V 5 Ch 7

Secrets

Yanagi Lee moved through the trees with speed, her dark eyes searching the area around her. Masaru Uzumaki and Idai were behind her, following as they had been instructed to do. They were searching the area as well. Yanagi touched down for a moment onto a branch with the two boys. "This assignment is slightly getting on my nerves. How are we supposed to find five coins hidden in the trees?"

Idai tilted his head. "Kiba sensei made you the leader for the day, Yanagi. You have to think how to use Masaru and I. I'm not supposed to take charge."

Masaru crouched as he looked up at Idai. "Aren't you still helping her by giving her hints about what she needs to do?" He leaned back.

Idai looked down at him as he crossed his arms. "Would you rather I help her, or would you like to search the entire day blindly looking for something?"

Yanagi had to think. "I'm supposed to use you two," she repeated as she thought. "Let's see, Masaru mainly uses his shuriken and copies of himself. Idai uses twin swords to send sound wave attacks. How to use you two," she repeated again as her brain started coming up with scenarios.

"Why is she talking out loud," Masaru asked. He was glad for the break. If Yanagi was going to figure the assignment out, she was taking a long time to do it. He was used to Idai being in charge.

"She's always talked to herself when sorting our problems. It means she's really using her head," Idai said. He looked at Yanagi. She was watching him with her chin on her hand.

"You've always known I do that?"

Idai smiled softly. "Yeah. You did it a lot back at the Academy. Whenever we were tested by Kurenai sensei, you were always preparing, Yanagi. That's how you learn, isn't it?"

Yanagi smiled. "Five coins are in this area. They can be anywhere. Unlike Kiba sensei, I don't have a sensitive nose to sniff them out. So how else do we find them? We use Masaru's Byakugan and Idai's flute. Ah. You thought I was going to suggest using Idai's swords. We have to know the location of the coins, Masaru. Idai's swords would send them farther out of our reach."

Masaru stopped on a branch as he searched the area alone. He activated the Byakugan. "It's not in this area!" He moved through the trees as Idai moved above him some distance away. Idai was playing his flute in a three hundred and sixty degree spin as his ears listened for the sound of the notes hitting metal.

Yanagi formed hand seals as she followed the boys from the very top of the trees. "Billions of eyes jutsu!" Hundreds of light pink butterflies shot out from the sleeves of her yellow hoodie. They flew around her waiting for her order. "Find the coins hidden in the forest. One of you stays with the coin while two alert me." The butterflies were off.

"I see one," Masaru called out to his team, unsure if they heard him. He immediately went for it. It was stuck to the other side of a tree. He freed it. "Four more to go, Yanagi!"

Some time later, Idai heard the gentle ping of the notes hitting a coin. He turned his head constantly as he tried to find it. His eyes weren't as handy as Masaru's. Idai jumped from branch to branch sending short notes in the directions he wanted. "Where the hell is it? I can't see it. The sun's blinding my eyes."

Yanagi retrieved a coin from her butterfly scouts. "Nice job," she told them as she put it in her pouch. She wondered where Masaru and Idai had gotten off to.

Masaru swung down from the overhead branch startling Yanagi. "Hey! Guess how many I found!" He showered her the two coins. "Kiba sensei didn't make this very easy. He painted some of the coins to hide them," he said as he showed her that particular one.

"Oh, he would do that. It can't be helped. We never know what we'll face on a mission, Masaru. We have two more to find. Where did Idai go?" Yanagi looked around. She didn't see him, or hear the musical notes floating out of his flute.

Idai breathed hard. He remained completely still. Moving his feet right now would cause him to slip from the height he was at. He was still on the branch, wasn't he?

Idai's world had changed in a matter of seconds. The sunlight that had been blinding him earlier was gone. He wasn't in the forest. He was in a dark place. He could hear people talking. Idai's eyes looked around. What are they saying?

Idai's dark world suddenly came to life. He was sitting on a stone floor surrounded by candles flickering. There were strange symbols carved into the stones around him. Several men were keeping an eye on him as he watched them with his wrists bound.

The noise of objects breaking got his attention. It was coming from outside the room he was in. Idai saw the wooden door get blasted away by a powerful sound wave. The men who were confining him were on guard.

Idai watched as a tall man with short white hair and dark eyes walked through the entrance. His arms were out in front of his body, his hands aimed at the five men. Idai felt happy and relieved. He started to bounce on the floor as his father glanced at him. He was going to be saved!

Before Idai could yell his father's name, the five men started attacking his father with their own sound waves. They sent kunai and air blasts at the man so fast, that there was no time for him to react. Idai watched as his father's body was sent backwards, slamming into the wall behind him. He heard every bone in his father's body snap. He watched painfully as his loving father's body slid to the floor. As his head fell forward, Idai saw the blood glistening on the wall. "D-Dad?" His father was dead. "DAD! DAD, WAKE UP," he screamed. Idai was not aware of his physical movements as he fell from the tree.

Yanagi and Masaru were alerted by Idai's screams. They flew through the trees in that direction. As they saw Idai fall past them, they shot with all of their might to catch him. Idai was screaming constantly, his body jerking as they caught him. His legs kicked furiously as he kept yelling for his father to wake up.

"Idai! Idai! Idai, what's wrong," Yanagi said as they got him to a branch. Idai was not looking at her or Masaru.

"I've never seen him like this!"

