Chapters: 2/?
Words: 5,046
Beta: None
Disclaimer: I forgot this the last chapter, but I'm only going to say it once, I don't own anything, but Kotori or any other OC in this story. I think it's pretty obvious since this website is called fanfiction dot net.

Index: *


"... and then I used my sexy jutsu to beat his stupid trainer!" Naruto said as they sat in their old classroom and waited to be assigned teammates.

"I wish I would've stayed with you after I got my photo taken." Kotori said as she faced him with her back to the front of the classroom, "I can't believe you taught him that transformation jutsu."

"Ehehehe," Naruto snickered at that.

"Huh, what are you doing here Naruto?" Shikamaru Nara asked, pausing on his walk down the steps, "This isn't for drop-outs. You can't be here unless you graduate."

"Oh yeah," Naruto snapped, "Do you see this? Do you see this? Open your eyes Shikamaru, it's a regulation headband." He snarked before smiling, "We're going to be training together! How do you like that?!" Kotori giggled while the Nara huffed, "Let me put it to you this way, I look great in this head gear! Like it was made for me!"

At that point Sakura and Ino fell through the door together and Kotori sighed. It looks like it's going to be one of those days. Kotori was already feeling down because of her latest vision. It looked as though Sakura was going to be the Kunoichi on her cousin's team instead of her. It made her angry that she knew Sakura was going to treat him crappy. She knew the girl didn't like him, but she didn't have to be so mean. It ticked her off, but she didn't want to get into a fight with a comrade, especially now. She was broken from her thoughts as Sakura practically tossed her cousin to the floor to get to Sasuke.

"You okay Naruto-chan?" She asked and he nodded as Ino and Sakura argued.

Naruto glared at Sasuke and then jumped onto the desk to get into his face. She already knew what was going to happen, but watched anyway for the comedic value. Sure enough Naruto was bumped and ended up falling mouth to mouth on the poor Uchiha. Kotori clamped her hand over her mouth to keep her from laughter from getting too loud.

Iruka came in shortly thereafter and the class was called to order. He explained that they would all be placed on teams. This seemed to surprise some of the students, but Kotori had seen this in her dream. He began calling off the teams and she listened for her own and soon they got to team seven.

"Squad seven: Uzumaki, Naruto," Haruno, Sakura, Kotori supplied in her head, "Uzumaki, Kotori, and Uchiha, Sasuke."

"Huh…" This was not what had happened in the vision, this was completely different. At the same time however, she could understand the reasoning behind the team. Naruto was hard to get along with and she tended to get along with everyone. Sasuke was a loner, but Naruto had a way of getting people to open up. They would want to put people that could work well together on the same team. The only thing was… she didn't dream it like that. It was supposed to be Sakura.

She ignored what was being said after that and thought about it. She had never seen herself in any of her visions. It made sense, she guessed, but she wasn't sure of it. Maybe I'm an unknown variable and that's why… hmm makes sense. She shrugged it off as Naruto started yelling about the team.

"After lunch you'll meet your new Jonin teachers," Iruka said to the class, "Until then class dismissed."

"Uchiha-san," Kotori said catching him by the wrist before he could escape the class, "Since we're on the same team, would you like to have lunch with Naruto and I?"

"No," He said and then attempted to pull his wrist out of her hand.

"Oh, but I insist," Kotori said tightening her grip with a cheerful smile, "Naruto and I would both like to get to know our new teammate better, so come on." She began dragging him out the door, "Naruto will you grab our lunches?"

"Yeah, yeah…" He muttered, but was slightly happy not to be the one getting dragged.


Sasuke was highly annoyed as he was forcibly dragged by the Kunoichi on his team. If it weren't for the fact that she was a comrade and a girl he would've probably hit her in order to escape. He attempted to try to pull his arm free, and drag his feet, but every time he resisted she would either dig her nails into him or grip harder. He was fully aware that he was going to have a bruised wrist tomorrow if not sooner.

"Okay," She said finally letting go of him, "we'll eat lunch here."

"Hn," He grunted as he looked around at the shaded area under the tree.

"I still don't understand why we're on a team with him!" Naruto said glaring at him.

"I do," she said and the blond idiot looked at her for an answer, "this team is kind of stacked."

