The Third Hokage said nothing while he silently studied Naruto's official registration picture. His aged eyes met Naruto's, who had a cocky glint in his blue orbs. The Third resisted the urge to jump over his desk, cover the distance between them in an instant and smack the blond once for good measure. He went back to Naruto's picture.

"Take it again," he commanded. 'Does Naruto expect people to take him seriously as a ninja with this picture in his file?' This just wouldn't do. The Third showed the registration form with the picture to Iruka, who sat beside the Hokage on the same desk.

Iruka's mouth hung open at the sight of the blond in white face paint with red spirals. "Naruto, how could you do this?" The Chunin shouted angrily at his former student.

"Eh, hehe… It took me forever to come up with a good pose." Naruto just smiled and rubbed the back of his head as if Iruka paid him a compliment. "It's pretty artistic, eh?"

"Take it again." The Third repeated his words in the same previous deadpan tone as before.

"NO WAY!"

"Take it again."

"Don't say that."

A moment passed between the Third and Naruto, a contest of wills.

----------------------------

Hurricane Magic

By Oberon

Chapter 1

----------------------------

Naruto and Zelgadis looked down a long and lonely road overgrown with weed and forest vegetation. It was a hot day made only bearable by the stream at the end of this disused path. The need for privacy forced them to move their campsite here after Naruto blew up a section of the forest. Master and pupil stood side by side, each with their weapon at the ready. Zelgadis with his sword glowing an eerie red light and Naruto with a kunai held with both hands.

With his sword glowing red with magical energy, Zelgadis casually cut through the trunk of the nearest tree. The giant tree that had lived here undisturbed for over 50 years toppled over and fell on its side. The fallen three feet thick tree kicked up a dust cloud that reached as high as the shortest tree.

"That is the Astral Vine," Zelgadis began while Naruto's eyes narrowed into slits. "It enchants your weapon to easily cut through almost anything not protected by magic."

"So… it just makes your sword glow red and let's you cut down trees?" Naruto pointed at the Zelgadis' sword, his own kunai held with his other hand. "Though, it does look kinda cool but I don't think I'll learn it just for that."

At the moment, Zelgadis really wished he hadn't met the young blond. "Hold up your weapon, Naruto."

"Ok, if you say so." Naruto did as Zelgadis told him and held the kunai in front of him in a horizontal position.

"Don't move." With a quick downward cut, Zelgadis' glowing red sword hacked off the kunai's sharp end just half an inch out from Naruto's fingers.

The chimera sheathed his sword even before the broken off piece hit the floor.

"That's-that's…AWESOME!" Naruto's fingers twitched, dropping the other end of kunai.

"Oh great, I suppose now you'll say something like 'I'll get this jutsu down in three days. Believe it!' or something like that." Zelgadis perfectly mimicked Naruto down to the inflection in the boy's voice and the fist held up in declaration.

"Hell yeah," Naruto naturally replied. "Just wait and see. Three days, that's all it'll take."

"You say that now but we'll see."

Early the second day into training, Naruto already managed the recitation of the incantation without mistake. An accomplishment for the hyperactive blond but Zelgadis had to wonder if the boy suffered from brain damage when he came out of the womb.

"Good, Naruto. This method is working out for you." Most successors learned the incantation and the chaos words at the same time because it is useless to know one without the other. However, for Naruto's sorcery training, Zelgadis has decided the hyperactive blond needed some special education. That was why taught this spell in two parts. Naruto has just mastered the first part, the incantation.

"Eh? What do you mean, Zelgadis-sensei?" Naruto was clueless as usual.

The latest round of stupidity caused Zelgadis to pinch the bridge of his noise in frustration. "Most people learn the incantation and the Chaos Words at the same time. This way the words in the incantation become an aid to help recall the Chaos Words during spell casting. However, because of your… ahem… special condition. You will memorize the spoken portion first."

A bright smile appeared on Naruto's face. "So once I learn the Chaos Words I will be able to do this spell?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"YES! I'll be super cool when I cut Sasuke's shuriken in half."

"Naruto, I want you to promise me something."

"Sure," Naruto agreed without hesitation.

