章 21: Chapter 21: Two souls, two vessels

Team seven were waiting for their sensei in their usual meeting spot, Hinata was resting, leaning against a tree while Naruto stood near them, as silent as ever, Sasuke was at the top of a tree glaring at the masked ninja.

A puff of smoke caught his attention, he turned his eyes and saw Kakashi standing there with the usual smile on his face. "Yo." He greeted, rousing Hinata from her sleep.

"You are late again Hatake."

The copy nin again scratched the back of his head, "Sorry, Kurenai was sick so I had to go give her a case full of rats.

Hinata, Sasuke even Naruto sweat dropped at this. It had to be the most…it couldn't even be called an excuse. Kakashi himself was mentally kicking his own ass for saying such a stupid thing.

He laughed nervously, ridding himself of that god forsaken silence that had fallen upon them. "Well, I have good news" He said smiling, pulling out three slips of paper he handed it to the three teenagers. "These are qualification papers for the chuunin exams. Its not necessary for all of you to take it, should you decide to take it sign the slip and present it at the examination building tomorrow."

That said, the copy ninja vanished in a puff of smoke.

Naruto turned towards his two charges he knew that the full three man cell was in order to enter the exams. Which meant Kakashi was lying, making sure everyone was actually willing to enter, of their own accord. "Will the two of you be going?"

Sasuke scoffed and walked away, giving him no answer, Naruto immediately deduced that he would go. Pride and confidence were his strong points after all. He turned to Hinata.

She shrugged, "Father will all but command me to enter so yeah, I'm going."

Naruto nodded, before he turned and made his own way into the village. Silently forming two shadow clones to trail his two charges back to their respective estates.

As he walked through the village he, for once in a long time, took in the sights around him.

He found himself watching as the people of the village went about their buisness.

Store clerks managing markets, mothers bringing home their groceries, couples and friends enjoying themselves as they ate in restaurants, laughing. It was that sound, the sound of laughter, bright and bubbly that had him looking ahead, to three children, playing. They could be no older than six, one he recognized almost immediately as Sarutobi's grandson.

He watched them, almost curious. He could admit they were truly a foreign thing to him.

He didn't understand...not fully. So many smiles, so many people, living. Living in peace.

They were not like him, it seemed like sorrow, blood, death and chaos were all gone from this place.

How were these people…like this? What caused such…happiness in them?

He didn't understand them...not entirely. Perhaps it was better that way but he was finding himself curious regardless. For the first time in his relatively short life he could find no true reason for this, the simplicity of their joy. Where they unaware? He wondered. Did they not know, that every second of every day, death struck yet another soul? If so, then why didn't they know? And if they didn't know, then why didn't anyone inform them?

He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of a loud, childish. "OW!" Followed by a grunt from an older male. 'Hey you little brat!"

Naruto stepped forward, leaving the sprawling market district behind. He rounded the corner and found the third's grandson, Konohamaru, being placed on the ground by a Suna shinobi wearing black garb and makeup.

"Be more careful next time will ya?" He heard the Suna shinobi grumble as he set him down.

Konohamaru scratched the back of his head and smiled up at the Suna Shinobi. "Hehe, sorry again." He said before running off with two other children.

"What's up Kankuro, getting soft in your old age?" Naruto heard a Suna Kunoichi speak as she walked up behind him.

"What the hell are you talking about? Your older than me!" He yelled but was then immediately smacked over the head with a giant iron fan that sent him into blissful, unconsciousness...or perhaps a painful concussion.

"Gurhg" He groaned out weakly from his place on the floor.

Naruto felt the tugging of amusement at the sight of the fuming Suna Kunoichi as she stood over, what he assumed was her teammate, hoisting her battle fan like a mighty hammer and repeatedly bashing the unfortunate Suna gennin over the head even as he was already unconscious.

Naruto's senses then caught another presence, but this one was…different.

Another red headed Suna nin rounded the corner and shook his head at the display. He then walked over and placed a hand on the still fuming Kunoichi's shoulder. She stopped mid swing and turned to face him.

"Maybe it would be better if you kill him after the exam? That way we wont get disqualified, Temari."

The Kunoichi, now revealed to be named Temari huffed, crossed her arms and looked away with a grunt.

Again, Naruto found himself, amused..

"Whatever Gaara, just don't expect me to help carry his sorry ass back to the hotel."

Gaara shook his head and sighed before kneeling down next to his fallen sibling and began poking him with a stick. 'Damn, I think she really did kill him.'

He was about to speak again, when a presence tickled the back of his mind, he looked down the road, about two blocks down he noticed a masked, blond, watching them intently.