Split and Strike
by DoomaWriter
Author's notes: Heh, looks like I'm getting mixed signals about the teams, eh? Well, that's no problem with me. With the variety of people out there, I would've gotten mixed replies no matter what. I'm just glad that everyone has an open mind. Unlike a certain pink-haired maiden who currently has me in a most-painful headlock. I hope you're all as anxious to see what happens next as I am.
---
Chapter 3: Well, it's a Start
---
The next morning, Sasuke wiped his eyes as he ventured toward the usual meeting place. He tried to wonder why Kakashi had asked the group to gather particularly early this day. The sky gave off an unusual color as the sun barely began to rise. A small, itchy thought moved in the back of Sasuke's head. There was something different about this day, yet he couldn't remember what.
Everything came back to him as he felt an impact on his back and arms come down over his shoulders. He gave an annoyed glance to the side, looking out of the edge of his eyes. His sight was met with the smiling face of a very familiar blonde. "Ohayo, Sasuke-kun!" Ino greeted. "How are you this morning? Excited?"
"Let go of me," Sasuke said bluntly. Ino released her hold and the two began walking side by side. With a sigh, Sasuke remembered how Sakura would act. She was annoying but at least she was a lot more shy and restrained. Ino was like Sakura but amplified. Trying to forget about her, Sasuke focused straight ahead and blocked everything else from his mind. This wouldn't be an easy month.
'Me and Sasuke-kun, walking together!' Ino thought to herself, eyes closed, smile big. 'I knew I wouldn't lose to forehead-girl!' She opened her eyes to reassure that this was really happening. Her look turned to horror as she saw a grinning Kiba with his arm on Sasuke's shoulder and a dog on his head.
"Oi, Sasuke!" Kiba began. "It looks like we both lucked out during the picking yesterday, ne?"
Sasuke, not bothering to look at Kiba, just said, "Don't touch me."
The hooded boy pulled his arm back and just figured that Sasuke wasn't a morning person. "Tch, what's with your sensei telling us to meet so early? I hope he doesn't pull this crap everyday!"
'So loud.' Sasuke thought. 'Perfect. I could've been paired with some useful partners but what do I get? Amplified Sakura and Amplified Naruto. Let's just get this damn mission or whatever over with quickly.'
---
Kakashi arrived around noon. He gave a leisurely stretch and raised his hand, greeting the three. "Sorry," Kakashi said. "I had to take extra time to set up the rules for today's session." Ignoring Sasuke's skeptical look, Kakashi continued: "So, did everyone enjoy their time together this morning?" The second he finished his sentence, the jounin moved his head to the left, allowing a shuriken to fly by, inches from his face. "You could of just said 'no', Sasuke."
The white-haired ninja reached into his pocket and pulled out a red kunai. He held it in front so that everyone could see. Smiling, he said, "We're going to begin with a simple training session, aimed at building up teamwork." With a swift flick of his wrist, Kakashi flung the kunai straight up. The weapon stuck into a tree branch, far above. "I will be guarding it. You may go around me or through me, whatever you have to do to obtain the target. You'll have one hour. Any questions?"
It was around now Sasuke noticed that they stood upon the exact same place where he took his first test with the others. The forest area with a nearby lake and a few logs sticking out of the ground. "Are their anymore rules?" Sasuke asked.
"No, that's it. Fight as light or hard as you want."
"So you came here hours late because you were making such a simple training plan?"
A sweat drop appeared on Kakashi's face. He smiled under his face mask and said, "Yup." A long period of awkward silence followed. A finger came up and scratched Kakashi's brow, "So...Let's begin." A familiar clock was set on one of the logs and the timer button was pressed.
Sasuke couldn't help but close his eyes and smile. This was similar to their first training but there was a crucial difference. Experience. His eyes reopened to show that they were red with two black symbols in each one. The sharingan!
The others were preparing themselves as well. Kiba grasped Akamaru and set the dog on the ground beside his foot. After a loud laugh, he asked, "Ready to show them what we're made of?" Akamaru barked in agreement. By this time, Ino had pulled out a shuriken in one hand to her side and a kunai in the other by her face. The four leaped off in separate directions, disappearing from Kakashi's sight.
