The Will of Fire: Kindling the Flame

by Star of the West

Narumi Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Saburo Haruno have just graduated from the academy. They have now taken the first step on the path that will lead them into the adventure of a lifetime. The journey of team seven and their comrades has begun.

16. Growing Up

Sasuke opened the door, grumbling under his breath about sensei who couldn't even put down their perverted books long enough to answer their own doors. Blinking, he stared up at the beautiful woman standing outside the door. There was a moment of silence, where Sasuke stared up at her with a furrowed brow.

"I'm sorry, I think you must have the wrong apartment..."

The woman snorted, her eyes amused as she cocked a hip and braced her hand against it.

"I doubt it, boy. You have the look of an Uchiha...?"

Sasuke drew back slightly, confused. Saburo knew that Kakashi was smothering...er...looking after Sasuke, but he hadn't really mentioned it to anyone else. If it was him she wanted, how could she have known to come looking here?

"...yeah. I'm Sasuke Uchiha. Can I help you?"

The woman rolled her eyes, planted a hand on his chest, and strode into the apartment. Sasuke stumbled backward, forced to give an odd hop up and backwards to avoid falling over the ledge of the raised wooden floor beyond the entry way. The woman continued in, followed by another woman with dark hair.

Kakashi had come to the doorway of the living room, and was staring at the two women with a look of surprise, but not alarm. Sasuke was thoroughly confused, and turned his head to ask his sensei a question, when a flash of white drew his eyes back to the doorway. Stepping in after them was Jiraya, the large shinobi he'd left Narumi with. Sasuke froze.

"Sensei-!"

Kakashi nodded once, eyes focused on the man intently.

"Tsunade-sama. Jiraya-sama. Shizune-san. May I ask to what we owe the pleasure?"

Kakashi's dark eye flickered over the empty air behind Jiraya as the door swung shut, and his pleasant voice took on a darker undertone beneath the false cheer.

"And where my student is?"

Jiraya raised his hands placatingly, palms turned out towards the deceptively relaxed looking Hatakae, his voice dry and just a shade wary.

"I told you Tsunade."

Turning his attention back to Kakashi, he cleared his throat, voice even and reasonable.

"She's fine, Kakashi. Here in the village of course. A chuunin caught us on our way in to see Gai's student, and took her off for something or other. Her and another genin that I didn't recognize."

Kakashi made a noncommittal noise deep in his throat, black gaze never wavering from the sannin shifting nervously in place. The woman who had been identified as Tsunade advanced on Sasuke, grabbing him by the shoulder and dragging him forward.

Sasuke brows snapped down, and he instantly made to resist the pull. She frowned and ignored his attempt, bending over and laying a glowing green hand on his forehead.

"Take it easy, brat. I'm just giving you a quick check for possible damage left by tsukiyomi."

The Uchiha's eyes flashed back and forth between Tsunade and Jiraya with growing agitation and excitement. Narumi was back! She was in the village! Tsunade snorted and rapped the top of his head lightly with her knuckles.

"Hold still, or I'll never finish!"

Huffing impatiently, the dark boy forced himself to stand perfectly still as her chakra washed over him in a soothing wave. While he was allowing Tsunade to get on with her examination, Kakashi addressed Jiraya.

"So, how has Narumi been?"

The sannin shrugged slightly, a proud grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Oh, fine. Training like mad, of course."

The mans voice was purposefully casual and light, as if he were just happening to mention a curious weather pattern.

"I taught her the rasengan."

Sasuke frowned slightly when he heard Kakashi-sensei draw in a sharp breath.

"Rasengan? Truly? How far along is she?"

Jiraya chuckled slightly, and now Sasuke was sure he wasn't imagining the satisfied tone that laced the white haired shinobi's voice.

"She's mastered it. Already able to summon and use the complete form."

Sasuke cautiously shifted his eyes around, straining to peer at Kakashi-sensei, who was hovering at the very outside edge of his vision. The jounin was staring at Jiraya as if the man had suddenly turned green. With a shiver, Sasuke saw that it wasn't just an obsidian eye that was fixed so unwaveringly on the older man. Kakashi's sharingan was wide open, bloody crimson flashing from behind silver bangs.

"You're...you're not serious?"

Jiraya smirked in a very self-satisfied manner, and crossed his arms over his broad chest.

"Dead serious. Couldn't believe it myself."

Kakashi looked a little indignant, and a little worried as he scowled at the big man.

"Don't you think that was a little too much, too soon? She's still a kid!"

Jiraya snorted, both defensive and dismissive at the same time.

"Oh please. As if teaching the Uchiha princeling here CHIDORI wasn't overkill."

Sasuke watched the two men quietly, wondering what sort of technique rasengan might be to draw such a reaction from Kakashi-sensei. Just as he was about to snap from tension, Tsunade drew back her hand, ruffling his bangs as she went.

"You're good, kid. No real damage as far as I can tell. Must be the resiliency of youth."

Smoothing his bangs back irately, Sasuke bolted for the entry way. Swerving around the group standing in the hall, he snatched up his weapons holster, strapping it hurriedly to his thigh as he called over his shoulder to Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei, I'm going out now!"

As he reached for his hitae-ate and fastened it around his forehead, Kakashi straightened from where he was leaning against the doorway leading the living room.

"Going to go find Narumi?"

Sasuke nodded vigorously, snatching up his combat sandals and hopping from foot to foot in a very un-Uchiha-like manner as he jammed his feet into them. Kakashi stepped forward, voice smooth and amused, sharingan eye once again closed and hidden behind long silver bangs.

"Hold up there, tiger. I'll go with you."

Tsunade stepped into his path, firmly blocking the jounin from advancing towards the door.

"Oh no you won't. The Uchiha kid isn't the only one I came to check, Hatake."

Kakashi blinked, and his voice sounded both astonished and slightly annoyed.

"I'm fine, Tsunade-sama."

The blonde woman rolled her eyes, apparently unimpressed.

"You're fine when I say you're fine, Hatake."

Kakashi began to sound more indignant, and Sasuke listened half in awe, half in amusement as he checked over the last of his gear hurriedly.

"Tsunade-sama, I am a twenty-six year old special jounin with a genin team of my own as well as a former ANBU member. I think I can tell when I need medical attention and when I don't!"

Tsunade's hand flashed out and caught the man by the forehead, glowing a verdant green as she narrowed her eyes and held the ruffled jounin still.

"Be that as it may, you'll always be Minato's gaki to me, gaki."

Choking down a laugh at the idea of anyone referring to Kakashi-sensei of all people as a brat, Sasuke yanked the door open, and slipped out of the apartment, closing the door softly behind him. Vaulting over the rail, he bolted impatiently down the streets, he whipped around a corner, heading for the edge of the market centers of the village.

It wasn't long before he reached the street where the Yamanaka flower shop was situated. A few modest civilian homes were situated just down the street from it, one of which belonged to the Haruno family.

Dashing up to the door of the house he thought was the correct residence, he paused and took a moment to sweep his senses over the house. Sure enough, he felt the steady chakra signature that was as familiar to him as his own or Narumi's.

Assured that this was indeed the place he'd find his other teammate, he lifted his fist and pounded hard on the door. He paused to wait for a minute, but when no one answered his call, he set his jaw and pounded harder.

He was just pulling his fist back again when the door swung sharply open. The Uchiha found himself looking up into the cool, disapproving gaze of a young man who looked to be in his late teens or early twenties.

The guy had short, sleek hair that was a shade that was something in between a dark pink and light red, and brown eyes that narrowed behind square, thick rimmed glasses. He looked very bookish and proper, very much like a civilian. Those eyes traveled up and down Sasuke critically.

"...can I help you, shinobi-san?"

Sasuke bristled slightly at the tone, hackles up as he narrowed his eyes at the older boy. Forcibly restraining himself from sneering an answer back, he reined in his temper, and kept his voice carefully even.

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha, Saburo's teammate."

Slender brows rose, and brown eyes flickered over him again. Crossing thin arms over his chest, the civilian stared down at Sasuke with an odd expression.

"Oh? Is that so."

Turning his head slightly, he called over his shoulder.

"Shizaki. Come out here for a minute."

Another boy who looked to be a few years younger than the one already at the door slid through an open doorway. This one had hair such a dark red that it looked brown, and pale green-grey eyes.

"What is it Akio?"

The first boy, Akio, smiled sardonically at Sasuke, and held a hand out to the young Uchiha.

"We're Saburo's elder brothers...pleased to make your acquaintance Uchiha-san."

Sasuke eyed the two of them in confusion, but shook both their hands anyway. His brows shot up. Their pale, uncallused hands were even more dainty than a kunoichi's, though while a kunoichi's came across feeling delicate and feminine, theirs felt fragile and flimsy. And with hands like that, they were trying to crush his.

Of course, with the grip strength of a civilian, it was barely enough to pinch the skin of his hand. Snorting softly, he returned the grip just a bit more firmly than he needed to. After all, Saburo probably wouldn't appreciate his brothers having their hands crushed.

On the other hand, now he understood the civilian-born shinobi's ongoing problems and increasing frustration with his family much better. Personally, he took a deep pleasure in the slightly annoyed expression in their eyes when he didn't so much as wince at their attempt at intimidation.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Sasuke impatiently addressed the two brothers.

"I came looking for Saburo, so if you wouldn't mind-"

Akio cleared his throat, trying to keep his expression and voice smooth as he faced down the young shinobi, cutting him off in a slick voice.

"This is quite fortunate. We actually had a matter to discuss with you concerning our little brother."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, suddenly feeling cautious.

"What's that?"

The older boys exchanged a glance, and then looked at him with an expression that combined sure superiority, and coaxing.

"Well, you must have realized by now Uchiha-san. Our little brother is...well he's bookish. He's always had big dreams, but he doesn't understand what those dreams imply. Our parents decided to indulge his little ambition and enroll him in the academy, but..."

Akio's expression tightened, and Shizaki scowled slightly.

"He wasn't ever supposed to graduate. He thinks he's ready for this, but he doesn't realize the danger he's in. We want to put a stop to this foolishness before it goes any further."

Sasuke stared at them, eyes wide, jaw slack. He couldn't believe he was hearing this. The Haruno brothers didn't seem to notice his reaction.

"Now, if you were to, as his teammate, say something to your superiors. Just to explain he's unfit you understand. For his own good. Surely you can see that would be for the best?"

Sasuke hissed angrily at the two brothers, dark eyes sparking with rage as he reminded himself that it would be unethical for him to attack civilians of the village. Definitely wouldn't be looked on kindly.

"Saburo is my comrade. I would trust him with my life. He is not unfit to be a shinobi. And if you have an issue with his choice of lifestyle, perhaps you should take it up with him."

Shizaki scoffed as his elder brother adjusted his glasses.

"We've tried. But he's damn bullheaded about this. His pride won't let him see that he's in over his head. He won't listen to us! But he's too old for this sort of game. It's about time he grew up and faced reality!"

Akio cut in before Sasuke could deliver the cutting reply that sprang so readily to his lips, voice smooth and even as he attempted to appeal to Sasuke's sense of superiority.

"Uchiha-san, this isn't only to our benefit. It would be safer for all of you. Saburo would be at home where he belongs, helping our parents, and you would have a proper shinobi that you could rely on as a teammate."

Sasuke had had enough. More than enough. Saburo had talked to him over the past month about the issues with his family, but he had never let on that it was as bad as all this! Enraged, the young Uchiha instinctively called his chakra to his eyes, feeling the Sharingan whirl to bloody red life in his eyes as the world around him sharpened.

Both the elder Haruno's took a step back, unnerved by the sudden shift in his eyes. Sasuke allowed himself a moment of malicious amusement, before shifting his gaze away from them, dismissing them as he looked down the hall behind them. Saburo stood on the stairs to the hall, frozen and stiff looking, face unreadable.

Sasuke had felt his friends chakra signature approach just after Akio had called Shizaki in to talk to Sasuke. It hadn't been hard, seeing as the more developed, stronger signature of a shinobi would have shone in his chakra senses like a torch among matches in this house of civilians, even if it hadn't been his teammate coming.

He'd tried to say something to Akio about it, but the other two brothers had plowed right over him, and into that disgusting travesty of a speech. Sasuke couldn't imagine how Saburo felt, listening to such tripe spilling forth from the mouths of his own kin, but he had an idea.

