Sasuke leaned heavily on his knees, and breathing hard. His shirt was stuck to his skin, and his hair plastered to his face. Shaking his head to fling his hair back off his face, he swiped the back of one wrist across his forehead, smearing beads of sweat into his bangs and blowing out hard.
Kakashi's voice, lazily amused with a hard edge, drifted across the training ground to grate across the boys ears.
"Tired, Sasuke-kun? Come, come, surely you're not done already?"
Lifting his gaze he fixed an intense glare on the silver-haired jounin standing across from him. His eyes ached, a sharp pain shooting from the back of them to lance deeply into his head, and he couldn't restrain the snarl that rose to his lips.
"I've been doing my best! I don't see the point, anyway! Genjutsu are illusions, good for a distraction but they aren't gonna be any good in a real battle! All the enemy has to do is disperse them and that's it!"
Kakashi's lone visible eyebrow rose slightly in an expression of patronizing amusement. His voice gently rebuking, the jounin lifted a single finger, switching it back and forth rhythmically.
"Now, Sasuke, you should know better than that. You're an Uchiha, after all. The sharingan has many abilities, but it's true art lies in genjutsu. If you master that art, it has far more use than mere distractions."
Sasuke swallowed hard, straightening and catching his breath. Leveling a slightly more steady glare at his teacher, he scowled.
"I don't see why I have to do this, anyway! Why not just focus on actual combat arts instead of trying to combine them with illusions? The sharingan has abilities there too. Isn't that how you use yours?"
The older shinobi shook his head slightly, voice level and reasonable.
"That's true, but as I'm not a member of the Uchiha clan I can't truly utilize the full potential of the sharingan. You, on the other hand, have no such excuse. Besides, being able to predict a blow won't help you if you're up against a stronger opponent, which is very likely since you're a genin. Even if you can see it coming, if your body cannot react in time, you're still going to get hurt."
Sasuke scowled darkly.
"Then training my combat abilities so that I can react still makes more sense!"
Ever patient, Kakashi shook his head again.
"You're still young, Sasuke. Your body can only take so much training and strengthening at this point. If you overdo it, you'll ruin your body and end your career as a shinobi. It's better to focus on genjutsu to trap and confuse your enemies at this point."
Sasuke shoved his hands deep in his pockets, still upset.
"I still don't see how genjutsu are gonna be any use in a real battle. They're weak techniques used by those who have no real combat ability!"
Kakashi snorted softly, his voice utterly dry.
"While I wouldn't presume to argue with the vast experience of your fourteen years, I believe Yuuhi Kurenai might object to that statement. And I assure you, that woman is more than capable of handing you your ass."
Scowling a little more deeply, Sasuke shook his head, voice sliding to a slightly pleading tone.
"Why can't we just work on ninjutsu or something?"
Kakashi looked at him for a long moment, a tinge of exasperation barely visible in his eye. Then he sighed and shook his head slightly, lifting one finger.
"Simple. You want team seven to remain as it is, don't you?"
Surprised out of his irritation, Sasuke nodded instantly.
"Of course!"
Dismissing the indignant edge in his students voice, the jounin continued unperturbed.
"Do you remember why you, Saburo, and Narumi were put on a team together in the first place?"
Slightly confused now, Sasuke nodded.
"To balance us out so that the teams weren't stacked. Narumi was worst in class, I was Rookie of the year, and Saburo had all the best academic scores."
Kakashi's eye curved up in a smile and he nodded, relaxing slightly as he explained things to his student.
"Yes, very true. And as you mature and move up in the ranks, keeping a team balanced remains a factor in the division of the squads. There are other factors as well, but if you boys want team seven to remain as it is, you'll have to work on skills that will balance out each others weaknesses. The Hokage won't want to keep a team together if they have a blinding weakness that puts all the members at risk."
Furrowing his brow and looking more solemn and concerned than a moment before, Sasuke shook his head slowly.
"Alright, I get that. But how does learning to fight and hold a genjutsu simultaneously help balance the team?"
Kakashi shrugged his shoulders easily.
"So far, neither of your teammates has demonstrated any particular ability for genjutsu. In fact, as far as I could tell, Narumi is dangerously vulnerable to them. She only picks up on a genjutsu if it's blindingly obvious, or if her senses detect a flaw."
Here Sasuke frowned, cocking his head in confusion.
"Her senses? I don't get it."
Kakashi waved a hand dismissively.
"That kid has sharper senses than most. Maybe even Inuzuka level. I didn't notice it myself until I caught her in a genjutsu once during training and she told me it smelled wrong. Point being, it's difficult for her to pick up on genjutsu, and she has a lot of difficulty dispersing them even when she does know they're there."
Tilting his head back thoughtfully, Kakashi appeared to address the sky.
"Saburo's a bit better. It doesn't take him as long to realize what's happened, and once he does, he has no difficulty dispersing the technique. However, it still takes him time to realize he's been caught before he disperses the jutsu."
Shrugging slightly, the single visible eye dropped back to Sasuke.
"Which means both your teammates are weak against genjutsu. Fortunately, as I just told you, a true master of the sharingan is a veritable genjutsu artist. Meaning you have the capability to cover for the weakness in the team."
Sasuke could never have said how the jounin managed it, but somehow he managed to convey a widening smile with a slight edge.
"Of course, that's only if you actually get down to business and train. Funny, I always figured Narumi for the short attention span. Though to be fair, she at least buckles down when it comes to training."
Irritation flared in the Uchiha at the jab to his pride, and he narrowed his eyes with a growl. Kakashi only loked more amused.
"Beware ye, the mighty Uchiha pride. It is surpassed only by that of the wrath of the squirrel."
Snarling at his teacher, the boy activated his sharingan, charging the older shinobi as lightning crackled across his fingers, miniature lightning bolts gathering at the tips of his fingers in a bastardized version of an early stage of chidori. Kakashi narrowed his visible eye, remaining motionless. Sasuke was already half-way into his strike when he realized that his teacher wasn't going to dodge.
Cursing wildly, the boy tried to pull the blow, but such a feat required far more skill and experience than any genin possessed. The Uchiha's eyes widened, and a lump of dread formed in his throat, obstructing his breath horribly as his arm sank into the jounin's solar plexus.
To his surprise, rather than being pierced in a spray of blood and gore, Kakashi's torso rippled like water, before firming and re-solidifying around his arm, holding him in place. Shocked, somewhat nauseated, and exceedingly unnerved by the resemblence to the unstable red and black world of tsukiyomi, Sasuke braced his other hand on Kakashi's arm and tried to yank himself free.
As he struggled against the oddly silent and still form of his teacher, the sharp edge of a kunai drifted to his throat, lightly tickling the thin skin as he froze. His jutsu long since dead, Sasuke held himself in place, not even twitching as the familiar lazy drawl spilled over his shoulder.
"What was it you were saying about genjutsu being useless in combat?"
Sasuke waited until the edge of the blade lifted away from his skin before attempting to reply. At the same time the kunai was withdrawn, Kakashi's form crumbled away from around his arm, losing shape and color as the pillar of earth melted back into the ground.
"What was that?"
Turning he faced his sensei's true form, finding Kakashi's black eye closed and the tomoe of his sharingan eye revolving slowly around the pupil. Stepping back and tucking the kunai back into his holster, Kakashi gave his pupil a slight smile.
"Genjutsu is an art that focuses on the subtle attack, rather than the overt. The best way to use it in combat is through misdirection. Building the illusion up so slowly around the opponent that they don't notice it until it's broken. Like what I just used on you."
Feeling somewhat chagrined, Sasuke nodded and straightened, turning to face his sensei with a half-sheepish expression that his Uchiha pride struggled manfully to quell. Kakashi's smile looked amused, and he shook his head slightly.
"Alright then, let's try this again."
