Disclaimer: I still and never will own these characters or products . . . thank you
Chapter 3
It was unusually quiet the next few days in hidden village of the leaves. Children played or went to the academy, shinobi of all ages doing their assigned work/missions or were training, merchants and the local populace going about their business, even the sandaime was quietly doing the endless mountain of paperwork at his desk.
The absence of Naruto was disturbing a few people. Mainly those from Ichiraku Ramen, the hokage, one Umino Irkua and some of Naruto's classmates from the academy. Another week passed before Iruka, Naruto-sensei and almost father figure went to investigate the matter. He found no clues, the shoddy apartment was untouched, the garbage in the bin overflowing, the room's mess the same as the other times he had visited the blonde.
The scarred instructor had then started to ask around; first with his other students, some of whom also voiced their curiosity at the whiskered-face boy's absence, followed by the owners of Ichiraku ramen. After having no success, Iruka had brought this subject to the Hokage.
The sandaime had become worried that something had happened to Naruto. Weeks were spent looking for the blonde, only the most trusted associates were called to task; one of them being Hatake Kakashi. The silver-haired jounin had been the only one to find a clue. The splintered remains of a hastily constructed hut, shreds of Naruto's clothing, some dried blood and a cold trail.
Weeks turned into months and months into years. Soon the search had yielded no results and had to be closed. With a heavy heart, Uzumaki Naruto was pronounced dead. A small service was held in private. A smaller number of people came. The Sandaime, Ichiraku Teuchi, Ichiraku Ayame, Umino Iruka, but what surprised some of them was the appearance of Kakashi. Those that weren't, knew his reasons and his relation with the demon container. They had watched as an empty coffin was lowered into the earth, an unmarked grave inside the wood of Konoha.
Hours after the service ended, the attendees leaving; a few more went and paid their respects. Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, Yamanka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chouji, Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke. Each one surprised at some of the others for attending, but not openly saying anything but giving respected silence for the empty grave they stood before. Each one replaying memories in their mind of the lost comrade and friend.
The years went by and the village of Konoha held no change. There were a few exceptions, one of these was that the celebration on October tenth which signified the defeat of the nine-tailed fox demon was celebrated with more gusto after rumors spread that the jinchuuruki had disappeared or died.
In other areas, some shinobi had noticed a change in Kakashi. He had become more somber and his legendary tardiness streak had been grounded to a halt. Although people can still see the masked ninja with his beloved porn book; but everyone saw the seriousness that were held in his eyes now. Iruka also noticed a few differences with some of his students. It seems that there were a few who were affected by the loss of the blonde.
Finally, seven years had passed since the "death" of Naruto. Some thought it was twisted joke, that on the day the child had been given a service was the day the new graduates of academy were about to set forth into the world of shinobi.
While it was a sad day for Iruka, it was a happy one as well. It was a day that his students (some of them anyway) were going to be given a chance for becoming genin. After Naruto's service, Iruka had made sure to pound the lessons each child needed to survive physically and otherwise in the world of assassins. He made sure that each student knew how to treat serious wounds until a properly trained medic arrived; the basics were drilled to a point that they could do it in their sleep. He did not want to experience the loss of another student. Not in his class, as they were a part of him as any other limb.
Clearing his throat and settling the newly 'graduates' he started to his speech. "Congratulations on making this far. As you all know, you are now genin of Konohagakure no Saito. Now all of you will now be grouped into teams before being assigned a jounin instructor. However, seeing as we are short one graduate … there will be one team with only two members until a third member can be assigned on a later date."
"Hear that forehead-girl, looks like it will be Sasuke-kun and me all alone." Yamanaka Ino taunted her once best friend. "Dream on Ino-pig." Haruno Sakura hissed back. The two had simmered down in terms of rivalry. The real loss of someone they knew giving a slightly different perspective; the insults they threw at each other more along a term of affection (for the two in any case). The two continued to glare at each other while their soon-to-be-former instructor was grouping the teams.
"Team Seven will consist of Uchiha Sasuke and…Haruno Sakura." Sakura gave a small grunt of victory. While Ino just glared at the pink haired girl. Uchiha Sasuke on the other hand just continued to stare at Iruka. Thoughts being occupied on other things.
