Konoha's Dream Team

Chapter 11

"SASUKE-NII-CHAN!"

Uchiha Sasuke, sixteen-year old Konohagakure Chunnin, sighed as he rubbed his forehead. In the three years since Naruto went off with Jiraiya on his training trip, Sasuke had made a drastic change to his wardrobe. He no longer wore any real Uchiha-style of clothing. Instead, he wore traditional, black Chunnin clothes. The only thing that wasn't standard was the armguards he wore, which stretched down to segment into a handguard, which was held to his hands by straps. He still had a kunai pouch on the left side of his back-waist, and his chokuto on his right. The only thing different about the shirt he wore was that while he had the standard Uzumaki swirl on his right shoulder (symbolizing Konoha's strong ties with the Uzumaki clan), he had the Uchiha symbol on his left.

Sasuke's head turned toward the source of the voice, now twelve-year old Sarutobi Konohamaru, who approached him with his two friends, Moegi and Udon as he sat on one of the three poles at Team Seven's old training ground.

"What's wrong, Konohamaru?" Sasuke asked.

"We're graduating in a couple of days!" Konohamaru said with a massive grin. "So, teach us something cool to show off with at graduation!"

"Ninja aren't supposed to show off their moves, you know..." Sasuke muttered. "Besides, I may have taught you a few Taijutsu moves, but teaching you guys is really Naruto's job..."

"But he's not here right now..." Moegi muttered, doing her very best to give him a set of heart-wrenching puppy dog eyes. Unfortunately for her, Sasuke had repeatedly demonstrated that Uchiha were immune to that technique.

"It doesn't matter if you learn it now, a week from now, or a month from now, I guarantee that Naruto will be back long before you go out on C-rank missions," Sasuke said, hopping off the pole and walking off. "Later, guys."

Sasuke sighed as he walked. He liked the Konohamaru Corps, that was for damn sure. They were adorable most of the time, but they tended to annoy him now and then. It was a real bother that only Naruto seemed to be patient enough with.

Sasuke supposed it was because annoying idiots had no problem hanging out with other annoying idiots...

–

"A-A-ACHE-HEYOH!" a certain blond-haired sixteen-year old sneezed loudly as he walked along the path leading toward Konoha. He had changed his outfit since he left, now wearing standard shinobi clothes. The only thing that really set him apart from most other ninja was the two kunai pouches he had strapped to his back-waist, along with the large fur collar that was attached to his shirt. His Chunnin vest didn't have a collar, as it would have gotten in the way of his fur.

"Oho, sounds like some young beauty is talking about you, eh?" the old man walking next to him said, a great lecherous grin on his face. "Maybe it's that Saki girl in Degarashi, eh?"

"Poke a hole in that stiffy of yours, pervert..." Senju Naruto muttered, glaring at the old man. "It was just a sneeze. Although I do have this sudden urge to break Sasuke's nose..."

"You've said that thousands of times now all throughout our trip..." Jiraiya said. "Are you sure you guys are friends?"

"Oh yeah, best of friends," Naruto said with a nod. "But, you know, that doesn't mean I don't get the urge to break his face if he insults me."

The duo saw the gates in the distance, open as usual. Without a doubt, Kotetsu and Izumo were once more guarding it. It seemed like they had the habit of drawing the short straw again and again.

"Hm... It's been a while, but..." Naruto grinned at Jiraiya. "...I think I can beat you."

"You brat, you're a hundred years too early to challenge me!" Jiraiya barked. He looked indignant for only a moment, however, before he grinned as well. "But since you're insistent, I suppose I can show you how inferior you are."