Hello,

before going into the Chunin Exams I wanted to explain a few things, regarding the timeline. I'll probably mention that again when we get to that point, but ... pretty much since the beginning of this story, I tried putting this all into the canon that we know as good as possible. That's especially in regards to the timeline. However, I found I had some trouble with the different events of the second Shinobi World War. Namely: The fashbacks and information we get on Jiraiya don't really make sense to me in Canon. It's portrayed as if Nagato, Yahiko and Konan were trained BEFORE Jiraiya trained Minato. However, as far as I know, they are 3 or 4 years younger than Minato, and Minato himself was quite young when he made Genin. So that doesn't make sense. So, I'll bring this up at a later stage, when we actually get to that part, but I just wanted to inform you already. The whole part with how, when and where Jiraiya met with the Ame-Orphans is a bit different here. While in Canon, he meets them right after the Sannin fought Hanzo, here I'll seperate those two events. The battle between Hanzo and the Sannin will happen ... sometime soon during this war, I guess, while Jiraiya will meet the Orphans some time later, after he trained Minato and after/at the end of the war. That also in my eyes makes it more believable that Jiraiya can just up and vanish for three years to train orphans. I always wondered how that didn't have repercussions, that he essentially left his village in the middle of a big war. Not only that it didn't have repercussions, but during the entire course of the Manga many considered him the best Hokage candidate ... which just seems off if he had just abandoned the village in its greatest moment of need :o

So yeah, I wanted to get this out of the way already. It's not going to be relevant any time too soon, just if some of you started wondering, when Jiraiya's going to leave the village for the Ame-orphans, it's not going to happen anytime soon.

On a different note: Thanks so much for 100 Reviews! This means so much to me!

And I hope you enjoy the next chapter!

Ceies

~/~

A Couple United

"Damn it, your fast." Izumi breathed heavily, hands on her knees that were trembling from exhaustion. "And I'm out of shape."

"Don't worry. You'll get back on track soon. Your instincts are still as good as ever." He threw her a water bottle that she caught somewhat clumsily. "Wanna go another round?"

She glared at him as if he were teasing her, but he looked completely serious. "Yeah …, thanks, Senpai. But I think I'm done for today." She looked somewhat embarrassed at the admittance. "I guess, your constitution is better than mine. Not that it's a big surprise."

He shrugged half-heartedly. He had hardly even started sweating. "I had a lazy morning. You've been training for hours."

She frowned at him. "Really? I head your teams been admitted to the hospital. There was a fight?"

"A training fight," he informed her, "I let them do all the work." He grimaced a bit remembering the still forming dark bruise from Saburo's kick. It was healing naturally despite the medic-nin offering their help. Inoichi had muttered he deserved that much at least for the scare he'd given them. He guessed he somewhat deserved it and had taken the punishment with little whining. "Don't worry," he added at her concerned face, "they are fine."

"For the Chunin Exams, I assume," said Izumi. "You think they are ready?"

"Who's ever ready?" It was a rhetoric question of course. "But yes, they are ready to take the Exams." He shrugged. "Doesn't mean they are ready for an actual all-out war."

Izumi looked thoughtfully for a while. "I guess, after everything they must have seen in Uzushio they were probably closer to an actual battle-field than I've ever been. Can't even imagine how horrible it must have been for the kids. Kushina is utterly traumatized and the boys are hardly older than her." There was a self-loathing scowl on her face, the same self-loathing she'd shown the day before. The guilt, that the kids were there to help her Clan, while she hadn't been. "You know I taught them? Not long … but enough that I care about them."

Of course, Sakumo knew. Izumi had joined the Academy during Team 11's last year there. He didn't know how well they knew each other though. Since she taught advanced sealing, he assumed at least Shikaku and Inoichi had some classes under her tutelage. Choza hadn't taken that subject. By that time, he'd already concentrated most of his advanced subjects on Taijutsu, as far as Sakumo knew.

He assumed, once his team made Chunin he'd feel similarly protective about them. They wouldn't be his students anymore but full-fletched Shinobi ready to take on their own teams or join different teams wherever they'd be needed. He still somewhat hoped they could stay at least close to him even if they passed the exams. While they had the necessary skills acquired to make Chunin, as far as he was concerned, he wasn't exactly ready to let them go, yet. The sentiment made him feel older than his 23 years.

