21 - Welcome to The Leaf

Naruto and Sakura walked along a fence bordering one of the Hidden Leaf's emptier side streets. They took solace in the rare isolation found here, away from the prying eyes of the hundreds of tourists and competitors arriving in droves the past two weeks. Seeing so many new faces, clothing styles, and weapons was neat the first few times. However, it lost its novelty when the streets became crowded with sweaty travelers on a regular basis.

"Hey Sakura," Naruto said, hands behind his head, "sure is nice to get away from it all, huh?"

"Yeah. Usually I have to travel by rooftop to have any peace and quiet these days!"

"You're tellin' me. Anyway, where's Sasuke? We were all supposed to hang out today."

Sakura shrugged. "I'm not sure. I haven't seen him."

"Don't tell me he's taking after that lazy Kakashi-sensei now!"

"Ugh. I hope not."

Naruto froze in place, looking out of the corner of his eye at the fence. Sakura didn't react at first. When she noticed she was walking alone, she turned back in confusion.

"Naruto, what's-"

"Hyah!" he shouted. Naruto grasped at a spot where the fence's texture seemed off compared to the rest, and was pleased to find it wasn't solid. He snatched away the shoddy excuse for a disguise, finding none other than Konohamaru Sarutobi giving him a sheepish grin. "Gotcha."

"Aww," Konohamaru said with a bittersweet laugh. He adjusted his forehead-mounted goggles; they'd been pushed out of alignment when his hiding spot was discovered. "Looks like you noticed me, Big Bro Naruto!"

"'Course I did. There's no way that old trick would work on me, believe it!"

Sakura shuffled over to them and bowed. "Good morning, Honorable Grandson."

The kid's face contorted. "It's Ko-no-ha-ma-ru, okay?"

Naruto whispered in his teammate's ear and she gasped, then smiled down at the pint-sized boy. "Oh, okay! Sorry, 'Konohamaru.' Good morning!"

Peeking around Naruto, Sakura squinted at a couple of mismatched pieces of scenery near the fence. The terrible disguises came to life. Two kids of similar stature to Konohamaru emerged from their conspicuous hiding spots. Naruto waved at the younger boy's friends.

"Hey, you guys!" he said. "Moegi, Udon, what's up?"

Sakura followed his lead and greeted the other two kids. Konohamaru ran over to them and struck a heroic pose. "You were lucky this time, but don't get comfortable! I'll take you down one day. That's my rival's promise!"

Both Genin regarded the boy with obvious doubt. He jabbed a finger at them, shouting, "Don't you dare mock the Sarutobi Clan! I'll become Hokage before you do, Big Brother!"

"Yeah, sure," Naruto said with a provoking chuckle. "Whatever you say."

"What's this about?" Sakura asked, ignoring the tantrum happening in front of her as Konohamaru continued to shout.

"Oh," Naruto said, "it's nothing. Because Konohamaru and I are both descended from Hokage bloodlines, we're in a race to become Hokage before each other." He smirked down at the boy. "But I'm gonna win, of course."

"I see." Sakura glanced from one boy to the other, watching them lock eyes in a battle of childish determination.

"That's what you think!" Konohamaru said, shaking a fist. "I'll become Hokage just like Grandpa! Then you can be Hokage after me."

"Keep dreamin', Konohamaru!"

Several unfamiliar presences popped up on Naruto's radar. He looked to his left for the source of the foreign chakra. Three shinobi who appeared to be about his and Sakura's age were walking down the street in his direction. Their garments didn't match the typical attire of Leaf ninja.

"Who are they?" Konohamaru whispered.

"Beats me," Naruto said.

"They must be competing in the Chunin Exam," Sakura surmised. She pouted. "I guess our secret shortcut's not so secret anymore."

When the three shinobi were close enough, Naruto could make out the symbols on their headbands.

Sand ninja!

He stood to meet them head on. Deep in his gut, Naruto felt a sense of duty as the Hokage's son to welcome them to the village. That and he was still a teensy bit ashamed of the whole fiasco he caused with that Sand delegate in Minato's office.

Any friendly words he'd conjured up vanished when the middle team member looked at him. The boy's almost soulless green eyes examined him like he was an insignificant bug. Naruto couldn't help but notice the guy's lack of eyebrows. Dark rings accented his browless eyes, adding to the eeriness of his predatory stare. He had a large brown peanut shaped container strapped across his back and a head of rust-colored hair. Not the vibrant Uzumaki red Naruto was used to, but a more muted tone. His companions were a girl with ashen blonde hair styled into four wild buns, and another boy in face paint wearing a dark jumpsuit. All three of them toted different types of strange giant objects that looked too heavy for their body builds.

"Welcome to The Leaf," Naruto said, forcing a smile and extending a hand in greeting. They not only ignored the gesture, but pushed him aside like he didn't exist! Naruto stumbled backward and regained his balance just in time to keep from falling over.

"Move it," Jumpsuit Guy said, knocking Konohamaru to the ground as he passed.

"Ow!" Konohamaru landed on his butt and threw the three bullies a sour look. "Hey! Watch where you're going."

"Konohamaru!" Sakura called out, hurrying to help him up. "Are you okay?"

Jumpsuit Guy sneered over his shoulder. "I hate noisy little kids."

Naruto trembled. A white hot rage overcame him when he saw the trash talking teenager reach for Konohamaru's collar. He honed in on the marked kunai he'd given Sakura during training, then blinked into existence between Konohamaru and his attacker. Naruto clamped a hand around the jerk's wrist and gave him a vicious stare.

"Agh!" The guy snarled, jerking back and finding he could not free his arm. "What the hell's your problem?"

