…someday I'd like to meet the person who owns Naruto…cause it's NOT me….
Chapter 6: Training and Gaining back Trust
Kakashi stared at the polished head stone. So many mistakes. So many mistakes being re-lived by a younger generation. The similarity of himself to Uchiha Sasuke chilled him to the bone. Perhaps that was why Kakashi was so unwilling to put his trust back in the newest 'old' member of the team. Perhaps that's why he needed to the most.
You're late as usual. He thought to himself. Eh, why break the habit now?
He walked back toward the Hokage's palace. They were all to meet in Tsunade's office. It was a meeting Kakashi was not looking forward too.
Naruto, no doubt, would be thrilled… but Sai—who had voiced obvious disgust about Sasuke previously—would not be easy to win over.
And then there was Sakura.
In the week since her relapse, she had made a remarkable recovery. The pink haired ninja was now almost at her full chakra capacity and the wound that had caused her so much trouble seemed to be sealed for good.
Kakashi had faith that she was able to heal herself well enough to be out of the hospital. But he was leery of taking her out on a mission.
He wasn't even sure if the team was going to remain together. Yamato was needed to keep Naruto's kyuubi in check… that would make six of them.
Kakashi frowned as he stepped through the entrance to the palace.
He didn't like not knowing what would happen next.
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Damn that Kakashi. Tsunade eyed the clock in annoyance. If she hadn't had such an audience, she would have been tempted to break something.
Rubbing her forehead, she glanced at Naruto, Sakura, Sai and Yamato. They were undoubtedly aware of who she was waiting on.
She had asked Sasuke to come later than everyone else…but if Kakashi didn't arrive soon, she wouldn't have enough time to tell them what she wanted to before the Uchiha's arrival.
She had just squeezed her hand into a fist when the door swung open.
"I don't even want to know," She glared at the silver-haired ninja. "You of all people should have been here first."
"Old Lady Tsunade, come on! We've been here forever already!"
She glanced in exasperation at Naruto. His arms were folded across his chest and he tapped his foot impatiently.
"Naruto!" Sakura whispered. "Don't speak to Tsunade-sama like that!"
"Alright, alright!" the sannin threw her hands up in surrender. "You all know why you're here—
"—you've been given a new mission. It's one I think you're already familiar with, especially if you've talked to team 10 lately—"
"—Akatsuki…much more than just a thorn in our side. They are becoming more powerful, more bold, and much more active then they had been—"
"—I know it is only a matter of time before they come here…in search of the Kyuubi."
She glanced at Naruto. His expression was one of shame—she knew he hated feeling like he put everyone at risk.
She continued on. "The elders have ripped into me about putting your team out there with the chance that Akatsuki could get the Nine Tails, but I have faith in Naruto…as I have faith in all of you—"
"—It will be best if you are the hunters and not the hunted."
"Alright!" Naruto punched his hand with his other fist. "Finally! Back out on duty!"
"Don't be reckless," the Hokage pointed her finger at him. "There's something else I want to talk to you about…"
She suspected they knew what was coming.
"Uchiha Sasuke will be rejoining team 7." She let that sink in. "Each of you are to act as if he is your team mate and not under your surveillance. However….any suspicious behavior is to be immediately reported back to me. Understood?"
The door to her office opened again.
Sasuke, his face blank as usual, did not acknowledge the four people staring at him.
It was the first time Naruto had seen him since his recovery.
Before Tsunade knew what was happening, the blond had moved across the office and was standing an arm's breadth from Sasuke.
It felt as if everyone in the room had stopped breathing and everyone tensed in anticipation.
The two stared at each other, expressionless, unspeaking.
But just as suddenly, a huge grin split Naruto's face from ear to ear and he held out his hand. Sasuke accepted the shake uncertainly and was unprepared for the hug Naruto pulled him in to.
The shocked silence in the Hokage's office continued until Sasuke said calmly, "Naruto…"
"…you're going to break my back."
"Oh…sorry, Sasuke." Naruto went back to his respective place by Sakura.
Tsunade relaxed slightly. "I think everyone knows each other. I suggest you start preparing to leave. I'll give you the final okay once I speak with Jiryia. Until then, spend some time together and get used to one another…again."
She waved them away.
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"What better way to start off than with ramen?" Naruto argued. "We can all sit down and talk. That's what Old Lady Tsunade wanted."
"You just want to stuff your face," Sakura shoved him.
"Heeeey! Sakura-chan! Watch it with that monsterous strength!"
Kakashi glanced at them from over the top of his book. "Actually, I'm rather hungry myself."
"All of you eat way too much," Sai shook his head, giving them the best smile he could manage. "Especially you, Sakura Hag. It's a good thing you had some time off in the hospital."
Sakura smiled at him sweetly, inching closer so she could have a clear shot to punch him. But Sai had learned that lesson the hard way, and wisely moved out of her range.
Sasuke watched all this with apparent disinterest. He was too aware of the fact that Yamato and Kakashi were barely taking their eyes off of him. While it annoyed him slightly, he understood their concern. Better that they care enough to watch, he thought.
