Chapter 4 – the Unexpected Outcome

Dana jumped into the nearest bush and crouched down. Despite his lazy attitude and carefree stance, Dana reminded herself: Kakashi was a jounin – an elite ninja – if she wanted to pass, she needed to not underestimate him.

The other two had obviously thought the same, as Kakashi now stood alone in the glen.

He turned round, looking at the trees and bushes.

'Well, atleast they know about concealment. However…' he thought, pulling out his Icha Icha Paradise, 'anything they pull will fail, regardless of how well they can hide.'

Dana watched Kakashi with baited breath. He was just standing there, reading a book – he wasn't even bothering to look for them.

Dana couldn't help but wonder is that was because he already knew where they were.

No way was this open stance genuine, he was obviously on alert.

'Can't just sit here waiting though,' she thought, 'maybe I can use a diversionary tactic to test him…Will need to be pretty quick though.'

Just as she had finished thinking this, a shower of shuriken shot out of the opposite tree, heading straight for Kakashi.

Dana yelped in despair as the shuriken hit their target. The whole world became a blur of colour as Dana struggled to process what she had seen.

'Kakashi! NOOO!'

Without thinking, Dana jumped from her hiding place and ran towards Kakashi's fallen body. Before she could reach him, there was a puff of smoke which engulfed her in momentary darkness. When it subsided, she froze. "What the hell!!"

Where Kakashi's body should have been, was a log covered in shuriken.

Dana stood there, completely at a loss.

"Where…"

Then it occurred to her: "Substitution Jutsu!"

She spun round. There was Kakashi, standing with one hand in his pocket, the other holding his book, a look of complete disinterest in his eye.

"Alright," he said with a sigh, "number one: NEVER believe what you see, you have several other senses that are more reliable, use them…"

He paused to flick a page, never once looking at Dana, who stood dumbly staring at him with a mixture or relief and awe.

"Number two," he continued; "Don't allow your feelings to get in the way, that's a sure way of getting killed."

Dana blushed at that, but Kakashi seemed not to notice as he flicked another page.

"Oh yes…and number three…" he suddenly snapped the book shut.

Dana gasped.

Within the blink of an eye he was standing a foot away from her. He bent down so that his face was level with hers, their noses mere inches away from each other. She could make out every detail of the part of his face visible to her; every curve and crease of his skin. She could even see the outline of his lips under the mask, and his one piercing grey eye staring back at her with such hidden intensity, it was like looking to the eye of a wild animal.

"Don't underestimate your opponent!" he finished, his voice barely more than a soft grumble.

Dana suddenly felt strange. Her feet began to itch, asthough her sandals were full of sand. The feeling spread to her legs, then her knees.

She looked down.

To her astonishment, she was now knee-deep in dirt – dirt which was now hardening like solid rock. She couldn't move!

Kakashi straightened up and turned his back on her. He had his book out once again, and was dismissively reading it.

"I estimate it'll take you about ten minutes or so to figure a way out of that Gen Jutsu, so I think I'll just mosey along and see what the other two are up to."

Dana jerked her head up. "You can't just leave me like this!"

"Sure I can," Kakashi replied turning to face her. Through the mask, Dana could see he was grinning, and his eye had a mischievious glint in it.

"This is me – leaving -" he waved to her: "Bye bye!"

He disappeared in a puff of smoke, and Dana growled in frustration.

"Stupid cow!" she cursed, "how could you just let yourself fall for that! He's a bloody jounin – no way he would get caught by shuriken…Had to be Mori that threw them – he's probably laughing himself silly right now - bloody right too!!"

She jerked, twisted and pulled as she yelled abuse, but the dirt held her fast like solid rock. She breathed heavily, already feeling exhausted.

"Alright," she said, "venting over… You're running short on energy Dana, remember you didn't have breakfast, and allowing yourself to go into a frenzy is NOT going to help…Now…breath…think…got to get out…"

She closed her eyes and folded her arms; an amusing spectacle for anyone if they happened to pass by, but Dana didn't care. She frowned thoughtfully, forcing herself to remain calm and composed. However, she was suddenly shocked out of her thoughts by a loud scream in the woods nearby.

'That was Taka!' Dana thought as she forced her heart back down from her throat. 'That girl can sure as hell scream – wonder what happened…'

A few moments later, she heard more noises. The sounds of weapons and the occasional frustrated yell. This time, Dana recognised Mori's voice.

'Looks like he found them – didn't take long.'

Her thoughts suddenly drifted to Kakashi; how easily he had overpowered her. The image of his face came into her mind of when he had trapped her; a smug grin, like he knew it was going to happen, and the glint in his eye betraying how much he had enjoyed every minute of it. He had taken advantage of her inexperience and was now exploiting it, not only to prove his point, but to make a joke of her.

