A/N: Hello everyone! Thank you very much for sticking around for chapter three! I'm trying to keep my updates between four to six weeks so I can regularly post, but also try and balance being a somewhat responsible adult and work full-time. I think this chapter is the one I've been the most nervous about posting since it's very characterization-heavy, and I hope that the liberties I've taken sit well with everyone. A big thank you also must be given to my great friends Storm and Ronnie for reviewing my chapters, editing, giving me notes, etc. They're the best, and if you notice any edits in older chapters, that's why! I could not do this without them. I'll end my rambling now, and I hope you enjoy what I have for you. :)

"I used to scream aloud so long ago,
About how I was going to do it all by myself.
Feel free to laugh at how much I've changed,
At the me afraid to be alone."

-Peace Sign, Kenshi Yonezu.

Kakashi Hatake leaned against the railing of the rooftop park. His genin students sat a decent distance away from him. Sitting in order from left to right were Sayuri Fukuhara, Sasuke Uchiha, and Naruto Uzumaki.

Naruto seemed to prefer squatting to sitting based on the position he was in currently. He was shooting glares at Sasuke that he didn't bother hiding. If Kakashi had to guess, Sasuke probably noticed the intermittent scowls but didn't want to give Naruto the satisfaction of offering one in return. For now, at least.

Kakashi's attention switched to Sayuri, who had caught on to the spiteful aura brewing between her teammates. She plastered on a smile that, unfortunately for her, clearly displayed her discomfort at their animosity. She began chatting with Naruto so painfully awkwardly that Kakashi felt compelled to interrupt them. He cleared his throat to catch everyone's attention and simultaneously rescue his new student from her cringe-worthy attempt at distracting Naruto from sending more scowls Sasuke's way.

"Alright, let's get this moving along, shall we? I'd like you to each take your turn introducing yourselves, so we all get to know each other," Kakashi said.

"Well, how much do you wanna know?" Naruto asked.

"Just the basics. Your name, your likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams for your future; stuff like that."

"Maybe you should go first, Sensei," Sayuri chimed in, "and we'll just follow your example."

"Me?" Kakashi raised his gloved hand to point at himself for clarity briefly before allowing it to fall to his side once more, "Okay, if you insist. My name is Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and dislike are...well, I don't really think you guys knowing that is necessary right now. I can't say I've put much thought into any specific goals or future aspirations. As for my hobbies, I think I have too many to count."

Sasuke seemed completely indifferent towards Kakashi's obvious avoidance of revealing details about himself. Sayuri and Naruto looked towards each other, the former appearing confused and the latter vexed.

"Did this guy seriously just tell us to introduce ourselves and then tell us diddly squat about himself?" Naruto said as he turned to face Sayuri. He held a hand up to cover the lower half of his face as he whispered. Not that Kakashi could read lips that well, but he supposed he appreciated the extra effort to hide his complaint.

"Yeah, I think so," Sayuri replied.

"Alright. You there, on the right. Why don't you go first?"

Naruto jolted away from Sayuri to face Kakashi. He snapped to attention like a rubber band now that he was the conversation's current topic. He fiddled with his forehead protector emblazoned with the Hidden Leaf Village symbol as he spoke with a proud, wide grin,

"Well, since you asked, my name is Naruto Uzumaki! I like ramen; it's my favorite meal. Especially Irchiraku's ramen! My dislikes are vegetables and the time you have to wait for instant ramen to be ready. My hobbies are eating ramen of all brands and flavors and then comparing and ranking 'em from worst to best. And my dream for the future is to become the most amazing Hokage the village has ever seen! Then everyone will respect me and treat me like I matter."

I wonder how Minato-sensei would feel, seeing Naruto grow up speaking and feeling like this. Kakashi thought to himself. He switched his gaze from Naruto to his other students to gauge their reaction. Sasuke held his standard, unconcerned ambiance. However, Sayuri's expression softened into a worried frown at Naruto's final thought in his introduction of himself. Thankfully, it appears sympathy is not entirely lost on this team.

"Alright, next," Kakashi said. He looked to Sasuke now expectantly.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate plenty of things, and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan and destroy a certain someone."

The atmosphere amongst Team Seven completely shifted at that moment. Naruto stared at Sasuke, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. His skin seemed to blanch to a sickly pale color, and he scooted as far away from Sasuke as inconspicuously as he could. Sayuri's face held some of the same softness from Naruto's introduction, but it was different. It was more profound and maintained a sense of intimate understanding. It reminded Kakashi of the face someone would have when they discover that their friend was just diagnosed with the same grueling illness they just got over.

