In which Naruto throws leaves and Utakata gets angry.

O-O-O-O-O

Naruto glared at the small leaf in his hands, taking a break from the Leaf Concentration Exercise. He looked up to stare in envy at Hinata and Sasuke, leaning against a wooden post.

His friends were sparring. Hinata was fast but Sasuke was faster. However, because of her skills, Sasuke was pushed back, too afraid to be taken out by one of Hinata's strikes. I wanna join them, but I can't figure out this dumb trick!

He sighed and tried again. He called his chakra to himself and moved it all to stay on his forehead. Crossing his fingers, he tried to focus his chakra and keep the leaf glued to his face.

It didn't work. Instead, the leaf fluttered down, landing on his lap, mocking his failure. Furious, Naruto crushed the leaf in his hand and threw it as far as he could. To his annoyance, the wind carried it back to crash on his face. He pulled on his hair to suppress a scream of fury.

Why can't I figure it out? He collapsed with his back on the ground, too angry to try again.

From the beginning of their second year at the Academy, Iruka had started teaching them the basics of ninjutsu. Their first task was supposed to be easy. All they had to do was focus chakra on their forehead in order to stick a leaf on their face. It was the first step before learning how to mold it for any kind of jutsu.

The first one to understand how to do it was the pink-haired girl, Sakura. For some reason, after the final exams, Sakura was acting differently than usual. She had started spending time with Ino and had begun wearing a red ribbon as a headband. She was also more confident, raising her hand often in class. However, she still lagged behind almost everyone else in the physical activities.

A short time after her, Ino and Sasuke had both figured out the trick. Then, Hinata had been able to hold the leaf not only to her forehead but also to her arms and legs. She had explained that the Gentle Fist style of fighting gave her an advantage in that regard. Shikamaru and Chouji had gotten the hang of it as well, although Shikamaru only tried when Iruka was looking in his direction.

Little by little, the rest of the class had learned the Leaf Concentration Exercise. They had laughed and pointed at their foreheads, starting contests for who could hold their leaf for longer. After two days of practice and training, Naruto had been the only one who could not figure out how to do it. While everyone else celebrated, sticking their leaves to different parts of their body, Naruto could only look on in jealousy.

Annoyed with his failure, Naruto glared up at the sky. He had tried asking the other jinchuuriki for advice, too, but they had only told him to keep practicing. I guess it wasn't difficult for them either.

"Hey, loser, still can't figure it out?"

Naruto looked up and frowned. Sasuke was walking closer, wiping the sweat from his forehead. At his side, Hinata was taking sips of water, face red from exertion.

Naruto grimaced. "What's it to ya?"

"Hn. I'm just asking," Sasuke grumbled. Naruto felt a stab of guilt pierce through him. I guess Sasuke's just trying to be nice in his own way.

"Not well," Naruto grudgingly admitted. "I can't figure it out! Do you think..." Naruto swallowed and watched as Hinata and Sasuke turned to him, eyebrows raised. "Do you think there's something wrong with me!? Am I sick?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and even Hinata looked skeptical at his side.

"Naruto-kun," she began. "If you were sick, you would already know. You just need to keep practicing. I'm sure you can do it!"

"You're just stupid," Sasuke said. "That's your sickness."

"What'd you say about me?" Naruto shouted as he leaped forward to fight.

Their spar began. Hinata took a step back with only a sigh of exasperation. Naruto growled and shouted at Sasuke, but inside he felt a sense of relief. Fighting with him was a lot easier than trying to figure out how to use chakra.

In the end, Naruto won the match, pinning Sasuke down with his elbow.

"Hn, at least you're good for something, loser," Sasuke muttered.

"Whatever." Naruto rolled his eyes but inside he was jumping for joy. At least I'm good at this!

Naruto stood up and allowed Sasuke to extricate himself from his grip. He waited for Sasuke to brush the dirt off before starting a new match. From the sidelines, Hinata sighed in annoyance before going to sit and watch the next fight.

O-O-O-O-O

"Utakata-sensei, how much further until we get to the village?" Haku asked.

"Not much," Utakata answered. "Just a few more hours at this pace."

He heard Kasumi give out an exasperated sigh of annoyance, Haku grimacing at her side. To his relief, Kimimaro was silent and uncritical. Utakata shrugged, unbothered.

They were returning from their second C-ranked assignment: an escort mission to a mountain village. While the task was easy, it had been difficult to assure their client that he could trust a team of three children led by a teenager. I'm just glad the client didn't know about our background, or it would have been even more troublesome.

"Can't we run back, sensei?" Kasumi whined. "I'm hungry!"

"And I want to see Zabuza-sama," Haku added.

