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Chapter 7: Sakura: Triumph over Teachers

Summary:

Age 15, Year 4 Academy, Midterms

Chapter Text

Sometimes you just find yourself in a shit situation, and think that maybe there's not much you can do about it. That was the first set of thoughts flying through my head at a million Kilometers an hour as my mother slammed the door in my face. Packed into a single duffle bag was all that I had to my name.

"Don't come back until you've decided to be a part of this family again!"

It took me a moment to realize she was screaming at me from a window before it too was slammed shut. I could hear her and dad arguing inside, and I knew he'd lose this one. Soon enough I found myself walking down the main road trying to file through the options I had available to me.

I could always go to the Academy and stay in the barracks they had for homeless kids and orphans. Though to be honest I'd really rather not go from having my own bedroom to sharing with a dozen of almost strangers. The street lamps flickered on, a bulb popping in the distance and making me start.

I could try and see if either of the boys would house me, at least for a few days. Sasuke would balk at it, but probably put me with a clan member. Might be a quiet jackass sometimes, but I'd like to think we've gotten close enough for him to help me out. Naruto wouldn't even hesitate giving me a spare key to his apartment, the only problem there is that it's in the red light district.

I tucked my bag close to my chest, and tried to pull my hat low over my face. I looked more like a guy, thus less chance of being harassed. I shoved my way through the red light's night time crowd as neon signs blinded everyone, and the occasional scantily clad woman tried to wave at me from a corner.

Finally making my way to the Shinobi designated apartment building he lives in, I couldn't help but shiver at the condition of the building. I've never understood why someone so close to the Hokage has to live in a building like this. I test the stairs leading up nervously, and the way they creak under my weight doesn't help how I feel about them. In the end I decide to walk up the wall, strolling past graffiti and empty apartment windows.

I set foot onto the balcony that had his apartment door, trying to ignore the crunch of broken glass under my feet and knock hard on the door. I hear a hard crash followed by some muffled cursing before the door finally opens to reveal the shock of blonde hair. He's rubbing at one of his bleary eyes, the hand holding a Kunai in a loose but manageable grip.

"Hey, can I come in?" He blinks a bit, I probably caught him sleeping. He nods a bit, moving back from the door as he yawns. I step in slowly, removing my boots and setting them beside his as I close the door and I just kind of stare at the multiple deadbolts.

"Could you uh, uh… get the locks?" He stretches as he meanders into the kitchenette. There's a moment where I close the door and just kind of blink as I realize the apartment is almost pitch black.

"Uh, Naruto? Is there like.. a light or something?" I have to blink a few times as the kitchenettes light gets turned on, revealing the two room apartment in its glory. All our years of friendship and I've never actually been here, to be honest it's very minimal. An Ice box and hot plate, a sofa placed in front of what I can only assume is a large window that now has cardboard duct taped up over it on our side, and an open door revealing what could only be a small bedroom. The floor was spotless other than a few articles of clothes that he'd discarded upon arriving home.

I hadn't realized he was just wearing boxers until then. Sliding the last deadbolt closed and leaning on the frame I felt myself turn a bit of crimson as he cracked an egg onto the hot plate. He may've been short, but there was hardly an inch of fat on his figure.

"Since you're here at," he leans his head back, sighing as I can see the mental math running in his head, "like 11. I'm assuming something is wrong." He was off by like an hour, it was midnight but I wasn't about to correct him.

"Well it's actually closer to midnight" well, shit guess I am gonna correct him. He grimaces as he cracks an egg onto the hot plate griddle, dodging the grease as he does so.

"So, what brings you to my ah, humble home at this late hour." The fact that I hate this part of town was left unsaid. I picked at my nails, the calloused hands rough under my fingers. A plate was set in front of me filled with eggs and sausage as he returned to the hot plate to make another batch. The smell and sound of cooking food seemed to put the apartment under a comfortable silence that I hated to break.

