthesia?" Hayazo asked.

Waka shook his head. "Tradition needs to be upheld for this. Take them."

---

.xIIx.

The classroom was abuzz with activity. It was finally the day that everyone was going to be placed in their teams. Everyone was excited to finally learn who they would be teamed up with. None more so than a certain blond.

Naruto was practically shaking in his seat as he giggled uncontrollably. Sai of course was seated next to him and though he was quiet, he also held a degree of smugness. Why wouldn't he be? Though the pale boy didn't know how Naruto managed to pull it off, he was just glad to see that his friend passed. The two sat and grinned happily. Even the questioning of Shikamaru couldn't bring Naruto down.

Aside from that though, most were too involved in their own accomplishments to take notice of Naruto's. Most. A lone girl in the back of the class took note that the blond boy was present and couldn't but feel something inside feel a little happy at seeing him there. Hinata wasn't quite sure why that was though and decided to concern herself with another dilemma. Namely where her best friend was.

Ammako herself was hurrying towards the academy as fast as she could. It really should've occurred to her that repeatedly throwing her alarm clock at the wall would eventually break it. Just her luck that it would be broken the day of team placement.

So now she was running late. Thankfully for her though, she was fast. Never before had her speed been put to the test as it was being today. The girl rushed down the village streets, dipping and weaving through foot traffic as she dodged civilians. Granted, she could have saved some time by leaping along the rooftops, but given how fast she was going, she felt it was safer to stick with the road. That and last time she took to the rooftops she had a run in with some birds who didn't take kindly to her presence, an experience she didn't wish to repeat.

Turning a corner, Ammako was glad to see the front doors of the academy come into view and she put forth an extra burst of speed. She didn't get ten meters before she had to force herself to slow down as a streak of pink and platinum got in her way.

"Back off Billboard! That seat is mine!"

"Yeah right Pig! It's mine!"

Ammako rolled her eyes once she recognized who was in front of her. Really? These guys couldn't drop their rivalry for today? It didn't really matter though, so she wasn't going to worry about it. What did bother her was the fact that they were in her way now. A spark of competitiveness ignited within the girl and she grinned as she put even more pep into her step.

Soon she was next to the two girls, who were now running cheek to cheek and glaring at each other. Ammako grinned as she got a few steps ahead of the two and managed to open the door before they rammed into it. This continued as the three ran through the halls to get to the classroom. Ammako leapt as she shot through the door and entered the room with a roll. When she came out of the tumble, she found herself a few feet away from her seat next to Hinata and pumped her fist in triumph.

Sakura and Ino entered just behind her only to stop a few feet into the room as they continued to glare at each other in, both wearing triumphant looks

"I'm first!" they both yelled in unison. They both then stood there a moment as they caught their breaths, grinning at their supposed victory. As far as Ammako was concerned, she won the race. And that's all that mattered, let them have their seat. A quick glance at the supposed prize though brought a grin to her face.

'Or not.' She thought mischievously as she saw that the two seats were filled. That didn't last long though as she noticed one seat was filled with a certain shade of orange. 'What? No… He didn't.'

A look of confusion passed over her as she turned to look and Hinata as though she could provide answer, only receive a slight shrug from the girl. She didn't know what was up either.

"Hello Ammako-chan. You're late." Hinata greeted.

"Alarm broke. And I'm not late, I got here before the bell." she replied. "Do we even need the bell anymore? Eh, not important. What are you wearing?"

She was of course asking about the heavy hooded-jacket that Hinata was currently in. "Why are you wearing that? I know that the temperature doesn't get too warm around here, but it's still summer. Aren't you hot?"

"N-not really. Besides, it has its uses." she said through puffed cheeks as she turned her head in annoyance. Ammako noticed a hint of red on Hinata's cheeks, a sign that she was flustered by something. She didn't really understand what that could have to do with her clothes, but decided that it wasn't really worth pursuing. Hinata let out a breath and her features returned to their usual kindly appearance as she cast a quick look at Ammako's outfit. "You look nice." she said.

Ammako grinned at that. "Thanks. I wanted something functional." she replied as she splayed her arms out offering Hinata a full view of her outfit.

From bottom to top she showed off her uniform. Ammako had equipped standard dark blue ninja sandals. Black capri style pants with an attached pouch on her right leg covered her legs. A red sash belt was wrapped around her waist. Though it didn't show it, the belt also had hidden pockets sewn into it which she had already filled with various ninja tools. Her top was a sleeveless white with red trim qipuo style blouse. A ninja mesh shirt could be seen near her shoulders worn underneath the blouse. Much like Hinata, she decided to wear her headband around her neck. Her hair was done up in a high ponytail, tied off with a red ribbon and she let her bangs hang loose. A comfortable style that she found kept her hair out of her face. It used to be longer, but she decided to get it trimmed a bit.

Overall she felt that it was a decent outfit for ninja activities.

"I'm not sure what you mean. What's wrong with it?"

Hinata managed to keep a stern look for only a few seconds before she burst out in a fit of giggles.

"I'm only jesting. You look nice Ammako-chan."

"Well, I don't want to look nice, I want to look awesome. You really not going to tell me why you chose a jacket? Won't it hamper your movement?"

"It's not as heavy as it looks. I can move just fine."

Ammako shrugged her shoulders in defeat, it wasn't really that important in the grand scheme of things. Before she could put more thought into it, Ammako's thoughts were distracted as a loud uproar of voices broke out.

"You're finished!" a voice yelled.

"Hey! Watch where you throw those things! No! Stop! It was an accident! Sai! Help!"

Ammako turned her attention to a few rows in front of her only to see several girls gathering around with their fists waving angrily in the air. Naruto was dodging various things being thrown at him as he also tried to avoid getting grabbed by the angry girls. Despite being called for, Sai remained in his seat, calmly sketching in his book.

Ammako had to guess that all this had something to do with why Sasuke, who now wore a look of disgust and was desperately wiping his face with his armbands. The white haired girl wasn't sure what that meant and frankly, she didn't want to know. Knowing would only lead to trouble.

Before things could get too out of hand, the front door opened and in walked Yomi followed by Onigiri and Iruka.

"Alright, everyone calm down. Take your seats please." The old Okami requested. By now most of the class fell in line fairly quick and everyone returned to their desks. Naruto nursed a couple of wounds that he received during the onslaught, none too happy that everyone got mad over an accident. He shot a glare at Sai who was still sketching.

"Fat lot of help you were. I thought we were friends."

"We may be friends, but one must learn to face the consequences of their actions." was all the reply Naruto received.

Naruto snorted as he lightly brushed a forming bruise on his face. Was Sasuke really worth this? What was so great about the guy anyway? All he did was sit in his seat and brood. Really, what did these girls see in him. He wasn't able to continue his thoughts though as Yomi-sensei started speaking again.

"As of today, you are all ninjas. To get here you have faced difficult trials and hardships. But that's nothing, what comes next will be far more difficult." The aged instructor started with. "Now, you are only genin. First level ninjas. As I have taught all of you, each of you will now be placed into three man squads led by a jonin instructor. Now, before squads would be selected in order to balance them out and this method is still used in the other graduating classes. But seeing as how this class went through a different curriculum, you all will be assigned based off your skill set. Iruka, if you please."

The scarred chunin stepped forward, a stack of papers in his hand. "Each of you were hand-picked by the Hokage himself for these squads based off your exams. Each squad was made to perform specialized tasks. So before anyone of you get to upset about your placement, know that it was done with your strengths in mind."

So Iruka started listing off names. Naruto let his mind wander during the first few as his name was called for any of them. He heard team one announced, he wasn't in it. Neither was Sai, so there was hope that they could be on a team together. Team two, still nothing. Team three. Team four. Team five. Nothing and nothing, names he barely recognized.

"Team Six will be Uzumaki Naruto. Uchiha Sasuke. And Okami Ammako."

This announcement garnered a violent response from many.

"What do you mean I'm on the same team as that guy?! All he does is brood!"

"You mean I have to be on the same team as him!? Oj- Sensei, how could you do this to me?"

"…"

"Grah! Why does Ammako get to be with Sasuke? She doesn't even like him!" seemed to be one of the louder vocal responses.

Iruka put his palm to his face. He really should have expected that. He remembered something similar happening when his class was placed into teams.

"What did I say? No complaining!" he said sternly. While this did get everyone to settle down once again, there was now a new feel to the air.

"Team Seven will be Hyūga Hinata. Inuzuka Kiba. And Aburame Shino."

"Team Eight will be Sai. Kuni. And Haruno Sakura."

"Team Nine is still in circulation so moving on to Team Ten. Yamanaka Ino. Nara Shikamaru. And Akimichi Choji. That's all the teams. Meet back here after lunch to meet with your jonin senseis. Dismissed."

Ammako felt her face plant hard into the desk, hard enough to send a loud thunk throughout the room. Hinata glanced over in concern as Ammako began to mutter under her breath.

"…n't know what I did to deserve this. Was it that time I took Nure's cherry cake? When I hid Tachi's sword? Maybe…"

Hinata could only give an exasperated sigh as her friend fell into despair. Wasn't much that could be done when she got like that, only real thing she could do was let it ride out.

"Gah! I can't believe I have to be on a team with you." Naruto pointed an accusing finger at Sasuke. "What do you even do?"

Sasuke barely responded with a tilt of his head just so he could crack open his eye in Naruto's direction.

"Does it even matter? They said that we were chosen by the Hokage himself for these teams. Just try not to be so loud and we won't have a problem."

