Disclaimer: All NARUTO related materials are Copyrighted and belong to Masashi Kishimoto, not me.

Chapter 7

The Dream Team

"Ugh... This is gonna hurt like hell if I drop."

Somewhere in the middle of the forest Miyako peered down from the thick branch of a tall tree that she had just finished climbing. It was mid afternoon and the sun was going down slowly over the horizon, just low enough to cut between treetops in dimming streaks of orange light. Miyako raised her head to look forward, narrowing her eyes like a hunting bird scouting for another perchable branch on the neighboring tree.

"Okay... baby steps. Here goes nothing!"

Taking a breath, she crouched as she struggled to guide tiny bits of chakra to assist her leg muscles, and jumped, making one big leap. Unfortunately, she'd made a tiny miscalculation by pumpung a little too much cakra into her jump and instead of landing on the desired branch a couple of feet away, she completely missed it, going further and missing the next one, and the one after that.

"Whoa!" Miyako couldn't help but gasp in mid-air, when she realized she actually liked the rush she was getting from feeling the breeze hit her face as her body flew weightlessly through the air. A second later though, when gravity started catching up to her, she panicked, realizing from the shift of air that she was soon going to fall splat on the ground.

This was a bad idea! Bad idea! BAD IDE–

"–AAAH!" she yelled as her body suddenly plunged down at a rapid pace. Her arms frantically swung around in attempt to grab hold of any of the branches she she was passing by on the way down.

Luckily, her fingers somehow rather painfully managed to be slapped by the end of one of the lowest branches and she caught on to it for dear life, face blanching as she found herself hanging a mere five feet away from the ground. At least she was a safe distance away to simply let go and land safely. Shakily, she sprawled herself over the itchy grass, as if giving the firm ground a hug, thanking her luck that Physics didn't kill her.

Miyako had been doing this the entire afternoon. When she left the first meeting she had with Team Seven, she decided that it was about time to get a grip and finally learn to do those ninja jumps she dreaded so, no matter how big her fear of heights was. Like Sasuke had lectured her so many times during "Duck-butt's two-hour hell training" as he dangled her by the ankle from the edge of the Academy rooftop, Miyako had to overcome that paranoia and learn to jump properly.

Especially by tomorrow. Because tomorrow was the bell test. Yes, they were going to pass anyway so she could just relax and wait for the outcome. Yes, Miyako knew that the key was teamwork and that she just had to reason with Naruto, win a lecture against Sakura and try to kick Sasuke's butt to teach them teamwork, even when it seemed impossible, but it would be meaningless. They had to learn about all that the hard way. Kakashi should have been the one to teach them teamwork.

Then, what would her role be? Would she learn the importance of teamwork like the other three? No, she was already aware of that. Then what could she do? In Kakashi's eyes, Miyako was supposedly a twelve year old with no idea of what could happen to her or why she should put her comrades before herself, just like her other three teammates. She had to play along and follow her sensei's instructions so it was imperative to think of something that would help her make her act believable. Miyako knew about them more than they would share with her but they knew near nothing about her. Meaning they were just getting a grasp on her personality and attitude by paying more attention to her actions. So now she was going to show them how she fought, how she thought, what her motivation and what her dreams were. She was going to show them Nagahoshi Miyako and her resolve. And she could just hope she wouldn't mess it up.

When Miyako began learning the Leaping Monkey technique, she decided to start low. Fences were a good idea. They were no more than six feet tall. She could deal with that. Miyako discovered that she could leap a lot further and higher than before. Thanks to the weight training perhaps, although she wouldn't admit that to the one who trained her, and the revelation that she was supposed to use chakra to help her with these seemingly inhuman movements Sasuke expected of her, as Sakura graciously explained to her when she tried to beat into her head why chakra control was important for every ninja task. Miyako then decided to move to the forest and try jumping from the lower tree branches. That would be ten to thirteen feet. Yeah, she could deal with that, too. But anything higher than twenty was a little scary for her. The fair amount of danger in jumping from that high frightened her.

The fear of falling. It sent chills down her spine, every time she imagined herself splat on the ground. But then she pushed those thoughts away, making room for a memory, one filling her with determination – "If you're so scared, then just don't fall! Keep jumping up and ahead and don't think about falling. If you do stumble, remember that falling is just the moment before you find the support to leap forward." Those were the tormentor Sasuke's words as he dangled Miyako over the edge of the rooftop of the Academy when he was mercilessly treating her fear of heights. The girl avoided talking to him for a while after he did that to her (which ended up in his benefit, since he was found himself enjoying how quiet the rest of that day's training was) and she lied that she would have those ninja jumps taken care of so he'd stop his nagging. But she never did. Until now. And she felt a little embarrassed that those words that seemed so harsh back then, now filled her with the determination that got her soaring higher past the terrifying thirty feet margin.

By nightfall she could already jump up and down as high and low as she wished. Well, as long as there was a tree or a wall of some sort to support her. Miyako felt nice, as she was leaping over rooftops and lamp posts through the village, going towards her apartment. It was like she was flying. Soaring over the buildings like a free bird. She felt elated. Miyako grinned. Now she could go in and out of her apartment through her balcony and windows.