"Mom kicked me out."

The sound of breaking wood can be heard, as the spatula shatters in his grip. Those eyes that seem to see into a person's deepest and darkest secrets now fixated on me. I couldn't help but squirm, like an insect underneath a pin.

"She what?" He was pissed, I could hear the snarl in his voice more than see it on his face. I gave a groan, slumping onto the table as I run my hands through my hair.

"You know how I fuckin aced the midterms this year? Got the title of top Kunoichi of our class." He nods, trying to cross his arms and contain himself. I had pulled him into a chair and was digging the splinters and wood shards out of his hand before the already steaming skin healed over them before he even seemed to register it. "Well, mom got pissed. Said this whole… rebellion thing was done." His fury is bleeding away now to be replaced by confusion.

"Rebellion? I thought your folks signed you up for the Academy" I shift a bit, chewing my lip as I debate how much to tell him. We may have been friends for 4 years now, but this shouldn't be his problem. My nightmares shouldn't be haunting him as well.

"My Dad did, mom was livid. Wanted me to uh, help with the family business more. She made me promise that if I ever got dropped from the program I'd just go along with it." He nods a bit, his face set in an angry scowl. Suddenly he's up and moving, in the bedroom before he comes out dressed in his normal clothing as well as a sword on his hip. I caught what he threw at me before I even registered it, and a glance revealed the key to the apartment.

"It's the key for the bedroom window, the door only has deadbolts. I'll be back." I just kind of nod dumbly as he slips back to the bedroom. I eat my food slowly, setting my bag down in my lap. I can hear the sound of people yelling outside on occasion, and the ticking of a clock is audible throughout the whole apartment. I get up, stealing a blanket from the veritable nest of comforters on his bed. I took the chance to glance about the inside of his room, finding myself curious. The space is dominated by a single bed that you pretty much have to crawl on to go through the rest of the room. Hanging up on the wall are a dozen or so katanas in their sheathes, some blue and others green. I can see the spot on the wall where he took the sword he had on his hip.

I also note the obvious water damage to the ceiling of this room, and wrinkle my nose at it. This place ought to be condemned, not having people living in it. I close the door to his bedroom, curling up on the moth bitten couch I begin to rifle through my bag and see what all I have. A few changes of clothes, my menstrual cup, and a few Shinobi tools. In the very bottom of the bag I find a small orange pack, about the size of a Kunai or a shuriken pouch that I don't remember packing. Undoing the clip on it is a stash of thick ration bars, as well as a tin of small black pills. I find the note buried in the back of the orange pack.

'I hid my old emergency rations pack inside of your duffle bag. I hope you don't need it for a good long while. - Dad.'

I sniffle a bit, rubbing at my eyes using the blanket and hugged the pack close to me. I don't quite realize when I fall asleep, but know when I awake. I threw the Kunai before I really registered who it was, and would've caught Naruto in the face if he hadn't deflected it with a drawing strike from his sword.

"S-sarry, also." I give a yawn as I sit up, "that was really cool." He gives a chuckle, the slide of metal on wood seems to almost sing in the apartment.

"It's fine Sakura, you could'a taken my bed ya know." He starts by ruffling his hair, a little grin on his face before moving back towards the kitchenette. I shrug a bit, picking at the threadbare couch.

"Was worried it'd break on me." He scoffs a bit, and I can hear the crack of another egg. Daylight streams in through literal cracks in the fucking walls, and I just kind of watch in vague horror as I see the bird nest up in the corner of the room. "So uh, where'd you go last night anyway" he shrugs a bit, the katana leaning against the counter. Getting a better look at him shows his jacket is torn in places allowing the armor plates to show through.

"Wanted to get into a fight, so I did." I nod a bit, sitting at the little dining table with the blanket still pulled tight around me.

"Thank you, for letting me stay here for the night" he nods, waving his hand a bit as he uses a blunted Kunai to make scrambled eggs.