Naruto gave a low growl in annoyance. He couldn't argue with that. Surely the Hokage knew something he didn't know that made this placement make sense. Didn't stop him from being disappointed about not being on a team with Sai. He turned to the white haired girl behind him and saw that she wasn't too happy either her face buried in her desk. While Naruto didn't have anything against the girl, he was aware of that she often got annoyed in his presence. Not always, but a fair bit of the time.

He didn't really understand why that was and he never really bothered to find out why. They were only really ever together in class with the occasional meeting outside of it. Maybe now that they were on a team he could find out why. Maybe he could turn her into a friend. He felt a little of his agitation evaporate at the thought of making another friend. Unlike Sasuke who brooded constantly, Naruto knew that Ammako had a sense of humor. Even though she often got annoyed with Naruto, he had seen her chuckle at his pranks on more than one occasion which is more than Sasuke ever did.

If he could make her laugh, he could make a friend. Feeling a little better he turned to Sai.

"So what do you think about your team?" he asked.

Sai stopped sketching as he thought of an answer. "Well, Sakura-san is well versed, she did get some of the top scores in the written tests, though her physical abilities need some work. Kuni is a lot like you in some regards, high physical capabilities and strong mental drive. His test scores are better than yours, though not by much. I haven't really interacted with either of them though so I won't be able to discern what working with them will be like."

Naruto only gave his friend a dry look. There he went using complex words again.

"You know I can't understand you when you talk like that Sai."

Sai merely shrugged off Naruto's comment as he went back to sketching.

The blond boy sighed. It was going to be a long lunch.

…

It was just past noon when everyone was back in the classroom. It wasn't long before the first five team's jonins came and left with them. That soon left only teams six through ten.

"I wonder who our jonin will be. What about you Shikamaru?" Choji asked his lifelong friend.

In usual fashion, the Nara boy took the down time they had to nap. Without cracking an eye he muttered. "Don't care. Doesn't matter who we get, my downtime gets shorter soon as they get here."

Choji shrugged a little at the response as he dug into another bag of chips.

'I can't believe I'm stuck on a team with these nitwits.' Ino thought to herself. She stared disdainfully at the two boys by her and then looked towards the object of her affection. Much like Shikamaru, Sasuke had his head rested on the desk in an attempt to get some rest. She sighed heavily before she turned to her new rival.

"Why did it have to be you?" Ino asked.

Ammako, still lamenting her lot in life, turned her face towards Ino. "Been asking that question for the past hour."

"Buh, seriously. Out of every other girl in class, the one who gets to be on his team is one of two who don't even like him. What are the odds?"

"Are you still on about that? You know I don't care about that kind of stuff. Why not feel sorry for me, I'm on a team with the bringer of disaster. So troublesome."

"Hey! That's my line." Shikamaru's muffled voice responded.

It was at that moment that the front door opened and revealed the lithe form of one Okami Nure. Taking a step into the room, she cast a sweeping glance around the room before saying, "Team Eight, you're with me."

She left the room but remained in the hall as Sakura, Sai, and Kuni followed her. Ammako couldn't help but feel a little annoyed at seeing Sai walk out with the pinkette. While she knew that Sakura only had eyes for Sasuke, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy and jealousy. Still, it was a surprise to see that Nure as a sensei. She wondered when that happened.

"Wasn't that your aunt?" Ino asked.

"She's more of a cousin than an aunt. Also, don't let her ever catch you calling her an aunt, she doesn't take it well."

"Oh, I'm sure she's not that bad."

"You're right, she's worse." was the flat response.

Ino was about to say something when the door opened again. Ino turned her gaze to it just in time to witness as a god stepped into the room. Tall, impeccable skin, handsome, amazing hair. Ino's vision went blurry as now all she could see was this Adonis before her.

"OK! What the frig! First Nure, now you Moe? When did you guys become jonin senseis?" Ammako yelled out in confusion.

"Shut your trap brat! I've got my reasons! Team Ten, move it!" Moe shouted before he left the room not bothering to wait for his team. Ino seemed to momentarily shut down after seeing the male Okami. She swiftly turned on Ammako, a fanatic look in her eyes.

"Ohgoshohgosh! Who is that?" Ino frantically asked Ammako.

Ammako gave Ino a confused stare. "That was Moe, another cousin. He's almost as bad as Nure."

"How have I not seen him before? He's gorgeous!"

"Uhh… you should really get going, Shikamaru and Choji are already gone and Moe doesn't like it when people are late."

Ino didn't need any more prodding than that as she quickly left her seat and ran out of the room.

Ammako could only stare in fascination as the platinum blonde girl sped off. One would think she would be used to this kind of behavior. Most women tended to react much the same way as Ino whenever Moe was around. And yet, every time it happened she was still just as amazed as the prior time. Granted she never thought that someone as young as Ino would fall into the same pit.

"Oh, she's not going to be happy when she finds out what a slave driver he can be." she chuckled. Ammako cast a quick glance around the room now that there were three fewer people present. Teams Six and Eight were the only ones that remained. She would've talked with Hinata, but the Hyūga girl was currently chatting with Shino. Most likely getting to know her new teammate better. Meaning that left two people that she didn't want to speak with and one who didn't speak with anybody.

So returned Ammako's greatest enemy, boredom.

She rested her head on the desk and let her gaze drift out the window. It looked like it was going to be a bit longer.

---

.xIIIx.

Sakura wasn't sure how she should be feeling right now. On the one hand, she wasn't on a team with Sasuke. On the other, neither was Ino. If there was anyone who she couldn't feel bad about him being in a team with, it was Ammako. The girl didn't seem the least bit interested in the Uchiha boy, much to the relief of many of the girls in class. What chance would they have against her? She was an heiress to a popular clan within the village even though they were a newer one comparatively. Ammako was smart, the Okami girl read just as much if not more than she herself did, they even scored similarly on their tests. More than that though, she was pretty. That white hair and pale flawless skin. Those piercing hazel colored eyes. If her mother was anything to go by, Ammako was going to grow into a true beauty.

Sakura couldn't help but raise a hand to her forehead, a part of herself that she was more than a little self-conscious about. Despite that though, the Okami girl didn't flaunt her status or looks, if anything she preferred not to draw attention and remain inconspicuous. Sakura couldn't imagine why this was, but was grateful regardless as it meant that she had one less rival to deal with.

So it was a good thing that Ammako didn't feel the same way about Sasuke as the other girls. Still, Sakura wished that it had been her on his team. Though, if she was then that would also mean she would be on a team with Naruto. She didn't quite know how she should feel about that. Heaven and Hell in the same room.

"Hello? Haruno-san? You in there?" a voice asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Sakura snapped out of her head and found that the group had arrived at their destination. Looking around, Sakura saw that they were now in a park on the edge of the village. Why they were here she could only guess.

"Oh, sorry. I was thinking." she said as she turned her attention to their new sensei.

"Alright, just making sure. You kind of had that faraway look going on there." Nure said as she motioned for the group to stop.

"Alright. I'm willing to bet that at least one of you three will be able to guess why we're here." Nure asked.

Sakura was pretty sure that she knew, but hesitated. In that second, Sai was the one to speak first.

"I imagine Sensei, that we are here to as a means to introduce ourselves to one another privately to foster strong bonds." The pale boy stated.

Sakura couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable at that. Sure it sounded textbook the way he worded it, but the flat tone he used made it sound all kinds of wrong. Apparently Nure felt similarly as she had an odd look on her face.

"Yes, well, not quite as intimate as your statement would imply, but that is why we're here. I guess I'll start us off. I'm Okami Nure. I've only recently been promoted to Jonin. Some of my likes are dancing, tea ceremonies, writing, and bird watching. There isn't much that I dislike, but I can guarantee you that you will know when it's present. My dream is to one day see my family brought back together. Now then, which of you will go next?"

As it was again, Sakura hesitated while Kuni stood back, leaving Sai to once again respond first.

"I'm Sai. I became a Genin last week. My hobbies are painting, drawing, people watching, and hanging out with my friend. I'm not sure what my dislikes are, I haven't really been inconvenienced enough to develop a dislike of something. My dream… I haven't really thought about that one." he said in his usual flat tone.

Kuni beat Sakura to the next introduction, already talking just as Sai finished.

"My name is Kuni. Remember it, because everyone in the village, no, the world is going to." He started confidently, he wooden sword held against his shoulder. "I'm going to be known far and wide as the greatest warrior of all time along with my trusty sword Tohenboku. My likes include training and a certain village girl. I have many dislikes, if I listed them we'd be here all day. My dream is to one day be the greatest warrior in the land."

'Training? Does he mean those naps he calls meditating?' Sakura thought. Seriously, the kid napped almost as much as Shikamaru. Not that she had time to really think about it, it was her turn after all.

"I'm Haruno Sakura. Um… I also just became a Genin. What I like uhh… the person I like is…" she started.

"Ugh! Skip. We all know who you like! Move it on!" Kuni complained.

"Kuni! That wasn't very polite!" Nure chastised.

"Yeeah, no. We spent six years hearing her fawn over that Uchiha kid. I'm sick of it! I don't need to hear it here too!"

"And yet you yourself chose to voice your interest in the opposite sex as well" Sai countered.

"And I bet that it surprised you. I may like a girl but at least I don't gush about it every second of the day!"

"Fine! I'll move on! Yeesh. My hobbies are… umm…" 'Crud.'

Kuni let out an exasperated sigh and put his palm to his face.

"My dream is to one day be a wife to …" Sakura felt her face grow warm as she allowed herself a moment of blissful daydreaming.

"You see what I mean? She always gets like this!"

"… I see. Well, we're going to have to work on that." Nure said, somewhat understanding what Kuni was talking about. "Well, now that we're acquainted, let's get to the point of why we're here today."

"I thought that we were getting to know each other." Sakura said.

"Well, that's one thing. Care to guess the true reason though?"

