Guess who's not dead?

I don't own Naruto, thank Cthulhu.

"We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future."

—George Bernard Shaw

Naruto wandered aimlessly through the moonlit streets of Konoha, as she had been doing after Obito had calmed her and walked her back from her… embarrassing fit.

She'd been musing upon Hiruzen's words quite deeply. And since she'd began doing so, Naruto realized that she was unsure. She was unsure of her own decisions, and if she should strive to do something different.

'But… if I did that… I would hurt.' Naruto thought. Pausing, she stared with unfocused eyes at a dead end brick wall sandwiched between an alleyway she'd wandered into.

And that was all what it came down to, wasn't it? Naruto's pain, and how much of it she could take before she could no longer function.

"Naruto." The Sandaime had said. "You don't need seals that repress who you are. You need to be who you are and grieve, and after that, you need to get up again, because you're better than this."

"But I'm not." She murmured bleakly. "I'm not better than what I've become."

Naruto had told him as such, and she knew deeply beyond her bones that such words were true. But even so, even knowing so…

'Maybe.' She thought. 'Maybe I should teach those kids. At least until they're better off than I was. Better off than my friends were…'

She could keep her distance, and had done such since arriving in the world she currently resided in. The only people she had gotten close to were Obito and the Sandaime. Of course she trusted Nagato and Konan to an extent, since she had told them the truth and shown them her memories, but never would she let them see her shed tears.

Only Hiruzen and Obito had witnessed such a thing, had seen her mask fall and reveal the broken, twisted creature that was curled up beneath the safety blanket of The Crimson Eyed Witch.

'And I refuse to let them see such a disgusting sight again.' Naruto thought, resolute.

Her expression was deceptively blank since her face was bare. Her cloak had been destroyed by Obito during their earlier brief struggle, and after they reached Konoha he had gone off about his own business. Perhaps to report whatever he dared to, to the Sandaime. Naruto was sure she would be hearing of it later.

The blonde blinked, turning away from the brick wall she had been staring at for quite some time, facing the presence she had sensed following after her and had decided to ignore as she sorted through her thoughts.

"Heya sexy ass." Anko greeted with a wicked grin. "Long time no see huh? Whaddyou doin' staring at walls like that?"

'What are you doing watching me watch walls like that?' The blonde thought flatly.

"And here I thought you don't watch walls in your free time." The Snake Mistress taunted.

"Anko-san." Naruto greeted blankly, tilting her head ever so slightly as she allowed her irises to bleed devil red, glowing menacingly in the moonlight. "Truthfully I was deciding if the hassle of being given to T&I would be worth seeing what you look like after your body's been split open."

The Snake Mistress' mouth fell agape as she gaped at the taller woman. Naruto's head righted itself, but her eyes remained their cruel vermillion hue, even if her face revealed absolutely nothing towards what lied within. After several long beats of silence and quite a bit of wicked inward glee on Naruto's part, Anko seemed to regain her bearings. The purple haired tokubetsu Jōnin shook her head, puffing her cheeks up in an obnoxiously cute pout.

"Like that's gonna work on me a second time!" She exclaimed, pointing at Naruto accusingly. "That damn pervy cyclops put everybody in the know about how full of it you are. So why don't you give that crazy act a rest huh? There's only room for one crazy bombshell in Konoha, and that's me!"

Naruto almost scoffed in amusement, but she at least had enough control not to do so in front of people that weren't Obito or Jiji. She was not going to slip up the way she did like last time when she'd "gone out for drinks" with the Jōnin.

"I'm not sure what you mean by that," Naruto offered in a dead tone. "But it's unimportant, goodbye Anko-san."

Naruto made to leave the alleyway (and my she seemed to walk into those quite often didn't she?), but of course Anko was not going to make it that easy for her.

"Hold it!" The Mitarashi huffed, her hand darting after the blonde like a snake, clamping around Naruto's bandaged wrist with all the gentleness of an iron cuff. "Why are you always blowing people off? Seriously, what's your problem?"

Naruto had allowed her eyes to fade back to their normal blue, and she turned her head, offering an expressionless look to the shorter woman.

"Let go." The blonde said.

"No way." Anko shook her head. "I haven't seen you since before you started teaching those brats with our senpai, and the last thing you did was diss me in front of a bar full of people!"

Naruto roughly pulled her arm from Anko's grip, causing the other woman to stumble slightly, not expecting such an effortless show of brute strength.

"So what then?" Naruto asked, turning to face Anko again. "You didn't greet me as if you were upset about that, so what do you want?"

"It's amazing how you talk like your vocal chords can't produce anything but flatness, but you seriously have no actual chill." Anko grumbled, shoving her hands into her tan coat pockets before sobering again, offering a shrug. "I was surprised when I caught your scent earlier. So I followed you. Before I did, I was on my way to meet up with some of our senpai, I wanted to know if you would come."