"Night, week, year. Who gives a shit? We're gunna be on a team together. That means we stick together… right?" His voice is small at the end, as though he's asking himself more than me. I'm trying to say yes, but my throat feels thick like I had just swallowed a bag of ball bearings. I have him wrapped in a hug, trapping his arms to his sides, before he can really react as I try not to cry.

"A genin team is a family, so yeah." He nods, half turning away from me as his eyes are wet with unshed tears. His voice thick as he tries to bury the emotions.

"Yeah, right. Like ya said, a family. Now will you please let go so I don't burn the food." I stumble back over to the chair and collapse, not really responding to the world until food is put in front of me.

"Sorry, that was.." I just kind of trail off, picking at my food. He's sitting across from me, giving that maniacal grin.

"How bout you patch up my jacket and we call it good?" I nod, my fingers fumbling a bit as I catch the sewing kit.

"So, what now? We have a week off from classes to 'wind down' from midterms. How's your money this month looking?" His grin turns to a grimace as it's now his turn to pick at his food.

"I uh, not great. Had to restock Kunai, Wire, and half decent food is expensive as shit." I nod a bit, feeling daring enough to take a peek in his pantry and regretting it. The thing is pitiful, having minimal vegetables, a tiny bag of flour, and a few canned goods with dust on them.

"Alright, uh. I have like 4 thousand Yen, won't help much b-" he's already shaking his head.

"And what're you gonna do when your stash starts to run low. Other than fishnet armor and the minimum Kunai stash we ain't supplied shit and you know it." I give a groan, running my fingers through my hair.

"I dunno, I could probably ask my dad for help. Or maybe start scrounging training grounds. People don't track their shit down all the time." He gives a scoff, fiddling with the blunted Kunai.

"Yeah, because blunted tools always work perfectly." I throw a chopstick at him, smirking as it bounces off his nose and he rocks back in his chair. His arms pinwheel for a moment before manages to regain his balance.

"We could…" I shift uncomfortably, my fingers working the needle and thread through the red fabric. I don't really wanna recommend it, but this apartment is a nightmare.

"Could what? Stealing shit didn't end well for me last time" he gives a half hearted chuckle, as a hand comes up to rub at one of his eyes. I roll my eyes, handing him back the repaired jacket.

"This apartment is falling apart at the seams. We could ask Sasuke." Now it's his turn to roll his eyes, his arms crossing as I can see him puffing up and getting ready to deny it. You can imagine my surprise when he just kind of deflates and nods.

"I know, I can smell the mold" I feel myself turn a green tinge as I nod, standing up fast enough to scrape the chair back.

"Right, let's go see the last member of our little trio." He slips his jacket on, leading me over to the bedroom window as we walk down the side of the building on the rotting graffitied wood. The red light district looks almost deserted in the daylight, the occasional person either dumped or collapsed in alleyways or ditches. I have to dance back, almost slamming into Naruto as someone gets tossed out of a bar and almost crashes into me.

We work our way out quickly, making it back to civilization before I can become even more nauseous. We find ourselves a good 30 meters out from the entrance to the Uchiha Clan district, a pair of Chunin guarding at the simple yet sturdy looking privacy wall and gates.

"Why don't we just ask them to let us in?" I roll my eyes at him, before honestly debating the question.

"Ok, so maybe that's a solid idea." Naruto grins, his eyes flashing as I'm moving forward towards the guards. "Excuse me, can we go in? We wanna see our friend." The Chunin kind of glance at one another, having a hushed conversation. I can see Naruto lean forward out of the corner of my eye, listening in on it with likely ease.

"Name of your friend?" I try very hard not to roll my eyes, and for the most part succeeded.

"Uchiha Sasuke, the clan head." Now they're just kind of staring at me, though I don't need Naruto's super hearing to catch the scoff one of them lets out.

