The 9: **enters Demon and Angel's Anime Headquaters he looks around** Oh little elves...where art thou? I have succeeded in infiltrating the evil headquaters of Angel and Demon... **Pauses** wait a minute...**holds a finger up looking at himself in a mirror with a confused face** I am the evil one...aren't I? **tilts head...reflection nods**

Okay good! Just making sure! Now, on my quest to find my kidnapped elves...If I were a couple of super-perverts, which I am, where would I put a few elves...?...**snaps fingers** AHA! The dungeon! **dun dun dun! He looks around** where da fuck that come from? **Shrugs** now I know my elves are in their dungeon...and they are just like me...where the bloody hell would I put a dungeon?

**he looks at a line of doors** maybe it's behind door number 1...nah it would never be behind door number 1, they gotta be smarter than that...**He crosses his arms then goes through a deep and way too complicated thought-out-loud proccess** Fuck it! I'm gonna look behind door number nine! Because that's my name! And they have 9 elves!

**He opens the door and sees a small room with an open scroll hanging along the wall with his name written on the top** Oh come on! You make one room...for one scroll...who does that honestly? Oh hey, there's my name! **Mumbles the names** Leon I know him...Master chief! Honestly! Auh man!...Tira? Oh she's so cute!...You guys are sending me all these...who the hell is LeafRanger?

Computer voice: Welcome Demon and Angel! You have a guest in the hallway.

Angel: Who the hell came in here?

The 9: No there isn't! Don't lie to them! **pauses** shit! That was too loud!

Demon: ...It's The 9...

The 9: No it isn't! It's...it's...**starts breathing heavily attempting Darth Vadar...failing** Luke...I am your father.

Demon: My name's not Luke...

The 9: And I didn't find your dungeon either! So we're both screwed! **poofs in a cloud of smoke**

Angel: **looking around** Um...enjoy the fic everybody...

***Sage***

Naruto watched as his team helped Tazuna work on the bridge some more. The progress was going on very nicely and the bridge was scheduled to finish within two weeks. He smiled proudly. Then he noticed Hinata was teetering holding a few boxes. He ran up behind her and held the top few boxes steady. His chest was softly pressed up against her back. She whimpered, blushing brightly.

"You should be careful, Hinata-chan," he said in a cool voice, "Don't want you to get injured."

Hinata blushed an even brighter red...if that was possible. She tried to stammer her thanks to him but couldn't manage to form words.

Sasuke and Ino stood by each other, watching Naruto help Hinata. She was stammering more just now than she ever had in her entire life. As much as they wanted to tell her to calm down, they couldn't. She was so cute trying to talk to Naruto as he somehow was flirting. Though they thought he wasn't intending it.

The entire day was filled with Naruto working beside a blushing stammering Hinata. It was a wonder that she didn't faint at all that day. When she finally got a break and went to cool off in the village, she roamed the streets, her mind a giant mess. 'I can't stop thinking about Naruto-k...sensei. What do I do? If anybody finds out that I like my sensei then he'll get into deep trouble. We might lose our sensei! I don't want that to happen!' She stopped seeing Ino in the corner of her eye. "Ino!"

Ino saw Hinata and waved. "Hey, Hinata." She ran up to her with a smile on her face. "Naruto-sensei finally let you have a break, huh?"

Hinata nodded, trying to dismiss the turmoil in her mind. "Yeah, he told me to cool off in the village because I've been working too hard." She sighed.

Ino smiled. "Well trying to dodge Naruto-sensei and actually say something to him looks like hard work."

Hinata blushed brightly. "H-how did you know?"

"Come on, Hinata. Sasuke and I saw how you've been reacting to Naruto-sensei now."

"But he had a lover one time...I don't want to hurt him."

"I don't think he's hurting anymore. After that night when Kakashi told us about his team, he seemed to be at peace with himself. Their deaths didn't bother him. I think he's finally moved on."

