A/N: If anyone has read or is planning to read the old version after this, please be aware that I'm reshuffling the order of some of the major plot points.

Now then, on we go to a brand new arc.

Part III: Jounin Exam

Chapter Sixteen:

"Say that again you filthy traitor's brat!"

The Jounin's voice echoed sharply in the small briefing room. Kakashi stared unblinking at the glaring man in his twenties with a pinched face pale with suppressed fury. What the White Fang had anything to do with this conversation was beyond him, but he absently noted it was the first time in years that anyone had slandered his father's name to his face. Not that it would change his response.

"I'll say it as many times as you want: your strategy was worthless."

Obito huffed derisively beside him. "If you think it's okay to sacrifice the decoy, then you're the traitor – and an idiot. You can't blame us for not following your orders."

"The team was under my command!" the Jounin roared. "You –"

"Alright Taichi, just stop screaming," Shikaku groaned from where he sat behind a narrow desk. He sighed loudly and rubbed a hand over the two tender scars newly carved into the side of his face. A Chuunin sat beside him taking mission report notes with such fastidiousness that he seemed oblivious to the commotion caused by the other occupants in the room. They were a mix-and-match team of six, freshly returned from a reconnaissance mission in the south.

The expedition had certainly produced valuable information and that was really all Shikaku was concerned about. Then again, things never seemed to go so easily. The skirmish the team had run into on their way home had all but fractured the team in two. On the one hand were Taichi and his teammate, a fellow Jounin. On the other were Minato's two students, a teenage Chuunin and an Uchiha medic-in-training.

Shikaku sighed again. He had had a bad feeling about this bizarre team when he had organized them in the first place but he hadn't been able to pass up the probability of their success. And they had succeeded, it was just…

"It was my fault I let my guard down," the teenager mumbled. "I didn't notice how many enemies there were and…"

"They knew," Obito said, nodding to the two older shinobi. "They still ordered you to be the bait."

"And if you hadn't disobeyed us, we could have killed them all instead of letting half run away," Taichi snapped.

"That wasn't our mission," Kakashi said. He raised a brow. "I thought you knew… captain."

"You little –!"

"Taichi!" Shikaku barked, stopping the Jounin from grabbing Kakashi by the neck. Grumbling under his breath about troublesome impromptu teams, he rose from his seat and walked around the desk. "I get where you're both coming from. Coordination depends on team members following orders and fulfilling each of their roles. Then again, Uchiha Obito and Hatake acted to save their teammate. Long story short, no one was hurt and the mission was a success. I'm inclined to leave it at that and let the matter drop. However –"

He lifted a hand when Taichi began to protest and fixed the two young Chuunin with an irritated look. Obito had the grace to avert his eyes with the knowledge that he was in trouble.

"This is the third time in as many weeks that you two have disobeyed your team leaders," Shikaku went on. "We have ranks and hierarchy for a reason, you know. I understand you're capable but at this rate you're only going to set a bad example for other teams."

"But you have to agree that strategy was pretty horrible," Obito quipped.

Shikaku shrugged, unimpressed. "If you think you can do better, then hurry up and climb the ranks. In the meantime, stand straight and take it like a man." He glanced at Taichi. "One blow. Don't break anything."

Obito sighed in resignation and lifted his chin in defiance even as he planted his feet firmly on the ground. Kakashi slipped his hands into his pockets and stood in silence.

Looking hardly satisfied, Taichi nevertheless strode forward and backhanded Obito with enough force to send him stumbling into the wall. Drawing his fist back, he then swung it into Kakashi's stomach and watched in disdain as the expressionless look on the boy's face fall away in pain as he dropped to a knee and gasped for breath.

Taichi turned to the other silent Uchiha and the Chuunin. "Next!"

Asuka glowered in irritation. This was why nothing good came from being with Obito. He knew he shouldn't have listened to his cousin when they had dragged him from his position. Just because they could get away with it for being talented, didn't mean he and the average Chuunin could too.

