Here we go again!

Reviews;

IIat-2: Okay, sorry about that.

To hell with this: I'll be going more into her heart problem with these later chapters. It wasn't because of her heart that she almost fainted during the test, so there's that.

Where's the mayo: I hate the poke! People love it though. You know yelling because of it is actually a fear response? Your body thinks you're under attack and responds accordingly.

RandomR15: I love Shino, he's one of my very favorite characters. I wish there was more stuff with him in it on this site. Bleh, spiders are awful things. They've always freaked me out.

Chandagnac: Well… okay then. I don't actually care about the misquote or the chaos theory, that's not really what I'm writing about. I just put out something that everyone would recognize and understand. It's like when people say 'Luke I am your father' no one pitches a fit over that being wrong. I've never seen another character, OC or otherwise, with the name Asuka or Suzuki so I don't know where you're getting reason to complain over that from.

Furthermore, I didn't write this to impress your critically negative ass, I wrote it because I wanted to. I don't actually give a damn if there's cliché's in it, which you wouldn't even know about if you barely read the first chapter. If you have real problems with it, tell me something constructive, don't just bitch about how it doesn't meet you expectations.

Ka: Thank you! You didn't sound dim at all. I try to make it sound more like a kid, so it's good to know I'm doing it right. I hope you feel better!

Yinko: She acts that way because that's how I wrote her. I wanted it to be like this, I'm the writer, so it is. I actually have a problem with reincarnations where the characters are overly mature, so I wrote mine the way I wanted to.

''When a forty year old woman is best friends with six year olds it's pathetic." Joke or otherwise I have to ask, who the hell do you expect her to be friends with? Kosuke? In case you haven't noticed she's got the body of a six year old, people treat her like a six year old, she has the emotional capacity of a six year old, and she is a six year old, even if she has the memories of forty years. Fuck off.

Vaughn Tyler: Vaughn is actually the name of my old math teacher. Thank you!

Meep615: Thank you, I hope it meets your expectations!

Pic16: It really touches my heart that you would take the time to review when you normally don't. Thanks!

RandomCitizen: Whoa, talk about a lot of reviews! That absolutely made my day, seeing so many from one person. It means the world to me, thank you. I feel like they have a lot of the basic stuff that we have. Maybe ninja don't use leaf blowers but she lives in a civilian area to someone probably had some. Aside from the really big stuff (cars, planes, trains and such) the ninja world actually has a lot of electronics. They have life support systems, house wiring, microwaves, stoves, fans, and other such things.

Liffae: I really wanted to put in those three, they're some of my favorites that I don't see a whole lot about. I'm glad you liked it too. I know that there's some flaws, earlier I mentioned my reasoning behind not having a beta so… yeah. We're finally falling into the big stuff!

Guest from Jan. 20: I hope a week later counts as soon.


Iruka cleared his throat, looking out over his students and then back at the list. One or two of the teams he could already see flourishing. The others… Sometimes he wondered just how much the Hokage knew about these kids.

"Team Seven;" he began, "Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, and Asuka Suzuki."

He watched the girl almost fall out of her seat, shock covering her face. Then triumph took over and she grabbed both of the boys, sitting on either side of her, into partial head locks as she cheered.

Iruka prayed that their teacher would be able to reign them in.

A glance at who that was had his normally tan skin several shades lighter and he moved on to the next team quickly. Maybe it was time he took a few missions out of the village…


The rest of the teams had left already, their teachers come to collect them for their first meeting. I sat between Naruto and Sasuke, the former bouncing impatiently and latter brooding to himself, as per usual. The chances of this actually happening were low, almost nonexistent. I could hardly believe that I was actually a part of Team Seven. There was a good chance that I would meet my next death with them.

Somehow I didn't seem to mind very much.

A poke to the side startled me out of my musings with another cry and I very nearly stabbed Sasuke with a pencil for his troubles.

"Is he coming any time soon?" the boy asked, looking down at where the pencil now stuck out of the bench, eraser pointing to the sky.

I tilted my head, pushing my chakra sense out and pursing my lips. I didn't sense anyone, especially Kakashi, heading in our direction.

"No, not yet," I reported, listening to Naruto groan dramatically on my other side. I looked over at him, and snickered, reaching over to drape an arm over his shoulder. "Oh hush, they'll be here eventually."

"But Asuka," he whined, drawing my name out, "I'm bored."

