Chapter 36

Naruto hurriedly entered the academy building, Mageela hot on his heels. Finalizing his project took a bit longer than he thought as he'd wanted to catch the Corps before class. He hoped Iruka wouldn't mind too much but he couldn't just wait until their classes ended, he'd be gone by then. Naruto traveled through the halls, none of the surroundings making him the least bit nostalgic for his academy days. Once he arrived at the desired classroom, he knocked three times and waited for a reply.

"Come in," Iruka called out and was surprised to see Naruto standing there in his Chunin uniform. "Can I help you, Naruto?"

"Hai, can I speak to Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi briefly?"

"Class is in session, it'll have to wait," Mizuki spat and watched as Naruto just finally acknowledged his presence before dismissing it entirely. The red-haired Uzumaki looked back at Iruka and waited for his reply. The blow off was noticed by both instructors and some of the students.

"Normally, I'd agree but if you are here it must be for a reason so yes they can step out but please be quick."

"Thank you, Iruka," Naruto said as the trio made their way out to the hall. Naruto softly shut the door behind him as the tree waited in anticipation. "Hey guys, I'm sorry I had to pull you out of class for this but I don't have a lot of time," Naruto started.

"You going on an important mission, Boss?" Konohamaru asked.

"Yea, you going to rescue another princess?" Moegi inquired.

"Or overthrow a corrupt government?" Udon prodded.

"Sorry, nothing like that. I'm going on a training trip for a few years and won't be back in the village until it's over."

"WHAT!" they yelled, causing Naruto and Mageela to flinch at the volume.

"Owe," the panther said as she rubbed her ears and Naruto had to agree.

"Not so loud, dummies. Now, as I said, I'll be out of the village so I wanted to leave you all something to help you train," Naruto revealed three mid-sized scrolls; a black, a blue, and a red giving them respectively to Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon. "In those scrolls are some training guides that I tailored for the each of you. Now, you guys don't have to follow them to the letter, they really are just to help so if your interests change then pursue them. But I think you'll each find some useful information in there."

"Thanks, Boss," Konohamaru said as he went in for a hug, his two friends joining him. Naruto hugged his little friends and assured them he'd be back around their graduation and was excited to see their progress. The Corps each hugged Mageela and then returned to class. Summoner and summons both took off, they had several people to see today and needed to make up for lost time. Once existing the academy they traveled via shunshin to their next destination and saw Shikamaru and Shino looking at them expectantly.

"You're late," Shikamaru observed.

"Indeed. I deduce you lost track of time nerding out," Shino added. Naruto gained a tic mark at the Aburame's words.

"I was not nerding out and that's hardly a deduction, you just guessed, 'ttebayo."

"But I am right," Shino pressed.

"We don't have time for this you troublesome pair," Shikamaru interrupted as he walked past his teammates.

"You know, Shino, sometimes I think Shika doesn't love us."

"I, too, am met with a decided lack of love."

"Do you think it's just us?"

"Highly doubtful."

"So, you could say he's, maybe, lost that loving feeling?"

"Both of you need to shut up."

"It may be gon', gon', gon'," Shino said, ignoring Shikamaru.

"I am warning the both of you."

"Now he's starting to criticize the little things we do."

"It makes me feel like crying, why? Because, baby, something beautiful is dying."

"I'll never go to karaoke with you two again."

"But Shika you were really good. Who knew you had the voice of an angel," Naruto complimented.

"I'd deduce Temari," said Shino, causing Shikamaru to now gain a tic mark; it really was just a guess.

"When are you going to show Tayuya your special talents, Shino?" If the question wasn't startling enough, that it came from Kurenai made it that much more so as the boys hadn't noticed her arrival. She laughed when she only heard a faint buzzing. Shikamaru soon joined in, savoring the reversal. Naruto was quiet, wondering if and when it would be his turn. Kurenai noticed Naruto's anticipatory body language and simply stroked his cheek while smiling at him. He blushed and turned away, likely bemoaning how unmanly such a thing was.

The team sat down at their shared training grounds, the place they officially became a team. It was weird, being nostalgic over something that happened a year ago but Kurenai couldn't help it. She hadn't truly known what to expect when she took this team on, some part of her was concerned three adolescent boys wouldn't want a woman as their sensei or would be too welcoming of it for the wrong reasons. That hadn't been the case and she was thankful for that.

"We don't have a lot of time but I just wanted to say, I can't imagine having a better group of students. Each of you have made me quite proud in our short time together. I'll admit I'm sad one of you will be leaving for so long. I know Jiraiya-sama is your godfather and unquestionably a powerful ninja but I, selfishly, want more time for us to be a team."

"We'll always be a team, sensei. Why? Our bonds are not so easily severed."

"You're right, Shino. We didn't come together quickly nor easily but you all managed to overcome obstacles and have the potential to be one of the best teams Konoha has ever produced. Shikamaru and Shino I know I'll still be your captain but I wanted to share my thoughts with all of you before Naruto departed.

Shikamaru, your intellect is staggering and I have no doubt you will one day surpass your father. But you are not just your intellect. You are more and can be more. I'm glad you've found the motivation to do more than simply see every angle and pick the path of least resistance. I know much of the world must bore you but I'm glad you've seen fit to challenge yourself." Shikamaru simply nodded, not having anything to say in response.

"Shino, your clan is often isolated due to your allies and your logical manner. I'm elated you managed to open up with us and had faith we would not reject you. Seeing more and more of your personality come to the fore has been a treat and I look forward to what other facets you reveal in the coming years. I hope others get to see it as well because you are quite an interesting young man." Shino had no outward reaction but Kurenai heard a faint buzzing and knew what it meant.

