Switched
Chapter 2: Reactions
Just a few disclaimers: I don't own Naruto, I wish I did. Also, I'm trying to avoid character bashing that come from my own opinions, the bashing will be from the characters' points of view. And I know you're probably thinking, "Nice try," or "Who are you trying to fool?" If you like to think the bashings are from my perspective, go ahead, but they're not. Also, no hate filled reviews. Like I've said before, phrase them in a friendly, non-threatining manner. We're all civilized here right? Right?
Key: Italics=Thought
If Naruto is talking to Kurama and the text isn't in italics, he's talking to him while in his mind, not while he's outside.
Naruto couldn't believe his luck. He'd been paired with the two people he couldn't stand the most. The Haruno girl may have had the highest test scores in the Academy, but her combat skills left much to be desired. He noticed how, like practically every other girl in the academy with the exception of Hinata, she would get hearts in her eyes any and every time the last Uchiha would just make a passing appearance.
The Uchiha. Naruto never really knew what made him hate that name so much; what made him despise that wretched clan's kekkai genkai: the Sharingan; what drove him to thinking of pulling their disgusting eyes out and to crush them in his hands. That was until recently, when he learned why he became an orphan. He could only guess that that nine-tailed bastard had something against that clan, but it wasn't like he would tell a kid.
Some clan, they were all slaughtered in a single night, so much for the 'mighty Uchiha. Naruto thought to himself.
He unlocked the door to his dingy little apartment that old man Sarutobi managed to provide him with. Their joke of a jonin sensei had told them that he would have some sort of special test for them tomorrow. Wasn't he supposed to be done with tests after he graduated the Academy? The village council may have been doing it just to keep him from going anywhere. They had no doubt that two of the best students of his year would pass no problem, and the dead last demon brat would fail without question.
Sasuke entered his house, use to always finding it empty. Many times the Third Hokage offered to set him up in an apartment in Konoha, like Naruto. But each time Sasuke refused. He would sooner die than let Itachi get to him, sending him running like a helpless puppy. He only owned his family's house, the rest of the Uchiha compound was boarded up, never to be used, out of respect for the mighty clan, and out of fear of the ghosts that haunted the old buildings.
Kakashi-sensei came off as a little odd, but if he was a jonin, then he must have some skills in the shinobi arts. As for the rest of his team, he wasn't really sure how to describe them. Sakura apparently was one of the smartest kunoichi of their generation, and her knowledge would no doubt be a valuable asset. As for Uzumaki, he couldn't come up with a reason. His skills at the Academy were subpar from what he'd seen. He always missed most of the targets in the shuriken throws, his chakra control was abysmal; he heard in passing from Mizuki-sensei, who was talking to another Academy instructor, that during the graduation exam, the clone the blond created looked like it was about to die from some terminal disease, and he could only guess at his test scores from when the other students would laugh at him when they got their tests back.
What did Naruto do deserve to be treated the way he was? The best guess he could make was that someone from his clan had done something really bad. There were no other Uzumaki that lived in the village. At least none that were shinobi. Maybe an Uzumaki had done something so bad that it blacklisted their clan forever.
Sakura was ecstatic that night. She had been placed on a team with Sasuke. She also remembered that she was also paired up with that odd blond kid Naruto.
Iruka-sensei said that teams were formed with the worst students often being paired with the best students, to even things out. She already knew that Naruto was terrible, but she wouldn't let that bring down her spirits. Their jonin sensei didn't seem to be, there that much.
Mebuki Haruno and her husband Kizashi were sitting down while enjoying some tea. She noticed her daughter's great increase in mood.
"So how did things go today Sakura?" she asked.
"We got our teams' today mom."
"So whose team are you on?" Kizashi asked.
"I was put on the same team as Sasuke."
"The Uchiha, well I guess you're the lucky one, most kids your age would sell their houses to be on the same team as an Uchiha, let alone the last Uchiha. And your other teammate?"
"Oh, Naruto Uzumaki is also on my team." Sakura saw that her father's usual carefree attitude had instantly dropped at the mention of the village pariah. Mebuki still had her serious mood on her face, but her eyes held something that her daughter rarely ever saw. Fear.
"Is everything alright?"
"So that Uzumaki child is on your team." It wasn't a question.
"Is there something you guys know that I don't?"
