Xxx-authors note-xxx
This chapter is 4.8k words without my chapters note(s). I liked this chapter and I hope you like it too.
xxx-Sasuke-xxx
The days blurred for sasuke. They came and went like a wayward breeze, shifted like leaves in a forest, all different, and yet all fundamentally the same. They came, they went. They all started the same, for the sake sake of his sanity, he followed the same repetitious pattern. Every morning he woke at six. He then rolled off his bed, shuffled to his bathroom and showered.
Breakfast was next, it was simple, two eggs, a cup of tea and a tomato. He then left for training until seven thirty where he returned home, showered once more, and went to school. That was his mornings, Mondays through Saturday. Repetition, repetition, repetition.
So at six he woke up. The light of early morning shining down through the one available window. He brushed a stray strand of raven black hair out of his face, and sighed a deep, forlorn sigh. He walked to the closest bathroom, showered, brushed his teeth and returned back to the bare room he'd been given by Kakashi-sensei, and changed.
When he walked down the stairwell to the living room, he was surprised too see both Naruto and Kakashi already awake, quietly eating breakfast in the kitchen adjacent to the living room. They cast a wayward glance towards him, and Kakashi pointed to the boiling kettle of tea behind him.
"Morning sleepy head." As he poured himself a cup of tea he turned to face his new teacher. A look of distaste on his face. "Grab a cup of tea, the caffeine will wake you up."
"Hmmm..."
"Don't make anything to eat this morning. We'll wait and talk until six thirty, if the loveliest of the three of you isn't awake by then we'll wake her up."
Sasuke sat at the table, keeping his eyes on his cup of tea and sipping it with care. He didn't want to talk to Naruto, the idiot, or Kakashi.
"Sensei...what will we be doing today." He didn't say anything but he glanced up at Kakashi to see what the man would say.
The man smiled at them, his eyes twinkling in some perverse glee that he took appraisal of the two. He laughed at some joke only he himself knew. Then, ignoring them, took a sip of his tea...through his mask. Sasuke had to stop from gagging, how many times did he do that? Did he even wash that face mask?
Kakashi put the tea down, the cold, harsh, blue florescent lights making his silver hair glow. Kakashi cast a wayward glance outside, and Sasuke did the same. He took another sip of his tea, sighed and put the cup down once more. Kakashi, Sasuke noted, seemed to take things at his own pace. Never moving faster than he ever had too.
"Today will be a team exercise from seven to twelve. Afterwards will be lunch, then we'll return back here where i'll assign the three of you study material for the week. Then-"
Naruto spoke up in protest. "Study?!"
Sasuke realized it was the first time he'd been truly loud since they'd arrive here. He took another sip of tea and watched his new teammate. It was obvious they'd have to study. Kakashi could only teach so much at one time. He'd give them material and they'd likely have to take steps to progress their own skills. Thats what they'd be expected to do when they were chunin.
"Of course. I can't teach everything you'd need to learn. Some initiative wouldn't hurt at all, and please refrain from interrupting me. It's rather rude, and I already have one rude student as it is. Imagine the horror of having two!"
Sasuke gripped his cup harder in his hand. Anger flushed over him, but after a moment it was gone.
"Once you're done with study time the three of you will then go to evening practice. Where I'll help you hone your various skill sets. Finally we'll return back here or, if I deem it appropriate, go to a restaurant.
"Oh, okay." Naruto said.
Sasuke finished the last of his tea, stood up, washed the cup and placed it back from whence it came. He cast a look at the clock. Fifteen minutes more before they woke Sakura.
Xxx-Naruto-xxx
Naruto breathed heavily, desperately trying to fill his lung with air. Sweet, sweet air. He was keeled over, his hand on his knees, sweat dripping down his face and into the hard dirt beneath his feet. A cool breeze whipped past him, tickled his face and chilled his skin. He dragged in more breaths of air, desperately trying to calm his breathing. Black spots appeared in his vision.
