A/N: Surprise! You're actually getting THREE updates this week. I'm actually just really, really excited to get to the next chapter, because it marks the start of the Wave mission, which is when the plot REALLY kicks into gear. Seriously, I'm 99% sure I got something good. Consider today's chapter the calm before the storm.

ALSO! One more thing: I've written a revised version of the prologue because I think the current one is just a bit too boring. I'm still wavering on whether or not to use it though, so I'd love your opinions on it! I posted it to Stash on DeviantArt, and it can be found at sta . sh / 01bum24dxvs6 — just remove the [""] from the period!


Chapter 15


"Sometimes when I look at my kids, I just think, 'Wow, I am totally gonna traumatize you at some point aren't I?' Sorry kiddos."


"Sakura-chan, come on, let's get ramen after this mission! Pleeaaaaase?"

Sakura groaned in mild irritation, her eyebrow twitching as she tried not to look at her annoying blond teammate. "You know Naruto, asking a girl out for ramen every day makes you seem kinda cheap," she quipped dryly, making him blink and look at her in confusion.

"Huh? Whaddaya mean? Ramen's awesome!"

"And cheap," Sasuke interjected, hefting an armful of logs onto the stump.

"Hey! Ichiraku's is the best stuff in town, teme!" Naruto scowled at his teammate but the black-haired boy merely scoffed.

"Oi, dobe, get over here and start chopping these up." The blond still bristled at the comment but let it slide, stomping over with an old axe in hand. He swung it down on the logs with a sharp, resounding crack that cut through the air, grumbling under his breath all the while.

Today's D-rank mission consisted of splitting logs for a local restaurant that prided themselves on using wood-burning ovens for cooking, which apparently added some special type of flavor to the food? Honestly, none of them particularly cared for the specifics, not particularly picky about cooking. Their lack of interest in gourmet cooking ironically seemed to be one of their few common interests.

At this point, Team Seven's teamwork could be described as shaky, but gradually improving as they felt out each other's strengths and weaknesses. Each of them had issues working with the others for varying reasons, but they had definitely come far from the awkward and individualistic trio who failed the Bell Test a month ago. The team dinner definitely helped build unity.

They'd worked out a good system to maximize their efficiency. Sasuke gathered the uncut chunks of wood, Naruto handled splitting them with the axe, and Sakura arranged the split logs into large bags so Sasuke could carry them into the restaurant more easily. The last part had been Sakura's own idea, because she admittedly lacked in physical strength compared to her teammates, but it ultimately proved more convenient since it allowed Sasuke to transport more firewood at once without placing undue stress on his arms.

Naturally, Kakashi just sat to the side reading his filthy porn book as usual.

Naruto made a loud grunt as he swung the axe down on yet another piece of wood, and within seconds Sakura quickly scooped up the two halves and slipped them into the bag with the others. "I think that was the last one," Sasuke commented, eying the empty plot of land that had once been occupied by the seemingly endless array of wood. The comment garnered a brief glance from their jounin sensei, and he hummed as he appraised their work.

"It was indeed," he confirmed. "I'll take in the last bunch of logs, and then we'll be done for the day. Good job team." The three genin breathed a giant sighs of relief at this, all of them sore and sweaty from working in the sun for the past three hours. Even Sasuke, who would spend nearly every waking hour training if left unattended, felt more than a little glad to finally be done.

"Man, my arms are so sore," Naruto whined, dropping the axe and rotating his right shoulder. "I am so tired of these stupid D-ranks." As he spoke Kakashi snapped his book shut with a small thump and slipped it into his pouch, taking the bag from Sakura.

"Well, look at it this way," Kakashi commented. "You're building up a lot of muscle." With that he disappeared into the restaurant to hand over the last batch of logs and collect payment from the owner. Since they hadn't been formally dismissed, the trio of genin collapsed in a circle on the stump, their backs instantly slouching and reclining against each other.

A brief silence fell over them, their minds wandering as they savored the opportunity to finally rest. Naturally, this had not been what they expected when they became genin. Naruto pouted and almost crossed his arms, but the minute twitch in his muscles as he started to raise them prompted him to change his mind. "Ugh, I don't think I can even lift chopsticks," he groaned, letting his arms dangle loosely at his sides.