- The next day -

Miyako woke with the alarm set for ten. She yawned in her big black band-printed t-shirt, stomping over to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Yeah, Kakashi said to be there at five but if he wasn't going to be there on time, then why should she be? This brunette wasn't one to waste valuable sleep and get up too early just to be forced to wait idly for someone that would be toying with his students like that all the time anyway. After washing her face, Miyako plopped her now clothed self on the table with a bowl of milk, a "Ninja Heroes" cereal box and a spoon in her mouth and turned on the TV. It showed the same animated ninja clad in black from the cover of the cereal box.

The girl had recently discovered that in this world they also had an anime about ninja. However, those ninja were the classic ones, dressed in all black, using only short tanto blades and shuriken for weapons. They were three brave heroes thrown by their arch-enemy into a world void of ninja, which for Miyako's amusement was damn similar to, if not the same as, her previous world. They battled villains like greedy businessmen and crooks while trying to find a way back home. The main character was the brave, stoic and trusting Yuuto with black hair and cat-like eyes, then there was his best friend and rival the funny, sly but a little loud redhead, Ryuu, and last but, not least, came their smart, passionate and elegant blond female companion Aimi, who was in love with Yuuto while being annoyed by Ryuu, who was in love with her and envied Yuuto. Familiar, right? Miyako thought so. Yuuto seemed like a nicer version of Sasuke, Ryuu was like a... well, more clever Naruto and Aimi was more, in a male point of view, sexy, but in Miyako's, a prettier grown up Sakura.

Miyako smiled as the two male characters started bickering on the TV screen and she started eating her cereal. Yeah, Kakashi said not to eat breakfast in case they threw up but that wasn't happening anyway. It was just a trick to make them hungry, weak and irritable, putting them at a disadvantage. And besides, there was no way he could find out she had eaten, right?

- Training Grounds – 11 AM -

"Morning~!"

"You're late!" Sakura yelled at Miyako who held up her hands in defense and attempted a sheepish smile.

Sakura stood in front of a circle of three backpacks with Sasuke and Naruto on each of her sides. Sasuke glanced behind his back at Miyako, signaling he had noticed her arrival and then continued brooding. Naruto was slouched down on the ground on the pinkette's other side, leaning on his green backpack sleepily. When Sakura shouted, he had jumped, startled, and mumbled "Mornin'," before dozing off straight back again.

"Technically, I'm not late if sensei isn't here yet," Miyako carefully corrected as she slowly situated herself and her gray-blue backpack down next to Naruto.

"That doesn't change anything! It just makes the both of you late!" Sakura's left eye seemed to be caught in a fit of angry twitches.

"Aww, did you miss my valuable presence so much that you're this mad at me being late?" Miyako grinned playfully as Sakura groaned in frustration at how impossible the girl was being first thing in the morning.

"Hi fellows. Good morning." Kakashi made his appearance a moment later and waved at them.

"You're late!" an angry pointing Sakura and a now magically fully awake Naruto shot upright to declare.

"Ten past eleven! I told you that you'd be late," Miyako interjected and Sasuke just deadpanned at the jounin, crossing his arms as disappointment oozed off of him in waves.

"A black cat crossed my path, you see..." Kakashi happily started to explain but decided to put a cork in it after Sakura and Naruto growled at him. "Ehem... Well, anyway..."

The four observed as the jounin walked over to the three poles positioned on his right and lay his backpack down. He took out an alarm clock, placed it on top of the middle pillar and pushed its button.

"Alright. It's set for 12 AM." He produced two bells which jingled when he showed them to his students. "Today's goal is to get one of these bells from me." He jingled them again. "Whoever can't, gets no lunch–"

"Wha?!" Naruto squeaked dejectedly.

"You're gonna be tied to that as I eat lunch in front of you." He motioned to the posts. Miyako heard three stomachs grumble weakly and she watched how Sakura hugged her abdomen, Naruto clutched his head in despair and Sasuke slouched in defeat. It made her want to chuckle evilly for cheating but she restrained herself.

"But wait, why are there only two bells?" recovering quickly, Sakura pointed out as she held up two fingers.

"Hmm..." Kakashi eye-smiled. "Since there are only two bells, at least two of you will have to be tied to the logs. Those two will fail, since they failed to complete the mission. They will go back to the academy." The three next to Miyako narrowed their eyes. "It might be just two or all four of you. You can use your shuriken, since you won't be able to get these unless you come at me with the intent to kill." Kakashi pulled the bells up sharply to grab them into a fist.

"But that's dangerous, sensei!" Sakura protested.

"Yeah! You couldn't even dodge that chalk eraser!" Naruto grinned at the memory with arms behind his head, undoubtedly making fun of the jounin.

"In society, those who don't have many abilities tend to complain more," Kakashi mocked. "Well, we should just ignore the dead last with the lowest scores."

Naruto's smug grin was soiled at the mention of that.

"We're going to start after I say "Ready, start"."

