A/N: And there you have it folks, a brand new chapter of the Revised AFatH. I know it took a while, but I hope it was worth the wait. Credit goes to Lix Lorn the Eeveetrainer for helping me out in the idea factory.

A Fox among the Hounds

New Teachers

The next day, the two boys and their ninken arrived to class, looking rather haggard. Ino, ever the perceptive one, was the first to notice.

"What happened?" she gasped. "You guys look terrible!"

Kiba glowered at her as he trudged to his seat. "Thank you, Princess Obvious."

"Don't mind him," Naruto consoled the other blonde, "You know how Kiba is when he doesn't get enough sleep. Cranky, like a big baby."

"S-so, you are both alright then?" Hinata asked.

Naruto smiled at his best friend. "Don't worry, Hinata. We're both fine, a bit tired, but still peachy keen." As if to cement his partner's guarantee, Aomaru gently licked her hand.

"Okay class, settle down," chided Iruka as he entered the room. "Before I begin with the team assignments, I would like to announce this year's top Rookie." He pulled out a scroll and broke the seal. "And the Rookie of the Year is- Unbelievable!" he exclaimed, eyes growing wide. "For the first time in the history of the Konoha Ninja Academy, we have two Rookies of the Year. Congratulations Naruto Inuzuka and Sasuke Uchiha!"

The two boys were immediately swamped with congratulations from their fellow peers. Naruto was genuinely pleased, and though the Uchiha appeared indifferent, the seeds of jealousy had been sowed.

When the general chaos from the well-wishers had simmered down, Iruka continued with his announcements. "Also, don't forget to pass by Room 201 to have your Ninja ID picture taken, and then proceed to Room 205 to meet your Jonin-sensei. Now for the team line-ups. Team One…"

By the time Iruka had reached to Team Seven, only Sasuke, Hinata, Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji, Sakura, and the Inuzuka brothers remained uncalled, and all of them were growing rather anxious.

"Team Seven!" Iruka announced, "Sakura Haruno, Kiba Inuzuka, and Sasuke Uchiha! Your Jonin-sensei is Obito Hatake."

His crankiness forgotten, Kiba's eyes widened and a wide grin split his face. Obito Hatake, the world's Number One Hunter-nin, also known as Hell Mirror Obito, was going to be a Jonin-sensei! His Jonin-sensei!

Beside the older Inuzuka, Naruto felt a pang of envy. Like Kiba, he too looked up to Obito Hatake, but for a different reason. True, Obito was known to fight with eight ninken amongst all other things, and his nindo was very similar to that of the Inuzuka, but there was something else- As a Genin, Obito had been trained by none other than the late Minato Namikaze, a man whom Naruto idolized like no other.

"WHOOHOO!" Kiba howled doing a happy dance. "I'm on a team with Obito Hatake! Can you believe that? The Obito Hatake is my Jonin-sensei! YEAH!"

"Kiba," Iruka ground out, "Sit down." Kiba obeyed immediately. "Now, as I was saying," the scarred Chuunin continued. "Team Eight…"

"Hey Naruto," whispered Kiba.

"What?" came the irritated reply.

"I'm on Obito Hatake's team."

"Could you repeat that a bit louder?" Naruto retorted, "I don't think the people up in Thunder Country heard you."

"Geez Bro, what got your undies in a twist?"

"Kiba! Naruto! Pay attention!" rebuked the teacher. "Now as I was saying… Team Eight will be composed of Shino Aburame, Chouji Akimichi, and Ino Yamanaka. Your Jonin-sensei will be Kurenai Yuuhi.

"Team Nine is still an active Genin team, so we'll skip to Team Ten," Iruka continued, as he read out the last team on his list. "Hinata Hyuuga, Naruto Inuzuka, and Shikamaru Nara, your Jonin-sensei will be Asuma Sarutobi. You are now all dismissed and I wish you the best of luck in your career."

