Chapter 10

It was strange for Kakashi to finish with a mission and then walk home with his teammates. It was strange picturing the two boys as teammates in the first place.

'They won't be my teammates if they don't pass the test—no matter what Iruka thinks about it,' Kakashi concluded in his head, already dreading either outcome. Either he would have a very angry parent to deal with (who also happened to be his lover) or he'd be stuck with a glorified babysitting job for the next year or so.

Half-listening to Sasuke and Naruto bicker about something inconsequential as they walked, Kakashi mentally vowed to push the two towards the Chuunin exam as hard as he could. After A.N.B.U., shaping the minds of children seemed like a poor career choice. The less time they spent under his mentoring, the better it would be for them.

But there was nothing he could do about it now. A part of him almost hoped the boys would fail his test, but then he remembered the boring litany of simple missions he'd been handed after retiring from Captain and he was in no hurry to return to that. Yet another part of him thought of Sasuke and Naruto as his responsibility, like his family, and he wanted them to succeed as shinobi. There were too many personal feelings tangled up with professional ones, and Kakashi was beginning to understand why the previous Hokage had always assigned Genin to Jounin they did not know.

Tsunade, obviously, was going to run things differently.

Iruka was speaking with Tsubaki in the garden as they approached the house, but it smelled as if they'd already finished dinner. Naruto ran to inspect the contents of the kitchen while Sasuke waited for him to catch up and walked with him to the garden.

Kakashi assumed Iruka and Tsubaki had been talking about her illness because the way they stopped talking so quickly made it obvious they were secretive about the topic. Sasuke noticed, and Kakashi smoothly covered their slip-up.

"Planning my birthday surprise already?" Kakashi asked. Catching on, the two of them smiled and Sasuke's suspicious glare morphed into a look of mild annoyance.

"Why would we do anything special for you on your birthday? You have to be good to get special birthdays," Iruka teased, passing Hotaru back to her mother and coming to greet him. Kakashi happily hugged Iruka and kept him close, enjoying the comfortable embrace. Iruka settled into the hug and glanced up at him questioningly.

"I had a terrible afternoon. The brats were awful," Kakashi complained childishly. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"You could at least wait till I leave before you start talking about me," Sasuke rebuked, not really sounding offended. Kakashi smirked at him.

"Then leave so I can complain about you and Naruto in peace," Kakashi teased. Smiling at their banter, Iruka gave Kakashi a loving little squeeze and then wormed his way out of his boyfriend's hold.

"Complaining will have to wait. We have a lot of work to do in the garden. I want to get some of it done before dinner. Will you help out?" he asked, walking backwards, just out of Kakashi's reach, and grinning as Kakashi followed after him.

"What do I get in return?" Kakashi asked, feeling unusually playful. Sasuke was watching them intently, although he was faking disinterest. Iruka smiled and pretended to think about it.

"How about dinner?"

"I could make my own dinner at home—no dirty gardening involved."

"How about the satisfaction that comes from helping a friend?" Tsubaki suggested sarcastically. Kakashi smirked at her.

"That wouldn't do me any good at all," he replied. His gaze returned to Iruka, who was still just out of his reach. Soon the garden would stop his retreat. Iruka flashed him a sexy little smirk.

"I'm sure I could think of something to make it worth your time. How about a kiss?"

"Just one?" Kakashi replied, happy that Iruka seemed to be in an equally playful mood. Sasuke had begun to smile slightly at their antics, and a light blush covered Tsubaki's cheeks. Naruto came outside, grumbling that dinner wasn't ready yet, oblivious to the flirting going on. Sasuke's eyes narrowed at him in an almost predatory way.

"Naruto…what would it take to get you to work in the garden before dinner?" Tsubaki shook her head at the pair of couples.

"Doesn't anybody just want to be nice and help me? Why does everyone have to be bribed?" By the tone of her voice, they could all tell she was just joking with them. Hotaru grinned at her, responding to her mother's smile.

"We have to fix the garden before we eat?" Naruto asked, clearly heartbroken by the thought. Sasuke smirked at him.

"Don't look so sad. Iruka's giving out kisses to anyone who will help," Sasuke informed. Naruto's expression turned mischievous and Iruka's eyes widened in alarm. Naruto shot towards him like a rocket, and Kakashi was confused about just what exactly was taking place until Naruto was blowing a huge raspberry onto Iruka's cheek, tickling his father's sides mercilessly as he did so. Iruka had fallen to the ground under the assault and was trying unsuccessfully to wiggle away from Naruto's attempts to stick his spit covered finger in Iruka's ear.

