Been awhile, hasn't it? It's been exactly two weeks. Well guys, I think my statement at the beginning about pushing out one chapter a month while start happening soon. The summer will be pretty busy. I have to practice the piano in order to prepare for my test in mid-August (and believe me, I need the practice) and every day I gotta go to the piano theory class which gives about fifteen pages of homework which I gotta finish by the next day.

I'll try though. This is a pretty boring chapter, and it follows canon a lot, but I had to. You can't change everything and keep it "Naruto." It's IS a big-ass chapter, though. Almost 3500 words. I hope to get this fic to over 100 000 words by the end of it. Let's see if I make it.

Title - A Couple Millimetres
Chapter - Five, Team Seven
Word Count w/o AN - 3428
Word count with AN - 3622
Summary - The teams are assigned, and Team Seven are but through the rigorous bell test.

"You told him everything?"

'Yeah, so? I know jii-san, and we can trust him with anything,'

"Just don't go getting us killed."

Flashback no Jutsu!

"So he…manipulated time and gave you an extra week?"

"That's about right."

Sarutobi's face scrunched up into a worried frown. The Kyuubi was in contact with Naruto? Who knew what the fox was up to?

Seeing his face, Naruto hastily added, "No, no! It's alright! He might be a conniving bitch of a demon fox, but he can't harm me! I die, he dies. And he's safe in the back of my head, so he can't harm anyone else, either!"

Sarutobi sighed. He would just have to trust the boy for now. He believed that Naruto was responsible enough to decide whether or not it was dangerous. "Alright, Naruto. You win for now. You better hurry up. The genin team assignments begin in ten minutes."

Before Naruto could completely get out the door, the Hokage added, "Iruka's funeral will be held tomorrow at 2:00 in the afternoon, in front of the memorial stone."

Naruto froze, and turned around. "I understand."

Right before he turned around and left, he bowed. "Thank you…Hokage-sama."

Kai!

Naruto yawned. He didn't even bother to listen to the names being called by an Academy instructor he didn't recognize. He felt a pang in his gut at the absence of Iruka, however. A pang he knew would be multiplied an infinity-fold at tomorrow's funeral.

Kyuubi gave him the mental equivalent of a nudge. "Hey, that's you."

Naruto started tuning in just as his name was read. "…ruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura."

'Yes! I get to be in a group with Sakura-chan!'

Kyuubi scoffed, and decided to get rid of the problem before it became full-blown. "What's so special about her? Don't let silly infatuations cloud your mind, you idiot!"

'Shut up! What do you know about love?'

"I know that you don't love her."

Naruto was crossing over from annoyed to angry just as Team Eight was finished being called, not that he heard. 'I do too! How would you know?'

The demon sighed. "Fine. Let's say that you do, in fact, love her. What is it that you love about her, other than her looks?"

'Well…um…you see…'

"See? You only like her because you imagine her as beautiful. Do yourself, and your team a favour, and get over it. If she distracts your during a mission, you're done for."

Naruto didn't answer, instead being content to contemplate what was being told to him.

"...maru. You will be Team Ten. Dismissed."

That was two hours ago. Or, if you want to be exact:

"Two hours, fourteen minutes, and twelve seconds. Wait, thirteen. Fourteen now, got it? Sixteen."

'Argh, shut it, dammit! I don't give a damn, about how late he is, just that he's late!'

"Touchy, aren't we?"

Bored as hell, one Uzumaki Naruto decided to punish the perpetrator with a righteous prank. His initial thought was a chalkboard eraser on the door, but the Nine-Tails scolded him.

"Idiot boy! Didn't I teach you any better then that? That trap is much too juvenile and childish! You think a jounin would fall for such a trick?"

'Damn…as much as it pains me to admit it…you're right.'

Alas, it only took a great prankster such as Naruto five minutes to come up with a much more elaborate plan of action.

"Dobe, what are you doing?" came a voice from the back of the classroom.

"Che. None of your damned business, you bastard."

Sasuke turned his head to the side and scowled. Psh. Whatever. It was beneath him anyways. Everyone was beneath him. Except for Itachi. Oh, but he would be…

Just slightly creeped out by Sasuke's mad cackling fit, Naruto continued to set up. It took five minutes to set up, and another ten for the victim to be ensnared in his trap.

The door opened, revealing a obviously young man, despite his grey hair, with a mask covering up his face and his hitai-ate covering his left eye and a standard jounin uniform.

No one paid any attention to his attire, though, as the chalkboard eraser fell onto his head, and bounced to the floor.

The silver-haired man stared at the eraser, and then at the kids. "My first thought is-"

He was cut off, however, as the unnoticed string attached to the eraser pushed a small marble onto a basket, giving it just enough weight to fall off onto the end of a teeter totter and launched a water balloon at the unsuspecting ninja.