Stepping forward into the house, Sasuke planted one hand on Akio's shoulder, and the other on Shizaki's. With a powerful shove, he pushed them out of his way, and addressed Saburo directly in a voice sharpened by anger, dismissing the civilians entirely.

"Saburo. Let's go."

Akio and Shizaki both stared at the rosette in surprise, only just noticing his presence. Saburo didn't look at either of them, nodding stiffly. His movements perfectly controlled, he advanced down the stairs and strode down the hall. Sasuke turned slightly to the side to allow Saburo past him to where his gear was placed neatly on a shelf in the entry way.

Silence reigned, heavy and oppressive, while Saburo strapped on his weapons holster, an extra weapons pouch, and reached for his combat sandals, hitae-ate already firmly secured around his upper left bicep.

Shizaki suddenly started forward, catching his younger brothers bicep just below his hitae-ate in one hand, eyes wide but determined as he stared at Saburo. The younger boy had stilled the moment his brothers hand touched his skin, and apparently the other Haruno boys took this as willingness to listen to them.

"Saburo, wait! You don't understand! We're trying to do what's best for you!"

Akio joined in, still looking somewhat aloof and cool.

"Shizaki is right. You can't understand what you've gotten yourself into."

Saburo slowly turned to face his eldest brother, jade green eyes unreadable. Akio's voice hardened, tone becoming defensive.

"Damn it Saburo, you have to stop behaving like a child! It's about time you grew up!"

Half turning, Sasuke snarled, his sharingan whirling faster as he stepped forward towards the older boy. Saburo's hand closed over his shoulder in an iron grip, halting him in his tracks. Frowning, Sasuke looked back at the rosette, subsiding when the other boy shook his head slightly.

Looking up, Saburo met Akio's gaze with calm strength, and slowly began flexing the muscles of his left arm. The defined muscles beneath Shizaki's fingers swelled and grew, spreading his fingers and forcing his grip apart until he had to release the young rosette.

Sasuke shot the older boy a warning glance, causing him to pale slightly and back up a few more steps. Saburo's fingers tightened on Sasuke's shoulder as he spoke to Akio in a calm, detached sounding voice.

"Perhaps you are right, Akio-san. It is long past the time when I could reasonably behave in the manner of a child."

Dipping his head slightly, and keeping his speech formal, he finished what he was saying before Sasuke could flare up in his defense.

"Would you be so kind as to inform Mother and Father that I will be moving out within the next week?"

Sasuke did his best not to snap his head around to look at his teammate. It wasn't what he had expected at all. If it had been Narumi, he'd have tried to talk her down, sure she would have been acting in the heat of the moment. But Saburo wasn't the type to make such a big decision without thinking it through first.

Akio and Shizaki were apparently even more shocked than he was. Shizaki choked, apparently unable to find any words to express his feelings about Saburo's declaration. Akio, on the other hand, spat a reply back almost instantly, his tone sharp with a slightly mocking edge that desperately tried to hide the shock that ran thickly beneath his words.

"Very dramatic Saburo. But I'm afraid you're forgetting two very important facts. One, you have no real source of income, and two, you're a child. You're not legally able to live on your own, even if you did have the means, which you don't."

Sasuke stepped in here, thoroughly fed up with this little power struggle. When he spoke, it was with all the icy surety and weight of the heir of the Uchiha clan, unconsciously summoning his pride and confidence around him like a mantle in much the same way his father used to.

"On the contrary, Haruno-san. According to village law, once a genin has been instated as a ninja, they cease to be children from that moment onwards. This entitles all ninja, genin and up, to the rights and privileges of a full adult. In the eyes of Konohagakure, Saburo is well within his rights to seek out and acquire living arrangements more to his liking."

A cool smile spread across Sasuke's face as he stared Akio down. This guy had no idea who he was dealing with. A civilian, no matter how brainy or irritated, could not hope to measure up to a shinobi.

"And also, Saburo is already financially independent. He receives adequate pay for accomplished missions to support himself comfortably. Now, if you'll excuse us."

With a mockingly polite nod to the seething brothers, he spun on his heel, glanced over Saburo to make sure he had his gear as the rosettes hand slipped free of his shoulder. Jade eyes locked with obsidian, and the two of them shared a quiet look, before Saburo led the way out of the door.

Though he wanted to slam it, Sasuke was careful to close the door gently behind them, before the two of them walked off down the street. Sasuke glanced over at Saburo, eying him carefully. Most people would have said that he was unaffected by the scene that had just occurred. But Sasuke could see the stiffness and tension in his shoulders and spine.

They walked in silence for a moment, and Sasuke's brow furrowed in concern. An idea struck him, and he was momentarily stunned at the very thought. It seemed ludicrous, and had it occurred to him even two months ago, he would have dismissed it out of hand. But things were different now.

Keeping his eyes straight ahead, he questioned his teammate in the calmest voice he could manage.

"So? You're really gonna move out?"

Saburo sighed and ran a hand through his hair, combing his bangs back from his face to reveal weary eyes, his mouth set tightly with bitter frustration.

"...Yeah. Yeah, I guess I am."

Shrugging his shoulders slightly, the rosette looked down at the street in front of them and shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

"I...didn't really think I would have to. I mean, I could deal with everything before. The fights, the lectures, all of it. I didn't like it, but I could handle it."

Sasuke glanced over at the slightly hunched form beside him, and prompted quietly.

"And now?"

Saburo threw his head back and blew out a long breath, forcibly straightening his shoulders.

"Now...it's crossed a line. Now they're harassing my teammates and trying to undercut my status as a shinobi. That's not something I can just let slide."

Sasuke nodded slowly. It was difficult for him to understand Saburo's family. Coming from shinobi blood, surrounded by other kids who came from shinobi families, he had never imagined that anyone would try to persuade their child to leave behind their ninja status, let alone try to forcibly remove them from it.

Turning his attention back to the street ahead of them, Sasuke tentatively continued his line of questioning, careful to make sure that his tone stayed as even as he could. He wasn't used to being sympathetic or supportive, but he'd do his best.

"Any idea where you're gonna stay?"

Saburo chuckled humorlessly.

"Not a clue. I suppose I'll have to talk to Kakashi-sensei about it. He might know where I could get an apartment..."

Sasuke shrugged slightly, and then cautiously extended his own idea, voice neutral and casual.

"...if you want, you could stay at the compound with me."

The rosette blinked and looked over at him in surprise. Sasuke shrugged self-consciously, hurrying to explain his uncharacteristic offer.

"There's a lot of space there, you know? And Kakashi-sensei'll worry about you if you're out on your own. You know he worries too much, and if you're staying with me it'd keep him from hovering over either of us..."

Saburo eyed the darker boy incredulously as the Uchiha's voice trailed off into an uncomfortable silence.

"Are you really sure? I mean, you never let anyone into your house. The girls from the Academy have been moaning about it since we were seven!"

Sasuke scowled, voice taking on a slightly indignant tone.

"I wouldn't offer if I wasn't sure!"

Saburo's face broke out into a relieved smile, and his entire body relaxed, shoulders dropping slightly as the tension went out of them.

"Thanks, Sasuke. Really."

The Uchiha raised a hand to scrub awkwardly at the back of his head, caught between pleasure in being able to help, and embarrassment at the gratitude being directed at him. Thankfully, Saburo looked away, still grinning.

"I wonder what Kakashi-sensei and Narumi will think about all this?"

Sasuke opened his mouth, and then snapped it closed, eyes widening as he mentally cursed his own forgetfulness. Stopping in his tracks, he whirled to face his teammate and snatched him by the shoulders, startling the other boy.

"That's what I came to tell you! Narumi's back!"

The two of them stared at each other for an instant, and then Saburo's whole face lit up with a grin so wide it looked painful.

"Well why didn't you say so? Let's go!"

Breaking free of Sasuke's grasp, the rosette whooped and dashed headlong down the street, springing up onto the roofs when he reached the end of the street. Sasuke raced after him, feeding chakra into his legs and feet, and bounding past Saburo as they sped towards the part of the village where Narumi's apartment lay.

Laughing, Saburo shot a challenging look at the darker boy.

"I'll race you!"

Sasuke snorted, eyes narrowing. With a burst of speed, the two of them flashed across the village, both of them straining to pull ahead of the other. When the apartment building in question came into view, both boys flung themselves into a last burst of speed, vaulting over the second floor railing and skidding to a stop in front of Narumi's door.

Saburo crowed excitedly, clenching a fist tightly.

"Yes! I won!"

Sasuke snorted, stalking hurriedly to the door.

"In your dreams, Haruno."

Saburo rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath about stubborn Uchiha's before walking up beside him as Sasuke knocked on the door. Both boys stared intently at the door as the sound of light footsteps echoed softly from behind the door. The steps hesitated just behind the door, before it was swung open.

Narumi stood in the doorway, her jacket tied around her waist but otherwise completely geared up and looking as if she'd just arrived. She grinned widely at them, blue eyes bright and sparkling.

"Saburo-kun, Sasuke-teme! I'm back!"

Saburo rolled his eyes and hugged the girl loosely around the shoulders before putting her in a gentle headlock.

"No kidding. You nutty girl, where have you been?"

Narumi yelped in protest, locking her hands around Saburo's arm and wriggling against the hold, indignantly insisting that she was not a 'nutty girl' and demanding that Saburo release her.

Sasuke snorted at their antics, eyes flickering over the blonde carefully. He relaxed when he found her whole and unharmed. Shaking his head at his teammates who were stumbling back and forth over the entryway of the small apartment as they wrestled.

"If you two are finished...?"

Narumi slipped the headlock, and scowled indignantly at both boys. She was just drawing herself up to make a remark when her stomach growled loudly. Saburo burst into laughter at her chagrined face, and Sasuke shook his head slightly.

"Ichiraku's then?"

Narumi stared at him, jaw dropping slightly. Then she whooped, launching herself forward and catching the Uchiha by the wrist. Beckoning wildly to Saburo she determinedly began dragging Sasuke towards the stairs that led down to the street.

"Come on, come on! Let's go, 'ttebayo!"

Saburo quickly locked and closed the apartment door behind them, following Sasuke and Narumi down to the street. When he had caught up with them, Sasuke pulled his hand free of Narumi's grip, and he and Saburo took up positions on either side of her.

As they walked, Sasuke shifted his gaze around to watch the bouncy blonde from the corner of his eye.

"Dobe. You were gone for a long time."

Narumi scowled at him, huffing and crossing her arms.

"I'm not a dobe! And anyway, I couldn't help it."

Sasuke lifted a questioning brow, and Saburo leaned around to peer into the kunoichi's face curiously.

"What do you mean? What were you doing exactly?"

Narumi grinned proudly, her shoulders straightening slightly as she answered.

"Ero-sennin and I went to go get the Godaime! Oh, and Ero-sennin taught me a super awesome technique!"

Sasuke turned his head fully to face her, eyes sparking with interest. Narumi caught the look and her smile turned mischievous as she purposely passed over the subject she knew to have caught his interest.

"You oughta see the Godaime, Saburo-kun! She's really something!"

Saburo's voice turned surprised and curious.

"She?"

Narumi nodded enthusiastically.

"Yep! Tsunade-baa-chan! She's a sannin like Ero-sennin, and she's a brilliant iryo-nin!"

Sasuke's brows shot up.

"You mean that blonde woman with the huge...?"

Narumi stared at him blankly for the moment, and then turned beet red and punched him hard in the shoulder with a horrified screech.

"TEME!"

Wincing, Sasuke rubbed his shoulder and glared at her defensively.

"What?"

Saburo looked back and forth between the two of them in confusion.

"You know this Tsunade woman Sasuke?"

Sasuke huffed and looked away.

"I met her. She came by Kakashi's place to look us over. It's how I knew Narumi was back."

Before Saburo could ask him anything else, Narumi stopped dead, staring at Sasuke with her mouth wide open.

"What were you doing at Kakashi-sensei's house?"

Sasuke glared and Saburo burst into laughter.

"Oh that? Kakashi hasn't let Sasuke out of his sight since your little encounter with those Akatsuki guys. Now that you mention it, you better brace yourself Narumi. you're his next target. And it'll be worse for you because he's been working himself into a state over how you might be doing."

Narumi grimaced and ducked her head, mumbling under her breath about how she was fine. Sasuke sighed and nudged her shoulder slightly.

"So? What happened?"

