Ah, I remembered that you had mentioned this story when I had reviewed Learning to Run. So I decided to read this.

And I'm so glad I did. This was fabulous, in every sense of the word. Between Sakura, Izumi, Sasuke, and Naruto, the story was just wonderful. You tied everyone in together so well, and it was just amazing. Each passing chapter had me enthralled. Heck, each passing word had me entranced.

I loved the entire thing. It reminded me a bit of Mulan, as Sakura was pretending to be a boy. Is that where you got the inspiration? It's one of the better Disney movies, so I'm quite pleased that you have written such a great Naruto fanfic similar to it ^^

Excellent job with this. I really, really enjoyed this story. Nice work :D

What an excellent read! This was definitely a very creative survival training, and you're wrote everything and everyone brilliantly. Admittedly, there were a few mistakes that show that you rushed it a bit. But this was still a wonderful piece of work, and I really enjoyed the entire thing.

I'm glad to see that Ryu and the rest of Team 10 have it in them to work together, even though they get on each other's nerves at times. Their cooperation is just as fun to read as their bickering is ;D

I can't wait to read more. Keep up the fantastic work!

Author's Response: I\'m glad that you liked it, Rainbow Fire. I\'m glad that you liked my survival training. Sweet! I got everyone right. I\'m so happy now. I\'m sorry about the mistakes, but, like you said, I was rushing. I hope I can fix that sometime simi-soonish..... No promises, though, because I doubt I\'ll get time anytime soon. Sheesh, being busy sucks.\r\n\r\nTeam 10 is like a puzzle, fitting perfectly well with each other. I was afraid adding in Ryu would mess it up, but apparently their teamwork is still golden. I think I enjoy writing their fighting more than their cooperation. It\'s just so fun!

Now this is the kind of stuff that needs to be written more often on the internet.

Seriously, the emotion and drama in this chapter had me on the edge of my seat. My eyes burned from the computer screen, but that's not important right now. What's important is the fact that this installment was beautiful.

This chapter really had me falling in love with Ryu. Everything about him seems so... ah, what's the word... I can't think of a decent adjective, so we'll settle with awesome for now.

The emotional scenes were really gripping, and I love how you wrote how the characters were trying to make Ryu feel better. Sakura's a sweetheart, and Asuma seems like a great fatherly figure to him.

One thing I'm wondering though. Why did you choose Asuma? Is it because they're both Sarutobi (technically speaking in Ryu's case)? I do imagine finding some kind of connection that makes their bond stronger; kind of like how Kakashi and Sasuke bonded as sensei and student because they're both the serious type, which allowed Kakashi to favor Sasuke over his other students. I was just wondering if you were thinking of something in that aspect for Asuma and Ryu?

Other than that, I really loved this chapter. It was amazingly well-written. Great job, Sasaui. You've done amazingly well with this installment.

Oh, I almost forgot, happy birthday. May you have many more to come ;)

Author's Response: Wow. I\'m surprised you liked it that much. I thought it sucked compared to what I actually wanted. I\'m glad you enjoyed it, though. I\'m sorry about your eyes and hope they\'re better now. Yeah, I think the more I write about Ryu, the more I fall in love with him, too. Ryu\'s a lot of things, and awesome is definitely one of them. It seems like I do emotional things pretty well because people seem to like those chapters a lot. Ryu has some pretty good friends. Sakura is really kind in this story when it comes to Ryu, and yeah, Asuma is a great fatherly figure. I\'m probably going to have them be pretty close. As for why I chose him, I think, is because I had just read the Asuma dying part when I came up with it. I\'m extremely glad that you thought it was so great. Oh, and thanks for the birthday wishes (I think that\'s what you call happy birthday =P). I hope many more will come as well.

Hmm, it sounds pretty good so far. I can't wait to read more, so I'm going to read more :D

Author's Response: Sweet. I achieved winning a new persons approval. It makes me so happy to see my writing enjoyed by another person. That, I think, is the greatest thing any writer can ask for. I hope you do read on and continue to enjoy. But, if it turns crappy after this, sorry.

