81-90

A moment later Hinata and Nozomi found themselves standing near a clear lake. At their backs a lush green forest went for as far as their eyes could see. Looking around, the first thing they noticed was a massive building floating some meters on top of the middle of the lake.

"Where is this?" Surprised by what she was seeing, Hinata couldn't help but murmure.

"This my dear Hinata is my mindscape" Tomoka had suddenly appeared besides Hinata giving her a bit of a scare.

"So what do you think? Neat right?" Tomoka felt a bit smug at seeing her girlfriend's expression of awe.

""yeah"" Still distracted by what they were seeing, the two answered in sync.

What followed was a short tour around. Before they came to a gigantic fox taking a nap on top of a large flat rock in a clearing where the sun shone. Of course the rock nor the clearing were normal per say. They had been the reward of the fox for a previous deal.

"Oi, Kurama, we have guests" Said Tomoka giving the giant fox a slight kick to his front paw

'I can't believe this guy managed to fall asleep in such a short time'

[I can still hear you brat] Kurama felt a bit grumpy after being awakened in such a rude way

'I know~' Not like Tomoka cared anyway

"Let me introduce you. Ahem, Hinata, Nozomi, this is Kurama also known as the Kyubi"

[Oi! Who gave you permission to share my name with them] At this point Kurama didn't really care that Tomoka shared his name with them. After all, he had also grown to like the two so in time he would have shared it himself. However, he still had to complain in principle.

"Boo hoo, the big bad fox got his name shared. Come now and don't be a giant baby, we both know you would have told them either way"

[This brat sometimes, I swear one of this days I will bite your ankles or something]

"Ahem, either way. Kurama, this is Nozomi and Hinata, my girlfriends, though you already know that" After that a bit of an awkward silence fell until the fox spoke.

[Nozomi, right? I am sorry for what happened with your parents even though I can't remember much since I was controlled] At the start Kurama felt reluctant to apologize. Especially since she is an Uchiha. However, he soon changed his mind as he remembered her behavior throughout the years.

In Kurama's eyes, Nozomi is the only decent Uchiha as he saw her grow alongside Tomoka and Hinata. Nozomi didn't become power hungry nor did she become revenge driven. She could be called kind for an Uchiha and having her tease and prank Tomoka was the best time Kurama had in a long while.

Seeing Nozomi's eyes as he apologized he didn't find hatred or anger. No, that is wrong, deep down those dark emotions were there, just not directed at him. Instead, what he found was sorrow and longing.

"I accept your apology. Seeing how you interact so casually and friendly with Tomoka makes my heart feel at ease. I can see that the two of you have grown to be great friends or even like family. Even so I have a request to make.

If you are really sorry about what happened in the past then please protect Tomoka"

Kurama couldn't help but smile hearing Nozomi's words.

[Bah, as if I need a brat telling me what to do. I would have helped and protected her anyway. It's comfy here, I would rather stay here instead of being placed in one of those super uncomfortable seals] As he said that Kurama began to leave. After all, as the strongest of the tailed beasts he had to protect his dignity.

"That's his way of agreeing. The giant fox is a tsundere so don't mind it" Hearing Tomoka's words Kurama couldn't help but have his expression cramp up. However, he knew from experience that trying to argue with Tomoka would lead to nowhere so he ignored it and left.

"Well, with that done do you gals have any questions?"

"Wasn't he supposed to be sealed?"

"Oh… about that…" And like that Tomoka spent the next few minutes explaining what she had done followed by an hour long lecture by her girlfriends on self-preservation and what not.

An hour was spent lecturing Tomoka on self preservation and what not. Even Kurama came back to join the lecture. After all, when would he get another chance to see Tomoka so submissive? Though it ended backfiring on the poor fox as he received his own lecture by the two girlfriends on being a good friend and stopping Tomoka from doing dumb shit.

After a short snack to calm everyone down Tomoka spoke again to get the conversation back on track.

"So that was my first secret. My second secret is much more personal. I… I just hope that our relationship won't sour because of this" Tomoka felt nervous as her heart pounded. If things had gone wrong with her first secret she could and would bullshit her way out of it. However, her second secret, her past life could destroy her relationship with the two. Fear gripped her heart but she knew she needed to do this.

"I… I am reincarnated. I remember my past life and who I was." The fear became too much for her as she closed her eyes expecting the two to lash out. A second went by, then another until the silence was broken.

