A blond kunoichi was sitting just outside the door, looking at the trees that surrounded her house.

The mission to Wave was getting on her nerves, she couldn't stand fooling around without anything to do.

She sighed and patted Ton-Ton on its head, felling worried, lonely, and pissed, for absolutely no reason except that she hadn't seen Naruto for three whole days now. It was the longest time they have spent apart since she and Shizune had found him.

And the fact that the process was completed just before he left only increased her uneasiness.

True, he seemed normal, but the fact was that he was far from it; he's always been, but now more than ever.

What will happen if one of the jounin senseis notices his affinities? Or his control over fire? What if they notice he's masking his chakra? And the village? Tsunade sighed, she had too much free time now that Naruto was an active genin, and it was driving her crazy.

'Maybe Shizune is right, I should take the job of head of the hospital. I definitely can't stay here another second without losing my mind.' With those thoughts the blond Sannin stood up and went toward the village.

"So, you basically had your asses handled to you by this Zabuza guy and his minions?"

"Kiba, mind your language." Kurenai reprimanded him.

The two teams lead by Kakashi and Asuma had arrived at Tazuna's home with their client, and regrouped with Kurenai and her team.

They had also met Tsunami, the bridge builder's daughter, who was now busy trying to make room for all of them.

"Are we sure that Sasuke is alright?" the genjutsu mistress asked.

"Yeah, he's fine," Naruto answered absent-mindedly, "And I hope Kakashi-sensei will remember to report that I had to use a very expensive medicine."

Sakura glared hard at him, while Ino rolled her eyes. The blond kunoichi had realized that no matter what, her teammate could be incredibly stubborn when he wanted to, beside she was sure that he liked to piss people off every now and then.

"Hey, don't glare at me now, you have no idea how much that medicine costs. Hell, it's the most expensive thing I have, except for my kaa-san's necklace." The orange clad boy said.

The three jounin decided to ignore their students' bickering and focus on what they knew of their enemy.

"So we have a former swordsman of the Mist, two chuunin, and a fake hunter-nin skilled with senbon." Kurenai summarized.

"Yeah, the problem is that while we know that the first three are powerful, we know nothing on that boy. Beside, even if they probably aren't aware of your team, Kurenai, there's no way for us to know if Zabuza or Gato will seek help from other missing-nins." Asuma reasoned.

"In any case, one thing is sure: we need to train our students. I'd say to start with a bit of chakra control, then we can take turns: I'll take care of ninjutsu, Kurenai, you will teach them the basic of genjutsu, and you, Asuma, will supervise their taijutsu. That way, while one of us train them the others can look after Tazuna and his family," Kakashi said, demonstrating his abilities as squad leader gained serving as an ANBU captain.

Asuma was pleased because, as much as he liked his pupils, sometimes they simply threatened his sanity, and now he could take a small break. Kurenai was inwardly cheering at the chance to teach someone about her art, especially Naruto who had shown aptitude at it.

Kakashi simply wanted the genins to socialize and grow strong.

"It's useless, there's no way you can win against Gato's men. You're all going to die." The Konoha ninjas turned to look at who spoke and saw a little boy with dark hair and eyes, wearing a hat.

"Hey, what did you say, brat?" Kiba yelled. Despite having heard him said something like that more than once since his team had arrived a couple of days before, the dog boy still got riled up with the kid.

"P-please Kiba, c-calm down." Hinata stuttered.

"Your anger is unjustified Kiba-san, his statement is just the result of a pessimistic view and ignorance. This Gato character seems to have gained quite the influence over Wave, and has crushed the morale of these people." Shino spoke in a calm and analytical tone.

The little boy narrowed his eyes at the bug user before turning and leaving the room.

"Inari!" Tsunami looked at his retreating form sadly.

Naruto looked up at her "What's up with your little brother?"

The dark haired woman blushed slightly at the question, then smiled at the young genin "Inari, like most people, has lost hope, please don't hold it against him. And he isn't my brother, he's my son."

The orange clad boy tilted his head before chuckling sheepishly scratching the back of his head, "Oops, sorry, my bad. May I apologize helping you with dinner?"

"No, don't worry, there's no need, really"

"I insist." Naruto gave her a kind smile, and she finally agreed.

Kakashi looked at the two of them who went to the kitchen. The copycat leaned towards Asuma and whispered "Is it me or your student was successfully flirting with a woman more than twice his age?"

Kurenai frowned slightly, that could be a problem for Hinata.

The point was figuring out if Naruto was a womanizer, was just trying to be gentle and didn't realize that he was indeed flirting, or liked older women. Thinking the last was a little blow to her pride seeing how he never showed any interest in her, but maybe it was because he knew she was already dating someone?

But the point wasn't that, what the genjutsu mistress had to do was try to help Hinata with her crush.

