Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.

Chapter 11: Comradeship

At the village centre

The three rogue ninjas were standing outside, hoping they could catch a glimpse of those three young ninjas of the Leaf Village. They eagerly awaited them while speaking to each other about how those three kids would look like.

"Oh I think those three children are so small that I could crush their bones with my fists!" he tallest of the rogue ninjas exclaimed with pride.

"Or they're probably clueless about how trio warfare works. That leaves them at a great disadvantage" the smallest of the rouge ninjas remarked while laughing deeply.

"We will just have to wait and see with our own eyes, my friends. Once we confront those brats, they will regret ever setting foot in this village" the middle-sized rouge ninja said with arrogance.

While relaxing by the fountain, they couldn't help themselves but to admire themselves in the water's reflection. They all thought so highly of themselves, that they even failed to realise how stupid they really were. The leader suddenly suggested something.

"You know what, forget about waiting for them! Why don't we just confront them right now? I guarantee we will make those kids pee in their pants!" he suggested and his comrades eagerly agreed.

"You're the best, boss! I can't wait to beat those Leaf Village cubs!" the smallest of the rogue ninjas exclaimed.

"Yeah, I wanna see those losers suffer!" the tallest of the rogue ninjas said and the trio then walked towards the main street in the village.

On the way to the village centre

Nashiko and her comrades had been allowed to take breaks so they could gather their strength. She was very dirty from working in the pig pen and was keen about running away. But she was rather interested in knowing about what kind of work her teammates were doing.

"So that's pretty much it. Once the pigs saw me with their food, they all charged towards as if I was a predator or something. Aww man, please say the upcoming Chuunin Exams will NOT be like this!" Nashiko whined while thinking about the pain of being squashed by 8 adult pigs.

Takeda laughed out loud by hearing her story, while Shunsuke only watched her with sympathy. The pink-haired girl gritted her teeth at Takeda's disrespectful behaviour.

"This is probably the funniest thing I've heard in a long time! I just can't stop laughing!" Takeda exclaimed while laughing, much to Nashiko's anger.

"You better shut up, muttface! You weren't there, so you don't know anything!" Nashiko retorted back at her laughing teammate.

"Seriously, you had to assist some random fatass who knew your parents when they were kids? And it was…...in a pig pen? Now that's original!" Takeda remarked while bursting into a new round of laughter.

"But from what I can tell, he also met my dad when he was younger, huh? It's funny, because the one I was helping had also met my dad once…..but in different circumstances, of course!" Shunsuke stated while getting confused about how to say the truth.

"So what were you helping with, Shunsuke? Was it an old man?" Nashiko asked the raven-haired boy and he nodded awkwardly.

"He was a disabled man who had retired from being a samurai. He felt he needed someone to talk with and that's where I came into the picture. But after talking with him, he seemed much more lifted up then what he used to when I first met him" Shunsuke explained, making both Nashiko and Takeda surprised.

"A samurai…..do they even exist?" Nashiko asked with confusion in her voice.

"Duh! Of course, they do! Didn't you realise it? Oh that's right. You wouldn't know, because you're not paying attention during class. Instead, you spend your time with the pigs" Takeda sarcastically said and began another round of laughing.

Nashiko was filled with anger and she angrily punched his teammate by hitting his left cheek. This sent the brown-haired boy flying towards garbage cans lying nearby. Takeda was filled with fear and shock after getting hit by her, so was Arata.

"What the hell….is wrong with you?" Takeda asked while shivering. Nashiko was still angry and glared at him with fiery eyes.

"I'VE HAD IT WITH YOUR RUDE COMMENTS! STOP TRYING TO MAKE ME LOOK STUDPID!" Nashiko shouted with anger. Takeda tried to talk sense into her in order to save himself from another attack by her.

"For crying out loud, I never said anything about you being stupid! You're just clueless, that's what you are!" Takeda pointed out, but this didn't make Nashiko feel any better.

"OH YOU'RE SO GONNA PAY FOR THAT, IDIOTIC MUTTFACE!" Nashiko yelled with anger in her voice, much to Takeda's fear.

The young pinkette walked slowly towards Takeda, who was already freaking out that she was gonna punch her again. Shunsuke on the other hand watched this with total embarrassment, because the villager's around where watching them.

