Naruto: The Uchiha Chronicles
AN/ Crap guys, sorry this is a day late. Not much of an excuse, I just got so caught up with the excitement of the Superbowl yesterday I forgot to post this. Special thanks to demonic hellfire for PMing me and making sure I was ok, otherwise I might've completely spaced.
So anyways, here we are, another week, another chapter. In this chapter, we'll see the bell test, and Team 7 forming.
Anyways, not that much for me to say here, so;
Now, on with the chapter!
Normal speech: "what"
Extremely loud group/single person shouting: "WHAT!"
Thoughts/Speech taken out of context: 'what'
Letter/Book/Written text: 'What'
Demon/Summon speech: "what"
Demon/Summon thoughts: 'what
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Bleach, that honor belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and Tite Kubo respectively.
Arc II: Formation of Team 7:
Chapter 6: The Bell Test, Team 7 Forms!
— ₪ NTUC ₪ —
An hour after leaving his teammates on the Academy Rooftop, Naruto found himself sitting atop the Hokage Monument. His father's head, to be exact. He loved coming up here to look out at the village his grandfather helped found, especially at this time of day, when the sun was just beginning to go down on the other side of the village, and everything was bathed in an orange light. It was the place he always came when he needed to think.
Behind him, he heard the sound of dirt crunching underfoot. He didn't have to turn around to know who it was. "I assume you want some answers? It sure has been an odd day." He commented.
Sasuki nodded as she took a seat beside him. She crossed her legs, and stared at him intently. ". . . So, how much did you know about this whole team thing?" She asked.
"Hmm, I would've thought that you'd want to know about Mizuki first . . ." He said with a small smirk. When Sasuki gave him a warning look, he threw up his hands in defeat. "Settle down, I'll tell you." Naruto looked out across the village to collect his thoughts. "I knew they would separate us into teams after we graduated, and that we'd be assigned a Jonin sensei. I even knew about the second test." He admitted.
He could practically feel the burn of the glare she gave him. "Why didn't you tell me?" She asked accusingly.
"I didn't tell you because I knew you wouldn't like it. Like you said, you were never good at teamwork; you don't like people." He answered.
Sasuki looked away with a huff. "Tch, whatever. Still, I'm telling you, Sakura is going to slow us down. She barely passed the physical part of the test."
Naruto hummed in agreement. "You're not wrong about that. She'll probably be a hindrance at first, but that can change. That's why she was paired with us. Gramps is hoping that we'll be able to cover her lack of physical skills until she can improve them." He explained.
"Hn, I guess I get it." Sasuki said grudgingly. It clearly still didn't sit well with her being paired with someone she viewed as weak. She recovered quickly though, and suddenly looked up at him with a gleam in her eye. "So, tell me about this thing with Mizuki . . ." She demanded.
He almost chuckled in amusement. "Oh, that. It all started after we parted ways a couple nights ago . . ." Naruto began. He explained to her how Mizuki had tried to trick him into stealing the Forbidden Scroll, and how he had been given the task of stopping him, although he left a couple parts out. By the end, she seemed to be in disbelief.
"So let me get this straight, you have the Magnet Style kekkei genkai, and you never told me?" She asked. Naruto almost let his mouth fall open.
"Seriously, that's what you got out of the story about a traitor trying to trick me into stealing the Forbidden Scroll?" He asked. Sasuki shrugged.
"Mizuki's an idiot, big surprise. I don't really get why he thought he could trick you, but then again, I don't really care." She replied. Her eyes narrowed dangerously though. "Now you holding out on me in spars, that I do care about. How am I supposed to get strong enough to kill my brother when people pull their punches against me?" She asked. Naruto almost flinched at the accusatory tone in her voice. It was time's like this he cursed the fact he had to be so careful with his secrets. He was just lucky she wasn't more curious about why Mizuki targeted him.
In response to her question, he sighed heavily, and said, "Look, I can't really explain why I didn't tell you. All I can say, is that it's not the only secret I have, but I can't tell you those either. For now, I hope you can accept the fact that I just can't go all out against you, because it would involve revealing those secrets, and that could quite literally put my life and the life of everyone close to me in danger if they get out too soon."
He saw her jaw quivering furiously, as if she was barely restraining herself from yelling at him. After a few tense moments, she final let out a giant exhale of breath. "Alright, I'll deal with it for now. But just know that I'm going to become so strong you don't have a choice but to fight all out against me!" She declared with a fire appearing in her eyes.
Naruto smiled softly at his best friend. "I look forward to it."
For several more hours they stayed there and chatted. When the sun finally set they parted ways to their respective homes, so they could prepare for tomorrow's test.
— ₪ NTUC ₪ —
The sun had just barely begun to rise when Naruto got to the designated training ground. Dim early morning light filled the air, and the calls of birds going merrily about their business sounded all around. His two teammates were already there, leaning against a tree as they waited for their sensei.
"Good morning," He greeted them.
Sasuki lifted her head up, and nodded at him. "Hn, morning."
"Hey, how's it going?" Sakura replied back.