Calmly, the group's sensei placed a finger to his chin and thought to himself. 'Let's see, Sasuke's most likely going to hide and wait for an opening. Hmm, if Ino were wise, she'd do the same. The most likely to attack would be...'
Bursting from the trees behind him, Kiba lunged down, straight toward the jounin's back. Without turning around, Kakashi grabbed his attacker's arms and spun the boy around to his front where he placed an arm around Kiba's neck as he hit the ground. Kakashi looked down at the confused individual and said, "Um, you do realize that I'm not the target, right?"
Instead of answering, Kiba just smiled. Sensing something's wrong, Kakashi turned his attention to the kunai and saw someone running straight for it. Something wasn't right. The one running for the target was...Kiba? Looking back down at his captive, Kakashi asked, "You're not Kiba are you?" He was answered with a bark.
Racing along the tree branch anxiously, Kiba couldn't help but to let out a loud laugh. His fingers were inches away from the goal and his new team leader was on the floor with the transformed Akamaru. Sasuke and Ino weren't even needed! His fingers were now...still inches away from the goal. In fact he didn't seem to be moving at all. Kiba felt a slight tug on his legs and looked back to see a familiar jounin grasping them.
Kiba now found himself hanging upside down from high up with the only thing keeping him from falling was Kakashi's casual grip on his legs. "Not bad," Kakashi said. "I didn't expect such a strategy. If you weren't so loud, you might of actually succeeded." The upset genin could see that Akamaru was now tied to a log, the rope around his human neck and arms. "Good thing dogs always land on their feet." With that, Kakashi let go and Kiba plummeted.
"That's cats!!!!" Kiba screamed as he fell through the air. He hit the ground hard enough to keep him down.
Kakashi walked down the side of the tree slowly until the ground was close enough for him to hop off. "Oops. Guess you're right," Kakashi shrugged. He turned around and began walking a few yards. He stopped and leaned against the trunk of a tree. "You're all very sloppy," he said to himself.
His hand seemingly went into the wood but pulled back to reveal that it was really a camouflage sheet with the now exposed Ino behind. The surprised genin chuckled weakly then started walking away cautiously. Suddenly, her face grew serious and she flashed a series of hand signs which ended with her hands together, index fingers up. Kakashi's eye shot open as he saw her take in a deep breath. "Katon! Ryuuga no Jutsu!"
The fire shot forward and irrupted as it hit Kakashi, engulfing him in flames. Immediately, Ino hopped from one tree to the next until she was in reaching distance of the kunai. In the hurry she didn't notice the sound of a scorched log falling to the floor. Her fingers touched the bottom of the target, only to stop short as her body fell rapidly. Kakashi had managed to pull her down and the two landed on the ground unscathed.
"I forgot you could do that," Kakashi began, "Sasuke-kun." Ino gave a smirk and a burst of smoked reverted Sasuke back to his true form. "Henge no Jutsu is a simple move, but its not one you use very often." It was a good move, but because Sasuke was too anxious, he wasn't able to keep his focus on both the target and his enemy.
Meanwhile, within the bushes just a few feet behind Kakashi, Ino finally saw an opening. The jounin was focused on Sasuke and wouldn't be able to dodger her attack. She placed her hands together and raised her ring and index fingers, forming the bird seal. Whispering to herself, she said, "Ninpou. Shintenshin no Jutsu!" With that, her body fell limp.
"I'm about to do something generous," Kakashi said to Sasuke, raising his hands. The Uchiha stepped back as a couple of hand seals was flashed in front of him. "I'm going to show your Sharingan a new move." Using his famous speed, Kakashi finished his signing and slapped Sasuke's forehead with his palm before disappearing and reappearing behind the genin. Though his Sharingan picked it all up, Sasuke was unable to move in time and found his arms being held back.
"What is-," Sasuke started but his sentence was interrupted as his body felt a strange impact and then went limp. Kakashi let go, knowing that Ino's attack had hit the wrong target. After a moment, Sasuke's body stood back up. His eyes opened to reveal that the Sharingan had been dropped. He looked back at his sensei and then down at himself before horror struck his face. "Ah! I-I'm in Sasuke-kun's body!!"
Kakashi would had laughed if he didn't know what was next. From out of the bushes came an even greater scream. It was Ino's voice but a different tone. "What's going on!?" Ino came rushing out of the bushes and stopped in front of the possessed Sasuke. "You're in my body!" she yelled. "And why am I in your's!?"
