Chapter Two
Kakashi's Test – Pass or Fail
It was well past dawn, the sun already shining down brightly on the three fidgeting Gennin. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura had been waiting at the training ground for hours; they were tired, hungry and growing annoyed with their new teacher. They'd barely known Kakashi-sensei for a day, and the man had now twice been incredibly late to meet the young students.
"This had better not become a habit for him," Naruto grumbled, staring up at the clear blue sky in irritation. "His tardiness is getting on my nerves."
The other two begrudgingly agreed. How could someone be this late to a scheduled meeting? If he was like this when they actually had an appointed time, they dreaded to find out what would happen in a life and death situation.
Twenty more minutes later, Kakashi finally showed up, greeting them all as though he hadn't left them sitting around for four slow hours. "YOU'RE LATE!" Sakura and Naruto both shouted in unison, whilst Sasuke glared heatedly.
"Sorry, I got lost on the path of life," Kakashi replied half-heartedly, not at all deterred in the face of their anger. As if that explained everything, he then pulled out a timer and two boxed lunches, placing them down on top of one of the wooden stumps the training field provided.
"Right, the timer is set for 12pm," He continued briskly. At his serious tone, the three stopped complaining and went quiet, putting aside their frustrations for now to listen in, "Here are two bells: your task is to take these from me before the timer goes off. Those who do not get a bell don't get lunch and if that happens, I'll not only tie you to one of these stumps, but eat right in front of you". They all looked back at him darkly, their stomachs grumbling as if in protest. He ignored it.
"You only need to get one bell, and as there are only two, one of you will definitely be tied to that stump. The person who doesn't get a bell will be sent back to the Academy. So… at least one of you will leave." Kakashi gazed at them indifferently, and with a pang, each of the students realised that he wasn't joking. To be sent back... nothing could be more shameful to a Ninja. With new determination, they all resolved to themselves that they not be the one who will be humiliated like that.
"And you're allowed to use your Kunai and Shuriken, as you won't succeed unless you come at me intending to kill," Kakashi finished grimly.
At that, Sakura stepped forward. "But you'll be in danger, we could kill you-"
"That's the very point of this test," He interrupted impatiently, "It's not only for me to gauge your skill level, but to see whether you're ready for the world ahead of you." Sakura backed down, suitably chastened. He was right; everything was going to be different now, so she needed to prepare for it. Satisfied that Sakura understood, he addressed them all: "Do you have what it takes to really be Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village?! On my mark, come at me with everything you have!" Tensing, all three Gennin drew their weapons and took a fighting stance, waiting for their teacher to give them the signal to attack.
"Go!"
Sasuke and Sakura quickly vanished into the trees, hoping to find cover and to give themselves a chance to get ready for the fight ahead. Ignoring them, Naruto simply stayed where he was, his eyes narrowed slightly, watching for Kakashi's first move.
"Not going to run and hide like the others?" Kakashi asked, reaching into his pouch to grab at something. Naruto tightened his grasp on his Kunai, preparing himself for an attack. But to his surprise and aggravation, the only thing Kakashi pulled from the pouch was an orange covered book.
"Are you mocking me?" Naruto stared incredulously at the elder Shinobi, who now seemed absorbed in reading his novel. At getting a non-committal grunt, he gritted his teeth and focused on doing everything he could not to give into the rage he felt at the obvious mockery from Kakashi. This was absurd!
Hearing a slight growl coming from the direction of the blonde-haired boy, Kakashi glanced up. Seeing Naruto's fury, he felt a stab of pity. The boy obviously doesn't deal well with being ignored. Not that Kakashi blamed him, what with his past and all. Thinking it best not to get him riled up too soon, he finally responded.
"No, not intentionally. I simply want to finish my book; I'm getting rather curious as to how the story is going to develop... come at me whenever you're ready." Having said his piece, he went back to reading, but kept a cautious watch out to see what the blonde would do.
Scowling darkly, Naruto retrieved three shuriken from his pouch and threw them at Kakashi in quick succession before running at him and thrusting his Kunai towards his throat with his full strength. Only for his hand to be caught and his arm twisted behind him so that his blade was pointed to the base of his own skull. "Well, I already knew you had no problem with killing when provoked, but going straight for the kill and not even making an attempt at the bells, maybe I won't be able to read my book after all," Kakashi said dryly.
"Maybe you shouldn't provoke a demon if you don't want it to come at you with the intent to kill !" Naruto snapped back, growling as he twisted his hand out of Kakashi's grasp and turned to face him, glare still firmly in place.
