As Naruto ate breakfast, his mind wandered to the mission ahead. He was going to work with both Guy and Kakashi, along with Tenten and Neji from Team Guy. He realized he'd never actually worked with them before. He wasn't even sure if he'd ever had a conversation with Tenten. As for Neji, well, he had just fought him and won, but Naruto had no idea how much of an impact that would have. Probably not much, he figured, but he could be wrong.

Naruto found himself reaching for his usual orange jumpsuit. However, a part of him was tempted to wear the traditional flak jacket that Chunin and Jonin typically wore, as it would show his newly earned status. Naruto thought about it his eyes moving back and forth. He ultimately decided on something of a compromise. He really wanted to wear the flak jacket, so he had to change. Then the change would also represent his new rank in the village too. Naruto got dressed putting on an orange shirt, and green pair of pants the same color as the flak jacket that went on last before he put on the rest of his gear. As he looked in the mirror, he couldn't help noticing that he looked the part of a Chunin now.

As he was about to head out and find his team for the mission to locate the missing healer, Tsunade, and bring her back to Konoha, Naruto noticed a scroll at his door. It was sealed with Kakashi's name and sent by Jiraiya. Naruto had no idea what it was for, but he figured it must be important. Why Ero-Sensei didn't just give it to Kakashi directly was beyond him, but he grabbed the scroll anyway, thinking he'd deliver it.

Naruto soon found Kakashi and Guy, along with Neji and Tenten, waiting. Walking up to them, he held out the scroll. "Kakashi-sensei, I got this for you," Naruto said as he handed Kakashi the scroll.

Kakashi looked at the scroll and blinked. "Why didn't Ero-Sensei just give this to me directly?" he muttered as he released the seal and read the information inside. To his surprise, it had nothing to do with finding Tsunade. It was a challenge, and the reward was something special. The challenge was straightforward: teach Naruto the Rasengan or make significant progress in doing so. As the student of the jutsu's creator, Kakashi knew it well. He hadn't thought about teaching Naruto such a powerful and dangerous technique, but the reward—the first copy of Jiraiya's new book—was too tempting to resist. Still, Kakashi couldn't help but wonder why Jiraiya didn't just hand it to him directly. But, well, whatever.

"Naruto-san," Guy called out with his usual enthusiasm, giving Naruto a thumbs up. "You're looking good this morning! Now, I think some introductions are in order. First, you already know Neji-san," he said with a smile, gesturing towards the talented Hyuuga. "And this is Tenten-san. I don't think you've had the chance to meet her yet, Naruto-san."

Naruto scratched the back of his head, grinning a bit nervously. "Um, it's a pleasure to meet you, Tenten-san. And Neji-san, it's nice to work with you instead of against you this time," he added, trying to sound upbeat.

He was a bit unsure of how Neji would react to working with him. The Chunin Exams were only a handful of days ago, and Naruto's surprising victory over Neji had to be fresh in his mind. Still, Naruto hoped that his words during their fight about not being bound by fate had sunk in a bit with Neji.

Tenten gave Naruto a friendly smile, her eyes bright with curiosity. "It's nice to meet you too, Naruto-san," she said, her tone warm. "I've heard a lot about you, especially after that fight with Neji. I can't wait to see just how skilled you are Naruto."

Neji, on the other hand, was more reserved. He gave a slight nod, his expression calm and unreadable. "Working together is different from fighting against each other," he said quietly. "We'll see how well we can cooperate." There was no hostility in his voice, but he remained cautious, still processing everything that had happened during the Chunin Exams.

Naruto nodded eagerly, his energy and enthusiasm clearly influenced by his time training with Guy. "Yeah, we've got this! We'll make a great team, believe it!" His determination was contagious, and he flashed a confident smile at his new teammates.

Kakashi glanced over at Naruto, his eye crinkling in amusement. "Good to see you're fired up, Naruto. We've got some important work ahead of us, and I'll fill you in on Jiraiya-sama's orders tonight. We've got a bit of a journey before we reach Tsunade-sama's last known location, so we'll have time to prepare."

Guy, ever the beacon of enthusiasm, struck a dynamic pose, giving everyone a thumbs up. "Exactly! Let's use this time to let our youthful energy shine even brighter! Remember, we strive to improve each day, so our passion can guide us to an even greater tomorrow!"

The others nodded, a mix of amusement and resolve on their faces as they followed Guy's lead. The group set off, moving at a steady pace in a loose formation. Neji took up a position at the rear, slightly apart from the others, his Byakugan activated as he kept watch for any potential threats. Though he was a bit distant, it was clear he was committed to the mission, just as the others were.

As they walked, Naruto moved closer to Tenten, curious about her abilities. He had seen her fight in the prelims, and though she had lost, he was impressed by how she summoned so many weapons. He figured she must know some incredible techniques and was probably much stronger than she had appeared in that match.

Matching her pace, Naruto gave her a friendly smile. "Tenten-san, I was wondering, how did you do that move against Temari with all the weapons? I mean, how were you able to summon so many at once, or even just one? I've never seen anything like that before."

"It's not really a trick," Tenten replied modestly, though there was a hint of pride in her voice. "It's called the Soshoryu technique. I use scrolls to store a bunch of weapons, and with the right chakra control, I can summon them all at once. It takes a lot of practice. The key is precision and timing—you have to control where each weapon goes and how it's used. It's all about having a strong connection with your tools."

