Author's Note: Finally! The end of the stupid Bell Test! ….Well, technically.
At least it's over now? After three f-king chapters. Ugh. But hey! There's an omake after this to be posted in celebration of said fact! Although, it's not going to be Team 7 centric...well, not this team seven at least… heh.
On another note, in case you haven't noticed by now, this story is kind of slow build. In any case! I don't own NARUTO as per usual, and...uh, well, another unbeta'd chapter hot off the keyboard! :D
...I have got to stop working on chapters for this thing past midnight…
edit:: Updated 04/24/18
Chapter 4 (Bell Test III)
As Kakashi walked off to find the others, he found himself facing Naruto and...what seemed to be a bunshin of Kohaku...or maybe she was straining her face while trying to pretend to be one of Naruto's bunshin, the man mused.
It was definitely plausible considering that Naruto was a rather terrible actor as far as he was aware. Of course, looking too far underneath the underneath tended to turn one in circles —or made one start second guessing themselves— and Kakashi was definitely not at the point of being loco crazy yet (though some might beg to differ on that point).
"You!" the blonde idiot yelled as soon as they caught sight of him, the (probably?) copy of Kohaku looking like she was struggling not to do the same thing. "What the hell are you doing here!? And— Whoa, Sasuke?!" Wide blue eyes stared past him at the half-buried raven somewhere behind him.
Kakashi chuckled despite his unwillingness to admit how much the blonde amused him (it still hurt when he thought about how similar he was to Obito. Like a culmination of his failings —to Sensei for not taking care of his child, to Obito for failing to save him that terrible day, and… and to Rin, the woman that Obito had loved). The smile quickly disappeared to be replaced by the usual fake he typically wore.
"Ah, I see you've found us," he drawled, book pinned under his arm as he stuck his hands into his pockets, half to hide the tenseness of his fists, and half to fake the casual disregard he wore like a mantle on a daily basis, whenever in public or with company. "He put up far more of a fight than you as you can see~~" He told him, eyes curving into crescents, as he even added a thoughtful hum, causing both Naruto and the clone to bristle.
A-ha! Definitely a clone then.
"Why you—!" Even if their motive were to be saving Sasuke, time was running low. And whether they panicked or not... Well, Kakashi was pretty confident that he'd come out the victor of this round at least.
And of course, making sure to interrupt the blonde before he could say anymore as he pretended to study the sky and hum once more, he spoke up again. "Looks like it'll be noon, soon enough. Guess you'd better try and snatch these bells quick, if you want any hope at a chance of passing!" He smiled, senses sharp still despite the fact that he'd willingly blinded himself to the scene before him.
Still, Naruto —at this point, at least— was nothing if not predictable in certain ways.
Even if he was still quite unpredictable in others.
"What?! Agh! I'll— I'll definitely get the bell before time goes up!" The blonde yelled alongside his clone, apparently forgetting that his clone was supposed to be someone else at the moment.
Ah, well, that just made it even easier for him to come up with a counter plan.
"Yup~ As of now, however, it looks like Sasuke is— ah, oops~ was ahead of the game, at least!" He goaded, swinging the very bells they needed from his fingers and purposely making them chime. "From the look of things, I'd say you have —hmmm," he mused, purposely drawing the sound out to taunt the blonde. "—Ah, a minute or two left~?" Possibly just a bit more considering he hadn't exactly brought the clock with him.
Clearly panicking now, both Naruto and the bunshin rushed at him, and—
Disappeared into puffs of smoke.
What.
On the other side of the forest, closer to the clearing, Naruto, Kohaku, and the Sasuke-copy they'd brought, found themselves right back where they'd started.
"I, uh, don't suppose he might have used a jutsu to hide it —'tte ba saa?" Naruto asked, scratching the back of his head in confusion. The two had followed the same trail of scent, one which had seemed to split up a few times (kage bunshin?) taking one route to a dead end, before going back to follow the other.
"...Maybe he moved them?" Kohaku mused, frowning as she thought, somewhat annoyed at the incessant niggling in the back of her mind. She was missing something. Something very im...por...tant...
Oh.
Oh.
Cursing herself for not realizing it sooner, she rubbed her face with a sigh.
"He didn't hide them," she realized, finally putting together at least one thing, even if there was still something niggling at the back of her mind. Still, she couldn't believe she'd fallen for it. The Uchiha, coming up with the idea of using Uzumaki's clones? Working together with Uzumaki? And breaking away from the plan —even if it would have been a legitimate reason if it were true—and offering to be the distraction instead of searching himself? (Not to mention actually calling the blonde Uzumaki by name?)
Gods-damn-it, but she was an idiot!
Beside her, Naruto blinked, gears shifting slowly as he tried to absorb her words. "Wait...what?"
"It was a trap!" She practically bit out, too upset with herself to be able to maintain the unaffected mask she usually wore. Honestly, how could she have been so…so stupid? "He used a genjutsu and a bunshin to trick me into thinking it was actually true when it was really just a bunshin with a layered genjutsu—!" she all but snarled. Ughhh. She was such an idiot! To be tricked so easily…!
