Well, I took a hell of a lot longer than I meant. Can't excuse myself because the delay was a result of my laziness. And this chapter, to me, doesn't seem to make up for it. Read it if you want. The next chapter should come faster and be hopefully better.

Chapter 14

"Why the hell are we back doing chores!?" demanded Naruto, pulling up a weed vehemently, "We just had a week off from them, not to mention we've had this one about four times! Same house, same garden, same damn day!" Naruto gestured rudely toward the house the garden they were working belonged. "Lady! Get a friggin' gardener and maybe this wouldn't happen!"

Guy grinned. "Ironic, isn't it?" he asked, drawing a confused glare from Naruto.

"What?" he said brusquely.

"It's ironic. The first time we were here, TenTen was the one complaining. Now look," explained Guy, smiling in amusement. Naruto snorted loudly and tore another weed out of the ground. TenTen giggled and dug out a weed with a trowel the owner of the house had given her.

At a smirk from Neji, Naruto snapped, "Hey! Watch it, teme!"

"Or what, Uzumaki-san?" asked Neji, throwing a weed into the bucket they were using.

"Or you'll end up like this weed!" Naruto fiercely ripped a weed from the ground and brandished it at Neji. "And then I'll-I'll...erm...tear you apart!" he finished a bit uncertainly.

Neji smiled slyly. "You have indeed struck fear into this weak heart," he said sardonically, "May God save my soul."

"He'll havta save something a lot more important to ya if ya don't quit!" threatened Naruto, throwing a weed into the bucket and accidentally tipping it over. "Son of biii-" Naruto worked his jaw around the word, "scuit!" He picked the bucket back up. "I hate chores," he muttered, tearing up another root and tossing it into the bucket.

TenTen suppressed another bout of giggles, and Guy turned his head to hide a smile. They worked in quiet for the rest of the task, and they finished in a half-hour. Naruto grumbled as he brushed the dirt on his hands on his pants. "Can't use my jacket," he muttered, "Gotta use my pants. Friggin' great..."

"Well, maybe you should've thought of that before you got something so white," teased TenTen.

"But I wanted a change of pace!"

"A change of pace does not mean that one has to wear such colors that are unfit for work that dirties one's clothes."

"Shut up, teme."

"Ah, but I have a valid point, Uzumaki-san."

"I said shut up," grumbled Naruto, rubbing his eyes. A pull at his sleeve caused him to turn, and a terrifying, demonic face greeted him, its crooked teeth leering at him. Naruto raised an eyebrow lazily. "Hello, Touza. Nice try."

The mask came away, a pouting Touza behind it. "Aw, I can never get you, Naruto-san. You're gettin' like me now." He grinned mischievously. "Now I have to try harder! Maybe later today!"

Naruto smiled lopsidedly. "This is the third try already, and 'third time's the charm' didn't work for you. Think tenth is?"

Touza's grin widened. "Hee-hee, just wait, Naruto-sensei-san." With that, he hurried off, disappearing around of the corner of the street. Naruto shook his head, and TenTen laughed.

"I kinda like him," she said, "Adorable little guy."

"Was the child that is like a specter?" asked Neji, receiving a nod, "He never knows my name. It irks me to no end."

Naruto grinned at him. "Annoyed that someone doesn't the all-powerful teme's name? What is it that he likes to call you? Weird-Eyes-san?"

Neji glared. "That is indeed correct, and you may regret reminding me of that ridiculous moniker." He kept glaring at the grinning blonde until Guy cleared his throat. With a final dagger-like look, Neji as well as Naruto turned their attention to Guy.

"Now that I have your attention," said Guy with light sarcasm, "We need to go back to the Hokage Tower. However, I suggest a race." He grinned. "Ready-set-mark-go!" Naruto, with a sly grin at Neji, tore down the street, the infuriated Hyuuga close at his heels. TenTen blinked in puzzlement, but shouted in indignation as she realized she was last.

"Hey! Wait up, you idiots!" she yelled after them, dashing to catch up. Guy chuckled, and he shunshinned away.

Naruto slid under a cart, scaring its attendants, and leaped over a stall in his race to the Tower. Neji vaulted over the same cart and stall, awing the same people. Naruto threw a grin back at Neji and leaped through a gap between two stalls. Neji jumped through a cart, barely shaking it. His voice carried to the blonde. "I am not that easy to beat, Uzumaki-san."

