The quartet were waiting for their sensei to arrive at the training area and just like the last first time they had met, he was incredibly late. 3 hours and counting to be exact. "Our sensei is late again!" Naruto yelled in anger, he wanted to be a ninja now and not when he's 80.
"If you do something to occupy your time than it wouldn't seem so long!" Sakura yelled back in her annoyingly loud voice.
"So that was why you were drawing" Naruto commented, realisation flashing in his blue orbs.
"Yeah I love drawing" she looked over to Sasuke with a smug and love-struck expression "Do you love to draw Sasuke?"
"…sure" he replied slowly, not really knowing what to say to the strange girl. Feeling curious, Naruto went over to look at her picture
"Hey, that looks….uh…great!Yah great!" He knew that it was Sasuke by the spiky hair but…all the other parts just made the picture look deformed "Ow!" he yelled when Sakura punched him.
"Don't diss my picture!" she screamed and pressed her book to her chest.
"But I didn't!" he explained.
"You were thinking it!" she yelled.
"It was…a good start" Mieko offered, earning a glare from the pinkette.
"Oh yeah, let's see your drawing."
"What drawing?" she asked innocently, she didn't show anyone her drawing, not even Sasuke but he saw them anyway.
"Don't lie to me, show us the drawing you just finished" Mieko sighed and showed her picture to the group, it was a simple picture of a rose but it was heavily detailed, you could see the crinkles and the many layers of the petals. The shading was exquisite to the point that it was looked as though it was laying on the paper and not drawn on it. "…w-wow!" Sakura never knew Mieko was that good, she assumed she was mediocre and Sasuke was the better of the two.
"That is amazing Mieko!" Naruto looked at it with an awestruck expression.
"As always you do wonderful drawings" Sasuke commented with an impressed expression.
"I ahh t-thanks guys" Mieko said with pink tinted cheeks.
"So why did you draw a rose?" Naruto asked, hoping she was thinking of someone…hopefully him.
"Well roses are my favourite flowers, they were also my grandmother's" she looked at it with a fond smile "My papa told me that every day my grandfather would leave a single rose on my grandmother's table."
"Wow he must have loved your grandmother very much" Sakura spoke, sighing dreamily when she thought of Sasuke giving her a rose a day.
"Yeah he did, when I was little I used to want someone to give me a rose a day, I would always dreamed of-" she instantly stopped when she almost spoke the name that must not be spoken.
"Dream of what?" Naruto asked, really wanting to know her dream
"Ahh, it was nothing, just some silly little crush I had when I was little but not anymore" she waved it off as if it was nothing but Sasuke knew, he knew that she had a crush on Itachi when she was little. Jealousy overwhelmed him at that moment, he was determined to make her forget that silly little crush of hers.
"Morning everyone, ready for your first day?" Kakashi decided he would finally show up.
"YOU'RE LATE!" Sakura and Naruto yelled angrily.
"Sorry, a cat crossed my path so I had to go around it" Mieko snorted in amusement, she shook her head and put her drawing book into the bag she had kept at the altar since she had no pockets large enough to carry it. Today she wore a white singlet and green pants with black combat boots over the top of them, she also wore fingerless black gloves so she could grab things easier, she also had her Leaf headband around her right thigh since she had her hair up today in a high ponytail. "Well…let's get started" Kakashi turned away from his students and over to the altar where he set down a clock and pressed the button "Here we go, its set for noon."
"Huh?" Naruto question.
"Your assignment is very simple" he raised two bells up "You just have to take these bells from me, that's all there is to it" he jingled the bells "If you can't get them by the timer rings then you go without lunch."
"Ahh" Naruto whined, Kakashi ignored him and pointed to three posts.
"You will be tied to these posts and you will watch as I eat my lunch in front of you" the quartet frowned, now they knew why he told them not to eat.
"Wait a minute, there's four of us so how come two are only three bells?" Sakura asked making Kakashi smile.
"Well that way only one of you will be tied to a post and ultimately disqualified for failing to complete the mission, that one goes back to the academy" Kakashi said as he turned to his daughter "unfortunately, Mieko is unable to participate as she has an unfair advantage of knowing my skills and abilities."
