Naruto did not walk out of the Forest of Death and into Konoha proper with his team. He strutted, head held high. From time to time, he'd pause to flex at the occasional passing shinobi, and much to his surprise and amusement, several of them laughed and returned the pose, or just gave him a high five. He still got the occasional glare from civilian passerby, and more than a few of those who did not cheer him on looked at him like he was mad, but it was worth it.

Sakura made no effort to pretend the situation wasn't funny. She laughed along, and more than a few times, those who chose to flex back at Naruto would turn to her and do the same, which she returned with a cheerful smile and good graces. Many of the passing shinobi, those not drawn into Naruto's antics, gave her a respectful nod as they passed by, or a thumbs up. Shinobi gossiped like an old wives' club when matters were not classified, and Sakura was delighted to find out from one of them that the tape of her match was already starting to spread. She was even more delighted when she heard that Iruka was planning on showing his copy to every graduating class as an example of "seeing underneath the underneath."

Sasuke smiled easily during this walk. He did not need the approval or support of passerby… but he also did not feel the urge to take that good will from his teammates. The dead last and one of the most useless fangirls from the academy had both made it into the finals, right alongside of him, and he felt more than a little pride in their shared accomplishment. The respectful nods he got from the more serious shinobi and civilians were certainly pleasant enough.

Naruto was leading them all in a completely unsubtle manner towards Ichiraku Ramen, already thinking about his upcoming month of training (and ramen), when he heard a whistle behind him. He and the others turned to look at Kakashi, standing behind them with a cheerful and yet solemn air "You three have done incredibly during this exam," he said, his one eye looking at each of them in turn. "The last time three rookie genin from the same squad made it to the finals of their first exam was the when the Sannin took their test. In the end, all three were promoted, and at this rate, I suspect you three will be too, and this time without a war to justify it. To know I even had a part in such a group is humbling."

"You had a big part in it, Kakashi-sensei," said Sakura, beaming. Without Kakashi's efforts in training them with other genin, who knows what sort of kunoichi she would have become. She had needed the kick in the pants she got from tussling with Kiba, and she doubted she would have gotten it from her teammates. She would have cheered Sasuke on as he crushed her, and rejected Naruto every time he tried to help, she was sure. She idly reached up to her shoulder to scratch at Kieri's chest and thanked whatever guided their lives that things had worked out the way they had.

"Without you, this team would not be as strong… and neither would I," said Sasuke with a slightly brittle smile. Each day was a painful reminder for Sasuke, not of what he needed to do, but what he'd almost done. Before his team, his friends, he was always alone, even in a crowd of fellow students. He had been so focused, so dedicated to his revenge, that he had no thoughts to spare beyond it. Kakashi had caused him to consider the possibility that he was making a mistake in trying to remain alone against the world. He had also made Sasuke think about what might happen after he killed his brother. If Sasuke had stayed on his lonesome course, he might have gotten his revenge… and returned to an empty home to live an empty life, if he didn't decided that his task was over and seek to join his family. Now? Now he'd have his revenge in due time, and when it was over, he would live. The Uchiha would return some day.

"Yeah, reading that pervy book while we trained must have been hard," said Naruto, who grinned until Sakura gave him a smack in the back of the head. He rubbed his neck sheepishly and gave a more restrained smile. "Really, Kakashi-sensei, you helped a lot."

Kakashi had changed his life. The blond was the first to admit he was not as smart as many of his classmates, including Sakura, and maybe, on a generous day, maybe even Sasuke. Kakashi hadn't accepted that from him. Kakashi had poked, and prodded, and encouraged, anything it took to find what worked, and when he found someone who could make Naruto stronger, he sent Naruto off to train without hesitation, even if it was his youthful rival. Kakashi could have let Naruto coast along like most of his academy teachers had, but instead he taught, and when when Naruto didn't get it, he tried a different angle, until eventually, even Naruto understood.

Kakashi gave a giggle and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Mahh, mahh, you're too kind, you three. Too bad I'm not training you this month." He froze under the sudden glares from his students, and raised his hands defensively. "It wouldn't be fair to you three if I trained all of you a third of the time, or one of you the entire time!" He backed up as the three started advancing towards with a slow and menacing strength to their step. Even Naruto had stopped focusing on his next meal and was cracking his knuckles. "Besides," he said, trying to sound as cheerful as possible, "All three of you have had volunteers to train you for the finals!"

That drew a pause, and the three genin stopped advancing and settled for staring at him.

"I had three people approach me, separately, in the time it took for me to get here. All three offered to train one of you, and all three were good matches for the one they asked for. I didn't want to play favorites, so I figured I'd let you train with someone more suited to your individual strengths. They should be coming to get you some time in the next day or so, so try not to wander too far off the beaten path, okay?" When they nodded in acknowledgement, he gave them each a pat on the head, even going through the trouble of actually landing that pat on Sasuke's head as the boy dodged, then vanished with a swirl of leaves and smoke.