"Wasn't expecting you to be!" Naruto slid under another cart. "Take this!" He grabbed a scaffolding and scampered up it, at the same time dismantling it as he climbed. Neji zigzagged to avoid the debris, glaring at the cackling blonde. The blonde climbed onto the roof and grinned down at Neji. "Bye, teme!" He took off.

Neji tensed to give chase, but a tumultuous racket made him turn. "You bastards! I told you wait up!" shouted TenTen, upending a cart and knocking over a stall. She stopped near Neji and punched him in the shoulder. "There!" she said, blushing but looking satisfied, "Now for Blondie!" She jumped onto the roof and pursued Naruto. Neji frowned in confusion but shrugged and gave chase.

Naruto was snickering with satisfaction after he had torn down the scaffolding. The Tower was in sight, and he was confident that he was in the lead. Right up until he heard a whistling behind him. Instinctively, he ducked, a very familiar hammer whizzing over his head. He glanced behind him and saw TenTen snorting like an enraged bull, kunai in hand.

"Hey!" protested Naruto, "No weapons!"

"Sensei didn't say so, blondie!"

"Buns, leave it!"

"DIE!"

"Ah!" Naruto ducked again as the kunai flew past him. "Quit it!" He turned as he ran and blocked a senbon with a kunai. "Deadly force is not required here, dammit!" He threw the kunai at her.

TenTen hooking its end ring on a finger. "What was that, blondie?" she asked, twirling it.

"Now that's unfair!"

"Unfair my foot!" she shouted, throwing the kunai. Naruto dodged, and he turned to see Neji flash by him.

"Wha- ah, crap!" He dashed after Neji, leaving TenTen behind.

"Come back here, you buncha effin' idiots!"

Naruto sped after Neji, his speed putting them at neck-and-neck about a hundred feet from the Tower. Naruto grit his teeth, his muscles straining, but he started to pull ahead, bit by bit. "Ha, teme! Looks like I'm gonna-," Naruto felt his foot catch on something, and he was sent flailing to the ground. "STUPID ROCKS!"

Neji hid a smirk, and he tapped the wall of the Hokage Tower. "I win, Uzumaki-san."

"Screw you, teme!" said Naruto, brushing himself off. "If I hadn't-AH!" TenTen tackled him from behind and trampled the blonde as he fell. "Ouch-ouch-ouch-OW!" cried Naruto, TenTen stepping on his fingers. She grinned back at him as she too touched the wall.

"I win, blondie," she teased, sticking her tongue out.

"Screw you both."

"Naruto? What happened?" They looked up, and Guy waved down from the wall, standing horizontally out of from it. "I thought you were the fastest," he joked, smiling lightly.

"They cheated!" accused Naruto.

"That is false, sensei. I did not cheat, and TenTen merely benefited from a loophole," said Neji.

"Loophole!?" demanded Naruto, "More like unspoken rule!"

"Is there such a thing as unspoken rule, Uzumaki-san?"

"Yeah! I'm pretty damn sure if you got lemons, you make effin' lemonade!"

Neji regarded Naruto, exasperation obvious on his face. "You...you cannot argue logically, I wish you to know. I do not know why you continue to argue even when it's hopeless." Guy chuckled and jumped down, and he clapped to earn their attention.

"Alright! We-"

"BOO!" Naruto started but didn't jump. He smiled embarrassingly at Guy, but then kicked the small figure behind him without turning. "Ow! That hurt, Naruto-san! Meanie!" The figure disappeared.

Guy looked at Naruto pointedly and continued, "We need to report. Follow me!" They opened the door to the Tower and marched up a flight of stairs, Guy sounding off a military rhythm as they did. The group entered Mission Report, and the blonde brightened as he saw Iruka seated next to the Hokage.

"Iruka-sensei! Whatcha doing here?" he asked happily, grinning. Iruka looked up from the paper he was reading and smiled.

"Off-duty," he said, "Thought I'd help here."

"Man, ever heard of taking a break, sensei?" teased Naruto.

"What is this 'break' you speak of?" asked Iruka, smiling, "Nice to see you too, Naruto."

"You too," replied Naruto, his grin widening. He looked back to Guy who bowed to the Hokage.

"Thank you for your time, Hokage-sama," said Guy, already given the report. The old man nodded and looked down a journal in front of him.

