I have returned from the terrors of camping! Actually, it actually wasn't that bad. Great fun actually, and it gave me more inspiration for this fanfic and possibly another one in the making. I even stayed in a city for half of the time, where I got Naruto DVDs and manga for real cheap. The city was nice, except for the fact that it literally smelled like crap. (Something must've gone wrong with the sewage system there or something.) Whoops, I've been babbling. Sorry about that. So here is chapter 14 in the flesh! No, that didn't sound right...ah whatever. Just read it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Only the almighty Masashi Kishimoto does, and I sincerely hope that he never makes SasuSaku a real pairing!

So the shinobi had a "delicious" meal of roasted squirrel and mouse that lunchtime deciding that they would save the fish and rabbit for dinner that night.

Sasuke willingly ate his mouse and squirrel, as he was hungry and knew it was their only means of survival.

Kakashi did that thing where he turns around for an instant and probably takes his mask off for a split second while no one's watching, and gulped his roasted squirrel down.

"Doesn't taste too bad, for living off the land." Kakashi commented.

Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto cursed under their breath as they had once again missed seeing Kakashi take his mask off.

Naruto looked sceptically at the roasted squirrel on a stick, sniffed back a tear, and took a large bite of the squirrel.

"Hey! This doesn't taste half bad!" Naruto smiled, all remorse and sadness leaving.

"That is if you're half starving and crazy!" Sakura said with a grimace on her face.

"Don't tell me that you're still too squeamish to eat anything we caught." Sasuke sighed.

Sakura picked up one of the cooked mice by the tail and held it at arms length away from her, cringing. "Of course I am! I can't eat wildlife that we were surrounded by and admiring!" Sakura cried.

"Why not? I took a fern last night and put it into the ramen. That's surrounding wildlife, isn't it?" Kakashi said as he pointed to a group of ferns that they were sitting by.

"You did WHAT?" Naruto cried.

"I knew that ramen had something suspicious in it." Sasuke said under his breath.

"I may have gotten over you guys killing rodents and bashing poor fish on the head, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to eat them!" Sakura huffed, folding her arms. "Besides, I'm on a diet! I don't need to eat right now."

"Alright, suit yourself. Don't go complaining to me though how you're hungry when we're hiking a few hours from now." Kakashi replied.

"Oh yeah! Are we going to do our hike after lunch?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, as soon as we finish up lunch, which it looks like we have. Everyone go pack a water bottle and a snack."

"Our snacks got eaten by the bears, remember?" Sasuke reminded Kakashi.

"Oh, right. Well, go pack up a water bottle then." Kakashi corrected.

So the shinobi got their water bottles while Kakashi got a backpack and put some first aid stuff in it. Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke handed their water bottles to Kakashi, since he had the backpack and they were too lazy to carry them. Luckily he didn't seem to mind, or maybe he just had something else in store for them.

They walked out of the campsite and down the gravely path out towards the lake, and looked out towards the surrounding mountains.

"So where are we going to hike?" Sakura asked.

"Ooh! How about that mountain right there?" Naruto pointed up to a mountain that had its high rocky peak covered in snow.

"That's too high you moron. And we're going freeze up there too." Sasuke scoffed.

"Yes. I was thinking of something a bit easier. Like that mountain there." Kakashi pointed to an almost equally high mountain that also had its exposed rocky peak covered in snow.

"You know...that's not that much different from Naruto's ridiculous suggestion." Sasuke said sceptically.

"That mountain can work too!" Naruto nodded enthusiastically.

"Can't we try something a little more easier and less snowy, sensei? Like that mountain?" Sakura pointed to a shorter, smaller mountain that was covered in trees up to the top with no snow visible at the peak.

"Well, I suppose we could. Even though is has very little or no nice view at the top and it's a boring hike."

"What kind of hike is that?" Naruto cried angrily.

"An easier, less strenuous hike, that's what it is!" Sakura replied, hands on her hips.

"Aw, c'mon Sakura-chan! Don't be a wuss! Let's climb the bigger and cooler-looking mountain!" Naruto urged.

"I don't care. Just which ever way is the quickest." Sasuke grumbled.

"Which would be the mountain I pointed out." Sakura said.

"Ok then, the mountain Sakura pointed out is the one I want to do."

Kakashi sighed, giving into Sasuke and Sakura's wishes. "Alright, we'll do that mountain then. It's your funeral though."

