Chapter 7: Two Tomoe, Pink Locks, Wooden Cane, Cerulean Orbs

The where wasn't what gave Sasuke pause when he woke up. The ceiling he stared at was the same white ceiling he's awoken to the last three mornings as he lay on the same stiff floor he's slept on. What gave Sasuke pause was how he got here and how he was able to wake up at all. The last thing he remembered was the pain and fatigue he felt as he dropped to the ground, pushed to the absolute limit by their enemy. He remembered simply not being strong enough.

"Good, you're awake." Kakashi's voice came from his usual spot in the room, a more serious tone than Sasuke was used to hearing from the man. Sasuke dragged himself up to a sitting position, a lot of groans accompanying the movement, against the wall to look at his sensei across the room. Sakura and Naruto were similarly seated in their corners, but Naruto wasn't covered in bandages like the other two. Sakura wore a simple blue undershirt with bandages wrapped all around the visible skin while Naruto wore his regular white shirt and the only evidence he ever was in a fight was the bloody orange jacket on the floor next to him, and the grim look on his face.

"How are we alive"

Kakashi nodded his head at Naruto.

"You have your teammate to thank for that. When I planned my attack I didn't expect Zabuza to send his apprentice ahead of him and that mistake almost cost you your lives. But, it seems your enemy wasn't eager to capitalize on my misstep as both Naruto and I noticed that the boy, Haku I believe it was, wasn't trying to kill any of you." Sasuke's eyes widened at that. Looking at his teammates Sasuke saw Sakura look as perplexed as he was, but Naruto just stared harshly at the floor with his knuckles clenched white, "The senbon were targeted at your muscles, almost exclusively, and any needles that were in your torsos weren't deep enough to cause serious damage to any organs. Simply, he was aiming to stop you, not kill you."

Sasuke looked at his own wounds, pressing into places he knew used to hold a needle or two, fingering what felt like some sort of burn over his covered forearm. His teeth clenched, realizing how true the man's words were.

"I was too weak to beat someone that was toying with me."

Sasuke threw an angry fist into the wall to his right, slamming the side of his fist as hard as he could into the wood. Pain riddled itself through his various wounds, but all Sasuke could think about was red shuriken-shaped eyes drilled into his brain.

"You were shown mercy and your attacker paid for it. Remember that, because the same will happen to you if you make the same mistake," Kakashi emphasized his point with a pause, "I will be watching Tazuna today to make sure no ambitious fellows decide to make a move, you all will rest and recover. When you're all healed enough, we will head back to the village and put this mission behind us."

Sasuke thought about the fight and what he, and they, faced. Kakashi says that their attacker wasn't intent on killing them, but even with that Sasuke could barely follow his opponent's movements, he couldn't understand his techniques, and all while his Sharingan was active. How was that possible?

"Are there things the Sharingan can't track?" Sasuke knew very little about the active use of the Sharingan, it wasn't something he had while his clan was still alive.

"The Sharingan was a product of your family's bodies changing and adapting to active use of chakra, as are all bloodline abilities. It can track the flow of chakra and analyze the use of chakra in extreme detail. That level of analysis and comprehension is what allows users to copy abilities, track chakra manipulation to the point of near-perfect replication, and bypass the need to manually drill said manipulation, but there are limitations.

"Copying abilities are reserved for natural elemental affinity manipulation, ones that anybody has the ability to learn and not bloodline abilities. Not abilities that are the product of a unique development in one's chakra network." The jounin stood and walked to the door, stopping to look down at Sasuke, "The Sharingan is a powerful weapon, but not an unbeatable one. All of you rest up and I'll be back later." With that Kakashi slid out of the door.

Silence reigned throughout the room for some time. The dull gray light of the early morning slowly gave way to the warm orange of the morning sun. Then, disrupting the silence, a loud cry rang out from Sakura as she started to sob in the knees that she hugged closely to her chest. Sasuke frowned at the sudden burst of emotion, looking at Naruto only to see the same look of confusion on his face. Neither said anything as they let her cry, even when she tried to speak through her sobs they remained quiet, giving her the time to collect herself. Eventually, the sobs became less aggressive, letting her get out her words.

