'Okay, so if you guys pass, as a reward, I'm going to take you to the best place in Konohagakure!' Naruto shouted.

'Which is…?' Chikako questioned, unsure if her opinion on which place would be the "best place in Konohagakure" was the same as him.

'Aww… Don't be so suspicious, I'm sure you'll like it! Besides, I don't want to spoil the surprise!' Naruto grinned.

'So this is what you have to do…' He rummaged through his pockets, trying to find whatever he was looking for, and grasped them in his hands.

'Aha! Here they are!' He held out two small-sized bells, hanging on red strings. They gave soft chimes as a small gust blew over the training ground.

'Bells?' Kazuki commented, not finding anything remotely exciting about them. 'What do we have to do with them? This is so below the Kien standards…'

'Oh, be quiet, already,' Nobu argued. 'I bet Naruto-sensei has planned something great all along!'

'He's definitely trying to be the favourite…' Chikako thought, narrowing their eyes.

'Actually, contrary to your beliefs, Chikako, Kazuki... Nobu's right; I have got things planned…' Naruto said. He shook the bells, and they gave out louder chimes this time, attracting the three genin's attention.

'I'd like you to try and steal a bell from me! The time limit is thirty minutes!' he announced, as he set an alarm on a small clock he'd been carrying in his vest, before putting it back to where it was.

'But there's only two bells, Naruto-sensei,' Chikako pointed out. 'We can't all get a bell. What happens to the person who doesn't get a bell?'

Nobu gasped. 'Oh no! Is that person gonna be punished?' He obviously had doubts in his own ability to get a bell, much less from a jounin. Kazuki, on the other hand, looked up to the challenge, and was smiling excitedly.

'Well, the one who's unable to get a bell will be…' Naruto pointed to his right, where three huge logs were conveniently placed, 'tied to a log and won't be released until an hour, in which the ones who did get the bell laugh at the poor, unsuccessful one.' Naruto explained.

'Also, you guys haven't had lunch, right? It'd be such a horrid experience, being left alone in this training ground, while your teammates and I go to the best place in this village.'

'Now I'm sure that this so-called "best place" is a restaurant,' Chikako muttered, but Kazuki was too excited, and Nobu too shocked to hear her. After a bit of thinking, Nobu was right to be worried. Chikako frowned at the thought of going against a jounin.

Kazuki grinned proudly, sure that he'll get a bell. Nobu looked pale, before attempting to have the same confident expression as Kazuki's.

'Just relax, guys, I'll go easy on you!'

'I'm definitely going to get a bell!' Kazuki thought confidently.

'I don't really know how strong Naruto-sensei is, and I don't like the idea of fighting him, but I don't want to lose…'

'I'll prove that I'm not a dropout!' Nobu thought, determined to prove his worth.

As the three prepared their attacking stance, Naruto put up a finger to stop them before they start pulling off their moves.

'One more thing…' Naruto said. 'Be sure to go against me with murderous intent.'

That just completely freaked out the three genin.

'Shouldn't we be working in teams, instead of individually? Or is this to test our strength?' Chikako pondered, as she took out a kunai, and ran towards Naruto with all her might.

Kazuki, catching up on the situation, pulled out his own and did a similar approach. Within a few seconds, he already caught up with the kunoichi, and in a shorter time span overtook her.

'Tch.' At times like this, Chikako wanted to take the weights that she attached to her legs. She wasn't very quick to begin with, and these weights dragged her down, but they were a customary tradition in the Kotone clan. She attempted to speed up, but was still far behind from the swift Kazuki.

Taking example from how swift his teammates were in starting an attack, Nobu fumbled over his weapons holster, unsure on which weapon to use, before deciding on attacking with a kunai as well.

'Whoa, you guys are sure hasty,' Naruto commented, before casually making hand seals.

Kage bunshin no Jutsu!

Two extra copies of him appeared, with the same relaxed, yet taunting expression on their faces.

'Come on, guys! I bet you can do better!' Naruto 1, 2 and 3 shouted, egging the genin on.

Chikako ran towards one of the copies with no fear, knowing very well that a bunshin was a mere illusion; one of the most basic techniques in the academy.

'It's only a bunshin, so it shouldn't be able to-'

However, before Chikako finished her trail of thought, Naruto 2 landed a punch on her, and knocked her back. Too shocked to get on her feet at once, Chikako merely gaped, as the copy drew back his arm.

