Tenchu
Chapter Two - Test
"Hokage-sama, I have a request to make."
By now, the Hokage's heart didn't even skip when Koichi appeared in his office. The past few years dealing with the man had caused some of the Hokage's old edge to come back. Koichi had been delivering sporadic reports ever since he had taken up Naruto's training. According to him, Naruto was...an interesting student.
"Oh?"
"Yeah, I need you to let me take Naruto on a mission." Koichi said. "The genin exams are coming up, are they not? I need to make sure he's ready to let off the leash, so to speak."
"Koishi...no." Sarutobi's hand clenched around his pen. "I know what kind of test you give your students. He's too young. I didn't let you take him just so he could become a killer so young."
"You're being soft, Hokage-sama," Koichi rebuked in a gentle sort of voice. His eyes, however, were hard. "You and I know he'll be forced into the situation eventually. Better that at least I can keep an eye on him to make sure he's okay. Besides...you know very well that I've trained him to be a very good killer. Not that he's aware of that yet. In the days of the war, he would be long past his first kill by now."
Sarutobi clenched his teeth, but before he got a chance to respond, Koichi soldiered on.
"The training he has, he's got to use it in a real life situation to really grasp what he's capable of. Otherwise he's just going to get killed Sarutobi. What he's learned can't be reversed, and if he's not given a chance to apply it correctly..."
"He'll apply it incorrectly," Sarutobi finished. "Is he really up to it?"
"If he's not, I'll take care of things myself, though I really don't think that will be necessary."
"...alright. I approve it." Sarutobi fished around in his desk before producing a mission scroll and handing it over. "That should fill the requirements."
Koichi unfurled the scroll and skimmed the contents before snapping it back up onto his hand. "This will do nicely. I get the feeling you were prepared for this."
The Hokage didn't answer, but looked away. That was good enough for Koichi.
The next day found Koichi waiting in a chair outside the house for Naruto to arrive. He hadn't been waiting long when he felt a stir in a the air. He grinned and turned to look up in a nearby tree.
"Very good Naruto. Still need to work a bit on the chakra control. I heard you slip a moment ago." Koichi stepped back as Naruto landed next to him. The boy was dressed in a bright orange jumpsuit, with a dark blue scarf around his neck. Most would have been surprised that such a bright figure was completely concealed in the trees until just seconds before. The way Koichi saw it, that jumpsuit was good training. If the boy could hide in orange, he could hide in anything.
"Aw, one of these days I'll get you Koichi-sensei," he whined.
"In any case Naruto, I wanted to you to come today because I have a mission for you." He waved the mission scroll in Naruto's face, only to snatch it away when the boy made a grab at it. "Nope. You gotta sit and listen quietly."
Naruto groaned, but neverthess took up a cross-legged seat on the ground, remaining completely motionless. His academy teachers would have been astounded to see him sitting so still, so quiet.
"About a day's travel southeast of here is a small trading village. There's a merchant there with a connection to a group of bandits. Apparently the bandits steal from traders passing through and the then this merchant sells the stuff back to the owner at exorbitant prices." Koichi explained. "The merchant is a paranoid bastard. He's the only one who knows all his contacts, not even his second in command. Without him the organization falls apart. Unfortunately, the man's wife is actually a cousin of the daimyo. It doesn't give him more power, but it does mean discretion is necessary. Do you know what this means, Naruto?"
"The Fire Lord wants him assassinated, and doesn't want them to know Konoha was involved," Naruto replied, a solemn look on his face. Koichi saw the boy clench his fists. He felt a small pang of regret that was swiftly pushed aside.
One of the reasons he'd chosen Naruto, besides the latent talent he'd seen, was the boy's personality. Naruto was strong. Even with all the difficulties he faced he had remained optimistic, downright cheerful. Not to mention he had a sense of humor. Koichi had discovered more than anything else, a sense of humor was necessary to cope with pressure. Unlike all those strong, silent type shinobi, Naruto would not break. Naruto would never become a monster. He had too much of the capacity to love in him.
"You understand the situation then? Your training has given you everything you need."
