Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
Team 7's Ascension
Chapter VII – Water the Seed I
Roughly fourteen days after Kakashi had declared Ground 12 to be their new home, Team 7 could say that they now definitely got a good handle on D-ranks, as well as surviving in barren environment. It took a while, but after seeing each other naked regularly for two weeks, most shame simply fell off their team – at least regarding nudity and their bodies.
The brutal gauntlet the Jōnin had them running through was vicious, ended in bloodshed more often than not and – plainly said – made their lives simply more difficult. The results couldn't be argued with though: their reflexes had been taken to a whole new level, as had their response times to incoming threats and projectiles.
For a short time they actually considered themselves strong... they had, after all, brought their skills to a level they personally didn't even knew existed. The moment of glory and pride had held for five whole minutes.
… then Kakashi crashed their mental celebrations and kicked the living shit out of them.
Now though it was finally time for them to learn a new technique. At least that's what their Jōnin-sensei had told them as he assembled them on the edge of Ground 12. With crossed legs, the members of Team 7 sat on the sandy ground and looked up to the man that had tortured them without abandon in the last few months.
"Tell me... did you three learn what I wanted to teach you?" Kakashi began and made a vague hand gesture toward the three Genin. "Have you understood why I gave you just a single Jutsu over the last six months?"
Sakura's eyes lit up and a smile tugged at her lips; it was an easy question.
"Mastery," she answered, knowing that both her teammates preferred her to field the answer to their sensei's question.
Kakashi favored her with an eye-smile. "Exactly. Although the word mastery might not be the best... even after six months you're far off from becoming masters," he said and tapped his chin.
It was an odd gesture, the Genin found. Then Kakashi continued, "In truth, most shinōbi only take the time to truly master a few selected techniques... that alone takes years, mostly. Jiraiya-sama – for example – knows dozens of Jutsu, but the one technique he truly refined to perfection is his self-developed Hari Jizou."
The Hatake regarded them with a stern look. "What I wanted you to understand is that even though mastery is rare, you at least have to become somewhat proficient in your techniques. Simply cramming Jutsu in your heads won't do you any good."
The gloved finger of the man pointed at the blond of their team. "Naruto! How many applications have you found for the Semai Mizushuuha, despite its low rank?"
"Um... a lot?" Naruto half-answered, half-asked.
"Not the most precise answer, but in essence exactly what I wanted to hear... tell me, have you noticed anything else?"
Sasuke – who had been a silent observer of their meeting until then – looked up and his right eye twitched. "How do you even know our affinities? I learned the Hisan Ikazuchi easier than my clan's Katōn Jutsu. The Dobe's got no problems with Suitōn Jutsu either."
Kakashi smiled enigmatically. "I doubt you'll remember, but during one of the academy's annual health check-ups you had to channel chakra into a piece of paper. You probably took it for another annoying test, but your affinities have been on record since then."
"Doesn't it change though?" Sakura asked. "I remember Iruka-sensei lecturing us about something similar..."
"Your base affinity is manifested at birth," Kakashi answered. "Obviously, we can't check for it right then... except through very invasive procedures which aren't required too often."
The Jōnin interrupted his explanation and shot the blond a veiled glance. He knew very well that Naruto had been one of the very few who got the privilege of such an invasive procedure... his affinity had entered the records exactly five hours after his birth.
None of the Genin missed his glance. They easily connected the dots and Sasuke as well as Sakura slid up a bit closer to their blond teammate – even though the Uchiha's movement was less noticeable.
"Anyway..." Kakashi continued. "There's more to it than that. Later on in life it's possible to develop secondary, sometimes even tertiary elements through training. It can also happen that your primary affinity changes place with your secondary affinity if you use the second much more than the first."
"... I'd like that," Sasuke admitted quietly. "Raitōn isn't bad... I like the Hisan Ikazuchi, but I'm more comfortable with my clan's Katōn techniques."
He felt the stares of his teammates and sensei, but it didn't bother him. They were mostly curious after all.
"It's..." Sasuke stopped for a second, getting a far-away look in his eyes, but then visible gathered himself. "It's a matter of clan pride for me. Kakashi-sensei, I'd like to master my Katōn affinity from now on."
Kakashi could honestly say that he hadn't expected this response. Maybe he should have, but he'd been sure that Sasuke would be happy with any element as long as it brought him closer to defeating his brother.
Then again, it was a testament to the boy's recent development that he had made his request in a polite way and with a reasonable argument to boot.
"It can be arranged if you are certain this is what you want," Kakashi answered after a few moments of contemplation. "I planned to give you another Raitōn Jutsu, but I can just as well teach you a Katōn technique – one that your clan favored – if you want."
"Eh...," Naruto interrupted. "What 'bout the Bastard? Aren't his eyes supposed to be the ultimate Jutsu machine?"
"No special ability comes without a price, Naruto. Especially not one as powerful as the Sharingan," Kakashi explained. "Sasuke can – theoretically at least – copy any technique that doesn't stem from a bloodline. That, however, doesn't mean the copied technique is going to be as strong as if the original wielder had cast it."
Sasuke looked up and asked surprised, "Really?"
"You didn't know?" Kakashi looked incredulously at the last loyal Uchiha.
"I've had no time to read in the archives since you became our sensei," Sasuke said and shrugged. "The Uchiha scripts that can be read without a Sharingan are rather...biased."
Kakashi was silent for a minute, seemingly lost in thought, then he looked back up and said, "For the moment, your main affinity is Raitōn. Now, imagine that you copy a strong A-ranked Futōn Jutsu from someone who's mastered his element... you can use it, certainly, but it would either kill you because it takes too much chakra – Futōn isn't your element after all – or the result would be incredibly weak, because you haven't had any training in the element."
Kakashi watched Sasuke's expression morph into one of understanding and continued, "In return, should you copy a Raitōn or a Katōn Jutsu, you could use it with great efficiency from the get go after you've finished your elemental training."
