**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own anything regarding the Naruto or Naruto Shippuden series with the sole exception of my own original characters and their story-lines or their involvement within the story. Everything else belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

-Of Favoritism, Watermelon, and Pervy Sages-

"So what did you guys wanna do today?" Amaya questions, leaning back in her chair as the trio finish up their breakfast. "I was told to take today off before beginning my training for the Finals, so I could show you guys around...?"

"We've gotta go to the Hokage's Office with the Old Man and your father." Cho informs through a mouthful of food, making her words somewhat difficult to decipher.

Yuichi rolls his eyes and lightly bonks the girl on the head. "Don't talk with food in your mouth." He scolds, turning his attention to his cousin. "Our visitors-passes to stay in the Village expired a day or so after we arrived, so we needed new ones... We're getting them reissued today."

Amaya hums, though it was more out of curiosity than understanding. "Why would you need a visitors-pass...? Our Clan is apart of the village residents..."

"Beats me." Haru shrugs and takes a sip of his water.

"Because most of our Clan resides outside of the Village. In the Village-Elders eyes, we're no different from any outside ninja from other nations." Amaya's grandfather, Masato, cuts in as he enters the room, gaining the quartet's attention.

Amaya looks down, her brows furrowed. 'That still doesn't sound right to me...' She thought to herself, returning her gaze to the elder as she opens her mouth to question him further. However, the look on his face makes her pause.

Masato was a stern man, with a resting-bitch-face to boot. However, now as he met her gaze knowingly, Amaya could see a small glimmer of irritation and anger at the current topic - for reasons unbeknownst to her or her cousins.

She stares at him for a moment longer, knowing there was more to it than that, before deciding to drop the subject. "Saa~… So, when are you leaving?"

"Here in a bit." Her grandfather replies as he glanced up at the clock on the wall. "If we wait any later, we'll be stuck there all afternoon."

Amaya nods to herself and pushes herself up from the table. "Well, while you do that, I'm gonna swing by the hospital and visit a few people— If they let me, that is..." She trails off as Sasuke and Lee's circumstances come to mind.

"Don't stay out too long. I want to go over your training regimen before tomorrow." Her grandfather informs.

The brunette salutes him lazily and waves to the trio as she makes her way out of the room. "Yeah, yeah... I'll see you guys later...!"

On her way to the hospital, Amaya had ran into Naruto - who had decided to also tag along for the small task. And now, the duo were faced with their first hurdle of the day.

The reception desk.

"Hey, where's Sasuke's room?" The blond questions; his palms pressed flat against the counter as he leaned forward.

One of the nurses looked down to her notes for a moment before sending them both a smile. "Sorry, no visitors allowed."

That only made the blond's voice grow louder. "What?! No visitors, are you kidding?!" Naruto asks a second time in disbelief.

"Those are the rules!" The nurse replies with another smile.

Even though she expected this outcome, Amaya could feel her own polite expression waver slightly at the woman's annoying cheerfulness. Shaking it off momentarily, she clears her throat and steps forward. "Well, what about Rock Lee...? I know his condition was pretty critical—?"

Before the brunette could finish her question, the nurse shakes her head, her smile still in place. "Rock Lee is still heavily sedated to help with the pain. He's not up for visitors right now... I'm sorry." She informs.

Naruto grimaces. "Gah, c'mon, Lady...!"

...

"Naruto, Amaya, this is a hospital. Keep it down."

...

At the familiar and lazy drawl, Amaya and Naruto turn to see Kakashi walking towards them from another hallway - no doubt coming from Sasuke's room.

"Huh...? Oh, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto exclaims, turning away from the desk and running over to meet the male halfway. "Boy am I glad to see you! I gotta ask you a favor!"

Amaya sighs at the blond's one-track mind and bows her head politely to the nurse before also turning away and rejoining the blond's side.

Kakashi waves the boy off before he could continue any further. "Stop right there, I already know what you're going to ask, so I've been looking for someone that can oversee your training for the Final Rounds."

It took a moment for the duo to process his words, and once they did, Amaya couldn't help but feel her annoyance return tenfold as it began to bubble in her chest.