"NARUTO!" Iruka roared helplessly. Sasuke smirked.

"That's punishment for being all mushy in front of people that don't want to see it," Sasuke informed. Kakashi figured that was tantamount to a declaration of war. With unseen speed, Kakashi appeared behind Sasuke and used a technique that the boy had come to know well during the year Iruka and Naruto had been gone.

Sasuke was propelled onto the pile made by Iruka and Naruto, clenching his backside in pain and already cursing a blue streak at Kakashi. Kakashi just laughed while Tsubaki and Hotaru looked on in amusement.

Easily distracted, Naruto abandoned his attack on Iruka in favor of wrestling with Sasuke. Iruka jumped to his feet, laughing, wiping at his cheek and patting at his fly-away hair. Kakashi approached him from behind and hugged him around the middle, comfortably resting his chin on Iruka's shoulder. His lover was out of breath, a happy flush on his cheeks and a bright sparkle in his eyes. Kakashi hugged him a little tighter, feeling his earlier stress drain away.

"Boys are silly, aren't they, my little firefly? Well, we'll just forget them and fix the garden ourselves," Tsubaki said dismissively, rubbing the tip of her nose against Hotaru's tiny one. Kakashi tugged his mask down quickly while everyone else was distracted and kissed Iruka's cheek. An unusually high shriek from Sasuke caught everyone's attention, and interrupted what would have been a series of loving kisses pressed all over Iruka's jaw.

Sasuke had managed to squirm away slightly due to Naruto's surprise, but his escape was cut mercilessly short. Naruto pounced again with a possessed gleam in his eye, searching for the tiny spot of skin that had been so responsive to a wiggling finger. Naruto found it easier the second time and soon Sasuke was laughing unrestrainedly—a sound none of them had ever heard before.

"Sasuke's ticklish!" Iruka said, smirking widely. Naruto, laughing simply because Sasuke was laughing so hard, tickled the spot at the base of Sasuke's spine unrelentingly.

"I thought you said you weren't ticklish, Sasuke-kun! I thought you said only babies were ticklish!" Naruto mocked. Fueled by desperation, Sasuke managed to push Naruto off and wrestle him to the ground. His fingers moved with lighting speed—directly to the hollow under Naruto's arms. The blonde boy tried to clamp his arms down, but it was no good. Sasuke had found his mark and relentlessly attacked.

Iruka wondered if Naruto's laughter could be heard all the way down in the village. Shaking his head at their antics, Iruka stepped out of Kakashi's embrace and hooked his arms around Sasuke's torso.

"I know he deserves it, but break it up already. We're losing daylight, and I was serious about wanting everyone to help with the garden." Sasuke felt a little embarrassed by the fact that Iruka had just hauled him off of Naruto as if they were still little boys. Then the arms around him squeezed lovingly in an unexpected hug, and from the ground, Naruto flashed him a brilliantly warm smile. Sasuke felt like mush inside, and he didn't fight the smile on his lips. Iruka let him go and Kakashi was there, ruffling his hair as he passed, smirking down at him through his mask. Tsubaki offered a hand to Naruto and tugged him up, smiling when Naruto made a goofy face in an attempt to earn a smile from Hotaru.

Sasuke didn't know how it had happened or when exactly, but somehow he had found a new family, and a new place to call home.

Iruka watched the play of emotions on Sasuke's face and new that things were getting easier for the troubled boy. Sasuke had walked a long, lonely road and Iruka was glad that he had helped to ease the boy's burden. Kakashi and Naruto had taken up garden tools and were following Tsubaki's instructions already, eager to finish so they could eat, no doubt.

"Well, come on Sasuke. It won't fix itself," Iruka said with a smile, lightly bumping the boy with his shoulder. Sasuke smirked and walked beside him to the row of vegetables that looked like they needed some attention.

From behind a tree, further down the path leading towards the village, Tenzo watched the scene with saddened eyes. The people he cared about were happy, and he tried to convince himself that their happiness was all that mattered. He tried to feel resentful of Iruka, who had so effortlessly replaced him, but the emotion wouldn't come.