"What?" Sasuke asked in confusion.

"Well," She grimaced and looked at Naruto.

"Should I tell him too?" He asked her and she glanced at Sasuke before looking back at her cousin.

"Not yet," She said to him before turning back to Sasuke, "Uh… Naruto has special chakra and that makes him… kind of powerful."

That made no sense to him, "You're joking," There was no way in hell Naruto was anything but a loser, "He can't even make a clone, there's no way -"

"I can to make a clone!" Naruto snapped and then made about five clones one hand sign he had never seen before.

"They're solid clones, too." She said poking one in the tummy and making it giggle. Sasuke tried to keep the surprise off his face. "He learned that in order to pass the test because he couldn't make a normal clone."

"What kind of loser can't make a normal clone?" Sasuke said as Naruto dismissed his clones.

"He couldn't make them because of his special chakra." She explained, "Or at least that's how Naruto explained it."

"Can we eat now?" Naruto complained plopping into the grass.

"I'm not stopping you," His cousin muttered as she sat with her back to the tree.

Sasuke chose to humor them and sat down as well, "What about you makes this team stacked?"

"From what I've been told the Uzumaki have unusually large reserves of chakra," She explained to him, "I don't have anywhere near as much as Naruto, but I do have more than the average Genin."

"What about you, bastard?" Naruto asked him making him scowl at the nickname.

"I'm -!"

"Sasuke!" before he could get out what he was going to say an annoyingly familiar voice called out his name.

"Hm, Sakura?" Naruto muttered as he looked up in the direction of the voice.

"Sasuke," Sakura's grating voice called as she stopped next to him, "Can I eat lunch with you and your team?"

"Why don't you eat with your teammates?" Kotori asked her before Sasuke could outright refuse her.

"Ugh, they're so annoying." she sneered.

"I find Uchiha-san somewhat annoying and I'm still eating and talking to him civilly, why can't you?" Kotori said causing Sasuke to scowl.

"Aw c'mo -." Kotori cover her cousin's mouth and shook her head.

"Well, since neither of us is wanted here, maybe we could eat together, Sasuke?" Sakura asked and he gave her a frigid look.

"No," He said to her, "I'm eating with my team."

"Oh okay," She said kind of put out as she wandered away.

"Aw, that was mean." Naruto said once Kotori removed her hand.

"This is team time, Naruto," She scolded, "Not flirting time."

"But-," He started.

"No buts," She said to him, "let's eat."


Hatake Kakashi thought about the things he had learned about his students while with the Sandaime. The crystal ball had shown that Naruto and Sasuke were likely to not get along and that Kotori was a quiet girl especially in comparison to her cousin. Sasuke looked a lot like Itachi, but not enough for it hurt to look at him like it did the other two. Naruto looked enough like Minato that Kakashi felt uncomfortable. Kotori made faces like her aunt Kushina at times, usually when she was giving a real smile. Other than that she looked more like a young Uzumaki Mito.

He noticed as he approached the door that there was an eraser wedged between the door and the wall. Most likely it was one of the Uzumakis' pranks and he debated whether or not to let it fall on his head. Hm, I might as well let them underestimate me. With that thought he slid the door open and let the eraser plop onto his head.

Naruto immediately began to laugh about it while the other two stared in poorly hidden surprise. He walked into the room tossing the eraser aside and took a good look at the three of them. Kotori sat with a medical textbook open in front of her and Naruto smiled up at him, but the last little Uchiha sat brooding. Apparently Obito's little cousin didn't like to be kept waiting.

"Hmm how can I put this," Kakashi mused aloud, "My first impression of this group… you're a bunch of idiots." That seemed to bother the boys, but his Kunoichi shrugged it off, "Let's talk on the roof."

Once his little Genin had made their way up to the roof they sat next to each other. The cousins leaned against each other as if they were attached at the hip while the Uchiha sat further away, but not too far. Sasuke seemed to be trying to make himself look detached from the group, but Kakashi could tell it wasn't completely so.

"Alright why don't you introduce yourselves," Kakashi spoke up and the cousins looked up at the same time as if they were about to start speaking together, "One at a time."

"What do you want us to tell you?" Kotori asked him.

