Sato already had a great dislike of Naruto after the way he introduced himself the last time they had been face to face. Now they were looking at each other rather warily, and Sato thought that she should make something very clear before the kid could say anything.

"Let's get this straight, dude. If you go off on one of your random tangents about how you will be Hokage someday, I will smack you and it will kill you." Sato beamed, "Okay?"

Naruto nodded and did not reply. He seemed to be at a loss for words and Sato got the impression that this didn't happen very often.

"So now he shuts up." Sakura groaned, turning to Makuro, "Do you mind if we have your Sato in our cell permanently?"

"Be my guest." Shinri said hollowly in passing. Sasuke had already started to walk away, and while the snake-nin would much prefer to wander Konoha on his own he thought it best to at least put on the appearance of caring about his escort.

Makuro smiled slightly, and patted Sakura on the shoulder, "Sato is the sticky gooey stuff that keeps us all together. With her gone we'd all fall apart, so if you don't mind we'll keep her."

So just like that Sato was left alone with a hyperactive kid in an orange jumpsuit, and the three little kids that seemed to be like shadows that never shut up.

"Are your boobs real?" Udon asked curiously.

"Let's go get something to eat, boss, I'm starved!" Konohamaru said eagerly from somewhere around Naruto's ankles.

Naruto was still staring at Sato with his mouth slightly open. Sato glanced around her quickly to make sure no one else was watching, and then calmly, smacked the boy on the side of the head.

Naruto shook his head as though to clear it, "Um…thanks. I'm hungry, want to get some ramen?"

Sato smiled widely. Maybe this kid wasn't so bad!

"This is the best ramen shop in all of Konoha!" Naruto said brightly. He had dragged Sato away from the Academy with a mad glint in his eye, and now that he was fast approaching the restaurant he was positively frothing at the mouth.

Sato laughed. She had warmed up to the kid in the five minutes that he had been dragging her around the village. The three little kids weren't following them anymore, thankfully. They had been called in for lunch by their parents, and Sato was very glad of this. She liked kids, sure, but there was something about that trio that just made her want to take a hold of one of them and kick them to the outskirts of the land of fire…

Naruto clambered up onto one of the stools in front of the building. Sato did the same with a little less gusto, and grinned.

"Good ramen, huh? I hear Konoha has the best bowl of noodles in the entire land of fire."

"That's right, miss!" The elderly shop owner came out from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel and smiling, "We serve the best—"

He caught a glance of her headband, and then her curse scars.

"The b-best…the best…"

The man turned and ran back into the kitchen.

"Hey ZEK!" Naruto hollered, waving his fist in the air, "Aren't you going to take our order? Zek? ZEK!"

Sato sighed, and scratched the back of her neck. Normally she didn't care if people were scared of her, but today she just wanted to be normal…she just wanted to be Sato, not Satora Tasogare.

"Sorry, man." She apologized, "I guess my reputation proceeds me."

"O crap." Naruto said, looking over Sato's head and down the street, "Here comes trouble…man! I wanted to stay out of their way…"

Sato looked where Naruto was indicating, curious. There was a cell of three coming down the street, with leaves on their headbands. The tallest of the three pointed at the ramen shop, gave a great cry, and started skipping towards them.

"I have a feeling he wants something other than ramen…" Sato scowled.

Rock Lee ground to a halt in front of the young Tasogare, and was positively beaming. Somehow he got a hold of Sato's hand, and was pumping it up and down with an insane amount of energy.

"Satora Tasogare-san! You remember me? It's a real honor to see you again, really it is."

Did he just call me Satora Tasogare-san? What a loser.

"Lay off her, Lee." Naruto complained, turning slightly red, "She doesn't want all that."

Sato managed to whip her hand out of Lee's right grasp. Her entire arm felt like rubber, and she winced. The other two members in Lee's cell came over, but were standing a safe distance back looking suspicious.

"Lee, get out of there!" Tenten said furiously, glaring at Sato as though she had just tried to kill her cellmate, "You don't know what she could do to you…"

"Satora Tasogare, I would be honored if you would engage me in a brief sparring match!" Rock Lee never seemed to blink, or to stop smiling. Sato felt herself leaning away from this genin as he continued, "I have heard tales and songs of your powers, but unfortunately I could not see them put to the test last week during the second part of the exam."

"Songs?" Sato turned to Naruto, bemused, "There are songs about me? Do people in Konoha just have no lives?"

"So do you accept my challenge?" Rock Lee asked again, clasping his hands together as though he were praying.

"OK, man…" Sato slid off her stool, and took a few steps back, "There is this little rule I like to follow called personal space…"

"Lee, come on!" Tenten cried, "We have to train…"

"And what better training is there than to go against the very best of the best before the exam?" With a jolt Sato realized that the things about this kids eyes were not caterpillars, they were eyebrows, "Please, Satora Tasogare, I beg you! Accept my challenge!"

