Kiba Inuzuka and his sister Hana were enjoying a leisurely walk through the streets of Konoha, far from the compound which most of the ninja half of the community referred to as the kennels, with varying levels of derision or affection. The five-year-old was enjoying the summer heat because it meant that he didn't need to wear a shirt, and periodically rubbing at his facial tattoos. He'd gotten them a few weeks back, and they still stung just a little bit from time to time. Not that he was going to cry about them—they meant he'd been recognized as part of the clan and was going to begin his training soon.

If he did well enough he'd even get his own partner, his very own ninken. That was a big responsibility in the clan, and it pretty much meant he'd have to become a ninja. Kiba didn't mind this, though. Becoming a ninja was the aspiration of every clan member, part of their duty to the pack. The Inuzuka clan was one of the oldest in Konoha, and traced its roots straight back to the hidden village's founding. Serving for the good of the people, for the greater pack that was Konoha, was every Inuzuka's pride.

At the moment, though, he had the honor of being just another child in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, and therefore nothing special. No need to aspire to greatness yet, not when he had his whole life ahead of him. Let the Uchiha and Hyuuga clans deal with all that nonsense. He actually pitied them somewhat, as much as a boy his age could, being pushed into excellence instead of being allowed to choose their own path in life. Well, okay, maybe his clan could be a little stern about that, too; the reasoning is what mattered.

Kiba's first duty was to the village, not the honor of his clan, Hana and his mother both said. The pack and the clan, those were his family; Konoha on the other hand was much more than that. Sure, he may not understand it now, but it was important to the older members, so by extension it was important to him, too.

The brisk afternoon walk took them past the orphanage where that weird girl lived. He'd never thought about it too much; Inuzuka weren't taught to judge people based on who they or their parents were, instead told to assess people based on what they did. The topic of Naruto Uzumaki didn't come up very often at dinner, and when it did Kiba—and anyone who was smart—retreated from the battle lines that were inevitably drawn.

It was never a question of Naruto's worth as a human being; he'd met the girl a few times and played with her whenever the opportunity arose. No, the question that the adults fought over was whether it would serve the clan to take the child in as one of their own. The debate always raged over whether Naruto would understand the clan's commitment to Konoha, the clan and the Hokage.

Absurdity always resulted, and once someone had let the word 'kyuubi' slip from his tongue, instantly earning a multitude of death glares. Kiba had asked about it, and his only answer was that it was something that they weren't allowed to talk about, by order of the Hokage. Nothing more was said on the matter and the one who'd made the error watched his tongue more carefully from then on. No shame was on his head for his indiscretion; it was natural for Inuzuka to be rather hot-blooded and think with their hearts instead of their minds.

Much at odds with the Aburame clan, who believed in logic and pragmatism above all else. They were nominal allies, naturally, since they had a similar stance regarding one's duty to the village. Aburame, however, viewed things from a hive perspective, up to and including the advocacy of self-sacrifice if it would serve the village. It is why their numbers were not larger. Many Aburame fell in the last war because they didn't have any sense of self-preservation. To Kiba's young mind, that made them stupid. You couldn't protect the village if you were dead.

When they passed by the orphanage Kiba took a long look at the front yard. Naruto was there, playing in a sandbox by herself while most of the other girls her age were playing tag, or trying to avoid getting bugs put in their hair. The matron watched them as best she could; between herself and Nana, a foundling who had pretty much grown up there, the orphans had a pretty good set of defenders. Naruto herself tried, too; whenever one of the other kids was in trouble she usually took the blame on herself, or so Kiba had heard. More than once he'd been in his room when the commotion of a chase had revealed the Uzumaki girl running wild, with a bunch of villagers on her tail.

And apparently the girl enjoyed the chases. It beat the hell out of being ignored, Kiba supposed, which he knew happened just as much as the chases did. If not more; the scene at the playground indicated to a painful degree just how frequently people pretended she didn't exist. Kiba noticed that he'd stopped and was looking rather intensely at the scar-cheeked girl, receiving an equally intense glare in return.

"What're you lookin' at, runt?" he demanded, after getting close enough to be heard over the din of an afternoon in Konoha. Hana stood nearby, quite exasperated at her little brother and looking ready to pick him up by the collar and throw him as far as she could.

"Did you come to make fun of me, too?" was the return challenge. Naruto's voice was oddly soft, but it carried, and her enlarged canines combined with the wild hair that she apparently never brushed and the whisker-like markings made even the little four-year-old look strong enough to tear someone's throat out. Kiba thought her eyes were pretty, actually, and when she started blushing he became aware that he'd said it out loud, directly to Naruto's face.

"Oh…thanks, I guess. Hey! Do you wanna play later? Mimiru says I should try to make friends…nobody wants to, though." Hearing the sadness in her voice, Kiba gave a firm nod, flashing a grin at her.

"Sure, anytime, anywhere! If it's okay with my mom, that is. I'm probably going to be busy a lot once winter comes. My mom and sister are gonna be training me before I sign up for the Academy. Really rough stuff, too. I could ask them if you can train too, maybe. Then we could play when the training's done!"

"Really? Cool! Yeah and then when I sign up for the Academy, too, we'll already be friends!" The broad grin on Naruto's face was so sincere, so earnest, that he actually believed it would be true. All he had to do was convince his mother that it would be a good idea. If only he'd known what an avalanche he'd started.

OoOoOoO

Naruto was used to being hit, kicked and otherwise manhandled on the rare instances when she went out. Really, Nana and Mimiru couldn't expect her to stay at the orphan house all day, not when it was sunny and warm and there was a nice breeze blowing! Usually on days like this she tried to avoid crowds, and go swimming at one of the less popular spots, wearing nothing but her skin since Nana couldn't really afford to buy her a bathing suit.

That was alright with her, though, since a lot of the older girls that went swimming in the same spots often did so without clothes, too, and though they were always a little wary of her, none of them ever actually begrudged Naruto her presence. Not like if she tried to go to one of the bigger swimming places, or an actual pool that had been built for the express purpose. The last time she'd tried to get into one of the municipal pools, a lifeguard had tossed her out, though at least had been nice about it and explained that it made people uncomfortable if she swam naked.

Going to the unofficial swimming spots was a lot riskier. Once they'd come near to drowning her, even though she was a strong and fast swimmer. Seeking to avoid a repeat of such incidents, then, Naruto stuck to the smaller spots, promising not to do anything that wasn't nice.

But to get there she had to go through the crowds, and on a day like this when everyone was out and about it was likely as not that trouble would follow. She was used to running away, too; Naruto could outpace most people twice her age and three times as tall, effortlessly. Even going from one end of Konoha to the other at a dead run didn't wear her out as much as people said it should.

Hiding was a lot easier than running, especially with her small body; given how she'd managed to get herself cornered, however, by five men easily fully grown, did not make concealing herself easy. The look in their eyes was unmistakable. These men wanted her to suffer for something—nobody ever said exactly what—and going on how they were smirking and cracking their knuckles, Naruto was afraid that she was bound for another trip to the hospital.

