Disclaimer: I wish I own Naruto but i don't...sigh.
Here's another round of feedbacks from the reviews I got:
To pandora vanity: same here. It's rare for fanfics with a sword-weilding Naruto and I love it when he does.
To Janelly Slytherin: They are in the process of doing so but Naruto is making the first step to connect with the two.
To Asa Usa: Thank you for the review. I'll try my best to improve my plots and update as fast as I can. (To the readers of Naruto: A Fox Among Wolves, read memo after this section.)
To Jasmine: Don't worry I'm working on it. I'm only human, after all. hehehehe
To the READERS: PLEASE GIVE ME MORE REVIEWS TO HELP ME IMPROVE AND TO KNOW IF YOU LIKE THE STORY. AFTER ALL, FIC-WRITERS TEND TO WORK FASTER WHEN THEIR READERS LOVE THEM. SHOW ME THE LOVE PEOPLE!
Announcement regarding Naruto: A Fox among Wolves.
I already drafted two chapters for this story that coincide with the book but I can't release it yet since my Beta Reader is busy with something out of the country so... please be patient. Will release it as soon as she gets back to check the story out. After all, the story is a collaboration from the two of us.
Chapter 12: Kakashi's Test
Naruto woke up to the blearing of the alarm which he set up last night before going to avoid so he won't be late. He yawned and stretched a bit to get the kinks out of his sleeping muscles before rolling off the bed and proceeded to the bathroom for his morning ritual.
After his morning shower, he created a Shadow Clone to make him some breakfast, as well as some packed ones for his team later. He decided yesterday evening when he got home that the instruction to avoid eating was detrimental to a Shinobi's health, especially when a mission is concerned. A Shinobi always needs his energy to be at full capacity before engaging in any mission so there was something fishy about the whole thing. Also, shinobis were supposed to be about deception so he wouldn't one up over Kakashi to make some bogus instructions just to fool them.
He went up to the armory and proceeded to seal some much needed supply just in case Kakashi's test involves some big battle between the team. He decided to bring 50 kunais, 50 shurikens, 10 explosive tags, and 10 Soldier Pills just in case his teammates run out of chakra in the middle of a brawl. He packed some of it into his holsters and pouch while he sealed the rest in a scroll which he placed in one of the hidden pockets on his robe.
He went down to the kitchen and ate a hearty breakfast and picked up the spare food and sealed them into a storage seal on his left arm. It was an impressive seal that he invented that is very useful for any Shinobi who spends a lot of time in the field. With a storage seal on their body, they can easily bring the necessities with them on any mission without having to bring scrolls or packs with them. Unfortunately, only he alone knows how to create such a seal and hasn't yet told anyone about it. After all, he needs a few aces up his sleeves and he can always pass it off as a Clan Technique so the council won't pester him about it.
He saw that there's still an hour left before meeting the team so he decided to take the scenic route. He summoned Hikari again, took out some sweets that she liked and fed it to her, before taking off for Training Ground 7.
When he arrived at his destination, he saw that his teammates were already there. He instructed Hikari to hover for a while before landing so he can observe his teammates.
After looking closely, he saw that both Sakura and Sasuke were looking worst for wear. It seems that they followed Kakashi's advice to the letter and didn't eat breakfast. He nudged Hikari to land which she did, landing a few feet away from the rest of Team 7 before Naruto jumped off. He thanked Hikari with another round of sweets which she hastily gobbled up before poofing back to her home. Naruto shook his head at his friend's antics. Who knew that Phoenixes were addicted to sweets? Naruto walked over to his team.
Sasuke was sitting on top of one of the training logs that littered the Training Ground while Sakura was sitting underneath. He walked over to them. "Hi Sasuke, Sakura. Good morning." Naruto greeted them cheerfully.
Sasuke just gave him a disgusted look. "What so good about the morning dobe?" he grunted.
"Yeah. If you noticed, we didn't get much sleep and we didn't get to eat any breakfast. We are hungry and it's still too early." complained an irate Sakura.
Naruto just gave them amused looks. "Don't tell me you followed Kakashi's advice to not eat breakfast?" he said incredulously. Both his teammates just gave him a look as if he was crazy.
"Baka! Of course we did. Kakashi-sensei said so." said Sakura irritably. Naruto shook his head. He flopped down in front of his teammate and gave them a calm look.
"Guys. If you think about it, Kakashi-sensei didn't exactly tell us not to EAT breakfast."
"What do you mean dobe?" said Sasuke.
"Think about it. He said NOT to eat breakfast since we are just going to throw it up. If you think that you can handle his exam then you can eat without having to worry about his order. Hell, you can even get a few bites so your stomach won't bother you until the next meal. Also, don't you think that it is against the Shinobi code to NOT eat breakfast? What if this was a mission? You would be dead before you can get a mile out of Konoha. What if you got ambushed on your way to your destination with your client? How can you protect them if you don't even have enough chakra to attack?" explained Naruto as patiently as he could to get his point across. Sasuke was deep in thought while Sakura was silent for once. Both were thinking about what Naruto said.
Seeing that both were thinking about it, he decided to nudge them a little more into becoming a team. He really wanted them to see him as a teammate instead of a rival.. "I see that you understood what I was trying to say so did you guys bring any food? There's still a few minutes before the start of the test so you can eat some food to keep your energies up."
Sakura looked at him nervously before saying "No. We didn't bring any food with us." she said dejectedly. Sasuke just stayed silent but both winced when their stomachs released a loud growl of hunger.
Naruto just smirked and channeled a bit of chakra to the storage seal on his left hand. With a puff of smoke, a medium-sized lunch box appeared in between them. Naruto removed the cover to reveal enough breakfast to feed 3 people easily. Inside were sweet buns, some fruits, and a bottle of Orange juice. Both were eyeing the food hungrily. "Good thing I thought of packing some extra food just in case we have to stay here long. Why don't you guys eat so we won't have to worry about both of you dropping like flies later." said Naruto cheerfully and to prove his point, he took out a sweet bun and took a deep bite.