She realised the seals her sensei used were different, she only brushed it off as being a different combination of hand seals. It was unfortunate for her that she never thought about the possibility of the copies being a different kind of bunshin.

'Chikako, I'm not going to go easy on a girl,' the copy warned. 'Don't be careless.'

Chikako rubbed her hand across her face, and felt the bruise.

'H-how…?'

Seeing his teammate's fate, Kazuki decided not to take Naruto so lightly, and knew better than to think it was just an illusionary bunshin.

'It must be a different kind of bunshin; seeing the terrain, maybe they're rock bunshin?' Kazuki thought. Whatever type of bunshin they may be, it didn't matter to him, since he'd just attack them straight on, but it was good to know what you're going up against.

'Argh! I can't lose against some stupid replication!' Kazuki screamed, but he managed to avoid the attacks better than Chikako did, and fared for almost a minute, before getting knocked back by the other Naruto copy.

Naruto grinned, and swinged the bells back and forth, as the three genin turned their heads towards him. 'I'm the real one!'

Nobu, who didn't quite start his attack yet, took a few steps back, his kunai almost falling out of his hand.

'You're lucky, Nobu, you get to go against the real me!'

'LUCKY?' Nobu shouted. 'ARE YOU KIDDING ME?'

Nevertheless, Nobu finally made up his mind to run towards the jounin, and managed to block a few kicks and punches, before receiving the same fate as his teammates.

The two copies disappeared in clouds of smokes.

'Is this all you guys have? Man, I haven't even started using weapons yet…'

'WE'VE JUST GRADUATED!' Chikako rebutted, defending her own honour.

'MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY!' Kazuki piped up, finally managing to agree on something with the kunoichi.

'When I was your age, I was already able to do Kage bunshin no Jutsu! You guys can do more than just run at me with a kunai, can't you? You guys are pathetic.'

There were two things there that caught Chikako's attention. 1) Naruto-sensei being able to create Kage bunshin, which would explain how his replications attacked, and 2) Being called pathetic.

Apparently, Kazuki didn't like to have blows on his ego, either. However, it seemed to have a good effect on him, as his fighting spirit was raised back.

'That's it!' Kazuki yelled, as he got up on his own. 'No one calls me pathetic, and gets away with it! I'll use my new, awesome jutsu; just for you, Naruto-sensei!'

Kazuki threw some smoke bombs, and waited until they exploded to give him some cover, before starting his jutsu.

Doton- Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu!

'What did he do?' Chikako thought, as the smoke cleared, revealing that Kazuki was no longer in his original location. 'I don't remember being taught any jutsu like this…'

Chikako was starting to see how Kazuki became the number-one rookie; he was quicker, and though she knew more jutsu than him, the amount of jutsu he can perform outdid hers. No matter how much she didn't want to admit it, he was smarter in battle too...

'Hmm… now where is he?' Naruto said.

Suddenly, two hands shot up from the ground and attempted to grab at Naruto's ankles; seeing the arm guards on the upper arm, they belonged to Kazuki. Unfortunately for him, before his hands even emerged from the ground Naruto jumped up, easily avoiding his ambush.

'You almost got me there, Kazuki!' Naruto praised.

Kazuki dug his way out of the ground, and coughed up some dirt from his mouth. He rubbed his hands together in order to get the dirt off them, and dusted his shirt.

'Damn it! –cough- I haven't perfected it yet!'

Then he proceeded to clean his dirtied fingernails, abandoning the thought of coming up with other ideas to snatch a bell from the jounin.

'Well, if he's going to show his moves to you, then I will too!' Chikako shouted.

'That's better! Though personally, I think you shouldn't announce the fact that you're attacking in an actual battle.'

Oh, how Chikako wanted to show off the great techniques of the taijutsu-focused Kotone clan, but she didn't have any of those great techniques mastered.

In fact, she was horrible at it. She had the speed of a snail, and her weights certainly weren't helping. Her stamina was very low, too, and she had troubles memorising taijutsu moves, but she had the reputation of the clan to hold.

Thinking back on it, she was far worse than even Nobu, who lacked the ability to do anything right. Nevertheless, she's still going to do it; she was going to show Naruto-sensei what the Kotone clan was made of.

Hopefully.

She threw some shuriken towards Naruto (which he avoided with such ease you'd think he was the one controlling them), and advanced towards him, trying to remember the basic Kotone drill.