"That's all?" Nozomi had expected something worse. It was a little weird, yes, surprising… maybe? Actually, it fits in some weird way. Tomoka always felt strange. Like the combination of an adult and a child.

"You had me scared for a moment" Hinata felt just like Nozomi. She couldn't care less that Tomoka had knowledge of a past life. She is still Tomoka and maybe, if those memories weren't there, her Tomoka wouldn't exist.

Tomoka for her part couldn't comprehend the nonchalant behavior of her girlfriends. She expected anger, maybe fear? Even curiosity was an option, but this? Complete disregard for her biggest secret simply felt… anticlimactic.

"Though there is an important question I must ask"

"Yeah me too" Hinata exchanged a glance with Nozomi before the two spoke in sync.

""Did you have a girlfriend?""

Tomoka was so caught off guard that her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. It took her brain a few seconds to reboot before a gentle smile settled on her face. Her eyes became moist as her heart overflowed with emotion.

"No, You two are my first love ever" Speaking those words out loud broke the dam. Tears of pure happiness and joy streamed down her cheeks. The relief brought by the fact the two of them accepted her no matter what made all her repressed emotions flow out. Forty years in her past life of repressed emotions plus another twelve of this one flowed out like a river.

In that moment both Nozomi and Hinata saw all the pain and loneliness Tomoka had hidden in the deepest parts of her heart. Their sun, the one that provided the warmth to their life had been hurting and in pain for so long and they didn't know. Now they could see that all that warmth they had received came from a person that felt the biting cold of loneliness far more than they could ever imagine.

Their hearts hurt knowing that the one they loved had been hurting so much for so long. Tomoka cried her heart out. She hated feeling so weak. She hated showing such weakness to her girlfriends and yet she could not stop. She only wanted to bury it back down so it could hurt her no more. But the love, the care she felt coming from the two girls hugging her made it an impossible task.

An hour later Tomoka felt drained, exhausted and weak. However, she felt light like a feather. Looking in the eyes of the two girls that had confronted her she felt giddy and calm at the same time. She loved them so much. If before she would go crazy from their loss now she was simply crazy for them. She would bring the moon down and give it to them if they asked. She would conquer the world and give it to them if they asked.

"I love you two so much" Tomoka felt drunk with love. The answer she got only made her love them even more as the two's cheeks became a beautiful rosy red.

"So, so much" She whispered as she leaned forward planting a chaste kiss on Nozomi's lips. Seeing this Hinata's cheeks became so red she looked like a tomato. Meanwhile Nozomi's mind stopped working.

Not waiting a single second after the first kiss, Tomoka leaned towards Hinata. Before the shy girl knew what was happening she felt a pair of soft lips on hers. They were like marshmallows, soft and sweet. Like Nozomi, Hinata's mind went blank.

"I truly love you two too much" Tomoka smiled before hugging the two. Which brought them out of their stupor. Like this the three spent a long time simply hugging and enjoying each other's silent company.

The rest of the day was spent in a relaxed manner as the three girls simply walked side by side enjoying each other's company and the food they would buy from time to time. As the day came to an end the three stood in front of Tomoka's home. Normally, Tomoka would insist on escorting them to their respective clan compounds but today the two other girls had decided to switch things up.

"See you two tomorrow" Tomoka's mood was at an all time high after the wonderful day. However, the sudden frown on her two girlfriends faces made her worry a little.

"Tomoka, that is no way of saying goodbye to your girlfriends" Nozomi answered with a light frown on her face as she stood with her hands on her hips.

"That's right! This is a proper way of doing so" Suddenly Hinata who's cheeks became flushed leaned forward stealing Tomoka's lips.

Nozomi's frown deepened for a second before she relaxed. She had wanted to be the one to kiss Tomoka first but Hinata stole the opportunity right from under her nose. Even though it annoyed her a bit she still felt happy.

A moment later Hinata separated from Tomoka as the two had a happy and drunken smile on them. Feeling a little jealous, Nozomi couldn't wait any longer and assaulted Tomoka's lips as well.

Tomoka for her part felt drunk with love again. Her mind drifted to dangerous places as the adult content she had watched in her past life resurfaced in her mind. She wanted more, so much more. She wanted a deeper kiss and she wanted to steal their breaths with it. She wanted to feel their naked bodies and she wanted to know every single weak spot of theirs. However, she controlled herself. They had time, a lot of it, she would wait patiently until they all grew a little more… or until puberty hit her so hard she couldn't control herself.

