A/N: Now we're getting somewhere . . . kind , HEY!, let me know you guys exist . . . please? I'm wonder if I'm writing for just myself now since I have like two reviews only for each chapter. Not very motivational. Sorry, all. I'm a pathetic pansy like that.

Mild warnings: slight-to-severe perversion, extreme mentions of violence best left unsaid, anger issues, death (not a main character, PROMISE!), and . . . I think that's it. If it's not, let me know, kay?

1234567890 Chapter 12 1234567890

It had been almost two days since the "Fangirl Incident" and Naruto was wondering when the hubbub would die down. Hinata had already nearly had a handful of heart attacks and accident-on-purpose paralyzed at the very least three people who had jumped from nowhere. If fangirls were crazy scary, then the fanboys were delusional eff-ups. ((A/N: Sorry fan people. I don't mean to rag on you, but it is funny. Can't say much though as I am a fangirl, too.))

That night, after making sure the doors were barred, Naruto sat with Arashi to talk about Kiba's problem, the older blond sighing. "Tsume is a great leader but has a tendency to second guess her actions afterward which leaves her an emotional wreck. When her husband had been alive, he made sure that she didn't spiral too far into a depression . . . which this is starting to sound like."

"You mean that we caused Tsume-sensei to go into a mental meltdown?" Naruto looked horrified, his wide eyes conveying just how much this bothered him. Arashi shook his head.

"No, nothing like that. It was probably a catalyst, but not the main cause. When an Inuzuka mates, they do so until death do they part. If and when a mate dies, the other half has well over fifty percent chance of following. It's not because they are weak, but because they feel too deeply for their partner to keep living in emptiness. Rare is it for an Inuzuka to take a second mate and I have only heard of one having three . . . and that was at the same time. Obuji or something to that effect, a far far distant ancestor of Kiba." Arashi sighed into his hands. "I think Tsume has been dealing with depression since she was young and deep depression since her mate's untimely demise. It's only gotten this bad due to everything happening at once and she probably refusing mental and emotional help."

Naruto sighed and nodded in understanding, rubbing his face to try and help him think. "So .. . can we do anything?" Arashi shook his head and Naruto sighed in defeat. "We wait?"

"For now."

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It was their one free day, Sunday, and Naruto had gathered all the guys together with Kagura and Hinata acting as wardens of a sort. "Alright. You've had plenty of time to think about this, forget it, and now I'm gonna shove it all back down your throats."

Naruto prowled the room silently, looking at the mildly bewildered faces of his comrades. Only Shika and Shino seemed to have some inkling of what this might be about. "You boys are gonna be girls in the next few minutes and nothing you say will get you out of it. You have to learn sometime and now is the best. Hinata and Kagura will be helping but," Naruto poofed into feminine form, clothes hanging from a softly curving frame on a normal looking girl sporting raven hair, green eyes, and pale skin in a purple shift and green stockings, "I will be the instructor."

His voice had softened up several degrees and his smile was much kinder, sweeter. Sasuke and Kiba both looked shocked and Shino, Shikamaru and the pups – the little ones didn't know why they had to be here – twitched almost violently. It wasn't that this was unheard of . . . but they knew her. "Noburahime-sama" mixed with "Ruriko-chan" as voices let their shock be known.

"Hello, minna!" Naruto/Ruriko chirped brightly.

Hinata giggled at the faces of the other boys, her eyes dancing with enjoyment. "And just think, you'll be like Ruriko in no time!"

Sasuke groaned into his hands. "Why am I here then?"

Hinata smirked. "Because, you are going to learn this or be banned from the next trick Naruto will be teaching you. Just think of the things you could do on an undercover mission with a body like that. Or even this. Oroiki no jutsu!" The Hinata that stood before them was not a little girl anymore. No, she was a woman grown, her giant bosom held in a tiny baby-tee with skimpy ripped shorts better suited to underwear status with blue stockings and garter belt. Her hair was long and an even brighter blue, her eyes now as blue as Naruto's, and her skin just as pale as Ruriko's. "Call me Hanako-chan, everyone. I'm Ruriko's big sister and a scary one at that!"

