Konoha : Naruto's playground

Hatake Kakashi plodded leisurely down the hallway to the Hokage's office. Outwardly, he projected an air of nonchalance and indolence but his mind was another story. His brain was a whirlwind of thoughts, calculating, analysing and revising assumptions and previous conclusions that he had drawn. If someone were to see him as he walked, they would automatically presume that his mind was stuck in the orange book his hand held close to his face.

They couldn't be further from the truth, at least in this instance. Kakashi wasn't one to miss the hints given to him; in the days of his youth he was known as a genius, an up and coming legend, the true son and heir of the one and only White Fang. His lineage, skill and efficiency were shown regularly as he rose through the ranks, making Chuunin at the age of six and Jounin just before his thirteenth birthday. His record was one of achievement after achievement, a golden Shinobi by anyone's definition.

Yet he wasn't perfect and he would be the first one to say as much. His past was a shadow on his mind, ever present no matter where he was or what he was thinking about as if the very world weighed down on his shoulders. The Silver haired Shinobi suffered from his mind lingering in the past, unable to forget and move on from the mistakes he had made. His mind was still formidable though, and he wasn't one to miss even the smallest of things where his field required it.

Naruto had been telling him something. During the test he had gone out of his way to label and expose his student, a 'Genin' by the name of Sai. Kakashi had been handed the pale boy's file when he had been granted a new team and even then there was not much to go by.

Sai was an orphan, having become so due to the Kyuubi attack twelve years prior. His mother and father had been killed living in the outer districts; his father a Chuunin at the time, unremarkable in terms of strength or accomplishment. His mother was a Civilian, the owner of a small beauty salon near the upbeat Market District much further in. The boy himself had been handed over to an orphanage after the attack and from there it was a simple story of sadness and despair as all orphans, Kakashi included, always seemed to acquire.

There was a blip though, one that Kakashi had noticed at the time but hadn't questioned, he had trusted the Sandaime's judgement on the matter implicitly. Sai didn't have a birth name, and whilst unusual, that wasn't what piqued the elite-Jounin's interest. The amateur artist had disappeared off the map at the age of eight. No one had heard from his, talked to him or even seen him until he reappeared in the academy a year ago. Officially, he was simply 'lost' but Kakashi didn't trust that explanation.

If he truly was an ANBU, or taken into the recruitment program when he had disappeared, Kakashi would have known about him. He had been 'lost' a year before the sole heir of the White Fang had handed in his mask, there was simply no way that the boy could have avoided detection whilst accepted into the ANBU training program.

What was he missing here?

Snapping his book shut, he came to a stop outside the Sandaime's door. As he placed his novel back into his utility pouch, he tilted his head to the side, pondering whether to forego the door this time; Hokage-Sama needed to be kept on his toes too after all. Sighing, he Shunshined beyond the door and was met by a very strange sight.

The Hokage's office was a mess, files and documents scattered all over the place. Kakashi went on guard immediately; it looked as if a violent fight had taken place just moments ago. He relaxed when he saw the Hokage's form hunched over a shelf in the far-left corner of the room feverishly searching through the bookcase for something. Folders and portfolios were being thrown with reckless abandon and Kakashi almost gawked at his superior's voracity.

"Ummoo...H-Hokage-Sama?"

Sarutobi jumped in shock. The ex-ANBU captain frowned lightly; what was bothering him so much that he didn't realise that he was in the room?

"K-KAKASHI!"

The venerable Village's leader squawked in surprise, his back still turned.

"KAKASHI! HAVE YOU SEEN MY BALL?!"

The Silver-haired ninja blanched.

"W-What?! S-Sandaime-Sama, I don't swing that wa-"

"KAKASHI!"

The Dog-Summoner stepped back slightly at the urgency in his commander's voice. The elder Shinobi turned around slowly, his left hand clutched tightly over his eye, his mouth a rictus of agony.

"My ball, Kakashi! My seeing ball!"