"Quite a record your team has," he commented, "Very good."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama."

"Yeah, thanks, Hokage-ji!"

"Naruto!" scolded Guy, "Respect!"

"Aw, sensei! You know he doesn't mind. Do you, ji?"

The Hokage chuckled and took a drag from his pipe in his hand. "No," he answered, blowing out the smoke, "I don't mind at all. It actually makes me feel more grandfatherly."

"See?"

Guy sighed and pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "Yes, yes, I do. Let's go. We've got training to do." He turned to leave but stopped as Naruto protested.

"C'mon, can't we get a mission that gets us out of the village? We've been stuck in this place for a month, probably more!" Guy glared at Naruto, but he was surprised as Neji and TenTen nodded their heads in agreement. "Please, sensei? Do we gotta beg for each C-rank?"

Guy resisted sighing again and turned completely around. "What makes you think you're ready for a C?" he asked.

"Well, Hokage-ji said we got a good record, and we got new, awesome jutsu," said Naruto, counting with his fingers and staring at the ceiling, "Teme always has something good stored away, so does TenTen. And me...well, I have my clones and wits." He looked at Guy and grinned. "That's about all I can think of without really thinking about it."

"Really?" said Guy, smiling slightly, "That's all?"

"Yeah," said Naruto, shrugging, "Though I think it's enough to grant us another mission."

"You're persistent, Naruto."

The blonde smiled. "I know."

Neji stepped in. "Yes, we all know this. Relating to the mission we're hoping to receive, I think we need something light. Border patrol or something of the like would be ideal."

"Yeah...whatever teme just said. His vocabulary is too complicated and expansive for me to comprehend," said Naruto sarcastically, glaring at Neji. The Hyuuga smirked back, riling the blonde further. "Screw you too, teme."

"What happened to that illustrious vocabulary of yours, Uzumaki-san?"

"It died whenever I met you. Now back to the mission. Are we gonna get one or not? My reasons were solid." Guy, who had been hoping Naruto would forget the mission in the midst of fighting, exhaled in slight irritation.

"Fine. Guess you deserve after chasing down Tora five times in the last month."

Naruto pouted at the mention of the feral cat. "Yeah, damn thing clawed my arms to ribbons. Hurt like hell."

TenTen rolled her eyes and punched his arm. "Yeah, and the scratches healed in five minutes. Mine didn't."

"Still hurt like hell."

"Mine hurt like hell longer."

"Still doesn't change the fact it still hurt like hell."

"ALRIGHT," said Guy forcefully, "Give it a rest. Both of you."

"She started it, sensei," blamed Naruto.

"Like hell, you short-,"

"Still taller than you, Buns." TenTen growled at the blonde, but stopped at a meaningful look from Guy. She crossed her arms and looked away petulantly. His gaze shifted to Naruto, who'd stuck his tongue at TenTen. Naruto caught the look and stopped reluctantly.

"Now that the majority of us are not acting like children," said Guy, "we can move along." He turned to the Hokage. "Hokage-sama, we request a C-rank mission. Border patrol would be the best." The man nodded and sifted through a few papers. He finally picked one out.

"Ah, here's one. Border patrol along the eastern border, about a day's journey from here," said the Hokage, handing the paper to Guy for him to study, "The request states that the main problems are hostile wildlife, bandits here and there but not major. They should pose little danger to your squad." Guy surveyed the paper a moment longer before handing it back.

"That will do. What's the deadline to get there?"

"The station is expecting someone in about three days at the most. I would advise you go today."

Guy nodded and looked back at his team. "You hear that? Report to the gate at two'o'clock sharp."

All of Team 9 saluted, Naruto a bit sloppily. "Yes, sensei!"

A voice startled them out of the salute. "Aw! That's so cool! You get to go on ninja adventures?" Iruka, the Hokage, and every other person in the room jumped. Small arms appeared over the back of the Hokage's large chair, and the grinning face of Touza appeared. "Hiya, guys!" All the people in the room stared at the young boy in complete bafflement. "What? What'd I do?"

Iruka stood and shouted angrily at the boy, "You've broken every rule in the handbook, you have! Sneaking in here without permission, scaring us half to death, interrupting important ninja conduct-," He named off several other rules, Touza seeming to shrink with every one listed. Iruka finally finished and glared at the boy. "Now what to do you have to say for yourself, young man?"

