A/N: This chapter isn't quite so action packed as the last one.

Chapter 21

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood on the balcony of his office. It gave people one of the best views of the village. Hiruzen was the picture of calm, watching the day go by while having a pleasant smoke. Hiruzen's thoughts however were anything but calm.

He thought back to the mission report he had gotten from Kakashi. 'This news about a strange transformation is disturbing. The lab said that Amp couldn't give a user a transformation of any kind. It was just a chakra steroid.

'Kakashi was so lucky that he didn't lose any of his team. He would crumble and probably request to resign as a sensei. I hope he doesn't take this too hard.

'From what Reo said, the Stone and Cloud daimyo control the black market. Is this a new way for the 'real' rulers to exercise control over the people?'

Hiruzen was tempted to just assume that to be the case but just this morning he had gotten information that cast doubt on that theory.

Even though they had been the genin team that Hiruzen had sent out first, Guy's team was the last to return from their mission to search for traces of Amp. Guy had taken it upon himself to not only search the villages assigned to him, but every village located in the northern parts of Fire country. It had taken them an extra week to return.

When they had, Hiruzen had gotten Guy's mission report. At a village just off the border, they had run into a genin team from Grass. Though the Grass had been friendly at first, things had turned sour when they realized Guy was searching for Amp.

A fight had ensued and one Grass genin had been captured. The captive genin was apparently linked quite heavily with the new drug. Something about a unique aspect of her chakra. She had been brought back to Konoha for questioning.

Her name turned out to be Karin Uzumaki and she wanted nothing more than to remain in Konoha. Word had spread like wildfire across the nations about the return of a boy named Naruto Uzumaki, son of the Fourth Hokage. Karin had heard Naruto's name and wanted to meet the only other Uzumaki she had heard of. Hiruzen knew that he would have to hold a full debrief with the girl at a later date but the small amount of information that she gave turned out to be quite interesting.

When the fight had broke out, Karin had put up only a token resistance fighting Ten-Ten. Karin said that her village was jealous of the Great Nations and desired to be seen as their equal. Karin's blood was a vital part of Amp; Apparently her Bloodline gave the drug the 'kick' to buff the chakra system.

What cast doubt on his theory about the Daimyo being behind it was when Karin told him about Grass forming an alliance with the new village Sound. Karin thought that Sound would probably want the same as Grass but she wasn't sure. The only thing she was sure about was that Sound was behind the creation of Amp. Karin was sure since she had been taken to secret facility in Sound and had her blood drawn.

'Is Stone secretly bankrolling Grass and Sound? He can't take direct action so he strikes from the shadows? Or does Sound have its own agenda? I wish we had more information on them but Sound is rather secretive. If Sound does have its own plans, it means that I will have to keep an eye on their genin when we hold the Chunin Exams later this year.'

Too much was happening, too quickly. Hiruzen wanted nothing more than a foe in front of him that he could fight. Having kept his village as far from the political scene as he could in the past, Hiruzen lacked the experience fighting on this vastly different but very real battlefield. Softly spoken words could deal more damage than a kunai. Hiruzen ordered one of his ANBU to bring Danzo to see him.

'Danzo may wish my death but he also protects the village. Is it worth telling him about this organisation that secretly controls everything? It's always risky giving Danzo information. I will also have to keep Karin out of his hands. Her Bloodline already makes her a target but if Naruto befriends his new found family member, Danzo will gain a lot of leverage over Naruto.'

xXx

Naruto was used to silence but the silence that had settled in training ground seven was deafening. His whole team was sitting in the shade of the trees. Everyone had pensive expressions but no-one wanted to speak first.

Another minute passed when Kakashi coughed slightly, before clearing his throat. "Guys, I just want to say I'm sorry. I should've gone with my instincts and not lead you down those stairs. If you wish to transfer to another sensei, I understand and won't hold it against you."

Naruto glanced at Sasuke. Sasuke wore a frown but it didn't look like it was in response to what Kakashi had said. It also seemed like Sasuke was in no hurry to speak.

Looking to his left, Naruto saw that Sakura was biting her lip and looking at the ground. She glanced at her left arm, covered in bandages before looking back at the ground. Sakura didn't appear to be in any hurry to talk either.

So, Naruto looked up and began in his stage whisper. "I'm good Kakashi. It was something that none of us could see coming. I want to stay on the team, I don't blame you."

