MINI RANT SO READERS CAN UNDERSTAND THE STORY:

I don't understand why Kakashi allowed for Sakura to keep hitting and demeaning Naruto. Isn't that physical abuse or something? And Sakura and Sasuke to demean Naruto through what I see as practically verbal abuse? I thought Kakashi would have stopped them because IT LITERALLY SAYS IN THE NARUTO WIKI: "An abuse of one's teammates is the only thing that can makes Kakashi cast aside his normally stoic demeanor, causing him to attack without mercy or his usual sense of sportsmanship." Which means he should have totally kicked their asses for that because they were somewhat of a team. I would have. I claim that as abuse and here is where it takes me.

This is AU, some OOC and I do not own Naruto.

Please review.

My apologies for taking so long on the chapter and the fact that it is so short. It's been a busy few weeks. I went to the Kentucky Derby, had a number of tests in various classes and enough homework that I thought I was carrying a 50 pound rock instead of a book bag.

Naruto woke up half as sore and tired as when he went to bed. Half a second later, he remembered where he was and what he was doing. It took him ten minutes to properly get up and roll up the futon. Glancing around the room, he noted that the futon around him had been rolled up in a different way than earlier and grumbled inwardly about not noticing the others coming in and leaving.

The blond went through the usual motions of removing his clothes and changing - just after he made sure the door was locked. It would be weird if one his classmates walked in on him, especially Ino. He strapped on his armor and made sure his kunai and shuriken were set along with his scrolls before securing his pack behind Choji's futon and leaving the room. Naruto twitched at the lingering soreness but shrugged it off as he stepped downstairs where he heard the others and Kakashi-sensei. He'd had worse.

When he got downstairs, entering the kitchen where Tsunami was making food, he glanced around the table. Ino, Shikamaru, Choji and Kakashi-sensei sat at the table next to a grumpy looking black haired boy with dark eyes and overalls. If it weren't for the fact the boy's mother (99% sure it was Tsunami) was from Wave and he knew that specifically, he'd almost would have thought the kid was a bastard Uchiha. Ignoring that irritating fact, he made sure to catch Kakashi's eye before he sat down. Ino stared at him with confusion.

"What are you doing decked out in that?" Naruto ignored her as he took a small bowl of rice. 'I can eat rations and whatever I brought with me. They already have enough on their plates without trying to feed two extra mouths.' He thought as he ate quickly, reminded of Zabuza and the mission. 'Kakashi-sensei looks like shit. Damn. Thank Kami for the fox. I don't think we're doing much training.' "Naruto. Naruto. Naruto." Ino insisted, going to try and poke him.

"Yamanaka-san. Please stop trying to poke my genin. We both are still tired and Naruto is prone to lashing out with kunai instead of words in the morning." That made him snort faintly. He also caught the way Ino flinched and immediately shut up when Kakashi-sensei talked to her directly. 'I wonder what happened after I fell asleep. Oh, yeah...'

He flicked his fingers in standard Konoha signs very carefully at an angle where his sensei could see them. *What is the situation?* Kakashi replied, *After breakfast. Outside.* Naruto blinked as he took another bite of rice. *Understood.* Once he was finished with his rice, he got up, washed his bowl and set it aside to dry. There was the noise of chairs scraping the wooden floor as Kakashi-sensei ordered the others to follow them outside. Naruto walked past Ino and Shikamaru and followed Kakashi out the door, in a line like ducklings after their mother.

They walked a bit from the house and into the forest, with Ino and Choji quietly pointing out to Kakashi and Naruto where they had set their traps. The blond took in everything and noted that when they tried, they could at least set up traps properly. Naruto paused when Kakashi stopped in a clearing. "Stop here." He stopped next to Shikamaru who stood slouched, with a half-lidded and bored expression. Ino seemed faintly nervous about something and Choji glanced between Kakashi-sensei and the rest of his rice ball which the Akimichi quickly gulped down in quick bites.

Kakashi faced them with a serious expression and Naruto recalled what his sensei had said on their way to Wave. He'd be giving the other genin training and teaching him ninjutsu. But with the way that Kakashi-sensei was looking, was it really alright to let him use a kage bushin to train? Or was he doing something else? But he dutifully listened as the silver haired jonin spoke. "I will be teaching you how to be utilize the shinobi arts. From what you have told me, Zabuza was hit with senbon in the neck. It should take him at least ten days to recover. During that time, I will be beating skills into you."

Choji gulped and Naruto felt light pity for his classmates. Kakashi-sensei was a slave driver when he wanted to be, but at least no one could complain of the results. Shikamaru muttered a troublesome under his breath and Ino looked as if she was going to have a heart attack.