"So, in plain terms... I can die if I'm not careful with how I use what I copy?"
"Exactly. I hope I made it clear to you in your mock-missions that the most important tool for a shinōbi is common sense and logic," Kakashi said. "That goes doubly for an Uchiha. Believe me, the Sharingan isn't just powerful, it's also very tempting."
"Ne, Ne! What 'bout me then?" Naruto asked. "Is Suitōn any good?"
"Every element has it's strengths and weaknesses... you'll find Suitōn to be very versatile though, I imagine."
It was finally time. It was the time Sakura had waited for since she first saw her teammate make water out of nothing.
Instantly, she intervened and asked, "What about the requirements though? Suitōn user usually need a source of water nearby... Naruto uses his technique all the time, even when there's no water."
"There's always water around you – at least in some shape or form," the Jōnin replied cryptically. "Naruto does exactly the same as the Nidaime did. I'll spare you the physics... suffice to say: it takes a very strong primary affinity for Suitōn and ridiculous amounts of chakra."
Naruto frowned thoughtfully. "So... that's why a D-ranked technique drains me so much?"
"Indeed. It'll get easier though, you'll see. With each step along the mastery of your primary affinity you'll recognize a noticeable increase in your abilities to use Suitōn without a source of water," Kakashi finished his explanation.
The Hatake gave them a few minutes to let all the new information settle. He observed them and pondered the direction he was taking his team to.
Naruto, with his monstrous reserves – easily replenished by his biju – and his Suitōn affinity could very well become stronger than Senju Tobirama. At the moment, Sasuke still knew more Ninjutsu, but he was sure that Naruto would catch up soon... with much more destructive variants than his teammate.
It would be the Uzumaki who's going to bring down the thunder when scores of enemies threaten their team, Kakashi knew.
His gaze swiveled over to Sasuke. With his Sharingan, his incredible reflexes and his seemingly inborn fighting intuition he was well on his way to become a real monster in close-up, one versus one combat. Should they ever encounter a single, superior shinōbi when Kakashi wasn't with them, Sasuke would be the one to lead the fight.
The greatest threat to a Taijutsu user – which Sasuke would inevitably become despite his clan's techniques – were illusions that could fool his perception. A threat, quickly negated through his unique eyes.
Then, the Jōnin cleared his throat and brought his team's attention back to his person. There was one person he hadn't evaluated... he was sure that a confidence boost would do her some good though.
"You, Sakura, are the link that chains the boys together and enables them to fight to their full potential," Kakashi began. "With your incredible control and mind you can layer illusion after illusion around your enemies... fool their senses, play with their emotions. I can tell you from experience: most veteran shinōbi have no fear when it comes to battle, but you... you can make them tremble."
"Haruno Sakura," Kakashi said. "Genjutsu Juggernaut... has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"
Her face brightened visibly after his explanation, but the Jōnin was already contemplating the word he had just used. Juggernaut... they'd all become ones in their own rights sooner or later.
"Anyway, let's continue with the Jutsu you're going to learn in these last two weeks," Kakashi continued. "Sasuke, you'll learn the Hōsenka no Jutsu. It's a C-ranked technique your clan favored and you can spice it up in many different ways."
"Naruto, you'll learn the Mizu Bunshin – also a C-ranked technique. You already showed that you can produce copious amounts of water out of nothing... this shouldn't be out of your reach," the Hatake explained.
Then he turned to Sakura. "You have a choice Sakura. Either you take the Kori Shinchū no Jutsu – a C-ranked Genjutsu, or I can look for a Dotōn technique, which is your primary element by the way."
"I'll take the Genjutsu," Sakura replied quickly.
She wouldn't let it get to her head... but, there was no denying that her sensei's words about becoming a Genjutsu juggernaut appealed to hear.
"Well that's that then. We'll begin your training immediately!"
A week later, Kakashi did something that none of them had expected. He prematurely took them out of Ground 12 and sent them home with the order to reassemble again in the morning.
None of them knew what led to the rash shift of attitude and although they'd learn in the next morning, none of them slept well that night. The paranoia their Jōnin-sensei had instilled in them made it hard to keep their eyes shut and catch some well-deserved sleep.
With bags under their eyes, they finally regrouped at sunrise and regarded each other with suffering expressions.
"What d' you think it'll be this time?" Naruto asked.
Sakura tried to rub the tiredness out of her eyes – and failed. "Don't-" her sentence was interrupted by her loud yawn. "Don't know. I'm not even sure if I want to know..."
"How bad could it actually be?" Sasuke asked, and both his teammates shot him confused and worried glances.
"You alright, Bastard? That's Kakashi-sensei we're talking 'bout... you know, our demonic and brutal teacher?"
Sakura simply nodded along with the blond, and Sasuke put his hands in his pockets, frowning. "I know that – I just mean... what could be worse than what he already did?"
"Shut up, Sasuke, "Sakura surprisingly grouched. "Now you're just tempting fate!"
"Indeed..." a fourth voice said, appearing between them in his traditional swirl of leaves.
Kakashi smiled maliciously at Sasuke. "Your offer to mutilate you even more is appreciated, Sasuke-chan. This time however, you're off the hook... for now."
"What is it then, sensei?" Naruto asked.
The Hatake's expression became a mixture of sternness and determination. Naruto though, could also see some signs of sadness flitting through his teacher's eye's.
"In six days we're going to start with C-ranked missions," Kakashi began. "They won't be easy... definitely not as easy as the ones your peers take. In all probability, you'll make your kills in your very first mission."
That silenced Team 7 quickly. The last time they had heard their Jōnin-sensei speak with such a severe tone had been during their team introduction when he completely crushed their over-inflated egos.
This time though, the gravity of his words wasn't directed against them. Rather, it was directed against the whole situation... because, child-soldiers, no matter whether they belonged to your culture or not, were something universally seen as wrong.
… even by their teacher, a man who had seen more than his fair share of reality.