"Wh—Whoa, wait— Wait, seriously?!" Naruto exclaimed, eyes wide with shock as he watched this...not-so-subtle breakdown, as the brunette scowled, going so far as to pace and even growl as she ruffled her hair in agitation.
"There's no way Uchiha-san could have lasted this long against Hatake-san. Not against a Jounin and Ex-AnBu Captain," she muttered, still beating herself up over the fact that she'd— she'd thought—
"Wait a— Ex-AnBu?! Those masked guys?!"
The undignified yelp and change in expression as the blonde gaped at Kohaku would have been comical if she hadn't been so agitated. As it was, it snapped her out of her thoughts.
Taking a deep breath and looking around, her eyes found the clock that the Jounin had set before this whole fiasco. Chewing her lip, Kohaku thought about it for a moment. Maybe...—Maybe if they switched the alarm off, or changed the time or something, they would have more of a chance…?
Her stomach made a strange sound, the not-quite rumble reminding her of a long since forgotten problem.
No, they were too low on energy. But...
Hesitating, Kohaku thought about it some more. Maybe… Maybe if—
Taking a deep breath, she turned back to the no longer gaping blonde that was now simply staring at her in worry. He had tried to ask her how she'd known, but she'd been too absorbed in her thoughts to answer.
"Kohaku…?" Amber irises blinked once more, and finally, finally his teammate turned her attention back to him. "You, uh, you okay, datte bayo?"
Kohaku stared at him for a bit, before coming to a decision. "Uzumaki-san—" "It's jus' Naruto, 'tte bayo!" "—if I give you another nutrient bar do you think you'd have enough energy for a three-prong attack against Hatake-san?" She asked, ignoring the protest for her to 'just call him Naruto' (though she'd eventually relent enough to at least start using '-kun' later on), as she dug out another bar, the blonde shutting up quickly as she continued.
She had exactly three left, having only eaten one earlier and not having had time to eat another. That would be just enough for one each if she could get everyone to work together. Honestly, by now it wasn't so much about ending things quickly as much as regaining the bit of pride she'd felt she'd lost (Even if it didn't seem like it, she did have her pride, after all. Seriously though, falling for such a stupid—...! Kohaku took a deep breath here, trying to force herself to calm down). Throwing one of the three bars she had left at the blonde and quickly pulling one out for herself as well, she waited for an answer.
"Wh— y-yeah! Of course, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed, eyes wide as he (once again) fumbled to catch the bar, holding the thing almost reverently as he listened to her explain her idea. This… Only Iruka and the Hokage had ever really believed in him, and for Kohaku to believe he could do something… to trust him to be able to do it—!
Well, Naruto swore he'd definitely do what he was asked to do!
Or die trying, dattebayo! And Uzumaki Naruto never went back on his word!
...
Even if it meant working with that stupid Sasuke-bastard…
After watching Naruto head off to do as she'd requested, Kohaku threw her senses out, trying to find the last member of the party they'd need. Concentrating everything into her hearing since the scent trails had been messed up by the horde of Naruto-clones already ages ago, she listened for the sounds of movement and speech, only vaguely catching a bit of sound, before her eyes shot open and she was on her way.
Keeping her senses sharp as she made her way towards the sound, and moving as quickly as possible, she just barely managed to miss their would-be sensei as he headed back to the starting point. (He'd already figured that Naruto would likely have managed to get himself free by now. In the unlikely off-chance that he was still there, though he'd planned to taunt the blonde to goad him into thinking more and being careful in the future —or, rather, he would have, had Kohaku not conscripted him to her 'cause'.)
By the time she found the half-buried Uchiha, it would take her a moment more to really take the scene in, expression once again smooth though a bit more blank than usual as she stared at the strange scene.
"...Uchiha-san…?" she blinked, watching as the raven-haired boy stopped wiggling to look up, almost looking somewhat embarrassed at being caught in this situation.
"...Tsukino," he grunted, still feeling rather disgruntled at being caught in such a position.
At least it wasn't Naruto, though. There was no way he would've been able to live through that idiot's obnoxious laughter and finger-pointing. And, loath as he was to admit it, Tsukino wasn't so bad… The other genin-hopeful seemed to have some brains at least, so that was a point. (And would make the team a lot more bearable if they could just freaking pass already.)
"...Would you like some help with that?" she asked, waving vaguely in the direction of his...predicament, as she stepped closer.
"...Hn," he wouldn't be against it at the very least, and, after hesitating for just a moment, gave a small nod of agreement. It rankled his pride, but considering that Kakashi was a freaking Jounin to their measly —and apparently— not-yet Genin, it probably wasn't so surprising in the end. Scowling at the dirt as he was, he missed the fleeting and almost imperceptible smile that crossed the amber eyed genin's face as she spoke up once more.
