Once More

Minato sat at his desk with his head in his hands. Some days being the hokage was simple not worth the trouble. His son had once again recovered from the trauma of witnessing death and had grown up quite a bit in the past three years. He still hadn't been sent out back in the field but had been training hard and sparring with others around his skill level.

Regarding Naruto that was the good part. The Chunin Exams were going to be held within Konoha this year and Minato was debating whether or not Naruto should be allowed to participate. His lack of field experience was a little worrying. Naruto had gone through many simulations to hone his senses but that's exactly what they were, simulations. They helped, but lacked the true spontaneity that field missions held. He was most certainly one of the best Konoha had to offer, second only to Itachi, if that.

Perhaps that was his answer though. Itachi's team had recently lost a member during a mission and Naruto would be a perfect fit. It would even be the best possible team to send to the Chunin Exams as well, showcasing the best of Konoha's up and coming. This could also help him with his most pressing problem.

The talks with the Uchiha Clan were beginning to stagnate. Perhaps this show of trust could be what was needed to nudge the Uchiha into a more receptive state. This would have to be played carefully though, they could easily see it as an attempt at collaring the future of their clan. He had to make sure they saw it as a symbol of trust rather than distrust.

The lack of progress wasn't the only problem, the Uchiha were a disaster waiting to happen. Every little thing he could do to appease the Uchiha was vital. One wrong move could send the currently volatile clan into action, something Minato could not let happen. If it came down to it, he would have to have to Uchiha Clan exterminated.

Of course this whole debacle wasn't even the Uchiha's fault. The people of Konoha, mostly the civilians, were distrustful of the Uchiha Clan. That bred hatred for them which was only reciprocated. Hopefully, the progeny of both the Uchiha Clan Head and the Hokage fighting together would show people that the Uchiha Clan was trustworthy.

"Cat, please inform the Uchiha Clan Head that I would like to discuss something with him." An Anbu, the elite of the village, with a mask resembling a cat appeared from the shadows.

"Right away Hokage-sama." He probably only had twenty minutes at most, so he quickly began preparing for what he hoped would be a fortuitous meeting.

A knock at his door broke Minato from his thoughts. It seemed as if the man he was waiting on had arrived. He steeled himself before acknowledging the presence outside his office.

"Come in." The door opened to show a black-haired Uchiha. This man was Uchiha Fugaku, the current clan head. The man quickly crossed the distance to Minato's desk and stared impassively at him.

"This meeting is unexpected Hokage-sama, to what do I owe the honour?" Minato calmly stared back into onyx eyes before gesturing to the seat in front of the desk.

"Please, sit Fugaku-san. I wish to discuss the future of your son's team with you." That certainly got the man's attention. He body gained a rigidity and his eyes a hardness that told any wise enough to notice to speak carefully.

"And what exactly is it that you wish to discuss Hokage-sama?" His voice contained just a hint of venom, but he made it a point to remain polite.

"It's nothing to fear Fugaku-san. In fact I think you might actually be very happy to hear my proposition." That certainly peaked Fugaku's interest. "Now, as you are undoubtedly aware, despite my best efforts a majority of the people of Konoha still distrust your clan. This should do much to correct that fault."

"Forgive my disbelief Hokage-sama, but that seems highly unlikely. Many hold our clan responsible for what happened that night with the Kyuubi. You might have made strides to lessen the now mutual hatred, but there hasn't been any significant progress." Minato nodded in acceptance of what was said. It was true that despite what he had done, there were those who would not let go of their hatred for the Uchiha Clan. Those people only antagonized the Uchiha and gave credence to the words of the radicals within the clan.

"That is most certainly true Fugaku-san. However, I submit to you that the hatred is only a symptom of the greater problem that is mistrust. If we can restore the people's trust, then the hatred will evaporate. Now we come full circle to why I brought you here in the first place, your son's team. I propose that my son, who has been training extensively since his team was killed, replace the lost member on your son's team."

Fugaku was struck silent at that proposal. He took a minute to collect his thoughts before responding. "That certainly shows your trust, but I fail to see exactly how it will help. With all due respect Hokage-sama, it seems, if anything, that you wish to watch keep a watchful eye on my son. He is the best that the Uchiha's next generation has to offer."