"In six days... we're not just going on C-ranks, but we'll also leave the village on official business in the name of Konohagakure. Appearances have to be kept, at all cost. How you act and look in your own time is unimportant, but how you act and look while on a mission – that is crucial."
Naruto had already guessed where this speech was going. "What exactly do you want us to do, Kakashi-sensei?"
"New clothes for one. I'll be away for the last week – a small matter has come up and I have to deal with it – so you have to train by yourself. In that time I want each of you to modify, or completely replace your wardrobe," Kakashi explained.
Then, the Jōnin looked at Sakura and said, "Sakura, I'm not concerned over Sasuke when it comes to attire, but I'd ask you to help Naruto pick something fitting. I know you're very self-sufficient, Naruto, but trust me – Sakura will be an immense help."
… and she'll make sure that you don't wear something completely orange,Kakashi thought.
Kakashi sighed before resuming his command, "Be prepared to face some hostility toward Naruto. The villagers mostly just ignore him – they're too afraid the Sandaime will have them court-marshaled if they sell him rotten things – but there is a slight chance that his clothes will be over-priced. Not by much, but I thought it better to warn you."
"Clothes and self-training. Anything else?" Sasuke asked curtly.
Oddly enough, the thought of his blond teammate facing cold indifference from nearly every person in Konoha made him rather angry. He knew where these protective emotions came from – still didn't want to acknowledge them fully though – but sometimes his body reacted simply on its own.
This time, his Sharingan flared up briefly, before his eyes turned back to their usual charcoal black.
Kakashi tapped his chin. "I'd advise all of you to find some kind of hobby while I'm gone. Something to relax..."
He ignored their incredulous looks and explained, "No matter what they taught you at the academy... your first kill will make you question a lot of your beliefs. I found that a hobby helps to retain your sanity at least somewhat while you're doing such contemplations."
… and what a fucking hypocrite I am, Kakashi thought morbidly.
None of his perverted books had prevented his descend into the abyss – then again, he desperately wanted each of these three to be so much more than him, to be so much better.
Maybe they would succeed where he failed.
"Anyway, that's all, " Kakashi said at last. "We'll meet again in six days and go on our first C-ranked mission – make sure you're ready for it."
Naruto fiddled with the strings that bound the blue piece of armor to his right shoulder until Sakura swatted his hands away. His face was set in a frown, even though no word of protest escaped him.
Sometimes – he had found out recently – there were times when arguing didn't solve anything and simply created more trouble than it was really worth. His attire of choice was one such matter, unfortunately.
The orange jumpsuit, it wasn't all he had to wear, not by a wide margin, but it was the outfit he had felt the most comfortable in. In a time when he still strove relentlessly for the acknowledgment of the villagers – before he became a shinōbi – it had quickly become his favorite.
It simply didn't get much more obnoxious and colorful than orange... and attention, even of a different kind than what he originally planned for, had always been welcome.
He liked his jumpsuit. Otherwise he wouldn't have run around in it for so long... attention, not a bad amount of protection either – there was a reason, after all, why the jumpsuit had been so bulky.
Still, while it was everything he had needed to make it through as a child, the situation had changed drastically once he donned his Hitai-ate. In the eyes of his village he had become an adult and now was expected to shoulder all the responsibilities this advancement entailed.
Things like respectability and reliability suddenly mattered so much more... was it a wonder then, after all the revelations of the last few months, that he didn't have it in him anymore to argue?
Now, he simply endured – the embodiment of a shinōbi, he thought amused – and gave Sakura full reigns over his future wardrobe.
Naruto wasn't surprised when she mostly went with black and different shades of gray. A few additional white tapes to secure the hems of his pants and shirts – which also served as emergency bandages in the field – some mesh interlaced in the sturdy fabric, and quite a lot of pouches to hold all the equipment he might need.
He looked at his left shoulder and couldn't decide whether to grimace or smile. The blue shoulder plate looked pretty awesome, which definitely was a reason to smile... but, it was the only piece of his attire that could be even remotely called colorful – and even that was up for debate with its shade of dark blue.
Naruto settled for sighing which Sakura could interpret as a mixture of both. He didn't understand the hype, not really.
If a hostile shinōbi was truly dedicated to finding him, then what different would it make what he wore? After six months with Kakashis-sensei, Sakura and Sasuke he knew that visual inputs could be faked on so many ways... it was – although still important – one of the lesser used ways to hunt for enemies.
The hearing for close range, chakra sensing for mid range, and smell for targets far away. Eyes, Naruto found, were mostly used as supplementary tools in the hunt. Especially when it came to shinōbi who knew how to cover their tracks.
Then again, Kakashi's speech about attire and Konoha's image made sense. The Jōnin would know why he ordered it. After all, Naruto had barely made it to the rank of Genin while his sensei appeared to be some verified genius.
The single magatama that dangled from his right ear was something that Sasuke came up with, surprisingly. It was made of black jade and would have completely busted Naruto's budget had he paid for it himself. Sasuke simply rattled off some bank-account number and wordlessly gave it to him.
Naruto tapped his fingers against his belt and grinned. He had long and hard thought about what kind of hobby he'd pursue... watering flowers out in the field was out of question after all.
… and to the consternation of his teammates, he simply adopted the hobby of a man he respected above everyone else – a pipe with a long and straight wooden stem hung from his belt; the pouch next to it was filled with some tobacco he had chosen himself – whether it was good one or not, he couldn't say. He didn't trust the merchant, so he'd simply mark it as an experiment.
The Hokage had a terrible sense of fashion when it came to pipes, Naruto found. The weird, curved design of the old man's pipe was atrocious...
When he had told Sakura and Sasuke... both still making a big secret about their hobbies, they hadn't been pleased. Well, he easily calmed them down with ration arguments.
And wasn't that ironic for a guy like Uzumaki Naruto? In the end, his biju would heal any damage he received from his new vice.
His gaze wandered over to the Uchiha and his lips quirked upward.