Naruto truly wondered why Anko would even want to ask her something like that after— as the woman had already said, the last time they'd spoken, the blonde had dissed her in front of a bar full of people.

How had that gone again? Anko had been demanding to know why Naruto had nearly smiled, and why she refused to interact with people, and the blonde had responded quite darkly.

Anko flinched and stumbled back as Naruto's eyes flashed red, slicing into her face.

"I smiled," Naruto continued emotionlessly, eyes still a cruel vermillion hue, "Because I was thinking about how fun it would be to see what your insides look like."

Naruto turned away again and walked off, no one seeing her expression as she released a small chilling chuckle, form flickering in the night.

Yeah.

Naruto had intended to unsettle everyone enough that they would no longer attempt to interact with her beyond what was strictly necessary on a professional level. Apparently Anko didn't catch the memo or just didn't care. Shocking, considering from what Naruto remembered of the woman from her own world, the Snake Mistress didn't take well to people offending her.

'So why is she so determined to get me to open up?' Naruto thought, wanting to sigh in exasperation. 'It's nice to see the kindness people can have within them, but I really would do better without others trying to mess with how I operate.'

Naruto had a reason for doing things the way she did, she just wished others would leave it at that and let her.

"So?" Anko prompted, pulling the blonde from her thoughts. "You gonna keep trying to creep me out by staring like a dead fish or are you hitting the bar with me? You could be my plus one~"

That last bit was said in a sing-song voice that immediately had Naruto walking off. Anko sputtered and followed after her, grabbing her arm again.

"Seriously!" She exclaimed. "No fucking chill. How do you manage to look that dead in the face?"

'Sheer force of will.' Naruto thought blandly, pulling her arm away from Anko again, though the woman had expected it and managed to stay upright the second time around.

The sword wielding woman took long fluid strides towards home, stifling the urge to roll her eyes when she felt a flicker of familiar chakra, and suddenly it wasn't just Anko following her.

"What's this? Shisui?" Anko greeted with a cutting grin. "What do you want?"

"Kurenai-san was a little worried after you didn't show up fifteen minutes late as usual. I was walking by the bar and she was standing outside waiting for you. After telling me what was wrong I offered to hunt you down." He explained with an easygoing shrug, offering Naruto a friendly smile. "Hi by the way, Naruto."

"Shisui." The blonde acknowledged blankly.

"What am I, a kid?" Anko scoffed, hitching a thumb at Naruto before continuing with, "I got a little distracted when I scented sexy blonde over there in the night so I followed her. I wanted to see if she'd come drink with me and the squad."

"Ah, I see." Shisui hummed. "No wonder you're so late, I'd ignore an invite from you too."

"What!?" Anko shrieked, drawing a kunai like lightning. "What's that supposed to mean? And how dare you assume I was harassing her after she blew me off! I so was bringing her with me!"

'No, you are 'so' lying through your teeth right now.' Naruto inwardly snorted.

"That's an amazingly detailed rebuttal from someone who apparently had something in the bag." Shisui sing-songed, his perfect white teeth put on display as he smiled winningly.

Anko looked about ready to flay him with her kunai.

"As great as this is," Naruto began dryly. "I'm leaving. Goodnight."

"Hm? Well okay, later Naruto." The Uchiha waved.

"Awww what? No!" Anko whined, whirling on Shisui when she realized Naruto absolutely would not be swayed. "Look what you did stupid hair now she doesn't want to come anymore. Go annoy some other badass tokubetsu and their plus one would ya?"

"Stupid hair?" Shisui echoed, huffing with obvious amusement. "I'll have you know that these curls have panty melting charisma."

"I'll believe it when I see it, you know damn well you have zero game." Anko sneered, shoving her kunai at him accusingly.

Shisui held up his hands in a disarming manner and chuckled.

"You're just saying that but you know I'm hot." He offered wryly.

"Not as hot as Naruto, who blew me off because of you!"

"Keep telling yourself that, though you know, I admire people with vivid imagination…"

"WHY YOU—"

Wisely, Naruto shunshined halfway home before she did something she'd regret, like snort.

The blonde reappeared atop a teahouse, schooling her features completely because her mouth had been twitching ever so slightly, and then she flickered again.

"Those two are a couple of clowns." The blonde muttered, landing atop the behemoth tree branch that served as her home's front porch.

'And that's dangerous.' Naruto thought, letting herself into her home, sensing Obito's chakra in her bedroom. 'I'll have to be a little more cutthroat, they seem to have gotten a little used to how I am.'

And that just wouldn't do, because if they got closer Naruto would begin to falter and doubt herself even more than she already did. She didn't have time for such things. She would have to strengthen her resolve. It would be better for everyone if she remained separate within their ranks. Of course she already knew that, but it didn't hurt to remind oneself of previous intentions.

