Naruto flew through the halls of the academy. He couldn't be late for his first day with his new team captain! He screeched to a stop in front of the door and threw it open. "Sorry I'm late Sensei!" Naruto shouted taking a low bow.
"Naruto?" A girl asked from inside the room.
Naruto stepped inside and found the source of the voice. "Sakura! You're in my team too?" Naruto shouted punching the Air. Sakura was beautiful girl in the same class as Naruto. Naruto had a crush on her since he first saw her bubble gum pink hair. "Say where's the Captain?"
"He isn't here yet." Sakura said bitterly.
"What!" Naruto yelled. "He's later then I am?" Naruto asked in disbelief.
"Surprising isn't it." Interjected a third voice.
Naruto looked around the room and spotted a third person sitting down at a table, Saskue Uchiha. "What are you doing on my team?" Naruto growled at his arch enemy.
"Hmph." Saskue muttered with a snide smile. "I assume it's so when you get into trouble I can cover for you."
Naruto gritted his teeth. "Listen pretty boy!" Naruto shouted.
"Sorry for being late." A calm voice announced. "It was just such a beautiful day I decided to take the long way."
Naruto looked over the man as he entered the room, mildly unimpressed. His entire face was hidden say for one eye, he was as skinny and as tall as a post, and had tall white hair that was spiked up and leaning to one side. "I'm your new team Captain Kakashi Hatake."
"I'm Naruto Uzimaki."
"I'm Sakura Haruno."
"Saskue Uchiha."
"Okay how about we start off with something easy, tell me something about yourselves." Kakashi instructed.
"Like what?" Sakura asked.
"Things you like, things you hate, hobbies, your dreams for the future, I don't really care." Kakashi said sitting down on a desk.
"Why don't you go first, so we know how it's done." Naruto suggested.
Kakashi shrugged. "My name is Kakashi Hatake. Likes: I like a lot of things. I don't particularly hate anything, as for hobbies, I have lots of hobbies. And my dreams for the future, I never really thought about it."
"That was completely useless." Sakura whispered to Naruto.
Naruto sighed. "My name is Naruto Uzamaki. I like Ramen, and experimenting with attachments to my gun, what I really like is the Ramen at Ichirakue. I dislike the Two minutes you have to wait before you can eat ramen. My hobbies are trying and collecting different types of ramen from all over. And my dream." There was a sparkle in Naruto's eye. "Is to become the greatest Hokage ever!"
Kakashi nodded towards Sakura.
"I'm Sakura Haruno. My likes are." She looked towards Saskue, and blushed. "My hobbies are." She smiled broadly at Saskue. "And my dreams for the future." She practically fainted as she looked at Saskue.
Kakashi sighed. "And your dislikes?"
Sakura frowned. "Naruto!"
"Aww!" Naruto moaned.
"And lastly Saskue." Kakashi broke in.
"My name is Saskue Uchiha. I don't like anything, and I hate many things. I don't have a dream, because I will make it a reality, I will restore my clan, and I will destroy a certain person." There was a menacing tone in his voice, almost an animalistic growl.
"I see." Kakashi stated simply. "Tomorrow report to the training field and you will begin your test."
"Wait a moment what?" Naruto asked. "We just took a test, why do we need to take another one?"
"Don't ask you won't like the answer." Kakashi said standing up.
"Why not?" Sakura asked.
"Because, out of the thirty students that graduated this year, only nine will actually become ninjas the other twenty-one will return to the academy."
They all looked at him uneasily. "What!" Naruto shouted. "But we worked our asses off to get here you can't just take that away from us, then what was the graduation exam for?"
"Oh that. That was just to see who might be worthy of becoming a ninja. This is for those who deserve to become ninjas." Kakashi began to walk out the door. "Be there at the brake of dawn, oh and don't eat supper, or else you'll puke."
Xxxxxxxxxx
The sun was already well in the sky by the time Kakashi showed up.
"You're late!" Naruto yelled furiously.
"Sorry I came across a black cat on my way here and had to go around it."
"Lame." Naruto said with contempt.
"Any way, are you ready to start the test?"
"Well, what's the test?" Sakura prodded.
"I'm glad you asked." Kakashi said holding up two bells held together with a short red string. "All you have to do is get these two bells from me. You can use any weapons you want; if you don't plan on killing me you won't get the bells."