Mieko whined "but papa, how will I make sure I don't get sent back to the academy?!"
"You will be able to don't worry, I will explain later" he then smirked "You can use any weapon including shuriken, if you're not prepared to kill me then you won't be able to take the bells" Mieko smirked, they wouldn't be able to defeat her dad with how skilled he was. They could get the bells by working together but all three hate each other so that would never happen in a millions years
"Those weapons are too dangerous sensei!" Sakura said in shock.
"Especially since you couldn't even dodge that eraser" Naruto teased with a loud cackle.
"Class clowns are usually the weakest links so you can safely ignore them…lowest scores, losers" Those words seemed to wipe Naruto's happy exterior right off his face, now he was mad "When I say start you can begin" Naruto looked at his sensei with a mighty rage, he pulled out a kunai and ran towards him as fast as he could. The word loser was stuck in his mind in an endless loop, torturing him with memories. The others looked on in shock whilst Kakashi merely blocked his attack and brought the kunai to the back of Naruto's neck "Don't be in such a hurry, I didn't say start yet" Sakura and Sasuke were surprised with such speed "But you came at me with the intention of destroying me so, how should I say this… I'm actually starting to like you guys" Both Naruto and Mieko smiled at this "Get ready, aaaaaandd…start" all three Genin jumped away in different areas, all preparing to attack their sensei. Except for Mieko, she sat down far enough away from where Kakashi was so she could watch the fight and not get hurt.
The tigress watched as Naruto was the first to emerge. Of course, Kakashi immediately sensed him and moved out of the way "You and me right now let's go!" Naruto shouted determinedly.
"You know compared to the others, you're a little weird."
"Oh yeah, the only thing weird here is your haircut!" with that Naruto raced in to attack but stopped when he saw the silver-haired man put his hand in his pouch.
"Shinobi battle techniques part 1, taijutsu, the physical part" he slowly pulled out his hand to reveal a…book? Mieko squealed silently when she saw it was Make out Paradise, Naruto looked at the book and his sensei in shock "What are you waiting for, make your move."
"What…I mean…why are you reading that book?" Naruto asked in confusion.
"Why, to find out what happens in the story of course" he did not look up from his book "Don't worry, with your weak attacks it won't really matter if I read or whatever" that seemed to make Naruto even angrier, which was exactly what Kakashi wanted.
"I'm going to crush you!" he attacked many times only for them all to fail "Huh?"
"Don't let your enemies get behind you all the time" Sakura gasped when she saw her sensei behind Naruto, she noticed the tiger hand sign and panicked.
"Naruto get out of their quick, he's going to destroy you!" she yelled, but it was too late.
"Leaf village secret finger Jutsu!" Naruto yelled but stopped when he felt fingers up his ass "A thousand years of death!" the blonde was shot into the sky and landed into the water, the other Genin looked disgusted
'what kind of Jutsu was that?' Mieko asked 'papa is so lame' she watched on with the fight and soon enough Kakashi had left Naruto in the field by himself. For a moment he was confused until he saw a glimmer shine out of the corner of his eye.
"Hey look, a bell!" he ran over and dived for the bell but was once again thwarted, a rope wrapped around his ankle and pulled him up the tree "Ahh…the bell…ugh come on!" he yelled and he tried to grab the bell.
"uuuh think before you use a Jutsu" Kakashi came up and grabbed the bell "Or else your opponent might use it against you" he stood up and put the bell back on his pants "Oh and also, if the bait is obvious, don't take it" Naruto began to flail "A ninja must see through deception."
"I GET IT!"
"I'm telling you this because you don't get it" he turned to face the blonde, "You think you get it which is not the same as actually getting it, get it?" Sasuke's eyes widened when he saw the perfect opportunity to strike, he pulled out his shuriken's and threw them with gusto "Won't you ever learn" Kakashi gasped along with the other three students when they pierced his body
"Ahh he just got blasted by Shuriken" he turned to Sasuke "are you out of your mind Sasuke you went too far! You'll make Mieko cry!" he stopped when he heard Mieko snort and saw their sensei turn into a log. Sasuke narrowed his eyes and took off, followed by Sakura. Mieko sighed and stood from the ground to help Naruto "Oh hey Mieko!"