"Understood. Please don't struggle, then," being all he heard before he was staring at the arm sinking into the dirt before him. And because of the fact that he'd been staring down, he'd missed the sequence of hand seals she'd made for the Doton-style earth-walking technique.
Of course, it was technically also called the 'Iwagakure no Jutsu' seeing as Iwagakure had been the place that had founded and used it to the point of being a staple, but, well...
Maybe Tsukino would be of some use after all, the Uchiha thought, resisting the urge to slap the other's hand away (not that he could have anyways, honestly speaking) as she brought him along for the ride, pulling him out of the Earth with a bit of chakra enhanced strength.
Nothing like Tsunade's super-strength, of course, but enough to supplement the brunette's physical strength a bit without risking too much strain on her body (something that most shinobi should have known how to do anyway, even if wasn't with quite the precision she seemed to be careful to use —there had been quite a few books supporting the fact that too much could cause permanent damage of the body, after all).
And as Sasuke stumbled out of the dirt, pulling himself up straight as he moved away from the pit left from his removal, he couldn't quite help but to stare a bit, wondering just where the other had learned such a jutsu. Especially considering that it was supposedly a staple jutsu mostly known to Iwa-nin.
The actual —but unspoken— answer was, of course, from her legal guardian (aka: her uncle) had during one of those rare days that he'd both be home and in a good enough mood (or at least wasn't too tired) to teach or help her 'train' a bit. Seeing as most of the Mikazuki clan were usually either best suited to earth and/or water techniques (for a variety of reasons), it wasn't so far-fetched that he'd have taught her an earth release (and/or possibly even a water release) jutsu once he'd deemed her skilled enough in chakra control to be able to safely do so. (There was also the chakra pool limitation, but as a clan consisting solely of Ninja's, that wasn't as much of a problem as it would have been for a Civilian-born trying to do the same.)
As it was, however, he just huffed and brushed himself off as Kohaku carefully cut the connection that she'd made to ensure she could safely bring the raven-haired genin along. Whether it was pride or ego that kept him from asking about it, though, it really didn't matter. Especially since Sasuke already knew a few elemental jutsu of his own as it was. He doubted Naruto would know any, but even if he was the dead last of their class, he wouldn't put it past the idiot-blonde to actually know some kind of jutsu but forget all about it. (Seriously, the fuck was with those solid clones? Kage bunshin? What the hell? )
As the avenger frowned, his amber-eyed companion blinked, watching for a moment before clearing her throat when it seemed he might just be...stuck in whatever thoughts he was thinking. She didn't know whether the very person said Uchiha happened to be thinking about would be able to get his part of the plan she'd concocted —and executable thanks to the reservoir of Chakra and Boundless Energy that was Uzumaki Naruto— done without being found out or not, after all. As things were, once the black-eyed teen's eyes met hers, she began to speak, trying to be clear and concise with as few words as she could.
They didn't have much time, after all. And she'd only told Naruto to move it back ten or fifteen minutes at most so that the Jounin didn't get too suspicious. Especially since most of the more skilled ninja were known for having a scarily accurate inner body clock.
As a certain silver-haired Jounin arrived at the edge of the clearing, he slowed down a bit, having not bothered to use shunshin considering he hadn't seen any need for it. He doubted any of the kiddies had known how to use it anyway since none of them had bothered to use it yet. As it was, the blindingly orange jacket was the first thing his eye took note of as they scanned across the clearing.
He'd come in contact with a few more mixed groups of illusory and kage bunshin, and if not for the fact that he already knew he'd taken care of Sasuke, he might have fallen for the mixed groups. No doubt Kohaku's idea, since he doubted Naruto would have been able to come up with the idea of working with Sasuke if he didn't have to.
It was still somewhat impressive, however, since the kage bunshin mixed in made it a bit more difficult to distinguish —not that he couldn't if he tried, of course, but...well, he had decided to give himself a handicap, considering that it would rankle the dog-summoner's pride if he'd had to go full out on a genin that hadn't even become full genin just yet.
Yet, not 'maybe'.
Kakashi never noticed that, somewhere in his mind, he'd already come to the decision that they would pass. That they would become genin. His genin, to be more exact.
Still, it might have impressed him more if the obvious Naruto-clones were able to act better.
Of course, he might not have noticed the ploy until later if not for the two he'd come across after taking care of the so-called 'last Uchiha'.
To think that they'd send out so many groups of clones… Obviously Kohaku —and by extension Naruto— was making full use of what the group had to use in their arsenal. Still, watching as Naruto attempted to mess with the clock on the stump he'd left it on, waiting and watching from close enough to hear and see but not enough for the genin's sharp nose or ears to find him if he didn't want him to, the ex-AnBu Captain waited patiently for the perfect moment.
"Eheheh… Yosh! Set the clock back far enough. No way that stupid scarecrow'll notice!" The blonde laughed, unaware that said 'scarecrow' was right there —yet, anyways. "Alright! Now I just gotta meet up with Kohaku and… and that Sasuke-teme, and we'll definitely be able to get those bells!" The orange-wearing boy all but yelled, practically announcing his intentions to the world.