Seeing the way Iruka so casually flirted with Kakashi, the blissful way he relaxed into Kakashi's arms, even in the presence of others, made the truth apparent to Tenzo. He could have never been what Iruka was to Kakashi, and Tenzo was glad that he wasn't so thick headed that he couldn't realize that. It would have been painful for everyone if he hadn't let go when he had.

But it wasn't exactly a clean break, either. A short walk separated Tenzo from people he had begun to think of as family, but now he felt distinctly excluded—as if there was an entire ocean between them. Hotaru looked like she'd grown twice as big since the birthday party, and Tenzo longed to scoop the little girl up onto his shoulder and feel that rush of protectiveness again, but Iruka was taking care of his favorite little girl now. For that, he could feel resentment. Where had Iruka been when Tsubaki struggled through the first days after the birth? Tenzo had been there when Iruka was not, and even though no one had told him he couldn't come around, that was certainly how he felt. He missed Tsubaki's cooking and the sound of her laugh. He missed training with Sasuke and Kakashi.

No matter how hard he tried to focus on other things (mostly work and women), he could not deny that he missed them. Tenzo pushed away from the tree roughly, carefully walking back towards the village silently, concealed by the growing shadows.

The truth was obvious and painful. They didn't seem to miss him at all.

Tsubaki's smile never faltered as she watched Tenzo turn back. Inside, she wanted to scream and cry. It was so hard seeing the happiness Iruka and Kakashi had found and to watch the love that was growing between Naruto and Sasuke. She felt her own loneliness like a persistent sting in her heart, and she knew that it was Tenzo she wanted.

Iruka's return had made her happy, but in his absence Tenzo had become her friend, too. She feared the way he reminded her of Mizuki sometimes, but she knew he was nothing like Hotaru's father. She could be herself around him and never have to worry about having her weaknesses exploited. She could trust him.

And yet, she knew that if she pursued him now it would only be selfishness. There was a chance, a very strong chance, that her sickness would claim her life. She wanted the comfort that came from a lover and not just a friend, but to take that from Tenzo would mean risking his heart. She knew what it felt like to live on after someone she loved was gone. She had felt that pain three times in her young life, and she could not bear the thought of inflicting it on Tenzo. Her feelings for him would have to remain hidden in her heart, as they had since she'd fist discovered them. It was better to let him walk away thinking he wasn't wanted instead of him knowing the truth—that there was no one else she wanted with her more.

~*~

For the second night in a row, Sasuke stayed at Tsubaki's and Iruka left with Kakashi. Iruka felt slightly guilty for abandoning Tsubaki during the night, but she insisted that getting up once with Hotaru was not too much of a strain on her. Iruka was relieved more than he let her see—taking care of Hotaru for most of the day was exhausting. He tried to do most of the tiring work and let Tsubaki care for her only when she was in a good mood.

As they walked towards the other side of the village, Iruka intertwined his hand with Kakashi's. The stars had just come out, and there was a gentle breeze at their backs that carried the aroma of fall.

"Will it really be your birthday soon?" Iruka asked.

"September 15," Kakashi replied, "I'll be twenty-seven." He expected a jibe about his age, but then he remembered he was with Iruka and not Tenzo. Sure enough, Iruka smiled sweetly and leaned a bit closer to him.

"What do you want for your birthday? A party? Maybe a romantic dinner?"

Kakashi didn't need time to think about it. He let go of Iruka's hand in order to run his fingers over Iruka's backside with a lecherous smirk.

"Can I have you wrapped up in a bow and nothing else?" Iruka's cheeks flushed adorably.

"I should have known you'd say something perverted."

"You didn't say 'no' to my request…" Kakashi pointed out. Iruka smirked.

"We'll see. You might get spankings instead." It was Kakashi's turn to blush under his mask. Iruka glanced up at him coyly and then pivoted into him, tugging his mask down and kissing him slowly and thoroughly. When they parted, Iruka pulled his mask back up over his cheeks. "That was for your help in the garden," he explained with a smile.

They continued their walk, their hands interlacing once more. Iruka enjoyed the serenity of it for a few moments and then broke the comfortable silence.

"So what are you going to do with the kids tomorrow?" Iruka asked. Kakashi mentally sighed. He'd been hoping Iruka would simply stay out of it. He didn't want his work to cause problems between them, and he was almost certain Iruka wouldn't like the idea of Naruto and Sasuke being tested in the way he planned tomorrow.

