—-

Chapter 3: "A day in the life of Satsuki Uchiha"

Blood is Thicker with Slaughter

"Big brother, why…..?" She finally managed to choke out.

His back was turned to her. In front of him lay her parents - seated beside each other and slumping forward. A single tear of clothes and flesh connected both. The blood flowing from the wounds connected them, the floor beneath them, and the blade in her brother's hand. It was still extended - as if frozen in time in the motion that felled her parents. Based on their positions, it was clear that they had not struggled. This was in contrast to the corpses that had littered the streets on her way home. Her clansmen…. Her family… their faces plastered in eternal betrayal and horror.

"To test the limits of my power." He answered softly, not bothering to turn around.

"To test… your limits?" Tears welled in her eyes as rage roared into her heart. "You killed… everyone… to test your limits? That's insane!"

"Foolish little sister." Terror swiftly replaced rage as her brother turned to meet her gaze. In the darkness her brother's sharingan glowed an eerie red. Those eyes which she had seen on so many of her clansmen, on her father, on brother… they were now twisted into a strange pinwheel shape. In that moment she realized just how small she was.

In an instant he was upon her, gripping her by her throat and pinning her against the wall. She barely registered the 'thunk' and pain of her skull striking a wooden wall before a balled fist lodged itself in her abdomen. The sensation of bile shooting up her esophagus was swiftly drowned by the desperate need for air. She clawed at his hands in a desperate attempt to flee. She wanted to live!

"You're not worth killing." The pressure on her throat alleviated as he lifted her higher in the air. Her eyes shot open as she gasped for air, only to meet his own. In an instant, the world around her began to bleed red and morph into the scene of her clan's compound.

"You're too weak."

The killing began with Izumi Uchiha, her brother's girlfriend - the one who had carried her as a baby and played with her when her brother was on missions. Izumi wept bitterly when he raised his blade, but she didn't resist.

"Too soft, as father always suspected."

The next target was the Uchiha Police Station, where her uncles and cousins worked. They had trusted him as one of their own. Some tried to fight in vain. Others didn't notice the hidden blade until it turned on them.

"You lack the hatred to challenge me."

Then he turned on the women and children. She watched helplessly, begging him to stop.

"Foolish little sister. Hate me, despise me. Only then will you be strong enough to challenge me. Only with eyes like mine will you ever have a hope of defeating me."

The last stop - her parents. He walked in and saw them seated, facing away from him - just as she had seen them. He raised his blade -

She screamed.

-‐—-

The Mourning Routine

Satsuki woke up screaming. Her back was cold and sticky from the sweat soaked her shirt, while her eyes were matted with tears. She took shaky breaths in between her sobs, even as she stumbled out of bed and into her bathroom. She stripped desperately and stepped into the shower without first closing the door.

Her tears blended with the water which began flowing over her skin. The water was warm and reminiscent of happier times.

A trembling hand reached for soap and gripped it tightly as it almost slipped from her fingers. She scrubbed even as her skin begged for reprieve. At some point, the sweat and tears were gone but something remained. When she could scrub no more, she sat down with her legs hugged to her chest, eyes closed and face buried in her knees.

Her mind drifted back to her nightmares. She still remembered the feeling of her brother's hand around her throat. She still heard her own pleads for him to stop. His words, most of all, played relentlessly. Her teeth ground in anger as she recalled the worst day of her life.

Shivers and goosebumps from what was now a frigid shower shook her from her ruminations. Her sobs had ceased and hyperventilation had been replaced by heavy, steady breathing. She stood up abruptly - all evidence of what had happened during the night had washed away or been suppressed. She turned off the water and dried herself thoroughly.

Today will be different, she told herself, the start of something new. Once she passed Kakashi's test (she had no doubt that she would), she would be on the road to the power she needed to realize her ambitions. She would no longer be that weak little girl. No more nightmares.

She walked over to her closet and reached for clothes that she had prepared the previous night. She began by donning a blue v-necked sleeveless top which had underlying chainmail in a fishnet-like pattern made from ninja wire - for protection. Her clan's crest was etched prominently in the back. It was a symbol she refused to let go, as she would not have her traitorous brother be its sole representative. Below that she wore a simple white mid-thigh skirt with an underlying pair of black shorts with an attached holster for her kunai and shuriken on the right thigh as well as a black belt with a holster on the left hip. Her look was completed by a set of black thermal sleeves that she wore over her arms and legs. They helped thermoregulate and, more importantly, prevented scrapes and bruises from falls during training. Her newly acquired forehead protector was worn around her neck.

