AN: Oh man, it took me like a full week to update. Had a bit of writer's block. Nothing I was typing seemed right. In fact, it still doesn't seem right… oh well.
Chapter 4:
Kakashi calmly stared at the spot Naruto had just inhabited a second earlier. Lightning Step Technique… so the rumors were true...
Naruto reappeared behind the jonin, making a swipe for the two bells tied to Kakashi's waist. There was a soft jingle as his hands touched the bells. Kakashi deftly spun around and batted Naruto's hand away in retaliation. The jonin followed his maneuver with a double palm strike to Naruto's chest. Naruto felt the wind get knocked out of him as he flew backwards. The genin hit the ground several times before he rolled to a stop. How had Kakashi known where he was gonna appear?
"Ho…how did you…?" the blond wheezed. Naruto felt like someone had squeezed all the air out of hs lungs. As he struggled to get up Naruto gasped for fresh air.
The silver haired ninja grinned owishly as he pointed at his green jonin flak jacket. He looked amused from Naruto's predicament, grinning as the blond rubbed his chest in pain. "The title of jonin isn't just for show Naruto. As you rise through the ranks and gain experience, you develop a sense of anticipation, a sixth sense if you will. All experienced ninja learn to read their opponents, Naruto. And…well," Kakashi chuckled. "Genin are the easiest to read.
His original strategy had seemed sound. Just teleport next to Kakashi, nab the bells and teleport away. Easy, right? He had forgotten one little tidbit of information. Kakashi was a jonin, and a good one at that. Even if he couldn't see Naruto he still had the intelligence and reaction time to counter Naruto's maneuver. Now he'd have to think of something, and fast.
He smirked at Kakashi. He liked a challenge anyway.
Making a cross with his fingers, he cried out: "Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"
His plan was simple. His crew of regular and special shadow clones would start by teleporting around Kakashi, appearing and reappearing at random. He would have the clones make for the bells first, working slowly to loosen the leather straps tied to Kakashi's belt. His special kamikaze clones would jump into the fray and explode at random whenever they drew near enough to their target. Anytime now the jonin would falter in his attempt to protect the bells. That's when the Naruto would swoop in for the kill.
Naruto saw Kakashi struggle to block and dodge the clones around him. He grinned in impish delight as the jonin went flying backwards, clipped from the back by an exploding clone. As more Narutos flashed into view around Kakashi, the thunderclaps became a cacophony of loud angry explosions. His kamikaze clones added to the mix, it sounded as if some one had detonated a series of C4 clusters. The unending series of clones and disorientating booms were wearing Kakashi down. The jonin was visibly tiring, his counters getting slower and more lethargic.
Naruto stretched his right arm towards Kakashi. Narrowing his eyes in concentration amid the noise, he called on the electromagnetic part of his powers. He tensed his muscles as he felt a familiar buzz surround his arm. He saw the hair on the limb stand up on end as soft yellow glow enveloped his right hand. Although invisible to others. Naruto saw steady circular wave of the yellow glow flow outward from his hand. As the yellow circular band reached Kakashi he mentally ordered it to slip around the bells attached to the jonin's waist. Following its masters will, the yellow band tightened around the bells, clutching them in an invisible embrace. The bells on Kakashi's waist jingled softly as they were pulled free and into Naruto's outstretched hands. He grinned triumphantly at Kakashi's surprised face, shaking the bells in victory.
Seeing an opening, one of his clones moved in for the kill. The clone teleported right in the jonin, his right arm cocked for a brutal strike. A tendrils of electricity wrapped menacingly aroung the fist, an extra surpise for the clone's target. With a battle cry the clone savagely struck the jonin in the gut. Immediately electricity wrapped around the jonin's flak jacket, giving its inhabitant vigorous shock. The fact that the flak jacket was inlayed with metal fibers for strength only made it worse. The electricity wrapping Kakashi flash angrily and in an instant Kakashi was no more. A smoking scorch mark was all that remained, hot ash from burnt grass adorned in a circle around the smoke. The clone looked at the remarkably empty in confusion, then in realization when he realized the truth. The doppelganger snapped his head to the original.
"It was a clone!"
With wide eyes Naruto checked the bells in his hands. He shook them, and expectedly they let out a soft jingle. But upon closer inspection he saw the word "fake" on the two bells. These were fake?
