Chapter 12

The Real Exam

To say that Sasuke was surprised to see his brother could be considered the understatement of the century. Sure he knew his brother had been drafted by the Hokage for something, but the young Uchiha had thought that it was for another high ranked mission. Just because his brother wasn't a member of ANBU anymore didn't mean that he wasn't on the short list to perform A and S-class assignments for the old man.

Sasuke had absolutely no idea that the reason Itachi was in his usual deep thought state-of-mind was not because of a high level mission request, but because the Hokage had asked him to be a sensei to a Genin team. A cold chill went up Sasuke's spine. What if Itachi had been chosen to lead his team? Sasuke loved his brother, but he also wanted to get out of his shadow and be his own Ninja, and he wasn't able to do that if his brother turned out to be his Jōnin-sensei.

He noticed his brother's eyes sweeping across the tiered class, settling on him for a moment, then moving on. Sasuke couldn't take the suspense. If he was placed under his brother then he wouldn't have his chance to redeem the clan's reputation to the village. He wouldn't be able to strike out on his own as a Shinobi and become something of his own making.

"Team Eight, Aburame Shino, Uzumaki Naruto, and Yamanaka Ino. Follow me please!"

Just like that all of the tension left the young Uchiha's shoulders and he breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't going to be placed under his brother. He wasn't going to continue being in his shadow. He still had a chance to prove himself not just to the clan but the entirety of the Hidden Leaf Village.

Sakura leaned forward, colour flowing into her cheeks. "Hey Sasuke, wasn't that-"

"Yes," Sasuke replied through gritted teeth before she could finish. He may not have his own brother as a teacher, but he still had to put up with a fan-girl and a loud mouthed brat and his yapping dog. He at least hoped his teacher was punctual.

Ino was having a pretty bad day in her opinion. When the twelve year old Yamanaka heiress woke up this morning she had been full of hope. Now that she had passed her exams and gained her Hatai-ite she was now an official Shinobi of Konoha, a Genin level Ninja. She had hoped she would be placed on the same team as her crush, Uchiha Sasuke, and show him that unlike the others she was worthy of his attention.

The whole dream had fallen apart, and she was livid over what had actually happened. First was that instead of her being on Sasuke's team her one time friend and current rival for his affection, Haruno Sakura, was. The thought of the pink haired girl getting such an advantage was more than enough to bring her blood to a simmer. Then she had heard which team she had been placed on, and that simmer had slowly turned into an outright boil.

While Sakura seemed to hit the jackpot with Sasuke she had hit rock bottom with the teammates she had been assigned to. The only worse possibility was that if she had been placed with that lazy bum Shikamaru and his friend Chouji. Ino supposed she could thank the ancestors for small mercies. Her teammates were Aburame Shino, known as Bug Boy to the class, and Uzumaki Naruto, a loud, obnoxious, prank playing idiot.

Ino was not a squeamish person by nature, but the rumours about the Aburame clan being living hives for specialised insects really sent a chill up her spine, and not in a good way. Like most girls her age she didn't like bugs, had a small fear of them in fact, though thanks to her father's mental training she could reign in her fear until one got right in her face. Shino was also quiet, too quiet, and she didn't think it was because he was shy.

In complete opposite to Shino was her other teammate, Uzumaki Naruto. It was almost like the two of them were different sides of a coin. Compared to the Aburame the Uzumaki kid was loud, obnoxious at times although not outright attention seeking, and until about a year ago was known with some trepidation as one of the best pranksters of his year. Famous for setting up remote control activated paint bombs in Mizuki-sensei's office, this strangely enough was his last prank.

Ino's state of mind was running along the lines of her thinking she was doomed, completely and utterly. Then something happened which turned her thought processes around ever so slightly. Their sensei had arrived to collect them. It only took her a few seconds to recognise him as an Uchiha, a few seconds later to realise he was Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's older brother, considered a prodigy to the entire clan. The seventeen year old looked a lot like his little brother, except for his hair being a duller black and less messy and his face showing stress lines under his eyes.

"Team Eight, Aburame Shino, Uzumaki Naruto, and Yamanaka Ino. Follow me please!"

Ino squealed internally, maybe this wasn't so bad after all.

They were led down the corridor and up the stairs to the second floor, taking the first vacant classroom they could find. It wasn't a surprise to find the room empty, most other classes had taken the day off because of the Genin team assignments. Itachi walked until he reached a desk and promptly sat on it, looking up with onyx eyes to survey the three young Genin in front of him.

He recognised the girl as being from the Yamanaka clan. Her blonde hair, pale skin and pupil-less light blue eyes told him as much, usual trait for females within that clan. The first boy was also easy to identify as a member of the Aburame clan, mainly by the heavy coat with a high collar and sunglasses that he wore. The former ANBU agent could also pick up the slightest of buzzing noises from his direction. The boys hive of insects. The third one he also recognised, though it took him a while to remember. Every Shinobi above a certain age or with the rank of Jōnin knew of him as the Jinchūriki to the Kyubi no Yoko, as well as his parentage and status as the last of the Uzumaki clan.