As the foul tempered Jounin strode up to him, Asuka threw a resentful glare at his cousin, only to have his vision filled with the sight of Obito's back, protecting him from Taichi. Asuka blinked in surprise and was halfway to voicing his protest when he saw Kakashi slipping in front of the other Chuunin and the sheer stupidity of their actions left him speechless.

"It was our decision," Obito rasped. "These two had nothing to do with it."

Taichi gave a scornful sneer and raised his fist again. "Fair enough."

Shikaku sighed one final time as he rubbed a hand over his eyes and shook his head, listening to two more thuds reverberating through the room. He almost felt sorry for Minato. Almost.

.-.-.-.

"Asshole," Obito hissed, rubbing a hand over his split lips and swollen cheek as he, Kakashi and Asuka walked down the street from the administrative building. The skin around Kakashi's left eye was quickly turning into a blotchy red from Taichi's second hit.

"You must be idiots," Asuka said. "I never asked you to cover for me."

"Yeah, well, you never asked to be dragged in this either," Obito muttered, and then winced. "Can you fix this? I can't talk properly."

"I can, but I won't. It's a waste of chakra."

"Fine, I'll go find Rin. She probably has better bedside manners anyway."

Asuka growled and pushed Obito none too gently against a wall, then brought his hands to hover over his mouth and cheek. They glowed a soft green and quickly began to mend the broken skin.

Obito stared curiously at his cousin's face. The two of them didn't look much alike. Asuka's face was leaner and his eyes set deeper in his face, but it was rare to see his look of perpetual displeasure replaced with such single-minded concentration. "So you really can perform medical ninjutsu."

"It's all I've been practicing for the past three years."

"If only you'd put some of that time and skill into practicing Katon techniques, then the Clan wouldn't treat you so badly."

Asuka glowered as he stepped away. "I'm not doing this for the Clan. I hate everything they stand for."

"So what are you doing it for?" Kakashi asked. He stood with his shoulder leaning against the wall, idly watching the people in the street as he waited. Asuka glanced at him and wordlessly reached out to his eye, but Kakashi drew back. "I'm fine."

"I don't care," Asuka shot back. Kakashi hesitated, then shrugged and made no further protest. As Asuka raised his hand and slowly reduced the swelling, he spoke again. "I hate the violence in the Uchiha Clan. I feel better when I'm healing someone than trying to hurt them. I'm not as good as Rin but as long as she believes I'm doing some good, I won't even care if the Clan spits on me."

Kakashi considered his words for a moment. "So you're doing it for Rin?"

Asuka stiffened.

"He's not doing it for Rin, he's in love with Rin," Obito drawled from where he was crouched, his hands locked behind his head.

In hindsight, Kakashi thought, it was really quite impressive. Without a word or sound of warning, Asuka spun with surprising speed and kicked Obito square in the face before darting away over the rooftops. A belated "Go to hell!" echoed down to where Obito was left sprawling on the cold ground with a look of stunned disbelief on his face – and his lip split cleanly open again.

Kakashi stared at him with a raised brow. "He's an Uchiha alright."

Obito scowled as he pushed himself upright and gingerly touched his bleeding lip. "Really?"

"Why is it something to hide anyway?" Kakashi reached down to pull Obito to his feet. "Anyone can tell he's obsessed with Rin."

"That's what I thought," Obito grumbled as he dusted himself off. "Why the hell doesn't he use that kind of speed when we're sparring?"

Kakashi lifted a hand to his eye and found it fully healed. "His medical training could have improved his chakra control a lot more than he realizes. Isn't that enough for the Clan to acknowledge him?"

Obito sighed and shook his head. "Doubt it. I've been trying to convince him to work on his combat skills for the next Chuunin exam but all he does is complain that it's a waste of his time."

"They're going to a hold an exam?"

"There's a rumor of a single-day event just for Konoha at the beginning of the New Year. It's been over two years since the last one. Can't blame guys like Genma and Asuma for getting impatient."

