*Lmao, well, I didn't like what I had started again, so, I rewrote this story again. Hey, hey, don't get mad at my indecisiveness! It isn't my fault, it's this quarantine cabin fever mkay? So, I decided that the description I have for this story is a very good plot that for some reason doesn't even relate to the shit that I had written for it. So, I uh, had a sudden urge to rewrite to what I really think fits.

Mature themes ahead.*

Deep blue eyes awakened to a sterile-white ceiling. He had only been here once, but it was a serious enough visit to lock the memory firmly in place. Konoha General.

Naruto sat up, albeit slowly. IV's, heart monitors, and other different paraphernalia hung off the side of the bed. Some were plugged directly into his skin. Some were just taped on.

A young nurse, who had dark green hair down to her shoulders and glasses precariously sitting on the tip of her nose, was arranging a vase of flowers on a nearby table with seemingly little luck.

"Where's Jiji?"

The woman jumped, knocking the vase to the floor.

"Oh! Uzumaki-san, you're awake! That's great, just give me a moment, okay? I'll bring the Hokage here as fast as I can."

Without another word, she disappeared into thin air. Naruto did not have long to process this, however, for as quick as she had left, she returned just as fast with the Hokage standing next to her. It took all Naruto had not to jump up out of bed and hug the man.

"Naruto-kun. You're awake." A warm smile was on the man's face.

"Jiji, we need to talk. About... What's inside me."

The pipe fell out of Sarutobi's mouth. The medic-nin by his side almost fainted.

Had the ANBU stuck to the ceiling not been as seasoned as he was, his grip surely would have loosened.

"Ah, Hitomi-san, if you'd give us the room please."

The medic-nin frantically nodded, stumbling out of the door way while almost dropping her glasses.

The Hokage made a discreet hand signal, and the ANBU protector begrudgingly body-flickered away.

"Okay, Naruto. First things first. How much did It tell you?"

Naruto's features scrunched up.

"Well, first of all Jiji, she's a lady, not an It! And her name is Kurama."

"The look on Jiji's face still gets me every time."

Agreed, Kit. I haven't laughed that hard in years.

"So, just where in-"

*Poof*

A man with his wrists bound exploded out of the scroll on Naruto's back.

"Oi, just where the hell do you think you're going?"

The disheveled looking man screamed in terror as he looked up into the eye-slits of the ANBU's mask.

"P-Please, i'll do anything! Just don't bring me back there! To that... That THING!"

The young boy put his hands on his hips, "Well that's just rude. Anko-chan isn't a thing, she's a person!"

The boy leaned down, grabbing the man by the collar of his shirt.

"She's a person that's gonna rip out every single one of your teeth with her bare hands."

Before the man could scream, Naruto slammed the large seal into his face, simultaneously knocking the man unconscious and returning him to the work of Fuinjutsu.

"Now, as I was saying... Aren't we getting a little close to Ame? I really wouldn't want to-"

A single piece of paper flew in front of his face, slowly riding the current of the wind.

"-be... Exposed... Now what do you make of that?"

I'd say you better hope Himiko instilled some charm into that thick skull of your's. This one is quite pretty.

"What is your business here, ANBU-nin?"

Naruto looked over his shoulder at a woman with electric-blue hair. Piercings in certain areas of her face seemed to almost darken what would normally be an innocent looking visage. A black cloak with red clouds concealed the rest of her features.

"The business of leaving."

The woman held up a hand, which happened to be splitting apart into small pieces of paper. The same paper that now surrounded the boy.

"Explain yourself. The last group of Konoha ANBU that came here left quite the sour taste in my mouth."

Naruto's eyes narrowed under the mask.

Danzō.

"I see. Well I can say with confidence that those Ninja did not belong to Konoha. Merely abusers of power that disgrace the name."

The woman's cloud of paper did not disperse, neither did the hostility on her face.

"And how would I know you're not an imposter as well?"

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle lightly. The frown on the woman's face deepened.

"Konoha-nin find the most curious things humorous."

"You must be the Paper Angel Pervy Sage was telling me about. What a coincidence i'd run into a fellow student."

Konan's eyes widened, and the paper in the air seemed to freeze.

"You... You're a student of Jiraiya?"

Naruto smirked.

"That boy needed to graduate first, Hiruzen. And you know that."

A cloud of tobacco smoke concealed the Hokage's grin.

"Ah, Danzō, you wouldn't be jealous that I got to him first, would you?"

"The Daimyō will not approve, Hiruzen. And especially after Hatake, and Itachi... You know what you must do to prevent the worst."

The grin left his aged features.

"Is that a threat, Shimura?"

The handicapped man did not reply.