Amazing! As I said, I love Ryu. He just seems like an awesome character. His past is something that I'd like to know more about. And I love how Ryu acts with Sakura, it's so cute. I'm so psyched to read more! I must be off now to read the next chapter!

Author's Response: I\'m really glad you like my oc. I was afraid his personality or something would be bad. So far nobody has complained about how he acts, so I guess I\'ve done him well. Hehehe. I see that I\'m succeeding in making people wonder about Ryu\'s past. I love doing that, even if I hate when it happens to me........ I meant to make it seem cute between the two children. This is the part where they first bond, so I wanted something that would really make them bond, and this seemed like the perfect thing.

I had to read this twice before I reviewed. The reason was because it was just so good!

Yeah, it was long, but I'm glad you didn't split this into two chapters, because then I would have had to wait. Though it only hurt my eyes because I couldn't stop staring at the screen.

Anyways, I loved this chapter. You deviated from the normal plotline, and I think it flowed very well, even with Suki and Kinmaru and even Kakashi in it.

The dream was so informative, as it shows us a glimpse of what happened in the past and how it occurred. But I'm guessing Madara's not in this? If not, at least you brought that fact in early and explained what actually happened, as opposed to letting us believe Gekido and Madara were both in there somewhere. Though I wonder if the Ten-Tails ever existed?

The graduation exam was both happy and sad, as Suki passed while Naruto failed. Quite upsetting for our blonde friend.

And it's so upsetting to see that Kiba and Hinata aren't their friends anymore, but I liked how you showed that it wasn't their decision. Heartbreaking nonetheless.

And wow, interesting Guardian powers. I wonder what else Suki has up her sleeve. But I wonder why Suki didn't contact Kinmaru when she was captured by Mizuki?

And by the way, GREAT JOB WITH ORIGINALITY! It's so refreshing to see that Naruto doesn't accept Suki now that he knows the truth. It's so cliche to see how Naruto accepts everyone. Since Suki is the Guardian, it's only logical that Naruto would blame her for his problems. Poor Naruto is psychologically unstable from finding out the truth, so he would be angry with her. Thank you so much for including that, rather than having him accept her anyway. Of course I feel bad for her, but still, it's so nice to see an original plot.

Excellent work with this chapter. This was great, so I'm surprised that you think it was all nonsense. It was all amazing.

Hmm, I think you'll put Suki on Team 8, so that she can be friends with Kiba and Hinata again before she makes up with Naruto. That way, she won't be completely alone. Eh, I don't know :P

I'm sorry to hear about your grandfather. Bless you and your family, I hope you all get through it.

Oh, and thanks for the shout out :D Keep up the awesome work!

Author's Response: Oh jeez, when you said you had to read this twice, I was so scared! I\'m glad it was good though; sorry about your eyes :( I\'ll mail you some eye drops :D Yay, I\'m happy that my originality benefited this, as I was afraid no one would like how I changed this. Um, no, Madara won\'t be in this, but I\'m honestly not sure about the Ten-Tails. But at least you liked the dream anyway! Yeah, unfortunately, Kiba and Hinata could only be friends for two days before their families forbid them from talking to Suki and Naruto. Hmm, for the Guardian powers, you\'ll just have to wait and see ;) Yeah, poor Suki... Naruto now despises her, I\'m glad you liked it though :D I\'m happy I was able to accomplish originality. Thank you for the compliments! About the team... you\'ll see ;D I appreciate your thoughts for my grandfather as well as my family. Well, of course I\'m going to give you a shoutout; you\'re so awesome for the support you show my story! Thank you so much for reading and thanks a bunch for reviewing! I love hearing your kind words!

Hmm, I wonder how you will tie this into the story. Some of the techniques do sound accurate in the manga, and I could see which ones you had to make up. But the ones you did create don't seem random on your part; they actually seem to flow with the shinobi arts, or at least make sense in terms of all that. Interesting insight to the animals...