Satisfied, she rounded back to her bathroom to brush her teeth. After rinsing her mouth, she allowed herself to appreciate the reflection in the mirror while brushing her hair. When she was younger, her mother would talk as she brushed Satsuki's hair every morning before letting her out of the house. It was a soothing practice. Satsuki wondered how her mother would have reacted if she were alive to see Satsuki today. With long straight black hair parted with two bangs on either side which framed a pale face with sharp features, Satsuki was a facsimile of her mother. Were it not for the scowls and glares that so often graced Satsuki's face, in contrast to her mother's kind smiles, even Satsuki herself would be unable to tell them apart.

Those thoughts carried her to the door, where she had left her last accessory: A ninjato sheathed in a black scabbard, bearing her clan crest on her handle. Strapping it to her hip, she took one last breath as she grasped the doorknob and pulled.

—-

Second Impressions

Sakura was the first to arrive. 15 minutes early, dutiful as ever as she sat in the middle of the training ground. Naruto, in contrast, arrived perfectly on time and sat cross legged off to the side. Satsuki arrived a few minutes late and chose to lean against a tree.

Thinking of what she had said the previous day, Sakura was the first to break the silence. Deciding against speaking to Satsuki based on how she was treated yesterday, she was left with one option. "Say, Naruto-san, where did you learn the seal you used yesterday? They didn't teach us that in the academy."

He blinked repeatedly at her question, but a grin quickly settled in. "You liked it, huh? I made it myself! It's based on some Uzumaki clan sealing techniques I learned from the pervy-sage." A relieved sigh left Sakura's mouth. It seemed Naruto had relinquished yesterday's animosity. Wait… didn't he say that his surname was Uzumaki? Why did that sound so familiar?

"Wait… THE Uzumaki clan? As in, the Shodaime's wife Uzumaki clan? Allies-of-the-Senju Uzumaki clan?" Sakura's voice quickened with each consecutive question.

"The very same." Naruto confirmed, nodding his head up and down.

"Hn." Satsuki grunted. No wonder they didn't get along. The Uchiha and the Senju had warred for over a thousand years. Given that the Uzumaki were cousins of the Senju, it seemed predestined that she and the idiot would fall into conflict.

"But I thought the Uzumaki were wiped out after the 2nd Shinobi World War." Sakura's excitement had led her to a quick response, but upon seeing Naruto's expression darken she quickly placed a hand over her mouth.

"Well, they didn't get all of us. My mother was one of the survivors." Although Naruto was smiling, he spoke in a somber tone.

Sakura hesitated before asking "What is she like? Has she ever told you anything about your clan?"

"What's wrong with you, Sakura? You don't just ask someone that." Satsuki suddenly interjected, glaring at Sakura. Sakura tilted her head in confusion.

"I never knew my mother. She died the day I was born." Naruto was no longer smiling. His eyes gazed off into the distance with a slight frown.

Oh... He's an orphan. Sakura looked down as she realized how her questions must be making her team members feel. Satsuki's scowled, having expected such an outcome.

"Oii! Don't you dare look at me like that. I won't have my clan be an object of pity!" Sakura's eyes widened, but responded with a nod "I won't, Naruto-san!".

Satsuki blinked slowly, but after a while a smirk settled onto her face. "You're not even worth pitying, idiot."

"Why do you have to be such a bastard, Satsuki?!" He shouted back, but the frown had disappeared from his face.

—-

Sakura can Count

2 hours. She had arrived early just to wait two hours. While her teammates had kept themselves occupied - Naruto scribbling on a scroll while Satsuki sharpened her Ninjato- Sakura had kept herself from distraction with the expectation that their sensei would show up at any second. But, as the pangs of hunger slowly become more incessant, Sakura began to feel her patience unravel. Why had he told them to skip breakfast again? She started to feel herself become very, very upset.

A puff of smoke was all that signaled their Sensei's arrival to the training ground. He raised a hand and waved while offering a smile with his single visible eye. "Yo."

Silence…

"You're late!" Sakura screamed while pointing an accusatory finger.

Kakashi shrugged. "I'm sorry, I was on my way here when a paranoid old man crossed my path. I had to help calm him down."

"What kind of excuse is that?" Naruto said, looking away with narrowed eyes as Satsuki rolled her eyes.

"The kind you'll have to accept." At this, Kakashi offered a thumbs up, still smiling.

"Cut the bullshit, Kakashi." It seems that Satsuki reached the limits of her patience as well.

"Aww, you kids are no fun. Anyway…" Kakashi reached into his pockets. He pulled out a pair of bells and attached them to his hip with string.

"Today we'll be doing a survival exercise." All three genin stood up and paid attention.

"Your job is to get these bells from me through any means necessary. You have until noon." That gave them two hours, judging by the position of the sun.

"Whoever fails to get a bell goes back to the academy and has to try again next year. Also, if you fail to get a bell you will be tied to that stump over there and forced to watch as the others eat those delicious bento boxes, which I have prepared."

Satsuki's eye twitched as she noticed the stump and bento boxes. That explains why the bastard had asked them to skip breakfast.

"But sensei, there are only two bells!" Sakura addressed with concern in her voice.