"I could ask you the same thing!" Naruto said. "Sakura, watch the kids. I've got this." He gave his captor a rough shove, knocking him into a nearby tree. "Hey scumbag, don't you know it's rude to barge into someone else's village like you own the place?"

"You damn brat! What's it to you?"

"Well, seeing as I'm The Fourth Hokage's son, it matters a lot to me."

His adversary paused to take in the information. "Wait, you're that guy's kid?"

"Yup. Naruto Uzumaki, son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, believe it!"

"Eh." Jumpsuit Guy shrugged. "I was expecting someone less scrawny."

"What was that?" Naruto snapped back, moments away from giving this random visitor what he had coming to him.

"Kankuro," said the weird redhead in a monotone voice, "that's enough. We didn't come here to get into a meaningless fight. Besides, you'd lose."

'Kankuro' nursed his wrist and winced. The moment the monotone guy spoke, it was as if his two teammates heard and saw no one else. Was he their leader?

"I'd lose?" Kankuro said. "Ah, come on, Gaara! Let me rough him up a little. Famous parents or not, he's just a brat who talks big."

Gaara flared his eyes at Kankuro, whose protests came to an abrupt stop. The girl opposite him looked even more afraid. Her knees knocked together as she watched the situation unfold. Gaara directed his lifeless stare at Naruto. Something about the former's name rang a bell, but the intensity of the moment distracted Naruto from connecting the dots.

"You," Gaara said, "son of The Yellow Flash."

"Yeah?" Naruto stood tall. He would not allow himself to show fear, no matter what.

"I look forward to feeling the full value of my own existence when we meet on the battlefield. Like you, Temari, Kankuro and I are children of a kage. Let these exams prove which of us is more worthy."

Right, that was it! This 'Gaara' guy was the Kazekage's son. Naruto knew he recognized the name for some reason. Now that they were face to face, he had to admit the redhead was nothing like he ever would have expected. Gaara was hateful, broody, and full of malice that he appeared to struggle to keep in check.

The odd phrase "feeling the full value of my own existence" left Naruto speechless. Something about the way Gaara said it, and the expression on his face when he spoke, sent chills down the blond's spine. It was becoming clear that this exam was much more than just a 'test' to Gaara. He exuded a bloodlust similar to Zabuza's back in the Land of Waves.

I can feel it in my bones. He wants to KILL me.

Another person jumped in before Naruto was finished wrapping his mind around this idea. A blue shirt with a fan-shaped insignia blocked his view. He started in a mixture of recognition and excitement.

"Sasuke!"

"Hey loser," his brother replied coolly, "are you hurt?"

"O-Of course not! Shut up."

"Sasuke, you're here!" Sakura said with a hint of relief.

The razor-sharp, refined flow of chakra emanating from Sasuke told Naruto that the former's Sharingan was already active.

"Naruto," the Uchiha said over his shoulder, "the guy in the middle's bad news."

"I don't need a special set of eyes to see that. His chakra levels are through the roof!"

"No, I mean really bad news." Sasuke turned back to Gaara. "You're a Jinchuuriki, aren't you? I can see that hidden source of chakra inside you."

Gaara gasped, but collected himself in no time. He adopted his earlier cold expression. His gaze had a weight to it that pretty much commanded fear. If Naruto had to describe what he saw in a single phrase, he would call it the physical embodiment of murderous intent.

"What?" Naruto said under his breath. "A Jinchuuriki? You mean like Mom?"

"So," Gaara said, "you really can see a great deal with those eyes. I remember hearing about The Hokage taking one of the last Uchiha under his wing. You must be strong." His mouth twisted into a sickening grin. "I wish to assert the value of my existence against you as well."

Sakura urged Konohamaru and his friends to run to safety, then formed a united front with Naruto and Sasuke. She kept a hand near her weapon pouch just in case.

"If you're thinking of trying anything, it won't go well for you!" Sakura warned. She failed to suppress a tremble.

Giving the kunoichi all of a half second's attention before outright dismissing her, Gaara huffed. "You two are holding yourselves back carrying trash like that around."

"Alright, that's it!" Naruto fumed. He stepped forward to engage Gaara but Sasuke blocked his path.

"No, Naruto," he stated firmly without taking his attention off of their enemies. "There'll be time for that during the exam." There was a glimmer of repressed hostility in Sasuke's eyes. "No need to make a scene."

Across from Team 7, Temari and Kankuro appeared to be whispering similar warnings to Gaara. He had undergone a notable change in attitude. All of a sudden, he was on the verge of salivating for some reason. Naruto turned his nose up at the sight.

I hope everyone who's visiting for the exam isn't this deranged.

"We done here?" Sasuke asked, his attention never leaving the trio.

"For now," Kankuro bit back, "but don't expect mercy during the exam!"

Temari shouted something about not underestimating the Sand, then led Gaara away alongside Kankuro — presumably toward The Hokage's Mansion. Sakura was still a little shaken up, so Naruto moved to comfort her. He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Don't listen to him," Naruto said. "Sakura, you're really strong too. Remember how you ran circles around us during the water walking laps? And you learned tree climbing in one try!"

She gave him a subdued smile. "Thanks, Naruto, but you don't have to do that."

"Do what?"

"Try to cheer me up." Sakura twirled around and walked in the opposite direction. "Come on, you guys. We've only got a week left before we compete. Let's not waste time thinking about them."

Sasuke hummed in agreement and followed her lead. He glanced at the improved storage seal on his wrist warmer. "I do have a few more things I need to test out, anyway."

"That's the spirit, Sakura, believe it!" Naruto said, thrusting a fist into the air. "Ichiraku after?"

His teammates cringed and let out a combined sigh.