Masaru grabbed Idai's face. Idai's eyes were wild with terror. Masaru suddenly tried to shield Idai from whatever his team mate was seeing. Regardless of his effort, Idai continued to scream. "Yanagi, get Kiba sensei! Idai, it's me, Masaru! Idai!"

Yanagi flew through the trees as she left her team behind. She could only hope Kiba was still waiting for them outside of training area number sixteen. Her eyes darted around, unsure if he would still be there. She was trying to figure out what had caused her team mate to go nuts. "Idai's never been afraid of us. He's always been so

reserved and cautious until he was put on the team. No, that's incorrect. It was until he befriended Daiya. Daiya's friendship has caused him to open up. But what exactly has awakened?"

Yanagi hopped from branch to branch until she neared the border of the training ground. Kiba was waiting for them. He was laying on his back with his legs crossed, letting his foot bounce up and down as he chewed on a piece of jerky. "Sensei," she called to get his attention. Yanagi jogged towards him.

Kiba opened an eye as he turned his head. "So did you guys finish the assignment that quickly?" Yanagi shook her head. She was grabbing his wrist to pull him up. "Yanagi, what's gotten into you?"

"It's not me. It's Idai! He fell from a tree on our assignment. Masaru and I had to catch him, sensei. When I left he was screaming about his father. He's flipping out and doesn't realize we're there," Yanagi said in a ramble of panic.

Kiba's brows furrowed as he listened to Yanagi. It had finally happened in front of his team. Idai had had a flashback. Kiba placed his rough hands on Yanagi's shoulders. "Yanagi, it's okay. Idai is affected by memories from his past," he said in a way she would be able to understand.

Yanagi looked at her trainer. "I don't understand, sensei," she said softly. How were memories affecting Idai's mind? Did he have horrible memories that he wasn't able to let go?

Kiba figured it would be harder for his team to understand. "I'll explain in front of Masaru. There's no other choice right now." He was going to have to go against Idai's wishes.

Masaru watched Idai breathe hard. His screams had finally subsided. "Idai, are you okay?" Idai's head fell forward. He was worn out. Masaru lifted his hand to touch Idai's shoulder. Idai tensed and withdrew slightly. "Idai, why were you screaming about your dad? Was it

something to do with your real father?"

Idai gritted his teeth. That particular flashback hurt him so much. It was the last memory of his father he had. The five men, who had kidnapped him from his bedroom, had killed his father. Idai's heart tightened as his father's face kept reappearing in his mind. His throat closed as he tried to suppress his emotions.

Kiba stood silently watching Idai and Masaru. Idai was calm, but he was heavily burdened by his own torment. Whatever had occurred was all over his face. Masaru turned around to look at him. At that point, Kiba walked over. He crouched to make sure Idai was alright. "I know you remember what you saw. Can you tell me?" Idai shook his head.

"Sensei, what is Idai seeing," Masaru asked. He looked at Kiba for truth about the matter. Idai started to hide his face in his knees.

Kiba sighed heavily. "Idai, they've already seen it. They have to know now." Idai tensed as he grabbed onto his pants. Kiba turned to Masaru. He spoke softly, choosing his words carefully. "Idai has a lot of bad memories from a long time ago. We're unsure about what he sees. He won't tell us – more than likely, because the memories are painful." Kiba paused. He looked back to Idai.

"Sometimes the horrible experiences we have don't go away. They're pressed into the backs of our minds where they are forgotten. As time goes by, the same experiences play over and over like a recording – occurring when we least expect them to – tormenting us until we lose ourselves – never able to escape them. That is what Idai goes through. He's re-living events from his childhood that have impacted him. He's unable to escape them."

"But he will one day, right," Masaru asked.

"I don't know, Masaru. That's determined on Idai's willpower and Gai aiding him," Kiba said.

Yanagi didn't like the heavy atmosphere. She unexpectedly pulled Idai towards her. He flinched, but relaxed when she put his head on her shoulder. "Idai, Masaru and I will help you. You're our friend. We like you."

Idai brought his hand up to cover his face. He didn't like the attention he was getting. The flashbacks he could deal with; or so he thought. He was more afraid of the bad side of himself hurting someone. "I… don't want… to hurt anybody," he said softly.

Kiba knew what he was referring to. "Training for today is over. We should get Idai home. Yanagi, would you be as kind as to locate Gai for me? Let him know what happened."

Yanagi nodded slowly. She let Idai go. As Kiba and Masaru made him stand, she was flying through the trees towards the Jounin tower.

Idai walked sluggishly to the living room in the apartment. His feet dragged on the floor. He stared at the short table where he ate every night. His orange eyes drifted over every object in the place. It all seemed so trivial to him. He fell to the floor onto his side. Idai stared at the bare wall for the longest time. He felt as if he was stuck looking in another world. He didn't hear Gai approach.

Gai looked over his adopted son. It was bound to happen while he was on the team. It was only a matter of time. He walked off to retrieve a blanket and pillow. Gai came back to lay the blanket over Idai. He lifted the boy's head to slide the pillow under. "Do you want to talk about what happened?" Idai shook his head. It was the same response each time. "I'm going to make dinner. Just lay here to rest."

Idai curled up bringing the blanket tighter around his body.

Idai rubbed his eyes as he awoke. I must have fallen asleep. He sat up letting the blanket fall off of his body. "How long have I been asleep," he said aloud.

