Preemptive Author's note: Yup, this is what you think it is.


'There is no such thing as fate,' Neji concluded. The thoughts were not completely dark, nor were they liberating. Instead, his thoughts took on the quality of twilight. His conclusion gave him enough hope to see the world around him in a new way, but the darkness still held tightly onto the recesses of his mind. Neji's thoughts were disturbing because he lacked clarity. He could not see how to return to the comforting ignorance of the past or the liberated future. Neji was widely considered the prodigy of a clan revered for their sight and insight. The Byakugan did more than expand a Hyūga's vision. The dōjutsu also expanded the perceptions of those who had inherited it.

The lack of clarity was troubling. Especially when it began to seep into other areas of Neji's life.

"Yosh! Thank you for the spar, Neji-san," Lee said with his typical enthusiasm. The outburst helped focus Neji's attention. The Hyūga prodigy was an expert in body-language and psychology. It had started as a hobby and a method for training his Byakugan, but the clan had noticed and had begun to employ him as a 'guard' during negotiations. Neji's skills were becoming famous in the Land of Fire.

Lee was an open book to Neji. Granted, Lee wore his emotions on his sleeve. Neji could see how excited he was about pushing his rival further than he ever had.

'I was distracted, but Lee has truly begun to close the gap. Before Naruto, I would have never acknowledged Lee's progress.'

"It was enlightening, Lee," Neji returned Lee's bow. It was nowhere near as deep, but it was the friendliest acknowledgment Neji had ever given his spandex-clad teammate. Lee quickly said his goodbyes to Tenten and headed off for his personal, and borderline excessive, training. Neji turned and noticed Tenten was staring at him with her arms crossed. "Is something wrong, Tenten?"

"Are you really Neji?"

Neji took a moment to push back his annoyance. He acknowledged that his attitude and actions were far outside his norm. "I assure you, I am Hyūga Neji."

"You are acting really differently," Tenten pointed out.

"I am," Neji admitted with a calculated shrug. "I…recently had someone challenge my previous beliefs. He convinced me to reevaluate my attitudes and prejudices."

Tenten blinked. "That's…good. I mean, we all work together really well already. I think we can be great now."

The Hyūga prodigy gave a slight bow that mirrored his earlier acknowledgment of Lee. Tenten raised an eyebrow in amused shock. "Thank you for your confidence."

"Just curious…" Tenten started. "Who should I thank for talking some sense into you?"

Part of Neji wanted to take offense at Tenten's glib statement. Though, another part realized that was simply part of Tenten's personality. She was focused, driven, and utterly professional when the situation required. Neji found it…admirable. However, he realized her occasional joking was as much of a coping mechanism as the remnants of Neji's fatalism. Neji wasn't sure what the trauma Tenten had experienced was, but he knew she had some incident in her past. All of Team Guy had a tragedy in their past. It was actually why Might Guy had pleaded for the team to be assembled in the first place.

A realization dawned on Neji that shook him almost as deeply as Naruto's initial destruction of his barriers. Might Guy wanted Team Guy to save each other. Neji had been failing in his purpose. The Hyūga prodigy never admitted this, but he was an extremely proud individual. The thought of failure was like a slap to the face.

'Well, I'll just have to address my failings,' Neji declared.

"Tenten, you are planning on doing some additional training, are you not?" Neji asked.

"I am," Tenten answered neutrally.

"Would you mind a training partner?" Neji asked with all the politeness his Hyūga heritage had instilled into his being.

"Sure!" Tenten responded brightly. "It'll be great to have someone to work with!"

It wasn't a huge step to building a true team instead of a simple Genin cell, but Neji knew he had to start somewhere.


Team Seven would have normally been very bored and annoyed at their sensei's tardiness. However, the three Genin were making 'efficient' use of their time away from their peers. Iruka-sensei had stayed for around twenty minutes and talked with Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke about when and where Team Seven's 'victory meal' would be, among other topics. Naruto had lobbied hard for Ichiraku, but Sasuke and Hinata had outvoted Naruto.

"You're going to drag us there eventually anyway," Sasuke said with an amused snort.

