Welcome back True Believers! Whew, it took a lot of work to get this chapter done, but here it is. Now, when we last left our heroes, Naruto and Kakashi had gone off to celebrate the foundation of Idenshi-X with a hearty round of ramen at Ichiraku. Naruto can barely contain his excitement for the coming day when he and his friends get to meet their new sensei. But before that happens, someone must tell Sasuke and Sakura about their new team. How will they react to this news? Well, read on to find out...

Chapter 13: All for One, and One for All.

"Ahhh!" sighed a very pleased Naruto as he pushed his fiftieth bowl of miso ramen away from the counter's edge, lazily swiveling his chair around so he could lean comfortably against the far wall. He and Kakashi had just finished off their last round of ramen for the evening after their monumental departure from Hokage Tower. The Copy-nin had called it quits after just his fifth bowl, but Naruto continued to pack it in while his sensei just sat there and watched him in sheer amazement. "Man, was that good! I can't tell you how much I've missed your ramen Teuchi. It's like nothing I've ever tasted!"

At this, Teuchi laughed heartily and gave the blonde boy a good-natured slap on the shoulder as he turned to gather the mountainous stack of bowls from the counter. "Well, I'm glad you approve Naruto. After all, you are my best customer." It was the truth after all. Ever since he'd first caught wind of the shop's ramen on his first day in the Academy, Naruto had become a regular customer at Ichiraku Ramen, spending most of his lunch-periods hunched over the old-fashioned wooden counter like a flame-haired Quasimodo as he gulped down bowl after bowl of ramen. It never ceased to amaze Teuchi and his daughter, Ayame, how he could eat so much food and stay so fit.

"Besides," Ayame added with a smile as she took a few bowls from her father's steadily growing stack, "you deserve it. Finally realizing your dream and establishing your own team of X-Men here in the village, now that's a reason to celebrate." Naruto grinned happily at her kind words. She and her father had been the only two non-shinobi villagers that he'd bothered to share his dreams with when he'd enrolled in the Academy. Now that one of his dreams had come true, he felt like he could easily borrow Ororo's power and soar through the air on the four winds he felt so light!

"Well, I guess it's time to head out Naruto," Kakashi finally said as he got to his feet and paid their bill. Normally, he'd regret having to spend this much ryou on a meal like this. But, seeing as it was such a big celebration for Naruto, he decided he could part with the large amount of cash listed on the bill. "We've got things to take care of before tomorrow comes."

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei!" agreed the young X-Man, practically leaping out of his seat as he followed the Copy-nin out of the bar. "Hey, how are you going to break the news to Sakura-chan and Sasuke-teme?"

"Heh," chuckled the silver-haired Jounin sheepishly as they stepped outside and in the night air. The lazy afternoon sun had already started to go down as soon as Naruto had finished his thirtieth bowl of ramen, so it was beginning to get dark fast. "Actually, I was thinking that you could be the one to tell them."

"Okay, that sound's fi-," Naruto started to say compliantly before remembering Sarutobi's orders for the Jounin. "Hey, wait a second! Oij-sama told you to tell them! Why the hell would I agree to do something that you were already told to do?!" He underlined his last question by pointing an accusing finger at Kakashi.

"Well, for one reason, it is your team," Kakashi rationalized calmly, putting up his hands in mock defense. "If you want them to cooperate with you, it'd probably be better if you were the one to tell them about their being a part of Idenshi-X." After saying this, he paused for a moment to massage the back of his neck ever so innocently. "Secondly, I had some... important errands that needed running today, so I thought it would be more convenient if you told them instead of me."

"Don't give me that 'errand' crap Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shot back vehemently, a vein beginning to become pronounced on his forehead over the left temple. "You just want me to do your job for you so you could go home and kick back with that lame hentai novel you love so much while I do all the work, you pathetic masked perv!" Now that particular barb stuck a raw nerve, as Kakashi was practically in love with the entire Icha-Icha Series.