"Alright, old friend. I'll play your game. But unfortunately for you, we're playing by my rules now."

The elderly Hokage seemed to age a decade in front of Danzo. Then, the Third used an unrecognizable hand signal. The ANBU in the room disappeared.

Panic rose up in Danzo's throat.

"What are you planning, Saru?"

Hiruzen stood from his seat, never dropping eye contact with his old friend.

"I'm simply tending to my garden. Tearing up the dead roots."

"I have to go back to the Academy? What the fuck, Jiji?"

Hiruzen held a hand up, "Naruto, I know this may seem... counterintuitive... But there-"

"Counterintuitive? Hiruzen, I've been in the ANBU for over half my life. Which, if you recall, means that i've been killing people longer than some of the kids in that damn place have been training to even become Shinobi. It's more than counterintuitive, it's downright futile."

Hiruzen sighed, letting a rather heavy cloud release from his lungs.

"It was not long ago that I couldn't speak to you about the important things. I miss those days."

Naruto wasn't sure how to reply to that.

"I've made many mistakes in my life, even as the Hokage. Many I regret, but... There are some that I don't. Putting you in the ANBU has been one of those that fall in the middle. So i'm taking action before it's too late. Per tradition, Konoha's ANBU must graduate from the Ninja Academy to achieve status as an operative."

Naruto could sense the "But," before it came.

"But, for you Naruto, i'm changing that tradition."

Hiruzen took another deep hit off his aged tobacco pipe.

"I know how much this means to you, my boy. Serving your village in the ANBU Corps. So I won't forcefully take that away from you. Instead... From this moment on, all current and future ANBU must acquire the rank of Chūnin before being admitted."

"So... I have to graduate from the Academy, and then get Chūnin?"

Hiruzen nodded at his surrogate grandson.

"Correct, Naruto. I have already taken away your youth by allowing you in the ANBU to begin with. I'd... Like for you to at least enjoy it for a moment. Even if only a brief one. Can you do that for me, Naruto?"

Naruto's head slumped. After a few moments, he appeared at the Hokage's side and practically tackled him in a hug. Hiruzen chuckled at the uncharacteristic display.

Maybe this old dog hadn't done too much damage.

A disheveled looking Sakura Haruno bursted through the doors to the academy, barely making it to class on time.

Iruka looked at the girl with wide eyes, not used to seeing her tardy.

"Ah, Sakura, glad you could make it. Everything okay?"

The girl nodded enthusiastically, sprinting up the stairs to her usual seat by the window on the third row.

"Sorry Iruka-sensei! I just got caught up in training!"

She didn't notice the boy sitting in her seat until she reached the entrance of her row. Ino was giving her a look that she couldn't quite place.

"Oh, is this your seat? I'm sorry, Ino-chan said you wouldn't mind taking the middle seat. But I can happily move if you'd like."

Sakura was still catching her breath as she waved the boy off, "Don't worry about it. Blondes always take the good stuff."

As the girl moved to sit in the middle seat, she felt a small tug of chakra before suddenly being sat down in the window seat. The mysterious boy was sitting in the middle seat with a grin on his face.

"Like I said, Sakura-chan, don't worry about it. My name's Naruto. Ino-chan already told me about you."

Sakura deadpanned. Ino's shit-eating grin pierced into her soul.

"... Well thank you, Naruto-san. And hey, not meaning to be rude here, but... Just where in the hell did you come from?"

Most of the students had tuned in now, just as curious as Sakura.

Naruto chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head as he noticed the attention. He couldn't tell them the truth, obviously, and he didn't want to tell them that he couldn't tell them. That would be worse.

"Aha, well, basically, i've been a clan kid my whole life. It was nice and cozy, but my parents didn't want me to become a Shinobi, oddly enough. I finally got through to them, so here I am! Luckily the Hokage knows us, and pulled some strings so that I can graduate next week instead of going through an entire year for the next graduation."

All of the students listening in had wide eyes at the boy's explanation. An Inuzuka heir was the first to speak up.

"So you're telling me you're graduating in a week without any prior ninja training?"

Naruto chuckled, shaking his head, "Ah, I never said that Inuzuka-san. I just said that my clan training was the only training I had received."

Naruto had sent a wink at the Inuzuka, which confused the boy to no end. It worked, however, as the scruffy-looking heir mumbled something under his breath at the dog in his hoodie, before looking away with pink cheeks.

"Oi. What's your name?"

A boy that he immediately recognized as the Last Uchiha held his gaze with his hands in the pockets of his khaki shorts.

"Uzumaki Naruto. And you must be Uchiha Sasuke. Nice to finally meet you."

