Neji was training all evening and all night. Even the complete lack of light didn't become a problem to him – all thanks to his Byakugan.

"Why sensei didn't do a fighting test for us? I would have destroyed those two snots in 5 seconds… And whythis pathetic jutsu became such a problem for me?". – Neji was thinking, while getting out of the water.

He was heavily breathing – this night was especially cold. Neji looked at the lake, and again made the jutsu.

Neji took a couple of steps on the water. Suddenly, the walk felt much easier and more balanced. He looked down, expecting to fall again – nothing happened. The water was calm, and looked like a mirror.

He satisfyingly smiled. Finally.

"I need to work more. Something as easy as that cannot take so much time. Starting this night".

Neji wanted to train more, but suddenly, realized that he was tired to death. He barely dragged his wet legs from the lake. Then, he just fell on the ground, and fell asleep immediately.

– "Huh? Neji? Neji Hyuga? Is that you?" – He heard a girly voice, but wasn't planning to get up.

– "Wow, look at this – hey Neji are you comfortable sleeping there? Get uuup!"

The scream was so loud, that Neji got startled. He jumped off the ground, and automatically tried to hit the unknown girl. Luckily, she dodged.

Neji rubbed his eyes, and looked angrily in the direction of the screaming girl - he recognized her at once.

– "Ugh. Tenten".

The girl with two buns smiled and nodded.

– "That's me! Neji, what are you doing here, sleeping in such place?"

– "Nothing that concerns you. I am not obligated to share any of my personal life details". – Neji snarled, while washing his face.

He knew who this girl was: Tenten Takahashi – a weakling from his class, coming from an extremely pathetic clan – good for nothing, except for throwing kunai at the enemy.

Still, for some reason, this Tenten had a goal in her life – annoy him as much as possible. Well, she was perfectly dealing with this, even when doing the bare minimum.

– "Who you got as a team? I got two really cool guys! My sensei is super weird, but I'm sure he is great".

Neji rolled his eyes. Ugh. His team will 100% get here to continue training, so for now, he is stuck here, waiting for those losers.

– "I will not talk to you. Busy". – Neji said and already began to train, hitting the tree with his taijutsu.

Tenten, seeming prepared to leave, but Neji noticed that actually, she walked towards a couple of trees, and took out her weapons.

– "I swear, my new sensei is crazy. Didn't let me show my skills, and instead forced me and my new teammates run 60 kilometers around the village".

Neji listened and breathed in. "Phew. At least I didn't get that insane guy".

– "And I got two clowns in my team". – He replied, to Tenten's big surprise. She turned away from her weapons, and smiled, with a bit of smugness:

– "I thought you didn't want to talk to me, Snobby".

– "Ugh shut up. You are getting on my- Oh, good morning". – Neji suddenly interrupted himself.

Tenten raised her eyebrow, and suddenly, saw Naruto and Ino's heads, that showed out of the tress.

– "Hah! Eat it – I told you that Neji was here!" – Ino exclaimed with a snide grin. – "You are paying for my food today, Naruto".

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Little beggar brat" – he though. As soon as he saw Neji, he also saw some girl standing near him.

Naruto smirked – that was a good chance to laugh at Neji!

– "Oh Ino, I think we confused the training grounds with Neji's dating place! How about we move and not ruin the date?"

Neji angrily glared at Naruto, and Ino clearly didn't think the joke was funny. But suddenly, Tenten laughed.

– "That's your teammates?" – Tenten took a couple of steps towards Ino and Naruto, and begun checking them out.

Then finally, Kakashi showed up.

– "Neji. Just so you know that it's not polite to go on training fields by yourself. You didn't wait for your teammates".

– "Yeah-yeah. Sorry Kakashi-sensei".

– "Huh?! Wait… Are you Hatake Kakashi?" – Tenten suddenly jumped in front of him.

– "Yeah. And you must be Neji's friend?"

Neji immediately cut Kakashi off.

– "No, that girl is anything but my friend. We just wanted to train, and accidentally got to the same spot". – He said with a dry tone.

– "Wow, what a coincidence! My new teacher is that crazy Might Guy. He said you two are rivals. What an irony, right Neji?" – Tenten laughed.

