"You're going to be my new sensei?" Naruto asked. Kakashi shrugged his shoulders.
"Looks like it."
The two of them were standing outside of the academy. Naruto looked Kakashi over, seemingly unimpressed by the man.
"Assuming you pass my test, of course," Kakashi added. Naruto adjusted his headband.
"Test? We can still be rejected?" Naruto spotted Sakura and Sasuke coming down the street.
"Of course." Kakashi opened his book, ignoring Naruto's next few questions and complaints.
"Oh, I hope you're not going to be on my team," Sakura complained. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at Naruto. Naruto cracked a smile. Sasuke turned to Kakashi, enthralled in his book.
"Yeah? What of it?" Naruto asked. "You got a problem with me?"
"Yeah!" Sakura got in Naruto's face. "First of all, I don't remember you even passing Iruka's exam! And since I found out Sasuke was going to be on my team, I had my hopes up that our team would actually be skilled!"
"I am skilled!" Naruto jumped up. Sakura scoffed.
"Skilled at being a loser."
"Leave him alone." Sasuke cut into the conversation. Both of them grumbled complaints.
Kakashi looked up from his book.
"Oh. I see the remainders of our group have arrived."
"Are you going to test us?" Sasuke asked. Kakashi closed his book.
"Naturally."
Kakashi led the three genin out into the third training ground. Sakura hopped onto one of the three posts jutting from the ground. Sasuke leaned against another. Naruto sat on the ground.
"Have any of you had breakfast?" Kakashi asked.
"I was busy," Naruto said.
"I don't eat breakfast," Sasuke said.
"I had an apple," Sakura said. Kakashi scratched the back of his head; he revealed a pair of silver bells from his pocket.
"Well. I want the three of you to try to take these from me. Anyone who doesn't get a bell doesn't get lunch."
"What if no one gets a bell?" Sasuke asked.
"No one eats." The three of them grumbled complaints.
"So one of us is gonna have to starve?" Sakura asked.
"I volunteer, Sakura!" Naruto raised a hand. "She's the one that ate breakfast."
"It was an apple!" Sakura whined. The two of them started arguing again. Sasuke's eyes tracked the bells as Kakashi jingled them. He lunged with stunning speed, grabbing for the bells.
Kakashi was faster, planting his foot in Sasuke's stomach and knocking him back against his post.
"I don't recall saying sta—"
"Get him!" Naruto yelled. Sakura jumped at Kakashi from the top of her post. He stepped aside, letting her face plant onto the ground. "Multi-Shadow clone Jutsu!" Naruto summoned several clones, all of them rushing at Kakashi.
"Oh." Kakashi tore through the clones with ease.
Sasuke came from the side, spinning into a kick. Kakashi caught his ankle and swung him into Naruto. The two of them collapsed in a heap.
"Now." Kakashi backed away from the three genin. "Now you can start." Sakura groaned on the ground. Sasuke and Naruto slowly untangled.
"Sasuke, what do we do?" Naruto asked. Sasuke gave him a confused look; it lasted for a few seconds before turning into a glare.
"How should I know?" Kakashi tapped his foot, watching them.
"How about you take the left, and I take the right?" Naruto suggested.
"What does that even mean?"
"Okay, You know what?" Kakashi was suddenly standing between the three genin. "New rule. If I knock all three of you out before anyone steals a bell, all three of you can go back to the academy."
"W-what?" Naruto stumbled backward. "You can't do that!?"
Sakura threw a pair of kunai at Kakashi. He dodged and vanished in a blur.
"Hey, Sakura!" Sasuke yelled. "Look out!" Kakashi appeared behind Sakura, his foot caught her in the side, sending her sprawling,
"Damn!" Sasuke started throwing shuriken at Kakashi. Kakashi caught a few and threw them back. Sasuke dove out of the way and started weaving hand signs. Kakashi lunged, grabbing Sasuke's wrist.
"Get away from him!" Two Narutos appeared, grabbing at Kakashi. Sasuke pulled free.
"Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke breathed a fireball into existence in front of Kakashi.
"Wait, you maniac!" One of the Narutos let go of Kakashi and ran. Kakashi easily evaded the fire.
"What are you doing?" Sasuke shouted.
"Are you trying to kill me?" Naruto yelled back.
"I thought you were both clones!"
"Oh. Wait a minute." Naruto looked himself over. "I am a clone." Kakashi kicked the clone aside and grabbed Sasuke, slamming him to the ground.
"I'm such an idiot!" The real Naruto came charging at Kakashi. Kakashi kicked his feet out from under him, letting gravity do the rest. He whipped out his book and sat down.
