Fates Web
Chapter Six: The Bell Test
Author Notes: Hey everyone. Sorry for the late release. I caught a cold and it put me behind schedule.
III = Interlude/ character perspective switch.
Bold text = Inner voice/ something important speaking.
There will be no crossovers, or characters from other shows.
Naruto walked down the street at a sedate pace. He had just left the academy and his new team.
When he arrived at his destination he groaned. "*Sigh* ." Waiting outside the flower shop a girl in pink hair and red dress was animatedly talking to Ino Yamanaka.
He stopped in front in front of the shop as the two girls turned to face him.
"Huh Naruto?" Said the pink haired one.
Ino looked over and her features softened in understanding.
He nodded, "Haruno, Yamanaka", And stepped inside.
Yasaka Yamanaka, Ino's mother, was behind the counter.
The woman looked at him with sad eyes, "Naruto it's been so long", said Ino's mother.
He gave a faint smile, "It has, hasn't it?"
Yasaka pulled out a bouquet of white roses."
"It's been trying times for you, hasn't it dear?"
"It has."
He turned to leave and went to the one place he felt at peace.
III
Naruto walked out of his apartment, not bothering to lock his door. The villagers just broke it down anyway when they knew he was gone.
He picked his head up at the rising sun. He still had some time to kill before his chronically late Sensei would head over to their meet up.
Naruto decided to just wander around the village, ignoring the cold hate-filled glares from civilians and shinobi alike. If it weren't for the few precious people that cared for him, he most likely would have snapped and destroyed the village, or would have been killed in the process.
Meanwhile, a certain Uchiha with duck butt hair was desperately trying to shake off his horde of fangirls.
"Damnit can anyone help me?!" Sasuke yelped.
At this exact moment Sasuke came to a crossroad and noticed a flash of orange in his peripheral vision.
'Is that?'
Sasuke smirked having an faint idea of what was about to transpire.
A shadow fell over the street making the horde of fangirls gasp. The shadow descended, smothering all those caught within in a fresh coat of bright orange paint.
"EEK!"
"Naruto!"
The aforementioned boy jumped down from a rooftop and landed next to the Uchiha avenger. Naruto gave the girls a cheeky smile.
"I thought I told you girls to stay away from my friend?"
"Oh yeah and what are you gonna do about it?" Asked one of the rabid fans.
He cackled, "Remember that time I dropped laxatives in Mizuki Sensei's food and he was missing for a week?"
The girls paled and promptly walked away.
Naruto turned to the people who were watching him, seeing none other than his new teammates; Dai and the Last Uchiha
"Hey guys", Naruto nodded to them.
"Wow, you totally scared those weird girls off" Dai said.
Sasuke offered a relieved look of gratitude. Mentally however he was checked out. 'What's your secret? How do you scare them off?'
Naruto gave a close-eyed laugh, "It's nothing really!"
"We should head over to the training ground in case Kakashi is actually on time." Sasuke interrupted. They were already two hours past the time their Sensei had told them to arrive and he didn't want to piss the enigmatic man off more than necessary if he actually arrived when he said he would.
They traveled to the to the empty training grounds and walked into the middle of the small grassy field. Naruto sat down against an old Sakura tree and closed his eyes.
Sasuke took his place next to Naruto and began munching on a tomato.
Dai shot an inquiring at the fresh vegetable, "What do you think will happen if Kakashi catch's you?"
Sasuke scoffed, "He advised us not to eat anything. He never said we couldn't."
Dai smirked, "In that case..." Poof.
The smoke wafted away revealing a bento box and a riceball with a can of apple juice.
Sasuke watched in stunned disbelief as the boy practically inhaled the food.
'How does he eat so fast?'
In seconds the food was gone and Dai burped loudly, rousing Naruto from his nap. Blue eyes peered from beneath blond locks with annoyance.
Sasuke focused on Naruto, "Did you eat anything?"
Naruto nodded, "I always eat before I leave."