The lazy bastard had simply walked into his clan's armory, took the damaged armor of his greatest ancestor – a guy named Malaria, or something – and brought it to a capable smith who repaired and fitted it for him.
In his opinion, Sasuke still needed to grow a bit into the outfit, but it looked professional and dangerous nonetheless.
Most wouldn't pay attention to the detail, but after receiving his own magatama Naruto easily spotted where Sasuke kept his. It dangled from a thin necklace that was secured beneath the blood-red armor.
In comparison to her teammates, Sakura had changed the least out of the three – at least as far as he could see it. Her dress stayed mostly the same, although she was missing the pants she had worn beneath it. What stood out though, was her hair which had been shortened a bit – not too much – and now was pulled up in a ponytail.
The band that safely secured her choice of hairdo was a small leather band with a single magatama used as a clip.
Naruto definitely found it interesting that it was Sasuke who brought forth the idea of somewhat declaring their allegiance to their demonic sensei.
In the last six months they had gone through hell and back – as far as they could perceive it at least – and although they had thought about running away many times, in the end Kakashi did what he had promised them.
They became strong. Not the strongest, as their sensei liked to remind them brutally, but so much stronger than they had been before.
Naruto didn't know about the other two, but he still sometimes felt like he was dreaming when he compared his current level of skill with that of his younger self from six months ago. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined such a dramatic increase was possible.
It was though, and their Jōnin-sensei had been the one to pull it out, kicking and screaming.
Despite everything that happened... he had come to like his teacher. Naruto was sure his teammates felt the same.
They had decided to honor him somehow, and then Sasuke came up with the idea of three magatamas, each symbolizing one of the three tomoe in their sensei's fully matured Sharingan.
Not many would understand what the magatamas stood for, but that was fine. They only ones who needed to know, already knew it.
… and Kakashi; well the guy was the premier master of looking underneath the underneath.
He would find out, eventually.
Birds chirped cheerfully, the hustling and bustling on the streets below echoed through the opened windows, and the soft rustling of Konoha's mighty trees reached the Hokage's ears. Sarutobi smiled and lit his pipe with a small flame from his index finger. Soon, the soothing scent of his favorite tobacco wafted through the office.
He smiled some more.
The day had started like any other for the Hokage. He had completed his daily work-out regime as soon as the Sarutobi clan's retainer woke him. Then he went straight to his office, and through sheer will, determination and perseverance, he even managed to finish a lion's share of his daily paperwork.
That was the reason why he now stood in the mission office – rather lounging than standing, really – and amused himself with the distraught faces of freshly minted Genin who abhorred D-ranked missions.
Iruka sat on a table next to him and shuffled through a few papers and mission scrolls. The poor Chūnin had an outstanding percentage of completed missions ranging from D-ranked to B-ranked; even two A-ranked missions could be found in his files... still, he never got a pause.
People like him, who basically embodied the Hi no Ishi, were hard to come by. The Hokage was more than happy that he had such a dependable, and most of all, incorruptible shinōbi spear heading his administration. At least for the next few weeks until it was once again the time for a new class of students to be educated.
Sarutobi glanced at a calendar on Iruka's table. He hadn't forgotten Kakashi's dangerous gamble – how could he... the man was an Elite Jōnin of his village after all.
When the door to the room opened again though and a new Team was ushered in by a secretary, the crooked stem of his pipe nearly slipped out of his mouth. With his supreme experience and reflexes, the Hokage managed to bite down and anchor the pipe securely in his mouth. The short expression of surprise wasn't visible on his aged face for longer than a split second.
Team 7 had come back.
What in Kami-sama's name...
A short look to his favorite administrative Chūnin showed him that the man wasn't as adept at disguising his surprise. It was understandable though. Iruka hadn't seen Naruto in over six months, and the changes Kakashi had wrought in the blond were nothing short of astonishing.
Now, standing at a respectable height and moving with a surprising grace, Naruto showed himself to be – once again – the most unpredictable shinōbi in his forces. The blue shoulder plate gleamed in the light of the office, clashing a bit with the tan skin of the blond.
"I see that you finished your six months of training," Sarutobi said and offered each Genin a warm smile while secretly observing them.
He nearly choked on his spit when he saw the heir of the Uchiha clan. Sarutobi had been very young when he met Madara, but he would never be able to forget the blood-red armor the man had favored... the same armor that now shielded Uchiha Sasuke from attacks – as fitting as it might seem, it also disturbed him to a certain degree.
The Hokage tipped his hat slightly as he saw a knowing glint in Sasuke's eyes.
The boy knew exactly what kind of memories the armor had evoked... cheeky brat.
He looked toward the Haruno and was glad to see that the girl had made her usual wardrobe more efficient. It definitely pleased him to see the well-hidden senbon and knives nearly everywhere on her body... most Genin, even a few Chūnin would never notice them before it was too late.
Then, at last, he looked back to Kakashi and nearly did a double take. The man hadn't really changed... outwardly. But there was something off about him. Something, the Hokage was sure, hadn't been there before. He closed his eyes for a moment and directed all his senses toward the Jōnin, nearly recoiling when the information came back to him.
The man still had his slouching posture, still looked just as lazy as ever... but his chakra was a completely different story. It was more refined, more dangerous. Now more than ever, the Yondaime's student felt like a weapon of mass destruction.
It seemed that Kakashi hadn't just tortured his students, but had also put himself through a new training regime – a regime that gave him back the edge he had lost after the third war ended.
That and more...
"Yes, Hokage-sama. Team 7 is more than ready to receive a C-ranked mission," Kakashi replied.
Iruka looked like he wanted to say something, but the Chūnin obviously bit his tongue and kept it to himself. If an Elite-Jōnin like Kakashi and the Sandaime Hokage endorsed a C-ranked mission for Team 7, who was he to argue?
Still, Iruka worried about the three Genin. Not too long ago they had been his charges... he shook his head and got rid of those thoughts. They were shinōbi now – proud soldiers of the leaf.