The elite Jounin's brain went blank, every single piece of information dribbling away like the last vestiges down the drain of a bathroom sink.

"H-Hokage-Sama...you lost your eye?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed despairingly, allowing his hand to fall from his face revealing a perfectly healthy eye in its wake.

"Kakashi...my seeing ball, the one I use to check the Village."

Kakashi began to sweat as he realised what the Sandaime was asking him. His mind kicked back into gear, his thoughts roaring ahead as if in protest of coming to a stop a moment before. Hadn't that been one of Anko's constituents in her test? Naruto should have it and if he had it, that means Anko was most likely to be in possession of the ball. The only problem was, Anko was out of the Village on a mission.

Naturally, the Hatake lied through his teeth.

"Err...No?"

The Sandaime sighed again. Shaking his head, he stood slowly, his old bones groaning from the strain of sitting in one position for too long. As he straightened a small leaf of paper was dislodged from his head and floated down to the ground beside him.

"What can I do for you then, Kakashi?"

The White Fang's son saluted smartly, his back still slouched as a direct contradiction to his action.

"I came to ask why an ANBU member has been placed on my team."

Any fatigue shown in the old Hokage's features disappeared in an instant.

"What do you mean? I was not aware that an operative was part of your squad."

Kakashi strode forward until he was an inch away from the edge of his leader's desk. In one smooth motion he tossed a thin, magnolia folder onto the surface where it slid before coming to a rest right before the Hokage. Sarutobi frowned as he picked it up. The Hatake heir stood quietly as his superior cracked the file open and scanned its contents.

"Codename: Sai. No background after the age of 8. Naruto and I both noticed how his Chakra levels are far above that of most Chuunin and he was capable of ANBU-level stealth techniques."

Sarutobi glanced up, a single greying eyebrow raised in enquiry.

"Naruto?"

"Hai Hokage-Sama. I had Naruto help out with my Genin team's test."

This time it was the Hokage that blanched.

"You did what?!"

"I needed someone who my team had no connection to, someone who could appear and not draw much attention to himself. The test was an alternative to the original bell test; I used all of the important aspects whilst building on the confusion and rivalry that was bound to result. During the course of the test Naruto fought both Uchiha Sasuke and Sai. He immediately concluded that Sai was an operative or on that level. I would like an explanation."

Sarutobi set the file down carefully. He gripped the handle of his high-backed chair and pulled it behind him and then took a seat.

"Konoha are not in the habit of allowing ANBU into Genin teams Kakashi."

"Then what of his abilities?"

Sarutobi stared down at the closed file, his facade a mask of contemplation. Sai was not an ANBU, at least, not officially. Every member admitted to the program came in by his permission and his alone. The twelve year old had never been signed up, and that was something that Sarutobi was not likely to forget; he had sworn never to allow another Itachi into the ranks again.

"I confess that I am confused of you and Naruto's conclusion. Are you sure that he is capable of such things, or are you looking too deeply?"

If Kakashi hadn't had his facemask on he probably would have looked scandalised at that suggestion.

"I'm sure Hokage-Sama. I trust Naruto's judgement too."

The Sandaime stared up at his subordinate, carefully scrutinising his features for any sort of deceit. He wasn't lying; he truly trusted his Sensei's son implicitly. Sarutobi frowned internally at the ever growing question of Uzumaki Naruto's skill. First Shisui had dropped that hint and now Hatake Kakashi, both on or above ANBU Captain Level. His curiosity only increased. What would he find when the impromptu team returned from their mission?

He turned to stare out of the window, the small pane of glass revealing an over cast Konoha, a rarity in mid-summer. At least it wasn't raining, the Sandaime really hated rain.

"This point is moot, Kakashi. As you know, I am the one who signs the acceptance forms for any and all admissions into the ANBU program. I have never signed an acceptance for this child."