Meeting Asuma Sarutobi turned out to be rather surprising at the very least. Given the man's appearance and achievements, Team Ten was half-expecting him to be some sort of hypercritical drill sergeant, but the minute he introduced himself, all their worries were thrown to the winds.

Team Ten was currently gathered at Training Ground 12, as they acquainted themselves with their new teacher.

"Okay kids," Asuma began, "Before we get to the gist of things, I'd like you to tell me a little bit about yourselves."

"Ugh… Do we have to?" groaned Shikamaru. "We've known each other for years."

"But I don't know you, and you don't know me…" said the bearded Jonin. "…and no, my achievements do not count," he added, cutting off Naruto in mid-protest. "Besides," he smiled, "It'll be fun."

"So why don't you start?" Naruto prompted.

"Okay," said the Jonin, " My name is Asuma Sarutobi, and I like smoking and barbecue. I dislike people who think they're all that because of their name and ninjas who use their authority to destroy rather than protect. My hobbies are playing Shogi and painting. My dream is to marry a certain genjutsu user and start a family with her. See? It's fun. Now, who's next? How about you?" he asked pointing at Naruto.

Naruto jumped up and faced his team. "Hey-o, I'm Naruto Inuzuka. I like ramen, my nin-dog Aomaru, and hanging out with my friends. I don't like bullies, mean people, and traitors! My hobbies are gardening, training with Aomaru, sampling different kinds of ramen, and messing with my brother Kiba. My dream is to be the greatest Hokage ever! Believe it!"

'So that's the Number One Rookie? Well, I'll admit he's got guts, but he still has a long way to go.'

Asuma clapped his hands. "Excellent! Pineapple Boy, you're up!"

Shikamaru frowned at the address, but introduced himself nonetheless. "How irksome…" he yawned. "The name's Shikamaru Nara. I like clouds and stars. I dislike work and troublesome situations. My hobbies include cloud watching, star gazing, and playing Shogi or Go. My dream is to live the life of an average ninja, marry someone that's neither too pretty nor too ugly, have two kids- a girl, then a boy, and peacefully die in my sleep before my wife."

"Well, that was oddly specific," Asuma commented. 'Typical Nara- Concealing their potential underneath a veil of apathy. Now let's see if we can unlock it.'

Hinata was last to go. "M-my name is H-hinata Hyuuga. I l-like…" She looked at Naruto and blushed. The blond may have been oblivious, but Asuma caught it. "I-I… I dislike people who call others weak!" she spoke with such ferocity, startling the bearded Jonin.

'A meek and humble Hyuuga, now that's something new. And she seems to like that blond Inuzuka kid.' He chuckled to himself. 'Pops was right, this year's batch are very interesting indeed.'

"My hobbies are making m-medicinal ointments and flower-pressing," Hinata continued. "And my dream is to become c-confident enough to change the Hyuuga clan for the better."

"Well then," said Asuma, clapping his hands together. "Now that we know each other, I'd like to brief you on the duties of a Genin. The life of a Genin is not exactly glamorous. In fact, you'll be performing many demeaning chores before you do anything remotely 'adventurous'."

"Oh great," snorted Shikamaru. "Chores. If I wanted to do that, I could have stayed home this entire time. Are we going to start today? Because if we are, I have a feeling that this is really going to be a drag."

Asuma smiled genially. "Don't worry Shikamaru, you won't be doing any of that today." The ponytailed boy heaved a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived. "Instead," Asuma continued, "We'll be training. In fact, we'll be doing that right now."

Naruto could barely contain his excitement. "So, what'll we be doing, Sensei? Sparring? Water-walking? New jutsu?"

Asuma just smiled on. "Nope, nope, and definitely no. Today, we'll be playing a game."

"What kind of game?" Shikamaru asked. 'Please be Shogi, please be Shogi…'

"Cat-and-mouse."

Naruto was floored. "Cat-and-mouse? Cat-and-mouse? For crying out loud, you're the infamous Windwalker Asuma! Can't you teach us something more worthwhile?"

