"Yes it is, show me what you can do Naruto."
At those words every one of the clones grinned. In the next second a hail of kunai and shuriken came at him from all directions.
I see he really is taking the whole 'intent to kill' thing seriously. Kakashi was punctured by a hundred different weapons. His form vanished in a puff of smoke to be replaced by another log. The clones halted their attacks and began looking around.
From a nearby tree Kakashi noted the lack of panic on the part of the clones. Obviously he hadn't expected that opening attack to actually take him out. Kakashi had read the personnel files on all three of his students. Nothing in Naruto's had even hinted he was capable of this level of organization and self control. He knew of course from the Hokage that Naruto had gained the kage bunshin and used it to kill the traitor Mizuki. But that didn't explain the sternness of attitude that was on display. According to his file Naruto was hot tempered, emotional, reckless, and over confident. None of those personality traits were on display at the moment.
Did the incident with Mizuki change him that much? Kakashi wondered. Or was he always hiding his real self?
"He's up there!" One of the clones suddenly shouted.
More kunai and shuriken forced him to leap out of his hiding place. "I'm not Mizuki you know," he said pleasantly. He took out six or seven clones as he landed.
"I know," the original called out. He was standing in the same spot watching as his clones surged after Kakashi. "That's why I'll only kill you if I have to."
The clones came at him, all of them with kunai in their hands.
Despite their numbers they weren't much of a threat. With superior strength, speed, and fighting ability he had no trouble taking out the clones as they got near. Dozen exploded into smoke as more came forward to take their place. Kakashi kept leaping back to make sure none of them got behind him.
"I'm afraid frontal attacks won't…"
Snap!
He felt a wire break beneath his foot. He sensed more than felt the danger and leapt up just in time to avoid a tree branch swinging down. Had he been in that spot he would have been mashed against the tree trunk and probably knocked out, at the very least he'd have been hurt and slowed.
"You set up a trap? That's… aack!"
The ground he landed on gave way and he fell into a pit.
"Actually I set up about fifty traps," the original said smugly. "Doing pranks teaches you how to prepare."
Before his clones could reach the pit though Kakashi leapt out and onto a nearby tree branch.
Damn it, Naruto thought. I should have filled the pit with sharpened stakes. But I didn't think it would be okay to kill him. Oh well, it can't be helped. He watched as Kakashi was again forced to jump to avoid being turned into a pin cushion. The fact he'd lost so many clones didn't matter at all. For all the Jonin's superior skill he was being pushed in the direction Naruto wanted.
Kakashi again landed facing the oncoming clones. He didn't set off any traps this time. But instead three clones jumped him from behind. These were not among the two hundred he had started with which Kakashi had kept careful track of. No, these were among the thirty he had created early this morning specifically for this reason.
They held his arms momentarily in place, if he could not form hand signs he could not work a substitution and escape. Another of his clones leapt and delivered a punch to the immobilized Kakashi's face.
Only to have him vanish in a puff of smoke.
The original Naruto gasped. "No way! How did you…"
Without warning Kakashi popped out of the ground behind him. Naruto had no chance to react before receiving a hard punch to the back of his head. He was turned off like a light and dropped to the ground. Throughout the training ground there were pops as all his clones were dispelled.
XXXXXXXXXX
Checking his pulse Kakashi confirmed the boy was only unconscious. He tossed him over one shoulder and headed back to where Sasuke and Sakura were peacefully resting.
XXXXXXXXXX
A loud ringing woke him up. There was an ache in the back of his skull. As he slowly came fully awake he realized his arms were bound tight and he was tied to one of the poles. Looking over he saw that Sasuke and Sakura were in a similar state.
"You know I don't usually eat so much for lunch, but I did have a decent work out." Kakashi adjusted his mask as he stood up; two empty bentos were at his feet. He glanced at Naruto. "I actually worked up quite an appetite thanks to you; I have to admit you did pretty well." Going over to the central post where Sasuke was tied he shut off the alarm. "Of course you still failed in the end."
Naruto glared at him. "How did you get away at the end? I know you didn't work a jutsus I had your arms held!"
"The me you caught was a kage bunshin I created when I was in that pit and momentarily out of your line of sight. I actually worked an earth style jutsu to get underneath you. The main mistake you made was just standing there like you did while you let your clones do the work. It pointed the real you out to me. If you hadn't done that I wouldn't have known which you to take out."
