The Sun Goddess Son
Chapter 26: The Bell Test
Kakashi woke long before he would need to use Sunrise, but as the God of the Sun it is his job to get up before doing so. He gazed onto the other half of his and Yuki`s bed where three pups were curled up together.
His mate had gone to Kamui and wouldn`t be back for a week still. She was to get her first student. Some she wolf that had a Hyuga parent, a branch of the clan but no one seems to care these days. He`d heard the Hyuga clan head Hiashi and the elders weren`t too happy with the pup being taught by an Uchiha, but they relented in the end since Kakashi had already been assigned a team and clan wasn`t about to argue with the Hokage.
The pup will mostly be living with her mentors family as is a custom in the Oina tribe that trainees live with their mentors. It is a way of growing independent of their parents and finding their own place in the pack.
Kakashi shook himself, gave each of his three pups a once over and a lick to the ear and exited his home after summoning his ninken. He left for the Memorial Stone where he spent most of his mornings before missions, making sure that the pups were ready for the Academy and raising the sun.
After finishing with his everyday task Kakashi returned home and woke up his three pups. The first was Kurow. The six year old was in many ways just like his namesake. The pup changed into similar clothes that Kakashi had worn at that age, plus a black and yellow scarf that cowered his lower face and a magpie pendant.
Next followed the twins Minato and Kushina. Minato had silver fur with sun like markings and a black ring in it and golden blue eyes. He wore yellow trousers, t-shirt with black stripes, black and white bandana tied like a mask and a killer whale pendant.
And finally the youngest member of the family Kushina. Her fur was the same silver as her brothers with nine red stripes on her legs, tail, muzzle and ears, with black diamonds on her back, shoulder and haunches. She wore violet and black skirt and t-shirt, black and violet bandana tied around her lower face and a coyote pendant.
After the pups were feed, the ninken stayed as their babysitters Kakashi left for the Academy. He stayed on a nearby tree in his wolf form observing the genin inside. Namely Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura.
Kakashi waited until all other teams left and only Team 7 was waiting inside. He waited a few more minutes before entering the Academy and making his way to the classroom where his so called team was waiting. Kakashi could clearly hear their voices.
˝Naruto!˝
˝Giggle. That`s what he gets for coming late. Surprise!˝
Kakashi shook his head. Would the Hokage be okay if he scared the three genin with his wolf form. Although maybe he could do that some other time, make them think that he was nothing special. The god waited outside the classroom, he decided to wait a bit before entering. He spotted the eraser that was put between the door for a prank. He didn`t hear what the girl had said when Sasuke replied.
˝Hmph. Our teachers a jonin, an elite ninja. You think he`d fall for that.˝
˝Yeah, Sasuke`s right. You`re so clouless Naruto.˝
That is when Kakashi put his hand on the door, opened it and the eraser fell on his head in a cloud of smoke. The blonde Naruto whom had his father`s looks and mother`s personality and reminded Kakashi painfully of the couple that had taken him in after his own parents deaths, laughed loudly proudly proclaiming his victory of pranking him. The pinkete played the innocent card, but was clearly exited of the prank working. And the Uchiha kid gave him doubtful looks.
Kakashi picked the eraser and gave the three genin a once over before giving them his verdict.
˝Hm. How can I put this? My first impression of this group. You`re a bunch of ididots.˝
At that the three looked dismayed.
After that the four went onto the Academy roof. Kakashi and the three genin introduced themselves. Kakashi not revealing anything about himself, Naruto talking about ramen and becoming Hokage, Sakura blushing and Sasuke wishing to kill Itachi.
Then Kakashi revealed the test for their next day, a test that could send them back to the Academy should they fail and warning them to not eat anything in order to not puke.
After that Kakashi shunsined back home and where he was tackled by his three favourite balls of fluff.
The next day went the same with the difference of Kakashi and Team 7 meeting at a training ground near the Memorial Stone. The moment that Kakashi arrived both Naruto and Sakura called at him.
