A/N: I'm ALIVE!...I'm really sorry I took this long to update though. I was really busy for quite some time and I kinda lost my muse for quite a long while too. Damn Headstart programs... I also regret to inform everyone that I may not be updating very often, as I have school and work to juggle around with. I'm not gonna give up on this story, but just don't expect frequent updates. Anyways, thanks for the responses. I really appreciate it. Reviews are a fanfiction author's lifeblood y'know? So keep me and this story alive by continuing to give reviews. Thanks a lot!
Now, on to some other things. This chapter focuses mainly on the bell test and before that, a bit about the time in between. I'm going to try my best to start advancing the plot faster than before, so look forward to it people! Oh, and I may change this fanfiction's rating to M eventually due to swearing and...other things. I don't think I'll be writing any lemons though. Other than that, I don't have much to say.
And as a side note, I wish y'all a (early) Merry Christmas! And if you don't celebrate it, then enjoy what little holidays you have left!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other concepts/song/whatever that may appear in this fanfiction. They all belong to their respective owners.
EDIT(9/26/2015): Skill names changed to better suit source material. Minor corrections.
Normal talking: "I will never give up!"
Jutsus: "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! (Shadow Clone Jutsu!)"
Thinking/Dreams/Flashbacks: "Who am I?"
Bijuu/Summons: "Who dares to summon me?!"
Chapter 10: Team Seven!
He reached his arms out as he limped pathetically on the damaged ground. His body was wracked with pain and he felt as if he was on fire. His aching muscle protested against his movements, but he didn't care. He had to reach her, he had to-
His thoughts were cut short when a fireball obliterated his friend, leaving not a trace of the girl who used to occupy the now scorched space. He dropped on his knees in despair as tears started to leak out. He screamed out in not only in anguish, but also in anger. Anger at the ones who killed his friend. And anger at himself, who was unable to save her.
He turned his head and saw the nuke-nin who launched the fireball standing a distance away from him, smirking arrogantly. Rage swelled within him like a volcano, threatening to erupt. His blood boiled even further when he saw more nuke-nin approach, all having similar expressions as the first rouge.
"You...You did this! This is all your fault! You killed her! I-I WON'T FORGIVE YOU!" The nuke-nins just laughed at him. After all, what could one seven-year old child do to them? However, this only served to anger him further. His body started to heat up as a surge of rage pulsed forth from within him. He felt his body get hotter and hotter, while the nuke-nins were oblivious to this change.
And then, the fire raging in him exploded. A single word pealed in his mind. He screamed, and the land burned in the face of his fury.
"▄▅▄▅▂▂▃▃▄▄▅"
"OW!" Naruto shouted as he rubbed his head. He then glared at his teacher/friend. "You didn't have to punch THAT hard y'know..."
"Baka! You're supposed to be meditating, not sleeping! How do you expect to be able to use this if you fall asleep every time?!"
"I know that! It's just...Sitting around doing nothing but meditating is boring...Can't you teach me something cooler?" Naruto complained. After the incident with Mizuki and his subsequent gain of his genin rank, Salamander decided to reward him with a new technique. It was also a form of apology from her as she felt slightly sorry for not helping him the day before.
Needless to say, Naruto was excited when he learnt that he would be learning a new technique. That excitement died a quick, horrible, gory death when Salamander told him to sit down and meditate. She told him that if he lost focus, she would hit him. Hard. And she wasn't kidding too! Every time Naruto got distracted by something like a fly landing on his nose or a stray leaf tickling him, Salamander would immediately lash out with a quick swipe or slap.
"Shut up! This is a very useful technique, you're just too thick-headed to learn it as quickly as your other techniques! Now hurry up and get back to your meditation!" Salamander retorted, smacking Naruto on his head.
Grumbling, Naruto did as she instructed.
(Meanwhile...)
"Is that so? So...The Jinchūriki learnt a technique from the Scroll of Sealing." Shimura Danzo said contemplatively.
"Hai, Danzo-sama. Your orders, sir?" A Root ANBU member inquired, his tone emotionless.
"Continue to observe the boy. If his abilities continue to show even more potential, then..." Danzo trailed off, considering the possibilities that the blond boy could have. He would've already had the boy in his ranks if it wasn't for that damnable Hiruzen! He could have made the boy into a fine weapon but that old monkey had to step in and forbid him from recruiting the Jinchūriki into his ranks.