"Have a seat," he gestured and the three kids hesitantly took chairs around him. They obviously knew about him, at least the girl did by the look of awe she gave him when he entered the room. "From this point on I will be your Jōnin sensei. It will be my responsibility to transform you all from academy students into a team of competent Shinobi. Now I want you to tell me a little bit about yourselves."

It was the girl who spoke, with a slight tinge of colour on her cheeks. "What would you like to know, sensei?"

"Your name, likes and dislikes, dreams for the future," Itachi listed off simply. This was considered tradition in Konoha every time a Jōnin took on a Genin team. This question had been made an unofficial rule since the villages founding. "Perhaps I should start. My name is Uchiha Itachi. I enjoy training, visiting traditional cafes and the peace of the village. I dislike the ignorant and deceitful. My dream is for a world without needless war and bloodshed. Now it's your turn, we'll start with you."

He nodded to Ino, who started and blushed. "O-okay," she cleared her throat and spoke. "My name is Yamanaka Ino. I like flower arranging, shopping and... a certain boy, and I dislike gaining weight. My dream is." She giggled slightly before shaking her head. "Not telling."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. So this was Yamanaka Ino. Sasuke had complained about her and a number of other girls in his class quite a bit. He had read her report and knew that out of the three Genin assembled she was the one with the highest grades, in fact hers were some of the highest in the academy. The girl had considerable potential and he needed to guide her away from her fascination with Sasuke, get her to start training a little more seriously.

"Alright, you're next," he looked to Shino and the Aburame rose, raising a hand to push his sunglasses up his nose.

"My name is Aburame Shino," he spoke clearly and seriously. "My hobby is to study insects and find new varieties that haven't been catalogued by my family yet. I dislike people who kill insects for no reason. My ambition is to learn all of the Aburame bloodline jutsu and then develop my own techniques with the help of my allies."

Itachi nodded his head, finding that he liked this kid. His grades were even, if a little further down the ladder than most and his ambitions were solid and within his means. He had also checked up on this child and found that while he was good at using his family's Jutsu he lacked in Taijutsu and Genjutsu, something Itachi was going to improve upon.

Finally his eyes settled upon the third and final member of the new Genin cell, and he nodded his head, "Your turn."

Naruto grinned and nodded, "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like Ramen, training and...uh, gardening." He whispered the last word as if hoping that it was low enough for the others not to notice, evidently he had failed. Shino's eyebrows rose slightly and Ino's eyes widened before they narrowed in a scrutinising look. "I dislike ignorant people who try to hurt me or my family and my dream is to be the greatest Shinobi I can be, to earn the respect of everyone in the village."

Itachi nodded, allowing a small smile to form on his face. According to the academy report Uzumaki Naruto was dead centre in the class, not terrible but not brilliant either. He did excellent on physical classes like Taijutsu, Ninjutsu and survival but lagged behind in more thought related topics like maths and science. The Uchiha prodigy saw potential in him, but decided to stand back and see how he would go about bringing it out in the open.

"Very good," Itachi said as he rose from his sitting position. "You each are your own person, have a diverse array of opinions and very interesting dreams for the future, but there is one final test that you need to pass before I allow you to continue on to become fully fledged Genin."

All three looked surprised, apart from Naruto who seemed like he had been expecting it. Itachi wasn't surprised. The boy was the adopted son of a Jōnin Kunoichi after all. It was Ino who raised her hand, looking at him closely. There was definitely intelligence behind those pupil-less eyes. "Sensei, what kind of test do we need to pass?"

Itachi looked at her for a moment, before allowing a small smile to grace his usually stoic expression. "Consider it a survival exam, but there will be something I will be looking for in each of you if you are to pass. If you fail you will be sent back to the academy for another year, so take this seriously. We will meet at training ground fifteen at eight in the morning, do not be late. You are dismissed."

He disappeared in a flurry of wind and leaves, leaving a befuddled Team Eight in its wake. A moment of silence passed before Naruto spoke, but it was more of a murmur. "I gotta see if Mom will teach me how to do that."

Itachi reappeared in the main hallway of the first floor and sighed. The team he had been given showed potential, but it would take some serious work to bring it out in the open, and that was only if they passed his own exam, and he wasn't even sure how to go about it. He supposed he could use the same exercise Kakashi was using, but he wanted something with his own mark on it.

He rolled his shoulders as he walked down the corridor towards the stairs, still thinking until the sliding door to his left blew open and a slender arm grabbed the front of his vest, dragging him into the empty classroom as the door slammed shut behind him. He was pushed against the wall forcefully and a pair of full lips collided with his own, tongue begging for entrance. It took Itachi but a moment to reciprocate and for a while he duelled with his attacker before turning the tables, using his superior strength to spin them around and press his assailant against the wall, right hand moving with lightning quickness to pin her arms above her head.

"Hmm, you're stealth has improved, Midori." He whispered into the shell of her ear, happy when she shuddered under his breath. "I didn't feel you're presence until you opened the door."

