This is my first story. Don't hate for no reason. Will take fair criticism though.

I do not own Naruto or anything related. That goes to Masashi Kishimoto

CHAPTER 7

Waiting for their sensei the three genin were discussing possible battle formations when a poof sounded behind them, "Good Morning genin. Your test will be to track your target down through that forest before noon. And your target will be me. I will be your target. You will have passed once you've tracked me down and landed one solid hit on me. Good Luck!" The sensei that was once there just faded from view."

Naruto cursed, "Genjutsu! Any idea where she went?"

"I wasn't able to plant any of my kikaichu."

"M-my b-byakugan doesn't go t-that far y-yet." Hinata said as she tried to scan the forest

Naruto grinned, "Okay I have an idea!"

"What is it?" Shino asked

"Well first I would have my shadow clones surround the search perimeter, then we would travel to the center. From there I can send out a chakra pulse to disrupt all genjutsu within the area. But you couldn't have your byakugan active Hinata."

"W-why?"

"For you it would be the equivalent of looking directly into a flashbang. I don't want to hurt your eyes."

"That would be best" Shino commented

"After that the clones would begin to circle towards the center while you two try to find her. She'll be confused and surprised at genjutsu failing. If the clones find her I'll know and we can go there. If not that means she's running towards the middle where we will be and the clones will be heading."

"That would help us find her but how would we hit her? She is a Jonin" Shino states.

Scratching his chin he was trying to form a plan. He knew he could probably outlast her in a fight because of his reserves. But that would definitely take too long.

"I have an idea but it's pretty risky. See I reached level 5 in seals about two weeks ago. It allowed me to safely learn the paralysis seal. But the only way to apply it is to draw it on her, which I wouldn't have time to do, or place the seal paper on her. That could stop her long enough to land a hit. I could place it even if she blocks.

"How many do you have?"

"Only 10. I could make more though."

"W-who h-holds them." Hinata nervously fiddles with her fingers.

"It would be illogical for Hinata to have them because Kurenai-sensei would avoid close combat at all costs."

Hinata looked a little sad but Naruto wanted to finish the plan before he cheers her up, "I think Shino, you should carry seven of them so that your bugs can try to place some. And besides I can make more if we need."

Looking at each other they nodded and began running to the middle of the forest. Naruto made 51 clones to surround the forest as they ran towards the center. One of them just to dispel and notify Naruto of the complete circle.

-with Kurenai

It had been forty minutes since she had hidden in the forest. She had hoped that they would have at least one altercation by then. And ten minutes earlier when they had passed her by she was nervous that they wouldn't pass.

'At least they were working together,' She thought

Suddenly she felt chakra wash through her.

'That couldn't be one of my genin. That would take too much--Naruto! He couldn't have the chakra and control for this.'

She was about to set up her genjutsu again but she sensed someone coming closer. Deciding to move she was going to move to a different area but then she sensed another signature. She kept trying to find an area where she could stay hidden until she realized, 'I'm surrounded, and the area is getting smaller. When they passed me they weren't trying to find me, they were trying to trap me.'

She grinned, 'Smart!'

She sensed dozens of signatures, but most of them were identical and slowly forming a circle around her. However, three that were breaking the pattern and moving directly towards her.

'I can't run because the clones will stop me, I can't hide because Naruto would wipe out any genjutsu I use.'

Her three genin stopped a few meters away where they could see each other.

"Well done! You made it so I have to fight."

Without speaking, Hinata charged and Naruto began to run around them. Just as Hinata was about to deliver a jyuken strike to the heart, Kurenai pivoted out of the way but she immediately had to jump away from a few kunai. She was about to try to use a genjutsu to escape when she leaned hard to the right to dodge Naruto trying to punch her head. Quickly spinning to face her, he was about to throw a kunai so to get him away she kicked him in the stomach. But instead of a flying Naruto came a poof of smoke.

'One of the clones broke formation.'

The next time she tried to escape a swarm of bugs surrounded her so she seallessly kawarimied out of there.

"Dammit she's gone. Hinata, can you see her."

"Y-yes she's a l-little b-bit n-north of h-here. S-she's really c-close to y-your clones."

Making a clone, Naruto asked, "How close?"

"A-about three t-trees away."

The clone poofed away and Naruto shouted, "Lets go."