It hadn't been her fault, really. She simply hadn't been paying attention to where she was going. At this time of year there were the Chuunin Exams to consider, on top of a bunch of festivals and celebrations. All sorts of people milled about on a day like this one, some pulling carts, some carrying materials to build festival booths with, some of them ninja showing off their new vests. August was a busy month in Konoha. And she hadn't been watching where she was going, bumped into someone and suddenly found herself cornered against the wall of a bakery.

This particular group looked like they wanted to spend time insulting her, first, if their keen-eyed glares were any indication. One of them was a ninja, which immediately made her apprehension jump several degrees. Forget swimming; she'd be lucky to stay conscious.

"Hey, this is the little bitch, right? The one you said latched onto your leg and started biting you?"

"Yeah, that's her all right. Look at those fangs, eh? Not even Inuzuka's got chompers that big." It was starting to look like they were going to pin her with a crime she didn't commit, and therefore make her have to renege on her promise to Kiba. Her brief flash of anger caused a reaction from the five men, two of them stepping back, the ninja narrowing his eyes and the other two reaching into pockets to pull out and put on brass knuckles.

"Watch it, guys," the ninja said. "You don't want to lose an eye to this freak, do you?" Hand signs, and then the sound outside the alleyway got dangerously quiet. Ninja were to be feared, even ANBU, who were usually on her side when things got really nasty. They had a habit of not showing up sometimes. Naruto could usually predict when, given how they were, like any other bodyguards, on rotation. It was just her luck that today she'd gotten the squad least likely to step in if she got into trouble.

"What do you say we have a little fun, eh, demon? You got a nice little beating coming to you." The first hit was always the hardest, a bareknuckle hook that split her lip and sent her sprawling to the ground, scraping her knees. Not content to just lie there and let them hit her, Naruto struggled to her feet, managing to dodge the follow-up kick and allowing herself a shadow of amusement at the swear that resulted. Being as small as she was… it was only small help, though.

In short order she'd gone from defiant, to holding her arms in front of her head to catch the blows, and finally rested huddled on the ground, doing her best to endure the assault. A particularly savage kick rocked her against the stone wall and elicited a shrill cry of pain before the beating finally ended.

"I wish she would get up and attack, so we had a reason to put her down for good," she heard. Something was wrong—they usually left by now. "Oh, right, you still wanted to do that, huh?"

"Sick, sick, sick. Oh well. Hurry up, would you? Our buddy's getting a little bored of keeping up the genjutsu." Holy hell, this was going to be bad. Naruto cringed, holding her aching side as one of them lifted her up onto a trash can, propping her there like a doll. The battering had left her clothes torn and shredded, and the scraps were easily pulled aside. She cringed, and then heard—barking? She was so astonished by the noise, that Naruto fainted dead away.

OoOoOoO

Hana Inuzuka was one of those people that liked to put animals first, and people second. It was this nature, along with her superb control and reserves, which ended with her becoming a veterinarian for the clan's ninja dogs. Among the few Inuzuka who could pass for normal, and with a calmer temperament than most of her kin, this meant she was often the one picked to go out and interact with the community when the clan needed something.

Having Kiba along didn't really hurt matters any; a lot of the shopkeepers and merchants liked the rambunctious boy, so naturally Hana used her brother's amiability to secure deals. Today had been particularly successful; aside from a small delay when he'd stopped to talk to that Uzumaki girl for a few minutes, mainly about playtime, Kiba had helped his big sister close out not one, but two deals. For that he was getting a big reward when they got home.

Walking down the Road of Seven Flowers, a popular street to build carnival stands on, she could sense Kiba's excitement. Progress was going well and he was undoubtedly looking forward to the Summer Festival. Hana, too, anticipated the event, one of the few times during the year that she allowed herself to cut loose. Her reverie was broken by a shrill scream from nearby, which nobody else apparently heard. Inuzuka hearing was better than most, but such a noise should have drawn attention.

When nobody reacted, Hana, and Kiba too, looked towards the source of the scream. Some of the ninja in the crowd were looking at a particular spot next to a bakery and then shaking their heads in confusion. The subtle hint was all she needed. As much as her eyes told her that she was charging towards a brick wall, Hana's nose and ears said different. While she ran, Hana whistled sharply, calling the Haimaru Brothers to her side as she crashed into the wall and through.

A genjutsu, like I thought, the kunoichi growled. Then she saw why it had been erected. Instantly her anger flared and she let out a war cry, hearing her companions' barking to signal that they were near.

"You get your goddamn worthless hands off that girl!" Of the five of them, only one would even prove a partial threat, the recently-promoted chuunin sneering at Hana as he raised his fists to attack. The black-haired man holding Naruto against the wall dropped her roughly onto the trash can he'd placed her on, reaching for his pants; a kunai caught him in the shoulder, prompting the other three civilians to raise their hands defensively.

Ex-civilians, Hana thought. I'll be talking to ANBU about this lapse in security. For such a thing to even be contemplated is intolerable! Tsume was going to get chewed out as well. Her ears registered Kiba peering into the alley through the seeming wall, head poking through the illusion and then shrinking back when Hana yelled at him.

The Brothers had the three civilians occupied, keeping them pinned down, leaving her to deal with the ninja herself.

"You shouldn't have interfered, bitch; run off back to your kennel and spread your legs for those dogs of yours like a good little puppy and maybe I'll forget this insult."

"Save the insults. I'm ashamed that they let people like you become chuunin; traitors like you deserve to die, but leaving you to the T&I division seems a more fitting punishment. I hope you enjoyed your short time as a ninja because when I'm through with you…" Threats weren't Hana's style, unfortunately for these goons. When she said something, she meant to follow through. Thankfully Naruto seemed dead set on remaining unconscious, so she didn't have to see the beating that she was about to lay down.

It was patently unfair that the girl who was keeping the whole village safe would be treated in such a way. Her accusation of treason highly justified, Hana launched forward, stepping away from a broad slash and ducking underneath a sweep kick that would otherwise have sailed into her head. Her fist came up and smashed the chuunin in the gut, followed by a headbutt to the nose. Careless, just because his opponent was a woman.

Hana wasn't done with him yet, driving a heel into his foot while the man clutched his nose and the blood streaming out of it; this minor assault was followed by her knee rising into his groin to finish out with a two-knuckle strike to the side of his neck just beneath the jaw. As he fell over she stepped into his back, heel digging between his shoulder blades to keep him pinned while she tore away his hitai-ite.

"You don't deserve this, scum. Kiba! I know you're still there; go back home and get Tsume!" They never called her 'mother' when there was official business to discuss, and this matter was no different. The pantsless one looked about ready to wet himself and Naruto was starting to come around; her dogs had the other three pinned and the chuunin—ex-chuunin, she reminded herself—was not going anywhere soon.

Frowning, Hana picked Naruto up in her arms, looking over the injuries the girl had received. She knew that the girl ate well enough at the orphanage, and there were no signs of malnutrition; what worried her most at the moment was the extent of the physical injuries and the potential psychological damage, as well. Hana wasn't a touchy-feely doctor, though recognizing that mentality played a role in health came as an almost requirement in her field.

