Kakashi and Mizuki hid in trees, waiting and watching what the young shinobi were up to. Kakashi had created a shadow clone and had it hidden, where he knew one of his students would find it. It didn't take very long before he heard Naruto's voice.
"Ha! I found you Kakashi Sensei!" A few seconds later, he called out, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
The two Narutos then charged towards the Kakashi clone. Kakashi's clone dodged the attack and brought the battle out into the clearing. Mizuki grinned and created her own Shadow clone. Kakashi's clone had sent Naruto and his clone flying. Out of the trees behind the clone, Sasuke sprang forth, using his chidori.
Mizuki sent her clone out to protect Kakashi's clone. The Mizuki clone came out of nowhere and grabbed Sasuke's left arm and redirected his attack to the ground. They're protecting each other's backs. Sasuke thought as his chidori came into contact with the ground.
Sakura was hidden in the bushes, watching. This is going to be even harder than before. She thought. Even Sasuke's chidori didn't work.
Naruto went to attack Kakashi's clone and Sasuke, turned to fight with Mizuki's clone. Mizuki and Kakashi both broke the jutsu at the same time, causing Naruto and Sasuke's attacks to hit each other. Both of their eyes widened as their fists slammed into each other's faces.
They were shadow clones the whole time! Naruto thought.
Even their clones were protecting each other. Sasuke thought as he fell to the ground.
Naruto and Sasuke stood up. Naruto looked into the tree line. "Why don't you two come out and face me in person!"
Mizuki looked to Kakashi, her eyes questioning. Kakashi gave her a slight, almost imperceptible, nod. Mizuki grinned as she leaped from her hiding spot and landed in the clearing directly facing Naruto. She intentionally kept her back to Sasuke.
Naruto saw the bell at Mizuki's waist. "I'm gonna get that bell!" He declared.
"Well, why don't you quit talking about it and do it?" Mizuki prodded.
Naruto let out a yell and made his hand sign. "Multi-shadow clone jutsu!"
One hundred Narutos now looked at Mizuki. Her eyes widened slightly. That's a lot of shadow clones. I would expect no less from Minato Sensei's son. She thought. She then took a defensive stance. "Bring it." She said.
The Naruto clones charged, fits and Kunai ready. Mizuki tossed out several Kunai and Shurikan, taking out several of the clones on the front lines. Then she began to use tai jutsu to fight with the other clones.
Now's my chance. Sasuke thought. She's busy with Naruto. He thenbegan to run towards Mizuki, to grab her bell. However, his plans were interrupted by Kakashi.
Kakashi had already moved to the ground and performed his jutsu. "Earth style, head hunter jutsu!" He came up from under the earth and dragged Sasuke down, only his head showing, just as he had done before.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes and let out a low growl. I should have known. Their clones had protected each other. Why would they actually do any different?
Mizuki had with some effort taken out the Naruto clones, but Naruto himself was nowhere to be seen. Kakashi now stood behind her, his back to hers, so that they were both covering each other's blind spots.
"Rasengan!" Naruto shouted jumping out of his hiding spot.
"He's getting better." Kakashi mused.
Mizuki reached her hand out and grabbed Naruto's right wrist, effectively stopping his rasengan from hitting her. She was looking into the boy's eyes as she held him. He looks so much like Minato Sensei, but he certainly acts more like his mother. She thought as she looked into his blue eyes. She then took and tossed him aside, causing his Rasengan to hit a tree.
Man, Mizuki Sensei is really tough. Naruto thought as he went flying. Then he remembered seeing her jutsu that first night he'd met her and what she'd done when those mercenaries came to the village. And she hasn't used her power yet. But I have to get that bell!
After a few more hours of fighting Kakashi and Mizuki disappeared again, causing Naruto and Sasuke to hit each other once again. There were two hours left until the sun would set. Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura all his together, having a meeting.
"They keep protecting each other." Sakura said.
"We come so close and yet at the last second the other one shows up and blocks our attack." Naruto said, frustrated. "There's an opening behind them and then other one just pops up."
"Yeah, I noticed that." Sakura said.
"They're doing it on purpose." Sasuke said. "Why I don't know, but they're leaving the openings on purpose and the other one comes and covers it."
The trio then worked out a strategy and began to make their move. They got up and started walking to get ready to set up a trap.
Naruto worked as the bait. He sent a shadow clone out into the clearing, trying to draw out Kakashi and Mizuki. "Hey come out here you two! Kakashi Sensei! Mizuki Sensei!"
"I do believe they are finally working together." Mizuki said.
Kakashi nodded. "And they have a trap for us."
"Shall we play their game?" Mizuki asked.
"And turn it around on them?"
"Of course, Kakashi." Mizuki replied with a grin.
"I like the way you think."