Three shinobi with Hidden Grass headbands perched atop a nearby tree branch. They silently observed an interaction below between a raven-haired Uchiha boy, his teammates, and a visiting group from The Sand. Dosu crouched and balanced himself on the branch, humming in thought. His comrades Zaku and Kin stood on either side of him, smirking down at their soon-to-be prey.

"Whadda ya think, Dosu?" Zaku inquired, never taking his eyes off of the Leaf Genin.

"The usual weaklings, for the most part. Nothing special. But the one from the Uchiha Clan, The Fourth's runt, and that desert rat? We should watch them. Carefully."

"Only one of'em's our target," Kin said. "Does that mean we're allowed to kill the others?"

"Of course, so long as you make it look accidental," Dosu said, raising one of his hanging sleeves. His single exposed eye snapped to Kin for confirmation. She nodded.

The three predatory ninja Body Flickered away from the scene. Naruto turned to look up at the tree branch. Seeing nothing, he paused to consider whether his senses were playing tricks on him. He dismissed the matter after a few seconds.

Sasuke idly swung his legs over the side of a wide tree branch. Itachi sat next to his little brother, demonstrating a shuriken throwing technique to nail targets in various areas of the forest. Every projectile took a curved path that allowed it to bypass obstacles or slip between tree trunks.

Hungry for knowledge, Sasuke committed every nuance of Itachi's demonstration to memory: his arm positioning, wrist movements, the amount of force used for the throws, and so on. Thanks to enrichment from the more experienced Uchiha, he now found it easier to follow complex maneuvers like these even without the Sharingan active. In less than a month, Itachi's training had produced results unlike anything he thought possible.

"Got that?" Itachi smiled down at him.

Seeing his big brother in the traditional uniform of an Akatsuki member caused a twinge of internal pain for Sasuke, but he pushed past this discomfort and smiled back. "Yeah, I've got it."

"Okay. Now you show me, Sasuke."

The raven-haired Genin sighed and fished a handful of shuriken out of his bag. He repeated every throw formation shown to him with pinpoint accuracy. The most complicated tactic, using one shuriken's kinetic force to redirect another around a corner, was no less achievable. Itachi gasped at the ease with which Sasuke was picking everything up.

"Well done," he said in disbelief. His shock turned to pride and he tapped two fingers to Sasuke's forehead.

The nostalgic gesture gave his younger sibling pause. Sasuke allowed a smile to work its way onto his face, wiping a hand across his forehead. "You haven't done that in years," he said. "I never thought I'd actually find myself missing it."

"Yeah, it really has been a while."

Words flowed out of Sasuke's mouth before he had a chance to think. "Deep down, I always worried that you'd totally push me away one day. Every time you told me 'Sorry Sasuke, maybe next time,' I wondered if you were only saying that to avoid training me. And then that night just confirmed those fears for me."

Itachi grimaced. "I know. I…I just didn't know what to do. Looking back, pressure from all sides led me to believe it was better if I kept you out of things. But don't worry, Sasuke." Itachi put an arm around Sasuke, placed a hand against the back of his neck, and pulled him close. "I'll never push you away again. I promised mother and father I would look after you, and I'm going to do it right from now on."

Sasuke''s eyes glistened with tears he refused to let spill. "Is that a promise?"

Itachi touched their foreheads together, looking his last remaining family member squarely in the face. "Sorry, Sasuke. Looks like you're stuck with me."

A rustling from below announced Minato's arrival. Sasuke looked down through the clusters of leaves and spotted his adoptive father's golden hair. He and Itachi shared a bittersweet glance.

"Up here," Sasuke called out. Less than a second passed before Minato was staring down at them from a neighboring tree.

"Hey, you two," he said through a smile. "How'd your final training session go?"

"It went well. We've just been talking," Itachi explained. He patted Sasuke on the back. "Well, off you go, Sasuke."

All three ninja dropped to the forest floor. The Uchiha brothers shared a brief embrace before Sasuke stepped away to join Minato.

"Thanks again for picking up some of the slack with Sasuke's training," Minato said. "You've been able to teach him things that I just can't."

Saddened by the memory of their slaughtered clan, both boys dropped their gazes. Itachi was the first to speak. "I need to head back to the hideout so no one gets suspicious. Sasuke?" His little brother looked up. "Do your best in the exam."

Sasuke nodded, taking the words to heart. He smiled as Minato reached for his hand, spiriting him away to the Leaf Village.

On the morning of the first day of The Chunin Exam, Team 7 marched through the doors of the academy in single file with their heads held high. Sasuke flinched mid-stride and turned back.

"You guys, we-"

"Yeah," Sakura interrupted, "I know. I'll take care of this." She made a hand sign to aid in concentrating her chakra. "Release!" Then she reached out and took hold of Naruto's arm.

He blinked, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders. His vision, which had distorted to such a subtle degree that he didn't notice until now, cleared up. "What was that weird sensation? Were we falling under a Genjutsu?"

"That's right," Sakura said as she finished helping Sasuke in the same way. "Once we crossed the threshold, we triggered an illusion."

"Lucky for us that Sakura was able to break the Genjutsu," Sasuke said with a grateful smile. "I don't even have to use my Sharingan yet."

They strolled toward the staircase and went up one floor, intending to find their designated testing room on the third floor. Instead, they encountered a small gathering of students. Team 7 watched as people tried to force their way past two self-appointed door guards. They didn't look too much older than those they were turning away, which Naruto found odd. Were they really supposed to be blocking people, or were they just bullies?