"Actually, my cat-and-mouse is quite different from the version you're accustomed to. Your objective is to go after the target, namely me," Asuma explained. "If you don't catch me within two hours, you guys are going back to the Academy."

Naruto grinned ferally. "This'll be too easy. C'mon Aomaru, let's sic 'im!" The blond Inuzuka and his partner lunged for Asuma, but at the very last minute, the man evaded them and both boy and dog ended up with a face full of dirt.

"Nice try boys, but you'll have to do better than that," the bearded man prompted, disappearing into the woods. "Catch me if you can!"

Hinata ran up to Naruto and Aomaru and helped up. "Are you alright?" she asked, genuinely concerned.

"Yeah…" Naruto hissed, cricking his neck. "But we won't be if we don't catch Asuma-sensei within the allotted time. I don't want to be sent back."

"Me neither…" Hinata quipped.

"My mom would kill me if I got sent back," Shikamaru muttered. "Asuma-sensei made his test seem easy, but it seems that he's rigged it. What a pain…"

"Tell me about it…" Naruto grumbled. "He pulled one right over me."

"That means the direct approach is out of the question. How troublesome…" the Nara muttered. "What we need is a proper plan to take down Asuma-sensei. What do we know about our target?"

"He's quick on his feet," Hinata noted.

"Don't forget wily," Naruto added. Aomaru barked in agreement.

"Fleet-footed and tricky," Shikamaru repeated. "That means we'll have to beat him in his own game. Asuma-sensei was last seen heading into the forest, and judging from what we know about him, I'm pretty sure he's laid some traps. Hinata, we'll need you to use your Byakugan and act as the minesweeper; and Naruto, you and Aomaru keep track of his scent."

Shikamaru's deduction proved to be correct and Team Ten managed to catch up with their sensei without incident. However, as they neared him, another problem arose.

"How are we going to catch him?" Hinata whispered.

"She does have a point, Shika," concurred the blond Inuzuka, "We can't attack Asuma-sensei head on, he'll just keep baiting us until we run out of time."

Shikamaru rubbed his chin. "I think what we need now is something like a distraction, something that could divert his attention long enough for us to capture him. But the question is what?"

"Shogi, perhaps?" Naruto suggested. "He did say he enjoyed it."

Shikamaru shook his head. "No… Too obvious."

"How about a genjutsu of a pack of cigarettes?"

"Still too obvious."

"What if one of us transformed into the genjutsu user he likes?" Hinata asked.

"Probable," Shikamaru nodded, "But that could be anybody, considering the number of genjutsu users there are living in Konoha."

Naruto stepped forward. "I think know who it is." There was a puff of smoke, and standing in his place was a shapely woman with wavy, black hair, and striking red eyes.

Upon seeing who it was, Hinata's eyes widened. "M-miss K-kurenai?"

Shikamaru seemed pensive. "Hinata's nanny? What makes you think Hinata's former nanny is Asuma-sensei's girlfriend?"

"Simple, the nose knows," "Kurenai" answered, "Everyone has a particular scent pattern. Asuma-sensei smells like cigarettes and tobacco, but there is also a hint of Miss Kurenai's perfume mixed with his scent. Conversely, Miss Kurenai has a trace scent of cigarettes and tobacco. What does that tell you?"

Shikamaru relented. "I suppose we can't argue with that kind of logic. Alright, Operation: Lovebait is good to go."

Asuma Sarutobi was basking underneath a tree, enjoying his favorite brand of cigarettes when he saw her. His beloved Genjutsu user. Immediately he leapt to his feet.

"Kure-chan," he called, walking towards her, "Kure-chan, what in the world are you doing here all by yourself?"

"Looking for you," replied the female Jonin, looking rather frazzled, "I needed some ideas for testing my team, but I'm having a bit of a creative block."

"What about that one test where you get the kids to tag you, and Anko wards them off?" Asuma asked.

"That's the problem," Kurenai answered, "I can't find her anywhere. You don't mind if I stayed and observed, do you?"

