A note from Takeshi Hou to readers:

Alright...I lied. No action. . I'm sorry! Gomen Nasai! Seriously, there is some large action in the next chapter. I'll update the next chapter fairly soon so I don't get beat up by anyone who reads this and demands action, because I know myself what it's like to read 3 chapters in a row without action and then wait _forEVER_ for the action-filled one. So, just read this and Review, the next one will probably be up next Monday

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"Where's Kakashi-sensai?!" Naruto yelled. Sasuke and Sakura were in the field as well, waiting as usual, "It's been almost three hours! HE SHOULD BE HERE BY NOW!"

"We should just get used to it." Sakura said, "I don't think he's ever been on time..."

*LET'S KICK HIS ASS!* Inner Sakura exclaimed, throwing a some powerful punches into the air,*TAKE HIM DOWN! HELL YEAH!

"He's so immature." Sasuke said *just like Naruto...*

"Yeah...unlike you Sasuke-kun..." Sakura said dreamily, and then realized she said it aloud

"Hey, do you three know where Kakashi-sama is?" a voice asked. A boy was in the middle of all three of them.

"-sama?" Sakura repeated, a little confused as to why someone would give Kakashi that suffix...

*This guy...how'd he get in the middle of us?...* Sasuke thought *I didn't even notice him...and by the looks of it neither Sakura or Naruto did either...*

"Who're you?!" Naruto yelled, but then something else demanded his attention

"Good morning everybody!" a voice called. Kakashi stood on the edge of the field, his happy tone innocent and naive. "How are you this morning?"

"YOU'RE LATE!" all four of them yelled at the same time, but then Team 7 looked at Takeshi, confused as to why he joined the chorus of frustration and anger. Takeshi just smiled

"...Who're you...?" Kakashi asked. His eye narrowed, and Takeshi could only guess his Sharingan eye did as well.

"A challenger." Takeshi knew very well Kakashi might know who he is..but he was confident his Genjutsu was enough to fool Kakashi until he activated his Sharingan..that was...if he activated his Sharingan. "Care to fight?"

"I have another commitment..." Kakashi said uneasily. Sakura and Naruto both were a little scared by Kakashi's tone, but Sasuke just kept glaring at Takeshi, trying to measure him up

"I'm sure you can postpone it for at least 10 minutes..." Takeshi said, "It seems you were around 2 hours behind anyways..." Takeshi smiled

"Hey...Hey! HEY! Who are you?!" Naruto yelled, "You can't just barge in and demand to fight Kakashi! I'll defeat you and be acknowledged by everyone!"

"Naruto, shut up." Sasuke said, "I wouldn't interfere."

Naruto shut up promptly. Sasuke's voice was shaken. Only twice before had Sasuke's voice been so shaky...when they were fighting Zabuza and Orochimaru in the forest. Naruto's fist clenched and moved to his kunai.

"...fine..." Kakashi said, "but only 10 minutes..."

"That's all it'll take..." Takeshi said, pulling out his bladed tonfas. He had purchased them off a man back in the Hidden Sand village. The blacksmith was on the run from many gangs, and Takeshi had promised to protect him for a week if the man would craft him some tonfas that he would design himself, and so it was done.

"Tonfas...." Sasuke murmuered, "I've never seen a shinobi use tonfas as their main weapon..."

*This guy..* Sasuke thought *His outfit, his aura...his chakara...everything seems so...powerful...and different...*

"Ready.....steady..." Takeshi said. Eye contact was established between the two, Kakashi and Takeshi, and for the slightest second Takeshi thought that Kakashi might have recognized him...but the feeling faded. However...the presence of the Sharingan was definitely still there... "...GO!"