Hello. Guess who isn't dead! I'm back with a whole new chapter and this one was a doozy. I felt that I had gotten away from what I was good at. Everyone seemed to love my first few chapters with all the character interaction and I felt that with the past couple of chapters I went away from that a bit. So now, this chapter is my way of making amends, so to speak, for both being tardy with an update and not giving any love to other characters.

This chapter is also the beginning of the times where I will start using my own additions. I hope that that doesn't upset any of you but in my attempt to do something original outside of the bridge-builder mission, this was the only thing I could think of. Hopefully you will enjoy it. I also want to tell you that I will add in a few people or so that are my own creation, but they will not dominate my story like a majority of authors' OCs tend to. Hope you enjoy them.

To questions about why I didn't have "Yamato" keep his name of "Tenzou," to be perfectly honest with you all - my dear readers - I goofed. I had just gotten finished with reading the most recent chapter of Naruto and realized that Kakashi does indeed call him Tenzou. Oh well, I made a minor mistake but one that can be perfectly explained. Besides the fact that I goofed, now that I know his real name is Tenzou, I am not going to change it back because of the very reason he referred to himself as Yamato to Team Seven in the manga. Tenzou is his 'ANBU' name, while Yamato is his 'Tenchou' name (which translates to leader).

And finally, I wanna do something that I don't feel I do enough. I want to thank each and every single one of you who have read my story and have reviewed it. Your time is well appreciated, as are your comments and thank you so very much for helping my story reach the 10,000 + hit mark while I was absent. Thank you. And now, onto a chapter that I hope you all will like, cuz I was a little worried about it.

Chapter Seven - The Two-Team 'C' rank mission

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Naruto's internal clock went off right then and there, effectively waking him up. He had to admit that it was a lot better than the annoying ass clocks he's had. He knew instinctively that it was 6:30 AM and that he had get out of bed. The routine he had gotten into nowadays went with waking up, stretching, meditation, shower, breakfast, meeting up with the team, getting a boring mission, completing it, getting another one, completing it, and then training till the day's end. But today was gonna be special. '14 successfully completed D-rank missions.' he cheered inside. He would now get a C-rank mission.

The D-ranked missions were soooooooo boring. He couldn't remember exactly how many times he had to recapture that damn cat. 'I swear, had it not been for Hinata, I would've punted that thing clear across the country.' Hinata was the only one it liked. The one time he had captured it, it went haywire and scratched the living hell out of him. On the third time around trying to recapture it, Naruto had so wanted to use it as target practice but Hinata did not like that thought, saying that she was disappointed at the thought.

Speaking of Hinata and the team, Naruto was seriously happy with how they all were doing. Hinata and Sasuke had succeeded in climbing trees a few days ago, which was supposed to be easier than walking on water, but Naruto had to disagree. Whoever said that walking on water was the harder of the things to do was as much an idiot as the woman who owned that damn cat. Tree-climbing required a lot more out of an individual than water-walking did, mainly on the mental aspect. When you attempt to walk on water, the only thing you need to worry about when you fail to apply the right amount of chakra was you would sink. If you didn't apply the right amount of chakra when climbing a tree then you could fall off - which might end up hurting if you are high up - or you may be propelled from the tree right through another one - like Naruto had done many a year ago. Luckily that didn't happen with either of his teammates but they did tend to fall off or slip down during the process. Hinata had fallen down on one occasion last week, which led to an embarrassingly uncomfortable position.

(Flashback)

She had tried to run up the tree when simply walking didn't work for her. Her impatience led her to being more than halfway up a rather tall tree but her chakra control faltered and she couldn't stay stuck to the tree. Instead she was repelled slightly by the tree - enough so that she could not restick her feet to the tree with chakra - and was sent falling. Naruto reacted faster than Yamato did - which he ended up praising the young boy on quick reflexes - and leapt to catch her when she would reach the ground. It resulted in a very sore shoulder from where he contacted the ground, but he caught her - only their faces were barely inches apart. They were so close he could feel her breath and smell her hair, which he still is embarrassed about because he remembered what it smelt like. While Yamato was worried about them, Sasuke - who Naruto guessed realized that they were okay - laughed at them both because of their reactions.

"Uhhh, are you o-okay, Hinata-chan?" he managed to sputter out, his face warming up from embarrassment from both the close proximity and Sasuke's laughter.

"H-Hai, Naruto-kun. Th-th-thank you." Her face kept getting redder and redder. "W-would you mind i-if I asked you to l-l-let me go so we can get up?" Naruto jerked his arms out from around her where he had been hugging her close to make sure she didn't land on the ground roughly. They both got up, he rubbing the back of his head embarrassed, and she averting her gaze to the ground. After Yamato gave them a quick look-over to make sure they weren't seriously injured, he called for a break. Later that day, Hinata managed to climb to the top of her tree and sit down on the highest branch.

(End Flashback)

Naruto also had a lot of fun during the taijutsu practice and sparring sessions. Sasuke was frustratingly speedy on his movements but had issues with reflexes. Hinata was not as speedy with her strikes but she was quick on her reflexes and you couldn't get the jump on her. Yamato had praised her on her awareness of everything around her. He had told them that she was learning how to feel out different chakra signatures without the use of her Byakugan - and when he asked Hinata why that was such a good thing, she said that the Byakugan had a blind spot and that with this training she was undergoing, it would eliminate that threat. Naruto had mentally made a note of the blind spot she had mentioned because he figured that Neji probably didn't practice feeling out chakra like Hinata did.