"I assure you Fugaku-san that I have thought this out quite thoroughly and deemed it to be an excellent first step towards harmony within this village." Judging by the look he was getting, Minato surmised that Fugaku didn't quite see it his way.

This wasn't going exactly as Minato had planned. He needed to have Fugaku on board with this idea so that during future negotiations the ever present tension would be lessened. Also, he really was certain that this would go a long way in aiding the village's perception of the Uchiha Clan. Luckily he had one final card up his sleeve, something he was sure would get the Uchiha on his side.

"This team will also be our major Chunin Exams team."

Fugaku relaxed a bit as he contemplated this new development. The prospect of having the team be Konoha's major team was appealing. Whereas before he were wary of having Naruto on the same team as Itachi, he now welcomed it. The citizens of Konoha would see this as mutual cooperation and trust during the Chunin Exams. After all, what better symbol of cooperation and trust between the Uchiha Clan and the Hokage than to have both first-born sons be on the same team and thrust into the public eye?

"I can see why you thought this would be such a good idea Hokage-sama. To see our children fighting side by side will prove exactly how much you trust the Uchiha Clan to the civilians, but I fear that the shinobi will not see the same thing. Some will potentially see it has you scrutinizing the Uchiha Clan even more." Still, Fugaku would admit that the act would almost surely win over most of the civilians, which was where the majority of the mistrust existed.

"Ah, yes. That worries me as well. I think I have solution though. The jounin sensei meeting in regards to the Chunin Exams is coming up in two days. You shall be there after I have announced Itachi's team as our main team. Then I shall ask for suggestions as to the third member and you will suggest my son. This way the shinobi of Konoha will believe it to be your idea and see nothing wrong with it and the civilians will see it as a mark of trust."

"That is an excellent idea Hokage-sama. And I thank you, truly; for all that you have done to aid my clan." Minato was glad to see the smile on Fugaku's face. The Uchiha had suffered unfairly long enough and Minato was glad to play a part in rectifying that.

"No thanks are needed Fugaku-san, for I am only doing that which should have been done long ago."

"This meeting has begun." Any chatter between the shinobi present was quickly quieted at the sound of their leader's voice. "As you all know, we are here to discuss the teams that we will be putting forth for the Chunin Exam. I have already decided on a list of possible teams, but first I feel we should discuss the issue of who our main team will be."

A jounin near the back raised his hand and when he was acknowledged by his leader he spoke. "Hokage-sama, I think I speak for all assembled when I say that Uchiha Itachi's team would be best." Murmurs of assent could be heard throughout the crowd. "He shows enormous talent and potential. His teammate Nakamura Atsushi is also one of the more talented genin of the current batch."

Looking around to see how many agreed, Minato nodded. "Very well, Uchiha Michiko, you are the team's jounin sensei, what say you?" The crowd parted to allow a rather stunning dark-haired Uchiha woman to the front.

"I thank you for the great honour Hokage-sama. The two under my command are more than capable of representing our great village. Of course this is all contingent on finding a fitting third member." With a bow she stepped back.

Minato was barely able to keep the grin of his face. He hadn't even been the one to suggest Itachi's team, now it would look as if he had absolutely no hand in this. Writing something down on a piece of paper, Minato gestured for an Anbu, who, with one glance, took off.

"I have called for Itachi's father to be present. As it is Itachi is the clan heir to one of our most important clans and I feel it necessary to have the Clan Head here."

Not even two minutes had passed before someone knocked at the door and came in. Without sparing anyone a glance Fugaku quickly made his way towards the front of the crowd.

"Hokage-sama, I thank you for allowing me to be here and share my input. Let it be known that I support the decision for my son's team to be our major team within the Chunin Exams."

"Excellent. It is official; the genin team lead by Uchiha Michiko will be our major team. Now, we must discuss the pressing matter of finding and integrating a third member into this team. I will take any reasonable suggestions into account." No one spoke up immediately as everyone scoured their brains to think of someone who matched the criteria.

"Hokage-sama, if I might make a suggestion?" Everyone was rather surprised to realize that it was Fugaku who had spoken up. At Minato's nod Fugaku continued. "If this is truly to be our best team then perhaps your son, Namikaze Naruto, would be our best candidate. Not only was he in Itachi's class, he also ranked on nearly the same level during the academy."

