Returning to Konoha meant going back to normal as if the C-rank mission turned A-rank hadn't happened. Kakashi-sensei, as soon as they returned, gave them a couple of days off, during which he took the opportunity to interrogate her in the privacy of his own home. Naruto and Sasuke, who were not invited to Kakashi-sensei's house—probably due to the ninja's paranoia—spent their time lazing around the pool while she was bombarded with questions.
"Do you want something to drink?" the jonin had asked, and she accepted tea and some cookies. "Now that we're ready, let's begin. Tell me, did you… heal my left eye?"
"Yes. I'm sorry I didn't tell you the next day. When I saw you use it with Zabuza, I knew it had been a mistake that could have cost you your life. I'm sorry," she apologized, distressed.
"I'm not going to say it wasn't a mistake on your part not to inform me, but I see that you've understood your error and I know you won't do it again," the jonin accepted. Seina nodded. "As soon as I woke up, I knew something had changed. Since I didn't feel the usual chakra drain from the activated sharingan, I knew it had to be my eye."
"So, you knew from the beginning..."
"Yes. Whatever you did managed to naturally connect the sharingan to my brain. It was just a matter of practicing how to activate it. For that, I thank you. Maybe someday I'll have an excuse not to have to cover that eye, which will be a great advantage for me."
"You're welcome, Kakashi-sensei."
"Putting that aside, I'd like you to tell me about the medicines you've created. What can you do with them?"
She explained the potions she could make: the invigorating potion, antidotes, anti-paralysis, pain balms, bruise remover, calming potion, sleeping potion, mouthwash, aging potion, fertilizer, fungicide, fortifying solution, smothering gas, laxative, cleaning solution, essence of madness, oculus potion, forgetfulness potion, whitening toothpaste, peace filter, burn paste, blood replenishing potion, dreamless sleep, cough remedy, poisons, etc.
"I could write a book with the recipes and their uses," she shrugged, under the astonished gaze of the ninja.
"That sounds good. And what about the jutsu that hides your house?"
"I could put it on this house if you want," she offered for him to see how it was. "Basically, your house would enter a sort of pocket dimension where only I have the 'key,' being the secret keeper, to open the door to other people. That is, as long as I don't tell anyone where your house is, except you, no one will know where you live or be able to locate you. Not even you, the owner, would be able to reveal the secret to someone else. Only I could. That's the downside, that every time you want to invite someone to your house, you'd need to ask me or show them a paper with the address. Although that would be more dangerous..."
"I see... I guess I can't be the secret keeper, as you say, because I don't have your power," she nodded. "Still, it sounds like an incredible jutsu. Besides, I don't bring people to my house."
Seina raised an eyebrow at such a confession. Was he telling her that he didn't sleep with anyone at his house? It didn't surprise her entirely because a ninja's house was their sanctuary, but still, it was hard to believe. After all, she was there. The jonin must have understood her incredulity because his lips stretched into a smile behind his mask.
"I know what you're thinking, but it's true. I've never had a serious relationship in my life, and the physical relationships I've had are more sporadic. Very sporadic. They're not worth putting my home at risk. Not to mention I have no blood family. You should know that yourself. You put your house under such a jutsu."
"I know, but I didn't even think of that point. My main motivation was Naruto's and my safety once we were no longer under Anbu surveillance. And by the way, we are your family. Not all families share genetics."
"I know, that's why I said 'blood,'" Kakashi-sensei sighed upon hearing the sinister reasons why she had her house under the fidelus.
He asked her about the limitations. If someone could search for him with insects, with summoned animals, with scent, by mapping the area, if they could attack the house physically, etc. Her master's questions made her think, and she was used to using the spell!
"Why don't you come see our house?" she asked at the end. "Sasuke and Naruto agree with telling you the secret. That way, you can see what happens when I tell you and then decide if you want me to put it here."
"That sounds good to me."
