Kakashi breathed in deep and smiled beneath his mask. He glanced at three innocent looking slips of paper in his hand.

At first, when he'd been told he was taking on these three potential genin, he was certain it was doomed to failure. If it was any reflection of his team, or heck, even Hiruzen's genin team, it was inevitable that things went badly. All but Kakashi was dead from his team. The three Sannin had all bailed Leaf in some fashion or another, one becoming one of Leaf's number one traitor (Kakashi still wasn't sure if he counted Itachi, hence Orochimaru still held the title). Really, as soon as he started shadowing his possible genin team, he'd been horrified. They were all prepped and primed to become the next great disaster.

Kakashi had gone to the Memorial Stone the day before the genin were to be picked up. He'd stared at it long and hard, eyes automatically picking out familiar names. His team, of course, always stood out the most.

It was there that day he took in those names with determination. The guilt was still there, but it was thrust under a wash of anger, said anger directed at how horrible and tragic the shinobi lifestyle really was. He had known the rules backwards and forwards. And, those same rules, had failed him most spectacularly.

His genin wouldn't fall fate to the same terrible ends. He knew that they would somehow pass. Yes, he'd had promising genin in the past, but they weren't like these three. Kakashi had watched all three potentials just long enough to realize that they weren't to be underestimated. Naruto's upbeat chipper attitude reminded him of Obito, but there was something in the boy's eyes that Obito's never held. Obito was definitely discriminated against by his clan, but Naruto had suffered the discrimination of the whole village entirely by himself. Sakura was not as dedicated as Rin, but Sakura came from a civilian family. She had yet to fully grasp what being a ninja was all about. That she'd passed the genins' first test showed promise. Sasuke...was simply a ticking time bomb. He had the potential. He had the drive. He didn't, however, have the heart. He was so eerily like Kakashi at that age, it made the silver haired jounin a little sick to the stomach.

Kakashi had originally thought that maybe taking things slow, pushing teamwork in more roundabout ways would work. He was hoping that the three would be quick and mature enough to realize what he was trying to imply. He hoped they would grow closer like he and his team...right up until Kakashi realized that his team hadn't really gotten as close knit as Kakashi had started imagining they'd been. It was easy to pretend that his team had been closer than they were after they were already gone. Survivors guilt did weird things to a person. If Kakashi was being honest, and he had to be brutally honest for the sake of his potential genin and their lives, Kakashi had been attached to his teammates but it hadn't been until tragedy struck that Kakashi pulled his head out of his ass and really noticed his teammates. And, of course, by then it was too late.

Watching his potential genin the week before the first test, heck even during said test, re-enforced how poorly his original plan would go. There were too many ingrained habits, too many hurt feelings. His genin would fall right back into old habits the moment they weren't under the grind. He was even sure, with this trio, it would take many tragedies, not just one, for the lesson to really sink in.

Kakashi couldn't afford for it to go that way. He refused to let it. He might agree that hard lessons tend to stick a bit better, but it wasn't his preference, not when it came to a lesson where lives were to be taken for said lesson to be learned.

For a moment, Kakashi's shoulders sagged.

Staring at their proud faces after they'd passed his bell test...it was the last stone in the bucket. He watched as that pride started to twist and the sense of comradery started to fade from their expressions. They were coming undone right before his eyes.

He wasn't foolish. He knew you don't fix old habits and long standing problems in one afternoon. But, the fact it hadn't even lasted long enough for them to agree to grab a bite to eat afterwards was telling. Sakura was immediately ready to concuss Naruto and swoon over a closed off arrogant Sasuke. Naruto simply didn't understand enough to help things along. He knew the boy understood the lesson best, but the poor blond just didn't have enough exposure to good socialization to really make any sort of positive influence on his teammates.

So Kakashi went with plan B.

Kakashi had never been more relieved, or happy, that plan B was so effective.

His adorable genin were a force to be reckoned with. Even better, only a handful of people knew that his genin were little monsters. Everyone else was gloriously oblivious.

Icing on top? Kakashi was so involved with his current genin team, he didn't wile away hours at the Memorial Stone for ones long dead. He still religiously visited, but he didn't waste hours there. He had too many things to do, plans to prepare, training to supervise.

All in all, things were definitely looking up.

Kakashi felt his shoulders square and his chin lift. He placed a hand on the cold Memorial Stone. "You'd love them. You really would." A faint depreciating smirk crossed his lips. "I'm not quite so hopeless anymore." His eye was a little watery as he sighed and looked up at the blue sky. "They…they are going to do big things, and most people won't even realize it."

