A/N: How's this for a quick update? Honestly it's because I can't sleep and my inspiration is bouncing inside my head begging to get out. Special thanks to Ciel-Chocoholic-BakeNeko for being my first reviewer, you rock! Also thanks to everyone else who favorited or followed.
Warning: Minor language. (This is the only time I'm putting this warning up as this is rated T)
Disclaimer: I only own Ashi and Kogane
The next morning I woke up just as planned and fed Kogane while I had my own breakfast. Once I was dressed in my over-sized jacket and baggy pants I pulled my untamable hair into a messy ponytail. Kogane and I took a leisurely walk toward the training ground and got there before both Naruto and Sasuke. They arrived at about the same time and Naruto looked like he was sleepwalking. Naruto perked up a bit when he saw me. "Imouto!" he ran up to me and gave me a bone crushing hug and span me around. Kogane barked at him to let me down so he chuckled and complied.
Hours passed without Kakashi sensei arriving and I couldn't sit still that long. Even if I wasn't loud as everybody else I'm still and Inuzuka. I spent the time playing fetch with Kogane and when that got boring I convinced Naruto to play tag with me. We didn't play for long though for two reasons. One, Kakashi sensei said this would be hard and we didn't want to waste energy. Two, we were hungry!
When Kakashi sensei finally arrived Naruto shouted, "You're late!" to which Kakashi sensei relayed an obviously fake reason.
Realizing that he wasn't convincing any of us Kakashi chuckled before standing up and taking on a more serious expression. He set a clock on top of the middle of three logs and told us it was set to noon. Then he pulled out two bells, "Your mission is to get one of these bells from me. Whoever can't will have no lunch." He nodded to the logs. "You'll be tied to one of those while I eat lunch in front of you." We all realized at the same time why he told us not to eat lunch and I was grateful for what my mom taught me.
Naruto looked up from his stomach and back at Kakashi sensei, "but why are there only two bells?"
It was hard to tell only by looking at his eye but I think Kakashi sensei smiled, "That way at least one of you will be tied to a log. That person will have failed their mission and will be sent back to the academy. It might be one or all three. You can use all of your ninja tools; you won't be able to get them if you don't come at me with the intention to kill." He pulled the bells into his hands.
Naruto began to laugh, "You couldn't even dodge an eraser!"
"Those who have a big mouth tend to be those with no skills. You can ignore the loser. You can begin when I say 'start'"
Naruto's easygoing attitude disappeared as he glared at sensei. He pulled out a kunai and rushed toward sensei but within a breath Kakashi sensei had his hand twisted behind him so the kunai he held was pointed to the back of Naruto's own head. "Don't be so hasty." Kakashi scolded, "I didn't say 'start' yet." He let Naruto go. "But it looks like you have the will to kill me now." He chuckled, "I'm starting to like you three. Now are you ready?" The three of us tensed, "Start!"
Kogane and I dashed into the trees and hid. Due to my hatred of attention, one of my best grades was in not being seen so I was feeling confident. While I surveyed the clearing Kakashi was in, Kogane used her superior sense of smell to tell me where everyone else was. Meanwhile I thought of the test itself. I didn't want to fail, nor did I want Naruto to fail. But what gave us the right to pass and not Sasuke?
Kogane's nearly silent bark brought me out of my thoughts so I could see Naruto right in front of sensei. I couldn't hear what they were saying. That was one of the first lessons to not being sensed: stay downwind. I could still see Kakashi sensei taking out a book and Naruto's war cry was loud enough that I could hear it. Without taking his eyes from the book once, Kakashi sensei blocked every one of Naruto's strikes.
Once Kakashi sensei got behind Naruto and formed a tiger handsign there was no way I was leaving Naruto by himself. I burst from my hiding spot and leveled a fist toward Kakshi sensei's head which quickly got him away from Naruto by making him dodge. I didn't stay in the clearing for long and I was back in the trees before Naruto could turn around. I moved around in the trees losing sight of them before I activated a jutsu kaa-chan taught me. Ninja art beast mimicry: All fours jutsu!
