"Team Seven; Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Sasuke Uchiha."
{{LINE BREAK}}
"I can't believe it! I have to take another test! This isn't fair." Naruto grumbled next to Harri.
Kakashi had asked for the group to meet at a specific training ground at any unholy hour of the morning. Naruto was excited, but Harri's thoughts were more bordering on painful ways to kill someone.
On Harri's side as she walked though, she was more concerned with walking in a straight line. It was far too early in the morning for her taste, and she would have much rather be in the lamp traveling than out walking, but Naruto had asked, and said blond was very persuasive. He had gone to bed late, keeping Harri up, and then woke her up early. The lamp may have frozen her time, but when she was out of it, time affected her just like every other normal person.
Harri just made a vaguely affirmative noise in reply to Naruto's statement though when he repeated more of the same complaints. Getting up at five was just ridiculous, especially when you had orders not to eat (not that Harri really needed to eat anyways, she had just gotten used to it with Naruto). Harri was glad that wizards at least had some sense when it came to sleep.
Shinobi on the other hand...
Turning one last glance at the energetic boy beside her, Harri finally gave into temptation and de-summoned herself, the smoke receding back into the lamp. Dimly, she heard Naruto sigh, but soon she felt his speed increase. Naruto was obviously really excited about being a real ninja.
Just like Harri had been when she had found out about the wizarding world.
Instead of dwelling on that though, she just settled down onto her back, arms crossed behind her head as she stared at the ceiling of her lamp. Soon she had drifted of into a sort of sleep, true sleep not coming while in the lamp, thoughts drifting.
'You speak to snakes?'
'Parseltongue!'
'She's the Master of Death!'
'Dangerous, can't be trusted.'
'Volatile. Scary.'
'A Dark Lady.'
'Traitor!'
'Kill them all, they killed my mother!'
'Death, just get rid of them all!'
'MURDERER!'
With a gasp, Harri sat up, heart in her throat as she clutched at her throat. She hadn't had a nightmare in ages. Not since...
No, she wouldn't think of it. Not anymore. She should have been fine, she thought that it was all okay now.
"Hey Death?" she whispered softly into the air. She needed to speak to him, especially after the whole True Summoning instance two days ago.
There was silence for a long time, but Harri knew that eventually he would come. He had to after all.
Harri meanwhile could hear Naruto greeting his new teammates and their rather frosty reception to him. He had been late, but apparently their sensei wasn't even there yet. Naruto was fine then.
Suddenly, the air seemed to grow thicker for a moment before the temperature dropped before returning to normal, and then Death was there.
"Mistress." he greeted disdainfully. Obviously he was still feeling ticked off at her from her forcible Summoning and the return to the world that he wasn't the Death over.
"I'm sorry." Harri finally whispered as she stared at the floating being in front of her, "I had forgotten how much you hated being Summoned to a world in which you weren't the ultimate master. I had forgotten how it felt to worry about someone other than myself. So, I'm sorry."
There was a tense silence before Death spoke again, "Apologies do not suite you Mistress. I am Death, I was already aware of this. Do not dwell on a past on which you cannot change. You are here in this world, bonded to a similar child as yourself, perhaps it was meant to be. I do not expect you to randomly Summon me, you have always been fair. Do not worry yourself too much. But I must be going soon otherwise the souls start to pile up."
As the temperature started to drop again, Harri burst out, "Wait!"
The temperature drop froze as Death waited for her question.
"What's the year there? Last time I asked you said 2001, how about now?" Harri asked softly, terrified of the answer.
The being froze as he regarded her, "I am not sure that knowing such information would be good for you. You have finally started to heal. Knowing the year of your home world may not be the best decision."
"Please. I need to know." Harri pleaded softly, looking down at her boots and drawing them up to her chest.
A pause, then, "2016. Anything else?" Death asked in a tone that may have been considered soft, but with a being such as Death, it was difficult to say if he really did feel any sort of nicer emotion.
Harri closed her eyes as the hurt hit, but kept her voice still, "I see. Thank you. And I really am sorry."
"I know." the matter-of-fact tone was normal of Death. Then the temperature dropped, the air grew tense, and then he was gone.
The silence filled the lamp as Harri allowed a few tears to slide down her cheeks at the lost opportunity she had before she buckled her emotions down and locked them away. Tears didn't help. Not anymore.
"Hey Harri, My sensei's finally here, do you want to come out?" Naruto whispered softly by the lamp as he tapped it.
Harri scrunched her nose at the thought of participating in another test, but dutifully came out of the lamp. Then she had to do a double take when it appeared they were hiding in a bush.