Naruto walked into her bedroom, unsheathing her sword and sliding it into the slot built into the floor for it so that it stood straight up.

Obito was lounging on her bed, seeming to be reading a scroll as he snacked on a skewer of dango. Obsidian eyes slid away from the bleached parchment and met sapphire orbs. There was no trace of his earlier turmoil on his face, and Naruto imagined her own visage appeared much the same. Unruffled.

Wordlessly, Obito held out his half eaten dango skewer, and Naruto moved closer, bending slightly and taking a bite out of his treat. The sweet fried dough and mild topped syrup melted across her taste buds as Obito pulled the skewer from between her lips, bringing the food back to his mouth and taking another bite of his own.

His dark eyes went back to the scroll as Naruto straightened up, chewing and walking off, beginning to disrobe so she could take a shower like he so obviously had.

The blonde showered for twenty minutes, dried her hair, brushed her teeth, and then walked back to her bedroom to put on undergarments and a t-shirt paired with shorts. She made her way to her sword after the fact, plopping down and leaning her back against the cold metal. The blonde would have crossed her arms, but suddenly Obito tossed her the scroll he had been reading through.

"What's this?" Naruto muttered, blue eyes already roving over the immaculate kanji.

"A contract between myself and Rasa." Obito answered. "You'll find like I mentioned before that he's interested in an alliance with us."

Naruto's blue eyes pierced his face.

"Suna is already allies with Konoha." She stated.

"Come now Naruto," Obito smirked. "How much was that worth in your world? You know me better than that, this is better than a political front. Keep reading."

With a quiet huff the blonde did so, her eyebrows raising slightly at the blood seal she noticed once reaching the bottom. The seal bound in blood with chakra ensured that Rasa and Obito would remain allies, or the hand they bled with to sign would be forfeited to the shinigami.

"This is such an old custom." Naruto murmured, rolling the scroll up and tossing it back to him. He caught it with one hand and sucked it up into his Kamui dimension with a warped mass of swirling energy a moment later. "Swearing loyalty to the shinigami with blood, where did you even find out how to replicate such a thing?"

Naruto had of course studied fuīnjutsu extensively so that she could travel back in time, and the Great Sage's gift of "comprehending all universal things" had helped her absorb such knowledge with frightening precision, so she knew of some of the more obscure sealing methods.

"Well, Madara didn't just let me stare at his pretty face all day long all those years ago. He did actually train me, you know." Obito said flippantly, but his eyes were closed off. He didn't want to say any more.

Naruto couldn't blame him, and she would never ask him to relive those days, because he hated the person he had become under that monster's tutelage. Naruto knew all too well the feeling of despising oneself. She would never intentionally dredge up such feelings in another.

"I see." The blonde intoned. "Well, you did well. From what I read you and Rasa have a deal. You scratch his back, he scratches yours. That's good, and if you keep him alive like you swore to on that paper I won't have to worry about Orochimaru wearing his face during the chūnin exams."

As a revenant during the war his gold dust abilities had been nothing to scoff at, and though Naruto aimed to never see that destruction unfold within this world, Konoha would do well to have someone with that power truly in their corner.

"Ah yes," Obito hummed, laying on his back and staring up at the ceiling. "One less life lost but you'll lose the edge of knowing what's going to happen. What will Orochimaru do to infiltrate if Rasa isn't maggot food?"

"Are you insinuating leaving Gaara and his siblings to become orphans is something I should be doing?" Naruto asked, her voice dangerously calm as her eyes narrowed.

Obito didn't even bother to look at her as he snorted sardonically.

"Of course not. Though that guy isn't much of a dad by any sense of the word, I can see why you'd want to keep him alive." The Uchiha said, folding his hands behind his head. His neck shifted so his eyes could meet Naruto's. "I'm simply saying that if you're going to keep changing things, you need to prepare for the backlash of those changes. Keep in mind that an equal amount, or even more lives could be lost messing with a timeline like that."

"I'm much too far in to be having second thoughts now." Naruto pointed out, though she did incline her head, acknowledging his advice. "But I hear you. Let Orochimaru wear another face then, as I'm sure he will. And when he comes I'll be ready."

Obito grinned sharp and cruel, dark eyes twinkling.

"Then I'll do my part as your faithful little spy and make sure things go like you want."

"Hmph." Naruto closed her eyes, a tiny upturn lifting her lips as she crossed her arms. "Then I guess I need to get started preparing those brats for what's to come."

"I guess you do." Obito answered.

They lulled into companionable silence. And she was fine with that, she was quite tired after the day's events anyway, she could really use some sleep. Her eyes remained peacefully closed, but still her thoughts whirled slightly.

'I've changed a lot of things…'

Perhaps not for the better, and if such was true, even still those kids would be made into a force to be reckoned with. Why? So that they never knew the suffering that Naruto's own precious people had.

With those thoughts still drifting about her mind, Naruto fell slowly into slumber.