Narumi's eyes hardened slightly, and her voice turned tentative and serious.

"We sort of...ran into Orochimaru when we found Baa-chan. He wanted her to heal his arms or something."

Sasuke tensed, back stiffening at the mention of the snakes name. Uneasily, he lifted a hand to rub at his neck where the starkly malevolent curse mark marred his pale skin. Narumi caught the motion and eyed him uncertainly. Sasuke ignored her unease, questioning her sharply.

"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

Narumi blew at him softly, shrugging slightly as she turned away. But as she answered him, she bumped a shoulder reassuringly against his.

"Please! I kicked butt!"

Sasuke stared hard at her, and Saburo rumbled his dissatisfaction with the answer deep in his throat. Blue eyes flicked back and forth between them before she sighed slightly and rolled her eyes softly at them.

"Guys! I'm here, aren't I? Anyway, Baa-chan and Ero-sennin looked after me!"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes slightly, looking away from her and muttering under his breath.

"Bastard snake...!"

Narumi eyed him for a minute, and then chuckled and punched his arm.

"Hey teme! Didn't you hear me say I learned an awesome new technique?"

Skipping ahead, she shot the boys a cocky grin and crowed excitedly.

"I bet it even beats your chidori, teme!"

Sasuke's brows shot up, and Saburo laughed, chasing after Narumi as they arrived at Ichiraku's and she ducked eagerly through the doorway. The Uchiha watched them go, relaxing slightly. Mentally, he moved Orochimaru further up his list of enemies to be eliminated.

Strolling after the other two, he lifted a cloth square out of the way and stepped into the ramen stand. Narumi was bouncing on a stool, a wide grin spreading across her face as Teuchi turned away and picked up a bowl. Saburo was just sitting down beside her, so Sasuke took the seat on her other side.

Ayame was just walking up with an indulgent smile, and tilted her head slightly at the three of them. She and Teuchi were obviously used to Narumi's exuberance over their signature dish.

"And what about you boys?"

Saburo cheerfully ordered beef ramen, while Sasuke quietly requested a plain miso to Narumi's miso pork. While Ayame joined her father in the preparation of the dishes, Narumi crossed her arms on the counter, and leaned forward, looking back and forth between Sasuke and Saburo.

"What were you guys doing while I was gone anyway?"

Saburo shrugged, voice sarcastic and amused as he looked over Narumi to the darker boy.

"Oh, nothing much. Sasuke seems determined to beat me into a liquid form, but other than that..."

Narumi shot Sasuke a wide eyed glance, obviously not sure what to make of such a statement. Sasuke looked away to hide the light flush of embarrassment, tone only slightly indignant.

"If you can't keep up with me during training, that's your own problem Haruno."

Saburo's response was good-natured and tolerant, understanding that Sasuke didn't really mean to insult him and accepting the other boys slightly huffy statement.

"Right, right. Keep your hitae-ate on, Uchiha."

Narumi's blue eyes were wider than ever, and her jaw slightly slack.

"You two are...disturbingly chummy..."

Sasuke raised a brow at her, and Saburo eyed her just as curiously.

"Well, we are teammates."

Ayame walked up at just that moment, giggling softly as she quickly set down the three steaming bowls of ramen in front of the ninja.

"Don't try to figure it out, Narumi-chan. It's male bonding. Even a tomboy like you won't really understand the reasoning behind it."

Narumi gaped at Ayame for a moment, and then looked to her comrades for confirmation. They just shrugged at her, Sasuke more elegantly than Saburo, but still. The blonde scowled at both of them and threw up her hands in an expansive and exasperated gesture.

"Boys!"

Promptly deciding to ignore the both of them, she picked up her chopsticks, snapped them apart, and dug into her ramen with all the gusto of a starving man. Sasuke watched her for a moment, amused at her behavior and relieved that the team was once more complete.

He was just snapping apart his own set of chopsticks, when a gentle voice came from behind them.

"Narumi-chan. Welcome home."

Sasuke turned almost perfectly in sync with his teammates to look behind them. Shinako stood there, hands folded delicately together, hood tossed back over her shoulders to reveal the thick, short waves of hair bound back by her hitae-ate. Though her face was as calm and cool as ever, Sasuke could have sworn he heard a note of warmth in her voice.

Narumi grinned brightly at the other kunoichi, swallowing down her latest bite of noodles and waving energetically.

"I'm back, Shinako-chan! Come have ramen with us!"

Shinako tucked her chin in slightly, voice soft.

"I wouldn't want to intrude..."

To Sasuke's surprise, Saburo was the one to answer that. Almost instantly, the rosette leaped to his feet, cheeks slightly flushed and eyes lighting up.

"Oh no! You're not intruding! Come sit!"

Eagerly, he snatched up his bowl and scooted it over so that the spot between him and Narumi was left open. Sasuke's head whipped around, and he stared at his rosy-haired teammate, mind racing as he watched him. Narumi had a similar reaction, glancing over at Saburo with an indecipherable expression. But she covered it quickly with a bright smile.

"Yeah, it's fine!"

Shinako hesitated only a moment, before padding shyly up and sitting down next to the blonde. There was a moment of silence while Saburo stood behind his newly acquired stool looking at Shinako. The Aburame threw him a confused glance, brow furrowing very slightly.

"Saburo-kun? Were you going to finish your ramen?"

The Haruno started, and much to Sasuke's amusement, blushed a horrendous shade of red. Scrambling onto the stool, he muttered something under his breath, and focused on the bowl of noodles in front of him with a single-minded intensity.

Sasuke could hear Ayame stifling more giggles behind her hand, and when Teuchi came to Saburo's rescue, he was wearing a knowing and kindly smile.

"Well then, what'll it be young miss?"

Shinako tilted her head back slightly, and shook her head slightly.

"Just an iced peach juice please."

Teuchi shook his head slightly, still radiating amusement, and winked slightly at the Aburame girl.

"Comin' right up!"

It wasn't half a moment before he was returning from the back of the shop, a tall glass of golden liquid, placing it gently in front of her and nodding to all of them.

"You kids enjoy your food. Let me know if you need anything else."

So saying, he turned away to help Ayame with washing up some dishes in the back. Shinako wrapped both hands around the glass, playing with it slightly as the rest of them slurped down their noodles. Sasuke glanced down into his own bowl with slight interest.

The food was a bit salty for him to want to eat it anywhere near as often as his kunoichi teammate, but he was beginning to understand her fondness for the savory noodles a bit more. Slurping down another bite, he glanced mildly over at the Aburame girl.

"So, Shinako-san. If you weren't hungry, did you come here looking for Narumi?"

Shinako looked up, and set her glass down on the counter, though her hands remained wrapped comfortably around the smooth surface. Turning to Narumi, she seemed to recall the reason she'd come to the ramen stand.

"Oh yes. I just wanted to congratulate you, Narumi-chan, on your promotion."

Sasuke froze, chopsticks loaded with noodles halfway to his mouth. Saburo choked, spluttering and pounding the counter with one fist as he covered his mouth with his other hand. Slowly, Sasuke turned his head to look to the side.

Narumi was hunched over, her face tinged pink, pushing an egg around the broth in her bowl with her chopsticks. Saburo was sputtering and wheezing, obviously trying to form a question but unable to still his coughing in order to do so. Shinako was glancing back and forth between the two boys, exuding a very subtle air of confusion.

The blonde kunoichi let the silence trail on for a moment, before leaning back suddenly and rubbing the back of her head with a slightly nervous laugh.

"Oh yeah...I...er...how'd you find out about that?"

Shinako tilted her head inquiringly, but answered just the same.

"Kira-chan and I encountered Tenma-kun near the Hyuuga residence after accompanying Hirohito home. We inquired after his flak jacket, and he passed on the news that the two of you had been promoted to chuunin."

Sasuke blinked slowly at Narumi, and she chuckled nervously. It trailed off, leaving Saburo spluttering in the background. Then she burst out indignantly.

"What? I was gonna tell you guys! It just...slipped my mind..."

Sasuke felt his eyebrows climbing up his forehead as he continued to stare silently at her, struggling to find words to articulate his utter disbelief and inability to comprehend the situation at hand. Saburo was still unable to speak, wheezing and gasping as he waved his arms wildly above his head. Shinako broke out into quiet laughter, lifting a hand to her lips discreetly. Narumi just returned to her ramen.

The Uchiha shook his head slightly ruefully. Some great power must hate him. This dobe, of all people, beat him to chuunin. Sighing mournfully, he stared morosely down into his bowl, and took another bite.

---

Kakashi, having finally escaped the well-meaning and unavoidable ministrations of the formidable Tsunade-sama, was just finishing putting on his gear when someone knocked on the door. Somewhat wary that Jiraya-sama and his lovely but intimidating female companion might have returned, he extended his chakra senses before opening the door.

To his surprise, three very young and familiar signatures glowed brightly just outside his apartment. Pleased and relieved to know that all three of his students were finally back where he could see them and personally deal with any threats, he swung the door wide open and smiled down at them.

"Well, hello my cute students!"

Narumi grinned brightly up at him, bouncing on the balls of her feet eagerly as she greeted him.

"Hi Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi discreetly flicked his eyes over the young kunoichi, and let out a long mental sigh of relief. She didn't appear harmed in any way, whole, healthy and bouncy as ever. He felt the tension that had been present in his spine ever since he'd woken up to hear that two of his students had been attacked by s-ranked nuke-nin with abduction intent slowly melt away.

Almost instinctively the Hatake's eye flicked from the center figure to the two shinobi flanking her. Sasuke looked a little tired, but it was Saburo who caught his attention. The young rosette seemed relaxed enough, but his eyes had a numb, glazed look.

Kakashi felt his concern spike again, and resisted an urge to run his hand through his hair. It was a nervous habit that he'd dropped after the Kyuubi-attack, causing his hair to lose its swept back look, but lately he'd felt it attempting to resurge.

He couldn't help wondering if he, Obito, and Rin had caused Minato-sensei this much worry and stress. It was entirely possible, considering they'd been operating in the midst of a war that involved most of the shinobi war. Sending a mental apology out to the man, he stood back and waved lazily at his students.

"Well, I'm assuming you're here for a reason, so you might as well come in."

Sasuke preceded his teammates into the entrance way, tugging off his combat sandals and glancing around warily. Kakashi suppressed his chuckle, keeping his voice mild.

"She's gone, Sasuke."

The Uchiha scowled defensively at him, straightening and gliding cooly on into the living room as if he'd never paused. Saburo and Narumi exchanged a glance before following after their teammate. Saburo nodded wearily to Kakashi as he passed.

"Thanks, Sensei."

Closing the door and flipping the lock, Kakashi shed his own sandals and holster, following his genin into the living room. The three of them had seated themselves on the couch in their standard formation, the boys sandwiching Narumi between them.

Circling the couch, he stood in front of the three of them, and gave them another smile, voice easy and soothing.

"So, Narumi. Jiraya-sama and Tsunade-sama tell me you had a productive trip?"

The blonde nodded cheerfully, punching the air enthusiastically.

"Sure did!I trained really hard, 'ttebayo!"

Kakashi chuckled slightly, tone affectionate.

"I never doubted it, Narumi-chan."

Crouching in front of the girl, he looked her over carefully, letting her see his scrutiny this time.

"You ran into Orochimaru, didn't you? Are you alright?"

Narumi let out a put-upon sigh.

"Sensei! I just told Sasuke and Saburo-kun that I'm fine!"

Kakashi lifted his visible eyebrow, voice serious.

"Narumi."

The blonde wilted, bravado leeching out of her as she dropped her gaze and hunched her shoulders. When she spoke, her voice was meek and apologetic.

"I'm alright, Sensei. Really. I got a little banged up during the fight, but Baa-chan fixed me up pretty good."

Kakashi reached out and caught hold of the girls wrist, pulling it towards him and examining her palm. There was no trace of the wound he knew she'd gotten from Kabuto. As soon as the other two Sannin had told him their fallen comrade had been in contact with his student, he'd demanded a list of her injuries. Releasing her wrist, he looked at her carefully.

"You're sure you're alright?"

Narumi nodded, blue eyes honest as she met his gaze.

"Yes, Sensei."

Reaching out to ruffle her hair, Kakashi stood and retreated to the armchair across from the couch and dropped easily back into it. He'd been assured of her physical condition by Tsunade, but hadn't relaxed until he'd verified it himself. Likewise, he couldn't drop the issue of possible mental or emotional strain until he'd verified the lack of such hurts himself.