Kakashi sweat, wondering if the blonde even understood what the word discretion meant. Especially in conjunction to being a ninja. Bad enough that the boy insisted on wearing that eye-searing orange, but… well, at least it made things easier for Kakashi himself as he continued to listen to the muttering blonde.
"Oh, but I'm definitely not gonna be giving a bell to that bastard, though! But, ughhh… Kohaku said…" He muttered, scowling as he stood to carefully set the clock back exactly where it had been before (that much was a plus for him, ninja-wise, at least), having kept behind it despite the fact that his attempt to conceal himself hadn't gone quite as well as he'd probably like. Especially considering that he hadn't been able to keep all of the baggy track suit he wore from poking out on one side of the post anyway (not even mentioning that the 'missing' clock had already been quite a tell by itself). "Twelve minutes'll definitely be enough to grab the bells though...right?" He muttered, unaware that Kakashi had already moved to crouch on top of the stump behind him.
"Oh?" The casual tone seemed to freeze the blonde. The man almost laughed at the sweat that rapidly formed and began falling at an almost impressive pace on the boy. "Trying to cheat by setting the clock back now, are you?" The man mused, it had been a good idea after all (It's not like he'd forbidden them from doing so, after all). Though he did wonder just what kind of magic Kohaku had spun on the ramen-lover to get him to even pretend to agree to work with his so-called 'rival'.
(Kakashi refused to think that the blonde was so attention-starved that even a little kindness would make him put aside whatever 'grudge' or 'rivalry' he had just to please the one who gave it to him. After all, he hadn't been there beyond having been one of the AnBu on rotation to be assigned to the blonde before the man had been forcefully retired. Had never even really tried after losing Minato-sensei and Obito, Kushina-san, and Rin…
(Somewhere, deep in the recessed of the nearly broken man's mind, a shadow of a whisper carrying the name of his deceased father was added to the list. The one who'd started the then-child's slow if downward spiral into closing himself off from his emotions. Something that he would likely have succeeded in doing rather than just being somewhat emotionally awkward thanks to the efforts of Minato-sensei.)
"Eheh...heh…it— uh, it was...just a joke…? Aha...ha...ha," the blonde laughed awkwardly, his grip on the clock the man had brought tightening as he stepped away from the post.
Blue eyes remained wary, glancing to either side as if running might give him a chance before he ended up bumping into another figure. Eyes widening in shock as the blonde slowly, reluctantly (and this was really starting to feel stupidly familiar) looked up.
"Boo."
The last thought Naruto had before he got caught was that at least the man hadn't arrived while he'd still been scarfing down the tasteless nutrient bar Kohaku had given him.
(Yep, Hatake Kakashi would willingly blind himself to the emotions that had been all but expertly hidden by the blonde. He was already feeling guilty as it was for all of his conceived failures...No matter the fact that he was still considered so 'famous' and/or 'successful' as a high ranking Jounin within the ninja world.)
The brunette had been so nice to him after all. Even if they'd never really interacted before now, at least there was none of the judgment or hatred that been in the eyes of so many of the other villagers. Sure, the brunette hadn't seemed to care much, but that… Even that was better than the other option.
(After all, throwing himself into his work hadn't done anything aside from keeping him distracted. But even tiring himself out by pushing himself so hard and ruthlessly hadn't been able to do a thing for the nightmares he'd still have almost every night, just remembering the things that had happened. All the people he'd failed, and eventually…lost.)
So Naruto would be damned before he ratted the other out.
Especially if there was the smallest chance of being able to make friends with the guy.
(Neither Kakashi nor Naruto would ever admit to the desperation that they each felt, hidden from all the faces that surrounded them.
(Neither could afford to acknowledge that they were truly broken, after all.)
Sasuke was almost —almost— impressed. (He was, actually, though he'd never admit it. Well, not this Sasuke anyway.) Though reluctant to have to work with the dead-last, he had to admit that the brunette's plan had merit. It would be win-win...sort of (he still had doubts about teaming up with the blonde, but considering that the blonde's skill might end up coming in useful after all...as a distraction if nothing else)...
It was still a better chance than he would have expected. Especially after being beaten so thoroughly by that wretched scarecrow.
(Never let it be said that Uchiha weren't a prideful bunch. The fact that they were also a vengeful bunch, well... That could be left unsaid, of course.)
Had it been prior to the...skirmish...that he'd had with the man, he might have refused. Honestly believing that there was still a chance that he could beat the man, and by himself at that. As it was, being so thoroughly defeated... Well, at the very least some form of vengeance was necessary to sooth his battered pride. (A similarity he apparently shared with Tsukino, if in varying levels.)
Not to mention that they were running low on time. Even with the extra time to be gained by the blonde idiot —if he succeeded— there was still the fact that none of them had even been able to touch the bells, let alone snatch them from the man.
And if he had to work with an idiot to get that stupid bell off that infuriating scarecrow, then by the gods Uchiha Sasuke would do so.