"Now hold on a second!" Kakashi retorted in obvious frustration that the boy had discovered one of his reasons for having him do this instead of him. By this time, a small number of villagers had begun to stop and take notice of the pair's argument, which was beginning to become quite heated. "Let's leave my interests out of this Naruto! I just thought it would be a good way for you to bond with your team and learn to handle delicate situations like this!"

"Again, obvious bullcrap Kakashi-sensei!" argued the irritated blonde, coldly turning his back on the Copy-nin. "Admit it! You'd rather slack off and read your sophomoric porn, then convince some poor sap to do your work for you. Lazy ass!"

"Blathering child," rebutted the silver-haired Jounin venomously.

"Sentai reject," Naruto glared back with equal ilk, getting right in Kakashi's face as he spoke.

"Gaki."

"One-eye."

"Baka."

"Porn-reading moron."

"Alright, that's it!" Kakashi said, having grown quite sick of arguing with Naruto in public like this. "Look, name-calling like a pair of kindergarteners will get us nowhere. We need to reach a mutual agreement about this so we can get on with our evening." Much to his surprise, Naruto nodded in concurrence and finally settled down. Seeing that the flame-haired boy had finally been placated, Kakashi took a deep, cleansing breath and started to seriously think of a reasonable compromise. Then, it came to him, as if someone had suddenly turned on a light bulb inside his brain. "How about this," he suggested calmly, "I'll go and tell Sasuke and Sakura to meet at your house tomorrow as planned, but you have to be the one to tell them about Idenshi-X. Sound fair to you?"

Seeing as Kakashi couldn't shirk off his responsibilities like he'd planned, Naruto nodded contentedly and grinned slyly to himself in satisfaction. "Okay, Kakashi-sensei," he conceded happily, "that seems fair to me." Having somewhat won their little argument, he turned to quietly depart for the Namikaze Estate to try and sleep off all the ramen he'd finished devouring, so he could be better prepared for whatever tomorrow would bring. "Well, see you around Kakashi-sensei. Enjoy your evening." And with that, he vanished with a soft bamf in a cloud of inky black smoke, the burning scent of sulfur and brimstone lingering in the air and causing Kakashi to cough and gasp for breath.

"(Hack) Gee, thanks Naruto," the Copy-nin coughed sarcastically as he reluctantly set out of the Haruno Clan's apartment complex. Truth be told, he was still quite miffed that he had to work on what was supposed to be his team's day off. 'But then again,' he rationalized quietly with an inward smirk, 'they're not wholly mine anymore, are they?'

The following morning, at the Namikaze Estate...

Having finally drifted off into a peaceful sleep, Naruto awoke earlier than usually with a cheerful and optimistic attitude. Like most days, he'd decided to wear his orange civilian attire, along with his cyber-visor, combat boots, and fingerless gloves After going about his usual morning routine and completing his strict exercise regiment, the flame-haired X-Man decided to spend the remainder of his free time meditating on the roof of the Namikaze Estate, at least until Sasuke and Sakura arrived. As he rested atop the interlocking tiles of the roof, sitting patiently in the lotus position as he awaited his teammates' arrival, Naruto smiled silently to himself as a cool, refreshing breeze brushed softly against his 'whiskered' face. It was calm mornings like this one that reminded him of the ones back in Westchester, where he and his father would relax in a similar manner before beginning the day anew.

'Man, what a day,' he thought to himself nostalgically as he continued with his meditation. With each deep breath, he focused his mind on the world around him, quietly listening to his environment and studying its calming rhythm. Even with his eyes shut as tight as they were, his animalistic senses told him everything he needed to know. His ears pricked up at the harsh cry of a heron taking flight off to the north; his skin prickled into gooseflesh as the breeze brushed against his face and neck once more; his nose twitched slightly as he caught the soothing aroma of... sakura petals? 'Looks like they're here,' he grinned slyly, snapping his eyes open and rising to his feet.