Tsunade blinked. She had just come to the hospital and entered Shizune's office and found something... well, not totally unexpected, but she didn't think she'd see this here and now.

"What kind of medical exam is that, exactly?" The legendary medic asked out loud.

"Tsu-Tsunade-sama! This isn't... We were just... What are you doing here?" Shizune sputtered blushing furiously.

Minato was just as red and embarrassed as she was, after all he had just been caught making out with a medic in her office while the both of them were supposed to be working.

Inwardly he couldn't decide if this was worse than when he was left without his pants or not. Seeing Tsunade's evil smirk most probably it was.

The Fourth Hokage cleared his throat before speaking, "S-so, it's not often that you come in town, Tsunade. To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"Well, I wanted to ask if the hospital had a job for me, but I can back later if you two are busy."

Minato chuckled nervously, "No no no. Ehm... You want to work at the hospital? That's great! I'll go to take the pap-" he stopped with an horrified expression.

The two medic-nins looked at him curiously.

"Minato-kun?" Shizune grabbed his shoulder and shook him gently.

"More paperwork. Why did I take this job? I thought I would fight to protect Konoha, lead my village and all that stuff, instead I find myself drowning under tons of documents. A Kage's title is just the most blatant example of deception between ninjas."

Tsunade scoffed impatiently, "Oh, come on, take it like a man."

She grabbed him by his vest and dragged him to take the papers necessary. However, as soon as they were out of the room and Shizune couldn't hear them, Tsunade looked him in the eyes seriously.

"I'll warn you just once, Minato, Shizune is my only apprentice and in time I came to care for her like for a daughter or a sister. If you break her heart, I'll break everything in your little body in the most painful way possible."

The yellow flash replied just as seriously, "I won't." then with a more light hearted expression he added, "You know, Naruto said something similar, he's growing to be just like you, it's scary." The female sannin smiled happily at that.

"Atchoo"

"Bless you"

"Thanks Kurenai-sensei." Naruto answered.

The rookie 9 and their sensei were having dinner with Tazuna's family, and even if they were a bit cramped in the little room, no one really minded. Tsunami had been surprised when it turned out that Naruto was quite good at cooking, and asked him about it.

"So Naruto-kun, who taught you to cook? Was it your mother?"

"No, she isn't all that skilled in the kitchen. I learned from my nee-chan, she said that it was like making a medicine: take the ingredients in the right doses, and follow the procedure. Which just makes me wonder why my mom can't cook an egg if her life depended on it." he added as an afterthought.

When dinner was over the genins started have a small talk comparing this mission with their previous ones.

Everyone inched away from Naruto when he said he liked the D-ranks and he found them relaxing, his weirdness beginning to unnerve them, and the sponge he was clutching didn't help.

"What's up with that sponge?" Kiba asked bluntly at him.

"Uh? What's up with it?" the boy repeated tilting his head.

Shikamaru felt a chill down his spine, he wasn't going to endure another one of his friend's rant, "Sensei, can I go to train?"

The other rookie stared at him. Kurenai and Kakashi looked between him and Asuma.

The young Sarutobi himself was felling an incoming headache and decided to stop it then and there, "Kiba, sponges are great and, please, let's leave it at that."

"Hey, someone want to play poker?"

The jounin looked at Naruto and then at each other. It seemed that the young Senju had taken after his adoptive mother and her gambling addiction.

"Sure, why not" Kakashi agreed, 'Now I'll revenge my precious Icha Icha.'

Asuma decided to play as well, as did Shino, Kiba, and Sasuke.

The others chose to watch them, while Kurenai glared at her colleagues who were undoubtedly trying to take advantage of the legendary sucker's son purpose of a friendly game.

It was a shame for them that the boy didn't have Tsunade's bad luck, quite the contrary in fact, as two straight flushes and a full house in the first five hands testified.

While the orange clad boy was winning hand after hand, Kiba was the first to lose his cool.

"Argh! You're cheating, I know you are!"

"No, I'm not. Firstly, one of our senseis would have noticed, and secondly I don't need to."

"You, Shino, and Kakashi-sensei are winning just because you have an advantage, I would have a poker-face too with my face half hidden."

"That reminds me..." Naruto said looking at the Aburame, "it's been a while that I wanted to ask you this: why do you always wear sunglasses? I've never seen you take them off."

"Hn, you're one to talk, you never take off your goggles either." Sasuke pointed out.

"Well, I keep them out of habit. When I was traveling with kaa-san and nee-chan they had me wearing them because my eyes tended to unsettle people, but now that we are in Konoha there isn't really a reason. I mean, in a ninja village there are plenty of weirder things."

"Then why don't you take them off?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Ok."

The pink haired girl and Ino were leaning forward, while Hinata sported a light blush.