"I almost got you two killed, " It was hard to listen to, the loud voice filled with snot, spit, and tears, Sasuke didn't remember ever seeing someone so upset, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I promise I'll be better. Stronger. I promise." She devolved into tears again, hugging her legs tighter. Sasuke passed another look to Naruto, hoping he knew what to do in this situation, but it was no use. Naruto looked mystified.

Slowly, her cries calmed back down into a more subtle cry, the calmed emotions apparently making Naruto more comfortable, "Then you'll get stronger, right? We all will. All of us got our asses kicked." His words earned a hesitant nod from the girl.

The pink-haired girl turned her eyes to him, there was a desperate question in them.

Are you with us?

Sasuke has been on his own for years, almost longer than he hasn't. He trained alone, ate alone, lived alone, and anything in between completely alone. But where did that get him? Pelted with needles and saved by the dead last of their academy. Sasuke flexed his jaw a couple of times, fighting his instinct to scoff at the silent question, but he nodded at his teammate nonetheless. Sakura's eyes lit up with hope, a hope Sasuke couldn't identify with, but it was a better sight than her utter despair and sadness.

At the thought of being saved by Naruto, Sasuke shifted his focus to his left.

"How did you get us out? Kakashi-sensei said you were the one we had to thank, but how?" Naruto looked at Sasuke with an expression the Uchiha couldn't place, then it shifted to a smile. Not the usual idiotic smile Naruto had, but a smaller one, a subtler one.

"You know, I can't remember. I was getting pelted with needles, then Kakashi-sensei was helping me up and the masked guy was dead on the ground. I must've done something awesome, huh?" It didn't take the Sharingan or a genius to know he was lying. Even if he was lying, there was something about it that stopped Sasuke from pushing it. So he didn't and the room went silent again.

Sasuke hasn't had an injury that was more than a scrape or a scratch. Being bed-ridden, or floor-ridden, for the most part of a week was a terrible experience. The aches, the pains, the needing help around the house, the all of it was every form of annoying. It didn't help that Naruto never told them what happened, or that Kakashi isn't answering either, it didn't help that Tazuna looked at Naruto like he was some kind of monster when they crossed paths, and it didn't help that Sasuke was sharing a living space with his team a lot longer than he thought he would.

"For the last time, Naruto, ramen can't be the best food. There's enough sodium in it to kill a cow."

"I'm not half the size of a cow, but I'm still here."

They've had this conversation no less than 10 times over the last six days, and Sasuke was going to kill them if he has to hear it again.

"You'll both be fed to cows if you don't shut up." There. It was quiet.

"Uh, Sasuke? Cows don't eat meat."

"Yeah, genius. They don't eat meat."

Sasuke's eye twitched in frustration. Now he really was going to kill them. But before Sasuke could commit a double homicide, Kakashi slid into the room.

"Well, aren't you all lively tonight? Good, because tomorrow we're heading back to the village. None of the gangs or mercenaries that Gato brought around here appear to have any interest in Tazuna now that Gato's dead, so our job is done." All three genin perked up at that. They were finally gonna get out of here.

First thing in the morning, Team 7 was taking the skiff back across the water back to the mainland of the Elemental Nations. There was no teary-eyed goodbye to Tazuna and his family, for whatever reason Tazuna wanted nothing to do with Naruto after the incident on the bridge, and outside of some good meals, there wasn't much interaction between the two groups. Honestly, Sasuke was glad to be done with the Land of Waves, it was an experience to learn from but not to look back on fondly.

Without a client to watch, and with Sasuke and Sakura's injuries mostly cleared up, the travel back to the Hidden Leaf Village was much faster than the trip to the Land of Waves. They were able to walk longer and faster, and even if they didn't run the whole way, Team 7 still saw the gate of the Leaf on the afternoon of only their fifth day of travel.