"Very well," Sarutobi said and went over to the large stack of scrolls; he pulled out one from the C-ranked shelf. "This should promise to be a good one..."
"What is it, Hokage-sama?"
Sarutobi smiled. "The Merchant guild of Eigyou Tokai has asked for a two weeks-long surveillance of their most used trade route. Follow the road and do occasional sweeps of five miles into every direction – that should satisfy the mission contract."
Kakashi nodded and quickly signed his name on the mission board. This C-rank was now, officially, theirs to handle. He glanced at his team and gave them an eye-smile, before turning back to the Hokage who still indulged in his tobacco.
"By your leave, Hokage-sama."
Sarutobi nodded, and watched as Team 7 walked out of the office in an orderly fashion. As soon as the door closed however, his smile changed from a joyous upturned one into a grim, thin line.
Missions like the one he had just sent Kakashi's team on were often times given out to more experienced Genin teams as they would most likely encounter some resistance in the form of bandits, mercenaries, and other thugs.
Sarutobi sighed. He knew that he he had just sent Team 7 out to get their first kills, to become truly blooded by the harsh and cruel world outside of Konoha's walls. Then, the softness in his expression vanished and his countenance became harsh.
Team 7 would have to endure a lot with the special attention he payed them now... but, Kami-sama willing, they would emerge stronger than ever from it. After all, it was Kakashi's team he wanted to entrust the future of Konoha to... until then, he would have to keep the Kage's seat occupied.
"So..." Naruto stared at his teammates. The Genin of Team 7 stood outside the mission office. Kakashi had left them the second the Hokage had ended the meeting, ordering them to be prepared for the next day.
At eight-o'clock in the morning, they would leave from Konoha's southern gate.
"So what?" Sasuke asked, looking at his teammate quizzically.
"What are we going to do? Night's still ways off..." Naruto answered.
"Training?" Sakura said, playing with a short knife in her hand. She balanced it on her fingertip with chakra. Then, she sent out a small pulse, sending the knife flying through the air until it landed expertly on another fingertip.
It was a decent control exercise, although she did it more for the benefit of expanding her knife-skills. There was no telling when those would come in handy.
"We trained for the last six months," Naruto said. Then his stomach rumbled and he smiled sheepishly. "Well, I guess that solves it for me. I'm gonna get me some food."
He was about to jump away, when Sakura's iron grip closed around the fabric of his jumpsuit and anchored him to the ground. "Not so fast... you want to eat Ramen, don't you?"
"Eh... perhaps?"
Sakura shared a knowing look with her other teammate.
"I know a decent tea-shop in the area. We can get something to eat there and plan the mission," Sasuke muttered.
Despite Naruto's obvious appetite for Ramen, he quickly acquiesced and Team 7 as a whole agreed on eating in the tea-shop Sasuke had in mind. The distance was quickly, and quietly covered while jumping over the village's rooftops.
For a moment Naruto feared that he wouldn't be allowed into the establishment, but he rid himself of such doubts. Konoha's residents had never acknowledged him, but they hadn't been cruel either. Indifference hurt. It wasn't a crime however.
Pebbles crunched under their sandals as they abandoned the roofs and landed in front of the tea-shop. Sasuke returned the reverent greetings of the service with a nod and led his teammates inside where they seated themselves on large, colorful cushions around a small, flat table.
Naruto fell deeper into his cushion and took in the interior of the shop while Sakura and Sasuke ordered tea and different dishes. He frowned, and patted the small pouch on his utility belt that had replaced Gama-chan.
Hopefully he had enough money to pay for the food in such an establishment...
The time it took for their orders to be filled was spent in somewhat awkward silence. They looked at each other, but couldn't really bring themselves to start a conversation with meaningless smalltalk.
Naruto suddenly grinned. He exhaled loudly. "What a masterful combination of conversationalists we turn out to be, eh?"
Sakura arched an eyebrow sceptically, and allowed her lips to form into a cynical smirk. "Someone's been looking through a dictionary..."
"Hn."
Luckily, the consensus that they all sucked at meaningless conversation turned out to be a perfect way to bridge over the awkwardness and just relax until the tea came.
Sasuke looked over to his teammates and shook his head. It were the weirdest moments that led them to bond as a team... s
They drank their tea in silence and ate until they were reasonably full, before Sakura started a meaningful conversation.
"So, the mission..." she trailed off, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
Sasuke had nothing to contribute, really, and was surprised when Naruto suddenly started to spout information.
"Eigyou Tokai... that's a reasonably large trading hub... around 60 miles south of Konoha. They make the most income from providing resting places for the caravans that come from the ocean towns."
Sakura looked at the blond. "That's pretty specific information."
"The head-adviser had me memorizing the most important places in Hi no Kuni," Naruto replied. A bit of venom entered his voice when he thought about the deceitful adviser.
"... if this information is accurate, then we should have it pretty easy. Kakashi said that the mission spans over two weeks – one to reach the village and one to return," Sasuke said.
"Not even ten miles a day," Sakura replied. "Theoretically, we don't even have to run. A normal walk alongside the road will do."
Naruto listened to his teammates and smiled contently as he emptied his cup of tea. "Don't forget that we have to make sweeps every five miles. We'll definitely take to the trees there."
"Do you think we'll encounter hostiles?" Sakura asked.
Naruto scratched his chin. "Who knows? I guess we'll encounter something. They wouldn't have asked for a team otherwise."
"True."
They sat for another hour and planned a few contingencies as well as how they would handle the sweeps. When it slowly became dark outside, Naruto reached hesitantly for his purse, wondering how much the nice evening out with his teammates would cost him.
Sasuke noticed his teammate's movements and simply glanced at him, shaking his head. "We're not paying. This tea-shop stands on Uchiha owned land."
At exactly 8 am on the next morning Team 7 set out toward Eigyou Tokai. They walked leisurely alongside the road – which was coincidentally the trade route they had to protect – but none of them talked overly much.