Utakata sighed and kept walking, ignoring the children as best as he could. He didn't see the point of rushing back home.

"We'll be there by dinnertime," he assured them. "Now stop whining and keep walking."

Haku and Kasumi grumbled but they nodded their agreement. Kimimaro said nothing, his face as emotionless as usual. Utakata looked back at his student. He's been even more quiet than usual. I wonder if he's all right.

"Hey, Kimimaro," he began. Kimimaro jumped at the mention of his name before his eyes turned to Utakata.

"Yes, sensei?" the boy asked. Utakata's eyes narrowed. Kimimaro's face looked more flushed than usual and he struggled to focus his eyes on anything. Utakata frowned.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

Kimimaro nodded his head. "I'm fine, sensei."

"Hungry?"

Kimimaro bit his lip. "A little," he admitted.

Utakata gave him a long scrutinizing glance. He felt like something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on why. I guess if he's hungry we should hurry home.

Utakata sighed. "Fine," he grumbled. "Let's get home faster. Are you ready to pick up the pace?" he asked.

Kasumi and Haku's eyes brightened. They nodded enthusiastically and cheered as they ran ahead of Utakata.

"Hey! Wait up!" Utakata yelled. "Stay in formation!" He leaped forward to take the lead once again.

Kasumi giggled, but she paused to let him get ahead. "How long till we're home, sensei?" she asked, Haku and Kimimaro at her sides. Her eyes were bright and mischievous, the spitting image of Yagura.

Utakata considered the question. He hummed thoughtfully to himself before coming up with an answer. "If we keep this speed..." he jumped over a fallen tree trunk. "We might get to the outskirts of the village in a little over an hour."

Kasumi cheered while Haku's lips quirked up in happiness. Only Kimimaro was unphased, his face as emotionless as usual.

The four of them kept running in silence for a few minutes until Utakata noticed Kimimaro lagging behind the other two. Utakata frowned to himself as he looked at his student from the corner of his eye. Is he really just hungry?

He didn't have to wait for an answer. At the moment when Utakata jumped over a small stream, Kimimaro collapsed, falling face-down on the mud.

"Kimimaro!" Utakata yelled. He stopped and ran back to where his student was lying on the ground. Less than a second later, Kasumi and Haku followed his lead. They hovered worriedly as Utakata picked Kimimaro up from the ground.

"Kimimaro," he said softly, placing his hand on Kimimaro's cheek. The boy was hot and breathing painfully. His face was pale and his forehead was furrowed in a frown. To his dismay, he refused to open his eyes.

"Kimimaro-kun!" Haku burrowed into his bag and pulled out a bottle of water before handing it over to Utakata. Utakata took it with thanks, pushing the bottle up to Kimimaro's lips. However, the boy refused to react and he remained unresponsive apart from his breathing.

"Shit," Utakata murmured under his breath. "This is bad. He needs a medic."

Utakata gazed up from his comatose student to look at the other two children. Kasumi's face was full of distress and she fidgeted with her hands, ready to do something. Haku, while appearing calm, had his eyes open wide and worried, staring down at Kimimaro.

Utakata picked up Kimimaro, slinging him across his back. To his dismay, the boy refused to react. He felt more like a doll than a real person. Dread formed in the pit of Utakata's stomach. I need to get him to the hospital as fast as I can.

He bit his lip and stared at the two other children. While the village was nearby and his students were talented, he couldn't leave them to find their way back to Kirigakure alone.

"I'm sorry," Utakata said. "I'm going to travel as fast as I can. Try to keep up with my pace. If I'm going too fast, tell me and I will slow down."

Kasumi and Haku nodded. While he could see the fear and panic in their eyes, they were also full of determination. Utakata frowned to himself before jumping away. To his relief, Kasumi and Haku remained at his sides, Kimimaro on his back. While he could tell the speed was faster than what was comfortable, they didn't complain and they refused to lag behind.

Utakata arrived at the village in record time. He flashed his identification to the gate guards before leaping over the walls.

"It's an emergency!" he yelled at the disgruntled guards as they stared after him in disbelief. From the corner of his eye, he saw Haku bowing his head down apologetically as they ran toward the hospital.

A few minutes later, Utakata barged through the front door of the hospital, Haku and Kasumi at his heels. A group of nurses jumped back at his sudden appearance before returning to their tasks.

"I need a medic!" Utakata screamed. To his relief, he saw a short male nurse running toward them.

"What happened?" he asked, voice calm and professional.

"He collapsed while we were running back to the village," Utakata explained. He could hear Haku and Kasumi panting in exhaustion behind him. "The last thing he said is that he was a little hungry. It could be a sudden illness."