In those five days, though, Sasuke noticed a few things. Such as Naruto frowning more while he looked to the sky, or at his pocketbook, or at the ground while he flexed his hand into a fist, and even at the folded-up paper, he kept. The goofy smiles were fewer and farther between. Sakura didn't glance at Sasuke so often either, the occasional glance but not insistent gazing. She, too, was lost in thought with a frown on her face fairly often. The main difference between the journeys to Wave and from Wave was the talking, which wasn't only monopolized by a drunken bridge builder.

"This was your first mission out of the village, so I'll go ahead and handle to report to the Hokage. You kiddies go and finish resting up, we'll meet at our training ground in the morning. Take care, my cute genin."

They were gathered just inside the entrance of the village, and after Kakashi finished speaking he left it to only three with a wave and a rush of air.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow, I really hope we ain't gotta go back to D-ranks." Naruto was the first to leave, walking away with his hands behind his head as he said the last part.

"Bye, Naruto," Sakura called to their retreating teammate and then turned to Sasuke, "See you tomorrow, Sasuke." She left Sasuke with a smile.

Sasuke followed his teammates' lead and headed off to his empty clan district. All the familiarity of the Leaf coming back quickly to the boy after almost a whole month away, the overly pleasant smiles, the well-wishes, and the lecherous gazes of those that are only interested in his last name. The solace found in his walk back was the absence of tagalongs that haven't shown since his time in the academy; no whisperings and gigglings that followed him home, just peace as he made into the Uchiha District.

Sasuke entered his house and instantly went to cook some food, but nothing fresh, if he kept anything like that it'd smell like a dumpster in here. As he cooked his frozen meal, and even as he ate, there was something nagging the Uchiha.

He couldn't help but notice that, as he tried to eat in peace, he couldn't hear the nagging voices of his teammates.

A delicate breeze sent the leaves of the trees that surrounded Sakura into a beautiful rhythm. The sun rose through the clear blue sky, introducing warmth into the morning air. You couldn't ask for a better morning.

Sakura was enjoying the beauty of the morning as she entered her team's training grounds, practically skipping her way down the path, enjoying the mobility of her healed and rested body. The small pinprick holes that dug into various places of her body were sealed, the damaged and battered muscles have recovered, and the only evidence Sakura was ever in a hopeless fight was a burn that was still healing over her right shoulder that she never remembered getting, much like Sasuke's burn on his forearm. But, nonetheless, Sakura was feeling like a new person this morning. Speaking of Sasuke, he was already sitting atop the middle pole of the three that punctuated Training Ground 3.

"Good morning, Sasuke!" Her good mood flooded into her cheery greeting.

"You seem happier than usual."

"Of course I am, we just finished our first real mission and we're all ok. You should try smiling more, it's pretty great." In their time recovering in a room together, Sakura learned that her teammate wasn't a fan of excessive optimism and couldn't help but annoy him with it. So, Sakura accentuated her words by jumping onto the pole to Sasuke's right and smiling extra big for him. Worst case scenario she annoys him and gets a chuckle out of it, best case scenario Sakura gets to see Sasuke smile.

They were closer than before. All three of them. As drastic as it was, the fight with Haku pushed the three genin into being something of an actual team, in Sakura's opinion.

"You're smiling like the idiot does, that's not good company to be in." The words were said in a scoff, but there was a twitch of his lips that gave away his amusement. Sakura smiled a bit more at the sight, trying to not let a blush ruin the moment.

"Seriously, how do you guys always beat me here. It doesn't make sense, it's not like I wake up late." Grumbling announced their third teammate's arrival, who looked much less excited to be here compared to Sakura's current mood. He was trying to rein in his wild, ever-growing hair with his headband, but at this point, most of the material was covered by hair flowing over it, and under when you consider the sideburns that fell past his ears now. Where his bangs used to peak over the metal plate now the Leaf spiral was completely unseen when the forehead protector was tied on. The guy needed a haircut.

