Inuzuka Tsume shook her head at her son and his new teammates as they stumbled through her front door and acting happy at different volumes. 

The older woman chuckled while Hana yelled at them to be quiet, though it was mostly directed at Kiba. Aina and Kiba were laughing loudly and if Tsume hadn't had Fugaku Uchiha for a teammate she was sure she'd have missed the signs that little Sasuke Uchiha was happy at all. 

"We're going to the backyard to train, Kaa-san," Kiba said as they passed her, shoving Aina and Sasuke past her. Both children gave polite dips of their heads as they were forced past her.

Tsume shook her head in amusement, "I'll call you four in for food later pup."

Kiba grinned at his mother before shoving Sasuke and Aina through the halls of the house and out to the spacious backyard. "There might be some dogs out here y'know? Because our backyards connected to the kennel so the pups have somewhere to go. We gotta watch out for them because of that." Kiba rambled as he pushed Sasuke and Aina towards the kitchen where there was a door that led to the backyard.

"Doesn't that mean there will be uh," Sasuke grimaced, "feces?"

Kiba laughed, "Nah, they're trained when young to crap in the kennel, makes it easier to clean."

Sasuke nodded in understanding, "That makes sense."

Aina tossed a kunai at Sasuke, "The Inuzuka compound is really just one big training area and because Kiba's son of the clan head we got free-range."

"Yeah so right now we should focus on getting to know each other's fighting techniques so we can work together," Kiba said, "Aina is at an advantage because she knows both of our styles of fighting, but we need to find a way to combine our skills."

Sasuke nodded and tossed the kunai towards Kiba, "Alright, so my style is based on agility and striking fast and first, during group spares Aina usually hangs back as defence while I get up close."

"That," Kiba grinned as he caught the kunai, "Was the most I've heard you say in years, man. Now, my style is more of a smash until the opponent can't stand anymore, Aina usually distracts whoever we're fighting with a genjutsu or taijutsu."

Sasuke nodded, "So we'd be the heavy hitters of the team, I'd most likely strike first while you and Akamaru charge up. Aina would be more defence and capture?"

"Yeah, I think that would suit me more. Because while I can fight close range with kenjutsu, or swordplay, my abilities are more pointed towards keeping the enemy away from long distances," Aina pointed out as she caught the kunai Kiba sent her way, "I also have a small amount of iryo-ninjutsu under my belt but it's not something I'm going to specialize in."

"Ok, so if we were ever on an escort mission Aina would be the one to hang back while Sasuke and I attack head-on," Kiba paused as he tossed another kunai into the fray and caught the one Sasuke had sent his way, "If worse comes to worst, Aina can fight frontlines with us and I could leave Akamaru behind as a clone."

"That would leave you at a disadvantage," Aina pointed out, throwing a kunai at Sasuke. "You rely on Akamaru for most of your techniques, he's a crutch."

"So," Sasuke began as he caught both kunai and sent them flying back towards his teammates, "We'd have to work on his ability to fight without relying on Akamaru?"

"Yeah, I think Hatake-Sensei will be good for us, or at least you two," Aina said, catching the kunai and sending it towards Kiba. "He's got a ninken summons which will help you, Kiba. And he supposedly has, well you probably won't like this Sasuke, but he's known for having a sharingan in his covered eye. It's rumoured, but not actually known, that he received it during the war after one of his teammates, an Uchiha obviously, was crushed. It was a gift I think?"

"Really?" Sasuke asked, catching the kunai Kiba sent his way and throwing it to Aina. "So they put me on a team with him so I could learn how to use my sharingan, but were they thinking about you two when doing it? Or do they expect us to fail and for me to become an apprentice?"

"Who knows what the old geezers are thinking," Kiba shrugged before tossing his kunai at Aina, "All I know is we're gonna prove 'em wrong!"

Sasuke smirked, "That's the smartest thing to come out of your mouth, dog boy."

Aina laughed at her two teammates, "Alright, so we're team seven even against the odds?"

"You know there's this gambling phrase Kaa-San is always using," Kiba mused, "The Lucky Sevens."

"Then I suppose that's what we are!" Aina grinned, "The Lucky Sevens!"

"We should pass before we decide to name ourselves a team."

"Don't be a downer, pretty boy," Kiba grinned, pocketing the kunai that had just been sent his way. "We'll show you, we'll be the best damn team this village has seen!"

Sasuke crossed his arms, amusement dancing in his dark coloured eyes. The two pre-teens before him really were something else. His amusement dipped a bit. He didn't want them to lose this light of innocence but in the profession they were in... 

He wondered if either of them had ever seen death before.