"We will likely go there a great deal," Hinata agreed. Naruto sighed, but relented.

"Yeah, I know that Teuchi-jiisan and Ayame-oneechan won't blab about us being there either," Naruto said with just the barest tinge of regret.

Sasuke snorted. "So, do you think this is going to be a regular occurrence?"

"Do you mean our sensei's tardiness, Sasuke-kun?" Hinata asked. The Uchiha nodded. Hinata chewed her lip. "I-I'm sure sensei has a good reason."

Naruto mirrored Sasuke's snort. "I bet he'll show up with some lame excuse."

"Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun…what do you think the focus of our Genin cell will be?" Hinata asked after a silence descended on the classroom.

Sasuke and Naruto exchanged a look. "Well, Hinata-chan," Naruto began, "I'd say we'd be an assault and heavy combat squad."

"Naruto's right. I have strength in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and will have the Sharingan. You have Gentle Fist and the Byakugan. Naruto has the potential for some truly hard-hitting ninjutsu and has the stamina and drive to keep up with us in taijutsu. Once we start progressing, our potential will be limitless. Our skills mesh well to almost any role," Sasuke explained. He scowled a bit when he noticed Hinata had blinked during his explanation. A Hyūga blinking at somebody was the equivalent of almost any other shinobi scurrying to the far side of the room and pointing a shaking finger at someone.

"What?"

"I-I've never thought you could talk that much," Hinata admitted sheepishly. Naruto for his part desperately tried to stifle a giggle at the gob-smacked expression on his best friend's face and the absolutely adorable embarrassed blush on his girlfriend's face.

He failed. Naruto failed absolutely miserably and erupted into uproarious laughter. "Oh man! Not only are we going to kick complete ass, we're going to have so much fun while doing it!"

"My first impression of you all is…" a voice that Naruto vaguely recognized interrupted the conversation. Team Seven immediately jumped to their feet and faced the newcomer. The man was clearly the Jonin assigned to be their sensei. His silver-grey hair was forced straight up by his hitai-ate, which was covering one of his eyes. The Jonin wore his flak jacket casually, but it was impossible to ignore the fact that this man had killed and would kill again. Paradoxically, he also seemingly radiated a kind of jovial laziness.

"You need to pay more attention to your surroundings. Meet me on the roof in five minutes."

Team Seven watched as the Jonin disappeared in swirl of leaves and smoke. "Five minutes to get to the roof? Does he think we're amateurs or wet-behind-the-ears Academy students?" Sasuke scoffed.

"Let's get there now! Tree walk up the side of the Academy?" Naruto asked with a devilish smirk.

Hinata nodded. "It would be a good way to demonstrate our skills to Sensei."

Naruto's smirk took on a proud edge. It wasn't every day he got to surprise a Jonin.


Namikaze and his allies were silent as they neared the location of the confrontation for the soul of Akatsuki. The tension in the air was palpable. He was keeping a close eye on Kisame and Zabuza, but Itachi and Haku's presence was holding the fragile alliance together. Jiraiya was talking to Baa-chan off to the side.

'I can't blame her for being nervous. We're about to battle one of the most powerful and notorious shinobi in all of history,' Namikaze thought.

He felt Shizune make her presence obvious off to his left. He adjusted his stride so that she could walk beside him easier.

"Excuse me, Namikaze-san?" Shizune asked. Namikaze smiled at his friend, but was worried that the young woman's chipper tone was noticeably forced.

"What can I do you for?" Namikaze responded to Shizune's question with one of his own. Time travel and circumstances had altered Namikaze from his roots as Naruto substantially. He was, however, incredibly unaware of subtle cues from women.

It took Shizune a moment to compose herself. "W-Well, I was wondering what the plans are after the battle."

"A lot," Namikaze admitted. "We'll have to gather the Jinchūriki to save them from their loneliness and their fate as weapons. I don't even know where half of them are, but we can't give up."

"The villages and the Kage won't appreciate you taking the Jinchūriki," Shizune presented the point. Namikaze knew that she was trying to help him develop and refine the goals.