Sasuke was taken aback for a moment, before quickly recovering.

"I've never heard of the Uzumaki clan. Must not be a very powerful one."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Er, well, if you haven't heard the stories about Uzushiogakure, I don't really know what else to tell you except that you should stop living under a rock."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, but he must have realized that the classroom might not be the best time to start a fight. The raven-haired boy turned around and sat down at the desk in front of Naruto, resting his chin on his hands and peering out the window.

"Awe, don't worry about him Naruto. He's just a stuck-up clan kid. He gives everybody the cold shoulder, even his 'Fan-Club.' I'm just glad Ino and I had the common sense to ditch him a few years ago."

Ino had a bright grin on her face as she nodded, "Cha! Some boy won't get between us!"

Naruto chuckled lightly while nodding, "That's good, focusing on the bonds we have with our precious people will always be the most important aspect of life."

The rest of the week was uneventful. Lectures going over basic rundowns of the things they'd been taught from the first day at the academy.

Finally, team placements came. Sakura, Ino, and Naruto all listened with rapt attention.

"Team Seven will consist of,"

Team Seven. The team his father had been on, and Kakashi after that.

"Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sakura Haruno."

Naruto cocked his head slightly. Naturally he'd be put with the Uchiha.

"Alright! Ya hear that Naruto-kun? We're on a team!"

Naruto nodded, a smile on his face.

At least with this girl, who was the top female student, he'd have a stellar combination of brains and brawn.

"Guess we'll be needing to hammer the emo out of the Uchiha, eh?"

Ino looked downcast, "Booooo! Can't this Ino-Shika-Cho thing ever stop!? I just wanted another girl on my team!"

Sakura hugged her childhood friend, "Awe, don't worry about it Ino-Pig! I'll still come over all the time."

Ino hugged the girl back tenfold, "You better, Billboard Brow! I'm going to die of testosterone overdose otherwise!"

Naruto chuckled. Maybe this whole Chūnin thing wouldn't be so bad.

"Your Jōnin squad leader will be Hatake Kakashi."

'Taichou? When the fuck did he...'

"Hm, well, my first impression of you all is less than stellar. Meet me on the roof in five."

Wait, Inu wasn't late for something? In fact, he was early? Most other squad leaders wouldn't show up until later, after all teams were assigned.

"Who the hell are you and what did you do to Kakashi?"

The sudden outburst caused all eyes to fall on Naruto. The aforementioned man chuckled out loud.

"Get used to it, Naruto. Iruka, if there's nothing else?"

The young teacher smiled, "No, you can gather your team Kakashi-san."

The man's lone eye had a certain brightness to it.

"Alright. Roof. In five. Don't keep me waiting~"

"You heard him, you three. It was a pleasure being your teacher. Please, stop by any time if you're ever wanting to check up on your old sensei."

Sakura had tears in her eyes. The Uchiha had a smile playing on the edges of his mouth.

Naruto nodded at the man. Iruka had a heart of gold, and he reflected that in his teaching abilities.

On the roof, Kakashi leaned against the metal railing with his nose in a small orange book. Naruto rolled his eyes.

Some things never change.

"Alright, kiddies, take a seat. Let's introduce ourselves, shall we? How about we start with the young lady on the team."

Sakura looked at Naruto, then Sasuke, then back to Kakashi.

"Er... Shouldn't you go first, Kakashi-sensei? We already know each other."

Kakashi snapped his book closed. His eye seemed to bend upwards slightly, like a smile.

It was creepy the first time Naruto saw it, and it was creepy now.

"Ah, I suppose you're right. I'll demonstrate. My name is Hatake Kakashi. I like some things, and I dislike other things. My hobbies are... Well, we don't need to get into that. And my dream is to train the three of you well enough that you'll be out of my hair in a year. Now, Pinky, your turn."

Naruto rolled his eyes, a smirk creeping onto his face.

Sakura was not so pleased.

"Bwa!? What the hell kinda introduction was that!? All we got was your name!"

Kakashi cupped his chin in mock contemplation, "Hm, what was that? Did you three hear that? I think it was the sound of three cute little genin running a hundred laps around the Wall. I'm not sure, though... Must have been my imagination. Now, as you were saying, Sakura?"

Naruto did his best to hide his snickering, which caused Sakura to punch him in the shoulder.

"Tch, fine. Be that way. My name's Sakura Haruno. I like Sunakagure Spicy Curry, training with Ino, and studying Shinobi art. I dislike sweet things, and stuck up clan kids," The pinkette stuck her tongue out at Sasuke, who seemed to ignore the jab.

"My dream is to be the Hokage one day. I'll be the first Female Hokage, and the best one there ever was at that!"

