Sei would be surprised that Minato is sulking in a corner while Kushina beats up a wall and Naruto laughs nervously, but he's met Naruto's family before. They are even staying at his house. What does surprise him is the two candidates who passed.
"Naruto," says Sei, trying to stay calm. "Since your parents are incapable of functioning normally right now: tell me, why did they pass Kon and Fukuro? They only began training a month ago."
"Uncle Sei?" says Fukuro, who looks as though she was run over by a herd of cattle. "I think my arm is twisted. Can you take a look at it?"
"Oh, is Sei your uncle?" says Naruto, surprised.
"Yes," says Kon, nodding. He seems fine, aside from a bandage on his arm. "Sei is our uncle."
"Our?" says Naruto, tipping his head to one side. "Are you two brother and sister?"
"Yes," says Fukuro, wincing as Sei touches her twisted arm.
Sei heals Fukuro's arm and prompts Naruto. "Why did these two pass, despite being the least trained?"
"Oh, the Bell Test doesn't test just skill," says Naruto. "It also tests teamwork and the ability to put aside your own interests for the good of the team or mission. Dad passed Blue-"
"My name is Kon!"
"-Kon means blue, dummy. And Dad passed him because he didn't turn on the other candidates, and he was willing to put aside his own desire to be a Guard in order to ensure somebody passed," Naruto explains. "The girls all turned on Backpack-"
"My name is Fukuro!"
"Close enough. Mum decided she hates all the girls, and failed them after Backpack got the bell off her for like, five seconds," Naruto continues. "Then Kurama and I held an emergency meeting and decided that Backpack should pass. She came prepared and didn't get involved in the cat fight - except for when it started with all four of the other girls beating her up, 'tebayo."
"They beat you up?" says Sei, patting Fukuro's hair. "Are you alright? Is that how your arm got twisted? Are you hurt badly anywhere else?"
"I'm fine, Uncle," says Fukuro, smiling bravely. "I'm just all bruised."
Sei sighs with relief. "As proud as I am of the two of you for passing, I am concerned how you will fit into the Guards being almost completely untrained."
"Kurama says that they will be Junior Guards," says Naruto.
"Junior Guards?" Sei is shocked. Mostly because it never occurred to him that they would be Junior Guards. "We haven't had Junior Guards in 150 years."
"What's a Junior Guard?" asks Kon.
"Junior Guards are Guards who were accepted into the order due to a lack of fully trained candidates," explains Sei. "They train until they are ready to be accepted as full members. Until then they wear a half-uniform. It's been so long since we made one, I wonder if we even still have the pattern…"
The wall Kushina is attacking collapses on top of Minato, who doesn't even budge.
"What's wrong with them?" Asks Sei.
"Mum's mad because Kurama overruled her decision to fail all the female candidates and my Dad's sulking because he only just realized I took his half of Kurama when I blackmailed the shinigami. Apparently they made friends when they were in Steve's belly. Now Kurama is sulking as well because he's hurt that my Dad didn't notice he was gone, dattebayo."
Sei laughs. Of course.
Sasuke breathes deeply, glad to be out in the fresh air. There is nothing all that unusual about Sasuke being outside, except that she is on crutches now that her arm is healed. She is also no longer grounded so she can go wherever she wants. Currently, Sasuke is sitting on a park bench, with her crutches beside her, just enjoying being free.
Soon she will be able to start training again, and she has lost time to make up for. In the meantime, Sasuke will build up her stamina as much as she can. Sitting idle in a wheelchair for so long weakened her a lot.
Sasuke gets up and wanders over to the Academy. The place is quiet, so she assumes class is in session. Vaguely wondering what day of the week it is, Sasuke heads into town. It is still relatively early in the morning, and not many people are around. It's so hard to tell what day of the week it is now that she is so idle all the time.
The village is so quiet. It is hard to believe that, just a few days ago, there was a huge battle and people died.
Sasuke wanders near the gates and sees a group of people in brightly coloured beach clothes signing in with the gate guards and receiving their village passes. Shino is standing near the group watching.
Sasuke grins and heads over to Shino. "Shino!" she says when she is close enough for him to hear her.
Shino turns and grins when he sees Sasuke. "Sasuke! You're out of your wheelchair!"
"Yeah…" says Sasuke, not sure what to say.
"Um…" Shino looks as though he is not sure what to say either.
After a short, awkward silence, Shino says, "I found Isobu's Guards."
"I know where Isobu is," says Sasuke, without thinking. Then she remembers that Rin wanted to keep it a secret that she is a jinchuuriki. Sasuke falls silent again.
"You know where Isobu is?" says Shino. "Can you take us there?"
Sasuke nods, wondering when talking to Shino got so damn hard.
Shino turns to the group signing in at the gate guards' desk. "Are you all finished? Sasuke will take us to Isubu."
"Sasuke? Who's he?" asks one of the people. They are Isobu's Guards, Sasuke realizes.
"She," corrects Shino, pointing to Sasuke. "This is Sasuke."
"Isn't Sasuke a boy's name?" says one of Isubu's Guards.
"Aren't those beach clothes, not battle gear?" snaps Sasuke without thinking.
Shino stares at Sasuke in surprise. "Sasuke…"
Sasuke blushes. Ever since Madara scoffed at her name and started calling her princess, she has been very sensitive about it.
Isobu's Guards laugh.
"Let's go," says Sasuke, turning and hopping away on her crutches. Obito, Rin and their son are staying at Kakashi sensei's house. Isobu's Guards follow Sasuke while Shino walks beside her. Sasuke racks her brains for something to say. Oh yes, Shino saw Torune on his mission. "How is your brother?" Sasuke asks
"Torune is happy because he has many friends among Chomei's Guards," says Shino. "They can all touch him without being poisoned. In fact, so can Chomei's jinchuuriki. That is because Chomei makes her immune to insect poison."
"That's good," says Sasuke awkwardly. "Itachi had her baby. They named him Karasu."
"Like Kankuro's puppet?" says Shino, grinning.
Sasuke grins. "Yeah, like Kankuro's puppet." Suddenly talking to Shino isn't difficult anymore and Sasuke starts filling Shino in on everything that happened while he was gone, even telling him she met the Sage of Six Paths.
As they approach Ichiraku Ramen, Sasuke stops talking and tells Shino, "I need to rest. Let's stop for a few minutes."
"We are already going so slowly!" groans one of Isobu's Guards. "Can't you just tell us where to go?"
"No, if you turn up out of the blue, Tenzou will attack you," says Sasuke, glaring at the Guard.
"Oh, well I'll just carry you then," says Shino, scooping Sasuke up in his arms, crutches and all. "Which way next?"
"T-that way," says Sasuke, blushing. What are people going to think? At least Madara won't see since he's at the Academy teaching, and they won't be going past the Academy.
Shino follows Sasuke's directions past Ichiraku Ramen and through the busy centre of town. Isobu's Guards look around, wide eyed at some of the things only found in the Leaf.
As they are passing a shop filled with things for babies, a familiar voice says, "Well, would you look at that! The Princess is getting carried like the Princess she is."
Sasuke freezes. Oh no. Madara is here. How is Madara here? Oh, it's Saturday, isn't it? "What the hell are you doing here?" Sasuke demands, turning her head to glare at Madara.
Madara has a baby in a sling over one shoulder and a bag of nappies and formula in his hand. "Shopping, what does it look like, Princess?"
"It looks like you're a housewife, Uncle Madara!" snaps Sasuke.