Chapter 60

The sun stood at its peek when team seven arrived before the gate to the leaf. As expected and as per usual the supposed guards were fast asleep. As amusing as it was it was also worrying. Anyone could get past the two. Do they not take their jobs seriously? Athena's going to have to talk to the old man. In the mean time she could wake them how she usually did.

Kakashi said nothing and hardly reacted to Athena throwing a stone at the men. He could only shrug as they yelled in surprised pain. If they did not see that coming then they really are not suited for the job they were given. They were always sleeping on the job.

"Athena, would you please stop that" Izumo rubbed his bruised chin in pain. Talk about a rude awakening.

"If you were not fast asleep I would not have thrown anything "

Blue eyes observed their interaction, or more precisely, those eyes observed the men that were guarding the gate. They did not notice her it seems. She hummed. So they failed at the important job given to them. They were to make sure no suspicious character enters the village. They were to keep track of everyone entering the village and warn others of suspicious activities. Yet they sleep, allowing those skilled enough to enter the village.

Her eyes traveled over the other side of the gate. The village. There were other guards on this side. At least they knew to keep an eye out unlike the other two. They haven't seen her, however.

She felt a yawn come up as she stretched in the sun. She noticed how high the sun was. It was hot. The heat burned her pale flesh. She wasn't irritated or anything along those lines. She just felt it was as good a time as any to get some skeep.

Jumping off the gate, she landed next to a shocked Izumo, who seemed ready to fight. She ignored him as she approached the nearest tree. She had deemed the guards useless to both her and Athena. She saw no need to interact with them. They only put the place they are supposed to protect in danger.

Scaling a good looking tree, she found a suitable branch for her to relax on. Her katana was placed on her lap as she comfortably leaned back. The high collar of her shirt came to hide the bottom half of her face as she closed her eyes. One leg dangled off the branch, swinging idly.

Sasuke and Hinata watched. Kakashi glanced at her as well. She hardly talked to any of them and they hardly noticed her trailing behind them. From what they had gathered she loved her sleep. Athena had to poke her out of a tree this morning so they could get back on the road. She reminded them of a cat with the amount of sleep she seems to need and her overall personality.

The gate was opened and the two snapped out of their thoughts. They were home. Both felt relieved. It was good to be back off the road and away from danger. Well, immediate danger.

Stepping back into the village, Naruto took in the bustling forms of the villagers with a smile.

"Boy is it good to be back again"

