Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Jiyumaru and his summons. Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishamoto.

I made a slight change in chapter two. Nothing major, just the final line.

The day after Team 7 registered as an official Genin team, Jiyumaru met with the other two successful Genin sensei, Kurenai and Asuma, before the Hokage, with Hatake Kakashi present. The three official sensei were standing at attention in front of the Hokage, while Kakashi was leaning against a wall, reading his book, a giggle escaping every so often. Kakashi was mainly there because when Sasuke activated his Sharingan, he would occasionally be taking the boy for personal training in the use of it.

"Well, Jiyumaru, judging from your little exhibition yesterday I'd say you're team impressed you," Sarutobi stated as he took a long drag from his pipe.

"Hokage-sama, while they still have a LONG way to go before I'd feel comfortable sending them to the Chuunin Exams this summer, they did impress me," Jiyumaru began, "Uchiha Sasuke's ninjutsu is well above average. As an Uchiha, he knows all of the basic Katon jutsu, but he also knows Goukakyou no jutsu."

"A Genin capable of performing that jutsu? Impressive, of course. How was his state after using it?" Kakashi's bored-sounding voice was slightly muffled by his book, but still understandable.

Jiyumaru's reply was clipped and professional. "I can't say for sure, as I took him out rather easily with a Genjutsu during the test. I know he can use it because he said he could shortly before the incident. However, if he has been able to adequately perform Goukakyou for the past five years, then his chakra reserves are no doubt sizable, mid-Chuunin at best, but most likely low Chuunin. There's little finesse involved, so overloading the jutsu isn't hazardous and would only have resulted in forcing his chakra reserves to increase."

Kurenai's inquiring tone cut in. "What of Haruno Sakura?"

"I'm afraid to say she may even be more obsessed with the Uchiha boy than I had feared. At the mere mention of him not being as good as she thinks he is, she became quite enraged and lost all coordination in her movements. Her taijutsu is adequate, and her control over Bunshin no jutsu is superb. I daresay she's about as good as I was at it at her age, and Bunshin has always been one of my best jutsu. I do agree completely that she is a Genjutsu type. Kurenai-san, perhaps we can come up with a sort of exchange for you to train her. I can perform a few Genjutsu, but I'm rather shoddy at explaining how to execute them. Besides, the ones I know are high level, and I developed them myself, to fit with my way of doing things. They wouldn't work well for her."

"We'll see." Kurenai's own thoughts drifted to the kunoichi of her team, and the confidence boost she needed. Perhaps they could make an exchange after all.

"What of Uzumaki? I know he was the dead last, but that was largely because he did poor on the bookwork, wasn't it?" Asuma's gruff voice was laid-back, as always. For the son of the legendary Sandaime Hokage, he wasn't a man to jump headfirst into action unless the situation called for it. Still, he was dependable. Jiyumaru could count on one hand the number of people he'd rather have at his back than the chain smoker, and two of them were in the room.

"Uzumaki was perhaps the most surprising of them all. Despite being loud and brash, and a reputation for being dense, he's actually rather quick on the uptake when he's not distracted by something. Too bad he just about has the attention span of a housefly and is hyperactive. But that can be fixed with training."

Kakashi chuckled as he thought of someone other than a new member of ANBU undergoing Jiyumaru's 'training'. Several hopefuls had quit ANBU after a week under the former captain. And this was a fresh Genin he was talking about!

"Besides that, I'd place his chakra capacity as being Kage level, if not MORE." Jiyumaru's words caused some surprise to the younger Sarutobi, as well as Kakashi, but Kurenai and the Sandaime just nodded in agreement, having seen the boy pull off Tajuu Kage Bunshin no jutsu to create hundreds of Kage Bunshin without dropping dead in the process.

"Furthermore, his physical stamina is through the roof as well, though you could probably guess that with all the time Chuunin and lower level ANBU squads have spent chasing him after a prank. Kid's a one man distraction. If we gave him some proper stealth and demolitions training, we could slip him into an enemy village during a time of war with scrolls filled with sabotage equipment and he'd wreak untold havoc after just one night, and then escape using an army of Kage Bunshin to cover his tracks."

That caught Kakashi's interest. "A sabotage specialist? It's true that Konoha has never had one, but do you honestly think he could do just that?"

"Sempai, even without giving him a thorough check of his full range of abilities, I know that that kid, with training, could do anything he set his mind to, whether it's become Hokage, leader of ANBU, or hell maybe even conquer the entire damn world! Personally, I'm thinking of training him to enter the Hunter nin division. Partner him with a skilled Inuzuka and a Hyuuga for good measure, and a medic for the final member, and you'd have a Hunter team that could track down, and most likely eliminate, ANY missing nin. Including the likes of Orochimaru and Uchiha Itachi."

Kakashi arched an eyebrow, as did the other Jounin and the Hokage. The silver-haired Jounin was, again, the one who spoke. "Don't you think you may be overstating his abilities?"

Jiyumaru took a deep breath. He knew Kakashi held no grudge against the Kyuubi container, but he also seemed skeptical of his abilities. With good reason, given Naruto's Academy records.

"With phenomenal chakra reserves and stamina, he can work longer and harder to achieve any goal of strength or simple book learning. And you know the potential learning ability he has with Kage Bunshin. As for his tracking… he can swarm and isolate with Kage Bunshin, use them as scouts. Even if the target destroys one, it'll just give him the knowledge of exactly where the target is. But it's the swarming ability that he has in excess, and is likely his greatest strength right now. I suspected as much before Zurui even told me that's how he was captured by the boy."

You could hear a pin drop. In fact, you could hear Kakashi's book hit the floor as the four shinobi stared at Jiyumaru, slack jawed. Zurui was infamous among the upper levels of Konoha shinobi, and the terror of any tracker nin team in training. No one had ever managed to track him down and capture him, not even Kakashi and his nin-dog pack. And to say that a fresh-out-of-the-Academy Genin, one who was ranked dead last in the current year's graduates, had managed to capture the wily raccoon? It boggled the mind.

"I must be going senile," Sarutobi muttered, "Jiyumaru, I could swear that you just said that Naruto was able to capture Zurui on his own."

"He was," Jiyumaru replied, a grin tugging at his lips, "Uzumaki Naruto was able to capture Zurui, with the full knowledge that doing so would allow all three of them to pass. I will not attempt to offer reasons why he would want both of his teammates to pass, only that he wasn't think of just himself when he pursued Zurui. To this end, I am tentatively placing him as the Genin leader for the squad. He will perform duties as such until he is promoted to Chuunin, he dies, or one of his teammates proves to be better."

"Perhaps such responsibilities will settle him down," Sarutobi mused, "at the least, it will give him a vague idea of what fulfilling his dream will be like."

"It'll also spur Sasuke on as well, to show Naruto up," Kakashi added as he flipped a page in his book, the others in the room having regained their composure, "just let me know when the boy activates his Sharingan and I'll make myself available to train him."