The heat of the burgeoning Konoha sun hung over him like a furnace, a burning inferno heating the world and making it impossible for him to cool down. It should be impossible for it to be so hot so early in the morning.
He cast a look around him, watching both his teammates struggling as well-far more than he- to catch their breaths. Kakashi, who'd kept up with all of them, then him and Sasuke when Sakura had finally dropped out, then finally him when Sasuke could no longer run, seemed unphased by It all.
"Good! I cant believe it, fifteen miles, very god Naruto-kun. See Sasuke-kun? You're not as skilled as you think you are. Imagine if you had to face a stamina freak like Naruto-kun in battle. He'd tire you down, then kill you as you desperately tried to get away, unable to move anymore." Kakashi patted Naruto happily on the head. A smile on his face.
"And Sakura-chan, I didn't realize you were so physically unfit. A mile, and you could barely do anymore. At least Sasuke-kun got in another three miles before he continued on. Hmm... you two require far more severe physical conditioning. In fact you all do. But thats a moot point for today at least. "
He rubbed his chin, a small smile blossoming on his face. Water bottles appeared in their hands, and Naruto took a long deep swig of water, and he watched as his teammates took deep drinks as well.
"Now that were done with warm ups, lets get started on your team exercise." He pulled a book from his back pocket. It was orange, and fit neatly in his palm. It looked well read, yer well take care of.
"This book if my favorite book. I rather enjoy it, you see." A small dog appeared next to him in a poof of smoke. He handed the book to the dog, and it scampered off into the forests surrounding the small cabin. "I want my book back, you have until noon to get it for me. Work together. If noon arrives and I still don't have my book I'll be in a poor mood. Such a poor mood in-fact, that I'll have to eat your lunches to make me feel better."
Naruto cast a look of disdain to his sadist of a teacher. Thats why the man said they shouldn't eat breakfast. The insane run, the lack of breakfast, was all a part of this. He wondered if training going to be like this every day.
"Well..." He glanced at them, and the forests the canine had disappeared into.
Xxx-Kakashi-xxx
The bar smelled of alcohol, sweat, sex, and blood. Silver hair glistened in the dim yellow light of the small hobbel hidden in an alleyway in the less pleasant side of the village. Kakashi took a long swig of alcohol. He let out a sigh as he felt its warm tingle travel down his chest, and finally settle into his bowls. He took another drink when he felt a familiar presence also enter the bar.
"Asuma."
"Hmm...cheary as always ay Kakashi?"
Kakashi laughed then took another swig. "Of course. You act as if being happy is a sin Asuma. Don't you have a team you should be training?"
"I gave them the day off. I pushed them pretty hard yesterday, and they deserve it." Kakashi nodded and took another swig of sake. It was good stuff, sweet, but not overly so, yet it still carried the slight burn of strong alcohol.
"And you...don't you have a team or something you should be attending too?"
"I should, but I have Pakun running them through a little exercise. And while they're at it I decided why not get a little bit of the drink in."
Asuma laughed. "Barkeep, get me a drink of the strongest stuff you have. I want to feel it burning my throat tomorrow morning! And put it on Kakashi's tab. The bastard still owes me drinks from last time."
"Don't put shit on my tab barkeep! I payed him back. Why I said thanks for the drinks. Everyone knows my thanks are of the highest value." The Kakashi laughed, and Asuma joined in as well. "So what do you have them doing? And who's on your team anyways."
"I got Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura."
"You've got the heavy assault team then?" Kakashi laughed.
"I wouldn't consider them a heavy assault team as they are now. The girl doesn't know anything practical, though she's got a good head on her. The Uchiha is too conceited to work on a team well, i'm going to have to beat it out of him it looks like, and Naruto...well, he needs his basics reworked. They could be great...but their diamonds in the rough, really, really rough. Right now they're trying to get a copy of Ichi Icha from Pakun. I'll be here for another hour or so before I go after them and put an end to it. Their not going to catch him."
"Trying to get them to realize they need to work together in order to succeed?"
Kakashi smiled and drank once more. "You could say that."