"Hold on!" Naruto exclaims, squinting up at the Jounin. "Why can't you train me, Sensei?"

Kakashi sighs. "I have other matters to handle. I don't have time to deal with you, Naruto."

'What the hell kind of response is that...?!' Amaya thought to herself as her eyes narrowed at the males tone.

"Hey! Aha...!" Naruto yells, pointing up at Kakashi angrily. "You're going to train Sasuke, aren't you, Kakashi-sensei?!"

Sensing the rising tensions, Kakashi waves him off. "Now, now, don't complain... Listen, I found you an even better teacher than me." He informs.

Naruto pauses for a moment before huffing - obviously disappointed. "Well, who is it?"

"It is I!"

"Hm?" At the sudden voice, both Genin turn to see a proud Ebisu standing behind them.

"YOU?!" Naruto screeches as Amaya's face pales. "YOU CLOSET PERVERT!"

Ebisu sighs and pushes up his sunglasses. "Such insolence..."

Naruto takes a step backwards, clutching the fabric of Amaya's halter-top tightly as he pulled her back as well. "N-n-n-n-not th-that g-guy!" He stammers out.

Kakashi raises a brow curiously. "He's a...what? What did you call him?" He asks, only to be ignored.

"You're kidding me! Of all the guys you could've picked, you picked this guy to train me?! What a joke, he's weaker than I am!" Naruto exclaims.

"What makes you say that?" Kakashi questions again.

Naruto spins on his heel to look up at him. "I'm serious! You should've seen him!... He saw my Harem Jutsu once, and he fell to pieces!" He informs, remembering the incident like it was yesterday.

Ebisu stiffens, his own face paling at Amaya's expression and the blond's words. 'Oh no...! Not that again!' He thought to himself, rushing forward to grab ahold of Naruto, covering the blond's mouth hastily.

Kakashi looks between the three, bemused. "Harem Jutsu...?"

"Oh, it's nothing! Just a little joke we shared!" Ebisu reassures before turning to Naruto to whisper angrily in the boy's ear. "Look, I'll make you a deal! Keep quiet about that and I'll buy you anything you want to eat! Barbecue, ramen— You name it!"

"Anything I want?" Naruto parrots, looking up at the male skeptically.

Having heard the bribe, Amaya shakes her head. 'Poor guy's gonna be broke at the end of the day...'

Kakashi hums, bringing the attention back to him. "Well, well... I had no idea that you two were so well acquainted."

Ebisu releases his hold on the blond, patting the boy's head with a laugh. "Yes. We go way back." He replies, internally screaming. 'I will always be haunted by that humiliation!'

Naruto frowns, briefly making eye contact with Amaya as he looks to the side. "I still don't see why it has to be him. I mean, anybody else." He grumbles.

Ebisu scowls. "Look, you idiot, if it hadn't been for Kakashi - who asked me this favor - I would never consider training you!"

Naruto rounds on him with a glare. "Yeah? Well then don't!"

Kakashi steps forward, waving his hands placatingly. "Hey, hey, c'mon you two, lets calm down." He then crouches down to be face to face with the blond. "Listen, Naruto, you're wrong about Ebisu-sensei. He's a Special Jounin, a private tutor who only trains the elite. Frankly, he's a better teacher than I am." He murmurs before standing to his full height. "Anyway, Naruto, I've got to say that out of the four Genin in Squad 7, you're the one whose basic skills need the most work. That's what I want you to focus on this time around."

"Wait, hold on a second! Are you honestly saying that I'm not as good as Sasuke, Amaya, or Sakura?!" Naruto exclaims angrily.

Kakashi sighs and briefly looks at Ebisu with a tired shrug. "Naruto, no matter how many skills you master, the fundamentals are...well, fundamental. And yours could be improved. So, if you really want to become strong, then just be quiet and pay attention."

The annoyance Amaya felt previously quickly became that of seething anger, making her grit her teeth as she frowned.

Naruto pouts in response and Kakashi shakes his head. Turning to Ebisu, he nods in the Jounin's direction. "All right, Ebisu-sensei, I leave him in your capable hands."