– "Okay I'm going now, don't want to set my team up. Looking forward to compete with you - rival". – Tenten jokingly bumped Neji on his shoulder and winked at him.

Naruto and Ino did their best to try not to laugh – no one wants a smack from Neji. Ino even looked like she just smelled an onion.

Tenten also turned on those two, and waved goodbye. Neji looked at this, and began steaming.

" 'Rivals', huh! Dream on, you little useless kunai thrower". – Neji thought.

Kakashi breathed in. No. Today the training must go great, and not turn into a circus like the last one. Or else his team will stay a joke, like they were yesterday.

– "Students, let's assemble". – Kakashi lazily instructed, and Team 12 stood in front of him. He, without words, pointed at the lake.

– "If you can't execute this, it's pointless to try and teach you something else. ". – Kakashi said.

Ino and Naruto both groaned. Neji, on the other hand, calmly shook his head, casted the jutsu, and walked on the lake, just like that.

Naruto's eyes wided – how the hell this dude can achieve something like this immediately?! Naruto knew that Neji was considered a genius… Maybe that's why?

– "Hey you two losers, come her, I'm waiting!" – Neji called for Ino and Naruto, not stopping grinning.

"Huh! If you actually put effort in your accomplishments, this grin would definitely be deserved. Got everything handed to you because you were born like that!"

He casted the jutsu, and ran towards Neji. Ino rolled her eyes on this, but still followed her teammate – for backup.

Naruto managed to stay on the water for some time, but he still fell in the lake, right in front of Neji and Ino.

– "Oops. Sank". – Neji said sarcastically. He stayed where he was – if this Naruto just expects the jutsu to happen without real training, than he, Neji must show Naruto his place.

– "You dumbass!" – Ino rushed towards Naruto, and grabbed him by the hand. Neji raised his eybrow.

– "Cast the jutsu! Fast Naruto, believe in yourself!" – Ino screamed. – "Or I wouldn't manage to hold you for much longer!"

Naruto actually listened to his teammate, and casted the jutsu. And to Neji's surprise, both of them were standing on the water like nothing happened. Naruto looked around, and his eyes were sparkling.

– "I did it! I did it dattebayo! See Neji, huh?!"

Ino raised her head, and looked at Neji. Then, showed him her tongue. On this, he just shrugged. "Sorry" he doesn't want to carry this loser on his back.

Kakashi was also pretty pleased with his students. He waved, calling for them to gather.

– "Congratulations. You learned how to walk on water today, especially you – Neji. Naruto, Ino – also well done, great coordination for you both".

And after those words, Kakashi suddenly casted a jutsu, and made 3 clones of himself.

– "One clone for each of you. I made a mistake putting you all together yesterday – instead of training, you were focused on taunting each other".

Team 12 got a bit uncomfortable after those words.

"Ouch… Kakashi-sensei is kinda right"… – Ino thought, and went towards her assigned clone.

– "You three have a long way to your bong as a team. But for now – you will train separately".

"Phew. Finally, I can be free from those idiots". – Neji thought, and purposely moved away as far as possible. "Teamwork", yeah right. When pigs will fly.

The clones of Kakashi-sensei sat the trio down, and took out a piece of paper. Then, clones handed it to Neji, Ino and Naruto, and began explaining.

– "My methods of teaching are quite different – right after I understand you can do the walking on water jutsu, I will test your chakra nature".

"Huh?"

– "By letting your chakra through this special paper, you and I will understand what chakra nature you possess". – Each clone said to Neji, Ino and Naruto.

"Huh. Why even test this for me? I have my Byakugan, and the Hyuga clan techniques. Why something else to waste my chakra on?"

Neji still took the paper, and let some of his chakra into it. Suddenly, he felt the paper getting wet and melting.

– "Neji. Your chakra nature is water".– Kakashi said.

Naruto was second. He was ecstatic to finally learn something new, and immediately let his chakra in the paper. The paper weirdly split in two.

– "Naruto, your chakra nature is wind".

Only Ino was left.

