Who Are You Really

by dopeboyb

"Who are you really? Are you my friend, enemy or are we something else Sasuke?" Naruto asked his eyes staring into mines. I wanted to lie to him, I wanted to tell him he is just a friend, no he is just an obstacle in my way.. Fem Sauske x Naruto

13. Chapter 13

Who Are You Really

Chapter 13.

Sasuke sat up the moment she heard a loud bang in her bathroom; her eyes immediately went to the empty place in her bed where Naruto was supposed to be. A sinking feeling of dread began to rise within her when she heard a loud scream, of agony coming from her bathroom, moments later.

She quickly got out the bed and ran to the bathroom, bursting through the closed door.

She briefly recognized it was nighttime, the middle of the night, the quietness of her clan home echoed and reverberated through her body, with the scream of pain she assumed came from Naruto, the stillness in the air all reminded her of that night.

The dreadful night that often would terrorize her with nightmares, the night that changed her once lively clan compound to this quiet and desolate place it is now. The night that changed her forever. She felt similar chills run across her body, that both scared and angered her.

When she burst through the door she had a single thought racing through her mind.

I must protect Naruto, at all costs. I will not lose him too.

She hadn't known what to expect when she burst into the bathroom, she was in flight or fight mode, her instincts screamed to her to figure out what was going on, and to eliminate any and every threat to her and the only person she had left that she truly cared about.

What she saw was something she hadn't prepared for. Her bathroom wall had a huge dent in it, as if a massive jutsu crashed into it. Her shower faucet was destroyed, and the mess of the bathroom floor looked as if a small battle had taken place. Her eyes continued to scan around the bathroom looking for the familiar and comforting blue-eyed, blonde-haired boy she'd fallen for. But he was nowhere to be found, in his stead sat a pale figure, so pale, and un-melanated it look more like a ghost than a living creature.

Sasuke felt the heat of anger burning across her body, her veins felt like they were on fire, she shook due to the surge of adrenalin she felt pumping through her. Normally only the thought of Itachi, or someone disrespecting her clan could make her this mad. Yet there she stood, with nothing in her heart but hate and malice and the hunger for revenge.

She spoke almost simultaneously as she charged to attack this unearthly creature.

"Who are you! AND WHERE THE FUCK IS NARUTO!" she screamed as she went to strike whoever was in her bathroom.

As she charged, she activated her sharingan, it was second nature at this point. For her time seemed to slow, although she knew it was just an illusion of her acute vision due to her genetic ability. With her sharingan active she was able to take in the opponent she'd beat brutally until it begged for its life. She mentally swore that she wouldn't stop mutilating this creature until it told her where Naruto was then, and only then would she allow it the mercy of death.

The alien looking creature, was humanoid. Having two arms, two legs, its exposed skin was pale, its hair an unnaturally blue. Atop its head was a pair of horns, much like a bull or ox. She figured taijutsu would allow her to get a better feel of its strength and flexibility.

As she continued to charge across the short space, she observed her opponent more to have a better understanding in order to plan her next series of attacks. She noticed the creature had on a familiar set of clothes. Specifically, it was wearing Naruto's clothes that he had own just hours ago when they fell asleep in each other's embraces. This fact did nothing but anger her more.

You dare wear his clothes!

She'd, make this creature strip out of her love's clothes before she killed it as to not soil them. She then looked at the creatures' face, the same moment the being spoke to her, making her heart stop and her feet freeze her assault.

"Sasuke!" The creature said, barely louder than a whisper, its voice shook with emotion, pain, sadness, hurt, shame and a tinge of fear.

Its voice wasn't what froze Sasuke though, its voice wasn't what made Sasuke heart stop, it was its face. A face that she had stared at when its eyes weren't on hers for 3 years in the academy. A face that she had slept beside. A face that she had argued with and talked to, a face that she had kissed earlier that very day. A face she was all too familiar with, although now it looked paler than the one, she was accustomed to.

The creature's face looked exactly like Naruto's, every indention, and angle was the same, although different in her heart she knew it looked familiar the creatures face held an expression that matched its voice, sadness, pain, hurt shame all visible. Yet in the same breath it was so different and unimaginable, how could this creature be her Naruto... This hesitation is what paused her movements and made her lock eyes with the creature for the first time.

A wave of emotions hit Sasuke the moment her three tomoe sharingan met this creatures' eyes. Its left eye was pale like the byuakugan found in the Hyuga clan, and her beloved. Its right eye though, was blue its pupil interconnected lines of knots, that gave off a visible blue glow. She'd only ever seen this eye on one other person in her life, and that was the boy she loved. When their eyes locked Sasuke felt as if the world around her was absorbed into nothingness, all though she knew that there were in fact walls around her, she didn't see anything but the path that was made In front of her by that eye. It felt as though she was in an empty void with nothing but the light from the Mugenkessetsugan lighting her surroundings, she felt as though she had walked into a genjutsu, although she knew that was not the case. She felt like she was trapped in the middle of a never-ending interconnected maze, although she knew she hadn't gone anywhere at all.

"Sasuke..." The voice called out to her. She now heard the familiarity in it, her anger subsided instantly. She knew that the creature before her was no alien, although this form was unearthly. The being it-self was familiar. Its eyes held no trace of anger or malice.

She came in search of her beloved and found him.

"Naruto. Are you okay?" Sasuke said as she approached him slowly now, watching him for signs of distress.

It was easy to see his entire being was distressed. Sasuke approached Naruto without hesitation, she wasn't sure if this was what cause the shock expression on his face, or something else. She got her answer though.

"Y-You know its me?" Naruto said, she could see, the pain clearly now that her anger and concern had given way to her care and love for him. She approached Naruto kneeling down before him as he sat with his back to the wall, tears falling from his eyes.

She smiled, although she wanted to give him a cheerful smile, she knew it probably looked rather sad.

"Of course, I'd recognize you...anywhere... my love." She replied hoping that her genuineness would lighten the mood. Over-looking her initial instinctive violent reaction.

The tears that were falling steadily from his eyes, must have been the ones he couldn't stop from falling, because at her words. The dam of his emotions was let loose. He cried, harder than she had ever seen him cry before. Overtaken by his emotions he sobbed, and she without hesitation leaned over and wrapped him in her warm embrace.

Sasuke had no idea how long they sat there, but they were there for awhile, Naruto crying in her arms, her holding and comforting him, saying words of comfort into his ear, as she unconsciously made small patterns on his back with her fingers. His outburst and heart aching cry panged her heart. With every shudder and gasp she felt a piece of her heart breaking. She wanted to solve his problems, take away his pain, but she had no idea what to do. She hadn't even figured his Mugenkessetsugan before they were thrown another problem. At this rate she may lose him to himself. Or worse to the village.

She growled lowly at the thought of the village taking Naruto away from her, bringing him to some facility somewhere else to test his kekkei genkai . She shook negative thoughts out of her head. And went back to focus on the direct problem which was comforting Naruto in this moment.

Naruto did eventually stop crying, and she thought he had fallen asleep until he spoke.

"What am I? Who am I? I am a monster, a freak, the villagers have been right all along." He said whispered out.

Sasuke pulled back from Naruto, she was angered by this, she wouldn't take anyone calling Naruto anything demeaning in front of her. Not even if it was Naruto himself.

"You are not a monster!" She said harshly, Naruto looked up at her meeting her gaze. She could see the pain and sadness still within them.

"Who are you? You are Naruto Uzumaki, a Genin of Konoha, a member of team 7, a prankster, a kind, good hearted, surprisingly clever, and an idealistic idiot... You are going to be the next hokage are you not?" She teased; he shook his head slightly at her joke but the small grin on his lips showed her that it made him feel slightly better.

"And you are the person I love, with all my heart, you are the only thing that remains in this world that brings light to my life, you are the reason I smile, you are my beloved, and no, person, place, illness, kekkei genkai , or form you take will stop me from loving you. Like it or not Naruto Uzumaki, you are stuck with me and I to you." She said before placing a kiss on his horned forehead.

When she pulled back from her kiss, she knew she was blushing she could feel the heat pulsing within her face., and she'd like to believe that the look on Naruto's face, was also a blush, he looked shocked and embarrassed by her statement. Although the sadness that was radiating off him was no longer present.

"Sasuke..." Naruto said to her but he seemed to be at a loss of words. Which made her smirk proudly.

First time I've ever seen you speechless Naruto-kun. She thought. This brought a smile to her face, as her possessiveness took over her heart.

"And besides, if you ever did try to leave me, I would hunt you down and disembody your handsome face from your shoulders." she said matter of factly, but she knew she couldn't hide the malice and anger she felt within at the thought. After her confession to herself, she has felt more and more possessive of Naruto.

No one can ever come between us... IF they do I swear on my clan I'd destroy the whole world until we reuinte.

She felt her anger and malice increasing but her thoughts were interrupted by Naruto slamming his lips on hers, this kiss was different than the one they had before at the arcade, and the little pecks and smooches they shared on their way to her clan home.

Their first kiss was passionate, but also clumsy and Sasuke had caught Naruto completely off guard, so it was more hesitant and questioning.

This kiss made her veins catch fire, but not of anger, but with passion. It was desperate, hungry, passionate, it felt like Naruto was trying to devour her very being. Seeking refuge that he'd only find within her. She didn't hesitate to return his passion either. Where she dominated the tempo and rhythm of their first kiss, this one felt as though they were battling for dominance, battling to see who held more passion for the other.

