Mentors

Anko escorted Sakura into an isolated section of the forest. After a discussion, Kakashi suggested that one of his friends could help with Sakura's training. As they stopped, Anko turned around and addressed Sakura.

"I'm not proficient enough with earth chakra manipulation to perform a defensive technique of your desired level. Ideally, you would want an Iwa shinobi to teach you. But I think you'll have better luck finding Madara Uchiha alive somewhere." joked Anko

"So, who's going to teach me," asked Sakura

"I am"

Sakura let out a small scream as she jumped away and quickly turned to see the voice's origin; behind her was a man in an Anbu uniform and mask.

Anko chuckled

"Hey, you're Kakashi's friend, right? I'm Anko, and this is Sakura."

The man reached for his mask and pulled it off.

"Pleasure to meet you both; you may refer to me as Yamato ."

Yamato wore the standard attire of the Anbu: a black, sleeveless jumper under a grey flack jacket, strapped-up shinobi sandals, arm-length gloves with guards over them, and an Anbu tattoo on his left shoulder.

"I understand that Sakura here is trying to learn advanced earth jutsu, correct?"

"Yes, sir," Sakura said quickly, trying to show respect.

"She's trying to learn an earth technique that could make her invulnerable; Kakashi said you may know of a jutsu."

Yamato nodded

"I do; it's known as the Earth Spear jutsu and is one of the hardest earth techniques to perform, not to mention master, to demonstrate."

Yamato pulled out a kunai and held the tip toward the palm of his other hand; he then began to focus as he channeled chakra to his palm, and his skin began to darken and take on a metallic texture. He then slammed the kunai down on his palm, and the kunai bounced off his palm, bending the tip slightly.

The technique quickly faded as Tenzo let out a breath of exertion. Both Anko and Sakura noticed Yamato looked noticeably more exhausted.

"The technique itself is simple in concept; you simply gather a large amount of earth chakra into the area of your body you want to protect; this will harden the area, making it impossible for most attacks to penetrate it," Yamato explained.

"I'm sensing a major, but here," said Anko.

Yamato nodded

"To use the technique, the earth chakra you use needs to be heavily concentrated; if not done correctly, the drain the jutsu can have on your chakra can be devastating. The key is to find the right balance between control and power so you can effectively use the technique, and even then, I can only do it three times a day."

Sakura began to doubt her ability to use this technique; her smaller chakra pool was one of her biggest weaknesses. Seeing Sakura start to lose confidence, Anko put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Try not to get overwhelmed; I know you can do this; like any training, you just have to pace yourself."

Yamato nodded

"That's good advice; start by trying to reinforce a small area like the tip of your finger."

"Okay, are there any steps?" Sakura asked as he looked down at the tip of her right pointer finger.

"Just try to visualize the earth chakra layering itself onto your finger. Do not get discouraged if you aren't able to do it on your first try. It took me months to see any progress..." Yamato cut himself off as he saw Sakura's take on a metallic texture and darken slightly.

Sakura saw at the spot and rubbed her thumb against it, and ideally noticed the hardened texture; it wasn't sold, but her skin had more give. Lost in thought, Sakura felt her hold of the justu slip and rapidly felt drained as she fell to her knees.

As Sakura caught her breath, Yamato nodded, impressed

"That was a remarkable first attempt. Don't push yourself too hard. Your chakra needs to adapt gradually to the new flow."

Anko grinned, crossing her arms. "Well, you heard him, Sakura. The first step is the hardest, but look at you, already making progress! Just imagine how much stronger you'll be once you master this."

Still a little disappointed in her already being gassed, Sakura said between breaths.

"But it will take me forever to master this if I can't even do it for a few seconds without being exhausted."

Anko crouched down and grinned.

"Well, luckily, you don't have to brute force your training; let's head on back; you can take down some notes, and I can give you some tips on advanced chakra flow."

Sakura's spirits lifted as she nodded.

"Okay."

As they turned to leave, Yamato gave Sakura one last encouraging look. "Remember, progress like this takes time, but with focus, you'll build up your stamina and control faster than you think."

Sakura smiled, feeling her confidence grow. "I understand. I'll keep at it and pace myself."

Anko gave Sakura a light nudge, smirking. "And just think—once you master this, you'll be that much closer to knocking all the knuckleheads in the village flat."

They shared a laugh as they made their way out of the clearing, Sakura feeling the weight of her exhaustion give way to the thrill of new possibilities.

