A/N Welcome to the story, "Drive"! No Sakura-bashing, per say, but the idea that if someone more motivated by teamwork and a desire to improve was put on Team 7, Team 7 might have been pushed to be better by themselves and by Kakashi. If it seems like she was designed for Team 7…she is. I hope you enjoy it!

Kimiko happily dug into the delicious breakfast served by her Grandma, listening to the excited babbling of her seven-year old sister, Hikari. Her father, as always nowadays, was absent. She ignored the dull stab of pain in her heart - he couldn't even show up for the day his daughter became a Genin?

She wasn't surprised though. With her long purple hair pulled back in a neat ponytail, her bangs artfully framing her face, her headband worn around her neck, and the new outfit her Grandma had surprised her with this morning, she knew she looked like a ghost of her mother. Her sister looked more like her mini-twin than her younger sister, and while she didn't agree, she knew her father couldn't bear to look at them even on his good days.

"Thank you for breakfast, Grandma." Kimiko said brightly as she took her dish to wash in the sink.

"Of course, Kimi-chan." Her grandma said affectionately. "It is a special day after all."

"Nee-chan is a ninja! Pow pow!" Hikari showed off her ninja moves with her chopsticks, causing them to fly away from her. Kimiko deftly plucked them out of the air, to her sister's excited clapping.

"I have to go. We are getting our team assignments today." She said, after rinsing off the chopsticks.

"Of course. Have a great day!"

"You too!" Kimiko called as she walked outside. She hadn't expected to have breakfast made for her, and she enjoyed the leisurely walk to the Academy instead of her usual rushed one with at least one item forgotten for the day.

I won't be walking here anymore. She thought. I'll be with my new team, and we will probably meet somewhere else every day.

She wondered who would be on her team. She hadn't made any close friends in the Academy, preferring to rush home to train or spend time with her sister. The three kunoichi who had placed beneath her would be valuable to have on her team, but she didn't want to hear Ino and Sakura blabbing about Sasuke all day. Hinata would be nice to have on her team. She had shared more than a few lunches with the shy kunoichi, occasionally exchanging tips or homework or bento snacks.

Realistically, she would be paired with two boys though. She thought of the boys in her class and began mentally ranking them. On the annoying level, Kiba was now ranked #1 because Naruto hadn't passed. Shikamaru had somehow passed, though his mother's promised fury was probably the main reason. Chouji would provide snacks, and while he seemed...useless, he was nice. Shino was creepy, but not like "would stab you in your sleep creepy" so that was a plus.

That left Sasuke Uchiha, the Rookie of the Year. Honestly, she wouldn't mind him on her team. 1. It would annoy every other girl except Hinata, and that would be hilarious. 2. He would actually push for better training. 3. The poor kid had gone through enough without having to deal with a rabid fangirl on his team.

"Uh…are you going in?" Kimiko was jolted out of her thoughts by Chouji's voice, sounding mildly concerned behind her. She had apparently stopped outside the Academy doors, completely lost in her mental rankings.

"Oh, yes, sorry Chouji." He opened the door for her, and she mentally moved him up a ranking out of guilt.

The classroom looked the same as it always did, but with a shining array of headbands staring back at her. Surprisingly, she noticed Naruto sporting a headband as well.

"Congratulations, Naruto." She said as she passed him.

"Thanks, Kimiko!" He said about one hundred decibels louder than necessary, shooting her a shining thumbs up. She wasn't sure how Naruto passed, but she was glad he did. There was something about his constant determination that was fascinating, if sometimes painful to watch. She had sometimes shared her lunch with him, partly because her grandma always cooked food for five people, hoping her father would make an appearance and forgetting her mom would never be there again, and then just gave Kimiko all the leftovers. But sometimes he just looked so…sad. She kind of knew what it was like to not have parents, and she knew he didn't have an amazing grandma like her. Sure, he was annoying, but her grandma always taught her to be kind to her comrades. Annoying or not, one day she might be on a mission with Naruto, and she might need his help. At least, that's what her grandma had said the first day she complained about Naruto.

"Hey, we're matching!" Kimiko noticed as she slipped into a seat across the row from Hinata.

"Y-yes, we are. I like your new o-outfit, Kimiko." Hinata slightly stuttered, fingering her headband that was also looped around her neck.

Kimiko glanced down at her outfit. She had replaced her standard ninja sandals with ninja boots, with a small knife sheathed at the side. She wore black shorts, as it was currently summer, and a purple top with wide, flowing sleeves. Her grandma said her mother used to hide weapons and wires up her sleeves and while Kimiko only had the standard gear of a shuriken pouch and kunai holster, she hoped to one day take after her mother's style.