"Son of a bitch!"Naruto yelled, he'd been tricked! He chucked the unwanted fakes back into the leafy underbrush in frustration. As he contemplated the jonin's cleverness, Naruto grudgingly gave his repect to the man. He hadn't even realized that the jonin they had been talking to since the beginning of the exam had been a shadow clone. Kakashi was good, really good.
Hiding in the bushes ten yards away, Kakashi smiled at Naruto's frustration. The blond didn't know it, but there were no fake bells . The two he'd just chucked away were the actual ones. Who knew how easily people could be decieved? Kakashi steathily made his way to the bells and silently picked them up. He would never tell Naruto how close he'd been to actually passing. The blond would never live it down.
Other then that Kakashi had to say that Naruto's new abilities were effective. I was a good thing he had replaced himself with a clone before the start of the test. By the look on Naruto's face, his paranoia had more than paid for itself. Though, that teleporting of his combined with kage bunshin is a deadly technique. My clone had a really hard time fending off the multitude of disappearing Naruto's. Not to mention those irritating exploding clones. That ability of his is on par, no better than my late sensei's Hiraishin. If Naruto had the right instruction he could surpass his father…
Kakashi gave Naruto one last smile look before he crept away in silence.
From his crouched perch, Sasuke clenched his hands in anger as he saw more than a score of Narutos go head to head with Kakash. He was completely baffled. He knew hard work and determination payed off eventually, but what was going on now was not the result of some measely practicing. Naruto had been a consistent failure in class. There was no way one could work that hard and increase their power that fast. It was just impossible! But then how had Naruto jumped in ability in such a short amount of time? Who had taught him those jutsu? He wanted to know and, more importantly, he needed the instruction. He had a clan, a family to avenge, not Naruto. The blond didn't have an all consuming need for revenge like he did. He didn't have an gaping hole in his heart from utter betrayal. No, it was he, Uchiha Sasuke that should recieve such power. He would force Naruto to tell him where he'd learn to teleport, such a jutsu would be priceless in defeating Itachi.
"Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke… you forgot one of the most important rules of combat; never let your gaurd down."
The genin tensed as he heard the reprimand, Engrossed in his mental reverie, Sasuke hadn't sensed Kakashi's form shadowing his back. The lone Uchiha instantly spun around in retaliation. Calling on his hours of self taught taijutsu, he executed a flawless rising roundhouse kick to Kakashi's face. The attack was good solid strike. Unhesitant and without pretense, it would give some serious damage if it landed.
unfortunately it hadn't. The jonin easily stopped the attack with his left hand, mocking the surprised genin by wagging his right pointer finger. "Don't be so hasty Sasuke."
"Whatever," Quickly getting a hold of his surprise, Sasuke backed away from Kakashi and jumped off the tree. Immediately he went into standard guard position. he stood sideways facing Kakashi, feet shoulder width apart, arms spread for defense. Kakashi raised one of his eyebrows, "Taijutsu huh? Well then... bring it." Kakashi stayed in his relaxed postion, standing slouched with his arms in his pockets. If he had Sasuke pegged, his nonchalance would annoy the Uchiha to no end.
As predicted the genin growled in anger. He ran at Kakashi with a standard punch. When he felt Kakashi's arm block the hit, he dropped low and followed his punch with a sweeping kick. The jonin calmly hopped over the attempted trip. Sasuke kept spinning and followed through with a reverse spinning high kick. His eyes widened when he saw the maneuver the jonin had pulled to escape. Kakashi had mimicked a clown by balancing on the soles of Sasuke's feet with one arm and jumping off them to safety.
"Heh heh, Naruto gave me more trouble then this."
Sasuke glared angrily at Kakashi and snapped through a series of hand seals. If Kakashi wanted trouble, he would give it. "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" He yelled out. A huge fire ball burst forth from Sasuke's mouth. It tore a fiery path towards Kakashi. The ground behind it baked to a crisp from the inferno. Not bad for a genin. The jonin thought. But not good enough
A moment later, Sasuke found himself buried up to his neck in dirt.
Kakashi bounded away. Two down, one more to go.
