Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
Team 7's Ascension
Chapter X – Water the Seed IV
Ōnoki smiled proudly as he floated above the large stone pit, observing the six shinōbi still fighting for recognition and a good sum of money down below. Large rocks smeared with the blood of the previous contestants protruded from the ground, and enabled the remaining participants to hide or lay traps for their opponents.
The arena – built decades ago by himself – was once again hosting the monthly tournament that determined the strongest among the clan-less shinōbi. Thirty-seven, all of them living in the generic barracks next to the pit, had signed up this month; a respectable number.
"You're still here?"
Ōnoki looked down to the both that was reserved for nobles – which was empty all year long – and saw his granddaughter lazing on one of the pompous chairs. Well, at least he was prepared should the clans ever start to deign the pit of greater importance than their own useless attempts at sparring.
He floated over to her and settled on one of the chairs himself. "Kurotsuchi, I never knew you were interested in my arena. I could ha-"
"Bah, spare me, Jiji." Kurotsuchi brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're shirking your duties as the Tsuchikage to watch them."
Ōnoki narrowed his eyes, and looked at his granddaughter. "Them? You mean clan-less shinōbi? Like me?"
"You're different. You're the Tsuchikage."
"That doesn't make me different, it only proves my point," Ōnoki said. He waved his hand. "They – just like I have done – shed sweat and tears to prove themselves. They – just like I have done – color the sand red to make a living. If anything, dear granddaughter, it shows that each of them can become the Tsuchikage."
Kurotsuchi abandoned her lazy position and sat ramrod straight in her chair. Her pink eyes bored into the aged face of her grandfather. "How you can even stand the comparison with this riffraff is beyond me."
Ōnoki's left hand twitched, but otherwise he didn't move a muscle. This was his granddaughter. "I see you've spent more time with your mother again. I knew giving Kitsuchi a long-term mission was a bad idea."
"Don't you dare blame my mother! She's a well-respected kunoichi of Iwagakure!"
"Her arrogance, nay, the arrogance of her whole clan is rotting your brain, Kurotsuchi!" Ōnoki pointed furiously at the arena below, where only three contestants remained. "Can't you see what this is? What it does?"
Kurotsuchi's laugh chilled Ōnoki to the bone. This was his sweet little girl? "What this is, Jiji? It's a barbaric tournament, a free for all slug-fest, a frivolity of peacetime."
"A frivolity of peacetime it may be, but can't you see its use?" Ōnoki nodded his head toward the last two shinōbi in the arena. One of them was a Genin, and it was a truly exceptional feat to be a finalist with such a low rank. The other one was a Chūnin.
So far – as if Kami-sama herself wanted to prove his point – the Genin had weathered the Chūnin's onslaught of Jutsu with quick and precise footwork.
Ōnoki spoke up once more, "It keeps their abilities sharp. Look at his footwork, my child! Or, why don't you take a look at the beaten contestants at the entrance – do they look like sore losers to you? Is it not comradeship that they develop?"
"You're getting too excited, Jiji. Far too excited," Korutsuchi said.
"And why wouldn't I, child? Is it not the duty of the Tsuchikage to judge and observe his troops? Is doing this not what I swore when I took the hat? To give the clan-less shinōbi more chances than they had before?"
Kurotsuchi laughed. "But you don't give them more chances, do you? When the clans came asking, you quickly amended in the rules that 'no shinōbi shall advance in rank through winning in the arena.'"
"Staying with your mother didn't just make you more arrogant, it also made you blind it seems," Ōnoki said. He turned fully to his granddaughter and smiled toothily. "Winning in the pit doesn't advance them in rank, but it prepares them, dear child. There isn't one clan-less Jōnin in this village who hasn't triumphed at least once against the relentless hazing of the pit."
"You're delusional, Jiji. Have fun with them, I'm out of here."
Ōnoki pinched his nose and a sad sigh escaped him. Hadn't he told his son – oh so many years ago – that he should choose the mother for his child with utmost care? Why, oh why, did it have to be the heiress of the Yōgan Clan?
He banished these thoughts and focused on the fight again. The expressions of both contestants were simply exquisite – harsh and unforgiving like the very stone his village was made off.
A familiar shiver ran down his spine, and his old, weary bones tensed in anticipation. Two future Jōnin, he could feel it.
The Genin evaded another spear of earth, simply by stepping out of the way. Suddenly, after a surprising dash, he was directly in front of his opponent, and a well-placed feint moments later secured him first blood.
Ōnoki's eyebrows rose as he witnessed the show of skill. Now, the Chūnin had the additional mental weight of being wounded by a Genin pressing against him. From the corner of his eyes, Ōnoki saw that the Genin used the opening he had created to weave some hand seals.
Genjutsu – a nasty one at that. He leaned forward, and watched the fight with even more interest.
Capable masters of illusions were rare in his village, and this particular Genjutsu showed the victim moments of true despair and helplessness. The fact that such a technique was used effectively by a mere Genin made his fingers twitch in anticipation.
The diminutive Kage though didn't expect the sudden, blood-curdling scream that reached his ears, amplified by the echo the pit provided. It was a momentary laps of concentration, but he could chide himself for that later. Ōnoki searched for the origin of the scream; a truly horrendous sound that spoke of untold amounts of pain.
The situation in the pit had turned around considerably, and even he was surprised at the change of tides. With cold and controlled brutality, the Chūnin – who had been on the back foot all fight long – started to dismantle his fellow contestant.
It took less than a single blink of his eye, for the Genin's left wrist to shatter under the firm grip of his opponent. The young boy had no time to utter a second scream. A fist, encased in hardened rock, crashed into his face and sent him spiraling into the arena's wall.
Within seconds, field-medics swarmed the pit and tried their best to keep the young Genin alive. Ōnoki though wasn't watching them. His sole focus rested on the Chūnin that had won the tournament in the end. Was it the Genjutsu that had enraged the boy so? Presumably.
He sighed, and vanished from the booth before reappearing next to the Jōnin who was responsible for organizing the tournament. Ōnoki disliked micro-managing his forces. This time, however, he had an inkling that it would behoove him to investigate the matter personally.
The woman knelt as soon as she noticed him. "Tsuchikage-sama."
"I want the age, the name, and the name of his teacher," Ōnoki said.
After nodding once, the Jōnin quickly went over the list of this month's participants. "His name is Sawaru Daichi, 17 years old. He isn't sponsored at the moment, apparently. Forgive me, Tsuchikage-sama, but for more information I would need access to his files."
