I finally had time to write the next chapter. Enjoy!

Omake #2: Karasu the Mother Hen

While Karasu was quite displeased that he would drink so early in the morning and in front of her former students, the kunoichi reminded herself constantly that the man was a client and beating him up would be bad business… even if she did feel justified for doing so. Besides, the Hokage had asked her to assure the old man about abilities of Team 7 and would be disappointed in her if she were to do so.

"I'm super sure that the loud blonde one will run around like a super fool," Tazuna muttered.

Karasu's eye twitched at the complaint against the genin she had taken care of. 'Must not maim client…' The young lady had been repeating this mantra since she left with the bridge builder. She took a deep breath to calm herself. "Naruto-kun has made vast accomplishments even before graduating the academy, Tazuna-san. He and his teammates will be able to protect you and Kakashi-sensei, one of our best jōnin, will also be there."

They approached the gate and saw that Kakashi was waiting for them. "Yo, Karasu-sensei, Tazuna-san," he greeted the pair with a smile. Karasu returned the greeting with one of her own. Not long after, the rest of the team arrived.

However, Naruto started attacking the silver-haired shinobi for no reason whatsoever while Sasuke and Sakura guarded their academy teacher and their client. "Just what are you doing?" Karasu screamed.

"That's not Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke growled. He glared at the man who was dodging Naruto's attacks with practiced ease.

"He's clearly an imposter!" Sakura explained. "Sensei would arrive hours late and give a stupid excuse. He also doesn't have his book out and he isn't fawning over you like he usually does."

"STOP IT RIGHT NOW!" the teacher yelled as she broke through the two-man barrier and made to stop Naruto from assaulting his teacher. After convincing the genin that Kakashi wasn't an imposter, she said her goodbyes. "Be careful on the road, Naruto, and look out for your teammates. Listen to Kakashi-sensei only when it comes to the mission and throw something at him if he takes out that disgusting book around you." At this, the silver-haired jōnin tried to argue but was silenced by a glare. "Don't talk to strangers and remember to take a break from training every now and then. Don't pick up anything strange on your way to Nami no Kuni and back and don't fight with Sasuke-kun too much, all right? Make sure to brush your teeth, wash behind your ears and dry your hair before going to bed. Did you pack your weapons? Snacks? Extra clothes? Clean under-"

"YES!" the embarrassed boy screamed before his older sister figure could continue. He had a bright blush on his face at the attention she was giving him and took the opportunity to hide his face when the chūnin hugged him. She gave the other two genin a similar yet less embarrassing treatment before saying goodbye to Tazuna.

"Kakashi-sensei, may I speak to you privately?" The older ninja nodded. When they had semi-privacy, she spoke. "If any of them are hurt, Hatake, you will regret it!" she hissed. "I don't want them to get so much as a scraped knee between the three of them when they get back and they better not come home upset because of something that happened on a simple mission! If anything happens to them and you could have prevented it, some of my friends in the Torture and Investigation Force will have a new toy to play with once you get out of the hospital! Do you understand me?"

The glare froze Kakashi's blood in his veins and he could almost see the fires of female wrath behind the petite woman. While he still thought she looked attractive when she was angry, the jōnin didn't have a death wish. He nodded slowly and the pair made their way back to the rest of the group. She gave copynin one final glare as she said goodbye to the others. He only relaxed once they entered the forest. 'How is she still a chūnin?' he asked himself.

Hidden under a complex genjutsu were two men wearing black cloaks decorated with red clouds. They had observed the group as the academy teacher bid them farewell. The taller tried to stifle his laughter at what he just saw. The shorter, on the other hand, used to live in Konoha and had encounters with the woman before. Thus he was familiar with the tanned kunoichi's mother hen and mama bear tendencies. "…Karasu-san has mellowed over the years," he said to himself. His companion heard him and gawked at the information.

Chapter 7: Secrets and an Encounter

The pink-haired genin of Team 7 was panting on the forest floor while her teammates strove continuously to master the exercise. Because of their larger chakra reserves, they had more difficulty with the exercise but they were steadily improving.

A lot of things had changed in the past two days when they received their first C-rank mission. They discovered that the client, Tazuna, had given false information about the mission parameters when they were ambushed by a pair of chūnin-level nukenin. They then heard the situation in Nami no Kuni and were basically conned into continuing the mission despite the fact that they had the right to abandon it. They were attacked by the Devil of the Hidden Mist, Momochi Zabuza, and it was only through Naruto's unorthodox yet effective plan and the timely arrival of two Kiri oinin that they lived through that encounter.