"I can handle much of the basics myself," Jiyumaru replied adamantly, "The Sharingan-style genjutsu, the nuances that only another Sharingan wielder can describe and train, that is what I will ask you to teach him. That, and only that. Got it Kakashi-senpai?"

Kakashi gave a light chuckle. "Always the control freak, ne Jiyumaru? Ah well, all things considered, it's not too bad a vice. Just let me know when Sasuke has the Sharingan and I'll do my duty."

With that, Kakashi vanished in a plume of smoke, leaving the other three Jounin to shake their heads. Jiyumaru turned to Kurenai. "Kurenai-san, I would like to request, if possible, for you to devote some time to training Haruno Sakura in Genjutsu."

Kurenai pursed her lips as she thought the idea over. Granted, she expected this request after his evaluation of the pink-haired kunoichi, but she had expected him to ask her in private, and as a favor, instead of doing it formally and in front of the Hokage.

"I don't object to teaching her, but what are you willing to offer in exchange? None of my Genin require the skills that you are best suited to teach."

Jiyumaru gave a nod of acknowledgment. He was, after all, a combat type, and Kurenai's team was for tracking. And since he combat types on her team used family styles, he had little to teach them at the level they were at. "True, but I was thinking of lending you Zurui, or one of his brothers, to help train your Genin in tracking."

Kurenai swallowed. "You would be on hand to keep them under control should they get out of hand, wouldn't you?"

Jiyumaru chuckled. "Of course. I learned from that mistake when I was a rank Genin just learning to summon. I'm sure you remember that day. I still haven't gotten the information out of Zurui where he put all of it, though."

"That would be an acceptable exchange, then. Perhaps we should see of other forms of training exchange we can offer, right Asuma?"

The gruff, bearded Jounin gave a friendly nod and a smile around his cigarette. "Of course. Uzumaki looks to be about the right build for my style of taijutsu. Whaddya say we trade off teams for a day or two at one point? Let you whip mine into submission, and I'll give Uzumaki some taijutsu tips."

Jiyumaru gave a wry chuckle. "Want me to put the fear of Kami in them so you can threaten to hand them over to me again should they toe the line, Asuma-san?"

The grizzled Jounin gave a nod, grinning around his cigarette. "They need it. I've never seen a trio so… so undisciplined. Not even fresh Academy students!"

Jiyumaru gave a chuckle. "And you thought you'd have an easy time since their dads made such an excellent team."

Asuma glared at the younger Jounin, indeed the youngest person in the room at that moment. "And you have an excitable fangirl and a brooding Uchiha on yours. To say nothing of Uzumaki."

Jiyumaru winced. He still didn't know how to deal with Sakura's fangirlism, but he figured that Naruto's hyperactivity could be dealt with by giving him nonstop training. The boy wanted to be Hokage, to surpass all of the previous Hokage's? He'd definitely find out how much work was involved in that!

Rolling her eyes, Kurenai spoke up. "Lending us Zurui to help in tracking would be acceptable, but I have a slight problem within my own team."

Blinking slowly to hide his surprise, Jiyumaru couldn't help but wonder what it was. Seeing the silent inquiry from Asuma and the Hokage, Kurenai continued. "Hyuuga Hinata has very little self confidence, as I'm sure you saw from listening to her introduce herself. However, it's plain to see that she admires Uzumaki Naruto. I daresay she even has a serious crush on him. If not for her shyness, she'd already be his friend… if the Hyuuga Clan allowed it."

"Except for the damage it could potentially do to their reputation, Hiashi wouldn't object," Sarutobi murmured, "he does see Naruto as the Yondaime wanted him to. It's his influence that has kept the more…outspoken, members of the Council from taking drastic measures in regards to Naruto."

"Danzou's still causing problems, then?" Jiyumaru asked. He'd once been approached by the crippled Elder, to be part of his Root ANBU organization before it was disbanded. He'd declined, something about Danzou having set off his danger senses.

Sarutobi nodded in confirmation. "Be wary, Jiyumaru. Danzou would like nothing more than to eliminate Naruto, and if possible bring Sasuke under his wing. It would not be too difficult either, if he promised to train him enough to defeat Itachi."

"As if anyone here could," Jiyumaru growled, "you're the only one in the village with a surefire chance of killing that traitor right now. Kakashi-sempai's gotten too lazy and hasn't trained, so he's out of shape. Maito Gai would give him a strong, harsh battle, but he'd lose in the end. I can't even hazard to guess where I stand with him now, with that new Sharingan of his. I'd probably lose after a few exchanges."

"Be that as it may, you are Sasuke's best choice of training, at least in matters not concerning his Sharingan," Sarutobi said after taking another drag from his pipe, "Jiyumaru, starting tomorrow you will begin training your team. I have high hopes for the three of them, and confidence in your training methods to bring out the best in them."

"Arigatou, Hokage-sama," Jiyumaru said, bowing low, "I shall do my best not to fail you."

He gave a slightly sadistic grin. "Like I told you before, they'll wish they had failed by the week's end."

Sarutobi gave a rusty chuckle. "Just don't kill them."

Jiyumaru smirked. "No promises, Hokage-sama."

And with that, the Hokage ended the meeting.

Thus far, the day had been normal in Konoha. Genin teams throughout the village had already gathered and left off to either train or get a mission for the day.

Team 7, however, was waiting by a bridge for their sensei, who was ten minutes late. Sasuke was leaning on the rails, looking completely cool (in Sakura's opinion). Sakura herself was sitting down, leaning her head back against a rail for support. And Naruto was perched on top of the rails, grumbling about being stuck on a team with the stuck-up prick, Sasuke.

"Konbon wa, minna-san," Jiyumaru greeted his students as he appeared in a flash of smoke.

"You're late!" Naruto and Sakura growled, though in truth they were only slightly annoyed. It wasn't like he was two or three hours late, after all. Though what kind of Jounin would be that late to a meeting he'd set up, anyway?

"Gomen, gomen," Jiyumaru said hurriedly, "sorry I'm late, I had to talk to the Hokage about your training. It took longer than I expected."

"Really? So what kind of kick-ass ninja techniques are you gonna show us?" Naruto demanded excitedly.

"I need to finish determining your exact level of skill, first," Jiyumaru replied, "meaning more tests. Only these will be one on one."

Naruto and Sakura swallowed nervously while Sasuke smirked in anticipation. He was eager to get another shot at his sensei after he was humiliated during their test.

"First, however, I suppose I will have to lay out the rules for you three," Jiyumaru sighed.

"Um, what rules, Jiyumaru-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"To put it bluntly, rules of conduct," Jiyumaru replied, "listen up, all of you. The first rule is that you are to do what I say, when I say it. If you have a question, you may ask it so long as it is reasonable. I do not tolerate insubordination, however. The last ANBU recruit who questioned my orders strongly was in the hospital for two months due to the injuries I gave him. He got out last month. The second rule is largely directed at you two, Naruto, Sakura."

