More Training and Several Surprises 2

"Old man?"

Sarutobi glanced up with a smile, doing a quick scan of the time traveller as he activated the privacy seals. Still tired, he noted, and still a bit pale, not to mention thin, but at least it was better than when he had first arrived.

"Good afternoon, Haruki. Sorry to call you on such short notice but the Raikage has finally replied and so I thought we would meet earlier so that we could discuss this without it taking way from our other projects. We'll be meeting them in Yu no Kuni a week and half from now from now. The Daimyo there has agreed to lend us part of his land in the forested area outside of Yugakure for the summit conference. We have agreed to bring five shinobi each as our guard and a Hyūga clan representative with a separate guard. I wanted to ask your opinion on that."

Haruki blinked in surprise. This he hadn't expected. He had known that a maximum number of ninja would be set, but he had thought that Sarutobi would pick his own people, the standard Hokage's guard.

"Well," He started slowly, going over the shinobi he knew. "Hiashi-san and Hizashi-san would have to come of course," Sarutobi nodded in agreement. "Having Shikaku with you doesn't hurt either, though you may want to leave him here incase something were to happen in our absence. I can't predict what happens as this did not happen in my time line. If I'm to be there that is one slot. Take Gai. His mastery of Taijustu is second to none and could match the Raikage if necessary in terms of speed and power. Take the two best trackers in the village just in case. They would also be in the best position to sense incoming threats and identify the surroundings."

Sarutobi nodded thoughtfully. "Tsume and Shibi are both on a mission at the moment. That's why they weren't present at the Council meeting concerning Hizashi. Then again, those two try to avoid Council meetings as much as possible anyway. They should be done and rushing back though. No doubt, they've heard about the new development. They'll be back by the day after tomorrow at the latest, so they'll be able to join us. I agree to keeping Shikaku here as well as my ANBU General. That's 4."

"We will have to be careful concerning my back story and how the others observe me interacting with the Kumo ninja. I'd like Kakashi to come but..."

Sarutobi nodded at the questioning look directed at him, finding himself mildly amused. "Kakashi's grown attached to you. I don't believe he's ever voluntarily spent so much time with anyone."

Haruki rolled his eyes. "He's just curious. He can't figure me out."

"Ah, well," Sarutobi hid a smile. As far as he knew, not even curiosity could make Kakashi lose the aloof distance he usually set between himself and other people. The Copy-nin didn't have many people who called him friend, and even less people he called friends. Haruki was already one of the latter, whether either of them knew it or not. "He will figure it out eventually."

"Eventually," Haruki agreed. "But not right now."

Sarutobi inclined his head. "Who else then? One more."

Haruki tilted his head in contemplation. "Asuma," He finally decided. "It'll show the Raikage that you trust blood as much as your other shinobi. I can guarantee that the Raikage will bring his own brother as well. And it'll mean a lot to Asuma."

Sarutobi nodded. He had been debating on whether or not to bring his son, and was glad that Haruki had pushed his final decision for him.

"Very well, we'll go with that line-up. But you know that the people you picked will have to know the part you played in Hizashi's retrieval, right?"

Haruki nodded. "I think they're all trustworthy people, and they know how to keep their mouths shut." He paused for a moment before adding, "And I think Kakashi, Genma, Kotetsu, Izumo, Raidou, Kurenai, Gai-san, Anko, Hana, and Ibiki-san should be brought into the loop as well, even though they're staying behind. It would be better if someone in the village knows what's going on."

"Kotetsu and Izumo? And Hana-chan? Aren't they Chuunin?"

Haruki shrugged. "Kotetsu and Izumo will be on gate duty and Hana's an Inuzuka. We should probably have a tracker on standby just in case. I want them to know the full story if Kumo tries anything to sneak into Konoha. I trust them."

"Very well," Sarutobi glanced out the window at the setting sun. "I'd also like my ANBU General and Second to be there."

Haruki nodded. He had worked under both in his time. "Of course."

Sarutobi nodded briskly.

"I'd like one ANBU of the Hokage guard to be aware of everything too," Sarutobi brought up.

Haruki nodded immediately. "I was thinking that we could tell Uzuki Yuugao. She's a captain, and she's dependable. Keeps a cool head in tough situations but fierce as heck when she needs to be. There will be a woman in the Raikage's party who will be a lot like her."

Sarutobi nodded. He knew Yuugao. The kunoichi had been one of the ANBU he had picked out for consideration.

"Anyone else?"

"...Hayate. Handy with a sword, works well with Yuugao, and he's a Tokubetsu Jonin only because of his illnes. You should have at least one representative from that group as well."

Sarutobi frowned. "Gekkou Hayate? Haruki, I'm not saying he isn't up to the standards of the other Tokubetsu Jounin, but he does have that cough. I can understand People like Kakashi but why Shiranui Genma and Hayate."

Haruki shook his head. "The sickness won't be a problem by the time we set out for the conference. My old teammate created a cure for it and she told me about it. I'll write it out tonight and then send it over to the medics at the hospital to sort out. They should have all the necessary ingredients already, and if Hayate rests for the next two days, he'll be fine when we head out. Besides," He added. "You need Genma aware in case something happens. The other Jounin respect him and he's calm and collected in difficult situations. He wouldn't be a Tokubetsu Jounin if he actually got off his ass and took Jounin Exams. There's a reason he's one of the first people Shikaku talks to whenever there's a crisis."

Sarutobi was silent as he mulled over Haruki's words. "You seem to have a cure for everyone, Haruki," He smiled a little at the embarrassment on the time traveller's face. "Now, with that settled, I believe we can move on to the final preparations for your extended mission and our proposal to the council. I have drafted the terms and conditions of the alliance and trade agreements which the council can negotiate later; the only thing we really need from them is approval to intervene. I can give the mission to assassinate or assist the assassination of the Mizukage but I can't give a mission to politically support the resistance without the councils approval. Our plan is to have you assist the resistance by using your sealing abilities to negate the Yondaime Mizukage's jinchuraki advantage and the support the leader of the resistance Mei Temuri in her battle and eliminate the Mizukage should she prove unable. You are to use Zabuza Momoichi as your entry point. You will return regardless of the status of the mission no later than three days before the Chunin exams." At all this Haruki simply nodded having gone over everything with the Sandaime before. "Now we cannot tell the council the real reasons we want an alliance with Kiri. So our main points will be to emphasize the benefits of stability in the region and the ability to cash in on being a major contributor to that as well as any increase in public image and relations can only be a good thing. Their counter points shouldn't be too hard to manage if we handle this right. Right well here are my revisions on my seal matrix. I'll let you go over it and get back to me later. Is that ok?"

Haruki took the scroll and nodded. "Then I think that's all for today."

"Wait, there's one more thing," Haruki cut in. "There's something I want to talk to you about. It concerns the two Kumo-nin I mentioned earlier; the Raikage's brother and the woman. I have an idea."

Sarutobi's eyebrows got steadily higher as he listened to the redhead lay out his plan. It wasn't a bad idea. It wasn't a bad idea at all.

x.X.x

"Excuse me?"

Miki glanced up, blinking in surprise at the red-haired shinobi standing in front of her. She hadn't sensed anyone approaching. Quickly pasting on a polite smile even as she scanned the ninja with mostly a medic's eye (shadows under tired eyes, too pale, too thin) and partly a woman's eye (quite good-looking, even with the visible exhaustion; man would be gorgeous when he was completely healthy), she asked, "Hi, may I help you?"

The shinobi nodded. "Could you direct me to the medic that usually treats Gekkou Hayate?"

The medic-nin frowned thoughtfully, quickly opening a file cabinet and flicking through the numerous dossiers neatly sorted there. "Ah yes, you must mean Kano Takumi-sensei. He should be free in ten minutes actually." She turned back, smiling again. "Would you like me to book you an appointment then?"