Izumi went to ask the Hokage for a quick mission, then, while Sakumo took a late and lonely lunch. It was late in the afternoon, when he met with his team in the hospital, where Shikaku would be released soon. Next to the three boys there were also Shikaku's parents visiting. Ms. Nara had a disapproving frown when he came back into the room. Sakumo only ducked his head and didn't say anything to her after a quick greeting. He hardly knew the woman but if what he knew was correct, she had a temper to rival Tsunade's. He didn't really fancy explaining to her why her son was in hospital for just a training exercise. She didn't ask him either, he realized with surprise. He'd steeled himself for a scolding when he'd first seen her. Then again, she was a shinobi, too. Maybe she just understood the severity of the situation and the danger of letting her son take the exams unprepared.

All three of his students handed in their registration forms then and there.

"When can we start training for the exams?" asked Choza excitedly. Inoichi looked attentive, too.

"We start tomorrow. You know there will be a two-part-exam, already?" He looked from one to the other and was mildly irritated that Shikaku still looked as if he really couldn't be bothered with the exams at all and only joined to do his friends a favour. All three shook their heads. "Well, I'm only authorised to tell you that much: The first part will be a written exam and the second a team exercise or battle of some kind. Those who make it through the first part will be evaluated by a set of judges based on their individual performance during the second part."

Choza seemed a bit put off by the idea of a written exam. All three didn't look too surprised though. They had probably heard of prior exams, maybe of their parents' exams. These particular exams were a bit shortened, consisted of only two parts instead of three, but they still worked similarly.

"What should we learn for the written exam? Any subject matter we should focus on?" asked Inoichi casually. Sakumo looked at him annoyedly. It was only when Shikaruma Nara stifled a laughter that Sakumo realized Inoichi was actually completely aware that Sakumo was not allowed to give out this information, but he tried regardless to maybe tickle some information out of him anyway.

"I don't know. You'd do good to learn whatever you've learned in the Academy and during our missions together." Practical knowledge they'd learned through experience rather than textbooks could be very useful for those written tests as well, he remembered from his own exams. He smiled at Inoichi who looked a bit disappointed by how little information he got out of his question. "If you have any more questions, I bet your father and Shikaruma here know a lot more about the exams." Shikaruma looked as if Sakumo had dowsed him in cold water. He glared at the Hatake with as much anger as he could muster in his perpetually lazy state. "Till then, meet up tomorrow at 7. Training Ground 3." With that he hurried to leave the hospital room before Shikaruma could decide his transgression just now was big enough to warrant the Nara getting his ass up and actually seek some form of revenge.

He went straight to the Academy to hand in the registration forms. He didn't even bother to go all the way to the Hokage's office but simply handed the forms at the reception. It was here that he met Shinso Uchiha again.

"So," drawled the Uchiha as he came up behind Sakumo. "I assume that means your team was judged ready for the exams?"

"I might get paranoid," answered Sakumo. "Are you following me around?"

The Uchiha smiled momentarily. Then he got serious again. "It does seem like it, doesn't it? But I assure you, it's just coincidence. Or situational … whatever you prefer."

Sakumo grunted in amusement. "Really … I hardly even knew you existed until yesterday. And now I don't seem to be able to rid myself of you."

"You wound me," Shinso jested.

"So, is this about your challenge yesterday?" Shinso seemed to muse quietly, so Sakumo just went on. "If you want a match, I'd be free for now."

"Ah, no. I don't think it's time, yet. I've heard you were bruised in training." Sakumo scowled somewhat indignantly as there was a sudden twinge in his bruise almost on command. "No, about the other challenge. Making sure, you know to train your team properly. My team likes a challenge."

Sakumo scowled even deeper then. "You sure are confident."

Shinso just shrugged, though. "It doesn't really matter, how they do. But I think it's good for them to have a rival. Someone who challenges them and makes them thrive for some greater destiny."

The thought wasn't that bad, Sakumo assumed. His team was a bit too complacent. Their teamwork was great as was their team chemistry and so far, that had helped them get a lot stronger. But Shikaku didn't really care if any of his teammates were better than him. Choza was to cheerful, agreeable and nice to challenge his teammates, even though he was trying hard not to fall behind. That left Inoichi as the only one in the team who was at all competitive with nobody to really actively compete with. It would do them good to have a team to compare themselves too.

Sakumo tried to remember the Genin Shinso trained. Aburame Shibi he had heard was the best graduate in his year. He was the heir to the Aburame Clan and said to be a genius. Then there was Uchiha Mikoto, a high-ranking member of the Uchiha family. He didn't really know much about her, though. He only knew of Aburame's grades because he happened to be top of the class. Lastly there was, as was common the worst graduate of the year in the same team as the best. Aoyama Shota. He didn't know much about him, but the name suggested that he came of a civilian family.