The two wasted no time using force against whoever tried to get through. First they struck a boy with impossibly large eyebrows who wore a sleek green jumpsuit, knocking him down. Then a girl with hair styled into two neat buns helped him up and tried her luck, receiving the same punishment for her troubles. Chatter around the two victims broke out. Everyone was upset because they needed to get inside and start their test. Naruto exchanged looks with Sasuke and Sakura as he pointed to the sign above the door.

"Huh? That's 201! Aren't we supposed to report to room 301?"

Some of the Genin being denied entry turned to stare at Naruto in confusion. Murmurs traveled through the crowd. The two guards glared, directing their attention at Naruto.

"Hey kid," one of them said. "You might wanna get your eyes checked!"

His partner scoffed. "He thinks he's such a big shot. Hokage's kid or not, you can't just make it as a ninja on status alone."

Instead of fighting, Naruto took a moment to examine the two faces in front of him. "Hold on a minute," he muttered, strumming his chin as he tried to figure out why they looked familiar. "Ah, that's it!" His aggressors' former snide attitudes gave way to mild panic. "You guys are Izumo and Kotetsu, aren't you?"

The surrounding Genin gasped. Izumo and Kotetsu worked fast in an attempt to talk their way out of the situation.

"W-What? What are you talking about?" Izumo said with feigned dismissiveness.

"You've got the wrong guys, brat," Kotetsu added.

Not deterred one bit, Naruto gave Kotetsu a friendly pat on the back. "What are you wearing these stupid disguises for, guys? Shouldn't you be escorting people to the third floor?"

The duo could do nothing but look around in embarrassment. Sasuke smirked, allowing Sakura to do the honors.

"They put us under a Genjutsu," she announced to the others. "This is only the second floor."

The jig was up, so Izumo and Kotetsu undid their transformation jutsu with a synchronized hand sign. Voices in the background gasped and jeered.

"Well done, you three," Kotetsu commended, smiling and offering a soft bow.

"Naruto, you're pretty sharp," Izumo added. "All of you, actually."

"We realized there was a Genjutsu active on the first two floors right away," Sasuke said.

"Yeah," Naruto cut in. "Plus, I'd know you guys' chakra signatures anywhere, even if you did make yourselves look our age!"

"Perks of being the Hokage's kid, I guess," Izumo bemoaned.

Naruto shook his head. "Nuh-uh! I'm just really observant, believe it! Sure, Dad lets me come to his office a lot, but he doesn't tell me all about every shinobi."

"Ah," Kotetsu said with a nod of understanding. "We stand corrected."

Wishing the class good luck, the two disguised Chunin dispelled the Genjutsu and Body Flickered out of sight. Bushy Brows and his kunoichi partner joined up with a third person. Naruto knew him all too well. That perpetual moody expression and conceited demeanor? He was without a doubt Hinata's cousin Neji. Team 7 took up the helm of the stream of students flowing toward the staircase, followed by Neji's team. Naruto felt the jerk's eyes on him, but held in his disgust. They had more important things to worry about right now.

Minato stepped into the silent and sterile hospital room where Tsunade arranged to meet him. She was sitting alone. Her unfocused gaze blinked back to attention when he entered.

"Good morning, Lord Hokage." Tsunade stood to shake his hand. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yeah. I needed to meet somewhere private, away from prying eyes."

"It's no problem." She returned to her seat. "Though I have to admit, I'm curious what this is all about?"

Her eyelids lifted a touch, a silent bid for a response. Minato cleared his throat and leaned on the opposite wall, arms crossed. Sweeping the room to ensure they were alone, he got down to business.

"Right. So, I've asked you here today to discuss a highly classified matter."

"Highly classified?" She swallowed hard.

"Yes. In case you're anticipating this, no, this isn't about your meeting with Kushina." Tsunade's impossible to ignore chest rose and fell. "Actually, it's related to an event that happened 5 years ago."

The gears in the Senju princess's head turned and she gasped. "5 years ago? You don't mean-"

"That's right. The Uchiha Massacre."

"What about it, if I may be so bold? I thought that incident was over and done with."

"I wish it were that simple, Tsunade."

"Until a moment ago, I thought it was."

He sighed and slid a hand down his face, stopping to pinch the bridge of his nose. "What I'm about to tell you cannot leave this room. Understood?"

"Understood."

"Good. Tsunade, I am here today to tell you the truth about that night, and about the man blamed for the incident: Itachi Uchiha."

Minato's use of the words 'blamed for' versus 'responsible for' had very specific implications. The look on Tsunade's face made it clear she understood this. There was no use delaying, so he divulged the entire truth to her over the next few minutes.

When at last the tale was recounted in full, Tsunade wiped her brow.

"Wow," she exhaled. "That was a lot."

Minato gave a wry laugh. "Well, to be fair, I warned you."

Once she finished collecting her thoughts, she stared hard at The Fourth Hokage.

"Itachi's truly an ally to The Leaf?"

"Yes, he is."

"But then, what about Sasuk-"

"He knows."

"Come again? He knows?"

"That's right. Sasuke put the pieces together on his own. He's a perceptive kid, and he's had his suspicions for some time. He decided to approach me about it after becoming a Genin, because that was his self-imposed deadline. He'd been hoping for me to willingly admit the truth." Minato frowned. "Sasuke was rightfully furious with me at first, but now he's more or less come around."

Tsunade sighed, studying the tiled floor. "And to think Sensei knew about all of this too. I'm honestly at a loss here."

"He did what he thought was best for the village given the circumstances. I can't say I fully blame him, but as Sasuke's father, I can't turn a blind eye to what's happened either."

"Okay, but what does all of this have to do with me?"

