Chapter 3: Test of the Bells
The alarm clock went off and Naruto's hand shot out to turn it off. He sat up in his bed and yawned, the tip of his frog nightcap dangling between his eyes. He looked to the side and observed his calendar. He paused as he read the date, then smiled. Excitedly the blond jumped out of bed, all thoughts of tiredness gone, and he immediately threw off his pyjamas and put on some regular clothes. He grabbed his headband, the newly engraved metal shining brightly, before rushing downstairs.
"Morning," Ayame said, as she noticed the blond coming down the stairs. "You got out of bed quickly today."
"That's because today's the day," he responded, before sitting down. "Today, our teams get revealed and we'll be paired with a ninja teacher." He clasped his hands in excitement and stared at the ceiling, lost to his imagination. "We'll go on missions, fight bad guys, protect the innocent and everyone will know how cool I am and..."
"Hello. Reality to Naruto," Ayame called, snapping her fingers. "How about before you go save the damsel in distress or whatever you're talking about, we get breakfast?"
"Huh? What? Oh, yeah, that would probably be a good idea." He glanced at his stomach. "Can't go hungry today of all days."
"You never go hungry," the brunette commented with a teasing grin. "In fact, if Dad didn't have all his customers, you would have bankrupted us with how much you eat."
"Oh, ha ha," Naruto dryly replied. "By the way, what's for breakfast?"
"Dad's making us some ramen. Should be done any second now," she replied.
They didn't have to wait long, before Teuchi entered with three bowls of steaming ramen. "Here you go," he said, as he handed them out. "So, today's the day, right Naruto?"
"Yeah. I'm gonna be on a ninja team. It's going to be awesome. Believe it," the blond confirmed, before sinking into fantasy land again. "We'll fight bandits and smugglers and enemy ninjas, and it will be totally cool, and..."
"And you'll probably start with something simple," Ayame interrupted him. "Don't expect to be sent on missions for the daimyo right out of the gate."
"Yeah, yeah. I know," Naruto replied, before grabbing his chopsticks. "But still. A real ninja team."
"Well, I wouldn't know how it works," Ayame noted. "I never signed myself up for the ninja try-out."
"Neither did I. But I gather it's going to get rough from now on," Teuchi noted. "They have high expectations of people."
"No surprise there. Any idea who you'd want to be on a team with?" Ayame asked.
Naruto finished slurping up some noodles and said: "It's not like I get to choose. But I'd say Kiba. Him and Akamaru are cool. And Choji and his parents have always been nice, so I wouldn't mind him either."
"And loyal customers to boot," Teuchi noted. "The Akimichi clan has always been a treat to have over."
"Let's see. I guess being on a team with Shikamaru would also be nice. He's a real brainiac. But really relaxed about it," the blond continued. A goofy grin blossomed on his face. "I guess I wouldn't mind being on the same team as Sakura. She's really smart."
Ayame grinned. "Oh, that'd be cool, getting on a team with your crush."
"Huh? What? No, I don't have that," Naruto quickly replied, blushing slightly. Ayame couldn't help but giggle, causing him to respond with: "Sh-shut up."
"Now, now, you two be nice to each other," Teuchi commented, before picking a fishcake out of his ramen and eating it. "But it sounds like you have a lot of people you'd like to be on a team with."
"Yeah. I mean, there are others, but I don't know them that well," Naruto admitted. "But I don't think I'd mind being on a team with them if that's what's been decided." He paused. "Then there's Sasuke."
"The Uchiha kid?" Ayame asked.
"Yeah. I'd rather not be on team with him," Naruto mumbled, swirling his ramen a bit.
"Why?"
"Everyone thinks he's so cool. You should listen to people sometimes. Even their parents. It's annoying. And he barely talks with anyone. And when he does, he's usually rude. Like, this one time, after we trained with hitting a target, he said I shouldn't be allowed on the range."
"Didn't you almost hit Iruka in the face with a throwing star?" Ayame asked.
"Hey, he managed to block that with his clipboard," Naruto responded.
"That's fine, but don't be too hard on him. That kid has been through a lot," Teuchi chastised him.
"I know. I've heard the stories," Naruto replied. "I do feel sorry for him. I just wish he'd be nicer."
Ayame sighed. "That would probably be for the best. But when people go through such experiences, it can ruin them. It can be hard to recover."
Naruto paused, a noddle dangling from his chopsticks. "What happened? I mean, I heard bits here and there, but what was the Uchiha Massacre?" he finally asked, before eating the noodle.
"Well, a lot of it is confidential. So of course we don't have the full picture," Teuchi explained. "But his older brother, once a promising ninja, killed their clan's entire leadership and most of their higher-ranking members. Including Sasuke's parents. And then he vanished. As far as I know, nobody even knows why he did it. It's as if one day, he just snapped."
"Wow. That is sad," the blond commented with a frown, before refocusing on his breakfast.
...
Naruto walked down the road towards the school, whistling a jaunty tune, his excitement having returned in full force. He turned to take his usual shortcut down an alley, when he noticed something. A nearby wooden fence was sporting a notable bulge with horizontal lines. "Konohamaru?" he asked.
"You got me again," came the kid's muffled voice, before he dropped the disguise to the floor. "Just wanted to see if you were still sharp, Boss."
"Heh, well, have to be," the blond replied, before pointing at himself with his thumb. "Because today, I become a member of an official ninja team."
"That's so cool. Who do you think you'll end up with?" Konohamaru asked.
"Don't know. Hey, your grandfather helps arrange that. Have you heard anything?" Naruto asked.
"Nah. My grandfather knows how to keep his mouth shut. I thought about eavesdropping, but I don't think I could trick the security," the kid replied apologetically.
"Oh well. Guess I'll just have to wait and see," Naruto replied with a shrug.
Any further talk was interrupted by a melodious whistling. Suddenly, a sharp wind manifested, ripping Konohamaru's discarded disguise from the ground and smacking it into Naruto.
"Boss, are you okay?" the kid asked concerned, as the blond struggled to unwrap himself.
He laughed, before saying, voice slightly muffled by the cloth: "I only know one person who can whistle like that." He managed to pop his head free, looking around with an excited grin. "Where are you, Yota? I know it's you."
"Up here, up here," came an excited young voice from above. The two boys looked to the rooftops, where a small figure was observing them. The person jumped down on a balcony, leapt to a street-lamp and then finally landed in the alley with the others. He was a small and skinny boy, wrapped in a simple green robe with a larger, slightly shabby-looking, brown cloak wrapped around him. His face was framed with long, jagged bangs of brown hair, which hung from underneath his purple hat. His eyes were abnormal, to say the least. He had no pupils, only two green disks and the surrounding matter was black instead of white. As he watched the two, his face split into a grin that seemed just a tad bit too wide for his face, revealing his fangs and jagged teeth.
"Friend of yours?" Konohamaru asked.
"Yep. Meet Yota. He sells weather," Naruto explained, gesturing to the newcomer.
"I've been up north selling rain to farmers," Yota noted proudly. "I've earned tons of money."
"You sell weather?" the Hokage's grandson replied.
"Yep, yep, yep," came the excited reply. "Naruto, Naruto, I heard you became a ninja. Is it true? Is it true?"
"Yeah. I'm finally a ninja," Naruto said, gesturing to his headband.
"That's amazing, amazing!" Yota exclaimed excitedly, jumping from one foot to the other.
Konohamaru felt something cold land on his nose and looked, as a snowflake melted. "Snow?" he said and looked up, as several flakes fell from the sky.
"Yeah, the weather gets kinda weird around Yota. You get used to it," Naruto said with a shrug. "Oh, I should get going. Don't have too much time left. Yota, you gotta tell me all about your journey when I'm done." And then he ran off with a: "Bye."
The two left behind waved as the blond disappeared out of sight.
Then Yota turned to Konohamaru. "So, who are you?"
"Oh, I'm Konohamaru," he replied. "The Hokage's grandson."
"Hokage is a nice man," the weather manipulator said fondly. "He let me live here."
"True, he is."
"You wanna hang out?"
"Sure. I'd like to know how you sell weather."
...
In a house not far away, the pink-haired girl named Sakura Haruno observed herself in the mirror in her room. She supported her chin with her hand as she pondered her looks. She had dressed normally, as she would any other day, figuring that the orientation was more of an informal meet and greet with their new teacher. But then again, maybe she'd look more serious if she came dressed ready for a mission. But showing up in full survival gear was probably overdoing it. So maybe something more formal. But she didn't think any of her clothes really fit the bill.
