Chapter Eleven
Sakura woke at five-thirty, an hour earlier then she should have, and spent the next half hour trying to coax herself back to sleep. Finally she gave up when the first rays of dawn began to filter in through her sheer summer curtains and rolled out of bed to greet the new morning. After a quick shower she anxiously hurried through the Haruno Compound hoping to pass-by the aroma filled kitchen without being tempted.
She had just made it past the dinning room when her mind registered the flash of orange that she had caught in her peripheral vision. Curious she backed up just enough to peak through the open shoji screen when her mouth dropped open in shock.
"Naruto!" She said as she slammed the door open. "W-what are you doing! Sensei told us not to eat anything!"
"Mmph mph mphm-mm!"
Sakura's eyebrow twitched and Naruto hurriedly swallowed before trying to speak again.
"Come on Sakura-chan!" He said. "You don't honestly believe that we'll throw up do you?"
Sakura blinked. "What do you mean? Sensei told us that we would and why would he lie? We only just met him."
"Well yeah, if you think about it that way then it makes sense, but think about when we met him yesterday."
Sakura drew a blank. "What are you talking about? Ugh, never mind. Now come on we're going to be late!"
"Exactly!"
Sakura stared at her grinning cousin like he had just renounced his dream to become Hokage. "Are you ill? Oh my gosh you are, aren't you! It's terminal isn't it!"
Now it was Naruto's turn to stare in surprise. "Chill out Sakura-chan. You're going to make yourself hyperventilate."
After several minutes Sakura finally managed to calm her breathing down to a manageable level before she took a deep breath and knelt at the table to face her cousin. Naruto eyed her warily before he hesitantly spoke up.
"Are you okay now?"
"…Shouldn't I be asking you that question Naruto?"
Naruto rolled is eyes. "I'm fine. Now are you going to listen to what I was trying to tell you before?"
"Only if you promise not to freak me out like that ever again."
"Yeah, fine, whatever. Now listen, when we first met Kakashi-sensei he was five hours later then the rest of the instructors. If it were only a few minutes or even a half an hour late then it wouldn't be such a big deal but because it was so long and he reacted so natural when he did show up the only real conclusion to come to is that he is always that late." Naruto grinned in a self-praising manner. "So then we come to what he said before we left. He told us that we would throw up if we ate breakfast but the only way that would happen would be if he were to show up on time and since I'm pretty sure that he won't we'll have plenty of time to digest before we have to begin our training, see?"
Sakura's jaw, which had long before dropped to the table, finally slammed closed for several long seconds before she hesitantly spoke up.
"…Naruto?"
Naruto tensed slightly before he slowly responded. "Y-yes?"
"You're acting brilliant…are you sure that you aren't sick?"
Naruto's face went blank at the teasing tone of her voice. "Ha, ha. I'll have you know that I can be just as brilliant as the rest of you all. After all, brilliance does run in the family."
"True, I guess I always just thought that you were one of a kind."
Naruto snorted before he slid a plate full of fruit her way. "Shut up and eat your breakfast."
Sakura gave him a mock salute. "Yes sir!"
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Sasuke leaned back against one of the three wooden posts that stood at the center of training ground seven as he waited for his team to arrive. He grumbled in irritation as his stomach gave out another angry rumble. It was bad enough that he had gone without breakfast but the fact that he was the only one at the training grounds at the meeting time just put it over the top. Just where were that girl and the dobe!
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura called, pulling Sasuke from his silent brooding as she and Naruto raced into the training area. "S-sorry we're so late!" She said as she paused to catch her breath. "We lost track of time when everyone else came in for breakfast."
At the mention of breakfast Sasuke's stomach gurgled again causing him to blush. Fortunately he was quick enough to respond that the flush of embarrassment was able to pass as a flush of irritation as he pushed away from the post to respond.
"You ate breakfast? You weren't supposed to."
"Well Naruto came up with this theory that actually makes a lot of sense. I'd have him explain it but he'd take to long so I'll sum it up. He figured that since Sensei was so late yesterday that he'll be late again today giving us plenty of time to digest before we have to start with the test. See?"
Sasuke stared at her dully. "And you believed him?"
She shrugged. "I was hungry."
Sasuke scoffed and turned away. "I can't believe that you would trust that dobe." He said though the indignation in his voice was more towards the fact that the two of them had eaten while he hadn't rather then the two of them having disobeyed an order.
"Well," Sakura said. "If that's the way you feel then I guess I'll just save what I brought you for my lunch."
Sasuke jerked around just in time to watch Sakura mischievously swing a handkerchief bound bento back and forth; a teasing smirk on her lips.
Knowing that his only choices were to give in or go hungry Sasuke did the hardest thing he had ever done.
"A team should allot their penalties."
Sakura's smirk widened. "Yeah, I thought that might be your answer."
XXXXXXXXXXXX
After nearly four hours of waiting for their sensei to arrive Sasuke was more then grateful that he had taken up the offer of food that Sakura had given him, with out it he knew that he would be all but starving by now as they all sat back to back in the middle of the training field.
"This is a waste of time!" Sakura said, knocking the boys off balance when she suddenly lunged to her feet. "We may not have our teacher with us but there are a million better things that we could be doing that don't include sitting around doing nothing!"
"I agree," Kakashi said, arriving with a soft 'poof'. "What should we do first?"
Sakura yelped in surprise and tripped over her feet as she hurried to distance herself from the sudden new comer. Both Naruto and Sasuke were quick to their feet, weapons in hand as they stood protectively over their fallen teammate. At least they were until they noticed that the new arrival was actually their new teacher.
"Hello!" Kakashi said cheerfully. "Sorry I'm late! A black cat crossed my path and—."
