Gender Bender Naruto: The Series
By: KioKat
Summary: We all know Naruto, the #1 knucklehead, loudmouth ninja, right? Well, what if He had been a She? What if the whole Naruto world had been flipped around? The kunoichi now shinobi and vice versa? Join us on the adventure of a lifetime with Uzumaki Nariko, Konoha's #1, knuckleheaded Kunoichi!
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Chapter 12: C-Rank, Please!
(Completed: 02-20-10)
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"What do you mean you want a higher-ranked mission!"
Kairi sighed and Seiichi chuckled nervously, pushing his fingers back through his bangs and shifting uncomfortably. Sakaye merely scowled at the blonde beside her.
Said blonde paid no mind to the Uchiha, instead glaring stubbornly at her former teacher.
"Just like I said, Izumi-sensei!" Nariko cried. "I want a better mission, not these baby missions you've been giving us!"
The brunette twitched and gave the girl her own stern glare. "Nariko, you're a genin and not only that but a new genin! Until you've gained more experience than you have, you're going to be stuck with D-rank."
"But it's been a whole month now!" the girl whined. "How much more experience do you need?"
The chunin sighed with irritation, suddenly reminded how frustrating it could be to deal with her hard-headed student.
'Ex-student,' her mind chimed.
The thought made Izumi frown slightly as she observed the short girl.
Ever since Nariko had graduated and become a part of her new squad, Izumi had found it more and more difficult to spend time with her. Between her own hours as a teacher and Nariko's new missions, it was understandable why, but she still couldn't help but think...
Her eyes saddened as she regarded her former student.
A part of her knew that as a teacher she shouldn't favor one student over another and actually desiring to spend time with a specific student after she had already left her care could most certainly be considered favoritism. Even so, Nariko was special. She was the little girl she had watched over since the blonde had barely been any more than an Academy upstart. She was one of her precious people, and Izumi missed her loud mouth and bright attitude.
The thought of giving her a mission any higher than a D-rank absolutely terrified her. She in no way actually doubted Kairi's skill—Copy Cat Kairi's reputation was widely known amongst the shinobi community, after all—but she knew what could happen to genin sent out before they were ready, had seen it first-hand, in fact, and knew how wrong a simple C-rank could actually go; and Nariko... Nariko was just so terribly headstrong and confident.
It was genin like her who died early.
The thought of the blonde, bloody and mangled, eyes blank and unseeing; it turned her stomach and almost made her physically ill...
"Izumi?"
The brunette jumped and turned her head.
Sarutobi observed her carefully, pipe dangling from his lips. "Are you feeling alright? You look a little pale..."
Though his tone seemed questioning, Izumi felt the Hokage already knew her concerns and that it was them that made her unwell. Something about his eyes—Perhaps a glimmer of understanding?—made her believe as such.
Blushing faintly in embarrassment, Izumi shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Ah... Yes, Hokage-sama, I'm fine."
The brunette glanced at her student and noted the concern she found in the girl's face. The sight melted her and Izumi smiled at the blonde genin reassuringly, before clearing her throat and straightening again. As she did so, she felt Kairi's single eye boring into her, and somehow she feared that perhaps the jounin knew of her worries as well.
"Izumi's right," the Third spoke up, removing his pipe from his mouth to expel the smoke from his lungs. "It's still too early for you three to take on a mission of higher rank. You lack the experience or even the maturity for-"
"Come on, Old Man!" Nariko cried, interrupting him. "I'm not a little kid anymore who spends her time painting the Hokage Tower or thinking up pranks! I'm a kunoichi now and a shinobi of Konoha, and I'm sick and tired of you babying us with these lame jobs you call missions!" Her nostrils flared as she gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, eyes flashing. "I want a real mission, Gramps! I can't take it anymore!"
". . ."
The whiskered girl yelped as Kairi rapped her student's head with a sigh. "You really have no concept of an Inside Voice, do you?..."
The Sandaime watched silently as Nariko proceeded to complain to the woman for her actions. Observing the girl's squad mates, he smiled to himself.
Seiichi glared at Nariko, eyebrows drawn down and lip curled in annoyance. His shoulders were tense and his posture radiated irritation, but many years upon years of experience as a shinobi allowed the Third to see the hint of impatience to his eyes. The boy was nervous about taking on a mission of higher rank, but he wanted it as well, to test himself and perhaps show off to the pretty Uchiha survivor on his squad?...
Sarutobi smiled again on seeing the male genin's eyes dart towards the pale girl and the shifting of his feet in another restless gesture.