Tsume arrived in short order with a squad of ANBU, different from the ones that had been assigned to watch the blonde girl. Those four were currently the subjects of a search, themselves. They were sure to be reprimanded, if not discharged.

"Hana, you'd better have a damn good explanation for attacking a fellow ninja—oh. I see. Kick him again." Gladly obliging, Hana then passed Naruto, by now fully awake, over to her mother so she could retrieve a blanket from her thigh pack, which held medical supplies instead of weapons. It wasn't much but it would serve well enough until they could get a shirt for the girl.

"These bastards think they can oppose the Fourth's will and that of the Third as well. That one," Hana pointed at the one with the kunai in his shoulder, "was going to force himself on her. A grown woman would be bad enough but this is a child."

The four ANBU nodded discreetly, one of whom she noted had stark white hair, left eye covered by his headband. His uncovered right eye looked like it might shoot daggers at the men. Beneath his mask, Tsume was sure the young man was scowling.

"I thought Uzumaki was supposed to have a detail on her at all times. Why are we just now finding out she was in danger and why in the hell did she have to be rescued by a medic?"

"Calm down, Hatake. She's all right now and we'll make sure that she gets the treatment she needs. If I were you I'd look into that missing squad. Hana."

"Yes, Tsume?"

"Take Naruto to a hospital and you see to it that they give her proper care. I'm going to the Hokage's office immediately."

"Um—"

"I know what standard procedure is, and I'm saying fuck that right now. Standard procedure is shit to me at the moment."

"Inuzuka—!"

"Clan head, Hatake. That means I technically outrank you."

"Yes ma'am. We'll get on that search right now. …Let me know how she turns out, alright?"

"Sure thing, Sparky. Now get going." Konoha's military police had arrived by that point and with the ninja unconscious his genjutsu had failed, allowing a sizable crowd to have gathered around the alley's entrance. As many people that disliked Naruto, the assembled throng were still jeering and throwing stones, trash and other objects at the captives as they were paraded through the streets towards the precinct building. It would be awhile before anyone tried anything stupid again, and if Tsume Inuzuka had her way, that 'awhile' would be 'never'.

OoOoOoO

"Calm down, Tsume. I'm just as upset as you are; running out there teeth bared and claws out isn't going to help matters any." Truth be told Hiruzen was positively seething. Not two minutes before Kakashi had reported in to say that the missing team had been found in a bar of all places, and that he was going to tender his resignation to his commander at the earliest opportunity. As if that weren't bad enough he then had to deal with Tsume storming in and relating the tail end of a story that he should really be hearing from her daughter. At least Hana would be more tactful about it, even through her rage.

"With all due respect, sir, the hell I will! I know we can't provide for every child who might face difficulties due to being orphaned but you have to agree this is a special case! I've already got most of the clan representatives on my side; let me take the girl in myself! We'll do a hell of a better job of protecting her than those lazy ANBU!"

"While I cannot disagree with you on that," Sarutobi growled, keeping his back turned so that the Inuzuka matron wouldn't read his expression, "you're treading on thin ice. Your clan already has garnered a low opinion from the village—"

"Since when did we care?"

"Do not interrupt me! I am perfectly willing to grant your request but it must go through proper channels. If you want to allow Naruto into your family, that is fine with me. I am just striving to assure her current guardians that you have her best interests in mind and not your own."

"Sarutobi, sir, you know our clan. You know we put the village first."

"And I also know you're fearsomely loyal to each other. Or should I not list all the missions that have failed because of an Inuzuka putting the team first?" Tsume's lips creased into a scowl and she took a step forward, challenge rising in her voice.

"Half those missions were doomed to failure anyway! Some people, even Inuzuka, aren't cut out to be soldiers. When it comes down to it I'd rather my kinsmen fail and come back alive than succeed and come back dead. And what those villagers were doing… It sickens me! If I were a different person I'd be back at the kennels convincing my clan to resign their ninja commissions and relocate somewhere else instead of in here talking to you!"

"Mind your tongue, Tsume, you get very close to treason!"

"The only treason that happened today was…you know what? Forget it. You're right, I'm getting ahead of myself. I should be talking to Mimiru, not tearing you a new asshole." Spinning on her heel, Tsume stalked out, prompting Sarutobi to sigh. He wondered if his predecessors had ever had to deal with this crap. Tsume was right, in her own way. Treason had occurred, and likely would have continued to take place if someone hadn't taken notice. That it was the son and daughter of a clan head was immaterial. He'd reprimand Tsume for her behavior later. Right now he had to fast-track things to ensure Naruto ended up in good hands, and for the life of him he could see no better alternative than clan Inuzuka.

OoOoOoO

To their credit the doctor that poked and prodded Naruto didn't ask how she got her injuries or who had been responsible for it. At first the man had been a bit apprehensive to see her in the company of a pair of Inuzuka; the looks on their faces, though, said that they weren't the ones to blame for the child's current state. Inuzuka played rough, of course, he'd thought then, and even they knew when they were going too far.

All things considered, Naruto was a rather good patient. He thought it odd that most of the bruises were already healed by the time she'd been brought in for examination, although the broken ribs and fractured ulna were still fractured and had required casting. And through it all she'd been mumbling about how she'd broken her promise to the Inuzuka boy—that seemed to hurt Naruto more than any of the physical blows that were inflicted.

"Don't take this the wrong way but I honestly hope I don't see you in here again anytime soon," he said while Naruto struggled to get dressed in the clothes the hospital had given her. She looked up at the aging man with apologetic eyes and a deep frown on her face. "Kids your age shouldn't be coming in here with anything more serious than a cough. So try to be more careful from now on, okay?" Nodding, her expression brightened considerably and she stepped out into the hallway, expecting there to be nobody waiting there for her and thinking to head back so Nana didn't get too worried.

Imagine her surprise when she saw Kiba and his older sister waiting for her on a bench outside the doctor's office, talking to a very large dog wearing an eye patch. She came out on the tail end of the conversation and managed to catch a fragment of it.

"Tsume's down at the home talking to its matron right now," the dog was saying—in human speech! "You know how she gets when she's well and truly pissed off. I just hope she doesn't go off the deep end and do something she'll regret later. Oh, speak of the devil." Hana scowled at Kuromaru when his inadvertent insult caused Naruto's face to fall again, staring hard at the clan head's partner dog with the same intensity she'd given Kiba earlier.

"Be nice, Kuro, she's had a rough day. And try not to mention any D words, eh?" Turning a sympathetic eye to Naruto, Hana continued without hesitation. "Well, Naruto? Are you feeling good enough to walk or does someone have to carry you?"

"I'm alright," she said quietly, not meeting Hana's gaze. "Sorry you got in trouble because of me. I'll…be going home now." Kiba started to speak up as Naruto turned to walk down the hallway, but was preempted.

"Wait. You've actually been released into our care for the time being. Our mother's down at your home talking to your guardian right about now; after what happened she feels you'll be safer if you stay with us for awhile."

