(Flashback- Night of the Mizuki incident)
"... And after thorough reconnaissance, the Taki Jonin commander and I agreed to launch a coordinated attack the following morning before sunrise. At the time of the assault, my team and the Taki team approached the encampment from opposite sides and engaged the enemy. The full details of the combat will be described in my written report, but, suffice to say, we faced little resistance. Within ten minutes, all the bandits were eliminated. Afterward, the Taki and Konoha teams reconvened, summarized our encounters, and departed to our respective villages," Kakashi concluded.
Kakashi stood in front of the Hokage's desk, hands clasped behind his back, head held high, and with an even gaze directed at the Hokage. When the situation called for it, Kakashi could be the picture of a serious shinobi. One didn't get to be a respected Anbu Captain without having some respect for authority.
Kakashi had just finished giving his report on his joint mission with Takigakure to eliminate a large encampment of bandits near the Konoha-Taki border that had been disrupting trade routes for weeks. It was another joint mission between the two villages. It was part of the Hokage's plan to strengthen ties with the Waterfall Village to ensure that they would remain their allies in case of a conflict with Iwa. So far, from Kakashi's perspective, the plan seemed to be going smoothly. He had taken part in several of these joint missions and had worked with the same Taki shinobi several times. Obviously, he was not privy to the finer details of the plans or the communications between Village leaders, so Kakashi did not know how the relationship was genuinely progressing.
"Very well, Kakashi. Thank you." the Hokage stated, signing a form to signify the completion of the mission. "I expect your full written report in two days."
Kakashi nodded in reply. After a few seconds, once he was sure the Hokage was not going to say anything else, Kakashi visibly relaxed. He settled into his familiar, relaxed posture and sat down on the chair in front of the Hokage's desk. Then, he reverted back to his lackadaisical personality and opened his favorite orange book while waiting for the Hokage to finish signing the last documents.
The Hokage stamped the final piece of paper and silently signaled for an Anbu to appear. In the blink of an eye, the masked Anbu knelt in front of the Hokage, stoically waiting for his leader's orders. "Deliver this document to the archives department and a copy to Shikaku Nara," the Hokage ordered, handing a document to the shinobi. The Anbu silently nodded and blurred away to fulfill the Hokage's orders.
Once the Anbu was gone, the Hokage breathed a heavy sigh and retrieved his favorite pipe from the top drawer of his desk. With a tiny spark of fire chakra, Hiruzen ignited the meticulously packed and expensive tobacco. After several puffs, the pungent odor of smoke filled the office as the Hokage enjoyed one of the few luxuries he permitted himself.
The Hokage blew several smoke rings into the air and enjoyed the brief respite from his duties for a minute before he spoke. "So," he began, turning his attention to Kakashi. "In one week, you will be getting a team. One I am fairly certain you will pass," the Hokage added glibly.
Kakashi nodded and slipped his book back into his vest. "Unfortunately." Kakashi heaved an exaggerated sigh. "There goes all my precious free time," he added sarcastically, making the Hokage chuckle. Kakashi had been one of the Village's busiest shinobi throughout the past couple of years. He had led countless missions and had become the face of Konoha throughout their protracted negotiations with Taki. Also, he had increased his personal training throughout this time, further enhancing his skill level. Kakashi had told the Hokage that he needed to be prepared for what was coming, both the seemingly inevitable conflict with Iwa and his new genin squad. Consequently, if there was one thing Kakashi did not have, it was free time.
Hiruzen leaned forward and adopted a severe expression on his face, instantly changing the room's atmosphere. "Do you think they're ready?" Hiruzen questioned seriously.
"Definitely," Kakashi replied without a moment's hesitation. "Both Naruto and Sasuke have been training hard for the past couple of years and have improved immensely. In terms of raw skill, both boys are easily chunin level. They both know a variety of offensive and defensive Jutsu, are proficient in their taijutsu styles, and possess above-average physical attributes," Kakashi summarized. He paused for a moment, mulling over his following sentence. "However," he continued, "What they need most right now is experience. They are both incredibly raw and have never TRULY been tested. Every spar and training session has never had any real sense of danger. Whenever Naruto and Sasuke sparred, they were never trying to gravely injure each other, and, when they sparred me, I always hold back. They're both talented, but they need to experience the ninja world for what it truly is: bloody, violent, and deadly," Kakashi finished grimly.
Hiruzen sighed and leaned back in his chair, taking another puff of his pipe. "I know," he said morosely. Kakashi knew that the Hokage viewed Naruto as a grandson, so it would be difficult for him to send Naruto into the ninja world. His reluctance had nothing to do with Naruto's skill level, but rather his desire to protect Naruto from the horrors that awaited. It was difficult for Hiruzen to act objectively with Naruto and not dote on him, but, as Hokage, he had to do what was right for the Village. And, without a doubt, Naruto becoming a shinobi was right for the Village.
Kakashi could see the Hokage's reluctance and decided to ease some of his concerns. "Besides, it's not like they'll be alone out there. They'll have me as a safety net," Kakashi said with a reassuring eye smile, lightening the mood. "I haven't been slacking off in my training, and I'll be more than enough of a deterrent to ward off most potential threats. If Iwa or anyone else does try anything, I'll make sure to remind them that my reputation was justly earned. So don't worry. They're more than ready..." Kakashi trailed off as Naruto burst into the room, disrupting his conversation with the Hokage.
Naruto hurriedly explained that he was a clone and that there was a situation with Mizuki and Sasuke. Kakashi had a bit of a hard time following Naruto's ramblings, but he could piece it together at the end. When the Hokage said he would send an Anbu squad to back them up, Kakashi stepped in and volunteered himself in their stead.
After Naruto's clone dispelled, Kakashi turned his attention to his grumbling leader. "Naruto just graduated, and he's already causing me headaches," the Hokage complained, tiredly rubbing his temples. Kakashi chuckled, turned around, and strolled to the door.
"Shouldn't you be in a hurry?" Hiruzen called, questioning why Kakashi wasn't in a rush to save his student.
Kakashi waved dismissively over his shoulder. "Meh. They'll be fine. Mizuki is a pretty average to below-average chunin. Those two are more than enough to deal with him. I'll just go and make sure that Mizuki is working solo and that there aren't any other threats." With that, Kakashi turned and gave a quick salute to his leader and shunshined away.
(End Flashback)
Kakashi reflected on his meeting with the Hokage the night of the Mizuki incident while he lounged in a chair in an Academy hallway. He was waiting for the right time to go pick up his new genin team. Granted, the technical time he was supposed to pick them up was two and a half hours ago. Unfortunately for the new genin, it wouldn't have been cool to be early, and Kakashi was all about being cool. Also, it gave Kakashi a little extra time to mull over his future.
Kakashi honestly did believe that Naruto and Sasuke ready to enter the ninja world. Kakashi had seen the two boys grow in leaps and bounds the past two years, both skill-wise and personally. Naruto had become more willing to trust others and had steadily increased his circle of precious people. Sasuke had slowly, agonizingly slowly, begun to open up and let people in. Kakashi could count the people Sasuke actually cared about on one hand, but progress was still progress.
'Besides,' Kakashi thought, 'It helps my case since they both prevented a potential disaster.'
After several hours in Torture and Interrogation under the tender care of Ibiki Morino, Mizuki had cracked and confessed everything. Mizuki revealed that he had planned to deliver the Forbidden Scroll to Iwa in return for a hefty payment and a place in their shinobi ranks, although Kakashi sincerely doubted Mizuki would have received either of those rewards once he got to Iwa. More than likely, he would have been killed to cover any tracks.
Regardless, this was another disturbing incident that pushed Konoha and Iwa towards their seemingly inevitable conflict. Unfortunately, there was nothing official that tied Mizuki's actions back to Iwa. The confession of a traitor extracted through severe torture was hardly ironclad proof. If Konoha openly accused Iwa of this action, they would simply deny their involvement. Then, it would be a case of Konoha's word against Iwa's, and Konoha would receive no compensation.
Nevertheless, this did not mean Konoha sat idly by and let Iwa act with impunity.
Kakashi knew the Hokage had commissioned a mission, although he did not know the operation's specifics because he was not involved. However, based on his extensive experience in Anbu and familiarity with the Hokage, Kakashi could surmise what the Hokage would do.
First, they would send Anbu to damage Iwa's supply lines and destroy incoming shipments of food. Second, and most importantly, they would damage their water supply. Iwa was located in a relatively dry climate with little exposed freshwater. Therefore, they relied almost exclusively on groundwater and had several large water filtration plants scattered across the country. Konoha would cripple some of these plants, rendering them inoperative. This would force Iwa to devote precious resources to both repair the plants and import freshwater instead of funding shinobi operations.
