AN: hi all, Oh my gosh over 1000 followers WHOOT! You guys rock by the way.

I spent most of yesterday making a picture of Naruto's new uniform, it's heavily inspired by his Shippuden look and I've uploaded it as the new image for this fic if you want to check it out.

I love how no one was really fussed over last chapters bashing fest, not much love for Team Seven I suppose, in fact a lot of people really didn't like that I kept the same team, but personally I feel like this is what Naruto would want as he has a lot of attachment to his team and changing it up too much would have upset him. Also, as I've already messed with the space time continuum this story is already going to spiral out of my control after the Wave Arc so I didn't want to make it too complicated for myself. The whole Danzo thing was way out of my plans so who knows what's going to happen there. And for those of you who keep asking, no there is not going to be any romance. I suck at romance. It would destroy the story if I tried, that's why I wrote that in the story disclaimer. I'm sorry but no.

Anyway on with the show!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto; I just think he's awesome.

Warning: May contain spoilers and/or clichés, if you are bothered or offended by either; why are you reading fanfiction?

'thinking'

"speaking"

jutsu

demon speak

Chapter 15.

Dressed in the traditional Uchiha Genin uniform of blue clan shirt and white shorts, Sasuke stood on his front steps of his home, bathed in the early morning sunlight and tightened his kunai holder for the last time. 'Right … this is it. I'll pass this stupid test, show up the dobe and be one step closer to surpassing my oh so perfect brother.' And with that determined thought he stepped off his front step and into his future.

"Sasuke wait!" called out the exasperated voice of his mother causing his to pause only after one step and his shoulders to sag, "Let me look at you before you go."

Sighing Sasuke turned to face his mother, who stopped on the step just behind him and took his chin in her hand so she could see him better.

"Tsk I don't know how I got such a messy child." She sighed as she took a hanky from the pocket of her apron and much too Sasuke's horror proceeded to spit on it so she could clean his face.

"Mother!" Sasuke whined, though he did not move from her hold, knowing better than to even try from previous experience.

"Hold still!" Mikoto scolded gently as she put the hanky away and started to mess with his hair. Satisfied at last she tightened his headband and took his face in both hands, turning it up to her own, "Now remember listen to your Sensei and do your best."

"Yes Mother," Sasuke intoned resignedly.

"All right then," said Mikoto as she gave his hair one last tug and pushed him away, "Off you go and good luck."

'I bet Itachi never had to put up with this crap,' thought Sasuke petulantly as he walked away from his madly waving mother.

Sakura tugged at the hem of her brand new red battle dress and then straightened the bangs on either side of her face as she looked at herself in the mirror. 'Okay I've got my kunai strapped to my right thigh within easy reach, I've got the regulation manual in my back hip pocket and I'm wearing my standard issue Shinobi sandals. CHA! I've got this. Look out world her comes Sakura Haruno Kunoichi in training.'

"Now remember me," she said out loud to her reflection, "You will hit hard, fight smart and win Sasuke's love! CHA!"

"Sakura isn't it time for you to get going? called her mother's voice from down stairs.

A tic mark throbbed behind Sakura's left eye as she yelled back down, "I know I'm on my way out now!" 'CHA! How long are you going to treat me like a child? I'm a ninja now!'

Unlike his other teammates Naruto had been up and about for quite a while. As soon as he had awoken he was out the door and running laps around the village, after ten laps he completed one hundred sets each of push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups and straight punches before heading over to his training area in the Forest of Death.

After making sure that Anko was going to be out of the village for the day, he created one hundred and twenty-five clones and set them to training for the rest of the morning with instructions to continue on with the elemental training he had begun some months before. He had completed the wind chakra training that he remembered from last time and while he waited to learn more exercises had decided to try and develop a second affinity. Of all the other chakra natures, Naruto had found water chakra the next easiest to use and so this is what he was now working on.