"Very impressive Sakura, you can count. Regardless of how well you do, one of you fails."

'I have to pass, I've worked too hard to fail here.' Satsuki and Naruto both thought, as Sakura looked back and forth between the two of them.

"Lastly, I suggest you come at me with the intent to kill."

As soon as he said those words Naruto shot at Kakashi with a black kunai in hand, which seemingly materialized out of nowhere. A smoke bomb was swiftly launched between him and Kakashi, masking his approach. He appeared a second later within striking distance of Kakashi, his right hand extended towards Kakashi's throat. In one quick motion, Kakashi stepped aside and twisted Naruto's arm behind his back - now with Naruto's kunai aimed at his own cervical spine. Kakashi's face hadn't changed from the mocking smile he had offered earlier. Satsuki and Sakura stood there with their jaws on the floor.

"An A for effort, Naruto, but I haven't said 'begin' yet." Then he turned to the two girls "You may begin now."

In an instant, both Sakura and Satsuki jumped in opposite directions to the surrounding trees to hide and think of a plan, leaving Naruto to his fate. Kakashi remained in the clearing, shaking his head and still holding Naruto's hand behind his back.

"You know Naruto, you should be more careful when attacking like that. Your enemy could easily capture you and take you hosta-"

Naruto exploded in a shockwave of pure Chakra. Kakashi braced his arms over his face and chest but was thrown back several meters. He was spared any serious injury, having reinforced his body with chakra at the last moment. Nonetheless, his ears rattled. He got up, narrowing his eye when he noticed Naruto was nowhere in sight.

From the treeline, the others watched in shock.

'That was a Great Clone Explosion. But when did he make the clone? I have to be more careful with this kid, who knows what Jiraiya taught him!'

Suddenly, a dozen clones shot out from a nearby river and ran towards Kakashi, engaging him in melee. As the first two clones attacked, the others quickly surrounded Kakashi. The first clone went for a leg sweep, which Kakashi jumped over only to realize that the second clone was aiming a drop kick in his direction. With agility that shouldn't be possible for an airborne man, Kakashi grabbed its legs and threw it towards the first clone, dispelling them both.

Two more clones took their place without hesitation, approaching from opposite directions. One of them went for a punch to his head with his right hand, but Kakashi ducked out of the way and placed himself behind it. Forming a tiger seal with his hands, Kakashi aimed at the clone's rectum and thrust forward. Suddenly, the clone evaded sideways and Kakashi's fingers met empty air.

'How did it know?' He thought, looking around for clues. He noticed how the other clones were watching intently, but each from a different angle. 'Could it be that they're somehow communicating?'

"What the fuck, Kakashi!?" The clone screamed in outrage.

With Kakashi's arms still extended, the second clone reached to grab hands. Suddenly, four more clones shot out, each aiming to grab a limb.

'What are they getting at?' He thought. His eye widened as his experienced sixth sense prompted him to look down, where a hand was sticking out from the ground holding a black kunai, aimed at the bells on his hip. A second later, a log had taken his place and the kunai found nothing. As Naruto pulled himself from the ground, kunai in hand, he cursed and pounded a fist into the ground "Dammit! I thought I had him there.".

Looking around, he realized that Kakashi was nowhere to be seen. "Okay boys, spread out and find him!". A chorus of "Got it, Boss!" came as a reply.

From the trees, his teammates watched.

'The idiot's not half bad, but Kakashi's toying with him." Satsuki though with narrowed eyes. Even with his cheap tricks, she didn't see Naruto overcoming Kakashi's speed advantage in speed. She'd have to find a way to counter it herself.

'How the hell am I supposed to overcome that?!' Sakura practically screamed in her mind, before an idea popped into her head. 'If I find Satsuki, maybe we can work together to get the bells!' Sakura set out across the forest with a determined look.

Rising slowly from the ground, Kakashi's head eyes peeked at Naruto's clones dispersing in all directions. 'I've seen enough from him, let's see what the other two are up to.'

—-

Communication Goes Both Ways

Time passed before Kakashi sensed something as he jumped through the trees. With a graceful flip, he dodged a volley of Kunai which lodged themselves into the tree next to where he used to be.

"Well hello, Satsuki. Here to try your luck like Naruto?" Kakashi waved with one of his mocking eye smiles.

"Don't compare me to that idiot, we're nothing alike." She retorted, landing next to him with her ninjato in hand.

"Is that so? You all look the same to me - equally worthless." He taunted as he slid a kunai into each palm.

Satsuki grit her teeth and a second later she shot forward with an overhead swing. Kakashi blocked with both kunai crossed and retaliated with a straight kick aimed at her face. Seeing the incoming danger, Satsuki leaned back and placed her hands on the ground for support as she cartwheeled backwards into a striking position. A moment later she struck again with a swipe from Kakashi's left, where his field of view was limited from his covered eye. Realizing the danger, he turned into the swipe and blocked with the kunai in his left hand while extending, jabbing at Satsuki with his right. She jumped backwards.

