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SOTS-1-01-06

Soul of the Seal - Story 1 - Arc 1 - Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - "All The Tests, And The Results Thereof"


Naruto ducked slightly under the flaps as he entered the establishment that provided the services to satisfy his one, and presumably only, vice. Having dumped the majority of his equipment back at his apartment, he only had one ninkit left with him, in which resided a pair of important items he'd need later.

"Hey guys." Naruto sighed with slight depression as he hopped up on the stool, and set his Hitai-ate down on the bar.

"Hello Naruto-kun!" Ayame smiled brightly, but her smile disappeared when she noticed that Naruto was not smiling himself. Her eyes darted once to the set-aside Hitai-ate, and it seemed enough to explain things, given the conversations that had happened right in front of her over the past several days. "Oh no, Naruto-kun, are you..." Her face, one that many young men in the village considered more than just cute, fell ever so slightly.

"Heh... Well, better luck next year, right?" Naruto looked up with a half-hearted grin, not wanting to upset her, but not really being able to put his normal effort into it.

"I'm sor-I mean," Ayame sputtered slightly, "You've trained so hard, I just though, since you graduated the academy... I was sure that you..." She gave a slightly embarrassed shrug as her cheeks pinked a bit.

"Don't worry about it." Naruto waved her off. "I'm just going to march right back to the academy and sign up again!" Seeing that she still looked disappointed, he decided to switch tactics. "Look at it this way, if I had passed, I'd start going on missions, who knows how many of which would be outside the village, and I wouldn't be able to come around here as much anymore." He grinned again, this time getting his wanted ear-to-ear effect. "So you'll have another year that I'll be coming here as often as possible!"

"Well, that certainly bodes well for our bank accounts." Teuchi commented as he came out of the back room with a box full of packaged noodle ingredients that he set to the side to use later. "So what'll it be, Naruto?" He asked even as he turned to attend his boiling pots, having his back to Naruto as usual.

Naruto couldn't help the small smirk that kept tugging at his mouth. For most of the village, someone turning their backs to him would only mean revulsion and the desire for him to leave. Anyone else wouldn't turn their backs on him out of fear of him doing something, and would watch him with hatred and suspicion. Once upon a time, Naruto had commented on this to Teuchi, who had merely scoffed and said he wasn't about to let his noodles burn for any reason. He wouldn't be the greatest ramen chef in Konoha otherwise. But secretly, Naruto appreciated the trust the man had in him anyway.

"Just one of the largest special you can manage, and make sure it's doubly hot!" Naruto requested, indicating he wanted the temperature hot, as well as wanting it to be super spicy.

"Oh dear. I'd better get your drinks then." Ayame sighed as she went to get his usual milk and fruit juice from the refrigerator. Ramen was Naruto's personal vice, but spicy ramen was Naruto's comfort food. And it always required a lot of cool liquid to wash it down.

Naruto just nodded as he let the chefs do their jobs.

"Mmmm." Kyaena purred. "I like'm hot." Her tongue licked over her nose in anticipation. Through Naruto, she had been exposed to every possible flavor and style of ramen that the three humans could think of. She had her preferences of course, but no matter what the dish, extra spices were always a good thing.

'Oh really?' Naruto thought with returned sourness over the morning's events. 'Does that mean you like that hot-shot, Duck-butt?' He almost winced as Kyaena gagged.

"HELL NO!" She barked out, a little louder than she intended.

Naruto had picked up a pair of chopsticks, and was fiddling with them slightly.

'I wonder what Iruka-sensei will say when I tell him I failed...' He thought dully, imagining how disappointed his once-and-future sensei would be with him.

"You didn't fail. You got those damnable bells before the timer sounded. It's that cyclops-baka that failed the team by not giving an appropriate test. As far as I'm concerned, you did wonderfully, even if you didn't quite get the chance to go at full power." Kyaena declared with absolute confidence.

An ever so miniscule sneer tugged on Naruto's lip.

'Well, at least by failing me, he has no choice but to fail Sasuke as well.' Naruto broke apart his chopsticks, imagining that the snap they made was the sound of his fist cracking the Uchiha's jaw.

"I wonder how that teme will take it when he's told he can't pass because you weren't passed. Having his career depend on you will surely infuriate him to no end." Kyaena gave a fang-baring grin at the thought of Emo-the-wonder-grump throwing a hissy-fit.

'Peh. He'll just blame me, getting all mad that I 'got in his way', or some stupid excuse like that. He might even try to pick a fight with me over it.' Naruto paused with a slightly amused thought of the 'mr cool' loosing his temper and being as loud and pushy as Naruto himself... ... Wait, that didn't come out right...

"Well, if you were to... say... rip his arms and legs off... he couldn't possibly continue his attempts to become a ninja. So you wouldn't have to put up with him in your classes anymore, and wouldn't have to worry about being teamed with him again." Kyaena offered in a casually friendly tone, even as her tails twitched in evidence of her hopefulness that her suggestion would be taken seriously.

'Tempting... VERY tempting.' Naruto sighed as Ayame brought out two pitchers and set them in front of Naruto, then pulled out two empty glasses to accompany them.

"So, Naruto. You don't look too worse for wear." Teuchi commented without even turning around.

"Nah. Getting kicked into a river was about the worst I received." Naruto shrugged, all the while once again wondering how the man could see out of the back of his head. Unless he was part Hyuga or something...

"Oh, and I see you don't think it necessary to mention that you suffered two broken ribs in the process?" Kyaena frowned in disapproval. "You'd better not omit that fact when you report to Iruka. I want that cyclops to get exactly what he deser-"

'Don't worry, I'll tell him. I just don't want to freak out Ayame-neechan. I think I've been doing that too much of late.' Naruto responded. Kyaena nodded to herself in satisfaction over that little bit.

"You don't seem all that damp, Naruto-kun." Ayame observed as she took the steaming hot ramen bowl from her father and carefully placed the heavy meal in front of their best, and most frequent customer.

Naruto paused in his reach for the spice shakers as he regarded himself with slight surprise. He realized Ayame was right. His cloths, especially the thicker collar of his jacket, should have still been damp and uncomfortable after his thorough soaking, but they weren't. And he hadn't even noticed when this became the case.

"That's weird." Naruto blinked as he tested the broth of his ramen. "Well, I'm telling you, I got dunked good." Deciding that his food was plenty spiced already, he put the shaker back.

Ayame gave a large, innocent shrug as Naruto began eating his lunch, neither bothering to notice the crash that came from outside across the street. Naruto chomped away with enthusiasm, delighting in each sizzling hot bite as he washed it down with alternating milk or juice.

"I bet that pathetic Uchiha couldn't even handle food as spicy as you can!" Kyaena snickered as she enjoyed the spicy goodness. Sometimes, Naruto was even able to conjure mental images to project for her, so she could 'eat' as long as Naruto was eating.

'...But that didn't stop him from being able to learn a fire jutsu. The very element that you are. The element that I wish... How could he have been so damn lucky...' Naruto tried to hold back his envy, and failed.

"That is nothing." Kyaena said after a moment of silence. "Just... Just some freak fluke chance of na-.. I mean, of his birth." She cleared her throat.

Naruto nearly choked on his ramen as he bolted upright, coughing out a noodle. He couldn't remember the last time Kyaena had stumbled over her words like that. After assuring Ayame and Teuchi he was alright, he returned to eating, albeit, much more carefully as he focused on his thoughts and actions.

'Kya-chan? What's wrong? What was-' He tried to ask, but...

"Forget it! Never mind! My point is that you don't have anything to feel bad about!" Kyaena spoke quickly, then cleared her throat to continue normally. "So he knows one fire jutsu. But you have ME. The power of an elemental!"

'Uh, I thought you were a para-elemental.' Naruto pointed out, chomping on some shrimp.

"One way or the other..." Kyaena rolled her eyes slightly. "You haven't even tried learning a fire jutsu yet. They don't even teach advanced combat jutsu to cadets. Uchiha-teme, like the others in your class, only have those extra jutsu because they come from ninja clans with their own archives. I guarantee once you get working on it, fire will be second nature for you!" Kyaena encouraged, happily flipping her tails left and right. "And just like normal life chakra, I'm an expert on the elemental forces, being an elemental after all. I've already taught you the basics of the current ten established elements, so this will be the next step."

'The development and manipulation of elemental affinities? I remember Iruka-sensei commenting on them in history, when he was talking about the Shodaime and Nidaime. But isn't that an advanced skill, that only jounin are allowed to learn?' Naruto's brow furrowed in contemplation as he slurped up noodle after noodle.

Ayame and Teuchi, busy with other customers who were traditionally ignoring Naruto, noted the boy's contemplative expression. The two chefs exchanged proud looks, knowing that Naruto was already thinking how to better himself in his next year of work in his attempts to become a ninja.

"I don't remember anyone ever actually saying that it was restricted, but it is considered a very advanced skill. I suspect that most ninja don't even try to start working on developing it until they're well established chunin. But, just like your chakra control exercises, the sooner you get started, the better. You have lots of energy, so getting it under control is essential. Make sure to ask Iruka about all the information you'll need for this when you get to the academy." Kyaena nodded in satisfaction at the new plan.

'Even still... Sasuke has a head start on me. He doesn't have an elemental inside him, and he's already this far along.' Naruto commented dryly as he was nearing the end of his meal, starting to drink up the extra broth.

"Oh please." Kyaena snorted. "I've known imps that can spit more powerful fire than that... that... impotent weed!"

'Imps? I thought that they were a minor race of sub-demons that were often enslaved for little more than manual labor, which isn't much since they themselves are rather on the small side.' Naruto remarked as he upended his bowl, finished of his drinks, and picked up a napkin to wipe at his mouth.

"That's right, although there are rare occasions of imp shamans who are capable of minor magic. If they can manage to get a more powerful demon to take them as... well, I guess 'lackey' is a fairly accurate term, they sometimes are capable of producing what you humans sometimes refer to as, 'hellfire'. Even the smallest flame of that, burns hotter than any normal fire that exist in the human world." Kyaena explained as she picked at her teeth with an elongated claw.

'Really!?' Naruto perked up with a smile even as he paid for his meal and waved to Ayame and Teuchi before excusing himself. "If anyone comes looking for me, you haven't seen me today, ok?" He said to the chefs, who nodded with slightly confused looks. Naruto exited the shop as he refocused his thoughts. 'You think it's possible I could learn to produce hellfire!?' He asked with excitement as he nearly bounced along the street headed for the academy.

"NO! Err, no. Sorry." Kyaena lowered her voice to a soft, apologetic tone. "I was only using that example to try to cheer you up and prove that the Uchiha-teme isn't anything special. But I'm afraid that you're not capable of directly channeling hellfire. Even with my presence, you are still human, and it would be too harmful to your body. You'd have to be at least half-demon to be able to do anything with it." She sighed in disappointment at the same time Naruto did. "But I guarantee that you'll be able to use fire jutsu like a master once you start studying. My energy will make sure of it!" She ended with a reassuring note.

'And I'll be sure to be better than Duck-butt!' Naruto smirked in acceptance of the fact.

He walked in silent satisfaction for a moment, until Kyaena perked her ears up a little.

"Second nature..." She mumbled in a thoughtful expression.

'Eh? What's that, Kya-chan?' Naruto asked, turning a corner as the main entrance of the academy came into view down at the end of the road.

"With my energy, you're guaranteed to have an energy alignment to fire, even if you weren't born with it. But no matter how strong the influence of my energy is, it would never be able to completely displace your own natural born energy alignment." Kyaena thought out carefully. "So, if fire is going to be your second nature, I wonder what your own, primary natural element is?"

'What, you mean you can't sense my own chakra nature? You are inside me after all, and an elemental to boot.' Naruto blinked in slight surprise.

"Well, I could make a few educated guesses based on facts and observations I've made over time, but since you've been working so much with my energy for so long, it will be a little harder to know for sure without something to start as a base of reference. We've definitely got to get the information from Iruka so we can get directly to work on this." Kyaena nodded, sweeping her tails around to fluff up her pillows.

Naruto nodded as he approached the doors to the academy, noting that it was quiet since it was between semesters, and therefore, no classes.

'Directly...' Naruto thought suddenly.

"Eh? What's that, Naru-kun?" Kyaena tilted her head slightly.

'You said, that because I'm human, it would be too dangerous for me to channel hellfire directly. But what about indirectly? You said that even an imp could produce hellfire, but only with the help of a more powerful demon. That implies that the imp can't produce it himself, but rather, his fire is enhanced by the energy of the second demon. Transforming normal fire into hellfire. Something I could do outside of my body. If that's the case, surely you, the para-elemental queen of kitsune, would know how to do that, right?' Naruto paused at the doors with one hand on the handle.

Kyaena blinked a few times, before her fur rippled with a kitsune blush tinting her face.

"You brilliant, hyperactive, imaginative golden fluff! If you were my own kit, I would treat you to a week of..." Kyaena stopped herself. "Well, ah, yes. Yes I do know how. We'll have to explore that once you get the other basics down, which shouldn't take you very long." She stated before burying her face into the pillows in embarrassment.

'Haha! Yeah, that's fine. As long as it doesn't take too much time out of my already over-booked training schedule, I'm good for it!' Naruto chuckled as he entered the academy front hall.

Kyaena had picked up two pillows with her tails, and was beating herself over the head.

'Inexcusable... INEXCUSABLE!' She berated herself. 'Am I so over-protective of Naru-kun that now I'm discarding potentially important, if potentially dangerous, ideas? Most of his normal training, though a bit painful, isn't life threatening to him. Not as long as my power can always regenerate him. But if a concept comes along that would cause him more harm, will I just toss it aside without thinking it through?' Kyaena tried not to hiss out loud, not wanting Naruto to know she was bothered. 'He's trying to become a ninja! Even if he can't do it in this village, he'll still try elsewhere! He'll always be in danger! I have to make sure he has every possible advantage available to him! So I'll have to be more cautious in the future. I mean, less cautious. I mean... ... Arrrggh!' She picked up a third pillow, and continued to smack herself.


Sakura and Sasuke were still standing in training field seven right where Naruto had left them. The were confused about what to do. Well, Sakura was confused, Sasuke was... oddly predictable.

"This isn't possible!" He growled still glaring at the offending trinket in his palm. "There is no way, NO WAY, that loser could beat a jounin!"

"What about Kakashi-sensei? The alarm clock went off several minutes ago, but he hasn't shown up! What are we supposed to do?" Sakura fidgeted nervously. "Are we just supposed to report to the academy? Or to Hokage-sama? Are we supposed to get lunch and come back? Should we go after Naruto? Why did he leave? Do you think he's coming back?" Her questions came out one after another in an anxious ramble.

"It doesn't matter if he does, he's NOT getting this bell back." Sasuke growled as he clenched his fist around the metal. "If he was such a baka as to give them away, then he deserves to fail! I only want to know how he got them!"

"B-but, Sasuke-kun, Naruto is the one who got the bells... He should deserve to have one of them so he can pass..." Sakura looked over at Sasuke nervously, not sure how her statement would be taken.

"Then give him yours if you want to!" Sasuke snapped. "But as soon as Kakashi-sensei shows up, I'm claiming my victory. We're ninja. It doesn't matter how we achieve our mission, all that matters is that we succeed. I was supposed to obtain a bell before noon, and I did. If Naruto had just given up our objective in the middle of a mission like he did here, I would kill him myself for betraying us. He deserves to fail, because he'll never have the spine or dedication to be a real ninja." He snorted. Sakura looked stunned, and more than a little hurt at the dark boy's attitude.

"But that... that isn't fair! Naruto put so much hard work into this! And he was the one who tried to tell us abo-Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura suddenly yelled and pointed behind Sasuke.

Sasuke spun around in an instant to look where she was indicating. Kakashi was slowly stumbling out of some bushes at the edge of the tree line by the river. He looked like he was a little dazed, and was adjusting his mask on his face. He made his way over to stop in front of the two students, straightening up.

"Oh, hey guys. Sorry if I'm a little late. But you see, this-" Kakashi started to say, but was stopped when Sasuke held up his jingling bell. Kakashi's eye snapped wide open, and his hand slapped to his belt as he looked down, seeming shocked that the bells were missing.

"So now that the test is over, what are our orders Sensei?" Sasuke asked in that 'I'm-so-cool-and-the-world-agrees' tone that he took secret delight in practicing when alone.

"How did you get those?" Kakashi demanded as he saw Sakura hesitantly hold up her bell as well.

"Well, right before the alarm went off, Na-" Sakura started to explain, but Sasuke stepped in front of her.

"We got them because it was our mission to." Sasuke stated to the jounin, then gave Sakura a warning look.

"Where's Naruto?" Kakashi asked with an obvious frown in his voice as he glanced around briefly.

"He's-" Sakura started to point, but Sasuke slapped her hand down.

"He's gone because he failed. So we can just forget about that loser." He almost growled at Sakura, who flinched back.

"Sasuke! Stop it! Let Sakura answer!" Kakashi snapped in severe agitation. 'This isn't good. It seems Naruto reacted a bit more severely to my act than I wanted.' Kakashi was hoping he was wrong about what was happening. "Sakura, what happened?"