"It's something that's older than you dear, and something we are not allowed to speak about by decree of the Third Hokage."
Sakura wanted to ask more, but she knew that if the Third Hokage wanted something to be a secret, than it would be best not to probe.
Naruto's alarm clock woke him up early the next morning, before being thrown against a wall.
He placed a cup of instant ramen in the microwave. Their baka sensei told them to skip breakfast or else they'd puke. Did he really take Naruto for that much of a fool.
At the Third Training Ground, Sasuke and Sakura arrived at the same time, still tired from having to come so early.
Naruto was already there, and sleeping while propped up against a tree.
In the middle of the field were three logs that were placed into the ground; Sasuke took the one in the middle while Sakura took one of the end ones.
"Is it just me, or does something about him strike you as odd?" Sakura asked.
"You mean besides that orange 'kill me' suit." Sasuke was able to get a laugh out of the rosette. She soon stopped laughing. "When I told my parents he was on our team, they seemed to actually be afraid. They told me that they couldn't tell me because of some rule that the Third Hokage passed."
"I've sometimes heard the older villagers talk about him vaguely, but when they noticed me, they just stopped. I've heard them call him 'monster,' and 'demon brat.'"
"What do you think he did?"
Sasuke could only give her his best guess. "Maybe someone from his clan did something really bad to the village. Have you ever heard of any Uzumaki in Konoha?"
"No."
About an hour and a half later, Kakashi-sensei finally showed up. "Hey there guys, sorry I'm late, but a black cat crossed my path, so I had to go on a longer route to get here."
Black cat my ass, he probably forgot what he was supposed to do, pathetic, Naruto thought. Sakura and Sasuke weren't buying the excuse either.
"Well, let's get started then." Kakashi placed a small alarm clock on one of the posts. "Your assignment today: to take these bells from me." Kakashi held out two bells in his right hand.
"That's it?" Sasuke asked.
"Well, there's more of a catch to it than you think. If you don't get one of these bells before noon, you'll have to miss lunch. The ones that fail will be tied to those posts, and watch me eat my lunch."
Ha, good thing I had breakfast today, Naruto thought as Sasuke's and Sakura's stomachs growled.
"But if there are three of us, why are there two bells?" Sakura questioned.
"Because, there'll be at least two of you that pass, the one that ends up tied to the posts will be disqualified, and sent back to the academy."
"WHAT?!" all of them screamed at once.
"But we worked hard to get here; what was that graduation test about?" Sasuke asked.
"That was just a test to decide potential genin. Of the 27 that passed, only 9 will be made true genin, the rest will be sent back to the Academy, that's the way it works."
I'm not going back to that dump! I'll take those bells even if I have to tear his flesh off to get them!
If I fail, I'll lose Sasuke, I can't let that happen, this is a test of love!
I'm not going to let anything stop me.
"You're allowed to use any ninjutsu you know against me; you can also use shuriken and kunai."
"But sensei, those weapons are too dangerous," Sakura said.
"That's the point, if we don't go at him as if we were ready to kill him, there's no way we'll pass. Are you sure you got the best test scores in the Academy," Naruto said with a sneer.
HE'LL PAY FOR THAT, CHA! Inner Sakura screamed.
"Yes, Naruto's right, if you don't treat this like a real take no prisoners mission, you'll lose. When I say begin, begin. Ready?" Each of the genin tensed up. "Begin." Naruto drew several kunai from the pouch on his belt and hurled them at the silver haired man. Each of them landed their marks. In a puff of smoke, the Kakashi standing dead in front of them was replaced by a log with the same kunai embedded into it.
"What?! A substitution jutsu."
"Surprise surprise." Kakashi was holding Naruto's right hand, which had another kunai in it, right behind his head.
He was so fast we didn't even see him, Sasuke thought.
So this fool is a jonin.
"Shinobi battle tactics number one, taijutsu, physical combat." Kakashi let go of Naruto's wrist and jumped back fifteen feet. He reached into the pouch on his left side.
If he's using taijutsu, why is he reaching for a weapon, Sakura thought to herself.
What Kakashi pulled out wasn't a kunai, or a shuriken, or even a senbon needle. It was a little orange book with the picture of a man and a woman on it.
"What the..."
Kakashi flipped to a marked page and started reading.