Sasuke was being a lot more cool than he had ever been. A lot more vocal, a lot more friendly, and - surprisingly to Naruto - a rival. Sasuke kept demanding them to spar when Yamato would have them do so and whenever they did, Sasuke always told Naruto to not hold back. That ended up resulting in bloody noses and bruised bodies almost all the time, not to mention bruised egos on both sides. But Naruto had to admit, Sasuke was damn good and damn talented.

Naruto had managed to be able to learn that Siphon jutsu and how it worked and was currently working on ways to manipulate it the way you could manipulate the Water Gathering or the Heat Gatherer. The advice Yamato had given him about how to increase his chakra reserves had worked out. In the past couple weeks, Naruto honestly believed he had increased his reservoirs by two - maybe three - fold. He could now produce well over 50 kage bunshins in one large burst or maintain half a dozen clones for a few hours, which he ended up doing when he would practice any techniques. What was so fun about having the increased reserves was the fact that training was now fun. He could practice his Siphon technique and practice how he could manipulate the chakra gathered winds into doing things he wanted them to. He had already managed to make the winds gather towards his hands and with precise control, was able to create a pulse of chakra that would send out the wind like an invisible blade. Of course, this move was too dangerous to go showing off to his teammates in simple sparring so he refrained from using it against them. But the Kage Bunshins made perfect target practice.

After finishing his breakfast, he gathered the rest of his ninja equipment, inexplicably feeling the urge to bring along not only the scroll but Old Man Sarutobi's bracers. 'Something in my gut is telling me I might need these.'

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Arashi sat behind his desk, fumbling through some documents as he always seemed to do. Today was gonna be a bit different though. Team Seven was coming for a C-rank mission, something that his son had been very ecstatic about getting. He had the perfect mission too. This one was going to test them on their strong points and their weak points - if the situation called for it. If things went bad, the mission could be considered low B-rank, but with a former ANBU captain assisting them, it would not be that much of an issue. Speaking of the team's instructor, he had read the weekly reports that were required of all the Jounin instructors, and was very pleased with how all the instructors were doing with the newest rookie class.

Kurenai's Team Eight were progressing at an incredible rate. The decision to place Sakura into the team has not only benefitted the team as a whole, but the young girl too. Sakura's progression over the past few weeks have shown an impressive increase in her genjutsu ability, learning a lot of things from Kurenai. Shino's progression was also very positive, his taijutsu still needing work, but his ninjutsu being the best out of the group. His quick thinking, when coupled with Sakura's intelligence and Kurenai's wisdom, led to many effective decisions and tactics. Kiba was the brawn of the group but he was not outclassed in necessity. True, he may be a wild swinger, a bit brash, and hot-headed at times, but he was talented with his family's style of fighting and his keen senses.

Asuma's Team Ten was a bit unorthodox, as far as the reports went. It said that the group was making little progress in fields that were there weakness. Ino was speedy and nimble, but lacked power to back it up. One would think to improve upon that deficiency but Asuma did not. Instead, he was improving upon her strength and making it a superior asset. Ino's progression had mainly been in chakra control so that she could apply chakra to her legs and feet so that her speed would be even greater. Chouji was slow and ineffective, as far as fighting solo. But instead of helping out with the lack of speed, Asuma had him train more in using his techniques and making them stronger. Asuma's whole cell centered around the most unlikely of candidates for such a position. Shikamaru was an outright genius, from what his reports told. The lazy nature of the boy might have seemed like such a weakness that you would be frustrated. But it was in Asuma's reports that when Shikamaru did put forth some effort in their practices, that he would excel over the others. He was not as fast as Ino, but he was smarter, as was the case when he would spar against Chouji. The whole premise behind Asuma's cell - as he had reported to him - was for Ino to be a distraction in the beginning with her speed so that Shikamaru could come in and use his family's 'Shadow Bind' jutsu to hold the foe. While held, Ino would use her 'Mind Transfer' jutsu and then, after taking control of the person's consciousness, would give out a call for Chouji to come in and abuse them with his family's powerful offensive techniques. The team as a whole, when working together, was as close to flawless as it came. It's two main flaws were that when separated they were weak and if they went up against multiple enemies then their main formation wouldn't work. Overall, Arashi had to give them a 'thumbs-up' for staying in the team's design, but if they could not take care of themselves on their own, then all the progress in the world meant nothing.

Yamato's Team Seven were on par with Kurenai's team as far as the training regimen went, but Sasuke, Hinata, and Naruto were progressing a much faster pace. Already having training from their families at earlier ages, the more simplistic beginnings of student-instructor interaction could be forgotten. Yamato was capable of attacking their weaknesses head on and was having incredible success doing so. Hinata was quickly improving her taijutsu and was being trained by Yamato on how to use her own chakra to feel out chakra around her. By doing so, the blind spot of the Byakugan could be eliminated, if close enough to be felt by her waves. Sasuke was getting even faster and his reflexes were improving, Yamato focusing on that. Sasuke was not built for powerful fighting, but for finness, and the faster his movements were, the more the speed would make up for a power deficiency. Naruto's progress had been excellent, as well. His chakra reserves were increasing and his taijutsu was becoming more polished. He wasn't as fast as Sasuke and he wasn't as quick on the reflexes as Hinata was, but his control of chakra was giving him a great edge in power.

"It's strange, Jiraiya. You and I trained him while he was a child but when he went to the academy, it just seemed to waste. Now, here he is showing exactly what he is capable of." Jiraiya, who was sitting in the chair across from him, replacing Kakashi until he returned from Wave Country as Arashi's right hand man, chuckled at his apprentice's words.

"You must be referring to the fact that your son seems to have made a drastic increase in such a short amount of time. I, too, find it curious that he is pushing himself so hard when he didn't do so back in the academy. Perhaps it is because he finally saw the hole he dug himself into by neglecting his training all that time." Jiraiya had a confident look on his face with the words spoken. He had told Naruto that if he continued to neglect his training he would not be able to keep up with the others and he would end up regretting it. But the arrogant child waved him off.

