Author's Note: I hate Ebisu as a character so I did away with him. Also, after a crazy fight for my life with pneumonia, job searching (no luck), nearly getting my car repossessed, and publishing a couple of short fics, I'm back! Thank you guys for your patience with the short hiatus! Things are about to start picking up in pace over the next couple of chapters so hopefully we can start getting to parts that encouraged me to start writing this fic.

Chapter Note: Avurin has to learn how to be a teacher?

...

A month. An entire month of intense training was planned just for Sasuke prior to the Chunin exams. Kakashi had told her about his plan to train Sasuke the night after the preliminaries and they had argued over it. She couldn't believe he was completely focusing on one of his three students for this exam when it was obvious Naruto and Sakura needed much more training than Sasuke did. He had explained the curse mark to her as well as Orochimaru's warning, but she still couldn't wrap her head around it.

As a teacher, he knew better. He acknowledged that he knew better. However, his excuse was that he couldn't ignore the threat of Sasuke defecting to pursue Orochimaru or, worse, being taken against his will. She understood that part. However, he couldn't just ditch his other two students and pray they 'figured it out' before the exams. So, he had come up with a solution she didn't quite agree with, saying it would be good for her. Naruto didn't take it well.

"Wait, so you're not training me? You're going to train Sasuke, aren't you?!" Naruto yelled in the lobby of the hospital. Avurin pinched the bridge of her nose as Kakashi waved him off, trying to sell the opportunity of training with Avurin as a major positive for him. She didn't know the first thing about training Genin. She had told him as much. It wouldn't be her fault if Naruto came out of this more fucked up than he could have been with Kakashi's mentorship.

"Naruto, let's go. I'm not happy about this either. We need to find Sakura so that she can train as well." Avurin grumbled as she put a firm hand on the pup's shoulder. Shooting a glare at Kakashi, she was quick to direct the Genin out of the hospital. A few days had passed since their fight about his decision and she had made it extremely clear she wasn't happy with how he was handling things. Sasuke acted like a spoiled brat and this one-on-one training would absolutely not help with that personality quirk. He would be unbearable when they returned. Kakashi had attempted to get close with her the previous night and she had been quick to push him away. If they would have to live without each other for a month due to one of Kakashi's whims, they could start a day early.

It hurt, though. She wanted him close and she wanted the intimacy that they'd only recently found together. However, she wasn't going to allow it one night just to deal with the misery of not having it for an entire month afterwards. The entire thing left a sour taste on her tongue and the pitiful looks from Kakashi didn't help. She knew she was being slightly cruel, but he hadn't exactly considered her in his decision or anyone else for that matter.

"You're grumpier than usual," Naruto pouted next to her, his arms crossed and his lower lip sticking out in an exaggerated expression. She crossed her own arms and glared.

"I just got saddled with training you and Sakura for a month with the expectation that it'll help you pass the final stage of the Chunin Exams. That's a lot of weight to have on my shoulders, especially since I'm not a Jonin and not technically qualified for this shit." Avurin wouldn't lie to him. She didn't lie to anyone, really. Not when it mattered. Naruto may be young, but he wasn't completely stupid. She wouldn't hide the situation from him.

"Yeah, that does sound like it sucks. I'm glad it's you, though. I mean, I wish Sensei would have just trained us himself but you're strong too. Why aren't you a Jonin?" Naruto asked, putting his hands behind his head as they started walking the streets of Konoha. Avurin knew where Sakura's house was and was hoping to catch her there before she left for the day.

"I just never tested for it. I was gone for ten years so I still have a lot of catching up to do before I can test for it. I'll get my turn to train with 'Kashi after you kids get your Chunin vests." She pulled a kunai from her pouch and started twirling it around her finger. She wouldn't say it, but she was nervous to train these kids. Their failures would weigh on her as the person entrusted with their training.