Kakashi came over to him and leaned in close. "You're not as clever as you think Naruto," Kakashi said in a low whisper just for him.
Naruto looked back at him and got the definite feeling the Jonin knew a lot more than he was letting on.
Sasuke was curious about what he was hearing. He'd been unconscious and completely missed Naruto's fight. He'd assumed the dobe would have lasted all of about ten seconds, but from what Kakashi was saying it actually sounded like he had given a good performance.
That wasn't important now. "I want another chance," Sasuke said in a low growl. "That wasn't a fair test of my skills."
Kakashi looked at him with a happy smile hidden away. "There's nothing fair about a ninja's life or career, get used to it. As for another chance you'll all get one… in six months once you complete remedial training."
He stepped back and gave them a dramatic, 'thumb's down.' "You all FAIL! Not only do you fail but I have to tell you that of the six teams I've been asked to test you were by FAR the worst of the lot."
"Don't put me in the same category as Sakura and the dobe!" Sasuke said angrily. "I'm not like them."
"Well that's true," Kakashi admitted. "They aren't lower than trash."
Sasuke looked furious enough to bite through his ropes. "Don't call me that! I'm an Uchiha! How dare you say that to me!"
"Being an Uchiha doesn't make you deserving of respect Sasuke," Kakashi said sadly. "Though a lot of the people of this village seem to have forgotten that. Whether you should be respected or not is based solely on what you do and not on who you are."
Sasuke looked sullen but kept quiet.
"Tell me, do any of you even know what the purpose to this test was?"
"Duh, to try and get the bells of course!" Naruto snapped.
"Wrong! The real goal wasn't to get the bells."
All three of them looked at him blankly.
"Then… then what was it sensei?" Sakura asked in a timid voice. What had happened had completely shattered her self confidence.
"Teamwork," Kakashi snapped. "The entire point of this was to see if you could come together and work as a team."
"What do you mean work as a team?" Naruto yelled. Being beaten and tied up like a pig at market was seriously irritating him. "There were only two bells and you said from the start that only two of us could pass!"
Kakashi merely nodded. "That's right; the test was deliberately set up to turn you against one another. The object was to see if any of you could overcome your own self interests and put the need of your team first. But instead…"
He turned to Sakura. "You decided that Sasuke was the only one worth fighting for. From your own mouth you said you didn't care about what happened to Naruto. Just because you don't personally like someone doesn't mean you turn your back on them! In your ninja career you will be assigned to all sorts of missions with different teams made up of different personalities. Are you expecting to like every single person you work with? You need to watch out for all those you work with, not just the ones you happen to like. You don't get to just pick and choose who's worthy of your help."
Ashamed by this critical, and accurate, description of her she put her head down in shame.
He next turned to Naruto. "Your skills are pretty advanced and as an individual ninja you did better than any other candidate I've tested before."
Sasuke looked up not believing what he was hearing. The dobe did that well?
"But… I noticed that all your elaborate plans didn't include your teammates. Obviously you must have set up those traps before I explained the test to you. At a time when you would have assumed it was a team test with all of you passing or failing together. Did you at least try and form a plan with the others?"
"No," he answered brusquely.
"And why not?"
"Because if I'd tried to I would have just been ignored," he said bitterly. "The teme wouldn't have wanted to listen to any plan I came up with and Sakura would have just gone along with her Sasuke-kun."
Hearing the extreme bitterness in his voice Sakura looked over at him. Have I really been that unfair? She had never ever thought about it from his side. Never stopped to think how her shouts and punches might have affected him. He was an obstacle between her and Sasuke and that was all. But after what Sasuke had done all her assumptions were now open to question.
"From what I've seen that's probably true," Kakashi said.
Sakura flinched at his judgment while Sasuke had no reaction.
"But you might have tried and put the team ahead of yourself. You also could have joined in with Sasuke and Sakura. Instead you deliberately chose to stand back and watch."
"I wanted to see how strong you were before I made my move," Naruto said defensively.
"Scouting the enemy isn't a bad tactic," Kakashi said. "But I can't agree with deliberately sacrificing your teammates to gain a personal advantage."
He turned to look at Sasuke. "And finally there is you, the avenger." Kakashi looked hard at him. "You attacked your own teammate Sasuke, for no other reason than you thought she would get in your way. Let me tell you something Uchiha Sasuke. In the world of the ninja those who violate the rules and laws are called trash. However... those who don't take care of their comrades are worse than trash. And that is what you are."
