KG: HA! Told you I can update when I feel like it. Aren't I just the most giving author you have ever known? You don't have to say it! I know you all love me.

Wifey: They can't hear you.

KG: But they can read!

Wifey: Sad. You're very sad.

KG: Meh.

Music of the Week: Revelations by Patryk Scelina feat. Kashia Vu.

Quote: "You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you don't trust enough," by Frank Crane.

Naruto scratched his head and sighed. The sounds of intense fighting came in his ears. He looked up and he watched Shen and Wukong fighting each other. The other anbu seemed to be watching the battle, but for those who didn't realize it, this was a part of Naruto's training. The blonde had asked for two people to perform hand to hand combat next to him while he focused on writing seals. He had claimed it was to help his concentration in studying sealing formula. There would be times he had to write seals while in the midst of combat. The eight anbu who stayed with the group were surprised at his forward thinking. Komachi, to the surprise of everyone, commented that it would be good for more taijutsu practice with Naruto seeing and hearing how each of them fought to better improve their overall synergistic teamplay. The others were down for this exercise as well. The sun was beginning to go down so the last of the group, Shen and Wukong, were the last of the group to keep their fight.

It wasn't as easy as Naruto assumed it was. During this time, Naruto learned something about himself. He was…very easily distracted. At least two times, Naruto had been too distracted by the combat to work on his seals. He had to force himself to concentrate, but the hearing of kunai, shuriken, and even some non-lethal jutsu were very…disorientating. "Okay, we can stop there," Naruto said. Shen and Wukong stopped themselves and each took a small breath of air.

The blonde looked down at his work. Sloppy handwriting, sloppy formula structure, sloppy locks, all of it was just signs of an amateur. Hell, it was probably worse than that. "Not the results you were looking for?" he looked up and the sight of his now accepted older sister. She was…a tad closer than he had wanted her to be, but…he supposed some effort on his part was needed so he tried to ignore a small feeling of anxiety. Old habits die hard. Yugao knelt down next to him and she noticed his work. She watched her younger brother release frustration from his lips. He tapped on the paper.

"I never expected myself to get it right on the first couple of tries, but knowing I'm still making slow progress. Genma-sensei wasn't kidding. Fūinjutsu isn't as easy as I thought it was. Plus, Jiji's scroll is helping me out where it can, but I can't help feeling that some of the details are missing. Here, look at this," he said holding the scroll up to her. Yugao took the scroll from him and glanced through it. Admittedly, she wasn't much of a Fūinjutsu expert herself, but she thought she could provide some insight where she could. Though, she could see where her little brother was going with this.

"Hmm it doesn't tell you how to transition between the trigram mechanism and the bigram lock. Set it aside for now, there should be a section in the upper areas of the library for the Anbu that has something on this," Yugao said. Naruto turned to her in surprise. She could see the questioning look in his eyes. Yes, generally speaking the articles in the library for Anbu operatives were limited to only Anbu operatives, but the purple-haired kunoichi knew that her little brother was hardly adhering to the general rules of protocol.

She lifted up her mask allowing Naruto to see the face of his older sister. She winked at him. "Just don't tell anyone," she told him before flipping her mask down. Naruto nodded quickly while she pulled her mask down. She gave him back the paper as the others finished packing up their things. Naruto placed his things away as well. Almost like clockwork, Itsuki and Kagura came back from their own training. The raven-haired anbu seemed to be giving the blonde an even harsher look than usual and Naruto cursed the shiver that ran through his body.

"Did you need something, Hebi?" Yugao asked standing next to Naruto. Itsuki gave her the same glare from behind his mask. Kamiyami snorted before he turned around and went for his things. The female anbu frowned behind her mask, but she patted Naruto's shoulder before moving on her way

Naruto released a heavy breath. It had only been yesterday that he broke down and confessed his insecurities before the Anbu. Ever since that time, the team's dynamic definitely seemed to shift whether the group noticed it or not. Tokuma and Shen had taken an hour or two to review Naruto's taijutsu. Maruten Akimichi made some time to show Naruto some of the various plants and natural herbs that one could eat or aid in healing. Kabuto taught him some points on the human body. Yugao and Wukong worked with him on his weapon handling. Komachi had Naruto run through various scenarios of long-range, short-range, and mid-range combat. Kazuma even worked with Naruto on some chakra exercises. Admittedly, these left the blonde a tad frustrated, but Kazuma was very accommodating to Naruto's chakra problems.

In the end, the eight of them work with him through the day which Naruto, obviously, had inner concerns with, but he fought down the negative thoughts filling his mind. Just one more time. Just one more time he would gamble on getting the acceptance that he never got. It was easier said than done, but Naruto decided to just take it a day at a time. Perhaps that way, he wouldn't get so overwhelmed by the nature of everything around him.

As soon as everyone was packed, the eleven members of the team were quickly surprised when another Anbu member dropped to the ground. The ten of the team and Naruto stood to their feet. "Once you get back to the village, Hokage-sama has requested your unit and Uzumaki Naruto's presence. Head back to Konoha and await orders," they said, and they were quickly vanished away, their mission having been done. Naruto raised an eyebrow and the ten Anbu glanced to each other. Needless to say, but everyone doubled timed it back to Konoha. The impressive thing, for the ten and that put a smile on Yugao's face, was that Naruto actually managed to keep up with them despite their doubled effort.

Despite his best effort, Naruto rested on Yugao's back as she carried him the rest of the way. Obviously, he hadn't been used to going at their speed. If they were doing it at a more leisurely pace then no doubt he would have made it the whole way, but asking him to put in double the effort to make it back to Konoha after all the training was definitely asking for a bit too much from an academy student. Still, that wasn't to say Yugao didn't enjoy caring him. Listening to him sleep was a rather…comforting thing for Yugao.

Upon returning to Konoha, she gently woke him up. Suffice to say that Naruto was a tad embarrassed at this, but it would be something that he had to get over. The group of ten and Naruto, not desiring to be seen by the public despite the very late hour of their arrival, came through the top of the Hokage Mansion. Grabbing a hold of Naruto, they vanished and appeared in front of the Sandaime Hokage. Hiruzen looked at them all and then he gave Naruto a familiar friendly look. Naruto was not sure about that look. It made him very…nervous and anxious for some reasons. Never did he think that he would have to be fearful of his Jiji, but…a couple of negative connotations were being added to that smile that the blonde didn't like.

Hiruzen seemed to notice this and sighed. Inoichi had come into his office yesterday explaining that any and all information regarding Naruto and their sessions, unless absolutely a last resort, was to be regarded as highly strict patient confidentiality. Naturally, Sarutobi wanted to know the reasons behind this, but Inoichi had only explained that he had…just barely…gotten Naruto to start placing trust in others. It was very obvious to the Yamanaka head that Naruto's mind was in a very…unbalanced state. The jonin explained that it was possible that the academy student was teetering on the sides of not trusting anyone and shunning all forms of social contact or believing in the value of friends, loyalty, and trustworthiness. Inoichi had proclaimed that he swore to Naruto he would do nothing to betray the minimal amount of trust he had gained. In any else's eyes, this trust Naruto was giving might have seemed small and insignificant, but to the blonde's current psychologist…it was a very measurable margin that he had improved. Inoichi didn't want to lose a single inch of that margin. Not. One. Inch!

