EDIT: for the time being this'll be the final chapter I edit… more "chapter fixing" later… but if you're a new reader and can't wait to find out what happens next, feel free to read on… the plot of the story is not meant to be changed, I'm only editing quotation marks and scene changes which FF apparently screwed up in the story
Kai: In the answer to your, many reviews, I, your 'Naruto' reported, Haisha Kai, am here with the writer, Shang, to find out some answers! Okay, first question, a lot of people want to know what happen to the rest of 'Naruto' crew. When we'll see them?
Shang: Well, you'll have to be patiance. I promise you'll find out what happened to all of them, but that will have to wait. Sorry, that's how I planned the story.
Kai: Next question - why have you used both first and last name of the characters, when discribing their actions?
Shang: Well, it'd be hard for me to explain it, but I can promise you, that that won't happen again, since many readers find it confusing.
Kai: Moving on then - YaminekoHyousai (how's story rocks, by the way!) wants to know if the other, shinobi villages have five-member teams as well? So...?
Shang: Sure, the other villages has started to make five-member teams as well. As you wrote yourself, if they haven't, the chuunin exam (that will eventually take place) would certainly be complicated.
Kai: Okay, now the question of my own - during the gennin exam, how come such a skillfulled shinobi as myself, was able to get only one bell and only with the help of Kusari?
Shang: Well, you should keep in mind that you're still only a gennin and more importantly, even though this wasn't mentioned in the story, your grades were thought to be similar to those of Naruto from his early years. To put it simple, you were dead last in your class.
Kai: Okay, final question - do you have any last words, before I'll beat the shit out of you?
Shang: Emm... yeah, thanks for reading and reviewing guys. Hope you'll like what I have in stored for you.
Chapter #8: Gennin Exam – part VII
Conclusion
Chapter Cover: This would be just Kai copying Kakashi's style - Kai has his forehead protector falling on his left eye and he's reading the 'Icha icha' book, while blushing
The ring of the alarm clock was heard in the whole area.
"Tough luck, your time's up" announced Naruto calmly, turning towards his students. "Guess it's time to talk about the results of your test. Well, you got one bell and the other three are still with me, so who's the lucky one that has the bell?"
Kusari reached for his pocket and picked out a small, golden bell, saying: "I have it. But I'm not the one who should carry it" and with those words he threw the bell to the younger blond. "It was Kai's idea that helped us get the bell, so he should be the one who passes…"
"It's not fair at all" replied the yellow-clad gennin-to-be. "Practically, I'm the weakest in our team, so I'm the last one here, who should pass…"
"Can't argue with that weakest part…" nodded Takaru with a serious face. "But Kusari does have a point. Even though it's pathetic to lose to you."
"In the end, I was right…" sighed Naruto, sweat dropping. "They hate each other."
"Takaru's right" Ibuki barged in. "So stop whining about not deserving it and just take that damn bell!"
"Okay, before you guys start killing each other…" interrupted Naruto with a smile. "I guess I should announce the results of the test. Listen carefully, coz I'm only gonna say this once: you guys… all passed!"
"Eh?" Kai's eyes widen as his jaw felt to the ground.
"Could you repeat that?" Kusari was stunt.
The jounin's eye twitched: "Just what part in 'I'm only gonna say this once' did you not understand?" he asked the chain master. "I said that you all passed."
"What is this, some kind of a sick joke?" Ibuki looked suspiciously at the man.
"Eh" the Kyuubi vessel sighed, lowering his head a bit. "It's no joke, but I see that you have no idea why you guys actually made it. Well, I guess it's even better that till now you didn't knew what was this test for…"
"Oh yeah?" yelled Kai confused. "So what was it for?"
"The goal of this exam was to…" Naruto made a dramatic pause (A/N: well, you all know what was it for anyways). "Test your teamwork!"
"Eh?" Kai's eyes widen again as his jaw hit the ground once more as well.
"Could you repeat that?" Kusari just stood there with his mouth open.
"What, your record's broken or something?" the jounin asked them both. "The object of this exam was actually easy to figure. I'm a little surprised that Kumiko didn't figure that out…"
"Well, it all makes sense now" replied the young tactician. "I guess that's the reason why there are only four bells: to divide the group…"
"Preciously" nodded Naruto with a smile. "My old sensei gave me and my cell a very similar test. Well, I guess you guys did better then we did during that time…"
"Yeah!" yelled Kai, throwing his hand to the sky. "We rock!"
"Change the record, will ya?" with those words, Kusari smacked him on the head.