This civilian girl had her eyes on the Hat? Naruto's interest continued to grow.

"A very ambitious goal. Hopefully I can get you there. Now, short, blonde, and ugly."

Naruto chuckled, flipping off Kakashi and shaking his head.

"The name's Uzumaki Naruto. Don't forget it. I like flowers, ramen, pink hair, and the smell of blood."

Both of his new teammates did a double take at his proclamation.

"That was a joke, by the way. Blood is not a pleasant smell, it sticks to your clothes and up your nose and you just can't-"

"Naruto."

Naruto coughed, "Aha, right, sorry. I don't like... Well, I guess you could say I don't like stuck up clan kids either. Also don't care for processed food. Just goes straight to your thighs, y'know?"

Kakashi rested his face in his hand.

"My dream is to join the ANBU. If Sakura-chan's gonna be Hokage, I suppose i'll have to be in charge of her personal guard."

A blush came to the girl's face.

Now we're talking, Kit.

"How... Enlightening. Next, the Uchiha, before I change my mind on this whole team."

Aforementioned stuck-up clan kid.

Naruto mentally snickered.

Sasuke's mood seemed to darken even further. His eyes lost their light. The Massacre had taken it's toll on the boy.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. What I like or dislike doesn't matter, and I don't have a dream. I have an ambition."

Sasuke raised his glare to meet Kakashi's eye.

"One day I will kill a certain man for taking away everything from me. That is my purpose."

Naruto was glad Sakura seemed to be feeling the same way he was.

"Some existence that is. I'm surprised you haven't rotted away yet."

Sasuke shot up, flames behind his pitch-black eyes. They burned as dark as coal, fueling the hatred in the boy's heart for Itachi.

"If you've got something to say, Uzumaki, then say it."

Naruto couldn't wipe the look of disinterest off his face.

"I just did, Uchiha."

Sasuke pulled one hand out of his shorts, pointing an accusatory index finger at Naruto's chest.

"Someone like you could never possibly understand. You're just another obstacle in my way."

Naruto stood from his stone seat. Sakura's look of worry passed between her new teammates.

"What, you think I don't understand what it's like to lose everything, Uchiha? You think you're the only one to get his entire family slaughtered? Of course you do. You wouldn't have a stick bigger than your forearm stuck up your asshole otherwise. And even then, I think you'd enjoy something like that. I mean, cmon, who wears shorts that... well, short, unless they've got something to hide?"

Kakashi burst into laughter. It was deep, from his gut, and Naruto had never heard the man laugh so hard. There were tears in his eye.

"What does that even mean!?"

Sakura had light pink come to her cheeks, and the girl was trying not to laugh like her new sensei.

"Sasuke... It's totally okay to like guys. You don't... You don't need to be ashamed," The snickers broke through Sakura's defenses, and now everyone gathered was laughing.

Sasuke's cheeks turned a darker shade of red than the crest on his back.

"I'm... I'm not gay!"

Well, not everyone.

After a brief session of calming Sasuke down enough to not want to kill Naruto, at least for the moment, the group turned their attention back to their new sensei.

"Good, ahead of schedule. Now that we've got introductions out of the way, we can move on to the important stuff."

Kakashi's aura seemed to darken, almost sucking the light from around him.

"Congratulations, on none of you actually passing."

Sasuke was strapped against a wooden post by thick ninja wire. He stopped struggling after the first ten minutes as the harsh metal dug into the skin of his arms.

"We tried getting you to work with us, Sasuke. This isn't our fault."

The boy was well composed despite his current predicament.

"Like I needed to work together with either of you."

Naruto dug into his bento box with gusto, speaking between bites.

"So, what, did you already forget the part where he mopped the floor with your duck-ass haircut? Or maybe the part where Sakura-chan and I almost got the bells while you were up to your neck in the dirt. Literally."

Sakura had yet to touch her box. With arms crossed, she looked ready to clobber the Uchiha.

"Or maybe the part where he's our Jonin sensei, and there's no way in hell you'd have a chance of getting a single bell yourself. Let alone putting a scratch on the guy."

Naruto pointed his chopsticks at Sasuke's chest, "Your pride will be your downfall, Uchiha. I've seen it before, and I'm going to see it again. Eventually it turns into arrogance. And then you up and get yourself killed."

Sasuke's struggle against the ninja wire was refueled by his anger.

"I have a right to be arrogant! I'm an Uchi-gurk!"

Naruto had shoved a dumpling into his mouth.

"Shut it, Uchiha. You're so wrong about that statement it isn't even funny. But I think you're just hungry, so eat up. And hurry, before Kakashi gets back."

