Chapter 5 – Sasuke's Fate, Naruto's Date, & Kakashi's Plan Revealed!

Late Night – Council Meeting Room

Shikaku Nara groaned as he laid his head upon the table. "It's so late. Why call a meeting at 11:00 at night? I should be at home curled up next to my wife right now enjoying a good, long…" The lazy Nara clan head didn't get to finish his verbal thought as he began yawning loudly. "Meh, until the meeting starts I'm going to rest my eyes."

"Shikaku, don't you dare. Sit up and listen." The command startled the lazy Jonin Commander and everyone soon stared towards the now open doors as five people walked in. The first was easy to recognize: the Sandaime Hokage donning his Hokage hat and robes. Behind him, off to either side were two very recognizable Jonin sensei: Sean the Wind God and Kakashi Hatake, wielder of the Sharingan and ex-ANBU member. Finally, bringing up the rear was one of Hiruzen's personal ANBU who was guiding a restrained Sasuke Uchiha into the room. Seeing this, many people gasped and waited for their Hokage to take his seat before they began to question him for this 'act of barbarism' as some people whispered.

Upon taking his seat, the Sandaime Hokage motioned for Sean and Kakashi to take up positions beside him, slightly behind his chair. As they did, Sean shot a glance at Hiruzen's old teammates and Danzo Shimura as well. Narrowing his eyes as his gaze lingered on them just a moment longer, Sean found himself smirking before turning to face forward along with Kakashi and Hiruzen. It wasn't much longer before the ANBU escorted Sasuke forward and pushed him down onto his knees.

"Many of you are probably wondering why you have been brought here at such a late hour. Even more of you are likely wondering why the last Uchiha is on his knees, restrained in this very room. It all ties in with the latest mission I sent Team 7 on. The first thing I would like to make known is that Sasuke Uchiha is no longer a member of Team 7. Due to his actions on the recent mission, I have made the decision to replace him with a new member. This meeting is to determine the fate of this Uchiha and make it known to everyone here what kind of person he truly is." Staring around the room, the Hokage and his two companions found that the Shinobi side seemed to be willing to listen and were genuinely curious to know what had happened. Meanwhile, those on the Civilian side seemed to be fuming at the treatment of their precious Uchiha. It was obvious that many of them might not be willing to listen to everything that needed to be said. Finally, glancing over his shoulders, he could see his old teammates and Danzo were very unhappy with this turn of events.

Chuckling under his breath, the Hokage raised his hand to silence everybody in the room. "According to these two next to me, Sasuke did some truly terrible things during Team 7's mission to Wave Country. The Uchiha's actions were very unbecoming for a ninja and he disgraced Konoha's and the Uchiha clan's name." This got a rise out of Sasuke personally and he flashed his Sharingan, glaring hatefully up at the three that had put him into this position in the first place. Good, that's exactly what I was counting on Sasuke. They need to see you for what you really are.

"Boy, you would do well to deactivate your doujutsu in the presence of your Hokage. Such an act could be taken as a threat; were you not currently restrained of course." Hiashi Hyuga stated calmly as he glared down at Sasuke. Others shared his sentiments with either murmurs or a nod of their heads.

"Thank you Hiashi-san, but it is not necessary. In fact, it's good that Sasuke is showing this side of himself. It's important that people see him for what he is. Now, if everyone will remain quiet, I will continue." Glancing around the room to make sure he had everyone's attention, Sarutobi smiled and nodded his head before continuing on. "A little over a week ago, I assigned Team 7 what was supposed to be a C-rank mission. However, shortly after leaving our village, they were ambushed by Kirigakure's missing-nin, the Demon Brothers. After dispatching their foes, Team 7 had a talk with Tazuna, the bridge builder that they were charged with escorting."

Looking to Kakashi, Hiruzen nodded for him to take over explaining the mission and his findings. Stepping forward, the Copycat Ninja bowed his head momentarily to everyone as is the proper sign of respect. When he had finished, the silver-haired Jonin continued from where the dear Hokage left off. "As Hokage-sama explained, we had a talk with Tazuna-san. After threatening to leave him to fend for himself for lying to us, the bridge builder cracked and began to tell us his story. Long story short, we learned that Gato of Gato Industries was behind the troubles in Wave Country. It wasn't hard to deduce that with such a powerful man behind the troubles that he would hire stronger ninja to try and assassinate the bridge builder."

Glancing around the room to make sure everyone understood the situation thus far, Kakashi continued on. "It should go without saying that I sent a letter back with one of my ninken to inform Hokage-sama of the situation. I also requested for Team 8 specifically to come and assist Team 7 in our mission." Looking over his shoulder, Kakashi gave an eye smile to Sean which he quickly returned with a grin of his own. Turning back to face forward once more, Kakashi became serious once more. "As expected, shortly after entering Wave Country and journeying towards Tazuna-san's house, we were attacked by another missing-nin from Kirigakure: Zabuza Momochi, a.k.a. the Demon of the Hidden Mist and one of the legendary Swordsmen of the Mist."

"With that development, your C-rank mission was easily an A-rank mission at the very least! What the hell happened out there Kakashi?" Kakashi, Sean, and Hiruzen glanced towards Hiashi once more. It seemed that the Hyuga clan head actually did care more for his daughter than he let on. Nodding his head in response, Kakashi went on. "Since this was before Team 8 arrived to assist us, I fought Zabuza and managed to defeat him in the end. I admit that it was a hard fought battle, but he was, for the most part, easily dealt with. But enough of that. The point of bringing all of this up was to address the seriousness of the mission."

When everyone nodded, Hiruzen motioned for Sean to step forward and continue. After making sure he understood perfectly well what the Hokage wanted him to discuss with the Council, Sean stepped forward and bowed to everyone in turn. "Team 8 arrived a couple days later. At this time, Team 7 was undergoing training in the tree-climbing exercise. With Kurenai-san and I there, we helped with Team 7's training as well as more advanced training for the Genin of Team 8. But their training is not why this particular meeting was called."

Seeing everyone nod again and hearing some of them urging him to continue and get to the point, Sean bowed his head momentarily and then glanced towards Sasuke. "As mentioned earlier, this meeting has to do with the last Uchiha in our village. Kakashi-san and I bore witness to a few of the things Sasuke pulled in the Land of Waves, but the first serious thing he did took place when Sasuke and Shino were battling Zabuza's accomplice, Haku, on the nearly finished bridge." Turning his gaze to Shibi Aburame, Sean frowned and bowed his head again. "Before I continue, I would first like to offer my apologies to you Shibi-san. Sasuke simply refused to work with your son to face a clearly superior foe. I trained your son as much as possible in the short time we had. In fact, Kurenai, Kakashi, and I all did. However, due to Sasuke's arrogance, Shino was injured in an attempt to protect his teammate."

Pointing at the young Uchiha to drive his point across, Sean continued. "When Shino was struck down, Sasuke's arrogance simply increased apparently. Without his teammate to 'hold him back', Sasuke figured that the battle was more fun for him then or something along those lines. Again, Kakashi-san and I weren't participants in that battle as the two of us were battling Zabuza at the time." With a heavy sigh, he glanced to the Hokage and watched him nod to continue.