"Well, uh..." Sakura gave a glance at Sasuke who was glaring at her. "J-just before your alarm clock went off, Naruto came up to us and gave us the bells. No explanation or anything. Then he picked up his bags, shut off the alarm when it went off, and... he just left!" She swallowed a nervous lump under Kakashi's stare.

'Oh crap. I knew he was a little angry, but I didn't expect him to just take off. Wait, did he...' Kakashi reached into his ninkit, and nearly sighed in relief when his hand found the scroll that Naruto had written earlier. But there seemed to be a lot of empty space as well. "Oh no..." Kakashi's voice sounded horrified as his hand dug around franticly. "Oh no! I can't believe he-... SAKURA!" Kakashi's shout made the already nervous kunoichi jump. "Did Naruto say where he was going?" He asked with rushed urgentness.

"I, he, he j-just said he was going to g-get some lunch!" Sakura swallowed again before taking a step forward. "Sensei, what's going on? Naruto didn't seem at all happy when he gave us the bells. If he got them from you, he should have been excited! And... and I think he deserves to pass! Isn't there some way to change the test? It isn't fair for one person to do most of the work, only to be failed because there weren't enough... I mean..." Sakura frowned slightly, trying to think clearly. "If the three of us went on a mission to retrieve two scrolls, and succeeded, bringing them back, would it matter who was carrying them when we came through the door? We all do our part, and sometimes on some missions, one of us will do more than the others. But we're still supposed to be a team, right?" She finished with a trace of hope.

Sasuke was looking at her like she had lost her mind. But Kakashi paused to consider the pink haired girl.

'Well well. It seems that Naruto's efforts have had a bit of an impact after all. But Hokage-sama is going to impact me if I don't get this under control.' Kakashi shook his head to clear it. "Look, I think this should be discussed between all four of us. Sakura, did Naruto say where he was going to go to eat?" He gestured towards her.

"No, but... Well, Naruto said he likes ramen and fruit in his introduction yesterday." Sakura thought for a moment. "And I remember that Naruto and Choji would often talk about ramen during lunch at the academy... I think they named a place called-"

"Ichiraku's. Of course." Kakashi lightly smacked his Hitai-ate. "With the way my luck is running lately, he'll be there, chatting away with Hokage-sama. Alright! Grab your stuff and lets go!" Kakashi quickly put his alarm clock into his backpack and shouldered it.

"What? You can't seriously want to go after that failure." Sasuke scoffed in disbelief as Sakura scrambled to grab her bag.

"Sensei, what did you mean about Hokage-sama? Does... Naruto really know him... personally?" Sakura asked with a hint of dread.

"What, you mean you didn't know?" Kakashi shrugged. Sakura paled slightly.

"Why are we even talking about this?" Sasuke demanded with growing irritation. "We have the bells. Naruto doesn't. We pass, he fails. That's what you said the test was when we started, right!?"

Kakashi gave a slight jerk, and paused with his back to the two.

"Sensei? What is it?" Sakura asked slowly, suddenly wary as a small alarm was going off in the back of her mind.

"We have to find Naruto. NOW." Kakashi ordered as he rushed off. 'Please, please, please Kami... Let me find Naruto before he talks to anyone about this.' He prayed desperately.

Sakura gave a squeak as she rushed after.

"Hey, wait!" Sasuke scrambled to grab his bag as he took off after the others. "If we're going to bother with Naruto, will you at least tell me how he got the bells!?"


Naruto was grumbling slightly as he was walking through the halls of the academy, looking in one door after another. His return to the academy was less than well received. The first person he had asked if they had seen Iruka...

"What the hell are you doing back!? I thought we were rid of you for good!"

Needless to say, Naruto was less than thrilled with the attitude of most of the staff. Worst still, Naruto had a hard time separating those that were tail-hunters, and those that were just still pissed over the pranks he'd pulled in the last three years. Then there was the fact that there simply wasn't that many people around at the moment.

So, except for a vague acknowledgement from a janitor that Iruka was, in fact, in the building, Naruto was simply checking each wing and floor systematically. When he caught the whiff of familiar smoke, he zeroed in on one of the larger meeting rooms. He opened the door to see Sarutobi and Iruka sitting at a single square table, evidently having tea as Sarutobi casually blew smoke rings from his pipe.

Taking a chair for himself from the ones stacked up along the wall next to the door, he trotted over to his superiors. Iruka looked up at the sound of his approaching steps, and smiled.

"Ah, Naruto! Please, sit down." Iruka eagerly motioned to the nearest side of the table for Naruto to join them.

"Hey Sensei, Old-Man." Naruto nodded to both of them as he put the chair down and sat down.

"Tea?" Sarutobi offered, gesturing to the pot.

"No thanks, I just finished lunch." Naruto shrugged, then his mouth twitched. "You know, Old-Man, I'm beginning to realize that it seems every time I see you, you have your pipe out. You really shouldn't indulge so much. It isn't good for you." He said with a concerned voice.

"This coming from the bottomless ramen disposal?" Sarutobi chuckled. "Don't worry. At my age, I can afford it."

"For a human that is in his declining years, not to mention all he's already done in his life, he's more than entitled to his leisure's." Kyaena spoke up. "Besides, his pipe isn't bottomless. He can at least pace himself." She snickered.

"First, I'm not bottomless." Naruto jutted his chin. "Second, ramen can be very good for you when made in the right way, and Pops-Ichiraku knows all the ways to do it. Third, I don't only eat ramen, it's just one of my favorite foods, that's all. Fourth, I can afford it also, as my wallet is fatter than yours is these days, old man." Naruto grinned.

Sarutobi and Naruto chuckled at each other over their personal jokes. Iruka found it amusing that a man as old as the Hokage could be similar to a young hyperactive boy like Naruto. But Iruka's laughs died in his throat when he noticed... Naruto wasn't wearing his Hitai-ate.

"So, ah... Naruto. Are you here for a tour of the archives?" Iruka asked with a tentatively hopeful voice.

Pulled from his joking with the Hokage, Naruto blinked at Iruka once, then sighed. He pulled out his Hitai-ate from his jacket pocket and slid it across the table.

"No. I'm here to enroll for the next year." Naruto slumped in his chair a bit, no longer willing to meet his sensei's eyes. "I'm sorry if I let you down."

Iruka looked upon the metal band with sadness, and a small bit of anger.

'No! I can't believe this! He couldn't have failed! His skills are more than enough for a genin! But, that means, that either the team couldn't work together, or...' Iruka struggled to keep his clenching fists hidden below the table.

Sarutobi was looking more that a little displeased himself as he considered the situation.

"So. You failed the genin exam." The old man stated slowly. He raised an eyebrow when Naruto glared at him.

"I failed? No, more like I was failed. The exam was a total disaster with a capitol D." Naruto shot a fowl look at Iruka. "I told you that just throwing me into some group at random wasn't going to work."

"Hey, I was just the messenger." Iruka waved off franticly, pointing to Sarutobi. "It's the Hokage that has the final say in the team arrangements."

"Now wait, you know that I could only make the best arrangements I could at the time with what options I had." Sarutobi, despite his statement of defense, looked slightly uncomfortable. "Sometimes a team just doesn't work out at first. That's why we have the genin exam to evaluate co-operation and coordination of the graduates. It's not like we can accept high or low scores. Real work in the field is not a test." Sarutobi puffed on his pipe.

"Test? High and low!?" Naruto hissed. "I'll tell you something, the high point of the exam was when I suffered two broken ribs," Naruto stated, ignoring the shocked looks of concern on the two men, "And the low point was when one of my own teammates..." Naruto trailed off, then frowned. "Ah, forget it. It's not like any of us could have passed anyway." He slumped in his chair again. Sarutobi raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean by that Naruto?" The Hokage asked carefully then took a sip of his tea.

"Go ahead, tell them what that myopic jackass did! And don't forget to add what the Uchiha bastard did also!" Kyaena growled out. Naruto gave a snort.

"I don't know what was going through his head, but the idiot jounin didn't even give us a chance. He deliberately rigged the exam so we couldn't pass at all." Naruto pulled a candy bar from his pocket, unwrapped half of it, and took a bite.

"Naruto," Iruka frowned, "I'm sorry if things didn't go well, but you can't just accuse-"

"You told me yourself, the genin exam is about the team." Naruto interrupted. "You said that either all three of us pass, or not. Kakashi set up this stupid scenario with these two bells, and said only those of us that had a bell before noon would pass. Never mind the fact that asking genin to try to take on a jounin is just plain ridiculous, even though I got both bells from him, since there are only two, and he said that whoever didn't get a bell would fail. But since failing one means that all three automatically fail... well, that's it." Naruto shrugged. "He obviously didn't want anything to do with us, so he made it impossible for us to pass." Naruto crammed the rest of his candy bar into his mouth.

Sarutobi was trying not to grind his teeth as he listened to Naruto's explanation.

"What exactly did Kakashi say when your exam concluded?" Sarutobi asked. Naruto blinked twice, swallowed, then shrunk down in his chair a bit.

"Uh, well, actually," Naruto mumbled into his jacket collar, "I didn't stick around to find out. As soon as the alarm went off at noon, signaling the end of the exam, I left." Naruto paused then straightened up again. "I admit, I kinda wish I had stuck around to see Duck-Butt's reaction to being told he failed," Naruto's face blanked slightly, "But I REALLY didn't want to listen to whatever excuses that half-blind duster head was going to try to spit out. He had spent the whole exam trying to keep us separated. Every time I tried to get Sakura-san and Sasuke to help me out, he would say or do something to try to imply that we would never get along. His attitude was just... wrong." He started to frown.

Sarutobi was becoming concerned, not only for Naruto's behavior and attitude, but for what it seemed that Kakashi had done. But Iruka suddenly interrupted the moment of silence.

"Wait a minute Naruto, you said that the exam consisted of obtaining bells, and the one that didn't get them failed. But you said you got both bells. If that's true, and you didn't wait to hear Kakashi's decision, how could you have failed?" The chunin asked in total confusion.

"I said there were two bells for the three of us." Naruto shrugged. "I gave them to Sakura-san and Sasuke. Leaving me without a bell. So I failed."

Sarutobi and Iruka both gaped wide-eyed at Naruto's admission. That he had the means to pass, but then had willingly given it up to his teammates. Considering they knew how motivated Naruto was to become a ninja, this action left them both baffled, concerned, but ultimately, proud.

'Despite his own personal difficulties, and the realization that Kakashi was not giving a proper exam, at least in his particular situation, he still gave his support to his teammates.' Sarutobi thought with approval, with Iruka having similar feelings.

"That was certainly generous of you. Helping your teammates." Iruka commented with a smile.

"Generous?" Naruto raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "There's very little about being a ninja that's generous. I gave them the bells because it didn't matter. I could tell Kakashi was going to fail me regardless if I had the bells or not."

"And how could you tell that?" Sarutobi asked, sipping some tea.

"Yeah, go ahead Naru-kun, tell them." Kyaena smirked with satisfaction. Naruto considered for a moment, then took a breath.

"At one point, Kakashi had tied me to a tree. The other two had moved out of earshot into the woods. Kakashi said to me, and I quote: 'What kind of jounin or sensei would I be if I let someone like you pass?'" Naruto toned in an attempt to mimic Kakashi.

Sarutobi and Iruka went tense.

'So he does hate Naruto.' Iruka grit his teeth, feeling a slight pang of guilt as he recalled how he had felt about Naruto when the boy had first entered the academy three years ago.

"I see." Sarutobi said with a much too even tone. 'It seems that I need to have a talk with Kakashi later.' He thought with severe disappointment in the sliver haired copy ninja. "So, Naruto. You said you want to enroll for the next academy year?" He sighed as he took another puff on his pipe.

"Yep." Naruto let out a heavy sigh. "I figured, 'hey, why not?' It's not like I have anything to lose. So I might as well give it one last try."

CRACK

Naruto and Iruka jumped slightly and looked at Sarutobi, who dropped his now broken pipe onto the table.

"Hokage-sama?" Iruka asked, surprised by the anxiety rolling off his leader.

"Old-Man? What's wrong?" Naruto asked in concern at the semi-horrified look on the elder's face.

"You... You said... one... last...try?" Sarutobi asked veeerrry slowly.

"Uh-oh. Be careful Naru-kun. I think you just hit a nerve. He sounds worried about something." Kyaena perked her ears up to concentrate on what was about to happen.

"Uhh..." Naruto swallowed nervously. "I... I just..."

Iruka turned to cast a surprised look at Naruto.

"Naruto? Is that true? Are you-" Iruka frowned in worry.

"I know you two are worried about me!" Naruto blurted out quickly. "But... I'm not blind. I don't want to give up, that's why I'm willing to try again." Naruto gave a neutral look at Sarutobi. "But it's kind of hard to get anywhere when nobody other than you two want me to succeed. Otherwise, that ass Mizuki wouldn't' have gone to all the trouble-..." Naruto trailed off.

Sarutobi and Iruka traded looks again.

"Naruto?" Iruka asked.

"Mizuki... he... What he said... The reason why people hate me..." Naruto was mumbling, his eyes unfocused. Iruka and Sarutobi looked like they were both going to have heart attacks.

'Oh no! No, no, no, no!' Iruka was turning pale.

"I didn't really pay attention before, because of what was happening." Naruto continued in a subdued tone. "I didn't really have time to think about it. But... what he said... about me... the reason... Was he telling the tru-?"

"He's a traitor that tried to kill us both. He wanted to steal the scroll. He would have done anything to get his way, including trying to confuse and upset a young, fresh-from-the-academy genin. Don't ever give him another thought." Iruka said firmly.

"You know, if you can't become a ninja, you'd make a great actor." Kyaena mused. "Interesting trick, getting them scared of 'the truth', to get them eager to make sure you don't know about me. Although, you know that you won't be able to keep you feigned ignorance going forever." She flexed her claws slightly. "When the time comes, to protect yourself, it will happen. Now turn the conversation before they start asking too many questions."

"... I guess it doesn't matter." Naruto sighed. "But I can't waste away my life waiting to catch a break. I was hoping, if your willing Iruka-sensei, to get a little more out of the academy than just repeating the same classes again. I've essentially memorized all of that by now." Naruto looked at Iruka.

"I'm not surprised, considering the results of your written re-evaluation." Iruka smirked. "I'm sure I could find some more challenging work for you." Iruka's smirk got bigger. "How about trying out being my assistant? Since Mizuki is gone now, I could use the help."

"Wait a minute." Sarutobi interrupted, though he had to hold back a snicker at Naruto's expression at the thought of working at the academy. "Naruto, I want you to answer truthfully. You said this would be your last try. What will you do if you get to team placement again, and fail again?" Sarutobi stared hard at the boy.

"... I'll withdraw from the academy." Naruto said after a moment.

"You'd just give up!?" Iruka blurted in shock and disappointment.

"No, I don't just give up." Naruto glared at Iruka. "But if no jounin is willing to be sensei of a team with me on it, I won't be able to progress any further. So I won't waste people's time, or the village's resources, if they don't want me. If, at the next team placement and genin exam, it happens like it did this time, I'll withdraw from the academy... ... and leave the village."


Kakashi, Sakura, and a rather irritated Sasuke rapidly walked up to the open and busy front of Ichiraku Ramen. It was the lunch rush, and every stool was occupied. Kakashi moved forward, pushing past a few people, who's protests dropped short when they realized not only who he was, but that he seemed in a less-that-chipper mood. He came up to the bar with Sakura and Sasuke behind him.

"Excuse me!" Kakashi called over the slight ruckus of the customers. Ayame quickly came over.

"Welcome to Ichiraku's, I can take your order and give you a number-" She began in her professional manner, but Kakashi waved her off.

"Sorry but we're not here to eat." Kakashi didn't notice the looks of his students behind him, who, while not fond of ramen specifically, were being tortured by the effect of the delicious smells on their still empty stomachs. "I'm in a hurry, and I just need to know if Naruto Uzumaki has been by here in the last hour or so." Kakashi noticed Teuchi scrubbing out an abnormally large bowl at the sink in the back.

"No, sorry, he hasn't been around today." Ayame replied, a bit too quickly.

Kakashi sighed to himself. She was a civilian. He was a elite jounin. Her lie was as obvious as if she had told him that the Hokage mountain was made of rocky-fudge-ripple.

"Did he say where he was going after he was done eating?" Kakashi asked.

Ayame's eyes darted to Sakura and Sasuke before coming back to the jounin.

"I said, he hasn't been around today. If you'll excuse me, there are other customers waiting." Ayame started to turn.

"I'm sure your a sweet girl who means well for a friend, but this is official business. So unless you can name the Akimichi that ate from that bowl," Kakashi pointed to where Teuchi was setting the bowl aside to finish drying, "I need to know where Naruto went."

"It was Choji Akimichi. He came-wha?" Ayame stopped when Teuchi put a hand on her shoulder.

"Go attend the customers." Teuchi said with a serious voice. Ayame's eye's widened slightly, shooting another look at the ninja in front of her, with her eyes lingering on the younger two for a moment. Sakura noticed, raising an eyebrow.

