Yeah I know, it took ages for me to update the next chapter. I've been so lazy you see. Sorry about that.

This is... The chapter I'm probably the least proud of. But it's still pretty funny... I think. Well, enjoy!

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Chapter 5: "The first day as a Genin"

Naruto appeared outside of the village, where a black haired man with a Mist forehead protector stood waiting for him.

"So, what have you find?" He asked the man.

"I've found one statue in the Hidden Village of Rain, and one at the border of Fire and Rice country. However, that statue is hard to discover. Why do you want to find them?"

"I have a feeling it will be useful, for some reason. See if you can find some more until next week. I would prefer if we didn't need to go into the Hidden Rain." The man shrugged.

"I'll see what I can do, but it's not an easy task you ask me to do."

"I know. I really thank you for it."

"Don't you worry about it, it's just enough to return my favour to you for saving my life."

The man turned around to walk away and said: "I think there is something strange going on, just wanted to warn you."

"I got it, thanks again."

The man raised his hand as a goodbye and sped off into the forest.

Something strange you say?

Naruto frowned when he teleported himself back into the village. Shikamaru appeared behind him.

"What was that about Naruto?" He asked as Naruto turned around to face his friend. Naruto smiled.

"Shikamaru, you find out too much for your own good. It was nothing you have to worry about."

"Well, I don't really worry about it, but Hokage-sama does." Naruto raised an eyebrow. "It's really too troublesome for me to try to figure out, but if she asks you, maybe you should tell her?"

Naruto shook his head. "You can tell her that it's nothing to worry about, and that I'm doing it for a friend."

Geez, that guy's so troublesome all the time, Shikamaru thought annoyingly.

"Care to join me for some ramen?" Naruto asked him. He shook his head.

"Sorry, no can do. That annoying Hokage gave me a very troublesome mission that I must get going on now. I'm waiting for my team. Geez, damn S-rank missions."

Naruto laughed, that was so like Shikamaru. Even though he completes the missions perfectly, he just can't be positive about it.

"You have to change that attitude of yours Shikamaru," he said to the lazyass in front of him.

Shikamaru gave up a sigh.

"I am me, you are you. Nothing can change that." Naruto laughed again.

His normal excuse, but a more reliable guy then him you can't find.

"Whatever, see you when you get back Shikamaru."
"Yeah, if I get back."
"Quit joking around, of course you'll get back," Naruto said and punched Shikamaru gently on the arm. "Well, I guess I'll ask Hinata instead."

Hinata? I thought he liked Sakura, Shikamaru thought. Oh right, she's with Sasuke now. Poor Naruto.

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Kino, Shora and Onaru were walking into the barbeque to get something to eat. They were all very hungry. The only reason Shora spent time with them was because they were going to be a team and she thought that she might at least try to get along with them. They sat down at the table and decided to take an all you can eat barbeque.

"Then there is something else," Shora said and Kino rolled his eyes again.

"Give up on that already, it's just gonna be a waste of time," he told her, but it was of no use.

"Did you see his eyes?" Onaru and Kino nodded. "Why were they red? What exactly is he?"

None of them found an answer.

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Hinata had time to go with Naruto to get some ramen this time. She was happy that he had asked her, but it made her upset he only asked her as a friend. But even if she tried, she never managed to tell him how she felt. When they got to the restaurant they saw Sakura and Sasuke sitting there. Naruto stopped for a moment. He hadn't yet gotten used to the thought of Sakura being together with Sasuke.

"Is something wrong Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked and pushed her index fingers.

Naruto shook his head.

"No, it's nothing," he said. "Come on. Hey, Sakura-chan, Sasuke!" He waved to them as they turned around.

"Oh, hi Naruto," Sakura replied and Sasuke nodded to him.
"

So, Naruto, I'm curious, how did they do?" Sasuke asked him as he sat down.

Naruto grinned. "They passed." Sakura and Sasuke widened their eyes.

"Your first team?"

"Yep, how about yours?"

Sasuke shook his head. "They didn't get it, neither did Shikamaru's. Neji's did though."

"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask him that when I came to get Hinata."

"I'm surprised that you made them pass, considering they were probably the worst match up. What did you do?"

Naruto laughed. "Simple, I told them the truth."

Sasuke smiled and shook his head. He grabbed his best friend's shoulder.

"Naruto, ever since I came back here, I've noticed you are truly a man who knows his words."