"Change is never easy," the time-traveler said from experience. He remembered not only his Sage Training, but his acceptance that his naivety was a grave threat to not only his precious people but the world. "We have to try. The world as we know it can't last. It's broken. Too broken to be fixed. It has to be rebuilt."

"There is some good in the world. People who care about each other and want to make the world a better place," Shizune countered.

"Exactly, but they are marginalized by those in power and by the system itself. If the system cared, would Baa-chan's combat medic program have been shot down?"

"P-Probably not," Shizune admitted. "What would change in your new world?"

Namikaze grinned broadly. "Isn't it obvious? The system would listen."

As Namikaze and Shizune debated and outlined the hopeful future, Jiraiya was focused on the interaction between the very loose coalition. He flicked his gaze to his teammate. Tsunade was focused, but obviously nervous. The Toad Sage hadn't seen Tsunade like this since the Third War.

'If anyone knows what to expect against Madara, it would be Tsunade-hime,' Jiraiya thought.

"What can we expect against Madara, Hime?" Jiraiya asked.

The greatest Medical-nin in history sighed. "I've told you, Jiraiya…Madara is more powerful than Hanzo. If we didn't have Itachi to counter Madara's Sharingan or 'Pain's' Rinnegan, we would not be able to win."

"Come on now, Tsunade. We aren't slouches. Namikaze and I are Sages. Zabuza and Kisame were Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Kirigakure doesn't hand out that title."

"You've never seen Madara fight," Tsunade said simply. "If this was purely a Konoha operation…if we had someone like Sensei, Hatake Sakumo's kid, and a few ANBU as backup… Well, then I'd feel more confident."

"So, you don't count our 'associates' for much?" Jiraiya asked in a low voice.

"I can count on Shizune. Hell, I can count on you, but the others? Namikaze and Haku should be preparing to take their first Chūnin Exams, not going against one of the most powerful men in history." Tsunade watched the youngest members of the anti-Madara team as they moved on. Tsunade was more and more convinced that they shouldn't be here.

'They shouldn't be here. In…in some ways I have to be here. I am Senju and my clan has always stood against Madara. These…children…shouldn't be subjected to a Shinobi War.'

Despite Tsunade's wishes, there was no going back.


Hatake Kakashi was very rarely caught off guard. He prided himself on being on top of almost every situation. The world-famous 'Kakashi of the Sharingan' thought he had gotten a fairly accurate read on his prospective team in the dossiers the Hokage had provided. Naruto and Hinata were obviously dancing around a relationship in order to keep the Hyūga from interfering. Sasuke and Naruto had a fairly intense, if one-sided, rivalry while at the Academy.

Kakashi's Bell Test should have been able to exploit the obvious cracks in the 'team'. Team Seven should have been doomed from the start. It was a bit of a shame. Kakashi could see the potential of each shinobi, but if they had such obvious issues…

At least, that was Kakashi's initial assessment.

'And boy, was I wrong,' Kakashi thought behind his mask. He was a master at controlling his emotions. It kept him from betraying the complete and utter shock he felt from showing as Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata tree-walked up the side of the Academy.

"Did we surprise you, Sensei?" Naruto asked with a confident grin.

Kakashi had produced his favorite book before the prospective Genin had arrived. "Did you say something?"

Naruto grumbled under his breath, but relaxed when Hinata put a hand on his shoulder. Sasuke shook his head in amusement.

"Let's all take a seat and get to know each other," Kakashi said with complete neutrality.

"I'm not sure that I follow, sensei." Hinata said as she sat down. Naruto took his place next to Hinata. Sasuke followed suit and sat next to Naruto.

"Well, share your favorite things, hopes, dreams…that sort of thing," Hatake Kakashi explained as he put his book away.

"Perhaps you should give a demonstration," Sasuke said in a voice that was nearly as even as the Jonin's.

"Fine," Kakashi answered with a shrug. "My name is Hatake Kakashi. I like my favorite things and I have hopes and dreams."

Team Seven stared blankly at their possible sensei. Sasuke leaned forward and motioned to Hinata. "So, this is what Naruto felt like when we said no to Ichiraku."