He predictable stepped back into a wire, which then in turn launched several kunai at the jounin, who ducked under them with apparent ease. He looked up just in time to see a net fall down on him, before a puff of smoke blocked the net and himself off from visible sight.

'Eh? That wasn't s'pose to happen..'

When the smoke cleared, it revealed one very annoyed Uchiha Sasuke, caught under the net.

"…"

Naruto burst into laughter, while Sakura looked appalled. Meanwhile, their instructor popped up behind them.

"-that I hate you."

"…quite blunt, isn't he?"

"Now meet me on the roof in five minutes."

Said five minutes later, the four of them were gathered together. The one-eyed jounin began. " Well, first, I want you all to introduce yourselves to me. Very simple, just your name, likes, dislikes, and maybe a dream for the future?"

Sakura looked up. "Why don't you start, sensei? To show us how it's done?"

"Hmm, alright. My name is Hatake Kakashi, you'll address me as Kakashi-sensei. I have no intention of telling you my likes and dislikes. A dream? Well, I have lots of hobbies…"

Team Seven minus stuck-up Uchiha sweatdropped.

'So all we learned about him was his name?'

"Pretty much, yeah."

The newly-named Kakashi clapped. "Now, it's your turn. You first." He pointed to Sakura.

"My name is Haruno Sakura. What I like is-" she giggled and turned to Sasuke. "I dislike Naruto. And my dreams for the future-" she giggled again.

Kakashi mentally slapped his forehead. 'Great. A fangirl.'

Verbally, he said, "Alright. Let's continue. You, emo kid. You're next." He gave Sasuke a pointed look. Sasuke glared back.

"I'm Uchiha Sasuke. I don't like anything, and I hate everything. I do not have a dream, it's more of an…ambition. I wish to kill someone."

'Expected,' Kakashi sighed. "And finally, you."

But Naruto wasn't listening. He was burning inside. 'Damn those two to hell! Who do they think they are, not giving any info at all? Fine, three can play at that-'

He was cut off by a pebble thrown by their new sensei. "Yo! Pay attention!"

"Hmph. My name is Uzumaki Naruto, I like many things and dislike many things. I have no intention on telling you my dreams."

'O-kay…' Kakashi sweatdropped. "Moving on! Tomorrow, we start on some survival training. Meet here at 7:00 in the morning."

Sakura spoke up. "But sensei, we already did that at the Academy!"

Kakashi smirked under has mask, not that anyone could see it. "Ah, well you see, this is a different kind of test. This will determine whether you become Genin or not."

"EH? But we already passed the test!"

"No, that was just to see who had a chance to become Genin."

Naruto was seriously annoyed. "That's bullshit!"

Kakashi scolded him. "Language, Naruto. And if you didn't like that, you'll hate this even more – this survival test has a 66.66 percent chance of failure."

"…damn you."

"Sure. And don't eat breakfast unless you want to throw up. Dismissed."

The next morning, Naruto was about to leave when Kyuubi nudged him. "Eat."

'But Kakashi-sensei said-'

"Screw what he said! Can't you stand throwing up a little? Are you that weak? You have to eat, because even if you do vomit, the food will already have been partially digested, which means you get at least part of the nutrients they provide."

'I guess.'

"And you'll just throw up your body liquids if you don't have any food in you."

'Eeewww!'

At precisely seven o'clock, three ninja-to-be showed up at the training grounds. Their teacher was nowhere to be seen.

"He's late. Again."

Sasuke snorted at Naruto's comment. "We've noticed."

Whatever reply that was about to be thrown back was lost in two simultaneous roars of two separate stomachs.

Naruto just laughed.

At precisely 10:00 A.M, one Hatake Kakashi showed up to greet three rather disgruntled ninja hopefuls. Sasuke was glaring at a tree, Sakura was leaning on a rock, and Naruto was sleeping and snoring. Rather loudly, at that.

Kakashi cleared his throat loudly, as it seemed that they didn't notice him, locked in their own little worlds.

Naruto jumped up. Sasuke merely scowled at him. Sakura pointed an accusatory finger at him and screamed, "You're late!"

Kakashi scratched the back of his head. "Ah, well, you see, I had to save some fish from drowning."

"That's a lie!"

"Anyways! Let's get started."

He whipped out two bells and jingled them. Your mission is to take these bells from me. Whoever doesn't have one by noon will be tied to that tree trunk to your left and you won't get lunch. You'll also fail and be sent back to the Academy if you don't get a bell."

"But there are only two bells, sensei," Sakura pointed out.

"So you've noticed. One of you will fail."

Naruto snorted. "That's fucked up!"