"Kakashi-sensei~!" called a voice in the distance behind him.

Kakashi inhaled sharply, closing his eye and collecting himself before slowly turning to see his genin trotting up to him with open warm smiles.

Damn, he really did do something good.


"-and then this boy with a gourd made of sand on his back showed up, and-"

"Sakura, wait," Naruto interrupted.

She paused, glanced at him, and then her mouth clicked closed. She gave him a questioning look.

"Sorry, it's just, I realized why I felt so odd around him. I'm pretty sure he's like me."

Sasuke's eyes widened immediately. "He's jinchuriki?"

Kakashi's lone eye immediately sharpened. "How sure are you?"

"Pretty sure. All the signs are there. Weird nasty feeling chakra, feared by his teammates, and his eyes…" Naruto sighed softly. "His eyes are like mine. There's pain there, loneliness. He's totally had to deal with the same crap I had to growing up, maybe even worse." Naruto shrugged. "I can't say with certainty, but I would suggest looking into it. More so because it looks like the kid hasn't slept in ages. He's probably a bit unstable, and should have his seal checked."

Kakashi sighed. "Well, it seems like those rumors are pertinent now."

All three genin perked up.

"Invasion?" prodded Sasuke. "Really?"

Kakashi waved his genin to take a seat. "This isn't something we're supposed to be discussing with our genin. Only select chunin know, and there are even some jounin who don't know. It's been pretty closely guarded because we can't afford to lose our advantage by letting information leak." He gave them all a sharp look to quell any rising questions. "Suna has been more aggressive of late. Jiraiya has sent word that their Daimyo has been assigning missions to other villages. That means Suna is hurting financially right now. They would benefit from being involved in new alliances."

He shook his head. "There is a new ninja village called Sound. There is a lot of suspicion about the place, and a lot of nasty rumors. Some of those rumors include Orochimaru being linked to the new village, even if there is no credible information on exactly how involved he is." He gave Sasuke a pointed look. "Jiraiya also said the Snake Sannin has an unhealthy obsession with the Uchiha. Considering the man wants to gather any and all knowledge for his own gain, it wouldn't surprise me if he was after your eyes. He has a well established record of trying to transfer kekkei genkai to new hosts outside said bloodline. It means you three need to be especially wary. If you ever come across him, run." He gave them all a hard look. "I'm not joking about this. He is a Sannin for a reason. If you encounter him, don't stand around to gather information. It isn't worth it. Just run."

His genin obediently nodded.

"Good." He ran a hand through his silver hair. "Now, good news. The Third doesn't think anyone is foolish enough to attack during the first two stages of the Chunin Exams. There isn't enough public eye on those two events. It isn't until the third event that every eye in the Elemental Nations is focused on potential chunin and their talents. If anything is going to happen, it will be during the third event. That means we have time to set up some safeguards and put together some good strategies to deal with the fallout."

"Don't we want to prevent it from happening at all?" asked Sakura. "Why would we let them just attack?"

Kakashi shook his head. "We can't retaliate against forces that large without a good understanding of numbers and location. The only feasible answer would be assassination." He held up a warning finger. "However, because of the timing, it would be too suspicious that their leaders were killed within a month of an invasion. They'd assume it was us, even if it wasn't. They would retaliate and it would still end up in an all out assault. With all nations and shinobi villages, it's best if it's a very public event. An attacking village needs to be seen absolutely destroying an enemy village or nation. It ups their standing politically and makes them more of a threat physically. Right now, the Leaf looks like a reasonably easy target. We seem complacent and weak despite our renown saying otherwise, more so with our more tight knit team oriented practices. That we work so closely with our civilian council doesn't look good to other shinobi nations either, even if it is the very reason we are doing so well financially without any wars going on."

"Soooo…" began Sakura. "Are we to keep an eye out for suspicious behavior? If we see anything, how do you want us reporting it?"

"You are to be on high alert at all times," he said bluntly. "I know I tell you to keep on your toes all the time, but this is a step up from that. It is an unhappy truth that we are harboring spies for other nations. No security plan or system is perfect. Good news, the ones we have identified are being watched closely. The ones we don't are the real threat. Your Masks are your most important tool right now. You cannot, I repeat, cannot let anyone realize that they're fake. It is the only way you'll be able to gather any reasonable intel and it will also be the only reason you might survive a bad encounter. If an enemy underestimates you, it means you have one chance to either kill them or get the hell away from them."