Once again, Sai was the first to speak. "I imagine that this is a final estimate of our abilities on whether or not we're ready to actually be on this team."

"What!?" both Sakura and Kuni shouted. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, obviously graduating is only the first step to becoming a genin. A final test administered by our Jonin-sensei would determine that we're truly ready."

'How in the world did he come to that conclusion?'

"Huh. While I wouldn't have worded quite that way, he's not wrong. I do have to give you guys a final test to see if you're worthy of becoming a genin. I'm going to be honest though, you survived training under both Yomi-san and Onigiri-sensei. As far as I'm concerned, you guys deserve to be genin. But rules are rules, I have to administer something." Nure told them.

"So… what are we going to do?" Sakura asked nervously.

"Eh, show me what you're capable of and that should be enough." Nure turned to Sai. "Since you seem happy to be first, why don't you show me what you got?"

The white haired sensei fell into a battle stance and gestured for Sai to come at her. "Show me your strength."

Sai nodded and fell into a stance himself as he pulled out a brush and scroll. Sakura was now curious as she had yet to see the boy fight outside of spars where there were strict rules in place. She had heard that Sai used an odd style of fighting. Did it have something to do with the brush and scroll?

Her question was soon answered as after a second he unrolled his scroll and ran his brush through it lightning fast. As soon as his brush left the surface of the parchment, a beast of ink leapt of the page and charged at Nure.

'Is that a lion? He drew it so fast!'

The ink lion soon reached Nure and lashed out, though the strike was in vain as she easily dodged it. Nure retaliated with a swift chop to the ink creature's neck, effectively dispelling it.

"Inkcredible. Did Yomi-san teach you that one? Super Beast Imitating Drawing yes?"

'Wait… did she just say… No, I must've misheard.'

Sai merely nodded as he finished another drawing, this time a snake. This time rather than going for a straight assault it started to dart swiftly around Nure trying to find an avenue of attack. Once it seemed to find it, it lashed out, only to be met with a kunai to the face.

"Not bad, but it needs more work. You're not focusing enough will into your creations. That said, I haven't seen anyone so young with this level of skill. That'll be enough. Kuni, you're up."

Sai gave a quick bow of reconciliation and walked to the side. Kuni took his place and immediately entered a fighting stance, his sword held in both hands.

"Kenjutsu? Didn't think they taught that in the academy." Nure commented.

"Self-taught. Now, behold my own personal creation! Exploding Implosion!" Kuni brought Tohenboku to his side as though it were a katana.

"Iaidō?" Nure said, a bit surprised.

She got no answer though as Kuni rushed forward surprisingly quick as he swung the wooden sword in a wide arc. Nure dodged at the last second, deftly moving out of the swords dangerous path. Though it struck nothing, it still caused a small windstorm to form. Dust and dirt were lifted from the ground and obscured that area around the two for a couple seconds.

Sakura was about to step forward to see what was going on when the two burst of the dust cloud, Nure in retreat with Kuni hot on her tail. As soon as Nure touched down, Kuni went in with a vertical slash, aimed directly on top of the white haired woman. Once again though, she easily avoided the strike. The wooden blade slammed into the ground and cleaved straight into the soil. The shockwave produced sent even more earth and dust into the air, though it was quickly blown away as he pulled the sword free and swung it behind him.

"Alright, you can stop now." Nure ordered and the boy had to shake his head a bit before he lowered his blade and gave a curt bow. "That was impressive. You say that you're self-taught?"

"Yeah. There wasn't really anyone who was willing to teach me, so I had to learn myself."

"You're a little rough, but that can be taken care of easily enough. But first, Sakura, it's your turn."

Sakura froze in place. How was she supposed to able to top that? Both boys had shown skills that no one in class had learned. More than that, they seemed to be pretty strong in their chosen arts. What did she have? She only learned what was taught in class, so academy basic and the three jutsu. Though she passed with high marks, this was something entirely different. How was she going to impress anyone with that?

"I… I…" her legs gave out and she fell to her knees. "I don't have anything."

"Really? Nothing?" Nure questioned. Sakura gave a defeated nod. It was all she could do. "Well, that's bad news then I'm afraid. I need all three of you to pass or none of you do. I'm sorry."

Sai and Kuni went to Sakura's sides and helped to lift her up. Kuni looked absolutely livid at this turn of events while Sai for the first time actually cracked his eyes open a centimeter more than they were.

"What!? What kind of crap is that!?" Kuni yelled.

"I agree. This doesn't seem to be a fair assessment of our skills, let alone hers."

"No kidding. So what if Sakura isn't a powerhouse? She did better in the tests than either of us. She deserves this as much as anyone!"

Nure watched as the two boys stood next to their teammate. Despite the fact that she was responsible for their current situation, they were still willing to stand next to and defend her. Even though there seemed to be some discontent earlier, they didn't let it hold them back.

"Well, this is a surprise. Well I've seen everything I need to. Pass."

Almost immediately the angry vanished from Kuni and Sai actually looked confused. Sakura's head shot up quickly, a look of surprise on her face.

"What?" all three asked.

"This was never about how strong you three are. It was whether or not you'd be willing to form together as a team. Despite there being obvious animosity between all of you, the boys were still willing to stand next to you. Though it's still a far cry from where you need to be, it's a start, and that's all I need." Nure told the three. "That said though, each of you need a lot of work. Sai, while I'm not sure quite yet where you need improvement, it wouldn't hurt to bolster and expand what you know. Kuni, you may be strong and while your use of iaidō did surprise me, you swing that hunk of wood around like a hammer. A sword should be handled more elegantly. I may not be the best swordswoman around, but I know a few people that should be able to help. Sakura, we'll work on giving you something to call your own. What's important right now is broadening your skillset. You may have gotten top marks on the written tests, but you're in a new world now, one that requires physical might to succeed in. Nothing wrong with knowledge, but you'll find that it won't be enough." Nure eased her posture and gave the three a proud smile. "Welcome to Team Eight."

---

.xIVx.

'Troublesome.'

He may have used the word to the point of it losing all meaning, but Shikamaru had yet to find another word that could adequately replace his old catchphrase. How could he? It covered so much and could be used in just about any situation. Take right now for instance.

The day had started out well enough, only for it to swiftly go downhill as soon as team placements were announced. Sure he was on a team with Choji, but he was now also on a team with… her. Granted, Ino wasn't that bad, usually. But given who their sensei was and how Ino reacted to him, the Nara boy wasn't holding out hope that things wouldn't get weird. In fact, things were already looking and sounding a bit off kilter. He cast a glance to what was currently going on.

Choji in his usual fashion didn't seem all the perturbed about the current situation, he merely continued munching on his bag of chips. Ino was star struck, for once actually quiet as she grinned moronically with sparkles in her eyes as she looked at the back of their sensei. Moe-sensei didn't seem all the affected by this, he just kept walking to where ever their destination was. They had traveled a bit out of the village into a grassy field when he finally motioned for them to stop. The three lined up side by side and Ino actually managed to wipe that silly look off her face.

Turning to face them, the white haired sensei gave them all a quick once over.

"Alright scrubs, I will be your jonin sensei until you all move on to chunin. I'm Okami Moe. Don't bother with introductions, I've gone through your files and know that all of your dads are good friends with each other. So I'm going to guess that you guys are already well acquainted. Now, let's get down to brass tacks. You all have just graduated and are looking forward to spending the next couple of years as genin before moving on to grander things."

A round of affirmation from the three former academy students.

"Well, sorry to burst your collective bubbles, but you got one more step to take before that happens."

The response was as expected, Ino blanched and quickly became confused. Choji shrugged his shoulders and popped another chip into his mouth. Shikamaru of course muttered what he usually did when things became more complicated.

"What do you mean we have one more thing to do? What else is there?" Ino questioned.

Moe grinned, something that sent alarm bells ringing in Shikamaru's head.

"Well, village tradition dictates that the jonin sensei administer a final test to see if their genin are truly ready to become active ninja. The test is up to the jonin." Moe explained. "Personally I think that training with Onigiri-sensei should qualify but I was overruled. So now you guys get to see what I have in mind."

As soon as he was done talking he bit into his thumb, made a swift series of hand seals, and then slammed one hand to the ground. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Two large puffs of smoke popped into existence, obscuring the vision of everyone present. Shikamaru had brought his arms up to protect his face instinctively and squinted his eyes as the smoke reached him. As it was, he didn't see how the other two reacted, though he imagined that it was something similar to what he did. It took a few seconds for the air to clear and when it did, well, no one but Moe was expecting what was there.

Standing before the genin were two large chickens garbed in what appeared to be pieces of houses fashioned into crude armor. The weapons they carried however were of quality make, one bearing a large axe and the other armed with a war hammer. Both had brown and white feathers, though their patterns were very different from the other. As soon as the smoke was clear, they looked around until their eyes fell on Moe.

"Moe-san. It has been a while since you've called upon us. How may we be of service today?" The left most one asked.

Moe smiled as he approached the two and raised his hand in greeting. "Baba. Yaga. Good to see you two still kicking. Sorry to bother you, but I need some help with evaluating my genin here. I need the scroll."

Baba and Yaga turned to look at each other, as if trying to figure something out.

"Just so we're clear, you mean that scroll, yes?" Yaga asked.

"Yes, that scroll."

"As you wish." Baba said as it pulled out a small scroll from a pouch at its side. Small compared to itself, when handed to Moe it was considerably larger.

"Alright, thanks. You two can take off for now. I'll summon you once I'm done with this."

"Then we shall take our leave. Until next time Moe-san." With that the two summoned creatures vanished as they came, in a puff of smoke.

Still wearing his smile, Moe turned back to the three genin while slinging the scroll over his shoulder.