"I kind of wish I wasn't here right now" he thought while looking around.

But before the altercation between Takeda and Nashiko could continue, they were interrupted by someone laughing at them smugly. They turned around and saw three ninjas, standing there laughing at them while crossing their arms. Based on their appearances, they were rogue ninjas, much to Team 8's surprise.

"Well what do you know? It seems we have some Leaf Village cubs skulking around OUR hangout!" the middle-sized leader said while crossing his arms.

"Yeah, and they look even worse than what I expected! They are nothing but a trio of runts!" the big and dim-witted ninja remarked while laughing deeply at them.

"Those kids won't stand a chance against us!" the smallest of the rogue ninjas exclaimed while laughing together with his teammates. The leader took a few steps forward towards Team 8 with a confidential grin on his face.

"Listen, cubs! We really don't like foreign ninjas challenging our right to stay in the village. So we will always challenge anyone who would dare to oppose us!" the leader said with pride. "So me and my brothers here challenge you to a three on three fight! Are you up for it, cubs?" he taunted them while adding the challenge.

Nashiko, Shunsuke and Takeda all focused their attention on the trio. They got closer to each other and discussed about what they were gonna do about them.

"Those must be rogue ninjas! Funny, because Mamuro-sensei said we would be the only ninjas here today" Nashiko said with surprise. "However, for being as such, they talk too much, though" she added.

"But if they challenge us, then we must accept it. We should be careful not to wound them badly" Shunsuke suggested.

"C'mon it's not like we're in the Leaf Village. There's no one to interrupt our fight! This should be fun! I was getting bored by working for that cranky, old hag!" Takeda exclaimed while cracking his knuckles. "I'll take the big one! He sure looks dumber by the way he looks like, not just the way he talks. Wouldn't you agree, Arata?" the brown-haired boy suddenly asked his dog who barked in return.

"For once, I agree with you, Takeda. I look forward to test my abilities!" Nashiko surprisingly commented her teammate she usually clashed with. "If you two don't mind, I wanna let the one in the middle get a taste of my power!" she added while eyeing the middle-sized rogue ninja. He only glared at her in return.

"Well…..I guess we will have to fight. I'll take care of the small one over there" Shunsuke said and eyed his short opponent.

The two teams were getting ready for the fight. The rogue ninjas smirked while preparing their fighting stances.

"So you have accepted our challenge? Good, then the losing team scrams" the leader said and began charging at Nashiko in a fast speed.

Nashiko watched her opponent with caution. He sure was a fast one. But her eyes snapped once she caught a glimpse of the leader reaching for his pockets. He had four shuriken in each hand. It was obvious he was planning on throwing them at her. He did throw them fast, and they all managed to hit Nashiko. The rogue ninja smirked with satisfaction.

"Hah! Didn't see that coming, huh!? Well that's too bad, because my speed is difficult to predict. Hope my shuriken didn't leave you any ugly….HUH!?" the leader snapped with surprise, once he noticed the target his shuriken had actually hit was nothing but a substitution. "A substitution!" he exclaimed with anger and looked around to see where she could've gone.

But he was suddenly surprised, when he felt a powerful punch under his chin. He was unable to notice that Nashiko had somehow managed to hide herself underneath him, waited for the opportunity to punch his chin. The leader was sent up in the air, feeling the pain from Nashiko's punch.

"Damn it! I left myself wide open for that lousy squirt! That was indeed a clever…..WHAT!?" he was surprised once he could see Nashiko floating in the air and was about to deliver her a powerful kick. This confused the rogue ninja.

"TAKE THIS! UZUMAKI BARRAGE!" Nashiko shouted and landed her right foot on the leader's face. This sent him crash-landing to the ground.

Nashiko landed on her feet and her Shadow Clone beside her disappeared. She grinned mischievously at the leader who was struggling to get back on his feet. Once he did, he showed Nashiko the ugly mark of her sandals on his face. The young pinkette laughed out of control.

"So what you did….was to use a Shadow Clone to attack from the ground? And then you jumped in the air to land that kick on me! Just who the hell are you…..little bitch!?" the leader asked with anger while blood was running from his nose. Nashiko stopped laughing and gave him a confidential smirk.