He stared at them for a solid minute, impressing upon them how serious about this he was.

Naruto cleared his throat. "Do you want us to use the T&I scrolls?"

Kakashi paused. "Only if you're over fifty percent certain you have a spy or enemy on your hands. Any less certainty could crowd our prison and leave us no room to add actual threats. If you do use the scroll, try writing a note for Ibiki." He hummed. "Also, try to be discreet when using them. We don't need to alert anyone, nor do we want anyone knowing our new little trick."

"And the jinchuriki?" asked Sasuke.

"I will talk with the Hokage. He may have a suppression sealing solution from previous encounters with unstable jinchuriki." He gave them an eye smile when he saw their disbelieving looks. "Don't forget, jinchuriki have been around for a while. This generation is not the first to suffer that curse, and most likely it won't be the last."

The three young genin exchanged uneasy looks at that.

"Ah!" The silver haired jounin clapped his hands together. "That reminds me. Very big note here, so pay attention." He gave them a long stern look. "Zabuza and his apprentice are to be left untouched."

"WHAT?!" blurted the genin.

Kakashi suppressed a chuckle at their looks of horror. "Despite the fact Zabuza is a missing nin, he is on probation. Hiruzen has managed to convince him to ally with us. If Leaf proves as strong as rumor has it, he and his apprentice will be worked into the program." Kakashi shrugged. "Honestly, I'm just as uneasy about this as you. However, because you guys did so well trouncing him...twice, might I add, he's bound and determined to see, and I quote, 'what the hell you tree huggers are feeding your kami damned genin!'." Kakashi snickered. "You three left quite an impression."

His genin grinned.

The jounin stood, dusting off his pants. "Now, last on the agenda." He pulled out the three slips of paper. "These are-"

A LOUD squeal tore through the air and Kakashi's hand was oddly bereft of any paper. He blinked at his hand before looking up to find Sakura standing next to her teammates with said paper in hand.

'I didn't realize she could move that fast', Kakashi mused, dazed that his female student seemed to have miraculously teleported twice just to grab the acceptance slips to coo over. "It seems you are quite aware that I am giving you permission to enter the exams," he remarked blandly, giving her a flat look.

She gave him a sheepish glance, but proceeded to tumble right into an intense discussion with her teammates on plans for the exams, throwing out a rather impressive number of facts and information from previous exams.

Kakashi shook his head and chuckled. They were just too adorable!


"Remember," whispered Sakura as they moved down the hall towards the first exam, "avoid Gai-sensei's team. Lee seems like the kind of person to challenge Sasuke to a fight, and an outright challenge like that can't be turned down or our Masks are threatened."

Sasuke grunted in acknowledgement. They really couldn't afford to be distracted. Lee's challenge would usually pose a wonderful cover for their Masks if someone started doubting his arrogance and Naruto's irritation that he wasn't being taken just as seriously. Sakura could use the window to coo and squeal over Sasuke.

But the exams weren't they only thing they had to worry about.

Unfortunately, they ran into their first obstacle in the form of a very crowded room where Lee and his teammates were trying to get past two other genin blocking some doors. Sasuke rolled his eyes with a huff.

They could try and skirt around, but if anyone saw them, they would wonder why Sasuke wasn't being cocky. More so if any of the gathered genin realized it was the first little test to the exams.

Naruto grinned and murmured to them. "Break the illusion or distraction?"

"Breaking it means more idiots we have to deal with," hissed Sasuke. His scowl deepened. "Distraction."

A nearby genin was shouting with the rest to let them pass. A discreet henge later, Naruto sidled up behind him, unnoticed. Sakura and Sasuke watched with hidden amusement as one of Naruto's hidden clones dropped to the floor as a piece of orange ribbon before unfurling into some bland looking girl with a Suna headband. She moved behind the teammate of the genin Naruto was hovering by.

"Come on! Let us through! We're going to be late!" the unknown genin shouted. He shook his fist at the genin in front of the door.

"Yeah! Let us through!" bellowed a henged Naruto, his Sound headband flashing as he shifted closer to the genin in front of him.

"Shut up you brats! You have no idea what you're in for!" roared one of the door guards.

"Oh yeah?!" challenged the genin in front of Naruto, along with several others. "Say that to my face!"

Naruto's henged face twisted into a wide and wicked grin before it morphed into a furious scowl. "Let's get 'em!" he boomed, and proceeded to pick up the genin before him and toss him straight towards the genin at the doors.