Sasuke and Kakashi stood in a small field, the vibrant green grass swaying gently in the breeze around them. A collection of makeshift practice dummies and a rack with wooden swords were positioned nearby, ready for their training session.

"How did you manage to set all of this up so quickly?" asked Sasuke, impressed by the impromptu setup of the area.

Kakashi shrugged. "I have my methods."

Sasuke brushed off his teacher's aloofness and asked

"Are we starting now?" eager to start the training.

"We are waiting for someone before we can properly begin your training. I haven't regularly wielded a sword for years, so I think it would be best for you to start learning from a true master. She is on a very tight schedule but has agreed to show you some basics."

"Who is it?" Sasuke asked, curious.

"You'll find out soon enough. Take a wooden sword and do a few practice strikes at the dummies; try to get used to the feeling of a sword in your hand and try to get each of your strikes as fluid as possible," directed Kakashi.

Sasuke nodded as he began to try his hand at using a sword. It wasn't the first time he had held one. There was a brief time in the academy when they went over the basics of kenjutsu. At the time, Sasuke was not interested in the practice. The younger him had imagined taking his revenge with his own two hands and brushed off the need for additional tools. It was a childish perspective, but it was his nonetheless.

Sasuke practiced striking the dummies with a wooden sword, experimenting with various speeds and angles. The wooden sword's light weight made the exercise somewhat pointless, as he knew he would have to adjust his technique when he switched to using a real sword.

"Could we start with real swords? I'm not an academy student who needs to worry about accidents." Sasuke asked

Kakashi looked up. He had taken a position of leaning against a tree and was reading Icha Icha. "Trust me, Sasuke, there's a reason you're starting out with wooden swords; just take the hit to your ego and keep swinging," Kakashi said as he looked back down to his book.

"Can you at least tell me why?"

"You'll find out as soon as our guest arrives."

Sasuke sighed and resigned, garnering frustration from the idea that he was being treated like a child.

After several more minutes, a purple-haired woman landed in the clearing. She was wearing casual clothes, and Sasuke wouldn't have thought she was a ninja if he hadn't noticed her use of chakra. Sasuke didn't recognize her, assuming he would have known her if she was a prominent ninja in the village.

Kakashi raised his hand in greeting. "Yo, Yugao, thanks again for taking the time to help teach."

Yugao did a slight bow in greeting to both of them

"It's no issue, but I must stress that I only have half an hour, so I urge that we get started quickly."

Realizing that Sasuke didn't know who Yugao was, Kakashi introduced her. "Sasuke, meet Yugao; she's the best in the village when it comes to kenjutsu," he said.

Sasuke bowed slightly

"I appreciate you taking time out of your day; I look forward to learning from you."

A slight smile came across Yugao's face,

"Respectful good, being willing to learn, and keeping calm will do wonders for your training."

Yugao walked over to the rack, picked up a wooden sword, walked to the center of the field, and gestured for Sasuke to stand in front of her.

"The first lesson I will go over with you is defensive techniques. To start, I will take a swing, and I want you to do your best to defend against it without dodging."

Sasuke gave an affirmative grunt and prepared himself by holding his sword in a defensive position, waiting for her to make the first strike. Yugao struck out at a blazing speed. Sasuke managed to raise his sword to block the strike, but its force sent a shock wave through his hands and arms.

Before he knew it, the tip of Yugao's wooden sword was held up against his neck,

Yugao nodded pleased

"Good reflexes, not bad for your first attempt. There are three core defensive elements regarding swordsmanship. Blocking, Deflecting, and Parrying. Blocking is the most important. It is also the element you will use the most. Well-timed blocks can also allow you to gain an advantage in a fight by taking or ceding ground and changing your footwork.

"While your block was fine, a deflection in that situation would have been better. As a Sharingan user, you should know how to read your opponent's moves; I made it obvious that I was using a lot of power on that strike. If you had deflected my strike and changed the course of my strike, you could have used the strike's momentum against me and gotten into my defenses."

"Could I have parried it?"

Yugao's facial features took on a more serious look,

"You could have tried, but there is no way you could generate enough strength with any blade to parry my strike at your current skill level."

Sasuke bristled slightly at the comment as he tried to hold down his ego and listen to Yugao.

