Chapter 7

Kimura sat, crouched on the ground, watching as Osaka slowly approached him. He couldn't believe this. Two students so far and both had attempted to come at him head on. Did any of them even know about stealth? He shook his head.

"Hello Kimura-sensei" said Osaka as her gentle pace came to a halt.

"Yes. Hi."

"Kimura-sensei, I need to get one of those bells" said Osaka in a mellow manner pointing to the two bells.

"I'm afraid that you will have to fight me for one of these" said Kimura, holding up the two bells in one hand.

"Ah" said Osaka, slowly backing away.

Kimura nodded and clipped the two small bells back onto his belt. He crouched down and drew a faint line in the dirt. He looked at his finger and groaned, wiping it on his trouser leg. "You're a ninja in training aren't you? You've past many tests. Surely you can become a ninja…like all those beautiful teenage girls of the current ninja generation" said Kimura, his imagination now in overdrive, imagining scantily clad eighteen year old female ninja leaping through the air. "Yes girls, that's right you have to rescue me…"

Osaka stood, staring into space intently. Kimura stood waiting. Perhaps this was just a clone. She definitely did seem a bit…off. However the girl returned from studying nothing and looked towards Kimura. No this was indeed the girl. Slowly her hands rose and began to form signs. He wondered what she was going to try and do- surely she knew he'd be able to avoid most of her attacks. He was at a much higher level then her- she'd need something good to stop him.

She spoke a word softly, and suddenly a dense mist filled the area. It soon disappeared, and Kimura suddenly found himself looking at seven naked eighteen year old blond girls.

"Ah…" he said dreamily. So this is what it is to be in heaven…

He stood slack jawed, staring at the girls, as Osaka attempted to walk up behind him. She had only just about been able to perform the move. Create a group of clones using the harem technique before moving through the mist created. She was happy with herself. She reached out, a finger touching one of the bells. It jingled slightly, and Kimura span around, facing the girl. She looked up at him as the clones disappeared. She stood looking for a while, not quite sure of what to do next. Kimura sighed and performing a series of quick hand movements sent Osaka flying backwards via a forceful gust of wind. She then landed gently on the ground, and after staring back at Kimura disappeared into the forest.

"Next time I won't be so…gentle" called out Kimura.

---

Sakaki sat in the branches, looking down as Osaka disappeared into the woods. Kimura stood, watching as the girl disappeared. There he was, out in the open, an easy target. She pulled out a shuriken, and gripped one of her kunai knives. She held them up, gripping the branch with her legs. She sighed, and placed the weapons back on the branch with a dull thud. She couldn't throw them at Kimura-sensei- not with his back turned to her. He'd said to aim to kill…but she couldn't do that to him. He wasn't an enemy.

"I heard you" said Kimura, now sitting cross legged on a thick branch across from the girl. She turned to face the man, shocked.

He found me! But how!

"I was aware three people were hunting me. You've done a good job of staying hidden- but your sigh, and placing your weapons down on the branch gave you away. Any sound, no matter how trivial may give you away."

Sakaki opened her mouth to speak, before leaping from the branch and landing gracefully on the ground. Tomo, busy trying to remove the tangled rope from her ankles growled as she watched that. Osaka had got close to a bell. Sakaki could leap from trees and land gracefully, while she found herself tangled up in a heap on the floor.

Sakaki stood and waited as Kimura landed upon the ground. He stood up, adjusting his glasses. Sakaki was certain he was looking just a bit too intently at her. She allowed the kunai and shuriken to fall to the floor. Kimura watched as they dropped to the floor. He approached the girl. He had no intention of hurting any of his trainees…merely humiliating, and probably failing them. He began the same technique he'd used on Osaka. The girl looked shocked as she was sent backwards. However the surprised look soon passed across Kimura's face as a thick piece of tree branch landed upon the ground, bouncing away with a dull thud.