After saying their goodbyes Hinata and Nozomi walked towards their clans hand by hand. A comfortable silence hung in the air. However, it wasn't meant to last. An important discussion had to take place. It was for this reason they decided to walk back to their homes without Tomoka.

"I want to kiss her first on mondays" Nozomi broke the silence with her request.

"But if we go one day each you will get to kiss her two days in a row since the week is an odd number!" Hinata was having none of it.

"Then how about we let Tomoka decide on Sundays" Her trick might have failed but she wouldn't let Hinata have any unfair advantage either.

"Knowing Tomoka we won't get any kisses on Sunday then!" Hinata felt frustrated. After her first kiss something in her had been… broken? No rather, it was released. Even though she still felt shy at times her desire overpowered her feelings of shame and embarrassment.

During the day she had wanted Tomoka to kiss her a bunch of times. There were a lot of opportunities for Tomoka to kiss the two of them as well. However, she didn't and that had frustrated Hinata enough to steal a kiss by the end of the day.

"It's the only way to do things in a fair way and you know it" Even though Nozomi also didn't like the idea she understood that they needed to keep things fair so their relationship wouldn't strain.

"Fine"

Like that the two spent the better part of an hour planning and setting up rules so their relationship would stay as cordial as possible. Once they were done an awkward silence fell between the two.

"Say, Hinata, would you like to… em forget it" Before Nozomi could turn around to leave Hinata spoke

"I… maybe? We could t-try"

Even though the attraction they felt for each other wasn't as strong as the one they felt for Tomoka it was still there. Giving in to curiosity and desire the two closed their eyes as a moment later their lips touched.

Unlike kissing Tomoka which sparked desire and a feeling of being drunk with love on them this kiss felt different. It felt comfortable, and simply nice. Once the two separated they looked into each other's eyes and knew the other felt the same. Now they knew they couldn't live without each other's company either.

"Next is group five. Tomoka Fushi, Nozomi Uchiha, Hinata Hyuga" As Iruka called the names of her girlfriends Hinata felt her heart thump loudly. Once her name was called she almost jumped out of her chair in celebration.

Tomoka for her part smiled mischievously. The previous day she had sent one of her phantoms to talk with Hiruzen. Tomoka wanted to be in the same team as her girlfriends. Revealing some information to attain that was a sacrifice she was willing to make.

~Flash back no jutsu~

Tomoka walked to an empty alley and waited for a few seconds.

"Yo! mister ANBU I know you are there… or is it two of you? No matter, I want to talk for a moment" No answer, Tomoka knew there had to be ANBU following her. After all, Hiruzen would be an idiot living without anyone watching her since she is a jinchuuriki and all that.

"Fine then if you won't appear I will let foxy out" Saying that Tomoka began to be covered by a red chakra cloak.

"Wait! Don't!" Instantly two masked men appeared in front of her. One had a dog ceramic mask on and the other had a cat ceramic mask.

"Yeah, don't worry, just wanted to talk" Like that Tomoka's chakra cloak disappeared.

The masked men looked towards each other for a moment. This situation had thrown them for a loop, not to mention the scare. As ANBU they knew what the kyubi could do that's why they were assigned to watch over her.

"I just want to talk with Hokage-sama about a few things, could one of you deliver the message? Also, tell him I know about the kyubi, I know I am jinchuuriki and I know Naruto is too. That should convince him to hear me out"

Once again the two ANBU looked towards each other before nodding. A moment later the dog masked one left. Seeing as her plan was going well Tomoka decided to simply wait instead of messing around. A while later the dog masked ANBU returned and so the three of them left for the Hokage's office.

"Tomoka Fushi, first I would like to ask how you know about the information you told Inu here" Hiruzen's face was one of seriousness. If the information had been leaked he needed to find the leak and fast.

"No need to worry so much Hokage-sama, there was no leak. I know because I have perfect memory. I remember everything from the very moment I was born until now." This wasn't exactly a lie but it wasn't the truth either.

"That could explain how you know about the kyubi but not how you know about jinchurikis" Sarutobi wasn't convinced just yet.

"Well, you can learn a lot in Konoha's library, especially in places I am not allowed to be" Tomoka gave the old man a cheeky grin.

