The day seemed to be a bit busier than usual, with a couple more patients than usual. Aceso was on her way to Kurenai's room to check upon him. 

 " Hey, princess," a voice greeted as she reached for the door handle. She paused, looked over, and saw Shino, Hinata with flowers, Kiba, Akamaru, Tsunade, and Shizune.

" Oh, um, hello," Aceso greeted. " What are all of you doing here?"

" Came to see Kurenai-sensei," Hinata informed.

" Lady Tsunade doesn't want to be in the office," Shizune laughed.

" Shizune," Tsunade warned playfully.

" Would it be alright if we saw our sensei?" Hinata asked nervously.

"Of course, go on ahead," Aceso agreed as she stepped aside from the door so Hinata could open it.

 " Try not to faint when you see Kurenai-sensei," Kiba warned.

" Come on, don't bring that up right now!" Hinata pleaded.

" Something happened I should know about?" Aceso asked.

" When Naruto was in the hospital--" Shino began.

" Shino, don't!" Hinata snapped at him.

" She took one look at Naruto all wrapped up in bandages and keeled over," Kiba teased.

" Kiba!" Hinata cried out as she faced him. " This-this is different!" She grabbed the handle. " I'll be fine this time!" She opened the door and walked in.

" I finally found you!" Naruto shouted as he hung upside down from the ceiling, his and Hinata's faces were really close. " Grandma Tsunade, there's something I want to say to you!" Hinata dropped the flowers as everyone watched. Naruto opened his eyes and realized who he was in front of. " Oh, hey." Her face began to turn red like Lee's face did that one time. " Hinata. Hinata, Hinata, what's the matter with you? Little sis, you need to check on her. Huh? Your face is looking a little red there. You ok?" He moved his head back and put his hand on her head. " You got a fever? Let me feel your head?" She started squealing, she moved her head around, and butted into Naruto sending him flying. She began to stumble back.

" Hey, Hinata!" Kiba exclaimed as he and Shino caught her, but she fell right through their arms. " You got to be kidding me! Are you okay? Get a hold of yourself, will ya?"

" Ahh, Naruto!" Hinata breathed happily. " I don't know what to say." They got Hinata in a bed beside her sensei, she quickly regained consciousness.

" Arf! Arf!" Akamaru barked as he was in her face.

" Ahh!" Hinata squealed, Akamaru got off her as she sat up.

" Hey, you finally woke up!" Kiba greeted.

" So you're saying Mizuki didn't know a thing? " Kurenai asked.

" Lady Tsunade even interrogated him herself," Shizune informed. " He didn't have any information that would lead to Orochimaru's current whereabouts." Hinata got up and stood next to Shino.

" So after all that trouble, he was nothing more than one of Orochimaru's pawns," Kurenai gathered.

" So it would seem, yes," Aceso nodded.

" And we still don't know what Sasuke is," Shino brought up.

" Not a lot to show for the knock-down, drag-out fight with Mizuki," Kiba said as he crossed his arms.

" That's got to be killing Naruto right now," Aceso said. They looked out the window.

" Grandma Tsunade, this isn't fair!" Naruto yelled they were in the courtyard. " You gotta let me!

" When I say no, I mean it!" Tsunade yelled.

" You're right," Shizune confirmed. " And thanks to him, Tsunade can't focus on any of her work. Naruto's been breathing down her neck, asking for permission to go off in search of Sasuke. She couldn't take it anymore and snuck out of her office-but--"

" Yeah, he was lying here in wait for her," Kiba noted.

 " Come on already!" Naruto yelled. " How many times are you gonna make me ask? Let me go out there and look for Sasuke!"

" Look! Enough is enough!" Tsunade argued. " Quit pestering me. It's not going to happen!"

" Gimme one good reason!" Naruto demanded.

" Oh, I don't know. Don't you have some training to do?" Tsunade asked.

" The Pervy Sage is gone, OK?" Naruto growled.

" We have zero leads on either Orochimaru or Sasuke all right?," Tsunade grunted as she turned her back towards him with her arms folded. " How do you think you're going to find him?"