"Right," said Naruto, draping an arm across Sakura's shoulders, then removing it when she cracked her knuckles. "How about some ramen? We'll probably be super busy, so we won't get to meet up much." Sasuke and Sakura both shrugged and grumbled. Ichiraku Ramen was good, but not all day every day good for them. Naruto grinned and pulled out his small frog-shaped wallet. He popped open its clasped mouth and wiggled it back and forth as if it was talking. "How about I pay for it," he said in a high falsetto, "I've become so fat from all the money I've been able to save. Help me lose some weight?"

Sakura chuckled, but Sasuke happened to glance into the frog wallet's mouth. His eyes widened, and he took a step back. "Tell me that thing's not filled with explosive notes," he said in horror.

"Not full of them. Just some extras."

"I saw the roll, Naruto!"

Naruto laughed, although the laugh had a brittle edge to it. "Hey, you saw my fight in the arena, right? Who on earth keeps all of their surprises in one easy-to-steal scroll?" He looked down at the wallet, and his smile took on a frightful intensity.

Sakura gave Sasuke a light punch on the arm. "Come on," she said, "I'm sure he knows how to not set off an explosive tag. Let's get a meal together." Sasuke have a deep sigh, then stopped and looked up the road a little. When he didn't speak, his teammates turned and looked as well. "I think I'll have to pass on that, Sakura, Naruto. My trainer just showed up."

Standing just a few feet away was a man, standing with his arms crossed. He wore a dark grey body suit with a high collar, covered with a long hooded jacket in a brilliant white. A large gourd was strapped to his back, but he carried it without the slightest hunch, just as Gaara had. A pair of sunglasses, pressed close to his face, concealed his eyes and gave him an ominous appearance.

Aburame Shibi, Shino's father and the pride of the Aburame clan, nodded once to Sasuke and turned to walk away. Sasuke waved to his teammates, then followed, lengthening his strides to catch up to the taller man.

Naruto turned to Sakura, hoping to turn their team meal into a date, but Kieri suddenly gave a loud meow and butted heads with Sakura, who frowned. "Damn," she said, rubbing Kieri's head hurriedly, "I forgot, I tossed Kieri's food before the test, in case it went bad. I need to stop by Dan's place and restock." She noticed Naruto's look of defeat and gave him a smile. "Maybe we can meet up the day before, for a completely not-a-date meal?"

Naruto moped a little, but eventually, like the sun coming out from behind the clouds, his grin returned. "Yeah, yeah, not a date. This time." Sakura swatted him gently, then waved as she ran up the nearest wall to cross the town. Naruto waved goodbye in return, and with at least some good cheer still remaining, he turned and entered the Ichiraku Ramen stand.

Teuchi and Ayame were behind the counter, but for once, their faces did not light up on Naruto's arrival. They were both far too focused on their other guest, Teuchi with anger and Ayame with disgust. Their only other customer was tall man, well into the middle of his life, with a thick and unkempt mane of snow white hair flowing down almost to the floor. The man wore a Konoha forehead protector, but it was oddly built, with a much wider band of metal and two miniature horns pointing out of it. His otherwise sensible dull green clothing was hampered by the long red vest he wore over it. He looked like a joke shinobi, and like many real shinobi, Naruto did not care to be represented as a joke.

The worst part, though, was the leer on the man's face. He was looking at Ayame like… well, like Naruto looked at ramen, and some inner core of Naruto rebelled at the idea of looking at his big sister figure in such a way. "So," the man said, leaning forward and resting his head in both of his hands in a manner that was both casual looking and forced, "How does that sound? I could even get a part for you in my next book. A starring role, even." His eyebrows did a little dance, and when the old man began to make a kissing face, Naruto finally snapped. He put on a cheerful grin and walked up.

"Excuse me, mister! Can you help me with something?"

The man looked down at Naruto, and there was a slight moment, a flash of something Naruto could not identify, before the old man's face fell into a contemptible sneer. "Go away, kid, you're messing up my patter," he mumbled.

Naruto held up his frog wallet. "Can you look at Gama-chan for me? His insides are broke, and maybe you can fix them? Pwease?" Naruto mentally gagged to himself as he said the last in a childish lisp, but his grin never faltered. He saw the same something pass through the man's visage, as if he was trying to hold down some sort of reflexive reaction, before he sighed and took the wallet.

"I'm great with kids you know," he said, pausing to leer at Ayame again. He then popped open Gama-chan's mouth. He chuckled a little at the wad of bills in it as he hefted it in his hand a few times. There was a lot of money in there, months of saving after Kakashi had helped Naruto with his money problems... and a few other surprises as well.

Naruto knew the exact moment when the old man spotted the roll of explosive tags. His chuckle froze, and his eyes flicked up to Naruto… who had placed his hands in the snake seal as soon as the old man looked at Ayame. Can't blow up my ramen stand, but he doesn't know that, thought Naruto smugly. Let's see you handle that!

Then the old man grinned.