"How long is awhile?"

"I don't know yet. We'll have to wait for her to get home so she can talk to you. Until then I hope you don't mind staying with us, even if it's just for one night."

"No, I don't mind. I have a promise to keep with Kiba, after all!"

"Good girl. Come along, then. Oh, by the way, Kuromaru, henge into a human next time you come into the hospital, huh?" Not having any excuse to disobey, Naruto followed, finding her hand reaching for Kiba's as they started off after Hana and the big dog—Kuromaru, Naruto reminded herself. It warmed her heart immensely when Kiba recognized her action and responded in kind, wrapping his fingers around her own and not mentioning the cast at all.

OoOoOoO

The Inuzuka compound wasn't as big as she'd thought it would be, nor as smelly. Despite the name it got from the villagers, Naruto's first impression of the kennels was that it was like any other housing complex in the city. Inuzuka, it looked, were a very close-knit clan, whole families and their canine allies living in one or two average-sized buildings instead of being spread out over a massive sprawl like she imagined the Uchiha or Akimichi clans were.

It actually reminded her of being back at the orphan house, only without the slight atmosphere of desperation that hung over it. People were coming and going, training out in the yards, napping under trees and playing games in dens and studies; dogs of every conceivable size and a few inconceivable ones were just as numerous as the human members of the clan, puppies and smaller ninken running around just as energetically as their larger cousins and human partners.

Kiba was explaining a few things to her, mostly related to the tattoos on his face that he didn't have a few months ago, to Naruto's knowledge. They were, he was saying, proof that the pack had accepted him, or rather had accepted his determination to become a ninja and keep the traditions that the Inuzuka tribe lived by. She thought it strange he'd pick that particular word to describe his family, even if it did sort of fit.

Dinner was a chaotic affair; everyone got an equal portion, even Naruto, and yet squabbles and quibbles still ensued. Through it all, she noticed, at one point tossing a biscuit across the room just to see how they'd react, nobody seemed to be mad at all. It was like…they were having fun, turning the hectic into the helpful. Once or twice she even managed to sneak some of her vegetables onto a different plate than her own, and the biscuit she'd tossed had been intercepted and devoured without a second thought by one of the Haimaru brothers.

Later on, though, things had calmed down considerably. Many of the elder Inuzuka who had partners to care for took them back to private rooms for grooming or baths, and those that didn't retired to private or group study to practice the mental portions of ninja training. And ninja, Naruto saw, made up a good portion of the people she'd seen inside the walls of the Inuzuka compound.

She had a chance, just before bed, to ask Tsume about it. Made easier, as Tsume had pulled her aside into a lovely bedroom (with claw marks on the walls for some reason) to chat with her while Kuromaru dozed on a giant teddy bear.

"Is dinner always like that?" Naruto asked immediately. Tsume laughed loudly, and shook her head to say that no, it wasn't. The look in her eyes bespoke annoyance at someone who couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"Naruto," the clan matron announced, "there's an important question I want to ask you. You've seen how rough our family can be, and at the same time you've also seen how rough the villagers can be."

"Are you asking me if I want to leave?" Returning to that small voice she used when she was feeling cornered, Naruto glanced up at Tsume, finding her eyes focusing on the wild woman's purple lipstick. "Because I don't want to leave Konoha. It's my home and I want to protect it."

"That's good. No, what I'm asking is…do you want to be part of our family? I've been talking it over with the Hokage and old lady Mimiru. They've both said I'll be allowed to bring you into the clan—if I get your consent first. We're not a very tactful people, Naruto, and misunderstood a lot. Letting us take care of you could make things worse for awhile. On the other hand, you wouldn't have to be alone anymore, and you'd have people to watch out for you."

"Can I keep my name? Uzumaki's a pretty strong name and I want…Nana says it was my mother's family name, too."

"We wouldn't change your name, and Nana's right. There's a bunch of bullshit going on revolving around you, Naruto, I won't mince words on it. You've got the same look, kid, and if I can help it then you're not going to lose it, either."

"So, what if I say yes? What happens to me?"

"You get formally inducted into the clan and one of us will adopt you as our own. As things are looking right now that'll probably be me or Hana, or maybe one of the other women of appropriate age. We always seem to end up with more women than men…" The muttering was lost on Naruto, as the girl knelt down next to Kuromaru and started scratching between his ears.

"Do I get my own…partner?"

"Depends on you. I ain't gonna lie, Naruto, Inuzuka life is hard. You're going to have to train every day and learn our clan techniques, prove you're worth giving a ninken to. Even if you don't get 'accepted', though, you'll still be family, still be allowed to join the academy if you want. Those tattoos are reserved for people who can demonstrate a willingness to put the village first, and not being stupid enough to think that means getting killed on a mission."

"If and when I get accepted…protecting the village, huh? Isn't that what I'm already doing? You'll help me get stronger so I can be a better protector, right?"

"Heh! We'll see, kid. You're gonna have to work hard, though." Tsume poked a finger into Naruto's gut, tickling her as a clawlike fingernail ran over the spirals in the currently-invisible seal. "You're keeping us safe, Naruto, so it's only fair we keep you safe until you learn how to guard yourself on your own."

"What happens if I want to leave? I mean like live on my own? Do I get locked up?"

"Hey, hey, we're a family, not a prison. Sleep on it, and let me know tomorrow. I think I've coddled you enough; don't want Kiba to think I'm playing favorites or he might start sulking."

"Goodnight, Tsume," Naruto said as she slipped out, going to the room they'd prepared for her. When she woke up the next day, she found herself amidst a pile of other boys, girls and puppies her age. It felt…comfortable.

OoOoOoO

Eight years later

"Get back here, you dog-eared twerp!" Naruto looked back at her pursuers as she leaped across the rooftops of Konoha, sticking her tongue out and pouring it on. The young woman and her ninken had only recently been discovered in the aftermath of their latest prank, colorful paint and wild designs applied to the Hokage monument in the night while Konoha slept. Midoriko yapped happily as she kept close on Naruto's heels, following the kunoichi-in-training as her braid whipped behind her like a tail given the speed of their flight. She knew the path; they were making a bee-line for the academy and safety, which was good because Naruto really needed to pass the genin exam this time.

"I know, Midoriko, I know! I'm not going to be late. These chumps couldn't catch us if we were walking!" The ANBU chasing her had overheard, which had been the intent; a chase wasn't fun if the hunters didn't have their hearts in it. Scooping Midoriko up into her arms, Naruto vaulted over a particularly broad thoroughfare and down onto another roof, hopping down to street level through the use of several fire escapes. The Academy was just ahead; places of learning, and the kennels, were considered to be 'home base' and off-limits to pursuers.

Besides, she'd be catching hell from Tsume anyway, whether or not she passed the exam this time. Defacing the monument was her big prank for the end of the school year, pass or fail, a celebration meant for the other students who would likely be getting placed on teams. Kiba was a shoe-in, Naruto was confident of that. Her own chances weren't as good—she always messed up on that stupid Bunshin test, and Midoriko wasn't allowed to henge into her to help like she'd done the last time. Tsume and Hana both had tried to improve Naruto's control, to little avail. She simply had so much chakra to use and limiting it was almost impossible!