That's about what I expected, Kakashi said to himself. I'm beginning to wonder if the Third Hokage purposely handed me a bunch of traumatized pre-teens as a sick joke. Sasuke's introduction felt more like a mirror showing Kakashi an angle of himself he did not like than really getting to know his student as a person. He allowed a barely-noticeable sigh to escape him before saying,

"Okay. Now, the last one, go ahead."

All eyes were on Sayuri now. She adjusted her braids by sweeping them from behind her shoulders to rest on her chest. She took a deep breath as she did so and laid her hands on her thighs. These little gestures seemed to help her gather herself before she spoke.

"My name is Sayuri Fukuhara. I like tea, sweet fruits like peaches and plums, spending time with my friends, and learning new jutsus with my dad. I dislike competition, aggression, grudges, and mean-spirited people. My hobbies are reading in my free time and swimming. I practiced a lot when I was little, so I think I've gotten pretty good at it. I don't really have a specific dream for the future, to be honest. But, if I have to pick something, I'd say becoming a strong enough kunoichi to make the village feel safe and protected by me is my ultimate goal."

"Eh? You're not trying to be the Hokage, too, are you? 'Cuz that's kinda how you're making it sound," Naruto cut in. He sent her a sideways glance. Sayuri shook her head back and forth and waved the suggestion off immediately.

"Oh, n-no, nothing like that! All the responsibility that comes with being the Hokage is way too much for me! It's just that since the Third Hokage granted my Dad and me sanctuary here, I want to repay his kindness to us. If he hadn't let us hide in the village, we never would've been able to build a life here. And I just...I can't stand the idea of losing my home and my family again, so I have to be strong enough to protect it."

A chill passed through Kakashi as his new student spoke. Every person on Team Seven had experienced some form of life-altering loss, and all three of them came out on the other side vastly different from each other. But Sayuri's unwavering tenderness struck Kakashi directly in the gut. Gorou's influence on her was clear as day. This world is endlessly cruel, Sayuri. I hope you don't lose your softness as you fight your way through it, he prayed silently.

Kakashi watched as Sasuke, who up until now seemed like he couldn't even be paid to feign interest in whatever anyone here had to say, looked towards Sayuri. If Kakashi hadn't been looking for it, he might not have even noticed the slight change in the quiet boy's disposition. His body language remained unaffected, but the curiosity in his dark eyes was evident. He observed her with a focused intensity until she glanced in his direction. He averted his eyes so quickly and subtly, Sayuri likely had no idea he'd been staring in the first place. It seems they've made quite the impression on each other.

"Great. You're all unique, and you have your own ideas. That aside, we'll have our first mission tomorrow," Kakashi said. Naruto perked up immediately upon hearing this.

"What kind of mission is it?" He asked. He leaned forward eagerly as his eyes lit up in excitement.

"It's a mission the four of us will do together," Kakashi answered vaguely on purpose. They weren't going to be happy with any of the news he had to give them; that much was for sure. He had earned a reputation for being more no-nonsense when it came to his post-graduation test. And despite some of the skills this team had to boast, he didn't have very high hopes that they'd successfully pass his test.

"Come on, you can't leave me in suspense like this, Sensei! What's the mission? What's the mission?" Naruto pressed.

"...It's a survival exercise."

"A survival exercise?!" Naruto repeated back indignantly. "What gives? I thought this was gonna be a real mission!"

"I guess it makes sense that we might not be thrown into a mission immediately. We learned some survival skills at the Academy before, but only the basics. Sensei, is this some type of advanced training?" Sayuri asked.

"That's correct. It is some type of advanced survival training."

"Jeez, can't you just say exactly what we're doing? I dunno why you gotta be so confusing for no reason!" Naruto was not handling this uncertainty very well. "I mean, seriously! We worked so hard for so long, and now you're jerkin' us around with this exercise crap!"

These kids are really something else, huh? Kakashi mused. He broke into laughter at Naruto's complaints.

"Well, I can tell you if you want, but you're not going to like it. So if there are no objections, I'll tell you."

Upon hearing their sensei's remark, the three genin exchanged quick glances. No one said they didn't want to listen to what he had to say.

"Alright, I'll tell you. Just don't say I didn't warn you." Kakashi leaned forward and looked at his team intently. He felt the energy's intensity around his team shift as he did so. "Of the thirty-six graduates who just came here, only twelve will actually be accepted as genin. The other twenty-four will be weeded out and sent back to the Academy. In other words, this is a make-it-or-break-it, pass-or-fail test. Oh, and the chance that you three will fail is at least sixty-six percent."