The red-haired Jounin shook his head. "I'm only here to see him about Hayate. It won't take more than a few minutes. If you could just point me to his office and tell him that I'd like to see him, that'd be great."

Miki pursed her lips. How could this man just stand there looking like death warmed over and tell her that he wasn't here for medical attention?

The Jounin seemed to sense her concern and smiled reassuringly at her. "I am fine. Just had a late night."

Miki glared at the shinobi, unimpressed. She was a medic-nin for heaven's sake! But short of the Hokage's own order, it wasn't as if she could force him to see a doctor.

"Very well," She acquiesced reluctantly. "I'll contact Kano-sensei and tell him to meet you in his office, er...?" She trailed off, glancing questioningly at the Jounin.

"Kazama Haruki," Came the prompt reply.

Miki did a double-take. This was the shinobi everyone was talking about? The crazy sensei that had made a team of Genin practice their chakra control through the Hokage Tower, favoured by the Hokage himself, and had practically been adopted by Konoha's famed Sharingan no Kakashi?

"Ma'am?"

"Yes, of course, Kazama-san," Miki managed to splutter out, cheeks flushing at being caught staring. "Just head up the stairs. Kano-sensei's office is the second door on the left in the east wing."

"Thank you," With a last grateful smile, the red-haired Jounin left, leaving a flustered Miki behind.

x.X.x

As Haruki waited patiently in the office, he flipped through the folder containing the information on the cure one more time. It had taken five hours last night to write everything out. Kurama knew the information of course, but the fox's knowledge of it was a bit skewed; apparently, demons just didn't retain human facts the same way humans did. The order, for one, really meant nothing to the Kyuubi. After all, what would it matter if one item went before another when demons simply used chakra to heal?

But they had worked it out in the end, and by that time, it had been past four in the morning. The earlier dinner with Team 7 hadn't exactly helped either. He and Naruto had cooked up a meal fit for kings while Kakashi had wandered around with multiple copies of porn, pissing off Sakura and embarrassing Sasuke to no end. But they had gotten through the evening without needing too much damage control and Haruki had promptly shoved them all out the door at ten. As he now tended to do, he had walked Naruto back next door, not leaving until the boy was tucked in and halfway to sleep.

Closing the folder, Haruki sighed. Kakashi had been extra vigilant last night as well, hovering a few feet from him even as he teased his students as if afraid that the redhead would keel over at any given time. Haruki had been appreciative and annoyed in equal measure.

"Kazama-san?"

Haruki blinked and straightened up as a man in his late thirties walked in, medic coat flapping around him. He had thick brown hair cut to average length and kind green eyes that reminded Haruki of Sakura's.

"Yes, that's me." Haruki offered a hand that was firmly shaken without hesitation. "I'm sorry to bother you while you're working."

Takumi waved a hand in the air as he ushered Haruki towards the two chairs by his desk. "It's fine; I'm free at the moment. What can I do for you?"

Never one to beat around the bush, Haruki pushed the folder across the desk towards the medic. "It's about one of your patients; Gekkou Hayate. This is a cure for his sickness."

Across from him, Takumi froze, hand hovering over the folder, eyes wide. "You're serious?"

At Haruki's nod, the doctor quickly flipped open the folder, eyes keen as he scanned the contents. Haruki stayed quiet as the man read through his notes, waiting patiently for him to finish.

"Are you a medic-nin?" The quiet question didn't come as a surprise, though the fact that it was the doctor's first was.

"No," Haruki denied as Takumi stared at him with a sharp green gaze. "But a while back, I met a woman, she was a medic-nin, and she told me about a few things. This was one of them. I only recently returned from a mission and met Hayate for the first time. I recognized the symptoms and thought I'd pass on what I learned."

"And this medic-nin would be...?"

Haruki smiled blandly at the doctor. "She's dead."

Takumi nodded once and pursued the issue no further, glancing back down at the file. "Well, this is amazing. You've written out every step and it would only take a few hours to develop this cure. The process is simple enough; I suppose the only reason no one else has been able to create this is because the formulas are so complicated. They're completely based on each other; one mistake would throw the entire thing off."

"So you'll be able to heal Hayate?" Haruki pressed.

Takumi nodded again, a faint smile surfacing on his features. "Most definitely. We'll call him in later today and start the treatment."

Haruki relaxed and found himself smiling as well. "That's great. Thank you."

The doctor raised an eyebrow. "I should be thanking you. You've just cured a supposedly incurable lung disease." He paused, a frown forming at his brow. "I suppose I should ask now; how much would you say you'd want in return for giving this to our medical community?"

Haruki stared stupidly for a several seconds. "Er, 'want'?"

Takumi tilted his head. "Well yes. What would be the cost of such information?"

Haruki blinked at the doctor, feeling completely out of his depth. Was this how medical circles worked? Buying and selling what might as well be people's lives?

He shot to his feet, ignoring the startled look on the medic's face. "Why would I want anything?" He demanded, anger tightening his chest. "Hayate's life is on the line here, as well as all the other people who have the same disease. I don't want you giving me money or whatever; I just want you to do your job and heal them!"

Haruki's voice had risen a little and he forced himself to calm down. It had been a long time since he had found anything to explode over but this was something new. He could barely keep his chakra from slipping out. What if the medical community refused to pay someone's price for a cure? Did that mean that the patients who could benefit from it would be left to die? Weren't medics supposed to cherish life once they took their oaths?

"I apologize," Takumi's soft acknowledgment made Haruki narrow his eyes at the doctor. "You have to realize that cures like this don't usually come freely."

Haruki pressed his lips together but sat down again. "Well they should," He snapped darkly. "What if the price is too high? What would happen to the patients then?"

Takumi studied the redhead carefully, trying not to smile. This Jounin was one surprise after another. When Miki had told him of the shinobi waiting to see him in his office about Hayate, he had expected another friend come to insist on knowing if any progress had been made on the cure. He hadn't expected a cure to land, quite literally, in his hands. Takumi had been prepared to pay whatever price Haruki wanted; he liked Hayate and didn't want to see him or his lover and friends suffer more than they had to. But again, the Jounin had surprised him, refusing payment and even taking offense at the implication.

"Most people do not think the way you do, Kazama-san," Takumi smiled somewhat deprecatingly. "They only think of how much they can earn and forget that there are lives at stake. Or if they do remember, they do not care."

Haruki snorted derisively. "Then they're all idiots. There are enough people dying every day without greedy fools hurrying it along."

"Very true," Takumi nodded, not holding back a smile this time. He liked this shinobi. There weren't many nowadays with such honour. "Then I can only say thank you, Kazama-san, and I promise you that Hayate will be cured as soon as possible."

Haruki nodded and made to rise, but hesitated at the last second. Takumi frowned. "Something wrong?"

"There is one thing. Two, actually." The redhead frowned, looking troubled enough that Takumi immediately found himself wanting to promise anything Haruki asked, but he held his tongue and heard the man out.

"The first is that I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention my name to Hayate or Yugao or anyone else who asks about the cure,"

Takumi stared in utter bemusement. Did the man not want any credit? "I can agree to that," He finally allowed. "Though they'll want to know who to thank and I won't lie to them about it."

"Just tell them that I don't want them to know."

Takumi nodded in agreement. "And the other?"

"The other..." Haruki glanced at the office door before lowering his voice even further. "It's pretty much the same as the first. Just don't tell anyone who gave you that cure. And since I gave it to you, you'll be heading its production, right?" At Takumi's nod, Haruki continued, eyes intent, "Then please keep this away from Yakushi Kabuto."

Takumi's eyebrows shot up, thoughts flickering through his eyes at light speed. "Yakushi-kun, you say?"

As he observed the Jounin staring back at him, Takumi thought back to the Genin that usually helped out around the hospital. There had always been something about the young man that rubbed him the wrong way, but the other doctors and nurses all seemed to like him well enough and Takumi had never seen anything outwardly bad. Kabuto had impeccable manners, was always kind to the patients, and worked hard at everything he did. The general agreement in the hospital was that Kabuto took after Konoha's Medic Corps' captain, but to him, Yakushi Taichi had something genuine about him that his adoptive son had never managed to inherit.