Seeing Naruto eat the food was enough for Sasuke and Sakura to accept Naruto's offer. Both dived hungrily into the lunch box and ate everything in sight. Naruto was amused at watching them fill their empty stomachs with all the food that he brought along. Sasuke and Sakura flushed down the food they ate with a healthy swig of juice. Both sighed and had a look of contentment on their faces. Naruto just gave them a smile and replaced the now empty lunch box back into the seal.
"So guys, any idea what the test is all about?" asked Naruto, leaning on one of the poles.
Sakura shook her head. "Nope. I tried asking Ino's dad about it but he was tightlipped. Any idea Sasuke-kun?"
Sasuke just grunted and mumbled "No."
"Well, whatever it is we can easily handle it. Sasuke is the Rookie of the Year after all and Sakura is one of the brightest Kunoichi in the Academy. Between the three of us, this will be a piece of cake." declared Naruto confidently. Sasuke's chest puffed slightly at the praise and Sakura blushed a bit while giving Naruto a grateful look.
The trio settled into a comfortable silence while waiting for their sensei to appear but it all went down to hell after an hour of waiting. Out of boredom, each decided to do something to pass the time since leaving was out of the question. Sasuke decided to do a little bit of target practice by throwing kunais at one of the training posts. Sakura, as usual, was busy showering praises with Sasuke's every throw.
Naruto moved away from the group and settled into a comfortable stance in the middle of the field – feet spread apart at shoulder width with both hands spread on his sides all fingers together pointing to the ground. He took a deep breath and channeled his chakra into his hands, specifically to his fingers, and slowly formed two Chakra Blades. He closed his eyes and started his exercise.
Naruto was fascinated with the concept of wielding two blades due to its capability of both attacks and defense. Despite the lack of reading material on dual sword techniques in his Clan Library, Naruto decided to make his own style by integrating two swords to his mother's Kenjutsu technique. He found that there were a lot of holes for a two-sword style but he decided to make a new kata out of it by using the original as foundation. Progress was slow but Naruto was determined to get it down.
Sasuke paused from his throwing practice when he saw Naruto create his Chakra Blades and was gripped with envy at the sight. Since he was young, he has been praised and showered with gifts since he was the last loyal Uchiha in Konoha. The attention didn't really affect him much at first but the constant show of it slowly made him arrogant, especially when someone displays more power than him. He gritted his teeth and decided to confront the blonde. He pocketed all the kunais he used then stomped off towards his blonde teammate with Sakura trailing along behind him.
When he got near, he saw that Naruto's eyes were closed in concentration as he weaved through each swing. He didn't like being ignored so he decided to cut in. "Hey dobe."
Naruto was brought out of his focus when he heard Sasuke's voice. He stopped his exercise and dispersed his Chakra Blades then faced his dark-haired teammate. "Anything I can do for you Sasuke?" he asked calmly.
"How did you create those blades?" demanded Sasuke.
Naruto just gave him a long look. He knew that Sasuke was always jealous of people who showed more skill than him and he understood his mindset considering his goal of avenging his family. He didn't really hate the guy but he always has this dislike of arrogant people. He decided last night to approach his teammates with caution since he really wanted this team to work out.
Humoring Sasuke, he flopped down on the grass and settled into a lotus position and gestured Sasuke to do the same, which he did. "What do you want to know Sasuke?" Naruto asked politely, determined to reach deep into his teammates attitude and try to appeal on a professional level.
"I want to know how you made those…those…things or whatever it is you call them." asked Sasuke irritably.
Naruto smiled at the dark-haired avenger's demands and decided to play along. "What do you know of the Uzumaki Clan?"
Irritated at being asked a question, he snipped a not-so-friendly reply. "Why should I know about such a loser clan?" Naruto ignored the pitiful jab to his clan's honor.
"Well, if you want to know about how I created my Chakra Blades then you first need to know about the Uzumaki Clan in general." answered Naruto in the same calm voice though the narrowed eyes gave testament that he was holding his temper from flaring out.
Sakura decided to butt in since she was curious about Naruto's clan. "Ummm…Naruto…what is the connection between the Uzumaki Clan and those Chakra Blades you mentioned?" Naruto looked at Sakura. Seeing that she was genuinely curious, he decided to explain it to her, and by extension, to Sasuke.
"Everything. The current skills I have are all part of my bloodline that is quite common in the Uzumaki Clan." He raised one of his hands and created a Chakra Blade for them to see. "This is just one of the few things I can do with my bloodline. This is called Chakra Manipulation. It allows me to create any construct out of Chakra and focus alone. There is something in my clan's DNA that allows us to gain control of our own chakra as if it was sentient and bend it to our will." explained Naruto while he released his hold on the blade he created which disappeared into thin air.
"I want you to teach it to me dobe!" demanded Sasuke in his arrogant tone. Naruto ignored it again, for now.
"Well, I'm not sure if it can be taught Sasuke. As I said before, it is part of my mother's bloodline and is deeply tied into our DNA. According to my mother's records, she tried to teach it once to a friend of hers but wasn't able to get it because they just can't gain total control of their chakra. She said on her scroll that normal Shinobis gain control of their chakra through the use of hand seals to manipulate how they work. This is how jutsus work. In my clan, we can do anything with it without requiring the use of seals."
"Tsk, she must have taught a loser then if she can't get it right." scoffed Sasuke.
Naruto's eyes glinted a bit at Sasuke's declaration. "If that is how he wants to play then its time to bring down the Uchiha arrogance a few pegs." Naruto thought. "Ok Sasuke, there was no record of her teaching an Uchiha our technique but maybe you would be the first to get it right. Even Sakura can join us if she wants." challenged Naruto.