Admittedly, Hiruzen didn't like not having knowledge, especially regarding the psyche of one of his up and coming shinobi, especially a jinchuuriki, but it was suffice to say that he also trusted Inoichi's judgement in regards to the mind. If this would help treat Naruto then Sarutobi would acquiesce to these desires as long as they bore fruit in the long run.

"Good evening, Naruto-kun. How has your training been coming?" Hiruzen asked. A shiver ran through Naruto's body. The way he said that so…coldly was not doing Naruto any favors. Or did Naruto just think he said it coldly? How could he even discern anymore? Naruto took a calming breath, the aura which filled his body returned to him. Every negative connotation was wiped away from his mind. No, his Jiji could be stern, but he wasn't heartless. If he really was out for Naruto's ruin then it would have been much easier for him to just have every shinobi bombard him. No way could Naruto have survived that. With this in mind, it eased his worries.

"I'm doing fine, Jiji. I admit that working with two teams is a little different and tiring than I'm used to, but I've learned a lot! I've been getting control of my power where I can. I couldn't have done it without the rigorous training with these guys that you gave me," Naruto remarked. It amazed the Anbu that the blonde was so very casual with the leader of the village. However, the Hokage didn't seem to have an issue with it so no one spoke about the potential concerns either way.

Hiruzen gave Naruto one more smile before clearing his throat. "That's very good, Naruto-kun. Let's hope you can keep up the effort. In any case, I can see that you're all curious about my reasons for calling you all here. Well, it's been almost three months since I've had you all work with Naruto-kun and we formed this team. Now is the time for you to put what you have all learned into practice. We have our first mission lined up for your team. Note, this will be very different. If you can handle it discreetly then that's fine. If you cannot, then the risk is very minimal. Suffice to say this is an S-rank mission," The Hokage said. Naruto tensed and the Anbu straightened themselves up.

The air around the room seemed much more unbearable than what Naruto was used to. He wasn't used to all this sudden pressure. He started to breathe heavily. It was like chains wrapped around his body. Air wasn't going into his lungs. He felt like he was suffocating! He closed his eyes and panted. A hand rested on his shoulder. Instantly, all the pressure left the room and he opened his eyes. He turned and noticed Yugao keeping the pressure off his body. Her hand, admittedly, unnerved him, but the aura quickly reminded him that he just had to take it slowly.

Everyone noticed the effect they had on the blonde and they consciously relaxed themselves. It wasn't every day that an academy student was in the Hokage's office with a room full of Anbu speaking about S-rank mission details. There was a lot wrong in that statement, yes, but it this was hardly the normal situation. "Hai Hokage-sama!" they replied in unison. To say that Naruto was nervous wasn't an exaggeration. This would be his first real mission aside from those D-rank missions he had with Ino, Kiba, and Genma. It was a real mission, a shinobi mission, and he wasn't even truly a shinobi yet. He was obviously both excited and scared at the same time.

"Very good. We have reports of unusual activity in Kusagakure. I fear to believe that they have found the Box of Ultimate Bliss," Hiruzen said. Naruto quickly noticed the Anbu stiffen. Though they were all masked, Naruto could somehow feel the fear evident in their bodies. No one said anything and Naruto felt a bit…of the odd man out when he raised his hand bringing everyone to him. Iruka always did say there was no such thing as stupid questions. For even someone as paranoid as him, this just sounded like an over exaggeration.

"We're…going to destroy a box? What's so bad about a box?" He asked. For a moment, the others looked at him like he was insane before remembering who they were addressing. Yugao took a knee next to him. He turned his gaze to meet her. Truth be told, Naruto wished he could see her actually face since the mask was a little disconcerting, but he watched her begin to speak.

"Naruto, the Box of Ultimate Bliss is no ordinary box and it's not as small as you're thinking it is. With that box, the very early settlers of Kusgakure, before the village was founded, were able to nearly control the whole world. It was stated that if a mortal could open the box then their most desirable wish would be granted. It's unknown how they lost the box, but it is stated that no mortal may control the contents of the Box of Ultimate Bliss for it corrupts the hearts of all who enter it. Some say it was the Rikudō Sennin that took the box away from the ancestors of Kusagakure. It's a very dangerous box. Please, don't make light of the issue. This is very important," Yugao explained.

Naruto didn't know whether to be excited, worried, or confused. Hell, he could have been a combination of the three. It sounded very cool, but the way everyone's faces froze at the thought then it also sounded very bad. From the history classes that he had listened to then Kusagakure wasn't a really major powerhouse like the other Five Great Nations. Naruto wondered why he had never heard of that village having a particular power like that. Hell, that would have made an amazing story in his eyes. Though, apparently it wasn't much of a story now.

"So why hasn't anyone tried destroying it?" Naruto asked, though as soon as he asked that question he had a general idea of why. Either it required someone to be extremely powerful or it couldn't be destroyed at all. Neither option did Naruto like. "Never mind. Don't answer that," he said having drawn one of the many conclusions on his own. Everyone then turned back to the Hokage. His fingers intertwined themselves and he continued on with the explanation.

"You're to leave before the third day's end. Naruto-kun, I'll be sending a notice to your team that you'll be gone to one of our medical facilities out of the village for treatment with your disability in manipulating chakra. For the meantime, I'm sure we have a spare Anbu uniform and make for you to wear while on this assignment. Remember Naruto-kun, while you're with them you are technically an Anbu operative. I want you on your best behavior and use your best judgement in the current situations to help your team," Sarutobi said. Naruto quickly nodded.

It was then that Komachi took a quick step forward. "Hokage-sama, I would like to review Uzumaki Naruto's shinobi supplies before heading out for this mission. It might be worthwhile to stockpile him some equipment from the Anbu inventory. As history seems to have shown, I do not trust the village to handle this matter with professionalism and I cannot, in good faith and loyalty, risk Naruto-san's life and this mission because of him receiving improper equipment," the blonde-haired anbu stated. Sarutobi was rather surprised at this…respectful outburst. It wasn't like Komachi to voice opinions unless absolutely needed so. Even in most of the forces, she never spoke with anyone that much aside from Towa. Hiruzen had always wondered if the two had a standing relationship, but Komachi never expressed much interest in things not of the mission so that was a rather moot point.

Sarutobi then glanced to Naruto. It saddened him to admit, but her fears were actually quite founded. Right now, Naruto seemed like he could just barely hold it together with this team of ten. The Hokage still didn't know how they managed that of all things, but the last thing Naruto needed was to interact with the villagers where he didn't need to. Truth be told, Sarutobi was actually worried about some of the D-rank missions he assigned to Naruto with him being so close to the public. It turned out he handled the missions fine, but Genma had reported some…misconduct. He would have to iron those details out at a later date.

Hiruzen took out a note along with a stamp marker. He wrote on the note quickly before wrapping it up and stamping it. He then handed it to Komachi. "This is a seal of the Hokage. Use it to have Naruto-kun acquire anything he might need within reason for this mission. Note that some of these things will be on load so if it hasn't been lost, damaged, or destroyed then I would like it returned to the vault as quickly as possible," He said. The blonde woman grabbed the note and bowed.