"You might have to be more forward. From what I heard both the Uchiha, and the Uzumaki are both set in their ways. They might not realize it if you try to be coy with them. Remember its not how you teach the lesson, its the fact that they learn it."
"Your only saying that because you don't want to be creative."
Assume laughed, and slugged Kakashi in the arm. "Barkeep another round. On my friend here again!"
"Like hell. Barkeep don't charge shit on my tab. One drink is enough. He'd drink me out of house and home If I let him. Look at that look in his eyes, those are the eyes of an alcoholic just looking for a source of free booze."
Asuma pulle a fifty ryo note of out his pocket and slapped it on the bar counter. "Fill me back up please, and fuck off Kakashi i'm not an alcoholic, I just like being drunk all the time."
They burst out in laughter, and Asuma slapped a hand on the silver haired Jounin back in amusement.
Kakashi cast a look towards the clock on the far wall of the cell. Forty more minutes before he'd have to go and pick up his team. He held onto his drink and nursed it slowly. He didn't want to get drunk, or even buzzed. He ran a stray hand through his silver locks, cast a look once more at the clock.
Thirty nine more minutes. He frowned. He shouldn't have looked at the clock, now he was hyper aware of the time. It's passage would be slow now, momentous. Moving slower than it had any-right moving. He looked down at his glass, observed that it glistened in the dim yellow light, and frowned.
"So what are you going to do once the exercise you have them running through is done?"
"Some lunch-or not- depending on if they succeed in completing the exercise I gave them. I doubt it though. Then we've some practical learning, one on one training." Kakashi cast another look at the clock. Thirty more minutes.
"Hmm...good plan. You're taking this a whole lot more seriously than I thought you would."
"They seem like they could be great. I want them to achieve what they can be. I can see part of my old team in them. I can't change what happened in the past, but when I saw them yesterday I couldn't help but to wonder what would have happened had sensei done thing differently from the get go."
Asuma remained quite. It was like that for a while, a small pregnant pause that led to a deep comfortable silence between friends. Kakashi cast a look at the clock, it was noon.
Xxx-Sakura-xxx
Sweat dripped of her like a waterfall. She lay back in the shade of one of the many trees in the forest desperately trying to gain back her breath. Her pink hair hung down on her like thick carpeting. It felt awful against her skin, irritation and itching. Her green eyes looked on to her two teammates. Sasuke looked angry, exhausted and frustrated, Naruto looked winded, but didn't show any of the sheer exhaustion she and Sasuke displayed.
She swallowed some spit, desperate for any liquid to quench her thirst.
There was a poof of smoke, and suddenly, there was Kakashi. He seemed disappointed, and his face, despite its mask, displayed a look that asked "is that all?" For her, it was.
"Hmm...too bad. It seems the three of you don't get lunch today. What a shame." He pulled out a bag of bento boxes. There were thee in all. He opened one and started to eat it in front of them. Suddenly her stomach growled and she looked away in shame.
"You seem hungry Sakura...sadly in this day and age one must work for their meals. Tough times these days!" Her sensei was far too jovial for her liking.
Another growl, and she turned to Sasuke. He looked angry, murderous at their teacher, Naruto looked on in contempt as well. She found herself, as well getting angry at him. They stood in silence as he finished their meals. All three boxes, gone in a seeming flash, behind the the black mask of their sensi.
"Well...now that lunch is dealt with lets move on to the next activity of the day." He pulled out a scroll from one of his vest pockets and rolled it out on the forest floor. Still trying to catch her breath she moved, slowly, closer to her sensei. He pressed his hand across the seal, and in a puff of chakra smoke books appeared.
"Sakura this is a biology text book I...borrowed...from the one of the beginner medic classes of Konoha General Hospital. Read chapters one through three by the end of the week. On saturday you will be heading there to take a test. If you fail to pass with at least and eighty five you'll run laps around Konoha until I'm tired." She grabbed the thick textbook, and nodded. She looked at the cover, it was red, with the text "Konoha Medic textBook:Unit 102" etched into the side. She had a feeling Kakashi had in fact stolen the book.