Midoriko from day one had had to take on extra exercises to increase her own chakra just so she could keep up with Naruto, which in the long run had been much to her benefit. Sometimes she envied Akamaru, who got to be lazy with Kiba quite often. On a day like this one that envy didn't go very far. Her brothers would have been caught by now. Nobody could run like Naruto could, and for the pup it was quite exhilarating to lead the elite protectors of the village on a merry chase.

Together they ascended the steps of the Academy and charged inside, barging into Iruka-sensei's classroom with a noise that had definitely announced their arrival before their appearance.

"Nice of you to join us, Naruto," the scarred teacher said, and Midoriko barked at him. "And Midoriko," he amended with a smile. "Go on, take your seat already." Placing her dog on her head, Naruto ascended the risers and scooted in position beside Sasuke, looking over at the intense young man curiously. Her cheeks twitched beneath her tattoos as Naruto noticed that his surly expression was for her.

"What's your problem today, Uchiha?" Keeping himself stoic, he pointed, and Naruto followed the line of his finger to see fully half of the Uchiha Fan Club glaring at her with murderous intent. "Oh, them?" She grinned and leaned in close to whisper for the Uchiha's sole benefit. "You know what would be funny? If you told them that you have a thing for Hinata. No, wait. That would go bad for her, never mind."

"What are you whispering about over there, Doggy-Maid?" That shout was from Ino, and Naruto just rolled her eyes at the platinum blonde, flipping her a finger. A few laughs echoed throughout the classroom as the Yamanaka heir's face reddened and she began to form the hand signs; a quick nudge from Shikamaru as he entered the classroom in typically apathetic fashion made the Mind Transfer miss, and Naruto flashed him a smile.

Thanks, Shika, I owe you one. Iruka was calling for the class to settle down and take their seats; our of the corner of her eye she caught Hinata poking her fingers together with a blush, the blank-eyed gaze drifting between Naruto and Sasuke. God, don't tell me she's got a crush on him, too. Don't tell me she's crushing on me! Hinata was a sweet girl, yes; Naruto just wasn't interested in either gender yet. Then a mischievous grin spread over her face, that everyone wary enough to be watching her recognized. Sasuke sensibly edged as far away from Naruto as his seat would allow.

With a poof of smoke Naruto had transformed herself from a reasonably attractive young woman to a devastatingly handsome man in his twenties, modesty preserved only by a few well-placed whorls of fog sticking around after the henge. Sasuke had seen this particular henge—with clothes on—before; it was a simple gender swap and all the same unnerving, especially how it made her look like the Fourth's own offspring.

"Say, ladies," Naruto's husky soprano replaced by a smooth baritone, "wouldn't you rather have a real man and stop mooning over some child?" Half the eyes in the room were on Naruto as 'he' spoke, including the two most violent members of the Fan Club and, notably, a certain Hyuuga girl. All three of them, Naruto swore, had hearts in their eyes. It was Sakura who snapped out of it first.

"Wait, wait, what the hell was that, Naruto? Where did you come up with such a perverted jutsu?" Laughing uncontrollably, doubled over, she missed the eraser that Iruka threw at her head as she transformed back. "God, you're such a creep, Doggy-Maid!" The finger returned, aimed at Sakura this time, emphasized by a bark from both canines present in the room.

"Sheesh, Naruto, do you always have to make trouble?"

"Aw, come on, Kiba, I'm just having a little fun!"

"A-HEM!" Iruka said loudly, prompting everyone to quiet down. "If you're all done messing around, I'd like to get the testing started. Alphabetical order, you know the drill. This is the last test of the year so if you don't get it now, you'll have to take my classes over again—that means you, too, Nara, so don't pretend like it's too troublesome!"

The tests were just to show that the students possessed the basic skills and knowledge required to become genin; what they learned, where they specialized, would be the domain of their jounin instructors if they passed. Those who failed…there were advanced classes available, but few ever opted for them. Naruto was appreciably nervous, naturally. She had to ace the ninjutsu test or else be held back another year, and she didn't want to be the one who left the teams unbalanced.

Fitness, taijutsu, ninjutsu—the three areas that prospective genin were tested on. And the written test, of course, though that wasn't quite as essential to success. Finally it was Naruto's turn, and she went up to the front of the class. The order of the test was easy to remember: kawarimi, henge, bunshin, and henge bunshin. Three attempts, if you failed all three attempts, you failed the test.

Substitution was pathetically easy; instead of the log, Naruto traded places with Iruka, leaving them both a bit disoriented although he nodded his approval to continue. Henge was practically Naruto's specialty, transforming herself into various men and women that were just ordinary enough to not stand out. Then the clone test came. Students were required to make a copy of the themselves, if she could just get it to look right…! The first clone didn't even manifest. The second had the right size and shape but was transparent as mist, and the last clone, while it looked solid, was hideously misshapen.

"Naruto Uzumaki…fail." Iruka's disappointment was as palpable as her own. Before she shuffled back to her seat she briefly considered trying a henge bunshin, but if she couldn't even produce a regular one, Naruto didn't see any reason that a transformed copy would work, either. Slumping into her seat she missed Kiba looking at her helplessly, missed Sasuke's critical eye evaluating her. If she couldn't even pass a basic ninjutsu test then she didn't have what it took to be a ninja.

OoOoOoO

The swing outside the academy didn't see much use by the older students and yet it was here that Naruto found herself. Her spirit was flagging quite lower than usual, and so annoyed at herself that she'd actually gotten the monument cleaned in just under an hour. Now she was sat straddled on the swing, Midoriko in her lap as she watched the other students—Kiba included—walking away with their shiny new hitai-ite. Iruka-sensei had tried to cheer her up, but they'd made a promise, or rather she had. They were supposed to graduate together, damn it, brother and sister!

And yet she'd failed. Let the pack down. It wasn't that Naruto wasn't smart enough, even if she did learn a little differently than the other students, or that she didn't have enough chakra to perform the ninjutsu. She'd heard of a genin who couldn't even use chakra and had gotten through purely on his taijutsu skills. That was a special case, though, his instructor had pulled a lot of strings and used up a lot of favors.

Naruto wasn't half as lucky, even if she was Iruka-sensei's favorite student, she knew Tsume wasn't going to put any pressure on the Academy to make her a genin. If Naruto couldn't make it through on her own merits then she didn't deserve to be a ninja, simple as that. Troublingly, she agreed with her mother's assessments. Her dream was to one day become Hokage; how was she going to manage that if she couldn't achieve the first step in that goal? Maybe if she asked Iruka, he'd let her demonstrate that she was good at the Inuzuka clan techniques, and he'd let her pass. Or maybe he'd show her a higher-level technique—with all the energy she possessed, perhaps all she needed was something that required more chakra than the basics.