"Bring it on dobe. I can do this with my eyes closed." declared Sasuke arrogantly.
"Gotcha you bastard. Hook, line, and sinker." Naruto mentally crowed. "Great. Let's get started then. The first part of the exercise that is practiced by all Uzumaki clan in Chakra Manipulation is to bring out your chakra to a visible spectrum. According to my mother's journal, she was able to complete this exercise when she was 3 years old. I got it after 5 months when I decided to learn it. Now, I want you to channel your chakra to your hand and try to bring it out. Make it visible to a solid state. Here let me demonstrate."
Naruto brought out his hand and focused a bit. Slowly, an aura of white chakra enveloped his hand covering all of it down to the wrist. "Sakura, I want you to touch the chakra on my hand and tell me if it is solid or not." instructed Naruto.
Sakura did as told and poked a finger at the visible chakra in Naruto's hand. She was surprised that it was solid. She ran her fingers from the wrist over to the fingers. Yep, it was definitely solid. "Amazing. I've never seen solid chakra before."
"I'll be surprised if you did because chakra is supposed to be intangible in a sense. Only an Uzumaki Clan can make a solid construct out of it. Now why don't you both try? All you need to do is to channel chakra to your hand as much as you can and FORCE it to become solid. Don't worry about your chakra reserves. I brought some Soldier Pills with me in case you run out."
And so they did. For the next hour, both Sakura and Sasuke tried with all of their might to release chakra to their hands and do what Naruto did to no avail. Both were getting frustrated while Naruto just watched them with amusement while showing off his skills in Chakra Manipulation. The solid construct in his hand turned to a sword, a knife, to kunai, to senbon, and even to a fan. He saw that his 'showing off' was infuriating the Uchiha but Sakura has this determined look in her eyes. After a few minutes, both quit the exercise and Naruto handed them a pill each to replenish their reserves. "So, how did it go? Hard right?"
"Is there no other way to teach it to others? It is pretty useful." mused Sakura.
Naruto thought about it for a while. "It cannot be taught but if a non-Uzumaki Clan member follows the exercise then there are some benefits you can get out of it."
"What is it?" asked Sasuke in an irritated voice. He was a bit mad that such a powerful technique cannot be learned by anyone since it was a bloodline. He did try his best to do as Naruto instructed but it seems that the dobe was right that only an Uzumaki blood member can learn it.
"Hmmmm I guess you would have an improved control over your chakra. Theoretically, it would make it easier for you to do various Ninjutsu techniques or even increase your physical capabilities. There are a lot of possibilities if you have improved Chakra Control. One example here is Sakura."
"Me?" asked a surprised Sakura.
"Yes. Have you ever noticed that your strength is stronger than that of an average Genin in the Academy despite your obvious lack of muscles and speed?"
"You know, I never really thought of that. To be honest, I didn't really pay attention to it." admitted Sakura, blushing at the last part. She was supposed to be the smartest Kunoichi in their class and she didn't even notice it.
"That is because you have an almost perfect Chakra Control. Because your control is so good, you subconsciously channel chakra every time you release a punch thus increasing its overall strength. If you can gain control over such skill and convert it from passive to active, then who knows how stronger your attacks would become."
"How do you think I can do that?" asked an excited Sakura, almost bouncing from her seat over the prospect of getting stronger to make her Sasuke notice her more.
"Training of course. You need to dish out hard work and training to get to that level. Remember, chakra will only enhance what already have. For example, if your current strength can decimate a tree with a single punch, imagine how powerful it would become if you use your chakra to enhance its effects. If I remember my history correctly, Tsunade of the Sannin has the same ability." He looked at the brooding Sasuke. "Even you can do the same thing Sasuke if you apply the same concept."
"Hmph. I don't need to do those things. We Uchiha are already strong." declared Sasuke in a haughty voice. Naruto suddenly got this sudden urge to strangle the arrogant teen in front of him.
"That is where you're wrong Sasuke. Let me ask you a rhetorical question. Do you think I'm strong?" asked Naruto hoping to get his point across and hopefully reach out to the arrogant boy.
"Hnnnn" was all Sasuke's reply. However, Sakura chose to answer for him.
"Well, from what you've shown in the Academy, you are strong because of your bloodline." admitted Sakura.
"You're wrong Sakura. I didn't gain my strength and skill just because of my bloodline. Let me ask you this, out of all the years we spent together in the Academy, when have you seen me use my bloodline, especially in spars?"
Sakura was stumped. Naruto was right. He didn't use his bloodline during their time in the Academy. The spars were a testament to what he could do. The only time he used his bloodline was during the Ninjutsu lesson and the match with Sasuke.
Naruto saw the comprehension on Sakura's face and chose to answer for her. "I think you got my point Sakura. I didn't rely on my bloodline. Sure I practiced with it a couple of time to improve my control over it but I don't let it rule my life you know. I train my body everyday and was able to reach my current level through hard work. Having a bloodline alone doesn't make you special. I consider it as a tool to help me get stronger and survive, other than that, I consider it a crutch if I depend too much on it. The Sharingan is one example of it."
Sasuke got angry when he heard this. He rounded on the blonde teen. "WHAT? The Sharingan is NOT a crutch. It is the true strength of the Uchiha Clan. It is what makes us powerful."
Naruto sighed. Sasuke was just that hard-headed. "Ok let me ask you this Sasuke. You don't have your Sharingan now but you are Rookie of the Year in the Academy. How did you reach that level? Simple, you trained yourself everyday. I know your drive to defeat your brother and to avenge your clan and you used that drive to get stronger. However, you are relying too much on your Sharingan or will rely on it too much when you awaken it in the future."