The nurse nodded. "I see. We can take it from here." He signaled something to the other workers. At once, a group of medics and nurses came out with a gurney. Utakata placed Kimimaro's body on it. With trepidation, he watched them pull the boy away. Is it my imagination or is his breathing slower than usual?

He bit his lip and breathed out, slowly and deliberately, before his other two students could see. He headed to the receptionist's desk, Haku and Kasumi at his sides.

As he explained the situation, he tried to project an aura of calm. Haku and Kasumi stood with him in silence, listening as Utakata explained what happened. When he was done, the nurse nodded before leading them down a hall. Silent and anxious, the three of them followed her as she took them to a waiting room.

Utakata sat down first. He stared at the wall with a grimace. He felt his heart beating faster and faster inside his chest as he awaited any news. Haku and Kasumi sat next to him, equally silent and worried. They said nothing and stared at the wall as they waited to hear about Kimimaro's condition.

"Haku, Kasumi," Utakata said, startling the two children out of their worry.

"Y-yes, sensei?" Kasumi asked. She bit her lip, fidgeting with her hands.

"You did a good job keeping pace with me," he said. "I'm proud of you. I'm sure it must have been difficult."

"Is Kimimaro-kun going to be okay?" Haku asked, his face intentionally calm.

Utakata almost lied. He wanted to reassure not only his other two students but also himself. But he couldn't do it.

"I don't know," Utakata admitted.

Kasumi's eyes filled with tears, which she wiped with her forearm. She sniffled before turning her eyes to stare at the wall. Haku bit his lip, staring down at his knees. He said nothing else. Utakata tore his eyes away from the sight of his worried students. He forced himself to breathe out, slow and deep. He leaned his head against the wall and stared up at the ceiling.

O-O-O-O-O

Utakata was not sure how long they were forced to wait, silent and unmoving. None of them stirred, keeping their eyes focused determinedly on the wall, the ceiling, or their knees. Finally, after what seemed like days later, an older man appeared, wearing the uniform of a full medic.

Utakata bolted up from his chair. Kasumi and Haku joined him, standing at his heels.

"What is it? Is Kimimaro okay?" Utakata asked at once. "What was the problem?"

The medic walked closer. To Utakata's relief, he did not appear to have bad news. Utakata felt his heart rate begin to slow down.

"The boy is fine," the doctor said once he stood in front of them. "It was just exhaustion. He must have run out of chakra. We also found him dehydrated. I'm not sure how he could have been moving, considering the condition we found him in."

"What do you mean by 'just exhaustion'?" Utakata asked. "He was keeping up with our pace as we came back to the village!"

"Yes, he must have been pushing himself too much," the man said with a tired sigh before his face turned serious. "You should have been able to see that something was wrong," he scolded. "I can't believe he didn't say anything about wanting to get water or wanting to rest."

"He... he didn't," Utakata insisted as a chill ran down his spine. "He... never wants to tell us when something is wrong."

The medic raised an eyebrow before he sighed and began to walk away. "Well, whatever the case, your student is now awake. He's still exhausted and we're keeping him overnight for observation. You can go see him now. He's in room number 158."

Utakata nodded as he started to walk in the direction that the doctor had come from. Haku and Kasumi followed him. He was not sure if it was his imagination or if the two children were walking closer to his sides than usual.

As he walked, the feeling of worry was slowly replaced by anger and frustration. Furious, he walked faster, biting the inside of his cheek. Haku and Kasumi kept up effortlessly with his long strides, saying nothing.

They entered the hospital room a few seconds later. Kimimaro lay on a hospital bed, his body connected to a variety of tubes and wires that Utakata could not hope to understand. It made the boy look smaller and more vulnerable than ever before.

As soon as Kimimaro saw Utakata at the door, he sat up, straining with the effort. He smiled wanly when he saw the rest of his team.

"Kimimaro-kun!" Haku and Kasumi shouted in relief. They ran toward their teammate, standing next to his bed. Utakata remained at the entrance, more furious than he had been in a long time.

"Haku-kun, Kasumi-chan," Kimimaro whispered. His voice was weak and he struggled to talk, but he managed a smile for them.

"We were so worried about you!" Kasumi shouted. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she stood next to Kimimaro. Kimimaro's eyes widened, amazed to see someone crying over him. He raised a hand and placed it tentatively on her shoulder in comfort.

"Are you all right now, Kimimaro-kun?" Haku asked. He leaned forward until he was almost sitting on top of the mattress.

Kimimaro nodded feebly. "I'm okay now. I'm sorry for worrying you." Kasumi wiped the tears from her eyes and grinned at Kimimaro in relief.