Kakashi was reasonably certain he was accurate with his assumption, but there was no use in further dwelling on that. He was not a part of that mission, and he needed to shift his attention to his new team.
There had been some protest amongst this year's jonin sensei when the teams were announced. Some claimed that Team 7 was disproportionately strong by placing the two highest-ranked graduates on the same team. They claimed that this made the teams unbalanced and ignored the tradition of placing the Rookie of the Year with the dead last. The Hokage had been quick to refute these arguments by stating that he did not care.
"Why does it matter if the teams are balanced?" The Hokage asked rhetorically. "All that matters are results and creating the best possible teams. No one outside of Konoha will care if the Rookie of the Year isn't paired with the dead last. To think so is asinine." After that stern rebuttal, there had been no more vocal dissent.
Regardless of the pushback, the Hokage was not going to change his mind on the teams. Both he and Kakashi knew that Naruto and Sasuke had to be on the same team. They were a strong duo who already had established chemistry and understood each other. Sasuke was immensely reluctant to let people in and trust them, so there would be a steep learning curve if he was put on another team. Unfortunately, these two would also be prime targets for enemy shinobi, so they needed to have a strong jonin to protect them. With the exception of possibly Gai, Kakashi was the strongest jonin in Konoha, so it was the obvious choice that he would be their sensei. Kakashi had increased his training the past several years to prepare himself for this role, so he was more than ready for any challenges they faced.
With two genin and the jonin sensei decided, all that left was the third and final slot, which is where the Hokage and Kakashi ran into a bit of trouble. There was no obvious choice for the third member of the team. Even though Hinata and Ino were both familiar with Sasuke and Naruto, neither was added to the team. Hinata was assigned to Team 8 with Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame to create an effective tracking team. Each of them had exceptional sensing abilities, and the team makeup suited them for this specialized role.
In regards to Ino, she was assigned to Team 10 with Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi. Their parents had formed a legendary team and showed that their clans' abilities were compatible. Also, the clan heads had petitioned the Hokage to put their children on the same squad. Therefore, the Hokage had placed the three heirs together in hopes that they could recreate the chemistry and success of their predecessors.
That left a lot of civilian children for Kakashi to fill out the final slot. After some consideration, the Hokage and Kakashi decided that Sakura Haruno would be the best fit. She may not have been the perfect choice, but she was the best of what was left. She had exceptional chakra control. 'Mainly due to her minuscule reserves,' Kakashi added internally. She would make a sufficient support ninja to round out the team, and Kakashi planned to introduce her to medical ninjutsu. Kakashi knew Naruto and Sasuke could be a bit reckless at times, so they would need someone to patch them up.
Kakashi checked the clock in the hallway and saw that almost three hours had passed since he was supposed to pick up his team. "Well, that should be good enough," Kakashi said aloud and stood up and stretched. "Time to go pick up those little brats."
Naruto sat on the Academy's rooftop, glaring annoyedly at Kakashi. When he heard that his part-time sensei was now going to be his full-time sensei, he was ecstatic. He was glad he would have a sensei who actually wanted to help him train and didn't care that he was a jinchuuriki. However, that joy slowly turned to frustration the longer Naruto waited for Kakashi to show up. Three hours of sitting and waiting in the Academy's uncomfy chairs was two hours and fifty-five minutes too long for Naruto's tastes.
Kakashi snapped his familiar orange book shut and looked at the now seated genin. Naruto sat on the far left, Sasuke sat in the middle, and Sakura sat next to Sasuke. "Well, hello there," Kakashi greeted with an eye smile. "My name is Kakashi Hatake, and I have been assigned as your jonin sensei. Since this is my first time meeting you, why don't we introduce ourselves?" Kakashi lied to try and make Sakura not feel left out,"
"What should we say, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked.
"Likes, dislikes, dreams, that sort of thing," Kakashi answered, waving dismissively. He felt introducing yourself was pretty self-explanatory.
"Can you go first, Sensei? So we know how to do it?" Sakura inquired again.
Kakashi gave her eye smile, "Nope!" He said cheerily, stunning Sakura. "Blondie, you go first," Kakashi said, gesturing at Naruto.
Naruto gave Kakashi a quizzical look, wondering why he was pretending not to know them but shrugged it off. 'Kakashi's weird sometimes,' Naruto thought.
"Sure! My name is Naruto Uzumaki. My likes are training, my pets Haruki and Tabi, my close friends, toads, and ramen," Naruto beamed, always happy to talk about his favorite things. "My dislikes are close-minded people, selfish people, traitors, people who are mean to my friends, and the three minutes it takes to cook ramen. Finally, my dream is to become the greatest Hokage ever, dattebayo, and make people see me for who I really am!" He finished with an excited fist pump in the air, making Kakashi chuckle. Of course, he already knew these things, but it was always fun to see Naruto get worked up over ramen and being the Hokage.
"Good. You next, broody," Kakashi said, pointing at Sasuke. Sasuke's eye twitched in irritation but held back an angry retort. Kakashi always knew how to get under his skin.
"Hn. My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I don't have many likes, but I enjoy training and getting stronger to accomplish my purpose," he stated gravely. He was about to continue when he noticed Naruto staring at him with a deadpan expression. Sensing his friend's annoyance and not wanting to hear about how he was acting "too damn gloomy" from Naruto later on, Sasuke spoke again. "I also like my cats, Shiro and Kuro, and my friends," he added grudgingly, earning a nod from Naruto.
"I dislike many things, and my dream is not a dream. It is a goal, a reality. My purpose is to kill my brother and avenge my family," Sasuke said darkly with a fierce look in his eye. This time, Naruto didn't do anything. He just sat silently, letting the somber atmosphere envelope the rooftop. He had expected that answer from Sasuke, and it was the truth. That was Sasuke's dream, and Naruto wasn't going to make him lie about it.
"Alright, you next, pinkie," Kakashi said, not commenting on Sasuke's dream.
Sakura gawked at Sasuke. She had never heard him mention killing his brother or anything like that. However, she shook it off and smiled at Kakashi. "My name is Sakura Haruno. My likes are Sasuke-kun and books. My dislikes are..." Sakura glanced at Naruto, "certain people." Even though Sakura tried to be subtle, everyone noticed the look. The friendly smile Naruto had been wearing during Sakura's dropped off his face, and he looked down sadly. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, not liking the implication of Sakura's glance, while Kakashi expertly concealed his disappointment.
"And my dream is to..." This time she glanced at Sasuke and squealed, not bothering to finish her sentence.
After several seconds, once he was sure she was done, Kakashi clapped his hands together. "Alright then. It's been... okay meeting you all. That wraps it up for today. Meet me tomorrow in Training Ground 7 at 8 AM for a team exercise. Don't be late! Oh, and I suggest you don't eat breakfast. You might end up throwing it up!" He finished brightly, disappearing in a puff of smoke.
Sakura was walking home from her first team meeting, and she was in a particularly bad mood. At first, she was elated that she was on the same team as Sasuke. She figured that this would finally allow her to spend some quality time with him and develop a closer relationship. However, when she asked him if he wanted to go get lunch to celebrate their team assignment, he had rebuffed her extra harshly. Sakura was sadly used to Sasuke ignoring her requests or him giving a noncommittal grunt, but today was different. He seemed annoyed, almost angry at her. Sakura had noticed him scowl and clench his jaw when she implied that she didn't like Naruto, but she had ignored it at the time.
This train of thought made her think of her other teammate, Naruto. To say she had mixed feelings about him would be an understatement.
Growing up, all she ever heard from her parents, friends, and friends' parents was that she should stay away from Naruto. Her mom said he was "dangerous," and her dad said he "should not be trusted."
Sakura believed them. She trusted them.
They were her parents, and she looked up to them. They were a family of well-off civilian merchants who worked hard to get where they are. They were kind people, too. They donated portions of their profits to the local food bank, helped out their neighbors, and were friendly to everyone who came into their store. They never lied to her or gave her any reason not to trust them. On the contrary, they were always upfront and honest with her, and they supported her when she decided she wanted to join the Shinobi Academy. Furthermore, her friends' parents all said something similar to what her parents said. That he was "scary," or "bad," or "only causes trouble." So if all the grownups are saying the same thing, it has to be right.
Right?
At least, that was what Sakura told herself growing up, to convince herself. But, in truth, she just wanted to fit in with the other kids, so she started following what they were doing. She never stood up for Naruto when people picked on him or defended him, and, after a while, she joined in.
While she did become more popular with the rest of the kids in her class, her actions towards Naruto put a significant strain on her relationship with Ino. Sakura and Ino used to be so close, and Sakura considered Ino her oldest friend. Unfortunately, it was clear that Ino had developed a stronger bond with Naruto, and she started to spend more time with him than with Sakura. Sakura had tried several times to persuade Ino to leave Naruto alone, repeating the same things her parents told her. This led to numerous arguments where Ino vehemently defended Naruto and tried to convince Sakura that he wasn't as bad as everyone said. However, Sakura trusted her parents more than she trusted Ino.