"I shall take him tomorrow," Komachi said. The Sandaime agreed and then gave the team his personal best regards before allowing them to leave. They quickly left without a sound along with Naruto. The Hokage leaned back into his chair and released a breath. Please Kami…let them be alright. The Hokage didn't know how he would face the afterlife if anything happened to Naruto and the rest of the team.

-x-

Naruto groaned as he stretched his body. Pain racked his frame, but he had to get up. He turned over and he noticed Ayame still sleeping. He glanced down on his stomach and he noticed his cat gently resting herself on his chest as well. Come to think of it, Naruto never even had a name for this feline that seemed so attached to him all of a sudden. Maybe he should think on that later. In any case, he got up, took a shower, had breakfast and wrote a note for the Teuchi and Ayame. He wasn't even surprised when he heard the knock on his door.

"Farewell, my mate. Continue to journey in your experiences, my emperor. Soon, I will have nothing to hide from you and the world shall be yours to do with as you please," Naruto paused at the door. That was also something he would have to look into. He swore he wasn't crazy! Anyway, Naruto opened the door. A hard twitch fell through his body when he saw Komachi's mask staring down at him. He tightened his grip on the doorknob. Suffice to say that she noticed this. Forgive Naruto, he wasn't used to having the Anbu in front of his door.

Releasing a breath, Tanuki realized she had to be careful. Normally, Komachi wasn't concerned too much about how people mentally or emotionally responded to her presence, but from the tensing of Naruto's body and the focusing of his pupils upon her form then she could tell he was very uncomfortable with her stance. No doubt she would need to take some active approaches to this differently, especially after what he had confessed to them a couple of days ago. Academy student or not, shinobi or not, Komachi never liked her comrades having to fear for their lives from her especially when they were about to go out on a very dangerous assignment. Additionally, the female anbu wasn't exactly known for pitying others, but…she had a tad bit of displeasure in hearing Naruto's insecurities especially the circumstances surrounding them. In her eyes, these things needed to be corrected…quickly!

Komachi eased herself. "Sorry about my stance. I had a rather rough morning. Are you prepared?" She asked. She watched her very young teammate ease himself out of his door. He stood next to her. She unconsciously mouth thinned. Despite so much, he still tried to trust people. This made her rather uneasy. The way he stood next to her reminded her of something pleasant things. It was like she was his sole protection from the outside world. She didn't know how to feel about that. It was…nice. Odd, but nice.

Still, that wasn't without its issues. Komachi was now aware of how badly trust and accommodation were to her fellow blonde's psyche. She had made the grave error of trying to blindfold him. It was a standard practice for those coming into the Anbu headquarters who weren't actually a part of the organization. It was a place full of S-rank or nigh S-rank shinobi so privacy was in high regard. As soon as she had the blindfold around Naruto's eyes he started hyperventilating, His body threw itself into uncontrollable shivers, she was sure that he was also struggling against her with a sudden obscene level of strength in response to his fear. He even looked like he was about to scream for a moment. She quickly took the blindfold off him and she saw his face. His skin was so pale it was like he nearly had a death-like experience.

The Tanuki-masked anbu chastised herself. Of course he wouldn't be mentally stable with a blindfold on. Blindfolding anyone required a very high level of trust especially in a shinobi village. Naruto didn't have that. He couldn't give that. Even the bare minimum was just enough to not make him go insane from paranoia. Komachi had some reevaluating to do of her priorities.

Once Naruto settled himself, she knelt to him. "N-N-No more blindfolds please," He said, a shiver running through his body. She agreed. It was highly against protocol, but Komachi would just have to let him see the location. He had done well with secrets so far then this should have just been added to the list. So, she took his hand and slowly guided him to the Anbu Headquarters, located deep inside the Hokage Mansion, and underneath the whole village.

It was very dark for Naruto and that was…not a good thing for him especially after that terrible experience with the blindfold. He had almost vomited when Komachi removed the band from his eyes. Still, the warm hand of the anbu guided him down the stairs. It was much better than a blindfold, and the walk down the stairs wasn't very long. It was just…uncomfortable.

He watched her open a door hidden in the rocks of the wall and ushered him inside. Naruto could only describe this place as a locker room. He watched her move through the room effortlessly. He saw her take a key from a wooden board and beckoned him over. He followed her to a locker and she opened it. "Here will be your uniform and mask for missions. You will be assigned a codename later along with the Anbu tattoo. Please make note that this doesn't make you an official Anbu member, but we want the detail to be as precise as possible," Komachi said. However, even as she said that she couldn't get over a feeling of satisfaction in watching Naruto's eyes glow with excitement once he looked at the uniform. She didn't notice she was smiling.

"Can I try it on?" Naruto asked. The smile behind her mask brightened, even though she was not aware of it. She proceeded to tell him to follow her. They rounded a couple of corners with his new uniform and she brought him to a changing area. She unlocked the door with another of the keys which hung on the walls.

She pushed open the door and allowed him inside. "You can change here. The locker you just used can house your clothes. We'll then make our way to the vault," she explained. Naruto quickly agreed and hopped inside. Komachi decided to stand at the door a bit further away to allow him his privacy. She didn't feel like making him uncomfortable again.

Just a couple of moments later and she heard Naruto come out of the hall. She faced him and she pushed herself off the wall. The uniform was a definite fit for him, both in size and in aesthetics. The mask easily hugged the reaches of his face with the arm and leg guards being a perfect counterweight. He looked really good in grey. "How do I look?" His muffled voice, due to the mask, asked. He watched her swirl around him a couple of times.

"You look like you're ready for a mission so let's be on our way," she said. Naruto caught up with her and threw his clothes into his new locker. He would come back for them later. Both of them moved out of the locker room and into the halls. He stood as close to Komachi as possible, but far enough that being near her wouldn't spark any negative feelings in his head, though strange that these thoughts of paranoia seemed to decrease whenever she took his hand. Naruto always imagined this would be the way another older sibling would carry the younger one. It was…enjoyable.

Naruto and Komachi passed a couple of other anbu operatives. They either seemed to disregard Naruto or they gave him a moment's glance before moving on their way to their objective. The young blonde decided to not look around too much. He didn't want the attention to be drawn to himself for a change. Soon, they came up to an Anbu agent working at a desk in front of a large door. "Letter from Hokage-sama," Komachi said giving them the note. They took the letter and read through it, noting the Hokage's personal seal. They gave the letter back to Komachi and opened the door to the vault.

The vault…was not as impressive as one might have imagined. There was no blazingly fancy weaponry and there were no scrolls littered to the brim along the walls. There was only a wide and massive line of forges, tool sheds, and walls of cabinets. Naruto blinked behind his mask. "Come," Komachi stated. Naruto followed behind her. They walked through the halls.

"Upstairs are combat scrolls and survival scrolls. To the side of those are explosive tags and utility items. Down here is where standard shuriken and kunai are made. If you prefer then you can make your own, but you will have to gather your own materials. To the left hall is swords, blades, and select jutsu techniques. Until you're a proper shinobi, I have to forbid you from taking any of the jutsu scrolls without express permission. However, aside from that you are free to look around for about twenty minutes. I will be moving around getting my own things. The place is carefully monitored and cataloged. Take what you need," she said. Truth be told, she would have liked to watch him if not to sate her own curiosity, but she had to get some things done herself.