The kunai was now missing from the ground. Kimura was suddenly gripped around the chest, Sakaki holding the blade to his throat. Tomo watched in disbelief. She tricked Kimura-sensei! Kimura stood unmoving as Sakaki prepared herself to speak. I need to sound commanding…serious.

"I need one of those bells" she stated.

"I can't just give one to you, you'll have to take it yourself."

She reached down with her free hand. "Body flicker technique" muttered Kimura. He gripped Sakaki's arm, pushing it away, before suddenly vanishing into smoke, then appearing a short distance from a flustered Sakaki.

"Very good" said Kimura rubbing his neck. "Had I been a true enemy I may have in fact been dead. However now you find yourself back at square one."

Sakaki nodded, and threw the Kunai knife to the ground. Slowly she closed her eyes. What to do now.

---

Tomo shrieked as Osaka scared her, suddenly appearing from behind a tree. She backed away scared as the girl pulled out a knife and walked towards her with an emotionless look on her face. She wouldn't want to guarantee getting one of those bells would she thought Tomo. The girl leant down and cut through the ropes in one smooth movement. Tomo had merely managed to tangle herself up further. Osaka helped Tomo to her feet.

Osaka pointed towards Sakaki and Kimura, who dodged a sudden (but weak) burst of fire. "Sakaki is fighting Kimura."

"Yeah I noticed" said Tomo dusting herself down.

"We should help her."

"What? Why?"

"To get the bells."

"But there are only two bells."

"I know. I started thinking about it. If we were expected to fight Sensei on our own, why would we be sent in groups of three?"

"I dunno…"

"It's a test of…erm eh, teamwork that's the word. I think, but I could be wrong."

"Teamwork? Pah, we learnt about all that stuff in class" said Tomo dismissively.

"Yes" said Osaka raising a finger. "However this is a test of teamwork. We can't beat Sensei on our own. But together we can take the bells from him. There are three of us. One should be able to get close enough. I think."

"But even if we do what does it matter?!" asked Tomo. "One of us will fail anyway. The one without a bell will fail."

Osaka bowed her head. "You and Sakaki can pass."

"What?!"

"People always say I'm slow, spaced out. I guess I'm not ready yet."

"Don't say that!" said Tomo. She'd never heard Osaka speak about herself like that before.

"Would you want to work in a team with me?" asked Osaka sadly. "Would you trust me?"

Tomo gripped Osaka's hand. "Yes I would. I do." She made fists with her hands. "Let's do this Osaka! Sakaki can't hold off Kimura for much longer!"

Osaka nodded and smiled.

---

Sakaki tried her hardest not to be pushed backwards as Kimura paced forwards. Sakaki had both hands gripping a kunai knife pressing against a kunai gripped in one hand by Kimura. She pushed forwards, her hands trembling as she attempted to push Kimura back. I can't beat him. He's too strong. But I can't just let go, I'll leave myself open to a counter attack.

"Hey you" said Tomo pointing towards Kimura. "Sakaki I've come to help you."

"Ok" said Sakaki quietly. She was glad.

Sakaki quickly stepped backwards, Kimura in one movement slipping the knife back into its sheath. He looked at the two.

"Nice to see you lot finally think about working together. However where's the other one…I suppose you're hoping to entrap me huh girls?" he said.

"That idiot?" said Tomo. "She's useless. Me and Sakaki. That's all we need. Two bells, two passing grades right Sakaki?"

"Ah…" Did she call Osaka an idiot?

"Come on Sakaki! He can't defend against both of our attacks and keep a guard over the bells."

"Right" said Sakaki nodding. She did call Osaka an idiot. She didn't like that.

Mirroring the tall girl, Tomo pulled out a kunai blade. She looked towards Sakaki and nodded. Kimura stood with his arms crossed. He drew out two knifes, blocking both Sakaki and Tomo. Tomo grunted loudly as she tried to beat Kimura back, while Sakaki attempted to find the bells.