A raging fire began to build inside Dana, but this time she didn't scream or yell. No, she remained calm and composed, determination etched on her face. Without a second thought she pulled out her kunai and began hacking at the rock trapping her legs. Slowly, the rock crumbled and fell, but only once she put her entire strength into it. At times she thrusted the blade so hard she cut her legs, but she didn't flinch; she continued to hack until her legs were completely free and she was able to move again. The grass surrounding her was stained in blood and her legs from the knees down had great slashing cuts in them.

The pain was almost unbearable, but Dana controlled herself.

Listening closely to where the noise was coming from, she ran in that direction, leaving a trail of blood behind her.

Once she was close, she dived into nearby bushes and carefully pushed them aside so she could see what was happening.

It was a standoff between Kakashi and Mori – At least – from Mori's point of view it was a standoff. They stood a few metres apart, Mori in a ready fighting stance with kunai knives in both his hands. His clothes were ripped and his arms and legs with covered in bruises and small cuts. His face with filthy with dirt, but still Dana could see the look of rage and sheer hatred.

Kakashi, meanwhile, was standing once again with one hand in his pocket and reading his book, not paying any attention to Mori. This seemed to rile him even more, as grumbles and abuse spilled out his mouth. Still, Kakashi didn't move, nor look at him.

"I know it's gonna be pretty useless to tell you this," he said in a bored, this-is-so-pointless tone, "but you really shouldn't think of fighting while in a fit of anger. You put yourself at a disadvantage because you become blinded by it."

"I'M NOT BLIND!!!" Mori yelled, so loud that even Dana flinched at it. She had seen Mori get angry before, but now he was pyscotic. What the hell did Kakashi do to make him so pissed?

"Oh no?" Kakashi replied, poking his head up from behind his book to look at Mori. "Then tell me, what colour are you seeing right now: mellow yellow, or raging red?"

Dana watched as Mori, screaming in frustrated rage, flew at Kakashi and proceeded to attack him by any physical means. But each and every time, Kakashi blocked him and eventually sent him flying, using only one hand and only moving to duck the occasional kick, before resuming his original pose.

Dana understood what was happening, as Mori tried to attack. Kakashi had sussed Mori's weakness; his pride, and was subsequently using it against him.

Mori had been responsible for beating and bullying Dana on many occasions over two years, but the only times he had ever gone absolutely nuts, was when she had wounded his pride. For her, it had meant an extra punch or kick, but to a jounin like Kakashi, it was a great advantage.

Dana continued to watch, rather enjoying seeing Mori get the beating he so deserved, when an idea hit her. Kakashi had estimated she would be stuck for ten minutes, but she had managed to get out in less than five. Undoubtedly Taka was out of commission, judging from the scream she had given earlier, which meant Kakashi would not suspect anyone attacking him right now. Dana now looked down at the fight before her, not as entertainment, but as an opportunity. If she timed it right… If she attacked at a point when Kakashi was completely focused on Mori… She might just be able to get close enough to swipe a bell. Of course, this was providing three things occurred. First, Mori provided enough of a distraction to take Kakashi's mind off of anything going on around him. Second, she would have to be perfectly positioned, completely hidden, but as close as possible, so that when she moved, she would be fast and unexpected. Finally, she had to use a suitable technique: something that could, if possible, restrain him, or at least catch him of guard. Dana watched the battle again. Well, Mori at least, was doing his part; his attacks were becoming more and more bizarre and fantastic. Though they weren't making the slightest difference, they were causing Kakashi to move more, which meant he had to focus on Mori more. Silently, Dana moved towards a large oak tree near Kakashi and leapt into the high branches.

It was the perfect place, close enough for her to make her move, but not so close that Kakashi would see or sense her.

Dana smiled. This might actually work!

Now all she had to do was wait for the right moment to strike. She didn't have to wait long. Kakashi seemed to have had enough of Mori, for suddenly tree vines sprang from the ground and wrap themselves around Mori. Managing to keep one arm free, Mori slashed them away, and continued his vicious onslaught. Slipping his book in his back pocket, Kakashi prepared to make hand signs. This was it – Dana prepared herself. Before Mori could reach him, are huge ball of water from the nearby lake engulfed him, and he found himself in a water bubble, unable to move or breath.

"Now then," Kakashi began, "now that I've allowed you to do a bit of venting, I'm afraid it's time I do a bit of teaching – though I don't see much point of it," he added, watching Mori's face, "since you won't listen and the moment I release you, you'll continue as you did before. But anyway –"

His speech was momentarily cut off, at that moment, Dana jumped out of her hiding place, and with the speed of a cheetah she placed a well aimed punch at Kakashi.