The other two began following him.

-with Kurenai-

Sitting in a tree hidden from the clones, Kurenai was thinking, 'I know Naruto doesn't have a sensing ability, so unless he can communicate with his clones I'll be safe for a while.'

Though hidden she smiled, 'I know that they can track me down but let's see if they can actually land a hit.'

She was about to let the little chakra she used regenerate but then she had to quickly jump off the tree as a clone kicked down on the branch she was sitting on.

'I can sense them a bit away so how do the clones know I was there?'

She slowly became more and more irritated as the clones kept coming, especially because they were becoming harder and harder to dispel. 'It's almost as if they're learning from each other.'

Just after she had popped another clone she had to jump out of the way of a jyuken strike, 'They're here.'

At the height of her jump she saw a clone run to her landing area. Rolling in midair she went to dropkick the clone but what it did next confused her. It didn't block, it didn't dodge, it just stood there with its arms ready to meet her legs. And just before she hit the clone opened its palms and caught her by the feet. Or it was supposed to. Once she hit it dispelled, though she saw a smirk before it did. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Hinata charging for another strike.

Just before she went to pivot out of the way she froze, 'Why can't I move?'

Stopping just in front of her, Hinata shouted, "Jyuken: Hakke Sanjuni Sho!"

"Ni Sho!" Two strikes hit Kurenai in the leg.

"Yon Sho!" Two more strikes to the leg.

"Hachi Sho!" Four strikes, this time to the arms.

"Juroku Sho!" Eight strikes to the limbs.

"Hakke Sanjuni Sho!" The final sixteen strikes hit her directly in the abdomen. Though avoiding all internal organs.

Though 32 of her chakra points are shut down, Kurenai was still unable to move.

The other two genin walked up to the two kunoichi and Naruto grinned holding the ram hand sign, "Kai!"

Kurenai was suddenly able to move. Returning to standing position she reopened her chakra points.

"Paralysis Seal," Naruto explains, "You wouldn't have been able to move until I released it."

Looking upon her three genin Kurenai was immensely proud. "Well Done! You tracked me down, immobilized me in just under 3 hours. And through it all you worked together as a team. You are officially Team 8. I have to go report to the Hokage so I will meet here tomorrow at 8 am."

Shino only repositioned his glasses, though that was a major sign of excitement, Hinata had a big smile on her face, but Naruto was jumping up and down.

Naruto hugs Hinata in his celebration, "We did it!" But then it turned to concern as Hinata couldn't take the…excitement. Naruto laid her down slowly on the grass.

Looking up to Shino he asks, "We're going to have to fix that aren't we?"

"Correct. It could cost us the mission, or our lives."

"Hey if you need to leave I can stay until she wakes up. I don't have anywhere I need to be."

"Thank you. I have to tend to some of the hives today."

Running off, Naruto pulled out his sealing equipment to wait for Hinata to wake up.

-30 minutes later-

Naruto was practicing a barrier seal when he heard a murmur, "W-where is e-everybody."

Putting his things away he responded, "Everyone left about 30 minutes ago, but I offered to wait for you to wake up."

"O-oh. D-did we p-pass?"

Naruto grinned confidently, "Of course we did, and we couldn't have done it without you."

"R-really?"

"Of course, you tracked her down for us. You are an amazing kunoichi."

Hinata blushed, "D-do y-you r-really t-t-think s-so?"

The grin turned to a warm smile, "Yes. And never let anyone tell you otherwise."

Her smile turned to a frown, "B-but my c-clan says…"

He cut her off, "Your clan is kinda dumb. No offense."

Her eyes widened but then her frown deepened, "H-hey! T-that's my f-family your t-talking about."

Naruto waved his hands in his defense, "I know, it's just they all use the same fighting style, no differences at all, and that makes the Hyuga Clan very predictable. That makes me worry for you."

Hinata looks at Naruto confused, "W-why?"

"Because the second anyone knows you're a Hyuga they are going to know exactly what you can do and predictability can kill you."

"O-oh."

"I gotta go but think about this. The next time one of you family members says you are weak, maybe they don't know what they're talking about?"

Naruto left the training ground leaving behind a pondering Hinata.

To be Continued…

I'm going to struggle with including Shino to conversations but I will do my best.

I will post every one to two weeks. Thank you for reading.