Deciding to treat himself after this relatively light workout, he decided to get a Shinobi Breakfast Set from Ichiraku Ramen. The Shinobi Breakfast Set was actually inspired by Naruto a few years ago when he had complained about having to make his own breakfast every day. Ayame who had just joined her father in the restaurant full time and had wanted to make her mark on the menu had developed the dish with his help. It consisted of a whole broiled fish, a cup of miso soup and Tamago Kake Gohan or raw egg served on hot rice with various vegetable accompaniments, and provided all the energy a shinobi would need first thing in the morning, as such it proved very popular with active shinobi and Academy students alike.

After breakfast Naruto returned home to wash up and don his new ninja uniform. Unfortunately, due to a sudden growth spurt, he had outgrown his current orange outfit so much so that the three-quarter length pants looked more like knee length shorts. Rather than being disheartened by this fact, Naruto chose to see it as an opportunity to get a more 'badass' look knowing that in only a few short months, if all went well, he would finally be able to come clean with the Hokage and his teachers and it would be best if he looked like he should be taken seriously rather than as a little kid when he did so.

To this end he had decided to model his new look after the outfit Jiraiya purchased for him after his training trip. Using the money he had saved up and the Transformation Jutsu, Naruto had ordered a more streamlined outfit made out of top-quality, heavy-duty material that conformed to his now refined figure.

His new jet black jacket was slimmer than his previous jacket and the collar was not as thick, though it did cover his neck when zipped all the way up and provided some protection to this vulnerable area. The front of the jacket had two large burnt-orange, rectangular panels that ran from his chest to his waist on either side of the zipper which was banded by a wide black strip. He retained the memorial white Namikaze swirl on his right sleeve and the large red Uzumaki swirl in the middle of his back, but the rest of the jacket was completely black. Though when unzipped the inside was revealed to be lined with numerous orange pockets and scroll containers of various sizes.

Underneath his new jacket, Naruto wore a plain black, skin-tight t-shirt that showed of his toned body which had obviously been molded for speed, flexibility and strength with not one inch of excess flesh visible. On his wrists he wore his resistance bands which were dark blue in colour with red Uzumaki swirls, he had decided to leave these as they were as he did not want to chance damaging the seals by dying them, but he did change the cloth on his headband to black to match his new outfit and had lengthened the ties so they hung down his back and blew 'heroically' in the wind.

He paired all this with a new pair of black shinobi cargo pants with inch-wide, burnt-orange stripes down the side of each leg, they were three-quarter length and ended just above the tops of his new black shinobi sandals, revealing that his lower legs were wrapped in white bandages. His white shuriken pouch and a new scroll holder were strapped to his waist with his old black, leather belt and he strapped his old kunai pouch to his right thigh over more white bandages.

Wanting to improve on the functionality of his new outfit, Naruto had even added seals to it. In addition to the storage seals etched into the underside of his leather belt, he had added more storage seals to the inside of his pockets so he could store extra weapons and snacks within easy reach. He had even keyed the seals to each of his fingers so for snacks he would channel chakra to his little finger or for a kunai he would channel chakra to his ring finger or thumb and shuriken were keyed to his pointer and middle finger on each hand.

Another storage seal was placed just inside his collar to hold his old green goggles for easy access during dust storms or when fighting Earth Jutsu users where dust and debris was a serious hazard. On the soles of his sandals he had even inscribed some basic silencing seals so his footsteps would always be silent no matter what kind of surface he was walking upon.

All in all he presented a very competent looking figure, it he did say so himself. "At last you look like a proper container for my exalted position as the most powerful Biju." approved the Great Beast as he looked through his hosts eyes at the mirror in which Naruto had been admiring his new look.

"You didn't like the orange?" asked Naruto in mock surprise, "Why ever would you not like the orange?"

"You and I both know you looked ridiculous. Now stop messing around and get going already." Kurama groused in his usual grumpy voice.

"Hai, hai," Naruto mumbled as he turned and made for the door, "You know there's no rush; Kakashi-sensei won't be there for at least three hours yet."

"I know but I want to watch the pink thing and the emo brat freaking out."

"Now, now Kurama, they may be little brats but they are our team mates now. Though I suppose we should do something to settle their nerves a bit. You know get their minds off the test." Naruto mused angelically with a very foxy grin on his face.