As they traveled the route for the next few days they caught many wanderers staring at them. It was understandable, really. The chance to actually see shinōbi walking on a road when they had no client to protect was pretty slim. Not to mention that their outfits alone made them stand out.
Team 7 though paid those stares no mind and took the slow march as a very welcomed vacation – one that even their evil sensei wouldn't deny them. To further their level of relaxation, they also had the luck that it had rained in the area. Every six miles, Naruto easily managed to created two Mizu Bunshin and sent them to sweep the area.
During the evenings, after Sakura successfully cooked and seasoned whatever Sasuke had hunted, Team 7 listened to their sensei as he regaled them with stories from his missions during the war and after.
It was curious. Kakashi seldom gave them direct advice; rather, he told them a story and let them reason it through on their own.
Along the line, seeing a part of the Jōnin's mask form into a satisfied smile, had become important to the Genin.
Somehow...
Kakashi was still an evil bastard – that, each of them agreed on.
It wasn't as if the Hatake denied it. In fact, he relished in the view his Genin had of him as it provided a never ending source of entertainment.
On their fourth day, Team 7 came upon a sight that made all thoughts about vacation redundant. Their eyes widened as they took in the toppled food cart on the road. Dozens of arrows were sticking in its wooden rails, and a few throwing knives were lying in the mud.
There was no trace of the owner.
"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked.
The three Genin stood at attention and awaited their orders just as he had drilled it into their heads.
"Naruto, Sasuke... secure the perimeter – be careful and don't damage the trails," Kakashi ordered.
Then, he turned to his pink-haired Genin. "Sakura, come with me. Let's find out if we can get some hints from the cart."
Three short nods later, the two boys vanished into the woods and Kakashi made his way over to the cart, followed closely by Sakura. The Jōnin gave his female student some time to look over the battlefield while he concluded his own investigation.
Sakura circled the cart, but found nothing that hinted toward the work of shinōbi. "I don't think the attackers were more than thugs, Sensei."
She crouched down and looked at the hundreds of footprints. "They quickly overwhelmed the merchant. It doesn't look like a great fight took place. The group's twenty, maybe thirty men strong."
"No great fight... despite all the arrows and knives?" Kakashi asked. He had come to the same conclusion, but wanted to hear his student's reasoning.
Sakura shook her head to the negative and answered, "Those were most likely methods to scare the merchant into quick compliance, nothing more."
Kakashi would have prodded further, but was cut off when Naruto and Sasuke returned, appearing in front of them.
"We secured the perimeter. No hostiles in the immediate area," Naruto reported.
"There's a trail we can follow though," Sasuke added.
The Jōnin frowned, but then nodded. "Right. Our objectives have changed for the moment – we follow the trail, secure the goods, and if there are survivors in captivity we try to rescue them."
Kakashi looked into the woods and finally put away his Icha Icha. "Kongouseki Formation: Sasuke, front! Naruto, right! Sakura, left! I'll take the rear."
The instructions were answered with an unified Hai from his Genin, and within seconds Team 7 vanished into the forest. They followed the rather obvious trails in silence. Until, after approximately five hours, they came to halt on a thick branch several dozen feet away from a small encampment.
"Those are our targets. Any plans?" Kakashi asked, crouching next to his students.
Sasuke, who was completely shrouded in shadows standing next to the large tree trunk, answered, "We need to know if the merchant's still alive."
"And how do you plan on getting that knowledge?"
The Uchiha frowned. "We sneak in, kill the guards and search the tents."
"That's a possibility," Kakashi said, then looked at each member of his team. "If we do this, then those will be your first kills. Whatever happens... don't freeze. You can be sick after we cleaned up."
They looked a bit squeamish – even Sasuke – but they would have to kill sooner or later, Kakashi had told them that early on.
"Go," he whispered fiercely.
The plan was sound and two minutes later, three small shadows crept through the night, unseen by the guards until their throats were cleanly slit. It was the first kill for each of them, but as their sensei had said – being sick had to come later.
Team 7 sneaked through the camp once the guards were dead and carefully looked into the tents. In the sixth one, they finally found what they had been looking for.
The body of a dead man clothed in wealthy silks.
Sakura took a short whiff of the body and whispered, "Smells like herbs and costly spices. That's the merchant alright."
They slowly walked out of the tent, which was empty aside from the corpse and some provisions, and assembled in front of their Jōnin-sensei who was standing next to the small fire pit in the middle of the camp.
"What now?" Naruto whispered.
Kakashi looked around the camp and sighed; his next order would completely blood his Team.
"Permission to use Ninjutsu granted... eliminate them," he whispered back.
Immediately, the battle started.
Sasuke raced through the seals for the Uchiha's most prized technique. He jumped into the air, targeting two of the tents.
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu."
A stream of fire left his mouth, forming into a large ball of searing destruction, burning everything in its path to cinders. Screams resounded in the forest.
Sasuke landed in a crouch, one hand around the hilt of his sword. He pumped chakra through his legs, then jumped at the first person to leave a tent. He stabbed his sword through the gut of his victim; a sickening noise echoed in his ears.
He leaned back to avoid a pair of thrown knives, retaliating with a fistful of shuriken. They hit his unknown assailant between the eyes.
More mercenaries exited the tents, and he was once more engaged in combat. The first man wasn't prepared for his attack. He held his innards in his hands a split second later.
Sasuke evaded the wild slashes of the others, looping strands of wire around them. With a tug, it fastened itself around their bodies. He put the wire between his teeth, formed a seal, watched as electric currents traveled alongside the wire.
To his right, two more were coming. A moment later, he buried his sword in an enemy again, and speckles of blood carpeted his face.
Even before Sasuke woke the whole camp, Naruto had prepared the battlefield and made it advantageous for him. His Ninjutsu lacked the necessary oomph that Sasuke's fireball had... at least when it came to the smaller techniques.
That didn't mean however that it was useless. After six months of constant use, he had finally gotten the hang of manipulating certain aspects of his small water stream.