"Alright, the ramen shack it is," Kakashi turned down the street. "I'll even let Yamato pay."
"Hey, but I…" The ANBU shook his head. "Fine, I remember… something about it being my honor to pay or some such nonsense."
Kakashi nodded.
Sakura chuckled, but winced in pain. Instantly, Naruto was at her side. "Sakura-chan!"
"I'm alright, Naruto. Don't worry so much."
Sasuke looked away from them and down at the ground as he walked. Some things haven't changed. The thought troubled him.
Years ago, back when they were a team—back when they were friends—Sasuke had noticed Naruto's feelings for Sakura. He had also noticed that she hadn't returned them, no matter how hard their loud-mouth friend had tried to catch her attention.
And because Naruto was his friend—his best friend—Sasuke had decided to ignore Sakura. But she had always been there for him, and that had meant more to him than anything.
And it seemed his old friend still felt strongly for the pink-haired young woman.
On the outside, Sasuke was as collected as always. On the inside his mind was going crazy.
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"Alright," Kakashi set down his chop sticks.
"Here's the plan," he pulled four bells out of his pocket. "Since our team is much larger than usual… and since not all of you have been privileged to have experienced this before…."
Sakura and Naruto groaned.
"Yamato will have one set of bells, and I will have the other. Sai, Sakura—you're one team. Naruto, Sasuke—you're the other."
"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura rolled her eyes, "We already know your weakness."
"Yeah, don't you think we've been through the bell test enough times?"
Kakashi frowned. He really wanted to see how far Sasuke had advanced. He could think of no other way to do it.
"I have an idea," Yamato spoke up, his eyes on the bill. "I'll hold all four bells. Whoever doesn't get one at the end of the exercise has to pay for our next collective meal."
Kakashi looked smug. "You're going to make me do my own bell test?"
"That's right. And out of everyone…you're going to be the one I don't want to get the bell. So think about that."
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Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi stared in dismay at the huge wooden fortress Yamato had summoned out of the forest floor.
Insanely high walls with cruelly pointed tops surrounded the building like a fence. Inside that was another layer of protection—an all-encasing cage of wood. Within those structures was an doorless, windowless wooden building. And inside that building was Yamato.
"He's really mad about paying that ramen bill," Kakashi grumbled.
"Oh come on, Kakashi-sensei. It's not that hard to get through." Sakura held up a fist menacingly. "It's only made of wood."
She stepped next to the structure, her fist glowing with chakra. "All…it takes.. is….a little….(punch)…muscle!"
Kakashi just shook his head as a huge portion of the outer wall crumbled before Sakura.
"No way!" Naruto called over to him. "This way is much easier!"
The kyuubi boy had used his clones to form a ladder to the top of the wall. As Kakashi watched, he slipped over the top of the wall and disappeared.
Well this is embarrassing. The copy-nin scratched his head. He could just follow in Sakura's wake of destruction. There wouldn't be any shame in that…would there?
Sai cruised by overhead on a massive drawn bird. Seeing Kakashi still on the ground, he gave a friendly wave.
Damnit. The only one he hadn't seen was Sasuke. Who knows how he'll get in. But I'm not getting stuck with the ramen bill!
Kakashi frowned. He decided to take the easy way out and used his chakra to climb up the side of the wood wall.
On the inside, he was posed with a different problem. He could easily walk over this …but that would get him no where. The top was enclosed with bars made of wood as well.
It wasn't hard to see how Sakura had gotten through…no doubt she was already inside the inner building. Even Sai was easily able to draw a way through the strange pen. Naruto had put his clones to work and was now strolling through the tunnel they had made him underneath the barrier.
"Humph." Yamato had really made this Kakashi-proof. Well, he wouldn't be outdone. Making the signs as quickly as possible, Kakashi summoned his jutsu One Thousand Birds.
With the lightening charge, he was easily able to cut through the outer cage and the inner building as well.
But he his jaw dropped when he realized he was the last one inside.
"Kakashi, glad you could join us," Yamato chuckled, holding up his empty hands. "But as you can see, I'm all out of bells to give."
"That wasn't really the way the test is supposed to go," the silver-haired ninja frowned beneath his mask. "It's supposed to be about teamwork. Not a race to see who can get here first."
Sakura smiled, offering him the bell she had won. "Why didn't you just follow me in? I let a big enough pathway behind me."
"Hn." Kakashi refused the bell. "And Sasuke… how did you beat me in here? I didn't see you the entire time!?!"
The dark haired team member shrugged. "I just followed Sakura in."
Kakashi shook his head. "What a terrible bell test. I'm ashamed to even have been a part of it."
As he turned to leave, Yamato called back at him, "Just remember your wallet tomorrow!"
Kakashi sighed. Some things would never change.
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Author's note: Alright, this isn't my favorite chapter…I'm actually kinda disappointed in it. We'll just consider this a "filler" chapter. Next one will be way better, I promise.
Coming ASAP: Chapter 7: Jiryia's discovery, The first Mission.