Sasuke didn't stop when she felt Naruto easily pick her up and place her on his lap, nor did she stop him, when his hands explored her body, grabbing desperately at her back, her butt, her hips, before they lodge themselves in her hair, and he pulled her roughly deeper into the kiss. Sasuke moan withing the kiss, and subconsciously rocked her hips grinding her moistening womanhood against the hardness she felt underneath it.

Naruto let out an almost feral moan that made her entire body tremble with want.

They battled like this for a while until they finally broke apart gasping for air, resting their foreheads against each other. She faintly recognized the hardness she felt from the bone protruding from his forehead that wrapped his head like, a headband.

Time seemed to freeze for the both of them, as they caught their breaths.

"You never answered my question, my love." Sasuke said through pants.

Naruto looked at her confused before realization hit him, he chuckled softly.

"I am better now." his voice had the usual confidence and lightness to it that she was used to. She knew he was feeling better just by hearing it.

She stood up off him, once she was on her feet she reached a hand down to help him up.

Naruto took it, and when he stood, Sasuke was surprised at how much he towered over her, Naruto had been growing a phenomenal rate already, now he easily stood at 6'3 practically towering over her 5'9 frame now.

She watched as the smile Naruto had for her, disappeared the moment he saw his reflection in her mirror. She sighed before embracing his longer pale body resting her head against his chest, he wrapped her with on arm, and she made eye contact with him through her mirror.

"You are still very handsome to me." She could tell just by looking at his reflection what he was thinking, she could practically feel it.

The Angst, self-loathing and despair he felt within himself was written all over his face.

Although his appearance was definitely foreign and unearthly, Sasuke still felt he had certain charm to him, it really revolved around his expression, his eyes, he exuded an air of genuineness that always brought her comfort even now.

"I look like an alien Sasuke. You have weird taste." Naruto said to her exasperated, as he looked himself over.

"My tase, are YOU Naruto, so I can accept that because you are weird." Sasuke said with a teasing smirk.

"Hey!" Naruto said with a soft chuckle at her tease.

"What happened, do you remember anything this time?" she said hoping to help him figure out the symptom of this change. They needed to figure something else, otherwise she they may have to realize this is over their heads.

"I don't know, I was sleeping then I had this weird dream, it felt... felt more like a memory. Then when I woke up my Mugenkessetsugan was activated and then my body began to morph into this." Naruto replied.

Sasuke nodded, still clinging on to Naruto. If there was one thing, she would express to him right now was no matter what, he had her love.

"What was your dream about?" She asked Naruto.

If there is any correlation between his dream and an unconscious reaction to activating his Mugenkesstsugan we need to figure it out.

"It was strange I was sitting in the forest and was pick up, by my father, he brought me into the village and to my mother, then some strange seal came over me... Its hard to explain but i felt connected to them. I woke up Mugenkesstsugan activated and turning into this."

Sasuke thought for a moment, Naruto had activated his Mugenkessetsugan before to show her, but this is the first time he has told her that it has activated by itself.

Could that be the reason for his change?

As if reading her mind, Naruto spoke "And even when I tried canceling my flow of chakra to my eye, like you told me I just can't do it. No matter how hard I try, I can't get the feel for it anymore."

Sasuke nodded in understanding.

"Outside of it activating on its own, and your body changing do you feel anything? Any headaches like before, body aches, pain? What about your Mugenkessetsugan, do things look different? Is your vison, okay?" she asked.

Naruto paused before speaking "My body feels fine, better even, no headache, no body aches, I feel normal, although I look like a freak..." Naruto said before stopping mid-sentence at the glare of anger and annoyance, she sent his way.

"My vision is fine, although..." Naruto started.

Sasuke couldn't help the worry that struck her, she was about to drag Naruto all the way to Konoha hospital, before he continued his statement.

"I see this weird thing, It's like a rope, but I think it's made of chakra, but I know its not, because I can't feel it, it comes out of my chest right above my heart" Naruto said placing his hand on his chest Sasuke watched as he took his other reaching out to her as he said "And it stretches from my heart to yours." he said placing a flat hand on her chest right above her heart.

Sasuke couldn't help the blush that hit her face, she knew she was blushing even if she didn't see it for herself in their reflection.

"So cheesy!" Sasuke said through her embarrassment, "I am serious Naruto!"

Naruto didn't smile and try to laugh it off though, he turned to her, and she could tell he wasn't joking.

"I'm serious Sasuke, I can see this... line from my heart to yours, its connected to us both. Right at our hearts. My color is a silverish gold, and yours is a blueish purple, in the middle where they meet is a pinkish red."

Sasuke thought about this, she looked at her own chest but even with her sharingan she couldn't see what Naruto was seeing.

"Okay..." she said "This is new." Sasuke said slightly surprised. Naruto shook his head.

There was so much they didn't know about Naruto.

"Okay, if you say it connects us, this is a new ability we've discovered. Let's test a few things." she said.

They walked out of her bathroom, "Sit" she said pointing to her bed.

Naruto walked over to her bed and sat down facing her.

He was about 5-8 feet away from her "I assume you still see this rope, connecting us, yes?" Sasuke said.

Naruto nodded his head.

Sasuke nodded in understanding; she figured as much.

"Okay, lets test this and see how far this string follows us, and if there are limitations to it. " she said and Naruto shook his head in understanding.

"I am going to go somewhere in the house, see if you can follow that...rope... to me. No cheating don't use your other senses to find me, only rely on that rope you see with your eyes."

She then walked out the room closing the door, she then proceeded out of the house, and to the Uchiha main family training ground, she jumped up into a tree and waited to see if Naruto would find her. She did her best to conceal her presence, just in case Naruto was cheating.

Not even 2 minutes later she heard Naruto's footsteps approaching her location, before she heard him say.

"You are in that tree."

Sasuke jumped out of the tree landing before Naruto, he smiled at her and she returned his smile.

"I am guessing that you could see this...rope... the entire time?" Sasuke asked

Naruto just nodded, "It led me right to you."

Sasuke nodded and they sat there together in the middle of her clans training ground. There had to have been at least 100-meter distance between her and Naruto when he found her, if they wanted to test this ability further it would require them leaving the safety of the main family home, and although they'd still be in the Uchiha clan compound, with Kakashi-sensei showing up randomly. Sasuke wasn't thrilled on the idea of him seeing Naruto like this.

They talked and tested the ability a few more times, throughout the night, and both Sasuke and Naruto were convinced that no matter what do to this 'heart-string' Naruto would be able to find her. Naruto also seemed to have these tethers connecting him with the trees and even birds flying around him, he was able to see these tethers of other people but none were connected to him like hers and the trees and animals around him. He also struggle to maintain eye contact with tethers other than hers for to long, without causing pain to his eye.

They had shifted their focus from testing the ability of the heart string to trying to get Naruto, back to his former form. The two sat in the Uchiha clan training ground all night, and just before the sun rose, they hit a breakthrough.

"I can feel something." Naruto said, he was sitting crisscross in the middle of the training ground with Sasuke who had been pacing back in forth in front of him for the past 5 hours, as she rattled off theories and hypothesis to Naruto in hopes of getting his form to change back.

Sasuke paused, "Are you finally able to feel the chakra flow to your "Yes." Naruto said excitedly. "I am cutting it off now."

Sasuke watched as the glow from Naruto right eye, seemed to dim before completely disappearing

Naruto opened his eyes, looking at his arms excitedly expecting to see his former self.

"You did it!"

She watched Naruto look at his arms before a huge smile broke out on his face!

"Yes!" he screamed running to her and picking her up in a hug before spinning her around.

"No more freaky blue hair!" Naruto shouted.

Sasuke smiled until she saw Naruto hair shift from blonde to sky blue, before quickly changing back to the usual blonde.

They walked together hand and hand back into her clan's compound and spoke about what they managed to figure out.

"We need to be extremely careful from now on, we can't allow any of this to get out. Remember how the council behaved when they saw you Byuakugan, if they see your Mugenkessetsugan and the changes it causes you they may lock you up in some lab to study you like a rat, or worse. We have to be careful."

"Yeah true. I am grateful to have a friend like you Sasuke." Naruto said as they walked into her room.

Sasuke paused at the world "Friend" coming from his mouth it struck her heart like a bolt of lightning and left a sour taste in her mouth. She didn't like being associated as ' Just a friend to Naruto.' Sakura was a friend, but Sasuke wanted to be something more.

Naruto noticed her pause and stopped walking to her bed looking back at her questioningly.

"Are you okay Sasuke?"

Sasuke shook the thought of discomfort and possessiveness out of her head.

He doesn't need to concern himself with my insecurities right now, he has enough on his plate. If already expressed to him, that he is mine. I won't let anyone come in between us.

She glanced at her clock it was already 7 in the morning, they'd have to meet up with Kakashi and the rest of team 7 in two hours. Naruto followed her eyes, to the clock before speaking.

"We were really up all night..." Naruto said, "Sorry about your bathroom." he told her sadly.

"It's okay, it can be fixed, maybe you should use the guest bathroom, since you seem to think that my bathroom is a place to test out all your kekkei genkai ." Sasuke said teasingly.