"I understand Koichi-sensei," Naruto chewed his lip. "Tell me what I need to know. I won't let you down."
So Koichi did. Where the merchant lived, what his schedule was like, the village layout, about the guards he'd hired - he told Naruto all of this. He didn't tell Naruto that he would be following to make sure the boy didn't get in over his head. It was important Naruto didn't know he had help. It was something that had to be experienced, the feeling of being completely alone. He had to feel that anxiety of being the only one responsible for the mission and his life, that no one was coming to bail him out. Koichi needed him to have the experience before Naruto got assigned to a genin team.
Naruto shifted slowly on the tree branch he was crouched on, just enough to keep his muscles from stiffening up. Breath caught in his throat as a guard passed below him with a lantern. They can't see me, he reassured himself. They can't. The mantra ran through his head even as the guards head swung back and forth. Occasionally the man looked directly towards where Naruto hid.
They can't see me.
It was hard to breath. Sweat dripped down neck, only to be absorbed by the fabric of his jacket. For the mission, he had reversed his normal jumpsuit. Koichi-sensei had it specially made for him. One side was orange with bits of blue. The other was a dark navy. With the scarf wrapped around his head and face, Naruto would have been hard pressed to recognize himself.
They can't see me.
He had to remind himself, even as the guard and his dog moved on. Dogs, Naruto knew, were his worst enemy. It was harder to fool a dog's nose than it was human eyes. Cats, Naruto liked. They just didn't care. Just on this one mission, Naruto was becoming less and less fond of dogs.
Lanterns flickered on the porch of the house. It was in a traditional style, all wood and paper screens. Naruto could see the shadows of the people inside earlier in the evening when they moved in front of the doors. It was now the dead hour of the night, and there were not more silhouettes appearing. Everybody, except for the guards, should be asleep. Even those who would party late into the night would be retiring or passed out now, in the few hours before dawn.
The guard turned the corner. Softly, Naruto hopped over to the roof of the building. He landed carefully as to not cause the shingles to slip. A single loose tile could be the end of this mission. He paused for a moment, breath held. The night was silent.
Quickly and quietly, he reminded himself. He made himself breath normally as he slipped down from the roof and in through a side door. The shoji screen rasped softly as it open and closed. He winced at the noise, soft as it was. Creeping slowly forwards, he slid the ninja-to from his back. He had to force his hand to grip it properly. His fingers wanted to tighten up. If he allowed his nerves free reign he was going to fail.
He couldn't fail. He wouldn't let Koichi-sensei down. He wouldn't let Konoha down.
Around the corner he slunk, towards the room where he knew the merchant slept. As reached for the screen he paused. Someone inside the room was moving, trying to be quiet by the sound of it. They were coming toward the door. Naruto's heart fluttered in his chest as he glanced up and down the hall. There was no time. What now? What now? His mind betrayed him. Then, heart in his throat, he broke through the panic.
Stepping to the side of the door, he preformed a quick henge, changing into the cat he'd seen sleeping on the porch earlier. The screen slid open. Out slipped a young peasant woman. She offered him a quick glance immediately dismissing him from her mind. Looking up and down the hall, she straightened her clothing nervously before darting down the hall.
Well, Naruto thought. At least he won't be sleeping with his wife. That was one obstacle that had taken care of itself. Slipping in through the door she left open, he dispelled the henge. Ninja-to in hand, he approached where the merchant lay sprawled on the futon, naked as the day he was born. Naruto grimaced at the sight. No wonder his wife wasn't interested, he couldn't help but think. Naruto paused before the man. He bit the inside of his cheek and tasted copper.
I can do this. The ninja-to rose. It fell once, one blow, just as he'd been taught. A lot of blood, he though numbly, dodging the spray. Without thinking he wiped his blade and sheathed it. A lot of blood.
He wasn't going to think about it, especially not the sound his ninja-to had made when it opened up the man's throat. Not now. Koichi always said that it was all well and good if you got in, but that only meant you had to get back out again. He couldn't go losing his head before he escaped. He exited the room, sliding the door shut behind him. A though occurred to him. He took a moment to henge back into the appearance of a cat before moving back through the hallway.