Zelgadis regarded Naruto calmly and wondered if now was the right time to spring the latest news on the high-spirited blond. "Promise me you will learn this spell no matter what."

"I'll learn this in the two days that I have left. No matter what," The hyperactive blond declared with determination of steel.

Zelgadis held Naruto's shoulders as he lowered himself to the blond's eye level. "Naruto, there is no way you can learn this spell in two days."

The words hit Naruto like a ton of bricks. "Wha…?"

"Listen to me, Naruto. This spell belongs to the Spiritual School of Shamanism, which they say is hardest school to learn. This spell is not only useful for fighting, it is also the only thing you will have that can hurt the thing in your stomach." Zelgadis let the words sunk in while Naruto instinctively placed a hand over his belly - over the seal for the nine-tailed fox. "If that demon ever gets out or you face another of his kind, this will at least give you a fighting chance."

Naruto grinned, the sudden dark mood lost in the moment. "You can count on me Zelgadis-sensei. Believe it!"

"I know you will but you also must realize, with your level of skill it will take years before you can use this spell effectively." The chimera decided there was no better way for the other shoe to drop. "Naruto…"

"Yeah, sensei?"

The determination in Naruto's blue eyes made the chimera hesitate.

"Never mind"

'Later,' Zelgadis decided.

----------------------------

October 15th, Morning Explanatory Meeting

Like everyday since graduation, Naruto checked the calendar first thing in the morning. The hyperactive blond smiled when he saw the date. The day Naruto had long awaited for came at last. October 15th, the day Naruto would officially take on the responsibility as Genin to the Leaf Village. His hand instinctively reached for his goggles on the dresser but stopped. He was a Genin now and today, he will show everyone. His hand reached for and picked up the Leaf Headband, the same one Iruka-sensei had gifted him. With pride and confidence, he fixed the band over his forehead.

Naruto's uneventful walk to the academy ended when Inuzuka Kiba got in the blond's face.

"What are you doing here, idiot. This is just for Genins." The larger boy had the personality of an uncouth canine and the breath to match. While Kiba's rather loud voice bellowed out each word, his faithful dog and familiar, Akamaru, barked in synchronization.

Naruto simply pointed to his forehead protector. "Yeah, and I'm a Genin." Naruto ignored Kiba's angry glare and just sat down at the closest seat. Kiba would have to throw him out of his chair to get him to leave. Even then, Naruto wouldn't go out without a fight.

"Since when did you pass?" Kiba growled but did nothing else.

Around that time, Shikamaru Nara found his way to Naruto and Kiba. He took one look at the blond and immediately questioned him on his presence here. "What are you dong here? Today is the explanatory meeting for those that graduated."

"See, that's what I was trying to find out." Kiba told Shikamaru hotly.

"Just look at my headband you two. Starting today, I'm a ninja." Naruto smiled widely. "This looks good on me, don't you think?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "How troublesome…" he walked off and after a moment, Kiba lost interest too.

Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno burst into the room, arguing about whom arrived first. Naruto stared in Sakura's direction, his face lighting up. "Good morning, Sakura!" Naruto greeted her with a smile as she approached.

"Out of my way!" Sakura snared as she elbowed him to the floor so she could sit next to Uchiha Sasuke.

Then Ino contested Sakura's right to sit in the chair she'd just thrown poor Naruto out of. In moments, most of the girls in the room were arguing over the evicted seat while Naruto still sprawled at their feet.

Naruto climbed up on the desk and glared at Sasuke, again attracting the ire of Sasuke's fan girls. Even worse, an inattentive boy at the desk in front of Naruto bumped into him during an intense moment during Sasuke and Naruto's staring contest. Naruto's lips met Sasuke' then the screams of outrage that followed immediately afterward, it seems the two boys had accidentally kissed. Naruto spat and gagged like he had been poisoned, his actions mirrored perfectly by Sasuke.

The Sasuke Lovers on the other hand, were incensed at Naruto's loose conduct – not to mention quite jealous. The beating they gave Naruto was well out of proportion to his actual crime. Only Iruka-sensei's intervention broke up the lynch mob. Poor Naruto looked like a wrecking ball had used his face for target practice.