Naruto's jaw nearly fell to the floor at this revelation. Sasuke seemed unfazed as he had for an overwhelming majority of the team's conversation thus far. Sayuri looked like all of the energy had been drained out of her. Kakashi shrugged. "I told you guys that you wouldn't like it."

Sayuri laid her elbows on her knees and began rubbing circles against her temples. It was likely a vain attempt to soothe the stress visibly weighing her down. She sighed and then asked, "So, was the graduation just for show?"

"Not necessarily. It served to determine what students had the potential to become ninjas. But your prospects don't guarantee anything. I decide if you pass or fail, as does every other jōnin with their respective squads. So be at the designated training spot at 5:00 a.m., and bring your ninja gear."

The air became clouded with potent unease. Naruto looked thoroughly unnerved, his eyes darting between Sayuri, Sasuke, and Kakashi. Based on his expression, Kakashi was willing to bet the rambunctious blonde was internally praying that this was all an elaborate prank played on him despite his external panic.

Sasuke appeared noticeably more determined than before. His gaze smoldered with formidable resolve and likely a bit of annoyance at this additional obstacle. His hands held their folded stance as they leaned against his nose before coming away to finally reveal his whole face. He squeezed his interlocked fingers so hard his hands began to tremble from his intensity.

Sayuri's head seemed to only be held up by her left hand at this point. She apparently had given up on trying to prevent a headache and was now nursing the one she'd unfortunately received. The only part of her that seemed to hold any life was her right leg. Her knee bounced with the speed of a piston, causing her foot to tap against the stone floor of the park. Sasuke only lasted about ten seconds of listening to her attempts at channeling her anxiety before recommending she relax with thinly-veiled aggravation.

Satisfied in how thoroughly he had stressed them out, Kakashi turned to leave. He paused after turning around and peered over his shoulder to give them one parting note.

"You're dismissed for today. Oh, and don't have any breakfast, or else you'll throw up during the exercise." This was the only fun part of Kakashi's job, so he had to enjoy it a little bit before he inevitably sent this team packing back to the Academy. He was perhaps disappointed but definitely not surprised. After all, no one had ever passed his test.

"I'm gonna fail!" Sayuri exclaimed as she flung the door open to her and her father's house. She had a headache, anxiety-induced sweat possibly leaving a stain on her top, and a desperate need for consolation. "I'm gonna fail, and I'm gonna get sent back to the Academy." She slammed the door shut behind her and didn't even stop her emotional rambling as she took off her shoes. "Neither Hisoka, Hinata, nor Masashi is on my team, either, so I'm going in completely blind for this final test. I don't know how to handle this! Especially since Kakashi-sensei said that there's a sixty-six percent fail rate! Oh, man, I can't believe I'm gonna have to go through all of those tests and exams again. Again! I'm so bad at taking tests, I freak out every time."

Gorou entered the kitchen as soon as his daughter's voice ricocheted through the house. He couldn't hide the amused smile that played on his lips.

"Oh, don't let Kakashi get to you, Sayuri. He's trying to psych you out. You're not gonna fail, I know it," he assured her. He took note of the bandages woven around her palms, and his smile melted into a concerned frown. "What happened to your hands?"

With a sigh, Sayuri answered, "I had a panic attack." She could feel the alarm radiating off of her father the second she told him. Unfortunately for her, he was quite a skilled worrywart.

"You did?" Gorou reached out and cradled her hands in his for inspection, "I don't remember you hurting yourself the last time you had an episode. Did Kakashi really unsettle you that much?" His frown deepened, and the hints of age lines in his forehead became more pronounced.

Sayuri shook her head. She pried her hands free from her dad's hold, feeling too overwhelmed for his questioning at the moment. "No, it wasn't because of him. It was this girl in our class who just—ugh! She just said something to Sasuke about Naruto, and it just made me so...so angry, and that made me scared, and I...well, you know." Sayuri gestured lamely as her words failed her. She needed to find some sort of outlet for her anxious energy, so she pressed on into the living room and began pacing. Shiso, the cat, became alarmed at her erratic movement and jumped onto the coffee table to observe her.

"Sasuke and Naruto?" Gorou asked. He followed her into their common area in the adjacent room and found a seat on the couch. The calm and serene energy of the living room filled with mostly tan colors and pale blue furniture was a complete mismatch for the state of disarray Sayuri was in.