Drawing in a deep breath, the boy nodded, activating his sharingan and fixing his eyes ahead of him. The assignment was simple enough. Build up a genjutsu trap while under attack. Only it was a lot harder to try to defend himself while also concentrating on weaving a genjutsu subtle enough to satisfy the jounin.
Kakashi vanished back into the surrounding foliage, and Sasuke settled into a combat stance in the center of the clearing, focusing on calling his chakra up and constructing a genjutsu on the area around the clearing where he stood. At the same time, all his senses were alert for any sign of attack from the surrounding forest. A rustle just behind his left shoulder was the only warning he got.
Dodging a volley of shuriken, he gritted his teeth, shaping the genjutsu so that it altered the number and position of trees Kakashi would perceive. Concentrating hard on holding the jutsu and increasing its scope so that it would interfere with Kakashi's senses and movement, he almost missed the chakra signature moving beneath him.
His eyes widened and he barely managed to leap away into the trees before two familiar hands erupted from the ground and snatched at where his ankles had just been. In his alarm at the near miss, Sasuke lost his hold on the genjutsu. Kakashi emerged from the ground just in time to see the distorted image of the forest around him waver and disperse, revealing the true foliage beneath the illusion.
"Well, the attempt at confusing my senses was admirable. Truly inspired even. However, it would be nice if you could hold it through being startled."
Sasuke stared impassively down from his spot on a branch overhanging the edge of hte clearing. His sharingan spun faster, and the dark-haired form the jounin had been watching dissolved away in a shower of leaves. The lone visible brow lifted slightly.
"Oh. Very nice."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes from his place hidden in the foliage, a smirk curling across his face. He could do this.
Narumi shuffled her feet, looking around with curiosity. Gaara's home felt quite cozy with its curved walls, small rounded windows, and simple warmth. He and his brothers had lived here alone since the death of their father was discovered. Inwardly, Narumi shuddered at the thought that before that Orochimaru had been eeling around the three brothers home pretending to be their father.
Wrenching her thoughts away from that particular mental trail, she returned her gaze to the slightly anxious looking red-head whose pale eyes were fixed intently on her. She got the sense that he was waiting for her verdict, so she smiled brightly, cocking her head playfully to one side.
"Nice place Gaara! All three of you live here, right?"
The Suna-nin nodded, a small, pleased smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he leaned against the wall across the room from her.
"Yes. Teruyoshi and Kankuro have rooms on the first floor, but the second floor is all mine."
Whistling softly, the blonde swept her gaze around the room again, duly impressed by the size of her friends domain.
"Wow, that's pretty sweet."
Gaara shrugged modestly, and then gestured towards the two flat cushions that had been placed across from each other in the center of the room.
"Teruyoshi-aniki and Kankuro-nii-san are out training with Baki-sensei today, so we won't be interrupted. Are you still sure you want to do this?"
The kunoichi's lively face sobered, and brilliant azure met soft turquoise with a firm stare.
"I'm very sure. I need this Gaara."
The boy hesitated only a moment more, a slight frown creasing his brow and causing the kanji on his temple to wrinkle slightly.
"And Jiraya-san? Have you spoken to him of this?"
Narumi nodded, looking away.
"Yes, I talked to him about it while Sai was in the bath. He said as long as it didn't interfere with my training with him that he didn't mind."
Expression clearing slightly, Gaara moved forward to sink down onto the far cushion, crossing his legs beneath him easily. He'd removed his coat and gourd, and looked oddly relaxed as he sat barefoot in nothing but loose black pants and a steel mesh shirt.
"I see. Alright then. Come sit with me."
Narumi nodded, stepping up to the free cushion. Like her friend, she was dressed for comfort, having shed her jacket and ninja gear in the hallway of the hummock-shaped house that Gaara had escorted her to that morning.
Ero-sennin had been drilling her lately in exercises meant to increase her balance and flexibility, saying that kunoichi tended to have an advantage over shinobi in those areas. So when she sat, she folded herself down and tucked her feet up until she had situated herself in full lotus position. It wasn't a comfortable way to sit, but it helped train her bodies flexibility further.
Holding her back completely straight, she lifted her chin and nervously glanced over at Gaara. He looked a little surprised at the correctness of her posture, but didn't say anything to her about it. He studied her for a moment, and then spoke up in a conversational tone.
"How did you find your first night in Suna?"
Narumi blinked, startled. She'd expected him to start giving her instructions, not chat. But after a moment of confused silence, she answered his question.
"Fine, I suppose. It's much colder at night than I'm used to, and the wind here sounds different, but I've never seen so many stars before. Ero-sennin told me it's because cold nights are better for stargazing."
Gaara nodded, his expression thoughtful.
"Yes, he's right. Teruyoshi-aniki told me once that it is because the cold air is clearer."
The boys voice suddenly took on an edge of warmth and pride she'd never heard before, and his eyes lit up.
"The desert is beautiful at night you know. The sand reflects the light and almost shines."
Narumi smiled at him, understanding the pride he took in his home.
"Really? I've never really seen it. On the way here, we'd always be inside our tents by the time true dark fell. Trying to stay warm, you know? Hi no Kuni doesn't really get that cold unless it's winter."
Gaara hummed thoughtfully.
"I believe Teruyoshi-aniki remarked on those differences as well when we were in Konoha for the exams.
Narumi nodded, shoulders relaxing as they talked. Gaara's eyes suddenly lit up with curiosity, and he cocked his head at her questioningly.
"By the way, where is Sai-san? I know that Jiraya-san is spending the morning with the council, but I don't believe you mentioned where she was."
Narumi shrugged, frowning slightly.
"She said she was going to spend the morning in the guest quarters. I think she was working on a scroll of hers or something, but I'm not sure."
Gaara's frown grew a bit more pronounced, but then he shrugged it off and returned to lighter topics.
"Mistress Yamada seemed rather fond of you last night. You should visit her again while you're here."
Narumi giggled slightly, rubbing the back of her neck and beaming happily.
"You think? She reminds me of Teuchi-jii-san."
At Gaara's questioning look she waved a hand through the air.
"The old man back home who runs Ichiraku Ramen. Besides, Yamada-san seems like a nice person. She likes you."
Now it was Gaara's turn to blink in surprise, his gaze slowly turning skeptical. Narumi scowled playfully back at him, waving both hands so wildly for emphasis that the fact she didn't lose her balance and topple over was a tribute to Jiraya's training.
"I'm serious! She's a very nice lady, and when she looks at you and Teruyoshi, she smells affectionate. Like Ikuye-sensei."
For a long moment the two of them stared at each other, Gaara still vaguely bemused, and Narumi doing her very best to radiate sincerity. Gaara deserved to know that there were people in his village who didn't automatically assume he was a ravenous monster.
After several long moments, the pale-eyed shinobi shook his head and rolled his eyes gently at her, though his scent was more amused and shyly pleased than irritated.
"Alright, if you're relaxed now we should get to work."
Narumi's eyes widened, and she nearly reared back in surprise. After a moment, she shook herself and stuck her tongue out playfully at her companion.
"Nyah. You're just jealous of my nose!"
Gaara's eyes narrowed slightly in amusement, and he chuckled before straightening.
"First, focus on your breath. Draw it in slowly for a count of five, hold it for a count of five, and then let it out for a count of five. Keep it steady and hold the rhythm."
Narumi nodded, chest expanding as she drew in her breath, counting off steadily in her head as she followed his instructions. Silence filled the room, broken only by the sound of steady, synchronized breathing and the hiss of wind-borne sand against the glass of the window.
They continued in this pattern until Narumi was utterly relaxed, her mind calm and still, eyes half-hooded and wrists draped easily across her knees. The initial pins and needles sensation of the full lotus position had long since faded away, and she felt completely at ease.
Gaara spoke then, his voice smooth and low, managing to somehow blend with the sibilant murmur of the sand spraying against the glass.
"Now, I want you to clear your mind, and focus on your chakra. The color of it. The sensation of it. Concentrate on that."