"Um, what is it, sensei?" Sakura asked meekly. Her sensei's tone of voice when he spoke of hospitalizing a fellow Konoha shinobi for not following orders had her very, very scared.

"While we are together, as a team, doing missions and training, the two of you will forgo any thoughts of wooing one of your teammate's," Jiyumaru said seriously. Ignoring the look of shock on the blond and the pinkette, he continued on before either could speak. "It is highly distracting for both of you. For either of you, if the object of your affections was showing any inclination that they were willing, I'd merely ask you to keep it toned down during team exercises. As it is, I must ask you to stop it altogether during those times. Your free time is, of course, yours to do with as you please. But when the team is together for missions and training, I expect you to behave properly."

"But sensei, that's not fair!" Sakura protested.

"No, what isn't fair is wasting your potential, and that's exactly what you'll do if you continue such trivial pursuits instead of training," Jiyumaru snapped, "you are ninja now, proud shinobi of Konohagakure no Sato, so act like it!"

The three Genin swallowed nervously at the killing intent being sent out by their sensei. He was deadly serious about them focusing on their duties as shinobi.

"Once you become Chuunin, it would be more feasible for you to pursue romance," Jiyumaru continued, his voice softer, but still firm, "Chuunin have more social and economical stability, so it's easier to afford going out on decent dates. When you are Genin, most of your time should be focused on training, so you can survive your missions. Not to mention, about the best you can do for a restaurant date as a Genin is go to a ramen stand, and girl's will only tolerate that so many times, Naruto. Hone your skills now, so you can open your hearts later."

With that, Jiyumaru let out a chuckle. "Besides, twelve is a bit young for romance in my opinion anyway. You're still adjusting to hormones, and puberty has only started to hit you. Trust me, all three of you are going to be hormonal wrecks for the next, oh, five years or so I wager."

Sakura blushed as she realized that her sensei, in her mind, was at least partly right... though if he could get Naruto to stop asking her out so much, she could deal with it. Besides, he did say their free time was their own, right?

"Um, sensei, what will our training be like?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

"Good question," Jiyumaru responded, "to put it simply, it depends on where you are in your abilities already. However, there will be speed, strength, and endurance training, as well as training in chakra control, expanding your chakra capacity, and bringing the skills you possess up to the level that I require in my students. And I expect each and every one of you to give it your all. If you do not give it your best, you'll be punished. Question my orders, and you'll be punished. Step out of line with other superiors such as Chuunin, Jounin, ANBU, and the Hokage and you'll be punished. Follow to the best of your ability, and we'll see what is needed to shore you up."

Jiyumaru looked among his charges, and gave them another look-over. Naruto wasn't quite as bad off as he'd thought he was. The kid was bright, and his enthusiasm was genuine. Privately, he wondered how much of it was a desire for acceptance, and how much of it was genuine eagerness to be a shinobi. Well, part of his duty as a sensei was to test their mettle. He would either break the boy of his dream, or he would mold him into someone truly worthy of it.

Sakura looked pensive, and Jiyumaru was sure it was due to the fact that she was unsure of her own physical abilities. And from what Jiyumaru had judged, she had reason to be concerned. But he could see a strong, capable kunoichi waiting to be brought out. A delicate flower that would bloom with wondrous strength, with the right cultivation.

Sasuke was the real problem, though. The kid wanted to grow strong enough to kill Itachi. So much so that it was a single-minded determination with him. Such determination needed to be focused, not all-consuming.

"Furthermore, I will be testing your overall aptitude in the shinobi arts: taijutsu, genjutsu, ninjutsu, as well as your accuracy with kunai and shuriken. The taijutsu style taught at the Academy is basic, average. Excel in it and you can use it as a base for almost any other taijutsu style you could possibly learn. I know a style or two that would likely suit the two of you better than the Academy-taught style, Naruto, Sakura."

"Really sensei?" Sakura asked. She'd never been that great at taijutsu. She'd readily admit it was probably her weakest area. And if Jiyumaru-sensei could help her, she'd gladly take it, so she could prove to Sasuke that she wouldn't hold him back.

"Of course. I told you, I would help my students to be the best they could be, to the best of my ability. And you need a taijutsu style that fits you better. Taijutsu serves two purposes: for close range self-defense when you have no weapons or are unskilled with them, and building up your stamina. Better stamina means more chakra, and more chakra, coupled with control, means you can fight longer, and harder. It is virtually unheard of for a shinobi to not use taijutsu. It is at the core of what it is to be a shinobi."

Jiyumaru looked over his students again and smirked. "Now, to judge your conditioning! All three of you, we are going to run laps around Konoha until each of you can go no further. Once you finish that, you'll be doing jumping jacks for an hour, or until you can't move. Then, we'll move on to kunai and shuriken accuracy, senbon as well if you've taken a liking to them, and finally your abilities in taijutsu."

Jiyumaru bit back a laugh as his three students gaped at him, Sakura in horror, Sasuke in surprise, and Naruto in, well, he looked like someone who'd just been hit with a fish. All three had a semi-hopeful look that he was joking, but he wasn't. With an inner evil grin, he turned and began jog off, yelling at them to hurry up, or he'd tie them to stumps and use them for shuriken practice.

Several hours later, Jiyumaru was waiting for his students to catch their breath. Their physical abilities were about where he expected them to be. Sakura had barely made one lap around the village, while Sasuke had manage seven. Naruto, well, he'd actually called a halt after fifteen, so he could give them the rest of their examination. Overall, Naruto seemed to be in the best physical shape of the three, as far as endurance and stamina went. He was a bit behind Sasuke in speed, but not much. In an all-out fight, if Sasuke was unable to gain a decisive blow quickly, then Naruto's stamina would drag him down. Though shinobi who won by battles of attrition were rare, outside of the Aburame clan that is, it was possible.

He couldn't accurately judge their chakra capacity, as doing so was a weak point of his, so he had asked an ANBU Hyuuga colleague to take a look for him while they ran their laps. Not surprisingly, Naruto's capacity was enormous, but he hadn't expected the boy to have nearly twice his capacity! That easily gave him the largest chakra capacity within the entire village. But his control was abysmal. Sasuke, surprisingly, had almost an eighth of his capacity, quite extraordinary for a new Genin, though his control was mediocre. And Sakura had about what he expected, close to a thirtieth of his chakra. Her control, however, was perfect.

As he watched the trio of Genin go through the other physical exercises, Jiyumaru noted how their bodies moved under stress, carefully judging the full extent of their physical abilities. He had a lot of work ahead of him, which meant they had even MORE work ahead of them.

As his team collapsed, the three Genin drenched in sweat, Jiyumaru smirked. Naruto, who was looking at him just then, shivered fearfully. That look was evil!

