'Ha ha ha!' Naruto laughed.
'Eh heh heh… ha ha ha…' the genin laughed back. Nervously.
'HA HA HA!'
'HAHAHAHAHA!'
'What were you three doing?' Naruto asked sharply.
All three stayed silent, unsure of what to say to him, until Kazuki decided to speak out.
'Umm… it was a display of teamwork…?' he lamely explained.
'Oh really?'
'Uh… I think Chikako and Nobu would like to answer that…' Kazuki said quickly.
Chikako sighed yet again. 'No, we just wanted to take a break from these logs…'
'WITH TEAMWORK!' Nobu defended.
Naruto laughed again. 'If I look back to when I was as old as you, I would be cheering you on, with that sort of attitude…'
The three genin looked up hopefully.
'… But this is not the time to feel nostalgic. Although I find it quite impressive that you managed to get one of you free from the ropes, I am supposed to try to encourage responsible behaviours, so you get an extra hour on… the log.'
Nobu gasped with horror.
'I told you so,' Chikako muttered. 'I told you we should've just waited for thirty minutes. I'm starting to get used to these ropes.'
Kazuki said nothing. Before he hyperventilated, that is.
'Oh, I can't believe this... It's too much...'
Naruto patted him on the back. 'I'm sorry... but anyway, you've only got thirty seconds to enjoy your freedom before I tie you back onto the log.'
------------------------
After that extra hour of torture on the log, Chikako, Kazuki and Nobu were finally free from the evil clutches of the ropes (each of them still rubbing their arms; the ropes were indeed tied up very tightly).
'Okay… now we get to go to the best place in Konoha! Ever!' Naruto exclaimed as they stopped at a fork on the road.
'Take a guess at what it is!' Naruto said, and faced them.
'Sushi restaurant?' Chikako suggested.
'The Konoha Park?' Nobu asked.
'Umm… Kien Clan Residence?' Kazuki guessed hopefully.
'Wrong! Wrong! Completely wrong!'
'Can we have a hint?' Chikako asked, determined to get the correct answer.
'Ooh! We could play it like Hangman! So we guess a letter, and you'd tell us if that letter is there… Does it have "ra"?'
'Yes, it does have- No! No! We're not gonna play Hangman! Just… follow me! There will be a special person waiting for us there.'
--------------------
ICHIRAKU'S RAMEN
'I should've known…' Chikako thought, as the four of them stood in front of the small stand.
'Oh boy, ramen!' Nobu cheered. 'I love ramen!' he added, remembering his own sensei's love for it.
'Ichiraku sells the best ramen in all of Konoha! And maybe even all of Fire Country!' Naruto bragged, as if the place was his own. 'Good service, good price, good ramen, what more could you ask for?
Chikako cleared her throat, and tugged on Naruto's sleeve. 'Naruto-sensei... I don't think I should-'
'Don't worry Chikako, it's my treat!'
'But I really-'
'What'd you like to order, Kazuki?' Naruto questioned, ignoring the kunoichi of his team.
'Well, anything is fine, really, but-'
'NARUTO-SENSEI! I think I should be getting home now!'
'Don't worry; I'll be responsible if you get told off by your parents!'
'But I want to tr-'
Naruto was unwilling to hear any more of the girl's excuses, and signalled for the three to enter the restaurant before him. 'Don't say it! We're going to take a break for now…'
-----------------
'Naruto! Over here!' a pink-haired medic-nin shouted. 'You took too long, so we pre-ordered yours.'
'Is it miso roasted pork fillet large serving?' Naruto asked, as he took a seat next to her. 'Guys, come and sit here.'
Sakura rolled her eyes. 'Yes, it's miso roasted pork fillet large serving… Oh, who's this?'
'Heh heh… this is my genin team… Sakura… meet Kazuki, Nobu and Chika.'
'It's Chikako.'
'Yes, yes… Anyway, I was late because I gave them a test, and it took longer than expected.'
'They look pretty worn out, Naruto… There are some bruises on them, too; Chikako's is the worst... Do you want me to heal them?'
'Nah… it's nothing that a little ramen can't fix!'
'Hey, Naruto, whatdidja bring your genin team for? This is meant to be jounin's night!' Kiba joined in; he had been sitting next to Sakura.