"Need help?" she asked.
"Yeah that would be great!" she nodded and pulled out a kunai, throwing it and Naruto and watching as he fell to the floor. "Thanks, Mieko!"
"No problem, don't you think you should team up with Sakura and Sasuke to take papa down?" Mieko asked.
"I gotta beat him by myself! I have to prove that I am better than Sasuke to both you and Sakura!" she giggled but inwardly she sighed.
"That's ok Naruto, maybe next time" she gave him a wave and disappeared into the tree's to follow Sasuke knowing that Sakura wouldn't be far behind. The Hatake girl heard Sakura screamed and sped up her running. She snorted when she saw the raven under the ground with only his head showing and Sakura unconscious, but also noticed that Kakashi was nowhere in sight "Well, well, what do we have here?" Sasuke looked up in shock, he didn't want Mieko to see him in this predicament.
"Mieko!"
"I have the feeling that you got too arrogant and thought you could beat him."
"Shut up" he snapped, she raised her arms defensively.
"Don't worry, I merely came out of hiding to help you" he looked away.
"I don't need your help."
"Ok" she shook her head and sat down and waited, which did not take long as Sasuke soon spoke.
"Can you help me?" she smirked but nodded. Once she loosened the earth it gave Sasuke the opportunity to move his arms so he could get out "Thanks, let's go see how Sakura is" Mieko nodded and followed him.
Sakura slowly opened her eyes to see Sasuke, seeing that he was ok she jumped up and hugged him "Sasuke you're ok!" she squealed happily.
"Get off me!" he shouted and he tried to push her away, Mieko chuckled at his irritated expression "I've got to get a bell before lunch, that doesn't leave much time" Sasuke stated as he rose from the floor once Sakura let go of him.
"Sasuke, you're still trying to get one of those bells?" Sakura asked as she too rose from the floor.
Sasuke turned back to her "a while ago I touched one, next time, I'll get one" Sakura gasped in awe whilst Mieko stayed silent.
"That is really greeeaat, I can't believe you did that, you're amazing!" she complimented but inside she was freaking out "ah, its almost lunch, there's not really enough time left so maybe we should just give up and then try again next year" Mieko gasped quietly and took a step back when she saw Sasuke glare at the pinkette.
"I'm the only one…who can destroy that person" the wind began to blow "I will never let Mieko dirty her hands with that person's blood" Mieko looked at him sadly.
"What, who? You mean Sensei?" Sakura asked.
"That day…Mieko was crying in my arms and I was crying in hers" he spoke softly.
"When were you crying?" Sakura pressed.
"It was my-" he trailed off, never wanting to speak his name.
"What happened to you" Mieko huffed, this chick doesn't give up, does she?
"I am an avenger, that means I must be stronger than my prey" he clenched his fists "I need this training there is no time for setbacks."
"Sasuke-" Mieko started but was interrupted by the bell, signaling that it was now over.
Sasuke growled to himself "I wasted too much time" Sasuke hissed and walked away.
Sakura looked at him with sadness "Sasuke…"
"Don't over think it Sakura" the pinkette turned to Mieko "Its…difficult to talk about it" she sighed and rubbed at her face "Let's just head to the altar" Sakura nodded and left with the other female.
"Uh oh, stomachs growling huh" Kakashi stood before the quartet feeling unimpressed "That's too bad, oh, by the wa,y about this exercise I've decided I won't send any of you back to the academy" they all looked at him with both shock, happiness and confusion.
"Aha!" Naruto was happy.
"What I passed? All I did was faint and fall over" Sakura was confused "Do you get points for that" Kakashi inwardly groaned.
"Hmmm" Sasuke hummed but he was happy, Mieko looked at her other two team members who were cheering in excitement.
"Yes all three of you are being dropped from the program" the stopped cheering and looked at him once again in shock "permanently."