"I'll do what I can!" The male replies confidently as Naruto turns his back to both Amaya and Kakashi.

Kakashi places a hand on Amaya's shoulder and begins to corral her towards the hospital doors. "C'mon, Amaya... I'd like to talk about your training as well."

Amaya scowls and shrugs the male off, surprising him slightly at the anger-fueled gesture. She then sends Naruto one last glance, deciding then and there that she was going to find the boy later and offer to train together.

"Okay, what is it?... If it's about Naruto, don't worry, Ebisu-sensei will make sure he gets the training he needs."

Amaya pauses in her trek down the steps, giving her mentor a long, hard stare when he turns to face her. "How can you be so sure of that...?!" She snaps, no longer bothering to hold back her anger.

Kakashi stares at her for a moment. "You heard what I said before, Naruto needs to work on his fundamentals... Ebisu is best suited to help him get where he needs to be."

"That's bullshit and you know it!" Amaya exclaims, not worried about attracting attention from passerby's.

Kakashi's eyes narrow slightly at her tone. "It's not. With the current way Naruto handles himself in battle, he won't last long against Neji in the finals... I thought you were smart enough to know this." He replies, immediately regretting the way his statement sounded a moment later as it seemed to set the brunette off even more.

Amaya bristles at his response. "And I thought you would've been a better teacher than this." She sneers, scoffing at his surprised expression before looking off to the side for a moment.

Somewhat floored, Kakashi wasn't able to come up with a response quick enough, and his prolonged silence makes the Minamoto huff.

Shaking her head, the brunette trudges down the remaining steps, intending to drop the conversation.

"Amaya—"

"Ya know..." She begins, pausing in her walk as she cuts him off, turning to face him. "I get that Sasuke is your favorite out of the group. But you really shouldn't make it so obvious." She advises tersely, her voice wavering slightly. "At this point, I don't see why you didn't just fail the three of us and keep him around, since he's your star-pupil and all."

Kakashi shakes his head. "That's not it..."

"Isn't it?" Amaya replies, staring up at him before taking a deep breath. "It sure as hell seems that way." She informs, breaking eye contact to look down at her sandal-clad feet. "Sakura isn't participating in the finals, so she doesn't really have to worry about anything right now... Sasuke is just shy of being considered a prodigy, it's not like he's lacking in a lot of areas. And no matter what the circumstance, I have people at home who can help me get ready if need be. But Naruto... Naruto is so used to being brushed off— He's always pushed to the side, and I'm sick of it."

Kakashi doesn't reply, prompting her to continue. "Maybe I'm being too protective, or biased." She mumbles, looking up at him once more. "But it's hard not to be when that's all I see on a daily basis."

The two stare at each other for a moment in silence. That is, before Amaya breaks it once more with a sigh.

"Forget it." She grunts, turning to walk away. "Forget I said anything, s'not like I'll be listened to anyway... Just try remember that you have four students instead of one, sometime? It seems like an important thing to consider."

Kakashi sighs tiredly. "Amaya—" He begins again, this time stopping himself as he decides not to press the subject further. "...I still would like to know what you plan to work on, so that maybe, I can offer some advice?"

"Don't bother." Amaya rebuffs. "Since you're so pressed, I won't waste your time." Then, without as much as a glance over the shoulder, she waves. "See you in a month, Kakashi."

Kakashi watches her go until she's out of sight, a feeling of frustration overcoming him at the girls accusations. Though part of him wondered whether or not they actually held some weight of truth.

'Maybe I said to much...' Amaya thought to herself as she skipped a rock, her eyes intently observing the water as it rippled. 'I was pretty disrespectful, too...'

A sudden presence appears to her left, making her flinch, though she quickly relaxes when she realizes who it was.

"Go away, Toshiaki." She grunts, sitting down onto the dock before pulling her knees up to her chest.

"Eh? But I brought dango...~" He calls out teasingly as he plops down next to her.

"I'm not hungry."

Toshiaki lets out a dramatic gasp and clutches his chest. "Amaya Minamoto turning down dango...?! That squabble with Kakashi-senpai must've been really serious..."