"Team Eight will consist of Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba and Hyuuga Hinat." The inuzuka male smiled as he faced his new teammates. "Looks like will be teammates now eh?" Shino nodded, "Indeed" Hinata nodded as well, her eyes cast down at her lap deep in thought.
"Team Ten will consist of Akimich Chouji, Nara Shikamaru and Yamanaka Ino. You will now wait for your assigned instructor. Thank You and Good Luck." As Iruka left, Ino grumbled at her two teammates. Shikamaru just yawned before taking a nap at his table while Chouji continuously ate bags of chips he had brought.
The minutes trickled by, each team's assigned instructor had arrived and had left with their designated team. It was only after the departure of team ten, the second to the last team to leave, and their jounin sensei, one Sarutobi Asuma who had a penchant for smoking cigarettes, that team seven's instructor arrived
He was odd looking to the two, wearing a mask which covered the lower half of his face, his hitai-ate tilted to cover his left eye and gravity defying silver hair. "Meet me on the roof." The order was clear, the man was in no happy mood. He disappeared in the customary billow of smoke.
When the two members reached their destination, they were met with a stern instructor, his back facing them. "My name is Hatake Kakashi; and I will tell you this once and only once. Always look underneath the underneath; and you never ever betray your comrades."
Turning around, the two saw the hard glint in Kakashi's one visible eye. "To do so will make you worse than trash in my eyes. Understood?" Sakura nodded while her teammate grunted out an understanding.
"Good, now, I will tell you this. You may have graduated from the academy, but you still aren't fully fledged genin yet. One more test is in order before you can truly walk among the ranks of the shinobi."
The mask wearing shinobi subtly inspected his charges. They seemed to be different from what he had read on the files he had been given, but that was to be expected. Not everything on paper is exactly true.
"We will meet on training area seven for your final test, at nine o' clock." The serious mood had disappeared as the silver haired man smiled. "Make sure you're at your best tomorrow." The mood suddenly shifted once again to it's previous state. "I promise you, that this test will determine the rest of your lives." He smiled through his mask once more at the two. "See you tomorrow then. Don't be late."
"You have something you wish to discuss?" It was surprise to the old shinobi to be visited by his successor's student without any prior notice. "I have half a mind to fail the team tomorrow." The statement was simple. It was a known fact that Kakashi had failed every team that had been assigned to him. "I will give them a better chance to pass, if you do a few requests."
A barter? It was unusual, but not without good reason. The third kept silent but signaled the ANBU guards to leave before allowing the younger male to continue. "Sasuke seems down right bent on revenge. He needs to know the entire truth or he'll be set down the path to destroy everything Itachi sacrificed for." It was hard request, a surprise as well, on Kakashi's knowledge of such matters, but by revealing this to the young survivor might be able to quell his lust for power and revenge; as well as other dark tidings that the old man had been feeling lately. He looked up at the jounin. "And the other request?"
"I want no interference if I train them from anyone. Any mission I chose will be given, it will be well within their capacity to accomplish." Tough requests, one that may cause considerable harm if things go awry. "Alright" The deal was set.
It was to be a harsh morning the next day for two of the members of Team Seven. Haruno Sakura had changed the day Naruto had left her life. She never paid any real attention to the boy; but the brutal reality of the world after the blonde's disappearance never left her.
The pink haired girl had become more serious. If she was to survive as a member of shinobi in Konoha, she had to become strong. She knew that she wasn't powerful enough to go toe-to-toe with anyone of her classmates. All she had was her precise skills in charka and her intelligence; the bare basics against those of her peers who had a bloodline or family techniques.
Using those basics, she had poured through many books. Learning the theories behind each technique she can get her hands on, going as far as sneaking in to review notes one of the great Sannin, Tsunade, had jotted done. A feat for someone who has hair which stuck out in the shadows of the night. It was long and tiresome, and the results would be tested tomorrow.
She also noticed that she wasn't alone in her endeavors of betterment, spotting some her now former classmates, once-in-a-while, diving into training, some even studying, with great drive. Life and Death had sunken into those who had attended Naruto's service.