After a while, the two silently agreed not to talk about Naruto around each other to preserve their friendship. Sadly, their friendship today was just a shell of what it once was. They were old friends, and it seemed that nostalgic bond was the only thing holding them together.
Sakura was so lost in thought that she almost walked right into her front door. 'Darn it,' she muttered internally, 'Pay attention, Sakura.' Sakura retrieved her house key and opened the door to her family's comfy home. It was a pleasant two-story house with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a nice kitchen. It wasn't anything ostentatious, but Sakura loved it.
"Mom!" Sakura called as she slipped off her shoes. "I'm home!"
"Hi, Honey! I'm in the kitchen. Why don't you come on in, and I'll make you a snack. Then you can tell me about your new team!" Sakura's mother called back gleefully.
Sakura walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table while her mother, Mebuki Haruno, finished preparing her meal. She was a fair-skinned woman with short blonde hair and green eyes, and she was wearing a pretty white dress with red circles around the bottom. Mebuki smiled lovingly down at Sakura and handed her a snack of rice cakes, freshly prepared sushi, and sliced apples.
"So," Sakura's mother began, sliding into the chair opposite Sakura, "Tell me about your day." Sakura smiled and recounted her day, starting with team assignments. She explained that she had to wait for her new sensei to show up and described her brief interaction with him. She finished up by telling her mother that she had to be at Training Ground 7 tomorrow morning for another test.
"Well, I'm thrilled you're on a team with Sasuke-kun, Dear. I know how much you like that boy," she said coyly, giving her daughter a little wink.
Sakura blushed and averted her gaze. "Stop it, Mom!"
Mebuki chuckled at her daughter's reaction, but, after a moment, her bemused expression changed to a frown. Sakura saw her mom open and close her mouth several times. After several seconds, her mother sighed and pursed her lips.
"Sakura," she spoke, all traces of mirth lost from her voice. "Be careful around Naruto. He is... dangerous. It's better if you just stay close to Sasuke and your sensei. Don't ever be alone with him," She finished gravely, leaning forward to emphasize her point.
After a moment's hesitation, Sakura nodded. "Yes, Mother," Sakura acquiesced. However, Naruto's warm smile when Sakura began her introduction and sad face when she hinted that she didn't like him flashed through her mind. Sakura frowned internally and couldn't shake the phrase Naruto said earlier from her mind.
"Close-minded people."
Sakura saw her mother open her mouth again with the same expression on her face, indicating she would talk more about Naruto, but Sakura cut her off. She'd had enough of this discussion for today.
"So, why don't you tell me about your day, Mom?"
The following day, Sakura trudged into Training Ground 7 at 7:30, trying to rub the sleep from her eyes. She had followed Kakashi-sensei's orders and not eaten breakfast, and she made sure to get to the training ground extra early. She wanted to make a good impression, after all.
Fifteen minutes later, Naruto jogged into the training ground, a bright smile on his face. He was ecstatic to begin his first day as a genin. The second his alarm clock sounded in the morning, he popped out of bed. He quickly got ready, fed Haruki and Tabi, took Haruki for a short walk, and made sure he had all his shinobi supplies before leaving his house. Naruto saw Sakura and realized he was not the first one, but he had expected that. Sakura was always one of the first people to arrive at the Academy.
"Good morning, Sakura!" Naruto called, waving enthusiastically. "How are you?"
Naruto's sudden and quiet appearance (he had been working on his stealth the past several months, and he had gotten quite skilled at it) startled Sakura and caused her head to jerk up. She paled slightly when she saw that it was Naruto, and her mother's words raced from yesterday through her mind.
She hurriedly looked down and muttered, "Fine," just loud enough so Naruto could hear it.
Naruto's waving hand slowed down until it flopped to his side, and his joyous smile slipped off his face. He opened his mouth to speak again but closed it a moment later, and the two of them settled into an uncomfortable silence.
Thankfully, five minutes later, Sasuke slowly walked into the training ground. Both Sakura and Naruto were happy to see Sasuke, albeit for different reasons. Sakura was delighted because her crush arrived, and Naruto was glad that there was someone else here to alleviate the tension between him and Sakura.
Sasuke ignored Sakura's enthusiastic greeting, not bothering to acknowledge the person who was rapidly becoming one of the people Sasuke actually disliked. It was bad enough that she obsessed over him and kept ignoring his blatant signals he was not interested, but she also disliked his only real friend for, in his opinion, a stupid reason.
Naruto had still yet to tell Sasuke his secret, but Sasuke wasn't considered gifted for nothing. After some research, he had pieced it together, but he wasn't going to be the one to broach the topic with Naruto. Naruto told him he would tell him after the team assignments, so he assumed that would be today or tomorrow. He could wait that long.
The three of them sat in silence, waiting for their sensei to show up. After thirty minutes, Naruto groaned loudly and plopped down on the ground. "Damn it, Kakashi. I didn't think he would be purposefully late for something like this. I mean, this is an official genin test, not a training session!"
Sasuke scowled and muttered a curse under his breath. Then, he walked over to a tree and sat down in the shade, leaning his back against the trunk. Sasuke knew it would be a while before Kakashi arrived, so he figured he might as well get comfortable.
Sakura looked between the two boys, confused as to what they were talking about. 'How do they know Kakashi-sensei is going to be late? Do they already know him?'
Naruto noticed Sakura's confused look and gestured at the ground. "You might as well get comfortable, Sakura. Kakashi has an irritating habit of constantly arriving late for things. I'm not sure how long he'll be. It could be another 30 minutes, could be three hours. He likes to switch it up," Naruto finished with a grin, attempting to lighten the mood.
Sakura looked unsure for a moment but did as Naruto suggested. She walked over to the tree next to Sasuke's and sat down in the shade. She was close enough to still be near him but far enough away to give him some space.
After another hour, Sakura's stomach made a loud gurgle, making Sakura blush and grab her stomach. Naruto looked up from the scroll he reading on advanced wind manipulation and gave Sakura a questioning look. "Did you not eat breakfast?"
She responded with a look that said 'Duh' without actually verbalizing it. "Yes. That's what Kakashi told us to do," she snapped, extra cranky due to her empty stomach.
Naruto shook his head and reached for one of his pouches. "No. He merely suggested it. It is crucial a ninja have proper fuel for a mission or training, so they can perform their best. Here," Naruto said as he retrieved a ration bar, "Eat this. It's a ration bar. I always keep a stockpile of them with me. They don't taste great, but they'll give you the energy you need." Naruto smiled kindly and tossed Sakura the bar.
Sakura caught the bar and stared warily at it. She didn't want to eat it at first, but her grumbling stomach quickly changed her mind. "Thanks," she muttered as she bit into the offered food.
It was another hour and a half before Kakashi finally arrived in Training Ground 7.
"Good afternoon, everyone!" He greeted cheerily.
"Why are you so late?!" Sakura yelled, throwing her hands in the air. The sitting around and waiting had gotten on her nerves, and she was beyond irritated at this point.
"Oh, you see," Kakashi answered, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, "I forgot to set my alarm last night, so I overslept. Also, it didn't help that I went to training ground SEVENTEEN by mistake. I was waiting there for an hour for you guys to show up before I remembered it was training ground SEVEN. My bad guys," he finished with a chuckle.
Naruto stared at him, deadpan, for several seconds. "That's lazy, even by your standards, Kakashi. If you're going to lie, at least try harder."
Kakashi eye smiled at the blonde, "I'll keep that in mind for next time! Thanks, Naruto." Naruto opened his mouth to protest that there shouldn't be a next time but was interrupted by Kakashi.
"Now that we're all here, let's go over the test. It's pretty simple. All you have to do is get one of these bells to pass, and you will officially become a genin. On the other hand, if you don't get a bell, you will fail the test and be sent back to the Academy," Kakashi said as he dangled two silver bells in front of the genin. "The hard part is that I will be keeping the bells, and the only way to get them will be to take them from me. So I suggest you come at me with the intent to kill. Otherwise, you won't stand a chance."
"But, Sensei, there are only two bells," Sakura stated uneasily, unnerved by the last part of Kakashi's instructions.
"Huh, looks like there are. Well, I guess only two of you will pass then!" Kakashi replied brightly, ignoring the horrified looks on his students' faces. "You have two hours to get a bell." Kakashi continued, not giving his potential students any more time for questions. He retrieved a timer from his pouch and placed it on one of the training posts. "Your time starts... now!"
The three genin jumped away, each in a different direction, while Kakashi stood motionless in the center of the training ground. He retrieved his signature orange book from his pouch and settled into a comfortable position. 'Let's see if they'll figure it out.'
