I do not own Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters.
Team Rivalry
time skip, two years
Minato watched Naruto walk into the Academy and smiled.
"He's starting this year too huh?" Itachi asked from behind him as Sasuke walked past.
"Yes," Minato smiled. "How's the clan?"
"We're good," Itachi sighed. "I just hate doing the paperwork."
"Mine's worse," Minato smirked.
"I'm sure," Itachi smiled. "How do you do it?"
"Clones," Minato smiled. "Always works."
"That's actually an excellent idea," Itachi commented. "Don't know why I never thought of that. So, what have you taught Naruto?"
Minato grinned.
"Alright class," Iruka called out keeping a wary eye on the blonde boy in the center of the room. "We're going to start with shuriken training and sparring. If you would all follow me."
He led them out to the yard were several dummies, targets, and three sparring rings were set up.
"First up, Sasuke Uchiha," Iruka said over his students. "Please throw these twenty shuriken at the dummy."
Sasuke took them and threw them all, hitting the dummy in the face, throat, and over the heart.
"Excellent," Iruka commended. "Now, Naruto Uzumaki. Please throw these kunai at the target."
Naruto took all twenty and threw them all at the same time. When they finished, they formed two angry eyes with one for a slit pupil in each, and a mouth with sharp teeth grinning. The kunai were thrown so perfectly that when Iruka removed the kunai, the face was still visible in the marks.
"Good," Iruka grumbled. "Now, the two of you will spar. Watch carefully class."
They both walked into the ring and Sasuke smirked.
"Whatever the others say, that was impressive," Sasuke stated. "But why that face?"
"I had enough," Naruto shrugged. "Why not?"
Sasuke swung a punch at Naruto who ducked under it then stood with an uppercut. Sasuke barely managed to get out of the way and swung at Naruto but Naruto caught it and spun throwing Sasuke out of the ring. Sasuke grabbed Naruto and pulled him with him and they landed at the exact same time outside the ring.
"Tie," Iruka stated. "Not bad. Now, up next is Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka."
"Hey Naruto," Sasuke called catching up to him after school. "Where'd you learn to fight?"
"My mom and dad taught me, mostly my dad since my mom is more of a brawler," Naruto stated. "But my dad's fighting style also relies heavily on his teleportation jutsu so I'm not very good."
"I'd say you're pretty skilled," Sasuke stated. "If you want I can ask Itachi if he can teach you taijutsu if you want. Or you could have Guy teach you."
"Is he that guy that's always wearing green and shouting about youth?" Naruto questioned.
"Yeah," Sasuke smirked.
"Then no way," Naruto smirked. "I'll stick to having your brother teach me, if he agrees."
Sasuke nodded then grinned.
"I'm going to beat you next time," Sasuke smirked. "Next time it's a jutsu fight."
"You're on," Naruto smirked. "I bet I'll graduate before you."
"No way," Sasuke laughed. "I'll graduate years before you!"
They continued to argue as they walked toward their houses before finally parting ways.
time skip two years
"Listen up!" the shinobi shouted. "I'm only going to say this once. Congratulations on graduating from the academy but you all have a very long way to go. Even before you go on your first mission, you will be assigned to teams led by a jonin. These jonin will decide whether or not to allow you to stay or fail you. If you fail, you will be put through the academy again."
"You don't have to scare them Genma," Iruka said from behind him. "Look, the only jonin who might actually fail you is Kakashi Hatake. He's never passed a team so don't feel bad. The other jonin will just train you harder if they see fit. If you fail with Kakashi, Minato will probably just give you a different jonin. Anyway, Genma has the team list."
Genma listed off the first six teams without it being anyone Naruto knew the name of.
"Team Seven will be Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Sasuke Uchiha," Genma read.
"Perfect," Sasuke grinned. "We'll see if all that training Shisui gave you was good for anything."
"You know you're going to lose to me," Naruto grinned.
"What about me?" Sakura questioned looking to Sasuke.
"You might be useful," Sasuke smirked. "If you could fight."
"Or if you were a Medic Nin," Naruto added.
"Hey, no giving her any bright ideas," Sasuke smirked. "Would you trust her to give you an open heart surgery on the battlefield?"
"Good point," Naruto smirked.
"Can we continue?" Genma questioned.
"By all means," Naruto grinned waving his hand.
Genma rolled his eyes and looked back at the list.
"Team Eight will be Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Hinata Hyuga," Genma read.
"Why am I stuck with the creep?" Kiba complained. "Hinata I can deal with but why him?"
"You should be more careful what you say," Shino stated.
Naruto twisted around to look at Hinata out of the corner of his eye and noticed a slightly disappointed look on her face but then looked back at Kiba.
"Shino's right," Naruto grinned. "You never know when he'll snap and kill us all."
"I resent that remark," Shino stated.
"The last team," Genma shouted over them to get their attention, "will be Choji Akimichi, Shikamaru Nara, and Ino Yamanaka."
"What a drag," Shikamaru sighed.
"Cheer up Shikamaru," Choji suggested. "It can't be that bad. Maybe we'll be paid with food."
"Can I be traded with Sakura?" Ino pleaded.
"No," Genma stated flatly. "Now, each of the teams will be given a location to meet your captains at. Your captain's name will also be on your paper. You will be expected to meet them there in one hour."
They all left and collected their papers and met outside.
"You've got to be kidding," Naruto sighed.
"What?" Sakura questioned.
"We're meeting him in the classroom we just left," Naruto stated.
"Damn," Sasuke groaned. "Alright. Who is it?"
"You want the truth or do you want me to sugar coat it?" Naruto smirked.
"Truth," Sasuke stated.
"Sugar coated," Sakura answered.