"I'm doing fine. So, did you guys take my advice and eat a good breakfast?" Naruto asked. To his relief, both girls nodded. He had been certain that Sasuki would, but he'd been a little iffy on Sakura. She seemed like she might be the type to go on one of those diets where you skipped meals.
Without much else to do, Naruto went and sat against one of the trees, though not before pulling out a scroll on chakra shape manipulation, and began to read. He was a paragraph in, when Sakura decided to ask a question.
"Hey, so what do you think this survival exercise is?" She asked. Naruto lowered his scroll, and thought about the question.
"Hmm, I think it's fair to assume Kakashi is going to be the opponent. We also know that he didn't want us to eat," He reasoned. "That combined with the fact that he's not here yet, meaning he'll probably be late, makes me believe that whatever he has in mind, he wants us thoroughly worn down and tired before we even begin. Whether it's physically, or mentally. Other than that, I couldn't tell you." He explained.
His teammates nodded at his assessment, though it seemed to have Sakura on edge.
By eight o'clock, Naruto had finished his scroll on chakra shape manipulation, and it had become abundantly clear that Kakashi would probably be as late as the day before. With that in mind, Naruto unsealed a couple bento boxes from his arm guard. At the questioning looks of his teammates, Naruto offered a shrug of his shoulders.
"I'm guessing Kakashi isn't going to be here for a couple more hours. I figured that might happen, so I brought these," He said, raising the boxes. "To keep our strength up. I've got some onigiri for Sakura," Naruto paused to hand the box in his left hand to Sakura, and then turned to Sasuki, who he noticed had a hungry gleam in her eye. Clearly, she'd already caught the scent of the contents. "And of course, grilled tomatoes for Sasuki." As soon as he said tomatoes, the box was snatched from his hands.
Naruto watched in amusement as she tore into it, and began to devour the tomatoes. Just as amusing as the sight of the normally stoic Sasuki acting so strange, was the look on Sakura's face when she saw how Sasuki was acting. He leaned towards her ear, and in a conspiratorial whisper, said, "Tomatoes are her favorite. She can't resist them. Funny how much she changes when she's presented with them."
Sakura could only nod numbly. After a minute of staring, she finally shook her head, and gave Naruto a confused look. "Thanks for the food, but what about you?" She asked.
Naruto chuckled, and unsealed a third box from his arm guard. He pulled off the lid, and showed her the contents, an assortment of raw fish and vegetables. "Chirashizushi." He said simply.
Without any other explaining, he pulled out a pair of chopsticks from the box and dug into his snack. At his side, Sakura began to daintily eat the three onigiri he'd made her. After the food was consumed, the next couple hours were spent in a comfortable silence. Naruto took to reading another scroll, while Sakura pulled out a book of her own, and began reading. Sasuki passed her time by using the training post to do target practice.
Naruto had nearly finished his scroll when Kakashi finally arrived at ten o'clock. He didn't make a flashy entrance. True to his seemingly lax nature, he simply appeared in front of them and waved pleasantly. "Hey there. Is everyone ready for today's test?"
A visible vein throbbed on Sakura's forehead. Naruto could tell she was barely restraining herself from yelling at him for being so late. Instead, she settled for a more sedate, yet still peeved, "Hey, you're late!" Kakashi chuckled sheepishly.
"Yes, well, a black cat crossed my path, so I had to take the long way around." Kakashi explained. Naruto, along with his teammates, stared at Kakashi in disbelief. That was the most blatantly false excuse he had ever heard! He could at least put some effort into it.
"Anyways, since everyone is here, let's get started," Kakashi said, getting their attention. He walked over to the center training post and placed an alarm clock on top. A soft jingling sound rang out as he pulled a pair of bells from the pouch on his hip. "The test is simple. To pass, you have to get one of these bells from me before noon when that timer goes off." He explained.
"But sensei, there's only two bells there, there's no way we can all pass." Sakura observed. In the back of his mind, Naruto began to get an inkling of Kakashi's plan, even as the man began to chuckle ominously.
"Well of course. This way, one of you is guaranteed to fail. The ones who get a bell pass, and get to have lunch. The one who fails will be sent back to the academy, and will have to go hungry." Kakashi said, his tone harsh and cold.
While Sakura and Sasuki were shook up–and in Sasuki's case, angry; Naruto narrowed his eyes at his sensei. So that's his game, huh? Try to divide us to see if we can put our differences aside and work together.
Kakashi had picked the perfect plan to try and divide them. He'd probably done this to several teams; teams which hadn't had the benefit of a full stomach and good sleep. Although he was slightly concerned, he hardened his resolve. He was confident he could get Sasuki and Sakura to work together with him, even if it did take some convincing.
"So, any questions before we get started?" Asked Kakashi. Sakura rose her hand hesitantly. Kakashi smiled at her, and said, "Yes, Sakura?"
"If we use kunai and shuriken, won't we hurt you?" She asked. Kakashi chuckled and waved a hand dismissively. Naruto himself was surprised at her question. Perhaps she needed to learn more besides just academic knowledge.
