I've decided to rewrite this story entirely because, well, to be honest, I think it sucks and I might be able to do it justice, even if it's just a bit. So for those who happen to recognize this story, please note that it's a slightly different version of my old story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters you recognize here except those that you don't.

This story will not have any relation to Naruto's dream of achieving Sasuke Uchiha or Orochimaru. This happens a little bit after the Rescue Gaara arc. Thought you should know.

SLAM!

"I absolutely refuse!"

SLAM!

A tanned fist slammed once again onto the Hokage's wooden desk.

"Naruto!" Sakura hissed.

Tsunade had a slightly ticked off expression on her deceptively youthful face; a hardly visible vein was throbbing on her temple. Shizune stood nervously beside her, hugging Tonton for reassurance that her mentor was not going to murder one of her subordinates.

"Naruto," Tsunade said threateningly, "If you do that again, I won't guarantee your safety,"

Said person had a very upset look on his face. His blonde brows were knitted together and his blue eyes glittering with disdain. "I don't want to go on a long mission with Sai!" he whined, "And the period of the mission's indefinite to boot! Why can't Sakura-chan, Kakashi-sensei and I just go as a three-man cell?"

The woman sighed, rubbing her temples. "It's S-ranked, Naruto," she explained, "And the employer specifically requested that Team Kakashi take the job,"

"S-ranked?" the words stopped the argument that Naruto had formed in his mind and planned to say next. "Where and what is the mission?"

Shizune took this as her cue to step in. Gently placing the pig down onto the floor, she grabbed a folder from the desk and began a brief explanation. "I won't tell you the details yet, seeing as how only you and Sakura are here," she said, "But Kazekage-sama of Sunagakure has requested that Team Kakashi act as replacement mentors for the shinobi-in-training for their village. They're experiencing a shortage of shinobi because of the recent Akatsuki attack and still have not completed the rebuilding of the village, so they have a lack teachers at the moment. Also, they want actual Konoha shinobi to teach at the Konoha-style academy, so they can get a feel of it,"

A blank look passed Naruto's face. "They want me to teach other people?" he asked incredulously.

"God knows why," Tsunade replied, looking upwards, "But you're a fine shinobi, I'll give you that. Just… stay away from the books."

Shizune continued on. "Sai has been given a different solo mission, so a replacement has been found for the time being,"

Naruto frowned at this. "Great," he grumbled, "Another person pretending to be like Sasuke,"

The door leading out of the office clicked open, and a silver-haired man stepped in. "Godaime-sama. Shizune. Naruto. Sakura," he nodded at each of them in greeting, "I've brought her,"

"Bring her in," Tsunade nodded towards the door that Kakashi was blocking.

"Her?" both Naruto and Sakura echoed; a sudden curiosity perked their interest.

Kakashi side-stepped, and an auburn-haired young girl with wide - almost creepy, in fact - hazel eyes stood at the doorway. A vibrant red forehead protector tied around her arm indicated that she was one of them. "Everyone, this is Shishimiya Kohaku," Kakashi introduced, "Kohaku, the blonde boy and the pink-haired girl will be your teammates for the mission: Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura,"

The girl remained staring at them; gazing with what seemed like a clinical interest as her eyes moved from one person to the other. "Hello," her tone was detached, indifferent. She slightly bowed her head. "I am Shishimiya Kohaku. Please refer to me as Shishimiya."

A jab of annoyance hit Naruto. He didn't exactly like people who were too formal. "That's Naruto to you," he mumbled, cocking his head briefly before turning back to Tsunade, "A genin? Are you serious?"

Tsunade cleared her throat in an uncomfortable manner. "She may be a valuable asset in your team. The decision has been made. And don't forget, you were a genin not too long ago yourself. No further objections will be tolerated," she declared. She turned to her assistant, "Shizune. If you may begin the real briefing,"

Shizune repeated what she had said to Naruto and Sakura earlier before delving into the other details. "The mission rendezvous will obviously be at the entrance to Sunagakure. The employers will meet you there. The period of the mission is indefinite, so the time you will return here will be decided by the Kazekage-sama of Sunagakure," she added, "The ambassador will be assisting you with the student placements. You will have today to prepare for the mission, and will embark for the Land of Wind tomorrow."