Ōnoki's eyes never left the Chūnin who was currently getting berated by the medics for his mindless brutality. "See to it. I want a full report on him as soon as possible."
Hours later, Ōnoki browsed the file of the Chūnin Sawaru Daichi, and the more he read, the more displeased he became. It wasn't a towering rage yet – he still wasn't pacing – but the good mood of the afternoon was certainly long forgotten.
The last report in the file contained information about a failed mission to Nami no Kuni, where he lost his teammate to a blond shinōbi from Konoha. A blond shinōbi who definitely didn't fight like a Yamanaka according to the description in the report.
His suspicions had been enough for him to order the boy into his office, where he listened to a detailed recounting of the botched attempt on the bridge-builder's life.
Ōnoki massaged his brows. "At a bridge of all things..."
It was too strong a remainder of the battle at Kannabi-kyō, where – within a single strike – a team of Konoha's shinōbi had disrupted Iwa's supply lines for months. It had been a strike led by the very man his village demonized to this day – Namikaze.
The mere mention of this man never failed to enrage the Tsuchikage. In a short moment of inattention, Ōnoki's tightly leashed chakra broke through, and an ominous rumble was felt by everyone who worked in the administration district of Iwagakure.
He quickly gathered himself and started to march through his office – at a sedated speed, but still pacing.
Ōnoki walked over to the Chūnin – Daichi – who had been quite affected by his outburst seconds ago. He pointed at the opened bingo book on his table. "Are you sure that he looked like this? Exactly like this?"
Daichi moved over to the table and took another look, forcing himself not to let his eyes stray away from the repugnant picture of Namikaze Minato, however disgusting it may be. He nodded, and the revulsion was clearly visible on his face. "Ten years younger. Other than that, he's a carbon copy."
Ōnoki halted and his eyes wandered over the black ink in the book. It described Iwa's bane so accurately. The idea, the pure notion repulsed him... but, somehow, the bastard had fathered a son before he died in that whole biju mess roughly a decade ago.
At the moment, the bastard's son was barely as strong as a Chūnin – a flickering of light on the horizon at last – but such things could change quickly, especially with Konoha's Fang of Vengeance as the brat's teacher.
He looked over to the Chūnin next to him and found a silent companion who shared his disgust for Namikaze's son. They had different reasons, but the same goal, the same purpose... the boy had to die, and that better sooner than later.
Ōnoki floated upward a few inches and rested his gnarled hand on Daichi's shoulder. "People always meet twice in life. When you see him again, make sure that your revenge is as harsh and unforgiving as the stone that gave birth to you"
He took another look at the Chūnin. Micro-managing really wasn't his forte, but the boy needed a new sensei, especially after meeting the son of Namikaze. Perhaps it was time to foster an apprenticeship on Rōshi.
In the meanwhile he would have to ponder on how to use this new information in a way that benefited his village the most.
Rather noisily, Naruto placed the last few side dishes on his small table and then sat down next to his teammates; a steaming cup of tea in front of him. He smiled and filled his pipe, but a droplet of water fell into the chamber and made the tobacco unusable instead. His golden locks were still slightly wet from showering.
"Wasn't that just elegant, Naruto?" Sakura laughed and quickly went into the bathroom. A moment later, a towel was thrown at the blond. "Here, use it, or you'll drip the whole place."
Naruto grinned sheepishly and rubbed the towel furiously over his hair. "Thanks."
Looking over to the table, the blond saw that the Uchiha had already made himself comfortable. Sasuke had discarded his armor completely and lazed in a black shirt and black pants on his chair, sipping the tea.
Feeling eyes on him, Sasuke looked up. "We're bad at smalltalk. Already forgot, Dobe?" His lips twitched.
How curious that the Uchiha knew exactly how he had tried and failed to find some meaningless conversation starter. "There's something to be said 'bout practice, Bastard." Naruto looked out of the window. "It's pretty nice weather, eh guys? Not one cloud in sight."
Sakura came out of the bath and rolled her eyes, setting her cup down with a noticeable clinking sound. "We're here for a reason, right?"
"Right. Analysis it is, then," Naruto said. "The Tsuchi Bunshin wasn't really the problem on my side. I was able to destroy it once I got close enough for Taijutsu, but the Genjutsu before that..."
Sasuke nodded, and leaned forward. "I meant to ask about that. We know that Genjutsu isn't your strength exactly, but you're able to break through most we try on you nowadays."
Scratching his cheek, Naruto answered, "It wasn't the quality, but the amount. The damn Tsuchi Bunshin layered like three illusions around me – probably would've done more if not for a chakra shortage. I tell you, this guy – Kotetsu – is a fucking beast when it comes to Genjutsu."
"Not just there," Sakura said. "I don't know about his Ninjutsu, but he completely destroyed me in Taijutsu, once he took me a bit more seriously. Honestly, I don't even want to know what this giant conch mace could have done to me."
"How is this guy still a Chūnin?" Naruto asked.
"Who knows... his partner wasn't any different. You said his name's Izumo, right?"
Naruto nodded, and filled his pipe once more – this time he succeeded. "Ye, the duo's pretty much always guarding the main gate."
"Aside from Kotetsu-san, what about your fight with Izumo-san, Sasuke?" Sakura asked.
"..."
"C'mon, Bastard! We lost as a team so don't go mute on us now..."
Sasuke grumbled, before gathering himself and staring at the wall across the room. "He was... better. In pretty much everything, that's it. His actions countered mine. His Suitōn extinguished my Katōn. He... it was strange. My sharingan saw so many possible actions he could take, it was hard to decide on a final form of defense. He was faster, too."
"Chūnin... seasoned, but still Chūnin. Fuck!" Naruto smashed his fist on the table and startled his teammates.
"Calm down, Naruto," Sakura said. "We aren't happy either."
"Hn."
After following Sakura's advice, Naruto looked at his teammates – an intense expression on his face. "This begs the question how we could fail to estimate ourselves by such a degree. After Kakashi's training, I simply assumed we were the strongest of the current Genin and could easily take on most Chūnin."
"You've got something in mind?" Sakura asked.
Naruto nodded. "Our assumptions led to our defeat once already – this time it was against some friendly guys who just tested us, nothing more. I'd hate for the same thing to happen again, especially in the exams."
"Information." Sasuke was still disgruntled. "About the exam, about the teams that participate."
"Exactly."
Sakura frowned and emptied her cup. "But how do you want to do that? I get the Konoha teams – those we can manage. But what about the foreign teams? Their teachers will be on the look-out, and some of them only arrive a day before the exams start."