"At least we didn't have to do another extermination," Sakura muttered darkly, and the trio shuddered at the memory. Cockroaches had coated the interior of some rooms so thickly they couldn't even see the walls or floors, and then when they started spraying the insecticide and sheets of them started falling from the ceiling...

Well, even Kakashi had decided enough was enough, and they had never been more grateful to the man than when he ordered them to withdraw. The Hokage ended up ordering a team of Aburame clan members to investigate the house, and last Team Seven heard it got razed to the ground. They had absolutely no issues with that.

"Never again," Sasuke muttered, his eyebrow twitching at the memory, and the others groaned in agreement.

"Yeah, well, I'm still getting really tired of all these D-ranks," Naruto grumbled, scowling at the ground. "We're ninja, not stupid chore-monkeys!" At one point his immature whining would have irritated his teammates, but today both Sasuke and Sakura found themselves silently agreeing with the blonde.

"We have been doing these missions for a couple weeks now," the pink-haired kunoichi murmured thoughtfully, closing her eyes as she reclined. "And I feel like we're getting pretty fast at them, at least compared to when we started."

"And the pay's not that high," Sasuke added. His teammates shot him curious glances over their shoulders.

"Since when do you care about money?" Naruto questioned. For all his faults the Uchiha had never struck him as the greedy type.

"I don't," Sasuke replied flatly. "But if we're going to be doing chores when we could be training, then I'd at least like the pay to be worth it." His teammates "ah"ed in understanding and nodded before falling silent again. As it stretched Sakura bit her lip, balling up the fabric of her dress in her fists as she fell deep in thought.

"...Maybe, we could ask Kakashi-sensei to request a C-rank mission next time?" she suggested after a few moments, her voice tinged with uncertainty. When she felt the boys tense at her suggestion, she sucked in a small breath and added, "I mean, like I said, we've been doing these missions pretty fast compared to when we started. We're definitely improving. We... might be ready."

Naruto's eyes shined at the thought, and he leaped from the stump with a loud shout as he pumped his fists into the air. "Heck yeah! We're definitely ready!" Then he froze, and he gave a long, drawn-out whine as he quickly lowered his arm. "Aaaagh, still so sore..."

"Tch, dobe," the Uchiha muttered under his breath, while Sakura just sighed and hung her head in exasperation. For all they'd improved over the past two weeks, they still had a long way to go before they'd be a cohesive team. A long moment of silence passed, but then Sasuke surprised them by continuing, "You're right though."

"Huh?" Sakura gave a small start at the comment, whirling her head to look at Sasuke in surprise. The black-haired boy leaned forward with his chin propped in his hand, a thoughtful gleam in his eye.

"D-ranks aren't getting us anywhere," he declared. "We're wasting our time, it's not like we're making any progress."

"Maa, it might seem like that now, but D-rank missions are about more than just chores." The trio startled and leapt to their feet with kunai in hand, spinning to face the new voice. Kakashi casually stood behind them, hands in his pockets and his posture slightly slouched. "The purpose of D-rank missions is to help you build teamwork and get used to proper mission protocol in a safe environment. On a C-rank mission, you'll likely have to leave the village and may run into dangerous situations."

A sharp glint entered his eye, his voice dropping a notch. "If you're not prepared, you might not come back."

An instinctive shudder ran down Naruto and Sakura's spine at the sudden dark tone, but Sasuke remained unfazed, instead looking thoughtful. "Leave the village, huh," he murmured thoughtfully, his eyes narrowing.

"In any event," Kakashi continued, his tone light and casual once more, "while you guys have definitely improved since you first started, I'm not sure you're at that point yet. But I can understand you're all getting rather antsy about this, so how about this? If you guys can work together to complete two missions every day this week, I'll think about asking the Hokage for a C-rank."

The trio of genin exchanged glances at the offer, each silently gauging the others' reaction. A fiery resolve erupted in their eyes, and they turned to Kakashi with determined expressions. "We'll do it!" they chorused in unison, their eyes glinting with determination and Naruto enthusiastically pumping a fist in the air.

Then the blond paused and whined as his arm fell to the side. "So sooooreee..."