Kakashi stared at him. "Who are you to say whether or not it's "fucked up" or not? I am the jounin, I am the sensei, I am the rules."

"Fine!"

And with that, Naruto charged. And in the blink of an eye, Naruto was on the ground with Kakashi on top of him. "Now, now, don't be so hasty. I didn't say "start" yet, did I?"

He got off. "Now, start."

The other two jumped away, but Naruto didn't budge. "C'mon! Let's go! Just you and me, one on one!"

Kakashi sweat dropped. "A ninja's greatest weapon is surprise."

Naruto paid no attention, and instead charged him with a punch. Kakashi easily and almost gracefully turned to the said, caught the blonde's wrist, and flung him away using Naruto's own momentum. He then reached into his kunai pouch, and pulled out a book.

Naruto bounced back, and looked at the cover of the novel. "What the hell? Why the fuck are you reading porn in the middle of a battle?"

"Because a want to find out what happens next."

Naruto charged in once again, before turning sharply to Kakashi's left. The jounin turned to face where Naruto was, only to have "Naruto" pop into a puff of smoke. Kakashi's eye widened slightly in realization.

Suddenly, the real Naruto came from his right and latched onto his back before reaching for a bell. His hand was centimetres away before Kakashi was forced to drop his book to grab Naruto's hand and threw him away into a tree.

What he expected to happen was that Naruto would smash into the tree, or would dematerialize into smoke. What he didn't expect was for Naruto to land on the side of the trunk, and stick for a second before launching back at Kakashi.

Caught by surprise, he wasn't quick enough to dodge. Both of them fell to the ground, with Naruto scrambling for a bell. Kakashi quickly used Kawarimi and got away. When Naruto stood again, he was nowhere in sight.

"Dammit!"

'Phew..'

Meanwhile, Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief. Naruto had almost gotten a bell. Twice. He couldn't believe it. Oh well. He was safe now. He'd just have to be more careful.

Though he had the feeling he had forgotten something…

Sasuke, who had been watching from afar, was completely dumbstruck. The dobe had managed to nearly snatch the bells. But he had been beaten. And he had heard Sakura scream a few minutes ago, so he must have gotten her, too.

But he wasn't like them. He would win, and advance. The he would quickly get to jounin, before finally getting strong enough to kill, no, strong enough to destroy, no – torture his brother to death.

He spotted Kakashi, and his guard was down. He looked like he had just finished laughing. At Sakura, probably, since Naruto had actually done a pretty decent job. He took the chance to throw several assorted shuriken and kunai at the sensei.

They all struck, or so it seem. "Kakashi" poofed into a log and materialized right behind Sasuke. The emo threw a punch which was caught by Kakashi, followed up with a kick, which was also blocked, before reaching for the jingling bells.

Kakashi sped backwards. Taking the chance while Kakashi was distracted, he quickly formed the horse and the tiger seals.

For the second time that day, Kakashi's one visible eye widened. 'No, he shouldn't have enough chakra for that!'

"Katon: Gokakyuu no Jutsu!"

Sasuke proceeded to spit a big-ass fireball out of his mouth at Kakashi. When the flames cleared, the jounin was nowhere to be seen.

The Uchiha looked around frantically. "Where is he? Left? Right? No. Behind? Above? No."

Kakashi's voice erupted from the ground. "Below!"

"Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu!"

Soon, poor Sasuke was nothing but a head sticking above the ground.

As soon as Kakashi left, Sakura showed up.

"AHH!"

'I came close to getting the bells, but he expects us to take them through battle. How are three ninja fresh out of the Academy supposed to beat an experienced and seasoned jounin?'

"By fighting."

'Eh?'

"You've already spoken the answer. You've just not realized it."

'Huh?'

"Argh. I'll give you a hint. One drop of water cannot carve rock, can it?"

'Of course not!'

"But a waterfall can, correct?"

'Yeah…?' Naruto half asked, half stated, not catching on to what the demon was saying.

"That was your hint. Now figure out the relationship between a waterfall, and a drop of water."

Dwelling on it, the blonde soon stumbled upon Sasuke.

Naruto took one look at him, and promptly began to laugh his ass off.

Sasuke growled. "Shut it, dobe!"

"Dead last, am I? Well, in case you didn't notice, I'm not the one with my head sticking out of the ground.

"Whatever. Just get be out of here."

After both Sasuke and Sakura were free and awake, respectively, the awkwardly greeted each other.

"So…"

Sakura spoke up. "Three of us, and not one bell?"

Naruto had a light bulb moment. 'The three of us..that's it! The three of us might stand a chance! That's what you were going on about, wasn't it?'

He could just feel the Kyuubi smirking. "'The power of a waterfall is just many drops working together,"" he quoted smugly.