"I suppose."

"Which reminds me. Let's go see Minato-sensei. I want to ask him something."

Without waiting for a reply, Obito scaled the wall and disappeared over the roofs. Kakashi shook his head in resignation and followed.

.-.-.-.

"You really don't know the definition of privacy do you?" Kakashi asked, eyeing his friend who was peering into Minato and Kushina's living room from the window.

"Privacy? You mean that fairytale thing younger siblings are fated to be deprived of the moment they're born?"

"Also known as the right to be free from unauthorized surveillance and intrusion, but yes, privacy."

"Sounds absolutely fantastic," Obito deadpanned. He carefully extended a thread of chakra to the lock and was about to give it a deft twist when a voice sounded below them from the street.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

They looked down to see Kushina in a travelling cloak with a bag slung over her shoulder and a basket of groceries in her arms. She grinned up at them. "Unless of course you want to be teleported miles out of the Village by Minato's trap."

Obito's eyes grew wide and he snapped his hand back. "Seriously? He has his own house rigged?"

"For good reason," Kakashi said. He jumped down to land beside Kushina and noted the wear around the hem of her cloak. "Are you returning from a mission?"

She nodded. "We just got back. What about you? I heard you were on a surveillance mission."

"We returned this morning."

Obito came down to join them. "Do you know where sensei is?"

"He should be coming home any minute now. Come on up. You haven't eaten yet have you? I'll make us all lunch."

"I'm –" fine was what Kakashi had meant to say but one frigid look from Kushina silenced him.

"You aren't back on your soldier's pill diet again are you?" she asked slowly, her voice nothing short of menacing.

Kakashi froze and took an instinctive step back. Soon after their trial by fire several weeks ago, Minato had casually asked about his student's eating habits with an unamused smile that told Kakashi he knew exactly what those habits were. When Kakashi had refused to answer, Minato had turned to Kushina – and all hell had broken loose.

Obito snickered. "Let's be honest here Kakashi. I'm starving."

Kakashi turned his eyes away and mumbled, "I guess I could eat."

"Good!" A bright smile lit up Kushina's face as she led them up the stairs. "By the way, I found an old scroll with a list of Uzumaki sealing techniques. Minato mentioned you were looking for one that could neutralize a tailed beast right?"

Kakashi looked up in interest. Their close-call encounter with the Eight Tails Jinchuuriki in Lightning Country had convinced them that they needed some sort of plan for the future if they ever came across one of the Bijuu again. Having seen Kushina's mastery of her clan's sealing techniques, they had turned to their teacher for advice.

"Are there any that doesn't require a bloodline?" Obito asked.

"Most of them don't," Kushina explained, "but the more powerful they get, the more effective they'll be when performed by two or more shinobi with harmonized chakra. Minato thinks the two of you will be able to integrate your chakra enough to make it work." She grinned over her shoulder as she unlocked the front door to the house. "If you can master one of the techniques, I'll let you try it out on the Kyuubi."

"Oh hell no," Obito blurted. "You're scary enough as you are now, there's no way –"

"Scary?" Kushina repeated softly. Her face was frozen in a smile.

Obito paled. "No, wait, I mean…"

It was too late. Kakashi deftly stepped out of harm's way as Kushina grabbed Obito by his wide collar and single handedly threw him over her shoulder. He landed with a pained yowl in the entrance hall. "Just who do you think you're calling scary?!" she yelled, slipping into her peculiar 'dattebane' habit.

Kakashi watched the fiery kunoichi snapping at Obito and wondered what it was about his teammate that made him such an easy prey to just about everyone. Aside from training and actual combat, he had never seen Obito raise a fist to anyone. If anything, he felt Obito was more the pacifist than Asuka.

Arguing loudly with one another, Kushina and Obito soon disappeared into the living room. Kakashi was left in the entrance with two pairs of carelessly discarded shoes. Absently, he nudged them into order and slowly slipped out of his own footwear. He stepped up onto the wooden floor and then stopped.