The chances of that happening were slim to none, though. Kiba paused in his boasting to the other classmates, catching her eye. A slow shake of her head told him no, she didn't want his pity. Enjoy his success, he earned it and she didn't. Forget that she'd broken her promise. A shadow fell over her, and Midoriko growled lightly before a calming hand from Naruto quieted her.

"Mizuki-sensei. What can I do for you?"

"How did you—oh, never mind. I noticed you're the only one who didn't walk out of there with a hitai-ite. It occurs to me that leaves the teams unbalanced. Lucky for you I'm willing to pass you if you perform a task for me…"

"What do I have to do?"

OoOoOoO

'Naruto, you know, we've made a huge mistake!'

"I'm beginning to realize that, Midoriko! What was I thinking, anyway? What kind of test requires me to break into the vault and steal a scroll on forbidden jutsu?"

'Mizuki might be a traitor to the village, or maybe he isn't and just wants to see if we belong on a scout team. Either way we might as well head to the rendezvous point.'

"First things first, Mimi. I want to see if this scroll has anything useful in it." Dropping down to ground level, Naruto took the scroll off of her back and spread it open, Midoriko keeping watch while her friend skimmed over the contents. "Okay, got one! Don't have time to practice, gotta keep moving!" Rolling the object back up, Naruto threw the scroll onto her back once more and took off into the woods outside the city. She knew the location where she was supposed to meet Mizuki-sensei well, could find it blindfolded if she had to.

Up ahead, standing on a branch in full battle gear stood the cerulean-haired teacher, his headband conspicuously missing. Naruto halted at the edge of the clearing, looking up at her sensei apprehensively.

"I've got the scroll and I didn't get caught," she called. "So do I pass or what?" Mizuki started laughing, startling her out of her hopefulness.

"Pass? Hah, as if I'd ever pass a demon like you! You know why you're shunned, little bitch? You know why nobody wanted to take you in and the Hokage had to practically force you on the Inuzuka clan? You're a devil, girl! Sealed inside that body of yours is a monster that practically destroyed Konoha! Pass you? I'd sooner die!" Through it all Naruto stood silent, seething with barely contained rage. Midoriko was saying something; she wasn't listening. Other voices were coming, searching.

Iruka dropped into the clearing just as Mizuki started throwing kunai, deflecting most of them with a trench knife as he stood before Naruto.

"Get back," he warned her, "you're not nearly skilled enough to take him on! Go get that scroll back to the tower, Naruto! Clear your name!"

"But, Iruka-sensei, I can't just leave…"

"Go, Naruto! I'd never forgive myself if you got hurt because you didn't listen!" Nodding hesitantly, she rounded about and started to take off laterally to the direction that she'd arrived from, remembering the training she'd gotten at home.

"Oh no you don't!" Mizuki yelled, unfolding a fuuma shuriken from his back. "That scroll's coming with me and you're going in the ground!" Leaping out from the branch to avoid the hail of shuriken that Iruka threw, Mizuki wound up and tossed the massive blade, sending it spinning at Naruto too fast for her to dodge. Not faster than Iruka; he moved, a blur of black and green as he interposed himself between Naruto and the shuriken, hissing as it sank into his back and stuck there.

"Naruto…whatever else you are…you are my precious student…not a demon, not a monster and definitely not a bitch…" Confused, she reached up to touch the wound on her teacher's back, her hand coming away bloody. The weakness in his voice scared her, and yet somehow he managed to stand up and take a stance in front of the cowering apprentice.

"You're still going to play the nice guy, Iruka? After that monster killed your family? They said the Fourth sealed the kyuubi inside a child, and everyone knows that she's been tainted by the beast—might as well be that beast! So step out of the way and let me kill that piece of shit like we should have the day she was born!"

"Do not…take another step…toward my student…" Naruto had reached the absolute limit of her tolerance. Kyuubi? Demons? None of that mattered right now. Midoriko was barking still, calling out to her brothers and sisters and being answered by howls. They were close, but not close enough. Mizuki had plenty of opportunity to kill both Iruka and Naruto if he wanted. Not if she could help it, though.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" In a flash of smoke and thunder the clearing was filled by an incomprehensible number of copies, all of them a savagely scowling Naruto. "Get him!" As one they descended on Mizuki, a sea of orange and black that overwhelmed the chuunin, leaving him black and blue and tied to a tree. The effort exhausted Naruto, creating so many clones at once leaving her a little woozy. It was a victory all the same, however small.

Midoriko had transformed herself into a copy of Naruto, helping to remove the fuuma and bandage Iruka before setting him down and changing back. Naruto herself sat next to her teacher, waiting for the ANBU to arrive and deliver her punishment.

"How much of it is true, sensei?"

"None of it. Yes, a monster called the kyuubi—the Nine-Tailed Fox—did attack the village the same day you were born. He killed my parents, yes—and yours. The Fourth Hokage died that day, too, and the kyuubi was sealed inside you. But you are not the Kyuubi, Naruto, no matter what anyone says."

"Then what am I, Iruka-sensei? Am I a traitor like Mizuki? A failure? Unwanted orphan?"

"Naruto, what are those on your face?"

"Inuzuka clan markings."

"You think if they didn't want you around that they'd give those to you? They took you in because they wanted you—Tsume damn near threatened the Hokage, or so I heard!"

"Mom did that? And the Old Man didn't mess her up?"

"They care about you, Naruto. And I care about you, too. Everything I said is true. You're my precious student, and seeing you fail hurts me more than you know. After that little demonstration, though…close your eyes." Perplexed, she did as she was told, feeling a heavy weight coming to rest on her brow. Her eyes widening in realization, Naruto touched the etching on the hitai-ite's cool steel. "Congratulations, Naruto. You pass."

"I-Iruka-sensei..! You really mean it?"

"Oh, so you're saying you want to spend another year in my class?" Her sensei was smiling, reaching up to pat Naruto on the head. "Yes, Naruto, I really mean it. I'm very proud of you, and so is your mother. Never forget that."

"Both of them?"

"Both of them."

OoOoOoO

Kiba knew they were going to be split up. Such was the nature of being put on a genin team. It was silly to think that he'd get on the same team as his sister; he'd been hoping that they'd graduate together, though. Naruto was all about her promises and hated having to break them, no matter what. Disappointment had resounded through his heart and most of the clan when they heard that Naruto had failed the test, and then she'd come home unusually late after some kind of trouble last night.

Reclining in his seat, Kiba looked up at the ceiling, feet on the desk and Akamaru dozing in his lap. Whispers rustled through the class as the door opened and shut, centered around Naruto. It didn't matter that she hadn't passed, he figured; she was still going to show up to see everyone else off. Akamaru looked up at his human and yawned, listening to the angry shouts and squeals of indignation as from the sound of it Naruto apparently stole Sasuke's first kiss, however inadvertently. Before anyone could react, though, Iruka-sensei entered, and called for everyone to sit down, shut up and pay attention.