They were now intensifying their training as their teacher theorized that Zabuza may still be alive and the oinin were working with the man. As he was incapacitated and forbidden to do much exercise by Sakura and Tsunami, he had them continue with the tree climbing exercise. While she easily mastered it before they left Konoha, she could only run up a tree three times before tiring. The boys however, were not yet able to climb the entire tree but they didn't need to take breaks between their runs.

She continued her training as she pondered about her teammates. She had been admiring Sasuke for years but, if she was truly honest with herself, she knew nothing personal about the boy except what he allowed himself to reveal since they first became a team. He was almost every girls dream boy: handsome even at a young age with deep dark eyes and pale skin, from a rich and politically powerful shinobi clan, a prodigy. His bad boy image only made him more popular with the girls in the academy. Other than that, she didn't know anything until a few weeks ago.

Naruto was almost his exact opposite. He was the class clown when he bothered to show up to class and was the village's biggest prankster since she could remember. While his blonde hair and blue eyes were quite beautiful, the orange jumpsuit he wore made girls avoid him. Even adults were hostile towards him for one reason or another and told their children not to socialize with him even though he was a kind and sweet person once you get passed the annoying traits he possessed. Like her crush, she also didn't know very much about the blonde as her parents told her to stay away from him ever since she was little.

Sakura was so focused on her teammates that she failed to realize that she was reaching her limit. The boys would check on her progress and grew concerned when they saw how distracted she was. They quickly abandoned their own training and prepared to catch her when she fell. Soon enough, she ran out of chakra. Sakura realized how tired she was almost instantly and didn't have the energy to shift her body position. She prepared for impact but felt two pairs of steady arms catch her instead of the harsh crash with the ground. "Are you alright, Sakura?" she heard Naruto ask.

"You should rest," Sasuke said. He had a concerned expression on his face. The pink-haired girl lowered her gaze, thinking that Sasuke was implying she was weak.

Seeing this, Naruto spoke up. "You ran more than twice as long as usual so we got worried." Sasuke confirmed it with a nod.

"Is everything okay?" Sasuke asked. He knew that Sakura was often alert, especially when he was around, so seeing her out of focus was troubling. The girl in question failed to stop a blush but nodded. Naruto, feeling that the two could use a moment alone, shifted until Sasuke supported Sakura's entire weight before taking his hands away and told the two he'd come back with something for them to eat then train somewhere else. When the two gave him a questioning look, he gave them a grin and simply said that three was a crowd. He watched in fascination as their faces took an identical shade of tomato red before leaving. He came back and left after handing Sasuke two bentō.

Ito practically whistled a happy tune as she wandered away from her teammates. She had undone the genjutsu once she was far enough and was relieved to be herself again. She loved her Naruto genjutsu as it allowed her to do things that were almost exclusive to boys but she hated the fact that she had to act like a complete moron.

On a more self-admiring note, she missed feeling her long hair and hated the orange monstrosity. Her blonde hair had a few strands of red and reached the middle of her back. She wore a black and dark red jacket over a fit dark orange sleeveless shirt with black and dark red pants. Her hitai-ate was tied proudly around her forehead with a black cloth.

Pausing mid-step, the blonde wondered how her team would react when they find out both her secrets. When she became a genin, she told herself that she would either keep her secrets safe or tell them to her team should she come to trust them. Right now, she couldn't say that she would trust them with her life but it was getting there at an alarming rate, especially since they've been teammates for only two months. Would they reject her because of Kyu-jisan and the fact that Naruto didn't actually exist? Would Sasuke go easy on her during training? Would Sakura think that she's a lesbian for asking her out so many times as Naruto or worse, see her as a monster like her mother does?

Kyuubi partially materialized outside of Ito's mindscape, looking like an illusion. Ito had grown used to seeing him like this or fully materialized as he would often do so when they were alone or in the company of Karasu and the Hokage. Surprisingly, the three got along wonderfully after the initial shock and wariness when the fox revealed that he was controlled to attack Konoha... and after he stopped flirting with the academy teacher and calling the Hokage a cross dresser to his face. "Don't think too much of it, Chibi," Kyuubi said. "You went through the same with Wallflower but things went well with her, remember?"

