I own nothing, but my Oc and any justu I create
I woke up early the next morning even though I had the sneaking suspicion that Kakashi-sensei would not be there until later in the day. I grabbed the pack I had made last night and went to make sure Sasuke was up. He was and despite me trying to tell him to he refused to eat breakfast. We left together and arrived on time at the same time as Naruto.
Naruto looked exhausted like a half asleep zombie and I was almost certain that he didn't eat either. We sat waiting for a little while and after the sun rose I decided to try and reason with my teammates. I opened my pack and took out four ration bars and held two out to each boy.
"Here hurry up and eat." I said holding them out
"But Kakashi-sensei said not to or we'll puke!" Naruto yelled more awake now then earlier
"You both are idiots and you call yourselves ninja. A ninja must see through deception. Think why would he really tell us not to eat? If we haven't eaten we are weaker, we won't have the energy needed, and we won't be able to complete whatever test he has for us." I stated as if it was obvious...to me it was
Sasuke didn't need any more persuading and apparently neither did Naruto as both boys started eating though Naruto ate quicker than Sasuke.
"Slow down Naruto, those ration bars may be made for ninja to use on missions but that doesn't mean if you scarf them down they'll stay down." I warned and immediately Naruto slowed down on his food intake
After they were done I put the empty wrappers in my bag and a few more hours passed before Kakashi-sensei showed up. From the position of the sun I could tell it must have been closer to noon now.
"Morning everyone. Ready for your first day?" Kakashi asked as he approached us
"Hey you're late!"Naruto yelled angrily
"Well a black cat crossed my path and I had to take the long way." Kakashi said sheepishly
It was a lame excuse and we all knew it, nobody was fooled by it.
"Well," Kakashi said clearing his throat "let's get started."
He then crossed over to a short stump and placed an alarm clock on it.
"Here we go, it's set for noon." He said pushing the top button down "Your assignment is very simple, you just have to take these bells from me. That's all there is too it. If you can't get them by noon you go without lunch, you'll be tied to those posts and you'll watch while I eat my lunch in front of you." Kakashi explained his test
The boys both looked at me and I could see confirmed understanding in their eyes. They now knew that listening to me was in their best interest and now I'd have to put that to the test. I could see what this test was about, there were only two bells and three of us if we needed the bells the team would fall apart if none of us could put the mission before ourselves.
"That way at least one of you will end up tied to the post and ultimately disqualified for failing to complete the mission. That one goes back to the academy. Then again all three of you could flunk out too. You can use any weapons including shuriken if you're not prepared to kill me you won't be able to take the bells." He said waving them in our face before clenching them in his fist
"I don't suppose there is anything you would take in trade for the bells is there?" I asked rhetorically
"No, but good try." Kakashi said smiling
"Very well, give the bells to Naruto and Sasuke. If it means them passing I'll go back to the academy no fighting no fuss." I tried again putting my hands in my pockets
"What Kaya-chan we can't let you do that?! What about you?!" Naruto asked flailing his arms everywhere
Sasuke was giving me a equally shocked expression, I could see why he couldn't believe I had said that after all he never would have offered such a thing because he was too driven and focused to give up his dream for anyone else... not even me.
"You both seem to keep forgetting we are considered ninja now. As ninja it is expected of us to put our teammates and our mission above all else even our lives if we can't do something as simple as this how can we complete a mission that would put lives on the line and our villages safety and reputation on the line?" I questioned them
I could see that once again I surprised my entire team, though Kakashi looked approving, but I could see that Sasuke was thinking about what I had said and Naruto looked like he was trying to understand it.
"As noble as the gesture is I won't do that either, if I just gave them the bells they wouldn't learn anything. Besides in the real ninja world you can't just quit or give yourself up so that your teammates may live for a few more minutes can you?" Kakashi asked
"Depends on what they do with those minutes. Escape and a plan of action only needs a few minutes of distraction to be put together and executed. I my death means my teammates and the mission lives on so be it." I answered honestly
At this both Sasuke and Naruto looked freaked out completely and Kakashi looked surprised and maybe even had a glimmer of respect in his visible eye.