"Maybe, but I think it is the fact he has competition. He has seen what has happened around him and he feels shame that he has not kept up the pace we had set for him. He wanted to get strong on his own and I kinda think that he did not train when we wanted him to was because he wanted to prove he could do it on his own. Now with Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuuga Hinata around him, constantly improving and getting better, he feels the need to put out even more effort." Jiraiya looked at Arashi after he had finished that statement and thought about Arashi's analysis.

"If he keeps this up, he may end up getting stronger than you eventually. He's still not as strong as you were back when you were his age, but then again, not many were. Do you think he will be ready for the chuunin exam that's about a month or so away?" Jiraiya asked him, wanting to know if he could come up with a plausible reason for thinking they would. It would be unorthodox if a rookie team entered during their first year but then again, crazier things have happened. "When is the Chuunin Exam anyway?"

"Exactly one month after the end of the Festival of Fire. As to your question, in two months time, they very well might, but that is up to their instructor. Hmm...it appears Team Seven is here for their mission." The door then opened up and stepping in was Yamato, Sasuke, Hinata, and Naruto. Naruto looked at his father expectantly, literally on the balls of his feet. "Welcome, Team Seven. I am pleased with your progress in the field the past few weeks. Because of your efforts and the progress you have made, I have decided to give you a mission of the utmost importance." Naruto stopped bouncing on his feet when he heard the seriousness in the voice and paid careful attention. "I trust that you all know of the Festival of Fire correct? The day held every five years to celebrate the formation of Fire Country. Your team will be in charge of escorting a feudal lord here for the ceremonies, which will be taking place in Konoha this time."

"You're telling us to escort some lord to our village? Why hire shinobi for the job? Why not he get his own guards to do that for him?" Yamato gave Naruto that 'Scary-Mode On' look, which sent him into a fit of trembling.

"The reason, Naruto, is because of what is in the possession of this feudal lord. You see, every five years the Festival of Fire occurs. During those ceremonies, the treasure of Fire Country is handed down from one feudal lord to another. The lords that have been chosen in the past have been the leaders of their villages. This year is no different. This year, Lord Vule will be passing the Ruby of Firaga to me in the ceremony. The Ruby is very precious and very valuable, and on many an occasion have theft attempts been made on the jewel. The reason you have been requested is not because he asked for you but because I have requested you. This mission would normally be an A-class mission but I have arranged things so that it would be considered C-class."

"Arrangements, Hokage-sama?" asked Yamato.

"Yes. They are coming right now. You will be teaming with Team Eight on this matter. Kurenai has already been briefed on the matter and she has most likely relayed the information to her team as well, so once they get in here and you are all dismissed, you should be able to leave as soon as possible." With that, Kurenai, Kiba, Shino, and Sakura walked into the office. Kurenai seemed a bit shocked that her team would be teaming with Yamato's but that didn't really matter to her. She would be able to see how Hinata had progressed. Kiba looked like he was disgusted with the fact that he would be teaming with Team Seven but instantly softened when he saw Hinata. Shino looked on as impassively as always, not making much of a sound other than the shuffling of his feet or the rustle of his coat when he would move. Sakura was a completely different story. She stood stock still the moment her eyes layed on Sasuke. Sasuke noticed this, looked her in the eyes, and then looked away. But his eyes kept trailing back to her, amused by the fact that she kept looking at him. "Welcome Team Eight. I am happy that you made it to meet with your partners for this mission. You will all listen to your instructors and pay close attention to any instructions they give you. This mission could get messy and the protection of the Ruby is first and foremost, as is the defense of Lord Vule. Understood? Good, you are dismissed."

After leaving the room and exiting the tower, every genin was instructed to go back to their home and pack for a much longer trip than they had originally planned. One week should be enough. One hour later, everyone had met back at the designated gate for them to leave Konoha, packed and ready to go. Yamato stepped forward to address all the genins.

"Alright. The trip to Lord Vule's village should not take US but a day to reach, going all out, and we should not run into any trouble on our way to the village. So I don't think a formation is necessary. Just stay close together, do not get lost, and be aware of your surroundings. I think that is everything so lets head out." Yamato stepped back, turned to the huge gate, waved to the two men on top, and they opened it. He and Kurenai took the lead, while the genins just stayed behind them, getting into whatever style they wanted to.

As they jumped through the trees, the only thing sound being made was the rustling of leaves as they pushed off the branches, Naruto decided to get acquainted with his new teammates. He edged slightly closer to Kiba, who noticed him and sent him an unwanted look. Naruto either didn't see it or ignored it.

"So whatcha been up to, Kiba?" It was a simple question, he thought. But apparently it wasn't to Kiba.

"Why do you wanna know?" Naruto continued to ignore his tone.

"Well, I'm making the attempt to be friendly but if you don't wanna cooperate, then I'll just go elsewhere." stated Naruto to the Inuzuka, who looked a little caught off guard.

Naruto decided to make his way to Sakura, who he thought might be easier to talk to than the brash Kiba. "Hey Sakura, how do you stand that guy? Doesn't he just get on your nerves?" He never had made that much of an effort to get to know the pink-haired girl and he sort of regretted that but at the same time he didn't. She was intelligent, but she chose to constantly oggle at Sasuke all the damn time, which she appeared to be doing here.

"Oh, Kiba? He's fine, just a little mad that he has to share a mission that was supposed to be our first C-rank. He'll get over it, don't mind him." She finished with a rather sweet smile that Naruto admired. Unknown to them, Hinata was biting her lower lip. "So how have you and your team been?"