"Liar," she smirked, kissing him on the tip of his nose before he darted forward, lips pressing together as the two fought. Itachi had already won, but that didn't stop him from relinquishing a bit of control. She managed to push him back two inches before he pressed her against the thin wall. His hands going to her hips, her right hand pressing the back of his head forward while her left circled around his back.

An eternity passed before the two lovers parted ways, panting for breath. Itachi leaned forward, breathing in the softly scented skin of her neck. God how her aroma of strawberries drove him crazy, how her heaving chest now pressed against his felt so right. How that smirk made him want to rip her clothes off and ravage her until she could no longer move.

"So," she uttered between heaving breathes, a small smile playing across her full lips. "How was your day?"

"Much better," he replied, taking a deep breath and stepping back, serious persona already in place. Midori raised a delicate black eyelash as he took her hand and led her to a chair. "The three of them are young and inexperienced, but there is potential in them. With the right approach they will become a fine group of Ninja."

"Mm," she smiled mischievously. "I told you that already."

"Indeed you did," Itachi replied as he sat down beside her, marvelling at how this young woman had returned his humanity to him ever since they began this little affair. The two of them had been hurt and suffering following the revolt, and sought comfort in each other's arms. Over time they began to heal each other's wounds, emotional and physical. "And I believe you were right about the two males, Shino and Naruto. I think they were holding back in the academy."

She grinned, "Told you. They were good at hiding it from me, but there were times in class where that Uzumaki kid pulled off a subtle move that wasn't part of the Taijutsu I was teaching. That Nii woman has definitely been teaching him her style, and asking him to keep quiet about it."

"It's admirable how she has already made him think like a Shinobi," Itachi agreed. "I can see him pulling off a couple of surprises during the test."

"Know how to go about it yet," his lover asked in a soft, seductive voice. Leaning forward until she was within a few millimetres of Itachi's mouth. The prodigy smirked and poked her on the forehead. "Owe!"

"I'm not sure," he replied, lifting an eyebrow in amusement when she pouted and stuck out her tongue in a raspberry.

"Then just do what Kakashi-senpai does," she reprimanded slightly. "It's a tried and proven technique. It works."

"That it does," he nodded in agreement. "But I want to use something of my own design."

She groaned.

"What?"

"Something of your own design will have those poor kids going through an ANBU level field test," Midori told him bluntly. "I don't want to tell their parents 'sorry but my boyfriend killed your kids'."

He frowned, "I wasn't going to do that."

She smiled teasingly, "Sure."

"Okay then," he replied. "What would you do?"

"You're asking me? I'm still a Chūnin."

"You're a Chūnin who could pass the Jōnin exam in a heartbeat if you weren't so set on teaching." Itachi replied with a smirk.

"No way, I like teaching," Midori smirked in response. "Its way more fulfilling than those boring missions they make us do."

He shook his head, "Do you have the folder?"

"Right here," she replied, picking it up from the next table and handing it to him. "All of the academy information on those three kids, grades, abilities, predictions and charts, just like you asked. Though if you're right then these are pretty much useless."

"More than likely, but they will give me a basic outline in their strengths and weaknesses, and how to counteract them." Itachi replied, already opening the manila folder and flicking through the pages within.

"The information from first year is useless," Midori informed with a scowl. "That asshole Mizuki wasn't just sabotaging test scores but lagging seriously behind on his paperwork as well. When I saw his notes I wanted to tear my hair out."

"Why?"

"Poor grammar." She clarified. "Couldn't understand half of what he wrote."

It wasn't difficult for Naruto to rise early in the morning. It was normal procedure for him to rise with the sun and do an hour of exercises and stretches with his mother before he headed off to the academy. The training had helped him in not just his chakra control and fighting ability but his biological clock as well, meaning he could rise with the sun without a need for an alarm clock.

He arrived five minutes early to the designated place. Training ground fifteen was a standard run-of-the-mill training ground as far as Konoha was concerned. Heavy forested woodland with a large patch of flat grassland in the centre, a stream ran along the northern edge of the space, but it was the centre which made the difference. A tall oak tree stood proud and tall, a black sheep among the surrounding sycamore and right in front of it were three training posts.

Naruto walked to the huge oak and lay down against it, waiting patiently for the rest of his team and his new sensei to arrive. The Uzumaki wasn't sure of what to think of the legendary Uchiha Itachi. He seemed exactly what the stories depicted him to be, stoic, cold, calculating and efficient. He said what he needed to say during their first meeting in that classroom, no more, no less. He had told his mom about his new sensei, and she gave him a quizzical look. Yugito didn't have much trust in the Uchiha clan, who could really blame her with their first meeting being with Fugaku. Still she admitted that they were changing, and that she respected Itachi for his ability and skill.

Shino was the first to arrive, barely a minute after he settled down. The Aburame nodded in the blond's direction, which Naruto returned, before he leaned against the trunk beside him, arms crossed and head lowered. Ino arrived a few minutes later, looking moody and a little rushed. Naruto didn't press her, well aware of the horrors an annoyed girl could have in store for anyone who got on her bad side. Shino seemed to have the same idea.