" Look, I'll figure it out, Ok?" Naruto declared. " If we're out of leads, I'll just have to go dig some up. I'm begging you to let me go."

" You're as stubborn as a mule!" Tsunade growled.

" Yeah? Look who's talking!" Naruto yelled. " Now can I go or not?"

" Forget it!" Tsunade yelled.

" When I put my mind to something-" Naruto began.

" Ah, shut up!" Tsunade demanded. " A thousand times no!" The team left to go train as Aceso went and continued her work. The next day Aceso showed up at Naruto's door with the supplies he requested from her.

" Naruto?" Aceso asked as she knocked on the door.

" Do you got the stuff?" Naruto asked as he flew the door opened, his backpack was on him and wide open.

" Yes," Aceso answered. " Where are you going again?"

" On a search for a rare Bikochu beetle," Naruto answered as he turned around.

" A what?" Aceso asked as she put the items in.

" Bikochu beetle," Naruto answered. " According to Grandma Tsunade and Shino, the beetle has a sense of smell stronger than a ninja hound and can track any scent no matter how faint it is. With this, we can get a clue on where Sasuke is."

" And you know where you are going?" Aceso asked.

" Shino knows the way," Naruto said. " All that matters is we find and find Sasuke."

" I wish you all luck," Aceso said. " Having Sasuke back in the village would be great, though we would have to question."

" Huh?" Naruto asked.

" He did leave the village," Aceso reminded him. " It'll just be a little interrogation nothing too harsh."

" He won't get hurt will he?" Naruto asked as she closed the bag.

" No," Aceso said as he turned around.

" Whatever happens, you won't kill him, right?" Naruto asked.

" I won't actually kill him, but I will plenty of words for him," Aceso said.

" Promise?" Naruto asked.

" Yeah," Aceso nodded. " You better get going, don't keep Team Eight waiting."

" Got it!" Naruto laughed, he stepped out of his apartment, locked the door, and took off towards the gate. She walked down the steps and ran into Tenten at the bottom.

" How are you?" Aceso asked. Tenten jumped and let out a little scream.

" Heads up next time" TenTen. " Almost gave me a heart attack."

" Sorry," Aceso apologized as the two began to walk.

" It's alright," Tenten smiled. " I just finished up training."

" That's good news," Aceso said. " Are you going to go train again later?"

" I'm done for the day," Tenten said. " If I wanted to do it all day I would call myself Gai-sensei Rock Lee." Aceso giggled. " What have you been up to today?"

" I just dropped off supplies to Naruto before he went on his mission," Aceso answered.

" What kind of mission and Sakura go to?" Tenten asked.

" Sakura stayed back to work on her medical skills," Aceso answered. " Naruto went with Team 8."

" What are they doing?" Tenten asked. 

" They finding the Bikochu beetle, a beetle that has a stronger sense of smell than a ninja hound," Aceso answered.

" Why are they looking for it?" Tenten asked.

"Well if it all works out, the beetle will be able to pick up Sasuke's scent," Aceso answered. " Naruto....he's taking it really hard with Sasuke's leave. He'll do anything to get his teammate and friend back."

" I'd do the same if it was any of my teammates or sensei," TenTen said. 

" Friends will do anything for each other," Aceso noted. " I don't necessarily have a team, but I'd do anything for my friends."

"That's so sweet," Tenten gushed. " Say uh, Aceso...you like being a medical ninja don't you?"

" Yes, why do you ask?" Aceso asked.

" Well, as you know I tried but it didn't necessarily work out," Tenten informed as she looked at the ground.

" Then it's simply not your thing," Aceso said.

" Huh?" Tenten asked as they stopped walking.

" We all have something we are good at and things that we aren't. The things we are not particularly good at aren't our thing," Aceso explained. " I'm horrible at genjutsu, but I'm good at medical things. You are fantastic with ninjutsu and weapons, but not medical Jutsu. We all have our things that make us...us. We just got to figure out how to accept them."

" We can always work on our weaknesses," Tenten pointed out.

" That too," Aceso agreed. 

" Aceso!" a voice said, they looked to see Kakashi walking towards them. " There you are!"