'She's fast, but not as strong as Naruto. I suppose the ninjato is meant to compensate for that.' He prepared to rush forward to close the reach gap between their weapons.

'I have to push him back!' Satsuki thought, quickly completing a series of hand signs before taking a deep breath. Her chest expanded as her cheeks puffed.

'Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!' She thought, as a large ball of fire many times her size shot out from her mouth, aimed at Kakashi.

Kakashi's eye widened in surprise as he jumped backwards, the fireball exploding where he intended to be just a second ago. Although he was blinded by the light and heat, he sensed when Satsuki jumped through the fire and flames with an overhead swing designed to bisect him down the middle. Both of his kunai reached up to block, as they had before, before he felt his wrists slam into something thin but strong.

'Ninja wire! She used a kunai to set a trap!' Kakashi's eye looked around suddenly, looking for clues on how to escape. A click was heard a moment later as a second set of wires descended from the branches around him and wrapped around his wrists, immobilizing them.

Realizing that he would no longer be able to block with his kunai, Kakashi used his strength to pull his entire body in the direction of the wire and then placed the soles of his feet against the wire. Satsuki's swing, which had been aimed where his head was, bisected the wire where it connected his wrists. Then, with a flick of his wrists, Kakashi launched both of his kunai to either side, cutting his wrists free from wherever the wire was secured. Expecting a follow up swing, he jumped backwards.

Satsuki's eyes watched him critically as she shot a volley of shuriken with a slight of hand. The shuriken split in either direction before curving to meet just in front of where he was, only to curve again and meet behind him.

'She missed?... No!' Realization hit Kakashi when his back hit the trunk of a tree a second before more wire wrapped around him. It had come from the shuriken and was connected to Satsuki's hands.

"I've got you now!" She said, smirking. A series of hand signs later and another deep breath signaled the coming onslaught.

'Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu!' She thought, as fire from her lungs flowed along the wires towards Kakashi.

Thinking quickly, Kakashi went through his own series of hand signs. 'Lightning Style: Guided Current!'. Lightning flowed quickly down the wire, catching Satsuki unaware. She screamed as her muscles seized up and the wire burned her hands.

With a quick motion, Kakashi channeled lightning chakra to his hand and sliced through the wire, freeing himself before the tree was obliterated. He walked over to Satsuki, who was still paralyzed and twitching on the ground.

"Wow, Satsuki, I'm impressed. Naruto was quick to assault, but he just went for the bells. You, on the other hand, really tried to kill me. That's quite a killer instinct you have there. As a reward, I'll teach you a trick that I know with ninja wire, seeing as you like it so much."

A minute later, Satsuki was dangling upside down from a tree branch, her hands bound with ninja wire to her sides. Her kunai and ninjato lay on the forest floor below her. She grit her teeth, refusing to call for help in an effort to maintain whatever was left of her pride.

Kakashi took a second to appreciate his work before moving on.

—-

Hanging Out With Your Friends

Sakura kept her head low as she advanced through the forest in search of her teammate. Moving from cover to cover, she made sure to scan the forest floor for any signs of Kakashi. As she prepared to move to another spot, she heard the sound of a twig snapping. She held in a breath, her hand reaching to her kunai pouch as goosebumps instantly developed on her skin. She let go of the breath when she realized it was her who had stepped on a twig.

"Sakura".

Sakura's eyes shot open as she screamed. "Ahhh!"

"Shut up, Sakura. Someone might hear you." Wait, that didn't sound like Kakashi. That must mean…

Looking up, Sakura realized it had been Satsuki who was talking to her, still hanging upside down from the branch.

"Oh, Satsuki, thank the sage. I've been looking everywhere for you!". Satsuki raised (or would it be lowered?) her eyebrows at Sakura's tone, but decided to ignore it.

"Sakura, I need you to get me down so I can go fight Kakashi again." Satsuki responded.

"No, wait, Satsuki. I think we should do this together. We can fight him together and each get a bell!"

"I'd rather do it alone." Satsuki admitted in a dry tone. "Now, get me down."

"I'm not letting you down unless you agree to help me!" Sakura's fists trembled at her side and her eyes closed as she shouted, but she didn't relent. "Besides, he already defeated you once, just like he did Naruto, he can do it again." She continued in a softer tone.

Satsuki glared at her in silence, hoping that the girl would break.

"I'll even heal your hands." Sakura said, her face softening with a smile.

A moment passed in silence. "Fine, we each get a bell. But what about Naruto?" Satsuki said with a sigh.

"I never took you for an exibitionist, Satsuki." Naruto chose that precise moment to appear.