"A few hours," Daiya said as he watched Idai look at him sleepily. He was sitting under the bar, his back leaning against the wood. Daiya had one knee up, his hand placed on the top of it. "Your dad invited me over. Are you okay?" Idai was staring at him. "If you want me to go, I can."

Idai bit his lower lip. He shook his head slowly. He didn't want Daiya to leave. Idai closed his eyes. The memories of the day were still in his mind.

Daiya crawled over to him. "You're not alright. I can tell by the expression on your face. You're remembering everything."

"I want it to stop," Idai said so softly that Daiya had to lean towards him to hear him. "I want to be normal. Why can't I be normal like everyone else?"

Daiya put his face under Idai's so he could look up at him. "Idai," he called. Idai looked at him blankly. Daiya smiled at him. "You've never been normal," he said in his low tone of voice.

Idai smiled a little. Daiya was teasing him. He leaned towards him. "Yeah, well, I'm not the only one who doesn't match Konoha's requirements for ninja. You're too anti-social."

"I'm not anti-social. I'm cautious," Daiya said in his own defense. He watched Idai grin at him. Oh, no. Daiya fell over as he was tackled to the floor. "Idai, did you have to do that?"

"No, not really," he said as he smiled down at Daiya. Idai sniffed the air. He tilted his head. "Do you smell something?"

"I had beans earlier." Idai just stared at him. I guess I am too serious. He sighed. "Your dad's burning dinner."

Idai and Daiya sat up as the kitchen alarm went off. Smoke was pouring out of the kitchen. They ran to the kitchen to find Gai beating a pan with two leaves. Flames were sky high. Daiya snatched the fire extinguisher off of the wall. He opened foam on Gai and the flaming pan. Gai blinked from underneath the foam covering his face. "So how does eating out sound," he asked as he posed all heroically.

Idai lowered his head. He gritted his teeth again. The fire had frightened him.

Gai wiped his face off with a towel. He looked at Idai. He walked over to him. "I'm sorry if I scared you. I'm alright." He bent down to smile at Idai with his white, sparkling teeth. "See? Nothing gets me that easily." Idai went for him wrapping his arms around his neck. "Idai, I'm okay."

"You scared the crap out of him," Daiya said seriously. He gave Gai a harsh look. Idai had had an eventful day and it wasn't improving.

Gai stood up. He let Idai hang off of him as he put his hand on the boy's side. "It's a good thing Daiya was here to put the fire out. I don't think those leaves were working." He smiled at Idai, again, trying to cheer him up. "You and Daiya can pick where we eat out, okay?" Idai nodded. He let go of Gai and dropped to the floor.

Anko waved to Gai and the two boys as they walked into the restaurant. They walked over to her table. "I see you ruined dinner again. When are you going to learn how to cook properly?"

Gai laughed heartedly. "Hey, give me some credit, Anko. I do alright. I just added too much oil is all."

"Hey, cutie," Anko said to Idai. He had grown quite a bit in seven years. She saw him occasionally from time to time, but they rarely spoke. Anko worried about Idai's progress. In her eyes, not much had changed for him despite his acceptance into Kiba's team. "You guys can sit with me if you like."

Idai sat down slowly in front of Anko. He didn't see her much. She spoke to Gai when she saw them out, but it was rare. Idai kept his distance from her. He averted his eyes.

They all ordered seafood dishes. Daiya tilted his head at the creature on his plate. It had a red body and red tail. He was slightly confused at how to eat it.

"It's lobster. You take this," Idai said as he grabbed the small fork. "And put it into the meat like so." He forced it into the back of the lobster. He grabbed Daiya's hand and told him to take it. "See the yellow stuff in that cup? That's butter. Dip the meat into it."

Daiya did as he was told, for once. He looked at Idai. Daiya sniffed the meat. "I don't know if I want it."

"Daiya, just try it. You won't know if you don't taste it," Idai said as he cracked a crab leg. Daiya was stalling. "You've got about two seconds to put it in your mouth before I embarrass you."

Daiya quickly put it in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. Anko laughed at them. "You two sure have a tight bond with each other," she said as she ate her octopus. "It's good to see you two like that."

Idai's face flushed. He didn't realize they were being watched. The rest of the evening, he stayed pretty quiet while the adults talked.

Gai and Anko caught up on a lot of things at dinner. They teased each other, ate, and even ordered sake'. Before long, Daiya left to return home leaving Idai alone. Idai found himself falling asleep at the table. He was asleep in no time with is head on his arms as he breathed softly.

"Man, we need to hang out more," Anko said as she set her cup down. Her cheeks were flourished from the sake'. She stretched her arms high overhead. "I think the owners would like us to go soon. It's getting late." She laughed as she turned her head. Her eyes fell on Idai's sleeping form. "Gai, how is he doing," she asked gently.

"He still suffers from both of his problems. Strange you should mention that. He had one of them occur this afternoon with his team," Gai said as he sipped more sake'.

"Which one? The first one, or the really bad one," she asked choosing her words carefully. People had the habit of eavesdropping on sensitive subject matter.

"The first one," Gai answered. "If the other has happened, no one has informed me about it. I can only hope his team and friends never see it," he said as he, too, watched Idai sleep.

There was a lot of banging at the door. Idai stirred in his sleep. He threw the covers back over himself as he laid on the futon. The banging didn't subside. "Dad… get the door… Dad…" Idai slumped back down as the knocking stopped.

