Live-Laugh-Cry-Die
The Tears of a Ninja
Chapter 4: What, I Failed?
Recap-
"Think before you use a jutsu or else your opponent will use it against you. Oh, and also, if the bait is obvious don't take it. A ninja must see through deception," Kakashi told him as he picked up the bell.
"I-GET-IT!" Naruto grunted
"I'm telling you this because you don't get. You think you get it but it's not the same as actually getting it, get it?" I didn't get it. He just confused me by saying get it a lot of times. I mean if I didn't get it then I know damn well Naruto doesn't either.
But just like that shuriken flew out from the tree opposite of me at Kakashi and hit him dead on.
"Ah he just got plastered by shuriken. Are you out of your mind Sasuke? You went too far," Naruto yelled at him.
But thankfully it was just another replacement jutsu. That leaves Sasuke wide open for Kakashi to find him. Which means he's probably on the move and Sakura no doubt isn't far behind him.
I can't believe that they just left Naruto dangling from a tree like this? I mean one of them could have cut him down by throwing a kunai at the ropes I mean come on its not that hard to do. So being the kind hearted person that am, I jumped down out of the tree I was hiding in, to go and see if Naruto needed any help. But before I got him he got down. Then just like that he fell for the same trap again. I sighed and went over to help him.
"Hey Naruto what's up?" he just stared at me. "Get it, what's up hahaha," I laughed and he glared at me. "You need help getting down?"
"No I'm fine believe it. I'll get down you just watch," he told me while trying to reach where the rope was tied at. I just hummed a little tone while waiting to hear him say he needed my help. Just when he gave up on it I heard a scream that sounded like Sakura. Boy Kakashi must have gotten her good I laughed to myself. Which means he would be going after Sasuke next. I needed to hurry up and get going to get a bell.
"Later Naruto I have to go try and get one of those bells times almost up," I told him and waved good bye while rushing through the trees.
"Hey I thought you were gonna help me?" I heard him say before I got to far. I laughed. Didn't he tell me he could get out of that trap all by himself? Anyway I shook that from my head and continued on my way to find Sasuke. Once I found him I leapt out of the trees and in front of him to face him.
"Hey, so have you grabbed a bell yet?" I asked him as we kept walking
"No, have you?" he asked back.
"Nope but I bet if we work as a team we can get them. What do you say?" I let the question hang a bit. He stopped walking and turned towards me with a smirk on his face.
"Sounds like a plan," he accepted. I smiled back at him as I told him what we were going to do. Since Sakura was obviously out and Naruto was as well, it just left me and Sasuke. Though if we were able to pull this off and get all three bells, I was going to give the other one to Naruto since I hated Sakura. So I left Sasuke again so Kakashi would think he was by himself and waited for him to arrive. Then like before I heard another scream. Sasuke did too. He turned his head in the direction of the sound.
He was thinking the same thing I was; it had to be Genjutsu, the illusion jutsu. I wasn't really shocked that he caught Sakura with that or didn't really care either. It just meant that he was closer to coming this way and straight into our trap. I looked back at Sasuke as I heard him say something but didn't quite catch what he said.
"Oh, you want to say that a little louder, my Sasuke," I heard Kakashi sensei say. I turned my head towards his voice to see that he was right by the tree close to Sasuke. Perfect not too much longer now. I was waiting for Sasuke to make his move but for some reason I was watching a stare off. Boy did I feel like I was in a western movie. It was just missing the guns and dust things.
Then it was on. Sasuke fired four shurikens at Kakashi which of course, he just dodged. Then he fired a kunai at the rope that I helped him with. It was trap number one. Trap one had tones of kunai that flew at Kakashi making him a perfect target for Sasuke to now hit. But Kakashi blocked his first kick and his punch and his second kick. Which made Sasuke able to almost grab a bell if it wasn't for Kakashi pulling away we would have had one.