"Sakura, you should get going now if you don't want to miss orientation!" came her mother's voice from downstairs.
"I know! I'm just getting ready!" she called back. She gave the mirror one last look, sighed and got her bag.
She exited the door, waving goodbye to her parents as she did, and started walking towards the school. She didn't walk far before she saw a familiar figure exit a flower shop with a: "Bye, Mom."
The person in question was a fair skinned girl, her platinum blonde hair tied up in a pony tail. Her eyes were an almost sparkling blue colour and she was dressed in a purple blouse and skirt. She noticed the approaching girl and greeted her with a: "Good morning, Sakura."
"Good morning, Ino," the pink-haired girl replied. "So, ready for today?"
"Eugh," the platinum blonde grunted, as the two of them started walking. "You know they're going to stick me with Shikamaru and Choji."
Sakura paused. "I mean, they might not," she suggested.
"No, they will. If one of them hadn't passed, then maybe... But no. Gotta preserve the Ino-Shika-Cho formation." She sighed. "Sometimes I think the clans should shake things up a bit. You're lucky not having to deal with that."
"Well, it's not like Shikamaru or Choji are bad at what they do," the pink-haired girl tried.
"Maybe. But I'd like to do something else than just being another in a long line of something. Do my own thing. I wish we could end up on the same team." She folded her arms behind her head. "Maybe I'll get lucky. But I doubt it." They walked in silence for a moment. "So, any hopes for who you end up with?" she asked.
"Who? Uhm... I hadn't really thought of that," she tried, blushing slightly.
Ino smiled. "You liar. I bet you were hoping you'd end up with Sasuke."
Sakura twirled one strand of hair in her fingers. "I doubt it," she said. "He's probably done really well at all of his tests. No reason to saddle him with me."
"You give yourself too little credit. You aced the academic part, and didn't do too bad on the others," Ino noted. "Of course, I imagine Sasuke much prefer more mature women, so I probably stand a better chance with him."
"Oh really? Don't you think he'd rather have someone who can keep up with him in a conversation?" Sakura asked innocently.
"Hey, what does that mean?"
"That I've at least never invented the Misokage, from the village hidden in the spices," Sakura replied with a smirk.
"Hey, that was an easy spelling mistake to make," Ino shot back. "Besides, I heard how badly you did at the stealth part of your physical test."
Sakura groaned and grabbed a lock of her hair, staring at it. "I should really get a wig or something before we start going on missions."
...
Naruto could barely sit still in the classroom, excitement rushing though his body. He scouted around the classroom, wondering who he'd be paired with.
"Hey, Naruto," came a calm voice, and the blond turned around to face the greeter. He wore a grey jacket and slightly baggy brown pants, his hands stuffed in his pockets. His black hair was tied in a spiky pony tail and his narrow brown eyes observed the blond with a relaxed, if not slightly bored expression on his face. "So, you finally became a ninja, huh."
"You got that right, Shikamaru," he replied with an excited grin.
"Yeah. Heard about Mizuki. Sounds like that was a real drag," the boy commented.
"Yeah. Funny, if it hadn't been for him, I might never have made it this year," Naruto noted. "Strange how that works out."
"I doubt Mizuki would see it that way," Shikamaru commented, scratching his nose.
"So, excited about the team selection?"
"Nah."
"Huh?" Naruto looked confused. "Why not?"
"Because I already know who I'm being teamed up with," Shikamaru replied. "Choji and Ino. If they manage to get a Nara, a Yamanaka and an Akimichi to graduate at the same time, they'll make sure they end up together. I mean, we got two of Choji's cousins in class, but we're pretty close, so I'm sure our dads have pressed for having us together. And Ino is a given in that case. It's all so they can form the Ino-Shika-Cho formation."
"I think I've heard that about that thing before," Naruto commented. "What is it?"
"To keep it simple, our clan specialities complement each other. So the higher ups like seeing us being grouped together," Shikamaru explained.
"Oh. Well, you and Choji are good friends," Naruto noted.
"Yeah. But Ino can be a handful at times," Shikamaru sighed. "It can be such a drag."
At that moment, the door the room slid open, allowing Sakura and Ino to enter. As the latter walked up to her seat, the pink-haired girl paused and observed the seats, before spotting Sasuke. She paused a bit, before slowly making her way up to him.
"Man, what is it with him?" Naruto mumbled. "Why do so many of the girls fawn over him?"
"Good question," Shikamaru said. "Except it's not just the girls. I know some guys who can't stop talking about him. It's such a bore."
"Really? Man, what is up with that?" Naruto commented, as he eyed the guy.
Sakura made it up besides the black-haired teen, before pausing a bit. "Uhm... Hi, Sasuke," she tried. "How's your day been?"
He waited a couple of seconds, not even looking at her, before mumbling: "Fine."
"She's throwing herself at him and he can't even be bothered to look at her," Naruto mumbled, looking rather steamed. "What is that all about?"
"Dunno. 'Snot just her. Ino is also all over him when she sees an opportunity," Shikamaru added. "I'm not jealous though. Having that many people hanging onto me would be pretty annoying."
"So... Excited about today?" Sakura tried.
Sasuke grunted something that sounded roughly like a confirmation.
"Oh, me too," she responded.
"If I talked to people like that, they'd go crazy," Naruto mumbled, glaring daggers. "What is it?"
"Maybe it's the hair," Shikamaru speculated.
"No way. It's all messy and such."
"So is yours."
"Yeah, I know. But nobody cares about my hair." Naruto pouted and crossed his arms.
Shikamaru rubbed his chin, contemplatively. "Maybe it's the face," he finally suggested. "It makes him look more mature than the rest of us."
"What? What about me?" Naruto asked.
"You have more of a soft, baby face," Shikamaru noted. "It makes you look cute, not adult."
"Really? Damn," Naruto mumbled. He touched his cheeks. Then he left his seat and slowly crept over towards Sasuke.
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, but decided to observe.
"So... Uhm... I was wondering..." Sakura tried, twirling a strand of her hair. "If maybe... Later... If you..."
Sasuke finally turned to look at her. "Look, can whatever this is wait? The teacher is about to arrive and I want to hear what he has to say."
"Oh... Sure... Sorry to..." The pink-haired girl paused, staring. "Bother... You?"
Sasuke paused, then followed her gaze, only to find himself mere centimetres from Naruto's face, the blond carefully scrutinizing the black-haired teen. "What... What are you...?"
"You don't look that mature," Naruto concluded.
The dour expression on Sasuke's face changed to complete bewilderment. "What in the world are you talking about?"
Naruto opened his mouth to say something, when one of his classmates bumped into him. She turned around to apologize, but froze.
Silence fell over the classroom, as everyone was suddenly paying attention.
Naruto and Sasuke had been knocked together, the two frozen in an awkward kiss. They glared at each other with the sort of horrified expression indicating that both were praying that this was all some godawful nightmare they were subjected to against their will.
As any hope for the situation to be some phantom terror that could be banished by waking up faded, the two jerked away from each other, sputtering and coughing, accompanied by the roaring laughter of several of their classmates.
Naruto briefly wondered if Iruka would be okay with him running out for some sandpaper, when he felt the pinprick sensation on his neck of being stared at. He looked around the classroom, noting that a couple of girls, and a few guys, were glaring daggers at him. He swallowed, suddenly feeling vulnerable. He allowed himself to take a glance at Sakura, hoping she wasn't mad at him too. To his surprise, his pink-haired classmate looked very determined to look away, her face lit with an almost luminous blush.
"Would. You. Be. Careful," Sasuke angrily snarled, having finished wiping him mouth. "Don't stick your face that close, you idiot."
The blond was about to reply in kind, when Iruka entered the classroom with a: "Alright everyone. Sit down please."
Naruto paused, briefly wondering if he should fire some sort of parting shot, before deciding that'd he'd rather not ruin his day by getting Iruka all pissed at him.
"Alright everyone, we have deliberated on who to team up with who and which Jonin to assign to your group," Iruka continued. "And now we're ready to assign you all. Your new teachers will be here shortly to pick you all up. Now then." He cleared his throat, held up a list and began calling names, as well as what team number and teacher they were being assigned.