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura gave their sensei a sceptical look, wondering what he had meant by that. But without another word, they followed Kakashi down the trail that led to the mountain. When they approached the base of the easy mountain where the trail started, Kakashi stopped and faced his team.

"Alright, since this is going to be a fairly easy hike compared to the other mountain I was originally planning for us to hike up, there's got to be something you guys will need to do in order make up for that."

"Uh-oh." Sakura groaned.

"Is this what he means by 'our funeral'?" Naruto asked nervously.

"I knew we wouldn't get off the hook that easily." Sasuke grumbled.

"Though we don't have our ninja skills, we can still train here. So you guys will each carry a stone up the mountain for training."

"Alright, no problem!" Naruto grinned, picking up a stone off the ground that was about the size of a baseball. "So much for a funeral! I'm set to go!" Naruto smiled.

Kakashi shook his head, "No, I was thinking of something more along the line of these here..." Kakashi pointed to a pile of rocks, each about the size of Naruto's head. Sakura shrieked "What?" while Sasuke just scowled. Naruto looked dumbfounded for a moment, but regained his composure, grinning widely, and walked over to the rock pile.

"Alright, I can do this no problem! Believe it!"

Naruto bent down and picked up the rock, struggling, but managing to lift the stone into his hand. "This is no sweat!" Naruto huffed, smiling.

"I bet that's not what you'll be saying ten minutes from now when were hiking up the mountain." Sasuke scowled.

"Aw, shut up you motor mouth!".

"Speak for yourself, Naruto!" Sakura scolded. "Sasuke's anything but that!"

"Alright, enough bickering guys. Time to go pick up your stones." Kakashi told Sasuke and Sakura.

Sakura and Sasuke proceeded to pick up their stones. Sakura's knees shook as she picked up the stone, managing to hold it, but looking strained all the same.

"You mean we have to do this all the way up the mountain?" Sakura asked, a look of worry on her face.

"Precisely." Kakashi replied. "And the person who manages to get to the top first while still holding their stone will get a special prize too."

"This is stupid." Sasuke grumbled.

"This is training, so take it seriously as you would back in Konoha." Kakashi sternly told the scowling Uchiha boy.

"I'm going to be the one who makes it to the top first! Believe it!" Naruto cried before he burst off and started up the trail that went up the mountain.

Sasuke took his stone as if it were no problem and started walking up the trail.

Sakura slowly started up the trail, trying not to drop the rock.

"Kakashi-sensei? Why don't you have to carry a stone up the mountain like we have to?" Sakura asked.

"Because it's you guys who need the training, not me. I'm your sensei, so therefore you do whatever I tell you. Now go carry that stone up the mountain."

Naruto shouted from farther up the trail, "This is nothing! I'm going to beat you all! Believe it!"

Kakashi took out his copy of Icha Icha Paradise and began to read it as he started to walk up the trail. Sakura reluctantly followed after him, sticking her tongue out at him with his back turned.

One hour later, Naruto was not enjoying himself. His was lugging his stone up the trail, sweating and panting.

"This sucks! My arms ache so much!" Naruto whined. "I think I'll just ditch this stone while Kakashi-sensei's not looking." He said more quietly to himself.

As Sasuke, tired but determined, passed Naruto with his stone, he made some kind of grunting noise, which probably meant something along the lines of "Wimp" or "Loser".

"Hey! You're not going to beat me!" Naruto cried, determined to beat his rival.

Naruto tried to run past Sasuke, but only managing to trip and fall flat on his face with the weight of the stone dragging him down.

"If it weren't for this stone...dammit, Sasuke! I'd beat you so badly up to the top!" Naruto grunted, picking himself up off the ground.

"Hey loser! Without the stone, it totally defeats the purpose of this exercise." Sasuke smirked, stating the obvious.

"I am not a loser! I'm real winner! Believe it!"

"This is painful...and I'm so hungry." Sakura groaned, further down the mountain from the two boys.

"Didn't I tell you not to complain about that earlier? I bet you wish now that you had that mouse for lunch." Kakashi teased.

"That's right, rub it in, why don't you!" Sakura glowered she heaved her rock up the mountain, her sensei taunting her. "How did such a nice day trip turn into such a gruelling, horrible training session?"

"It'll be good for you." Kakashi told her. "But how do you plan on getting to the top first at the speed you're going at?"

"I have a question for you; How do you read that book of your without crashing into a tree or falling off a cliff?" Sakura asked incredulously as she watched the silver-haired man walking straight up the path with his eyes glued on his orange book.