Naruto squatted on a tree branch on the training ground's outskirts, observing Kakashi. He was hidden well enough behind the foliage that Kakashi wouldn't see him. Naruto had been watching Kakashi for the past five minutes, waiting to see if he would pursue them or take any action of his own. Instead, he calmly stood in the middle of the training ground, one hand shoved in his pocket and his face buried in his book.
Once Naruto was sure that Kakashi wasn't going to act, he allowed himself to think about the test. 'Something doesn't feel right about this,' he thought. Naruto had heard of an apprenticeship in the shinobi world, where there was one teacher and one student, but he had never heard of a three-shinobi genin team. Every Konoha genin team that Naruto had ever seen or read about consisted of one jonin and three genin.
Naruto suspected there was something more to this. He remembered Kakashi emphasizing the importance of reading underneath the underneath during their training, so Naruto tried to do that. On the surface, it was a relatively simple test. Get a bell, and you pass. But that was much easier said than done. No fresh genin should be able to beat a seasoned jonin. Naruto knew he and Sasuke were skilled, but, even together, they stood no chance against Kakashi. On the few occasions where Kakashi had sparred against the two of them, he had made it clear he was well out of their league.
So, Naruto thought about the lessons that Kakashi was always trying to teach him during training, and one thing stood out to him. Kakashi was always harping on the importance of teamwork. Naruto recalled Kakashi's favorite saying, "Those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."
"So this is about teamwork," Naruto muttered to himself. He figured that this test was to see if he, Sasuke, and Sakura could work together to accomplish a mission. "That's easier said than done," Naruto muttered as he leaped off his tree branch, heading deeper into the forest.
After several leaps, Naruto stopped once he confident he was far enough away from Kakashi to do what he planned. Naruto bit his thumb, drawing a bit of blood. Then, he performed several hand seals and carefully placed his hand on the branch he stood on. There was a small puff of smoke, and a toad about the size of Naruto's head appeared. This toad was neon green with a white belly and large, protruding eyes. He wore a black beaded necklace and a matching bracelet on his right wrist.
"Hi, Gamashen," Naruto said quietly, conscious of Kakashi's extraordinary hearing. "Can you find Sasuke for me?" Gamashen looked around, taking in his surroundings before his eyes settled on Naruto. "Ribbit," Gamashen replied, nodding his head. The toad formed a ram seal and closed his eyes.
Gamashen was one of the hundreds of toads Naruto had met since he signed the summoning contract. Naruto learned that different toads specialized in different areas of the shinobi world. For example, Gamaken and Gamabunta were toads that specialized in close combat and could use various Jutsu. Gamarisu, the other toad Naruto met that first day with Jiraiya and the Hokage, specialized in genjutsu and dabbled in medical Jutsu. Others specialized in non-combat aspects. For example, Naruto had met a tiny toad that could swallow him whole and carry him around undetected, perfect for stealth missions.
Gamashen's specialty was sensing. He could detect individual chakra signatures, locate seals laced with chakra, and gauge the amount of chakra a person had. Naruto had Gamashen familiarize himself with all of his closest friends and senseis' chakra signatures so that he could find them when he needed them.
Gamashen knew Sasuke's chakra well and located it fairly quickly. Gamashen opened his eyes and looked at Naruto. "Ribbit," he croaked, gesturing for Naruto to follow him. The two vaulted through the trees and, after a minute, found Sasuke. Naruto noticed that Sasuke's muscles were tensed, and he had just retrieved a kunai from his pouch. Knowing that Sasuke was about to engage Kakashi, Naruto leaped down next to him and put his hand on his chest, stopping Sasuke from jumping forward.
"Wait," Naruto whispered.
Sasuke jerked, clearly startled by his friend's sudden appearance. "What are you doing?" Sasuke hissed, irritated that he had been stopped from getting a bell and passing the exam.
"Just listen to me for a second," Naruto pleaded. "There's more to this test." Naruto explained the revelation he had several minutes ago and his realization that this was about teamwork.
Sasuke knelt there, quietly listening to his friend's explanation. It did make sense to him. There were no two genin teams, and Kakashi was always emphasizing the importance of teamwork. 'It is like Kakashi to create a test that isn't what it seems,' he grumbled internally. Besides, even if Naruto was wrong, his chances of getting a bell went up if he worked with Naruto.
"Alright," Sasuke nodded and looked at Naruto. "What's our plan?"
Naruto grinned, happy that Sasuke wasn't fighting him on this. "First, we need to get Sakura."
Sasuke immediately scowled. "Why do we need her?" He asked, clearly confused why Naruto would want to work with someone as incompetent as Sakura.
"If this test is about teamwork, Kakashi will want us ALL to work together. He already knows you and I fight well together, so he wants to see if we can include Sakura and work with her. This is a TEAM test, and, whether we like it or not, she is a part of the team," Naruto explained, emphasizing his point about their need to work as a group.
"...Fine," Sasuke growled, a scowl still on his face. "How are we going to find her?"
"Same way I found you, with Gamashen." Gamashen hopped into Sasuke's line of sight and croaked. "Gamashen, can you find another person for me? They'll be the only other chakra signature in the area beside Sasuke, Kakashi, and me," Naruto described to Gamashen. The toad nodded his head and formed the ram seal. After several seconds, the toad opened his eyes and croaked, signaling for Naruto and Sasuke to follow him.
After a couple minutes of stealthily moving through the trees, Naruto and Sasuke found Sakura. She was hidden on the other side of the clearing, crouched behind a bush. She was fiddling with a shuriken, eyes darting around anxiously.
"Sakura," Naruto whispered. Naruto caught the shuriken that Sakura threw reflexively at him, having expected her reaction. "Calm down. It's just Sasuke and me." Naruto and Sasuke jumped down and landed next to Sakura.
"Sakura," Naruto began. "You have to listen to us. This test is more than just getting a bell. This test is about teamwork. None of us can defeat a jonin, let alone someone like Kakashi. So he's testing us on whether we can work together."
Sakura appeared apprehensive, clearly not trusting Naruto. Seeing Sakura's hesitance and not having the patience for anymore waiting, Sasuke interceded. "Sakura, listen to him," he commanded. "He's telling the truth." They were running out of time, and Sasuke did not want to hear Sakura complain.
Sakura wavered, torn between her distrust of Naruto and her loyalty to Sasuke, but eventually nodded.
Naruto grinned, "Alright! Now, this is our plan..." Naruto whispered, gesturing for Sasuke and Sakura to lean in.
Kakashi stood in the middle of the clearing, nose buried in his book. He was at a particularly steamy passage when, unfortunately for him, he heard a rustling from one of the bushes near the edge of the clearing.
'I guess they're finally going to do something,' he thought to himself. Even though Kakashi hadn't looked up from his book since the start of the test, he had still been keeping track of his potential students' locations. He'd noticed that they were all in one area a while ago but had since split up. 'Let's see what they've got up their sleeves.'
Half a dozen shuriken flew from across the clearing towards Kakashi. Without looking up from his book, Kakashi palmed a kunai and easily deflected the incoming projectiles. As the last shuriken hit the ground, Naruto and Sasuke rushed from opposite sides of the clearing towards him. Book still in hand, Kakashi leaped backward at the last moment, intent on making the two genin crash into each other.
Instead, right before the two collided, Naruto cupped his hands in front of his waist. Sasuke jumped off the ground and placed one foot in Naruto's hands and was propelled high into the air. Right as he reached the apex of his flight, Sasuke flashed through several hand seals and inhaled deeply. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!" (1)
'Not bad teamwork. Good start.' Kakashi remarked internally as he performed a quick shunshin to escape the Jutsu. He reappeared 20 yards away from the blast of the fireball and slipped his book into his pocket.
Kakashi saw Naruto sprinting towards him and form his favorite hand seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto called, creating half a dozen clones. Naruto and his clones closed in on Kakashi and engaged him in a flurry of taijutsu. Every kick or punch Naruto threw was effortlessly batted away, but it was an unending barrage. Each strike that Kakashi deflected was followed up by another from a different angle. However, after several seconds, Kakashi realized that Naruto was leading him somewhere. Every time he tried to leap to the side, a clone would appear to stop him. Soon after Kakashi had this realization, he heard the distinctive snap of a wire being stepped on and, a moment later, the ground exploded.
As the smoke cleared, instead of a charred and burnt Kakashi, all that remained was a splintered log. Kakashi stood at the edge of the clearing, undeterred by the explosion. 'Sakura must have planted that since both the boys were busy, and I haven't seen her yet. Good job of utilizing their teammate's strength to set a trap. They're doing well so far.' Kakashi took in his surroundings and observed Naruto and Sasuke standing 30 yards in front of him. 'Still no Sakura, though. Smart. Keep the support ninja in hiding and allow her to launch surprise attacks.'
