As The Kyuubi no Yoko in Naruto

Two weeks of training had changed Team Seven's dynamic in ways the academy could never have prepared them for.

The usual progression of D-rank missions - designed to build connections between new genin and their village - had been quietly abandoned after the first few attempts.

The sight of civilians flinching away from Naruto, of mothers hurriedly gathering their children inside, had made the intended community building exercises worse than pointless.

Instead, Kakashi focused on training. Particularly with Sakura, whose textbook-perfect chakra control and completely normal reserves made her both the team's weakest link and its most stable element.

"Again," Kakashi instructed as Sakura attempted to maintain her water-walking while deflecting his thrown senbon. Her control wavered, but held.

From the shoreline, Naruto and Sasuke watched their teammate's progress. Their own training had taken a different direction - less about basics and more about control. Control of very different kinds of power - Kyuubi and Sharinga.

"She's improving," Naruto noted quietly, his voice carrying that careful edge they maintained in public. The warmth in his mind stirred in agreement.

"She has to," Sasuke replied. "She's the only one of us who can interact normally with the village."

That was the unspoken reality of their team structure. While Naruto played the role of unstable weapon and Sasuke acted as his anchor, Sakura had become their connection to normal shinobi life - the one who could talk to merchants, gather information, move through the village without causing panic - for Sasuke and Naruto were practically bound by the hip.

Where Naruto went, Sasuke followed, and vice versa.

"Focus, Sakura!" Kakashi called as another senbon nearly found its mark. "Your enemies won't wait for you to perfect your stance."

The morning sun reflected off the lake's surface as Sakura adjusted her footing, pink hair plastered to her face with exertion.

She was pushing herself harder than she ever had at the academy, driven by the growing awareness of just how far behind her teammates she truly was.

Not in normal skills - there she often excelled. But in the things that really mattered, in the power that made even jōnin wary around Naruto, in the skills that let Sasuke match his movements perfectly...

In those things, she was still just an academy student playing at being a ninja.

Kakashi watched Sakura's training while his mind drifted to yesterday's conversation in the Hokage's office.

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-Flashback

"A C-rank mission?" Kakashi had questioned, his visible eye narrowing. "Lord Third, with all due respect, my team isn't ready. Naruto's condition-"

"Is precisely why they need this," Hiruzen interrupted, pipe smoke curling in the air between them. "We cannot keep him confined to the village forever, Kakashi. The longer we delay, the more his... instability might grow."

"The D-ranks were abandoned for good reason. The villagers-"

"Are not the only concern." Hiruzen's voice hardened. "Our enemies watch, Kakashi. They see a jinchūriki who never leaves the village walls, who is treated like fragile glass. What message does that send?"

Kakashi remained silent, understanding the implications. A weapon too unstable to use was worse than no weapon at all.

"Besides," Hiruzen continued more softly, "he needs to grow stronger. The seal's evolution, his increasing episodes... we cannot protect him forever. Better he learn to handle himself outside the village now, under controlled conditions."

"And if he loses control? If the Nine-Tails-"

"That's why he has you," Hiruzen's eyes fixed on Kakashi's covered Sharingan. "And the Uchiha boy. And yes, even young Haruno's stabilizing presence. You're not just a team, Kakashi. You're a containment unit."

The words hung heavy in the office air.

"Tomorrow," Hiruzen stated with finality. "I'll have an appropriate C-rank prepared. Something straightforward, but far enough from the village to test his limits."

Kakashi bowed, recognizing the order beneath the words. "Yes, Lord Hokage."

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-Present

Now, watching Sakura's determined training, Kakashi wondered if any of them were truly ready for what was coming. But orders were orders, and perhaps the Third was right.

They couldn't keep their unstable weapon caged forever. Eventually, they would have to test its limits.

He just hoped they were all prepared for what those limits might reveal.

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-After training

The Hokage's office felt tense as Team Seven assembled. Sakura stood slightly apart from her teammates, still adjusting to the strange dynamic between them. The Third's eyes lingered on Naruto, assessing his state before speaking.

"I have a mission for your team," Hiruzen began, his tone carefully measured. "Escort duty to the Land of Waves. The client, Tazuna, is a bridge builder requiring protection from bandits during his journey home."

As if on cue, the door opened to reveal an elderly man clutching a sake bottle. His eyes swept over the team, widening slightly at Naruto's presence - someone had clearly warned him beforehand.

"These are my guards?" Tazuna asked, his voice steadier than his grip on the bottle. "They're just kids, and that one..." He trailed off as Kakashi shifted slightly, drawing attention away from Naruto.

"My team is more than capable," Kakashi stated firmly. The warning in his tone was clear - some observations were better left unspoken.

The imprints gathered more densely around Naruto, their forms agitated by something in Tazuna's manner. The warmth in his mind stirred thoughtfully.

"He's hiding something," the voice whispered internally. "His fear isn't just of us."

"The mission should take approximately two weeks," Hiruzen continued, watching Naruto carefully for any reaction. "You'll depart tomorrow morning."

"Two weeks outside the village?" Sakura's voice carried a hint of concern as she glanced at her blond teammate.

"Is there a problem?" the Third asked, though his eyes suggested he knew exactly what her concerns were.

"No, Lord Hokage," Kakashi answered before any of his students could respond. "We'll be ready at dawn."

The walk home from the Hokage Tower was filled with unspoken tension. Sakura kept glancing between her teammates, clearly wanting to voice her concerns but unsure how.

"Two weeks," she finally managed as they reached the point where their paths would separate. "Outside the village, with no..."

She trailed off, not wanting to directly reference the ANBU surveillance or medical supervision that had become part of their daily routine.

"I'll be fine," Naruto said softly, maintaining their careful facade. "As long as..." His eyes drifted to Sasuke, playing up the dependency they wanted others to see.

The warmth in his mind stirred with approval at the performance. "The bridge builder's deception works in our favor, kit. Whatever he's hiding will give us opportunities to... express ourselves more freely."

Sakura watched the wordless exchange between her teammates with growing frustration. There was so much she didn't understand, so many layers to their interaction that went beyond simple friendship or even the trauma bond everyone whispered about.

"We should prepare," Sasuke stated, ending any further discussion. "Meet at the gates at dawn."

As Sakura walked away, the imprints around Naruto became more agitated, their movements suggesting urgent messages they couldn't quite convey.

"They sense something coming," Naruto muttered once Sakura was out of earshot.

"Let it come," the warmth replied internally, a hint of anticipation coloring its ancient voice. "Outside these walls, we'll have more freedom to... adjust our performance."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly, catching the shift in Naruto's expression that suggested internal dialogue. "The old man's taking a risk, sending us out now."

"Or creating an opportunity," Naruto replied, the Nine-Tails' influence clear in his words. "To show exactly what kind of weapon they're dealing with."

Around them, the imprints continued their restless movement, their fear of the Nine-Tails warring with their compulsion to warn of approaching dangers.

Tomorrow would begin a new phase in their elaborate game. The only question was: who were all the players?