"This is the first fuuinjutsu book," says Naruto, pulling out a battered book with the Uzumaki Clan symbol on the cover. He slaps it on the table in front of Sasuke. "You have to learn how to do all the stuff in the first book before you start the second one, then you just kinda learn from both until you pass the Level Two test."

"What's the Level One test?" asks Sasuke, frowning. The book is so stained and faded that she cannot tell what colour it was originally. The Uzumaki symbol is strangely unaffected by whatever it is that discoloured the rest of the cover.

"There isn't one," says Naruto, shrugging. "You just have to be able to use fuuinjutsu. Not everyone can, 'tebayo."

Sasuke's face twitches. "Then the test is being able to use fuuinjutsu." she says, her teeth gritted in frustration.

"No," says Naruto, glaring at Sasuke. "It's not a test, it's just a thing!"

"TEST!" yells Eizo, running over to Sasuke and Naruto. They are at Sasuke's house because she is still grounded and not allowed out, meaning Eizo is around.

"See," says Sasuke, making the most of things. "Eizo agrees with me."

"It's not really a test, it's a thing," says Naruto. "If you can use fuuinjutsu, you can learn it and congratulations, you are level one. There's no test, 'tebayo."

"Don't you TEST whether or not someone can use fuuinjutsu, though?" asks Sasuke, picking a fight because a fight can be picked.

"Not really," says Naruto. "If you don't get the stuff in the first book, you'll never reach level two, so it doesn't matter if we test you or not, 'tebayo."

Sasuke sighs. "Let's just start learning."

"Yes!" grins Naruto, pulling out a stack of paper and a handful of pens. "So first you just use a normal pen. You have to use ink all the time."

"What if I make a mistake?" asks Sasuke, puffing out her cheek.

"Then you activate the seal anyway," says Naruto seriously. "Otherwise you won't know what you did wrong, or why it was wrong, 'tebayo. There are no takebacksies with fuuinjutsu."

"DRAW!" yells Eizo, reaching up and grabbing a sheet of paper off the table. The entire stack falls down on top of him. Eizo laughs. "Draw!"

"Hey, we need those!" protests Naruto, trying to gather up all the paper.

"Eizo, go away and leave us alone!" says Sasuke. They have to get rid of him before he makes even more mess.

Eizo snatches back the paper that Naruto picked up off the floor and throws it all in the air again. "Fly!" Eizo laughs.

"No, Eizo, give us the paper back!" Naruto protests, trying to grab all the sheets of paper and put them out of Eizo's reach.

Eizo strays within the reach of Sasuke's right arm so she grabs him and pulls him onto her lap. "Let's take him to my parents,' says Sasuke. "They will know how to keep him away from us."

"LET GO!" yells Eizo, struggling against Sasuke.

Sasuke squeals in pain when Eizo hits her left arm. "Stop that!" she says. "You're hurting me." She turns her most fierce glare on Eizo.

Eizo's face crumples and he starts crying.

"What is going on in here?" Sasuke's Mum appears in the doorway, a concerned expression on her face.

"Eizo is being annoying," says Sasuke, scowling.

"I'm trying to teach Sasuke fuuinjutsu," says Naruto, crossing his arms and scowling. "But Eizo is being loud and throwing all our paper around the room, 'tebayo."

Sasuke's Mum walks over to Sasuke's wheelchair and takes Eizo out of Sasuke's lap.

Sasuke's Dad appears in the doorway. "What's all the racket about?" he asks. "I'm trying to do some paperwork."

"Daddy!" yells Eizo. "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!"

"Mr. Nice Hokage, can we study at my house? Eizo is too loud!" says Naruto, pointing at Eizo, who is still making noise.

Sasuke can see her Dad making his 'I am about to say no' face.

"Sorry, can you repeat that Naruto?" says Sasuke's Mum, raising her voice over Eizo, who is now blowing raspberries. "Eizo is making so much noise I couldn't hear you."

"I CAN'T TEACH SASUKE FUUINJUTSU WITH EIZO AROUND, DATTBAYO!" yells Naruto. "CAN WE STUDY AT MY HOUSE INSTEAD?"

"Sasuke is allowed out for training under special circumstances," says Sasuke's Mum, her voice at a normal volume. Naruto's shouting surprised Eizo into shutting up. "What do you say, Fugaku?"

Sasuke's Dad has his resting face back on. No, wait, he's actually disappointed right now. That's gonna get confusing. "Sasuke," he says sternly. "Are you serious about learning fuuinjutsu, or is this just a project to kill time while you are recovering?"