"I see" Sarutobi sighed with relief. It was true that the information about jinchurikis was stored in the library in a restricted area. He didn't pay much attention to the fact that Tomoka somehow managed to get past the rather lax security there. Though he would still give the order to reinforce security later.

"With that out of the way, I must ask you to keep this information a secret" Even though Hiruzen had relaxed a bit he still needed to keep an eye on things to keep order.

"Don't worry, I haven't told anyone yet not like I have a reason to do so. Anyway, I don't care about being a jinchuuriki. The reason I wanted to talk with you, Hokague-sama, is that I want Hinata Hyuga and Nozomi Uchiha to be assigned to my team."

That had sent everyone in the room for a loop. Hiruzen was sure that the girl would blame him, the fourth or Konoha for being stuck with a monster inside of her and yet here she was asking for something inconsequential.

"I don't understand. You don't care that there is a monster sealed inside of you?" Hiruzen had to ask. The situation was too extraordinary for him.

"Monster? You do know that the kyubi is a thinking being right? I actually had a chat with him and now we are best pals! He even lets me borrow his chakra" That was the straw that broke the camel's back as the three adult men in the room felt their common sense die.

Hiruzen rubbed his forehead trying to shoo away the headache he felt coming. Today had been a day like all others until Inu told him about Tomoka's request which he approved. He never would have thought this girl would be droping such massive bombs on him.

"So, you are saying the kyubi is intelligent and that you have control over him?"

"Not control, I said we are friends. We made a deal a while back and he never goes back on his word. After that we got to know each other better and now we are friends"

Hearing Tomoka's words Hiruzen felt conflicted and a bit scared of what this deal is about. With no other option he had to ask and so he did. The answer he got almost made his soul leave his body.

"Simple, I remove the seal and he won't kill me, take over my body, or try to escape"

"What do you mean you removed the seal!? We need to re-apply it! How long ago was this!?" Hiruzen had entered into full panic mode fearing another incident like the one twelve years ago.

"Calm down old man or your heart might give up. As for how long has it been since I removed the seal? Around twelve years. As you can see nothing has happened so no need to worry about it. That's enough of a tangent so can we go back to my request"

Hearing Tomoka's words Hiruzen felt dizzy. How could he not worry!? However the fact that nothing had happened yet did make it seem like things would be alright. Not to mention that he couldn't do much about it at the moment. If the kyubi didn't leave Tomoka's body then they couldn't re-seal him. They could reapply the seal on Tomoka but she could just remove it again. In the end Hiruzen decided to leave things be, he was too old to deal with this shit.

"Alright, I won't pursue the matter with the kyubi any longer. However, your request is a complicated matter. The teams are built taking into account the abilities and deficiencies of each member. I would need to see if a team consisting of you three would be balanced." Hiruzen believed that with this explanation he would get rid of Tomoka so he could think about her request more in depth. How wrong he was.

"About that, I also know that teams are also sometimes made to fill a role. Like a team dedicated to scouting or tracking." Tomoka smiled as she prepared to drop another bomb on the old man. She was having the time of her life messing with him.

"That is true but what does that have to do with anything?" Hiruzen felt a bit confused and intrigued about what Tomoka was hinting at.

"Say lord Hokage how many dojutsus are there in konoha"

Hiruzen didn't understand what Tomoka was hinting at but he decided to play along. He was taking this time as a break from writing on all those damned papers he had to work through.

"Two, the sharingan and the byakugan. Though there are only two possible sharingan users left" Saying that Hiruzen felt a bit guilty and reluctant. If he had handled things better then the massacre wouldn't have happened.

"Wrong, there are three!" Saying that Tomoka's eyes turned pink as a new pair of pupils appeared on each eye before disappearing only to appear elsewhere in the iris a while later.

As Tomoka activated her kinagan she saw the auras of the three men in the room and found something a bit peculiar on Inu's face. His left eye had a different chakra signature than the rest of his body. Putting two and two together Tomoka realized that Inu is in fact Kakashi, however, she decided not to say anything about it.

On the other hand all three men felt a chill crawling up their spines as they saw Tomoka's eyes. For them it felt like a predator was staring at them ready to pounce and tear them apart.

"What do you think? A team composed of only dojutsu users. Sounds nice, doesn't it?" Tomoka said with amusement in her voice.

Hiruzen hearing Tomoka gave it some thought. Indeed having a team composed of only dojutsu users sounds like a noble idea. Not to mention that he could do something similar to what he was planning on doing with Naruto and Sasuke.