Naruto and Sasuke stared down Kakashi, waiting for the jonin to make a move. After several seconds of Kakashi doing nothing, the two decided to act. Naruto went through multiple hand seals and placed his palms on the ground. "Earth Style: Earth Flow River!" (2) The dirt in front of Naruto quickly transformed into a muddy torrent and rushed towards Kakashi, intent on knocking him off his feet.
Simultaneously, Sasuke performed hand seals of his own. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" (3) Two dozen small fireballs shot from Sasuke's mouth and scattered in a wide arc, limiting Kakashi's potential escape routes. As soon as he finished the Jutsu, Sasuke summoned two Fuma shuriken from his weapons pouch, using the same summoning seals Naruto used, and flung them both straight at Kakashi.
Recognizing that there was no easy escape route, Kakashi performed his own Jutsu. "Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!" (4) A stalwart earth wall rose out of the ground directly in front of Kakashi. Naruto's Earth Flow River and Sasuke's projectiles crashed into Kakashi's defense but could not break through, creating a massive plume of dust. Kakashi had pumped extra chakra into the Jutsu to ensure that it would withstand the bombardment.
Once the dust started to settle, Kakashi noticed Naruto rush around the side of the wall and move to engage Kakashi. Kakashi dodged the first punch to the head and went to block the follow-up kick to the ribs. However, when he went to block, Kakashi's arm passed right through Naruto's leg. Kakashi was thrown off balance, having shifted his weight forward to absorb the blow. 'A regular clone... must have been created by Sakura. Naruto exclusively uses shadow clones, and Sasuke seldom uses clones at all.'
Sasuke emerged from the opposite side of the wall, hands already in the ram seal. "Lightning Style: Lightning Ball Jutsu!" (5) Four high-powered lightning balls formed around Sasuke and hurtled towards Kakashi. Even though he was off-balance, Kakashi still managed to hastily push off the ground and jump backward. It was a good thing, too, because the lightning balls shattered the already weakened wall as soon as they collided.
As Kakashi landed, he noticed the area directly above the wall was assailed with a stream of shuriken and kunai. 'Looks like Sakura had planned for me to jump over the wall, which means Naruto...' Kakashi looked up and saw Naruto high in the air performing hand seals. "Wind Style: Wind Bullet Jutsu!" A massive wind bullet, larger than the fireball Sasuke created, sped towards Kakashi. Just as Kakashi prepared to dodge, he felt the ground underneath his feet rumble. Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed another Naruto with his hands pressed against the grass.
"Earth Release: Moving Earth Core!" (7)
The ground under Kakashi shot up towards the incoming Wind Bullet, leaving Kakashi no time to jump away. The combination of the Wind Bullet's power and the rising earth's speed was devastating, causing the pillar to shatter and rubble to be scattered across the clearing.
Silence smothered the clearing, with Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura all holding their breaths for the dust to settle to see if they had defeated their sensei. But, unfortunately, instead of a bruised and broken Kakashi, they saw splinters of a shattered log.
'That was very well done. Incredible teamwork. They've definitely done enough to pass.' Kakashi thought to himself as he hid in a tree on the outskirts of the clearing. 'Well...' He stood up from his perch and cracked his neck. 'Time to end this.'
Kakashi jumped down from his branch and landed in the clearing, not bothering to hide his presence. "Not bad," Kakashi intoned, slowly clapping his hands to get the attention of the genin. "Not bad at all. Unfortunately for you all, I still have both bells. And, now, it's my turn," he said wickedly.
Kakashi blurred forward and delivered a harsh kick to Sasuke's chest, feeling the distinctive crunch of a broken rib. Sasuke curled around the blow and gasped as the air was forced from his lungs. Sasuke rocketed backward, bouncing painfully off the ground several times. Kakashi moved to follow Sasuke's flailing form but was stopped by a horde of Naruto clones. Dozens of clones surrounded Kakashi and immediately attacked. Kakashi flipped out a kunai from his pouch and went to work dispatching the horde. Kakashi was like a tempest as he tore through the clones, swiftly eliminating them.
After the last clone dispelled, Kakashi saw Naruto helping Sasuke up. He slipped the kunai back into his pouch and shunshined behind them. Kakashi picked the unsuspecting boys up by the collars and hurled them across the clearing, only coming to a stop when their bodies crashed into the trees. The two slowly managed to get to their feet, but they were quickly assailed by Kakashi.
Naruto and Sasuke tried to defend themselves as best they could, but Kakashi's superior strength and speed combined with the injuries they suffered were too overwhelming. Kakashi effortlessly broke through their blocks and outmaneuvered them. After several seconds of feeble defense, Naruto and Sasuke were knocked out by dual chops to the back of the neck.
They had been thoroughly dismantled by Kakashi, showing them the difference between a seasoned jonin and fresh genin. This was precisely what Kakashi wanted. He had never gone this hard on them in their training, but he knew the two needed this. They were both skilled, but they needed to know actual, utter defeat before entering the shinobi world. Pain now would save them from death later.
Nodding to himself, knowing that he had done what he wanted to, Kakashi waited a couple of seconds until his clone emerged from the forest carrying an unconscious Sakura. He did not feel the need to go as hard on her as he did the boys. A simple, stealthy knockout was enough for her.
Naruto was woken up by the shrill ringing of an alarm. He blearily blinked his eyes and took in his surroundings. He was in the middle of a training ground, it was daytime, and... 'Oh shit! Kakashi's test!' Naruto tried to get up but realized he couldn't. He glanced down and saw he was tied to a post by some rope. Frantically looking around, he noticed that Sasuke and Sakura were tied up next to him, and they were slowly regaining consciousness, too.
"Well, hello there! Nice of you to finally wake up!" Kakashi beamed, standing in front of the trio. He dangled two shiny bells in front of them and smiled. "As you can see, you all clearly failed the test, meaning I should send you back to the Academy..." Kakashi let the statement hang in the air for several seconds, savoring the looks of dread that crossed his students' faces. "But I won't. Because you all passed!"
Kakashi put the bells back inside his pocket and straightened up, adopting a more serious expression. "This test wasn't to see if you could get a bell from me. None of you could or should be expected to. This test was to see if you possessed the most fundamental characteristic of a Konoha shinobi: Teamwork. If you learn anything from me, let it be this: Those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum.
Remember those words. Put them to memory. That is how Konoha prevails. That is how Konoha became and still is the most powerful nation in the shinobi world. By working together as a team, as a cohesive unit, a group of shinobi can conquer seemingly insurmountable odds."
Kakashi allowed his words to sink into his students, ensuring that they would remember this lesson. After a minute, Kakashi relaxed and gave an eye smile. "Well, congratulations! We are now officially Team 7! Meet here the day after tomorrow for our first official team training. I think you all need a day to recover. Bye!" He cheerily said and shunshined away, leaving a small cloud of smoke in his wake.
Naruto couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. Finally, he was officially a genin! He had passed Kakashi's test and was one step closer to being the Hokage. He moved to get up but quickly realized he was still tied to the pole.
"Kakashi-sensei! You forgot to untie us!"
"Kakashi-sensei?"
"KAKASHI!" Naruto yelled, his voice echoing across the Village.
Naruto stood outside the imposing Uchiha Clan Compound's gates, working up the courage to open them. It was the night after their team exam, and Naruto had a promise to fulfill.
He was certainly glad that Kakashi had given them the day off because he woke up that morning agonizingly sore. Getting out of bed was an arduous and painful process. Every muscle in his body hurt, both from the thrashing he suffered from Kakashi and the fact that he was tied to a pole in an uncomfortable position for several hours.
He hadn't left his apartment for the whole day and had allowed himself to just laze around, covered in ice packs. Even with his increased regenerative abilities due to the Kyuubi, he needed the day off from training.
Now, though, Naruto needed to go into the Uchiha Compound and tell Sasuke about his burden. Naruto had promised Sasuke he would tell him after the genin exams, and that had come and gone. He took one last breath and retrieved the key Sasuke had given him. As far as Naruto knew, he was the only one other than the Hokage who had a key to the Compound. Although Naruto thought to himself, any ninja could just jump over the walls, so the key was more a formality than anything. 'Still, it's nice to have it.'
Naruto pushed open the gate and walked in. No matter how many times Naruto came here, he was still unnerved by how quiet and empty it was. Whole blocks of buildings were boarded up and dark, making the entire place seem like a ghost town.
As he was walking through the Compound, Naruto noticed something small walking towards him. It took Naruto a second to recognize what it was due to the time of the day, but he realized it was one of Sasuke's cats. Specifically, it was the black one, Kuro.
Naruto had found that Sasuke's two cats had very different personalities. Kuro is very independent and enjoys wandering around the clan compound throughout the day. He always came home for meals and never left the Compound, but it was clear he liked his freedom and was an outdoor cat. Shiro, on the other hand, preferred to just stay in the house and nap. She had her favorite nap spots and never wandered too far from them.