Dai finishing down his juice guffawed, "You can always count on Naruto to have his morning ramen."
"Shut up Dai."
Minutes later a cloud of smoke erupted not too far away. The Genin jumped to their feet and took out Kunai.
Kakashi stepped out of the smoke with his favorite orange book in hand and waved, "Yo."
Naruto growled and pointed an accusing finger at Kakashi, "YOU'RE LATE!"
"Where were you?" Dai asked.
Kakashi eye smiled, "Well, I was on my way here when this little old lady needed help bringing her groceries home, and like the concerned citizen I am I had to help her, then some dastardly villain robbed a bank and I felt the need to intervene", said Kakashi enthusiastically.
Everyone just stared at the scarecrow in disbelief. "What kind of half assed excuse is that?" Naruto remarked.
Kakashi just smiled at them and showed them the clock he brought. He placed it on a tree stump in the middle of the training field. He turned to face his students, "Today's assignment is to take these bells away from me by noon," added Kakashi as he held out two silver bells and jingled them.
"The clock is set to noon. All you need to do to pass is to take these bells from me."
"But sensei, there are only two bells." Dai stated with a frown.
Kakashi nodded, "Only two of you will pass this test. The two that don't pass will be strapped to one of those poles." He gestured to one of the large wooden poles in the middle of the training ground. "And that person will have to watch the others eat." The masked man shrugged his shoulders.
"Then again, there's still the possibility that none of you will pass. In order to pass you must come at me with the intent to kill.
Dai gulped.
"Th-the intent to k-kill?"
Sasuke grit his teeth and nodded.
Naruto's eyes went blank and something dark flashed, before his face settled in a mask of goofish joy.
If Kakashi wasn't so experienced he would have missed it.
'What was that?'
Sasuke glared and scowled at Kakashi as he set the timer for one hour, "Begin!"
The three Genin disappeared into the surrounding foliage and Kakashi smiled as his students were fairly well hidden.
'This might not be such a bore after all' He thought taking out his signature orange book and began reading.
Naruto watching this from the trees sweat-dropped. 'Is he seriously reading at a time like this?'
Seven shuriken came flying out of the tree line. Kakashi lazily dodged the projectiles. One of them erupted in a poof of smoke, revealing Naruto.
"Got'Cha!"
Kakashi sighed, and here he was hoping Naruto would be smarter than this.
When Kakashi went to punch Naruto, the boy's backpack vanished in a hiss of smoke and revealed, another Naruto!
"Not so confident now huh?" The second Naruto jumped off his clones back and lunged for the Jounins throat.
"I have you!" Naruto rushed forward with a kunai in hand, but Kakashi disappeared and reappeared behind Naruto, the genin's wrist in his hand, "Don't get cocky kid. Although I guess it's good that you came at me with killing intent..."
Without any effort Kakashi slammed Naruto into the approaching clone and watched with a small amount of satisfaction as they 'clunked' and Naruto fell unconscious to the ground.
Kakashi snapped out of his thoughts to the sound of metal whistling through air. He gave an appreciative hum.
'Good Sasuke, but not good enough.'
Kakashi turned around and deflected the hail of Kunai with his own. Sasuke appeared in a fire shunshin and engaged him in a fast paced Taijutsu exchange that surprised Kakashi.
"Impressive for a fresh Genin."
But it wasn't good enough. Kakashi fought off the boy with only one arm and continued reading his orange book to Sasukes frustration.
"Stop mocking me!" Sasuke yelled.
Kakashi sighed and shrugged, "Alright then, have it your way." Kakashi put his book away and faced Sasuke with a stern gaze.
Sasuke began to sweat slightly.
'What is this feeling?!'
Kakashi vanished so fast Sasuke couldn't even see a blur.
Kakashi reappeared behind the last Uchiha, "Hidden Secret technique: A thousand years of death" Sasuke screamed as the Jounin jammed two pronged fingers up Sasukes rear and sent the boy flying.
"AAAAHHHH!"
