Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.

Chapter Summary: In which the new Team 7 has fun with paint and Naruto and Kazuya pick up new hobbies

Chapter 9: Teamwork Means Never Suffering Alone

The new team barely made it to the training ground they were to meet on time, Genma already waiting for them. At his raised eyebrow, Naruto quickly shot out an excuse.

"We got lost on the road of life?"

He remembered Kashi saying that once and it seemed to work. Genma's eyes widened slightly before he started laughing.

"We had a late start and then had to drop Rio-chan off," Kazuya filled in, looking at Naruto strangely.

Genma waved them off.

"You're on time. Now, today we're going to start with dodge training and then move onto new chakra control exercises. Finally, we're going to complete our first D-rank," he declared, a smile still tugging his lips. He would need to speak with Kakashi at some point.

"Dodge training?" Hana piped up.

"I throw, you dodge," Genma replied, pointing to the border of tree at the edge of the training ground. "One of you, go and stand in front of the trees. You can't hide in them and you have to last at least five minutes. You get hit, you start the five minutes over again."

The three shared a look before Hana stepped forward, ordering the pups to stay back.

"Guess I'll go first."

She went over to the tree line and the two boys went to find a place with a good view. They plonked themselves down as their new sensei went to stand a good twenty metres from the oldest genin.

An hour later, Hana staggered over to them, falling to the ground and attempting to catch her breath. Genma-sensei had used blunt kunai but put bright red paint on them and Hana's whole outfit was covered in the stuff.

"That was...harder...than I...expected," she wheezed out, her dogs starting to swarm her.

Naruto and Kazuya remained silent; it looked a lot harder than any of them expected. They knew that their sensei was holding back, but it didn't look like it at all. Some of them they hadn't even seen been thrown.

"So who's next?" Genma chuckled, casually swinging a kunai by its hoop.

Kazuya sighed heavily before standing, brushing off some dirt.

"Let's do this."

Another hour later, Kazuya collapsed next to his teammates. There was very little purple left on his shirt and he had dozens of red splotches on his face. By now Hana had recovered and she stared down at him in sympathy, glad for someone else to understand the pain of this exercise.

"I...thought I was...fit...but...fuck...that was a diff-...different kind of fit."

"Come on, guys," goaded Genma, walking over. "You were only at it an hour. True, it requires a different kind of flexibility and movement compared to taijutsu but it will be useful in the long run."

His gaze landed on Naruto, and the redhead gulped despite himself. Rising to his feet and tying his hair back, he walked over to the tree line, adjusting his brace. Turning to face the jounin, he grinned.

"Bring it."

Only half an hour later, Naruto went to stand next to his friends as they got to their feet.

"Probably helps being half the target we are," Kazuya teased, looking over his mostly clean friend.

"You're just jealous," Naruto shot back, smirking at the older boy.

Hana rolled her eyes.

"Alright, so Naruto has the greatest speed and flexibility out of all of you, but he lacks power. You two are about average at the moment, so we'll do this five times a week, at the start of training," Genma summarised. "Now we'll move onto chakra control before lunch."

He led them further into the field, the sound of a stream reaching their ears. Genma stopped next to the stream and pointed the trees nearby.

"Kazuya, Hana you'll be learning tree climbing. You know the basics so I want you to get at least halfway up the tree in the next three hours," he said, throwing a couple of sharpened kunai at their feet. "Naruto, you'll be doing water-walking and you should be able to take five steps without sinking by lunch. I'll be nearby if you need help."

The trio nodded and left to do their tasks. Naruto shed his t-shirt and sandals, keeping his shorts and brace, having tried this a couple times before. He already knew he was going to have a very cold, very wet morning.

The morning passed quickly as they focussed on their exercises. There had been a few mishaps along the way; resulting in many bruises and sneezes. Kazuya had asked Naruto to demonstrate how it was done after he'd exploded a part of the tree from too much chakra, causing Naruto to startle and sink. The younger genin readily agreed, eager to escape the water even for a short while.

He had walked up and down slowly, talking through it until he stepped on one of the ruined parts. Surprised, he lost control for a moment and gravity took hold. He stuck his arm out to make sure he didn't fall, but for some insane reason he couldn't recall, it was his left. So no matter how much chakra he tried to pump through to his hand, it had no effect as the chakra could not pass the seal.

Fortunately, it wasn't that high up but it still hurt; his back and his pride. He walked up and down the tree a few more times to reaffirm himself before he went back to water-walking.

Eventually, lunch arrived and Naruto succeeded in talking them all into going to Ichiraku's. He demolished 4 bowls of miso ramen with almost no breath taken between each bite, Hana and Kazuya munching slowly on their chicken and pork respectively.