"I'm just special. That's all." Kakashi replied, smiling.

A fuming Sakura made a move to fling her rock at Kakashi, but then she thought that he'd probably just avoid it anyways since he was so "special" and she'd probably get punished for it too.

"Don't even think about it, Sakura" Kakashi warned, as though he knew what had jut gone through the young kunoichi's mind.

"What? I wasn't!" Sakura protested. She began to mutter, "Stupid Kakashi-sensei with his "special" stuff and that stupid book, walking..."

And Sakura just kept mumbling and grumbling like a grouchy old man, until Kakashi suddenly walked smack into a tree.

There was pain...

Sakura burst out laughing, pointing at Kakashi and dropped the stone she was carrying onto her foot in the process.

Again, there was much pain...and screaming

Meanwhile, further up the mountain, Naruto was walking practically crouched down, dragging his rock behind him on the ground.

"I...haven't...abandoned...the rock yet..." Naruto panted heavily as Sasuke, not far ahead of him, was heaving his rock up the trail. Though Sasuke wouldn't ever admit it, he wanted to win the training contest badly.

"This is taking too long! I'm going try something different that'll beat Sasuke for sure!" Naruto said to himself as he picked up his rock with all his might, lifted it above his shoulders and threw the rock in front of him. The rock landed a total of two feet ahead of Naruto. Naruto took a few steps towards the rock, picked up the rock again, and threw it in front of him again 3 feet this time. He approached the rock, picked it up, threw it 3 feet, and repeated the idiotic process over and over.

"This is working better than carrying it!" Naruto exclaimed with a smile on his face.

Sasuke was still holding the rock in his arms, panting as he trudged up the trail.

"...I can...do this..." Sasuke panted, trying to encourage himself.

Naruto had unbelievably caught up to Sasuke, not that he'd be able to keep the pace up for long though, as his arms and back were getting very sore from throwing the rock.

Naruto threw his stone 3 feet ahead of him, walked to it as Sasuke looked at Naruto with one of those "What the hell are you doing?" looks. Naruto picked up the stone just as he was reaching Sasuke, throwing the stone to hit the ground 3 feet in front of him once more

"Naruto, what the f-" Sasuke began, but was cut off as Naruto's stone landed on top of Sasuke's foot.

Sasuke stood there, looking at Naruto, then his foot for a moment, too shocked to feel any pain at first, but when it came, he let out a scream that sent all of the birds in the treetops of the mountain flying away.

Sasuke glared a death glare at Naruto as he painfully lifted the heavy rock off of his foot.

"Naruto..." Sasuke growled dangerously.

"It was your fault! You got in my rock's way, so it crushed your foot when it landed!" Naruto defended.

"I'M GOING TOF-CKING KILL YOU!" Sasuke screamed angrily, scaring the daylights out of Naruto.

Sasuke lunged at Naruto, who quickly took his stone and bolted up the path to the top of the mountain to escape Sasuke's wrath. An enraged Sasuke limped after Naruto, shouting a colourful mixture of swear words and other things.

"And that must have been Sasuke getting his foot crushed by his stone." Kakashi announced, still lower down the mountain than Naruto and Sasuke. "He should really watch his foul language."

"Sasuke!" Sakura cried, running, or hobbling really, up the trail, as she had also injured her foot by smartly dropping her rock onto it earlier.

Kakashi rubbed his very sore nose, quite sure that it was broken from walking smack into that tree. "How did I crash into a tree this time?" Kakashi pondered, rubbing his nose. "It's never happened before. Interesting..."

And so Kakashi stood there pondering, as Sakura made her mad hobbling-dash up the mountain.

"Shit! He's gonna beat the living crap out of me if he catches me!" Naruto cried, increasing his speed even more. Naruto stopped as he almost ran off the ledge of the mountain, looking down at the lake, forest, and campgrounds below him.

"Oh-no, I'm trapped! I'm at the top and there's nowhere else to run to!" The blonde cried frantically. Then realization hit him. "I'm at the top...sweet! I made it to the top first!" Naruto shouted out for the whole world to hear. Naruto jumped into the air with his arms raised in victory, forgetting that he was holding his rock, which fell onto his foot.

Naruto screamed out a loud scream that made the birds on the next mountain fly away from the treetops.