Having Naruto, a jinchuuriki, and Sasuke, one of the two remaining Uchiha, in the same team meant he could assign a trusted ANBU to watch over them. Then why not do the same with Tomoka and Nozomi, the other jinchuuriki and other Uchiha member. Adding Hinata wasn't that big of a deal.

As for this new dojutsu, Hiruzen felt a bit curious but at this point he was so done with everything Tomoka related he decided to ask later instead.

"Alright then, I agree. You, Nozomi, and Hinata will become a team" With that said, Tomoka's mission for the day had been a success.

~Flash back end~

"Alright, now wait until your respective jounin sensei comes to pick you up." With that said Iruka walked out of the room leaving a bunch of children to their own devices. In hindsight it might not have been the best of ideas but what was done was done.

"He really just left like that"

"He did…" With trepidation both Nozomi and Hinata looked towards Tomoka expecting to see that deranged smile she would have when planning pranks.

"Why are you two looking at me?" Tomoka for her part was just chillaxing on her seat with a calm, almost bored expression.

"Erm, we expected you to be plotting some pranks or something."

"You know what, Hinata? That's a great idea!" At that moment both Nozomi's and Hinata's faces paled. They had just unleashed the beast… or not.

"However, I must disappoint you today as I don't feel like working on pranks for all the new teachers. Too much work" At those words a myriad of emotions flowed through the two's expressions. From relief to surprise all the way to annoyance and settling on anger.

"You scared us! I demand compensation!"

"Yeah" As expected the two girls wouldn't let such a golden chance to get some "compensation" out of Tomoka.

"Fine" The next moment Tomoka leaned forward Towards the two girls delivering quick pecks on their cheeks. She would have kissed their lips were it not for the fact they were in a class full of other children.

Fortunately for the trio everyone else was busy talking with their new teammates and a certain blond boy was staring down a certain black-haired boy while crouching on the desk. It just so happens that this desk was the one behind Tomoka's group.

In an, oh so unfortunate, development of events Tomoka so happens to accidentally push the blond boy while giving her girlfriends their "compensation". It is even more unfortunate that this push happened to cause the blond boy to lean forwards. But the most unfortunate of all is the fact he so happens to accidentally lock lips with the black-haired guy. Of course all of this was an unfortunate accident that had nothing to do with Tomoka, nothing at all.

"Oh, Naruto! I didn't know you were into Sasuke! So bold! I bet you couldn't contain how happy you were that the two of you would be on the same team so you ended up kissing him. Hey! Sakura! Looks like you got some competition" Of course these words were spoken by Tomoka. She had rehearsed this for the longest time waiting for the moment this unforgettable scene would happen.

The room became deadly silent as everyone tried to process what Tomoka had just said. The only sound heard for the next ten or so seconds was a pair of sighs coming from Nozomi and Hinata. Then all hell broke loose.

Naruto tried his damned best to deny Tomoka's words while Sasuke.exe continued to reboot. Unlike in the anime Naruto didn't get beaten black and blue by all the girls in the room. After all, they had just been introduced to the greatest dream of all fujoshis. By the time the first teacher arrived all the girls in the classroom had delved into BL fantasies while ignoring Naruto.

Of course the most die-hard fans of Sasuke were still upset, namely Sakura and Ino but they still reigned in their temper. As of now the image of Naruto had changed slightly, now they saw him as a rival. Soon enough group after group was called out and left until only group seven and five were left.

"Tomoka! Why did you do that!" At this point Naruto felt like crying. Not even one of his classmates believed him.

The only response he got was a shrug and a smile. He was just about to start ranting when the next teacher entered the room.

"Group five" And just like that Naruto lost his chance to unload his grievances onto the culprit.

Without another word the trio of girls stood up and was about to leave. However, Tomoka had to place the last nail in Naruto's coffin.

"Enjoy your time alone you love birds, I am rooting for you Naruto" As soon as she said that she closed the door.

"TOMOKA!!!"

After walking for a while group five and their Sensei reached an empty balcony. While walking Tomoka decided to glance at their sensei's face to see if she recognized them from somewhere. To her surprise she did.

"Ahem, I will be the team leader for this group as well as your sensei from now on. Since we just met and will be working for the foreseeable future let's introduce ourselves, our likes, dislikes as well as our abilities. I will start."

