AN: New chapter.


The apartment was minus one of its occupants this morning. Naruto had dragged Sasuke out to get an early start on their training. Because Sakura had asked him to last night. So she was by herself when Shisui knocked on the window, Itachi with him.

"So…what did you do?" She had at least waited until after she had served them tea to start asking questions.

"Sasuke will be facing his bullies for the combat portion of his Shinobi Board examination." Itachi didn't react when Sakura's gloved hand shattered the teacup she was holding. Or the fact that the spoon in her other hand was a warped and twisted mess just as quickly. "I've assured the Uchiha Clan that Sasuke will defeat any number of them."

"Obviously. He could wipe the floor with them whenever he felt like it. But that's not like him." Sakura frowned even as she spoke what she knew was the truth. "He doesn't like fighting. He didn't even kill that guy on our last mission and he didn't even know him." Ryugan was still awaiting transport back to Takumi Village along with the bodies of the other three Four Celestial Symbols Men.

Their weapons had been "unfortunately destroyed" during their battles.

"How do you think he's going to feel beating people up he actually knows? Even if he doesn't like them, he doesn't want to hurt them." Sakura frowned at that. "I knew about the combat test for the Shinobi Board but I was hoping it would be a few Chunin he wouldn't know…" She shook her head. "I guess there's no other way to deal with this."

"Not exactly. We can still go deal with this ourselves." Shisui offered his suggestion. Both Itachi and Sakura shook their heads at him. "Come on. Give me a night and I can get all of them to leave him alone."

"That wouldn't help him. If it would have fixed this, I would have done it the same night I took him from the station." Sakura glanced to where Checkers had cracked open one eye, watched them all. "Anything to add?"

Checkers answer was a snort and ruffling of her feathers before she closed her eye and vanished from sight.

"First: That was very rude Checkers. We've talked about your language around my boys. You are such a potty mouth." Sakura shook her head before glancing to the mess she had made. "And I promise to clean up later. Second: You're right." She turned back to Itachi and Shisui. "We'll talk to Sasuke about this but I'll sign what you need from me. And I'll meet with those two."

"Thank you. You won't regret this."

"All that matters is that this helps Sasuke."


"Ice-Make: Blizzard Breath!"

"Hurricane Blow!"

With a shout, Naruto threw his fist forward.

His mass of Chakra and Wind Chakra punched a hole in the boulder of ice and snow coming towards him. Sasuke narrowly braced himself in time for the wave of pressure unleashed by Naruto's latest use of his Wind Fist Style. He didn't go flying off into a tree like the first time Naruto had shown off the attack but it was still close.

"Come on Sasuke! You're not even trying!" Naruto didn't blitz him with the same speed he had used last night, paced himself when it was just some light sparring between the two of them. Sasuke still barely managed to get an arm up in time and cover it with a sheet of ice for Naruto to slam his fist into.

This one was, luckily, not one of his Wind Fist attacks.

"Don't hold back on me! Give every fight your all!"

"I'm working up to it." Sasuke strained before using his other arm to help push Naruto away. He put more distance between the two of them by jumping back, clapped his hands together as he focused. The temperature of the air around him plummeted as he closed his eyes to focus. 'Let's see if this works.'

"Ice-Make: Spear Forest!" Spears of ice burst free of the ground one after another, formed a spreading circle that forced Naruto to dodge out of the way time and time again. He was grinning as he nearly failed to avoid one sprouting from his left, had to grab hold of it in lieu of jumping out of the way in the middle of the air. The moment he touched it, he felt ice try to spread from his hand and down his arm.

"Nice!" Naruto's grin only got wider as he realized Sasuke had sprung a trap on him, had expected him to try and use one of his spears as a handhold. "But I'm not going down that easy!"

With a shout and a surge of Wind Chakra to his hand, a chop cut the tip of the ice spear off, freed his partially frozen hand. It was still rough but his Wind Chop had added a good enough razor's edge to his attack. Another surge of Chakra and a powerful palm strike later and he freed his partially frozen hand from the ice growing around it.

Sasuke landed on another spear of ice, a platform extending a few moments before his feet touched it. Naruto's grin only grew as the rest of the ice spears began to recede into the ground.

"You're really tricky today!" Naruto brought his recently freed fist into his hand. His blue eyes glanced between Sasuke and the ground. Frost was gathering on the grass. "So, how are those spears going to come back: When I step on top of one or when you need a quick escape?"

Sasuke answered with a shrug.

"Going to keep me guessing then." Naruto's grin only grew wider. "Alright!" He rushed forward as Sasuke brought his hands up. He didn't know what he was planning but he didn't intend to let him finish as he closed the distance between the two with Wind Chakra gathering in his palms. "Gale Palm!"

Since he wasn't trying actually hurt him, he dialed back the force when he threw his hands forward.

His teammate was still sent flying but he only had the wind knocked out of him instead of having his ribs shattered. Or worse.

A spear of ice shot out of the ground, more a pole really. It was too far to the left, Sasuke flying past it before he could grab hold of it. Naruto was already jumping in the air after him, more Wind Chakra gathering around his hand as he lifted it into the air.

And Sasuke allowed a grin to cross his pained face.

"Ice-Make: Chain!"

He pulled back on the invisible tether of his Chakra, solidified it a moment later. The pole gained a chain at the top of it, connected to his hand, and, trapped between the two by the links, was Naruto.

"No way!" Despite his predicament, Naruto was still grinning. He struggled to break free to no avail, the number of frozen chains around him only growing as Sasuke fed his Chakra to the construct. "You got me!"

"At least for now!" Sasuke landed on another pole of ice as it extended out of the ground, connected the other end of the chain to the top of it. He slid down it. "I think we can call the spar now. Those chains are stronger than steel." He dropped to sit on the ground, breathed out chilled air. "And I'm just about out of Chakra."

"Alright." Naruto was instantly brought back to the ground as the poles rapidly shrunk, the chains around him dissolving into snow once he had his feet back on the ground. "So that's what, 4-3?"

"More like 5-2." Sasuke dropped back to the ground with a groan. "If this wasn't a spar, that last hit you got on me would've taken me out." He stared up at the clear blue skies. "Even if you took it slow for me…I can't keep up with your speed." He closed his eyes. "Even if I ever get a Sharingan, you're too fast for me to keep up with."

"Hey!" Naruto headed over the snow between him and Sasuke, dropped down to sit next to him. "Quit it with that kind of talk."

"I just…" Sasuke couldn't help but think about Itachi, Shisui, of even Nana and Taiko. Of the Dojutsu he lacked. "I just think could do a lot better with it. Be good enough for once." He fell silent.

Naruto didn't know what to say.

He didn't know what he even should say.

"You've gotta stop putting yourself down man." Naruto stared up at the clouds above. "You're pretty awesome without it."


AN: Next update in 2-3 weeks.

Review/PM if you want.

Peace.