"I see," Takumi finally spoke. "I don't have a problem with that, though this information will have to pass through his father before I can begin making it."

Haruki nodded. "That's fine. I hear Taichi-san is very well-respected."

Takumi nodded back and rose to his feet as Haruki did the same. "Then I will get started immediately. Would you like me to send word to you once Hayate has been cured?"

Haruki shook his head. "No need. I'll know. I'll leave it to you."

They shook hands again but before Haruki could depart his office, Takumi called out one last time, "Perhaps, sometime in the near future, Kazama-san, you'll come in for a check-up of your own. It seems you are in need of one, and just the other day, Yamanaka Inoichi came around to ask after you."

Haruki stiffened momentarily before tossing a small smile over his shoulder. "Thank you, Kano-sensei. I'll keep that in mind."

Takumi shook his head as the Jounin left. He had recognized the name the moment Miki had mentioned it of course. But he hadn't really thought about the Yamanaka Clan Head until he had laid eyes on Haruki and seen the detrimental signs in the man's health. It was no wonder that Inoichi had come by to personally ask after the redhead if they knew each other.

But that would be a matter for later. At the moment, he had made a promise to Haruki to get this cure out as soon as possible, and if he had his way, which he would because it was the very least he could do for the red-haired Jounin, then Hayate would be cured before the day was out.

x.X.x

Kurenai stared critically at her students, holding back a sigh. Kiba was at it again, his short temper exploding over something Shino had said. She had just arrived herself, and hadn't managed to catch their no doubt one-sided argument. Hinata on the other hand was standing off to one side, hands wringing together and eyes darting nervously between her teammates.

After hearing from Asuma about his team's sudden motivation, Kurenai had figured that it couldn't possibly hurt to invite Haruki to one of her team's training sessions as well. Perhaps he could help her pull these kids together.

"Kurenai?"

Kurenai almost started, quickly turning around to meet the startlingly blue gaze of the Jounin she had just been mulling over. How did he do that? She hadn't been able to sense his chakra signature at all.

"Haruki," She smiled cheerfully in welcome. "Good morning, you're right on time. I'm glad Kakashi hasn't been rubbing off on you."

The boyish grin he sent her way lifted some of the fatigue from his face, though Kurenai frowned. Maybe she should sic Yugao on him again. He was obviously not getting enough rest.

"So these are your students?"

Kurenai nodded and quickly called the three Genin over. They lined up in front of her, staring curiously (at least in Kiba's case anyway; Shino was as blank as ever and Hinata was staring at the ground) at the redhead.

"This is Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Hyuuga Hinata. Guys, this is Haruki. He's the one who's going to train you today."

"What can you do?" Kurenai winced as Kiba immediately piped up, bold and demanding.

Haruki only smiled, calm and untroubled in the face of the younger version of his hot-headed friend. He had already been prepared to deal with these three, and he was finding it easier to meet each of his old friends as he spent more time in the past. "Maa, that depends on the team." He glanced at the kunoichi beside him. "Do you have anything specific for them to do today, or can I just train them any way I want?"

Kurenai nodded. "Go ahead. I've cleared their schedule today."

"Alright then," Haruki turned back to the three Genin. "Basically, we're going to play a game of hide-and-seek. Kurenai and I will be hiding; you three will be seeking."

Kiba immediately scoffed. "That's easy! Akamaru can find anyone!"

Haruki shrugged easily. "There will be rules of course. Or rather, obstacles. I will be using Kage Bunshins for one. That would be a bit difficult for Akamaru, don't you think?"

Kiba frowned, glancing up at the dog perched on his head.

Haruki pulled out three ribbons, one green, one blue, and the last yellow. "This will be your goal. Either I or Kurenai will be holding these. All you have to do is ask. But our Kage Bunshins will be holding these too. The only rule is that you will fail if you take the wrong ribbons. Time limit is the rest of the day. You can use your dog," He looked at Kiba before switching his gaze to Shino. "Or your bugs," And then turned to look at Hinata. "Or your eyes. Use whatever means you can. Understand?"

Kiba nodded determinedly while Akamaru yipped above him. It didn't matter that there would be Kage Bunshins. He would disperse them and, if they didn't, they would be the real ones. This would be easy.

Shino inclined his head, silently directing one of his female bugs to land on Haruki's shoulder. The Jounin didn't seem to notice. He would be able to find him soon enough. His kikaichuu would only stay on the real one.

Hinata nodded meekly, glancing up briefly. She knew Kiba and Shino already had a plan. They always did. But she wondered if they would ask for her help. She had the Byakugan after all. She would be able to tell the difference between the Kage Bunshins and their real senseis. But, probably not. Just because she had the Byakugan didn't mean that she could use it well enough to help her teammates. Her shoulders slumped. She supposed she would leave this to them then.

Haruki eyed all three of them. Jeez, this was the quietest team he had ever worked with. Even Neji and Sasuke had been more talkative than this lot, with the exception of Kiba. He sighed inwardly. He hoped this exercise would help. He didn't know what else to do. He had spent a lot of time thinking up this plan and had even approached a few other shinobi for help earlier as he had set up the village-wide obstacle course. They had both agreed, eager for something to brighten up the monotone day.

"Alright then. When I say..." He glanced meaningfully at Kurenai and the woman blinked in abrupt understanding, tensing subtly and nodding slightly in return. "Begin."

Kiba blinked when neither Jounin moved, Haruki still holding onto the ribbons. "Well?" He asked impatiently. "Aren't you going to hide?"

Haruki shrugged, hefting the ribbons absently. Kurenai tilted her head at them, frowning a little.

From his right, Shino suddenly spoke up. "These are clones. They are already gone."

Kiba glared sullenly at his teammate. "How would you know that?"

Shino nodded at the copy of Haruki. "The kikaichuu I placed on Haruki-san's shoulder is no longer there. Thus, this is a Kage Bunshin."

Kiba huffed in irritation when the two in front of them smiled and dispersed, leaving only small puffs of smoke. "Fine then. Akamaru!" His partner leapt to the ground, nose already twitching. "Let's find them, boy! Which way do we go first?"

Shino frowned, irritation tilting his mouth down behind his collar. Why didn't Kiba ever listen? He should at least hear him out fully. After all, Shino had already noticed the clones. Feeling disgruntled, he headed off on his own, a male kikaichuu flying ahead of him. If Kiba didn't want to listen, then Shino would find the Jounin on his own.

Hinata glanced uneasily between the two boys. Now what was she supposed to do? Kiba had shot a nasty glare at Shino as the bug-user walked off before ignoring him entirely. Should she follow Kiba? Or maybe Shino?

"C'mon, Hinata!" Kiba suddenly called out, waving at her. "They're this way!"

Well, Kiba seemed to want her along. Nodding timidly, Hinata hurried after him. Maybe they could meet up with Shino later.

x.X.x

"I admit, I didn't think this exercise would be very hard for them earlier, but this could get interesting," Kurenai leaned against a tree as they watched several pairs of Kage Bunshins walk off in different directions.

After Haruki explained the plan to her, Kurenai had found herself looking forward to the rest of the day. This exercise would take all three of their skills combined and would help strengthen their tracking skills as well as their teamwork.

"Could I see some of those seals then?" She asked eagerly as they watched the last pair walk off. "I've never seen anything that could block the Byakugan."

Haruki chuckled but motioned her forward, extending a hand to touch the air. Kurenai gasped in surprise when the kanji for bend flashed into appearance in front of her, glowing with blue chakra.

"Wait a minute," She murmured, leaning forward. Her eyes widened as she saw wind currents shifting in the air, knotted tightly together with chakra. "You drew the seal with wind and chakra? No one does that! No one can!"