"I don't know!" Ino said frantically with Sasuke's mouth. "Even though I missed Kakashi-sensei, you shouldn't be in my body!" The two realized what happened at the same time and glared at their teacher. That new move had somehow changed the effects of Ino's technique. Thinking quickly, Ino placed her hands together to cancel the jutsu. Unfortunately they were pulled apart and stretched at her sides. They were both tied by string which connected to sharingan impaling two parallel trees.
"Not so fast," Kakashi said, leisurely walking forward. "That technique of her's will probably wear off in a few minutes...So I better do this quickly." His words were directed to the Sasuke possessed Ino. The wind seemed to pick up and a storm of leaves surrounded him. Sasuke started feeling dizzy. 'When he's in that body,' Kakashi thought, 'he can't summon the Sharingan to see through my genjutsu'."
~~~
Sasuke opened his eyes and regained his alertness. To his surprise, he was alone in the grassy area and back in his own body. Yet the clever genin knew better and said aloud, "You've failed this time. I can tell that this is genjutsu." He waited but the reply he was hoping for was not that of leader. Instead, he heard two voices in perfect harmony.
"Nee kikoe masu ka?"
Behind him, Sasuke saw a frightening sight. It was the sight of Sakura and Ino with abnormally large heads and synchronized movements. Things got from weird to worst as they began to sing and dance in unison. He nearly jumped out of his skin as he saw steams fly out of their heads as they chanted, "Terepashii." Sasuke fell to his knees and screamed.
~~~
"What did you do to Sasuke-kun!?" Ino asked, still tied to the trees.
"Something I've been wanting to try for a long time," Kakashi answered. "Perhaps we should call this test off early?"
To be continued...
---
Author's notes: Alright, before the lovers of Harmonia start a lynch mob, I'd just want to say that I liked that ending song, it's just that from a Sasuke point of view, I think it'd be pretty traumatizing. And before the Kakashi fans form a lynch mob, I'd like to point out that it's said that jounin copied over 1,000 techniques, so I can make up one here and there, right? Mmm, vagueness.
Author's notes: Heh, looks like I'm getting mixed signals about the teams, eh? Well, that's no problem with me. With the variety of people out there, I would've gotten mixed replies no matter what. I'm just glad that everyone has an open mind. Unlike a certain pink-haired maiden who currently has me in a most-painful headlock. I hope you're all as anxious to see what happens next as I am.
---
Chapter 3: Well, it's a Start
---
The next morning, Sasuke wiped his eyes as he ventured toward the usual meeting place. He tried to wonder why Kakashi had asked the group to gather particularly early this day. The sky gave off an unusual color as the sun barely began to rise. A small, itchy thought moved in the back of Sasuke's head. There was something different about this day, yet he couldn't remember what.
Everything came back to him as he felt an impact on his back and arms come down over his shoulders. He gave an annoyed glance to the side, looking out of the edge of his eyes. His sight was met with the smiling face of a very familiar blonde. "Ohayo, Sasuke-kun!" Ino greeted. "How are you this morning? Excited?"
"Let go of me," Sasuke said bluntly. Ino released her hold and the two began walking side by side. With a sigh, Sasuke remembered how Sakura would act. She was annoying but at least she was a lot more shy and restrained. Ino was like Sakura but amplified. Trying to forget about her, Sasuke focused straight ahead and blocked everything else from his mind. This wouldn't be an easy month.
'Me and Sasuke-kun, walking together!' Ino thought to herself, eyes closed, smile big. 'I knew I wouldn't lose to forehead-girl!' She opened her eyes to reassure that this was really happening. Her look turned to horror as she saw a grinning Kiba with his arm on Sasuke's shoulder and a dog on his head.
"Oi, Sasuke!" Kiba began. "It looks like we both lucked out during the picking yesterday, ne?"
Sasuke, not bothering to look at Kiba, just said, "Don't touch me."
The hooded boy pulled his arm back and just figured that Sasuke wasn't a morning person. "Tch, what's with your sensei telling us to meet so early? I hope he doesn't pull this crap everyday!"