Amaya scowls at the mentioned incident. "What, did he tell on me or something? Am I gonna get the third degree when I get home?"

Toshiaki chuckles. "No. I was at the hospital with Moriko... We were gonna visit a teammate of ours and overheard the argument." He informs, his expression becoming serious. "Amaya—"

"I know... I know I was probably out of line, but what he was saying just really rubbed me the wrong way." She interrupts, resting her chin on her knees as she pouted. "But I'm not sorry for what I said. It's the truth."

Next to her, her brother hums and leans back on his hands. "I'm not taking sides here, but... Kakashi is pretty new to this, too, ya know? He's learning about being a mentor to younger ninja, and his viewpoint may be a little skewed."

"Still no excuse to act the way he does." Amaya grumbles.

"No, maybe not." Toshiaki agrees with an acknowledging nod. "But he's still your Sensei, and you still have to be respectful..."

"I'm not going to apologize for what I said!" Amaya exclaims out of annoyance, shaking her head. "I meant every word, and I don't feel like I'm in the wrong—"

"That's not my point and you know it." Toshiaki interrupts, for once settling a stern gaze on her. "I don't expect you to apologize for how you feel. Nothing can change that - at least not right away... But you should apologize for how you said it."

Amaya sighs and looks away, prompting him to continue.

"Either way, you've gotten his attention on the matter, and if you feel that way, then maybe the others do as well. So, I'm sure he'll try to rectify the situation any way he knows how."

Amaya side-eyes her brother for a moment, making him sweatdrop.

"..."

"I mean... You don't have to listen to me, but it'd be a lot easier if you did... Just think on it."

"..."

"What is it...?"

"Stop being so wise, it's creepy..."

"Creepy?! What do you mean creepy?! And I've always been smart—!"

"News to me... But yeah, your creep factor just went up by, like, ten percent."

"So mean...!"

Now walking down the street with Toshiaki by her side, Amaya hums lowly to herself and folds her hands behind her back.

The duo, after staying at the lake for little over an hour, had decided to head back home. And their walk was quite peaceful, that is until they spot Naruto closely inspecting watermelons at a nearby stall.

...

"Ripe and luscious with curves. Big, but not too big... Ripe and luscious with curves. Big, but not too big... Ripe and—"

...

"Eh... Naruto? What are you doing...?" The brunette asks hesitantly, interrupting the boy's mantra as they walk closer. Her voice immediately gaining the blond's attention, making him spin around to face them.

"Amaya...! Toshiaki! Thank God you two are here! You both can help me...!" Naruto exclaims as he gently grabs the girls wrist and jerks her forward. "I need to find the perfect melon! If I can do that, then he'll have no choice but to train me...!"

"Ah..." Amaya trails off, looking down at the large watermelons curiously. "Okay...? But I'm not following, Naruto... Why do you need a watermelon? I thought Ebisu-sensei was training you as a favor..."

The blond scoffs. "No way! I found someone even better than him!" He informs, holding up another melon to inspect it. "He took that closet perv out with just one hit!"

With raised brows, Amaya shares a look with her older brother - who shrugs in response before turning back to the stall.

After a moment passes, the brunette sighs to herself, deciding to once again involve herself in another one of her friends schemes. "Saa~… I guess... So, what are you looking for? Just grab one, all of 'em seem to be fresh and in good condition."

Naruto shakes his head. "It's gotta be ripe, luscious, and curvy! And it has to be big— but not too big! It's gotta be the perfect size!"

Amaya sweatdrops and looks down to the stall. 'What an odd request... Whoever the guy is, he sounds like a weirdo.'

...

"Hmm... What about this one, Naruto?"

Both turn to Toshiaki as he holds up a large and somewhat misshaped watermelon.

Naruto eyes light up at the sight. "Yes! That's perfect!" He cheers, taking the fruit from the older Minamoto. "You're the best, Toshiaki!"

Toshiaki grins brightly in response and brushes a few strands of hair from his eyes, posing dramatically. "It's what I'm here for!" He then steps closer to the vendor and pulls out his wallet. "Let me pay for it... Consider it my treat for getting so far in the Chunin Exams!"