"Hey! It's not like I wanted this!"

"I know pipsqueak I was just teasing." She said, grabbing him by the arm, and pulling him into her bed, with a chuckle.

Naruto sighed, but allowed her to pull him onto her bed, they got under the covers where she brought him into her embrace, wrapping her limbs around him as best she could.

"We should get as much sleep as we can. We need to figure out more about your Mugenkessetsugan, and that means that you have to come over here to train it, and we need to document everything we have figured out so far. I think that your Mugenkessetsugan forming has somehow activated these latent abilities, we need to be careful. But I guess for now we can rest" She whispered into his ear smiling at the shiver she caused him.

Naruto didn't even respond, instead she heard a light snore coming from him, she watched as his body relaxed and he seemed to be truly at peace this brought her a sense of happiness. That Naruto seemed to find as much comfort in her as she did in him. Her eyes grew heavier and a small smile pulled on her lips as she wrapped her sleeping love in her arms possessively.

"You will never leave my heart Naruto Uzumaki."

She sighed, protecting Naruto and his secrets just got a lot harder.

Two Hours Later

Sasuke and Naruto woke up, and Sasuke walked into her guest bathroom to shower and get dressed, since Naruto had destroyed the shower in her bedroom.

Naruto waited for her in the living room before he went into the guest bathroom to use the bathroom before heading home. When he walked back into the living room, he had a blush on his face and Sasuke knew why, she had purposefully left some articles of clothing specifically her underwear and bra out for him to see. She doubted that he'd do anything perverted with it like take one home or sniff it. Although she wouldn't mind if he did. She apologized for not having time to make them breakfast, she oddly felt that she needed to do these things for him. As they walked out the main family home and out of the Uchiha clan compound.

"I will see you in a little while, are you sure you don't want me to go with you." She said in a hushed warning whisper as they stood outside the Uchiha clan compound.

Naruto sighed she had been like this since they woke up earlier, although he really appreciated this side of Sasuke. It was obvious that she truly cared and was doting on him non-stop since his unexpected and unexplainable change in form, the only correlation they made through their training and testing last night was that it had something to go with his Mugenkessetsugan, she was being overly worried and doting, much like he imagined a mother to a small child. Apart of him loved this attentiveness though.

"I will be fine Sasuke stop being such a worry wart."

The air was filled with morning dew and villagers were moving back and forth on the streets going about their day. The sun was shining bright, but Sasuke internally was filled with worry. Naruto shot her a bright smile.

Sasuke looked and him unsure, she really felt with all these sudden occurrences it'd be better if she just accompanied him, everywhere just in case.

"I'm serious Sasuke! Don't worry so much, it will give you wrinkles!" He said jokingly as she glared at him.

You need to take this seriously!

"You need to be more serious Naruto, one slip up, Infront of someone and your secret is exposed! And.. and who knows what could happen... AND I SWEAR IF SOMEONE HARMS YOU I"LL.."

Naruto just grinned at her still not taking her warning as serious as she was. Before wrapping her in a tight embrace hugging her, Sasuke noticed some of the villages passing by them some giving knowing looks while other seemed appalled at the PDA. Before she could fight him off Naruto gave her a quick and hesitant peck on the forehead, she watched as his eyes looked around realizing what he was doing to the infamous Uchiha in public, well aware that his own social standing wasn't as high. He quickly let go of her looking around to read the surroundings, it seemed to him that they were safe for now, most of the villagers seemed to just dismiss the young shinobi's PDA, which gave him the confidence for his final move to settling the worried Uchiha. Sasuke couldn't help the annoyed huff she left out as she crossed her arms.

This idiot! He is totally not taking this seriously.

She was about to give him a piece of her mind when he leaned over and placed a small kiss on her lips. Before turning and dashing away before she could rebuttal back.

"I will be fine... Sasuke. See you soon." Naruto said to her.

She watched as he turned on his heels headed to his apartment to change and get ready for their meeting with Team 7.

Sasuke stood their shocked as she brought a finger to her lips touching the place Naruto just kissed.

When had he became so charming. She thought as she sighed and walked in the opposite direction towards Team 7 meet up spot at the training grounds.

Sasuke couldn't help but worry, even after Naruto told her not to. Every second he wasn't in her sight she worried.

Her worry must have been obvious to Sakura. Sakura had shown up to their team meeting spots moments after Sasuke. Sakura had greeted her, but Sasuke was too deep in thought to have noticed her greeting. Sasuke was busy writing down in a notebook she picked up on the way, every detail she could remember about Naruto and his recent changes, from the Land of Waves till now.

"Sasuke?" Sakura asked her taking her out of her thoughts.

"What do you want Haruno!" she replied annoyed.

Sakura looked at Sasuke who was glaring at her obviously annoyed. Ever since she had come to the meeting spot, Sasuke had been pacing back and forth deep in thought, then she would begin writing something in her book before going back to pacing. Watching the usually very calm and unreadable Sasuke clearly expressing anxiousness about something which was very unlike Sasuke, and this made her feel worried and just as anxious as her teammate.

"Is something wrong Sasuke?" Sakura asked genuinely concerned.

"Why are you talking to me Haruno... Have I not made myself clear already... I do not like you Sakura Haruno... Just Die." Sasuke said her sharingan twirling to life, her anger pulsed off her in waves hitting Sakura, causing the pink haired kunoichi to back away as chills hit her spine.

Sakura instinctively lowered her gaze as to not get caught up in a genjutsu, as well as pulsing chakra through her hands then placing her hands on her body as to make sure she hadn't already been caught up in a genjutsu.

"Sheesh, what a drag... this is already so troublesome... Do we have to be here?" Sakura heard a familiar voice coming from behind her. Sakura turned around raising her gaze. She saw as team 10 approaching her from behind. Shikamaru was walking with his hands behind his head watching the interaction between the two kunoichi with an annoyed lazy, but cautious look, Sakura could swear she saw a hint of worry within them. Choji was nervously munching on his chips as he also approached hesitantly. Ino expression was the easiest to read, it was curious, worried and shocked.

Team 10 seemed on edge as they approached her, and Sakura, knew why, she could feel it to the malice that Sasuke was putting off right now would put any sane person on edge. Ino and Team 10 slowly made their way to flank the sides of Sakura.

Ino barely taking her eyes of the hostile girl in front of them, whispered to Sakura lowly.

"Who is this crazy chick? And why is she so mad?"

Shikumaru rolled his eyes interjecting before Sakura even had a chance to reply, although he also kept his voice in a hushed whisper.

"It Sasuke Uchiha...Ino. Its pretty obvious." Shikumaru said hesitantly meeting the eyes of the furious Uchiha who was still glaring at Sakura.

Ino gasped in surprised as she looked at Sasuke again, her appearance was one of a Kunochi supermodel. Ino felt the jealousy and envy hit her like a truck in the pit of her stomach. Deep down she always knew it would make sense if Sasuke was a girl, but to admit that would mean she'd have to admit that there was a girl prettier than her in their shinobi class. And that thought made her even more upset. It was easier to pretend that Sasuke perfect looks was due to 'his' handsomeness and let Sakura chase after him.

"Hey Sasuke! Why you are you being so rude to Sakura-chan isn't she your-" Ino said pausing mid rant as her eyes made contact with Sasuke.

The speed in which Choji was munching his chips increased dramatically as he looked between his two teammates, and Sakura, and the glaring Uchiha, he had small sweat drops dripping from his forehead at the intensity of the interactions.

Sakura knowingly never met Sasuke gaze, simply glared at the Uchiha feet, feeling comfort that she had people by her side as a witness if things got out of hand. This newfound confidence was what was encouraging her to speak out against Sasuke rudeness, and double down that she was simply concerned for her before she was interrupted with the sudden appearance of Kakashi sensei and Asuma Sensei.

Kakashi had his sharingan eye uncovered and was standing In front of Sasuke bent at the waist as to stare her directly in the eyes, Asuma had come up behind the four genin placing his hands on both Ino and Shikumaru. He used his chakra to preform Genjutsu Dissipation. Breaking his two students out of their genjutsu.

"So yeah! Apologize right now!" Ino said finishing the sentence she was having within her genjutsu as she crossed her arms expectantly looking at Sasuke.

As her eyes refocused, she realized that Sasuke was still the same distance away from her as she was when they had first walked on to the training ground. Which was confusing because during her rant she had walked right up to the Uchiha's face demanding that apology.

"Huh?" She let out confused she was even more confused when she looked over her shoulder and felt Asuma- sensei hand on her shoulders.

"What... What's going on? When did you get here Asuma sensei."

"Geez, this is such a drag... so that's the sharingan in full effect and all I did was glance at her eyes once!" Shikamaru said as he casted a hesitant glance to his sensei before plopping down on his butt before laying on his back to look at the clouds.

"Wait what do you mean Shikamaru tell me! " Ino said confused

"You two were caught in a genjutsu, luckily for you me and Kakashi, were close by to notice the interaction. The moment you both looked Sasuke in the eyes she had you in the genjutsu. Whatever conversation you had or whatever you saw shortly after walking into the training grounds, wasn't real." Asuma said as he took an inhale of his cigarette hanging out his mouth.

"No... no way really..."

Asuma just nodded his head in agreement and Ino casted a hesitant look in the direction of Kakashi and Sasuke.