When they turned up at the mission assignment desk, the Hokage looked them over in amusement. All three covered in red paint; the taller two with leaves poking out from various places and the third still damp.

"Your first D-rank?" he guessed, watching Genma nod.

"Yup," he smirked, senbon rolling around his lips.

"I have just the one for you," the Hokage decided, digging out a scroll from the pile.

He handed it over to Genma and the smirk widened. The three genin looked at the men in confusion, trying to sneak a peek at the scroll.

"Alright, Team 7, for your first mission we are going to paint a fence."

Genma watched his genins' faces fall, a few glances to the scroll in disappointment.

"No travelling? No saving princesses?" Naruto grumbled quietly.

"More paint?" Kazuya muttered beside him.

Genma just continued to smirk, herding them out of the room to start their mission.

The next day as Genma dismissed them, he caught Naruto with the word 'hospital'. Apparently, not only was the redhead due for a check-up but Genma was required to attend all appointments while he was their jounin-sensei. The genin was not impressed. After sending Hana and Kazuya ahead, Naruto dragged his feet towards the hospital while Genma strolled casually beside him.

"So I got the gist of the story, but I'd like to hear it from you," he prompted, looking down at his student.

Naruto sighed, resigning himself.

"I got hurt in the Kyūbi attack; my arm and face got fucked up," he mumbled.

Genma waited a moment, but no more seemed to be coming.

"How do you know Kakashi?"

Naruto's head snapped to his sensei, confusion written across his features.

"Your excuse yesterday, it was one of his," Genma chuckled, answering the unspoken question.

"I've known him forever," Naruto admitted. "He knew my parents and after they died, he tried to help. He's always away on missions though."

Genma nodded his head as they came to the hospital entrance. He watched Naruto walked up to the desk and request Yakushi-sensei. They barely had time to sit in the waiting room before a tall, white-haired man walked through a set of doors.

"Naruto-kun, it's just in the usual room and you must be his jounin-sensei?" the doctor inquired.

"Yeah, Shiranai Genma," he responded, following the pair into a general check-up room.

He leaned against the wall beside the door as he just watched the interactions between the other two, storing his questions until they were done. He almost lost his grip on the senbon in his mouth when Naruto took the brace off, revealing the network of seal tattoos beneath it. Serious tattoos for a seven year old; why hadn't be been told? All that was in his academy file was that his arm had been damaged in the attack, nothing about the seals. He'd have to see about getting a hold of the genin's medical file.

Genma kept his cool as the check-up proceeded and it became obvious they had done this countless times. Was Naruto really medically fit to be in the field? He was only 7 after all; there was still time for him to wait to become a genin. Plus he had seen the condition that the boy was in that day. Of course, Genma had known about him when he was assigned the team, but there seemed to be a few missing pieces. He zoned back in as Naruto pulled his brace back on.

"Well, Naruto-kun, your arm is in good condition and even getting stronger. The seals are doing better than we expected. There are no signs of damage in your chest so far; it might not even become apparent for a few years. Your facial scar should start to fade soon, but as you already know it'll always be visible to some degree," Yakushi-sensei announced, ruffling the boys hair slightly.

Naruto shot a bright grin at him and shouted a quick 'see you tomorrow' at Genma before he flung himself out the door. The jounin waited a second before stepping forward, catching the doctor's attention.

"Can I look at Naruto's medical file?" he asked, his usually calm, casual demeanour edged with tension.

Yakushi looked him with a hint of understanding in his gaze.

"That's confidential, but Hokage-sama knows the full story. It would be better if you asked him."

Genma nodded curtly before striding out the door and through the exit, directly for the Hokage tower. When he arrived, the Hokage's last appointment was leaving and Genma let himself in. The old leader was at his desk, filling out some of the never-ending paperwork.

"Hokage-sama," Genma saluted.

"Genma-kun, what bring you here? Is the team alright?" the Sandaime inquired, hiding his surprise.

"It's about Naruto."

The Hokage nodded and placed down his brush, giving Genma his full attention. The tokubetsu jounin was one of his calmest and most reliable shinobi, even if he did have a tendency to joke around. There was an air of tension around the shinobi though and his ever-present senbon was clenched in his teeth.

"I'd been told about his inability to use chakra in his left arm and that he uses one-handed seals to account for that. However, I was not told about the seals on his arm nor the potential damage to his chest. He has to have check-ups every month! He's seven! Is he really ready to be a genin?"

The Hokage was silent for a moment before speaking.

"Has anything happened in training or on missions to indicate he's not ready?"

"No, he's performing well in both those respects; but he has a few years before the normal graduation age, he can spend them working on his health," Genma argued.

"While it is true that Naruto-kun has a disadvantage compared to other genins, he passed that exam on his own merit. I cannot take away something that has been rightfully earned," the Hokage stated firmly. "I believe he will surprise you."