"No matter..." He thought to himself. "If all goes well, Uzumaki Naruto will be in Root soon enough..."
(The next day...)
Naruto sat across Sarutobi as the old Hokage looked through his Ninja Registration Form. He then put the slip of paper down, smiling in approval.
"I must admit Naruto, I'm surprised you didn't try to take a bizarre picture for your form."
"Eheheh. I just kinda thought that I should be a bit more mature after all that has happened. I'm a genin now after all!" Naruto said, proudly adjusting the hitai-ate wrapped around his forehead.
"Indeed." Sarutobi replied, nodding in approval. "It seems that he really is starting to mature..."
"Weeeell, there's also the fact that I misplaced the make-up and props I wanted to use. So, yeah, I had to settle for a normal one." Naruto admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.
If he were standing, Sarutobi would have face-faulted. Instead, he settled for a deep sigh.
"I take back what I said, he hasn't changed one bit..." The old monkey muttered.
"FIGHT ME,YOU OLD GEEZER!" A young voice shouted out as the door slid open. A young boy with brown hair then charged at Sarutobi, a shuriken in his hand. He then tripped on his absurdly long scarf, falling forward onto the ground.
"Seriously?! Even I'm not dumb enough to charge at Jiji while shouting! Just who is this kid anyway?!" Naruto thought incredulously, right eye twitching.
"Ow..." The boy muttered as he picked himself up. He then looked around for someone to blame for his mess-up. Unfortunately for Naruto, the younger boy's eyes landed on him.
"It's your fault! You tripped me!" The boy claimed, pointing accusingly at Naruto.
"Wha-? What are you talking about? I didn't do anything to you!" Naruto defended. "And besides, I'm sitting all the way over here! I couldn't possibility be able to trip you from here!"
"T-that's...I-I don't care!" The boy said, stumbling when he realized his folly. "A-A trap! That's it, you must have set a trap!"
"Shut up! Just admit it, it's your own fault you tripped!" Naruto retorted, grabbing the younger boy by his scarf.
"Let go of Omago-sama(Honorable Grandson) at once!" A man cried out, making his presence known. He was dressed in a standard Konoha shinobi outfit with hair covered by a hitai-ate worn in the form of a bandanna. His eyes were covered with a pair of sunglasses.
"Omago-sama? You mean this squirt?" Naruto nonchalantly asked, ignoring the indignant shout of "Hey, I'm not a squirt!" from the boy who was in his hand.
"S-squirt?!" How dare you address Omago-sama like that!"
"Huh? What's so great about this kid anyway?"
"Hmph. Allow me to educate you! Omago-sama is the grandson of Sandaime Hokage-sama, Sarutobi Konohamaru!" The man stated proudly.
"..." Naruto stayed silent.
"..." Sarutobi stayed silent.
"..." The bandanna-wearing man stayed silent.
"And I should care because...?" Naruto asked, deadpanning. His question caused everyone else but the boy in his grasp to face-fault in disbelief.
"So, he's Jiji's grandson, big deal! I'm not going to suddenly bow down to him and plead for his forgiveness. He hasn't done anything to warrant such respect from me." Naruto said, finally letting the Konohamaru go.
"T-this guy...He...!"
"Anyways, I'm going to go and train. Seeya, Jiji!" Naruto then walked off, ignoring the incredulous looks he got from the rest of the room's occupants.
(I'm not going to write out the rest of this day so...Basically what happened afterwards is what happened in the anime/manga. So, um, yeah.)
(A couple of days later...)
Satsuki stared out the window next to her as she idly played with a lock of her hair. She was currently waiting for Iruka to arrive in the classroom to announce the team arrangements. She honestly didn't really care about who her teammates were, so long as they wouldn't impede her progress towards defeating that man.
She glanced around the classroom in an attempt to entertain herself. Her potential teammates were chatting excitedly to each other, unaware of Satsuki's scrutiny. But most of them didn't really concern her. Her eyes flicked over to Shikamaru, who was sleeping on his desk as usual. Next to him were Ino and Chouji, the two talking about something.