"First things first," Naruto answered. "We'll come up with something for the foreigners after we've gathered enough information about the exams and the Konoha teams. Do we know which teams are participating beside us?"
"Well, the street's bustling with rumors that every rookie team is going to be in the exams," Sakura said. "Which means Team 8 and Team 10. That's only two though, and I'm sure there are more."
"I've got an idea, but I can't guarantee anything."
Sasuke had finished his tea in the meanwhile and was already putting on the red shoulder plates. "Let's hear it then," he said.
"I'll simply ask Sarutobi-ji. Not about weaknesses and stuff like that, I doubt he'd tell me. Just how many teams and which from Konoha are participating."
"You think that will work?" Sakura was looking at him skeptically. "I didn't know you were so chummy with Hokage-sama."
"Eh, we go way back – even further than my first bowl of Ramen. As I said, I'm not certain he'll say yes. You can't lie to him, so I'd have to tell him the truth. Then again, it's worth a shot and better than anything else I can come up with."
"True enough," Sakura said. She sighed. "I'm going to use the time to find something about the exams in general. I'm sure there's some information if I dig deep enough. What about you, Sasuke? Do you think there's something in the Uchiha archives that could help us?"
"Doubt it." Sasuke put the ninja-to in its sheath on his back. "The archives are mostly history about the sharingan, and a few clan-specific techniques. Nothing that could help us at the moment."
Naruto looked at the Uchiha. His smile had vanished the moment Sasuke put on the armor, but he didn't think anyone had noticed it. "You could scout out Team 8. I don't know anything about their teacher, but it would be better not to assume that Hinata, Kiba, and Shino are the same as in the academy."
Sasuke nodded and rose from his cushion, intent on fulfilling his mission. Sakura, too, set the second cup of tea aside and vanished through the opened window after giving Naruto a brief hug.
Once more his apartment was empty. Naruto shook his head. He had other things to deal with at the moment...
Not bothering to knock, Naruto entered the spacious office with a smile. "Hey, Jiji! Missed me?"
"Have I?" said Hiruzen. Then he looked at the document on his desk.
Slowly rising from his chair, the Hokage took the ruined sheet of paper – trails and blots of ink making his own calligraphy illegible – and threw it into a bin. He shot his desk and the remaining stack of paperwork a furtive glance before looking back to Naruto.
"Actually, I think I have," he said, laying his gnarled hand on the boy's shoulder.
His concealed personal guard saw the hidden hand signal, and left the room unnoticed. Taking his pipe and a small pouch from the desk, Hiruzen then steered Naruto toward the dark red couch decorating the corner of his office.
"Bones gettin' brittle, eh?"
The previously peaceful hand on Naruto's shoulder sprung into action and whacked him over the head faster than the boy's eyes or senses could follow. Hiruzen smiled. "However brittle they may be, it's still enough for a young troublemaker like you."
"Otherwise, your hat would be mine already," Naruto said. He sat down next to his surrogate grandfather and took the offered pouch filled with exotic tobacco to prepare his pipe. "Thanks, I know that you get the good stuff as Hokage."
"Cha no Kuni."
Naruto squinted his eyes. "Huh?"
"That's where the tobacco comes from," Hiruzen said, after taking a first puff on his pipe. "The quality has nothing to do with my rank, but everything with my purse."
"Being Hokage doesn't shrink your purse though."
Smokey trails escaped Hiruzen's nose as he looked at Naruto. The corner of his parched lips turned slightly upward. "You'd be surprised how poor this hat can make you."
"Can't be that bad," Naruto said. Finally having ignited his own pipe, he leaned back and relaxed into the couch. "Remember, Jiji. I've seen your home."
"Ah, yes. The compound that has been built by my father and was decorated by my mother."
Naruto watched the failed attempt of his smoke ring dissolve, and huffed. "You've got the quality tobacco in the end, so how bad could it be?"
The Hokage waited until Naruto turned his head to him. Then he blew out a ring that perfectly framed the blond's face. "You've become more subtle, but not enough to fool me. If you want the brand, then do your work, save up, and order it."
Naruto scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. "You saw through it," he said.
"From the moment your greedy eyes landed on the pouch." Hiruzen allowed himself a small chuckle and pointed with his pipe at Naruto's Hitai-ate. "You're an adult now. So, provide for yourself, and prove that your teacher was right in handing you the insignia of our village."
"How'd you do that?"
"What, finding out?"
Naruto laughed. "Not that. I kinda expected it, to be honest. The ring. How do you keep the ring from dissolving?"
"Practice," Hiruzen said. "That, and a lot of experimenting."
Years ago, his son had received exactly the same answer on a similar question, and it led Asuma to some interesting new combat techniques once he noticed that infusing chakra into the smoke was possible. Haisekishou – the Katōn Jutsu Asuma had developed – was a prime example and absolutely lethal if used correctly.
After watching Naruto go through a few tries of his own with no real success to speak of, Hiruzen cleared his throat to get the boy's attention. "If you're done, why don't you tell me what really brought you here?"
"Can't I just visit you?" Naruto frowned. The sad truth that he had only visited the old man because he wanted something churned in his stomach.
Hiruzen eyed the blond shrewdly and his expression became dry. "Of course you could," he said. "But that doesn't mean you would, nowadays. I am reasonably sure that you had a purpose beyond spending time with me when you stepped through the door."
"I...well, yeah."
"Don't worry too much," Hiruzen said. He thought about ruffling Naruto's hair, but stilled his hand and favored him with a smile instead. "It's human, not to mention a fault of old men like me. After all, we've taught you youngsters that this world doesn't lend itself to altruism."
Naruto nodded in thanks toward his grandfather and Hokage for giving him an easy way out. "You're too perceptive, Jiji. You know that, right?"
"So I've been told from time to time." The smoke that left Hiruzen's mouth formed into the crisp shape of a leaf – almost looking like a smug statement.
"People could call it annoying."
"That they could indeed." Hiruzen laughed. "It's a useful talent though, especially when little rascals and shinōbi want to butter me up for something."
The Uzumaki listened to the wizened man next to him, and took in every detail he could – from the joyous laughter to the caring manner in which he tried to reprimand and teach him. Yet, nothing he saw was in any form consistent with the hypotheses he had formed about a Kage's duty. It was reassuring, but also frustrating. He could feel that his Hokage wasn't pretending to be anyone else than the man Naruto had come to love as his grandfather, but now he also knew what the world out there demanded from the person who donned the hat.