"Hokage-sama, I saw him that day. He was hospitalised for six weeks."

At Genma's words, the Sandaime frowned. Sighing he turned to face out the window, gazing at the stone visage of his successor.

"I am sure you have pieced together Naruto-kun's true identity?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama but it can't be. Yondaime-sama never had a second child, Naruto was not a redhead and he was supposed to have died when he went looking for his parents that night!"

"I cannot share the whole story with you but Naruto is every bit Minato and Kushina's child so you know as well as I that nothing can stop him when he puts his mind to it."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Genma sighed.

"Not only that, but the boy possesses a powerful sensing ability that will be invaluable in the future. We cannot afford for him not to become a shinobi, especially with the current war with Kumo."

The old man smiled gently, turning back to Genma.

"That boy has been through so much already that I do not think anything could hold him back at this point."

Two weeks later and Team 7 had fallen into a routine.

Turn up, get painted kunai thrown at them, either chakra control, taijutsu or genjutsu, lunch, D-rank mission, then teamwork exercises every other day. Sometimes 'hide-and-seek': Shinobi version. Hana was always the outright winner when she was 'it': her clan was renowned for their tracking abilities for a reason, but Naruto held his own as he worked on expanding his sensing range. Kazuya hated those days.

The genin had warmed to their sensei, though they still relied on each other for help rather than asking him. Genma was content to let them work it out on their own; it was only for taijutsu he really took control of teaching.

Naruto, Kazuya and Rio had also managed to finish moving into their new flat but there were aspects of living alone that they had not fully considered. The Sandaime had sorted their bills for the first month at least but the boys now knew there was far more to it than that. Naruto could only thank Kami-sama for their babysitting missions as the advice they got from the mothers was proving invaluable.

Kazuya had the laundry covered as he'd had to do it for his uncle and Naruto picked it up easily. Chores were divided between them and ran smoothly after the first week. The real problem lay in cooking and groceries.

Neither had had to cook their own meals; Kazuya being fed ready meals and such, while Naruto and Rio had been fed by the orphanage. Starting out in their new home, the only meal they had mastered was instant ramen. It was the D-ranks they had fetching groceries for busy mothers that saved them, the women more than happy to answer some of their questions.

It was on one such mission that Naruto encountered a vaguely familiar face. Browsing the fruit and vegetables for his part of the list, he felt a knock against his leg and looked down to find a young, pale face. The child grabbed the onion on the ground and ran back to a woman nearby, the resemblance between the two unmistakeable. She walked over to Naruto, the small boy trailing after her. Naruto noted the Uchiha symbols stitched into both of their clothing.

"I'm sorry. Sasuke-chan wanted to help me with the shopping today and the onion got away from him," she said with an amused lilt to her voice.

"It's alright, Uchiha-san. Is that really Sasuke though?" Naruto grinned, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.

Her brows rose in surprise.

"You know him?"

"Yeah, I met him a couple years ago at the park with Itachi. My brother and Sasuke were in the same sandpit," he explained. He would never forget the day he met the Uchiha prodigy. He maintained his smile for a moment before it dropped, his eyes widening. "I'm really sorry, I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I should have said that before."

"It it quite alright, Naruto-kun, I should have done the same. I am Uchiha Mikoto," she responded in kind.

Naruto looked down to see Sasuke still clutching the onion. He had really grown from that day in the park; Rio had grown too but he didn't really notice it when he saw him every day. It was only now he realised how much time had passed. It felt like he'd met the Uchiha siblings months instead of years ago. He noticed the boy looking towards a bright red stand. Mikoto picked up on his gaze and smiled down at her son, seeing what he had his eyes on.

"He loves tomatoes," she laughed. "Every time he comes here he manages to find that stall."

Naruto smiled back, reminded of his brother's obsession with ramen. Of course, he wasn't much better. An idea sparked and he excused himself for a moment, heading to the stand and rummaging his pockets for change. He and Kazuya were on a tight budget, since it was just them and the D-ranks they could do, but he could spare this.

He got his prize and turned back to the Uchiha, still where he had left them. He walked up to Sasuke and knelt in front of him, offering a ripe, red tomato. The little boy looked at him with wide eyes and glanced back at his mother. She nodded and gestured forward. Sasuke took the tomato from Naruto's hand, uttering a quiet 'thank you', and immediately tucked in. Naruto stood and bid goodbye to the pair and continued gathering things from his list.

In the little free time they had, Naruto and Kazuya still helped out at Tenjirou's shop, absorbing any knowledge imparted to them by the man. Along with deliveries, they helped him restock the shelves while Tenten and Rio were with Tenten's mother. She had returned a few months after they started helping out and was more than happy to take care of another child. It was one of these days Naruto came across a large blank roll of paper.