Frowning at this, Sean looked down for a moment and shook his head before continuing once more. "At some point during the battle with Haku, Naruto saved Sasuke from what would have been certain death. However, Sasuke's arrogance again got in the way of logic and reason. Naruto managed to convince Haku to cease fighting and even managed to use words to subdue her. All it took was Naruto speaking with her on an emotional level and Haku was swayed to see his point of view. She gave up fighting against our Genin and became fast friends with Naruto-kun."

When Sasuke grinned, Sean could feel his anger rising and quickly dug his fingernails into the palms of his hand to calm himself. As his hands bled, he glanced to the Hokage. Throughout the Civilian Council's side of the room, it was easy to hear them muttering about the 'Demon Brat' and various other comments they were making about Naruto.

While Sean attempted to calm himself, the Sandaime Hokage rose from his chair and emitted a large amount of killing intent to shut everyone up. "Do you think we cannot hear the comments you make about Naruto-kun?! He used no such 'demon magic' as you claim to take control of the girl. If you would only take the opportunity to truly get to know the boy, you fools would come to realize that Naruto has a natural charisma about him that draws people to him. Some of your CHILDREN are quite fond of Naruto-kun, but you refuse to acknowledge it and continue to blame him for things beyond his control! Now be quiet and let Sean speak!" Sitting down once more, Hiruzen nodded for Sean to continue.

Sean bowed his head to the Sandaime again as a sign of thanks before turning and facing Sasuke once more. "When Haku was about to speak with Naruto, about to confide in him…Sasuke snuck up on her and embedded a kunai in her back. She was no longer an enemy and she had given up the fight. There was no need for such an act of barbarism and yet he apparently took pleasure in what he did!" Seeing the reactions of the Shinobi side of the council and then listening to the Civilian side…Sean found himself groaning in disgust. Pointing down at their precious Uchiha, Sean shouted at them again. "Look at your precious Uchiha brat and see the truth! He's grinning about these disgusting acts he's committed! Did you know that Haku is now one of us?! A Konoha shinobi! Haku is a pure soul with a truly kind heart. She, unlike so many of you, truly cares for Naruto as a person!"

Sighing again, the Wind God lowered his gaze when he felt a hand upon his shoulder. He didn't need to look to know who it was. "T-Thank you Hokage-sama. I'm sorry, but I just can't stand some people in this village." When Hiruzen simply gave him a knowing smile, Sean turned and hugged him gently for a moment before releasing him and letting Kakashi take over.

"Immediately after what Sasuke did…some of the Kyuubi's chakra leaked from the seal placed by the Yondaime Hokage. This is especially important for you civilians to listen to, so pay close attention as I will not repeat myself to you!" Upon making sure that he had everyone's attention, Kakashi continued. "Naruto retained control, though his anger was clearly evident. Naruto Uzumaki attacked Sasuke and would probably have killed him had Hinata Hyuga not stepped in and calmed Naruto. Before you say ANYTHING, I want you to listen very, very carefully, ALL OF YOU! Naruto listened to the words Hinata spoke and the Kyuubi's chakra receded back into the seal. That young boy was calmed by the kindness that Hinata showed him. Thanks to your daughter Hiashi-sama, both Naruto and Sasuke were saved. She's a very brave soul."

Offering Hiashi his usual eye smile, Kakashi chose to continue. "Despite what some of you may think about Naruto, he showed surprising maturity during this mission. It is thanks to Naruto that Haku's life was spared. It is also thanks to Naruto and Sean both that Zabuza returned with us willingly and shared information with us on a number of topics. Something about Naruto changes people. With Hinata for instance, she's gaining more and more courage the more time she spends with Naruto. Shino is gradually speaking more. I could say more for others, but I think my point has been made."

Allowing his words to sink in for a time, Kakashi turned his gaze to Sasuke and frowned behind his mask. "Later that night…Sasuke did something more that helped settle the decision Kurenai, Sean, and I made regarding his placement on Team 7. As it was pointless to keep it hidden from the Genin of Teams 7 & 8 any longer as they were already suspicious of him for what he had displayed on the bridge earlier in the day, Naruto revealed to them that he is the Jinchuriki that houses the Kyuubi. Sasuke…said some terrible things that caused some real problems at the time."

At this, Hiruzen held up his hand and then stared down at Sasuke. "Would you care to repeat what you said to Naruto, Sasuke? I think the Council deserves to hear this, don't you?" When Sasuke scoffed in response, the Hokage shook his head and sighed. "As you wish. Sasuke said something along the lines of: "No wonder your parents abandoned you. Who would want some 'demon scum' for a child?" Quite despicable don't you think? However, that's not all. Kakashi, would you care to continue please?"

Kakashi nodded and stepped forward once more, shooting an apologizing glance to Sean before he began. "Upon saying this, my comrade here, Sean, lost his temper and assaulted Sasuke. Sasuke's behavior continued to egg him on until Zabuza and I had to restrain him before he killed the Uchiha. Sasuke proceeded to threaten Sean by getting the Council to revoke his duties as a Konoha shinobi. We led Sean back inside, but not before I gave a few choice words to Sasuke. Rather than give you the full speech, I would prefer to explain this to you: No matter how hard my fellow sensei and I try, Sasuke still doesn't understand the concept of teamwork. He continues to believe that he doesn't need anybody's help and can do everything on his own. The truth of the matter is, Sasuke is a lost cause. A great many of you have fed the Uchiha's ego to the point that he believes he's the most important person in Konoha and deserves special treatment. With this mindset, he will continue to pose a threat to his teammates as well as himself. Thus, my fellow sensei and I chose to remove him from Team 7 with Hokage-sama's permission."

At this point, the Hokage glanced around the room and closed his eyes a moment before speaking. "One of the first things Sasuke did upon 'greeting' me in my office earlier today was make demands of me." When he heard the many gasps in the room, Hiruzen chuckled quietly to himself and went on. "As can be expected, Sasuke demanded I 'deal' with Sean and punish him in some way. Instead of accepting that he is responsible for his actions and what he has brought upon himself, Sasuke continues to blame others for what happens to him. And this brings us to the present. I ask of you now: what do we do with the last Uchiha?"

The majority of people in the room began to discuss things amongst themselves and their groups, but the first one to speak up was, of course, Danzo. "Hokage-sama, perhaps Sasuke should be assigned to someone as an apprentice. He clearly doesn't work well in a team, and if he's assigned a proper sensei, perhaps he may learn some true respect for his elders and may even come to understand the situation for what it is. In fact, I could even suggest that you hand him over to me for a time…"

Sarutobi quickly cut Danzo off with a wave of his hand. "I wouldn't even think of turning him over to you Danzo. We all know what kind of person you are and I'd be a fool to turn him over to you where you could then train him as a tool to use against me at a later date. However, I must admit that your idea does hold some merit. However, that raises more problems than it truly solves. First, who would be willing to train the arrogant Uchiha? Second, should he wish to participate in the Chunin Exams coming up in three months, how would we go about permitting him entrance to the exams?"