"It won't come to that though right? I mean he couldn't even dodge an eraser!" Naruto said now laughing a little
"Class clowns are usually the weakest link you can safely ignore them, lowest scores, losers." Kakashi-sensei said
I knew what he was doing, he was trying to make Naruto angry, he was trying to cause dissension in the ranks.
"Ignore him Naruto, he's trying to rile you so that you will attack blindly and leave us one man short for any plan we may come up with against him." I muttered quietly to him
I saw some of the anger melt from Naruto's face, we would have to see if he would actually stop and think for once or not.
"When I say start you may begin." Kakashi said coolly
Despite what I told him Naruto still took out a kunai and blindly rushed Kakashi sensei though his attack seemed controlled and not done in blind rage. Faster then any of us could see Kakashi-sensei had grabbed Naruto by the head and wrist and twisted his arm so that his own kunai was pointed at his head.
"Don't be in such a hurry, I didn't say start yet." Kakashi-sensei said seriously
Though his actions had been reckless Naruto actually gave us an idea of how fast Kakashi-sensei could react to any of us attacking him. It gave us a slight idea of what we were up against.
Kakashi then pushed Naruto away from him and continued "But you came at me with the full intention of destroying me so...how can I say this?" he started chuckling "I'm actually starting to like you guys. Get ready. And...start!"
We each launched off and I made sure to drag Sasuke and Naruto with me and using quick hand signs once out of sight I created a bunker underground.
"What? Kaya-chan? What'd you do that for?!" Naruto yelled flailing around as much as he could in the space we had
"If I hadn't we would have been separated and unable to converse with each other and make a plan in order to get the bells." I explained simply
"Ninja must know how to conceal their movements and hide effectively." Kakashi called out loud enough for us to hear even where we were under the ground
"Listen up, our best plan of action is to stick together and play to each others strengths. Naruto you're good at making traps aren't you?" I asked trying to bring them together
"Yea I'm always using them in my pranks and stuff why?" Naruto asked
"Why am I not surprised? What am I even doing here when I could be out there getting those bells for myself?" Sasuke asked haughtily
I punched him in the shoulder hard enough to hurt, but not injure "You keep underestimating him. Kakashi-sensei is an elite Jounin his strength far surpasses even that of the three of us together. In fact it would be considered a hopeless, suicidal mission if it weren't a test. You two have missed the whole point of this exercise so far." I explained logically
"No we didn't Kakashi sensei said we needed to get the bells." Naruto announced sounding annoyed
"No what we need is teamwork. To put the mission and our teammates above ourselves and our own personal goals and needs. That's the real answer to this test." I answered easily
"So, what do you suggest we do?" Sasuke said after a long period of silence
"Naruto should set up traps all along the trees around the clearing, if Kakashi can't escape easily then we can keep him out in the open where we can keep track of him easier. The next part will need a distraction." I stated laying out the beginning of my plan
"Oh me, I can do a bunch of shadow clones!" Naruto called out raising his hand
"How many?" I asked curious
"I whole bunch if I use the multi-shadow clone jutsu!" Naruto answered
"Ok then, I'll need you to create as many shadow clones as you can then you and Sasuke will keep Kakashi sensei busy while I leave a regular clone with you guys and I tunnel under him and wait for an opening to grab the bells. With luck and timing we should be able to do it.:" I said ending the plan
I created two tunnels leading away from the bunker and sent the boys off to start their part of the plan while I hung back until my part.
"Shinobi battle techniques part one taijutsu the physical art." I heard Kakashi announce when a Naruto clone confronted him "What are you waiting for make your move."
"But...I mean...why are you reading that book?" the Naruto clone asked in confusion
"Why? To find out what happens in the story of course. Don't let it bother you, with your weak attacks it doesn't really matter if I'm reading or whatever. " Kakashi-sensei answered as though it should have been obvious
"I'm going to crush you!" I heard the Naruto clone yell as he charged at Kakashi
Then all I heard were Naruto's efforts to hit Kakashi and his grunts as he probably missed before he made a noise of confusion.