Kagura decided to join in the fun. "Oroiki no jutsu!" Standing in her place was a pretty, tall, and voluptuous woman with ebony hair, pale skin, and pink eyes. Her tiny baby-doll dress didn't even go halfway down her thighs but pink stockings made the illusion of being pants if only until you noticed they were held up by a garter belt. Her long black hair was held down by a ribbon at her waist as she swayed on her platforms like a dancer. "And I am Kimiko-chan, also Ruriko's big sis and Hanako-chan's little sis."

Jaws dropped, the guys outright fainted at one point, and the pups were traumatized for life. These were the notorious Noburahime sisters, the girls every guy wanted. Even they had a few fantasies about them and this made their entire life a disturbing LIE! Ruriko laughed at them, her face showing Naruto's personality without the big fox grin. "Don't worry, there is a Noburahime, but she's an only child and an orphan. Luckily, she is the next best thing to a sister and let us adopt ourselves to her name and family. Momoko-chan is really a girl."

Hinata/Hanako dumped a bucket of water on them all forcing them out of their brain dead stupor. "Alright, everyone, two to an instructor. Sasuke, Kiba, you two are with me. Shino, Shikamaru, you go with Kagura. Ichigo and Akamaru, take Naruto." When no one moved, she pelted them with water balloons from her bag. "Now, people!"

Shino and Shikamaru left at a run with a cackling Kagura/Kimiko to another room, the two breathing in relief to be out of range. It was as if Hinata had planned for their complete shock . . . then again, this was Hinata, so maybe she had. Of course, they had the one "teacher" that would be just as evil as Hinata. "Alright, you two. These mirrors are here to help prefect your look. These," she held her hands out for them to see as she did the signs, "are the sequence you must memorize. Once you have that, focus chakra like you would for a henge . . . but, due to your new natures, it will be a complete transformation unlike the henge which is like makeup. False but can be convincing far away. This will under go even ANBU scrutiny."

Shino raised his hand and Kimiko called on him. "How do you know that?"

Kimiko/Kagura blushed. "I'll tell you after you complete your transformation. You have two hours and this pile of reference. Begin!"

Reference meaning porn. They really wanted to be elsewhere . . .

With Hanako/Hinata:

"Alrighty, boys, into the mirrored room. We have two hours to get this right and I won't be the last one, got it?" the woman ordered in a very Hinata way. Sasuke and Kiba gulped. This was not going to end well for them, they just knew it. Sharing a look of misery, they trudged into the room with Hinata bringing up the rear.

Turning around to face her students, the girl smirked. "Watch my hands and copy them. Don't deviate, we haven't figured out what would happen it you do." She went through the hand signs a few times. "Think of the form you want as you convert chakra for a henge. Picture it with clarity as you let the change take you. If you need references, here is a pile of Kakashi's best that Naruto and I stole about a month ago. It has several different body types to choose from, as you can see between Kimiko, Ruriko and I. When you are through, you might be introducing your new selves to the public so better get it right."

Sasuke settled down with a magazine nearby since, though he was on a team with a girl and one of his best friends was a girl, he had no actual reference to go by. He quickly shut the glossy pages, face flaming. He wasn't a pervert, but he was still a guy. "So, like this?" he asked as he stood. "Oroiki no jutsu!"

It was . . . an epic FAIL. Hinata had him in front of the mirrors, pointing out what he had done wrong and critiquing him. Kiba tried next, his a bit better but no less a fail. Giving them pages to look at, girls in provocative detailed poses, they tried again, Kiba actually getting close, but not quite. Sasuke hunched over a small stack, picking out his form, his mind too analytical to register the arousing pictures as such. "Hm . . . I think I know what we have so much trouble with."

With a last "Poof!" he was a beauty the likes of which Naruto, Hinata and Kagura had achieved. Only he was very much naked. Kiba took considerably longer since he couldn't stop his reactions even when not focused on them, his body betraying him as he tried to learn his new form. Hinata ended up pouring ice down his pants.

Fifteen minutes to spare had her taking her charges over to Kagura/Kimiko's room to compare their body studies. "They're not bad. Other than the fact that they sometimes can't remember to picture the clothes clearly enough, they have it down."