Kakashi turned around and slowly walked away. "We're done now. All of you report back to the academy tomorrow morning at ten. You'll be permitted to take the test again once you complete six months remedial training."
"Sensei," Sakura called out. "Aren't you going to untie us?"
"No, any ninja should be an escape artist you're on your own." And with that he leapt away and was gone.
XXXXXXXXXX
The ropes were so tight that they barely permitted any movement at all. Because he was stronger than he should have been Naruto had more luck moving his arms than the others. After ten minutes he finally got a hand on one of his kunai. After ten more minutes he cut through one of the ropes and was able to free himself.
Sasuke looked at him and didn't say a word.
Naruto was not surprised. He knew Sasuke would rather die of thirst than ask anyone for help, especially not from the idiot dead last.
Sakura looked over at him sadly. "I… I don't suppose you'd cut me loose would you?"
Naruto then did something that truly surprised her. He smiled and nodded. "Sure Sakura-chan, no problem." He came over and began slicing into her ropes. After only a minute she was able to wriggle free.
Rubbing her arms she looked at him and lowered her eyes feeling ashamed. "Tha… thank you Naruto-kun. I… I thought you hated me."
"I did," he said making her flinch a bit. "But… but if we can I'd like to start over." He held out his hand to her. "I know we're not teammates anymore, but who knows? Maybe we will be again. Let's be friends Sakura-chan, and if we ever become teammates again let's watch out for each other."
Smiling with relief she gladly took his hand. "Naruto I'd like that! And I'm so sorry for the way I've treated you. Please forgive me; you didn't deserve any of it."
"It's already forgiven Sakura-chan." His warm smile set her mind at ease. This was the Naruto she remembered.
His kunai still in hand he turned to Sasuke. "Come on help me cut him down."
"I didn't ask for help!" Sasuke said loudly.
Naruto sighed and began cutting the rope. "I know, but even if the team's been dissolved think of this as one comrade taking care of another okay? You don't have to ask and I don't expect any thanks."
"That's right," Sakura agreed and cut with her own kunai. "Even if it's too late let's act like teammates should now." She looked up at him. "I forgive you for hitting me Sasuke." She quickly lowered her eyes again to concentrate on freeing him.
He was soon released and out of the ropes. Sasuke rubbed his arms a bit and looked at Naruto and Sakura. "Thanks," he said quickly and quietly.
"Well this is a surprise," Kakashi leaped out of the woods. "I honestly didn't think the three of you would listen to what I said."
Sakura looked at him in surprise. "Sensei what are you doing here? I thought you had long gone."
"Actually, I've been observing you this whole time. I decided to give you one last chance to pass my test."
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.
"I mean I wanted to see if you would show you cared for your teammates when you thought there was nothing to gain by it. I am very pleased to see that maybe you get it. This doesn't make up for your behavior while trying to get the bells, but it's enough to make me at least reconsider."
"Does that mean we pass?" Sasuke asked.
"What it means is that I'll take you on as a team for a probationary period," he told them. "Instead of spending the next six months at the academy I'll let you act as an active squad. However, if I see any signs you are forgetting what you've learned here today I'll disband team seven and send all of you back to the academy. Is that clear?"
They all nodded their heads.
"Very well then, under those conditions team seven passes. We'll meet tomorrow at the small foot bridge near the academy at ten to begin our first mission."
As the three new Genin all shouted in triumph Kakashi carefully eyes Naruto. His actions had surprised him, and it was mainly due to his words to Sakura and Sasuke that he had decided to give them a chance. But he couldn't help but feel there was something… off about the boy and the way he'd behaved.
"Hey sensei," Naruto said. "Shouldn't you treat your new team to a meal to help us celebrate and bond?"
The other two looked at him speculatively.
Sighing he nodded. "Fine, you're probably all really hungry." They cheered and followed him out.
XXXXXXXXXX
As Naruto walked with them he rubbed his nose. He was still getting used to his enhanced sense of smell, but there was no denying it was useful.
As when he'd picked up Kakashi's scent as he struggled to free himself. He'd guessed that if Kakashi was nearby watching there might still be a chance to pass. So he'd forgiven Sakura and played the part of the good teammate.
He looked at Kakashi's back and hid a nasty little smile.