Kakashi's frown deepened. Was it possible that a 'Genin' could fool everyone so easily? His mind turned to Naruto, but he dismissed that thought immediately. Naruto was different, both in circumstance and in experience. He could not be compared to anyone else in the Village save the Hatake himself. The only other person he even minutely resembled was Uchiha Itachi, but Sai was nowhere near the two.

If he wasn't an ANBU, where did he learn those skills?

The ex-ANBU Captain was broken from his thoughts by the tired words of his commander.

"Now if you don't mind, Kakashi, I have a seeing ball to find. Do tell me if you hear anything?"

The Silver-haired Jounin sweat-dropped lightly, nodding a little too fast although the Hokage was already caught up in his search once again. Turning he Shunshined out of the room.

"AND USE THE DOOR!"

XXXXXXX

"So...What was that about?"

Anko and Shisui lay side-by-side on the grass of a hillock on the border of Fire Country. The Mitarashi was idly spinning a Kunai on her index finger although her attention was focused on her companion.

"What was what about?"

They had made camp the previous night having made good progress to their destination. In one day they had almost cleared Hi no Kuni, reaching almost to the edge of the mainland. Wave Country's new bridge would be coming up very quickly if they had continued; they were about a half hour's run from the colossal landmark but Shisui wanted his team rested before they moved in.

"You said just before we left, 'Naruto, what are you doing here, I thought you didn't want to...' What didn't he want?"

Shisui was tearing up inside at those words. He'd been putting off telling his friend of the strange conversation between him and Naruto but Anko was a bit more perceptive than he gave her credit for. Rolling onto his side he stared at the purple-haired Jounin.

"What would you do if Naruto ran away from you?"

Anko's eyes widened in shock.

"What are you-"

"What would you do?"

Shisui stared at her with a calculating look in his gaze, one that unnerved the Kunoichi in its intensity.

"W-Why would he run away?"

Shisui sighed before rolling onto his back. He stared up at the puffy, white clouds drifting aimlessly above, the sun shining weakly through. A chill breeze blew through the area, rustling the leaves and grass and swaying the boughs of the trees to their right side.

"When I found out about this mission, I thought that you, Naruto and Kakashi would be the best teammates to pull it off. We all work really well together and we've been training 'Ruto for so long. If anyone could work with us it was him. I got permission from Hokage-Sama so that he could come along, but he warned me.

He warned me that Naruto might act weird if I asked him."

Anko bit her lip in thought, her mind going back to that disastrous mission so many years ago when she had been a rookie ANBU member herself, under Uchiha Itachi. She could vividly picture the sight of a blond child, trembling in fear and shock as a traitorous Konoha Shinobi had been struck down in front of him, his life bleeding away in front of his eyes. She had known that Naruto would suffer adversely from that experience; he had gone into shock, his bastardised Chakra Beacon technique left to spill forth unchecked until he had finally collapsed from Chakra Exhaustion.

She remembered her inhibitions at using a child on one of their missions, even if he wasn't supposed to come into contact with the suspect in the first place. It wasn't something a civilian should witness even one that knew a bit about how to fight. It had been shoved to the back of her mind afterwards, her missions in ANBU affecting her in ways she herself didn't know. The past was long forgotten when she had finally removed her mask and when the trio had saved the Gaki in Iwa, she hadn't paid any attention to the past. She hadn't thought that it was needed, he had fought alongside them displaying amazing techniques for one his age. To all intents and purposes he had buried his frightening past.

She realised now how naive that had been. He hadn't moved on, he had simply bottled it up inside him like a fizzy drink with a mint dropped into it and then the cap screwed tightly to the top. The pressure would build more and more until eventually it would explode; she should have realised the signs for what they were. Throughout his two year training, he had thrown himself into his improvement taking any and all punishment his four 'tutors' had meted out. With reckless abandon, he had met each one head-on, never budging an inch. She had thought it was his determination to get better, to strengthen himself to meet the shadows that always seemed to follow him no matter where he went.