"How often have I actually done that? Can't be too high of a number," Naruto replied. He left his previous train of thought for the moment and puffed on his pipe.
Hiruzen snorted. "I would say every time you asked me if we can go to Ichiraku's."
Naruto sighed – another lost argument. He looked at his grandfather, and saw that the man was quite willing to let him keep stalling. He really should have visited more often.
Putting his hand over the tobacco chamber and sucking on the stem, he created a vacuum that quickly extinguished the embers, which left the left-over tobacco inside viable for later use; a neat little trick Tazuna had shown him in Nami no Kuni.
He secured the pipe on his belt, before turning fully toward the Hokage who had watched the whole procedure with interest. "I want to know which teams from Konoha are participating in the Chūnin Exams. Nothing specific about the individuals. Just the numbers of the teams, and the names of the Genin."
"And why do you want such information before the exams?" Hiruzen asked, a gleam entering his eyes. "In a few days you could see for yourself."
Naruto knew his answer probably wasn't going to be satisfactory, but tried it nonetheless. "I'd call it personal curiosity," he said.
Perhaps – with a stroke of his famed luck – it could work.
"... and I would know that you're lying," Hiruzen said.
Then again, his famed luck hadn't worked against The Professor so far, why would it start working now?
"We want to find out as much as possible about the competition before the exams start."
Hiruzen nodded, having already anticipated something like this. After assigning someone like Kakashi to instruct Team 7, how could he not? "I thought as much. What about the foreign teams though? There's no doubt that the competition will be fierce, and you know that I could never hand you a list with information about them."
"We'd worry over them later," Naruto said. He tried to look nonchalant. "So, is it possible to get such a list?"
"Oh, it's quite possible. I would even do it right now, if not for one little fact."
"Fact? What fact?"
The Hokage left Naruto to stew on the matter for the few moments it took to form another perfect smoke ring. "It's simple – a small misconception of yours if you will, even though it's important."
Looking eager to finally get his answer, Naruto asked, "Which is?"
"Easy, my boy. What can you offer me in return?"
Naruto believed that he had achieved mastery over the control of his explosive urges and impulses, which all too often gripped him and wrestled for release with his newfound sense of decorum. That, however, was apparently another misconception, and within seconds the office was filled with his laughter.
"Not bad, Jiji." Naruto continued to laugh and simultaneously tried to wipe the mirth out of his eyes. The wiping became softer and slower though the more he noticed that his grandfather wasn't laughing alongside him, and was, in fact, sitting still like a marbled statue. "You're not joking..."
For the second time in an hour, Hiruzen used his pipe to point at the blond's forehead. "Indeed, I'm not. Receiving gifts as a child is something completely different than asking for favors from your superior, which I became the moment you fastened that Hitai-ate around your head. So, tell me – what service can you provide that would make me hand over such a list?"
Naruto squinted his eyes, and thought about possible things he could-
"You've already got something in mind," he said. His expression was frozen in a manner which only people who finally understood could emulate. "You've had something in mind long before I even came into the office. You knew I'd come sooner or later."
Hiruzen nodded, no trace of guilt visible on his face. "I've told you that we old men never taught you about altruism. It is a rare and beautiful thing, but ultimately has no place in our world. The most basic rule was, is, and will forevermore be that everyone has their own motives – no matter how much we wish it would be otherwise."
"Even in Konoha?"
"Everywhere. Motives don't have to be malign in nature. It's simply the way we humans operate," Hiruzen said. He made an all-encompassing motion with his hand and offered the blond a smile to calm him down. "When people with similar motives meet, then a community is made, and thus we always gravitate to each other. In Konoha we try our best to help each other – so, a favor for a favor it is."
Naruto remained silent for a minute to let the words of his grandfather sink in, before returning the smile. "I think I get it."
The Hokage rose from the couch and walked over to a large shelf. He hummed for a few seconds, before pulling out a scroll and biting his thumb. After smearing his blood across the rolled parchment he verified that it was indeed what he had searched for, and then threw the scroll at the young Genin in his office.
Naruto caught it with ease and quickly skimmed over the beginning of the scroll. "Is this... ?"
"A part of Konoha's recent history," Hiruzen said. "Read, think, and understand. Then you'll know what I want from you, and even learn a first part of the other information you seek."
It didn't take long for the Uzumaki to finish reading, but quite a while for him to understand what the Hokage actually asked of him. Before reaching the disturbing conclusion about his upcoming side-mission though, he once again had to accept that in the world they lived in, bad events happened and unleashed equally bad, or worse emotions.
With all humor left behind, he looked at his grandfather. "You want me to protect Hinata from her own family during the exam?"
"Yes."
"And you truly think he'll try something?"
The Hokage nodded once more. "Accidents happen all the time in these exams, and young Neji harbors a lot of bitterness toward his cousin."
"This is wrong." Naruto skimmed the scroll again, and shook his head frustratedly.
"It is," Hiruzen said. "Therefore you are neither to kill, nor to cripple Hyūga Neji. His anger is dangerous and misplaced, but he is still a member of our community, a leaf of Konoha's tree. Perhaps, in time, he will come to understand that his cousin wasn't at fault that night."
Naruto listened, but his eyes remained on the scroll. "You assume that I'll accept, Jiji."
"I know that you'll accept."
"... too perceptive, Jiji," Naruto said. Then he looked up and saw his grandfather writing some numbers and names on a piece of paper. "There are still some details to hammer out though. If I really am to protect her, then I need more information about the Chūnin Exams themselves, otherwise I can't prepare."
Hiruzen finished the list and handed it to Naruto. "You forget that a shinōbi is often surprised and has to learn how to deal with such issues. More information would be worth another service, and however sad it is, you have nothing left to offer, my boy."
"Shrewd," Naruto said.
He was about to elaborate, when he glanced through the opened window and noticed a familiar figure speeding over the rooftops nearby. Giving in to his impulses, Naruto poked his tongue out before giving the Hokage a surprising hug.
"See ya!" Naruto said, and leaped out of the window to catch up up with the person he had seen.
The pebbles beneath his sandals crunched noisily as Sasuke's pace hastened further. With clenched fists and long strides, the stroll toward his apartment soon became a brusque march. He glanced at the wall next to him, but quickly averted his eyes. The fans hadn't been cleaned, hadn't been repainted, and specks of blood were still scattered across the symbols of his clan.
It had been his first wish; a cruel reminder of his goal.
He turned around a corner, leaving the street, and walked into the two-story building that housed his apartment. From his balcony he could easily oversee the whole compound.