"Oh us? We've been doing great with Yamato-sensei. How about you guys, are you all doing good?" Kiba decided to join in on this.

"Hell yeah, we are. Kurenai thinks we may even be good enough to put us in the Chuunin exams this year. We're gonna dominate too. What about you guys? You gonna enter?" Naruto could've sworn that that was a challenge to him. Kiba was a naturally aggressive individual, but he seemed to be more aggressive than ever before.

"That's a good question. I had totally forgotten that the exams were coming up as well. Hey Yamato-sensei, will we be entering?" Naruto asked a little hopefully.

"Well..." Yamato trailed off. He didn't know how to attack this situation. He had to admit that his teams progress had increased dramatically and was overall impressed with how the younger generations seemed to just get more and more talented. Even the ANBU had a rather young individual in it right now that was very talented. Naruto's reserves were increasing like he hoped, Hinata was trying to eliminating her only weakness that he could think of, and Sasuke was improving his chakra control with the help of Naruto. All of them were quickly polishing any sloppiness in their fighting, even if they were still a good bit inexperienced, and he couldn't help but marvel with how quickly they seemed to get along with each other. "Maybe. I haven't decided upon that yet."

Kurenai allowed her eyes to gaze at the man that had just spoken. He was obviously strong but he wondered if he was able to progress his team. Moving closer and talking low, she addressed Yamato. "So how has your team done?"

"Oh, well they have come along well. You will probably be pleased to hear that Hinata is improving at a pleasant rate, as are Naruto and Sasuke. I have a question for you though? The chuunin exams...don't you think it is a bit early to enter them into that type of environment?" He looked towards her to see if he could see any significant changes in her demeanor to hint at doubts. But there were not any noteworthy reactions. Her eyes actually seemed to glow with confidence.

"That is one thing that they do not like, Yamato. The genin of this year don't like to be thought of as children. Yes, they are young. Yes, it might seem early. But they are adults. Allow them to make the decision. I did. I simply asked them how much effort they were willing to put out in order to become stronger. When they continued to show confidence, I informed them of the exam. Sakura was a bit apprehensive but Kiba's energy can be infectious at times. Plus, she seems to have extra motivation. How about your team...anyone stand out?" He took note of the fact that her last question seemed to have hope written all over it.

"If you are referring to the young girl, then yes, she has shown tremendous talent. But I can't really say for sure which one of my students are more talented than the rest. I guess I see them all as being better than each other on something. Hinata has incredible reflexes and awareness, Sasuke is fast and quick, and Naruto is strong and durable. There performance is good individually and they work great together. Maybe I will take your advice." Yamato said, finishing his description. The jounin assigned to teach the teams had not had a good chance to talk since they first were notified a few weeks back.

As the young shinobi kept leaping from tree branch to tree branch, wind whipping across their features and allowing the somewhat pleasant smell of the foliage to calm them, Naruto took notice of a rather curious display by Sakura. She kept edging her focus towards Sasuke every now and then, and would blush furiously and try to hide the fact she was doing so when Sasuke would turn around to look for the source of the person staring at him. Whether or not he knew that Sakura was watching him, Naruto was unsure of, but he was positive that Sakura wasn't doing a good enough job hiding it.

What was the thing that enthralled almost all of the younger female shinobi to idolize him the way they did? What was it that Sasuke had done to receive such attention? Naruto wasn't jealous of the guy by any standards except for the fact that he had been more of a success than Naruto, himself, had been. Naruto had made friends and befriended others along the way. He had his own group of people that he was close to and he knew they would be there for him. Was Sasuke on that list? Yes, he was, and mainly for one reason. The guy was his teammate. They were on the same team and Naruto was a believer of the old saying "Your team is your second family. Never try to sabotage the bond that should be formed between you and your family." Naruto looked back to the pink-haired kunoichi and decided to have just a little bit of fun.

"Hey Sakura, you feeling okay?" When she looked at him confused, he grinned mischievously. "I mean, you keep looking red and you-"

"I'm fine!" she snapped, blushing again.

"Alright, if you say so." but then he leaned in closer to her ear to whisper something. "But it won't help to just be silent. Go talk to him if you are so interested." She looked back at him a little confused until he nodded his head in Sasuke's direction. "Go on." he whispered to her again, as she blushed slightly and started to move towards him. Naruto suddenly felt like he was on the receiving end of the wishful thinking for his untimely death. Looking around, he noticed Kiba's glare intensely on him. Naruto just smiled back at him and moved towards Hinata to join her by her side, earning an even more furious glare.

Naruto seemed to notice Hinata sulking slightly until he returned to her, in which she loosened up. Another thing that caught his attention was the fact that Sakura had moved back to being closer to her teammates, looking devastated. 'What the hell did he say to her!' he couldn't help but question inwardly. "You seem to be quiet...er...than you normally are. Is something troubling you, Hinata?" he asked her, a little concerned for her. He always liked to see her a bit more cheerful than she appeared right now, so he was trying to crush whatever it was that was making her like this.

"Oh, it's n-nothing, Naruto. I've just been...thinking..."

"You know, it always hurts if you do that too much." he teased her, causing a light giggle to escape her. "Glad to see you're back, now I can shut up." She looked at him a little confused but couldn't help but see the over-exaggerated face he made at tensing his facial muscles to keep his lips sealed and giggle more at him. The rest of the trip to the village was quiet except for the random question, the random comment, or the random joke thrown about the group. The sun was starting to set and Naruto was wondering if they would make it in time. The muscles in his legs were starting to voice their displeasure with the pace of the entire day and he knew that when they would stop for the day, he would be hurting well into tomorrow.