"Hmm, Things you like, things you hate, hobbies, dreams for the future," He suggested just as Minato had done all those years ago, "Things like that."

"Why don't you tell us stuff first," Naruto suggested, "I mean, before we talk, tell us about you, so we can see how it's supposed to work."

"Me?" Kakashi asked pointing at himself, "I'm Hatake Kakashi… Things I like and things I hate… I don't feel like telling you that… My dreams for the future, hm, I've never really thought about it, as for my hobbies… I have lots of hobbies." This caused the two Uzumaki's to scoff at him, "Okay your turn, you on the right, you first."

"Believe it, I'm Uzumaki Naruto," He told him, "I like my cousin, and instant ramen, and I really like the ramen that Iruka sensei got me at the Ichiraku noodle shop, but I hate the three minutes you have to wait after you pour the water in the ramen cup. My hobby is eating different types of ramen and comparing them, and my future dream is to be the greatest Hokage then the whole village will stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I'm somebody, somebody important!"

Kakashi didn't let it show, but the words hurt. They sounded so much like Obito it was painful, "Alright, red your next."

Kotori smirked at being called by her hair color, "I'm Uzumaki Kotori. I like my baby cousin and yakitori*. I hate…" her face seemed to twitch as she realized what she hated, "... dreaming. My hobbies are reading and finding more ways to control my chakra." finally she seemed more confident having actually thought of her dreams before, "My dreams for the future or goals really, are to become a frontline fighter and eventually an S-ranked Kunoichi."

"Aren't you training to be a medic?" Kakashi pointed out and she frowned.

"I only wanted to learn medical ninjutsu to keep him alive," She said nodding towards Naruto, "You wouldn't believe some of the crazy things he's done."

"I only fell off a roof once!" He shouted in embarrassment.

"Yeah, whatever," She said rolling her eyes at her cousin before looking back Kakashi, "I have the chakra reserves for a frontline fighter, if I'm reduced to nothing more than a medic on this team I'm going to be ticked off."

"For a while, that's probably all you're going to be." Kakashi said moving on to his next little duckling, "Okay your turn."

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke," He said from behind his hands, "I hate a lot of things, and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan and destroy a certain someone…"

There was a pregnant pause as his teammates stared at him and then she spoke, "Kami, you're a drama queen."

Naruto snickered at that before Kakashi spoke, "Good, your each unique with your own ideas. We'll have our first mission tomorrow."

"What kind of mission are we going to have?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"It's a task that the four of us will do together…" Kakashi began.

"What?! What?! What?!" Naruto said excitedly.

"... A survival exercise." Kakashi told them, "This isn't like your previous training."

"So, uh, what kind of training is it anyway?" Naruto asked him.

Kakashi gave a dark chuckle trying to scare them, "What's so funny?" Kotori asked looking behind them as if she thought someone was making faces behind them.

"If I tell you that, you aren't going to like it," she turned her questioning gaze back to him upon hearing that, "Of the twenty-seven graduates that just came here only nine will be accepted as Genin. The other eighteen will be weeded out and sent back to the academy. In other words this is a make it or break it pass-fail test, and the chance that you'll fail is at least 66%." When they gave him shocked looks he smirked under his mask, "See didn't I tell you, you wouldn't like it."

"That's crap!" Naruto shouted, causing his cousin to flinch away from him, "We worked hard to get here! What was that graduation test for anyway?!"

"Oh that," Kakashi said lightly, "that was just select candidates who might become Genin, or not."

"What!" He continued to shout as Kotori scooted further away and began to look slightly irritated.

"That's how it is." Kakashi said nonchalantly, "I decide whether you pass or fail. Be at the designated training spot at five a.m. and bring your ninja gear. That's it you're dismissed," He said to them before thinking of something slightly cruel, "Eh, why not?" "Oh and one more thing… you better not eat breakfast tomorrow or else… you'll puke."

Kakashi then body flickered away leaving only leaves in his wake, but he could still hear Kotori say, "I take it back, Kakashi sensei is the drama queen."


Kakashi walked up to the training grounds at around 8:30 in the morning and then spent an hour at the memorial stone telling Obito and Rin about his students. How Naruto was just like Obito and Sasuke was like himself. He supposed Kotori was like a less mature Rin; the only real difference from his old team was that Naruto didn't have a crush on the team's Kunoichi and Kotori didn't have a crush on Sasuke.