Haruki grinned at her, something like pride shining from that expression. "Well, I can. Pretty awesome, right? I can only hold it together for about a day though. Wind is damn hard to control."

Kurenai tried not to gape as the seal faded again. A day? She didn't know anyone who could do this for a second, much less a full twenty-four hours! There was a reason why wind-based ninjutsu was quick and lethal. Shinobi used chakra to shape the wind and throw it at the enemy, but even seasoned ninja couldn't hold it for too long or the attack would injure themselves. Wind was untameable. For Haruki to shape it into a seal and keep it activated with nothing but his own chakra was nothing short of insane. He wasn't even using hand signs. "Asuma is going to have a heart attack when he finds out," Kurenai said with feeling. "You have amazing control over the wind element."

Haruki just smiled at her. "Thanks," He glanced distractedly to the right. "Shino-kun's coming this way. Oh, that's right. Almost forgot,"

Kurenai blinked when Haruki created another Bunshin before removing a kikaichuu from his shoulder and placing it on the clone instead.

"Shino always does plan several steps ahead," Kurenai voiced, amused. "You're not going to kill it?"

Haruki frowned thoughtfully as he examined the kikaichuu. There was no way he was going to kill any of the Aburame bugs if he could help it. They had saved his life on more than one occasion. "It's a 'her', I think, and no, Shino-kun would be very angry with me." With a nod, he sent the Bunshin off and they took to the roofs again.

"Kikaichuu only have a lifespan of a few hours," Kurenai pointed out. "It- she'll die soon anyway."

Haruki shrugged. "Shino-kun is a bit different, I believe. He cares about his bugs."

Kurenai glanced sidelong at her companion. Strange. Haruki seemed so sure. "So what now?" She asked instead.

"Sit around and watch," The redhead flopped down on the roof before pulling out two paper seals and handing one to her. "Here, press this to your clothes. It'll hide scent and chakra signatures until we deactivate them later."

Kurenai accepted one, examining it curiously as she pressed it to her clothes. It was a complex seal, one she had never seen before, but then again, she hadn't expected anything less from the man who had removed Anko's Cursed Seal.

x.X.x

"Damn it! Is this the real one or the fake?"

Kiba glared furiously at the redhead in front of him. Haruki had dodged all his kunai, looking more and more amused as time passed, and he still couldn't tell if this was the real one or another clone. He frowned in thought, absently scratching behind one of Akamaru's ears. And then he brightened.

"Hinata!" Kiba whirled on her excitedly, ignoring the way she flinched. "Use your Byakugan! You can tell, can't you?"

Hinata shifted nervously in place. "Y-Yes. D-do you want m-me to check?"

Kiba nodded vigorously. "That'd be great!"

Hinata took a deep breath and then activated her kekkei genkai. Kiba wanted her help! She had to be able to do this. "No, he's just a Kage Bunshin..." She trailed off and looked around. What...

"Thanks, Hinata! Hah! We can totally do this! I'll find all of them and you can check if they're clones or not!"

"W-Wait, Kiba-kun," Hinata stuttered out, almost forgetting herself as she spun in a circle, bewildered.

Kiba frowned, taking a step towards her. "Hinata? Are you alright?"

Hinata squinted. What was going on? Why wasn't her Byakugan working? But it worked fine a moment ago. She could tell the clone apart from the real one.

"I did say that there would be obstacles," The Kage Bunshin spoke up suddenly.

Hinata whirled around again. "P-Pardon?"

The Haruki-lookalike smiled a little. "Find the correct route, Hinata-chan. That's the only way you'll be able to find us." Abruptly, the clone dispersed, leaving only a cloud of smoke behind.

"Hinata? What's he talking about?"

Hinata blinked at Kiba's confused voice before deactivating her Byakugan. "M-My Byakugan," She murmured. "It-It doesn't work when I l-look in s-some directions." Her face crumpled miserably. "I-I'm sorry."

The hand on her shoulder made her jump.

"Don't worry!" Kiba grinned at her. "You heard Haruki-san; you just have to find the correct route! That's a hint! Once you find it, we can go straight to him instead of just wasting time on every Kage Bunshin!"

Hinata stared before managing a tremulous smile. "Th-Thanks, Kiba-kun."

Maybe she wouldn't be too much of a burden after all.

x.X.x

Shino stared at the Jounin standing in front of him, eyeing his Kikaichuu. This was the real one; he was sure. Holding out a hand, he waited for Haruki to hand him the ribbons.

"Oi, Shino! That ain't him!"

Instinctively, Shino jerked his hand back and turned to look irritably at his teammate. "My kikaichuu is still attached to him. He is the real one."

Kiba rolled his eyes as he raced up to his teammate. Why did Shino always have to be so stuck-up? "Look," He explained impatiently, gesturing at Hinata behind him. "Hinata says that's a Kage Bunshin and she can't be wrong. Haruki-san probably found your bug and moved it."

Shino stiffened, glancing at his female teammate. Hinata had her Byakugan activated and was between them anxiously. He pressed his lips together and turned back to the clone. So Haruki had caught on after all. Well, he was a Jounin; it wasn't so surprising. He silently summoned the kikaichuu back to him and the Kage Bunshin smiled before dispersing in a cloud of smoke.

"Alright then, Akamaru can catch the scent of the next Bunshin until Hinata can find her way through the village!" Kiba looked at both of them expectantly. "C'mon then!"

Shino frowned at the youngest Inuzuka. Just because Kiba had Hinata's help didn't mean his own kikaichuu couldn't do the same thing as Akamaru. "I will find my own way," He announced firmly as he sent out his kikaichuu.

Hinata watched, wide-eyed as Kiba predictably exploded, yelling at the stoic bug-user once again as they moved off to the side. She sighed and glanced up. This was getting old. At the rate they were going, they would definitely fail this mission. But what could she do? They weren't going to listen to her. She could barely hold her own in a spar with either of them and with her Byakugan closed off-

"Won't you at least try, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata jumped and spun around, eyes widening when she caught sight of their temporary sensei. Quickly scanning him and noticing the chakra building rather than just fading like a Kage Bunshin. "Y-you're-"

Haruki chuckled, leaning against a tree on the side of the road. "Aa, I'm the real one, but unfortunately, Kurenai has the ribbons right now."

Hinata's face fell even as she deactivated her Byakugan. She quickly ducked here head when she caught a glimpse of steady blue eyes studying her. Haruki's gaze made her feel uneasy, as if the Jonin could see all her faults and shortcomings.

"Well? Won't you at least try?"

Hinata flushed, ashamed. Kami, Haruki must think so little of her. "I-I'm not good e-enough," She trailed off, floundering for more words.

A thoughtful silence. "How do you know?"

Hinata froze, not sure how to answer. She just knew. She wasn't good enough. Her sister never looked at her with anything but subtle contempt. Her father was always disappointed in her. And her cousin, her cousin whom she had played with as a child didn't even bother hiding his dislike and scorn for her.

"Hinata,"

She jerked up at the stern voice, not quite sure what to expect. Her gaze caught Haruki's again and she found herself unable to drop her eyes this time.

Haruki frowned a little as he moved forward to crouch down in front of the Hyuuga heiress. "Hinata-chan, how do you know you can't if you don't at least try?"

Wide-eyed and nervous, Hinata opened and closed her mouth several times before whispering, "B-Because Otou-sama and Neji-niisama and Hanabi all th-think so. A-And my entire Clan th-thinks so too."

Haruki tilted his head, remaining silent for a while longer. The embarrassed flush quickly returned to the kunoichi's cheeks and she made to duck her head again. A startled yelp escaped her when a gentle finger poked her in the forehead.

"First of all," Haruki smiled at her. "No looking down. You've got nothing to be ashamed of. And you're beautiful. Why would you want to hide your face all the time?"