"Disappointing, all three of you." Sasuke started to crawl towards Kakashi. Sakura wasn't moving. Naruto was twitching. Kakashi gave Sasuke a sidelong look. "You look pathetic. Do you expect me to take pity on you?" Sasuke started to get up. Kakashi closed his book.
"You don't plan on accepting us no matter what the result is, do you?" Sasuke asked. Kakashi cocked his head,
"What makes you say that?"
"There's no way we could reasonably get those bells off you, not without you showing some kind of restraint." Kakashi set the book down with a sigh. Sasuke got to his feet. "Please."
Sasuke heard the shouting. He wandered to the edge of the village looking around.
"Try harder!" It was Iruka. He snuck through the foliage, spotting Naruto and Iruka. Naruto summoned several clones. "More!" Sasuke blinked, sitting down.
"He worked hard to get here."
"Who's that?" Kakashi cocked his head.
"Naruto." Kakashi gave Sasuke a long look.
"Everyone works hard." Kakashi opened his book again. "Not everyone deserves the fruits of that labor. Some people are just destined for failure." He glanced over his book at Sakura. She'd rolled onto her back. Naruto hadn't moved.
"That's crap!" Sasuke took a step closer.
"Would you—" A movement caught Kakashi's eye. A flash of pink. A jingle. He jumped up, dropping his book. Sakura was on the ground beside him; she'd grabbed a bell.
"I got one!" Sakura yelled. The Sakura on her back went up in smoke. Sakura and Sasuke nodded at each other. Sasuke nudged Naruto with his foot. He was out cold.
"Conniving, aren't you." Kakashi's eye fell onto his book. Sasuke picked it up.
"Hey, Kakashi sensei!" Sakura crossed her arms. "If you don't give us the bell were gonna tear this book up!"
Kakashi didn't budge.
"Just a book." Sasuke shrugged and ripped several pages out. "Stop that!"
"Bell!" Sasuke crumpled the pages.
"Why you!" Kakashi charged. Sakura flinched. Sasuke grabbed another few pages. Kakashi froze. "W-wait. I surrender." Sasuke glared, eyes traveling over the page. Slowly he turned the page.
"What are you reading?"
"Give me that!" Kakashi snatched the book. He shoved the torn pages messily inside and shut the book with an exasperated sigh. Sakura sat down.
"Do we win?"
"You guys surprised me." Kakashi set the book down. "I was expecting the three of you to turn on each other."
"Were not that stupid." Sasuke sat next to Sakura.
"I assumed you'd only fight as individuals. But you even attempted some admittedly shitty teamwork." He scratched his head.
"Maybe I have regressed over the years." Kakashi shook his head. "Well. Meet me here tomorrow at 8." He walked away, just like that.
Kakashi approached the memorial stone, silently gazing at it. The sun was high in the sky.
"It's been a while since I've seen you here," Iruka said, walking around the stone. "How were my students?"
"Surprisingly talented considering you taught them," Kakashi remarked. The two of them shared a laugh. "I may have misjudged them."
"Old man Ichiraku!" Naruto charged into the Ichiraku booth. "I brought friends!" Sasuke and Sakura trailed behind him.
"Good afternoon!" Teuchi raised his hands, shouting. A few customers groaned at the sight of Naruto.
"Come on, you guys!" Naruto took a seat at the table. Sasuke and Sakura hesitantly joined him. "I can't believe you've never been here!"
"Not once," Sasuke said. "I don't eat much." Sakura and Naruto shared a look.
"W-well, hey old man, give me three of the regular!"
"Sure thing!" Teuchi gave a thumbs up.
The three genin sat in silence for a few minutes.
"Do you guys know about the Uchiha massacre?" Sasuke finally spoke.
"Yeah," Sakura said.
"I think so," Naruto tapped his chin.
"My brother killed everyone in our clan but me." Sasuke tapped the table impatiently.
"Why?" Naruto asked.
"I don't know." He touched his forehead, seemingly lost in memories. "It's my lifelong goal to avenge my family." He stared up at the ceiling. Naruto swallowed hard. Sakura stared at Sasuke.
"My lifelong goal is to become Hokage." Naruto held out a hand to Sasuke. Sasuke looked him over. He hesitated for a moment but took Naruto's hand.
"Hey, what about me?" Sakura leaned over. The two of them let go and turned to her.
"Well, what do you want?" Naruto asked. "Aside from being a pain in the neck." Sakura glared at him before thinking it over.
"I want to be the strongest." They stared at her for a moment.
"If you say so," Naruto scoffed. "When I'm Hokage, I'll be the strongest!"
"We'll see about that!" Sakura slapped the table. The two of them started to argue. Sasuke glanced down at his hand. A small smile formed on his face.