"But dad," Ayame whispered angrily, "I think this is the jerk who failed Naruto-kun!"

"I'm half-blind, not half-deaf." Kakashi sweat-dropped. "And the exam isn't over yet. That's why I need to find Naruto, so I can straighten things out. He left before I could finish my duties."

"What? What do you mean the exam isn't over, Sensei?" Sakura asked in surprise.

"Naruto-kun sure seemed to think it was over, for him anyway." Ayame shot an angry look at the pink haired kunoichi, who stiffened at the all-too familiar glare of female competition. Though she was confused as hell as to why the older girl was glaring at her, especially over Naruto of all people.

"I'll explain when we find Naruto." Kakashi said over his shoulder, then addressed the chief chef. "As I said, this is official. I need to know where Naruto went, if you know."

Despite Ayame still shaking her head, Teuchi nudged her away.

"I seem to recall him saying that he intended to re-apply at the academy. I don't know if he went straight there from here or not. But it's all he mentioned." Teuchi said, though his face seemed tense and displeased.

"Thank you." Kakashi nodded, then turned and headed out of the eatery.

Sakura gave a last glance at Ayame, who was still watching her out of the corner of her eye as she served the customers.

'What's with her? I don't know her, yet she seems to have a problem with me.' Sakura wondered in confusion as she and Sasuke headed after Kakashi. 'Kami... And those smells are making me hungrier than anyone should even be capable of being!' She thought miserably.

"Sensei, are you going to tell us how Naruto got the bells or not!?" Sasuke called as he followed behind.


"Leave the village!?" Iruka shouted in shock as he jumped to his feet, knocking his chair back. "Naruto, don't you think you're over-reacting!?"

"Iruka-sensei, calm down!" Naruto waved at him urgently.

"Calm down!? CALM DOWN!? How can you tell me you're planning on abandoning the village and expect-" Iruka's rant was cut short as Naruto jumped up from his chair, letting off enough angry energy to nearly blow Iruka right off his feet.

"I AM NOT ABANDONING THE VILLAGE!" Naruto screamed out with such rage that both men were stunned silent for the several moments it took Naruto to calm himself. After taking several breaths, and hearing Kyaena purr to him for a few moments, Naruto forced himself to sit back down. "I am not abandoning anyone." Naruto repeated. "I'm just trying to plan ahead on what to do with my life if the village refuses to let me help them. You two tell me, in as long as you've been ninja, have you ever been able to help someone who didn't want your help?" Naruto looked back and forth between his friends.

"...No. No I guess not." Iruka said slowly, nervously, as he picked up his chair and re-seated himself.

"I don't want to leave the village, I really don't. But I can't keep struggling against everyone, all the time." Naruto sighed. "Kyaena-chan knows of a few places she thinks I could do real well. But I convinced her to let me have one more year to try to become a ninja before I left."

"Where does she plan to take you?" Iruka asked, noting how quiet Sarutobi was being.

"It doesn't matter. That would be our business." Naruto shook his head. "But you have my word, I won't leave unless I fail the next time."

"Well then," Iruka drew himself up with determination, "I'll just have to make sure that by the time the next graduation comes around, you're so ready to be accepted that people will be fighting over who will get to be your sensei."

"Hey, now there's an idea! Get all those tail-hunters to fight each other until they drop dead so they can't interfere with your life anymore!" Kyaena giggled at the thought.

Needless to say, when Naruto started laughing, Iruka was thrown for a loop.

"Hahaha! Now's who's over reacting!? Hahaha!" Naruto slapped the table a few times.

As Iruka was trying to convince Naruto of his sincerity, Sarutobi was having a serious conflict of the heart.

'This is a terrible problem.' The old man closed his eyes to completely concentrate. 'As a civilian, there is absolutely nothing I can do if Naruto decides to leave the village. But I can only protect him as long as he remains in the village. As a ninja, he would have even more protection by law, and anyone who dared to assault him would be charged with full treason for attacking a Konoha ninja.' Sarutobi dug around in his pockets looking for his standard spare pipe. 'But as a ninja, he would have to follow certain rules and laws, and any time he is sent out of the village, he would have to be especially careful in case someone tried to cause an 'incident' that would get him declared rouge.' Finding his pipe, he reached for his incense pouch. 'But on the other hand, if he were to leave as a civilian, it would be all too easy for any of a hundred 'people', and I use that term loosely, to send an assassin or mercenary to kill him. And he wouldn't have any protection, regardless of how talented a sensei Kyaena-san seems to be. And despite Tetsuko's honest dedication to protecting him in the village, I somehow doubt she would be willing to shadow him for the rest of her life.' Sarutobi packed a bit of incense into his pipe. 'Then there's the matter of the danger of someone somehow finding out about the demon, or worse, Naruto's true heritage. No, the only way to keep Naruto safe is to keep him in the village, and he'll only do that if he can become a ninja. How's that for ironic. But Kakashi failed the squad.' Sarutobi's brow furrowed slightly. 'There is one other option, aside from him waiting another year. But more than a few individuals would raise a ruckus over it, even if the decision is mine to make. She would certainly be willing, I'm sure. But, should I do it?' Sarutobi gave a light sigh to himself as he opened his eyes to find that darn elusive match in his pocket, only to notice that Naruto and Iruka had somehow gotten into an argument when he wasn't looking.

"...-I'm telling you, just a change in the method of presentation would work wonders!" Naruto was tapping a finger on the table for emphasis.

"The courses have been taught the same way for years, Naruto. Nothing needs to be changed." Iruka had his arms folded over his chest with a look of determination, or stubbornness.

"Come on! The way you just drone on and on with those lessons, you wonder why Shikamaru and myself kept falling asleep all the time!" Naruto rolled his eyes. "You need to keep it simpler, sharper, and try to cut out some of the more irrelevant parts!"

"And just who would decide what's irrelevant? You? Besides, they're classes for students, not mission briefings! They're supposed to inform, not interrogate!" Iruka shook his head.

"By Arceus, will you listen to yourself!?" Naruto smacked his head in disbelief. "We're cadets, not just students! We're training to be ninja! Briefings are part of the job! So why not get us used to the real thing while you have the chance?"

"There are a number of important lessons that are only learned through serious study. The history of Konoha-" Iruka tried to explain, only to be cut off by a huff from Naruto.

"History! There's a perfect example right there!" Naruto pointed franticly. "I'm sure there are SOME important points in the village's history that most ninja should know, the who's-who, and what's-what, but we need to know more about how things are now, not every second of every event since the Shodai's founding of the village! Reading foot-thick text books all day every day isn't going to prepare us for our active duties!" Naruto glared slightly at Iruka. "I say there should be more practical training and active ninja protocol review, and less, well, you know!" He gestured emphatically.

Iruka gave a deep sigh of exasperation.

"Good, reliable information is crucial to a ninja's work. I always found the text book studies very interesting and useful myself back when I was a student." Iruka jutted his chin.

"Interesting!?" Naruto gaped at his sensei as if he had gone numb in the skull. "Well fine! If you find those text books so interesting, I guess you won't want the book I went to so much trouble to get for you!" Naruto crossed his arms, and turned up his nose in a huff.

"Eh? What book?" Iruka blinked in sudden confusion.

"Give it to him anyway, just to get rid of it." Kyaena shrugged.

Naruto reached into his ninkit, and after a second, pulled out a slightly familiar orange book and slapped it down on the table. Iruka and Sarutobi both gave a start.

"Naruto! What are you doing with something like this!?" Iruka was trying to sound scolding, but he and the older shinobi awkwardly tried to hide their slight embarrassment.

"I told you. I got it for you. I recalled that you were reading one of these the other day when I had my written re-exam, and then when I saw Kakashi reading this, and he made a comment on whether you had this edition or not-" Naruto's explained, then Sarutobi spoke up.

"Wait a minute, this is Kakashi's book?" The Hokage asked with absolute seriousness. "How did you-"

"I just grabbed it when I took the bells off him." Naruto shrugged. "Consider it his consequential punishment for not taking me seriously, where, if it had been a real mission, it could have gotten him killed." Naruto smirked at his paraphrasing of what Kakashi had tried to do to him with the lunch punishment.

Even as Iruka blinked in surprise, and leaned forward 'innocently' to check the title of the book, Sarutobi felt like someone had dropped the Hokage mountain on his head.

'This is... I can't believe it! The kunoichi in the village have tried for years to get Kakashi's nose out of that book, but with no success! He never would have given it up on his own, which means, the only way Naruto could have gotten it, and the bells, is if Naruto really did incapacitate him! A genin, taking down a jounin!' Sarutobi's face turned to resolve. 'Well, that's decided it.'

"You can do whatever you want with this. I'm not going to keep it." Naruto said with a shrug.

Iruka started to reach for the book, but Sarutobi beat him to it, giving the chunin a slight smirk as he placed the book into one of his robe pockets.

"Ah, ok, so, Naruto, I guess I'll be seeing you when classes start again. If you want to help with the acad-" Iruka paused when Sarutobi waved him off.

"That won't be necessary, Iruka." Sarutobi said as he turned a smile to Naruto. "Naruto, make sure you get cleaned up and get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, report to my office at nine AM, with your gear, to meet your new sensei."

Iruka and Naruto stared at the old man.

"Say what?" Kyaena sputtered slightly with wide eyes.

"What?" Naruto blinked, not quite sure what he had just heard. "But I-"

"Naruto, I had truly hoped you would get along with your team, and it is the outcome I would have preferred. But since that has not worked out, there is another option that is available." Sarutobi finally pulled a match out of his pocket and lit his pipe.

"Another... option...?" Naruto's eye twitched. "Mizuki, the jerk, said the same thing when he tricked me. Another option to graduate." He growled slightly as his eyes narrowed. "Are you-"

"I'm sorry you've had difficulties, Naruto, but I'm serious. Like I said, it would have been nice for you to be part of a team, but the failed outcome of that is not the end of things. Mizuki interfered with your time at the academy. By all estimates, you should have graduated two years ago." Sarutobi gave a puff, and was satisfied that both Naruto and Iruka were listening intently. "Sometimes, under certain circumstances, it is acceptable for a lone graduate genin to be placed as, I suppose 'apprentice' is a suitable term, to a jounin. I've decided you can utilize this arrangement."

"Wait a minute," Naruto frowned slightly in confusion and further suspicion, "I haven't heard of this before."

"That's because it doesn't happen often. Understand, Naruto, that the reason we assign three genin to a jounin on a squad normally, is not only to have a four man squad that is capable of self-dependency, but also, to minimize how many of our jounin, or chunin for that matter, are occupied with the duties of being a squad sensei." Sarutobi explained calmly. "jounin can't go on higher ranked missions if it would place new genin in danger."

"Ok, I think I can understand that," Naruto nodded carefully, "But why am I suddenly getting special treatment? A personal sensei sounds like something that you'd give to... Sasuke." Naruto grimaced slightly at the admission.

"Rotten-to-the-core brat." Kyaena muttered under her breath.

"As I said, it's because of Mizuki and others that have sabotaged your training and unjustly held you back. Yet despite that, your skills are more than impressive for any genin, and you did it all on your own. It is my decision that you are more than ready to take on active duties." Sarutobi smiled at the dumbstruck boy.

"It... It was K-Kyaena-chan that h-helped me..." Naruto mumbled out numbly, making Kyaena purr slightly at the praise.

"Speaking of which, you really should ask her if she's interested in teaching at the academy." Iruka interjected with significant interest. "I mean, really, if she could do wonders like that for you, imagine what she could do for our serious students." Iruka snickered teasingly.

"Hardy-har-har, scar-face." Naruto shot back with a grumble. "But no, she's made it clear in the past that she won't teach anyone else but me. And besides, even if she was willing, she couldn't get the same results with others because her attention would be split, unlike the singular focus she has just with me." He shrugged, and Iruka shrugged in return.

"Well, still, we would appreciate it if you would ask her again." Sarutobi nodded. "After all, now that you're going to have a real sensei, she would have some free time. Perhaps just to visit the academy as a guest instructor from time to time." The Hokage suggested hopefully. 'And maybe I could finally get a chance to meet her in person.' He thought to himself.

"I'll ask, but don't hold your breath. She can be pretty stubborn. And just because I'll be working with someone else, it doesn't mean she can't still teach me between missions." Naruto tried to hide a smirk as Kyaena huffed. Then Naruto's face became serious again. "Old-Man, are you sure about this new sensei? How can you be sure he won't dump me like everyone else?"

"You don't have to worry this time, Naruto." Sarutobi shook his head. "She isn't going to be like Kakashi. He had a choice to pass or fail a squad, but this time, it's an order. You are a genin, and that's the fact."

"She? A kunoichi?" Kyaena sat up straight with wide eyes and twitchy ears. "Well, this is getting interesting!" She smirked.

'Please don't start.' Naruto tried not to react to his friend's sudden interest.

"But Naruto, you should be aware, there are both advantages, and disadvantages to this arrangement." Sarutobi held up a warning hand. "An advantage, is that with only you to look after instead of three, your sensei will be able to focus on your training and make sure whatever problems you have are addressed, which should allow your skills to increase at a far greater pace than those of most squads. A disadvantage, is that because of it, you'll be expected to progress at a faster rate, with any failures or setbacks being frowned upon more severely." The Hokage explained slowly, making sure that Naruto was listening. "An advantage, is that you will be focusing more on personal training, and will not be involved in some of the more minor mission duties that squads are required to perform. A disadvantage, is that when you and your sensei are assigned a mission, it will most likely be more serious and dangerous than normal, and you will not be able to goof around like you have before." Sarutobi paused for a moment. "And there's one more thing. Not being on a full squad means that your advancement will work a little differently. You wouldn't be able to enter the chunin exams. They're held twice a year-"

"Yeah, I know about them." Naruto nodded. Sarutobi nodded back.

"Right. It means that your advancement and promotion will rest entirely on your sensei's opinion and evaluation, which she will report directly to me, and I am the one who will decide. Do you understand all this?" Sarutobi asked. Naruto nodded.

"Yes. Individual sensei is both a privilege and a pain, and I'll be expected to put up or shut up." Naruto grinned wide.

"Well, I don't know if I would have put it that way..." Sarutobi coughed slightly.

"Just do your best, Naruto. That's all we want." Iruka nodded in support. Naruto smiled at both men.

"Elements." Kyaena prompted gently. Naruto blinked once, then gave a start.

"Oh! That's right!" Naruto turned to Iruka. "As long as I'm going to be expected to excel, I wanted to ask you something. I was talking to Kyaena-chan earlier about what we think should be my next focus in my training."

"Oh really? And what did you come up with?" Iruka leaned forward with interest, and even the Hokage raised a curious eyebrow.

"Well, you see, during Kakashi's test, Sasuke thought he would try to act all tough by showing off his Fireball Jutsu. I don't know what he was trying to prove, but it got Kyaena-chan and myself thinking about chakra elemental affinities..." Naruto couldn't help but smile at the surprised looks shot his way.


Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke entered into the front hall of the academy, both shinobi looking aggravated, the kunoichi looking worried.

'I don't understand.' Sakura kept looking back and forth between her male companions. 'The longer this goes on, the less sense everything makes. Why did Naruto leave when he was the one who got the bells? Why did he leave if the exam wasn't over? Did he not know? Why is Kakashi-sensei being so evasive? Did Naruto do something wrong? Did we do something wrong? Why is Sasuke-kun so upset over this?' She couldn't decide what to ask out loud, and every time she did speak, it seemed like the other two were ignoring her.

"Sensei, why won't you tell us? It's not that hard a question!" Sasuke was still pestering Kakashi.

"I told you, we'll discuss everything when we find Naruto, and not before." Kakashi said over his shoulder. Although his tone was still that sorta-bored-but-you-can't-tell thing, he was getting more tense as the minutes ticked by. 'I'm screwed. That's all there is to it. I'm a dead man walking and don't know it yet. First Hokage-sama is going to chew me out, then she's going to chew me up and spit me out, then stomp on me for a while, dump some acid on me...' He thought miserably. 'And I still cannot believe Naruto actually took my book! My poor precious...' A single tear appeared in the corner his visible eye.

"Um, Sensei," Sakura said hesitantly, "Maybe we should ask someone if they've seen Naruto? It might speed things up a bit." She pointed over to a man working behind a desk.

Kakashi nodded and headed over as Sasuke turned a frowning glare on Sakura.

"And here all this time I thought it was the dope who liked you. You're being awful concerned about that loser." The dark boy smirked. But it wasn't a very nice smirk...

"He's not... I don't... It's nothing! It's just that he's supposed to be our teammate, right? You do want to pass this exam to become a genin, don't you?" Sakura turned her face away in dismissal, not willing to risk if she was blushing or not. 'This is crazy. I don't care about Naruto like that. But he did try to help us, several times. And he's the one who got the bells... Damn it, now I want to know how he did it!' She thought in aggravation.

"Don't you dare speak to me like that." Sasuke growled with narrow eyes.

As Sakura stammered out an apology, Kakashi walked up to the receptionist's desk. The man looked up from his paper work with a smile.

"Kakashi! This is a surprise! We don't normally see you around here." The man commented. "What can I do for you?"