"I say this because the parry is the hardest thing to master; a parry can end a fight instantly for both the attacker and the defender. As we practice these drills, I must warn you if you fail a block or a deflection, I will not strike at you with any significant force, but if you attempt and fail a parry, I will use all of my ability to strike you down, do you understand?"

Sasuke gulped slightly nervously, but inside him, a fire was burning; while he greatly enjoyed the teaching of Anko and Kakashi, the severity and seriousness of Yugao resonated deeply with him. As he smiled lightly and said, "Yes, sensei!"

They began defense drills, which took Sasuke an agonizing twenty minutes. Yugao was a relentless instructor; she held nothing back, and Sasuke's arms and hands were aching by the end as he struggled to grip his sword.

Yugao gave an impressed nod.

"Good job. Perfecting your defense will assist you in fights with other weapon users and improve your ability to read and react to attacks. I suggest Kakashi that you continue to work with him in this exercise for the rest of the day."

Kakashi nodded lazily as he flipped through the pages of his book.

Yugao then turned back to Sasuke and said

"And as a directive from me, I order you not to use your Sharingan during training,"

Sasuke almost opened his mouth to question it, but he paused; even after meeting her only half an hour ago and training for twenty, Sasuke knew that if he really wanted to master this craft, listening to her full stop would be the best way to do it.

He nodded

"Yes, sensei"

"Good, I'll likely have two more days off before the final exam. I'll be happy to come and check on your progress with your other tutors. "

Yugao bowed to Sasuke and Kakashi and took her leave.

After she left, Sasuke fell to the ground, exhausted. As he tried to rest his weary arms, he closed his eyes and took deep breaths.

He then felt something poking him in the stomach, and he opened his eyes to see Kakashi poking him with a wooden sword.

"Now, Sasuke, what are you doing on the ground? We got until sunset to perfect your technique,"

Sasuke could see a developed smile on Kakashi's face through the mask

This was going to be a long month.

Jiraiya and Naruto had begun training in a small park in Center Spring. Much to Naruto's dismay, Jiraiya had made an ultimatum that Naruto must establish some control of the fox's power before he would teach him any new techniques or jutsu.

Jiraiya did not want to take extreme measures to draw out the fox's power (as originally planned) to avoid getting on Anko's bad side. He decided a slower approach would do Naruto well and help him better control the future. Jiraiya demonstrated some chakra meditation techniques for several hours so Naruto could get in touch with the fox.

Naruto had become increasingly frustrated as he had made zero progress; he opened his eyes and blew a raspberry.

"This isn't working; I'm not even feeling anything, plus I've already fallen asleep twice,"

"I already told you, like the last dozen times, you keep losing focus and not meditation properly; you have to clear your mind and focus inward to tap into the beast's chakra," explained Jiraiya, some exasperation in his voice

"You say that like it's easy; how do you just leave your mind blank? I have to think to get my mind blank, but when I do that, I start to think about other things". Naruto grabbed at the sides of his head and sighed, frustrated.

Jiraiya shook his head in disappointment as he stood up from the ground, but the boy had a point. To keep on trying this without any changes would only waste both of their time. Not to mention, he was getting bored from the lack of progress, and he needed a break.

"You know what, kid, maybe we need to try to find you a change in scenery or take a break; why don't you walk around town and see if you can find a spot that resonates with you? It could help you focus."

"What are you going to do?" asked Naruto

Jiraiya grinned,

"Well, there are tons of beautiful women out and about in this paradise that I haven't met yet."

Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Whatever you say, you pervy sage." he then began to walk away toward the downtown area of Center Spring.

Jiraiya flinched at the nickname.

"Damn, I hope that doesn't stick."

Naruto wandered through the streets of Center Spring; his mind drifted to his parents. Jiraiya had told him more stories about them earlier that day, the revelation that he had parents who truly loved him.

And now he was trying to communicate with the same thing that led to their deaths. Did he even want to talk to it?

He looked down at his stomach and scowled.

"Stupid fox," he mumbled under his breath.

As Naruto gazed upwards, his eyes landed on a charming alcove nestled between the buildings. The alcove was adorned with a substantial tree enveloped by stone bricks and an inviting arched entrance adorned with a bench.

Naruto looked around. The street he was on was relatively empty, and the ambient noise of the city in this area was calming to him. Shrugging and deciding that this was a better place than none, he went toward the alcove.

Naruto sat on the bench and began to meditate. He took a deep breath as he attempted to set his mind at peace and calm his thoughts.