That had been his second wish; another reminder. This time, however, not a cruel one. One day the many houses in the compound would be filled again, and he'd stand on the very same balcony to observe future generations of Uchiha.
He shook his head slightly as he opened the door to his apartment, and a few flicks of his wrist disarmed the two wire traps he had set up for intruders. It wasn't necessary strictly speaking, but a force of habit he had developed over the years.
Unfortunately, Itachi wouldn't die through a few wires.
Sasuke fiddled with some of the leather straps, before discarding his armor and placing it on a stool next to the kitchen table. Roughly rubbing his wrists, he walked up to the fridge and opened it, but after poking his head inside, he grunted and his ears twitched as the sound echoed through the white, confined space.
Emptiness challenged him to a staring contest.
He stepped back, grunted once more, and closed the fridge with his foot. The resulting smack satisfied Sasuke more than buying groceries, didn't eliminate the general issue though.
With no food to eat, there was only one thing he still needed from his apartment before he could try his luck at spying on a team that specialized in reconnaissance. He walked into the adjacent bedroom and threw the doors of his closet open. His hands sifted through the sometimes clean, sometimes sweaty and dirty clothes, before he reached the small seal matrix in the back.
Sasuke put his index finger on the middle and pushed his chakra into the focal point of the seal. "Fūin: Kai."
His hand reached out for the object that soon revealed itself to be a bound stack of even more seals. It was the first time he'd actually need one of those, a masterpiece of Fūinjutsu his ancestors had commissioned as the rivalry between Uchiha and Hyūga reached its peak.
Frugality was key here. The master who had made the design was long dead, and the few scholars of the Uchiha who produced these seals weren't among the living either. Still, a test run wouldn't hurt, and was indeed needed if his target was a Hyūga.
One seal per article of clothing – that was the rule, the restriction. He took a brown travel cloak out of the closet, slapped the tag on it, and activated it with another infusion of chakra. Sasuke's lips quirked. The rule was conveniently circumvented.
"Ninpō: Henge no Jutsu."
The Byakugan had the reputation of seeing through even the most advanced illusions – that was something the seal couldn't stop. But, the Hyūga wasn't the only person on the team, and with her famed bloodline limit blocked from seeing more than a few hazy outlines, it might be enough to fool her teammates at least.
In the eventuality that he'd be caught, of course. Not that it was likely.
Sasuke threw the modified cloak over his shoulders and pulled the hood deep into his face.
He pressed harder and harder, pumping chakra through his legs in the attempt to reach Sakura as fast as possible.
Crack.
Another roof tile split apart under his feet. The uprising groan wasn't acceptable – didn't help his current mission in any form – and was thus suppressed with vehemence. Sakura would know what to do. Hopefully. Paying for broken tiles had to come later, after finding the person who would have a good idea on how to resolve the mess he made.
Sasuke changed his direction, pushing even more energy out of his feet – intentionally murdering the control exercise to get the little boost being blasted away would grant him.
A pair of unfamiliar Chūnin appeared in front of him. Probably to make him pay for the property damage he caused. He blasted right past them. They'd be confused. Good. Confusion made people slower, and he couldn't allow himself to be caught until he informed his team.
His peripheral vision let him notice another approaching shinōbi, who came at him with speeds a tad slower than his own, but still enough to impede him shouldn't he be able to make a quick get-away. He would have liked to sigh; this too was suppressed. It didn't help him in his mad dash over Konoha's roofs.
Crack.
He simply ignored it. Sasuke saw a water tank in his way and narrowed his eyes. That would be too much property damage. Screw his team, even if it made him a second slower... He jumped on top of it, but as he tried to propel himself away, a hand landed on his shoulder and rooted him in place.
Damn. The other shinōbi had caught up.
For a moment he considered shrugging the hand off and-
"Don't even think about it, Bastard. What the fuck's wrong with you?"
Sasuke turned around. "Naruto?"
"Are you kidding me? I shouted your name for the last few seconds... some teammate you are, ser-"
"Shut up, follow, and listen." Sasuke slapped the hand from his shoulder and leaped off the tank.
Naruto quickly followed. Wind whipped against his face, and he had to put all his abilities to use simply to stay on the Uchiha's heels. "Bastard! Problem?"
"Team 8. Caught."
"And?"
Sasuke didn't turn around, leaped over another roof, and rolled his eyes instead. "Think."
Thinking actually suited the blond much better in this case. Every breath wasted on talking made him painfully aware of the pace his black haired teammate set. His eyes widened after a few seconds. "To Sakura?"
"Finally," Sasuke said.
"Library then."
"Yes."
Naruto grimaced as he felt the first signs of upcoming chakra burns. Still, he drew up more of his reserves and sped past Sasuke. This would hurt later. "Faster," he said.
They found Sakura a few streets away, exiting a store next to the library with a pleasant smile on her face. It vanished though, as soon as she saw the sweaty and red faces of her teammates. Her green eyes narrowed. "What happened?"
Sasuke stared right past her. "The sensei from Team 8, a woman, noticed me. I've managed to avoid detection from Kiba, Shino, and Hinata, but I'm sure that she told them who I was."
"How could she notice you when the trackers on the squad didn't?" Sakura asked.
Naruto brushed with his fingers through his hair, and sighed. "Don't be too harsh, Sakura. Whoever the sensei from Team 8 is, she's a Jōnin. Who knows how she detected him."
"Besides, that's not the real issue now. Our goal was to gather information on the teams, not to let them gather information about us," Sasuke said. He looked over to Naruto. "I recall that in the academy, Kiba and Choji were friends with you and Shikamaru, right?"
"Right."
Sakura groaned. "It's not really a secret that we went on a mission to rescue Team 10 in Nami no Kuni. If their sensei told Team 8 who you are, then they'll try to gather some information from them."
"We could barter with Team10 if we find them first, but we'll need some information to trade," Naruto said. "Please, Sakura, tell me that you found something."
Sakura jumped on the roof a few feet above them, and beckoned her teammates to follow. "We can talk while we search for Team 10."
As soon as they were on their way, Sakura answered, "I've asked around and searched the library for a few minutes. Most of what I found is just generic information, but it does help us somewhat. There are three tasks – the first tests the mental capabilities of the Genin, the second symbolizes a mission, and the third is a traditional one-vs-one tournament."
"I think we can work with that. I spoke with Sarutobi-ji and he gave me the list with Konoha's teams."
"Without complaints?" Sakura asked.
"...well, I may have to fulfill a mission for him which might eventually make the whole exam harder," Naruto answered. Then he favored her with the most innocent smile he could muster.