When Iruka-sensei announced the graduation class would form teams of three, Naruto had already decided that he wanted Sakura on his team. For the other member, 'I can live with anyone as long as it's not Sasuke.' Those two thoughts kept repeating until Iruka finally reached team 7.

"Team 7, Uzumaki Naruto. Sakura Haruno,"

When Iruka said Sakura's name, Naruto jumped up in triumph while Sakura lowered her head in shame.

"…And Sasuke Uchiha" Now the situation reversed. Sakura jumped up and declared victory while Naruto sulked. Sasuke said nothing and appeared uninterested.

----------------------------

Later

The man stared at the eraser that landed on his head. Then, more for himself than the Genin team, Kakashi said, "Hmmm, how should I say this… My first impression of this group…I don't like you."

Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura only had guilty faces to their sensei's bluntness.

"Meet me on the roof in five minutes." Kakashi disappeared in a puff of ninja smoke.

The meeting with Kakashi ended with the revelation that Naruto wasn't truly a Genin yet. Not until he passed Kakashi's survival exam tomorrow. That was no reason to stop training though.

"Zelgadis-sensei, I'm here." Naruto announced at the end of the overgrown path that led to a stream. He found the chimera fishing the stream with a makeshift rod made from a snapped tree branch.

Naruto practiced the Astral Vine until dark while Zelgadis fished. Neither teacher nor student had much luck.

"Naruto, isn't it about time you headed back?" Just then, Zelgadis had a bite on his fishing line. The fish the Chimera pulled out of the water struggled all the way but finally, Zelgadis swung his fishing rod with a sudden jerk and won the fight.

"Wow, that's pretty good sensei." Naruto eyed the fish hungrily, just a step away from drooling all over it.

"Would you like some, Naruto?" Zelgadis wondered what plagued his student. The blond usually wasn't afraid to eat and couldn't stand hunger for any amount of time.

"Nah," Naruto lied, he really wanted it. "Kakashi-sensei told me not to eat anything for the survival exam tomorrow. It's super important because I would be send back to the academy if I fail."

"Hmmm… survival you say." Zelgadis went into his thoughtful pose. "That's strange; usually you want to have a full belly to start."

Zelgadis didn't want to interfere with the boy's training from this new sensei but then decided it would be better for his own sanity if he did. "If he fails, he might start whining like when Gourry lost his Sword of Light," the chimera shuttered at the thought.

"Eh, what did you say, Zelgadis-sensei?"

Zelgadis tossed Naruto a bundle of cloth. "Take that with you tomorrow." The chimera instructed.

Naruto carefully unraveled the bundle and inside the folds were pieces of dry leather inside. "What's this?"

"Jerky, save it for when you think you can't go on."

Naruto threw the bundle of jerky on the ground. "Kakashi-sensei told me not to eat anything and I'm not gonna. It'll be like cheating."

Zelgadis held his head at the onset of another headache. 'And He wants to be a ninja?' The chimera bopped Naruto on the head. "He said you can't eat before the exam. He never you can't eat during it, now did he?"

"Well, I suppose that's alright."

Zelgadis felt a lot better after he vented his frustration. "Good, remember to keep it with you and don't let him know you have it."

----------------------------

Morning of Kakashi's Test

The morning after of the test, Naruto arrived at the training ground before the first light of dawn. Sasuke and Sakura followed soon after with their supplies stuffed into backpacks for what they thought was a survival exam.

The three said nothing and simply sat in silence with their backs to one another as they waited for their sensei. All three consumed in their own thoughts.

Kakashi showed up an hour before noon to the angry glares of his students. He had some bullshit story about black cats but convinced no one. Then the white haired shinobi proceeded to tell the Genin that survival test was less about survival and more about getting the two bells on him. Only those that got a bell would become ninja.

"But wait, why are there only two bells?" Sakura pointed out.

Kakashi smiled. "Well the person that didn't get a bell will be tied to a log and has to watch me eat their lunch right in front of them." The next part truly delighted the white haired Kakashi. "Oh, and by the way, that person will also be sent back to the academy. It might be just one or all three." Their faces brought a smile to the Jonin, though the Genin couldn't see it. "You can use shuriken and kunai. To win, you must come at me with deadly force."