Sakaye herself stood by the blonde, eyes narrowed and lips pulled tight. As the Hokage's gaze came to rest on her, the dark orbs slid to his. She stared quietly at him and the elderly man knew, though she was not as vocal about it as Nariko, that she wanted that C-rank as well. Of course, he also knew it was for reasons different than what the orange-clad genin had in mind.
His gaze drifted past Nariko—he already knew how eager she was—and instead landed on their silver-haired sensei.
The woman's stance seemed lazy enough, but the Sandaime could see the sharp, restless look to her eye. Kairi was a seasoned jounin and a former ANBU as well. She had been taking missions from an age almost more than half of that of her student's. Though her supposed laid-back posture and easy-going attitude might bring one to think she would enjoy the time off, Sarutobi knew it wasn't so. Kairi wasn't a Nara; she was a Hatake and not one to be able to take such a lull in her mission times lightly.
Due to recent circumstances, the jounin was being forced to accompany infrequent missions of a much, much lower rank than she normally took. That, coupled with her having never taken on a genin squad before, and the woman was unused to such a break in her mission schedule. While she may have appreciated the time off to read her book at first, the lack of missions her level, with the action she was used to, had been taking its toll on her, making her restless. Sarutobi might even have gone so far as to say she wanted the mission as much as her students did.
He smiled secretly to himself, interested by the new developments. If Nariko had been the only one to seem ready, he would have never considered, but as the case seemed otherwise...
"Alright," he finally said with a chuckle. "Since you seem so insistent upon it, you may have a C-rank."
"For the last time, Old Man, I'm telling you I want a–"
"Idiot!" Seiichi hissed. "He's giving us a C-rank, not a D-rank!"
It took a moment for her crush's words to register, but once they did, Nariko gasped excitedly and turned to the Hokage, eyes sparkling. "Really? No way!" Without waiting for a confirmation, she proceeded to cheer excitedly, hopping up and down.
The Sandaime chuckled again, shaking his head at the girl's antics, before he flitted his gaze towards the brunette beside him.
Izumi gaped in shock, staring blankly at her former pupil.
Of course the Third knew precisely of the chunin's fears. The woman was rather close to the orange-clad genin, and through that it wasn't terribly hard to figure out or understand her concerns. She honestly cared for Nariko and worried for her safety. How could she not when she loved the girl as much as she did? It was love that brought people the desire to protect the ones close to them, and even from when Izumi had first taken the blonde under her wing, Sarutobi had seen how much she had cared. She, after all, had been the one to watch over the girl when he was unable, to nurture her like only a woman could, to comfort her, love her, worry over her...
He only wondered if Izumi knew how motherly she actually was to the enthusiastic preteen. He hid another quirk of his lips and returned to the four before him. Whether Izumi was ready or not, Squad 7 was, especially the blonde loudmouth known as Nariko. It wasn't up to her anyway; it was up to them, and he wasn't going to hold them back for her sake.
"Ha ha!" Nariko giggled. "I knew you would see my skills sooner or later! So, what's the mission? Helping a prince? Finding a secret scroll? Hunting rogue nin across the country? Rescuing a prince?" The girl squealed and sighed dreamily to herself, both at the thought and the dashing figure that had materialized within her mind.
The Hokage's eyebrows slowly rose in bemusement. "Well, I wouldn't call him a prince, but you are helping someone..."
"What about a lord?" Nariko exclaimed, hands clasped before her eagerly. "A lord is cool, too!"
Sarutobi couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him. "Why don't I send him in and let you see for yourself?" He gestured for the shinobi at the door to collect their client, and it didn't take long for footsteps to echo down the hall again.
The blonde whipped around, thoughts whirling in her head. 'Oh, who could it be? Is he important? Powerful? Handsome? My age? Old geezer? Who? Who!'
The door slid open, Nariko's breath caught...
...and released in a disappointed whoosh.
The man, while not elderly or necessarily unattractive, was obviously not a prince.
His face was fine enough: tan skin, short black hair that spiked up slightly in the back, and dark eyes made up a nice, if not a little average visage. His clothes weren't all that bad either. Not the silken robes of a daimyo or the thick armor of a samurai, but they were simple: a short-sleeved pale blue shirt that zipped in the front, a pair of practical black high waters, and a set of sandals similar to their own upon his feet.
All in all, the man was simple, average...
'Bor-ing...' Nariko thought unhappily.
"Is this a joke?" the female genin cried, whirling around to pout at Sarutobi. "I thought we were going to get someone cool or at least interesting. This guy looks like a total bore!"