Naruto was at the edge of his seat, waiting for his name to be mentioned.
"Now, for team seven," Iruka continued. "On this team, we have Naruto Uzumaki."
The blond perked up immediately. Now was the moment.
"Sakura Haruno."
Naruto felt like he could make a jump for joy.
"And Sasuke Uchiha."
And then he froze, before staring at Iruka, hoping he had read wrong.
"You will be assigned Kakashi Hatake as your teacher," Iruka continued. "Now then, for team eight. Ino Yamanaka. Choji Akimichi. Shikamaru Nara. You will be assigned Asuma Sarutobi as your teacher."
Ino sighed and rested her head on her hands, with a slightly frustrated expression on her face.
"Now, team nine," Iruka said loudly. "Kiba Inosuka. Shino Aburame. Hinata Hyuga. You will be assigned Kurenai Yuhi as your teacher." He continued on listing team compositions, before finishing up with: "That was all. Please rearrange yourselves so that you're sitting with your teammates. As I said before, your new teachers will be along shortly to pick you up. That was all." He began packing the papers, when he noted that Naruto had walked down to him. "Hm? What is it?"
"Ehm... I was just wondering..." Naruto started. "Why was my team put together like it is?"
"Even if I knew, I wouldn't be allowed to say," Iruka replied. "The higher-ups put the teams together, based on what they think will be most beneficial. Why?"
"Well... I mean... It's just that you've put me on team with Sasuke..." Naruto slowly explained.
"And?"
"Well... I don't think we'll get along... You know."
Iruka shrugged. "Sorry to hear that. But as a ninja, you will occasionally be required to work alongside people you don't like and be expected to put aside your differences to do your job. That's just part of it."
"Yeah, I guess," Naruto sighed. "Are you coming by for dinner?"
"Sure. I'll see you later," Iruka replied and left.
"Bye," the blond said, before slinking back up among the seats. He found Sasuke and Sakura already sitting together. The former looked like he was trying really hard to ignore everything, while Sakura looked like she was trying really hard to figure out how to make him stop ignoring her. Naruto chewed on a knuckle, gears in his mind spinning. "So," he tried conversationally, as he sat down beside her. "We're getting Kakashi as a teacher. That's cool."
"Hm?" the pink-haired girl said and turned her head. "Oh, right. Yes, Kakashi. I hear he's very skilled."
"Yep. And guess who knows him," the blond said, leaning back with a cocky smile.
Sakura raised an eyebrow. "You know Kakashi?"
"Believe it."
"How?"
"He's a semi-regular at Ichiraku," Naruto explained. "He's... Well, I guess friendly maybe isn't the best word. The quiet type. But nice enough. Occasionally asks how I'm doing. Talked with him a few times, asked him what it's like to be a ninja."
"You got to ask Kakashi about how to be a ninja?" Sakura asked in a tone that indicated she was both thinking it was awesome and that it was weird that Naruto had not done better with such a source of advice.
"Sorta. He was always kinda vague. Got the feeling he found it funny," Naruto admitted. "No, if you want good ninja stories, you gotta talk with Jiraya."
"Konoha's spymaster?" Sakura asked in disbelief. "How many of our elite ninjas come to Ichiraku?"
"Many," Naruto replied. "Anyway, Jiraya is super nice. He always wants to know how me and the family is doing. And he's always full of crazy stories about things he's done and places he's been."
"I'm sorry, I have to ask. With that many prominent ninjas coming to your father's shop, how was it you didn't do better at the test?" Sakura asked, in a bewildered tone. "As far as I heard, you only barely managed to pass."
"Well... Uhm..." Naruto looked kinda embarrassed. "Well, the thing is, Jiraya's crazy stories focused a lot more on him punching bad guys and jumping out burning buildings with a beautiful maiden in each arm. Not a lot of talk about what kinda clothing commoners wear out on the eastern islands."
"I see," she noted. "Oh, they have arrived."
Indeed, several people dressed in ninja uniforms had arrived, and soon after, many of the teams had started gathering around their new teachers, before leaving the classroom with them. As Naruto tried to spot Kakashi, he heard a timid, almost squeaking voice go: "Ehm... Na-Naruto."
He turned to face the speaker. She was a girl, just about his age. Her blue-black hair was rather short all around, though still managed to cover both her forehead and frame her face between two bangs. She wore a cream-coloured and rather plush jacket, alongside navy-blue pants. But it was her eyes that stood out the most. There were no pupils or colour, only a white blank circle, barely distinguishable from the surrounding whites.
"Oh, hey there, Hinata," he greeted her. "You about to leave with your new teacher?"
"Ye-Yes," she stammered looking away. "I... I ju-just wanted to... To say that... I'm ha-happy that you man-managed to become a ninja."
"So am I," Naruto replied with a smile.
"Ehm... Well..." the white-eyed girl tried.
"Hey, Hinata," Kiba called from the door. "We're leaving. You can chat with Naruto later."
"Oh, right, sorry," she quickly said. "Ehm... Good luck." And then she ran off.
"Where is Kakashi?" Sakura mumbled.
"Eh, he'll be here any second now," Naruto stated.
...
"Naruto," Sakura slowly said, observing the blackboard. "Define any second now."
"Huh, what?" Naruto asked, jerking upright. He yawned, before looking around. Sasuke still sat in the same position, though a slight twitch had manifested in his eye.
The pink-haired girl also seemed to notice their companion's dissatisfaction. "You okay, Sasuke?"
"It's been twenty-five minutes already," he commented. "Where is he?"
"Eh. Dunno," Naruto replied. He scratched his head idly, before a sudden idea caused him to giggle. He jumped out of his seat and ran down to the blackboard, grabbing the sponge used to clean up the chalk. Then he grabbed a chair.
"What are you doing, Naruto?" Sakura asked confused.
"I just think it's fair to get a little payback, considering he let us wait like this," Naruto said, as he climbed the chair. With a giggle, he slid the door open, before jamming the sponge between it and the frame.
"You idiot. He's a jonin. Do you really think you can get him with a childish prank like that?" Sasuke asked.
"Yeah. Besides, we shouldn't make a bad first impression," Sakura added, trying to ignore the part of her hoping that it would work.
"Shh. I hear footsteps," Naruto said, stepping back with an excited expression.
The door slid open. The tall man that stepped forward was dressed in the standard uniform. His face was mostly obscured, wrapped cloth hiding his nose and mouth, while his headband was askew, covering his left eye. This was all topped off with a wild mane of silvery hair.
Hair that seconds later was hit by the sponge, which slowly slid of the man's head and hit the floor with a dull thud.
Naruto immediately broke into laughter at the sight, Sasuke stared with a mixture of confusion and disapproval, and Sakura was torn between wanting to apologise and joining Naruto in bemusement.
The man picked the sponge up, observing it for a moment, before calmly stating: "You all seem to be a... How to put this? Spirited bunch." He casually threw the object on the nearby table and walked in. "I am, as some of you may already know, Kakashi Hatake. And you must be the team assigned to me since there's nobody else here."
"That's because you're late," Sasuke grumpily pointed out.
"Indeed. So you know how to read the time. That is reassuring," the man responded.
The black-haired teen glared.
"Now then, we should probably get to know each other. But classrooms are so dreary," the silver-haired man continued. "Let us go somewhere else." With those words, he turned around and left.
The three paused for a moment, before grabbing their stuff.
"Is he always like that?" Sakura quietly asked Naruto, as they left the room.
"Yeah. Told you he was quite something," the blond teen replied.
"And his face is all covered up. Is he injured?"
"How should I know?" the blond questioned.
Sakura looked confused. "Didn't you say he's a regular?"
"He is."
"And I presume that means he eats there?"
"Yeah. He likes salty dishes."
"But he can't eat with that mask on. Can he?" Sakura asked bewildered.
"Look, the guy comes around about twice a month," Naruto explained. "And he finishes his dishes, every time. But I've never even once seen him actually take a bite. Of anything. I look away to help with something for a moment and his dish will be, like, half gone. I think he's stealth eating. Maybe as a form of training."
"That... Is pretty weird," the pink-haired girl replied.
...
Kakashi lead the three to a nearby rooftop garden. The three sat down on some sun-warmed steps, while their teacher himself leaned against the railing that separated people from a very long fall.
"Well then," he started. "I think we should start out by introducing ourselves to each other."
"Ehm... What should we talk about?" Sakura asked.