She watched as he turned to her teammates. His silver hair glistening in the noonday. She noted, he was handsome, even if he had a mask and headband covering most of his face.
"Naruto there are three books for you. The first if 'Sealing, the basics of understanding the language', the second is called 'Trap making, trap planning, and trap baiting.' I want the first chapter in the book on sealing read by Saturday, I want the first three chapters on trap making read by saturday as well. The last book is called "The strategic mind, exercises for individual nin." Do all exercises held within Is that understood?" She watched as Naruto nodded.
"Why do I have to read a book on trap making? Or even sealing...I'm not good with either of those." He seemed like he was shouting to her, and somewhat depressed. She'd never seen the boy behave this way before.
"You are you just don't realize it. Your pranks were rather elaborate traps, you also show burgeoning capabilities for planning ahead and properly accessing a situation in order to adapt to unexpected changes."
She watched as a small smile blossomed on Naruto face, and smiled herself. He wasn't so bad, when he was quite.
"Finally is Sasuke. You have two books. The first is called 'Proper Mannerisms for partaking in the social sphere: Or how to make friend and not lose them.' The second is called 'Anger management for the rage inclined.' I'd give you something else, but...you really need to work on those atrocious manners of yours." She stifled a giggle when Kakashi smiled widely at the ever angrier sasuke. She felt bad for him of course, while all of them over the day had been mocked by their sensei, Sasuke seemed to be getting the brunt of the treatment so far.
But yet...Kakashi was somewhat humorous with his straight faced attitude and concern towards what should have been something not worth noticing at all.
"Ill give you all a few hours to read your books then I'll be back. Ive got a suprise for you all!"
xxx-sasuke-xxx
He looked around the room in disdain. A frown etched onto his face. He didn't want to be here. He didn't believe he even belonged here. The scowl on his face deepened. He didn't need any physiological consoling, yet...Kakashi had forced him here. He was disliking the man the longer the day went on.
Sasuke sighed. The Uchiha in frustration blew a wayward strand of black out out of his face. He looked across the room at his supposed therapist. He was a lean man, tall-even taller than Kakashi- with dark brown hair, and watching brown eyes. In his hands he held a notepad, and a pen. On his desk was a silver placard with the words " " etched into it. The brown haired man leaned back into the wooden rocking chair and smiled at Sasuke. The last Uchiha scowled back.
" So...you've decided you're not going to talk eh?"
"..."
"I see." The Dr. laughed. A wide grin appearing on his face. "You don't have to talk at all. We can remain here, and I'll just ask you questions. How does that sound?"
"..."
The doctor laughed again. "Okay..lets get started. These are basic questions to test whether or not you have the basic emotional necessities to participate in the shinobi corps. We normally run this an individual shows signs of...mental inconsistencies during the academy, or mandatorily once one becomes a chunin. However we're going to give this test to you and both your teammates to ensure that you are indeed mentally fit for combat. Do you understand?"
Sasuke watched the dark haired man in apprehension. He doubted the other genin were being given tests like these. He would have heard of them. But...Kakashi had stated they were to be a special team. So perhaps they were testing to insure they were fit for the team they'd envisioned? Still...was it wise to remain quiet...He pondered on it for a few more Seconds. He'd answer these questions, but one they were done he'd remain quiet once more.
"Yes." smiled.
"Please be honest with me. If you lie to me I'll know and it will be part of the report I write. The last thing i'd want to happen is that you were denied ninja status due to mental issues all because you decided it appropriate to try to lie to me during a simple test."
He frowned at the mans thinly veiled threat...or was it a threat. Perhaps it was a warning. In all truth he couldn't tell and it bothered him.
"Let's begin then. You see a man on the street. He's old, and he's begging for money. There is also a woman on the street. Why she's nowhere as old she does have a young child with her of five years of age or so. For the purposes of this thought experiment assume that you have a single Fifty Ryuu note. Whom do you give the money too?"