She stood atop a great towering segment of rock that overlooked a grand stretch of dusty wasteland. Land that had been turned into a mass grave during the war. Her few remaining comrades, they were somewhere below, licking their wounds.

There was barely anyone left. Though that wretched Rabbit Goddess Kaguya was no more, they hadn't won a damn thing.

Too many bodies was the price for their "victory".

Naruto looked down at her right hand. It was paler than her own skintone, the nails perfectly manicured. She remembered the owner of such a lovely hand crumbling to dust, standing beside another girl with pearlescent all seeing eyes who also fell to nothingness for the sake of their "victory".

A dry, death smelling breeze whispered through Naruto's wild hair, and she turned, sensing a disturbance in the atmosphere. She sensed a familiar power to the one she had absorbed.

Azure blue met seafoam green.

"Gaara." Naruto greeted, her voice hoarse from past battle cries and despaired screams.

"Naruto." He returned, his voice soft.

He moved closer, and the little hairs on Naruto's arms stood on end at the pure power he held within him. He carried a piece of the Rabbit Goddess inside him. Just like Sasuke did. Just like Naruto did. They had absorbed her in order to kill her. Kaguya was gone, but a part of her wicked existence lived on within them.

The redhead moved closer, his porcelain face blank. Even still there was a galaxy of pains just behind his glass-like eyes. Naruto's own eyes mirrored that pain.

"What do we do now Naruto?" Gaara asked.

Naruto's eyes squeezed shut, hearing the helplessness, the defeat behind that smooth baritone. And she knew.

She knew she had to fix this. She had to find a way, to do something so that this pain would never reach the heart's of her precious ones. It didn't matter how long it took, how hard she had to try, or what she had to do. Naruto would take this pain out of the people she loved. She would let them know happiness and true peace.

Blue eyes opened, and she was staring at Gaara again. She said nothing, simply opening her arms. Gaara walked forward into them without hesitation. It was so very unlike him, they both knew, but even still he hugged the one that had shown him hope, and determination, and love.

And he wept.

Naruto held Gaara, but she did not cry. Her heart screamed and begged for peace but her eyes did not weep.

What she felt inside… if only she had been stronger. If only. Naruto knew she deserved far worse than such suffering. She should have saved them. They had believed in her.

If only...

That's how Sasuke found them hours later, locked in each other's arms.

Naruto looked at her brother in all but blood over Gaara's shoulder. Sky and midnight locked. Naruto could sense that wretched ancient power of the moon goddess within Sasuke as well.

They all could sense it. It was now a shared burden between the three of them.

After a short pause, Sasuke seemed to see something in her eyes. He tilted his head slightly in question. But he didn't verbalize anything.

Naruto just stroked Gaara's hair as the slightly shorter shinobi hugged her.

The blonde wondered what Sasuke saw when he looked at her. Wondered if he knew what she had decided to do.

'I will find a way.' Naruto thought. 'I'll find a way to turn back time!'

Unfortunately time would soon crush that resolve as well, and Naruto would fail her world yet again.

If only...

Naruto woke with a start.

She sat on the floor of her treehouse bedroom, her back against the flat side of her claymore as it stood erect within the specialized slot made for it in the floorboards. The sunshine blonde uncrossed her arms as her eyes met Obito's. He was laying on his side across from her, sleeping in the bed she rarely used, clothed only in a pair of black sweatpants. His hair was wild and his eyes slightly narrowed, telling her he had only awakened at the sound of her startling from sleep.

Even though he was freshly awakened, his eyes were as shrewd as they ever were, seeing her in ways she both appreciated and despised. The understanding was simultaneously comforting and maddening.

She ripped her eyes away from his.

"You look bitter, Naruto." Obito greeted in a sleep roughened voice.

'I am bitter.' She wanted to snap, but instead she stretched her arms and then got to her feet.

"I've just remembered something." The blonde muttered, running a hand through her wild mane. "And I've decided it's time to take the kiddy gloves off."

"Oh?" Obito rose a single brow at her, resting the side of his face in his hand as his elbow dug into the bed's mattress. "From the way you were talking last night I assumed you were already going to do that. You know, get the squirts ready for the exams and a possible invasion from Sound?"

Naruto allowed herself a faint sigh as she made her way towards her closet to get dressed. She didn't want to talk about it any more. But oh. It looked like the blonde wouldn't have to. Her previous foul mood was smoothed down by the sight of a brand new black cloak hanging amongst her usual clothing.

"Oh?" Naruto hummed, annoyed at herself because she was quite delighted by the gesture, even if she had basically demanded that Obito get her a new cloak for destroying her old one.

The blonde looked over her shoulder, rolling her eyes because Obito looked like the cat with the canary, stretched out across her bed as he peered at her.

"You're welcome." He grinned, entirely obnoxious.

Naruto scoffed.