"I like were this is going kit. Tell me more…"

Sasuke leant against one of the three wooden training posts that were secured into the ground of the designated training ground in which he was currently waiting for his errant Sensei to arrive. Sakura meanwhile was standing to his left, agitatedly shifting from one foot to the other and apparently trying to talk his ear off.

"You know Sasuke-kun I don't know why we had to get that Naruto-baka he is soooo annoying. Don't you think?" Sakura ventured, fully aware of the ongoing rivalry between the two.

"Hn," answered Sasuke disinterestedly.

"I mean he's always trying to show people up and he had no respect for others, always laughing. Argh he drives me crazy. And you know what the worst part is? No matter how annoying he is you can't stay angry cause when you try he's always gives you that look. You know the one? Like he knows something you don't, the one that makes you feel like a little kid. And that he likes you in spite of all you faults." she ranted on.

"Hn," Sasuke agreed as he stretched his neck slightly trying not to look like he was desperately looking for someone to distract her attention away from himself.

"I mean what's up with that? As if that Baka could know more than us and who is he to judge." Sakura continued despite the lack of response from her crush, "Argh, where is he anyway, we've been waiting for half an hour already and where is our Sensei?"

"Yo" came a sudden voice between them, causing them both to jump apart in surprise. Turning they saw the last of their prospective team standing casually with his hands looped in the pockets of his new outfit.

"Why do you do that?" exclaimed Sakura, holding a hand to her chest to relieve her racing heartbeat.

Naruto inclined his head to the side slightly and hesitantly asked, "Cause it's funny?"

"Well when are you going to grow up and stop?" she demanded hotly.

"When it stops being funny?"

Forgetting herself completely Sakura charged towards Naruto and swung her fist at his head. Nimbly Naruto sidestepped her attack, again and again, until she finally collapsed in an exhausted and frustrated heap. Not wanting to be hit every time the girl lost her temper, again, Naruto had been using this technique to train Sakura to not attempt to hit him for the last few years. But every now and then she would forget herself and try to attack him in frustration, Naruto of course would dodge and thus teach her self-restraint or at least that was the excuse he nobly told himself for continuing with the same response even if it produced only mediocre results in her behaviour, that it was also extremely funny didn't factor in at all.

"Anyway how are you both this beautiful morning?" continued Naruto, cheerfully ignoring the dagger looks from his female team member.

"Hn," said Sasuke derisively.

"I am very sorry to hear that Sasuke. But you know they say if you put ointment on that twice a day the rash should clear up after a week."

"WHAT?" screeched Sakura, rising from her place on the ground.

Sasuke's face reddened dramatically as his eyes narrowed and a tic started to throb behind his right eye, rushing forward he yelled, "I will kill you!"

Laughing hysterically Naruto jumped around, dodging his teammate's erratic swings until they both called a time-out because of dizziness.

"Okay, okay, okay … sorry I just couldn't help it." He laughingly apologised, "But hey at least we got a good warm up out of it. So who's for something to eat?" asked Naruto as he sat down on a nearby log.

"Naruto you Baka, Kakashi-sensei told us not to eat!" Sakura screamed in frustration.

"Oh don't tell me you didn't eat anything this morning Sakura?" asked Naruto just as a grumbling sound came from Sasuke's stomach, "Oh not you too Teme! I thought I told you guys that that was just a suggestion. Look what was the first thing they taught us? You know day one, Ninja Academy."

"That's easy 'Look Underneath the Underneath'. But what's that got to do with anything?" asked Sakura snootily.

"Urgh everything!" exclaimed Naruto, "Sakura, I tell you this now and I hope you listen this time, I have nothing but respect for you not just any girl could be smart enough to ace the written Graduation Exam or strong enough to knock down a tree with one punch, but you have got to start thinking like a ninja! You are way too literal sometimes."

Sakura blushed at Naruto's words as a look of embarrassed comprehension flashed over Sasuke's usually stoic features momentarily as he realised what Naruto was trying to say.

"Here let's try this. What are the three most important things to secure during survival training?" asked Naruto calmly.