"Oh, don't worry. Your attacks'll probably be too pathetic to hurt me anyways." If looks could kill, Naruto was sure that Kakashi would have been dead ten times over from the glares Sasuki and Sakura leveled at him. He could see that Sasuki was straining not to reach for her kunai pouch. "Now, if there aren't any more questions. We'll start on my mark," Kakashi told them. A tenseness fell over them, and Naruto felt his heart beat quicken. He tensed his leg muscles in preparation to spring away as soon as Kakashi gave the signal to start. His teammates did the same.
Kakashi let their apprehension build, he took turns staring at them with a surprising seriousness in his one eye. Finally, he gave the word. "Start!"
Before the word had even fully dropped from Kakashi's lips, Naruto latched on to his teammates shoulders, and used a body flicker to disappear. Though not before leaving a few 'presents' for Kakashi.
— ₪ NTUC ₪ —
When he had taken his teammates by the shoulder, Naruto took them to a small clearing a little way's away from the main training ground. He–or rather, his clones–had found it the night before when he had them scout the training ground. It was little more than a small gap in-between trees, barely ten feet in diameter, but it was plenty enough to sit and plan, and it was far enough away that Kakashi wouldn't be able to hear them.
They appeared in a whisper of displaced wind. Immediately, he had to cover Sakura's mouth, as she was about to scream in surprise. It came as a barely muffled squeak. Once he was sure it was over, he placed a finger in front of his lips to tell her to be quiet.
"Are you done yet? We have to be careful how loud we are so we don't give away out position." He told her.
Sakura nodded, though she was clearly confused. Once he was sure she wouldn't scream, he removed his hand. As soon as he did, she asked a question.
"What's going on, why did you bring us here?" She
Beside her, Sasuki nodded in agreement, and fixed him with a harsh scowl. "I'd like to know that too. I don't have time to waste; I have to get one of those bells. You know how important it is I become a ninja." She said, her tone accusatory.
Before he could reply, an explosion shook the forest. BOOM! It was pretty clear that it had come from the direction they'd just come from. The loud noise caused Sasuki to tense and whip out a kunai, while Sakura made to scream. He had to quickly slap his hand over Sakura's mouth again so she wouldn't give away they're position.
"What the hell was that?" Sasuki hissed.
Naruto shrugged, and gave the girls a smirk. "I left a few clones to keep Kakashi busy while we talk." He said.
He then gave them a serious look.
"I know you both want to pass, which is why I brought you here. You'd just be wasting your time trying to get those bells, It's not the point of this test." He said. The two girls gave him incredulous looks, as if he was an idiot.
"What do you mean? He just said that we have to get a bell to pass." Sakura said.
Naruto gave her and Sasuki a pointed look. "This coming from the man who tried to trick us into being tired and hungry for this test?" He asked. "We're ninja now, you can't take everything at face value."
Both girls looked a little embarrassed, though they showed it in different ways. While Sakura blushed, Sasuki simply huffed angrily.
"How do you know the bells aren't the point though?" She asked impatiently.
Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "I already told you last night, the Hokage put this team together for a reason, he wouldn't allow a test that would ruin that balance." He said.
"I guess you have a point." She admitted grudgingly. "So if the bells aren't the real point, what is?"
"Think about it; everything Kakashi has done has been to drive us apart. He wanted us to be so tired and hungry that we'd ignore the most obvious way of getting the bells. This isn't a test of strength, it's of co-operation." He explained.
Sasuki scowled, while Sakura gaped in surprise.
"Huh?" Sakura asked eloquently.
Naruto gave her an amused grin. "What, you don't think he'd honestly expect us to be able to get a bell on our own, right? Kakashi has been a Jonin for longer than we've been alive. No, the point of this test is for us to put aside our individual needs to accomplish the goal of taking the bells."
"Hn, great, a test designed to make me use my worst skill." Sasuki griped. She turned to Naruto, and fixed him with a hard stare. "Are you sure this is the point? What happens if you're wrong?" She asked. He could see how much effort it was taking for her to entertain the idea of working together. Even if it was him, the idea of putting her chance at becoming genin on the line was obviously extremely hard.
"I'm sure of it." He said confidently. "Besides, if I'm wrong, you two can have the bells. I won't let you fail because of my mistake."
For a few seconds, there was tense silence as the girls thought over what he said. While Sakura seemed to have accepted his explanation, Sasuki sat there with a blank look on her face. Finally, she let out an explosive sigh, and slumped forward. "Fine. We'll work together." She said. Then she looked at him intently. "I assume you have a plan?"
Naruto nodded, and gave an internal sigh of relief. "Yes. I'll start off by engaging Kakashi one on one. I'll get him focused solely on me, Meanwhile, I'll have a pair of clones with you who can tell you when it's time to start the plan. While I'm fighting Kakashi, you," Here he stopped, and looked at Sakura. "–will set traps around the clearing. My clone will help you set them up so they'll drive Kakashi forward, understand?"
Sakura nodded. "Yeah, I understand."
He then turned to Sasuki, who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "What about me?"