Seiichi rolled his eyes and sighed with annoyance, muttering something along the lines of "unappreciative, loud blondes," though he seemed just as disappointed as she.
A mixture of relief and worry flashed through Izumi's eyes on realizing what mission the team had been given, before she snapped to and glared at the blonde, bracing her palms on the table.
"Nariko," the brunette scolded, "how dare you be so ungrateful! Most genin aren't allowed C-rank missions until they've completed at least two months of D-rank. Hokage-sama is doing you a favor by even permitting this!"
"But look at him!" Nariko whined, jabbing a finger at the man. "He looks boring... I wanted a C-rank so I could do cool things!"
"You don't even know what the mission is!" Izumi exclaimed, throwing her hands up in a mixture of frustration and exasperation, revealing that perhaps she had dealt with this sort of behavior from the short blonde one too many times.
The whiskered girl suddenly perked up, eyes going round. "Eh? Eh?" She whipped her head towards the Third, grinning broadly and almost bouncing with excitement. "What is it then? Come on, tell me: is it good?"
Sarutobi lightly grasped his pipe in an attempt to hide a smile that had formed on observing the girl's sudden change in mood and attitude.
"Well..." he began. "You four will be escorting Toshirou-san here back to his home in the Land of Waves."
Nariko blinked and frowned, expression becoming disgruntled. "Escort?... You mean, we're just going to babysit him to his house? That's it?" The blonde crossed her arms and groaned. "Ugh... That's not cool at all..."
Disbelief consumed Seiichi's features as he turned his head to give the girl a shocked, open-mouthed look.
"Didn't you hear a word he said?" the pinket gaped, stunned by his teammate's displeasure towards their given mission. "Hokage-sama said he lives in the Land of Waves."
Blue orbs regarded him blankly, and the male genin emitted an aggravated groan.
"Land of Waves?" he continued. "At least a week's journey from us if you're a shinobi and run? Two if you're not and walk? Big island in the middle of the ocean?..."
The orange-clad girl continued to stare at her teammate as she processed the information. Her eyes suddenly bulged and she gasped. "What? Really?" She snapped her head towards Izumi and the Third for confirmation.
The Sandaime smiled lightly around his pipe and the female chunin simply looked exasperated—Exactly how many times had they looked over maps of the five great nations in class?—before nodding to indicate that yes, the olive-eyed boy was correct.
Paying no mind to Seiichi's smug grin, Nariko bounced where she stood. "That's awesome! I can't believe it!" She whirled around to Toshirou, their new client, and beamed. "You know, I really thought this would suck and all because you don't look like much and seem really boring, but I had no idea you lived so far away! I've never been out of the village before, so this is great!" The corners of her lips pulled far on her cheeks, making her eyes go shut with the force. "I'm Uzumaki Nariko, by the way, and glad to be your escort!"
Toshirou simply remained silent, eyes wide and unblinking, though he must have done so at some point since entering the room. Even so, his gaze had stuck fast to the blonde and her squad since he had first set sight on them, and for that, he seemed oddly stunned as his dark orbs slid from her to Sakaye to Seiichi, briefly over Kairi, and then back to her again. He continued to stare at Nariko mutely, expression unchanging.
The whiskered girl's smile slowly slipped from her face at his odd behavior. "Hey... Hey, mister!" She waved a hand before him. "Hey, are you okay? Hell~o..."
The dark-haired male blinked once, glancing them over again. "...You three are shinobi?" His face became incredulous as he spoke. "At such an age?..."
Misinterpreting the meaning of his words, Nariko flushed with anger and glared indignantly at him. "Hey now, not all ninja can be geniuses who graduate at like... Three or something, okay! I'll have you know twelve is a perfectly good age to be a genin!"
Seeming not to hear her, Toshirou persisted in his scan of them, face tight and dark eyes unreadable. "And you two..." His gaze darted between Sakaye and Nariko. "Why are you shinobi?"
The female Uchiha suddenly went stiff and she glowered at the older man, displeased by his question and the implications behind it.
Nariko merely gawked at him, growing livid as the flush to her face darkened.
"Y-you... What are you saying, huh?" the preteen squealed angrily. "That girls can't be ninja? Is that it? Ooh! I'll show you!"
Kairi quickly restrained the blonde by grabbing the collar of her jacket. Nariko struggled against her grip, flailing her arms and stretching towards the male they were set to escort. Furious nothings spat from her mouth as she did so, littering the air with her unintelligible screams.