"By the way, congratulations on making Chuunin."

Narumi brightened, and smiled widely back at him.

"Thanks, Kakashi-sensei!"

Saburo's eyes widened, and he looked mildly indignant.

"Sensei! How did-?"

Kakashi chuckled slightly.

"Jounin-sensei are always informed of chuunin promotion. Don't worry, this won't affect the team assignment."

Sitting back slightly, he took a long look at the three of his students. Fixing them with a gently questioning gaze that he'd often received from his own Sensei in his own younger days, he waited.

After a moment, Sasuke leaned forward, and gave Saburo a definite look from across Narumi. The rosette met the Uchiha's dark gaze, and suddenly looked tired. Dropping his head slightly, he stared at the floor between his feet, refusing to meet Kakashi's eyes despite the deliberate lightness of his tone.

"O-oh yeah. Sensei, I...I'm, uh...moving out."

Kakashi furrowed his brows, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the boy. This was unexpected, and Saburo's tone worried him. Suspicions rising, he fixed the boy with an unwavering stare.

"You're moving out of your family home?"

Narumi whipped around to stare at him, eyes wide and shocked. Saburo lifted a finger to scratch his cheek, laughing weakly.

"Eh...yeah."

Narumi squeaked, apparently unable to force her throat to properly function. Kakashi zoomed in on the steadiest of his three students, suddenly deeply concerned. Saburo didn't strike him as the type to make a hasty decision about something this big.

"May I ask why?"

Saburo flushed heavily, and dropped his eyes with a miserable expression. Sasuke huffed sharply, and his chin snapped up, black eyes snapping furiously as they locked on Kakashi.

"He's moving out because his civilian family is giving him hell about being a shinobi, and trying to force him to leave the team and turn shopkeeper!"

Kakashi's eyes flicked back and forth between Saburo's shamed face, and Sasuke's indignant anger. This was an unexpected development. He knew that Saburo had been having some sort of difficulty, but it hadn't seemed to bother the boy too much, and Kakashi knew he'd been confiding in Sasuke, so he hadn't worried. Now, however, things were beginning to look a lot more serious than he had suspected.

"Saburo, why don't you start at the beginning and tell me what's been going on?"

The rosette sighed heavily, looking determinedly over Kakashi's shoulder as he spoke, and ignoring the alarmed gaze of his female teammate as he spoke. The cadence of his voice, and the dry, factual way he spoke about the events echoed the voice he delivered oral mission reports in.

"After the invasion, my family became consciously aware that being a ninja was dangerous. During the aftermath, my parents approached me and suggested that perhaps shinobi life was not the...proper...path for me. As time progressed, my brothers joined them in that assessment, and also did their best to convince me."

Saburo's throat bobbed as he swallowed, and the jounin could see that his student was fighting to keep his voice even and calm.

"I thought they would drop the matter but...after the Sandaime's funeral, my parents called me in one night and flat out forbade me to continue as a shinobi."

Kakashi tensed, frown deepening. He'd had no idea Saburo had been having such troubles with his family. He'd thought it was just a small quarrel. On the other hand, he should have guessed the boy would run into this sort of trouble. Civilian families of first generation ninja rarely understood their children's decisions and views.

"Of course, I refused to listen to them. That made them pretty angry. My brothers are really strict about filial piety, so they got angry with me too. Things just kept getting worse, and for the past couple of weeks, every time I talk to any of them it ends up in a shouting match about my 'immature rebellion'."

Saburo's voice tinged with resentment on those last two words, and Kakashi could understand why. Genin were still very young, that was true. But as ninja, they frequently dealt with harder and more frightening situations than most civilian adults ever faced, and as such they matured very quickly. Saburo in particular had proven himself level-headed both on and off the battlefield, with a strong sense of duty to match. Kakashi was quite proud of the boy, who was turning into a remarkably fine shinobi despite his civilian roots.

Saburo cleared his throat, and continued on, forcing the resentment from his voice as he continued with his summary of the events leading up to his decision.

"About a week ago, I found out that my parents had gone to the ninja administrational affairs building and tried to get me removed from the ranks."

That particular admission came out in a small voice, and Saburo's shoulders hunched a bit. Kakashi narrowed his eyes, enraged. Being upset about their son choosing a life that put him at constant risk was one thing. Attempting to force one of Kakashi's students to leave his comrades behind was another entirely.

"I thought that it'd be alright if I just waited for it to blow over. That they'd calm down after they realized that I wasn't going to cave and they couldn't force me back into civilian life. But when Sasuke came to my house today, I came downstairs and found my brothers talking to him..."

Sasuke took up the narrative here, still glaring at Kakashi furiously, as if he were daring the jounin to second guess Saburo's decision.

"They were spewing a lot of junk about Saburo not being fit to be a shinobi. Said he never should have graduated and was only going to put the whole team at risk, and told me that for both our sakes I should talk to our superiors about getting Saburo discharged."

Kakashi stared. Slowly, he brought his eyes around to Saburo, voice soft and deadly.

"Is this true?"

Saburo jerked his head in a sharp nod, looking unhappy and uncomfortable. Narumi scowled, voice indignant.

"That's stupid! You're a great shinobi Saburo-kun!"

Kakashi nodded once, voice cool and calm, doing his best to suppress his anger so as not to alarm the three kids sitting across from him. He was getting very tired of people trying to interfere with, or harm, his students.

"Well then, I think you've made the right decision Saburo. The environment is obviously stressful and difficult for you."

Saburo looked up, relief glinting in his eyes. Kakashi sighed slightly.

"I'm sorry you've had to deal with this Saburo."

Reaching up to rub the back of his neck wearily, he regarded the boy carefully.

"Well, that still leaves the problem of where you'll be living from now on..."

Saburo suddenly grinned and shook his head, perking up considerably.

"It's alright, Sensei. Sasuke said I could stay with him at the old Uchiha compound."

Kakashi's brows shot up, and he regarded the darkest of his students in surprise. Sasuke huffed and looked away, crossing his arms firmly over his chest and refusing to meet his teachers gaze. Laugh lines crinkled the corner of Kakashi's visible eye.

Even before the massacre, the Uchiha clan had been notorious for keeping outsiders out of their compound, guarding their homes jealously. Even Obito bringing Kakashi and Rin onto the grounds or into his own home from time to time had been extremely unusual and looked upon by the other clan members with a certain amount of displeasure. It was an attitude that Sasuke had unconsciously continued, refusing to allow others into the compound after the deaths of his family.

Eyeing the two of them, Kakashi relaxed slightly, some of the tension that had returned to him on discovering the situation with the Haruno family leaving him. This way Saburo would be taken care of, and Sasuke wouldn't be left alone in a ghost town haunted by bloody memories. It would be good for both of them. Plus, he'd be willing to bet that Narumi started showing up at the compound more often if both her teammates were living there.

Looking over the three of them carefully, he questioned them in a very mild tone of voice.

"Is there any other news you wanted to share with me?"

When the three of them shook their head silently, Kakashi nodded once and stood.

"Alright then. Sasuke, I want you and Saburo to lay out both the spare futons in here. Narumi, would you see if you could make a bed on the couch?"

The three of them blinked up at him in confusion, and Narumi was the one to question him.

"...um...why, Sensei?"

Kakashi gave them a slightly surprised look, feigning confusion.

"Well, the three of you have to sleep somewhere."

Narumi frowned at him, mouth slightly open as she stood up along with the boys.

"I can understand Sasuke and Saburo staying over Sensei, but I have my own apartment..."

Kakashi snorted, cocking his head and shooting her a look that perfectly conveyed his feelings about that particular suggestion.

"You want to go home while the boys stay over?"

Truthfully, Kakashi still wasn't totally convinced that Narumi was as spryly cheerful and unaffected by recent events as she liked to say she was. He'd feel much better if he had her under his eye for at least a couple of days. But saying that would only send her off home insisting that she was fine. Implying that she was being left out of a team exercise or event on the other hand would coax her to stay.

Brightening as she realized the implication behind his words, Narumi whooped and sprinted across the room to wrap her arms tightly around his middle, squeezing him in an exuberant hug before whirling back across the room with a bounce in her step. Catching Saburo by the wrist, she dragged him off towards the closet where such things were stored, crowing as she went.

"Yes! Sleepover!"

Kakashi chuckled at the girls antics, relieved to see that her ebullient nature had lifted some of the gloom surrounding Saburo and shifted his expression from miserable to bewildered. Sasuke looked mildly appalled and affronted at the implication that he would be involved in anything so girly as a sleepover.

Stifling his amusement, Kakashi left the room and padded down the hall to the entry way, tugging his combat sandals back on. Sasuke came out into the hall after him, voice inquisitive as he watched the jounin strap on basic gear.

"Sensei? Where are you going?"

Kakashi glanced over his shoulder at the boy. Sasuke was standing in the middle of the hall, watching him in slight confusion. Saburo had half stepped out of the living room, eyes slightly curious, and Narumi had leaned her head and shoulders around the doorframe to peek at him, interest flickering across her face.

"Oh, I'm just going to pick up some of Saburo's things. He'll be needing some clean clothes, don't you think?"

Saburo and Narumi nodded uncertainly, while Sasuke just cocked his head thoughtfully at him. Kakashi smiled softly, and treated them to a casual two-fingered salute.

"Not to worry, I'll be back in no time."

WIth that, he slipped out the door, and leapt for the nearest roof. As he made his way across the village, his gut twisted angrily. Of course, he would be bringing back some of Saburo's things, mainly because he didn't want the boy having to come in more contact with his family than absolutely necessary right now.

However, he had another purpose, one that he though Sasuke probably suspected. He sighed. The curse of having a student who was so similar to yourself at that age. Angling towards the street where the Haruno residence stood, he clenched one hand into a fist. Someone needed to set these people straight about the consequences of interfering with Kakashi's team, and he intended to be the one to do it.

When he reached the moderate civilian home, he left the roofs and alighted silently on the doorstep. Forcefully tamping down his simmering anger, he carefully relaxed his face until it had attained his usual expression of lazy confidence and calm.

Lifting his hand, he knocked at the door firmly. There was a moment of quiet where he could hear the murmuring and scuffling of feet inside the house. After a bit, the door unlocked and swung open to reveal a slender young man wearing glasses.

"Oh, sorry Saburo. I must have forgotten to put the spare key out for..."

The boys far too smooth voice trailed off as he got a good look at Kakashi, the slight smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth fading away. Kakashi resisted the urge to smack the brat, and smiled pleasantly at him.

"Hello. I am Special Jounin Hatake, in command of team seven. I'm here to speak to the Haruno's?"

Kakashi chose his words very carefully as he addressed the boy. He wanted these people to understand just who and what he was in relation to them and their youngest son. And if that understanding was something they found intimidating, so much the better.

The young man at the door stared at him, and then stepped back uncertainly, allowing him to step forward into the hall. As Kakashi moved into the house with a polite nod, the boy seemed to recover his confidence, adjusting his glasses as he eyed the jounin.

"I see. Then that means-?"

Kakashi cut the boy off mercilessly, pretending not to notice the other teen hovering uncertainly in the hall.

"I would like to speak with your parents."

Annoyance flashed across the boys face, but he nodded, beckoning to his brother as the two of them headed for the doorway on the right side of the hall. Kakashi followed after them, tucking his hands into his pockets nonchalantly.

The two adolescents walked over to where a man and a woman sat murmuring together on a loveseat. The woman of the couple had dark, reddish-brown hair caught up in a bun, while the solidly built man had dirty-blonde hair. Both looked like perfectly ordinary civilians.

The couple looked up sternly as he walked into the room, their expressions melting away into uncertainty and surprise when they saw him. Kakashi didn't show it, but irritation flushed through him as he realized that the situation he was walking into had been meant for Saburo, and it was an encounter that had been carefully calculated to be hurtful.

The adolescents moved to flank their parents, the one in glasses sitting in a chair to the side of the couch while the other leaned on the back of the couch itself. Ignoring the defensive, wary set of their shoulders, Kakashi glided smoothly into the center of the room, facing the Haruno family idly.

"Haruno-san."

Dipping his head, he left it ambiguous who exactly he was addressing as he smoothly introduced himself.

"As I just told your sons, I am Special Jounin Hatake, in command of team seven."

