Yeah. Shut it. XD

Chapter Two-Intensive Training

"Shikamaru, give me a hand please…" sighed Nara Daika

Monday. October 10th. Eight years-to the day-since the Kyuubi had attacked.
Nine children, about eight, each of them, were training in a large compound. One was blue eyed, blonde, and looked happier than he had done at any other point in his life.

The next had dark blue hair, pale lavender eyes, pupil-less, the sign of the Byakugan. She looked a little shy, and kept making sidelong glances at the first.

The third had black hair, and similar eyes, blue grey, and still Byakugan. He was older, and had a more focussed expression than the others.

Another had black hair, spiky, and black eyes as well. His expression was one of intense concentration, as if he would force his techniques to work through willpower.

Fifth was a brown haired boy, with red tattoos on his cheeks. He looked a little bored, but was working hard. There was a small dog sitting behind him, white furred.

Then there was another girl, black haired with dark brown eyes. She looked confident, and a little older than most of the others, as was the male Byakugan user.

Seventh was a girl, with blue eyes, blonde hair in a ponytail with one bang covering half of her face. She looked determined, as the youngest of them.

Another was black haired, also black eyed, in a ponytail behind him.

There was another boy, dejected in the corner. He had black hair and eyes, and overlarge eyebrows. He was being comforted by someone who looked very much like a larger version of himself, other than their clothes.

All of the young ninja were dressed the same, in a green jacket and trousers that were so dark as to be almost black. They had pouches of weaponry at their sides. There were minor differences, such as the black spiral printed on the back of the first boy's jacket-Naruto, and the small red and white fan symbol on the fourth boy's-Sasuke's.

All, save the last-Lee-where attempting a particular technique, being taught by the shinobi at the front, Nara Daiki.
Daiki had black hair in a ponytail very similar to the younger Nara, Shikamaru, and the same bored eyes. He had the Konohan flak jacket, over a grey shirt and black trousers.

"Shikamaru, give me a hand here." said the Nara.

The younger boy sighed.
"Kay. What you have to do." he started slowly. "You know when you focus chakra to your feet, to walk on water and stuff?"
There were nods of assent.
"Well, after you get the chakra there. Extend it. Into your shadow." he explained. "Look, pay attention to what it feels like. Pay attention to where the chakra comes from" said Daiki. "Kagemane no Jutsu."

His shadow extended out, encompassing that of Naruto, Hinata, Neji, Sasuke, Kiba, Tenten and Ino.
Each one gave a startled cry as they felt what the Naras where trying to describe.

Daiki dropped the technique, and seven voices cried.
"Kagemane no Jutsu!"

Seven shadows stretched out, striking that of Daiki.
He smiled.

* * *

Around a year earlier, 7AK
* * *

"Yuuta, I'd like you to make sure that both you and Sasuke are at the Wolf's House tonight." said Sarutobi bitterly.
"Why?" asked Yuuta.

Uchiha Yuuta had the black hair common among the Uchiha clan, and the same black eyes, ones that hid the Sharingan.
"That wasn't a request." replied the Sandaime shortly.
Yuuta blinked, and nodded.
As he went to find Sasuke, he began to wonder what the reason could be…

* * *

"Sasuke?" said Yuuta, sadly, waking up the seven year old. His face was red with tears.
"Yuuta-san?" asked Sasuke, reaching full wakefulness in seconds.
"The rest of the clan is dead. It was Itachi who did it."
"Itachi was the strongest of us…" muttered Yuuta. "I don't know if the Third himself could defeat him…"
"Then I'll become stronger than the Third." said Sasuke bitterly. "I'll train until I can become the Hokage myself."
"That's a good aim…" said Yuuta quietly, sadly. "Don't lose sight of what matters… like Itachi did…"

* * *

October 10th, 5AK
* * *

"Naruto." said Sarutobi, motioning him closer. "I'm very sorry about all of this, being watched constantly and trained relentlessly…"
"Why would you be sorry?" asked Naruto, curious. "Maybe they'll be my friends…"

Sarutobi smiled, and reached into his robe, drawing something out.
"This is a present for you, Naruto-kun. Maybe it will remind you that there's always someone who cares… and more than that. This is why your father was so feared… did you know that he was the Yellow Flash of Konoha, feared so much by Rock Ninja they were told to flee on sight?"

Naruto stared wide eyed.
"Wow!"

Sarutobi passed the item to him, a kunai that split like a trident, with complicated kanji written upon the hilt.

"Good luck." said Sarutobi.

