Chapter
4.
(follows chapter 4 & 5 in the manga)
Naruko peered
into the empty hallway, looking in both directions for any sign of
their missing sensei.
She sighed as she turned back into the empty
classroom.
"Why are we the only team whose sensei hasn't
showed up yet?" She pouted. "All the other teams have gone off
with their sensei's... even Iruka-sensei has gone."
Naruko
then smiled as she grabbed a chalk board eraser and moved a chair to
the sliding door, placing the eraser in-between the door and
frame.
"What are you up to Naruko?" Sakura said as she walked
over to her.
"It's what he gets for making us wait." The
young blonde replied as she returned to the floor, leaving the eraser
stuck in the doorway.
"Would you grow up!" Sakura said,
although inside she was actually thinking it was a funny
idea.
"Idiot. There's no way a superior Shinobi could be
caught by such a simple trap." Sasuke said.
And at that moment
the door began to creak open and 'Plaff' the eraser fell on the
head of Kakashi in a cloud of chalk smoke.
Naruko erupted into
laughter, and inside Sakura, she was laughing too as she apologised
to Kakashi in a humble manner. Sasuke on the other hand wasn't
impressed at all.
"Hmm... how should I put this..." Kakashi
said as he looked at the three of them, "Based on my first
impression... I hate you."
A short time later the new team
had gathered with their sensei on a rooftop garden.
"Now, I'd
like you all to tell us a little about yourselves." Kakshi said, as
he sat casually on the railing.
"Like what?" Sakura
asked.
"You know the usual, favourite things; hates; dreams;
hobbies; stuff like that." Kakashi replied.
"Why don't you
show us how it's done?" Naruko asked, not quite sure what to
say.
"Yeah... you're a stranger too." Sakura added.
"Me?"
Kakashi said, pointing to himself. "Well... I'm Hatake Kakashi.
I'm the sort of person who doesn't like to talk about his likes
and dislikes. My dreams for the future are none of your business, and
I have a lot of hobbies."
"He said a lot... but all we know
is his name." Sakura said to the group, with a frown.
"Now
it's your turn." Kakashi said.
"I'll go first." Naruko
said, grinning. "My name is Uzumaki Naruko. I like ramen,
especially when people treat me, like Iruka-sensei does at
Ichiraku's. I hate having to wait the three minutes of waiting for
the water to cool when I make Instant ramen. My dream... is to one
day be the greatest of all Shinobi, to the Hokage." Naruko was
getting worked up, "and then all the villagers will respect me, and
acknowledge me at last."
Kakashi was a bit surprised by her
statement, to go from talking about ramen to becoming Hokage But he
was beginning to think this was becoming interesting.
"My
hobbies... err... pranks I guess." She said, giggling a
little.
"I'm Uchiha Sasuke." Sasuke said, as Kakashi looked
at him. "I hate a lot of things, but then, I there isn't much I
like. I don't have any dreams... I have a determination. I plan to
restore my clan, and there is someone I have sworn... to kill."
Naruko and Sakura both gasped in shock at his words, but Kakashi
wasn't.
"My turn." Sakura said, "I'm Haruno Sakura, my
favourite thing is... well... it's not a thing it's a boy, and
that boy is..." Sakura began to blush as she glanced over at
Sasuke. "Umm... well... Let's move on. I hate Naruko." She
blurted out.
"What did I do?" Naruko said.
"You kissed
Sasuke." She said glaring at the blonde.
"It was an accident."
Naruko argued back.
"I don't care he's mine." Sakura said
standing up, threateningly.
"I don't want him... take him!"
Naruko shouted back.
"And what's wrong with him?" Sakura
argued back, feeling Naruko just insulted Sasuke.
Kakashi sat back
as the two girls argued.
"They aren't even arguing over
anything." Kakashi thought to himself. "ENOUGH!" he called out,
restoring order. "That's enough getting to know each other.
Tomorrow we begin our formal training."
"So what are we going
to do? Our first real mission?" Naruko asked, excited.
"No..."
Kakashi said, "Our first project involves only you three... it's
survival exercises."
"Survival Exercises?!" Naruko
said.
"We did those at the academy?" Sakura said.
"But
you'll have to survive against me." Kakashi said. "It's not a
typical practice."
"What do you mean? What kind will it be?"
Naruko asked.
"If I told you... you'd chicken out." Kakashi
said.
"Chicken out...? Why?" Naruko asked.
"Of the twenty
seven members of your graduating class, only nine will actually be
accepted as Genin. The other eighteen must go back for more
training?" Kakashi said, "This test has a 66% chance of
failure."
This shocked Sakura and Naruko, and even made Sasuke
nervous.
"Ha-ha-ha... see... you're chickening out already."
Kakashi said.
"That sucks!!" Naruko shouted. "What about
graduation?"
"Oh! That's just to eliminate the hopeless
cases." Kakashi said, "The ones who graduate are the ones who
show some potential. In any event, we'll meet tomorrow on the
training field so that I can evaluate your skills and weaknesses.
Bring all your ninja tools, and don't eat breakfast... unless you
want to throw up."
Naruko was trembling with nerves, she wasn't
about to let herself get sent back to the academy.
Kakashi handed
out papers with all the details, and the three read them. Sakura was
determined not to fail, and be separated from Sasuke, Sasuke just
crumpled up his, while Naruko was just trying to understand it.