"Naruto, why are you kneeling in a bush?" Harri asked, one corner of her mouth twitching upwards as her dark thoughts fled to the back of her mind, "And isn't that Sakura lying on the ground over there?"
Naruto spared a single glance towards the pinkette before he turned back to Harri, "Kakashi-sensei is giving us a test to get those two bells at his waist. Only two of us can pass to become genin. The other one is being sent back to the academy. I need you to get the bells."
"I am not helping you cheat." Harri said flatly., "Work on it yourself."
Naruto scowled at her, "But Harri...!"
"Absolutely not." she snapped back, "I am not helping you cheat your way to the top. Didn't you just tell Konohamaru about no short-cuts? Don't be a hypocrite." she scolded the blond.
He sighed, but then jumped out behind Kakashi, "I'm going to take those bells! I can't go back to the academy!" Naruto said as he used his shadow clone jutsu.
Harri then slapped herself in the face as Naruto was soundly beaten. That last attack, well, it was certainly effective. There was a splash as Naruto fell into the water and Harri spared him a single glance before reassuring herself that he would be okay.
There was quiet, and then a roar as a ton of shadow clones rushed Kakashi. On one hand, they did excellent against him, but then again, Kakashi was obviously holding back greatly against the three.
"Harri! Now!" Naruto shouted, causing Harri to look over at her Summoner. Naruto had managed to grab a hold of Kakashi and as his clones flew through the air at his sensei, Harri sniffed, and cast a half hearted stupefy which Kakashi easily dodged. He looked in Harri's direction, but saw nothing.
"Harri!"one of the clones complained to her as Naruto ended up starting to beat himself up as Kakashi switched with one of the clones.
"Naruto!" Harri whined back, "I told you to pass the test yourself. And if you waste your wish on this, I'm not going to make it pleasant on you." she warned, refusing to even look at the clone, and instead examining her nails for imaginary dirt. There was a pause, then a groan of defeat before the Naruto clone stomped away to join the fight.
"Although I will suggest that instead of beating yourself up, you try de-summoning your clones or however you get rid of them." Harri shouted a helpful hint as she watched the Naruto group start ot pound on each other.
There was a pause as the clones took in her words before getting an identical sheepish look on their faces before the clones disappeared in a big cloud of smoke. The smoke then dissipated to reveal the original Naruto rubbing the back of his head, "Heh, sorry about that Harri. Thank you for your help."
Harri rolled her eyes, but nodded and waved away the thanks, "Just try to use your head more."
"Oh look! A bell!" Naruto cried, pointing to a lone bell on the ground in front of a tree.
Harri could just make out the rope around it, and felt obligated to shout, "No, Naruto, wait there's...!" a sigh, "Never mind."
"Huh?! Hey! It was a trap!" Naruto shouted as he started struggling against the rope holding him up.
Kakashi appeared and reached down for the bell, "You used your technique well, but so did I. And to fall for such an obvious trick was stupid." at this, Naruto bristled almost and glared at Kakashi, "A ninja must always look underneath the underneath."
"I know that!" Naruto yelled, waving his arms around.
"Uh, no you don't. That's why I'm telling you." Kakashi said as he watched Naruto struggle. There were several times Naruto turned a pleading eye toward Harri, but she ignored his looks. Harri walked over and sat at the bottom of the tree that Naruto was tied at, but otherwise did nothing.
She looked up at him and told him, "Wait until your sure he leaves before really trying to escape. Otherwise you'll just embarrass yourself."
Naruto grumbled a little bit, but just folded his arms and glared at Kakashi again.
"Naruto, you..." Kakashi began before suddenly several weapons appeared out of the nearby trees and nailed Kakashi in the face and side. Blood seemed o spurt from the wounds as he fell to the side, Naruto yelling at Sasuke who had apparently thrown said weapons, but he abruptly cut off as Kakashi's falling body changed into a log. Harri tilted her head at the log, and looked around for the actual person, but he seemed to have really disappeared. Probably after the other two now that Naruto had pretty much been beaten.
"Well? Is he gone yet Harri?" Naruto finally asked.
"I think so." Harri said. Although to be sure, she whispered, "Homenum Revelio." Since Harri could already see Naruto, the spell didn't affect him, and nothing appeared to show Kakashi was still hiding somewhere near them, "Yep, you're good."
"Good." and then Naruto whipped out a kunai and sliced the rope holding him up. As he fell, he started grumbling at Kakashi, and then flipped to land on his feet, "No way am I getting caught in another one of Kakashi-sensei's traps." he finished his muttering as he landed in a crouch. There was a pause as Naruto looked out into the woods for any sign of them before turning to Harri.