Naruto looked up at the small, Gama-chan sized hole in the ceiling, his mouth agape. A few random bills could be seen floating on a breeze, following the arc his wallet had made as it sailed into the sunset. "Aww… that had my rent in it," he said with a disgusted sigh.

He turned to the old man, who was looking at the hole with a smile of amusement and satisfaction across his face. "Wow," he said with an easy smile, "that thing must have been heavy, to fly that far. I think it cleared the village walls."

Naruto let out a frustrated grumble and ran a hand through his hair. "Who the hell are you?" he asked, his voice slightly petulant. "You, who are pissing off my favorite people? You who threw my wallet out of the city?" He moaned and thumped his head on the counter top. "And why are you dressed like a joke shinobi?"

"Joke?"

Naruto looked up from the counter to see the odd old man crouching on one of the stools, looking for all the world like a giant, ugly toad.

"Joke!"

The man stood up on the barstool, one foot on the stool, one on the bar itself, where he took a dramatic pose, carefully ignoring Teuchi's efforts to smash his foot with a small wooden mallet. "Do you not know who you are talking to, kid?"

Naruto shook his head.

The old man began to hop on the one leg on the barstool, his other leg raised for balance, one arm thrust forward dramatically. As he did this, the stool slowly began to rotate, spinning him in a slow circle as he did his dance. "Open your eyes and get an eyeful! From north to east, from south to west! Women want me, men want to be me, and everyone fears me! For I am Jiraiya the Great Toad Hermit!" The spinning barstool stopped as Jiraiya came around to face Naruto, a wild and cheerful grin on his face.

Then Ayame hit him with the biggest frying pan she had been able to find.

Sasuke stopped when they reached the central pillar in the Aburame clan compound. They had stopped by the shared project room in the central hall, where Shino had wordlessly joined them. Sasuke had removed his usual equipment when instructed, storing it in one of the lockers he and Shino had installed to keep the more dangerous materials safely. The two Aburame had then nodded to him and immediately walked out of the room to the central pillar, where Sasuke stopped.

"I am not permitted," Sasuke said, giving a polite bow. The Aburame had been quite clear on the matter in the past, and Sasuke had no desire to aggravate his trainer before they even begun. Shibi returned the bow.

"You are permitted to enter, with escort. Why? Because the best way to train you is within our family hive, and we would not train you if we thought you were unworthy." He straightened, and without another word, he and Shino both entered the enclosed stairwell. Without hesitation, Sasuke entered.

The stairwell wound down, spiraling around the outer wall of the shaft and leaving a large empty space in the center. There was little light, and as they started to walk into the depths, Sasuke saw Shino and his father pocket their sunglasses. The stairs were rock slabs, individually built out of the walls, and each one was remarkably thin. He looked upward, and saw that those stairs continued up past the entrance, all the way up until the very top, which had some oddly patterned stonework supported by several thick stone supports. It took a few moments, but Sasuke eventually recognized the pattern as that of the central square of the miniature village above.

The entire square. Sasuke immediately realized the intent of the structure, and approved. Living underground, immediate access to the surface in an emergency might be a problem. They had built a large central shaft, then capped it with a plug of stone that could be collapsed with little effort. The thin stairs would snap easily under the weight of the falling stone, creating a wide and clear corridor to the surface that any shinobi could climb. In a real emergency, if they needed all hands to the surface, blowing that cap down would surprise any foes, during which the Aburame and their insects could swarm out and envelope them. Impressive. Practical. Very Aburame.

The stairs ended well before the shaft did, at a hole dug into the stone and wide enough for several people to stand. The hole was roughly dug, but had been worn smooth by the passage of time and people. Two Aburame stood at attention just inside the hole, and when Sasuke approached, he could hear their internal hives humming in agitation. But the guards simply nodded to him, and he continued to follow his guides.

It took some time to get used to how the Aburame built their home system, carved as it was out of the surrounding rock. Aside from places where gravity was required, there seemed to be no adherence to it. Passages would split up or down as often as side to side, and those who he saw stood at whatever orientation they happened to come out at. Several times, he saw a few clan members pause and talk, both craning their heads "up" to see the other person. Sasuke wondered how younger children handled traversing their homes, until he saw a pack of them scurrying by using small handholds carved into the walls and ceilings and floors.

A few shops and stores were found at this level, almost exclusively catering to shinobi needs, but for the most part, every doorway and window he saw, regardless of orientation, looked into a home of some sort. Those that were not level seemed to curve on the inside until they were, but some rooms even had furniture set up to hold occupants against gravity. In one particular case, he had walked over a window and looked down to see an older female laying in a reclining chair, carefully bolted to the floor by its back so she could sit without using chakra. She had waved at him in a friendly enough manner, and caught off guard, he waved back before moving on.

Eventually, they reached the end of their trip, arriving at a very elaborate and hefty metal door. It had several clear windows built into it, and through it, he could see another identical door on the other side, beyond which was bright light and several Aburame working at desks on paperwork. Shibi nodded to one side, to a less elaborate door, and Sasuke entered to find a round table with half a dozen chairs within. Shibi and Shino waved at a chair, and Sasuke sat.