"What are you doing, aren't you going to attack us? Why are you just reading that book?" Sakura said.
"Because I want to see what happens, don't worry none of your attacks are really anything to worry about, so I can just read this and not worry." Sasuke recognized that book. He sometimes saw the men in Konoha reading books just like that. Judging by the way they giggled like school girls, and the giant 'R' on the cover, he guessed it was something not meant for kids his age.
Naruto recognized the book as well; he would sometimes walk in on Old Man Sarutobi in the middle of reading it with rapt attention; before he slammed it in a padlocked drawer in his desk.
Sakura only guessed what the book was about from the 'R' stamped into it, and how when she was little, her mother would block her view of book stands when they passed by them while they were out shopping.
Great, we have a pervert for a sensei, Naruto thought.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and attack."
Instead of attacking, each of them disappeared into the trees around them.
Hm, smarter than they look. They decided to hide rather than face me head on.
Naruto hid himself behind a branch in a tree, while Sasuke was standing behind a tree, and Sakura was on the ground in a bush near the Uchiha.
Figures she'd be anywhere near him.
"Naruto."
Naruto looked down to see the Leaf Prodigy whispering to him.
"I think we need to work together to get those bells."
"Hmph, you two can work together, I'm not lowering myself to help the likes of you." Naruto disappeared deep into the woods.
That idiot, there's no way 'he' can take Kakashi-sensei on his own, Sakura thought.
Soon, an orange blur shot out from behind Kakashi, his uncovered eye following it. Next, more orange blurs shot out of the trees.
Wha, shadow clones? Both of the hidden genin noticed the leaves and branches that were displaced from where the Narutos jumped out.
Those aren't just illusions, they're real solid copies, Sakura thought.
But how, I've heard that that technique requires the user to equally distribute their chakra among each clone, so a genin could die from just making one, but Naruto can make, one, two, four, seven copies of himself and still stand, Sasuke thought
So he can use that jutsu, and if that's true, than he really did defeat Mizuki with it.
Two of the Narutos charged at Kakashi, a kunai in the hands of each one. Both made an upward thrusting motion with the knives. However, Kakashi performed a sweep kick on the clone to his right, and threw a kunai in the face of the other one. Both clones disappeared with a pop.
"KILL HIM!" The Naruto in the back yelled. The five remaining Narutos jumped into the air to do an ax kick at the silver-haired jonin. But before they could hit the ground, each of them disappeared in a 'POOF'. Kakashi was in midair with a kunai in his free hand. He landed on the ground, still reading his orange book.
"Impressive use of the Shadow Clone Jutsu, but you do know several ways I could tell you were the real Naruto. One, you were standing behind the rest of the clones, coordinating their attacks, normally this would be the smartest thing to do, but you were standing out in the open. Second, you screamed 'kill him,' and they obeyed without question. Third, you were the only one that didn't jump to attack me."
Naruto's anger was quickly growing from how his sensei seemed to be talking down to him like one of those scum instructors from the Academy.
"Fine, you want better use, I'll give it to you! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Two Narutos appeared on either side of him. Each of them formed the clone hand seal.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" each of them yelled. Two Narutos appeared for each one.
This can't be happening, he keeps throwing in clones like cheap kunai, and he doesn't even look like he's exhausted. How? Sasuke and Sakura thought.
"How's this sensei?" one of the clones said.
Great, now I won't be able to read Make-Out Paradise.
Each clone threw shuriken into the air, littering the clear blue sky with gray steel. Kakashi took a kunai in each hand and started deflecting the shuriken with blinding speed. The ground around him became littered with fallen shuriken.
He's distracted! "Sakura get back," he whispered. Sasuke's hands became a blur of motion. Horse → Tiger → Ram → Monkey → Boar → Horse → Tiger. Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu! Sasuke shot out a giant fire ball directly at Kakashi. It swept up the surrounding shuriken, blowing them towards him. In the burning crater left by the fire jutsu, was a charred log.
Another Substitution Jutsu, Sasuke darted from where he stood, running through the trees.
Great, now he knows where I was, gotta move.
Impressive, not many genin can perform fire style jutsu, but then again he is an Uchiha, Kakashi thought while hidden in the brush.
Naruto looked around frantically after the fireball jutsu dissipated. Stupid Uchiha, he could've gotten him killed with that. He received the memories of the clones that had been hit by stray shuriken that had been superheated by the katon jutsu.