They talked for hours about the runes and spells, or jutsus, she could do with magic. Kakashi-sensei was the first, since the last time she spoke with Hermione, to make her question the how of things and think beyond her limitations. When he had no more questions, they headed to her house, which, interestingly, wasn't far. When they reached the front door, Seina gave him the paper with the address written on it. Kakashi-sensei's single eye widened as he saw how, out of nowhere, a large three-story house surrounded by a one-and-a-half-meter-high gray stone wall appeared. Seina made the paper disappear and indicated that he could enter.
"Naruto, Sasuke! I'm home!" she called, entering through the door that was always kept open.
"Seina-nee! You told Kakashi-sensei! I knew it would happen," Naruto exclaimed from the couch.
"Hn. Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke greeted, reading one of the scrolls copied from the library.
Naruto got up and accompanied them on the house tour, explaining what they had done to repair it. Kakashi-sensei, meanwhile, seemed somewhat stunned by both the spell and the supposed renovation. They showed him all the spaces, ending in the second guest room.
"It's impressive, guys. You've done a great job," he congratulated them with a proud smile.
Seina watched as he looked at the dark green walls of the large room. The large windows with mahogany frames, the enormous king-sized bed with a headboard of the same wood, the chest with folded blankets at the foot of the bed, the desk under an enchanted window on one side of the room, the door leading to the walk-in closet and wardrobe, the cream-colored curtains matching the sheets, the window with a reading seat on the other side, and the large half-shelf, half-storage unit.
"This room is yours," Naruto said, smiling from ear to ear.
"What? R-really?" Kakashi-sensei asked, surprised, turning to look at them. "Why?"
"We thought of having guest rooms for our teammates. Sasuke was going to use a guest room every time he visited. Then he moved in, and now it's his permanent room," she explained.
Her master said nothing but nodded. Naruto, who had already seen the jonin's expression, left to challenge Sasuke to a pool game. Seina avoided shaking her head at Naruto's lack of endurance in some serious situations. She watched as Kakashi-sensei sat in the reading window, looking at the garden and seeing Sasuke and Naruto fighting over the ball.
"Those two... At first, I thought their rivalry could end very badly," he confessed. Seina sat on the other side of the seat, watching her teammates. "Naruto is lucky to have someone he completely trusts on his team, and Sasuke is lucky you're not one of his fans."
Seina laughed. It was true.
"I think... if Sasuke had stayed in that house, things would have been very different," Kakashi-sensei whispered. "So, thank you for helping him."
"He's part of my team, just like you. I wasn't going to leave him there. If it was necessary, I would have dragged him to his room by his hair," she assured him, and Kakashi laughed at the image.
"I don't think he would have appreciated that."
"Maybe not at first," she shrugged, "but then he would have seen that he wasn't okay there. If having him here hadn't helped after a while... then I would have let him go. You can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped."
For a few minutes, they said nothing. Kakashi-sensei seemed to digest the fact that both Naruto and Sasuke, as well as she, were fine. She realized that perhaps he had been worried about them all this time, not knowing where they were living in case something happened. At the same time, after understanding that bit of information, she realized something else. Kakashi-sensei was terrible at talking about his feelings. If he had told them he was worried, they wouldn't have left him in the dark in the same way.
"You know, sometimes I think I've failed you," Kakashi-sensei said, closing his eyes. "You're my team, and none of you had the most stable or healthiest situations. I should have insisted the Hokage take Sasuke out of there or let me contact you."
"You... well, of course. You were Anbu," she thought aloud, surprised. "Were you watching over us?"
"No. He didn't allow it due to a conflict of interest," her master informed her. She saw him clench his jaw in anger. "The Hokage knew I would have killed those matrons and the ninjas who tried to kidnap you... and most of the children who made your lives miserable. Why lie."
"He kept you away," she sighed.
She realized how difficult it must have been for Kakashi-sensei. Not only did he lose his master and his father, but he was also prevented from protecting their descendants, even though he likely felt obligated to watch over them. Knowing this, something told her that Naruto and she weren't just on his team because of Kurama but also because he wanted it. It made much more sense now that she thought about it. She sighed again when she realized the concern he must have felt when they disappeared off the radar right after being put in his care.