"I don't want to talk about work," Kakashi said reluctantly. Predictably, Iruka looked put out. To the man's credit, he didn't push the issue.

"Alright…what do you want to talk about then?" Iruka asked a bit frostily. The romantic, playful mood of earlier was clearly gone. Kakashi fumbled around hopelessly in his mind for something Iruka might want to discuss. He settled on a shrug. Iruka's sigh was nearly inaudible, but Kakashi caught it. He didn't think it was fair, but his request to not speak about work had obviously spoiled their starlit walk.

"Why do we have to talk? I just like walking with you," Kakashi tried hopefully, squeezing Iruka's hand. His gamble was successful and the tension in Iruka's shoulders lessened. His lips hinted at a smile again. They reached the apartment without saying anything else.

They took off their shoes at the door but didn't bother turning on the lights. Iruka pulled his shirt off as he crossed through the living room, and Kakashi began to get a bit excited, but something told him not to get his hopes up. He followed Iruka into the bedroom, removing his own dirty clothing as he walked.

"What time do you have to be up in the morning?" Iruka asked over his shoulder. He pulled his hair tie out and Kakashi swallowed thickly. Iruka smirked and ran his fingers through his hair. "Kakashi? I asked you a question."

"Huh?" Kakashi answered inarticulately, realizing he'd paused with only one arm out of his vest, captivated by Iruka's hair falling down around his shoulders. Iruka left his hair alone and proceeded to unbutton his pants. Kakashi clumsily continued to undress, trying to pretend he wasn't as turned on as he really was. Iruka didn't look like he was in the mood.

"Not till noon," he mumbled as he pulled his shirt over his head. He folded up his vest and shirt and set the clothing on his dresser. Iruka scowled disapprovingly.

"You need to wash those," he chided. Kakashi eyed the messy pile of clothing Iruka had left on the floor, composed of everything except his underwear. It was obvious he didn't plan on wearing the clothing again.

"I knocked all the dirt off," he protested as Iruka disappeared into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

"Not good enough," Iruka called out, sounding as though he had a mouthful of toothpaste. Kakashi pouted as he tugged off his mask. Rebelliously, he left the clothing on the dresser. He didn't think he was getting any sex later anyway. He moved to the doorway of the bathroom and watched Iruka complete his nighttime ritual. He washed his face and under his arms, used Kakashi's razor to shave, and then he examined a spot on his chin that Kakashi didn't see anything wrong with.

"Why are you shaving before you go to bed?" Kakashi asked. "It's a waste of time."

"I don't like being scruffy," Iruka replied, casting a glance at the fine silver stubble on Kakashi's jaw.

"What? My mask covers it," Kakashi defended, crossing his arms over his chest. Iruka smiled.

"I didn't say anything. I don't mind it."

"Good, because I'm not putting all the effort into shaving that you do," Kakashi replied with a teasing smile. Iruka rolled his eyes and squeezed past him into the bedroom. Kakashi's eyes dropped to his backside, concealed only by his white briefs.

"So are we going to—"

"I really don't feel up to it tonight, love. I'm still a little sore from last night," Iruka replied casually, slipping into bed and scooting over to the wall. Kakashi was a bit surprised by the nickname, almost so much so that it made him forget about his disappointment. Almost.

"Oh," he replied belatedly, following Iruka to bed. Iruka's eyes were already closed. Kakashi started to crawl in, but Iruka cracked an eye open.

"I hate to sound like a broken record, but you've got dirt stains on the knees of those pants. Are you really going to crawl into your bed in those?" Kakashi scowled.

"You're awfully fussy tonight, you know that?" All the same, he pulled the pants off and kicked them onto Iruka's pile. His boyfriend happily closed his eye again and snuggled deeper into his pillow. Kakashi forgot about Iruka's nagging and smiled at the sweet picture he made cuddled up in his bed. When he was settled beside him, he pressed a kiss onto Iruka's forehead. "Come closer," he invited, only a bit of huskiness creeping into his voice. Iruka, his eyes still closed, rolled over and wiggled until he was lying in Kakashi's embrace. Kakashi tucked one arm under his pillow and draped the other around Iruka's waist, happily nuzzling his nose into auburn hair. "Goodnight," he mumbled.

"Night," Iruka replied sleepily.