"Yeah, they're on my team. I was helping Sasuke look for Naruto, and that's when we ran into Sakura. She said that Naruto was the way he was because he didn't have any parents. And then that made me think of Mom, and I just...I couldn't believe she said something like that. A-And for her to not even know what it's like to lose someone, I just...I couldn't stand it!"

Gorou got to his feet and crossed the room to his daughter. He planted his hands delicately on her shoulders to help her ground herself in the moment and not get herself worked up again. "Take some deep breaths before you tell me the rest."

Shakily, Sayuri began to take long, drawn-out breaths. After three or four, she was calmer. "You know," her father said to bring her attention back to him, "Anger isn't inherently evil. It's a regular emotion like sadness, joy, or excitement. It's okay for you to feel angry. Anger is only a problem if you can't deal with it well, and you're not the type to take your anger out unjustly or lash out in a rage. I know it's hard not to associate your anger with what happened in the Mist Village, but it's different now. This is our home; we won't be persecuted for our kekkei genkai here."

"But if I hadn't snapped that day, then—"

"Sayuri." Her father's tone was firm. She knew why; they'd had this conversation several times before. His palms curled into a tighter grip on her shoulders than the leisurely, comforting hold he had moments ago. "You must stop blaming yourself for us having to flee. You were a child. You can't keep shouldering responsibility that isn't yours."

Sayuri couldn't bear to look Gorou in the eyes. Truthfully, she did want to believe him. But her doubt was a sturdy, cruel seed with roots burrowed deep in her psyche. It felt like denying reality for her to not shoulder responsibility for her mother's death.

"...Sorry. I'll try not to." That was all Sayuri could weakly muster. She was a lousy liar, and they both knew it. Her "trying" would just manifest in her not talking about it with him for a little while, which was par for the course. Gorou sighed and released his grip on her shoulders.

"No, you don't need to apologize. You're already stressed, and it's not fair for me to try and impart an important lesson on you when you're overwhelmed. Go ahead and finish telling me what happened," Gorou reassured her. He backed away and sat down on the soft, sky-blue couch once again. He put on an impressively convincing smile. It almost felt like that little confrontation didn't happen. It was enough to convince Sayuri to continue her story.

"Well, um," she hesitated while gathering her thoughts, "Sakura said what she said, and after that is a little fuzzy, but Sasuke said something to her. Then we walked away, and I think he turned around to talk to me about something, and I accidentally walked into him. He saw the blood on my hands from me trying to calm down, and he dropped me off at the Academy's infirmary. He went and got Naruto after that, I think," she recounted.

"So, he was there when you panicked. It's hard enough to have a panic attack, let alone around unfamiliar people. Did you feel more rattled with him around?"

Sayuri shook her head.

"No, I don't think he changed anything one way or another. Come to think of it, he was actually pretty calm about it. I don't think he likes to get too close with people, so I was kind of surprised he didn't take off running or something. I felt really vulnerable at that moment, and I guess he could tell."

"Sasuke likely knows pretty well how you feel. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't suffer from panic attacks or post-traumatic stress." Shiso seemed to sense Sayuri's lack of energy and began to rub herself against her owner's legs in the hopes of lifting her spirits as she listened to Gorou. "The older ninjas aren't really supposed to talk about this since it's really only Sasuke's business, but I think it's something important to keep in mind as you're on the same team together. His whole clan was annihilated about a year after we got here. His older brother, Itachi, was the one who slew them all. No one really knows the details or has any idea why outside of Sasuke and Itachi, of course."

Sayuri had to find a seat, the revelation shaking her more than she anticipated despite her suspicions during his introduction. She swallowed a lump in her throat and said, "I had a feeling something awful happened to his family. Just the way he talked about it felt too familiar. That someone he said he needed to destroy must be Itachi, then."

"Most likely, yes. And Naruto's parents were lost when he was only a baby. I don't know very much about that as we weren't in the village when that happened. But, your teammates have suffered in ways very similar to you, Sayuri. I'm sure you're not as comfortable with them as you would be with your friends, but you shouldn't lose hope. Naruto and Sasuke may even come to understand you in ways that Hisoka, Masashi, or even Hinata couldn't."

Sayuri allowed herself to sink even further into the loveseat arranged next to the couch. This was a lot to take in all at once. Her head was struggling to swim through this onslaught of new information. After a minute of letting everything Gorou said sink in, Sayuri suddenly sat upright.

"But, Dad, none of anything you just told me about them is gonna matter if I fail. There's a sixty-six percent chance I'm going to be sent back to the Academy," she said. "What does it matter if we understand each other in ways we couldn't imagine if we end up getting separated?"

"Are you being tested individually or together?" Gorou asked.