"I'm sorry. If we had known all this... I think we would have told you something so you wouldn't worry."
"It's okay, Seina. I understand."
Seina leaned in to hug him because, even if he understood, she could imagine how he had felt. Partly, it was her fault. Kakashi-sensei didn't freeze like the last time. He hugged her instantly, laying her against his chest. She stayed there for a while, lying on Kakashi-sensei, between his legs, her head resting on his shoulder, and her nose pressed to his neck, covered by his sweater. After a while, she felt the jonin's jaw rest on her hair. She knew, from the arms tightly wrapped around her, that even if she wanted to, she wouldn't be able escape. Closing her eyes, listening to Naruto's laughter in the background, she realized she didn't mind.
When she woke up, she knew a lot of time had passed by the color of the sky through the window. She realized instantly that she was still in the same position she had fallen asleep in, but surprisingly, she wasn't the only one who had taken a nap. She looked up a bit, but the weight of Kakashi-sensei's head prevented her from moving unless she wanted to wake him. At that moment, she realized something else. She had never felt so good in someone's arms since the death of her former husband, George, about 47 years ago.
As if slapped, she had a huge epiphany. She liked Kakashi-sensei. There, in his arms, with one hand hidden between their stomachs and the other resting on his chest, she realized she felt a connection with him. She wasn't a naive or insecure young woman. She was quite sure the connection she felt was mutual because, now that she thought about it, Kakashi-sensei treated her differently compared to Naruto and Sasuke. Not only that, he treated her differently from everyone else. He himself had confessed that he never brought anyone to his house, yet he had invited her when they could have talked anywhere else.
Suddenly, all those touches came to mind. The time he touched her shoulder in support, when he stroked her hair, when he hugged her, when he held her shoulders to walk with her, how he stood by her side before the Hokage as if he wanted to grab her and run, that squeeze of her hand as if he didn't want to let go, the knowing looks, the smiles he didn't suppress around her, the comforting silences full of understanding, how he had sought her foot to rest his leg beside hers without anyone seeing, the trust he had in her... Damn. How had she not realized it before?
She thought about what to do for a few minutes, without rushing, and finally decided to do nothing. This year she would turn 12 years old, and Kakashi-sensei would be 25. He was exactly 13 years older than her and, on top of that, he was her teacher. Even so, Seina wouldn't always be 12 years old nor be his subordinate in the same way for much longer. Besides, they hadn't known each other for that long, despite the almost instant connection she felt with him. She closed her eyes and told herself that if it had to happen, it would happen.
"You're awake..." a deep voice whispered near her ear. She made a sound of confirmation, unable to open her mouth. "We should go down for dinner."
"Mhmm..."
Neither of them moved. A hand on her back moved up to stroke her hair. She sighed with pleasure. She placed her free hand on his arm, much more accessible than his chest covered by the vest, and felt the warmth of Kakashi-sensei under her palm. She buried her face even more in his neck, unable to let him go, and felt how the arm around her tightened even more against him.
"Dinner is ready!" Naruto's shout broke the moment, and she avoided shedding tears as she felt the moment break.
Kakashi-sensei let out a small sigh and, during a brief instant before breaking that bubble, took her hand on his arm and intertwined their fingers. She felt his lips kiss her head and knew she had to move. She stood up, and Kakashi-sensei's hand left hers.
"I hope Sasuke didn't cook," she said with a playful tone. "So, do you want me to use that jutsu to hide your house?"
She turned to look at him for the first time in several hours, and Kakashi-sensei nodded.
"Today is too late. Tomorrow, if that's okay," he stretched, making some bones crack. "Are you sure you want to give me this room in your house?"
"Of course," she said firmly, to avoid any doubt. "You can come in through the window or the door whenever you want. You don't need to ring the bell or anything."
After that, he didn't ask again. They ate dinner as a team, as they had been doing for days during the last mission, and talked about what lay ahead in their training now that everyone was aware of their abilities.