Tsume Inuzuka chose this moment to speak up and voice her opinion. "Hokage-sama, I don't mean any offense here, but why are we even considering this? After hearing all of this, wouldn't it be so much simpler to slap some kind of chakra restriction seal on the Uchiha and confine him to his home where he can't do anybody anymore harm?" A lot of people seemed to voice their agreement to this plan, but Sarutobi quickly dismissed it.

"As much as I'd personally love to do that, such an action would very likely cause turmoil within the village. It would do more harm than good I'm afraid." With a heavy sigh, the Hokage rubbed the bridge of his nose a moment before looking around the room. "I suppose the best we can do is keep him detained until we can find a suitable sensei for him. Someone that can handle the fool. We'll discuss his participating in the Chunin Exams at a later date. ANBU, please escort the Uchiha from the room."

After Sasuke was escorted from the room, Sean looked at the Hokage expectantly. He desperately wanted to get out and get some sleep! However, it seemed that the dear Hokage had other plans. Hiruzen Sarutobi allowed the civilians to return home, but the shinobi had to stay for something more. Grumbling to himself, Sean waited for Hiruzen to get on with it.

"The second matter deals with four Genin teams. To be more specific, it deals with Teams 7 through 10. As some of you may know, Sean has been working as an assistant sensei for Team 8. Earlier today, Kakashi brought something to my attention when he was coming up with plans for a new training regimen for Team 7. From now onwards, Teams 7 through 10 shall each have an assistant sensei. Each month until the Chunin Exams, the assistant sensei shall be reassigned to a different team. This way, Teams 7 through 10 shall each receive more training in various areas. On top of this, each sensei will bring something new to the table and the Genin will be able to learn so much more than they would with a single Jonin sensei. It has already proven highly effective for Team 8, as I'm sure you can attest to, correct Tsume?"

Tsume nodded calmly and smiled at the Hokage. "That is very true Hokage-sama. Kiba has improved tremendously under Sean's tutelage, and he even took the time to come and speak with us about increasing his training regimen at home. And if I may say so, I think this is a very sound plan Hokage-sama. You and Kakashi-san are geniuses for having thought of such a thing! If I may ask though, who will the other assistant sensei be?"

Sean was wondering the exact same thing. He wasn't fond of this idea as it meant he would be away from his favorite student for a longer time than he would have hoped, but even he had to admit that it was a sound plan. When Sandaime-sama began to speak, Sean and the others listened intently to his decision. "Starting tomorrow, the assistant sensei for Team 8 will be Anko Mitarashi. Sean will be assisting Team 7 for the month. Team 9 will have Yugao Uzuki for the month. Finally, Team 10 will have Genma Shiranui as their assistant sensei. Any objections to these choices?"

Sean looked towards Kakashi for a moment before looking to the Hokage and speaking up. "Umm…can I leave some notes for Anko-san about some of the training I had planned for Team 8? It's only a week-long regimen, and I wouldn't mind her putting her own unique spin on things, but I kind of promised a week of hell for Kiba for a comment he made back in Wave. I'd hate to just let him get off easy thanks to this."

When Hiruzen started to laugh heartily, Sean rubbed the back of his head nervously as Tsume and another joined in. When they finally calmed down enough for the Hokage to speak, Sean listened to him intently. "Yes, yes Sean, you may leave some notes with Kurenai and she will be informed to pass them to Anko tomorrow morning when Team 8 meets. Now, is there anything else?" Glancing around at everyone, Hiruzen was glad to see that there were no more objections. Rising from his seat, the Hokage smiled and nodded to them. "Good. This meeting is adjourned. Farewell, and make sure your kids have a healthy breakfast tomorrow. After all, they're definitely going to need it."

Next Morning – Team 8 Training Ground – 8:00 AM

Naruto, Sakura, and Kiba all looked at the newcomer incredulously. After what felt like an eternity of silence, Naruto pointed a finger at the Snake Mistress accusingly. "What the hell are you doing here? Where the hell is Sean-sensei?!"

Anko glared down at the brat and grumbled. "Why the hell'd I get stuck with a bunch of Gakis? This just isn't fair." Sighing in defeat, the busty woman waved a note in the air. "Listen Gaki, and don't question me! It seems Kakashi, Kurenai here, and Hokage-sama came up with some kinda plan yesterday. For the rest of this month, I'm your new assistant sensei. Teams 7 through 10 each have assistant sensei now. You wanna know why this was actually decided? It's 'cause apparently Sean did such a damn good job helping you become great little Genin that they felt it was a good idea for each of these four teams have the same kind of treatment. By rotating us every month until the Chunin Exams and perhaps beyond that, the hope is that you'll all be so well-rounded that nothing those exams throw your way will be able to stop you. Happy now Gaki?"

The three Genin looked down and sighed sadly. "We're going to miss Sean-sensei. Despite being such a slave driver, he was always good to us. Who is he teaching now? Do you know?" At this, Anko looked to Kurenai and shrugged. The Genjutsu Mistress took a step forward and smiled at each of them. "Sean's helping Kakashi train Team 7 at the moment. That means that Hinata Hyuga, Haku, and Shino Aburame are receiving his special treatment right about now." Smirking at that, the two sensei looked to each other and laughed at the prospect of Kakashi and Sean driving those poor Genin into the ground.

Soon, Anko pulled out another note and grinned at the three Genin. "Okay, which one of you is Kiba?" At this, Kiba gulped nervously and slowly raised his hand. Oh God, please, please, PLEASE don't tell me that's what I think it is! Kiba thought to himself in horror of what the note might be. "Ahh, good. Okay Dog Breath, it seems you pissed Sean off real good. Not sure how you pulled that off, but he has a full list of crap here he wants you to do. I can guarantee that if we stick to this training schedule, you're not even going to be able to walk by the end of the week. Sooo, that being said, I decided to add my own flair to this training schedule of his. Here, take a look."

After handing the note to Kiba, Naruto and Sakura both peered over his shoulders to read it as well. All three visibly paled at what was written down. "I'm screwed." Anko smirked and nodded her head. Smiling proudly at him, the Snake Mistress patted the boy on both of his shoulders. "Ohhh yes, you're very screwed, and not in a good way. You'll have to wait a good while for that to happen to you Runt. Now go on and get started. In the meantime, Kurenai-chan and I are going to play with Sakura and Naruto. Let's see what you've got kiddos!"

With Team 7

"Come on, come on, come on! You're not moving fast enough! Do you want me to catch you?!" Sean shouted as he chased after the three Genin of Team 7 with his sword flashing in the air before him. As the three Genin ran in fear of their lives, they each tried to come up with some kind of plan to get the crazy bastard off their tails. Turning her head to look at Shino, Haku quickly shouted at him. "Do you think those bugs of yours can slow him down? I tried to strike him with my ice senbon, but he blew them away!"

Shino glanced behind him and quickly shook his head. By this point the bug user's hood had fallen back, revealing his spiky brown hair and disheveled face. "I doubt my friends would be of any help in this situation. The only thing I can think of to do is distract him long enough with our abilities until Hinata-san can sneak up behind him and disable him, thus enabling our getaway."