"But sensei, don't you think shuriken are a little too much?" Sakura complained while Sasuke remained quiet the entire time.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed. "You couldn't even dodge a chalk eraser."

Kakashi became serious. "In society, those that don't have many abilities tend to complain more. Just ignore the idiot with the lowest score."

Naruto literally saw red. "I can stand other people calling me an idiot. But not from you!" Naruto whipped out his kunai from the holster strapped to his thigh. Then he charged the Jonin while he formed a crossed hand seal. "I'll kill you." The battle with the kumo kuniochi had taught Naruto not to charge anyone head on. He had slightly better success when he attacked all three kumo-nin with an army of Kage Bunshin than when he took on that one kunoichi by himself. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Five Narutos materialized to fight Kakashi. Two jumped and went for an aerial thrust with the kunai. The three clones on the ground split up. The center Naruto went straight for Kakashi while the other two ran to the side, surrounding the masked Jonin.

But Kakashi was not a Jonin just because he supplied the Hokage with Icha Icha Paradise books. With his superior reach, Kakashi easily caught the wrists of the two Naruto's in the air. Then he flipped back while he planted each foot on the abdomen of each clone, using his legs and the clones' momentum as leverage. The two clones he threw backwards exploded on contact with the ground.

Meanwhile the two Narutos on the side got into position and attacked Kakashi from the side while the last Naruto rammed down the center.

Kakashi disposed the clone to the left with a quick leg sweep. "Too slow," he taunted Naruto while he grabbed the remaining clones by their kunai hand. He redirected their thrust but stopped their momentum just before the clone stabbed the real Naruto's jugular, and vise versa.

"Meh, I haven't even said start yet." The masked Kakashi continued his taunt even though he saw the anger in Naruto's eyes.

Naruto glared at his sensei with pure hatred. He tried to pull back from his own clone but Kakashi's grip was iron tight. He had no choice but to dismiss the clone. The smoke cleared and only the real Naruto remained in Kakashi's grasp.

"You seemed a little hot today, Naruto." The Jonin twisted Naruto's wrist, nearly broke it forcing Naruto to drop the kunai. Then Kakashi spun his student around then he crunched down and formed the Tora seal, index and middle fingers together pointing straight up.

Sakura realized what Kakashi was going to do. "No, sensei, don't do it!" She screamed out.

"Ninja tactics lesson 1: Don't let your opponent get behind you." Kakashi jabbed straight at the blond's behind. "Secret Taijutsu Technique: 1,000 years of pain!"

Naruto blinked and then it hit him. The pain shut up his spine and by pure reflex, the blond launched himself into the air.

The screaming blond came down on the lake only to hear Kakashi's final taunt.

"Why don't you cool off," his sensei smirked behind his mask just as Naruto hit the water.

Naruto gurgled as he sank underneath the lake. Just as Kakashi said, the cool water cooled his temper but sapped his strength. He didn't struggle as the current carried him to the bottom. "Damn it… It's not supposed to end like this…" and it wouldn't, Naruto decided. Determination replaced anger but his burning muscles reminded him of his hunger as he tried desperate to reach the surface. "I can't fight him like this. I'm so hungry I can't even make another Kage Bunshin."

"Take that with you for tomorrow…" Zelgadis-sensei's words came to him and Naruto remembered.

"That's right, sensei gave me something. But what was it?" He remembered he had something with him, he just can't remember what to do with it.

Naruto's head broke the surface and he coughed violently. Slowly he crawled his way to shore. The hyperventilating blond breathed heavily when he glared dangerously at Kakashi. "I'm not done yet. You got lucky, that's all. Just wait until I get something to eat, then you're going down." That's it. Something to eat was exactly what Zelgadis gave him last night.

At the mention of food, both Sasuke's and Sakura's stomach growled.

"Did you have a nice swim, Naruto? Since you have cooled off, we can begin." Kakashi regarded the Genins, especially Sasuke but he didn't let the boy know he had any special interest in him. "Remember. Come at me as if you are going to kill me. Nothing less will do. Ready, Start!"