Puzzled by the girl's reaction, Toshirou frowned, seemingly unhappy with her behavior, as the dubious look to his eyes increased.
Kairi glanced over the occupants of the room; from Sarutobi, who sighed softly, and Izumi, who moaned, rubbing her temples; to Sakaye, who fumed silently, expression dark, and Seiichi, who pressed his face into his palm, groaning with embarrassment; then finally to Nariko, who carried on with her cries, struggling in the jounin's grip, and their client, who watched them doubtfully.
The silver-haired woman sighed. "Glad to know we're starting off so well..."
But of course, the mutter went unheard.
oxoxo
"I really am sorry. I just meant that you seem so young, and as for your gender..."
Toshirou frowned as they stood at the gate, preparing to exit the village. "I have a daughter of my own, a few years younger than you. I pictured a team of men closer to my age, not three children, two who could practically be my daughter, for that matter..."
Nariko scowled, glancing at the older man reluctantly, as Kairi nodded.
"That's understandable," the masked kunoichi replied. "To civilians, the age of shinobi does tend to come as a surprise." She glanced up at Toshirou from her book. "And given your daughter, I suppose it's no wonder you regarded Nariko and Sakaye's presence with such displeasure. Therefore, all can be forgiven and differences can be set aside..."
Nariko grimaced at her teacher's pointed look.
"Yeah, yeah..." the young girl muttered. "I get it already. Apology accepted. Blah Blah blah..."
Suddenly, the loud genin brightened and grinned broadly. "But come on, let's get going!" She sprinted towards the gateway. "I've never been out of the village before and I wanna see what it's like!"
"So I've heard..." Toshirou couldn't help but mutter, a wry grin tugging at his features as he recalled she had said something similar when learning precisely how far away he lived.
"You know, Nariko," Kairi called after the blonde, "the point of the mission is to escort our client, not outrun him."
Going ignored by the short genin, the silver-haired woman merely shook her head and sighed yet again that day.
Seiichi looked back at the other male to their group, curiously watching as he dug around in the backpack that had gone unnoticed on their first examination of him.
"What are you doing?" the male genin questioned.
Toshirou didn't answer and instead removed a broad straw hat and what looked to be a cloak from his pack. The hat was worn around the edges and the cloak appeared to have seen better days, but they were well taken care of and apparently served their purpose if Toshirou's application of the articles was any indication.
The pinket frowned as the older man, having tied the hat securely to his head, proceeded to wrap the cloak around his shoulders. It was only then that Seiichi realized it was a rain coat of some sort.
The boy blinked in confusion, and Sakaye flicked her gaze back towards the man as well.
"Why are you putting that on?" Seiichi questioned again. "It's not–"
A sudden crack of thunder and an unhappy squeal, courtesy of Nariko, filled the air as a downpour of water gushed from the sky.
Toshirou slid past as Seiichi gaped up at the suddenly dark clouds, stunned.
"When you're raised around fishermen, you learn to predict a coming storm," the elder explained.
"...Oh."
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A few days later and the mini-monsoon continued with no sign of stopping.
"You know, I thought it only rained for days in the Rain village..."
Kairi chuckled softly. "Contrary to its name, the Land of Fire is actually quite wet."
Seiichi grimaced at that and grumbled to himself. "So I've noticed..."
Nariko simply sniffed glumly as they trekked down the path, the rain pounding upon them mercilessly. Excluding the earlier conversation, all was quiet but for the pitter patter of water on the leaves and the sound of mud squelching beneath their sandals and, much to their displeasure, between their toes.
Sakaye turned her gaze downwards, her lip curling in disgust. The feeling of the brown ooze brought chills to her form, and it was only the assertion that she uphold her stoic façade that kept her from shuddering in revulsion.
Ignoring his mud-coated feet, Seiichi instead unhappily regarded the pink hair sticking to his face. He shook his head hard in an attempt to remove the unyielding bangs, but they continued to cling to his forehead and cheeks, merely sliding into a different position with each jerk of his skull. Finally giving up on trying to stay "manly," the pinket grudgingly brushed the hair from his eyes and tucked it behind his ears so that his vision could clear.
Or as much as it could clear with the sky flooding them as it was.
Seiichi squinted, attempting to see through the downpour, but try as he might, he could make out nothing distinct. He could discern shadows and some shapes, but the edges were fuzzy, and it was difficult to determine what they were until he was at least a few feet away.
