V 3 ch 1

The Teams are decided

Kurenai sat on the seat drinking a hot cup of coffee. She turned her head to notice Sasuke arriving early that morning. Later they would meet with the Hokage to decide the fates of the students who had graduated the Ninja Academy. Kurenai had meant to discuss Daiya's behavior to Sasuke before the exams had ended, but she had to finish her paperwork regarding the exam results.

Sasuke sat down putting his arms on the back of the couch, his legs on the table in front of him. He yawned. "You forgot to explain that kid's behavior yesterday."

"I know. I'm sorry. I meant to get back with you on that, but I had to turn in the entire test results," Kurenai said. "What I say to you can go no farther than this room. I'm afraid of the consequences." She sipped her mug.

Sasuke looked at her. "Is it that bad?" Kurenai nodded. "I promise not to say anything to anyone about Daiya."

Kurenai kept her eyes closed. "We found Daiya wandering the lightening country on one of our missions a few years ago. It was me, Saijito, Ume, and Rassha. We had been tracking a man named Naisho Tsukuri, a rare art collector, who wished to hire us. He claimed the celestial scroll had been stolen from him recently."

"The celestial scroll? Isn't that supposed to be a legend? A myth? As the legend goes, the owner of the scroll can makes a blood pact with the four gods that guard the celestial gates," Sasuke said. "It's supposed to be nothing more than an old wives tale."

"That's the way I've always heard it. I used to hear tales about it when I was a little girl. It made for a good bedtime story. Yet, lately the rumors about the scroll had been on the rise. The rumors were not only being spread in one country, but all of the countries surrounding the lightening country where it originated," Kurenai said.

"It isn't like Naruto to send his teams on wild goose chases," Sasuke said.

"He didn't. Not originally. We didn't find out about the scroll until we were already hired by Naisho Tsukuri. A ninja has to do the assignment they are given, so we couldn't back down. The more we talked about it, the fisher it got. Naisho informed us the scroll had once belonged to his beloved Lord. The Lord's whereabouts were unknown. Naisho believed the man had been killed by his son in an attempt for power.

The art collector believed the son of the Lord had stolen the scroll. The proof he had was the scroll had been kept in a locked box in the hall. He discovered the box sliced open and its contents taken. Naisho wanted us to retrieve the scroll along with the Lord's son, who he deemed was a traitor. It wasn't until we left did it sink in that the proper owner of the scroll would be the Lord's son, regardless of Naisho Tsukuri's demands."

"You would think that. So what did this son of the Lord do to have another guy wanting him captured? The man obviously had no authority to issue such a request upon the four of you," Sasuke said. Something about it didn't set right. The scroll itself was nothing more than a legend.

"The son of the Lord had betrayed his clan and successor from what I gathered. We also learned from Naisho that whoever possessed the celestial scroll could become extremely powerful. Once bonded with the four celestial gods, the user would wipe out an entire country if he chose to. We had to react. It was more so on tyranny, than anything."

"How come I've never heard about this before," Sasuke asked.

"Nothing became of it. After we had set out to track down the Lord's son, we were sent word by an assistant of Naisho's that informed us his master was dead. The rumors we had been following soon died away as if they never existed, long after. Someone knew the old man had been seeking to reclaim the scroll. He was murdered, Sasuke. We don't know by whom. The assistant informed us that he had connections and would take care of the assassin himself. We were sent back home."

"So as soon as you were hired, the mission was halted," Sasuke said. "Alright, what does this have to do with Daiya?" Kurenai stopped for a moment. They heard someone pass the room. It wasn't until the coast was clear did she continue.

"As I mentioned before, we found Daiya wandering the lightening country as we were returning to the Hidden Leaf Village. Rassha found the boy wandering the streets of a small village we had stayed in to get supplies. Daiya was pale in color, his hair was signed, and he had bruises all over his body. It appeared his right eye had been cut by a weapon of sorts. The boy didn't respond to any of us when we tried to talk to him. He only stared back. Saijito checked Daiya and said he was in shock. We took him with us without a struggle." Sasuke was watching her intently. "Rassho managed to learn what had happened to Daiya when the boy came out of shock. There was a fire and his parents had been killed. Daiya's mother had been cruel to him ever since he was born. His real father had ditched him when he was smaller. Daiya's mother saw him as an abomination and tried to kill him."