"Is that how you see yourself Naruto? A demon?" Kakashi seemed slightly shocked.
"Everyone else seems to see me that way, so why shouldn't I play the part?" He stated bitterly, his eyes narrowing into slits as he jumped back to create some distance between himself and the Jounin, replacing his Kunai in its pouch to free up his hands. "I might as well give everyone another reason to fear me." And then Naruto, his expression a mix between resignation and resolve, put his hands together and created the sign for the Kage Bushin no Jutsu.
Ten Naruto's suddenly appeared, running at Kakashi who dispelled them just as quickly as they were created. For some reason, the teacher looked angry.
"You'd rather be the monster everyone thinks you are then try to be something different and proving them wrong? If that's what you truly think, than perhaps you really are a demon and Iruka was mistaken to give his life for you." Kakashi spat darkly, causing the real Naruto to freeze. He then used this opportunity to throw the boy into the lake that bordered on the edge of the training field.
It went quiet. Naruto didn't emerge from the water like Kakashi assumed he would. Perhaps he was finally retreating to formulate a better plan of attack. Whatever the reason, Kakashi simply picked his book back up and began his search for the next target while he read.
XXX
Back in forest, Sasuke had been watching the entire encounter between Kakashi and Naruto. While he was less interested in the fight, he paid close attention to what the two of them were saying to one another, but it just left him feeling more confused than anything. What did Naruto mean by what he said?
Fixing his gaze on Kakashi's retreating figure, Sasuke sneakily followed him through the trees into a clearing, which also happened to be the place where Sakura was currently located. He settled into a new hiding place, waiting to see how the battle between Kakashi and Sakura will unfold.
Back in the clearing, Kakashi ran through a quick set of hand signs before retreating to the trees on the other side of where Sasuke crouched. The pink-haired girl never had the chance to realise she'd been found, because Kakashi's setup had already begun. The only warning Sakura had was the sound of shifting leaves just to the side of her, and out stepped him.
Sasuke.
She stuttered in disbelief, taking in the sight of his battered and bruised body and the grievously serious injuries and wounds that still seeped blood. "Sasuke," she breathed, her eyes wide.
The real Sasuke, still concealed, took in the sight of his double with a critical gaze; he could understand Sakura's shock-the copy of him was pretty beaten up, and looked like it had been through one hell of a fight and lost. 'Genjutsu,' he thought to himself, 'that's what those signs were for'. Kakashi had cast a Genjutsu around Sakura. Now the question was: what was she going to do about it?
Disappointment struck the both of them when Sakura, unable to bare the sight of the Genjutsu, simply screamed and passed out
"Pathetic," Sasuke whispered to himself. He took to the trees, now determined to get the bells himself; it was time to lay his own trap for the so-far unbeatable sensei.
XXX
Meanwhile Naruto had let himself float to the top of the water, spending a moment to stare up at the cloudless sky, thinking about what Kakashi had just said. Did he really want people to keep seeing him as a monster and a demon? He closed his eyes; he didn't know what he wanted people to think of him. But he did know that he didn't want Iruka-sensei's death to be in vain. Iruka believed in him, convinced even with his dying breath that Naruto could become a great Ninja, and he died for that belief…
With that thought, he dropped back beneath the water, forming a hand sign before dragging himself out of the lake and onto dry ground. His resolve hardened, Naruto dropped his hand into his pocket and grasped Iruka's forehead protector tightly as he headed into the trees after Kakashi. He'd get one of those bells! No matter what!
After walking for a bit, he spotted a clearing not too far ahead, where he quickly found Sakura, still lying unconscious on the ground. Concerned, he rushed over to her and checked her pulse, sighing in relief as he felt a strong heartbeat fluttering against his fingertips. She also appeared to be breathing, so once he was sure that she was in no immediate danger, he decided to continue on his search.
After a while, he finally found Kakashi on the outskirts of the forest. Naruto had gotten there just in time to view a secret wire being triggered, and a barrage of Kunai and Shuriken rain down upon the white-haired sensei, all of which making contact- or so Naruto thought. Barely a moment passed before Kakashi's supposed body poofed into a log.
Substitution.
The blonde-haired boy jumped back up into the tree, concealing himself as he watched Sasuke cautiously get down from his own tree, only for his feet to be caught by a hand protruding from the ground. Expression surprised, he was dragged into the earth, only his head now still visible.