The moment his watch struck nine there was a sudden small scale cyclone of wind and leaves, and their new sensei stood right in front of them, almost as if he appeared out of the air itself. He looked at the three of them, and nodded his head.

"Good, you all made it on time. Now we can begin the examination, so listen up for I will only explain this once." He reached into his pant pocket and extracted two small bells, tied to thin cords of string. He held them up high for all to see, the small metal pieces ringing from the movement. "This is an old test and a favourite among Jōnin. You must take these bells from me if you wish to pass. If you don't come at me with the intent to kill then you will never be able to take them from me. You can use any method you wish, including Jutsu and weapons, and to make it fair I will not be using my Sharingan."

"Hold on a second," Ino exclaimed. "There are three of us but only two bells!"

"Yamanaka-san is correct," Shino agreed. "With two bells instead of three it appears that you are attempting to pit us against each other."

"Precisely, only two of you can gain these bells, the one who fails will not just be sent back to the academy but will also be tied to one of those three stumps over there and go without lunch." He had to thank Kakashi-senpai for this idea, sure it wasn't overly creative but it was effective, and way better than any of his, as Midori put it, ANBU training courses. He stopped the rare smile from forming as he clipped the two bells to his utility belt. "You have until midday to take these bells from me. If you can't get one then the three of you go back to the academy."

Naruto and Ino gulped at that statement, Shino remained stoic and unreadable, except for the rising of his eyebrows. "I will give you another handicap. While you search for good hiding positions I will close my eyes and count to ten. Remember a golden rule of Shinobi is to remain unseen and unheard. Now begin!"

He closed his eyes and began to count, and once he opened his eyes again the three young Genin were gone. Itachi took a few steps forward, perking his ears and looking for any signs of movement, indented earth or crushed grass. It took him five seconds to get a brief idea of where his Genin had gone. Two had taken the chance to vanish into the forest, hiding under bushes or behind the sycamore most likely, but one was bolder, deciding instead to hide in the thick upper foliage of the oak tree. He could guess which one.

It didn't take long for Naruto to realise that his choice of hiding place probably wasn't the best idea. The oak tree in the centre of the clearing which stood out like a sore thumb would obviously be the first place Itachi-sensei would look. Silently he cursed under his breath before looking back at the spot where his Jōnin instructor was standing.

Only he wasn't standing there anymore.

"Ah damn it," he whispered to himself just as a shadow fell upon him from behind. He turned in time to see his sensei looking down at him, right eyebrow raised in amusement. "Not the best hiding place huh?"

"Indeed," Itachi agreed before his right hand slipped through the blonds defences, landing a perfect strike to his solar plexus. Naruto gagged as he fell from his branch to the ground below. The body hit the ground before promptly popping into a mass of white smoke. Itachi smirked. So Midori was correct. The boy did know Kage Bunshin. "Of course, planting a decoy in an obvious place is basic textbook for an ambush."

Four shadows appeared at his feet and he looked up in time to see four identical copies of Naruto Uzumaki dive down at him from the higher branches. Itachi jumped back, performing a backward somersault in midair before landing on his feet. The four clones continued their descent, landing in crouches at the base of the tree, drawing kunai from their thigh holsters.

"There's definitely more to you than meets the eye, Naruto-kun."

All four clones grinned, and spoke in unison. "You haven't seen anything yet."

Hidden in the trees Shino watched the encounter with his eyes, and listened to their conversation with the insects he planted in their clothes. He listened carefully, getting more impressed with the dead centre of the class with every second he witnessed the confrontation. Already Uzumaki Naruto had bested his expectations. The Aburame hadn't expected anything more than basic academy Jutsu and manoeuvres, and a few seconds into the confrontation he not only planted a decoy for their sensei but also created three clones, full solid clones, shadow clones for a textbook ambush. The Aburame could have sworn Uzumaki was asleep during the lecture, perhaps he was wrong.

At the other side of the clearing, hidden in a mass of bushes Ino also watched the confrontation, opinion of her teammate going up by a few points. She always considered Naruto as a boy who wasn't terrible in class but wasn't brilliant either. He knew the academy Taijutsu. He knew the basic E-rank Jutsu that they taught, but other than that she thought he didn't know much else. It seemed she was wrong.

Quickly the four Naruto's surrounded their instructor, muscles tense and pent up like a quartet of springs. Itachi simply stood in the centre, head bowed, eyes closed, face calm, waiting. They moved in unison, charging him from north, south, east and west. Itachi waited until they were within a few feet of him, then he moved. The Uchiha prodigy jumped, grabbed the kunai hands of north and south and used his weight to force them down. The two blonds smashed into each other heads first and vanished in two explosions of smoke. He then performed a hand stand, lashing out in a perfect split kick, striking east and west right on the jaws. They vanished in a duo of explosions as they spun in midair.

Itachi's brow furrowed, all four of them were clones.

So where was the real one?

He didn't have much time to ponder the thought, for another wave of clones was already rushing towards him from the direction of the oak tree. Eight this time. Itachi backpedalled as the clones neared, sidestepping and dodging the first threes attempt to grapple him and lashed out with his right foot, smashing into the side of the face of the fourth, then ducked the high kick of the fifth. The Uchiha grabbed the clone's outstretched leg and threw him right into the throng of three clones he had already dodged. They went down in a heap, vanishing in a mass of white smoke a few moments later.

