Previous Chapter: Five's A Bit Much
The First Test
On Kakashi's orders, Squad Seven went to Training Ground Three very early the next morning. But over two hours he was still a no-show.
"I can't believe he's late!" Sakura huffed. They griped and squabbled and moaned to each other until a jolly voice greeted them from behind.
"Morning, everyone" Kakashi sang out.
"You're laaaate!!" Naruto, Sakura and Ayami whined in unison. Sasuke and Airo glared. Out of all the Jonin in the world, they had to get this one?
Kakashi ignored the three and reached into his pouch at his waist. He took out four small bells on strings. They tinkled lightly in the breeze.
"See these bells?" he said. "Today's test is to grab 'em from me by lunch."
Nobody answered. Squad Seven was still outraged at being kept waiting again.
Kakashi walked over to three large logs that were planted in the ground, and placed a clock atop the middle log.
"This alarm goes off exactly at noon. If you don't have a bell, you don't get lunch," he explained. "However, you can watch me eat mine."
Five empty stomachs growled in harmony.
"But you told us no breakfast!" Sakura complained.
"Yup, I sure did," Kakashi nodded.
Once again, before Ayami tried to attack their sensei, Airo quickly pinned her down with plenty of effort. His hand clamped over her mouth. Muffled curses were heard along with the occasional death-threat.
While Airo struggled to keep Ayami down and the remaining members of Squad Seven fumed silently, Kakashi smoothly continued.
"Now you're probably all wondering why they're only four bells," he said.
He jangled them. It was seriously irritating.
"It's simple," Kakashi said. "If you don't get a bell, you go back to the academy."
"What!?" Naruto and Sakura gasped. Even Ayami was able to muffle out a what?! Sasuke and Airo's mouths dropped, but they didn't say a word.
"Oh, gee! I didn't tell you?" he said innocently. "This test is to see if you can make it as a Genin."
"But we never heard about that," Sakura complained.
"Wh-what do you mean?" Naruto sputtered.
Sasuke, Ayami and Airo just glared, but Kakashi kept his cool.
Finally, Ayami lost it. She rolled out from under Airo and pinned him down.
"Take that, Airo!" Ayami snarled.
Airo smirked and flipped Ayami over so he was on top her. "Bring it, sister," Airo smirked.
She kneed him in the stomach and both of them went claw and tooth on each other, and a huge dust cloud arose, surrounding two kicking, punching, biting, and shouting twelve-year-olds.
Ignoring the two, Kakashi continued.
"C'mon, crew. Did you really think that doing the Clone Jutsu automatically makes you a ninja?!"
Squad Seven looked thoughtful. They had a lot to learn.
"So if we pass the test, will we really will become ninja?" Sakura asked hopefully.
"Hmm, I suppose so," Kakashi said vaguely, ringing the bells again.
Sasuke got up in his face. "You're hiding something," he accused.
Kakashi looked away.
"Some things are better left unsaid. If you knew everything, you'd wuss out."
"No fair that you know, but we don't," Sasuke griped.
"Kakashi raised his right eyebrow.
"So that's how you talk to your sensei, eh? Interesting."
Sasuke fell silent but is angry face kept on talking. Kakashi paused for effect, and then continued.
"By the way, only four of you will pass," he said. "We have twenty-nine Genin this year, so only ten will make the cut."
"Wh-what happens to the rest?" Naruto stammered.
"Like I said, they'll all go back to the academy. They'll train harder until they pass.
Silence descended upon the group like a thick shroud. The only sound came from the two Hyuga's beating the crap out of each other.
"Noooooo!!!!" Sakura cried.
"Who cares, I'm gonna pass," Sasuke grumbled.
The two stopped for a second. "So are we you little snake!" the two shouted before resuming beating the crap out of each other.
"My! Such confidence," Kakashi said. "Wonder where you three get it from."
"WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO FOOL AROUND, SENSEI!!!" the two shouted.
"I see."
Kakashi put his hands on his hips and looked at each of them in turn.