Just as he was about to make his way over to the stairs, a thought popped into his head that made him smirk like a daredevil who'd just thought up a new stunt. There was more than one way to get to the ground anyhow. Without a second thought, Naruto soundlessly sprinted for the edge of the ornate roof and elegantly swan-dived into open space. As he quickly began to descend, he caught a fleeting glimpse of both Sasuke and Sakura strolling up the cobblestone walkway to his front door, neither one showing any sign that they had seen him jump. Smiling like a thrill-crazed stuntman, Naruto ignited his plasma claws and spread his arms wide, making him look like some great bird of prey swooping in on its unsuspecting victim. The instant the claws were unsheathed, Naruto began to slightly increase the temperature of the plasma energy, generating a warm, cushioning thermal of air beneath him, subsequently slowing his otherwise erratic descent.

By this time, Sakura had taken notice of the glow from his plasma claws and quickly sprinted up the walkway after him, with Sasuke reluctantly trailing behind her. "Naruto, what the heck were you doing up there?" she inquired suspiciously as she reached the front porch.

"Not much, Sakura-chan," Naruto smiled as he landed softly on the ground in front of her. "I was just getting in some meditation time before you guys showed up is all."

"But, on the roof?" she probed curiously, a bit shocked by his methods of relaxation.

"Well, it's one of the more peaceful places in the Estate, other than the Zen Garden," admitted the flame-haired X-Man. "Besides, the view is ten times better. You can see everything for miles!"

"Yeah, 'cause everyone meditates with their eyes open," mocked Sasuke in sarcasm as he reluctantly joined them. Even though he'd become less of a brooding loner following their mission in the Land of Waves, he still held on to his animosity for Naruto, although it had lessened considerably. "You're still a hopeless dobe, Naruto."

"Heh, and you're still a chicken-ass haired teme, Sasuke," the blonde rebutted jokingly.

"Hey, I happen to like my hair this way," returned the Uchiha good-naturedly.

"To each his own I guess," shrugged the young X-Man, ignoring the death-glare Sakura was beaming him for making fun of her crush's hair. 'Well, I guess it's time to get things going,' he thought solemnly as he gave his friends a quick grin. Swiftly punching in a sequence of numbers in the keypad by the front door, Naruto pushed open the ornate Western-styled door and gestured to his teammates to enter. "Alright, come on in. Welcome to the Namikaze Estate."

The second that Sasuke and Sakura quietly stepped through the entry way and into the main foyer, they were both amazed by the sheer volume of the mansion. And the design was exquisite! Shimmering marble floors; unique, hand-carved banisters running alongside a winding staircase; a golden chandelier; and a masterfully crafted painting adorning the foyer ceiling. Sasuke, being the son of the Uchiha Clan's head, was used to the extravagancy of the main clan's lifestyles. However, even the Uchiha and Hyuuga compounds paled in comparison to the Namikaze Mansion. In fact, the only thing he could say being faced with this was, "... Whoa." Sakura's reaction was a bit different however; all she could do was gape in astonishment.

"Gee, thanks," Naruto said with a smile, massaging his neck slightly embarrassed. "My biological father made a lot of trips to America before he became the Yondaime Hokage, so when his clan became one of the major ranking households, he insisted that he Estate be redesigned like a Western-styled mansion. Since I moved in, I made a few improvements to help make it feel more like home, but it's pretty much still the same."

"Improvements like...?" questioned Sasuke aloud, wondering what about a ritzy place like this would need improving.

"Improvements like me, Sasuke-san," intoned an automated, yet very female voice that seemed to come from out of thin air. Sasuke immediately braced himself to fight if the voice's owner was hostile, his eyes flickering to the left and to the right as he searched for its origin.

'Where the hell did that voice come from?!' he wondered cautiously as he scanned the room. 'I don't sense any foreign chakra signatures in here, but there's no doubt that it came from this room. Is this some kind of jutsu?' Curiously, he looked over to where Naruto stood grinning at him in amusement. Obviously, he wasn't weirded out by all this, but why was that? Before he could inquire any further, a shimmering, blue light emanated from the center of the room, causing a face to materialize in its center. It was the face of a beautiful young woman, a cheerful and kind-hearted look about her as she gazed at them. Sasuke felt as if he could simply reach out and touch her if he wanted to. But then he noticed that he could see through her to the wall behind her. She was just an illusion!