Kuro walked up to Naruto and nuzzled Naruto's leg, letting out a loud purr. Naruto knelt down and scratched Kuro between the ears. "Hey there, Kuro. Nice to see you, too, buddy. I'm going to see Sasuke. Come on."
Naruto stood up and continued his trek to Sasuke's house, Kuro following slowly behind. Even if Naruto didn't know where it was, it would be easy to find. It was the only house with the lights on. Naruto walked up to the door and knocked. Naruto waited a minute until Sasuke opened the door. Sasuke nodded at him, clearly unsurprised that he was there, and gingerly moved aside so could Naruto enter.
"Come in," he grunted, clutching his ribs. Out of the two of them, Sasuke had definitely sustained the worse injuries. Kakashi had fractured one of his ribs and given him a nasty bruise on the side. Even with the help of medical ninjutsu, he would still be in pain for the next several days.
Naruto followed Sasuke into the kitchen and sat down at his table, while Sasuke walked to the sink and poured two glasses of water.
Sasuke set one down in front of Naruto and took the chair opposite him. An uncomfortable silence settled between the two. Sasuke was clearly waiting for Naruto to speak, knowing the reason for his visit, while Naruto was unsure how to begin. Sure, he had practiced this speech several times in his head, but that was much different than telling his friend. Naruto took a deep breath, steeled himself, and looked Sasuke in the eye.
"Do you remember the Kyuubi incident that we learned about in school, right?"
Sasuke silently nodded.
"Well, what we were taught wasn't exactly the whole truth. The Yondaime did defeat the Kyuubi, but he didn't kill it. It's not really possible to kill a bijuu, so the Yondaime had to do the next best thing. He had to seal it away. Unfortunately, the Kyuubi couldn't be sealed into a scroll, or it would escape. The only thing strong enough to hold it was a human. The Yondaime could not seal it into himself or another adult because the strain on their chakra coils would have instantly killed them, unleashing the Kyuubi again. The only human that could withstand the massive influx of the fox's chakra was a baby with unformed chakra coils."
Naruto took a shaky breath and closed his eyes, readying himself for what he was about to say. He hadn't said it out loud since the day he and the Hokage talked about his status.
"I was the baby the Yondaime sealed the Nine-Tailed Fox into. I am the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi."
Naruto waited with bated breath for Sasuke's reaction. However, instead of shock or anger or disgust or all the other emotions Naruto had imagined, Sasuke simply nodded and took a sip of his water.
"I know." Sasuke ignored Naruto's stunned expression and continued speaking. "I pieced it together last week after that incident with our old sensei. I know about Jinchuuriki from textbooks, and once Mizuki referred to you as the "Fox" and a "demon" it all made sense. The way you are treated like an outcast, your massive chakra reserves, and your ability to heal quickly. I'm honestly disappointed in myself that I didn't realize it sooner."
"So… What do you think?" Naruto asked nervously.
Sasuke didn't respond for several seconds as he gathered his thoughts, looking up at the ceiling. "Well, I know you are not the Kyuubi. That's for sure." Naruto released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.
"I've spent enough time around you and your summoning seals to know that just because something holds another thing in a seal, it doesn't make it that thing. I also know you are not the monster people say you are." When he said that, Sasuke's eyes darkened.
'I know what a real monster looks like,' Sasuke thought darkly.
Naruto leaned back in his chair and heaved a sigh. It felt like Gamabunta had just been lifted off his shoulders. Even though Sasuke did not verbalize, Naruto understood the meaning of what Sasuke said. To Sasuke, Naruto is still Naruto. Nothing had changed.
Naruto beamed, not bothering to hide his joy and relief that covered his face. It was nerve-wracking, to say the least, but he had done it. He had told one of his friends he was a Jinchuuriki. Naruto stuck out his hand for a fist pump, shaking Sasuke from his dark thoughts. Noticing his friend's joy, Sasuke couldn't help but slightly grin and reciprocate the gesture.
The two settled into a comfortable silence for a couple minutes as they sipped their water before Naruto stood up.
"I should head back. I'm still pretty sore from Kakashi's 'lesson,'" Naruto added with air quotes. "I think we should both rest up for tomorrow." Sasuke nodded, grimacing as he stood up and slowly walked Naruto to the door. As Naruto left the clan compound, he couldn't help but bounce in excitement.
'Being a genin is going to be awesome!'
(2 Weeks Later)
"Being a genin sucks!" Naruto lamented, slamming his head down on the counter.
Ino giggled at her friend's actions but nodded in agreement. Naruto and Ino were currently alone in her family's flower shop, both having finished their training and missions for the day. Naruto had come over to help Ino unload and organize a new shipment of flowers from Waterfall Country, something he had noticed was becoming more and more frequent. This time, they received a variety of rare orchids and hibiscus plants. It was a shipment that Naruto was sure Konoha paid a lot for.
Naruto always enjoyed helping Ino out in her shop. He relished being around all the plants and bright colors, and he got to spend some quality time with one of his best friends. It was rare that he could hang out with one of his friends outside of shinobi duties, so he savored it. No missions, no training, no teammates. Just time to relax and be a kid.
Ino's parents were fine with Naruto being alone with their daughter. They both liked Naruto and knew that he was one of Ino's oldest and best friends, and they did not share any of the prejudices that other villagers harbored. Initially, however, Inoichi was hesitant to allow his only daughter to be alone with a boy her own age. Fortunately for Naruto, Ino's mother had eased her husband's concerns. She reminded him Naruto was a kind boy and that these two were both children. "They're 12-years-old Inoichi. Relax." She had explained to him, annoyed that her husband was already paranoid about their daughter and boys.
Naruto picked his head up from the counter, face still set in a scowl. "It's just boring D-Rank mission after boring D-Rank mission! It's just tedious busy work! We do, like, three of them a day! Yesterday, we painted a fence, cleaned a gutter, and delivered some mail. How is that a shinobi mission!" He complained, banging his head back against the counter.
"I know, Naruto. I know." Ino nodded, resting her elbows on the counter across from Naruto as she listened to her friend rant. This was the first time they had gotten to see each other outside of official team activities in the past two weeks.
"At least you have sensei that seems to actually care about your training," Ino groused. "I didn't know anything about Asuma-sensei before we met him, but I assumed he would be tough, cool, and help us train. I mean, his test for us was to restrain and capture him as a team. That's what our fathers' team was known for," Ino added, seeing Naruto's puzzled face. "It took us a while, and Shikamaru needed a lot of, umm, persuading to do his part, but we did it," Ino finished with a sly grin.
'By persuading, she means threatening,' Naruto commented internally, knowing his friend was not the most patient person in the Land of Fire. He couldn't say he really blamed her, though. He liked Shikamaru, but it was incredibly tough to motivate Shikamaru to do something he didn't want to do. 'It's more effective to use the stick than the carrot in Shikamaru's case,' Naruto thought, remembering a saying his Jiji had once told him.
"I thought after that test, we would get some serious training, but nooooo," Ino threw her hands up in the air. "Asuma-sensei is too damn laid back to do anything strenuous. He spends more time playing Shogi with Shikamaru than he does helping us train. I mean, we know basically nothing about him, other than that he is the Hokage's son, he likes to smoke, and he's particularly interested in Team 8's sensei."
Ino heaved a heavy sigh and dropped her head on the counter, mimicking Naruto's earlier actions. "It's frustrating," she grumbled, voice muffled by the counter. "The only thing he helps us with is training for specific scenarios and teamwork exercises. I want to learn something. I want to learn Jutsu or improve my taijutsu, but Asuma-sensei says we need to perfect our team chemistry and master our family techniques first." Ino sighed again and lifted her head so her eyes met Naruto's. "It's just... I feel like I'm being held back. I feel like I have so much more to learn and to improve on."
What Ino didn't say was that she felt she needed to improve to catch up to Naruto. She knew how talented and powerful he was, and, as she was right now, he was out of her league. She needed to get stronger to keep pace with him, so she wouldn't be left behind. If he got promoted before she did, the amount of time she could spend with him would be reduced even more.
However, Naruto was oblivious to these thoughts and merely hummed in agreement. "I understand what you mean, Ino. Fortunately, it's not that bad for me. I've known Kakashi-sensei for years, so I know that he know's what he's doing when it comes to training. Although, he is still constantly late," Naruto said with an eye twitch. No matter how old he got, that habit would always bother him. 'One day... One day I will MAKE him be on time. I'll tie him up and drag him to the training ground if I have to, dattebayo!'