Hinata glanced back at Sean and paled to the point it looked like she was about to be sick. "Y-You want me to disable THAT?! How Shino-san?! And more importantly, where the hell is Kakashi-sensei when we need him?!"

Shino frowned at her response and quickly created a Mushi Bunshin (Insect Clone) to assist him for a time. "Hinata-san, I've seen your abilities and I know you can at least calm him down. As for Kakashi-sensei, he's sitting in a tree a short distance north-northwest of us reading his book once more. He seems perfectly content to let Sean-sensei beat us into shape for a time. Now, please don't lose yourself to panic and join us in stopping our assistant sensei Hinata-san. I know you can do it."

Haku smiled at Hinata for a moment before she turned around and dashed towards Sean. With Shino at her side and his Mushi Bunshin attempting to distract Sean for a brief period of time, the two began trying to enact their hastily made plan to keep Sean occupied until Hinata could hopefully disable him before he truly did kill them.

As she dashed off to his side to try and mask Hinata's movements in the distance, Haku quickly went through hand seals for a Futon jutsu that she knew. It wasn't as powerful as one of her Hyōton techniques, and it was Sean's primary element, but she figured it was a worthy enough distraction for the time being. Soon enough Haku stopped and faced Sean as he turned and grinned her way. Upon finishing her hand signs, the ice user grinned. "Fūton: Hanachiri Mai (Wind Release: Flower Scattering Dance)!"

Sean was actually somewhat impressed. Haku showed she was capable of using what could have been a pretty powerful Futon jutsu, but it was far from perfected and with a simple slash of his wind sword, Sean was able to dissipate the technique easily. "Nice try Haku-chan, but it's just not enough. Doesn't mean I can't help you perfect that technique later though all right?" Smiling at her for a brief moment, the Wind God quickly turned and dispatched another of Shino's insect clones before it could get any closer. "Those are starting to piss me off. Just wanted to let you know that Shino. As for you Hinata…" The Wind God smirked and pointed his wind sword behind him at the young lass, "You might as well stop attempting to sneak up on me. Whatever you have planned isn't going to work."

"I beg to differ. Doton: Doryūsō (Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears)!" Glancing to his left upon hearing the voice, Sean found himself immediately having to dodge and roll out of the way of numerous spears of rock shooting up from the ground all around the area. When he finally stopped, he found himself struck numerous times in the back and began to laugh.

Slowly turning around to face Hinata, Sean grinned and nodded his head. "Very, very good you three. I'm impressed." And with that, Sean's body burst and a violent tornado spun throughout the area, tossing all three Genin aside. Shortly afterwards, both Kakashi and the real Sean touched down in the spot where the clone had burst not long ago. "You managed to defeat my Tatsumaki Bunshin (Tornado Clone). Sorry for tricking you, but I wanted to see how you three would perform as a new team. Now, why don't the three of you stand up and we can get started on the real training?"

Team 9's Training Ground

Yugao found herself cursing Kakashi, Kurenai, and Sean under her breath quite frequently as she waited for Guy and Lee to stop their incessant hugging. When their bonding moment finally ended, the Kenjutsu Mistress looked to Neji Hyuga and Tenten and sighed heavily. "Please, please tell me they don't do this too often?" When they simply frowned her way and gave her a look that practically SCREAMED 'you're kidding, right?!' Yugao lowered her head in defeat. After a time, she began to chuckle darkly. "Kakashi and Sean are going to die for this."

"Ah, Yugao-san! You know my rivals as well? Do tell me, how are they doing these days?" As Might Guy appeared in her face, Yugao's eyebrow began to twitch dangerously and she slammed the hilt of her blade into the top of Guy's head, effectively knocking him to the ground. "Don't DO that to me! I don't know how they're doing currently as they've both been busy, obviously. But it's because of those two that this is even happening. Apparently some special deal with Sean assisting Kurenai-san in teaching the Genin of Team 8 is what sparked this 'brilliant' idea. I've been temporarily removed from ANBU for this! At least try to act somewhat normal. Please?!"

"Pardon me Yugao-sensei, but I believe that's asking for a bit too much. Guy-sensei and Lee-san are like this every single day. In fact, Guy-sensei's training regimen is so ridiculous that we're amazed we're even still alive. How Lee-san is able to keep up with Guy's energy is beyond me. The two of them are like clones of one another in case you haven't already seen it for yourself." Neji explained sadly as he looked to what some have said were a possible father/son duo. It really didn't take much to see why some people began to spread that rumor to begin with, but it was really only pure coincidence that the two resembled each other so much.

"Just try and forget about those two. Could you perhaps explain what you could teach us during the month that we have you? If you were assigned to be an assistant sensei along with the others, then you must have something special about you, correct?" Tenten asked curiously as she looked up at the tall, violet-haired woman. "From the looks of you, you're a Kenjutsu specialist correct? If that's all you have to teach us, I'm the only one that could truly benefit from your teachings."

Looking down at Tenten, the beautiful ANBU woman smiled softly and nodded her head. "While you are correct about my being a Kenjutsu specialist, there's more to my abilities than that. I primarily use Kenjutsu, but I plan to instruct each of you in the use of a variety of weapons, as I'm sure Guy-san can as well. But beyond that, I can also help teach you some ninjutsu and advanced chakra control exercises. I may not be as effective with those particular teachings as I am with weapons training, but I will do what I can for you to prepare you for the coming Chunin Exams. But, it sounds as if I'll be spending a good portion of my time training you Tenten-san if you're interested in learning about the arts of Kenjutsu?"

Tenten nodded with a big smile on her face, but before she could say anything more, Rock Lee and Neji approached her as well. Rock Lee was the first to speak up. "If you can train us in more than Kenjutsu as you say, then I would gladly learn the use of weapons from you. Guy-sensei has begun training me in the use of nunchaku and bojutsu (Staff Techniques), but I will gladly learn what I can from you Yugao-sensei." Bowing low to her, Rock Lee did his best to show her the same respect he would show to Guy.

Neji frowned as he looked up at her. "I'm afraid the Hyuga are very strict in their ways. Our Taijutsu style combined with our Byakugan has always proven sufficient enough. So I don't see what you could possibly teach me Yugao-sensei." Despite what he had said, the Hyuga bowed to her to try and show her even a small semblance of respect.

Frowning at the young Hyuga branch member, Yugao folded her arms against her chest over her bust and shook her head. "It really comes down to what you are willing to learn from me Hyuga-san. I don't much care for the strict ways of your clan. Your clan members could benefit just as well as other shinobi from the art of Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Kenjutsu, and other weapon arts. I'm sure if you gave me a chance, we could find something you'd like." Smiling at the thirteen year-old, Yugao didn't really expect for any change from him and that was fine with her. However, she vowed to be there if he ever did take an interest in what she had to teach.

Team 10's Training Ground

"It's hard to believe, isn't it guys? I swear that's everything Sakura told me yesterday afternoon. Sasuke-kun…what the hell happened to him to make him behave so terribly?" Ino lay under a tree with her teammates: Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi. Glancing over at them, she saw Choji munching on some BBQ chips, although much slower than he usually ate them. It appeared that he was thinking heavily about what Ino had just told them. Meanwhile, Shikamaru was yawning loudly and scratching the back of his head, much to Ino's annoyance.