The man blinked in surprise, and hauled himself up, extending his hand towards Kakashi pompously.

"Ah, I see. That would make you Saburo's teacher then?"

Kakashi eyed the mans hand, not returning the gesture as he spoke in a voice both firm and cool.

"Commander."

The other man blinked uncertainly at him, shifting and then quickly dropping his hand to scrub his palm against his pants.

"I beg your pardon?"

Kakashi smiled slightly, voice still calmly impersonal.

"Saburo-kun is a member of my team, one of my subordinates."

Inclining his head slightly, he smoothly acquiesced to the fact hidden in the implication of the mans statement.

"That would make me his jounin-sensei, so yes, I am in charge of his instruction in the field."

The man looked a little befuddled, obviously not quite able to comprehend Saburo having a superior as opposed to a teacher. Clearly the man had been content to think of the whole exercise of making genin as some sort of Academy class with extended field trips. Shaking his head, the man determinedly brought the conversation back into waters that he understood.

"Yes, well...this actually very convenient. You're just the man we've been wanting to talk to. You see, the boys mother and I have some concerns..."

Kakashi's hands clenched into fists in his pockets, though his voice remained neutral and calm.

"I'm aware of your concerns. I've been informed you believe Saburo is unfit to carry out his duty as a Shinobi of Konohagakure, and should be discharged from the military forces of the village."

The man looked surprised, but nodded eagerly, twisting his fingers together as he spoke to Kakashi in an exasperated tone.

"Yes, that's it exactly!"

The woman sitting behind him looked up, voice somewhat timid.

"After all, Shinobi-san, this is our Saburo we're talking about. He can't possibly understand what he's getting himself into. We want to pull him out for his own sake."

Her husband nodded importantly, his voice taking on a slightly condescending tone as he spoke about his youngest son.

"Ouka is right. The boy has always been bookish, absorbed in academics. He's much more suited to working accounts in the store than this ninja nonsense. The only reason I let him go to the academy when he asked was because I thought he'd get a better mathematics education. I was surprised he actually managed to graduate, but I assumed that he'd see the futility of the endeavor and come back to the store quickly enough."

Scowling slightly, frustration entered the mans voice alongside the condescension.

"But the damn fool boy refuses to see reason. He's not grounded and responsible like Akio here, always has his head in the clouds and too stubborn to accept that we know what's best for him."

The man glanced at the slightly smug looking boy in glasses, before looking back to Kakashi.

"We've tried to pull him out, but we were told that only Saburo himself, or his teacher could make such a request."

Here the man snorted in almost amusement.

"Actually told us that it was the business of the ninja and their superior officer. Imagine that, acting as if a child has any idea how to make decisions like that, that affect their whole life! And now, Akio and Shizaki tell me that the boys taken it into his head to run off!"

Taking a deep breath, Kakashi reminded himself that the man meant well. He was only trying to look out for his son in the best way he knew how. He simply didn't understand what Saburo had become, and what exactly it was that he was proposing.

When he had enough control of his emotions that his voice was less likely to come out a sakki-laden bellow, Kakashi met the mans gaze with hard, narrowed eyes. His sharingan had slid open behind his hitae-ate, and he had to force himself to close the fiercely spinning eye. The feeling of chakra feeding into it in preparation for battle made him wonder if Obito was silently agreeing with him.

"Haruno-san, I think you're misunderstanding something here. I'm not here to inform you of your sons impending discharge from my team. Quite the opposite in fact."

The mans eyes turned uncertain, and he took a step slightly back. The two boys fixed disbelieved gazes on him, and the woman stared with an open mouth. Kakashi allowed himself a certain vindictive pleasure in the shock he was causing as he continued on, careful to give no sign that he had noticed their reactions.

"Saburo-kun and his teammates have brought this matter to my attention, and I believe whole heartedly that he has made the correct decision. Arrangements have already been made for his new living conditions. I came by to let you know that my team will be collecting Saburo-kun's belongings over the next few days."

The civilian family gaped at him, and Kakashi looked cooly back.

"Also, I'm going to have to ask you to limit your contact with Saburo-kun for a while. You've become a source of stress for him, and the more stressed he is, the worse he will preform in the field. That could potentially get him, and his teammates killed."

The man spluttered, and interestingly, it was the eldest son, Akio, who surged up from his chair and snarled angrily at Kakashi.

"You can't do that!"

Kakashi felt a very predatory grin curl across his mouth beneath his mask, enjoying the situation greatly.

"On the contrary, this isn't even pushing the boundaries. As Saburo-kun's jounin-sensei, I have full authority over training methods, as well as both the right and duty to remove him from any unnecessarily damaging environment htat he encounters off-duty."

Shrugging slightly, he looked thoughtfully up at the ceiling.

"Well, when the Godaime is instated, she could order me to withdraw my support of Saburo-kun in this, but I doubt she will. And furthermore, even if I were to withdraw my support, he is already a ninja of the village. If he chooses to live on his own, that's his decision."

Saburo's father finally found his voice, scowling indignantly at Kakashi.

"He's just a kid, he can't make these kind of decisions clearly! He'll end up rushing off in the heat of the moment and doing something he'll regret."

Kakashi snorted skeptically, not bothering to disguise the noise at all as he stared the man down.

"First of all, under my command Saburo-kun has proven himself to be remarkably sensible and reasonable given his age. Second, he ceased to be a child the moment he first donned the Hitae-ate. He is young, I will give you that. As such, he sometimes needs advice, guidance, and even reprimand from his superiors. But to continue to treat him as a child would dishonor Saburo-kun, me, and his service to the village."

Narrowing his eyes further, and allowing just a hint of menace and anger to color his tone, he added in a very quiet voice.

"Also, Saburo-kun is a fine shinobi. He does not deserve to be disparaged like this."

Turning sharply to the boy standing rigidly behind the couch, he fixed him with a stern glance. His voice took on the barking growl that he often heard Ibiki use with his subordinates who had displeased him.

"You. Go pack a small bag with clean clothing and necessities for Saburo-kun, and bring it back to me."

Jumping, the boy nodded stiffly and vanished out the door. The rest of the family still seemed unable to speak, too shocked and disturbed to force their voices to work. Kakashi huffed his contempt, and waited, arms crossed across his chest, feet spread apart aggressively.

When the boy returned with a small duffel in hand, Kakashi snatched it from his fingers, and slung it over his shoulder, inclining his head mockingly to four frozen figures staring dazedly at him.

"Good evening."

Too irritated to use the door, Kakashi gathered up his chakra, and used shunshin. Cool night air washed over his face as he found himself standing outside his own door. Leaning his forehead against the wood, he took a moment to steady himself mentally.

When he was sure he had calmed down adequately, he opened the door, and strode into the apartment, calling out cheerfully as he went.

"I'm back. Are you three done yet?"

When he walked into the living room, he found the couch covered in blankets, with a pillow at one end, and both futons spread neatly on the floor in the center of the room. His three students were sitting in a ring on one of the futons, gear temporarily discarded as they chattered.

Shaking his head fondly, he dropped the duffel behind Saburo.

"Narumi, Sasuke, I'll want you two to collect Saburo's things from his house. You can move them to wherever he sets up in the Uchiha compound."

Crouching just outside the little circle formed by the three sleepy-looking genin, he ruffled Saburo's hair reassuringly.

"Not to worry, I've spoken with your family. They won't bother you for a while."

Saburo smiled thankfully up at the jounin, and Kakashi dismissed it with a wave of his hand. Sitting back, he looked around and sighed.

"You three already had dinner at Ichiraku's, right?"

When they nodded, he relaxed slightly. He didn't think the amount of food he stocked his kitchen with would have stood up to the onslaught of his students appetites. Straightening, he rubbed the back of his neck slightly.

"Narumi, you take the bedroom tonight. The boys and I will sleep in here."

The girl nodded dutifully, and scrambled to her feet.

"I'll go run a bath!"

So saying, she took off for the hall. Saburo watched her go in confusion before looking at Kakashi.

"Sensei? Why isn't Narumi sleeping in here?"

Sasuke didn't say anything, but Kakashi could see the questioning tilt of his head clearly enough. He had to stifle a laugh. Vaguely, he wondered if all young shinobi were this dense when it came to Kunoichi. He certainly hadn't felt dense...but then, he supposed Minato-sensei would have been too kind to enlighten him if he had been.

"Maa, Narumi-chan is a girl after all. Camping out together or sharing rooms when we're outside the village is one thing. Within the village is a different matter."

Laughing inwardly at the blush that stained Saburo's cheeks, and the hasty way Sasuke turned his face away, he flowed towards the kitchen. He'd fix himself something to eat, and if he was lucky, he might even get in some 'Icha-Icha' reading while the kids were bathing!

---

Danzo leaned back in his chair, the low lighting of his office focused on the dark figure kneeling in front of him, head down submissively as the man reported, voice nondescript and empty of emotion.

"We've received word from our informant within the group, Danzo-sama. Akatsuki has begun to move. They were definitely attempting to take the Kyuubi Jinchuriki. They intend to continue their attempts in the future, possibly with more subtlety."

Keeping his voice calm and blank, Danzo allowed himself the small luxury of thinking aloud, ignoring the man who'd just reported. It was old news. Very old news indeed, seeing as the attempt had taken place nearly a month before. He'd just wanted to verify that the attempt had indeed been authorized by the organization. After all, you could never be sure with nuke-nin.

"I can use this. Oh yes, I can use this nicely. The jinchuriki is growing far too comfortable, far too soft, with that team of hers."

The old mans face curled into a silent snarl as he looked down at the files spread across the surface of his desk.

"That damn Hatake. His sensei ruined my plans for becoming Hokage, and now he's ruining my weapon before I've even gotten my hands on it."

Forcing himself to regain his calm, he smoothed his voice back out, feeling the sharingan eyes implanted in his arm twitch. Shisui's eye slid open in its place occupying his right eye-socket, rolling wildly behind the bandages that concealed it.

"Well, no matter. I can turn this to my advantage."

Standing from his chair, he braced the palm of his good arm against the table and leaned heavily forward, eye fixed unseeingly on the darkened doorway behind the crouching man before him.

"Quickly, before Tsunade settles into office. Homura and Koharu will support me in this, given the right persuasive argument. The weapon must be controlled, and used for the peace of Konoha. It is imperative."

Contemplating how much easier it would be to get around Tsunade and whatever objections or claims she might make, he reflected with satisfaction that it was wise to have Orochimaru get rid of Hiruzen. While he deeply mourned for the man who had been Sandaime, he would allow no one, not even his dearest childhood friend, to endanger the village.

After all, his aged friend had been growing far too soft and senile to properly guide the village. Danzo would be able to take care of things so much better now that the demented old coot was out of the way. Yes, the shadow alliance with Orochimaru was definitely paying off.

Lifting his voice above the murmur that it had been as he talked through his shifting plans, he looked to the root shinobi in front of his desk, voice mild despite the furious turning of wheels in his mind as he adjusted his schemes for the most recent of developments.

"See to it that Homura and Koharu are informed that I would like to meet with them. We have important matters to discuss."

The shinobi in question dropped his head lower in acknowledgment of the order and vanished without a word. Danzo stood for a moment, brushing the tips of his fingers across the files on his desk.

After a moment, he snatched up one particularly prominent folder, and flipped it open. Clipped to the inside was a photograph of a young girl with bright hair, blue eyes, and a wide, infectious grin.

Danzo smirked down at her, eyes trailing down the page as he read through information documenting every attack and slight that the village had committed against the kunoichi. Flipping idly to the page that held her stats and records of her growth, he brushed a fingertip idly against the swirling symbol of her clan embossed in the top right corner of the page.

'Soon. Soon I shall put you to your proper use, as it should have been from the beginning. For Konoha.'

---

Sasuke and Saburo took the long way to the Uchiha compound, skirting the edge of the village. Sasuke and Narumi had spent the majority of the day boxing up Saburo's things. Sasuke smirked wryly, remembering how often he'd had to restrain a vengeful blonde from launching herself at the lurking Haruno brothers.

After Narumi and Sasuke had finished boxing everything up, they'd left for the day and gone to meet Saburo at a little tea stand not far from the training grounds where he'd spent his day. When they arrived, the rosette told them that Kakashi had left on a mission, and had insisted that he and Sasuke go figure out where in the compound Saburo would be staying before they went home for the night.