Miyako noticed Naruto throw a glare at Kakashi but the next thing she could barely follow. Naruto took out a kunai, jumping Kakashi with a battle cry, and then... Kakashi reappeared behind a frozen Naruto as the man held the boy's hand with the kunai dangerously close to the back of Naruto's neck. Miyako, Sakura and Sasuke took a step back on instinct, Sakura even let out a gasp.

"Don't get so hasty," Kakashi warned as he held Naruto steady with an iron grip, "I haven't said "start" yet."

He let go and Naruto backed away, holding his hand protectively. The way it had been bent looked rather painful to Miyako.

"But it looks like you have the will to kill me now." Kakashi chuckled as all four pairs of eyes narrowed at him. "I think I can finally start liking you guys. We're going to begin."

The four got ready.

"Ready..."

They crouched.

"Start!"

They bounced in different directions, leaving Kakashi alone on the field.

- xxx -

Okay... Fighting him is totally out of the question. Screw making a name for myself, there's no way in hell I can manage to hit him or avoid any of his counter attacks! He's too damn fast! Miyako panicked, hiding behind a tree and a bush, several feet away from Sakura's location.

From there she had a perfect view of both Kakashi in the clearing and Sakura lying low behind some bushes. She saw Naruto appear in front of Kakashi to start ranting about a fair and square match. Miyako smiled fondly, his typical self-assured nature calming her down a little.

Well, on the bright side, there's always plan "B" – Go with the flow.

Naruto rushed at the masked jounin who took out an orange book, causing everyone to anime-fall, because they thought he had been reaching for a weapon from his pouch, despite his declaration that he was going to teach the orange clad ninja a thing or two about taijutsu, hand to hand combat.

I just have to lie in wait and don't get in the way. They need to be taught a lesson by Kakashi without my interference. Miyako sat on the ground to watch the show, feeling a bit useless in the whole picture as she wished she was back in bed or watching TV instead.

Naruto tried for a punch, a roundhouse kick, another punch, but Kakashi avoided them with effortless ease and somehow managed to get behind him. He crouched, making a tiger seal. Sakura yelled for Naruto to get away because that was a seal commonly used in fire jutsu but it was too late... Kakashi poked the hell out of Naruto's butt, sending the boy soaring through the air and splashing into the river. Everyone sweatdropped.

Next, Naruto used his shadow clones, surprising Kakashi as well as two of his teammates that he could use the forbidden technique, but yet again, he failed. Kakashi substituted himself with one of Naruto's clones, making the Naruto clones hit one of their own... and then start a brawl between them, causing mass clone mutiny. Everyone sweatdropped... again.

After that Naruto got caught in an obvious trap. More sweatdropping.

Kakashi stood still in front of a dangling Naruto on a rope to lecture him and Sasuke decided it was a good opening to make his move. He threw several shuriken, hitting Kakashi right on target, to Naruto's horror. But it turned out to be a substitute, Kakashi had switched himself at the last moment. With his position revealed, Sasuke ran through the trees in search for a new hiding place as Sakura hopped up to follow him, disappearing out of Miyako's sight.

Aw... Now all I can see is Naruto trying to get down. Miyako threw a disappointed look at the orange clad boy, hanging upside-down from the tree in the clearing by a rope tied to his ankles.

Suddenly, a loud cry resounded trough the forest, having a very close similarity to Sakura's high-pitched voice. And there she goes. So much for our team's first-rate mind. Miyako sweatdropped. Genjutsu specialist my merry ass.

In the clearing Naruto had managed to cut his rope with a kunai and land on solid ground. He grinned in triumph, only to be caught by the exact same trap again.

Another cry was heard, louder than the one before. Sheesh. I still can't believe she fainted instead of helping the maimed Sasuke illusion. And she calls Naruto an idiot...

The brown-haired girl looked back at the hopeless Naruto still stuck up the tree and sighed. Guess I should help him... She stood up and stepped out from her hiding spot, jogged to Naruto's tree and threw a carefully-aimed shuriken, cutting the rope. Naruto twisted mid-air, landing on his feet like a cat and stood up, beaming.

"Thanks, Miyako-chan! Listen, you know what I spotted behind those poles there?" He bent forward with a hand cupped to his mouth like he was whispering.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Miyako leaned over to hear with a confused face.

"There's this huge rock thing with two lunchboxes on it, ya know! I say we go eat them while Kakashi-sensei's not here!" His grin widened as he pointed towards the general direction of the wooden pillars.

"Bad idea." Miyako shook her hands in front of her. "We'll definitely get caught."

"No we won't!" Naruto protested. "That one-eyed guy's too blind to keep tabs on all four of us at the same time, don'cha think?" He snickered at his own witty observation. Miyako waited for him to finish as she could only stare dully at how naive he could be to underestimate Sharingan Kakashi of all people. But she guessed he didn't know any better since he had yet to earn that particular reality check.

"Do what you have to..." She sighed. "But I'm telling you, you're being too gullible."

"Nah, I'm sure it'll be fine! But suit yourself. Later!" Naruto shrugged, skipping over towards the poles.

"Well, might as well go find Sasuke's sorry buried ass and dig him out." She looked around. "Now where could he be?"