"Drop us from the program, that means we can never become ninjas!" Naruto began flailing his legs around "you said if we didn't get the bells we would be sent back to the academy! You can just change your mind why would you do that!"
"Because you don't think like ninja you think like little kids like brats" Sasuke growled and ran to attack his sensei.
"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled when Kakashi sat on her beloved "LET GO OF SASUKE YOU CANT STEP ON HIM LIKE HE"S SOME BUG!" she screamed.
"Don't scream at my papa like that Sakura!" Mieko said with a beastly growl. The pinkette gasped and stepped away from the tailed girl.
"You think it's all about you" Kakashi commented dryly "You don't know what it means to be a ninja, you think it's a game huh?" he looked up and stared at his other students who looked at him in shock and anger "Why did we put you on squads did you ever consider that question for one moment?"
"I-I don't know what you mean" Sakura question, earning a sigh from Mieko, she knew why.
"I mean you never realized what this exercise was all about, not even close."
"What's it about?" Naruto was confused, furthering Mieko's annoyance.
"It's what determines whether you pass or fail" Sakura looked at her sensei sheepishly
"But that…that's what I wanted to ask you about form the beginning" Kakashi sighed.
"Use your head, four people on a squad, why would you think we would do that?" he was irritated as well now.
"Ahhh, how were we supposed to know why you picked four people we didn't make the rules!" Naruto yelled that was Mieko's breaking point.
"It's so basic, teamwork!" they looked at her in shock whilst she just glared.
"Just working together is that what you mean?" Sakura asked in shock.
"Yes that's what I mean, Mieko knew that from the very beginning but it's too late now, if all four of you came at me you might have been able to take them," he said and looked down at the bells
"But why did you only have two bells?" Sakura asked, she was full of questions.
"I purposely pitted you against each other, that was why there were only two bells" they gasped "I wanted to see if you could overcome that and put the squad before yourselves like Mieko did but again a Genin should have a natural feel for teamwork but you three…it never even crossed you mind" he looked at the pinkette "Sakura, you obsessed about Sasuke who was gone while Naruto was in front of you and you wouldn't even lift a finger to help him" her shoulders slumped in sadness "Naruto, you do everything on your own, everything" He looked down at Sasuke and stepped on his head "And you Sasuke, you thought that the others were so far beneath you they were worthless, even Mieko who at the moment looks far stronger in my eyes than you" Sasuke looked away from his sensei and looked over at Mieko who clearly showed she was hurt by those words, did she really think he thought she was worthless? NEVER! "Arrogance, ninja missions are carried out in squads, of course, you need individual skills but teamwork is the most essential element, every Shinobi understand this. When an individual puts themselves over the squad this can lead to failure and death for example" he reached into his pouch and pulled out a Kunai "Sakura, kill Naruto now or Sasuke dies" he held the kunai to the Uchiha's neck.
Mieko gasped and pulled out a kunai, aiming it at Sakura "If you lay a hand on Sasuke or Naruto I will personally end you" she hissed, malice dripping from every word, Kakashi noticed this and smirked.
"That's what happens on a mission" he pulled the kunai away and saw Mieko do the same.
"Oh boy that was really scary" both Sakura and Naruto sighed in relief.
"An enemy takes a hostage and you have an impossible choice and someone ends up dead" he stood from Sasuke and walked over to the altar "On every mission your life is on the line" he stopped and looked down at the stone "Did you look at this stone? The names engraved on it" Sasuke stood and headed over to Mieko who looked away from him "…they are all ninjas who are honoured as heroes of our village" Kakashi's daughter frowned at the pain and sadness shining in her fathers eyes. He had told her about all the people who knew that were engraved on that stone. They were all heroes and wonderful people that meant the world to the elder Hatake. She wished he could have met them.
"That's it that's it that's it! Now I know, I decided I'm going to have my name engraved on that stone! I'm not going to live and die like some dog I'm gonna be a hero a hero!" Mieko looked at Naruto sadly, of course he wouldn't know.
"They are a special kind of hero," Kakashi said slowly.