Feet padded quickly to the bedroom. "Let's burst in on him to wake him up," Masaru said happily. He smiled big at Yanagi as he pushed the door open. He ran over to Idai. "Idai, wake up! It's another day of training." He shook his team mate. "Idai, come on," Masaru begged.

Yanagi rolled her eyes. Boys. She walked over to Idai. "Don't you want to come train with us today? Kiba sensei has something fun planned," she said as Idai looked at her tiredly.

"Yanagi, I'm sorry you and Masaru had to… help me," he said before he put the covers back over his head.

Yanagi pulled it away. "Idai, have we taught you nothing since we've known you?" She smiled at him gently. "Friends are forever. They don't give up on each other. So are you going to get up now, or do we have to drag you out?"

Idai yelped as he felt Yanagi and Masaru grab his ankles. He tried to grab onto the futon as they yanked him out of bed. Idai realized he was wearing his boxers and tried to hide himself. "I'm not dressed! Yanagi! I'm indecent!" His team mates laughed as they dragged him down the hall.

"Glad of you to join us," Kiba said as he waited at training ground twenty-one. He smiled as the kids looked around wondering what was so special about a section of the river. "You three are probably wondering what today's training involves. As you can see, we have a river behind us. As trackers, your jobs aren't just to track through the wilderness. You have to be able to search for people and objects through all sorts of environments and conditions. Each of you will be tested individually today, and then as a group. I want to see what each of you has to bring to the table."

"So we're working by ourselves, then as a team. How are we being graded," Yanagi asked. Masaru crossed his arms. He was taking it all in. Idai yawned as he rubbed his eyes.

"You will be graded on a point system ranging from a zero to a five. Zero is the worst. Five is the best. The areas you will be graded upon are your decision making, effort, and completion of the missions you will be given. If you score less than a three in each of those areas, you will receive extra training."

"We have to score above a ten individually to pass the test. Alright, I have that. What is our team score supposed to be," Masaru asked.

"As a team, I expect your workmanship to be heightened. You three must earn anywhere from thirty-six to forty-five points. There is little room for error as a team. If you three cannot function at your best individually, you won't be able to work as a unit. Missions don't always test your endurance, but also your decision making and skills. They put you in situations you may be unfamiliar with and make you work with others whose skills you won't have time to learn," Kiba said.

"A river isn't much of a challenge," Idai said lowly. "It's only water." He looked at Kiba seriously. "This environment won't change."

"Exactly. We're going to have a few others simulate obstacles for you all to get past," Kiba said. He whistled. The three kids watched as Temari Nara, Izumi Uchiha, and Chouji Akimichi dropped from overhead. Three small children from the Academy appeared behind the three adults.

"What kind of training is this," Masaru said out loud. The three adults were the real deal. It wasn't going to be easy to get past them. He looked at the younger kids. "Niru? Why is my sister here?"

Niru smiled softly at her brother. She held onto Izumi's kimono. "I'm helping big brother with his training today."

Idai analyzed the situation quickly. "They're probably going to be hostages," he said about the three kids. "Kiba's not the only one grading us, either. I can hear someone else moving from the trees."

Kiba grinned. "I was wondering why you were being so quiet, Idai. You are correct. I'm not the only one grading you all. You all will meet that person later." He pointed down the line. "The ones helping out today are Temari – Saori's mother, Izumi – Takeru's mother, and Chouji – Gin's father. The little girl with the long black hair is Masaru's sister, Niru. The little guy with the green jacket is Hibiyo and the boy with the long brown hair is Kayto. Your primary objective is to retrieve the item most valuable to your mission. I will be giving each of our helpers a different role to play. I will also be giving each of you a different mission to complete. This will be your individual grade. Understand so far?"

Yanagi went over the directions carefully. It was a lot to remember. "We must get about ten points to pass the test. We have to get between thirty-six and forty-five points as a team to pass. Our mission is to retrieve a valuable item, but we don't know what that is yet. Kiba sensei is grading us, but so is someone else. It could be a hostage situation, but we have no way of knowing for certain. Truth is we don't know what we're up against. We have to make our best judgments based on the information we will be given. You should never go into a situation blindly, so we must watch first."

Izumi smiled. She had heard that lecture quite a few times. It was one her husband stressed to his team. "Yanagi, where did you get that advice from?"

Yanagi fiddled with her hands. "Oh, I heard it from Ryu. He's pretty wise. It only makes sense."

"Alright, let's get started. Each of our helpers is to now leave the area." Chouji, Temari, and Izumi wrapped their arms around the three kids from the Academy and poofed. Kiba grinned. "Now we'll determine who goes first," he said as he challenged his students.

"Bring it on, sensei," Yanagi said with confidence.

Chouji Akimichi stood in the trees with the others. He listened to Kiba's directions through the headset he wore. "I'll tell them the order decided and the roles we're going to play. Alright, Fox out," he said.

Temari smiled coyly. "So who are we pretending to be? This ought to be interesting." She was ready to give Kiba's team a whole new experience.

"Since they saw us leave with certain kids, we're going to switch the kids around. Kiba doesn't want them having any insight about which children are with who. Niru will go with Temari. Kayo is with me and Hibiyo is with Izumi." Chouji signaled for the kids to switch around. "Niru, you're pretending to be Temari's daughter. You two are traveling along the road with a valuable item that Niru will wear. Izumi, can they borrow your necklace?"