Five down.

The other three had used the chance to surround him, and charged right at him in unison. Itachi fell back into a basic stance and waited until the first was within range. He blocked the first's fist with his hand, lashing out with his right foot at the one behind him, feeling the sole of his sandal hit a chest and destroying him. At the same time he lashed out with an open handed palm strike, connecting with the first's chest and popping him. Finally he ducked a punch from the third, retaliating with a simple uppercut to his chin.

The first wave had lasted three seconds.

The second wave had lasted ten seconds.

"Very good Naruto-kun," he whispered as he looked around, not a trace of weariness visible, "very good indeed. But now I know where you are."

He had used the Shunshin so much that making the hand signs was as natural as breathing, and the next moment he had transported himself from the ground right into the thick oak tree, standing right behind his most fascinating student. The blond slowly turned his head, flashing a nervous smile.

"Ah, hi Sensei."

"Naruto,"

"Yes?"

"Take a bath."

"Wha-Gah." Before Naruto could even think he had been thrown off the tree, sent falling right towards the stream several meters away. He wasn't even sure how the Jōnin had sent him flying, but he guessed he was grabbed and thrown like one would throw a tennis ball. Quickly the blond corrected his course so that his feet would be the first that hit the stream and concentrated his chakra just like his mom had taught him. Concentrate the chakra to the soles of the feet. Too little and it won't work. Too much and it'll send you flying.

Concentrate

Concentrate

Concentrate

Now!

He hit the water and skidded across the surface, leaving a groove in the once relatively flat surface that closed up barely a second after he sped past. Naruto skidded to a halt and rose to his feet, and then he took a step forward, sandaled feet sending ripples circling around his soles.

"Water walking," Itachi said. Naruto looked up to see the seventeen year old standing at the river bank, arms folded but eyes looking at him with a hint of disbelief and, was that respect. "Impressive, not many people your age could boast to being able to walk on water."

Naruto grinned, "Mom taught me this when I was eight. It's no big deal."

"Truly," Itachi replied with a raised brow. "I wonder what else your parent taught you."

"One of her first lessons was a Ninja works on deception," Naruto explained. "Always hiding his presence until when the opponent least expects it."

"Is that why you held back at the academy?"

"Yea,"

Itachi closed his eyes, and noticed that rare smile forming. "Your mother is a smart woman, Naruto-kun."

"Yea," Naruto replied with a grin. "She's pretty awesome, but you want to know what else she taught me?"

"What?"

"Never take a lull in an enemies defence for granted."

"Hmm," Itachi hummed, spinning around and delivering an opened hand strike to the chest of the clone behind him, realising its hand was an inch away from grabbing one of the bells on his belt. "What makes you think I was underestimating you, Naruto-kun?"

"Damn it," Naruto groaned. "I shouldn't have said that, should I?"

"It didn't help," Itachi agreed.

Within the blink of an eye Naruto was hurled through the air, falling into the stream with a monumental explosion of water and foam. Itachi walked serenely to the river bank, turned around and waited. He waited for over a minute, and then frowned when he noticed that the blond hadn't resurfaced. "Did I overdo it?"

Shino's brow furrowed as he searched the clearing for his vanished teammate, but two minutes passed and there was no sign of him. Itachi-sensei had relaxed his stance, though he could still see that he was on his guard, and there was no attack, no more clones, no more tricks, no nothing.

"Hey, Shino," The Aburame's head snapped to the right just in time to see Naruto crouch down beside him, azure eyes looking at their sensei with an intensity he had never seen from him before. Shino wondered how he was able to sneak up on him without being heard or seen. "I think I got this whole thing figured out."

Shino nodded his head, recovering quickly. "It's a test of teamwork."

Naruto flinched before sending him a hurt look, "Did I just do all that for nothing?"

The Aburame shrugged in reply, and the Uzumaki sighed. After a moment of silence the insect user continued, "He wants' to test us to see if we can work as a team, even if the situation seems inconvenient to do so."

Naruto nodded his head, "Yea, which means it doesn't matter if we get a bell or not, the real trick is showing him we can work together."

Shino nodded, "We should inform Yamanaka-san."

"Already done, I sent a Bunshin to tell her."

"Don't you mean a Kage Bunshin?" Naruto looked at him with slightly widened eyes. "Normal Bunshin has no effect on their surrounding environment, yours trampled grass and kicked up dirt, and when they were hit they didn't just vanish but explode. All signs of a Kage Bunshin."

Suddenly the blond grinned, "You were holding back."

"As were you," Shino countered simply.

The blond shrugged, "Look underneath the underneath."

Yamanaka Ino had been called many things during her time in the academy, but despite what the girls who didn't like her said she was not stupid. Being from a Shinobi clan gave her a perspective other children from mainly civilian backgrounds lacked. That was a rudimentary ability to look 'underneath the underneath'. To see what a person was really thinking compared to what they were doing.