Baka-sensei could be anywhere. Naruto again used the clone jutsu to make twelve clones. "Circle up! Whirlpool Formation!" The clones did as they were told, forming a circle around their creator.
"Demonic Illusion: Death Mirage Jutsu." Leaves started to dance around Naruto. Soon everything became a hazy blur. The clones around him started to dissipate, but he didn't even notice. He started to regain himself.
"Show yourself you coward!" he yelled into the air. Hearing footsteps he turned around to find the entire village surrounding him.
"There's the demon!" A white eyed man said.
"KILL HIM!" the Third Hokage announced.
The villagers charged at the genin, pitchforks and torches in hand.
"Get away! GET AWAY!" Naruto screamed.
ENOUGH! The voice rang like a bell in Naruto's head.
The villagers around him started to flicker where they stood. They started to move like rippling water. They became transparent, until they completely disappeared.
What just happened?
I happened, the voice said again.
Naruto flinched like he'd been struck. He found himself in what looked like a sewer. There was water everywhere and pipes ran across the ceiling. In front of him was a giant gate. The only thing on the gate was a small seal with the kanji for 'seal.' Behind the gate was a pair of giant red eyes and a mouth full of viciously pointed teeth.
"So, you're the Nine-Tails? The one who's made my life a living hell."
"It's not like I asked to be sealed inside your wretched body."
"What just happened? I know you had something to do with this?"
"I suppose that it is important to know what you are. You are a jinchuuriki, a human sacrifice. My kind have the ability to dispel genjutsu that entraps our hosts."
"Wait? 'Your kind,' that means that there are more of you."
"Yes, there are eight others, with tails ranging from one to eight, none of them are stronger than me. We have all been enslaved by your worthless species. I was sealed inside of you by your wretched Fourth Hokage."
"Huh, looks like we share a common hate."
"Just so you know, this was a one time deal. If you ever hear from me, it'll only be to save your worthless life."
"Why, have you grown attached to me?" Naruto mocked.
"Hardly, if you die, then I die, and I don't know about you, but my life is worth far more."
"Then I guess we'll agree to disagree."
Naruto saw the chamber grow hazy, and soon he was back in the clearing.
When he looked at the clock that Kakashi-sensei placed on the post, he saw that he was only talking to the fox for about three minutes.
Can't waste any time, gotta move fast, Naruto shadowblurred through the forest, only stopping when he noticed Sasuke and Sakura.
This should be interesting, Naruto jumped off a branch closer to the two and transformed himself into a rock.
Out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke saw movement in the trees. Next to him was Sakura, kunai in one hand, and shuriken in the other.
"Where do you think Kakashi-sensei's hiding?" Sakura asked.
"Where you least expect." A hand shot out of the ground and latched itself around Sakura's ankle. "Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!" Kakashi pulled Sakura into the ground, leaving only her head above the surface. "A ninja must see underneath the underneath, both physically and mentally."
Naruto did all he could to keep the Transformation Jutsu going, and not to break out in a fit of laughter. But it was all in vain. He was on his knees laughing, no longer henged as a rock.
"QUIT LAUGHING YOU KNUCKLEHEAD!" Sakura screamed.
"You... you should see... how stupid you look," Naruto tried to say through fits of laughter.
"Naruto this isn't funny, help me get Sakura out of here," Sasuke said. He got on the ground and started using his kunai to tear away at the dirt. Sakura forgot about the laughing blond when she saw Sasuke helping her. Helping her.
"How noble, though in a real fight, you all would've had kunai lodged in your brains by now." Kakashi appeared in the clearing in front of them.
In the distance, they could hear the timer ringing. It was noon.
"Well, looks like you all failed."
Those words stopped Naruto's laughing. All he felt know was rage. Rage at the Fourth Hokage for cursing him; rage at the Third Hokage for never doing anything more to help him, and rage at about everyone in all of Konohagakure; specifically this white haired masked jonin.
By the time they got Sakura out of the ground, a half-hour had passed. Back at the Memorial Stone Sakura had been the only one tied to the posts. The right one to be exact.
I don't even want to think about if that was me tied there, Naruto thought.
How come we're not tied up sensei? None of us managed to get a bell." Sasuke asked.