Izumi took her necklace off carefully. She bent down to put around Niru's neck. "This is a special protection charm. It was given to me by Sasuke a long time ago." She touched the charm tenderly before she held it out for Niru to examine. "In order to give Kiba's team a hint about what they must take, I want you to touch the necklace every so often. If something is important to us, we don't forget its meaning."

Niru touched the necklace herself. "I'll do my best," she said softly. She looked at her classmates as they stood watching the adults.

"Izumi, you will be a kidnapper. You've taken Hibiyo

from his village. You're attempt to ransom him is going to be foiled by Kiba's team. Use all means possible to get away. Kayto and I won't be carrying anything valuable. The ninja who is after us has been given the wrong information. He was told by his employer that I had stolen Kayto from my son. You'll be acting as my grandson," Chouji told the boy.

"Now since Yanagi and Idai are familiar with the two of you, we're going to cause them some confusion. Temari, you're dealing with Idai. He uses sound waves in his attacks. Izumi, you're up against Yanagi. She uses strong force taijutsu similar to Lee's. I'll be taking Masaru. He uses that large shuriken on his back in most of his attacks, along with copies of himself."

Izumi placed her hands on Hibiyo. "I wonder what Kiba's team will think of us when they find out we know their moves. Who's up first," she asked.

"First up is Yanagi. Izumi, good luck," he said as she dissipated. "Next is Masaru. Temari, you're last with Idai. The kids won't be watching each other's progress. This test is defiantly going to teach them about individual strength."

Yanagi breathed out slowly. She wondered who she was up against. I can do this. She formed hand seals as she molded into the tree she was hiding behind. Gaining information about an opponent is essential to completing a mission. My object is to retrieve the most valuable object at all costs. I am aware that it is a hostage situation. Yanagi waited for her opponent to show.

Izumi walked out from the forest towards the river. She glanced around constantly for any signs of Yanagi. As she walked, she kept her hand on the back of Hibiyo's neck. The boy walked silently in front of her. Let's make this a bit more daring.

Izumi whipped out a kunai. She poked it to Hibiyo's back to demonstrate a real kidnapping situation. "Move," she told the boy lowly. Sure enough, as she had suspected, Yanagi made a move. It wasn't a direct attack. Izumi's eyes darted as she caught sight of several pink butterflies moving around her and the boy. There were too many of them for it to be mere coincidence.

Izumi smiled wickedly. Yanagi must use them to gather intelligence or to be an extra set of eyes when doing retrieval for Kiba. Not a bad idea, but one should be efficient. Izumi threw several kunai at the butterflies. The kunai sliced them in half quickly.

Yanagi swallowed. Izumi was on to her. She wasn't able to get any information about the situation. Izumi had stopped her. Kiba sensei didn't tell us they would be armed. This test is no laughing matter. It's being treated as a real mission. Okay, Yanagi, it's a serious hostage situation. Your enemy knows you're on to her. The boy is in danger. She won't kill him. If she does, she won't be able to use him for ransom. Ms. Izumi is stronger and more experienced than I am. But that's just it, isn't it? Sometimes you have no choice but to go in blindly to learn directly about your opponent!

Yanagi threw a kunai at Izumi before she used a substitution jutsu to move. As suspected, Izumi threw a kunai back to try and give off her position. Yanagi formed hand seals quickly. "Transformation jutsu," she said gently. Yanagi smiled as she popped into a buck with large antlers.

Izumi narrowed her eyes as she listened for any signs of Yanagi. Two deer came walking out of the forest. One was a doe – the other a buck. "I'm not falling for it, Yanagi." The deer went to the river cautiously. They both bent their heads to drink at the water. Izumi turned quickly to see a fawn dart out from the forest towards the other deer. She threw a shuriken at the fawn. The fawn poofed. Just as I thought.

Izumi formed hand seals relatively fast as the buck came charging at her. "Water fortress," she said as water shot from the river towards her. It formed a powerful wall around her as Yanagi's antler attack was slowed down. "Nice try," she told the girl.

Yanagi became frustrated with the situation. She thought she had Izumi, but was unaware she was a water user. Yanagi took off. She came running back at full force towards the woman. Her hooves clacked on the rocks. Yanagi leapt high into the air, popped back into her normal form, twisted her body, and came spinning with a round house kick at the water wall. As her leg went through the wall, Yanagi let several shuriken fly as Izumi moved back to avoid her.

Izumi snickered. "It's not that easy." She flicked her wrist as the water grabbed Yanagi's leg. It wrapped around her leg, moving up her body until she was unable to move. Yanagi struggled to free herself, but she couldn't. "You lose, Yanagi Lee," Izumi said.

Kiba whistled for Izumi to drop Yanagi. He walked out from his location in the woods. Yanagi sat on the ground trying to figure out what she had done wrong. Kiba crouched as he approached her. "You didn't complete your mission. Your overall effort was right on key; however, your decision making was not the best. Based on what was seen, your individual grade is an eight. You received a five for effort, three for decision making, and a zero for incompletion. Alright, now that that's said and done, I'll let you meet who was also grading you."

Yanagi watched as a form poofed in front of her. She froze. It was the Hokage. Yanagi started beating herself up about how she needed to improve.