~*~

Iruka awoke facing Kakashi with several feet of bed in between them. The sheets were twisted, and Kakashi had hogged the blanket. Iruka shivered and scowled a bit grumpily at his lover. He sat up and scooted to Kakashi's side of the bed, lifting up a corner of the blanket and worming his way under. Kakashi muttered something and clenched the blankets tighter, pulling them away from Iruka.

Iruka retaliated by pressing his cold feet against Kakashi's shins. Kakashi's eyes blinked open in a startled sort of way and he quickly assessed the situation.

"Sorry, 'Ruka, get in and I'll warm you up," he said as he lifted up the blanket. With a smile, Iruka scooted in and let Kakashi curl around him. He felt the chill leave his skin and the blood rush southward. Something about Kakashi being willing to warm him up turned him on. Kakashi slept on, oblivious, until Iruka shifted purposefully and drew his lover's attention to his arousal.

Kakashi didn't open his eyes, but his hand began to sleepily pat its way down Iruka's tummy until it found what it was looking for.

"Still sore?" Kakashi mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. Iruka propped up onto his forearm and let his hair tickle Kakashi's cheek.

"Kakashi, you're sexy in the morning," Iruka offered by way of reply. Kakashi finally opened his eyes. His hand reached automatically for the headband on the nightstand. Iruka intercepted him and tied it on for him, gently covering his scarred eye. "Better?" he asked tenderly. Kakashi licked his dry lips and sat up a bit, asking without words for a kiss. Iruka gave him one and smoothly straddled him, moaning in want as his hardness pressed against Kakashi's abs. "It's half past eleven," Iruka said when they broke apart, "I don't want you to be late…"

Kakashi made a dismissive noise and switched their positions smoothly, his hand sliding up Iruka's thigh and tugging on the material covering his prize.

Promptness was overrated, in Kakashi's opinion.

~*~

"Do you think something happened to him?" Sakura asked, long past the point of being angry. At half past three, she was beginning to get worried. Even though Sasuke and Naruto knew of Kakashi's tardy tendencies, they were beginning to be concerned as well.

He'd never been over ten hours late before. Naruto stomach was growling with hunger pains, but he just knew the second he left to get food Kakashi would show up and he'd get in trouble for skipping out. His dad would probably find out about it, too. Double punishment.

"I'm so hungry. I'm going to starve," Naruto whined, stretching out in front of the big stone, grateful for its shade. It was an unusually hot afternoon. Sasuke rolled his eyes and looked towards the village for the millionth time. He sat in a tree branch, one leg dangling down, and one arm resting on his bent knee. Sakura thought he looked positively dreamy, and still hadn't tired of staring at him even after almost ten hours of waiting.

Naruto only glanced at him once, and it was simply to picture how funny it would be if a bird came and started building its nest in the brooding boy's hair.

"Is there bird crap in your hair yet, Sasuke?" Naruto called out, lifting his head and squinting up at the tree. His best friend huffed in mock irritation, but Naruto knew he was smiling on the inside. Sakura interrupted the joke by scolding him.

"Sasuke-kun's hair looks nice, you big idiot!"

"What did I say about insulting him?" Sasuke asked mildly, glaring down at her. Naruto felt irritated with her, too. He didn't really feel jealous of her, because he knew how strongly Sasuke disliked her, and he didn't quite fancy her as much as he once had. She wasn't as nice as he had once believed.

Sasuke was much better to be around, but he still wondered what it felt like to kiss Sakura. He stared interestedly at her lips as she pursed them in irritation.

Sasuke noticed and felt a hot emotion in his heart. Abandoning his lofty position in the tree, he dropped to the ground and landed in between Sakura and Naruto. Naruto's eyes quickly snapped to his face. ('Where they should have been all along,' Sasuke thought moodily.)

"Let's spar," he said, unwilling to let the day go to waste because Kakashi abandoned them, no doubt, to spend the morning with Iruka.

"Alright," Naruto agreed, rising to his feet.

"Good luck, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cheered, clasping her hands together in front of her chest. Sasuke's eye twitched, and his hands looked dangerously close to wrapping around someone's neck. Since his back was to Sakura, she was oblivious.

Naruto almost felt sorry for her. He wouldn't like it if Sasuke hated him.

Before he could think any more on the situation, Sasuke threw a kick at him and he was forced to switch his brain into battle mode. Sasuke wasn't as strong as Naruto was, but he was far smarter and often got the best of him simply by taking advantage of something Naruto hadn't noticed around them, or by spotting the tiniest of flaws in his form.