The jonin found the girl mumbling to herself, sitting on a log. He sighed in exasperation; the girl wasn't paying any attention to her surroundings. Was this girl serious about becoming a ninja? Kakashi wasn't going to waste his time on some lovesick girl, he was a jonin not a babysitter. He would have to teach her a lesson. Hmm, what would scare the crap out of Sakura? He chuckled. Do I even have to ask...
He bounded away in glee as she screamed.
Far off in the center of woods, Kakashi's alarm clock rang loudly. The survival exam was over.
Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura stood in line in front of Kakashi.
"I'll put it bluntly," Kakashi said. "You three suck."
"Naruto, I will admit that you have improved drastically since your time in the academy." The blond started to look hopeful, gazing at Kakashi expectantly. "But you still have more to learn before you can take anyone of my strength without help from teammates." Naruto looked down in disappointment. "Sasuke, you lost control of your emotions and let down your guard. In fact, you were easily taunted and your anger made you loose sight of the goal, the bells. You were so angry that you just wanted to hit me." The Uchiha glared at the jonin. "Sakura, I will just say this…" The girl stared at Kakashi apprehensively, knowing whatever he was gonna say would not be pretty. "If you don't pull your head out of your ass and stop thinking about Sasuke all the time you are going to die a horrible death. The girl gasped.
Kakashi ignored her.
"All in all, I'd say you guys should do Konoha a favor and quit right now, before you get you and your comrades killed.
Yes, he was being amazingly hard on the kids, but before he even considered having them as his students he needed to make sure that they knew what being a ninja was really about. Besides, he wasn't going to babysit them. By default he was laid back and lazy, but when it came to being a ninja he sweated his ass off. Sure he was considered a genius, but talent wasn't everything. Talent had to be layered with grit, and hard work and most of all teamwork. In his mind, only those with the will of fire should become genin, only those who would lay aside everything for their comrades they would be a ninja.
That was his nindo, his way of the ninja.
He looked at each of the students of front of him.
Naruto was gritting his teeth, no doubt holding back his anger at failure. His blue eyes were glowing with it, glaring hard at Kakashi. As the jonin stood staring at the three in front of him, he realized that they all had that look. That glare of angry disappointment, as if they needed to prove themselves once more. Kakashi looked at the clouds and sighed. He just might regret it but he decided to let them have a second chance. In any case he hadn't had the right attitude as a genin either. Let it be said that Kakashi was no hypocrite.
"Tell you what," He started. "I'm going to give you three a second chance…" The three jerked up in pleasant surprise. "This is what you have to do." Kakashi started to walk in the direction of a large tree at the center of the clearing. It was a monster of a plant. Ten feet wide and who knows how tall, it dominated the other trees around it. Perfect.
The three genin stared in curiosity and then amazement when they saw Kakashi start walking up the large tree. The jonin stopped at a thick limb twenty feet above ground. "In order to do this, you must direct chakra to your feet. If you use too much you will just push your self off the tree. If you use too little you won't be able to even hold on. You must find the right amount to use, no less and no more." Kakashi jumped off the limb and landed in front of the gawking genin. He flung three kunai at the base of the tree, with a thud they were embedded into the tree.
"Use those kunai to mark your spot so you know where you are. This is your second chance, each of you has to reach that limb by nightfall and you have seven hours till the sunsets. If you get past the minimum limit, try to practice your stamina by repeatedly doing it... especially you Sakura. I'd suggest you run up the tree, then as you get acclimated try walking instead.
With that the jonin walked off.
Wordlessly, Sasuke made an attempt.
Naruto watched as a blue glow surrounded Sasuke's feet. For a few seconds the Uchiha stayed attached to the trunk, but after the five-foot mark he started to slide. The genin quickly marked his spot and pushed off the tree, landing gracefully beside Naruto.
"Nice try Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said encouragingly. Sasuke just grunted and walked off, brushing off the encouragement. A look of sadness crossed Sakura's face as she watched her crush leave. She turned around and her face-hardened when she saw Naruto staring at her.
"What are you look at!" she snapped.
Naruto sighed. This was going to be long seven hours.
For the rest of the day things remained strained between team seven as they practiced. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura had each chosen a separate tree to work on. Other than the sounds of the forest and grunts of effort, the clearing was quiet.