"LIAR!" Naruto and Sakura shouted in unison before Kakashi sweatdropped and gave a light cough.
"Yes, well, let's begin." Kakashi said before he turned suddenly serious and set a small alarm on the middle stump. "I've set this alarm to go off at noon. Also, I have with me two bells. You're challenge is to steal these from me before the bell sounds. Anyone who fails, doesn't get lunch. Instead you will be tied to a stump and be forced to watch as the others eat in front of you."
"So that's why you told us not to eat…" Sakura said, her voice contemplative. Kakashi's eyebrow rose slightly at the unconcerned, almost relieved, looks on the faces of his students.
"You do not seem overly concerned." Kakashi said. "Aren't you hungry?"
Naruto smirked and raised his right fist in triumph while his left hand rested on his bicep. "Ha! Not a chance Kakashi-sensei!" he said. "I totally saw through your little scheme. The three of us may be a little empty but there's no way we'll be starving!"
Kakashi was actually surprised though he managed to hide it well as his visible eye narrowed into a piercing glare.
"So, you disobeyed your sensei. That is not exactly the best record to begin your first day with, is it?"
Naruto and Sakura were both about to speak up when Sasuke surprised them both by answering instead.
"As I recall sensei, you merely suggested that we not eat. You never gave us an order."
Once again Kakashi was surprised. "Hm. Well put. Still the rules remain as previously stated. Anyone without a bell after the time is up will be punished. Now, ready? Begin!"
The three genin scattered.
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Sakura knew that she was good at hiding. When she was younger and the other kids used to pick on her she used to crawl into the hollow roots of the large spruce tree that was located in the back left corner of the Sakura Niwa. She could stay there for hours on end with the kids walking past the hollow every few minutes and never be found. Utilizing that skill now Sakura crouched low in the underbrush of the forested part of the training ground.
Unable to see she gently pushed aside a few branches to peer out at Kakashi-sensei who still stood in though now he was closer to the river then he had been before. Stretching out with her senses she quickly located Sasuke who was hidden in the trees several meters to her left. Still, she had yet to locate Naruto…
"Oi! Sensei! I'm calling you out!"
Never mind. She found him…
Kakashi sighed as he turned to face the blond haired loud mouth. "Do you honestly think that you can beat me strait on?"
Naruto chuckled. "Hell no! But I'm not going to let you get away with always being late either! No way no how!"
Sakura groaned as she banged her head against the ground as quietly as she could. Why did he have to be so embarrassing?
"Here I go sensei!"
Kakashi wasn't even watching as he effortlessly dodged Naruto's flimsy attacks. Sakura blinked in surprise. Why was he fighting so badly? Kyo-nii-chan had taught him how to fight from the day he had been adopted. Naruto knew more techniques and theoretical battle maneuvers then even Sakura's wide forehead could come up with and yet he was down there acting like he had never had a day of formal training in his life. What was he up to?
She froze and rewound slightly. What was he up to…
"Heh," she whispered with a smirk. "He has a plan…"
Sure enough Sakura caught the minimal signal that he sent her way just as Kakashi kicked him into the river. Translating the signal Sakura swiftly stole through the trees until she was directly beneath the one where Sasuke had hidden himself. As quietly as she could she began to climb until she was only one branch down.
"Pst! Sasuke!"
Sasuke nearly fumbled but quickly caught himself so that he could send Sakura a casual, yet annoyed glance.
"What?"
"Naruto has a plan. He's distracting Kakashi-sensei so that we can move in and get the bells."
Sasuke glared at her. "You expect me to work with you and that dobe? No doubt the two of you would then take the bells for yourselves right?"
Sakura blinked. "Huh?"
"Leave me alone Haruno. I don't need your help. I'll get a bell on my own."
Sakura scowled at Sasuke.
"Fine." She said. "Suit yourself. But I hope that you enjoy going back to the academy."
"Hn. You'll be the ones back at the academy Haruno."
Sakura just ignored him as she dropped to the forest floor and pulled a kunai from her pouch. Quickly she flashed three short blinks and two long blinks telling Naruto that it was now just the two of them. Naruto flicked his pinky to the left and Sakura nodded before heading to the right.
Kakashi sighed as he continued to block Naruto's feeble attacks. In all honesty he had expected a great deal more from the young Uzumaki an was rather irritated that he had overestimated the boy. Finally after blocking another feeble attack he shifted slightly so that he was able to take Naruto's back.
Naruto blinked in surprise. "What the…?"
"Showing your back so many times in a fight is poor ninjutsu dobe."
Suddenly Naruto's face changed as he smirked at Kakashi over his shoulder. "You should be telling yourself that sensei."
Kakashi's visible eye widened when he felt the cool prick of a blade at the back of his neck before the soft chime of bells reached his ears.
"I-impossible."
"Nothing is impossible sensei," Sakura chirped, her kunai still pressed tightly against the back of his neck. "You just have to know what you're aiming for."
Still hidden in the trees Sasuke could only stare in shock as his two teammates grinned up at their stunned instructor in triumph.
End Chapter Eleven
Kaliea: Alright, I hope that you all enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for all of your reviews!
Review Answers:
VWaterlily: Thank-you ;)
grim reaper sakura: Yep. Sakura isn't called clever for nothing.
Music 1s my s0ul: Yeah, that's pretty much it. Although why Sasuke is banned will be explained better in later chapters.
Dragon Man 180: Arai is good and she's from the Uchiha clan. Granted her brother is Kenta but still, it's not like that's her fault right? As for the abuse thing, you should watch the Black Blood Brothers. The way Jiro treats his brother will make Sakura look like a saint (both in this story and in the manga/anime).
Kaliea: thanks for all of your reviews! I really do love getting them. Till next time, Ja ne!