Narumi drew in another slow breath, reaching for that familiar well of blue flames that dwelt deep in the center of her being. Finding it, she concentrated on the rippling of the energy twining through her body in slender, fiery paths.
Turning her gaze ever inward, she focused on the soft warmth, and the familiar power that glowed within her being, beautifully, brilliantly visible to her minds eye. The myriad shades of sky and ocean rose up, filling her to the brim and spilling over her consciousness in a steady, continuous flow that pulsed with the beat of her blood.
Gaara's voice wound through the murmur of power humming in her ears, so soft that it seemed to be no more than a ripple of meaning through the blue world she found herself enveloped in.
"Good. Follow the flow to your seal. The seal will have different chakra than yours, so it should be easy to find."
Humming deep in her throat, Narumi allowed the flow of her chakra to tug her down the paths of her coils until she reached it. As Gaara had told her, it was easy to find the seal. The familiar swirl with its scrolling rays glowed brightly above her own chakra circulatory system, like a stylized sun painted on the backs of her eyelids.
There were two different types of chakra in the seal. The dominant type was a shade of electric white-blue threaded with gold. That type hummed and pulsed in a stately swirl, spreading evenly through the seal and enveloping her in a sense of being protected.
The more suppressed chakra was different. The color felt like the rich red-gold of a sunset, and it pulsed with a merry, crackling warmth that sent gentle heat threading through her soothingly.
The two chakras combined in her seal felt welcoming and comforting in a way that Narumi had never experienced before. Holding still, she basked in that presence, and wondered how she could have ever missed the comfort of it when it had always been with her.
Happiness and peace filled her, bubbling up in her throat to physically manifest in a trilling purr that was almost musical. The seal seemed to react subtly as her own chakra swirled up against it, the almost familiar chakras that filled and powered it brushing against her own in a caress that was nearly affectionate.
The ever-soft voice of her fellow jinchuriki came to her again, a faint note of puzzlement running through his words despite the calm, even tone he used to instruct her.
"Sink past the seal. Go deeper, until you meet the bijuu. It will probably be frightening, but you have to face it. Remember the feel of your own chakra, and don't let the kyuubi corrupt it."
The burbling trill died in Narumi's throat, and she stilled. She didn't like to visit kyuubi, and she certainly didn't want to leave the affectionate warmth of the seal for the dank, menacing halls were the bijuu dwelt.
Reluctantly, almost tentatively, she extended into and past the seal. For a moment that encompassing gentleness engulfed her, suspending her in comforting shades of blue and ruddy gold. Then she was through the seal, and sinking down into darkness that concealed the dangerous, bubbling rust-colored chakra of her demon.
Darkness swallowed her as she descended towards that menacing glow, entirely different from the red-gold she'd found in the seal. Her sense of her own blue flames, and the steady heat of the seal vanished away, as did any sense of the outside world. She didn't think she'd be able to hear Gaara here, and for a moment, she felt an intense fear of being trapped forever in the flooded halls of kyuubi's cell.
Shaking that fear off, she focused on descending towards the heat of the bijuu's presence. She'd never let herself be afraid of anyone before and she wasn't about to start now. Kyuubi could just deal with it.
Suddenly she found herself standing ankle deep in water. The familiar dimly lit hall stretched out before her, and she seemed to be back in her own body. Blinking she looked around uneasily. Unlike the last time she'd been here, no roar or howl greeted her. Only the sound of heavy breathing reverberating down the corridor.
Setting her shoulders, Narumi drew in a deep breath and moved forward, the water splashing quietly under her feet as she headed to the cage where the great fox resided. Turning a corner, she stepped through an open doorway into the familiar wide chamber.
Kyuubi was curled behind the bars, all nine tails waving lazily through the air, scarlet gaze fixed intently on the slight figure of the kunoichi on the other side of the bars. Swallowing hard, Narumi stepped forward, voice quivering only slightly as she addressed her tennant.
"Hello Kyuubi."
The fox narrowed his eyes slightly, voice rumbling with an almost growl.
"What do you want, Wenchling? It doesn't feel like you're dying again."
Narumi winced slightly at the reminder of the last time she'd conversed with kyuubi, just before she'd lost control during the mission to save Sasuke. That was the time she'd burned Teruyoshi, and this whole mess had begun. Mastering herself as best she could, she forced her voice not to tremble.
"I wanted to...to talk to you about what happened last time."
One of the tails switched irritably, coiling down around kyuubi's body as the other eight continued to twine lazily around each other. A low chuckle reverberating through the chamber and causing faint ripples to spread out across the surface of the water lapping gently at her ankles.
"Last time? You mean your latest suicidal stunt? What's to talk about? I gave you power, we crushed the bug, end of story."
Shifting slightly, the fox eyed her with almost sleepy amusement, voice dry and sharp.
"Really. Being imprisoned inside a weak wench who let herself be pushed that far by someone so weak. It's intolerable."
Frowning indignantly up at the large creature locked safely on the other side of the bars that were the mental manifestation of the seal on her abdomen, she allowed a hint of reproof to enter her voice.
"Hey! That guy was a really strong opponent with a crazy kekkai genkai! It's not like he was some pushover!"
The fox snorted, voice still unusually lacking in malice.
"Was there a point to this visit besides pointless bravado?"
Narumi drew in a deep breath, resisting the urge to twist her fingers nervously together. Hesitating, she searched for the right words, wondering exactly what it was she wanted to say. After all, it wasn't as if she could just ask him not to lay hands on her comrades when he came out, now was it?
Before she could make up her mind exactly what to say, the fox turned his head fully to face her, body going oddly still.
"Is this about what that sordid old war dog said to you?"
For some reason, there was a scornful edge to the bijuu's tone, and when Narumi looked up she saw he'd given her his full attention. When she looked up at him, Kyuubi half rose to his feet, muscled shoulders and flanks rippling as his tails lashed wildly, voice dropping another register.
"I see. You actually believed what that coot said, didn't you?"
Narumi glared up at the creature towering over her, back stiffening as she shot back hotly.
"He wasn't wrong though, was he! Why shouldn't I listen to him?!"
The kyuubi growled at her, long ears tipping back in displeasure.
"Fool girl! I saved your life!"
Narumi gritted her teeth and planted her feet, fists clenching at her sides as she glared defiantly up at the increasingly angry bijuu.
"Yes, but you almost hurt the others! You...I did hurt Teruyoshi! What if I kill one of my comrades next time? It's not worth the risk!"
The beast pressed his ears flat back to his skull, lip curling up in a snarl as he roared at her.
"Risk?! There is risk in all life, fool kit! You have allowed a...a puling HUMAN to cow you!"
Narumi flinched back uncertainly. She wanted to deny what he said, to say that she wasn't cowed by Danzo. The logical part of her insisted that everything she was doing was for the best. She was a danger after all. But the larger part of her whispered reproach. There was truth in Kyuubi's accusations, and it hurt.
The fox must have seen her hesitance, and for some reason it seemed to anger him. Drawing himself up to his full height, the bijuu bristled, snarling at her in a terrible voice.
"Cowardly wench! Get out of my sight! GET OUT!"
The accompanying blast of chakra knocked Narumi back several steps. Clapping her hands over her sensitive ears, she clenched her eyes shut, turned, and ran. Behind her she could hear the enraged, snarling howls of the bijuu locked within her, but she didn't stop or look back.
Bursting out of her trance-like state, Narumi yelped and tried to scramble backwards. Her legs were still locked in the lotus position, causing her to tumble backwards, landing hard enough to knock the breath from her lungs. Gaara was at her side in an instant, pale eyes concerned as she gasped for breath.
"Narumi? What is it? What's wrong?"
Shaking her head, the blonde clenched her eyes shut and sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. For a moment the two of them sat there in silence, Gaara watching his kunoichi friend anxiously while Narumi tried to catch her breath.
"Confronting one's bijuu can be...terrifying."