"Don't let your enemy get behind you all the time." Kakashi admonished before yelling "Leaf Village secret finger jutsu: A thousand years of death!"
I heard Naruto splash into the river and Kakashi asked himself where he was in his book. Moments later Naruto crawled out of the water hacking.
"What are you doing now? You know you won't get lunch unless you take a bell by noon." Kakashi said to him as though annoyed
"I know I know you told us already!" Naruto yelled
"You look pretty wobbly for somebody who's going to surpass the Hokage." Kakashi observed out loud
"Shut Up! I'll make you eat those words!" Naruto yelled as more of him launched out of the river
This was my que, him and Sasuke would get in close, I conjured a clone on the surface to rush in with Sasuke. Both Sasuke and Naruto were careful not to hit me or each other while the real me tunneled carefully directly under Kakashi-sensei.
"Cute, but you can't beat me with this jutsu. You may have a good technique, but you're still the worst student." Kakashi mocked them
The second he stepped over me I activated my jutsu.
"Secret Earthen Art: Quicksand of Shadows." I whispered to myself
This was one of the jutsus that Itachi left for me to use, it was an earth style jutsu that turned a section of ground of any size into an inescapable sink hole, the more you struggled the fast you'd sink, and best of all you can't use chakra to get out because it just absorbed it to keep it going.
"What?!" Kakashi called out in surprise
I rose through the earth grabbing the bells as I went and leapt away from Kakashi-sensei's reach.
"Sorry, Sensei, but you fell into my trap hook, line, and sinker." I said not sounding nearly as sorry as I was as I gave Sasuke one bell and Naruto the other going so far as to shove it down his shirt so he couldn't give it back
"You...planned this?" Kakashi asked shocked
"Yeah, yeah! Kaya-chan planned the whole thing from the very start! Even told me to act like I was losing my temper and everything! And you fell for it Sensei!" Naruto laughed pointing at our sensei who was stuck from the hips down his hands covered as well
"I see. So it was teamwork from the start was it?" Kakashi chuckled "Well then I guess all I can say is...you pass."
"Huh? Just like that?" Sasuke asked confused
"Yep. Just like that. Kaya...do you mind?" Kakashi asked turning to me
I nodded and did the proper hand sign to release the jutsu and Kakashi was freed from the mud pit with not a speck of it on him.
"That was a very interesting jutsu. I can only guess where a genin could have learned it." Kakashi said giving me an intense look
"You know me, always sneaking off to train and read. One of my books gave me the idea...that's all." I said casually giving the same look back
"I see. Do you want to know why I passed you?" Kakashi asked rhetorically "It begins with these people written here on this stone. These people alone are given the name hero to this village."
"That's it! That's it! That's it! I've decided I'm gonna have my name on that stone! I'm not gonna live and die for nothing like a dog! I'm gonna be a hero! A hero!" Naruto yelled out excited
"They are...a special kind of hero." Kakashi began explaining
"Huh? What kind of heroes are they? Come on tell us!" Naruto demanded still cheerful, but impatient
"They're all...K.I.A." Kakashi finished
I could tell from the look on Naruto's face he didn't understand what it meant and was about to say something stupid so I stepped in.
"Naruto..." I muttered sadly getting his attention
"Huh? What is it Kaya-chan?" He asked confused and concerned at my sudden mood change
"Those people...they were killed in action. They are ninja who gave their lives so that the village may go on. They are heroes because without their sacrifice the village would have ceased to exist...a long time ago. Even I have distant family on that stone. Older cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles I never got to meet. It is an honor to be placed on that stone, but is not one you should so openly welcome." I explained morose, but firm
"She's right. This is a memorial stone some of my closest friends are on this stone." Kakashi said staring at the stone intently
I could tell from the look on Naruto's face that he was sorry for being so hasty and insensitive and that Sasuke was contemplating all that Kakashi had said to us as well as what I said.
"There's just two things left to tell you. It's true that in the ninja world those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum, I'm glad I didn't have to teach you that lesson. And squad seven starts it first mission tomorrow. Congratulations." Kakashi said