True, Hinata had been the first to discover her secret. She had just learned how to activate her Byakugan and was practicing in the schoolyard. Ito, on the other hand, was in the classroom with Karasu and the Hokage who were teaching her how to undo and redo the genjutsu on her own. They had to calm the heiress down and explain to her with the help of Hiashi. The atmosphere was tense between the two for days as all knew about Hinata's crush on Naruto but she got over it.

"Thanks, Jisan." She stopped under a tall tree and started eating. As she ate, she thought about the two girls who pretended to be oinin. The fox had told her that while they came off as cocky and uncaring, he didn't sense any intent to harm them, not even her teacher or Tazuna. "Kyuu-jisan. Is there a chance that Zabuza doesn't really want to kill Tazuna-san too?"

"There's a chance, Chibi. I couldn't tell very well since Rice Cake (1) was fighting Cyclops. From what I could tell before the fight, he does want to kill someone but I doubt it's Meatball (Tazuna). Who knows? He could want to take out some idiot for making moves on his mate."

"Yeah, there's tha…Wait a minute! His mate?"

"Yup. Rice Cake is with the older of the oinin pair. The younger one isn't their kit but the two of them probably treat her like it anyway," the fox mused. "If there's one thing I learned about you ningen, it's that you have a habit of taking in young even if it's not your own, like the way Black Bird and the old cross dresser did with you."

A smile graced Ito's lips as she remembered her surrogate big sister and her grandfather figure. "Yeah. I guess you're right…and for the last time, Hokage-jiisan wears a robe!"

"If it looks like a dress and is worn as a dress, then it's a dress, Chibi Ito-chan," Kyuubi smirked as Ito sent curses his way. The fox laughed at the fuming girl. He then returned to Ito's mindscape, which now resembled a meadow. From there, the fox smirked evilly as he watched what was about to happen through Ito's eyes.

Almost as soon as the fox retreated back into his jailer, she saw someone almost hidden behind a tree. He was a few years older than her and had a stern look in his eyes. He looked familiar for some reason but Ito couldn't put her finger on it. The boy wore a black cloak with red clouds spread about. He had a dangerous aura around him, however, what put her on edge was the fact that the older boy had a hitai-ate with a horizontal slash that marked him as a nukenin. She quickly armed herself with kunai and waited for him to make the first move.

Itachi had been observing the genin all morning. He wanted to confirm Kakashi's status. He was supposed to return after that but felt that it was important to keep an eye on the genin. After all, he had psychologically attacked his little brother five years ago and he felt like a complete and utter jackass. While he did it in order to protect his brother, it still hurt knowing that he was the reason Sasuke changed from a dependent yet happy little boy to the brooding avenger before him. 'At least he was able to get some friends,' the older Uchiha thought as he recalled how the two boys on the team interacted yesterday. He noticed that the girl was also showing genuine interest in him.

Also, he wanted to observe the blonde. There was something odd about the boy and it had little to do with the fact that he was the container of the Kyuubi. His actions showed that he was a reckless and loud person and yet his body language and strategies suggested that he was more intelligent and competent.

He felt the boy gather his chakra and tensed, ready to take him out in case he somehow sensed him. Instead, a cloud of smoke engulfed the boy. When the smoke cleared, a longhaired girl took his place. Much of her features matched that of Naruto yet she had a different air around her. Still, he was hesitant to say that the girl and Naruto were one and the same.

However, all doubts were erased when the red figure appeared out of nowhere. Itachi knew that high-level demons have a secondary humanoid form; the red fox ears gave away his identity as the Kyuubi. 'They seem to be in good terms,' he thought. Just to be sure, he decided to investigate further.

He watched her for a bit and learned that Ito was the complete opposite of the knucklehead Naruto appeared to be. She was alert, insightful and obviously intelligent. When the Kyuubi disappeared, he made his presence known. He didn't know why he did it; he wasn't impulsive no matter how much one stretched the word.

Yet, he allowed himself to be spotted by the blonde genin as soon as Kyuubi's form disappeared. He watched as she armed herself in a swift movement that most chūnin would envy and stayed still to assess his movements. Itachi's lips twitched upwards by a fraction and whispered. Though it was almost inaudible, it carried to the young girl who froze as she processed the words. He took his leave after that, barely stirring the grass.