Hinata turned beet red, flushing violently at the Jounin's words. She automatically tried to lower her head again but was immediately met with a poke to the forehead once more. Hesitantly, she raised her head a little instead, shifting nervously when Haruki arched an eyebrow.

"Now," Haruki continued once the timid girl met his gaze again. "You said that your family all think you can't do anything?" At Hinata's nod, Haruki frowned again, leaning forward a little to peer more closely at her. "And what if they're all wrong?"

Hinata jerked, staring wide-eyed at the red-haired Jounin as she gaped at him. "Th-They c-can't be wrong!" She stammered out, twisting the hem of her jacket. "I-I'm-"

"Hinata-chan," Haruki interrupted, choosing his next words carefully. "The only way they can be right is if you believe they are."

Hinata fell silent, hands frozen in motion as Haruki's words replayed themselves in her head.

Haruki inwardly sighed. God, this was hard. He was much more used to the quiet but confident woman Hinata would eventually grow up into. "It's easy, Hinata-chan," Haruki continued patiently. "There's only one thing you have to decide: do you want them to be right?"

Hinata instantly shook her head before she could stop herself. Flushing again, she just managed to remember not to look down and felt a stir of warmth in her chest as Haruki smiled his approval.

"Well then," Haruki reached out to gently untangle her fingers from her jacket. "I don't see the problem. If you don't want them be right, then prove them wrong."

Hinata deflated. "I-I can't-"

"Try," Haruki cut in again. "You never know until you try. And you just keep trying until you get it right. Failure is fate only to those you don't try. Besides, what do they know? Who can possibly know you better than you know yourself? Your thoughts, your feelings, your insecurities, your dreams; no one can possibly know those things better than you. And anyone, anyone can do anything as long as they never give up."

Hinata stared at the man in front of her, not quite sure how to react. No one had ever said these things to her, as if they thought...

As if they thought she could do it. As if they believed in her.

A tear slipped unbidden down her cheek and she quickly reached up to scrub it away. She didn't want Haruki to see her crying, but, checking his expression, all he did was continue smiling back at her. Her father would have disapproved.

They both glanced up as Kiba's voice rose again, loud even at this distance. Hinata sometimes wondered how her teammates managed to stay alive in each other's presence.

"They're both far too proud," Haruki commented mildly as he stood up again. He glanced down at the Hyuuga heiress beside him. "That's where you come in, you know. You're they're bridge."

Hinata frowned, feeling confused. "B-Bridge?" She made sure to keep her head up instead of glancing down. Somehow, she felt herself relaxing in this Jounin's presence.

Haruki nodded. "Well, as you can see, those two definitely aren't going to become friends by themselves anytime soon. Someone's got to pull them together."

"B-But I don't know i-if they'll listen to me," Hinata glanced anxiously at her teammates again.

Haruki chuckled, slipping his hands into his coat as he rocked back on his heels. "Every team's like that, Hinata-chan," Noting her quizzical expression, Haruki clarified, "Your cousin's team is like that. Neji-kun and Lee-kun are as different as night and day. Tenten's the one who keeps both of them grounded and tied to the team."

Hinata blinked, thinking back to the few times she had glimpsed her cousin during one of his training sessions. The green-clad teammate of his was a bit... different. But the female kunoichi did seem more level-headed and Hinata had even caught her lecturing Neji once.

"W-What about N-Naruto-kun's...?" She trailed off, blushing furiously.

Haruki held back a smile. Hinata did have a crush on him back in the day, didn't she? And being the clueless idiot he had been, he had completely missed the Hyūga heiress' affections, but perhaps that was best. Things had turned out fine in the future and Hinata had found her own love in the end.

"Naruto's team is just as bad; probably worse," Haruki told her cheerfully. "He and Sasuke are similar and different in so many ways. Those two fight all the time. If it wasn't for Sakura, they'd be at each other's throats every five minutes. Half the time, I'm surprised Sakura doesn't go insane having to deal with those two all the time."

An unexpected giggle slipped out and Hinata quickly clapped a hand over her mouth. But Haruki only laughed softly, one hand giving her a soft pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry; laugh at them all you want. Those two are a comedy show all on their own."

This time, the giggles came more freely and Hinata found herself smiling openly for the first time in a long while. She hesitated for a moment, glancing between the boys and her temporary sensei before asking shyly, "W-What do you think I-I should do? A-About them?"

Haruki hmm'd thoughtfully, inwardly dancing on the inside. "Well, you could try yelling at them," He grinned at the horrified expression on Hinata's face. "Hey, it would definitely work. You could shock them into compliance. But I suppose that's not your style." He paused, glancing down at the kunoichi again. "What do you think you should be doing right now?"

Hinata looked around nervously before activating her Byakugan and scanning their surroundings again. She had caught a glimpse of something that looked like a path and she concentrated in that direction now. Yes, she could still see it! There was nothing blocking her Byakugan this time and she could see right through the buildings blocking her way.

Deactivating her Byakugan again, she glanced brightly up at Haruki, forgetting her reticence as she piped up excitedly, "I found it! I can see the way!"

Haruki quirked a smile at her as he nodded. "Okay then. You're already one up your teammates. Now you just have to get them to listen." He reached out to give the Hyuuga heiress a gentle push forward when she remained frozen in place. "You're constantly changing at your own pace and you're fine just the way you are. What you want to become, what you want to prove; you already have started the journey and though it may be daunting and perilous. I believe you have the strength to walk it no matter how many times you fall so long as you keep getting back up. All you have to do is find it in yourself and take the leap. Now go on. Show them what you can do, Hinata-chan."

Hinata watched as the Jounin gave her a last smile before melting into a nearby alleyway, a mixture of hope and disbelief forming hard lump in her throat. That was the first time anyone had ever told her she could do something. But what could Haruki see in her? She turned back to stare at her teammates, one still shouting, the other doing his best to ignore him.

You're constantly changing at your own pace and you're fine just the way you are. What you want to become, what you want to prove; you already have the strength to do both. All you have to do is find it in yourself and take the leap.

Hinata pressed her lips together before straightening her shoulders. She didn't want to stay like this forever. She wanted to get stronger. And if she already had the potential to do that, then the only thing stopping her right now was herself.

Taking a deep breath, Hinata marched forward, coming to a stop just a few steps behind her two teammates. "K-Kiba-kun…"

She frowned when her voice came out barely above a murmur. That wouldn't do. If she wanted them to listen to her, then she'd have to speak up. She winced when Kiba reached out to grab Shino. That probably wouldn't be a good idea.

"Kiba-kun! Shino-kun! Stop fighting!" Her voice almost cracked at the end, but Hinata determinedly held the volume until the very last word. To her shock, both boys froze, heads snapping in her direction with shock evident on even Shino's face. She flushed but kept her head up defiantly when she remembered Haruki's words.

"I found the path Haruki-san left f-for us," Hinata forced the stammer out of her words as much as she could. "Shino-kun, Haruki-san gave us th-this mission as a team. I think it would be best to stick t-together. Kiba-kun, don't get m-mad at everything Shino-kun does. You b-both specialize in tracking. You have your way and Shino-kun has his. W-Wouldn't we finish th-this mission even faster if y-you two work together?"

Hinata felt her clenched hands tremble just a little by the end of her monologue. She had never spoken so much at one time. Actually, she was pretty sure she had never spoken so much in a day. Both her teammates were staring at her as if she had suddenly grown a second head and Hinata fought the urge to shrink away and look down, staring resolutely back at the boys.

Surprisingly, Shino was the first to capitulate, shoulders suddenly losing their tensed slant and his entire countenance regaining their previous stoicism. "If you have found the path Haruki-san designated for us," Shino muttered. "Then it is logical to stay together."

Kiba couldn't quite tear his eyes off his female teammate. What the heck had happened to Hinata? Where was the shy, timid girl he knew as his teammate? At the moment, all he could see was a subtle ferocity in Hinata's face, almost daring him to argue with her.

