Author's note: Thank you for over a hundred reviews.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Genma

Shiranui Genma thought he was doing a good job taking care of seven-year-old Uzumaki Naruto. He made sure that the boy was always clothed appropriately and fed properly and he prevented any form of harm from befalling the boy. Last week he even stopped one drunkard Kyuubi hater from attacking the child. He spat a senbon into his hand so fast the man didn't even have the time to slap his young charge. So why did the Sandaime summon him to discuss complaints against his guardianship?

The jounin stepped into the Hokage's office and immediately noticed Sarutobi glaring disapprovingly at the senbon he was chewing. What was his problem? He had never minded before. And if he suddenly developed a dislike against chewing sticks, he should start with Asuma's cigarettes. Now that was something that should be forbidden. His senbon didn't bother anyone with their foul stench.

"Ah, Genma," the aged village leader greeted. It didn't sound particularly friendly. "Are you teaching Naruto to spit senbon?"

"No, Hokage-sama," the jounin replied. The technique was too advanced for someone who had barely started attending the Academy. The risk of piercing his own tongue was too great.

"Then why do I have over a hundred complaints against Naruto spitting senbon at people on my desk?"

"What?" Genma blinked in surprise. This was the first he heard of it. "Naruto did no such thing." Well, in fact Naruto tried to spit senbon after the incident last week, but Genma had confiscated the senbon and forbade him from trying again, citing the aforementioned perils of the technique.

"Too many people say otherwise," the Third countered. "Do you really watch him all the time?"

"Yes. Well, almost." But he had let Naruto out of his sight for a few minutes at most. Just how much mischief could he have gotten into in such a short time? (Here Genma demonstrates his lack of experience with children. Otherwise he wouldn't have asked such a glaringly stupid question.)

"You have to keep better watch on him. And make sure the senbon-spitting stops," Sarutobi ordered.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Genma bowed and left.

When he came home, he wasn't too surprised to see Naruto standing at the window with a bunch of senbon in his mouth, choosing his next victim.

"Naruto!" Genma shouted. "Stop it this instant!"

The startled child jumped and swallowed. The senbon went in sharp end first (because both ends were sharp).

After the doctors pulled all the senbon from Naruto's throat and stated that it was a miracle that the boy survived, the Hokage began looking for a caretaker for Naruto that would be better at keeping the child out of trouble and didn't leave so many senbon lying around.