His heart didn't stop pounding until he made it out of the village. It was so loud in his ears he was sure the guards would hear it. Not until the village was out of sight did he lose some of his control. Crouching in the bushes, he lost what little was in his stomach. Bile scorched his throat. He jumped when he heard someone approach, hand automatically reaching for his weapon.
"Naruto," came Koichi's voice from the shadows. "It's me."
Naruto relaxed, turning away in shame as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He didn't want his sensei to see him like this. A second later there was a hand on his shoulder. A canister of water entered his field of vision.
"Rinse your mouth. It'll help," Koichi told him. Naruto obeyed him silently, spitting the liquid out into the bushes. "It's not weak, Naruto," Koichi said, dispelling Naruto's current thoughts. "I did the same thing, my first time. In fact, I didn't even get as far as you before I lost it." He ignored the moisture in Naruto's eyes as the boy continued to methodically swish and spit.
"Koichi-sensei..."
"I'm proud of you kiddo, almost more for this than completing the mission. You did what you had to, but you're still human. If it didn't bother you, you'd be a monster. It's okay to feel bad about it. Let that sadness, that regret pass through you. Feel it with every bit of your soul. Then let it go. Don't hold on to those feelings. Have them, but don't keep them. It doesn't no good to bottle it up inside. It'll always be the same."
"...thank you, sensei."
Kakashi surveyed the potential Team Seven with veiled interest. They were just brats really, wannabe genin. Maybe, just maybe they'd prove to be worthwhile. He had to admit it didn't look promising for them, though.
Uchiha Sasuke looked like a real brooder. Not surprising with his history. He was resolutely ignoring his teammates and feigning complete disinterest. That didn't bode well for the teamwork aspect. Kakashi had a feeling that actually integrating him into the team would be grueling.
Then there was Haruno Sakura. The little pink headed girl was prime fangirl material. The way she kept glancing over at the Uchiha was in parts disturbing and annoying. She would need to learn to apply herself to being a ninja if she ever wanted to succeed. And she would have to stop glaring at her other teammate.
Speaking of which, the last member was Uzumaki Naruto. Kakashi had never met a louder genin (not even Obito). Naruto spoke loudly and dressed loudly. That orange jumpsuit was really something else. He was a prankster and an attention seeker. Apparently the bottom of the class, he'd barely scraped through his exam. Still, he was the most likely of the three to work well with others. That scarf he wore was raising some flags in Kakashi's mind, though he couldn't quite remember why.
"Alright. Why don't you introduce yourselves, tell me your hobbies, likes, dislikes, dreams. You know."
He snickered inwardly at their dumbfounded expressions.
"Um, why don't you go first Kakashi-sensei. Show us how it's done." Sakura's voice was hesitant. Kakashi got the feeling she lacked any real confidence.
"Well, I'm Hatake Kakashi. I have a lot of hobbies. I like a lot of things. Dreams...well...none of your business," he said with a smile. Naruto and Sakura looked decidedly disgruntled that they hadn't found out more. Even Sasuke seemed irritated, though that could also just be his natural state. "Now then, you on the left, your turn," he said pointing to Sakura.
"I'm Haruno Sakura. My hobbies are," here she paused and glanced at Sasuke. "Dreams for the future..." Again she glanced over. Kakashi could see where this is going. "What I like..." She squealed to herself then. "I dislike Naruto," she finished flatly. Kakashi could see Naruto wilting. Sasuke remained more or less indifferent. Sakura was going to take a lot of work to turn into a productive ninja.
"Okay, that's interesting I guess. Next, you in the middle."
"Uchiha Sasuke. I don't have any likes or dislikes. I don't really have a dream but an ambition. I want to revive my clan and to kill a certain man."
Kakashi had been expecting that. Still, the reactions of the other two were almost comical. Sakura seemed to be bordering on fear and awe. Naruto appeared completely taken aback by the statement. And there was something else there as well. Something in Naruto's reaction that set off another flag in Kakashi's head.
"Alright then, last."