Just then, a loud male cry was heard from Miyako's left.

"Bingo. That was probably him getting caught in Kakashi's earth jutsu."

And with that she sprinted off towards the source.

- xxx -

In a similar clearing near the river, Miyako popped running out from the trees and bushes. Something caught her eye and she stopped mid-run in the middle of the clearing, her eyes widening. She turned towards it and watched the unusual sight for a moment, before exploding in a fit of laughing that sent her falling to the ground as she rolled teary eyed and clutching her stomach.

There it was – a couple of meters away from Miyako, a head with raven hair and an annoyed expression was randomly sticking out of the ground. Uchiha Sasuke was stuck neck-deep into the ground... and Nagahoshi Miyako was laughing her ass off, blabbering about a "black chicken butt head" and something about cherishing that moment forever.

"Are you done yet?" The head glared at her as she was making an effort to regain her composure.

"Sorry, sorry..." Miyako walked towards him, wiping away stray tears. "But you have to admit, you've totally had your ass owned by sensei!" She laughed once more, making him scowl again.

When she stopped he just stared blankly at her. Miyako crouched right in front of Sasuke's head and threw him a mischievous smirk.

That went for a while before Miyako spoke, "The words you're looking for are "Would you please be so kind as to dig me out, my dear fellow teammate?"."

Sasuke clicked his tongue sharply as his comically grounded head turned away, looking as if trying to set fire to an innocent bundle of grass nearby with his irritated glare. He obviously wasn't going to further demean his pride by asking anybody for assistance so Miyako sighed, took out a kunai and fixed it into the ground in front of him, trying to loosen some cracks in the soil.

"I didn't ask for your help." Sasuke grumbled.

"Look here, chicken-head, you're lucky that I'm a nice enough person to dig your sorry ass out, no matter how much of a snappy asshole you're gonna be about it!" Miyako chided him and started stabbing the earth with more force.

"I can take care of myse–"

Just then, Sakura popped out from the shrubbery and froze in mid-run, staring wide-eyed at Sasuke's head and the dangerously pointed kunai in Miyako's hands.

"Sakura?" Miyako and Sasuke said as the pinkette screamed something about "bloody murder" and a "severed head", started shaking her head violently, clutching it in her hands, and then abruptly passed out.

"What was that all about?" Sasuke muttered.

"Well, judging by everything from her hair color to her taste in men, I can't really bring myself to say she's exactly the sanest person on the team," Miyako joked and started laughing.

Sasuke stared at her with a sweatdrop, growing more certain about her being someone very disturbed.

- xxx -

Some time passed before Miyako managed to dig Sasuke out and they were now trying to wake Sakura. Miyako lifted her hand, ready to slap the girl hard across the face but Sasuke caught her by the wrist.

"Are you being purposely stupid?!" He glared.

"You have a better plan, loverboy?" She deadpanned.

"You can try shaking her awake for once."

Miyako lifted Sakura in a sitting position and was about to shake the hell off of her.

Sasuke stopped her again before she did, though. "Gently, you moron."

"I was about to, stuuupid!" Miyako stated dully and shook Sakura lightly by the shoulders. "Sakura~! Saakuraa~! SAKURA!" The pinkette still wasn't waking up. "HEY, FOREHEAD! SASUKE'S MARRIED TO INO AND THEY'RE MAKING BABIES!"

The raven-haired boy threw an angry look at the brunette for that low-aimed joke.

As Sakura didn't give a shit of a response, Miyako gave in. "You sure I can't slap her? Just this one time? Please?" She looked at the boy pleadingly, making him sweatdrop.

"Let me try."

"Knock yourself out." Miyako leaned back to make room for her teammate.

"Sakura." He nudged her shoulder. "Sakura, snap out of it!"

Now Sakura slightly opened her eyes while Sasuke was standing over her. Miyako twitched.

Did she fake it just so she would get Sasuke to wake her?

"Sasuke-kun?" after focusing her sight, Sakura screamed, "You were okay!" and hugged Sasuke tightly.

Yeah, I was definitely right.

"Hey, stop it! You're too close!" The poor boy had to make a lot of effort to pry her off.

"Well, aren't you two the cutest thing!" Miyako teased from the side, earning a scowl from the two. That just made her smirk grow bigger.

"There's little time until noon." Sasuke stood and turning to leave, ending the whole circus act. "I'm going."

"Sasuke-kun, are you still going after the bell?" Sakura asked worriedly as she and Miyako also rose to their feet.

He looked back. "I was able to touch it a while ago. I can get it next time."

"Wha?" Sakura looked awed and smiled. "Oh! Really? You're amazing, Sasuke-kun."

"Sakura-nee, if you do any more ass-kissing you'll make your mouth go bad." Miyako won a smack to the back of the head. "Ow, dammit!"

"Shut up! And stop calling me sis already! It's gross." Sakura returned to normal and smiled at Sasuke again. "Hey, look... Since we have little time left, why don't we give up for now and just try harder next time?"