Glancing over at his blonde-haired teammate, the lazy Nara genius shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "It's not really all that hard to believe. Think about it for a moment Ino." Lying back, the Nara clan heir looked to the clouds and frowned. "Sasuke's ego has been fed ever since he lost his entire clan. The village has treated him like a prince, and as such they've spoiled him and made him believe he's perfect. It doesn't really have anything to do with his skills as a shinobi, it's mainly due to the fact he's the last Uchiha in the village, and thus the only one with the genes left to pass on their precious Sharingan. Therefore, it's important to them to make sure Sasuke stays happy so he doesn't abandon the village. It's actually because of them feeding that troublesome ego of his and turning him into the prick he is today that has a true chance of chasing him off someday."

Flipping over on his side, the Nara heir looked up at Ino and sighed again. "What's the one thing Sasuke wants more than anything Ino? Answer that and I'll go on. If you can't think of the right answer, then I'll drop this discussion here." When Choji looked about to answer, Shikamaru hushed him with a finger and shook his head. "No Choji-san, it's important for Ino to answer this question herself. If she can't, then she isn't ready to hear the truth of things just yet."

Looking at Choji nod in response to Shikamaru, Ino looked between the two of them before looking down and putting a few fingers to her chin and taking a thoughtful expression. "Before…I guess we kind of thought he just needed somebody to love him and care for him. Somebody to help take away all that pain. But that's not what he wanted…is it Shika?" Staring into Shikamaru's eyes, the blonde kunoichi watched him nod before he urged her to continue on. "Okay, thinking about everything I know about Sasuke and what's been said to me about him lately…it sounds like the only thing he really wants is…power." Blinking a few times, she looked at Shikamaru and frowned deeply. "But why?"

Shikamaru sighed and sat up against the tree before turning his gaze back to the clouds. "Ino, Sasuke's obsessed. It's not necessarily power that he wants or needs. At least, it's not the sole thing he wants. Power is important to him, but it's for the wrong reasons. Sasuke wants revenge upon the one who murdered his clan members and left him the sole survivor. It's as obvious as Naruto loving ramen." Chuckling softly to himself, the Nara heir glanced at Ino out of the corner of his eyes. "From what you told us about what Sakura told you…it sounds like he's so far gone at this point that Sasuke's losing his mind in this search for power. That troublesome Uchiha is of the belief that a team only holds a person down. Sasuke doesn't understand that teammates support one another and help them with their goals. They work together to complete a mission successfully and they make sure that they all return alive from tougher missions. Sasuke doesn't understand any of this. As I said before, his ego has become so bad that Sasuke believes he only needs himself."

Choji decided to interrupt at this point. "If I had been there when Sasuke pulled what he did with Naruto on the bridge, and when Naruto told them what he did back at that house you spoke of, Sasuke wouldn't have come back at all. I may not be the best shinobi in the world, but nobody should do things like that. Naruto's grown up without parents. That's bad enough as it is. Sasuke's words were completely unnecessary. Do you see now why Sasuke's not the kind of guy you should be pining after Ino? Shika and I care about you Ino. Not only are you our teammate, but you're our friend. Sasuke's the type of guy that would only use you and hurt you. Sasuke might change someday, but it doesn't matter. He's not the kind of guy you want to get involved with Ino."

Before Ino could respond, the three Genin each heard a few claps and looked out towards the center of their training field. "All right, that's enough of that you three. Come on over here and meet our assistant sensei: Genma Shiranui. Seems the Hokage set something special up thanks to your pals on Team 8. Genma, mind taking it over from here?"

Genma sighed and ran his hand over the top of his head. "Yeah, I suppose it'd be a good idea to explain things. I'm sure you three already know how Team 8 had an assistant Jonin sensei going by the name of Sean, correct?" Seeing them nod, Genma nodded in return and continued on as he shifted the senbon to the other side of his mouth and chewed on it for a bit longer. "Well apparently he did such a fine job teaching those kids on Team 8 that Kakashi came up with a rather unique idea. From now until the Chunin exams, Teams 7 through 10 will each have an assistant sensei. Sean has been reassigned to Team 7 for now, Team 8 has our resident Snake Mistress, Anko Mitarashi, Team 9 has Yugao Uzuki, and you guys have me, Genma Shiranui. At the end of each month until the Chunin Exams, the four of us will be reassigned to a new team so that each of these four Genin squadrons can stay on top of the ball so to speak. Now, any questions?"

Ino looked at Genma incredulously for a moment and nodded. "Yeah, I have one. What kinds of things could you have to teach us Genma-sensei? And if Sean-sensei is so good, when do we get to meet him?" The looks on everyone's faces caused her to blink a few times and shrug her shoulders. "What?"

Genma sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Believe it or not, that can actually sound pretty insulting if you take the time to think about it. The way you sounded, it's almost as if you believe I'm not worth your time. I assure you that while Sean might be damn good, I'm also incredibly skilled. The same can be said for Anko and Yugao. There's a reason the four of us were chosen as assistant sensei." Smiling down at the three Genin, Genma nodded his head proudly. "I can teach you in the ways of Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and, if you really want, I can help you with some other fun things too. I guarantee that the three of you are going to love having me around as your assistant sensei."

Asuma sighed and chose that moment to speak up. "Enough with all that. We're going to take on a few more missions today, and then we'll begin on your new training regimen. Genma has already had a talk with your parents about increasing your training at home, so it seems you're going to be awfully busy until the Chunin Exams come around. Now hurry up, introduce yourselves, and let's go."

Later that Night – 6:00 PM

Naruto calmly walked the streets dressed in some new clothes that Sean helped him pick out the day before. As this was his first time wearing these new clothes, the blonde-haired ninja felt a bit uncomfortable, especially with the lack of orange, but he really wanted to leave a good impression on his first date with Hinata. Currently he held some flowers purchased from the Yamanaka Flower Shop in his right hand, while he continued to fidget with his outfit with his left.

A short time later, he stood before the Hyuga compound waiting for Hinata to step out. Okay, she said she'd meet me out front around this time, so am I just supposed to wait here for her or what? Naruto thought quietly to himself. It actually didn't take more than a few minutes for Hinata to come rushing out the front door and bursting through the gate, straight into his arms. Blushing furiously, Naruto held her at arm's distance and looked her over. "Calm down a bit Hinata. What's the rush? We have a couple of hours to relax and enjoy ourselves don't we?"

Hinata nodded and smiled sweetly at him. "We do, but can we please get away from here before my father catches us together? I left without his permission…" Seeing Naruto smile and nod at her, she took his hand and walked off with him towards the restaurant Hinata had chosen for the duo to start off their date: Ichiraku Ramen.

Upon arriving at the stand, Hinata went to lift the flaps and enter, but Naruto squeezed her hand gently and she turned to face him. "Hinata-chan, you do know we can go somewhere else right? I know this probably isn't the greatest place to bring a girl on a first date and I don't want you doing this just for me. So again, just to be sure…is this what you really want Hinata-chan?" Naruto looked at her for an answer, but instead of receiving a verbal response, the Hyuga heiress giggled cutely and tugged on his arm until he stumbled into the stand with her.