"Hey Harri..." he started before suddenly he was whipped up again, "Now again!" he drew out the last word and Harri fell over laughing as Naruto started struggling even more than the first time and cursing his teacher to high heaven, "Curse you Kakashi-sensei!" he yelled.
And Harri just laughed away.
{{LINE BREAK}}
"Oh look lunch."
"I would suggest not Naruto."
"Eh, I'm hungry!"
…
"Heh, heh, oops? Sorry Kakashi-sensei?"
"Too late Naruto."
{{LINE BREAK}}
There was silence as they all stared at one another. But then the silence was broken by three stomach's growling consecutively.
"Uh-oh, stomach's are growling. By the way, I have an announcement about this exercise." Kakashi started. Harri took the moment when Naruto was distracted to whack him on the head.
"I told you to wait." she lectured him when he looked up at her.
"Well, I've decided. I won't send any of you back to the Academy." Kakashi announced pleasantly. A bit too pleasantly in Harri's opinion and she narrowed her eyes at Kakashi as she leaned against the pole Naruto was tied too.
"Really?" Naruto's excitement made Harri groan softly and hit her head against the side of the pole. He was so naive sometimes.
"What? I passed? But all I did was faint and fall over. Do you get points for that?" Sakura questioned. Her statement made Harri groan again and hit her head against the pole harder this time.
Harri's disbelief at the two went unnoticed by Naruto however as he and Sakura were too busy prematurely celebrating.
"Yeah! We did it!" Sakura said in her high pitched voice.
"That means all three of us, all three of us!" Naruto said excitedly as well.
"Yes. All three of you are being dropped from the program. Permanently." Kakashi started out pleasant before his voice hardened as the two stopped celebrating to stare at him.
Harri stood up straight as she glared at Kakashi, trying to figure out his motive. Something was not right here.
Naruto looked at Harri with panic in his eyes. Harri spoke without looking at him, "Something's up with this whole thing. Wait a moment before you really start panicking."
Naruto gave her a miniscule nod before turning back to face Kakashi, "Drop us from the program? But that means we can never become ninja! You said if we couldn't get the bells, we would be sent back tot the Academy. You can't just change your mind and kick us out, why would you do that?!" Naruto's panic started to seep into his voice as he got louder and louder in his complaints against Kakashi's decision.
"Because you don't think like shinobi. You think like little kids, like brats." Kakashi explained, hands on his hips and head cocked to one side. He certainly did look like he was being forced to deal with a bunch of brats.
Sasuke apparently took deep offense to that because he took of for Kakashi, one hand stretched out, the other in his weapon pouch, reaching for something. However, Kakashi easily took Sasuke down. He ended up sitting on him, one foot on Sasuke's neck, and a hand forcing Sasuke's behind him.
"Sasuke!" Sakura cried.
"You think it's all about you." Kakashi said mockingly to Sasuke.
"Let go of Sasuke, you can't step on him like he's some bug!" Sakura screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks. Harri winced and blocked the ear that was closest to the screeching girl.
"You don't know what it means to be a ninja, you think it's some sort of game. Why do you think we put you on genin teams, did you ever stop to question that?" Kakashi asked as though the kids in front of him were babies. Harri was starting to understand though, and could appreciate the tone he was using if what he was starting to suspect was right.
"I...I don't know what you mean!" Sakura complained.
"I mean... you never realized what this exercise was all about, not even close!"
"What it's all about?" Naruto questioned, then glanced over at Harri as she took a step forward.
"Yes. That's what determines whether you pass or fail."
"But that's, I mean, I wanted to ask you that from the beginning." Sakura tried to defend herself, albeit weakly in Harri's opinion. If she had wondered, why did she never ask?
Kakashi made a mocking noise as he stared at the remaining two standing members of his team, "Think. Use your head. Why would we put three members on a team?"
There was silence, Naruto tried to convince Harri with his eyes to tell him so he could appear smart, but Harri shook her head firmly, "Argh! How are we suppose to know? We didn't make the rules!"
"It's so basic. Teamwork." Kakashi said, disgusted with how idiotic his team was acting.
There was a shocked silence from the three kids as they took in his statement.
"If you don't have people to back you up, what's the point then?" Harri asked rhetorically as Naruto gave her an accusing look, "That's what he's getting at."
"Just working together? That's what you mean?" Sakura asked in disbelief of her sensei.