"Aren't you afraid I'll actually kill you?" Naruto asked with a smirk.
"I've seen your grades; I'm in no danger from a loser like you." Kakashi mocked.
Naruto Gritted his teeth. How dare he call him a loser! "I'm going to destroy you!" Naruto shouted swiftly taking the switch knife out of his shoe. He flipped it open and charged towards Kakashi. Naruto had barely taken three steps before he was stopped cold. In an instant Kakashi was behind Naruto holding him in a sleeper hold.
Saskue and Sakura both jumped back in surprise. "He's fast." Saskue whispered.
"Wait until I say start." Kakashi instructed. "But you did come at me with the intent to kill. Hmph, I'm starting to like you guys." With that he let go of Naruto. "You have until one o'clock to get the bells if you haven't by then you won't get any lunch." Kakashi took a deep breath. "Alright then, your test begins now!"
All three team members flew from the area into the surrounding forest.
Kakashi looked around the surrounding forest finding no trace of Sakura or Saskue, however Naruto was not but twenty feet away from Kakashi. Kakashi sighed.
"This time you're going down." Naruto shouted balling up his fists. He swiftly flew at Kakashi preparing his fist for its first target.
"Shinobi battle skills part one: Taijutsu." Kakashi said calmly. "The physical art." Kakashi stuck is hand into his tool pouch.
Naruto jumped back and jumped around in a complicated pattern to confuse Kakashi. "TaiJutsu is hand to hand combat! Why are you going for a weapon?" Naruto ordered preparing to strike.
But instead of a weapon Kakashi pulled out a bright orange book titled Make out Paridise.
Naruto gritted his teeth. "What the! Why are you reading that book! We're about to fight!"
"Oh don't let it distract you." Kakashi ensured. "With your attacks I have nothing to worry about."
"Is that so?" Naruto asked with a grin. He slapped the back of his neck and got down into a fighting stance. "Don't underestimate me!" Naruto took his switch blade out of his pocket and threw it at Kakashi fiercely. The experienced Ninja had no problem side stepping the obvious attack, but was caught off guard when nine others flew at him from behind Naruto, forcing Kakashi to use his book to stop them all.
Kakashi looked down at his mangled book. Knife blades pierced the front cover all the way to the back cover. "This was my favorite book." Kakashi mumbled.
"That's what you get for underestimating me!" Naruto giggled as nine of his clones stepped out from behind him.
"When did Naruto get so cool?" Sakura asked herself from under the bushes.
Kakashi slowly took out the Knifes from his book unfazed by these developments. He took the last knife and slowly carved the spine off of his once treasured book. "I will avenge you." He whispered. As if he was throwing a shuriken he hurled the book at the still cheering Narutos. The book exploded into a cloud of pages. Kakashi Reached into his tool pouch and brought out his throwing knifes. The pages where shredded to confetti as knifes struck Naruto's clones destroying them in a burst of smoke. Kakashi burst from the cloud and threw his knee into Naruto stomach, and propelled him deep into the forest.
Saskue, and Sakura where dazed on how quickly the battle had shifted.
Kakashi knelt down to the shreds of his once beloved book, silently morning the passage of its passages.
'This is my chance!' Saskue realized, taking his gun out of his holster. He let lose all six chambers of his revolver. The huge caliber bullets ripped through Kakashi and splattered the ground with… Saw dust? A mangled log fell to the ground where Kakashi was standing just a second prior. Saskue bolted deeper into the forest. 'Dang it! He never dropped his guard for a moment.'
Suddenly an oddly shaped branch appeared just before Saskue's face as he jumped thought the trees. Before Saskue had time to react the tree branch clothes lined Saskue, sending him crashing down to the forest floor. Kakashi came out of the tree like he was a growing branch; he jumped from his perch and was ready to land on Saskue like a meteor.
Saskue held up his revolver and fired on the approaching ninja. The huge bullet tore Kakashi in half and sprinkled Saskue with blood. Saskue staggered to his feet and slowly wiped the blood from his face. He took a quick look at his gun, and smirked. "When did you catch me in your Genjutsu?" He asked calmly.
"Right before I clothes lined you. Senobi battle art number two, Genjutsu, the mental art." Kakashi announced sounding amused.