Sasuke figured that that had been Kakashi-sensei's way of making sure Sasuke remembered that Saburo would have to start staying at the compound tonight, instead of tomorrow. After all, it wasn't like he could stay at Kakashi-sensei's when the man was out of the village.

So after they finished their tea and dango, they said goodnight to Narumi, and the team split up. Narumi cut across town towards her own apartment building, while the boys moved in the direction of the Uchiha compound.

Saburo, knowing that public relations was not Sasuke's strong suit, had suggested that they take the long way, skirting the village proper to avoid the evening crowds. By the time they'd made it halfway around the village, dusk had deepened to night, a silvery moon suspended in the sky above them.

Sasuke was telling Saburo about the dojo in the compound, when the rosette suddenly snapped his head up and around, eyes shuttling over the shadows beneath the nearby trees. Sasuke instantly fell silent, eyes sharpening and fingers twitching toward his holster.

"Saburo? What is it?"

The rosette shook his head uneasily, voice low.

"I don't know. Just...I thought I felt something coming. Ninja maybe."

Sasuke looked towards the shadows, and then nodded once to his teammate.

"You're better at chakra sensing than I am. Drop back and conceal yourself. If anything happens we'll be better off if you launch a stealth attack and we catch the attacker between us."

Saburo frowned at him, and opened his mouth to protest. Sasuke cut him off before he could.

"I trust that you can sense someone coming. Trust me to handle my end of things."

Saburo still looked uncertain, hesitating for half a second.

"Shouldn't we go for help...?"

Sasuke shook his head, glancing around quickly, easing the latch of his holster open as he spread out his senses.

"No time."

Saburo nodded unhappily, and faded back into the shadows, vanishing with the faint flutter of a genjutsu falling into place brushing against Sasuke's senses. Drawing a kunai, the Uchiha shoved both hands into his pockets, laying the flat of the blade back against the inside of his wrist.

Casually, he continued on, strolling through the trees within sight of dark windowed buildings. It wasn't long before he felt the sear of strong chakra presences flaring against his senses. Startled, he looked up in time to see four figures silhouetted against the moon.

Four strange ninja landed in a rough semicircle in front of him, each wearing a long tan tunic beneath a large purple rope belt. One kunoichi, three shinobi. Their hitae-ate marked them as Oto-nin. Sasuke tensed, glaring at them and snarling, though he didn't remove his hands from his pockets.

"Who the hell are you...?"

One with a hairstyle that closely resembled that favored by the Nara's tucked his chin, smirking widely at the genin.

"The Sound four, East Gate's Kidoumaru."

The largest frowned at him seriously, pale eyes sharp against the shadowed skin of his face.

"Same, South Gate's Jiroubou.

The silver haired man with dark red lips tilted his head back, a mad glint in his eye, his voice nearly a purr.

"Same, West Gate's Sakon."

The Kunoichi tipped her head slightly, glaring at him from around a jagged forelock.

"Same. North Gate's Tayuya."

Sasuke sank back into a defensive stance, intensifying his glare. His eyes flickered back and forth between them cautiously. Suddenly they blurred out of his sight, whirling around him at high speed.

Sensing an attack incoming, the young Uchiha spun to the side, bringing his arms up into block, catching the arm of the one who called himself Sakon. The strength of the impact caused him to drop the kunai. Gripping the older ninja's arm tightly, he pushed himself up off the ground, pulling him down even as he rolled forward over the enemies back.

When he hit the ground, he threw his weight forward, wrenching the man forward and throwing him into a nearby tree trunk with a satisfyingly solid thunk. On his flight, Sakon crashed into Tayuya, slamming her back against the trunk as she cushioned his own landing.

Jiroubou surged up behind him, and Sasuke spun, ducking the fist and snatching the big mans tunic, throwing himself in a circle and using the weight of his own body to sling the man around and pitch him after his fellows.

The Uchiha was just about to launch himself after the three downed enemies, when a sticky, rope-like thing wrapped around his right arm, yanking him back sharply. The three figures slumped at the base of the tree transmuted to logs with a puff of white smoke, and he looked behind him to see all four enemies arrayed behind him.

Kidoumaru's jaw was wide open, the sticky web trailing from his mouth to Sasuke's arm. The Uchiha grimaced, staring at them furiously. Sakon stepped forward, grinning too wide as he eyed Sasuke.

"This'll be fun. I'll make a nice melody of your breaking ribs."

Sasuke gritted his teeth, staring them down. Kidoumaru suddenly whipped his head to the side, dragging Sasuke into the air by his arm and slamming his back into the trunk of the very tree he'd slammed the other three Oto-nin into.

White starbursts exploded in front of his eyes, and he locked his jaw tightly as he felt a rib crack. A memory of Saburo wrapped in the coils of Orochimaru's serpentine body, being squeezed until his ribcage gave under the pressure. He could suddenly empathize with his teammates screams much more deeply.

Distantly he heard Sakon's gleeful cackling.

"Wow, your bones have a low tone. Let's make...a more high pitched sound, eh?"

Kidoumaru yanked at his arm again, tossing him through the air towards Sakon, the rope finally disengaging from his arm. He twisted around, just in time to see a blur of pink and dark red cannon into Sakon's side.

Sakon saw thrown violently out of the Uchiha's path, and Sasuke was able to twist around and land on the wall of the silent building the Oto-nin had had his back to. Saburo rolled the silver haired shinobi across the roof, ending up on top of him, and slamming a fist hard into his side.

Sakon screamed, and Sasuke felt the burst of chakra from his teammate. Saburo bared his teeth in a dangerous grin, slamming another blow across the Oto-nin's face, before leaping back to stand warily alongside Sasuke.

"What was that you said about breaking ribs?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes in amusement, eyeing the cursing Sakon as he struggled to his feet. The Oto-nin bared his teeth wildly at the rosette as he and his fellows closed in on the two Konoha genin.

Tayuya suddenly lunged forward towards them. Sasuke dodged to one side, while Saburo went the other way. Kidoumaru opened his mouth, spitting out a web. Saburo's eyes widened, and he flung one arm up, yanking it out of the danger zone as the web wrapped around his other arm and torso, dragging him back and securing him to the wall of the building behind him.

Sasuke drew in a sharp breath, but didn't dare call out to his teammate, instinctively feeling it would be a bad idea. When Tayuya, Kidoumaru, and Jiroubou turned to come after him, he realized he was the main target.

Saburo brought his free arm down, reaching for his holster. It was instantly secured to the outside of the web, but he was able to throw a kunai at Jiroubou's back with a snap of his wrist. The big shinobi dodged it, and threw a glance back at Sakon.

The last of the four Oto-nin cackled gleefully, face vindictive as he leapt to Saburo and punched him hard across the face. Saburo's body went limp as he lost consciousness. Sasuke's sharingan whirled to life, and he snarled, lunging toward the Oto-nin.

Tayuya twisted out of his way, and Jiroubou smashed a fist down between his shoulder blades as he passed, and Sasuke found himself plowing face down into the earth. His thoughts temporarily scattered, and pain lanced up and down his spine, shooting off to spear through his cracked rib.

For a moment he lay prone and dizzy on the ground, before someone grabbed his ankle and hauled him up into the air, until he dangled upside down, blinking eyes that had returned to solid black as he stared blankly up at Sakon. The rest of the Oto-nin stood around him, staring down dispassionately.

Sakon smirked down at him contemptuously, voice scoffing.

"Hah. Why does Orochimaru-sama want a weakling like this? Even pinkie over there managed to get a solid hit in, which is apparently beyond this brat."

Snorting, he spit, just missing Sasuke's head.

"You know, if you stay in this village, you're going to stay a weakling. Playing family games with your comrades like this, it'll only make you rot."

Sasuke stared silently up, fighting to make his limbs listen to him, but unable to gather his thoughts. Tayuya jerked her chin at Saburo, her eyes flinty as she stared at him.

"If you keep on this path, you'll end up like your foolish, weak teammate. Come with us. If you do, Orochimaru-sama will give you strength."

Anger surged through Sasuke's veins at the insult to his comrade. Saburo had been caught because they were outnumbered, and outclassed. And he'd fought until he'd been knocked out. He deserved better than to be looked down on by trash that served that traitorous snake!

As his anger boiled, a bright, hot pain flared on the side of his neck. Wincing against the sensation, he reached for the odd mark on his neck. Sakon swore and threw him into a nearby tree, snarling at him.

"Quit messing around and make up your mind. Are you coming with us or not?"

Sasuke braced his free hand against the trunk behind him, scrambling into a crouch as he bared his teeth defiantly at the four older ninja surrounding him.

"Like hell!"

Sakon sighed, hair falling forward to curtain his eyes as the four of them stared blankly back at the dark haired boy.

"Orochimaru-sama can be such a pain...I really just wanna kill a brat this weak."

Kidoumaru snorted, tilting his head back with a sharp laugh.

"You know you can't do that, Sakon. If you're feeling so antsy, why not kill the extra over there?"

So saying he jerked his thumb over his shoulder at Saburo's limp form. Sasuke's anger spiked to rage, and suddenly that same burning heat was spreading across his body. Black flames wriggled across his skin as he clutched at his neck, sharingan whirling to life as he growled wildly up at them.

"Just try it!"

Determined to get to Sakon before the Oto-nin could make a move on his helpless friend, he shot towards him with a roar. Power flooded his veins, hot, and thick. Part of him reveled in it, and a part of him was disgusted by the sluggish heat of it. Either way, he intended to use it.

Or at least, he did until Sakon backhanded him and sent him tumbling back into the dirt. Looking up, his eyes widened as he saw strange, wormlike markings wriggling across the crazed mans skin, much as his own black flames had just a moment before.

Sakon grinned at him, combing his long, floppy bangs back with one hand, and sticking his tongue out mockingly at him, apparently un-phased by Sasuke's attempted attack.

"You're not the only one that Orochimaru-sama has his eyes on, brat!"

Sasuke stared up at him with wide eyes, wondering idly if he looked so sickening when black markings twisted wildly across his skin to flood his veins with equally twisted power. Sakon ignored his reaction, speaking in a sing-song voice.

"The cursed seal isn't something that should be used so carefully. Especially by someone like you who can't control it. If you keep releasing it, the seal will slowly invade your body. By the looks of things, you're still in stage one, but when it's completely taken over..."

Sasuke shuddered, the seal receding as Tayuya took up the cold lecture.

"You'll lose all free will. Instead of gaining power, you'll become the slave of Orochimaru-sama. However, we can prevent that."

Shrugging, she looked down at him dispassionately.

"To gain something, you must be willing to sacrifice something else."

Sasuke growled up at them.

"I'm not betraying the village!"

Before he knew what had happened, Jiroubou had snatched his arms and wrenched them behind his back, holding him still. Tayuya snorted, her voice contemptuous as she moved towards him.

"You don't have a choice."

Kidoumaru suddenly snapped his head around, posture alert.

"Tayuya! Incoming. Two low-level chuunin!"

Tayuya swore quietly, and jerked her head towards Saburo.

"Move, now! Leave no evidence."

Sasuke swore, fighting to free himself as the brunette Oto-nin leapt to stand in front of Saburo. Jiroubou's hands tightened on his arms, and Tayuya stepped to his side, murmuring under her breath as she lifted a rigid hand above him.

"My apologies, Sasuke-sama."

Something struck the back of his neck sharply, and Sasuke gasped, vision fading and limbs weakening as his eyes slowly slid closed. The last thing he saw before he slumped into the dark oblivion of unconsciousness was Kidoumaru peeling away his web, leaving Saburo's body to fall bonelessly forward. The Uchiha was out before his friend hit the ground.

---

Narumi was curled happily into her bed, snuggling against her pillow, when a loud banging echoed through her tiny home. The banging was accompanied by a chakra flare, and the combination had her surging up out of bed, and halfway to her holster before she registered what was going on.

Once she did, she relaxed and yawned, rubbing at her eyes as she blinked sleepily at the door. Wondering what could possibly be going on, she padded over to it, tugging down the bunched tank top she wore to bed, and scrubbing a hand against her long, soft pants.

When she pulled the door open, she was confronted by an unfamiliar chuunin, who only just managed to pull his hand back in time to keep from knocking on her forehead. The man nodded to her distractedly, and spoke briskly.

"Godaime-sama has requested your presence in her office. You have a mission."