Kakashi eyed the man for a brief second.

"I'm looking for Naruto Uzumaki. I'm fairly certain he's here in the academy. Have you seen him?" Kakashi asked. The man instantly scowled.

"Oh, he's here alright." He snarled. "And I thought we were finally rid of that filthy de-"

Clank-Clink-Clink

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Kakashi eye-smiled as he reached across the desk to pick up the kunai he 'accidentally' dropped. He leaned in a little closer and whispered. "Break the law, and I'll break your neck."

Now, while the man was more than used to working around ninja, it was quite another thing to be threatened by one. Let alone threatened by THE infamous 'Copy Ninja'. So after he managed to get his heart out of his throat and back down into his chest where it could do it's job in returning color to his paper white face, he raised a shaking hand to point.

"H-h-h-he was l-looking f-f-for Iru-Iru-Iruka. S-second floor c-conference room, w-with H-H-Hokage-s-sama." The now wreck of a man stuttered out.

"Thank you!" Kakashi eye-smiled again as he straightened up. He motioned to his two students. "Let's go. Second floor."

As they walked towards the stairs, Sasuke looked back to look at the terrified man.

'What was that about? The man looks like he's about to drop dead with fright. Why would Kakashi-sensei threaten him? And what was the man going to say?' Sasuke pondered at the strangeness of the day so far, and the numerous irritations.

As they were climbing the steps, Sakura cleared her throat.

"Uh, Kakashi-sensei, that man... He said that Naruto was with... Hokage-sama?" She asked nervously.

"Yes he did. I trust the two of you will behave yourselves while I try to straighten this matter out, right?" Kakashi glanced back at the two with a raised eyebrow.

"Definitely! Don't worry!" Sakura nodded franticly as Sasuke gave a half-shrug.

"Whatever." The Uchiha muttered.

The trio reached the second floor and walked down the halls as Kakashi looked in windows and doors, and doors with windows. He came to a door with a small square window in it, and he peered in to see Naruto, Iruka and Sarutobi around a table. The Hokage was seated, watching as Iruka and Naruto were standing, with Iruka saying something to Naruto. Kakashi started to reach for the door knob to open it, but paused when he saw Iruka pull what looked like a small square of parchment paper out of his vest and hand it to Naruto. Kakashi's eye widened.

'No way, it can't be, they're not...' Kakashi thought in total surprise. He was getting more surprises this day than he had in quite a long time.

Kakashi watched as Iruka was still speaking to Naruto, with Naruto nodding here and there. Then Naruto held up the paper, seeming to concentrate, and the paper suddenly burst into shreds like a confetti popper, then all the pieces went up in a bright flare of flame, leaving nothing, not even ash behind. Naruto and Iruka jumped slightly at the sudden burst.

If not for his mask, Kakashi's jaw would have crashed through the floor.

"Sensei, what is it? Is Naruto in there?" Sakura asked, since Kakashi hadn't moved from looking in the door window.

"Uh, yeah." Kakashi shook his head slightly to clear his shock. 'Two!? Naruto already has two element affinities!? And from the looks of it, they're extremely strong as well! This is just insane!' He thought in near disbelief as he opened the door. The other two followed him in as they approached, and they caught the tail end of a comment from Iruka.

"...-intensity indication, and I don't think I've ever seen a reaction like that." Iruka was saying to Naruto.

"But, the tearing, you said that it-" Naruto was pondering.

"Naruto!" Kakashi called as he approached. The three conferring ninja paused to look over at him. As soon as Naruto realized who had entered the room, he side stepped twice, until Iruka was between him and Kakashi.

Kakashi felt a twinge in his heart at Naruto's behavior.

"Kakashi, why are you here?" Sarutobi frowned in the jounin's direction.

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama, but I came to collect Naruto. He ran off before we had finished our exam this morning." Kakashi gave a small bow to the seated Hokage.

"Liar! Save yourself the embarrassment, and get lost jack-hole!" Naruto spat angrily from behind Iruka.

Sakura would have yelled at Naruto, but being in the Hokage's presence effectively tied her tongue in a knot. So she settled for glaring at him as viciously as she could.

"Naruto, I'm not sure why you're angry, but we weren't finished. You need to come with us." Kakashi said carefully.

"I think he's fine right here." Iruka declared with a grim set jaw. 'I'm not going to let you berate Naruto because of your irrational hatred!' He determined to himself.

"Naruto told us the exam was over. He was telling us about what happened, and what you were doing." Sarutobi commented. Kakashi swallowed a lump.

'I'm sooooo dead.' Kakashi thought. "Excuse me Hokage-sama, but things aren't what you think."

"You gave them the bell test, did you not?" Sarutobi straightened up in his chair.

"... Yes, I did." Kakashi answered.

"A test that couldn't be passed! You made it impossible!" Naruto pointed accusingly.

"Naruto!" Sakura hissed, trying to edge around to talk to him without drawing attention to herself. "You need to calm down! You're going to get us in trouble!"

"Cyclops here is the one in trouble!" Naruto snapped.

"Save your breath Sakura." Sasuke shrugged while his arms were crossed. "He's just pissed that he wound up the dead-last again. Now he's trying to blame someone else for his shortcomings." The Uchiha smirked as Naruto's eye twitched.

"This coming from a walking fowl's ass?" Kyaena growled, her instincts telling her to pounce on the emo, but couldn't, due to the cage.

"Keep it up emo-face, and I'll rip your kneecaps off! Then we'll see who comes up short!" Naruto growled.

"My kneecaps? Oh yeah, I guess you can't reach any higher than that, can you?" Sasuke shot back with satisfaction.

"That's enough you three." Sarutobi spoke normally, but his word is law in the village of Konoha and shut up the genin instantly, making Sakura pale slightly. He looked at Kakashi. "You should have known better than to give these particular three the bell test, especially since Iruka and myself have personally been advising Naruto about the exam procedures these past several days. If you conducted it the way I believe you did, I don't blame Naruto for being angry in the slightest." The aged ninja master frowned in the most minute degree.

'So that's why Naruto was getting so upset over everything. He knew I was lying, and thought I was trying to... Ah, hell.' Kakashi sighed to himself as he cast a silent glance at Naruto.

'What? Naruto has been speaking to the Hokage, personally, about the exam? Why?' Sasuke's previous smirk disappeared to become his usual unreadable blank expression. "So he's angry because he failed. I don't see what the big deal is." He commented coldly.

"Reality check Duck-Butt! You failed too you know!" Naruto huffed.

"No I didn't." Sasuke frowned. "I had a bell by noon. You didn't. You're the one who failed."

"First, you only had a bell because I gave it to you. And second-" Naruto held up a hand, counting one finger then a second.

"Naruto," Kakashi interjected nervously, "I think-"

"Yeah Kakashi, go ahead, you tell them!" Naruto shouted. "See just how deep you can dig this hole you're in!"

"Iruka." Sarutobi gestured to the fuming blonde.

"Naruto, why don't you just sit down for a moment?" Iruka guided Naruto to one of the empty chairs at the table.

"It was a team test, remember!?" Naruto yelled at his fellow youths. "I tried to tell you that before! Doesn't that tell you ANYTHING!?"

"Naruto was trying to tell us about the test yesterday." Sakura spoke up tentatively. "I... Well, I wasn't listening very well." She admitted sheepishly.

"Naruto, things wouldn't have turned out like this if you hadn't run off so impatiently!" Kakashi snapped with growing irritation.

"Bull! You didn't want us to pass! It was obvious! That exam was a total crock!" Naruto shouted back. "You tried to make it so only two of us could pass! But the WHOLE TEAM has to pass as a group, or not at all! If you fail one of us, you fail all of us, AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE SPINE TO ADMIT IT!"

"I was conducting the exam as I saw fit. My methods-" Kakashi tried to come back.

"You had genin trying to fight a jounin!" Naruto threw his hands up. "It's a clear-cut case of unrealistic expectations! You failed us on purpose, and now you're trying to cover your own ass!"

"Is that true?" Sakura turned to Kakashi with a worried expression.

"A squad must be passed as an entire team before it will be put into active duty." Sarutobi said off-handedly.

"What!?" Sasuke spun to face Kakashi himself. "You mean I can't take active duty unless this wothless nobody passes as well!?"

"Sasuke, don't refer to Naruto like that!" Iruka scolded in a momentary 'teacher moment'.

"I don't understand!" Sakura whined with tears starting to well up. "Why wouldn't you want us to pass? Is there something wrong with us?"

"No, there's nothing wrong with you, Sakura-san." Naruto shook his head. "It's this sensory deficient porn sniffer that's the problem. We were seriously jypted in the sensei department, and weren't even given a proper test!"

"Alright, alright!" Kakashi gave a exaggerated sigh. "If that's what it'll take to straighten this all out, I'll allow you all to take a second test!"

"Allow us to...?" Naruto glared at Kakashi with enough intensity to make the jounin blanche slightly.

"Wait a minute Naruto!" Sakura interjected, sensing further trouble brewing. "This is reasonable, right? We'll just re-do the whole thing, and I'm sure we'll pass!"

"Sakura-san," Naruto leveled a serious look at her, "He lied about the teams, he lied about the test, hell, even when I gave you the bells so you could pass according to his rules, we all still fail because he's not doing his job the way he was supposed to." Naruto turned to frown at Kakashi. "And guess what. You failed my test too, you know." At Kakashi's surprised and confused blink, Naruto continued. "After Mizuki, which I'm sure you know of by now, I decided I wouldn't be so blindly trusting of a new sensei. Just in case, you know? I wanted to make sure you had a decent attitude, or at least that you didn't have certain bad attitude qualities."

"Your not making any sense. What are you talking about with Mizuki-sensei?" Sasuke asked, slightly interested as Kakashi's posture slumped by a inch.

"Don't tell him. If that brat Uchiha finds out you had access to an advanced scroll of high tecniques, he won't leave you alone until you tell him everything we read in it." Kyaena warned as her tails twitched.

"Not sure I'm supposed to talk about it." Naruto glanced at Sarutobi, who slightly shook his head. "The point is, Kakashi, is that you blew it! I don't trust you now! I refuse to work with someone who thinks it's ok to pit their own team members against each other! No matter what the circumstances!"

"But Naruto, it was only a test-" Sakura tried to say, until Naruto glared at her.

"Oh really? Then what would you have done if Kakashi told Sasuke that the only way he would pass is if he beat you up? Would you still be so eager to accept the word of a sensei who cares nothing for your safety?" He snapped harshly, making Sakura go wide-eyed.

"S-Sauke-kun would never-" She stammered out.

"Yes I would. To follow orders, and complete the mission." Sasuke stated bluntly. "We are to be ninja. If we cannot do what we are told, we are nothing." He shrugged.

Naruto whirled on the dark haired boy as tears began to trickle out of Sakura's eyes.

"Oh yeah, Duck-butt!?" The blond hissed. "And what if you became a genin, only to be told that you'd spend your entire career tutoring kunoichi in the academy!?" Naruto was too serious to laugh at Sasuke's horrified expression, but Kyaena had no such restriction as she started giggling like crazy. "Would you really want to follow orders then? No hard training, no leaving the village for missions, and whoever you were talking about killing yesterday would live out his days, laughing at your pathetic excuse for a life!" Naruto jumped back as Sasuke tried to lunge for him, only to be caught by the shirt by Iruka.

"Damn you Naruto! You don't know anything!" Sasuke shouted.

"Stop it Sasuke! Don't forget your in Hokage-sama's presence!" Iruka scolded, casting a glance at the aged leader.

Sarutobi was still silent, allowing things to play out before him.

'It seems that these three may not be meant to be teammates after all. Although it is strange, that Naruto seems to already know them so well as to be able to know how to change their minds about something. That could indicate that they could still learn to cooperate.' Sarutobi mused, as Kakashi was starting to wonder if there was any way to salvage the situation.

'What do I do if they don't... This wasn't the way it was supposed to happen. This was supposed to be my chance to...' Kakashi tried to keep his mind from wandering to unpleasant memories.

"I know enough!" Naruto shot back at Sasuke. "I know that we're people, not mindless puppets!" He paused for a moment before continuing. "Tell me Sasuke, did your parents force you into becoming a ninja?"

Sasuke was so shocked at Naruto's question, he actually went limp in Iruka's grasp.

"Wh-what?" He blinked.

"Were you forced to train to be a ninja? Or was it your choice?" Naruto asked again.

"Are you a total neanderthall!? Of course it was my choice!" Sasuke tensed up again.

"Naruto, what are you trying-" Iruka stopped when Naruto held up a halting hand.

"So it was your choice." Naruto continued. "You chose to try to become a ninja for what ever reason it was that inspired you. A reason that you believe is important enough to risk your life for. That is the reason you're a ninja. Your choice. Your free will. So no matter what kind of duties we're assigned, no matter what orders we're given, you have to always remember that we're here because it's our choice. We don't stop being who we are when we put on those Hitai-ate. Would you want to follow a sensei who has no regard for your thoughts or opinion? Someone who considers you just a mindless drone with no right to have your own goals or ambitions?" Naruto's voice had remained solid during his speech, and now he and Sasuke were just standing, staring at each other.

"You really shouldn't try so hard to help him. He's not worth it." Kyaena muttered in a near whisper. 'Choices... If he only knew... I don't care what that boy has gone through, he's still an Uchiha. Their cursed blood will never be worth anything... Never again...' She stared down at her paws.

"Naruto, you do realize you're destroying any chance the three of you have to become a genin, don't you?" Kakashi said in a stern voice.

Iruka was about to shout out, but stopped from a subtle hand signal from Sarutobi that meant 'wait'.

"Only the chances with you, Kakashi! Just because you don't want us doesn't mean we're going to give up! Sasuke is way to narrow minded to give up so easily, and Sakura-san is smart enough to adapt with any team she could be placed with next time! And as for me..." Naruto smirked, "I'm interested in advancing my skill until I'm strong enough to protect this village, as my parents did. I doubt that I'll get any stronger being taught by a jounin that I took down so easily. You do realize I could have killed you earlier if I had wanted to, right?" Naruto crossed his arms and jutted his chin.

Sarutobi, Iruka, Sakura and Sasuke all turned wide-eyed looks of curiosity to Kakashi, who was just silently standing calmly, looking at Naruto.

"Are you going to take the offer of a new test, or not?" Kakashi asked.

"Not going to happen. Not with you." Naruto frowned.

"Sasuke?" Kakashi looked at the Uchiha boy.

"You're a goof-ball. You weren't taking things seriously before. Making jokes and acting like we were nothing. I can't believe I thought you were strong, if this dead-last could beat you without even a scar for his effort. I'm not interested." Sasuke turned away to look out the open balcony.

"Sakura?" Kakashi turned to the pink haired kunoichi.

She hesitated, looking at everyone else, but they just waited for her to speak.

"I... I'm sorry... You lied to our faces about our exam once already, when we only wanted to do our best. Our safety depends on your honesty with us, and if we can't trust what you tell us, we'll be in big trouble. I can't believe I'm saying this... but I agree with Naruto on this." Sakura fidgeted, not able to look at Kakashi, and very self-conscious of speaking to a jounin in such a manner, in front of her own academy teacher, AND the Hokage.

"So that's it, is it? You really refuse? You all think that?" Kakashi drew himself up as he glared at the three. "No changing your mind?"

"No." The three youths said simultaneously, giving each other slightly surprised looks.

"And what about next time? What if you three are set as a team again?" Kakashi demanded in a harsher tone.

"We're not the problem. As long as we get a serious sensei, we'll be fine... Even with the ramen-freak on our squad." Sasuke sniffed lightly as if in distaste.

"Yeah, I'm sure the Duck-butt will get his skills up to an acceptable level eventually." Naruto scoffed as if in condescending.

"And I'll make sure that proper manners are drilled into their heads if it kills me!" Sakura declared with an eye twitching at the two boys.

"Oh really!?" Kakashi growled out, making the three flinch. "In that case, I have only one thing left to say to you!" He lunged forward, getting his face up in theirs. They all waited for a moment, when Kakashi's glare suddenly turned into an eye-smile. "You pass."

Sarutobi and Iruka sweat-dropped as the three students blinked in total confusion.

"What was that?" Sakura asked.

"You... Pass." Kakashi repeated cheerfully.

"You're kidding." Sasuke looked on in questionable disbelief.

"Not at all!" Kakashi straightened up, seeming to letting out a crick in his back as he let out what sounded like a relieved sigh. "I'll admit, things didn't go quite the way I expected them to, but ultimately, the message sank in!"

"What message? What are you talking about?" Sasuke asked with slight frown, hating to not know about things.

As Sasuke and Sakura were still staring at Kakashi, they didn't notice Naruto's slight sigh as he sat down in his chair, shaking his head slowly in a pitying manner.

'I don't believe this. He really expects to be able to do what he did, then just let this slide by? He's got to be the stupidest so-called 'elite' I've ever met... except for Duck-butt, of course.' Naruto thought disappointedly.

"Well, he has no one to blame but himself." Kyaena shrugged, not caring about the silvery haired man in the slightest.