She then looked to the far top-left corner of the room, where Hinata sat. For some reason, she had a worried look on her face.
"I wonder what she could be so worried about..." Satsuki thought. She didn't really know what to think of the lavender-eyed Hyuuga. On one hand, her status as a Main-Branch Hyuuga would mean that her Taijutsu would at least be decent, making her a potentially valuable ally. Not to mention the fact that she had access to the Byakugan.
However, her timidity was slightly crippling to her performance. In places where it was possible for the bluenette to succeed, her low self-esteem would drag her down and cause her to mess up. To be honest, it made Satsuki worry.
"Wait, worry? Why am I so concerned about her?" But before she could continue her train of thought, the door suddenly slammed open. To her surprise, a certain blond boy proudly strutted down the steps.
"Huh? Oi dobe, this meeting is only for those who graduated!" A random genin called out.
"Are you blind? How can you not see my hitai-ate?" Naruto mockingly asked. He then made his way to the seat to the right of Satsuki.
"Ohayo, Satsuki-chan!" He jubilantly greeted.
"Uzumaki Naruto, huh?" A man said in a tone which was somehow bored yet intrigued at the same time.
"Hmm? You seem unusually interested Kakashi. Did something catch your eye?"
"Who knows?" The silver-haired man vaguely answered back, continuing to observe the blond boy. "Sensei...Soon, I'll see if your son will be able to live up to your legacy..."
Meanwhile, Sarutobi laced his fingers together as he stared contemplatively at the image projected within the crystal ball.
"I wonder if placing them into the same team will turn out to be a good decision..."
"Starting from today, you all are official ninjas. However, all of you are still fresh genin. It's only going to get harder from here. You all will be placed into teams of three, where you will accomplish missions under a Jōnin-sensei."
At that, the classroom sparked with excitement and chatter. From what he could gather from most of their conversations, Naruto observed that most of them wanted to know who was going to be in Satsuki's team.
Personally for Naruto, he didn't really care who was going to be in his team, so long as he was able to get along and work well together with them.
*A-HEM!* Iruka cleared his throat in an over-the-top manner, gathering everyone's attention again.
"Anyway, we've arranged the teams such that overall abilities are well-balanced and equivalent. Furthermore, we've taken into consideration on the compatibility of each teammate as you will all have to work well together and cooperate in order to complete missions. With that said, I will now announce the teams!"
(After a while...)
"-Next, Team 7. Uzumaki Naruto." Iruka said, causing the blond to perk up.
"This is it...I hope I get a good team!"
"Uchiha Satsuki." He said. Naruto's eyes widened and he turned to look at the raven-haired girl, who seemed to be equally as surprised and for some reason, slightly pleased.
"And Hyuuga Hinata." The response was immediate. Shouts of disbelief and wails of despair at not being in the Uchiha's team rang across the room, while others just calmly waited for Iruka to move on.
*THUNK* And Hinata's response was to faint.
(An hour later...)
Naruto grumbled to himself as he sat in one of the class's chairs. While he had no qualms about his teammates, he was very, very, annoyed.
Why? Because all the other teams have been picked up by their respective teachers, yet his has yet to show up. The awkward silence permeating the room only exacerbated the situation.
"A-ano..." He heard someone say from behind him.
"Hmm?" He grunted as he turned around to see one of his new teammates.
"W-w-we'll be t-teammates f-from now on, s-so I...um...j-just w-wanted to...um..." Hinata stuttered out, pushing her index fingers against each other cutely.
"I-I hope we'll be able to work together!" She blurted out, bowing with her face red.
"Ah. I hope we'll be able to work together too." Naruto replied, returning her bow with one of his own.
"You too, Satsuki! I hope we'll be able to work together well!" He grinned, turning to Satsuki. Surprised at suddenly being addressed, all Satsuki could do was nod.
"Hmm...It seems that sensei isn't going to come anytime soon...You two wanna get some lunch with me?" Naruto asked.
"E-eh? B-but s-s-sensei m-might be mad if w-we aren't here w-when he c-comes..." Hinata weakly protested.
"True...I guess we'll just have to come back before then huh?"
"E-eh?! Y-you're still g-going to?"