With this, Komachi left Naruto alone. He stayed clear of the jutsu section. When training with Anbu for almost three months, you really tend to learn the value of some things and the overbearing weight of others. Naruto couldn't count the number of kunai he had borrowed from the eight of the ten for throwing practice. When you have eight different teachers telling you how to throw a kunai, you tend to get pretty damn good at it. So, Naruto picked out about a hundred lightweight kunai and fifty heavy kunai. He walked upstairs for about three dozen explosive tags, chakra sealing tags, and paralysis tags. Naruto took a glance at some blades, but he wasn't a swordsman so having that seemed to be a moot point. None of them stood out to the blond that much. Oh sure, the shimmering light in the blades and the handles were cool, but none of them attracted him.

Naruto was not sure how long he had spent looking at blades before he gave pause. He turned around and stared before a very long weapon. Naruto definitely couldn't describe it like it was a sword. At least, it didn't look a traditional sword that he has seen the other Anbu using. Given by its very lengthy body, it more resembled a spear than anything else, but with that wide blade at the end of, it was not for piercing in the slightest. He took a step forward. Its mighty glare fell down upon him. A black leather polearm from the neck of the blade down to the dragon crest tipped blade at the end. A mixture of red and gold seals etched into the black leather's skin. The wide curved blade made him still. He reached out for it. It felt heavy, but…soft and durable at the same time. He took the weapon off the upper rack and held it. He swung it a couple of times. It was easily taller than him too. Yet, he liked the feel of it in his hands. He smiled. Maybe he could use this too.

After that half an hour was over, Naruto returned to Komachi. Suffice to say, but the female Anbu was not expecting what he returned with. "Do you even know how to use a bisentō?" She asked, a tad amused. Naruto assumed she was talking to the very long bladed weapon attached to his back. So that was what it was called. He glanced back at his weapon before he had the decency to look embarrassed. Thankfully, his mask hid that.

"No, but unless were going to be doing this mission in a day then I think I'll have the time to practice. I'm ready to go if you are," Naruto claimed. Komachi was sure that it wasn't going to be as easy as Naruto claimed, but she figured that him using one under the proper usage of the Anbu wasn't so bad. Plus, she did tell him that the whole area, sans the jutsu section, was open to him. Though, the bisentō was not the easiest weapon in the world to learn.

In any case, Naruto made his choice of materials. She had him catalog them to the Anbu associate before they both left. He retrieved his clothes from the locker and packed them away as well. Komachi gave Naruto some of the sealing scrolls to use for medicinal supplies, food rations, and weapon containment. They didn't stop for anything. Naruto merely sealed his things while they were going towards their destination. It had been decided that they would all be leaving as quickly as possible to scout the area as many times as possible. Naruto was fine with this though he did wish he could have at least told Ino and Kiba about the Hokage's...ploy at least. The blonde at least would have liked to have sealed away his new weapon before getting to the meet-up point, but being able to see it in the light of the sun wasn't so bad either.

It had taken some time, but Komachi and Naruto finally dropped down from the trees and to the ground floor. Almost instantly, the two blondes watched the other Anbu come into view. "You're both late," Itsuki said. The older blonde ignored him and moved through the team. Meanwhile, everyone took the time to look over their young member's new attire. Yugao had to admit, her little brother did look good in an Anbu uniform despite his young age. She, and the others, also took notice of the weapon on his back.

"Don't know the last time I saw any of the operatives pick up a bisentō. Especially that bisentō, aren't you expecting a little too much from an academy student, Tanuki?" Kagura asked. In response to this question, the third female Anbu rolled her neck for a moment.

"He chose it himself. Also, he's managed to keep up with us on occasions and regulate the training sessions, which you would understand if you attended, so I don't see a reason to deny him use of the weapon. Instead of arguing about ridiculousness, we can begin the mission currently at hand," Komachi replied. Kagura frowned behind her mask, but she didn't say anything. She gave one more glance to the young academy student before the eleven members of the team stood together.

Turning back, Naruto stared at Konoha. For once, the civilians were no danger to him. For once, he was free to go where he pleased without the harsh judgments of others. For once, even for a little while, he was not tied down to that village. For once, he was free. Not even the pressure of his first assignment was enough to dissuade him from this feeling of relief. His first mission, his first actual mission! While the others academy students were with their sensei, he was out in the field with Anbu-level operatives. Naruto had to bet that was more than Sasuke EVER got!

"We will have to think of a codename for Naruto-san. Even his name should be protected on this mission," Maruten explained. Naruto looked at the others, thoughtful expressions. They did seem to echo the Akimichi's sentiments on the matter.

"How about we code him, Sakana? He's a little fish in a big ocean! He's wet behind the ears, and he's jumpy," Kagura said with a rather odd laugh. She quickly noticed that no one else was laughing at her joke, but she kept the entertainment up a tad longer and released a breath. Naturally, Naruto wasn't happy, but he ignored the insult. Yugao and Komachi seemed to be the unhappiest with that statement.

"Ignoring Tora, and her direct language, I suggest we just shorten it to 'Saka' for the time being. We only need a temporary name," Shen replied. That seemed fine with everyone and Naruto released a breath. To be honest, he didn't really care about a codename. He just wanted to go at this point.

A hand on his shoulder stilled him. He noticed Yugao gently easing him of his excitement and his possible fears. He took a deep breath and released it. He firmly nodded. She ruffled his hair one more time before standing forward. "Move out! Counter degrees of the diameter! Star formation no. 123. Adjust mic set to pick up advanced ambient noise over restrained connection. Follow out," Kazuma Yagami said. The others and Naruto lined up. The eleven members then dashed off away from Konoha, out of sight and out of mind. However, none of them noticed a small figure jump to the ground where they had just left. A small smile on its face. Its tail swayed back and forth while its fur was warmed by the sun.

-x-

Ino and Kiba grumbled as they sat next to the gate for Training Ground One. It was obvious to them that someone was missing! Someone blonde! Someone short! Someone…with a chakra disability! "Where's Naruto? He's late!" Kiba said with a small growl which Akamaru mirrored. Ino pushed herself off the gate. The irritation was clear on her face too.

"I bet he overslept! He always did that along with you, Shikamaru, and Choji! You guys could never be cool like Sasuke-kun!" Ino exclaimed. Kiba turned to her and he stuck his tongue out towards. Ino performed the same action.

"Blah! What do you like about that prick anyway? He's got whole fan clubs and your idiots throw yourselves at him like bitches in heat. If you ask me, I swear he's ga…OW!" Kiba uttered as he grabbed his head after Ino slammed her fist into it. Kiba growled at her. Now one might not think it, growing up with a female as the clan head, but Kiba had quickly had it beaten into him to not be afraid to hit girls. It was something Tsume adamantly claimed.