Relief showed in Kakashi's eye. Nodding gratefully at Naruto, Kakashi lapsed back into silence. Another few minutes passed before Sasuke spoke up,

"I'll stay to. You can help me with the Sharingan and you are one of the strongest fighters in the village. I would like some instruction in swordsmanship though."

Again, Kakashi nodded gratefully. Almost as if Sakura couldn't bear the others waiting for her to talk, she began in a soft voice. "I-I don't know if I want to be a ninja anymore."

That one statement seemed to suck all the air from the training ground. Since Sakura was looking at the ground, she missed the reaction to her words as she continued. "That was the worst experience of my life. I was being eaten. I- "

She paused, rubbing her left forearm subconsciously. "I've been disfigured. I have nightmares. I killed someone and now I'm just some kind of freak."

The other members of team Seven looked at each other, hoping that someone else would respond first. Finally, Kakashi took it upon himself.

"Sakura, I can't say I understand. I've never been eaten. However, I have more experience than anyone else here about killing. You are not a freak. You are just another ninja who was stuck in a horrible situation. I don't think anyone here thinks any worse of you than they did before."

Sasuke said that he actually thought Sakura was much better than she was at the start of the year. Naruto gathered his thoughts for a minute before he spoke. "Sakura if you are a freak, then I am to. I wasn't eaten but I was blinded and now carry the eyes of two people I consider my family. The scars on my face are the first thing people notice about me. You killed someone who was eating you but you still feel a little bad about it. You are a better person than me. I have killed, well I don't remember the exact number but I don't regret it like you. So, if you are a freak than what does that make me? A monster? A demon?

"You are a better person than me Sakura. I won't stop you if you want to quit but listen. Every morning I wake up and see my scars in the mirror. I use my scars to remind me of my promise. A promise to become strong, strong enough to save my family and friends from death.

"Find something to drive you. Something that makes your sacrifice worthwhile."

A slightly stunned quiet followed Naruto's words. That was definitely the most he had ever said in one go. Sakura's eyes had widened as she listened to Naruto and her jaw had fallen open in shock. Two days had passed since their mission and everyone Sakura had spoken treated her like she was made out of china. That Naruto hadn't changed the way he treated Sakura meant more to her than she realised.

Sakura sat in deep thought for a long time, long enough for the shadows of the trees to change position but no one on team Seven minded. They would give Sakura as much time as she needed.

'Something to drive me? Well, all I know is that I never want something like that to happen to me again. I will become strong enough so that I won't ever feel powerless again!'

Sakura's eyes shone with her new found determination. She didn't say her thoughts all she said was, "Thanks Naruto. Let's get back to training!"

xXx

Ino was concerned for her teammate, Shikamaru. Ever since they had returned from their mission from Wave, Shikamaru had changed. Sure, Ino hadn't heard exactly what Haku had said to him on the bridge but it couldn't be that important, right?

Ino had been just as scared as Shikamaru when it looked like Choji had died but it seemed as though a fire had been lit inside of Shikamaru. He had thrown himself into training with a determination that surprised even Shikamaru's father.

Ino didn't ask Shikamaru about his change. Partly out of fear that she would be just as affected and partly because she was concerned that she might somehow revert Shikamaru back to being lazy. Say what you want but this new Shikamaru was a lot better when it came to being in a team.

Ino was supposed to be working the counter of her family's flower shop but she was far too busy being pre-occupied with her own thoughts to worry about mundane things like the store.

The bell on the store's door rang was it opened and Hinata Hyuga entered. Ino snapped back to reality, this was an opportunity to gossip.

"Hi Hinata! Have you seen Sakura? Did she tell you what happened to her? She wouldn't tell me, no matter what I said."

Hinata had barely taken five steps into the store before she was subjected to Ino's interrogation. "Um, hello Ino. No, I haven't seen Sakura. All I know is that Naruto's team got back from a really dangerous mission."

Ino knew that Hinata had a crush on Naruto but she was hoping that Hinata would have more information than that.

"Ah, that sucks. Well, have you seen Shikamaru? He's changed so much since our last mission."

"Um, I saw him yesterday. Shikamaru seemed fine to me. He was training, oh. Why was he training?"

Ino grinned. This was what she wanted. Someone to bounce ideas off of and to vent. Hinata watched Ino take a deep breath and couldn't help but feel a slight sense of foreboding.

xXx

Sakura's new found resolve changed team Seven in different ways. Kakashi was more determined than ever to turn his team into a truly terrifying force of nature. Naruto had always thrown himself into his training but now he made sure to include Sakura in her quest. Sasuke saw a potential rival form before his eyes and vowed to surpass Naruto before his female teammate.