"The mother."
The brown haired doctor scribbled quickly. His pen touching the pad for only s seconds before leaving it.
"There are two men drowning, both are fisherman. One of the drowning men is standing atop the shoulder of the others in a desperate attempt to save himself. His attempts are futile and only further endangering both their lives. In order to save one of the dying men you must kill the one standing atop the shoulders of the other. Do you kill the man?"
Sasuke stopped and thought it over. It made sense to kill the man standing atop the shoulder of his fellow fisherman in order to save his life to save at least one of them.
"Yes." There was more scribbling.
"There..." The questioning went on like that for what seemed like hours. Finally he stopped.
"Hmm...were done with that." He put the notepad away, and Sasuke wondered what the man had written so far. He was ready to not talk at all.
"Lets talk one to one. Patient to doctor."
"..."
"Agh,...were going to play the silent game are we? Well...ILl just keep asking my questions. You've still got a bit of time here, in case you didn't know.
"So Sasuke...tell me...do you like your teammates..."
"..." He watched as the man scribbled on his notepad. "Well do you like your sensei." He said nothing. "A no then?"
More scribing. More writing. Sasuke found himself getting agitated. "Why don't you like your teammates?"
"..."
"Are they and annoyance." The Dr. stared at him for a while, then smiled. "So annoying, well thats understandable. Do you think they drag you down maybe?"
More writing on the pad. He could feel himself getting angrier. "Please control your anger Sasuke-kun, or at least hide it better. You're quite obvious. It seems you believe your teammates to be a drag on your team Sasuke. That the hold you back. Yet, consider this, Konoha is investing considerable amounts of resources into your team. Would it do so if the people on your teamed didn't the the same potential as you? They simply haven't matured yet Sasuke-kun your teammates are but diamonds in the rough. You all are. Who knows one day you might come to rely on them and their skills heavily, give them a chance. I have no doubt that by the end of your month long recursion Kakashi-san would have helped bring out some of the latent talents you teammates have and you will no longer view them as the burdens you think they are."
"..."
"Be as disbelieving as you want Sasuke-kun." He finished with a small smile
xxx-Naruto-xxxx
"Now that that is over with Naruto-kun lets sit down and have a nice personal conversation. One on one."
was a small man, barely taller than Naruto in face. His black hair was short, cut to the barest length minimum barely passing his head. His dark blue eyes were vivid, strong, and potent. His frame was...frail, tiny and small. But, his smile was wide, and white teeth and pink gums glee med from his tanned face. His face was shard, high cheekbones, and a defined, if somewhat pointed chin.
"What should we talk about?" Naruto had decided he liked the man from the moment he met him, he was kind, accepting, something that was rare amongst the populace of Konoha.
"Well...what about your dream...do you have a dream." He stopped, put a thin hand against his head and laughed. "That seems somewhat contrived, you know? Asking you if you have a dream. Everyone has a dream...even if its short term."
Naruto smiled, the first smile he'd had in a few days. The first genuine smile in nearly two weeks. It felt good, to smile again.
"I want to be Hokage."
"Thats a good dream, and reachable if you apply yourself." He smiled at Naruto.
"You're really think I could do it?" It felt good finding someone who also thought he could be Kage, who saw him and believed in him.
"Without a doubt I think you could do it. You seem like a hardworking young man, someone that goes headfirst into a challenge and will keep trying until they succeed. Gumption is one of the traits necessary to be a Kage, and you have gumption in spades." He picked up a small tea-cup of coffee off the brown mahogany table sitting in the center of his room.
He took a sip, cleared his throat and started to talk again.
"Though...I wonder...would you mind if I asked a question?"
"You're a shrink, aren't you supposed to ask questions?"
"Good point." Another smile. "But just because I ask a question doesn't mean you're obligated to answer me. Still...why do you want to be Hokage?"
Naruto opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. His blond, spiky hair covered his eyes for a few seconds. He tried to speak, to answer the question...then, suddenly he stopped. He could articulate why he wanted to be hokage.