Kimiko nodded. "Yeah, they're getting good at it. Shino already keeps his clothes on every time. Shikamaru misses once out of every seven, though. Not the best, but he's got one hot body."

"Think we could pass them off as cousins?" Hanako asked seriously. "We don't need random girls showing up without any cards or papers."

Kimiko thought about it. "Ruriko should take care of that. She's good at getting the guards to let anyone in."

"True."

With Ruriko/Naruto:

"Hey, pups. Ready to make yourselves almost human?"

:Naru-onii-chan . . . How do we do that? We can't mold chakra like you and Hinata-onee-chan.: Ichigo whined softly. She plopped down with a sigh.

Ruriko squatted down. "It's not so much the molding as the image you want to take on. With Kyuubi's chakra running through you, you should be able to achieve human transformation with little difficulty. And, when I'm like this, it's Ruriko, not Naruto. Can't let everyone know about this."

Akamaru thought about it. :Do I have to be female?:

Ruriko laughed. "For this time, yes, but I know you'll make a handsome boy. First, though, let's show those silly humans that you can do this."

Ruriko set out books and diagrams, the pups looking them over eagerly. Ichigo was the first to try and she got it right in one, though no clothes yet. Looking like a cute twelve year old, her hair was just as red as her fur as ever eyes blinked in a sky blue. "I did it!" Her new hands covered her human mouth in sudden shock, almost freaked out by the fact that she had talked and not growled or barked. Ruriko squeezed her tightly in a hug.

"Don't be afraid, Ichigo. This is good, really."

Akamaru agreed, his tail wagging. :My turn!:

He tried, but he couldn't turn into a girl . . . no, he was always male. A cute little teen male, but still male. Ruriko "hmmed" and poked at his bare chest from where he sat after his sixth transformation. Kyu was conversing with him, pointing out just why Akamaru may not be able to do it.

"I'm a demon. I give parts of myself to all you when I share my chakra. Ichigo is obviously closer to my feminine side but I think Akamaru will be unable to ever train his chakra into a feminine mold. It just won't happen," Kyu remarked in a pondering tone. "He's pretty enough now to cross-dress, but I doubt he'll ever go all the way."

Ruriko relayed the message, Akamaru whining in a pout. Ruriko squealed in fangirlish glee, though, startling the pup-turn-human. "You're so kawaii, Akamaru! If you do that, you'll have men and women falling at your feet! This is great!"

Of course, Akamaru didn't think so. "Ew . . . humans at my feet? Why?" Ruriko laughed.

"It was an expression, though it might have a ring of truth. What I meant was that as a human child you are cute and human adults love cute children. Just like canine want and prize strong pups, humans prize cute babes. Now all we need to do is change your hair colors to black or blue. Having two or three different personalities to fall back on is not a bad idea, but this time for what I have in mind to work, you'll have to have black or blue hair. Your eyes can be any color, but you have to have black or blue hair."

Akamaru snapped at him—her! Damn it. "We get it already, damn it!" He huffed. "We're not stupid, Naru-nii."

Ruriko tugged on his hair. "First, I know you're not stupid, but it is easy an easy fact to forget if you get distracted. Second, I'm not Naruto, I'm Ruriko. Or Ro-chan."

Akamaru sighed and went about what he had been told, actually understanding since he could now see in color. It confused his canine brain to no end, but the color was there. Ten minutes to the deadline, Naruto had both of his charges in clothes – Akamaru could "wear" both a female and male set at his choosing – and sipping some milk as they waited for their human counterparts to emerge from the rooms. Four heavily blushing women wandered in, one constantly touching her clothes as if to reassure herself that they were there.

"Yatta!" Ruriko cried in her soft voice and she clapped her hands excitedly. "So who's who? Hanako and Kimiko did a good job on getting you trained."

One stepped forward, face red but eye direct. "I'm Sasuke, also known now as Norioko." Ruriko had to admit, Sasuke as a girl was hot. Tall but willowy, the raven was now stacked. Not so much as Kimiko, but not so little as Ruriko. Bright red eyes watched with apprehension as the dress she wore rode up as she walked forward to bow as if introducing him—herself for the first time. Her hair, so dark it was swallowing light, trailed down to her waist in a straight sheet of living silk and Ruriko walked around the new Norioko to check all the changes.