Behind them, Sasuke shook his head in desperation. "All we wanted was some information... this is a nightmare."
"Wherever Kakashi-sensei is, I'm sure he's laughing about us right now."
The large shadow of an oval-shaped water tank enshrouded him completely, and his extensive training in ANBU had made sure that no noise escaped as he took a peek on the main street that led through the gigantic walls protecting Suna. He had to resort to a minor Genjutsu to change his face and color his hair – a stronger illusion would have undoubtedly led to his discovery. Any shinōbi worth is salt would have noticed the larger amount of chakra circulating around his face.
Kakashi watched his Tsuchi Bunshin walk away with his Guide. It wasted almost one third of his chakra just to make it durable enough so it could sustain itself until Tsugaido had escorted him to the agreed destination, which was – naturally – far away from Suna and near to the forests of Hi no Kuni.
The loss of chakra was regrettable, but a necessary investment if he truly wanted to uncover what got Konoha's long-time ally in such a state. The many squads that rushed around like busy worker bees, the Kazekage's deceptive words which were meant to fool Kakashi, but only made him more suspicious... something was amiss, and he'd find out what.
The Elite Jōnin grinned wolfishly. It was time for another little trick he had picked up during his many S-ranked missions in ANBU. At the moment, he still wore his Konoha garb – the reason why he currently hid in the shadows.
In the last war though – even as a kid – Kakashi already had a devious mind, and thought nothing of scavenging the dead bodies of enemies and sometimes even allies (as long as they weren't from Konoha, at least).
Kakashi bit his lip, and looked wistfully down at his arm bracers. Then he shook his head, bit his thumb and smeared blood over the seal inscription on the left one. There was no sound, no puff of smoke, and he easily caught the scroll that emerged.
He unfurled it, searched for the correct matrix, and used his blood again. Kakashi's grin widened as he laid eyes on the nearly undamaged armor Suna shinōbi had worn in the third war, and on the village's Hitai-ate worked into the helmet that would cover his head. It was an old armor – he knew that a few years ago, Suna had issued new ones – but there were bound to be some old veterans who denied the new uniforms.
With his old clothes sealed inside the bracer again, and the Suna armor as a disguise, Kakashi only had to wait for a good chance to integrate himself in whatever was happening. It was always dangerous to infiltrate and spy on other shinōbi nations – capture meant death in pretty much every case.
But despite the horrible future that awaited him should he be caught, Kakashi shivered in ecstasy. This was what he lived for now – the incredible thrill, the excitement, the adrenalin pumping through his veins.
Ah, if only his young minions could be here with him to feel the same. He was sure they'd feel it too!
Alas, they weren't ready. Not yet, at least.
Kakashi lounged on the roof – now out in the open – until he sensed another group passing him. With a jump that looked slightly off-kilter and made him stumble a bit, he landed next to the Chūnin who led the squad.
"Eh, careful, old man!" The Chūnin said, while steadying the old man that had just jumped in front of him.
As soon as he had regained his balance, Kakashi said, "Thank you for your help, young man. I've yet to get back in shape."
"Back in shape? For what? Who are you?" One shinōbi in the back asked.
"He's obviously one of the old veterans. Look at what he's wearing you dunce." The leader pointed at the old armor, before looking back at Kakashi. "He's right though. For what do you need to be in shape?"
Kakashi wagged his finger. "You youngsters think you can fool me? I fought in two wars you scoundrel! Of course I'd notice when trouble is brewing. Not that you were all that stealthy in your approach."
"Look, old man. You're right, okay? But we can't tell you. You're too old and your service to the village is long done." The Chūnin's expression was one of pity.
If he could, Kakashi would have snickered. They were just too easy. "I- Please." His eyes were boring into the leader and his voice gained a defeated quality. "I've got nothing left here. Wife and child are dead, I'm not in the shinōbi roster anymore... this isn't the way to die for a shinōbi. I want my death to be on the field – a last time against the enemies of my glorious village."
A Chūnin in the background stepped forward and looked at his leader. "It would be one soldier more, and he's got the experience. Look at people like the Tsuchikage, or the Hokage... they're even older than him."
"True," said another shinōbi.
After a few moments of deliberation, the Chūnin who lead the squad came to a decision. "Listen, old man. I'm going against my orders with that stunt, but I guess another strong shinōbi would make them reconsider executing me on the spot. You are strong, right? I don't want this to blow up in my face."
"Strong? Boy, I've survived two wars. What do you think I am? I just need a bit of time to recondition my body," Kakashi answered.
"Alright, alright. It's decided then. We'll lead you to the camp, but you have to talk with the commander on your own."
"Thank you," Kakashi said. He gratefully shook the man's hand and leaped forward into the direction the squad had been heading before. Again, his landing wasn't the smoothest – he had a role to play after all.
Turning around, his smile revealed a lot of creases. "What's taking you so long? Can't compete with an old geezer like me?"
The squad appeared next to him in an instant and some of them snickered. "Don't get too excited just yet. I can always send you away."
Kakashi saw the humor in the man's eyes. "You'd deny an old man like me his dying wish?"
"..."
"I thought not," Kakashi said, trying his best to keep up with the squad while imitating the movement problems an old veteran of two wars could have. "Say, what's actually happening? Last time Suna was this busy, we prepared for the third war."
The Chūnin laughed. "You'll see soon enough. Just wait until we're there and your dream will come true."
Silence reigned for over thirty minutes as the group of five Suna shinōbi and an old war veteran exited the village and sprinted through the desert. It was after climbing on a large dune that Kakashi saw what had generated the whole excitement, and he sucked in a sharp breath.
"Have I promised too much?" The leader asked.
Kakashi quickly regulated his breath, although he could feel his heart hammering violently against his ribcage. "No, that's exactly what I wanted."
"Onwards then. We have to report in, and I'm sure the commander has a minute for you."
Kakashi really had to work the muscles in his face to produce a smile. "Great. I can't wait to meet him. Maybe it's an old friend. Who knows?"
"Could be. He's around your age."
"Well, let's get going then," Kakashi said.
He trailed slowly behind the group. and in a short moment of the Chūnin's inattention his eye narrowed to a slit as he overlooked the large oasis in front of him. He counted more than four-hundred tents – some larger, some smaller – and on a field in the west, a large company of shinōbi was running through drills.
These troops definitely weren't there to exterminate some bandits. This was an army, and Kakashi smelled treachery in the very air around him.