It was in that moment that Satsuki recalled just how much she was revealing as she hung upside down, the hem of her skirt resting against her abdomen. Her eyes widened as a deep blush spread across her cheeks. She thrashed against the wire, pulling her legs closer to her body as her hands scrambled to cover as much as they could. Of all people, for the idiot to see her like this!

"Awww, look. She's blushing. It's actually kind of cute." He grinned and winked at her as she cursed him with more vigor.

"Naruto, I swear. If you don't turn around this instant I'm going to-"

"Relax, I'm just teasing!." He responded, shrugging with an amused smile.

"Like I care! Stop looking at me you creep!" She seethed.

"I want in." He interrupted in a serious tone, now looking directly at Sakura while ignoring Satsuki. In an instant, the grin had been replaced by a neutral but determined expression. "He's too strong, too slippery. We're never going to get those bells alone." Satstuki had stopped struggling against the wire, reluctantly attempting to hide her face as she rotated in place.

"Let me work together with you two to get the bells. We can decide who passes after we get the bells, but if we don't all work together none of us will pass."

Sakura looked at him, then at Satsuki. "Fine." Sakura said.

Naruto turned his head up to look at Satsuki once again. "And what do you think, Satsuki?"

"I think I hate both of you." She said, still dangling. A moment later, she mumbled under her breath. "But if it'll get me down from here I'll work with you two."

Sakura thrust a hand in the air in celebration.

"Now, get me down from here." Satsuki had really had enough of being in this position.

"Ah ah, Satsuki-chan. What's the magic word?" Naruto interjected while shaking his finger from side to side, his eyes lit with amusement.

"NOW!" She snarled.

After a second and a kunai, courtesy of Naruto, Satsuki was heading face first for the forest floor. She was sooooo going to kick his ass when this was all over.

—-

Nearly an hour and a half had passed since the exercise began when Kakashi finally felt a presence approach his position.

"Did you intend to ambush me, Sakura? I was able to finish a whole chapter in the time that I've been waiting for you." He said, not looking up from his book. "You seem like a smart girl, how long did it take you to realize that it was you who needed to get something from me in this exercise?"

Sakura didn't respond, only reaching for a kunai and setting it into a reverse grip.

"You don't want to talk?" He asked, raising his single visible eyebrow and meeting her gaze for a split second before returning to his book. "Maybe getting kicked around a bit will loosen your tongue."

A split second later she lunged at him. Steel met steel as their eyes met. She visibly struggled to hold back his strength. Then, a familiar grin split across her face.

Kakashi's eye widened. 'Naruto!' He jumped away instantly before Naruto exploded again.

"I'm going to make you pay for what you tried to do to me, Kakashi!" A chorus of voices drowned out the world around him - nearly a hundred clones. Kakashi pulled out another kunai and lowered his stance.

A second later they started to come forward, such that only 6 were close to him at a time. The other clones would surround him, occupying likely escape routes and chucking shuriken at Kakashi during opportune moments. The clones attempted to cover each other's openings with weapons and shared vision.

In spite of all of this, it was clear that the mass of Narutos was no match for Kakashi. With speed befitting of his rank Kakashi mercilessly mowed down the clones, one by one. Every attack was an opening, and overextension to be exploited. By the time that Kakashi had thinned the herd to nearly half of its original size, he started to grow bored.

"I expected more out of you, Naruto. You must not be very upset if this is all you can muster in revenge."

In response, a set of Clones that were surrounding Kakashi lunged in unison at his limbs just as they had done during the previous encounter. Recognizing the maneuver, Kakashi jumped in the air. This time, he attached an explosive tag to a kunai in preparation for Naruto's attack from below. However, once he threw the kunai, no such attack came. Instead, a blur suddenly appeared and met him midair. Sparks flew from the joining of Kakashi's kunai and his assailant's blade.

"The idiot may not get his revenge, but I definitely will." Satsuki said with a smirk. A second later she planted both feet on his ribs, and backflipped off of him - launching him into a tree. The glint of steel in the air signaled that she had launched another volley of shuriken that were laden with ninja wire.

Kakashi anticipated the sensation of his back hitting a tree trunk. When that came, he raised his kunai and sliced through the wire with the help of some lightning chakra manipulation. Kakashi's feet hit the ground as Satsuki's smirk fell off her face.

"Ne, Satsuki, you didn't like the wire trick I showed you? I can demonstrate another, more humiliating technique if you'd like." Kakashi offered with an eye smile. A glare and white knuckles preceded her response.

Fury bled into her strikes as she pressed forwards, her ninjato arcing through the air only to meet his kunai repetitively - showering the forest floor in sparks. She attempted attacks from all directions. In spite of her efforts, it was clear that Kakashi was barely exerting himself by the fact that he didn't feel the need to use his left hand.

Seeing how his teammate wasn't enough to overcome Kakashi, Naruto's clones began trickling into the fight and attacking at every opportunity. Taking advantage of the fact that Kakashi was surrounded, Satsuki prepared an overhead strike. However, just before she swung, Naruto appeared in front of her and dashed to Kakashi.