Ino grinned at the Inuzuka. "Don't badmouth, Sasuke! He'd run circles around you if you fought!" Ino remarked. Kiba and Akamaru seemed more than ready to maul Ino into the ground, but both of them stopped their arguing when they felt a sudden chill in the air. Neither understood why this suddenly happened, but the answer quickly came to them when they saw a shadow loom over them. Both turned around and noticed Genma's face. He flicked the senbon between his teeth.

"So, my academy students are fighting. Seems like we need more team-building exercises. And here I was going to give us the day off after a job well done yesterday. I'm glad you two are so committed to wanting to improve with each other. Well, let's get in the training grounds and start your exercises," Genma said. Ino and Kiba deflated at this news. They could already feel their bodies screaming at them for their stupidity in fighting each other. Now, it wasn't even worth it.

"Wait, Genma-sensei, what about Naruto? He's not here," Ino said. Genma watched Kiba nod as well and sighed. Yeah, that was the main reason he had been coming to the training ground. He turned to his young students and saw their confusion. The jonin reached into his pockets and pulled out a note. He unfurled it.

"Naruto's going to a facility outside of Konoha for a couple of weeks to deal with his disability. Hokage-sama has just given me the notice. I want you both to wish him well and do the best you can. After all, Naruto seems to be outclassing you both in the taijutsu department," Genma said. Ino and Kiba, while indeed happy that Naruto was getting the help he needed, were still a tad annoyed at Genma's comment. They didn't know when and how he had gotten so good at fighting, but the track record of wins vs losses across them all spoke volumes. It was like Naruto was in a league of his own, as much as they wanted to disagree.

"Alright, that's enough about Naruto. Let him focus on his rehabilitation and you guys will focus on the idea of being proper teammates. Now, let's do those exercises," Genma said. Ino and Kiba sighed. Wherever Naruto was, he had to be having a better time than they did.

-x-

The trees rustled as eleven figures dashed through the air. Each step they made on a tree branch shook he branches and swayed the leaves as they continued on their pathway. The wind brushed against Naruto's hair. He could feel the weight of his bisentō on his back. It was actually a bit heavier now that he had been running for about one hour. For that hour, no one spoke to each other. There was no discussion of a plan or any course of action. Admittedly, following a plan might have bored the blonde a bit, but given how Genma had always stretched the importance careful planning and forethought, the academy student was surprised that there was hardly anything happening or anything being said.

"So…," Naruto alerted everyone as they focused on their running. Naruto landed on a branch and dashed forward. "…if we find out that Kusagakure is working on this…object, and we find it…how do we destroy it? This thing's supposed to be indestructible right?" he asked. It was silent for a moment and he was about to ask again before there came a reply over the intercom.

"For now, it would be best to ascertain their intentions. We're going to be going undercover. Once we're ten miles from the sight, we're going to pose as a family. A little brother with ten siblings. It's not so out of the ordinary. It's a good thing that we already have you with us, Saka. It will make the illusion much greater since you're the smallest out of all of us. From then on, we'll have to split into separate teams," Shen replied. Naruto glanced at him for just a moment before he turned forward.

The group of eleven continued running. The sunlight shimmered over their masks. "We have to decide which team will do the investigation at nights and the investigation in the mornings. Once we're in Kusagakure we'll have to continue to be discreet. How are we going to decide?" Kabuto asked. The others were thinking upon this issue, but Naruto was the one who answered.

"We could just draw lots," he remarked. Back in Konoha, when he had some measure of friendship with the local children, drawing lots was the easiest way to pick teams when playing. No one seemed to mind this method and, with a quick kunai, Kagura held out eleven sticks. She marked them with a red and white marker before mixing them together. Everyone grabbed a stick. Naturally, they stopped to do this. Everyone pulled their individual sticks and the result was a tad…unpleasant.

Naruto, Itsuki, Kagura, Yugao, and Kazuma stayed as the morning team. Shen, Maruten, Komachi, Tokuma, Wukong, and Kabuto were to become the night team. Naruto was not pleased about this, but he didn't voice his displeasure. Having Yugao on his side was…a tad comforting. At this point, Yugao was perhaps the only one that Naruto had any semblance of trust with. He did like his proclaimed older sister. It felt nice to be recognized without some hostility for a change. Now, there were still these lingering feelings of anxiety that each hug she gave him was filled with the possibility of a kunai driving itself through his back, but that mysterious aura always seemed to wash those negative feelings of resentment away. It allowed him to at least handle the possibility of trusting her and maybe even returning those feelings of familial affection. However, the others were…a bit unwelcoming.

So it was decided that the morning team would enter Kusagakure as a family of siblings while the night team entered under the cover of darkness. Naruto would be the constant form of communication between the two groups since no one would suspect him of being the one to pass on relevant information between operative members. To be honest, Naruto didn't like being the "messenger" for the team, but he was the only one who could do it. Naturally, Yugao was a tad apprehensive too, but she had been told that Naruto would have to take the same risks that they all took. The purple-haired anbu, begrudgingly, allowed this to pass. At least she was in her little brother's team so it would be easier to have him handle the responsibilities.

Three days passed for the team of eleven before they began to split off. Naruto, Itsuki, Kagura, Yugao, and Kazuma dashed off to the left. Most of the mornings passed with no one speaking. Naruto was about as non-interactive with Itsuki and Kagura as possible. The only time he spoke when they did was to go over the plan of action for the team and even then the three were only talking to the team. They never truly spoke to the individuals themselves. Naruto was kind of fine with this. It did make him wonder just exactly what they were thinking, but something also told him that he didn't want to know.

With another two days after a long couple of days running, something which still surprised the Anbu that Naruto was able to keep up with them. Admittedly, they had been working on his stamina for those previous two months, but it was definitely worthy of praise where it had to be. Once they were five or so miles from the destination, they jumped from the trees and got themselves dressed. They sealed away their Anbu attire and Naruto watched as Itsuki, Kagura, and Kazuma removed their masks. His sister showed her beautiful face to him and settled him with a smile.

Itsuki was very…dark-ish. His black pupils reminded him of Sasuke's. His eyes seemed very…scary. If looks could kill then Itsuki might have had a 100-0 record for mission completion because he killed everyone with just his stare alone. Yet, Naruto could see something in those eyes. He could see the lingering drops of murderous glee in those eyes. That…did not help Naruto at all. He almost preferred the raven-haired Anbu with the mask on.

He then took a glance at Kagura. She was very…beautiful too, just like Yugao. It was nice to have a face to identify that white hair with. She was almost the opposite of Itsuki. Her eyes held an amazing confidence which filled the body, but that confidence gave way to the arrogance within her stance. Though, unless he was mistaken, he caught casual glimpses of a lonely and angry feeling side of her that he wasn't sure how to work around.

Then came Kazuma. Naruto had to say that Kazuma looked very confident. Just like his profile picture. Actually, all of their profile pictures did them justice, but Kazuma was another…interesting one. His red eyes burned with the fiery tempo of a controlled inferno. He had a very free look on his own and he seemed to have the face that a person could confide in. Let that be stated that this was for the normal person. For someone like Naruto that trusting face was very nerve-wracking. He was not as confident in that gaze as anyone else might have been.