" I will see you later," TenTen said before walking away.

" Bye, Tenten," Aceso waved at her before looking at Kakashi. " Did you need something?" 

" Naruto's off on a mission, Sasuke is well...you know, and Sakura is training to be medical training, so I thought I do some training with you tomorrow," Kakashi offered.

" You mean it?" Aceso asked as her eyes grew wide.

" Tomorrow at 8 am," Kakashi revealed. He told her the specific spot to meet him.

" Can't wait!" Aceso cheered happily. " See you there!"

*****

The next day rolled around, and Aceso ended up waiting an hour for Kakashi to show up, he was reading a book as he slowly walked over.

" You're late," Aceso pointed out.

" Maybe your clock was an hour ahead," Kakashi said as he put the book in his bag.

" Are we combating today?" Aceso as she got up from the tree she was balanced today. 

" Today you are working on balance," Kakashi informed. 

" Balance?" Aceso asked.

" Nothing work with working on the basics," Kakashi smiled at her. " Take a rope and use it attach it to a tree on this side and one on the other side of the river." Aceso did a jutsu and did as she was told. " This is where the balance part comes in." He jumped up to the branch where the rope was lined up with. " I want you to walk across this, on your hands"

" You want me to do what!?" Aceso explained as her eyes went wide. 

" As a rope master, I want you to be one with it," Kakashi said. " Balance is an important key."

" What if I fall?" Aceso asked.

" We'll have a lovely funeral," Kakashi answered.

" Dad!" Aceso explained, then she put a hand on her mouth.

" You want to get stronger, don't you?" Kakashi laughed.

" Yes," Aceso answered.

" Then come up here," Kakashi instructed, she got up to the same branch as him.

" Can I take my shoes off for it?" Aceso asked as she looked at the rope.

" Do you plan on fighting barefoot?" Kakashi asked as he looked at her.

" Well, no," Aceso frowned. " I just thought...maybe I should get I feel of it with the skin on my feet before shoes. It'll just be for the level one part of this training."

" So you want to connect with the rope?" Kakashi asked unsurely.

" I just feel if I am to get the balance on the bottom of my feet, then maybe with shoes, it'll become easier," Aceso explained herself as she looked up at her. " And if I do lose a shoe in a battle, I'll know how to walk and balance on the rope with smaller footing."

" Your feet are already small," Kakashi pointed out. "Besides, your feet won't be anywhere near the rope."

" Not the point!" Aceso exclaimed as she flailed her arms.

" Alright, alright," Kakashi laughed. " If you think this will help, then you may do it."

" Thank you," Aceso breathed as she sat down. She took off her shoes and threw them down next to the trunk of the tree.

" Ready?" Kakashi asked as he picked her up and put her on the rope. " Go!" He let her go!" She immediately lost balance and fell over, she landed on the ground on her feet. " Already giving up! Get back up here!" Aceso got back up and they kept at it for most of the day. She managed to get to the center of the room, holding the rope with her whole body and inching forward.

" You won't get stronger if you don't stand on your hands," Kakashi pointed out.

"I'm just a little nervous!" Aceso squeaked out as she held on to the rope tightly and had her eyes closed.

" Use that nervousness to your advantage!" Kakashi instructed. 

" Come on, Aceso," Aceso said softly to herself. " Just a little push." She pushed herself so she was sitting on it, she carefully pushed herself up and placed her feet on it.

" It's just like learning to walk," Kakashi said, she glanced back to he was slumped against the tree reading his book." If I can teach you to walk then I can teach you to balance on a rope and walk across a rope." Aceso sighed and looked back forward, she slowly stood, her legs weren't trembling for once, she fully stood up on her hands and held her legs out in a 't' to help her balance. " Only took you six hours."

" It was a bit difficult," Aceso huffed as she frowned. She closed her eyes and began to focus, she opened her eyes and locked her eyes on the tree in front of her. 

" Time to walk," Kakashi said. " But--"

" Here we are!" a voice shouted. " Embracing food will help us embrace the power of youth and get stronger!" The voice made Aceso jump, she lost balance and fell over.