Touza looked down at his feet. "Nothin'..."

"That's right! There's no excuse for this!"

Naruto cut in. "C'mon, sensei, cut the little man a break. He's just a kid. I did worse than him and got yelled at less."

The Hokage, who had just recovered, agreed. "Yes, he is correct, Iruka. And the child meant no harm. Simply a silly prank of his, wasn't it, little one?"

Touza nodded frantically, eyes still focused timidly on Iruka. "It was an accident, mister Iruka-san and Hokage-sama. I just like to scare people. That's all." He looked pleadingly at Naruto who held up his hands in a gesture meaning: you're on your own. Touza looked back at Iruka who was slowly deflating.

"Yes, you're right, Hokage-sama. Just a prank," said Iruka. He turned to Naruto. "Looks like you're rubbing off on him, Naruto."

The blonde grinned and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I tend to corrupt minds like that." Touza grinned back at Naruto and waved at the others.

"Hello, TenTen-san, Guy-san , and...eh, some-guy-I-can't-remember-san," greeted the boy, squinting at Neji, "What's your name, mister?"

Neji rolled his eyes. "What is the point if you don't bother to remember it?"

"Aw, please, mister?" pleaded Touza, eyes wide and innocent. Neji withstood the look for a moment before exhaling slowly.

"Neji. Are you happy now, Touza-san?"

"Hi, Jeni-san!" said Touza happily before dashing out the door, his laughter echoing in the halls. Neji snorted irately, and TenTen and Naruto constrained their mirth with effort.

Naruto managed a few words. "Jeni? Really? That's a new one! Jeni-teme!" He whooped in laughter, holding his sides. TenTen giggled, and Neji glared at both of them.

"Let us pretend this never happened, shall we?"

"Alright, Jeni."

"Silence, Uzumaki-san."

Guy interrupted, "That was a nice little meeting and all, but we have to get going. At around eleven, preferably." They looked at each, and Naruto smiled impishly before disappearing out the door. TenTen objected loudly as she followed him, and Neji and Guy exited quietly, closing the door behind him.

Iruka smiled. "It's always interesting when Team 9 comes here. Curious people on that team." He picked up a sheaf of paper but then frowned. "That Touza kid...how'd he get in?"

The Hokage shook his head. "I don't know. He surprised even me. This Tower is well-guarded and watched. A child would've been reported. Washi, did you sense anything?" Air in a corner shifted, and an ANBU shivered into view.

"I did not, Hokage-sama. The child eluded me," reported the ANBU, his mask shaped by a beak. The Hokage nodded, and the ANBU melted back into the corner.

"A child who can elude ANBU...a miracle, and too good to be true," said the Hokage. "Hyō, keep an eye on Touza. I don't want that to happen again." Another corner seemed to shiver, and a transparent figure saluted before shun-shinning off.

Naruto raced up the stairs of his apartment and barged through the doors, dropping his jacket by the door in the process. He grabbed a backpack and began to stuff it with scrolls containing everything from clothes to food. 'Storage seals have really kept the clutter down, gotta admit.' His apartment was indeed neater, maybe not cleaner, but neater nonetheless.

The blonde glanced at the clock. Ten-thirty. Plenty of time to stop by Ichiraku for a quick snack. He shouldered the pack and stepped outside. He hurried down the stairs, but he stopped as he reached the bottom. Naruto looked back at his door, and climbed back up the stairs. He stopped in front of the door and took out a key.

'This is the first time I've locked my apartment. But that note...that scared me.' Naruto turned the key in the doorknob, hearing the bolt lock. 'Wish I had locking seals. Need to look into that soon.' He dropped the key into his pocket and hurried back down the stairs.

The midday sun beat down, and Naruto wiped away a drop of sweat. "Man, for it to be in the middle of fall, sure is hot."

Neji replied sarcastically, "Yes. The Land of Fire is not called the Land of Fire because of its chilling winters."

"Shut up, Jeni."

"Simply correcting your mistake, Uzumaki-san." Naruto rolled his eyes and looked at TenTen who was intently carving the details into the bird.

"Still not finished with that, Buns? Sheesh, it's been months."

"It's got a lotta details, mind you. And this is my first carving," she said, looking up, "You wanna see?"