"My name's Uzumaki Naruto! I like ramen and training with sensei. My hobby is pulling pranks. I dislike people who can't take a joke. I also hate the three minutes it takes the water for my ramen to boil. My dream is to be Hokage, better even than the Yondaime, and make the whole village acknowledge me!" he declared loudly, gesturing wildly as he did so.
Of the three, it seemed only Naruto had managed to successfully introduce himself. The thought made Kakashi chuckle. Well, even if they didn't manage to pass, Kakashi could treat this entire fiasco as an amusing diversion. Just wait until he told them about the survival test...
So this was a jounin. Naruto watched as Sakura succumbed to a genjutsu. The obstacle before him was starting to look insurmountable. So far, Naruto was fairly sure that Kakashi hadn't found him, but eventually Naruto would have to make some attempt at getting the bells. Sasuke had already made his own assault on the jounin, which ended in a rather spectacular failure.
Naruto wasn't going to kid himself. He didn't have the tools for an all out assault like Sasuke did. His only jutsu were a few basic ones they taught at the academy. Koichi sensei had spent months drilling into him enough chakra control to use henge and bunshin. In fact, he'd still barely preformed bunshin well enough to pass the genin exam.
And hadn't that been an awful experience. Koichi-sensei had warned him, but it had still be humiliating. So what if on the written test he couldn't list the first twenty rules of the shinobi? And so what if he wasn't pinpoint accurate with shuriken? They were mostly a distraction tool after all. Shuriken weren't very useful for taking out an enemy in a single blow. His taijutsu was decent enough, but still needed a lot of work apparently. (Koichi-sensei had told him so too. They just hadn't been able to focus on it yet.) He was much better with a ninja-to or tanto as that was what his training had focused on.
The academy hadn't tested on anything he was actually good at. It really, really wasn't fair! Sakura had scored higher than him. Now, he liked Sakura a lot. She was the prettiest girl in their class, according to him. And she was really, really smart. But because he actually paid attention to her, he knew that she didn't seriously train. It chafed a bit.
It didn't matter. This was the real test. Here Naruto could finally show that he knew something about being a ninja. Finally, finally they were being given a practical test where he could prove himself. Now if only he could get over the anxiety of possibly being sent back to the academy.
But how to get a bell? Sakura was a good example of not doing enough. Sasuke was the example of doing too much. His first surprise attack had been good, but once he'd been lured into open combat with the jounin he'd gotten his ass kicked. Though it irked him, Naruto knew for sure he couldn't match a jounin head on.
Kakashi had moved back out into the open now. It was a bit discouraging. Naruto was hoping he hadn't lost his chance. It was a lot easier to remain hidden in the forest and approach him that it would be in the open field. Then again, perhaps he could use the fact that Kakashi would not be expecting him to approach such a way. The stream was promising, if it was deep enough. The grass was tall in a few spots and there were some trees. It was doable. Maybe. If he got lucky.
Kakashi was now sitting out in the open on a rock, reading a book. Naruto wasn't fooled. He was entirely aware of what was going on around him. What Naruto really needed was a distraction. It irked him, but he was going to have to ask for help. There were two bells after all. He'd prefer to ask Sakura, but he didn't think she was waking up anytime soon. That left Sasuke, who Naruto didn't particularly care to work with.
With a suffering sigh, Naruto crept his way over to where Sasuke was buried up to his head. There was still some time before lunch. If he helped the Uchiha dig himself out they might just get something done.
"Hey there Bastard," Naruto began crouching in front of Sasuke's head.
The Uchiha glared. Naruto could almost imagine invisible kunai flying at his face. Well, Naruto had to admit, it was pretty embarrassing for the other boy, to be caught in this situation.
"Hey! Don't give me that look! I didn't say anything!" Naruto protested. The look Sasuke gave clearly said 'you didn't have to, I know what you're thinking'. For someone so anti-social he was certainly good at getting a message across with a single expression. "I just came over to help you out. You could be a little more appreciative," Naruto continued as he began to dig. Slowly between both their efforts the dirt began to give way, until Sasuke was finally able to haul himself out of the ground, with the help of Naruto. They sat on the ground in silence for a few moments, catching a second wind.