"So that's the way it is," he said bluntly. "If you wanna pass, use everything you've got. Fists, feet, razor-sharp weapons, jutsu . . ."
"But that sounds dangerous, sensei!" Sakura shouted with horror.
"Suck it up, Sakur—OW!!!!!!! YOU LITTLE SNEAK!!!" Ayami screamed from the dust cloud.
"AHHHHH!!!!! I'M SORRY!!!!" Airo shouted as Ayami started to beat him up again.
"You didn't see the eraser!" Naruto chimed in. "We could kill you! Or maim you! Or, or . . ."
Kakashi sighed as Naruto babbled on.
"Sheesh! Dead last in his class, yet he still wants to be Hokage."
"D-dead last?" Naruto gulped.
"I saw your grades, m'boy! Your sensei really took pity on you."
Naruto blushed. Kakashi turned away from him.
"Okay, everybody," he said. "When I say 'go' . . ."
Naruto didn't wait to hear the rest. He grabbed a kunai from his holster and ran to attack.
A strong hand instantly grabbed Naruto's arm from behind, while another tugged at his hair.
"Relax, Naruto," Kakashi drawled as he released him. "I didn't say 'go' yet."
He walked over to the gradually growing dust cloud and yanked both Ayami and Airo out by their shirt collars. They had scratches and bruises covering almost their entire bodies. Ayami had a nasty bump forming on the back of her head while Airo's bottom lip bled profusely. He bought them over to the rest of them and sat them down.
"So, Naruto! Think I can take care of myself now?" Kakashi teased.
Naruto couldn't help smiling. Maybe this guy wasn't bad after all!
"Okay, then!" Kakashi yelled. "On your mark! Get set!"
The members of Squad Seven held their breaths.
"Byakugan!" Ayami and Airo muttered.
"GO!!!"
The five fanned out in different directions. While his students disappeared, Kakashi casually ambled out to the center of the field.
"Good," he said, nodding with approval. "At least you four know the basics."
He was referring to Ayami, Airo, Sasuke, and Sakura. As soon as he had given the signal, the four has suppressed their presences and hidden from sight, a skill that suited almost any situation.
Naruto's approach, however, was a bit different.
"Okay, you! Gimme that bell!" he screeched, clenching his fists.
"Your technique is unusual," Kakashi said mildly.
"Oh, yeah? So's your haircut! Naruto sneered. He charged toward Kakashi at full speed.
"Shinobi Battle Skill Number One: taijutsu," Kakashi said calmly,
"You mean hand-to-hand combat?" Naruto puffed. He really was running hard.
Kakashi watched Naruto out of the corner of his eye and dug in his pouch again. Suddenly Naruto slammed on the brakes.
Uh-oh! Sensei has a weapon! he thought with alarm.
But Kakashi didn't take out a shuriken, or kunai, or even a soggy spitball. He pulled out a paperback book. Naruto squinted and read the title. It was called Make-Out Paradise.
"Wh-what's that?" Naruto asked.
"What? Never seen a book before?" Kakashi scoffed.
"But why do you have one?!"
"I have lots of free time. Besides, I'm dying to see what happens next."
"Free time?" Naruto said, looking surprised.
"Don't worry, Naruto. I can train you and read at the same time," Kakashi assured him. He dove right into the story and was soon was lost to this world.
Naruto cooled his heels for a while, but soon grew impatient.
"He's asking for it!" Naruto muttered, blood rushing to his head. He clenched his right fist and zoomed toward Kakashi, who didn't look up from his book.
And so the battle began! Naruto wildly swung his fist! Kakashi blocked his punch and kept on reading. Naruto wildly swing his foot! Kakashi ducked the kick and still kept on reading. Then Naruto got off balance and spun to the side, his back toward Kakashi.
"Shoot!" Naruto groaned as he tried to turn around. Suddenly he heard Kakashi's voice right behind him.
"You fool. A ninja never shows his back twice," Kakashi said calmly. He leaned forward and stuck both index fingers out.