"Uh-huh, sure. Zev, run a message in." The one who scoffed looks surprised, as they seem to have a silent conversation before he just kind of shrugs and slips through the gate. The three of us are just kind of standing in silence, the only break to it is Naruto tapping the guard of his katana with a rhythm that would put a metronome to shame. It's finally broken by Chunin returning and looking rather disgruntled.

"You're welcome in, head to the dark blue house with the Uchiha Crest above it's door." I nod,arching with purpose, and making sure to wait until I was past them to smirk. The district feels almost like its own little part of town, opening up into a square where market stalls sit as well as a few normal store fronts. The Military Police headquarters stands proudly next to the entrance to the district; and I can see Chunin and Genin moving about with the average urgency of people who have things that need to get done. The Uchiha Clan is the second oldest bloodline in the village, only being beaten out by the Senju who made up the first two Hokages and a member of the Sannin. I catch sight of the building, surrounded by a simple bamboo garden and a front porch with patio furniture on it. The paint almost seems to be peeling a bit, as I can see the shades are drawn tight. Sasuke is sitting at one of the patio chairs with a steam cup in his hands. As we approach I can make out the circles under his eyes, skillfully hidden via touches of makeup.

"Haruno-San, Uzumaki-Kun. What can I do for you this morning?" I punch Naruto in the shoulder before he has the chance to open his mouth.

"Hey, um.. you mind if we sit with you?" His eyes narrow a bit, but he nods and gestures towards the open chairs. He even raps his knuckles on one so Naruto has an easier time flopping into it.

"So, from your overall tone and posture. Something is wrong, how does it involve me?" His voice is cold sounding as usual, and I can't help but cringe as he nails it on the head.

"We need a place ta stay" I feel like curling up in a hole as Sasuke's head snaps over to Naruto.

"What happened to your apartment? And Haruno you live with your family do you not?"

"My mom, uh, kicked me out." I manage to say it above a whisper, not quite looking him in eyes as I can feel my ears and neck turning a pink color. A glance revealed his usually cold mask broken a bit as he's clearly stunned. "As for Naruto's apartment, it's literally condemned." He slowly nods a bit, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I…. See. I doubt either of you want to live at the academy barracks. I could find an unused-"

"Why don't we just stay in your house?" I just kind of stare open mouthed at Naruto, he's leaning on an arm vaguely 'staring' at Sasuke. The host in question coughs a bit at the interruption whilst fixing him with a suitable if inefficient glare.

"Normally, I would go on about how I like my solitude. Or perhaps about how improper the situation would be." Naruto begins to get a grin as I turn to stare at Sasuke in surprise. "Having said that my therapist has been recommending a…. House pet of sorts. So I'm not so alone. I suppose friends I can tolerate would serve the same purpose." I nod a bit, feeling numb over this whole situation. Not even 24 hours ago I was spiraling, thinking my nightmares were finally coming to life. Now here I am sitting with my friends and in front of a new home.

"Dope, can I have some of that coffee?"

"Over your dead body." I can almost feel the electricity between them as Sasuke proceeds to hold the mug closer to his chest like one would protect a child.

"Naruto, stop being a little shit. Sasuke, thank you. This means a lot to us." He nods a bit, keeping an eye on Naruto as though he'd steal the cup from Sasuke's hands. Which he would, because they'd had this argument a dozen times before. Sasuke was up and moving, his key sliding into the door.

"I'll have to get you two keys. Naruto is sleeping on the couch." He gives a squawk, clearly taking offense to that. I couldn't help but gawk at the inside of his house. Whilst Naruto's place was decrepit it was clean, here I can visibly see footprints in the entry hall where he walks. Picture frames line the walls, their pictures hidden beneath layers of dust and grime.

"Would you uh, like some help cleaning the house?" He turns, just kind of blinking owlishly.