"Since you spoke first, you're the first volunteer." Kakashi's voice continued to be completely even.

"Fine." Sasuke entered into a somewhat casual pose and interlocked his fingers. "I am Uchiha Sasuke. I like the potential this team possesses to help me fulfill my ambition. My goals go beyond simple hopes. As I said, I have ambitions. They are to rebuild the Uchiha Clan and kill a certain man."

"Well, sounds like you're clear on the direction you want your life to head. Hyūga, your turn."

"My name is Hyūga Hinata. I enjoy spending time flower pressing, with my sister, and with Naruto-kun. I hope to continue to improve myself and eventually reform the Hyūga Clan."

Kakashi fought the urge to snort. He certainly had an ambitious team. 'Time to see which parent you take after, Naruto…'

"Guess it's my turn?" Naruto asked and received an eye-smile and a nod from Kakashi. "Well, I'm Uzumaki Naruto. My favorite things are Ichiraku Ramen, Hinata-chan, training, and heck! I actually like Sasuke sometimes!"

"Glad I'm appreciated," Sasuke added sardonically.

Naruto ignored Sasuke's contribution and continued. "My goal is actually pretty simple. I want to change the world and make sure no one forgets...that no one forgets the good the Hidden Villages can do."

"Well, now that I see that you all aren't ambitious at all," Kakashi said with good-natured sarcasm. "Now that we all have a feel for each other…"

Naruto and Hinata blushed a bit and Sasuke bit back an amused snort. Kakashi was continuing to observe Team Seven for potential openings to exploit. 'They certainly have promise, but they have to earn this.'

"Now, for the fun part," Kakashi poured excessive and false exuberance into his voice. "Tomorrow, we'll meet for survival training."

"Is it really just survival training?" Naruto asked with a disbelieving huff.

Kakashi flashed another eye-smile. "And here I thought Hinata would be the only perceptive one. You're right, it's not just survival training. It is a test to see if you are worthy of being Genin."

"Was the Academy Exam merely a way to choose worthy candidates?" Hinata asked.

"There you go, proving my point!" Kakashi exclaimed with unnerving chipperness. "Hinata is correct. The Academy was just seeing who was worthy of attempting to become shinobi. I decide who becomes true shinobi. This test won't be easy. Only thirty-three percent of the candidates pass this test."

The Genin were shocked by the low pass rates. "Wow, good thing we're awesome," Naruto declared. "Anything you want to tell us about this test?"

Kakashi chuckled. "Nope." Team Seven sighed in exasperation. "But since I'm a nice guy, here's a hint. Don't eat tomorrow morning. You'll just throw up."

"W-What time will this test be, Kakashi-sensei?" Hinata asked.

"Six a.m. at Training Ground Three. Don't be late. We'll be starting immediately," Hatake Kakashi ordered. "You are dismissed; you all should use every minute to prepare."

Team Seven watched as Kakashi pulled his orange book back out and walked off. Surprisingly, it was Sasuke who broke the silence. "We're going to need a plan."

"Lucky for us, we're the elite team…and we've got an inside source." Naruto crossed his arms and flashed his best friends a winning smile.

"Iruka-sensei," Hinata surmised. "I think he can really help us."

Naruto nodded. "Dang right, Iruka-sensei can! He owes us dinner anyway!"


Jiraiya felt a rush of emotions and memories flood his mind as the anti-Madara 'team' entered the territory controlled by Amegakure. He had not been to Amegakure since the last time he had seen the three gakis he had trained.

Now he was back and about to fight alongside them…against Uchiha Madara.

The Toad Sage was a seasoned veteran of numerous wars, many of which had been fought here in the home country of Ame. If Jiraiya's students had truly taken up the reins of Amegakure, they had certainly focused on defense. The country was as rugged and rainy as ever. The mountains that formed the natural border between 'Rain Country' and The Land of Earth also stopped the warm winds coming out of the Land of Wind. The entire country was almost always stormy. The outlying hamlets the anti-Madara faction had passed had been completely redesigned since the last time the Sannin had been here. They possessed oddly shaped walls, and the roads never had right angle turns. It was all very clever. The oddly shaped walls lacked handholds and their design made it incredibly difficult to use 'tree walking' to scale them. The streets were designed to be difficult to navigate for outsiders, and the positioning of buildings provided numerous killing fields to minimize the advantage invaders' numbers would provide.