"Together. We have to meet at the training grounds at 5:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, and Kakashi-sensei told us to bring our ninja gear," Sayuri answered.

"Excellent. I think knowing more about your teammates will actually be a considerable advantage tomorrow. I won't say much else other than that; I can't be unfair here by giving you tips. That aside, on the topic of your ninja gear, I have something for you."

Gorou rose to his feet and crossed the room to enter the kitchen. He rifled around in a drawer for a few moments and returned to the living room with his hands full. He held a package wrapped in brown paper in his left hand and a bundle of corked, drinking gourds in a mesh bag in the other. The four gourds were each roughly palm-sized. Sayuri's eyes lit up at the sight of them. "The carrying belts I had customized for you came in today."

Sayuri sprang out of the loveseat with renewed energy. She clambered over to her father, and Gorou offered Sayuri the bag to allow her to pick out each equipment piece herself.

The first piece she got her hands on was the relatively thick scroll-carrying belt that would be fastened around her waist. Sayuri ran her fingers over the beige leather material. It was surprisingly sturdy and seemed like it would last through a fair amount of rough-and-tumble instances.

The other set she picked out from the bag was thinner and intended to attach the bamboo bottles it came with to her arms and hide them in her billowing sleeves. I guess literally having a trick up my sleeve isn't a bad idea, Sayuri thought to herself as she buckled the straps around her forearms. The straps met a nice balance of being flexible yet resilient. They didn't feel as though they would come loose or make her arms go numb from lack of circulation.

"Can't forget these, either," Gorou said. He extended his other hand to Sayuri. She quickly fastened the belt around her waist and took the netted bag from her father's hand. The gourds were hand-painted with lilies, suns, stars, and pansies. Sayuri's eyes went wide with awe as she held the gourds tightly.

"Mom painted these. I...I didn't know we had these. We left so suddenly, I…" Emotion overtook her as she tried to adequately express her overwhelming gratitude. Gorou smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. He ruffled her hair and gently pulled her into his chest for a side hug.

"I have my ways," he said with an almost chilling lightness to his voice. Sayuri wrapped her arms around him, too caught up in her whirlwind of adoration to notice anything amiss. "Well, now you have all your ninja gear. A Fukuhara would be remiss to not have water on them at all times, and now you have plenty. Do you still feel like you're gonna fail?"

Sayuri wiped the tears away from her eyes as she gave a gentle shake of her head.

"I feel more confident, but I'm still worried," she admitted. "I think I'm going to train for a little. I'll probably feel better after that." Sayuri scuttled away from her father and towards the front door to put her sandals back on.

"Good idea, but don't wear yourself out too much. And don't forget," Gorou said, "I say farewell, though we shall meet again." Sayuri stopped in her tracks and smiled as he recited the first half of their clan's parting phrase. She looked over her shoulder and said the responding line,

"As all rivers flow downstream in the end." The shared phrase felt powerful enough to reframe Sayuri's nerves. No matter what happened tomorrow, she knew she would see her father on the other side of this obstacle, smiling—and that was enough for her. Everything will be fine. And out the door, she went.

The sky was painted a beautiful violet as Team Seven gathered together at the training grounds. The sun was still sleeping peacefully; thus, the moon was their overseer. The early birds seemed to be the only sign of life at this hour outside of the three genin. They convened at the center of the training ground that Kakashi had specified.

Naruto looked as though he was sleep-walking. He extended his hand as his eyes could barely stay open, yawning and mumbling out something that resembled a good morning. Sayuri appeared slightly sleepy still, but as though she would likely perk up a little after she had time to wake up a little bit more. Sasuke looked as though he did this every day, and chances were, he actually did. All three came prepared with bags and backpacks filled with their ninja gear.

Sayuri decided to sit after the first hour of waiting for her sensei to show up. Naruto followed suit roughly an hour later, but Sasuke stood alert and attentive without fail. Sasuke stood behind Sayuri at her left side, and Naruto was seated across from Sasuke at Sayuri's right. About twenty minutes after Naruto sat down, he looked over his shoulder to his teammates and asked,

"You guys don't think he tricked us, do you? I mean, he said it's a survival exercise. Maybe he's testing us to see how we survive without him."

"He said it's an exercise the four of us will do together. Why don't you count how many of us there are right now and then think about that a little more? Or do you need help counting that high?" Sasuke said. Ouch, that was unnecessary. And here I thought he was a morning person. Or does Naruto really make him that cranky regardless of the time of day? Sayuri thought to herself. Naruto leaped to his feet at Sasuke's scorn.