Yet she had to admit that Naruto had eluded her and many others back in the academy. Sure he proved himself to have the potential to be quite capable, but nothing spectacular and nothing overly special. To pass the Genin examinations he needed to know the basic Jutsu, as well as have knowledge of mathematical and scientific equations civilian children of two to four years older would just be beginning to learn.

She had no idea he was capable of doing the things he did, summoning a platoons worth of Kage Bunshin, not regular Bunshin, Kage Bunshin. Being able to walk and even come up with a strategy on water's surface. He had kept Itachi-sensei busy for a couple of minutes more than she had thought him capable off. She was willing to admit he was more than met the eye.

"Hey, Ino,"

The Yamanaka squeaked in surprise before almost jumping to her feet, yet barely managing to remain hidden within the foliage. She turned her head and sent a glare to Naruto, causing him to frown back down at her in response. "What?"

"Me and Shino figured out what this test is all about,"

Ino's glare slowly turned into a frown as Naruto crouched beside her, waiting for her to say something, anything. When she didn't he just shook his head and spoke. "Basically this whole thing is one big examination in how we work as a team."

"Then why the bells," she hissed the question, "If this is a test of teamwork why just hand out two?"

"You're the smartest Kunoichi in our year, think it through," he growled in response, causing another steel melting glare. "It's to test and see if we can work as a team, even if the situation isn't convenient in our minds for us to do so. Think of it this way. Why put us into three man cells if not to learn with field experience on how to work as a team?"

Ino wanted so much to punch a hole in his plan. To tell him the flaws in his thinking, yet she couldn't think of any. Everything Naruto said seemed to coincide perfectly with the situation, and it grated on her nerves to think that he realised this while she did not. Why would Itachi-sensei give them such a crazy test if he wasn't looking for something more than just their individual performance? The more she thought of it the more she wanted to curse until her throat became hoarse.

"Okay, let's say we go through with this idea of yours," Ino asked quietly, looking at him pointedly. "What if you're wrong?"

Naruto smiled slightly, maybe slyly. "Then I'll hand you and Shino the bells and volunteer to go back to the academy for another year."

Well there was no getting around that, "So what do you think we should do?"

He grinned, "What else, teamwork."

Itachi had to admit that he had been surprised by what he had seen so far in this examination, and that was only by seeing what one of his potential students had to offer. The Uchiha prodigy was the first to admit that he had underestimated his opponents on this round. He figured that out of the three potential Genin two of them had been holding back in the academy, and the other was one of the top students in her class.

The Uchiha admitted this as he walked to the bank of the small river and continued walking to the centre of the open space of the training field. He decided that one of his opponents would strike soon enough, and was willing to wait until one of them gained the nerve to make the attempt. But a half an hour later Itachi came to the conclusion that the three Genin would not be making the first move.

He frowned at the thought, before shrugging and making his way into the surrounding woodland. Itachi wasn't worried about what awaited him within these thick clusters of sycamore trees. Either the three examinees would pass the exam or they would fail. There would be no middle ground here.

He walked into the woodland, strolling through the dense foliage and clusters of trees. He did not draw a weapon, nor activate his bloodline limit in the Sharingan eye. To do so would go against his word, and he knew that if he went against this sacred principle he would have no other choice than to take them on as his students by default. He had no delusions of doing so, so he kept his eyes dormant and used his most basic motor functions.

He walked and walked, searching with his eyes and ears for any sign of his three opponents. Several times he came across areas which would be perfect for an ambush, yet nothing happened, so he continued onward. He considered that he would find a sign of recent human movement in the area, and he was right, more so than he thought.

A single Naruto stood a good twenty meters away, half hidden between two sycamore trees. Itachi looked at the blond for a moment before taking off at a sprint. Naruto waited until he was halfway there then disappeared behind the tree to his left, leaving Itachi with no other alternative than to follow him around the trunk.

The moment he reached the target tree he heard a snap, followed by a gush of wind. He barely had a second to see the danger, yet he took the appropriate action to dodge it. The danger was a large chunk of wood, held up by strong thick vines, swinging down towards him at impressive speeds. Itachi jumped with a chakra enhanced leap, landing on the flying hulk of wood and performing a backward somersault towards a high rise tree branch. He crouched on the perch, watching as the swinging chunk slammed into a tree with enough force to shear through the bark.

Another series of snaps and whistles caught the attention of his ears, and he looked up just in time to see a small hail of kunai and shuriken hurling towards him, almost blocking out the sun with their number. Itachi jumped away, fully aware by the continuous thuds that the storm of weapons were burying themselves into the bark of tree and the dirt ground.

Itachi landed on the ground in a crouch, just out of range of the bombardment of projectiles. He felt the presence before it struck and spun around in time to block the attack by grabbing the wrist, well aware that the kunai his assailant held was a few inches away from his head. The Aburame was on the other end, still trying to use his strength to reach his goal.