The blonde shrugged. "Sure." He leaned in along with Neji. TenTen held the small wooden bird in her palm. Its wings were outspread as Naruto had remembered, but now he could make out individual feathers. Each feather seemed to be carved separately, meaning TenTen had probably spent hours making sure each was perfect. "God, got much free time, TenTen?"

"Apart from our training and missions? Lots, Blondie. And I'm nearly done with this."TenTen began to carve again, eyes focused. Naruto sighed and looked up at the clouds. This was the last day of their patrol, and it seemed to be going painfully slow. Nothing but animals like the report described had given them problems, and Naruto could easily disperse them with a fireball. The station had needed them for about four days, and Naruto was relieved that this little stint was nearly over.

Naruto picked out a crane shape from the clouds and immediately stumbled over a rut in the road. He caught himself but not before Neji could give him a superior smirk. Naruto glowered back and took out a book. "Man, nothing to do but read this dry thing. Fuinjutsu could be fun if there wasn't so much damn reading."

TenTen, without looking up, asked, "Thought you liked reading, Naruto. Except for instructions, of course."

Naruto snorted. "I do. But not this crap. It's starting to get hard."

"That is why fuinjutsu can only be pursued by intelligent individuals, Uzumaki-san," said Neji snidely.

"Teme, shut up. I'm trying here."

"And obviously failing."

"You little bastard," growled Naruto, "I oughta teach you-,"

"Team 9," said Guy at the front of the group, "Quit behaving like kids."

Naruto looked at Guy, sarcastic reply at the ready. "Didn't know 'bastard' was a little kid word, sensei."

Guy stopped and scowled at the blonde. "Naruto, quiet or I'll make you run with twice the weight you have on. And you will enjoy it."

Naruto rolled his eyes but kept quiet. He stayed that way until his team made camp late that night. Naruto unfurled the scroll that now held his tent for the last time hopefully, and a rolled tent and tacks appeared. He quickly hammered the tacks in. "Aaaaand...there. Done. Anyone else need help?" His other Genin teammates shook their heads as they erected their own tent.

Guy shouted down from a tree. "No, but thanks, Naruto! I don't use tents!"

"Yeah! I know that from the past missions we've done, sensei!" shouted back Naruto, grinning slightly, "By the way, are we making a cold camp tonight?"

"Yep! And you're first watch, Naruto!" yelled Guy, settling on a branch.

"What!? Aw, man..." Naruto plopped down in the center of the little semicircle that the tents formed, sulking. "I got first watch the first day we were here, sensei!"

"And now you have the last day. Goodnight, Naruto," countered Guy, leaning back against the tree trunk. TenTen stuck her tongue out at him and crawled into her tent. Neji, with sneer, crawled into his. Naruto huffed and pulled out the same book from earlier, muttering curses. After a few hours of dull reading, Naruto felt his eyes droop, and he furiously shook his head.

He stood and walked over to TenTen's tent. "Buns, time for your watch. Up and at 'em." Inside, TenTen grunted and opened her eyes. She snorted and crawled out of her tent. "There. Now I can get some shut-eye," said the blonde, mussing his hair and entering his own tent. He curled up in the sleeping bag and was asleep before TenTen had sat down for her watch.

Naruto felt the distinct sense of uneasiness permeate through the dark, whispering forest, a full moon alighting trees and their branches dancing in the wind. "TenTen?" he called out, cupping his hands around his mouth, "Teme, you there?" The whispers answered his call. There was a rustle behind him, and Naruto spun to face it. Nothing. "Hey, c'mon, not funny!"

Another rustle behind him, and Naruto spun again to find nothing again. He stopped and was about to yell until he heard something that made the hair on the back of neck stand. The whispers were calling his name and deepening and coalescing into a single voice. "H-hey! This isn't funny! Quit it!"

A hissing sound filtered through the trees, and Naruto recognized it as laughter. He took a step back, a sinking sensation settling in his gut. The hissing sound grew louder and in timbre, and a pair of glowing red eyes appeared among the gaps of the trees. "What? What the?" A grinning set of powerful fangs rippled into view under the eyes, and the laugh turned to a demonic tone.

Naruto ran.

He dashed through the forest, the laughter seeming to follow him. Branches whipped at him as he crashed through them, shredding his clothes and reddening his skin. He stumbled as his foot caught and fell to the ground. He scrambled to rise, but something slammed into the his back. Naruto clawed at his attacker, but stopped at the sound of a man's voice.