Sasuke

"Sasuke..." Kakashi said looking at his furious student dead in her eyes. So, she knew he was serious. Rarely did Kakashi take anything to serious, but multiple times now Sasuke had taken her anger out on comrades. It's a trend that has to be stopped before this grows into something serious and possibly criminal.

"I have warned you about attacking your teammates, now you attack your fellow Genin. This needs to stop... and now. " Kakashi said sternly staring his student in her eyes. Sasuke eyes held a hint of malice, but deep within them he saw something that he half expected to see knowing Sasuke. Sasuke rarely showed emotions but to his knowledge two things could get a dramatic reaction out of her which was her brother and Naruto Uzumaki. So, his instinct and intuition were telling him it had something to do with one of these two or both. Deep within the eyes of malice of Sasuke in a small corner was worry, and uncertainty. His head tilted slightly when he noticed this emotion thinking to himself what could have caused her to feel worried.

She must've notice this and broke eye contact with him, turning her glare away towards the woods. Refusing to meet his eyes.

Kakashi sighed as he stood up straight Infront of his student.

"Just because you're worried about Naruto, doesn't mean you can take your feeling out on other people Sasuke. Grow up." Kakashi said plainly to her.

Sasuke growled as she cursed under her breathe.

"Whatever I get it. A little Genjutsu never hurt anyone..." Sasuke said putting her hands in her pockets and turning to face away from Kakashi. Before she thought about the genjutsu her brother used against her that night.

Well, it's not like I used that genjutsu on them...

"Now why are you worried about Naruto exactly?" Kakashi said as he pulled out his book, still standing behind his student asking her directly what caused this altercation.

Sasuke refused to answer him much to what he expected.

I guess I will have to ask him myself. Kakashi thought.

"I have a jutsu I want to pass on to you... With your aggression towards your teammates and fellow shinobi. I don't know if your mentally mature enough to handle it, Sasuke."

Sasuke head whipped around her face showing interest a complete shift in her prior demeanor. Kakashi sighed when it came to getting stronger her and Naruto both held similar behaviors.

"Teach me!" Sasuke demanded, in her usually rough tone.

"Kakashi barely looked at her as he skimmed through the pages of his book.

"Maybe... If you can convince me why I should teach you my very own personal jutsu that I learned when I was a genin under Lord 4th."

Sasuke curiosity was peeked even more, she turned to stare wide eyed at her sensei.

"You mean you developed your own jutsu as a genin?"

Sasuke always knew that Kakashi was different, from their run in with Zabuza, to his behavior, even seeming to be infamous amongst the other Jonin-sensei and even the Hokage. Yet she was beginning to realize although she has been his student for months, she really doesn't know anything about Kakashi.

Kakashi looked over his Icha Icha Paradise book to give his student an eye smile. At her apparent awe at his accomplishments.

"Yes, I did, although accidentally, I was trying to learn Lord 4th original Jutsu the Rasengan, and mistakenly created the Chidori."

Sasuke face twisted in recognition.

"Chidori... 'a thousand birds'..."

Sasuke mind took her back to sanding on the shores of the Lake in the land of waves, hearing the sound of chirping birds, coming from Kakashi, specifically his lighting jutsu he used to kill Zabuza.

It has to be that jutsu! It was so powerful it killed an S ranked monster like Zabuza. I must learn it!

Kakashi could see the wheels turning in his students' head, he had no doubt that she was putting everything together.

"Kakashi..." Sasuke said quietly but her eyes held a firm determination.

"You want to learn the Chidori... right Sasuke." Kakashi said while turning a page in his book.

Sasuke nodded her head adamantly.

Kakashi dropped his book before bending over at the waist to stare directly into his students sharigan eyes, much as he did before a stern look in his eyes.

"I promise to teach you the Chidori Sasuke..."

Kakashi saw Sasuke eyes light up and a small upward motion of her lips, making her emotionless face, hold a smug grin.

"But... you in turn have to swear to me to never use it, or use any jutsu to harm a shinobi of Konoha... I am serious your behavior towards your allies is unacceptable, I do not care your reasons, Sasuke. As it is now I have enough to go to the Hokage and have you suspended, or worse removed from the shinobi ranks and imprisoned. My jutsu was never intended to harm friends..." Kakashi finished

His mind flashed back to the moment his Chidori ran through the chest of his teammate Rin Nohara. Kakashi shook off the flash back to focus back on Sasuke.

He had half expected her to immediately agree to his conditions. Her hesitation worried him, Kakashi watched Sasuke eyes shift momentarily to Sakura and Team 10 standing behind him. Sasuke's eyes held an emotionless, uncaring gaze, that made Kakashi internally sigh, but Kakashi watched as her uncaring gaze shifted further to the right, her cheeks began to flush and her lips that were pressed into a tight line, almost frowning turned upwards and a small smile graced her face.

Kakashi knew that could only mean that his last pupil had arrived.

Sasuke faced then twisted again to worry before her emotionless unreadable facade came back.

"I swear on the honor of my clan. Just teach me so I can become stronger." Sasuke said

Kakashi didn't have to wait to turn around to know that Naruto was walking into the training grounds. He knew that based on her reaction earlier when he turned around, he'd spot the blonde.

The blonde hair genin came strolling into the train grounds, book in hand and face in it as he walked one hand in pocket leaning back slightly. A casual lazy stroll as he walked up to the members of Team 10 and Team 7. Kakashi raised an eyebrow and had to hold back a chuckle.

So, is that how people see me?

Naruto characteristic in that moment were a spitting imagine of the Jonin.

All your missing is a Icha Icha Paradise book my young pupil.

Naruto peeked over the edge of his mathematics for dummies book Kakashi sensei assigned for him to read he noticed that team 10 was in his team's training ground.

"Hey, Shikumaru, Choji, Ino. What are y'all doing here?"

Team 10 turned around to see Naruto standing behind them looking at them curiously. They watched as he placed the book into his shinobi pouch.

"Asuma sensei says we came to watch Team 7 train. Apparently we aren't motivated enough, its all a big drag." Shikumaru said from his position laying down.

Naruto nodded in understanding.

"Hey Naruto, long time no see, want a chip?" Choji greeted him offering him a snack.

"No thanks Choji." Naruto responded with a smile.

He looked at Ino who was staring at him mouth slightly agape visible shocked at his appearance. Naruto gave her a small kind smile before walking past Team 10.

When he passed Sakura joined him in approaching Kakashi sensei and Sasuke.

Naruto noticed that Sakura was seemingly hiding behind him as they approached the rest of their team, but he wrote it off, deciding not to question her about it.

" Hey Sasuke! Kakashi sensei." Naruto greeted the two who returned his smile with one of their own.

"Idiot."

"Naruto."

Kakashi then turned to speak to his Genin.

"Team 10 is here to observe or training methods. We have completed the most missions, as well as having completed an S ranked assignment, we seemed to have gained some notoriety around the village. We have been labeled the best Genin squad to come from the academy in your class. Asuma has asked if he can bring his squad her to watch us train, they won't interfere he is hopping that seeing us train will motivate his team to take their training more seriously. They should be concealed somewhere around here still."

Kakashi said answering the hidden questions that some of his Genin may have had.

"We will act as if they aren't here. Any questions." Kakashi said before looking at his genin who kept their mouths shut.

"Good today, I want to teach each of you a new jutsu."

"Yes!" Naruto shouted pumping his fist in the air excited.

Kakashi handed Sakura a scroll.

"This scroll contains a chunnin level genjtusu, I think will be beneficial for you Sakura. When used correctly it messes with a person's equilibrium allowing you to slow or negate the movements of your target. It requires a lot of knowledge about the human body, so you will be studying anatomy until you have a firm understanding. "

Sakura nodded before taking the scroll and reading it over.

"Naruto, you will be learning the rasengan, a jutsu created by my sensei the 4th hokage. It involves the user's gathering chakra in the palm of their hand, which they spin rapidly in multiple directions in order to contain the chakra into a spherical shape. No hand seals are involved, in theory making it easy to learn and use, which is perfect for you. Nor does it require additional chakra to maintain once it's properly formed. Here." Kakashi said passing Naruto a bucket filled with water ballons.

"I want you to circulate your chakra through these water ballons until you can pop them. I advise you use as many shadow clones as needed to help you with this." Kakashi said, Naruto looked even more confused at his explanation but, his excitement outweighed his confusion, and he immediately began practicing.

"Lastly Sasuke, we will be working together, I will teach you the Chidori."

Team 7 looked at him expectantly. Kakashi sighed before shewing them away with one hand.

" Get to work!"

Meanwhile Asuma told his genin to go and practice their concealment training and watch team 7 do their training, by watching them they'd understand why they were here.

The training ground was quiet save for the occasional crackle of chakra and the distant sounds of nature. The warm sun hung lazily in the late afternoon sky, casting a gentle glow on the clearing where Team 7 had been training for hours. Despite the tranquil surroundings, the intensity of their training left the air charged with energy.

Every member of the team was pushing their limits, knowing that they had to get stronger in order to prepare themselves for anything that comes their way the Land of Waves mission sparked a motivation within them to reach their full potential.