He was not going to fail before he even had a chance to gain the strength to kill that man. At this point, he really didn't care what he had to do as long as he could pass.
And since Kohaku had actually managed to come up with a viable plan to use, then he would —albeit somewhat reluctantly— follow the more (and he really, really didn't want to admit this) level-headed brunette for the moment.
Although, really, it was mostly because Sasuke honestly couldn't think of a better idea at the moment. That was it. Really.
Still, after having devoured the nutrient bar Kohaku had passed him and finding himself feeling much more capable than before, he and the brunette had discussed the plan as they'd made their way back to the original clearing they'd started off in. Hopefully, with the extra time they were given, they could nab the bells from the man and play keep away with the Jounin for as long as was needed to out-wait the alarm they'd reset.
As they reached the edge and hid themselves, however, the two —unaware of the change in circumstances— could only grimace as they caught sight of a captured Naruto. The silver-haired Jounin wearing a smile that could somehow still be made out on his masked face as he stood behind the squirming and scowling blonde as he read at leisure.
And though Sasuke didn't care for the blonde (so long as he passed, he could honestly care less whether Naruto did or not), it would make things a little more difficult in getting the bells.
As much of an eyesore as the orange-wearing idiot was, after all, he was still a distracting eyesore. One that might even have keep the man's attention off them long enough for one of the other two to grab a bell.
Thankfully, the man hadn't seemed to have caught onto their ploy —or so it seemed, anyway.
Naruto, on the other hand, was pissed. Struggling against the ropes that kept him trapped, he glared at the silver-haired man standing off to one side of the stupid post he'd been tied to. Even if it was with more annoyance than anger (and maybe even a little desperation, not that he'd ever admit it).
The man was a cheating bastard —not that he could really talk considering what he'd been doing when he'd been caught— and damned if the blonde was going to fail when Kohaku had believed in him and put his trust in the dead-last to actually succeed.
Aside from Hokage-jiji and Iruka, no one had ever —well, okay, Ayame and Ichiraku-ossan had, but they weren't ninja, they were civilians. And thus didn't really understand all the ninja-stuff all that well. (Not to say that they were worth any less —as far as Naruto was concerned, they were all but gods considering the deliciousness of the ramen they made! In fact, to Naruto, the father-daughter pair were only that much more awesome for it.)
And so Naruto struggled and squirmed, trying to free himself so he could warn the others about the impending trap. Even just getting the blasted tape that silver-haired bastard had pasted over his mouth would be enough.
Please, please, please let me make it 'tte bayo! He prayed, almost desperately, as he struggled. Efforts renewed and becoming even more vigorous as he heard the man start to speak, clearly talking to Kohaku and Sasuke now.
Kohaku had believed in him —and he'd be damned if he let the other boy (unaware of the other's true gender) down…
Watching warily as Kakashi hummed, the duo tried to communicate through looks, especially since it seemed that Naruto had been caught. Should one of them free the blonde? If so, who was going to be the distraction?
Silently shaking his head and motioning towards the brunette, Sasuke jerked his head towards Kakashi, signaling that he'd distract the silverette. If he managed to get a bell in the process, even better.
Pursing her lips just the slightest bit as she thought about it, Kohaku reluctantly nodded, pulling out a kunai, and holding it up quizzically as she tilted her head in question.
Sasuke shook his head, signaling that he had enough even if his stores were a bit depleted from all the ones he'd wasted before. Besides, he wasn't going to take charity from anyone, let alone the other genin-to-be. He was Uchiha Sasuke, after all.
As Kohaku nodded in response to the question he pantomimed after, they slowly, carefully, separated, making sure to keep both the other and the Jounin himself in sight, as Sasuke lifted three fingers.
On the count of three, they would attack.
Across the field where he had been patiently waiting, Kakashi chuckled, "I know you're there, you know~" He mused, projecting his voice enough to ensure that the other two would be able to hear him. And it was true, he'd been keeping an eye out on the edges of the clearing so he'd know when they arrived.
Being as magnanimous as he was, he'd allowed the time shift, though it'd still taken the other two a while to get there. No doubt having had to waste some time digging the Uchiha out of the pit he'd packed him into. As it was, there were only a few minutes left until the clock hit 'twelve'. He was still confident that he would win against them, after all.
Smiling that ever insincere smile, Kakashi chuckled to himself, thinking about just how much he loved it when plans came together.
In the woods, Sasuke and Kohaku shared a quizzical look, only really able to read each other's unspoken question because 1. Sasuke was an Uchiha (and Uchiha were taciturn for the most part anyway so being able to read people —or at least, other taciturn people— was a must), and 2. Because Kohaku and her uncle were both quiet people, and preferred not to have to waste their breaths when they didn't have to, which basically translated to nonverbal cues whenever they could get away with it.
Of course, there had been some miscommunication here and there, but overall, most of the gestures were universal, and really weren't all that hard to guess in context. (Logic, despite being something that ninja supposedly defied a lot, was still the best friend of anyone with enough brain cells to rub together.)