"Who I am, you ask? Well my name is Nashiko Uzumaki. I wanna become the strongest kunoichi in the world!" she exclaimed with pride.

The leader was widening at the mentioning of the word Uzumaki. He had heard that name from someone, but where?

Meanwhile, the biggest of the rogue ninjas were having troubles facing Takeda. He tried to attack him by using brute strength. However, Takeda was fast enough to stop him from performing those attacks. He would usually use his taijutsu on his stomach, by only using the palm on his right hand. Such simple attack was a common technique practised by the Hyuuga clan. The big rogue ninja became frustrated as blood began running from his mouth.

"ARGH, THAT HURT, YOU BRAT!" he angrily exclaimed. Takeda only smirked in return.

"Not so tough now, are you? You're nothing but talk, fatso!" Takeda taunted him with an insult, thus making the rogue ninjas angrier. He drew out a club and began swinging it towards the brown-haired boy.

"NOW YOU'RE DEAD!" the big ninja shouted while swinging his club. But he was stopped once he could feel something wet splashing his face, including his eyes. This made him drop his club to use his hand to wash away the wet thing on his face, while screaming with fear.

However, he soon stopped throwing tantrums once he caught the scent of what it really was. He was filled with outrage, because it stank all over his face.

"IS THIS DOG PISS IN MY FACE!? DAMN IT!" the rogue ninja shouted with anger, knowing that this was indeed dog piss.

Takeda only smirked to himself while Arata was suddenly hanging on his collar. The little dog only gave the big ninja his mischievous grin.

"You shouldn't take lightly to my dog, Arata. He can be very mischievous towards my opponent sometimes, especially if they are annoying" Takeda explained while petting his canine partner. "Oh and by the way, sorry if I scare you or something but Arata's piss is actually…poisonous" the brown-haired ninja lied while trying to scare his opponent. It actually worked and the tall ninja was screaming like a girl. This made Takeda laugh. "What a moron! He isn't even fit to be a ninja, right Arata?" Takeda asked his dog partner while expressing his opinion of his opponent. Arata barked in agreement.

Shunsuke was having a pleasant fight with the smallest of the rogue ninjas. The rogue ninja was a very tricky one. He tried to use his genjutsu on him. But unfortunately for him, it didn't affect Shunsuke. The raven-haired boy was focused on using his fire-based attacks and fast speed on his opponent, who kind of sucked in taijutsu and ninjutsu.

"Fire Style: Fireball jutsu!" Shunsuke shouted while doing a few hand seals. He blew out a large fireball at his opponent. The rogue ninja was filled with fear and tried to avoid the attack. He nearly missed the flame, but he paused once he noticed Shunsuke standing in front of him.

"UUUAAAAHHHHH, HOW THE HELL CAN YOU BE SO FAST!?" the small rogue ninja asked with anger and fear in his voice.

Shunsuke only stood in front of him eyeing him with determined eyes. Apparently, he wasn't necessarily taunting his opponents like Nashiko and Takeshi. Rather, he was filled with seriousness, something which was unusual for the usually kind and awkward Shunsuke.

"A true ninja would never use his abilities to commit thievery and other heinous crimes. What you and your friends are doing is a disgrace to the way of the ninja!" Shunsuke explained with reason in his voice. His opponent only sneered in return.

"Bah! What do you know!? You ninjas from the Five Great Nations lack the perspective that we from the smaller hidden villages have. You don't know the true meaning of shinobi business, you lousy punk!" the rogue ninja hit back and got up land a punch on the young boy.

But before it could hit him, Shunsuke stopped the rouge ninja's fist with his right hand. He grabbed it and suddenly firmed his grip in the fist, thus nearly cracking the ninja's fist. He began wincing in pain and was afraid of getting his hand broken.

"LET ME GO!" he demanded while at the same time struggled to free himself from Shunsuke's grip.

"Not until you confess all the wrongdoings you have done!" Shunsuke replied sternly, much to the rogue ninja's distress. He kicked Shunsuke's stomach, thus freeing himself from the raven-haired boy's grip.

The small rogue ninja eyed his injured hand and angrily glared at Shunsuke. He was infuriated by what he just did.

"WHO IN THE HELL ARE YOU!?" he demanded an answer, noticing Shunsuke eyeing him with his black eyes.

