This is completely different to what the handout said! Madoka panics as he finds a hiding place. Something is wrong! The handout said we pass or fail as a team! I need to find the others - maybe one of them remembers something I do not. Madoka sneaks through the forestry in search of his teammates. He finds Sasuke first, and climbs up Sasuke's tree to perch beside her.
"Did you notice the test we've been given is different to the one outlined on the handout he gave us?" Madoka whispers.
"Yes," whispers Sasuke.
"There was nothing about this," Madoka whispers. "I could have sworn the handout said we would pass or fail as a team."
"Mine didn't say that!" whispers Sasuke, surprised.
"What did yours say?" asks Madoka earnestly. He is getting to the bottom of this. "How much of it can you remember? Did you memorize it?"
Sasuke nods and recites the contents of her handout. It is different to Madoka's; it does not even outline the same test. However, one thing is similar: at one point it mentions that teamwork is one of skills they are being tested on.
"Your handout was completely different to mine," whispers Madoka. "We need to find Naruto and ask him what his said. I think there might be some sort of hidden message in there."
"Shouldn't we be getting the bells, not discussing the handout?" asks Sasuke. "I want to pass this test."
"So do I," whispers Madoka. "But I have a funny feeling Kakashi sensei didn't tell us everything we need to know, and the handouts hold the answer."
"Fine," mutters Sasuke. "But if you're wrong I'm kicking Kakashi's smug ass by myself."
"So what's the plan, comrades?" asks Naruto, dropping down beside them. "There's no way any of us could take down a jounin within the timelimit alone. We have to work together if we all want to pass the test. That's like, the only thing I remember from the handout, dattebayo."
"I'm going to make a rather small leap and say yours was different to both ours," says Madoka. "But they all have one thing in common: we need to work together and get those bells. Once we have them we'll fight over who gets them."
"We could always decide by paper-scissors-rock," suggests Naruto.
"I'll come up with a plan as to what to do later," says Madoka. "In the meantime, let's plan our attack. First things first: Sasuke, what can you do that is loud and flashy?"
"I can make giant fireballs," says Sasuke.
"Nice." Madoka is genuinely impressed. "What about you, Naruto?"
"I can cause earthquakes and summon shinigami," says Naruto seriously. "But I'm not allowed to summon any unless I need them at the moment."
"We won't need any shinigami," says Madoka, wondering what kind of freaks he got saddled with. "But an earthquake would be great. So, here's what I'm thinking we should do…"
Wind sits at the top of a tree in training ground seven, munching on a stick of dango. Below her, Rain is similarly occupied with his own dango. Both of them are eating with their masks still in place, a skill born from long years of practice. The pair heard that Kakashi Hatake is putting another poor set of genin through the bell test and wanted to watch. They watched the last two times Kakashi terrorized a team of genin after their informant in the Leaf told them it would be funny to watch. Now they tune in every year.
"It looks like the genins are finished planning," says Rain. "Shall we follow them?"
"Sure, but we better not get too close - we don't want to interfere." Wind stands and heads off after the little genins.
Rain follows, flanking the genins on the opposite side to Wind. Soon they reach the small clearing by the lake, where Kakashi is waiting for his genins to make a move. He is standing nonchalantly reading an orange book entitled 'Make Out Paradise'.
The three genins fan out, surrounding Kakashi. Kakashi continues to read.
"This lot are working together," whispers Wind. "That gets them half a pass already. They just need to keep up their momentum and get the bells now."
"This is gonna be good." Rain settles into a more comfortable position to watch the fight.
Naruto runs out of the trees and charges Kakashi head-on. Kakashi simply steps out of his way without even looking up from his book. Naruto tries unsuccessfully to try and land a punch or kick on Kakashi, but it is obvious his taijutsu is too sloppy to breach the jounin's sharp defences.
"Hey stop reading and pay attention to me!" yells Naruto after a few frustrated minutes. "Ignoring your opponent is rude!"
"But I want to know how the story ends," complains Kakashi. "And I can dodge you fine while reading."
"Arrgh!" Naruto growls in anger and tries to punch Kakashi again.
Kakashi crouches down to duck the punch and says, "You're too sloppy. Stop turning your back to me. That's a dangerous thing to do in combat."