Kakashi and Mizuki came out of hiding and went to the Naruto clone. Mizuki tossed a Kunai at the clone and taking it out. Just then, Sasuke and Sakura came out of hiding, holding an outstretched wire between the two of them. Naruto and a clone came from the other direction, also holding out a wire.
"Oh, however will we escape this?" Mizuki said, feigning distress.
She and Kakashi then jumped out of the way and behind the young Shinobi. Kakashi grabbed the center of the wire Sasuke and Sakura were holding, causing them to come to a halt and then fly back. At the same moment, Mizuki took out the Naruto clone and grabbed his end of the wire. She then went around, tying the trio up in their own trap. The three young Shinobi sat, struggling to break free.
"It would appear you three have lost." Kakashi said.
Naruto let out a growl. "Well, how are we supposed to take you two out! If Mizuki sensei hadn't of been with you, we would have gotten those bells!"
"That is the point, Naruto." Kakashi said.
Naruto calmed. "Huh?"
"As, I'm sure you figured out, we were leaving ourselves open on purpose." Kakashi began.
"So, that the other person would have to come in and help us out." Mizuki finished for him.
"We worked as a team." Kakashi said. "Mizuki had my back."
"And Kakashi had mine." Mizuki finished.
"That's how it's supposed to work. The entire point of this exercise today was to show you what real teamwork is." Kakashi said.
"When you trust your comrade implicitly."
"And know that you can trust your life in their hands."
"You know, that's really weird how you two finish each others' sentences." Naruto stated.
"It's because we've worked together for so long." Mizuki replied.
"Because we are a team." Kakashi added.
"We trust each other with our lives."
"We know each others' moves and thoughts..."
"Inside and out. We move as if one."
"That's how it works." Kakashi said. "Now to help you three build that trust, I want you to do a little training exercise."
Mizuki untied the three young Genin and let them stretch. "You're going to start small and simple." She said.
"Now watch." Kakashi commanded.
Mizuki stood, her back to Kakashi. She closed her eyes. "You're going to fall backwards and trust that your teammates will catch you." She then began to let her body fall back, completely at ease.
Kakashi stretched out his arms and caught her easily. "Just like that." Kakashi stated. "Now, Sakura, stand with your back to Naruto and Sasuke and fall back. Naruto, Sasuke, you catch her."
Sakura seemed hesitant, but did as she was told. She stood with her back to her teammates. But that was all she stood there. "Come on Sakura, we'll catch you." Naruto said.
"Yeah." Sasuke agreed.
Sakura sighed and closed her eyes. She then fell back. Naruto and Sasuke easily caught her. They then switched out, Naruto for Sakura, and then Sasuke for Naruto. "So, we all did it. What next Kakashi Sensei?" Naruto asked, once they had all three taken their turns.
"Next, we up the stakes." Kakashi answered.
Mizuki headed for a tree and used her chakra to walk up it. She now stood on the bottom of the lowest limb, but she was still thirty feet from the ground. Kakashi stayed in his place twenty feet away. Mizuki closed her eyes and released her chakra, as she began her descent, head first towards the ground.
Kakashi leaped into action and caught Mizuki in mid air, moving her into a sitting position in his arms. Then he landed back where he had been standing and placed Mizuki gently on her feet. "And that is trust." Mizuki said, opening her eyes and looking at the young students.
"I don't think I can do that." Sakura said.
"You have to trust your teammates to catch you." Mizuki told her. "You have to trust that they won't let you fall."
"But..." Sakura said.
"Just go do it. They won't let you fall." Mizuki ordered.
Sakura sighed. She looked back at her teammates and then towards the tree. She headed towards the tree with her head hung in defeat. They had better catch me or Mizuki Sensei and Kakashi Sensei are gonna get it! Cha! Sakura thought to herself. She climbed the tree and stood exactly where Mizuki had stood.
"You, two had better let her fall." Kakashi warned.
Naruto and Sasuke were alert and watching. They trained their gazes on Sakura. She released her chakra and began to fall towards the ground. Naruto instantly raced towards her, sasuke beside him. "I'll get her Sasuke!" Naruto shouted at his teammate. "I've got you Sakura!" He then reached over to shove Sasuke aside, wanting to be the one to catch her.
Sasuke grabbed Naruto's hand to block the attack. The two then ended up fighting. Sakura noticed this and quickly flipped herself around so that she landed on her feet. She then ran over to her teammates and grabbed Naruto away from his fight with Sasuke.
"Naruto! You idiot!"
Mizuki and Kakashi sighed. "This is going to be a long night." Kakashi said.
Mizuki nodded her agreement. Just then Shizune showed up. "There you two are. My lady needs to see you." She said, speaking to Kakashi and Mizuki.
"We'll be right there." Kakashi said with a nod. Then he turned to his students. "Keep practicing the trust exercise until you get it right." Then he and Mizuki left with Shizune.