"I… suppose, yes. Yes it probably should be cleaned." I nod slowly, I can see Naruto's nose wrinkle as he gets a whiff of the stale air in the house. Stepping deeper in I can see a living room that doesn't look like it's been used in years, and the kitchen is disgusting. The trashcan is overflowing and old bags are just sitting beside it against the wall, some of their contents having turned to mush and seems to be seeping through the plastic. The sink is overflowing with dirty dishes as well as the counter full of them.

"Right uh .. Naruto, you get started on dishes. I'll grab a towel and get on the basic dust. Sasuke can you get the trash out and make a run for cleaning supplies?" Both boys seem to snap to attention, before nodding and getting right to task. I rifle through a towel cabinet making the calculated choice to not peek my head in the bathroom as I grab a few towels and a large multi gallon bucket. A lot of hot water from the side of the sink Naruto has cleaned out and some bleach to make a soapy mess. Sasuke took the trash out to a large fire pit in the backyard, and I gave him a list of proper cleaning supplies.

A knock on the door made me pause halfway through cleaning the entry hall, and I hesitantly poked my head out. It's a pair of elderly men that just kind of blink at me.

"This is the Clan Heads home, what are you doing there young boy?' I can't help but puff my cheeks out a bit.

"I'm a girl, and we're helping Sasuke-San clean up a bit." The one that spoke scowls at me as he kind of thumps his cane a bit.

"He should've spoken with us before inviting guests into his home as such." I roll my eyes, realizing these are likely the old prunes Sasuke is always grumbling about.

"Well I'm sorry but I've got to get back to it"

"Now hol-" I close the door, locking the deadbolt before going back to scrubbing at the picture frames and floor. By the time I had gotten to the living room and Naruto had finally made a dent in the dishes Sasuke had returned with the supplies and lunch. I couldn't help but grin when he carried in the bag clearly marked as Ichiraku's Ramen.

"I'm back, it's getting late and thought we could use some food." I nod a bit, and Naruto is already waiting at the table with a chopstick held in each hand like a freak.

"Hold your chopsticks correctly, and we've been getting through it well enough." He nods, setting everyone's preference down in front of them. Naruto's ultra sized meat ramen, my extra spicy, and his plain Miso with extra noodles. Lunch is a silent affair other than the sounds of eating, but I can see Sasuke looking around in a bit of wonder at the clean kitchen.

"If you go out and get ingredients I could make us dinner. I checked your ice box and the stuff is frozen burnt." Sasuke just kind of looks at him for a moment.

"You can cook?" Naruto rolls his eyes at the question, ripping apart some duck meat with his teeth.

"Course I can cook. I have spare time and not a lot of hobbies I can try. Darts ended poorly." I punch him in the shoulder for his sarcasm, making him spill some broth. Sasuke grins, nodding slowly.

"Hope you can make steak. I'll have a D-rank written up for it." I give a groan at the words, stretching.

"We have to start doing those next year." Naruto nods, resting his arms on the table.

"Yeh, those are gonna fuckin suck." Sasuke just rolls his eyes at Naruto.

"They're an important part of the village economy, be glad we do it as Academy students rather than Genin." The two of us just kind of sulk in the face of his logic. Sooner rather than later the lunch is finished and we get back to our tasks. Sasuke running out and submitting the grocery shopping D-rank and coming back with a small can of lighter fluid to deal with the mass of trash. Naruto was finishing up the kitchen, all of those nice porcelain plates clean enough to eat off once again. I worked my way through the living room discovering a large family radio and coffee table underneath the grime. I searched around for the next set of rooms, finding the master bedroom which looks like the most lived in room. A kids room with a broken window that has clearly been ravaged by the elements, mold growing in the carpet and a few animals make roost in the bed. I end up claiming what almost feels like a guest room with how empty it felt, however the incense burner and the massive amount of incense tells me otherwise.