Despite the situation, he couldn't help but smirk maliciously. "Your job will be to wait until the signal, and then jump in and do a fire jutsu. I'll provide some wind to increase it. Then Sakura will spring her trap, and force him towards us so we can engage him directly. All you need to do is cut the bells from his waist. I'll do the rest." He replied.
"So, does everyone understand their role?" He asked. Sakura and Sasuki both nodded. Naruto smirked. "Alright, then let's go."
— ₪ NTUC ₪ —
When Naruto reached the clearing, he alighted on the branch of a tree silently, and quickly took cover so that Kakashi wouldn't spot him. From the memories of his clones, he knew Kakashi had finished them off early. Now, the silver-haired jonin had pulled out a small orange book, and he was reading it avidly. He recognized the book, and he wasn't exactly the biggest fan. He took a brief moment to create a pair of clones, who he sent off to find Sakura and Sasuki, and then returned his focus to Kakashi.
Now seemed like the perfect time to make his move.
Naruto abandoned his cover by standing up. He formed the snake seal, and opened his mouth wide. "Lightning Style: False Darkness!" He whispered. The reaction was instantaneous; a fierce crackling beam of lightning burst forth from his mouth, shaped like a spear, and aimed right for Kakashi's book. A slight tingle remained from using an element he didn't have a naturally strong affinity to, but he ignored it.
For a moment, Naruto thought the attack might actually hit. It was not to be, though.
At the last second, Kakashi stepped to the side and pulled his book out of harm's way. The beam flew wide, and impacted into the ground, gouging a fist-sized hole several feet deep.
Naruto didn't let his attacks failure faze him. He drew Senbonzakura from its sheath, and blasted down the tree in a blur of motion. In less than a second he had moved in on Kakashi.
He tried to slash him from shoulder to hip, but Kakashi reacted swiftly. He spun around and whipped out a kunai. The jonin braced himself, and blocked the blow of Naruto's full sized katana with the small blade. Naruto rolled with the block. He ducked down and swiped at the bells hanging from Kakashi's jacket. Kakashi's one good eye widened in surprise, and he leapt away swiftly.
When they were separated, Kakashi regarded him with a shrewd gaze.
"You're awfully skilled with that sword," he remarked. "I'm curious, where'd you learn that lightning jutsu? It's rather difficult to master," Kakashi asked, lazily reading his book while keeping his eye on Naruto. Naruto began to chuckle. Kakashi frowned and said, "What, did I say something funny?"
"Hehehe, yes, you did," said Naruto, a mysterious grin on his lips. "Why would I tell you my secrets in the middle of battle?" He asked rhetorically. "But learning jutsu isn't my only skill," He said, feeling like a cat about to eat a particularly juicy canary. He took his right hand off of Senbonzakura, and pointed his index finger at Kakashi. "I'm also very good at creating jutsu!" Kakashi's eyes widened just as he unleashed his jutsu.
"Rikujokoro!" He muttered.
Six beams of pale yellow light shot towards Kakashi. They enlarged into six slivers, wide and flat. They pierced Kakashi in the sides and produced a small cloud of smoke.
Naruto frowned. That's not a reaction of Rikujokoro. He must've used a substitution. His suspicions were confirmed when the smoke cleared and revealed a log being suspended by his jutsu.
"Very interesting. Your file said you were skilled, but it didn't mention anything about this. Someone's been holding out." Naruto spun on his heel and held Senbonzakura up defensively.
Kakashi was leaning up against a tree and reading his book. "Hmm, I suppose I won't be able to read Icha Icha against you," he said regretfully. Naruto grit his teeth. So far, he hadn't shown been able to touch Kakashi. He'd need to up the ante to keep Kakashi focused on himself.
This guy is good. I didn't even sense him until he spoke. I'll have to keep my senses on high alert. I might also need that jutsu. Despite his misgivings, Naruto maintained a confident front. "Talk all you like Kakashi, but don't think you've seen the limits of my ability. Those jutsu were mere parlor tricks compared to my true strength." He held Senbonzakura out in front of him vertically. "You did well enough against this blade alone, let's see what you make of many."
Senbonzakura's blade lit up with seals, and the iron sand was unleashed. It poured into the air, and formed a dense, dark mass of razor-like blades. The cloud glinted in the sunlight, lending a savage beauty to the sight. Naruto used his sword to guide the swarm of fragments towards Kakashi. The glittering black cloud branched into tendrils that snapped towards the tree and engulfed it. Kakashi leapt away from the tree just before the 'petals' of Senbonzakura reached him.
And thus began a complex game of cat and mouse. Naruto would send the blade fragments at Kakashi, and he would dodge them. There were close calls, but Kakashi always escaped. Naruto never relented in his assault. Despite the fact that it looked like Kakashi was on his heels, his sensei had yet to go on offense, and all he had to show for it were a few minor scratches. He's pretty good. Even without the Sharingan, he can dodge my iron sand blades. Naruto thought with grudging admiration.