Minato and Kushina's house was as warm and welcoming as ever. He had been inside numerous times and it was a place he had never disliked. Yet, something had always kept him from feeling completely comfortable, as if telling him he didn't belong in a place where even the walls seemed to reflect and radiate the love shared by its inhabitants. Even in his earliest memories, the Hatake household had felt more muted and stoic, a sharp contrast from this all-encompassing warmth.

"What's the matter Kakashi?"

With a start, he turned to find his teacher in the doorway, those clear blue eyes looking straight at him with a questioning tilt of his head.

"Sensei…" He resisted the urge to fidget. "Welcome… home." Such everyday words felt alarmingly foreign on his tongue.

"Thanks, it's good to be home." Minato smiled easily, as if finding his students in his house was nothing out of the norm. He gave Kakashi a nudge and moved further into the entrance. "Let's close the door before Kushina gets mad."

As if on cue, the red haired kunoichi poked her head around the corner. "Welcome home, Minato. Kakashi, could you go supervise Obito's cooking?"

"He can't cook," Kakashi said.

"My point exactly," Kushina laughed.

Left with no choice, he slipped past Kushina and hurried into the kitchen to find Obito already brandishing a knife over the middle of a potato still covered in dirt.

"Hold it. What are you doing?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm following orders." Obito didn't even look up. "The almighty lady said to cut these into quarters."

"Unwashed and unpeeled?"

Obito finally glanced over his shoulder with a blank look. "Huh?"

Kakashi sighed, taking the knife from his friend's hand and dumping the potatoes into the sink. "We've established that you can't peel potatoes…" His words trailed into silence as memories rose in the back of his mind. Midori had still been with them the last time they had stood in this kitchen. She had given Obito hell when he had reduced a potato to a quarter of its size just by peeling it.

"I remember," Obito said, his lips quirking in a dim, nostalgic smile.

"Sensei's back," Kakashi said in an effort to change the subject. He began to wash the vegetables in the basket and kept his eyes on the running water. "What did you want to ask him?"

"About the Jounin exam."

Kakashi looked up in surprise. "You mean the promotion? The 'exam' was abolished years ago."

"With a few exception." It was Minato who replied from the doorway. "Why am I not surprised you know about this Obito?" His voice was light but the same levity was nowhere to be found in his expression.

Obito shrugged. "I figured there had to be some sort of loophole in the minimum age requirement for a promotion."

Kushina came up behind Minato and frowned. "The exam was abolished because it was too dangerous. You can't imagine the number of Chuunin who ended up leaving the shinobi life because of what they went through in the exam."

"Did you take it sensei?" Kakashi asked.

"I was one of the last. It wasn't a pleasant experience, I can tell you that."

"The minimum age requirement for a promotion is 12 years old," Kushina said. "You only have to wait another year."

"A year's too long," Obito said. "Besides, who would petition to follow the orders of a kid? Isn't that the whole point of the exam?"

Minato sighed reluctantly. "True. It's to test individual abilities to silence any misgivings other Jounin may have that are rooted in bias or age. Are you asking about the exam because of your recent clashes with your team leaders? I told you, working with your superiors is an important –"

"I know sensei, and believe me, I tried. But even a first year Chuunin can come up with better strategies than some of those stuck-up Jounin."

"I agree," Kakashi said. He was beginning to find the conversation and its potential outcome highly interesting. "If those Jounin are a reflection of the promotion, I'd much rather take the exam."

"I was a promotion," Kushina interjected with a wry smile. Kakashi promptly fell silent.

"You're nothing like Taichi," Obito said. "Shikaku-san told us climbing the ranks was the only way we could complain without getting beat up by the likes of him."

Minato's expression immediately darkened and he dropped his eyes to Obito's injured lips. Noticing the displeasure on his teacher's face, Obito quickly waved his hands to dispel the misunderstanding.

"This was Asuka. Well Taichi first, then Asuka second."