"The point of the whole test!" Kakashi explained, taking note of Naruto's actions. "It was about the team the whole time, just as Naruto was saying. I have to say, I was a little worried he'd mess up all my fun since he knew already, but thankfully, my efforts weren't wasted after all!"

"Sensei, you're not making any sense!" Sakura said, blinking a bit rapidly.

"I had set up the test to deliberately try to get you to turn on each other. I had to see if you three would work together even in circumstances that other wise would make it illogical or impossible to do so." Kakashi wagged a finger at them. "At first, it seemed things were off to a rocky start, since you didn't seem to have any real coherent plan. But Naruto's aggressive frontal assault allowed you other two to watch my movements and wait for openings." Kakashi began to explain, more for Sarutobi's and Iruka's sake than the three kids.

'Is he... for real?' Naruto's eye twitched as Kyaena groaned, trying to plug-and-or-cover her ears.

"When Naruto's assault and traps seemed to be wearing out, then Sakura joined in to try to keep me guessing. So I tried to break you up again by knocking Naruto away." Kakashi paused for a moment, making Naruto raise an eyebrow.

"What, not going to elaborate on that?" Naruto huffed mockingly. Kakashi noticed as Sarutobi raised one eyebrow a fraction, and the masked jounin had to fight the urge to swallow a lump.

"So while my attention was on Naruto and Sakura in front of me, Sasuke tried to attack my back. Then Naruto tried a rather daring Shadow Clone assault, which almost worked, but didn't, resulting in Naruto getting tied to a tree." Kakashi tsked slightly.

'Shadow Clones? That's what it was? I need to look into that...' Sasuke thought to himself.

"And that's where things seemed to fall apart a bit. Instead of continuing to help Naruto, Sakura went off to get Sasuke. By splitting up, it allowed me to take you out one by one. A rather poor showing at that." Kakashi shrugged, making Sasuke's eyes narrow slightly. "By the time the alarm went off, Naruto had already left. Now, I admit, I certainly didn't see that part coming."

"Whoa, hold it. Aren't you forgetting something?" Sasuke asked with a halting hand.

"Eh? What did I forget?" Kakashi blinked in feigned confusion.

"How-did-Naruto-get-the-bells!?" Sasuke demanded, in a true display of Uchiha maturity... ... yeah right.

Naruto gave a sniggle.

"It was easy. I just-" He smirked at Kakashi, who coughed loudly.

"AHEM! Uh, that doesn't really matter right now. What matters is that Naruto willingly gave the bells to his teammates." Kakashi looked at the blonde. "If you had just waited, that act alone would have passed the team."

"Well, I guess we'll never know." Naruto scowled back at the infamous ninja. Kakashi frowned behind his mask, not liking how Naruto was still acting.

"Anyway, when three genin can agree to stick up against any jounin, let alone their sensei, that's more than enough team spirit as far as I'm concerned!" Kakashi finished with an eye-smile.

"Isn't that wonderful." Naruto braced his elbows on the table as he put his chin in his hands. "I'm still not going to work with you."

Everyone turned surprised looks at the boy, with Sarutobi trying not to sigh out loud.

'A genin making a jounin work to pass his test to get a squad together. This has to be a first. But now I have a new problem.' Sarutobi thought with amusement as well as a slight headache of aggravation.

"Wait a minute Naruto, what are you saying?" Sakura asked with a startled look. A moment ago she had been climbing the ladder of elation when it seemed that the team had passed after all, but Naruto's words had brought that to a halt.

"Uh, Naruto," Kakashi started slowly, beginning to realize just how deep he had dug himself, "I'm sorry if I came across as a little harsh earlier, but I was just acting. I couldn't go too easy on the group, or there wouldn't have been any point to the test."

"You're a jounin. Supposedly the elite in skill and experience of ninja in the village. Right?" Naruto raised an eyebrow at the man, not bothering to move from the table.

"Yes, that's right." Kakashi nodded, wondering what Naruto had planned.

"So tell me, if your so damn skilled and precise, how is it I suffered a pair of broken ribs during your 'test'? Does that mean you deliberately tried to cripple me?" Naruto snapped, anger beginning to creep back into his voice. "Somehow I doubt that you're allowed to inflict that kind of bodily harm on your students."

"WHAT!?" Iruka shrieked. Yes, shrieked. An odd sound coming from the scarred chunin. "Naruto, are you alright!? Wait, of course you're alright or else you wouldn't be sitting here. What happened!?" Iruka nearly snarled at Kakashi.

"Calm down Iruka. I'm sure Kakashi was just about to explain himself." Sarutobi said with a now quite noticeable scowl. Kakashi suddenly felt awfully cold in the area of his spine.

"That was an... accident." The moment the words left his mouth, Kakashi knew his hole had just sunk a few feet deeper.

"Oh, an accident! Well, if you could have an 'accident' with me, that means you could also have an 'accident' with Sasuke or Sakura-san! And they can't handle beatings the same way I can!" Naruto's hiss of the word 'beatings' made the three adults in the room flinch inwardly.

"Don't speak for me, loser." Sasuke scowled harshly at Naruto. "You couldn't stand a tenth of what I've been thr-" Sasuke's jaw snapped shut on reflex when Naruto shot a look at him with one second's worth of killer intent. Quick enough to startle him, and more than enough to silence him.

"Naruto, there's always risk-" Kakashi started to say, but Naruto jumped to his feet.

"Don't give me that crap! I know it's dangerous being a ninja! I know it's risky to go out on missions and face enemies! I accept that! But I won't accept it from you!" Naruto quickly reached into his ninkit and pulled out a thin scroll, rolling it across the table to Sarutobi.

"What's that?" Iruka asked as Sarutobi unrolled the scroll and looked it over.

After a moment, Sarutobi looked over the edge of the scroll at Kakashi.

"It would seem that any attempt you may make to chastise Naruto is irrelevant." Sarutobi remarked. "You signed this liability release regarding the exam."

"I..." Kakashi was about to deny it, but then he reached into his ninkit and pulled out an identical looking scroll, and unrolled it.

-Kakashi-
If you're reading this, that means that you tried to betray me you gutless bastard.
You tried to steal the liability scroll, even though you already signed it.
I switched scrolls, so by now, you're probably in major trouble with Old-Man-Hokage.
All I wanted to do was to protect myself and my teammates, and you were unwilling to even give me that.
You don't deserve to be a sensei, Dandruff-duster.
I would say good luck... but you don't even deserve that, Jack-hole.
-Uzumaki-

Kakashi swallowed a lump as he slowly rolled the scroll back up and put it away. The others, save Naruto, were looking at him curiously, wondering what he had read on the scroll. Kakashi was silent for several long moments before turning a neutral look to Naruto.

"If you won't be on the team, there can't be a team. You can't be a ninja. Is that what you want, Naruto?" The masked jounin asked in a worried tone.

"Actually, I've already seen to his situation." Sarutobi said, placing the scroll he held into a pocket. "When he showed up and told me what was going on, I decided to give him SAS."

"What!?" Kakashi gasped.

"What's SAS?" Sakura asked curiously.

"It's an acronym not commonly used." Iruka explained, more than a little surprised himself. "It means, Singularly Acclimated Sensei. It's the term used for when a sensei is assigned only one student, usually in very unusual circumstances."

"You mean a private sensei?" Sasuke nearly choked. 'What the hell!? Why would Hokage-sama offer Uzumaki such an opportunity!? Why the hell is he getting-, wait, if he got one, maybe...' He thought in anticipation

"That's a good thing, as long as the kunoichi doesn't get too private with you, yet." Kyaena chimed in, flipping her tails back and forth. "I'll have to judge her when we see her."

'We'll talk about that later.' Naruto replied quickly. "Well, since you obviously aren't up to the job, I figured there was no point wasting time complaining about it. I'll be getting on with my training, starting tomorrow." Naruto addressed to Kakashi, deciding to just ignore Sasuke.

"What about the others, Naruto?" Kakashi asked, realizing that he had one more chance, but he felt sick to his stomach to have to resort to it. 'But from what I've seen of Naruto's personality, if I'm right...'

"What? I'm sure they'll be fine with their senseis." Naruto shrugged.

"Naruto..." Sarutobi sighed sadly, causing the blonde to blink at him. "The others will not be given SAS."

Sakura paled slightly, and Sasuke went stiff as he tried to contain his outrage.

"...What?" Naruto frowned in confusion. "But, they're plenty good enough! They... uh..." He thought furiously for a response.

"Their situation is different than yours, Naruto." Sarutobi regretfully explained. "They will continue training under chunin supervision at the academy until the next year team placements."

"Unless, of course, you agree to stay with the team, in which case they pass right now." Kakashi tried to sound casual, but his gut was twisting on itself.

"No, Naru-kun!" Kyaena ordered. "Forget them, and just go with your SAS." She tried to sound irrefutable, but considering what she was feeling going on inside him, she wasn't sure he was listening.

Naruto looked back and forth between Sarutobi, Kakashi, and Sasuke and Sakura. Iruka gave a nasty glare at Kakashi behind the three students, which the elite ninja noticed.

'Asshole. He's deliberately forcing Naruto into a no-win situation, just so he can have his way. He really doesn't deserve to be a team sensei.' Iruka's eye twitched.

'Sorry Iruka, but I'm sure you'll realize eventually that this is best. You're just an academy instructor. You're out of touch with what it's really like out there. I'm the best possible choice, especially for these particular three.' Kakashi thought, knowing he'd probably have to endure an earful from Iruka later.

Sasuke raised a slightly confused eyebrow at Naruto.

'The loser has a chance to ditch us and get advanced training on his own, and he's hesitating? I'd take the chance in an instant.' Sasuke wondered.

Sakura was having a different reaction.

'W-wait... What's Naruto doing? Why is he... Is he still trying to...' She didn't notice the slight warmth starting to brush her cheeks.

"Well, uh... if..." Naruto stammered slightly, trying to think straight over the tension that had. 'Damn it! This isn't right! Just because the cyclops is a tail-hunter, the other two shouldn't be hindered, no matter how much a jerk Sasuke is!' He fumed, then gave a start. "Wait, if you're agreeing that Kakashi isn't the best sensei, what about just taking us three and assigning my SAS jounin as the sensei to the team? That would work, right?" He turned a hopeful look to Sarutobi.

As Sarutobi leaned back in his chair, puffing on his pipe in consideration, Sakura's eyes widened.

'Wait, if Naruto goes off on his own with his SAS, he gets trained but we have to stay in the academy for another year.' She thought as her heart was starting to pound harder in her chest. 'But if he stays, we all pass, but... it's clear that our team doesn't really work so well, and Kakashi-sensei seems to have something personal with Naruto. He'll likely have a lot of trouble dealing with this, but he's still trying to get us to pass, even when he could leave us!' She didn't realize that the corners of her mouth were starting to twitch upwards.

"Naruto-kun, stop it! Don't jeopardize your future for those losers! They'll be nothing but a hindrance, and you don't owe them anything!" Kyaena shouted angrily.

Sarutobi looked at the orange genin in front of him.

"Naruto, I'm afraid what you propose can't be done." Sarutobi sighed, knowing that it was not what the boy wanted to hear.

"Why not!?" Naruto shot back impatiently.

"I know you won't accept this as an answer, but to be blunt, no one would allow it to happen." Sarutobi shook his head.

"WHHAAAT!?" Naruto rushed over and got right in the old man's face. "What kind of pathetic nonsense reason is that!?"

Sasuke, Sakura and Iruka blinked in disbelief that the Hokage would give such a seemingly ridiculous excuse. Kakashi had a fairly good idea what he meant, but wasn't about to voice it.

"There are reasons I can't discuss. But Naruto, I'm giving you the choice. Which do you want? Do you want to stay with this group, or take the option of the SAS?" Sarutobi asked with calm seriousness.

"WHAT!?" Sasuke blurted. "You're going to let this freak decide MY career!?"

"Silence Sasuke!" Sarutobi snapped. "It's not a matter of your careers! If Naruto chooses to take his SAS, you would still be able to continue your ninja training, it will just take a little longer, that's all!" The old man had raised his voice, and it showed as Sasuke actually blanched and immediately shut up.

Naruto was feeling worse by the minute, despite Kyaena's continued attempts of reassurance.

"See? The old man just said that the other two will be fine! You don't have to worry about them!" The vixen pleaded urgently.

'But... What will others think?' Naruto stood stock still as his mind and heart warred on each other. 'Even if the other two aren't exactly in any danger, others... others will say that I abandoned them for my own interests.' Naruto cringed slightly, drawing Sakura's surprised attention. 'I'm supposed to be trying to earn the village's respect, not give them more reasons to call me scum... or worse.'

"But Naru-kun, this time, believe it or not, the rules are in your favor! It's not like Iruka or Sarutobi will hold it against you!" Kyaena reasoned.

'But you can bet that Duck-butt will go around telling everyone he sees what I did if I do so.' Naruto slumped slightly, not currently aware of everyone's gaze upon him, waiting for his answer.

Kyaena thought for a few moments, giving increasing growls and hisses of anger.

"DAMN IT! You're right! If we didn't have the audience, if it had just stayed you, Iruka and the Hokage, it wouldn't have been an issue! But Emo and Pinky will blab to everyone, and it will get you in trouble!" The kitsune roared with outrage.

'Then... I guess I don't have any choice...' Naruto exhaled, seeming to deflate as he gave a Sarutobi a defeated look. "I'll... stay with the team..."

"Gee, try to sound a little less enthusiastic why don't you." Sakura huffed, trying to ignore her thumping heart. 'Ok, note to self, definitely have to be nicer to Naruto from now on.' She realized, but her other self had a parting comment. 'As long as he doesn't do stupid things anymore, like trying to ask me out! CHA!'

"Naruto, I'm not forcing this on you." Sarutobi frowned slightly in concern over Naruto's attitude. "The situation is more than unusual enough to warrant the consideration. If you don't want-"

"Just forget it, alright!?" Naruto snapped. "Hey, Iruka, that offer of the tour of the archives still open?" He asked, trying to change the subject.

Iruka blinked, startled at the question, given the tense atmosphere.

"Um, yeah, sure." Iruka nodded, sensing that the arguments were over, and attempting to force things would only result in disaster. 'I'll just have to talk to Hokage-sama and Kakashi later. And Naruto obviously needs a little space right now.' He thought as he started for the door, with Naruto in tow.

"Uh, Naruto," Kakashi called, getting a paused glare from the blonde, "Be ready for duty the morning after tomorrow. We'll meet back at field seven... and we can finish cleaning up the rest of the traps you set." The jounin eye-smiled with a tone implying he was trying to make a joke, but Naruto just snorted.

"Don't worry about them, I'll have them gone before midnight tonight. Don't want to wait too long, or someone might accidentally get caught in them. Or do you care?" Naruto shrugged, his response making Kakashi's shoulders droop a bit.

"Hey, wait a minute." Sasuke glared. "Are you going to tell us how you got the bells or not?"

Naruto was about to tell him what to do with his bells, but then stopped.

"I'll tell you... If you buy me some ramen." Naruto smirked.

"...I don't need to know that badly." Sasuke's eye was twitching as a vein throbbed on his temple. 'I'll find a way to get Kakashi-sensei to tell me later.'

"So he's a cheap chicken-ass as well as a Duck-butt." Kyaena growled. She was going to be in a nasty mood for a while.

"Fine. Suit yourself." Naruto shrugged. "Let's go, Iruka-sensei."

"Wait up Naruto!" Sakura trotted over. At the boy's confused look, she raise an eyebrow. "What, are you saying we can't come too? In case you've forgotten, studying is more my thing than yours."

"Well, I can't stop you." Naruto glanced at his other 'teammate'. "You coming?"

Sasuke noted the hopeful look on Sakura's face, but turned away.

"Forget it. I'm going to have to build up my loser tolerance slowly, and I'm maxed out for today." Sasuke waved them off.

Sakura was crestfallen as Naruto just shook his head.

"Well then, I'm sure you all have things to attend to." Sarutobi addressed to the group that seemed to be breaking up. "Congratulations to you all, you're now officially genin." He couldn't help but smirk slightly at the looks on the three, who had seemed to have forgotten what they had been arguing about the whole time in the first place. "Kakashi, remain a moment. There are a few more things I need to discuss with you."

"Yes, me too." Kakashi nodded, then turned to the others. "Alright then, I'll see you all at five AM, day after tomorrow." He eye-smiled.

"How about eight instead?" Sakura offered with a slight eye-twitch of her own. 'CHA! No WAY am I ever getting up that early again!'

"Hmm?" Kakashi blinked dramatically. "Well, if you really want it that way..." He shrugged innocently.

"So Naruto," Iruka smiled, "Now that your officially a genin, I think you're going to need this back." He pulled Naruto's Hitai-ate out of his pocket and held it out.

Naruto's eyes widened, and before anyone could blink, he had snatched it away from the chunin and had it wrapped around his forehead.

"Yep! Still looks good on me!" Naruto gave a huge smile at his now former academy teacher, but still current friend.

"Wait a minute," Kakashi interrupted, "As long as were on the subject of returning things..." Kakashi held out his empty hand to Naruto, who blinked at him.

"What?" Naruto questioned in confusion.