"What the hell is your problem? I just asked a question!"

"Yeah, and it was a stupid question, so you got the answer you deserved."

"Guys," Sayuri said, craning her neck backward to look at them, "can you back down for today, please? I really don't think us fighting each other is going to help us out."

"But Sasuke started it!" Naruto protested.

"A-And I'm finishing it," Sayuri insisted, though her nervousness at confronting them undermined any authoritative tone she could've mustered. Hisoka and Masashi's comments yesterday about her polishing up on her de-escalation tactics were ringing more accurate than ever right now. "Sensei will be here any minute. We should try and make a better impression than we did yesterday, don't you think?" Not like it could be much worse anyhow.

"And whose fault was our poor impression yesterday?" Sasuke asked sharply. Naruto's face scrunched up in annoyance as he opened his mouth to speak, but Sayuri beat him to the punch.

"It was all of our faults. We should've intervened, and we didn't," she said.

"Whatever," Sasuke grumbled. The two boys' eyes met yet again, and by nothing short of a miracle, they looked away from one another without a remark or even a glare. Okay, that's a step in the right direction, Sayuri noted.

About ten more minutes of awkward silence passed before Naruto's stomach rumbled. Sayuri's expression twisted into one of discomfort as she remembered her own hunger. Not wanting to dwell on it and make herself feel worse, she scrambled to find a distraction suitable for all of them.

"Why don't we just find something to do? I think if we just sit here bored and hungry, we're just gonna feel worse and get crankier at each other," she said. Naruto's spirits lifted a bit at her idea.

"As long as we're not sitting here with nothing better to do, I'm in. What do you have in mind?"

Sayuri caught Sasuke's glance at the two of them. He was probably bored as well, though whether he'd actually participate in whatever activity Sayuri came up with was a toss-up. She shrugged at Naruto and said,

"Maybe we could play a game? It probably sounds kind of lame, but I don't want to risk doing extra training and getting tired out before our test."

"Good idea, I like games!" Naruto plopped down across from Sayuri and clapped his hands together ceremoniously. His grin stretched from ear to ear, "What game should we play?"

"I was thinking Two Truths and a Lie, or maybe Truth or Dare?" Sayuri offered. Naruto brought a hand to his chin, and he closed his eyes to mull over their options. He reminded Sayuri of an old man trying to use his sage-like wisdom to make an ever-important decision. As he did so, Sasuke discreetly took a seat near the two of them as if he was participating. He didn't say a word.

"I don't think we can do a whole lotta good dare stuff since we're out in the middle of a training field, and just playing truth is boring. But I'm not really the best fibber, either, so I think Two Truths and a Lie is out. Any other ideas?" Naruto said.

"I guess we could make up our own game. My Dad told me last night that knowing our teammates well will be a considerable advantage today, so I was just sort of looking for games that helped us get to know each other."

"Why don't we just ask each other whatever we want to know? And whoever answers the question gets to ask the next question, like a rotation," Sasuke suggested. Sayuri and Naruto's heads snapped to him immediately. Sayuri's eyebrows raised at him, and she could only muster a surprised blink as an answer. Maybe Naruto is on to something with Kakashi-sensei tricking us after all. It wouldn't be the first time someone transformed into Sasuke and fooled me. Sayuri thought to herself.

Naruto squinted at Sasuke skeptically and said,

"You seriously think I'm just gonna believe you wanna play a game with us? You're probably just looking for an excuse to be mean or ruin the game."

Sasuke scoffed at Naruto's accusation and averted his gaze from his teammates as a blush slowly crept up his neck and spread into his cheeks. He folded his arms stiffly and retorted,

"No, don't be ridiculous. Sayuri's dad is probably a jōnin, so we'd be stupid to not listen to his advice. It's strategic, even if the method of doing it is childish. Nothing else."

"Well, okay, if you say so…" Naruto said despite the apparent distrust in his voice. Sayuri's face softened into her usual calm smile at Sasuke's reaction to Naruto's questioning. It was cute to see him want to be included yet reluctant to admit it or ask to join. He was probably so used to being fawned over and dragged into everything by their classmates that this was a bit unfamiliar to him.

"I like your question rotation idea, Sasuke. Do you want to go first?" Sayuri asked. Sasuke's posture relaxed at Sayuri's question. He unfolded his arms and allowed them to casually lay in his lap, though tinges of his embarrassed flush still remained.