"I'm sure you'll pass! Why do you even need him to train you, anyway? You could learn from anyone! I'm sure you know all of the Jonin in the village!" Avurin felt a small smile spread across her lips. She ruffled Naruto's hair, ignoring his indignant squawk.

"Well, I could say the same thing to you. Why do you need him to teach you when there are others like me running around? I'm sure I can teach you some things that will give you an edge in your final exam." She still wasn't confident in her ability to train him, yet Naruto beamed up at her as they approached Sakura's home. Avurin gently knocked on the front door and it swung open almost immediately.

"Ah, hello! I don't believe we were expecting any visitors…" The woman at the door trailed off before she noticed Naruto standing on the doorstep as well, glancing back at Avurin with an obvious question in her gaze. Avurin cleared her throat.

"Good morning. My name is Avurin Okita. Kakashi has some rather urgent business that has to be taken care of over the next few weeks so I've been delegated to oversee Naruto and Sakura's training for the next month." Avurin held a hand out to shake the woman's hand but the woman's eyes betrayed her knowledge of the name Okita. Even the civilians knew her family's reputation, apparently.

"Why were you chosen? Surely there would be someone a little better suited to train our daughter in her Sensei's absence?" Sakura's mother asked, the almost-pleasant tone in her voice obviously forced. Avurin felt the smile fall from her face and she was about to respond when Naruto pushed her to the side, holding a finger up to point at Sakura's mother.

"Hey! Avurin is awesome and strong and she really cares about us! If anyone is going to train us while Kakashi-sensei is away, she's the best! I can't wait to learn from her and we're late for training so we need Sakura to come with us as soon as she's ready!" Naruto was nearly shouting with his enthusiasm as Avurin clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Ignore him. I'm currently the best option and I can't guarantee your daughter will get any training for the next month if you won't allow her to train with me. If you've already made your decision, Naruto and I will take our leave." Avurin didn't bother keeping her tone light or putting a smile on her face. The woman looked slightly taken aback but gave Avurin a short nod, turning her head to yell up the stairs of their townhouse.

"Sakura! Ms. Okita and Naruto are here to get you for training! Are you decent?" Avurin waited patiently as Sakura and her mother yelled back and forth through the stairwell until Sakura was stumbling through the door with a quick bow.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't know we were training today! I'm ready to go!" she stammered out. Avurin cocked an eyebrow at her before nodding, turning to leave.

"Let's go. There are a couple of things I want to talk with you two about before we officially start, anyway." She led them to the usual training grounds, ignoring Naruto's yammering about how excited he was to get training from Avurin and Sakura's quiet questioning about how Sasuke was doing. Once they arrived, she led them to a clearing near the river that ran through the training grounds and plopped down in a cross-legged position, patting the grass in front of her to gesture for her two new students to sit across from her.

Once they sat down, she took a deep breath.

"Kakashi will be gone until the final stage of the Chunin Exams. He is

focusing on training Sasuke due to unforeseen events that occurred during the second stage. You two aren't stupid and I'm not going to lie to you about their whereabouts. Kakashi and I argued about it for a few days and he's sticking to the plan which means I will be in charge of training you two or finding new instructors for you to prepare you for the final stage of the exams. Sakura, I lied to your mother. You have options. Naruto is aware that he does too." She sighed, running a hand through her bangs and was secretly grateful that the kids hadn't interrupted her so far.

"I have a reputation in this village because of my family name. Sakura, you've witnessed the power of my kekkei genkai. I can tell someone to do something and they will do it, even if it ends in their injury or death. This village is terrified of that kind of power and some even refuse to do business with me out of fear that I will steal from them or otherwise manipulate their business. That is why your mother was defensive with me. You may be asked if I'm manipulating you and I want you to be able to say with certainty that you're not." Taking a shuddering breath, she saw the brief confusion in the kids' eyes at the implication that she wasn't a trusted shinobi despite her loyalty to the village.