"Naruto. Stop and cooperate with me. I need you to be calm," ordered the would-be attacker evenly, blue eyes evident in the moonlight, "Now, focus on a place. Any place. Any place but this one, Naruto." Naruto regarded the man wildly for a moment, but the image of the clearing in Training Ground 44 surfaced in his mind's eye.

The trees around him melted from view, and the ground seemed to slide from underneath him. Naruto blinked and found himself in the place he had visualized. He stood shakily and glanced around confusedly. Nothing. No whispers, no laughter, no glowing red eyes.

He breathed in relief and gazed up at the moon, but then frowned. The moon's surface was no longer pockmarked but instead smooth with faint black lines outlining a small circle in the center. Naruto's brow furrowed, but he had no time to contemplate as the moon turned scarlet and a blood-freezing howl echoed through the night.

Naruto jumped in fright, and then instantly whipped to the side as the sound of a low growl. He could hear TenTen cursing in the darkness, and he looked to see what had made the growl. His hackles rose as a wolf boldly padded out from the forest, its eyes surveying the group. It made another growl, and madness unleashed.

Several more wolves raced from the cover of trees, and one leaped at the blonde. "Son of a-!" he swore, catching the wolf by the jaw and redirecting it to the side. He lashed out with a kick which sent the wolf tumbling. Another jumped onto his back and bit at his neck, but Naruto gripped it by the scruff of the neck and threw it into a tree.

The campsite lit up as TenTen charged her staff with electricity, making the wolves hesitant and flattening their ears. A brave, or foolhardy, wolf snapped at her, and she almost daintily tapped it with her staff. The wolf's eyes widened as the its body locked up and fell over. The rest of the wolves surrounding her growled lowly but stayed back.

Neji slammed his palm into the muzzle of a wolf and looked toward Naruto. "Uzumaki-san! We require one of your fireballs!" Naruto, who kicked away another wolf, nodded and leaped into the trees. From there, he jumped high into the air and rapidly went through handsigns.

"Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!"

A six-foot fireball erupted from the blonde's mouth and washed over the forest, Neji, TenTen, and Guy ducking under trees. The wolves halted in their attack and raised their heads to stare at the inferno. Their ears seemed to press into their heads, but not one moved. Naruto landed back in the frozen battle, and his eyes widened as the pack turned their attention to him solely.

"Crap." They darted toward him, a few of them jumping to attack his chest or arms. Naruto unsealed a kunai into his hand and sliced at a wolf clawing at his legs. Another crashed into him but wasn't able to bring him down, and the blonde kicked it away. The wolf he'd attacked whimpered as a large cut on its back bled profusely. A large wolf sprang at the blonde, teeth bared and aimed at the throat.

"Dynamic Entry!" The wolf's eyes bulged as Guy smashed into it, and the suddenness of the attack confused the rest of the pack for moment, allowing Naruto to leap back into the trees.

"Guys! Take cover! This is gonna be a big one!" he shouted, receiving growls and nods at his warning. He jumped into the air, creating a clone just to the side. Both grinned as they finished the series of signs.

"Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!"

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

Naruto was blocked from view as his fireball and the clone's wind merged, amplifying the power of the blaze. It grew to three times of its original diameter, and the fireball crashed into the wolf pack. The rest of Team 9, secure under one of TenTen's barriers, were impressed, Neji grudgingly so.

The blonde hit the ground in front of the pack, now yelping as their fur burned them. The pack froze when they glimpsed him, and they retreated back into the forest, crashing in the underbrush. Naruto sighed in relief and wiped his forehead.

"Man, that was close," he muttered, looking around the clearing. The tents were miraculously intact, the fire seeming to have missed, and he grinned as he spotted the barrier. "Looks like that barrier practice came into use, no?"

TenTen pocketed the seal, and the barrier faded. "Hell yeah, it did. Woulda been toast without it."

"So I did teach you something useful. I feel so proud of myself now."

TenTen snorted, and Neji remarked, "Had it not been useful, however, we would have been incinerated. That combination jutsu of yours, Uzumaki-san, is...decent."