"Explain." growled Sasuke. He didn't really like where this is going but he wanted to know what the blonde's point was. Despite Sasuke's animosity, Naruto sensed that he is slowly getting through to the boy. "
"Ok let me give you a scenario Sasuke. What if you meet a shinobi that is stronger than you and faster than you? Yeah you have the Sharingan to help you see his movements but what if your body is not strong enough to counter his attacks? Because you rely too much on your Sharingan, you neglect to train physically thus now being able to reach your limit and improving yourself. This is also the same when you copy techniques using your family doujutsu. Even if you got the schematics down, you still need to train with the jutsu you copied in order to master and use it fully. That is what I meant as a crutch." Seeing Sasuke was about to argue but he raised his hands to tell him to be quiet. "I'm not done yet. I even consider my bloodline as a crutch. If I rely too much on it then how do you think I will improve? How can I use my bloodline well if my body is not up to the task? That is what I meant that by OVERUSING your bloodline it will eventually become a roadblock that will surely hinder your growth as a shinobi."
"So what do you suggest dobe? That I don't try to awaken my Sharingan? That I'm better off without it?" asked Sasuke heatedly, his anger getting the best of him.
"Calm down, Sasuke-san. I am not insulting you or your bloodline. You asked my opinion so I just answered you. It's up to you to decide. I didn't say not to awaken your Sharingan, in fact, it would be your best interest to do so. But I just want to let you realize that even if you do awaken your Sharingan, the only path to get stronger, stronger than anyone mind you, is to train your mind and body so you can use it effectively."
"He is right you know." A voice interrupted their discussion. All three Genins followed the voice and saw their sensei, Hatake Kakashi, leaning against a tree directly to their right. As always, he looked bored and lazy.
Kakashi arrived an hour ago but was content on listening to the three talking about Naruto's bloodline. He was shocked that Naruto was willing to teach his teammates despite their obvious dislike for him and that made him respect the blonde all the more. Heck, he even tried the exercise that Naruto relayed to his teammates about Chakra Manipulation and all he was able to do was bring out his chakra but not turn it solid like what the exercise was supposed to do. If he, with his Jounin-level skills can't do that then he was sure that the two wouldn't be able to get it.
"YOU'RE LATE!" shouted Sakura.
He ignored Sakura's outburst and scratched the back of his head. "Hehehehe I know Sakura. Anyway, Naruto is right Sasuke. If you want to become stronger then you need to train harder. There is nothing wrong in using power, but you have to work your butt's off if you want to get it. Similar to weapons and tools, even if you have a super sharp kunai, it wouldn't do you much good if you don't know how to use it properly. One example in your clan that was able to surpass everyone is your brother Uchiha Itachi."
"DON'T YOU DARE MENTION HIS NAME IN FRONT OF ME!" shouted Sasuke, jumping up. Hearing Itachi's name made his rage flow out of him in waves. Kakashi just looked at him, not intimidated in the least by the killer intent directed at him by the dark-haired Uchiha.
"I think I should Sasuke. You need to hear what I have to say in order for you to understand Naruto's point and become a strong shinobi of Konoha. You see, Itachi and Naruto both have the same theory when it comes to bloodline. It can either be an asset or a crutch to a Shinobi's life. Why do you think Itachi became the strongest at such a young age even among the standards of your clan? It wasn't because that he was a prodigy or because of the Sharingan. In fact, he told me when we were working together in ANBU that he didn't rely on the Sharingan during his training. He trained without it and keeps getting stronger in both mind and body. Did you know that he only used the Sharingan on stronger enemies just to gain an edge or as a last resort?"
"Kakashi-sensei. How could you praise him like that? He murdered his entire family?" shouted Sakura.
"I know Sakura but you can never deny the fact that Uchiha Itachi is the strongest out of the Uchihas during his generation. I don't condone his acts of murdering his clan but I respect him as a strong Shinobi." He looked at Sasuke. "Sasuke here is the same way. He has the ability to become the strongest, even stronger than Itachi if he only applied himself on the right path." He gave them a smile and beckoned all of them to follow him.
Kakashi guided them to the training logs in one corner of the field. He pulled out an alarm clock and placed it on one of the stumps along with 3 boxes of bento lunches then faced his team. "Ok guys. Now we are going to start your test to see if you're worthy to become Genins of Konoha. What I want all three of you to do is to take one of these bells in order to pass. The test ends when the alarm rings." He raised two bells and pointed to the clock he placed on the stump.
All three Genins saw that there were only two bells and there were three of them. Sakura was the one who voiced out the fact. "But sensei, there are only two bells. Does this mean that only two of us can pass?"
Kakashi smiled. "Correct Sakura. Only two of you will be able to pass and the one who didn't get the bell will be going back for another year in the Academy."
"BUT THAT'S UNFAIR!" complained the pink-haired girl.
"Who said life is fair Sakura?" rebutted Kakashi.
Naruto was confused over the whole test thing that Kakashi mentioned. There is something wrong with this exam and he can't put his finger on it. He decided to drop it for now and see what develops later on. He was interrupted from his thoughts when Kakashi continued.
"So any questions? No? Good. I want you all to come at me with everything you got. I want you to come at me with the intent to kill similar to facing an enemy shinobi. The test will start when I say go…so…GO!" With that, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke moved as fast as they could to the protection of the trees and hid their presence, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.
"They hid their presence well. Not really as good as I thought but good enough for Genins fresh out of the Academy I suppose." thought Kakashi. He was brought out of his musings when he sensed a presence behind him. He turned quickly and saw Naruto standing there with a confused look on his face.
"You know, there is something wrong with what you said earlier." said Naruto in a calm voice.
"Oh? Do tell?" asked Kakashi while smiling at the blonde Genin. "Could he have figured it out already?" he added mentally.
"I can't put my finger on it but I sense that there is some trick to this test."
"How perceptive of you."
"Will you tell me?"
"Ummmm…no."
"Well, if that is the case then I'll just have to force it out of you." declared Naruto.