"You ripped my other cloak in two." She deadpanned. "I am not thanking you for this."

He shrugged and stood up, sauntering out of the room with a jaunty little wave.

"I'm going to make breakfast." He declared.

'Honestly…' Naruto shook her head and went back to getting ready.

Sometimes it was hard to be anything other than amused by Obito. Though she often felt undeserving of such light and refreshing breaches in her gloomy existence, Naruto would never pretend not to appreciate it.

She dressed in her usual tar colored bodysuit adorned with light pitch colored armor at her chest, thighs, and shins. Her sandals were attached to her suit, the soles simple, thick, white two inch heels. Pitch colored shoulder guards that had a brown strap running from her left shoulder to her right hip completed the look, and Naruto grabbed her new cloak, sitting down after digging her sealing kit out from beneath her bed.

She would adorn this new cloak with the same seals her white cloak had been imbued with. The seals that allowed no light to reach her face, and obscured her expression in shadows, hiding it.

Once she was done she stood, throwing the cloak on with a flourish and a small smirk that she forced herself to smear away.

Naruto grabbed her sword and sheathed it across her back. The blonde went to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth, changing the bandages on her right hand as they were stained with sealing ink.

After another few minutes of wrapping up her morning grooming the smell of food drew her from her bathroom and then her bedroom. Naruto walked out into her treehouse's living room/kitchenette. Obito has made himself at home at the kitchen island where he was munching of a plate of eggs, bacon and toast. He had set out another plate for Naruto.

"Took you long enough." He muttered, mouth full of buttery toast.

Naruto didn't dignify that with a response. Instead of sitting down she stood and began eating her food.

"Why do you always do that?" Obito grumbled.

"If I'm not comfortable I'll move faster and start my day faster." She said.

"It's unhealthy." He pointed out.

"I doubt I'll really have to worry about it." Naruto deadpanned.

He wasn't one to beat a dead horse, so he simply polished off his meal and chugged down the glass of orange juice he'd poured for himself.

Naruto quickly followed his example, taking both of their plates and glasses to the sink to clean off later.

"So," Obito began. "I talked to the old geezer after we got back yesterday, before I went to pick up your new cloak…"

Naruto closed her eyes, wanting to sigh but restraining herself. She was comfortable with Obito yes but perhaps maybe a little too much. She felt as if she needed to cut back a little on indulging herself.

"You're not one to beat around the bush, what did he say?" The blonde asked, turning around to look at him. She hadn't pulled her hood up, and he was turned around on his stool so his back wasn't to her.

"Of course he wants to speak with you." The Uchiha offered with a sneering grin.

Truly it was amazing how cruel he could appear. Naruto idly wondered if he ever had the same sort of fleeting thoughts about her mask as well.

"Well I'm not going to break my neck to go soothe his ego." Naruto said. "We'll speak when I'm good and ready. He's been pushing me too much and I want him to think about how it affects me."

"I see." Obito said, tilting his head slightly. "But you know Naruto, even if you're avoiding him you're still giving him his way by training the kids even after you told him how much you didn't want to."

"I'm aware of that." Naruto huffed, frowning slightly. "But that doesn't change the fact that he was right. They need guidance so that they can combat the things I've seen, things their Jōnin sensei are not prepared to teach them at the moment. I've known that from the start, I just hate the fact that he was so willing to underhandedly get his way and manipulate my feelings."

"Oh?" Obito's brows rose.

"Of course if he'd simply let me work through my feelings from the beginning I would've still done what he'd asked, because I know what needs to be done." Naruto said, crossing her arms. "I needed time he wasn't willing to give. And while I understand why he did things the way he did, that doesn't mean I appreciate it in any sense of the word."

"Ah." The Uchiha realized, giving her a wry look. "You can be so childish sometimes Naruto."

"I don't want to hear that from you, Obito." She intoned, making her way towards the door and ignoring his dismissive scoff.

"Wait," He called as she opened the door. "Where's the coat I left here before I went off to Suna?"

He meant the coat she had borrowed to wear when she had "gone out for drinks" with her fellow Jōnin. My how amusing it had been to watch them wonder about it.

"It's in the back of my closet." She called over her shoulder. "Be warned, it might smell like stale cigarettes and beer."

"What the hell—"

Wiping yet another smile off of her face, Naruto closed the door after herself and took to the trees.

Naruto stood in training ground three, her hood up, hiding her face in impossible shadows as she waited.

She had sent a shadow clone to each of the Jōnin she had already collaborated with previously and told them to bring their genin to the training grounds for a "special" branch of training. The clone had ensured the sensei that this training would not interfere with their usual training regimens after today, as it would be done after normal team exercises and D-ranks.

Kurenai arrived with team eight first.

"What!" Kiba bellowed, aggrieved. "You again!?"

"K-Kiba-kun…" Hinata protested weakly. "That's r-rude."