Sakura sat down on the ground with her legs crossed. She opened her own bento box and began to feed Sasuke as well.

"Don't even try to say no, Sasuke. I know you're hungry."

"And what about you? Did you just ignore sensei's orders?" Sasuke said in between bites.

Naruto swiped a dumpling out of Sakura's box, "Well if you're an all-powerful Uchiha with the strength and speed of a hundred men, why would you feel the need to follow orders at all?"

Sasuke grumbled under his breath.

Naruto chuckled, "As I thought."

Kakashi popped a dumpling into his mouth through his mask, "See, Sasuke? We're all in this together. As a team."

Sakura smiled, "Yeah! See, even Kakash-"

A beat of silence passed.

All three genin screamed in terror.

"KAKASHI-SENSEI!"

Lightning impacted the ground nearby, and a rainstorm rapidly formed in the sky.

"You three think you can get away with disobeying my direct order?"

As fast as the thunderclouds had appeared, they were gone. Kakashi had an eye-smile on his face.

"You can! Congrats, you pass."

The three genin promptly rushed the man, aiming to take out his throat.

"So. How's the Genin life treating you, Kitsune-chaaaaan?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, slamming back a shot of brown liquor.

"You have me defenseless in your apartment, drinking copious amounts of alcohol, and that's the thing you ask me about?"

Anko Mitarashi laughed out loud, taking her own shot of the copper liquid. Her laugh was music to his ears.

The Snake Mistress shouldered-off her trench coat off, letting her skin-tight mesh shirt be exposed. Naruto couldn't help himself and glanced a look.

"You got a point, gaki. What brings you here? Not that I mind, of course. A little young... But there's something about you that just makes me want to make... questionable decisions."

Naruto took a moment to compose himself.

"... Just because it's a questionable decision doesn't mean you should hesitate. Y'know? Well, that's wrong, but I... Uhm... Fuck, Anko, you're really hot."

The Torture specialist stood from her bar stool, sauntering over to Naruto with a mesmerizing sway of her hips.

"Tell me more, Na-ru-to-kun."

She had punctuated every syllable of his name with two fingers walking up his chest.

Naruto bit into his lower lip, "As much as i'd really like to explore this dynamic we have going on, I came to ask a favor."

A predatory grin crept onto Anko's face.

"Hm, and what would that be love?"

Naruto couldn't keep his hands from moving up the woman's hips as they spoke.

"One of my new teammates is... Promising, to say the least. Kakashi is a great sensei, don't get me wrong. But I..."

Anko very slowly sat down in Naruto's lap, keeping both her hands on the boy's chest.

"Yes?"

Naruto licked his lips.

"She could use a second mentor like you. If you uh... Have the free time, of course. She wants to become the Hokage and I... Mm... I'd like to see her get there."

Anko had draped her arms around Naruto's neck, slowly grinding into him as he explained.

"I think you know what you'll have to do for me first, Naruto-kun."

Naruto looked deeply into the woman's pupil-less eyes and was reminded of glowing pools of honey.

"Anything, Anko-chan."

Their lips connecting felt like lightning. Their hands ran over each other's bodies like they were lost in the dark.

Anko moaned into Naruto's ear, almost a whimper.

"Fuck me, Naruto."

Before Anko could realize it, she'd been picked up and her legs were wrapped around his waist. She recognized the feeling of a body flicker, and was firmly laid back on her bed.

It was Naruto's turn to grind into her.

"I didn't teach you that one, Naruto-kun..."

"Something I picked up from Pervy Sage."

Anko moaned, letting out a sigh of deep relief as Naruto worked the sensitive skin of her neck and collarbone with his mouth.

"Fuck, Naruto..."

Naruto reached over and grabbed a book on Anko's bedside table, before tossing it at the light switch. The room plunged into a darkness only they could see in.

Naruto awoke with Anko in his arms. He had no desire to disturb the still-sleeping woman.

'She looks so peaceful... So innocent. So beautiful.'

She's knows how to use her mouth, too.

Naruto rolled his eyes, but a grin was on his face regardless.

"What's so funny?" Anko's eyes had opened, looking into Naruto's. Naruto felt like he could get lost in their depths.

"I should've visited sooner."

Anko smiled right back, and it seemed like she was about to reply. Then, her smile faltered. She broke eye contact and got out of bed.

"Anko-chan? What's wrong?"

She wouldn't turn to look at him.

"You're too young for this. For... I... You're just a damn brat. Fuck was I thinking..."

Naruto's heart stung.

"What... But I... Anko-chan, what are you talking about?"

Her fist put a whole through the drywall.