His teammates groaned in irritation, shaking their heads, while Kakashi just looked on with a bland expression. "...Right. We'll see. I'll see you guys at the training grounds tomorrow." With that he disappeared in a flurry of leaves, leaving the trio behind to glower at the spot where he'd stood.

A brief moment of silence followed, and then they all abruptly hung their heads with a loud groan.

"...He just tricked us into doing more chores, didn't he," Naruto grumbled with a sour look.

"Yep," Sakura muttered sullenly. Then a thought occurred to her, and her face grew even more sullen. "You know, I just realized Kakashi-sensei didn't say he would ask the Hokage. He just said he'd think about it."

The two males looked at her in horror, and then all three released strangled shouts of frustration.


"We might leave the village on a mission."

Masaru sharply snapped his head to stare at his cousin, the udon almost slipping out of his mouth in his surprise. Sasuke sat across from him looking placid and bored as ever, but even so his eyes flitted up to gauge Masaru's reaction. Blinking slowly, he closed his mouth and swallowed, exhaling through his nose.

"I..." He started to speak but trailed off, unsure what to say, and eventually settled on a lame, "Okay?" Sasuke's expression instantly darkened, his dark eyes boring into him so intensely the brunette winced and quickly averted his gaze to his food.

"Okay?" his cousin repeated, drawing out the word slowly in a dangerously low tone. "I tell you I'm going to leave the village, and that's all you have to say?" Masaru frowned, fidgeting under Sasuke's gaze as he pointedly kept his eyes fixed on his dinner.

"I... don't really know what else to say," he mumbled lamely, giving a half-hearted shrug. "I mean, getting a mission outside the village is a big thing. I'm not gonna tell you not to do it."

"I'd be gone for a while though," Sasuke pointed out, still squinting at him. "You'd be home alone anywhere from a couple days to a couple weeks." The pointed reminder made Masaru wince, sucking in a sharp breath. His head sharply bowed so his bangs fell over his face, his shoulders tense and rigid. Across from him Sasuke stiffened, and after a few moments he leaned back in his seat with a sigh. "...Right. You get that."

Masaru didn't respond, just turned his head to stare at the floor. Though he still had half his bowl full of udon, suddenly he didn't feel that hungry. Judging by the lack of clinking from silverware clattering against porcelain, he suspected Sasuke lost his appetite too. A tense atmosphere draped over the Uchiha boys, neither of them looking at each other as they dwelled in their own thoughts.

"...I don't want to get in your way," Masaru mumbled after a while. Sasuke perked up at the sudden comment, eyes snapping to him attentively though with less intensity than before. Frowning, Masaru searched for words and continued, "I... You have... a goal. You... you need to get stronger. I don't. Not as much as you, anyway."

Sasuke frowned at the comment, setting down his chopsticks. "...It's your clan too," he muttered. "Aren't you angry?" Masaru didn't respond right away, avoiding his cousin's gaze. His mind flashed back to that night, to the overwhelming terror as he huddled in that closet with the blood-soaked sword hovering over his stomach.

"You truly are pathetic. I am sure Akari-chan would be much braver."

Those words had marked a turning point in his mind, the sole instance in that horrific night not marked by overwhelming fear. Fierce rage surged through him at the reference to his sister and overrode his mortal terror as he ordered Itachi to leave her alone, his resolve unwavering even after Itachi plunged the sword in his stomach. In that instant the world became clear as he felt nothing but hatred towards Itachi, fueled by a desire to protect her.

In the end it changed nothing though. By that point Masaru had already lost Akari anyway.

"I don't think so," he finally whispered. "Not anymore." Sasuke's expression softened at the soft tone, breathing a small sigh as he slumped in his chair.

"...Sorry." Fiddling with something in his pocket, he abruptly paused as realization flashed across his face, perking up in his seat slightly. "Hey, I just realized... I never showed you what's in that charm, did I?" The sudden change of conversation made Masaru raise his head, looking at him curiously.

"Uh... No. But isn't it bad luck to open an omamori?"

"It's not really one," Sasuke replied, pulling out the charm. "I don't count it as one, anyway. Just... promise not to laugh too hard, okay?" Now thoroughly curious, Masaru mutely nodded and Sasuke untied the string sealing it.