"With that said," Tsunade stretched her arms above her head, "You all may be dismissed,"

Team Kakashi bowed respectfully, as all shinobi did when their masters dismissed them, before filing out of the office. Kohaku was last to leave; Tsunade's eyes narrowed slightly as the girl cast the Hokage another look from the corner of her eyes before closing the door behind her.

The platinum blonde sighed tiredly, tapping her brightly-polished fingernails against the surface of the wooden table. Shizune regarded her mentor with a concerned expression. "Tsunade-sama? Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I just need some sake. Got any?"

"Tsunade-sama!"

xxxx

Naruto and Sakura walked side-by-side, both teenagers staring at the queer girl walking ahead of them with their team leader. Her indifferent, emotionless expression remained, but she was talking in quiet, measured tones to a jovial Kakashi.

"Hey, Sakura-chan, is she like a genin rookie or something?" Naruto whispered, "How come she doesn't have a team?"

Sakura shrugged. "Ask Kakashi-sensei. He would know," she nodded towards Kakashi.

Kakashi seemed to have noticed that Naruto and Sakura were talking about him, because he stopped to look at them. "Anything wrong, Naruto? Sakura?"

Both of them hastily shook their heads. "No, not at all!" Sakura assured.

"Just wondering about the team-less genin, that's all," Naruto muttered to himself.

Kakashi missed Naruto's words as he made a suggestion. "Well, you guys want to go over to Ichiraku Ramen? Everything'll be on me if you'd like,"

A grin grew on the blonde's face as he heard his teacher's words. "Like I'd pass this!" he whooped as he started running towards the little ramen stand.

"Naruto!" Sakura ran after her friend in annoyance.

Kakashi chuckled as he started an even pace with Kohaku following him. "Kakashi-nii," she said, "That is the Kyuubi-kun, I assume?"

"The one and only," Kakashi confirmed.

Kohaku said nothing as her eyes followed the blonde's erratic movements from the ground up to the roofs of buildings and back onto the ground again.

xxxxx

"Say, Shishimiya," Naruto said as he slurped his third bowl of ramen, "Where do you live? I've never seen you 'round before,"

Kohaku looked up; she'd been engrossed in the continuing conversation with the jounin sitting in between the two of them. "Somewhere," she said vaguely, staring blankly at Naruto, "I prefer keeping a low profile,"

Naruto frowned; a pout forming on his lips. "Why're you so secretive, huh?"

Kohaku did not reply, instead she looked away and fixed her gaze someplace else. Sakura herself frowned, not liking the way the newbie was behaving. It was as bad as when they first met Sai, she'd decided, maybe even worse.

xxxx

"And he's late. Again."

Naruto and Sakura were pacing back and forth as they awaited their absent team leader's arrival so that they could begin their journey towards Sunagakure. Now that Naruto thought about it, Kohaku herself wasn't present as well.

"For someone of high status and valor, Kakashi-sensei doesn't take his responsibilities seriously," Sakura complained.

"Why, Sakura, I'll take half of that sentence as a compliment,"

The two jumped and turned around to see Kakashi, his visible eye crinkled up in a smile, and their new temporary teammate standing beside him. "Yo!" Kakashi greeted, holding his hand up, "We got lost on the Roads of Opportunities today. It was hard finding the right door to this road,"

"IT'S A LIE!" the infuriated shinobi and kunoichi yelled as they stomped off, marking the start of their mission.

Kakashi sighed as he started after them, with Kohaku following suit. "You know, Kakashi-nii," Kakashi lifted a surprised eyebrow. Was she attempting to be conversational? "If I may add, that was a very tactless falsification."

"Please, Kohaku," he said, "Don't add insult to injury,"

"It was only a conviction of mine."

"Really. Please don't."

And there it is! An entirely different beginning. Tell me what you think of it!

Luv, Pichuzilla