Naruto cheers again and Amaya could only roll her eyes and sigh tiredly as the blond continues to pay the older male complements - who accepts them jovially, happy to have his ego boosted.

...

...

-A Few Minutes Later-

"He should be around here, somewhere..." Naruto trails off, squinting as he looked around the busy streets.

Amaya sighs, "Are you sure he's who you want to train you? I mean, is he even a ninja?"

The blond turns to her at that, his eyes wide. "I'm totally sure, believe it!... You should've seen him, he took down ole' Ebisu in two seconds flat! He's the one who'll help me get stronger, I just know it!"

...

"Then I said, not with my rice-ball you don't!" A sudden voice exclaims, followed by a loud and obnoxious laugh.

...

"That's him...!" Naruto informs, taking off in a sprint, watermelon clutched securely in his arms.

The two Minamoto's sweatdrop but follow after the blond anyway, both curious as to who caught the blond's eye.

As they near, they spot two giggling women seated on a wooden bench, which sat adjacent to the one a very familiar white-headed male was occupying.

Amaya blanches as Toshiaki goes starry-eyed, both thinking along the same lines but for completely different reasons. 'No way... JIRAIYA?!'

"Hey! Pervy Sage, I'm back!" Naruto exclaims, his words making the two females laugh even louder.

"What?"

"Did he just call you pervy?"

Jiraiya scowls and clenches a fist angrily. "Worthless little runt...! I told you not to call me that!" He yells as Naruto comes to a stop in front of him.

The blond, however, was unperturbed as he held out the watermelon. "Look! I got ya one, just the way you like 'em!... A ripe and luscious one with curves!"

Gritting his teeth, Jiraiya pulls out a knife. "THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT, YOU MORON!" He exclaims, though that doesn't stop him from slicing the melon into even portions.

Naruto laughs and stares down at the now sliced fruit. "Oh, yeah! Talk about ripe and juicy!"

"Dig in! We might as well not let it all go to waste...!" Jiraiya replies with a grin, trailing off when he notices the two Minamoto's standing behind the blond - or more specifically, Toshiaki. "Well, well... You two certainly have grown!"

Naruto hums and takes another bite of the watermelon in his hands. "Wha...? You guys know each other?" He asks, looking to Amaya for answers.

"He knows our Godmother..." Amaya answers with a huff, looking off to the side.

Jiraiya laughs heartily and pats the brunette on the head before turning his attention to her brother. "That's true, but Toshiaki here is one of my best customers!"

Toshiaki scratches his cheek bashfully as Amaya and Naruto look up at him, both unimpressed. "A-Ah, well it is true that I enjoy a good read every once in a while..."

Jiraiya grins mischievously and wraps his arm around the boy's shoulders, pulling him in close as he spoke in a low voice. "I'm currently undergoing some quality research for the next issue..." As he says this, his gaze flicks over to the now empty bench, the two women now nowhere in sight.

At the discovery, Jiraiya's eyes widen as his expression becomes distraught. "The ladies...! What happened to the ladies...?!"

"They left while you were cutting the melon." Amaya informs, rolling her eyes at the elders expression. "And a good thing they did to! Now they don't have to worry about some perv following them home or to a bathhouse."

...

Jiraiya stands from his seat, a deep pout on his lips. "Struck out again..." He mumbles with a heavy sigh, slowly walking away. "Now, I must be off... I've wasted too much time already." He then waves at the brother-sister duo. "It was good seeing you kids again, tell Mitsuko-chan that I'll stop by sometime before I leave, alright?"

Naruto's eyes widen as he also stands up from his seat. He then runs over and jumps in front of the Sannin, blocking the older mans path. "H-hey! What are you talking about?! Where are you going? What about my training...? We had a deal!"

"I don't give a flying fish for your training! I have my research to conduct!" Jiraiya replies in angered disbelief.

Toshiaki raises his hand. "Oi, Naruto, I think you should leave him to it..." He replies, trailing off with a nervous laugh as Amaya sent a glare his way.