"Huh, what kinda heroes are they? Come one tell us!" Naruto pressed, there was a moment of silence "Well well!?"
"They are all KIA."
"Oh, oh, that sounds really cool," Naruto said, Sakura frowned and looked at him.
"It means killed in action, they all died" Naruto's smiled instantly disappeared, he looked so dejected.
"This is a memorial stone, the names of my closest friends are engraved here" Mieko looked at her papa with sympathy, wanted to hug him but knowing it was inappropriate at this time "all right, I am going to give you one more chance, but I'm going to make it much harder on you" he turned around to face his students "You'll have three hours to get a bell, eat now to build up strength but…Naruto doesn't get any."
"WHY?!" the blonde screamed.
"It's your punishment for breaking the rules and trying to eat by yourself, and if anyone tried to feed him, that person will immediately fail" Naruto yelled "I make the rules, you follow them, got it?" with that Kakashi disappeared, the trio grabbed their food and dug in.
"This is no big deal, I can go without eating for days, for weeks believe it! This is no big deal" his grumbling stomach told them otherwise "…no…problem."
Sasuke groaned and brought his bento over to Naruto "here."
"What, no Sasuke, you can't do that, you know what the sensei said" Sakura began looking around frantically for any sign of their sensei.
"Kakashi is gone and we need to get those bells as a team, if Naruto's hungry he will be weak and ineffective, that hurts the team and jeopardizes the mission" Sakura looked at Sasuke before looking at here bento, she closed her eyes with a smile and held out her bento.
"Ok thanks" Naruto stated.
"Don't thank me just hurry up and eat."
"But isn't that your food."
"I'm on a diet - I mean I don't eat as much as Sasuke does so just take it!" Mieko watched with a smile as she continued to eat.
"I can't take it because I can't move my hands so you're going to have to feed me!" he flexed his hands.
"Hurry up, he could come back any minute" Sasuke ordered.
"ARRRRG! This is one time only I'm never doing this again is that clear!" she shouted and raised some rice.
"Clear as a bell Sakura" he smiled and began eating the rice she gave him, to be fed by a pretty girl was a dream come true.
"EEK!" Mieko squealed when an explosion happens right before her, she felt Sasuke grab her but she jerked away and glared at the dust, Sasuke huffed.
"YOU!" Kakashi appeared from the cloud with an anger filled stare "You broke the rules, I hope you're ready for the punishment" he did a series of hands signs and the clouds became black "Any last words?"
"But you said-" Naruto started nervously.
"Yes" Kakashi interrupted
"But you said there was four of us, that's what you said so that's why Sakura and…" he trailed off and looked at Sasuke who continued.
"Were all on this squad and we're all in this together."
"Yea that's right we gave Naruto our lunch because the four of us are one."
"If one of our teammates suffer than we all do!" Mieko shouted.
Kakashi stepped forwards menacingly "The four are you are one? That's your excuse?" he leaned forward and smiled "hmm, you pass" they stopped glaring and looked confused.
"Huh" they all replied together.
"You pass" he repeated.
"What did you mean, how did we pass?" Sakura asked.
"You're the first squad that ever succeeded, the others did exactly what I said and fell into every trap, they couldn't think for themselves" he stood back up "a ninja must see through deception, in the ninja world those who break the rules are scum, that's true but, those who abandoned their friends are worse than scum" he quoted, though no one would knew where he quoted that from.
"Uh, you know, he's uhh, he's kinda cool" Naruto had tears in his eyes.
"The exercise is over, everyone passes, squad 7 starts their first mission tomorrow" he pointed a thumb at them "let's go home" he turned and walked away with the others following behind, well except for Naruto who was still tied to the post.
"I knew they would do this, it happens every time! YOU FORGOT TO UNTIE MEEEEEE!" Mieko chuckled and headed back.
"You dumby, I wouldn't do that" she gave him a smile and cut the ropes.
"Thanks, Mieko" he grabbed her and hugged her "we are finally ninja!"
"Yes we are, why don't we get some ramen and head home" Naruto nodded and skipped after her as she walked away.