"Yup. C'mon, we need to hurry if we want to have lunch before sensei comes!" Naruto said, grabbing Hinata's hand which caused her to blush (again). He then turned towards Satsuki. "You come too, Satsuki!"
"Eh? Me?" She asked.
"No, I was asking the other raven-haired girl called Satsuki." Naruto deadpanned. He then grabbed her hand as well and began dragging the two towards the direction of a certain restaurant.
"Wha-H-hey I-" Satsuki started.
"Yeah, yeah. C'mon, you're part of this team too. The three of us need to stick together!"
(A while later...)
"Yo, Teuchi-Jiji! I've brought some friends over!" Naruto jubilantly announced.
"Oh, Naruto! Long time no see!" Teuchi replied. His eyes then briefly widened when he saw Hinata.
"Naruto, first the Uchiha heiress, and now the Hyuuga heiress? You sure are aiming high aren't you?" Teuchi joked.
"Eh? What do you mean? Anyway, from now on, the three of us are a team so I brought them over to have some lunch!"
"Team? I see..." Teuchi said, turning away. "Oi, Ayame! Naruto's here and he brought some friends!"
(Meanwhile...)
Kakashi watched his new team from afar as they consumed their noodles. Seeing them joke and bond like they were currently doing, it gave Kakashi a small glimmer of hope.
"Maybe this team will be the one who'll understand the lessons you have taught me, huh sensei?" He mused. There were many aspiring genin teams that he had tested, but none of them had passed his test. They all failed to realize the importance of teamwork, instead trying to get the bells solo. But maybe this team might be able to understand the lesson. Maybe.
"Well, I guess I better start..." He thought as he approached the three genin.
"Sheesh, you all are really making my life tough you know..."
"Eh? Who are you?" Naruto questioned, intrigued by the sudden approach of the silver-haired man.
"Now, now, that's no one to greet someone is it? Especially when that someone is supposed to be your sensei."
"Ah, I see. Sorry about that..." Naruto sheepishly replied, turning back to his ramen as his brain processed what Kakashi just said.
"EHHHHHH?!" Naruto, and surprisingly Satsuki and Hinata too, shouted in disbelief when they realized what Kakashi had said.
(Thirty minutes later...)
Naruto, Satsuki, Hinata and Kakashi were now assembled at the Third Training Ground. It was a place with lush greenery and a quiet, sparkling lake. There was a view of mountains in the landscape and a large and deep river with forests in both of its sides. They were currently standing in a glade with three stumps in the center.
"Now then, let's begin with introductions shall we?" Kakashi started. "Things like your name, likes, dislikes, hobbies and dreams for the future. Blondie, you go first."
Slightly annoyed at being referred to as "Blondie" Naruto grumbled under his breath. He then sighed and started his introduction.
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like ramen, cooking and training. I dislike...Well, I don't really dislike much other than waiting for my ramen to cook. Oh, and people who judge others for things outside of their control. I guess my hobby would be training. And my dream is to become the greatest Hokage the world has ever seen!' He proudly proclaimed.
"Hmm...He sure grew up interestingly..."
"Alright, you next." Kakashi said, pointing at Hinata.
"H-hai. I-I'm Hyuuga H-Hinata. I l-like eating c-c-cinnamon r-rolls. I d-dislike p-people w-who abuse t-their power. M-my hobby is p-pressing f-flowers. M-my dream is t-to change t-the ways of m-my clan." She stuttered out.
"Hmm...Awfully shy for a Hyuuga. And that stutter kinda shows that she has a self-esteem problem. Might need to work on that."
"Alright. Your turn." Kakashi said, gesturing to Satsuki.
"My name is Uchiha Satsuki. I like tomatoes and training. I dislike people who run their mouths off and being weak. My hobby is training and taking walks. My dream-No, my ambition is to revive my clan...and find a certain man so that I can get some answers."
"Get some answers? I expected her to be an avenger. Could it be that befriending him was enough to influence her?"
"I suppose it's my turn then. I'm Hatake Kakashi. I have no interest in telling you my likes and dislikes. My hobby is reading. As for my dream..." He trailed off. "Not telling you."
"In the end, all we learnt was his name..." Naruto thought as he irately at Kakashi. From the look on Satsuki's face, she was thinking the same thing. Even Hinata had a slightly disappointed look on hers.