He settled into his Taijutsu stance and lunged at Kakashi with great speed. He was able to cover the distance in a second and launched a clawed swipe towards his sensei's chest. Kakashi saw this as clear as day so he stepped back to avoid the swipe. Naruto didn't let up so he aimed a well-placed kick that would easily break Kakashi's ribs if it hit but Kakashi was able to block it with ease with an arm. "You're good Naruto but not good enough." taunted Kakashi.
Seeing that his attack didn't work, Naruto disengaged from his Taijutsu attacked and jumped back a couple of feet away from his opponent. He stretched his right arm and 3 kunais slid out from his sleeve onto his hand. He threw the kunais at Kakashi who blocked it using his own. Kakashi was about to throw his own kunai at Naruto but stopped when he heard a sizzling sound below him. He saw an explosive tag attached to the kunais that Naruto threw at him and it was smoking.
"Shit." He cursed as he performed a quick Shunshin behind Naruto before the tag exploded.
Kakashi appeared behind Naruto and rushed at him with a kunai. Naruto felt his presence and immediately reacted by creating a Chakra Blade on his right hand and blocked Kakashi's swing. Metal and solid chakra met with a loud clang. "Damn! That thing is solid!" Kakashi thought. "I guess he wasn't joking when he said that his bloodline can turn his chakra into something solid."
Naruto pushed Kakashi back with a grunt then took a horizontal swipe at Kakashi's stomach which the Jounin was able to dodge by backflipping out of Naruto's range. Naruto didn't let up so he dashed forward and continued to release a barrage of swings and thrust in hopes to land a strategic hit to weaken his opponent but Kakashi either dodged by swerving his body or blocking the attacks with his Kunai.
Unfortunately for Naruto, he overextended one of his thrusts that threw him off balance which Kakashi took advantage off by placing a well-aimed kick to his chest with enough force to throw him back a couple of feet. Naruto was able to right himself and landed on the ground on a crouch, Chakra Blade already gone and one hand clutching his chest in pain. "He's strong" thought Naruto while massaging his stinging chest.
"Not good enough Naruto. You have to do better than that." taunted Kakashi, giving him a lazy smile.
"I'm not done yet Kakashi-sensei." shouted Naruto. He righted his stance, threw both his hands out, and created two Chakra Blades one in each hand.
"Holy Kami. He can make two of them! He shouldn't be a Genin for crying out loud. He should be a Chunnin with the strength he's displaying." ranted shocked Kakashi.
With both blades stretched out at his sides, he lunged forward towards his opponent and raised an overhand swing with his right blade which Kakashi easily blocked with his kunai. Seeing his chance, Naruto swung a low horizontal slash using his left blade while Kakashi's kunai was busy fending off the other. Kakashi saw this and his eyes widened slightly.
Naruto was able to land a hit but before he can congratulate himself, Kakashi poofed into a log with a clean cut in the middle. "Damn, he substituted himself. He could be anywhere." Naruto mentally ranted. "Now where did he go?" He looked around the field trying to get a sense on where his wayward sensei is hiding.
He was caught unawares when two hands shot out of the ground below him and grabbed his ankles. He was yanked down hard into the ground which only left his head sticking out. Kakashi jumped out of the earth in front of him and gave him a smile. "You are underestimating me Naruto. You're good but not that good."
Naruto smirked and activated his Kamigan. His Elemental Orbs immediately materialized on top of him. The Fire Orb released a stream of red-hot flames towards Kakashi who was able to dodge it by jumping to the right. Seeing his chance, Naruto used his control over the Earth Orb to loosen the earth around him, enough for him to jump out with ease. "It's not over yet Kakashi-sensei." shaking the bits of earth that clung to his clothes. He deactivated his Kamigan and threw a shuriken at Kakashi while doing some hand seals as it flew.
Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone.
Kakashi's eyes widen some more when the single shuriken turned into 50 and was heading straight for him. Running out of options, he went through a couple of hand seals himself then spat out a torrent of mud from his mouth which hardened into a thick wall of earth.
Earth Style: Mud Wall
Kakashi's technique easily shielded him from the barrage of shuriken. Naruto saw his chance while Kakashi was temporarily blinded by the wall he created. He willed out his Chakra Blades again and dashed forward. He channeled a bit of chakra to his feet and climbed the height of Kakashi's wall before jumping off which brought him to a perfect attack position from above. With a loud yell, he swung his blades down hard, intent to incapacitate his sensei and retrieve a bell.
Kakashi heard the yell from above and his eyes widened again when he saw Naruto was about to give him a 2-sword slash. He hastily brought out two kunais from his pouch and channeled some chakra into it before intercepting the attack. The strength of the blow was enough to create a mini shockwave that displaced the dust around the two combatants.
Not wanting to be outdone, Kakashi channeled chakra to his muscles and deftly pushed the blonde Genin off him and threw him to the air. He bent down, one hand on the ground and released a vertical upward kick with his body stretched out that hit Naruto straight in the chest. What caught him unaware was when Naruto burst into smoke when the kick met its mark.
"Damn, that was a Shadow Clone. He could be anywhere." thought Kakashi. He looked around the field and tensed for an attack. When none came, he decided to hunt the rest of Team 7 and bring them down before they pull a one up on him.
Naruto was observing the fight between Kakashi and his clone on the field below. He replaced himself with his clone earlier when he was kicked by Kakashi early in their battle. "Good thing I made some clones beforehand." Naruto thought. The memory of that kick made him wince. "I guess I made him go all out there."
When he saw Kakashi dash into the trees, he was immediately on alert. It seems that his attack made Kakashi decide to pick them off one by one. If that is the case, then there is definitely a reason behind this test and it still eluded him. Deciding to think about it later, he closed his eyes and released a pulse of chakra along the training field.
The technique was called Chakra Sonar which Kyuubi taught him during his 1-year training before the Academy. It was a necessity for Kyuubi to have such a technique considering that his enemies were the size of ants so having a pulse of chakra to scour the battlefield and return a few pulses to tell him of their position was a good strategy against multiple foes.