Flashback

Naruto and Sasuke were standing outside of the part of the village that used to be the Uchihas. It was now completely empty and it was so quiet it made Naruto freeze inside. Sasuke remembered the day when he came back here that day. It hadn't changed a bit. The stores were still covered with planks and it hadn't been cleaned up yet. The merchandise was still lying on the ground. Tears started to form in his eyes, but he shook it off.

"Are you okay Sasuke?"

Naruto asked him and dragged him out of his memories.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered. "Let's go."

They walked into the empty street. Naruto glanced at Sasuke, who was lost in his memories. He remembered all the times he had walked these streets with his brother. How he always seemed so happy the way it was. But yet he killed them all. Itachi never gave him a decent answer for his actions, not even at the moment of his death. The only thing he told Sasuke before he killed him was that what he said on that day was true, that there was nothing else behind it.

Then they reached their destination, and the only place Sasuke feared to face, his old home. He stopped and looked over the house. It felt nostalgic to be back. He gave up a deep sigh, and thought about how it would be if everyone was still alive. Naruto had stopped to wait for him. He knew this was important, and let his best friend take the time he needed. Sasuke dug deeper into his memories and he no longer saw Naruto standing in front of him, but his own mother and father, and his brother in the background.

After a few minutes he forced himself to return to reality, gathered his courage, and stepped inside. Naruto and Sasuke took off their sandals and walked into the house. Naruto was completely quiet and followed Sasuke as he walked through the house, remembering all his happy years there. Together with a brother who was wearing a big secret.

Now that Sasuke had gotten his revenge, he couldn't help but to wonder what Itachi actually felt all those years he lived here. He would never understand it, but he felt that he wanted to. What was it that his brother hid all those years? Sasuke also had the feeling that Itachi didn't really try to kill him when they fought. Did he feel some kind of pain he would never understand?

Naruto looked at him trying to see any emotions in his eyes, and he wondered what his friend was thinking at the moment.

Then they reached the final room, where Sasuke had found his murdered parents and Itachi. He stopped in the middle of the room, where the white stripes that showed how his parents lied were still there. He fell down to his knees, and he could no longer keep away his tears.

Naruto stood behind him when the tears started to fall to the floor. Again, Naruto waited as Sasuke mourned over his dead parents.

After a few minutes Sasuke felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked behind him and saw Naruto kneeling. His eyes gave Sasuke an expression that Naruto felt his pain, and was sorry for him. His life was now right here, together with his best friend.

"It's time to put this behind you Sasuke," Naruto said to him. "You have other people now, other people to call your family. And I promise you, they will never disappear. I give you my word on that."

Sasuke smiled. "I know Naruto, I know. Neither will they," he said, referring to his parents. "They will always be here."

He put his hand on his chest and stood up.

"Thank you, Naruto, for coming with me."

"It's the least I can do for you, brother."

He smiled. Sasuke understood what he meant. To Sasuke, Naruto was the brother he never had. He was different from Itachi; he cared for Sasuke and was worried about him. His true family was right in front of him, and they would never disappear.

End of flashback

When he came out of his thought he saw that Naruto had just ate two bowls of ramen. He let out a small laugh at his friend. Naruto glanced at him.

"What's so funny?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Nothing at all, I just remembered how much you ate."

He took Sakura's hand. "Come sweetie, let's go." He kissed her cheek and they stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow Naruto."

Naruto snorted as an answer, his mouth was full with ramen.

Next day

"Arrgh! He said he would come in time," Kino shouted out after they'd been waiting for an hour. "He'd better have a good reason."

He jumped when Naruto appeared in front of them, and Shora noticed that chakra again.

"Sorry I'm late, there was an important meeting with Tsunade-Obaa-chan."

"Oh really? What kind of meeting?" Shora asked.

"Well, it's none of your business," he answered and smiled at her. "Well, I have our missions, so we can start right away."

"What mission are we gonna do first?" Kino said with enthusiasm. "What, what, what?"

Oh, you're not gonna like this young man, Naruto thought and cleared his throat.

"This is funny, this is the exact mission I started with," he said and scratched his head. "Retrieve the Feudal Lord's wife's lost cat Tora."

"WHAT!? WHAT KIND OF MISSION IS THAT!?" Kino yelled. Shora hit him in the head.

"Idiot, don't shout so loud!"

Naruto gave up a sigh.

"It's a D-rank mission," he answered. "All Genins start of with these. And it won't change for a while, so get over it."

Kino snorted. "Fine!" He said.