But she was wrong, and she realised that now.

He was running away, escaping from his fears like a mouse from a cat. He was afraid of allowing himself to be caught within the dark clutches of his past, the agony of his mind tearing him apart as each day proceeded. Even if he didn't realise the meaning behind his actions, he was subconsciously shying away from the day he would have to meet his fears for what they were, the culmination inevitable, and he obviously didn't believe he could win.

Anko winced at where her thoughts were taking her and Shisui looked at her with a knowing glint in his eye.

"I can tell you know where this is heading. I remember reading the report for FC2792. You were under Itachi then weren't you?"

Anko nodded mutely.

"I knew what Sarutobi-Sama meant. Naruto would react like he was being used, but I thought that if it was me that asked, then there was a chance he wouldn't react like that."

Shisui sighed as he brought his hands behind his head, his eyes closing as if to accentuate the despair he had felt at the time.

"He took it the wrong way. He thought I had betrayed him..."

The purple-haired Kunoichi sat up straight.

"Wait...you did all this without me an' 'Kashi?"

Shisui winced.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKIN'?! IF YOU THOUGHT IT'D BE BETTER WITH FRIENDS WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US? WE COULD'VE BEEN TH-"

"Yo! What'cha talkin' about?"

Both Shinobi recoiled as Naruto landed right between them, guilt welling up in their souls.

"Err...Nothing Naruto, nothing at all! The sky's nice today, eh?"

Naruto chuckled good-naturedly as he flopped down in the middle of the two, rolling onto his back and staring up at the sky like Shisui. Anko glanced nervously at the Uchiha, but he shook his head slightly.

"Yeah it is!"

The trio fell into an uncomfortable silence, Anko let herself fall back again as she threw an arm over the blonde's shoulder.

"Neh...Naruto."

"Hmm?"

The Konoha Jinchuuriki tilted his head to the side, glancing at the Uchiha from the corner of his eye.

"Why'd you decide to come?"

Naruto turned his head back to the sky, but both Anko and Shisui noticed that his eyes were out of focus. It was like he was looking at something they couldn't see. A sombre mood set in as both waited for his answer.

"I thought..." he began before taking a deep breath and continuing, "I thought that it'd be the same as before...I thought you were using me for the mission just like Jiji did when I was little..."

Anko opened her mouth to respond but he cut her off.

"I didn't realise, ya' know...I didn't realise just how much you guys really meant to me."

Anko smiled softly and she glanced to her right to find Shisui with a similar expression on his face.

"I thought I had a family, a real family. I'd always wanted a family, it was so fun back when I would think Jiji was family...but then I lost it. He used me, and I didn't know what to think..."

Anko rolled onto her right side as she gently ruffled the blonde's soft, golden hair. Shisui seemed to be staring vacantly at the sky, lost in past nostalgia of family gone and forgotten, their voices and smiles an escaping memory in his mind.

"I guess I...I kinda closed off after that. The only other person I regularly talked to left me for something I didn't even do. I had nothing left in Konoha, so I ran away from it all."

The Uzumaki prodigy raised his hand to obscure the weak form of the sun, the dim-yellow orb slightly hidden by the opacity of the thin clouds in front of it. He slowly clenched his fist, tightening his digits as if to take hold of his problems but when he opened them, there was nothing within; a void of melancholy and seclusion seeking to envelop him in its cold clutches.

"Then I met you guys. I didn't know how to react. You were so nice, so kind...I didn't think I could stand it...so the first chance I got, I ran away..."

"...Again..."

Shisui barely caught his whisper as he lowered his eyes from the sky, a larger, darker cloud covering the sun this time throwing the hillock under shadow. He shivered as another breeze went through the area, this time frigid rather than soothing.

"Each time-"he hesitated slightly, scared to carry on and admit his feelings to his friends, "Each time I'd go to a new place, I saw things that would remind me of the things I wanted the most in my life. I saw people who took things as normal that I really wanted! And each time I was reminded that I wasn't the same as them...