I patted his head, smiling with only a little bit of sympathy. I had spent years trailing after Kakashi, following him to various meetings that he was always at least three hours late for, the lazy bastard. Most of that time was spent either with Obito and Rin or reading his book. So you see, I had come prepared with ideas to ponder and several novellas that Kakashi had recommended me. For a porn reading pervert he really did have good taste in literature. I handed one of these volumes over to Naruto.

"Here. You'll like this one. You're the main character."

Naruto looked down at the book, startled, then back up at me. "The Legend of the Gutsy Ninja?" he repeated, sounding dubious.

I nodded, dropping it into his lap.

"Read, child."

"You're still a child."

"That still doesn't make the rest of you less annoying."

I could feel Sasuke's eyes rolling.

Though his face was scrunched up in annoyance Naruto did as I asked. He usually did, which was probably for the best. Sasuke refused the novel I offered him, a recount from the days of the beginning of our village written by someone who had worked directly under the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha. Instead he chose to go right back to his normal brooding ways. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, Naruto and I drove away the worst of the dark clouds that tried to cling to the boy, dragging him into brighter topics and keeping him close when the shadows got too strong of a hold.

Above our heads the clock ticked.


Whatever Kakashi had been expecting when he walked into the room it hadn't been what he found.

He had heard things about the two students he had that he hadn't known for several years. Who didn't know of Naruto Uzumaki, who couldn't sit still to save his life and pulled pranks that were literally impossible? What ninja didn't know of the cold, disconnected last Uchiha, Sasuke, who avoided physical contact like the plague?

Only Asuka. He thought, looking in through the cracked door. What he found was Sasuke acting as a support for Asuka, who had a book in her hand, propped on the head of Naruto. The blond had laid down on the bench, resting his head on the girl's thigh while he read a familiar book. Green eyes were already locked onto him. She didn't seem surprised.

"Well," he drawled, caused the eyes not already on him to raise, "Looks like you guys are all that's left."

Asuka brought a hand up in greeting. "'Sup Static Man?"

"The roof," he replied easily, "Which is where you'll meet me."

There was an indignant shout from his teacher's child as Kakashi vanished in a flash of smoke.


After explaining to them that yes, I knew Kakashi quite well and yes, he was always that late, the three of us trooped up the rarely used staircase that lead to the small veranda that rested on top of the building of the school, that doubled as the Hokage office and ninja administration building.

Kakashi was already waiting for us, familiar book in hand as he sat on one of the cushioned seat. I skipped over cheerfully, taking a seat next to Kakashi and crossing my legs, looking up at him attentively. Naruto sat next to me, and Sasuke next to him.

"Okay…" Kakashi clapped his hands together, "Why don't we start things off by introducing ourselves? Name, likes, dislikes, any hobbies you have, a dream for the future. That sort of thing."

"You start," I ordered immediately. Kakashi looked down at him, seeming not at all surprised.

"You already know me," he pointed out,

I nodded. "Yes, but they don't," I jerked my thumb at my boys.

Kakashi hummed his inclination. "I am Kakashi Hatake. I like sme things, and dislike others. As for hobbies… I have a few. I have no intention of telling you my dreams."

"You didn't tell us anything," Naruto complained.

I patted his head before going myself. "I'm Asuka Suzuki. You all know me and what I like, mechanics, reading, experimenting, and so on, and what I dislike is… not a lot actually. I don't like snakes, or being weak, or when a plan doesn't work out right. As for hobbies I like inventing and learning how things work. My dream for the future is something that you will laugh at, so it shall remain unsaid."

"We wouldn't laugh," Naruto tried to assure me. I shrugged.

"Eh, just go on darling."

"Right," he sat up a little bit straighter, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, I like my friends and Ramen, especially Ichiraku's. I dislike the three minutes it takes instant ramen to cook, and people who don't respect me. My hobbies are pulling pranks and sparring with Sasuke and Asuka, and my dream is to be the next Hokage, and have all of the villagers respect and acknowledge me."

The three of us turned to our last member. Sasuke looked at us and sighed as if we were asking him to carry some great burden.

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha. I don't like a lot, except these two losers," we ignored Naruto's indignant 'hey!', "I dislike a lot of things. My hobbies are sparring and learning new techniques," he didn't mention he also cooked wonderfully, "my dream is not really a dream. It's a goal. I will kill a certain man, and restore my clan."

The dark certainty with which he said that made me want to shiver. I wanted so badly to tell him the truth, that it wasn't Itachi's fault, that his brother loved him more than anything in the world. But I couldn't. So I stayed quiet, stewing in my own guilt as Kakashi gave instruction to meet at the training grounds the next day. For our survival test, horrifying my boys with his explanation that only a few teams passed each year.