Laughing lightly with her, Naruto sat down beside her and greeted the Ichirakus happily. "Teuchi-oji-san! Ayame-nee-chan! It's great to see you two again. I haven't been able to see you since I got back." When his friends came over to greet him, they looked at the beautifully dressed Hinata and then back at Naruto with knowing grins. "W-What're you looking at me like that for?"

"My little Naruto-kun's growing up! I'm so proud of you! You've got yourself such a pretty girlfriend now! Congratulations Naruto-kun! Tell me you little cutie you, what's your name?" Getting a closer look at the girl, Ayame awaited an answer with an absolutely giddy grin on her face.

Blushing furiously under Ayame's praise, Hinata looked to Naruto and then back at the Ichirakus while gently poking her fingers together. "M-My name is Hinata Hy-Hyuga. It's a pleasure to meet you two finally. Naruto-kun says such wonderful things about you two." Bowing her head to them, she was surprised to hear the older man laugh a bit. "D-Did I say something funny?"

Teuchi quickly shook his head and waved a cooking utensil around in the air. "No, no little lady, you're just fine. It's just not every day a Hyuga shows respect to the two of us. Normally everyone bows to you folk Hinata-san. It's good to meet you. So, when did you two start going out huh?" Teuchi asked while Ayame took out a notepad and quickly took their orders. Glancing at the order, Teuchi nodded his head and went to get to work while awaiting their answer.

"I asked her out when we were coming home from our mission in the Land of Waves Teuchi-oji-san. Hinata-chan's a sweetheart and she's really, really pretty. In fact, she's the one that wanted to come here for our first date. Isn't she awesome?!" Smiling over at Hinata, Naruto saw her going even redder from the praise and quickly waved his hands in the air. "Oy! Hinata-chan, please don't faint again. I thought you were getting over that?"

Hinata lowered her head and smiled shyly. "S-Sorry Naruto-kun. I'm still not used to all the praise. You're really t-too kind to me." When he simply waved the notion off, she looked hard into his eyes and frowned at him. "It's true! Neji-nii-san is always so grumpy with me, Hanabi-chan looks down on me even though she's my imouto (little sister), and my father always ridicules me and acts like I'm such a disappointment. When I tried to implement my water element into my Jūken (Gentle Fist) taijutsu stance, he got upset with me and claimed I was disgracing the Hyuga name. In fact, he made me feel so bad that I couldn't even spar with my sister for even a minute this time! Out on missions, I can do so well and nobody complains about how I fight, but at home…at home I can't please anyone." Lowering her head, Hinata could feel tears stinging her eyes.

That soon stopped when Naruto placed his hand on her shoulder moments before he wrapped her in a hug from behind. "Hinata-chan, why do you let him get to you so bad? You've told me about the clan and their stupid laws. You hate that stuff. If you ask me, you're going to have to show them how very wrong they are about you and their ways somehow. And if what Sean-sensei told me about the Chunin Exams is anything to go by, I think that'll be the perfect way to go about doing it too! What do you say Hinata-chan? Let's continue to get stronger and we'll prove everybody wrong about the two of us together during the Chunin Exams dattebayo!"

Ayame smiled while the two laughed together and chatted the time away. Leaving them alone, she went and helped her father prepare the ramen for the cute couple. By the time their food was done, Ayame and Teuchi carried it out to them and the father/daughter duo decided to give a little announcement that would hopefully brighten their night a bit more. "Naruto-kun, Hinata-chan, Otousan and I have decided that tonight's meal is on the house. We're doing this for the two of you for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it's to congratulate you on finding each other and making each other happy. Secondly, we're going to celebrate you two doing well in the upcoming Chunin Exams. Don't try to argue with us, just think of this as a promise between family. Naruto-kun, Hinata-chan, you go out there when the Chunin Exams come around and give it your very best!" Soon enough the four cheered happily and the night carried on with the four sharing in conversation and laughter together.

Meanwhile at the Dango Shop

"Sean, you're the best! I can't believe you're treating us to dango of all things!" Anko proclaimed loudly before she threw her arms around Sean's neck and kissing his cheek happily. This caused the Wind God to blush furiously and freeze up before she removed her arms and continued eating her precious dango in bliss.

"Well, as awkward and amusing as that was, would you mind telling us why you summoned us here Sean-san?" Yugao asked politely, hoping to clear the air a bit. However, Sean still appeared frozen. In fact, it didn't even appear as if he was breathing. Eyebrow twitching dangerously, the violet-haired woman was preparing to kick him in the shin to snap him out of his stupor when Genma held out his hand up and shook his head.

"Relax Yugao-san, just give it some time. Apparently Sean's a shy one. I'm willing to bet you anything that this is actually the first time a woman has actually shown him such an affectionate action. Poor guy hasn't had the easiest life. Remember Yugao-san?" Genma stated as he watched Anko eat her dango happily, obviously completely oblivious to what she had just done to Sean. With a sigh, he waved his hand in front of Sean's face before flicking him in the nose. "Wake up Buddy; it's time to talk to your peers now."

Blinking a few times, Sean's blush finally died down and he rubbed at his nose. "S-Sorry. I…um…I wasn't expecting that. I know Anko-san likes dango and she's the one looking after Naruto-kun and the others of Team 8 for me, so I figured this was appropriate I guess." The Wind God's eyes were still wide as he stared straight ahead, apparently unable to see anything before him.

Nervously, Sean gripped a stick of his own and plucking a single dumpling from it and swallowing it with an audible gulp after chewing it for a few brief moments. After finishing the stick off and plopping it back upon his plate, Sean breathed out and then in slowly a few times until he felt himself calming down. Choosing to keep his gaze focused on Yugao and Genma rather than even ONCE glancing at the woman sitting next to him singing happily to herself as she ate, Sean began to speak up.

"Okay, the reason I called the three of you here is simple: I wanted to talk about the state of the teams and to discuss this plan Kakashi and Hokage-same came up with. Yugao-san." Looking directly into her eyes, Sean folded his hands together and rested his chin on his hands with a small smirk. "I can't believe you're too happy about being forced into this particular position. I was happy teaching Team 8, but the two of them sprung this on me during the recent Council meeting and now I'm with Team 7. So, since this all happened because of me, I figured I should start us off first."

Sighing heavily, Sean picked up another dango stick and grinned. "Team 7's definitely in need of a lot of work, but from what I've seen thus far, I must admit that I'm impressed. Shino and Hinata pick up on things really fast. I learned that during the mission to Wave, but it's become even more apparent how very skillful they are after today. More importantly however is the fact that the two of them are already working incredibly well with Haku, their new teammate. They haven't known her long and they're already an amazing team." Smiling at his friends, Sean nodded his head calmly and closed his eyes. "My general plan for the month is to boost Hinata's confidence level as much as possible, help Haku learn some wind jutsu and strengthen her usage of said jutsu, and help Shino perfect his Taijutsu stance and perhaps teach him a little bit of Ninjutsu on the side. Kakashi can drill teamwork into them pretty darn well and he can teach them whatever else he feels like. Sooo, who wants to go next huh?"