Michiko spoke up in support of her Clan Head. "As the jounin in charge of the team I would like to voice my support. Hokage-sama, your son showed himself to be as capable a ninja as Itachi in the academy. Also, I understand that he has been under heavy training since an incident resulting in the death of his team three years ago. He is more than qualified; the only thing needed would be some team building exercises and perhaps a mission." More and more jounin gave their support of the idea until it seemed that most of the room was in agreement.

"It seems as if a consensus has been reached. However, ultimate power to decide both who is placed upon Michiko's team and the fate of my son belongs to me." Silence permeated the room as everyone waited for the Hokage to cement his seeming disapproval. "That being said, I do believe my son to be the best possible third member for this team; therefore, Namikaze Naruto is officially part of Uchiha Michiko's genin team."

"Thank you for accepting my proposal Hokage-sama. Unfortunately, I must take my leave to attend to my affairs." Fugaku bowed, waiting to be dismissed.

"Do not thank me, I should be thanking you. Were it not for your insight we may not have come to such a conclusion. You truly do this village a great service. Now as much as I'd like to keep you here for your opinions, I do understand that you are busy so you may go." As Fugaku bowed once more and began to leave, Minato addressed everyone else. "Now, onto the other teams participating."

Sharp blue eyes scanned their surroundings. With only the slight sound of their breathing to be heard and nothing to be seen, a figure dashed from its cover behind a tree. Catching sight of a wire the figure came to a halt behind a bush. Slowly moving to the traps perimeter the figure noticed someone in a tree not too far ahead. Someone to watch the trap and ensure the kill.

The person was far too easy to spot for someone who missed the trap and it made the figure paranoid. The person would be easy to sneak up on and kill, but what if they had backup? The figure knew where their target was and couldn't afford an altercation, time was of the essence.

As the figure began to slowly creep forwards, eyes continuously scanning the surrounding area, a slight bulge in the ground caught their attention. Upon further inspection the figure realized it was another person, the backup. With both targets in clear sight, two kunai were let loose, striking their intended targets with deadly accuracy.

Confirming successful kills, the figure once more burst forth. Hopefully there were no others. Continuing at a quick pace the figure soon came to a clearing. In the middle of the clearing was their target, a scroll. Scanning the area around the scroll for traps revealed nothing. However, looking around there were tell-tale signs of someone being around, the lack of all wildlife, even before the figure's arrival, being the main one.

In a small puff of smoke a second figure appeared and, after moving around the clearing, leapt forwards to steal the scroll. A hail of kunai came storming out of one of the trees and impaled the second figure who quickly disappeared in another small puff of smoke. The moment those kunai were thrown, the original figure threw three kunai from where the others had come. These new kunai had a piece of paper, the writing upon which was unintelligible, wrapped around them. Their purpose soon became clear as a spectacular explosion occurred where they had landed.

The moment the explosion went off the figure stole the scroll and promptly disappeared once more into the surrounding forest. After waiting for a minute the figure went back to the clearing to be met by a red-haired woman who seemed rather angry.

"Naruto-kun, this was supposed to be a simulation, why the hell did you throw kunai with explosive tags on them at me!?" Wilting under his mother's glare, Naruto did his best to run damage control and escape punishment.

"But Kaa-san, you threw a bunch of kunai at what you thought was me!" His words seemed to have no effect on Kushina as she continued to glare at him.

"I knew you were too good to be caught by them." Naruto couldn't help but smile.

"And I knew that you were too good to be caught by my explosive tags." Naruto was quite pleased with himself, so he wasn't exactly expecting the ensuing smack to the head from his mother.

"You're incorrigible. I must admit though, it was a really good strategy and would have caught those not use to your movements or as good as me in a deadly explosion. It's seems as if you've succeeded in yet another simulation and well within the time limit. Unless, did you happen to see that doll I set up by the final trap?" Naruto let a self-satisfied smirk cross his face.

"What about his second buddy lying in wait? Did you forget about setting up that doll?"