Naruto experienced a profound sense of tranquility as a wave of relaxation gently enveloped his entire being, easing away any tension or worry he had been holding onto. As he sunk deeper and deeper into his mind, the sound of a voice took him back to reality.

"Hey, whatcha doing."

Naruto opened his eyes to see his vision filled with caramel skin and bright orange eyes looking directly into his own. Naruto screamed in shock and jumped back as he tumbled over the back of the bench and landed flat on his back.

His attacker got on the bench and leaned over to look down at him.

"Is this some kind of game?" the girl asked, beaming a smile down at Naruto.

"No, it isn't," Naruto replied as he sat up and rubbed the back of his head, hoping to dull some of the pain from the fall. As he looked up at the girl, recognition rushed through him. He felt the familiar feeling of his chakra resonating like when he first entered the square before the exams.

"Wait, you're the girl from the exams?"

"Yep, that's me. I'm Fu; nice to meet you."

Fu held out a fist downward over the bench.

Naruto hesitated for a moment. After his encounter with Gaara, he figured he should exercise more caution when around other Jinchiruki. But when he looked up at Fu's beaming smile, he couldn't help but respond with one of his own and immediately reciprocated the fist bump.

As they bumped fists, Fu accompanied it with an explosion noise. She then got off the bench and walked around, offering a hand to help Naruto up. Naruto accepted as he pulled himself up.

"So what were you doing here, taking a nap?" asked Fu

"Nah, I was trying to talk to my furball; the pervy sage said I might be able to do it if I meditated well enough," Naruto said as he poked his stomach.

"Wait, is your seal on your belly? Weird," commented Fu

Naruto, feeling slightly offended, responded.

"Yeah. Where else would you put it?"

"On your back, duh," Fu said as she gestured her thumb between her shoulder blades.

"But you can't even see it like that."

"Why would I need to see it's not like I'm going to mess with it?"

Naruto shook his head as he refocused, realizing the strangeness in the girl's presence there.

"Wait a minute, how did you know I was here

"Well, I was looking for you, actually, or anyone, really."

A confused expression came across Naruto's face.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm trying to get in better touch with Nanabi, and no one in my village knows how, so I was hoping another Jinchiruiki might have some tips, and you were the first one I found," Fu explained.

"Can you talk to yours?" asked Naruto

"Just once, when I was younger, it told me to stop trying to communicate with them and to leave it alone after it said that it gave me a bit of its power, but I haven't spoken with them since."

"Hmm, better luck than me, then," Naruto realized that he didn't think he had heard the fox's voice before.

"Wait, do you want to work together?" Fu asked, her excitement at the prospect evident as she hopped up and down.

"What, why?" Naruto asked in disbelief

"We're both trying to talk to our tailed beasts. Why not put our heads together and try to find a way."

Naruto thought over the prospect; he considered himself a good judge of character, and Fu seemed like a good person.

"Sure, why not? What's the worst that can happen?"

In a meeting between the village leaders, a heated debate was occurring between the village leaders at the Daimyo's palace. Hiruzen had just proposed Karin's immigration, much to the chagrin of the Village Hidden in the Grass leader.

"This is ridiculous; no law states that a village must give up their ninjas just because of clan heritage, plus the Uzumaki aren't even initially from Konoha," argued Yasuba, the Village Hidden in the Grass leader.

The man was rather plain-looking. He had a pale complexion and short, spiky brown hair. He was adorned in dark green robes with light green accents.

He had been promoted to village leader within the past couple of years. Under him, the Grass Village had become more isolationist, leaving Hruzen rather clueless about the man's disposition. He did not expect the outright refusal of his proposal, a result that he had not prepared for.

Despite being caught off guard and somewhat annoyed, Hiruzen's years of experience in diplomacy shone through as he put on a smile and said.

"While it is not the original home for the Uzumaki, it is the closest thing to a homeland the Uzumaki clan has left."

Onoki spoke up for the first time, his intense gaze aimed directly toward Hiruzen.

"I fully support the Grass in their endeavor to keep their ninja," he announced

Hiruzen was slightly shocked. He expected the other Kage to remain neutral, as it was just an order to a minor village.