Utakata clenched and unclenched his fists before stepping inside. He forced himself to breathe in and out, deep and slow, before he exploded, closing his eyes. Feeling as calm as he could considering the circumstances, he opened his eyes to glare down at his students, a grimace on his face.

"Kimimaro," he said. At once, the friendly conversation stopped as the three children turned to him.

"S-sensei?" Kimimaro stuttered. He grasped the blanket in his fists as he stared at Utakata, eyes wide and afraid. Utakata bit the inside of his cheek and swallowed, jaw clenched. He looked at both Haku and Kasumi, who stared at him in a combination of fear and confusion.

"Haku, Kasumi... Kimimaro," he said coldly. His three students startled at his tone as they turned their gaze up to him.

"What is it, Utakata-sensei?" Kasumi asked, brave as always.

"I want you to listen to me," Utakata said, keeping himself from yelling through sheer force of will. "A shinobi that endangers the mission by refusing to be honest about their condition does not deserve to be a shinobi at all."

The three children flinched at his words but said nothing. Utakata breathed out deeply once again, closing his eyes as he considered what to say next. When he opened his eyes, all three of his students were focused on him, attentive and anxious.

"You endangered the mission," Utakata said while focusing on Kimimaro, eyes cold and judgemental. "We found ourselves in an easily-avoidable situation because you refused to say anything about your condition. You put the lives of not only yourself at risk, but also your teammates and that I cannot forgive."

"I-I..." Kimimaro stuttered before looking down at his hands. He swallowed.

Utakata pushed down the urge to scream in frustration. "When you don't tell your teammates how tired you are, or how thirsty, you are only putting lives and the mission at risk. If you are too afraid to tell me, then, to be honest, you don't deserve to be my student."

Kimimaro flinched. He grabbed onto his blanket more tightly, grasping it in his hand. He stared down at his knees, his bangs hiding part of his face. He bit his lip, chastened.

Utakata turned his attention to the other two children. Their faces were pale, unnerved by Utakata's uncharacteristic anger.

"If any of you three lie about your health during a mission, I will take away your position as a shinobi," Utakata threatened. "I don't care what the problem is. You're hungry. You're thirsty. You need a break. Whatever the issue is, I need to know. Do you understand?"

His students nodded, looking away from Utakata.

"Do you understand?" he repeated louder. They nodded again, more frantically than before.

Utakata sighed. He crossed his arms in front of his chest in a combination of relief and anger.

"Good. Now, Kasumi. Haku." The boy and the girl jumped at the mention of their names. "Get us something to eat," he ordered. "It's late. Take some of my money. I need to speak with Kimimaro in private."

"Yes, sensei," Kasumi said.

She left Kimimaro's side with only a backward glance. Haku followed a short distance behind her. They said nothing else before taking Utakata's offered money. They departed, leaving Utakata and Kimimaro alone in the hospital room.

Utakata stared at his student. While he had managed to get out some of his anger earlier, he was still furious. The boy said nothing to defend himself as he grabbed onto the blanket, holding onto it like it was the only thing that existed. He waited for Kimimaro to speak, but the boy only stared down at his knees.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" Utakata asked, making Kimimaro flinch. "We got lucky this time. Your negligence could have gotten not just yourself killed, but also your entire team. Do you want to see Kasumi and Haku dead?"

Kimimaro shook his head, still silent as he stared at his knees.

"Is it difficult to say you're tired and need a break?" Utakata continued. "Why didn't you say anything?" He walked to his student's side, towering over Kimimaro as he waited impatiently for his answer.

"I... I didn't want to bother you," Kimimaro whispered.

"And now you've done more than bother us," Utakata commented with a snort.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he wished he could take them back. Kimimaro's eyes flooded with tears. He bent forward, pressing his face on top of the blanket. Utakata felt his jaw drop in surprise. He has known Kimimaro for nearly a year and he has yet to see him crying. He took a step forward to stand next to the boy.

"I'm sorry!" Kimimaro sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I won't do it again. But please... I can't..."

Utakata couldn't stand by and do nothing. His righteous anger had vanished. Biting his lip with guilt, he sat on the hospital bed next to Kimimaro. The boy startled at the sudden close contact, but he was too weak to move away.

Careful not to disturb any of the tubes and wires, he wrapped his arm around Kimimaro's shoulders. The boy protested for a second before letting Utakata pull him in. He cried, leaving trails of tears on Utakata's flak jacket.

Utakata tightened his hug, saying nothing as he allowed the boy to let all his emotions out of his system. Guiltily, he ran a hand through his hair, trying to offer as much comfort as he could. He's already dehydrated, crying is probably not a good idea.