'I met Kiba on the way, so I invited him along,' Sakura explained for his presence. 'I invited Tenten-san, too. She had some errands to run, so she said she'll come late.' Naruto nodded, before turning towards his genin team.
'Everyone, this is Inuzuka Kiba,' Naruto introduced. 'I defeated him in the Chuunin Exam preliminary match. Oh, where's Akamaru?'
'That doesn't mean you're stronger than me,' Kiba pointed out. 'It was a fluke, goddamnit! And Akamaru is getting a check-up from my sister. Plus, it's not like he fits inside a jacket anymore…' Then he glanced at the three genin.
'Oh... so Naruto's your sensei, isn't he?' Kiba asked, and after he received their nods, he laughed. 'If he starts teaching you stupid techniques like farting in your opponent's face, tell me. I'll make sure Akamaru, my dog, chases him down.'
'Hey! I'm trying to make a good impression on my team.'
'What a tiring day!' Tenten piped up, as she entered the stand. 'Oh my, it's a little bit crowded here!'
'These are the genin that I'll be teaching,' Naruto said proudly.
Then a realisation dawned upon Kazuki. 'Oh! I know! You're Tenten-sensei, the one who's teaching Masuyo, aren't you?'
Tenten winked. 'Right you are. I know you, too, Kazuki-kun, you're the number-one rookie this year, aren't you? Well done!' Then she shook Kazuki's hand to further congratulate him.
Kazuki flustered, with a big grin plastered on his face. 'Aww... it's nothing! Oh! You must've tested Masuyo today, too! Did he get tied onto a log?'
Tenten lifted an eyebrow. 'The only thing we did with a log was chop it up, I'm afraid.'
Naruto laughed, and joined in the conversation. 'Sorry, Kazuki, but the tests differ between different jounin teachers.'
'Though I am thoroughly impressed with this Masuyo. Given time, his arsenal of weapons would rival mine! I feel such a connection with him already.'
'Now, don't start picking favourites, Tenten-san,' Sakura teased. 'Ah, Naruto, your order has arrived.'
'Oh yeah, you guys should order something! Everything's great here, so don't be afraid to. Just tell the old man that it's my treat,' Naruto offered, before he started on his own ramen with lightning speed.
'But the poor girl, Hana tripped over three times today! She can be a bit clumsy sometimes.'
'Hey, should you really go on about your team? You know, that is going to be held in Konoha in only a few months!'
'Oh, come on, it's not like this kind of thing is a secret anyway. Well, as I was saying, the girl, Hana...'
--------------------
'… then guess what Hiroshi said? He said that he wanted to be just like Neji!'
Naruto choked on his ramen (it was his fourth bowl). 'Neji, out of all people?'
'Well, you have to admit, Neji is pretty admirable, being a prodigy and all…' Sakura said reasonably. 'The last time I went on a mission with him, things went so smoothly I didn't even have to heal anyone.'
'But he's so… ugh…' Naruto said, and Kiba nodded. 'And, I mean, I defeated him.'
'You've said that for the, like, two-hundredth time already?' Tenten said, annoyed. 'Give him a break. He was my teammate, you know.'
'But I defeated him!'
'Anyway, Tenten-san,' Sakura started loudly, trying to switch the topic. 'You seem to like your team very much. Are you going to let them pass?'
'Well, I'd like to, but I want to see whether the others want to pass their own teams first, or else most of the teams would pass.'
'Wait,' Chikako butted in. 'I'm sorry, but does this mean that we're not officially genin yet?'
Tenten nodded. 'Out of all the people in your year, only a select few would actually become genin. Most would have to go back to the academy and wait until they get their chance again next year.'
Nobu spit out his food. He was already older than the other kids because he entered the academy late; he didn't want to be left behind even more.
'I'd appreciate it if we start talking about other things, guys,' Sakura said. 'You're just making these three children feel uncomfortable…'
'You see, Naruto- next time, bring your genin along when you discussed it with us first,' Kiba spoke.
'Hey, I didn't even know that you're going to come. I only expected to meet Sakura-chan.'