She paused, glancing at Naruto to see if he was following. As she looked at Naruto she could see this curiosity in her skills. That wasn't something she was very used too at all. She never got to talk about her skills as normally people were more curious about Neji or Lee's hand to hand fighting style. She smiled as she took one more moment before she continued to enjoy this. "Naruto, you see weapons have always been my thing. I always felt comfortable with them and using them always felt natural to me. So I focused on getting as good as I can with them. I want to be the best weapon user ever. I know I have a long way to go, but I will get where I want with time and work."

Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "So, it's like Fuinjutsu or summoning jutsu? That's so cool! I remember reading that the Fourth Hokage was really good at summoning, and I can summon too," he said, comparing her technique to his ability to summon frogs.

Tenten smiled at Naruto's excitement. "Well, it's similar but not exactly the same. Your summoning is more like ninjutsu, but yeah, they're kind of related."

Naruto soaked in the new information, then asked another question. "Alright, Tenten, one more thing if you don't mind. Have you ever thought about combining your weapons with elemental chakra? I bet that would make them even more amazing."

Tenten looked at Naruto, surprised by his thoughtful question. "That is a good idea. I have thought about it before as well too," Tenten commented as she gave him a nod of her head. "However, I am still not that good at chakra control, and that takes a lot of chakra control to do right. So, it is something currently very much out of bag right now. Maybe someday I will figure it out though. Once I have figured out the basics better and have better chakra control."

She glanced at her scrolls, her mind clearly turning over the possibilities. "But you're right, it could make my techniques a lot more powerful. Maybe I should start experimenting with it. Thanks for the suggestion, Naruto. You've given me something to think about."

She smiled at him, appreciating his enthusiasm and the new perspective he'd offered. "You're not just full of energy; you've got some good ideas too."

Naruto listened and then nodded his head as he thought about it for a moment. "How about this, I am really bad at chakra control too, when we have down time, why don't we work together on it. That way we both can support each other and help each other get stronger," Naruto declared, giving Tenten a thumbs up, his voice as energetic as ever. "I know if we work together we can do it, believe it!"

Tenten blinked in surprise at Naruto's offer, then smiled warmly. "You know, that sounds like a good idea, Naruto," she replied, matching his enthusiasm with a nod of her own. "Training together could really help both of us improve. Plus, with your energy and determination, I'm sure we'll make a lot of progress."

She returned his thumbs up with one of her own, her competitive spirit igniting. "Alright then, it's a deal! Let's work hard and push each other to get stronger. We'll make sure everyone sees just how capable we are."

"Of course, with our determination and drive, we can do it for sure!" Naruto said as he continued to walk with Tenten, feeling like he could work really well with her. That this training on the side with her could be a lot of fun.

Neji looked ahead, his eyebrow raised as he wondered what he had gotten himself into. He could see that Naruto was something else. Different but in ways very similar to working with Lee.

Kakashi looked back at Naruto and shook his head as he then looked over at Guy. He could see the impact that Guy had on him. He half expected Naruto to use the term youthful energy or the like in the last statement of his.

"It is great isn't it my youthful rival," Guy declared as he walked with him. "Seeing our students working together, working to improve themselves, striving to improve their futures, as their youthful energy burns so brightly."

Kakashi glanced at Guy, his visible eye crinkling in mild amusement. "Yeah, it's something," he replied, his tone a mix of dry humor and genuine acknowledgment. "Naruto's definitely picked up some of your... enthusiasm. I just hope they don't start challenging each other to 500 laps around the village."

Guy laughed heartily, clapping Kakashi on the back. "Well, Kakashi, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing! A little extra training never hurt anyone. In fact, it could be exactly what they need to push past their limits!"

Neji, overhearing their conversation, couldn't help but let out a small sigh. "As long as it doesn't turn into another one of Lee's ridiculous challenges," he muttered under his breath, though he couldn't deny that Naruto's spirit was infectious.

Naruto, oblivious to Neji's concerns, continued chatting with Tenten, already excited about their future training sessions. "We'll be unstoppable!" he declared with his trademark grin. "Just you wait and see!"

Tenten chuckled, nodding in agreement. "With this kind of motivation, who knows what we'll achieve," she said, feeling a renewed sense of determination.

Guy beamed with pride, his eyes sparkling. "That's the spirit! Let your youthful flames burn brightly, Naruto! Tenten! Neji! Together, we'll forge a new path and inspire everyone in Konoha!"

Kakashi shook his head again, but this time with a faint smile. "At the very least, it won't be boring," he said, settling into the pace as they continued on their mission.

Kakashi observed Naruto with a thoughtful expression, noticing how much the boy had grown. He had grown a lot in the month he had before the match against Neji. He knew that Naruto of course had a long way to go as well. Yet, he was on the right track. Teaching Naruto rasengan was going to be very challenging. The move took a lot of chakra control and focus. Things that traditionally Naruto wasn't very good at. He knew that it was going to be a real challenge for him to do.

Yet, Kakashi felt a sense of optimism as he saw Naruto's enthusiasm and determination, as well as how much he had grown. Any extra training Naruto did with Tenten would only strengthen his control and make the rasengan training smoother. He couldn't help but wonder how Sakura and Sasuke would react if they could see Naruto now. They had caught a glimpse of his growth during the fight with Gaara, but this Naruto was different. The time spent training under Guy and Jiraiya had clearly paid off, shaping him into a more focused and capable ninja.

Kakashi's mind briefly drifted to his other students. Sakura had always been the most skilled in chakra control, but Naruto's raw determination and refusal to give up made him a force to be reckoned with. As for Sasuke, Kakashi knew his drive and talent were unmatched, but even he would have to acknowledge the changes in Naruto.