"Alright, let's get this party started."

"Umm, Sensei? What was that?"

Moe looked perplexed at the question. "A summoning jutsu, what else would it be? As for this…" he gestured to the scroll, "… I'll be using this to determine whether or not you three are ready."

Shikamaru watched as Moe unraveled the scroll and quickly scanned through it until he found what he was looking for. The Nara heir carefully studied the scroll trying to figure out what was so special about it. From what he saw, it looked like the kanji on it were similar to the ones that appeared when he first summoned the large chickens. Another summoning?

"So what is our task then?" he asked.

Moe smiled again as he found what he was looking for and looked back at the three.

"Simple. Survive."

With that, he took his still bleeding thumb and rubbed it against the scroll. Instead of the summoning call though he instead said, "Kai!"

Another puff of smoke, this one many times larger than the ones that appeared with Baba and Yaga. Survive. That's what they were told to do. Naturally after hearing something like that Shikamaru had prepped himself and leapt back before the smoke could get to him. Thankfully he saw that the other two had responded in kind, all three landed safely outside the smokes radius.

"Alright, be ready for anything." he told the others. "There's no telling what he just released."

Ino and Choji both nodded as they each pulled out a kunai. Shikamaru followed suit and pulled out his own blade. All three tensed as the smoke slowly cleared. Based off the size of the cloud when it appeared, whatever was within it had to be huge.

He looked at the top of the cloud trying to see if he could determine what they were up against. More and more of the cloud began to vanish as a breeze swept in until there wasn't much left. Shikamaru tensed as the cloud shrunk and still nothing appeared.

'Did it get out and flank us?' he thought as he scanned around. Nothing. It was only when he heard soft clucking noises that he turned back to what remained of the smoke. A last gust of wind blew away the final remnants of cover, revealing… a regular sized chicken.

Granted, it didn't look like any kind of chicken that the Nara boy had ever seen. Its head was larger and rounder, it's eyes large and clueless, and its feathers pure white and fluffier than a regular chicken. If he had to use one word to describe it he would have said… cute. It was very, very cute. Adorable even. He was pretty sure he could take it home and use it on his mother to get out of whatever chore it was she wanted him to do that day. She would smother it with all kinds of affection, thoroughly distracting her from him.

But that was a sure sign that he should remain wary of it. It was released with the intention to cause them trouble, to underestimate now would be a mistake. So imagine his chagrin when he heard a loud squeal next to him.

"IT'S SO CUTE!" Ino squealed in a high pitched voice as she ran up to it. Before Shikamaru could say anything, the girl had already picked up the small bird and held it in a death cuddle.

'Of course…' Shikamaru thought, he really should have expected this. "Choji, don't let your guard down. There's no telling what this thing… Choji?"

He had turned to better plan with the Akimichi boy, only to find that his friend wasn't there. A low grumbling noise drew his attention back to Ino and the chicken. There he saw Choji walking towards them in a daze, the grumbling a sign that the boy was hungry.

"…food…" Choji muttered as he continued to step forward.

'Crap!'

Before Shikamaru could act, Choji had already made it to the girl and bird. Something was definitely up, neither of these two would be acting like this normally. Choji may be hungry but never eat a live bird hungry. And Ino… well, she could very well be acting within character here. Maybe she did cuddle every cute animal she came across, how was he supposed to know? But Choji was definitely acting strange here.

"What are you doing Choji? Hey! Stop it!" Ino yelled as the round boy reached out and attempted to grab the bird from her. She tugged back but failed to loosen his grip on it. "Don't you dare hurt to poor thing you gluttonous idiot!"

So resulted a tug of war between the two with the chicken in the middle. Shikamaru remained ready for anything though and tried to figure out what to do next. Those two obviously didn't realize things were not as they seemed. Genjutsu perhaps? He had to get to the bottom of this.

"Guys, it might not be the best idea to get close to that thing."

Ino shot a glare at Shikamaru. "What are you on about? It's harmless. Now get over here and help me keep Choji from deep frying it."

"Yeah, no. I'm staying over here." From where he was, Shikamaru could see that the little tug of war over the chicken was clearly not to its liking. It had started to flap its wings and kick out its tiny legs in distress. It soon appeared to have had enough and let out a loud crow that echoed across the field.

'That… can't be good.'

Sure enough, he was right. As soon as the echo faded, more poofs of smoke appeared on the edges of the clearing. The smoke soon cleared, revealing even more of the birds, all of them identical to the one being manhandled. At least those two stopped fighting when it let out its cry.

Things were quiet for a short while as the army of birds looked at the three in the center. Nothing moved. Then the first bird let out another crow. Shikamaru didn't have to speak to animals to know what that meant. Attack.

Sure enough, that's exactly what they did as they all flew off at once and bee lined straight for the three genin.

Shikamaru resigned himself to his fate and muttered, "So troublesome."

---

.xVx.

A couple hours had passed and still no other jonins had shown up. So far the only ones who weren't bothered by this were the two girls remaining, having a chat in their own little corner of the room. Sasuke couldn't help but count his lucky stars that of all the girls he could've been stuck with, it was the Okami. Not that he was going to admit that to anyone, let alone her. Still, at least she wasn't going to fawn over him.

That said, he wasn't sure how he should take to his other teammate. Sasuke shot a glance at what the other boy was currently up to. Given how much time had passed, Naruto had reached the end of his patience long ago and was desperately trying to find anything to occupy his time with.

Half an hour ago the blond had started out by setting up a simple trap of a drop down board cleaner on the door. After ten minutes with no one showing up, he had added a tack to the handle. Twenty minutes and he set up a string at the bottom of the door that was meant to trigger another trap. What that trap was Sasuke had lost interest in, so he didn't know what was going to happen when the door was opened. Right now, Naruto appeared to be setting up something that involved a broom, several sheets of paper, tape, a loose floorboard, and small bird.

'Where did he even get the bird?' Sasuke wondered. 'Why would he even need… No, better I not know.'

Turning his attention away from Naruto, he gazed around. The girls continued their conversation. Kiba seemed to be in a heated argument with his ninken over something. And Shino remained as still and silent as ever. So Naruto was the only one of interest to spectate, though what he was doing had gotten old sometime ago. So he decided to once again stare out the window.

Not that there was really anything new to see there either considering he had spent the past few years staring out of it. Most people didn't bother him when he did it though, all the more reason to do it. He rested his chin in one hand while looking out in the open air. Without really thinking about it, his other hand started to twiddle with the item he kept around his neck. Despite the memories the bauble brought forth, he couldn't bring himself to leave it behind whenever he left the house. Call him paranoid, but he couldn't shake the feeling of something happening to it when he wasn't around.

Looking again at what Naruto was up to, he found the bird had gotten loose and was now angrily pecking at Naruto's head. The boy himself tried desperately to recapture the creature, but to no avail. The feathered fiend soon seem satisfied with its revenge though and flew away from the boy, only to land on a certain white haired girl's head.

"Umm…. What." was her response.

It seemed that everyone noticed the bird and its chosen nesting spot. It didn't take long for someone to comment on it.

"HAHAHA! Look Akamaru! She really is a birdbrain!" Kiba laughed once he saw the bird land. Akamaru didn't seem as entertained though and let out a yawn.

Even Hinata couldn't stifle a laugh as she tried to hide a grin and failed miserably at it. "It seems you've added another one to your collection Ammako-chan."

Shino remained as unperturbed as ever.

Naruto only seemed annoyed at the bird and glared at it. "Traitor." he grumbled.

Kiba seemed to have noticed what Hinata had said though. "Wait, this has happened before?"

"Y-yes, animals find Ammako irresistible all the time. Yesterday she had two squirrels perch on her shoulders and the day before that a dove followed her around for nearly an hour before she could shake it." Hinata giggled. "Animals love her."

"Well, I wish they would find someone else to bother. How I am supposed to be a ninja when animals are always following me around?"

Before anything more could be said, the door opened. All heads turned to face whoever had just stepped in and found a silver haired man standing in the entrance, a little chalk dust present in the air. It seemed that whatever the string was meant for didn't seem to work. Time seemed to stand still for a second as everyone held their breath. That was all broken though when Naruto busted out laughing.

"Hahahahaha! I got him! He totally fell for it! Hahahaha" he managed to get out between giggles.

Sasuke was less than impressed however. This was supposed to be a jonin and he fell for such a simple trap?

From the looks of everyone else, it appeared they shared his sentiment. Ammako looked flabbergasted. Hinata seemed to be in a mild state of panic. Kiba was trying desperately to hold back a laugh, and while he was succeeding, his face was red. Shino… was Shino. The newcomer though, didn't look the least bit… anything really. He looked down at the guilty eraser, bent over and picked it up. He inspected it for a second before making a quick scan of the room. Only after he had taken note of everyone present did he say something.

"Team Seven, meet me on the roof in two minutes." the man said curtly. With that, he was gone in a swirl of leaves.

Everyone but Naruto remained stunned for a moment, by now the boy was on the ground still giggling. That was his reaction? No reprimands? No lecture? It was only when Shino stood to leave that the others snapped out of it.

"I guess I'm going now. See you later Ammako." Hinata told her friend as she followed Shino out with Kiba and Akamaru following right after.

Naruto had recovered at this point and wiped a tear from his eye as he picked himself up off the ground.

"Oh man, that was great. Never actually had that one work before."

"How did that even work? That trap could be seen from outside the village walls!" Ammako wailed. Her world view took a shift at that. Jonin were supposed to be the best of the best, to fall for such a simple trap didn't mesh well with that image.

While Ammako had her breakdown, Sasuke worked out what he just witnessed internally.

