Kakashi stood up and faced Sakura and Naruto. He quickly crouched and began forming hand seals. Naruto and Sakura watched in amazement as Kakashi's hands easily blurred through 8 hand seals in less than a second. "Fire style, great fireball jutsu!" He puffed up in chest and Naruto signaled Sakura to retreat. Kakashi threw his head forwards, opening his mouth and letting forth a fireball which rocked the trees. The flames scorched the ends of Naruto's hair, but Naruto had pushed Sakura back. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Using the smoke the fire created, Naruto surrounded Kakashi with clones. When the smoke cleared, Kakashi glanced around him, unsurprised. The Naruto's rushed him together, while Sakura stood ready to assist. Kakashi put down Narutos one by one. He punched the first one in the face. He swung around and elbowed another Naruto in the top of the head while kicking another Naruto in the hip, who bent in half before disappearing. He jumped to avoid a kick, and while the Naruto looked up in surprise, he came back down spinning backwards. Kakashi stuck out a foot and kicked a Naruto powerfully in the torso. When he hit the ground, he adjusted his momentum sideways and hammered a Naruto in the side. There was smoke all around him now, and Kakashi was listening for an attack when Naruto yelled at his right while rushing. Naruto was able to engage Kakashi and they traded kicks and punches. Grass flew up around them and the clang of deflected shurkiken rang around the clearing. Kakashi heard an unexpected 'poof' behind him, and before he could escape, a clone hit him with a rasengan. "Yeah!" shouted Naruto, as Kakashi smashed a tree in half. Dust and splinters flew up and when the debris cleared Naruto's smile turned upside down. The only thing there was a log. A vein popped in Sakura's forehead as she shook her fist at Kakashi, but her mind was clear. I saw that whole thing clearly! Kakashi had nowhere to go! She thought. Sakura looked around. Not up, not behind, not left, nor right. That leaves only... Sakura wasted no time once she figured it out. She flexed her fist and jumped off the tree. Her hair flew as she flew towards the ground. She smashed her fist into the ground and the earth split from her impact, the crack branching off. Chunks of dirt launched themsleves in the air and massive blocks rose and tilted. Kakashi was no longer hidden underground-he was a sitting duck, revealed. Naruto and Kakashi stared at the destruction with big eyes. What... Power... Kakashi thought. Naruto and Sakura converged on Kakashi, who was in shock. As he recovered, Kakashi decided to risk a ninjutsu. To his assailants surprise, he raised his hands and speeded through another sequence of hand seals. Water style, _
/\ /\ /\ /\ /\
Kakashi stared boredly at the trees Naruto and Sakura were hiding behind and frowned behind his mask. "You can come out now, it's not doing you any good," he told them. Naruto and Sakura grinned from their real rooftop perches. The clones stepped out. Kakshi tossed an explosive kunai at each one, but to his surprise, neither dodged. They disappeared in a cloud of smoke and the real ninja used the sound of the explosion to leap down at Kakashi in a gravity assisted dive. It was almost dawn and Kakashi's sharingan had burned up almost all his chakra, not to mention all the A-ranked power draining jutsu he had used. Kakashi tried to evade, but Naruto's endless energy won over the exhausted teacher. Naruto slammed Kakashi to the ground and held him in a grip. Sakura came flying down right behind Naruto, her fist was already pushing forward and Kakashi wished his Sharingan wasn't telling him what was about to happen next to him. Naruto leapt away from Kakashi as Sakura hit the ground, then bounced back for an uppercut which sent Kakashi flying over the trees, and not of his own accord. Naruto and Sakura chased after Kakashi. Kakashi grunted in pain as he flew, but he managed to turn himself to face down and bring up his hands to consolidate what chakra he had left. The ground soon came up at him and he braced the landing, rolling to a stop. Naruto and Sakura were close behind him. Kakashi forced himself up and took a fighting position. He was panting and clearly in pain. In reality, Sakura was in no better condition, and Naruto only marginally. I don't even have enough chakra for a basic chidori. I have no choice but to battle in taijutsu, Kakashi thought, and he rushed at Sakura, to their surprise. Kakashi was fast, but Naruto was protecting his teammate, and before Kakashi hit Sakura, Naruto smashed into his side. Kakashi flew away, only to disappear in smoke and leave a log in his place. Kakashi appeared behind them with kunai to their backs, scowling. Naruto and Sakura breathed deeply. Crap! Thought Naruto. I haven't come all this way only to lose again. I have to prove myself! Think think think think think... Suddenly Naruto had an idea. He created a clone of Jiraiya's next book in the Icha Icha Paradise series, and Kakashi sneezed to hide his surprise. NO! I haven't read that one yet! Naruto laughed manically and Jiraiya was shaking his fist from his perch. "Kakashi, do you want to know the ending to this book? I've read it and now I'll tell you!" Naruto began. Sakura was dumbfounded, but Naruto was up to something so she kept her mouth closed. Kakashi was panicking. Naruto has never shown in interest in those books, he's got to be lying! But then again, he has been gone for 2 years and he may have matured... But he would never read something by Jiraiya! I can't risk it though. Kakashi closed his eyes and plugged his ears with his fingers as Naruto blabbered out a random ending he had made out. Kakashi was right, Naruto had never gotten close to the ending, but Sakura took the chance and bound Kakashi in rope. Note to self. Never assume Naruto's tastes have matured. The first thing he's going to say when I'm free is ramen, I know it. Sakura dragged Kakashi away to Tsunade with Naruto tagging along laughing. When they reached them, Tsunade was dozing away, her head hanging on her neck loosely as she snored softly. Shizune poked Tsunade awake, drawing her attention to the young ninja below. Tsunade was speechless. "W-well... excellent job Naruto and Sakura, Tsunade said, untying Kakashi. This victory merits some-" Tsunade was cut off by Naruto-"RAMEN! LET'S GO EAT RAMEN I'M STARVING I'M GOING TO HAVE MISO RAMEN WITH PORK AND MISO RAMEN WITH BEEF YEAH!" Naruto yelled. Everyone smiled. They couldn't agree more.
Far away in the distant Sand Village, two men approached the gate, clothed in black robes adorned with red clouds. They looked up at the massive chasm that led into Sunagakure. One of them was a hunched over man. "Deidara," he said. "Yeah, Sasori. I got this one."
"Well get moving then," Sasori commanded.
"Ok ok," Deidara said. Man, I better do this one quick. Old man Sasori won't like to be kept waiting. Deidara reached into his side pouches and let his hands, which had mouths, chew up some clay. He raised them in front of him and they spat out the clay, which merged into the form of a bird as long as a man would be tall. Deidara jumped on and the bird flew off toward the Kazakage Residence, where Gaara was sitting, clueless.