Author's Response: Yeah, I also wonder how I will tie it all in.... O_O Hehe... Anyway, I\'m glad the ones I created do seem to make sense, as I was worried some people might not like the ideas. I\'m glad it turned out alright though!

Eh, Kakashi seemed a bit OOC. Remember, he always keeps his cool, no matter what the situation.

But wow, I did like how you hinted at Suki's past. Her parents abandoned her, which was actually not what I expected. It adds to the build-up of her character.

I also like the nurse and her nosiness. I found it amusing, though with her new discovery, the story seems to be darkening, and I like the intensity.

That was a rather mean cliffhanger, though :( Now I must read more!

Author's Response: Ah, I knew I would eventually mess Kakashi up. Well, thanks for the honesty! I\'ll remember to try and keep Kakashi relatively cool and collected. I\'m happy that you continue to like Suki though! It\'s nice to know that someone likes my OC and the past that I have created for her! Hehe, yeah, the nurse is a little annoying, and the plot is indeed darkening. There is plenty more intensity to come, don\'t worry! Muahahaha! Cliffhangers are so evil, I love them (but only when I write them). Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it!

I think it's very cute how Suki is always thanking Kakashi. It's one of those adorable personality traits that define who she is. She's never had anyone treat her so nicely, so her thanking him so much is actually very cute.

Even the last part was cute, when she called him Daddy. Best part of the whole chapter XD

This turned out very well. Kakashi was kept in character a bit more. And I like how you're adding more detail to the other OCs, such as Chishio and Tetsu. It gives them more depth, something that we don't expect to see from those particular two.

Great work with this chapter. I look forward to reading more!

Author's Response: Ah, you\'re the first to comment on her thanking him all the time. I\'m glad that didn\'t go unnoticed. And what\'s more, you even liked it! Yay! Aw, I know, Kakashi as a daddy, it\'s just a cute idea ;D Phew, Kakashi was not as OOC as I feared. And I\'m glad I\'ve gotten you to think of Chishio and Tetsu a bit differently now. I love showing more depth of the characters; it always leaves people confused XD I\'m glad you liked this chapter! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing it too!

Yikes, after all Suki has already been through, you went and tried to kill her? Scary...

I loved the Twenty Questions part. It was so funny, and even cute, just as two seven-year-olds can be XD

And then you completely surprised me with this murder attempt. I was on the edge of my seat, my eyes glued to the screen, I was that scared. And when Kakashi made his epic arrival, I jumped in the air with happiness. That entire thing was so cool.

Oh, and the gold bird is back! Wow, I almost forgot about him. 0_o Well, now I can't wait to see if that bird will return. I wonder if he only shows up to save Suki? I'll just have to read more then! Nice chapter!

Author's Response: I know, I know! I\'m a terrible person to put my OC through that... Hehe, I distracted you with the cute entertainment of the Twenty Questions and then shocked you with a murder attempt. I\'m so evil. But, at least Kakashi\'s epic entrance made up for it :D And yes, the little gold birdie is back! Ah... nah, I won\'t spoil anything for you. You\'ll just have to wait and see ;)

Wow. Best chapter so far. The interrogation scene was awesome, as it flowed so well with the emotion and mystery.

And I thought it was an interesting twist that you added the Uchiha massacre in there right around the same time. You're keeping close to the plotline while also adding Suki's own troubles in there too. But it makes me wonder how Naruto and Sasuke will be together now, as Naruto is no longer lonely since he has friends.

I really hated that nurse. Seriously, why would anyone do that to a little girl?! Aw... poor Suki...

I started crying right along with Suki when she tried to run away from her destiny. It was so sad to see her try to deny what was practically being forced on her.

This was an amazing chapter. Perfectly written, mixing the various emotions amazingly well. This is was great. Good job. I can't wait for more!