"The village should come into view, everyone, past this upcoming clearing. We're only a half hour away, just be patient." Kurenai was a bit worried and had convinced Yamato to slow down their pace for fear of causing harm and making the genin, for the lack of a better term, useless tomorrow. Everyone seemed to be showing signs of exhaustion, and she was silently thankful that she had worked on her team's stamina already. Maybe a dip into the hot springs tonight would be in order. She mentioned the idea to Yamato, who agreed. Just a few minutes later and they were standing in front of the gates to the village. Kurenai stepped to the front of the group after telling them to get into a straight line and spoke with the guards at the gate.

"We are here as per request to see and escort Lord Vule." She handed a letter with the Hokage's seal and signature on it. They looked at the seal and realized that it is meant only for the lord's eyes. Standing aside, they motion for the group to enter. Another guard steps out from the inside of the gate and tells them to follow him.

As they make their way through the town, they took in the surroundings. The village was a flourishing, thriving community. It had a number of restaurants, shops, bars, and inns and the people who walked on the streets looked like normal individuals. All the genin were wanting to speak with this lord and then get off their feet and relax. Kurenai could sense this and decided to lift up their spirits.

"Maybe you don't know this, but this village has great hot springs. After we speak with Lord Vule, we will go and relax there. The heat will do wonders for your muscles." Sakura beamed at her words, ever so thankful that she would be able to rest her aching legs. Hinata likewise, her calf muscles felt like they were going cramp up. In fact, her left leg did start cramping and she started to limp, favoring the leg. She stayed silent as her leg complained, but it did not go unnoticed, and before she could realize it, Naruto had walked in front of her, bent down slightly, and scooped her up. She gasped slightly and blushed furiously as Naruto had picked her up and put her on his back in a piggy-back style.

"N-Naruto-kun, wha-"

"You looked like you were having trouble walking." Before she could protest, he continued. "Don't worry about it, I'm fine. Besides, a team looks out for their comrades, right Hinata?" Hinata just sighed heavily and relaxed. She knew Naruto wouldn't take no for an answer anyways. The stubborn blonde always seemed to be looking out for her and it made her feel...comfortable. She didn't want to be treated any differently than anyone else and she especially didn't want to be a burden but right now, she felt that she could stand to accept being pampered...just a little.

"Thank you" she whispered into his ears, the red tint never leaving her face but was lightening a bit as she calmed down and relaxed, focusing her chakra - what was left of it - into her left leg to try and stop the cramp. Kiba, meanwhile, mumbled underneath his breath, Shino remained quiet and stoic, and Sakura had hearts in her eyes. She had to refrain from shouting 'kawaii' after Naruto explained why he was carrying her, the scene being just adorable. 'If only Sasuke and I could be like that' she thought to herself miserably, as she stole another glance at Sasuke. He had been containing himself during the scene, thinking that it was embarrassing that Naruto had done that for her, but had struggled to not laugh at them. Kurenai, too, was grinning as she knew what had happened, stealing a glance behind her to check out what was causing the minor commotion. She chuckled lightly, as did Yamato.

A few minutes later they were at the front of a large building. It was not the size of the Hyuuga manor but it was easily the largest of buildings in this town. Guards stood at the front gates and stepped aside to allow them entrance when they saw the group's escort. That guard led them to a large door, which was opened with a slight raucous. The creak that the old door made was evidence of the age of the building. Naruto was impressed though, that as old as the place might be, it looked to be well taken care of. The floors were wooden but were no where near the age of the door. When you took a step, the floor did not groan. The lighting of the hallways was dimmer than his home, since it was being lit by small torches. In an age where you had electricity, these places were rare, in Naruto's eyes. Because of the lack of lighting, the wall's color wasn't exactly visible. They finally stopped in front of a door as the guide asked for permission to enter from whoever was inside. A voice came through from the inside, giving them permission to enter. He opened the door for them and they walked inside, Naruto setting Hinata back down since she had whispered she would be fine.

"Welcome, I was given notice by the Yondaime that I might receive something from him about the upcoming festival, a letter of accomodations to be made. Are you here to deliver that message?" the man said with a regal tone. The man - who Naruto could only guess was the lord - was of average height and build. He stood with his back to them, his salt-and-pepper hair reaching to his mid-back, and he was wearing a dark red evening robe with black lines swirling all around the cloth. He turned around to see them and his eyes held shock when he saw the genin. "Might I ask why you may have needed such a large group of companions?"

"It is all explained in this letter, Vule-sama." explained Kurenai as she bowed to him, approached him and gave him letter. The letter glowed slightly before returning to normal and the man opened the envelope, taking out the piece of paper inside and reading the message. A minute later, he folded the letter back up and took a good luck at the people before him.

"Well, this is certainly interesting. He has sent such a large team to escort me to the village. I am honored by his gesture." His smile then changed to a stern look, a look you would expect from a commander. "As you all know, the Firaga Ruby is highly sought after, as many attempts are made to steal this item. It is most vulnerable when it is taken out of the village for the traditional voyage that the holder of the ruby must partake in order to pass it on to the next village. On these voyages, the threat level of the ruby's theft is heightened to critical status. I am very pleased that he has sent shinobi of his own village, for this year, I have a bad feeling. An omen of ill will has been seen and I fear that if I did not have ample protection on this journey then I would surely fail in delivering it to Konoha." All the ninja present, even Yamato, were surprised at his words. "We must leave tomorrow. I gather from your looks that you are all weary from your travels so I will have arrangements made for you to sleep in the guest quarters of my home. Please make yourself at ease. If you would like, you are also free to enjoy the hot springs nearby." A silent cheer was made from inside most of the shinobi.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Vule-sama." spoke Yamato, taking a slight bow. "Kurenai, how about you take them to the guest rooms and then go to the hot springs. I'll join shortly after speaking with Vule about a few more things." Kurenai nodded, bowed to Vule, and then motioned for the genin to follow her. Once outside, they were led by a servant to the area they would be staying in for the evening and were assigned to different rooms. Hinata and Sakura were to stay in one room, Shino and Kiba in another room, Naruto and Sasuke in a third room, and she and Yamato would take turns guarding Vule's room and would therefore, share a room. After dropping off most of their stuff, except for the change of clothes, they started to make their way to springs. Shino had opted to stay behind. When questioned if he would be fine, he simply replied "hai."