"Hey you four, dinners ready, come in or starve!" Tsume called out to the recently formed team, breaking Sasuke from his intrusive thoughts.

"The last one in the house has to do my chores!" Kiba yelled as he shot towards his house. Aina laughed and winked at Sasuke before she scooped up Akamaru and took off after Kiba, easily gaining on the ruffian of a boy.

Sasuke huffed as he ran after the two pre-teens, frustrated when he realized he had to apply more chakra than usual to keep up with them. It wasn't a real surprise, Aina was top of the female part of the class in the physical aspect and high in the actual textbook knowledge and Kiba was middle ground for both aspects but relied on speed because of his clan's specialties. 

It still annoyed him even if it was a very rational difference.

Aina grinned as she tripped Kiba as she passed him, the boy went flying into the grass with a loud shout and Sasuke smirked at him as he passed by. Aina high-fived Tsume on the porch, said women giving a barking laugh at the predicament her son had gotten into.

"That wasn't fair," Kiba grumbled as they finally entered the dining room.

"Life isn't fair, you're a shinobi," Aina shrugged as she piled rice onto a plate Tsume had given her.

Kiba pouted and shovelled rice onto his on plate. Sasuke watched carefully as he slowly filled his own plate with rice and pork cutlet.

There was something different about his two classmates —teammates now, but he didn't need them— who were arguing and elbowing each other across from him. They were so close to each other and something in him made him want that so much.

He could remember, faintly because he tried too hard to push those memories down, the times where he and Shisui and his brother would eat lunch by the river after training. He could still hear Shisui's laugh echoing and echoing. 

Shisui was always smiling. Aina, Sasuke thought to himself, had Shisui's smile. It was a crooked thing that looked too sharp sometimes, too cynical. Shisui had been a genius too, Sasuke knew, a prodigy.

He knows that if the law against early graduates wasn't set in place then Aina wouldn't be on his team.

He also knows, with a fondness he doesn't want to admit, that Shisui would've liked her.

"Hey, Sasuke," Kiba grinned, pointing his chopsticks at him, "Tell this dumbass that the First Hokage was way cooler than the Fourth!"

Aina pouted at him, eyes wide and hands clasped together in a pleading manner to get him to agree with her.

"You're both wrong," He says instead, "The Second's the coolest."

He ignored the swell of happiness he felt when they gave mock gasps of betrayal.

—

Kiba and Sasuke gave dual looks of disinterest when Hana offered to train with them. 

"You're only a chunin," Kiba huffed, "Kakashi's a jounin, and you haven't been on a team in years!"

"Maybe we should let her help us?" Aina shrugged, "I mean, she has more experience than we do and anything is better than nothing."

"We can do it ourselves," Sasuke huffed, "We don't need help."

"Sasuke, Kiba, we literally just graduated, I think we need it," Both boys glared at her but Aina merely grinned at Hana, "We'd love the extra help, Hana-San."

Hana smirked at her brother and Sasuke as she looped her arm with Aina's, "Good, the Haimaru brothers and I pride ourselves with our teamwork so we're well-versed in that area." Sasuke and Kiba followed behind grudgingly, Akamaru at their heels. "Now me and the brothers got a special connection like Kiba and Akamaru so it's easier to trust and flow with each other. You four will be at a disadvantage simply because of communication, now what time did Hatake want you at the training grounds?"

"Six-Hundred sharp," Aina replied as she stretched out her shoulders.

Hana grinned something feral, "Good, I hope you're all ready for one hell of a training session."

The three newly minted genin shivered.

"Now, Hatake's known for his relentless talk about teamwork. The man literally failed twelve teams before you because they couldn't work together," Hana paused before she pulled out two blindfolds, "I'm going to blindfold and tie two of you together and have the third lead them around the Haimaru brothers and me. After you've all done it three times you're going to try and steal from me, got it."

"Yeah whatever sis," Kiba cracked his knuckles, "This'll be easy."

Hana smirked, "Easy huh?"

—

"Your sister," Sasuke, who was covered in cuts and mud and other things he didn't want to think about, hissed as he caught one of the Haimaru brothers by his front paws and tossed him over his back, "Is a menace."

"You," Kiba panted as he ducked under the open maw of another Haimaru, "Don't have to live with her."

"Sasuke, Kiba," Aina whined as she front-flipped over her own Haimaru brother, "Stop arguing about how crazy Hana is and focus on finding her! If we can't beat a chunin there's no way we'll pass Hatake-Sensei's test!"

"Right, Akamaru's got her scent," Kiba called, pushing his back to Sasuke's as he hurled kunai at his sister's dogs, "She's on the roof, Aina if you can get up there we'll follow!"