Naruto panted as he landed on the patch of ground in front of his tree. There were gouges all over the trunk, marking his progress. His highest mark was about eleven feet. He stared at the sun's position in the sky, only about two hours left. At this rate he'd never complete the challenge! Frustrated, he peered to his side, curious how Sakura had fared.
There weren't nearly as many marks on her tree as his. In fact she had already reached the twenty-foot mark, and going higher! How? He walked to the girl's practice area. "Sakura!" He yelled, looking up at her position. The girl was walking at the twenty-five foot mark and still going strong. After about three steps she started to slide and quickly she marked her position, landing next to Naruto. "What?" she asked.
Naruto grinned sheepishly. "Uh…how'd you learn to do that so fast? I can barely reach eleven feet." Sakura grinned at Naruto's nervousness; she always loved to give instruction, and she was pleasantly surprised that Naruto wanted her help. "It's easy! I heard your cries of frustration while you were climbing. You gotta keep calm. Chakra fluctuates with your emotins. If your chakra fluctuates too much, you can't control it well. If you just keep your anger and frustration down you should be good."
Naruto brightened upon hearing the instruction. It was simple really, calmness equaled control.
"Thanks Sakura!"
As Naruto went up the tree he saw drastic improvement. Talking with Sakura had deflated his anger, and as he walked past the fifteen-foot mark, his joy soared.
"Whoa!" Naruto hastily marked his spot and jumped off the tree when he heard the trunk crack beneath his feet. He chuckled, he had gotten too excited and his chakra output had gotten too high. But if he kept his emotions down to containable levels he should reach twenty feet easily. With a confidence smile Naruto started up again.
Sasuke frowned angrily as he stared at the score of gouges in the wood in front of him. Drops of sweat cascaded down his neck and back. He hadn't realized that this would be so hard. His irritation grew at his slow progress. He'd seem to hit a barrier, the countless scratches at the apex of his ascent proved it. He paused, panting for breath from the rigors of wall walking. After he recovered, he decided to check on his teammate's progress.
When he got closer to them, he'd nearly dropped his kunai. Both Naruto and Sakura were well past twenty feet! Sakura was near the top of the fifty-foot tree herself, the large plant slightly swaying under her weight. He knew that there were only an hour left at most, the sky was starting to turn into a dazzling array of pink and purple. The only way he would be able to reach the goal in time was to ask for help.
He felt bitterness in his heart at the thought. Itachi hadn't needed help. His older brother had succeeded in anything he did, without the aid of others. Wouldn't he have to be as capable as his brother to ever kill him? Asking for help exposed his weakness, and he couldn't be weak when facing Itachi.
He didn't realize he was emulating the man he hated most.
Sasuke stiffly walked over to Naruto. He'd be damned if he asked Sakura for help. Showing any sign of interest in her would only give her the wrong idea.
"Naruto…"
"The blond genin jumped as if startled, then looked surprised when he saw Sasuke standing behind him. "The almighty Uchiha Sasuke graces me with his presence?" He said sarcastically. Sasuke grunted, but continued his question.
"How…" He began hesitantly. "How did you get so far up the tree? The uptight Uchiha finished his sentence with the side of his mouth, not quite looking at Naruto as he talked.
Naruto tilted his head at his teammate in curiosity. It rare for him to talk to me.
" I was wondering when you'd ask. I had to ask Sakura before I got it. See what you have to do is…"
As the last vestiges of the sun set over the horizon team seven stood at attention before Kakashi. The jonin pointed at Sakura. "You first." The girl nodded and made her way to the tree Kakashi had climbed earlier. She started walking vertically up the trunk and made it well past Kakashi's designated mark. When she was done, she perched triumphantly at sixty feet. Kakashi nodded in approval, "Well done Sakura." The girl beamed at the praise. Kakashi turned to Sasuke and told him to go . The genin nodded curtly and started his ascent. Instead of running he walked, realizing that walking showed more skill. Sasuke sat on a limb at forty-five feet. Kakashi nodded at Sasuke and then directed his view over to Naruto. The genin started his climb also reaching the forty five foot mark. He shoved Sasuke out of the way so he could sit. The Uchiha glared at Naruto, then relented and moved over.
Kakashi looked at the genin sitting in the treetop. Yes, they had reached and surpassed his designated height, but had they truly understood the reason he'd a told them to do this?