"Now, my problem child-"

"Hey!"

"Distant, angry, resentful, guilt-ridden. You didn't want to be on a genin team, you thought it was an insult… and you weren't wrong. I'm sorry I didn't see through the Sandaime's games, that he used us to further his cover-up. However, I am ultimately happy you were on this team. I fear if you hadn't been assigned to me, to us, you would have grown to believe there was no one in Konoha you could trust. You would have fled and unjustifiably validated much of the bias against you.

But you see it now, right? Even if you don't fully trust it yet. You're winning more and more of the village over. They are seeing Naruto Uzumaki for who you are and not what you hold. You fought and fought and fought and now you're free of the Kyuubi's shadow. I have no doubt you'll grow under Jiraiya-sama's tutelage just don't have so much fun you refuse to return home, ok?"

Naruto simply nodded at his sensei's remarks, thankful Mageela broke up the silence with pleads that Kurenai say something about her, as the unofficial fifth member of Team 8. Her pleading was so cute that even Shikamaru laughed, which was even rarer than Shino doing so. Kurenai swooped the cub up and rubbed her head, saying some very heartfelt words about how the team could not function without Mageela's contributions. The panther looked absolutely smug as she soaked up the attention. All in all, it was a good final meeting for Team 8.

000000000000

Kiba hit the ground hard, a dull thud echoing throughout the training ground. Akamaru gave a disapproving bark, not liking how his partner was being treated. Sasuke dismissed it, simply waiting for Kiba to return to his feet. It was taking longer than it should, he'd hit the Inuzuka hard but it wasn't that hard.

"Would you relax you bastard!," Kiba exclaimed from the ground, decidedly not getting up. Sasuke briefly wondered if he should kick him until he did. "Ever since that mission with Team 8 you've been a real piece of work," Kiba continued to bark out.

"So? Weren't you embarrassed? Weren't you shamed? A team the same age as us fought to S-class ninja and won with no permanent injuries. What the hell have we been doing because it certainly isn't what they've been doing." Sasuke had a lot of pride and it was hurt when Kakashi ordered them to stand down but more than hurt pride, he was inspired. There was obviously a level he and his team could reach if they worked harder, smarter, better.

"That Naruto kid is a freak, it isn't a fair comparison."

"He was a genin like us," Sasuke observed.

"Yea, and my clan thinks it's because the Sandaime had it out for him for some reason. He was a genin in name only, even Kakashi-sensei would agree." All three members of Team 7 looked to their sensei reading away in a tree, not remotely concerned about what they were doing.

"But Naruto didn't fight them on his own, Kurenai-sensei trusted her whole team," Sakura observed.

"Shikamaru is a freaky genius, though. And Shino isn't far off from him. Add them onto the kid that can summon lava from the ground-"

"Mah, mah, mah, Kiba-kun. The trees have ears so you shouldn't speak about things so breezily, ne?" Kakashi said in a light tone but Kiba heard the threat. They'd all been ordered not to mention Naruto's lava release to anyone as a trump card becomes less impactful if everyone knows about it.

"Besides, one jutsu doesn't make you ready to fight an S-class ninja," Sasuke said. "You need to train us better, Kakashi."

"As you are now, each of you could pass another Chunin exam with minimal problems."

"That's not good enough."

"Don't be so quick to put yourself in someone else's shadow, Sasuke-kun."

The Uchiha bristled at that. "I'm not, I just see what's possible."

"No, you don't. When you both entered the academy, by most metrics you have more talent for the shinobi arts than Naruto ever will," Kakashi relayed.

"But-"

"Naruto," Kakashi interrupted Sasuke's retort, "had to follow his own path because he had to. If he'd been forced to follow convention it would have stunted his potential in its infancy. The hawk sees no more potential in the shark as the shark does the hawk. Your path is different and if you remain diligent you will grow, Sasuke. Don't limit yourself making comparisons you don't understand."

Kakashi dismissed his team for the day, letting his problem child think about his words. Sasuke took the scenic route back to his house, attempting to make sense of his exchange. He understood that people had differing talents but Kakashi's words regarding Naruto simply made no sense. He would have struggled in the academy but was good enough to graduate early? It was a paradox.

"Your sensei is right," a disembodied voice said amongst the trees. Sasuke tensed as he hadn't noticed someone following him and still couldn't sense a presence around him.

"Who's there?" Sasuke asked, quickly drawing a kunai and getting into a defensive stance, Sharingan activated.

"Someone very old, old enough to have seen the start of your clan. Old enough to have served it for generations. I only emerge when needed and as the last of your clan, I am needed."

Sasuke couldn't believe what he'd heard, there is no way someone could be that old. It was, frankly, impossible but insulting a potential enemy you couldn't trace was foolish so he decided to play along. "If what you say is true, I have been the last of my clan for some time."

"Wrong. Excluding the traitor Itachi, there was another but he perished."

"Who?"

"Madara-sama. He managed to survive his fight against Hashirama but lived in seclusion. He thought day and night about how he would save his clan, his people but ran out of time as his age finally caught up with him."

"What do you mean, save us?"

"The Senju found strength in bonds and they passed that ideology down throughout Konoha. The Uchiha found strength in solitary trials, the individual pushing him or herself to the limit. Madara feared the Senju way was weakening the Uchiha and Itachi proved him right. You are the most talented of your generation and yet are outclassed by a Hyuuga and an Uzumaki, which is essentially a Senju as they were cousin clans."

"So, how do I become stronger? How do I reach my potential?"

"Continue to gain all you can from your allies. I will be in contact and eventually all will be revealed. Stay strong, Sasuke-sama."

"What's your name?"

"You, my lord, may call me Zetsu."