Once More by ItsHardToFindAPenName

Chapter 39: Team Naruto

"Our new experiment is progressing very well, it seems."

"Yes. But we are still lacking a very important element. Without it, even if we perfect this, it is still not enough for us to go against things like the Nine-Tails and his lackeys."

The underground laboratory of Orochimaru was still bathed in an eerie light, as usual. But this time, the source of the light was the giant test tube standing in the middle of the room. Inside, there was a glowing green fluid, which emitted the creepy light.

But that wasn't the only thing in the tube. If someone had paid more attention, they could have seen a very tiny... thing floating inside it. The "thing" didn't even look like anything; its size was about that of a fingernail, but there was only one thing for sure about it, which was that it was moving, albeit so slightly normal eyes couldn't see it without focusing solely on the thing.

"So, is our plan for the Three-Tails in Kirigakure still progressing as expected?"

"Of course. But even if it doesn't, we still have an alternative... an even better one..."

"Naruto Uzumaki is here, sir."

The Third Hokage smiled pleasantly at the secretary who had just announced Naruto's arrival. "Very good. Send him in-."

"Yo, I'm here! Wassup, jiji?"

Hiruzen sighed. "You are becoming more and more like Jiraiya these days, Naruto. Can't you wait until I let you in?"

"Nah," Naruto answered him with a cheeky grin. "So, is there any trouble you want me to solve? The Akatsuki attacking Sunagakure again? Tailed Beasts trampling over a village? Or..."

"No, it's nothing like that," the older man cut in hastily before Naruto could continue his rant. "You see, the next Chuunin Exam is coming soon, and that is the best opportunity for Fuu to be promoted to chuunin before she can officially be recognized as a jonin. But in order to take part in the Chuunin Exam, what she needs is a team. I have already decided the members of the team she's going to be in, so I'm pretty sure she's going to do well in her exam."

"Ah, that's awesome!" Naruto laughed. "So who's going to be her jonin sensei?"

The Hokage smiled cheerfully. "You, of course."

Naruto's grin froze on his face. Then after three seconds, he disappeared from the office in a flash.

"NARUTO UZUMAKI COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!"

After five hours of chasing around the village, with the help of half the shinobi force of Konoha including Jiraiya, Tsunade and Hiruzen himself, Naruto was finally brought back to the office, bound and gagged not unlike a certain purple-haired kunoichi three years ago, with the addition of a bunch of powerful chakra-restraining seals on his body to prevent him from using his Flying Thunder God Jutsu to escape.

And right now, Naruto was cursing like a sailor in his mind, as Kurama and the other Tailed Beasts hadn't even responded when he desperately called them for help.

"I thought I taught you better, Naruto," the Toad Sage looked down at Naruto's tied-up body on the ground and clicked his tongue. But Naruto could swear his eyes were gleaming in a gleeful joy.

"You don't have the right to say that to me, Pervy Sage," Naruto glared at his teacher.

The Sage clutched the right side of his chest in mocking pain. "Oh, I'm hurt. How can you say something like that to your poor sensei?"

"And anyway, why should I be her jonin sensei anyway?" Naruto complained. "Can't Sasuke or Sakura do that instead? They both don't have a team either!"

"You are the one who understands Fuu the best, not us," Sasuke looked at him with a deadpanned expression. "You are the one who trained with her for three years straight, so you should know all of her strong and weak points to help her improve in a team environment. You are the best choice for the position of Fuu's jonin sensei already."