"You know, I want to make a ninja tent like the pouches," she said, eating dessert.
"What do you mean?" asked the jonin. "Bigger on the inside?"
"I want to put a house inside the tent," she smiled from ear to ear.
"Seriously?" Sasuke asked, almost excited. "When do you think you'll have it ready?"
"Wait a minute! Can you really do something like that?" Kakashi-sensei asked, somewhat incredulous. "It would be a great tool for any ninja."
"Actually, I already bought the tent and started making a list of what I want it to have. I can fit a city in there if I want."
"Hold on a second..." Kakashi-sensei said, somewhat exasperated. "Are you telling me that for you, space limitations mean nothing?"
"Exactly. If you want it to have something special, just tell me, I'll make it."
Kakashi-sensei shook his head with a slightly hysterical laugh. Soon Kakashi-sensei would stop wondering if anything she did or could do was remotely normal and would accept her powers. He had accepted her mental bond, her pouch, her invisibility, the fidelus, and would accept the magical tent. He was an elite ninja, not an ordinary man.
During the following weeks in April, Kakashi-sensei seemed to go crazy with his training regimen. They continued doing D-rank missions after the unpleasant surprise with Tazuna and trained an average of 10 hours a day. Thanks to the clones, including Sasuke's clones, who had drastically increased his chakra reserves with training, they learned at an exponential rate. Not even Mina-senpai was surprised by their progress. In fact, she flooded Seina with information, and every day Seina practiced a new medical jutsu.
Sasuke, with his new Sharingan, began to train with Kakashi-sensei to master his dojutsu. Her magic, or mahō, as Team 7 now called it for lack of a better name for her "new" kekkei genkai, was also trained in combat. Although she knew she was barely scratching the surface. She used it to transform material into animals, shields, and weapons, dissolve kunais into air when they tried to attack her, use paralyzing spells, elemental spells, traps, invisibility. She had never felt as powerful and strong as she did now.
Unfortunately, their tight training schedule had turned them into social outcasts. The only group that didn't interact with any other, except for exchanging a few words if they met on the street. Although, it wasn't like the other groups had much more interaction among themselves...
May passed quickly, with the same routine, until the end of June arrived. By then, Kakashi-sensei spent more time in his new room and at their house than in his own. At first, he barely used his house to sleep, and when he realized that he didn't have to sleep alone, he started using his new bedroom. With each passing day, Kakashi-sensei was less distant from the team, smiled and laughed more, and seemed less apathetic about life in general.
"Another mission accomplished," said Kakashi-sensei, with the porn book in hand. "You guys are becoming experts."
Seina snorted a laugh. Anyone could be a ninja if the missions were painting houses and taking care of five-year-olds. They heard the sound of a hawk and saw Kakashi-sensei glance at the bird, closing the book abruptly.
"I think I'll deliver the report myself, if you don't mind," Sasuke handed him the scroll. "See you soon, guys, you have the afternoon off."
He disappeared with a shunshin. The three of them stood there, trying to understand what had just happened.
"Maybe it's a mission for Kaka-sensei," Naruto yawned.
"I don't think so. Maybe it's something important."
Seina heard the sound of footsteps behind her. She turned and saw a square rock with a couple of eye holes that seemed to be following them. From what she heard she knew there were three small children inside. Naruto and Sasuke, seeing that she wasn't paying attention to them, followed her gaze. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, his face blank.
"A square rock?" he said.
The box flew open, and a small child who looked like Asuma Sarutobi emerged from inside. He was accompanied by a boy with a runny nose and a girl who looked like her hair had been styled with her eyes closed. Poor kids.
"Aha! I've got you, boss!" the child exclaimed.
"Hey, dobe, who are these kids?" Sasuke asked.
"Isn't this the kid you told me about? Konohamaru?" Seina asked, and Naruto nodded.
"Did we surprise you, boss?" Konohamaru asked.
"Why does he call you boss?" Sasuke asked mockingly.