"Good, good, Norioko-chan. Go sit with Tanako and Yoyoko. Next."

Orange eyes met him this time, a pretty short woman with blue hair swinging to her knees in a braid. Wearing a short school girl skirt and a tied button-up blouse, Naruto was surprised to learn who it was. "I am Shino, now Sanako. My twin, Sunako. Also known as Shikamaru."

Another set of orange eyes, this one carrying a blush that went down the crevice of his—her new breasts, was attached to an exact replica of Shino with the skirt a good deal longer and a less daring shirt. Ruriko nodded her approval. "I'm guessing Shikamaru had some difficulty with this, am I right?"

Hanako nodded, her blue hair sliding around her shoulders. "Yes. It seems he is too analytical to truly be imaginative outside of a Shogi or Go board."

Ruriko had them stand as she went between them, sizing them up carefully. "Not bad. Really good, actually." She poked Shikamaru causing him to squeak but the transformation was complete. "I was just checking. Alright. Next."

The one who had to be Kiba made her way forward in such a provocative manner, Ruriko felt a hot and bothered no matter how much she knew it was Kiba under the fox glamor. Pushing his new ample chest forward, the tiny shirt threatened to rip and Ruriko knew for certain now that she wasn't wearing a bra. The indecently small shorts gave Hanako's a run for their money as they made themselves home like a thong. Her hair was black and shorter than the others, caressing her shoulders in a wild disarray and complementing her yellow eyes. "I'm Tsumiko and older sister to Sanako and Sunako. Nice to meet you Ruriko-chan."

Ruriko smirked. "Yes, well, you all get a chance to use those new forms in about an hour. Momoko-chan informed the guards yesterday that her 'family' was coming to stay since all their things are now gone in a fire. Lost everything, including any papers or birth certificates. That and the hospital they used has been closed down for nearly fifteen years, not long after the last girl was born and before Tanako and Yoyoko. They were birthed by a midwife."

The others stared at Ruriko with astonished faces. "How long did it take you to make that up?" asked Nanako.

"About ten minutes, told it to Momoko, and now you all know." Hanako started laughing, Kimiko along with her.

"How do we do this, Ruriko-nee-chan?" asked little Tanako/Ichigo in her cute green and pink Lolita outfit. Yoyoko was also in a Lolita outfit, both the same color and style, and it was a little difficult to tell them apart when both had green eyes and black hair making them look like mini Ruriko dolls.

Naruto smirked. "Well, since Nata-chan and I," here Naruto turned back into himself, the short blond with blue eyes, "live outside the gates with Tou-san, I can more-or-less leave when I want. You all henge into inanimate objects here, we take you out there, and then you guys start on your way back into the village. I'll have a few clones along with you to represent Ruriko and the den mother."

The group nodded though the pups had to be taught how to henge. It didn't take but three tries in their human forms to get it right and now Naruto carried a small bag of stones. Six stones for six people.

Their plan went without flaw. A clone Ruriko explained why the teens had seen both "Ruriko" and Naruto on random days and made them aware of just how life like the clone would be . . . since even Akamaru had been fooled and he had the best senses of them all. "Ruriko" was left with Kimiko and Hanako with enough life to last three days, or so Naruto said. He waited until they were outside the gates before another clone was made and transformed into a very solid, very durable Minoko-san.

"Minoko-san is an aunt to Momoko and mother of – brace your selves – Tsumiko, Sanako, Sunako, Tanako and Yoyoko. The last two are named after her deceased sisters."

Naruto pulled his "clone" around with him so that she could remember who was who. "You are Minoko. Noburahime Minoko." He grinned as he looked over the blue haired woman, checking her purple eyes over for anything too suspicious and straightening her soft blue linen summer dress. "In four days time you will expire, bar any freak accidents, but before then you should come to me so that I can recharge you. Don't let this transformation drop. Bad things would happen."