Itachi acted fast, using his superior strength to push the kunai armed hand back before launching a powerful side chop at the child, aimed at his left side which was now vulnerable. His hand connected with flesh, then effortlessly ploughed through. The Aburame changing to blackness before his eyes before scattering into hundreds of different winged forms, within a moment he realised what he was looking at.

"Mushi Bunshin no Jutsu,"

It was a clone made up off a colony of insects, using a basic Genjutsu to make them appear as the user. Once the opponent was struck the insects used to make the clone scattered, only to be able to meet up and reform in another location. To the Aburame clan this was a basic technique that all Ninja in their clan was able to handle. To an outsider this was a perfect ambush technique.

More snaps, and more whistles signified yet more kunai being launched from makeshift catapults. Itachi looked up, saw the incoming cluster and jumped back, watching as they dug into the ground right in front of him. His back slammed against a tree, and the Uchiha prodigy was well aware of five kunai digging into his body, two in his right thigh, one into his abdomen, one into his right shoulder and a final one hitting smack in the middle of his chest. The fifth had a piece of paper tied to its ringed butt, already burning away. The paper-bomb exploded in a mass of smoke and fire.

Naruto and Shino jumped down from their hiding places and broke out into a sprint to where Itachi had been, worry written all over their faces, well with Shino it was hard to tell. "You don't think we killed him do you?"

The Aburame didn't answer, instead opting to just look at the dispersing smoke with an intense gaze. The blond of the duo fidgeted slightly. "Ah man this is so not good."

"Perhaps not," Shino replied as he pointed to the impact zone. The smoke had cleared sufficiently enough for them to see their handy work. The grass surrounding the impact was as black as charcoal, small sections still ablaze with dying embers. The tree where their supposed future sensei had been pinned too was in no better condition, but instead of seeing a charred body they saw a lump of wood. "It appears we have been deceived."

Naruto sighed in obvious relief, before the full gravity of the situation hit him. "Ah shit, we're in the open."

A sudden thud of something heavy made him turn, just in time to see Shino falling face first to the ground. Towering over him was Uchiha Itachi, with no sign of battle damage or injury, not a single hair was out of place, he was breathing normally and his uniform looked like it had been cleaned. He looked exactly the way he did when this exam started. "I must admit that I didn't expect the three of you to catch on quite so quickly. You have my respect."

He moved faster than the eye could see, and the last thing Naruto saw before he fell unconscious was a painful jab to the nerve endings on his shoulder. Darkness took him soon after.

"Idiots," Ino groaned from her hiding place. "What hopeless morons, leaving cover to see their handy work, hopeless."

"Ahem,"

She froze and looked up in time to see Itachi-sensei, looking down at her with a raised brow. "I take it that little series of traps was your doing, fine work."

A simple chop to the shoulder ended the test.

"This really bites," Naruto groaned as he struggled against his bindings with no luck. The three of them had awoken from their forced slumber to find themselves each tied to a training post, Naruto in the middle, Ino to his right and Shino to his left. And sitting on a flat rock in front of them was their instructor, lying back and having his lunch.

"Ah, you're all awake, good morning, or should I say good afternoon." Itachi greeted as he took a bite of salmon flavoured sushi.

All three of them paled at the statement, and Ino was the first to yell. "What do you mean good afternoon!"

He frowned at her, "Exactly what I meant. To be more precise it's five minutes past twelve. The three of you have been unconscious for the better part of two hours. Strange since I'm not so sure I hit you all that hard."

"Now then," Itachi said as he set his lunch down and gave the three of them a calculating look. "The exam is over. How would you all rate your performance?"

"Terrible," Ino groaned.

"Yea, for once I agree with her." Naruto added, ignoring her piercing glare. "We didn't get a bell. We didn't even come close to taking one from you."

"Indeed, we failed completely in this assignment." Shino finished.

"Hmm," Itachi hummed as he rose to his feet. "So that just leaves one question, which one of you will go back to the academy."

Silence prevailed for a moment before one of them spoke. It was Naruto, head bowed and a sigh escaping his lips. "Me, I'll go back."

"God you are so annoying with your self- sacrificing attitude," Ino growled at him, making him flinch before she settled a glare upon Itachi. "Naruto shouldn't be sent back for it. If anyone was the most useless in this exam it was me. Naruto and Shino did most of the grunt work, I only made the traps."

Naruto looked at the girl of the team with big owlish eyes, "Okay, who are you and what have you done with Ino."

"Bite me whiskers,"

"No, neither of them should be sent back." Shino spoke up, surprising the two. "I knew what we should have done before the test even began, yet instead of telling my allies I instead decided to keep it to myself."

"Enough," Itachi silenced them with a simple word as he looked at each of them. "I have made my decision, the three of you pass."

Assassins in the Night

He knew of the intruder's presence the moment they entered his home, asking the villages top seal expert to put security seals in place seemed to work to his advantage. Uchiha Itachi rolled out of his bed, missing the katana as it sliced through his pillow, and the mattress below. He unceremoniously hit the floor, rolled across the timber and jumped to his feet, kunai in hand as he faced his attackers.

There were three of them, silhouettes only visible thanks to the moonlight from his window, shadows hid their features but the former ANBU knew that they were at least Chūnin by their silhouettes. "Die traitor!"