– "Ino. Hurry up, you are holding us all". – Kakashi asked her. But Ino didn't move. The, she smiled, and said:

– "Oh, no, no need. I plan to be a support ninja, like my whole clan – medical jutsu and my Yamanaka clan support jutsu". – Ino said it weirdly sheepishly and got quiet after.

Kakashi wasn't expecting this response.

"Weird. This girl is a genius, and she actually plans to stay a support? Damn traditions. Okay, more work for me, then, but I will not let this talent go to waste".

– "Ino. Take the paper, and let the chakra through it". – Kakashi said in really command tone.

Ino reluctantly took it, and the paper immediately crumbled into dust right in her hand.

– "Ino, your chakra nature is earth. Looks like I know what to do with you three now".

– "Sensei. How can you teach us all, if we all have different chakra nature?" – Ino asked, puffing.

On this, Kakashi only smiled.

– "I am Kakashi the Copy Ninja. I have over 1000 jutsu copied, including a handful from base elements like yours. Assemble, and prepare now!"

Each of the Kakashi's clones showed Neji, Naruto and Ino each their own element jutsu.

– "Now, memorize, and repeat what I just showed you. The next weeks we are going to practice the techniques that are based around your chakra elements. Got it?"

– "YES SENSEI!"

And while Team 12 practiced, another group of three young shinobi were looking at them, not hiding amusement.

– "Woah… Already began the techniques training, not even touching weapons?" – Asked Raku Ichirou, a genin from Team 20.

– "Our sensei would never train us like this. What did I tell you, Lee, Raku. This team 12 has a lot of potential".

– "Yeah Tenten… Looks like we are up to be that one loser team". – Raku continued.

– "Never! Let's do our best! I believe in our team!" – Suddenly a boy with bushy eyebrows and a pigtail exclaimed.

– "If you say so, Lee. Who wants to go to a café later? If Guy sensei lets us…"

– "Who ran away from training?! Get back here right now, youngsters!"

– "Oops".

When the training ended, Naruto wanted to quietly sneak away, but Ino grabbed him by his ear.

– "Not so fast, Naruto! You owe me ramen!"

– "Whyyy… I myself barely have enough for one portion. Thief" … – Naruto mumbled, while Ino was following him.

They were walking in silence, only Naruto was sadly looking at his froggy wallet. When they were closer to Ichiraku, Naruto decided to finally speak up.

– "By the way, Ino… Thanks for helping. I wouldn't have walked on water without you". – Naruto even tried to smile.

– "Ugh. I just didn't want you to drag us down". – Ino puffed, and turned her head away from Naruto.

– "Hey Teuchi…. Two bowls please, I got money to pay today".

– "Oh, Naruto-Naruto. Those are on the house, like the previous ones. You also need to buy something to eat, right?"

Naruto shyly smiled and nodded. Ino on the other hand, got pretty uncomfortable witnessing this.

"Yeah right. Naruto doesn't have much money… So much so that Mr Teuchi feeds him out of his own pocket. And I expected him to pay for me"…

Ino turned her head away, and could barely touch her ramen bowl. All her thoughts were busy with Naruto.

And while they were eating, Neji again planned to spend his whole night training. He was sitting in front of the lake, feeling the slight breeze.

Suddenly, he felt someone coming towards him.

– "Hey". – Neji heard Tenten's voice. Then, she sat next to him.

– "I didn't invite you here. Screw off".

– "And I invited myself". – She said, and suddenly hit Neji on the head.

– "Ouch! Hey, you-"

– "Why didn't you help Naruto? He was sinking, and struggling. You are supposed to be his friend".

– "That doesn't concern you. The loser can swim, and we are not friends".

– "Wow. What a bad teammate you are, Neji. That's not a way for good shinobi".

Neji began to lose patience with this girl.

– "Then why did you come here? To talk smack about me?"

– "Nah. I just like to see your angry face". – Tenten laughed, and poked Neji's shoulder.

– "Tenten! Come on, let's go to celebrate our new friendship! I found a great café!" – Lee screamed for her.

– "Coooming!" – Tenten got up, ran towards her teammates, waving Neji goodbye. She even winked and smiled at him.

For some time, Neji was just sitting near the lake, looking at Tenten's direction.

"Friendship, huh. That girl is definitely an idiot"