.
Naruto walked onto the training ground thirty minutes late with a bag of various munchies over his shoulder. Sasuke and Hinata looked at the bag confusedly until they saw that it contained smaller bags of dried meat and fruit, three each.
"Why did you bring all of this, Naruto-kun? I t-thought we weren't supposed to eat breakfast." asked Hinata.
"That's what Kakashi-sensei said, but I asked Danzo-sama about him last night as well as various Genin tests. One of them is called the 'Bell Test'. This test was a teamwork evaluation given by the Nidaime Hokage to the Sandaime Hokage when he was just a student, then by him to Jiraiya of the Sannin and his team, then by Jiraiya to Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime Hokage, then by him to Kakashi-sensei's team." Naruto explained while distributing the bags to his soon to be teammates, "The first part of the test starts the day before, when the Jonin receives their team. They tell the team to avoid breakfast. Then in the morning, they give the team a seemingly apparent test of getting a bell from the Jonin, however, there are only two bells. They are told that they have to get a bell or they fail and get sent back to the academy."
"But wait, I thought this was a teamwork exercise. Why pit the team against each other like that?" asked Sasuke while chewing on a piece of jerky.
"That's exactly why. He is trying to see how we function together under pressure. The reason for going without food is twofold. One, to cause a little bit of discontent from the hunger, make the team not think as clearly. Two, is so that if they don't get a bell, which is likely, they are told not to feed the one who performed the worst. That person gets tied to a post and watches as everyone else gets to eat. The other teammates are really supposed to give the one tied to the post some food, thus demonstrating teamwork on it's most basic level."
"That's... ingenious! N-No wonder it's been used so much." said Hinata.
"Maa, that's kind of cheating Naruto. Now I have to go to the backup test. That one would have been considerably easier." said Kakashi as he was leaning against a tree a short distance behind the hopeful Genin reading an orange book. They all jumped in surprise when they heard his voice and turned around to look at him.
"Well we are shinobi, not samurai." said Naruto with a grin.
"Ano, sensei, why d-did you let him explain it if you were there the whole t-time?" asked Hinata.
"Oh, I wasn't here the whole time, I just caught the part where he revealed, and subsequently broke, an almost fifty year old tradition. Now that he did though, it gives me an opportunity to use another test that has the potential to be really fun or really boring, depending on your skill." he said as he walked into the middle of the training ground. He turned around and looked at them, "The test will be to get my back to touch the ground. If you can't do this in an hour, you fail. All of you."
Naruto got a glint in his eye and flopped to the ground on his back before putting his right hand in a half ram seal. Kakashi saw what he was doing and jumped into the air as the blond attempted to substitute with Kakashi. It failed of course, as it required a halfway stationary target.
"Nice try Naruto, but if you wanted that to work you shouldn't have shown me that skill yesterday." said Kakashi from his place on a tree branch.
Naruto grinned, "Well, it never hurts to try does it?" He got up and grabbed Sasuke and Hinata's shoulders before they disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Looks like they are going to go plan and attack. May as well get some reading done." said Kakashi before burying his face in his book.
XxxxX
"Dammit dobe, at least warn me next time!" whispered Sasuke harshly. Hinata nodded in agreement as she looked a little ill.
"Alright, fine. So, what's the plan? I doubt we'll be able to catch him off guard, even if he underestimates us." said Naruto.
Hinata hummed for a little bit before asking, "Naruto-kun, y-you wouldn't happen to know any other jutsus aside from the academy three, Kage Bunshin, and Great Breakthrough would you?"
"Well, I know another Futon and two Doton jutsu that Danzo-sama taught me." Naruto responded. "Which are they?" Hinata asked. She had been stuttering less and less due to her increased comfort with the blond because they were already close friends. Sometimes she would even spar with him and Sasuke when she had the time.
"Futon: Blades of Wind, Doton: Earth Wall and Doton: Hidden Mole." answered Naruto.
Hinata nodded, in full planning mode, "Alright, I have an idea."
XxxxX
"Hmm... seems like they would have attacked by now..." mused Kakashi.
He didn't have to wait long as a large fireball came blasting out of the woods behind him, forcing him to dodge. He landed in the middle of the clearing only to be assaulted by Hinata who was attacking him with Juken. As he kept dodging backward away from her strikes his back hit an earthen wall. He was surprised enough to not notice Sasuke running up behind Hinata. By the time Kakashi looked back towards Hinata he found himself staring into a pair of two-tomoe Sharingan eyes.
"Genjutsu: Sharingan."
It was not even a second before Kakashi quickly broke out of the slightly paralyzing illusion by pinching himself, but that was all the time it took for a pair of hands to burst from the ground and grab tightly onto his ankles before he could dodge. Just as he was about to break free he noticed Naruto now in front of him holding his palm out facing the cyclops before he shouted, "Futon: Great Breakthrough!"
The high powered wind rushed from Naruto's outstretched hand and impacted Kakashi, sending him through the weak earth wall.
He was falling.
His back was two inches from the ground.
POOF.
Apparently he was a shadow clone.
Not cool.
"Oi! Kakashi-sensei! That's not fair! We were soooo close!" Naruto complained.
"Ah, but although you didn't manage to get my clone on it's back, you DID dispel it. You three academy students managed to trap and land a solid attack on a Jonin level opponent. Granted that opponent severely underestimated you, but the fact remains." Kakashi said from where he stood on another tree branch that was rather well hidden.