Kakashi was the one to break the "stalemate". He spoke to Naruto while dodging a series of attacks on the surface of the nearby river. "You're good, I'll give you that, but you still aren't near my level" Kakashi lectured. Out of nowhere he used a substitution to escape from Naruto's barrage, and appeared crouched behind Naruto with his hands in the tiger seal. "You need quicker reflexes. Leaf Village Secret Finger Jutsu: One Thousand Years of Death!" He shouted, and shoved his fingers forward to try and poke Naruto . . . somewhere unpleasant.
Naruto's lip curled in distaste. Kakashi must've thought very little of him to use such an attack and expect it to do something. It was time to show Kakashi a glimpse of his true skills. Even though I haven't finished it yet, I'll have to use Flash Step. I just hope I don't run into anything.
For a long while, he'd been working on his own original speed technique; a combination of a Space-Time jutsu and the Body Flicker. So far, it worked fifty percent of the time. The other fifty he ended up running into a wall. Hopefully it would work this time.
In the split second before Kakashi's finger poke hit, Naruto's form flickered and then vanished. Kakashi was left in an uncomfortable position with his arms extended. In a strange reversal of roles, Naruto flickered back into being behind Kakashi, with his hands clasped together in the same seal Kakashi used. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" A giant ball of yellow and orange flame billowed from his mouth and hit Kakashi at point blank range.
WHOOSH
The log Kakashi had replaced himself was reduced to cinders in seconds. Damn. I can't get the drop on him, he just keeps anticipating me and dodging. That fact was a blow to his pride. He grunted in annoyance and dodged the pair of hands that emerged from the ground and tried to ensnare him.
Kakashi emerged and they faced off once more. Naruto felt vindicated seeing the scorching on Kakashi's still slightly smoking jacket. It seemed he had gotten to him.
There was no hint of the lazy Kakashi left, as he said, "Looks like you took my advice about coming at me with the intent to kill. If that fire jutsu had hit, it would've done serious damage, and that speed technique was unlike anything I've seen. Where do you learn all these things?" Naruto remained silent. He didn't need to give out any more information until the fight was over. Kakashi took his silence in stride. With a hint of his former lazy bravado, Kakashi said, "Oh well, don't tell me then. It doesn't change the fact that you won't get a bell. I told you, you alone can't beat me."
Naruto had to withhold a smirk. He feigned anger for Kakashi's sake. "You can stop the mind games Kakashi! I'm more than a match for you!"
He saw the flash of disappointment in Kakashi's eye. Clearly he still thought Naruto was trying to get a bell alone. He can keep thinking that. It's about time we start the plan. He gathered the cloud of fragments in front of himself, and sent them towards Kakashi in a solid wave. It would most likely be dodged, but hitting him wasn't the point. As soon as he knew Kakashi's view was obstructed, he created a clone and quickly had it dispel so it could send the signal to attack to his other clones. Now, the game begins.
— ₪ NTUC ₪ —
The Naruto clone that was with Sasuki had been waiting for a while. He could tell she was impatient to get to her part of the plan. They'd been watching the boss, and even if it was a little narcissistic, he couldn't help but admire the skills of the original. Boss is really going all out. Kakashi seems to be just about ready . . .
Sure enough, after a particularly close call for Kakashi with a Fireball Jutsu, the clone stiffened as it received the memories of the clone the boss had created to signal the plan.
Beside him, Sasuki took notice.
"Is it time?" She asked eagerly.
The clone nodded. "Good luck." It said. Without another word, it dispelled in a puff of smoke, sending the memories to the original.
— ₪ NTUC ₪ —
The memories of his clone hit him. It was time to enact the plan. Naruto took a momentary pause to collect himself. His lungs heaved lightly for air. Kakashi stood across from him. He looked completely fresh.
"You've been at this for some time. Perhaps you should give it a rest." Kakashi suggested. Naruto regarded Kakashi silently. His electric blue eyes were cold as glaciers. He slowly raised his katana. The methodical movement caused Kakashi tense and prepare for an attack. It wasn't. His intent wasn't to attack. The razor-like blades dispersed into iron sand, and began to gather back into the seals along his swords length. In the end, Naruto was left with a single blade as he stared coldly at his sensei
Kakashi looked at the blade with interest. "That really is an odd sword," he said. "Tell me, how is it you control that black powder?"
Naruto scoffed. "Do you really expect me to answer that?"
Kakashi shrugged, as if to say, 'It was worth a shot'. "I suppose it doesn't matter," Kakashi mused. Naruto looked at him sharply. "You're going to fail anyways. As special as that sword is, it won't help you win. Have you realized that as well? Is that why you're stopping your attack?"
Naruto's eyebrows knit together in annoyance. Would this man ever stop nagging about quitting? He suddenly smiled at Kakashi rather nastily. He knew how to shut Kakashi up. His teammates were in place, and it was time to show Kakashi who he was dealing with. He began to perform hand seals at a blistering pace. "Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
A howling wind kicked up, and he directed it to Kakashi. It was strong enough to begin tearing up the ground. Kakashi muttered something to himself, but Naruto couldn't hear it over the noise of his technique. He did hear Kakashi's call to him as he kept his feet stuck to the ground using chakra. "What's your plan, blow the bells off my waist?" Kakashi asked him derisively.