Shikamaru sat on the front porch of his home, an incomprehensible look on his face as he stared at the crowd of Genin that had appeared in front of him mere seconds ago. They looked exhausted, as if everyone of them had run a marathon – which Team 7 apparently won, but only by a small margin of eight seconds.
"Listen Shika-" Naruto said.
Kiba jumped in front of the blond and growled. "Don't listen to him."
"Don't interrupt me again, Kiba." Naruto took a step forward and came face to face with the Inuzuka.
Kiba didn't back down though, and came closer himself, until their noses nearly touched. "Or what? You'll beat me up, Dobe?"
Behind Naruto, Sasuke put his hand on the hilt of his ninja-to. It might have been an overreaction, but he had become surprisingly possessive of Naruto's title.
Sakura, who saw Naruto clenching his fists, put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder to calm him down. She leaned over to his ear. "If Naruto can control himself, you can too."
"Troublesome... Can't you be silent for a while? I need to think," Shikamaru said. His eyes focused on Sasuke's weapon. He had seen in Nami no Kuni just how much devastation and death the Uchiha could call forth with it.
His wish of silence was granted. With his hands in the usual position he needed to formulate strategies and think problems through, his synapses fired at their full capacity as he searched for the reasons and motives both teams could have. They obviously wanted something from him – or his team – and came to trade, or convince him.
Sakura walked over to Ino, who stood shell-shocked next to Choji. Never in her wildest dreams had the Yamanaka anticipated that it would come to such tensions between the rookies from the academy. Most of them had been friends for Kami's sake.
"Hey Ino," Sakura said. She gave her old friend a tired smile.
"Sakura... what the fuck is happening here?" Ino asked. Her voice was a whisper, carrying a lot of confusion with it.
"We want something from your team. So does Team 8. Let's call it negotiation."
"Negotiation? Sasuke-kun nearly drew his ninja-to!"
"But he didn't," Sakura said. "By the way, what's Shikamaru doing?"
Choji looked at her and his concerned expression turned into a grin. "Shika's really smart. He can concentrate better like this."
"Does it actually have an effect? I mean, does he use chakra in any form?" Sakura asked. She looked over to Shikamaru, but couldn't sense anything out of the norm.
"I don't think so", Ino said. She shrugged her shoulders. "It's a habit I guess, but-"
Ino's explanation was abruptly stopped by the loud chuckles that escaped Shikamaru. The Nara gave each member of Team 7 and Team 10 another short look, saw exactly what he wanted to see, and then broke out in laughter. It didn't happen often that he went all out when laughing – way too exhausting – but the hilarity of this situation was simply too much for the lazy Genin.
"Are you okay, Nara?" Sasuke put his hand once again on the hilt, but lifted it instantly when he saw Naruto looking at him and shaking his head. Sasuke was confused. Why was the Nara laughing? About them? Nah, that couldn't be... but one never knew with other people.
A moment later, Shikamaru had composed himself and looked at Naruto and Shino, a grin tugging at his lips. "Why don't we get back to business, Gents. I'll talk with Shino and Naruto, before making my decision."
Shikamaru rose from the porch and walked inside. "Coming, Shino?"
The Aburame righted his collar and nodded. Kiba's hand landed on his shoulder and stopped him though. "Why are you the one to go?"
"You still haven't calmed down sufficiently, therefore it is only logical that I go," Shino said. Then shrugged Kiba's shoulder off and followed the Nara inside his home.
Hinata stepped up nervously next to her remaining teammate. "Kiba-kun... please don't worry. You know that's how he is." She gave him a shy smile. "Let's trust in him."
The Inuzuka relaxed his muscles and grinned at the Hyūga heir. "Hah, you're right. I'm sure he'll manage."
What neither of them noticed, were the eyes that focused solely on the blue haired girl. That was the girl he had to protect; Hinata. How could anyone want to hurt her? Her own family no less? He didn't understand, especially as the girl appeared to be friendly to the extreme.
Sakura in the meanwhile had left Ino and Choji to their own devices and appeared next to Naruto, leaning over to his ear. "You've got a crush on her?"
The blond smiled, but shook his head in the negative. "She's Sarutobi-ji's mission."
"You have to kill Hinata?" Sasuke whipped his head around and looked wide-eyed at his teammate.
"Bastard, what's with you and all the blood lust? You're kinda off your game today."
"Well, he isn't wrong is he? Or what exactly entails Hokage-sama's mission," Sakura said.
Naruto lowered his voice even more. "Protection. We have to protect her during the exam. Jiji probably meant the second test with that."
"Who the hell wants to kill her?" Sakura asked. "She's as nice as you can get. I couldn't even bring myself to hurt her in the academy spars..."
"Byakugan," Sasuke said.
"Correct, but not in the sense you're thinking off." Then, Naruto saw Hinata looking over to him, a red hue on her cheeks and he smiled back. "We're discussing this later guys. After I've made the deal with Shika."
A few minutes later, Shino left the house and went over to his team. He looked at Naruto. "It is your turn, Uzumaki-san."
Naruto walked past him. "Please, call me Naruto."
Inside Shikamaru's home, Naruto didn't have much time to appreciate the decor – which certainly was appropriate for one of the major clans of Kohoa from what he could glimpse – before he saw the Nara standing in the kitchen, leaning against a table.
"There you are," Shikamaru said, and grinned.
Naruto lazily strolled into the big kitchen until he halted in front of his fellow Genin. "Here I am. I guess Shino told you as much as you need to know about the situation."
"Oh yes, he did that. Really, Naruto. Spying on fellow Konoha shinōbi?"
"It's a shame we got caught."
"True." Shikamaru chuckled. He had liked the blond in the academy and sometimes even played with him, but the new version wasn't half-bad either. "And now you're here to make a proposal I believe. Just like Shino did."
"I won't grovel, Shika. All of Team 7's information about the exam and whatever Sasuke learned about Team 8 before their sensei identified him."
Shikamaru scratched his chin. "What exactly do you want from me and my team in return?"
"You know what we want."
"Troublesome. Yes, I do. But please say it again in case there are any mistakes – Sasuke seems a bit bloodthirsty today."
Naruto grimaced. "He got caught, that's all. You know he's prideful."
"Ah, right. Now, what do you want?"
"Your team is the only one who has any information on us, which is bad enough. We don't want it to spread, not even to other Konoha shinōbi. At least not before the Chūnin Exams are over."
Shikamaru's eyes bored into the blond and his brow furrowed. "That's a good proposal. Really, not bad. I think I've decided. C'mon let's go outside and tell the others."
