I do not own Naruto. All I own are my OCs and the plot.

"Are you finished with that poison yet, gaki? I don't like to be kept waiting."

"It's in the rack. I'm making a new one, Sasori-sensei."

"What are you using for it?"

"Curare and strychnine."

"Isn't that a bit much, un?"

"No, it will be extremely deadly. You cannot use it in sparring matches. There is no cure for strychnine after all."

"I understand, Sasori-sensei."

Sasori examines the vial that Naruko left in the rack.

"Perfect."

Sasori tucks the vial into his weapon pouch, then picks up one of Naruko's pairs of gloves and tosses them to her.

"We need to head to the training ground. Your genin test is today."

Naruko catches her gloves and slips them on, then she stands up and follows Sasori out of the lab. Deidara brings up the rear and grins. Naruko heads over to stand next to Haku, Kimimaro, and Gaara. Haku smiles slightly at her, then returns his attention to the senbon he is twirling in his fingers. Ruka enters the training ground with a white-haired woman behind her.

"She looks like the Nidaime Hokage."

"He was my great grandfather. My name is Senju Yukari."

"Yukari-chan will your opponent. If she deems you worthy, you will become a genin team."

Itachi enters the training ground and nods at Yukari before walking over to stand next to Kisame and Meigetsu. The toddler in Meigetsu's arms smiles widely at Itachi and reaches toward him.

"Itachi-oji!"

"Hello, Mako."

Mako's smile widens when Itachi lifts him out of his mother's arms and places him on his shoulder. Yukari smiles slightly, then turns her attention to Naruko when the girl steps out in front of her. Her red eyes narrow slightly, and she watches the redhead closely. Naruko begins to circle the older female, looking for an opening and planning to end the fight quickly. Haku, Kimimaro, and Gaara join Naruko in circling Yukari when she passes by them. Yukari smiles and relaxes slightly.

"They pass. They're already working as a team."

Naruko glances at the others with a slightly confused look on her face, then jumps to the side to avoid a tree branch that was aimed at her face.

"Let's see how you fare against the Mokuton."

Yukari flips through hand signs and slams her hand onto the ground. Trees start springing up out of the ground and forces the four to retreat. Yukari smirks, then flips through hand signs again.

"Suiton: Suishōha!"

Naruko, Haku, Kimimaro, and Gaara barely manage dodge the attack. Yukari nods approvingly, then looks at Ruka.

"They pass, Ruka-sama. They're clearly ready to be genin. Few people can dodge my attacks."

Yukari turns her attention back to the four, who are watching her warily.

"The test is actually over this time. You all have the potential to be great shinobi."

"Yukari-chan, did you bring their hitai-ates?"

"Hai, Ruka-sama."

Yukari holds out three shiny hitai-ates to the new genin.

"These are for the boys."

Yukari fishes an older hitai-ate out of her weapon pouch and approaches Naruko.

"This one was your mother's. I thought you would want it."

Naruko takes it from Yukari and ties it around her head. Nagato steps forward and smiles at the four genin.

"Time to assign you to your mentors for your time as genin."

Yukari turns a surprised look on Ruka.

"Ruka-sama, I thought they were going to be my team."

"No, you'll get a different team. I can't send you out with them. You're restricted to the village and the surrounding areas, remember?"

Yukari narrows her eyes and scowls at Ruka.

"I left Konoha for that very reason. Are you going to try to force me to retire from being a kunoichi next to get me to marry someone and settle down to rebuild the Senju clan?"

"No, Yukari-chan."

"Then why am I still restricted to the village?"

Itachi hands Mako back to Meigetsu, then steps forward and rests his hand on Yukari's shoulder. Ruka scowls at Itachi.

"Don't scowl at him! Is that why you're restricting me to the village? To keep the Senju and Uchiha away from each other? My clan already tried that, and they failed!"

Ruka sighs, then turns and heads back toward the village. Nagato glances at Yukari and Itachi, then he calls out to Ruka.

"Will you permit Yukari to move into the Akatsuki base?"

Ruka pauses for a moment and nods, then continues walking back to the village.

"Naruko, Haku, Kimimaro, Gaara, your first task as genin is to help Yukari-chan move her things into the base. Itachi, Kakuzu, Sasori, Konan, go with them to supervise."