"What about your team?"

The red-eyed woman frowned at him. "Thanks to Anko, I had to postpone my test 'til tomorrow, and I've been splitting hairs for more ideas." Her annoyed expression changed to a pleading one. "Please 'Suma, you're my last hope."

Asuma exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Well-l… When you put it that way… I suppose I could let you watch…"

Kurenai hugged him. "Thank you, 'Suma!" As she did, Asuma felt his body stiffen. Confused, he turned to Kurenai, hoping to find answers, only to see her smirking evilly at him.

"Kure-chan," he asked pensively, "What is going on?"

"You know 'Suma, they say that he who lays traps for others will only trap himself. In other words…" There was a cloud of smoke, and standing in Kurenai's place was a blond boy with red fang tattoos and a hint of whisker marks on his face. "…gotcha."

The bearded Jonin was flabbergasted. "H-how did you…?"

"Anything is possible with teamwork and deductive reasoning," Shikamaru said, stepping out of the bushes, his hands forming the rat sign. Not far behind him were Hinata and Aomaru.

Asuma smiled at his team. "Excellent shuffle, kids. Your performance has exceeded expectations, and for that I declare Team Ten as a bona fide Genin team. I'm really proud of you and will be honored to be your Jonin-sensei."

"YIPPPPPEEEEEE!" Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand and started jumping up and down, dancing wildly. "We did it! Yeah! We're an official Genin Team!" Aomaru darted between their ankles, barking happily.

"So what do we do now, Sensei?" Shikamaru asked as he freed the bearded man.

Asuma smiled a little bit wider. "Now, we celebrate! Yaniku Q on me!"

There were more cheers as the now-official Team Ten went to celebrate at Konoha's finest barbecue joint.

-Meanwhile with Team Seven-

After he had introduced himself to his team and vice versa, Obito Hatake knew he had his work cut out for him. With the rowdy Kiba, the rebelliously anti-social Sasuke, and poor Sakura caught in the middle, Team Seven definitely needed a lot of shaping up and a saint's worth of patience to deal with.

"Alright," Obito began, "Now that we all know each other, let me be the first to say that you guys suck as a team." Kiba open his mouth to protest, but the ex-hunter-nin gestured him to be silent. "Now I'm not saying this because I hate you, because I don't," he continued. "I can see that you guys have a lot of potential, but you also have a lot of weaknesses. Now, other instructors might test your mettle and decide whether you'll be a team or not, but not me, no sirree. It would be a shame to see such potential go to waste, and so I am immediately declaring this team official."

Sakura raised her hand. "So no test then, Obito-sensei?"

"No test," Obito repeated. "However, I will be polishing your potential and try to eliminate as much of your weaknesses as much as possible. And it starts now."

N & B's Explanation Corner

Who is Obito Hatake?

Obito Hatake is essentially Obito Uchiha. In this AU, Kakashi is the one who died in the rockslide in his attempt to protect both Rin and Obito. However, Obito did not escape unscathed either; he lost his left eye and it had to be replaced with Kakashi's. Already looked down upon by the Uchiha clan because of his nonconformity, he was ultimately expelled from the clan, and later adopted Kakashi's surname in honor of his late friend.

Why did you pick Asuma as Naruto's Jonin-sensei?

Everyone and his mother have already used Kakashi and Kurenai as the Jonin-sensei. Some even use Gai. So far there has only been one other person to use Asuma as the Jonin-sensei and his/her story has been completed for quite a while.

The parts with Asuma are very similar to the ones in All's Fair-haired in Love and War!

AFiLaW is practically a dead fic, so no worries if I want to transpose some of its scenes into the revised AFatH.

How are Naruto and Shikamaru so familiar with Kurenai?

Since Kurenai was Hinata's nanny at some point, and Naruto and Shikamaru are friends with Hinata, I'm sure they would have met Kurenai some time in the past.

I hope that answers all your questions, and thank you for reading.