"...what do you want?" Sasuke asked finally. "Why help me?" His tone grated on Naruto's nerves. The Uchiha always acted like he so much better than everyone. It made Naruto wanted to slap him. Well, no turning back now.
"I need your help," Naruto told him, though he wanted to grind his teeth when he said it. "And you need mine." He couldn't help but add that to ease his own ego, even if he knew it would bug Sasuke to hear it.
"Me, need your help, dobe?" Sasuke's eyebrows rose on his forehead. He was less insulted, it seemed, and more in disbelief. It was certainly a better reaction than Naruto expected. "Explain."
"Look, Kakashi-sensei is a jounin. There's no way we can beat him by ourselves. Now, I have a few ideas on how I could get the bells myself, but they're all pretty risky and if I fail I wouldn't get a second chance. There are two bells, one for you, one for me. If we work together we can double our chances. Besides, it's pretty obvious we don't like each other. We can probably give him a big surprise if we actually work together."
Naruto didn't mention that his whole plan was to use Sasuke as a distraction so he could snag the bells. That could come after the Uchiha agreed. Besides, if Naruto actually managed to get both, he didn't mind giving one to Sasuke for his help. He gave Sasuke a minute to mull over his suggestion. It wouldn't be hard to get Sasuke to be a distraction. He could just play up the fact that Sasuke was better in combat than he was, so it would be better if he was the one distracting Kakashi. Naruto didn't actually have to say his stealth skills were better. He could rub it in Sasuke's face later.
"Well?"
"...what do you have in mind, dobe?" Sasuke asked.
Hook, line, and sinker, Naruto thought as he proceeded to lay out his plan.
If there was one thing about this whole bell test that had surprised Kakashi so far, it was that he had not seen a glimpse of Naruto since the whole thing began. If anyone was going to come after him directly, he had thought it would be Naruto. Instead the boy had disappeared into the foliage at the start of the test and he'd seen nothing of him since. There hadn't been a single noise or glimpse of orange to betray his presence. That really stood out to him. Not many genin could conceal themselves so totally while wearing safety orange of all things.
The whole thing bothered him. Obviously someone had taught the boy stealth. He had disappeared from the range of Kakashi's senses so totally that at first Kakashi wondered if he'd left the training ground completely. Then he'd dismissed that thought. That kid had an inner drive to prove himself. He wasn't the type to run away. Then again, Kakashi had been sure he was the type to charge straight into a fight. Apparently the brief file he'd read on his team's skills was not at complete as he would have liked.
A mess of shuriken flying towards his face made Kakashi look up from his reading. It seemed Sasuke was making a move. He'd become aware of the boy approaching a few minutes before. Kakashi stepped casually out of the way. It had taken the Uchiha a lot less time than he thought to dig himself out of that hole. Kakashi had to give him points for persistence, but he lost just as much in originality. Really, the boy was going to have to throw some new tricks at him or Kakashi was going to get bored. It was really too bad he'd failed to grasp the true meaning of the test.
Sasuke barreled at him going full speed. He launch a double handful of shuriken at Kakashi. There were, the jounin noted, wires attached. It was a clever trick. If the sun had not glinted of them just so he might now have noticed. Humming to himself, he sliced away the wires with a kunai as the shuriken flew past. Not once did he appear to look up from his book. He heard Sasuke mutter a low curse in frustration. Yeah, Kakashi made this look easy.
Despite his disadvantage, Sasuke continued to charge him in a frontal assault. Kakashi was just readying himself to humiliate the wannabe genin once more when he noticed it. It was a coincidence, Sasuke's eyes flickered away from him once, just slightly. At the same time he heard something so soft and nearly imperceptible he wondered if he'd heard the noise at all. Ingrained reflex from years in ANBU and as a jounin had him flipping away. Even as he did he felt more than saw a blade flash through the air coming too close for comfort. As he landed a few meters away he heard the soft jingle of a bell as it fell into the grass. Glancing at his waist he saw one of the bells had been sliced cleanly off.
"AHHHHH Shit. Damn it. Almost had it," Naruto was now cursing loudly as he sheathed a ninja-to that Kakashi had not seen him carrying before.