"You fuckin' heard me kid! Just... Just leave."

Naruto let out a sigh, "Alright."

His clothes were back on in no time. His ANBU mask snapped into place over his face. As he leapt onto the window sill, he hesitated for a moment. Naruto looked over his shoulder at the woman one last time.

Anko was clutching her shoulder. His eyes narrowed; her curse seal.

Naruto sighed, "Look, Anko. I don't know where all this is coming from, and honestly? Not caring about it is the best solution right now. But I do care about our deal. Whatever grudge you're holding against me doesn't mean shit compared to that girl."

And then, he was gone.

Anko sunk to her knees as the open flame in her shoulder tried it's hardest to spread. The tears rolling down her cheeks didn't help to quench it, as they weren't from the pain of the seal.

It was an escort mission to wave. Naruto didn't care. He had spent most of his mental capacity convincing his team that nothing was wrong, although he was certain Kakashi saw through the ruse.

Now, on a long, empty stretch of road, Naruto had time to contemplate. At least, for a moment.

'I just don't get it. We've had chemistry since I put the damn mask on. I've killed more people than I can count on both hands and feet. Why would age be a factor to her?'

It's more complex than that, Kit. I think she's afraid of getting hurt.

Naruto targeted a juicy-looking rock, and launched it with a kick.

'Well why the hell wouldn't she just tell me that? I can understand that feeling.'

Unfortunately, Naruto, I don't think you can. Anko's your first experience into dating-slash-romance. I think she's still hurting from a previous relationship.

Naruto frowned at the ground. A small puddle was on the ground a few meters away.

'Oh... So she's scared.'

Indeed. More importantly, that puddle, Naruto...

Naruto nodded, before whistling a light, three-tone signal that only Kakashi would recognize. Naruto heard the man grunt in acknowledgement.

"Oi, Sakura-chan, don't you think it's a lil weird that there's a puddle? In the middle of the dry season?"

The girl didn't have time to answer, as two similarly dressed men in rebreathers exploded out of the water, shooting a long segmented chain towards Kakashi and wrapping the man up. The chain tightened, digging into the Jōnin's arms and legs and drawing blood, before finally reducing the man to bloody chunks.

Sakura's face went green, and she turned away to puke into the bushes. Sasuke's eyes were wide, but the boy looked ready to fight.

The Demon Brother's of Kirigakure. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"First one laid to rest!"

"Now for the real test!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the twins.

"Did... Did you seriously just rhyme with each other? Like, un-ironically?"

"Hah, go ahead and doubt our ability!"

"You'll be the first to see the futility!"

Naruto couldn't help but laugh at that one, "Alright, yeah, you're not making it after that one."

Just as Sasuke began to move, Naruto was behind the man in all black in an instant. An arm, cloaked in electricity, slammed through the Kiri nin's chest like a knife through butter.

Specks of blood hit Sasuke in the face.

"BROTHER! YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

The Naruto clone dispelled, leaving the gaping hole in Gōzu's chest to bleed freely.

"And now you both get to die in a ditch."

Meizu brought his hand up to the place where his lower jaw, rebreather, and windpipe had been at one point in time.

The shock killed the man before he could collapse to the ground.

Sasuke held a hand over his face, keeping as much of the smell out of his nose as he could. The mixture of Sakura's stomach contents and fresh gore didn't mix well for the Uchiha.

"That... Was a little overkill, don't you think, Naruto?"

Kakashi had a bead of sweat falling down his face as he reappeared next to Tazuna.

"Yeah, butimean, I needed some stress relief. And I thought they killed you, ya know? Traumatizing experience."

Kakashi rolled his single eye, "Yes, because that totally wasn't your idea."

Kakashi grabbed Tazuna by the collar as the man slowly started to slink away.

"Ah, where are you headed, Tazuna-san? Didn't you want to introduce us to your friends? It would be rude not to."

Tazuna let out a nervous chuckle. Kakashi didn't let him explain, however, as he pulled the Bridge Builder deeper into the woods away from his escort.

"Jesus, Naruto! You... You killed them so easily," Sakura had snot leaking from her nose, so Naruto had handed her a cloth and water bottle to clean herself up.

"They... They were-"

"Enemy Shinobi, Sakura. They wanted to kill us. To kill Tazuna. They went after Kakashi without a moment of hesitation."

Sakura coughed, clearing her throat as best she could. Waving a dismissive hand in the air, she threw the used cloth to the floor.

"Yeah... Yeah, I got it. Just... Give me a sec."

Naruto nodded, leaving the girl to gather herself. He moved over to the bodies, tearing open Meizu's pockets and pouches for anything useful.

"Oi, Uchiha, mind helping me out here?"