To his surprise, they both started to remove their coats, something he had never seen before. In the dim light, he could make out very little, but he could clearly see the small holes in their arms where their insects could enter and leave their bodies. They sat, and while neither one smiled, both looked oddly at ease, even with the unaccustomed loss of their jackets.

"All you have seen here is a clan secret," said Shibi without preamble or small talk, in a monotone almost identical to Shino's. "While these secrets are neither dangerous nor deeply important, we, the Aburame clan, ask that you keep them to yourself. Nobody, not even the Hokage, has the right to demand this knowledge from you."

Sasuke nodded without hesitation. Without any idea what was within this hive like structure, any invader would find it almost impossible to work effectively when they made their move, and would be ripe for ambush. Giving away anything on the way this place was built could very well compromise that advantage.

Shibi nodded back. "We, the Aburame clan, have had a meeting to discuss this possibility. It was agreed, in mere hours, to offer it to you. Why? Because you are almost singular amongst Konoha shinobi in your respect and understanding of our allies, and we have a need for your assistance. This will be exchanged for training and acceptance as an honorary member of the Aburame hive, if you agree."

"What do you need, Aburame-sama?" asked Sasuke.

Shino was the one to speak next, leaning forward slightly as he did so. "We host our kikaichu in our bodies, almost from birth. Our hives grow with us, just as any other part of us. This is excellent for our clan jutsu, but it also has a penalty, in that almost all Aburame have a hive. This means that we have few people without a hive with which to test the results of our breeding experiments. Generally, we only get people who marry into the clan, or willingly join for other reasons, and both such are quite uncommon for our unconventional hive.

Inserting a new hive into a host with an old one can be dangerous. Between interbreeding and possible biological incompatibility, the old hive can easily become corrupted or destroyed, which has a disastrous effect on a full fledged Aburame." Shino frowned slightly. "It would be like losing your eyes, the complete removal of a sense that you have lived with all your life, and now had to do without. Thus, we are careful in our efforts. That is why we had those elaborate airlocks leading beyond this point. Those are only to the report desks. Further in, far more complex systems are used to keep the various hives separate and safe, just in case."

Sasuke found himself both put off by the Aburame sense of logic and straight talk and feeling grateful for it. Normally, one did not pose a direct question to another in any but the most informal setting out of concern for being seen as rude. The Aburame had no such qualms. "You wish me to take on a hive?" Sasuke asked.

Both Shibi and Shino nodded, and Shibi spoke. "We have developed a promising strain of kikaichu, one that may prove to be a great benefit to our clan in the future. But before we risk a child, it would be best to test it on someone who can communicate fully. Why? If a child cannot express themselves, they cannot warn us if something is wrong with their hive or them."

Sasuke sat back and thought. The idea made a great deal of sense, viewed through the lens of cold Aburame logic. Choose a willing host who will not have compatibility issues, implant the new strain of kikaichu, and see what happens. The idea of insects crawling through his body was creepy as hell… but that's what people always said about the Aburame themselves, without ever getting to know them.

"What does it feel like, Shino? To have a hive within you?"

Shino blinked, and Sasuke realized that his friend had never expected a question like that from Sasuke. After a moment, Shino smiled tentatively. "It feels like a friend running a finger down your arm in greeting, only done many, many times at once, at all times. It is a constant reminder that the hive lives, as do you, and with the hive, you are never truly alone."

It was Sasuke's turn to blink. He had expected a cold, clinical description of the sensation, and instead had gotten as close to sappy as he had ever seen from his friend. He took a deep breath and thought carefully about the situation, considering what else he would need to know. The Aburame would likely not fault him for thinking carefully on the offer, and would probably not feel insulted if her refused, all the more so for logical reasons. Sasuke had time to think, and he knew it. For almost five minutes, he mentally cataloged everything he thought he might need to know, while Shino and Shibi both waited patiently and silently. Finally, he started to ask questions.

"What are the risk factors?"

"Less than two percent probability of long term bodily harm, and less than point one percent of deadly risk," said Shibi. "We will teach you how to locate and neutralize the queen of your hive should you ever feel in danger. The process of receiving your queen and the creation of your kikaichu paths is unpleasant, but not permanently harmful it itself. This species is not significantly different from the previous one, only more robust and efficient in its use of chakra from the host. At this point, we are ninety eight percent certain the species is safe to use, but we Aburame prefer to get as close to one hundred percent as feasible."

"And the benefits?"

Shino looked at his father, then at Sasuke. "That depends on you. Kikaichu feed on chakra. They are also symbiotic, and will not take more from you than you offer. The more you offer, the faster and stronger the hive grows, and the further it will spread throughout your body. Initially, your hive will be limited. You will be able to drain small amounts of chakra from foes, and plant tracking bugs on them, but many of the more combative techniques of the clan may not be available to you for some time, depending on how much you permit the hive to grow."