In any case, the five came together and finished placing their clothes on. They took off their headbands, grabbed their packs of personal belongings. They definitely seemed to fit the stereotype of a sibling family, if one ignored the inconsistent hair colors of each person, but the group had a plan for that as well. "Okay, let's go," Itsuki said. The others quickly nodded and, instead of running through the trees and drawing suspicion, walked along the dirt path, which took another hour or two.

After that time passed, the semblance of a village finally appeared in Naruto's eyes. "So that's Kusagakure?" Naruto asked, his eyes wide with anticipation. Yugao gently rested her hand on his shoulder. She could feel Naruto give a shaky breath, but it subsided. No doubt he was still dealing with these trust issues, but the improvement was a start.

"Remember, Naruto, we're here for a mission. We'll try to get some sightseeing in if we can complete the assignment, but not before then. But, yes, that's Kusagakure. It's the first time you've been to another village, hasn't it?" Yugao asked. Naruto quickly agreed by shaking his head, but the team had wasted enough time. They got moving.

Walking into the gates of Kusagakure, Naruto quickly noticed the natural landscape of the village. Like Konoha, it seemed to be very rich in forestry and rivers. Well, it could be argued that it had even richer natural resources than Konoha, but Naruto wasn't one to study economic structure so forgive him if he was a tad naïve for the situation. They came up to the gates and were quickly met up with Kusagakure official shinobi.

"Shinobi or civilians?" they asked. Naruto noticed their headband. How typical for grass shinobi. Then again, could he really say anything when Konohagakure had the symbol of a leaf on it? Probably not. In any case, he turned back to the conversation at hand. His body tensed when Kagura suddenly hugged him a wide smile on her face.

"Civilians, good sir! We're from Yugakure coming to Kusagakure for the upcoming festival. Our little brother here always said he wanted to come at least once. We managed to procure the funds so we thought this would be a good birthday present for him," the white-haired woman effectively lied. The shinobi of Kusagakure looked over the team. Itsuki gave a solemn bow while Kazuma waved, a bright smile on his face. Yugao didn't seem to react to their presence. They then looked at Naruto, who seemed to be suddenly very pale.

One of them narrowed their eyes. "He doesn't seem very excited," he said. Instantly, Yugao's expression changed and she gave Naruto a glance. He was…not dealing with Kagura's close proximity very well. The comforting aura wasn't helping nearly as much as he would have liked. The way her hands seemed to snake around his body, the way her arms rested on the nape of his neck. She was so close that she could be strangling him if she desired, but…would she do that in front of two shinobi from a foreign village? He didn't know.

Yugao grabbed Kagura and pulled her off Naruto. "Sorry about that. Kagura sometimes forgets that Naruto likes his space. He's very excited. He's also just a little nervous. It's his first time coming to another village," the second female anbu said with a smaller smile to placate the situation. However, to the group, it was obvious to them that Kagura had greatly annoyed Yugao with that little stunt of hers. Kagura took a step back and the young blonde's breathing started to even out. He offered a rather shaky smile that everyone knew was forced, but it was a rather large surprise that the Kusa shinobi sympathized with him.

"I see. Unfortunate for him, we are getting more and more guests so we welcome anyone who wishes to participate in the Moon Festival. Merely show your civilian papers and you shall be granted access and a pass into Kusagakure after having your items checked and verified," Thankfully, for the team, Naruto controlled his surprise rather well at this question. They watched Kazuma reach for their papers.

He quickly handed them to the guards for the verification. Everyone took off their bags and placed them on the table. The guards went through each bag, noting the kunai and some of the weaponry. It wasn't uncommon for civilians to contain weaponry while on the road so this wasn't subject to much suspicion. They took notice of most of the sealing scrolls which would more than likely contain luggage. The guards wrote down on a piece of paper before handing it to the team. They were then ushered into the village.

As much as Naruto wanted to look around, he tried to not make it too obvious and neither did the others. Everyone watched how the people moved and interacted. There was definitely a lot more people than normal. The buildings were structured in such a way that there were always interconnecting pathways from one to the next. It truly made its moniker by literally almost being a single entity. The buildings that were separated were set on the ground floor along with many shops, stalls, or restaurants. People laughed and chatted on the ground floor. It was very…similar to Konoha in those aspects.

Thankfully, it wasn't hard to find a temporary lodging residence for their stay. Unfortunately, there was only room for a double bedroom so there would have to be some sleeping arrangements. As soon as everyone went through the door, the proclaimed older sister of Naruto surprised everyone by pinning Kagura to the wall. "Do. Not. Do that again! I saw what you did. You know about Naruto's condition! Why would you purposely trifle with that?" She asked. Kagura snorted before she quickly smacked Yugao's hand away and rubbed her throat.

"Come down, I was just having a little fun with him. What are you getting so defensive for? Don't tell me you actually buy into that whole 'little brother' nonsense you both have been going on about. You both must be even lonelier than I thought. Never thought someone like you could be lonely, Neko. You have a lover, right? That coughing sickboy! How's he doing?" Kagura argued with a sneer. Yugao's eyes flared dangerously. Itsuki and Kazuma frowned while Naruto glanced at both females.

Yugao turned around and faced the young academy blonde. "Family is more than the blood we share. The instant Naruto chose to place the little trust in me that he was willing to give, he became my little brother. I will protect him from all threats, both external…and internal. Go cool your head, Tora. Come back when you have some sense. If you jeopardize our mission like that again, I'll have you contained and court-martialed," Uzuki replied. The white-haired anbu frowned before she sucked her teeth. She turned around and walked out the door. The others watched her go and Yugao knelt before Naruto.

"Sorry, you were uncomfortable, Naruto. Tora can be very…unreasonable when she wants to," Yugao said giving him a short hug of her own. This one, Naruto had no problems with. It was actually a lot more comforting than the previous one. He closed his eyes and he felt her hair brush the sides of his cheek. It felt very warm and it smelled very nice.

Once settled into sleeping arrangements, the group decided to go over their objectives and what each person's responsibility would be. As far as sightseeing went, Naruto would walk around the village getting any and all information. About ten or so he would reconvene with the night team and pass on information to them about any discovery. In the meantime, Yugao, Kazuma, and Itsuki would observe the Grass Fruit Group and the Grass Flower Group. Upon Naruto asking about these groups it had been explained to him that the Box of Ultimate Bliss held two different group of Kusagakure structure that planned its use. The Fruit Group was the faction that never wanted the box to be used and be sealed away forever. The Flower group wanted it so that Kusagakure could attain its former glory as a powerful nation during the times of the First Great Shinobi War. The team that was covering the night area would be observing the Grass Flower Group. It was most likely that news of the box's appearance was due to tampering from the Flower Group and information traded from inside forces of the Fruit Group. They would be tracking these sources.

Upon seeing him understand this, Yugao gave Naruto a dark smoke bomb. "If you need any help or find any relevant information then use this smoke bomb. Our masks are fitted with a chakra sensor that can detect this line of chemicals. I'll come running as fast as I can," She said and placed it in his pouch. Naruto gently smiled at her and she brushed her hands through his hair.