"That explains why he wouldn't come near me. He assumes I'm going to harm him in some way," Sasuke said. He looked away for a moment. Daiya had been brought back to Konoha when he was only six-years-old. He was still a child.

"That isn't all of it, Sasuke. The fire that killed his mother and stepfather was caused by Daiya. We found out when he is forced to do something, Daiya erupts. He is a lightening user. The angrier he becomes, the more out of control he gets. Right now, he is dangerous because he is not willing to adhere to anything. Daiya is a very stubborn kid."

"He needs an outlet. I wonder if he will do well on the team he gets. He has to learn to trust his trainer, or it's not going to work. How does Naruto think the boy will succeed if he won't follow directions from someone who is more experienced?"

"I don't know. It was difficult for me to have him train with the other students at the Academy. I had to have a lot of patience with that kid. It takes a lot of coaxing to assure Daiya that you aren't trying to harm him. I know at his age he should be stronger than what he is. Daiya's past keeps him rooted. Right now, he's watching everyone from the sidelines – expecting them to attack him," Kurenai said.

"Hmm. It's different if you know what you're dealing with. Sometimes the past can't be forgotten," Sasuke said. He knew it all too well. It still bore into his mind at times. "Daiya needs friends. The problem is most of those kids aren't going to welcome him so easily because he is a foreigner. His attitude doesn't help matters, either."

"No, I totally agree. I'm surprised he calmed down when I entered the room with you yesterday. He doesn't trust a soul," Kurenai said.

"Him and that kid from the sound village are two students to really focus on," Sasuke said. "They both have issues that need to be dealt with. The question is who is going to stand up and offer to help them?"

The Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, sat behind his desk in his office. He had called for a short meeting regarding the new teams that were to be set up. He heard a knock at the door. "Come on in, you guys. We have a lot to discuss." Naruto waved all of the team trainers in. They stood in front of him in a small group. "As you guys know, the Ninja Academy finals were yesterday. I made the finals harder to help weed out students who were stronger than others regarding their mental and physical stamina.

In saying so, these students are going to be 'up for grabs' so to speak. I'm going to let you guys decide who you would like to train. There is a catch, though. Two of the students are foreigners and are to be trained with caution. They are physically strong, but hold some sort of mental grudge against the past. The two I speak of are Idai from the sound village and Daiya Eimino from the lightening country."

Naruto sifted through the final exam results. He held up the first student's test. It appeared to be in good standing with the answers given for the written exam. The transformation jutsu and clone jutsu had been executed properly. "Okay, the first student I have is Areku Inuzuka. Kiba, you know you can't have him on your team. It wouldn't be fair to the others. So, it's a choice between Shikamaru, Sasuke, and Lee. Areku has the type of personality that requires him to be challenged mentally. He's not forceful, unless threatened. He appears to be a problem solver and works well with just about everyone in his class," Naruto read the notes that Kurenai had written.

Shikamaru raised his hand. "I'll take him. If he's a problem solver, he can go to my team. I can challenge the heck out of him."

"Alright, Areku will go to Team Four, Shikamaru's Team. Next is, Yanagi Lee. She's spunky, has a positive attitude, appears to challenge others directly and indirectly – kind of like Lee; and she has strong Taijutsu. She's bright like her mother and doesn't take anything sitting down. Hmm.. Who would like her," Naruto asked.

Kiba raised his hand. "Let's see how strong she is when I get a hold of her," he grinned. "I like strong girls. They're fierce in a fight." He crossed his arms. Lee glanced at him. "Don't worry, Lee. I'll trade her just as hard as you do."

"I would expect nothing less," Rock Lee said.

"Okay, Yanagi Lee goes to Kiba Inuzuka's Team – Team 6. Whose next?" Naruto sifted through the papers. "Daiya Eimino. The boy from the lightening country. I will warn you guys. He has a kekkegenkai that is unknown and he is a handful. I won't lie about this kid. Daiya has an aggression problem, he's standoffish, and doesn't trust any adults. Whoever receives him is going to have the patience of a monk. He is coming from a horrible past."

Sasuke didn't look at Naruto. He had already made his decision earlier that morning when he had got together with Kurenai. "I'll take him." The others looked at him. He didn't meet their gaze. "I can team him up with Ryu and Hire."

"Sasuke, Daiya has a serious aggression problem. He won't sustain to you pushing him. If you're going to take this kid, you're going to have to make sure Ryu and Hire do not get the better of him. It's going to cause some mental strain," Naruto said. He watched Sasuke look at him.

