Kakashi´s condition
Sasuke never felt more humilitated in his life before. He looked down, not that he had another choice, with the Jonin´s foot on the top of his head, but he didn´t want to meet Naruto´s or Sakura´s eyes. He was aware, how ridiculous the scene must be. The great Sasuke Uchiha, face down in the dirt, only because he couldn´t control his temper and tried to attack an high rank jonin. His so called sensei, didn´t even need to dodge, he just grabbed him and slammed him to the ground, before pinning him down, while sitting on his back. Just embarrassing. But far worse was that these two idiots witnessed it.
It was his own fault. How could he be so stupid and even think about attacking the man. There he saw how superior the jonin was. Sasuke had not managed to get a bell in time. In a matter of fact, neither of them had, but as an Uchiha, he had expected he would pass these stupid test with flying colors. Well, he hadn´t done better as the other both and this was really getting on his nerves.
"What I was about to say, before our little Uchiha here interrupted my lecture..." The jonin instructor said, before looking down and pushing his face even more in the dirt. "Neither of you is competent for the shinobi life. I´ve never seen such incapable, selfish and immature bunch of genin before and I stand to my promises, you three will return to the academy."
Sakura´s shocked gasp was heard loudly, also Naruto´s angry protests. Sasuke himself could not think too clearly. He had failed todays test and this meant his future goal moved further away from his reach. He needed the teaching from a jonin so badly and after the earlier events, he knew very well how poor his current level was. But if someone like Kakashi would teach him, than he could gain the power he needed. Unfortunately, the man made clear he wasn´t interested in teaching them anymore.
"Damned..." The Uchiha cursed angrily, which turned Kakashi´s attention once again towards him.
"Excuse me, you said?" The jonin pushed him once more harder against the ground and Sasuke gritted his teeth, when his cheekbone made painfully contact with a stone. "You can blame your arrogant attitude for it. If you weren´t so focused with yourself, perhaps you would´ve managed to get a bell from me. Well, now you are not even better as the deadlast from your class. Somehow ironic, don´t you think so?"
He wanted to scream, to curse at the man, but before a word came over his lips, Naruto began to speak.
"I can understand that you´ll let this bastard fail. But I can get the bell, I just need more time. Than I can prove you that I´m worth to wear this headband! I´ve worked so hard to become a genin, please give me another chance! And Sakura of course too. We both emit a better team anyway and without that arrogant asshole, we can make it!"
Sakura began yelling at the blonde, but before she could insult him directly, Kakashi interrupted and for the first time since they met him, the jonin´s voice was far cry from the lazy and uninterested tone he used before. According to the tone, the man was pretty pissed.
"You don´t get it, do you?"
Apparently, neither of the genin could say something, because honestly not even Sasuke knew what for an problem the silver haired had. The only one with big problems was the Uchiha himself, because he failed to pass the stupid test.
"Haven´t you even thought a second ,why you´re placed in a three man squad?"
No, he had not really thought about that. For him, the other both were just useless obstacles on his way to become strong enough for his life goal. He just wanted to avoid to interact with them directly. So he had no idea, what Kakashi wanted to tell them yet. And based on the other both silence, they were exactly as clueless as he was.
The jonin let out an irritated sigh, before he suddenly stood up, surprising Sasuke completely when the man´s weight suddenly lifted. Before he could act on his own, Kakashi grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him towards his feet.
"Get over to the other both!" Kakashi commanded and shoved him firmly forward. The boy wanted to protest against these humilitating treatment once again, but knowing it wouldn´t help him at all, he went relucantly towards the others.
"I wonder what they taught you in the academy?" The jonin continued his speech, arms crossed and the visible eye narrowed. "Or maybe you just didn´t paid much attention?"
Naruto was about to yell something, but the older male spoke again, even before the prankstar got the chance to open his mouth.
"What about teamwork? Did you ever heard that word?"
Sasuke´s eyes widened for a brief moment. Teamwork? Was it this what Kakashi wanted them to do? But during the test, he did everything to outplay them towards eachother. So why... Suddenly he saw it clearly. A shinobi was supposed to look under the surface and he noticed now, how badly he failed in that aspect too.
"You mean we were supposed to work together?" Sakura asked confused. "But you said, who couldn´t manage to get a bell from you, would fail the test and return to the academy..."