"My name is Yamato, I like woodworking and dislike disorder. I am most proficient in the use of Wood style." Finishing his introduction Yamato glanced towards his assigned team.

"Alright then I am next. My name is Tomoka, I like chemistry and engineering, not to mention these two-" Having said that the faces of the three girls flushed with embarrassment. Yamato for his part didn't mind that last part too much. He had been assigned to look over Tomoka before so he already knew.

"-I dislike… I actually don't know? Whatever. I say I am an all rounder, my taijutsu is good as is my ninjutsu and I am proficient in genjutsu too not to mention bukijutsu" Really, there were too many things Tomoka had taken a liking to. Saying she specializes in something would be a lie.

"I see," Yamato couldn't say anything else. He had seen her practice and he could say that she was indeed good with all of those. Well, genjutsu was harder to confirm but he would know soon enough. With that in mind he turned to look at the Hyuga girl, Hinata.

"I am Hinata, I like sweets and T-Tomoka. I dislike unnecessary violence and bullies. I specialize in taijutsu though I am pretty good with my doton." As Hinata mentioned her liking of Tomoka her cheeks became even reder while a wide loving smile appeared on Tomoka's face.

"I am Nozomi, I like spicy food and Tomoka as well. I dislike arrogant people. I specialize in ninjutsu but I am proud to say I am good at everything else." Though that last part might sound like arrogance to some, it was the truth. Like Tomoka Nozomi had practice in a lot of areas though she wasn't as good in all of them as Tomoka.

"Alright, with introductions out of the way you three are dismissed. Meet me tomorrow at the fourth training ground. I will be testing you and if I find that you three are lacking then I will have you go back to the academy." After saying that Yamato expected the girls to complain or something. Instead they simply nodded their heads before leaving. Just that had already earned them some points in his book.

The girls for their part felt relaxed as they walked away. Tomoka, who had watched the anime, knew that something like this might follow. Though she wasn't stupid, there was no way that Yamato would put them through the exact same test as Kakashi did with team seven. Regardless, they just had to show to him that they had good teamwork and what not.

"You were right Tomoka, he is going to test us though I wonder. How did you know?" Hinata's mood was so good after knowing that they were on the same team that she was skipping along.

"I told you this is my second life right?-"

"Now that you mentioned it. We never asked you what your previous life was like or anything like that." Nozomi looked towards Tomoka with curious eyes.

"You see in my previous life I…" Tomoka spent the next two hours or so talking about her previous life while also explaining a few concepts that didn't exist in this world.

"So all this was just one of those anime from your life?" As Hinata finished listening to Tomoka's words she started feeling an existential crisis. That is until Tomoka calmed her down with a kiss on the lips.

"Calm down. I actually have a few theories about that. For example I am sure that in the original I didn't exist. So I don't believe that this entire world is just a creation by someone else. But instead that person somehow saw pieces of this world and wrote a story based on that. Or…" Once again Tomoka spent an hour or so explaining theory after theory to calm down the two girls.

"I see. But I still want compensation for the stress you just caused me." Nozomi said with a small smile. At some point she just decided to not mind it but she wouldn't let this opportunity to get "compensation" go unused.

"Me too!" Of course Hinata jumped on the idea.

"You two are so needy. Not that I am complaining." Like that the trio spent the rest of their day together kissing from time to time.

The next day soon came and so the trio stood inside the fourth training ground waiting for their sensei to appear. Or so it would seem.

"Hinata, use your byakugan to scan the area. I doubt sensei would make us wait too long. In fact, I bet he is hiding somewhere around here." Listening to Tomoka's words Hinata did as instructed. She began to steadily scan the area until she found a tree that had a chakra signature.

"Over there, that tree has a chakra signature" Having found her target Hinata was about to deactivate her Byakugan but Tomoka stopped her.

"Not yet, have you finished the full scan? It could be a clone after all" Tomoka was right and in fact she hadn't finished the scan. A while later she detected another signature one hiding underground.

"There is another one underground about five meters in front of us"

"Remember Hinata. The greatest tool a ninja has is misdirection. Whenever you find something make sure it's not a trap or your own senses will be your worst enemy." Having said that Tomoka began walking towards the tree Hinata had pointed out first.

It so happens that by walking straight towards the tree she would have to walk on top of the second signature first. As she did Nozomi was about to warn her but before she could Tomoka turned around and placed a finger on her own lips while winking.