"A-Aa," He managed, rubbing the back of his neck as his expression turned sheepish. "Well if you know which way to go, then staying together sounds good."

Hinata brightened visibly. They listened to her! Was this all she had to do? Give them something important enough that they would see the value of sticking together as a team?

"O-Okay then," She stammered out when she noticed that both boys' attentions were still glued on her. "L-Let's go this way. I think w-we're heading towards the v-village's gates."

Hinata turned and began walking, stamping down the urge to check if they would follow. She found herself smiling when she heard the shuffle of footsteps fall into step behind her.

Maybe she could do something if she tried.

x.X.x

"Asuma was right; you're great with children."

Haruki snorted, perched at the edge of a rooftop. "Kurenai, it was touch-and-go for a while there. I'm not used to talking to girls like Hinata. Until the last moment, I still hadn't decided how I was going to get through to her."

Kurenai blinked, leaning forward curiously. "Undecided? What would you have done instead if not that?"

Haruki shrugged before grinning wryly. "Got her mad. Insulted her until she got pissed enough to yell back at me," Haruki raised his hands in a placating gesture at the appalled look on the kunoichi's face. "Hey, don't look at me like that. I know people that just won't respond unless I piss them off."

"Like Anko," Kurenai shot back huffily. "Not Hinata. I would've punched you if you had picked that method."

The redhead rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Good thing I didn't then, huh?"

Kurenai just rolled her eyes before nodding at her students. "Let's go then. They're almost at the gates."

x.X.x

Kotetsu perked up from his slumped position at the wooden desk when he caught sight of three distant figures making their way toward them. "Hey, hey! They're coming!"

Izumo rolled his eyes but couldn't help straightening up as well. Gate duty was damn boring when there wasn't anything going on and damn annoying when there was. Either way, it wasn't the best job in the world.

"You think they'll ask us?" Kotetsu leaned forward impatiently, peering at the approaching Genin. "Maybe we should give them a hint."

Izumo couldn't suppress an exasperated sigh as he reached out and yanked his partner back into his seat. "Would you stop that? With the way you're acting, you might as well be waving a red flag at them. Besides, Haruki said they'd get it. We're supposed to give them the hint after they come to us, not give them a hint to get the real hint."

Kotetsu huffed but settled back down in his chair. He had been bored all morning and it was already nearing midday. There hadn't been so much as an ant crossing into Konoha. No one could blame him for being a little excited.

When Haruki had approached them at six-thirty this morning looking like death warmed over, they had immediately enquired after his health. The redhead had assured them that he was fine and had just had a late night, looking almost puzzled at their concern. The two of them had been hard-pressed not to call Yugao up immediately and have the woman drag Haruki to the hospital. The man looked like Hayate on a bad day.

But before they could make up their minds, Haruki had launched into a brief explanation of the training exercise he had in mind for Kurenai's Genin team and had asked them if they wanted to help. Neither of them needed any time to think on it and agreed immediately. The makeshift mission sounded entertaining and would make their day more interesting.

"Genins are kinda slow," Kotetsu commented in a low voice and Izumo held back the urge to whack him over the head.

"They're just starting," He whispered back. "What did you expect?"

Kotetsu shuffled his feet as he watched the group draw closer. They could at least walkfaster. And how exactly was that dog supposed to pick up on all the chakra threads if it was sitting on top of the boy's head? And he couldn't see a single kikaichuu flying around either. He squinted at them and willed them to walk faster. They stopped and looked around.

Kotetsu twitched and growled, "Damn, they're either not that bright or, well, not that bright." An elbow in his ribs made him grunt.

Izumo glared irately at his partner. "If you don't shut up, I'm going to knock you out and do our part by myself."

His voice bordering on a whine, Kotetsu retorted, "C'mon, Zumo. We could've done this when we were Genin."

Izumo gave him a pointed look. "You sucked at sensing chakra signatures. How would you have found the chakra threads?"

Kotetsu grinned at his partner. "You were amazing at sensing chakra. I'd just ask you. Anyway, Kurenai's team have an Aburame and an Inuzuka, plus the Hyuuga. They should be rushing through this with no problem."

Izumo just heaved another sigh but didn't bother arguing back. Prolonged arguments with Kotetsu usually resulted in headaches. The man just didn't give.

"Hey, they're moving again! They're coming this way! Act normal!"

Izumo could feel a tick developing over one eye as he tried not to slam his head into the wooden table. A bored Kotetsu was a stupid and mildly hyperactive Kotetsu. He aimed a kick at his partner's shin.

"Settle down!" He snapped as best he could without raising his voice. "If anyone needs to look normal, it's you! Calm down, idiot!"

Izumo turned to glance at the Genin as Kotetsu obeyed somewhat reluctantly and settled back again, shifting occasionally in his seat. He glanced down at one hand and flexed it. He was no puppeteer and sending out chakra threads wasn't something he did on a regular basis, but it was challenging enough to be fun. Maybe he would try to lead them astray. Haruki had said they could do anything they want.

x.X.x

"Th-The trail ends here," Hinata stopped to look around. The main gates loomed in front of them but there wasn't anything eye-catching within sight.

Shino glanced around, noting the two Chuunin on gate duty. He frowned. One of them looked... excited. Silently, he directed his bugs out. They were back within seconds, relaying their conversation to him. He took a step towards the two shinobi before stopping to consider his options. And then, with a mental sigh, he turned back to his two teammates.

"My kikaichuu say that those two Chuunin are part of this mission. They will direct us to our next destination."

Kiba's jaw dropped open, blinking in surprise at his teammate. Did Shino just offer up information of his own freewill?

Hinata smiled timidly at the older boy. "Th-Thanks for telling us, Shino-kun. I guess we should go ask them?"

Kiba closed his mouth with a click and offered a wary grin at the bug-user. "Alright then; let's go see what they know."

A minute later, they were assembled in front of the two suddenly bored-looking shinobi, and like always, Kiba spoke up first, bounding up to the wooden desk with his usual enthusiasm.

"Hi! Did Haruki-san, Jounin, red hair, blue eyes, did he come by?"

The two Chuunin exchanged a disinterested glance. Or at least tried to. The one on the left suddenly made a face and broke out into a grin.

"Okay, I can't do this," He announced as the Chuunin on the right face-palmed. "C'mon Zumo, what am I supposed to do? I can't treat a bunch of Genin like they're foreign nin come to visit."

The shinobi on the right snapped, looking annoyed, "No one told you to! We're supposed to pretend we don't know anything until they give us enough proof that they know what they're doing!"

The first Chuunin shrugged and turned back to them. "They asked about Haruki; that's good enough for me. Now let's get started."

The second Chuunin sighed and gave up, casting a critical eye over them.

Kiba exchanged bemused expressions with his fellow teammates. What could these two possibly tell them? Couldn't they just point them in the right direction?

"Alright then, here's the deal," Kotetsu stood up and came out from the station. "Izumo, that's him by the way, and I'm Kotetsu, we're going to send out chakra threads toward certain parts of the village. Your job is to follow the right thread to find Haruki. And Kurenai I suppose. Understand?"

Izumo frowned over at his partner as he also stood up. "I seem to recall longer instructions, Kotetsu," He turned back to the Genin. "There will be two correct threads among twenty. One will lead you straight to them while the other will lead you back to us eventually and then you'll be able to follow the other one to find them. The two correct threads will have the most amount of chakra put into it. Any questions?"

All three Genin shook their heads. Kotetsu and Izumo exchanged a glance before turning simultaneously towards the rest of the village, spread their hands, and shot out a web of chakra threads, the shimmering blue almost glinting under the midday sun.

Izumo frowned in concentration, mentally ticking off the list of places Haruki had given him as he directed his threads to different parts of the village. Well, this wasn't too bad. So long as the Genin didn't take too long, he could probably keep this up for a few hours. Although, he twitched a finger to extend one last thread, reducing the chakra output by about a tenth, towards Shushuya, he figured it took Suna-nin quite a while to become puppet masters.