"Shinobi work almost exclusively in a the day a shinobi graduates from the academy, he is bound to work in a team." The silver haired continued and ignored Sakura´s question simple. "Only for some special missions individual persons will send out. But since you´re just fresh academy absolvents this would be out of the question for you anyway. Teamwork is the basic every genin has to learn, before he is ready fulfill active shinobi duties."
"But you said, everyone should get the bell for oneself!" The Uzumaki cried angrily.
"This was a subterfuge, in order to see who from you would be smart enough to put his own interests behin the team and cooperate with them without enviousness."
"That´s bullshit!" Naruto yelled. "You should´ve known that we would work on our own! Nobody want to go back to the academy! Of cour.."
"Naruto!" Kakashi interrupted him for the third time today. "You´ve acted like a complete idiot, during the whole test. Attacking me without thinking, provoking me without worry about the consequences and not even giving a thought about your teammates. Not even bothering to look for them. If you would act on a mission like that, you would be dead for sure and your teammates probably too."
At least that speech seemed to damped Naruto´s temper a bit. Sasuke squinted towards his male teammate and saw how he lowered his head in shame. Then suddenly, Kakashi turned his attention towards the only present girl and he became worried what the man would have to say to him. Getting pointed out all his weaknesses in front of the other two, wasn´t something he looked forward to.
"Sakura, tell me what have you done the whole morning?"
The girl looked up, blinking some times, obviously very surprised by the question. "I don´t know..." She eventually replied hesitantly.
"Exactly. Because there isn´t anything you´ve done. Just hiding somwhere and waiting that something would happen from alone. Or even worse, let your teammates do the work for you. Maybe you would´ve tried to take away the bell from Naruto if he would´ve get one, since you´re to eager to stay by Sasuke´s side, am I right? You should be ashamed."
Sakura winced and she looked down. Her bangs were hiding her eyes from view, but Sasuke was sure she was crying nontheless.
"And you.." Finally Kakashi looked at him and he prepared himself for the sharp words, he knew, the man would throw at him.
Strangely enough, the Jonin gave him a hard and long look, before he began to speak. "You´re the worst of all. Graduating as the rookie of the year isn´t anything to be proud of. There were and will always be students who do pretty well at the academy, but that doesn´t mean they will automatically become good shinobi. You think you´re far above about anyone, but let me tell you one thing, your performance earlier wasn´t any better as from the other both. You just pulled up your private show and not even managed to land a single blow at me. Your arrogance is already raising to your head and if you keep up with that attitude, you will not survive a single high rank mission. In a matter of fact, this art of behaviour would get your team killed for sure."
Why was Kakashi´s lecture for him lasting so long? Sasuke glared at the man, in order to overplay his uncertainties, because these words really stung his pride.
"Uchiha or not, you´re nothing special at all and until you don´t realize that you aren´t better as any other genin, you won´t bring it far in the shinobi ranks. If Naruto and Sakura can be ashamed about their actions, you should it above all."
His shoulders stiffened but he tried his best to keep his stoic expression. He could not recall, that ever someone had lectured him like that and the resentment he felt for the jonin grew only stronger.
"However, I hope you understand better now, what I expect from students of mine. And I´m sure nobody can argue, that neither of you managed to meet those expections. I told you yesterday, if you fail you´ll be send back to the academy."
Silence followed. Although Sasuke wanted to scream or rather attack the silver haired again, he knew it was useless. Kakashi made up his mind and his goal was destroyed before he got a chance to start.
"But seeing that you three seemes to think about my words, I´ll be generous and give you another chance. After lunch you can try it as a team again and maybe then you´ll manage to get a bell."
His head shot up with surprise. And he was not the only one. Sakura and Naruto were equally surprised as he was. He could avoid to return to the academy and this time he would make it, even if had to work with these idiots for it!
The jonin sensei stepped near and placed two bento boxes in front of him and Naruto. "Since you haven´t done anything this morning, you won´t need any lunch." He told her firmly. "Maybe this will be a bit of a lesson for you, to actually do something in the next round."
Obviously, the girl was on the edge of crying again. She lowered her head and refused to look up again.
"And for you both... If you share your lunch with her, you´ll be disqualified. Believe me, I´ll know whether you disobey me. See you in twenty minutes." With that suddenly said, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Sasuke wasted no time and grabbed his lunchbox, but he could not help but felt that something was wrong.
"Don´t worry Sakura-chan, I won´t eat too." Naruto declared loudly.