"If you're always the last one then you're obviously waking up later than us, Uzumaki." Naruto tightened his forehead protector and jumped up to the pole on the other side of Sasuke, making it hard for Sakura to see him, but she wasn't going to complain about being given a good excuse to look the Uchiha's way.

The three genin squabbled back and forth as they waited for Kakashi to show up. He was normally late, but outside of the first couple of days it was never too excessive, usually only being half an hour late, maybe a bit more. As their wait safely bypassed the hour and a half mark, the squabbling and idle conversation turned into exasperation. Naruto started pacing trails into the grass while constantly tightening a fist like he wanted to hit something, Sasuke's sighing progressively increased in volume, and Sakura was fighting the urge to pull her hair out. Only for Kakashi to leisurely stroll into the grounds reading his orange-covered book with one hand and holding papers in his other, as if he weren't almost two hours late. All three teenagers paused to look at the jounin at the same time.

"You're late." There was no heat to the statement they all echoed. Just monotoned scolding.

"Now, Now, don't be like that. I had a meeting with the Hokage, and even better, it was about you, my little pupils." The masked man walked between the three kids, passing them each a paper that was titled "Genin Submission Form". "In two days the biannual Chunin Exams start and the Leaf Village is hosting this go-around, and I've officially nominated Team 7 to participate. Should all agree with me, you will fill out these little forms and show up at the academy at 8 a.m. the day of the exam and you'll try your hands at being promoted." Kakashi smiled with his visible eye and gave them all a thumbs up.

Sakura was at a loss. The Chunin Exams? Already? They've only done one mission that wasn't D-ranked, why not wait six months for the next exam to come around?

"It's because they're held in the Leaf that you nominated us, right?" Sasuke voiced Sakura's thoughts from the pole next to hers. Kakashi turned slightly more serious at the question, straightening his posture before his response.

"Maybe other jounin followed that logic, but I wouldn't put any of you in danger like that for something as fragile as home-field advantage. The Chunin exams are deadly no matter where they're held, and if I thought you weren't ready for it then we'd wait for the next exams and travel where ever they would be held. I nominated Team 7 to take an exam I know they can pass, but if you have reservations then we will wait for the next one." Kakashi turned around and put his free hand in his pocket as he walked away. "The choice is yours. Discuss, argue, fight, but the decision is made as a team and only as a team."

As their teacher walked away, the once again Kakashi-less Team 7 stared at the forms in their hands, internally debating their choice. It all made Sakura uneasy. They just made it back to the village yesterday and they almost died a week before that. Wasn't this too much? How could they possibly be ready?

"We're taking the exam." The surety of Sasuke's words unsettled her. They left no room for pushback.

"Just like that? You're deciding it without a second thought?" She had to make sure they at least discussed it.

"He's right, Sakura. We wanted to get stronger as a team and this is the best way to do it. By fighting other teams that are our rank we can fight real enemies without being completely outclassed, right?" Naruto looked just as determined as Sasuke to take this test, and Sakura started nibbling on her bottom lip as she fell into thought. After a few minutes, she looked between her teammates.

"Do you guys think we can do it?"

"I don't know, but we won't know unless we do it." Sasuke nodded at Naruto's words. Sakura looked at the confidence they both had, even if they didn't know what they were getting into, both of them looked so sure. Sakura only nodded in response.

As long as they were by her side, Sakura was sure all would be well.

The blonde hair that passed the windows was earlier than usual. Danzo knew of Naruto's return to the village two days ago and intended to speak to the boy this morning on his way to the training grounds, but it seemed the Jinchuuriki was intent on training early.