"Okay team, now it is time for the next stage. Sasuke, Naruto, take your ready stances. The two of you are to show as much of your taijutsu skills as possible. Now, hajime!"

Startled by the sheer abruptness of their sensei, Naruto and Sasuke jumped into their ready stances, attacking one another immediately. As he had seen the day before, Jiyumaru was able to note that Naruto's taijutsu skills were of little note, sloppy, unpolished, and altogether inadequate. His balance was surprisingly good. It almost reminded Jiyumaru of the Inuzuka Juujinken (Beast-Human Fist) taijutsu.

Sasuke's style, on the other hand, was obviously a mid-level version of the Uchiha taijutsu style. Designed to work with the Sharingan, using its perceptive powers to exploit any openings an enemy may present, the Uchiha style was not one a person could learn on their own, as Jiyumaru recognized several flaws in Sasuke's style immediately. Practice against another person would fix up the flaws, as they were obvious against live opponents of even mediocre talent

After watching the two boys spar for twenty minutes, Jiyumaru called a stop, having finished his evaluation. Turning to the semi-rested Sakura, he ordered her to defend herself as he launched into an attack. Using precision soft nerve strikes, hard enough to incite pain but not enough to debilitate yet, the strikes were perfect for further judging Sakura's durability.

After a disappointingly short ten minute spar that left Sakura gasping for breath, Jiyumaru called an end to Team 7's evaluation. Seeing that all three of them were in a rather haggard condition, Jiyumaru decided to give them a well-deserved rest. Besides, he was hungry himself, so he decided to treat them to lunch. After giving Sakura some time to recover, Jiyumaru led them through the village, down a well-worn (to Naruto, at least) path straight to a quaint little ramen stand known as Ichiraku Ramen.

Ayame grinned widely upon seeing Team 7 arrive. "Hey Tou-san, better put an extra pot of ramen up, our favorite customer is here!"

Naruto grinned sheepishly as Jiyumaru looked evenly at him before chuckling softly. Sasuke snorted while Sakura, well, the girl looked just plain hungry.

"Their meals are on me," Jiyumaru stated as he took his seat. The three Genin followed suit, with Sakura and Sasuke on either side (Sasuke on the corner stool) and Naruto sitting beside Sakura.

"So, this is your team, Naruto-kun?" Ayame asked, giving Jiyumaru a glance.

"Yep!" Naruto said cheerily, "this is Jiyumaru-sensei, Sakura-chan, and the broody guy over there is Sasuke-teme."

"Well, it is a pleasure to meet you," Ayame said, stifling a giggle as she exchanged looks with her father, "are you sure you were put on a good team? Your sensei doesn't look that reliable."

Jiyumaru choked, then glared at Ayame, who ignored him. Winking at her father, who chuckled, Ayame turned to take their orders.

"I'll have a miso ramen and a pork ramen, Ayame-chan," Naruto piped up.

"A chicken ramen for me," Sakura added after checking the menu. Sasuke gave a dismissing grunt and quietly ordered a chicken ramen.

"An extra large beef ramen for me," Jiyumaru stated. As Ayame went to help her father build the orders, Jiyumaru turned his attention to his team.

"Another thing you will be learning, is how to determine your role within a team."

Naruto, blinking, asked the question on the three Genin's mind first. "eh, whaddya mean sensei?"

"Shinobi have roles to perform, both within a mission and within their general duties. I myself am a close range armed combat expert, with a good degree of skill in medium range support jutsu, with a personal affiliation with wind and lightning type jutsu. Furthermore, a team itself can have a purpose. Team 8, led by Kurenari-san, is to be a tracking and reconnaissance team. Team 10, led by Asuma-san is a general combat, as well as a capture and retrieval squad.

"What roles will we have, sensei?" Sakura asked.

"To tell the truth, your three have a LOT of work ahead of you." Jiyumaru's grin was almost evil. Seeing it, Ayame shuddered. Now, she was pitying Naruto for being placed under Jiyumaru.

"I'm not gonna lie to any of you. Sasuke, you'll be the team's ninjutsu repository. Once your Sharingan awakens, you'll be tasked with learning enemy jutsu once we ARE in the field, and then teaching your teammate's jutsu that compliments their abilities. Overall, I think you'll be best suited for primary close combat. Perhaps I'll see if there is a weapon that you favor and train you up in it."

Sasuke snorted. As if he would deign to share any jutsu he learned with those two weaklings.

"uh, sensei, whats the Sharingan?" Naruto asked.

"The Sharingan is a kekkei genkai, a special bloodline limit unique to the Uchiha Clan. It is a doujutsu, a powerful eye technique, that allows the user to see though ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu, copy them and directly imprint those abilities within the bearer's brain. It has numerous levels, and its strength depends on its level, though even at its highest form it still has its limits. A little known fact is that it can also see chakra, as colors."

"How the hell do you know so much?!" Sasuke demanded, not at all polite. 'How could he know this? He's not an Uchiha.'

"How I know is for ME to know and for you to find out when I trust you," Jiyumaru replied seriously, his tone cool. "Now, Sakura, I'm undecided as to how precisely to train you. You have a natural talent at chakra control, making you suited for either utilizing genjutsu or medical jutsu. Frankly, you'd be FAR more useful to the team if you studied medical jutsu, but its up to you."

"Um, medical jutsu, sensei?" Sakura asked timidly.

"Being a medic-nin means that we would be trusting you with our lives once your skills developed. Its a long, hard road, and requires a LOT of training and focus, as well as a desire to do it. But, your control makes you ideal for it, and there are so few medic-nin, and even fewer combat medics. You'd be a valued asset to the village should you pursue being a medic-nin, and once you achieved a certain level of skill, you'd b given the option of being a combat medic and only work at the hospital when not on a mission, or a doctor assigned to the hospital on a permanent basis."

Sakura pursed her lips and looked down, startled at the level of faith her sensei had in her potential.

"Hey sensei, whats my job gonna be?" Naruto asked excitedly. Jiyumaru chuckled at the blonde's excitableness. He was like a kid on a permanent sugar rush... including the annoyance.

"Well Naruto, first we'll have to make you a solid shinobi. Your test scores are absolutely pathetic. Without a strong foundation of knowledge, you'll never become a Chuunin, much less become Hokage. So the first order of business is to teach you in bookwork."

"What?! No way! I suck at paper tests!"

Jiyumaru adjusted his katana, slipping it off and setting it down beside him, voice dry. "Indeed. Your test scores were abysmal. If you wish to succeed as a ninja, much less even have a chance at becoming Hokage, you'll need a solid understanding of bookwork."

Ayame giggled at Naruto's sulky expression. The boy could be absolutely adorable when he sulked. Even Sakura had to giggle at his expression.

"I am glad that you are amused, Sakura," Jiyumaru continued in the same dry tone, "considering that you will be privately tutoring your teammate until his level of knowledge is at the level it should be."