"Get out of my way, Naruto!" Satsuki roared as she found herself stopping mid-swing in fear of bisecting him. A moment later Kakashi kicked Naruto into Satsuki. He knocked her down and dispelled into a puff of smoke.

"No way! I'm not letting you have all the fun!" A nearby clone responded a moment before it threw itself at Kakashi only to be eviscerated. More clones took its place and surrounded Kakashi, barely leaving any room for her to maneuver or attack. She shifted frantically from position to position in an effort to find an opening into Kakashi. "I don't want to hurt you, idiot!" She snarled.

"As if you could hurt me, bastard." Another clone responded, sticking out its tongue at her. A second later it rushed at Kakashi and prepared to grab one of his hands. However, it stopped dead in its tracks when it felt a sharp pain shoot through its chest. It looked down only to recognize Satsuki's blade piercing right through its heart and into a log which had once been Kakashi. Satsuki donned a satisfied smirk as she appraised the results of her attack.

"What the fuck, Satsuki?" Another clone responded from the side. "Are you trying to kill me?" A third clone pointed an accusatory finger in her direction.

"Stop being so annoying and I won't have a reason to." She replied, rolling her eyes.

"Turning on each other already? And here I thought you two were starting to get along." Kakashi said after appearing on a branch above the two, shaking his head. "At this rate you two will never get the bells."

Naruto bit his tongue and didn't reply. A single grunt was all Satsuki mustered in response. They looked at each other, nodded, and then turned to Kakashi.

A second later, a group of clones launched themselves at Kakashi's position, hoping to dislodge him. Satsuki jumped to a position higher than the others and started running through hand seals. 'Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!' She thought as she shot out a ball of roaring flames.

As Kakashi dodged attacks from the surrounding clones, he shot over to a nearby pond and ran through a series of hand seals himself. An instant later, a torrent of water formed between him and the fireball. The water boiled into steam, protecting him from the fireball as Naruto's clones were incinerated.

"Now! Sakura!" He heard from outside the blinding cloud of steam. A streak of pink became visible through the steam as Sakura appeared, kunai in hand. When his Kunai met hers, he suddenly felt a sense of vertigo hit him.

'She must have cast an illusion.' Kakashi thought to himself. Sakura smiled as she tried to go for a kick, which he dodge in spite of the dizziness he felt. 'What was the trigger, her hair?'

A second later Satsuki popped into the steam from the opposite side as Sakura, aiding the assault. Satsuki raised her ninjato for an overhead swing as Sakura lunged for a stab with her Kunai. Realizing the precariousness of his situation, Kakashi kicked Satsuki back and pushed Sakura's Kunai hand downward, taking a knee and forming a hand sign as he did. He swiftly channeled a load of chakra and expelled it, 'Release!'.

As Kakashi released the illusion, he realized he had lost track of Naruto. Between the fighting, steam, and illusions he hadn't realized that Naruto had taken the opportunity to appear from below him and slice the cords holding the bells to Kakashi's hip. As the bells hung in the air, Kakashi thought quickly and kicked Naruto away before he could grab the bells.

It took less than a second for Kakashi to start moving in an effort to grab the bells. It took less than that, however, for a series of dark purple lights to flash through the cloud of steam as a chant of "Fuin!" went out. Kakashi stood paralized as a massive, sprawling sealing array became visible below him and lines of dark purple seals crawled up his skin. He could not move.

'Sakura and Satsuki are inside the sealing array with me. If I can break out, I can grab the bells before them.' Kakashi concentrated on quickly channeling chakra and released it all in a burst - causing some of the seals to momentarily detach. As he slowly began to reach for the bells through the resistance posed by the seal, he spoke. "'I'm impressed, you three almost got the bells from me. This is the closest any team has come."

'Damnit! I can't fail here!' Satsuki thought, unable to move from the ground as she watched Kakashi. Tears started to well in Sakura's eyes as she thought 'We came so close!'.

"It's a shame that I'll have to send you three back-." As Kakashi's index finger grazed one of the bells, they both suddenly flew at Naruto's awaiting hand as if they were overcome by an unstoppable attraction.

"Almost, sensei?" Naruto said with a smirk as his eyes pulsed with power. "There's no reason to feel shame. After all, we passed, right?" He grinned and tilted his head as he jiggled the bells in his hand.

Kakashi was left speechless, his eye wide as a saucer. Sakura made eye contact with Satsuki, and then Naruto, but couldn't find words to say.

"You could have done that the whole time, idiot?" Satsuki spoke, still frozen within the confines of the seal. Her gaze was focused on the blonde, but relief was visible on her face.

"Ne, but Satsuki, it wouldn't have been as cool!" He lectured, making a gesture with his hand to point at the sky. "See? We did it just in time!"