"On what grounds, if I may ask?" Hiruzen said as he matched Onoki's gaze

"It sets a bad precedent for villages to give up powerful ninjas if one village has a claim of their heritage. Also, we've dealt with the Uzumaki once before, and I don't quite like the idea of the remnants gathering in one village. The Uzumaki, being scattered, is the one thing that keeps them from being targeted again." stated Onoki

"Surely, two children won't spell the end for you, Onoki." A The Raikage spoke for the first time. As the room turned toward him, a massive grin spread across his face. Before he could further expand on his point in his excitement, he slammed his hand down, breaking the desk in front of him.

The Daimyo sighed as he waved his servants to clean up the mess. After the first meeting, he learned that the Raikage enjoyed breaking furniture, so he ordered ten replacement desks. He hoped this meeting would be smooth because they were not even half an hour in, and this was the third desk.

"By all rights, if the Leaf has claim over the Uzumaki, the Cloud has the right to take the Chinoke clan back to the Land of Lightning."

"That's prosperous. The Chinoke were banished from the Land of Lighting before The Cloud was even formed," argued Onoki

"We have as much claim as anybody; the ancestral home of the Chinoke is still in the Land of Lighting; we have just much of a case as the Leaf, right Mabui!" A yelled as he turned to his assistant, who was sitting next to him

Mabui was a dark-skinned young woman with green eyes. She wore formal attire consisting of a long-sleeved, high-collared dress shirt and skirt, long earrings, and high-heeled sandals. Her light grey hair was pulled back into a bun with two bangs that fell on either side of her face.

Mabui nodded

"Following the Leaf's logic, the link between Cloud and the Chinoke clan is not just equal but maybe even greater than the Leaf's link with the Uzumaki; not only do we still have the ancestral home near the village, the Chinoke actually originated from the Land of Lighting, unlike the Uzumaki who originated from The Land of Whirlpools. "

"Exactly!" A screamed as he smashed his hand through the newly placed desk.

The Daimyo rolled his eyes and waved over to his aides to bring another desk.

"I believe there is a difference; Karin wants to join the Leaf on her own accord, but you do not know whether or not the Chinoke girl wishes to join your village. I think the matter of personal choice is the nuance that would solve most of the concerns with what I'm proposing," said Hiruzen

A narrowed his eyes

"Why are you trying to argue with me? I support your decision; I just wish for the Cloud to also benefit."

Onoki spoke

"Speaking of support, I'm curious: what does everyone else think? Do you want another village to be able to poach your ninja whenever they feel like it?"

The leaders of the minor villages squirmed, some in discomfort, as they were all trying not to take sides against the major villages. Onoki noticed this and chose to address the other Kage directly.

"Rassa, do you not have any qualms about letting the leaf and cloud gain more power?" asked Onoki

Rassa sighed. He had hoped he wouldn't need to be involved in the discussion.

"While it does worry me, I do understand the sentiment; my bloodline has been in Suna for generations; if it were to leave our borders, I would, by all means, do anything to get it back."

Onoki gritted his teeth as he turned to Yagara

"How about you? You haven't spoken this entire time."

Yagara stared out the window at the city below. He turned his head slowly, his eyes devoid of emotion.

"My only concern is the rebellion; what the Leaf or Cloud choose to do is none of my business."

Onoki stared in disbelief at the young man's apathy at the subject, considering the number of bloodlines the mist had lost recently. He then shook off the thought as he turned toward Yasuba, planning to cause a stalemate.

"I assure you that you have Iwa's support in keeping your ninja."

A slammed his palm down on the newest desk, not breaking, but his strength made the wood creak.

"What's your goal here, old man? Don't tell me you are willing to cause war because of an inconsequential decision with a minor village?" A questioned his fury building

"This old man is looking out for his village's best interest, and a part of that is keeping as much power out of your hands as possible." Onoki countered, not backing down

An overwhelming pressure from the chakra began to overtake the room. As A put more weight on his desk, it shattered, splintering wood throughout the area.

Seeing this, the Daimyo instantly stood up and walked to the center of the room,

"Gentlemen, Gentlemen, let's steel ourselves. I don't wish to stall your talks, but this decision does not have to be made today. Why don't we all just take a day or two off and see if calmer minds come to a solution?"

Hiruzen internally thanked the Daimyo for disarming the situation.

A took a deep breath,

"Fine, but I promise you my village will take back the Chinoke, no matter what decision is made." A said as he stormed out with Mabui on his heels

Hiruzen analyzed the aftermath of the chaotic meeting; he saw Yasuba look over at him, and he wore a cocky grin on his face as he walked over to Onoki. The two of them began to discuss.