Despite looking a shade greener than usual, Sasuke nodded and started looting the other body. Aside from the usual shinobi supplies, Sasuke's main interest was the large metal claws the men wore.

"Oi, Uzumaki. What do you think about these?"

Naruto had covered Meizu's face with cloth, concealing the gore, and now gently removed the metal apparatus off the man's corpse.

Inspecting it, Naruto nodded, "Now that i'm getting a good look at these things... Taijutsu centered around a big, poisonous claw sounds kinda badass."

Sasuke found the release mechanism for the chain, and noticed it could easily be snapped back into place.

"These guys had something going here. It could be polished into something deadly," With that, Naruto nodded and stood.

"We probably shouldn't use them just yet. Hand that one here, i'll seal them until we can get back to Konoha and analyze the poison."

Naruto seemed to hesitate for a moment, "Would you... Want to learn how to use them with me, Uchiha?"

Sasuke smirked, "I wouldn't have asked about it otherwise."

"Hey! What am I supposed to get!? Or am I just chopped liver!?"

Sakura had her arms crossed, and her bottom lip pouted out uncharacteristically. Naruto had only seen the look on the occasion that the girl was jealous.

Naruto chuckled, packing away the scroll in his hip pouch.

"Don't you worry your pretty little forehead, Sakura-chan. I have..." Naruto paused, and the smile on his face faded away.

"... Well... I suppose I hope I have something for you, when we get back to Konoha. It's ah... It's a gift from a friend," The smile that replaced the old one was obviously forced, even to Sakura. She could see the hurt in the way his lips curled. His eyes...

His eyes were blank. Emotionless. No, there was... Something deep inside that void. Something unrecognizable.

Sakura felt a shiver down her spine.

"Alright, Kiddos. Turns out we aren't up against your everyday run-of-the-mill bandits. These two were the appetizer."

Naruto lifted a bloody hand, "It won't be a big meal I guess?"

Sakura made a face, holding a hand to her stomach, "Can we stop with the food analogies? I don't have anything else to throw up."

"You... He's in ANBU, Hatake? This kid is in ANBU?"

Naruto stomped a boot into Zabuza Momochi's chin, slamming the man's face into the ground.

"Yes, I am. Well, kinda. Listen man, I don't wanna talk about it, alright? So, lets just-"

Before Naruto could continue, two large senbon embedded themselves deep in Zabuza's neck. The man's eyes widened, before they rolled back into his head.

Naruto jumped back with a kunai in hand. A Tracker Ninja suddenly appeared above the man's corpse. The Kiri insignia was etched into their faceplate.

"Thank you for the assistance, Konoha-nin. I will take it from here."

Naruto did not lower his guard. Neither did Kakashi.

"I'm checking his pulse, first. We don't want an international incident, do we?"

The slim figure did not move. Their head cocked to the side. Whether it was in confusion or a challenge, Naruto did not know.

Surprisingly, it was Sakura that spoke next.

"You're standing in the way of the wrong squad, lady," The young girl cracked her knuckles as spoke, "Out of our way, before things get bad."

"Until next time."

Naruto launched a Kunai at the mysterious ninja, who bent down and placed a hand on Zabuza's shoulder before dissolving into mist. The blade passed harmlessly through it. The boy cursed.

"Great, so he's got a rogue Hunter-nin with him."

Kakashi nodded, "No doubt beginning to heal him as we speak."

Naruto noticed the man shifting his weight off one leg.

"Maybe we should do the same, Inu."

Kakashi winced as he took an uneasy step, but nodded regardless, "Yes, maybe we should..."

"Naruto."

Sasuke had a conflicted look on his face, "You were in ANBU?"

Naruto smirked at the boy over his shoulder, "Yeah, I was. Knew Itachi, too. C'mere, help me carry Kakashi-sensei. We can walk and talk."

Sasuke fought hard to control his heart-rate. Naruto actually knew Him. He could tell Sasuke about His exploits... His abilities. And His weaknesses.

Sakura forced herself to stretch, trying her hardest to release the tension and tightness from her muscles and joints.

She was sore from head to toe. Naruto, Kakashi, and even Sasuke trained on an entirely different level than what she was used to. She felt the strain in every step, but she did not complain.

She wasn't going to be the weakest member of the team.

No one else was awake yet. She grabbed a ration bar and jug of water before leaving Tazuna's home.

Sakura was prepared to train her ass off the entire day, and that is exactly what she did. The other members of her team checked on her every now and then, making sure she wasn't overdoing it. Even when they voiced concern, Sakura tuned them out.