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"Aaaaaaaaah, this water feels great. Damn I'm sore." spoke Naruto, not really directing the statement to anyone in particular. Sasuke couldn't help but agree. A full day of running at that pace had worn him out more than he thought it would. Kiba, who was in the bath, looked like he was enjoying himself as well, but still seemed to be bitter about something. Akamaru, his dog, was swimming and splashing around merrily. "So...what did you say to Sakura, Sasuke?" asked Naruto, eyeing the questioned boy curiously.

"I told her no." he said lazily. When Naruto gave him a confused look, Sasuke sighed and decided to elaborate. "She asked if I would like to go out with her sometime when we got back. I said no. I just don't care about that kind of stuff right now." Naruto rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Well, I guess I can understand that, but what would it hurt to just talk to her and be friends with her. She kept watching you and she always has liked you-"

"You don't think I know that? Between her and that blonde shrew, I don't know who is worse. She, as well as the other girls who were in our class, kept hounding me all the time. The only one who didn't was Hinata and that was because she hounded you." he finished, earning a slightly shocked expression from Naruto. Then Sasuke thought about something and came up with an idea. "Or was it the other way around with you two?" Naruto turned slightly red and Sasuke was pleased with his accomplishment. Kiba just now decided to join in on the conversation.

"I agree with Sasuke, here, and it is probably the only thing I'll agree with him on. You two always seemed to be together. Are you two betrothed or something?" he asked. Inside he was laughing his ass off because right at that moment, Naruto face-vaulted right into the water. When he came back up, he was really red, but you couldn't tell whether that was from the heat of the springs or from embarrassment.

"M-Me and Hinata aren't anything like that. We're just friends and we've known each other for a while now. That's all. Geez, why does everyone try to read too much into things like that." He then heard Yamato's boisterous laughter come from behind him. The man had apparently just gotten to the springs and was now getting in the water.

"You really are hilarious when you get like that Naruto. Besides, are you afraid of something more than friendship occurring?" At this question, he waited eagerly to see if Naruto would actually answer, as did Kiba and Sasuke. Despite the fact that he may have had issues with Naruto, this was an easily enjoyable situation that Kiba was in.

"It's not that I'm afraid of anything like that, it's just...I guess...I'm sort of like Sasuke on this topic, you know?" he answered, sounding unsure. "I mean, I like Hinata and all but I don't think of her in that way. She's my best friend and that's all I want right now." This raised another question in Kiba's mind.

"Why is she your best friend anyways? It just seems so unlikely that you guys would be best friends, you both being from practically different worlds and all." he asked, now wanting to be more friendly. Something about Naruto just made you want to like the guy, no matter how frustrating he might seem to you.

"Well, she was the first person I ever met outside my family who didn't treat me 'special.' Heck, the way she acted towards me was 'special' in the sense that I rarely received that kind of treatment. She didn't treat me like royalty or feel obligated to treat me with respect. She treated me just the way I was when I met her, a kid, of her own age. That's why I liked her and that's why I wanted to be friends with her. Then, pieces just fell into place, I guess." When he finished, he looked around at the others, waiting for them to throw a wisecrack at him but it never came. Hearing the splashing of an apparently happy dog, Naruto wondered since when did Kiba have that dog. He couldn't remember him being with the mutt the entire time they were in school. "Oy, Kiba, how long have you had that puppy? I can't recall when you started to show up with it."

Kiba looked at the blonde warily, judging to see whether or not he was being serious about the question or if he was just trying to change the subject. The cobalt eyes of Naruto did not hold any hidden meaning behind his question, it was actually genuine. "I got Akamaru from my sister about two weeks before the finals. Our family uses specially trained canines who are versed in beast ninjutsu to fight alongside us. She gave me Akamaru as an early gift but said that if I didn't pass, that not only would she kick my ass but she would take Akamaru back. He and I got along too well and so I resolved myself to pass that final exam. Now me and Akamaru are gonna train hard and be the strongest in our family, right boy?" The dog turned its attention to Kiba and barked with enthusiasm. Maybe Naruto had misjudged Kiba as well. The guy had a great passion for his family and it's heritage and he took his training and progression seriously.

Again Sasuke had remained silent during the whole conversation. Naruto found it increasingly frustrating that he had the luck of being teamed with two of the quietest people in all of the shinobi world. It was a necessary skill to be silent and stealthy on missions but when you are relaxing and trying to have fun, then Naruto would hope that anyone would lighten up and express themselves. "Sasuke, you're no fun, you know that? All you do is listen. Well talk for once, gah." Naruto finished by shaking his hands in the air.

"What is there for me to say, dobe?" asked Sasuke, keeping his eyes closed as he continued to relax. The real reason he wasn't speaking was because he wanted to relax, although Naruto's words earlier kept playing through his mind. Naruto just shrugged his shoulders, unsure himself, and closed his eyes, relishing in the heat, the day's journey and its effects just flowing out of him.