"Itachi's illness is said to be incurable, or at the very least impossible to diagnose. I don't know whether it's tied to his Mangekyou Sharingan or completely independent of that. He has done some investigating and found a rare medicine that succeeds at alleviating the symptoms, but it's not a solution — just a band-aid. Itachi's health is worsening day by day. If Fugaku were around, I'd go to him about something like this to see if it's an Uchiha-related condition."

"I see." Her eyes flashed with a glint of understanding, "I think I know where this is going."

"I'd imagine so. Listen, Tsunade. I owe a great deal to that young man for his support over the years. All of the pain he endured was because of my failures. But I won't order you to do something like this if you're not comfortable. In the end, it's your choice."

The buxom blonde tensed. A vein bulged on her forehead. Minato proceeded with his request.

"Would you be willing to treat someone who has done the things Itachi has, knowing all that you know now?"

He watched as she clutched fistfuls of her haori's green fabric. She curled into a withdrawn position. Minato had no idea what to make of this reaction. All he could do was wait for Tsunade's answer.

The Sannin rose with a powerful pump of her legs and stood upright. "I took an oath," she began, her voice rising in intensity. "I took an oath when I became a Medical Ninja. I created the Medical Corps to ensure that as many of our shinobis' lives were saved as possible! In my entire career as a ninja, I've never once renounced that oath." She smiled at Minato. "And I don't plan to start today. If Itachi is who you say he is — someone fiercely loyal to the dream my grandfather fought for — and he needs treatment, then that's exactly what he's going to get."

Minato placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded in appreciation. "Thank you, Tsunade. I'll send for you when it's time." Minato dismissed his master's former teammate and she spun toward the exit with purpose in her step.

Tsunade marched out of the room and down the hall toward the unrestricted wing of the hospital. He watched her jacket flap in the wind, adding more weight to her already striking presence. One look at her back showed him why she single handedly managed to revolutionize the shinobi system. Even he, the village's head, would not hesitate to follow a woman like her into battle.

The staircase to the third floor brought the exam candidates to a long hallway leading to two alternate paths. Signage indicated that one corridor led to bathrooms and water fountains, and the other to classrooms. Sakura decided to take a detour to the former before they got in line for registration. The restrooms were around the corner, nestled at the back of a large room with three walls. Naruto and Sasuke waited outside until she was ready, using small talk to stave off tense silence. The room's soothing atmosphere helped to calm their nerves. Sunlight streamed in from outside between thick pillars. The spotless hardwood floor had a stunning sheen that added a touch of elegance to the otherwise unremarkable open space.

Once everyone reunited, Team 7 followed Sakura to a shortcut she knew where they could enter the classroom wing from a side door. A voice from above grabbed their attention.

"Hey you, the Uchiha and the Uzumaki! Hold on."

They stopped in the center of the room and turned to see Bushy Brows standing on an overlooking balcony. He stared down at them in a combat pose. Naruto was surprised that the guy managed to get so close without him sensing anything.

"Huh?" Naruto said, his face contorting when he got another look at those massive eyebrows. Now that they were facing one another, more details stood out. This weirdo's gigantic eyebrows were rivaled by a ridiculous bowl cut and bulbous eyes.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked with genuine curiosity. "Are you lost or something?"

Bushy Brow chuckled as if the assumption was absurd. "No. My name is Rock Lee. I want to fight. Right here and right now!"

"Fight?" Sakura said, looking between Naruto and Sasuke, who both shrugged.

"You wanna fight here and now, huh?" the Uchiha repeated.

"Yes!" Rock Lee hopped down from the balcony and landed with ease and grace. "I challenge you, Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha! Either one of you will do. From what I hear, you both performed exceptionally well in your graduating class."

"Yeah, so?" Sasuke shot back. "What's it to you?"

Naruto nodded, as puzzled as his comrades were. "I mean, I get that you think we're really strong and all. Not that you're wrong, but why not just challenge us during the exam trials?"

Sakura and Sasuke cast their eyes skyward at the not so subtle boast.

"I was feeling impatient." Lee adopted a defensive stance. "Everyone is always talking about the Uchiha Clan, and how great they are. The Uzumaki are equally praised in the village. I want to see if it is true. I figured you will be a good test for me." He turned to Sakura. "And also…"

She held her breath. "Huh?"

"What is your name, if I may ask?"

"Sakura," she said slowly, trying to figure out where this was going. "Sakura Haruno?"

"Ah!" he said, his fierce stance softening as he smiled. "Sakura Haruno. A wonderful name for such a beautiful girl."

Sakura and her teammates gasped in unison. "B-beautiful?" Although her face portrayed a polite smile, her voice sounded like she was trying to avoid cringing on the spot.

"Yes! Sakura, please be my girlfriend. I vow to protect you with my life!"

Naruto and Sasuke watched for her response with palpable anticipation.

"N-no thank you," she stammered, "but I appreciate the compliment."

His rosy cheeks fell and his posture sank as he processed the rejection. "I see. That is unfortunate." Lee gulped back sadness and compartmentalized his shame, returning to the previous subject. "Regardless, I still wish to fight one of you."

The brothers whispered to one another, then looked back at Lee. He resumed his combat stance.

"Out of all the top Leaf Genin," Lee said, "I am the best. Fight me and I will prove it to you."

Naruto shrugged. "Rock Paper Scissors?"

Sasuke nodded. "Eh, sure. Best of three."

Dim ceiling lights in a stuffy medical examination room flickered. Shizune flexed her fingers to adjust to the elastic gloves she'd donned, then stared down at a boy lying prone on the table in front of her. Her patient was a young man with shoulder length gray hair. His back was exposed under a downlight mounted to a cart full of equipment. Shizune concentrated chakra into the tips of her fingers and felt along her patient's shoulder blades, moving all the way down to his waistline. The procedure was slow, methodical, and quiet apart from his occasional coughs.