'So loud.' Sasuke thought. 'Perfect. I could've been paired with some useful partners but what do I get? Amplified Sakura and Amplified Naruto. Let's just get this damn mission or whatever over with quickly.'
---
Kakashi arrived around noon. He gave a leisurely stretch and raised his hand, greeting the three. "Sorry," Kakashi said. "I had to take extra time to set up the rules for today's session." Ignoring Sasuke's skeptical look, Kakashi continued: "So, did everyone enjoy their time together this morning?" The second he finished his sentence, the jounin moved his head to the left, allowing a shuriken to fly by, inches from his face. "You could of just said 'no', Sasuke."
The white-haired ninja reached into his pocket and pulled out a red kunai. He held it in front so that everyone could see. Smiling, he said, "We're going to begin with a simple training session, aimed at building up teamwork." With a swift flick of his wrist, Kakashi flung the kunai straight up. The weapon stuck into a tree branch, far above. "I will be guarding it. You may go around me or through me, whatever you have to do to obtain the target. You'll have one hour. Any questions?"
It was around now Sasuke noticed that they stood upon the exact same place where he took his first test with the others. The forest area with a nearby lake and a few logs sticking out of the ground. "Are their anymore rules?" Sasuke asked.
"No, that's it. Fight as light or hard as you want."
"So you came here hours late because you were making such a simple training plan?"
A sweat drop appeared on Kakashi's face. He smiled under his face mask and said, "Yup." A long period of awkward silence followed. A finger came up and scratched Kakashi's brow, "So...Let's begin." A familiar clock was set on one of the logs and the timer button was pressed.
Sasuke couldn't help but close his eyes and smile. This was similar to their first training but there was a crucial difference. Experience. His eyes reopened to show that they were red with two black symbols in each one. The sharingan!
The others were preparing themselves as well. Kiba grasped Akamaru and set the dog on the ground beside his foot. After a loud laugh, he asked, "Ready to show them what we're made of?" Akamaru barked in agreement. By this time, Ino had pulled out a shuriken in one hand to her side and a kunai in the other by her face. The four leaped off in separate directions, disappearing from Kakashi's sight.
Calmly, the group's sensei placed a finger to his chin and thought to himself. 'Let's see, Sasuke's most likely going to hide and wait for an opening. Hmm, if Ino were wise, she'd do the same. The most likely to attack would be...'
Bursting from the trees behind him, Kiba lunged down, straight toward the jounin's back. Without turning around, Kakashi grabbed his attacker's arms and spun the boy around to his front where he placed an arm around Kiba's neck as he hit the ground. Kakashi looked down at the confused individual and said, "Um, you do realize that I'm not the target, right?"
Instead of answering, Kiba just smiled. Sensing something's wrong, Kakashi turned his attention to the kunai and saw someone running straight for it. Something wasn't right. The one running for the target was...Kiba? Looking back down at his captive, Kakashi asked, "You're not Kiba are you?" He was answered with a bark.
Racing along the tree branch anxiously, Kiba couldn't help but to let out a loud laugh. His fingers were inches away from the goal and his new team leader was on the floor with the transformed Akamaru. Sasuke and Ino weren't even needed! His fingers were now...still inches away from the goal. In fact he didn't seem to be moving at all. Kiba felt a slight tug on his legs and looked back to see a familiar jounin grasping them.
Kiba now found himself hanging upside down from high up with the only thing keeping him from falling was Kakashi's casual grip on his legs. "Not bad," Kakashi said. "I didn't expect such a strategy. If you weren't so loud, you might of actually succeeded." The upset genin could see that Akamaru was now tied to a log, the rope around his human neck and arms. "Good thing dogs always land on their feet." With that, Kakashi let go and Kiba plummeted.
"That's cats!!!!" Kiba screamed as he fell through the air. He hit the ground hard enough to keep him down.
Kakashi walked down the side of the tree slowly until the ground was close enough for him to hop off. "Oops. Guess you're right," Kakashi shrugged. He turned around and began walking a few yards. He stopped and leaned against the trunk of a tree. "You're all very sloppy," he said to himself.
His hand seemingly went into the wood but pulled back to reveal that it was really a camouflage sheet with the now exposed Ino behind. The surprised genin chuckled weakly then started walking away cautiously. Suddenly, her face grew serious and she flashed a series of hand signs which ended with her hands together, index fingers up. Kakashi's eye shot open as he saw her take in a deep breath. "Katon! Ryuuga no Jutsu!"