"You mentioned honorary clan membership. Does this require me to renounce my clan, join your clan, or otherwise limit my freedom of choice when it comes to family matters?"

"No," said Shibi. "We would welcome you into our clan, if you desired, but Shino has strongly pressed us to not make that offer, as you wish to revive your clan in the future. As an honorary member, we expect and demand nothing from you. Why? Because we would not offer if you were not worthy of kinship, even informally."

Sasuke thought a moment more, then blushed slightly when he realized he had another important, if uncomfortable, question. "This will not impact my… reproductive capabilities?"

Shibi shook his head, and Sasuke thought he saw the man smother a small smile. "No," he said, "The kikaichu will avoid the relevant areas of your body. Socially, there may be consequences. Outsiders often look down on us as abnormal. We cannot promise your mating options will not decline because of this. But you will remain biologically capable. Should you be unable to find a mate, the Aburame would be willing to find a compatible one from amongst our ranks, to ensure that goal is met."

Shino must have seen Sasuke's face, because he was quick to comment. "We Aburame do not see the world as you do. For us, the social protocols of love are largely stripped away for the practicalities of raising our young in a healthy and effective manner." His face softened slightly. "We are not inhuman. We have emotions. Many of our people find love in our own way, and should we need to find you a mate, feel assured she will not be unwilling in the matter. But for us, emotions are born in logic, not in spite of it. She would love you because you were her husband and the eventual father of her children, rather than something so shallow as appearance or reputation."

Shino smiled slightly. "In school, out of all your fellow classmates, I may have been one of the few who truly appreciated how you suffered at the hands of your fangirls, although I will not pretend I did not find it amusing as well."

Sasuke closed his eyes and considered his choices. He had been presented with a rare honor, that he knew, but he pushed that little bit of pride away. He was slightly disturbed by the idea of a living hive within him as well, and that was much harder to push away, but he did so. He looked at the cold logic, cost and benefit, but in the end, his fear and pride kept pushing in, distracting him from what he needed to think. He could not put aside his emotions like Shino.

Of course, I know exactly where to get an impartial and logical opinion.

"Shino," he said, his eyes still closed, "You know of my long term goals. What is your recommendation?"

Shino needed very little time to think. "If you take the hive," he said, "You gain some unique capabilities, ones your foes may not expect. If the hive works out, you benefit. If the hive does not work out, all you have lost is the chakra you fed them during the initial stages and some slight scarring where your pathway exits were located, neither of which would be detrimental to your goals. You have little concern about the social stigma of having a hive, and neither of your teammates seem to fear me, so they should react with a neutral or possibly favorable tone. I am of the opinion that you lose nothing to take the hive, and stand to gain if it works."

Sasuke smiled in the dark. Such a Shino answer.

"I agree, and consent to receive a hive and training amongst your clan."

As Sakura neared Dan's shop, she saw the older man standing on a small stool, placing large wooden shutters over his window. The bench he usually kept outside already missing. As she approached, Sakura peeked through one of the still open windows and saw that his shelves were empty of perishables, the coolers clean and powered down.

"Dan?" she asked apprehensively, "What happened to the shop? Everything okay?"

Dan turned at her and gave her a broad smile. When he turned, she could see that under his normal apron and work pants, he was wearing a light weight and loose workout suit instead of his usual civilian attire. "Things are wonderful!" He stepped down from the stool and swept Sakura into a surprisingly solid hug. "I saw the tape already! Kakashi made sure a copy floated my way!" He hurriedly set the last of the shutters over his window, then waved Sakura into the shop.

Once inside, Dan dragged over the bench, as well as a small plastic cooler. He opened it and pulled out a few cuts of meat for Kieri, as well as a western style sandwich for himself and Sakura. Sakura accepted the meal eagerly, her first real meal since the exams started, and the three of them spent several minutes in companionable silence as they ate. Dan finished first, then excused himself and wandered into the back.

By the time Sakura finished, Dan was walking back into the room with a large backpack held in his arms. "I have a gift for you," he said, holding out the pack. The pack was an ancient thing made of leather, poorly cared for and cracking wherever it wasn't rotting. Instead of the design Sakura was used to, with an opening on the top, the entire back of it was laced up around its contents. It was also large, nearly the size of Sakura's torso, and just as thick. She set the awkward bag on the floor and pried the old leather ties loose, eventually resorting to cutting a few of them. She unwrapped the leather to reveal a large scroll that filled nearly the entire bag, as well as a small leather pouch like the one she carried on her hip.

Dan's smile dulled a little when she looked up at him, and he waved at the scroll. She unrolled it slightly on the floor. On the very edge of the scroll, written in an archaic script, could be seen the words, Only those who ask with sincerity may gain our aid. Only those who serve with sincerity may earn our trust. After that was a series of thin vertical boxes. The first seven were filled with writing in a form Sakura did not recognize, followed by a series of handprints in blood. The eighth was the same, except this box was legible. Written within it was the name, "Fukui Daniel," and another set of prints, this set smeared from the tips all the way down to the near end of the scroll. Every square afterwards was blank.