"Yes, boss," the clone saluted. "Come on, girls, lets rock Konoha with our new Sexiness." Naruto watched them go, the group talking softly with henged bags over their shoulders full of feminine products and maybe a change of clothes. He figured that when they arrived the Noburahime "girls" were going to need a shopping trip. Fox clothing aside, the stuff could vanish, they needed to see what it was other women spoke of so much and acclimate themselves so they could blend better. So . . . shopping.

Naruto was slowly walking back to the gates, trailing after the group of "women" by quite a bit. It wouldn't do them any good for the new Noburahime girls to be associated with him at all. The scream of terror and the sudden knowledge of his clan in danger sparked him forward as fast as he could run, streaking to the girls within moments.

It was their sensei Mizuki, the pale-haired man packing a large scroll on his back. Luckily, it was only "Minoko" that had a kunai to her throat but the others were immobile, just as civilians should be. Across from Mizuki was a team of ANBU, their white masks hiding all thoughts and emotions. Naruto was the unseen one for once, the teen shedding his orange for his black tank and tight running shorts. He was going to have to be extra cautious around this ticking time bomb.

"Give us the scroll, Mizuki-san," demanded one of the ANBU, an Inu-san if his mask was truthful.

"Ha! Yeah right. I'll just use this woman for a while longer until my Master comes for me and the scroll!" the foolish man snarled. Naruto's eyes darkened in fury as a hand went out to snag one of the other girls. "Maybe I take a few just in case I need to kill one, hm?"

That was it. Kiba had been threatened and though his bond brother could take care of himself, Kiba was in a new body without weapons or skill to benefit him. Dull hatred making him dent the branch he was perched on just by his fingers, he took a few leaves and swapped them for the girls, transporting them to the other side of the ANBU. The kunai to Mizuki's head went almost unnoticed in the confusion until he dropped dead in the middle of the road.

The utter rage that had filled Naruto left, his stomach trying to climb out of his mouth as he started heaving when he finally realized what he had done. He clung to the tree trunk, head pounding and ears hearing the dull roar of his blood pumping. He gagged again, everything he had eaten that day coming up and splattering loudly to the leaf covered forest floor, the sound almost echoing his disgust. A soft hand to his shoulder had him spinning around, a second kunai held in a trembling fist.

"Calm, Uzumaki-san. It is only us," said the ANBU carefully, the knife to his throat seemingly not bothering the masked man in the least. Naruto gulped air as he shook too violently to hold his weapon, dropping his arm as he slid down the trunk to sit straddling the branch. His hands covered his face, the kunai a dull ache compared to the utter tearing of his heart at killing another living being. "Is there anyone you need?"

Naruto thought about it, thought hard, and when he looked up, the puppy eyes were near killing level of adorable cuteness that had even the ANBU wanting to coo at him. "Nata. I want Hinata . . . please," he begged, holding his sides as the trembling became worse, his sight spiraling into light then abject darkness. The familiar scent of his sister had his vision focused, her blue hair like a beacon. "Nata," he said before he started crying, the bluette holding onto her brother tightly, rocking him gently.

"Sh, Naru-nii. I'm here. I'll make you feel better in no time, okay?" Naruto ended up snoring gently into her collar, the bluette unable to move. She gave a smile as the blond murmured about ramen, looking up at the ANBU standing guard. "I need help putting him on my back."

"We could carry him," muttered one. Hinata gave him a S-Class glare that had his body shivering of its own violation.

"No," she enunciated distinctly, "you can't. He knows my scent, is comforted by it. His nightmares would drown him before we even got to the gate. So, no, he is going to be carried by me, his sister."

One of the shortest ANBU Hinata had ever seen nodded and stepped forward on the branch to help maneuver the blond onto her back. Standing carefully, the girl walked to the edge and jumped from the tree to land a little harder than her build suggested. Then she was off, running as fast as the weights let her – which was a good deal slower than she could go – and to the Uchiha compound to meet her friends and the "Noburahime sisters and their cousins" that had to stay there due to the limited space at Momoko's apartment.

"How is he?" asked Kiba was he rubbed his chest lightly over his heart. Hinata stilled his hand as she had Shino and Shikamaru help her put Naruto to bed.