"Hey, Ten-jiisan, where's this go?" he asked, looked at the roll curiously.

"That's fūinjutsu paper so it goes with the ink which is..." Tenjirou trailed off, looking around.

"Fūinjutsu?" Naruto repeated. "I've heard of that."

"The Yondaime was famous for using it," Tenjirou said absently, still trying to track down the ink.

"Yondaime, huh..." Naruto mumbled, staring down at the paper.

His head snapped up as he came to a decision.

"Hey, have you got any books or scrolls that I can read?"

Tenjirou paused in his search and looked Naruto in the eye. Naruto shifted on his feet at the gaze.

"Are you sure? It's one of the most difficult skills to master."

"Yeah, I'm sure," Naruto replied, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Tenjirou opened his mouth to reply when Kazuya's voice cut in.

"Ten-jiisan, can I borrow this?"

The brunet popped around from behind one of the shelves holding a green-covered book. 'Iryō Ninjutsu: Practical Techniques' was the title. Naruto was surprised. Kazuya had never mentioned his interest in medical techniques before.

"Not that one, but I have something more your level," Tenjirou replied as he moved to a set of boxes they hadn't reached yet.

Pulling out a set of three scrolls he handed them to Kazuya before moving to one of the back shelves to retrieve another couple, giving them to Naruto as he took the roll from him.

"Read them first before you try anything. If you can master the theory, the techniques themselves will come much easier," he explained.

"Can we really have these?" Kazuya spoke up, wide-eyed.

"I think all your help these past two years is worth a scroll or two," Tenjirou winked. "As long as you two are happy to continue helping with the shop, I can give you materials to learn from. These first ones are for you to keep but you can borrow any other books or scrolls when you need them. Just ask me first. There's the library too which should have even more for you to read."

Naruto exchanged an excited look with Kazuya.

"Thanks Ten-jiisan," they echoed, setting their scrolls behind the counter and continuing their roles with greater enthusiasm.

They finished quickly and were soon sent on their way, Rio following beside them as they headed for their flat, yawning the whole way. Naruto gripped his hand tighter as he looked to Kazuya.

"Why medical ninjutsu? You've never said anything about it before," he asked.

Kazuya was silent for a moment.

"It was the day you collapsed," he started quietly, his pink eyes dim. "I can still see you on the ground, not moving, maybe even dying and I can't do anything, just like then. You could have died right there and I wouldn't have been able to anything but watch. I never want to feel that way again."

He looked at Naruto and Naruto saw the mess of emotions in his friend's eyes. He swallowed the hard lump in his throat and nodded, shooting his friend the most grateful smile he could give.

"Thanks, Kazuya."

"Why did you want the fūinjutsu stuff?"

"My...our parents."

Kazuya remained silent as Naruto glanced down at Rio.

"My dad was amazing at it and I feel like...like maybe if I learn it too, then..."

"You could feel closer to him; even if he's gone you don't have to lose all of him."

Naruto's head snapped towards Kazuya, seeing a sad smile on his face.

"How'd you...?"

"My mom's favourite colour was purple," Kazuya replied, twisting his shirt between his fingers.

Naruto was silent long enough to get Kazuya's attention and as the brunet turned to him, he saw a bright smile on his friend's face.

"I'm really happy I met you, Pinku-baka."

Kazuya grinned back at him and ruffled Naruto's hair.

"Me too, Aka-chan."

Naruto felt a tug on his trouser leg and looked down, seeing Rio staring at them both intently.

"What's up, Sunshine?" Naruto smiled gently.

The four year old was silent and for a moment Naruto's heart stopped, wondering if his brother had heard him mention their father. Thankfully, Rio hadn't asked about their parents yet but Naruto knew it was a matter of time. He would tell Rio everything but ideally he wanted to wait until Rio was going into the academy. He couldn't lie if he was asked; he couldn't do that to Rio.

It was times like this he was acutely aware of the difference in their age. Despite it only being three years, Naruto felt as if those relatively few years stretched on forever, heaping a weight on his shoulders he still didn't know if he was ready for.

Rio seemed to decide on whatever was running through his head as he finally spoke.

"You and Kazu-nee are weird."

Naruto was stunned before he began laughing, doubling over wheezing, attracting the confused stares of villagers heading home for dinner. Feeling a stitch in his side, Naruto sat down, grinning widely at his little brother. Kazuya stood beside him, a smile on his face.

"Yeah, yeah we are," Naruto grinned, looking into his brother's beautiful violet eyes, so much like their mother's.

He stood and brushed off his trousers, taking Rio's hand again and following Kazuya home.

Thanks for reading!