"This will not be easy, I don't baby kids that are old enough to put their lives on the line for the sake of the village. You will come home with cuts and bruises but you will get stronger. Kakashi has been negligent in your training so far and has only let you learn through experience. I'm not like that. You can back out at any time but I will do my best to make sure that Naruto will pass the final stage of the exams and Sakura will get enough training to be better prepared for future missions. Any questions?" Raising her eyes to look at the two Genin, she was surprised to see determined looks on their faces.

"Are you and Sensei fighting? You don't usually criticize him this much." Sakura asked. Avurin scoffed, crossing her arms.

"We had a disagreement about your training, that's all. It ended with him telling me that if I cared so much for your training that I may as well train you myself. Regardless, he has his priorities and I have my concerns. That's why we're here." She felt like she was explaining to her own children why their daddy wouldn't come home for a while. It was humiliating.

"Well, I think that just shows that you care! Not that Kakashi-sensei doesn't, it's just nice for you to offer to train us! Please take care of us, Sensei!" Sakura said with an enthusiastic bow. Naruto nodded to himself before giving her a small bow as well.

"Take care of us, Avie-sensei!" Naruto practically yelled.

Avurin liked to think she was colder than she was. The way her heart felt like it was melting at the blind trust the two pups were giving her was enough for her eyes to soften and she found herself smiling. Leaning forward, she ruffled both of their hair.

"Alright! We can do this. Let's get started with today's lesson, yeah?" Keeping a smile on her face, she stood and gestured for the kids to follow her to the river. Better to start with the basics.

…

Dragging two drenched Genin to Ichiraku's later that evening was a chore in itself. Sakura had picked up on water-walking with grace within the first hour so Avurin had to increase the difficulty for her throughout the afternoon. Adding waves, some light sparring, and other distractions while Naruto couldn't even get his feet under him on top of the water. Nothing was working with him and Avurin was so incredibly confused and frustrated. She had a feeling it was related to his Jinchuriki status, but she didn't know how to even begin to address that. The kid had no chakra control to speak of despite having a massive amount of chakra to draw from.

The only thing that had gotten Naruto out of his depressed slump at the end of the day's training was a promise of ramen. Sakura was thoroughly exhausted by the end of the training session but had a smile on her face when her own stomach grumbled, signaling that they would definitely be going out for ramen to recover from the day.

Which was how Avurin found herself almost dragging Sakura through the street while Naruto ran ahead of them, screaming about how hungry he was. Avurin cringed at the abuse her wallet was going to face. When Naruto slammed face-first into someone, the first thing Avurin wanted to do was scream at Naruto for running through the street so haphazardly. However, a shock of spiky white hair and a familiar red sleeveless haori brought her thoughts to a screeching halt.

"Hey! Old man! Who the hell are you and what the hell are you doing here?!" she screeched, pointing at the man currently splayed out on the ground. He gave her a questioning look before his eyes wandered further South, obviously eyeing her chest with a critical eye.

"I feel like I've met you before…" he trailed off. She resisted the urge to kick him as she stomped closer to him.

"I asked you a question, pervert! Who are you and what are you doing here?!" The man waved his arms around with a smile on his face, getting defensive as if it were a familiar song and dance.

"I was just dropping by! I like to wander, you know? Seriously, I feel like I've met you! Who are you?" he questioned as he started pulling himself up off of the ground. Avurin found herself angling her head up to look him in the eyes, doing her best not to acknowledge the obvious height difference. The ridiculous geta he was wearing didn't help matters.

"Avurin Okita. We met in Southern Fire Country a few years ago and you gave me a signed copy of Icha Icha Paradise. Now, I'm going to ask again, who the fuck are you?" She found herself growling and was surprised at how Kakashi's mannerisms were starting to rub off on her. She didn't know who this guy was but it couldn't be a coincidence that she had run into him a second time. He was obviously a pervert and she didn't want him near the kids.