Far across town, a certain brown-haired man sat inside a dimly lit bar, sighing as he hunched over his drink. Various couples and groups littered the room, chatting eagerly and loudly while he sat alone at the end of the counter.

"So, I take it teaching is a bit more stressful than expected?" He jolted in his seat upon hearing a voice behind him, turning in surprise only to find a familiar silver-haired man standing behind him. Relaxing, he offered a tired smile and nodded, turning back to his drink.

"Ah, yeah, a bit," he admitted. "Working with kids is a bit... weird. I'm not used to interacting with kids, especially untrained genin."

"Maa, you'll get used to it. That or you'll go crazy." Gaku snorted in amusement, and took a large sip from his drink as Kakashi slid into the neighboring seat. Raising a hand to signal the bartender, he waited for the busty woman to set down a glass of amber liquid in front of him. "Thanks." She grunted in faint acknowledgement before she headed off to tend to other customers, leaving Gaku to side-eye Kakashi.

"You come here a lot, I take it?" he guessed.

"Occasionally," the silver-haired man demurred, glancing at his glass. His companion rolled his eyes and turned away, knowing Kakashi wouldn't drink as long as he looked at him. After taking advantage of the opening to sneak a quick sip, Kakashi's lone eye slid over to Gaku's arm, still clinging to his chest in a sling. "So, is your arm really broken?"

"Of course not," the other jounin replied, smiling wryly as he wiggled his fingers. "You know me, most injuries tend to heal pretty fast. We did break it so we could figure out how it would realistically fit into a sling, but it healed on its own within a couple hours."

"Hmm. Convenient. I have to say though, it's odd to see you with a regular hitai-ate. Or a jounin uniform. I didn't even know you owned one." His companion raised an eyebrow at the conversational tone.

"Okay senpai, what really brings you over here?" he asked, and Kakashi's eye crinkled as he smiled.

"Maa, can't a former captain check in on his old subordinate without an ulterior motive?"

"When it's you? Of course not. The only time you willingly interact with people is after disaster missions. Otherwise we need to sick Gai on you."

"Hmm." The eye smile faded, and Kakashi lowered his gaze back to his drink. "I guess you know me too well, huh." He didn't continue right away, staring at his reflection in the amber liquid. Gaku didn't press him, letting him take his time to sort through his thoughts. Eventually Kakashi made up his mind and casually commented, "My team wants to take on a C-rank mission. I plan to talk to the Hokage and get one at the end of the week."

Gaku looked at him surprise, caught off-guard by the admission. "Do you think they're ready?"

"Well, they have their flaws, but I think they can handle it," Kakashi allowed. "They've come pretty far from the bell test. Things are a bit shaky, but they're getting there. We had a team dinner at Sasuke's apartment earlier this week and it went pretty well, Masaru joined in too. They seem to be unified by a desire to take the Chuunin Exams now, in part thanks to your cute little student mentioning it."

Gaku flushed at the comment and glanced away, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry about that. But motivation is good, isn't it?"

"...Maybe. We'll see." Kakashi shrugged lightly and turned to face his comrade more fully. "That's the other part of the reason I'm here. If we go, Masaru will be left alone. As far as I know, this would be the first time in his entire life he's spent the night on his own." The comment made Gaku tense, his expression sobering.

"...He might take that pretty hard," he allowed quietly, gazing at his glass. "I... can't really blame him. I mean, just..." He sighed, and quickly downed the remainder of his drink. "Thank god he doesn't know about what really happened. I know we'll have to tell him someday, but I think the council made the right choice in hiding that particular detail from him."

Kakashi didn't reply right away, just staring at his reflection in his drink. "...Have you ever noticed anything about his eyes?" he asked quietly, and he felt his former subordinate tense, slowly turning to look at him with wide eyes.

"His eyes?" he repeated carefully. "I... I didn't see any changes, but... Why? You don't think...?" He trailed off, hesitant to voice it out loud. Kakashi held no such misgivings though, and turned in his seat to face him directly, his lone eye narrowed.

"Tenzo, I believe Masaru has activated the Sharingan."


(A/N: Be honest: how many of you saw Gaku actually being Tenzo/Yamato coming?)