Naruto yawned and walked in the misty, dim lighting of the early morning with his feet shuffling against the ground. He glanced up and saw Sakura and Sasuke coming from different directions to meet in the middle.

"Morning..." Sakura muttered and rubbed her eyes, too tired to even greet Sasuke enthusiastically.

Sasuke, wide awake and walking briskly, remained quiet as he stopped in the meeting spot.

Naruto stood upright and cracked his eyes to look between them, staying silent as they waited for Kakashi to arrive.

Minutes turned into hours and the sun passed overhead as the early noon heat settled over them, with Kakashi still absent.

Naruto sat on the ground, nodding off as he waited and Sakura looked around the area diligently until she became too tired to stand and sat as well, pulling her knees close to her chest. Sasuke remained silent and standing with his arms crossed.

"Hi, folks. Good morning!" Kakashi raised a hand in greeting and his three students all turned to him and met him with a glare.

"You're late!"

"Well, a black cat crossed my path, you see." He smiled and pointed elsewhere.

The trio fumed and continued to glare and Kakashi opened his eyes, then cleared his throat.

"Oh well..." He strode over to the middle wooden post of three where an alarm clock was placed on top. "Okay, it's set for twelve o'clock!"

They stood in place, staring at him with blank expressions and Kakashi held up a pair of small, silver bells with red ribbons.

"Today's assignment is to take these bells away from me by noon." He jingled them together to attract their attention. "Those who can't do it won't get lunch."

"E-Eh?" Naruto gaped and blinked.

"They'll be tied to that..." Kakashi pointed to the center post. "And I'll eat my lunch before your very eyes."

The expressions fell and Sakura clutched her stomach as it growled, Sasuke's arms went limp at his sides, and Naruto held his hands to his face, pulling down at his cheeks as he groaned.

"So, that was the point..." Sasuke's stomach twisted and growled loudly.

"For us to not eat breakfast..." Sakura sighed and then looked at Kakashi again. "H-Hold on... why are there only two bells?"

Kakashi smiled and his eyes closed and crinkled. "There are only two, so that the very least, one of you will have to go to the logs. That person will be disqualified for failing the mission... and will return to the Academy."

He jingled the bells together again in front of them and their expressions instantly shifted as he continued.

"It might be one person at the very least, or it could be all three of you." He opened his eyes and watched them mildly. "You can use your Shuriken. You won't be able to take the bells unless you come with the intent to kill me."

He clasped the bells in his fist and Sakura widened her eyes.

"But, that's dangerous, sir!"

"Y-Yeah, that's right." Naruto nodded in agreement and laughed. "You couldn't even evade a chalkboard eraser!"

"In this world, those who aren't skilled enough tend to complain more. Well, just ignore the loser..."

Naruto turned to Kakashi and blinked, balling his fists.

"Begin when I give the ready-go signal."

Naruto gritted his teeth. "Loser, loser, loser." He pulled a Kunai knife from his thigh sheath and rushed at Kakashi with ferocity but his hand was grabbed suddenly from behind and aimed the blade at the base of Naruto's neck, as Kakashi's other hand grasped a fistful of blond spikes.

Naruto's eyes widened and he froze in place, feeling the wind nearly knocked from him in shock.

"Don't be so hasty. I didn't say start, yet." Kakashi muttered in a low grumble.

Sakura gasped and backed quickly away, feeling herself begin to tremble. Sasuke stepped away and watched as Kakashi released Naruto with wide eyes.

"No way!" Sakura gaped at the Jonin. "I didn't see him move at all!"

"So, this is a Jonin." Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"But, that's fine." Kakashi spoke in a lighter tone. "At least you came with the intent to kill me." He chuckled. "How can I put this...? I feel like I'm finally starting to like you guys." His laugh faded and he looked between them, serious now. "We're about to start..."

The trio stood at-the-ready and listened in anticipation.

"Ready... start!"

Iruka sat across from the Hokage with a cup of tea in front of each of them.

"So, what do you want to know?" The old man asked after taking a sip of tea and returning the cup to its saucer with a serious expression. "I didn't think you came here just to drink tea."

Iruka laced his hands together and rested his elbows on the table. "The Jonin of Naruto's group seven... what kind of teacher is he? Is he strict?"

"You mean Kakashi? Does he concern you?"

Iruka unlaced his fingers and rested his hands on the table. "I heard a rumor that concerns me."

The Hokage produced a book from his robes and set it on the table for the teacher to look at.

Iruka glanced between the book and the Hokage. "What's this?"

"It's a pass-fail list of junior ninjas Kakashi has been in charge of up until now." He replied simply.

Iruka's eyes widened slightly and he opened the book eagerly. "Let me have a look."

As he skimmed the first pages, his eyes widened further and his mouth opened in surprise.

"T-This is...!"

"Fundamentally, Ninja must mask their presence and hide." Kakashi stood in the clearing, rubbing the back of his neck as he scanned the area and thought. "Okay, everyone is hidden pretty well."

He looked ahead as Naruto emerged from the treeline, smirking as he crossed his arms.

