Preparing, New Faces

*Konoha Hospital*

Suki groaned before opening her eyes.

It took her a few seconds to recognize where she was before letting her head fall back onto her pillow.

"How many more times do I have left on my card?" She commented aloud.

"Two more times and you get free advice from the head of the hospital." Someone commented before opening the door, revealing it to be Kakashi.

She narrowed her eyes just a fraction.

Turns out, using her abilities on the bridge had more of a cost beside her sudden want to burn anything around her when using it.

Amaterasu's usage had hurt her right eye enough to have it slightly effect her vision. Luckily, not by much. Due to the Sharingan, most Uchihas would have 20/20 vision for the rest of their life once they activated it.

If she had to compare it, her right eye dropped to 19.

Her left eye...dropped to 17.

Homusubi was a powerful ability. She didn't notice it at first, but it uses ANY fire around her while active, meaning that she could absorb any fire. Not to mention how strong she becomes when she mixes the violet fire with Amaterasu.

The biggest catch...it seems to affect her eyesight at a tremendous speed. Maybe it was because of how long she had that ability active or just how reckless she was with it, but it didn't matter as the damage was done.

*Explanation for the eyesight damage: This goes to 2 users of Mangekyou: Sasuke and Itachi. Itachi had his Mangekyou for about 6-8 years before going blind. Sasuke had switched eyes about a month after obtaining his while also undergoing near vision loss. This implies one thing about the damaging properties: Itachi just didn't use them that often, meaning that he is an outlier. Someone who doesn't fit the trend.*

"So, how long this time?" She asked.

"You're clear to leave when you wake up. However, as your instructor, I am obligated to tell you something that has been decided upon by the village heads and elders." He started.

"Oh boy." She muttered.

The heads included the leader of each clan found in Konoha and the elders included Danzo, Homura, and Koharu when it comes to dealing with any shinobi. There's also a civilian side of the council but they aren't very important in her line of work.

To hear that the clans and elders decided something about her worried her, especially when it comes to a certain act that Hashirama and Madara came together to make.

"After reviewing the mission report from when we were in the Land of Waves, they've decided that you need a mental check up and an appointment with Inoichi to determine if there may have been something affecting you during your fight."

"Wait, you mean that they're going to look through my head?" Suki asked, more than a little worried about what they could possibly find.

"More along the lines of seeing if something that doesn't originate from you yourself could potentially affect your mental abilities." He explained.

Suki released a deep sigh.

"Have they set a time frame?"

"They decided to push it back after the Chunin Exams so that way you, Sasuke, and Naruto could compete. If the diagnosis was bad enough, you could be taken off the team and they wouldn't be able to participate in a month."

'And they wouldn't want the information of one of the last two loyal Uchihas to be declared a flight risk or whatever fits the situation.' Suki thought.

"Are we going to be doing any more missions or are we going to largely be training for the next month?"

"We'll be doing a few D-rank missions to keep the team active." He informed.

Suki nodded.

"Any training plans?"

"Maybe." Suki muttered.

"Well, I should probably get going so you can go work out your own training schedule."

"Aren't you my teacher?" Suki had to ask.

"Yeah, but you've been making your own training schedule for the last few years and it has clearly has been working. Keep it up or I will have to make you a schedule." Kakashi half joked half threatened.

With that, Kakashi left. Suki, however, could see him pull out an orange book at the last second.

A few minutes later, she checked herself out before heading to a few stores and buying supplies that she would need to train in what she planned.

'Shadow Clones, prepare to be used drastically.' She thought.

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*One Month later*

Birds were chirping as they flew over the village.

Before they flew off from an explosion.

"Brush stroke was off by a few centimeters alongside having put too much chakra into it." The culprit of said explosion commented.

"Why don't you try it instead then?" An identical voice asked.

"Because, if an explosion were to suddenly go off, you girls would be dispersed while I could possibly lose a limb." The culprit, now shown as Suki, commented.

"Hit the deck!" A voice yelled out, causing Suki and the clone to drop.

Just in time before shuriken and kunai flew over head and sticking into either rocks, trees, or the ground.

Suki held her head slightly, feeling that at least four of her clones couldn't react in time and were pierced by said tools.

"Well, we at least know that the Rocket Tags work." The clone next to her commented.

Suki looked at the clone, confusing it until it saw a yellow light start shining on its chest.

"Ah ma-" *BOOM*

The clone dispersed due to accidentally laying on half finished sealing tags.

This is what she's been doing for the past month. She figured that she should start on sealing now and has been using her normal Sharingan and Shadow Clones to progress through the sealing material much faster than most.

Right now, she could make anything from a simple sealing scroll to Rocket Tags that act like stronger Exploding Tags but they have small weapons sealed into them that pop out at the last second before the tags explode, sending them rocketing forward in any and all directions. Comparing how the average shinobi who learned Sealing to herself, she may be able to make those Resistance Seals in less than 2 weeks. Obviously only up to level 8 though. After that, she has to be able to start either learning how to shrink the Kanjis of the seal once done, or learn how to write even smaller.

Great for ambush, not so much with allies.

Her clones learned that quickly.

Suki stood back up before stretching.

"Alright everybody, dispel. We've got to meet up with the group."

She saw a few with a smirk she didn't like.

"What are-"

*Poof*

As their experience and memories flooded back, she groaned before making a few more.

"This time, can you seal the materials back up into their proper scrolls before dispelling?" She asked

A few moments later, she had about 20 scrolls in front of her before she separated them into what they were-supplies and traps-before sealing those into bigger scrolls she had in her kunai holster before returning them back into her holster.

She then headed towards where she felt their chakra before pausing briefly before she shunshined in their direction.

She felt those three kids that had started following Naruto around near them.

Along with three others that she had never felt in the village.

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"I hate midgets, especially rude ones." A man almost completely covered in black commented, holding a boy with a long scarf up by his shirt/scarf.

Naruto growled.

"Makes me want to kill them."

"Don't involve me with this." A young girl next to him told.

The man pulled back his fist, preparing to punch the brat, only for the boy to disappear before reappearing next to Naruto and Sasuke, surprising and confusing the trio of children.

"Now then," A voice started, behind the man, causing him to tense up. "How about you settle down before you realize that you almost attacked our Hokage's grandson?"

That titbit of information caused the boy to tense even more, realizing how much trouble that could have caused.

"Suki-chan!" Naruto exclaimed.

The boy turned around, only to see leaves moving in the wind.

Suki reappeared next to Naruto.

"Yes?"

"Thanks, for helping Konohamaru."

"No problem."

The boy growled before reaching for the wrapped item on his back that was about as long as the boy was tall.

Suki swung her head towards him, wearing a glare.

"I suggest you stop what you're thinking of doing. Otherwise, the boy up in the tree will be the least of your worries." She warned.

This time, both the man and woman tensed slightly at that.

"Kankuro," A voice sounded from the tree before the person revealed themselves. "Don't embarrass yourself even more."

They disappeared in sand before appearing in between Suki and Kankuro.

"R-r-right Gaara." Kankuro conceded.

Gaara looked at her.

"The blond said that your name was Suki, correct?"

"Suki. Suki Uchiha." She introduced.

He stared at her for a moment. "Mother will enjoy your blood."

"They'll have to show up personally then." She told him, giving a slight warning.

Do not underestimate me.

He stared in space before turning around.

"Come on Kankuro. Temari."

With that, the three of them left.

"Come on boss, why can't you be that cool?" Konohamaru asked.

"Don't compare me to Suki-chan! That's just unfair." He pouted.

"Alright, let's go meet up with Kakashi-sensei so I can go back home and continue training."

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Next up: Chunin Exams, Part 1