A Brand New Outlook

Yoko sat with Tenshi, the two quietly sipping tea across from each other.

"Ne, Tenchi-chan!" Tenshi smiled slightly before looking back to see her cousin Naruto coming into the room. Yoko finished her tea and placed it onto the tabletop gently before looking at Naruto.

"Yes, my little Naruto-kun?" Yoko chuckled lightly at the pout Naruto gave towards Tenshi's response.

"I'm not little anymore." Yoko poured more tea for herself while nodding.

"That is true. You are a . . . . Golden Flash." Tenshi smiled with a nod while Naruto blinked.

"Golden Flash?" Tenshi held her cup out for more tea.

"Hai! We can't be calling you Yellow Flash 2! That's too silly." Tenshi pulled back her cup once Yoko was finished filling it. She held it in both hands while sipping it with her eyes closed. Once she was done she put it down and looked at her younger cousin with one eye open. "Besides . . . with your dark orange pants it looks more golden than yellow!"

"Tea, Naruto?" Yoko offered him a cup but Naruto shook his head.

"Iie." He sat down in between the two. "I don't get how you two can sit and drink tea all the time."

"Nor do I." The three turned to see Robin entering the room. Her clothes had changed from the usual. She wore a new tank top, black now instead of dark gray, her black shorts were longer and her heavy jacket was gone. In its place was a long red, sleeveless, light jacket that went to her knees and was buckled at the waist to show her figure. She still had the single braid and the same hat as before. On her right bicep was her forehead protector.

"Why the new look? Is it for someone special?" Tenshi smirked but was silenced by a stern glare from Yoko.

". . . I just decided that I needed a change." Naruto smiled as Robin sat across from him.

"I like it."

"Robin, will you be training later today?" Robin smiled but shook her head at Yoko's question.

"Iie. I have other plans for today." Tenshi smirked as she began to poke fun at her cousin.

"Oh?" Tenshi ignored the sharp look Yoko had thrown her. "Does this by any chance-" She was interrupted by a loud knocking. Tenshi blinked a few times and then looked at Yoko questioningly.

"Are we expecting someone?" Yoko shook her head as Tenshi stood. Tenshi made her way to the door only to open it to a frantic Kakashi.

"Where's Setsuko!" The three Uzumaki looked up to see Kakashi. He seemed worn out, as if he didn't get much sleep. Tenshi blinked before shrugging.

"I haven't see her since yesterday." Tenshi turned back to her cousins. "Any of you?" three heads shaking answered her.

"Damn. She must have left this morning." Yoko choked on her tea, Naruto and Robin stood up, blushes on their faces, and Tenshi responded with a wide eye look at him and a quiet, 'Oh my.'

"W-What the hell did you just say!" Naruto was crimson, either from anger or from embarrassment Kakashi did not know.

"What! No! It's not like that! We sparred last night, that's all!" Tenshi smirked at him.

"You know, I thought they called it-" Tenshi was cut off by Yoko's hand over her mouth.

"We believe you, Kakashi-san." She bowed to him slightly while holding Tenshi's mouth closed.

"Good. Because I can't have this idiot causing rumors!" Kakashi spun around to see Setsuko, glaring daggers at him.

"Setsuko? What happened to you?" Kakashi seemed more relaxed knowing she was still in the leaf. However, the death glare she was directing at him almost made him wish otherwise.

"Baka. I fell asleep on your couch. You ran out of your house so fast you didn't see me AND you woke me up."


Tsunade looked up at Robin as the younger woman entered her office. The two demon vessels, Naruto and Gaara, followed shortly after her. Robin was the first to speak.

"You called for us, Hokage-sama?" Tsunade nodded and stood, holding her hands behind her back while the three waited for her to speak.

"As you know, the jounin exam was during the time of Orochimaru's control, thus the leaf did not send anyone to take the exam." Robin nodded along with Naruto and Gaara.

"Obasan, what is the point of this?" Tsunade felt her eye twitch at Naruto's name for her but said nothing about it. With all the formality around her now, it was nice to be talked to like a normal person every once in awhile. However she couldn't get caught up in thought and let the three in front of her wait forever. She sat down, falling back into the comfortable chair quietly.

"The point is that the three of you should have gone."

". . . . it is too late for that, Tsunade-sama." She nodded in agreement with Gaara but smiled.

"I know. So that is why I decided to promote the three of you to Jounin!"


"So you didn't leave?" Setsuko rolled her eyes as the two walked through the forest. After talking to Tenshi and Yoko, Setsuko decided to leave with Kakashi when Gaara, Robin, and Naruto left to see Tsunade.

"Of course not. You won." Kakashi stopped, causing Setsuko to look back at him when she realized that he was no longer walking beside her.

"It wasn't fair. Janghoon told me all your weaknesses already. Besides, I don't want you to stay just because of some stupid fight." Setsuko looked away as his words rung in her ears. She quietly kicked off the ground and used the wind to lift her up to a tree branch. With ease she sat on the branch as she thought.

". . . are you saying you want me to leave?" Kakashi sighed and shook his head.

"No, that's not it. If you really want to leave, then I can't stop you. I love you too much to keep you here against your will." Silence filled the air as Kakashi turned and began to walk away.


". . . jounin?" Naruto echoed, unsure of what to say. Robin and Gaara stared wide eyed at Tsunade.

"Hai." Robin shook her head in disbelief.

"But why?" Tsunade smiled as she looked over the three youths.

"Simple. Naruto, your strength and willingness to put others before yourself. Your total loyalty to Konoha after all the pain you've been through. Loyalty even in the face of an army. Gaara, your loyalty and caring for others is important. It is something that a few years ago many wouldn't think you were capable of. You are very bright and yet you are not arrogant. Robin, you fight with any weapon given to you and you managed to excel with the weapons. Not only that but you can summon. You're loyalty in the face of an army, your smarts." Tsunade smiled at them while leaning back in her chair. "All three of you have the ability to be jounin. All three of you have proven yourself. You fought for the leaf in a time of great perial, at the risk of your own lives. That is why I have decided to make you jounin."

". . . . arigatou, Tsunade-sama." Robin bowed slightly to her while the other two followed her example.


He felt his heart sink with each step he took. He didn't want to, but he had to. He had to let her go. It was all he could do for her. He loved her so much that he couldn't cage her. She was too much like the wind for her to stay in one place. He knew she would never be seen again. She had to follow the wind. It was her destiny. No matter how much he wished it wasn't. Uzumaki Setsuko was too much like the wind. No matter what he did, he could never hold onto it and it broke his heart to know that.

"Baka." Kakashi stopped at the sound of her voice. "I already knew Janghoon told you. The wind knows everything." Kakashi turned around and looked at her, up on the tree branch staring down at him. "I threw the fight. I wanted to stay here and be with you." Setsuko stood up and smirked. "You forget, I was chosen because I won't bow down to the wind. I live my own life. And I want that life to be with you." Kakashi stared at her, speechless. She threw the fight? She wanted to lose. She wanted to stay. With him. Setsuko easily jumped from the tree branch and landed without making a sound. She smiled softly at him. "I've realized that I can't run away any more. I've realized that I don't want to run away, I'm sick of it. So now I stay, I'll stay forever."