"You almost got me there Sasuke," Kakashi said, crouching near the fuming boy's head. "But you'll have to do better than that crudely placed trap." Sasuke's frown immediately changes into a condescending smirk.
"I can."
Just as he said this, Sasuke's second trap sprung, wrapping several wires around Kakashi's ankles and tripping him up. Sasuke leered.
"The first trap was a decoy, as I knew you'd see through it." He explained, rather haughtily in Naruto's opinion. It made him sound even more stuck-up, despite the fact that he was still stuck in a hole. "For a moment, I thought you'd found the second one too, but when you'd said my trap was crude, I knew you hadn't spotted it. There is no way anyone could say it wasn't well put together."
"Very good, though it really is too bad you're still wedged in the earth or you'd have one of my bells by now. I guess I can't underestimate you either, eh Sasuke." Kakashi replied lightly, pulling out a Kunai to cut away the wires binding his legs. Up ahead, Naruto, sensing a perfect opportunity to finally get the upper hand, leapt out from the tree where he was hidden. Quickly forming the sign of the Kage Bushin no Jutsu, he made 20 other Naruto's appear, all rushing towards Kakashi before he could get out of the bindings.
They all attacked him, each aiming for a vital spot to put the white-haired sensei out of commission, knowing that they had to do it quickly otherwise the crafty teacher will escape and they'll lose the advantage. But it was too late, and with a resounding snap, the wires broke.
Kakashi instantly jumped out of the mess of flailing Naruto's, and still in the sky, formed the sign of the fire Jutsu Sasuke would recognize, and used it to dispel the clones. Once they were gone, only a single Naruto remained, glaring darkly up at him.
His hands blurred, and Kakashi, recognising that he was once again going to create more doubles, shook his head. "He never learns," he muttered to himself, before moving in and delivering a round-house kick to Naruto's chest. He blinked in surprise when, instead of staggering or blocking the move, the boy simply poofed into white smoke.
'It was a bluff', was all he had time to think before he felt himself be grabbed from behind by several sopping wet Naruto's.
"You didn't think that I already figured out that I couldn't get you with just my clones?" One Naruto double said in distain, as his real body came into view, his face a mask of triumph. "I'll be taking one of those bells now, Sensei." He smirked.
Meanwhile, Sasuke was shocked by what he was seeing. The classmate that he had already judged and dismissed, the boy that he believed would be dead-last in all things had just one-upped the Jounin, when even he couldn't. Not without ending up stuck in the ground, at least.
Struggling harder to free himself from the dirt confining him, Sasuke was finally able to dislodge one of his arms and from there; it didn't take long for him to free the rest of his body.
After regaining his bearings, Sasuke dusted himself off and began searching around for Naruto and Kakashi, but they were nowhere in sight. It seemed that while he was distracted, he had missed the rest of their fight.
Just as he was about to start looking for them once again, curious to see what's happening and with the intent to prove himself that he was better and finally get the bells, the alarm signalling noon had arrived began to sound. Sighing with regret, Sasuke headed back to the wooden stumps to go meet everyone else.
XXX
Although both Naruto and Sasuke showed considerable skills in combat, Kakashi was disappointed. They both had lacked the ability cooperate as a team, and Sakura... he didn't want to think of how much of a let-down she was. He was beginning to think that whoever the person was who'd put together her report, was wrong to allow her to even graduate the academy.
After securely tying the pink-haired girl to the wooden stump, Kakashi tapped her cheek lightly and called out her name, trying to wake her.
"Wah! Sasuke-kun!" She shouted out the moment she regained consciousness. Blearily, she looked around, immediately seeing Kakashi's unimpressed face. "Huh? Kakashi-sensei?" was her dull follow up, still not fully with it.
"As you're efforts were utterly pathetic Sakura, you are the one now tied to the stump," Kakashi told her simply. That seemed to startle her awake, and she bowed her head in shame. "Sasuke and Naruto, the two of you showed great skills and rather exceeded my expectations." At this, the two boys began smirking to themselves which caused Kakashi to glare them down.
"But neither of you could grasp the true concept of the test... Teamwork! "He shouted harshly, and they all blinked in shock. The thought of teaming up with each other had never even crossed their minds.
"Naruto, you had several chances you could have used to help Sasuke out of the ground. And Sasuke, had you wanted to, you could have assisted Naruto during his first assault. Had the two of you worked together, helped each other!" He shook his head, frustrated with all of them. "I don't doubt you may have actually gotten one of my bells."