—-

Memories

"I'm impressed that you three managed to find the hidden meaning of the exercise on your first try." Kakashi stated the three genin. All three were walking beside him. Each was full from the bento boxes he had prepared, as he had donated a third box which he had made for himself.

"It was teamwork, wasn't it sensei?" Sakura asked, hands clasped to her chest as she walked.

"Correct." Kakashi spared a glance at his direction. "How did you manage to guess, Sakura?"

Sakura tilted her head to the side as she thought. "Well…. You told us that if we ate breakfast we would just throw it up. But you showed up two hours late! I think the point of making us fast was to make it harder to think…"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, prompting her to continue.

"That's probably the reason Satsuki was so moody too…" Naruto interrupted, hands clasped behind the back of his head as he walked.

"Hn." Satsuki glanced at his direction as her hand settled on the hilt of her ninjato - a warning.

Naruto shivered as Sakura continued speaking. "And then you pitted us against each other by telling us that only two of us could pass… but that didn't make any sense!"

"Oh?" Kakashi responded, smiling with his eye.

"Yeah! I've never heard of a three man team. It's always a 4 man team with 3 genin and a jounin sensei. It didn't make sense to fail just one of us… Plus, it's not like any one of us could take you on individually." Sakura continued.

"That's very astute of you," Kakashi responded. "And did you two reach the same conclusion?" He asked, looking at the other genin.

"Hn." Satsuki responded with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Well, the Sandaime told me that Konoha values teamwork yesterday. I figured that I might give it a try!" Naruto said with a grin.

"Don't act so smug, Naruto! The Hokage basically just gave you the answer! That's cheating! I had to figure it out myself!" Sakura exclaimed, punctuating her words by poking Naruto in the cheek.

"Hey, hey! I was just being resourceful!" He responded as he swatted her finger away.

"We're shinobi, Sakura. We're supposed to cheat." Kakashi interjected. In response to her sensei's words, Sakura looked down in embarrassment as she walked. A few minutes passed as they neared their destination - a large black stone with many names carved into it.

"Sensei, why did you bring us here?" Sakura inquired as she started to read the names.

"I brought you here to teach you a lesson that I wished someone had taught me when I first became a genin." Kakashi said, moving to stand in front of the stone with his genin behind him.

"Before you, I failed 6 teams of academy graduates." Everyone's eyes widened in response to the information. "They all failed in the same way, they chose to work separately to get the bells instead of working together."

"The ninja academy might have told you to be strong, independent, and self-sufficient. All of these qualities are good and valuable. They are qualities that will help you achieve your dreams.. Or ambitions." Kakashi said, shifting his gaze to Satsuki. "They might even make a strong case for your promotion during exams. That being said, they won't be responsible for saving your life on a battlefield nearly as much as teamwork will."

"We live in a dark, immoral world where newborn babies are murdered in their cribs and strong men die through the combined efforts of many, weaker men. As ninja, we must learn to thrive in such a world. The enemy will fight dirty, using every advantage they have on you. As a member of this cell, the one consistent advantage you will have is your teammates. Learn to rely on each other." Kakashi continued to look at the stone with a forlorn look in his eye.

"Once upon a time, I tried to do everything by myself. I dare say that I was good at it. I failed nonetheless. I made many mistakes as a result of those beliefs. Everyone I cared about then is dead because of me. I beg you, please don't be like I was." He looked up from the stone, momentarily pausing to look at the sky before shifting his gaze to meet that of his team.

Sakura held her breath as Satsuki gripped the hilt of her ninjato tightly. Naruto looked at the stone somberly.

Kakashi's gaze shifted back to the stone. "Every name carved into this stone is that of a hero - someone who has given their life in service of the Hidden Leaf. Had I passed the 6 teams before you, their names would undoubtedly have become just another set of names on this stone. A pitiful reward for the ultimate sacrifice. I hope to never see your names on this stone."

Kakashi then turned around and met his team's gaze with a look of determination with an undercurrent of deep sorrow. "One more thing… Some day you may be asked to sacrifice your team's lives for the sake of a mission. I'll leave you with this: Those who fail their missions are trash, but those who leave a teammate behind are worse than trash."

—-

Some Flowers have Thorns

A distinct chime signaled the opening of a flower shop's door.

"Just a minute! We'll be right with you!" A man's voice called from inside the store, followed by the sound of frantic movement and the cracking of a clay pot. "Ino, customer at the front!" The voice could be heard calling again.

"Just a second!" A much younger female voice called in return only to be followed by the sound of water spraying on leaves. A few seconds later, a head popped out from behind a rack that was hanging a variety of Orchids. The girl had long bleach blonde hair, styled such that a single bang covered her right eye and the rest of her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail that managed to reach her mid back. She wore a purple sleeveless crop top and matching skirt, with the rest of the skin on her torso and thighs obscured by white bandages. Her blue forehead protector was fashionably styled around her waist as a belt. The girl's teal eyes rolled in recognition as she realized who was at the door. "Oh, it's you."