"Okay, don't let them hold you up too long!" She leapt up the side of Kiba's house, Sasuke's well-placed kunai saved her from falling when one of the Haimaru brothers jumped for her ankles. She lept high into the air, setting her sights on Hana who stood tall in the middle of the rooftop, a bag of dog treats in her hand.

"Hey brat number one, where's my brother and pretty boy, did they leave you to do all the hard work?"

"You know it." Aina shifted into an offensive stance her eyes narrowed on her teammate's sister. "Now, I believe those treats belong to Akamaru."

"Come and get them."

Aina launched herself forward. Her fist pushing forward as she grounded herself in front of Hana and twisted with her extending arm, pushing more force into the punch. Hana caught it with her free hand and flipped her. Aina twisted her body in midair and aimed an axe-kick for Hana's head. The older girl tossed Aina away, receiving a glancing blow on her forearm for her troubles.

The younger girl frowned and pushed forward again, shoving Hana towards the edge of the roof with a series of jabs. Hana clicked her tongue in annoyance and tossed the bag of treats high into the air. She dodged Aina's right fist and caught the left one, pulled her close she slammed her knee into Aina's sternum.

Aina backed away gasping for breath, a hand clutching at where Hana had just hit. The older girl caught the bag of treats and watched as Sasuke and Kiba appeared next to their teammate. Sasuke sneered at Hana and threw himself at her without consideration for Kiba's next move, forcing him to stay at Aina's side. Sasuke sent a roundhouse kick to her face and connected with his shin, smirking when the girl stumbled backwards. His eyes widened when she hit him in the nose with an overhand left, breaking it in the process. 

Sasuke gave a grunt as he jumped back to the two people on his team, a hand over his now steadily bleeding nose, "We need a plan."

"She said no genjutsu or ninjutsu and that's basically all of the skills I use." Aina gave Kiba a sharp glare, "And I'm not using kenjutsu against your sister, I don't want to kill her."

"Sasuke and I should be distractions," Kiba huffed, "We clearly underestimated her skill level and now we're at a severe disadvantage."

"In a real battle underestimating an opponent can be fatal."

"You don' say," Sasuke rasped, leaning his head forwards, "I's no' like we jusd god our asses hand't t' us."

Aina grimaced and moved closer to Sasuke, "She never said I couldn't use iryo-ninjutsu, here," She moved Sasuke's hand and placed her own hand there, both of her teammates watched her hand glow green and heal Sasuke's nose.

She pointedly ignored how silly Sasuke looked crossing his eyes trying to see what she had been doing.

Sasuke twitched his nose before smirking, "Thanks, now, Kiba on my left. We'll force her back and Aina can jump her when she's forced onto defence."

"Right," Aina and Kiba agreed, getting into ready positions. 

"Lead the way, pretty boy."

Sasuke smirked at Kiba's words and launched himself at Hana. After being tied up with Kiba for the past two hours he had a good idea, but not yet perfect, on how to fight with him as back up. Though he had Aina's good directional and leadership skills to thank. He had no idea how she had done it so efficiently, especially since he had Kiba had sucked. 

He feinted an overhand right and instead leapt upwards and grabbed onto her shoulders, sending her stumbling forwards with the momentum of his jump and his weight. Kiba was there in a second, his leg sweeping out and catching Hana's achilles tendons and forcing her to fall. She caught herself, flipping over onto all fours like a canine. She flipped into the air and aimed an axe-kick down on Sasuke who blocked it with his forearm, wincing at the pressure and pain that followed. He shoved her backwards and she flipped with the movement, landing in a three-point landing.

Kiba rushed her, sending an open palmed strike into her nose and backflipping over Sasuke who sent a shovel punch into the older girl's chin. Aina jumped over him, using his shoulders as a way to gain more momentum and came down on Hana with an axe-kick of her own. Hana tried to dodge but ended up getting hit on the shoulder rather than the head and barely managed to roll away only to end up in a bear hug from Kiba. 

Sasuke and Aina were on her in a second and the bag of treats was in their possession.

"We did it!" Aina laughed even with all the dirt smeared on her face and body, "Holy shit we actually did it!"

Kiba high-fived and even Sasuke smirked in approval.

"Good job," Hana grinned, "Now, steal it back from the Haimaru brother's."

"What?" Aina asked only to gasp when one of the brothers jumped onto the roof and snatched the bag of treats from her grasp.

The three pre-teens stared after the dog before sending harsh glares towards Hana. 

"I," Sasuke sneered.

"Hate," Aina continued.

"You," Kiba snarled.

Hana grinned, "Better hurry, the Haimaru's might eat it before you can grab it."

The three pre-teens groaned but jumped off the rood anyways, it was good training after all. Even if it did suck.