Minato blinked. "Asuka?"

"As in, Asuka healed it and then kicked it open again. I swear, that sulking punk is stronger than he thinks he is. I mean why doesn't he – No, wait, that isn't the point." He scrambled to get the conversation back on track as Minato's brow arched higher and Kushina did her best to hold back her amusement – with little success. Flapping his hands in agitation, he turned to his teammate. "Kakashi!"

"What?"

"Say something."

Kakashi cocked his head in thought. "Being his cousin, I think you should have had a better understanding of what his explosive triggers are. Not to mention your guard was much too loose even considering we're in the Village and –"

"That's not what I meant!"

"Oh. Then did you mean your tendency to talk without thinking and derailing yourself from –"

Obito clapped a hand over Kakashi's mask with an audible pop and it made Kushina burst into outright laughter. Minato looked torn between the gravity of what his students were asking and the sheer amusement of their antics.

Kakashi pried the hand loose with an irritated grunt and then turned back to Minato. "His terrible persuasion skills aside, I agree with Obito. If push comes to shove we won't be able to protect anyone if we remain Chuunin."

Minato regarded his students for a long moment with eyes that looked almost pained.

With a jolt, it reminded Kakashi of the night his father had died. Sakumo had looked at him with that very same expression. Why? What was bringing those memories back? He felt his hands curl into fists. He didn't want to think Taichi's words had affected him so acutely. Father was weak, he told himself. Minato was nothing like his father.

So why was he suddenly consumed with a sinking feeling as if he had just let his teacher down?

"Sensei…?"

"Alright," Minato said at the same time, his voice carrying over Kakashi's hesitant question. It jarred Kakashi from his thoughts and grounded him back in the here and now. His teacher went on, seemingly unaware of his silent breath of relief. "First, though, I need you to understand what it means to take the exam. You'll be assessed by ANBU operatives in an individual, weeklong test. The Jounin exam isn't about winning or losing. It's about surviving. Their orders are to fail you and break you and the ANBU show no mercy. Are you still prepared to take it?"

Kakashi and Obito nodded curtly.

"Alright," Minato said again, his voice heavy but firm. "I'll bring it up with Hokage-sama."

"Thanks, sensei," Obito said. "We won't let you down."

Minato gave his students a troubled look. "I really hope to see that confidence at the end of all this."

"Minato looked like a ghost for days after the exam," Kushina mused.

"Don't remind me." He shuddered. "I still have nightmares about it."

Kakashi and Obito shared a look but it was too late to back down now. Not that they had any intention of doing so.

"Well then, if you're set on taking the exam, you better start eating well," Kushina said. "Were you in time to save the vegetables Kakashi?"

He held up a healthy potato over Obito's protests.

"Good! Okay, then…" Rolling up her sleeves, Kushina fired off a list of tasks for each of them and the kitchen soon came alive with the clamor of cooking, laughter and the occasional groan of frustration from Obito.

.-.-.-.

Three days later, Minato was walking down the corridor to the Hokage's office when he came face to face with his old friend and classmate.

"Yo Minato," Shikaku greeted with a lazy wave of his hand. "What brings you here on your day off?"

Minato's lips twisted at the irony. "You."

"Huh?"

"Did you really have to go around giving my students weird ideas?"

Shikaku was silent for a moment but his brilliant mind quickly connected the dots. "They knew about the exam?"

"You bet."

"Damn." Shikaku barked with laughter. "Some kids you've got."

"It really isn't a laughing matter Shikaku."

"Hey, at least they're motivated. Remember us? We tried to stay Chuunin for as long as possible just to avoid responsibility."

"You tried to fail your exam," Minato reminded with accusatory eyes.

Shikaku scratched the back of his neck with a wistful sigh. "Too bad it didn't work. But all things considered, it's not a bad idea. We could definitely use more Jounin. We lost too many this year."

"There's no guarantee they'll pass."

