– "Not quite correct, Ino. Try again". – The clone of Kakashi instructed, and on this, Ino whined.
Her hands were already covered in dirt and mud, and she couldn't even do a simple Earth Release move!
Team 12 was already studying the chakra styles for a week, and the only progress was Neji, with his Water Gun and Water Whip.
Meanwhile Ino was catastrophically failing. Everything around was annoying her – instead of normal training, their sensei's clones were giving them idiotic instructions, and forcing her to sit in dirt.
Why the hell she got the worst chakra nature out of her team? At least those two idiots got a nature that doesn't make them look like dirty pigs after using it.
– "Yes, Kakashi-sensei"… – Ino mumbled, and make another attempt for the Earth Style justu. Now, she was studying two basic attacks – Pebble Barrage and Earth Release: Shuriken Technique.
She casted the jutsu, and once again, tried to lift the rocks up. Nothing worked. Ino got so sick of this, that she asked for a small break, and decided to peak at her teammates.
Ino slightly moved her head, and saw how Neji was practicing with his Water Whip. Everything was seemingly perfect, but suddenly, the whip had hit him right in the face.
He angrily looked at the water, and continued casting the jutsu and practicing it. Wasn't whining or crying at all, only 100% focus. And sure enough, after Neji corrected himself, his Water Whip turned out perfect.
Yeah, Ino expected a reaction like this from Neji, but she was still a bit jealous of how stoic he was.
"And what about Naruto?"
She turned, and noticed how Naruto was gritting her teeth while trying to copy Kakashi's hand seals. He looked so determined and hopeful, that Ino found it a bit funny.
– "Come on! Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique!" – Naruto screamed, and smashed his hand at the tree. Instead of the tree flying away, Naruto's hand got red.
– "OUCH! It hurts dattebayo!" – Naruto started jumping around and blew at his swollen hand.
Kakashi's clone grabbed his forehead, and helped Naruto patch up.
– "Oh, Naruto-Naruto. You got the hand seals right, but you still lack chakra control". – Kakashi said, while helping him wash his hand.
– "That's what you keep telling me all this week! Not fair - why the hell Neji, just because he was born in a cool clan already got progress, but not me?"
Neji turned away from the lake, looked at Naruto and rolled his eyes.
– "Watch and envy in silence, failure".
Naruto became red in the face. He angrily turned away, and like he wanted to show Neji that he was dead wrong about him, he casted the jutsu again. Still fail.
On this, it was Ino's turn to become annoyed. She got up, and stood right in front of Neji's face.
– "Listen here, you pompous a-"
She wanted to say more, but Kakashi's clone cowered her mouth, and pointed on the training field.
– "Come on Ino, your break is over".
Ino showed her tongue to Neji, and sat on the ground again, learning the jutsu. She casted the hand seals, and tried to recreate her last attempt.
Kakashi's clone saw it, went to Ino and carefully instructed her – even put his hand on her shoulder to give her some boost of confidence.
– "Try to feel the ground. Clearly, your feelings about your chakra nature are blocking your potential".
Ino huffed, and closed her eyes. Ugh, she better not get any dirt on her dress or damage her hair... Or it will end badly if anyone sees her like this.
– "Earth Release: Pebble Barrage!"
And sure enough, the rocks flew from the ground, and Ino directed them into nearby tree. Kakashi smiled with satisfaction looking at Ino and Neji: those two genius kids had unlimited potential.
Naruto looked at Ino, saw what happened, and started steaming.
"Uuuuuuggh! What the heck?!" – He angrily thought. Why does even Ino got to succeed in her jutsu while he couldn't?
Naruto began to spam the hand seals without result. Kakashi was just looking at him, just waiting for him to calm down.
"If you are not willing to approach the training calmly, not my job to force you". – Kakashi thought. But Neji, who witnessed the whole thing clearly didn't think so.
He casted the hand seal and hit Naruto in the face with his Water Whip. Naruto's face twisted in pain.
– "Listen here failure – either you are doing what sensei asked right now, or screw off and stop dragging our team down".
Naruto angrily glared at Neji.
– "You want me to do that?! Okay, then I will show you!" – Angry Naruto screamed at smirking Neji.
And while this situation was happening, three Ninja Academy students – two guys and a girl. were walking to the training field of Team 12.