The moment her fist made contact, Dana changed position mid-air, and made to grab at one of the bells hanging from his belt. However, Kakashi had recovered almost instantly, sprang away before she could reach it.

He stood before her, one hand rubbing his cheek, which was already starting to bruise slightly.

"Well, now," he said, sounding amused, "looks like I underestimated you a bit."

"Damn right!"

Kakashi chuckled and his eye fell on her legs. They were caked in dry blood and deep cuts covering them looked nothing but gruesome. Kakashi felt a mixture of admiration and concern come over him: she must be in so much pain – How the hell is she still moving! He pushed his feelings aside – can't be biased – and resumed his non-caring demeanour.

"I wouldn't get too cocky," he said, "you just got lucky, and now you have my full attention."

Dana was already preparing her next move: something that Itachi had taught her. Using fluid hand signs, she took a deep breath: "FIRE STYLE: FIREBALL JUTSU!"

Kakashi watched in amazement as a huge fireball came out of Dana's mouth and came straight to him.

"What the hell – That's an Uchiha technique!! – she's only eight years old, how the hell could she have mastered that!!"

But she wasn't the only one attacking. As Kakashi jumped into the air to avoid the fireball, he noticed Mori, now free from his watery prison, throwing and shower of shuriken at him. Once again, Kakashi dodged them, landing on the ground, and once again he was taken by surprise, when both Dana and Mori lunged at him in an attempt to get the bells. But Kakashi was still in control, and taking both their arms, he threw them both so hard that they landed heavily in the bushes.

Dana got up painfully; her legs were causing her more bother than she liked, but she forced herself to ignore the pain. Her plan had not been a complete success, but it had revealed something: Fighting together with Mori had proved to bring better results than if she were herself. Dana now knew how to get those bells.

Beside her, Mori was dripping wet and still coughing up water. Dana watched him, a look of disgust on her face. Working with Mori was about as inviting as drinking arsenic, but it was the only way.

"Mori," she whispered, "we have to go find Taka and help her, then devise a plan together to beat Kakashi."

"Who died and made you leader!" Mori spluttered.

"Listen to me!" Dana hissed, "we have to work together – the three of us – if we want to get the better of him. Didn't you see how he was caught of guard when our attacks coincided? And that was only with us two. If there were three of us, we could do it!"

Mori glared at her. "Are you blind, or just plain stupid?! There are TWO bells, and THREE of us. At least one of us is going to fail, whats the point in working as a team?"

"Perhaps, if we work together to get the two bells, they'll consider letting all of us pass… share the victory."

Mori grabbed at her leg and squeezed it making her curse in pain.

"What the f-"

"Now you listen to me, Dan-Dan," Mori said in a menacing hiss, "I'd rather stick my head in a red hot furnace than work with a freak like you. And the day I share anything with you, is the day the sky falls. Now, bear this in mind, two people are gonna pass this test and become ninja, and you are NOT going to be one of them!"

Mori let go of Dana and disappeared into the bushes, leaving her unconsciously cradling the leg he had been squeezing. Tears of pain and rage were flowing down her cheeks.

'The whole "You're a freak" thing is really starting to get old,' Dana thought to herself as she got to her feet. She was just pondering what to do when the sound of alarm bells reached her ears.

Dana hung her head. Their time was up.

Slowly she made her way back to the three pillars, no longer worrying about limping or showing how much pain she was in. When she reached the pillars, a funny sigh awaited her. Both Mori and Taka were tighed to two of the pillars, wailing at the tops of their voices. Kakashi stood before them, his back to Dana, with his arms folded.

'Great!' Dana thought, 'defeat followed by humiliation and no lunch…Why don't you just kill me and get it over with!'

Dana limped into the clearing, expecting the worst. Hearing her come, Kakashi turned round and watched as she came and stood before him. She didn't look up at him – she wouldn't dare – but kept her eyes fixed firmly on the ground.

She sensed him move his arms and hold something out to her. Slowly, she lifted her head, expecting to see a length of rope in his hands. To her surprise, it was a lunch box.

Dana blinked in confusion and looked up at Kakashi. "Aren't you going to tie me up to a pillar and make me starve like the others?"

"Do you want me to?" Kakashi asked.

"Um…No…"

"Then sit down and eat. Get your strength back."

There was nothing in Kakashi's expression or tone, that hinted what he was thinking. His demeanour was as it always was: bored and emotionless.

Completely bewildered, Dana took the lunch box and went to sit against the third pillar. Mori and Taka, meanwhile, were looking both confused and outraged.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Mori bellowed.

"WHY DOES SHE GET FOOD?!" Taka screeched.

"Oh shut up!" said Kakashi, stunning them into silence. "You two would give the dead a headache."

"But that's not fair!" Mori persisted, "why isn't the freak getting tied up."