Dan kneeled in front of the scroll with a tired grunt, the first time Sakura had ever seen him sit without a chair, and he touched the scroll with reverence. "I came from a distant land across the great ocean to the east when I was a mere child. My parents did not survive the crossing, and I was discarded by the crew when the ship arrived at port. I survived a meager existence on scraps and garbage. Begging was useless, my foreign nature was not appreciated in that town. It was a dirty and desperate way to live, but I still found one shining reason to keep moving each day, and that was my friend, Miro-neko.

Miro was an ally cat like me, and when we first met, I'll admit, I tried to catch and eat him. He evaded me for a full day, dragging me across the town and back again, and every time I thought I had him cornered, he escaped again. Eventually, I gave up and sat in the dirt to try and drown the rumbling of my stomach with a good cry. But Miro came back, and brought with him a loaf of bread, pilfered so skillfully from a baker that I half suspect they never found out."

Dan let out a happy sigh. "Those became golden days for me. Miro helped me get food, find shelter, watched over me in my sleep to ensure my safety. I did the same for him, and in the process, learned about stealth and secrecy, how to spot foes before they spotted me, and how to lash out wildly when cornered, until none would try to harm me any more."

Sakura waited, but Dan had gone quiet, head down, and although his lips moved, no sound was being made. "Dan? Are you ok?" she asked. When he didn't react, she laid a hand gently on his arm.

Dan lifted his head again, and unshed tears brightened his eyes. "Sorry," he said, his smile growing again. "I often miss those days, wild and free and irresponsible. But like all things, they to had to end." His smile shrunk slightly, but did not fade completely. "Miro was an old cat by the time I met him. In the few years I was with him, he went from an athletic if aging cat to an ancient and thin creature. Eventually, he grew tired and sickly. It took me a full day to find him, curled up in a hidey hole he'd never shown me, an old and closed off sewer. I guess he was too tired to leave the place.

When I found him, he dragged himself up and wobbled over to one corner of the old sewer. I followed him, and saw him pawing weakly at this scroll, propped against the wall. I picked it up, opened it, saw what had been done with it. I asked him if I should do as they had, sign my name and make my mark. Miro grunted, and I did so. The moment I made the last fingerprint, Miro let out a single purr, just the lightest little sound, and quietly died."

Sakura rubbed her eyes as Dan started to cry quietly. Eventually, Kieri wandered over and curled up next to Dan, purring quietly. That seemed to break his sorrow a little, and he ran a hand gently along the cat's back. "I came from a land without knowledge of shinobi or summoning contracts. I didn't even know what Chakra was. Thankfully, the Neko Summoning Contract is different from others of the sort. When someone new signs it, one of their kind is notified, and if no contact if forthcoming, they use a Reverse Summoning to discover what has happened."

"They were not pleased on my arrival." He laughed, and a bit of his previous good cheer returned to his voice. "Miro had been tasked with finding a new summoner when the old one died, but he was not exactly a conformist. He wasn't happy with any of the shinobi he met, and eventually gravitated to the civilian town where he found me. They trained me for more than ten years, and I still hate every single day of it." His smile was warm, even as he said that, and Sakura suspected he enjoyed it more than he let on, like an old war veteran who told warm stories about friends who had died.

"So why are you not a shinobi, Dan?"

Dan shook his head and waved his arms down at himself. "I am what I am. When not literally starving, I tend to be slightly overweight and doughy. Not to mention slow. And lazy." Sakura giggled slightly at his honest appraisal, and he laughed in return. "I'm not shinobi material, and frankly, the lifestyle scares me. I didn't think I'd handle life and death situations all that well, and after ten years, the elders of the Ninneko agreed fully. So instead, they sent me out to one of the largest shinobi villages in the world to find a new summoner."

Dan reached out and nudged the scroll closer to Sakura, who frowned. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked with a frown on her face. "Hell, how will they feel about Kieri? Would they be angry I already have an ally?"

Kieri looked up at Dan with possibly the smuggest face a cat could have, which is impressive, because almost all cats are very good at that face. She then clawed Dan on the leg, making him jump up and curse. "All right, all right," he shouted, "I'm getting there." He turned to Sakura and pointed at Kieri. "Where do you think Keiri came from? An oddly intelligent kitten who just happens to show up one day in the Inuzuka compound? Long odds on that. I actually figured one of them would go for it, but you took on the responsibility to train her, and even if you did fumble along a bit, you turned out alright in the end."

Sakura looked at Kieri, who gave a surprisingly human nod. She then gave a short bow to Kieri and rose with a smile. "I am honored. I will gladly sign the Neko Summoning Contract." Dan handed her a pen, and she wrote her full name in the next square down the row. She then pulled out a kunai, nicked one of her fingers, and used the blood to press each print to the paper.

She finished, and Dan smiled at her. "I'll make sure Kieri remembers to summon you in a month," he said cheerfully, giving her a wave. Sakura was about to ask what he meant when the Reverse Summon technique hit and she vanished with a puff of smoke.