Sasuke shot her a glare, making her smile wither. He turned his back to her and lost himself in his thoughts. Sakura immediately regretted what she had said and became gloomy. Miyako dully looked back and forth from Sasuke's back to Sakura as the wind picked up, blowing trough their hair, rustling grass and tree leaves dramatically.

"No one but me can kill that man," Sasuke began and Sakura looked back up at him with concern in her emerald eyes.

"Huh... What?" she asked. "Are you talking about sensei?"

"Highly doubt it..." next to her, Miyako muttered with a hand on the other side of her mouth so only Sakura would hear.

"That time... Crying..."

They had lost him. Sasuke had gone back in the emo past remembering the "incident".

"Crying...?" Sakura repeated.

"My..."

"What? What are you talking about?" Sakura was perplexed.

Then images flashed before Miyako's eyes. Of the dark bloodied street. The full moon and the spinning sharingan of a crying man.

And her chest constricted.

She didn't realize it the first time she watched this interaction between Sasuke and Sakura and it seemed ridiculous to her that he'd mention something so random. But she'd never gone back to pick up on that what Sasuke was talking about was his brother's odd behavior during their parting, odd for someone who'd just mercilessly murdered their entire family. Sasuke was probably stuck dwelling over the reason that Itachi would get so emotional when he'd just previously seemed so inhumanely apathetic, disposing of so many blood relatives without batting a single eyelash. Same as he's always agonized over the reason for the whole thing to happen and for what twisted reason he was left alive, Sasukewas stuck mulling over why would his brother shed tears when he'd said it was all for Sasuke to suffer and resent him.

So actually, what Sasuke was doing in front of Sakura, and now Miyako, was accidentally revealing his inner torment as he struggled to remind himself of his path that he should never forget as he momentarily did just now. By spending time around his teammates, Sasuke was unintentionally getting distracted from his constant misery, when it should stay to serve as a constant reminder of the ultimate goal he sought to achieve. And while Miyako knew all of that because it had all been spilled out for her during the course of the series, she just now understood the underlying meaning of this particular moment and the entire weight of his suffering.

He wasn't just a character anymore. And his pain was suffocating.

"I am an avenger. I must become stronger than that man." Sasuke stated as if stilling his resolve. "I don't have time to stumble here."

Sakura seemed to finally understand, remembering the previous day when he mentioned he aimed to kill someone. Although she struggled to sympathize, not all of his words were clear to her, and yet, Miyako could see his pain mirrored in her worried gaze and she was sure Sakura would do whatever she could to take it away if there was any way.

"Rrriiinng!"

Snapping out of it by the distant sound of an alarm clock, Sasuke clicked his tongue and clenched his fists.

"Shit, I wasted my time talking." He turned and walked away.

"Sasuke-kun..." Sakura muttered worriedly.

"He'll be fine. Don't sweat it!" Miyako tried to assure her, absently waving a hand. For now...

- xxx -

A couple of minutes later the four genin were sitting by the pillars with Naruto tied to the one in the middle. Kakashi had placed two lunches in front of them, making three out of four guts sound their complaints.

"Ooh~!" Kakashi voiced with his hands folded. "Stomachs are grumbling, eh guys?" He undid his arms to lift a finger. "By the way, about the results of this training... none of you need to go back to the Ninja Academy."

"Haa~!" Naruto smiled happily as Sakura stared in disbelief.

"Huh? But all I did was faint. Was that okay?" she muttered to herself from the boy's right.

Sasuke "hn"-ed contentedly with a smirk.

"Yahoo!" Sakura jumped in joy.

Next to her Miyako sighed. Everyone thought she was just relieved but she was actually preparing for what came next.

"Then, then, does that mean the four of us...?" Naruto kicked his legs happily.

"That's right, all four of you..." Kakashi eye-smiled but then suddenly raised his voice. "Should quit being ninja!"

Sakura halted her jumping, Naruto stopped shouting in joy and both stared, shell-shocked, Sasuke scowled and Miyako tried on the fakest surprised look.

"Quit being ninja?! What's that supposed to mean?!" Outraged, Naruto yelled, kicking around with his feet, as he hated that he had to be tied to a stump for exactly that moment, because he wanted to pounce this masked man. "We couldn't get a bell, but, but why do you have to say we should quit?!"

"It's because the four of you are just brats, who don't even deserve to be ninja," Kakashi simply stated with hands on his hips.

At that, Sasuke clenched his teeth and lunged at Kakashi. How dare he attempt to hinder the progress towards his ambition.

Naruto let out a sound in surprise, Sakura screamed Sasuke's name, Miyako stood up, calmly placing a hand on the pinkette's shoulder to reassure her.

Next thing Sasuke knew, he was face-down in the dirt, unable to move, as Kakashi sat on top of him with a foot over the boy's head and an iron hold on his left hand.

"This is why I said you're all just brats," Kakashi mocked.

"Don't step on Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screeched with tears on her face.

That made Miyako retrieve her hand and step back from the hysterical girl with a sweatdrop and a "Jeez, Sakura, take a chill pill."

"You, do you think being a ninja is easy, huh?" Kakashi scowled, starting his lecture.