Naruto shook his head to clear his thoughts and looked back at Ino. "But I get what you mean when you say you feel like you're being held back. Ever since we became a team, Kakashi has solely focused on teamwork drills. Fortunately, those are going pretty well, so, hopefully, we'll be done with them soon. Sasuke and I already know how to work together and are familiar with each other's skillsets. Even though Sakura still doesn't seem to trust me and only listens to directions when Sasuke gives them, we still get through the drills well enough," he finished with a frown. Naruto wasn't going to lie to himself; Sakura's behavior really bothered him. However, he wasn't going to let that stop him from being an excellent shinobi.
Ino smiled sympathetically at her friend and reached across the counter to grab his hand. "It's okay, Naruto. I'm sure she'll come around. Just give her a bit of time."
Naruto softly smiled in return, glad Ino was there to support him.
After they finished their gripes, Naruto and Ino went back to organizing the new shipment of flowers. The two worked efficiently for the next half hour, chatting about their non-shinobi lives. Naruto regaled Ino with stories about Haruki and Tabi, while Ino told him about some of the latest gossip she'd heard.
Although nothing eventful happened for the rest of their time together, they both thoroughly enjoyed it. To Naruto and Ino, it was a relaxing break from their shinobi lives where they got to spend time with someone they both cared deeply about. They both knew that soon they would have precious little free time outside of missions and training, so they savored each other's company while they could.
(One Week Later)
"Alright, bring it on over. Gentle, gentle... hey, moron, I said gentle!"
"We're the same person. You just insulted yourself, idiot!"
"Both of you cut it out, or I will dispel you both!"
This was the scene Hinata and Team 8 were greeted to when they arrived at one of Konoha's dozens of storage facilities. They had been assigned a mission earlier that day to transport a large shipment of grain and preserved meats from the farms just outside of Konoha to this facility. Unfortunately, it had taken them a couple of hours to transport the cargo because of its massive size and weight.
When they arrived, they found out they were not the only genin squad assigned a mission at that facility today. As they walked through the large open doors, they saw upwards of a hundred Narutos running around, moving boxes, and yelling out information.
"Oh! Hey, Hinata-chan!" A Naruto called and waved at Hinata. Hinata smiled and waved back and saw the blonde, who she assumed was the real Naruto, jog towards her.
"Hi, Naruto-kun," she greeted with a warm smile. "I did not know you were going to be here today."
"Yup! We got assigned a mission to catalog and reorganize all the stuff that's in here. It's been a pain in the butt, but we're almost done." Naruto gestured behind him. Hinata looked over Naruto's shoulder and spotted Sasuke perched high atop the tallest stack of crates, giving instructions and directing the Naruto clones on where to move the boxes. Hinata also saw Sakura walking around on the floor, jotting down information on a clipboard whenever Naruto or Sasuke called something out.
"I see. Whose idea was it to use clones?"
"Mine! I figured it would make the mission go a lot faster. " Naruto beamed, proud of himself for thinking of a way to help his team be more efficient.
"That was an excellent idea, Naruto-kun." Hinata smiled encouragingly, earning a grin from Naruto. However, on the inside, she was annoyed that Naruto wasn't on her team. That would have made her mission go ten times faster.
"So, how have you been?" Naruto questioned, excited to see his friend.
"I've been good. I've been practicing my clan Jutsu a lot. Yesterday I..." While the two friends caught up, Kurenai walked over to Kakashi, who was lounging atop a crate.
"Good afternoon, Kakashi-san," Kurenai greeted curtly.
"Hello, Kurenai-san. I didn't know your team also had a mission here."
"We do. May I ask what is going on here," Kurenai questioned in a clipped tone.
"Well, as you can quite clearly see, Kurenai-san, we are completing a mission," Kakashi replied nonchalantly.
"You know that is not what I mean, Kakashi. What is Naruto doing with all of these clones? It is irresponsible to have one genin do all the work, especially letting Naruto abuse his Clone Jutsu like that," Kurenai admonished. "It undermines the purpose of the mission."
"Oh?" Kakashi raised his lone eyebrow. "And what would that be?"
"You know as well as I do it is to build the foundations of teamwork. This does not accomplish that."
"I disagree," Kakashi retorted, sitting up a little straighter. "I believe they are building the fundamentals of teamwork by learning each other's skillsets and how to implement them on a mission. In this case, they learned that using Naruto's clones can make this mission go significantly faster. They discovered that there is more than one way to complete a mission."
Kurenai opened her mouth to respond, but Kakashi held up his hand. "Instead of questioning my teaching skills, you should probably go help your own students. I believe Kiba over there is struggling to unload a cumbersome box." Kakashi waved her away dismissively, annoyed by the whole interaction. Kurenai's rigidity had interrupted his relaxing time, and he was having such a lovely daydream, too.
Meanwhile, oblivious to their sensei's interaction, Naruto and Hinata continued conversing.
"That's great, Hinata-chan! I'm glad you finally got that move down," Naruto congratulated with a grin. "Speaking of the Hyuuga Clan, how's little Hanabi?"
Hinata suppressed a grin and heaved an exaggerated sigh. "I wish you would stop calling her little. You know how worked up she gets when you do that," she chided halfheartedly. "But, she is good. She won't admit it, but I know she misses you and your unconventional training sessions."
Naruto's grin grew, recalling his unique way of getting Hanabi to train with him. Whenever Naruto was at the Hyuuga Compound and wanted to get on Hanabi's nerves, he would steal something of hers and make her chase him to get it back. Then, he would lead her around the Compound and outside into the Village, never running too far away from her so she wouldn't get discouraged and give up.
Ever since their first interaction, Naruto and Hanabi had developed a sibling-like rivalry/relationship. Naruto had become the older brother figure Hanabi had always wanted, ever since her cousin Neji made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with the Main Branch. Unfortunately, Naruto had become more of an annoying, teasing older brother who enjoyed getting on her nerves and pushing her buttons. Naruto relished being able to get a rise out of the usually stoic Hyuuga, but he still cared about her. Naruto saw her as his little sister, someone who he was immensely protective of.
Naruto's grin grew, crinkling his eyes. "That's good. I'll have to stop by soon to make sure she's not slouching off."
"You could come by tomorrow night for dinner! We don't have anything special planned, and I know my father would love to have you over. I just need to give him a day's notice, so he can make sure everything is in order. You know how my father can be."
"Sure! Sounds great! I haven't been over to your house for dinner in a while. Don't tell the Akimichis I said this, but," Naruto leaned forward conspiratorily, "You guys have the best food," he whispered, making Hinata giggle.
"Hey! Naruto! Stop chatting and get back to work!" Sakura yelled from across the room.
Naruto rolled his eyes and flippantly waved over his shoulder. "Yeah, yeah. It's not like my clones are doing all the work," he grumbled the last sentence, so only Hinata could hear it. "I'll talk to you after this is done, Hinata."
Naruto turned and walked towards the newly arrived shipment, summoning more clones along the way. What Naruto didn't see, however, was the frown Sakura wore as she watched him stroll away.
However, Hinata did.
Hinata hastily walked up to Sakura. "Sakura, may I speak to you for a moment?" Sakura jerked, startled by Hinata's sudden appearance, but nodded. Then, the two of them walked towards an isolated area of the facility, away from their senseis and comrades.
"What was that look?"
Sakura gave Hinata a puzzled look. "What are you talking about?
"You know what I mean. The look you gave to Naruto-kun as he walked away."
This time, Sakura's eyes widened, and she paled, unaware that someone else had seen it. She considered denying it, but she knew there was no point in arguing about it with Hinata.
"It was nothing. It's just... how are you fine around him?" She blurted out. "Didn't your parents tell you to stay away from him? Didn't they say he was untrustworthy and someone we should stay away from? That he was dangerous? I mean, all the other kids' parents said it. How... how are you so okay being with him?" Her tone became more and more desperate as she spoke, seeking validation for her concerns. She needed someone outside of her family to tell her she wasn't a bad person. She needed someone not from a civilian family to tell her that her concerns were justified.
Instead, she was met with a fiery glower.
"Naruto-kun is an amazing person and friend, Sakura. He is kind, loving, generous, and helpful to everyone he meets. He protected me from bullies when I was younger, and he didn't even know me. That showed me right then and there what type of person Naruto is. He is someone who will help anyone who needs it, no matter the odds. No matter if he knows them or not." Hinata took a deep breath to calm herself down. It was not like her to get so worked up over something. Typically, she was passive and submissive to a fault. However, with Naruto, she would defend him until her last breath.
"I implore you, Sakura, to give Naruto a chance. Try and see Naruto for who he really is, not what other people say he is." With that, Hinata gave Sakura one last stern look and turned around, jogging towards Naruto.