As soon as Tomoka stepped right on top of the underground signature a pair of hands broke through the ground grabbing her ankles. The next second Tomoka had been buried to the neck on the ground while Yamato jumped and stood in front of her.

"Oh no, I am caught~" Hearing Tomoka's nonchalant attitude Yamato felt like something was amiss.

"Just kidding" The sound of Tomoka's voice came from elsewhere inside the forest as she appeared from behind a tree.

"As I said, misdirection is the key. We can't be sure if this is the real Yamato-sensei or if the one on the tree is. For all we know neither of them is the real one. The same can now be applied to myself. Am I the real Tomoka?"

"Or am I the real one" continued the one underground

"Erm, what is going on?" Being lost Hinata had to ask as this situation was a bit too much for her.

"Simply, our test started right when sensei told us we were dismissed. We had the entire day yesterday to prepare for the test and it would truly begin as soon as we walked inside this training ground. Am I missing something sensei?" Yamato had to admit he was impressed. However, he needed to keep it cool.

"You are correct."

"Then why didn't you tell us!?" Nozomi felt a bit betrayed since Tomoka could have told them and made thing easier for them.

"I didn't tell you because some lessons are better learnt through experience. This being one of them-" At that moment Tomoka's easy going demeanor changed to a serious one.

"-Never let your guard down, ever. We are shinobi and the difference between us living and dying could be something as small as noticing a puddle of water or not. Who knows, a kiri-nin might be hiding in said puddle" Hearing Tomoka's words the two girls began thinking.

It was true. Were it not for Tomoka telling Hinata to scan the surroundings they wouldn't have noticed the ambush at all. Were it not for her, Hinata wouldn't have continued her scan after finding their "target".

"There will be a time when we can't cover for each other. When that time comes, I don't want either of you dying because I stunted your growth by being overprotective." Yamato almost smiled hearing Tomoka. He had been worried about that same thing. Part of the test was to look out for this very thing as well.

"Well said Tomoka. Now let's begin the more normal part of the test." The one who spoke this time was the Yamato that had been hiding in the tree.

"The test is simple. My real self is at the center of the training ground with a totem like this." Doing some quick hand signs a wooden totem pole appeared from under Yamato.

"Your test is to touch the pole by the end of today. Oh and only two of you will pass, the third one will be sent back to the academy, that's all." Just like that Yamato and the totem pole disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

"Well that was that" Shrugging Tomoka turned around to see the two girls with frowns on their faces. That is when she realized that unlike Hinata and Nozomi, she knew that the last part wasn't real or not completely.

"What are we going to do? One of us will be sent back no matter what" The worry painting Hinata's face was tinged with a bit of despair as she clutched her hands to her chest.

"There must be a way for all of us to pass. It just doesn't make sense otherwise" Nozomi for her part decided to go for denial. She wasn't willing to let either Hinata or Tomoka be left behind. If push came to shove then she would be the one going back.

"For now let's disregard that. We will still fail if none of us manages to pass. Not to mention that if all of us touch it at the same time then there is nothing Yamato sensei will be able to do about it." Tomoka could have told them about the truth of this test. However, she decided against it. This was a lesson they needed to learn. Not to mention that she doubted they would fail it.

"You are right"

"Nn." Having received Nozomi's and Hinata's answers, Tomoka got to work.

"Alright then. First off, do either of you have any plans, any ideas?" Normally Tomoka would be the one in the lead but she wanted the other two to grow as well so this time she would reduce her input to the bare minimum necessary.

"Right, Hinata, how far is your range with the byakugan?" Nozomi decided to take the lead since it looked like Tomoka wouldn't do so this time.

"I have trained diligently like Tomoka said. Currently it's at two-hundred meters max." Hinata had worked really hard on improving her byakugan. She had strained her eyes to the point Tomoka had to tell her to rest or she would end up injuring herself.

"Alright then, keep scanning the area at all times. Taking into account that Yamato-sensei is using a hard to move object as the objective then it should be safe to assume that he will be defending it through the usage of the terrain and traps." Tomoka nodded her head as she had come to the same conclusion. She felt proud that Nozomi could manage things by herself.

"Understood. In that case I think that one of Tomoka's clones should be on the lead to be safe. I might not be able to spot all the traps so having the clone trigger them should be safer." This time Hinata had offered a good idea. Once again Tomoka felt pride in knowing that she trained these two well.