Sasuke was satisfied for the moment however. Kakashi had introduced him to a Special Jonin named Hayate Gekko. The man turned out to be a highly skilled swordsman who quickly realised Sasuke's natural talent with a sword. Hayate's constant coughing did little to lower Sasuke's opinion of the man when he started teaching Sasuke the hidden techniques unique to Konoha.

Hayate had been very impressed with Sasuke's sheer aptitude for the sword and focused on improving Sasuke's speed so that he could produce afterimages. In time, Hayate would teach Sasuke the Dance of the Crescent Moon, his signature technique.

For his part, Sasuke was nursing a near constant headache. After the Amp had worn off, Sasuke suffered from head pain. 'I guess this is why mother said drugs were so dangerous.'

Sasuke wasn't a fool. He quickly realised that his body wanted to return to the state of euphoria that it had felt but that was dangerous. He quickly asked his mother about drugs and saw the possibility of getting addicted to Amp.

'Two problems with that though. One, I don't want to turn into some monster that eats people. Two, I only have four packets. I have to save at least one for my fight with Itachi. Preferably two. That only gives me two more shots to use and I can't squander them, no matter how much I want to!'

xXx

The damage from the bites had severe consequences for Sakura. She couldn't form several hand signs correctly and her left handed grip was a lot weaker than before. Kakashi was initially stumped before he asked Guy to help train Sakura. Guy would be able to transform Sakura into someone scary.

However, her first order of business was to give herself a haircut. Back then, her long hair had been yanked, forcing her head back before being struck in the face. That wasn't going to happen again. Her new hair was short, barely reaching her ear lobes.

Kabuto had also pointed out that Sakura still possessed the ability to use the medical scalpel and thus Sakura's training became clear. Guy would turn Sakura into a speed and kicking demon while Kabuto would help refine Sakura's healing while showing her how to use medical jutsu offensively.

The sheer amount of physical training that Guy put her threw surprised her but Sakura didn't say a single word of protest. 'I need this!'

xXx

For his part, Naruto practised with Kurenai to improve his sensing abilities. He hadn't forgotten how useless he would've been had Kakashi not summoned Bull. Team Eight took Naruto's occasional participation in their stride. It actually felt good, Naruto had been the strongest of their class by a wide margin but he needed help from their sensei.

While he had the attention of Kurenai, Naruto also practised his genjutsu. It was his weakest skill but Naruto wasn't going to neglect aspects of his training anymore.

It was another day with Naruto sitting in training ground eight trying to locate the positions of team eight by sense alone. He suddenly sensed Guy and someone he hadn't sensed before approaching from the village.

Getting to his feet, Naruto turned to greet Guy and his companion. The person with Guy turned out to be a girl. She had red hair, the left side appeared to be smooth while her right was slightly spiky. Red eyes had locked on Naruto's face. She wore brown glasses and appeared to be Naruto's height. She wore a tan shirt and a purple skirt.

"Naruto!" greet Guy, "It's a pleasant day for training is it not? I have someone here that would like to meet you." Guy gestured to the girl, encouraging her to speak.

She appeared nervous but managed to find her voice. "Hello. I'm Karin. I think we are family. I've wanted to meet you ever since I heard your name."

Naruto was surprised. He wasn't so surprised that he failed to sense team Eight enter the training grounds, it seemed as though they realised the exercise was over.

Naruto replied with his customary whisper, "What makes you think we are family? I can't remember ever meeting you before?"

If Karin found the whispering odd, she didn't show it. "Oh, sorry Naruto. Can I call you Naruto? My full name is Karin Uzumaki. We are members of the same clan."

A strange warmth settled in Naruto's chest but he couldn't identify what it was. 'An Uzumaki? Is it possible? Karin has red hair like mother.'

Kiba gasped. Team Eight was out of normal hearing range but with his Inuzuka senses, he heard what Karin had said. Lacking any kind of concern for Naruto's privacy, he immediately repeated what he had head to his team and sensei. He was than promptly thumped on his head by Kurenai for his lack of tact.

"You can call me Naruto," Naruto replied to Karin's question. "Is there a way to prove that you are an Uzumaki? I just don't want to welcome someone from my clan if it turns out to be false."

Karin's eyes dimmed slightly. Naruto wasn't being mean but it seemed like he wasn't really excited. Karin had been so excited when she heard that another Uzumaki lived. Her mother had died just last year and Karin was convinced that she was the last member of their once great clan.