Sasuke frowns a little, adopting her own stern expression. "I want to be as powerful as Madara himself. He knew fuuinjutsu, so I will learn fuuinjutsu. Being in this annoying chair just means I have more time to start learning, because it is one of the few kinds of training I can do."

Sasuke's Dad strokes his mustache thoughtfully. "Naruto," Sasuke's Dad says, still very stern. "You may teach Sasuke at your house only as long as one of your Grandparents is around to make sure Sasuke does not break the rules of her grounding, understand?"

Naruto screws up his face and tips his head to one side. "Not really," he says. "Why does it have to be Grandma and Grandpa? What about Iruka-nii and Pervy Sage?"

"Iruka is busy helping us unlock the Sacred Scrolls' secrets," says Sasuke's Dad. "And I do not trust Jiraiya to make sure Sasuke follows the rules of her grounding."

Sasuke pulls a face. There go her hopes of flaunting the grounding sentence by way of Jiraiya. Not that she had any to begin with.

Kazama is blissfully eating chocolate cake and enjoying the quiet. The two hippies went back to their hippie town and most of Kurama's Guards are out sightseeing. Kimiko is at the Academy, Jiraiya is helping Iruka figure out the Whirlpool's Sacred Scroll, and Arashi is writing his report for the Hokage. Namiko is outside playing in the dirt with one of Kurama's Guards keeping an eye one her. Naruto is out training. All is peaceful and quiet.

"I'm home, 'tebayo!" Naruto calls out, crashing through the front door.

There goes the quiet. "Welcome home," calls Kazama, with a sigh.

Kazama hears some clatter in the hallway, and then Naruto appears pushing a wheelchair with his team mate Sasuke in it. "Hey Grandma!" Naruto says, grinning. "I've brought Sasuke here so I can teach her fuuinjutsu. It's too noisy at her house."

Kazama freezes with a piece of cake halfway to her mouth.

Naruto brought a girl home.

A girl that is not Hinata.

And Naruto is teaching that girl fuuinjutsu.

Naruto and Sasuke argue a lot, but they also seem to like each other a lot. Is it possible that Kazama was wrong, and that Naruto will marry Sasuke, and not Hinata?

Calming herself, Kazama says, "Hello Sasuke."

"Oh...um...hello," says Sasuke, blushing shyly.

"Mr. Nice Hokage said to give you this letter," says Naruto, pulling out a folded piece of paper and handing it to Kazama. "'Cause Sasuke is grounded she's gotta follow a bunch of stupid rules while she's here, otherwise she won't be allowed to come, 'tebayo."

Kazama takes the letter and reads through it. It basically says that Sasuke is not allowed out, not allowed to watch TV and she can't be left alone in the house (partly because of her injuries, and partly because she is grounded). Fugaku also requests that either Arashi or Kazama herself be the ones to supervise Naruto and Sasuke, because Fugaku doesn't trust Jiraiya, and Iruka is going to be very busy until the scrolls are solved. Other than that, Fugaku thanks Kazama for putting up with the two tweens who are much less manageable together. Should they prove too much, Kazama is welcome to return them, and the pair will just have to put up with Eizo. Kazama sighs again. "Do you two already know the conditions for you being able to study here?" she asks.

"Yes, 'tebayo!" says Naruto. "We are going to learn so much fuuinjutsu."

"Good," says Kazama, getting up from the table. "I will go and tell your Grandfather what is happening." Kazama heads to Arashi's study, taking the cake with her. Once she arrives in the study, Kazama hands Arashi the cake and the note without saying anything and leaves.

Then she stands in the hall and waits.

"WHAAAAT?!" Arashi runs out of the study and grabs Kazama by the shoulder. "Naruto is teaching Sasuke fuuinjutsu?" he whispers, his eyes wide. "But...but...Hinata…"

"Try not to freak out," Kazama whispers back. "They can smell fear."

"But the tradition…." whispers Arashi. The tradition he speaks of is the Whirlpool tradition. For someone to marry into the Uzumaki clan, they must be at least Advanced Level in fuuinjutsu. Usually the person the outsider is marrying or a close relative from the Uzumaki clan will teach the outsider fuuinjutsu. Kushina's mother taught Minato fuuinjutsu, but Naruto does not have any immediate Uzumaki family to teach whoever he marries.

But now Naruto is teaching a girl fuuinjutsu, and he has not yet even considered teaching Hinata.

"It might not be what it looks like…" says Kazama, hoping Hinata won't try to murder Naruto.

"They are kids," says Arashi. "Kids have crushes and date and then break up...maybe it will come to nothing…"

"Let's just eat the rest of that cake," sighs Kazama.