˝YOU`RE LATE!˝
After which their new sensei gave them an Obito worthy excuse, not that the genin knew that. They also didn`t know that Kurow, Minato and Kushina had given their father a hard time before he came, but the twelve year olds didn`t need to know yet.
Then he put a clock on a post and set it`s timer for noon, pulled two bell out of his pocket and gave the genin his instructions.
˝You`re assignment is very simple. You just have to take this bells from me, that`s all there`s to it.˝ He made said objects give a sound. ˝If you can`t get by noon. You go without lunch.˝
˝Hah!?˝
The jonin pointed to three posts. ˝You`ll be tied to those posts and you`ll watch while I eat my lunch in front of you.˝
He looked back at the three preteens whom had miserable faces at the realization of being hungry. The pinkete was the first to point out the fact that Kakashi only had two bells instead of three.
Kakashi gave her an eye smile something that other shinobi were already used to. ˝That way at least one of you will end up tied to a post and ultimately disqualified for failing to complete the mission. That one goes back to the Academy.˝
The three gave him glares at that.
˝Then again all three could flunk out too. You can use any weapons including shuriken, if you`re not prepared to kill me. You won`t be able to take the bells.˝
The girl Sakura objected saying that weapons were dangerous, with Naruto laughing at the fact that Kakashi couldn`t dodge the blackboard eraser. Kakashi then made Naruto lose his temper and the boy came at the jonin with a kunai. Kakashi moved so fast that none of the genin saw him moving behind the boy. Holding said boys hand with a kunai still held in it at the blonde`s head.
˝Don`t be in such a hurry. I didn`t say start yet.˝ Kakashi let go of the boy. ˝But you came at me with the full intention of destroying me. So how can I say this, I`m actually starting to like you guys.˝
The three genin had slight smiles on their faces.
˝Get ready. And… start.˝
The three jumped into different directions. The man stood in the middle of the field whilst talking loud enough to be heard. ˝Ninja must know how to conceal their movements and hide effectively.˝
As he looked around thinking that they understood the point of hiding he was faced with the smaller version of Minato- sensei and Kushina.
˝You and me! Right now, fair and square! Let`s go!˝
Kakashi coked his head to one side, happy for once that he wasn`t in his wolf form and that Kagu wasn`t there to call him cute. When the boy retorted to Kakashi`s comment about weirdness and haircuts Kakashi could only imagine Obito laughing at it.
As the blonde went all attack mode Kakashi reached into his pouch. ˝Shinobi battle techniques part one: Taijutsu. The physical part.˝
The boy probably expected for him to pull out a kunai or the like. Only Kakashi pulled out his Icha Icha book, Naruto adopted a confused expression.
˝What the-!?˝
˝What are you waiting for? Make your move.˝
˝But- I mean- Why are you reading that book?˝
˝Why? To find out what happens in the story of course. Don`t let it bother you. With your weak attacks it doesn`t really matter if I`m reading or whatever.˝
The boy then made as to punch the man in the face but was caught by an arm. Naruto was about to kick him in the head, but again Kakashi knelled. And then just when Naruto would of punched him in the face Kakashi disappeared behind the boy still crouched down with the tiger hand sign already in place.
˝Don`t let your enemy behind you all the time.˝
Then Sakura called out in warning to Naruto whom looked her way, but Kakashi was ready.
˝Too late.˝
The boy looked behind him in fear.
˝Leaf village secret finger jutsu-˝
At first the boy had a look of fear on his face which soon morphed into one of extreme discomfort before being catapulted high into the air and then nearby river.
˝A Thousand years of Death.˝
SPLASH!
˝Okey. Where was I?˝
The rest of the day then involved Naruto making multiple Shadow clones then fighting with them, falling for the same trap twice. Sasuke killing Kakashi, both Sasuke and Sakura running away from their sensei, Sakura being put in a genjutsu to which Kakashi only said one thing.