'She's not wrong. For someone to actually fall for that doesn't seem real. It's almost as if he triggered that on purpose. Seems likely seeing as how toe string trap didn't trigger.'

Sasuke looked down at where the string was and noticed that it had been snipped and taped in place. The trap had been sabotaged. By who though and when? When was easy, most likely when they all had eyes on the bird when it landed on Ammako's head. Who was the real question. None of the genin would have done it, they were all accounted for. Someone else was here.

With that thought, Sasuke's training kicked in as he sent his senses into overdrive. Rookie mistake not having them going earlier. Wait, that wasn't it. He always checked the surrounding area every few minutes and had picked up nothing. Now though, he sensed something behind him. Turning around he was surprised to see a man sitting there, taking notes.

Ammako noticed Sasuke move and turned her gaze to the man as well and let out a startled yelp. With that, Naruto also noticed the guy. Naturally this led to him being the first to say something.

"What the crap? When did you get here? And who are you?"

The man said nothing and continued writing things down. This gave Sasuke as chance to study him. The man was for lack of a better word, plain. Plain face, plain black hair, plain build. Plain. The only thing that really stood out about him was the jonin outfit he was wearing. Though the flak jacket and uniform underneath it were standard, the color of the uniform wasn't. Rather than the usual blue-grey color, it was a faded purple. The other thing Sasuke noticed was a tattered green bandana tied around the man's neck. Finally was the sword on his back and the one on his right hip, that last one standing out because of the brush tip on the pommel.

It was only once Sasuke had taken in the man's appearance that he finished up his notes.

"Well, I have to say, you guys certainly know how to underwhelm."

'…' Sasuke thought.

"Hey! I know you! Ka-chan has a picture of you at the house!" was Ammako's response. "Though, you look really young in it…"

Naruto on the other hand didn't take being ignored very well.

"I asked you question man!"

"You asked two actually. Who I am and when I got here. Well, I'm Pon Issun to answer your first question. For the second, I've been here the whole time. Gotta say, not that impressed with everything I've seen." he said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

He turned to look directly at Naruto. "You've proven to be impatient and prone to distraction. Not a good sign should we ever have to perform a stakeout. Creative perhaps, needs to be refined to better perform in the field."

He looked at Sasuke. "Collected, though to a fault at times. Unwillingness to get to know future teammates, also a problem but can be worked on. Have yet to actually see anything that can't be corrected."

Finally he looked at Ammako. "Have yet to determine where your strengths and weaknesses lie. Further observation is required."

With that he seemed satisfied with his assessment as he put his notebook away. After that his entire demeanor changed. He became more relaxed, less stern and stiff.

"Alright, first impressions aside, I'm pretty sure that I can make this team work. As I said, I'm Issun. Feel free to call me that, sensei is a bit much to be honest. Not too big on honorifics either. Now then, follow me outside and we can get this show on the road." With that said, he got up and made his way out of the room.

Given how much time they had spent in the room, the three wasted no time in leaving the room.

---

.xVIx.

Hinata followed her teammates closely as they made their way up to the roof of the school building. Kiba of course was the most excited about getting, so he was hurrying along as fast as he could, Akamaru hot on his heels. Shino, though less enthusiastic, was rushing along as well, only a few paces behind the canine duo. Hinata felt most comfortable bringing up the rear. She was still trying to process everything that was going on. She was aware that the odds of her being on the same team as Ammako were slim, didn't stop her from feeling a bit disappointed. The two had been together since they were babies if what her mom told her was true. Given the sisterly bond the two shared, she didn't even attempt to deny that claim.

What was most pressing right now though, was that of her teammates. While she had been in the same class as them for the past six years, she didn't really know them all that well. Aside from what she could discern from their surface personalities that is. Kiba was obviously a bit of a hothead and impulsive. Beyond that she only knew that he loved his ninken more than anything else.

Shino was a little harder to figure out as he never said more than was needed and kept most his facial features hidden behind his sunglasses and the collar of his coat. Aside from knowledge about the boy's clan, Hinata didn't know much about the boy himself. If they were going to be on a team together, that was going to have to change.

It was only when she saw that they had reached the door to the roof that she was broken from her thoughts. Kiba rammed headlong into the door bar and burst through. The other two were right behind him and made it through before it shut. Hinata slowed as soon as her feet touched the surface of the building, though she saw that Kiba had no intention of slowing at all. Shino, being the one right behind the Inuzuka boy, reached out a hand and grabbed him before he ran off the side. Kiba spun around, ready to chastise the Aburame, only for an amused cough to interrupt him.

Hinata turned to the sound and saw Kakashi sitting on the edge, an orange covered book in his hands. She felt the presence of the two boys walk up to her sides. Once they were all in front of the silver haired man did he put away his book and look at them.

"You made it on time. At least you can follow orders. Alright, why don't you introduce yourselves, one at a time." he said in a bored tone.

Hinata didn't know what to think of the man. He was even harder to read than Shino, with the bottom half of his face covered with a blue mask and his left eye hidden behind his headband. Aside from that, he was dressed as any other jonin within the village. From a body language standpoint he gave nothing away, still holding a relaxed and aloof stance.

"Introduce ourselves how precisely might I ask?" Shino asked. "We have only just met you and you haven't even introduced yourself to us."

The jonin gestured with his hands a bit as he said, "Things you like. Things you hate. Dreams for the future. Hobbies. Things like that." he finished as he crossed his arms.

Kiba seemed more than a little annoyed at this response. "How about you start us off. Since you haven't even told us your name yet."

"Me? I'm Hatake Kakashi. Things I like and things I hate… I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future… never really thought about it. As for my hobbies, I have lots of hobbies."

All three genin were left addled at that. Really? All he really did was tell them his name. They exchanged a look of disbelief among themselves. Well, Hinata and Kiba did, Shino's expression went unseen by anyone.

"Ok, your turn. You on the right, you first." Kakashi directed towards Kiba.

"Uh, I'm Inuzuka Kiba. I like my partner Akamaru here." he started off, Akamaru barking happily in reply. "Aside from that, I like beef, steak, jerky, and cartilage. I hate losing and cats. For the future… I guess being top dog wouldn't be bad. Yeah, I'm going to be Hokage. Akamaru and I go walking everyday as a hobby I guess." Another bark from Akamaru in confirmation.

Kakashi gave the boy a bored look before turning his attention to Shino. "Alright, next."

"Aburame Shino. I enjoy raising my kikaichu bugs. I suppose that also counts as my hobby. I like salads made with wild herbs, I also enjoy a good winter melon. Don't particularly like foods with strong smells. I one day hope to discover a new breed of insect."

"…. Last one." Kakashi muttered.

"I-I'm Hyūga Hinata. I like foods with cinnamon, especially cinnamon rolls or my mom's cinnamon sugar mochi. I also like hanging out with my best friend Ammako. I don't like the separation that exists between my family members. Umm… I press flowers as a hobby. I one day hope to close the distance between the main and branch families of the Hyūga clan."

Now that all the genin had introduced themselves, Kakashi gave them all another onceover before saying, "Good, you're all unique and have your own ideas. We'll have our first mission tomorrow."

"Sweet! Our first mission! What are we doing? Taking on some bandits? Spy mission?" Kiba asked, Akamaru barking along with his questions.

"It's a task… that we'll be doing together." was all the silver haired jonin told them.

Hinata wasn't sure if it was just her, but it almost sounded as though Kakashi-sensei was being coy about something. She wasn't the only one it seemed, as Shino spoke up.

"That seems more than a little misleading Sensei." the stoic boy said.

"… It's a survival exercise."

That answered nothing. Hinata started to tap her finger tips together out of nervousness. There was something going on here that didn't sit well. While she and Shino seemed to be picking up on it, Kiba remained oblivious to it.

"You hear that Akamaru? A survival exercise! We're going to dominate!" he cheered.

Shino didn't seem all that happy with the explanation. "This sounds like more training Sensei. What reason would we have to do that for?"

"I-I agree with Shino. We did our training at the academy, it's how we got here."

Only now did Kiba begin to get the same feeling that the other two had felt. "Huh, they're right. What the heck Sensei? What do we need more training for?"

Kakashi started to chuckle now, the first real show of emotion all afternoon.

"What's so funny?" Kiba asked indignantly.

Kakashi chuckled a bit more as he said, "If I answer, you won't like it." Upon saying that, while his demeanor never changed, an air of seriousness now surrounded the man. "Of the twenty-seven graduates that came here, it's most likely that only nine will be accepted as genin. The other eighteen will be weeded out and sent back to the academy. This is a make it or break it test and the chance that you'll fail are at least sixty-six percent."

His words hit the three like a slap to the face. Hinata's eyes opened wide as she brought her hands to cover her mouth. Shino, despite the glasses and high collar, was clearly distressed as his bugs started buzzing loudly. Kiba took it the hardest, his eyes and mouth now hanging open in terror. Akamaru sat at Kiba's feet and let out a low whine.

"This is how it is. I decide whether you pass or fail. Be at the designated training ground tomorrow at five AM and bring your ninja gear." Kakashi said, his tone almost angry. "That's will be all for today, dismissed. Oh, tomorrow you better skip breakfast or else you'll puke."

---

.xVIIx.

"Alright, this looks like a good spot." Issun spun around to look at his new students. "Let's get down to business."

After being led outside the main part of the village, the three genin found themselves on a distant training ground where their new sensei just announced the goal. Hopefully there would be some reason as to why they came all the way out here.

Naruto was of course the first to comment on this, "Finally, are we out here for some awesome training?! Oo oo! Or are we out here for a mission?" the boy shouted as he jumped up in excitement.

Issun stared at the boy for a few seconds before turning to the other two. Sasuke turned away while Ammako hung her head in minor agitation.