"Hey, you're late!" The cousins had shouted at him when he finally showed up at the team's meeting place.

"Well, a black cat crossed my path so I had to take the long way," This seemed to appease the redhead, but Naruto continued to glare and growled at him, "Well let's get started," Kakashi then explained his test to them.

"Uh, there are only two bells…" Kotori pointed out as if she were wondering if her sensei could even count, "There are three of us."

"Well, that way at least one of you end up tied to a post and ultimately disqualified for failing to complete the mission. That one goes back to the academy." He finished and jingled the bells as he watched their little faces darken with determination, "Then again," He added, "All three of you could flunk out too. You can use any weapon, including shuriken. If you're not prepared to kill me, you won't be able to take the bells," Kotori looked alarmed at this for a moment, but then resigned with a determined nod.

Naruto laughed, "You couldn't even dodge an eraser, sensei, you're not serious."

"Class clowns are usually the weakest links," Kakashi taunted him with facts, "You can safely ignore them. Lowest scores; losers." That seemed to anger him, "When I say start you can begin." Before Kakashi could give the go ahead, Naruto was pulling out a kunai and much to the surprise of his teammates, he charged at their sensei. Kakashi twisted the blond idiot's kunai wielding arm around and pointed his own knife at the back of his head before he even realized his sensei had moved. This impressed Kakashi's other two students as they stared (the redhead with open mouthed shock) in surprise at his sudden movement. "Don't be in such a hurry," He spoke to him as the others regained their composure, "I didn't say start yet."

He let Naruto go as his cousin stepped forward and whispered something in his ear, "Hide when he says go, we need to form a plan."

"But, you came at me with the full intention of destroying me," Kakashi let amusement enter his voice, "how can I say this? I'm actually starting to like you guys." He paused to look them over, "Get ready, and start!"


Once they were in the bushes Kotori grabbed her cousin, "Send a shadow clone to distract him," she whispered as she motioned Sasuke towards them, "Listen, none of us will be able to take him alone."

"Oh come on, I think -"

She cut off her cousin's whisper with a shake of her head, "No, Naruto, he's been holding back."

"I don't see what this has to do with me." Sasuke said and she sighed.

"We're a team, we've got to work together," She tried to explain, "I know being a Shinobi is important to both of you. I don't care if I get sent back, so you can both take the bells."

"But, Kotori!" Naruto cried. He didn't want to be on this team without her.

"Shh," She said looking back over at Kakashi for a moment as the clone Naruto had sent engaged him, "We need a plan," She looked back at them.

"Maybe we should all attack him at the same time?" Naruto suggested.

"Good idea, but we need to plan what we'll do in the attack." She said to him, "Sasuke you're the fastest, right?" At his nod she continued, "Then you'll stay back and wait for an opening while Naruto distracts him. My taijutsu isn't as good as either of yours, so I'll use throwing weapons on him. Is there anything you can do other than the academy stuff?"

"I can do a fire jutsu." Sasuke answered much to her surprise.

"Okay then," She nodded, "Naruto, if you see Sasuke coming at Kakashi sensei as he makes hand signs move out of range, but bring your clones in closer to him." She turned to Sasuke, "Your main objective, however, is to get the bells, but if that fails fight." She looked back to Naruto, "Can you henge two clones to look like me and Sasuke?" He nodded, "Alright, you guys get what we're doing?" They both nodded, "Okay, regardless of what your objective is, if you're able to grab a bell go for it."

Naruto's eyes widened, "He just poked my clone in the butt!"

"Naruto, focus," She said to him, "The plan, go!"


Kakashi popped the clone with a poke and looked up for his students. He knew that the three of them were hiding, but then suddenly they were all running at him. A sense of pride swelled in his chest at seeing them use teamwork against him. It looked as though they had already passed his test, but he was going to toy with them a little longer just to see what they could do.

Naruto made more clones and came at him, but Kakashi caught on quickly. The two he had thought were Sasuke and Kotori moved too much like Naruto which meant they were hinged clones. That meant the other two were running around here somewhere, hidden. "Just what are they planning?"