"Who knows," challenged Sakumo, "I haven't really evaluated the other teams. Maybe we'll find a better team."

Shinso smiled sourly. "I hope your team can take a beating."

Sakumo just smiled faintly. He wasn't all that competitive himself. In that aspect he was very much like his little students. That didn't mean he couldn't appreciate a healthy rivalry. "Let's see." He shrugged. "Not like I can actually force a rivalry on my team. And I doubt they'll be looking for one, either."

"Oh, don't worry about that."

Sakumo didn't know if he should feel scared for his little Genin. Should he warn them, that another team was likely coming for them during the exams? Or should he let them run in blindly. Both clearly had their pros and cons. In the end he decided, not to tell them, if only for his own amusement. That aside, he firmly believed it was better to let such relations evolve naturally. If the Uchiha's team had some sort of beef with his team, let them come.

He was alone that night. Sanae was out late with her team. He slept fitfully throughout the evening. Despite practice and a mission and running around between training grounds, hospital and academy he didn't really feel tired. Instead, his mind was wandering off. In not quite two weeks the exams would start. And then it was only another two months to the start of march for him to get sent back to the front. And that was if everything went according to plan and none of their enemies decided to cross their plans with another surprise attack or something like that to force Konoha to move out earlier. The outcome of the exams would decide what role his team would play during the war. He found himself genuinely worried. Damn it … he was a Konoha Jonin. He was not supposed to lose himself in sentimental emotions or worries. They were his team and he had judged them capable … So, he should stick to it and not worry his head needlessly when he couldn't change anything about it anyway. Not anymore. The moment he had handed in the registration forms he had given the decision about their fates out of his hand.

He turned around the Futon and closed his eyes when he suddenly heard a noise. He was on full alert immediately. For a moment he thought it might be Sanae, but Sanae wasn't that stealthy. At least she didn't move this stealthily around the house.

He stared into the darkness of the room, waiting, listening and sniffing the air quietly. Yes, somebody was out on the front lawn. He breathed a bit easier as he realized they weren't moving all that stealthily after all. Sure, they had a much softer step than Sanae who could be a bit of a klutz when she wasn't actively trying to stay quiet, but they weren't actually sneaking up on him. The wards didn't go off, he realized. Then he caught the scent through the half-open window. He was relieved immediately. Akane.

He was almost embarrassed, that he only recognized her this late. His window went out to the backyard and depending on the wind, he reasoned, it could certainly happen that he missed even his most beloved scents.

"It's me," Akane said when she opened the front door. He heard her take off her shoes and go through the corridor to their shared room. "Sakumo?" As she slid the door open, he could see her silhouette. It was dark enough, that he couldn't make out her features, but he didn't need to see her to be sure it was her. She sighed as she made out his shape on the Futon.

"I'm awake," informed Sakumo and turned towards her. "You're back earlier," he stated matter-of-factly. It wasn't that he wasn't glad to see her, but he hadn't expected to see her anytime soon. Since the war had started, she'd spent far more time outside the village than inside. It had of course always been like that, but now he hardly even got to see her anymore.

"I heard what happened," said Akane not directly answering his question. "Are you alright? From what I was told it sounded as if you were on death's door."

Sakumo smiled into the darkness. "Oh, I bet when you heard I was hurt you abandoned your mission and came rushing to my side. How sweet." He laughed happily and he knew she was scowling at him in a mixture of annoyance and exasperation without even being able to see much of her. "Know, I would do no less, love."

"I hope not," she rejected in a tight voice that made Sakumo laugh lightly. "But yes, I was worried about you. My self-sacrificing oaf of a husband."

He pouted a bit. "I love you despite the insulting, dear."

He heard her huff a silent laughter as she moved around the room. From the sounds he guessed she took off her uniform.

"There are new standard uniforms." The thought just crossed his mind.

"I've seen. I didn't get mine, yet, though. I'll get it tomorrow."

He didn't really care about the topic that much, although it had been him bringing it up. And he was quickly distracted from the topic, when she laid down next to him. He moved his foot to her side under her covers. "Your feet are cold," he commented, but it wasn't a big surprise. Her feet were always called. He loved it, because his were always so warm it was almost uncomfortable. She turned toward him and smiled and now she was close enough that he could make out her features enough to read her expression. Her feet were ticklish, so he purposefully moved his foot in a way to tickle her a bit.

"Yours are just so hot, it's unbearable."

"You love it," he stated confidently. She chuckled. "So, why are you back so early?"

