Yo- everyone! I'm back, more or less. And since it's been a while I thought I'd update.

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"You shouldn't have used your nails on those boys," Sarutobi said later that day as he was walking with Naru through the village after school let out. She tipped her head back to look at him, her violet eyes focusing on his face, reading into his somber expression as he glanced down at her. "Those kids will have scars now."

"Why should I care? The stupid brats should have let go when I told them too. My arms and shoulders are still aching from being yanked back and forth." Naru said in an peeved tone as she moved her shoulders a little bit under her jacket. She'd been in a dark mood ever since the kids on the playground had used her for their game of tug-of-war leading up to the two boys having their faces scored by Naru's claw like fingernails.

"Because their parents will likely ask for retribution. As is their right after what you did to their children."

"If they do, I'll kill them." Naru said simply. Not bothering to make her words seem like they were merely a threat. No- that would be much too easy and forgiving. And she was not a very easy or forgiving person. Sighing Sarutobi put his hand on top of her head and gently scrapped his nails along her scalp before saying,

"You can't kill them."

"Why?"

"Because it's wrong and you would be making enemies of them and their families."

"Why should I care about that? From the way you talk I've already made enemies of them."

"Yes. But just because someone may ask for retribution doesn't mean that you can kill them."

"Well, what about my retribution? Their kids nearly yanked both of my arms out of socket- so naturally they got hurt. It's only natural for me to lash out when I'm hurt or uncertain of something and scared."

"Yes, I know. But others do not understand that Naru."

"Then they'll have to learn." Naru said sharply as she stopped walking and glared up at him, letting him know that their conversation was beginning to get on her nerves. Sarutobi sighed again and nodded his head silently. Yes, the villagers would have to learn. But so would Naru if she was ever to take her true place as the greatest hero ever born to the leaf village.

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Iruka walked into the Akimichi clan's famous restaurant trying to think of nothing but something to eat and wound up thinking about what had happened with Naru and the two kids whom she had injured earlier, and was about to turn around and leave, when he caught sight of Asuma Sarutobi, Mighto Gai, Kakashi Hatake and Kurenai Yuui sitting across the room watching him- and knew that it was only a matter of minutes before one of them would wave him over and ask him to join them.

Figuring that maybe he should mention the incident between Asuma-san's niece and the boys today at school as an extra precaution so that the man would see about keeping extra tabs on Naru- he mentally prepared himself as he silently counted down.

5...4...3...2...

"Iruka-san," Mighto's voice boomed as he practically jumped up and nearly overturned the table he and his friends were sitting at in the process as he waved his arms wildly in the air. As if Iruka would have been able to ignore the tall green spandex clad hyperactive man like his friend Hatake Kakashi (one of the most adept people in the whole village at ignoring the green beast). "Iruka-san! Iruka-san! Come sit and join us and tell us stories of your student's!" The man practically shouted as he started to jump up and down in place until Kakashi got tired of his antics and punched him in a lightening quick move that not only made the man take a seat, but was guaranteed to keep him quiet as he tried to suck in what little air had escaped from his lungs.

Sighing, Iruka hung his head a little and walked over. Swearing to himself that he would only stay long enough to warn Asuma-san to keep an close eye on his niece and then he would grab something to go and go home so that he could eat and grade the stack of papers in the binders tucked under his arm.

"Hello everyone." He said as Kurenai scooted over and made a place for him across from the others so that he could sit down. Setting his binders on the table, he took his seat and exchanged polite greetings with everyone before Asuma asked,

"How are things at the school? The kids learning well?"

Iruka took a nervous breath and nodded his head a little bit as he thought, Was that his way of asking if Naru was learning everything okay? Cause if so then maybe he didn't need to worry so much about the kid. "Everything is...uh...okay... There are one or two promising students."

"Really?" Kurenai asked in a surprised tone.

"Yes. In fact there is one in particular that I wanted to speak to Asuma-san about," Asuma looked at Iruka funny, but said nothing as he let the teacher continue. "This particular child is brilliant to the point when she can't function right. She knows how to use her chakra, hand to hand, she gets top marks in the class- However she isn't so good at socializing with the other children. In fact there was an incident earlier today where two boys were wounded after using her in a bizarre parody of tug-of-war."

"And this concerns me why?" Asuma asked curiously as he tilted his head slightly to the side. Iruka linked and regarded him for a moment with a frown. Something was wrong here. Asuma was acting as if- No, no, no. There's no way that he couldn't know about Naru...

Was there?

"Well, uh, I-I just thought that you would want to know that you may need to keep an eye on you're niece." Iruka stuttered out after a second or so. Asuma blanked his expression and stared at him oddly before shaking his head and saying,

"My what?"

Iruka stared at him wide eyed for a moment before suddenly bolting to his feet and grabbing up his binders and quickly muttering an apology, he was obviously wrong and Asuma should forget what he had just said. The only problem with that was that he knew the shinobi wouldn't forget. In fact he was pretty sure that he'd go straight to see his father and demand answers.

Way to dig your own grave Iruka. The teacher thought as he rushed out of the restaurant.