Lee punched the training log with full force, each blow making the solid wood target shudder. Guy was right there with him, matching blow for blow, occasionally bellowing out some advice or encouragement. Neji was busy with his clan, formalizing his role as Hinata's teacher, as well as receiving training from Hiashi-sama. When they left the preliminary, Neji had seemed off, unusual… but not in a bad way. he didn't scowl when Lee congratulated him again for reaching the finals, nor did he talk about his fate, or Lee's fate as a loser, which was abnormal enough that Lee and Tenten had looked at each other and fallen silent. They had walked together a little way, and when it came time to part ways, Neji had said goodbye… but he also gave them a small smile, a tiny little uptick of the lips that had Lee burning with youth, and Tenten too, considering how red her face got. And Neji had promised Lee a spar later, after he got settled with everything that had happened. Win or lose, it is truly a wonderful day to be alive, because my rival had acknowledged him, and now, I must train that much harder to ensure I am a worthy foe! Lee laughed as he began to move faster, forcing Guy to speed up as well to keep the rhythm. Guy laughed as well.

Tenten had not joined them in their training. Guy had roped in another jonin, a man named Ebisu, to train Tenten. Lee had been worried at first when he saw Ebisu-san's cold face, and after the trainer left with Tenten, Lee had asked Guy about it.

"Lee," said Guy, his face serious. "We burn with the fires of youth. It is in our nature! But not all men and women are the same in that matter. Some must burn, but some must be cold and critical, serious, dour. It is no shame for them to be so, should such a mood serve to keep them motivated, and Ebisu is one such man. He is an elite trainer, a master of many of the core techniques we shinobi often use, and a natural choice for Tenten now that she is branching out slightly from her focus on weapons. Trust in me, Lee, and trust in him! Tenten will show the world her own youth soon enough!"

It said much about Lee that those mere words were enough to change his mind, to allow him to respect Ebisu-sama to train Tenten well. And as he continued to strike the post, his mind turned to Neji, and he began to wonder what motivated his eternal rival.

Lee heard someone approaching him from behind, slowly and hesitantly, and stopped his exercise to turn and greet whoever it was. What he saw was a blond girl around Sakura's age, dressed in a simple dark blue jumpsuit, bowing deeply on the ground. Her hair was carefully pinned up in a tight bun behind her head, arranged to be difficult to move, and her ears had clearly once had piercings, now removed.

The girl raised her head, and Lee realized he recognized her. "Yamanaka-san?" he asked. She nodded carefully, then flinched when Lee cheered and rushed over to pick her up off the ground. "Yamanaka-san, I wanted to congratulate you on your youthful fight! I was quite impressed that you defeated such a worthy and dangerous foe!"

Guy laid a hand on her shoulder, and when she looked up at him, his smile was gentle and friendly. "I was more impressed with you words after your fight, as I know Hokage-sama was. It was a good decision to make, and a credit to your serious intent." He waved the two of them over to a tree, where the two of them had laid their packs. He pulled out three canteens of water and handed one to each of the genin before taking a deep draught for himself. "I have a guess why you are here, Yamanaka-san, but please, speak freely. We are not complicated people, Lee and I, and value honest and direct statements over elaborate wordplay." Lee nodded, his face so serious and earnest that it brought a smile to Ino's own lips.

"I want you to train me," she said, looking squarely at Lee. "Sakura suggested it after… the forest. She suggested that from what she had seen, and from what she had heard from Naruto, you are a genius of hard work, and I think that's what I need." She sighed, but managed to keep smiling. "Hard work is not my family's way. Because of our clan's techniques, we tend to end up in Torture and Interrogation, and I doubt I will be any different. As such, we rarely focus on abilities outside of our clan's specialty. But I want to be a capable kunoichi, and right now I am not. I need work, hard work, and you're the one to provide it."

"Of course," said Lee cheerfully, "I am sure Guy-sensei will be glad to help you!"

Guy coughed in his fist and smiled. "She was talking to you, Lee."

Lee looked at his sensei, confused, then shook his head and looked at Ino as if she were mad. "I am not a teacher! I am a mere student! It would be better for all if Yamanaka-san were to train under you, Guy-sensei!"

It was Ino who denied that claim. "Lee, I am not anywhere near the same level as you two are. In order to train me, Guy-sama would have to reduce your own training to a very small level indeed. But you could easily give me guidance, having come from a position of weakness and made it into strength, and while I may never catch up to your level, I would still want to try. Further, with such low key training compared to what you usually do, it could easily be used as a cooldown period for your own training without disrupting your own growth."

Guy nodded along to Ino's reasoning. He had been worried about that himself, and while he knew Lee to be a kindhearted boy and would gladly make the sacrifice of time and training to help this young lady, it would curtail his own efforts, and he would soon have grown bored with the level of training that such a physically weak person would need.