Kotetsu inwardly made a face as he controlled the chakra regulation in his threads. Huh. This was harder than he thought it would be. But, he thought as he tagged the side wall of Ichiraku Ramen with a thread, it was also just as much fun as he had thought it would be. Guiding the threads through the twists and turns of the village any way he wanted was good practice and it would be interesting to see what these Genin could do when he adjusted the chakra level of some of the threads.

"Alright!" Kiba turned to Hinata. "Hinata? Just find the right threads and leave the rest to Akamaru!" He paused, glancing hesitantly at his other teammate before adding grudgingly, "And Shino's bugs can help too."

Hinata nodded and activated her Byakugan, and then almost reeled when she saw the village open before her. "Haruki-san took down the barriers!" She stared in surprise.

Kiba glanced between her and the village. "Really? So you can see through stuff again?"

Hinata nodded happily before her face fell a little. "But I c-can't see that far."

Kiba shrugged nonchalantly. "Eh, who cares? You can work on that from now on and it'll get better, right?"

Hinata smiled tentatively at that as she nodded. Turning her Byakugan to the chakra threads, she frowned closely at the strings, quickly ruling out nine of them. She glanced nervously at the two Chuunin and quietly pointed them out. The shinobi exchanged an amused look before releasing them, leaving eleven behind. This time, Hinata had to peer more closely at the threads, ruling out two more before becoming stumped. The last nine looked identical.

She glanced uncertainly back at her teammates and Kiba promptly bounded forward. "Alright! Let's each take a path and follow it. Whoever finds them first can use a Bunshin to send for the others, okay?"

Hinata nodded and Shino inclined his head before all three set off. The threads faded in colour as they drew farther away from the two Chuunin but Akamaru had already jumped to the ground to lead Kiba, Shino had his bugs spread out in front of him, and Hinata quickly followed the trail with her eyes.

Behind them, Kotetsu and Izumo smirked. Haruki had said they could do anything they wanted to the incorrect strings and none of them had picked the right one. Without a word, they adjusted the threads so that they ran through alleyways and down streets, looping around the buildings to lead the Genin in useless circles.

"Wonder how long it'll take for them to catch on?" Kotetsu settled on the ground, transferring his remaining four strings to his right hand and withdrawing a kunai with his left to draw idle doodles on the ground.

Izumo rolled his eyes but sat down as well. They made a rather strange sight. He was glad Anko wasn't around to laugh at them as they sat in front of the entrance gates with chakra threads attached to their hands. Then again, she could just as easily want to join in. It was always hard to tell her.

x.X.x

Three hours later, they were both twitching.

"God, how long are they going to take?" Kotetsu flopped back on the ground, ignoring the fact that it shook the two remaining chakra threads attached to his fingers. Damn, he was starving!

Izumo tried not to scowl and reminded himself that they were only Genin. Seeing as he had been telling himself that for the past two hours, it wasn't working very well. He transferred the three threads from one hand to the other.

By some sort of bad luck, all three Genin had managed to pick every thread except the two that they needed. He and Kotetsu had played with them for a while, adjusting the threads so that they led the students in circles. But seriously, how much longer were they going to take?

"Hungry?"

An amused voice sounded from beside them and they turned to see Haruki and Kurenai approaching, weighed down with boxes of food.

"Our saviours!" Kotetsu cheered, shooting up again as he accepted a box from Haruki. "Ooh, yakisoba! Thanks!"

Izumo grinned a thanks up at the two Jounin as well before digging in. "You really should've come earlier," He commented reproachfully. "I had to listen to Tetsu moan about his stomach."

Kotetsu shot him a scowl as he swallowed a big mouthful. "Hey, you were just as hungry as I was. Don't put this all on me!"

Haruki exchanged an amused smile with Kurenai. These two were always good for a few laughs.

"Hey, how are your students doing anyway?" Izumo enquired.

Kurenai shrugged gracefully. "They're following the trails well-enough. Shino's been the quickest to figure out that his strings are just misleads. Kiba's the slowest."

"Heh, we played with them for a bit," Kotetsu remarked with a grin. "We can't extend chakra strings through the entire village so we just keep looping back. Needless to say, it's been working."

They all glanced up as they sensed Kiba's chakra signature storming towards them and Shino and Hinata not far behind.

"Ah," Haruki straightened. "We better get going. Thanks for the help, you two."

The two Chuunin waved their chopsticks in the air. "No problem. It was pretty fun. Come back anytime. And remember to buy lunch for us again."

Haruki chuckled and waved a hand behind him before shunshining away, Kurenai a few steps behind him.

x.X.x

"WE FOUND YOU!"

Haruki and Kurenai turned from their spots on the Hokage Monument, legs dangling over the edge. They both held back smiles as Kiba stormed up to them, expression thunderous and looking dusty and exhausted. Akamaru was resting on top of Kiba's head, obviously dozing, and Shino and Hinata didn't look to be fairing much better. The Aburame heir was as stoic as ever but there was a tired air around him as he came up to them. The Hyuuga heiress was panting, her Byakugan deactivated as she half-stumbled towards them as well.

Haruki smiled and stood up. "Congratulations. We just talked with Kotetsu and Izumo a few minutes before you followed the last string. You've gotten faster."

Kiba scowled and glared suspiciously at the ribbons, sniffing at them. "Alright, they're the right ones. Now I can rest." He flopped to the ground, reclining back on his hands.

Kurenai chuckled and rose to her feet as well, smiling at her students. Hinata had somehow managed to pull them together, though she suspected that there was still something unresolved between Kiba and Shino. "Good job," She said instead. "I didn't expect you to get here so quickly after returning to Kotetsu and Izumo again."

Despite his fatigue, Kiba grinned up at her. "Akamaru's the best. He can find anyone quickly once he gets a lead."

A near-invisible frown marred Shino's brow as his irritation from the long mission and Kiba's usual antics came to a breaking point, and he remarked sharply, "My kikaichuu helped as well. If it were not for them, your dog would not have been as fast."

Kiba was immediately on his feet, almost dislodging Akamaru. "Hey, don't insult Akamaru!" His temper flared as Kurenai tried to calm him down. "He's an Inuzuka dog! We're the best trackers in the world!"

Shino's voice was tight with tension as he retorted flatly, "Kikaichuu are less noticeable. They are obviously better trackers. Akamaru got confused when two chakra threads crossed each other. If you were older, perhaps you two would have been able to tell the diff-"

Kiba cut in, eyes glaring as he snarled, "We're getting better every day! And Akamaru's the best partner anyone could have and I'm not weak so just shut up!"

And then, without a backwards glance, the Inuzuka rushed off, shoving roughly past both of them as he descended the Hokage Monument again.

Kurenai stared at her team, wondering how things had gone downhill so quickly. Why would Kiba snap like that? Granted, he was more tired than usual but Shino's first remark hadn't been very out-of-character. It was along the same things the bug-user always said.

Hinata stared between Shino and Kiba, unsure of how to proceed. A soft voice interrupted her thoughts and she turned to look at Haruki.

"Could you go after him, Hinata-chan?" Haruki hadn't moved from his spot and he waited for Hinata to nod and, throwing one last worried glance at the motionless Aburame, hurry after Kiba. He glanced at Kurenai and tilted his head at Shino. The kunoichi seemed to understand because she nodded after a moment and, reaching out to pat Shino's shoulder as she passed, took off after her other two students.

Haruki waited until the others were out of sight before letting his gaze slide over to Shino. For once, the bug-user looked almost unsettled, shifting subtly on the spot as his kikaichuu, sensing his anxiety, stirred beneath his coat.

"Shino-kun," Haruki finally called out softly as he dropped back down to sit at the edge. "Indulge me and come sit with me for a bit, please?"