"Um, well I don't anything I can do to prove it now. We could go to the hospital and get a blood test done. All I can say is that my mum was an Uzumaki and she filled my head with her stories of Uzo."

Karin had started off very nervous but Naruto's seeming indifference was grating her nerves and her temper was rising. Naruto was oblivious though as replied. "That's a good idea. Can we go right now? It would be nice to get this done soon."

'Can't Naruto even crack a smile? Appear to be happy to see another Uzumaki?!'

Karin knew that she had a fierce temper. She tried to contain it, she wanted to make a good impression on Naruto but it was no use.

"You could at least pretend to be happy to have a new clan member!" She said in a loud, angry voice. "I came all this way to meet you. I finally find another family member but you don't seem to care!"

It took a lot of effort to not hit Naruto but Karin managed. She just couldn't understand why Naruto seemed so indifferent.

Naruto blinked at Karin's outburst. He hadn't intended to cause offense. Now his new found family was angry at him. Naruto gave a short, stiff bow before apologizing. "Karin. It was not my intent to annoy or anger you. I know I can appear cold but I really am happy to meet you. I'll have to tell you all about it someday."

Karin was suddenly all smiles. She was glad that Naruto had said that and she happily walked with Naruto towards the hospital, chattering away her anger forgotten.

As Guy and team Eight watched the Uzumaki's depart, Guy turned to Kurenai and said. "Well, her personality is just like Kushina so I believe Karin is who she says she is."

xXx

Neji Hyuga fell to his knees exhausted. Not even Guy managed to make training quite as tough as this but Danzo Shimura was a hard taskmaster. Neji had found the cryptic note underneath his pillow a few weeks ago and Neji hadn't looked back since.

Danzo had explained that he was looking for ways to neutralize the Caged Bird seal and that he could turn Neji into the greatest Hyuga in history. Danzo then focused on teaching Neji other aspects to being a ninja and not have him focus on just the Gentle Fist.

It turned out that Neji had three Nature affinities and Danzo had instructed Neji in several jutsu in each nature.

'As soon as Danzo disables the Caged Bird seal, I will abandon ROOT. I will use Danzo for my own ends.'

Neji had no idea that he was playing into Danzo's hands. Neji desired freedom to change his destiny. Even if Neji happened to be a genius when it came to using his Byakugan and training but he had never had to deal with the level of manipulation that Danzo was capable of. Neji would willingly follow the bait that was his freedom all the way into ROOT and the shadows that came with it.

xXx

Kakashi didn't normally drink. He personally didn't see the appeal but this was an exception. He had led his team into danger and nearly lost Sakura. He managed to keep a straight face around his team but Kakashi was going through a particularly tough time.

Memories of his failures flared up and guilt overtook him. Kakashi knew that he should go talk to Inoichi but Kakashi really didn't feel like it. The burning of alcohol was, at the moment, far more preferable.

Asuma suddenly sat on the stool next to Kakashi and signalled the bar tender for his usual. The two men drank in silence before Asuma spoke.

"Kakashi, I'm going to say this once. This is your first genin team. They are going to find danger, it's gonna happen. I have trained two teams from genin to chunin and it never gets any easier.

"It's the life of being a ninja, we all could die at any time, even genin. You know this. So, man up, stop moping and go train your team instead of foisting them off on other teachers."

Kakashi was shocked. Asuma had never spoken to him like that before. Kakashi was sorely tempted to revert back to his old ways of bottling himself up but Kakashi had come to enjoy life as it was now and he took Asuma's words to heart.

"Yeah... you're right, Asuma. It's a rookie mistake and I appreciate you calling me out on it."

"You know, Kakashi, you're not the only sensei this village has. If you need anything, we'd all be very happy to help you even if it's just someone to chat to." Kakashi appreciated his friend for being so blunt and excused himself.

Kakashi knew that Asuma was right. Kakashi did need to practice being more open with his friends. He needed to accept that he wouldn't be there to protect his genin team forever, that in their line of work danger was just something that was always underlying. His genin team knew the perils and accepted to be ninja. Kakashi felt the difference his talk with Asuma had made had he hurried home. He had a new and rather brutal training session to plan for his team.

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A/N: Okay, a lot happened in this chapter. Hope I got the emotional side of things down.

What did you think of the developments?

Please review, always looking for ways to improve my work.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter.