The Golden Revenant, Chapter Four: Sins of the Father

Naruto and Sakura showed up at training ground three a couple hours after dawn, and were met by a very annoyed Sasuke. "Why are you guys late!?"

Naruto shrugged. "Sensei made us wait yesterday, if he wants me to be punctual he'll have to provide the same courtesy. I don't abide by hypocrisy. Besides, it doesn't look like he's here anyway."

Sasuke looked at the sky, judging by the sun's position and their sensei's track record, he guessed they had a little over an hour before he'd arrive.

Kakashi arrived almost three hours later. Sasuke was livid, but said nothing.

Kakashi pulled out an alarm clock, and began setting it. "Alright, the rules are such: I have two bells." He shook the items in question, they tinkled a bit before settling at his waist.

"You have until lunchtime to obtain them, and if you fail my test... Well, let's just say that your teacher will have some familiar faces in his classroom next year and leave it at that."

Kakashi turned around to place the alarm clock, and when he turned back the Genin were gone. He smirked under his mask, and scanned the tree line.

He sensed two chakra signatures, one amongst the bushes and the other behind a tree. He knew that the one in the tree was likely Sasuke, but only based on his behaviour. He just couldn't see the Uchiha heir crawling around in the dirt.

He couldn't sense Naruto, which meant he was either regulating his chakra or left the immediate area. Kakashi assumed the latter, as perfectly blending your chakra to your environment is at the very least a Chuunin level technique. He kept his book in its pocket anyway, it just wouldn't do to be caught unaware by a Genin.

A flurry of shuriken flew toward Kakashi, who slid to the side the instant before they hit. Sasuke leaped from the tree and sent more shuriken flying. Sakura chose that moment to spring from her hiding place.

Kakashi took the shuriken to the chest, and Sakura made a grab for the bells. They poofed away proving that Kakashi had used kawarimi. Sasuke landed roughly, and Sakura huffed. They caught each other's eyes and nodded curtly. Working together seemed to be the best plan at the moment.

Kakashi observed this placidly from his perch in the trees, he was growing increasingly suspicious at Naruto's absence. Still, the other Genin seemed to have gotten the right idea. If they can actually work together, they might pass this little test.

Kakashi peeked at the clock, roughly twenty minutes to go. Still no sign of Naruto, but that would have to wait. Sakura noticed him, and yelled for Sasuke.

In response Sasuke made a few hand signs and sent a fireball at Kakashi. The fireball collided with a water jutsu sent by Kakashi, scalding water splashed over Sasuke. Leaving him scalded and wet.

"First lesson: Ninjutsu. Fire is strong against wind, but weak against water." Sasuke gave him a 'You think?' look. Kakashi looked around for Sakura, but she seemed to disappear as well. Sasuke threw more shuriken at Kakashi, but only managed to strike the log he left behind.

Kakashi was in the trees again, and caught a flash of pink nearer to the river. He decided to pay her a visit. He dropped from the trees and sank into the ground after a few hand signs.

He moved toward her, and reached up to grab her. All he got was a handful of nothing. "Bunshin." Kakashi pulled himself out of the earth and looked around. Sakura was there, and so were a few more bunshin.

They rushed him, but Kakashi was ready. Kakashi blocked a strike by Sakura and while he was distracted the 'clone' in front of him made a grab for the bells. The startled Kakashi kicked it away, revealing it to be Naruto using henge.

Kakashi stepped back, but kept them both in view. "Impressive, I didn't even hear you move. Damned impressive." Naruto smirked. "Still, it didn't work and now I know what to expect."

Naruto crossed his arms. "You think I'd try the same trick twice?" Kakashi shrugged. "Maybe not, but it would be daft to dismiss the threat entirely." Kakashi fell forward then poofed into a log with a kunai in the back.

Sasuke jumped down from the trees in the distance, he looked extremely displeased. Sakura stopped Naruto as he passed her. "How much time do we have left?" Naruto shrugged. "As much as we can get away with." He jogged into the woods and vanished.

Sakura heard running from behind her, and Sasuke's voice called out to her. "What's next?" Sakura turned around to see Sasuke looking at her with an annoyed expression on his face. "Find Kakashi, what else?"

The moment she looked at 'Sasuke' Sakura was grabbed from behind. Sakura looked down and saw a hand around her ankle."Lesson two: Genjutsu. Never take anything at face value, as my sensei would say 'Look underneath the underneath'"

Kakashi pulled her into the ground, and out of the clearing. He taped her mouth shut and took her form. "Case in point." Sakura glared up at him, her head just barely sticking out of the ground.

Kakashi, disguised as Sakura, ran back to the clearing. Naruto was busy setting the clock back, Kakashi walked over to him. Naruto turned around and smiled. "Nice try." Kakashi frowned. "How did you guess?"

As he poofed back Naruto laughed. "Three reasons: One, Sakura wouldn't have came here unless she wanted to talk, and if she did she wouldn't wait for me to finish. Two, I know Sakura's current medical state. She has several recent injuries, you exhibited only the most obvious. Three, I guessed. Mostly three to be honest."

Naruto never took his eyes off Kakashi. The two just stood there waiting for the other to make a move, neither did. After about five minutes Sasuke ran out of the woods and attacked Kakashi. He responded by blocking with a kunai and kicking him away.

Kakashi glanced back at Naruto and noted that he was gone. Sasuke slashed at him with a kunai which he deflected easily, he then kicked behind himself on the off chance Naruto was making a go at the bells. It paid off, but only barely. The kick only grazed Naruto's side.

Naruto shakily regained his footing, his breathing was ragged and he was groping around at his ribs "Not broken, but potentially bruised." Naruto struggled, but only barely managed to take a few deep breaths. He then plopped right back down to the ground and smiled. "Alright, you win Kakashi. I'm out."

Sasuke was livid. He was tired, in pain, and low on chakra but he refused to give up. That Naruto would do so proved to Sasuke that he was no true ninja. Sasuke put all his strength into a wild kunai swing, Kakashi just stepped out of the way and he tumbled to the ground.

Sasuke growled and struggled to get up, Kakashi just stepped on his back and held him down. "You three are kind of pathetic." He pointed at Naruto. "You gave up the moment you met real resistance, and didn't even try to attack me."

He stomped down on Sasuke a little bit to get his attention. "You never even got close to getting the bells, Sakura and Naruto got closer than any other Genin I've tested. You just blindly attacked me, it should have been apparent from the start that doing so would get you nowhere. Yet you foolishly and stubbornly kept at it."

He looked over toward where he left Sakura. "Sakura put up a good fight, and showed a willingness to work with others. Of the three of you she is probably the most suited to being a ninja, though you guys show some promise."

Kakashi scratched at his headband in thought. "I don't know if promise is enough though. Then again you seem receptive to the idea of teamwork, if a little unskilled at actually doing so, and as I said collectively got closer than anyone else."

Kakashi sighed and looked up at the sky. After a moment Kakashi looked down at them and smiled. "Alright, you fail! But, you can stay Genin... For the time being anyway." With that he poofed away.

Sasuke was downright furious, but got up and dusted himself off. He glared at Naruto. "If you hadn't..." He was asleep. Sasuke thought about kicking him for a moment, before dismissing it as too much of a hassle.

In the end he just decided to leave, he needed to train more. He promised himself that he wouldn't be humiliated like this again.