She sensed Sakura and Ino approaching the same time the rest of the class heard their screeching. She also watched in fascinated horror as Naruto and Sasuke kissed, and thought perhaps they would make good team members, if only for the entertainment value. Finally, Iruka-sensei calmed them all down and began reading the names.

"Team Seven under Hatake Kakashi: Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, and Kimiko Horiba."

Well, I guess the entertainment starts now. She thought.

There was dead silence, and then the room fell into pandemonium.

"WHAT DID HE SAY?"

"WHO IS ON SASUKE-KUN'S TEAM?"

"SHE DOESN'T EVEN LIKE SASUKE!"

"Don't hold me back, loser."

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!"

The death glares after Iruka-sensei explained the reasoning behind the assignment probably would have killed Kimiko if she held their opinions in any esteem. Instead, she waved cheerily back at them. Oh, she might actually get murdered. Ino in particular looked furious. Sakura, while also looking like she had been lit on fire, seemed genuinely hurt when Iruka-sensei mentioned it was because Kimiko was Kunoichi of the Year.

If you focused on training more and less on dieting, you could have had what you wanted. Kimiko thought, furthering her resolve to continue her training.

Sakura was placed on a team with a couple of boys that honestly Kimiko did not remember the name of and seemed even more put out than Ino, who had been placed with Shikamaru and Chouji.

"Good luck." Kimiko whispered to Hinata as she stood up. "Whip those boys into shape." Hinata giggled and bade her farewell as she moved to join her team. Kimiko crossed to Naruto and Sasuke, who were steadfastly ignoring each other, arms crossed and glaring in opposite directions.

Her mother's Genin team still dropped by for her mothers' death day, and the sisters' birthdays. They swore up and down that if they had been there, her mother wouldn't have died, or at the very least she wouldn't have died alone. They had all separated after they became Chunin, but they said once you were in a life and death situation with someone enough times, they were family. That was that. Hell, she saw them more than she saw her father.

"Oh no." She said as she approached her fellow Genin, hands on hips. "We are stuck with each other, bare minimum, until the next Chunin Exams, and we are not passing those if we aren't a good team. I don't care if you guys have a rivalry, but we are going to be watching each other's backs from now on, and we can't do that if you guys won't even look at each other."

Sasuke let out a "hn", which meant literally nothing to Kimiko. Naruto snorted, but was apparently willing to give what Kimiko said some credit, because he begrudgingly stuck out his hand to Sasuke.

"Teammates?" Naruto asked, and while he looked aloof, his eyes glinted with something that Kimiko couldn't identify.

Sasuke stared at his hand like it was infected with every disease known to mankind, and turned his head away again. Naruto practically growled and opened his mouth to shout at him, only to be startled as Kimiko clasped his hand, then grabbed Sasuke's own.

"Teammates." She stressed the word. Sasuke actually flinched.

"Let go of my hand if you don't want it removed." Sasuke warned her.

"Wow, a full sentence! Excuse me while I go write about it in my diary." Kimiko gasped in awe, but did let go of his hand. He pulled away like he had been burned, and Kimiko made a mental note that physical affection was a no-no with him.

"You are both going to drag me down." Sasuke stated.

"Why you little - " Naruto began, but Kimiko talked over him, hoping to head off a fight before it began. "Isn't weight training meant to make you stronger? I mean, if you can become a great ninja while carrying us around, surely that only makes you better?" Sasuke stared at her wordlessly, then smirked a little. "I guess it will be a challenge."

"We are NOT weight! I'll kick your ass and prove it!" Naruto shouted.

"You've never been able to before." Sasuke shot back.

"Can we just get some lunch?" Kimiko sighed tiredly. It was going to take more than a few words to head off their fighting, apparently.

"TO ICHIRAKU!" Naruto, apparently speaking at the only volume he knew, immediately dashed out of the classroom at the prospect of food.

"I agree with Naruto, by the way." Kimiko said as they followed Naruto out of the classroom, hoping to smooth things over with Sasuke. "I don't intend to put weight on you. I expect you to make me stronger, and I'll make you stronger. That's what being a team is." Sasuke didn't respond, but he also didn't leave to go eat lunch on his own, so maybe that was enough of a win for today. Or maybe he was just hungry. She hoped it was the former.

—-

Kimiko had never been to Ichiraku Ramen, and after eating there, realized she had been living in sin all her life. Even Sasuke, who critiqued ramen as the choice of meal, had nothing bad to say after taking his first bite, which was the equivalent of him standing on a stool and proclaiming it the food of the gods, as Naruto had done when Kimiko told him she had never been to the restaurant.

