Alrighty! I do not own Naruto at all! All rights and regulations do go to Masashi Kishimoto! Azuna does belong to me however! Ok now to write this fan fiction I did use the episodes and I used all of the actual sentences said from the anime so all of those rights again go to the producers, Madman Entertainment and of course the beautiful voice actors and everyone on the crew. Thanks guys... hope you like it!
Chapter Ten: You Failed: Kakashi's Final Decision! Part Two
"Drop us from the program? That means we can never become ninja! You said if we couldn't get the bells we would be sent back to the academy! YOU CAN'T JUST CHANGE YOUR MIND AND KICK US OUT WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?" Naruto yelled outraged.
"Because you don't think like ninja you think like little kids. Like brats." Kakashi said bored.
Sasuke had had enough. He got up from the floor and sprinted towards Kakashi reaching for a Kunai knife. Kakashi was unfazed by this and just stood there as Sasuke sprinted towards him. But in the blink of an eye Kakashi was sitting on top of Sasuke with his foot pressed the back of his hand and Sasuke's arm twisted behind his back. Azuna tried to sit up to maybe try and help Sasuke but she fell back down again. Her eyes met with Sasuke's and a mutual understanding flowed through them.
"You think it's all about you." Kakashi said with an annoyed tone.
"GET OFF SASUKE YOU CAN'T STEP ON HIM LIKE HE'S SOME BUG!" Sakura shouted getting tears in her eyes.
"You don't know what it means to be a ninja!" Kakashi yelled angry. "You think it's a game huh? Why do you think we put you on squads did you consider that question for one moment?"
"Uh, I don't know what you mean?" Sakura cried.
"I mean, you never realised what this exercise was all about, not even close."
"What it's about?" Naruto asked confused.
"Yes. That's what determines whether you pass or fail."
"But that's – I mean I wanted to ask you that from the beginning." Sakura said dropping her head.
Kakashi laugh a short, frustrated chuckle and shook his head. "Use your head! Three people on a squad or in this case four. Why do you think we would do that?"
"ARGH, HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHY YOU PICKED THREE, I MEAN FOUR, WHATEVER PEOPLE? WE DIDN'T MAKE THE RULES!" Naruto shouted.
"It's so basic! Teamwork!" Kakashi shouted.
All four Genin looked shocked. Well, I never would have guessed that. I only ever trained with my brother or any of my other instructors, never with other children, I've never known teamwork. Azuna thought to herself. Great Nozomi, I just relied on you to be with me forever so we could be a team and you probably thought the same. Smart pair we are brother.
"Just working together is that what you mean?" Sakura asked.
"That's why I mean. It's too late now but if all four of you had come at me you might have been able to take them." Kakashi said simply. When Azuna started to say something he continued."And keep them. Well, anyway it's over."
Wait a minute. Sakura thought to herself while looking at the bells. "You set it up with four people but on three bells. If we worked together and got the bells and only three of us could keep them and that would lead to group conflict and the squad would break up!"
"Exactly, I purposely pitted you against each other." Kakashi sighed bored. "I wanted to see if you could overcome that and put the squad ahead of yourselves. A Genin should have a natural feel for teamwork. But you, it never even crossed your mind. Sakura! You obsessed about Sasuke who was gone while Naruto was right in front of you and you wouldn't lift a finger to help him. Naruto! You do everything on your own. Everything! Azuna! You also do everything on your own! And you Sasuke thought the others were so far beneath you they were worthless. Arrogance! Ninja missions are carried out in squads. Of course you need individual skills but teamwork is the most essential element. Every Shinobi understands this; when individuals put themselves put themselves above the squad this can lead to failure and death! For example! Sakura! Kill Naruto know or Sasuke dies!" Kakashi shouted holding a Kunai knife to Sasuke throat.
The whole team began to freak out. Sakura started shaking and Naruto was looking back and forth unbelieving. Azuna just wanted to be able to move so she could get this silvered hair creep off of her friend. She saw the fear in Sasuke's eyes even though the others didn't and she managed to roll over onto her stomach.
"That's what happens on a mission." Kakashi said pulling the Kunai away.
"Oh boy that was really scary." Sakura breathed while Naruto sighed in relief.
"The enemy takes a hostage and you've got an impossible choice, and someone ends up dead." He said twirling the Kunai before putting it back into his pouch and getting of Sasuke. "On every mission your life is on the line."
Sasuke breathed out a sigh and looked up into Azuna's eyes. She was trying to get to him but he shook his head at her. Whatever Kakashi did to her must have really hurt considering she could barely move. Sasuke didn't want Azuna to rush over and care for him; he wanted her to take care of herself.