When they walked outside, Naruto kept a straight face and went over to his teammates, while Shikamaru asked Ino and Choji to join him on the porch. It was an an odd triangle the teams formed in the Nara's courtyard.
"I've made my decision," Shikamaru said. He looked exceedingly bored. "I'll accept none of your proposals."
…
"But," he quickly continued before all manners of weapons would fly his way. "I'm willing to offer a compromise that will, hopefully, satisfy all of you."
Shino stepped forward, pushing his glasses upward with his finger. "What do you have in mind, Shikamaru-san?"
"I'm curious as well, Shika," Naruto said.
Shikamaru's lips twitched and he grinned like a shark. "I have no doubt that at some points in the exam, they'll have a big tournament. That's always going to be the last task though. What I want, is a temporary alliance between our teams for the phases that come before that."
Shino seemed to think it over, ignoring the hollering of Kiba in the background and the futile attempts of Hinata to once again calm the Inuzuka down. The compromise wasn't that much different than what he had proposed to the Nara – just with Team 7 included. He was somewhat agitated that they spied on his team, but there was no denying their skill. His Kikaichū had told him as much.
In the end, he nodded once. "We agree."
While Shino was thinking, Naruto had walked over to Sasuke and said, "Don't do anything stupid, Bastard." He glanced furtively at Hinata, who was still in conversation with Kiba. "Hinata's our side-mission. This actually makes it easier to protect her."
Naruto turned back to Shikamaru and gave him a thumbs-up. "We're in Shika."
The Nara looked relieved and smiled. "Good. With this group of nine we've pretty much got everything covered – scouting and tracking, pure combat, capture and gathering intelligence. Naruto, you and your team doesn't have to spy on Team 8 and 10 anymore... which should suit you well. Shino, you'll learn soon enough what Team 7 is capable of."
Naruto turned to Shino. "Our teams should meet up a day before the exams to go over possible strategies and to fill you in on what we'll learn about the other teams participating."
"Indeed." Shino nodded.
"... Naruto-kun."
Naruto who hadn't noticed Hinata's approach, looked at her. "Mhh? Sorry, Hinata. I didn't get that."
Hinata visibly steeled herself. "I- I said that you don't have to scout my cousin's team – Team 9. I can- I can tell you about them."
The blond narrowed his eyes. "That's good. It would've been difficult to spy on them."
Kiba laughed. "Especially when you already failed against us!"
"Sasuke, can you please stop unsheathing your ninja-to every time they say something?" Sakura looked ready to throttle the Uchiha.
"Well, that's it, I guess. Why don't you all go home and sleep it over?" Shikamaru said.
It didn't take long for most to say good bye and vanish. Sasuke and Sakura looked expectantly at Naruto, but the blond simply waved his hand. "I still got something to talk about with Shika. You go on, I'll meet you tomorrow at the usual place."
Naruto sat down on the second cushion, directly in front of a Shōgi board and across from Shikamaru.
"Is smoking allowed?"
"We're out in the open. Go for it. You want to play a round?" Shikamaru pointed at the board.
The Uzumaki nodded, and stuffed his pipe. He had learned how to play Shōgi from the Hokage, although he wasn't exactly a genius in the game. Most of his plays were rather arbitrary.
Clack. The game begun, and while the first minutes were spent in silence, Naruto soon paused and looked at Shikamaru. "You're brilliant."
The Nara looked baffled. "Thanks?"
"That's why I can't understand why you don't apply yourself as a shinōbi. Your performance in Nami no Kuni was horrible. Why?"
"Look at it from another angle." Clack. Shikamaru crossed his arms after his move. "I did apply myself just a few minutes earlier. It's true enough that we needed a wake-up call, but training takes time. Time that we don't have with the Chūnin Exams that close."
"So, the alliance..."
"Benefits Team 10 the most obviously." Shikamaru grinned. "My team his neither the strongest, nor the fastest. We're basically prey in the exams. Unfortunately we can't change that in one or two weeks. What I could do, however, was covering our weaknesses. With your team and Team 8 we have high hopes to actually make it out alive."
"You hammered out a compromise that enticed everyone enough to actually agree with it. I feel used, but still, that's pretty impressive."
"That's the point though. Did it really entice everyone enough?" Shikamaru looked at Naruto with narrowed eyes. "For someone who wanted absolute silence before, your agreement came awfully quick."
"You say that I lied to you?" Naruto calmly puffed on his pipe.
The Nara made another move and leaned back, supporting himself with his elbows. "Lied? No, more like left out. Here's the thing, Naruto. We're comrades. At least we're supposed to be. I know that you had extensive training, hell, your squad is probably the best Genin squad when it comes to fighting..."
"Where are you going with this?"
"You've become more prideful than Sasuke. Every team specializes in something different, and even if you can wipe the floor with all of us, there are still areas in which we beat you equally as bad," Shikamaru said. He moved another piece and prematurely ended the game with a single attack Naruto hadn't seen coming at all.
If Naruto had been superstitious, he would have thought the Nara had planned all this in advance. He set down his pipe and looked at the board. "Was it that bad?"
"I would have said something earlier had it been too bad, don't worry. Just remember – we're all shinōbi of Konoha." Shikamaru pointed at the game. "You're not half-bad, by the way."
"You don't have to lie to me, I know I'm horrible at Shōgi." Naruto rose from his seat and stretched a few times.
Shadows sneaked over the porch and bound the blond tightly. "Aren't you forgetting something?" Shikamaru asked.
"Why do you want to know it so badly?"
Grinning, Shikamaru leaned back until he was able to see the ceiling. "Just think of it as me applying myself. There's still something that could potentially hurt my team. Now, stop being so troublesome and talk."
Naruto sighed and scratched his cheek. "We have to protect Hinata until the tournament phase; Hokage's order."
"Hinata? Against whom?"
"Who knows? Everyone who attacks her – she's the heiress to the largest clan in Konoha, after all."
"That's-"
"...troublesome, I know, right? Anyway, it's getting dark and I still need to eat. I'll see you around, Shika."
Shikamaru waved his hand and gave Naruto a lazy smile. "Don't be a stranger, you troublesome blond."
AN: That's it. Again, slightly over 10k words... I promise that the next chapter will finally start with the Chūnin Exam... just needed to set everything up properly.
Nami no Kuni – Land of Waves
Cha no Kuni – Land of Tea
Kannabi-kyō – Kannabi Bridge
Hitai-ate – Forehead Protector
Katōn: Haisekishou – Igniting Ash-cloud (Used by Asuma in his fight against Hidan.)