This Game of Life

Xenologue 1

"So, how have you found training your team, Kakashi?"

"Mmm? Easy enough, I suppose. To be honest, it's been more like me watching over them training themselves. I suppose that's the benefit of a team like mine."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Kakashi paused from where he was in his novel to look over at Kurenai. "Oh, didn't you know?"

"Hokage-sama's given me three prodigies."

"Kiba's an idiot. Sakura-chan's gonna beat the crap out of him now." Naruto worriedly said.

"Really? Because from the look on your face, I'd imagine Forehead's gonna be the one who loses." Ino scoffed. "I mean, she has smarts, but she was never even close to being the best practically. Kiba'll run all over her."

"Haruno-san will win." Aya quietly stated, not adding anything else to the conversation.

"I concur." Shino simply stated, while Shikamaru gave a grunt of agreement from where he was lying on the ground.

"Yeah, she's definitely going to win," Ami stated, which Sasuke nodded to, along with Hinata.

"She's gotten a lot stronger," Choji stated simply.

Ino looked around, looking for some support, but it seemed none of the other rookies agreed with her.

"Yeah, well, I was just saying from past experience-"

"A word of advice," Ami interrupted. "When dealing with ninja, never use past experiences to prove that something in the future is certain. You'll just get embarrassed."

"What do you mean, three prodigies?" Asuma asked, curious now.

Kakashi sighed – Dammit, I was getting to the good bit –, closing his book. "Well, we all know Sasuke is a prodigy. And Naruto is, for reasons we all know about, and others, too. He's a kinesthetic learner, and he's actually very talented. The academy simply wasn't the right environment for him to learn effectively. He's quickly catching up to Sasuke. And Sakura… well. Would it be fair to say that Hinata has prodigious chakra control?"

"Well, of course. She's a Hyuga, after all." Kurenai said, stating the obvious.

"Well, then Sakura's a prodigy as well. Because I believe her control is even better than Hinata's. And not just slightly better, or moderately better. To be perfectly honest, I can slightly understand why it wasn't caught by the academy. For the most part, until recently, it was all internal. But now… Well, I'm sure she'll show us. Just watch." Kakashi explained, silently watching Sakura. After a moment, Asuma and Kurenai began watching her too, and all three jonin clearly saw the cube of blue chakra spring up from her hand.

"What jutsu is that?" Choji asked, curiously.

"I've never seen any jutsu like that before. Intriguing." Shino stated.

"I'm almost certain she made it herself," Sasuke stated. "That's how she said she came across it, and from all the variations of it she's made, I'm willing to believe her."

"Does it not require handseals?"

"I've never seen her use them for it. In fact, I haven't seen her use handseals at all for a while now."

"Intriguing."

"Oh, there it is. She's started her usual strategy." Ami said, some of the rookies looking at her quizzically. "She sets up an area of effect genjutsu to create some cover. She does it over an area so it can't be dispelled, as it's not directly influencing our chakra systems. Then she makes some clones and makes them run around, and then she starts hit-and-run tactics."

Aya simply watched intently.

"You saw that, right?"

"Yep. What was that?" Asuma asked.

"It was… a feat of pure chakra control. Bringing out a small amount of chakra externally, quickly forming a shell over it so it doesn't dissipate, and even making it float, and shaping it too… Not even I could do that in an instant. Is this what you meant, Kakashi?"

"Yeah, this is what I meant. Agree with me now, Kurenai?"

"Well, I have to… even if it is… insane. How did Iruka not pick up on this?"

"Like I said, I have a feeling it was all internal before. I'm not sure what caused it, but she suddenly realised that external chakra control was possible, and she's actually made it into a feasible offensive jutsu. And not only that, but it's one only she can use, unless you're Tsunade. Another thing I've noticed is that lately, when she does use a jutsu other than that, which she's named Magic Bullet, by the way, she doesn't use seals."

"Her control can't possibly be that good."

"Not only did she manage to apparently learn the Mystical Palm in a day, I have seen her use it without handseals."

"Have you told Hokage-sama about this?"

"Of course I have. He's unsure of how to proceed. I don't think anything like this has ever happened before. It'd be an amazing boon to pull her straight into the Medical Corps, but then we miss out on anything else she might create, and besides, she's infatuated with Sasuke, and Naruto with her. I don't want to pull their team apart."

"She's taking her time. When I spar with her, she's usually attacked by now." Ami stated.

"Knowing her? She's probably invented something and is gonna use Kiba as a test dummy." Sasuke sighed.

When Sakura appeared from the underbrush, pink hair flowing behind her, and with a blue sword in hand, slashing Kiba, Ami chuckled, while Sasuke simply facepalmed, sighing.

Ino watched, slightly – Slightly, I said – awed with Sakura.

"She…"

"It has a physical presence, too."

"…Please, let me mentor her in genjutsu."

"That's her decision to make, Kurenai."

"She's toying with him."

"Sakura-san is clearly the better fighter. But-"

"Inuzuka-san is much too stubborn to surrender, right, Aburame-san?"

"Yes, Namiki-san. Exactly."

With a sigh, Aya spoke. "I change my p-prediction. Haruno-san'll lose on a technicality."

Ami sighed. "You're probably right."

Naruto looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Just watch, Naruto. You'll understand what they mean." Sasuke added, exasperatedly.

"See?"

"You were right. Mystical Palm without handseals… This is ridiculous. I'd kill to have that kind of control in ten years."

"We all knew this batch were special."

"Special doesn't even come close to cutting it."

And that's that. These Xenologues will be going back to previous events, just looking at them from a third person perspective. Tell me if you like them! I'll gladly do more if you do. And It's just occurred to me I didn't write anything from Kiba or Akamaru's point of view. Meh. I'll do it if there's a big demand.