"...Um... My book... please?" Kakashi asked in a surprisingly meek tone.

As a look of comprehension crossed Naruto's face, Kyaena allowed herself a long evil chuckle. Kakashi didn't like the huge, teeth baring smile that Naruto turned on, although Iruka and Sarutobi struggled not to laugh.

"Oh, that. Sorry, I don't have it anymore." Naruto grinned as Kakashi turned pale.

"Heh-heh...Heh... Wh-wha... What do you mean... you don't have it?" Kakashi chuckled nervously.

"I gave it away." Naruto shrugged innocently.

WHUMP

Everyone looked down at the now unconscious jounin. After a moment of prodding from Iruka, Kakashi came too, until his eye re-focused on Naruto.

"How could you!?" Kakashi wailed, on his knees as he grabbed the front of Naruto's jacket. "Do you remember who you gave it to!? Where it was!? Well? WELL!?" He blubbered in panic.

With a slight scowl of annoyance, Naruto pulled Kakashi's hands off his jacket.

"Relax, I know exactly who has it." Naruto brushed his jacket front a bit.

"Really!?" Kakashi's face, or what was visible of it anyway, lit up. "Who is it!? What dirty, low down, despicable, back stabbing, dishonorable and disgusting teme would just take some random book from someone without-" Kakashi was cut short as Naruto quickly held up a 'wait-one-second' finger in front of his nose.

Naruto slowly moved his finger around, drawing Kakashi's eye until Naruto pointed past him, making him look around... only to see Sarutobi still sitting in his chair, nibbling at the stem of his pipe.

"That was one of the things I was going to talk to you about." Sarutobi remarked with a raised eyebrow.

"Ah. Right." Kakashi quickly jumped to his feet in embarrassment. "Right. So, I'll see you later." He waved awkwardly to the group.

"Alright, Naruto, Sakura, if you'll follow me, I'll show you the archives." Iruka started for the door...

GROOOWWWWWLLL

Everyone stopped and looked at Sakura, whose face had turned nearly as pink as her hair.

"Maybe we should swing by the cafeteria for Sakura-san before heading to the archives." Naruto snickered.

"Ah, right." Iruka nodded, trying not to laugh at the kunoichi's embarrassment. He lead the two out of the room, turning right past the door to go to the archives (via the cafeteria), and Sasuke turned left to just... go.

Kakashi, now alone in the large room with the Hokage, walked over to stand in front of his superior. He had a feeling, judging by the look on Sarutobi's face, that trying to sit down would definitely be inappropriate at the moment.

They both remained silent for several long moments. Just as Kakashi was about to open his mouth, Sarutobi held up a halting hand. The old ninja snapped his fingers, and with a slight poof, an ANBU appeared out of nowhere, standing next to the Hokage.

"My report, Hokage-sama." Tetsuko, behind her mask, announced simply as she pulled out a scroll and handed it to him.

"What report?" Kakashi asked warily as Sarutobi unrolled the scroll and began reading.

"My report on the exam you gave the three." Tetsuko replied in a monotone.

"She was following my orders." Sarutobi said without looking up, cutting Kakashi's protests off before they started.

"And if I might ask, why?" Kakashi glared at the women, who showed no reaction.

"Because of the Mizuki incident. I wasn't sure if you had a grudge against Naruto as well, due to his burden." Sarutobi paused to look one eye over the edge of the scroll. "Do you?"

"Of course not." Kakashi stood ridged, seemingly offended by the accusation.

"Hmm." Sarutobi continued reading, only to pause, looking up straight at the jounin. "It would seem you sugar-coated your version of events earlier."

"... I was trying to avoid unnecessary argument." Kakashi defended.

"And you failed quite spectacularly, if I do say so." Sarutobi tilted his head slightly.

"Yes, well... Naruto certainly is a handful." Kakashi shrugged.

"He was also right about your actions during the test." Sarutobi let a trace of disapproval slip out with his words. Only a trace, because he held the rest of it back.

"What?" Kakashi blinked.

"Breaking two of his ribs? That was unacceptably careless of you." Tetsuko hissed lightly.

"It's not like there's any harm done. I admit, I had heard the rumors about his healing abilities, but I didn't think it was that strong. It couldn't have been more than sixty seconds before he picked himself up again." Kakashi mused with interest.

"So, because he can heal quickly, you think it means it's ok to beat on him so hard?" Tetsuko tensed with the cold drifting off her voice.

"No. Don't try to put words in my mouth. I told you it was an accident, and that's the truth." Kakashi unleashed a full angry glare at her. "Who do you think you are, trying to accuse me of such a thing? Or don't you know who I am?" He drew himself up.

"She's Naruto's guard, and has been for nearly five years. And what would you have done if that 'accident' had happened with Sakura or Sasuke?" Sarutobi asked, resuming reading the last of the report.

"It wouldn't have. Because they weren't anywhere near the challenge that Naruto was, thereby making me take him more seriously. I didn't even think I had kicked at him that hard." Kakashi rushed out his explanation, seeing Sarutobi's increasing disapproval.

"It was his backpack." Tetsuko said. "You didn't realize just how much equipment Naruto was carrying. With it's weight and momentum, it was like you kicked him while his back was to a metal wall. There was almost no give to it."

"Ahh..." Kakashi slowly nodded, thinking how Naruto had been so much trouble, yet had never taken off his backpack. 'And if it was weighing him down so much, that could count as him holding back on me.' Kakashi thought with a slight shudder.

"Overall, I have been very displeased at how you handled this entire matter. The fact that you haven't participated in the team selections in a few years is no excuse." Sarutobi scolded. "Lying to your students about the exam-"

"I had to be hard on them. I had to put pressure on them or I wouldn't have been able to be sure if they could handle a real ninja's life." Kakashi defended.

"You could have given them any sort of difficult exam. But you should not have tried to deceive them about it, or at least, not Naruto. Even if they've accepted the situation for the moment, they might not be very trusting of you for a while." The Hokage frowned. "How can our village function if the new generations are being taught that they can't trust the older ones?" Sarutobi gave a harsh glare at Kakashi. "Even I've lost some of Naruto's trust because I let you into his apartment without his permission."

"..." Kakashi was at a loss at that.

"Naruto is far more dangerous than anyone in the village realizes. Not because of his burden, but because he is so driven to prove that he's just as deserving of respect as anyone else. It's his only goal in life. So much so, that he was even beginning to consider leaving the village to attempt to find somewhere else to make a name for himself." Sarutobi sighed with the depressing thought.

"That's impossible! He would never be allowed to leave!" Kakashi stated in shock. Sarutobi shook his head.

"As a civilian, he would have had every right to leave if he wanted to, and there would have been no legal way to stop him. And he would have been in terrible danger if that was the case." Sarutobi paused, then straightened up. "Thankfully, we don't have to worry about that. Now that he's become a ninja at last, he has no reason to leave, but now only all the more reason to work even harder to prove himself. So you had better be very careful not to anger him. He does have an unstable temper at times..." Sarutobi reached into his pocket and pulled out Kakashi's orange book. "...And he's already proven he's capable of killing you if he wants to."

"Only because he had help." Kakashi's eye twitched in embarrassment as he reached for his book, but stopped when Sarutobi pulled it away for a moment.

"Tell me. What was she like?" Sarutobi leaned forward with great interest. "This was the first time that Kyaena-san has ever been seen by anyone other than Naruto. What was your impression of her?"

Tetsuko was still standing slightly behind the Hokage, momentarily forgotten, and was watching Kakashi intently for his reaction. Kakashi's one visible eye seemed to glass over slightly.

"Ah... Well..." Kakashi's attention seemed to drift off.

(KAKASHI'S FLASHBACK)

Kakashi made his way through the trees of field seven, having just left behind a very pissed off Uchiha up to his neck in a soiling lesson.

'So, Sakura and Sasuke are out for the moment. But I'd better check on Naruto. He's been so much trouble, he's probably freed himself already. Even if there are only a few minutes left in the exam.' Kakashi thought as he came into the open area where the exam had started.

A quick look confirmed that Naruto was indeed not still tied to the tree where Kakashi had left him. But then, he noticed some bright color over by the river. It wasn't Naruto's orange, it was red. Bright red. Lots of red. And a little gold too.

Kakashi blinked in slight surprise at the person sitting on a largish rock next to the river. The female person, judging by the back of the long red hair, and the overall body posture wrapped in the seriously expensive-looking kimono that lay elegantly over the sides of the rock. It was a bright red, with gold patters of flames all throughout it. Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

'Well well, Naruto. This is a most... amusing, tactic. But sadly, it won't work. I know all about your so-called 'Sexy Jutsu' from the academy. Still, I'll play along for a minute or two. This ought to be worth a few laughs later with Iruka.' The jounin snickered to himself as he approached the 'woman'. In the best serious tone he could manage, he called out. "Excuse me miss, but this is a temporarily restricted area! We are engaged in ninja exercises! It's dangerous for your to be-" Kakashi stopped short when the 'woman' turned to look at him. 'Merciful Kami...' Kakashi thought as he nearly went numb from shock.

She was by no means pale, but her skin was so smooth and pure, it wouldn't have been possible to guess her age. Her lips were of a bright red, almost equal to her hair. And her eyes...

Kakashi, along with most of the shinobi in the village, had a silent agreement that Kurenai was one of, if not the most beautiful kunoichi, and woman in general, in the village. Not because of her hair, or physical body, or her own blemish-free complexion, though those were very much admired in their own right, but because she was the only person in the village with naturally red eyes. It gave her an exoticness that was simply not matchable by any other women... until now.

Then there was the simple fact that the woman's chest was ten times bigger than any woman's that Kakashi had ever seen. And considering the women he had seen in his life, it was an almost unbelievable sight. Kakashi couldn't help but think that she wouldn't barely be able to reach her arms around herself, her chest was so massive.

"Oh, so you must be Kakashi Hatake. With that unique profile, I'd hate to think there was more than one of you running around the village." The woman stood up from the rock and turned to face him. "Naru-kun said you were a little strange looking... I see he was being generous." She raised a perfect eyebrow in slight disgust as she glanced him over.

"Uh...Ah... Y-... A-and you are?" Kakashi stuttered out, his face reddening, even behind his mask. 'Great Kami, Naruto! You're a genius with the Transformation Jutsu! A small child could disapear into that sweet heavenly flesh! She's the most beautiful woman I've seen since-Ack! No! Must fight pervertedness! It's just an illusion, it's just an illusion, it's just an illusion...' Kakashi swallowed a lump.

"I'm Kyaena Unaikaji. I certainly didn't think I was early, for I was expecting Naru-kun's exam to be over by now. I just came to get him for lunch, that's all." Kyaena said as she walked up to him, the soft plaft-plaft-plaft of her breasts bumping together echoing in Kakashi's ears.

"Oh, I see." Kakashi replied as he looked up at her.

Yes, looked UP at her. Kakashi was definitely not a short man, standing about 5'11" or so, but the vision of royal elegance in front of him was a good several inches taller than him. He estimated her at somewhere between 6'3" and 6'6". It was a new experience for him, and was in fact, slightly unnerving. Especially with the godly globes of flesh preceding her.

"Well?" Kyaena asked, with a trace of impatience entering her authoritative voice.

"What?" Kakashi blinked, trying to shake off his daze. The crimson beauty frowned slightly, her ruby eyes narrowing.

"Well, is the exam over or not? I don't like my Naru-kun missing meals. He has to keep his energy up for his training schedule!" She snapped in irritation.

Finally managing to compose himself, Kakashi gave an apologetic shrug.

"No, not quite yet I'm afraid. But it should only be a few more minutes. They're turning out to be quite pathetic, so they won't last much longer." Kakashi offered casually, and smirked to himself when he saw 'Kyaena's' eye twitch. 'Ah Naruto. Such an obvious give-away. You'll have to work on that.' He thought.

"Don't you dare call my Naru-kun pathetic!" Kyaena snapped viciously. "You couldn't possibly know enough about him to judge him like that!"

"Oh, but I think I know enough." Kakashi remarked as he took a step forward, now within arms reach of 'her'. "I know he's rash, loud, and quick to anger. I know he hates to be insulted, and I know he has a tendency to rely on pranks to try to get to people." Kakashi stated, as his right hand flexed slightly. 'What a pity I have to end this. I could just stare at this image of pure Icha-Icha loveliness all day. But, I have to finish up the exam. Besides, when else in my life will I ever have this opportunity again?' He fought the urge to chuckle. "But sadly, pranks just aren't going to cut it this time. Do you understand... NARUTO!?" Kakashi shouted as he lashed out with his right hand, aiming for a spot that would so obviously be above his shortest students' head, thereby exposing his ruse.

SMACK

"EEEK!" Kyaena staggered back, instantly trying to wrap her arms around her assaulted leviathan bosom, with a moderate degree of success and failure.

Kakashi was frozen in the exact stance from when his hand had collided with the inconcievably impressive, very REAL flesh.

'Th-... That's not an illusion.' His mind screeched to a halt. 'But... that means... this really is...'

"You-! YOU-!" Kyaena's face contorted into pure rage.

'Uh-oh.' Kakashi felt all the blood in his body draining down into his feet.

"You... You beastly, despicable, perverted-!" Kyaena stomped towards the petrified jounin, her eyes almost seeming to glow with hellish fury.

'OH CRAP! HELP! KAMI SAVE ME!' Kakashi's mind screeched out in panic, even as his legs were trying to tell him to run far, far away. But he couldn't. And it was due to the fact that the woman about to rip him apart, coincidentally held a strange similarity to the one and only woman Kakashi had ever loved in his life. Funny how the mind can do things like that to you in a moment of crisis.

"You..." Kyaena stopped in front of Kakashi, pausing for a moment before lashing out with both hands, grabbing him by his vest and yanking him forward off his feet, pressing her gargantuan pillowly chest against his as their faces were scant inches apart. "YOU-BIG-" She leaned her face around the right side of his face, "...Meanie..." She breathed into his one exposed ear.

Kakashi couldn't help it. The sudden revelation of it being a real woman and not an illusion, the sudden adrenaline rush, and the rather excitable body-to-booby contact, made him do something he hadn't done in more than a decade.

Kyaena shielded her face as Kakashi flew backwards nearly twenty feet, his rocket nosebleed both staining and penetrating the mask on his face as he hit the ground and slid to a stop.

Kyaena quickly walked over to the twitching man and kneeled down, waving a hand in front of his face. Concluding he was completely out of it, she did a quick glance around as she took the bells from his belt, then grabbed an arm and dragged him over into some thick bushes...

(END KAKASHI FLASHBACK)

"She is... definitely something special. Of that I have no doubt." Kakashi replied after several moments.

"Is that all?" Sarutobi questioned skeptically.

"Well, I only met her for a few moments. I'll have to talk to her at greater length to get anything more specific." Kakashi shrugged. Sarutobi gave a slight snorted chuckle.

"Good luck with that. From the sound of the first impression you made," Sarutobi tapped at the report scroll, "I doubt she'll be interested in talking to you again for a while." He handed the orange book to Kakashi.

"We'll see. I'm going to have to talk to Naruto and the others quite a bit in this coming week." Kakashi sighed, quickly tucking it away in it's rightful spot.

"Something else you're going to need luck with, given what they seem to think of you as a sensei. You've got a lot of damage control to work on." Sarutobi offered up a not-so-sympathetic toast of his tea cup.

"I never expected this to be easy, after being out of the loop of fresh genins for so long, but still." Kakashi muttered, then tilted his head slightly. "By the way, why didn't you just assign the squad to 'her' when Naruto suggested it?"

Sarutobi paused in mid sip of his tea, then set the cup down.

"I would have had more than enough trouble just from assigning Naruto alone to her. But I think that the objections raised at that would be able to be minimized with some... painful, reasoning." Sarutobi frowned for a moment to himself before continuing. "But there's no way in the world my esteemed advisors would ever allow her to be the sensei to 'the last Uchiha'. Due to certain... issues..."

"Ah. I had a feeling it was something like that." Kakashi cleared his throat nervously, knowing damn well not to inquire further into that subject, seeing how it was a personal sore spot for the Hokage.

Sarutobi stayed in silent thought for a moment before refocusing himself.

"All in all, I suggest you steer clear of her for the next couple of weeks. She's likely to be a bit... irritated, if she hears how all this played out." Sarutobi suggested meaningfully.

"I'll keep that in mind." Kakashi nodded.

Silence filled the room for several moments before Sarutobi looked up.

"I believe that was everything for now, Kakashi. You're dismissed." The Hokage motioned.

"Actually... There is one more thing I wanted to ask you... Concerning Naruto." Kakashi replied slowly. 'If I'm wrong about this, I may wind up dead for it. But if I'm right, not only would it explain several things, but it would be the most miraculous blessing...'

"Oh? And what is it?" Sarutobi put the now empty tea set aside.

Kakashi paused, giving a glare at Tetsuko.

"Feel free to excuse yourself." The jounin directed at the ANBU.

"She's one of the only people in the village that has full clearance in regards to anything concerning Naruto. Anything she knows, I know, and what I know, she usually needs to know. Spit it out Kakashi." Sarutobi ordered.