"That's what I mean. It's too late now, but if all three of you had come at me, then you might have been able to take them." Kakashi's head rose as he finished his rant.
"Wait a minute, but there's only two bells! Even if we did get them, one of us would still have to go back and it would have caused conflict within the team on who would have gotten the bells, leading the team to break up anyways!" Sakura complained.
"Exactly. I purposely pitted you against each other. I wanted to see if you could overcome your selfish desires and work past them as a team. A genin should have a natural feeling for teamwork. But you, it never even crossed your minds." now Kakashi just sounded tired as he explained everything to them.
"Sakura!" his tone turned sharp again and Harri prepared for the insults that were about to come Naruto's way. And even though they would probably be good observations, Naruto would still take them personally most likely.
"You obsessed about Sasuke who was gone. While Naruto was right in front of you and you wouldn't lift a finger to help him."
"Naruto, you do everything alone. Everything."
"And you Sasuke," Kakashi's foot increased the pressure a little bit on Sasuke's head, "Thought the others so far beneath you, they were worthless. Arrogance." Kakashi hissed out the last word as he continued on, "Shinobi missions are carried out in teams. Yes you need individual skills, but teamwork is the most essential element. Every shinobi understands this. When they don't, this leads to the mission failing and even death. For example," Kakashi pulled out a kunai and planted it near Sasuke's neck.
"Sakura. Kill Naruto now or Sasuke dies." he stated seriously. Naruto and Sakura both freaked out a little at the implication and Harri stiffened as she took a step closer to Naruto protectively.
"That's what happens on a mission." Kakashi said as he removed the kunai from Sasuke's neck. Sakura and Naruto both let out a sigh of relief and Harri stepped away from Naruto again, "The enemy takes a hostage and you have to make an impossible decision. And someone ends up dead." Kakashi continued as he spun the kunai around his finger before putting it away and getting up off of Sasuke.
"On every mission your life is on the line." Kakashi started walking towards the big stone in front of the group as he continued on, "Did you look at the stone? All the names engraved on it? They are all shinobi who are honoured in our village."
"That's it! That's it! I'm going to have my name engraved on that stone! I'm going to be honoured as a hero and everyone will respect me! I'm not going to live and die like a dog!" Naruto said excitedly as Sasuke made his way back towards the Naruto and Sakura, "I'm going to be a hero, a hero!"
"These people are a special type of hero." Kakashi said slowly.
"Well, well, what type of hero? Tell us, tell us!" Naruto pleaded. Harri stepped aside to avoid Sasuke as he came back.
"They are all... KIA." Kakashi said finally.
Harri sucked in a deep breath as she looked at the stone with new eyes.
"Oh... that sounds cool!" Naruto said. Harri reached over and slapped him upside the head.
"It means killed in action. They all died." Sakura explained. Naruto's exuberant smiled faded as he realized what he had just said and he looked to the side.
'Fred'
"This is the Memorial Stone. The names of my closest friends are engraved here."
There was silence as the three who had never experienced war looked away from the obviously grieving man. Sasuke may have witnessed his parent's death, but it was still different from seeing the horrors of war.
"Alright. I'll give you one more chance. But it's going to be much harder this time. Eat lunch now to build up your strength. Except for you Naruto. Consider it your punishment for trying to break the rules and eat early. And if anyone tries to feed hi, that person will immediately fail. I make the rules. And you follow them, got it?"
There was a tense silence before Kakashi seemed to get an unknown signal from the three and then disappeared.
Sasuke and Sakura hesitantly pulled out the lunches and started eating them.
"If they don't share with you, I'm going to make their lives difficult myself." Harri swore to herself as she watched the two eat in front of her young charge.
Of course, then Naruto's stomach growled loudly and the two looked up at Naruto. Embarrassed he spoke loudly, "That's okay, I can go days without food, weeks even! Believe it!" another loud growl permeated the silence though and Naruto's shoulders hunched.
"Here." surprisingly, Sasuke held out his lunch to the tied-up boy and Harri looked at him in surprise. She hadn't expected Sasuke to be the one who would offer his lunch.
Predicatively however, Sakura complained, "You can't do that! You heard what Kakashi-sensei said!"
"Kakashi-sensei isn' here. We have to work as a team to get those bells, and if Naruto's hungry, he won't be acting at full strength and that will bring down the team and jeopardize the mission." Sasuke explained efficiently, keeping an eye out in case Kakashi came back early or something.
"Oh, here you go!" Sakura offered finally, holding out her lunch too.
"Really? Thanks Sakura!" Naruto said excitedly, as though Sasuke hadn't just offered part of his lunch as well.