"Did any of you look at this stone? The names engraved on it?" Kakashi asked walking towards the smooth black stone. Sasuke got up and moved back to where he was sitting before and Azuna gave him a small smile before closing her eyes again. "They are all ninja who were honoured as heroes in our village."
"That's it, that's it, that's it, now I know!" Naruto cried with joy. "I've decided I'm going to have my name engraved on that stone! I'm not going to live and die for nothing like a dog! I'm going to be a hero! A hero!"
"They are a special kind of hero." Kakashi said tentatively.
"What kind of hero's are they? Come on tell us!" Naruto practically screamed.
"They're all, KIA." Kakashi said sadly.
"Ooh that sounds real cool!"
"It means killed in action they all died." Sakura said just as sadly as Kakashi. All four Genin looked down with the sudden sadness, especially Azuna.
"The names of my closet friends are engraved here." Kakashi said. Azuna looked up at her Sensei with sad eyes. She knew what Kakashi was going through. The death of her brother not only tore Azuna apart but also her village. Nozomi was elected Mizukage and three days before he was officially to be known as Mizukage he was killed. Azuna knew what that felt like, for a whole village to suffer under the death of just one person or even more.
"Alright, I'm going to give you one more chance but I'm going to make it much harder on you. You'll have three hours to get a bell. Eat lunch now to gain up strength, but, Naruto doesn't get any, nor does Azuna because she doesn't need any. It's your punishment for breaking the rules and trying to eat by yourself Naruto. And if anyone tries to feed Naruto that person will immediately fail. I make the rules, you follow them. Got it?" Kakashi said harshly, he then turned away to let them eat lunch.
Azuna stretched her hand out to Kakashi once he turned his back. She got onto her elbows and shouted out to him. "Kakashi Sensei, wait!"
Kakashi turned around and looked at Azuna as she struggled to get up. He waited patiently until she was sitting up straight looking at Kakashi with a smile. "Hey Kakashi-Sensei, I think now is a good time to tell you that the bells hanging off your belt aren't bells."
Kakashi looked down and there was a poof of smoke before three pebbles dropped to the ground. He looked up Azuna with wide eyes as she pulled three shinning bells from her pouch. "Are these the bells you are looking for?" She giggled mysteriously.
Sasuke's, Naruto's, Sakura's and especially Kakashi's mouths dropped open. "How in the world…?" Kakashi asked trailing off.
"Well after you almost killed me with your kick I still had the bells. I had enough chakra and time left in me to swap the real bells with three pebbles with a Substitution Jutsu before you came over to me while I was passed out." She giggled giving him a closed eyed smile. "But since you know, we are all into teamwork now you can have them back. If we are going to get those bells were doing it as a team therefore I do not need them."
Azuna chucked the bells at Kakashi who caught them with ease. This girl really is as good a ninja as they say. Azuna Momochi is truly Kirigakure's Prodigy Child. The little girl destined to be far greater than her father or brother, or any of the other ninja in her village. She's a girl who could become Mizukage tomorrow if she tried hard enough.
Kakashi turned again and jumped away. Azuna sighed and fell backwards her arms flopping down beside her, making her seem like she was going to make snow angels. "How did you get those bells from Kakashi?" Sasuke demanded opening his lunch.
"It's because where I come from Sasuke-boy, the rules are a little different, especially if you don't have any to follow."
"That doesn't make any sense!" Sakura shouted getting her own lunch out.
Azuna rolled her eyes but winked at Sasuke. He knew exactly what she meant. She hadn't had the normal training kids their age did. She obviously didn't go to a normal academy, or maybe she didn't go to one at all. She didn't have to follow the normal rules, because she didn't have any and that only meant this girl was a lot stronger than she looked. Sasuke and Azuna understood each other perfectly.
Azuna crawled over to Sasuke and propped her elbows up. "Give me some of that." She mumbled grabbing the egg from Sasuke's lunch. He glared at her slightly but she only gave him a closed eyed smile before resting back on the ground eating it soundlessly.
Sasuke and Sakura continued to eat their lunch in silence and Azuna nodded off into a light sleep. She was awoken though when Naruto's stomach growled loudly. The whole team looked at him sympathetically and Azuna wished she had lunch to give him.
"THIS IS NO BIG DEAL I CAN GO WITHOUT EATING FOR DAYS WEEKS! BELIVE IT THIS IS NO BIG DEAL!" He shouted until his stomach growled again. "No problem."
Sasuke, who had been inspired by Azuna handed his lunch out to Naruto. Azuna had been so devoted to the team that she handed the bells - that she obviously worked so hard to get – back to Kakashi Sensei, saying that if she was going to do it that it would be with her team. "Here." Sasuke said with slight annoyance and shame.