Kakashi stood at the edge of the clearing, his lone visible eye scanning the scene with a watchful, almost fatherly gaze. He had been watching them for hours, offering corrections and advice when necessary, but for the most part, he allowed Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura to figure things out on their own. They were not the same green genin from a few months ago. They had grown, and he could see that. They were ready for more difficult challenges, but only if they continued to grow stronger.

"Naruto." Kakashi's voice called out lazily but loud enough to reach the young blonde as he stood in the center of the training field, his face twisted in frustration as he tried, once again, to stabilize the Rasengan in his palm. "You're still trying to brute force it. The Wind Style Rasengan requires precision, not just chakra. Take your time."

Naruto wiped the sweat from his brow, his hand trembling slightly as the blue chakra orb flickered wildly in his palm. He was determined to master this technique, but no matter how much chakra he pumped into it, it always seemed on the verge of exploding. The wind chakra made it even harder to control, and every time he felt like he was close, the Rasengan would destabilize. He had gotten past the water ballons, and the rubber balls, thanks to the massive amounts of shadow clones he used to help him. But getting it to form properly was proving to be more difficult than he imagined.

"Yeah, yeah, I know!" Naruto grumbled under his breath, but his concentration remained on the swirling sphere. His eyes flicked over to where Sasuke was practicing her Chidori, the sound of crackling lightning echoing in the clearing. Sasuke stood with her back turned to him, the bright blue energy in her hand illuminating the space around her. She moved fluidly, her Sharingan activated as she focused on controlling the deadly lightning spear.

Watching Sasuke so intently focused made Naruto grit his teeth in determination. He knew he could do this. He had to do this. If Sasuke could master the Chidori, he could master the Wind Style Rasengan. His eyes narrowed as he funneled more chakra into his hand, the Rasengan spinning faster and faster, wind chakra weaving into the swirling energy.

"Naruto, focus!" Kakashi repeated, stepping closer to him. "You're trying too hard. It's not just about chakra. You need to control the flow, let the wind element fuse with the Rasengan gradually. Don't force it."

Naruto let out a frustrated growl. "That's easy for you to say! This thing feels like it's gonna explode any second!" Naruto responded nervously as he held the swirling mass of chakra in his palms.

Sasuke glanced over her shoulder, her crimson eyes watching Naruto with faint amusement. "You always try to brute force everything, idiot. This is about finesse. But you don't have a smooth bone in your body now do you... Na..ru..too" She teased drawing out his name as she expertly formed her Chidori in her right hand.

She had been the first of the Genin to master their new jutsu and it made both her teammates seethe with jealousy. She didn't care to much about Sakura. But seeing Naruto upset at her besting him yet again made her tingle with excitement so much she couldn't help but tease him.

Naruto's face flushed with frustration. " I can be smooth! and I know that, Sasuke! But it's not as easy as it looks!"

Sasuke shook her head slightly before turning back to her own training.

"Then stop staring at me and focus on your own technique. Maybe then you won't blow up." She said the amusement could be heard in her tone. Frustrating Naruto even more.

Naruto muttered something under his breath but reluctantly turned his attention back to the unstable Rasengan in his palm. He could feel the wind chakra swirling within the sphere, trying to tear it apart. It was like holding a tornado in his hand, and every second that passed felt like the Rasengan was slipping out of his control.

"Come on... come on..." Naruto whispered to himself, his body tensing as he struggled to keep the sphere from detonating. His knuckles were white from the strain of maintaining the shape. He could feel the sweat running down the sides of his face, but he refused to give up. He had to prove he could do this. He wouldn't let the bastard leave today being the one to master their new jutsu!

Sakura, who had been practicing her genjutsu on the far side of the field, took a moment to pause and wipe the sweat from her brow. She watched Naruto from a distance, her brow furrowing in concern. "Naruto, you're forcing it too much." she called out, echoing Kakashi's earlier advice. She could see even from where she stood Naruto trying his hardest to will the rasengan to form.

"You need to control your chakra more carefully." She said concerned, she had watched countless of clones be dispersed when their rasengans spiraled out of control. Her heart would always skip when she heard the loud boom like a bomb going off when it happened worried that this time it was the real Naruto getting harmed and not a clone.

"Yeah, yeah, I know!" Naruto snapped, the strain of the training starting to get to him. His arms were shaking now, the Rasengan glowing brighter and brighter as the wind chakra fought against his control.

Kakashi stepped forward, his gaze sharpening. "Naruto, stop for a second."

But Naruto wasn't listening anymore. He could feel it—he was so close. The Rasengan in his hand wobbled dangerously, and the wind chakra around it began to spiral out of control. A high-pitched whining noise filled the air, and Kakashi's eye widened in alarm.

"Naruto, stop! It's going to—"

Before Kakashi could finish his sentence, the Rasengan exploded with a deafening roar, sending a shockwave across the clearing. Naruto was thrown backward, skidding across the ground as the explosion sent dust and debris flying in every direction. The force of the blast knocked down several small trees, and for a moment, everything was silent except for the ringing in everyone's ears.

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed, rushing toward where he had landed. Her heart pounded in her chest as she knelt beside him, her hands trembling as she checked for injuries. "Naruto, are you okay?"

Naruto groaned, sitting up slowly with a wince. His clothes were singed, and there were a few scratches on his arms and face, but overall, he seemed relatively unscathed.

"Ugh... that didn't go as planned." he muttered, rubbing his head.

Sasuke walked over, her arms crossed as she stared down at him with a raised eyebrow. "You think? Idiot, how many clones did you see doing the same thing with the exact same result, but you just had to try and brute force it yourself. Are you trying to blow yourself up!" Her annoyed and anxious tone came out harsh, but Naruto knew this Sasuke better than the one in the academy she was annoyed because she cared, and she cared because she liked him.

Naruto grinned sheepishly, holding up his still smoking hand. "Guess I lost control again, huh?"

Kakashi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Naruto, you're putting too much chakra into the Rasengan. It's not just about raw power. You need to control the flow, let the wind element work with the chakra, not against it."

Naruto scratched the back of his head, his frustration evident. "Yeah, I get that, but it's hard! The wind chakra is so wild, and the Rasengan just wants to blow up."

Kakashi knelt beside him, his tone gentler now. "It's supposed to be hard. But remember, the Rasengan is all about control. You mastered the basic version through hard work and focus. This is no different. You just need to be patient."

Naruto sighed, nodding reluctantly. "Alright, alright. I'll try again."

Sakura, kneeling beside him, gave him a sympathetic smile. "You'll get it, Naruto. Just don't push yourself too hard."

Naruto flashed her a grateful smile before standing up, dusting himself off. "Yeah, I know. Thanks, Sakura."

As Naruto prepared to try again, Kakashi turned his attention to Sasuke. "Your Chidori is looking strong, but it's draining too much chakra. You need to refine it. Right now, it's like swinging a heavy hammer. It's powerful, but it leaves you open to attacks."

Sasuke nodded, her expression serious. "I'll work on controlling the flow."

Kakashi stepped back, watching as Sasuke charged up her Chidori again. The crackling blue energy enveloped her hand, and the sound of a thousand birds filled the clearing. Sasuke focused her Sharingan, analyzing the energy flow in her hand. She could feel the raw power of the Chidori, but she knew Kakashi was right. The attack was powerful, but it left her vulnerable if she didn't finish the fight quickly.

Sasuke closed her eyes for a moment, focusing on the sensation of the chakra in her hand. She needed to make it sharper, more efficient. Her Sharingan spun faster as she fine-tuned the lightning chakra, condensing it into a tighter, more controlled spear. The blue energy crackled with intensity, and Sasuke felt the difference immediately. The Chidori was lighter, more focused.

"That's it," Kakashi said, his voice calm but approving. "You're getting it. It doesn't have to be big and showy like mines, your reserves aren't nearly at my level yet, keep it refined to a calmer stream focusing on the tips of your fingers, then you can let it lose on impact, the damage will be just as critical. Now try it on a target."

Sasuke nodded, her eyes narrowing as she focused on a nearby tree. She darted forward, her Chidori leaving a trail of blue lightning in its wake. The moment she reached the tree, she thrust her hand forward, the Chidori piercing the wood with a deafening crack. The tree split apart with a loud groan, lightning dancing across the bark as the energy dissipated.

Sasuke stepped back, breathing heavily but satisfied with her progress. She turned to Kakashi, who gave her a nod of approval. "Much better. Keep practicing that level of control, and you'll be able to use the Chidori without wasting so much chakra. Meaning you can use it repeatedly in the same altercation."

Sasuke wiped the sweat from her brow, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Thanks, Kakashi."

Kakashi turned his attention back to Sakura, who had been quietly practicing her genjutsu in the background.

"Sakura, how's your progress with the equilibrium genjutsu?"

Sakura straightened up, her face flushed from concentration. "I think I'm getting the hang of it, but it's still tricky. It's hard to make the genjutsu subtle enough without overloading the opponent's senses."

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully. "It's all about balance. You want to throw off their equilibrium just enough to disorient them without them realizing it's a genjutsu."

Sakura took a deep breath, her hands forming the necessary hand seals as she focused on Naruto, who was still recovering from his last Rasengan explosion.

"Sorry, Naruto, but I need a test subject again."

Naruto blinked, looking up from where he was sitting. "Wait, what? Why me—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Sakura's genjutsu took hold. Naruto's vision swam, and he felt the ground tilt beneath him. His stomach lurched as his balance was thrown off completely, and he stumbled forward, arms flailing.