" Leaf Village Secret Finger Jutsu: A Thousand Years of Death!!!" he yelled, aiming his fingers at Naruto's butt.
Naruto screamed as he flew up in the air and landed in the nearby river. As Naruto sunk to the bottom, he threw shuriken wildly in Kakashi's direction.
Miraculously, the spun in the right direction. Kakashi stuck out his index finger and caught all the shuriken . . . and kept on reading.
"Nooooo!" Naruto howled, swallowing a mouthful of muddy water. Suddenly he saw all the eyes of people from his life spinning around his head like a kaleidoscope.
He saw the hateful eyes of Mizuki. The cold eyes of the villagers. And then two other, kinder pairs of eyes. The warm eyes of Ayami and Iruka.
Naruto is actually an excellent student.
You're my best friend, Naruto.
I can't stop now! Naruto silently vowed. If something happened to him, Iruka would be devastated. There was no amount of people who could hold Ayami down.
Naruto made a sign and concentrated with all his might. I'll get that bell no matter what!
Kakashi was deep in Make-Out Paradise when Naruto crawled onto the riverbank, coughing and spitting.
"Don't forget. No bell, no lunch." Kakashi said mildly as he turned a page.
Naruto's stomach started growling again.
"I know that!" he snapped.
Kakashi sniggered and kept on reading. Suddenly Naruto got a brilliant idea. He was so hungry he could barely move, but he knew what he had to do.
No matter what.
Kakashi sensed some movement behind him and swung around to look. Naruto clones where leaping out of the river like big angry goldfish.
"I will become a ninja!" they cried in unison.
They landed around Kakashi, completely encircling him. He looked around with interest, but didn't seem the least bit shocked.
"A forbidden jutsu from the Scroll of Sealing, eh?" he chuckled. "Nice. Bet you can't keep it going for long."
Naruto grinned. Suddenly Kakashi looked surprised as a soaking-wet Naruto pounced on his back.
"Shame on you, Kakashi-sensei!" the Naruto sneered. "You said a ninja should never show his back!"
Kakashi turned to look at Naruto behind him, completely missing the Naruto that jumped in front of him.
That Naruto socked Kakashi right in the face. But right before the fist made contact, Kakashi became a Naruto too!
"No fair! You used the Transformation Jutsu!" the Narutos yelled.
They suddenly panicked and started pummeling each other. From a nearby tree, two people were watching the whole mad scene of destruction.
"That's the Replacement Jutsu, right, Airo?" Ayami questioned expertly.
"Yeah." he answered plainly.
The Replacement Jutsu is not a high-level skill, but very effective if used correctly. A ninja quickly replaces themselves with something else, human or otherwise, to fool an opponent and cause total chaos.
Needless to say, Naruto was the perfect victim.
"Can you get a fix on Kakashi-sensei?" Airo whispered.
"I can't make any promises. My Byakugan has a range of around a mile," she muttered, closing her eyes and concentrating all her chakra to her Byakugan. The little veins grew more and more distinct as she concentrated harder and harder.
Her eyes flew open as she located him. "A hundred meters and closing!" she shouted as she sharpened her Byakugan again.
Down below, Naruto happily reached for a bell that was under the same tree Ayami and Airo were perched in. Two seconds later. He was hanging from a branch by his feet!
"You idiot! Couldn't you see it was clearly a trap?!" Airo hissed at Naruto, who was swinging back and forth like a wind chime.
"He's here!" Ayami whispered and dragged Airo into the cover of the tree leaves.
"You're too trusting, Naruto," Kakashi said.
He calmly stooped down to pick up the bell before he gave Naruto a cold, hard, look.
"A ninja must see through deception. Got it?"
"I know all that!" Naruto whimpered.
"I'm telling you this because you don't get it, Naruto," Kakashi coolly replied.
Suddenly, Ayami and Airo saw the perfect opportunity. Silently, Ayami headed toward a tree, opposite to Airo and started tossing kunai in tune with Airo. All looked like they were coming from different directions, but everyone of them hit Kakashi.