"Don't thank me, hurry up and eat!" Sakura snapped as she too looked around for Kakashi.
"I can't, I'm all tied up!" Harri could see the beginnings of a bad idea in his head, but let him say it anyway, "You'll have to feed me!"
"What!?" Sakura yelled.
"Hurry up, Kakasi-sensei could come back any minute now." Sasuke hissed at the two, taking his lunch back and picking up his chopsticks again.
"Ugh, fine. This is one time only. I'm never doing this again, got it!"
"Crystal!" Naruto agreed.
Naruto only got one bite in however before a huge dust cloud appeared in front of them. And then Kakashi appeared.
"You! You broke the rules, I hope you're ready for the punishment!" Kakashi went through some handsigns and the clouds darkened as wind appeared out of nowhere and whipped the group's clothing around. Harri held up an arm to help hold back her hair as she watched with interest.
"Any last words?" Kakashi asked dangerously.
"But, but you said to work as a team!" Naruto protested.
"Yeah, we're all in this together." Sasuke agreed.
"Yeah, the three of us as one!" Sakura added in.
"The three of you as one? That's your excuse?" there was a tense silence as Kakashi stepped closer to them and leaned down to them, "Well then, you pass." he said it so simply that everyone, including Harri, just stared at him for a moment. There was a collective 'huh?' moment as all three genin stared at him.
"You. Pass."
"What do you mean? How'd we pass?" naturally it was Sakura who asked the slightly stupid question.
"You're the first team who didn't follow my instructions exactly. They couldn't think for themselves. A shinobi must see through deception." as Kakashi stood up, the sky brightened again, "In the shinobi world, those who brake the rules are scum, that's true. But, those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."
There was now a content silence as everyone took in his words. Naruto especially seem effected because tears started to form in his eyes. Sasuke even let out a smile.
"He's, you know, 'kinda cool." Naruto blubbered. Harri snorted at the sight, but a smile was on her face nonetheless.
"Team Seven has been cleared for duty. Tomorrow we take on our first mission." Kakashi gave them all a thumbs-up as he finished.
"Yes!" Sakura cried.
"I did it! I did it! Believe it! I'm a shinobi! I'm a shinobi!" Naruto cheered to himself, absolutely ecstatic.
"Come on, let's head back to the village now." Kakashi said before he turned and started to lead the way back.
Sakura and Sasuke followed him, and only Harri was left to stand by Naruto as the boy shouted, "Hey, you forgot to untie me! This always happens!"
Harri shook her head at the actions of his team, but turned to the ropes, "Diffindo." the ropes fell off, and Naruto turned and gave Harri a big hug.
"Thanks! Let's go get some ramen now!"
"After you find out what time you have to meet tomorrow." Harri reminded him, gesturing to the still receding backs of his teammates and sensei.
"Oh, right! Come on Harri!" Naruto shouted, before running to catch up with the others, "Hey, Kakashi-sensei, what time are we meeting tomorrow?" Naruto asked when he was finally close enough.
"Hm? Oh, let's say 8 o'clock." Kakashi told him after a second of thinking. Naruto shot him a 100-watt smile before giving him a thumbs-up.
"Alright, I'll be there on time! Believe it!" then he turned and ran off after making sure Harri was following him. It was time for some celebratory ramen!
{{LINE BREAK}}
A/N:: So, sorry about the long wait. It's been almost a month since the last update. First the computer I was using got filled, like the memory was absolutely filled, I couldn't even open things up for a bit. Then my dad took forever in giving me his old one that I'm going to be using for college. Then my grandma passed away and that was a challenge. Ugh.
And of course, this chapter was a pain in the butt to get out. My gosh. So. Painful. I scrapped like five versions of it before I finally found how I wanted to do it. And it still took forever!
Okay, so Death says it's 2016 in 'Wizarding Earth'. I think that's when the actual epilogue took place in the book, but I'm not entirely sure. If it is, will you guys let me know?
I just spent the last two days anime binge watching Soul Eater, and it was pretty good. Of course, I was going stir fry crazy in my house, so there's that too.
If you guys spot any mistakes, I would really appreciate you telling me!
I had my first bad review last time I updated, and it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. But it was useful because it didn't utterly destroy my confidence, yeah!
I only have like three weeks left until college starts, ahh!
So in case anyone cares, (I do because it's exciting to me at least). The stats from last chapter were 71 reviews, 493 follows, and 315 favorites. Right now its at 87 reviews, 627 follows, and 397 favorites.
All of you guys are amazing! Thank you so much for reading this story! Enjoy!