"Alright, the three of you all have unique personalities. I like that. We're going to begin a mission starting tomorrow."
"Really?! What kind of mission will it be?" Naruto excitedly asked.
"First, we'll be doing something that we four can do."
"Which is...?"
"Survival Training."
"S-survival Training?" Naruto parroted.
"Why are we going to train when it's a mission?" Satsuki asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Because this is no ordinary training!"
"N-no o-ordinary t-training? T-then, what k-kind of t-training is it?"
"Hmhmhmhmhm." Kakashi chuckled.
"Eh? What's so funny sensei?"
"Oh it's just, if I tell you, the three of you are going to be surprised."
"Eh? What do you mean by that?"
"You see, out of twenty-seven graduates, only nine are going to become genin. The other eighteen will be sent back to the Academy. In other words, this training is going to be a very hard test with a 66% drop-out rate."
Naruto's mouth widened in shock, Satsuki's eyes narrowed, while Hinata gasped.
"See? You guys are surprised aren't you?!"
"N-no way! After all that trouble I went through-Then what was that final exam for?" Naruto asked in disbelief.
"Oh that? That just picks out those who are qualified to become genin."
"You've got to be kidding me!"
"I'm not. Anyway, I'm going to determine whether you pass or fail tomorrow at this training ground. Bring any equipment you think you may need and meet here at 5 A.M tomorrow!"
"I'm not going to be dropped off by something like this, not after what I've been through!" Naruto thought determinedly to himself.
"If I fail this test, Otou-sama will surely punish me. Not to mention the elders..."
"Hn. Something like this won't keep me who my goal."
"Now then, you are all dismissed." Kakashi said as he turned to leave. "Oh yeah, and don't eat breakfast. You'll throw up if you do."
(Later that night...)
Naruto laid down on his bed, relaxing his muscles after a long session of training. Salamander took a seat in a chair next to his bed.
"So you're going to have another test huh?"She asked.
"Yeah. I wonder what's it going to be like though..."
"I wouldn't know. Anyway, you should rest. You need to wake up early tomorrow after all." And with that, she left the room.
"I know. Oyasumi, Salamander." Naruto said, yawning loudly before closing his eyes. However, he could not help but notice that Salamander was acting slightly different than usual.
(Meanwhile...)
Salamander was lost in thought as she sat down on one of the kitchen chairs. She was slightly worried and curious about Naruto's future.
"At the rate he's progressing, he will undoubtedly become a force to reckon with on the battlefield. But with the threat of those people looming about, I wonder if he'll be able to reach that point..." She mused. Ever since Naruto was attacked a few years ago, she had been a bit more cautious. With an unknown organization like the one Budou had hailed from, there was no knowing what their motives were.
"I guess I can only hope that that man would be able to protect Naruto." The man did seem to have seen many battles, and the look in the silver-haired man's eyes...It showed the amount of experience Naruto's new sensei had. She should know. She had met him earlier after all.
(Earlier that day...)
"So this is Naruto's apartment..."
"Satsuki, the one from the Uchiha clan, will also be in your team. I wish you luck."
"So you're the one that's going to teach my student huh?"
"Who's there?" Kakashi and Sarutobi both asked in shock.
"I'm over here." The two men looked over and to their surprise, they saw a young, dark skinned girl with red hair standing near the doorway.
"Who are you?" Kakashi asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Me? I'm...I guess you could call me his mentor."
"Mentor?" Kakashi asked in curiosity, while Sarutobi's eyes widened in realization.
"Those sword techniques Naruto displayed while fighting Mizuki...You taught him those didn't you?"
"Exactly."
"I see...I believe we have much to discuss then."
(The next day...)
"YOU'RE LATE!" Naruto angrily shouted, pointing accusingly at Kakashi.
"Sorry, you see, a black cat crossed my path so I-"
"Shut up, liar! Let's just get this over with!"
"R-right. Let's move on." Kakashi said, moving towards one of the three stumps in the glade and placing a clock on it.
"This clock is set to noon. Today's objective is to get one of these bells from me. Whoever can't will not eat lunch."
"E-eh?!"
"I'll tie the losers to one of those stumps and eat lunch in front of you."