Naruto and Sakura gaped, Sasuke was gritting his teeth, desperately shifting, trying to get himself loose and Miyako just watched the jounin with slight interest, a little intimidated by the grim seriousness in Kakashi's voice.

"Why do you think you were divided into teams and doing this training?"

"What do you mean?" Sakura couldn't wait to ask.

"In other words, you guys don't understand the answer to this test."

"The answer?" Naruto put on a dumb expression. This test was supposed to have a key to it?

"That's right. The answer which determines whether you pass or fail."

"That's what we want to know..." Sakura approached.

"Jeez, are your brains empty? Don't you understand the purpose of putting you in a team?"

"Aah! Damn it! What's the answer already? Tell us!" Naruto got impatient and yelled.

"It's teamwork," closing her eyes tiredly, Miyako mouthed the word and frowned a little as Kakashi and the others looked at her.

"You mean cooperating with each other?" Sakura asked, widening her eyes with Sasuke and Naruto as realization hit them like a truck.

"Your teammate's right. But it's too late even if you notice now," Kakashi glowered, "If all four of you came at me at once, maybe you could have gotten a bell. Well, that's too bad."

"Why do we need to use teamwork when there are only two bells?" Sakura asked. "If all four of us worked hard to get them, two would have to bite the bullet. A group conflict would occur and the teamwork would go to waste."

"Of course. This test intends to pin the four of you against each other."

"Huh?" Naruto voiced.

"In this situation, we select those who can prioritize teamwork before themselves. That was the purpose. But instead what you guys did..." he turned to the right. "Sakura!"

"Ah?" She stood alert.

"Instead of Naruto right in front of you or Miyako who was several feet away, you were only thinking about Sasuke despite not knowing where he was."

Sakura slightly blushed in shame.

"Naruto!"

The boy flinched a little at the call of his name.

"All you did was work on your own."

The blonde lowered his eyes and hung his head.

"Sasuke!" Kakashi dug the boy's head into the ground with his foot. "You just assumed the others would only get in your way and tried to do everything yourself."

Sasuke gritted his teeth again.

"Miyako!"

She almost jumped, startled that she would also get scolded like the rest, when she really didn't do anything at all.

"You felt insecure about your abilities and gave up on the assignment altogether. Instead, you ended up helping your teammates after they failed, thinking that they would have turned you down if you openly offered your help on getting the bells from the start. And even though you say you know the answer to this test, you doubted them, ignorantly concluding that none of you, either alone or together, would stand a chance against me."

The brown eyed girl scowled and looked away.

You didn't have to give me the longest lecture, I didn't want to get in the way of canon events, she reasoned in her head, albeit pouting a little on the outside. And I'm not insecure about my abilities! I just know my limits!

"Missions are done in teams." He returned to the main point. "It's true that ninja need well-developed individual abilities but it's teamwork that is much more important. An individual action that disrupts the teamwork will result in danger or even death for your comrades. For example..." Kakashi reached in his back pouch and took out a kunai positioning it dangerously close to Sasuke's jugular. "Sakura! Kill Naruto or Sasuke dies!"

The two panicked, Sakura gasping in confusion and Naruto looking wide-eyed back and forth from Kakashi to Sakura.

"She shouldn't kill him, Sasuke's a goner either way," Miyako stated, drawing all attention to her. "If you were an enemy ninja, you would still dispose of Sasuke even after Sakura kills Naruto. And with the two strongest of the team down, Sakura and I wouldn't be able to hold up our own against you." Wow, that sounded less sexist in my mind... "Or we'd probably panic and it would be more than easier for you to finish us off. I vote kill Sasuke."

The raven haired boy scowled at that, a real nasty look of disdain at her offhanded hypothetical betrayal.

"It's better than having both him and Naruto dead." Miyako tried her best to look casual as she shrugged and not like she feared for her life if Kakashi decided to release Sasuke and let him unleash his Uchiha fury on her for her nerve to speak out like she thought she knew what she was talking about.

Sakura and Naruto stared wide-eyed, gaping at her bold insinuations.

"Yes, that's what would most likely happen." Kakashi drew back his kunai and then directed his eyes at the brunette.

"Oh, you surprised me..." Sakura and Naruto sighed with relief, now that their sensei wasn't pointing a weapon at one of the team.

"But you still shouldn't kill off your teammates that easily, you can at least try to save him with joined forces. You're making the same mistakes again, Miyako. Don't underestimate what your team can accomplish."

That made her pout again as she pocketed her hands. Of course we would save him, all of us together! It was just hypothetical... She shoved at a stray rock on the ground lightly with her foot.

"When there's a hostage, you'll have tough choices to make and someone will get killed," Kakashi explained while spinning the kunai on his finger and putting the weapon back in his pouch. "Still, that was some interesting situational reasoning, Miyako."

The girl widened her eyes and hurried to look away before Kakashi noticed her embarrassment at being praised as she muttered a "yeah, right, sure..."

"In every mission your life is on the line." Kakashi got up from Sasuke and walked to a large stone embedded with names behind him.

Feeling humiliated, the freed Sasuke sat up slowly and started wiping the dirt and small rocks off his chin with his hand.

