A pleasant din filled Ichraku ramen stall, as it always did when Naruto was taking his meals. However, his visit was different. This was first time the proprietor's favorite knucklehead had brought friends his own age. As the kids merrily discussed the day's victories over bowls of steaming soup, the shop owner smiled from ear to ear, loudly announcing that today the ramen was on the house, to celebrate their first day of real ninja training. Even Kurenai sensei was smiling, though she had finished eating some time before her students.

Suddenly, as her students are talking amongst themselves, laughing and smiling, a small noise, like a birdcall from outside the tent, catches her attention. Her students hardly even noticed as she slipped out to answer the call just out of sight of the ramen stand. There the one eyed Jonin was waiting, hold the scroll out for her. She took it and read it quickly before looking back to Kakashi.

"Is this information reliable?"

Kakashi nodded, though he looked apprehensive. "It comes directly from our field agents, and you know as well as I do that the word of the Sanin is good." She was unconvinced.

"Jiraya is Sanin. I do not know this other one. It's he who concerns me. With every report like this, we grow nearer to a ninja war." At this, Kakashi straightened up and took back the scroll.

"We're soldiers, Kurenai. We are made for war, and in peace we train other soldiers. War is always inevitable in the end." He rose, and turned as if to leave. "Also, I saw the training session. Sorry to spy, just couldn't resist. They did good. All of them." Without another word, he was gone into the night, and she was alone.

"Kurenai-Sensei, where are you!" Naruto's loud voice cut through the night like a knife. As it grew closer, she stepped out of the shadows and waved to her smiling students. "Oh there you are! I bet you were off getting ready for some super cool secret mission. Well never mind about that. Me, Sakura and Hinata finished eating, and wanted to thank you for the meal." All three bowed and said their thanks.

Kakashi was right, she reflected. A war was coming, and these three children would be soldiers. They would kill, and they might even die. Even she might lose her life in the coming days. When she thought of Naruto killing his first enemy soldier, she wanted to cry. Instead, she smiled and nodded to them in approval. "You are all very welcome. I wanted to thank you for doing so well in training today. Now, be sure you get a good night's rest, from now on you will be meeting me at the training grounds at sunrise every day. We can't have you slacking."

Normally Naruto at least would have grumbled, but the day had put them all in good spirits. They thanked her, bowed once more, and went off toward home. For a long while they walked together, all chatting merrily with Naruto the loudest of all. It wasn't long though, before Sakura's path diverged, and they bid good night to the pink haired Kunoichi.

"Good night, Sakura-Chan! I'll see you tomorrow!" She grimaced for just a moment, and Naruto flinched back seeing it.

"Naruto, I tell you not to call me that," She said, her voice annoyed. However, she took a moment, exhaled, and suddenly her features were a bit softer. "Well, I guess it could be worse. I have to admit, you aren't as bad at this as I figure." At that she turned and left, leaving Naruto so red an onlooker may have thought she'd confessed undying love.

Now, it was just the two of them, Naruto and Hinata walking alongside one another. Hinata was silent and blushing, Naruto confused by her quietness. They walked like that for a long way, far past where their paths would normally diverge, when at last Naruto could not help but speak up.

"Hinata, is something wrong? Your house is way back there." He looked at her with slight concern, which for a moment served only to make her more uneasy. "We are teammates, you know. You can talk to me."

Hinata blushed and stuttered, but said nothing for several moments. At last she was able to speak a bit. "It's not that-I mean I'm not in any trouble. It's just, it's that I wanted to thank you, for not being upset I was on your team."

Naruto had to laugh at that, and Hinata very nearly began to cry, and then to faint when he put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, still smiling. "Is that what you thought? You sure are a strange one Hinata! Why would I be upset to have a great tracker nin like you on the team? You did great today, believe it!" With that he gave his signature smile and thumbs up, and then turned to head homeward. "Anyway, it's getting late, you should get home. We have to be at full power if we want to become great ninja!"

She stood there for some time, watching him walk away. She wondered, once again, if she'd ever get used to seeing him walk away. She hated it, but she could never not watch. When at last he turned the corner and disappeared from view, she turned and started for home. This was a team she could get used to.

Somewhere up on the rooftops, the first wave of Anbu Sentries were starting duty, watching the streets and borders of the village as all others slept. They were the hidden defenses of Konoha, and each of them knew exactly why they were being assigned. They watched the young Ninja walking towards home, and wondered if the village had the strength to hold back what was coming. They would need a miracle, they knew. Was there are miracle in Konoha, they wondered. Only in the face of war could they be so blind as not to see the one in the streets bellow.