Naruto charges Kakashi head-on, but Kakashi steps out of the way, ending up behind Naruto. Crouching down, Kakashi says; "You left your back unprotected. Now I have a move to show you."
"Is that the Tiger Seal?" asks Rain, leaning forward to get a better look at the seal Kakashi is making around the book sandwiched between his hands.
"Leaf Hidden Finger Jutsu:" says Kakashi, pulling back his hands and driving them forward again, straight into Naruto's backside, sending the boy flying. "ONE THOUSAND YEARS OF DEATH!" Naruto lands headfirst in the lake with an almighty splash.
Rain nearly falls of his branch in an effort to keep his laughter quiet.
As a bedraggled Naruto is pulling himself out of the lake, Sasuke steps out confidently to face Kakashi. "How about you let someone who is actually competent handle this, Naruto!" Sasuke says with a grin.
"Hey!" Naruto protests.
Sasuke flows easily into a taijutsu stance that Wind and Rain can easily see is miles better than Naruto's. "How about you put down that book and fight properly, sensei," Sasuke grins patronizingly.
Kakashi does not even look up. "If you can make me put down my book I might."
Sasuke scowls in annoyance, pulls out a few shuriken and throws them at Kakashi. Kakashi catches them on his fingers without even looking up. "Grrr!" Sasuke does not sound happy. She starts making handsigns.
"Is that the -" Rain leans forward in excitement as a giant fireball erupts across the training field. "-Grand Fireball Technique. Wow, that's one talented little girl."
Sasuke is looking around, trying to locate Kakashi, who vanished under cover of the fireball. Kakashi appears behind Sasuke, who spins around, aiming a kick at Kakashi's head.
Kakashi, whose book is nowhere to be seen, blocks the kick easily. "You need to calm down Sasuke. Fighting while angry puts you at a disadvantage. You make mistakes when you're angry."
"Just shut up and fight me!" growls Sasuke, attacking in earnest.
Down below Rain and Wind, Madoka is creeping closer to Kakashi. Nearby Naruto is drawing a seal on a slip of paper. Apparently finished, Naruto activates the seal. The ground begins to shake and rumble, throwing Sasuke and Kakashi off balance. Madoka makes a break for the clearing, probably to retrieve the bells, but Kakashi recovers his balance and leaps into a nearby tree. The earthquake stops, leaving Madoka crouched at the edge of the clearing, just out of sight, and Sasuke struggling to regain her balance in the clearing.
"Looks like their plan didn't work," whispers Wind. "What will they do now?"
Naruto runs out of the trees and throws a volley of shuriken at Kakashi. Kakashi vanishes and reappears behind Naruto. "Back for more, are we?" he asks.
"Well I want a bell!" snaps Naruto, turning and attacking Kakashi.
Sasuke joins the fray, but the two genins have no co ordination and quickly end up tripping over each other. The pair glare at each other and continue their attack. Kakashi takes the whole thing in his stride: a blocked kick here, a dodged punch there, a yawn on the side. Madoka creeps closer, looking for an opportunity to steal a bell or two.
"They're running out of time," Rain whispers, looking at his watch.
"I do not think Kakashi has noticed Madoka yet," replies Wind. "He knows the boy is there, obviously, but he has not noticed what Madoka is up to." Then she leans forward slightly. "What is Madoka up to?"
Wind and Rain watch Madoka for a few minutes as the boy creeps around Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke. Eventually, the pair get bored of watching Madoka and go back to watching Kakashi lazily avoid getting caught between two fists. The two fists, one belonging to Sasuke and one belonging to Naruto, each collide with the face of the other genin.
"Kakashi just has to get out of the way and those two beat eachother up!" giggles Wind.
"They better hurry, they have only a minute left," says Rain.
Naruto and Sasuke both make a grab for the bells, but end up bashing their foreheads together.
"30 seconds…"
Kakashi steps out of the way of a frustrated kick from Sasuke and ducks a punch from Naruto.
"15 seconds…"
"Where did Madoka go?" asks Rain.
"10 seconds…" Wind continues her countdown.
Sasuke leaps forward, touches a bell and is pushed back by a well placed jab from Kakashi's elbow. Naruto dives at the bells from the opposite direction, but Kakashi moves out of the way.
"...3, 2, 1," Wind's countdown ends. "Time's up."