'Naruto-sensei… can I please go home now? It's getting dark…'
'Ha ha ha! She just called you "sensei"!' Kiba mocked. 'Naruto-sensei… never thought I'd hear that until the next century!'
'Kiba-sensei, I would appreciate it if you-'
'HA HA HA! She just called you "sensei"! I never thought I'd hear that until the next millennium!'
Kiba stopped laughing. 'Whatever, moron.'
'Naruto, quit it, you're not being very responsible…' Sakura said, being the only voice of reason in there, as Tenten was busy having a nice chat with Kazuki.
'Sorry, Sakura-chan… Hey, Chikako, you barely touched your ramen!'
'I don't feel like it…'
'I'll finish it for her!' Nobu shouted.
'Do whatever you want, Nobu, I'm going home…'
'Oh, right! I better get back too, before Mum gets pissed off at me again. Bye, Tenten-sensei, Naruto-sensei, Kiba-sensei, and Sakura-san.' Kazuki followed Chikako out of the ramen stand.
After a while, Nobu too finished with his ramen, and said goodbye to the jounin, who were finally free to discuss whatever they wanted.
'So…' Sakura started.
'What?' Naruto asked.
'Your genin team was…'
'Noisy? Disagreeable? Strange?' Kiba suggested.
'I was going to say interesting, Kiba… and they're okay, anyway. How are they? Are they skilled?'
'Are you going to let them pass?' Tenten asked curiously.
'I think they have plenty of potential; Nobu is a bit sloppy, but his skills aren't so bad. He's not as reckless as me either,' Naruto answered. 'Hm, cowardly even. But nothing a little Naruto-influence wouldn't fix.' Then he beamed. 'Besides, they're interesting. They tried to escape from the logs I tied them to. Definitely passing them.'
'Hey, Naruto; bet you won't have the guts to enter them into the Chuunin exam …'
'You're talking; I haven't seen your team enter. Besides, they might not look like it, but I believe they have potential.'
'I'm letting my team gain a bit more experience, but I assure you, they're entering this time. Oh… and you have that Nobu kid, don't you? He's just like you, y'know… a dropout…'
'Doesn't stop a dropout from beating you… and I have the number one rookie, Kazuki…'
Kiba narrowed his eyes. 'Well, I have last year's number one rookie… Mind you, he seems more focused on training than that Kazuki.'
'Well, his doton (earth element) jutsus are very promising for a genin…'
'Guys, quit arguing already! We're here to have a get-together, not a fight!'
'You're right, Sakura. So… how was that A-rank mission you did?' Kiba diverted the conversation, knowing very well that Sakura enjoyed discussing about her latest missions.
'It went pretty well, and it was a nice break from all these hospital shifts I've been getting. Kotetsu-san was hurt pretty badly, though… I had to use most of my chakra to heal his broken leg…'
'Oh. Really?'
'Yeah…'
Then Sakura went on a long explanation about replacing the calcium in the bone by concentrating chakra on it, and the three other jounin, who didn't quite understand, simply nodded.
'… so in theory, it would've been almost impossible, but I figured, if we concentrate the chakra right on the part where the femur…'
'Okay, we get it, Sakura, you have awesome medical skills,' Kiba interrupted, breaking off Sakura's explanation before it managed to get too detailed.
Sakura huffed. 'Fine, if you don't appreciate a bit of fine medical explanation…'
'How about you, Naruto? How was that mission you went on?' Tenten asked, after she wiped her mouth, her ramen bowl empty.
Naruto sighed. 'Tsunade-baachan gave me an A-rank, too. I was teamed up with Shikamaru, and your sister, remember?'
Kiba laughed. 'Oh, yeah.'
'Her dogs were… well… how do I put it… umm… intimidating?'
'Did she do well?'
'Did she? She was excellent! But her dogs got pretty badly injured…'
'And that is the power of the Inuzuka clan…' Kiba announced proudly. 'All of them have fully recovered, anyway. My sister's great with animals.'
'I did a lot in the mission, too! Without me, our client would've been dead by now!'
'Isn't there a single conversation between you guys that doesn't involve a battle of egos?' Tenten complained. 'I'm going home.'
'Ah, wait! I'm going home too!'
'Aww…' Naruto whined. 'Sakura-chan!'