"Alright... If we're going to be blunt about this..." Kakashi took a breath and looked Sarutobi directly in the eye. "Who were Naruto's parents?"

"Naruto's an orphan." Sarutobi responded all too quickly, with a sudden frost in his aged voice. Tetsuko tensed.

"Babies don't just drop from heaven, despite what some people care to think." Kakashi shot back.

"No one knows who Naruto's parents were. The only thing that is certain is that they died in the Kyuubi attack twelve years ago." Sarutobi's hand twitched near his dormant pipe on the table.

"The majority of people who died then were ninja. If his parents were really ninja, it should be very easy to search the records until a match is found. Are you saying in all these years, you've never bothered to look?" Kakashi glared insistently.

"Why are you asking this?" Sarutobi stood up from his chair, causing Kakashi to take a step back.

"Because the first time I laid eyes on Naruto, I nearly had a heart attack! Come on! You can't possibly tell me you can't see it!" Kakashi shouted, giving a momentary nervous glance at Tetsuko. "His resemblance to Minato-sensei is outright spooky! He's practically a perfect copy!"

"What?" Sarutobi blinked in shock. "That's what you're thinking? You think that Naruto is-"

"It certainly seems possible to me!" Kakashi snapped, seeming quite upset. "That report must surely say that I showed up extra late for the exam this morning." He pointed to the scroll on the table. "Would you like to know why? Because I had been up all night, going over every possible reason, way or possibility that this could be true!"

"And I'm sure you came to the conclusion that it isn't true." Sarutobi didn't sound like he was making an observation, so much as an order.

"No, I didn't come to that conclusion! As a matter of fact, the more I think about it, the more it seems it could be very true!" Kakashi stated as his voice was gaining in volume.

"And what evidence or reasons have you come up with to support your belief?" Tetsuko spoke quietly, and though her mask hid her face, there seemed to be some interest in her voice. So when Sarutobi shot her a glare, she actually flinched.

"I don't have any hard evidence-" Kakashi muttered unhappily as his fists clenched in frustration. 'But Naruto's chakra... His element affinity... It's possible...' He thought.

"Then I suggest you drop the matter, Kakashi." Sarutobi frowned, but continued before Kakashi could reply. "I understand how you feel about Minato-sama, being that he was your team sensei. But if you say even one word of this to Naruto, he'll skin you alive six times before mailing each of your bones to a different village." Sarutobi warned.

"Excuse me?" Kakashi blinked, caught off guard by the comment.

"Naruto, no matter how much he always praises Kyaena-san and all the help she's given him, I can tell that he still suffers the loneliness of not having a family, and it hurts him. Mention anything about parents in front of him in any way, unless he mentions them first, and you'll be lucky if all he does is yell your ear off." Sarutobi sighed.

"But if there's even the smallest chance..." Kakashi tried to appeal to the Hokage.

"Kakashi, Minato-sama was one of the greatest ninja our village has ever seen. Some few even say that he was greater than the Shodai. He was a genius seal master, and his 'defeat' of the Kyuubi made him the Hero of all of Fire Country as well as a legend among ninja forever. If that man, that hero, had a child, everyone in the elemental nations would know." Sarutobi stated. "You were Minato-sama's student. His only remaining student, after..." Sarutobi coughed respectfully, omitting Kakashi's own painful past, "Don't you think he would have told you if he had, or had been expecting, a child?"

Kakashi stood silent as he considered the Hokage's words. He thought and thought, and he was forced to admit that Sarutobi was right. If it were anyone else, it would be easy to believe that something like that could be kept secret, but not for the man who had been the Yondaime.

Kakashi thought back to the time just before the Kyuubi attack, thought about how his former sensei had acted, thought about what had been going on in the village. He couldn't remember anything, no indication that anything had been going on with Minato to suggest anything out of the ordinary. The biggest surprise had been hearing about a giant demon fox tearing through the forest, heading towards the village. Everything had happened so fast after that. Minato, dead. Hundreds of Leaf-nin, dead. And an little orphaned baby, with a burden he never asked for.

"I guess... I've never really wanted to think about it before." Kakashi said at long last. "Maybe... Maybe it just caught me by surprise, is all. But Naruto's face..."

"As hard as it is for a ninja to accept," Sarutobi sighed sadly, "Sometimes a coincidence, really is just a coincidence. And besides, Naruto doesn't act anything like Minato-sama. The Yondaime was one of the most serious and most level-headed ninja I had ever met. Naruto is more like a hurricane with a volcano of a temper."

"I guess I'm just going to have to try to ignore Naruto's totally creepy presence, right?" Kakashi eye-smiled, trying to sound like he was making a joke, but neither Sarutobi or Tetsuko were laughing.

"You're just going to have to try to do your duty as sensei, understood?" Sarutobi corrected.

"Right. That's what I meant." Kakashi nodded. "Ah, so, if you'll excuse, I have some arrangements to see to if I'm going to be ready to get started on the team tomorrow... no, day after tomorrow... That's what I told them right? Five a.m., day after tomorrow. No, eight. Sakura wanted it to be at eight." Kakashi was mumbling. He gave a brief wave as he vanished from the room.

Sarutobi and Tetsuko remained standing for several moments, until their senses told them that Kakashi was really gone.

"You're absolutely sure that he believes he met the real Kyaena-san? He doesn't know that it was Naruto's Transformation Jutsu?" Sarutobi turned to look at the masked woman.

"I'm sure. He was unconscious when Naruto-kun grabbed the bells and left, so he never saw him change back." She nodded.

"Good." Sarutobi gathered up the report scroll. "Make another copy of this, and make sure 'she' gets it."

"Sir?" Tetsuko asked with slight confusion.

"Kakashi was quite reckless over this whole matter. I think he needs more motivation to take his responsibilities seriously." Sarutobi smirked.

"Oh, I see." Tetsuko's voice lightened in amusement briefly before turning serious again. "But, if you'll forgive me, he had a point. Naruto-kun is nearly a carbon copy of Yondaime-sama. If-"

"You're dismissed." Sarutobi cut off sharply as he pocketed the scroll and his pipe, and started gathering up his tea set.

Without another word, Tetsuko vanished in a puff of smoke.

Sarutobi hovered over the table for a moment before slowly walking over to the balcony. He looked out at the village, then looked up at the mountain.

'Even though you ordered it, Minato-sama, and even though I fully understand your reasoning, keeping Naruto's true identity a secret... It still makes me nervous. Especially when I have to out-right lie like that. Even if I am one of the only three people in the world who know, it's not easy.' Sarutobi thought as he gazed upon the stone faces. 'I wonder what will happen on the day that I'll finally be required to tell the truth.'


Having stopped in the cafeteria kitchen for some sandwiches for Sakura, her, Naruto and Iruka now were walking around in the primary rooms of the archives. Iruka was unable to stop chuckling to himself at the looks on the two genins' faces. Sakura was wide-eyed at the towering giant shelves packed with more books and scrolls than the girl had ever seen in her life. Naruto seemed stuck between trying to be serious, and trying not to drool.

Iruka had shown them around, explaining the sections and what was where. He had also explained, very clearly, about what was still off-limits to genin. The sections and rooms behind locked doors and chain-link walls that held exceptionally dangerous materials and jutsu that were restricted to chunin or jounin. But there was more than enough material in the primary sections to keep Naruto and Kyaena busy for quite a while. Iruka explained how to check out material, the format of which was essentially the same as a library, but also how it would sometimes be easier and more efficient to simply make copies of specific information for personal use.

"Here, Naruto." Iruka walked over and held out a rather thick book. "This covers the starting basics of what you asked about earlier."

"Awesome!" Naruto snatched the book and immediately started flipping through it, skimming over the headings. 'Elemental chakra conversion, elemental energy forms, chakra shaping... Oh yeah, this is the gem that will supercharge my chakra training.' Naruto smirked as Iruka went back to the shelves, looking for something else.

"Hmm. It surprisingly covers a fair amount, for a human source. But I'm sure I'll be able to enhance it further." Kyaena remarked as she read the passages.

As Naruto was flipping through the pages, Sakura hesitantly moved over next to him.

"Hey, Naruto?" She asked.

"Hmm?" Naruto responded, not looking up.

"Err..." Sakura swallowed nervously. "I... I wanted to say thank you."

"What for? You would have eaten eventually anyway." Naruto continued reading without pause.

"No, not that." Sakura shifted awkwardly. "Thank you... for staying with the team." She smiled, but flinched when Naruto abruptly looked up at her.

"I didn't exactly have much choice." He stated, then his gaze drifted back to the book. "I hate being manipulated..."

"Manipulated?" Sakura blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"Look, Sakura-san, we may be a team now, but I would suggest that you always think twice about whatever Kakashi says. That's all I'm saying." Naruto shrugged.

"Um, ok. But Naruto, you need to call him 'sensei' now, alright? After all we just went through, I don't want you getting us in trouble because you don't show him the proper respect. He is a jounin, don't forget." Sakura pointed out.

"Sure, a jounin." Naruto chuckled. "Who's just as vulnerable to my Sexy Jutsu as Iruka-sensei or Old-Man-Hokage." Naruto shot a grin at Iruka who pretended to be very interested in measuring the amount of dust that was gathering on the shelves.

"Your... Sexy Jutsu?" Sakura's eye twitched as she recalled the prank Naruto had pulled on Iruka several times. "THAT'S how you got the bells from Kakashi-sensei?"

"Yes, but to be fair, it wasn't my usual style. I figured he would have heard about it, so I changed it slightly. Had to be more subtle." Naruto explained as he tucked his book under his arm to take it with him, headed for the check-out desk.

"Subtle? You?" Sakura raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Naruto paused and looked at her with a serious face.

"No different than when I fooled you pretending to be Sasuke yesterday." He said before turning back to the clerk to check out the book.

Sakura reddened, nearly biting her tongue to keep from retorting, though whether out of embarrassment or anger, she wouldn't have said.

"Naruto, there's something I want to ask you about." Sakura said after a moment.

"Hmm? What is it?" Naruto asked, taking back the now checked book from the clerk. 'She's being awfully chatty all of a sudden. I wonder what's got into her?'

"I don't give a flying rat's ass fart in space about her! Can't you just ditch her? We've got training to plan!" Kyaena growled in irritation.

"It's about the exam. When Kakashi-sensei broke your ribs, how did you heal so fast?" Sakura asked with genuine interest. "Do you already know some kind of medical jutsu?"

"No." Naruto replied shortly as he waved to Iruka, and started for the exit. 'Damn it. I'll have to come back for the jutsu scrolls later.'

"Well then, what is it?" Sakura asked as she quickly followed after him. But Naruto increased his pace. "Hey! What's the deal?" She called, increasing her pace to keep up. "Damn it Naruto, will you just answer my question? If your ability can help the team-"

"NO!" Naruto stopped sharply and whirled on her. "It doesn't work for anyone but me, and if you don't mind, I don't like talking about it!" He snapped viciously.

"Wh-what?" Sakura jerked up short to avoid running into her shorter teammate. "What do you mean? To be able to heal like that, it must be incredible! Why wouldn't you want to talk about it? If it were me, I'd want to find anyone who could help me learn about it!"

Naruto fumed for a moment before growling.

"The problem with that is, when other people find out about it, they get tempted to see how hard they have to beat on you until you stop getting back up!" Naruto shouted then turned and ran away as fast as he could, leaving behind a gape-mouthed Sakura.

'What the... What was that about?' Sakura stared in shock. 'The way he said that, he was saying that people have been beating him!?' She quickly rushed back into the archives and over to Iruka. "Iruka-sensei, I need to talk to you about Naruto!"

Iruka could only sigh.


A masked Tetsuko jumped along roofs, looking for a specific person. She had already searched some of the other training fields, and was now searching restaurants. She finally found her target lounging on a street bench, seeming to be relaxing after eating.

Tetsuko dropped down in front of the fellow kunoichi, who was nibbling on what seemed to be some kind of wooden training senbon.

"What." The kunoichi barked, evidently not in the mood to be disturbed.

"Hokage-sama ordered me to give you this." Tetsuko pulled out a scroll and handed it to the other woman. "It's a report covering squad seven's exam, and what happened after." She neglected to mention that it was an edited copy.

"They finished?" The jounin sat up straighter with interest.

"Yes. Hatake passed the team." Tetsuko answered.

"Hmph! Of course he did!" The kunoichi nearly snarled, gripping the scroll tightly. "All for that whining bratty Uchiha..."

"No, actually. Hatake was only able to pass the team because Uzumaki-san let him." Tetsuko's amusement could be heard through the mask.

"Eh? Because Naruto 'let him'? What the hell does that mean?" The kunoichi raised an eyebrow.

"Read for yourself. I think you'll find it interesting." Tetsuko gestured to the scroll. "And Hokage-sama thought you'd have some helpful... opinions, about the exam that you could share with Hatake." She chuckled, then jumped up and away to return to her primary duties.

The jounin kunoichi unrolled the scroll and began reading intently.


Naruto ran out of the academy, ran out into the streets, ran across roof-tops and finally stopped as he landed on his apartment's front porch.

'For Arceus' sake... Sakura-san decides to start paying attention to me, and it just has to be a taboo topic that she notices first.' Naruto grumbled as he entered his apartment.

"Will you stop worrying about that brainless Pinkette!? Getting on with your elemental training is more important!" Kyaena hissed, tapping her claws in irritation.

'Take it easy. I can start training in a bit.' Naruto went through the door that separated his living space and his study space, and placed his new book on the reading table. 'But remember, I have to go untrap my remaining traps from field seven first.' He picked up the empty duffle bags that he had used before.

"Wait a minute," Kyaena interrupted before Naruto could leave the room, "Put on your weights first. From now on, I want you to wear them all the time, not just when you exercise."

'What?' Naruto paused in confusion. 'But you're always reminding me to take them off! What's with the change of attitude?'

"Because, before, I wanted to make sure you weren't slowed down in case you were chased by the tail-hunters. I wanted to make sure you had as much speed as might be necessary. " Kyaena explained while flipping her tails. "But now that your an active genin, if anyone attacks you now, the Hokage can't possibly overlook it. Whereas some people thought they could get away with abusing you before, now, there is no question or doubt. Attacking you is treason. Period. So, with some added degree of protection for you because of it, I think it's ok for you to wear your weights full-time now. I want you as strong as possible, as soon as possible... within reason, of course. I would never do anything to purposefully put you in danger if I can help it. You do well enough of that on your own." She huffed slightly, shaking her head in disapproval.

'Well... I guess. If you're sure.' Naruto walked over to a table up against the wall, on which lay his training weights. 'Incidentally, do you think they're due for an increase?'

"Some. If you're going to be carrying around that small moon you call a backpack, it should be fairly good for now." She rolled her eyes at Naruto's silly habit of excess.

'Ok. I can add the weight after I get back.' Naruto confirmed.

A minute later, with all five weights in place and two empty duffle bags under arm, Naruto headed out to return to field seven where he would spend two hours fixing the field and removing traps, before returning to his apartment to start his newest chakra training.


Sasuke walked down a street he had passed through several times already. To a non-ninja, it may seem like he was just casually strolling along, but he was in fact circling around the abandoned Uchiha quarter. His former home.

Technically, he could live there if he wanted to, since, thanks to some brown-nosed higher-ups, he owned all of it. But he couldn't stand to set foot inside the walled area, let alone live or sleep in it. But neither could he ever forget or ignore it. He would occasionally just spend hours silently walking around the area in circles. And no one ever dared to bother him.

But then, things do change.

"Yo, Sasuke." Kakashi, leaning against a tree, called out.

Sasuke paused, looking at his new sensei.

'He still seems like an idiot.' He thought to himself.

"I just needed to make sure you know what's going on, and what's going to happen." Kakashi gestured lazily.

"What's going to happen?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"What's going to happen, is that the team is going to be working on being a team before anything else." Kakashi said.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke frowned in suspicion.

"I mean, that the team is barely a team as it is. There wasn't as much cooperation during the exam as I would have liked. And you certainly didn't contribute anything." Kakashi stated.

"What!?" Sasuke snapped, turning a full on angry glare at the man.

"Sasuke, your attitude during the exam, and while in the presence of Hokage-sama, was unacceptable." Kakashi pushed off the tree to stand up tall in front of the boy. "I know you've kept to yourself these last few years, but being a ninja means you're going to have to learn to count on others. Until the team can get along in a more... well, I guess 'civil' is an appropriate term... Until the team can get along in a more civil way, I won't be teaching you anything unduly dangerous."

Sasuke stared at the jounin for a moment, until he was able to understand what he was saying.

"You can't refuse to teach me. That's your job." Sasuke stated in a tone that some might consider... haughty.

"My duty is to teach the team." Kakashi corrected with a warning tone. "So if there is something you want to learn from me, you'll have to help make sure the other two are ready to learn it as well. There will only be two things that you alone will be learning exclusively, and I won't be teaching you those until either I decide you're ready for them, or if the circumstances at the time demand that you need to know." He stared down at the dark boy.

"And what are those two things?" Sasuke demanded, not liking the idea of someone holding back information he felt he was entitled to.

