"Concentrate your tiny little chakra pool to your feet, Sakura!" Naruko yelled from the floor as the pink haired girl sailed back to the ground, gravity doing its job. "Ah... You didn't do it right."
Sakura growled, yelling back at the amused redhead. "You think?!" Sasuke sighed from his spot on the river. Itachi had thought him how to perform the tree climbing excersise, but hadn't had the time to teach him how to water walk, spending his time taking missions and helping the village out by guarding. The Uchiha's used to patrol at night, but since they were but three members now, many of the other Shinobi and even towns people took it upon themselves to assist Itachi in the night patrols. It was rather strange to even think so, but Sasuke felt that the village was more united ever since his family was but utterly decimated to himself, his mother and his brother. He had been thinking recently, but maybe what his brother said was true, maybe there was a reason for everything. But he hadn't figured out the reason why Haruto had—
"Oi, Saaaakuraaa-chaaan," Naruko's melodical voice called out, taunted, really, the pinkette. "Your boyfriend is watching you make a complete fool out of yourself!"
"Don't listen to her Sasuke-kun!" Sakura protested, "I just need one more try!"
"Good for you." He muttered back emotionlessly, glaring at Naruko, who stuck her pink tongue out at him. Honestly, as much as he loved Naruko, she had a very special ability to break his thoughts whenever she wanted to, maybe this was a same-age-surrogate-sibling thing. Getting back to water walking, he carefully treaded on the water, taking careful steps on the rippling water.
"Dobe?" He called from behind his shoulder to Naruko who had ungraciously flopped down to the ground on her back. The girl waved her arm, her silent answer to his question.
"Why aren't you practising?" He asked.
"Mommy already helped me with both excersises." She yawned, "No need to train any further, especially with my chakra levels. Even if I try to do more, my chakra control won't improve." Sasuke nodded. Everyone knew about her status as the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi. Not to mention being an Uzumaki, in addition to being a Jinchuuriki of the strongest of the Tailed Beasts, her chakra levels were beyond humongous.
"Well, I'm taking a nap." She gave a two finger salute to Sasuke, who rolled his charcoal eyes, "Tell me when Sakura passes out from hitting the floor too hard."
A far away thud signified their pink haired team mate had fallen. And when there was no groan of pain like there normally would have, Sasuke looked back to Naruko.
"Naruko, Sakura—"
"Bah, I'll get her later."
"Ara, backup's here. They got here quick didn't they?" Naruko nudged Sasuke, who tilted his head to get a look at who came to assist them. It was an impressive sight, with two Jonins, "The Beautiful Green Beast of Konoha" Maito Gai, "The Queen of Smoke and Mirrors" Yuhi Kurenai, as well as their Genins here to help them. A good mix of both combat and tracking to deal with the bandaged Ex-Kiri Shinobi since Zabuza loved to use the Kirigakure Jutsu and Mizu Bunshin to fight them. There would be no hiding from the Aburame's bugs, the Inuzuka's superior sense of smell or the Hyuuga's "All Seeing" Byakugan eyes.
"Oh, look who it is." Sasuke smirked at the sight of the hooded teen, canines protruding out from his upper lips made him look like a wild dog and red markings on his face signified his clan. "Team Jacket is here, and your number one fan is right there."
"Fuck!" Naruko snarled, "I don't need to deal with this shit now. I'm taking a hike." The girl got up, tip-toeing away from the approaching group. Sasuke's smirk grew into a smug smile when he saw Kiba start sniffing the air, the scent of Naruko apparently catching his nose.
"Yeah, you better start running, he's caught your scent!" Sasuke broke his cool Uchiha character and cheered Naruko on, the girl running like there was no tomorrow. "But you can't run forever!" He laughed as Naruko gave him the middle finger before she vanished into the treeline.
"So, those little runts survived Zabuza and Raiga, huh." Ruby smirked from their spot on the branch. A perfect hiding spot as they were well hidden, yet could see the Genins from their spot through the open window. "Strange, I'm only counting eight Genins and two Jonins, we're missing one of each. They didn't die right? 'Cos if they did, Konoha's standards have dropped considerably." She sighed. Honestly, why bother having Shinobi if they weren't going to live past their fourteenth year as a person.
"Kakashi must have gotten injured fighting Zabuza, if what they're saying is true..." Haruto muttered to Ruby, having previously eavesdropped on ther conversation. Masking their chakra was quite difficult, seeing as both of them had quite a healthy amount, Haruto more than Ruby, who barely used hers at all. The only time she ever used chakra was to run on water or on walls, Haruto never having seen her use it for any Jutsus.
"You know these losers?"
"Yeah. Naruko-chan is missing."
"Darn, I was hoping to cut her up."
"Naruko-chan is my sister. And I love my sister." Fuck was she jealous. Oh, the day he said that to her would be the day they would go walking up the aisle, hand in hand. All prim and proper, dressed up in a blood red wedding dress, with frills! Oh how she loved frills! Then the piano would be played, each step towards the grinning blonde at the altar made her heart pound, rush with excitement! She could already hear the bells ringing and the vows being said, exchanged with each other, to be together for all eternity, immortals in love. Alas, now wasn't the time to get lost in her daydreams.
But right now, it hadn't happened yet. None of it. It would in the future, but not now. She didn't worry thought, she was a grown up, she could deal with the situation rationally. She could play nice for a while. Deciding to backtrack, Ruby gave a shaky grin in response.
"Hah, did I say cut? I meant... meet. Yes... 'meet'." The smile on her face told a different story to her words.
"Don't smile like that... No, seriously, stop it. You're creeping me out."