Usually Dana would have reacted to being called a freak, but she was too tired and in too much pain to care; besides, she was getting used to it. However, Kakashi glared at Mori fiercely.

"Why?" Kakashi replied coldly, "because there was a purpose to this test; to find out if any of you could figure out one of the key aspects of being a ninja and "the freak" as you refer to her, was the only one to have fathomed it, so even though none of you got the bells, Dana gets points for at least getting that right."

He looked at each of their blank faces before he continued.

"Teamwork."

"What?" Mori looked like he had just been punched in the stomach.

"Teamwork," Kakashi repeated, "it is one of the most crucial things a ninja must understand and appreciate. Individually, a ninja can only go so far, but as part of a team, that same ninja can reach unlimited heights. Honour, trust, friendship; these are only some of the things that a team is built on, and those who do not posess those qualities, cannot be, and never will be, ninja.

Dana had realised how much better the chances were of getting the bell when you unconcsiously worked together, but you, Mori, would not listen, and as a result, you are now tied to a post and forced to watch her eat her lunch while you starve."

Dana couldn't help but smile at Mori's face; justice had certainly been carried out.

"So we failed?" Taka asked, her bottom lip quivering, "we won't become ninjas?"

Dana's smile disappeared. Why did Taka have to say that? She was just starting to feel better! Now she was back in the depths of despair.

Kakashi smiled. "Oh yes, you've failed. But I'm willing to give you one more chance."

All three of them looked up with hopeful expressions.

"However, a little punishment is in order," said Kakashi, "you two will remain tied to those pillars for at least an hour."

Taka and Mori moaned in time with their growling stomachs.

"And you," Kakashi said, rounding on Dana, "you must not under any circumstances give them any food. I mean it! – If I catch you giving them food, I'll not only fail the three of you, I'll make sure you're all dropped from the programme and NEVER become ninjas – is that clear?"

Dana gulped, and nodded anxiously, as did the other two.

"Alright. See you in an hour!"

Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Silence reigned for a while. Dana opened the lunch box and ate quietly. She noticed that it was all her favourite foods inside, and wondered if that was deliberate. But then again, how would he know what her favourites were? He hadn't seen her in two years.

Time seemed to pass slowly, but still none of them spoke. Out of respect, Dana did her best to be discrete in eating, but it didn't work. Eventually, Taka broke the silence.

"If I don't eat something I'm going to faint,"she whimpered pitifully. Dana looked at her; she was definetely paler than usual.

"It's your own fault for going on those stupid diets," Mori retorted, "now shut up – you're making me hungrier by talking about it."

Dana looked down at the remainder of the food. Eating while those two starved seemed like the perfect revenge for two years of hell, but still…Dana couldn't do it. Every moral fibre of her being was against it… She was better than that.

Resolutely, Dana stood up, and standing in front of Taka, offered the lunch box to her.

Taka recoiled from it, like it was a snake. "Are you crazy!! Are you trying to get us all kicked out! Get that away from me!"

"Kakashi isn't here – he won't be here for atleast 30 minutes, and he won't know the difference. Hurry up and eat, you two Mori, we'll need to all have some strength for round two."

"My dad is ANBU squad leader, twerp," said Mori, "He's the best there is, and one thing he taught me, was that a ninja never leaves anything unguarded. There is no way in hell I'm eating any of your food, Dan-Dan; because Kakashi is wouldn't just leave us like that."

"You're father gave you sound advice."

Dana jumped out her skin, dropping the lunch box. Behind her, Kakashi was standing lazily, with his hands in his pockets. Taka and Mori instantly turned on Dana.

"It was her! She tried to give us food, but we wouldn't take it! It's her fault."

Dana turned round to face Kakashi. She looked him straight in the eye, her head held up; she wasn't ashamed this time. This time she had acted on principle, and she wasn't going to be ashamed of that, even if it did mean never becoming a ninja.

"I saw and heard everything," Kakashi said, "I'm not going to beat around the bush, nor am I going to waste time on being sympathetic to those whose feelings might be hurt. The change has to be made."

The three of them waited with baited breath, all of them sharing the same view of the final outcome. Kakashi sighed.

"Mori, Taka… I'm sorry to say…You two will not become ninjas."

Silence reigned. Expectant expressions turned to looks of shock.

"I'll be making my recommendations for you both to be removed from the programme. Of course, other career paths will be offered to you in exchange."

Still, no reaction. Mori and Taka were staring at Kakashi in disbelief.

Kakashi frowned impatiently. "Guys, I'm serious. You're done."

He turned to Dana, and she watched as his expression changed, from impassiveness to admiration and pride.

"Dana…You are the first student I've had that has passed my tests. I'm honored to be your official sensei."