(Two Weeks Later)
It was a brisk day in Konoha, the sun hidden behind a sheet of clouds. Team 7 sat in their typical training ground, waiting, again, for their sensei to arrive. Although they had been a team for over a month and a half by now, Kakashi's habitual tardiness still annoyed them. However, they had become more accustomed to it, so they found ways to occupy themselves. Naruto was meticulously polishing his naginata to make sure the blade stayed sharp, a practice Tenten had drilled into his head. Sasuke was practicing the senbon balancing exercise Naruto taught him. Finally, Sakura sat off to the side, doodling in a notebook, an open book on first aid medicine strewn to the side.
A whirlwind of leaves signaled Kakashi's arrival. "Good afternoon, you three," Kakashi joyfully greeted, catching the kunai Naruto had thrown at his chest. "Ma ma, Naruto. That wasn't very nice." He wagged his finger at Naruto as he pocketed the kunai.
"Stop being fucking late then," Naruto muttered bitterly.
Kakashi ignored his student's remarks and clapped his hands. "Alright, my little students. Today we are going on a mission."
"We do that every day, Sensei," Sakura sighed as she put away her book.
"Yes, we do, Sakura, but today is going to be different. We will be doing this mission before our training, and it should take up at least the whole day." The genin collectively perked up, eyes locked on Kakashi.
"Do you mean..." Naruto began.
"Yup! Today we will be doing our first C-rank mission. I believe your teamwork is sufficient enough for us to take a slightly more serious mission." Kakashi smiled, enjoying the grin on Naruto's face, the suppressed smile on Sasuke's, and the unsure eyes of Sakura. "Now, follow me, and we'll get our mission."
As Team 7 walked towards the Hokage Tower to accept their mission, Kakashi thought back to Naruto's comment. 'If only Naruto knew how much work I had to put in to get this.'
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No, Kakashi, I am not giving them a C-rank mission. It's still too early."
"Yes, you are. You and I both know they are MORE than ready for a C-rank mission, and they need the experience. So stop being sentimental and give my team a mission." Kakashi snapped, becoming increasingly frustrated with the Hokage. He knew the Hokage was protective when it came to Naruto, but this was ridiculous. The combination of him, Naruto, and Sasuke were more than enough to handle a C-rank mission. Besides, Sakura needed the wake-up call. She was making progress, but she needed a reality check. She needed to stop seeing the shinobi world through the rose-tinted glasses the Academy put on her, and them taking more serious missions would help do that.
The Hokage furrowed his brow and frowned at Kakashi. He considered reprimanding Kakashi for his insubordination, but the Hokage knew he was right. He was sheltering Team 7. C-rank missions were typically safe missions that were only given their rank due to them requiring the team to leave the Village. The Hokage knew that the chances Naruto and his team were going to encounter enemies was incredibly low, but he couldn't shake a feeling that something was going to go wrong.
Nevertheless, the Hokage decided that he needed to think objectively, and, objectively, Team 7 was more than capable of completing a C-rank mission.
The Hokage sighed and leaned back. "Fine. You can have a C-rank mission. Come here in an hour and pick it up."
Kakashi eye-smiled and turned to leave but was stopped by the Hokage. "However, you will not be getting paid for this mission, and YOU, and you alone, will be doing five D-rank missions when you get back." The Hokage smirked when he saw Kakashi's shoulders slump. "Don't disrespect me in my office, again, Kakashi. Dismissed."
By the time Kakashi finished that thought, they were at the Hokage Tower. Kakashi pushed open the doors and led his genin up the stairs, towards the mission office.
Once they entered, they saw an office with 4 chunin inside, two at their own desks and two organizing multiple stacks of scrolls. The office itself was relatively bland, which made sense. The chunin who ran the mission department routinely rotated, so there were no personal effects that you would see in other rooms in the Tower.
"Name?" The chunin at the desk tiredly asked, looking up at the team.
"Kakashi Hatake, jonin leader of Team 7, consisting of Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, and Naruto Uzumaki. We are here to obtain a C-rank mission," Kakashi answered seriously, used to the professional atmosphere of this room.
The chunin at the desk nodded and called out for a C-rank mission. One of the chunin behind him walked over to the pile labeled "C-rank," and retrieved a scroll, and handed it back to the chunin behind the desk. The man in question opened the scroll and gave it a cursory glance.
"Alright, your mission is to deliver payment to a merchant in a port town and return with the goods. The town is about a day's run from here, and the location is marked in the scroll. It is up to the team leader's discretion to decide whether the team will spend the night at the town or return immediately to Konoha. The payment and all other pertinent details are in the scroll. Any questions?"
Kakashi shook his head and took the scroll. "Alright, kids. Go pack your bags for a two-day trip. Meet me at the Village Gate in an hour." Kakashi nodded to his genin and shooed them away, content with the mission. It was a reasonably routine mission that would introduce them to the world outside Konoha's walls.
'I feel good about this one,' he thought.
If only he knew how wrong he was.
AN: IMPORTANT! THIS IS NOT A SUBSTITUTION FOR THE WAVE MISSION. THAT WILL STILL HAPPEN.
Alright now that that is out of the way, hello again! Sorry again for the delay. If you remember from my last chapter, I recently got a dog. Well, she broke my computer twice. The first time she knocked it off my desk when it was plugged in and broke the screen. That took two weeks to fix because the tech store I went to didn't have the parts in stock. Then, a couple days after I got it back, she bit my computer screen and cracked it. That took a week to replace. I love her dearly, but she is killing my wallet.
Anyway, here is the next chapter! I promised there would be some plot development this chapter, and I believe that came through. Next chapter will be their first C-rank mission and the fallout from it. Hopefully that will be out soon. Please leave a review with anything you liked or suggestions for next time. Have a great day!
(1) Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu- C Rank, Offensive-The user kneads chakra in their body and turns it into fire, which they then expel from their mouth; the more chakra they use, the more flames that are produced. Sometimes the flames lack a distinct shape, being only a stream, but more often than not they take the form of a giant orb that maintains its shape until hitting a target. Upon impact, the fireball is powerful enough to crater the ground and vaporize the surroundings. Against living targets, the fireball can cause extensive burns. C-Rank [From the Wiki]
(2) Earth Style: Earth Flow River- C rank, Offensive- The user transforms the surface underneath their opponent into a muddy river that sweeps them off their feet and carries them downstream. This technique can also be used as a medium for the Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet technique. The more skilled the user is, the bigger and faster the river will be. [From the Wiki]
(3) Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu- C Rank, Offensive-The user spits a volley of small fireballs into the air; at a glance, it can appear as though there was only one fireball that then burst into many. The many small flames move wildly through the area, potentially mesmerizing targets as they're surrounded. The user controls each individual flame with their chakra, allowing them to guide each at the target and, consequently, making this technique difficult to evade [From the Wiki]
(4) Earth Style: Earth Style Wall- B rank, Defensive- This technique allows the user to create a protective wall out of earth. One method of doing this is for the user to convert chakra in their body into an earthen material that they spit from their mouth; the more skilled the user, the greater the volume of earth that can be created. The earth quickly piles up into a defensive wall, blocking incoming attacks. Although the muddy material is solid on its own, it is further fortified with a coat of chakra, making it more resistant to fire and water than it would otherwise be.
A second method of performing this technique is to instead manipulate pre-existing earth directly: by placing their hands on the ground, users can raise the ground as a barrier in front of them. Walls erected in this way are typically featureless, but users can alter the appearance if they choose; Kakashi Hatake adorns his with bulldog sculptures. Users are not limited to strictly defensive uses for this technique, as they can create walls behind targets to prevent them from escaping or even to entirely surround and encase said targets. The anime shows users creating these walls from afar. [From the Wiki]
(5) Lightning Style: Lightning Ball Jutsu- B rank, Offensive- The user creates spheres of electrical energy and launches them at the enemy. When they make contact with the enemy, the spheres electrocute them and throw them back. This technique can also be used in rapid succession or fire multiple balls at once. [From the Wiki]
(6) Wind Style: Wind Bullet Jutsu- C Rank, Offensive- Similar to the Great Fireball Jutsu, the user concentrates chakra in their throat and expels in outwards. In this case, the chakra is fired as a compressed ball of air. When the Jutsu connects, the wind bullet explodes outward, releasing the pressurized air. The more skilled the user is in the Jutsu and the more chakra used, the greater the Wind Bullet's speed and concussive power. [Essentially, just the Great Fireball Jutsu with wind and concussive power as opposed to burning]
(7) Earth Style: Moving Earth Core Jutsu- B rank, Offensive/Defensive- This technique grants the user the ability to lower or raise the ground in the surrounding area, allowing them to create giant holes or elevations in the ground. The size of the affected area as well as the depths that it is lowered or raised to is also up to the user. With precise timing, this technique can be used to evade incoming attacks, as well as to endanger opponents by moving them into the path of an oncoming attack reducing their reaction time as well as knocking them off balance, making it even harder to avoid the attack. [From the Wiki]