"Alright! Let's face off fair and square!"

Kakashi tilted his head to the side and made a face. "Eh?"

Sasuke watched from his hiding place in a tall branch and scoffed. "That goof."

"Say, aren't you a bit off-kilter?" Kakashi asked.

"What's off-kilter is your hairstyle!" Naruto rushed at the Jonin at full speed and skidded to a stop as Kakashi reached into his pack. He narrowed his eyes and waited to see what kind of tool or weapon Kakashi would use against him.

"I'll teach you the first Shinobi battle Jutsu... Taijutsu."

"Taijutsu?" Naruto blinked. "That's ninja hand-to-hand combat..." He clenched his jaw. "That being said... he's going to use weapons?"

Kakashi pulled out a book and found the place he'd left off at with his thumb and held the book out and began reading.

Naruto's eyes widened and his cheeks warmed as he saw the title: Make Out Paradise.

"What's the matter?" Kakashi called out to him without looking away from his book. "Why don't you come at me?"

"H-Hey..." Naruto pointed at the novel. "What's with the book?"

"Why do you ask?" Kakashi asked and focused on the page. "It's because I was curious what happens next."

Naruto's body relaxed as he blinked.

"Don't worry...with you guys as opponents, it makes no difference if I'm reading or not."

Naruto tightened his hands into fists and glared. "I'm going to rip you apart!" He ran forward in rage and yelled.

He threw a punch but it was immediately parried and deflected with a single, simple movement of his free hand.

Naruto gritted his teeth and tried a high kick which Kakashi knelt in a quick squat and avoided easily.

"Darn!" Naruto drew back his fist for another punch and stopped mid-air as Kakashi completely disappeared before him. "W-What?"

Kakashi sat in a squat behind Naruto with his book shut and his hands pressed together in a seal. "Ninja shouldn't let enemies take them from behind multiple times... fool."

Sakura's eyes widened as she recognized the sign. "The way his hands are positioned... Is that the Sign of the Tiger? No way! With Naruto as his opponent, that's too strong a Ninjutsu no matter how you look at it."

Sasuke's expression darkened as he observed. "That sign... that's a fire-style skill. That idiot teacher's doing more than just running around?"

"Naruto, get out of there quickly!" Sakura shouted a warning from where she hid in the brush. "You'll die!"

Naruto turned toward her voice. "H-Huh?"

"Too late." Kakashi muttered and Naruto's eyes widened. "Leaf Village Secret! Ultimate Taijutsu!" He thrust his fingers forward and struck Naruto's rear. "One Thousand Years of Death!"

Naruto yelped in pain and was sent flying across the clearing and fell into the river with a large splash.

Sasuke exhaled and closed his eyes, furrowing his brows. "Those two are idiots."

Naruto fell into the river with a large splash and Kakashi reopened his book and continued to read where he had left off. "Alright..."

Sasuke watched the Jonin intently, his hand hovering over his Kunai sheath in preparation.

"Oh, that's not a Ninjutsu..." Sakura made a face and muttered to herself. She furrowed her brows and watched Kakashi reading silently. "Even so, isn't that against the rules? What're we supposed to do about his strength?

Naruto scowled as he sunk to the riverbed. "Darn it. It wasn't supposed to be like this."

He kicked off of the bottom and launched himself back up to the surface with a new determination in his eyes. Before emerging from the water, Naruto threw a pair of Shuriken at Kakashi.

Sakura and Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise at the attack, but Kakashi simply held up his hand, stopping them both without looking up from his novel as the Shuriken spun around his fingers and slowed to a stop.

Sasuke froze in place, his hand still hovering over his Shuriken. "No way!"

"It can't be!" Iruka said, looking over the book in shock. "This is more than just a rumor."

"Kakashi's test might be a bit difficult." The Hokage sipped his tea as he spoke.

Iruka looked up at him, his mouth gaping partially. "Even so, this means absolutely no one has passed!"

"That's right." Hiruzen nodded. "Kakashi has never had someone pass. They have all been annihilated..."

Naruto coughed and pulled himself out of the water slowly, completely soaked through.

"What's the matter?" Kakashi watched him crawl on all fours into dry land, still holding up his book as he held his other hand on his hip. "You won't get lunch if you don't take the bell by noon."

Naruto recovered his breath and looked up at the Jonin in exasperation. "I know that, I say!"

"You're not very energetic, considering you said that you'd surpass the Hokage." Kakashi quipped.

Naruto's stomach growled loudly and he made a face. "Darn it! Darn it! I can fight even if I'm hungry!"

Sasuke and Sakura each made a face from where they hid, clutching their stomachs as they growled and twisted in protest.

"I didn't even have dinner last night." Sakura sighed miserably. "I shouldn't have gone on a diet."

"I just got a bit careless earlier!" Naruto insisted, waving his arms in frustration as he muttered. "Darn. I'm hungry, so my strength... But, I've got to take that bell no matter what. No matter what..." His face became more determined and he trembled slightly as he looked at Kakashi, whose back was to him now as he continued to read. "I'm not... turning back now."