"When do you think Asuma-sensei will be waking up?" Choji asked, his eyes holding worry. Kakashi turned to him.

"Asuma has heavy chakra exhaustion. Due to the chakra exhaustion, I'd say he'll be awake in two or three days." All three genin gave a low groan and Naruto winced sympathetically for them. But at least they'd put up a better fight than when they arrived. "Now, how much chakra control do you three have?" Ino spoke up first.

"I know the leaf sticking exercise. I've heard about the tree walking exercise." She admitted.

"I know the leaf sticking exercise." Choji said.

"I know the leaf sticking exercise." Shikamaru answered, eyeing the jonin with a suspicious glare. Naruto knew what was coming.

"Well then. Today, you are learning the tree walking exercise. Once you manage to master that, I will teach you the water walking exercise." Kakashi replied with an eye smile. Ino made a face.

"But I'll get dirty and tired."

"So? Everyone who trains properly should." Ino's face was a mix of indignation and irritation. She squared her shoulders and set her hips with her lips pursed.

"I didn't ask to get tired and dirty and lied to on a screwed up C-rank mission. I nearly died and I got bruises on my back and arms and mud in my mouth."

"I hope you don't mean to get pity from me." The man looked at her coldly, suddenly frigid. The blond girl shuffled back a step, well aware this was the attitude from the day before - and it was dangerous to her health. "You chose to be a shinobi. This is what shinobi do. We get tired and dirty, be it with dirt or blood. We starve and fight and lie and kill. No one cares if you are dirty and tired during a life or death battle in a mission. In the end, you won't either. In a life or death battle, the only thing you'll be really thinking is - how do I kill this man to complete my mission? - what type of jutsu can sneak me past this shinobi so I can slice through his spine or throat or slap an explosive tag on his back? - how many more weapons do I have on me so I can set a trap or bury one in his skull?"

Giving a sigh, Naruto halfheartedly listened to Kakashi's lecture. All three of his classmates' faces had horror and traces of disgust on them. He'd already heard a similar lecture from his sensei - not that he didn't understand what he was getting into when he signed up for the Academy. After running for Aoi and others like him, you got a large sour taste of reality. Gangs and casinos hated when runners screwed up their work. He'd seen several die from beatings or being attacked in an alley.

"Now, let's get going. You have a tree to climb." Kakashi tossed them kunai. "Use the kunai to mark how far up you stop. Channel chakra into your feet and try to stick to the tree. If you use too little chakra, you will fall and won't stick. Too much chakra and you will be pushed away from the tree and the area you stepped on will break. You have to find the balance. Get going." With that, Naruto watched his classmates slowly go to pick up the kunai and separate to a tree.

He heard his sensei come over to him. "Debriefing. Come on." The blond was led farther back from the center of the clearing to the outer edge where they sat on a pair of old tree stumps. Naruto listened carefully as Kakashi began to speak. "The situation is that a man named Gato has taken control of Wave and keep people here in oppression. I believe he hires missing-nin like the Demon Brothers and Zabuza to kill and do his dirty work, besides the regular thugs. It also seems that Zabuza has an accomplice, one who wields senbon like an expert medic-nin."

"Gato is trying to kill Tazuna for building the bridge, which would essentially reopen trade routes and get Gato out of business. As for Asuma, he has intense chakra exhaustion and has a deep wound on his arm. Unfortunately, I don't know any medical ninjutsu." There was a sigh from Kakashi and then he continued. "Now, we'll keep the same plan as before; I train Asuma's brats with a kage bushin starting tomorrow and I'll give you training in elemental ninjutsu as well. Until Asuma wakes up, I'm in charge."

"Kakashi-sensei, who's watching Tazuna?" Naruto asked, thinking about the bridge. It was bad that he might be out there alone.

"I made sure that he understood that he can't leave anywhere until mid tomorrow. It gives me time to regain the rest of my chakra and I can keep an eye on the drunk." Naruto raised an eyebrow. He had smelled traces of old sake in the upstairs hallway, but he hadn't expected the man to be a drunk, especially with a grandson around. "I, unfortunately due to the threat, will have to leave you a kage bushin while I watch Tazuna."

"If Asuma has chakra exhaustion, I might be able to help him. I have been working on chakra transfer and I'm good at it." He watched the silver haired jonin think hard for a few minutes, feeling a bit put out but understanding why Kakashi had to leave him a kage bushin.

"Perhaps. But if you do, it'll only be a little. I want you to be able to train." Naruto nodded.

"Hai. Should I do it now?"