Naruto got a pulse from his Chakra Sonar telling him that Sakura was a few hundred meters to his left. Oddly enough, Sasuke was in the same location as well but from the pulse he got, it seems that Sasuke hid his presence from Sakura. He shook his head then headed off to Sakura's location.
Sakura immediately hid herself when her sensei gave the signal. Her initial goal was to go with Sasuke and discuss with him how to take the bells leaving Naruto in the dust. However, her plan failed when her idol disappeared to another location with no idea how to find him. She hid himself behind the bush and checked out the clearing to find Naruto preparing to battle Kakashi. "Baka. He won't stand a chance." she thought.
However, her initial assumption over the blonde's defeat was thrown out of the loop when said blonde was holding his own against Kakashi. She knew that his teammate was skilled but what she saw in the battle definitely made her jaw drop. "How can he fight Kakashi-sensei with such skills?" she asked herself, unable to believe that Naruto was hiding such strength even during the Academy. "I bet Sasuke is better."
Her jaw further dropped when she saw that the shuriken Naruto threw multiplied which forced Kakashi to resort to Ninjutsu to protect himself and ran up the wall that Kakashi created to almost land a hit on their sensei with an overhand strike.
She became smug when her sensei was able to do an acrobatic kick that hit the blonde in mid-air but was shocked when Naruto disappeared in smoke. The one thing in her head was how Naruto could pull of those techniques as if it was nothing.
She was brought out of her musings when Kakashi appeared beside her giving her an eye smile "Yo Sakura. Found you." He said in a cheerful voice before he disappeared in a swirl of leaves. When her vision cleared, she saw Sasuke's bleeding form in front of her with his eyes wide and unseeing. He was dead! She did the only thing that her rational mind was capable off. She screamed then fainted.
Sasuke was angry. No, he was downright furious at what he was seeing down in the clearing. Naruto was holding his own against a Jounin with practiced ease. What made him angrier was that the blonde was throwing out techniques after techniques that HE didn't know. It was making him angry. "He shouldn't have that power. It should be mine. I need it to defeat Itachi."
He saw Naruto disappear in a puff of smoke and Kakashi moving into the trees. It wasn't his time to attack, he needed to be patient and wait for the opportune moment to strike. He was brought out of his concentration when he heard Sakura scream from behind him. "I guess Kakashi got to her. Useless fangirl."
When the scream died, he focused his senses again. He saw Kakashi walk out of the trees with a smug look on his face. The Jounin walked to the middle of the field and brought out an orange book from his pocket and relaxed. He saw his chance.
"Now's my chance while he has his guard down." thought Sasuke. He pulled out 8 kunais, 4 in each hand and threw them towards his sensei from his position. He was exulted when his attack connected but was shocked when Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke to be replaced by a log. "Shit he knows my position now."
He was right when Kakashi suddenly appeared on top of him giving him his patented eye smile. "Hellllooooo Sasuke."
"Damn it!" cursed Sasuke. He scrambled out from his position as fast as he could and headed straight for the clearing in the center of the training ground. When he got there, he saw Kakashi waiting for him leaning in one of the training logs reading his orange book.
"Not a well-thought strategy there Sa-su-ke-kun. You gave away your position to me quite easily." taunted Kakashi in a lazy voice which infuriated Sasuke.
Not seeing any alternative, Sasuke threw a kunai at his sensei hoping to distract him while dashing forward behind the projectile to engage him in a Taijutsu attack. Kakashi easily saw the attack and dodged it by tilting his head to the side allowing the projectile to harmlessly pass by without pausing from his reading. Sasuke lashed out with a punch but Kakashi blocked it with his free hand which he moved up to block the kick towards his head. Sasuke released punches and kicks which was easily blocked or dodged by Kakashi until his kick overextended which Kakashi capitalized by grabbing his ankles, twisted his body then threw him away.
Sasuke seethed that his attacks didn't even faze the lazy Jounin and was surprised when he was grabbed by the ankle and thrown away. He righted his position and went through a set of seals before puffing out his chest.
FIRE STYLE: GRAND FIREBALL
Sasuke released his jutsu and breathed out a huge fireball careening towards his sensei.
Kakashi's eyes widened at the sight of the huge fireball threatening to roast him alive. "Shit. What are these kids? They shouldn't be Genins if they can pull out techniques out of their ass like this. They should be Chunnins for Kami's sake." he mentally complained while jumping out the fireball's trajectory to avoid getting barbecued. He was brought out of his musings when a barrage of kunais and shurikens came from his left. He replaced himself with a log that took the attack.
Sasuke saw Kakashi replace himself with a log after his projectile attack then rushed forward at an increased speed and aimed a kick to the face. Seeing no choice, Kakashi dropped his orange book to the ground and crossed both of his hands in front of his face which effectively blocked the attack. When he brought his hands down, he saw another large fireball heading straight for him so he dashed back to get away from the blast zone but he saw something that made his blood run cold.
His book!
He reached out trying to save his precious book when a fireball crashed on it effectively turning it into ash.
"Noooooooooooooooooooo! My precious book!" he mentally cried. He raised his head and looked at Sasuke with a vengeful glint in his eyes. "I will avenge you my precioussss!" He breezed through a series of hand seals as fast as the eyes could see and released the same fireball, only twice as big, that Sasuke used to burn his precious book.
FIRE STYLE: GRAND FIREBALL
Sasuke froze when Kakashi leveled him an intense glare that sent shivers down his spine. When he saw Kakashi went through a familiar hand seal and released a fireball bigger than his own, he tried to jump out of the way but the killer intent that Kakashi released earlier rooted him on the spot. He saw the fireball getting closer and closer, as if in slow motion, and raised his hands as if hoping that it would protect him from the attack.