Kakashi shrugged. "Likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams for the future. Whatever you feel is appropriate."
"Then can't you start then?" Naruto asked. "You know, show us how it's done?"
"Sure," the silver-haired man replied. "Let's see... You already know my name, so... Likes and dislikes... Well, that's really none of your business. Hobbies... I have some, yes. And dreams for the future... Never given it much thought. There we go. Now it's your turn."
"Are you for... Fine, I'll start," Naruto said exasperated. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I like ramen and I dislike people who constantly look down on me. My hobby... Well, I guess I help Pop and Sis with running the place. That's kinda hobby-ish. And dreams for the future." He smiled widely. "I'm gonna become Hokage, so everyone will have to respect me. Believe it."
Kakashi nodded in acknowledgement.
"I guess I'll go next," Sakura said. "I'm Sakura Haruno. I like sweets. Guess that comes naturally, my parents run a bakery. And..." She glanced at Sasuke, before coughing. "And I'm not fond of spicy food. At all. Hobbies... Well, I also help my parents out. And I do like trivia games. As for the future..." She rested her head on her hand, contemplatively. "I'm honestly not sure, beyond becoming a ninja. I'm hoping that I'll get a better idea of what I want as I learn more."
"Good," Kakashi stated, shifting his view to Sasuke.
The black-haired boy was quiet for a moment, as if hoping he could skip this part. "I am Sasuke Uchiha," he finally said. "There's not much left for me to like, I dislike a lot of things and I don't have time for hobbies." His eyes narrowed, as cold hatred seeped into his voice. "My future is the death of the one responsible for my family's downfall. And once vengeance has been taken, I will restore my clan to its rightful position."
Naruto couldn't help but lean away from him at his murderous proclamation.
"Well, I think you should now have gotten at least an idea about each other," Kakashi noted. "So let's move on to the next part. Whether or not I'll take you as my students."
"Wait, what?" Naruto asked, suddenly paying close attention. "What do you mean by that?"
"Hmm? Haven't paid much attention in class, have we?" Kakashi asked. "Then let me sum it up. I'm not obligated to take you on as my students. No one is. The higher-ups merely think I would be a good teacher for you. Now your job is to prove that you'd make good students."
"And how do we do that?" Sakura asked nervously.
"I've devised a little test," the silver-haired man responded. "I want you all to meet up at the glade south of the village by six tomorrow. Oh, but let me give you a friendly tip." His eye narrowed. "Skip breakfast. You'll thank me later."
"Why would we want skip breakfast?" Naruto asked warily.
"Because," Kakashi began, a hint of cheer slipping into his voice. "You've never been through training quite like what I have in mind. In my experience, most first timers end up puking their guts out. And wouldn't that just be a waste of a perfectly good breakfast?"
The three stared at him.
"Really?" Naruto asked.
"Well, if you don't believe me, by all means, show up with a full stomach," Kakashi replied, shrugging. "Just remember, you'll have a hard time completing the test while also throwing up. And that's it for today. You are dismissed." With those words, he grabbed hold of the railing and flipped over it backwards, disappearing from view.
The three teens sat still for a moment, before exchanging glances and then getting up to leave the garden.
...
Very early the next day, the three trudged into the field, as their teacher had ordered. Naruto kept yawning, Sakura had bags under her eyes and even Sasuke had to fight himself to not show any signs of tiredness. The place was mostly bare grass, except a big, polished, black rock in one end and three wooden poles standing in a line. Not far from there, a small creek ran by, filling the air with the sound of rushing water.
"Well... We're here," Sakura stated. Darkness still enveloped them and stars were clear in the sky. Only a faint hint of colours on the horizon hinted at the sun's imminent return. "Now we just gotta wait for Kakashi."
"Great. Well, if he's late again, then I can probably get five more minutes of sleep or something," Naruto mumbled, before putting his rucksack down.
"You really want to sleep now?" Sakura asked. "He can show up any minute."
"Yep," the blond said as he laid down, using his rucksack as a pillow. "So I better get started if I want a nap."
Sakura sighed and turned to Sasuke: "Hey, do you...?" She noticed he had already walked off and had begun using a nearby tree as target practice for his kunai. "Oh. Guess not." She rubbed her chin. "I guess I'll... Just read up on some material then." She sat down under another nearby tree, grabbed a book from her backpack and started reading.
Time passed, as the sun began rising above the horizon.
Sakura looked up from her book and checked her watch. "An hour late," she noted. "Where is he? Hey, Naruto?"
The blond gurgled something.
The pink-haired teen rolled her eyes and walked over to him. "Hey, Naruto. Hello." She paused. "NARUTO!"
The blond shot up with a yelp. "What? Is anything on fire? It wasn't me."
"Kakashi still hasn't arrived," Sakura informed him.
"What? You're waking me up just to tell me nothing has happened?" Naruto asked confused.
"It's been an hour."
"Really?" Naruto checked his watch. "Huh. It has. That's weird."
The two glanced at Sasuke. From the facial expression he was wearing as he hurled the pointed weapons at the defenceless tree, he seemed to be imagining a certain silver-haired ninja as his target.
"Maybe something popped up," Naruto speculated. "But then you'd think he'd tell us."
"Well, you know him better than I do," Sakura noted as she sat down beside him. "Any idea if he has any duties that could get in the way like this?"
"As I said, he's very quiet. You heard him yesterday. Not a single word about himself." Naruto paused. "I mean, he said a lot, but nothing useful."
"I know. Maybe we should have checked his public record." Sakura sighed. "So, lots of ninjas come to Ichiraku?"
"Yeah. You've never been there?" Naruto asked.
"No. My parents aren't really ramen people. I know your father occasionally drops by to talk with my dad. He is one of the representatives of Konoha's civilians after all," Sakura noted.
"You're missing out. You should drop by sometime," Naruto advised. "We make good food, believe it."
"Well, guess I could always ask Ino if she'd like to visit with me," she noted. "Anyway, thanks, but if he's not going to show up, I'll get some more reading done." She paused, as her empty stomach gurgled. "Talking about food really isn't helping."
Time kept passing, as the sun rose into the sky. Slowly, the darkness of the night faded, giving way to the bright blue of a sunny day.
"WHERE IS HE!" Sasuke yelled, throwing his kunai hard enough to bury it to the hilt in the tree.
"Haphawhatsit?" Naruto garbled as he shot up. "Who? What? Where?"
The black-haired teen didn't respond, instead ripping his weapon loose and began pacing back and forth with a smoldering expression.
"It's been three hours," Sakura noted, looking up from the book she was reading. "Something must have happened."
"Maybe we should just go home then," Naruto suggested. His stomach loudly grumbled. "I could certainly go for some lunch right about now."
"Yeah. So could I," Sakura said. "But if he shows up and we're all gone, I don't think we're going to pass the test."
"'Skip breakfast' he said," Naruto mockingly commented, as he laid down. "'Or you'll regret it' he said. Only thing I'm regretting is not eating a double-sized bowl of ramen for breakfast."
Time continued to crawl by, the sun getting ever closer to its zenith.
Naruto found himself unable to sleep, as his stomach continued to scream for mercy. He heard footsteps and looked up. He rubbed his eyes and asked: "Am I going crazy from hunger or is that Kakashi?"
The two others looked up, to see the silver-haired jonin casually walk into the glade. "Hello everyone," he greeted them.
Sasuke glared daggers at the man, as Sakura hastily packed her books and Naruto jumped up.
"You're late," the blond said angrily, as the two others joined up with him.
"Am I?" Kakashi asked, sounding slightly surprised.
"Yeah, you were supposed to meet us here at six," the blond insisted, waving his arms in frustration.
"Was I?" the silver-haired teacher asked.
"Did you hit you head or something?" Sakura asked, a mixture of concern and annoyance in her voice.
"Not at all. But I distinctly remember only saying you had to meet up. I don't remember anything about saying when I would show up," he explained.
The trio stared at him in dawning comprehension.
"Then why the Preta would you tell us to meet here that early!" Naruto exclaimed. "What was the point!?"
"The point? Well... Let's see..." Kakashi rubbed his chin while staring contemplatively at the sky. "If you want a point, I guess I'll go with... That getting up early is healthy. Or at least, so Guy tells me."
"Really? Come one," the blond exclaimed.