"Well, it sounds like all of my students have smashed their feet up now." Kakashi said to himself, further down the mountain. He turned to look at Sakura, but all that was there was her large rock. "Now where did she get to?"

Further up, Sasuke limped up to the summit where Naruto was. Sasuke saw Naruto, hopping around on one foot, cursing and shouting in pain. Sasuke saw the rock by Naruto and realized that he left his own further down the trail.

Naruto had won the training contest.

And Sasuke had led him to it by making death threats, sending the little fox boy flying up the mountain in fear of being pummelled.

Sasuke slapped himself and cursed under his breath as he trudged over to Naruto and smashed his fist upon the blonde boy's head.

"OW! Stop it! I'm in enough pain as it is already!" Naruto cried, rubbing his head.

"You're in pain? Well at least your rock didn't "jump" on your foot from over 5 feet up in the air!" Sasuke snarled angrily.

"Yeah, but it still hurt falling from 4 feet in the air! And now my head hurts too, thanks to you!" Naruto said through gritted teeth.

"You loser! I'm so pissed off at you that I could just push you off this cliff right now!" Sasuke said, stepping violently towards Naruto as though he meant what he had said.

"Help! Sasuke's going try to kill me by pushing me off the mountain!" Naruto screamed loudly at the top of his lungs.

"Now we'll have none of that, Sasuke." Kakashi said, suddenly appearing behind Sasuke.

"Where did you come from?" Naruto cried in surprise and relief.

"You poofed yourself up here, didn't you? You damn cheater!" Sasuke growled.

"No, I can't do that here, remember?" Kakashi reminded Sasuke.

"Then how did you-oh never mind." Sasuke growled. "I bet you cheated somehow!"

"I never said that I was going to be part of this training. You're lucky that I even bothered climbing this mountain with you guys."

"Well, DUH! Of course you're supposed to climb the mountain with us! We're a team, right? We're supposed to do pretty much everything with each other!" Naruto told Kakashi.

"Alright, so I'm assuming that from Naruto's loud shout of joy before he dropped his stone on his foot that Naruto was the first one up here?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah, it was me! I whooped Sasuke's ass! Believe it!" Naruto grinned, throwing his fist up into the air.

"That was only because Naruto threw his stone on my foot!" Sasuke cut in.

"Did not!"

"You did so throw that freaking stone on my foot! Don't deny it, you little-" Sasuke was cut off with a gesture of Kakashi's hand.

"Now, now. Before you two tear each other apart, let's sort this out. You didn't drop the stone on your own foot, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked.

"No! That dumbest, cheating, lame excuse for a ninja threw it on my foot!" Sasuke angrily replied, pointing at Naruto.

"What did you call me? Say it again you bastard!" Naruto challenged.

"Don't worry, Sasuke! I'm coming!" Sakura called out, limping up to the summit where the three other shinobi were standing.

"Sasuke! You've already gotten to the top? I thought you were hurt, so I-" Sakura started, but was cut off by Kakashi.

"Sakura, aren't you forgetting something?"

Sakura stopped abruptly, looking at her hands. Now that she thought about it, she did get up the mountain rather quickly for having a crippled foot.

"Oh no, the rock! I knew I forgot something when I was running up here!" Sakura moaned, collapsing in defeat.

Kakashi turned to his three students. "So because Sakura was the last to get here, and forgot to bring her stone up with her, and Naruto threw his stone upon Sasuke's foot, enabling him to get to the top first, this disqualifies Sakura and Naruto-"

'What?" Naruto shouted.

"-which means Sasuke wins by default, as he got the farthest without cheating." Kakashi finished.

"But I was first to get to the top!" Naruto protested.

"But you are disqualified for throwing your stone on Sasuke's foot." Kakashi told the angered boy.

"But I didn't do that on purpose! I swear I didn't!".

"Whether or not you did, if you hadn't done that, Sasuke probably would've won." Kakashi told Naruto.

"You're just favouring him again! Like always!" Naruto shouted angrily at Kakashi, crossing his arms and pouting.

"What can I say? I'm just that good." Sasuke smirked.

"Sasuke, I'm going to be the one that pushes you off the mountain!" Naruto shouted angrily, balling up his fists.

"Naruto! Give it a rest already!" Sakura cut in angrily.

"It's going to get dark within an hour, so we better head down now." Kakashi told the three genin. He began to head down the mountain, his three students limping after him.

To be continued...

Everyone who's reading this, I beg of you to review. Review, fools! (Ah, it feels good to be back.)