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Meanwhile, on the other side of the springs, the three female members on the mission were enjoying the water as well. Sakura had practically leaped into the water. She was so excited about getting the chance to enjoy the water, she forgot to take her towel off. Coming up from out of the water and throwing the damp towel onto the dry land, she sat down in the shallow area of the water and took a deep sigh of relief. She was soon accompanied by Kurenai, who discarded her towel in a much more civilized manner and not getting her's wet and came into the water as well. Breathing deeply, she exhaled in satisfaction. Hinata was the last to come to the water, kneeling down to test the heat of the water with her toes. She closed her eyes, loving how good the heat felt just on her toes. She slowly took her towel off, leaving it close to the edge and slipped in gingerly. Her body was aching too. She hadn't been through that kind of activity ever. Not even on the days when her father pushed her was she ever pushed this much. But she had managed and she now knew she was capable of something like this.

As the water helped relax the girls, Kurenai couldn't help but be impressed. She hadn't expected Sakura to come along so fast as to make this entire journey without voicing any displeasure. When her team was first formed on that day, Sakura had shown that she was a pampered girl. She got frustrated often and was very vocal in her displeasure with her team. She had insulted her teammates constantly for the first couple of days, always saying that Kiba smelled like dogs all the time (which he did), that his dog was stupid, and that Shino was freaky and disgusting for having all those bugs with him. Kurenai's early assumptions were that she was spoiled and just an incredible shrew. Her only thoughts were that Hinata should have been on her team and that the Hokage had screwed her. However, despite all the bad points about Sakura, there was some talent hidden behind her very feminine exterior. So Kurenai had decided to have a little chat with her after their second day of practice. They couldn't really perform missions if the team, as a whole, was uncomfortable with each other.

What Kurenai had found out was that Sakura really was a bright and intelligent girl but there was something else behind her feminine beliefs that a young girl such as her should have to be around bugs and smelly dogs. Her agitation was fueled by a school girl crush. Sakura had honestly believed, in her heart of hearts, that she deserved to be on the same team as Sasuke. She believed that she and he would have made a great 'team.' Kurenai hated to do it, but she had to burst her bubble and get through her naivety if they were ever going to co-exist on a team. She scolded her for her beliefs and her fanciful dreams of happiness with a prince charming. Sakura was a kunoichi now and she was placed onto the team that was best suited for her. Sakura had seemed defiant, so Kurenai put it all in a nutshell for Sakura. Her fighting was sloppy, her taijutsu was a mess, and her ninjutsu was average at best. She was intelligent and she did have talent at genjutsu, but that would not save her in a confrontation. If she ever wanted to be successful then she would have accept that she was on Kurenai's team and that her partners were Kiba, with his canine similarities, and Shino, with his bugs. The cherry on top was when she told Sakura that if she ever wanted to impress Sasuke, that it would be beneficial to listen to her and she would become strong in no time. After that heart to heart chat, Sakura came back the next day and apologized to the team, trained harder than Kurenai had ever expected, and improved on her weak points. Strange how quickly things can change and it's even stranger how emotions tend to influence those changes.

Now Kurenai was here, with her pupil and the one she had hoped to have as her pupil, and she couldn't help but wonder at how well Hinata might be improving. The girl seemed frail and brittle at times. Her pale, porcelain skin giving her the look of a fragile doll and her thin, petit body not giving her the look of a kunoichi who should be trained in combat, but then again, maybe Kurenai was just being overprotective...or she was jealous. Now Kurenai had the ability to judge an individuals strength by merely looking at them, an insight that most jounin achieve, but her perception was a lot better than others. And when she had seen Hinata in the Hokage's tower earlier today, she was taken aback by what she felt. It wasn't just her, but the entire group had gone through an incredible improvement. The demeanor seemed to be one that exuded confidence as the three genin on Team Seven seemed to be quite strong and Kurenai could only guess as to what Yamato was putting them through. But Hinata did not seem to show any signs that she was uncomfortable. In fact, the girl seemed to radiate, and Kurenai felt that she had missed out on something - something huge - and she was desperate to find out why Hinata was exuding such confidence now. Could it be the fact that she was placed on the same team as Uzumaki Naruto or somethng else entirely. Before Kurenai could ask Hinata anything, Sakura had been the one to speak up.

"Hey, Hinata, how are you feeling?" Sakura asked with curiosity.

"I'm fine. A little sore, but I'm fine." In truth, Hinata was really sore and very exhausted, but she didn't want anyone to worry over her.

"Even your leg?" Hinata started to answer until Sakura cut her off. "I'm just wondering since Naruto had to carry you." Hinata ducked into the water until her nose was just barely above the surface but the red tint could still be seen. Kurenai couldn't help but laugh at her. Mind you, it wasn't one of those holding-your-sides laughs but a light one. Hinata continued to be a predictable enigma and it amused Kurenai to no end.

"Y-Yes, it is okay. I-It was just a light cramp." She slowly rose back up, where she was caught smiling. Sakura seized this opportunity, not having a girl to talk with except her sensei and she wanted to enjoy this chance as much as possible. She didn't know much about Hinata anyway so this was a perfect chance to become friendly with her.

"Awwww, what was with that smile, hmmm?" Hinata blushed again and feared where this conversation might lead. She had not been deaf to all the rumors that had spread about in the classrooms and on the streets. The youth of their generation seemed to have a field day when it came to 'juicy' gossip...and she and Naruto had been on the receiving end of a lot of it.

"Th-there was nothing with my s-smile. I-I was-" but she couldn't finish as Sakura had interrupted her.