"W-what?!" Sakura screeched while Naruto perked up, "b-but sensei, he'll be constantly bugging me for dates and stuff! We'd never get anything done!"

"It would only be for three nights a week, and such times would be consider 'team' time, so he would not be allowed to," Jiyumaru replied evenly, "think of it as training for yourself as well: as shinobi we don't always get to work alongside people we like, be they fellow shinobi or our clients. There are several shinobi I have worked with in the past that I personally can not stand."

"But sensei," Sakura started, only to be cut off by Sasuke.

"Just do it. If by some miracle you can make the dobe something that's not dead weight, then it'd show that you're not dead weight either."

"Okay Sasuke-kun!" Sakura replied automatically while Jiyumaru internally sighed and Ayame snickered. It was going to be a long road before they were ready for field missions.

Watching through his crystal ball using his Tomegane no jutsu (Telescope Technique), Sarutobi chuckled to himself, his two old teammates watching with him.

"Are you certain it was.. wise, to place him in charge of this cell?" Koharu, the kunoichi of the old team, asked. Sarutobi altered the angle, focusing on the Jounin in the image.

"Jiyumaru is a talented shinobi, and a capable leader. You know his record as well as I. A ninety-eight percent mission success rate during his time as a Chuunin. Ninety-five percent success rate upon becoming a Jounin. Equal success in ANBU and as an ANBU captain. Diligent in his training and works well and maintains a professional attitude during missions of any rank. In addition to that, his connections to the Kenshin Clan are most beneficial to the village, and his status as a valued ANBU Captain are what opened up negotiations for them to make a set of highly specialized weapons for us."

"True, he IS our only connection to the clan," Homura muttered, "but still, isn't giving him a team of Genin a bit... dangerous? With his teaching methods..."

Sarutobi nodded. "I am sure. He has already gone over his intended training regimen with me, and I wholeheartedly approve. Team 7 is extraordinary in its potential, and Jiyumaru is one of the few who would be capable of bringing out the full potential in all three members."

"While I do not doubt you, Sarutobi, I must question your logic," Koharu stated, "Kenshin Jiyumaru's...connections, are highly valuable, and placing him as an instructor for a team of Genin, well, would not the Kenshin see it as an insult, a demotion from ANBU Captain?"

"Considering that he resigned from ANBU of his own free will, they have little say in the matter," Sarutobi replied, "furthermore, he is personally safeguarding the future of Konoha, not just the village itself. There can be no higher praise than to be deemed worthy to safeguard the next generation."

"Still, to put him in such close proximity to the Kyuubi's.. jailor," Homura muttered, "and Uchiha Sasuke? Are you sure this is wise?"

"Naruto and Sasuke's grades determined their placement together, and Jiyumaru's profile indicated that he would be a good sensei for them both," Sarutobi said as he dis-engaged the jutsu, "Sasuke is obsessed with growing stronger to kill his brother, and Jiyumaru can lead him on that path better than most within this village. Naruto wishes to be Hokage, but he's too unfocused, too wild as of yet. Jiyumaru can calm him down, give him much-needed discipline. And Sakura is a kunoichi with great potential, if given the drive to fulfill it, and he can do that for her."

"I still believe that Hatake Kakashi would have been a better choice for their sensei," Homura stated, "he's the only one in the village who can give the Uchiha hands-on training in his Sharingan, when it awakens."

Sarutobi pulled out his pipe, slowly filling it with tobacco. Carefully lighting it with a spark of fire natured chakra, he took a few puffs as he sorted his argument. "I never wanted to allow Kakashi full-time training of the young Uchiha, but until Jiyumaru retired from ANBU, he was the best I had on active duty. He is retired, or he could have made an excellent teacher for the boy, training him as he trained Itachi. Jiyumaru is a better choice anyway. With his knowledge of how the Uchiha fought, and how to fight them, he can pass that insight on. And he has a vested interest in training young Sasuke to be strong enough to kill his brother, after all."

Koharu and Homura exchanged glances. They couldn't argue with that logic. Intellectually, Jiyumaru could very well be a superior teacher for Sasuke. That did not mean they liked it. Jiyumaru's loyalty to the village was questionable, as he was part of the ambiguous Kenshin Clan. And he was the village's sole link to the Clan, as no other Kenshin were currently shinobi of Konoha, most of them being either shinobi of Kirigakure or Kumogakure, including Jiyumaru's own siblings.

"Furthermore, I fear Kakashi would coddle young Sasuke in memory of Obito, and possibly even focus training only him, and not Sakura or Naruto," Sarutobi continued, "in the end, teamwork would have been sacrificed to satisfy Uchiha Sasuke."

"But what about," Homura began.

"This is the best course of action," Sarutobi repeated sternly, "the matter at hand is closed."

-one week later-

The first week of training had gone relatively well for Team 7. Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke had each been put through their paces. At first, all three had protested the sheer magnitude of what was asked of them. Monolithic training methods and impossible demands seemed to be the norm with Jiyumaru-sensei. It took them a full three days to learn that he didn't expect them to actually succeed in most of the tasks he assigned them, but rather to do them without complaint, give it their all, and do as much as possible. And he had been right when he had said they would be plotting his death. Even Sasuke was wearing down on the temptation of Naruto's idea of tricking Jiyumaru-sensei into battling with another Jounin and getting seriously wounded, and then sneaking in to finish him off while he was in the hospital.

Jiyumaru himself was having loads of fun. Watching his cute little Genin wear themselves out in their training was rewarding, and it made him feel that much closer to his own sensei, now understanding the mindset his own Jounin sensei had possessed when he'd taken three young, intelligent Genin straight from the Academy and turned them into a force that had actually helped turn the tide in the war with Kumogakure. Within three years, all three of them had been approaching Jounin level before even having officially earned their Chuunin vests.

Shaking his head to banish thoughts of the past, Jiyumaru looked over his charges. Sakura was panting harshly, gasping for breath after their run. Sasuke was in better shape, breathing heavily but otherwise exhausted. Naruto, as usual, was winded but recovering rapidly.

"All right you three, After a ten minute break we will be going over the tree climbing exercise once again. Sakura, I know you have mastered this, but it is good for building reserves, something you drastically need."

"H-hai s-sen-sensei," Sakura panted, face flushed from exertion. The young kunoichi had come far in just one week. Through harsh training, she had come close to the level Jiyumaru had wanted her at to begin with already. Three more months at this pace and she'd be exactly where he wanted her.

Sasuke's own skills had flourished under Jiyumaru's watchful gaze. His taijutsu, which before had been above average, was approaching perfect for an Uchiha of his age without an active Sharingan. His genjutsu, well, was non-existent besides being able to detect and dispel moderate genjutsu. His ninjutsu was well above average, but it could be better. Especially since he WAS an Uchiha.