Genma smiled and nodded his head. "I think I see the point of this meeting. You want to put everything on the table and see if we can help give each other more ideas of what to do to strengthen our teams. Correct Sean?" Seeing the Wind God nod in response, the Tokubetsu Jonin (Special Jonin) grinned and decided to pose a question to the wind specialist. "All right, it's a good idea, but I have another question for you. How often do you want to hold these meetings with us? Knowing you, you have to have some kind of schedule planned out for the four of us."

Sean chuckled and nodded his head calmly. "Genma-buddy, you know me so well. Yeah, I already thought about that as well. If it's all right with the three of you, I'd like to meet up once every week, preferably at the end of the week so we can discuss the progress of our teams and help each other come up with more to do for the following week. And before anyone asks, my general plan for who hosts the meeting every weekend is this: we'll trade off every week. Seeing as how I, the assistant sensei for Team 7, am hosting the meeting tonight, the assistant sensei for Team 8, in this case Anko Mitarashi-san, will host the meeting next week. Whoever's the host each week will have to set up the location, time, and even pay for meals or cook or whatever else the assistant sensei so chooses to do. So, that being said, you might want to get to planning Anko-chan." Smirking at her, Sean soon found himself blushing again as he remembered the kiss to his cheek and he immediately turned away from her and resumed eating his dango. "G-Genma-san, please discuss your team if you will."

Laughing at his friend's embarrassment, the Tokubetsu Jonin nodded his head and spoke up. "All right, I like that idea. Every Saturday night, trade off who hosts going from Team 7 on up until it reaches Team 10's assistant sensei, and finally it'll loop around to Team 7's assistant sensei again. Now, as for Team 10, I have to admit they aren't bad. They need a LOT of improvement, but I have to say I'm kind of impressed with them. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio is almost as good as their parents were at that age. The Nara boy is just as lazy as his father, but he's much harder to motivate to get anything done. Choji eats about as much as his father does, but that's understandable considering the Akimichi clan's unique jutsu. For the most part, Choji's an excellent fighter, but he could use a bit more diversity. The poor boy's a bit easy to catch off guard at the moment. Ino on the other hand…" Sighing sadly, the Tokubetsu Jonin shook his head. "While it seems she's not much of a fan girl type anymore, she's missed out on a LOT of training because of her choice to swoon over 'Sasuke-kun'. Apparently your student from Team 8, Sakura Haruno, managed to talk some sense into her after what she witnessed for herself in the Land of Waves. So Anko-san, if you can, please thank Sakura for me the next time you see her all right?"

Anko nodded in response and then turned to Sean again. "These taste so much better when somebody else is paying for them. This assistant sensei thing is the best thing ever!" At this, Genma shook his head and laughed lightly before he continued on. "Anyways, moving on. My general plans for Team 10 this week are as follows: teamwork. For the most part, Team 10 could use improvement in the teamwork aspect of things. While Asuma-san and I are training them in the art of teamwork, I also plan to refine their individual Taijutsu styles and set up sparring sessions for at least a few hours a day so they can practice. Something simple to start things off with. Now, since Anko seems perfectly content at the moment to drain your wallet more and more Sean-san, perhaps Yugao should go next?"

The violet-haired woman nodded her head and looked around at her three companions. "Team 9 is…peculiar. As I'm sure you know, Team 9 consists of Might Guy, Rock Lee, Neji Hyuga, and Tenten. Might Guy and Rock Lee are practically clones and when they hug and shout each other's names, it's a sight that can scare anyone into submission. In fact, when I arrived this morning to begin my new job as assistant sensei to Team 9 that was the sight I was greeted with. If I could somehow scrub that image from my brain, I would without question. The green spandex shows off way too much as well. Whichever one of you ends up with Team 9 next, BEWARE! That's all I'll say about that particular subject."

As the lovely young woman shivered, Sean reached over and gently patted her hand while Genma patted her on the shoulder. As the two males offered their condolences for her suffering, she sighed and thanked them kindly before continuing on. "Team 9 seems to be a team focused on attacking and detaining their opponents with superior skill and power. Tenten, the sole kunoichi of the group, seems like the only one that could truly benefit from my teachings. Neji Hyuga absolutely refuses to work with me at this point, and Rock Lee seems a little too eager to get to know me better. The worst part of the day is the fact that Might Guy…asked me out." At this, Yugao shivered more.

Sighing again, Yugao looked to Sean and groaned a moment later. "I blame you for this torment Sean-san. I honestly do." Lowering her head, the Kenjutsu Mistress ate some of her dango before speaking again. "Anyways, back to the topic at hand. Rock Lee happens to be a very interesting character, and I don't mean in the creepy, Guy clone way. He hasn't the aptitude for Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. The only thing he truly excels in is Taijutsu. I honestly plan to let Guy continue with Lee's training in that regard. There is no need for me to get involved in Lee's Taijutsu training. However, he has asked that I instruct him in the use of a few new weapon types, so my plan for Lee this week is actually to have him try a few new weapon types so we can find something that truly fits him and work from there.

Tenten is a weapons' specialist that employs the use of Fuinjutsu into her attack style. She needs improvement in her Taijutsu, so Guy and I will continue to work with her on that. I'm also going to teach Tenten in the ways of Kenjutsu. She employs so many different weapons in her fighting style however that I'm hoping I'll be able to work with her for longer than just this month. She has potential to be a great kunoichi!" Yugao sounded simply ecstatic at this point and it caused the other three to quirk their eyebrows and look at her curiously until she calmed down and regained her composure. "Umm…anyways…"

Sighing and running a hand through her beautiful hair to straighten it once more, Yugao continued on. "Neji Hyuga, as I said before, has that air of superiority about him that some of the Hyuga tend to have. However, after having his past explained to me by Guy-san, I admit that I understand why he is the way he is. I will continue to try and convince him to work with me, but until he decides to put some faith in me, I'm afraid there isn't much I can do for him. Finally, as odd as the team might be and as much as they may bicker from time to time, their teamwork is truly impressive. They should do very well in the coming Chunin Exams."

Nodding his head, Sean turned once more to Anko and managed to keep himself calm this time. "Anko-chan, would you care to take a moment to tell us about your findings with Team 8? I'm curious to know how my friends are doing now." When Anko smiled brightly at him, she nodded her head and began to laugh evilly. Sean had a feeling he knew why she was laughing that way, while Genma and Yugao looked slightly worried.

"Sean, whatever you did to them before, they claim I'm like the female version of you. If I recall correctly, that mutt, Kiba said something about me being a 'sadistic bitch' when he thought I couldn't hear. So on top of that week of hell you had planned out for him, I decided to make him suffer even more. The kid's got spunk, I'll give him that, but he's not too bright. Still, I must admit he's tough. For his first day under my watch, Kiba managed to keep it up until the end of the day when training finally ended. Still, is it true that you have his mother and sister pounding more training into him at home? Poor kid really won't be able to walk by the time this week's over. I'll be amazed if he's even alive at this rate."