"All done," she said, hoping to bring some measure of relief to the boy's suffering. "Lady Tsunade should be back to do the full examination in just a moment, Shin."

"T-Thank you, Ms. Shizune," the boy wheezed.

His body rattled. She had to place a palm against Shin's back to keep him from rolling over the side of the table. His coughing fit was promptly settled by Shizune sending a current of chakra into him through one of her gloves.

"There. Try not to move for a bit. I've introduced some of my chakra into your system to promote healing and lessen the pain. It's not much, but it should help so long as you stay put."

The boy offered a feeble nod. "Where's my brother?"

"I asked Sai to sit outside in the waiting room. As soon as we're done here, I'll take you to him."

"Okay, good."

Shin tried to smile, but managed no more than a weak grimace. Shizune's eyes swam with tears as she looked down at the sickly child before her. He was so young, and yet so forsaken by fate. First he was orphaned, then conscripted into Root by Danzo, and now to top it all off, he was suffering from what appeared to be a degenerative illness? This wasn't fair. The poor boy had done nothing to deserve his lot in life.

Startled, Shizune looked up as footsteps approached. A set of sturdy double doors connecting the examination room to the rest of the hospital swung open. Tsunade entered with her head buried in a medical textbook chronicling past research studies. The pages had started to yellow, but the work of the book's craftsman stood the test of time. Skillful binding held its leather frame together.

"Lady Tsunade! You're back. How…was…?"

The aide's words fell on deaf ears. Tsunade was so engrossed in whatever she was reading that she began gnawing at the casing of her ink pen. Her index finger strummed against her chin. She didn't dare blink, like she feared it might cause her to overlook some crucial detail.

Shizune knew that face. Gears were turning. Variables were being considered. Innumerable risks were being calculated at a speed unrivaled by any other medic on the planet. Moments like these were almost always followed by mind blowing breakthroughs no one else could have come close to figuring out. No one but Tsunade.

That was why Shizune admired her late uncle's former lover so much. Why she sought the Slug Queen out as a mentor even after Dan's death. Why she would never leave Tsunade's side. The woman's mind was one of a kind.

Her book thumped shut, signaling to Shizune that it was time to get to work. She stepped back to make room for her senior, pleased to know there was hope for Shin after all.

"Agh, you cheater!" Naruto bellowed.

Sakura crossed her arms. "How do you cheat at Rock Paper Scissors?"

Her question went unanswered. Naruto and Sasuke were too busy having a glaring match before their tiebreaker round. They backstepped and struck matching poses, never breaking eye contact. Sweat beaded along their foreheads.

Both boys' arms rose and fell in sync with one another. Naruto bit his lip as he threw out his final play. He looked away in fear of the outcome. Sasuke, however, made his move with much more composure. Sakura found herself peeking through her fingers. She had been sucked into the manufactured tension before she knew what hit her.

Naruto turned back to observe and his face lit up. Rock beat scissors. He was the winner of the final round! Sasuke tipped his head forward in concession, then stepped back to spectate beside Sakura. Naruto jumped around with gusto, celebrating his win and getting pumped for the upcoming challenge.

Sakura leaned on the wall with her hands behind her back. She stared at her feet for a moment before finding the courage to say what was on her mind. "Hey, Sasuke. I saw what you did back there."

His eyes snapped to her, revealing a hint of either doubt or panic; with Sasuke, it was always hard to tell. "Weren't you covering your face?

Her cheeks flushed and she smiled through her nerves. "I couldn't help it. I kind of…peeked?"

"Oh." The stoic Uchiha looked away, watching Naruto and Lee take their positions on the makeshift arena floor.

"You let Naruto win just now. I saw you change your hand at the last second. Why?"

Sighing, Sasuke shrugged. "It mattered more to him. Besides, there are plenty of other strong people here for me to test myself against."

"Oh, alright." Sakura fell silent. She let her hair fall to hide her face.

The pink-haired kunoichi was a mix of emotions. Sasuke was quite the complex person after all, even more so than she realized at first. Despite how driven he was to get stronger, he had no problem taking a backseat to make Naruto happy. All these years crushing on him, and still…

I really don't know a thing about Sasuke, do I?

The fight kicked off without delay; Naruto ran full tilt in Rock Lee's direction. The bug-eyed shinobi slid one leg back to widen his stance, the back of his palm facing forward. His elastic outfit moved with him as if they were one. He stood still as a statue, not even bothering to build up chakra. Naruto thought this was an odd way to mount a defense, but wasted no time enacting a counter strategy.

Whipping out two Flying Thunder God kunai, the Uzumaki flung them behind him in either direction. Lee's eyes tracked the projectiles without him having to move an inch. Naruto used this narrow window of time to dash forward at high speed. He had worked on his speed drills almost every day during the break before The Chunin Exam. If he were to rematch Haku right now, Naruto was sure he could even give him a run for his money!

Lee disappeared a split second before his foe's punch connected. Naruto eased up on the attack, turning to follow a chakra signature that circled around to his blind spot. The green-clad shinobi was about to land a spinning kick when Naruto spotted him. Missing his target by an inch, Lee shifted in midair with expert precision and landed unharmed. Then he moved in for a follow up strike. However, Naruto was already swinging at him again, this time at waist level to all but guarantee contact. Lee crossed his bandaged wrists, absorbing the force of the blow. He skidded back an inch, but was otherwise unaffected.

Naruto glanced at his knuckles, pleased to see his punch hadn't broken the skin. Lee's arms felt as solid as the finest metal. Was this guy even human? The Uzumaki disregarded a brief spike of pain in his offending hand, prioritizing taking down his enemy.