"No. Start transferring chakra a little after dinner, if not tomorrow morning."

"Hai."

The next five hours had Naruto and Kakashi switch between giving advice to Asuma's genin, eating a quick lunch, going over basic kata with the tanto and sparring. The one closest to gaining achievement over the tree walking exercise was actually Shikamaru. Naruto put it down to the fact that the Nara clan had to be precise with chakra for their shadow jutsu - and that Kakashi had scared him with the rough speech and icy demeanor.

The worst off was Choji, probably because his clan had to have large amounts of chakra and he ended up either putting too much and breaking the tree or putting too little and sliding off. It was slow going, but he was gaining more control. Ino was closer to Shikamaru than Choji in means of control and steadily gaining. She had fallen off at the beginning because she set too little chakra into the technique. Her purple clothes were mud splattered and grass stained, but she kept from complaining, most likely from fear of Kakashi-sensei.

A silver blur sliced near his face and Naruto was drawn back into the fight. He flickered forward with chakra enhanced speed and made two swift cuts at Kakashi's chest before dodging sideways and jabbing at a cloth covered throat. The only chakra used in this fight was to enhance speed or limbs; it was about learning to fight without using jutsu. For his troubles, he got cut on the arm.

Naruto inwardly hissed at the pain. It wasn't even deep, but with it being on his knife arm, it would be harder to keep the tanto steady and keep his grip. In short, it would be more annoying. The blond kicked hard and slammed a leg onto Kakashi's leg and used it to propel himself up to stab at the silver haired sensei's heart. The flat of the other tanto knocked his own sideways and a fist to his stomach made him nearly double over. Coughing lightly, Naruto twisted sideways as the tanto was thrust at his head. 'Damn it. I know I've only just started fighting with a tanto, but it's not as different from fighting with a kunai! I still can't scratch him!' He grumbled inwardly as he found his legs being knocked out from under him and the blade at his throat.

"Dead."

The blond lay panting on the ground, eyes narrowed at the ground. He winced lightly at the sting of his wound before nodding and getting to his feet. "You've grown better, even if it is a little. Get your cut bandaged. We'll stop sparring for tonight." Kakashi-sensei said and Naruto gave a light smile at the compliment before removing his armor and taking out one of his storage scrolls. He took out some antihistamine cream and a short length of bandage, thinly smearing on the ointment and wrapping his arm.

Once that was taken care of, he waited as Kakashi stood, seemingly thinking. What he said next was unexpected, even for him; "I want your input on how to train the genin. My methods are fine - if you're in the ANBU or my genin." Naruto snorted faintly; inwardly he was shocked and slightly amused. "But putting them through the same training could only hurt them and we can't have that when our enemies are so close at hand."

"You really want me to try and help you figure out how to teach them?"

"I wouldn't have said anything if I didn't." There was a sort of careful understanding that passed between them. Kakashi-sensei was allowing him to make choices - ones that could ultimately work with or against them in any upcoming battles against Zabuza and his companion. It was the sharing of responsibility in a very clear cut way, but Naruto was uncertain about whether he would choose correctly. Even if it was just choosing what to teach, it was something that he realized was a chunin's duty and he took a breath to calm himself. 'It's like showing sensei street ways. Choose the skills that would help most in the situation.'

"Do you want me to give you a few suggestions now?" Naruto asked, his mind scrambling to remember what his classmates specialized in for their clans and what they knew from the Academy. There was a moment of silence before he glanced at Kakashi. He saw the man was smiling faintly under his mask and glared halfheartedly.

"No. That would be foolish to expect you to come up with a training method in a few hours. Tell me at our normal time tomorrow, here."

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto replied, his mind flashing as he began to draw up plans. He was dismissed still thinking about the plans for the other genin.

Going into the house, he gave a glance at Tsunami before heading back to Shikamaru and Choji's room. 'They obviously need to do water walking.' Naruto thought with a frown as he sat down. 'I don't want to overload them so that they can't learn everything. So they need something they can all learn, since it would waste time to give them individual attention.' He grabbed out a piece of paper and began to scribble out quick jutsu and other basics. Naruto had to cross out things when he realized that some things Choji couldn't learn fast enough or Shikamaru wouldn't put too much effort into.

In the end, Naruto gave a half grimace. The training was all right, but he might've done better if the group had a tiny bit more time. The list was thus: water walking, fighting blind, increasing speed, shunshin, bandaging wounds, Futon: Reppusho and Katon: Karyudan. Fighting blind was for Zabuza, who was a master of silent killing; increasing their speed was good in general; shunshin was good for getting out of the way of the senbon he was told the accomplice loved; bandaging wounds was in case one of them got injured and the jonin or himself were unavailable; the futon was to scatter any senbon the accomplice might aim and if they managed to get close enough, the katon would cause a distraction and heavy burn damage.