The more often that they fought, the easier it was for Sasuke to notice flaws. Naruto had the power, but his technique and his knowledge of strategy was woefully stunted.

Sakura watched as the two boys clashed with increasing speed and force, bouncing from land to air fluidly, never pausing even when one took a hard hit. Sasuke fought beautifully, and Sakura watched with wide eyes—still, she wondered why he didn't simply finish Naruto off quickly.

"He must be bored," she mused softly to herself. A dreamy sigh escaped her lips and she watched Sasuke land a hard punch to Naruto's cheek. A bit of blood flew from Naruto's mouth, and the blonde's eyes flashed in anger. Sakura didn't notice the dangerous turn the sparring had taken, thinking only of how tough and handsome Sasuke looked.

She completely missed the reason Sasuke attacked so viciously—anger at his own weakness and fury that Naruto was more interested in Sakura than himself.

Kakashi appeared in a puff of jutsu smoke with a scowl visible through his mask.

"Knock it off!" He ordered, raising his voice. He'd brought two boxes of food, which he casually dropped in front of the Memorial Stone. He pushed up his sleeves and he approached Naruto and Sasuke, who glared at each other heatedly, bruised and bloody.

Instead of yelling at them, however, he turned and addressed Sakura.

"Why didn't you try to stop Sasuke? He was seriously attacking your teammate with no concern for Naruto's safety," Kakashi said. Sasuke's eyes widened and his fists clenched.

"I would never—" he protested uselessly. Kakashi cut him off with a raised hand. Sakura hesitated, unsure of how to answer.

"I didn't think…they were just…"

"That's right. You didn't think. You were so wrapped up in other thoughts that you stopped watching out for your teammate. Your survival depends on his health. Don't ever forget that," Kakashi's glare turned from Sakura to Sasuke. "As for you—"

"I didn't lose control!" Sasuke blurted out angrily. Kakashi merely arched a silver brow. Sasuke's scowl deepened until his anger was palpable in the air around him. He glanced sharply at Naruto and then winced at the blood that trickled down Naruto's chin. Angry with Sasuke for attacking him so seriously out of the blue, Naruto wiped at the blood and refused to show any forgiveness in his eyes.

"Naruto, you could have stopped the battle before it became dangerous, yet you let your teammate vent his anger on you. If it is in your power to end a fight, you should never prolong it. Things can get out of hand more quickly than you realize."

There was an awkward, heavy silence that Kakashi eventually broke with a sigh. His angry aura evaporated and he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"I don't think there's even a point in testing you three. You don't have what it takes to do this job."

"WHAT?" Naruto boomed, his blue eyes widening in horror.

"But—" Sakura began uselessly. Sasuke's glare faded and he stared at the ground, finally starting to regret losing his temper over something so trivial.

"Don't give up on us yet," Naruto said, staring earnestly up at Kakashi. "We can do this. Please, Kakashi, give us a chance," Naruto begged. Kakashi wasn't really inclined to humor him, but he knew Naruto would report the events of the afternoon to Iruka, who would be furious with him if he didn't even give them a chance before he disbanded their team.

"Fine," he said after a suspenseful pause. Slowly, he pulled his hand out of his pocket. Two bells dangled from his fingertips. Kakashi tilted his head casually to the side and gave the bells a little jolt. They tinkled merrily. "Whoever captures a bell passes. You have till nightfall, and whoever can't get a bell goes back to the Academy."

Three sets of eyes narrowed determinedly at the innocent looking little bells. With a smirk, Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke, eager to see what their next move would be.

~*~

It was growing late.

Sakura had been easily captured, and Sasuke had refused to waste time attempting to rescue her. Naruto had tried, but he lacked the ability to strategize the attempt and failed miserably. Sasuke refused to help him, and instead got it into his head that he would simply obtain both bells on his own and just give one to Naruto.

Naruto criticized his plan and the two of them began to fight again. They were so distracted by each other that they failed to notice the simple trap Kakashi had set for them. They walked right into it and barely dodged the speeding kunai. It was Naruto's fast reflexes that prevented Sasuke from spending the night at the hospital. Wincing from the fact that Naruto had rescued him a second time, Sasuke stormed off and left Naruto to try for the bells on his own.