The enemy who was once again out of his line of sight.

Frantic to secure his tactical footing in the battle, Naruto fished for the tiniest hint of a chakra signature. First, there was nothing. Then…

"Leaf Hurricane!" cried his opponent, skyrocketing across the room with a double spinning kick so powerful it created ripples in the air.

This weird looking guy was fast, but Naruto was faster. Even so, he chose not to make escaping any more complicated than it needed to be and went with the simplest option.

Flying Thunder God it is!

He reappeared next to one of the kunai he placed earlier and bent to retrieve it from the floor. In the amount of time it took Naruto to do this, Lee pushed off of the far wall with chakra applied to the sole of one of his feet, then came rushing back in. He was on Naruto in under a second. The Uzumaki backflipped out of range of a knee strike aimed at his face. This turned out to be a feint; Lee transitioned into a downward heel slam that smashed the second tagged kunai to pieces.

Naruto paused to assess the situation. Evasive moves were doing him no favors. Bushy Brow's speed and rock-solid defense would demand some ingenuity to get around. Bad luck for Lee, considering he had that in spades.

"Going for my kunai, huh?" Naruto noted. "Look at you, Mr. Clever."

"I have heard that your father possesses a powerful Time-Space ninjutsu. I know the basics behind its function, so I was able to quickly read and react to your strategy. No matter how many of those teleportation markers you place, as long as I know where they are located, I will have no problem landing a hit on you or destroying them altogether!"

"Heh. Whatever you say!"

Two dozen Naruto clones materialized from clouds of smoke, smirking at Lee. He hardened his expression and adopted a defensive pose, surveying the crowd of lookalikes. The Narutos swarmed him, striking one after another. Lee weaved between and defended against the clones' attacks with noticeable difficulty. Their high speed movement rivaled his own and backed him into a corner, forcing him to get serious. He began wiping the clones out one by one with efficient, decisive punches, chops, and kicks. The crowd thinned out little by little while Sasuke and Sakura watched with bated breath.

A length of ninja wire pulled taut around Lee's arms, interrupting his flow. He was in the middle of guarding against an axe kick from one of the clones yet to be vanquished. A smoke bomb went off, obscuring the other end of the metallic wire. A single clone retreated and hid itself inside the dark cloud. Two other Narutos latched onto Lee's legs, all while the wire continued to restrict his arms. He grunted through the pain, attempting to brute force himself out of captivity.

Just then, the cloud parted like a wave smashing against a cliffside. Naruto rushed out of the smoke at breakneck speed. A spiraling ball of chakra whined to life in his hands. Sasuke and Sakura could do nothing but watch in awe; the former from curiosity about the outcome of the battle, and the latter relying on secondhand narration from her Sharingan-enhanced partner.

Shouting in triumph, Lee flexed his arms, releasing himself from the binding and defeating the two clones at his feet with the sheer force of his taijutsu. He backflipped to avoid the oncoming attack from Naruto, then pivoted sideways and braced himself against the ground. Lee delivered a firm upward kick straight to his opponent's chin. The blond's Rasengan fizzled out and he careened toward the ceiling. Lee realized this was the original and launched into the air without missing a beat. Hovering just beneath Naruto at the apex of his arc, the taijutsu specialist touched two fingers to his back. Down below, Sasuke and Sakura gasped.

"Is that…?" Sakura began.

Sasuke nodded. "Dancing Leaf Shadow."

"Naruto," she called out, "get out of there!"

A single Naruto clone remained intact down below. Sasuke noticed yet another Rasengan taking shape in its hand and smirked.

"Don't worry, Sakura."

"Huh? Why not? Lee's about to-"

"Lose."

Sakura turned to him, brow raised. She had not yet noticed the setup that Sasuke was privy to thanks to his Sharingan.

Lee's wrist bandages uncoiled, arranging themselves in midair around a disoriented Naruto. His eyes widened as the cloth enveloped him like sentient gift wrap and rendered his body immobile. Lee locked his arms around his prey, tilting him in the direction of gravity. The two of them dropped in what felt like slow motion. They spun with a gradual increase in speed.

In an instant, the clone's Rasengan blinked out of existence and was replaced by the real Naruto in the sky. He landed with a soft tap, but this was overshadowed by a loud pop from above. Lee was sent flying in a random direction. His bandages blasted apart, exposing the glowing orb trapped within. He spiraled out of control and crashed into the wall, sliding down it to reveal a deep dent left behind. Cracks splintered out from the center.

Sakura took a moment to analyze what she just watched. Naruto dispelled his clone and smiled at his teammates. Sasuke didn't allow his brother to get lost in excitement, nodding toward Lee.

The boy's green jumpsuit was in tatters. Blood seeped from the hole left in it by Naruto's strategic attack. Burn marks had replaced Lee's demolished wrist wrappings. Against all odds, he recovered seconds before hitting the floor and landed on his feet. His legs wobbled to life, reflecting a stubborn resolve to prove himself.

Naruto turned to face Lee, who took slow steps back toward his opponent. He adopted a wide stance and crossed his injured arms. His bowl cut began to rise as if lifted by a gust of wind. Chakra charged the air, clouding everyone's vision and warming the room several degrees. Sasuke examined Lee with his Sharingan. Concern lined the Uchiha's expression.

"I thought Naruto won," Sakura said, turning toward Sasuke. "What happened?"

"It looks like Lee's about to get even more serious."

A tremor shook the floor, causing everyone to flinch reflexively and watch Lee with trepidation. Naruto focused his chakra in preparation for whatever was about to happen. However, before Lee could make his move, a new chakra signature flickered onto the scene. No, wait. Maybe two?