Fortunately for him, the attack didn't reach him when a wall of water appeared in front of him took the force of the fiery projectile and snuffed it out releasing steam in the process. When he dropped his hands, he saw Naruto in front of him with his Elemental Orbs spinning around him.
"Sasuke, snap out of it. We need to regroup!" snapped Naruto while eyes still glued on Kakashi's furious form. "What in the world did you do to him to get him so mad?" asked the blonde.
"Shut up dobe. I don't need your help." grunted Sasuke while shaking off the fear that gripped him earlier. He wouldn't admit it out loud but he was thankful for the blonde assistance that protected him from being barbecued to a crisp.
"Well, from what happened to you just know I think you definitely needed my help unless you want to become a burnt piece of meat of course." said Naruto jovially.
"Get out of here dobe. I'll take care of him on my own."
"Listen here Sasuke. No matter what we do, there is no hope we can take him one by one. He is a freaking Jounin for a reason. We need to regroup and plan out a strategy. I already saved Sakura so we need to go NOW!" demanded Naruto, shouting out the last part to get Sasuke's attention.
Sasuke was about to say something but was cut off when Naruto grabbed him by the shoulder and teleported them out of the clearing in a burst of flame leaving Kakashi to mourn for his lost book.
Naruto and Sasuke appeared at the opposite side of the Training Ground 7 in a burst of flame that startled Sakura. Upon arrival, Sasuke immediately shrugged Naruto's hand off his shoulder and rounded on him. "Why did you do that? I could take him by myself."
Naruto just gave him an incredulous look. "If you don't remember, I SAVED you back there. If you want, I can bring you back there right now and let Kakashi barbecue you again." dared Naruto.
Sasuke closed his mouth with an audible snap and gritted his teeth. He was about to say something when he was interrupted by Sakura. "Stop it you two. He is right Sasuke-kun, there is no way for us to beat kakashi-sensei alone. This is not the time to bicker."
Sasuke rounded on Sakura giving her a glare which she shrunk back from. "What are you doing here?"
Sakura looked down, depressed that her crush was treating her like trash. "Kakashi-sensei trapped me in a Genjutsu but Naruto saved me and brought me here. He said he will get you so we can formulate a plan to get the bells." mumbled Sakura. Sasuke looked livid.
"There is no way for that to happen. There are two bells and I'm going to get one by myself." declared Sasuke, preparing to leave the cover of the forest to confront their sensei again. He was stopped when a wall of earth blocked his path. He was about to jump over it but was held in place when his feet were covered with earth, effectively stopping him in his place. He twisted his body to see Naruto with his bloodline active, his Elemental Orbs spinning around him in a threatening manner. It was an intimidating sight, especially the stern glare that Naruto is leveling upon him. There was something about those eyes that gave him the shiver.
"Stop right there Sasuke. Me and Sakura already figured out the test. If you want to pass then you better get that stick out of your ass and listen." growled Naruto. There was no way that Sasuke's arrogance is going to make him fail this test. By hook or by crook, he is going to make the Uchiha see reason even if he has to drag him on the ground to do it.
Sasuke was shocked. Naruto never took that tone with him before and the threat was clear. The mild-mannered Naruto disappeared and on its wake is a powerful figure that demands his attention. Even his Kamigan was an intimidating sight. He swallowed his pride, for now, and nodded.
Naruto saw the quick change in Sasuke's demeanor so he released the bindings of earth then started to speak. "Good. Now, I found out the true meaning of Kakashi's test."
"But…but Kakashi said the only way to pass if for us to get the bells." stuttered Sakura. She still hasn't recovered from the shout and glare that Sasuke leveled on her. This was a different Sasuke, different from the one she admired from the Academy. She hadn't seen him this angry before and it was an experience that shook her down to her very bones.
Sasuke piped in, adding his two cents. "She's right dobe, and with only two bells, there is no way for three of us to pass." Naruto nodded.
"Correct but there are two things that both of you forgot from Iruka's lessons back in the Academy. One, since the conception of the village, it has always been a 4-man cell – one Jounin sensei and three Genins; and Two, you both forgot that shinobis are well-known for their deception."
"So?" said an irritated Sasuke.
"So, Kakashi sensei lied. Everything he told us reflects the test. One, he commanded us NOT to eat breakfast because he wants to weaken our mental strength through hunger. Two, there are only two bells which he is using to try to sow dissention among us, making us fight each other for the bells. Now try to compare that to what Iruka taught us back in the Academy. Its either Iruka lied to a bunch of potential future Genins of Konoha or Kakashi is lying to make us fail his test. Take your pick." explained Naruto.
Both Sakura and Sasuke were shocked over the deception involved in a simple test. They can't argue with the fact that the blonde was right in everything. If this is the case then…
"So this means that for us to pass, we need to work together…as a team. Right?" asked Sakura.
"Correct, even if we get the two bells, he will be forced to pass all three of us if he intends to follow the rules. And if memory serves me right, there is no way he can disregard a village law when it comes to these things."
"So what now?" asked Sasuke, wanting to get this show on the road. He would never admit it but he was never a strategist. He may be a prodigy but he prefers charging head on and fight in a straightforward fashion.
Naruto gave the two an evil smirk that scared the crap out of his teammates. "This is what we are going to do…"
Kakashi was waiting for his Genin team to attack him. He was currently sitting down on one of the logs in the clearing reading his orange book. Well, it was another copy of his book. Since Sasuke destroyed the one he brought along, he HAVE to do a quick stop to one of the bookstores in the village so he can get another copy. After all, he hasn't finished reading his precious yet. He was still mad at the Uchiha for destroying his old precious and he will pay. Yes, he will pay. He released a mental cackle that would easily put Kyuubi's to shame.
He was brought out of his mental tirade when Sasuke and Naruto burst out from the bushes heading straight for him. He released a mental smile at this. "It seems that they are getting the point of the whole test."