Or did they?
"What the—?!" Ayami and Airo gasped.
The two rushed over to where Kakashi had been standing. In his place was a large log stuck with shuriken.
They had fallen into one of Kakashi's traps! Granted, it was more complicated than the one Naruto fell for, but the two were masters of the kekkei genkai, Byakugan! And they didn't see it coming!
No words were exchanged between the two. They took off, not even looking back and fanned out in different directions.
Sakura, who'd been hiding nearby, took her cue from Ayami and Airo and crept away. She was never great at physical stuff, but she had a real talent for grasping situations.
She quickly figured out that Kakashi had expertly baited Ayami and Airo. But no matter how hard she tried to sense their presences, she couldn't find them. Poor Sakura got so obsessed, she didn't even know she was about to become Kakashi's fourth victim.
Sakura was still looking for Ayami, Airo, and/or Sasuke when she saw Kakashi leaning against a tree, reading his book. She ducked behind a tree and held her breath, but Kakashi didn't go away.
It's okay. He didn't find me, she told herself.
"Sakura! Behind you!" someone shouted.
Sakura swung around to see Kakashi gaping at her with his one scary eyeball. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
There was no wind, but suddenly the leaves rose up and spun around her like a hurricane. Sakura stood in the eye of the storm with a blank look on her face.
Then the leaves fell to earth again. Sakura looked around for Kakashi.
No one was there.
She started creeping back through the forest. All of a sudden, someone desperately called her name.
"Sakura! Sakura!"
She stopped dead in her tracks.
"Sasuke?!" she shrieked.
She dashed in the direction of the voice and soon found him, sprawled over the root of a big tree. Shuriken and kunai were stuck in his arms, legs, everywhere.
"S-sakura. H-help me," Sasuke choked, gasping for breath.
Sakura's piercing scream echoed through the forest. She started sweating and crying and foaming at the mouth, all at the same time I mind you. It wasn't a pretty sight.
"Uh-oh. Guess I overdid it a little," Kakashi murmured.
Luckily I still have two bells left,
Meanwhile, Sakura's scream dimly echoed in Ayami's ears. In her bloody hand clutched a slightly scratched bell. She couldn't remember exactly how she got it, but she was sure Airo got a bell. She vividly remembered seeing only three bells.
"Ayami!?" someone shouted in the distance.
Too weak to lift her head, she lazily opened an eyelid. Airo burst through the clearing, gaping at the sight of his bloody, sweaty, battered and bruised sister.
"You get a bell?" she asked mildly, opening her bloody palm.
"Yeah, but Kakashi-sensei really did a number on me and you," Airo said mildly. He was as just as battered and bruised as Ayami.
She chuckled, and spat out a bit of blood. "Don't make me laugh, it hurts to laugh," she moaned.
Airo stooped down and helped his sister to her feet. "C'mon, Ayami," Airo began to walk, supporting his sister. "We have bells; let's go hang out at the posts,"
Meanwhile, as Sasuke, who at the moment was a bit, over his head, Naruto noticed four bento boxes and four sets of chopsticks atop a square monument nearby.
Naruto pulled out a kunai and wriggled and squirmed until he finally cut the rope around his ankles. He fell to the ground with a plop, scrambled to his feet, and headed to the food.
He tiptoed around the stone, looking for traps. Everything seemed okay, so he grabbed a bento box and sat down.
"Who cares if I don't get a bell?" Naruto sniggered. "I still get lunch!"
He split apart some chopsticks and plucked up a juicy morsel of ish. But as soon as he put it in his mouth, he felt a very familiar presence.
"Hello, Naruto," Kakashi said.
"Th-this is a joke, sensei! Honest!' Naruto sputtered.
"Too late, you fool."
Then the alarm rang.
A/N: Konichiwa! Sorry I took so long getting this chapter up, but I hope you like it! JA-NE!!
Next Chapter: Food For Thought