"Whoa! Everything's spinning!" Naruto yelped, trying to steady himself. He blinked rapidly, but the world around him continued to swirl, making it impossible to focus.

Kakashi watched with interest as Sakura maintained the genjutsu, her focus unwavering.

"Good. Keep it subtle, Sakura. Don't overdo it. Remeber the goal is to slow your opponet make them feel like they are on a small craft at the sea, without them reliazing they had been caught, don't you should ease into it, not all out like that, but well done."

Sakura nodded; her hands steady as she controlled the flow of chakra. Naruto stumbled again, falling to one knee as the genjutsu disoriented him further.

"Sakura! Turn it off! I'm gonna be sick!" Naruto groaned, his face turning green.
Sakura quickly released the genjutsu, and Naruto collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily. "That was... intense," he muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead.

Team 10's Observation

Hidden behind the thick underbrush at the edge of the field, Team 10—Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino—watched in silence, their presence carefully concealed.

Asuma-sensei had sent them to observe Team 7's training session, curious to see how the renowned squad was progressing after their victory in the Land of Waves
Shikamaru leaned lazily against a tree, his arms crossed as he watched Naruto struggle with his wind jutsu.

"This is such a drag." he muttered, barely able to stifle a yawn.

"Why do we have to sit here and watch them train? We could've been napping."
Ino, crouched beside him, shot him an annoyed look.

"Oh, come on, Shikamaru! This is important! We're supposed to learn from them. I mean, look at Sasuke. Her Chidori is incredible!"

Shikamaru glanced over at Sasuke, who had just obliterated another practice dummy with her Chidori. He shrugged.

"Yeah, she's strong, she's always been strong, but I don't see why we couldn't have just trained on our own."

Choji, sitting beside them with a bag of chips in his hand, nodded in agreement with Ino.

"I dunno, Shikamaru. They're pretty impressive. Besides, it's not like we get to watch Naruto and Sasuke train every day. This could be useful for us. Plus you don't train anyways, you just complain enough until Asuma Sensei plays shogi with you"

Shikamaru sighed, clearly uninterested in the whole ordeal. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. But still, I'd rather be anywhere else right now."

He decided he'd just take a nap and wait for Team 7 to finish and they were dismissed.

As Team 10 continued to observe, they couldn't help but marvel at how much stronger Team 7 had become. Naruto's sheer determination, Sasuke's precision and power, and even Sakura's rapidly improving genjutsu were on full display. The trio watched silently as Team 7 honed their skills, unaware that they were being watched. Asuma sensei had told them that they should disperse and pratice their hiding and camouflage while they watched Team 7. That was the only training he gave them to do. It was harder because all of Team 7 knew they were somewhere out there.

But their cover wouldn't last for long.

"Enjoying the show?"

A voice cut through the silence, startling Team 10 out of their hiding spot.

Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji turned to see Kakashi standing behind them, his single visible eye crinkled in amusement.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Ino exclaimed, her face turning red.

"Uh, we were just… observing!"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Observing, huh? By the way if you're supposed to be practicing your concealment, try to talk less..." His tone was light and teasing. As he glanced at the now awake Nara.

"Well, since you're here, why not make this a little more exciting?"

Shikamaru let out a groan, already dreading what was coming next. "Great. Just what I needed."

Ino, on the other hand, perked up immediately. "What do you mean, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi pointed toward the training field, where Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura had stopped their training to watch the unfolding scene.

"How about a little friendly sparring match? Team 7 versus Team 10. It'll be good practice for all of you."

Choji's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean, we're gonna fight Naruto and Sasuke?"

Kakashi nodded, his eye gleaming with amusement. "That's right. Don't worry, I'll make sure things don't get out of hand."

Naruto, having overheard the conversation, grinned from ear to ear. "Oh yeah! This is gonna be awesome!"

Sasuke, her Sharingan still active, narrowed her eyes at the newcomers. She wasn't one to back down from a challenge, and if Team 10 wanted a fight, she was more than ready.

Shikamaru, sensing the inevitable, let out another sigh. "What a drag…"

The Sparring Match: Team 7 vs. Team 10

As the two teams squared off in the training field, the atmosphere grew tense with anticipation. Kakashi leaned back against a tree, his book still in hand, though his focus was now entirely on the sparring match. He wanted to see how far his students had come, and what better way than to pit them against another team?

Naruto bounced on the balls of his feet, his excitement palpable. "Alright, bring it on! I've been itching for a good fight!"

Sasuke, standing beside him, smirked. "Don't get too cocky, Naruto. We're just getting started."

Sakura, too, stood ready, her chakra humming as she prepared her genjutsu. "We'll need to be careful. Shikamaru's shadow jutsu is tricky."

On the opposite side of the field, Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji stood ready, though Shikamaru's expression was one of reluctant resignation.

"This is gonna be a pain…" he muttered.

Ino shot him an annoyed look. "Come on, Shikamaru! Let's show them what we've got!"

Choji, still munching on his chips, nodded. "Yeah, let's do this!"

The match began with a sudden burst of movement. Naruto was the first to charge forward, creating a dozen shadow clones that spread out across the field. His plan was simple: overwhelm them with numbers and force them to split up. Meanwhile,

Sasuke activated her Sharingan, her eyes focusing on Shikamaru as she prepared to counter his shadow jutsu.

Shikamaru, always the strategist, immediately saw through Naruto's tactic.

"Too obvious." he muttered, forming the hand seals for his Shadow Possession Jutsu. His shadow stretched out across the field, aiming to trap as many of Naruto's clones as possible.

"Let's see how you handle this."

Naruto grinned, teleporting behind Shikamaru using his Hiraishin seal before the shadow could reach him.

"Not so fast!" he called out, launching a flurry of kunai toward the shadow user.

Shikamaru barely managed to dodge, his mind racing to come up with a new strategy.

What Jutsu was that? He hadn't praticed that once the whole time we were watching him, Can his clones do this too? Shikamaru brain raced to try to find a solution to this unexpected turn of events..

"This is gonna be tougher than I thought. What a drag..."

Meanwhile, Ino moved to the side, preparing her Mind Transfer Jutsu. Her target was Sasuke, knowing full well that if she could take control of the Uchiha, it would turn the tide in their favor. But Sasuke, with her Sharingan active, was already on the move, dodging Ino's attack with ease.

"Nice try, Ino." Sasuke said with a smirk, her Chidori crackling in her hand. "But you'll have to do better than that."

Ino gritted her teeth, forming another set of hand seals as she prepared a counterattack. But before she could react, Sasuke was upon her, moving with blinding speed. The Chidori struck the ground just inches from Ino, sending shockwaves through the earth and forcing her to retreat.

Choji, meanwhile, had activated his Expansion Jutsu, his body growing to several times its normal size. He charged toward Naruto, his massive form barreling through the field like a human boulder. Naruto's clones scattered in all directions, trying to avoid the incoming attack.

"Let's see how you handle this!" Choji roared as he rolled forward, crushing several of Naruto's clones underfoot.

But Naruto was already one step ahead. He teleported again, this time appearing on top of Choji's rolling form. "Too slow, Choji!" Naruto taunted, grinning as he formed a Rasengan in his hand.

Choji's eyes widened in surprise as Naruto slammed the Rasengan into his back, sending him tumbling to the ground with a heavy thud. The ground shook from the impact, and dust flew up around them as Choji struggled to get back on his feet.

Naruto frowned at the less than impressive boom that came from his imperfect rasengan.

"Damn it, Naruto!" Choji groaned, rubbing the spot where the Rasengan had hit. Even if Naruto hadn't mastered that jutsu it still hurt.

Naruto, ever the energetic fighter, wasn't done yet. He summoned his chakra chains, golden strands of energy that whipped through the air with incredible speed. The chains wrapped around Choji's massive form, binding him in place as Naruto prepared to finish the fight.

"Gotcha now!" Naruto shouted triumphantly.

Shikamaru observed this sighing heavily Another mysterious jutsu.. this is going to be a slaughter, and we are the lambs...

But before he could land the final blow, Shikamaru's shadow stretched out and caught Naruto by the ankle, freezing him in place.

"Not so fast, Naruto." Shikamaru said, smirking as his shadow possession took hold.

"You've still got me to deal with."

Naruto struggled against the shadow, but Shikamaru's grip was firm.

"You really are a pain, Shikamaru!" he growled.

Sasuke, noticing Naruto's predicament, quickly moved to intervene. She darted toward Shikamaru, her Sharingan analyzing the situation as she prepared to break his jutsu.

"Let's see how you handle this. Smart Ass" she muttered, her hand crackling with Chidori.

Before Shikamaru could react, Sasuke was upon him, her Chidori slicing through his shadow and forcing him to release his hold on Naruto.

"Thanks, Sasuke!" Naruto called out as he regained his mobility.

"Don't mention it." Sasuke replied coolly, her eyes locked on their opponents.

"I expected you to be faster than that, Shikamaru." Sasuke taunted, her Sharingan glinting dangerously as she lowered her hand, the remnants of her Chidori still sparking with residual energy. Her breath was even, but her eyes were locked on her opponent, scanning his every movement for an opening.