Coming to a decision, the two nodded, deciding to simply do as planned. Marking the seconds in their heads, they waited for the exact moment they'd decided on before they shot out of the foliage —and lunged.
It was infuriating. Despite the fact that most of the plan had gone through seemingly without a hitch, they'd still lost in the end. None of them having expected the man to lay a trap for them at the last moment. Of course, lack of information hadn't helped, but neither of the darker haired members of the group had expected for the Naruto they'd cut loose to actually be Kakashi in disguise.
The infuriating man had played them at almost every turn, and it was enough to make all three of the genin's blood boil. Of course, not to say that the other copy-nin that had been standing there as if he were the real thing wasn't, it was just that—
Well, the man had had them fooled, playing as Naruto perfectly til the last second. Just when they'd thought that they would finally able to try to gang up on the man, too —only for the real Naruto to come barreling out from behind one of the other posts, yelling about a trap even as he was still tearing the tape away from his face.
Needless to say, both of the darker haired ninja-in-training had been startled and shocked for those precious few seconds. A few seconds long enough for the fake to grin a foxy grin not unlike Naruto's as it —and what they'd assumed to be Kakashi— lunged at the two preteens, the fake Naruto's disguise dispelling in a way that was slowly becoming very, very familiar (not to mention irritating).
Looking absolutely horrified, the real Naruto had attempted to stop the man, apparently forgetting about the fact that he could create bunshin to help bolster the attack —only to be caught by another of the retired AnBu Captain's own kage bunshin that had apparently been waiting in the gods damned shadows by pretending to be the freaking clock.
The three kids had been shocked at the sudden turnabout even as the Jounin had laughed, clearly amused by the situation. Of course, despite having expended a little more energy than he'd expected, he'd still won. Even after holding back a majority of his skills and keeping only to those abilities the genin had used as well as low-ranking Ninjutsu of the same level when the call came for it.
And so there they were, with the real clock (which Kakashi had pulled out of one of his stupid pouches himself) going off just as all the dust finished clearing.
Even going so far as to goad them.
"Did you really think I'd fall for such a trick?" He'd mused, eye crinkled in too much amusement to be able to feign being as wounded as he stated he was. "I'm wounded, really, and to think that you'd even try to cheat by setting back the clock~" He'd chided them, even as Naruto gave them a sheepish look.
"Still, I did say that one of you would be tied to the post. Even if you all did end up being a little better than I'd expected~" Smiling, he released the trio, dismissing his clones with a neat little trick to siphon back at least a portion of the chakra he'd expended to make them as they dispelled. It wasn't perfect, and by no means did it let him take back all the chakra he'd used, but it was still better than nothing (and in the heat of a real battle, could have been the difference between living and dying —or at least strong enough to escape and being captured or killed).
Feeling far more rejuvenated now, he hummed, pretending to contemplate the matter.
"So? Who was it, then? The one who came up with this idea? Turning back the clock to get more time, hm? A good idea to be sure, but not one that Naruto of all people could come up with," he smiled, despite already knowing who it was.
Let's see if they take the bait, the man thought, watching the genin-to-be with amusement as they shifted.
"Hey! I could totally come up with that idea! And I did!" Naruto exclaimed, surprising the other two as he covered for the kunoichi of the team.
Kakashi hummed, eye crinkling once more as he watched the blonde defend his teammates so vehemently.
(Maybe they had a chance, after all.)
"Oh, really? So you're saying you want to be tied up on the log again?" He smiled, eye curving into a crescent shape as he hid his amusement. "I won't go easy on you this time, though~ And you'll have to watch your oh-so-precious teammates eat. right. in. front. of. you.~" he warned him, tone practically gleeful, and continuing before the others could speak up or protest.
"You've all failed the test after all. So what do you even gain from covering for one of these two? Admit it, it wasn't you, was it? I'll bet it one of those two," he 'deduced'. "Sasuke, perhaps? Ah, but you two haven't been able to get in contact, have you? So it'd have to be Kohaku. Am I wrong?"
Biting her lip, Kohaku opened her mouth. No point in denying it at this point since it was true.
Not to mention that they'd failed, anyway, so why let someone else take the blame when it really was her idea, anyway? Before she could though, Naruto started yelling again. "Like hell! I said that I did it, didn't I?! Don't pick on my friend, you big jerk!" Unconsciously, the budding hope of him making a friend had ended up slipping into his sentence. It wasn't until seeing the shocked, wide eyed expression on Kohaku's face that he realized what he'd said, as the blonde snapped his mouth shut, now flustered. "I— I mean...! That's—"
Kakashi chuckled, tone easy as he grinned. "Well then, suit yourself~ The post it is!" Easily re-tying the blonde to the stump before any of them could even blink, he pat his hands as if on a job well done before cheerfully resting them on his hips.
Ignoring the blonde who'd started yelling again —along with the two genin that remained in defensive position as they watched him with wary eyes— he spoke up again.