"As of today everyone in this room is a potential genin. Whether you actually get the job or not depends on you and your instructors." Iruka looked around the room with pride and a little sadness, meeting every student's eyes. "From this point on you're all representatives of Konoha so I expect you each to do your best and bring honor to the city and the Hokage. What you do reflects on us all. Your jounin-sensei will all be along shortly to collect you; in the meantime I've been given the honor of announcing which teams you'll all be on."

Kiba filtered most of it out, listening only for two names out of the many that would be called. Every guy in class wanted to be the one to put Sasuke Uchiha in his place, and he hoped he'd get paired up with the so-called genius so he could knock some sense into him. His hearing filtered back into place as Iruka called out Sasuke's name, placing him on Team Seven under Kakashi Hatake. The other two were…"

"Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzumaki."

"Oi, sensei, you can call me Inuzuka!" Naruto's cheeky grin was matched by the stares of astonishment. Hadn't she failed yesterday? But wait…there was a hitai-ite around her neck, in similar fashion to Hinata…

"Team Eight: Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuuga, Shino Aburame. Your jounin-sensei is Kurenai Yuuhi." Team nine was…ignored as he looked to his two teammates, and only a passing acknowledgement given to Team Ten being the Ino-Shika-Cho combination that had been a Konoha tradition for decades. One Inuzuka smiled to the other. He didn't know how she'd done it and he didn't care. Naruto had kept her promise after all and to Kiba, that's all that mattered. Now they could return home with pride.

OoOoOoO

Alright, so, she wasn't on a team with her brother. That was fine with her, actually. Team Seven and Team Eight could both serve as scout teams, with their trackers doubling as heavy hitters. If this Kakashi Hatake person that was supposed to be their teacher from now on was any bit as smart as she hoped he was, he'd teach at least one of them a couple genjutsu so they could perform as a capture squad, as well. Naruto was happy all the same, toying with her hitai-ite, seeing whether it looked better on her head or her neck as the three of them waited for their instructor to show up.

"He sure is taking his sweet time," she finally grumbled. Midoriko yipped in agreement, looking at the other two of her partner's new team. Sasuke looked bored with everything in the room, and Sakura looked bored with Naruto, when she wasn't openly scowling. She wagered it was over Sasuke. The Fan Club latched onto all sorts of idiotic rumors, prompting its members to do drastic things like growing their hair out because they heard Sasuke had a thing for long hair.

"You gonna keep staring, Pinkie, or are you going to say something?" Haruno had thin skin, apparently, as she flushed crimson with irritation.

"I don't know why I have to tolerate being on a team with the dead-last class clown, but I'll do it for Sasuke's sake. But if you think about putting any moves on my Sasuke—"

"Hold up. Your Sasuke? I don't think he sees it that way. Leave the Fan Club antics at home—we're ninja now."

"You grew your hair out just like every other girl in class!"

"I grew my hair out because when Hana cuts it I look like a boy! You're pretty stupid sometimes!"

"You're both annoying," Sasuke finally spoke up, glaring at the two girls. Sakura flushed again; Naruto on the other hand brought her face up close to Sasuke's. The last survivor of the Uchiha sent a silent challenge to the last Uzumaki, which she met without flinching.

"Let's get one thing straight. As soon as that jounin walks through the door," and she gestured, speaking loudly enough for Sakura to hear as well, "we officially stop being students, stop being civilians, and stop being children. I don't know what the two of you learned in the last four years, but I'll tell you one thing: I'm a proud member of the Inuzuka clan, and we learn how to work as a team.

"So if either of you acts up and tries to behave that one of us is more important than all of us, I'll beat you down myself!" Naruto hid her dismay at the continued challenge behind a mask of confidence, displaying the aggressiveness that Inuzuka were known for and which she hadn't been born into. Midoriko barked again, saying she heard someone coming as Naruto returned to her seat. A short minute later and a white-haired jounin wearing a mask over the lower half of his face entered the otherwise-empty classroom, regarding the three of them impatiently.

"Well, what are you waiting for? You're Team Seven, right? We're already behind schedule."

OoOoOoO

Following along behind Kakashi, Sakura let her inner self rage at all the crap that the blonde Inuzuka girl had said before their new sensei had shown up. Stupid Doggy-Maid! Who does she think she is, telling us that crap? Naruto Inuzuka…she's the one acting childish! Nothing and nobody in this village is more important than Sasuke!

The subject of her errant affections was having vastly different thoughts as he kept pace with Hatake, periodically glancing up at the slanted headband that he knew covered a permanently-active Sharingan. One of the last in the world, if he couldn't activate his own. And he would, it was not a question of if, only a matter of when. Naruto Inuzuka, huh? And she spent the last four years going by Uzumaki. Not many of the other students have the nerve to talk to me like that, especially the girls. And she's got a point; none of us are children anymore. We stopped being kids the moment we put on those headbands. She'll make a worthy rival.

And then at the forefront of the quartet, Kakashi Hatake was evaluating the trio of genin that had been assigned to him. He was wasting his time on them, most likely, the Uchiha and Haruno children already getting on his nerves—Sakura for how she only seemed to want to listen to Sasuke, and Sasuke for how he ignored absolutely everything. He thought he caught the Uchiha looking at Naruto once or twice, but couldn't be completely certain of it. Of the three of them, only Naruto seemed to be taking her genin status seriously. To be expected, of course; if she'd lived with the Inuzuka clan as her tattoos suggested, then the young woman was going to be a very intense personality to contend with.

Kakashi had read over their files, of course. Sasuke and Naruto had more detail in theirs than Sakura did, owing to the fact that they were both assigned permanent ANBU details. Most of what he knew about Haruno came from her academy instructors: good chakra control but low capacity, intelligent, yet prone to not having the right priorities. Basic in taijutsu and ninjutsu; with her level of control, if he could get her capacity increased then she'd make a good medic and genjutsu specialist.

Uchiha had a lot of potential for straight ninjutsu, and his close combat skills weren't that bad, either. The massacre of his family had left him with a definite chip on his shoulder and he didn't seem capable of trusting anyone as a result, though, something he was going to have to try and work past if he wanted to make it on a team. Despite that his focus was good and if "keep your team alive" was a mission parameter he'd carry it out unquestioningly.

The last person to receive his scrutiny was Naruto Uzumaki. Or did she consider herself a full Inuzuka now? There were the fang-like tattoos on her face, sure, but she'd gotten them years ago and still went by Uzumaki then. Maybe passing the genin exam had been the final step for her? Regardless, out of the three of them, Naruto had the highest strength and stamina, both physically and in terms of chakra amount, as well as enhanced senses which made her a decent scout. And she had her mother's temper, exacerbated by life with the Inuzuka family. She'd have to get a handle on it, or else run the danger of putting her teammates at risk.

To her credit the young woman didn't seem to have the same baseless attraction to Sasuke as other girls her age, and she was just as focused on completing missions as Sasuke would be. First things first. They had to prove they could work together.

OoOoOoO

Five hours later and the three of them (plus Midoriko) were limping towards Naruto's favorite ramen bar, battered, bruised but ultimately successful in their first real test as a team. Sakura was still nursing a split lip and swollen eye, Sasuke favoring his left leg as they walked; of the three only Naruto had apparently escaped injury, mainly due to judicious use of shadow clones and kawarimi.

