?Disclaimer – Kishimoto owns Naruto and the characters therein.
.
Memories Of Others
Chapter 11
Experiences Of A New Genin
.
Kakashi sat cross-legged in the wooden cage in the middle of the mocked-up bandit camp, reading his newest Icha Icha book. Even though he seemed totally disinterested in anything happening outside his prison, he noted that Naruto's clones had set the camp up in a manner similar to a camp that he had taken out during his days in ANBU, a mission in which they had been led by none other than then-chunin Yuhi Kurenai as part of her evaluation for the rank of Jonin.
Kakashi glanced round covertly, noting the places where he would have approached from, the places that looked like good approach lanes but were well-guarded and the places which would be suicidal to attack from.
"No sign of any acivity." One of the "bandit" clones reported to the "nukenin" clone leader. The leader turned to respond, then a kunai slammed straight through his head, dispelling him.
"Attack!" The bandit screamed. "They're on the ridge! Ge…"
Another kunai slammed into his chest and the bandit vanished in a cloud of smoke. Putting his book away, Kakashi looked round, noting that the accurate throws were only happening near his position while the rest of the camp was being bombarded by Kage Kunai Bunshins.
Now, when had Sasuke learned that?
Or was it Tobio?
It certainly wasn't Sakura, she didn't have the required chakra reserves.
.
Sakura threw another pair of kunai and her hands flickered through the technique, multiplying the blades as they arced downwards.
"I'm down to two-thirds." Tobio said as he pulled his hands off Sakura's shoulders and the kunoichi nodded.
"Okay, matching your chakra was rather more tiring than the scroll said. Sasuke?"
"All guards near the cage neutralized." Sasuke reported.
Sakura nodded and kicked at the stones tied to the ends of the coiled ropes. The stones dropped over the edge of the low cliff and Tobio crouched down as they went taut.
"Cover me as I go down."
"On it." Sasuke confirmed, a brace of kunai in each hand and Tobio swung himself over the edge.
"Think we got them all?" Sakura asked quietly.
"There isn't any movement, but we can't relax yet." Sasuke muttered, then he leaned forwards slightly. "Tobio's reached the bottom. Let's go."
Sakura swallowed as she made sure her grip was solid, then she let herself slide down the rope, landing between her two team-mates.
"All clear so far." Tobio reported, his normal jocularity in abeyance.
"Then let's move." Sasuke commanded.
.
Kakashi smiled as Sakura ignored the heavy padlock and thick chain holding the gate to the cage closed, instead slicing through the rope hinges.
"Sir, let's go." She said and Kakashi nodded as he stepped past the dismounted gate.
"You've done well so far. Stage one success."
"Now we have stage two." Sakura sighed.
"We're avoiding the direct route." Sasuke said. "It'll take longer, but there'll be less cover for ambushers and hopefully less traps."
"Well then, lead the way." Kakashi smiled. "It's so wonderful to be escorted by such great ninja!"
His students stared at him blankly for a moment.
"Tough crowd."
.
.
Naruto generated a dozen clones and sent them to disassemble the traps on the routes that Team Seven hadn't taken, since there was no point leaving them to trip up unwary passers-by.
They had surprised him once again. He had expected them to take either one of the more direct routes, or the route that circled around the edge of the designated exercise area, but instead that had gone for one of the longer routes that he had only lightly trapped, and that as a mere precaution.
He was going to have to consider carefully how to do the assault once Kakashi resumed his role as Jonin-sensei.
.
"Yipe!"
Tobio dived to the ground as a spray of blunted kunai were fired across the path. Even as the thunk of the launcher sounded, Sasuke was already leaping forwards to deflect the projectiles and take out the launcher.
Sakura helped Tobio to his feet as the sound of splintering wood announced Sasuke's discovery of the launcher, then he re-emerged from the bushes and Sakura gasped.
"Those traps are sneaky."Sasuke grumbled. "What I want to know is how he got those kunai to fly so slowly. It almost threw me off, but I won't let him beat me."