The boy had risen out of a clump of tall grass like a ghost. Now he was swearing loudly, but just a moment before he'd been nearly as silent as the grave. Sasuke had also ground to a halt, watching Kakashi warily. Every so often sending a calculating glance at Naruto.
In the distance the alarm clock rang, signaling the end of the test. The three of them regarded each other for a moment before Naruto spoke up.
"Sorry Sasuke. I only got one bell," he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
"Hm," Sasuke replied. Rather than being as irritated as he should be, the Uchiha seemed to be in a state of uncertainty.
In the silence Kakashi walked forward, nonchalantly pocketing the bell that had fallen. Naruto 'hmphed' and casually flicked his blade before sheathing it. To Kakashi, that tiny gesture spoke volumes.
"Wait by the logs, while I collect Sakura," the jounin instructed.
Sasuke chose to lean against one of the logs and watch speculatively as Naruto kicked at the ground in frustration. The blond had surprised him. He knew, though he wouldn't admit it, that it was partially his fault Naruto had been given away. He had glanced over, unsure of whether Naruto was actually in place or not. He hadn't been able to tell and hadn't trusted the other boy to actually be there when he didn't see him.
"Well, I guess that's like half a bell between us," Naruto muttered to himself. "Unless you count that we never actually picked it up. So...a quarter of a bell? Aw man! I don't want to go back to the academy!" he whined.
Neither did Sasuke. Maybe, just maybe what they had done had been enough. Kakashi couldn't really just send them back to the academy like that, could he?
A moment later the jounin reappeared with a rather muddled looking Sakura in tow. Before the pink haired girl realized what was happening, she had been tied to a post.
The three watched with bated breath as Kakashi stood before them with his hands on his hips.
"You fail," he told them flatly. He frowned at the shouts of protest until they quieted. "Not only did you not get any of the bells, but you didn't even try to look underneath the underneath. A ninja must see beyond what is obvious and the three of you failed to see the true purpose of this test." His tone of voice told the tale of how disappointed he was. "Genin are put in three man teams for a reason. The purpose of this exercise was teamwork. Sakura, you were the worst of the three just running around without a purpose. Sasuke, Naruto, I think you started to get the idea at the end, but you failed to get the help of Sakura. With her, you might have been able to actually get both of the bells. Instead you both disregarded her." They listened to him, faces solemn.
He turned his back on the genin to face the memorial stone. "On this stone are the names of Konoha's heroes," he informed them. "Each and every one gave their life. My teammates are on this stone." He spun around to glare at them, trying to get the message through.
"In the ninja world those who fail a mission are considered trash." Here he paused (for dramatic effect of course) "But! Those who abandon their teammates are worse than trash!" The trio didn't even have anything to say in response to that. They appeared struck dumb. Looks like Kakashi still had it.
"Now, due to the fact that Naruto and Sasuke actually managed to work together I've decided to give you another chance. We'll take a break for lunch before we begin. Sasuke, Naruto, help yourself to the lunches, but whatever you do don't feed Sakura. It's her punishment for failing." The two nodded their heads in acknowledgement as they collected their lunches. Kakashi took that as his cue to leave. With a quick glance at Naruto he wondered if perhaps he should conceal himself a little better than he had originally planned in order to spy on them.
That ninja-to was familiar to him. He'd had one just like it once, given to him by a temporary mentor of his. The sheath was a deep navy blue, almost black, with a small silver star near the top. It was a simple but beautifully made weapon. Only one man in Konoha gifted his students with such a weapon after they'd proven capable of using it. And then there was the way Naruto flicked the blade before he sheathed it. Kakashi recognized it as being a habit. Most interesting was the meaning behind it. One didn't flourish their blade in such a way as to remove the blood unless one was used to blood being there.
He pushed aside the thoughts for later as he finally saw Sasuke and Naruto feeding Sakura. Well, good. Kakashi had just started really getting interested. It would have been disappointing to have to fail them after he'd put so much effort into leading them to the right track.
One thing was for sure. Team Seven was going to keep him entertained.
To Be Continued