"Lee, I think you should accept," said Guy, in his most serious tone and face. "It will give you a chance to learn how to teach, from a willing and receptive ally." He rested his hands on Lee's shoulders, and for a moment, marveled at how the boy had grown over the years, how tall and strong he was. It brought a manly tear to his eye. "I will not be a teacher forever, Lee, and when that day comes, you will need to pass what you know to some other young person with the fires of youth. Now is a good chance to train yourself to be a teacher as well as a fighter."

Lee looked thoughtful for a moment, his eyes narrowing in thought. But he nodded, his eyes starting to gleam with inner fire, and turned to Ino. "YOSH!" he shouted, causing Ino to flinch slightly at the volume. "I shall train you to be a genius of hard work, like myself and Guy-sensei! And if I cannot…" He paused. What challenge could ever top that, the failure of being unable to teach? Nothing could compare.

"And if I cannot," he continued, "I will do so anyhow! I will continue to teach you, until our very deaths! One way or another, you will become strong like us!" He turned to his sensei, his eyes gleaming with determination, then to Ino, who looked hopeful at his declaration, and gave them both a Number Thirty Four Nice Guy pose with Thumbs Up and Extra Tooth Sparkle with a Hand Painted Background. "I will never stop trying! That is my shinobi code!"

"Lee, I am so proud of you!" Guy swept Lee into a Manly Hug.

"Guy-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Guy-sensei!"

"Lee!"

There was a pause. Then Lee turned to Ino, with unshed manly tears in his eyes. "Ino-san!" he shouted, with just as much enthusiasm, his arms open.

Ino began to sigh in mild distaste… then stopped herself. Old Ino valued appearances, even when there was nobody to judge. Old Ino also failed completely as a kunoichi. Maybe New Ino should give it a try. "Aw, what the hell," she finally said, "It works for you two. LEE!" And she permitted what she soon realized was not some delicate, potentially romantic hug, but a rib crushing, back aching mauling. It was not a mere hug, it was a test of strength, as she would soon discover all things were when Lee and Guy had the Power of Youth coursing through them.

"Ino-san!"

"Lee," she gasped weakly, trying to breath.

"Ino-san!"

"Lee," she barely whispered, as her vision started to fade.

"Ino-san!"

Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is relatively dull. I wanted to use this to set up what I will be covering in the training chapters that follow, which will emphasize character growth and interaction. I currently plan on one chapter per member of Team 7… including Kakashi, who will be part of an Omake to wrap up some loose threads from earlier.

I could not resist the final section. I simply could not. If I had more room in my story for main characters, I would gladly write Lee and Guy into every chapter.

I did add a few review quotes to Chapter 1, both for self advertisement and humor. You long term readers might want to take a peek and have a giggle. Quotes used without permission, like all reviews for all media, but hey, at least I don't edit them to make a pile of turds look like an Oscar winner.

I will be spending next week or so going through old content, editing errors and filling out some much needed description. The plot will remain the same, I am only adding details. Last time I had a look at an earlier chapter to double check my internal consistency, and it almost appeared as if I had more issues than before my last editing run... or maybe I just grew as a writer. Either way, it vexes me, and editing takes much less effort than writing, so I am willing to dedicate some time to it. Expect another chapter in about a week and a half to two weeks. If you happen to be re-reading, the chapters I have updated will have a line of bolded M's across top and bottom.

Cute Kirby, aside from pointing out an auto-correct error (thank you), also mentioned that Choji v Kiba was amusing not for the action, but for the tone and style of writing I used to describe it. Thanks for that, as it tells me my goal was reached. And I'm not a science nerd. I am a SUPER science nerd.

Bookity complains, good naturedly mind you, that my fic is not finished, and how they generally only read finished fic. If you like, I could release a chapter or two, adding more weeks between updates while referring to "personal problems" or "life" in a vague way that totally doesn't imply I reactivated my wow account and can't be bothered with my fans right now (I did, only without the "can't bother" part), only to vanish and return a year later, claiming how awesome my updates will be, and I'm back to my weekly update schedule, only to vanish yet again, this time forever. That would be finished, right? ;) I for one prefer to catch finished content as well, but not finished like that, so here I am.

A lot of folks, including euroteres and Death276, commented how awkward Hinata and Naruto's date will be. Damn. Right. Definitely will come up as an Omake eventually. Believe it!

Illucidia asks if Hinata knows the 64 Palms in canon. As far as I could tell, yes, and it's listed on her wiki page, so I just rolled with it.

Thanks to Calibkir for pointing out a few obvious errors in previous chapters. Stuff like that helps immensely.

Zilco mentioned a dislike for training chapters, something I understand. They are often relatively slow reads. Unfortunately, they also often contain character growth, and two of the three chapters I have planned coming up have character growth as a core part of the chapter, and the third is going to once I decide where to go with it. Sorry, pal, but hang tight, I have an excellent Omake coming up as well, dealing with the aftermath of the various bets and other events from the exams. And I already have the ultimate punchline, which I suspect will make every last one of you at least giggle.