Naruto sat upon the pebbles so he was on Yanagi's level. She was disappointed in herself. "The mission you were assigned to complete is given as a B rank mission. You weren't expected to defeat Izumi. She is more skilled. After re-thinking over the decisions you made, do you know where you went wrong?"

Yanagi thought for a moment. "Ms. Izumi knew I was onto her with the butterflies. I used too many of them, I guess. I suppose I shouldn't have used the deer to act as decoys because her guard was already up. I wasn't able to get through the water and she nabbed me."

Naruto listened until she was finished. "You didn't complete the assignment because you forgot the real objective. Your mission was to rescue Hibiyo from Izumi. If you had used different techniques, you could have drawn her away from him. He would have been free to get away at that point. Sometimes when we train, our egos get in the way. You did fine for a rookie, but it wasn't the best for a tracker. Izumi, you, Hibiyo, and Yanagi are dismissed for a bit. I'll send someone to get you when it's time to do the team evaluation."

Izumi placed her hand on Yanagi's shoulder. "It's okay, Yanagi. Extra training does everyone some good. Come on," she coaxed until the girl rose.

Kiba opened his ninja tools pack. He took out a pad and pencil. "So who is going to be assigned to give Yanagi extra training?" He waited as Naruto thought about it.

"She has strong determination. It reminds me of Sakura and Lee. Her decision making wasn't as flawed as I had suspected it to be. Yanagi was thinking ahead two actions at a time until Izumi got her with the water jutsu. I know of someone that will test her mentally and physically. He'll push her. We'll have Sasuke test her, if he's able to. If he's unavailable, Shikamaru can step in." Naruto rose. "Bring out the next contestants."

Chouji picked Kayto up as they stood on the branch. He had just gotten the signal from Kiba to go ahead. "Yanagi's finished. It's our turn. Remember Kayto, you're acting as my grandson. So act accordingly. Masaru has been given the wrong information. So regardless of his efforts, try to stay with me." Chouji poofed with the boy.

Masaru Uzumaki laid low to the ground. He wondered who Yanagi had had to go up against. Hell, he wondered who he was dealing with. Masaru waited until he saw Chouji Akimichi walking out of the woods with Kayto. He didn't make any move towards the man. He had been given a mission by Kiba sensei on a slip of paper. It had said:

You are now employed by the Susoguchi clan. Your mission is to retrieve a boy who has been taken from his father. Use all means possible to complete your mission. The reward for doing so is three hundred ryo.

Masaru realized he had been given a private mission. Yanagi had known hers from the get go. He kept his eyes on the man and the boy to note their posture, the placement of their hands, facial expressions, and conversations going between them. He was seriously worried about how he faired with the task. Kiba was not the only one grading him. Who is the other person watching us? Did Yanagi pass? Why was I given a mission on a piece of paper when she was told?

Chouji and Kayto walked around the area a few times.

He was making sure there was enough distance between him and the boy. It was a clue he hoped Masaru would catch on to. The kid wasn't making any moves towards them yet. Chouji had instructed Kayto to act along with the roles they had to play.

Kayto ran around the river throwing rocks into the water. He giggled as he watched Chouji throw a large boulder. It splashed heavily into the water with a loud splunk.

Masaru looked at the paper over and over with the mission written on it. Something's not right. If he had kidnapped that kid, would he be acting that way? The mission said I had to rescue him from Mr. Akimichi. I have to do what it says. Masaru put the paper back into his pocket. He started to concentrate as he formed hand seals. "Get away and get away fast. Ninja are silent."

Chouji signaled for Kayto to come back over. He turned as he heard rustling coming from the area behind him. Three clones of Masaru came running towards him in different directions. Kayto scrambled to get out of the way as the clones jumped. Chouji formed hand seals just in time. His size grew to six times its normal girth. Masaru's clones punched, only to be sunk in his flesh.

Masaru wasn't giving up. As his fists sunk into Mr. Akimichi, Masaru pushed on the man with his feet trying to avoid an attack. He flipped over backwards to avoid the man's arms trying to grab onto him and his clones. Masaru's hands went out to touch the ground as he flipped over a few times to keep his distance.

Chouji brought his arms, legs, and head into his body to where he looked like a giant ball. He heard Masaru yelp as he started to roll straight ahead. Chouji kept up his action trying to pinpoint which clone was Masaru.

Masaru tried to get around Chouji to nab Kayto, but as he curved his running pace, Chouji also curved his course. He put his arms in front of his body to try and prepare for an impact. Chouji hit Masaru at full force causing the boy to soar through the air. Masaru yelled as he rolled harshly on the pebbles.

Chouji popped his head, arms, and legs back out. The other two clones popped. He was correct in assuming Masaru would go for a frontal attack. He waited to see if the boy still had any fire left in him.

Masaru grunted as he forced himself to stand. His body ached all over. He could almost feel all of the places he was going to be bruised. Masaru breathed painfully as he turned to look at Chouji staring him down.

"Well, do you want to try it again," Chouji asked the boy. He watched Masaru stare him down. He was ready for him.

"I'm not finished. I'll get past you," Masaru said as he unhooked the large shuriken from his back. With all of his strength, he threw it at Chouji as he ran again towards Kayto.

Chouji let the shuriken hit him. He dug his feet into the ground as best as he could. The large shuriken went in to his body before it was bounced back. He formed quick hand seals to make a copy of himself. He and his clone went straight after Masaru as he tried to get away with Kayto.