Naruto, as usual, was the surprise. He couldn't detect OR dispel genjutsu, and the only ninjutsu he possessed were Kawarimi, Henge, Kage Bunshin no jutsu, and his own invention Orioke no jutsu. But his taijutsu was a pleasant surprise. He was entirely self-taught, used the environment to a degree normally only seen in combat veterans, and had an instinct that was surprising. His mid-battle tactics were innovative and something also usually seen in combat veterans. But his overall lack of skill meant he had little to work with. Still, the taijutsu lessons had paid off extraordinarily. The kid truly seemed abominable at paper tests, and book learning in general, but show him how to do something, and he could figure it out faster than anyone Jiyumaru had EVER seen... though it still raised the question as to how he learned the Kage Bunshin no jutsu in just an hour or two from the Forbidden Scroll with those handicaps.

Jiyumaru sighed as the break went on. Book smarts weren't precisely his forte either, and he had no experience in teaching that sort of thing. He was good enough to get by on his own, he was a former ANBU captain after all, but he wasn't necessarily the bookish type. Not scholastic, anyway...

The Academy was supposed to instill book knowledge into its graduates anyway, and give them the knowledge on how to acquire more! But he supposed, once again, Naruto's growth had been sabotaged. And Jiyumaru found himself ill-equipped to deal with correcting the problem. Jiyumaru recalled his conversation with Umino Iruka on how to best approach Naruto. The Chuunin's advice on to acknowledge the boy, to pay attention to his needs and treat him like a normal human being was almost insulting, but upon seeing how Naruto lit up under just a small bit of praise and attention, he began to realize just how starved he was for acknowledgment.

Signaling for their attention, Jiyumaru cleared his throat to begin. "Now that you have gotten used to the light training," he had to stop for a moment as all three stared at him in horror over the word 'light', "we will begin to branch out. Each of you has a preassigned role in this team, and it is time you started training for that role. Now, most shinobi do not begin to specialize until they reach Chuunin, if they do not have clan jutsu and dogma to fall back on. You three, however, are going to be fitted into roles that the village needs, rather than where you wish to go."

"What the hell, you mean we can't choose for ourselves?!" Naruto demanded angrily. Jiyumaru smirked before delivering a hard body blow to Naruto's stomach, knocking the wind out of the blond and sending him to his knees. Sasuke and Sakura stared at their sensei in utter shock.

"One, you are not to question my orders," Jiyumaru stated calmly, "two, these positions within the team reflect your area of ability. Sasuke, you will be the team's first response, taking point in the standard travel formations. You will be the first to intercept the enemy when we travel beyond the gates of Konoha, and as such you will be trained further for analyzing situations, determining points of weakness, and adjusting yourself for most situations. You will be receiving a far harsher load than most Genin in your situation would be, as I will be giving you a watered-down version of ANBU training methods. That actually goes for all three of you. I expect my students to do me proud, and provided that you work hard, you will. I will give you a list of needed materials and a time for meeting later. It will be in the evenings."

Sasuke leveled his gaze at Jiyumaru and nodded that he understood.

"Naruto, I am afraid I have much remedial work for you," Jiyumaru began, "your taijutsu forms are still terrible, but I will be helping you with that in mornings. Meet me here at 6 am starting Monday, and be prepared for three hours of hard training, followed by our normal team training routine."

As Naruto opened his mouth to protest, Sakura slapped a hand over and whispered harshly for him to shut up. Jiyumaru bit back a grin as he saw this. The two had developed a slight camaraderie, with Naruto no longer pestering the pinkette for dates, she had actually grown to tolerate him better, even encouraging him to eat better yesterday after their training session.

"Furthermore, you will be trained in tactics and logistics," Jiyumaru continued, "as well as a full dissertation of the abilities of your teammates, which will be updated as they grow stronger. In addition your your taijutsu training, you will be drilled in various ninjutsu, as well as how to better identify genjutsu. You will also be learning stealth, infiltration, and sabotage tactics once I can acquire you a proper teacher."

"WHAT?!" Naruto exclaimed, "why the hell is my workload so huge?! I won't have ANY free time to even relax!"

"First, and you'd better understand this Naruto, is that your time belongs to Konoha before yourself," Jiyumaru replied, not unkindly, "however, you will be given time to relax and unwind once you get caught up into the swing of things. I have selected you to be the team leader when I am not present, and you must be ready, both mentally and physically, for that responsibility."

Naruto's jaw dropped while Sasuke and Sakura brought voice to their protests, but Jiyumaru silenced them. "ENOUGH! I chose Naruto because he thought of the team during your test, and not solely of himself. He showed he has the proper drive to be a leader, caring for his team more than himself. And so until I deem him unfit for command, he will be in command of the team in my absence, and in those situations his words will be backed by my authority. Is this understood?"

Sakura and Sasuke both looked mutinous, but the looks were soon quelled by a leaking of killing intent from Jiyumaru. Nodding to himself, he turned his attention to Naruto. "Do not abuse this trust, young Uzumaki."

Wordlessly, Naruto gave a nod, speechless for one of the few times in his life. With a slight smile at Naruto, Jiyumaru turned his attention at last to Sakura.

"Sakura, starting Monday after noon you will be having lessons three times a week, for two hours a day, with Yuhi Kurenai. She is doing me this favor to teach you Genjutsu. In return she will let you know when her team is ready for certain forms of training, to which you will let me know. I will be assisting her team in such training."

"H-hai sensei," Sakura gulped.

"Also, as I told you on the first full day we had as a team, that you will be tutoring Naruto," Jiyumaru went on, "this will start today, and take place no less than two days a week, at your convenience. Sakura, I ask that you be patient with your pupil. You have permission to use mild physical discipline to get him on track, but nothing harsh, got it?"

Sakura gave a nod. If Naruto was going to be their team leader, then he needed to be a lot smarter than he was... maybe she could also try and get him to not wear that hideous orange jumpsuit so they wouldn't get killed out on a real mission? She decided to file that away for later. It wasn't like they'd have a dangerous mission for months, after all.

"Good, and Naruto, obey her as you would, no, better than you would Iruka-sensei," Jiyumaru advised his blond student, "fail any quizzes she gives you by an unreasonable amount, and you'll answer to me. Each quiz or test you fail by too far an amount in my own opinion, and your workouts will be tripled."

Naruto blanched at the threat before nodding furiously in understanding. Jiyumaru smirked at Naruto's expression.

"Now, let us start taijutsu drills. Naruto, Sakura, use the stances I have shown you. Sasuke, use counter-stance eight and proceed from there. You are still over-extending yourself. Let the movements flow fluidly into one another. Now, begin!"

Later that day, after their training session and 'mission', Naruto and Sakura were walking out of the Hokage's Tower together, neither one looking all that pleased. Naruto would have to study, with Sakura as his tutor! He'd get to spend time with Sakura-chan, but the studying... well, he'd have to make do. Jiyumaru-sensei said if he was to be team leader, he'd have to have more book smarts.

"So Naruto, whee do you want to study?" Sakura hesitantly asked. She didn't really want to spend time with Naruto like this, but an order was an order.