Tobio wordlessly pulled out a kunai and held it up in front of Sasuke's face.
"What am I meant to... be… looking…"
"Wow, Sasuke!" Sakura gushed. "You've activated your sharingan!"
Sasuke stared in shock at the reflection of his now-red eyes, then he started to grin.
"Well, I wasn't expecting that." Kakashi admitted.
.
"He's activated his sharingan!" Naruto gawped as the memory popped up in his mind. "Damn, I'm going to have to change my plans for the third stage, or he'll be copying my jutsu left, right and center. Then again, he doesn't know I know about his eyes, so I may be able to use that to my advantage…"
.
"Let's move." Sasuke commanded with a smirk. "He won't know I've activated my bloodlimit, so he won't be expecting it. That should help give us an advantage."
.
.
"There it is!" Sakura whispered as she pointed. Both her team-mates followed her gaze to the collection of boulders perched on top of the hill.
"Excellent." Sasuke mused. "Cover, concealment, open approaches… as long as Naruto doesn't use too many clones, we should be able to hold that position."
"I'll check it out." Tobio said as he sprinted ahead, vaulting over one of the lower boulders. A moment later, he reappeared and waved for them to approach.
"Well, stage two is complete." Kakashi said as he entered the stone circle and smiled at the sight of the dummy that was taking his role. Naruto had decorated it with a white, spiky wig, an eye-patch and an orange book. As the genin familiarized themselves with the impromptu fortification, Kakashi glanced at the book, finding it to be a blank notepad.
"Alright." Kakashi called. "We should have between five and fifteen minutes to set up, but don't count on it. You three take the left, right and rear respectively while I hold the front since if we were being tracked, that's where the majority will come from. We just need to hold until relieved."
The trio of Genin nodded as they moved to their respective walls.
.
"Attaaaaaaaaaack!"
Kakashi's eye widened as the horde of clones burst out from the treeline. It wasn't the numbers that surprised him, there were actually less than he expected. It was the fact that the clones were holding jury-rigged shields made from woven branches, shields thick enough that a normal kunai throw would have difficulty penetrating them.
"Damn!" Sasuke shouted. "They've got shields! Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"
Kakashi nodded as he flashed through a series of hand-seals himself. "Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!"
A barrage of small fireballs impacted on the wooden shields, igniting several of them and scorching most of the rest. The clones behind the burning shields didn't drop them, but instead sprinted forwards and Kakashi's eye narrowed as he realized that they were trying to create a smokescreen so that he couldn't see their approach.
"Very clever, Naruto." He whispered as his hands flashed through a new set of seals. "Just what I expected from my Sensei's son… Suiton, Suidan no Jutsu!"
Kakashi pulled down his mask and spat out a long blast of water before pulling his mask up again fast enough that no-one had a chance to see his face.
.
"Okay, I didn't see that coming." Naruto mused. "I think it's time for a diversion…"
.
Sasuke blinked in surprise as the clones who had been trying to attack suddenly pulled back, leaving only one standing in the middle of the open area.
"Now you've done it!" The clone shouted. "Prepare to face the wrath of the Uzumaki Hijitsu, the Kage Killer! Proven when it took down the Hokage!"
Sasuke grinned mentally as he activated his sharingan. He would copy the technique and use it against Naruto. The look on his face would be priceless.
Both of them blazed through a sequence of hand-seals and in unison shouted out "Orioke no Jutsu!"
.
Sakura spun round in shock.
.
Tobio blinked. What did Sasuke just say?
.
Sasuke felt a wave of chakra pass through him and his center of gravity shifted… his back felt chilled… and on the field a naked blond girl waved at him before blowing him a kiss and vanishing.
"What the hell?" He asked, then paused. His voice was pitched higher than normal. Suspiciously, he looked down at himself and then suddenly he remembered just where he had heard the name of that technique from.
.