"Well you are different from Naruto and Sakura, I'll grant you that," said Kakashi. Sasuke was getting ready to do his fire ball jutsu as I saw his hands form hand signs. And just like that Kakashi was gone. Well gone from there anyway. He didn't get hit or anything by the fire. Sasuke and I were looking for him but couldn't find him until I saw his arm which was a little too late seeing as how Kakashi pulled him under the ground all but his head. At that moment I jumped from behind the bushes.
"That was earth style head hunter jutsu. Can't move huh? That was Ninjutsu the third Shinobi battle skill. You have talent and you are different but different isn't always better," Kakashi stated. He turned around as he heard me approach him. "Well, I was wondering where you ran off to," he said. I took that opportunity to strike.
I dashed at him with a kunai in my hand. He blocked my first attempt so with my free hand I threw shuriken at him which made him back down. I through my weapon on the ground and prepared to do a jutsu that hopefully would get me a bell.
"Earth style Mud Wolf Jutsu!" just like that, seven wolves appeared out of the ground.
"What!" Kakashi was taken by surprise as my wolves attacked. One bit his arm and another got his leg. He was side tracked as he fought off my wolves. This gave me enough time to snag a bell by the time he was done. "That was a nice try but it seems your time is almost up. You two had a good plan to ambush me," he said. I readied myself again in case he was going to fight. But instead he took off. So I turned to help Sasuke.
When I knelt down to help Sakura showed up. Sasuke looked up at her and spoke her name.
"AHHH Sasuke is just a head without a body and he spoke to me AHHH!" She took one look at Sasuke and fainted. I sighed and helped Sasuke out of the hole he was in.
"And that's my partner," Sasuke groaned.
"She's mine to ya'know. Besides it not like we asked for her to be," I sighed again. When I finally got done helping him Sakura woke up.
"Sasuke, you're ok," she rapped herself around him while he tried to push her off but one look at me and she did. Apparently she didn't like me being here. Well that goes both ways you big ugly bill-board-brow.
"I got to get a bell before lunch. That doesn't leave much time, " Sasuke said. I nodded in agreement.
"Yeah you do," I told him.
"Sasuke, you're still trying to get one of those bells? And Shya don't talk as if you already have one," she told me. I was about to say something back to her that wasn't going to pretty, luckily for her Sasuke stopped me.
"A while ago I touched next time I'll get one," he confirmed.
"That is really great; I can't believe you did that. You're amazing," Sakura told him with some weird look on her face.
"Shya, you should be more concerned about getting a bell for yourself then worrying about me getting one," he told me.
"Yeah but….."
"Well, it's almost lunch and there's not really enough time left so maybe we should just give up and then try again next year," Sakura cheerfully said. That was a wrong thing to say around Sasuke. He gave her an evil looking stare that it sent chills up my spine.
"I'm the only one who can destroy that person," he said looking at the ground. It seemed like he was saying more to himself then to us.
"Who, you mean the sensei?" Sakura asked concerned
"That day I was crying." Again Sasuke seemed as if he was lost in thought.
"When were you crying?" asked Sakura again
"It was my…." He trailed off
"What, what happened to you?" and the questions keep on coming
"I am an avenger that means I must be stronger then my pray. I need this training there's no time for setbacks," he said. I looked over at Sakura expecting her to ask another question. Instead it looked like a light finally went off in her head. I sighed in relief that I didn't have to hear her voice any more. But it was short lived as the alarm rang ending the exercise.
"Damn, I wasted to much time," Sasuke said. He was frustrated on how much time he wasted on talking. I walked with him back to where we were supposed to meet Kakashi. When we got there, Naruto was tied to a post. Sasuke, Sakura and I, sat down around him with box lunches in front of us. Waiting to hear what Kakashi had to say.
"Uh-oh stomachs growling huh, that's too bad. Oh by the way bout this exercise, well I've decided I won't send any of back to the academy," he told us. Everybody faces lit up with joy.