They got right on time to witness something unusual for all of them.
– "Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique!"
To everyone's shock, the entire surface of the tree trunk was crossed by a huge cut from Naruto's jutsu. Ino and Kakashi's eyes wided, but Neji only rolled his eyes. Why being so slow, and reacting now, only because of anger?
Naruto looked at the cut, then on his hands. His eyes were glowing.
"I did it… I did it dattebayo… See Neji?! I'm not a failure!" – He thought.
Suddenly, all four heard claps behind. They turned, and saw already known to them Shikamaru and Choji – Ino's friends, and some girl in a red dress with long pink hair. It was her, who was clapping.
– "Wow! That was… So cool!" – The girl smiled at Naruto, who wasn't used to this type of reaction at all. Ino also noticed the girl and her friends, and waved.
– "Sakura! Shika, Choji! What are you doing here?"
Sakura smiled, and showed Ino two big baskets.
– "I wanted to bring you food, and they two joined on the way". – Said Sakura and got out some sandwiches. – "Join in, Ino-chan!"
Ino peeked at Naruto, who was receiving praises from Kakashi. The, turned away.
– "Yeah, not a bad idea. Also, you two". – Ino pointed at Choji and Shikamaru. – "I know you just wanted to ditch lessons. Join in guys!" – She said sarcastically.
Kakashi just closed his eyes on this one – Ino practiced all day, and deserves to chill out. Meanwhile, when Ino and her friends set up the food, Sakura pointed at Naruto.
– "That was pretty impressive! Never expected it from a person who was supposed to be a "loser". From my point of view, he is anything but this". – She said with a pure smile, while eating her sandwich.
– "I'm sure you got tired from this training. Here Ino, take my portion!" – Choji also smiled at her and gave Ino his spare sandwich.
Ino took it, but didn't stop looking at Naruto. Sakura noticed that and chuckled.
– "Hey, Ino-chan". – She whispered. – "Remember what you told me about the ramen incident? Perfect time to pay the guy off – invite him over to eat with us!"
Ino got uncomfortable.
Inviting that idiot over, when there are friends around, 2 of who clearly don't like him? What they will think of her? That she actually… Ouch.
On other way, he fed her ramen when he clearly didn't have any money. She would be a complete scum if she doesn't do the same for him. But Shika and Choji though…
But Sakura already decided everything for her.
– "Hey, Naruto! Come over here, eat with us!" – Naruto got shocked from this, but came over. Shikamaru moved away from him, Choji stayed almost where he was.
– "That was so cool! You and Ino are lucky that you got each other as teammates". – Sakura said.
– "Uhm… Thank you! Tried my best".
– "Nice to meet you, by the way. I'm Sakura Haruno – Ino's best friend, after those two". – She held out her hand to him with a smile. Naruto accepted it.
– "Uzumaki Naruto".
– "Here". – Ino handed Naruto a sandwich. – "That's for the ramen a week ago". – She said, and turned away from her teammate.
Naruto looked at the sandwich like he was just handed a gold bar, and quickly started chewing it, almost like he was afraid that it will disappear.
Then, Ino raised her water cup.
– "Thank you Shika, Choji and Sakura for coming here. Let's celebrate my team's first moves to success, and our first jutsu!"
Sakura and Choji started clapping, and Shikamaru only smiled, because he didn't feel like clapping.
Naruto smiled with his purest and happiest smile – finally he could do something and show he is not so much of a loser.
Everyone was sitting on the grass, smiling and eating, except Neji. He, unlike them all, was still training. Kakashi noticed this, and came over to him.
– "Hey, why are you not over there with everyone?"
On this, Neji only smugly smiled through something else.
– "As if I will waste my time on those pathetic idiots. And this is nothing of your concern with who I will hang out". – He said.
– "But Kakashi-sensei – we already succeed in some of the jutsu. Maybe it's time for us to already go on real missions? Where we will show our shinobi skills".
Kakashi looked at Neji, smiled and closed his eyes.
– "If you think that just because you three learned some D and C rank jutsu you actually can go on real missions… That only shows that you all are not ready".
Neji frowned.
– "After all"… – Kakashi again looked at five smiling innocent kids. – "You all are still way too young".