"Shelter, Food and Water." answered Sakura promptly.

"Right, shelter cause you don't know what the weather will do, water cause you won't survive long without it and food to keep your strength up so you're ready for anything and especially for enemy attacks." explained Naruto patiently, who was rewarded by a look of dawning understanding on his female teammates face.

"Well what can we do about it now? Kakashi-sensei could arrive at any time and we don't have time to find anything to eat." Sakura moaned petulantly.

Naruto waved his hand dismissively as he reached inside his jacket for a scroll, "Don't worry about Kakashi-sensei he's well known for his tardiness, he is habitually three hours late for everything except important missions, so he won't be here for at least another two and a half hours." he explained as he knelt down and rolled out the scroll.

"What are you doing?" asked Sakura interestedly as she moved over, Sasuke following trying hard not to look interested himself.

"I'm getting us something to eat," said Naruto as he applied chakra to the revealed sealing matrix with his right hand and unsealed a large three-layered bento box. He handed a layer to each of his team mates and instructed them to eat.

"But what if your wrong and we get in trouble?" asked Sakura hesitating still even though the box smelled wonderful and her stomach grumbled painfully.

"Well he may have said no breakfast, but Kakashi-sensei didn't say anything about brunch." answered Naruto with a cheeky grin.

"Brunch?" asked Sasuke, contributing to the conversation for the first time as he sat down and accepted the offered chopsticks.

"Yeah you know the meal between breakfast and lunch, brunch. It's like linner but earlier in the day." Naruto answered offhandedly as he dug into his own bento box.

"Linner?" mouthed Sakura to Sasuke who shrugged and dug into his own heavily tomatoed bento.

Soon enough the training field was filled with the sounds of eating and groans of contentment.

Exactly two and a half hours later Kakashi finally arrived at training ground three and placed an alarm clock on top of one of the training posts, much to Sakura's ire. Turning to his three cute little students, he eye smiled in response to their accusing faces, angered by his lateness.

"Hey guys good morning," he greeted them jovially as he moved to stand before them, "Ok, I've set the alarm for noon and here are two bells," he explained as he held up the two bells for their inspection, "Your task is to take these from me before noon. Those who cannot get a bell by noon get no lunch. I'll not only tie you to one of those stumps but I'll eat right in front of you."

He paused for the expected tummy grumbles but frowned when none came. He looked questioningly at each of his students to be met by a blank stare from Sasuke, a cheeky grin from Naruto and a guilty look from Sakura. 'The little snots ate already.' he thought.

"You only need to get one bell," he continued, deciding to move on, "There are only two. So, one of you will definitely be tied to a stump. And the person who doesn't take a bell fails." Here he paused again for dramatic effect, "So, at least one of you will be sent back to the Academy. Let me warn you now, you won't succeed unless you come at me with the intent to kill. Do you understand?"

Sakura gulped, thought the boys looked unimpressed, "But you'll be in danger!" she cried.

"Really Sakura?" asked Naruto in deadpan, "The man's a Jonin and ex-ANBU, you think we, fresh Genin that we are, can hurt him?"

Sakura blushed even as she glared hatefully at the boy.

"Ma, Ma," Kakashi-sensei said as he made calming motions with his hands, "enough of that. And there's no harm in trying at least. Ok so let's get going!" he suddenly exclaimed with a clap, "Ready … START!"

In a flash a cloud of dust enveloped the area as the Genin hopefuls jumped away. "One of the basics of the Ninja art is to hide yourself well," called Kakashi as the cloud of dust dispersed only to reveal the figure of the Jonin's most distinctive student standing before him.

"Come and fight me," Naruto challenged the man as he assumed a stance, "If you're man enough."

"Umm … you're a little bit off," Kakashi ventured hesitantly.

"What an idiot," muttered Sasuke from a nearby bush behind which he had concealed himself.

"The only thing off is your choice of reading material," cried Naruto as he charged forward.