None of the three could look up to their Sensei. He was right; the two bells were meant to be a distraction- they should have been able to see through it...
"If this had been a real mission, all of you would have gotten yourselves killed. I have half a mind to fail everyone." At this, the three began to shout in protest, but he quietened them with a glare.
"But, I've decided to give you a second chance, so don't waste it! After lunch, I'll give you two hours to get a bell off me." They brightened, already planning on various strategies they could use. However, all thoughts of combat stopped when Kakashi passed both boys a boxed lunch. Their stomachs growled hungrily, and Sakura looked at the lunches with longing. Kakashi noticed, and smirked to himself.
"Sakura failed the first part of the test, so she doesn't get lunch. Now, if I catch either of you feeding her, you will all automatically fail. This means that you won't be sent back to the academy, but rather you will be removed from the program all together! Understand?"
Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura all nodded obediently. Satisfied, Kakashi turned and walked off into the tree line, and out of sight.
The two buys slowly opened their box lunches and began eating, but it wasn't long before they heard a loud grumble coming from Sakura's stomach. They shifted uncomfortably, and Sasuke, with a pause, continued to eat. Naruto gazed down at his lunch for a second, before his eyes hardened with resolve.
"Here, Sakura-chan." Naruto said, lifting his chopsticks with some rice up to Sakura's lips, and offering her his food, "you need to eat too."
Shocked, Sasuke and Sakura both looked at him like he was mad. "But you heard Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura protested," he said I couldn't have any. You're going to get in trouble!" Just at that moment, her stomach growled again. She flushed.
With a sigh Sasuke scooped up some of his food as well, and held it out to her. "You won't be of much help later if you're hungry, Sakura," He reasoned." Besides, Kakashi isn't even here right now- so just be quick and eat! "And then, he shoved a piece of egg into her half open mouth.
Sakura quickly chewed the egg before begrudgingly accepting the rice Naruto had previously offered. The three of them continued like this for a few moments, when suddenly their teacher poofed back in front of them in a cloud of smoke, looking utterly furious.
"What did I tell you? Can none of you follow simple instructions!?" He shouted, glaring death at them.
"She's our team members, we couldn't let her starve!" Naruto shouted back at the Jounin. He stared up at him defiantly; not regretting his actions in the slightest.
"Please sensei, don't blame them! It was my fault, so don't punish them for helping me," Sakura pleaded, bowing her head in remorse. She felt guilty. She knew what would happen, yet she accepted the food regardless. Sakura could only hope that Kakashi would accept her apology. But, from the look upon his face, which hadn't changed, she knew that it was futile.
"You said we were a team, and had to act as such," Sasuke spoke up," Yet, what kind of team would we be if we didn't help each other? As a group, we will fight together and either pass or fail together!"
"A team are you? Well then... as a team you all... Pass!" Kakashi announced gleefully, ending his sentence with a smile. He enjoyed seeing they're surprised faces.
"WHA...!" The three of them all yelled out in unison.
"You passed," He continued gently, still smiling. "And you guys are the first. Every other team just did as I said- they were all just morons. A ninja must see what's underneath to be successful."
"Those in the ninja world who break the rules are called 'trash', but you know what? Those who don't take care of their comrades are worse than the lowest form of scum! You all pass, and tomorrow Team 7 will begin its duty." Kakashi walked over, and cut the ropes holding Sakura to the post.
"That'll be all for today. I'll meet all of you bright and early tomorrow morning! See ya!" And with that, their new sensei poofed away once again, leaving them in shocked silence, to think over all of what he just said.
But mainly to celebrate the fact that from now, they were officially a Ninja Team.
Hey everyone! We are so sorry for how long this chapter took to get done... we've had so much on over the last few months that our writing had to take a bit of a back seat due to work and the holidays, but that should all be over for now and we should be able to get back to posting a new chapter every few weeks.
So next chapter will begin the land of waves arc and begin to show the budding signs of our character development, we intend to keep it mostly cannon coherent up until the second phase of the chunnin exam. That will also be wear be begin to show the changes we're making to the other members of the rookie nine.
We also have a Tumblr for this fic were you can go to ask questions and get updates on what's going on. We also post our one-shots there, so please pop over and let us know what you think ask-naruto-with-a-curse-mark we'd love to hear from you! ~
co-written by the ever brilliant baba beautiful
Chapter Three – A Real Mission at Last! – Naruto's Oath.