Amusement lifted Shikaku's brows. "You wouldn't be here if you thought they wouldn't pass. Am I wrong?"

Minato sighed. "I guess not."

"Has the Sandaime agreed?"

"I'm on my way to hear his answer now."

Shikaku patted Minato's shoulder as he walked passed. "Don't worry, they'll be fine."

"You're just saying that aren't you?"

Shikaku laughed softly. "Who knows." He waved his hand over a shoulder and disappeared down the hall.

As Minato continued on his way, he wondered if his friend had known how conflicted he was. He couldn't count the number of times he had thought of ordering his students to wait until they were older. Yet every time, he reminded himself of why they were doing this. It wasn't for themselves. It was to protect others. No one was allowed to deny them that.

Believe in them. Kushina's words from late last night whispered in his mind. Schooling his face, he looked up at the door to the Hokage's office and knocked.

Hiruzen and Danzo were sitting across from each other on the set of couches to the side but the Sandaime rose as Minato entered and beckoned him to the desk. He picked up the two sheets of paper laid on its surface and looked over the profiles.

"You requested to hold a Jounin exam for Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Obito, correct?"

Minato nodded. "They've shown exceptional progress over the years and have proven themselves time and again of having what it takes to become a Jounin. I do not believe their age should prevent them from being given the opportunity."

Hiruzen grunted. "I can see why you would recommend them, but I question the wisdom of taking four shinobi and a rotation of ANBU out of routine missions for an entire week. It's been enough of a challenge to organize the Chuunin exam without weakening our defenses."

"Forgive me, Sandaime, but I believe there is nothing safer than having a handful of ANBU scattered outside the Village walls," Minato reasoned.

"If need be, the Root will be glad to lend a hand," Danzo said over his shoulder.

Hiruzen frowned. "That won't be necessary."

"If you say so," Danzo murmured. "In either case, I'm also in favor of holding the exam. It's best to test children when they're young to avoid wasting time investing in fruitless cases."

Minato narrowed his eyes in distaste but kept them fixed on the desk.

"That's enough, Danzo," Hiruzen said. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop thinking of shinobi as pure assets?"

"That's the very definition of a shinobi." There was an edge to Danzo's voice. "I'm telling you, your naiveté is going to lose us this war."

"We'll continue that discussion later." Sandaime turned his attention back to Minato. "Very well. I approve of the exam. I'll prepare two examiners and an assessment team. You'll receive notice by the end of the day."

Minato bowed. "Thank you Sandaime."

As he turned and took his leave, he was aware of Danzo's curious eyes following him, but steadfastly refused to acknowledge it. He wished he could just as effectively stave off the man's interest in his students.

.-.-.-.

Kushina crossed her arms and tilted her head in thought as she watched Kakashi and Obito fail to harmonize their chakra yet again. They had been in the training field for hours, trying to perform the sealing technique they had picked out over lunch the other day. Performed successfully, it would extinguish the small flame feeding off a chakra infused scroll placed between them. As it was, the fire was burning heartily with no sign of diminishing.

"Can't I just stamp it out?" Obito grumbled as he caught his breath.

"Let's see you stamp out a tailed beast," Kushina shot back.

Obito growled. Kakashi frowned in frustration.

"Let's try something else," Kushina said. "I assumed the yin chakra was going to be stronger in Obito because of the Uchiha bloodline, but maybe that's where the balance is being distorted. Kakashi, switch to yin chakra. Obito, you provide the yang."

The two boys straightened, took a breath and formed a set of seals in unison. Fuuinjutsu: Inyou Fuuin.

Talismans spread out in a ring around them came alive as polar chakra flowed out from the two young shinobi standing across from one another. Kushina watched them physically struggling to manipulate their chakra in an effort to find a perfect balance to merge the two opposing energies. It was far different from controlling both yin and yang elements within one's own chakra to perform ninjutsu. This technique required absolute harmony to neutralize the foreign chakra it trapped within its web.

Kushina was just about to decide it was too difficult for them when the chakra flame suddenly swayed and then disappeared.