"Where the hell are we meeting your 'friends'?" Zabuza asked from somewhere behind Jiraiya.

"The town of Nishikousaten. It is not exactly the richest of towns and won't attract attention from our enemies," Namikaze explained. "Pain's representatives will meet us there."

"About time," Zabuza grumbled.

Nishikousaten was an unremarkable little hamlet. The name meant "West Crossroads", but outside of the rare road network hub there was nothing remarkable about the village. There were a few orchards and some subsistence farming. It wasn't an attractive target for foraging or scavenging. In the event of a Shinobi War, this village might be assigned a few Genin and Chūnin teams to take it. A single platoon of Genin would likely be the only occupying force.

'If it was even occupied at all,' Jiraiya admitted. An occupation of Nishikousaten would require very specific circumstances or strategies.

The large band of shinobi had been noticed earlier. The citizens had scrambled into their houses in an attempt to hide.

"Like that would even slow one of us down," Zabuza scoffed. Haku frowned at his mentor's militarism. Cracks in Zabuza's control had formed after being exposed to Namikaze and Pain's vision for peace. The young man was pleased with his mentor's confidence in his abilities, however.

The fact that the town's walls were still under construction was a testament to Nishikousaten's low importance in the grand scheme of things. Namikaze's faction simply strolled into the center of town. Jiraiya's eyes went wide at the two shinobi waiting at the town center.

First was a man with heavy piercings that Jiraiya swore he recognized from somewhere in his past. If the Old Sage's memory was correct, the man appeared to be a member of the Fūma Clan he had fought years ago. There were major and unmistakable differences. The legendary Rinnegan and the bright orange hair were the biggest. However, Jiraiya knew that he had seen this man before.

Second was his old student Konan. She was wearing the same robes as Kisame, Itachi, and the mysterious man. Jiraiya's keen eyes, long trained in appreciating the female form, could tell that Konan had truly blossomed into a beautiful woman. He was also pleased to see that she had continued to become a strong kunoichi.

He was proud of her. "Hello Konan."

"Jiraiya-sensei," Konan acknowledged her old teacher. Her voice was rich and regal. "Namikaze, it is a pleasure to meet you in person."

"All mine," Namikaze answered with a salute. "We've got a lot of strong and dedicated shinobi with us."

Konan was reminded, for a moment, of Yahiko as she appraised Namikaze. It fanned the embers of hope within her for a time. "Our combined talents should be enough to purify Akatsuki. From there, we will be able to bring a new age of understanding and enlightenment to a world drowning in chaos and pain."

Namikaze, Haku, and Shizune were swept up in a wave of idealistic enthusiasm. Itachi, Jiraiya, and Kisame were hopeful for a brief moment. The three veteran shinobi were far too jaded, and far too scarred by years of war, bloodshed and betrayal to ever hope so completely.

"Rest for the rest of today. Tomorrow, we wage war," Konan announced ominously.


Hiashi watched as Hanabi finished her exercises. His younger daughter was still the more martially talented of his two children. Still, Hiashi was intrigued by the progress Hinata had shown. He was curious to see if Hinata's improvement would continue.

'The Final Genin Test will reveal a great deal about her potential,' Hiashi mused as he verbally dismissed Hanabi. As his younger daughter exited the dojo, Hiashi heard an unfamiliar voice having an animated conversation. The voice was followed by a sound Hiashi had rarely heard recently.

His daughter's laugh.

'Curious,' Hiashi thought as he activated his Byakugan. Hinata had just returned to the compound with two young men. It was clear that they were her potential teammates. The Hyūga Clan head recognized both young men. Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto.