My body mutated ever so slightly giving me a more feral look and my hair fell out of my ponytail. I dropped down on all fours and headed back to the clearing where Kakashi sensei and Naruto were. What I found was a bunch of Narutos all fighting with each other and I assumed it to be the shadow clone jutsu Naruto spoke of. I ignored them and sniffed around for where Kakashi sensei could be and found him in the woods. I moved with animalistic speed to attack him but he dodged each of my techniques without putting away the damn book!
Eventually he put his hands into a simple handsign and leaves clouded my vision. All of a sudden Kiba was in front of me battered with kunai. "Nii-chan!" I shouted rushing forward to help him. I knew how to use bandages and such because nee-chan was a vet, but I had no idea how to deal with the scale of which Kiba had been injured.
All at once I realized something: Akamaru wasn't with Kiba. That was when I determined that it was genjutsu. Even if Akamaru had been dead Kiba would have carried him with him. I wasn't very good with genjutsus but I knew the basics from academy so I held up a simple handsign and muttered, "Kai." By blocking off all of my chakra my all fours jutsu was also cancelled but I was happy to see that there was no longer an image of an injured Kiba.
Kogane and I sniffed around again hoping to find sensei. This time I found him just as Sasuke touched a bell. I growled. There was no way I was letting Sasuke beat me. I activated my jutsu again and rushed toward sensei, but right as I got there Sasuke began to blow fire at us. I dashed away and lost sight of sensei and his scent seemed to disappear at the same time. Sasuke and I both looked around trying to find him but we were both pulled under the earth.
"Ninja art number three: Ninjutsu. Then again it seems like the two of you know something about that." As soon as he walked away I whistled and Kogane came to dig me out. Sasuke grunted, but I left him there. He blew his fire without warning and could have burnt me as well; there was no way I was going to help him after that. Before I could reach sensei again the bell rang. I walked back to the logs where I discovered Naruto was already tied. Sasuke, who must've gotten himself out somehow, wasn't far behind me shooting me a frightening glare that made me shrink into my jacket.
Naruto ended up being the only one tied to a log for attempting to steal food while Sasuke and I had a lunch sitting in front of us. "Now for the results of the training: none of you need to return to the academy." Naruto began cheering while I donned a huge smile. Even Sasuke gave an approving grunt.
"That means that all three of us…!" Naruto was much too excited to be able to get the words out.
Kakashi sensei smiled, "That's right, all three of you… Should quit being ninja!" All at once the cheering ceased and our smiles dropped.
"Quit!? What the hell are you talking about!? So we couldn't get bell, why do we have to quit being ninjas!?" Naruto protested
"Because you're just brats that don't deserve to be ninjas." At that comment Sasuke stood and dashed toward sensei. Kakashi stopped him quickly sitting on him with one of Sasuke's arms twisted behind his back. Kakashi even put his foot on Sasuke's head. "See, you're all just kids. Do you guys think being a ninja is easy?" Sensei's single eye bore into us, "Why do you think we put you in three man teams?" We stared at him blankly. "You three don't understand the answer to the test."
"The answer?"
"That's right. The answer that decides whether you pass or fail. Are your brains empty? Do you truly not understand why we put you in three man squads?"
"What about three man squads!?" Naruto shouted angrily.
"Teamwork." Sensei answered simply. "If all three of you came at me at once you may have been able to get a bell. But it's too late now."
"But sensei, there were only two bells." I pointed out.
"That's right. This test purposely pits you against each other. It's a test to see if you can prioritize teamwork before themselves. Even though that was the purpose you guys were pathetic. Ashi!" I flinched as he called my name. "You helped Naruto when he was in a quick pinch but you were quick to abandon him when stood right in front of you. You also left Sasuke buried up to his neck." Ashamed, I sunk into my jacket. "Naruto! All you did was work on your own." He looked down at Sasuke, "And you Sasuke, thought the others would only be burden to you so you did everything by yourself, even using a technique that could easily hurt your teammate permanently."
Kakashi sensei looked back at us, "Ninja missions are done in groups. It is true that ninja need individual skills but it is teamwork that is even more important. An individual that disrupts teamwork will result in the danger and even death of a teammate. Example:" He pulled out a kunai and held it against Sasuke's neck. "Ashi, kill Naruto or Sasuke dies!" Kogane whimpered inside my jacket while I looked in horror at Kakashi sensei. "That's what will happen." Sensei explained before putting his kunai back.