The quiet words shook the blonde back to the present, and she shifted slightly to give her worried friend a half-smile. When she was positive her voice wouldn't waver, clearing her throat a couple of times before speaking.
"Don't worry about me Gaara. I'm just...a little shaken."
The other jinchuriki nodded sympathetically, reaching out to help her sit up. Taking his hand, she levered herself into a sitting position, untangling her legs and bracing her feet against the floor with a wince. Gaara looked her over carefully before speaking again.
"Making contact with Shukaku is often unpleasant, but it helps me to keep control of him. Unfortunately, it also makes me more vulnerable to his mental attacks, such as images or ideas that I would rather not be subjected to. Perhaps if you talked about what happened with kyuubi you would feel better?"
Narumi shook her head slightly with a frown.
"It's not like Kyuubi really did anything to hurt me. He just...he said some things I didn't want to hear. That's really all though.
Gaara looked surprised, looking her over almost uncertainly.
"You are certain you are alright?"
Narumi nodded again, a little more vigorously this time.
"Yes, I'm perfectly fine. But could we continue tomorrow? I know we haven't done much, but I'd like a break for a while."
Gaara cocked his head at her, sitting back on his heels in nearly perfect seiza style.
"Of course we will stop here if you wish. But what do you mean we haven't done much? We have been working all morning long."
Narumi stared at him, before her eyes jerked to the window. Instead of the clear, pale light of morning the blindingly hot noon-day desert sunlight streamed in through the window, painting the room in deep shadow.
The kunoichi stared blankly out the window before registering the meaning of what she was seeing. Her eyes widened and she scrambled to her feet with a muffled oath, causing Gaara to start in surprise, regarding her with wide eyes. Looking back at him in dismay, she yelped.
"I'm late! I was supposed to meet Ero-sennin for training!"
Bolting for the door, she slid out into the hall, followed closely by her friend. Reaching the stairs, she leapt down them four at a time, nearly free-falling to the first floor and landing lightly in a crouch before skidding towards the entryway where her coat and gear had been left.
Hopping from foot to foot she yanked on her sandals, reaching for her holster as she looked back at Gaara, who was watching her quietly from the stairs.
"Sorry about this Gaara, but I really have to go! If I'm lucky he might still be too busy with his research to have noticed I'm late yet."
The red-head furrowed his brow slightly, watching as she strapped on her holster and weapons pouch, tightening her hitae-ate and reaching for her coat.
"Research?"
Distractedly, the blonde opened her mouth to answer the implied question as she slung her jacket over her shoulders and reached for the door. Just then, the door swung open to reveal Kankuro and Teruyoshi standing on the other side.
Both boys looked in surprise at the harried Konoha kunoichi standing in the doorway. Narumi stared for a moment, eyes flickering between them as a flush rose to her cheeks. Letting out a small 'eep', she ducked her head and wove between the two of them with surprising ease, calling over her shoulder as she bolted down the street.
"I-I'll see you later Gaara!"
Not bothering to look back, she put her face down, willing the redness of her face to dissipate as quickly as possible. Ero-sennin would never let her hear the end of it if she were to up with a blush staining her cheeks. Shaking her head vigorously, she forced herself to calm down, and turned her feet towards the building where the three Konoha-nin were staying.
The guest quarters were across the village from Gaara's home, and Narumi had already learned that it was best to keep to the shadows of the covered walkways. She still wasn't sure how to feel about the fear and disgust she could see lurking in the gazes of the Suna villagers, so she always hurried through the building despite their cool air.
The desert sun was hot enough that she had tried to leave her jacket behind when Gaara came to fetch her that morning. He, however, had insisted that she continue to wear it in order to protect her skin from burning. There were disadvantages though. Already she could feel sweat beginning to trickle down her spine and stomach.
Shaking her head slightly, she lifted her chin and hurried through a building before ducking back out to another walkway and dodging a man in the long robes of a civilian. Wiping a hand across her forehead, she cast a glance at the empty, brightly lit spaces beyond the shadows of the walkways.
Teruyoshi had told her that the training grounds would be abandoned from noon until two in the afternoon to prevent ninja from sickening in the heat, but up to and after that period of time, Suna-nin would train all day in this sun.
Muttering under her breath about crazy Suna-nin, she wondered if it was always this hot. If it were, she'd have thought that ninja from Kaze no Kuni would have developed an immunity to Katon jutsu a long time ago.
Dodging another group of civilians who eyed her with thinly veiled suspicion, Narumi dodged into the walkway that led straight to the building where they had been quartered. Hurrying to the door, she slid inside the building and shed her shoes and gear, slipping out of her jacket to hang it beside the door.
Barefoot and much cooler without her jacket on, she went scampering up to the third floor, stopping outside the door just across from the stairs, and smoothing her shirt before opening it as quietly as possible.
She cringed sheepishly when she saw Jiraya sitting in the middle of the floor, scribbling quietly in that little black notebook he carried everywhere. Stepping into the room, she closed the door softly behind her, shuffling her feet a bit when the older shinobi glanced up.
"Another date with this suna kid you were telling me about last night?"
Narumi turned bright red and squawked indignantly.
"E-Ero-sennin! I already told you, it wasn't a date!"
The older shinobi lifted his brows, writing something down in his book though his eyes remained on her.
"Oh, is that so?"
Setting her jaw, she scowled at him indignantly.
"For the hundredth time, YES! It definitely wasn't a date!"
Humming, Jiraya dropped his eyes to the page in front of him, tapping the back of his pen against his teeth thoughtfully.
"Didn't you say had dinner with the boy last night?"
Narumi took a half-step back, confused.
"Well, yeah, but Gaara was-"
Jiraya spoke over her calmly, cutting her off.
"And didn't he walk you home afterwards?"
Narumi shook her head, stroking her braid nervously with one hand.
"He was just showing me the way here!"
Ignoring the protest, Jiraya lifted his eyes to her, lowering his pen and holding it poised just above the page, his voice maddeningly calm.
"I also recall over-hearing this same boy calling you 'beautiful' right before he left?"
Narumi lifted her free hand to wave feebly through the air.
"That...that's just...he's just teasing me...he always calls me..."
Jiraya's brows climbed towards his hairline, dark eyes knowing.
"Mm hmm."
Lowering his pen to the paper, he jotted something down, snapping the book shut with an air of finality. Narumi's blush turned painful and she dropped her face into her hands, her voice completely mortified.
"I was just training with Gaara. Training!"
Jiraya chuckled knowingly, and stood up, dusting off his coat and moving to sit against the wall with a horrifyingly satisfied look on his face.
"Saa, Na-ru-mi-chan! Shall we get to work?"
Muttering under her breath about perverted old geezers, Narumi shuffled out to the middle of the floor where the sannin had previously been seated.
The room was empty of any furnishings, the smooth hardwood floor making it obvious that this room was intended for training indoors. Jiraya had found it last night before she got back from dinner, and had decided it would be perfect for them to use until they took their leave of Sunagakure.
Drawing in a deep breath, Narumi slid into the basic starting stance that Jiraya had taught her, though rather than calling it a stance, it might be better to call it a starting position.
Lunging forward, she planted one foot, bending her knee deeply and leaning her torso forward until her kneecap nearly brushed her chest. Keeping her back straight, she flung the other leg out behind her at a slight angle so that she was low to the floor. Her arms came up, also bent, palms flat and facing outward with fingers slightly spread. One arm curved around in a loose guard in front of her throat, the back of her hand facing her cheek, while the other arm was flung back like her leg.
Overall it felt more like a dance move than a taijutsu stance, but she couldn't deny that the spherical motions that Jiraya had taught her before were very useful in battle. This style seemed to be based off that idea, focusing on constant motion, a shifting center of gravity, and nearly acrobatic control of ones body.
Jiraya eyed her for a moment, and then nodded, voice turning serious as he tucked his pen and book away into his vest.