"Uh, no. We're not here for that." Issun told Naruto.

"Well then what are we out here for?"

"Mostly because the roof was taken." muttered the Pon as he grew a little more stoic as he looked away from them and at the edge of the nearby trees, almost as if he were searching for something. Satisfied with… whatever it was he was looking for he turned his gaze back to them.

"Well, to be honest, I originally brought you out here to perform your true genin test…" was all he got out before the genin interrupted him.

"What do you mean final test!?"

"I thought we did all that at the academy!"

"…"

They continued to voice their displeasure for another minute or so before they calmed down. "You done?"

A round of nods, though Naruto's was reluctant.

"Now, before you all gave into righteous indignation, what I was saying is that I am supposed to administer a final test. Was being the key word here."

"So, you're… not… going to test us?" Ammako asked, a mixture of relief and disappointment.

"Not in the traditional sense no. I don't believe a ninja's worth is measured in a single action. The only way I'm ever going to know whether you guys are worthy to wear those headbands is to watch you work. So, consider yourselves on a probationary period until further notice." Issun said with an air authority that had hadn't possessed previously.

A stunned silence from all three, well, Ammako and Naruto. Sasuke was almost always quiet.

"So then, why are we out here?" Ammako asked.

Issun hesitated on an answer, something both Ammako and Sasuke took note of. "Well, privacy mostly. It wouldn't do if anyone else knew that I just let your test slide. The Hokage is aware of my stance and permitted it, but the other genin and jonin may not take kindly to it."

The jonin paused for a moment before he continued. "While we're here, I suppose we can introduce ourselves. I already told you my name, so how about we start with your names and share a little about ourselves? I'll start. I enjoy painting and taking long walks. I don't particularly like tradition or people who are too rigid. I one day hope to settle down and marry. Simple right? Now one of you."

A little hesitation at first, but then Ammako spoke up, "I'm Okami Ammako. I like to read and train. I dislike loud people and being bored. I aim to be the best kunoichi that I can be and to one day prove to be a capable clan leader."

Issun nodded in approval, "Alright that was good. Now, who's next?" He looked at the boys and pointed at Sasuke. "You."

The Uchiha boy gave a disinterested stare before he started speaking. "Uchiha Sasuke. Haven't really thought about what I like and don't like. Don't have much planned for the future."

A disapproving look from Issun failed to get anything more out of the dark haired boy. With a defeated sigh Issun turned to Naruto. A look was all the incentive the boy needed to boast.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I love ramen, especially the ramen from Ichiraku's ramen stand! Have you ever been there? It's really great, you should try it some time. Uh, I don't like the three minutes it takes for cup ramen to cook. I guess a hobby of mine would be to eat different kinds of ramen and compare them. For the future I'm going to be the Greatest Hokage and then the village will have to acknowledge me!"

Amused silence from Issun for a moment before he asked, "So you like ramen?"

"I said that, didn't I?"

"I'm joking. I get it. And yes, I have been to Ichiraku's. It's pretty great. Did you say Uzumaki?"

"Yeah, why?"

A pause. "Nothing. Though Sasuke's intro leaves a lot to be desired, that was good. I look forward to getting to see what you guys have to offer. I guess that's it for today. Ammako, allow me to escort you home."

"I don't think that's really necessary. I'm a ninja now, I don't need to be walked home." she huffed.

"That's great, but not why I asked. I have business with your mother so I'm headed the same way." Issun retorted.

Her cheeks flushed. "Oh…"

"Alright, with that out of the way. Dismissed."

…

While Naruto and Sasuke went their own ways after, Ammako was left in an awkward position as she walked next to the older Pon. While it's true she knew of the man, she didn't know all that much about him. She was telling the truth when she said that she saw his picture around the compound, but whenever she brought it up with people, they got really quiet and refused to answer.

Now there he was and her curiosity was close to bursting, though she felt it would be improper to speak that way to her sensei. Not only that, but her immediate superior. She shifted her gaze to him every now and then during their trek and took in what she could. He seemed to shift between being stoic and professional, too aloof and relaxed depending on the situation. Whatever triggered this was unknown to her though, as he did it quite often. She supposed it had to do with what he knew at times and figured that was just the way things were with jonin. Must be one of those odd personality quirks that most of the elite ninja often showed.

Still, the silence was bothering her to no end. Might as well try and get some answers.

"So…" was all she got out.

"Look, I know you have questions, but they're going to have to wait. There's not a lot that I can answer for you. Assuming you and your teammates get past your probationary period, you may be privy to know why."

"…Oh…"

Issun remained silent for a moment. "It's nothing against you. I've been gone a long time and it's going to be a while before I'm comfortable enough to discuss myself more than I already have."

"Al-alright."

"Nothing against you. I just have a lot of baggage."

They remained quiet for the rest of the trip. Before too long they found themselves at the gates of the Okami compound. Entering, Ammako noticed the several glances that were being shot their way, obviously noticing the man walking next to her.

"Is that?"

"No, he's been gone years…"

"No, it's him. But why is he back now?"

Everything else she heard was more of the same. Given how fast the Okami tended to talk, it was only a matter of time before-

Sure enough, an older Okami attendant showed before the two. His attention was solely on Issun though and gave a curt message. "Pon-san, you're wanted in Rasu-san's office."

Issun's shoulders slumped as he let out a sigh. "Yeah, I figured." He turned to Ammako. "Assuming I'm still alive tomorrow, remember to be at training ground three at seven AM."

With that he followed the waiting attendant.

Ammako was left there speechless and alone with her thoughts. 'I wonder what Ka-san wants with him.'

…

Issun wasn't feeling particularly well given his current circumstances. Knowing Rasu, things weren't going to start out well. Good thing he came prepared. The attendant, a man whose name he didn't know, led him to a rather ornate door and left him there. Rather than walk in, Issun waited a bit. Sure enough, a voice soon spoke up.

"I know you're out there. Are you going to keep me waiting?"

With another sigh, he reluctantly opened the door. He took note of the things that had changed and what had changed within the office. Several new paintings and carved pieces now decorated the room that weren't there the last time he had been in the room. More than anything, the office felt more… homey, he guessed. Last time it was barely furnished to be functional. Now it looked more personal and comfortable. His gaze eventually fell on the woman sitting at the wooden desk in the middle of the room.

Rasu looked much as she did the last time he saw her. Time's passing did little to change her vibrant looks and he couldn't help but stare in awe for a moment. As an artist, he recognized a muse when he saw one and Rasu was surely one to inspire great works. He shook it off though, now wasn't the time to be inspired.

Right now, he had to face what was surely be one of the most difficult trials he has ever faced. Rasu's wrath.

"Onee-san, it's been a while."

She didn't respond, merely giving him a cold stare. At one point he may have withered under that gaze, but after years in the field, he had learned to withstand worse. He returned her cold gaze with a stoic stare of his own. Whether this got to her or not, he couldn't say. Though, he did notice that a little tic had started under her right eye.

This went on for another minute before Issun decided that this was getting them nowhere.

"You going to say anything or can I go? I do have things to do you know."

This appeared to get to Rasu, as she sighed, reached into her desk, and pulled out a bottle. This sent a shiver down Issun's spine, memories of a certain celebratory night coming to mind. Rasu saw him twitch and chuckled as she pulled out two glasses.

"It's low-proof, don't worry. Sit down already." she said as she poured the alcohol into the glasses.

Seeing no reason not to, Issun took a seat. Rasu pushed a glass to him and he took it, but didn't drink it.

Rasu also did not drink from her glass, the two once again sitting in an awkward silence. Issun decided that since he was the cause of it, he should be the one to break it.

"How have you been?"

"Fine." was her curt response. She actually did drink from her glass this time. This seemed to calm her a bit as she stared at the empty cup. "It hurt. You leaving like that."

"I know."

"Why?"

"I had my reasons."

"Not going to tell me?"

"One day maybe. I still haven't come to terms with it." Issun took a sip from his drink. "So, you going to do something or do I have to actually say something to piss you off?"

Another chuckle from the Okami leader as she poured another drink for herself. "You know, I honestly thought I would. Even when I heard you had been back for a week. Still, I really just felt relieved that you're alright."

A wave of relief went through Issun and he relaxed a little. Rasu saw this and commented, "Don't feel so relieved yet, I'm still mad at you. You'll have to do a lot to make up for this. Why didn't you come back once you returned to the village?"

"I wanted to, Hokage's orders though. I can't say why. Though I think what I have here can help with the forgiveness process." Issun said as he pulled out a scroll.

This peaked Rasu's curiosity. "You found something?" her interest apparent in her eyes.

"Maybe. Found this before I got my orders to return. Was following a lead I came across at one of the other ruins I found." he said as he put his hand to the scroll. "Kai."

A poof of smoke and a large stone slab appeared on her desk. Much like everything else that had been sent to her by Issun, it was covered in kanji. For the first time though, she noticed that she could understand some of them.

"I don't understand. What does some story have to do with anything?"

Issun got a really smug look as he took pointed at the other kanji written on the slab. "It's not just a story, it's a poem possibly predating the Sage. Notice how the forms between the two match."

Rasu look at how the lines were written and did indeed note that they followed the same form.

"Using that knowledge, we can determine that this is the same story written in two different languages. This early form of what we use today and this older one that is on everything I've found so far."

He didn't have to finish before things clicked for the Okami. "We can use this story to decipher all the other writings." she said in awe.

"Exactly." Issun said with a grin.

This was big news. After so long, they finally had a way to figure out what the strange old kanji meant and what information about their clan the old words hid. The potential knowledge that was now available to them was boggling to her.

"So, that worth a little forgiveness?"