Grinning, he raced through the seals.
"Suitōn: Semai Mizushuuha!" Naruto whispered and spat out a small but constant stream of water in front of a few tents. It took a lot of control, but he manipulated the liquid to be as slick as possible.
Then Sasuke's fireball announced the battle, and without fail, every bandit that stepped out of the tents Naruto had chosen as his own slipped up in the puddles of liquid. Some fell down, some managed to hold onto something – but all were completely off-balance.
Naruto gripped two kunai tightly and his expression was one of grim resolve, before – in a flurry of motions – he began his bloody work.
A kunai in each hand, he hacked and slashed his way through the bandits that had yet to grasp the futility of staying on their feet.
Sakura knew that Sasuke and Naruto would be greedy the moment the slaughter had started. It was an aspect of being boys, she assumed with a sigh. Then again, it wasn't as if she complained that she only had two tents with inhabitants to eliminate.
Holding her hands in the Ne-seal, she whispered, "Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu."
It took a bit more concentration, but with her control she easily managed to layer the Genjutsu twofold over both tents, affecting the bandits within even harder.
Two seconds later, the first screams erupted from the tents and thugs piled out, clutching their heads and begging for forgiveness. In the ensuing chaos, she slit their throats. She had always thought of herself as a strong kunoichi, especially after Kakashi's training. Yet, she took no pleasure in ending a life.
It was so easy... and absolutely disgusting. The disgust however was counter-balanced by a morbid thrill that sent shivers down her spine. Even as a – in her own words – delicate woman, Sakura felt blood lust gnawing at her senses.
She noticed incoming projectiles from three bandits that came out of the woods – apparently they had taken a stroll, or something... Sakura weaved between the arrows while her hand went into her pouch.
A quickly thrown kunai wrapped in a Kibakufuda later, and an explosion ripped the three archers apart.
Kakashi observed his charges with a critical eye. It saddened him that they had to make their first kills so soon, but in the end it was inevitable. Then he narrowed his eyes and chided himself. He had promised the Hokage and more importantly himself to make this team into a squad of legends.
There was no time for pity.
But, there was a time for pride... and he was filled with plenty of that as he watched his Genin use simple D-ranked techniques to take down scores of enemies. It was exactly the proficiency he had hoped for after he drilled it into them that every Jutsu could be deadly if in the hands of a master.
Especially Naruto's manipulation of the water's properties... a work of art that one.
He eyed the pink-haired girl of his team and his eye gleamed. Kurenai hadn't started to layer her Genjutsu until she made Chūnin... ah, he just knew that bragging rights were imminent.
Not to forget Sasuke's wire techniques in combination with such a weak lightning Jutsu...
… somehow he started to really like his team.
A lonely bandit saw him standing next to the fire pit, seemingly lost in thought and decided to attack him. Two lazily thrown shuriken later and the Jōnin could – once again – contemplate his students in peace.
Well, as peaceful as standing in a river of blood could be...
Roughly five minutes after Kakashi had permitted the use of lethal force, the Genin of Team 7 assembled in front of their leader. The Jōnin made a quick survey searching for injuries, but when he found none he easily ignored their bloody appearance.
It wasn't their blood. That's all that mattered.
"Good job," Kakashi said and went over to the one, still standing, tent.
A moment later he exited it with the corpse of the merchant and sealed the dead body inside a small scroll. "Come morning we'll continue our travels. The body will be given to the authorities... at least he can get a proper burial."
Kakashi looked at his charges and frowned. It was clear that now, as the adrenalin lessened, the emotional burden of becoming killers settled in. The three children held themselves up heroically, but he saw that they were tired.
"There's a small river three miles to the east. Wash up and get some rest... I'll do the clean-up."
They nodded tiredly and vanished into the woods, leaving their Jōnin-sensei alone in the destroyed camp.
Kakashi scratched his chin thoughtfully. He could have forced them to stay and help him – it surely would have hardened them even more... then again, perhaps killing dozens of people was enough hardening for a single day.
Even a magnificent bastard like himself could show compassion once in a while.
He produced three Kage Bunshin and threw the 34 thugs his team had slaughtered into one large pile. Then, he raced through fourteen hand seals and smashed his palms on the ground. His effort was rewarded with a foreboding rumbling beneath his feet, and soon the whole camp – corpses included – was swallowed up by mother earth.
The sound of retching and the rancid smell of puke permeated the surrounding area of the river where the Genin of Team 7 temporarily tried to get their bearings. It hadn't taken longer than a few seconds after they arrived, before both Sakura and Naruto became so sick that they threw up.
Naruto looked over to his pink-haired teammate, a grimace of pain, self-doubt and disgust plastered over is face. He crawled over to her after he was sure that he had chucked up the last bits of his breakfast and gentle held her ponytail out of the way.
The girl looked terrible. He didn't give a shit about her looks though, only her pain mattered at the moment. Tears leaked out of her eyes by the buckets, her own stomach contents were randomly splattered over her dress, she was drenched in blood and her nose was running...
Sakura, who had been so accepting of his burden... this was no simple crush anymore. He loved her, in some way at least. Whether as a sister or as a romantic interest, he didn't know. All he knew was that she needed him now.
He quickly gathered her up in his arms, feeling her chest heave with each sob that escaped her.
"Shh, Sakura. It'll be okay... you'll see," he whispered into her ear, and continued to whisper other whimsical things while rocking her gently.
Then his eyes fell on the Uchiha on their team and he definitely didn't like what he saw. Sasuke sat in the grass, looking completely lost. His face was so drenched in blood that Naruto only saw the eyes – still in their Sharingan form.
Naruto concentrated a bit more and saw that in Sasuke's left eye, a second tomoe had been added to the black wheel.
Under different circumstances this would have been something to celebrate with his teammates.
Crap, Naruto thought and cursed furiously in his mind. This was the worst time ever for Sasuke's Sharingan to evolve. As far as he had understood it from what the Uchiha told them, the second tomoe added the ability of a photographic memory to the Sharingan.