"I'm Shunsuke Uchiha, pleased to meet your acquaintance!" he replied with sarcasm in his voice.

The small ninja was shocked after hearing this boy's name. He also studied Shunsuke's appearance and looks. He was filled with fear, because he knew what an Uchiha really was.

"THAT PUNK STANDING OVER THERE IS AN UCHIHA!? THAT EXPLAINS HIS BLACK HAIR AND EYES…AS WELL AS HIS REMARKABLE ABILITIES!" he thought.

The three rogue ninjas had gathered themselves in order to plan what to do next. They suffered bruises and injuries from their fights. Team 8 had also gathered and they eyed the rogue ninjas as they were whispering amongst themselves. They were confused at their behaviour.

"Hey boss! Those kids are a lot tougher than we expected! Just look at me! I've got dog piss all over my face!" the big one whispered while rubbing his face.

"I know that, you stinking oaf! I was caught off guard by a mere girl! I've never been so insulted and humiliated!" the middle-sized leader said while swallowing a gulp. "That girl has Uzumaki as her last name. Does that ring a bell to you?" he asked his comrades and they all snapped.

"Uzumaki, as in….Naruto Uzumaki!?" the smallest one asked with shock. The three ninjas were all scared after saying the name Naruto Uzumaki. "He's like one of the strongest shinobis in the world! But there's more to that regarding that team. That black-haired punk over there…..is an Uchiha!" he added while taking a brief glance at Shunsuke.

The trio were just getting more and more uncomfortable by the minute. Right now, they regretted ever challenging those three genins to this challenge.

"What are we gonna do, boss!? I'm scared!" the big one asked with desperation in his voice.

"We better do something quick! Those kids will probably end up killing us if we keep fighting like this!" the smallest of the ninjas said.

"Shut up, pussies! Whining won't help us with anything, I'm trying to think of….." the leader was interrupted once he and his comrades heard a cheerful voice coming from behind. They knew that this wasn't the gennins who did that.

Once they turned around, they saw Menma standing in front of where the team was whispering. He smiled cheerfully while waving his hand. The rogue ninjas freaked out at what they were seeing.

"Howdy! The sun out sure is nice, huh?" Menma asked them who were still shaking with fear. He looked behind them and got a glimpse of his team, who waved at him in return. "Oh there you are! How's it going?" Menma asked them.

"Menma-sensei, you never said anything about rogue ninjas being here in the village" Nashiko said. "And not to mention that they sucked at fighting!" she added with a huff. Menma only scratched his neck while chuckling.

"Where the hell have you been all this time? I've been stuck cutting a freaking hedge for some old hag in many hours! And don't give us a crappy excuse like you were visiting an inn or something!" Takeda exclaimed with frustration.

"Actually….I was visiting an inn. But believe me, it sure was a nice place. I took a few drinks while getting a couple of news from around the country. I trust that you've enjoyed helping people" Menma said while noticing how tired Nashiko and Takeda really looked like. But he could also notice them giving him dirty looks.

"So you're telling me that while I've been nearly squeezed to death by pigs….you've been relaxing in an inn! You're so gonna pay for this!" Nashiko exclaimed with fiery eyes.

"Well it's great to know that you're still around here, Menma-sensei! Those three rogue ninjas really surprised us!" Shunsuke said while pointing his finger towards the shaking trio.

Menma did so and they all freaked out after he took a look at them with his simple, curious look. They all ran away from him as soon as Menma just pointed his finger at them out of curiosity.

"WE'RE LEAVING THIS PLACE! WE DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU!?" the rogue ninjas screamed together while running away with fear.

Team 8 and their sensei only watched them with surprising eyes. But they eventually laughed together. After doing so, Nashiko began a conversation with her teammates.

"Well I'm impressed by both of your abilities. I really hope we three can make it through the Chuunin Exams together! If only mom and dad could've seen us now" she said to both Takeda and Shunsuke. Surprisingly, Takeda smiled in return.

"I guess you're right. I can't believe I'm saying this but…nice work you two! Keep up the good work!" Takeda surprisingly commented his teammates while Arata barked as a compliment to them. Nashiko was particularly surprised by Takeda's sudden kindness, as was Shunsuke.

"I'm glad that I was put on the same team as you two! I hope we can learn from one another!" Shunsuke said.