"The boy sounds like Gaara. It is better to stop his aggression now than to turn him aside and let him deal with it on his own. I won't push him unless I have to. Ryu has gotten better with his attitude and it would do him good to influence Daiya. I already know of his history. He doesn't frighten me," Sasuke said.

"I agree with Sasuke," Rock Lee said. "If that boy has some form of aggression in him, then it is better to stop it and for Daiya to learn how to control it. You can only overcome an obstacle like that through teamwork. I am not sure how Ryu is going to be best for him."

"Ryu's a prankster. He wouldn't hurt Daiya. He would only get him to react, or challenge him a little. Challenging someone isn't necessarily a bad thing," Sasuke said.

"If you're serious about it, then my hat's off to you. Daiya Eimino will go to Sasuke Uchiha's Team – Team 2. Eiyu Hyuga. He's serious, a real fighter, and head strong. Good grief, he sounds like Neji," Naruto said smiling. "Who would like this kid?"

"I will take him. It would be an honor to train one of Neji's son's," Rock Lee said.

"Easy enough. Okay, let's see," Naruto said as he sifted through the papers. He was looking at each student's picture along with their strengths and weaknesses. "Up next is… um… Gin Akamichi. She is quiet, shy, does what she's told, but also has the strong ability to stand up for herself and others. Gin is yielding to someone who is stronger, so she needs a trainer that will give her confidence."

"Sounds like my cup of tea. I'll take her," Shikamaru said. "She should do well with Areku."

Naruto looked at two students. Who should he offer next? His son, Masaru, was almost like him in personality. Takeru was as serious as he could be. He needed to come out of his shell more. "I have two students that I don't know where to place: Masaru Uzumaki and Takeru Uchiha. I don't want them to go on the same team. They might influence each other."

Sasuke pondered for a moment. "Takeru has anxiety issues he needs to overcome. Someone that is optimistic and strong willed would be best for him. I'm not saying that as his father, either. He would probably do best with Lee."

Rock Lee looked at Sasuke Uchiha. "You would entrust me with your son?" He watched Sasuke nod. "Then I will not fail you. I will make sure Takeru comes out of his shell and shows his true potential."

"I suppose I can take Masaru. He should be alright with Yanagi, as long as; they don't try to kill each other. She isn't anything like Sakura from what I've seen," he smiled at Naruto. They were both thinking the same thing.

"The three students that are left are: Saori Nara, Kandai Hyuga, and Idai. Saori is training to be a puppet user like Kankuro. Kandai is positive, a team player, and a go getter. Idai does what he is instructed to do, but he has abandonment issues that he needs to overcome. Saori cannot go with Shikamaru. Kandai cannot go with Lee because of Eiyu. Kandai can go to either Shikamaru or Kiba. Saori is wide open and so is Idai. I have a request, Kiba. I would like you to train Idai."

Kiba crossed his muscular arms. "Do you think he would do well with Yanagi and Masaru? I don't know anything about this kid, really. If it's a problem with others he has, then he just needs to be included, right?"

"There's a little more to it than that, Kiba. Idai suffers from flashbacks. We're not sure what he has seen – he never talks about it – but whatever it is, affects him greatly. It's one of the reasons he doesn't associate with the other students. He has trust issues like Daiya, but Idai can't really help it. Gai has tried to work with him since he was first brought here and even though he has made progress with him, it has been slow and painstaking. Idai needs support from others. That's why I would like you to train him. I know you wouldn't let him go at it alone."

Kiba nodded. "Alright, I won't let him down, then. Idai can go to my team. I'll try the best I can to have him overcome whatever is plaguing him."

Naruto smiled at Kiba. "Good! Now there's only one solution for the last two. Saori Nara will be on Lee's team and Kandai Hyuga will go to Shikamaru's team. Now that that's settled, let's go tell our students who they are pairing up with. I'll have Kurenai hand out their assignment rooms. You guys can go make yourselves known whenever you like. Thanks for all of your hard work!"

Saori looked at the piece of paper she was given. "It looks like we're all on the same team," she said to Takeru Uchiha and Eiyu Hyuga. "I wonder how they go about deciding who we get." She opened the door into the room.

"I think it's random," Takeru said, totally unsure.