"So what was it? Gas, a poison?"
"My gloves have runes on them that put you into this state." Kakashi explained. "How did you find out?"
Saskue smiled as the world around him began to melt away. "My gun was full of bullets, I haven't reloaded my gun yet." Saskue announced breaking out of his trance.
"It worked on Sakura." Kakashi said landing next to Saskue.
"Your tricks may work on Sakura, and Naruto, but I'm not like the others."
"Tell that to me once you get one of these bells." Kakashi taunted holding up the silver orbs.
Saskue drew out a gun from his second holster, and spun it around his finger. The Gun had a long barrel with an intricate dragon design on it.
"There's no way that's an actual jutsu gun, you aren't skill enough to build one right out of the academy." Kakashi shouted.
Saskue smirked and squeezed the trigger of his gun. Out from the barrel came a fireball larger then Saskue. It flew at Kakashi and seared the landscape, but when the fireball dissipated Kakashi wasn't in sight.
Saskue jumped back and looked around. Where was he? Saskue looked around frantically trying to find a trace of Kakashi. "Above?" He asked himself looking to the sky.
"I'm where you least expect me." Saskue felt a hand grip his ankle. Before Saskue even knew what happened he was up to his shoulders in dirt, and standing before him was Kakashi. "Shinobi battle art number three, Ninjutusu." Kakashi took out his bells and dangled them in front of Saskue's face. "You're right you are different then the others, but different isn't always better, they say the nail that sticks up is the one that gets nailed down." Saskue sneered at Kakashi. "I would keep you there longer but..." A loud ringing sound echoed through out the forest. "…but your time is up. Kakashi grabbed Saskue by the throat and pulled him out of the ground.
Xxxxxxxx
Kakashi Threw Sakura, and Saskue to the ground in front of Naruto who was tied to a tree stump. "What happened to you?" Saskue asked Rubbing his throat."
"He was caught trying to eat his lunch before the allowed time, so he is being punished." Kakashi said with a tint of disappointment.
"Naruto that is so stupid!" Sakura chastised, while Saskue just chuckled under his breath.
Kakashi sighed loudly and shook his head. "I've been thinking about it." He began. "And I've decided, I'm not going to send any of you back to the academy."
They all looked at him in happy disbelief.
Naruto smiled. "So that means, we pass, all three of us…"
Kakashi cut him off. "Yes, all three of you are being dropped from the program permanently.
There shock was almost tangible and hung over all of them like a cloud.
"What! You can't do that! We still have time left before the training is over!" Sakura protested.
"No, no, no!" Naruto shouted "You can't do that! I'll never become Hokage if I'm not a ninja! Why would you do this?"
"Because none of you think like ninjas, you think like children, like brats!" Kakashi stated fiercely.
But Saskue would have none of that. He quickly pulled out his serrated bayonet from its sheath across his lower back and flew at Kakashi, but before any of them knew what happened Kakashi had him safely pinned to the ground. Kakashi brought his foot down on Saskue's head and rubbed his face into the dirt.
"You can't to that! You can't just step on Saskue likes he's some bug!" Sakura protested.
Kakashi sighed. "Always, got to do everything by yourself don't you?" Kakashi asked Saskue. "Tell me what do you think the purpose of this test was?" Kakashi asked sounding annoyed.
"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.
"What do you think was the thinking behind putting you three against one stronger opponent was?"
"But, I wanted to ask you that from the beginning." Sakura whispered.
Kakashi shook his head disappointedly. "It's so basic! Teamwork!" He shouted.
"Just working together is that what you mean?" Sakura asked.
"That's what I mean, it's too late now but if the three of you worked together you might have had a chance to get the bells."
"Wait a second." Sakura said looking at the bells on Kakashi's belt. "There're are only two bells, that would mean one of us wouldn't get one, that would cause infighting and the group would break up."
"Exactly." Kakashi agreed. "I wanted to see if you could put the group above yourself. On a mission you have to make tough decisions, for example." Kakashi quickly drew his gun and pressed it against Saskue's skull. "Sakura kill Naruto now, or Saskue dies."
Sakura quickly looked between Saskue and Naruto, clearly panicked. While Naruto thrashed around trying to escape from his bonds.