"Sugar coated, it doesn't say," Naruto smirked. "In truth, it says Kakashi Hatake."
"We're fucked," Sasuke groaned.
"Come on," Naruto sighed. "Might as well go meet him."
They walked into the room and Naruto instantly filled a bucket with water and set it on the top of the door after cracking it open. Sasuke handed him five Ryo and they sat waiting for their captain.
"So," Sakura yawned after an hour of silence. "How much you want to bet he failed us already because Naruto got the wrong room number?"
"No," Sasuke sighed looking at the paper. "The number's right. He's just late."
"Not that late I hope," a voice said as a shinobi with a standard Konoha jonin uniform on but with his forehead protector covering his left eye climbed in through the window.
"You were supposed to use the door," Naruto complained.
Kakashi smiled behind the mask covering his lower face and pushed the window open some more to drop to the floor and a second bucket of water fell onto him, drenching him.
"I can't believe that worked," Sasuke smiled handing over more Ryo.
"When did you..." Kakashi began but stopped pulling the bucket off of his head and looking at his newest students. "Alright. Since it's only about eight, I'm going to test you today and get to know you after. The others will likely be doing it the other way around. Now, follow me."
With that, he turned and disappeared out the window. The others followed but he was already gone.
"God he's fast," Sasuke sighed.
"Luckily, I have a clone following him," Naruto smirked.
"You know how to make Shadow Clones?" Sakura questioned. "Yes. He's this way."
He led them to a clearing on the edge of a river where there were three wooden posts opposite a memorial stone. Kakashi was sitting on top of the middle post and waiting patiently for them.
"Welcome," Kakashi greeted stopping a counter. "You're earlier than I expected. Anyway, the test is simple. I'll set this timer then you three will have to get these two bells from me."
He held up two small golden bells and they all nodded.
"Now, when the timer goes off," Kakashi continued, "we'll break for lunch."
"What happens to the person with no bell?" Naruto questioned.
"Very perceptive," Kakashi smirked. "The person who does the poorest job before lunch, will be tied to this post while the other two eat. He will not be fed. Anyone that feeds him, will cause the entire team to fail instantly. By the end of the test, the ninja with no bell, will fail. And the other two will pass."
They all nodded again and Kakashi held his hand over the timer.
"Begin in three...two...one..." He hit the button and instantly disappeared.
Naruto sighed and created three clones, two of which turned into replicas of Sasuke and Sakura. Then, all six of them ran into the trees and split into mixed teams of two. After about five minutes, Sasuke and his clone of Naruto found Kakashi. Kakashi instantly attack them with a clone of his own and Naruto's clone was destroyed instantly. Naruto, who was with the real Sakura, instantly headed in that direction with her and met his other two clones there. When they arrived, the first thing they saw was Sasuke standing in the middle of a clearing looking at them. Then, he fell forward with a kunai sticking out of his back and they saw a shinobi with a blank forehead protector standing there grinning.
"Fetch," Naruto smirked.
The two clones charged forward and leapt at the ninja but it destroyed them both and Naruto sighed.
"Genjutsu," Naruto stated making the Seal of Confrontation. "Release."
The image they were both seeing blurred then faded and was replaced by Sasuke's head sticking out of the ground and glaring at them.
"Are you going to get me out of there or just stand there?" Sasuke questioned.
"Genjutsu," Naruto explained before pulling Sasuke out by the hair. "Sakura, check the river."
Sakura nodded and ran to the river. Once she was gone, Naruto and Sasuke followed at a small distance. When they reached the river, Kakashi and Sakura were fighting. She was doing well but he was obviously toying with her.
"Watch this," Naruto smirked before flooding the area with clones. The clones instantly restrained Kakashi but the moment they did, Kakashi's right hand lit up with Lightning and destroyed the clones around him. Then, the lightning disappeared and he leapt out onto the water.
"So many," Kakashi gasped after he could see the entire clearing. "Alright. I'll have to...I don't believe it."
Naruto had released all of his clones and was leaning on a post holding two bells. He tossed one into the air and Sakura and Sasuke both dove for it but Sasuke got to it first.
"I'm impressed," Kakashi called walking over just as the bell went off and Naruto shut it off. "Alright. Sasuke. You're the one going to the post. Sakura, please throw me those bells."
They each handed them to Sakura who threw them to him then Kakashi walked over and tied Sasuke to the post and they got out their lunch.
"Alright," Kakashi sighed. "Now remember what I said. Anyone feeds him, and you all go back to the Academy."
They nodded and Kakashi left. Once he was gone, Sakura opened her food and began to eat but kept glancing at Sasuke.
"Here," Naruto sighed holding out some of his food with the chopsticks for Sasuke. "You need to be able to fight. You may not need food as often as I do thanks to a certain...disability. But you still need to eat."
Just before Sasuke could take a bite, a cloud of smoke exploded up in front of them and Kakashi stepped out of it, hands on his hips, bent forward to glare at them.
"YOU!" Kakashi shouted. "You didn't listen! I told you not to feed him. Now, you face the consequences. Now, you all...pass."
"Gesundheit," Naruto said calmly.
"You're joking right?" Sasuke questioned. "Naruto fed me, and so we passed?"
"It was to test your teamwork," Kakashi stated. "You did that both by beating my test and getting the bells, and yes, by Naruto feeding you. One of the most important parts of teamwork is making sure that your team can continue fighting, not just continuing yourself."
Naruto sighed and cut Sasuke free and stood, looking back at Kakashi.
"So, when's our first mission?" Naruto questioned.
"Whenever y...the Fourth Hokage gives it to us," Kakashi stated. "In the meantime, we're going to go get something to eat."
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