"Still, it'd be a shame to send all of you back to the Academy, I suppose," he apparently mused. "Even though you cheated, the idea was a good one, and I can't say I hate your spunk~" He all but teased, smiling at the three.
"Alright~ Since I'm so nice," he announced, ignoring the derisive snort that the blonde behind him gave as he turned back to the two darker haired genin. "I'll give you guys one more chance," he told them. "After lunch you can try again," he decided, watching as they all perked up a little before continuing with almost vicious glee. "However, you can't give Naruto, here, any food. At all. If I find out that you have…" He started, voice threatening as he made it seem like he was looming over them, the smile in his tone never disappearing as a dark, menacing chuckle escaped from his mask.
"All three of you will fail..." he announced, lightning seeming to strike from a sudden gathering of thunderclouds before he decided to lighten the atmosphere, gesturing towards the two unopened bento on the ground beside the blonde.
It seemed he might not even need to give the three the 'teamwork' speech. Well, not yet, at least.
As it was, he smiled at the trio as they continued to watch him with silent, wide eyed wariness. "Maa, I'll let you get to your food. I'm sure you're hungry, after all," he eye-smiled, almost teasingly, as he hummed. Getting ready to shunshin out of their senses. "And remember~
"If I catch you feeding the blonde…" he trailed off ominously, disappearing in a puff of smoke.
For a moment, all three of the genin-to-be simply stared at the spot the man had been standing, before exchanging a slow and equally disturbed glance. A second chance, which meant all three of them. And as much as the thought niggled at her mind, Kohaku couldn't help but to think that something was...off...about the entire situation.
Could the man really stop them from becoming genin? Only the Hokage could decide that...right?
As Sasuke slowly reached for the bento, silently offering the other to Kohaku, the girl continue to think. Something was wrong, really wrong here, but—
Wait.
'You', as in...all three of them would get another chance. Why bother with letting Naruto —or even them— try again if he was just going to fail them anyway…? Staring at the bento box in her hands as Sasuke carefully unwrapped his own to take a peek, she hesitated.
As it was, she still felt incredibly guilty that Naruto had taken the fall for the Clock Stunt. In retrospect, despite being a so-called 'good idea', it could have very well ruined their chances permanently if Hatake-san had not decided to let the fact go (and maybe she could have blamed it on a lack of brain-sugar, but she was still the one that had decided it was a good idea and tried to implement it).
So why was he letting them try again? She wondered, incredibly confused despite the impassive expression on her face.
Slowly, and almost reluctantly (guiltily) opening the bento and staring at it, she startled when Naruto spoke up. "Hey, don't worry about me! Just eat, you need the energy right? And— and hey, at least some of us'll pass if you can just get the stupid bell from him!" He grinned, trying to seem fine despite the pit that had fallen only a few minutes ago.
(He always had been good at pulling the Jester.)
Kohaku gave the blonde a hesitant look, doubly so when his stomach gurgled. And loudly at that. He clearly having a far higher metabolism than either of the others if he was continuously as hungry as he seemed.
"Eheh...I—I'll be fine, really!" he exclaimed, his eyes crinkling almost shut as he gave the other a foxy grin, acting with bravado that he didn't quite feel. (Though that was just the norm for him, wasn't it?)
Glancing over at Sasuke, she began to speak, slowly questioning the blonde. If Sasuke didn't like it, he could voice his displeasure —or even try to stop her, but…
"Naruto… can you make a kage bunshin and use it to replace yourself…?" she asked quietly, laying the disposable chopsticks that had come with bento down on the edges of the container. Ignoring the quizzical look as she spoke. "I'm fine, however...if we're really going to have to face that man again…" she trailed off as Sasuke gave her an indecipherable look.
Almost nervously, a hand went up to clutch at the hitaeate now hanging around her neck, the wide, almost turtle-neck like collar of her coat folded back so that it, and the black cloth she'd attached it to, were both visible to anyone who cared to look.
A nervous habit, but better than being an obvious trait if she simply started fiddling her fingers.
"I...really don't think that just two of us will be enough to take him on," she continued, remembering their earlier attempts. Herself and Sasuke, Sasuke by himself (though she hadn't seen it, the boy had obviously lost —and spectacularly at that, though she knew better than to bring it up in front of the Uchiha— against the more experienced shinobi), Naruto attempting to by himself —and even counting his bunshin fighting along with him for a time...
"But— but if he finds out, you guys'll fail too!" Naruto exclaimed, distressed despite the light, bubbly feeling that seemed to well up, filling his chest. He cared. Kohaku was still being nice even though he'd failed and gotten caught and— and… blinking as he felt the burn of the tears building in his ducts, he quickly blinked a few more times to get rid of the sensation. Simply pretending that he was just doing it in...like, confusion or something. Yeah! (He was not crying, damn it!)