"Hn" Satsuki replied, taking a deep breath through her nose with closed eyes before continuing to walk into the store and survey through the flowers.

"Hey! Don't just ignore me!" The blonde exclaimed as she pointed a finger at the ravenette.

Onyx eyes turned to meet teal for a split second before continuing to browse. "Don't you have better things to do than to seek my attention, Ino?"

"Just as bitchy as you've always been, I see." The blonde said with disdain. Then, she noticed the ravenette's forehead protector. "I'm surprised they let you out of the insane asylum and put you on a team." She smirked to herself in satisfaction.

Satsuki didn't even look at Ino as she replied. "And I'm surprised they let you out of the brothel and put you in this flower shop."

Ino growled and narrowed her eyes. "What are you even looking for, anyways? Trying to find some roses and pretend you don't have a dead love life?"

Satsuki turned to meet her gaze with a cold stare. "Seriously, Ino, why do you have to make this any harder than it already is?" Ino smirked at the response, seeing that she had agitated the other girl.

"I'm looking for Lilies and Chrysanthemums, white or yellow". Ino's smirk died at Satsuki's request. "Oh…they're in the back. Let me get some for you." A second later Ino disappeared, leaving Satsuki with only the flowers and her thoughts.

Satsuki's thoughts drifted to her early academy days, where all the girls were encouraged to take a class of flower arrangements. That class was offered in addition to other classes such as those on tea ceremonies. They were supposed to expose the young kunoichi to aspects of the culture practiced in noble courts, a set of skills that would be useful in infiltration missions later in life. At the time, she had thought the class was useless. It didn't help that she desperately craved her father's approval and he held disdain for anything feminine. However, her mother had insisted that as the only heiress to the clan that Satsuki should be capable of behaving herself as a 'proper lady'. Truth be told, she still considered the class largely useless. However, she appreciated being able to express herself when words failed her.

"Will these do?" Satsuki was roused from her thinking by a collection of flowers being thrust near her face. She raised an eyebrow as she leaned her head back. "They're… just fine."

Ino grinned. "I'm sorry if they're not as pretty as usual. Some boy came by earlier and bought all of the best ones! I mean, I know what they're for but… why so many at once?"

—-

What Makes a Day Special?

Later that night, Satsuki walked through the Konoha cemetery. The light of the full moon overhead lustred off her black kimono and her hair, which was styled in a bun. Upon reaching a large tombstone, she sat with her knees tucked beneath her and placed the basket she was carrying to her side. From the basket she drew a bouquet with the lilies and chrysanthemums she had purchased earlier and laid them at the feet of the tombstone. Following that, she drew some incense and several stick candles and lit them with the fire from her breath. She sat in silence for several minutes, palms on her lap and eyes closed beneath the tombstone that had her family's names etched in large letters.

"Otou-sama. Okaa-sama." She finally opened her eyes. "I know it hasn't been long since I last came to see you…" She said as her eyes watched the incense burn. "...but today is a special day. I'm finally a genin!"

"I know it's not very impressive, Otou-sama. I tried to graduate earlier. Believe me, I did. But they wouldn't let me. Not even if I was the top of the class…" She stopped for a second, sniffed, and took a deep breath before continuing. "But things are going to be different now! I'm finally on a team. I have a jounin sensei now." Her words picked up speed as she continued. "There's nothing to stop me now. I can get stronger! Strong enough to…." She paused as a tear fell onto her thigh. She wiped her cheek with the sleeve of her kimono but the tears gradually came in greater quantities.

"...to make things right." Her voice strained as she grit her teeth. She paused for a second to slow her breathing. "I hope that someday you'll be proud of me, Otou-sama. I hope that you're smiling down on me like you always used to, Okaa-sama. I hope-" Her breath caught in her throat.

"-I hope…." Her fingers balled into fists on her lap.

"...I wish things were different. But I hope that what I'm doing makes you happy. I hope that one day you can rest in peace." She said with a determined voice as a bittersweet smile adorned her face. Her eyes drifted up to look at the moon. The shape of the clouds blurred as time passed in silence.

"I'll make things right, soon." She said as she stood up. Her hand reached out to trace the writing of her parent's name on the tombstone. "I won't forget you."

Taking a deep breath, Satsuki turned and reached for the empty basket. She hooked the handle in the crease of her left elbow as she began to exit the cemetery. Her sandals clacked against the stone tiles beneath her feet.

Before she reached the exit, something caught her eye - an extravagant arrangement of flowers, like those that she had bought, lay in front of the tombstone of one Kushina Uzumaki.

—-

I hope you enjoyed what I wrote. Make sure to offer a review if you'd like to offer your thoughts!

Thank you to those who have proof-read this work. You know who you are.