Groceries arrive as the sun begins to set, as well as a second Genin team holding all of Naruto's stuff in neatly packed boxes. Apparently the Hokage saw fit to have a Genin team bring his stuff over since he's living here now. Yet another clue that every moment I spend with him is a moment being watched by ANBU. The pantry now being fully stocked, and the ruined meat being burned with the trash out back so that the ice box is filled once more with food. Me and Sasuke tag team the dining room, making it a place for living people rather than the tiny table in the kitchen.

Soon enough Naruto carries in a full rack of lamb with potatoes, carrots, asparagus, and an amazing looking gravy. I find myself seated at the head of the table with Naruto at my left and Sasuke on my right. We dug in greedily, the lamb cooked beautifully with a nice honey under taste and the vegetables baked alongside it. Dessert was a simple pan of brownies that I'm not even sure where he had the time to make them. We sat together quietly, the empty dishes and lamb bones laying scattered in front of us.

"Come on, let's go for a walk boys." They both kind of look at one another before getting up and following me. The door is locked behind us as we head up towards the Hokage Monument, taking a hardly used side path. The moon was full tonight allowing us plenty of light to see by, we found ourselves standing atop the fourth Hokage's head.

"So why bring us up here?" Naruto gives a little shrug as Sasuke peers at me, his question still hanging in the air.

"Look at all of it. All those people, in a short time it'll be our job to help protect them." I don't have to see Naruto to know his eyes are rolling, but Sasuke steps up beside me. "And we'll do it as a team. The three of us, no matter who we get as a Sensei." He frowns, glancing at me as he opens his mouth. What he was going to say never came though, as the ear piercing scream cut him off. We were running for its source without a word between us, Sasuke taking to the trees as me and Naruto weave in-between their trunks. I don't think any of us expected the sight we came across.

Within a clearing in the woods, Mizuki is straddling someone's stomach, holding a Fuuma shuriken by the blades as he drives an already bloody point into the person's chest. They've stopped struggling by now, laying limp and unnaturally underneath him as he sobs and stabs.

"We were BROTHERS, how could you make me do this!" I just kind of stood there stunned, Mizuki moving his entire body as he plunged the shuriken into the corpse's chest over and over again. The body flopping a bit and allowing me to get a look at Iruka-Sensei's mangled and bloody face. This hiss of metal on wood causes Mizuki to dance to his feet, stumbling as he's off balance from an oversized scroll on his back that went unnoticed due to the scene before us. Naruto is moving forward, his Katana held on two handed grip and pointed unwaveringly at Mizuki. I can see Sasuke moving the trees, Kunai held in between his fingers as he prepared to throw them. I only have seconds before Mizuki goes full fight or flight, he's panicking. I can see it in his eyes.

"Sensei, what's going on?" I've moved forward, a hand on Naruto's wrists to get him to lower the sword a little bit. Sasuke takes the chance to get a better angle, seeing as Mizuki is suitably distracted. He's breathing heavily and holding the bloody Fuuma shuriken which is spinning in his hand.

"I… I had to." His eyes are wide and wild, fixated on me and Naruto as the spinning blade begins to crackle with a bit of electricity.

"We're here to help Sensei, was Iruka tr-"

"SHUT UP!" I jolt back a bit as the arm wielding the weapon waves wildly. His other arm hangs at an awkward angle, I think something is wrong with it. "Too many witnesses. If he finds out I've let you kids go… he'll kill me." My eyes are wide, and I just silently give Naruto a push.

He springs forward, sword and Shuriken clashing as electric arcs shoot wildly hitting both of them. Kunai planting themselves in Mizuki's back, and I don't move in time as he picks up Naruto by the neck and throws him at Sasuke. Both are knocked out from the tree and sent sprawling, the katana and Shuriken melted together rendering both useless.