"Alright, remember. Never stop moving or you'll lose your momentum. Keep the movement fluid, and don't worry about the speed. Go as slow as you need to."
Nodding, Narumi narrowed her eyes and let herself relax into the stance for a minute. When she felt ready, she sprang into motion, weaving from side to side, keeping her body loose and her eyes fixed on the wall across from her.
Falling back she whipped her leg up into a kick, spinning and sweeping her back leg up for a second kick so that she was momentarily airborne before throwing herself into a cartwheel and coming up in the same weaving motion as before.
Counting off the beat in her head, she continued spinning, kicking, striking, ducking, and dodging, never holding still and always shifting. Several times she nearly overbalanced and had to send a surge of chakra into her feet or hands to remain upright, but she kept at it, the only sound in the room her harsh breathing and the rhythmic thumping on the wood floor.
Normally she didn't like formal taijutsu. They always felt rigid and uncomfortable, and the teachers were usually finicky about little details that never seemed important to her. She'd always been better off just picking up what she could here and there, and using whatever worked at the time. This was different. The style was loose, fast-paced, and rhythmic, with a heavy focus on evasion and creative trickery that appealed to the prankster in her.
This was only the fifth time Jiraya had had her train like this, combining the basic movements, attacks, and evasions he'd already given her into a flowing sequence entirely of her own invention, and it was the first time she'd ever gone so long without falling or breaking out of the rhythm she set for herself.
Delighted at her own success, and the feel of her body spinning across the floor in the almost weightless mimicry of combat, she loosed a bright laugh. This taijutsu style was actually a lot of fun once she got used to it. Jiraya grinned back at her from his spot against the wall, shaking his head slightly.
"You're doing well. Just remember, this style isn't about beating up your opponent. It's a game, a dance. Try to hold a song in your hand and move with the music."
Nodding, Narumi whirled enthusiastically up into the air, both legs striking out at an imaginary opponent as she twisted to land on her hands and through herself into a back-handspring.
"Ne ne, Ero-sennin! When are you gonna spar with me?"
Jiraya snorted, leaning back against the wall a little further, his tone dismissive.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, kid! You've still got a long way to go."
Rolling forward into a sideways crouch, the kunoichi braced her palms on the floor, her body dipping forward until her torso hovered just above the wood, and her far leg shot out in a sweeping motion meant to hook an opponents foot out from beneath them.
"Ah, don't be so stingy Ero-sennin!"
Jiraya lifted a brow, voice taking on a mock indignant tone.
"Oi, brat! The great Jiraya-sama is taking the time to train you, and you say I'm stingy?!"
Vaulting to her feet, Narumi paused and stuck her tongue out impishly at her mentor. Talking to Jiraya almost always lightened her mood. The sannin narrowed his eyes and chuckled.
"You broke the rhythm! Start over."
Shooting him a look of great indignation the blonde moved back to the center of the floor and resumed her initial stance. The man eyed her for a moment before nodding.
"Begin."
Saburo leaned his head back, gasping for air as he sprawled across the ground, lifting one hand to shade his eyes against the last rays of the setting sun. Across from him Tsunade was avidly examining the large, dull-eyed catfish she'd just had him practicing on. Muttering excitedly, the buxom woman ran her hands over the fish, honey-brown eyes flickering over the creature eagerly.
"Incredible. Simply incredible. The physical damage is one thing, but you've somehow managed to attack both the physical body and the chakra circulatory system with the same attack at the same time! I've never seen anything like it. It's like a Hyuuga attack combined with chakra scalpels."
Glancing up at him, she eyed the exhausted, rosy-haired boy speculatively.
"Are you sure you're from completely civilian stock? No ninja anywhere in the family? Maybe a foreign nin from outside of Hi no Kuni or something?"
Shaking his head, Saburo raked his fingers absently through his hair, a habit he'd picked up from Sasuke in the last couple of months. Catching his breath, he sighed.
"No. My parents are proud of being from 'honest, working stock'. If we had any ninja in our line, I'd know."
Tsunade looked almost mournful, shaking her head and turning back to the very dead fish.
"Shame that. I'd almost say this was a kekkei genkai, but civilians don't carry such things."
Suddenly her gaze turned thoughtful and she glanced back at him for an instant.
"And you're sure you've never seen anyone do anything like this before? Read about an old jutsu that would do something similar?"
Shaking his head again, Saburo repeated what he'd been telling his shishou ever since she first found out about this strange attack he was apparently able to use at will.
"No, Shishou. I just sort of...did it...I don't really know how, and I wasn't trying to. It just happened."
Standing up, Tsunade came over and clapped him hard on the back, a menacingly cheerful grin on her face.
"Well, it's certainly a mystery! We'll have to try and figure that out at some point. But for now, we drink!"
Saburo's mouth dropped open and he stared at the woman.
"Drink?"
The grin turned devilish, and the woman grabbed Saburo's upper arm, yanking him to his feet and holding him just off the ground with an easy display of her monstrous strength.
"Of course! Sake, boy, sake! We're going to celebrate the use of the birth of your signature technique."
Horrified, Saburo flailed wildly, spluttering.
"Shishou! I'm...I'm not old enough to drink!"
Laughing uproariously, the Senju waved her free hand wildly.
"Nonsense! As an active member of the shinobi forces of Konohagakure you're a full adult, and eligible to drink, smoke, and gamble!"
Suddenly stopping, she glanced down at her student with a half-scowl.
"Though I don't want to hear of you going anywhere near those books of Jiraya's."
Frowning in confusion, the rosette stared up at the hokage.
"Jiraya-sama's?"
The brown eyes fixed on him took on the slightly wrathful glint that he sometimes noticed in the eyes of the kunoichi instructors at the academy when certain shinobi showed up for guest lectures.
"Hideous things with bright orange covers. Icha Icha."
Saburo's eyes widened in recognition, and he blushed hotly. That perverted book of Kakashi-sensei's?
"O-of course I...I would never...!"
Brightening instantly, Tsunade chuckled and roughed up his hair before frogmarching him towards the village.
"That's my student. Now, to the bar!"
Groaning aloud, Saburo let out a last despondent wail as they headed into the streets of the village.
"Couldn't we just train instead?"
Ikuye shifted the stack of papers she carried, wrapping her arm more comfortably around them as she opened the door to her favorite coffee house. Stepping inside, she was greeted by a wash of richly coffee-scented air. Drawing a deep breath, she let out a long sigh, feeling the tense set of her shoulders relaxing.
Rolling her neck slightly, she glanced around and headed for her usual booth in the back of the shop. Sliding into the plush seat of the booth, she dropped her papers onto the table, and settled into the softly lit booth with its warm, welcoming colors.
The shop was moderately busy, a testament to its popularity. While she waited for a waiter to see to come to the table, she unzipped her chuunin vest, laying it beside her on the bench seat, and smoothing out her navy blue dress.
Reaching up, she untied her hitae-ate, and pulled out the tie of her pony-tail, shaking her hair free and re-securing her hitae-ate. Now comfortable, she let out a weary sigh, and carded her hands through her thick brown tresses, leaning her forehead against the heels of her hands.
She loved her assignment as a chuunin instructor at the academy, and she really did love her students, but the days were many when only the promise of her nightly visit to this coffee house got her through.
Shaking her head slightly, she pictured the newest batch of academy students, who'd spent the better part of today running her and the other instructors ragged. Tiny six year olds, with unholy amounts of energy. So few of those would actually go on to become genin.
That line of thought inevitably drew her mind to the latest batch of genin, in particular one bright-haired girl who had become like a little sister to her. Smiling slightly at the memory of the cheerful child, she wondered absently how Narumi was getting along with her team.
She'd been horrified when Kakashi had entered the three genin in the chuunin exams, but all three had preformed far beyond her expectations, and she was honestly proud of them. Narumi and Saburo in particular, since both of them had been expected to fail from the beginning.