"Very clever, Hinata," Hiashi commended his daughter. He was aware of Hinata's training with the Uzumaki boy. The skilled Byakugan wielder exited the dojo after deactivating his bloodline.

"I should return to my studies," Hanabi said politely and bowed to Hinata and her teammates.

"Nice to meet'cha, Hanabi!" Naruto said in an overly-familiar, but oddly respectful manner.

Hinata smiled at her sister. "I will see you later, Hanabi-chan."

Unsurprisingly, Sasuke offered nothing to the conversation. The young man had closed himself off after the massacre. It was a minor miracle that Naruto had reached him at all.

"Otou-sama!" Hinata said warmly as she bowed. Naruto decided to suck up to his not-officially-his-girlfriend's dad and bowed too. Sasuke inclined his head politely. "M-May I introduce my teammates Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto."

Hiashi nodded. Naruto figured it was the only acknowledgment he would get out of the man. "Who has been assigned as your potential Jonin instructor?"

Naruto smiled encouragingly at Hinata. Hiashi did not visibly react, but it confirmed Hoheto's assessment that the Uzumaki outcast was infatuated with his daughter. Now that Hiashi had a chance to observe Naruto, he could see several details. First, the boy was supremely confident. Uzumaki Naruto seemed at ease with Hinata and the Uchiha boy. It disappointed Hiashi to see that Hinata was deferring to Naruto. Yes, Hinata was currently taking the lead, but Naruto's body language clearly demonstrated that he was encouraging Hinata to assert herself. If Naruto decided to speak, Hinata would gladly step aside. Even the Uchiha seemed to be content with allowing Naruto to do all the 'heavy lifting'.

'The boy appears to be a natural leader. Should he actually start applying himself, he could one day become a valuable asset to the Village.'

"Hatake Kakashi, Otou-sama," Hinata answered. Hatake Kakashi was a respected name. He was also infamous as a Jonin instructor already for his impossible standards and universal fail rate. If Hinata and her team could pass, it would do a great deal to secure her position in the Clan.

"His standards are higher than mine." Hiashi watched as Hinata blanched. He also observed the reaction of the young men on Hinata's team. Uchiha Sasuke wore a mask of indifference. Uzumaki Naruto was angry.

At him.

Hinata's reaction was equally as telling. She immediately looked to Naruto for support. A quick, barely noticeable, smile seemed to put Hinata at ease.

"I-I have every confidence we will succeed." Hinata's body language spoke louder than her words. This was the Hinata Hiashi had sought for years. Uzumaki Naruto had lifted Hinata up in weeks. The truth dawned on Hiashi. Naruto did not have a one-sided academy crush on Hinata. The relationship was mutual.

'And unless Hinata's team fails, there is nothing I can do to separate them. Devious daughter. You are finally thinking as a shinobi should,' Hiashi angrily praised his daughter. The Hyūga Clan Head was not a man who enjoyed being outmaneuvered. The fact that his daughter, whom he had practically disowned, and the village outcast had triumphed so completely over him was galling. Despite his anger, he could not help but be proud of Hinata. Hiashi was vexed. There was no legal option for separating the two. If he ordered Hinata to fail the Genin test, she would refuse and pass simply to maintain her pride as a Hyūga. If Hiashi found a way to sabotage the exam, there were several major controversies that would erupt. First, it would bring the Hyūga Clan's loyalty into question. Two, it would dishonor Hiashi personally that his Kunoichi of the Year daughter did not become a full shinobi. Three, if word leaked to clients, faith in Konoha's integrity would be damaged.

As he realized earlier, he had been completely played.

"Father, Iruka-sensei has offered to take Team Seven to a congratulatory dinner tonight. Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun suggested using the dinner as an opportunity to find out additional information about the True Genin Test. I would like permission to attend this dinner."

Hiashi considered the request. It was entirely reasonable. The team had a goal that was in no way frivolous. Hinata and her teammates would need every shred of information they could receive.

"I accept your request, Hinata. Make productive use of your time and return to the compound no later than 9:30 this evening. As early as it is, I assume that you wish to train with your team."