Rasu immediately dropped the grin that had set on her lips and quickly returned to a frown. "Hmph. It's a start." she said with puffed cheeks.

Issun kept himself from letting his smug grin from growing wider as he was sure that would only annoy the woman more. While he got a kick out of it, it wouldn't do to mend things between them if he kept poking fun at her. She may be aloof, but she had her pride.

"Well, that's for later I suppose. It will take time to get this deciphered. So I want to speak with you about current events. Like why you're my daughter's jonin sensei." She gave a hard stare at the man, her eyes boring into his.

Issun met the stare, he had nothing to hide. "Hokage's orders. Besides, do you know anyone else who would be a better teacher for her?"

"It just seems strange that out of everyone he could have picked, he chose you. You just got back not long ago. Suspicious." she said at him with slit eyes.

'Nothing gets past her does it? Not like I can say anything.' he thought. "Don't know what you're talking about."

"Uh huh."

Issun gave a shrug as he stood and began to look around the office. Rasu chose to use this time to check and see if she could translate any of this on her own. She pulled out a scroll and a brush and set about her task.

Issun took his time, carefully looking at the pieces of art that now decorated the room. He remembered that Rasu hated being in here when they first arrived, it seemed that she had made it a place where she could stand to be now. He moved from piece to piece, carefully critiquing each one. The most prominent were paintings and statues, other odd pieces sticking out here and there. He started to notice a theme with some of the paintings though.

"These are all by the same person," he noted, "they haven't signed them though."

"Good eye. Nice to see your years of wandering the nations hasn't dulled your skills. Those were all painted by Miya. She's already making a pretty good name for herself, she's had offers from as far as the capitol and she isn't even out of school yet. She hasn't told me yet why she doesn't sign the ones here."

"Is she studying to be a kunoichi?"

"Goodness no. She's over at the civilian branch, she's going to be graduating next year. We all have high hopes for her."

Issun nodded as he went to the next few pieces and he didn't pause for more than a minute or so for each one until he reached the last piece. He arched an eyebrow and cast a coy glance at Rasu, "Interesting that you would this one here. Didn't think you still had it."

Rasu looked up from her deciphering and saw what Issun was looking at, a white wolf mask. With an annoyed look she went back to her work. "Of course I kept it, you think I'd just toss it out?"

Issun smirked. "I dunno, last time I saw you with it, it wasn't exactly a good time. Thought you tossed it with everything else when we left Wep'keer." he said as he gazed at the mask.

If he didn't know any better, he would have thought that it was an Anbu mask as it used a similar design. A fairly simple oval design for the body of the mask with a visage of a wolf carved out of its surface. It had wide swept ears and a little button nose, its eyes framed in black triangles. Oddly, Issun found the appearance very feminine in its simplicity.

"I put a lot of work into that. Besides, it wasn't all bad."

"Has Ammako tried wearing it yet?" the Pon asked.

"Of course she has. It won't work for her though, you know those things need to be personalized."

"Spoken with her about that side of her heritage?"

"… No. I'm not ready to bring that up with her yet."

"So you wouldn't appreciate it if I told then?"

Silence was all the response he got. "Very well. I won't say anything, but she deserves to know."

"When I'm ready."

Issun turned and saw Rasu had stopped working and remained fairly still, a habit when she was lost in thought. He could make a fair guess as to what she was thinking about. Knowing that, he felt it may be time for him to leave.

"Look, I didn't mean to bring up those memories. If it's alright, I'm going to take off. Plenty to do tomorrow. New team and all that."

"Yeah. I'll see you later, Issun. Don't be a stranger aright?" she said as he made his way to the door, giving him a small smile before he exited. He returned it and then was gone.

With a heavy sigh, she lifted herself from her seat and walked over to the mask. Staring at it for a few seconds, she reached out and lifted it from its base. Running her fingers over its front, she started to remember every mark, scratch, and blemish upon it. She did because she put each and every one there. She flipped it over and looked at the fuinjutsu markings carved into the backside. Certainly not her work, she wasn't at this level and probably never would be. Memories flooded into her and she breathed heavily as she put the mask to her face.

Nothing happened, just as she knew it would. Still didn't stop the disappointment. Another sigh and she put it back on its stand. Every time, she knew better and still she tried. Could anyone really blame her? The freedom it granted was intoxicating. Again she let the memories flow.

The cold wind on her face as she ran through the winter forest at speeds she could never reach on her own. She felt rather than saw the presence of her running mate, somewhere off to her right, keeping pace with her as she raced through the trees. How she could never tell, she just knew that he was there, watching her in experience what he did daily.

It was by far the most amazing thing she had ever experienced and she had traveled far and wide, seen more than most. And soon… things would always be this way. If only…

A knock on the door interrupted her from her thoughts.

"Rasu-sama, Master Issun mentioned that you wished to see me on his way out. How may I be of service." The voice of Michi came through the door.

"Oh, yes. There is something. Fetch the other advisors and bring them here. They're going to love this."

---

.xVIIIx.

Naruto wasn't sure what he should be feeling right now. As he made his way through the evening streets of Konoha, he couldn't help but think about what Issun-sensei had told them. Probationary genin, it just didn't sound like a term that was used. But the Hokage had allowed it, so it must be a thing. Still, after everything he had been through to get this headband, it didn't seem right.

'Hmph, then I'll just have to prove that I'm worthy to wear it. I did it once and I can do it again!' he thought as he walked down a familiar street.

While he still felt conflicted, it wasn't as prominent as the feeling had been. With new spirits, Naruto felt a certain spring return to his step as he started to smell the object of his current desire. Just around the corner and he would be there, Ichiraku's Ramen. He could hardly wait as today was special. For tonight there was a special, half price on every other bowl of ramen. While most wouldn't consider this all that practical, for someone who ate at least six bowls in one visit this was money in the bag. Naruto smiled devilishly as he made his way to the front of the store.

Just as he was about to enter though, he heard some groans coming from his left. He turned to see what could possibly be making the noise and was surprised to see Team Ten limping towards him. Sparking his curiosity, Naruto waited until they got close enough to hear him.

"Wow, you guys look like crap. What happened?" he asked.

Shikamaru was the first to notice that they were being spoken to and looked up from the ground. "Don't want to talk about it." He then let his eyes fall back.

Naruto only became more intrigued as he looked over the other two. Choji looked mostly alright, except for the fact that his eyes were focused on something faraway. Ino had her arms crossed across her belly and had a twitch in her left eye. Her normally well-kept hair was a mess and was that a feather in it? All of their clothes looked worn and ragged, Naruto wondered how they had gotten that way; they looked fine earlier. A spark of realization hit him remembering what Issun-sensei had said.

"You guys have a final genin test too?" he asked.

Again, Shikamaru was the only one who answered. "Something like that."

"Well did you pass?" Naruto asked excitedly. Sure he may not have gotten along with these guys all that well, but he still wanted everyone to do their best.

This time Shikamaru hesitated. The Nara boy didn't look like he wanted to say anything though he eventually managed a curt answer. "Yes."

'They passed and still look like the world is ending? What the heck did their sensei do to them?'

"Was it that bad?" Naruto asked.

This question seemed to break Ino out of the catatonic state she was in. "YES! It was awful!" she practically screamed as she fell to her knees. The girl then began to shiver heavily. Shikamaru let out a sigh and threw the remains of his tattered jacket over her shoulders, which she drew closer as soon as it was draped over her.

Now that was a reaction.

"What happened? You guys want to talk about it?"

Ino proceeded to shake her head vigorously and Shikamaru responded with, "Not really. Trust me, you don't want to know."

"That bad huh. Wow. Well you guys look like you could use some food, want to join me for some ramen? There's a special today."

Shikamaru looked at his teammates and decided that some food would be for the best. "Sure, why not. You guys good?"

Ino took a second before she rose, sniffling a little as she returned the Nara boy's jacket. Choji merely followed them as they entered the ramen stand.

"Great! It's not often I get company for ramen." Naruto said as he led the small group inside. "Hey Old man! I brought some company!"

"Naruto! Why am I not surprised to see you. Looks like you brought some friends. The usual for you?" Teuchi responded.

Naruto nodded as he took a seat and gestured for the other three to sit as well. They seemed hesitant to do so though for some reason. Shikamaru sniffed the air.

"What's that?"

Teuchi turned in response to the question. "You smell that huh? Just cooking up some chicken for the special tonight, been a popular choice all day." To emphasize this, he held up a partially prepared chicken carcass.

The three genin all froze at the sight. Choji turned a shade of green that Naruto swore he only saw on plants. Shikamaru on the other was drained of all color. Ino though, she looked as though something broke as her eyes went white and the shivering returned. Not a second later she broke again.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" she screamed as she took off out of the stall.

Shikamaru simply turned mechanically and followed shortly after, dragging a catatonic Choji behind him.

"What's wrong with them?" Teuchi asked.

"No idea. Four bowls please."

---

.xIXx.

Sasuke walked in the front door and was met with the smell of dinner cooking. While not a rare occurrence, they happened infrequently enough that this came as a surprise. There wasn't much that led to one of the other two cooking, but Sasuke could guess. Grandfather wasn't home. Feeling a little better, the boy entered the dining room.

There he found his brother seated at the table, carefully going over the scroll in front of him. Sasuke watched as Itachi slowly ran his fingers over the bumpy paper, taking in what was written in the textured language.

"Sasuke, welcome home." Itachi greeted, his face never leaving the table. Not that it really mattered if he did.

"Yeah. What's Izumi cooking?" Sasuke asked as he sat down.

"Your favorite, omusubi with okaka and tomatoes. We felt that congratulations were in order for today."