"Look at this... The numerous names carved into this stone. All of these are ninja praised as heroes in the village."

Miyako peered at the memorial from afar, wondering if her parents' names were also there.

"That's it! That's it! That's awesome!" Naruto grinned. "I've decided to get my name carved into that stone too! A hero! Hero! That's what I'm going to become!"

Sasuke had walked back in his previous place with hands in his pockets. Miyako wearily moved to a position where Sakura was in his way if he decided to make her pay for suggesting to kill him in the hostage situation. Both he and Sakura just eyed Miyako like she was being stupid for unnecessarily clowning around like that.

"But they're not just normal heroes."

"Heeh~ Then what kind of heroes are they?"

Kakashi stood silent as Naruto grew anxious.

"Tell me! Tell me!"

"Heroes who were K.I.A."

Naruto looked confused and then grinned again. "K.I.A.?"

"Killed in action, died on the job," Sakura explained with a sullen face, making Naruto lose his grin and look away in shame.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Miyako figured it reminded him of his family. She turned to Kakashi's back with silent support in his sorrow over his former teammates.

"This is a memorial. My best friend's name is also carved here."

When Kakashi said that, everyone became awkwardly silent.

"You guys, I'll give you one more chance." He turned to the four. "However, after lunch, I'll make it even harder for you to get the bells."

Sakura and Naruto listened to him, astonished. They couldn't believe he was giving them another chance.

"Eat lunch only if you are up for the challenge. But! Don't give any to Naruto."

"WHA?" the boy in the orange jumpsuit voiced.

"This is punishment for breaking the rules and trying to eat lunch by yourself."

"Told you it was a bad idea..." Miyako crossed her arms, smirking from the side.

"No one lets Miyako eat either."

Her smirk faded.

"Whaat?! Why me too?! I didn't do anything!" she protested.

"I told you not to eat breakfast. You're the only one whose stomach I haven't heard once this whole time. And you were late. You need to learn to follow every given order to the point."

Miyako humphed and whipped her head to the side.

"If anyone gives them food, that person will immediately fail. I'm the rule here. Got it?" And with that, he left.

"I'm the rule here. Got it?" Miyako mimicked. "Stupid book pervert..." She sat down next to Sakura and let out a grunt.

A couple of minutes later Miyako was also getting a bit hungry and her intestines were starting a silent protest. As Sakura and Sasuke ate, Naruto's stomach let out a loud growl.

"I don't need any food at all!" he yelled, trying to sound confident. "I'm fine, I tell you!"

And just to prove him wrong, his stomach called out again.

"I'm fine..." Naruto looked down in defeat.

"Here." Sasuke extended his lunchbox to Naruto, surprising both him and Sakura.

"Huh?"

"Wait, Sasuke-kun! Sensei just said–" Sakura looked around in fear.

"It's fine. I don't sense him nearby," Sasuke reassured.

"He's a jounin. You're not supposed to sense him if he's nearby." Miyako stood crossing her arms.

A grumble was heard from her lower body and she blushed slightly with wide eyes and looked away in embarrassment.

"You should eat, too." Now Sasuke was offering his lunch to her as well.

"Huh? No, no, I–"

"After lunch the four of us are going to get the bells together. It's only going to be a bother if you two haven't eaten."

"B-but... Unlike you guys I-I ate breakfast so I'm fine!" Miyako crossed her arms again and averted her eyes, avoiding eye contact. "Feed Naruto! And yourself! It'll only be fair if I don't get to– mph!" Someone stuffed rice in her mouth.

"Shut up and eat." Still indifferent, Sasuke took another chopsticks-full of rice and reached to put it in her mouth. She blocked with her hand and gulped the first bite.

"What are you doing? I'm not a kid! I can feed myself!" Miyako yelled embarrassed, the scandalous mental side image of being fed by Sasuke making her feel irritatingly awkward.

She looked at Sakura, who was offering her own lunchbox to the tied up Naruto.

"You know, Sakura hasn't eaten breakfast or probably even dinner, since she's on a diet. And yet she's giving Naruto her food so you wouldn't have to waste any of yours," Miyako muttered so only Sasuke could hear.

He smirked with a "hn", which to Miyako didn't seem like that bad of a reaction, and looked at the two bright haired genin.

"Hurry, we don't know when he's going to come back," Sasuke told Sakura and Naruto as he tried shoving another bite in Miyako's mouth.

"Forget it!" Frustrated, she turned her head away like a misbehaving child, the chopsticks smearing soft white rice onto her right cheek.

Just as Naruto gulped his mouthful and thanked Sakura, a loud explosion of smoke erupted in front of the four and wind flew by as an enraged Kakashi appeared.

"You four!"

"AAH!" Naruto screamed, flailing around, trying to get loose from the ropes. Sakura also let out a cry and put her arms up to defend herself. Sasuke took his stance narrowing his eyes, ready to counter whatever was thrown at him. Miyako just stood firm and waited, small chunks of rice that stuck to the side of her cheek flying away from the gusts of wind, created by Kakashi's small genjutsu.