Naruto shook his head. "I swear to Jesus, teme, you would be a hard man to please." At this, Naruto shot TenTen a mischievous grin, and she surreptitiously flipped him off. "A fireball that could've cooked the poor bastards alive, and all I get is decent. Teme sure is fitting right about now."

Neji rolled his eyes. "In a real battle, your opponent would not let you get that high in the air. He or she would surely attack."

Naruto glared at him. "This wasn't a real battle, teme. It was effin' wolves. The air was the only place to go."

"Still-,"

"Ah, shove it, Jeni. I wanna get back into my sleeping bag."

The next morning, Naruto surveyed the damage to his jacket. It had rips in the back, front, and sleeves, which he had expected, but underneath he could see the faint outline of scars. 'Must've not felt them. Man, gotta take this back to the tailor I bought it at it.' He rolled his eyes and shook his head in annoyance. He quickly packed the tent into its bag and sealed it.

"Done with my tent," he said, dusting his hands. He looked over at Neji who was sliding the bundled tent into his pack. "Hurry up, teme. Me and TenTen always gotta wait on you." The Hyuuga scowled as he zipped up the pack.

Guy jumped down from the branch he had slept on and beamed at his Genin. "Have a nice night, anyone?" They all shot him deadpan looks.

"Sensei, you saved my ass last night," stated Naruto flatly, "You know none of us had a darn good night."

"Just asking, Naruto. Can't I worry about my students?"

"Not saying that, sensei. Just pointing out the pointless." Naruto smiled brightly, and Guy raised his eyes to the sky.

"You sometimes grate on my nerves, Naruto."

"Yeah, I get that a lot. Now can we move along? I'm tired of border patrol." Guy nodded, and the team set off toward a border station to report in. Naruto yawned as the sun rose about halfway from its apex. He looked around in boredom, having no one to talk to since TenTen had begun to carve again. He rubbed the back of his neck and asked Guy, "Hey, sensei, why can't we just leg it there? Be so much faster."

"We are legging it, technically."

Naruto looked at Guy. "You know what I mean. Run there. Sprint, take off, dash, other words."

Guy smiled. "Was waiting for someone to suggest that." He turned to the Genins. "Follow me!" He took off down the rough path, throwing up a dust cloud behind him. Neji and TenTen glared at Naruto.

"Thank you, Blondie."

"I give you my thanks, Uzumaki-san."

Naruto grinned. "You're welcome!" He sprinted after Guy, Neji and TenTen following closely.

Guy came to a screeching halt about a foot from the stone wall of the border station and stepped to the side. He waited.

"Gotcha!"

BONK!

"Ow..." Naruto rubbed the rising lump on his head and shot Guy a black look. "That was low, sensei." Neji and TenTen broke from the forest encircling the station and stopped short of the wall. They both frowned questioningly at Naruto's lump.

"Blondie, what'd you do, run into a wall?" asked TenTen.

"No!...maybe."

"So you did indeed run headlong into a thick stone wall?" repeated Neji.

"Shut it, teme!"

"So you did. Your intelligence seems to become lower and lower with every passing day."

"Teme, told ya to shut it!" TenTen laughed loudly, riling the blonde. "Buns, you shut it too!"

She smiled dangerously. "And if I don't?" She unsealed a kunai and twirled it around her index finger.

Naruto opened his mouth to respond, thought about it, and closed it. "Nothin'," he muttered.

"Good!" she chirped brightly.

Guy chuckled and waved away the conversation. "C'mon, let's report in. Maybe we can make it to the village by nightfall."

Naruto grunted in disbelief. "Only you, sensei."

After quickly checking in and receiving permission to leave, Team 9 started back again but a slower pace, meaning jogging instead of an all-out sprint. The sun had now reached its apex, and its rays beat down heavily on all. The jogging rhythm was sometimes broken by someone wiping their brow, but the air slowly cooled as the sun set in the west.

Neji halted suddenly, the veins around his eyes visible. "Sensei. Signatures around our position. Can't count them simultaneously however." Guy, who had stopped when Neji had, frowned.

"Can you guess?" Neji nodded and closed his eyes. Naruto turned to face the forest and unsealed a kunai. TenTen went back-to-back with him and unsealed her staff, charging it up. Guy listened. He could make out tiny rustles due to the wildlife, but then a sharp crack resounded against the ambiance.

Neji's eyes flew open in alarm. "They're charging! Ready yourselves!"