One, two, three, four. A kick and punch combo using my cleated boots and slightly armored gloves to break his knee whilst he's turned away from me. He screams going down like a felled tree and trying to desperately claw at me. Unfortunately for him my hair is too short to grab, and I don't bother with any kind of skirt or dress. A kick to the head and he's silenced, the boys scrambling their way back to me and looking like they fell through a cheese grater. Apparently the fighting between Mizuki and Iruka had been going on for a while and resulted in a lot of weapons getting left on the ground that they fell on.

"Sakura, you alright?" I nod, gently brushing Naruto's hand off my shoulder as I grab for the scroll he was carrying.

"I'm fine, more worried about you two. What the hell is this thing?" Sasuke shrugs a bit, as we look over the scroll. Naruto runs a hand along it as he gives a gasp.

"The forbidden scroll, it's filled with all kinds of village secrets and forbidden techniques!" Sasuke looks a little green at that, I can't help but join in the nausea at the thought of this being smuggled out of the city. Sasuke was the first to regain his voice.

"We should take this, and them, back to the village." I nod, tucking the scroll on my back. Sasuke grabbing the unconscious and battered Mizuki, and Naruto pulling the mangled corpse onto his back. The walk back was slow and heavy, I don't think we quite realized what we had managed to do. Sure Mizuki was tired, injured, and clearly deranged; but we still took down a Chunin and managed to protect something important. Sasuke's hand glows a dull green color as he goes over himself with a basic first aid Jutsu, patching up the scratches and cuts before an infection can take hold. Naruto is already steaming as his body knits itself together.

The ANBU were pissed when they landed in front of us, even I could tell that just from their posture. Taking Mizuki, Iruka-Sensei, and the scroll from us before we're all rushed to the hospital. Medics with their hands glowing a bright green swarm us as they go over us looking for broken bones. After the Medics finally released us from their care we were dragged up to the Hokage's tower. Cups of coffee shoved into our hands as we're allowed to sit in plush chairs in front of his desk. The Hokage sits firmly across from us smoking his pipe, and an even older looking man wrapped in bandages stands beside him leaning on a cane.

"Naruto, explain." The Hokage's voice carried authority, and I felt my back go ramrod straight. I could see Sasuke had a similar reaction, though he was glancing at me in confusion as Naruto lounges in his chair retelling the evening events and what we had discovered.

"- 'N then after she knocked him out we carried everything back until an ANBU squad found us." The Hokage nods, and I can hear the sound of wood straining. His advisor's singular eye was boring a hole into Naruto, clearly unhappy with how casual he was being. The Hokage sets his pipe down in its stand, blowing out a puff of smoke before he speaks.

"The three of you are to be commended, and saved this village from a great deal of trouble tracking the scroll down." He's up and pacing now, staring out the window as he does so. "You'll each be paid for an A-rank mission, have it in your files as completing such. Danzo, anything to add?" The other man gives an unhappy hum, now staring at each of us in turn. I can't help but shy away, not because he stares at me the same way Jeng does; but because it feels like all my thoughts are bare before him.

"They'll make a good team. Combine them before the rest of the Academy brats. Get the Uchiha medical training, and the girl started on more tactics." The Hokage nods, scratching at his beard.

"The three of you will be known as Team 7, a team that has historically been known for producing the best." I can't help but squeak. There hasn't been another team 7 since the 4th Hokage's team, before that the Sanin, and before that the 3rd Hokage's team. Three headbands are set in front of us. The symbol of Konoha is set into the metal, and on the inside a 7 is stitched into the fabric.

I take mine without hesitation, tying it tight to my shoulder. Naruto wraps it around his neck, using the metal piece to protect his jugular. Sasuke takes his last, wrapping on his forehead like it's designed. We were dismissed shortly after with our checks for an A-rank mission. Sasuke once more being the first to find his voice with a small smile on his face.

"On the monument, I was going to say I hadn't accepted being on a team with you both yet. I'm kind of glad that's changed." I smirk, stepping in front of them as the moonlight frames us.

"Let's go home boys." Neither of them seemed to mind as I led the way.