"And what makes you think I don't suspect a surprise ninjutsu attack from Osaka?" asked Kimura grunting slightly as he tried to hold back the two girls.

"Simple reason." Sakaki glanced up and watched as Tomo leapt down from a branch, landed on the ground and pushed herself up, rushing towards Kimura. The man slowly turned as she leapt through the air. Sakaki jumped back in surprise as the Tomo beside her became Osaka. Tomo gripped hold of the bells and pulled them away, before landing on the ground, breathing heavily. She tossed a bell towards Osaka who caught it in surprise. Tomo grinned as she stood up.

"Yeah!"

"Well I see you managed to retrieve the bells. Congratulations Osaka, Tomo you pass" said Kimura turning away.

"Huh?!" yelled Tomo as Sakaki's head slumped down.

"Two bells, two people pass. Simple really" said Kimura not facing the students.

"No you don't. We're a team. We all deserve to pass" said Tomo angrily.

"Tomo it's very simple. The two of you pass. Or none of you pass. Your choice."

Sakaki looked towards Tomo who growled, deep in thought. Don't do it for me.

"No I don't accept that!"

"Me neither" said Osaka.

"Hmm?"

"We succeed together as a team…or we fail as a team" said Tomo. I hope I don't regret saying this.

"I see. So you come here, fluke getting the bells and then tell me what you will do ignoring me?" asked Kimura almost angrily. He turned to face the three girls. "My, Yukari will enjoy seeing you all again, especially since you are all now Genin."

"Well you…what?"

"You pass" said Kimura, pulling down his mask to reveal his wide gaping mouth. He smiled. "You retrieved the bells and are showing rapidly growing sides of comradeship. You have individual talents, and have the potential to work together as a team. Besides Yukari would kill me if I sent you back Tomo. And you Osaka."

Tomo yelled out in joy as Sakaki smiled, looking down at the ground to avoid being seen, while Osaka looked up towards the sky in celebration. Beside her Tomo was now busy dancing. I'm a Genin, I'm a Genin…

"Now to celebrate, why don't we go for a swim in the river?" suggested Kimura. "You won't want to get many of your clothes wet either…"

Tomo picked up the kunai and looked towards the man evilly.

"Fine then. Let's head back" he stated dejectedly.

Together they began to walk away. Osaka had already forgotten of her discussion with Tomo, and the energetic girl was too excited to talk about it. By the next morning she wouldn't remember, and the terrifying truth that Osaka had been completely correct would be forgotten, fading into the past.

Omake: Hello and welcome to the special features of chapter seven.

I suppose you may be wondering where the heck this idea came from. To be truthful, I don't really know either. It came off of watching the first thirteen episodes of Naruto, having brought a DVD set. Suddenly deeply interested I felt like writing a story based on it. But random mission story…or OC 'epic'? Deep in thought I looked up, staring straight at my Azumanga manga volumes. Suddenly either through insanity or a loose neurone, I concocted an idea. I know azumanga…naruto…lets combine them.

Next thing I know I've written six chapters in the space of five days. However due to my holiday, I took my sweet time publishing the story, as it kept getting to one in the morning. And I really don't trust myself to do something like properly publish a story at that time.

The first character came in an instant- Tomo as a lead character. I soon added Sakaki, as I like the character, and thought I could possibly explore the character within my own universe. For some reason, almost as soon as I thought of Tomo, I decided Kimura would be the sensei. Yukari was originally a team leader, Nyamo the original teacher. I then decided against that, deciding Yukari would better match a proactive teacher- and probably get more focus this way. Finally I chose Osaka. I decided against Kagura as I had Tomo to compete with Sakaki. I didn't feel like using Yomi, and Chiyo seemed too obvious. So I went with Osaka. Kaori was also a major contender. Azunaruto was the original title for the story until I had a brainwave the day before I posted the story.

Thanks for your time and for reading!