"Forgive me for startling you, Sasuke-san," the face apologized sincerely. "I was merely wishing to introduce myself. My name is Cerebra; I am the Shi'ar A.I. in charge of monitoring the Namikaze Estate and keeping in touch with my counterpart in Westchester."

"Amazing," breathed Sakura in astonishment as she approached Cerebra's holographic form unafraid. "So, you're a computer, yet you can think and feel like we can?" Cerebra smiled warmly and gave her an intangible nod. "That's incredible."

"Why thank you Sakura-chan," replied Cerebra graciously, her bluish form shimmering slightly as she spoke.

"Cerebra was one of the first major installments made to the mansion," Naruto explained professionally as he took up a position next to the A.I.'s holographic form. "When it was decided that I was gonna live in the village and begin my ninja training, Xavier-Oij-sama had Forge install her into the mansion. Cerebra's operating system runs throughout the entirety of the Estate, controlling most of its electronic functions and maintaining the security systems that protect it as well. Aside from the ANBU's Headquarters, this is probably the safest place in the village."

"Cool," murmured Sasuke truthfully, his eyes rarely leaving Cerebra's visage.

"Neat," Sakura said as she turned her gaze back to the rest of the spacious foyer. "Could we see the rest of the mansion?" Having seen Cerebra, she had become deeply curious as to what the rest of the Estate was like.

"Sure Sakura-chan, I don't see why not," grinned Naruto compliantly as he led her further into the Estate, adding over his shoulder, "Come on Sasuke." Up until now, Sasuke had still been greatly intrigued by Cerebra, but hearing Naruto call after him snapped him back to reality and he followed his teammates towards the massive ballroom, Cerebra's holographic face following close behind. Upon entry, Sakura gasped in surprise and wonder. It was a beautiful sight to behold for a girl her age. A smooth, polished, crimson marble floor; majestic, sparkling chandeliers hanging overhead; a beautiful painting of cherubs frolicking among the clouds adorning the ceiling; an elegant grand piano sitting peacefully atop a raised stage; and voluminous windows that gave a magnificent view of the backyard, where the pool and hedge maze resided.

"This is... beautiful!" Sakura exclaimed in awestruck wonder. Never in her thirteen-year-old life had she ever expected to be in such a wonderful place. She felt like she had walked into a fairy-tale palace!

"I'm glad you think so," Naruto smiled as he led them across the floor towards the stage where the piano was.

"So," Sasuke said as they reached the stage, "I was wondering, why we were supposed to meet here exactly? I mean, not that this isn't nice and all, but don't we usually meet with Kakashi at that old bridge near Hokage Mountain?"

Being put on the spot like he was, Naruto gulped softly in nervousness and tried to think of a reply. He knew that he was supposed to tell them about Idenshi-X, but he wasn't sure if now was the right time to do so. "Well," he began cautiously. "I-"

"Naruto-kun has requested your presence so that he may discuss the possibility of admitting you to Konohagakure's newest shinobi squad and its own branch of X-Men, Idenshi-X," interjected Cerebra matter-of-factly as her image hovered over to Naruto's side. Upon hearing this, both Sakura and Sasuke looked a bit surprised at the news, their minds suddenly brimming with a thousand different questions at once.

"Cerebra!" Naruto exclaimed in annoyance, upset that she'd spoiled his plan of easing into the explanation. "Why'd you do that?! Oij-sama and Kakashi wanted me to tell them about Idenshi-X, not you! That was my responsibility!"

"Forgive me Naruto-kun," apologized the A.I. sympathetically, her head inclining itself as if bowing. "I meant no disrespect. I was only meaning to help you explain the situation to them."

'I think Forge forgot to program you with a sense of timing' Naruto thought irritably as he tried to orient his thoughts. His original plan scrapped as it was, he was just going to have to approach the matter in a different way. "It's alright Cerebra," he reassured her calmly. "You didn't know better. Maybe its better that I tell them now anyway."