The
night was spent in preparation for the exercises, and the next day
Kakashi strolled onto the training field with a casual "Good
morning class!"
"YOUR LATE!" Naruko and Sakura cried, while
Sasuke stood there with his usual scowl.
A short while later,
Kakashi placed a clock on a tree stump, confusing the three young
Shinobi.
"The alarm is set to noon." He explained as he pulled
two bells out of his pouch. "I have here two silver bells. Your
challenge... is to steal these before the alarm goes off. If you
fail... you get no lunch." Kakashi then pointed to three tree
stumps, "You'll be tied to one of those, and I'll eat in front
of you."
The three cringed, as their stomachs began to groan at
the prospect.
"All you need is one bell apiece. But since there
are only two... one of you will go without. And whoever that is, will
be the first to fail, and the first to head back to the academy in
disgrace." This made everyone nervous. "You may of course use
weapons, just attack as if you mean to kill, or you'll never stand
a chance."
"But... it's so dangerous..." Sakura said,
worried.
"You couldn't even dodge an eraser. You'll get
killed." Naruko laughed loudly.
"Only the weak speak loudly."
Kakashi said, not impressed by Naruko, "Now let's forget the
dunce and we'll start on my signal."
The word dunce echoed
through Naruko's head, and it really made her angry. In an instant
she whipped out a kunai and was ready to pounce, shocking Sakura, but
without even seeing him move, Kakashi had grabbed Naruko's arm and
was pointing her own kunai at the back of her head. Making the other
two all the more nervous. He was far more powerful than they had
given him credit for.
"I didn't say go." Kakashi stated
calmly. "But you struck to kill, at least you respect me. I might
actually get to like you three." He chuckled. "Now, ready...
steady... GO!" he shouted and instantly they vanished.
"The
basis of all Shinobi arts is to become invisible, to eradicate
yourself." Kakashi said as he looked around, they were well hidden,
and he was impressed... although he quickly noticed Naruko hadn't
hidden herself at all.
"Why don't we make this a real match?"
Naruko said, confidently.
Her boldness surprised Kakashi,
especially after being taken down so quickly a few moments before.
But she just grinned and ran at Kakashi fully prepared for a fight,
but she quickly halted as Kakashi delved into his back pouch.
"Let
me teach you your first lesson." Kakashi said, "Taijutsu... the
art of the trained body."
"Art of the trained body?! As in
hand to hand?!" she thought to herself, "Then why is he going for
a weapon?"
Naruko prepared herself, readying her hand over her
thigh holster, but she wasn't prepared when Kakashi pulled out a
book, entitled, Icha Icha Paradise.
"Well... I thought you were
attacking?" Kakashi said, quite calm.
"B-but... why... I...
why are you... thats a book!" Naruko said, confused.
"Yes."
Kakashi said, "I've been dying to find out what happens at the
end. Just carry on, it should make any difference considering who I'm
up against."
That annoyed Naruko and she continued her charge
attacking Kakashi with everything her body could throw at him. Kicks,
punches, sweeps, all were either blocked or dodged, even though he
wasn't eve looking.
Naruko put all her strength into one attack,
and at great speed threw herself at Kakashi readying her fist. But in
the end... she just hit air, not noticing Kakashi crouched behind
her.
"Showing your back so many times is very poor Ninjutsu."
He said, as Naruko turned around, "Dunce." He added as he flicked
his fingers at Naruko's forehead, sending her flying backwards and
into a nearby lake.
As she fell into the water, Kakashi just
opened his book again and continued to read.
Sakura was even more
worried, such strength was going to be hard to beat.
Suddenly two
shurikin came whizzing out of the water, but Kakashi just laughed at
his book and caught them on his fingers, even as they continued to
spin.
Naruko was furious. She had little choice, she could not
fail. She formed a handsign, and prepared herself. She would not back
down.
A few moments later she stepped out of the water.
"Whats
the hold-up?" Kakashi said, looking up from his book as he casually
approached. "No bell, no lunch."
"I know." She said,
annoyed, and coughing out water.
"You claim you want to be
Hokage, yet you're out of breath already." Kakashi mocked.
"I'm
fine. I just wasn't ready thats all." She cried out.
"So
learn to get ready." Kakashi said as he turned and walked
away.
"I'll get his respect." Naruko thought to herself as
she grinned. Suddenly several clones jumped out of the water.
This
surprised not only Kakashi, but Sakura and even Sasuke, not only
because she had pulled off a clone, but the fact that they were
shadow clones was an even bigger surprise.
"At your level, you
can't keep this up for more than a minute." Kakashi said, as he
awaited the oncoming bunshin. "You act big, but you're still only
Naruko, a one trick pony who hasn't got what it takes
to..."
Kakashi was interrupted as he felt another Naruko grab
onto him from behind.
Naruko grinned while everyone else was once
more surprised with her. "Nice to see your back... Sensei." she
chuckled.
Sakura smiled, excited , "Wow... she's really
good."
"Not bad. She used the art of mis-direction to distract
his enemy before attack from somewhere else." Sasuke said, actually
a little impressed.
Naruko moved swiftly at Kakashi and swung her
fist. "All I want is one good hit." She shouted.
But instead
of Kakashi, her fist hit one of her own clones.
"WHAT THE...?!"
she said.