Kakashi-sensei sighed as he reached into his shuriken pouch, "Ninja Art lesson one, Taijutsu. Let me teach you about it." He said as he pulled out a copy of his favourite little orange book whilst simultaneously blocking Naruto's frontal assault with one hand, "And by the way Icha Icha Come Come Paradise is a classic."

Naruto grinned toothily at the man as he said, "If you say so Sensei." He spun and broke away from the man's hold, following it up with a roundhouse kick aimed at his teacher's head which was nimbly dodged. Spinning he managed to get behind the man and aimed a punch at the back of his head, "Ya!" he called as he followed through, only to lose his balance and bend forward as Kakashi disappeared.

"Huh?" he called as he turned his head trying to find his opponent.

Crouching behind the bent over figure, Kakashi muttered, "A ninja isn't supposed to get caught from behind idiot."

'What,' thought Sakura from her hiding place in a nearby tree as she caught sight of the hand sign Kakashi-sensei was forming, 'That's the Tiger Seal? Huh, no way! He's going to use a fire Ninjutsu against Naruto?' throwing caution to the wind the young girl called out a warning, "Naruto get out of there! You're going to get killed!"

Panicked Naruto twisted around, too late as Kakashi-sensei called out, "Hidden Leaf Ancient Taijutsu Supreme Technique, One Thousand Years' of Pain!" as he thrust his clasped hands towards the obvious target.

However the expected resistance of flesh was surprisingly absent causing him to unbalance and fall forward as his pointed fingers pierced through the rectum of his student and travelled through the surprisingly fragile body to exit through Naruto's lower abdomen. Kakashi's eyes widened as he found himself unexpectedly elbow deep within his student.

'Naruto' turned his head and looked down at his teacher with an exasperated expression, "Was that completely necessary?" he demanded.

Palling in horror, Kakashi hastily removed his arms only to reveal a fist sized hole through which he could clearly see the pulsating grey and pink shapes of Naruto's lower intestines and other internal organs. Kakashi-sensei's lone visible eye rolled up in his head and much to 'Naruto's' shock and amusement he fainted dead away.

Sasuke, who had been crouched nearby so he could observe the fight, tightened his grip on the kunai in his hand as he too palled in horror, 'What the hell is that?' he internally screamed. It took all his concentration not to call out in an unmanly manner as an unexpected voice commented from just above him, "Man, am I glad the memory transfer doesn't work with the H-clone. I do not want to remember what that feels like. Yo," Naruto greeted his shocked teammate as he jumped down and crouched beside him.

"What the hell Naruto?" whispered Sasuke hoarsely.

"Oh relax," scoffed Naruto as he waved one hand, "it's just a clone."

Strictly speaking Naruto had cheated just a bit; the chakra shells that made up the H-class clone should not have given away so easily to Kakashi's relatively blunt finger tips; however Naruto had thinned the chakra walls around the cells that made up the clone's waist area. It had taken a number of months to work out how to do so, but Naruto thought it well worth the effort considering the result.

"I thought you couldn't do clones?" Sasuke muttered as the two boys watched Naruto's clone crouch down beside their unconscious sensei and proceed to repeatedly poke the poor man in the cheek with it's finger.

"Eh I can't do the Illusion Clone true," Naruto admitted, "Too much chakra. That's why I had to learn something that was a little more chakra intensive so I could pass." Sasuke gritted his teeth at this, however much it had frustrated him that Naruto seemed to be able to outperform him at every turn he had taken some conciliation in the fact that at least he was better than the Dobe at Ninjutsu and now he learnt that he doesn't even have that anymore. 'Argh,' he internally groaned.

"So what's the plan? It better be good cause I don't think he'll be out for long." Naruto continued oblivious to Sasuke's reaction, "See?" he added as their previously inanimate Sensei suddenly grasped the clone's aggravating hand and flipped the doppelganger over his head. Quickly rolling over their Sensei then proceeded to punch the downed clone in the face with a chakra infused fist thus destroying it's head.

Kakashi jumped back as he, and the two hidden boys, curiously watched the clone scramble to it's feet and then try and find it's missing opponent by waving it's hands around in front of it whilst it stumbled around in a circle. "God that's disturbing," the boys heard him mutter.