Danzo was aware that the boy wouldn't be meeting with his team officially, all of the rookie genin cells were nominated for the Chunin Exams and there was a grace period given to genin to decide for themselves. It was a bold move, for all the rookie teams to participate in the Chunin Exams, but with the Leaf hosting Danzo wasn't surprised at the willingness of the jounin. But none of that answered why the Uzumaki was early today, so instead of posting up in his usual chair outside, Danzo set out to follow the boy to the training grounds

Danzo walked through the training ground that sent him back through the decades, back to the days he trained with the greatest pure shinobi Danzo has ever witnessed. But instead of Tobirama greeting him at the grounds, Danzo was met with the sight of a boy throwing punches and kicks at wooden posts with ferocity. There was a sense of desperation to the strikes that Danzo couldn't place. It didn't take long for Naruto to see Danzo approach or hear the rhythmic tapping of his cane.

"Good morning, Mister Shimura. I didn't expect you here." Naruto stopped bouncing around and walked over to greet the old man. Interesting. The subtle tightness of the boy's eyes, brow, and mouth show an element of stress. Between the tightness and the strikes to the post, something must've happened on the mission.

"Mm, yes I noticed you pass my shop quite early and wished to speak with you before you set your sights on the upcoming exam." Naruto looked at him with surprise.

"Uh, yeah, Kakashi-sensei told us yesterday that he nominated us for the exams. Sasuke and Sakura should be here soon so we can train together, but I wanted to get started early." He looked nervous, stuffing his hands in his pockets and shifting focus from Danzo to anywhere else but. Danzo leaned on his cane toward the boy, narrowing an eye. There was an opening here, a chance to establish himself.

"I see, young Uzumaki. Now what, if I may, would you accomplish by assaulting that wooden post? It's been here long before you, I'm sure it has earned better treatment." Naruto's face lowered into a frown, brow furrowing, as silence permeated for some time.

"I was trying to…find a way to help control something." Blue, pleading eyes stared at him like he was being begged to understand. Danzo fought the urge to scoff, a toddler could understand the insinuation, but this was quite the surprise. He's heard no reports of any Nine-Tails-related activity, a genuine frown found itself on Danzo's face

"Has something happened, my boy?" Another pause.

"I met it and I went on a rampage when I and my teammates were pinned by a shinobi. He was just plain better than us and we couldn't think of anything to get out of it, even with all the help your book gave me I couldn't find a way to get my teammates out, then I felt invincible. After I killed him the power left, but I still feel off. I still feel it crawling in my skin, all that anger." The frown on Danzo's face almost slipped into a smirk. This was perfect, not only did their weapon have access to its power, but the boy confided in him with this information, but he had to play this right.

"What of your sensei? How does Kakashi feel about this?" Naruto flinched a bit at the question.

"I haven't seen him without Sasuke and Sakura around, and they can't know. Not yet." There was no room for discussion, those words had more seriousness than Danzo had ever heard from the Uzumaki.

"They won't hear it from me, my boy, but if I may, I'd like to offer some advice." He received a nod and Danzo let himself be brought to a memory from the past. "Tobirama-sensei's last lesson to me was to look at myself rationally and to know myself. I was too indecisive, too emotional. I took that lesson to heart and mastered my emotions completely, if you wish to not be lorded by your anger, Naruto, you must know yourself."

Danzo closed his eyes and a perfect, solid clone appeared to his right. The clone then walked its way into open space and turned to the confused boy.

"Come. Hit me."

"Wait, what?"

"No need to worry, young Uzumaki, attack the clone." The boy was hesitant, but eventually, Naruto joined the clone in the open space and attacked. His advance was half-hearted, at best, with slow, unsure steps and led with a painfully telegraphed punch, but it wasn't unexpected. The clone picked up its cane and drove it into the boy's stomach, stopping him in his tracks immediately, only to pull it back and drive it into Naruto's forehead, sending him backward.

"I believe I said to attack, Naruto. Do not mistake my battered body for one of weakness. Now, attack me." The clone spoke the words so the original didn't have to. Danzo watched the boy get up with a look of annoyance and smirked to himself.

"This will be easier than I thought."