His clone followed a breath later by tossing the poor airborne genin's teammate. "Get 'em!"

Mistaking it as an actual attack, the entire room took one split second pause before the entire place broke out into pandemonium.

Sakura and Sasuke dove right in behind Naruto, fists swinging while discreetly weaving through the mad brawl and to the staircase to continue up to the third floor.

It was barely any time at all before they were exiting the stairs and standing by the actual entrance to the first exams, happily having avoided Gai's genin team in the process. Sakura swore she'd gotten a glimpse of Tenten furiously berating Lee for the pile of unconscious genin on the floor behind him as he sheepishly ducked his head.

Kakashi poofed into existence before them with a wide cheerful grin. "You know, the fighting usually starts in the second part of the exam."

Sasuke smirked. "Then they're not doing it right."

Naruto and Sakura snickered.

Kakashi beamed at them. "I'd wish you luck, but…" He shrugged blithely. "Bye." He raised a hand and gave them an eye smile before shunshinning away.

Naruto glanced at his teammates before grinning widely and barging right in to the exam room with a loud bang.


Inoichi was sitting in T&I sipping tea. With Ibiki running the first exam, they'd called the blond in to run things until Ibiki was able to return. Inoichi really didn't mind. While he knew there was the threat of an invasion going on, he figured it wouldn't really get interesting for another week or so. It meant he had a pretty relaxed day to enjoy while getting paid to do it.

Hence, he wasn't expecting the alarm seal to flare that a new resident was in their Special Seal Cell (he had given Ibiki a flat look when the man had thusly named it that). Inoichi sighed, pushing his chair back and summoning a couple nearby anbu in training (it was a rather useful way to see which potential anbu could handle T&I in the field and also taught them how to properly handle captured nin needed alive for info).

When they arrived, inside was an impressively bound, gagged, and unconscious Leaf genin. Inoichi was a little startled to see the large lump on the silver haired genin's head already shrinking and the genin starting to stir. Inoichi moved without thinking, striking the genin precisely in the back of the neck with a sebon needle. The genin went limp.

Inoichi was about to give orders to the anbu in training, when he noticed a folded slip of paper and an odd stack of blank cards tied to the outside back of the genin's belt. Inoichi cautiously opened the cell to peer better at the kanji on the paper.

He blanched, whipping around to the black clothed figures behind him. "Get the Third!" When the anbu hesitated, obviously doubting the threat of a downed genin, Inoichi growled at him. "NOW!"

The anbu flinched before disappearing in a shunshin.

Anko strolled in whistling a jaunty tune. "Hey Inoichi!" She grinned widely at him. "I saw the alarm! Do we have a new toy to play with?"

He gave her a flat look. "You are supposed to be preparing for the second exam."

"I had that prepped ages ago," she said, waving a hand airily. "And I have other grunts setting up the scroll booth and readying the waivers." She grinned wickedly. "So? What do we have?"

Inoichi glanced at the genin, grabbed the deck of cards and the note, and exiting the cell. He locked it, double checking it to ensure it was locked, before waving her to follow him to a secure room lined with privacy seals.

She followed with a frown, more subdued due to his displeased scowl. He sat down and waved the anbu in training to stand guard outside the door.

"What's this about? You look like someone took a piss on your flowers in your shop." Anko pulled up a seat next to him.

He sighed, setting the cards down before handing her the slip of paper.

She glanced at it before she did a double take. "What-the…" she hissed.

The paper had only a name written on it and a small little drawn marking. The name… was Mizuki, and the mark was the swirl that Naruto notoriously wore on his clothing.

Anko swore impressively as Hiruzen appeared in the doorway.


Ibiki already knew to keep an eye on Team 7. Kakashi's subtle hints early on had been laughable at first, but when the Demon Brothers had popped into one of their newly designed holding cells, Ibiki made a mental note to inquire more later.

The next morning he'd finished informing Kakashi and Hiruzen of his findings when he paused and gave both men a long look. He didn't have to say anything aloud, but he made it very clear in the silence that followed that he was keeping an eye on the new Team 7. Kakashi had the gall to eye smile at him. Or maybe it was a wink. Sometimes, Ibiki wasn't sure with his fellow jounin. Kakashi would wink, even if he was the only one who knew it, just to get some twisted entertainment out of it.