Yes, definitely Chūnin, Itachi thought. No Jōnin would waste so much time with words during an assassination. He ducked the firsts stab and rolled to the side, giving him more distance against his attackers. It was during those brief few seconds that he activated his Sharingan eyes. Everything became so clear. His assassins were definitely Chūnin. He had seen them before, and none of them had any hope of ascending further in the ranks.

Itachi moved with ease and quickness born from extensive training and experience, ducking his first opponents swing and pouncing forward, stabbing the kunai into his ribcage. The man gasped in pain before Itachi stabbed him again with a second kunai, this one slicing across the main artery in his neck. The former ANBU jumped back as his opponent fell forward, blood spurting onto the floor and walls as he made it to the other side of his bed chamber, pulling his sheathed katana from its perch on his wall and drawing it in a smooth motion.

The two surviving assassins fell into combat stances, kunai ready as he held his blade in one hand and sheath in the other. The second Chūnin ran forward, slashing with his kunai, Itachi blocked the slash with the scabbard of his katana, watching as it cut a few millimetres into the black material before slashing out with his blade, cutting a diagonal slash across his enemies torso. The man gurgled before falling back. His body hit the floor, blood flowing across the timber surface from the fatal wound.

The third and last Chūnin looked at Itachi for a moment before dropping his weapon and raising his hands in surrender. "Remove your weapons," Itachi ordered, still battle ready. "All of them!"

He watched as the final Chūnin dropped his katana, tore off his weapons pouches from his thighs, kunai holsters on his wrists and hidden shuriken in his boots. As expected from a mid-level Shinobi, even a traitorous one. He fell to his knees and put his hands behind the back of his head. Itachi knew what his assailant was doing even when he pulled the hidden kunai from the back of his collar. With a swift motion from his katana cut off the man's head, opening the door to his room as the head hit the floor.

"Mother," he shouted, hearing the sounds of combat across the house. "Mother! Sasuke!"

His mother's room was the closest and with reckless abandon he ran down the corridor and forced the sliding doors open, just in time to see Mikoto run an enemy through with her katana. The bodies of two Chūnin Shinobi littered the floor around her room, and a third was standing on the other side, kunai raised and ready to throw. Itachi took the initiative and threw his katana, watching as it spun through the air before imbedding itself through the final enemy Shinobi's throat, stopping his attack. The man gurgled, blood spewing across the walls as the blade severed the carotid artery before he fell.

He ran up to his mother in time to see her pale and panting, "Sasuke."

He nodded, "I'll get him."

Once again he was running down the corridor, ignoring the remnants of the battle between ANBU, what few clansmen he had placed around the perimeter and the Chūnin loyal to his father who thought of this desperate gambit. There was no honour in this, nor any real advantage which could be given to them by this action. In doing this they had condemned themselves as traitors to the village and to the Sandaime Hokage. It was nothing more than a waste, a damn waste.

Finally he reached his little brothers room and threw open the doors. Sasuke was sitting upright in bed, pale and terrified by whatever had been going on around him. The bodies of three Chūnin lay on the floor, blood pooling onto the strong oaken timber. Standing over them were two ANBU, blades doused in blood and dripping onto the floor.

Itachi ran to his brother's side, "Are you alright, Sasuke?"

"Scared," he whispered, shivering in fear as he looked down upon the bodies. Itachi didn't blame him; no child should have to go through this.

"It's alright Sasuke," Itachi soothed as he patted his little brothers head. "It's all over now."

His mother rushed into the room and Itachi let her take over with Sasuke. He needed her more than him. His foolish little brother didn't seem to understand what had happened with the Uchiha Revolt, and seemed lost and weary, mainly because his own father, the man he looked up to the most, had betrayed the village in a quest for power and failed.

He let his mother comfort Sasuke as he rose to his feet and took his place alongside the two ANBU, but he already knew it was over. The sounds of metal on metal and flesh and bone had ceased, and cheers were being raised by both the Uchiha loyalists and the ANBU assigned to guard them. The assassination was a complete failure.

Author's Note 1: I was considering doing something other than the bell test, but I wanted to show a little of what the team could do, plus I can so see Itachi using that same method. It may appear simple to those of us who have seen it but it works. And if anyone thinks I made them go down to easily then think again. The three of them are still considered green Genin with no battle experience. That means they won't be acting like super Ninja right away. I wanted to hit that point home.

Author's Note 2: I also am quite happy with how I portrayed Itachi in this chapter, if anyone disagrees with me please let me know. But I can see him attempting to even the field by removing his high level abilities and Sharingan eye. Even then I knew that Itachi, even without the Mangekyo, could definitely defeat a team of Genin with nothing more than basic Ninjutsu and Taijutsu.

Author's Note 3: Thank you everyone for the reviews, and thanks to a few people who pointed out this flaw I had overlooked in the last chapter, messing up Dead Centre of the class with Joint First. Having Naruto joint first in the class was my first idea, but I decided against this. As for the next update I'm not really sure, I haven't started the next chapter yet.