Seina watched with a blank expression as the child proceeded to shout and challenge Sasuke before stepping on his long green scarf and falling face-first to the ground. She glanced at Naruto and saw his exasperated face as he leaned down to help Konohamaru up. Suddenly, she saw a slightly older boy accompanied by a blonde girl appear around a corner. The boy was dressed in black from head to toe, had a painted face, and his hair was hidden under a hood that reminded her of a cat. The girl with four pigtails, on the other hand, wore a kind of short lilac kimono-style dress with a red obi. Seina narrowed her eyes and saw they had ninja protectors from Sunagakure.
"Hey, you guys! What are you doing here?" Naruto called out, noticing the same thing she did.
"Ugh. I can't stand brats," the boy in black said, giving them a look. "I see you're eager to bother us."
"Answer him," Sasuke ordered when they didn't reply.
"I can't stand boastful kids like you either!"
Seina watched as the boy took a large bundle wrapped in bandages off his back and set it on the ground. The girl nervously called out to Kankuro not to use whatever was in there.
"He's here," Kurama's voice startled her. "One of mine."
"A bijuu!? No, you must mean another jinchuriki. Is it one of them?"
"No, but he's approaching."
She heard the sound of sandals on a tree and looked up to examine the new presence. He was a boy her age, dressed in black and red, carrying a large gourd on his back that, from the sound and considering the ninja band, must be filled with sand or something similar. He was a redhead with greenish-blue eyes, with a kanji that read "love" engraved on his forehead. Additionally, he was as pale as milk and had deep dark circles, as if he hadn't slept in a long time.
All eyes turned to him, and both Kankuro and the girl paled. Seina was surprised to see the naked fear on their faces. It was so visible that she didn't even need to perceive their emotions.
"Where did he come from? I didn't notice him!" Sasuke said mentally, alert.
"It's him. The jinchuriki of my brother Shukaku. The One-Tailed Bijuu."
"Seina-nee, Sasuke! Kurama says the redhead is the jinchuriki of the Ichibi!" Naruto called out.
"What!?" Sasuke asked, and she nodded mentally.
They heard the newcomer silencing Kankuro with a death threat. Then, he transported himself to the ground with what seemed to be sand and turned his back to them, making it clear that he didn't see them as a threat. She felt the spark of irritation and anger from her brother and Sasuke upon realizing this.
"Hold on! Why are you here?" Sasuke asked them again.
"Really, you don't know?" the girl asked, showing them an ID.
Seina used a spell to read what it said from a distance and saw that the girl's name was Temari of the Sand, a genin from Sunagakure whose ID was needed for the chunin exams. While Temari spoke to them about the exam, Seina heard three pairs of feet land on another branch.
"What do you think of them?" a male voice said in a low tone.
"Hmm... not much... We should focus on the black-haired one from Konoha and the redhead from Suna."
The confrontation dissolved on its own, but something about it all made her hair stand on end. Maybe it was the jinchuriki from Sunagakure or maybe the other people who were spying on them and planning something with Sasuke. Either way, she told herself she would stay very alert.
"Let's go. We should head home," she said to them. "I heard something interesting."
She showed them what she had heard while they walked. Sasuke frowned at the interest those strangers had in him. Naruto, worried and angry, bit his tongue to avoid saying anything while they could still be overheard. When they reached the house, they saw Kakashi-sensei waiting for them, sitting at the dining table.
"What was so important that you had to do?" Naruto asked impatiently, and Sasuke gave him a light smack on the head. "Hey! Like you aren't curious too!"
"I've proposed you for the chunin exams," Kakashi-sensei informed them without preamble.
They stopped short upon hearing this. He handed each of them the forms, explaining where and when they would need to present themselves. While the clones cooked, they sat down to discuss their chances of advancing and winning.
"I firmly believe you can pass without much effort. I've been researching the level of the other teams, and you are undoubtedly the best."
"Hmm... So that girl wasn't lying," Sasuke thought aloud.
"What girl?"