"Because, out of all three of you, Sakura was the only one that didn't fight me head on, therefore she gets a zero for participation. You and Naruto didn't get a bell, but you did fight me." Kakashi never took his eye off of his little orange book.
"On second thought, none of you failed." Each of the three genin were dumbstruck.
"You mean we pass?"
"No you didn't pass, but you didn't fail, you've just been pulled from the program." Each of the kids felt like they had a kunai lodged in their hearts.
"You can't do that! You said that if we didn't get a bell then we'd just get sent back to the Academy, now you're saying that we're not even able to become ninja anymore! You can't just make up rules on the fly!" Naruto yelled.
He's definitely Kushina's son, Kakashi thought.
"You don't even know the first thing about being shinobi! It's not some game. Naruto, you refused Sasuke's offer to help, then went off on your own, thinking they weren't worth your time. Sasuke, you just gave up on Naruto, yes he went off on his own, but sometimes you must help your teammates, even if they don't want it. Sakura, you stayed with Sasuke while not even considering helping Naruto out. Teammates are never to show favoritism among each other. For instance."
In a white blur, Kakashi had Sasuke and Naruto pinned to the center post with a kunai held to each of their necks. "Sakura! Choose who dies, Naruto or Sasuke!"
The rosette looked like she was about to faint.
"See, that's what happens in the line of duty. A shinobi always goes into battle knowing that it may be their last mission. Those that sacrifice themselves for their team are honored with their names put on this stone." Kakashi walked over to the blue stone. "My closest friends have their names on this stone." He could still see the half of Obito's face that wasn't crushed, and the look on Rin's face as he ran his Chidori through her. The faces that would haunt his nightmare's until his own death.
"I'll give you one more chance."
"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked.
"You'll get another chance to pass this test after lunch. But no one can feed Sakura."
Fine by me, Naruto thought.
I really wish I at least had dinner last night.
Naruto greedily eyed his lunch tray. Before he could dig in Kakashi spoke, "if either of you feed Sakura, then you all fail."
Naruto hastily ate his food, but the moment a grain of rice touched Sasuke's lips, he couldn't eat. He placed the rice in front of Sakura's mouth.
"What are you doing you fool? You heard Kakashi, if we feed her, we all fail."
"I don't care if I never become a Leaf ninja, I'll get stronger on my own. I can't let Sakura starve."
"Really Sasuke I'm not even that hungry." Her stomach disagreed. But no matter how hungry she was, she couldn't stand the thought of Sasuke never becoming a ninja.
Naruto was about to get to his lunch when he remembered Kakashi's words. A ninja must see underneath the underneath, both physically and mentally.
So that's the real test. Naruto put down his food and handed it to Sasuke. "I had breakfast this morning so I don't need that much food. Give it to Sakura."
For Sakura, this moment, this one moment, was like a fantasy. Sasuke was helping her when she couldn't help herself. He smiled on her and was thoughtful enough to give her his food.
The moment however, was ruined when a smoke explosion appeared in front of them.
"You both broke the rules! Prepare for the consequences!" Ox → Boar → Rat. Giant storm clouds formed in the sky above them.
"Anything left to say."
"Yes. We... we're a team. None of us can win without the others. Me and Naruto willingly gave Sakura our food because we're all one," Sasuke said. Naruto simply nodded.
"You're all one. That's your excuse?"
"You got a problem with that Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto challenged.
"In that case... you all pass."
"What?"
"I said you all pass." The storm clouds started to dissipate. "The reason the other teams failed their tests was because they did exactly what I said. Ninja need to see underneath the underneath, both physically and mentally. In the shinobi world, breaking the rules means your scum. But betraying your friends makes you less than scum."
Sakura and Sasuke both looked at each other with ecstatic expressions. Naruto just remained impassive.
"Congratulations, you are now officially Team 7. You begin your first mission tomorrow." Kakashi struck a nice guy pose.
Hey, Snakeking here. Just so you know, I'm going to have Naruto change very little. He didn't give his food to Sakura out of kindness, he gave it to her because he realized it was part of the test. I wanted to go further, but I decided to stop here. In the next chapter, I think I'll have Naruto get into a fight with Team 10/Asuma.
If you tell me that the characters are acting out of character, that's pretty much like saying this is a fanfiction. I won't flame you for it, but it's true.