Guy took up his fighting stance and turned to the closest noise. "How many?" he asked Neji. The Hyuuga was about to answer when four figures wielding double ninjatos darted from the forest. "Got it!"

The furthest ahead reached Naruto first. The blonde flipped backwards as the figure's ninjatos sliced where he was, and he quickly created three clones. One charged the figure while two flanked it, the original springing through the air.

TenTen shifted her weight as her combatant neared. She parried the blades and jabbed at the figure's chest, but it was blocked. The figure slashed at her side, but she stepped out of the way just in time. She charged her staff further, causing it to spark at both ends. "Bring it!"

Guy and Neji ended up next to each other as the fight progressed, TenTen dead even with hers and Naruto slowly weakening his. Neji caught the wrist of his fighter as it swung and jabbed at a motor nerve on the arm. "Guy-sensei, any notion about who these people are?" Guy shook his head.

"Run-of-the-mill bandits, looks like," he answered, cracking the leg of his fighter, who let out a deep howl of pain. "They all have masks on though." Indeed, each of the fighter's face was covered with a porcelain mask, and Guy changed that by seizing his attacker and landing a shattering punch in the face.

The pieces that weren't lodged in the bandit's face clattered to the ground, revealing a brutish countenance of a man. "Well, mystery solved," said Guy simply, throwing the man into the forest. Neji nodded as he tapped a nerve on the neck, causing his opponent to slump over unconscious. Naruto kicked his attacker's chest, ranting irately as he did.

"Goddammit, I try to get back to Leaf and you bastards hafta come along and slow us the hell down. I'ma gonna slow down your reproduction rate now..." He kicked again, this time in the crotch. A high squeal came from the figure, and it fell over. "Now let's see here," said Naruto, ripping off the mask. He paused for a minute. "Well, this just got awkward. I just kicked a lady in the no-no spot."

A cry alerted all three to TenTen's plight. She was locked in place with her attacker which towered above her, and its ninjatos were creeping closer to her throat. TenTen grimaced, and her staff lit up the faces of both of them. The figure halted for moment but pressed harder on its blades. Abruptly, TenTen's knees gave out, and the blades, seemingly in slow motion, swung at her throat.

A hand whipped out of nowhere and caught the blades, and another pressed harshly on the figure's chest. Guy's eyes widened; that was a fatal blow. TenTen gaped as Neji slowly let her opponent go, now choking with blood dribbling down his neck. He looked coldly down at figure whose mask seemed warm in contrast to Neji's. The Hyuuga bent down and tore the mask off, revealing a refined, masculine face, and tossed it aside. He turned and helped TenTen up.

She stammered for a thanks. "Th-thanks, Neji."

He nodded politely. "It is no problem. A favor in exchange for a favor." The man on the ground hacked his dying breath, blood spraying upward. Red droplets scattered around Neji's right eye, giving him a hardened look before he wiped it away. Naruto felt a sense of déjà vu for a second, but he quickly erased it. Something like this he would've remembered...or so he thought a bit unsuredly.

Naruto exhaled in relief as Team 9 walked under the arch of the village gate. It was night, about ten or so, and all of them were exhausted from the trek and ambush. Guy gathered them just off to the side and disbanded the team for the day, giving them a day's leave. The blonde readjusted the straps on his pack as he set for his apartment.

He waved at Teuchi at he passed Ichiraku, smelling the ramen cooking. His stomach growled, but he ignored it. Maybe in the morning he'd eat some. He stopped by the tailor shop he'd bought his new white jacket in and peered through the window, but the owner was asleep most likely. The blonde sighed and continued on to his apartment.

Naruto walked up the stairs of his apartment complex and to his door. He withdrew the key to the door and bent over to insert it into the keyhole. He froze as the door swung open in a stray breeze. Moonlight filtered through the door, revealing a note on the floor. Naruto shakily picked it up.

Painted in jagged, red letters was the word SOON. It seemed to be a different person that had penned the maliciously eloquent note from a couple months ago, and a more ill-willing person to boot. Naruto ground his teeth in anger and set the paper alight. He set his pack down on the couch and went inside his room. He was about to lie down when the calendar of all things caught his eye.

He stood from his bed and padded over to the calendar. His finger ran over the dates and stopped at one, the next day. "Tomorrow...tomorrow is that day," he murmured.