At his words, all three Genins jumped back.

"The basic art of a ninja is to conceal his presence and hide." Kakashi looked around, only he stood in the clearing. "Good… everyone is hiding nicely." He half expected the loudmouth blond to stand there and challenge him but Naruto hid like the rest of his team. He decided to go after Naruto first. He was the weakest even though he could do the Kage Bunshin as the rumors claimed. "This will give Sasuke a chance to prepare and show his full ability."

Kakashi found Naruto with little difficulty. The blond thought he was safe in an open grass field. Kakashi continued his observation of the blond fully aware that Sasuke had followed him here and Sakura had followed Sasuke. "Sasuke must be waiting until I let my guard down," Kakashi thought. He was a little disappointed in the Uchiha; the boy severely underestimated the enemy. Nonetheless, Kakashi decided to let Sasuke see this.

Meanwhile, Naruto took out the package Zelgadis gave him last night. The water from the lake had soaked through the cloth and into the meat. The jerky tasked like algae from his swim earlier but the blond devoured hungrily. He bit into a strip and tore off a piece with his teeth, like chewing through wet sandpaper.

"He saw through my trick and thought ahead." Kakashi thought silently from his hiding place. "I have to give him credit. Perhaps he's not hopeless after all."

Naruto finished off the last piece then patted his belly. "Ah, that hit the spot."

"Pst, didn't I tell you not to eat anything?" Kakashi whispered into Naruto's ear. The boy froze when he realized the Jonin had snuck up from behind. What's worse, Kakashi caught him eating. The boy swallowed nervously. "There will be no eating during the test!" With a mighty kick to the ass, Kakashi send Naruto into the stratosphere. The white haired Jonin ended the kick like a soccer player that had just kicked the ball across the field.

Naruto disappeared over the tree line but Kakashi suddenly felt several kunai disturb the air. "A trap," The Jonin regained his balance from the soccer kick just in time. The kunai nailed the ground where he would have stood had he not dodged the incoming projectile. Kakashi looked up and saw the grinning blond and his clones on a tree across the grass field. Each of the boys still had a piece of the jerky hung from their lips.

"Well, well, well, you surprised me yet again." Before Kakashi could finish his compliment, the eight Narutos attacked him as one.

The blonds gave off a battle cry then launched their kunai at Kakashi in sequenced and forced the Jonin to block each kunai as it came in. This bought the Narutos precious seconds to close in from their dive. Kakashi took a step back, avoided the last kunai just as the Narutos landed where he previously stood. One of them grabbed the kunai that Kakashi had just dodged. The other seven spread out, encircling their sensei.

The blond that recovered the kunai issued a challenge to Kakashi. "That bell is mine."

The Jonin decided that he must be the real Naruto. With a quick burst of speed, he delivered a brutal right hook to the blond's cheek. Kakashi's punch had enough force to knock Naruto into a puff of ninja smoke.

"A clone," the other seven rushed him while his back was to them. The Jonin caught the first clumsy punch without looking and used the momentum to swing around and knock back two other Narutos with the one he caught. All three disappear while four others ran through the smoke left behind by the first three.

The first one that got to Kakashi went down in an instant while the white haired shinobi avoided a counter kick with a cross guard block. The next clone went down quickly followed by another from Kakashi's fast strikes until finally, only one Naruto still stood. With all his attention focused on what he thought was the real Naruto, a hand burst through the soft soil beneath Kakashi's feet and held on to the Jonin. Naruto surprised Kakashi yet again at the very moment as another clone of the blond grabbed the Jonin from behind, restraining his arms.

"Hehe, what did you say about not letting an enemy get behind you?" The blond on his back taunted.

"Very good, Naruto, but not good enough." The masked Jonin moved to extract the one holding him from behind by using his powerful left arms. Out of nowhere, another Naruto restrained the arm before it could reach the clone.

In an instant, Naruto had swarmed Kakashi with his clones. At least six clones clung on the Jonin and held him with all their might. The blonds held on with everything they had, fighting against Kakashi's greater physical power by exerting force from different angles.