"If it was random, then there would be no point in taking the exams. They would just pick us out of the crowd and signal for us to go with someone," Eiyu said. He leaned up against the desk that was in the room looking around. "I wonder seriously who we are going to get."

"Who knows? Maybe it's someone strong and handsome," Saori said sticking her tongue out.

"Maybe it's someone so ugly you'll have to train harder so you don't have to look at him," Takeru said laughing as he saw Saori frown.

"You two are ridiculous," Eiyu said. He wondered why he got paired up with these two to begin with. All he wanted was a strong trainer who could push him.

The door opened. A man with short black hair entered the room wearing a green jumpsuit. Eiyu Hyuga, Takeru Uchiha, and Saori Nara blinked. The man looked exactly like Gai sensei that had tested them the day before on the substitution jutsu.

Rock Lee stood at the front of the room. He held up his hand smiling to his new team. "Hi, I am Rock Lee, and I will be your trainer. I am here to push you and make sure you three do your best! I will not fail you in overcoming the obstacles ahead or the challenges you will be faced with. Let's work hard together and achieve our goals!"

"Alright," Saori said happily.

Takeru nodded.

Eiyu glanced at them. "Okay."

Gin, Areku, and Kandai waited patiently in the room they were told to go to. "I wonder who we will get," Areku said. He looked at Gin who was looking out of the window. She seemed to be nervous, as always. "Gin, you don't have to worry anymore. Our training starts today. We'll be working together, so try to have a little more courage."

"I'm sorry, Areku. I'm just nervous. Once the team is decided, it's for life. We will be friends for the rest of our lives, right," she asked.

"Sure thing," Kandai said as he nodded to her. "Friends for life is a great way to start. I'm sure we'll do well."

The door opened slowly. A tall man with black hair tied into a pony tail entered the room. He looked at the students lazily. "You guys are on my team. My name is Shikamaru Nara. My specialty is the Shadow Possession Jutsu. I'll be training you guys to enhance your mental thinking along with pushing yourselves physically. It takes more than physical strength to overcome an adversary. You have to have brains, too."

"No problem there," Areku stated. "I'm great at problem solving."

"That's what I hear from your father," Shikamaru said. "Me and Kiba go way back. Your dad is tough in a fight and he uses his head. I expect you to do the same. Let's see… you are Gin and you are Kandai. I know both of your parents well. I was on a team with your mother Gin. And Kandai, I've worked with your father a few times on missions when we were first starting out. I expect all of you to uphold your goals and really push yourselves. Don't let yourselves down. I won't stand for it."

Gin blushed embarrassed. She nodded a little. "Shikamaru sensei I will try my best to overcome my shyness," she said softly.

"Don't worry, Gin. You have us to help you," Kandai said smiling.

"Good, today you guys are more than a team; you guys will be like a family. Each person in your team is important and viable to a mission and to each other. Never forget that," Shikamaru sensei said.

Daiya frowned as he stood in the room by himself. "This has got to be the stupidest idea I've ever seen. Why in the hell do they have me standing in this room by myself? Apparently these Leaf ninja assume I'm not good enough to go on a team." He crossed his arms, annoyed.

"Actually, you are on a team," a voice said from nowhere. Daiya whirled around, his eyes wide. "It's just you can't see anything from your point-of-view. If you change it a little, the reality around you looks different." Daiya watched as a boy with black spiky hair formed out of the wall. He shot back into a fighting stance. "Take it easy, kid. You're on my team. You must have forgotten who I am. I'm the jerk who made you do the transformation jutsu on the final. My name is Ryu Yuhi."

"If I'm on your team… whose team is it," Daiya asked slowly. He watched the door open behind him. A tall man with black hair entered the room. It was the same man who had stood up and showed him that he wasn't carrying any weapons yesterday. "You. I'm on your team?"

Sasuke Uchiha entered the room slowly with his hands in his pockets. He nodded. "Pleased to meet you, Daiya Eimino. I will be your trainer for the next few years. My name is Sasuke Uchiha. That is Ryu. This is Hire. They will be your teammates."

Daiya watched as a girl with long black hair entered behind Sasuke sensei. The expression on her face told him she wasn't pleased with the certain circumstances she had been issued. Her attitude was snobbish and defiant. She was already coming up with ways to mess with him – he could tell.