Sato turned this time to Lee's fellow cell members. Ignoring Tenten, she drilled Neji with a level stare, "Is this some kind of joke, or is he for real?"

"He's stronger than what you might think, Tasogare." Neji said, folding his arms across his chest, "I wouldn't mind taking a crack at you either to see if you're all legend and no truth, but I'll settle for watching Lee."

"Where would we do this?" Sato asked carefully. She didn't know if Yoake would consider a brief sparring match getting into a fight.

"There is an arena a few blocks away." Neji said, grinning widely this time, "Yes Tasogare. Please accept Lees challenge, I'd like to see this fight a lot!"

Sato glanced at Naruto, and he shrugged.

"I'd like to see bushy-brows get thrashed, so it's up to you." He said.

Sato thought hard. There was something about Neji's derisive smirk that reminded her of Shinri, and for that reason she wanted to crush this Lee kid just to wipe it off his face. The only thing that had her slightly worried is that she knew nothing about Lee's fighting style. A few weeks ago that wouldn't have bothered her, but now when she was totally behind enemy lines in Konoha…she rather wanted to know what she was up against.

"Yeah, I'll have a go." Sato said slowly.

Rock Lee actually gave a shout of joy, and did eight backhand springs around the block before coming back.

"Then let us go!" He shouted, practically skipping down the street.

"How does this kid fight?" Sato asked Naruto out of the corner of her mouth. She wasn't sure why she was whispering...the other leaf cell was about 100 feet ahead of them.

"I really don't know." Naruto replied. He had reluctantly left the ramen shop and now he kept glancing morosely back ever two or three seconds, "Sasuke got into a spot with him, and got soundly beaten." Here the boy gave a little snigger, "It was the funniest thing I've ever seen."

"Huh. That was informative."

"He's more of a taijutsu nut, I think, " Naruto shrugged, "I don't really know, all that I know is that he owned Sasuke and that's reason enough for me to love him."

"I'm starting to get the impression that you don't like Sasuke all that much" Sato deadpanned.

"Course I don't like him!" Naruto exploded, "It's always, 'Sasuke this' and 'Sasuke that'! he's everybody's precious little Uchiha and I'm sick of it."

"Oh…you must hate that." Sato said, feeling suddenly cold.

"COURSE I hate it, everyone always talks about him and makes a big fuss about him, and I get left behind in the dust like always."

There was a pause after this outburst as Naruto and Sato crossed the street and found themselves in front of the Ninjaken Training Arena. Tenten, Neji, and Lee were waiting for them there.

"Wow!" Sato craned her head back and took the large building in, "I wish we had one of these in Yoru! This is really really nice!"

"This is actually one of Konoha's more run down arenas." Tenten said scathingly, "There are much bigger ones further east. I wonder what your village must look like if this is impresses you…"

Sato opened her mouth to launch a biting retort back at the kunoichi, but she let it go. Tenten was only saying these things because she was very scared of the Tasogare in Sato, and Sato was just fine with that.

'So…in?" Sato said rather lamely.

"In." Lee said, practically bouncing on the balls of his toes.

With the risk of looking like a total dork hanging over her head, Sato tried not to gawk so much as she and the other teens entered the battle arena. It was easily the largest building that Sato had ever been to in her entire life. The place even had a hospital wing in case a match went wrong. Sato felt herself grinning widely. This place was her kind of hangout. The only thing was that there was no one else there in the building besides them. The lights weren't even on.

The five teens entered the main battle arena through a set of huge double doors, their footsteps echoing loudly in the huge room. It was also unsettlingly dark.

"Are we allowed to be in here?" Sato asked curiously, "I mean…it looks pretty abandoned."

As one the five Konoha genin gave little snorts of laughter.

"You can tell you're from another village!" Neji sneered, "All the arena's are empty of the normal patrons so genin training for the exams can come in whenever they want and train."

"Its pretty easy to spot the fact that I'm not from Konoha because it's pretty much advertised on my forehead." Sato said waspishly, pointing to her headband heatedly. In her mood, her curse scars flushed a dark blue, and everyone except neji and Rock Lee stepped back.

"Well let's do this then." Sato said shortly.

Rock Lee saluted, and started running laps around the arena at an insane speed.

"Umm…what is he doing?" Sato asked cautiously, watching the tall green-clad ninja speed around the perimeter of the arena.

"Warming up." Neji said coolly as Lee abstained from running and started doing jumping jacks, "He's really set on fighting you, so don't disappoint him."

"Oh he won't be disappointed." Sato snarled, stepping closer to the Hyuga boy until they were nose-to-nose, "Listen, bubo. Already I can assume you're your head is so full of hot air it's the reason you're walking around with your nose in the air. Let's get this one thing straight—I'm not as weak as you think I am."

Neji was not intimidated in the least. He poked Sato on the forehead, right where her villages symbol was, "Save it until after the match, Tasogare."