Of course the Uchiha didn´t like that statement. He turned his head angrily to the blond. "You idiot have to eat or else you won´t have the necessary energy to get the bells!"
"Shut up bastard! I didn´t ask for your opinion. I´ll not let Sakura-chan down!"
"You..." He was about to voice his displeasure once more, when suddenly a thought crossed his mind. Shinobi are supposed to look under the surface, and Kakashi told them clearly that he wanted them to work as a team but it made no sense that he ordered them to let Sakura without food and what if this was just another test for them. To test them, if they would put their own interests behind and share the lunch with her, as an act of teamwork?
A smirk formed on his lips. He was sure he had looked through the jonin´s intentions.
"You can have my lunch." He simple said and offered his box towards Sakura. The look he received from these idiots let him roll his eyes.
"B... But Sasuke-kun..." The girl said totally surprised. Sasuke only hoped, she did not thought that he was returning her pathetic feelings. He was only using her, exactly like the blond dobe and the jonin, in order to reach his own purposes.
"Eat!" The boy commanded.
"I don´t know from where comes you sudden mood change but we´ve to work together this time. And by the way, Sakura-chan deserves the lunch far more than you anyway." Oddly, the Uzumaki accepted his request simply.
"Naruto!" The pink haired scolded, before she looked at Sasuke and smiled. "Thank you very much Sasuke-kun. This time I´ll try my best."
As if this would help anyone, He thought annoyed but said nothing. In a matter of fact, when Sakura began to eat, he waited practically for Kakashi´s appearance. Surely the man observed them secretly. This thought was hardly finished, when all of the sudden, the silver haired appered in front of them. Even Sasuke gasped, he had not expected him to appear this sudden.
Kakashi looked down at them. His one visible eye narrowed, when he began to speak. "Didn´t I tell you that Sakura was not allowed to eat?"
"Y...yeah... b...b...but..." Naruto tried to explain but obviously he was too shocked and did not find the right words. Sakura was not any better though, she trembled and almost cried again. They were both almost wetting their pants.
"Well?"
"You told us that we´re supposed to work as a team. This is what we did." Sasuke said, when neither Naruto nor Sakura could deliever a reasonable explanation.
"A team, huh?"
"Yes a team!" The Uzumaki found his voice again and yelled, loud and stupid as ever, at the sensei´s face. "We´re a team and we help eachother. Sakura won´t stay hungry while we can fill our stomaches in front of her. So deal with it!"
"We three are one now." Sakura eventually added, when the Jonin gave no response.
"You three are one?" Silver eyebrows were raisen, when his eye wandered towards the only present girl.
She nodded hesitantly and instead of another yelling, the Jonin smiled down at them.
"You three passed."
"WHAT?" His teammates yelled simultaneously in disbelieve.
"I accept you as my students. You´ve understood what I tried to explain to you. I know this was just the first step in the right direction and that there will be alot more work to do..."Kakashi´s stared especial at Sasuke, when speaking these words. "But this will be my job and I promise I´ll teach you carefully."
Sakura and Naruto were cheering, but Sasuke allowed himself only a private smile.
"For now, you´re dismissed. We´ll meet tomorrow morning at the same time and the same spot. Be prepared, it will be a long day." With that, the man disappeared as fast as he came.
The Uchiha was happy. This was the first step in the right direction for him. A very important step, in order to reach his life goal. He stood up, ignoring the other both´s still joyful voices, when suddenly Sakura called out for him.
"Let´s celebrate our success somewhere. After all we´re a team now."
"Great idea Sakura-chan. Let´s head to Ichiraku!"
He felt very annoyed with both of them. The only reason he was ready t work together with them, was because he had not an other choice. He needed the training from a jonin and nothing else.
"I´ll say this once." Sasuke said, voice arrogant and condescending. "I´m just working with you because I must. But you two are and will always be loser and outside the training, I want to have nothing to do with none of you."
Don´t waiting for an response, he left the trainings field with his hands in his pockets. Naruto yelled some insults after him, but he could not care less about the idiot. In a matter of fact, he became finally a genin. Finally a shinobi and Sasuke swore he would work as hard as he could to become a chunin in no time. Now he got the possibilitay to gain the power he needed.
Thanks to Lordlbtou for your nice review and your advise. I´ll try pay attention towards your advise ;)
From the next chapter onward, the story will go in a complete different direction as the anime.
Reviews are very much appreciated!