"Excellent job Naruto-kun, I shouldn't have doubted you'd catch the backup. Let's head back to the house for now though, I'm sure your sister is getting rather bored being all by herself."

Naruto smiled softly as he nodded.

When they arrived Naruto was rather surprised to see an Anbu wearing a cat mask waiting for them.

"Excuse my intrusion, but Hokage-sama has asked that Naruto-san report to his office as soon as possible." Naruto glanced at his mother before nodding to the Anbu. With that the Anbu grabbed onto his shoulder and in a flurry of leaves, they disappeared.

Once Naruto found himself in front of the doors to his father's office, he couldn't help but be anxious. His father rarely ever called him like this. Knocking on the door he waited until he heard the voice telling him to enter.

As he walked through the doorway towards his father he noticed the serious expression on his face. Immediately realizing this was a meeting between a shinobi and his leader, Naruto snapped to attention and bowed.

"You called for me Hokage-sama?"

"Yes, I have important news for you. I have decided that you are to be put on a team that will participate in this year's Chunin Exam. Uchiha Itachi's team to be specific, under the tutelage of Uchiha Michiko." To say Naruto was shocked would be an understatement. This was a massive responsibility being placed on his shoulders, to be a part of the Chunin Exam. Of course, the specific team was also quite the shock.

"Thank you Hokage-sama." It was all Naruto managed as he was still trying to process the fact that he would be returning to active service. It was a notion that left him feeling rather uneasy. His father must have noticed his discomfort because he spoke next as a father, not a leader.

"Don't worry Naruto-kun, this is what you've trained for. You're more than prepared." Naruto managed a weak smile.

"Thanks tou-san. When will I be meeting them?"

"They should be here any minute, I sent for them the moment you arrived." As if on cue someone knocked at the door. "Please come in."

Naruto turned to look at his new team. First came a rather beautiful woman whom he assumed was his Uchiha sensei , mostly due to the fact she wore the standard jonin outfit, although the Uchiha fan was visible on the right shoulder of her shirt. Next was a boy who had to be the other genin member of the team. He wore tan coloured clothes, probably in a futile attempt to be inconspicuous. His wild hair stood out as it was a colour that reminded Naruto of his mother, albeit darker.

Finally, there was Uchiha Itachi, almost exactly as Naruto remembered him. He still wore those black pants and that high collared blue shirt. The only major difference was he now had a short ponytail and small tear-troughs under his eyes.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice. I would like to introduce you to your new teammate, Namikaze Naruto, my son. Naruto-kun, these are Nakamura Atsushi, Uchiha Itachi, and Uchiha Michiko" As his father pointed to each in turn, Naruto gave a small bow to each.

"You will all be participating in the Chunin Exams that are coming up, so its been decided to send you on an easy enough mission for you all to learn how to work together out in the field." They all were a bit surprised at the rather sudden mission, but obviously their Hokage had thought it through.

"What is the mission Hokage-sama?"

Minato stared at the group in silence, evaluating each of those present. However, his eyes stayed fixed on his son for longer than any other.

"There have been reports of bandits nearby, it's your duty to eliminate them." Naruto's eyes widened. He would never forget what happened to his old team. Noticing the concerned looks he was getting, he tried to compose himself.

"Sounds great, I can't wait to get back out into the field." His father eyed him for a few more seconds before nodding in acceptance.

"You'll start as soon as possible, so be prepared. You never know what might happen." Naruto didn't need to be looking at his father to know who he was speaking to.

I'm back from my hiatus with a bigger chapter than normal.

I'm starting to put more effort into this story now. It's usually just less than an hour of writing then throwing the chapter up without doing any proofreading and I really feel as if that shows in the quality and length of what I've put up so far. The quality will probably remain the same, as I'm not good at writing, but at the very least the chapters will be longer like this one (double the average length) and even longer still. Hooray!

My idea is that most teams are automatically given chunin status and only those that are considered to be able to put on a good show but aren't quite the best are allowed in. However, the best are put up to show the might of a village. After all, if only so few graduated each year in the exam then it would be impossible for all the villages to field any real fighting force that are above genin.

The mission and the exam are coming up next and for those of you bemoaning that, I am changing the format of the exam. The test will be different, it won't be collecting scrolls.