Hinata looked at Ino, who was munching on a pocky. "Wait a minute, Ino, you don't eat that stuff."

Ino giggled, "Well maybe I wanted to try something new for a change." She took another bite. "Oh, have you heard, the village is calling Naruto a hero."

"Haven't you girls learned anything, Naruto-sensei may be good...but he's not a hero." Sasuke walked up in between them. He had his hands in his pockets, shoulders relaxed. "I've seen it myself, Naruto-sensei is really what he said that night. He's the monster that does what he is told to. He's no saint."

"How could you say such a thing!" Ino gasped, "Because of Naruto-sensei, this village will become prosperous."

"He killed a boy no older than I," Sasuke retorted calmly, though it was clear he was agitated. Both of the girls winced at his gaze. "If he were from another village, that boy could have easily been one of us. He won't hesitate to kill a threat like we have done before."

Naruto watched his team actually argue for the first time in months. 'Well done, Sasuke, you've been observant even when your life was threatened.' He sighed and noticed the girls ended the conversation and all three of them walked, Sasuke wedged between them with Ino and Hinata holding his arms. He smirked. 'Looks like this will be a very close team.'

***Sage***

Ino had been in the training field for several days after they got back home from wave. It was clear to Naruto that she was trying to unlock her elemental chakra. Sasuke and Hinata were already attempting jutsu and Ino was ordered to try opening that chakra. Naruto watched from the garden, seeing Ino pulling up great amounts of chakra around herself. It was a long painful process...and she was getting nowhere.

Ino collapsed to her knees with an exhausted cry. "I can't...I can't get it!" She fell to her side willingly letting our her frustration in angry sobs.

Naruto watched her, expecting her to get back up to her feet and try again or call it a night and come inside. But she didn't move. He walked out carefully toward her, around him he noticed cracks and holes in the earth that didn't exist before. He couldn't help but smile. 'You've succeeded without noticing it, Ino.' He hopped over a rather large crack and knelt by her. "Ino, how's the training coming?"

Ino gasped quickly sitting up and drying her tears before facing Naruto. "S-sensei! My training's going o-okay." She stood back up and performed the hand seals, but Naruto gently took her arm, hindering her training. "S-sensei?"

"Ino, I'm very proud of you. In the past year you have advanced so far." He smiled. "You are doing a great job."

She looked down and pulled her arm away, letting her shoulders slump. "Yeah, sure...I can't even get my elemental chakra to open. I'm not as far as Sasuke or Hinata." She felt tears brimming, unaware Naruto noticed the fresh wave of tears. "I'm a failure."

Naruto reached out and lifted her chin. "Ino, you aren't a failure. Earth is very hard to awaken to start with. But you forget one of my rules of being an assassin."

"Which one is that?"

"Observe your environment frequently."

Ino looked around and saw the results of her emotional bursts. Her eyes widened as she spun around seeing the cracks and holes and little mountains around her. "I...I did it?" Naruto nodded at her. "Oh my god! I did it!" She jumped with excitement and hugged Naruto tightly. Just as quickly as she jumped into his arms, she pulled away realizing what she just did. She giggled nervously.

Naruto smirked, chuckling and scratching the back of his head nervously. "Ino, why don't you go and take a shower. Take the rest of the day off, you've had a long week." With a smile, Ino ran past him to the house.

***6 months later***

"A day off?" Ino asked tilting her head, "What do you mean?"

"You've been training and doing missions for so long, I've decided to let you guys have a day off. Go to the village, go shopping, go visit family..."

Sasuke crossed his arms. "Looks like my tomatoes and I are going to have fun today."

Naruto gave him a teasing look. "Smart-ass, you get to spend the day with me!"

Ino and Hinata both smiled. "This isn't a trick right?" Hinata asked, "You aren't going to give us a pop assassin quiz?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nope." And with that the girls left and Sasuke trudged upstairs to his room.