Sasuke fell through the air and fell in a small stream with a loud splash.
The scream roused Naruto from his Kakashi induced Coma. Naruto groaned and his eyes flew open seeing the emasculated Uchiha fly through the air. 'Ouch'
Kakashi made to take out his Icha Icha again, but jumped to the side as a lightning bolt impacted the ground he previously stood on. The smell of Ozone and burnt grass filled the air.
'Impressive, he waited for me to let my guard down before attempting to take me out in a surprise attack.'
Dai stood a dozen meters away with hands held in the Snake sign, "Lightning Release: False Darkness", A bolt of lightning jumped from his hands and raced to find it's mark.
"A Genin knowing an elemental release?", Kakashi spoke, impressed.
Quickly the Elite ninja performed a series of hand signs, "Water Release: Water Wall" He opened his mouth and a deluge of water poured out, forming a rotating wall of water. The lightning impacted the rotating water and harmlessly dissipated.
Naruto a few meters away got to his feet, "Shadow Clone Jutsu", Hundreds of clones appeared in a huge cloud of smoke that hid everything from view."
Naruto mentally ordered his clones to begin an attack while he burrowed underground. The horde of Naruto's sprinted out of the smoke and began swarming their Sensei.
Kakashi seeing blinked, "How much chakra do you have?" He asked in disbelief.
Sasuke gawked as the Naruto swarm tried to engage Kakashi in a taijutsu battle. The Uchiha face-palmed and thought of a plan when he felt a presence behind him.
"Hey Bastard."
Sasuke turned around for a moment to see Naruto peaking up from a hole in the ground, "How about we team up? My clones can't hold him for long and we need those bells."
Sasuke looked skeptical, "Are you going to let Dai fail?"
"Nope!" He said without pause, "I have a plan but I need you to trust me ok."
Sasuke debated whether he should trust Naruto.
"Alright Dobe, but if this plan of yours gets me sent back to the academy I'm going to kill you." Sasuke begrudgingly agreed.
Naruto nodded once, "Ok, so here's the plan."
Kakashi dodged Dai's knife swipe and dispatched another Naruto doppelganger with practiced ease. His eyes grew heavy in boredom and he took out his favorite book once again. 'Oh Mitsuki you naughty girl.'
Two shadows fell on the man and he tensed.
"Fire style: Fireball Jutsu" A fireball the size of a dodge ball projected from Sasukes pinched lips and eagerly flew at the masked Cyclops.
Automatically the seasoned veteran used Kawarimi and left a poor log to burn to cinders in his place.
"Another elemental jutsu?" When this was over Kakashi was going to have a few choice words with the academy staff. None of the boys files mentioned the level of skill they were displaying.
Naruto burst from the ground, "I have you now!" Hands reached for Kakashi's heels.
"Think again."
Naruto gasped as his sensei slipped through his hands like oil. 'No way' He thought.
"Kai!" He yelled while making the RAM sign. His vision wavered before it was replaced with a maddening Taijutsu frenzy as Dai and Sasuke laid into the Jounin. Each time one faltered the other moved to cover each other.
Kakashi smiled beneath his mask in pride.
Naruto barreled at Kakashi and tried to punch him, but Kakashi slipped under his fist and stood behind him, all while reading, "Oh, you broke out of my genjutsu? Maybe you aren't hopeless after all."
Naruto growled and made to retaliate when Dai held him back, "Oi, don't let him get to you. He's trying to get you angry."
Naruto stopped struggling, "You're right. I got careless."
Sasuke appeared next to him and gave a small chortle, "Tell me what's new."
The two began arguing and Kakashi made up his mind. He had seen enough.
"Ok that's enough."
Everyone stopped as Kakashi spoke. The masked man cast them a proud eye, "You all pass."
Everyone's jaw dropped. Dai stuttered, "But we didn't get the bells."
Kakashi brought out the bells, "You never needed them. This test was designed to test your teamwork. "
"Does that mean we are a team now?" Dai asked.
"Yes, you all impressed me today."