Shino appeared more stiff in the shoulders than usual at the sight of her, and Kurenai just stared, wondering what this was all about.

"Well, hello again Naruto-san." The red eyed woman greeted, obviously wary, but willing to give the taller woman the benefit of the doubt.

'Well, that's better than the blatant distrust from before.' The blonde thought dryly.

Asuma arrived next, lit cigarette hanging between his lips as team ten trailed after him like little ducklings.

"Yo, Naruto." Asuma greeted gruffly, raising a lazy hand in greeting.

"Hello." The hidden blonde intoned.

"N-Naruto-san. Oh…. hi…" Ino offered, obviously not ecstatic to see the cloaked woman.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets with a thoughtful frown.

Choji nervously retrieved a bag of BBQ chips from the pouch around his waist and opened them. All the genin moved closer and began to get reacquainted with one another.

"So you guys have met Naruto-san too huh?" Kiba offered, Akamaru whining from atop his partner's head at the mention of the obvious alpha female in question.

"Yeah, and judging by the look on your face you guys had a blast learning under her too." Ino complained, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder.

Shino snorted faintly and Shikamaru muttered another 'troublesome'.

"She told me I have a big mouth and if I didn't shut it she'd cut off Hinata's head." Kiba said, shuddering at the memory of those chilling, glowing blue eyes.

"Oh my god." Choji gasped, abhorred.

"No," Shino piped up, stopping the gossip before it could start. "She informed you that speaking and acting without thought have consequences, and that you should be mindful of that. She was simply using that threat on Hinata-san as an example for what can happen when you are thoughtless. You can put your allies in danger."

"Yeah yeah, same diff." The Inuzuka huffed, waving away the bug user's "nagging".

Shino pushed his glasses further up his nose, a faint crinkle between his eyebrows.

"You shouldn't be so dismissive of others." He pointed out. "That's just as dangerous as being thoughtless."

Kiba's face screwed up with irritation, but he didn't argue with the taller boy this time. Instead he crossed his arms huffily and muttered "yeah yeah I know".

'Oh?' Naruto thought, impressed. 'Maybe they really were paying attention...'

"W-well, I'm h-happy to see you all again." Hinata stuttered, a faint rose in her cheeks as she smiled at team ten.

"Yeah, good to see you." Choji smiled, munching on his chips.

"Seriously?" Kurenai suddenly huffed. "Where is that blasted Hatake?"

"Of course that lazy bastard is late as usual." Asuma chuckled, taking a drag off of his cigarette.

"I don't want to hear about laziness from you." The red eyed beauty sniffed, turning her nose up.

Asuma blushed, rubbing at the back of his head sheepishly. Naruto said nothing, as she sensed three new chakra signatures growing near. Little didn't anyone else know, Kakashi had been the first one on the training grounds, even before Naruto herself had arrived, and he was hidden in the trees. Had she been anyone else, she would not have sensed him, just like Asuma and Kurenai hadn't.

'Kakashi truly is in a league of his own. Kind of amazing considering he's grown weaker during peace time, and he has yet to reach his full potential as a shinobi…'

"HEY!" Menma's boisterous voice greeted, pulling the older Uzumaki from her musings. "Looks like the gang's all here!"

"Menma would you pipe down!?" Sakura roared, taking a swing at his head as they neared. The orange garbed boy ducked under her swing while laughing and darted away from her, hiding behind Kiba.

Sasuke took his sweet time following after his teammates with his hands in the pockets of his white shorts.

"Hey man, how's it hanging?" Kiba greeted, turning to slap Menma five.

"I can't complain, I had ramen for breakfast." The Uzumaki grinned.

"Always thinking with that black hole—oops, I mean stomach." The dog user chuckled.

"Ha ha, you're killin' me over here man." Menma retorted dryly.

"Omigosh hiiiiiii Sasuke!" Ino sang, jumping onto the Uchiha's back and sending him stumbling under her weight.

"Ino-pig, get off of Sasuke before you smear mud on him with your hooves!" Sakura yelled.

"Why don't you go absorb sunlight with that solar panel you call a forehead somewhere else Sakura?" The Yamanaka hissed back.

"G-guys, you shouldn't fight…" Hinata squeaked, holding up her hands in a flimsy placating manner.

"Shut up, all of you are such a drag." Shikamaru complained.

"Get off of me!" Sasuke scowled.

"Come on guys, we're all friends here right?" Choji whimpered.

"This is unbecoming of shinobi." Shino stated gravely.

"What the? It's like I haven't taught them anything about manners." Asuma grumbled, watching his team and shaking his head.

Kurenai crossed her arms. Her own team wasn't handling the situation very well either.

'Well, I guess it would be unrealistic to think their base nature would change from one lesson in a few days.' Naruto thought flatly. 'Plus, they are kids. They have a lot of room to grow, which is why I've called them here today anyways.'