After a while, Kimimaro's sobs subsided and he quieted, although Utakata kept a comforting arm over him. They sat together, silent in each other's company.

"Please don't kick me out, sensei," Kimimaro whispered into Utakata's midsection.

"Huh?" Utakata was startled by the sudden request. "Kick you out? Why would I kick you out?" he asked in confusion.

"You... you said I don't deserve to be your student," Kimimaro muttered. He broke out into fresh sobs. "A-are you gonna kick me out?"

I guess it would seem like that. Utakata sighed and shook his head. He tightened his grip around Kimimaro and the boy gratefully let himself be pulled in. "No, Kimimaro," he said. "Even if I stopped being your teacher, I would never, as you said, 'kick you out.'"

"N-never?" Kimimaro stuttered through his sobs. He pulled himself back from Utakata's hug to peer up at him, eyes red and wet.

"Never," Utakata confirmed, emphasizing the word.

"Oh." Kimimaro's eyes widened. He blushed and looked away from Utakata, although he didn't move away.

Utakata sighed. What a pain in the ass it is to be a teacher. I should buy Harusame-sensei a present as thanks for putting up with me. He deserves it.

Kimimaro lifted up his arm and rubbed his face with his sleeve. He looked up at Utakata, tears still dripping down his face.

"Do you mean it, sensei?" he asked. He trembled, looking more vulnerable than he ever had before. He looked as desperate as he had the first time they had trained together. What's the point of me being born?

"I do," Utakata answered without hesitation. He pulled Kimimaro in for another hug. That time, the boy reciprocated, wrapping his arms around his midsection as best as he could considering the wires connected to his body. They held onto each other until they heard a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" Utakata asked while Kimimaro jumped at the sudden sound.

"It's us, Utakata-sensei," Kasumi's familiar voice said. "We have food. Can we come in?"

Utakata glanced down at Kimimaro, who had moved back to a seated position and started rubbing at his face with a forearm. His face was splotchy and his eyes were red. He knew only an idiot would be unable to connect the dots and see that Kimimaro had been crying.

He groaned to himself. "One second," he shouted back.

He left Kimimaro's side. He headed to the bedside table and took a tissue. Gently, he wiped Kimimaro's face, although he knew the effort was useless. At the very least he won't look like a complete mess to his teammates.

Task done, he turned his attention back to his waiting students. "It's fine, you can come in," he yelled.

Not a second later, the door slammed open. Haku and Kasumi barged in, bringing in the wonderful smell of food. In the back of his mind, Utakata's stomach rumbled and he remembered how hungry he truly was. We haven't eaten anything since noon. It must be close to midnight by now.

"What did you get?" he asked, voice calm and steady.

Kasumi's eyes widened, obviously glad that Utakata was no longer furious. She grinned as she placed a bag full of takeout containers on the bedside table.

"Just some soba," Haku said as he walked next to her. "We also got some snacks for later. Some yogurt, too. For... Kimimaro."

Utakata nodded and turned his attention back to Kimimaro. To his relief, the boy, while still weak, no longer looked at the edge of breaking. Instead, Kimimaro smiled, although it was small and faint.

"Thank you," Kimimaro said.

"You're welcome," Haku said with a kind smile and bright eyes. He sat down at the foot of the bed. He handed Kimimaro a take-out bowl before opening his own. Kasumi joined him on the other side of the mattress with her own food.

Utakata took the last one for himself and sat at the empty chair in the corner. He remained silent while the three children talked. After the earlier panic, they chatted animatedly, discussed whatever came to mind. Utakata sighed in relief. Well, at least nothing permanent happened this time.

O-O-O-O-O

Naruto walked toward the small dock of the river near the Uchiha quarters.

Sasuke stood at the edge, back turned as he moved through the hand signs for the Great Fireball Jutsu. When he finished, he exhaled a small amount of fire instead of the fireball he wanted. He snorted in frustration.

Still better than anything I can do, though.

Sasuke had spent every waking minute of the past four days trying to get the hang of his clan's technique. Naruto and Hinata had been training without him since then. However, Hinata could only spend a few hours after school training before she had to go home, leaving Naruto alone.

Naruto was not going to say anything, but he was starting to miss spending time with Sasuke. On the bright side, Sasuke's mother had taken note of his loneliness and had begun teaching him new recipes.

"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, making the other boy startle in surprise.

Sasuke turned around with an annoyed frown. "What do you want, loser?"

"Still haven't learned the jutsu?" Naruto joined Sasuke's side at the edge of the dock, hands in his pockets.

Sasuke looked away. "Don't remind me."

Naruto sighed. "Well, at least you can do something," he whined. "I still can't figure out how to stick a dumb leaf to my face. I mean... I can feel my chakra, so I know I have it, ya know? Just can't use it!"