Sasuke burst out of the bushes with Naruto trailing behind him with his Kamigan activated. Their plan was quite simple - overwhelm Kakashi using direct attacks from Sasuke and elemental barrage from Naruto, as well as protect him from Kakashi's jutsus if possible. Sakura would lie in wait either to attack or take the opportunity of a distracted Kakashi to steal the bells.
Channeling chakra to his legs, courtesy of Naruto's advice while they were planning out their strategy, he sped at a sudden burst off speed that surprised Kakashi and lashed out with a chakra-enhanced punch that the Jounin blocked.
Kakashi winced when the hit connected with his arm. "Shit, his attacks are stronger. How in the world did that happen?"
Sasuke smirked seeing Kakashi wince from the attack. It seems that Naruto's advice was working. "The dobe was right. My attacks are stronger if I channel chakra through my arms." He thought. He would never admit it but Naruto was knowledgeable when it comes to chakra. He made a mental note to demand…er…ask the dobe in the future. Pressing his advantage, Sasuke continued releasing a barrage of punches and kicks, this time to hurt Kakashi to keep him distracted.
It seems that Kakashi learned his lesson. Instead of blocking, he was now dodging Sasuke's chakra-enhanced punches in desperation. Who could blame him? Those actually hurt.
Kakashi seeing that determined look in Sasuke's eyes lashed out with his own chakra-enhanced kick that threw dark-haired boy away from him. If he continued to dodge then one might get through and it would be detrimental to his health even if he blocked it. Seeing that it is time to throw the kid's glove off, he went through a couple of seals and released his attacks.
WIND STYLE: AIR BULLET
Three compressed balls of air flew from Kakashi's mouth and went straight towards Sasuke. It wasn't that powerful but it had enough chakra to knock him out. He missed the smirk that crossed Sasuke's face when a wall of earth seemed to shoot out in front of the ground in front of the crouching Uchiha that effectively protected him from the attack.
Naruto was ready when their sensei released his wind attack towards Sasuke. Sending his will towards his Elemental Orbs, a wall of earth shot out in front of Sasuke that prevented the wind attack from connecting. Pressing his advantage, he fired a medium-powered water bullet from his Water Orb that flew towards the Jounin.
Kakashi dodged the water projectile and cursed his predicament. Their teamwork was flawless and easily kept him on his toes. He was wondering where Sakura was and his role in the team but was cut off from his musings when he saw Sasuke jump over the wall that Naruto created and landed a powerful axe kick aimed at his head. He blocked it by crossing his hands over his head but the strength of the chakra-enhanced kick, as well as the gravity involved, made his knees tremble. "Damn, these kids aren't playing around..." his mental rambling was cut off when something impacted him in the stomach, a ball of compressed air similar to his own attack courtesy of a smirking Naruto.
Seeing their advantage, Naruto decided to take the next phase of the plan. "Now Sasuke!" he shouted to his teammate. Sasuke nodded and went through a familiar set of seals and bellowed out his attack.
FIRE STYLE: GRAND FIREBALL
When the attack materialized, Naruto released his own ball of wind and directed it at Sasuke's fireball. Instead of destroying it, the fireball and wind ball combined to create a roaring inferno of superheated flames making its way towards a shocked Kakashi.
"Holy Kami. They combined their attacks. That fireball is now easily S-rank. Damn it, these kids aren't normal. Shit I have to disable Naruto now and take care of Sasuke afterwards." Kakashi mentally ranted. He teleported out of the way just before the fireball hit the ground he was standing on. The impact caused a massive shockwave that rocked the trees in the training ground and everyone felt the intense heat that came from it. He appeared behind Naruto holding a Kunai, easily bypassing his defense. "Surrender now Naruto." Kakashi commanded.
Hearing Kakashi's command to surrender, he smirked that the Jounin missed since he was standing behind him. "I don't think so Kakashi sensei." said Naruto in a playful voice then poofed out of existence.
"Shit. Shadow Clone." He cursed then he heard something that made his skin crawl. He looked down to the ground and saw that it was littered with dozens of exploding tags. "Double shit." he shunshined again before the tags exploded blowing dust everywhere.
Kakashi appeared a few feet away behind Sasuke. He was about to disable the said teen but he found himself unable to move. He looked down and saw that his feet and legs were encased in rocks that easily locked him in place. He was about to do another jutsu but his hands suddenly snapped to his side as wires suddenly wrapped him tight. While he was distracted, Sakura shot out of the bushes behind him and slashed at Kakashi's waist with her kunai, easily cutting off the bells from his belt and ran away to her teammates. Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto were looking at him with huge grins on their faces, well except Sasuke who just shot him an arrogant smirk.
Kakashi sighed. He was outwitted by rookie Genins. This won't look good on his resume. He looked at his team and gave them a smile. "Ok, you got me. The test is over since you already got the bell. Naruto, Sasuke, release me so we can proceed." instructed Kakashi.
Naruto willed the rocks on Kakashi's legs to fall back to the ground and created a wind blade to cut the wires off. "So Kakashi-sensei, what's the verdict?" asked Naruto, smile not leaving his face.
"Well, Sakura got the bells. So Sakura, who do you want to pass, Sasuke or Naruto?" asked Kakashi, hoping to test if they really got the reason for the test. This team has big potential and wouldn't want to fail them over a technicality.
Sakura just grinned and tossed one bell to Naruto and the other to Sasuke which both caught easily. "I will give them the bell sensei so they can pass."
"Are you sure?" prodded Kakashi.
"Yes sensei. I'm sure." insisted Sakura, smirk not leaving her face.
Kakashi sighed and looked at his new team. "Ok then…this means…you pass."
This is my first major fight scene. I hope you like it. Please give me a review to see if you like it or not or if you have some advice for improvement or future battles. PLEASE REVIEW! ~~CorruptMonk