Of course, none of them would have advanced, but she knew that they'd all done well enough that they could probably expect to pass the next time they were entered. A polite voice spoke up from her side.
"May I take your order ma'am?"
Looking up with a grateful smile, Ikuye addressed him softly.
"Yes, I'd like a chai tea latte please."
Glancing down at the stack of papers in front of her, she ruefully corrected herself.
"A large chai tea latte."
The young civilian nodded, writing down her order quickly on the pad he carried.
"I'll have that out in just a few minutes."
Turning, he headed for the counter with its glass case of pastries, leaving Ikuye alone in the quiet haven of her booth. Before she could set to work, the door of the shop opened again. Idly, she looked up to see who was coming in. To her surprise, the two ninja were familiar.
Shinako Aburame walked in, hood thrown back to reveal short, soft hair, head turned to look over her shoulder at her companion. Her hand was wrapped around Saburo Haruno's wrist, tugging him after her into the shop, and the exhausted rosette looked to be entirely engaged by the quiet girl speaking to him. Interested, Ikuye watched curiously as the two genin moved towards a window table.
"...so Tsunade-sama wanted to take you drinking?"
Saburo nodded sheepishly, and Ikuye could only just make out his reply.
"Yeah. I don't see why she likes that stuff so well though. It tastes awful, and makes you feel weird."
Ikuye didn't catch the rest of the conversation as the two teens sat down, talking softly. Shaking her head at them, an affectionate smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Those two had always been among the quieter members of their academy class, and she was glad to see they were both doing well.
Feeling comforted by the appearance of her old students, she fanned her papers out in front of her, tucked her feet neatly up under her on the seat, and pulled out a red pen that she used to grade and mark papers before turning them back to her students.
The waiter returned shortly afterward, setting a large ceramic mug of sweet, creamy tea at her elbow with a murmur. Thanking him distractedly, Ikuye edged it a bit away from her papers, and left it to cool slightly as she leaned over her work.
She was engrossed in trying to make sense of one boys rather convoluted explanation of the concept of genjutsu and their use in interrogations when an overly cheerful voice beside her caused her to jump, stifling a small yelp of shock.
"Yo!"
Whipping around, hand instinctively going to her weapons pouch, she stared blankly up at the man standing beside her table. A tall, lean man with wild silver hair, a half mask, and an obnoxious orange book. Ikuye's eyes widened as she recognized the jounin.
"Kakashi-san! You startled me!"
The mans single visible eye glittered in amusement as he offered her a small smile.
"Ah? Sorry, sorry. Mind if I join you?"
The brunette blinked in surprise, unsure how to take that. Kakashi Hatake was well known and admired by the greater part of Konohas shinobi forces, despite his odd personality quirks. She was a mediocre chuunin who was perfectly content in the minor position she held as academy instructor. The only time they'd ever come into contact was when she'd objected to his entering Narumi's team in the chuunin exams.
Uncertain about what he could possibly want from her now, she nodded, gesturing uncertainly to the bench opposite her.
"Of course. Please do."
Nodding pleasantly to her, the jounin slid into the seat opposite her.
"Thank you very much."
As he sat down, the orange book caught Ikuye's eye. Flushing in embarrassment, she jerked her gaze back to her papers. Tucking a strand of hair back behind her ear, she picked up her tea and blew on it gently before taking a long sip. Kakashi noticed her discomfort, and after a moment of silence tucked his book away. The waiter had noticed the new addition to the booth, and drifted over with pad in hand.
"Welcome sir. May I take your order?"
The waiter glanced up as he spoke, stiffening as he realized that he was on Kakashi's blind side. Objectively speaking, Ikuye realized that it was probably for a civilian, even one who lived in a hidden village, to speak to someone whose face was almost entirely covered.
At the same time she couldn't help but feel a flash of irritation at the awkward atmosphere the fool boy created. Kakashi, however, took it in stride, merely turning his face until the youth could see his uncovered eye.
"I'll take a black coffee."
Startled, the waiter nodded vigorously, doing his best to remain calm and polite as he wrote something down.
"Of course, sir. I'll be right back with that."
Hurrying away, the boy left them alone. Ikuye watched him go, before glancing at her companion.
"I'm sorry about that."
Truthfully she wasn't sure what she was apologizing for. The kid hadn't reacted all that badly, he'd just been a bit startled. Kakashi himself hadn't seemed bothered by it at all, actually. But it seemed like the right thing to do despite all that. The jounin looked surprised by her apology, and then his gaze softened slightly.
"It's perfectly alright, Umino-sensei. I'm used to people being surprised. After all, even ninja don't usually hide this much of their face."
The kunoichi shrugged one shoulder, as the waiter brought back a mug of hot coffee before hurrying off to the next table.
"Please, call me Ikuye. Umino makes me feel old."
Chuckling softly, Kakashi inclined his head.
"Ikuye-san then."
Smiling back at him, Ikuye took another sip of her drink, glancing down at her papers and marking half points down beside one answer. Without taking her eyes from the paper, she addressed the man nursing his coffee.
"I wanted to apologize to you again."
Kakashi's voice took on a surprised undertone.
"I beg your pardon?"
The academy teacher cleared her throat, focusing intently on the papers in front of her.
"About the chuunin exams. I know I said this before, but...you were right. They were ready, and I should have trusted your assessment of that as their sensei."
There was a moment of silence before the silver-haired shinobi replied to her.
"Thank you. They did really well you know. Narumi was one of only two genin who made chuunin."
Ikuye's head shot up and she stared at him, fingers clenching hard around her pen, cracking the plastic case before she got enough control of herself to loosen her grip somewhat.
"Narumi made chuunin?"
Kakashi nodded, his voice proud.
"Yes. The only rookie to make it, though I think the Nara might have been promoted as well if the invasion hadn't screwed things up and prevented her fight taking place."
Ikuye stared blankly at him.
"That's..."
Kakashi frowned at her slightly.
"What's the matter, Ikuye-san? Are you alright?"
The brunette blinked, looking away from him quickly, trying to suppress the feelings of hurt and sudden lonliness washing through her. Why hadn't Narumi come to her? She would have thought the little blonde would have come bursting through her door to proudly parade her new vest the moment such a thing happened.
"Oh...I just thought she would have told me."
Kakashi watched her quietly for a minute, before shifting his gaze to his coffee.
"I wouldn't take it personally. She didn't really tell anyone, actually. The only reason I found out was because I'm her jounin-sensei. The team found out because the other boy who made chuunin told the Aburame girl, and she spilled the beans by congratulating Narumi. The boys were appalled that she hadn't said anything."
Ikuye eyed him, suddenly concerned.
"That doesn't sound like Narumi. She tries so hard to prove herself, I'd have thought she'd be proud that she was being acknowledged..."
Kakashi shrugged slightly.
"I think she was a little embarrassed about moving up when her teammates didn't actually. And then with everything that happened right afterwards, she didn't really have time to talk to anyone about the promotion."
The academy teacher frowned thoughtfully, absently circling a wrong answer on a test as her mind worked through the new information.
"That actually makes sense. Narumi is somewhat insecure when it comes to her relationships with others...if she thought being promoted might endanger her friendships with the other genin, she might want to keep it quiet..."
Shaking her head slightly, the woman sighed tiredly, massaging her temple with one hand and wondering ruefully how it was that the bright child managed to cause her so much worry and stress even after she'd successfully graduated from the academy and officially left the care of the young chuunin instructor.
"It seems I owe you yet another apology, Kakashi-san. Team seven was more ready than I ever thought possible for rookie genin."
The silence was awkward for a bit, with Kakashi watching her quietly while the brunette berated herself inwardly for not having enough faith in her favorite student. When things had stretched on long enough that it was beginning to become uncomfortable, the one-eyed jounin spoke up.
"You were trying to look out for the three of them. I appreciate that. If anything, I should thank you for helping me look out for my cute students."