The Jinchuuriki launched himself at the clone, significantly faster than the first time, and feinted a punch to the body of the clone before jumping for a head kick. The cane, once again, quickly moved to intercept, its shaft blocking the leg inches before its target then again to stop the following punch. As Naruto landed, the clone slammed the butt of the cane onto the now grounded foot, swiftly the cane was released and the palm of the clone's hand drove into Naruto's nose and pulled back to catch the cane before it fell to the ground.

There was hardly a breath before Naruto charged back at the clone, face pinched in anger, and every strike was either blocked, parried, or counter with the wooden cane or a swift strike from the clone's open palm. Naruto's swings became wilder and more undisciplined, resulting in harsher punishment in kind.

"Focus on your actions, boy. You may have the gift of endurance, but it is wasted on a brain clouded by your own emotion. Focus on what you're doing as much as what you wish to do." Danzo's words were met with only a sort of growl, but slowly the movements did become sharper, if minutely. The old man's words appeared to at least bring a modicum of awareness to the teenager and his own actions.

The clone and the jinchuuriki joined in one-sided trades for some time longer, Naruto being able to rein in his frustration more as they continued, and when the lesson seemed to have been understood, be it from the words or the many sharp strikes from the cane and hand, the clone purposefully overplayed a counterstrike that sailed over Naruto, who then dispersed the chakra-being with an uppercut to the body.

"Good. There is still room for improvement, but you've seemed to take my words to heart. Your emotions may provide a drive into action, but they can remove the ability to critically analyze your situation." Danzo walked over to the boy, gazing his lone visible eye into the blue eyes of Naruto, who appeared to hang onto every word, "Should you properly master this skill, then you needn't worry about the beast in your stomach causing more harm to your life."

Naruto nodded at Danzo with a look of determination, a look that the old veteran could only attribute to the naivete of youth. To think such a basic practice could help with the Tailed-Beast in his seal was more than idealistic, it was foolish, but Danzo needed this lesson to be learned. A Jinchuuriki without proper control gives you the beast that's said to lurk in the Sand, a fate Danzo refused to thrust upon the Leaf.

"I'll leave you to your training, my boy. I have a shop to tend to now."

With that Danzo Shimura walked away from Training Ground 3, politely nodding to the two genin he passed with a small smile on his face. Not a smile of greeting, or good manners, but a smile of triumph. A single lesson was all he needed, and now the Jinchuuriki is within his influence if only minuscule, and now he could turn his attention to the red clouds that were starting to move.

"The Great Tree shall never crumble, so long as the roots remain firm and strong. I will ensure the Leaf has its weapon that it's missed for so long."

Three days of training probably wasn't enough to make a significant difference in Team 7's chances in the exams, but they all agreed it was the best way to prepare. Each of them fought each other in spars, each of them worked on the techniques that Kakashi gave them during their mission in Wave, and they went over battle plans as a team using the pocketbook Danzo gave Naruto. They did anything and everything they could think of the give themselves the best chance, and today where it would all come to pass.

Naruto met a nervous Sakura twirling the bottom of her pink hair with her free hand, chewing on her bottom lip, and Sasuke gazing at the door of the academy like he was prepared to storm the place in a blaze of fire. Naruto was somewhere in between the two. He didn't know what he was getting into with these exams, but Naruto wasn't one to back down from a challenge.

"You guys ready for this?" Naruto opened, raising his submission form. Sasuke grunted in affirmation while raising his own form, not looking away from the academy, and Sakura nervously smiled.

"As ready as I can be." She was still wasn't confident in their choice to go through with the test. Naruto's sure it has something to do with how handily they were beaten last mission, but there's no way that Haku was at the same level as those taking a chunin exam. He really fucking hoped not.

Before Naruto could continue that line of thinking, Kakashi appeared in front of the three genin, a hand already in a wave.

"Yo. Looks like you all decided to take the exams. I'll take your submission forms and turn them in, the first exam is in room 301 on the third floor." Kakashi collected all the forms and folded them before sliding them into his back pocket, "Don't worry too much, kiddies. There may not be too many up there younger than you, but most of them won't be able to say they have an A-rank mission under their belts."