The pink haired girl shook her head as she felt sleep pull her in preparation of tomorrow. Even in his absence, the blonde still had his mysterious ways of affecting those around him.
Looking at the full moon from inside his apartment, Uchiha Sasuke pondered on. The death of his clan at the hands of his brother had greatly affected him and the people he interacted with. He had lost his family; nobody could ever understand. Yet, there was a lingering though on a blonde five year old.
The majority of the population had always persecuted Naruto, the same as him, but it was more of anger and spite than pity and reverence he had received. While he had lost his parents, Nartuo had always been alone. They were more alike the more he thought on it. Now was not the time to be thinking of the past. Sasuke had a test to pass tomorrow. Shoving aside his musings to be returned to another time, the Uchiha survivor fell into sleep.
"Congratulations to all of you! You three are now officially genin of Konohagakure no Saito!" Team Eight had been able to pass their test. Their instructor, one Yuuhi Kurenai, a genjutsu mistress of some renown had asked the three to do a simple test on information gathering. The objective was simple, the deterrents weren't. While tasked to their objective, Kurenai had played the role of the opposition, trying to confuse her future students into failing. With a bit of teamwork, and luck, Team Eight had officially passed into becoming genin. Kiba and his partner cheered jubilantly while the other two members of the team shared the Inuzuka's joy in a more subtle manner.
Their moment was disturbed by nearby explosions. A large cloud of dirt could be seen through the treetops. "Looks like Kakashi is driving your former classmates hard." Kurenai said solemnly. She knew of the Hatake's penchant for failing the teams he had been given. Looking at her new students, she continued. "We better move along, whatever is happening to them we don't want to be a part of." The red-eyed jounin started making her way back to the village while her students followed silently, each one contemplating on the explosions earlier.
"Dammit Shikamaru! You could've warned me about that last trap!" The screech of Yamanaka Ino was very distinct to one Nara Shikamaru. Though the lazy boy had gotten used to it pretty quickly after their first meeting when they were younger. Team Ten, officially passing their Final Test were now resting while their instructor, Sarutobi Asuma, congratulated them.
"You survived right, without a scratch to boot. So what's the problem?" The young Nara didn't really care right now what the blonde kunoichi had to say. He was too tired after the test. Chouji just watched the spectacle with his instructor. "The POINT is that you …" Before the situation could escalate further, the nearby trees had turned into splinters as a huge boulder crashed through them. Team Ten looked at the large rock, then at the hole it had punched through line of dense of foliage.
Taking a quick puff from his lit cigarette before speaking "Looks like Kakashi is nearby testing his new team." Asuma said nonchalantly but one could feel the exasperation from the bearded jounin. "I hope they're okay though." Choiji said as he eyed the destruction that was caused. "If that's the team Sasuke-kun was assigned to then there's no question he'll pass. No thanks to fore-head girl of course." Ino muttered the last part, still silently fuming on the team assignments.
"In any case, let's get back to the village. I'll treat you to some well deserved food." Asuma said with a smile. Chouji cheered while Ino and Shikamaru followed the other two. The latter, murmuring his usual 'mendokuse' before being thwacked in the head by Ino.
Hours later, nine of the jounins assigned to team had reported. Everyone was wondering about Kakashi as each one reported their progress to their leader. Out of the nine jounins present, seven reported of failing, each one's different from the other. After hearing each of his shinobi's report on their task, the old hokage was about to dismiss them when the door to room slid open.
Everyone turned to eye the late comer. His current state surprised them all. Kakashi was missing his hitae-ate, his left eye closed. His clothes slighted singed and torn in some areas. The veteran seemed to be sporting several bruises in varying sizes. Standing in front of the rest, he reported.
"Team Seven has passed their final test." It was a simple report, but it raised a few eyebrows at the man's sudden change of passing a team. Nodding, Sarutobi dismissed his jounins. All except Kakashi left right away, who only said a few words before he himself left. "They have the potential to be great. Their path may be tough, but I see many things in their future."
A/N: Sorry for the slow update, college life and all, especially for a freshmen like me. I will try to make chapters longer to make up for the slow updates. Criticism welcome, flamers will be used to cook my food.