"Wait, so... that's why Kakashi-sensei told us to meet here?" inquired Sakura in surprise. "So you could tell us this?" At her side, Sasuke gave Naruto a dark, piercing glare that said "start talking before I strangle it out of you". Naruto sighed audibly in defeat, knowing now why Kakashi was so adamant to dodge this part of Sarutobi's orders. This was gonna be tough to deal with now, but there was no way around it anymore.

"Yeah, that's right Sakura-chan," he admitted reluctantly. "Yesterday, Kakashi had me go with him to give his report on our mission in the Land of Waves, so I could tell the Hokage what happened concerning your new powers and your status as mutants. All things considered, he took it rather well and said that this didn't change anything as far as your standing as shinobi was concerned," he reassured them in calming manner, seeing Sakura start slightly at this news. However, she relaxed considerably after hearing the Hokage bore no ill will against mutants. "However," Naruto continued, "He was concerned with how to teach you how to use your new powers. So, I suggested that we become the village's own branch of the X-Men, Idenshi-X. He seemed pretty pleased with the idea and approved of the group's formation, as long as we were given an additional Jounin sensei to help train us."

"So, you basically signed us up for X-Men training camp without our permission?" seethed Sasuke in annoyance.

"I guess you could say that Sasuke," Naruto conceded dejectedly. He'd expected Sasuke to say something like that. After all, he had a valid point; he didn't think to tell them about his plans, and just when along with them without their consent. "Look, I'm sorry I did this without telling you guys first, but I really wasn't thinking at the time."

'Clearly,' thought Sasuke irritably as he continued to glare at his teammate.

"But, now that this is for sure, I really think we can make this work you guys," Naruto explained adamantly. "Idenshi-X isn't just about us, it's about any other mutants that may surface in Konoha. Not only will our team be able to defend the village from any supernatural threats and learn about our abilities, but we'll also help people like us to master their own powers for the good of the village. What we'd be able to do would change the shinobi world greatly."

"I still don't see why we have to be the ones to do this," Sasuke snapped curtly, gesturing at himself and Sakura as he spoke. "If you ask me, it sounds like a complete waste of time for one. Second, we'll be putting ourselves at risk by revealing that we're mutants. The Hokage may think well of the mutant population, but what about everyone else?" As he spoke, Naruto noticed a dark emotion flicker in his eyes for a moment. He knew that Sasuke had another reason that he wasn't going to voice in front of Sakura: how will this help me kill Itachi?

"Sasuke has somewhat of a point Naruto," Sakura added, rubbing her arm nervously. "We still don't know how everyone else will react to us being mutants. We'd be putting ourselves at risk big time. Besides..." he voice trained off for a moment, "I'm still kind of afraid of my powers. I mean, you saw that huge blast I created in the Land of Waves. What if I can't control it some time and I end up hurting someone I care about. Maybe it's better if I don't use them again."

Hearing what they had to say brought it all home for Naruto, reminding him of how real this decision was. He knew that there was times in the past where he'd felt like Sakura did, afraid of what he could do and afraid he would hurt someone precious to him. He also regrettably knew that he'd thought that it was to great a burden to bear like Sasuke thought. But he knew all too well that simply hiding what they were and denying that part of themselves wouldn't make things any better. If anything, it would only make things worse.

"I know this seems overwhelming guys," he said honestly, a soft look coming over his gaze as he spoke. "But you know, I didn't say that you had to do this. You can both refuse if you want and just walk away, I would understand completely and not think any less of the two of you for it. I know that what I'm asking of you is great, and that the both of you are still coming to terms with the fact that you're mutants and all. But, we all saw how well we worked as a team in the Land of Waves, both with and without our powers, and I truly believe that we as mutants can be just as effective as we are as shinobi. I'm not trying to make use of your powers for my dream; I'm doing this because I want to help you guys. So what do you say? Are we in this together, or what?"

