Chapter 16

The following morning comes. Zunia and Yokubo are waiting in the middle of a large field. Menma is nowhere to be found.

"Surprised Menma's not here" said Zunia.

"Probably over slept" said Yokubo. Zunia looks as someone approaches. As they get closer, she sees its Menma.

"There you are" said Zunia. "Where have you…." Zunia suddenly stops as she sees Menma's hands covered in blood.

"You have an accident or something?" asked Yokubo. Menma stares at the blood on his hands.

"No, just handling some business before coming. Menma walks past them sitting on a small stump. Zunia looks at Menma with a somber and sad look.

Meanwhile, Naruto and his team arrive in their spot. Naruto's looking quite tired as he approaches. Sakura looks just as tired with Sasuke not showing any emotions. The three of them don't say a word and just stay quiet. Hours pass and their sensei isn't there. The sun is high in the sky shining brightly. Suddenly Niseo comes walking through the forest covered in leaves and branches. He approaches the group.

"Morning guys" said Niseo.

"You're late" said Naruto and Sakura.

"Oh, well I got kind of lost you know, can't really see." The three of them look at him annoyed. "Ah well, you're not interested in the small things like that."

"Can you hurry up? We don't have all day."

"Right, right" said Niseo. He places a clock down. "This is set for noon." Niseo takes out a mask. The mask is completely white with two red markings on the side and the leaf symbol on the forehead. He puts the mask on his face.

"Um, what's with the Mask sensei?" asked Sakura.

"Well, its part of your test" said Niseo

"Huh?" said Naruto.

Sasuke scans the mask getting a shocked look. "That's an ANBU mask" said Sasuke.

"Very good Sasuke" said Niseo.

"Anbu?" said Naruto. "What's Anbu?"

"Elite ninja, specializing in covert missions" said Sasuke. "They execute their goals without fail or hesitation."

"You're giving me too much credit" said Niseo. "I'm a former ANBU and figured I'd break out this mask for this."

Naruto crosses his arms in tilts his head to the side. "Um…I don't get it" said Naruto.

"Don't worry about it too much Naruto. Now no more talking while I explain the goal." Niseo takes a deep breath. "In order to pass and become full-fledged Genin, your goal is to take my mask off and hold on to it until noon. If you can't, you go without lunch. You'll be tied to the stumps over there while I eat my lunch and of course fail the test. A little lesson in how harsh the world can be.

Naruto starts to freak out a little while Sakura and Sasuke gets annoyed looks.

"Wait," said Sakura. "You only have one mask. Does that mean only one of us passes?"

Niseo laughs. "Well, that's a possibility; though none of you could pass meaning you all fail which is another possibility. It just depends on you." There's an awkward silence. "You can use any weapon including shuriken and kunai. If you aren't prepared to kill me, you won't be able to take the mask."

"But those weapons are too dangerous sensei" said Sakura.

Naruto places his hands behind his head. "Relax Sakura, this guy can't even see. This test will be easy." said Naruto.

"Keep thinking like that and you'll be humiliated the most." said Niseo. "Then again, you do have the lowest scores so what does that say about you, loser." Naruto grunts in anger. "When I say start you can begin." Naruto takes out a kunai getting ready to charge Niseo. He's suddenly stopped as Niseo appears behind him holding a kunai to Naruto's neck.

"Really eager to fail aren't we?" said Niseo. And Sakura back away with shocked looks. "This is good; you came at me with the intent to kill." Niseo lets go of Naruto. "Now get ready" Everyone takes their positions. "Start" they jump away.

Menma's team is still waiting for Kakashi to come. Menma lies down on the ground staring up at the sky. "What a pain" he said. "It's been hours and yet nothing, not even a single hint that he's coming."

"Maybe he got lost" said Zunia.

"For five hours?"

"…um maybe he…um…."

"Maybe he just gave up" said Yokubo. "Decided not to be bothered and just blew us off."

"It's funny how little you think of me" said Kakashi as he approaches.

"You're late" said Menma.

"Sorry, a black cat crossed my path so I had to take the long way."

"Black cat?" said Zunia.

"Do you expect us to believe that?" said Menma.

Kakashi looks at Menma seeing the blood on his hands. "…right. Let's get started." Kakashi places a clock down on a small post. "It's set for noon." He takes out two small bells tied to a string. "The task is simple, all you have to do is take these bells from me and you pass."

"You only have two. Did you forget one?" asked Zunia.

"No, I didn't"

"So only two of us can pass huh? Seems kind of pointless to have three men to a squad if only two of us can pass" said Yokubo.

"It's interesting you say that" said Kakashi.

Why do I get the feeling that that was some kind of hint? Thought Zunia.

"You're allowed to use weapons including kunai and shuriken. If you're not prepared to kill me, you won't get the bells" said Kakashi.

"Understandable" said Menma. He gets into a ready position. Yokubo does the same. Zunia looks at the two of them for a moment and does the same.

These kids, they seem focused thought Kakashi.

"When I say start you can begin" said Kakashi. "Ready, and, start!" The three of them scatter leaving Kakashi alone.

"Ninja must be able to conceal their movements and hide effectively" said Niseo. Sasuke and Sakura hide in nearby trees and bushes watching Niseo carefully. "Good, you got that part down, at least most of you." Naruto stands before Niseo. Niseo gives a confused sigh.

"You and me right now fair and square" said Naruto.

Niseo sighs in disappointment. "I'll let you in on a little secret Naruto, this method of fighting won't help you win."