So saying, he leapt away. Narumi stared after him, surprised. Then she closed the door and scrambled back into her apartment, excited and nervous. As she dragged her clothes from the closet and began to dress, she wondered what was going on.

She knew chuunin were sometimes summoned suddenly for an unexpected mission, but this was the first time it had happened to her. As she slipped her jacket over her arms and strapped on her holster, she realized something that made her nerves skyrocket.

'Kakashi-sensei's out of the village. This'll be team seven's first mission without him!'

Before she fixed on her weapons pouch, she stocked it with the extra supplies that she carried for missions, and then left the apartment, locking the door behind her. Leaping across the roofs, she made a beeline for the Hokage tower.

When she reached it, she dropped to the ground, and headed through the main entrance. A chuunin nodded to her, waving her towards the stairs that led to the upper levels of the tower, including the Hokage's office.

Bounding up the stairs, she raced up past the second, third, and fourth floors to the very top of the building. When she reached the last landing, she stepped into the corridor and headed for the door that lead into the Hokage's office. Shizune sat at a desk outside the office, and looked up to smile uncertainly at the blonde.

Suddenly nervous, Narumi smiled back at her, and took a deep breath before opening the door, and walking into the office. Tsunade-baa-chan was sitting behind a desk that was covered in paperwork, and her expression was grave. Looking up, she fixed Narumi with a serious gaze, and beckoned her forward.

"Chuunin Uzumaki."

Narumi's brows shot upwards, but she recognized the official wording, and responded. Stepping up to the desk, she spread her feet apart and locked her hands together behind her back, straightening her shoulders and lifting her chin.

"Hokage-sama."

Narumi was a very cheerful girl. She liked to joke around, take things lightly, and give people nicknames. But when the situation called for it, she could respond with gravity and seriousness. And if Baa-chan was calling her by rank and surname, this was serious.

Tsunade's eyes flickered slightly, and she leaned forward, lacing her fingers together in front of her face.

"Last night, Saburo Haruno was found unconscious on the outskirts of the village by a chuunin patrol."

Narumi's eyes widened, and then narrowed, voice hard and brisk as she growled.

"What happened? Why wasn't I informed sooner?"

Tsunade held up a hand calmly. Even when they were both falling back on their official roles and positions, Narumi would still be more fearless and impudent than anyone else, and Tsunade would still cut her slack.

"You weren't informed because it wasn't brought to my attention until this morning. The chuunin in question did not recognize Genin Haruno. Judging by the lack of attackers, and the fact that his wounds seemed to be bruises from a sparring match, they assumed that he'd been training too hard and passed out from exhaustion."

Narumi opened her mouth to protest, and Tsunade sighed slightly, brown eyes intent.

"It's not that uncommon, Narumi. Training till you drop, that is. Particularly with genin boys. Anyway, the chuunin brought Saburo to the hospital, citing exhaustion, possible dehydration, and a lack of knowledge of his home address. The hospital nightshift was unfamiliar with him as well, so no one thought anything of it."

Tsunade sighed deeply.

"When he came to this morning, he was very upset. Said he'd been attacked. When the hospital staff refused to release him until after he underwent a physical examination, he forced a chuunin to bring a message to me. The news isn't good."

Narumi tensed, vibrating with contained energy. It had to be something to do with Sasuke. Even if the attack had come after they'd already reached the compound, made their decisions about living arrangements, and split for the night, Sasuke would have known if Saburo left the compound. He'd never have let him go alone, and he certainly wouldn't have left Saburo unconscious.

"According to Saburo, he and Sasuke were attacked by four Oto-nin in the service of Orochimaru. He was knocked out during the fight, and when he came to, Sasuke was gone. Based on the information he gave me, I believe that the Uchiha was most likely abducted."

Narumi's eyes flew wide open, and her lips compressed into a thin line, hiding the fact that her canines were lengthening and sharpening. Whirling, she made for the door. Tsunade called out behind her.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Narumi froze, hand on the door as she rumbled low in her throat, voice menacing.

"Permission to pursue, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade's voice was soft and firm behind her, both soothing and authoritative.

"That is why I called you here. This will be your first mission as a chuunin."

Turning and forcing herself to behave as a team leader, she fixed her eyes on Tsunade.

"The mission is to rescue Sasuke?"

Tsunade's brows snapped down, and she looked angry, though Narumi could feel that the anger was directed at the foreign shinobi who had dared to abduct one of their own.

"That's true...however, this mission must be completed quickly above all else. There's a high probability of running into trouble."

Narumi cocked her head questioningly, and Tsunade responded to the unspoken query.

"This isn't the first time something like this has happened in the village. Also, since Sasuke probably didn't go with them willingly, they'll be on their guard, both to keep him from escaping, and to prevent him signaling us. They aren't going to let you reclaim him without a fight."

Fixing her with an intent gaze, Tsunade's voice took on a contemplative twinge.

"Normally I would tell you to take a team comprised only of jounin and chuunin..."

Narumi shook her head sharply, falling back into her more familiar form of address.

"All due respect, Baa-chan, but I don't thing that's a good idea. I'd rather take a team of genin."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

"Oh? And why is that?"

Narumi shrugged her shoulders slightly as she listed her reasons.

"Most jounin and chuunin are older than I am. I doubt they'd find it easy to take orders from a team leader who's maybe half their age. Power struggles would slow the mission down. Also, my classmates are genin. I'm used to them, and we are all capable of working together when we need to."

Lifting her chin with a hint of challenge, her tone becoming slightly defensive, she growled uneasily.

"Besides, it's not like the genin I'm thinking of are weak Baa-chan."

A slight smile tugged at the corners of the older blondes lips, and she shook her head slightly.

"Good reasons all. And you're right, the rookies this year are abnormally strong."

Sighing slightly, she dropped her gaze to the papers on her desk for an instant.

"Besides, even if I wanted to send higher rank ninja with you, I wouldn't be able to. Asuma, Nara, even Kakashi. Right now, most of the upper ranks are out of the village doing missions, trying to cover for the losses in our ranks sustained during the invasions. Even the jounin commander himself is out of the village."

Sitting back with a tired expression, she fixed Narumi with a long look.

"You have thirty minutes. Gather as many worthy genin as you see fit, and leave immediately."

A dangerous grin curled across Narumi's face, her elongated fangs flashing in the morning light.

"If not sooner. See ya, Baa-chan."

Narumi had already turned away and opened the door when Tsunade called out to her again.

"Narumi?"

Half turning, the younger blonde looked back towards the Hokage, half impatient, half curious. Brown eyes flickered down to where the long green crystal of the necklace she'd given the Uzumaki glittered against the black of her shirt, before flicking back up to meet the young chuunin's eyes.

"Be careful."

Narumi blinked, and then grinned widely.

"Don't worry, Baa-chan. Me and the others'll bring Sasuke back, 'ttebayo!"

Closing the door firmly behind her, she nodded to Shizune, and strode straight across to a window. Wrenching it open, she hopped up onto the window sill, and sprang out across the village, taking the fastest route to the hospital.

When she arrived, she went to the front desk, and cleared her throat, mimicking Ikuye-sensei's firm, no-nonsense tone of voice.

"I'm looking for Saburo Haruno. He has a mission."

The nurse looked uncertain, and a little prissy as she eyed the blonde incredulously.

"...really? Well, Haruno-san has an examination, so..."

Before she could finish, a door down the hall burst open, and Saburo skidded into the hall, hitae-ate in hand, shirt half on as he pushed his free arm up through the fabric. He was scowling back into the room, righting himself as his shirt settled over his torso.

"I've told you people I'm fine! I have to go-"

Narumi grinned, eyes bright as she stepped back from the entryway desk and called out sharply, flaring her chakra to catch her teammates attention.

"Saburo! Let's get going!"

Jade eyes swiveled around and fixed on her in relief, the boy bolting towards her. The two of them were out the door and gone before the iryo-nin could voice a full protest, leaving the crisp white halls of the hospital behind as they moved into town.

"We have a mission to rescue Sasuke. Baa-chan put me in charge, told me to pick out a team and be gone in half an hour."

Saburo snorted as they leapt across the roofs, tying his hitae-ate around his arm as they went.

"Of course, I'm coming with you."

Narumi nodded sharply.

"This is team seven business. Who else should go, if not us?"

Saburo hummed his agreement, glancing at her from the corner of his eye as they moved towards the well-to-do part of the village.

"Who else?"

Narumi didn't look at him as they continued on, explaining absently as she ran through the options in her head. She intended to make sure that the team she took out had the best possible chance of completing the mission and returning unharmed to the village. That meant being careful about who she took with her.

"We're going to need to track down the enemy first of all. That means we'll need trackers, people with sharp senses. My sense of smell will help, but that's not enough. We need someone with sharp eyes. So we're heading for the Hyuuga compound."

Saburo nodded as they alighted on the street that fronted said compound, the large, double gate set in the wall surrounding the compound guarded by two silent branch family members. Narumi set her shoulders and walked up to one of them.

"Excuse me, I need to speak to Nobuye Hyuuga. It's urgent."

The two men glanced at each other, and then made as if to speak. Before they could, a smaller door set in the gate opened, and Hirohito stepped out. The pale eyed boy blinked at them in surprise, stepping out tentatively.

"Narumi-chan? Saburo-kun?"

Narumi blinked. Being a genin must have been good for him. Now he only blushed when he talked to her. Whenever she'd tried to approach him in the academy, he had inevitable squeaked and run away, or lost consciousness. Shaking such thoughts from her head, she spoke swiftly to him.

"We need Nobuye for a mission. It's important."

Hirohito blinked, looking regretful as he explained the situation in a quiet voice.

"I'm sorry, but Nobuye-nee-san is already out of the village. She's running a mission with Tenma-kun."

Swearing quietly, Narumi bit down on her thumbnail, narrowing her eyes as she thought hard. Hirohito watched her curiously, taking a step closer as he questioned her softly.

"What is it, Narumi-chan?"

Shaking her head slightly, the blonde growled.

"Sasuke was abducted by Oto-nin last night. I'm supposed to put together a team to go after him, and I wanted someone with tracking capabilities...maybe Shinako...?"

A rough voice rang out from just behind her, and the scent of dog flooded her nostrils. Glancing back over her shoulder, she saw Kira, Akamaru draped easily over her shoulder as she braced her hands on her hips, a smirk with serious undertones playing over her face.

"Shinako's out on a mission with her father right now. If it's a tracker you need, I'm your girl."

Narumi eyed her. Kira was a loyal kunoichi, who'd be more than happy to disembowel anyone who looked the wrong way at her 'pack'. Her keen senses would be good to have along, and her ferocity and strength would be an asset if and when they fought the Oto-nin.

"My nose is already pretty sharp..."

Kira cocked a hip and chuffed indignantly.

"Maybe so, but you're not trained as a tracker. Besides, wouldn't you want a second opinion?"

Narumi nodded and proffered a feral grin of welcom to her old playmate.

"Sounds good."

Kira lit up with anticipation, and Hirohito spoke up in a firm, determined tone.

"I-if Kira-chan is going, I'm c-coming too."

Saburo punched the other boy lightly in the arm, obviously pleased.

"That's the spirit! We'll find Sasuke in no time!"

Narumi rolled her shoulders and checked the sun.

"Alright, we haven't got much time. Do you guys need any gear besides what you're carrying?"

Hirohito nodded once.

"If we're leaving the village, I'll need a few more supplies."

Kira nodded slightly.

"I need some extra stuff too."

Narumi gestured back towards the gate Hirohito had come through.

"Go ahead and grab what you need then. Saburo and I will go get the last member of the team. We'll meet up at the main gate of the village, no later than ten minutes from now."

So saying, she leapt up to a nearby roof, and took off again towards a large, older looking house not all that far from the Hyuuga compound. Saburo followed after her easily, frowning slightly as he pulled alongside.

"Who else then?"

Narumi brought them down in front of the door of the house she'd been aiming for, and knocked quickly.

"I'm not that good at strategy. We're gonna need someone brainy if this gets complicated."

A tall woman with long, dark brown hair slicked back from her face opened the door. She blinked down at them, cocking her head curiously.

"Can I help you?"

Narumi nodded politely.

"Is Shika here? We need her for a mission."

The woman gave them a small smile and waved a hand.

"Wait here please."