Exhaling deeply, the male genin scanned the area around them, uncertain by the lack of clarity. If they were to be attacked, it would be very difficult to tell until it was too late. Thankfully, they weren't expected to meet anyone but perhaps a bandit or two, and even then, the chances of that were slim. If that weren't enough to settle his nerves, they also had a seasoned jounin accompanying them, so they were considerably safe.
A pitiful whimper cut the air, and the pinket attempted to glare irritatedly at his blonde teammate. It was only because of her bright orange jacket that he could determine her position.
'Thank god for that,' he thought sarcastically, rolling his eyes. 'I'll know exactly where she is if I need her...'
Seiichi grimaced and released a sigh. "Lovely..."
Sakaye paid no mind to the pink-haired male by her side or his displeased mutter, instead watching as the rain lessened somewhat—not significantly, but enough so that their range of vision noticeably improved. She flicked her eyes about, checking for enemies despite knowing the possibility was unlikely. A shinobi could never be too careful, right?
She rolled her eyes at that and proceeded with her observations.
Kairi gave no thought to the rain—she had suffered through worse weather in her career as a kunoichi—though she was rather disappointed at being unable to read her novel.
'I'll never find out if Noriaki chooses between Junko or Chie at this rate,' the woman thought gloomily as she gave her bag a wistful glance, 'and I really want to know if Hideo will ever tell Dan the truth...'
The jounin's soft sigh caught Toshirou's attention and he spared her a glance before examining the three genin before him. He had done it so often by this point that it had nearly become habit. A troubled frown toyed with his features and his eyebrows drew together uneasily.
He hadn't been lying when he had said he had expected a team of men. When he had been told he would have a squad of four ninja escorting him, he had instantly pictured four seasoned males who knew what they were doing, not a woman who looked to be at least five years younger than himself and three wet-behind-the-ears children who had only become shinobi a mere month ago.
He shut his eyes thoughtfully. It had been difficult to believe just how young they were. Only twelve, twelve, just a few years older than his little girl, and they were already in such a career. It absolutely made him ill. On noting the two female genin, he couldn't help but see his little Isano in their place and he wondered how any father could bear to allow his young daughter in such an occupation. It surpassed his own comprehension, and he gave up trying to reason it within his mind.
Seeing his young escorts had turned his stomach for another reason however. Having to lie to the mission board had been unpleasant enough, he thought. The assurance he had created for himself that he was going to have four older men guarding him had eased the guilt, but meeting the three preteens, his true escorts, had destroyed that image and he had nearly spilled it all. Yet, the thought of his daughter at home waiting on him and knowing where it would leave her if he told the truth... It had returned the steel to his resolve and he had pushed such concerns from his mind.
Hopefully, the trip to his home would go without a hitch and all would be well. They'd drop him off, he'd thank them for their services, and they'd be on their way again, things returning to normal...
Normal; he wondered if he should consider that a good thing.
The resounding clash of metal brought him to again, and Toshirou whipped his head back so hard his neck ached. The sight of Kairi holding back the steel claws of a sinister-looking shinobi with a kunai met his startled vision.
"Protect the client!" the jounin ordered, shoving the ninja away from her, as his partner slipped past.
The silver-haired woman glanced sharply at the second nin, and her visible eye narrowed.
Nariko simply gaped at the oncoming shinobi and Seiichi, after a moment's shock, quickly slipped into a defensive stance, but the ninja ignored them both, instead zipping towards Toshirou.
The dark-haired male jerked, as Sakaye instantly slid in front of him and whipped a kunai at their advancing foe. The female genin's eyes widened slightly, as the enemy nin simply flicked the weapon away and proceeded forward without pause.
"Sakaye-chan!" Seiichi shouted, snapping his head towards his teammate.
The Uchiha survivor quickly snatched another kunai from her bag and flipped it into her hand so that she held it before her, while reaching into her weapons' pouch for a handful of shuriken. Her expression tightened and her nostrils flared, a strange, almost-feverish anticipation shining in her eyes.
Toshirou's breath caught in fear at the young girl's stance, and his daughter's form replaced hers. A sudden, powerful urge to shove the dark-haired genin out of the way consumed him, but as his arms tensed for the action, Kairi appeared, foot whipping out to smack the nin alongside his head.
The adversary lurched and swung his metal claws in an attempt to tear her calf, only for the jounin to snap her hand out and grab his wrist, instantaneously twisting it with a sickening crack and bringing a strangled growl from the shinobi. Within moments, the female jounin had the opposing ninja bound beside his partner, who she had incapacitated shortly beforehand.