Naruto's mouth dropped open and Sakura looked around paranoid. "What no Sasuke you can't do that! You heard what the Sensei said!"
"Oh put a lid on it." Azuna mumbled under her breath.
"Kakashi's gone; we need to get those bells as a team. If Naruto's hungry he'll be weak and ineffective. That hurts the team and jeopardises the mission." Sasuke said. He was trying not to let his laughter show through as he heard what Azuna mumbled.
Sasuke. Sakura whispered sadly in her mind. She looked down at her lunch and gulped before looking up at Naruto. Sakura extended her arms which held her lunch towards Naruto with a smile. Naruto stared down at her completely love-struck with a smile on his face. "Ok thanks." He muttered happily.
"Don't thank me just hurry up and eat!" Sakura commanded.
"But isn't that your lunch?"
"Didn't he just say thank-you? Therefore acknowledging she was giving it to him?" Azuna wonder quietly beside Sasuke who shrugged at her comment.
"Uh I'm – I'm on a diet, I mean I uh don't eat as much as Sasuke. Gah just take it Naruto!" Sakura continued.
"I can't take it! Because well, I can't move my hands you've gotta feed me."
"HUH?" Sakura shouted as her eyebrow twitched in annoyance.
"Hurry up he could come back any minute." Sasuke said looking around.
"Since we're all getting cosy with food." Azuna said reaching over to Sasuke's lunch picking up his chopsticks and shoving some rice into her mouth. "You don't mind if I eat a bit do you Sasuke?" He glared at her slightly and she grinned. "I didn't think so."
"This is one time only." Sakura growled picking up some rice with her chopsticks. "THIS IS IT! I'LL NEVER DO THIS AGAIN IS THAT CLEAR?"
"Clear as a bell Sakura." Naruto laughed happily as Sakura shovelled rice into Naruto's mouth. As he swallowed there was an explosion and a strong gust of wind. Grey smoke rose up around them and they all shielded themselves with their arms.
"YOU!" Kakashi yelled dramatically appearing from the smoke. "You broke the rules! I hope you're ready for the punishment." He said harshly performing a few hand signs. Out across the sky dark storm clouds appeared and the earth beneath them shuddered. "Any last words?"
"But you said." Naruto said through chattering teeth.
"Yes?" Kakashi said curious.
"YOU SAID THAT THERE WERE FOUR OF US THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID AND THAT'S why Sakura and…" Naruto said trailing off.
"We're all on this squad and we're all in it together." Sasuke said dangerously kneeling next to Naruto.
"Yes that's right! We gave our lunch to him because the four of us are one!" Sakura shouted holding her fists up, mainly to protect herself.
"Try and hurt one of us and you'll have to fight all of us together." Azuna grunted through gritted teeth as she stood protectively in front of her team holding Kunai knives in each hand. It was painful to stand up but she needed to do it. She had found the strength in her to stand; next she would find the strength to fight.
"YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH BELIEVE IT THAT'S RIGHT!" Naruto shouted kicking his legs out and almost hitting Azuna in the back.
"The four of you are one that's your excuse?" Kakashi shouted meanly walking towards them. He stared at all of his students. They all stood protectively around each other ready to defend each other and themselves if necessary. Kakashi laughed and leant forward. "You pass."
"Huh?" Sakura and Naruto said together.
"You pass." Kakashi said more slowly as the team stared at him bewildered.
"Oh thank God." Azuna sighed falling forward completely exhausted. Sasuke reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist quickly before she fell on her face.
"What do you mean? How'd we pass?" Sakura asked in confusion as the clouds floated away.
"You're the first squad that ever succeeded. The others did exactly what I said and fell into every trap. They couldn't think for themselves. A ninja must see through deception. In the ninja world those who break the rules are scum, that's true, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum." Kakashi said looking towards the sky.
Sakura and Azuna smiled and Sasuke smirked. Naruto on the other hand was battling tears as he looked at his official new Sensei. "You know he's actually, he's kinda cool."
"The exercise is over, everyone passes. Squad Seven starts their first mission tomorrow." Kakashi said giving them all a thumbs up.
"Yes!" Sakura shouted.
"I did it! I'm a ninja! Ninja! Ninja!" Naruto cried.
"Let's go home." Kakashi said turning around.
Sasuke got to his feet with his arm still around Azuna. She draped her arm over his shoulders and smiled at him thankfully. They started to follow Kakashi and Sakura followed them. She was about to glare at Azuna for being all over her Sasuke but she had just become a ninja so she would let it slide for now.
"I knew they'd do this it happens every time! Believe it!" Naruto shouted angrily. "YOU GUYS FORGOT TO UNTIE ME!"