"Jeez you'd think I was fighting him, and not Captain bodysuit over here!" Sato said loudly, spinning away from Neji all at once, "Hey someone turn the lights on in—"

KK—FAAM! Naruto was way ahead of her. He threw the switch and the entire arena was filled with a brilliant light.

"Show her how it's done, Lee!' Tenten called, "The Konoha way!"

"Someone please shut her up." Sato muttered softly.

Naruto stayed where he was by the light switch, watching Sato stroll calmly to the middle of the arena (where Lee was waiting excitedly for her, practically bouncing on the balls of his heels) He wasn't sure who he wanted to win this match, Sato seemed a lot nicer than Team Eleven, but Rock Lee was a good kid and had beaten Sasuke…

He had been uncharacteristically quiet almost as soon as he had set foot into the arena, and he wasn't sure why. There was something about Sato that left him tongue tied..

Sato tried sizing Rock Lee up again, but found it impossible. He was such a bizarre looking young man that the Tasogare found she couldn't even stand to stare him in the eyes for more than a few seconds. He looked fit enough to take her on, but she couldn't see anything else about him.

All the same, he must feel pretty good about his potential ability to actually challenge her…though that mightn't have anything to do with it.

Sato laced her fingers together, and cracked her knuckles, "Alright, Lee you want to call this thing?"

Lee beamed, "I would most certainly like to, Sato-san!"

Satora stopped herself from rolling her eyes with much difficulty, "Right then."

Lee saluted, "Before we begin, I would like to say that I am most honored that you would take the time to fight me, as I am not worthy to even—"

"GET ON WITH IT LEE!" Everyone present shouted.

"BEGIN!" Lee whooped, and launched himself at Sato.

Predictably, time slowed down for the young Tasogare, and she was able to sidestep Lee's kick easily. She expected this, but what she did not expect was for the ground to give way where his foot did connect with the ground.

Rock Lee was not daunted by the fact that his kick missed. He bounced back from his attack and smiled.

"I see you have dodged my kick"

"Brilliant observation, Captain Obvious." Sato said, cocking her head.

Rock Lee puffed up his chest and came at her again. Sato easily dodged every kick, spin and punch he threw at her. His technique was different than most of the taijutsus she had seen.

For a good five minutes they must have danced around, Lee always missing and Sato always dodging until it Sato realized that she was out of breath and Lee was not.

He's just testing me…making me jump through the hoops before he actually starts to fight…

Sato dodged a kick that would have taken her head off. She called a small portion of her Tasogare powers to her, and swiped at Lee's midriff with a tendril of dark shadows.

Lee did an impossible barrel roll spin that left him parallel with the ground for a few seconds. A food lashed out of that spinning mass of green, and Sato just managed to lunge backwards. She actually felt the wind from the blow.

Lee leveled out, feet barely brushing the ground as he came at her again.

Sato cursed. Her powers were designed to kill, and she certainly didn't want to kill right now. She couldn't maim him, either—not two days before the exams. She blocked one of his kicks with an outstretched hand.

POW!

"JEEZ!" Sato yelped. She had effectively blocked Lee's kick but the force of the blow cracked her wrist.

There's no way she was strong enough to block Lee's kick with just her hand! Tenten thought, But yet…she did. That sort of blow would break anyone else's bone and it just made her wrist bend a little?

Sato did not realize that she had blocked Lee's signature move, the Hurricane of Konoha. All she saw was the surprised look on her opponents face, and she took advantage of his uncertainty.

Faster than any eye could follow, Sato released Lee's leg and caught it with her other, non-throbbing wrist. With the boy's leg in her right hand, Sato vaulted off the ground with some Tasogare propulsion, dragging him with her.

Once she was a couple dozen feet in the air she slowed time down enough so that Lee wouldn't be able to block her attack, twisted him around in the air, and roundhouse kicked him in the chest.

Lee hit the ground hard, and Sato landed gracefully like a cat.

For one terrible moment Rock Lee didn't move from his position there on the ground, and Sato thought that she might have killed him without intending too. She took a few steps towards him, but he jumped up beaming.

"That was excellent, Satora-san!" Lee exclaimed, blood dripping out of a small cut on his face where he had collided with the ground, "Well done! You've beaten me fair and square!"

"But she wasn't even trying!" Tenten's whine made Sato's temples throb, "All she did was sidestep every one of Lee's attacks and then sucker punch him in the end!"

"Actually it was a kick." Sato said coolly, turning to the flying weapons mistress, "And if you've got a problem with it then come and try me."

Sato held out her still throbbing left arm, and let her curse scars flare a brilliant red. She could feel her hair standing on end from the pure chakra emanating out of her curse scars.

"I'll look forward to seeing you all in two days." Sato said calmly, strolling towards the doors. As she passed Naruto, she grabbed his arm and hauled him along, "Nice meeting you, Lee."