"I was thinking something more along the lines of burning them off." Naruto answered back, as Sasuki appeared above him with her hands clasped in a familiar seal.
He took pleasure in the widening of Kakashi's eye when Sasuki let loose her impressive fireball jutsu. It engulfed his own jutsu, and the two techniques united to become a raging inferno of such intense heat that it sucked the moisture from the air. Sasuki landed next to him. There was a satisfied smirk on her face. "You think that shook him up?"
The fire had died down, and only shifting smoke remained. Naruto frowned. There was no sign of Kakashi yet.
"Maybe, stay on alert," he ordered. Sasuki grunted in annoyance, but complied. Their eyes flicked back and forth, searching for any hint of Kakashi's location. A faint sound reached Naruto's ears, one that barely registered; a slight shifting of earth. There! He reacted instantly. Senbonzakura was whipped from its sheath and set to levitate in front of him.
"Tenran!" A simple touch from Naruto set the blade to spinning clockwise in the air, like some deadly fan. From the center, a horizontal tornado was released that blew away the smoke from their combination technique. Kakashi stood there in the center, perfectly unscathed. From the small mound of upturned earth around Kakashi, Naruto deduced that he had protected himself with a few hastily constructed earth walls. Kakashi eyed them a bit nastily.
"I'll give you this," he said, a slight exasperation straining his voice from the constant barrage of attacks. "That co—"
"Now Sakura!" Naruto cut Kakashi off mid-sentence. On all sides, a hail of simultaneous kunai and shuriken flew towards Kakashi, the deadly metal points seeking to dig into his flesh and draw blood. It forced him to do something he had avoided most of the fight; get in range for a taijutsu battle.
Naruto and Sasuki were quick to capitalize. They moved in on Kakashi, and began to bombard him with blows. One second he would catch a high kick from Naruto, and then the next he would be forced to let go and jump over a low sweep from Sasuki. The two also covered for each other. When he managed to land a blow that set one of them off balance, the other stepped up and kept him from pressing the advantage, or escaping.
It was like a dance for them. They'd been training together for so long, they didn't need words to communicate what they were going to do.
Despite the fact that they were holding their own, Naruto felt frustrated. He could feel the seconds ticking by, almost like there was a giant clock in his head. Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock. Each Imaginary second drove him mad.
Naruto finally took a chance, and glanced at the clock on the training post, and his pulse quickened. They only had five more minutes.
He caught Sasuki's eye, and motioned to the clock with a jerk of his head. She glanced at it, and gave him an understanding nod. The two broke away slightly.
"We have to end this now. It's time we play our trump card. I'll let myself get hit, and then you loosen the bells. I'll take care of the rest." he whispered to her. Sasuki nodded gripped her right arm warmer tightly.
"Let's do it then," she said. They began racing towards Kakashi for one last clash.
When they met the jonin, Naruto went in slightly ahead of Sasuki. As they had planned, he allowed himself to be caught in the stomach with a strong kick, sending him flying backwards Just before he did, though, he managed to lightly touch the bells.
With his goal complete, he twisted in midair, flipping backwards and landing softly in a crouch. Naruto clasped his hands into the ram seal, and began to focus his magnet chakra on the bells
Sasuki followed soon after him, and began to attack fiercely. She struck out with a leaping spinning heel kick, which Kakashi caught easily. Undeterred, she twisted gracefully, and attempted to land a blow on his cheek. Kakashi caught that too. Still she didn't give up. Sasuki went with Kakashi's latest counter by bringing her second foot around for what would have been a devastating blow. Luckily for Kakashi, he managed to transfer his grip of her right arm underneath his own, and grip her legs with his hands. Sasuki smirked triumphantly. From beneath her arm warmer, a kunai slipped into her palm.
"What?" exclaimed Kakashi. She lashed out before Kakashi could do anything more than widen his eyes. A quick slash severed the bells, and sent them tumbling towards the earth. In desperation, Kakashi tossed her away, but it was too late.
As soon as the bells had been severed, Naruto stood and used his control to pull them towards him. The twin silver blurs zipped through the air and into his waiting grip. Sasuki spun elegantly in mid-air. She landed softly at Naruto's side. Sakura was quick to join them. She emerged from the bushes, and dashed to Naruto's other side.
Kakashi just stared at them blankly. "What . . . just happened? How did you get the bells so fast?" he asked numbly.
Naruto savored the shock in Kakashi's eye. He smirked, and decided to enlighten his sensei.
"Remember earlier, when you said my sword wouldn't help me win?" Kakashi nodded in puzzlement. It took him a moment for his brain to connect the dots. His eye widened.
"You possess the Magnet Style kekkei genkai! That black powder . . . was iron sand!" Kakashi said with comprehension. Naruto nodded.
"That's right Kakashi. You underestimated my blade, and failed to comprehend its true nature. Just as I said it would be yesterday, underestimating us was your downfall." He told the older man. Kakashi nodded in understanding. He chuckled, and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
"I suppose you're right. Congratulations Naruto, you pass." Kakashi told him, the corners eye crinkling merrily. Naruto wasn't fooled by Kakashi's cheerful attitude. There was something about his tone that set him on edge. Sasuki, too, seemed suspicious. Sakura was the only one that smiled back at Kakashi.