'Punch to the left… kick his right ankle… then flip, and kick his stomach with the other foot… and… elbow his left shoulder… head-butt if all legs and arms aren't free… then when they're released, spin and kick the face…'

Chikako did just that (quite sloppily), and contrary to her doubts, hit every single time. After relishing in the fact that she managed to actually hit Naruto for a few short seconds, logic came back to her.

'Wait… how can a simple taijutsu drill defeat a jounin so easily?'

Then she realised.

'It must be a kawarimi!'

Chikako backed away from the log, with her stamina drained out already.

'All that effort wasted on a log? Chikako, you're really smart…' she thought, annoyed.

'My technique is better than yours!' Kazuki yelled, finally finished with his fingernails. 'If that's the greatness of the Kotone clan, then-'

'This isn't the time to say that!' Chikako backfired, interrupting the boy before he got a chance to insult her clan.

'Come on, Nobu, your team mates did something already, what about you?' Naruto egged on to the shaking boy.

'Umm… Henge!' Nobu shouted, and was engulfed with a puff of smoke.

'Ah... I already told them not to shout out their techniques...'

'Idiot! This isn't an Academy exam!' Kazuki shouted. He sighed. 'Well... I guess it couldn't be helped if his arsenal of skills is...'

Nobu reappeared as the cloud of smoke parted; he was unchanged, and still looked as nervous as ever.

'He can't even transform properly…' Chikako thought, as her palm met her face, frustrated with her team mate's lack of skill.

'Show a bit more skill!' Kazuki yelled, attempting to encourage Nobu. 'You can't be that bad, Nobu!'

Naruto threw a shuriken towards the genin, who didn't even move a single inch.

Then Chikako came to a sudden realisation. 'He must be paralysed out of fear!'

'No! Naruto-sensei!'

The shuriken went through the boy, who disappeared afterwards.

'A bunshin…' Naruto commented. 'Clever use of a basic technique...'

Kazuki sighed with relief. 'It was only a shuriken... but... I'm still glad that Nobu is indeed not that stupid to just stand still...'

'NARUTO-SENSEI! IT COULD'VE BEEN THE REAL NOBU!' Chikako complained, a bit irritated by the fact that she worried over nothing.

'Ah… I'm sure if it was him he would've avoided it, however terrible everyone says he is… It's amazing what you can do when you're on the brink of getting hurt...' Then he stared at an oddly-placed rock, behind where Nobu's bunshin was, trying to contain his laughter.

The two genin were speechless. Just when they started to have a better opinion on their class' "dropout", he just had to prove them wrong.

'Maybe he's got the hang of Bunshin no Jutsu and Henge, but he still needs to learn about placements… a rock in a previously-empty field doesn't work out!'

Kazuki and Chikako sighed; so much for Nobu being cleverer than what everybody thought.

'Nobu… you can stop pretending to be a rock now…' Naruto said. Suddenly, an obnoxious ringing sound came out of his vest. 'Oh, time flies when you're having fun; it's already been thirty minutes!'

'We are pathetic…' the three genin thought gloomily, as Nobu transformed back to his original form.

'Wait,' Kazuki started. 'None of use got a bell, so...'

---------------------------------

'This is not fair! I'm tired, thirsty, and hungry! Argh! Untie me!' Nobu screamed.

'Tchah,' Chikako commented, 'it's your own fault you're tied to a log. You're the worst one out of us all, though. Transforming into a rock; what kind of strategy is that?'

'You're talking…' Nobu muttered.

Chikako herself was tied to a log.

'That's not the point! At least I showed some efforts, not just some stupid basic techniques everyone knows!'

'All you did was beat up a log!'

'Guys, arguing won't untie you from the log!' Kazuki chirped in. 'I knew you were going to be tied up, you need the talents of the Kien to be able to succeed!'

'I suppose you don't have the "talents of the Kien", then,' Chikako rebutted.

Kazuki scoffed. 'Okay, so I'm also tied up to a log… But it was a fluke! A fluke, I'm telling you!' If his arms were free, Kazuki would be swinging them wildly in the air.

Nobu struggled to get the ropes around him off, and failed for the tenth time. He sighed, finally coming to the conclusion that it was simply not possible for him.

'Heh heh… you guys are amusing…' Naruto commented, and chuckled.

Chikako huffed, not liking being tied to a log and getting laughed at even for the tiniest bit.

'Naruto-sensei… what was the point of that? It's technically impossible to defeat a jounin with our current level of skill…'

'That is, if you do it indivisionary...'