"Er, let's try the Konoha Library?" Naruto suggested, "I mean, it's got all the stuff to study already there."

With a nod, Sakura and Naruto headed for the Library. Upon arrival, however, a Chuunin that was leaving stopped in front of the door, clearly barring them entrance.

"Um, excuse me, we were heading in," Sakura said politely to the Chuunin.

"The Library's closed," the Chuunin growled.

"But it doesn't close for several hours!" Sakura protested.

"It's closed due to an..infestation," the Chuunin said, looking directly at Naruto, making him fidget slightly.

"er, come on, we can, uh, study at my place Sakura," Naruto said softly, his tone subdued. Sakura frowned. This didn't make sense. She'd seen some other people head into the library before they got there. It was as if this man was keeping Naruto out of the library.

'But...why? It's not like he was dangerous! Heck, he's usually more of a danger to himself than others, he's so incompetent!' Sakura thought as she watched the Chuunin let another person in. This.. wasn't right. Not right at all, and Naruto was just standing there, taking it. 'It's like he's used to this, that its nothing out of the ordinary. He doesn't expect them to treat him any different!'

"C'mon, Sakura-chan, I think I still have my schoolbooks back home," Naruto said softly, not looking at the smirking Chuunin, "we can study there."

Hearing Naruto's subdued voice brought Sakura back to reality. Sparing a glance at her teammate, then at the smirking Chuunin, she gave a sigh and nodded. She put the incident out of her mind for the time being, but she would be talking to Jiyumaru-sensei about it tomorrow.

"So this is where you live?" Sakura asked, glancing around a bit nervously. While there weren't any 'bad' sections in Konoha (living in a shinobi village definitely had some perks), it was definitely about as close as Konoha got. The neighborhood was untidy to say the least, and Naruto's apartment was easily the shabbiest of the lot.

"It's not much, but its home," Naruto replied softly as he turned the key and opened his apartment door. The apartment itself was surprisingly neat, and tidy. Sakura had thought, that without parents or even caretakers to teach him manners and make him clean up after himself, or do it for him, that his apartment would have been a pigsty. Apparently she was wrong.

"Well, shall we start?" Sakura asked slowly as she stepped in after her blond teammate.

Even with a full night's sleep and a solid breakfast, Sakura's nerves were still shot. Naruto was just so..so... well, he wasn't exactly stupid, but he just couldn't think! He had no ability to grasp the simple mathematics she had been trying to teach him last night. He'd been somewhat interested in the history, but he just didn't understand anything. It was like he didn't even understand the fundamentals, but that couldn't be. They wouldn't let him graduate if he didn't understand even that, at least.

As she arrived at Team 7's designated meeting spot, she saw that her sensei was already there. Despite his first two appearances, it seemed he did not have chronic tardiness. He was always early, and had punished the entire team each time one of them was so much as even a minute late. He'd work them to the bone, and respond to any complaints by tripling the workload for the complainer for the rest of the day.

"uh, sensei?" Sakura asked softly as she got to her usual waiting spot.

"What is it, Sakura?" Jiyumaru asked from his position. As was normal for him, he was sitting on the ground, legs crossed, his katana in its sheath leaning against his shoulder, the tip of the saya jutted into the ground, the tsuka and tsuba resting against his shoulder.

"Well, it's about Naruto," Sakura began uncertainly.

"Ah yes, how was yesterday's tutoring session?" Jiyumaru asked.

"He, well, he's not too smart, Jiyumaru-sensei," Sakura explained, "I tried to test him, but it's like he doesn't know anything."

"Then I'd advise you to test him precisely, see where his current limits are at," Jiyumaru responded, "start at the very beginning, and then go from there."

"But that could take ages!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Then I suggest you start immediately," Jiyumaru advised seriously, "knowledge is power, especially in the shinobi world."

"Hai sensei," was Sakura's disgruntled reply.

With that, the two settled into a reasonable silence that lasted well past Sasuke joining them.

Jiyumaru sighed. "He's late again."

"Not yet sensei, he does still have a minute left," Sakura responded. Sasuke was about to say something else when the cries of a certain blond could be heard.

"Help help help help HEEELLLP!"

Off in the distance the three older members of Team 7 could see their youngest, and by far loudest, teammate running from one Ino Yamanaka. Jiyumaru sighed. Couldn't that boy go a week without doing something to antagonize that girl?

"When I get my hands on you you'll wish you'd never been born, you little twerp!" Ino howled.

"How about I just wish I'd never met you?" Naruto retorted as he leaped straight over Sakura.

"WHY YOU!" Ino snarled, only to suddenly stop as the back of her neck is grabbed by Jiyumaru.

"Yamanaka-san, please do not mutilate my student," he stated calmly, "it would be a pain to drag him to the hospital and wait for him to be healed."

Ino growled. "Do you even know what this PERVERT did to me?!"

"No, nor do I care," Jiyumaru replied evenly, "but you were intent on inflicting severe bodily harm on my student, and such a thing cannot be allowed. If you insist on doing so, I will be forced to do something...severe."

Jiyumaru's tone was as cold as ice, sending shivers down the spines of his students. They knew he wasn't one for idle threats.

Ino gulped. She knew she wouldn't be able to wheedle or cajole her way out of a punishment. "w-what's my punishment, Jiyumaru-sensei?"

After studying her for a bit, Jiyumaru handed down the law. "Two hundred push-ups and sit-ups, and the same number of hundred meter sprints."

Ino paled. Six miles. She had to do two hundred push-ups, sit-ups, and then run six miles. She'd be utterly exhausted by then, and she'd still have training with her team!

"I advise you to start now," Jiyumaru stated, "Sakura, keep pace with her while doing your own morning exercises. Keep watch when you are done with your own. Also, provide 'encouragement'."

"Hai sensei," Sakura said with a slight grin. Ino's punishment was in fact most of their morning work-out, though the sprints were far more than they did. Walking over to a bush, she yanked off a thin, supple branch and stripped it of twigs and leaves. After testing it, she turned to Ino with a grin, cracking the makeshift switch.

"Get to work, Ino-pig!" Sakura barked. The cracking sound of the switch sent Ino into a flurry of movement, dropping to the ground and starting her push-ups.

"Sakura, double your work-out," Jiyumaru called out evenly, "respect your fellow Konoha shinobi and kunoichi. You never know when they might save your life."

Gulping, Sakura gave a quick, apologetic "Sorry sensei" before redoubling her efforts. Surprisingly, to her, Sasuke received this punishment fairly often.

After the exercises were done, with a near-exhausted Ino and Sakura finishing last, Jiyumaru sent Ino off to her own sensei with a short note stating why she was late, and advice directed towards Asuma to step up the blonde's training; she was in rather pitiful shape even for a fresh Academy graduate.

"Seeing as how you have progressed better than I expected so far, I believe I shall treat you to a mid-morning meal," Jiyumaru stated, his voice never leaving his usual calm tone.