"Hey, it's your own fault for not paying attention. So no, Naruto, I am in fact not late. Nor am I early." He shifted his glance to Naruto. "A ninja arrives precisely when he intends to, no matter what it may look like. Now, let us begin." He reached into his pockets and pulled out two small bells on red strings. "These are the focus of today's little test."
"Bells?" Sakura questioned. "What for?"
"Oh, it's quite simple," Kakashi replied, as he fished a clock out of his backpack and placed it on a tree stump. "You have, let's see, two hours to get them once I start this thing. I'll be carrying them and your job will be to figure out how to steal one. Accomplish that, and you'll win."
Sasuke stared at the bells. "There's only two," he coldly stated.
"That's correct," Kakashi said. "You see, I've thought about it and I really can't be bothered to lug all three of you around. So one of you will fail and go back to school, either to drop out or to stay for another year."
"Really? After getting this far, we're still at risk of having to do the whole year again?" Naruto asked horrified. "How's that fair?"
"Oh, it isn't. But then again, being a ninja is hardly about being fair," Kakashi noted with a shrug. "And here, I make the rules. And of course, there's no guarantee any of you will even get a bell, so I might not have any students at all. Now, one last thing." He paused, fixing them all with his cyclopean glare. "I want you to give it all you got. Anything goes. Even paper bombs and any dangerous jutsus you may have learned. If you are not ready to risk killing me, you will never get a bell. Understood?"
The three nodded.
"Good," Kakashi said. "Anything else I should cover?" He paused, noticing the trio of gurgling stomachs crying out for food. "Ah, of course. You've all been patient and I did ask you to arrive early without breakfast. So I've brought lunch." He pulled two packages out of his bag.
"Wait, there's only two?" Naruto asked.
"My, you're all so sharp today. Yes, there's only two." He placed them on the tree stump beside the clock. "These lunches are for winners only. So you won't eat until the test is over. Now then, let me just set the timer." He turned around and bend over, fiddling with the clock.
Naruto saw his chance and shot forward, hoping to grab the bell before his teacher was done setting the timer. His hand grasped the air, as Kakashi seemed to move in a blur. His hand grabbed Naruto's wrist, twirled him around and forced him to his knees, while twisting the arm against his back.
"Not a bad try," Kakashi noted, before releasing the blond. "Taking initiative before the enemy. Good. Although, I cannot say whether that was insight or desperation. Anyway, let's begin, properly this time." His hand came down upon the clock's button, initiating the timer.
...
The Hokage lit the fresh tobacco in his pipe and grabbed another report on the village's economic situation. A series of knocks on the door caused him to pause and look up. "Come in."
"Oh, sorry, I hope I'm not disturbing you, Lord Third," Iruka said.
"Not at all," Hiruzen replied and gestured to a chair with his pipe. "Please, take a seat."
"Thanks. It's just..." Iruka paused as he sat down. "Naruto has been assigned to a team under Kakashi. And from the way Naruto described it yesterday, it sounded like it was going to get rough."
"True, Kakashi is strict," Hiruzen agreed with a nod. "But I've never had reason to question his judgement calls in the past. They've all been soundly backed up with ample evidence."
"I expected as much. He is a one of our elites," Iruka agreed. "But... I guess I'm worried about how well Naruto will do. To get this far and then fail... I don't know. Maybe I'm just too concerned."
"Iruka, there is nothing wrong with being concerned," Hiruzen gently informed him. "Frankly, I wish more of our citizens showed some concern for that boy. But if he isn't ready..."
"Then it would be dangerous to make him a ninja. I know," Iruka sighed. "I stood with that dilemma myself after the test."
"And you did well. Letting him pass after the Mizuki incident was rather unorthodox, but your reasoning was sound," the Hokage informed him. He deftly reached into a stack of papers and pulled a folder out. "Here's all the information on previous students we've assigned to Kakashi."
Iruka grabbed the folder and skimmed the pages. "Two previous teams," he noted. "Neither passed. I see." He scrutinized the notes on the test. "He's brutal."
"Ninja life is brutal. And the skills Kakashi value are necessary," Hiruzen noted. "But it won't be easy."
"Especially not considering who's on the team," Iruka commented, closing the folder. "It's really no secret that Sakura is crushing on Sasuke, nor that he couldn't possibly care less. And I know from Teuchi that Naruto isn't too fond of Sasuke and his attitude. That will affect things."
"It will. But the council has agreed that skill-wise, the three complement each other," Hiruzen noted. "So if they can pass the test, they will make for the best possible team. They would hardly be the first team with some... Shall we say, interpersonal issues." He looked out the window, a nostalgic expression settling on his face. "I remember me and Danzo having our fair share of arguments. How sparks could fly, back then. But he was always honest with me, which is why he has been trusted with his role on the council. Perhaps they too can turn their flaws into strengths."
"If they pass the test," Iruka added.
"Indeed." The Hokage returned his gaze to the man. "And if they should fail, do not blame Kakashi. He is only doing what he needs to as their teacher."
"I know," the young teacher sighed and got up from the chair. "Thanks for the talk. I won't take up more of your time."
"See you around, Iruka," the Hokage said, as the other man left the room.
...
Kakashi stood in the middle of the field, watching the surrounding area. He had a pretty good idea of where Sasuke was hiding, no doubt preparing to ambush him. Sakura had gone even further away, probably to avoid having her distinct hair give away her position. He nodded. So far, so good. "And then there's you," he stated, turning to Naruto. "So, what's your plan?"
"I'm going to beat you up and take the bell from you. Believe it," Naruto stated, getting into a combat stance. "So bring it on."
"Really now? You're that confident?" Kakashi asked. "Well, even if a ninja thinks their prey is outmatched, they should always make sure to maximize their own advantage. Otherwise, you risk your target turning things around."
"Yeah? Well, I beat Mizuki. And now, I'll beat you!" Naruto declared and charged forward.
The grey-haired ninja stuck a hand into a small bag attached to his belt, causing the blond teen to pause his charge, eyes fixed on the older ninja's hand to see what deadly item he would pull out the fight him with.
A book with the words Icha Icha Paradise was retrieved and Kakashi casually opened it.
"Uhm... What is that?" Naruto asked.
"A book."
"Why are you reading a book?"
"To learn what happens next of course."
Naruto growled in frustration, before exclaiming: "I'm about to attack you! Don't you even care?!"
"Should I?"
"You couldn't even dodge a sponge!"
"Naruto, a sponge is among the most harmless items known to man," Kakashi stated, as if lecturing him. "Hardly worth putting effort into evading, don't you think?"
"Oh yeah! Well, try to evade this!" Naruto called, as he leapt forward with a flying kick.
Kakashi calmly bent backwards, causing the blond to sail past him.
Naruto landed and turned around, trying to hit with a right hook, but the older ninja just sidestepped, eye still focused on the book. The blond tried again, launching a wide kick at his opponent's legs, but Kakashi just jumped over it. Finally, roaring in frustration, Naruto tried to jump and latch onto him, but only ended up landing crouched on the ground.
"What? Where?" Naruto asked confused, looking from side to side.
"Behind you," came Kakashi's voice. "Now, I believe it's my turn."
Naruto nervously looked over his shoulder, fearing what the silver-haired jonin was planning.
Kakashi's boot hammered into Naruto's behind and launched him with a scream into the stream with a splash.
Not far away, Sakura looked up from the rope she was tying. "That sounded like Naruto," she mumbled, as she tied the knot. "Didn't sound like he was particularly successful. Then again, it looked like he was going to try and challenge Kakashi directly." She paused to admire her work. It was not the most sophisticated trap, but a couple of bent branches smacking into you should hurt, even if that someone was Kakashi. As she hid the triggering wire under some fallen leaves, hiding it in the undergrowth, she started pondering how she could lure Kakashi into the trap.
Back in the river, Naruto was gently floating upside down, a grumpy expression on his face as he rubbed his sore butt. Kakashi had so far outmanoeuvred him, so he needed to come up with a plan. Something the jonin would not see coming. He fished into his belt-pouch and extracted two shurikens. A short-range ambush from the water could do the trick. His legs began moving as he swam closer to the surface, trying to eye Kakashi's position. He smirked. The guy hadn't moved at all.
With one move, he broke through the surface and hurled the two projectiles at him. Kakashi didn't even look up from his book. With one movement, he jammed two fingers into the holes in the shurikens, arresting the movement centimetres from his face.