"Aw," whined Naruto, "he destroyed it's mouth and I had this really cool line I wanted it to say too. Oh well maybe next time. But boy does Kakashi-sensei look pissed." he commented to Sasuke as he absentmindedly made thirty more Shadow Clones to keep Kakashi, who had just obliterated the rest of the H-Clone, busy whilst the two boys talked. "So," he asked as he turned his head to look at his team mate, "do you think you could take him?"

"Hn," Sasuke absentmindedly answered as he watched the clones being demolished by his teacher.

"Really? Even though he's managing to hit me? Whom you still can't by the way. Even if those clones only have about a thirtieth of my power, that's still pretty impressive you have to admit." Sasuke turned his head to rebuke his team mate's analysis, but stopped in confusion when he saw him resting comfortably against a nearby tree, absently cleaning his nails with a kunai, "and let's not forget the fact that the man is ex-ANBU and a Jonin, do you honestly think you can take him out yourself? You who can't even get a hit on your own brother who has eight years less experience than Kakashi-sensei."

"How do you know I can't hit my brother? Have you been spying on me?" Sasuke hissed in spiteful anger.

"Um, hello, Ninja here," Naruto answered him with cheerful sarcasm. "I spy on everyone. It's what we do."

"Well what do you suggest we do then?" asked Sasuke as Naruto casually made thirty more clones to replace those that had just been destroyed.

"Well duh, we work together. You, me and Sakura." He replied as if the answer was obvious.

"Why Sakura?" Sasuke asked with distain dripping from his voice.

"Because," Naruto drawled out, "She's smart, strong and a part of our team. "

"But there are only two bells; even if we work together one of us is going back. Why would she agree to work with us?" Sasuke asked triumphantly, sure that he had found the perfect counter argument.

"If you ask me," said Naruto, putting away his kunai and moving back over beside Sasuke, "I think this whole test is bogus. Who ever heard of a two man team, especially one with a Uchiha on it?"

Sasuke's grip tightened on his kunai once more as he silently, though reluctantly, agreed with his team mates point. Ever since the 'Incident', when those traitors, otherwise known as his father, the older Jonin and Elders of the clan, had dragged the families name through the mud with their ridiculous plans for a coup d'état, the remaining family had to put up with being closely watched by their comrades.

Ever since then no one team had more than one Uchiha on it and if any of the teams that did have a Uchiha lost a team member, for whatever reason, the vacant position was filled quicker than those teams without a Uchiha member. This was a fact that the family had to deal with right now, but it did not lesson their anger at the traitors for what they had done in their arrogance, despite their subsequent deaths, nor the desire of the family as a whole to clear their name and restore their honour as soon as possible.

Which was why they put so much pressure on Sasuke and the other Uchiha Genin to be the best they could possibly be, to show the village the worth of the Uchiha family. The younger members of the Clan were told to look to Itachi, the new Family Head, as an example to follow as he had managed to build a reputation for incorruptibility and excellence after the 'Incident' and was seen by many as the only reason the family hadn't been even more ostracised by the village than they had been.

"Fine," grumbled Sasuke finally after a long moment of thought, "Where is she anyway?"

"Over to the right," answered Naruto cheerfully as he motioned for Sasuke to follow, "I have a clone speaking to her right now so she should be ready to go as well. We just have to think up a plan. Why don't you do that while we make our way over to her?"

"Hn," Sasuke grunted not at all pleased by the prospect of working with the Banshee.

Kakashi was not having a very good morning, though demolishing the surprisingly large amount of clones made by his blonde student was going a very long way to relieving some of his frustration. Not only did his new Genin team obviously ignore his instructions and eat before the test, thus ruining his fun, he had also been reduced to an embarrassing state by one of his students, a state he had never been in before. Smiling sadistically to himself he dispelled the last clone with a punch to the head and looked around trying to spot his well concealed students.

He caught a flash a red from his periphery and dashed towards it, 'So Sakura is the next one to try her luck,' he mused silently, 'Funny I would have laid odds on it being Sasuke.'