Wait, what?

There was a few seconds of silence.

"An A-RANK!?" Sakura voiced what was on the minds of all three genin, they were told it was a B-rank mission after the Demon Brothers, not an A-rank. Those were reserved for jounin, there was no way a genin cell would ever be knowingly handed an A-rank.

"Did I forget to mention that? That's not important now, just know that even if you don't pass through any of the exams there is always something to learn. Look underneath the underneath." After the cryptic words, Kakashi left as quickly as he appeared, leaving them staring at the doors to the academy.

"Let's go." Sasuke took up the lead as they entered the academy, with Sakura on his left and Naruto on the right.

There was more bustle in the academy compared to the last time Naruto was here, with graduation it was mostly empty outside of the graduating class, but now it was busy all around with people walking one way or another. The layout of the academy was always weird. Stairs to the next level were across the hall on each level, it wasn't one uniform stairwell, but it seemed they were moving quicker than Naruto thought as the sign for room 301 came up on their left. Before Naruto could start making for the room door, which was loud with people likely waiting for the exam to start, Sasuke shot him a quick look causing Naruto's brow to furrow.

"Genjutsu." It was said in a whisper that even Naruto had a hard time hearing it, but on a second glance, a more analytical glance, the "3" was distorting like an image refracting in water. Team 7 continued down the hall to the stairs to the actual third floor.

"Shut your mouth, you cocky bastard."

Entering the ascending stairwell, Team 7 found themselves walking in the middle of a heated situation next to the staircase with two Leaf Village teams in a stalemate with one another. The voice that rang out was from Kiba Inuzuka, looking no different from their academy days, with Akamru on his head who was being held back by a bowl-haired boy in a green jumpsuit in front of him as he yelled past the green jumpsuit to a smirking pale-eyed boy.

At Kiba's side was Shino Aburame, who also looked no different from the academy, and a similarly pale-eyed girl with bangs cut even above her brow and shoulder-length straight blue hair. Wearing a traditional off-white robe falling to her mid-thigh, a brown shirt, and brown pants, Hinata Hyuuga had a look of frustration that reflected Kiba's demeanor. Both of them were being watched closely by a girl that vaguely resembled a panda bear standing between Bowl-Cut and the male Pale-Eyes, who was probably another Hyuuga.

"I understand your frustration and applaud your spirit, but I cannot allow you to attack my teammate." The stern, yet oddly high-spirited, voice of Bowl-Cut cut through Naruto's observations.

Naruto looked at his teammates, seeing what they wanted to do about the situation. If this was a Leaf team arguing with a foreign team, they'd be almost required to take action, but this was two Leaf teams. Sasuke caught Naruto's eye and nodded to the stairs, clearly indicating he wanted no part in whatever was going on, and Sakura, while focused on the drama in front of them, must've caught the nonverbal discussion and nodded with them. Team 7 made sure not to get in the way of the quarrel and walked up the stairs to the third floor, walking down the hall and stopping in front of the door labeled "301".

They all paused to look at each other, and with a unanimous nod, they stepped into the giant classroom, much bigger than the ones they used while they attended, that was filled with ninjas who, most of which that weren't familiar. Headbands across the room showed the symbols of Leaf, Rain, Grass, Waterfall, Sound, and Sand Villages. It was the most diverse room Naruto's ever stepped into, and one that held so few familiar faces. Naruto heard the voices of Sakura and some former classmates from the academy, but Naruto's eyes were drawn somewhere else. In a solitary corner of the room stood a team of Sand shinobi, one of which caught his attention.

Pupil-less light-green eyes stared into Naruto's blue ones, brows furrowed and arms crossed. Naruto didn't know what it was about him, but something made his stomach lurch and burn. He would've ignored it, passed it off as anything else but what it was, but he couldn't ignore the growl that emanated throughout his being.

A growl of a beast aching to get out of its cage.

Skittles fucking bang. Just killed a packet of em, chock full of sugar