Nobody else had a crazy guy out for their lives."

The hillock descended into silence once again; the two elder Shinobi afraid to speak their mind lest they break him from his confessions. It was as if he wasn't even talking to them, like he was trying to face his own ghost from which he had admitted to running away from.

"I thought I'd gotten rid of it-"

He choked slightly, a gasp of grief or laughter.

"I-I was just lying to myself! I was just...

Running away again..."

A single tear rolled down his cheek as he stared up at the sky, the sun totally obscured by the dark cloud in front of it. A small twisting line of dampness trailed its way behind the tear, leaving a path of darker skin on the side of his face.

"When I was running away from you, you said something...you said you were asking me by yourself."

Anko stared at the Uchiha; had he realised the enormity of those words?

"And I realised that it wasn't you guys betraying me that I was running away from. It wasn't 'cause I feared Orochimaru or Madara..."

He sat up abruptly, one hand clenched on each of his friends' arms.

"I was scared of dying. I d-didn't want to die...not yet, not when I didn't make up with TenTen...not when I kept ignorin' Jiji..."

Shisui's eyes flickered in the darkness, the trees swaying ominously in the wind that had picked up from the small periodical breeze. Anko flicked her Kunai once more in a full circle before clenching it tightly in her left hand.

"And I decided that I wasn't going to run away again. I'm gonna face them and when I do, I'm not gonna look back."

Determination settled on his features as he stood, his body uncoiling in one, graceful motion, his right arm flinging out sending a pair of Shuriken whizzing into the trees. A startled cry was heard before two forms dropped from their perch, one holding the sliced side of his sleeve in anger.

Taka appeared on Shisui's right, crouched with a hand gripping the hilt of a standard ANBU Chokuto. Taka's beige cloak fluttered in the wind, the mask flashing in the darkness.

Shisui stuck out his arm to stop the elite Shinobi and Taka glanced at him quizzically. He shook his head.

'Let Naruto handle this.'

The Konoha operative stepped back, releasing the tightly clenched fist from the bandage wrappings covering the hilt of the standard-issue blade. Naruto stepped forward, his challenge apparent to his opponents.

"Hinokimaru, make it quick."

The one holding his sleeve grunted at the deep, growling statement of his companion. He reached forward and clasped his hands in a hand seal. Naruto was already moving before his fingers connected.

Naruto was blown back by the punch that rocked his jaw, the bone chipping by the force of the hit. He landed awkwardly on his side, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.

"Tch Gaki. When I said it was gonna be tough, I meant it."

He couldn't muster the strength to lift his head, an overwhelming fatigue setting within his very soul as he struggled to overcome the pain coursing through his chin.

"You're an amazing fighter kid, I'm not gonna deny it. I've never seen someone so attuned to their element..."

Naruto wearily lifted his head an inch, gazing blearily at his 'teacher' as she stared down at her fist, her trench coat swaying against a backdrop of greenery and water. It was deceptive; a calm and cooling environment for the harsh lesson imparted upon him.

Anko spat to the side.

"It ain't gonna work for ya', I can tell ya' that now. You just ain't suited for Hebiken. Looks like we're gonna have to make you your own style..."

Naruto rolled onto his side, one hand clutching his injured jaw whilst the other pushed him to his knees. He managed to ground out a few words through the haze of pain clouding his mind.

"A new...style?"

Anko turned and stared up at the swaying oak trees common to Fire Country. The midday sun bathed her face in comfortable warmth as the wind shifted slightly.

"Kaze..."

She strode up to the tree, her fist flashing out as she struck the thick bark. The surface cracked as her knuckle sank into the wood, splinters flying around her from the force of the punch.

Naruto could only stare as she cursed in pain, wrenching the appendage free from the hole, her knuckles abused and bleeding. She faced him again, her hand held up to her face as blood ran down the back and dripped from her arm.