The girl proved to be surprisingly fast 'And strong!' thought Kakashi in surprised as the girl paused momentary to punch a nearby tree, sending it crashing down towards him. Kakashi jumped to the side thus avoiding being hit by the falling tree but then landed squarely in a wire trap that sent him tumbling head over heels.

Spinning gently by his foot from which he was suspended; Kakashi looked down when he heard the distinctive sound of leaves being crushed underfoot to find Sasuke standing beneath him. The boy was rapidly making the hand seals for a fire jutsu, "Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke cried as he opened his mouth wide and released the fiery inferno.

'What! A genin shouldn't have enough chakra to be able to use that jutsu.' thought Kakashi his lone eye wide, just moments before he was enveloped in the fiery blast. When the smoke cleared Sasuke cursed to see a charred log swinging from the ninja wire.

Moments later an unharmed Kakashi-sensei reappeared on the branch of a nearby tree and was met by the hiss of activated exploding seals, causing him to Shushin away just as smoke enveloped the area. Time and again Kakashi appeared in different areas of the training ground only to be met time and again by ever more elaborate traps.

Panting he finally stopped in the middle of the open space, the only area apparently free of traps. Just as he was getting his wind back a pair of hands appeared from the dirt beneath his feet and grabbed hold of his ankles instantly Sasuke jumped onto his back and secured his arms. Quick as a wink Sakura appeared in front of him and cut off the two bells from where they hung at his waist with her kunai, catching them in her hand, jumping back she took a guarded stance as her two male team mates appeared on either side of her and clasped each of her hands as the alarm bell sounded the noon hour.

Relaxing from his hunched over stance, Kakashi-sensei stood up straight and eye-smiled at the trio. "Congratulations Sakura you did it." he began.

"Don't you mean we did it Kakashi-sensei?" asked the young girl unmoving.

"Well," Kakashi drawled, "You were the one who grabbed the bells.

"Ah," said Sakura as she gentle unclasped her hands from her two team mates revealing a bell in each, "We were all touching a bell when the alarm sounded.

"So you were," agreed Kakashi with a smile, "So I guess that means you all pass!"

"YATTA!" cried Naruto as he jumped in the air in celebration.

"But before we all get too carried away, I want you to all to come with me first," instructed Kakashi as he turned away and motioned for his new team to follow him through the trees.

"Hey Naruto?" asked Sakura from beside him as they trailed their teacher, "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we all passed together, but why didn't you grab the bells when Kakashi-sensei fainted?"

"Oh," said Naruto as a look of dawning comprehension came to his face and he punched his open hand with a fist.

"You didn't even think of that, did you idiot?" muttered Sasuke from behind them.

Suddenly all three felt an oppressive aura from in front of them. "When I did what?" asked Kakashi through gritted teeth as he turned his head and stared pointedly at Sakura.

"Uh, when you fai…" Sakura began only to falter as the Kakashi's aura became even more oppressive.

Turning so he was facing his students completely Kakashi bent forward and stared into their faces, "We will NEVER speak of this again. Understand!"

"Hai Sensei," they chorused in unison as they nodded their heads vigorously.

"Good," said Kakashi with an eye-smile as he stood up straight and gestured behind him, "Here we are, take a seat and look at this, my cute little Genin, can you see all the names carved into this stone? These are all ninja who are recognised as heroes of the village."

"So one day our names will be on this stone too Kakashi-sensei?" asked Sakura.

"I sure hope not Sakura, for they aren't just normal heroes. They are all people who died while performing their duty. This is a memorial. My best friend's name is also carved here…"

An uncomfortable silence enveloped the group as the full import of the carved stone was realised by all present. "The reason that you all passed today is because you worked together as a team," Kakashi began to explain after a moment; "In this village you are expected to complete your duties as a team. Of course superior individual ability is important to a ninja but what's more important is 'teamwork.' By proving to me that you understand this, you showed me that you are ready to become ninja of the Hidden Leaf. Feel proud for you are the first to pass my test."