Author's Response: Yay! I\'m so glad you liked it! Oh, it\'s good to know I didn\'t completely butcher the interrogation scene :D I\'m glad that came out well. Oh, and yes, I couldn\'t just ignore the Uchiha massacre, as it is very important. But you\'re right in thinking about Naruto and Sasuke\'s relationship now. Don\'t worry, it\'ll be clear soon ;) I know, I hated that nurse too! And I created her! Ugh, I can\'t believe I did that... Oh man, I made you cry again? *hands another tissue* I\'m so sorry for making you cry. I\'m glad you liked this, despite all the tears. Thank you very much for the wonderful support, it really means a lot! I\'m so happy that you have taken interest in this story. Thanks a bunch!

Ooh, plot developments, I like it. This interesting twist of bringing Suki back to Kagayaku Village is fascinating. I was wondering what you would do with her at Tetsu's funeral, and then I read that last scene, and I was instantly going into overload, wondering about what would happen.

I really like the way you explained things in this chapter. You did a great job with writing about the Kagayaku characters and what's been going on with their lives. And I was especially interested during the debate over whether Suki should go or not. Kakashi's care for her continues to make me smile :)

Nice job on this, Wolf-chan! Keep up the good work with all your stories.

Author's Response: I know, I like plot developments too :3 I\'m glad you like this new arc that I have come up with. Bringing Suki back to Kagayaku is something I\'ve been wanting to do for a while, but I obviously had to wait until she was a genin for it to make sense. The last scene was actually a whim; I mean, I obviously knew those characters would be there, but I wasn\'t going to originally introduce them until later. I\'m glad it turned out well :) Really, that came out well? I was worried that my explanations of the Kagayaku characters would come out... not so well. I\'m glad you think otherwise. Hehe, yeah, Kakashi\'s fatherly love still makes me grin like an idiot :D Thanks for the review, Rainbow-chan! I really appreciate it, you rock my socks, girl!

Wow... Well, what can I really say about this chapter.

Kasumi breaking into the Hokage's office was actually quite suspenseful. I was so worried that she would be caught. Then she had her mental breakdown, and for some reason, I didn't expect Kakashi of all people to stumble upon her. I find it kind of odd that there wasn't a bit of a fight there, but I guess it's understandable since he found her while she was in an unstable state. And I guess she's not really looking to fight just yet, she's still in the stealth mode of her idea, yeah?

Anyway, the best and most intense part was the second half of this chapter. Masaru and Osamu having their little spout really surprised me, as those two always seem to get along. I was shocked to see them fighting and having a self-pity competition. But I guess with pasts like theirs, what else is there to do except mourn?

I especially enjoyed when the other pirates were yelling at Masaru. I was slightly afraid you would make it a simple tea party after the last chapter; I prayed for a big fight amongst them after retreating, and I definitely got it.

Out of that whole ordeal though, I liked the part where Masaru was prepared to hit Ayame. When he stopped and you gave the reasons for it... wow, I never would have thought. So he doesn't use taijutsu then? And not even because he's not good at it, but he doesn't want to physically hurt someone... Wow, I just really liked how you described it.

Excellent job on this, Wolf-chan! This was definitely an amazing chapter, and I'm excited to hear that you will be posting more soon ;) Keep up the good work!

Author's Response: I was in suspense just writing about that scene. I was worried for her as well, so don\'t worry, you\'re not alone ;) Hmm, I suppose you\'re right that there probably should have been a fight, but I just didn\'t think there really needed to be one there. She won\'t fight unless she needs to (or goes on a rage-driven rampage). And Kakashi doesn\'t really fight anyway unless he feels he must. Yeah, the argument between Masaru and Osamu was something I had pictured just because those two are good buddies, and I wanted to have them fight just to see what would happen. Haha, of course I wouldn\'t make the pirates all cool with each other after the last chapter; it\'s just not believable. Hmm, you liked that part? I was worried about that scene, I was scared that I hadn\'t explained Masaru\'s thought process well enough. He\'s a ruthless pirate, so of course he\'s dangerous; but I wanted to show that he wouldn\'t physically hit someone because he knows what it\'s like. It was a strange thing for me to write, so I\'m glad you liked it. Thank so much for reading and reviewing, Rainbow-chan! I\'m really glad that you liked this chapter! Thanks so much, you\'re amazing!