Naruto carried most of the conversation, excited about learning "awesome new jutsu" and "rescuing princesses" or whatever. Kimiko indulged herself in another bowl, which seemed to gain Naruto's approval more than anything she could have said to him.

They headed back to the Academy to meet their sensei, with Sasuke seemingly purposefully winding up Naruto just to watch him explode. It never came to blows, so Kimiko didn't say anything as they reached the classroom. The three of them sat together with Kimiko in the middle, steadfastly ignoring the looks of hatred shot her way from almost every kunoichi in there. She was relieved when they left with their senseis, but as the time ticked by and their sensei didn't show up, she began to wish they would come back if only for the entertainment.

"This is a waste of time." She groused, kicking her feet up on a desk. She hadn't thought to bring a book, and the classroom wasn't ideal for physical training.

"So much for our amazing team, huh?" Sasuke scoffed.

"Hey, it's not her fault our sensei is lame!" Naruto snapped. Sasuke rolled his eyes. Naruto busied himself with a prank for their sensei that would obviously not work…

Thunk.

"That…why did that work?" Kimiko wondered out loud as she stared at their now chalk-covered jonin sensei.

"My first impression...you three are idiots."

Great.

They met up on the rooftop, Kimiko once again strategically placing herself between the boys. Their sensei, Hatake Kakashi, slouched against the railing, looking for all the world that he would rather be asleep than here. He had messy silver hair that somehow looked good on him, and a lean physique that didn't stand out in any way. He wore standard jonin attire, and the only interesting things about him were his mask and slanted headband.

This is an elite jonin? He doesn't look like much…Kimiko thought. His chakra felt like a rolling storm, ready to strike like lightning, but it completely clashed with the image he presented. Maybe it just meant he was a lightning type, and the "rolling storm" feeling was because he never did strike like lightning.

"Well, I think it's time to introduce yourselves." Kakashi-sensei stated.

"You first!" Naruto demanded. Kimiko had a feeling she would never have to speak with Naruto around.

"Hmm…I'm Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate… I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future… never really thought about it. As for my hobbies… I have lots of hobbies."

"Fine! My name is Naruto Uzumaki! I like instant ramen in a cup, and I really like the ramen from Ichiraku, but I hate the 3 minutes you have to wait for the ramen. My hobby is trying different ramen and comparing them. My dream is to be the greatest Hokage! Then the whole village will stop disrespecting me and treat me like somebody, somebody important!" If Kimiko thought Naruto was enthusiastic about ramen, it was outshadowed by his dream to be Hokage, which she had heard one million and one times now.

"Alright, now the girl." Kakashi pointed at her. Kimiko thought about trolling him by either giving his or Naruto's answer, but she had been trained to respond to her superiors, and her back automatically straightened as she answered.

"My name is Kimiko Horiba. I like sweets and spending time with my grandma and sister. I don't like arrogance or people who abandon others. My hobbies include training and trying new foods. My dream is to be an even better kunoichi than my mother." She said. Kakashi nodded thoughtfully.

"And you?" He pointed at Sasuke.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. There are tons of things I dislike but I don't really like anything. And… I don't want to use the word "dream" but… I have an ambition. The resurrection of my clan and… To kill a certain man."

I thought he would just say he liked training or something…creepy. Kimiko thought, uncomfortable with the dark aura emanating from him.

"Well," Kakashi-sensei clapped his hands together. "You all obviously have some unique interests, and I'm sure you'll make a fascinating team. If you pass, of course."

"What do you mean pass? That's why we have these headbands!" Naruto complained.

"Oh, you didn't know? That's just to choose candidates to possibly be Genin." Kakashi said mysteriously.

"Not another stupid test!" Naruto said what Kimiko was thinking privately to herself. Kakashi started to laugh - though she wasn't sure that was the right name. More like a bone-chilling vibration that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

Here's the storm I felt…she thought with a slight shiver as she heard him speak. "No, not another stupid test. A…survival exercise. One that only 33% of the Genin pass." Even Sasuke looked shocked.

"What?! Then what was the point of all this training at the Academy!" Naruto shouted.

"Meet me tomorrow at Training Ground 3 at dawn," their sensei said, ignoring Naruto's question. "Oh, and don't eat breakfast…you'll puke." With that cheery dismissal, their sensei vanished, leaving the barely assembled Team 7 to wonder if they would still be a team tomorrow.

And we have begun! If it felt a little bereft of detail, it's because we have all watched the first few episodes, or read variations of it a million times. I will be more descriptive in later chapters. Again, Kimiko is designed to motivate and push Team 7, though she is not without flaws of her own. I hope you enjoy. See you at the Bell Test next chapter!