Beside Kohaku, Sasuke pressed his lips together, clearly thinking about the instances he, himself, had seen and been involved in, still listening as Kohaku shook her head. "I— even if we tried by ourselves, we'd...we'd probably just be sent back to the Academy anyway," she admitted, albeit reluctantly. Though she wasn't quite...arrogant...she was still only twelve—almost thirteen—ish. And though it was rare and hard for others to realize, she did have a sense of pride and— and it rankled, to get played so easily by the Jounin.
Yeah, sure, he was a Jounin, and famous, and way more experienced on top of being an elite, but that didn't mean it didn't still bother her.
And honestly, Sasuke felt the same, though the other might never admit it.
Scowling into the bento in their laps, it took a moment before the brunette spoke again.
"Besides, how would he know if you're still tied to the stump when he comes back?" she asked, almost rhetorically, "Out of all of us, I think Uzumaki-sa—...Uzumaki...-kun...is the one who would benefit most from eating the bento," she told him, expression determined, even as the blonde looked hesitant (though he'd brightened at the change in suffix, at least).
"So...can you?" she asked, brow furrowed a bit as she studied the ropes. It didn't look like the Jounin had done much more than simply tie the rope around his chest after looping it enough times to keep it secure and make it harder for Naruto to free himself.
Chewing on his lip, Naruto hesitated but… but—
"I—" he started, almost meek and uneasy unlike his usual rambunctious self. But, well, "I can...try?" he said at last, tone quiet. He didn't want to disappoint the brunette again. Not after how nice he had been —and was still being— to him.
Kohaku nodded. "As long as Uzumaki-kun can replace himself and dismiss the clone before Hatake-san returns, I think we'll be fine," she said, looking at Sasuke to see how he'd react. And, when he said nothing in response, either agreeing or not caring, she looked back to Naruto.
Seeing the other genin's eyes on him, Naruto pulled up all the confidence and bravado that he could, concentrating on moving his hands as close as possible so that they could make the hand signs despite the discomfort of rope digging into his flesh, even as Sasuke carefully watched from the corner of his eye so that he could take note.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" The blonde hissed, trying to be discreet but really saying it at a normal speaking volume after taking a look around to make doubly sure that Kakashi really wasn't around, only engaging once he felt absolutely sure that he wasn't.
A copy of himself came into existence in a puff of smoke, grinning but keeping quiet just in case, as well, making the necessary hand signs to perform the Kawarimi as it replaced the real Naruto with a smaller puff of smoke than the creation of the clone had.
"I—It worked!" cheered the real Naruto, pumping both arms in the air before quieting himself and sitting down by the others with a grin as he remembered himself.
Sasuke gave a quiet "Hn" but continued eat, if at a slower pace. To be honest, he wasn't really that hungry, only deciding to eat for appearance's sake (though he did pick out any and all of the tomatoes). Watching as Kohaku passed her bento over, reassuring Naruto that it was fine for him to eat it all (and cringing at the blonde's deplorable manners as per usual). He scowled into his food before glancing at the other two again.
Nodding to himself, he put the chopsticks down and held the rest of it out almost forcefully to the brunette, who only blinked in surprise and confusion, even as Naruto slowed down in devouring the bento as quickly as he could (he didn't want the others to be caught, after all) to stare as well. Seeing the quizzical look on the brunette's face (or rather, the quizzical tilt of her head as she stared), he huffed. "Just having the dobe's not going to help," he muttered, refusing to look at his other teammates-to-be.
It was only logical, after all, that he ensure that all of them were up to snuff in order to get the stupid bells. So long as Sasuke got one for himself, he didn't care if Kohaku wanted to get Naruto to make a kage bunshin copy of the bell for the other two. They were just stepping stones to obtaining the strength he needed to kill Itachi, after all. So long as they didn't get caught, what did he care about cheating his way through? They were ninja, after all. It was basically their job description.
Seeing the brunette still hesitate, he huffed again. "I'm not that hungry anyways," he added, giving the other a meaningful look. "...After lunch," he started, thoughts slipping before realizing what he'd said, refusing to show embarrassment as he forced himself to continue.
"After lunch, we'll work together to get the bells, so...without actual food you'll both just be in the way," he all but muttered, refusing to look at the other two.
Slowly, carefully, Kohaku accepted the bento along with the sentiments behind them, even if she still didn't quite understand it. It made sense of course, but that didn't mean she wasn't still confused.
It was true, though, the nutrient bars only filled the bare minimum of what a person needed to survive. They weren't supposed to be anything more than a supplement, something to distract the body from hunger and to avoid collapsing until they could get actual food.
Beside her, Naruto all but grinned, feeling his heart lift as Sasuke acknowledged him in a way as well.
Unbeknownst to them, Kakashi smiled to himself from where he'd concealed himself —just outside the trio's range and ability to sense. Allowing them to have their little moment before he interrupted the budding camaraderie as he thought to himself.
It seemed he was going to be having himself an actual genin team, after all.
Posted: 05/10/16; Updated: 04/24/18; unbeta'd, Word Count: 8,126; Paragraph Count: 185; 18.1 Pages.