Sasuke gave a small smile, though it quickly vanished when he thought about what their sensei told them. Itachi seemed to pick up on his brother's silence. "What's wrong? Don't tell me you didn't pass the genin test?"

"It's not that. He didn't give us one. He did tell us about it though, says that we're on probationary status until further notice. We're on the team, but…"

"Probationary status? Never heard of that, you sure you didn't fail?"

"I'm positive. We have our first meeting at…" it occurred then to Sasuke that they were never told when or where they were meeting. He brought his palm to his face at the realization. Such a rookie mistake, he didn't even bother to ask when they were meeting. He expected this of Naruto, but himself and Ammako? He expected better.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just realized that I didn't ask when we were meeting." Sasuke said.

"So you did make the team. Alright, who're squad mates?"

"Uzumaki Naruto and Okami Ammako."

"Ah, heard good things about the Okami, even worked with a couple when I was in Anbu. Don't tell anyone I told you that, supposed to be discreet and all that. Though I don't think those two are in Anbu anymore either."

"Nothing to add about Uzumaki?"

"Not much to say, only know of one Uzumaki in the village and you're teamed up with him. You probably know more about him than I do." Itachi said as he continued to trail his fingers over the bumpy scroll.

"What are you even reading there?" Sasuke asked as he leaned over the table to get a better look. Not sure why he bothered as he had no idea how to even read tenji.

"Oh, just some old reports as a favor. Took some time to get them transcribed into tenji though. Just got them today and have been going over them since earlier this afternoon."

"Well, what're they about?"

"Sorry little brother, can't say. Hokage business." Itachi said with a smile.

Sasuke missed seeing that, the small smiles that Itachi gave him. Nowadays they were rare and far between. Though these smiles now lacked the look in his brother's eyes. All Sasuke saw now were the bandages that covered the upper half of Itachi's face.

"Dinner's ready!" A female voice carried from the kitchen.

Sasuke turned to see the lone female Uchiha walk into the dining room.

Uchiha Izumi was a teenage girl around Itachi's age, she had long brown hair that framed her face. Like Itachi though, her eyes were also covered by bandages, these ones blue compared to his black. While the coverings did conceal the upper half of her face, Sasuke could still see the burn scars that peaked out below her right eye. Her skin remained unblemished under her left eye though, allowing him to see the mole that sat under it.

Looking down, he saw that she had wrapped her arms with new bandages. He knew that her burns had healed years ago, she just felt self-conscious about her scars though.

'Can't really blame her.' he thought as he rubbed the arm warmer on his left arm.

"Sasuke! I hope you like what I prepared for tonight. I am so proud of you!" Izumi said as she felt her way around the table until she was at his side. She leaned down a little and gave him a hug, which he returned. Much as he didn't like physical contact with people, he couldn't deny her.

"Thank you Izumi-nee-san."

"You hear that Itachi. He's already calling me Nee-san!" Izumi boasted.

"He's been calling you that for years." Itachi deadpanned.

Izumi pouted at his tone. "Hmph, well if you're going to be like that, then you won't be getting any dessert."

"You know I don't like sweets right? For that matter, neither does Sasuke."

"Guh, you two are hopeless."

Sasuke sat back and enjoyed the conversation. He wished that they could have more nights like this. Grandfather often proved to be a bit of a spoilsport however. Whenever he was around things often turned sour. Thankfully he was gone for the night. May as well enjoy things while it lasted. With a small smile he started helping serve their meal.

---

.xXx.

All was dark as Waka felt himself lapse back into consciousness. Reaching his hand up to his face, he felt the rough texture of gauze over his eyes.

"Oh, you're up. How're you feeling?" the voice of Hayazo sounded.

"Groggy… and hungry." he responded.

"Fraid I can't do much about the hunger problem, you're more likely to heave it back out at the moment. Can help with the grogginess though." Waka felt his palms being forcefully pointed up and a couple of small objects placed onto them. "Take those and I got a glass of water to help wash them down. Should counteract the grogginess."

Waka downed the pills and soon felt a cold glass pushed into his hands. He greedily drank down the water.

"Good. Should be right as rain in a few days. So what was the point of all this?"

Waka laid back down and let a little bit of a smile show. "Progress."

---

.xXIx.

"Boss! Where do you want these stacks to go?"

"Put them over by the north side, we're going to need them there when we start on that tomorrow!"

"Hai!"

Voices rang back and forth throughout the work site as workers communicated orders. Activity was high as people rushed from one work spot to the next. Construction hadn't officially begun yet, but they were slated to begin in the morning. In order to get a leg up on that, everybody was hurrying to get everything set up beforehand.

It was a pretty exciting start as far as the workers were concerned. This was a big project and the pay promised to be worth it. Several months' worth of promised work on provided this area with a decent road and a bridge to finish it off. On top of that it was working for a reputed construction firm. Why wouldn't they be glad to start?

The foreman looked over all the setup that had been done so far and deemed that they were more than prepared to start work as soon as possible. Giving his notes one more look, he smiled as he pulled out his whistle and gave it a blow.

"Alright people! You've all done good! We're more than ready to start work tomorrow! For now though, relax and refresh. Tomorrow's s big day and I need you all at your best. The dinner tent is up and we have plenty of drinks available. Dismissed!"

A round of cheers as the workers scattered towards their tents and temporary shelters. Such were the high spirits of all that not one of the workers noticed the shadowy figures watching over them.

"Hmm. This could be detrimental to our plans. What should we tell her?" asked one.

"What we're supposed to, that there are more people here."

"You think they know what we've been doing?"

"Unlikely, we've made sure of that. Just focus on gathering information for the time being. The Queen will tell us what we're to do when she's ready. Until then, we follow our standing orders." the second figure said as it looked down at the torn piece of scroll it had gotten a hold of, the words Agata Project in bold letters. "We observe and see if any are of use to our plans."

---

And Scene!

So even more development so for several characters here. Poor Team Ten though, really don't want to be where they are right now. For anyone who got the reference, that's all it was, a reference. There won't be any more stories being added to the crossover than I have already added. Let me know what you guys thought about this chapter. With that, on to reviews.

Rio Skyron - Well, yeah. Though I do have to say that it will not be called Ninetails at any point in the story, only outside of it like here.

Dragon Man 180 - All will be revealed with the Uchiha's, I am really looking forward to when I can pull back that curtain. And it seems to that I have not been clear enough about why Itachi has a cane the past couple of chapters, so here's to hoping I made it abundantly obvious this time. Hopefully your questions regarding teams are answered this chapter as well.

jiongu-naruto - ... What? Not entirely sure how that would work, what does the Ninetails or the Nine-Tails have to be redeemed for? The fox-rods are off in a secured safe far away from Konoha at the moment, so not sure how you came to that conclusion. Why would I have it killed off so soon? In my opinion, the Ninetails was a damn good villain in Okami, better than Yomi in story at least. It was set up far better and I felt actual rage against when I first played through. No way am I axing it anytime soon here. And why would it pass anything down to Naruto, it wants something from him. I am thoroughly confused by your review, you've taken some rather large leaps in logic there my friend.

Reversus12 - Thank you! I love the game and am glad that someone else loves it too. I will keep it up!

Bogart Rojas Avila and Shadowknightreaper - So I'm going to lump you two together as both your reviews revolve around the same topic. To be entirely honest, when I first conceived this story, it was supposed to be NaruAmmy. That changed however as I began to develop the story and characters more. With what I have in mind for later, that pairing stopped working. Ironically, making Ammako and Hinata best friends was supposed to be what caused Hinata to not have a crush on Naruto. As things developed though, it just made more sense to keep that pairing as opposed to having Naruto and Ammako be a thing. That said, Bogart, I already mentioned that there will be no harem in this story. Not sorry to burst that bubble, there are just too many of them in the fandom and really make no sense to me.

Resplandent - Rude.

ChaosDeathLord - Nope, no OP happening here, I take pride in that. More interested in telling a good story. But yeah, Ammako and Rasu's names are based off of Amaterasu's. Rasu is taken off the end there and Ammako is the nickname Isuun gave her in the japanese version of the game, Ammy is the western version. What Waka is doing isn't necessarily in opposition to anyone really, you'll see as we get further in. Oh man, I'm not sure how well you guys are going to take what I have planned for the instruments, but I personally look forward to it. I did not do a good enough job on showing that Mizuki was not controlled and was swapped out at some point. Going to have to fix that later.

delta4pheonix - I aim to please. Not everyone mind you, that would be impossible.

So a little news here. I'm going to try and not be as talkative as I have been down here as I feel that I often say things that can be considered spoilerish, I've done it before and I can guarantee that I will do it again. Aside from answering what I can for reviews, I will try to keep what I say down here to a minimum from now on.

Of course I could also be a total liar. Another Director's Cut section here folks!

So now that the teams are placed, I feel that I can mention another early idea that didn't make the cut. In addition to Rao being a student in the original draft, so was Issun. The team make up then was going to be Team 7 with undecided Sensei, Naruto, Ammako, and Issun. However, I had trouble making that work, largely because the moveset that I gave Issun was too OP for a genin, but not too OP for a jonin. So a little juggling around and what came out of it was Team 6 with Issun, Naruto, Ammako, and Sasuke. This opened up a whole host of new ideas, many of which I have put into affect over the last few chapters. The early ideas for Issun had him being very similar to Sai in many regards, so there was some clashing that was going on there as Sai was also used in those early drafts to balance out the number of students. Let's just say that when Issun was a genin, things got swiftly out of hand with how many students I had in that class. Things evened out once I took him out of the class and made him older. That action though had it's own set of issues, namely his new backstory. Fear not though, for I have given him something fairly matching of character. That will of course come to light as the story progresses. Look forward to it.

With that said. Read and Review! Lostbasin out!