"Let's go, Yugao. We're burning the day's sun," Itsuki said. The anbu sighed before she stood to her feet. She went into her bag and pulled out a rather large book. She gave it to him. Naruto took the abnormally large and sturdy. Holding it in his hands, he flipped through some of the pages. He quickly took notice of various sealing formulas and arrays across the pages.

Yugao was just about to walk out of the door when she turned around. "That should help your studies while you observe, but remember to stay focused. Good luck," she said before closing the door. This quickly left Naruto alone and he was a bit…unsure of what to do now. This was his first mission and he felt a bit…out of sorts. His thoughts brought him back to Kagura. Perhaps he had…been a tad oversensitive to her "entertainment." Still, trusting wasn't easy for Naruto right now. He couldn't count the number of times he got his hair ruffled, his back patted, and compliments from the civilians before their untimely betrayal. The recollection of those memories were not enjoyable.

Deciding to forgo the memories before he started…did Inochi call it…relapsing? Yes, sure. We'll go with that. Before he started relapsing, whatever that meant, Naruto quickly washed his face and grabbed his things. He glanced towards his bisentō. He decided to bring it with him just for precautionary reasons. So what if he didn't know how to use it yet. It was the principle of the matter. Anyway, he walked out the door.

Upon entering the streets, Naruto saw the construction of many stands and the passing of many people. As expected, Inoichi was right. It might not be Konoha, but Naruto was still uncomfortable in crowds of people on his own. However, as the others expected of him, he tried looking around, without being too obvious, for any signs out of the norm. Between his own team and dealing with his Anbu team over the course of the months, Naruto had developed a rather firm grasping of inter-territorial surveillance. The night watch helped where it did as well. He was pretty good at noticing sudden shifts in behavior and expression. His eyes took in the details around him.

Tired of walking for an hour, Naruto decided to sit down at a tea shop and have a little snack. He had been reminded that he didn't have breakfast due to the nature of their traveling. So, he sat down with his tea being delivered to him. He looked at the teacup almost…hesitantly. He took a small sip. This…could be poisoned. He closed his eyes. His hand trembled, but he tried to steady it. Though the tea was hot, he suddenly felt very cold. Images of his dead body with the tea spilled over the floor in the next couple of minutes filled his mind. The aura wasn't there for him to calm down. Naruto never truly felt more pathetic! He couldn't even function in non-Konoha affiliated areas. What was wrong with him? It wasn't just Konoha! Why wasn't it just Konoha?!

"Hey, are you alright?" Naruto opened his eyes and panted. He could feel the sweat drop from his face and he placed a hand on it. He turned his head and he noticed two Kusagakure shinobi standing over him. A hand was on his shoulder which he focused on, but the then turned to the source of the hand. A very pale boy with raven-black hair looked over him. The boy seemed to be just a bit older than Naruto by maybe a month or two.

Naruto took a breath and exhaled. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks," Naruto replied, setting the teacup down. He released a shaky breath. The pale boy and the white-haired girl, that he now noticed, turned around and sat with him on the opposite end of the table. Naruto was a tad surprised at this. The girl had very long hair. Long enough that it covered one side of her face. Her skin seemed pale as well, though definitely not as much as the boy's. Her gaze was a bit…tight on him, but Naruto found her to be rather…nice to look at. Despite her stare, she was actually very easy on the eyes. Their circular pattern could…really draw someone in.

Once they were both seated, the boy smiled. "Hey, I'm Muku. This is Ryūzetsu. How are you feeling? You looked like you were about to pass out," the boy named Muku said. The white-haired girl gave a slight bow of her head. The blonde did the same and stared between the both of them. Even now, Naruto could see his hand still shaking.

"Just…nervous I guess. It's my first time in another village and I'm here for the festival with my older siblings. Name's Naruto, if you were wondering. I'm from Yugakure," He claimed. Both Muku and Ryūzetsu seemed surprised by their stares. However, Naruto noticed Muku lean forward rather excitedly.

"Whoa, you're from all the way over there? We don't get too many civilians past the Land of Fire very often. Where are your siblings? I thought you'd be with them," he said. Naruto shrugged his shoulders and leaned back. He took a sip of his tea. Now it was starting to get warm. How lovely.

"Who knows. We all split off as soon as we set our bags down. I couldn't come. Something about adult activities and all that. I didn't get it. So what are you guys up to?" Naruto decided to ask. Muku gave Ryūzetsu a knowing smirk, but he watched her sigh. He nudged her shoulder. She seemed a tad unamused by the gesture, but the smile on her face said otherwise. To be honest, Naruto found the gestures…reassuring sort of. This must have been what it was like to have friends.

The white-haired girl leaned forward. "We're guarding the stalls and helping with the construction of the festival in the village. We've been seeing people all day. You seem to be doing a lot better than the last time we saw you. What were you reading?" Ryūzetsu asked. Naruto glanced down at his book. He wondered about the consequences of showing this to foreign shinobi, but he'd rather avoid suspicion for now.

"A book on fūinjutsu. I've had the want to try it since a couple of months ago. My older sister got me this book and so I wanted to look it over….until I started feeling nervous again. I don't do well with large groups of people and I guess I got overwhelmed dattebayo," Naruto laughed as he rubbed the back of his head. Ryūzetsu's mouth thinned for a second, but she pulled back and pulled off on further questions. He seemed to be very uncomfortable already.

The food and drink that Muku and Ryūzetsu ordered finally came. They ate while Naruto read. They watched him practice on some pieces of paper that he had asked from them. If one thing, they noticed, he was very studious in the pursuit of fūinjutsu. It took them a couple of times to get his attention when asking him a specific question. Ryūzetsu was actually surprised that Naruto seemed to tune them out so…effectively. His sharp eyes focused on the paper and his handwriting wasn't terrible either. It was actually very good in her eyes. He must have been well practiced and disciplined by his siblings to have such wonderful writing posture.

It was a bit of time before Naruto gave any semblance of emotion on his face which alerted the two of them. He tapped the butt end of his ink pen on the table. The two genin of Kusagakure looked down at his paper. He had stopped creating a sealing matrix that neither had seen before. It seemed to be only a quarter done and they watched the blonde flip through some pages of the book. He even pulled out a scroll. Judging by his eyes, he was reading something, but neither could tell what it was for. They then watched him scrunch his face as he looked over the book. His face grew more and more frustrated in their eyes. "Erm…something wrong, Naruto-san?" Muku asked, uncertainly. Naruto flicked the ink pen through his fingers and sighed.

"I still don't get what I'm doing wrong. Every time I think I've got it, I end up with something else and I just get more irritated," Naruto claimed. The expression of confusion on the pale boy's face was easily decipherable. The white-haired girl raised an eyebrow of her own. It amused them when they watched Naruto turned the book upwards, downwards, and even sideways. He rubbed his eyes in irritation.

"What are you trying to do?" Ryūzetsu asked. Naruto glanced up at the pretty girl and tapped his finger on the table. Dare he even tell them? He supposed it couldn't hurt. It wasn't like they had anything better to do since they decided to suddenly hang around him. Oh rest assured, Naruto had plenty conspiracies and negatives connotations to them, but they were a real headache to go over. They watched Naruto glance right and then left.