At this his team's eyes widened with amazement, "Like morons, everyone else just did whatever I told them. You were the first to ignore all that and choose to work together," here Sakura and Sasuke turned to look at their other team mate who was smiling knowingly, "a ninja must learn to look underneath the underneath. Those who break the rules and codes of the ninja world are called trash…"

Kakashi paused and looked into each of his Genin's eyes in turn before continuing, "But you know what? Those who don't take care of their comrades are lower than trash."

'He is so cool,' thought Sakura as she smiled.

'Hn, of course. If only Father and the others had remembered that.' thought Sasuke broodingly.

'I'm not going to leave anyone behind this time. Believe it!' thought Naruto determinedly.

"And that … ends the training. All of you pass okay! Starting tomorrow Team Seven will begin its duties. We will meet in front of the Hokage Tower tomorrow morning at seven." explained Kakashi whilst he placed his hands in his pockets. As the man turned to walk away, Naruto spied a green flash over his left shoulder as two well-known figures raced each other over a nearby hill.

Raising one hand Naruto waved frantically as he called out, "Oi Lee, Bushy-brows-sensei over here! Guess what? We passed!"

"Yosh!" came the answering cry as the dynamic duo quickly made their way over to the group, "Congratulations Naruto-kun I knew you could do it!" cried Lee as he stopped before his young friend and pounded him on the shoulders enthusiastically, "As expected of my eternal rival!"

"Yes Naruto-kun congratulations!" echoed Gai-sensei as he assumed a good-guy pose beside Kakashi who had palled slightly, "And congratulations to you my own Eternal Rival for finally gaining a Genin team of your own. Soon you will be all be bursting with the Flames of Youth!"

"Did you say something Gai," came the cool response from Kakashi-sensei.

"Damn you and your hip attitude Kakashi," Gai moaned energetically, "But seriously you must be most excited to have a team are you not, especially with young Naruto-kun."

"How do you know Naruto, Gai?" asked Kakashi.

"Yosh, young Naruto has been bursting with the Flames of Youth since very young and has joined Lee and myself on our morning runs for many years now." exclaimed Gai.

"Hai," agreed Lee, "and one of these days I will manage to complete my run before Naruto-kun and if I do not I will walk one hundred times around the village on my hands."

"And if you do, I will walk three hundred times around the village on my hands," returned Naruto just as energetically.

"Naruto-kun," cried Lee.

"Lee-kun," cried Naruto.

"Boys," cried Gai-sensei.

"Gai-sensei," they replied in unison and just as they moved together to hug in a manly fashion, Kakashi-sensei appeared in the middle of the trio and stopped them with an out stretched arm on Gai and Naruto's chest thus holding them apart.

"No!" Kakashi shouted, "You will not involve MY student in the Sunset of Youth. No way! Nu uh!"

"Aw come one sensei," whined Naruto, "It's fun! Why don't you join us?"

"Yes, my Eternal Rival, why don't you join us?" asked Gai-sensei brightly.

"Yes, join us," agreed Lee.

"One of us, one of us," they all chanted as they closed in.

"NOOOOOO!" screamed Kakashi as he flung his hands over his head.

Laughing hysterically Naruto flung himself backwards and rolled around as his two disguised clones dispersed, no longer able to hold onto his composure after Kakashi's cry of dispair.

"Wha?" asked Kakashi confused as he put down his arms and looked around.

Naruto still chuckling to himself stood up and dusted himself off, "Yep, undisputed Prankster King right here people!" he crowed.

"That was NOT funny Naruto!" cried Kakashi angrily as he moved to stand before the boy.

"Yes Kakashi-sensei," said Naruto innocently as he stared up at the man with innocent eyes.

"You won't do that again will you?" his teacher demanded as he bent over to stare directly into Naruto's eyes.

"Of course not Kakashi-sensei," answered Naruto even more innocently as he turned and started to walk away.

"I mean it Naruto," called Kakashi as he trailed after him, "Promise me you will never do that again! Naruto! … Naruto?"

Sakura turned to look at Sasuke as she asked, "What was that?"

"I don't know and I never want to find out," Sasuke answered as he too moved to head back towards the village.

Sakura could only nod in agreement as she followed him.