Defeated, he sat down at the edge, kicking his legs back and forth above the water. He looked down at his reflection. Almost a month and I'm still the only one that can't do the task. Stupid leaf concentration thing.

He heard Sasuke sigh before sitting down at his side. "I don't get why you can't do it either, Naruto," he conceded. "I don't know how to explain it. It's easy."

"Do you think..." Naruto swallowed. From the corner of his eye, he saw Sasuke turn to look at him. "Do you think there's something wrong with my chakra?" Naruto didn't think he could become a shinobi without chakra, let alone the Hokage.

He saw Sasuke shift uncomfortably. While the idea had seemed laughable at first, the possibility was becoming more likely by the day. "I don't know," Sasuke admitted. "I never heard of a ninja without chakra before. Maybe you don't have enough chakra to hold a leaf yet?"

"Maybe," Naruto agreed with a shrug.

Or maybe the Kyuubi has something to do with it. As time passed and he still could not stick a leaf to his face, Naruto was beginning to suspect the Kyuubi of interfering with his chakra. He knew the Ichibi liked to mess with Gaara. He wondered if the Kyuubi was doing the same thing.

With nothing else to say, Naruto and Sasuke sat side by side, despondent in their own failures.

"Oh, right, I remembered why I came!" Naruto bolted up and looked down at Sasuke with a grin. "Auntie told me to give you this!" He rummaged into his pocket before pulling out a jar of ointment and some bandages.

Sasuke blinked up at him before taking the offering. "Oh, thanks," he murmured, opening the jar. He began to rub it over his burned face and hands.

"Auntie said you're too distracted," Naruto scolded. "She says you get so focused on what you're doing, you forget about everything else, ya know!"

Sasuke snorted but didn't dispute Naruto's words. "Look who's talking. You're the same."

Naruto grinned before continuing with his message. "Auntie also told me to tell you that you need to cover the wounds completely," he ordered. "Or else they won't heal!"

Sasuke sighed and unwrapped a bandage to put on his mouth. "It's not like everyone has a healing kekkei genkai. At least you have that."

Naruto's eyes widened in shock and he took an involuntary step back. "K-kekkei genkai?" he stuttered. "W-why do you say that?"

"You never noticed it?" Sasuke tilted his head to the side, looking up at him with a frown. "You heal faster than anyone else I've seen. You never stay hurt for long. It's a kekkei genkai, isn't it?"

Naruto swallowed. "Well... maybe. I... I wouldn't know if it is," he lied. "I... don't know my family, ya know."

Sasuke frowned. "I suppose. But it's still convenient to heal quickly."

"I guess." Naruto shrugged, hoping Sasuke wouldn't pry. He felt a confession threatening to burst out but he bit his tongue to hold it in. Fuu's friends already abandoned her. If I tell Sasuke about the Kyuubi, he won't wanna be my friend anymore. Hinata, too.

Sasuke stared him up and down. "What is it, loser?" he asked. "My family has a kekkei genkai. If you have one too, then maybe you'll actually be able to keep up with me."

Naruto was snapped out of his worries. "Yeah, yeah, if you say so," he muttered with a snort. "I don't need one to get stronger than you, ya know!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and stood up, holding the jar out for Naruto to take back. "We'll see. Figure out the Leaf Concentration Exercise and then maybe it'll be even."

Naruto grinned and he saw Sasuke smirk in response. "Sure!" he said. "Anyway, I'll see you later. Auntie is teaching me how to make omurice!"

"See you, loser."

At that, Sasuke turned back to look out at the dock. With his back to Naruto, he tried the jutsu one more time. Naruto wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but the ball of fire looked bigger than the last time.

Naruto forced himself to push down the jealousy threatening to explode out of him. He turned around and walked back to Sasuke's house, deep in thought.

He had heard some of the jinchuuriki talking about the Kyuubi before. They had said it was strong and powerful, but also arrogant and vindictive. Years ago, the other jinchuuriki had told him to hold off on talking to it as long as he could. But with Sasuke already advancing so much in just a few months, Naruto needed to learn why he couldn't use his chakra.

He bit his lip and grasped at his shirt, over his stomach. I need to talk to the Kyuubi. But first... I need to know how.