Kakashi broke apart from us outside of the school, leaving just us behind. As we were leaving I grabbed the boys hands, changing our direction to Out Place. The two exchanged glanced behind my shoulders while I dragged them all the way to the tree, leading the way up in the same gecko style I had been using for years. Neither of them seemed to realize I was using chakra. They just thought I was good at climbing.

I crawled inside, pressing my back to the wall and looking at Sasuke and Naruto when they came in.

"Asuka?" Sasuke questioned. The unvoiced 'what's wrong' hung in the air.

I took a breath. "There's something I never told you guys before," I began carefully, "I," can see the future, know your destinies, shouldn't be here, am actually dead, "have a hole in my heart."

Naruto's face twisted in confusion. "What?" he asked.

"In my heart there is a hole, a gap where tissue is missing. It makes it hard for me to work out and other stuff," I explained carefully. I never told them before. I didn't want them to treat me like I was weak or fragile.

They stared at me as reality set in and they realized that I wasn't joking or trying to pull one over on them.

"Asuka," Sasuke voice was quiet, even for him, "How long?"

"How long what?" I asked, half a smile tilting my lips, "Have I been defective or do I have to live?"

"Both," the Uchiha requested.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, "She's not going to die! Don't talk like-"

"Everyone dies," Sasuke snapped, cutting him off. Naruto's teeth clicked when his jaw shut.

I shook my head, sighing quietly.

"Boys," I called, drawing black and blue eyes to me again, "Listen okay? I've knows since I was a little kid, I don't even know how old I was, five? Four? Somewhere in there I guess," I ignored their wide eyes, "As for when I'm going to die… I have no idea. They gave me until eleven. I'm twelve now. By all rights I should be dead already."

"Why didn't you tell us before?" Naruto's voice cracked, betrayal marking his face. "All those times you fainted, or when we dragged you around and you were tired-"

"Were the best times ever," I interrupted, "I was going to die, I wasn't going to go miserably. That's why I run, because I love it, that's why I risk blowing my arm off, because I love experimenting, that's why I played with you guys until I couldn't feel my legs. Because I love you."

There was dead silence.

"Are you going to die now?"

Naruto's tone was so heart breakingly sad I wanted to drag him into a hug. Being me I did just that, grabbing Sasuke for good measure.

"I'm not dying yet. There's still too much for me to do."

I felt their arms wrap around me and smiled, surrounded by warmth and friendship.

I had made the right choice.


I had made the wrong choice.

Don't set your alarm, my brain said, I'll wake you up, it said.

Liar! I say.

Liar that made me late for my first day of training under… Kakashi.

Oh yeah.


I left the house an hour after I was supposed to, dressed up as a ninja with my holster strapped to my thigh and a pouch balancing on my rear end from where it was strapped on. I briefly considered going to the training ground before remembering again that it was Kakashi I was going to see, and so needed not worry about getting there on time.

Instead of heading for the training ground I turned my feet for the cemetery, finding Kakashi standing in front of the grave, as he was prone to doing. I could see his jaw moving under his mask and shook my head, turning away and heading for where I should have been. I never interrupted when he was talking to them. It was important to him so I would let him mourn in his own ways.

When Kakashi finally showed up two hours after I had I was sure Naruto was going to explode. When he gave his typical lame excuse the blond really did. Kakashi let the angry shouting roll off of him, as he always did.

I cleared my throat when it became obvious that Naruto wasn't going to start any time soon.

Eyes turned to me and I directed two pairs back to Kakashi. "You said we had a survival exercise?"

His smile, unseen, was sadistic.

From his pocket he produced two bells, shining on a string. He also produced a gray clock, which he set up on a log sitting in the middle of the grounds for target practice.

"This test is simple. If you get these bells from me before lunch, you'll pass the test and stay on as my genin. If you can't get a bell, you fail."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "There's only two bells," he observed.

"Yes," Kakashi agreed."

I pressed my lips together. "Two bells, two people can get a bell."

"Yes."

Naruto's face twisted with disbelief. "Are you saying only two of us will pass?" he near shouted.

Kakashi smiled. "I might be."

Sasuke stepped back from him, hands stuffed in his pockets. "No."

Kakashi arched a brow, something I could only notice from all the time I'd spent around the man. Naruto and I looked at Sasuke, then each other, before we too stepped away.

"I refuse," I told him flatly.

Kakashi blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Either we all get to pass or none of us do!" Naruto shouted, "They're my friends, there's no way I'll go on without them! All or nothing, that's the way it is!"