"As for you two," A slight edge entered Kakashi's voice. His eye narrowed at Naruto's female teammates. "I'm afraid you two will be going back to the academy. You failed to get a bell, so you don't pass."
Sasuki and Sakura gaped in shock. They began to protest vehemently, cursing Kakashi. None of it phased him, he just stared at them apathetically. "Save it. You knew the rules. It's your own fault you let Naruto capture the bells in this little plan of yours." he said harshly.
Naruto watched his teammates crumble. Sakura looked as if she had been physically struck. Tears welled in her eyes, and her head drooped sadly. Sasuki's expression was the hardest for Naruto. She looked at Kakashi with rage for a second, and then looked at him with an expression that he wasn't used to seeing. There was a desperation there, a plea for help that wrenched at his heart. He couldn't let her feel like that for even a second longer, so he gave her a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry. I already told you, I won't let you fail." Naruto told her. Although it was meant for both of them, his eyes never left Sasuki's. Even if nobody else could tell, she was a lot more vulnerable than people knew.
He then turned, and looked at Kakashi fiercely. "I never said I would keep the bells for myself. The test isn't over yet, the bell hasn't rung," he said. Kakashi looked at him curiously. "Sasuki and Sakura were an integral part of the plan, especially Sasuki. I couldn't have completed it without them," Naruto explained. "Therefore," He looked at his two teammates. "I'm giving the bells to them." With a deft toss, he gave the bells to the two girls.
His teammates numbly caught the bells he threw at them. Sasuki looked at him in shock. "A-are you serious? You're just giving me the bell?" she asked. Naruto nodded, a small smile on his lips.
"Like I said. Even if it means I fail, I I'll make sure you'll pass. You took a risk in going along with my plan, so it's only fair." he said. Sasuki nodded unsurely, and gave him a grateful look.
Naruto turned back to see his sensei studying him. "Well Kakashi, what will it be? I might've gotten the bells, but Sakura and Sasuki now possess them. You either pass them as well, or I'll refuse to be trained by you. It's your choice."
Kakashi's eye narrowed dangerously. "Are you sure about that? It's all of you, or none of you? Are you really sure?" he asked menacingly. Naruto met his glare with one of his own. He nodded resolutely. Kakashi turned to Sasuki and Sakura. "And what of you two? You have the bells, so technically I have to pass you," he said. He glanced at Naruto. "He, on the other hand, doesn't. I could just dump him back at the academy and train you two. What do you say?"
For a second, Naruto was actually afraid one of them would cave. Not so much Sasuki, but possibly Sakura. He didn't know if she would be able to pass up the opportunity to pass. Although, even if he didn't want to admit it, a small part of him was afraid Sasuki wouldn't be able to choose their friendship over her chance to avenge her brother.
To his relief, neither took the bait. Sakura bit her lip uncertainly, but ultimately shook her head no.
Sasuki was the one that surprised him. She actually gave Kakashi a fierce glare, and looked insulted. "Not a chance!" she growled.
She looked at the ground and clenched her fists, then turned her piercing onyx eyes back to Kakashi. "Naruto put a lot of faith in me. I'm not about to betray it. We all made a deal to work together, and these two have held up theirs, so there's no way I won't hold up mine." She declared.
"Yeah!" said Sakura, nodding much more surely, emboldened by Sasuki's reaction.
Kakashi looked at all of them darkly. "As you wish . . ." The one-eyed jonin performed a few hand seals. The sky darkened with thunder clouds, and lightning flashed across the sky. A fierce wind kicked up, and Kakashi loomed over them, tall, and menacing. "If it's all of you, or none of you, then I have no choice but to say . . ." Kakashi paused for dramatic effect, and leaned forward menacingly. "You pass." He said, rather anticlimactically.
Naruto rolled his eyes. He thought that was a little overdramatic. His teammates blinked owlishly.
"Huh?" asked Sakura eloquently. Kakashi smiled at them.
"I said, you pass. You see, out of all the teams I've tested, your group is the only one that has decided to go completely against my rules, and work together to get the bells. You even managed to get them, something I never suspected." Kakashi told her cheerfully. Sakura nodded slowly. Kakashi turned to Naruto and narrowed his eye playfully. "Though I suspect someone saw through a few of my plans. I couldn't help but notice that nobody seemed too hungry when I mentioned lunch. None of you listened when I told you not to eat, did you?"
Naruto shrugged nonchalantly. "Technically you merely suggested we not eat. We simply declined to acquiesce." He said.
Kakashi nodded understandingly. "Very well, then there's one more thing I want to do before we part ways. Follow me, I'm going to show you why I put such an emphasis on teamwork," he requested. Naruto nodded alongside his teammates, and they followed their sensei as he led them through the foliage and to a field adjacent to the third training ground where they took their test.