The chosen members nod, then Yukari leads the group to her apartment inside the village. Itachi walks at Yukari's side and Naruko drops back to walk next to Sasori. Sasori glances at her, then holds his hand out. Naruko pulls her gloves off and sets them in his hand. Sasori tucks the gloves into his weapon pouch.

"Sasori-sensei, do you know who Nagato-nii is going to assign each of us to?"

"Hai."

"Will you tell me?"

"No, Leader-sama will when we return."

Naruko frowns, but nods and falls silent.

"I will tell you that I have requested you be allowed to continue learning about poisons from me, whether I am chosen as your primary teacher or not."

Naruko nods and smiles slightly at Sasori's words.

"Arigato, Sasori-sensei."

Yukari unlocks her front door and leads the group into her apartment.

"Here are some sealing scrolls. I'll take care of the items on my bookshelves and in my room. The rest of you can handle the furniture and everything from my kitchen. The fridge, stove, washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, and microwave stay. Everything else goes with me."

Itachi stays next to Yukari and the rest of the group split up to start sealing items into the scrolls. Naruko picks up a tri-pronged kunai and stares at it curiously.

"That belonged to the Yondaime Hokage."

Naruko sneers at the kunai and seals it into a scroll quickly. Yukari frowns and approaches the girl.

"Why are you angry with your father?"

"He sealed the Kyūbi into me the day I was born. He's the reason everyone hated me. I hate him."

Yukari raises her hand and slaps Naruko. Naruko stares at Yukari in shock.

"I never want to hear you say that again. Your father was overjoyed when he learned that he was going to be a father and it is not his fault that he had to seal the Kyūbi into you. There was a man there that night who ripped the Kyūbi out of your mother, which ultimately killed her, and turned it on the village. Your father trusted you to be strong enough to keep the Kyūbi under control. If anything, the fact that he sealed it into you and not someone else shows how much faith he had in you."

Naruko stares at Yukari silently for a moment, then she scoffs.

"Like I believe that. How would you know that anyway?"

"Because I was there that night. I could already use the Mokuton and it can be used to subdue a bijū, so my clan had me out there helping fight the Kyūbi. I saw the man controlling it when he tried to attack the Yondaime. I also saw the moment that he realized he had to seal the Kyūbi into you. He was planning to sacrifice himself, so that your mother could live and be with you. However, the Kyūbi tried to kill you to prevent the sealing and your parents threw themselves in front of its claw. I doubt your mother would have lived anyway because she was weak from giving birth and having the Kyūbi ripped out of her weakened her even more."

Naruko stares at Yukari for a moment, then looks away. Yukari sighs, then continues to clean off her bookshelf. She pauses when she gets to a small plush toy and lifts it gently, a sad smile appearing on her face.

"Was that a gift from Kushina-chan?"

"Hai. It was the first toy I owned."

Itachi gently takes the toy and seals it in a scroll. Yukari shakes her head and turns to the shelf again. Kakuzu walks over to Yukari and taps her shoulder.

"We've finished packing everything in the kitchen and all the furniture. Do you want us to take these things back to the base?"

"Hai. Arigato, Kakuzu-san."

Kakuzu nods, then leads the others out of the apartment and down the hall.

"We should hurry and finish here."

Itachi nods and begins to quickly seal the remaining items in a scroll. Yukari smiles slightly, then does the same.

"Yukari-chan, will you help me train whichever genin I am assigned?"

"Of course, Itachi-kun."

Itachi and Yukari finish sealing her last few items a few minutes later and exit the apartment, then head back to the base, a comfortable silence settling between them until Yukari breaks it.

"Itachi-kun, do you plan to bring your younger siblings here eventually?"

Itachi remains silent for a few moments, then he glances at her.

"No, I doubt they would want to see me anyway. I know Sasuke hates me and I have no doubt that Rima has been swayed to his way of thinking."

Yukari smiles sadly and rest her hand on Itachi's shoulder. Itachi smiles slightly at her, then turns his attention back to the road. They walk the rest of the way back to the base in silence and split up when they arrive. Yukari heads to her new room and Itachi goes to ask Kisame to spar with him.