"Let's go see the old man"

~~~~~~

Hiruzen puffed, smoke clouding his vision. He leaned back in his seat, trying to relax for a minute. He had been cooped up in his office for hours. His back seriously felt the consequences of this. His eyes landed on the stack of papers before him. He decided to stop whining and fix the mess himself. He filed them in order and made his job easier. Didn't make it any less exhausting. He was too old for this. Maybe he should actually hand the job over to Naruto. The boy was competent enough, despite his age.

He'll think about it later. At the moment he had to worry about revamping the school and the chunin exams. He already handled the curriculum. He reviewed it and was very disappointed. Athena was not pulling his leg. The academy was pathetic. It seemed the civilian council was in charge of most of the curriculum. They made it easier for their children to become ninja. What they fail to understand is that by doing so they are sending unprepared children into the field. They're just digging their grave. The civilian council was of course not happy about the drastic change, but Hiruzen could care less. He ignored their complaints about their children not passing. If they really wished to become ninja they would do their very best.

Multiple things have been changed including the entry age. He dropped it from seven to five. The earlier they start the better. He had also interviewed every teacher just to avoid the whole Mizuki incident. Well it was not an incident and more of Naruto dragging him to the old man. The point is; he wanted to avoid such teachers so they were all interviewed with the help of the Yamanaka clan. Some were fired. Some were hired.

Now Hiruzen patiently awaited Athena, who was in charge of rebuilding the school the old man already destroyed.

"You know, Athena always complained about your smoking"

Hiruzen grunted, not too surprised to hear the voice of his student. Jiraiya sat at his window, smile on his face. It was not hard to guess where Athena got the habit from. How many times had she appeared at his window?

The doors to his office soon opened to reveal the blonde Athena took after. She took one look at Jiraiya and rolled her eyes.

"Learn to use the door"

"The window makes for a cool entrance "

Tsunade sighed as she sat opposite her teacher. Shizune came to stand behind her, TonTon securely in her arms. The pig sniffed the air and snorted, her self righteous gaze on the old man.

Jiraiya bursted out laughing at this. He almost fell off the window in his fit.

"Even the pig is judging you!"

Hiruzen sighed and thought it best to ignore the sage. He instead directed his attention to Tsunade, who had pulled a bottle of sake out of the air. She pured herself a glass, ignoring the glare she received from Shizune.

"Don't look at me like that"

"I doubt Athena would be happy to learn you never slowed your drinking "

Tsunade shrugged. "One last drink before she arrives"

Jiraiya walked away from the window, coming to sit next to Tsunade. He eyed the documents on the old man's desk.

"What happened to the academy? "

"Athena brought up some very logical factors as to why the school is lacking. So I have decided to revamp it entirely. The building needs to be rebuilt, amongst other things hence its destruction"

"How long will it take to rebuild? "

"I'm not sure. Athena said she would be taking care of that"

"Good to see you actually followed through" came the voice of the very girl they were talking about. Eyes went to her, finding her sitting on the exact window her father occupied but moments ago.

"Athena, you're back"

"Yes, I am. I must say that was quite the mission. Running into Zabuza like that" she chuckled.

"You knew that would happen, didn't you? "

"Naturally" she slipped off the window just as the doors to the office opened. She took note of her parents, her eyes on her mother. The look of disapproval was very present when she saw the bottle of sake. "I have a feeling you did not hold back, as I suggested"

Tsunade laughed a bit nervously at that.

"No she did not" Shizune said with a stern look in the sanin's direction. "She completely disregarded everything you said"

"Shizune" Tsunade whined at being so easily betrayed.

"Yo, pervy sage! " Naruto grinned as he struck a pose. "Beat this! "

Jiraiya looked amused as he too struck a pose of his own. "The student shall not surpass the master"

"Wrong" Naruto struck another pose. "Ha! "

"Is that all you got, have you forgotten who I am? " another pose.

Sasuke watched their back and forth. His expression that of a disappointed parent. He sighed. There was no helping them. Birds of the same idiotic feather.

Athena kept her eyes on her mother. Her frown of disapproval turning to a smile.

"Say, I was expected your usual suffocating hug"

That was all that needed to be said for she was soon pulled into said suffocating hug. Never changes does it? Her mother's embrace was always warm and comforting. It made her feel safe, something only a parent can easily do. On the other hand. Her face was also buried in her bust and it was hard to breathe.

Athena faintly thought that dying in such a matter would be perfectly fine. What better way to go than that? To be suffocated by such glorious mounds even if they are belonging to her mother. Jiraiya would find it a very honorable way to go. She wouldn't mind it actually.

However.

If she was going to die by suffocating on someone's breast it might as well be Hinata. That would truly lead to her dying happily.

Oh yeah, she had to smack her father.

She wiggled out of the hug, taking a deep breath as she did. Her mother laughed as she tried to fix her hair.

"Sorry, sorry"

Athena waved off the apology as she slipped away. She approached her father, who was still in a posing battle with Naruto. She smiled a cold smile as she gripped her fist. He did not even know what was coming.

Naruto saw her approaching and was smart enough to end their battle early and retreat with his tail between his legs. He came to stand next to Sasuke and Kakashi who both had a look of pity on their faces

Hinata knew what was about to happen and wondered if she should stop her or not. Why did she want to hit her father anyway? What did he do?

Jiraiya felt a shiver run up his spine and abruptly turned on his heel. He came face to face with a smiling Athena

"Hello father. It's been a while huh? "

Jiraiya shook like a leaf in the wind. What did he do? He didn't know but he must've done something. He couldn't remember.

Men, they don't know what they did.

"H-hey Athena. We can talk this through, right? I mean, you do love me right? You wouldn't hit your poor old man without telling him what he has done, right? You wouldn't do that, right? "

"I do believe I would"

Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi pressed their palms together in silent prayer as Athena backhanded her poor father. He stumbled into a nearby wall and could only cower as she approached. The fellow men of team seven prayed for his soul and wished him a safe trip to heaven.

"He was a good man" Naruto muttered.

"A genius amongst writers" Kakashi added.

"A very respected ninja" Sasuke continued.

"Peace be his soul"

Hinata saw that Athena was obviously not finished with her father. The way she looked at him said as much. She sighed. She really didn't know what he did, but she doubt he deserved a beating. Without much thought Hinata approached the malicious Athena.

The boys watched her go. It seems there is still hope for the sage. He too shall be saved by their guardian angel.

Athena was stopped when Hinata tugged on her arm, coaxing her away from the poor man. Athena kept her gaze on him. She really wasn't finished with him.

"Athena I think that was more than enough" Hinata gently told her as she pulled her away. The blonde let herself be pulled back, a sigh leaving her lips.

"Just a little more, Hinata"

"No, you're being very mean and unfair"

Athena scoffed but relented.

"Fine. You live to perve another day, old man"

Jiraiya blinked, slightly surprised that someone actually managed to stop his daughter. When she made up her mind there was really no stopping her so this development was new. Very new. However, he was very relieved. He was spared a beating. His cheek burned with the pain of the backhanded slap. That was just disrespectful.

"Rejoice, for the angel has saved another soul! " Naruto exclaimed dramatically while Kakashi and Sasuke nodded.

Tsunade couldn't help the amused giggle at that. The fact that the three of them seemed to take it so seriously. It made her wonder what had happened to them for them to see the Hyuga as their angel.

Athena looked down when a familiar pig bumped into her leg. She eyed the creature for a moment. TonTon stared back at her defiantly. Athena proceeded to grow a smug smile that earned her a headbutt.

Hinata took interest in the pig. She was curious about her. Athena seemed fairly amused by the creature.

"It's the pig" Athena smirked as she held TonTon before her. "Never change, do you? "

She snorted and Athena chuckled.

"You arrogant pig, you're the one who came to me. If anything I'd say you missed me more. "

That earned her a hoove to the face. She sighed as she easily tucked the angry pig between her arm. Her hand came to rub at the bruise she left.

"Damn pig"

Shizune snickered and looked away before Athena could see her. TonTon left a bruise in the shape of her hoove right in the middle of her forehead.

"TonTon, how's my favorite pork? "

Athena sighed as said "pork" assaulted the screaming Naruto. When would he learn to stop referring to her as such? He knew how angry she gets.

"Should we help him? "Hinata asked her teammates.

"It's his own fault" Sasuke shrugged. "Let him figure it out"

"I agree with Sasuke" Kakashi sounded more amused than anything else. "He dug his own grave"

Athena didn't seem very concerned.

"As smart as he is, he could never actually get rid of his own stupidity "