Shikamaru was well respected in their shinobi class, although he was extremely lazily, Sasuke just like the rest of Team 7 knew that Shikamaru was unbelievably smart, where Naruto was clever often using the fact that people underestimated him against them.

Shikamaru would simply outthink and plan his opponents not needing to resort to trickery overtly. If they were to defeat Team 10 it started with taking out the brains of that squad and that was the Nara. Without even discussing this the battle hardened and more experience Team 7 were all thinking the same thing.

Battling them Shikamaru could see almost feel the difference between their teams in the air around them.

Is this what you were after Asuma sensei? You wanted us to experince this type of brutal beat down? By Genin from our academy class? As if we will go down without a fight!

Shikamaru felt unusually motivated.

Shikamaru wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and sighed.

"Yeah, well, I wasn't really planning on getting into a full-blown fight today." he muttered. His voice was calm, but beneath that calm exterior, the gears of his mind were turning rapidly. Team 7 had gotten stronger since the Land of Waves mission, and even though this was a sparring match, it was clear they were holding nothing back. He glanced over at Ino and Choji, giving them a subtle nod to initiate the next phase of his plan.

Ino caught the signal, her heart racing as she prepared her Mind Transfer Jutsu.

"Alright, here we go." she whispered to herself, darting into the underbrush to get into position.

Meanwhile, Naruto was having the time of his life. His shadow clones swarmed the battlefield like ants, rushing Choji from all directions.

"You're not getting away that easily, Choji!" Naruto shouted, his laughter echoing across the field.

Choji, currently in his enlarged state from his Partial Expansion Jutsu, swung his massive arms wildly, trying to swat away the relentless onslaught of clones.

"Naruto! Stop multiplying already!" Choji grunted as he smashed another group of clones into the ground, only for a new wave to appear and take their place. It seemed like for every one Naruto he destroyed two more were taking its place, add to it a few of them were flashing aroud faster than his eyes could track he was being overwhelmed.

Naruto teleported between his marked kunai using his Hiraishin technique, flickering in and out of existence like a blur.

"Can't catch me, Choji!" he teased, forming a Rasengan in his hand. He appeared directly behind Choji and slammed the Rasengan into his back, sending the larger ninja tumbling forward. The impact caused a shockwave that rippled through the ground, forcing Choji to roll several meters before finally coming to a stop.

Naruto chuckled at the flying Choji, still is imperfect rasengan was not satisfactory and ready for use in battle, but this training spar proved to him that the hiraishin and rasengan combo he thought about while training could be very dangerous to his enemies.

"That Rasengan is starting to get annoying." Choji muttered as he struggled to his feet. His body was bruised, and he was beginning to feel the toll of Naruto's relentless attacks.

"You're tough, Choji," Naruto admitted with a grin, creating even more clones as he prepared for the next round. "But I've got more tricks up my sleeve!" He then activated his chakra chains, the golden strands snaking out from his back and whipping toward Choji like serpents.

Choji's eyes widened. "Naruto's got chains too?!" he thought in disbelief as he watched the chakra chains slice through the air with deadly precision. Choji jumped backward, but he wasn't fast enough. The chains wrapped around his legs, tightening with each passing second as Naruto closed the distance.

"Got you this time, Choji!" Naruto shouted triumphantly. The chakra chains held firm, pinning Choji in place as Naruto's clones rushed forward with Rasengans ready.
But before Naruto could land the final blow, a voice rang out from the edge of the training ground.

"Naruto, look out!" It was Sasuke, warning him just in time as she noticed movement in the shadows.
Ino, who had positioned herself perfectly, released her Mind Transfer Jutsu. Her consciousness surged forward, and in an instant, she hit her target.

"Got him!" Ino said, her voice trembling with excitement as she entered Naruto's mind.
But as soon as she did, she realized something was wrong.

The second she made contact with Naruto's mind, she was bombarded with an overwhelming sensation of power—a power far beyond anything she had ever felt before. It was as if she had stepped into a storm of raw chakra and energy. Her vision blurred, and she felt her control slipping. "What... what is this?" she gasped.
Inside Naruto's mind, Ino saw glimpses of something foreign. It was as if a veil had been lifted, revealing something... ancient. She saw brief flashes of glowing cerulean lines, spreading like veins across a vast, empty space. The power she sensed was nothing like the Naruto she knew. It was something far more dangerous, far more profound.

Before she could process what was happening, she was ejected from Naruto's mind, the force of the expulsion sending her flying backward and out of her jutsu. Ino hit the ground hard, gasping for air as her vision spun.

Naruto blinked, momentarily disoriented by the strange sensation of someone else invading his mind. But he quickly regained his bearings, noticing Ino lying on the ground a few meters away. "Ino?" he called out, concerned.

"What the hell was that?" Ino muttered under her breath, trying to shake off the dizziness. "What did I just see?"

Naruto didn't respond to her question, but deep down, he had an inkling of what had happened. His mind—his very being—was tied to something far greater than just himself. The power of his other self coursed through him, hidden from the world, concealed by the form he had taken. He didn't like thinking about it, but moments like this reminded him of what lay beneath the surface.

Just as Ino was about to get back on her feet, Choji, seeing his teammate down, charged forward, roaring with frustration.

"You're not getting away with that, Naruto!" Choji's body expanded again as he activated his Human Boulder technique, his massive form rolling across the field toward Naruto and his clones.

Naruto grinned, watching as Choji barreled toward him like a juggernaut.

"Alright, Choji! Let's see how you handle this!" With a burst of speed, Naruto teleported around Choji's rolling form, planting Hiraishin kunai at key points around the field. He flickered between them, sending clones to distract Choji while he prepared his next move.

Meanwhile, Sasuke had her hands full with Shikamaru. His shadows danced across the ground, moving with deadly precision as he attempted to catch her in his Shadow Possession Jutsu.

"You're not bad, Shikamaru." Sasuke admitted as she dodged another shadow tendril. "But you're not fast enough to catch me."

Shikamaru grinned, despite the sweat pouring down his face. "I don't need to catch you for long. Just long enough." His shadow shifted, weaving between the trees and using the shadows cast by the setting sun to his advantage.

Sasuke's Sharingan allowed her to predict his movements, but even with her enhanced vision, Shikamaru's strategy was giving her trouble. Every time she thought she had him pinned, his shadow would shift, redirecting her attacks.

Finally, Sasuke saw an opening. She charged forward with a Chidori, her arm crackling with electricity as she prepared to strike Shikamaru down. But just as she closed in, Shikamaru's real trap was sprung. The shadow that had been retreating suddenly shot out, catching her wrist in its grasp.

"Got you." Shikamaru muttered, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
Sasuke's body froze, her momentum halted by the Shadow Possession Jutsu. She gritted her teeth, trying to fight against the shadow's control, but it was no use. Shikamaru had her pinned.

"You're good, Shikamaru." Sasuke said, her voice strained but calm. "But you're not the only one with tricks up your sleeve."

In an instant, Sasuke substituted with a nearby log, leaving Shikamaru holding nothing but air. "What—?" Shikamaru exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise as Sasuke reappeared behind him.

Before he could react, Sasuke delivered a swift kick to his side, sending him sprawling across the field. Shikamaru gasped as the wind was knocked out of him, but he managed to roll to his feet, though it was clear he was nearing his limit.

"I told you." Sasuke said, her voice cold and confident. "You can't hold me forever."

Meanwhile, Naruto had Choji right where he wanted him. Using his Hiraishin seals, Naruto teleported directly in front of Choji, his Rasengan swirling with wind chakra. "Time to finish this!" Naruto shouted, launching the Rasengan at Choji's massive form.
Choji braced himself, but the impact of the Rasengan sent him crashing into the ground, a massive crater forming where he landed. Dust and debris filled the air as Naruto's clones swarmed Choji, holding him down with chakra chains.

"I'm not letting you out of this one, Choji!" Naruto declared triumphantly, his golden chains tightening around Choji's arms and legs.
But Choji wasn't done yet. With a roar of defiance, he expanded his body even further, his muscles bulging as he broke free of Naruto's chains with sheer brute strength. The force of the explosion sent Naruto flying backward, but he flipped in midair, landing gracefully on his feet.

Choji panted heavily, his chest heaving with exertion.

"Naruto... you're insane." he muttered, though there was a grin on his face.
Naruto grinned back, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"You're pretty tough too, Choji. But I'm not done yet!"

As the battle raged on, it was clear that both teams were reaching their limits. Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji were exhausted, their chakra reserves nearly depleted.

But Naruto and Sasuke, despite their own fatigue, still had plenty of energy to spare.
Just as Sasuke was about to launch another attack on Shikamaru, Kakashi appeared between them, blocking her Chidori with a casual hand.

"Alright, that's enough, anymore and due to Team 10 fatigue they could get seriously injured." Kakashi said, his voice calm but firm.

"You've all done well. I think that's enough sparring for one day."

Sasuke deactivated her Chidori, breathing heavily as she stepped back. Shikamaru let out a long sigh of relief, his body sagging with exhaustion.

Naruto, dusting himself off, looked over at Ino and Choji with a grin. "Man, that was fun!" he said, his voice filled with excitement.

Ino, still recovering from her failed Mind Transfer Jutsu, shook her head. "You're insane, Naruto. Absolutely insane."

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask, clearly pleased with the results of the sparring match. "Good work, everyone. You've all improved. Keep this up, and you'll be more than ready for your next mission."