Ikuye looked up in surprise, shaken from her self rebuke by the words. She had to fight not to twist her hair shyly around a finger, feeling more than a little bashful at the acknowledgment from the respected jounin.
"Habit, I'm afraid. I get so used to looking after them that I often forget that my students have grown into full ninja."
Kakashi cocked his head thoughtfully.
"I suppose that's only natural. After all, you have them from the time they're six until they leave the academy. That's several years."
The kunoichi shrugged, putting her pen down and cupping her mug in both hands.
"It's easy enough to get attached, I'm afraid. They're all so terribly sincere and earnest. Particularly the cheerful ones like Narumi and Saburo."
Kakashi met her gaze easily, and she was surprised to notice that the level of coffee in his cup had gone down despite the fact that his mask was still firmly in place.
"Yes, I imagine it is."
His gaze dropped to the red marked papers in front of her.
"Still working?"
Ikuye smiled ruefully, taking a sip of her tea, and setting it down to pick her pen back up.
"This? The nine-year-olds had an exam today, and I wanted to go ahead and get them graded tonight."
Kakashi whistled softly.
"Nine year olds. I can barely handle my students and they're already into their teens."
The brunette laughed, shaking her head.
"They're not that bad. Besides, you're pretty good with those three. Even Sasuke looks up to you, and he's one of the most...reserved...kids I've ever seen."
The jounin looked faintly pleased as he raised a hand to rub the back of his head.
"That's very kind of you to say..."
Sudden curiosity flooded her, and the kunoichi cocked her head at him, absently shifting a fully graded test to the pile of completed papers and shuffling a fresh one to the top of her pile.
"You know, I come here quite often for work like this. But I don't recall every seeing you in here before. Mind if I ask for the reason?"
Kakashi blinked, his fingers flexing around the handle of his mug.
"Maybe I just wanted a cup of coffee?"
As he spoke, his gaze flickered over his shoulder in the direction of the window table where a familiar pair of young ninja bent their heads together in quiet conversation. Ikuye followed his glance even as his eye re-settled on her. A slow smile spread across her face.
"Maybe. But that's not it, is it?"
Kakashi never twitched, his expression shifting to innocent curiosity without missing a beat. If she hadn't seen that one glance, she'd have thought she was imagining things. But she had seen it, so she just tilted her head and smiled knowingly at him.
"You're here because Saburo is, aren't you?"
There was a long moment of silence. Lone obsidian stared into soft brown, neither side backing down though both remained relaxed in their seats. Then Kakashi lifted a hand to rub the back of his head absently, his voice somewhat chagrined.
"Was I that obvious?"
Shaking her head slightly, Ikuye lifted her mug to sip from it, watching him from over the rim.
"No, not really. But I can tell. Are you worried about him?"
Kakashi half-shrugged, scrubbing a hand through his hair.
"Yes and no. There's no reason to think that anything will happen, but I can't help worrying. Especially since Narumi left to train with Jiraya-sama."
Ikuye started, lowering her mug to the table swiftly.
"Narumi's gone?"
Kakashi blinked, and then nodded.
"Sorry, I forget most people don't know yet since it effects my team so much. Jiraya-sama took Narumi as an apprentice, and she's gone with him on his travels. I'm afraid she's not going to be back for a very long time, and the boys are both taking it rather hard."
Inwardly reeling, Ikuye shook her head, voice soft.
"How long?"
Kakashi looked both sympathetic and frustrated.
"Three or four years."
Releasing her mug entirely, she sat back with wide eyes.
"Oh."
Kakashi shook his head slightly, voice strained.
"On top of that, Saburo's had some trouble with his family lately, so he's been staying with Sasuke at the Uchiha compound."
That got her attention. Her head snapped up so fast that her hair flew into the air in a dark spray, eyes intent on his face as she braced a hand on the table, leaning forward over it slightly. After all, a woman could only take so many impossibilities in one day.
"What?! Sasuke's letting him stay in the Uchiha compound?!"
Kakashi nodded, still nursing his coffee.
"I'm grateful for that at least. I don't think it'd be good for either of those boys to be alone right now, and they watch out for each other pretty well."
Shaking her head, Ikuye willed him to understand just what he'd so blithely declared.
"That's...that's impossible. The Uchiha compound is practically sacred ground for Sasuke! He's never let anyone in there if he could help it! He made one of the younger girls cry once for asking him if she could see his house! He'd never..."
Speechless, she gestured futilely with her hands, frustrated with her inability to convey the magnitude of this. Kakashi eyed her hands dubiously before speaking slowly.
"But he has."
Ikuye shook her head, struggling for a comparison that he would understand.
"This...it's like...it's like Narumi suddenly showing up wearing green and acting completely seriously all the time! It's a huge change in basic attitudes. "
Kakashi lifted his brow, and shrugged.
"Maybe, but the change is all for the better as far as I can tell. It makes them easier to keep an eye on at least."
Settling his shoulders wearily against the backrest, the man let out a long breath that was just short of a sigh.
"I've been keeping a close eye on them since Narumi's departure, and they bear it well. But I'm sure they find me annoying at the very least, so I try to keep my appearances to a minimum."
Jerking his chin in a vague gesture towards the genin finishing up their pastries, he kept his eyes on her.
"Normally I leave them alone when they're in for the night. After all, the Uchiha compound has better security than almost anywhere in the village except the Hokage tower and the Hyuuga compound. That's where Sasuke is now."
Shaking his head slightly, his voice took on a faint tinge of exasperation.
"But Saburo was a bit late, so I got worried. Right now I'm just...just making sure he gets back to the compound safely."
Now massaging her temples, Ikuye spoke in a very soft voice, allowing her eyes to drift shut.
"That's very sweet of you. But supposing Saburo decides to stay out late? Surely you have other things to be doing. Wouldn't it be easier to just tell him to go back to the compound?"
She could hear the devil-may-care shrug in the jounin's voice when he answered her.
"I told you, I try to keep my appearances to a minimum. Besides, I don't need to. If he stays out too late, Sasuke'll get worried, which will make him irritated, and he'll end up coming out to drag Saburo back home by the hair. It's quite amusing actually."
The dark-eyed kunoichi opened one eye to fix the man with a vaguely amused stare, her voice incredibly dry.
"I'm sure it is. I take it you speak from experience?"
The man merely offered her a smile that crinkled his eye up into the now familiar half-moon shape, the corner of his eye momentarily creased with laugh lines. She had the distinct impression that if she could see the expression under the mask, it would be a cheshire-cat grin rather than the elegant, princely smile that most kunoichi liked to fantasize about.
Shaking her head at him in a slightly reproving manner, she slipped her vest back on, leaving it open over her dress as she gathered up her papers and laid the appropriate sum of money on the table beside her now cold tea.
"Well, I think that's enough excitement for me. I'll need a decent amount of sleep to work with the seven-year-olds tomorrow. We're starting them on intermediate kunai and shuriken work, and there's bound to be an accident of some sort."
Kakashi watched her in slight surprise, the cheeky smile having melted away from his face as she gathered up her things. Stepping out of the booth, she was stopped by a large, rough hand wrapping gently around her wrist.
"Ikuye-san? Thank you for listening to me tonight. It was...very kind of you."
Astonished, she looked back at him in silence for a moment, before tilting her head and smiling brightly at him. A warmth that was almost fondness bloomed inside her for this man who was so very dedicated to his students, three children she had watched grow from green academy entrants to skilled genin of the village.
"If you ever need someone to talk to, Kakashi-san, I come here every night after work. After all, I know very well what kind of mischief those three kids of yours get up to."
Kakashi looked a bit stunned for a minute. Then he shook his head, releasing her wrist and swirling the coffee in his mug idly.
"I'll do that. Good night, Ikuye-san."
Nodding to him quietly, she adjusted her hold on the half-graded stack of papers in her arms.
"Good night."