"Fine," he said nonchalantly. Sasuke's gaze was as intense as ever as he scanned his teammates. He lifted his arms from his lap and propped them up on his knees as he shifted his seating position. He appeared as though he struggled to decide what to say, his brow furrowing and his fingers interlocking into a steeple that laid against his chin. Naruto kept leaning in towards Sasuke expectantly as if the anticipation were driving him crazy. His eyes were wide with exasperation, and Sayuri was impressed that Naruto hadn't just given in and shouted, "Come on already!" yet.

After another moment of deliberation, Sasuke finally asked, "Why did you have to leave the Hidden Mist Village, Sayuri?"

Sayuri's smile crumbled apart like a poorly-made sandcastle. Her entire body seemed to deflate at Sasuke's question. Her eyes cast to the ground.

"Oh." Sayuri's voice was strained and breathy. Straight to the point, I see.

Now it was Naruto's turn to cross his arms and shoot a glance at Sasuke that was somewhere in-between irritated and exhausted. Sasuke blanched a little at Sayuri's reaction to his question but kept his composure relatively well.

"Jeez, Sasuke. You really had to go with that question first? You couldn't just ask her her favorite color or somethin'?" Naruto said, his tone drained of any previous enthusiasm. Sasuke's nostrils flared as he huffed in response to Naruto's criticism.

"Why bother sugar-coating the important questions with useless ones first? I want to know the answer, I asked," Sasuke reasoned with an edge to his tone.

"Well, yeah, but still," Naruto protested. "Ya can't just ask someone stuff like that outta nowhere." Sasuke glared at the outspoken blond. It was a little ironic that Naruto, of all people, was lecturing Sasuke on what was socially acceptable in a talking game.

"I-It's okay, Naruto. It's not the first time someone's asked me. It's only natural to be curious, but...it's just...I'm not sure if I'm ready to share that with you guys yet. I just...need to feel more comfortable first. You understand, right?" Sayuri said. Sasuke shifted his attention to the kunoichi and shrugged,

"Whatever. You owe me the answer when you're ready, then." Sasuke's solution to her hesitation was a bit bittersweet. He wasn't letting her off the hook for her answer, but Sayuri decided to focus on appreciating his patience. Or at least what she interpreted as patience. "You're next," Sasuke reminded her.

"Oh! Right, um," Sayuri paused to think momentarily and then asked, "Naruto, when's your birthday?"

"My birthday is October 10th! I'll be thirteen! What about you?" Naruto's pep returned once again after dodging the likely depressing topic of Sayuri and her father fleeing the Mist Village.

"My birthday already passed. I turned thirteen on February 19th. When's your birthday, Sasuke?" Sayuri asked.

"July 23rd," Sasuke said.

"Oh, hey, that's coming up kinda soon, isn't it? It's May right now, after all. What do you want for your birthday?"

Sasuke stared blankly at Sayuri instead of actually answering her question. Uh-oh...did I say something wrong? She shot a confused glance towards Naruto, who could only shrug in mutual bewilderment towards her.

"You're not serious, are you?" The dark-haired boy finally spoke after another moment or so of awkward quietness shared amongst them all. Sayuri was pretty sure there was a bit of derision in his tone, and that only made her feel more unnerved by his previous silence.

"U-um, yeah, I am. I just...I don't know; I figured it made sense to ask since we're on the same team. Time will probably go by pretty fast, so might as well be prepared, right?" Sayuri struggled to string together her reasoning in a coherent sentence as she averted eye contact. Sasuke's intimidating aura did not cease despite her not being on the receiving end of his piercing stare.

"Huh." That was all the dark-haired boy had to offer as feedback to Sayuri's reasoning. Sasuke's posture slackened a tad. His shoulders relaxed, and he sat in such a way that allowed his lower back to slouch. He leaned his chin against his fist leisurely as he idly twisted a few blades of grass between his fingers. "So, my turn again, right?"

Well, so much for that. Maybe he's not picky when it comes to presents. I guess I'll find out… Sayuri mentally lamented.

As Team Seven asked questions in their designated rotation, a pattern of the types of questions asked depending on the asker became apparent. Naruto liked to ask questions about food, games, comics, and cool jutsus he wanted to know more about. Sasuke's questions were all pragmatic. He asked about his teammate's greatest strengths, greatest weaknesses, motivations, and training regiments, etc. Sayuri's questions generally stayed in the realm of personality and interests. She asked her teammates who their best friends were, what else they might want to do if they didn't become a ninja, their favorite quality in themselves, their favorite attributes in others, etc. Time rushed by as they chatted and learned more about each other.