Water rippled in the river behind him as Naruto continued to talk. "I'm going to become a Ninja! Believe it!"

A flurry of Shadow Clones leaped out of the water at Kakashi, smirking.

"Oh?" He turned to look and his attention shifted away from his book.

One clone laughed mid-air. "Haha! Security is your biggest enemy! Now for my favorite Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Sakura's eyes widened in amazement. "Seven Narutos?" She watched them running at Kakashi. "What? They're not just images? Are they all real? The real thing? But how?"

Sasuke watched, almost in amazement at Naruto. "Huh..."

Kakashi's eyes widened slightly as the clones ran at him and followed their movements carefully. "Not the clone, but the Shadow Clone, eh?" He muttered to himself in thought. "It's the forbidden Jutsu that did in Mizuki."

"Judging from your ability, that Justu should have a one-minute limit. Even if you talk trash, Naruto is Naruto after all is said and done. You still can't beat me with that skill—" He was interrupted by the real Naruto latching onto him suddenly from behind.

"W-what? Behind me?" Kakashi eyes widened quickly as Naruto held him in place, creating the perfect target for the clones.

Naruto chuckled and held on to Kakashi tighter, wrapping his arms and legs around Kakashi, his expression darkening. "Ninja shouldn't let an enemy take them from behind. Right, Kakashi sensei?"

"Using my Shadow Clone, I had one of them come up from the bottom of the river and sneak behind you!"

The other Genin watched as the clones grabbed onto Kakashi's arms and legs tightly as the final clone launched into the air, aiming a heavy punch at the Jonin.

Sakura smiled broadly as he overtook Kakashi. "Naruto, not bad!"

Sasuke smirked faintly as he nodded slowly, impressed. "So... a diversionary tactic, huh?"

The clone's fist clenched with tenacity and he smirked as he met his Sensei's eyes. "Here's one for the attack on my butt earlier! Now, allow me to punch you!"

With his fist a breath from Kakashi's face, Kakashi suddenly disappeared and the punch landed on the real Naruto's face full-force.

"Gaah! Naruto fell to the ground, looking around in shock. "W-What?"

"The one who got punched... was Naruto." Sakura commented to herselfwith a small sigh.

Sasuke shook his eyes and narrowed his eyes critically.

"Naruto?" Sakura mutters softly to herself as he looked around and rubbed his face.

The first clone pointed accusingly at another. "You... you're Kakashi sensei, right? You used the transformation Jutsu to change yourself, didn't you?"

"It's you, isn't it?" Another clone pointed at another, and they began to fight amongst themselves, shouting. "You must be the one! You smell like Kakashi-sensei! The smell of an old guy!"

"Hey, hey!" Naruto dodged several punches and threw a few of his own as he spoke. "For the time being, let's just undo the Jutsu. If we do that, only the two will remain."

A clone struck his face and gripped his collar in his fist. "You should have realized that sooner, you idiot!"

"You're me, you idiot!" He snapped back and the clones vanished in a puff of smoke. Once it dissipated, he blinked at himself, covered in bruises, and found only himself in the clearing.

"H-Huh?"

"Naruto, you're embarrassing to watch." Sakura frowned and let out a breath. "That was horrible."

"That was the Substitution Justu, you fool." Sasuke scolded to himself.

Naruto stood, looking around in confusion and spotted one of the silver bells lying at the base of a nearby tree. He squinted to get a better look and broke into a grin.

"A bell?!" He chuckled. "You must have been in hurry." He ran toward the bell quickly, reaching out for it. "You dropped a bell."

As his hand was about to reach the bell, a simple rope trap tightened around his ankles and pulled him up into the tree, where he dangled and bounced around as he flailed and complained.

"What the heck is this?!"

"Of course it's a trap." Sasuke mused, the corners of his mouth pulling down in a frown. "That Jonin doesn't even lower his guard when he fights Naruto."

"H-H-Hey!" Naruto swung from the branch and called out. "Hey! The bell!" He stretched his arms out in an attempt to reach the bell, but it was far beyond his reach.

He stopped and saw Kakashi stoop to retrieve the bell, giving him a long look before speaking.

"You have to think when using a Jutsu. They can be used against you." Kakashi straightened and held the bell up. "Also, don't get caught in an obvious trap, you fool."

Naruto clenched his jaw and balled his hands into fists.

"A ninja must be able to see through deception." Kakashi lectured.

Naruto glared and waved his arms angrily. "I know that, I say!"

"You know, I'm telling you because you don't get it." The Jonin stuck his hands into his pockets. "Listen up. Your movements are wasteful."

Sasuke's eyes widened as he watched Kakashi now distracted lecturing Naruto. "Now!" He grasped his Shuriken and Kunai, holding them up in preparation, and launched them at the Jonin. "He finally dropped his guard!"

"Naruto, you're so—" Kakashi started again only to stop as the shuriken struck his sides, blood spilling from the wounds as he fell over suddenly. Sakura's eyes widened in shock and Naruto's mouth hung open.

"No way!" Naruto flailed and looked in Sasuke's direction. "You jerk, Sasuke! That's overkill!"