Suddenly, the wooden post in front of her splintered into pieces from a particularly devastating kick. Sakura looked at the now-stump, and then down at her own leg, and back.

"That was quite impressive, Shinobi-san."

Sakura jumped, turning her attention to a young woman at the edge of the clearing. The woman wore a light-pink Kimono with white trim, and couldn't have been older than early-twenties.

"O-Oh, thank you, miss! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."

The woman waved a dismissive hand, "No no, please don't mind me. You're training, correct?"

Sakura nodded, unceremoniously flopping to the floor. She needed a rest, and this seemed to be the perfect opportunity.

"Might I ask what you're training for?"

Sakura sat up, confused. "What do you mean, miss?"

The young woman had knelt down to gather various herbs from the clearing. A warm smile was on her pale face.

"Well, you Shinobi always have a Code, yes? Some ultimate goal to work towards. Whether it be becoming strong, or maybe protecting your loved ones, or maybe just to protect one's village. May I ask your's, Shinobi-san?"

Sakura frowned. She'd never been asked this before. And she had certainly never thought about it.

Sure, she wanted to be the Hokage. But why? Just to show everyone a woman could do it? She obviously wanted to make her parents proud, but was that all?

"Er... Well, I guess I don't really know."

The woman's eyes widened.

"You don't have a dream? Or a goal to achieve?"

Sakura idly tore off a blade of grass and manipulated it in her hand, "Well, of course I want to get strong for those in my village that can't protect themselves. But beyond that..."

Sakura let the blade of grass fly away in the wind.

"I just want to be able to say I lived a good life. That the people around me were happy."

The woman silently went about her work, contemplating the young Kunoichi's words. Finally, she stood up straight and turned to leave.

"It was nice meeting you, Shinobi-san. Until next time."

The resemblance clicked in Sakura's head. Just as she leaped up with a Kunai drawn, the mysterious Hunter-nin was gone.

"Did she realize who you were?"

Haku hung his head in shame.

"Yes, Zabuza-sama."

The man sighed, rolling his neck. The resounding creaks and pops told Haku more than anything he could ever say.

"That was careless. Now they know i'll be healed sooner than later."

"Ah, Zabuza. It seems you took quite the beating. Some help the tracker is, eh?"

Gatō stood inside the doorframe with a haughty scowl on his face. His two lackey's backed him up from the hallway. Haku could tell from just a glance that these men weren't Shinobi.

"Gatō," Zabuza forced out the name like an insult.

"Don't fuckin' speak. Some Shinobi you are! I'm paying you to kill a simple old man, and you can't even do that."

Gatō spat on the ground, "If this famous Bridge Builder isn't dead by the end of the week, you can say goodbye to more than the cash."

Haku took a threatening step forward, making the man flinch away before his arrogance let him recover.

"You have no right to speak to Zabuza-san in such a way. How dare you-"

Gatō actually winded back a hand, and attempted to backhand Haku across the face. He was so surprised at the audacity of the mogul that he almost didn't intercept the attack.

Yet, he did.

The bones in Gato's hand and wrist promptly shattered in Haku's iron grip. The short, fat man screamed in agony and fell back into the hallway.

"Hey, you lazy sonsabitches! Fuck are you standing around for!? Kill her! Now!"

The two men with swords on their hip charged Haku. He almost rolled his eyes.

Before either could react, their own weapons were drawn and held against their throats.

Haku almost lost his grip on the blades as a wave of Killing Intent that he hadn't felt in a very long time wafted over them.

Zabuza's form was shrouded in black chakra that was visible to the human eye. Large red eyes appeared in the chakra cloud, glaring into Haku's soul.

"Ya know, Gatō... I really needed the money for this job."

Zabuza Momochi stood up to his full height, towering over everyone in the room. His eyes were replaced with pools of blood.

"But I've been thinking lately. I might get just as much, if not more, for turning in the bounty on your head."

Gatō backed away against the wall as much as he could. Urine leaked down the leg of his suit. Sweat covered the man from head to toe, making his grey hair greasy and disheveled.

"W-w-wait a minute, Zabuza... I'll give you double, n-no, triple! I'll give you triple for the job!"

Zabuza grabbed the hilt of his massive blade, the Kubikiribōchō, and lifted it into the air with ease. The edge sat right above Gatō's crotch.

"Ya know, Haku... I think it's been long enough."

A very uncharacteristic grin worked its way onto Haku's face. She nodded at her master, "Yes, Zabuza-sama."

The chakra-enhanced metal sliced through Gato's pelvis like a hot knife through butter.

Zabuza relished in the man's screams for as long as he could.

Third time's the charm, ain't that right?

Anyways, thanks for reading. Tell me how ya feel.