The five surrounded the enemy nin, the rain having finally lessened so that it was now no more than a light drizzle.
"Well, well, well," Kairi clucked, "I do have to say it was quite clever of you to attack us in the rain like that. You hid in one of the puddles along the road, right?"
The pair kept silent, merely eying the silver-haired woman darkly.
"But I suppose I should thank you," she continued, disregarding their glowers in favor of observing the startled four behind her. "You did help me discover one little... interesting specification to this mission that had not been clarified earlier..."
Toshirou's eyes widened as her gaze fell on him. "What? But how did you–"
"The first went for me, but he was just meant to keep me busy as the first slipped by," Kairi explained. "A decoy, so clearly they weren't after me. He then ignored my students and went straight for you. From there, it wasn't all too difficult to figure out..."
She carefully observed him. "But what that doesn't explain is why they wanted you."
Toshirou swallowed hard under her scrutiny, and her visible eye burned for answers he somehow knew she was going to get whether he complied or not.
Thus, with a heavy sigh, he began his tale.
"My father, he's a bridge builder back in Wave. I was sent here for supplies, but you see, there's a terrible man after him..."
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Fun Facts:
– This title refers to Nariko's desire for a C-rank, of course. I thought it was cute and fit Nariko well. Laughs.
– This chapter sat unfinished for the longest time as I struggled to decide whether they should escort Tazuna or Toshirou. I really wanted to switch it up to avoid a word-for-word retelling that many alternate Wave Arcs turn out to be, but I was very uncertain as to whether I should do so or keep Tazuna. However, with the help of my best friend, I chose Toshirou with the reasoning that Tazuna would have gone himself since he had a daughter in the original canon, but with a son, Tazuna would feel more at ease and likely to send said son out to Konoha in his stead.
– As you can tell, I took some liberties with the reason why Tazuna was in Konoha in the first place since it was never stated. Therefore, though I do not know the original reason, Toshirou's purpose for being in Konoha was so that he could attain the supplies he mentioned in his last line.
– The foreshadowed event at the end of Chapter 11 was Toshirou bidding goodbye to Tazuna and his daughter, Isano.
– The battle with the Demon Brothers is, technically, the first real fight in this story. Grins. What I mean is that up until now they have only really been implied—Izumi vs. Hajime in Chapter 4—or left to the imagination—Sakaye vs. Kairi during the Bell Test. There will, obviously, be more as the story goes on. I just find it to be amusing that the first one isn't until Chapter 12.
– Junko, Chiye, and Noriaki references Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke's Japanese voice actors, and my reference to Hideo and Dan, Itachi and Kisame's Japanese voice actors, is also a reference towards my love for the KisaIta pairing. Grins. Have no fear, it does not foreshadow Kisame and Itachi's female counterparts in a romantic relationship. It's just a treat for myself. That being said, the Junko, Chiye, and Noriaki reference could also perhaps be taken as a reference to the popular NaruSasuSaku triangle in fanfiction, which I'm actually not a particular fan of. Shrugs. I don't like love triangles. They make me sad.
– Izumi makes her return appearance after 7 chapters. However, it is her only one for several more chapters, excluding a small flashback in Chapter 14. What is interesting about Izumi though is that she made a cameo not only in every chapter of the first arc, but in the first 7 consecutive chapters of this fanfic. Chapter 8 was the first one where she did not appear.
– Despite the large boom in the Kunoichi population, beginning with the Sanin's time, female shinobi are still somewhat regarded to be inferior and weaker than their male counterparts, explaining Nariko and Sakaye's reaction towards Toshirou's questioning of their gender.
– Toshirou has been somewhat of a difficult character for me because, for some reason, whenever he speaks, his words tend to come out more formally than should be reasonable for someone of his background. It may have something to do with his personality and character. Usually, when I have a character of his type, they tend to have a rather proper way of speaking, so I've been having troubles trying to make his speech more informal. I feel that my toughest chapter with this issue is the next one where Toshirou has a bit of a speech, in which he pleads with Team 7 to stay with him until he reaches home. Sigh.
– Isano joins the group of characters (Seiichi, Ikuo, Okimi, and Asami) who have their name mentioned in a chapter before and separate from the one in which they are first seen. Wow, this is becoming a lot more common than I thought it would...
– This is the second time I've used rain to switch up this story from the original Canon. Grins. The first time was in Chapter 2, when I used it to clean the paint from Nariko's artwork, so that Nariko ended up cleaning up the classroom as punishment instead of cleaning the paint like Naruto did in the original.