***Ino's POV***

Ino twisted her hair as she walked down the streets. She decided to visit her family first before going out on a shopping trip for herself. Her feet twisted and turned herself to walk down the street where her family's flower shop sat. It was early so they hadn't opened yet. She looked at the clock. "Two hours, that should be enough time for me."

The moment she opened the door, she was gripped in a tight hug from her father. "Ino! My daughter it's been so long! Your sensei is keeping you away from us!"

Ino tried to force out a giggle, "Well, that's what happens when your sensei needs to train you and make you the best assassins possible."

"Assassin, huh?" Inoichi chuckled, "I would have never imagined you as an assassin." He pulled away from his daughter with a big smile on his face. "Your mother and I got you some things this past year."

"Where is Mother?" Ino asked.

"Is that Ino I hear?" a woman's voice called out.

"I'm here, Mom!" Ino chimed in response.

A beautiful woman walked out from the back room with sunshine blonde hair with the same ice blue eyes that Ino shared. Yamanka Misaki was known to be the most beautiful blonde woman in all of Konoha. Ino smiled and ran to hug the older woman.

"My dearest, Ino! You are more beautiful than when you left for training. How long are you back?"

"Naruto-sensei gave us a day off because of all that we've done."

"One day?" Misaki questioned, "I doubt one day is enough for three teenagers after a year of training and missions."

Ino shrugged. "I don't think it's a bad idea. He's let us have days off before, but this is the first day he let us out to town."

Inoichi sat down and the two women followed suit. "How has the team been treating you since graduation, dear?"

"We're doing great! Sensei is proud of our teamwork."

"That's great!" Misaki sang.

They chatted about her training and of course gossip. Ino couldn't help but feel out of place. She had received beauty products by the bag and tight clothes to reveal her once nonexistent body figure. She appreciated the gifts...but not in the same way that she would have a year ago. Something had changed in her...and she didn't know if she liked it or not.

***Hinata's POV***

Hinata strolled the front gardens of the Hyuuga estate. It was beautiful still...yet Naruto's garden had the love in it that this one lacked. She sighed as she strolled toward a bush of red roses. A smile crept on her face, remembering when this bush was just as tall as her knee, now it's taller than her.

After looking at the flowers, she entered her home. She found her father and little sister in the normal training room. Hanabi stopped, looking at her elder sister in shock. "Hinata?" She nodded and the young Hyuuga ran to hug Hinata.

She smiled at her younger sister then met the calm eyes of her father. She gave him a soft nod. "Hello, Father."

He stood up. "Good, you're finally home. Now you can stay here."

Hinata's eyes widened. "What? You can't be serious! I haven't even become Chunnin yet!"

"I don't care, I will set you up with another team so you can make it there." His cold eyes met hers. "As long as I get you away from that demon!"

She clenched her fists. "Hanabi, go to your nanny." The little girl ran off out of the training building. Hinata then faced her father. "Father, Naruto-sensei is no demon. He may be harsh in his training, but I'm much stronger and smarter now because of it. He's a good sensei!"

"He's a demon, Hinata," Hiashi argued, "He's killed and raped...he might go after you."

"It's his job to kill, he's an assassin!" Hinata felt her voice raising so she dropped it down. "The raping part...I highly doubt anybody he had to have sex with for the job was raped."

Hiashi furrowed his brows harder. "Hinata, don't you see through the deception? He's being a kind but firm sensei so he can seduce you and use you. He'll take advantage of you!"

"And I wouldn't stop him," she muttered.

The Hyuuga clan leader froze and looked at her. "What did you say?"

"I said: I wouldn't stop him." Her voice was firm and strong.

If Hiashi was furious, now he was beyond rage. "Hinata, if you are serious, so help me Kami..." He paused when Hinata turned around and began to leave. "Don't you dare leave this house!" She kept walking. "I DISOWN YOU! YOU ARE NO DAUGHTER OF MINE! YOU ARE A WHORE!"