"That's it!" she cried. Almost as soon as the words were out, the flame came alive again and Obito fell back with an exhausted groan. Nevertheless, it didn't dampen Kushina's excitement at all. "Well done! You did it. The rest is practice."

"Seriously?" Obito gasped. "It's going to take years before we can seal anything that's even remotely a threat."

Kakashi braced himself on his knees and shook his head. "We'll have it down in two months."

Obito dropped his head into the ground.

"See, I told you they could do it."

Kushina turned to see Minato land beside her and she grinned. "I never thought I'd see Uzushio's traditions being passed on here."

Minato smiled. "Where there's a will, there's a way."

She pressed a hand to her stomach. "It's good to know that if the Kyuubi ever breaks free of my control, they'll be able to lend you a hand."

"That won't happen. I'll make sure of that."

Kushina gave him a wry smile. "There's never a never in our world Minato. What did the Sandaime say?"

He looked like he wanted to say something else, but eventually turned to his students. "Kakashi, Obito, listen up. The Hokage-sama approved to hold your Jounin exam. It starts tomorrow at dawn."

"Tomorrow?" Obito wheezed.

"A Jounin has to always be prepared to respond to emergencies on the spot," Minato said. "That includes leaving on missions with a minute's notice. Having a full night to rest and prepare is a luxury you won't always have. Understand?"

Kakashi nodded. Obito climbed to his feet and straightened his shoulders.

"Meet me at 0600 tomorrow at the East Gate. Bring everything you need to survive."

"Hai."

Kushina watched her husband dismiss the two and watched them leave the training grounds. "Do you think they'll be alright?"

"It'll all depend on their examiners."

.-.-.-.

Obito was surprised when he returned home to find his sister's shoes in the entrance. It was rare for her to be home in time for dinner even if she wasn't on a mission. He padded through the house, picking up the sounds of conversation and laughter as he neared the kitchen. He opened the door to find Nayu leaning against the counter, her long hair hanging loose as she only did when off-duty. She was stealing bits of finger food as she chatted with their mother, Uchiha Natsumi.

"Welcome home baby brother," Nayu greeted.

Obito rolled his eyes. "Drop the baby, geez. Why are you home so early?"

Nayu sighed dreamily. "We got time off. Can you believe it? It's a miracle. Four months, two weeks and five days of back-to-back missions and finally some down time."

"Trust you to be counting." He propped his arms on the counter beside her. "Hey Mom, I won't be home for the next week."

She paused in the act of stirring the oden pot. "Mission?"

"I'm taking to Jounin exam."

Nayu choked on a piece of fried tofu and doubled over in a coughing fit.

"What is wrong with you?" Obito demanded even as he reached out to thump her on the back.

Ignoring his question, Nayu gawked at him through teary eyes and croaked, "You're the examinee?"

Obito stared back. "You know who the examiner is? Don't tell me is you!"

Nayu shook her head and cleared her throat loudly. "Of course not. But it's been years since a Jounin exam was held. News was all over Headquarters."

"The Jounin exam?" Natsumi hummed in her mild tone. "How nostalgic. You'll have so much fun."

"Fun?" Nayu asked. "How?"

"Because there aren't any silly rules like the Chuunin exam. It's kill or be killed." She smiled cheerfully in a manner not unlike someone happily talking about their favorite hobby. Obito shook his head at the absurdity that was his family.

"Don't mind her, she's crazy," Nayu dismissed. "Listen Obito. All ANBU operatives are stinking assholes so don't ever trust a word the examiner says. They're sadistic bastards who love to make people suffer just to see someone else share their pain."

Obito gave his sister an incredulous look. "You're one of them. You know that, right?"

"Of course."

He could have sworn she looked proud.

"But seriously," Nayu went on with a worried frown. "Be careful. Never let your guard down. Think ahead. Use every dirty trick you know. And always remember what you're fighting for. Especially if –"

"If what?"