Naruto humphs and turns his attention back onto the Sannin, pointing up at him. "Research my butt! It's not like I don't have better things to do than to hang around with a pervy old coot like you!... I've gotta train until I'm stronger than anyone, cause I'm gonna pass the Chunin Exams! And then someday... I'm gonna be Hokage!"

Jiraiya laughs and looks off to the side. "That's a good one!" He sneers before returning his narrowed gaze to the blond. "Tell me, did you fall on your head when you were a baby? Is that what makes you this way...?" He questions, earning a glare in response. "Now I know you're wasting my time...! That's enough, I need to get on with my research! And for that, I need a lovely lady. No fruits or vegetables, but a lady!" He exclaims, making grabby hands.

Naruto stares up at the Sannin in realization. "A lady...? Oh, if that's what you wanted, why didn't you just say so? No problem!" He replies before cracking his knuckles.

Amaya blanches. "Naruto don't! Not right here on the street...!" She screeches, though the blond doesn't listen as he performs the necessary hand-signs.

There's a small poof before Naruto, once again, is replaced by a nude woman scantily covered by wisps of clouds.

Amaya facepalms, watching on with secondhand embarrassment as Jiraiya's jaw drops and Toshiaki stumbles backwards - both with their own prominent nosebleed.

"Hubba, hubba, hubba, hubba, hubba...!" Jiraiya mumbles to himself, his eyes drinking in the entire view.

"If you keep staring like that, I'm gonna blush..." The "woman" murmurs coquettishly with a small laugh.

Jiraiya continues to gawk and stumble over his words, barely able to form a coherent response. "You're so— So lovely..." He stammers out before grinning widely as he gives a double thumbs up. "WE GOT A WINNER! A PERFECT TEN!"

Amaya rolls her eyes and Naruto internally cringes, both thinking along the same lines. 'Pathetic...'

Jiraiya then begins to circle around the "girl", taking in her form from different angles. "She's just...my type! I really, really like her! How did you do it? Where on earth did she come from?!"

The "girl" grins. "Oh, no biggie! I call it my Sexy Jutsu."

Jiraiya points at him, practically foaming at the mouth. "Yeah! I love it... You're a genius, kid! This is one amazing technique!... Yeah. So, um..."

"So? You'll help me with my training now, right?" The blond asks, going starry-eyed.

"You bet! But only on one condition!"

'Oh brother...' Amaya thought to herself, already having an inkling as to what the older male would want.

"Huh?" The "girl" replies, bringing a finger up to her mouth coyly. "One condition? Uh, what is it?"

"Ah..." Trailing off, Jiraiya turns, twiddling his fingers almost shyly as he looks at her from over his shoulder. "I'll do it, if you promise to stay like that the whole time."

Naruto grunts and dispels the jutsu, pointing up at the Sannin angrily. "I was right! You are pathetic. You're nothing but a lousy little pervert!"

Jiraiya turns around to face him once more, abashed. "I am not a little pervert!"

"Oh, yeah? Then tell me, what are you?" Naruto asks, his eyes narrowed.

Jiraiya laughs loudly in response, wiggling his fingers once again in a grabbing motion. He then looks down at Naruto with a wide, mischievous, and very pervy smile. "I'm a big one."

Naruto deadpans. "Oh. Great. That makes all the difference."

Seemingly impressed with the blond's tenacity - as well as heavily ...intrigued... with his original jutsu - Jiraiya eventually agreed to train the boy.

Naruto, not wanting to waste even a precious second, followed after the older male without hesitation, happy to get started with his training.

...

Amaya sighs tiredly as she stares off into the direction in which the duo went, oddly at peace with the turn out of the days events. 'At least he's in good hands. That old coot will help him out, probably even better than Ebisu-sensei...'

At that thought, the brunette then turns to her brother - who had been oddly silent throughout the whole ordeal. "Hey, Tosh—"

Pausing mid-sentence, Amaya deadpans at the dazed expression on the older males face. And when he doesn't answer to her call a second time, she takes his hand, beginning to gently pull him along.

"Saa~… C'mon, lets get you home..."

"Naruto... H-he— That jutsu...!"

"I know, I know. It catches everyone off-guard."