O-O-O-O-O

"So then, I tried to use the fourth tail, but I lost control and punched the wall instead," Fuu recounted with a giggle. "And then the wall exploded into tiny fragments! Takumi-sensei looked at the edge of tears, but Chomei was laughing and Mariko-sensei thought it looked funny, too! Anyway, so now we don't have a wall in our house. A lot of bugs have gotten in already. Takumi-sensei doesn't like it, but I think-"

Naruto nodded absently, not sure what to say to Fuu's blabbering. They were lying with their stomachs on the floor, conjured paper and pencils in front of them. A few weeks earlier, Gaara had shown off his drawing abilities, making both Naruto and Fuu jealous. Since then, they had spent their evenings practicing. While neither was particularly bad, Gaara was still better than both of them combined. Probably because he has more time to practice.

Earlier in the evening, Gaara and Roshi had joined them for a bit before disappearing, leaving Naruto alone with Fuu. Naruto had thought about asking for Fuu's advice on the Kyuubi but had decided against it. While Fuu already had contact with the Nanabi, Chomei, he wasn't sure what kind of advice she could give him. He needed to get rid of Fuu and talk to the older jinchuuriki instead.

"Oh... uh... Fuu nee-chan," Naruto interrupted.

Fuu stopped her diatribe to meet Naruto's eyes, tilting her head to the side. "What is it, Naruto-kun?" she asked with a bright smile.

"I'm uh... tired," he lied as he stood up, pretending to yawn. "I think I'm gonna go to sleep early, ya know. Goodbye."

Fuu grunted in assent and nodded, a grin on her face. "Sure! Good night, Naruto-kun!" She stood up as well, allowing their art supplies to disappear. She walked in front of him and placed a small kiss on his forehead.

"Good night, nee-chan!" Naruto hugged her in return.

With that, she disappeared, leaving Naruto holding onto empty air. He blinked. That was easier than I thought.

He didn't wait any longer before running to Roshi's Door.

'Mama?' he asked tentatively.

He got an immediate response. 'What is it, Naruto-kun?' Roshi asked.

Naruto bit his lip before answering. 'I need to talk to you. Papa and Yagura-san, too. Can you come with me?'

Naruto felt a wave of concern emanating from Roshi's Door. 'One second.'

At that, Roshi appeared next to Naruto, his eyebrows creased in worry. He seemed to relax when he saw Naruto completely calm and unharmed. "What happened?"

Naruto shuffled his feet. "It's kinda hard to explain," he began. "And I want to talk to Papa and Yagura-san, too."

"All three of us?" Roshi raised a confused eyebrow. "Is it important?"

Naruto nodded his head enthusiastically before running to Han's Door. "I'll explain when everyone is here!" he called out as he ran.

Roshi sighed. "Sure, Naruto-kun. I'll get Yagura for you." He began walking away toward a door marked with the kanji for the number three.

Naruto grinned in return before placing his hand on top of Han's Door.

'Papa! I need to talk to you!' Naruto said. 'Can you come here?'

He heard Han sigh. 'Are you ever going to stop calling me that? Aren't you too old for that, anyway?'

Naruto giggled to himself. 'Never! Anyway, can you come? Mama is already here.'

Han sighed again. 'Sure.'

A second later, he stood behind Naruto, towering over him. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked, voice calm and collected as usual.

Naruto scratched the top of his head. "It's kinda hard to explain..." he said. "And I want to talk to Mama and Yagura-san, too."

"Why do you call him Yagura-san when I'm still 'Papa'?" Han asked, exasperated.

Naruto shrugged, not knowing how to respond. He had been calling Han 'Papa' for so long, using a different name for him would be weird. He grabbed onto Han's hand and pulled him away and toward the center of the Room, where Roshi and Yagura were already waiting, sitting on the floor.

Han and Naruto joined them, forming a circle of jinchuuriki.

"So what's the deal, kid?" Yagura asked with a yawn, lounging back on the floor. "Couldn't you have talked to us earlier? I was doing something important!"

"You were sleeping," Han said.

"Exactly." Yagura rolled his eyes, collapsing with his back on the floor. Han and Roshi both groaned in exasperation.

"You said you would explain when we were all here," Roshi said, trying to refocus on the conversation. "What's so important that you needed to talk to us alone, Naruto-kun?"

"Well, uh..." Naruto stared down at his knees. "It's kinda an embarrassing question, ya know..."

At that, Yagura sat up, a teasing smirk on his face. "Oh, the day has finally come!" he said cheerfully. "So you finally want to learn where babies come from, huh? You see, when a man gets certain urges, he-"

Naruto blinked. Urges? Before Yagura could explain anything else, Han slapped his hand over Yagura's mouth. He shook his head. "Let Naruto talk or I'll kick your ass," he threatened. "He's too young to learn about that anyway."

Yagura rolled his eyes but nodded. Satisfied, Han pulled his hand away.

Wait, now I wanna know! Where do babies come from? Naruto shook his head to push away the thought. He had more important things to discuss.