˝I think I over did it.˝
Then Kakashi found Sasuke in a meadow where the boy set up a trap for him and almost got one of his bells. Then Kakashi trapped the boy under the ground. Kakashi returned to the Memorial Stone just in time to catch Naruto in the act of trying to eat the lunch he had prepared at home that morning with three pups trying and failing in helping him. Sakura fainted at the sight of bodiless Sasuke.
Kakashi then tied Naruto to a post and gave them false of hope which he then crushed by saying that the three should quit as shinobi. Naruto complained and Kakashi told them that the three didn`t think like ninja but little brats. At those words Sasuke went straight for the jonin, but before anything could happen the boy was on the ground with a giant silver wolf paw pressing on his back.
Naruto and Sakura both shrank back at the sight of the silver wolf. The hitai ate was still in place tilted so that it still cowered the jonins left eye. Their sensei had turned into an gigantic wolf and was pressing down on their teammates back. The wolves fangs shone as he spoke to them.
˝You think it`s all about you.˝ Kakashi turned his muzzle towards each of the genin as he spoke to them. ˝You don`t know what it means to be a ninja. You think it`s a game huh? Why do you think we put you on squads? Did you consider that question for one moment?˝
˝I don`t know what you mean.˝
˝I mean you never realized what this exercise is all about, not even close.˝
˝What`s it about?˝
˝Yes. That`s what determines wether you pass or fail.˝
˝But that`s- I mean I wanted to ask you about that from the beginning.˝
˝Tch. Use your head. Three people on a squad. Why do think we would do that?˝
˝HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHY YOU PICK THREE PEOPOLE! WE DIDN`T MAKE THE RULES!˝
˝It`s so basic. Teamwork.˝
˝Just working together is that what you mean?˝
˝That`s what I mean. It`s too late now, but if all three of you had come at me you might have been able to take them.˝ Indicating at the two bells that now hung from a red scarf around his neck. ˝Well anyway, it`s over.˝
He confirmed the fact that he pitied them against each other and went on to tell them of their mistakes. Sakura whom obsessed over Sasuke and didn`t lift a finger to help Naruto. Naruto who does everything on his own. And Sasuke whom thought of the other two as weak. Then Kakashi flashed his fangs near Sasuke`s neck whilst saying.
˝Sakura. Kill Naruto now or Sasuke dies.˝
This action sent the blonde and pinkete into a panic, but Kakashi calmly lifted his head only saying that this happens on a mission. He then raised his paw from the downed boys back and walked towards the Memorial Stone.
˝Did you look at this stone? The names engraved on it. They are all ninja who are honoured as heroes in our village.˝
Naruto got exited only for his mood to be dampened when Sakura explains what KIA actually means.
˝This is a Memorial Stone. The names of my closest friends are engraved here.˝
The three looked on not knowing how to comprehend it all.
Kakashi then turned his muzzle to them. ˝All right I`m going to give you one more chance. But I`m going to make it much harder on you. You`ll have three hours to get a bell. Eat lunch now to build up strength, but Naruto doesn`t get any.˝
The boy in question looked at the wolf.
˝It`s your punishment for breaking the rules and trying to eat by yourself and if anyone tries to feed him that person will immediately fail. I make the rules you follow them. Got it?˝
After that the wolf jumped into the trees concealing his presence from them. He watched the three from a treeline reminiscing about the past. Thinking of Obito when he heard Sasuke. Kakashi uncovered the Sharingan and looked through it at the two genin feeding their teammate.
˝Obito. Did you see that? I`ll never ever forget about you or Rin.˝
He covered the Sharingan with hi hitai ate before he was pushed by unseen hands of his former team. He appeared in front of his genin with hands on his hips with a furious look on his face.
˝YOU….˝ After a moment he gave them a smile. ˝Pass.˝ He told the three the most valuable lesson he`s learned and stuck with since he was their age.
"In the ninja world, those who break the rules are trash, that's true, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash."
As he and the two free genin left Kakashi heard Naruto yelling.
˝YOU GUYS FORGOT TO UNTIE ME!˝