She had made it her responsibility to see to it that these children had a future, and god damn her if she didn't. She would not fail again.

"Be silent." Naruto commanded, her voice ice cold, cutting through the chatter of the children like a guillotine through vertebrae.

Without another word the kids snapped their traps shut and shuffled away from one another, turning to look at the cloaked shinobi.

"Naruto-san…" Sakura breathed, her green eyes wide.

Sasuke was scowling of course, and Menma was frowning thoughtfully, as if he didn't know what to make of her.

"Maa maa, did you all decide to start the party without me? How mean."

'Finally decided to show your face, hm Kakashi?' Naruto thought.

The tension was expelled like a poison gas in Wind country. The Copy Ninja was walking into the training grounds the same way everyone else had entered, but Naruto knew he had shunshined over there to appear as if he was late, even though he had been watching their every move all along.

'Sneaky bastard.' The blonde thought.

"Ah, Kakashi. Nice of you to join us." Kurenai said with a scathing smile. "You're only incredibly late. Again."

The silver haired man rubbed at the back of his head with false innocence and offered a sweet smile.

"Maa, sorry. You know what they say about those black cats crossing your path. I had to—"

"Save it. Nobody's buying it, not even you man." Asuma snorted good naturedly, shaking his head.

Kakashi just shrugged.

"Sensei, how could you be so late?" Sakura bemoaned. "And what's going on? Why is the whole rookie nine here?"

"I think you should probably be asking Naruto-san that." Shikamaru pointed out, ever the clever young genius.

"Huh?" Both Sakura and Ino said.

"He's right." Naruto decided to cut in before things could get off track again, moving closer to the cluster of young ninja, not oblivious to the way they tensed at her approach, but not acknowledging it either.

Kakashi went to go stand beside Asuma and Kurenai.

"I had your sensei bring you all here. There's something you must learn." The blonde stated.

Hinata shivered at her dead tone, and Shino stepped forward, picking up on his teammate's discomfort.

"If I may ask, what are we here to learn Naruto-san?" The Aburame asked.

"You are about to find out." She informed them all, turning to look with hidden eyes at her fellow elites. "I'm going to have to ask you all to move to the sidelines. And no matter what... do not interfere."

"What?" Kurenai was understandably alarmed. "What are you planning to do? Obviously we won't like it if you feel the need to tell us to back off in advance."

"Yes, but I assure you what I'm about to do is quite necessary, and you will not get in my way, or I will use authority given to me by the Sandaime Hokage himself to enact disciplinary measures." Naruto said.

Quite frankly she was lying through her teeth, Hiruzen had given her no such authority to punish them should they interfere, but they didn't know that. And if they decided to ask? Despite the blonde's recent falling out with the old man she was certain he'd play along. If only because she was doing what he had wished from the beginning and teaching the genin.

"Sensei, what's going on?" Sasuke demanded, his hackles raised as he threw a look at Kakashi.

The droopy eyed man looked up from his pervy little book.

"What are you looking at me for?" He asked carelessly. "Shouldn't you be preparing for the training Naruto-san is about to give you?"

Menma's and Sakura's mouths fell open. Sasuke looked about as taken aback as he would allow himself to be.

"Is this guy for real?" Kiba gaped.

"I… I think he is." Ino squeaked, paling.

"Kakashi!" Kurenai exclaimed. "You can't honestly be willing to go along with this nonsense?"

"You heard Naruto, Kurenai." Asuma sighed, lighting a new cigarette and answering in the stead of his fellow lazy comrade. "We don't get a say in this. The old man gave her the power to shut us down if we try. We'll have to bite our tongues on this one."

"This is ridiculous." Kurenai stated, looking between him and Kakashi (who had gone back to reading) incredulously. "You must know that."

"I doubt Naruto would do something she didn't think they could handle, no matter how it looks, or how much it might stress us out to see." The Sarutobi pointed out, blowing out a jet of smoke.

Kurenai shook her head, completely unable to agree with them, but it looked like she wasn't going to actually get in Naruto's way. To which the blonde felt relief for, she'd hate to embarrass the other woman in front of so many people.

"Now that that's settled, I'll ask the sensei to move to the sidelines again." The blonde intoned.

Without a word Kakashi and Asuma shuffled away, Kurenai noticeably hesitating, but she followed behind them all the same.

"I don't like this…" Choji whispered.

"Me neither." Menma huffed, crossing his arms. "There's something fishy about this, and I only needed one time to see how crazy this lady is."

"My insects are disturbed." Shino murmured, adjusting his glasses.

"Silence." Naruto called again, walking across the grass, as silent as a specter before she stood before the children, towering over them.

She could sense the rising fear within their chakra, and she hadn't even done anything yet. Though it didn't disturb her, for she knew their fear was necessary. Better they face a monster that could teach them of the world's horrors in a controlled setting than fall prey to the wild monsters in the field.