Kazuki lifted an eyebrow. 'Sensei, don't you mean individually?'

'Ah... yes, individually. The point is, if you worked as a team, you could've taken a bell from me.'

'But there were only two bells!'

'That and the fact that the one without a bell would be tied to a log by himself were supposed to make you think that this was a challenge to each of you individually. I also wanted to see which one of you guys would be selfless enough to give up a bell.'

Then he bent down, examining the three genin closer, and was face-to-face with Chikako, being the one in the middle. 'That was necessary to see whether your teamwork will crumble or not. And it did. Do you guys suck or what?'

All three genin fell into a bottomless pit, along with their dignity.

'So I figured out that we need to work on that! Don't worry, by the time I'm finished with you, you'll stick like a sticky tape!'

Chikako figured out that her sensei wasn't so good at creating metaphors.

'Now… evaluations according to what I've seen… Kazuki!'

Kazuki straightened his body as much as he could while being strapped tightly onto a log. 'Yes?'

'Your speed and steadiness in attacking are great; you didn't waver for a single moment, even though you saw what happened to Chikako, and managed to block some of my tougher attacks. Your earth element jutsu was very impressive… good use of the terrain...'

The boy beamed proudly.

'… but it could've been better. Still, I saw plenty of ninjutsu potential in you. They were right to make you the number-one rookie.'

'Hell yeah! Take that!'

'Chikako,' Naruto turned his head and faced her. 'I believe that if you do want to master taijutsu, you have to train harder. Much harder. You were the worst at dodging attacks, too; you got hit on my first shot. I suggest taking off those weights on your legs until you're ready for them. It doesn't seem like you were quick to begin with, and those things just drag you down.'

She scoffed, recollecting the memory of her terrible taijutsu as Nobu grinned.

'But you might be skilled in other things, so we'll see. You were the first one to attack, so you've got some guts. Plus, even though you can be a bit… tactless, I get this feeling that you're smarter than your two teammates.'

Chikako smirked as Kazuki and Nobu frowned, displeased.

'As for Nobu… Please think while performing techniques. You could've transformed into something else. Don't hesitate while you're about to attack to look at what your teammates are doing, just attack with whatever strategy you think would be the best.'

Nobu's face fell, but he nodded, accepting his sensei's criticism.

'Even though you've been referred to as the dropout, don't give up! You've got the hang of basic techniques, and with a bit of work, you'll be able to master more! Despite the fact that you didn't perform it well, it was indeed a clever use of basic techniques. Work on your creativity.'

Nobu grinned.

'Anyway, the point is, however terrible you guys did at the test, I'm not going to give up on you! Let's just think of building up teamwork as a long-term, exciting mission!'

'Uhh…' Chikako muttered, doubtful.

'Well, I think you have a bit more than thirty minutes left on the log, but I've got something to attend to for a moment, so when I return, I'm going to untie you guys, okay?'

'Okay, Naruto-sensei,' they all said in unison.

After their sensei was out of sight, Nobu turned towards both of his team mates.

'Oi, Chikako,' he called out.

'What is it?' she replied.

'Can you get Kazuki to listen? Our logs are on opposite sides.'

Chikako sighed. 'Hey, Kazuki, listen up.'

'Yeah, I'm listening…'

'Let's do it!' Nobu said.

'Ohh! Do what? Do what?' Kazuki asked.

'Escape! Let's untie ourselves off the logs, and take a break! Then before Naruto-sensei gets back, we can tie ourselves back on the log!'

'That's stupid,' Chikako replied. 'The last person can't tie himself back onto the log!'

'I don't know… I think we shouldn't underestimate Naruto-sensei…' Kazuki said. 'But okay!' he agreed, with a beaming face. 'That's so cool, we've only known Naruto-sensei for an afternoon, but we're rebelling against him already!'

'Let's start, then!' Nobu said excitedly.

'Let's not! We can't squeeze out of the log, and if we cut the ropes, Naruto-sensei will notice!' Chikako complained. 'We only have about thirty minutes to go, okay?'

'Then we'll buy new ropes that look just like these ones!' Nobu reasoned. 'They sell them everywhere.'

'Yeah! Yeah!' Kazuki agreed.

'Don't tell me you're content with being tied to a log!' Nobu continued.

'I would never back away from a responsibility.'