Menma smiled to himself when he noticed how closer the bonds between his students were growing. As teammates and comrades, they had to learn from another, because their strength came from one another, even if they were too stubborn to realise it. He approached his students with a smile on his face.

"It's great to see that you are beginning to understand it. Our journey has just begun and there will be many challenges lying ahead of us. But still, no matter how dire the situation is, never forsake comradeship" he told them, while his students listened closely.

In a thick forest two days from the Leaf Village

Team 10 consisting of Inojin Uchiha, Shikaien Nara and Chouta Akimichi, had been left alone in the forest by their sensei, Ayumu Sarutobi. The test here was simple. They would have to survive in the thick forest and find a way out of it. And of course, their sensei would not be assisting them.

The forest was incredibly large, and there was almost no ray of sunshine to be seen. The wildlife here was dangerous and there were no doubt poisonous spiders, snakes or whatever creeps lurked among these forsaken woods. Chouta in particular, was feeling very scared.

"This is so messed up. I don't understand why Ayumu-sensei would put us on something like this!" she said while feeling uncomfortable.

"Relax, Chouta. You might now have realised this, but this is way of preparing us for the Chuunin Exams. Who knows what we might stand up against" Shikaien urged his chubby partner to calm down. "Besides, there's nothing to worry about with me and Inojin tagging along, is it?" he added with a question. Chouta only nodded.

The two friends turned their attentions to their long-haired teammate, who was now observing the area around them. True, Inojin was very perceptive. Shikaien and Chouta stood beside him and helped him in keeping a better perspective around them. They all snapped once they heard a sound in the bushes. They all prepared their fighting stances.

Out from the bushes, a lone rogue ninja from the Hidden Rain Village appeared before them. He was indeed a dangerous one, based upon his appearance. He wore a helmet, where the symbol of the Rain Village was located. His greenish-yellow eyes were fixed upon Team 10. His mouth was open and it revealed a psychotic grin.

"Well, well, well, this is indeed interesting! Small little children wandering alone in the big, scary forest! Too bad your mommies and daddies aren't here to save you from any threats, threats like ME!" the rouge ninja said and began laughing like a lunatic.

"AAAAHHHHHHHRRRRGHHHH! HE'S GONNA KILL US!" Chouta screamed loudly.

Shikaien was getting annoyed by his teammate's constant whining. However, he was also surprised by this turn of events. But he noticed Inojin just standing still, doing nothing.

"So do you kids have any last words, huh!?" the rogue ninja asked them while preparing his weapon. He suddenly noticed Itachi stepping towards him. He was actually surprised because he saw something in the young Uchiha. He was closing his eyes and smirked at what the rogue ninja just said.

"I have no last words" Inojin said. He suddenly opened his eyes, but they didn't reveal his usual black pupils. Instead, they were red with three black spots on. His teammates also began noticing it with both shock and surprise. Inojin began grinning while eyeing his opponent with his newfound eyes. It intimidated the rogue ninja. "Do you have any last words? Because if you have, then I suggest you say them right now. For as the ravens above us screech and fly away…you are going to die!" Inojin said coldly, thus snapping both his comrades and his opponents.

"Hold on what are you...AARGHHH" the rogue ninja felt himself getting pierced in his right knee by a kunai. This was the work of Inojin, who had thrown it towards him.

Smirking, Inojin drew another one. "Well, that's one knee down. Your other is next" the raven-haired boy said, showing no remorse for the words he had just uttered.

Hidden from Team 10, Ayumu was watching the events with very a hint of concern on his face. He was hiding in the deepest bushes with thorns, where no one would ever think about hiding. He could get a clear view of his teammates, and more specifically Inojin. The expression on the young boy's face troubled the red-eyed jounin.

"This looks bad. The look on Inojin's faces and coupled with the fact that…..he has awakened the Sharingan. I didn't expect him to awaken it so soon. I wonder if something similar has happened with Shunsuke. I better let both the Hokage and Naruto know this" he thought as he observed Inojin preparing to face off the rogue ninja.

To be continued…

Author's note: That was another chapter with Nashiko and her pals. Most of the characters are OC. I can't wait till we get to the Chuunin Exams. Nashiko and Inojin will be vital characters to that part, along with many others.