As Team 7 and Team 10 gathered together, exchanging friendly banter and congratulating each other on their performance, the tension in the air finally dissipated. The sparring match had been intense, but it was clear that both teams had grown stronger because of it.

Sasuke glanced over at Naruto, her eyes softening for a moment. "Not bad, Naruto. I thought i'd have to save you a lot more." she said quietly, though there was a hint of a smile on her lips.

Naruto beamed at her, clearly proud of himself. "You too, Sasuke. We make a pretty good team, huh?"

Sasuke simply nodded, her heart swelling with pride. Yes, they were a good team—one that could take on anything the world threw at them.

As the teams interacted Kakashi hopped into one of the nearby trees where Asuma was observing everything.

"So, you think that motivated them enough?" Kakashi asked whipping out his book, before sitting on the branch adjacent to where the jonin was standing.

Asuma inhaled the cigarette on his lips before responding.

"Yeah thanks again for allowing us to observed and train with you all, I figured Shikumaru wouldnt get serious just by watching, he needed a little extra push. You could have warned me that you were training some monsters though, and Sakura didn't even join in, i dont think my team noticed she left and started training again halfway through." Asuma sighed saying this.

Kakashi chuckled flipping a page in his book.

"They are defiantly... special. Your team has potential too though, I am sure your aware having the Yamanaka, Akimichi Nara trio for this generation. Their value is immeasurable for our village." Kakashi offered kindly.

Asama chuckled at this " Says the sensei with the Uchiha, two top ranking kunoichi, and a genin that learned lord 4th hiraishin no jutsu, is learning the rasengan, a chakra chain jutsu people haven't seen since Kushina Uzumaki died."

Kakashi one eye peered over his book giving Asuma a stern look.

"Yea yea I know, I wont mention the jutsu your team used to anyone... Trying not to let information leak before the chunnin exams?" Asuma asked trying to get more information out of the quiet jonin.

"Something like that..." Kakashi said turning another page in his book.

An argument broke out over by the genin, Sasuke and Naruto were in each other face obviously having some sort of argument, Kakashi sighed at this, those two acted like oil and water sometimes, just as much as they acted like water and sugar.

"I guess thats a sign for me to pick up my genin, I'm sure i can get them to train a little more today, Thanks again Kakashi." Asuma said.

"No problem, can you dismiss my team as well since your headed down there anyways." Kakashi asked.

Asuma just nodded before disappearing off towards the genin.

"Naruto, don't make me castrate you." Sasuke threatened her face red with embarrassment and anger her sharigan eyes glaring at the blonde boy who annoyed her like no other being in existence.

"Firstly, I don't know what that means, but when i figure it out your so dead Bastard!" Naruto replied

Sasuke rolled her eyes, and Naruto decided to tease her more.

"Why you all in my face bastard want another kiss or something." Naruto said, he meant to just tease Sasuke more. He enjoyed riling her up a bit, showing Team 10 that Sasuke wasn't as emotionless as she acted.

'Again' his choice of words could have been chosen better, the wide-eyed look of everyone around him proved that his slip of the tongue wasn't overlooked by any of the genin present.

Sasuke face was even redder now. Still, she didn't back off.

"And what if i do. Na..ru..too" she said as she leaned in closer stealing a quick peck, now it was Naruto turn to turn beet red.

The collective Gasp of Sakura, Ino, Choji could be heard. Shikamaru just sighed and leaned back to look at the clouds passing overhead.

"About time."

Ino glanced at Shikamaru... "What do you mean, didn't you just see that they kissed!"

Shikamaru shrugged " You have to be blind if you don't think that all that arguing is because of pent up sexual tension. Its pretty obvious Ino." Shikamaru said lazily. He doesn't see how Naruto could put up with it. Him and the Uchiha been arguing a throwing insults at each other since they first laid eyes on each other, at first, he thought they hated each other but throughout his observations at the academy he quickly deducted that, that was probably their best way of flirting.

"Are you two dating now Sasuke?" Sakura asked she knew that Naruto and Sasuke had gotten close but close enough to kiss? Apparently not for the first time either.

Sasuke face went from blushed red smiling at catching Naruto off guard to glaring at her teammate.

"What's it to you Haruno. Naruto is mine, that's all you need to know."

Sakura stepped back at the intense glare she got from Sasuke. Their conversation was cut off by Asuma walking into the clearing.

" Team 10 on me, we got some more training to do, thanks Team 7 for kicking my genin's butt." Asuma said offering a smile to the Genin of Team 7.

Naruto shook out his stupor at this and smiled at the Jonin in return.

"Any time!"

He shouted to the retreating forms of team 10.

Asuma stopped and turned around saying "Oh and Kakashi wanted me to let you know that you guys have the rest of the day off." He finished before turning and leading his team out of the training grounds.

"Well since we have the rest of the day off do you guys wanna grab lunch as a team?" Sakura asked her teammates, giving Sasuke a cautious side eye.

Naruto almost accepted immediately but was cut off by Sasuke.

"Idiot we are going to go set your bank account up and get you a new apartment." Sasuke said walking ignoring Sakura request.

Naruto sighed before walking off to catch up with Sasuke. He turned and waved over his shoulder "Maybe next time Sakura! See ya later!"

Sakura watched the two conversate as they walked off.

Sasuke and Naruto... I can't beli... she then thought about everything that happened between the two until this point... a small smile graced her lips. Actually it makes perfect sense.

She thought before deciding to do a little more training she wasn't needed again in order to defeat team 10, if she didn't catch up to those two quickly she would just continue to hold them back.

Naruto followed Sasuke in the streets of Konoha outside of Konoha Bank, they had arrived maybe 45 minutes ago, and it didn't take long for him to establish an account with Konoha bank. Sasuke had her very own accountant assigned to him, apparently the accountant was very experienced and had worked for the Uchiha clan for decades, the Uchiha clan, being Sasuke, and now Naruto being his only clients.

The accountant was very efficient and professional. Naruto quickly grew to trust the man with his account, and he trusted Sasuke word even more, now that he had a bank account set up with all his funds, he no longer needed to carry a wallet, he could just deposit his income with the bank, and where ever he shopped withing Konoha all he had to do was give them his account number and the charges would be taken out of his account. If he was outside Konoha he'd have to provide the bank number with his account number, but it was all very simple.

"Now that we have your account, we can go about finding you a better apartment, we have some visits scheduled today, all of the ones I found with openings happened to be close to my clan home." Sasuke said with a blush.

Naruto nodded, having Sasuke help with this was sure to make everything simpler and easier, if setting up his bank account was a sign for how things would be with her tagging alone then he was sure that finding a new home would go just as smoothly.

3 hours later.

Sasuke and Naruto sat on her couch, Naruto was casually drinking his beverage from his couch, while Sasuke was seething with anger. Naruto glanced over at the visibly enraged Uchiha. He was glad to have someone like her in his corner.

They had just come back from looking at the apartments and condos that Sasuke had found for him, all of them were really nice, and a couple were less than 3 minutes walking distance from Sasuke which Naruto pointed out getting a rise out of Sasuke.

That was not the issue that the two had ran across, but the realtors themselves. Each place they went the realtor showing them the housing unit, jacked up the price to double and in some cases triple the amount they were originally offering, and each time they ran into this the more hostile Sasuke became, in the end they weren't able to strike a deal.

"I will report them to the hokage, or skin them myself." Sasuke said as she shook from anger on the couch.

"It's okay Sasuke, I warned you that this was possible." Naruto said trying to settle the girl.

Sasuke glared at him.

"It is not okay! Just because your use to being taken advantage of doesn't mean that it is okay, we should report them for discrimination and malpractice."

After three hours of touring they hadn't been able to find Naruto a new home, every single place they went to as soon as they realized Naruto was their customer immediately tried to swindle him charging at least 3 times the advertised rent.

"It really is okay Sasuke, I like my apartment anyways." Naruto responded again trying to calm her.

Sasuke head whipped to him quick as a flash, her face slightly red her eyes held a mischievous glint in them. He knew just from the look in her eyes that she had thought of something, and based on her look something he may not be to fond of.

"What..?" He asked hesitantly.

"Your moving in with me." Sasuke said with a mischievous grin.

Naruto was left stunned only able to let out a soft

"Huh?"

A/N Hey guys, firstly i want to apologize again for the delay, i seem to have had to do this multiple times and it sucks i am sorry, I am not sure if you all remember but i moved recently to a new state for me job.. well its embarrassing but about 2 months ago i lost my job. I didn't share this but i am a new father, I had my first and only child shortly after starting this story, so losing my job, on top of having such a young child has been embarrassing and tough, these past few months i have been extremely depressed but my wife has been amazing and luckily i have another source of income to still pay rent, Mentally i am feeling better, and i do plan to continue writing this chapter was supposed to be longer but i just wanted to put something out there for you guys to know i'm still around, i am just suffering life right now. If you guys can just wish me luck, and send good thoughts my way i'd appreciate it. Again i'm sorry i am still on the job hunt for something i want to do as well as helps pay the bills, but yeah i just owed you guys the reason. Sorry for the delay, i have bits and pieces of the next chapter written but no timeline on when it will drop, i am aiming for mid December or early January, please set up notifications for this story i hope you all well. Until next time!