"What I passed? All I did was faint and fall over. Do you get point for that?" Sakura asked. Then she started jumping up for joy.
"Then, then that means all four us, all for us…" Naruto happily shouted.
"Yes all four of you are being dropped from the program, permanently!" he had to be joking right, right?
"Hang on a sec, I didn't get it," I admitted.
"Oh, and what don't you get?"
"I got a dame bell so why didn't I pass?" I asked. Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto all looked at me. Kakashi on the other hand laughed.
"You got bell, that's impossible there all right here," he said as he reached into his weapons pocket and stopped short when he could only find two. "How did you…" he began then stopped as he recalled what had happened back in the woods. "I see you used that jutsu to by you time," he finally got it. He smiled.
"But wait if we get dropped from the program then that means we'll never become ninjas," Naruto stated in outrage. "You said if we couldn't get the bells we would be sent back to the academy. You can't just change your mind and kick us out why would you do that?"
"Because you don't think like ninja you think like little kids like brats," he stated. Sasuke charged him but was easily put on the ground by Kakashi. "You think it's all about you. You don't know what it means to be a ninja you think it's a game huh? Why do you think we put you on squads did you consider that question for one moment?"
"I don't know what you mean," Sakura said
"I mean, you never realized what this exercise is all about you weren't even close."
"What's it's about?" Naruto asked
"Yes that's what determines whether you pass or fail," he said.
"But, but that's, I mean I wanted ask you about that in the beginning," Sakura admitted.
"Use your head, three people on a squad, in this case four, why do you think we would do that?" Kakashi asked us.
"URGH how are we supposed to know why you pick three people on a squad, we didn't make the rules," Naruto shouted
"It's so basic teamwork," he finally said. "Why do you think Shya was able to get a bell? She and Sasuke planed a trap for me and that how she obtained one. It's too late now but if all of you had come at me you might have been able to take them. Well anyway it's over."
"Wait a minute, you set it for four people you only had three bells if we worked together and got the bells only two of us could keep them that would lead to group conflict and the squad would break up," stated Sakura. I had to admit she did have a point on that one.
"Exactly I purposely pended you against each other. I wanted to see if you could overcome that and put the squad ahead of yourselves. A Genin should have a natural feel for teamwork. But you, it never even crossed your mind. Sakura, you obsessed about Sasuke who was gone while Naruto was right in front of you and you wouldn't lift a finger to help me. Naruto, you do everything on your own, everything. Sasuke, you thought the other were so far beneath you they were worthless, arrogates. And you Shya, even though you did better than the others and actually got a bell, you could have got the others instead of just thinking about yourself. Ninja missions are carried out by squads; of course you need individual skills but teamwork is the most essential element. Every Shinobi understands this. When individuals put themselves above the squad this can lead to failure and death. Sakura kill Naruto now or Sasuke dies. That's what happens on a mission," Kakashi stated. He had a lot of good points. And I could have given my bell to someone who needed it more. But the truth was, I needed it just as much as Sasuke did.
"Oh boy that was really scary." I rolled my eyes at Sakura.
"The enemy takes a hostage and you got an impossible choice and someone ends up dead. On every mission your life is on the line," he started again. Then he moved towards the stone. "Did you look at this stone, the names engraved on it? They are all honored as heroes in our village."
"That's it, that's it, that's it. Now I know, I've decided to have my name engraved on that stone. I'm not going to live and die for nothing like some kind of dog. I'm going to be hero, a hero," Naruto stated. He thought this stone could do wonders for him. That because his name was on here he could get people to see him finally see him. I felt sad for the guy. This stone only brought sadness.
"They're a special kind of hero," Kakashi told him.
"Oh, what kind of heroes are they? Come on tell me, well, well?"
"They're all KIA," he finally said in a sad voice.
"Oh that sounds really cool," Naruto smiled. I shook my head.