"A-ano...Kakashi-sensei, w-why a-a-are there o-only t-two b-bells?"
"Since there are only two bells, at least one of you will be tied to a log." Kakashi stated, a sly look appearing in his eye. "Furthermore, the person will fail as he or she failed to complete the mission. That person will go back to the Academy. It might be one of you, or it might be all three of you. Who knows?"
"Only two bells huh? I have to get one of them...But I don't really want Hinata-chan or Satsuki-chan to be sent back to the Academy." Naruto mused. "What should I do?"
"You can all use your kunai, shuriken, and any other tools at your disposal. You won't be able to get these bells if you don't come at me with the intent to kill after all. Now then, let's begin. Ready, start!"
Immediately the three disappeared from sight, hiding in their separate locations.
"Hmm...Not bad, even Naruto had the sense to hide first. I guess I'll have to wait, huh?"
(A few minutes later...)
Kakashi calmly walked around the forested part of the training ground, giggling perversely to himself. Suddenly, he heard the sound of something moving through the air towards him. He swiftly leaped up, dodging the kunais that embedded themselves on the ground where he once stood.
"Too bad huh?" He nonchalantly said as he turned to the next page of his book.
"Raitei Suiryoku (Thunder Thrust)!" Kakashi heard someone shout. He rolled to his left, dodging the wooden blade.
"Oh? It seems that your little plan has failed." Kakashi taunted. His only reply was a slash, which he dodged. Naruto continued on with his onslaught of slashes, stabs and kicks, but Kakashi dodged most of them blocking those which he couldn't.
"Not bad for a fresh genin. Guess I'll have to take him a bit more seriously."
Kicking it up a notch, Kakashi went on the offensive, jabbing at Naruto's midsection. Caught off guard by the sudden shift in pattern, and due to Kakashi's speed, Naruto stumbled backwards.
"Hmm...You're quicker than I expected. More skilled too. However...You're still way too unskilled to beat me. Guess I should expect too much from a dead-last huh?" Kakashi sneered. "This should set him off..."
Naruto's eyes widened, then narrowed. He tightened his grip on his bokken and prepared to attack. Rushing forward, Naruto lunged at the silver-haired Jounin.
"Maken Kubikari (Demon Decapitation)!" Naruto shouted, aiming for Kakashi's neck.
"So this is one of his sword skills, huh?" Kakashi thought, observing Naruto's form. That girl in Naruto's home had supposedly taught him an unrecorded and unique style of swordsmanship, which made Kakashi slightly suspicious at first.
"Especially when the style has such an ominous name..."
Kakashi ducked underneath the decapitating technique, then did a leg sweep. Naruto, managing to dodge by a hair's breadth, leapt over the attack and into some trees. Naruto threw five kunai at the silver-haired cyclops, all of which were easily dodged.
"Looks like you still can't b-" "Tenmazugaizan (Demon Skull Beheading)!" Naruto shouted, cutting Kakashi off. The attack landed with a loud smack, and the Jounin collapsed on to the ground. And turned into a log.
"Y'know, you really shouldn't let your enemy get behind you..."
Naruto's eyes widened in shock and he looked behind him to see Kakashi squatting behind him...With his fingers forming a Tiger seal. From the sidelines, Hinata gasped and Satsuki's eyes narrowed.
"That's a seal for Katon jutsus! Naruto-kun's in danger!" Hinata thought in worry. Just as she about to warn Naruto, a few shuriken shot past her and streaked towards Kakashi.
Eyes widening, Kakashi swiftly leaped backwards, the shuriken embedding themselves uselessly on the ground. Kakashi, Naruto and Hinata turned and saw Satsuki charging forward. She lashed out with a kick at Kakashi's shin, which he easily dodged. She then tried to launch a punch at his solar plexus, but the sliver-haired man swiftly grabbed her arm before she could react.
"My, my, aren't you feisty?" Kakashi asked mockingly. "I suppose I could start lesson one, Taijutsu, wouldn't you say?"
Kakashi then pulled Satsuki towards him and kneed her in the gut. Or he would have, had he not have to dodge a wooden blade. Letting go of the Uchiha heiress, Kakashi leaped backwards, Satsuki falling forwards to the ground.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" In a burst of smoke, twelve orange-wearing clones appeared, bokkens readied. Kakashi's eyes narrowed, assessing his situation.