"Fine," Yagura muttered, previous cheerfulness gone. "What's the problem, Naruto-kun?"

"Ya know how I can't figure out the Leaf Concentration Exercise?" he asked, shifting nervously on the floor. He saw the three jinchuuriki nod, frowns on their faces. Naruto gulped. "Well... I was thinking... what if... the Kyuubi is messing with my chakra somehow? Cause the Ichibi does that to Gaara, ya know?"

In an instant, the mood of the Room transformed. The three men grimaced. Han shook his head while Yagura sighed and Roshi clenched his hands into fists. They had not looked so serious since Yagura had almost died. Naruto gulped and waited for them to speak.

"It's possible," Yagura eventually admitted. "But, if he is, it's a very precarious situation. I'm not sure what you could do about it, given your age. You're still just a kid."

Naruto pouted. "Hey! I'm almost eight!" he argued. "Fuu nee-chan talked to Chomei-san when she was only ten!"

Han sighed, frown deepening. "Yeah, but Chomei is Chomei. The Kyuubi is... the Kyuubi."

"Huh?" Naruto tilted his head to the side.

Han closed his eyes and hummed to himself, considering how to explain.

"The Kyuubi is a fucking asshole, Naruto-kun," Yagura answered.

"Yagura!" Roshi shouted.

"What?"

"Language!"

Yagura shrugged, seemingly unimpressed by Roshi's tone. He focused his attention back on Naruto. "The truth is," he began. "That the other bijuu don't have any good things to say about the Kyuubi."

Han grunted in assent. "I've heard. Kokuo-san says he's the only one of her siblings she can't stand. She told me she even prefers Shukaku's company."

"Same with Son Goku," Roshi added. "Although he said he wasn't sure if Shukaku or Kurama were worse. Whenever he starts complaining about them, it takes him a long time to calm down. Kurama is one of his favorite subjects to whine about, though."

"Kurama?" Naruto frowned. "Who's Kurama?"

"Oh, right." Roshi chuckled to himself. "Kurama is the true name of the Nine-Tailed Fox. Son Goku always refers to the bijuu by their full names, so I guess I picked up the habit." He scratched the back of his neck bashfully.

"Isobu says he is, and I quote, 'a fucking arrogant dick.' Which is saying something because Isobu almost never curses." Yagura lounged back on the floor, staring at Naruto with a pensive frown on his face. "I thought it was dangerous enough when Chomei wanted to meet Fuu. I don't want you to meet the Kyuubi until you're at least a genin. Who knows what it could do?"

Han exhaled, slow and heavy, before adding his own thoughts. "Kokuo-san told me the Kyuubi has always been overbearing and manipulative," he said. "It was the first bijuu created by the Sage of Six Paths. Because of that, he believes he is the strongest of the nine. I'm afraid of what could happen if you met him."

"I think it's a bad idea to talk to it, Naruto-kun," Roshi added.

"You really shouldn't," Yagura finished with a sigh.

Naruto nodded before looking down at his knees, downcast. He balled his hands into fists and gritted his teeth. "But..." He paused to swallow. "But if I can't figure out how to control my chakra, I won't be able to graduate at all."

To Naruto's annoyance, he felt tears beginning to form behind his eyes. He pushed them back through sheer force of will. Quiet fell in the Room. From the corner of his eye, Naruto saw the three men sharing uneasy glances.

"If you truly want to talk to the Kyuubi, there's nothing I can do to stop you, Naruto-kun," Yagura said after a long pause. Naruto clenched his jaw again. "But you are correct in that it's possible it has been able to affect your chakra. And that you might be able to figure it out if you talk to it."

Naruto looked up at that. He gulped. "You... you mean that?"

Yagura nodded, although he still seemed uneasy about the idea. "I do."

"Take one more day to see if you can gain access to your chakra," Han ordered. "If by tomorrow night you still can't, we'll tell you how to get in contact with the Kyuubi."

Naruto breathed out a sigh of relief. He smiled, although he still felt uneasy. "Yes, Papa, I'll try."

Han grunted in annoyance. "What did I say about calling me that?"

"Sorry, Papa," Naruto apologized, beaming up at the man. Han sighed in exasperation while Yagura and Roshi struggled to hold back their laughter.

O-O-O-O-O

A/N: A sex ed lesson with Yagura would be more explicit than necessary.

I'm so sorry that this chapter took a bit longer than usual. I'll try to get back to weekly updates. Also, in case you didn't notice, there are now TWO chapters of the spin-off story "Two Doors to the Right." Please read chapter 2 if you want to read about 4-year-old Itachi crying after getting a haircut.

If you still use Tumblr, my account is waffledogwrites.

Next chapter: foxy conversations.