Ibiki had suffered a very irritable four hour session on Kakashi's asinine reasons he was hours late to everything (this was on top of the two and a half hours late the man had taken to show up to give said explanation). Ibiki held a grudge against Hiruzen for dooming him to that torture (which he totally took like a man), and was downright giddy with the idea of sticking it to Kakashi at the opportune moment. He also knew never to question Hiruzen about Kakashi's peculiar habits ever again. All he needed to know was that Kakashi was a damn fine shinobi and that the silver haired jounin's records were humblingly impressive.

'Bastard,' thought Ibiki, eyes roving to the back where a head of familiar pink hair sat. He almost sighed, having hoped that Kakashi would never have the chance to corrupt the next generation with his off brand habits. Ibiki had been silently relieved that the silver haired jounin had failed so many potential genin teams in the past. Clearly, it had saved the village YEARS of mental and physical turmoil.

And then Team 7 was born. Kakashi's insanity had clearly born fruit, as the brats had done the unthinkable. They'd sent Zabuza, Demon of the Mist to T&I. Ibiki and Inoichi had been gobsmacked. The brats looked like incompetent, selfish, whiny little ingrates! But clearly, they weren't.

It could be argued that Kakashi did all the work, but Ibiki was an expert at reading people. Damned bastard was too smug for it to be his own work. Kakashi was completely cool and lazy about his own accomplishments, but it would be a fool that missed the pride the man had for his genins'.

Ibiki was about to look away from the pink haired banshee when he found his neck muscles bulging as he had to force himself not to whip his head back around in her direction. Slowly, so as not to reveal his growing ire, Ibiki's eyes once more landed on the lone female of Team 7.

She was folding his kami-damned test into a paper crane!

She was making honest-to-kami chirping noises as she made it 'fly'!

Ibiki felt his pulse leap in anger, barely keeping from cutting into the little demoness with biting fervor. Instead, he inhaled slowly, forcing his gaze away from the brat and over to…

Smoke?

Ibiki blinked.

Sasuke was scowling at his test... His half burnt to a crisp test. He was pinching the bottom corner and holding the bottom half aloft, the rest a pile of ash on the table. From what Ibiki could make out, it looked like the little shit had been attempting some warped elemental chakra control exercise to write his damned answers! There were marks burnt into the tabletop!

Ibiki barely felt his eye twitch. His muscles were straining so much that he looked twice as intimidating as he did when the test started. He was also subtly leaking KI, adding to the foreboding atmosphere. Genin in the front row were about to piss themselves as they cowered from his fierce visage.

All...but a mop of blond unruly locks.

Ibiki found his gaze automatically turning to the last genin member of Team 7 with dread.

Naruto was humming...humming! It was some cheerful upbeat ditty of a normally slow and depressing song. And he was...drawing on the test, doodling all over the-

Wait.

That wasn't doodling. Those were...were seals.

Ibiki's anger left in one fell swoop as sudden unadulterated fear coursed through him.

Before Ibiki could do any more than part his lips, Naruto winked at the Hyuga girl sitting next to him, and activated the seals.

The harmless looking test disappeared in a blinding flash of light and an intimidating wash of chakra. The room lit up with pained alarmed screams.

As everyone was blinking the spots out of their eyes, Naruto calmly stood, grabbed some dude's paper that looked full, and sat back down, before continuing to hum happily. No one actually witnessed him do it either.

Other than Ibiki (and that little Hyuga) knew it was the little bastard to begin with. Ibiki knew the blond had a test, it had gone up in a ball of light, and now a completely filled out test replaced it.

Ibiki honestly didn't know if he wanted to throttle Team 7 or promote them on the spot.

He promptly decided it would be prudent to let the other villages' genin suffer Team 7's special brand of insanity. If anyone had the hair brained idea to invade Leaf, Team 7 would give them second thoughts.

Hell, they gave Ibiki second thoughts.

The bald jounin barely refrained from groaning and rubbing his temple to ease his growing migraine. Don't get him wrong, their work was fun to observe...right up until you had to deal with the clean up.

As if to further goad the poor jounin, Naruto started ripping up the edges of his test to use as ammo as he started firing spit wads at random genin. Impressively, not any of the genin but the two Hyuga in the group saw him doing it.

Ibiki decided then and there that he would retire before these three monsters made it to jounin. Period. He refused to deal with them when they reached that level. He would rather sit back and laugh as his replacement had to deal with their chaotic messes.

A couple of Chunin in the room seemed to be harboring similar thoughts...if the dawning horror crossing their faces was any indication.

Ibiki was ninety nine percent sure it was.