On that note, he slowly extended his hand to them, palm facing the floor. He had said his piece. What the both of them decided next was entirely up to them. For a few moments, time seemed to slowly crawl by at a snail's pace. Then, just as he was sure they were going to refuse, Sakura calmly stepped forward and gently laid her hand atop his own. Naruto could barely believe it! She had been the most reluctant to use her abilities and had the more valid reason not to join, yet she was going to anyway! A fraction of a second later, Sasuke coolly strode over and firmly put his hand on top of Sakura's, signifying that he too was for joining Idenshi-X as well.

"I still a little unsure about all this, Naruto," Sakura finally said honestly, a shred of nervousness in her voice. "But, I think that this is something we need to do. And if we're going to do this, then we need to do it together... as a team. With all three of us working as one, there's nothing we can't do." Beside her, Sasuke simply nodded slightly in agreement with her.

"Thanks you guys," Naruto smiled warmly, a sincere look of joyous relief in his eyes. For a second there, Sakura thought her teammate was going to cry. Not that she would've blamed him though; they'd just shown him that even thought they were skeptical to his idea, they still trusted in him completely. "I promise that no matter what the future holds for us, I'll stick with you through it. And this won't be a waste of your guys' time at all. It's like you said Sakura, with the three of us behind it, there's no limit to what we can accomplish. All for one, and one for all."

"Whatever you say, dobe," Sasuke muttered under his breath doubtfully. In the back of his mind, truth be told, he seriously doubted that becoming an "X-Man" would help him accomplish his goal of one day seeing Itachi dead. 'But, then again,' he reconsidered thoughtfully. 'Itachi has always preferred to be a solo act, even when we were kids. Maybe, just maybe, working together to bring him down isn't such a bad idea. Just as long as I'm the one to kill him in the end, it's my duty as the Avenger of my clan.'

While Sasuke was still silently pondering how joining Idenshi-X would help him to achieve his vengeance, Naruto and Sakura were timidly trying to come up with what to say to one another in response to all of this. Luckily, just before the situation became any more awkward, Cerebra's blue holographic face suddenly reappeared between them, startling the both of them considerably. "Aaahhh!" Naruto exclaimed loudly, clutching his chest like he'd had a fake heart-attack. "Damnit Cerebra, don't do that! What, do you want me to die of fright here?!"

"Forgive me once more, Naruto-kun," pleaded the A.I. earnestly, "but I wish to inform you that Sarutobi-sama and your new Jounin sensei have arrived on the premises and are waiting for you at the front door."

"Wait, the Hokage's here?!" questioned Sakura in disbelief.

"Oh yeah," Naruto realized, snapping his fingers in sudden remembrance. "That's right; he said he would be accompanying our new sensei to see how we hit it off. Come on!" Waving for his teammates to follow him as he ran, Naruto eagerly sprinted through the long, winding hallway that led from the ballroom to the front entryway, blood singing in his ears from the excitement of the moment. This was great! After all that needless worrying, the Kyuubi had been right all along. He just needed tell them the truth from the get-go and leave the rest up to his teammates.

'Was there any doubt I was right?' snickered the Fox playfully, again reading the blonde's thoughts without permission.

'Just a little,' joked Naruto humorously as he continued to dash towards the front door. With the rapid footfalls of Sasuke and Sakura echoing close behind him, the young X-Men finally reached the illustriously crafted front door. 'This is it,' he thought to himself in reigned excitement. 'From this moment on the X-Men, no, Idenshi-X, is here to stay.' Hands trembling in anticipation, Naruto firmly clasped the doorknob and threw open the door dramatically.

'Heh,' chuckled Kyuubi with a sly grin as he sat quietly within Naruto's vast mindscape and watched the door open in the real world to reveal their guests. 'And so it begins.'

Well look at that, a cliff-hanger! How despicable of me (lol). Looks like the meeting with Sasuke and Sakura when alright, but now the real fun begins. With their new sensei at the door, one can only wonder what will happen next. Who is this new Jounin sensei? What makes them fit to lead Idenshi-X? Are they a mutant as well? And what new adventures await for Konohagakure's new X-Men? As always, stay tuned to find out and remember to R&R. EXCELSIOR!