"The forest is disadvantageous for us as sensei is a wood style user. Tomoka you have trained in this place before right? Do you know any non-forested area leading to the center?" Once again a good analysis by Nozomi. Unfortunately…

"No, sensei was smart in choosing this place. The only thing that could be called non-forested would be a river that passes quite close to the center. Other than that there is nothing." Having received Tomoka's answer, Nozomi fell in silence.

"I say we use that. We already learned how to walk on water thanks to Tomoka. It would be safer too, I doubt sensei could easily place traps on the river. Not to mention it gives Nozomi some environmental advantages." Hinata was right about the problem so it was decided.

"Alright then, let's go with that plan" The one who spoke was the still buried Tomoka who was in fact the real one. After all, she had been flirting and exchanging kisses with her two girlfriends when coming to the training grounds. There was no way she would leave such things to one of her phantom controlled puppets.

A moment later, The buried Tomoka broke through the ground and stood next to her girls while the puppet moved towards the river. Things were about to get fun.

As soon as they began running over the river's waters the girls saw something they didn't expect, or at least that was the case for the two natives of this world. In the direction they were running a massive wooden building rose from the ground.

"Well, that makes things both easier and harder at the same time." Truth be told Tomoka didn't expect Yamato to go so hard on them. However, thinking about it she had to admit he needed to do so or this test would be meaningless.

"No change of plans for now. We still need to go there regardless." Keeping calm Nozomi who was acting as the leader decided to stay on track.

A minute later the girls found their first obstacle. On the river a fallen tree had conveniently blocked their path. The problem lies with the fact that on top of said tree stood their teacher. Though none of them believed for a second that this was the real him.

"Hinata." No more words needed to be said. Hinata instantly knew what was being asked of her.

"No other signatures within my range."

"Good, Tomoka, what are our chances of losing him?" Nozomi is a smart girl. The mission is to touch the totem pole. Fighting Yamato's clones would only make them lose valuable time.

"Without a confrontation? None, however, we might be able to lose him if we distract him" In reality Tomoka knew that they wouldn't be able to lose Yamato if he really wanted to keep them there.

"Alright then. Have your clone attack, I'll leave it to your discretion." With that Tomoka 's expresion distorted into a wide creepy grin.

"Roger."

A moment later Tomoka's clone rushed forward with red and blue lightning flowing around it. The reason behind her grin was a special something she had made that would give nightmares to whoever witnessed it. With wild abandon the clone rushed into melee range expertly avoiding Yamato's half-assed attempts at ranged attacks.

Once in melee range Tomoka's clone began a taijutsu battle with Yamato… or that is what everyone else expected. Instead it took Yamato's hits head on before grabbing onto him, A moment later the clone spat a clear liquid onto Yamato which began bubbling on impact. With a maniacal grin Tomoka saw how Yamato's clone's face melted from the chemical's ministrations. Her clone wasn't unscathed either. Its lower wooden jaw was also melting.

"What is that?" Nozomi felt both surprised and a bit creeped out.

"It's called piranha solution. The stuff can eat through anything carbon based. Normally it wouldn't be as effective but you would be surprised what chakra infused chemicals can do." As they talked the trio ran past the still melting clones.

"Is your clone going to be alright?" Losing the clone so early would be bad so it was understandable that Hinata was worried for its well being.

"No. By the time it's done all of its lower jaw and half its chest should be gone. It will still be able to move but fighting is out of the question. No worries tho, it still has some useful tricks up its sleeve" Once again Tomoka's smile devolved into a deranged grin.

Elsewhere inside the giant wooden castle Yamato had built he received the feedback from his wood clone. As soon as he did he couldn't help but shiver. Whatever that stuff was gave him the creeps. Not to mention he didn't expect Tomoka to be so brutal. Coupled with the fact her clones were strange made him raise his guard more.

Back with the trio they continued down the river. Tomoka's clone had reached them and it looked like nightmare fuel with a missing jaw and caved in chest. Of course Tomoka had it use henge to hide its missing segments. A while later their next obstacle appears. This one instead of being just a clone was a behemoth of wood with said clone controlling it from the inside.

"Armoring up to prevent the acid from reaching the clone, that's smart." Tomoka looked at the behemoth with a wide grin as if she was eyeing a delicious morsel. However, instead of attacking she decided to leave this fight for one of her girls.

"Nozomi, want to take this one?" With a nod Nozomi moved forward preparing her jutsu. It was her turn to show what she is made of.