She suddenly stopped chuckling and looked at him disapprovingly, then she turned away. "You know I can't tell. It's classified."

Of course, he knew. "Classified …" he repeated. If there was ever a word, he slowly started to hate.

"Huh?" She apparently wondered at his thoughtful voice. "What are you thinking?" But he was already so deep in contemplation that he hardly registered and didn't answer immediately what went through his mind.

He was a Jonin, a Jonin-instructor and still a member of Strategic Command even if he'd been somewhat-off duty in that aspect for the last weeks. His clearance was already very high. In fact, he was almost sure that there were hardly a dozen people with a higher clearance. The Hokage, of course, as well as the Daimyo, Danzo, the head of police Ikkaku Uchiha, Inori Yamanaka as head of the Intelligence Division, Shikaruma Nara as head of Strategic Command, the Hokage's councillors Homura and Koharu, some other people with high positions such as the Jonin Commander or the head of ANBU … There weren't many altogether – though it was a bit of a worrying thought still, that two of them where the fathers of his students. Even the ANBU didn't have higher clearance. Sure, they got secret missions of the highest confidentiality, but it wasn't like they had clearance on anything other than the missions they themselves were taking on. Sometimes not even really for those, as far as he knew.

"What Security Clearance would I need to finally be able to have an open conversation with my wife about work related matters?" He asked it somewhat ironically, but it really made him think. He wanted to know more about what she was doing than what she could tell him. Of course, he knew not to probe, but if he could get the clearance …

"About all my work?" She asked back. She sounded amused, as if she didn't take him completely seriously but was humouring him regardless. "The highest level."

"So, maybe I should set out to become Hokage?" It was a passing thought really. More of a joke than anything else, but then he remembered his conversation with the Hokage and Shikaruma.

Akane next to him suddenly sat up. "Where does this come from?" She asked.

"Somebody recently told me, I might have some qualities needed for the job." He sighed tiredly. He wasn't really out for the position, but if it put an end to the secrets between them ...

"Who, Jiraiya?" She laughed. "You know if he said that, he only doesn't want Orochimaru to get the job. He'd never live it down if his rival got the highest position in the village."

Sakumo laughed with her. She was right. Of course, Jiraiya wasn't the kind to envy Orochimaru his Hokage title. He'd surely be the first to congratulate his teammate. But he did joke about it sometimes. As if he feared Orochimaru becoming Hokage would make Jiraiya ultimately lose whatever competition there was between the two.

After a moment of mirth though, Sakumo sobered up again. "What? You think, I don't have it in me? I didn't think it was that absurd."

Akane got serious immediately. She stared at him. "No, I absolutely think, you have it in you. It's not absurd. If that's what you want, go for it, you have my full support, I just didn't think that was ever what you wanted." She laid back down again. "And I don't think 'So we don't have secrets anymore', is really the best reason to vie for the job." She chuckled shortly. "Even less so, since I doubt, you'll have much time for your wife with that job."

"I wouldn't worry too much," Sakumo answered with a grin. "Hiruzen just got his third child. His third child already. Proves he must spend some time with her." Young Asuma had been born just about two months ago.

Akane hit him in the chest playfully. "Yeah, but he hardly raised the two he has so far himself." She sighed. "He basically lives in that office."

As their conversation quieted again, she cuddled closer to him.

"Can you at least tell me, how long you'll be staying?" He asked after a moment.

"A week, maybe. Maybe longer. I don't really know."

"And you're alright?"

There was a silent pause as his hand sneaked around her waist. She wiggled a bit in his embrace until her head laid on his other arm. But she hadn't answered, yet.

"I'm not asking for details of your mission. But if something happened to you, or if something is wrong … I want you to tell me, if you're not alright."

"I am," she answered after a moment. "I am alright. Unhurt. Just a bit tired. The last weeks were stressful. And I might have nightmares."

It was enough to know that she had seen traumatic things during those last weeks. He could relate. They were shinobi. They both – whether they were ANBU or not – basically made a living off of traumatic events. After years, he guessed they were both hardened to them, or maybe numbed. But the especially bad ones would still get to them.

"Me too," he said. "And be careful about my left side, when you move," he added to lighten the mood again. Before she could worry, though, he added: "Saburo has a really mean kick."

She had to contemplate that, then she chuckled. "We should teach him a lesson tomorrow."

"I'd rather not. I kind of asked him to."

"I married an idiot. You deserve that bruise and if I wiggle around and hit you in my sleep, be sure it wasn't by accident."