"He will be fine. It was his first kill and it will always haunt him, but now he knows he can do it if he needs to." She sat and put his head on her lap, stroking his hair as he became restless. "I think Kyu is making the emotional aspect easier for him to ease into. This is the fastest I've ever seen a breakdown."

The others said nothing as they hung around the house the rest of the day, any one coming in to touch Naruto's hair or arm in reassurance when their connection to the blond strained too much. When he awoke, he cried some more, his eyes all red and puffy, his nose dribbling snot.

Kiba finally just up and bit him, starting an enormous fight between almost everyone but the girls as they watched from the side and Lazy Shikamaru. "I hope that they don't break anything too important. I can only heal minor fractures right now," mused Hinata.

Kagura snorted as she watched the melee. "Yeah, well, this is amusing in a blood sport type of way."

"Troublesome," intoned Shika morbidly.

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Hinata ranted at her sensei, Asuma completely bewildered as to why. Naruto chuckled softly behind his hand, the death still weighing on him but much less now. It had been almost a week since the Incident, as the Naruto-Clan group were calling it, and the horror of his actions was now tempered with very good reasons about what could have happened had Mizuki been allowed to get away. It took Hinata and Kiba to get him from his funk long enough to feel good about protecting one of the people who meant the world to him.

"YOU HAVE A SHRINE TO ME IN YOUR HOUSE!" Hinata finally roared, the entire block emptying of civilians and shinobi alike. If a girl could cow fangirls in hordes . . . no. No one would tangle with her now.

Asuma held up his hands. "But you are the Goddess Supreme! You must be honored for destroying the horde of evil!"

"Horde of evil, my ass! They were pissy little fangirls! What is there to be afraid of?" she bit out, foot tapping, hands on hips, steam coming from her ears, nose and mouth. If it started coming from her eyes, Naruto was going to vacate with extreme prejudice.

Shikamaru huddled further under the table with Naruto. "She like this often?"

Naruto shook his head. "Not usually, but she has this thing about fan-people – male or female – and letting them run you over. Now that she had a Goddess Supreme fan base . . . well, it's not going to be pretty or nice or even legal half the time."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT, YOU PERVERTED BASTARD?!"

Asuma was prostrate, his kowtowing doing little to stop her steam. "I assure you, Goddess Supreme-sama, that I am not a pervert, but a devout follower of your way."

Hinata threw her hands into the air. "Ugh! That's it! Naruto, grab Shika-kun and get your asses to the Tower. I'll be bringing Asuma-sensei when I'm done."

Naruto gulped and did as bid, running flat out and dragging Shikamaru like a rag doll. "Get away, get away, get awa-" the scream of utter trauma and horror had him going faster if possible. "Get away, get away, get away, get away!"

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Shikamaru sat wide-eyed and traumatized for life as Naruto told him the probable cause of the scream. He couldn't stop cupping himself either, the need to do so instinctive. "If I can, I am going to swear off women. I'll go gay, A-sexual, anything, so long as I never have to deal with that."

Naruto chuckled weakly at him. "Yeah, well, get in line. You are far from the only one."

Shikamaru asked a serious question. "Do we get like that if we're in Oroiki too long?"

Naruto shook his head. "Thankfully, no. Not even when the period comes around. Oh, we'll have tempers, but Hinata is a special kind of scarier-than-Shinigami-on-a-bad-day. It's just a part of who she is. Imagine if she had been with the Hyuuga for a few years longer and that temper kept inside. What would happen when that cage door opens?"

Shikamaru blinked, shook his head, and lost all color. " . . . Just no."

"Exactly."

Ten minutes later – nearly thirty after they had left – Hinata came in, Asuma behind her and walking . . . delicately. The other sensei looked on bewildered but didn't ask. Their Goddess Supreme was present and to ignore her was blasphemy!

Hinata had another explosion and Naruto had drug Shikamaru into the missions office away from the potentially volatile situation to see Kakashi with Sasuke, Shino and Ino along with Kurenai and her group – Kiba, Sakura and Choji. Asuma was right behind them, his breathing too fast and it seemed as if he was near hyperventilating. Naruto patted his shoulder in comfort. "You get used to it. She's quite vehement about fan groups."