"Oh! I do remember! You had a little cabin out in the woods and the villagers had a bunch of rumors going around about you! An Okita, you say? What were you doing all the way down there?" Avurin felt her face turning red with rage. She wanted answers, she didn't agree to be interrogated. This was the fucking author of Icha Icha, the man was disgusting and she didn't want her village tainted with his vile nature.

"I'll answer your questions when you tell me who the fuck you are!" she shouted, not bothering to worry about catching the eyes of the people passing by. Apparently, the man in front of her did care about the attention they were attracting. He was quick to put his hands on her shoulders, shushing her with an irritated smile on his face that almost looked pained at the fact people were now openly staring.

"Hey! Why don't we take this somewhere quieter and we'll talk, hm? These your brats?" he asked, gesturing to Naruto who looked ready to attack him like a guard dog and Sakura who was borderline hiding behind her. Avurin shrugged his hands off of her and crossed her arms, scowling.

"I'm in charge of them while their sensei is away. We're getting ramen." While she didn't want to invite him, she was curious and she did want answers. He was asking too many questions so he obviously knew something to attempt to dig for answers about her whereabouts for the last several years. And he knew the Okita name… Her eyes narrowed. "Let's go." She put a protective arm over Sakura's shoulders and started to guide her down the street before leaning down to whisper in her ear.

"Go ahead and head home. We'll get ramen again after training tomorrow. I'm going to see what this guy's up to." Avurin muttered. Sakura gave her a barely-there nod before giving her an unexpected hug. Avurin gently patted her back before Sakura pulled away and took off down the street.

"Hey! Where's Sakura going?" Naruto asked as he turned around from where he'd been leading the small group to Ichiraku's. Avurin coughed into her fist and gave the man walking beside her a pointed look.

"She wasn't feeling too well after training today. She decided to go home and get some rest before we continue our training tomorrow." Naruto groaned and the man next to her looked almost pained at what had been implied. Avurin didn't take chances with perverts to his degree. She was still consciously keeping herself from crossing her arms over her chest to prevent further glances.

When they arrived at the ramen stall, she was shocked to find Teuchi greeting the man as if they'd known each other for years. His name was 'Jiraiya.' Jiraiya, as in one of the Three Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya. She knew the name, everyone in the village did.

Naruto, the innocent child that he was, ordered his ramen and seemed to be sufficiently distracted from the adults.

"Could've just told me who you were without all of the roundabout shit, Jiraiya. Who would've guessed that one of the legendary Sannin was a massive pervert?" Avurin almost pouted as she sipped at her tea that she'd ordered, slumping to one side. Jiraiya's face was nearly cherry red and he had a constipated look on his face.

"Will you stop making accusations like that?! Look, I know I'm not perfect and we can talk about that later but don't go screaming about it in public!" Jiraiya hissed, pulling a bottle of sake from his sleeve. Avurin quirked an eyebrow in interest. She hadn't had sake in what felt like quite a long time and she could use a drink. After watching Jiraiya take a swig straight from the bottle, her mouth curled in disgust. She disregarded the train of thought that was leading her to consider asking if she could have some.

"Whatever. What do you want to know? You were pretty adamant about getting answers from me earlier-" She was cut off as Teuchi set her ramen in front of her along with Jiraiya and Naruto's. Teuchi hadn't even asked for the adults' orders, just bringing them what she knew was at least her regular order. Naruto had been suspiciously quiet until the moment the ramen was in front of him, cheering happily before starting to slurp up the still-hot noodles.

"I want to know how you went from being some witch in a forest to showing up here in Konoha as a missing Okita heir. This isn't exactly how I expected to find you again after so many years. The last time I saw you, you were basically still a kid building some cabin and begging for scraps from villagers. I was sent out there conducting research when I stumbled on you. I did a little bit of a background check but nothing came back about you being an Okita. I remember your face. So, tell me, what happened?"

Avurin glanced at Naruto who was enthusiastically ordering a second bowl from Teuchi.

"It's a long story…"

"I have plenty of time. Start talking."