Ito didn't move until long after the older boy left. It took her uncle a sharp mental jab to get her to eat her lunch and go back to training. What he said rang through her mind as she fought to calm her breathing. "I think I'm in big trouble..." she said to herself. Those six words scared her in ways she couldn't imagine before today. Yet she knew those words would haunt her in one way or another.

"I know your secrets, Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto laid his head on the table. He had spent the rest of the afternoon simultaneously training until he mastered the exercise and worrying about the oddly dressed boy. At least he now knew why he looked vaguely familiar. He was practically an older version of Sasuke.

He was tired and inwardly panicking as he thought of the older teen. Kyuubi told him not to tell her teacher for some reason; the fox had never steered him wrong before so he did as asked. However, the paranoia and guilt for keeping it a secret was getting to him.

Across the table, a young boy glared at him. Inari couldn't take it anymore. While the other genin also trained to improve themselves, Inari just can't stand the blonde. He reminded him far too much of his father with his determination and optimism. It was as if history was going to repeat itself. Inari didn't want to see him die like his father. "Why are you trying so hard? Niichan will just get killed for a country you don't even belong to!" the distraught boy yelled at the blonde seated across him. "You have no idea what we've been through and yet you think your being here can make it all better!" He glared at the genin in front of him, trying to get him to understand.

Everyone in the room stayed silent and let the little boy rant. When he finished, everyone stared at Naruto, wondering what his reaction would be. "Unlike you," Naruto said calmly, "I will not be a character of a tragedy. I won't sit back and watch when people need help." He stood up and walked beside Inari who was a bit intimidated by the unusually tense blonde. "Also, while it's true I don't know how much this country's suffered because of Gatou." A moment later, the loud sound of skin hitting skin was heard in the small room followed by a crash as Inari fell to the floor. Inari raised a shaky hand up to his reddened cheek as he looked up to cold sorrowful eyes. "But you also have no idea how it is to be hated and nearly killed before you're even old enough to know why." He made his way out of the room, telling Kakashi that he was going to blow off some steam. The silver-haired teacher merely nodded.

Silence reigned in the wooden house. Sakura, her face pale with shock and worry, finally broke the silence by asking their teacher if what the blue-eyed genin said was true. He sighed before answering. "For reasons that I can't tell you, I was one of many who were assigned to watch over Naruto before becoming your sensei." He looked at his two remaining students seriously and said with sadness and guilt. "Sasuke, Sakura, look underneath the underneath because nothing about Naruto is what it seems. I'll start giving you some jutsu to study in the morning." He then hobbled to his room, signaling the end of their conversation.

Inari stared at the ever-moving waters just outside his home as he thought about what was said some time ago. He had thought that the boy was only an idiot from a safe village and a happy home with the way he smiled and went through his day. Obviously, he was wrong. He heard nothing but the water slapping against the foundation of the house so was surprised when one of the shinobi his grandfather hired sat beside him.

Neither said a word for a while; they just listened to the water. Sasuke turned to the ashamed boy. "Naruto," he said, "is an idiot most of the time but what he said was for your benefit." He got no response and was truly not expecting one. "He grew up alone and is probably wondering why you're like this even though you still have your mother and grandfather." Inari nodded in shame as he was reminded of what the blonde's life was like in his own home. "He also knows what it means to be strong."

Inari sat deep in thought before asking the young avenger how he could know what Naruto was trying to tell him. "You lost your father that day." Sasuke stared up at the evening sky. "Naruto didn't have anyone until we were assigned to the same team. In one night, my family was taken away by a man I thought I could trust. He and I are also the same and we're both sick of crying when there's something we can do."

Sasuke went back inside and encountered the older shinobi who was reading his book. He cheekily smiled at his student and said, "You have a weird way of comforting someone, Sa-su-ke." The Uchiha cringed at the singsong way Kakashi said his way and grunted. He ignored the annoying pervert and went to his room to sleep.

(1) Japanese have different ways to write words that sound the same so even though Momochi really means peach earth, I used 'mochi' which means rice cakes since it's cuter.

Glossary:

Kiri: mist

Nami no Kuni: Wave Country

Ningan: human

Nukenin: missing nin; ninjas who deserted their villages

Oinin: hunter nin; ninjas who are assigned to hunt down deserters