"Man, who knew Kakashi-sensei could be so brutal? And Naruto's not even scratched!" The state of her clothing told a different story. Her favorite orange and blue jacket with the spiral design on the shoulders was scorched through in places, revealing patches of singed skin and tears in her mesh undershirt. "At least we passed the test, though. First team in what, six years? Eight? It makes sense that a former ANBU would go hard on us…"

Naruto was thoroughly exhausted by the ordeal, the dozens upon dozens of kage bunshin she'd made having taken their toll on the normally energetic girl. Sliding into her typical seat at Ichiraku's, she barely managed to mumble out her order before her head hit the countertop and she'd begun snoring. Speaking over the blonde's racket, Sasuke fixed his attention on Sakura, making her blush.

"How much do you know about Kakashi-sensei, anyway?"

"Not a lot," she admitted, wiping some fresh blood off of her chin with the back of her wrist. "I know what everyone else knows. He joined ANBU after losing a teammate on a mission and then dropped out about eight years ago when a protection detail ignored their duties and let their charge get injured… After that he applied as a jounin-sensei and in the entire time he's failed every team assigned to him, sent them right back to the Academy without any explanation."

"Sounds like a real fun guy to be around. Beef ramen, please." Reaching over to Naruto, he flicked her on the temple, earning an irate grumble and a scowl as she picked herself up. "Your food's here, clone-flood. Unless you wanted to swim in it."

"Funny that I was thinking about that… We've got the rest of the afternoon off. Want to head over to one of the swimming holes and cool down?"

"Nah," Sakura declined. "I'm going home after this, too tired to do anything that involves moving around. I'll probably work on some chakra control exercises and a couple other things."

"Sasuke? You want to come?" Naruto's query is spoken in between slurps, looking at the young man as he ate his meal at a more leisurely pace.

"…I can't swim."

"Huh? So there are things the great Sasuke Uchiha isn't capable of? Holy shit, well why didn't you say so before? I'd have taught you!"

"There is nothing in this world that I want to learn from you, Naruto."

"Hey now…you don't have to be rude. We're a team now, right? Doesn't that mean we should be helping each other out with stuff? That was the whole point of the test, remember?" No words came from Sasuke, dark eyes focused on the equally dark broth as he pushed the noodles around listlessly.

For a moment, for a brief while he felt like he did back then, when all he needed to worry about was keeping up with his father's expectations. Reality asserted itself cruelly as it always did, forcing him to interpose with a wall around his heart. Sasuke couldn't let himself get attached to his fellow genin. They would either hold him back, or get themselves killed; either way it would be one more betrayal he couldn't afford.

Sakura wouldn't understand the void, and neither would Naruto. Perhaps she might understand the loneliness, having been born with nothing. Not the loss, though. She'd had a family pretty much handed to her. Just looking at the proof of it she wore as proudly as the Konoha headband sent Sasuke spiraling down deeper into that black hatred that marred his soul.

No, he knew better. They weren't capable of knowing the looks that people gave him, the pitying glances, the hushed whispers whenever he walked past. His loneliness was a shield against the lies people built up in their minds concerning him. Sasuke would play along with this teamwork thing until it stopped being useful to his goal, and the minute it did, he'd be gone.

OoOoOoO

"So how was your first day as a genin, Kiba?" It was late, and the two siblings were laid up in the dark, both in t-shirts and shorts, sharing a bed the same way they had since they were just pups. Neither could sleep yet, the excitement over graduation and promotion into the ninja ranks overriding any desire to rest.

"Not bad, not bad," her brother said with a yawn. His fingers played through Akamaru's fur, soothing the agitated dog as he growled his way through a dream. "Kurenai-sensei had us do this bell test to see if we could work as a team. Wasn't that hard. How about yours?"

"Eh, a little rough. We had a similar test, only it was a hostage rescue situation. Kakashi-sensei was attacking us the whole time. Exploding tags everywhere, shuriken traps, log hammers… He passed, us, though."

"Yeah? Who was the hostage?" Remembering how Kakashi had plucked her dog from her jacket set Naruto to scowling again, fixing her resentment on the ceiling rather than the other occupants of the room.

"Midoriko, uh, volunteered for the role. Did you know Kakashi can understand ninja dogs?"

"Can't say I'm surprised. Story is he's got a summoning contract with a whole team of them. If you ever get any C or A-Rank missions you're bound to see them sooner or later. Besides, we're not the only clan to use ninja dogs. Just the only ones to be so close with our partners."

'Naruto-chan was very brave, Kiba,' Midoriko barked out. 'Kakashi said that during the whole test she only 'died' twice. Not like Sasuke or Sakura.'

"Why? What'd Sasuke do?"

'Silly mutt kept charging in from the front instead of waiting for his team and working out a strategy. He ended up getting 'killed' about a dozen times and Sakura-chan around seven. One of those times was fratricide from a katon too big to be practical. If Kakashi-sensei hadn't substituted one of Naruto's shadow clones, Sakura might have died for real.'

"You noticed that? I thought she had managed to pull it off on her own."

'Nuh uh. He got her with a genjutsu right when she was about to make the rescue.'

"Eh, it wasn't so bad as I make it sound. Took them a little while to figure out but once they did we were able to pull it off more or less without a hitch. One of my 'deaths' was pretty embarrassing, though."

"I bet it was. Don't tell me he tried the Ten Thousand Years of Death on you."

"Actually, he did. And he missed. I'm still sore down there."

"Ouch. At least you had pants on." Kiba laughed as he was whapped in the face with a pillow, retaliating with a set of knuckles against a blonde-coated skull. Naruto escalated it with a nudge to Kiba's ribs followed by some aggressive tickling; it would have gone farther except a thump on the wall and a warning to quiet down stopped them. Instead Naruto settled for snuggling up against Kiba's side like she used to do before they entered the academy, cannily aware of the differences between herself and her brother as she did so.

"Probably gonna end up with our own rooms soon."

"Probably. Better enjoy the company while I can."

"Yeah. Goodnight Akamaru, Midoriko. Goodnight, Kiba. Love you…" Naruto's voice trailed away as she drifted off to sleep, dead to the world with an effortlessness that Kiba envied.

"Goodnight Naruto. Love you, too," he said to her sleeping form. For him it was not so easy, and for awhile Kiba lay in the darkness, stroking Naruto's hair, loosened from its typical braid. "I love you more than you know." In due time he was asleep as well, the last words of the night drifting through his mind.

He loved his sister. Shit.

Author's Notes: So ends a first chapter in another experiment. I'm most likely going to be skipping over some things to pace the story away from more action-oriented scenes. I briefly toyed with the idea of having Naruto take on the name Kegawa after her acceptance by the Inuzuka, but rejected it in favor of her instead adopting the family name once she made genin.

As to why Naruto's a female in this fiction…blame it on Minato's Y chromosome sperm being a hair slower than one carrying an X chromosome. Things will get better before they get worse, on that you have my word.