Hinata stalked in, the ANBU in the hall quaking in their sandals. Sarutobi blinked when one edged away only to reappear seconds later. He would have to ask about that later. "Alright, teams. Here are your missions-"

Sasuke, Naruto and Kiba all snarled, their yells of denial ringing loudly. Sarutobi blinked. "Well, that was unusual to have three teams disagree at once."

Naruto crossed his arms, looking on mutinously while Kiba bared his teeth and Sasuke went dangerously blank. "We want a mission worth a damn," Naruto bit out.

"We do too!" barked Kiba with a growl.

Sasuke didn't say anything but his pose became even stiffer than usual.

Sarutobi held up one folder, this one with C-Class written in black on the pale cream envelope. "This will be given to the one who thinks they rightfully have claim to it. It is an escort mission to a small town. The only thing you should have to worry about it bandits but it is not a D-rank mission."

Naruto would have said something but . . . it was a feeling that held him back. Kiba and Sasuke gave valid reasons why both were the perfect team, only noticing the Naruto didn't speak up when the silence became deafening without his yells. Kiba wondered what was wrong with his Alpha when Naruto looked directly at him, his eyes piercing his very soul with a look. Do not let Sasuke outside the protection of the village.

It was as if the thoughts had been shoved into his mind, Kiba blinking stupidly for a moment. Shino received the message when Naruto's near glowing eyes latched onto his through his lens, his eyes widening behind his glasses. A hand on Sasuke's arm halted his protest of Kiba getting the mission, the other boy shaking his head in a minute "no" message. The raven sighed but let it go with a pouting scowl.

"Then it is Kurenai's team that will take this mission," Sarutobi muttered as he watched the by-play that he doubted that even his skilled jounin would have noticed. His ANBU seemed to have cottoned on, but were baffled. The entire Rookie Nine were deferring to his command and that was almost worrisome unless you took into account the one they were deferring to. Even the Proud Uchiha and Feral Inuzuka bowed to his wishes. Curiouser and curiouser.

Kurenai stepped forward with a small little smile. "Not my team, Sarutobi-sama, but Kiba's. He is the team leader."

Sarutobi couldn't keep up with all these revelations today. His brow went up, though no one saw due to his hat. "Hmm," he murmured softly as he handed over the mission. "Good luck, then, Kiba's team. Tazuna-san, your escort is ready."

A drunkard of a man slid the screen aside, his bloodshot eyes taking in the team. "A flea-carrying mongrel with dogs, a pretty princess, and a tub o' lard?" the man sneered. Naruto bit his knuckle to keep in the fury eating him up at the insults to his clan member and pack. Hinata silently fumed like a steam kettle, her face going splotchy red.

Kurenai turned her eye to the man, the red burning with intense dislike. "They are well disciplined and extraordinarily well kept, Tazuna-san. This team will do their job not only well, but above and beyond expectations." Her voice was like a slap of frozen ice to the face . . . or down the pants. The bridge builder stood taller, his eyes now shrewd as he saw the near seething teens and their less than pleased instructors. Maybe he should be more polite.

"Well, then, we leave tomorrow. Be up early, brats, lady."

Sarutobi waited until the man was gone before turning to the killing intent that was being released quite formidably from his genin. "You will meet him 0800 hours at the **** Gate. Dismissed." Waiting until they were gone, he grinned. "Next."

OKAY! NAME GAME . . . or where I give you a name to each character 'cause it confused me at times but I tend to keep this stuff written down.

Naruto - Ruriko

Hinata - Hanako

Kagura - Kimiko

Sasuke - Norioko

Shino -Sanako (Identical Twin)

Shikamaru - Sunako (Identical Twin)

Kiba -Tsumiko

Ichigo -Yoyoko (Fraternal Twin)

Akamaru - Tanako (Fraternal Twin)

Hopefully, with a new scanner, I will have pics up that will show just what they should look like. But . . . I'm currently broke so don't hold your breath unless I can bribe a friend with chocolate cake to let me use her scanner and computer for a day.