"Ryu is a genjutsu user. That's why he scared you half to death coming out of the wall," Sasuke said annoyed at Ryu. Ryu only smiled and waved. "Hire specializes in Ninjutsu. And as I've heard, you are as impressive as any student coming from the Academy. I expect all three of you to treat each other with respect. I don't tolerate defiance well." Sasuke closed his eyes. "Ryu, don't mess with Daiya. If he gets the better of you, you'll be embarrassed."

Daiya turned his head to see Ryu stopped in motion. The older boy was behind him, hands raised, in an attempt to grab him. Daiya didn't know how to handle this. The other kids had left him alone the entire time he had been living in Konoha. This guy wanted to play. He thought that odd for someone of his age. Daiya moved back a few feet, eying him.

"Oh, don't be like that," Ryu said casually. "I won't hurt you, you know. It wouldn't be fair." He leaned towards Daiya, whispering, "The only one I wish to hurt is Hire. And between me and you, she has it coming." He could tell Daiya didn't know what to think of him. Sasuke sensei had already warned him about Daiya's temper. He smiled at the boy.

Masaru yawned. "I wish I could have taken the day off. Yesterday was a mental strain with all of the trickery. I never knew my dad had it in him to make the test so hard." He laid his head on the table.

"Masaru, it wasn't that hard of a test. It was only the simple deduction of reasoning," Yanagi said. She shook his shoulder. "Wake up! What will our new sensei say if he catches you asleep? It's like a job. You have to be willing and ready."

Idai looked at his two teammates. He was stuck with Yanagi Lee and Masaru Uzumaki. All he knew about Yanagi was that she was loud and had a lot of energy. Masaru seemed to be the calmer of the two. The boy was the son of the Hokage. Idai wondered who his trainer was going to be. Gai told him to do his best before he had left that morning. He couldn't fail.

The door opened. A large white canine entered the room sniffing around. The kids all eyed the dog, and then jumped onto the table they were closest to. Akamaru tilted his head at Yanagi and Idai who were both watching him carefully. He grunted and padded into the room. Following after him was Kiba Inuzuka. The muscular man looked at the three kids with his slit eyes. "You guys are a jumpy bunch. Akamaru isn't going to hurt you. He's my companion."

"So, you work with a dog," Yanagi asked. "Wait… I know you. I've heard your name before. You're Areku's father! The boy that sat below me at the Ninja Academy," she said pointing at him.

"Yes, you're correct. I'm Kiba Inuzuka. I'll be your trainer and friend for the next few years. My job is to prepare you for the road ahead, so let's work hard together and help each other out, okay," he said, more so directing it at Idai. Idai was watching him intently, his orange eyes not faltering.

"Friends…? We're supposed to be… friends," Idai said lowly. He didn't understand. When he was living in the sound village, the ones that worked together did so because they had to. They weren't friends.

"Well, I would like to be your friend," Kiba said watching Idai. "Friends aren't such a bad thing. They help you learn and fight your battles. Without friends, you can't achieve your goal, or make it through life. It's kind of boring being alone," he said smiling at the boy.

Masaru looked to Yanagi. "What's going on? How come they put Idai with us? He refuses to work with anyone."

Idai glared at Masaru. "Don't act like I can't hear you. My hearing is way better than yours." He watched Masaru look at him with his white eyes, his brow raised. "I'm a sound-nin," he said gritting his teeth.

Kiba walked up to Idai. He stood in front of Idai so he couldn't see Masaru. "No, you are not a sound-nin, Idai. As of today, you are a Leaf-nin. It is important to respect each other. Masaru, I won't have you whispering about others on my team. Nor, will I have Idai threatening anyone. Do you two understand? We must work together. Without each other, we cannot exist. You will understand what I mean in the training ahead."

Idai looked up at Kiba. Kiba wasn't threatening him. No, the man was speaking to him calmly and rationally. Gai had talked with Idai last night about listening to his trainer; that whoever he was going to work under was there to help him. This man also had a son that was being trained, too. Idai didn't fully understand. Why would anyone worry, or care about him?

Kiba knew Idai didn't understand. He reached his hand up towards the boy and ruffled his white hair. There was nothing that could be said. Idai was going to have to trust him on his own; it couldn't be forced. "Now that you three know what I expect of you, let's go train for a bit. Whatever you three have to prove, will be proven to each other in your training. There are no exceptions."

Yanagi nodded. Masaru blinked. Idai only stood his ground, his mind thinking about how he was going to do that.