Hinata bit back her retorts and threatening tears as she walked as calmly as she could away from the Hyuuga compound. She closed the gate and gasped, seeing Ino standing there. "I-Ino?"

"Problems at home?" Ino asked with a hint of understanding in her voice. Hinata sighed, shoulders slumping and she was nodding. Ino smiled. "Well then, I guess you and I can get some girl time and go hang out at a cafe and shop for the afternoon. How does that sound?"

Hinata smiled. "That sounds great!"

***Sasuke's POV***

Sasuke sighed as he tapped his pen on the writing table. He stared at a blank piece of paper...well, not really blank if you count the dark sketches of eyes, hearts, and stars at the top and side. He just couldn't think of anything to write. He began to sketch again and he ended up drawing his own sharingan.

Naruto bent forward to touch his toes when he heard the tapping from Sasuke's room. He growled and stood up. He had enough of the Uchiha staying cooped up in the house when he should be out on the town like a normal teenager. He trudged up the stairs and entered the room, seeing the teenager bent over his writing table, running a hand through his hair, messing it up. For that moment, Sasuke looked vulnerable. "Sasuke?"

The Uchiha spun around, seeing that vulnerability in his eyes for a split second before the barrier flew up. Naruto hid his suprise. "What?"

"I think you should go out and find the girls, or any other friends you haven't seen in months." He crossed his arms. "You're almost 16 now, try to finish up your teenage years having fun when you can. Once you become a chunnin, your young days are over." He smirked. "It's either than or you hang out with boring old me downstairs."

Sasuke stood up, shaking his head to put his hair somewhat back to normal. "I'm going I'm going." He walked past his sensei and walked out of the house.

Sasuke looked around the village for once, noticing shops that he never knew existed. The village sounds began to echo in his head and was soothing. No wonder Hinata and Ino wanted to get out so much. He stopped seeing Hinata and Ino walking out of a shop with bags in their hands. He waved when they looked his way.

"Sasuke-kun?" Ino said, tilting her head, "You actually came out of the house?"

"Hell has frozen over," Sasuke chuckled. He took the bags out of their hands. "Now ladies, you know very well to always have a man accompany you to the shopping." With all of them laughing, he followed them to a cafe and gathered around a table. He looked at Hinata. "So, Hinata, when are you gonna make the first move on Naruto."

She blushed madly. "S-Sasuke! I-I can't do that! He'd get into a lot of trouble!"

Ino sighed, "It is almost so clear that you like him, I'm beginning to wonder if Sensei is just that oblivious."

"He's not," Sasuke responded, "I've noticed it. You both look at each other when the other isn't looking. Hinata, you have to make the move or else you might miss your chance."

"I-I can't..." Hinata looked down. "I'm not ready yet." She sighed. "I admitted to my father that if Sensei wanted me, I wouldn't stop him." She paused then looked at her teammates. "Does that really make me a whore?"

"No!" Sasuke and Ino exclaimed in unison.

"Just take your time," Ino said sweetly.

"But don't take too long," Sasuke broke in, "Or else you might lose this chance."

'Hinata, when I am ready, I'll make that move.' Naruto turned himself around and walked back home to give his students a day to themselves as friends.

***Sage***

Demon: **Walks over to door labeled 'door number 1' and opens it seeing a scantly clad elf tied up in a chair in the center of the room, a cloth gagging her rendering her silent...and off to the side sat a man with glowing silver eyes in a blue cloak, his hands stretched out in front of him as if he were groping something.** Jace...how's it coming?

Jace: Having lots of fun, young Master! Koth and Karn are in the back of the room with the others.

Demon: Good good.

Jace: Somebody was in here a while ago saying something about they'd never put a dungeon behind Door number 1 and that they'd be smarter than that...who was that?

Angel: The one who will never look behind door number 1 **giggles malevolently**

Demon: **closes the door** I told you he'd never look behind door number 1 **evil grin**