"Honestly, i haven't seen teamwork that fluid since the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, and they are considered the best team players in the village. I am impressed." Then he became serious, before disappearing and reappearing with a kunai held to Naruto's throat, "Hinata. Kill Sasuke or Naruto dies."
Everybody's eyes widened in shock, and Hinata was frozen.
"These are the types of decisions that we have to make in the world we live in. There's a reason I tested you for teamwork when I could have simply done a one-on-one evaluation with each of you. In the shinobi world, those that break the written and unwritten rules are deemed trash... but be that as it may... those that would disregard their comrades so easily are even worse than trash. To know what is right and choose to ignore it is the act of a coward. And I am happy to say that none of you are cowards. Sasuke, I know you wanted to just charge off and attack me on your own, just as you did, Naruto. Hinata, I know about your reluctance to fight because you don't wish to cause harm, but here's the thing: each one of you trusted in each other enough for you to reign yourselves in, or in Hinata's case, find your will to fight." he said after removing the kunai from his pupil's neck, "You pass, each one of you. Without each other, you are exceptional for Genin. But as a team, you are even more formidable. I'm going to stop now before you each get a big head, but just know that I am happy I got you three as a team."
Naruto was smiling, as was Hinata, while Sasuke was wearing a triumphant smirk.
"So, what happens now?" asked Naruto.
"Now, you go home and get some rest, because after that we will be training in the morning at 7:00, before we start some easy D-rank missions." said Kakashi before walking off, "I have to see the Hokage."
The trio looked at each other before Naruto spoke first, "Well, I have to do something too. Sorry, but it can't wait." Hinata nodded, as did Sasuke, and they each walked in the direction of their respective homes, with the exception of Naruto, who was walking somewhere else.
XxxxX
"Enter."
Hinata slid open the door and walked in before sitting down in her father's study. His stern gaze not even looking at her.
"Report."
Hinata nodded and began telling Hiashi about the test from the beginning where Naruto revealed to them the nature of it, to Kakashi changing it to a different test, Naruto's substitution attempt and the following Shunshin into the forest, to the plan she came up with, ending with their team victory over Kakashi Hatake's Shadow Clone. Absently she noted that her father had stopped writing, and was staring straight at her. His gaze made her uncomfortable, and she shifted slightly.
Hiashi was contemplating what he had just heard, 'I wonder if it was the Jinchuriki who has inspired this change in her. She has been improving remarkably over these last couple years. Add to that she seems happier. No thanks to me of course.'
Hiashi sighed, "What can you tell me about that boy, Uzumaki?"
Hinata's eyes narrowed. "What about him?" she asked with a slightly chilly tone.
"I just wanted to know why he affects you so much that your improvements have made the Elders consider not branding you with the caged bird seal." he said.
Hinata blushed, and that was all the answer he needed.
"Ah."
She blushed more, having known what that meant, "You're not... going to forbid me from at the very least being friends with him are you?"
"No. He has a good effect on you, and I was friends with his father." he said.
Her eyes widened, "Naruto-kun's father? you know who he is?"
"Yes, but that information is classified, do not tell Uzumaki-san that I know ." he said.
"B-But why? Doesn't he deserve to know who his parents are?" Hinata asked.
"While that would normally be the case, Uzumaki-san's parents have may very powerful enemies that would jump at the chance to kill their only son." said Hiashi quietly.
"Alright, otou-sama." Hinata said as she got up to leave, walking to and opening the door.
"Hinata."
She turned around, "Yes otou-sama?"
"I am proud of you."
Hinata beamed as she left the room, muttering a soft 'Thank you.' in response.
XxxxX
Naruto stood over a hospital bed in a small facility outside the village. He was allowed out of the village whenever he wanted for this very reason.
Sucking in breath after ragged breath, Danzo lay in the bed with an oxygen mask on his face.
"How... did you do?" he asked between breaths.
"Great, Danzo-sama." said Naruto, going on to explain everything that had happened in the test, and Kakashi's speech afterwards.
"Heh-heh... always so... sentimental... that Kakashi." Danzo chuckled weakly.
"Yeah. Hey Danzo-sama, I need to ask. What is the other way to unlocking the Mangekyou Sharingan? I know about the killing loved ones method, but I would never resort to that." said Naruto.
"Well... I do not know... the method by which... Shisui unlocked... his Mangekyou... but... I know... that he always... had his Sharingan... activated... so maybe... that is a clue..." said Danzo, "Why sudden interest... in the Mangekyou?"
"Well, the Mangekyou was said to be able to control Tailed Beasts, and I am tired of the stupid fox trying to make me kill people who call me names or throw things at me. Especially since I want to probably more than the fox." Naruto explained.
"The Mangekyou... makes it easier... but... the power... to suppress the Biju... is already there... in the third tomoe..." said Danzo.
"But I don't know how to use it." Naruto sighed.
"All good things come... to those who wait..."
XxxxX
Sasuke stood in his house, staring at a picture of Itachi and him smiling as he was given a piggyback ride by his older brother.
Sasuke touched the image of his brother while letting a tear fall to the ground.
"One step closer... to our dream..."
So, longer chapter this time, and I liked the feel of it too.
As always, tell me what you think. Ask any questions. Even flame if you want to, because chances are that in a long ass flame it might actually contain a point or two which could help me improve my writing.
Anyway, I've decided on Mangekyou techniques, and boy do I like them. The cover image will change each time Naruto's eye evolves, and I even designed my own Mangekyou pattern that I am very proud of. It's not fancy or anything, but I like it nonetheless.