"Good morning, kiddos." The sun was high in the sky now, and though Sayuri didn't have a watch on her, she was reasonably sure it was sometime between ten and eleven a.m. The morning was all but gone at this point. But lo and behold, there was their sensei arriving at least five hours late to their so-called "mission" with a backpack of his own.

Naruto sprang upward into a standing position the moment he heard Kakashi's voice. He gritted his teeth and pointed directly at the jōnin. His eyes flared with annoyance.

"Do you have any idea how late you are?! We've been waiting for you for hours!" The agitated blonde said.

"Sorry about that. You see, a black cat crossed my path, so I had to take the long way here," Kakashi explained. If that was meant to be a joke, it didn't go over well, to say the least. The jōnin was met with a frustrated glare, a cold, accusatory look, and a confused glance from each of his genin, respectively. He awkwardly cleared his throat and then made his way towards the three training logs in the training field center. He fished an alarm clock out of his bag and set it down on the top of the center log.

"Alright. The clock is set for noon," Kakashi said. He reached into his hip pouch and pulled out two silver bells that each dangled from a string. "Your assignment is simple. You just have to take these bells from me. That's it. If you can't get a bell by noon, you go without lunch. You'll be tied to those training posts, and you'll watch while I eat my lunch in front of you."

Sayuri grimaced at the mention of food and laid her hands against her stomach. Of course, he lied just to make this harder on us. I'm so hungry; I could eat a whole cow right now if he let me.

"Why are there only two bells? There's three of us, so what does that mean for whoever doesn't get one?" Sasuke asked.

"There are only two bells so that at least one of you ends up tied to the post. Anyone who isn't able to capture a bell is ultimately disqualified and sent back to the Academy as well. If you want to pass, you need to seriously fight me for it. Use any weapons you have, no matter how deadly they are. If you're not coming at me with all you've got, you've already lost."

Sayuri's hands instinctively fell to the gourds fastened at her waist. She'd only used her kekkei genkai under careful watch from her father and some teachers at the Academy since leaving the Hidden Mist. Even though she knew she was free to safely display her abilities here without persecution, it still felt achingly wrong to use them against someone in her village. She felt a frown tug along her face unconsciously, and she forced it away as quickly as she could.

"That's real risky coming from the jōnin who couldn't dodge an eraser yesterday," Naruto said with a lackadaisical and teasing air to his tone. He began to laugh at his own joke while dread settled in Sayuri's stomach. Why does he have to provoke everyone?

Kakashi quickly followed up with a perceptive, analyzing look before responding to Naruto cooly,

"That's quite fitting coming from the class clown. The weakest links usually get ignored as the low-score losers they are unless they mouth off with something they mistakenly think is clever. Let me know when you come up with something original."

Naruto's initially unconcerned face twisted into outrage. His at-ease posture stiffened into a determined pose as he puffed out his chest and clenched his fists. He scowled at his sensei, and a barely audible growl escaped him. He vaguely reminded Sayuri of a cat trying to make itself look more threatening. "We'll begin on my mark."

A final snarl of frustration erupted from Naruto as he drew a kunai from his holster abruptly and charged at Kakashi with the blade held over his head. Sayuri jumped out of his way instinctively, everything moving too fast for her to comprehend what was happening, let alone stop him. He was an orange blur barrelling towards their sensei with no inhibition and likely no plan.

Sayuri only blinked, and everything was over as soon as it started. Kakashi was standing behind Naruto, his one hand laid overtop of his students', and the other fisted in Naruto's hair. The blade of Naruto's kunai was aimed directly at the back of his head. All Kakashi had to do was push, and it would be all over for the knuckle-headed ninja. And Kakashi made it seem effortless; not a speck of dirt, hair out of place, or bead of sweat anywhere in sight.

"What's the rush for? I didn't even say start yet." Kakashi's words seemed like they should have been reprimanding, but they only had the same unaffected tone since yesterday.

Sayuri backed away from her entangled teammate and sensei. Kakashi released Naruto from his deadly grip. Naruto stumbled and tried to get his bearings as quickly as possible.

"But I will say, you do get bonus points for not holding back. If you keep this up, I may even start to like you kids a bit," Kakashi continued. "Ready?"

This is about to get real. What do I do? Naruto probably doesn't have a plan, but Sasuke might. Sayuri's attention panned quickly from Kakashi to Naruto to Sasuke as she ran through her thought process with the speed of a bullet train. Her gaze locked with Sasuke's immediately, almost to the point of surprising her. Sasuke jerked his head to the side, gesturing for her to follow him. He mouthed "trees" at her, and she nodded to confirm she understood where to meet him.

"Start!"