"That's what happens on a mission." Kakashi said holstering his gun. "A team mate is captured and you're faced with a difficult decision, and either way someone ends up dead." Kakshi stood up off of Sasuke and walked over the black slab of stone that was sitting just a few yards away from them. And gently put his hand on it. "Have any of you ever bothered to read any of the names on this rock?"
"No, why?" Naruto asked.
"This lists ninjas who are honored as Hero's in our village." Kakashi stated.
Naruto's eyes sparkled as he heard this. "Wow! I want my name on that rock! One day I'll be the greatest hero of all!" Naruto said proudly.
"These are actually a special type of Hero."
"What type of hero are they?" Naruto pressed.
"They are, K.I.A"
"Wow!" Naruto gasped his voice full of wonder. "That sounds really important."
"It means Killed in action, they're all dead." Sakura said with a loud sigh.
"Some of my closest friends' names are printed on this stone." Kakashi straitened up and turned towards his three students. "Okay I'll give you one more chance to get the bells, you have three hours, go ahead and eat lunch to build up your energy, except Naruto." Naruto looked at him with disdain. "It's your punishment for trying to eat early, anyone caught feeding him will be sent back to the academy." And with that Kakashi disappeared.
Slowly and almost cautiously Saskue and Sakura grabbed their bentos from the stone and sat down to eat, being forced to listen to the symphony Naruto's stomach was playing. Sakura looked at him guiltily.
Naruto stuck out his chin in defiance. "This is nothing I can go with out eating for day, for weeks!" He boasted. "This is no big deal!" However his growling stomach betrayed him and said other wise.
Suddenly an unexpected arm handed him a bento full of food. Naruto traced the arm back to Saskue to Naruto's surprise. "Wha?" Naruto asked.
"Your part of the team." Saskue sighed. "If you don't eat the team will be weaker and suffer as a result.
"But Kakashi said…"
"Here Naruto take my lunch." Sakura insisted sticking her uneaten meal in front of his face.
"Sakura?" Naruto asked, his heart elated by the first kindness Sakura had ever bestowed upon him.
"It's okay really I don't eat as much as Saskue, plus I'm on a diet so I really don't need it." Sakura said looking away.
"I can't." Naruto stated
"Sure you can just take it." Sakura insisted.
"No I mean I really can't. My arms are tied; you're going to have to feed me."
"What!" Sakura shouted blushing with humiliation. "Fine, but this is the only time I'll ever do this!" Sakura took a deep breath and delicately inserted a California roll into Naruto's mouth with her Chop sticks.
"Delicious." Naruto said airily.
"You better not be enjoying this!" Sakura warned.
Suddenly from the open field in front of them there was the loud sound of crackling electricity. The sunny day suddenly turned gray as storm clouds filled the sky and boomed. "You!" They heard Kakashi's voice. Then they saw him in the field slowly approaching them, electricity seamed to be emitting from his entire body. "You have broken the rules!" Kakashi shouted as he raised an electrified hand. "Now are you ready to face the consequences?" He was just a yard away from them now.
"You said the three of us where one!" Naruto shouted.
He team mates seamed to grow off of this support and grew braver. "That's right!" Sakura said standing to her feet. "You said the three of us where a team! A real team helps each other no matter what! If Naruto was weakened then he would hinder the group, it was for our good that we feed him."
"THE THREE OF YOU!" Kakashi shouted brimming over with rage. "Pass." He said sounding quite happy.
"W-what?" Naruto asked, almost afraid he would wet his pants.
"Those who brake the rules and scum, this is true, but those who abandon their friends are worse then scum, the three of you showed that you understand team work. Therefore I pass all three of you, team seven begins its first mission as a team tomorrow!" Kakashi said proudly, giving them all a thumbs up."
"Yes, yes, yes!" Sakura shouted jumping up and down, while Saskue smiled in silence.
"He's kind of cool." Naruto said trying to hold back tears.
"Now let's go home." Kakashi announced walking off with the others.
"Um guys!" Naruto called. "Where're you going? Don't leave me here! Hey!"
Xxx Authors Notes xxX
Thank you for reading! And a huge thanks to everyone who has reviewed my story so far! It means a lot to me.
Until next time my friends, Peace, love, and understanding!
P.S I'm very sorry for all the misspellings and wrong words I try to get them all, but some slip through so I'm sorry if they hamper your reading enjoyment.