Hiruzen sighed; it seemed that Karin's immigration to the Leaf would be much more challenging than he had anticipated.

Jiraiya was walking back to the park in a slightly dampening mood, his confidence at a new low after a wave of rejections; as he neared the area where he and Naruto had been earlier, he was surprised to see Naruto and a girl talking in a very animated fashion,

"How the hell did the kid have more success than me?" Jiraiya mumbled.

He walked forward to confront him.

"Naruto, I said to clear your mind, not find a girl."

They both turned toward him, and he froze when he saw the girl.

In front of him was an exact description of the seven tails Jinchuriki. Jiraiya straightened his posture as he opened his senses to check around for any potential Waterfall ninja nearby. Her meeting with Naruto couldn't be a coincidence; he could only hope Naruto knew of her condition.

His worries were quickly washed away as Naruto ran forward and introduced her: "Yo, pervy sage. This is Fu; she's trying to help me communicate with the furball."

Jiraiya paused as he considered the prospect. While his knowledge of Jichiurikis was advanced, he had yet to consider Naruto's learning from other Jinchurikis.

He walked over to Fu, putting back on his jovial mask as he smiled and asked.

"So, do you have any wisdom you can bestow upon Naruto?"

Fu rubbed the back of her head.

"Not really; I was looking for other Jinchuriki to help me train my powers; that's how I found Naruto."

"Your village doesn't help you train?" asked Jiraiya

Fu made a raspberry sound. "As if I've never had help from any of them,"

"Oh, maybe we can still ask other Jinchuriki for help?" suggested Naruto

Actually, that's not a bad idea," Jiraiya said as he pondered options out loud.

"The Mizukage is out of the question, And I doubt Roshi is any less loyal to Iwa now than he was years ago,"

He then snapped his fingers

"The Cloud jinchuriki might be an option, though."

"Oh, I saw her at the square. She's the blonde lady, right?" asked Naruto

Jiraiya nodded

"I've done a little surveillance, and from what I saw, she's not exactly the most loyal ninja to the Cloud; she's probably the only one who would even talk to you."

"Great, do you know where she is?" asked Fu.

"The last report I got back was that she's been hanging out at a tea shop on the city's outskirts."

"Great, let's go, pervy sage," yelled Naruto, eager to learn from a peer.

Jiraiya held his hands up.

"I'm already on thin ice being near you," he said as he pointed at Fu.

"If I was spotted anywhere near the cloud Jinchuuriki, it could start another Great War."

"Really, why's that?" asked Fu

"Let's just say villages aren't really keen on letting seal experts near their Jinchuriki's; you're asking for trouble; I'll leave you two to it; I'm sure you can handle it."

As Fu and Naruto went through the bustling streets, excitement bubbled within them. "Are you ready for this, Fu?" Naruto asked,

Fu nodded, her determination matching his. "Absolutely!"

They navigated through the market, weaving between stalls and vendors, the aroma of fresh tea guiding them to the outskirts of the city where the tea shop was located. "Do you think she'll actually help us?" Fu questioned, glancing at Naruto. "

She has to! She's a Jinchuriki, just like us. She'll understand what we're going through!" Naruto replied confidently.

As they reached the small tea shop, Fu hesitated for a moment. "What if she doesn't want to talk?"

Naruto placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We just have to give it a shot. If she says no, we can figure something else out."

Taking a deep breath, they pushed the door open and stepped inside. The shop's tranquil atmosphere contrasted with the bustling outside world.

An older woman stood behind the counter, eyeing them curiously. "What can I do for you children?" she asked.

"Um, we're looking for a blonde lady—a cloud-nin. Have you seen her?" Fu asked hopefully.

The older woman nodded slowly. "Yes, she's upstairs in a private room. But I must warn you, she's asked not to be disturbed."

Naruto piped up, "We need to talk to her! It's really important!"

The woman hesitated but then sighed. "You're not the first to ask. Just… be careful." With a nod of appreciation, Fu and Naruto made their way upstairs.

Reaching the door, they exchanged glances, silently preparing themselves for whatever might come next. "Ready?" Naruto whispered

"Ready" whispered Fu back

Without another word, they both entered. It was a small bedroom with the usual adornments of a bed, wardrobe, and nightstand, but most of the room looked untouched, and the bed was empty. Both Naruto and Fu looked up to see a hammock hanging close to the ceiling attached to the walls. Yugito shuffled in it as she was waking up from a nap.