It was an all right training plan. There was a knock on the door and Naruto looked up as Tsunami entered, her blue-black hair drawn back. The smells of rice and fish entered the room from the hallway and he realized it was dinner time already. 'Has it really been that long?'

"Naruto-san. I made food. Kakashi-san and the others are inside as well." Giving a light sigh, Naruto nodded.

"Thank you, Tsunami-san." He stretched lightly before getting up and putting away his notes. Tsunami was already walking down the stairs when he started following her to the table. When he reached the table, he got his first glimpse of Tazuna. The man was older with a large gray beard, dark eyes with glasses and a sleeveless green shirt. He drank what smelled of strong tea as he quietly talked with Kakashi-sensei over a few rolled up pieces of paper.

Again, the grumpy black haired boy sat at the table, already picking at his meager rice and fish. Tsunami sat between him and Tazuna, giving him worried glances. However, the other three genin were what caught his attention. To put it frankly, they looked like hell warmed over. 'So Kakashi-sensei started training them harder. I wonder what he did. They probably finished the tree walking exercise and thought they were going to get away with just that. Looks like he started on taijutsu, from those bruises on Ino's face.' Ino had several dappling purple and yellow bruises over her cheekbones, her neat blonde hair was messy and scattered.

Shikamaru was favoring his left arm and Choji would keep leaning to his right side, keeping his weight off of his left side. When Ino whipped her head up to look at him, she stared at him for a second before snapping,

"How in the world do you train like that?! I think he nearly killed me!" Tazuna, Tsunami and the boy glanced at her in a bit of worriedness and surprise. Naruto snorted and took a seat where Tsunami had set him out a plate. He took a couple of swift bites before answering with a light grin that made Ino narrow her eyes.

"You think that was a hard workout? If anything, Kakashi-sensei went really easy on you guys because he didn't want you to be injured simply from training. I do maybe three to five times that. Every day." Ino looked as if someone had told her Sasuke liked Sakura and proclaimed his everlasting love. Shikamaru made a hilarious face that made it look like he had a particularly sour lemon in his mouth. Choji had turned white, blanching.

"Who cares how hard or long you train?" Naruto tilted his head to watch the little boy who had spoken. There was only disgust, slight anger and a sort of sorrow trapped in his black eyes. Kakashi-sensei had also turned to look at the boy, along with Ino, Choji and Shikamaru. "Gato will kill you anyway. You'll just die!" Ino's face had taken a very faint shade of pale as she listened. 'Is she cowed by the thought of a powerful civilian?' Naruto wondered curiously with disbelief, before turning back to the boy.

"Hush, Inari." Tsunami said, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she lightly scolded her son. The boy - Inari - Naruto corrected himself, merely shrugged her off.

"No!" Inari snapped back. "Let the stupid ninjas hear it! They're all gonna die! Gato's gonna string them up and kill them! Doing their dumb training isn't going to help!" Naruto wanted to laugh. An Academy student could probably beat this Gato man if it came to a one-on-one fight! He was merely a civilian; and one who would last all five seconds on the underground streets of Konoha. If that. "Besides, they don't even care about us! All ninjas are only in it for the money and I bet they don't even know anything about having a hard life like us!" At that, Naruto got icy. Icy pissed. Icy mad.

"We don't know anything about having a hard life?" Naruto was aware his voice was cold. Inari turned to glare at him. "First off, boy, have you ever tried to fight Gato, then? No? Then shut your mouth. You sit here and cower in fear, hiding yourselves away like rats from a dog. The only brave one here, I see, is your grandfather for having the guts to come get us all the way in Konoha when he could've been killed. Secondly, a fucking Academy student could send a kunai through the man's throat and he'd still be dead. Shinobi are killers, trained killers, most unlike those thugs Gato has probably hired." His voice grew sharper.

"And, most importantly, I don't know about a hard life? They," he waved his hand at Ino, Shikamaru and Choji, "might not know about much of a hard life, but I do. Have you ever had to dig through trash cans and starve till you can see your ribs and count them? Have you ever been beaten so hard you've heard your own bones crunch and seen your bones stick through your skin? Had people try to carve out your guts with broken sake bottles while you choke on your own blood?" The boy had gone a pasty white, tears of anger and shock starting to gather in his eyes. He heard gasps from the others in the room but ignored them. "Don't ever try to lecture me on a hard life!" The blond spat before sliding from his chair and leaving before his sensei could say anything.