"Whoohoo, free food!" Naruto cheered. Jiyumaru quickly made a note to plug his ears once Naruto found out where they were going.

"WHOOHOOO RAMEN!" Naruto all but screamed. Jiyumaru was thankful he'd plugged his fingers into his ears to muffle the sound, but even so, the Kyuubi-container was loud.

"Ohayo, Naruto," Ayame replied cheerfully, her back turned to the group as they walked up, "no need to be so loud."

"Six Training Specials, Ayame," Jiyumaru called out softly, "One each for me and my two students, and three for the Bottomless Ramen Pit."

Ayame let out a giggle as she echoed the order to her father. "Of course, of course. Coming right up!"

"Training Specials?" Naruto asked, confused, "I've never heard of that one."

"Oh, its just something Jiyumaru and I came up with years ago," Ayame said as she turned around to take their drink orders, "it gives more nutrients needed for training. Give you plenty of pep and energy to train harder, longer."

"Nee-san, you know Jiyumaru-sensei?" Naruto asked, surprised. They hadn't mentioned anything the last time they were at Ichiraku's, after the first day of training.

"oh, you could say I know this knucklehead," Ayame said with a grin, "way back when, we were teammates as Genin."

Three Genin eyes blinked simultaneously once, twice, thrice before a certain blond let out an extremely loud "NANI?!"

"Nee-san, you were a ninja?!" Naruto exclaimed, then his voice turned a little hurt "and you never told me?"

"I'm sorry Naruto, but I don't think too much of my shinobi career," Ayame apologized, "I didn't exactly retire by choice."

"What happened?" a curious Sakura asked.

"It was, oh, just a little over nine years ago, during the final days of the conflict with Kumogakure," Ayame began, "we were on a routine patrol when we came across a strong force of Kumo shinobi, including the Raikage himself Yotsuki Ē."

"We barely escaped with our lives," Jiyumaru continued, "outnumbered five to one, the three of us, our sensei, and Kakashi-sempai. Fortunately, we spotted them before they spotted us. Sensei and Kakashi were able to eliminate a good portion of them with some ninjutsu, and Ayame-chan took out several others with Genjutsu. She's damn good at those. I've seen her fool active doujutsu on occasion."

"Hush you," Ayame admonished with a blush, "I had to do a lot of set-up and preparation to slip in, and you know it!"

"Hai, Hai, I know," Jiyumaru chuckled, "but it's still a damn good accomplishment. Anyway, we'd brought the numbers down to just over two to one with our initial surprise assault, but the remaining enemy included the Raikage himself, four Chuunin, and six Jounin, each of them among his best. Ayame distracted two of the Chuunin while Sensei handled the Raikage and one of the Jounin. I was stuck with the remaining two Chuunin and a Jounin while our last teammate handled another, and Kakashi-sempai dealt with the last three Jounin by himself."

"So you were the strongest on your team?" Sasuke asked, noting that his sensei had spoken of dealing with three opponents while Ayame and their final teammate dealt with one or two.

Jiyumaru chuckled. "Not really. We kinda balanced each other out. Our teammate could beat Ayame-chan, but I could beat him, and Ayame-chan could beat me. Though to be honest, we all had our good days and bad days. We had a perfect balance in personal ability, rather than natural ability, that made us push ourselves to our limits and beyond."

"True, too true," Ayame admitted, "Jiyumaru's combat style is equally suited to facing multiple opponents as it is a single opponent. Unfortunately I was never a front line fighter, more directed at support. I was up against two Chuunin who excelled at lightning jutsu. I mistimed a dodge and got hit with a debilitating blast. Before Jiyumaru could interfere, I was left with several nerves in my legs fried. I couldn't move with the reaction time a ninja of my rank required anymore, and since at the time I was too young for an administration job, I had to completely retire."

"Your not one for something like that, anyway," Jiyumaru stated teasingly, "no sense of planning this girl."

"Hey!" Ayame protested, giving Jiyumaru a hard slap upside the head, "take that back, or I'll tell them about our second C-ranked mission!"

Jiyumaru paled. "N-no, th-that's fine Ayame-chan. I'm sorry, really I am!"

Ayame smirked triumphantly. "It's so good we're on the same page, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," Jiyumaru chuckled, "anyway, Ayame retired from active duty, and joined her dad in the ramen business. Though if she knows what's good for her, she's been keeping her skills as sharp as she can manage."

"Wanna relive our eighth D-ranked mission?" Ayame asked sweetly, making Jiyumaru pale and whimper. "I thought not."

"So you use Genjutsu, Ayame-san?" Sakura asked.

"Indeed I did," Ayame replied modestly, "very few could detect them, and even fewer could break them."

"Contrary to what is taught in the textbooks, breaking a genjutsu us a matter of opposing wills," Jiyumaru explained, "now, since you are trying to reassert your natural chakra flow to break a genjutsu, and this is how your chakra WANTS to flow, genjutsu are usually easy to dispel. With enough force of will, you can keep your opponent from breaking your genjutsu no matter how good they are at dispelling them. High-ranked genjutsu are high-ranked because they require a high amount of chakra, chakra control, and force of will to use effectively, if at all. This is why genjutsu experts are rare: it is very difficult to find a shinobi who has all three of these things. A Jounin level genjutsu specialist, like Team 8's sensei Yuhi Kurenai, is exceedingly dangerous because while they seem at best mediocre in the standard shinobi arts, they directly attack a shinobi's greatest strength and greatest weakness, their mind."

"In other words, genjutsu specialists are among the rarest, and yet still most dangerous, shinobi out there," Ayame finished.

"Quit talking shop, you two!" Teuchi admonished as he brought up the ramen orders, "I didn't stand for it when you were on active duty, Ayame, and I won't stand for it now!"

Ayame giggled. "Hai, Tou-san."

Jiyumaru rolled his eyes. "Hai, Ossan. Now you three, dig in. Trust me, this stuff is delicious, and it'll bolster even your unholy stamina, Naruto."

"Finding out why he's able to outrun dozens of your old colleagues, eh Jiyumaru?" Ayame asked with a grin.

"Considering he can create enough Kage Bunshin to trap and capture Zurui, I'm able to make my own observations," Jiyumaru retorted with a smirk. Ayame blinked

"Well, that certainly is surprising. First time for everything."

"And if that fuzzy over-sized rat wants a rematch, I'll be glad to give him one!" Naruto declared as he slurped up some of his ramen. With a wry grin, Jiyumaru shook his head.

"You'll get your chance one day, kid, you'll get your chance one day."

Tsuka: the metal hand guard of a katana

Saya: the scabbard

Tsuba: The actual handle of the katana.

Ossan: old man

So so so SO sorry this took so long to get out, Writer's block was murder. I can't promise the next chapter will be out any sooner than this one was, as the idea's for the next few chapters were never solid to begin with.