"Naruto," he started. "Give me your thoughts on your teammates, don't hold anything back because I'll ask them the same question.
Sakura's a stupid fan girl." The girl stiffened in irritation. "I mean, all she and the other girls academy do is fawn over the dumbass next to me. Sasuke snapped his head at Naruto in disbelief, he was the dumbass? "But you know, I realized that there was more to Sakura when she gave me advice about wall walking. She loves to teach and give instruction. She's smart and she could be awesome if she just got over her obsession with Sasuke. And Sasuke? Well like I said before, he's a dumbass, but once he gets over himself he should be good.
Kakashi smirked at Naruto. "Interesting analysis. Sakura tell me what you think about Naruto."
"Well first of all, he's the dumbass! I mean come on! Even Shikamaru did better than him at the academy! He's a total idiot, you know?" Sakura's rant quieted down and as she looked down at Naruto she grinned. "But he has spirit and determination. He never gives up, even when things are down. I would have broken down in tears if I hadn't passed the academy test, but he…he didn't and he managed to achieve success from failure." The blond in question looked up at Sakura in gratitude, not realizing that the girl looked at him in that way. He smiled. "Though he's still an idiot." Naruto's grin dropped and he huffed in mock sulkiness, as he looked the other way.
"Kakashi nodded, " Sasuke? What do you think?
"They're both idiots, but I can work with them… maybe."
Kakashi chuckled. I think they understand. "Hmm… you pass."
"Huh?" all three genin said in unison.
"You pass. This was a test within a test. The wall walking was merely a test of your potential. It tested your ability to learn new skills under pressure. But there was another test under that. I wanted to see how much you three were willing to reach a common goal. At the beginning of the survival exam, you three disliked each other for the most part right?" The three nodded in agreement.
There is a saying, it goes: 'All for one and one for all.' It was the motto of a trio of shinobi named Aku, Jumo and Arazi who stayed loyal to each other through thick and thin. In Konoha's founding, about one hundred years ago, an alliance of small ninja clans fought off a horde of invading ninjas at a narrow pass behind the Hokage Monument. Vastly outnumbered, the tiny alliance of clans held back a larger group of enemy clans for three days in a famous last stand. A small force led by a Senju clan leader blocked the only road through which the massive army could pass. After three days of battle, a local unnamed resident was believed to have betrayed the defenders by revealing a mountain path that led behind their army. Aku, Jumo and Arazi convinced the Senju clan leader to let them stay behind so that he could defend the pass.
The enemy army of one hundred eventually succeeded in defeating the three brave warriors but not without sustaining massive losses. The fierce resistance of the trio had given the clans invaluable time to prepare for a decisive battle that would later come to determine the outcome of the war. The subsequent victory left much of the enemy's army destroyed and they retreated back to their homeland. Those three ninja prevented the destruction of Konoha before it had even formed.
Even today, this story is often used as an example of the advantages of teamwork and trust between comrades. Those three became a symbol of the power of friendship and loyalty against overwhelming odds. That's why team members should work well together. They must trust each other because trust is the link that binds a team together."
"Naruto!" The blond jumped up in surprise. "When you struggled to climb the tree, who was it that helped you?
"Sakura," he answered.
"But wasn't she just a stupid fan girl?" Kakashi said with knowing smile.
"Well, yeah she was, but she is more than that now. She's my teammate."
Kakashi nodded in satisfaction. "That is how it should be. Think of your team as a machine. One made up of many parts that each contribute something to the machine.. If those parts are incompatible, then the machine doesn't work. For a ninja squad, that is almost suicide. You three must become compatible, no even more, you three must learn to trust and work with your teammates, because in the heat of battle your teammates are all you've got.
"That's all I have to say, tomorrow our duties as Team Seven officially begin.
Kakashi watched the backs of his genin grew farther away. He sighed and stared at the sky. The sun had already set in the horizon, turning day to night. The full moon cast a bright blue glow brightly over the treetops, giving the forest an eerie pale luminescence. Staring at the majestic view Kakashi thought about his three young charges. Hopefully they had understood what he was trying to say. As ninja they would need all the luck they could get.
AN: This fic could be so good, but I don't know if I have the skills to write it. Give me lots of criticism guys, cause' I'm just a regular dude dabbling in the great art of the written word. Hopefully, with your help, I can write an epic...