"Just thinking about your favorite blonde?" Sakura said, meaning for it to be interpreted as her finishing Hinata's statement. Asking a question wasn't bad but the question she asked had Hinata on the ropes. Sakura was very interested with them. After hearing all the rumors that had spread among the various kunoichi-hopefuls and even some of the guys, Sakura saw now as the chance to finally see if any of it was true. She had heard anything from 'I heard they were arranged to be married when they get older' to 'They're actually related to each other through blood.' The latter one was the most far-fetched but you would be surprised with how these rumors can start and spiral out of control. And even though they were not the only victims of such gossip, they tended to be the juiciest topic.

Hinata's eyes bulged when Sakura interrupted and tried to finish her statement. It wasn't what Hinata was going to say but...it was what her mind was on. Hinata feared right then that Sakura might be able to read minds. A childish thought though, since if she did have that ability, the pink-haired kunoichi would have said much more than that by now. She started twiddling her thumbs and drooped her head so that her face couldn't be completely seen. She couldn't think of a comeback and was at a complete loss of words.

Seeing Hinata's distress, Sakura felt a little guilty and decided to rectify the situation. She had been hoping to gain the girl's trust so they could be friendly and this would only have Hinata fearing her. "I'm just teasing, Hinata. It's just..." How could she say this right, was what Sakura was thinking. "You guys really are good friends. He seems to look out for you, like you'd expect a big brother to do for his little sister. Right, Kurenai-sensei?"

Kurenai smiled and nodded her head. "He's always been like that too. Naruto cares for those who are close to him and you are no different." she said to Hinata. Her red eyes, though one might be intimidated by them, were gentle and caring. Her words had been intended with the best of intentions, as had Sakura's, but they were taken in a different manner within Hinata's mind.

'Is that what I am to Naruto? A little sister that he has to watch out for?' Her inner-thoughts made her face take on a sorrowful look. Sakura saw the change in demeanor, as did Kurenai, and they both became worried.

"Hinata? Are you okay?" asked Sakura, getting closer and putting a hand on her shoulder. (She would never know how her words would change Hinata.) Hinata jerked out of her thoughts, determined to not make anyone worry about her. She beamed at her, the sudden change startling Sakura and surprising Kurenai.

"Yes, I am Sakura-chan." She then began to think about what happened earlier this day and became curious of Sakura's actions today. "If I may ask, what was it that you and Naruto spoke of on our way here?" Sakura then blushed herself, which had a double reaction within Hinata. She became: a) worried that the blush might be an indication of a hidden infatuation with Naruto, and b) relieved that she was not the only one who blushed around here. 'But what is she blushing for?' asked Hinata to herself. Thankfully, Sakura was a lot more open than she had expected and her words had an unexpected calming effect on Hinata.

"He just suggested that I should try to speak with Sasuke. I...I've liked Sasuke and I only want him to like me. I went up to him...and asked if he would like to hang out sometime when we got back...but he rejected me." She had partially lied but she felt that it was an unimportant factor. She had not asked if Sasuke would like to 'hang-out' but if he would like to 'go on a date' when they got back and he had said no. Kurenai caught it though and made her correct herself.

"I have sharper hearing than you think Sakura. Didn't you ask him out on a date?"

Sakura's jaw dropped and she was blushing more and more furiously with each passing second. "I..I didn't think that was...something necessary towards the conversation." Little did Sakura know, it was.

"Sakura-san, if you don't mind me saying, Sasuke-kun had told us that he doesn't care for a relationship of any level." Hinata saw Sakura's head hang down after she finished but then she looked back up to her with hope-filled eyes.

"Can you give me any advice here? I'll take anything." She was desperate. Sakura really did like Sasuke and if it would take time then she would accept that but she wanted to be able to hang around with him and be friendly with him.

"Sasuke-kun...I think he is perfectly fine with being friends. I don't know much about him but he seems to be fine with being friends with me and Naruto-kun. I don't think he should refuse being friendly towards you, just make sure he understands that you want to be friends, I guess. I don't really know though." When Hinata finished, Sakura pondered her words and thought to herself about how she would approach Sasuke. 'Maybe if I apologize first then ask him if he wouldn't mind being friends then everything will be okay.' After thinking about it though, it seemed stupid and hopeless. But nothing was ever hopeless which was something Kurenai had taught her. 'If he wouldn't be friends with a simple apology then maybe I can impress him into paying attention to me.'

They made more small talk about simple things and about their teams. They talked about their progress, their life, their past, their plans for the future, even. Hinata felt completely at ease with Sakura now and felt she could consider her a friend. When Kurenai felt it was getting late, they got out, dried off, changed into their evening attire and made their way back to their rooms. The boys were coming back too and they all said their good evenings as they went to their rooms - Sakura even went into the room where Kiba and Shino were supposed to be using a room and said good evening to Shino, who replied with a drone 'good night' of his own. As they all fell asleep, Kurenai and Yamato exchanged turns for watching out for any possible intruders.

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So there you have it. This might be a tad long and I hope it doesn't intimidate anyone. This chapter took me a while to write, as you can tell with my obvious lack of updating for a while. If you felt this chapter was a little rushed, let me know. If you felt it was too fluffy, I apologize. I just love the pairing between them. They are two of my favorite characters.

Though I have said I don't want to beg for reviews, I do want to say that they are now more appreciated than ever. If you liked this chapter, tell me. If you didn't, tell me why? If you think I could have improved on something, go ahead and leave me constructive criticism.

The next chapter is gonna be brilliant, in my opinion. A little preview may be in order. Here goes: As the two teams leave with Lord Vule - who is the escort of the Firaga Ruby - they find themselves encountering the trouble that was mentioned by the Hokage and the lord. Conflict ensues as the teams are tested to their limits against a foe none of them saw coming.