Shuriken exploded from the brush on the opposite side that Naruto had come from and were followed by Kotori. Kakashi easily used a replacement from a log in the foliage behind her. She spun around to face him using a basic academy stance with one fist ready to hit and the other to block as she lunged for him. Kakashi easily got under her guard sending her flying back at the Narutos coming their way. The clones disbursed leaving the real one for his cousin to land on as they tumbled across the field.

"I told you my taijutsu wasn't that great," She groaned getting off of her cousin. Together they squared off against him with Naruto making more clones to run around him. Kakashi knew they were trying to lead him back into the middle of the field, but he was unsure as to why. He let them do it to satisfy his own curiosity.

That was when Naruto made more clones of himself, and the other two. He was able to see both of them make their way to the edge of the group as the others boxed him in. That was when the real Sasuke made an appearance, and began running through hand signs for - "What? Genin can do fire jutsu! It takes too much chakra! There's no way!"

Now it made sense that the other two moved away, they were getting out of range of that jutsu. Kakashi replaced himself with one of the clones as Sasuke breathed fire at him and down on the closer clones, but Kotori was waiting for him. She threw kunai and shuriken at him again, this time forcing him to dodge as Naruto called forth more clones. Once Sasuke was aware his fire jutsu failed he was flying right at him. The two grappled for a moment before Naruto's clones caught hold of Kakashi and Kotori used a kunai to cut the bells free.

"I got them!" She said to them and they moved away from Kakashi and she handed them to her teammates.

"You're willing to give up on being a Shinobi?" Kakashi asked her.

"I still have being a medic going for me so," She shrugged.

"Well in that case, you all pass." He told them, "Even though you didn't actually get the bells."

"Huh?" Naruto said, "We got the bells!"

"Look again." Kakashi said and the two boys did only to find their palms empty.

"Genjutsu," Sasuke groaned, "The bells weren't even on the side Kotori-san cut them from."

"Why didn't I realize that?" She said covering her face with her hands.

"Wait…" Naruto said realizing what Kakashi said first, "We… We all pass?!"

"Huh?" Kotori snapped to attention, "Wait, what?"

"I was told this team was likely to be the most dysfunctional of the lot," Kakashi told them, "But I was honestly surprised at seeing you three working as a team."

"Wait, this whole thing was about teamwork?" Sasuke asked skeptically.

"Yes, a genin has a natural feel for teamwork; if you three hadn't worked together you wouldn't have been sent back to the academy." He told them.

"Really? What would've happened to us?" Naruto asked him.

"You would've been dropped from the program completely." This seemed to shock them, "Follow me; I need to show you something." His genin shared a look between each other, but followed after their sensei until he led them to a stone that had names engraved in it, "Do you know what this stone is?"

"Umm, not a clue." Naruto answered while the other two nodded gravely.

"This stone has the names of ninja who were honored as heroes," Kakashi began only to be interrupted by Naruto.

"That's it, that's it, that's it!" He sang, "Now I know, I've decided I'm gonna have my name engraved in it! I'm not going to live and die for nothing like a dog, I'm gonna be a hero! A hero!"

"Naruto," Kotori scolded him.

"Huh?" He said looking hurt by her harsh tone.

"They are a special kind of hero," Kakashi said and Naruto noticed how grave he was acting, "They're all KIA."

"What's that?" He asked him.

"It means that they were killed in action." Kotori answered him and Naruto suddenly understood their expressions and the serious atmosphere.

"This is a memorial stone," Kakashi began again, "The names of my closest friends are engraved here." He stayed silent as he let that sink in, "If you three really want to be Shinobi you must realize you will be putting your lives on the line and the lives of your comrades." He looked at their serious expressions, "So I'll give you one last chance to give up. You don't have to become ninja."

"What?" Kotori said in surprise, "You want us to give up?"

"No way," Naruto said, "No matter what, I'm not giving up."

"You know I'm not backing down." Sasuke said after Kakashi looked to him.

"We're Shinobi, we just don't give up." Kotori said confidently.

"Well, in that case, let's all go eat lunch in town then?" Kakashi asked them cheerfully.


"I can't believe none of us saw sensei eat!" Naruto said to Kotori as they walked towards home. Ino came running up to them excitedly.

"Did you pass?!" Ino asked Kotori.