"Like I said, need to know." Kakashi crossed his arms. "Despite what others might have been telling you up until now, you're not that special." Kakashi held up a warning finger to stall Sasuke's outburst. "Don't ever forget, you wouldn't even be a ninja right now if not for Naruto. He chose to stay with the team, so that you and Sakura could pass. He is willing to try to get along with the team because he doesn't abandon his comrades. You need to be observant of him, and try to follow his honorable example." Kakashi stated with resolve.

"He's the dead-last-loser of the class, and habitually breaks every rule put to him. You want me to learn from that?" Sasuke hissed in disgust.

"It's true, Naruto is a bit wild. Although, even if you consider him trash for breaking the rules, he already knows that it's preferable to break a rule, than to abandon your comrades. To do that, would make you worse than trash. It would make you a traitor." Kakashi tilted his head slightly as he watched Sasuke's reaction.

Sasuke went stiff and wide-eyed at Kakashi's words. His fists clenched so hard they were shaking as his gaze dropped down to the dirt and pebbles in the street. Naruto's words from the day before came blaring back into his mind...

"I absolutely HATE... traitors."

Sasuke slowly looked to his right, at the wall of the Uchiha quarter.

'Could he really understand?' He wondered. 'Does he really know what that kind of hatred is like? I couldn't care less if he has some agenda of his own, since it has nothing to do with mine. But maybe, on a long shot, if he has even the slightest understanding... He hasn't had the resources or training that I've had. That would be unbearably frustrating, if I had been cut off, if people had ignored me, even though I have an undeniable purpose...' Sasuke frowned slightly. 'Well, that could explain Naruto's temper, and stupidity. Ugh... That would be harsh.' He shuddered.

"Sasuke?" Kakashi asked to catch the boy's attention. 'Well, at least I got him thinking.' He noted.

"Whatever. If the loser can behave himself, I'll follow orders." Sasuke huffed as he walked off. "Just don't blame me if the others turn out to be completely worthless." He walked down the street and turned a corner out of sight.

Kakashi stayed standing in the same spot, looking after where Sasuke had gone, and turning to regard the walls of the empty living area himself.

'This is going to be a very long assignment. These three are probably about as badly matched a group as could be made out of their graduating class.' Kakashi sighed to himself as he rubbed at his temple due to his growing headache. 'And despite what I just told him, Sasuke is special. It's going to be hard to keep his training on course.' Kakashi looked up into the partly cloudy sky. 'It would have been more incredible if Naruto really was... But I guess that was just wishful thinking on my part. But he is far more skilled than I'd heard. I'll have to ask Iruka or Hokage-sama if there is a file-'

"HATAKE!" Came a raging scream of a woman.

Kakashi didn't even try to act surprised. He just ran.

"It won't help them if you kill their new sensei before we even get started!" Kakashi yelled over his shoulder as he dodged several shuriken.

"That's debatable!" The kunoichi yelled as she pursued. "After what you did!? You're a stinking rat, Hatake! You didn't care at all about their stability, so long as you got what you wanted!" She flung a handful of senbon at the retreating man's ass.

"They chose to be a team!" Kakashi yelped as he lunged to the side to avoid the unwanted acupuncture, and leapt up to the roofs.

"You guilt-tripped Naruto to force him to stay! You have no right to call yourself their sensei!" She screamed, pulling out a kunai that had a slightly greenish tint to it as she somersaulted up to the roofs, intent on maiming her target before the end of the day.

"It was just a test! I was acting!" Kakashi wailed as he raced on.

The chase lasted on into the evening, with the occasional explosion punctuating the air.


Sakura was feeling incredibly exhausted as she let herself into her house. She had left the academy, after Iruka had proven to be no help in regards to Naruto's attitude. All the chunin would say is that there were a number of strictly personal matters in Naruto's life, and that she had to get the answers from Naruto himself. He also warned her not to be overly pushy, or Naruto would never tell her, since they were difficult issues for him to deal with.

Sakura was not liking how the last several days had progressed. She had gone from being sure of herself and her future ninja career, to confused and angry, and now she was just worried. She didn't know what lie ahead of her now, and she didn't know what to expect from the 'team' she was now a part of.

She thought things would be fine now that she would be with Sasuke more, but the revelation that she didn't know Naruto anywhere near as well as she believed, was making her nervous. Especially considering the fact that Naruto was far more skilled than she had thought.

Sakura was just leaning in a doorway, thinking about the day, when her mother came wandering in.

"Oh, you're back, Sakura!" Mebuki Haruno chirped merrily. "So how did it go? You're genin exam was today, right?"

"Wha? Oh, yeah, took it, passed... sort of." Sakura muttered, not really focusing.

"What do you mean, 'sort of'?" Mebuki asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, the team is now officially active, but... I don't really think I contributed all that much during the exam." Sakura said absently.

"Oh, don't worry dear! It's always a little awkward when your first starting out, but I'm sure you'll be able to make great progress with the help of Uchiha-dono!" Mebuki smiled encouragingly.

"But he didn't seem to do so well in the exam either." Sakura said, frowning off into space. "In fact, I'm not sure either of us would have passed at all if Naruto hadn't humiliated Kakashi-sensei so thoroughly." She nibbled on her lip a bit.

"Naruto?" Mebuki frowned. "Naruto... Uzumaki!?" She snapped harshly, making Sakura finally look over at her in surprise at her tone. "Sakura Haruno, you never mentioned that Uzumaki was your other teammate!"

"I didn't?" Sakura blinked meekly in slight surprise.

"Young lady, you will tell me EXACTLY what happened today, and don't you dare leave anything out!" Mebuki ordered angrily, marching over and forcing Sakura to sit down.

With great confusion and nervousness, Sakura told everything that had happened from when she first got up to go to the exam, all the way up to when she came back in the door minutes ago.

Mebuki listened to every word, but gave no sign or reaction of any kind as her daughter finished recapping the events that had taken place.

"Mom," Sakura said after she had finished, "What's wrong? There's no reason to worry, right? I passed, didn't I?"

Mebuki, who had been staring off into space, looked at the younger Haruno.

"Sakura, despite what he did to assist you in becoming a genin, you should be very wary of Uzumaki. Try not to let yourself wind up alone with him for any reason. He's dangerous." Mebuki ordered and stood up as if the conversation were over.

"What do you mean, he's dangerous? Mom, what is it?" Sakura looked up at her mother with confused eyes. "What is it about Naruto that always puts everyone on edge?"

"It's something I can't talk about. Something I've never really wanted to give much thought..." Mebuki trailed off with an unhappy frown to herself. She gave a look at Sakura. "Just be careful around him, and I'll want you to tell me about every mission you go on. Is that understood?" She demanded.

Sakura just nodded, as her mother went into the kitchen. Sakura hurried up to her room.

'What the heck is going on?' Sakura wondered to herself as she flopped onto her bed, looking up at the ceiling. 'I've never even given Naruto a first thought, let alone a second one, yet there seems to be something about him that gets all the grown-ups agitated whenever his name is mentioned.' She rolled over, looking at a small framed picture she had secretly taken of Sasuke earlier in the year. 'I thought being on the team would be all about Sasuke-kun. But now...' Sakura grabbed a pillow, pulling it under her chin as she thought of how intense Naruto's actions and words to both Kakashi and Sarutobi had been. 'Ok, I'll admit, Naruto isn't as completely clueless as I thought, but still... His presence couldn't possibly make that big a difference... Right?'


END OF CHAPTER


END OF ARC


Author's Notes:

Reasons this chapter took so long: 1, it was difficult for me to write the confrontations. 2, I was sick. 3, seems to have a problem with uploading chapters that are more than about 20k words. 4, I shamefully admit that due to the discovery of a kick-ass combo of a character editor and an item creator, I have recently been getting pulled back into the world of Diablo II. Sorry.

I would prefer that people not give me any fudge about how 'after all that, Naruto still went with the team!?'. Yes, I know it doesn't seem right, and admittedly, I almost backed myself into a corner, where I wouldn't have been able to keep team 7 together. However, I believe that the changing attitudes of the characters in regard for Naruto makes up for it slightly. This fic is about a better Naruto on team 7, so, unfortunately, it's the way it has to be... for now.

In regards to Sarutobi's actions and the SAS: He had wanted Naruto to be on a team, thinking it would be better for him, and the graduates had worked out perfectly for teams of three. But, as is seen in this chapter, Sarutobi wasn't about to let Naruto leave, so he was going to enact the SAS option to keep Naruto as a ninja. The fact that Kakashi used some low blows to get Naruto to stay, was not something Sarutobi or Iruka appreciated, hence why Sarutobi wanted Tetsuko to deliver the exam report to the 'other woman', as it were. Sarutobi still thinks that being with a team will help Naruto in a psychological/spiritual way, which is the only reason he allowed it.

All those who never expected Kakashi to use the word 'spooky', raise your hand. (Raises hand) Ok, now that I got that out of the way...

I've been a bit sick of stories I've seen and read where either Kakashi doesn't realize who Naruto is, or even worse, does know and doesn't care. I say it would be impossible for him not to notice and suspect the truth, but lacking hard evidence, wouldn't be able to confirm it. And the fact that Sarutobi deliberately denied it to his face would of course cause him to doubt what his own eye is telling him. I won't make Kakashi just drop the matter, but the more time that goes by, the harder it would be for Kakashi to keep to his belief of the possibility. I will enjoy making that doubt return to stab him in the back.

Yes, I revealed how Naruto got the bells from Kakashi. Many of you probably saw it coming, but you might want to re-read Kakashi's flashback a few times. I slipped a little foreshadow treat into it. Have fun speculating and gossiping. And then there's the little matter of Naruto stealing Kakashi's book. I thought it was appropriate. Don't know if I should have made Sarutobi give it back so easily, but then, Sarutobi was trying to make sure Kakashi didn't learn things he wasn't supposed to. Like Naruto's true identity, or his 'special' Transformation Jutsu. I don't know how long it will take Kakashi to notice that second one.

I hope the conversations between Naruto and Kyaena concerning Naruto's training make at least a little sense. This is a very good example at how their observations of people and events around them will lead to ideas that will help Naruto's training. I think Naruto, in my story, has the attitude 'try everything and see what works'. It's this learning habit that will lead to most of the skills that Naruto will learn/discover/invent, and also, due to the big fat option I threw into this chapter, having access to the archives will allow him to learn more jutsu than just what he knows in canon (which I dislike his limited repertoire). This will be made obvious in the progression of the Wave Arc. And there was more to Naruto's element test (the paper) than it seemed. It's a little nugget I'll dig out later in the story.

I've still been following the anime, both the first series and Shippuden, and I'm seeing that I have a lot of work ahead of me. This first series is going to take a major turn after a certain event, and I've become quite disgusted with Shippuden from what I've been seeing, so I'll probably take it in a very different direction. But that's a long way off, and I have plenty of time to plan for it.

While preparing to proceed to the Wave Arc, I noticed something I'm a bit miffed at not catching before. There is a six-month time span between the beginning of the series and the beginning of the chunin exams. Even if you allow for 2-3 weeks for the Wave Arc mission, that still leaves the better part of three months in front and behind (assuming the Wave mission happens smack in the middle). Considering how much more I'm trying to add to Naruto's training and learning, I'm wondering if I should add one more chapter here before I start the Wave Arc, and if I'll be adding one or two after the Wave Arc before the chunin exams (this latter one being more probable as will be explained during the Wave Arc).

SO, If you will please go to my profile and vote in the new poll, I will consider it while writing the next chapters.

Be aware, however, that I will need a while to review the Wave Arc episodes, and also, I will be taking some time to decide what jutsu Naruto will be learning in the immediate future. So the next posting may take some time, but I hope you will continue to appreciate my effort for quality in my story.

Be aware, I have worked to correct grammar, spelling and terminology in previous chapters, but no significant story alterations. I work to keep continuity and (relative) accuracy. Thank you.

To the next batch of reviews:

Thozmp Corris: I trust this chapter was about what you were hoping for in regards to Kakashi. You were pretty close on your expectations. Nicely done.

darthgamer: How is getting his ribs broken being 'overpowered'? I think Naruto just caught Kakashi by surprise, is all.

Namikaze Raven: I hope I explained Kakashi's feelings clearly enough. So there it is.

Nebula1701: Well, things seem to be going in a direction you seem to want. I hope you like it.

RevlisFlow: Sorry, no huge lakes of blood. But at least Kakashi was embarrassed. I'd say that's a point up for Naruto.

Silent Blade: Don't worry, no hard feelings. As for the long story length and chapters, that's what I have planned. It's going to take me a couple years to get that far. But I hope you enjoy the ride in the meantime.

Nightcrawler2000: Yes, I know that chapters are going to be hard to regulate. I hope to not have any more than the same number as the anime, and I intend to find ways to cut out material that is unchanged from canon so I won't need to waste time on unnecessary writing. Basically, I'll include little reminders that certain events are still going on, but won't actually write them out, leaving it to the readers to remember what happens, and fill in the material in their own minds. But despite my wish to not have to re-write everything, there will be the occasional chapters of my own original events that I'll throw in from time to time, mostly necessary if I introduce un-canon events, as I did with the genin exam here. But I'll keep working on them. And as to the cliff-hangers... that's the whole fun of them. (Grins)

AztekLord: Naruto being stubborn is just part of his personality. But there's a difference between being dumb, and misinterpreting information. But no worries, things will get stranger before they get weaker.

Keigai O Yain: Your reviews are very interesting, though I wonder if others will start taking up your example in quoting lines from my chapters. That would get a little strange. But the best part of all, you want me to take my time to get a chapter up to a good quality. Thank you very much.

ConnectFire611: I can't recall if I PM'ed you an answer already, so I'll mention it here. Naruto's healing is more along the lines of supernatural regeneration, therefore it does not carry side-effects of any harmful nature to Naruto.

nitrous: No, sorry. Tetsuko has her own role to play, but not as sensei. But I hope you'll find her participation in future events interesting. I wouldn't have put her in the story without having a purpose for her. I hope you'll keep reading.

tacitamccp12: First, you have a very unique username. I can't even pronounce it out loud. Second, I'm sorry that I can't supply your 'fixes' faster, but I would think you want the high-quality product that gives you a satisfying buzz, and not some out-of-date, half-raw junk that forces you to kick the habit. Just remember, quality has it's price. (Winks)

zurako: YES! MY FLAMES OF YOUTH DON'T JUST BURN, THEY BLAZE! HA-HA! So. Thank you for the review, and I'm glad you like my take on Kyaena's character. I hope this chapter was to your liking.

Calimora: Hmm... 'Adding to canon', you say? That's an interesting way of putting it. I just thought of this story as my own AU re-write. But still, I think the basis of canon is good, I just wanted to explore a little more in-depth to certain events. Canon will be my guide, no matter how off-track I may wander from time to time. And it will get even more severe in latter chapters (very later).

Darkness in the Light: I'm sorry if my prologue started out a little angsty for you, believe me that wasn't my intent. But I think I was damn lenient on Naruto in comparison to what other writers have done. I only made it that Naruto couldn't speak because he wasn't taught until Kyaena stepped in. I've seen stories where the writer has literally had Naruto's vocal cords cut out to keep him silent. So I really don't think my story could be considered 'angsty', though I did avoid describing what nastiness Naruto has been through, and his memories of those events will play parts later. Especially in a certain part of the chunin exam. But, this is Naruto we're talking about, and his life is not easy by any measurement. So he's going to have trouble along the way.

Cristalake: Umm... Yeah. Glad you like the story. (scoots away nervously)

Rooster455: Allow me to clarify something important. Naruto does not like Sakura because she hates him. What I was saying is that he feels he has no right in getting angry at her due to his frustrations concerning the adult generation. If Sakura knew about 'the kyuubi', and hated him for THAT, then Naruto would probably hate her in return. But she doesn't know. She treats him like a 'normal' person, regardless of how she views him in that way. Naruto has a reason or two why he is interested in her himself, which will be revealed much later on when he has a reason to explain it, and I would think he's also trying to treat her like a 'normal' person, in that he doesn't judge her for the actions of others.

Iztiak: "You're going to find that many of the truths we cling to, depend greatly on our own point of view." A dead wise man once said on the swampy land of Dagobah. And as for the test being the same one that Sarutobi gave his students, ask yourself, do you think they (Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru) knew it was a trick ahead of time? Naruto knowing is what messed things up for Kakashi. Sarutobi believes that Kakashi should have used a different test, one that none of the genin knew about.

Thank you to everyone for all the great positive reviews! With only six (now seven) chapters, and 177 reviews, considering the size of my story so far, the fact that 99.9 percent of the reviews are positive is a major deal for me! I'm glad people appreciate this thing I do, which was originally just a fun thought I had for my own amusement!

This was an important transition chapter, so I hope everyone will give a thought to how things are going, and please comment on such thoughts in your reviews!

Be sure to check out my profile for my list of Naruto story ideas, free for anyone! And check the new poll. It seems I can only have one profile poll going at a time, but don't worry, the kunoichi poll will continue as soon as the issue of the next chpters is resolved.

Thank you all for your attention, time, and most of all, patience!


This chapter edited:

5-21-2013