It frustrate him, being unable to answer something that should have been simple...then in horror he realized why he couldn't answer. He didn't know why he wanted to be Hokage.
"I dont...i dont know."
"Hmm...I'm sure you do. You just haven't conscientiously become aware of it. Lets talk about it, whats 'cool' to you about the Kage's office?"
"Well..." Naruto stopped to think for a moment, hand traveling behind his head as he thought things over. "The Hokage's the strongest ninja in the village, he's the smartest one too! And everyone loves the hokage...no one makes fun of, or is mean too or even hits the Hokage for no reason. He's respected, he's loved."
"So...perhaps its the respect, the love that you're attracted too?"
Naruto stopped for a moment to think it over. It was...wasn't it. He wanted to be Hokage because he wanted to be loved, to be respected...to be noticed.
"I think your going about this all wrong Naruto-kun. One doesn't become hokage unless one already has the respect, the love, the admiration and notice of the people. The job doesn't come with those thing, one must have those things before one gets the job..."'
"Oh.." He hadn't even really known what he'd wanted to be. What his dream was anymore. When he'd graduated he had wanted to be Hokage...but that had changed when He'd been betrayed, lied too...
"Don't be so down on yourself Naruto-Kun you could still be Kage. You just have to be social, make friends..."
"I can't make friends because of my...condition..."
"Nonsense. You can make friends, you simply have to keep trying..."
"I don't know how..."
"Its something that can't be thought. You just gotta dive into it and keep trying. How about your teammates? Start with them. You'll be spending the most time with them. If you can make them friends of them, then it should be easy."
Naruto frowned. seemed so confident, so absolutely sure of himself and what he was saying it was somewhat difficult to rebuff the man. Was it really that easy to make friends?
"They don't like me. Even Sakura-chan doesn't like me...I've tried being nice to her, but she always yells and hit me." He frowned as he spoke the words. She did always hit him...and yet, he always came back. Always asking for another date.
"Well...try a different approach. How do you normally go about being nice to her..?"
"Well I'll tell her she's pretty and ask her out on a date...that's what i'm supposed to do right?"
Dr. Izumi frowned, and quickly wrote down some notes on his notepad. His hand scrawling around the paper.
"Not exactly. You usually only ask people you're romantically interested in on dates, but I have a feeling that you're confusing simple physical attraction with romantic interest. You haven't exactly had someone around to help you sort out your emotions. It's understandable you wouldn't quite grasps the various subtitles of social interactions..."
"What?"
"You didn't have anyone to teach you what was normal, so you can't be normal until you learn how to be normal...not to say that your abnormal."
"So...you'll teach me to be normal?"
"Not quite, I'll give you tips to go about learning to be normal. Its something you'll have to learn on your own. Social interactions are a learning experience. How about this, start small. Instead of asking Sakura-san out on a date, talk to her. Ask her about the weather, how she's feeling, what she's doing or interested in. People will react more openly, when it appears as if you're interested in them. Do the same with Sasuke-kun, he might be less likely to respond, but still...keep your hopes up. And don't be overbearing, if they seem to be annoyed, take time, give them space. An overbearing personality is one of the ways to turn new friends, into old ones very quickly."
Naruto nodded and smiled. A wide toothed grin was on his face.
"Thanks doc! I'll take everything you said into consideration."
xxx-authors note-xxxx
The authors note: This chapter is longer than I thought it would be. Just about 4.8k words, its been a few weeks since I updated, and having some free time I decided to work on this. This chapter was fun to write. I worked on characterization, trying to bring about Kakashi as his own person, trying to show Naruto and Sasuke are more than one dimensional characters. I was going to include a psyche session with Sakura but then I decided to hold off her until next chapter. Things will go slow for a few chapters, then they will pick up and ill start to move the story at a bit of a faster pace. Read and review, this story is a lot more popular than I thought it would be.
Please...read and review. Thats the only way this will get updated anytime soon.