"Yeah! Did you?" She asked her.

"We didn't have a test," Ino scoffed, "Since we're InoShikaCho all over again Asuma sensei didn't bother with a test. I was so mad. I wanted to show off a little, you know!"

"That's kind of a bummer, but at least you got in though." Kotori said to her.

"Hinata's team passed too, I saw Shikamaru and Choji talking to Kiba about it." Ino said already guessing that Kotori was going to want to find her.

"Wait… that means…" Kotori looked worried, "... Sakura didn't pass."

"Sakura…" Ino said surprise coming to her face.

"Wait, you guys don't think Sakura-chan made it?" Naruto cut in.

"Oh come on, she probably did, I mean she doesn't have that big forehead because her head is empty," Ino said insulting Sakura to cover the compliment, "You really don't think…?"

"Our sensei said that only nine would pass." Kotori said to her, "I'm going to find Sakura; I'll catch up with you guys later."

"Wait up Kotori! I'm going with you." Ino called to her leaving Naruto in their dust.


When the two finally got to the Haruno household they were told that Sakura still hadn't returned home yet. They both knew that her Jonin test had to have been over by then so they went to some of the places they knew Sakura often went to be alone. They ended up finding her on a park bench near the academy. She was sniffling and wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand as they walked up to her. Kotori didn't even speak as she pulled her friend into a hug.

"You guys passed, right." She said softly.

"Yeah," They both said equally as soft.

"Did you come here to gloat about it?" Sakura directed that question at Ino with a pitiful glare.

"Just because we're rivals doesn't mean I wanted to see you fail." Ino told her.

"Hey, she hasn't failed; she's just had one door close." Kotori told her, "She still has other options."

"Like what?" Sakura asked her.

"Well, you could go back to the academy and try again, join the genin corps, or try to become a medic." She said to her, "You can make six clones, right?"

"Yeah," Sakura agreed.

"Well, I've been working on my chakra control for a very long time and can only do that much too." Kotori explained, "If you had the training that I did you could do so much more."

"You think I could really be a medical ninja?" Sakura asked and then looked at Ino who nodded.

"Totally, your chakra control rocks," Ino said to her, "I remember the day we learned the clone technique; you got it on the first try."

"Naruto still doesn't know how to do that, and he passed." Kotori said to her, "All it is, is chakra control, which is a lot of what medical ninjutsu focuses on."

"Yeah," Ino said to her, "If you show someone you skills I'm sure you'll have a sensei in no time."

"The only thing I suggest for you to do if you want to do that is learn to tree walk before then." Kotori suggested, "It's an important control exercise."

"Tree walking?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, what the heck is that?" Ino asked.

Kotori sighed, "Maybe the three of us could learn medical ninjutsu together?"

"I'm all for that, but first show us the tree thing." Ino said to her and Sakura folded her arms giving her that I-demand-you-to-tell-me look.

"Alright, alright," Kotori said holding up her hands, "I'll teach you what I know, but only on one condition."

"What condition?" Ino said looking suspiciously at her.

"You two have to stop fighting," They both scoffed at her, "I'm not asking you to be friends, as much as I'd like you to be that again. All I am asking though is that you get along like you are now. Seriously, I really hate that I have to split myself between you."

"I never really thought about how you felt." Sakura said softly.

"Alright, we won't fight, unless Sasuke-kun is in the room." Ino promised.

"Fine then," Kotori said happily, "Now, let's go to that training field that has a stream, we'll need to catch a fish after learning to tree walk."

"A fish?!" They both cried.


Yakitori: It's pork, chicken, or other meat on a skewer that has been grilled or pan fried. Usually a street vendor sells this especially during festival time.

(Sorry for not adding this one on last chapter)

Tamagoyaki: Is egg that is cooked similarly to an omelette, but square and rolled. Sometimes the rolled egg has vegetables in it. After it's cooked and rolled it's often cut into smaller pieces. This is usually served with miso, rice, and some kind of steamed vegetable.


A/N: So... I hope you liked the update. Tell me what you think I should work on, oh and I also went back and fixed some things in the first chapter. I made her a less skilled. Sorry to anyone that thought she was over skilled. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm doing with writing characters so... I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please don't flame me or be rude. Thanks for reading.