"After someone is taken hostage you will be forced to make a decision and someone will die." He stood up and walked away from us. "In every mission your life will be on the line." He stopped in front of a stone. "Look at this! At the names engraved on this stone. All of these names are considered heroes in this village."
Naruto began fidgeting on the log, "That's so cool! I've decided I'm going to have my name on that rock!"
"But they're not normal heroes." Kakashi sensei said while leveling his gaze at Naruto.
"So what kind of heroes were they?" Naruto chattered on.
"They were all KIA." Kakashi explained after a pause.
"KIA?" Naruto asked without dropping his grin.
"It means Killed in Action." I explained to my naïve friend.
"This is a memorial stone." Kakashi spoke almost as if we weren't there. "The names of my closest friends are carved here." An upsetting atmosphere washed over us and I felt a few tears come to my eyes. Kogane reached up as if trying to wipe away the tears by setting a paw on my cheek.
Kakashi broke the atmosphere as he turned to us again, "Alright, I'll give you one more chance. However, the battle for the bell will be much more difficult after lunch. Eat only if you're ready for the challenge, but don't feed Naruto. As punishment for trying to break the rules and eat lunch early. Anyone who feeds him will immediately fail. I'm the rule here. Got it?"
We nodded and he disappeared. I sniffed the air a little before pulling out my lunch. "Naruto you need to eat."
Sasuke stared at me only for a second, "He can eat my lunch. You need to feed Kogane too, right?"
I stared at him for a second before nodding in agreement. "But guys." Naruto brought our attention back to him. "I can't use chopsticks." He wiggled his trapped hands.
Sasuke's vein popped in annoyance but he picked up some food with his chopsticks and shoved it into Naruto's mouth. No sooner had he done that then did Kakashi mysteriously appear with a gust of menacing air. "You three broke the rules! Are you prepared for the punishment?" Kakashi went through some handsigns and storm clouds loomed dangerously overhead. "Any last words?"
"B-but…" Naruto managed to stutter out. "You said… That's why these two…" Naruto couldn't complete a single thought.
"You said the three of us are a team." Sasuke finished for him.
It took all my strength to stand protectively in front of Naruto. And even thought I knew my knees were shaking uncontrollably I looked up at Kakashi sensei, "The three of us are one!"
"The three of you are one? That's your excuse?"
Kakashi still stared down at us with a glare, so I defiantly said, "Yes!"
All of a sudden Kakashi broke into a smile, "You pass!" We stared at him in disbelief so he repeated, "You pass." As the clouds dispersed Kakashi began to explain, "You three are the first. The people I had before were idiots that listened to whatever I said. Ninjas must be able to see through deception. Ninja who break the rule are called scum. But those ninja who can't take care of their friends are worse than scum." Kakashi sensei looked to the sky as if recalling a distant memory. "Team seven will begin its first mission in the morning so be prepared!"
"Hai!" I shouted with my new teammates. Kakashi and Sasuke left first while I cut Naruto down. Then I rushed back to Kakashi and Sasuke dragging Naruto behind me. "The four of us should have dinner at my place in celebration!" I shouted toward them. All of a sudden Kakashi looked uncomfortable and Sasuke looked… embarrassed? It took a lot of pestering but I got them to agree.
Sasuke and Naruto showed up at almost the exact same time while glowering at each other. I was disappointed when Kakashi seemed like he wasn't going to show so we ate dinner without him and played tag with Kiba for a while before he finally showed up over an hour late. Kaa-chan didn't seem surprised and simply heated up a meal for him to eat. It took a lot of pestering and getting both Akamaru and Kogane to bite him but got Kakashi sensei to join us in playing tag. When we were all worn out I said goodbye to my new teammates and snuggled into my bed excited for my first mission as a ninja.
A/N: Yup, that's the bell test. I had this play out a couple of different ways in my head but decided this was the best. I don't think she would've learned Tsuuga/Gatsuuga yet, nor do I think that Kogane could use Man-Beast jutsu yet. Of course that is coming up soon. But yeah, Ashi is a bit shy and quiet but every now and then the Inuzuka in her takes over. Once upon a time I was going to put a picture of Ashi on the cover until I realized: I CANNOT draw. So yeah, pawprints. It's kind of nice. Also please review, whenever I get one I jump around squealing (Ask my sister; it annoys her when I wake her up.) :)