Masaru looked over his shoulder to see double trouble coming at him. There's no way he'd actually hit me with this kid, is there? Chouji was closing in on him. I can't think! He's too fast! Masaru had to make a rash decision. He threw Kayto into the water.

Chouji attacked him from both ends. Masaru was body slammed. The boy's air was knocked out of him. He watched as Masaru slumped to the ground unconscious.

Kiba walked out from his post. He shook his head at Masaru. Chouji picked him up. "We'll tell him what his scoring is when he wakes up. Nice work you two. I'll signal Temari. She's next."

Temari kept her large fan on her back folded as she and Niru walked out into the open. As directed, Niru touched the necklace around her neck absentmindedly. They walked to the edge of the woods. They were being cautious. Temari was aware Idai used sound waves in his attacks. She was tempted to test his strength.

Idai crouched low on a branch overhead. He liked having a bird's eye view. He closed his eyes once he saw Temari walk out with Niru. He heard leaves rustling around the trees. Idai smiled as he heard Temari and Niru walking. Niru sighed softly. He tilted his head as he heard clinking. Idai opened his eyes. So the thing I must retrieve is on Niru. That makes sense. Idai stood up. He stretched his arms. He started to totter on his feet as he unsheathed one of his swords.

Idai leaned back slightly. As he leaned he unsheathed the other sword. Idai started to rotate his wrists causing the blasts of air. He dropped from the branch continuing to rotate his wrists as he created a wall of air pressure.

Temari pulled out her fan. Niru was shoved behind her as she held the fan out to block the gusts of wind coming at them. As the powerful force of the sound waves hit, she skidded on her feet. Where is he? She looked around the area.

Idai threw a kunai straight at Niru's feet. She was his target. The girl yelped, moving away from Temari. Good girl. He rotated his wrist again as he held his other sword aimed straight at the space between Temari and Niru. He smirked as he started to create the ear shattering sound waves. "Sound knife!"

Temari's hands went immediately to her ears. She gritted her teeth. Temari looked over her shoulder to see Niru doing the same. The girl was sitting with her knees up to her chest screaming at the noise. "Niru," she yelled, but the girl wasn't able to hear her.

Idai moved swiftly through the foliage. Now was his chance. He had to grab the girl while Temari was occupied. Temari tried to aim her fan at him, but her hands went back to her ringing ears.

Idai wrapped his arms around Niru. He took off with her at high speed. As he ran, his eyes searched for the necklace. He had to get it from the girl quickly. Temari was moving her arms with the fan in tow. Idai plucked the necklace from Niru's neck. It popped. "Sorry, Niru. You're going swimming," he warned. As Temari's gusts of wind came at him, he threw Niru Uzumaki into the water. Idai was hit instantly.

Temari ran after Niru. Idai hit the ground hard. He yelled as his shoulder came into contact with a boulder. Niru came walking out of the river soaking wet. She checked on the girl before she went to Idai. He was moving away from her.

"Idai, it's over. Let me check your shoulder. Idai, I'm not going to hurt you," Temari said as he held his shoulder still refusing to let her see it.

Kiba sighed as he came out of the brush. He walked over to Idai. The boy was injured. "Idai, Temari is not going to harm you. The test is over. Let her look at your shoulder," he said.

Idai suppressed a whimper as his body tensed. The pain going through his shoulder was excruciating. Temari started to move the leather straps off of his shoulders. She brushed his bruised shoulder and he gasped hard as tears came out of his eyes.

Niru watched as Temari started to lift Idai's shirt. She removed one of his arms easily, but the other was the injured one. Temari carefully put her hand on Idai's arm to keep his shoulder still. Niru took a deep breath. She widened her eyes. Byakugan! Idai's shirt became translucent. She could see the swollen and bruised skin. "His shoulder is black and blue. It's badly swollen," she told Temari.

Kiba started to lift the shirt over Idai's head. He carefully moved it down the boy's arm being sure not to brush against it. Idai was gritting his teeth. "We won't know if it's broken until he sees a medic. Idai, do you want to know your scoring now or later?"

Idai lifted his head to look at Kiba. "I want to know now, sensei," he said softly. Temari was bandaging his arm to his chest to keep his shoulder still.

Kiba crouched. "You received a four in decision making. A five for your effort and a four upon completion. Your total score is a thirteen. Would you like to meet who else was grading your performance?" Idai answered.

Naruto popped in front of the small group. He sat down next to Temari. "Your shoulder is heavily bruised. Temari will take you to the hospital to have it looked at. Do you know what your mistakes were?"

Idai furrowed his brows as he thought. "I retrieved the necklace, but I didn't get away with it." He grunted. "I also threw Niru into the river not thinking if she was able to swim."

Naruto smirked a bit. "I was actually referring to the high-pitched sounds you emitted earlier. If you were trying to separate them, an air attack would have been sufficient. It surprises me you thought of Niru as an afterthought. Temari, would you be sure and see that he gets his shoulder checked?"

Temari helped Idai to stand. She put her arm around his back. They walked away from the Hokage and Kiba.

"So what do you think about him," Kiba asked Naruto in front of Niru. He kept his eyes straight ahead on the boy as he walked away. Idai was trying to toughen up by walking with his posture straight.

"I like him," Niru said softly.