A burst of smoke above Lee was followed by a large red creature descending upon him with all the softness of an anvil. His technique blinked out of existence and he collapsed beneath what seemed to be a tortoise. Lee's already enormous eyes bulged further still. He wheezed, desperate to breathe while trapped beneath the heavy animal.

"That's enough, Lee!" ordered the tortoise in a scratchy voice.

Team 7 gasped when the creature spoke. Naruto was unable to form the words to convey his conflicting emotions. This thing could talk?! Not only that, but it had a Leaf Village forehead protector tied around its neck!

"Y-yes," Lee croaked, squirming in discomfort with his head bowed. "Sorry, sir!"

"SIR?" Naruto and Sakura said at the same time.

The tortoise climbed off of his repentant victim and grunted in acknowledgment of his words. "Are you prepared to take the punishment for your actions?"

"I…y-yes, sir!"

"Alright, then. Please come out, Guy-sensei!"

A man in a green jumpsuit and flak jacket poofed into existence atop the tortoise. He was contorted into an odd and very flamboyant pose. The man smiled from ear to ear, displaying facial features frighteningly similar to Rock Lee's, albeit more rugged. He sported well sculpted cheekbones and a strong jawline, not to mention muscles that were emphasized by his skintight suit. His eyebrows were a tad bushier than his student's were, his shiny black hair was fashioned into a bowl cut, and he wore long orange leg warmers. If asked to guess, any of the members of Team 7 would have assumed this was Lee's father.

"Heyyyyyyyy, what's shakin'?!" said the man. "How ya doin', everybody? Life treatin' ya good?""

The Genin watching from afar could not bring themselves to respond. Meanwhile, Lee bowed deeply and let out a quavering, "Hello, Guy-sensei!"

"Hi, Lee," the man named Guy said. He gave his student an exuberant thumbs up and a smile that threatened to render others blind with its sparkle.

Naruto stared hard at the back of Lee's head. It was impossible to say for sure from so far away, but he seemed to be crying! How lame for a guy who talked so tough just a minute ago.

"He's all yours," the tortoise declared. Guy hopped down from his summoned companion.

"Lee," he whispered, clenching his fists. He reeled back and threw a swift punch, knuckles crunching against his pupil's jaw. "You little FOOL!"

The injured student tumbled across the floor and landed in a pathetic heap. Team 7 stood speechless while Lee got to his feet, tears in his eyes, and accepted the loving embrace of his master, who was also crying buckets.

"Alright, it's over!" shouted the goofball of a Jonin. "You don't need to say anymore."

"S-senseiiiiii!"

Guy proceeded to go on about how Lee wasn't to blame. His recklessness and impatience to fight were just a symptom of 'youth,' or something like that.

"Okay," Sasuke said when he could speak again, Sharingan deactivated. "What. The. Hell?"

"Beats me," Naruto deadpanned. "They're both nutjobs."

"I'm surprised Lee can even stand after you hitting him so hard, and then his sensei decking him on top of that!" Sakura noted. "What's he made of?"

"Well, I didn't use as strong of a Rasengan as I could've, but yeah. Most people would be down for the count from that alone, believe it." Naruto shrugged. "Let's hurry and get out of here before we get dragged into their antics."

"Agreed," Sakura replied.

Sasuke muttered a consenting "Hn" and they all turned to walk away. In the blink of an eye, Guy-sensei was blocking their exit. He stood tall, maintaining a casual grin. All three members of Team 7 jumped in surprise.

"You kids must be Kakashi's team," he said with a jovial laugh. His gaze honed in on Naruto. "Lord Fourth and Lady Kushina's son, I presume? I'd recognize those golden locks anywhere!"

A shudder ran down Naruto's spine. This wacko appeared in front of them so fast that it was like he'd always been there! Not to mention Guy was talking as if he knew him. The thought of someone this unhinged watching Naruto without his knowledge was terrifying, to say the least.

"Whoa!" the frazzled Uzumaki exclaimed. "How'd you do that?"

"Pure taijutsu, young man." Guy flashed another toothy smile. "Believe it or not, I'm almost as fast as Kakashi." He bent closer to the trio with a devious gleam in his eye. "And stronger!"

Sakura's mouth dropped open. "What?"

Naruto crossed his arms and gave Guy a once over. "Seriously? I mean, you must be strong if you're the guy who trained Lee, but still. I don't know."

The enthusiastic Jonin laughed, taking the underestimation of his skills in stride. "That's right! My current record is 49 wins to 50 losses. But soon, I'll be back on top!"

"Excellent perseverance, Guy-sensei!" Rock Lee shouted from across the room. He winced, putting in obvious effort to ignore his injuries.

Sasuke said nothing, but looked just as stunned as his comrades.

"Hey, you guys," Sakura said. "We only have about half an hour left to register!"

Naruto gasped. "Oh no! Sorry Bushier-Brow sensei, but we've gotta run."

"Oh, right," Guy said. "That did slip my mind. Lee, let's get your injuries tended to and then rush back in time for registrationnnnn!"

"Yes sir!"

The two zany characters zipped out of the room at high speed, headed to what the others assumed was the hospital. A breeze hit Team 7 hard, blowing their hair all over the place. In the aftermath of the involuntary restyling of their hair, Guy's talking tortoise companion disappeared in a plume of smoke.

Minato popped into view outside, turning to spot his sons and Sakura. "Ah, there you three are! I came to see you off before you started the exam," he said, fixing his jacket on his way into the room. The Fourth's expression morphed into one of sheer panic when he saw the three Genin up close, who all looked the furthest thing from okay.

Naruto sensed a million questions forming in his father's head. "Please, Dad. Don't ask."