Yugito leaned her head over, looked down at her guests, and sighed deeply.

"So much for paying for privacy; what do you want?"

Naruto swallowed his nervousness and asked.

"We were wondering if you could help us contact our tailed beast."

The room was silent for several moments, causing anxiety in Fu and Naruto.

Yugito yawned and nonchalantly said, "No." She then turned her head over on her pillow and tried to get back to sleep.

Naruto and Fu began to protest.

Fu stepped forward

"Wait! Please, Yugito! It's really important to us. We need your help to learn how to communicate with our tailed beasts. You have experience, and we don't know where else to turn!"

Naruto, clutching his fists, added, "Yeah! You're a Jinchuriki, just like us! You know what it's like. Please, we can't just give up without trying!"

Yugito turned back over, her expression angry.

"The answer is no. Now leave me alone before I have to hurt the two of you." She then turned back over in her hammock as she heard the dejected footsteps of the children walking out of the room and closing the door. Finally, at peace, Yugito closed her eyes and tried to fall back asleep, but she was interrupted by an internal voice.

"Yugito, I understand you're not having a good time here, but your behavior towards those children was unacceptable," Matabi said, disappointed.

"Who cares? I just told a couple of brats to run off and leave me be; besides, if their villages catch them talking to me, they will probably kill them and get new Jinchurikis anyway," said Yugito

"Now, Yugito, you know that's not true. I remember when you were excited to meet others like you and teach them what you knew."

"Yeah, that was in the past. I've been the top attack dog in the cloud for the past few years, and getting closer to those kids would only make it harder for me to eliminate them when the time comes."

Yugito felt anger radiating from Matabi; while she couldn't actually see her expressions, the changes in her chakra communicated subtle emotions,

"Yugito, you've been such a little punk since we've gotten here. This is your first time out of the Land of Lighting in forever, and all you've done is scowl and complain." scolded Matabi

"Well, maybe that's because I've only had reasons to scowl and complain; this place sucks, and I'm only here just in case the villages decide to start another great war," Yugito said, her depressive thoughts overwhelmed the conversation.

Matabi then decided to pull out her trump card to win the argument

"What would B do if he were here?"

That comment made Yugito go silent. After a minute of silence, Matabi spoke, "What is it? Yugito cat got your tongue."

Yugito rolled her eyes and began to grumble as she got up

"Stupid big blue fur ball; I wish you slept more like you used to, then I wouldn't have to listen to you."

"Oh, but who would be here to tell you you're wrong."

Yugito flipped off the air, and despite Matabi not seeing it, she knew that her message had been received.

She stumbled out of the tea shop and looked around for the kids.

Yugito watched the two kids walking down the street, their shoulders slumped, clearly disappointed. She sighed, muttering under her breath, "This is probably a mistake."

Still, Matabi's words rang in her ears. "What would B do if he were here?"

Before she knew it, Yugito was crossing the street toward them, calling out in a half-gruff voice, "Hey, you two!"

Naruto and Fu spun around, surprise and hope flashing across their faces as she approached.

"Listen," she began, folding her arms, trying to keep her tone indifferent.

"I'm not some sensei, and I don't have time for a couple of kids who'll just run back to their villages and blab to their elders about every little thing I say."

Naruto opened his mouth to protest, but Yugito raised a hand to stop him. "But… I also know what it's like not to have anyone to help." She sighed, her gaze softening just a bit as she looked away. "South of this place is a pond next to a fallen tree; meet me there at night. I'll give you some pointers, but that's it; I'm just going to show you how to communicate with your beasts."

Naruto grinned from ear to ear, unable to hide his excitement. "Yes! Thank you, Yugito! We'll work hard, I swear!"

Fu nodded eagerly, her determination clear. "We'll be ready!"

"Good," she muttered, voice low but just loud enough for them to hear.

"Now get out of here; three of us together in the city will draw too much attention."

Naruto did a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am."

He and Fu waved as they ran away, excited by their success.

As she watched them off, Matabi's voice echoed gently in her mind. See? That wasn't so hard.

Yugito chuckled inwardly, shaking her head. Yeah, yeah. Don't rub it in.

And though she kept her tough exterior, a small part of her felt lighter, almost… hopeful.