Nayu took a breath, but then shook her head. "Just... be careful. Is Kakashi taking it too?"

"Yeah."

"Tell him what I told you. I'm sure he'll be fine, he's a genius after all. You on the other hand…" She looked at him with a dubious twist of her lips.

Obito growled. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Oh," Natsumi interrupted, her eyes on the calendar. "Would you look at that? Tomorrow's the first day of December. We need to get the Christmas decorations out. What would you kids like for Christmas dinner?"

The siblings shared a long-suffering look. "Mom, I keep telling you every year," Nayu said. "We're at war. It's not proper to decorate."

"Christmas isn't even a Konoha thing," Obito added. "Some eclectic old geezer heard about it on the far side of the sea and he came back half crazy."

"Being at war only means we need to keep our spirits high," Natsumi said, unfazed by their objections. "Foreign or not, it's much more cheerful than all the other dreary winter traditions don't you think?"

"Yeah but Mom, this year's different," Nayu pointed out. "Obito might not even make it back from the exam."

Their mother tapped a thoughtful finger against her chin. "I suppose you're right."

Obito tipped his head back and covered his face with his hands. "Can't I even get the benefit of the doubt?!"

.-.-.-.

"I see," Kakashi said. "So you stood waiting outside my apartment at 5:30 in the morning to complain about your family's lack of confidence in you?"

"I came to tell you about Nayu's warning, being the nice friend that I am," Obito ground out. He kicked a stray pebble down the dark, empty street and threw Kakashi a suspicious look through the dim pre-dawn light. "You aren't reading any weird books are you?"

Kakashi raised a brow. "Like what?"

"Like 'The Shinobi's Guide to Wit and Sass'?"

"You need to stop making stuff up, Obito."

"I'm not!" Obito sputtered.

Kakashi only made a vague reply and began to re-check his supplies. They both wore their Chuunin vests and carried a full set of utility holsters around their waists. With additional scrolls containing sealed weapons, they had enough equipment to last two weeks on border patrol.

"You nervous?" Obito asked.

"No."

Obito breathed a smile. "Thought so."

"Are you?"

"Always."

"Whatever. Just don't fail."

Obito laughed this time. "Aye sir."

They soon left the last of the buildings and the East Gate loomed darkly ahead of them. Minato stood silently at its base, flanked on either side by two ANBU. One was leaning against the gate while the other was crouched, seemingly undisturbed by the cold despite their bared shoulders. The animal masks were lowered over their faces but Kakashi felt their silent scrutiny like needles pricking his skin.

The crouched ANBU slowly straightened and took a step forward. "Uchiha Obito. Hatake Kakashi. Your Jounin exam begins at sunrise."

Translations:
Fuuinjutsu: Inyou Fuuin - Sealing technique: yin yang seal
Oden - a winter pot dish

A/N: I know the Jounin exam isn't canon, but if anyone has any expectations or wants to see something happen, let me know. I'm going to change a lot from the original so the slate's still pretty blank. Now's the time to voice opinions!

As a side note, with Naruto/Shikamaru and Boruto/Shikadai in the same years I figured Minato and Shikaku had to have been in the same year too, just because :) My headcanon is that Jiraiya tricked Minato into the Jounin exam because Minato and Shikaku kept turning down promotions (Minato because he wasn't interested in rank and Shikaku because he couldn't be bothered).

Response to Guest reviewer: Thanks for your review! Sorry it takes me until the next chapter to reply. I'm not too familiar with Fairy Tail but Natsu's the energetic fire guy right? Bet Midori would love to get at his fire! I'll keep working on the kick assery ;)

A/N July 28: I wrote a oneshot that was inspired and based off a scene from this chapter. It's called "Of Dreams and Flowing Time" and features Kakashi at age 25, reflecting that he's older than Minato ever got to be. It'll be a nice interlude for readers who want to take a small breather. Just visit my profile and you'll find it there. Hope you enjoy!

.LinSetsu.