"WHAT THE FUCK?! DAMMIT NARUTO, HOW DO I END THIS DAMNED TECHNIQUE?"
The high-pitched squeal of feminine fury combined with his clone's memories caused Naruto to fall over, clutching his sides as he howled with laughter. The clones also stopped attacking as they bent over laughing and Kakashi sighed.
"Exercise terminated." He shouted. "Someone tell Sasuke how to change back from Sasuki."
The Uchiha in question glared at him, even as she tried to cover her breasts and groin.
"Just… pulse… chakra… concentrate… on… form…" One of the clones gasped and Sasuke closed her eyes in concentration before reverting back to his male form in a cloud of chakra smoke.
"That… that… that…" Sasuke growled, then he glared at Tobio, who was wiping some blood off his upper lip.
"You know, you made a cute girl." Sakura giggled and Sasuke stomped off.
"I'm never going to hear the end of this, am I? Dammit, dobe, how the hell could you claim that this… orioke no jutsu could take out the Hokage?"
"Because Boss used it to KO the old man when he was taking the scroll." One of the clones managed. "Jiji hit the wall so hard, it left a dent. Look just opposite the office door, but to the right."
Sasuke sighed as the humor of the situation finally started to filter through his embarrassed anger.
"Dammit, it's just the sort of thing I can see the Dobe doing. And now I can… I'm going to end up in a situation where I have to use that damned technique, aren't I?"
.
In the Land of Hot Springs, a large, white-haired man lowered his telescope and frowned into the distance.
"My senses tell me that something rather perverted and yet exceedingly humorous just happened." He muttered to himself. For a long moment, he didn't move, then he shrugged.
"Ah well, back to research. Heheheheheee…. Oooooh yes…"
.
.
Kakashi was still sniggering as he led his team back to the tower half an hour later. As they opened the door, Sasuke sighed at the twinkle of amusement in the Hokage's eyes.
"You know." He accused and the Hokage nodded.
"How?"
Hiruzen pointed at the crystal sphere on his desk.
"Dammit."
"Language… Sasuki-chan." Kakashi giggled.
.
.
"Morning, Hinata-chan!" Naruto called as he ran up to where Team 8 was assembling. "I really pulled a fun trick on the teme yesterday and… Hinata? What's wrong? What did I do?"
Naruto shot a pleading glance at Kurenai, who responded with a confused shrug.
"Naruto…" Hinata whispered. "Remember how yesterday I accidentally added some chakra to our clones…?"
"Yeah, why?"
"It gave me the memories of your clone." Hinata continued, so quietly that Naruto almost didn't hear her. "I… I know how you feel about me… thank you…"
Naruto caught Hinata in a hug. "You don't hate me for that?" He whispered and Hinata shook her head as she returned his hug. "Thank you."
"You're not mad I got your clone's memories?" Hinata asked in shock and Kurenai inhaled sharply.
"Nah, you've been giving me your memories, so it's only fair you get mine." Naruto replied, still hugging Hinata tightly. "I'd be a real jerk if I thought you getting my memories was a bad thing. I only hope you don't get my habit of being a clueless idiot at times."
"You are not a clueless idiot." Hinata protested, breaking free of Naruto's hug and grabbing his shoulders so that she could glare at him. "I mean it, if you call yourself an idiot again, I'll… I'll…"
"Give him a good kissing?" Kiba supplied as Hinata struggled to find a threat she could use.
"Give you a good kissing!" Hinata finished, then suddenly she turned bright red. "Eep!"
Kiba fell over laughing as Hinata fainted with a blush so bright that Kurenai was rather surprised that it hadn't tinted the surrounding area.
"That was not a nice thing you did, Kiba." Shino droned. "However, it was amusing."
"Uzumaki?"
Everyone turned to see three shinobi standing by the edge of the field.
"Uzumaki Naruto?" The leader asked again and Naruto nodded. "My name is Tatami Iwashi. Lord Hokage sent us…"