"He's right," I crossed my arms, "I'm not going to get a bell and leave either of them behind, and they're too damn stubborn to do it either."

"I don't need your test. I'll get another teacher," Sasuke informed him, glaring.

Kakashi looked between us all, seeming, for once utterly bewildered.

At last he let out a world weary sigh, pushing a hand through his shock of silver hair.

"Alright, since you're so determined to stay together, I'll make a deal with you. If you can get one bell, it will count as the team bell, and you'll all pass."

We looked at each other, Sasuke and I giving small nods to Naruto.

"Alright, you got a deal!" he proclaimed, "We'll win, just you watch! No one can beat us!"

Kakashi's eye crinkled. "We'll see, won't we?"

I grabbed Naruto and Sasuke's hands, taking a step back. "May we begin, Static Man-Sensei?" I questioned, tilting my head.

Kakashi hummed, glanced at the clock, and nodded. "Start time is now."

"Coolio. Darling, Lovely, with me," I ordered, pulled the boys, who objected slightly, out of Kakashi's hearing range. He ignored us, strapping the bells on his hips and pulling his book out.

Once it was safe I brought the boys to hunker down with me.

"Okay, we're going to loose."

"Wait, what?!"

I elbowed Naruto, causing him to yelp enough that he shut his mouth.

"Hush. Kakashi is one of the best in the village. If he wanted to he could probably be the Hokage in a few years. So we, as itty bitty genin, don't have a prayer."

Sasuke knew me better than to think I would give up like that. "Unless?" he prompted.

I smiled. "Unless we pull the wool over his eyes."

Naruto 'huh?'d.

"We trick him," Sasuke translated. "How?"

I grinned widely, looking at Kakashi. He shivered in the face of my mania, turning away. My almost-killing-him those few times must have really done something.

"Here's the plan. Naruto, we need a bunch of shadow clones. Sasuke, how fast can you get a fire ball out?"

Their smiles were as devious as mine.


I stretched out, putting my arms over my head and bending back before I straightened up and turned to Kakashi, checking for genjutsu or a clone. There wasn't one there, it was definitely his before-the-storm chakra. I walked forwards, in no hurry until I was a few yards away. Catching Sasuke's eye I took the signal and dart forwards, lashing out with a powerful kick. Kakashi blocked it with one arm and leaned his head back when I threw a punch at his face.

I dropped to the ground, rolling off his shoulder and slung a sweeping kick for his ankles, he jumped like I was a rope, avoiding it entirely. While he was in the air Sasuke shot in, weaving hand seals together and bringing his hand to his mouth. He blew out a stream of fire, causing Kakashi's eyes to widen with surprise. He was forced to jump back to avoid being hit.

I went after him, Sasuke now at my side as we attacked him relentlessly, pushing him back into the woods. Our styles were different, neither one that that was taught at the Academy. Mine relied on speed and striking weak points before they could be guarded, an altered version of Gai's that emphasized speed and nearly forgo strength. Sasuke's style was that of his family, throwing in harsh blows and doing as much damage as he could, hitting whatever he could whenever the chance arose. That isn't to say there wasn't precision, but he didn't wait for opening so much as make them.

We hit the trees and jumped back and away from Kakashi. I gave a shout of 'now!'.

Kakashi's visible eye grew wide when there was a 'twang' of a broken wire and a log came flying from above, aimed at him. That was the start of the traps that Naruto has set up, some of them chakra triggered, most of them non. Logs, explosive notes and a rain of kunai and shuriken fell upon the teacher.

Kakashi used a replacement to get out of the way when dodging became illogical, reappearing behind us. My hands had already formed the signs.

There was a pull of chakra, a surge of energy and the world of trees vanished from around me. I had locked my target and the next second I was driving an elbow into Kakashi's side. His kicked lifted me off the ground and sent me arching through the air. I recovered, flipping to my hands and then my feet.

My head snapped to the side to see Naruto come out of the woods with Sasuke.

"Did you get it?" I called.

Sasuke smirked, bringing a hand up. Silver glinted from his fingers. Kakashi's hand shot to his side and he looked from his hip, where one bell still hung, to me. I grinned cheerfully at him.

"Replacement," I shrugged, "Work smarter, not harder."

We would have just used the replacement right away if it weren't for the fact that people with good enough chakra control could cancel it out. So he had to be distracted before it would work.

Kakashi's eye crinkled into a smile. "Congratulations. You pass."


"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much"― Helen Keller