The fire shot forward and irrupted as it hit Kakashi, engulfing him in flames. Immediately, Ino hopped from one tree to the next until she was in reaching distance of the kunai. In the hurry she didn't notice the sound of a scorched log falling to the floor. Her fingers touched the bottom of the target, only to stop short as her body fell rapidly. Kakashi had managed to pull her down and the two landed on the ground unscathed.
"I forgot you could do that," Kakashi began, "Sasuke-kun." Ino gave a smirk and a burst of smoked reverted Sasuke back to his true form. "Henge no Jutsu is a simple move, but its not one you use very often." It was a good move, but because Sasuke was too anxious, he wasn't able to keep his focus on both the target and his enemy.
Meanwhile, within the bushes just a few feet behind Kakashi, Ino finally saw an opening. The jounin was focused on Sasuke and wouldn't be able to dodger her attack. She placed her hands together and raised her ring and index fingers, forming the bird seal. Whispering to herself, she said, "Ninpou. Shintenshin no Jutsu!" With that, her body fell limp.
"I'm about to do something generous," Kakashi said to Sasuke, raising his hands. The Uchiha stepped back as a couple of hand seals was flashed in front of him. "I'm going to show your Sharingan a new move." Using his famous speed, Kakashi finished his signing and slapped Sasuke's forehead with his palm before disappearing and reappearing behind the genin. Though his Sharingan picked it all up, Sasuke was unable to move in time and found his arms being held back.
"What is-," Sasuke started but his sentence was interrupted as his body felt a strange impact and then went limp. Kakashi let go, knowing that Ino's attack had hit the wrong target. After a moment, Sasuke's body stood back up. His eyes opened to reveal that the Sharingan had been dropped. He looked back at his sensei and then down at himself before horror struck his face. "Ah! I-I'm in Sasuke-kun's body!!"
Kakashi would had laughed if he didn't know what was next. From out of the bushes came an even greater scream. It was Ino's voice but a different tone. "What's going on!?" Ino came rushing out of the bushes and stopped in front of the possessed Sasuke. "You're in my body!" she yelled. "And why am I in your's!?"
"I don't know!" Ino said frantically with Sasuke's mouth. "Even though I missed Kakashi-sensei, you shouldn't be in my body!" The two realized what happened at the same time and glared at their teacher. That new move had somehow changed the effects of Ino's technique. Thinking quickly, Ino placed her hands together to cancel the jutsu. Unfortunately they were pulled apart and stretched at her sides. They were both tied by string which connected to sharingan impaling two parallel trees.
"Not so fast," Kakashi said, leisurely walking forward. "That technique of her's will probably wear off in a few minutes...So I better do this quickly." His words were directed to the Sasuke possessed Ino. The wind seemed to pick up and a storm of leaves surrounded him. Sasuke started feeling dizzy. 'When he's in that body,' Kakashi thought, 'he can't summon the Sharingan to see through my genjutsu'."
~~~
Sasuke opened his eyes and regained his alertness. To his surprise, he was alone in the grassy area and back in his own body. Yet the clever genin knew better and said aloud, "You've failed this time. I can tell that this is genjutsu." He waited but the reply he was hoping for was not that of leader. Instead, he heard two voices in perfect harmony.
"Nee kikoe masu ka?"
Behind him, Sasuke saw a frightening sight. It was the sight of Sakura and Ino with abnormally large heads and synchronized movements. Things got from weird to worst as they began to sing and dance in unison. He nearly jumped out of his skin as he saw steams fly out of their heads as they chanted, "Terepashii." Sasuke fell to his knees and screamed.
~~~
"What did you do to Sasuke-kun!?" Ino asked, still tied to the trees.
"Something I've been wanting to try for a long time," Kakashi answered. "Perhaps we should call this test off early?"
To be continued...
---
Author's notes: Alright, before the lovers of Harmonia start a lynch mob, I'd just want to say that I liked that ending song, it's just that from a Sasuke point of view, I think it'd be pretty traumatizing. And before the Kakashi fans form a lynch mob, I'd like to point out that it's said that jounin copied over 1,000 techniques, so I can make up one here and there, right? Mmm, vagueness.