"Naruto, if you want to ambush me, do it from a position I don't expect it from," he advised.
"I'll show you something you don't expect," the blond commented, voice muffled by water. He folded his hands and prepared.
"No, Naruto, turning into a naked woman won't help either. Trust me, I've seen plenty of those."
The blond froze. "How did you...?"
"Iruka mentioned it."
"The traitor," Naruto growled, as he sunk underneath the water again, his mind working overtime. If Kakashi knew that, then did he really have a trick the jonin wouldn't recognise? He had held off on using his trump card, the forbidden jutsu he had learned, mostly because he figured someone in Kakashi's position would know already. Could that be turned to his advantage? He grabbed his head in frustration. He wished he had someone like Shikamaru to talk with. That guy knew strategy. All he himself had done so far was bungling the whole thing. He opened his eyes with a revelation. Yes, Kakashi was probably expecting him to keep doing stupid things. And if that was what he was expecting, then maybe he could be tricked. Naruto folded his hands and focused. In the water around him, six clones sprung into existence. They already knew the plan.
The water's surface exploded as the six Naruto's sprung into view.
"Hmm? You're going to try with numbers now?" Kakashi asked. "Relying on that alone is a foolish move, Naruto."
"Oh yeah?" one of the blonds asked cockily. "Well, we took down Mizuki with this technique. And I bet there's a limit to how many you can fight at once."
"True. But you are still untrained and clones are a constant drain on your chakra," the jonin replied. "I bet there's a strict time limit on how long you can maintain your buddies. And when that runs out, you'll be too drained to do anything else."
"Then I guess we'll have to finish this quickly"" one of the Narutos declared, as they charged in with a warcry.
Kakashi shifted into a defensive stance, one arm raised to block incoming attacks, the other still holding the book. As the clone squad moved in, he prepared to ward off their offensive.
That's when something suddenly grabbed him from behind, wrenching both of his arms backwards. Kakashi looked over his shoulder with an expression of surprise as he saw the Naruto now grappling him.
"Didn't expect that, did you?" the grappling Naruto asked.
"Now we got him. ATTACK!" one of the other clones yelled, as they jumped the man, preparing to pummel him and take the bell.
Fist collided with flesh.
It took a moment before the attacking clone realised that he had hit another Naruto, which the grappling clone was now holding.
"Ow," the punched duplicate mumbled, knuckles still buried in his cheek.
"Wait, where did he go?" one asked.
"Did he transform into one of us?"
"Wait, is there a clone too many?"
"It's you, isn't it?"
"No. And let go of my shirt before you get hurt."
"Wait, wouldn't it be the one I'm holding?"
"No it isn't."
"Then who are you?"
"I was on the attack team and then suddenly this jerk is punching me."
"Hey, who are you calling a jerk?"
"Could someone do a headcount?"
"Wait, wait," the original Naruto said. "Alright, I'll undo the clone jutsu. Then the extra has to be Kakashi, right?"
"Sounds about right."
"Yeah, good idea."
Naruto focused, and his duplicates vanished in puffs of smoke. He looked around, noticing that he was alone. "What!?" he exclaimed. "None of them were him. Where did he go? What's going on?" He looked around, trying to spot the older ninja. That's when he noticed something glimmering in the grass. A bell.
"Did I knock that off? No, how could I?" he mumbled. He looked around. "DON'T THINK I HAVEN'T SEEN THROUGH YOUR CHEAP TRICK, KAKASHI!" he yelled. "I KNOW IT'S A TRAP!" He took a step backward, continuing to yell: "YOU'LL HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN..." The rest of his bravado drowned in a shriek as a snare tightened around his ankle and hoisted him into the air. He dangled upside down for a moment. "WHAT!?" he angrily yelled. "WHAT'S GOING ON?"
"Sometimes," Kakashi said, as he stepped out into view and picked up the bell. "Things are obvious, not because you have outsmarted the enemy, but because they want you to notice it. You have to be two steps ahead."
"GRAFLGABHGAVA!" Naruto screamed furiously, angrily flailing his limbs.
"Yes, I think you could stand to hang there for a moment and cool down," the jonin noted. "Though I must note, the trick with the clones wasn't bad. A bit more of that and you might actually have a chance at getting a bell."
Naruto glared evilly at the man, when he suddenly saw something. Out of the bushes, a series of small projectiles, kunai, shot out, flying straight towards their teacher.
The man didn't even notice.
The iron weapons smashes into his back and he fell forward soundlessly, like a sack of potatoes that had been knocked over.
And with a wooden clonk, the heavy branch landed on the grass, now riddled with kunai.
Naruto stared at what he was pretty certain had been his teacher just moments prior. "What's going on!?" he exclaimed confused. "I don't get any of this!"
In the bushes, Sasuke scowled and hurried to change position. He had thought Kakashi's attention would be focused on Naruto, but he had still reacted the attack and countered it. He hurried through the woods, trying to figure out how to lose their teacher's attention again.
Elsewhere, Sakura peaked up from the bush she was hiding in. More noises. As she observed the place her trap was hidden at, she began considering the problem. She had no idea if Kakashi would be willing to chase them, even if she did a hit and run. And she couldn't very well build a trap right next to him. She sighed. She wished she had someone like Ino to talk to. She could probably figure out how to lure the jonin away from the glade. She paused, as she saw Kakashi heading through the undergrowth. She retracted back into the bush. She just had to wait for the right moment. She pulled back a bit, hoping the flowers on the plant would help obscure here distinct colors. She bumped into something. Slowly, the pink-haired ninja turned her head.
"Hey," Kakashi said.
With a scream, she leapt out of the bush and stumbled away, as the jonin stood up. "Now then, I take it you wanted to take a shot at getting the bells?"
"I... That... That was an illusion. How did you know?"
"A ninja scouts ahead from a position of advantage and learns the terrain. I noticed you when you poked your head out of your hiding spot," he explained and took a step forward.
Sakura immediately took a step backward to maintain the distance. She heard the twang of a wire snapping. She had a second to curse herself, before one heavy branch smacked into her stomach and another slammed into the back of her legs. She flipped in the air and landed face first on the ground, hard.
"I take it you'll need a moment," the silver-haired jonin noted, as he wandered off. "Better luck next time."
Sakura could only groan in response.
Back at the glade, Naruto had finally managed to curl himself together to the point that he could grab the rope. He held it with one hand and used the other to cut it with a kunai. Loosened from the trap, he fell to the ground. "There. Finally," he said exhausted, rubbing his sore stomach. "Man, I should ask Lee for some pointers on that. Gotta get better." He looked around, trying to spot Kakashi. "Now where could he have gone?" he questioned out loudly, as he began walking. "Has he gone off to bother someone else? ProbaBLAAAAARGH!" Naruto found himself hoisted by another snare. He looked around confused, only to notice that this one had approximately been by the lost bell. "WHAT IS THIS CRAP!?" he yelled. "YOU MADE TWO SNARES!? WHO DOES THAT!? WHEN DID YOU HAVE TIME TO MAKE TWO SNARES!?"
Out in the woods, Sasuke had found a second, smaller glade. He looked around, hearing distant yelling. From the sounds of it, both Naruto and Sakura had fallen afoul of Kakashi. He was not surprised. It was obvious the two didn't have what it took to be a ninja.
"Nice try, but you should never expect what you do to be unexpected," Kakashi said from somewhere behind him, causing the black-haired teen to spin around. "A ninja must always have a back-up plan, for when things go wrong."
"Alright then," Sasuke mumbled, drawing a kunai. "So, you've found me."
Kakashi leaned against a tree, still reading his book. "Yep. Your hasty flight left a trail easy enough for me to follow. A ninja must not panic, even when things go wrong. Panicking only hands the enemy an even greater advantage."
"So the time for ambushing you has passed," the black-haired teen continued. "Then we'll do it this way."
He charged forward and swung, seemingly aiming to stab the jonin in the side. Kakashi caught his arm with his free hand. Sasuke smiled and initiated a high kick with his left foot. The silver-haired man had to stop reading to use the arm to prevent the foot from colliding with his head. With one hand grabbed by Kakashi and his feet in the air, Sasuke was now upside down, with a clear view of the bells. His free hand shot forward to grab the prize. His fingers brushed against the cold metal surface, before Kakashi pushed forward, launching his attacker backwards. Sasuke used his hand to flip over and turned around, landing safely.