"We ran into a genin team from Suna," Seina said. "According to Kurama, one of them is the jinchuriki of the Ichibi. He's a red-haired boy with green eyes, carries a gourd that seems to contain sand, and has a kanji on his forehead that says 'love.' His genin teammates are Temari of the Sand and someone named Kankuro."
"Are you sure about that?" the jonin asked seriously, standing up straight. "If so, I need to inform the Hokage."
She nodded. She saw him get up to leave, and she grabbed his arm before he disappeared.
"One more thing. Another team was spying on us. They seemed interested in that boy and Sasuke."
Her teacher narrowed his eyes upon hearing this and nodded. He left them alone while he went back to the tower to report what he had just heard. They looked at the forms with a mix of reluctance and excitement.
"What do you think about the exams?"
"I think we should do it. We're prepared."
"Very prepared, dattebayo!"
"I think I'll read the scrolls to find any mention of chunin exams. Maybe it'll give us an advantage."
"We'll help," Sasuke interjected. "With the clones, it'll be an easy task, and any information we can get is an advantage."
That's how Kakashi-sensei found them, half an hour later, in the library/armory surrounded by scrolls and books.
"What is all this?"
"We're reading about the chunin exams," Naruto said. "The more information, the better!"
"Huh. Well thought out, Seina."
"Hey!" Naruto exclaimed indignantly. "Sasuke or I could have thought of it!"
"I don't think so. You're too impulsive, and Sasuke often overlooks the small details. No. This was clearly Seina's idea."
"Hn," Sasuke glared at him without much enthusiasm.
They ate and discussed what they had read. Fortunately, there were some accounts of chunin exams in other countries. Several common denominators seemed to emerge.
"So, they're going to test us on ninja basics: knowledge, cheating, protecting something, stealing something, doing it in a certain amount of time… Honestly, this exam could be a piece of cake," Seina said, seeing a thousand ways to come out completely unscathed and finish the exam in less than a day.
"Why do you think that?" Kakashi-sensei asked. "There are some very strong people in these exams. If you get overconfident, you might get a nasty surprise."
"I know, but I have a kekkei genkai that is basically the biggest cheat card in history, and not only that, I'm connected to Naruto and Sasuke. If I had to interrogate someone in the exam, I would simply have to read their mind or force them to tell me their secrets. I can make us invisible, knock someone out from a distance, steal things from them without them noticing and replace them with exact copies… We can even carry our usual equipment. I can carry plenty of food in my pouch and not have to risk hunting or fishing. Not to mention, I can turn several of my competitors against my rivals, using them to clear the way."
Naruto and Sasuke stared at her with blank faces. Then they exchanged glances.
"Piece of cake," Naruto declared decisively, and Sasuke nodded. "With Seina, no one can beat us."
"That means we'll have to protect her no matter what."
"I need to make you an invisibility bracelet, Sasuke. You haven't needed it so far, but I think it will be very useful in the exam."
Kakashi-sensei sighed as he listened to them plan for the exam a week in advance. To her, the outcome of the exams was clear. She wasn't planning on losing, so she had to win at all costs. With her magic and chakra, it was like taking candy from a baby, as long as she used her head. She couldn't deny that there were areas where she was still weaker compared to some people, but as she got stronger, she would start to have fewer rivals. In the end, it wouldn't be a matter of power but of intelligence. Fortunately, her experience helped her tremendously. Otherwise, she would be cannon fodder like other genin despite her powers.
That week they didn't do any missions. Since the exam was only going to last seven days, they prepared triple the amount of food just in case and stored identical portions in each of their pouches. She made Sasuke the bracelet and taught him how to use it. As it was modified, they could see each other as if they were semi-transparent, so after a couple of days of training, he got used to it without any problems. All the clothes and weapons already had runes and spells, so they didn't have to do much except check that they had all the necessary weapons in their holsters and pouches and take inventory of potions. They practiced medical ninjutsu in case it was needed and even got a fairly detailed map of the Forest of Death, where the practical exam was held every year it took place in their village, from one of the old scrolls in Konoha's library.
"I don't think we can prepare anymore," she said.
"Yosh! We're ready for the exam, Team 7!"