"Impressive. You held back your clones while you hid another underground. When I thought I found the real you, the one underground ambushed me from below." Kakashi allowed the blonds their moment of victory. The satisfied smirks on their faces told Kakashi the blond savored every second of it. "I underestimated you, Naruto Uzumaki."

"Hehe, get ready for pain." The clones shouted in unison. "I am going to beat you."

A Jonin wouldn't take such threats seriously, not coming from a Genin, most of the time. A Jonin would naturally have more knowledge of jutsu that would allow him or her to escape while experience gave the Jonin an insurmountable advantage over the most talented of Genins. Their difference in power, knowledge and experience was so vast that most Jonin could destroy 99.99 of all Genins. Kakashi would have ignored Naruto's threats too, if not for the suddenly sense of dread that came from Naruto. Years of combat in the last war had honed Kakashi survival instincts, giving him a split second warning before a powerful attack. Against any skilled shinobi, this extrasensory perception was nearly useless because most shinobi learned to hide their intensions or gave off a steady threat of danger during combat. However, for reasons Kakashi couldn't fathom, he felt the danger from Naruto spike sky-high.

"Source of all power, light which burns beyond crimson…" The real Naruto began the chant from several feet behind Kakashi. He recited the incantation quietly under his lips while he squinted in intense concentration. This will wipe out all the clones but will also take out Kakashi in the process. Naruto's eyes snapped open. "Alright, this is it!"

Kakashi new his life was in danger, with little recourse, the Jonin opened his First of the Eight Inner Gates.

The Inner Gates are natural inhibitors that prevent a human from using more than 20 of their muscle strength. By opening each gate, a shinobi can gain a massive flow of strength and Chakra but at the expense of their health. A person can only maintain this state for short bursts and with all eight gates open, the person gains tremendous power but death is assured shortly afterwards.

Kakashi opened the first gate, Kaimon, giving him five times his normal strength. The sudden burst of power was enough to overpower the Naruto clones. The masked Jonin tossed the clones aside and flung them out of his way. He whipped around and found the source of the danger. The real Naruto stood across the grassy field with a look of intense concentration.

"Let thy power gather…" Naruto locked eyes with Kakashi but the Jonin wouldn't give him the chance to finish. The white haired shinobi crossed the distance between them so fast that Naruto couldn't even see him move. Nor did Naruto see the fist to his jaw until he reeled from the pain. Naruto lost concentration before he summoned the streaks of spiraling amber, the spell ended.

The grass slipped under him until he finally stopped and Naruto fell into unconsciousness.

----------------------------

From the undergrowth of the forest, Sasuke had a clear view of Naruto's fight with Kakashi. He waited silently, controlling his breathing and muscle movements, waiting for the moment that never came. Kakashi never relaxed for a second, not even after he knocked Naruto out with such speed that Sasuke couldn't even see the Jonin move from this vantage point. The Uchiha reserved one last contemptuous stare for the blond.

"You're trash Naruto and always will be," he thought silently then moved away to prepare for his own fight with Kakashi. "What an idiot, you exposed your real self by standing so far away from your clones."

With that thought, Sasuke grinned as a plan formed. He had seen what the Jonin can do. However incompetent Naruto was, he did show Sasuke one thing. Kakashi was just like every ordinary ninja, not impossible to fool. He'd be ready.

----------------------------

Sakura had lost track of Sasuke shortly after Naruto's defeat. "I have to find Sasuke. If sensei did that to Naruto…I have to go help Sasuke."

The kunoichi felt a presence behind her. "Sasuke…?"

"Sorry, it's just me." Kakashi grinned as he whispered to Sakura and watched the girl stiffen. "Ninja tactic lesson 2: Genjutsu!"

Genjutsu is the art of illusion. Using various means, a Genjutsu user makes an opponent see and feel things that isn't real. Another words, it is the power to attack the mind directly, bypassing the body.

Moments later, Sakura's scream echoed in the forest.

----------------------------

"That must be Sakura," the scream had reached Sasuke but the boy only spared the kunoichi a second of thought. He felt no desire for her safety nor did he felt the curiosity for the kunoichi's fate. He had set a trap for Kakashi. Here he would make a stand.