Depending on when the second tomoe had appeared, Sasuke most likely branded most of the slaughter into his mind.
The Uchiha's eyes were glazed over as if he existed in a completely different world. Randomly, nearly looking like spasms, his fists clenched and unclenched.
"Bastard!" Naruto shouted over, hoping to bring his teammate out of his funk.
It didn't work.
"Bastard!" He tried again with no success.
Damn it...
"Sakura... can you hear me?" Naruto asked gently, once again whispering into the pink-haired girl's ear.
"H-Hai," Sakura answered, visibly trying and failing to gather herself.
"We have to help the Bastard," Naruto explained quietly. "He's in some kind of personal hell. His Sharingan evolved during the fight..."
"You mean..." Sakura asked, despite her own state quickly connecting the dots.
"Yes. Come, I'll carry you over to him."
"I... I can walk," Sakura said, suppressing another sob that threatened to escape.
Within seconds, both were in front of their black-haired teammate and their worry only grew.
Sasuke was still clenching his fists and muttered incoherent strings of words, "Easy... so easy... like him. Just like him... so, so easy..."
"Bastard, snap out of it!" Naruto gripped Sasuke's shoulder, but got no response.
"Sasuke," he tried again.
Nothing.
Then the famed Uzumaki temper set in and with a quick slap, Sasuke's head shot side-ways. The Sharingan receded and the Uchiha's eyes focused on his teammates.
"Dobe..." Sasuke murmured. He quickly centered himself and saw both his teammates looking at him with worry. "I- I'm fine. Don't worry."
"Don't bullshit us, Sasuke," Naruto replied.
Sasuke was surprised. It was a very rare occurrence that the blond called him by his name; and the way in which he did it... was peculiar. A stern – Sasuke hesitated to call it aura – something surrounded Naruto.
"... you heard me?" Naruto asked, ripping Sasuke away from his contemplations.
For a second there, Naruto had looked like a a person with authority to him – like a leader of men; and while Sasuke still wasn't sure if Naruto would manage his dream of becoming the Hokage, he suddenly had a lot less reservations about his clan serving under the man Naruto could potentially become.
"I had flashbacks. That's all," Sasuke explained tiredly. He didn't want want to explain the matter even more... then he saw that the blond still wasn't convinced and forced himself to continue.
They were his teammates now. They deserved as much...
"I had flashbacks to Itachi, my brother," Sasuke spat out. "The kills... they were so easy. Just like it's been easy for him to murder them..."
No one needed to ask who he meant with 'them'. The Uchiha massacre, as horrible as it was, was a well documented occurrence that could be found in most recent history books.
The only information new to Naruto, and which nearly made him choke, was that Uchiha Itachi had been Sasuke's big brother. He always thought that Sasuke's survival had been some lucky coincidence... but if it was his own brother...
Fuck, he cursed. What else could go wrong in their shitty lives? He looked over to Sakura and suddenly got the bad feeling that she, too, had a darker secret stashed somewhere.
Then he looked back to the Uchiha and his grip on Sasuke's shoulders became more firm. The boy had been sitting somewhat sideways to him while he explained, but now Naruto forced Sasuke to look at him.
Blue eyes bored into black.
"You're not alone, Sasuke," Naruto began and silenced the Uchiha with a single intense look as he wanted to protest. "Listen. You're not alone. We're here too, and we're your friends. I swear on my dream and ambition – we will find your brother and we will help you to kill him."
Sakura who had been listening the whole time, placed her hands over Naruto's. "Trust in us, Sasuke. We'll help you. That's what a team does... what a family does, right?"
"I-" Sasuke began, then stopped.
Naruto had never seen so much emotions in the stoical Uchiha as he now saw flickering through those onyx eyes.
After a second, the usual crafted facade of Sasuke was up again. Nonetheless, his lips turned upward minimally into a true, real smile as he spoke,"Thank you."
The last few days until they reached Eigyou Tokai were spend in ruminative silence as each of Kakashi's students dealt with the aftermath of the slaughter.
Well, not completely silent. While Kakashi was surprised to see Naruto smoking pipe – the boy had been ever so quick to introduce the literal hammer 'I've got a biju to heal me' into their conversation – he was even more surprised by the hobbies his other two charges had chosen for themselves.
Especially Sasuke. Never in a million years would he have thought that he'd ever see the cold, indifferent Uchiha play on a flute. His songs wavered between sad and angry, but were nonetheless played with a skill that could only be attributed to a master of his instrument.
The impeding questions, Sasuke quelled with a single sentence that nonetheless revealed more about the prodigy than anything else had ever done before.
… my mother taught me.
It was clear to everyone else on Team 7 that he had never stopped practicing – even after the massacre. Sasuke it seemed, had found a way of coping with traumas far earlier than anyone of them expected.
Next to her male teammates' outlandish hobbies, Sakura decided to keep it simple. She walked next to her teacher and read a trashy romance novel, having asked him for pointers in walking while reading a few hours ago.
From time to time she stumbled a bit, but it seemed as if she got better quite quickly.
On the eight day of their official mission, they arrived at the local merchant's guild and gave them a short summary of what happened as well as the unsealed remains of their kinsman and fellow trader.
Kakashi refused the offer to spend the night in the city and quickly ushered his charges back into the treetops.
The quicker they were back in Konoha, the better.
Used/Mentioned Jutsu:
Suitōn: Semai Mizushuuha – Small stream of water (D-ranked once again – you should know this one by now :P)
Suitōn: Mizubunshin no Jutsu – Water Clone (C-ranked Jutsu)
Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu – Hell-viewing Illusion (D-ranked Genjutsu)
Magen: Kori Shinchū no Jutsu – Lets a person wander through an area repeatedly (C-ranked Genjutsu)
Katōn: Gōkakyū no Jutsu – Fireball (C-ranked)
Katōn: Hōsenka no Jutsu – Lots of small fireballs (C-ranked)