Naruto wrapped his arms around Dai and Sasuke, pulling them in for a group hug.
"We did it guys! We're officially Genin!"
Everyone smiled and cheered. Even the normally brooding Sasuke developed a faint grin.
III
When Naruto came to his usual spot he stiffened.
Another figure stood ahead in front of a row of grave stones, except this one was special. The man turned and fixed him with a stare that could bring lesser men to their knees.
"Kyuubi Boy" The man uttered the word with such hatred that it sent chills down his spine.
Naruto scrunched his face in anger, "Yeah it's me. What are you doing here?"
Pale eyes glared at him, "Watch how you talk to a clan head boy, lest someone rip out that tongue of yours."
Naruto bit the inside of his cheek. 'Screw you.'
Hiashi Hyuuga looked down on him with a sneer. The clan head had seen better days. Dried sweat and grim covered his skin in a light sheen that reflected in the soft moonlight. The man's once well kept hair now had streaks of grey, and ran in long oiled locks down to his waist in an unkempt mess. Dark purple and black bags hung under the mans eyes, and his manic orbs fixed on the Uzumaki with vitriolic fervor.
The clan head growled, "I told you to never come here again ...demon."
Naruto couldn't help it. A sneer split his face, "And I told you to shove it up your ass."
In a flash Naruto was on his back with pale sweaty hands around his neck. "AAHK!"
Hiashi looked down on the choking boy with a manic laugh, "She was so close, I could see her." The sickly man leaned in until he was inch's away from Naruto's face, "Then you got her killed." He whispered.
Naruto tried to speak but his constricted airway prevented that. Hiashi smiled darkly, "I would have saved her if you didn't get in my way, now die!"
"Hiashi stop!" Came the commanding voice of the Hokage.
Naruto gasped for breath as the weight around his neck disappeared.
Hiashi looked at the irate Hokage with derision, "Hiruzen, what a surprise."
Hiruzen looked at the Hyuuga clan head with rage, "Don't pretend like I didn't see you choking Naruto, and that's Hokage-Sama to you, boy."
Naruto gulped. Gone were the soft understanding eyes and smile of his Jiji. The kindly old man who rocked him to sleep at night looked ready to kill. A heavy pressure weighed down on them and Hiashi reached for his throat as an invisible pressure choked the life from him.
Suddenly the man realized what he had just done and began sweating, "I a-am very sorry for irrational behavior Hokage-Sama." The man bowed on his hands and knees.
The Sandaime looked at the man with disgust, "Get out of my sight before I kill you."
Naruto watched as the Hyuuga head disappeared in shunshin, but not before he sent one last glare at Naruto.
He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"Thank's Jiji that was close"
The Sandaime leaned down to help him up, "Are you ok?" Worried eyes checked over him and hovered around his neck.
He nodded. Besides the dark purple bruise forming on his neck he would be ok.
The elder sighed in relief, "I warned you about going near that man."
"I know but I just wanted to take him down a peg." He pouted.
"Be that as it may I need you to keep your distance." Hiruzen looked at where the Hyuuga had left, "Hiashi isn't the man he used to be. Since sweet little Hinata passed the man has become unhinged." The Sandaime turned back to face him.
Naruto gulped, "I promise I'll stay away, but only because I don't want to give you more paperwork."
The old man smiled, "Perhaps one of these days I will let you help me with that paperwork." The man said with amusement.
"What, nuh-uh!" He shook his head, "I hate paperwork!"
"*Chuckle* Let's head to Ichiraku's", The Sandaime gave a grandfatherly pat on the head, "What say you?"
Flames appeared in the Uzumaki's eyes at the mention of the food of the gods.
"Yes, Ramen!"
The two left the cemetery laughing and sharing their latest stories.
Hiruzen laughed deeply as Naruto spoke of his new sensei and his unique behavior, 'It seems the will of fire is still strong in you Naruto. I can only hope you do not let life's tragedy's extinguish the good in you, unlike someone else I know.'