"Okay then, we'll take these wireless radars and search the surroundings after a grey cat with a ribbon on its left ear."

He didn't look at the description when he said it; he knew what the cat looked like. He would like to just let it be, but a mission is a mission. Poor cat, it needs a new owner. He handed over the radios.

"Contact me on this when you have the target. Then we'll figure out a plan to catch it."

"Why do we need a plan," Onaru asked. "It's just a cat."

Naruto gave up a high laugh.

"You don't know this cat," he said and wiped tears out of his eyes. "It's a pro in running away. It will take you at least an hour to catch it."
"Why is it a pro?" Shora asked.
"This cat has run away several times for over 6 years. It knows how to shake off ninjas." He grinned. "Off you go."

And they sped off to the east.

"Hey Neji," he said when he heard the Hyuuga come walking behind him.

"Hello. What mission did they get?"

"To retrieve the lost cat Tora, if you can call it lost," he answered with a laugh. "What about your team?"

Neji jerked his head in the direction of an, at the moment, abandon home.

"They are cleaning it up so that someone can move in," he said.

"I better get going," Naruto said.

Neji nodded and turned around to watch his team. Naruto looked at him for a few seconds and then walked down the street.

One hour later

"Naruto-sensei," he heard Kino's voice in the radio, "we have discovered the target."

About time, Naruto thought with a smile. "Good, follow her. When she stops, hide yourself and capture her on my signal."

"Got it," all three answered.

Naruto sat in a tree while watching Shino gather up bugs.

"Naruto," Shino said as he covered one of the boxes, "what is it that you want?"

Naruto jumped off the tree. "What I told everyone this morning, about what I had been doing with the help of a Rain Ninja."

Shino faced him. "You want me to send some bugs to the statues he found and see if they can sense any huge chakra inside of it."

Naruto nodded.

"I will help you, because that's what friends do," he said and walked away.

Naruto scratched his head. Why does he always say it that way? He asked himself. Makes me believe he doesn't really care about anyone. Even though he's very reliable.

"Naruto-sensei, she has stopped, and she hasn't noticed us yet," he heard Onaru say.

"Ok, this needs some planning," Naruto told them. "You are not just going to jump on her, that wont work. It never does anymore. One of you sneaks behind her and the other two jumps out and let her notice you. She will think that her only escape is backwards. But she will fall into your trap."

"What if she runs another direction," Shora asked with doubt. Naruto smiled at her question.

"I know this cat, she won't. But be careful anyway."

"He'd better be right," Shora said to the others as she sneaked around behind the cat.

"I'm ready," she said. Kino and Onaru responded.

"Ok, on my command… Take her!"

Onaru and Kino jumped out from their hiding places, pretending to try and capture the cat, and Naruto was right, in her panic she jumped to the only escape path she saw at that moment, and jumped right into Shora's arms. Shora started to pet the cat when she struggled against the ninja, until she started to calm down.

"Now, that's a good little girl, right?" Shora said with a soft voice.

Kino and Onaru glanced at each other.

"What? I have a cat at home," she told them. "This works better then your attack-and-hold method."

Kino started to laugh. He had never seen Shora this way, and now that he did he thought it was incredibly funny. Shora gave up a sigh. She kind of felt bad for him for being so stupid.

Well, at least he's happy, she thought and continued to pet the cat as she started to walk and meet their sensei.

She hadn't yet noticed it herself, but both Kino and Onaru had, she had changed after their survival training. She still thought she was much better then anyone else, but she didn't really push them down like they thought she would. Naruto's words had without Shora knowing changed her a little. She still didn't like her team-mates, but she tried the best she could to stand it and work as well as possible with them. Kino and Onaru both wondered how long it would last.

When they had returned Tora and stood outside Naruto took out the mission list.

"Next missions are to clean the elder's houses, walk dogs and cleaning up the swamp in the edge of the village," he said, folded the paper and put it in his pocket.

Kino started complaining. Naruto flicked his forehead.

"I've already explained this to you," his sensei told him. "You need to gain experience. These missions help to increase your teamwork. When Tsunade-Obaa-chan thinks you're ready, she'll give you C-rank missions."

Kino muttered. Naruto put his hand on the young ninjas shoulder.

"But it shouldn't take all too long to make her recognize how skilled you guys are." Kino looked up at Naruto, who was smiling. "You guys have better teamwork then I though you would, that's what is the most important thing Konoha shinobis have."

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Okay, that's the end of it. Reviews are appriciated, as always. xD