There was a large circle of brick and mortar, their red and brown coloring standing out amongst the emerald green grass. But that wasn't the most eye-grabbing thing. No, the thing that caught Naruto's eye was the towering black stone in the shaped similar to a kunai.
He knew what it was, and what it represented. His throat tightened slightly. The names of his parents lay on that stone. Kakashi led them to it, and stopped on the side with the names carved into it.
"Do you three know what this is?" Kakashi asked them. Naruto could tell his teammates weren't sure, but he nodded.
"It's a memorial for ninja that have fallen in the line of duty," he answered quietly. Kakashi nodded solemnly. Sasuki and Sakura looked at the stone with a new found sadness in their eyes.
"Yes, it is. The names of my best friends are on this stone. Their names lie right next to my sensei's." he told them. Sakura looked at him wide-eyed. Sasuki and Naruto merely looked at the ground with dull eyes. Naruto knew that he and Sasuki were the ones that understood Kakashi's pain best.
Kakashi looked at all of them with utter seriousness. "In this ninja world, those who break the rules are scum, this is true. But those who would abandon their friends and teammates, well they're even worse than scum in my books. I want you all to remember this place, and never forget to look after your friends and teammates. I didn't realize how much my teammates meant to me until it was too late. Don't make the same mistake." he told them sagely.
They all nodded solemnly. Kakashi smiled cheerfully. "Good, now that all the serious stuff is out of the way, I was wondering if you'd answer some questions, Naruto?"
Naruto shrugged. "I suppose you want to know about my jutsu?" he guessed. Kakashi nodded sheepishly.
"Yes, I did. Could you explain to me how you used those jutsu of yours? I've never heard of a genin that had such excellent control over multiple elements before. I don't even know what that Rikujokoro you used was."
He nodded. He didn't have a problem that. There wasn't much harm in telling Kakashi some of his secrets now. After all, he would need his guidance to advance farther. "Sure. The secret is the shape manipulation. It's how I perform barrier ninjutsu so easily, like my Rikujokoro." His sensei gaped in surprise.
"Barrier ninjutsu, without hand seals? How?" he gasped. Naruto smirked.
"I have a full grasp of shape transformation," he said simply. Kakashi nodded dumbly. The silver-haired man shook himself from his stupor, and chuckled in amusement.
"I have a feeling you're going to be an interesting group to teach. Congratulations on passing, tomorrow we take our first mission as Team 7. Until then, see you later." Kakashi waved goodbye, and disappeared in plume of smoke.
In the relative silence following Kakashi's departure, Naruto felt his teammates eyes on him. He turned to see them indeed staring at him intently. "Would you like me to answer questions as well?" he asked. Both nodded immediately. Naruto sighed. "Very well, come on. We might as well go and get something to eat. I'll answer some of the questions on the way," Naruto said, turning to begin walking to his favorite sushi restaurant.
His teammates followed, and began to ask him questions, which he would answer as best as possible. Eventually, they began to discuss the test. To his surprise, Sasuki complimented him on his skills. She tended to hate doing that.
"I have to admit your plan was pretty good. I also noticed you seem to have been holding out on me more than you let on."
Naruto smirked. "Maybe, but I couldn't have gotten the bells without that last attack from you," he said. Sasuki smirked sideways at him. After a few moments, Naruto noticed that Sakura was hanging back slightly, a downcast expression on her face. "Is something wrong, Sakura?" he asked, surprising the girl. Sakura jumped slightly, and looked down.
"Well, it's just that you two are so strong. You guys were amazing against Kakashi. Compared to you, I barely did anything," she said glumly. Naruto frowned. He didn't think there was any question that Sakura was the weakest of the three of them. He paused in his step, and placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder to keep her in place.
She looked up at him questioningly.
He paused to consider how to say what he wanted to. "If you really feel that way, then we can help you improve." Naruto saw Sasuki looking at him incredulously, but he gave her a pointed look until she backed down. "The training would be hard, but we could get you stronger. I can't guarantee you'll be as strong as us, but you'll definitely be a cut above everyone else," he told her. "So, do you want to improve?"
Sakura, to her credit, didn't hesitate for long. She gave him a determined nod, a fire entering her jade-green eyes. "Yes," she answered firmly.
"Good, we'll talk to Kakashi about it tomorrow." Sakura smiled gratefully at him.
"Thanks, Naruto." she said sincerely.
Naruto waved her thanks off. "It's not a very big deal. After all, we're teammates."
And they were. That day, a bond had begun to be formed. One that would unite the team for years to come.
— ₪ NTUC ₪ —
AN/ So there you go, another chapter down. This one was actually pretty easy to re-do, since it was mostly writing a couple new scenes, and then tweaking the others. I hope you enjoyed.
I think the next story I'll be working on will be the one I promised to the person that won my contest to guess the second girl paired with Naruto in this. It will involve a Naruto who has the Dead Bone Pulse, and is the grandson of Tobirama. One of the pairings will be Fem-Shikamaru, but there will be at least one more girl with him.
Well, that's all for now. Tune in next week for the next chapter, where we'll see the start of the Wave Arc.
So, til next time,
RinneTaicho, Signing off!