"It means killed in action, they all died," I told him. I felt bad for saying it as his face went from sheer happiness to pure sadness. "The village I originally come from as a marmoreal stone as well." Sasuke put his hand on my shoulder. I smiled back at him as Sakura looked over at us. She dropped her head down. One of these days I'd have to tell her that me and him are just good friends.
"This marmoreal stone has the names of all my closet friends engraved on it," Kakashi told us as he looked up at the sky.
"I'm sorry Kakashi," I said to him as I looked down at the ground. I could feel eyes staring at me and refused to look up to see them.
"It's ok," he told me. "Ahem, alright I'm going to give you one more chance but I'm going to make it much harder on you. You have three hours to get a bell. Eat lunch now to build up strength but Naruto doesn't get any. It's your punishment for breaking the rules and trying to eat by yourself. And if anyone tries to feed him that person automatically fails. I make the rules you follow them, got it!" and with that he left. I opened my lunch to find out I wasn't really all that hungry. To make matters worse Sasuke noticed.
"Shya, ok?" he asked me
"Yeah I'm fine why?" I asked
"Well if you're fine then why aren't you eating?" Sasuke was so observant.
"Well, I ate a big breakfast unlike someone I know!" I giggled at him.
"Am I missing something?" he asked confused.
"No, not really," I sighed. About five minutes later Naruto's stomach growled. I looked up at and then back at my lunch. Maybe I should give my lunch to him since I don't want it.
"This is no big deal I can go without eating for days, for weeks believe it! This is no big deal," his stomach growled again. "No problem."
"Here," I said as I handed him my lunch.
"But Shya, that's yours," he looked shocked and confused all in one.
"I'm not hungry really, just take it," I told him with a smile.
"Here, you can have mine too," Sasuke said. I looked over at him. It wasn't like Sasuke to do this kind of thing on a daily basses.
"Sasuke no, you can't do that. You heard what sensei said."
"Kakashi's gone. We need to get those bells as a team. If Naruto's hungry he'll be week and ineffective. That hurts the team and jeopardizes the mission," he told Sakura. She sighed and gave him hers too.
"Ok thanks you guys," Naruto thanked us. I feed him a bit and no sooner than when he ate it, Kakashi appeared.
"YOU, you broke the rules I hope you're ready for the punishment. Any last words?" he asked us.
"But you said…" started Naruto
"Yes?"
"You said there were four of us that's what you said and that's why Shya and…."
"We're all on this team together," Sasuke finished for him.
"Yeah he's right one for all and all for one." You got to love the three musketeers.
"Yeah that's right we gave our lunch to Naruto because the four of us are one," Sakura added.
"Yeah-yeah-yeah-that's right believe it!"
"The four of you are one, that's your excuse?" Kakashi sensei asked.
"No it's the truth. I mean sure I still hate miss forehead over there but that doesn't mean anything," I summed it all up.
"Not helping Shya," Sasuke said while elbowing me in the ribs.
"Oh, uh, um, I didn't really mean that. I don't hate her, no. We're like sisters yep one big happy family hehehehe." please say I didn't blow it.
"You pass," Kakashi smiled
"What?" Sakura and I asked together not meaning to.
"You pass," he repeated himself.
"What do you mean how'd we pass?" she asked.
"The first squad that ever succeeded. The others did exactly as I said and fell into every single trap. They couldn't think for themselves. A ninja must see through deception. In the ninja world those who break the rules are scum. That's true but those who abandon their friends are worse then scum," he explained to us.
"Yes whoohoo we did it we passed!" I screamed for joy.
"The exercise is over everyone passes. Group 7 starts its first mission tomorrow," he said.
"Yes oh boy!"
"We're ninja-ninja-ninja!" Naruto kept saying.
"Alright let's go home," Kakashi told us as he started walking. Everybody was right behind me. Though I couldn't help but think that we forgot something.
"Hey you forgot to untie me!"
TBC…..