"Not bad," Kakashi commented. "You're certainly further ahead when it comes to the art of taijutsu than the others. But there's only so much you can do against me."
"Oh, I'm far ahead of them in much more than just taijutsu," the black-haired teen stated.
"Is that so?"
Sasuke didn't respond. He folded his hands and focused his chakra. He could feel the energy heating in his lungs, as he took a deep breath. When he breathed out, the air had ignited. The stream of fire seamed to engulf their teacher, obscuring him in a raging conflagration. Finally, having expended a large amount of energy, not to mention needing to breathe, Sasuke paused the assault. Where Kakashi had been, there was only a blackened spot. The black-haired growled. Even if he had killed the man, the flame wouldn't have been hot enough to disintegrate him. So somehow, he dodged. He looked around at the surrounding terrain. "Where are you?!" he called.
He heard the cracking of earth and felt a hand grab his shin.
"Where you least expect it," Kakashi said, before pulling Sasuke down into the ground.
Seconds later, he was buried to his chin in dirt.
"You are more advanced than the two others," Kakashi said, standing above him. "But that may not be the advantage you think it is. A ninja has to be subtle. If you are the most dangerous target on the battlefield and the enemy knows it, they will go after you first. Remember, it's the tallest nail that gets smacked down first." And with that he left the growling kid behind.
Sasuke tried to shift and wriggle to get free, but to no avail. He sighed. He really wished he had someone, anyone, who could dig him out.
That's when Sakura stumbled out of the bushes, looking unsteady. She stopped and stared at Sasuke's head. "Wha... What?"
"I don't want to talk about it," he grumpily said. "Just... Could you just get me out of here?"
"Oh, sure. Ehm..." Sakura looked in her backpack for something to dig with. "Might take a moment."
Back in the glade, Naruto had just managed to free himself again. "Stupid bell test," he grumbled, as he pocketed his kunai. "How am I supposed to do this?" His stomach growled loudly. "Aw man," he continued. "And I'm so hungry. How am I supposed to fight Kakashi on an empty stomach?" He looked up. The packed lunches still lay where Kakashi had left them. He smirked and sneaked closer. "Well, a ninja's gotta do what a ninja's gotta do," he said, grabbing one. "We'll call it foraging."
"Which is a necessary skill to learn," Kakashi said in agreement, causing the blond to jump away with a yelp.
"Kakakakashi? Where... How?" he sputtered.
"Naruto, were you trying to steal the lunches I had specifically prepared for the winners?" Kakashi asked, with a hint of menacing mirth to his voice.
"What...? No... I saw... Bugs... On the... On the lunch..." the blond quickly tried.
"Now, now, Naruto," Kakashi admonished as he stepped towards the terrified blond. "No lying."
Back in the other glade, Sakura finally pulled Sasuke free.
"Took long enough," he mumbled, dusting himself off. "How much time do we even have left?"
"It can't be too much," Sakura sighed. "I'm starting to think we'll all end up going back for another year."
"Unacceptable," the black-haired ninja stated. "I must grow stronger if I am to fulfil my duty. I don't have time to do the year over. I..."
The sound of a ringing bell filled the air.
Sasuke didn't say anything. He just clenched his fists and stomped off, with Sakura close behind.
...
The three sat back in the glade, glaring at Kakashi, who was still reading his book. That is, except Naruto, who was currently tied to one of the poles.
"Well, that was a good chapter," Kakashi noted and pocketed the book. "And let's see... It does appear that I still have both bells. I guess that means none of you managed to pass."
Sasuke's fingers dug into the earth as his scowl intensified.
"COME ON!" Naruto yelled, straining against the ropes. "How was this test even remotely fair? We never had a chance against you."
"A ninja will through their career often face opponents who may have one or more advantages over them," Kakashi explained. "What, do you think we allow you to tag out just because the other guy seems scary? That's not how it works."
"But you saw through everything we did," Sakura protested. "How were we supposed to beat you?"
"You're asking me? You guys were supposed to figure that out," the silver-haired man explained. "What would the point be if I just told you?"
"So what, because we couldn't beat you, now we get sent back for another year?" Naruto asked frustrated, as a low growl could be heard from Sasuke.
"Huh? Oh, that. Yes, I did say that, didn't I?" Kakashi said, in a tone of voice indicating he had legitimately forgot. "Don't worry about it. Your actions today impressed upon me that I should probably change my mind about that."
"Re-really?" Sakura asked.
"Really."
"So we're not going back to school?" Naruto happily asked.
"Of course not," Kakashi cheerfully noted, causing a sense of relief to wash over the group. "I'm going to have you three completely barred from ever becoming ninja at all. No point in sending you back."
A couple of seconds passed as the group comprehended what he said.
"Wha... What?" Sakura weakly asked. "What did you say?"
Kakashi glanced at the group, any trace of mirth gone from his eye and voice. "You three," he started. "Are never going to become ninjas."
"Wha... Why? That... That..." Naruto began. "THAT'S NOT FAIR! JUST BECAUSE WE CAN'T BEAT YOU, DOESN'T MEAN YOU GET TO...!"
"Actually, it does," Kakashi interrupted him, his cold words halting the blond's rant. "If my report says that not a single one of you are fit to be a ninja, the higher-ups will take my word for it."
What he said caused something to snap in Sasuke. With a roar of mixed frustration and pure rage, he leapt forward, kunai in hand.
Seconds later, he was on the ground face down, Kakashi's boot in his spine and his hand, still holding the kunai, pressed against his own throat.
"Now then, a quick rundown," Kakashi continued, not caring at all about the attempt to harm him. "Naruto. You seem to be under the mistaken assumption that being a ninja is about flashy moves and looking good. You charged an enemy that you knew for a fact was superior to you without any other plan than 'Let's punch him really hard'. You didn't think, you didn't come up with a strategy, you did nothing to push odds in your favor. You just charged in without any backup, a bone-headed move that will get you killed if you do that on a real mission. And when you finally did try something smarter than brute force, you were outwitted by a simple substitution."
"A what?" Naruto asked.
"Substitution," Sakura explained. "It's a jutsu where the user expends a large burst of chakra to switch position with a nearby object, usually to dodge an attack."
"Or in your case, a nearby clone," Kakashi explained. "Not that much harder, to be honest. Shadow clones are made of compressed air and chakra. Now then, Sakura. You tried to be smart about it, but lacked resources. That happens. But when I surprised you, you completely lost your overview of the situation, allowing me to use your own trap against you. A ninja must keep their cool. If you don't, you will die. And if I had just stayed in the glade, your little trap would have been completely useless. There was nothing and no one to add anything to your limited pile of resources. A ninja must maximise the tools and options available. A ninja with limited means is that much more easily cornered. Which will get you killed." He turned his gaze to Sasuke. "And then there's you. You think this is all about you and how great you are. To you, everyone else is just a millstone around your neck that you can't wait to be rid off. But all the training in the world cannot guarantee that you are prepared for everything. And when everything was said and done, I could have killed you without any effort. A ninja must always expect the possibility of failure, or be blindsided by it when, not if, it happens. And that will get you killed." He paused, glancing at them all. "And you know what? All of that, I could have accepted," he continued. "All of that could have been ironed out with effort and practise. I would in fact have accepted you all failing to get the bells, if you had just understood what I was trying to teach you. But none of you, not a single one of you, got the point of this exercise. And that, more than anything else, is why I cannot see you become ninjas. That is why you will not become my students."
"There was a point?" Naruto asked.
"What was it?" Sakura asked desperately. "Please, tell us."
"Too late for that," Kakashi replied, shaking his head. "You failed. Accept it."
"Hey, a ninja shouldn't give up that easily," Naruto protested. "Give us one more chance. We'll show you."
"Will you?" Kakashi asked. He closed his eye, contemplating. "Alright then," he said, removing his foot from Sasuke. "I'm feeling generous. You get one more chance. But if you fail it... Well, start looking into a more civilian apprenticeship, because I will make sure none of you become ninjas." He paused. "Thing is, I haven't devised a second test. So I'll need a moment. In the meantime, you can enjoy the lunches. You'll need your strength replenished, because this next test will be even harder."
"Finally," the blond sighed. "I'm starving."
"Oh, and Naruto doesn't get anything," the jonin added.
"WHAT!?"