Sasuke shook his head. "No, but I'll get one next time."

Sakura cheered. "I'm sure you'll be able to do it, Sasuke-kun!"

Naruto sighed. "You're not going to be able to get a bell."

Sasuke froze. "What did you say…?" he asked, slowly and coldly.

"Think about it. We're three people who aren't even Genin yet. Sure, we're strong for people just out of the Academy, but he's a seasoned jounin. There's a reason he's one of Konoha's elite."

Sakura spoke up timidly. "Y-you're right. So we were doomed to fail from the beginning?

The blonde grinned. "We should be able to get at least one bell."

"How?"

Surprisingly, the question came from Sasuke, not Sakura. Naruto's smile grew wider.

"Note that I said we should be able to get one bell. There are three of us, and only one of him."

Sakura nodded slowly. "We outnumber him…but he should still be able to beat all of us, shouldn't he?"

"Yeah, he could probably still whip our asses, but we don't have to defeat him in combat – just take the bells."

The pink-haired girl nodded, but Sasuke just asked, "How do go about doing this?"

Naruto's grin changed into a smirk as he pulled something out of his pocket.

"It all starts with this.."

Kakashi was bored. He hadn't spotted any of his little brats for awhile. He wondered a bit about what they were doing. Soon, the tendrils of boredom pulled at him. Absently, he reached for his Icha Icha Paradise book, only to find it missing.

He let out a gasp. 'That's what I've been forgetting! I dropped it while battling Naruto. Better go get it.'

He retraced his steps back to where he fought Naruto, and saw the book lying innocently on the ground. As he picked it up, he apparently triggered some kind of trap, as kunai started coming from every direction from the ground up to his neck. He figured it was a lot of Kage Bunshin throwing them or something.

He leaped into the air, and that's when Sasuke appeared and started to fight him. In midair and mid-battle, Sasuke suddenly launched himself away via pushing himself off Kakashi. This forced Kakashi back a litte, and that's when six Kage Bunshin came into existence into the air right under him.

They all formed seals in unison. Kakashi gaped. Naruto was going to use six of them?

"Katon: Gokakyuu no Jutsu!"

It was a pretty smart plan, all in all, launching it in battle where he couldn't dodge. But he wasn't their sensei for nothing. Once the fire cleared, he was no where to be found, and instead, a burned log fell to the ground.

'Damn, that was close. And they had to center a trap around me book. I want my porn, and I want it now.'

He had to admit, though, the trap was well thought out, and they did work together. Maybe he would pass them after all. He put the thought out of his mind and went to open his book.

"What?" he yelled out loud. He quickly flipped through the pages. 'Blank, blank…they're all blank!'

Just then, the "book" transformed into Naruto, who quickly grabbed the bells before Kakashi could get away.

"YES!"

They were gathered in front of the tree trunks soon. Kakashi sighed. 'One last test.'

"Alright, so you got the bells. Now, which one of you will go back to the Academy?"

"What?"

"Don't you remember? There are only two bells. One of you will fail. You have five minutes to discuss."

Instantly, they began squabbling. 'This isn't going to work,' Naruto thought. 'At this rate, none of us will pass.'

Watching the other two, he asked the Kyuubi. 'Should I?'

"It's your decision, kid."

'Hm…dammit.'

He looked at them. "You two go ahead."

Their eyes widened and their jaws dropped. "Eh?"

"You go and pass. I'll fail. Besides, what's another fail or two? It's only one more year, right?"

Sakura looked down. "Naruto…"

"And even though you'll be more experienced, I'll be so damned strong, you guys won't be able to touch me!" he exclaimed, pretending to be cheerful.

She shook her head, "No, I couldn't. You should pass. I was never really too serious about being a ninja. I was just there because Sasuke-kun was. I can catch up later."

Sasuke stared at them coldly. "We all took part in getting the bells. Why should one of us fail?"

Naruto smiled. "Yeah! Why should we?"

"I agree!"

They turned back to Kakashi. He raised an eyebrow. "So have you made your decision?"

"Yeah! Either we all pass, or we all fail! We're a team!"

Kakashi's face darkened. "Oh, really? You think you can speak that way to me?"

Suddenly, they were less confident. But they stood. "Yes."

"Well, then, you guys…"

Naruto and Sasuke glared in defiance, while Sakura looked down at her toes.

"..pass!"

Sakura looked up. "Huh?"

Kakashi smiled. "You guys were the first to grasp the concept of this test. Teamwork."

They beamed. Except Sasuke. He smirked.

"It's true that people who do not follow the rules are trash, but people who leave their team mates behind are even worse than trash."

He gave them a thumbs up. "Starting tomorrow, Team Seven starts their first mission!"

Boring, but I made it longer for compensation for taking so long.