* * *

9 AK
* * *

"A good morning to all of you." said Inuzuka Tsume with a superior grin. "You don't know how honoured you are. The Hokage has requested that every one of you receives a ninken. Kiba, you already know who you'll be having. Hinata, Neji, Sasuke, Tenten, Ino, Lee, Shikamaru. The dogs are in here for you to choose from, I'm sure you'll all find one. Hana!"

Another Kunoichi entered, younger, smiling briefly, and took most of the genin into another room.
"What about me?" asked Naruto, a little petulantly.
Tsume vanished into another room briefly, and came out with a puppy.
Well, almost a puppy.

"This is a fox cub…" said Naruto.
"Half fox." said Tsume. "We made a deal with a foreign clan that uses Ninja foxes. He's yours, Naruto. Take good care of him-and remember that I and the entire clan consider you, and your team, honorary members.

Naruto smiled, and embraced her suddenly.
"Don't push your luck, gaki." grumbled Tsume-but she didn't push him away.

* * *
7 AK
* * *

"Why are you so down, Lee-kun?" asked the impressive form of Maito Gai.
"I can't do anything they can…" murmured the young boy-actually a relative of Gai's. Which explained the eyebrows. "I can't mould chakra."
"What makes a ninja a ninja, Lee?" asked Gai.
"Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Taijutsu." responded Lee. That was something Iruka had drilled into them over the year and a half of basic ninja skills they had done.
"Taijutsu." repeated Gai.
"Big deal." said Lee. "Whoever heard of a ninja with only taijutsu?"
"I did, Lee-kun!" barked Gai.
"What was his name?" asked Lee.
"His name was Fudan Lee, member of the Sequoia Wolves! Though, he did have an excellent teacher-not to mention skills with herbs, medicine, the Jyuken-style-which-doesn't-actually-need-moulding-just-pushing-chakra-out-of-your-palm-and-aiming-at-organs, and Kenjutsu-all arranged by that wonderful teacher!" said Gai all in one supremely optimistic voice.

Lee's eyes widened.
"G…Gai-sensei…."
"Leee!" cried Gai.
They embraced.

* * *

Some time Before
* * *

"Iruka…" said Sarutobi. "I'd like you to give them these on their seventh birthday. There's one for each of them… I thought the team needed a signature technique."

Iruka blinked as he saw what was on the scrolls.
"But… I don't know any of these."

Sarutobi laughed.
"Pick one and get working then." he chortled.

* * *

7 AK
* * *

"Happy birthday, Naruto." said Iruka.
Naruto, blue eyes wide, took the scroll offered to him, and looked at it.
"It's a very powerful technique." said Iruka. "It's from the Hokage."
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu…" read Naruto in wonderment.
He hugged Iruka, and then ran off, calling back.
"You're the best, Iruka-sensei! I'm gonna go find the Hokage!" shouted Naruto back.

Iruka smiled.

* * *
10 AK
* * *

"Naruto, Shikamaru, Lee, Tenten, Hinata, Neji, Kiba, Sasuke and Ino. And the dogs." said the third Hokage. "Sequoia Wolves. Consider yourself active."

* * *

"Geez… how troublesome." complained Shikamaru back at the Wolf house. "We're gonna have to do missions soon…"
"It's great!" said Naruto. "I'm gonna show everyone how hard I've been working!"
"I'm going to show everyone how strong our Youth burns!" proclaimed Lee.
"Oh, drop it." said Tenten, who was getting truly exasperated with Lee and Gai.
"Um… I hope it's not too hard." murmured Hinata.
"Hinata-kun, it is our destiny to become powerful. We will be fine." said Neji.
"Yeah, yeah, drop the destiny stuff." growled Kiba. "I can do what I want, it isn't written."
"Hn. One day I'm going to be able to beat every one of you, then you'll remember the days when you stood a chance." said Sasuke. There was a slight smile on his lips.
"But you wouldn't beat me, right, Sasuke-kuuuun?" asked Ino, drooping herself on his shoulder.

Sasuke pointedly looked away, saying 'Hn' again, but the blush kind of detracted from it.

"Well, Wolves." said Iruka, interrupting the conversation, and general laughter at Sasuke, as he came in. "We have a mission. Something of great cultural importance to the village has been stolen, and we have to get it back. It is a B-rank, possibly higher, mission." he said.

Dead silence.
"Troublesome." sighed Shikamaru.

* * *

Kagemane no Jutsu-Shadow Imitation Technique

* * *

Well, there you go. Phwew. I miss Chronological order.