She left the door slightly cracked, so the two of them were clearly able to hear her bellowing for Shika, and the resulting crashing and banging. Saburo stared, eyes wide, and Narumi flinched in sympathy.

A few moments later, Shika tumbled out the door, pulling it firmly shut behind her, looking ruffled. Yawning, she peered curiously at the two of them.

"Narumi? What's up? What mission?"

Narumi scrubbed a hand through her bangs, sighing. She was glad Shika wasn't out on a mission. Just having the Nara around always made her feel like there was nothing to worry about, as her friend never failed to have a plan.

"Sasuke got kidnapped by Orochimaru's thugs. We're going to rescue him."

Shika's eyes shot wide open, and she stiffened slightly.

"Wait, what?"

Narumi shrugged helplessly.

"You heard me. And we're probably going to encounter enemy activity."

Shika hissed softly, and then looked over her.

"You were promoted. Team leader for this mission?"

Narumi nodded self-consciously.

"Yeah, that'd be me."

Shika cocked her head and frowned.

"You need a team of higher ranked ninja."

Narumi shook her head.

"None available."

Sighing, Shika checked the strap of her holster and fell in beside Narumi as the three of them started heading for the gate.

"Who else?"

Fiddling anxiously with the strap of her holster, she fixed her eyes on the gate as they approached it.

"The three of us, Kira, and Hirohito."

Shika furrowed her brow, thinking, and nodded tightly.

"Good. A smaller team will move faster and give less warning. Given the mission, the team is well put together."

Narumi shrugged slightly as they reached the gate, still so focused on getting out of the village and after Sasuke's captors that she was hardly paying attention to her surroundings. .

"I wanted Nobuye and Lee, but Nobuye's out of town, and Lee's probably still recovering so..."

A cheerful voice rang out from behind the three ninja, and Narumi looked back to see Rock Lee, still in his very green jumpsuit, leaning on a crutch as he accompanied Hirohito and Kira over to where the other three stood.

"I am pleased to know you thought of me, Narumi-san! However, since I am currently unable to accompany you, I will have to ask that you defeat those most un-youthful foes who have stolen away our fellow comrade!"

Narumi smiled distractedly at Lee, nodding emphatically.

"Sure thing, Lee-kun!"

Shika cleared her throat and looked expectantly to Narumi.

"What's your plan?"

Narumi frowned, looking down and crossing her arms as she thought.

"Since we're the ones chasing after the Oto-nin, they'll be able to predict exactly where we'll be coming from. That'll make it easy for them to set up an ambush, so I think the best we can do right now, is choose a good formation."

Squinting slightly as she worked through her idea in her head, she lifted her eyes to the Inuzuka watching her curiously while her Hyuuga teammate hovered at her shoulder.

"Kira, your team specializes in tracking and recon, right? That means you've been traveling all over Hi no Kuni."

Kira blinked, but then nodded confirmation.

"Yeah, that's right."

Narumi lifted one hand to rub the back of her head absently.

"Alright, that means you'll know the terrain better. I'm pretty sure I know Sasuke's scent better, but since you know the land, you'll take point. That way, you'll have a better chance of spotting any potential booby traps, and you'll notice if we end up caught in a genjutsu that warps the landscape."

Flicking her eyes over the rest of the gathered ninja, she thought a bit more and then continued.

"I'll take second position, behind Kira. My sense of smell is good enough to catch anything she misses. Also, most of the team will be behind me to pick up hand signals if we run into trouble."

Gesturing to Shika, she spoke directly to the Nara.

"You'll be third, Shika. That way you'll be able to aid both the front and back of the squad with your shadow techniques. Also, since your abilities lie in strategy and long-range combat, we want to give the enemy as few chances to engage you up close as possible. The last thing we want is to lose the strategist."

Turning to her own teammate, she continued with her explanation.

"Saburo, you take fourth. With your chakra control and that attack you used during the preliminary matches of the exams, you should be able to deal some heavy damage to anyone who attacks the front of the line. You'll be our striker."

Finally she glanced up at Hirohito, glad that she'd managed to get a Hyuuga on her team, even if it wasn't the one she'd expected.

"Hirohito-kun, you take rear guard. Your Byakugan will let you keep an eye on the squads blind spots and assure we don't get flanked."

Shika nodded carefully.

"Good plan. One thing. May I see everyone's weapons? It'll make devising a plan of action easier."

Narumi nodded, unhooking her own weapons pouch from it's place on the back of her pants waistband. Flipping the top open, she held it out to the Nara. The others grumbled and ribbed each other about it a bit, but did the same.

Once Shika was satisfied, the five of them fastened everything back down, and then faced the forest beyond the village gate. Glancing back over her shoulder at Lee, Narumi waved cheerfully.

"We'll beat up some Oto-nin for you, Lee-kun!"

With that, the five of them started down the path, never looking back.

---

A/N: Hello all! Review replies!

To 10-iz4, it pleases me that I was able to surprise people with the promotions! It means I'm not being too predictable. Probably anyway...(^-^).
To ChaosIdeals, nice to hear from you again, and sincerely hope that you found this chapter as entertaining as the last.
To jayley, I hope the updates continue to be worth any possible sleep deprivation (^_^'). Also, very glad to hear you enjoyed Orochimaru. I thought I was gonna kill myself trying to figure out a way to write him that wasn't out of character, and yet managed to be...not creepy. I swear, that character is possessed by the very essence of creepy (0.0)
To Zelga Lim Li, yes, I promise Kakashi will at no point turn into a jerk-sensei. By the way, good luck with your story. I'll be checking back on it whenever I'm on. \(^o^)/
To firehottie, Yes, I'm fine. Your concern warms my heart though. I shall endeavor not to make you worry if I can help it. I hope you enjoyed the Papa Bear Kakashi moments in this chapter...he kinda clawed his way out of my head and ran wild in this chapter (^-^'). Oh, and since I don't really have a beta for this story, I'm aware that I miss grammar or spelling mistakes sometimes, so if you notice one, feel free to point it out, kay?
To Zandamh, pleased you enjoyed the update. Um...about the Jiraya thing...I shall restrain Kakashi from maiming or inflicting permanent damage...No promises on lack of bloodshed when the Yume incident comes to light. ;p
To Hugo0974, thanks for the review! Off to begin work on the next chapter now!
To x-pixilated-x, it was really great to hear from you! And I do thank you for sticking with me through the first chapters. Probably not riveting, but I had to start somewhere. I shall endeavor to start off more quickly in my next fan fiction. Also, I'm very glad to hear you like Teruyoshi so much. I'm rather fond of him myself. He'll be showing back up in the story. Extensively. Not to worry about Sasuke either. He's pretty safe from being swayed to the dark side. Mainly because the differences in the story have caused his vengeance tendencies to get tangled up with protective instincts towards his teammates. So yeah, as long as Narumi and Saburo are solidly planted in Konoha and remain loyal, so will he. Hope you liked the latest chapter!

And the explanations!

Interactions between the sannin and Kakashi are pretty simple. Remember, these are the people who were around to teach and protect Minato's generation as they grew up. Kakashi is someone they remember as a cute, stubborn genin who adored someone they couldn't help but see as incredibly young. You know how your parents will always see you as that cute little kid you used to be, at least partially? Like that, only Kakashi is more like cute little grandkid.

The situation with Saburo's family. They mean well. Really they do. They're just also more than a little arrogant and slightly pompous. Just like how the sannin can't help but see Kakashi as adorably stubborn genin, Saburo's family still sees him as bookish, weak, day-dreaming little brother. Now that's fine, except that they've decided its up to them to take over his life for him until he's 'old enough' to know what he's doing. And they've taken it to the point where it could really be considered emotional abuse. Also, they've actively tried to under cut his career, bringing the whole thing to the attention of his team. Which causes the team to put both feet down. Hard.

Sasuke reacts particularly badly to Saburo's family's antics because in his mind, Saburo is family, and they're trying to take him away from the team. Permanently. Which puts them firmly, if subconsciously, on his 'list of enemies'. Kakashi has a similar reaction though his is more caused by the fact that anyone is daring to belittle or interfere with one of his precious students.

The Ichiraku scene is pretty simple. In case it's not painfully obvious already, Saburo has a crush on Shinako, which actually probably grew strong enough for him to be aware of it when she went after Narumi as backup during the invasion. Shinako is also more aware of Saburo than any of the other boys. Sasuke is dimly aware of what's going on, but doesn't realize it's mutual. He is just amused because he thinks Saburo's got a bad, one-sided crush on a girl who doesn't realize.

Narumi does notice the mutual attraction (she's a little dense about these things, but poor Saburo is too honest to not broadcast it) and isn't sure how she feels about it. She's a little hurt because she's had a crush on Saburo for a long time. At the same time, it doesn't bother her as much as it should, because she's more focused on her training than on boys, so the feeling is starting to fade. The fact that it doesn't bother her, in fact bothers her. That is to say, she thinks she should care more than she does, which upsets her because she feels cold-hearted. And on top of all of this, because she's a good friend, she's happy for them both, and thinks they're very sweet together.

The boys are a little indignant about her not telling about the promotion on principle, but neither of them is actually upset about her being promoted over them. If anything, they're proud of her. Both are likely to brag on her in secret, even if they'd never say anything to her face.

The scene with Kakashi and the Haruno family...yeah, he's feeling a little vindictive. He's also quite proud of himself for throwing no punches when he's been this badly provoked. So, to satisfy his more vengeful and violent urges, he delivers the news that they are to leave his student alone and butt the hell out with very little tact or softening. And rather enjoys the horrified reaction. Best part is, he never speaks anything but the truth, and he really isn't overstepping his authority at all. Sasuke, by the way, guesses roughly what went on, and approves in a very official, Uchiha-like manner. Vengeance you know. It's his thing.

Danzo scene. Things is starting to move within the story. Not much else I can tell you at this point without ruining things. Oh yeah, the man is pretty much bat-shit-crazy. Maybe he had a sort of twisted honor in cannon, and I will try to respect that but...truthfully, the man is pretty much just loathsome to me. I mean, at least Orochimaru, Madara, and Kabuto had the decency to not pretend like they were allies with the people they were backstabbing. So yeah, not much love for Danzo here. Sorry about that.

The sound four scene. Sasuke and Saburo don't seem to have put up much of a fight, but keep in mind that at this point they're not only outnumbered, they're waaaaay out of their league. These goons are like cannon Sasuke in his handwings-and-lipstick form. Smacking down a couple of unsuspecting thirteen year olds isn't exactly a difficult task for them. Frankly the only reason Saburo survived is because they were concentrating on taking a very unwilling Sasuke alive.

That's another thing, Orochimaru had figured that by now Sasuke would be willing to turn. However, Sasuke has no intention of having anything to do with Orochimaru, unless it involves some sort of painful activity that will prove fatal for a certain snake sannin. Orochimaru suspects this possibility, so he gave the sound four orders to abduct if Sasuke didn't come quietly. So basically, we have the retrieval mission starting up, but it's more like the retrieval of Kushina than the cannon retrieval mission. Minus the romantic bit, anyway. So, Sasuke is not a traitor! Orochimaru is merely thinking that with the foothold into our young Uchiha's mind that the curse mark gives him, he'll be able to drive him insane and turn him to the dark side once he's away from the village.

Saburo's not really badly injured at all, just ticked as hell at the bureaucracy of the hospital, so Narumi naturally requisitions him for her first mission as a team leader. Most of the other ninja are out on other missions at the time because they've all been stretched pretty thin due to loss of manpower during the joint sound-sand attack, so her options for everyone else are limited.

Shika was an obvious choice, because Narumi knows her own strengths and weaknesses. Longterm plans are definitely among the weaknesses. Narumi and Shika have been friends for a long time, and Narumi trusts Shika, so obviously the Nara is coming along.

Kira comes because she overhears what's going on, and Sasuke is considered part of her 'pack' (she considers this to include her family, her team, and the rest of the rookie nine). Her skills are deemed useful on the mission, so along she goes.

Hirohito comes both because of the Byakugan, and because Kira is coming. He's attracted to more fiery natured girls, you see, and his affection for Narumi is slowly turning into deeper feelings for his tomboy teammate. Yep, romance popping up all over the place (just doesn't seem fair that the main character is the only one to get a happy ending).

I think that about covers it. As always, please to be reading and then to be reviewing! I appreciates it veddy much! Also, if you have a question, don't hesitate to ask!