"I'm not that good at usin' Wind Chakra, but I just had this idea. At your level, you should be able to power your strikes with Wind just like you would when you throw your Wakizashi."

She walked forward, pulling a roll of bandages from under her trench coat and wrapping it around her bruised hand.

"Get up."

Naruto stood shakily to his feet. He teetered forward uncertainly until he came to a stop in front of the damaged tree. Raising his fist, he concentrated, forming a focal point of Wind Chakra at the base of his elbow. In a burst of frightening speed, he struck.

Chunks of wood were blown clear of the bark, a gaping hole left in the wake of his punch. He cradled his fist as the first stabs of pain tore through his body.

"...Whoa...it worked..."

He turned to face his purple-haired friend.

"We'll call it..."

"Kazeken."

The scruffy ninja was sent flying backwards, parallel to the ground as he slammed, head-first into the side of a tree. He gave a strangled cry before falling quiet, his body crumpling on his side as it fell.

"ARGH! Crap! That hurt!"

The blond cradled his arm as he fought the pain in his knuckles. There was nothing to protect his fist from the violent force when hitting an opponent. He really needed to do something about that.

His companion looked on in shock; this...boy had defeated Hinokimaru in an instant. The Jounin had fallen to a single punch. Just how strong was this kid?

Naruto sprang forward, his back bent low to the ground as he ran, his hands speeding through seals too fast for the other man to see.

"Suiton: Teppodama."

The man was forced to avoid the water cannonball, narrowly missing taking his head off from the force of its movement. The man swung back around, the ends of his slashed Iwa headband creating a circle in the air.

"Doton: Doryuudan!"

The man flung out his arms as a large earth dragon formed beside him, roaring towards the blond. The man recoiled as the boy was nowhere to be found.

He was suddenly pulled under the ground, his arms wheeling wildly as the earth covered him from every side leaving his head alone untouched. He recognised the technique; it was a Shinju Zanshu, a D-Rank, close range Ninjutsu. How had he fallen to such a simple technique? Rage boiled up within him, the other Shinobi hadn't even joined in, and they were just standing there watching as if to mock him at his attempts to take down the kid.

He roared his frustration to the sky as the earth spat him out, his Earth Affinity displayed for all to see. With a sudden, sinking feeling in his stomach he realised his mistake; the brat had been waiting for him to escape.

It was his plan.

"DAMN IT MOROKI! GET THE HELL DOWN HERE!"

His shout was cut off as a Rasengan slammed into his torso, the blow sending him spinning through the air and out of sight. Shisui snapped into motion, his arm raised in a silent hand signal.

'SCATTER!'

Anko, Shisui and Taka scattered, just before a massive chunk of rock crashed into the ground where they had been standing. It was closely followed by another Iwa Shinobi, another missing-nin.

"R-Rasengan..."

Naruto turned at his awed voice, but he didn't even have a chance to move as the deadly effectiveness of the Konoha ANBU reared its head. The brown-haired man was taken out in three consecutive moves. He stood no chance.

He crouched, a Doryuuheki spewing from his mouth as Anko's Kunai sunk up to its hilt in the makeshift wall. The man spun on his heel, his hands already holding the last seal of another Jutsu.

"Ninpou: Iwa Nadare!"

Rocks tumbled down from the peak of the hillock, but he was too slow. Shisui's illusion took hold right before he was pierced through by Taka's Chokuto. One of the rocks struck the ANBU operative and for a moment, Taka's form was obscured by smoke, only to clear as the Shinobi pulled the sword from the missing-nin's body.

Shisui sighed as he glanced at Taka, he turned and regarded the other two.

"Everybody alright?"

Naruto nodded as he jumped, landing right beside the Uchiha. Shisui bent down and fingered Moroki's Hitai-ite. He punched the ground in frustration.