"Yes, Otou-sama," Hinata answered with a bow. Sasuke remained stoic as ever, but the Uzumaki boy could barely contain his considerable excitement. "Thank you for granting my request."

Hiashi said a token goodbye and departed. Team Seven quickly departed the Hyūga Compound. Hinata let go of the breath she had been holding since meeting with her father. She leaned against her boyfriend and rested a head on his shoulder.

Naruto put an arm around Hinata and smiled. "You were awesome. I'm proud of you."

"Hiashi has figured you two out," Sasuke pointed out. "You two were surprisingly subtle, but he picked up on a few tells."

"What's he going to do? Try to ruin our test? That'd make the Hyūga look bad if they tried something." Naruto smirked as he finished.

Sasuke grunted in amusement. "A clan would never risk their pride and standing like that. You've covered your bases pretty well."

"W-We have two hours before we meet up with Iruka-sensei," Hinata spoke up. "Should we train?"

The boys nodded. Sasuke suddenly got an idea. "Hinata, how many Bunshin can you make?"

"I…I think I can make nine." The Hyūga heiress wasn't sure where Sasuke's train of thought was heading. Naruto, however, started to chuckle. "What is it, Naruto-kun?"

"I think I'm thinking what Sasuke is thinking," Naruto said triumphantly. "He'll never see it coming."

The Uchiha grinned in response. "No, he won't."


Iruka was still having trouble believing the level of mastery Naruto had demonstrated with the Kage Bunshin no jutsu. The improvement was absolutely amazing. Iruka was truly proud of his student.

'I'm still not entirely sure if he truly learned Kage Bunshin the way he said, but I'm glad he learned the jutsu.'

Of everything Naruto had accomplished recently, there were two things that stood out above all others. First, Naruto had brought Sasuke out of his shell. Iruka had grown worried for Sasuke. It wouldn't be a stretch in the Chūnin's mind to say that Naruto could have saved Sasuke's humanity. Second, Naruto had begun to bring out Hinata's potential. No one but Iruka would say this, but Naruto was well on his way to becoming a great shinobi. The teacher had watched the impact of Naruto's charisma change two of his peers for the better in less than a month.

'I wonder what he will do with years?'

Iruka was very hopeful for the future. Naruto just seemed to make everything brighter, except for Iruka's wallet. The growing young man made that lighter. A knock at the door cut Iruka's amusement at his own joke short.

"Yes?" Iruka called out.

"Hey, Iruka-sensei! I'm one of Naruto's kage bunshin!" Naruto's voice came through the door.

Iruka raised an eyebrow. He opened the door to the smiling image of one of Naruto's doppelgangers. "Is everything alright?"

"Oh yeah, everything is great. The boss, Hinata-chan, and Sasuke are getting ready for Kakashi-sensei's Genin Test over at Training Ground Two." Naruto's kage bunshin flashed a thumbs-up.

Iruka thanked the clone before it dispersed. The teacher worked his way to Training Ground Two. He wasn't sure what to expect. Iruka certainly hoped that the budding friendship he had witnessed between Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke was continuing to develop.

'I hope Naruto can strengthen Hinata's Will of Fire and ignite Sasuke's,' Iruka thought.

It turned out ignite may have been an understatement. As the Academy teacher approached Training Ground Two, there was no din of training. In the place of the usual team training sounds of yelled jutsu names or coordinating suggestions, there was the almost unheard of sound of Uchiha Sasuke laughing.

"All hail, Hinata-chan! Queen of the Geniuses!" Naruto shouted as he paraded around Training Ground Two with a brightly blushing and slightly protesting Hinata on his perched on his shoulders.

Iruka had never been more proud of Naruto. He might have just saved Sasuke and Hinata from themselves.

There was no doubt left in his mind. Team Seven would succeed where all others failed. Hatake Kakashi would have his first team.


Author's Note: I really don't have an excuse for letting this fic slip into an extended coma. If I can offer a reason, I'm probably intimidated as fuck about the next chapter. You guys are wondering where the 'tragedy' bit in the genre tags come from? Yeah, that's next chapter.

I am truly sorry for the lapse in updates.