"Your punishment for trying to steal the food earlier. And if any of you two give him as much as a speck of rice, I will know." His eye narrowed. "And there will be consequences." Then he wandered off.
"What a jerk," Naruto mumbled.
Sasuke slowly got up and walked back to the others, before grabbing the lunch box. "What now?" he asked no one in particular. "If he's gonna make an even harder test, how can we beat him?"
"I don't think anyone of us can," Sakura admitted, as she opened the other lunch box. "But I don't see how he can make it harder. Maybe get another jonin to join him, with both of them having a bell? That would make things more difficult."
"That's ridiculous!" Naruto exclaimed. "We can't beat one. How would we take on two? You saw what he could do. I didn't land a single blow on him."
"I only managed to touch the bell," Sasuke admitted. "Couldn't do more than that."
"I guess none of us are strong enough," Sakura added dourly, before fishing a piece of shrimp out with her chopsticks and eating it.
"I almost had him," Naruto insisted. "With my clones. If he hadn't switched out with that there substitution thing, we could have ganged up on him."
A light seemed to turn on in Sakura's head. "What if...?" she began. "What if we work together?"
"Huh?" Sasuke asked.
"We can't take him on individually. But maybe... Maybe if we pool our resources, we can just manage," she said. "I mean, you're pretty good and Naruto's got his clones. And, well, I don't mean to brag, but I did do really well in the test, so I could probably help devise some sort of strategy."
"But there's still only two bells," the Uchiha informed her.
"I know. Which means... One of us will be out," she said. "But I don't see any other way."
"Eh, maybe if we get the bells, he'll just send one of us back to school, instead of just straight up banning us from being ninjas," Naruto suggested. "And if we find that there point along the way, that would be great."
Sasuke stared at his lunch box. "Then there's only one issue," he said. "We need to be at our best. And Naruto has expended a lot of energy."
Sakura stared back. "Are you...? Are you suggesting we let him...? Have part of our lunch?" She looked to Naruto, as his stomach growled again. "Kakashi's not going to like that."
"But Naruto will be useless if he's falling over from hunger. If this teamwork thing is going to succeed, we need him at his best," Sasuke insisted. "But we can't untie him. I bet Kakashi could spot a retied knot from across the field."
"You're right. Then... We'll have to feed him," the pink-haired girl stated. She fished a clump of rice up. "Here."
Naruto eagerly opened his mouth and let her place the food on his tongue, closing his jaws on it with a sound of satisfaction.
An explosion went off, shaking the area.
The three of them yelled in shock, as a massive black cloud washed over them.
"WHAT DID I TELL YOU!?" Kakashi roared, having suddenly reappeared. Above, the blue skies turned dark, as thunderclouds manifested.
"HOLY CRAP!" Naruto exclaimed, fighting to free himself. "WHAT'S WITH THIS GUY!?"
Kakashi slowly walked forward, blasts of lightning framing him as he advanced. "You broke the rules," he menacingly stated, hands folded. "Now there will be consequences. What do you have to say for yourselves?"
The three stared in terror for a moment.
Naruto growled, before yelling: "BECAUSE WE STAND TOGETHER! AS A TEAM!"
Sakura stared at him for a moment, before returning her attention to Kakashi. "That's right!" she called. "We'll work together. And that means we won't leave Naruto behind. In any way."
"Because no matter how strong we are... I guess we are stronger together," Sasuke added. "That's how we'll beat your test."
"Is that so?" Kakashi said, his voice like the warning hiss of a snake about to strike. "That's your excuse for breaking my rules? Well then..." He stretched his arms with an audible pop, as the thunderclouds dispersed. "You pass," he bluntly informed them.
The trio blinked.
"What?" Sasuke asked.
"You pass. You succeeded. The test is over," Kakashi informed him. "Good job."
"What... How?" Sakura asked befuddled.
"You got the point. Why do you think we arranged for you all to be three people under a teacher?" Kakashi asked. "So you could work together as a team. Wasn't that obvious?"
"No it wasn't," Naruto argued. "Especially not when there were only two bells."
"Ah yes. I suppose that did make it harder," the silver-haired ninja agreed. "But as a ninja, there will be times were you will have to make sacrifices for the team. If you couldn't put the team above your own desire to be a ninja, then you weren't ready to be a ninja. The two previous teams I was assigned didn't get that. Even when I gave them a second chance, they'd rather let a comrade right next to them starve rather than risk not becoming a ninja."
"So this isn't the first time?" Naruto asked.
"No, I always find an excuse to tie someone up," Kakashi admitted. "Listen, the rules for being a ninja are there for a reason. But here's the thing. A ninja must not become constrained by them. A ninja must know when to break the rules to succeed. And you three demonstrated that by defying my orders." He looked wistful for a moment. "A close friend of mine once said, 'In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum. But those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum.'" He turned around. "Wise words." He paused, before stepping over to the black stone. "I teach you these things, because... Well... Have you considered this stone?" He paused, before continuing in a melancholic tone: "The names engraved here... They are of heroes. My friend is on here. Many people I knew are."
"Well, that's great, isn't it?" Naruto asked. "That he's a hero."
"Naruto," Sakura slowly said. "That's a memorial stone. For ninjas killed in action."
"Oh," the blond said, looking very embarrassed. "I'm... I'm sorry."
"It's okay. The day may yet come where all of us end up with our names here," Kakashi replied, before turning around. "To be a ninja is to live a dangerous life. The sacrifice you make for your team may be your life. If you're not prepared for that, then do yourself a favour and say so now. I will not hold it against you."
The three mulled it over.
"No, I'm not stopping now. Not planning on dying either, of course," Naruto said. "But I knew it was gonna be dangerous. I may not know much, but I'm ready to learn."
"This is the path that I must take. Even if it is a hard one," Sasuke said. "There never was a choice for me."
"Well, I'd feel really dumb for abandoning them now that we've decided to be a team," Sakura admitted. "I'm not sure where this path will take me, but... I want to find out."
"Well then," Kakashi declared. "You are now officially Team Kakashi and my pupils. Congratulations."
"YES!" Naruto yelled, as Sakura began cheering while jumping up and down. Even Sasuke couldn't help but smile a bit at the news.
"Now then, it's been a rough day," Kakashi said and turned around. "Let's go home." It was with a feeling of satisfaction that he, Sakura and Sasuke walked off, back towards the village, as one team.
"HEY!" Naruto yelled, causing them to pause. "SOMEBODY UNTIE ME!"
"Oh, sorry," Sakura said, as she rushed back to help him.
...
Kakashi walked past several doors before digging his key out of his pocket. Deftly he inserted it into his apartment's door and prepared to turn it, when he sensed something. He paused and looked to the side.
He was not alone.
The other man looked frail, but carried himself with an air of dignity. He walked with the help of a simple cane, and his body was wrapped in a white robe underneath a black cloak, which also held up his bandaged right arm. His black hair poked up from the layers of bandages wrapped around his head and right eye, revealing only his single grey eye. Two crossing scars marked his chin, souvenirs of a dangerous encounter.
"You disappoint me, Kakashi," he stated. "I would have though the instructions the council handed down to you were clear."
"Oh. Hello, Danzo. Sorry to hear that, I do aim to please. But really, I tried my best," the silver-haired man replied with a shrug.
"You were to fail Naruto and the girl, so you could focus on training Sasuke," Danzo continued. "He is the next leader of the Uchiha clan. It is important to the village that he advance as quickly as possible. And Naruto and what he carries is too precious to be let gallivant around the countryside, no matter what the Hokage thinks."
"So Sakura was just collateral damage here?" Kakashi asked. "Kinda cold, don't you think?"
"This Sakura was the least important of the candidates. Too many of the clans have children ready to advance," the elderly man replied. "She was the most expendable. A year more in the academy would not have harmed her."
"If you say so. Still, they all failed the test and then they all completed it. It's out of my hands now." He felt the elder's cold glare, but met it without hesitation.
"So be it," Danzo said. "So be it. But we expect you to ensure that the Uchiha progeny becomes ready for his future task and that nothing goes wrong with the Fox, nor its current host. Is that understood?"
"Seems like what you're asking me to do here is basically my job," Kakashi replied.
"Very well then." Danzo turned around and began walking away. He paused, looking over his shoulder with his remaining eye. "But do not think we will forget this insubordination of yours, Kakashi. It will have consequences."
"Like I'm not used to that," the silver-haired man muttered, as he was once again left alone.