Naruto attacked head on and actually impressed Kakashi with his strength and range of techniques, but it was easy to unbalance him or simply dodge. Sakura remained tied up—or so Naruto thought. Kakashi knew she'd escaped and replaced herself with a clone, but Naruto hadn't caught on and so continued to battle pointlessly for her release, forgetting entirely about the bells.

Kakashi replaced himself with a clone to fight Naruto, and went to spy on Sakura. She managed to track Sasuke down fairly well, which showed she had a sharp eye and proved she was meticulously observant, but when she reached him she was too shy to suggest a strategy to him. Instead, she let him brush her off to the point of crying. Sasuke forgot all about being stealthy in his attempts to ditch Sakura, and ended up practically colliding with Kakashi because he was so distracted and riled up.

Tiring of their nonsense, Kakashi effortlessly captured them all and tied them up—this time leaving Naruto alone unbound. He stood in front of them, the Memorial Stone at his back.

"Do you know what this stone signifies?" he asked blandly.

"It has the names of heroic ninja on it," Sakura answered a bit timidly. Kakashi nodded, and would have continued, but Naruto began boasting.

"Then I'm gonna be on that rock, too! Just wait and see! Even if I don't pass this dumb test, one day they'll carve my name right—"

"Shut up," Kakashi rebuked almost lazily. When Naruto was silent, sullenly glaring, he continued. "This stone honors ninja that have died protecting their village. It honors ninja that died to protect their comrades."

The children fell silent.

"All afternoon you've refused to work together, which was the true test. The bells didn't matter—I wanted to see that you could put aside something meant to divide you and show me you could be a team. I wanted to see the potential in you to be heroic, the potential to put others before yourself. That's what it means to be a ninja, and I didn't see that in any of you. Naruto alone thought about helping his teammate, so he'll get dinner and he's earned you all one more chance." Kakashi tossed the two boxes of food to Naruto. It was time to plant the trap.

"You can share one, but someone doesn't get one as punishment. If all three of you eat, this is all over. You have a half hour to prepare for the next test." In a puff of smoke, he disappeared, but he didn't go far. He watched, unsure of which outcome he wanted to see.

As he predicted, Naruto faltered. It was obvious his first instinct was to give it to Sasuke, who didn't really need the nourishment as much as Sakura. Then his manners kicked in and he looked to Sakura, thinking to offer it to her instead. Sasuke misread the hesitation and lost his temper yet again.

"When are you going to get it through your thick skull that she doesn't care whether you live or die?" Sasuke growled. In order to buy some time, Naruto pulled out a kunai and cut the ropes that bound his teammates. He was obviously torn.

"She needs the food. She's not as strong as we are. I'd let both of you eat instead of me if I could," Naruto said quite reasonably. Kakashi decided then and there that Naruto deserved to pass—he hoped Sasuke would prove himself equally worthy. At the moment, it seemed doubtful. Sakura stared intensely at Naruto and then sighed softly.

"Thank you, Naruto. Both for trying to rescue me and offering me the food when I know you'd rather give it to your best friend." Kakashi's smirk broadened. Sakura, too, had passed. His eye narrowed on Sasuke. It was all up to him.

The dark-haired boy glared fiercely and snatched a box. He offered it to Sakura wordlessly. Then he took Naruto's and opened it agitatedly. "You and I share. We all need the energy. If Kakashi has a problem with that, then he can take it up with Iruka…because he'll definitely be hearing about this if we fail because Kakashi wouldn't let us eat all day."

Kakashi face-faulted and appeared in front of the children with angrily slanted eyes.

"That's blackmail you little bastard!" Kakashi roared. Naruto was obviously about to argue, but Kakashi continued before he could, his expression regaining it's normal bored-with-the-world look. "But despite that…you all passed."

Kakashi smiled at them, happier about the fact that he wasn't going to get a lecture from Iruka than the fact that the kids had succeeded. Secretly, though, he was pleased with the way that Sasuke had thought to manipulate a weakness in him that he had tried to hide—his worries about how Iruka might try to interfere with his decision. Naruto's compassion and Sakura's change in attitude were equally gratifying to see.

It had only been a day, but Kakashi felt like he had guided them into learning an important lesson—perhaps the most important lesson of all.

'Maybe,' Kakashi thought as he watched their shocked and then happy reactions, 'Just maybe Asuma was actually right about this kid thing not being so bad.'