"The Kage Bunshin no Jutsu? This must the Kinjutsu he used to beat Mizuki, huh? From what I see, he's surprisingly proficient with it."
Meanwhile, with Kakashi distracted, Naruto offered a hand to Satsuki. "You alright?" He asked. Eyes widening, Satsuki stared at Naruto for awhile, slapping away his hand.
"I-I don't need your help!" She claimed, blushing slightly in embarrassment. Picking herself up, Satsuki saw Kakashi finishing off the last clone, ignoring Naruto's disappointed stare.
Seeing this, Kakashi frowned. "Looks like she might be a tough one to crack..."
"If you're done having your lover's spat, shall we continue?" Kakashi nonchalantly asked, smirking slightly when the two Genins' faces broke out into a mild blush.
"HE'S/SHE'S NOT MY LOVER!" They both exclaimed in sync, desperately hiding their blushes from each another. Noticing that they shouted at the same time, Naruto and Satsuki narrowed their eyes and glared at each other.
"Stop copying me!" They both shouted at the same time.
"I said stop!" They both exclaimed in sync once again. Both getting irritated, Naruto and Satsuki gritted their teeth and growled at each other, garnering sweatdrops from both Kakashi and Hinata.
"Those two are really in sync with one another...Even if they don't realize it." Kakashi thought as he viewed the slightly comedic scene before him.
"Well whatever, I don't need your help, so you stand stay here and watch me take the bells!" Satsuki proudly proclaimed.
"Haaaa? I'm sorry, but I'm gonna be the one who takes the bells!" Naruto shot back.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"Actually, neither of you are going to get even a single bell if you both keep arguing like that. But, feel free to continue. It makes my job a lot easier that way." Kakashi quipped, interrupting the childish argument before it could escalate.
"And besides, the two of you really need to be more attentive..."
"Eh?" The two genin said, before turning around and seeing another Kakashi behind them.
"When did he-?!" Naruto thought, before he tried to punch the Kakashi behind him. His attempt failed, however, as the second Kakashi swiftly grabbed both his and Satsuki's wrists and twisted their arms behind them.
"Now then, how will the last one react?" Kakashi thought, glancing at Hinata's hiding spot. Suddenly, a few kunai shot out from the bushes. They embedded themselves within the second Kakashi's back, making it disappear in a small puff of smoke.
Hinata ran forward, concern for her two teammates clear in her lavender-tinted eyes.
"A-are the two of y-you alright?" She asked worriedly.
"Nice save, Hinata!" Naruto praised, grinning at the bluenette.
"A-Arigato..." Satsuki stuttered out, her bruised pride refusing to let her say anymore.
"Hmmm. It seems that the Hyuuga might be the one who will help keep those two in order..." Kakashi thought, observing the now-complete team of Genins.
"Well, that's nice and all, but you all do realize that you're running out of time right?" Kakashi reminded the trio. Remembering their situation, the three turned back to the sliver-haired man.
"Do the two of you have any plans?" Naruto asked, glancing at the two girls. It was becoming extremely apparent to him that he would not be able to beat the Jounin alone.
"A-Ano... P-Perhaps we c-could r-retreat to p-plan our n-next move? K-Kakashi-sensei is a Jōnin a-after all. I-It might b-be e-easier if w-we collaborated with one a-another and c-come up with a plan of action." Hinata shyly suggested, timidly raising her hand as if she was in a classroom.
"If that's the case, then..." Naruto trailed off, before putting his fingers in a familiar seal.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" He shouted. Five clones then shot off towards Kakashi, which Kakashi easily disposed of. Kakashi then raised an eyebrow when he saw that the three were still standing there.
"Oh? Now, then which one of you are next?" He asked, but then he noticed something peculiar. Satsuki and Hinata were acting slightly off. Mainly because they were in the exactly same stance as Naruto, instead of their own respective ones. Eyes narrowing in suspicion, Kakashi decided to test something.
"Hey you three, do you what I hate the most?" Kakashi asked. Shaking their heads, the three tilted their heads in confusion. Leaning in, Kakashi did an eye-smile.
"I hate ramen." With that simple comment the three flew into a rage, screaming and shouting against the "blasphemy against the food of the gods".