A long moment of silence resounded around them, broken only by the soft whistle of the wind. And then there was a shuffle of footsteps and the Aburame heir carefully sat down on the ledge as well, leaving a good two feet between them.

Haruki remained quiet, staring out over the village as he waited for Shino to speak. From long experience, he knew that the bug-user would only talk when he was good and ready and no amount of prodding would get him to do otherwise. The fact that Shino had chosen to sit next to him instead of simply walking away meant that he was actually willing to talk.

"I did not mean it that way," Shino finally said, hands stuffed deep in his coat as sat stiffly beside the red-haired Jounin. He wasn't quite sure why he was even sitting there really, but his feet had brought him over to Haruki so there he was. "Kiba is always..."

He trailed off, not knowing how to describe his teammate without insulting him too badly.

"Touchy?" The Jounin beside him offered, a tinge of hollow amusement in his voice. "You could say that he has reason to be."

Shino glanced over at Haruki out of the corner of his eye. What did that mean?

But the Jounin didn't expand any further, instead continuing with a completely different line of conversation. "What did you think of the exercise today?"

Shino frowned, absently tapping a heel against the Yondaime's hair. An amused snicker made him glance to the side again, only to find Haruki staring at his foot with a private smile glinting in his eyes. Abruptly, he stilled his foot even as Haruki turned his gaze back to the village again.

"It was different," Shino revealed. "Kurenai-sensei has never done something like that with us. Why you ask? Because Aburames and Inuzukas and even Hyuugas are natural trackers. Our skills are honed with age." He paused for a moment, considering the difficulty he had had. "It was... easier with Hinata and Kiba," He admitted at last. "It would have taken much longer if I had had to do it alone."

Haruki smiled. "Maa, that's what teammates are for. So you don't have to carry your burdens alone. It takes a while, for teams to click. Some teams fall together immediately, like Shikamaru-kun, Ino-chan, and Chouji-kun. Other teams have a lot of infighting, but they pull together when it really counts, like Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. Then there are teams like yours," The redhead glanced down at Shino. "Who don't really mesh until you get the opportunity to understand each other."

Shino's frown deepened but he remained silent. He still wasn't sure he understood.

"Was it hard?" Haruki asked, going off on another tangent again. "Sending out your bugs to retrieve information and all."

Shino glanced suspiciously at the Jounin before inclining his head cautiously. "It was time-consuming, especially in places where my bugs have not been yet." He hesitated before continuing, "I have been working on a new jutsu but it is not going well."

"Oh?" Haruki looked over. "Maybe I could help. What's the jutsu?"

Shino silently pressed a hand against the ground, muttering, "Hijutsu: Mushiyose."

A faint web of chakra extended from his hand but it stuttered to a stop about a meter away. Lips pressed together in frustration, Shino withdrew his chakra and turned back to the village.

Haruki hmm'd thoughtfully before extending his own hand. "Well, why don't you try making chakra threads, like Kotetsu and Izumo today?"

Shino blinked as blue threads shot from the Jounin's fingers and attached itself to a nearby rock. With a subtle twitch, the string yanked the rock off the ground and Haruki caught it neatly as it flew through the air.

"How did you-" He leaned forward before catching himself. But Haruki only grinned, dropping the rock and reaching for his own hand. Shino hesitated. He usually didn't like anyone touching him. His kikaichuu sometimes didn't move fast enough and would get crushed in the few times someone did. But to his surprise, Haruki made sure to circle his fingers only around his hand and not above his wrist, gently extending his fingers.

"First of all, concentrate a controlled point of chakra to your fingers. Try your index to begin. And then just imagine pushing your chakra out in a controlled way, only through that finger. Try it."

Shino silently did as he was told, eyes narrowing in concentration as he released the chakra. To his alarm, a burst of chakra poured out of his hand, jerking him backwards and shaking a few kikaichuu loose from where they were resting under his coat. The kikaichuu instinctively flew towards the small explosion of chakra and Shino instinctively opened his mouth to cry out a warning.

Two hands suddenly shot out and caught the three kikaichuu in cupped hands, drawing them away from the fading burst of energy and returning them to his coat. Wide-eyed, Shino stared at the very-much alive bugs fluttering lazily on his sleeve.

"Shino-kun?" Shino jerked up to stare at the Jounin. "Are they alright? Sorry, I guess I should have warned you that that might happen." Haruki reached up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind one ear and Shino caught the reddened skin on the back of one hand.

"You are hurt," He stated (somewhat stupidly, he thought. Of course the Jounin knew he was hurt. Chakra burns stung.)

Haruki glanced down at his hand. He had barely noticed. "Don't worry," He reassured the Genin. "I've had much worse. This will go away soon enough. Are your bugs alright?"

Shino nodded, letting the kikaichuu crawl back under his coat. "You did not have to save them," He said after a moment, not really sure where he was going with this; only knowing that the brief flare of panic in his stomach had faded when Haruki had saved his bugs. "They would have died in a few hours."

Haruki only smiled warmly down at him. "Yes, but they're important to you, aren't they? No matter how unimportant something may seem to others, if it's important to you, then you have to protect it at all costs. You're my student, at least for today, so as your sensei, what's important to you is important to me. Besides, I know how important kikaichuu are. Konoha's lucky to have them."

Shino stared some more, finding himself completely out of his depth. He wanted to say 'thank you', or do something to show his gratitude for the Jounin for doing something so seemingly insignificant, but he couldn't quite get the words out and, in the end, simply extended a hand again. "Show me again, please?" Shino found himself unsurprised when Haruki simply nodded and took his hand again.

They worked on producing chakra threads for several more minutes until Shino could extend a weak thread of chakra outwards. It wouldn't attach to anything but Haruki assured him that simply creating them was the first step.

"Now," The Jounin continued briskly. "Try doing your jutsu again."

Shino nodded and placed his hand on the ground again. To his surprise, the web seemed to spread from his hand more easily, extending a good two-and-a-half metres before stopping again. He glanced up questioningly at Haruki.

"A web is easier to create than singular threads," The redhead explained. "Chakra threads are more concentrated, so if you can do that, a web should come much easier."

Shino nodded again and this time managed a quiet "thank you."

Haruki smiled before reaching into a pocket and withdrawing a green ribbon. "Your prize for successfully completing the mission today," He announced cheerfully, extending the thin strip of cloth towards him.

Shino blinked as he accepted it, not quite sure what he was supposed to do with it. His hands stilled as he caught sight of the design, small and meticulously depicted, on the surface of one end of the ribbon.

It was a kikaichuu. The detail was amazing. Looking closely, Shino could pick out the faint lines on his clan's bugs' wings, sewn on the forest green cloth in silver thread. Only the eyes were a different shade; an emerald green that almost seemed to shine under the afternoon sunlight. Aburames were quiet because they wanted to be, not because they couldn't find words to express themselves, but for once, Shino found himself at a loss for words.

"When I was young," Haruki said beside him, voice measured. "I lived alone. I had to learn to do a lot of things most of the other kids didn't and sewing was one of them. Had to fix my own clothes, you see, so I'm pretty good at that." An almost self-conscious pause. "Do you like it?"

Right away, Shino nodded, clutching the ribbon tightly in one hand. Again, he managed a soft "thank you" before carefully tucking the ribbon away in his pocket. He would carry it with him from now on, perhaps for good luck.

"Listen to those around you, Shino-kun," Haruki's voice made him look up again. "Not just to what they say but also to what they don't say. And look at those around you too; not just at what they show you, but what you can see underneath the surface. Just like your insects."

Shino considered the words, still not quite understanding. He glanced up at the redhead and tilted his head in question.

Haruki nodded decisively back at him before clambering to his feet, tugging at his coat. "Alright, come on. Kiba's probably gotten into trouble by now; he always likes to pick fights when he's angry. I think you'll see something interesting if we hurry."

Mystified, Shino rose to his feet as well, trotting after the Jounin without a second thought.