"Since you broke the rules, you're prepared for the punishment?" Kakashi went through rapid hand signs and the sky was immediately covered in thunderclouds as lightning struck now and then. "Anything to say for yourselves?"

Sakura knelt on the ground covering her head to cower in fear. A shiver ran down Miyako's spine.

Oh, come on! This illusion shouldn't scare me... And anyway, I doubt death is a proper punishment for disobeying this stupid rule of his, Miyako calmed herself, clumsily wiping Sasuke's rice from her face, feeling like a kindergartner as she did so.

Illusionary lightning struck again right in front of her and she jumped aside with a girlish yelp. Damn! it's getting to me...

"But..." Naruto started as his jaw began shaking. Miyako remembered he wasn't very keen on fear inducing horror movie scenarios like ghosts or intimidating angry jounins backed by roaring thunderstorms.

"Huuh?" Kakashi looked at him.

"But... but... but..." Naruto fought to gain a little confidence and yelled out, "You said...! That's why they..." He eyed Sasuke and Sakura.

"Aren't the four of us a team?" Sasuke said, which helped Sakura gather herself to stand up from the ground.

"That's right...! The four of us are one!" she yelled.

"We're a team! And as a team, we support each other!" Miyako added with a smile.

Naruto looked at all three of them. "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" He kicked his feet, crying out, "That's right, I tell ya!"

"The four of you are one, eh?" Kakashi closed in on them. "And as a team you support each other?" He leaned forward with hands on his hips and eyed all of them.

Sasuke was in a stance, ready to fight back, Naruto looked sure of himself, determined, even though he was still tied up, Sakura was in a shakier stance, in case she had to defend herself, and Miyako decided to copy her teammates and stay ready. All four were ready for the worst. Unlike the others' scowling faces, Miyako had a smug smile creeping across her face, like she was sure everything was going to turn out right in the end. She looked like she knew Kakashi wasn't going to attack them, her expression showed no fear, as if the man was friendly and as if this was a mere trick and her opponent would stop, if she got injured badly. The jounin wondered if she could sense that he wasn't going to hurt them. He dismissed that thought. Miyako was a mere genin. She was probably just confident in her team's newfound unity and thought they would be lucky. Kakashi smirked under his mask.

"You pass!" Kakashi eye smiled.

"Huh...?" Sakura and Naruto voiced and threw him a puzzled look as Miyako grinned happily and rose proudly.

Sasuke still stood his ground as if this was all a lie and Kakashi would attack them at any moment.

"You pass," Kakashi repeated.

"Pass? Why?" Sakura asked with an arm still up to defend herself.

The sky started clearing out and the sun showed its warm and bright self from behind the dark clouds.

"You guys are the first. People I had previously were all blockheads who just did what I ordered." Kakashi stood. "A shinobi must see underneath the underneath. In the world of ninja, those who break the rules are trash. But you know, those who abandon their comrades, are worse than trash."

"Well said!" Miyako nodded as Sakura smiled joyfully.

"He's... he's kinda cool." Naruto got teary eyed and Sasuke smirked, sitting back down on the ground.

"The training ends here. All of you pass!" Kakashi gave them a thumbs up. "Starting tomorrow, Team Seven will start doing missions!"

"Yees~!" Sakura sang with a grin as Miyako puffed her chest proudly with a wide grin, trying not to squeal with joy.

"I did it, I did it! I'm a ninja, ninja, ninja!" Naruto cried like a kid on Christmas morning.

"Let's go back." Kakashi turned to leave as a back-to-brooding Sasuke, a happy Sakura and a joyful Miyako followed him, all picking up their backpacks on the way.

The latter had the feeling she was forgetting something but shrugged it off and continued walking.

"Goddammit! I knew this was going to happen!" Naruto kicked trying to get loose. "Untie the friggin' rope, I tell you!"

Miyako turned to a tied up yelling Naruto and smiled with a sweatdrop.

That's what I forgot... the team mascot!

"Sorry Naruto!" She turned to go back to him. "I guess we were so elated, we forgot about the ropes. Eheheh!" She smiled as she took out a kunai, cut the rope and pocketed the weapon back.

Naruto hopped down and straightened up, grinning, with fists excitedly clenched in front of him. "We passed, Miyako-chan!" he said elatedly.

"Yeah! Because we're a team, right?" Miyako put out a fist pointing at Naruto.

He looked at it obliviously for a bit, but then put on a broad smile again and fisted his own hand, slightly bumping it with Miyako's.

"Damn right, ya hear!"

They beamed at each other and took off after the rest of the team.

Miyako was glad that the jounin's test was over with. Now she had to look forward to easy and fun D-rank missions with Naruto goofing off, Sakura keeping him in check and Sasuke being forced into doing menial labor that was supposedly beneath him. Those breezy missions would give her the time to train harder in order to reach her team's level of strength so she could be useful during the battle with Zabuza and Haku in The Land of Waves.

Miyako smiled.

Everything was happening too fast. It was confusing and exhausting but also sometimes fun and fulfilling.

This was her new life with the team of her dreams.

- To be continued -

Sankyu for the favorites, follows and reviews!

Please review! It really helps me avoid writer's block! Pwease!