"Knew it."
(Meanwhile...)
"Yosh, this should be far enough." Naruto said, letting go of the two girls.
"Now then, what's the pla-" Naruto stopped, noticing Hinata's crimson red face. "Erm...Hinata? You alright?" He asked.
Not trusting herself to speak, Hinata just nodded. "N-Naruto-kun g-grabbed my hand!" She thought.
Tilting his head in confusion, Naruto then shrugged it off and turned towards Satsuki.
"Do you have any idea what to do next?" He asked.
"Those clones of yours... They're solid right?" Satsuki asked, to which Naruto nodded.
"How many can you make?"
"Erm...A lot. I haven't tested out my limit yet, but the most I've made so far was a couple of hundred I think..."
"In that case, I may have a plan then..." She then said, smirking.
(One diabolical planning later...)
Kakashi lazily flipped a page of his book as he waited for his would-be students to come to him. By his estimation, they only had about half an hour before noon. A sudden rustle from among the bushes made Kakashi glance towards them. Naruto came rushing out, bokken at the ready.
"Hmm? After all that talk of planning, he came out alone? Something's up here..."
Kakashi swiftly dodged a few slash before throwing a few kunais at the blond boy. Naruto easily dodged the projectiles, but was met with a kick to the gut. "Naruto" then disappeared in a puff of smoke, revealing it to be a Kage Bunshin. Sensing an attack from behind, Kakashi rolled to the left and turned around with a kick, which met with the wood of Naruto's bokken with a resounding smack. A flurry of kunai and shuriken then came streaming down from above, forcing Kakashi to jump back.
Kakashi turned his head to look in the direction where the weapons came from to see multiple clones of Naruto, Satsuki and Hinata swarming in from among the foliage.
"So that's their big plan? Swarming?" Kakashi though, slightly disappointed by the simplistic plan. "Still, there are too many of them for me to see which ones are the real ones..."
Dodging a flurry of strikes and slashes from a group of clones, Kakashi did a leg sweep which caused the clones to fall down and dispel. He then blocked a punch from a Satsuki clone with his palm and pulled her towards him, before releasing her and stepping away, letting her collide with a group of clones.
"Raitei Suiryoku!" Two Naruto clones shouted, charging towards the silver-haired Jounin. Kakashi leapt up, causing the two to hit each other and thus dispel.
"Tenmazugaizan!" Yelled a Naruto clone, leaping down from a branch. Reacting quickly, Kakashi replaced himself with a random clone before dashing away towards the tree line.
However, when he saw the clones smirk, he immediately grew suspicious and craned his head back to see two trees burst into smoke to reveal Satsuki and Hinata. The two made a lunge towards the bells on Kakashi's belt. Eyes widening in surprise, Kakashi tried to leap away from the girls. However, he was suddenly grabbed by multiple clones, thus making him unable to escape.
"Satsuki, Hinata now-"
"BRRRIIINNNGGGG!"
Just as Satsuki and Hinata's hands brushed against the bells, the clock's alarm rang, causing everyone to widen their eyes in shock.
"Kuso! We couldn't make it?!" Naruto shouted in frustration. Hinata looked down in disappointment and shame while Satsuki clicked her tongue. Sighing in defeat, Naruto brought his hands together to dispel his clones, causing Kakashi to widen his eyes.
"With that many Kage Bunshin out, he-" "Naruto, wait!" Kakashi shouted. Sadly, he was too late, as all the clones disappeared with one collective burst of smoke.
"Ah!" Naruto shouted in pain as the memory backlash set in, causing him to hold in head in pain.
"Dobe/Naruto-kun, what's wrong?!" Satsuki and Hinata both asked in unison, surprised at Naruto's sudden shout. Naruto collapsed on the ground, the last thing he saw was the image of Satsuki and Hinata looking down on him with concern before his world faded away.
A/N:...Right. Welp, that's the end of the chapter. Liked it? Hated it? Want to kill me cause I took so long? Leave a review to let me know. I'm gonna try my best to push out Chapter 11, hopefully before I get too busy with school. I'm should be jumping right into the Wave Arc next chapter, so look forward to that. Again, please leave a review to let me know your opinions. Until next time!