"Can you guys keep a secret?" he whispered. Perhaps both should have said no, considering that they were from another village and he shouldn't have been willing to give out secrets so easily, and Ryūzetsu was about to mention this, but she watched Muku smile.

Muku stood up. "Wait, not here. Come with us! I got a place no one will disturb us," he said. Naruto's fear shot up again, but somehow it was immediately shot down without resistance much to his surprise. He took a deep breath and he couldn't resist smiling. He stood up as well. The female Kusagakure nin looked at the two boys and rolled her eyes. Again. Need she remind Muku to not be so trusting with foreign people?

However, before she could even give them both a piece of her mind, they were already running out of the stall having paid for their food. "OI!" Ryūzetsu called before running after them as soon as she paid her food as well. She ran after them as fast as she could. Yet, she saw the wide smile on Muku's face. She caught up with them as quickly as she could.

The two Kusagakure genin led Naruto out of the village. The three pre-teens sighed as they walked up a large flight of stone stairs up to a hill. Naruto pulled back for a moment and walked next to Ryūzetsu. "He always this trusting?" Naruto asked. He watched her frown for a moment and she then pinched the bridge of her nose.

"More than you might think. I appreciate you going along with his pushiness even though I don't believe you're authorized to be beyond this point. But, we'll be here to keep an eye on you," she said. Naruto rose an eyebrow, but he decided not to make mountains out of molehills with that statement. The three continued walking up the side of the hill that had been carved into a manmade structure. It didn't take them long to make it to the very top of the natural landscape.

Once they were on top of the hill, Naruto stared down at the village of Kusagakure. It was odd. He had done this with Konoha countless times, but to do it in another village was sometimes a very breathtaking experience. It looked like a very beautiful village. It was a shame that there was this Box of Ultimate Bliss inside of the village attempting to throw the world into ruin. Naruto glanced at his two very sudden acquaintances. He wondered if they even knew what he knew. He wondered if they even knew what their village was planning.

"Alright, Naruto-san! What's causing you so much trouble? You can show us here! Only Ryūzetsu and I come up here. Show us what you got!" Muku said. Naruto, still not used to this bundling degree of…positivity, took a step back. Ryūzetsu sighed and leaned herself against a tree at the top of the hill. She wouldn't say that she was immensely curious as well, but she could feel the anxiety in Naruto's body…somehow.

"Oi, Muku. You're scaring him. Let him explain," Ryūzetsu replied. Muku blinked before he noticed just how close he actually was to the blonde from Yugakure. Muku rubbed the back of his head and laughed before taking a couple of steps back. The pale young genin cleared his throat and took a deep breath to calm himself. He apologized and politely asked for Naruto to explain his stance. Naruto almost regretted this decision, but he kept his head cool and knelt down. He unpacked his supplies and rolled out the scroll. He then rolled out the pieces of paper he had been using. He turned the pages of the book that Yugao gave him. Naruto looked over all three. He made sure there were no identifying markers to his identity as a person of Konoha or to the anbu in the village at the moment. He was not going to be a hindrance to the team or this mission!

Ryūzetsu and Muku stared over the sealing paper, the book on the formulas, and the scroll. "I'm trying to think of a seal that can increase the size of chakra coils. It's a type of seal that forces chakra through the coils, but I can't think of this part. The scroll talks about the way in which I can manipulate the structure, but I'm having a hard time with what the book describes as the Hexagon shape here. Each point should be crossing with ten tetragrams. I only see six points. How about I supposed to put ten tetragrams in a hexagon? If I could figure this out, then it would mean the standard shinobi would have more chakra at their disposal even if there needs to be more control." Naruto said.

Ryūzetsu and Muku found themselves sitting next to him looking over the materials. The former's apprehension of having an unknown civilian in shinobi territory vanished away when she looked down at the sealing matrix. If Naruto hadn't confirmed so heavily that he was civilian, then Ryūzetsu was more than tempted to try and see if he could be talked into transferring to Kusagakure. As much as she was sure her friend's father liked to exaggerate about her being a genius/prodigy or whatever, Ryūzetsu had a very good general understanding of the intricacies of shinobi lifestyle. There had been times where she had to dissect the core aspects of jutsu manipulation and chakra efficiency. That type of seal could revolutionize the very basics of shinobi arithmetic.

"Where did you learn this? You can't just come up with this on the spot," she said. Naruto glanced at her. Had he done something significant? He hadn't thought so. As far as the scroll spoke of experimenting and expecting failure. He had been expecting failure, but it didn't mean that he wanted failure. Even Muku seemed to be taking this a bit more seriously than Naruto thought the boy was capable of doing. He thought on her question and the possible consequences. This…might be alright?

"No one really taught me this. It seemed second nature. I mean how many times have people said, 'if only I had more chakra' well if they use this then it's possible to increase the strength and density of their coils by at least double the amount, maybe even triple!" Naruto said. Both genin swallowed the lumps in their throats but continued onward.

-x-

Yugao, Itsuki, and Kazuma knelt upside down on the ceiling floor. They pressed their ears to the wall. Currently, the trio noticed a multiple of members of the Grass Fruit Group engaging with its council in conversation. They had been here for past two hours listening to most of the meeting. Never mind the multiple guards that the three had to get through. It wasn't difficult. It was merely tedious. This had been one of the main reasons that they didn't bring Naruto. He wouldn't have been able to do this just yet. "Increase radio frequency of the tap," Yugao said. Kazuma nodded and turned the dials to the earpieces.

"Hai, we still have Mui-san guarding the box. He's going to go and pick up his son right now. The Flower group has still not responded to our pleas. Hai, the guard shift for the box changes every hour with Mui as the catalyst. We haven't heard any reports or plans to open the box. Any attempts at negotiation have failed thus far. Yes, we have kept track of his son and the girl. They have engaged in talks with a blonde young civilian boy from Yugakure. Yes, we will keep track on him as well. No, we have yet to find the people he came with," someone said. Itsuki and Kazuma frowned. It was obvious they were talking about Naruto, yet from the sounds of it, the blonde wasn't even aware of who his company was. They turned to Yugao. Her face was expressionless and that did not instill a lot of confidence in the two next to her. Both knew that look. It was the same look that Yugao had on her face when she completed a 30-day S-rank mission in the span of one week. She was not pleased.

"Yes sir. We'll collect the boy along with the girl and Muku-san. We'll investigate him further," they said before they left the room. It was quiet. Kazuma and Itsuki pulled back from the wall. The wall next to the cracked violently. Itsuki narrowed his eyes and Kazuma tightened his guards, sandals, and outfit.

"Bring me, my little brother. NOW!" Yugao ordered, a glare of intense hatred on her face.

KG: Utter inspiration! I have never felt so willing to write in such a long time. Hopefully, I can keep riding this momentum!

Wifey: You won't.

KG: Probably not, but let's believe I can anyway.

Wifey: You're a sad man.

KG: Yet you married me.

Wifey: That I did. Someone has to keep you in line.

KG: Good luck with that. Anyway, that's all folks. Protect what's important to you, review, and SEND ME SODA DRINK COMBINATIONS! WHOEVER SAID ORANGE CREAM SODA WITH BLACK CHERRY! I FREAKIN' LOVE YOU!