"Did you enjoy the show?" Kakashi stood, leaning casually on a tree behind Sasuke. "Naruto gave me a work out, could you do any better?"

Sasuke huffed. "Why would I care about that idiot? He lost."

Sasuke turned around to face Kakashi, for a moment a silent peace existed between them as they gauged the other's readiness. The Uchiha suddenly drew and launched a kunai at the Jonin, forcing Kakashi back.

"You know, Naruto came very close. He might have taken a bell from me if he wasn't so focused on beating me." Kakashi taunted, probing for any obvious buttons like with Naruto.

Sasuke only grinned when he saw the Jonin avoid his kunai. He spun a second kunai in his hand, ready to cut the trip wire for his trap. Sasuke just needed Kakashi to stand there for a split second for the kunai trap he planted. Fifteen kunais would fly out from their hiding place and skewer anything in its way.

"I'm not through yet!"

Kakashi suddenly spun around and dodged a kunai thrown from above his head. Sasuke cursed and held back the trap because Kakashi now stood to the left of kunais trap's path.

Naruto landed on the tree Kakashi had leaned on just moments ago. He looked beaten up with trickling blood from one lip while his entire left face swelled into one giant bruise after Kakashi's knockout punch.

"Damn it. Get out of here, idiot. You're in the way!" Sasuke shouted to the blond. He ruined everything.

Kakashi spied Naruto with a lame look. "Have you come to help Sasuke, Naruto? I think he was doing a pretty good job before you came along."

The blond glared at the Uchiha then back at Kakashi. "Hell, no. I just came to beat you up."

But Kakashi dismissed the blond with a casual wave and a hint of disappointment which he hid really well. "I see. Attack me if you wish. I bet Sasuke here can show you a thing or two."

While Kakashi talked, Sasuke sensed his opponent let his guard down just for a moment. The Uchiha took the opening and rapidly flashed through a set of hand seals.

Kakashi ignored Sasuke until the Uchiha form the last seal, a Tora, and then the boy inhaled a deep breath. "What? That isn't a technique a Genin can do." There was genuine surprise in Kakashi's voice.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

Naruto watched the confusion as Sasuke roasted Kakashi alive. The blond got another shock once the jutsu ended when out from nowhere, Kakashi's hand erupted from the ground, grabbed Sasuke and pulled him all the way down, burying Sasuke up to the neck.

Sasuke glared up at Kakashi with only his head aboveground.

The Jonin then turned to Naruto who still have a dumbfounded look on his face. Kakashi suddenly had a wicked thought but he kept it hidden underneath his mask. He stood directly over Sasuke's head and pulled out a kunai, dangled it with the sharp end right over the Uchiha's skull. His free hand went to his hip and retrieved one of the two bells needed for the exam. Then he stood with arms wide open, the kunai and the bell as far apart as the distance between Kakashi's outstretched hands on either side would allow.

"Naruto, I know how hard it has been for you to get this far. That is why I will give you one last chance to pass." Kakashi let the Kunai slip just a little bit. "When I count to three, I will drop both the Kunai and the bell. You have a choice, you can let Sasuke die and get a bell or you can safe Sasuke's life and forgo the bell."

'What should I do? What should I do?' Naruto froze up then his entire body shook. The weight on his heart felt so heavy that he did not notice his own nails had dug so deep into his palm that he bled there as well. His eyes went to the bell then to the kunai and finally down to Sasuke.

"Ticktock, ticktock, Naruto."

The blond looked away, disgusted with his sensei and the choice he placed on him.

Kakashi saw the indecision and pushed the blond further when he again let the kunai slip just a little more. "A shinobi is often faced with the decision to safe his comrade or complete the mission. Those that fail are trash. So, Naruto what will it be?"

"Shut up!" The blond shouted, barely held on as he kept his rage in check for fear that he would do something to make Kakashi drop the kunai. "Just, shut up."

"Well, you must have made up your mind. I will start counting."

"One…"

"Two…"

Can Naruto figure out the answer before it's too late? Stay tuned and find out.

"Three…"

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To be continued in chapter 2

Enjoy and Review

PS. If questions please post in on the Hurricane Magic Q&A thread in my forum. Go to my profile to enter the forum.