Shino was as stoical as always, while Sasuke and Kiba tried to hide their interest. Chouji and Shikamaru on the other hand had already seen his eyes and chose to look at their sensei's and fellow genin's reaction.

Naruto took off his goggles and let them hanging at his neck, then slowly lifted his head to face the others.

Without half of his face hidden his whisker marks and his features were more visible.

Locks of his wild orange hair fell down his face, stopping just barely before covering his eyes, red-slitted eyes that seemed to wield much more knowledge and power than what any of them thought possible, eyes that almost glowed in their intensity.

All in all he looked more than handsome, as Hinata's fainting proved. Ino and Sakura were trying to come up with reasons of why Sasuke was cooler, but they were having problems and getting a little red. Kiba was taken aback by how fierce his visage looked, not to say that his instinct were telling him that Naruto was far more than he seemed.

Shino raised an eyebrow while his bugs were buzzing loudly. Sasuke felt threatened and was inwardly seething, 'I don't know why I'm worrying, but once I'll awaken my Sharingan I'll show you.'

Tazuna and Tsunami gasped, those eyes were certainly unsettling, and they could understand why he covered them, even if Tsunami thought he definitely looked hot.

The jounin senseis managed to control their reactions and, although surprised, didn't show it.

The only visible change was that Kakashi didn't looked as lazy, but was staring intently at Naruto's eyes. Inwardly he was wondering if they were natural or some sort of bloodline limit.

Unknown to everyone Kurenai was mentally berating herself for feeling attracted to this child, not only because she was dating Asuma, but also because she was supposed to help Hinata win his heart, not fantasizing about how he would look with a couple more years and without his shirt- 'Bad Kurenai, bad.'

Naruto smiled mischievously and tilted his head to the side, his locks almost hiding the amused glint in his eyes, "Is there anything else I can do for you? However, I'd ask not to make me take off anything else..."

Hinata, who was regaining her senses, fainted again.

Kurenai hide her irritation at both the red-eyed boy and her colleagues, who were giggling, and decided to call it a night.

She sent the genins to bed and picked up Hinata, after all if they were to train the day after they needed the rest.

In one of Gato's hidden base in Wave country, another ninja, a missing-nin from Kiri, was sulking while lying in his bed. Zabuza was left bedridden after being put in the false death state, and now he'd need at least a week before regaining his strength.

But that was fine, he could wait, and once the week was over, he'll attack again, and this time he'll kill them all.

Haku had done his task and by that time he'll also have the back up from an old friend.

His thoughts were interrupted when Gato came in, followed by his pathetic bodyguards.

If the little prick weren't so damned rich he would have killed him long ago. Maybe he'll do that anyway once he was paid.

"It looks like the Mist ninjas are pretty pathetic, you and your men failed again.

Maybe I should have hired Konoha ninjas from the beginning."

Haku, who was sitting beside Zabuza's bed, remained silent and still, but his eyes were following Gato's and his bodyguards' every move.

The demon of the Mist decided to speak, "The old man hired more ninja than what you said he could pay for.

My men spied him and found out that there are three teams, but don't worry, I already contacted an old friend of mine to even the numbers, and he'll work for free."

Gato grinned hearing this, but he quickly frowned at Zabuza's next words.

"I, however, would like to have a reimbursement for the trouble that your wrong info have caused."

"What? You're lucky I haven't had you killed yet." The businessman spat out taking a step toward his bed.

Haku didn't need any other sign to spring into action, and grabbed Gato's arm, squeezing it hard enough to break it.

The two samurai unsheathed their swords but stopped when they found their very swords held at their neck by the dark haired boy. They didn't even see him move.

"Now you've pissed me off." Haku said darkly.

Gato eyed him fearfully and turned toward Zabuza, "You have one more chance, only one. If you fail again don't come back."

With that said he rushed out the room, his bodyguards behind him.

"That was unnecessary, Haku." The swordsman told him.

"I'm sorry, but I can't stand him. And your old friend is tiresome to deal with."

The demon of the Mist chuckled, 'tiresome' wasn't the word he would have used to describe him, 'insane' was more fitting.

The following morning found nine genin in the woods with their senseis. The first part of their training was chakra control, and Kakashi was explaining them the tree climbing exercise. After he finished Kurenai spoke to the two genins she suspected already knew the exercise.

"Hinata, seeing how your clan's juuken is based on chakra control I assume you have already mastered this?" the girl nodded shyly to confirm her words.

The genjutsu mistress then turned her attention to the other one. "And since you know both medical jutsu and genjutsu, you should have trained your control too, right Naruto?"

"Mh-hm" Naruto hummed, "my mom made me learn this when I was three, she said that if I could walk on the walls and the ceiling I could paint them."

The jounins blinked. It was a really original approach, but if he was so young then Tsunade needed to make it sound like a game.

Probably she managed to train him for years without him realizing it.