"Okay, we've been seen. We're going to have to get a move on straight away. Here's the plan. We'll move into Wave and see if we can gather as much information as we can. Once we've done that we'll decide how to proceed. Any questions?"

Naruto glanced at Anko questioningly as she shifted.

"Shisui...What's the main mission?"

Shisui snuck a glance at the twelve year old.

"I'll tell you guys when we get there. It'll be safer that way."

As the team of four prepared to move, the ANBU operative in the trees frowned lightly. Had Shisui realised the significance of what he had seen? Taka hoped he hadn't. It wouldn't do to blow cover just yet, especially when the Hokage had stressed the utmost secrecy in the matter. The Uzumaki's ability was astounding; he had taken out two Jounin with ease, coming out without a scratch on his person. He used his techniques sparingly, to devastating effect. Taka hoped to never face the Jinchuuriki in a one-on-one fight ever. His skill with seals combined with the Taijutsu and Ninjutsu proficiency he had shown were the makings of a powerful Shinobi. His opponents may not have been strong Jounin, as they were from Iwa, nevertheless he had proved himself very capable in that kind of situation.

As Taka bent to spring after the team, Taka saw Shisui-Taicho glance back at the kid, a proud smile stretched across his features. Anko too, wasn't doing anything to hide the appreciation for his explosive display.

The beginnings of a very detailed report. But first, Taka had some bodies to remove.

XXXXXXXX

TenTen gasped at the huge bridge that signalled the start of Nami no Kuni. The large, golden roof over shadowed the two red pillars holding it up, a square, metal sign attached to the top bearing the proud name of the landmark of Wave.

The Naruto and Kaiza Bridge

Welcome, all ye travellers,

May your pride and hope increase,

Just as ours in our time of need.

"N-No...way..." She breathed. What had Naruto done to merit the bridge of a whole country, the very symbol of a prosperous trading nation, being named after him? What had he done in his absence from Konoha?

A dull, throbbing sadness rose up in her throat, her thoughts a whirlwind of emotion as she stood staring at the word that caused her so many sleepless nights. It just wasn't possible; it was probably a different Naruto...

How many people were named Naruto in the world? There was only one in Konoha.

She shook her head in awe as she turned to find her team staring at her a few metres away. Only Gai-Sensei seemed to realise the consequences of the bridge's namesake. He winked at his female student.

"Yosh! Let us move forward with the flames of our youth! Lee! You take point!"

Lee saluted enthusiastically, before taking off in a dead run towards the opposite side of the bridge, a large dust cloud trailing behind him. Neji coughed and waved a hand in front of his face as he struggled to inhale a clean breath. He grumbled something unintelligible before briskly starting after his energetic teammate.

TenTen fell into step beside her Sensei.

"Gai-Sensei...did you see the name?"

The bowl-cut, Taijutsu master gazed at her, an interested look in his eyes.

"Oh-ho! So you know Naruto-san?"

"Something like that."

Gai turned to look at their destination. The once struggling town of Wave had become a rich trading outpost, its location reserving it as the centre of commerce for three of the biggest countries of the continent. He reached up to brush a stray strand of hair from his face.

"I have heard that young Naruto-san had come here. No-one knows the details, but apparently he saved the whole country two years ago."

TenTen gawked openly.

"S-Saved t-the country?!"

Gai nodded seriously.

"Although nobody knows for certain. It was what I heard from listening to Kakashi speak."

TenTen looked sideways as her teacher plodded beside her.

"Kakashi...Hatake Kakashi? The rival you're always talking about?"

He nodded again.

The two continued onwards in silence, the sound of the lapping waves soft on their ears. TenTen sighed in contentment; the air was fresh and clean here and the sun was just warm enough to be comfortable. It was the perfect getaway if ever they needed one.

"TenTen, when we book our hotel I want you to get some sleep. We need to be up early in the morning to start our scouting, there have been rumours flying around that a small group of missing-nin have hidden themselves away and are stealing from the locals whenever they come out. We have to find their hideout and confirm their numbers so we have to get a very early start."