Naruto turned his head to look at his daughter. He took his hat off. "I don't see how the previous Hokage wore this. It makes your head sweat." He ran his fingers through his hair. "To answer your question, Kiba, I think Idai's training is going well. You're doing a fine job working with him. I know all sorts of things about him from Masaru. Masaru looks up t Idai for strength in the situations they face."

"Masaru is annoying. He talks about Idai several times a day," Niru said as she sat in her father's lap. She looked up as her father kissed her temple.

Kiba gave Niru a toothy grin. "Is that so? Your brother's competitive with Idai when they train. I believe it's because Masaru lacks confidence."

"Speaking of which… You two can come out now," Naruto said. Yanagi and Masaru had been watching them for a few minutes. "I see you're finally awake," he told Masaru.

Masaru shifted his feet. He was nervous to learn his father was the one grading them with Kiba. "Did I do poorly?"

"Well, why don't you let Kiba tell you first," Naruto said as he played 'slaps' with Niru.

Kiba turned around. "Your effort was a four. Your decision making earns a one. And your completion is a zero. Your total score is a five. You will get special training with Yanagi."

"What did I do wrong," Masaru asked bewildered.

"For starters, the mission scenario you were given, was incorrect," Naruto said to calm his son. "Chouji was pretending to be a grandfather who had taken his grandson out for a stroll. If he had been a kidnapper, as Izumi was, he wouldn't have let Kayto wander about. He also wouldn't have played with him. You were too concerned about completing the task than to pay attention to what you saw and heard. That was the backbone of your downfall.

Sometimes, ninja are hired to perform tasks that have no moral reasoning. The correct thing for you to do in the situation you were given was to not attack. It would have been more prudent for you to alert Chouji of his son's treachery. You will undergo training with Sasuke that will test you even further."

Masaru sulked. "So I take it Idai passed since he's not here." He glanced around.

"Idai did pass, but he was injured by Temari's wind attack. He has been escorted to the hospital to have his shoulder checked," Naruto said. "I'll be forgiving this one time and let you and Yanagi train with Sasuke before I test you three as a group."

Yanagi nodded. "How much time do we have to train?" She watched Naruto stand with Niru.

"As ninja, there is insight to be acquired through the right efforts. In saying so, I'd start training as soon as I can. When Kiba announces the group test, there won't be any preparation. You two will have to be ready." He turned around to wave at them. Niru wore the Hokage hat as they walked off.

Idai walked home with his arm tied to his waist. The medic-nin had instructed him not to move his shoulder for a week until the bruising went down. It wasn't broken and he was lucky. He stopped as he heard a familiar voice calling his name.

Masaru and Yanagi caught up with him. "Dad said you were injured. Is it broke," Masaru asked.

"No, I'm just heavily bruised. I can't move it for a week," Idai said. "How did you two do on your tests?"

"We have to take extra training with Sasuke sensei," Yanagi said. "Masaru received a score of a five. I got an eight. What did you get?"

"Yanagi, don't tell him how badly I performed," Masaru said angrily.

"I received a thirteen. I was up against Saori's mom. She's one tough cookie," Idai said. "Who did you guy have?"

"I had Mr. Akimichi. Yanagi had to deal with Takeru's mom," Masaru said with a grin. Yanagi smacked him upside the head.

"I don't think I would be boasting too much, Masaru. You got the lowest score out of all of us! Not to mention, you didn't pay attention to your opponent's position! If you haven't noticed, Ms. Izumi is as strong as Sasuke sensei!"

Idai looked at Masaru. "Why did you do so poorly? I've

been working with you when we train and even after Kiba dismisses us. Are you not focusing, or are you rushing in blindly?" Masaru looked away quickly.

"He failed to realize the mission he was given, was incorrect. Mr. Akimichi was acting as a grandfather who was playing with his grandson. Masaru was told he head been hired to retrieve the boy. However, he still attacked Mr. Akimichi and Masaru was defeated," Yanagi told Idai.

"So you weren't using your head," Idai said softly. "How many times do we have to tell you ninjas use their brains as well as their skills? Masaru, you don't get special treatment because of who your father is."

"I don't expect anyone to let me off easily," Masaru yelled at Idai all of a sudden.

"Then I suggest you train until you drop. I'm not giving you any more suggestions when we train. You have to be able to think for yourself," Idai said dismissing the matter. "What did they say about our group evaluation?"

"The Hokage said we were to wait until Masaru and I had a bit more training. We won't know when the test will be issued," Yanagi said as she glanced at Masaru. He

was angry with Idai and himself.

Idai nodded. "Alright, you two go train. I need to take care of my shoulder." He left the two as he walked off.

"Masaru, Idai is serious. We have to learn how to handle missions more properly. A strong opponent is not going to be forgiving."

"I know that. I hate being at the bottom of the group. Even Takeru is doing better than I am on Lee's team." He closed his eyes in thought.

"Why are you worried about where you are placed compared to the others? You need to focus on your own flaws to overcome. We all have to do it. Idai is being hard on you because he doesn't want to see you get defeated. Defeated means 'death', Masaru. There is no time for a correction in a fight."

"I understand," Masaru said softly. "I'm sorry I let you guys down. I'll make for it, I promise."

Yanagi nodded. She was focused on what they had to do. "Well, come on. Sasuke sensei's group is over at training area fifteen." Masaru followed her quietly down the road.