'Come on, Chika-chan…' Kazuki said, trying to convince her, but received a glare instead.

'Hmm... Would you call getting tied to a log a responsibility?' Nobu questioned.

'No,' Kazuki said reasonably. 'I would not, Nobu.'

'Yes!' Chikako spat. 'If it was because of my own weaknesses, then YES!'

'You're just scared because you know you actually have no potential,' Nobu teased. 'No creativity.'

'Says the dropout…'

'I'm might be a dropout, but I have potential!'

'That's what Naruto-sensei wants you to think. The limit to your creativity is merely suggesting the idea of escaping, without coming up with an actual plan.'

'What-!'

'Who would do a Henge and turn into a rock in a barren field?'

'Loads of shinobi would!'

'No, they won't,' Chikako said.

'Y'know, I have to agree with her on this,' Kazuki said truthfully.

'Kazuki!' Nobu whined, expecting the other boy to take his side.

'Oh look, the Kien boy decided to swap sides.'

'I am not a boy! From the moment I put on this hitai-ate, I am a man. A ninja man.'

Chikako was unable to hold in her laughter. 'Bahaha!'

'What-! What's so funny?' Kazuki demanded, flustered.

'If you were really a man, you wouldn't have to say such a thing.'

'Well, I-'

'Guys, guys, let's just plan our escape now!' Nobu pleaded. 'We won't even have to be free for very long if you're worried about Naruto-sensei catching us…'

Kazuki looked at Chikako with a hopeful look.

Unable to resist a chance to set herself free from the ropes, Chikako sighed, before agreeing. 'Fine, I'm in too. But as long as you take responsibility for it…'

Nobu stared at her, expecting more demands from Chikako before the deal was settled.

'… and I'm not going to be the last one getting tied up.'

'Deal. And now… time to cut off the ropes… That should be easy... all of us have weapons on hand.' Nobu tried to reach his weapons holster. 'Ugh… can't reach… Naruto-sensei tied us on too tight…'

Then Nobu tried to break free by pushing himself off the log with his feet, and failed.

'Kunai! We need a kunai! Or anything sharp and pointy!' Nobu wailed. 'POINTY!'

'Why don't you try to get one of yours, Chika-chan? You're bound to succeed!'

Chikako bent down (as far as she could with the tightness of the rope) and grasped the shuriken in front of her with her teeth. 'Got it,' she attempted to mutter, but even if she managed to say it in a comprehensible way, Kazuki's shout was much louder.

'Ooh! Pass it here! Pass it here!'

Chikako spat it out of her mouth, and aimed it straight for Kazuki's forehead.

'No! Stop it! Don't pass it here!'

Kazuki ducked down just in time for it to only cut a few strands of his light brown hair, before it managed to stick itself into the log, showing how much pressure Chikako put into passing it.

'My hair!' he moaned. 'You got my hair cut!'

'You told me to pass it.'

'Next time, pass it with your hands, please. And preferably not at my forehead.'

'What do you think the hitai-ate is for? Fashion? If you didn't move, you, and your precious hair would've been unscathed.'

'But if it fell down I wouldn't be able to grab it,' Kazuki argued. 'Besides, it's still very, very dangerous. And you're talking- you wear your hitai-ate backwards. Now that's not going to protect your forehead.'

'Whatever. It protects the other side. And hurry up! You're losing more of our time!'

Kazuki twisted himself into an uncomfortable position and pulled the shuriken out of the log, and with his teeth. Then he dropped it onto his palm, and started cutting.

'You know, that's like, indirect kissing, you know,' Nobu commented.

'Nu-uh, I bit it on the other side,' Kazuki said matter-of-factly. 'A Kien always knows what he's doing.'

'I would laugh right now at your immaturity, but considering that this is not the time for that situation, I will simply tell you to hurry up and when you're done, untie us, so we only have to replace one rope.'

'What a horribly long way to say just that. But still, it's a good idea!' Nobu commented.

'Of course you didn't, you idiot.'

Finally, Kazuki finished cutting through the ropes, and was free from the log. He stretched out his arms, finally feeling freedom once more.

'Ohh, that feels great. Okay, I'll just untie you guys, so-'

Before Kazuki even touched the knot of Nobu's rope, he was cut off.

'Is my little genin team trying to escape?'

Kazuki turned around, and came face-to-face with his sensei. He laughed nervously, as his arms fell limp to his sides. 'Heh… Naruto-sensei… this isn't what it looks like…'