TenTen nodded quickly. It should be an easy mission, nothing Team 9 couldn't handle. She looked up at the sky, a pair of seagulls called to each other as they flew along the length of the bridge.

'I'll talk to him as soon as I get back...properly this time."

XXXXXXX

Uchiha Sasuke snuck down the street towards the convenience stall. His mother had sent him to pick up some groceries for dinner and so to hide his apparent gender change, he had covered himself from head-to-toe in a thick dark cloak. He had the hood thrown over his head so that no-one would recognise him by his hair either.

He reached the stall and began perusing the items on sale, every now and then reaching a gloved hand out to check the quality of the product he was looking at. Without any warning, something small but heavy slammed into the small of his back, sending his careening right into a huge pile of tomatoes.

"Akamaru! Who did you hit this time, boy?"

The small white dog yipped in contentment as it began licking the squashed tomatoes from Sasuke's cloak. At the sound of his old classmate's voice, Inuzuka Kiba, he began to sweat heavily.

'Pleasedon'tlethimrecognisemepleasedon'tlethimrecognisemeplease-'

"Oh, hey! Sorry about that man! I'm a ninja ya' see and that's my Ninken, Akamaru."

The small dog barked excitedly and leapt at its own, the edges of its paws catching the side of Sasuke's hood. With a loud tearing sound, his face was revealed to the world.

For a long moment, Sasuke stood in cold fear as Kiba stared in shock at the pretty girl in front of him.

'Oh GOD! This can't be happening to me!'

"Hey there missy! Is there something you need? I'd be happy to help ya'!"

Sasuke blanched. H-He was treating him like some poor damsel in distress! The only positive was that he didn't seem to have recognised him.

"I-It's okay. I...have to go now-"

"Nonsense! I'll help you with your shopping to make up for the accident! Hey Ojii-san! Here's the money for..."

Sasuke tuned the rest out as the Inuzuka heir turned to the glaring stall's owner, no doubt offering to pay for the damage. Sasuke quickly threw his hood back on and made to run off but something stopped him fast in his tracks. Something was holding the edge of his cloak. Turning around, his eyes met the scarring sight of Akamaru relieving himself on his cloak. The youngest remaining Uchiha yelped in indignation.

"Kiba! Get your filthy dog off me!"

The Inuzuka turned at the shout.

"Huh?"

When he saw what was happening he immediately burst into laughter, clutching at his sides as he fell to the ground in his mirth. Anger rose in Sasuke like the hounds from hell. Poor Akamaru sensed the rising Killing Intent and ran to hide behind his master.

"Kiba...do you have any idea how expensive these clothes are? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH TROUBLE I'M GOING TO GET IN WHEN MY MUM FINDS OUT THAT YOUR DOG SOILED MY CLOTHES?!"

The Inuzuka stopped laughing for a second, turning his questioning gaze to the 'girl'.

"Hey! How do you know my name? Who ar-"

"KIBA! IN THE NAME OF THE UCHIHA I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"

Akamaru jumped in front of his master, executing a flawless back-kick with his two hind legs, knocking the prideful Uchiha onto his back. Sasuke glanced around to find a large crowd building around them. He quickly stood, ignoring the disgusting smell wafting from his cloak as he hid his features once again. The young 'woman' took off, sprinting in the direction of the Uchiha Compound.

Kiba sat with a confused expression as the 'girl's' words slowly dawned on him.

"Uchiha...Sasuke?"

He glanced wildly around to see if anyone else had realised what he had.

"Sasuke's...grown his hair long?

OH GOD AKAMARU! THAT WAS UCHIHA SAUKE!"

He sunsequently toppled over sideways as his frame was racked by another fit of laughter. Who was nuts enough to do that to Uchiha Sasuke of all people?!

Kiba couldn't wait to get home that day.

ZZZZZZZZ