Icy blue eyes roved over the wide eyed children standing around her, and she decided she had let them stew in suspense long enough. It was time.

"I taught every team here two lessons when I first met you." Naruto projected tonelessly.

Immediately she was met with confusion, but continued on anyway, knowing soon all would be revealed.

"One thing I taught you was a lesson I felt each of your units needed to be taught specifically." The blonde said. "The second lesson was entwined within the first. And no matter what I taught you, this second lesson was the same for all of you. Though you may already know it, in this case maybe I have only reminded you."

Sakura raised her hand timidly before remembering they weren't in a classroom and that they were all ninja.

"W-what was the second lesson?" The pinkette mumbled.

Everyone seemed relieved that someone had put the question out there, because they had no clue.

"I taught you fear." Naruto said simply.

Many eyes widened at this, and now that it was plainly said, they realized that yes, she had taught them fear. Of course they knew it already, and Sasuke was probably the only one that really knew such a brand of fear so intimately (because of his brother), but it was still new. Even Sasuke hadn't been frozen in terror when he'd confronted Itachi. He'd screamed at his brother, demanding to know why. With Naruto, he felt almost too terrified to breathe.

"So with this, I've taught you all two things. Now I will begin teaching you a third lesson."

"W-what is it?" Choji stuttered.

"To deal with fear." Naruto explained. "It can be possible to force yourself to do something when you're afraid, but if you're so afraid you can't think straight, there's no point. You'll die because you won't be fighting as well as you can, or you'll get someone killed because they were protecting you."

"But what can one do at a time like that?" Shino asked, uncertain.

"If someone is so powerful and they can make us so scared we can't move, how can we win at a time like that?" Ino demanded, frustrated.

"Sometimes you can't." Naruto said simply, shrugging at the horrified looks she received. "You'll be formed into strong and formidable shinobi in due time, but no matter how strong you are there will always be someone somewhere that is stronger."

"So what then?" Kiba spat. "We just have to get our asses kicked or die?"

"It could happen." Naruto allowed. "I won't lie. Any one of you, or possibly all of you could die in the field. Such is the life of a shinobi. But, it is possible to reduce the chance of that happening by learning and training here."

Menma swallowed thickly.

"How's being scared ever gonna help us?" The blonde boy asked. "You're talking like it's good to be scared, even though you said you'll teach us not to be."

"Fear can tell you when to flee. Which is good. Sometimes you have to run, and pride can't be more important than your comrades, life, or mission." Naruto explained. "But I didn't say I would teach you to not be scared. Fear is apart of being human, and no matter what anybody says, a shinobi is human. I said you will learn to overcome it. And when you can't overcome it, you need to be able to operate under it."

"H-how do you overcome or w-work with fear?" Hinata questioned.

There was a pause. The young impressionable ninja stared at the tall cloaked woman in equal parts curiosity and dread.

"Incentive." Naruto stated after a moment. "'What will happen if I don't go on?' You have to ask yourself this when you're afraid. Sometimes that will be enough and you'll stop being scared, other times you will remain afraid or become more afraid at the thought of failure. But, either way, you have to go on until you are no longer allowed to. That's what shinobi do. They endure."

"W-what do you m-mean, 'no longer allowed to'?" Sakura stuttered.

"They only time a shinobi stops fighting and enduring, is when they are dead." Naruto returned blankly. "You will do these things until you can't anymore. You must. That's the way it is."

Sakura nodded meekly in understanding, paling slightly. Naruto grimly hoped none of them ever really had to personally understand.

"Alright," Shikamaru drawled. "What now?"

"Lovely that you ask." Naruto began, taking a single step back so that she wasn't looming over them so threateningly. A false sense of security, and she was determined to make sure that it did not last. Idly Naruto mused about how Kurenai had yet to pipe up. By now the other jonin had to have realized what Naruto had in mind to get them used to true fear.

'I wonder how long Kurenai will hold out once the training really begins?'

"Today, the objective is not to attack me. It is not to retrieve something from me. It is not to understand something that I am telling you." Naruto began. "It is simply to move. I don't care how you do it. Walk, stumble, crawl. Even drag yourself if you have to. But everyone here will move three paces forward from where they are now."

The blonde woman was unmoved by the skeptical looks she received from this.

'Honestly, you'd think by now they'd know nothing will be easy if I'm teaching it.' She thought, inwardly shaking her head.

"Now, we begin." She declared. "Despair, little children."

With that, she released a flood of barbaric intent.

The genin dropped like flies.

Naruto let up the onslaught just enough so that they could register what she was about to say, "No one will leave until everyone has moved forward three times."

She let that sink in for two seconds before her presence smothered them in terror again.

The hairs on her hidden arms raised on end at the resulting screams.

Oh, I don't actually worship Cthulhu, that would be weird.