"Wait a minute" interrupted Takaru, narrowing his eyes. "Even if we wouldn't get any bells, but worked together, we'd still pass?"
"Of course" replied Naruto with a shrug. "In Konoha, strength isn't that important, because the shinobi of the Leaf is never alone. The missions are completed by teams. To put it simply: the real power of Konoha ninja isn't chakra level or physical strength, but in the ability to cooperate with their teammates."
"Huh?" Kai didn't quite understood.
"Look, you bird brain…" said Kumiko somewhat tired. "As a team, it's not important who's the strongest and who's the weakest. The most important thing is how good we can fill in each other weaknesses…"
"I couldn't said it better myself" the jounin gave her a compliment.
"So wait a minute, it shouldn't bother me if Takaru's weaker then I am?"
"Didn't you just said a while ago that the weakest in the team is you?" the son of Tsunade gave the younger blond an asking glare, sweat dropping in the process.
"Well, you know, that was just because I didn't want to make you sad" replied the yellow-clad boy with a grin.
"The thing that you all must understand is the fact that you work as a team" Naruto stated, regaining their attention. "If one of you fails, you all do. You have to trust and support each other. Those are the basics of teamwork…"
"Understood!" yelled Kai, saluting, a fact that made the Kyuubi vessel smirk
"Anyway…" he said after a short pause. "Starting tomorrow we'll be attending the missions. I want to see all of you here at eight in the morning tomorrow. Right now I have business I must take care of, so for now, you're dismissed" and with those words he disappeared in the cloud of smoke.
-Later that day-
Iruka was sitting at his desk when Naruto appeared. The chunnin immediately looked up: "Please, have a seat" he pointed a small, wooden chair near the desk.
"No, thanks, Iruka-sensei" replied the blond with a smile. "This won't take long, especially since I have other matters to attend to. I only came here, to announce that I qualified all members of team number seven to become gennin…"
"They did that good?"
"Well… good enough" answered the jounin simply. "I'd say that there'll be problems with their teamwork, but in the end, they did worked together…"
"You think they'll manage the life of shinobi?"
"Guess we'll find out soon. Would you mind telling me what, other teams passed the test?"
"Well, it's no big secret" replied Iruka. "From this year it'll be teams number three and four. I assume you're aware of who the leaders of those teams are?"
"Yeah, I do" replied Naruto with a smirk. "Guess I should get going, after all, I still have to prepare some missions for my cell and I can't let those two take all the best ones."
"Well, I don't think you should be worrying about team number three stealing any interesting missions from you…"
"Things changed, Iruka-sensei" and with those words, the Kyuubi vessel once more disappeared in the cloud of smoke.
-Later still-
Hatake Kakashi was going through another pile of papers. He hasn't changed his way of dressing much: his forehead protector was still covering his left eye and the only thing new was a headgear with a symbol that represented fire, that covered his silver hair. He still had a sleepy face and carried the newest book of the 'Icha icha' series.
As he was signing another document, Naruto appeared by jumping through the window. Without even raising his head, the Sharingan user asked: "When are you going to learn how to knock? You know, that invention called the door was made for a reason…"
"But getting in through the door is so lame" replied the blond with a smirk. "Anyway, please, forgive me, Rokudaime-sama…" at this point the Kyuubi vessel bowed."I came in order to receive a mission for my team."
"Oh, so you actually allowed your students to pass?" Kakashi seemed surprised. "Well, at least now you'll see just what kind of hell I had to go through when you were my subordinate…"
"Perhaps, but at least I won't hide my face before them" replied Naruto teasingly. "Which reminds me: don't you think that now, when you're the Hokage, you should take off your mask, Kakashi-sensei?"
"How I dress is none of your business. Besides, you came here to get the first assignment for your new team, didn't you?"
"Oh yeah."
"Well, I think I've got a really interesting mission for you guys then…"
"So, we're going to fight bandits or something?" the blond already got a little excited.
"No, even better" replied the Hokage. "Your mission will be to exterminate… rats in the basement of the major of the nearby village!"
"And thus crappy missions begin" sighed Naruto with a sweat drop, taking the document that Kakashi was holding in his hands. "What was I thinking when I allowed those guys to pass?"
-the journey begins!-
Looks around to make sure Kai's gone.
Okay, so now you know the results. Naruto's subordinates became gennin, but that's just the beginning of their ninja way. What'll happen to them? What sort of missions will they get? You'll have to keep reading to find out.
As usual, please give me reviews. Anything can be helpful, even flames.
Best wishes and hopefully till the next chapter.