Sean smirked and nodded his head. "Ohhh yes, Kiba's digging himself an early grave. Still, I fully agree with you about him being impressive. Just wait until your next mission that takes you beyond the village walls. Kiba's a little powerhouse I tell you." Grinning proudly, Sean motioned for Anko to continue on.

Anko smirked at him and poked his forehead. "You and I definitely need to spend more time together Seanie. Anyways, you were right about Sakura. Now that she's getting over that stupid crush on that Uchiha brat, she's turning into quite the kunoichi. Sakura's thrown herself into her training so she can prove herself to her teammates. I overheard a little conversation between the Genin today where she said something about wanting to be able to keep little Naruto safe. Seems he's her new best friend or something like that. Didn't you tell me she used to beat him up for acting stupid? Now they laugh together and joke around constantly. I think you'd be proud of her for making such a change."

Sean simply nodded and waited for her to go on. "Naruto on the other hand..." Looking into the Wind God's face to register his expression, Anko smiled and popped another dumpling into her mouth and chewed it before continuing. "The kid's really good. Whether they admit it or not, Blondie's the leader of the group. They're a fantastic team and I have to say that they should do really well in the Chunin Exams. Everything you told me about the three of them was spot on. Now, my plans for the week right?"

The wind specialist nodded again and Anko grinned. "Well, Kiba's going to go through hell, I can say that. Physical exercises, sparring, jutsu training, the works. Meanwhile, Kurenai-chan and I will spar with Naruto and Sakura frequently to continue to work on their individual Taijutsu styles. Kurenai's going to try and teach Sakura more about Genjutsu until the Chunin Exams comes around so she can fill in the role of support for her team. I'll try and teach Naruto and Kiba some Katon jutsu if at all possible. I'm not sure what the heck I can teach Sakura besides Taijutsu right now." With a shrug of her shoulders, Anko leaned her face on her hand after resting her elbow on the table.

By this point, the four were done with their dango and their tea and were simply waiting for the check. For a good while, they talked about various things that the four of them could do to help improve their training regimen for the Genin teams and where they'd be meeting up after a week's time. When they were leaving, Anko chose to follow after Sean when he waved good-bye to the group. Hehehe, time to see what else I can learn about you Seanie-boy. Anyone who buys me dango and comes off as more sadistic than me I just have to learn more about!

Naruto & Hinata, a couple minutes after the Assistant Sensei meeting ended

After their dinner at Ichiraku Ramen had ended and the couple had finished talking the night away with the Ichirakus, Naruto and Hinata had begun a walk through the streets of the village. The entire time they talked, held hands, and even kissed each other a few times. Finally, their walk led them to the top of the Hokage Monument where Naruto sat her down on the top of the Yondaime's head beside him. For a good while, they continued to talk about a variety of things, but then Naruto's tone took on a somber note and Hinata listened intently to what he had to say.

"You know something Hinata? Even before I learned that the Yondaime was my father, I would always find myself sitting here atop his head staring out over the village. Oftentimes I'd come here to get away from the beatings, the name-calling…everything. Even now I come here and when I look out over the village, I find myself wondering something. Even to this day, I still don't have the answer for my question." Turning his head slightly, the young, blonde man tried to gauge Hinata's reaction.

After a few minutes, the young Hyuga heiress found herself frowning as she looked into her new boyfriend's eyes. "Naruto-kun. Whatever it is, you can talk with me about it. I promise I'll listen, and I promise I'll help you out as best I can. But, before that, I wanted to say something about what you said just now. Even if you didn't know, it seems that you might have been having some unconscious reaction to being close to your father's, erm, face. If I had to guess, I'd say that being this close to him, in a spiritual sense, not a physical sense, helped to bring you some clarity when you really needed it. But beyond that, you've always felt safe up here. This is a place that brings you peace. Right?"

Naruto chuckled softly and nodded his head. "Yeah, you're right about all of that Hinata-chan. I feel so at ease up here and I find it much easier to think when I'm here. Not even Sean-sensei knows about this being my special place. Now, that thought from earlier…" Looking to her again, the blonde leaned over and placed a kiss upon her cheek before turning and staring out over the village again. "Whenever I'm up here, I find myself wondering how something so beautiful, so magnificent, can hold such darkness? To everyone else, the people of this village are considered some of the nicest people in the entire world. And yet they show me their true selves. So many people of this village are monsters, but so many people can't see it. Even now that I'm a Genin I still receive the same treatment from so many people. People like Sean-sensei and Jiji-sama have to come with me when I go shopping because most places won't even let me in to shop when I'm by myself. Anyways, my point is this: is everywhere like this? Does every place of beauty hold darkness deep within? I just want peace Hinata-chan. I want to be respected, treated with kindness, and even loved. The way things are in the village right now are just so, so…wrong. I hate it. Sometimes I even wonder if they knew who my parents were if they might act a bit differently, but somehow…I really doubt it. Chances are they'd just claim it was all a lie and things will never get better. I really just don't know what to do sometimes Hinata-chan."

Glancing down, Naruto was about to speak more when the two of them sensed a presence behind them. Quickly turning around, they saw Sean step forward and their eyes widened. "H-How long has he been standing there Naruto-kun? I didn't even sense him until now!" Hinata scooted closer to Naruto and the two of them looked at the Wind God. At the moment something about him struck them as off, but neither could quite tell what it was.

Sean stood staring at his students for a moment longer before turning away from them and stepping towards the Shodai Hokage's stone face. The entire time he had been walking thus far, he could easily sense Anko following behind him, but he paid her no mind. Finding Naruto and Hinata atop the Yondaime's head talking had caused him a moment of confusion, but he chose to ignore them as well. For the moment, the Wind God now choose to stand atop the Shodai's head looked out over the village for a moment before staring down at a specific point in the village.

The next thing Naruto and Hinata saw was their sensei slowly stepping off of the Shodai's head. They were about to react when they saw him simply mutter something under his breath and he floated down to the ground at a point in the village atop a visible carpet of air. Something strange was going on with their sensei that much they knew for sure. Rising, deciding to follow after him and see what was up, the two turned to see a woman cursing under her breath and staring after Sean. Curious about her connection to their sensei, the two Genin stepped over to her.

"Miss? Do you happen to know what's going on with Sean-sensei right now?" Hinata asked politely while she held tight to Naruto's hand. "That look in his eyes…something's not right. Please tell us if you know something."

Anko looked down at the two Genin and frowned. "Hey Naruto, umm…I'll just assume you're Hinata right? Anyways, I've been following Sean since the meeting we had and I have to admit, he's definitely acting strange. I figured I'd follow him and learn a bit more about what kind of person he is, but this just isn't normal. I'm actually kind of worried about him. Come on, we'd better get moving if we don't want to lose him. I saw where he dropped, we'll head on down and catch up to him before he disappears." Nodding in response, Hinata and Naruto followed after Anko. Their date had come to an interesting close and a mystery about their oddball Wind sensei now needed solving. As they ran along, Naruto found himself worrying more and more about Sean. Please be okay Sean-sensei. This just doesn't feel right to me at all!