It had been a month so far.

A month that to Kakashi, almost defined hell on Earth.

Given the failure of the two idiots, he had been forced to do teamwork exercises and other incidentals instead of missions. Not that is was bad to do so, but he had wanted to get as many D ranks out of the way as possible so that he could get back to the higher paying missions. At the moment, however, that was impossible.

Pinky and Sulker were the definition of dead ninja in training.

Sakura was a fan girl. At the moment she didn't concentrate on anything to do with training, and more on raising Sasuke's already overlarge ego and trying to put down Naruto. If she didn't get it into her head soon that in a real mission she would be useless or dead, he was going to request that she be dropped from field duty and assigned to someplace like an out of the way office where he'd never have to see her again.

Sasuke was a pain to teach rather than the genius he was supposed to be. He really didn't care much for his team and only wanted to know the most destructive techniques possible. While good in someways, he was disregarding the basics necessary to be a successful shinobi. Worse, he acted like he was owed this due to his name alone, not to any actual work put in. If not for the unusual circumstances surrounding the test, Kakashi would have dismissed this as his imagination. If the brat survived even six to eight months, he'd be ready to sweep a lobby, if he could even do that correctly.

The true surprise had been Naruto.

When Kakashi got the team, he was given several documents on each of the students, including psych, physical, known techniques, bloodlines, etc. One of the most significant ones was the student report on Naruto by various teachers. With the exception of Iruka, all the teachers had stated that the boy was a slacker and an idiot, who didn't deserve to be a shinobi of the leaf. Given the discrepancy between the teachers of the previous years and Iruka, he was speculating that either the teachers could not see what they had in front of them, or that the only training that was given to any of the students had been at home.

The previous teachers did praise Sakura and Sasuke highly after all.

Still, Naruto did not match up with any of the reports.

"OK, that's enough for the day. Meet at the bridge tomorrow." Kakashi said as he disappeared into thin air.

The difference was the reason that Kakashi was now going to take some time and follow the kid for the day and see his routine.

Now in the previous month, he had confirmed and visited Naruto's office, which had very complete yet sanitized information on almost everyone in the academy. The books were an eclectic thing, without any real common factors. From ancient books that were hard to read because of the condition and faded writing, to text books on things that made absolutely no sense for a shinobi, it seemed that Naruto delved into anything he could get his hands on.

Why have a book on the mating habits of various types of worms next to a treatise on various tobacco's was something that merited a visit to the White House, especially with the nonsensical notes in the margins. Who actually wanted a wine of distilled tobacco leaves? That would taste horrible. Or the relationship between wolves and worms. It was as if the boy was a schizophrenic.

Still, there was more going on than the two idiots realized. If they had just taken a look at some of the stuff in the journals, they would have realized that Naruto had a lot of plans, such as that weapon he used. They also didn't find a cache of computer chips with locked videos, probably surveillance of some kind. Either Naruto was in ANBU, which he had already ruled out, or the Hokage was just too kind.

He followed Naruto to a lunch stand, and used a radio to listen in on the bug he planted earlier.

"Hey Ayame neechan! How are you today?"

"Fine Naruto-kun. Your usual?"

"Not today."

A snort was heard. "Naruto not eating his usual? I'll have to close the stand."

"Come on Teuchi! I want twice my usual order!

There was a pause, "I don't know if I have that much prepared."

"Well, whatever you have, and keep them coming. I missed breakfast."

Kakashi was treated to the site of his most unusual student eating what had to be his body weight in noodles. Where did the kid put the stuff? The only other person he knew that liked noodles that much was the Yondaime, and even he didn't eat more than a bowl or two at a time.

He continued to follow the kid when he went into the tower, where he was apparently meeting with the Hokage.

"Well Naruto, how are thing today."

"Ah, could be better. The emo's still all huffy, and Sakura is getting to be more stupid by the day."

Kakashi winced at the next statement "They must have learned to be a team by now."

"Dream on! Ego boy thinks he's team by himself, and he needs to be knocked down a wall before we'll see him even consider, condescendingly, his team. He'll want them to get a bottle of water and a towel, since he is the oh so amazing Uchia."

"Maybe a new sensei would work."

"Nah, not Kakashi's fault. You can't make them learn if they don't want to."

"What do you suggest then?"

"A mission. C rank or better."

"Naruto, your team hasn't even completed a D rank yet. They're not ready.

"Yeah, but we need to have something that appeals to the ego and his fangirl, can be put past the council, and will show them that this isn't a game."

"Ok. I'll have your team here tomorrow to get a mission. You want to tell him?"

"Yeah, I think I've strung him along for enough time. Yo! Kakashi, get your butt in here and pick up your bug."

Kakashi grimaced.


And so, they were off to Wave escorting an old drunk.

He had let the genin handle the first obstacle, observing what they were doing.

Sakura barely got in front of the client. She was expecting Sasuke to save them all.

Sasuke managed to pin the chain, but was about to get killed.

Naruto yawned and pointed his hands at the two opponents.

Knowing what was coming, Kakashi said a prayer for the two.

Except, it wasn't the explosion and rocks that came out of the tubes underneath his hands.

He had expected that.

What came out this time were thin wires connected to senbon. And when they connected, the Demon Brothers screamed and shook as if in unbearable agony.

It also went on for a full minute before it stopped.

It looked like another weapon he had to request be added to the S class list.

When had Naruto gotten this cruel?