"You're wrong; I'm going to crush you." Naruto charges at Niseo. Niseo then suddenly disappear in front of him. Naruto stops in confusion. He's suddenly tapped on the shoulder from behind. Naruto turns and sees what appears to be a younger Niseo right behind him. Wearing the same Jonin clothes and mask. Naruto jumps back away from him.

"What's wrong Naruto?" said Niseo sounding like a little kid.

"What happened to you?" said Naruto.

"I thought this would make things easier for you, fighting on a more level playing field making things…easier for you. You are just brats after all."

Annoyed Naruto charges at him he goes for a punch. Niseo blocks it. He then goes for a spinning kick. Niseo duck under. "You're mine!" yelled Naruto going in for another punch. But Niseo get behind him.

"Your moves are too sporadic and open, very easy to counter." He does a tiger hand sign. "Leaf Village secret finger Jutsu" he shoves his fingers in Naruto's ass. "Thousand years of death" Naruto shoots up high in the air landing in the water. "No form, no structure, no strategy, so sloppy." Suddenly, two shuriken shoot from the water towards Niseo. He catches both of them with his fingers. "And a lack of foresight, pathetic."

Meanwhile with Kakashi, he's looking around the area. Menma's team is nowhere to be found. "Very effective, they've hidden well" said Kakashi. Suddenly, Menma approaches Kakashi. He looks at him in confusion.

"Okay sensei, let's start"

"You know, I probably should have predicted this, you do tend to be more…direct."

"You have no idea." Menma does some hand signs. 'Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu'

"What, genin can't you fire style, takes up too much chakra, there's no way."

Menma shoots out a large fireball from his mouth. It head in Kakashi's direction.

That fireball jutsu, it's different than a normal one thought Kakashi. Kakashi ducks inside the ground.

'Earth Style: Crushing Quake' the ground starts to cave in where Kakashi was what's left is kakashi's mangled body twisted in the ground. Menma walks up to the hole to see.

"That was…too easy" said Menma. He remains on guard. Kakashi's body suddenly disappears leaving behind a destroyed log in its place.

"Pretty good strategy" said Kakashi walking out from behind a nearby tree. "Force me into a situation where I get caught in an earth style jutsu. It's quite clever.

It would have if it was planned out thought Menma. He looks in the direction of Yokubo.

Yokubo was staring at Menma from inside a nearby bush. "Sorry Menma" said Yokubo. "But I can't afford to lose here. I'll be getting those bells, not you."

Zunia looks on observing the two of them. She appears to be planning something.

"If memory serves, you can't use earth style" said Kakashi. "So was it Zunia or Yokubo that did that jutsu?" Menma smirks. He does a series of hand signs.

'Fire Style: Blinding Flare Jutsu' Menma shoots a very bright flame from his mouth. The light is so bright that it's hard to see. The light soon fades and Menma's nowhere to be seen.

A jutsu to blind the opponents, thought Kakashi. Menma is defiantly quite the strategic person. A huge log suddenly comes crashing through the trees as it comes straight at Kakashi. It hit Kakashi directly sending him flying through the trees. Menma was the one that threw that log as he slowly walks in the open.

"What do you think Kurama?" said Menma in his head.

"I know him quite well" said Kurama. "He's not even trying right now."

"Figured as much"

Kakashi jumps high in the air landing in front of Menma. "You're defiantly strong, I'll give you that much. But pure strength won't be enough to—"

'Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu' A clone of Menma sends a large fireball comes at Kakashi from the left. Kakashi barely sees it coming. He does some hand signs. 'Water style: Blocking Wave' a large wave of water comes from the nearby river and comes in between Kakashi and the fireball blocking the attack. Steam erupts from the two jutsu making contact covering the area.

I didn't even notice when he made the shadow clone. Thought Kakashi. This might actually be a challenge.

Suddenly a large amount of kunai comes at Kakashi. He takes out his kunai and blocks them. From Kakashi's left comes Menma going in to strike him. Kakashi puts his arm up to block the punch. Menma smirks as he just phases through Kakashi.

"Clone jutsu" said Kakashi. He feels a sharp pain on his right side as he just got hit by a kunai. He back away real fast escaping the mist landing a few feet away from it. He pulls the kunai out his side.

"Well he's persistent." said Kakashi.

Suddenly the earth caves in on Kakashi.

"I have you now!" said Yokubo. The ground swallows Kakashi up.

"No!" said Menma as he rushes towards Kakashi to grab the bell. Kakashi chuckles and does a hand sign. 'Lightning Style: Piercing Bolt" a large lightning bolt comes from the sky striking down at the ground in a flash disorienting both Menma and Yokubo. Kakashi escapes the earth trap hiding in the trees nearby.

"Dammit, stop getting in the way" yelled Menma.

"I'm not, I'm taking advantage of an opening that's all" said Yokubo.

"No, you're trying to steal my bell."

"Your bell?"

The two continue to argue. Kakashi shakes his head with disappointment.

"Something's not right. There's got to be more to this test than just getting the bell. With our current skill set, there's no way we can beat him one on one" said Zunia. She thinks back to what Kakashi said with Yokubo mentioned the team. "Why would only two of us pass? Two bells, three ninja, one of us fail..."

"It's important to have comrades to rely on. You can't just rely on your own talents Kana" said a voice in Zunia's head.

"Right brother, I have to rely on other. Others…." Zunia then gets wide eyed as if she realized something. "What if the point of the test is...?"