With that, she walked for the front of the shop, glancing sideways at the happily chattering genin to her left, one of whom had indirectly caused the entire odd conversation she'd just had. Shaking her head slightly at her students abilities to make mischief without even being aware of it, she quietly left the coffee house.
A/N: Hey guys! Here we are, the promised chapter that takes a peek at their training! I hope you all enjoyed it.
To Legionary Prime, Since I've had multiple people ask me about this and I'm pretty sure about how things are going in this regard, I suppose I might as well just come out and say it. The pairing here for Narumi is probably going to be Teruyoshi. I did have a different plan originally, but as I've said before, the girl has a mind of her own. Also, Teruyoshi himself is very persistent. What's an author to do? My apologies to those hoping for other pairings.
To Deathgun, It's lovely to hear from you again! Yep, at this point Sai is a bit of a wildcard. She's still very much loyal to Danzo at this point, and is doing her very best to manipulate Narumi in any way possible. I can also promise you that there will be no killer mobs out for Jinchuriki blood in this fic. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.
To ChaosIdeals, Not to worry, I can be quite a vengeful girl at times. I solemnly swear that Danzo will get his comeuppance, one way or another.
To Wheelchairmaniac99, hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. A few more hints at romance, but I tried to keep the majority of them subtle. Please let me know what you thought of the training (^_^).
To Emma the Deadly, Yes, Teruyoshi is very, very lucky that Jiraya is the only guy there with Narumi. He's still somewhat more hands off with her, not nearly as protective as the rest of team seven. Of course, temporary evasion doesn't mean eternal escape...he he he.
To 10-iz4, hmmm...you have a good point about the bond between Sasuke and Narumi. I had thought of it as a best friend/brother/comrade thing, but I suppose it could be tweaked into romance. While I'm not sure I have the skill as a writer of romance to pull of that particular situation, and I personally think Narumi's more the type of girl to go whole hog one way or the other, I shall play with this idea. It is intriguing, and I thank you for bringing it to my attention!
To sleepyasian, Thank you for the compliment! It makes me very happy to know that you guys think so highly of my work.
To the anonymous Guest, thank you very much for the kind review! Yes, I'm pretty sure that the Narumi/Teruyoshi pairing is going to be final. I hope you continue to enjoy the story!
To the second anonymous Guest, I'm sorry you feel that Narumi leaving the village is a break with character. Thinking about it, I can see how that objection could be made, so let me attempt to clarify. Narumi is quite resistant to direct mental attacks. However, that is with things that are obvious attacks on her by other people. Sakki and torture with Tsukiyomi are definitely things she can deal with. However, the ROOT Yamanaka didn't directly attack her. He just brought her own fear of herself, what she might do to the people precious to her, to the surface. He also meddled with her head to increase her gut reaction of fear and distrust of herself, but these aren't foreign ideas that have been implanted in her head. They are her own fears blown to greater and more immediate proportions. She believes Danzo because he tells her he is an old friend of the Sandaime, who she trusts utterly, and because he takes pains to try and behave like the Sandaime. Also, he at no point tells her she has to obey him or anything like that. He just tells her that he can 'help' her. She has no reason to distrust that. Also, the reason she doesn't go to Kakashi about it is the same reason she talked to Gaara instead of Jiraya. She's more than a little ashamed of this vulnerability to Kyuubi's influence, because in her mind, it validates the negative views of her held by most of the village. Plus, she's still a young teenager, so she doesn't always react in the most logical way.
If you still feel that this is an unforgivable break with character, then I'm afraid there's nothing more I can do. This is the story as I've written it. While I'm sorry that you don't like it, I'm not willing to change it. I hope you'll find that the many other stories available in the fandom will make up for your negative experience with mine.
Explanations!
First of all, I want to make it clear that Sasuke isn't just trying to blow Kakashi's training off. It's just that he's always been more focused on the form of power that allows him to beat people up. Genjutsu isn't his idea of powerful techniques, and while his reasons for wanting to get stronger are different than they were in cannon, he still has an incredible drive to obtain power. He's also rather stubborn about it, which leaves poor Kakashi the job of prodding him into a willing state of mind for the training.
Narumi on the other hand, is both training and wrestling with the exacerbated issues that Danzo so kindly left for her. Gaara is currently teaching her how to make contact with Kyuubi because that's how he's been dealing with Shukaku. He sort of forces the bijuu back into the depths of his seal on a regular basis. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way with Narumi. However, Yondaime's seal doesn't work that way. (Speaking of which, points to those who can figure out whats up with the chakra in the seal!) Basically, what happens is that Narumi gets into a shouting match with Kyuubi. Unlike in cannon, Kyuubi is starting to grow somewhat fond of Narumi at this point, in a very distant you're-barely-tolerable-but-I'll-deal-with-it-because-I-am-Kyuubi-sama way. This is mainly because, as he's said before, he thinks she has a touch of vixen her. So it makes him angry when he finds out what's up with her at the moment because he feels a bit let down. Narumi gets upset and pulls out because she's just not in a good place to deal with that sort of thing at the moment, and because she kind of agrees with him. While she still feels like going on the training trip with Jiraya was the best thing she could do, she feels guilty at the same time. You know what they say, the truth hurts.
Then there's the scene when she firsts comes in on Jiraya. Long story short, he saw Teruyoshi walking her back, and proceeded to grill her about it when she came in. And tease her mercilessly. He's rather enjoying himself. Also, he's getting more and more attached to Narumi, particularly right now, because Sai has been off doing sneaky things ever since Narumi started spending Gaara. As such, she's not around as much, and Jiraya doesn't have to worry so much about keeping his guard up. Also, in case anyone's curious, the style of fighting he's teaching Narumi is based on the martial art Capoeira. It's a brazilian art that's a lot of fun to watch.
Saburo is, at this point, proving a very apt pupil for Tsunade. He has a bit more trouble with iryo-jutsu than cannon!Sakura, but the instinctive attack he's been using is quite enough to make up for that. Tsunade is over the moon with it, and probably sneaking off to try and replicate it when Shizune's not around to stop her. Being so excited about it, she decided to drag Saburo off to 'celebrate' immediately after practice, and managed to pour an entire cup of sake down him before he was rescued by Shinako, who was passing by and spotted him sitting next to Tsunade.
Also, I realize that Ikuye seems fairly clueless when it comes to what's been going with Narumi. That's because that she's not directly related to Narumi anymore, so no one sees any reason to alert her to any of this. If Narumi herself doesn't show up to tell her, she doesn't find out. And she wouldn't worry about Narumi not showing up for a while, because she knows that Narumi often gets caught up in the excitement of what's going on her and forgets about anything outside of immediate events. So of course, when Kakashi starts talking to her about what's been going on, she about has fits. He doesn't tell her everything because it's in his nature to keep things close to the vest when it comes to trouble involving people who are important to him. If Ikuye actually knew everything of what's happened, she'd be out in the streets howling for blood, or chasing Narumi down with the firm intent to smack sense into her. As it is, she's just very upset. You can bet that she'll be showing up at the Uchiha compound to check on the boys later though.
Kakashi, for his part, actually does need someone he can confide in about these kinds of things. There are the other jounin sensei of course, but while they're his friends, they also have teams of their own to worry about. Plus, they don't know his students or feel any real attachment to them anymore than they would with any other random genin kids from the village. Meaning that Kakashi doesn't really want to expose his students weaknesses or problems to them. The only reason he relaxes enough to talk to Ikuye about this is because he's seen from her actions that she really does care about all three of them and want what's best for them. While he can trust his other friends and comrades with his life, Ikuye is someone he can trust with his students vulnerabilities, and that's a good thing because the poor guy has been running himself ragged with worry. So you can probably expect to see those two talking over coffee more often in the future.
I think for the most part this chapter has been self-explanatory, so I think that should about cover it. If anyones confused about something I've missed, please to let me know and I shall attempt to cover it more thoroughly!