The infamous bell test, every team before them had failed, and they themselves had barely passed. He'd told Naruto and Sakura about it the day before, and they'd both seemed to have taken him seriously. The Dobe had taken many things seriously, including future sight. He still thought it was hilarious, but it also proved just how trusting Naruto was. Not that he needed this to know it.
The date with Sakura had been...a lot. She didn't do as much clinging as he thought she would, and she didn't just sit there and talk about how he was so awesome either. She'd taken it completely seriously, dressing up and having polite "first" greetings. He couldn't remember when she had started acting the stalker fangirl, but he like her better the way she was last night, even if he did have to pay for their dinner. The only reason he'd asked Sakura out was because it was the exact opposite of what he'd don't when he was alive. He was determined to do everything backwards, since he'd messed everything else up so horribly by what he'd done last time.
They were supposed to show up at training ground three at seven o'clock, but Sasuke made sure they all got their at about ten thirty, each with a full belly after breakfast. They were waiting for about half an hour before their sensei showed up.
(Watching the new genin as they arrive)
Kakashi saw all of his students show up together. They were all engaged in a conversation, and from what he could tell, it was very friendly. He couldn't tell if they were friends from the academy or not. Iruka had told him he would have his work cut out for him, but these three seemed to be completely comfortable with each other. They were even walking in step as they reached the middle of the clearing.
Maybe these ones will… No. No one had ever realized the lesson behind the test, and he was beginning to fear no one ever would. These three were just friends, they wouldn't risk their careers and lives for each other.
Kakashi continued to watch them as they all sat down and started playing some sort of game. Looking closer, he could see that the kid he'd labeled as "Broody" had brought a board game. Kakashi couldn't decide what to make of the kid. He thought he'd had him all figured out; the self-centered heir that wanted nothing more than to revenge his clan, and would do anything to accomplish his goal. But now, watching the kid as he sat there and played games and laughed with his friends, he couldn't be sure.
Kakashi has decided enough was enough, and he walked out of his cover and stopped behind them. Before he could scare them like he wanted to (what could he say? He enjoyed a bit of fun) Broody turned around.
"Good morning, sensei!" He said in a cheerful voice. Kakashi would have been more surprised at his tone had it not been for the kid's outburst yesterday.
"Maa, good morning. Hope you all slept well," he said. He liked to play tricks with the minds of his soon to be former genin. All the little kids he'd tested so far had been hilarious.
"Hai, Sensei! I had a great sleep last night!" Naruto shouted. Kakashi could almost see the energy swirling around the kid.
"I didn't get to sleep till late last night, but I did sleep great," Sakura informed him. So his original plan of scaring them was a complete failure. Either these kids knew what was going on and wouldn't let him have fun, or they were too stupid to hear the things he implied. Either way, it was annoying. They hadn't even commented on him being late.
"Why were you so late!" Naruto said, suddenly jumping up from his spot. Okay, scratch the last part.
"What were you planning on doing today, Sensei?" Broody piped up. He needed a nickname for Naruto too. So far he had Broody and Pinky, but he had no clue what to think of the hyperactive jinchuriki in front of him. Best to just drop the nicknames, he decided. No reason to get too attached.
"Maa," he said, gaining their attention. "Since I'm your jounin instructor, I'm in charge of the final decision of whether you stay or whether you go," he said in a grave voice, disquieting Pinky and Naruto. And," he continued, "I've developed a test that will help me decide, a test which you must pass." He paused to build up suspense. He reached into the pouch that contained his precious Icha Icha Paradise and pulled out two small, silver bells. "You just have to get these two bells from me!" The two genin who were paying attention sweatdropped, as they thought it wasn't anything too hard.
"But, Sensei," Pinky asked in a very confused voice. Kakashi loved this part. "There are only two bells, and there are three of us. How do we win?" He smiled at her, and was once again disappointed to see that she wasn't intimidated at all. "Maa, well. Only two of you will pass," he said bluntly. "One of you will be left without a bell, without a headband, and without a lunch. Whoever fails will get tied to one of the posts and be forced to watch as the winners, and myself, eat our lunch. Then again, all three of you could fail. It really all depends." He loved the look on their faces. Well, the look on Naruto and Pinky's faces. Broody was sitting off to the side…making a dandelion chain? He visibly shuddered.
He really hoped this team didn't pass. He had nothing against them, but ever since the cat incident at the monument stone, things had gotten pretty odd for Kakashi Hatake. "Alright, you all may start when I say-"
He was interrupted by Naruto, who had already made a move to grab the bells. "Patience, Naruto," he lectured. "I didn't say go yet." Naruto only grinned up at him sheepishly and went back to where he was originally standing. "Now remember, you will not win unless you come at me with the intent to kill. Go."
All his students jumped out of sight. He listened to the area around him, and he couldn't sense any of them. Good, he thought, at least they have some sense.
"Hey Sensei!" Why did he keep saying things too soon? "I'm going to get those bells from you, then I'll be a genin!" Kakashi decided his nickname would be Knucklehead.
"And after becoming a genin, it's just a matter of time before I'm Hokage!" Knucklehead continued, oblivious to Kakashi's inner thoughts and monologues. Kakashi almost shook his head in despair. What the heck was Iruka teaching these kids anyway? His question was answered as Kakashi knocked the advancing boy back, only to have him disappear in a cloud of smoke. Since when did academy brats, much less these ones, learn the shadow clone jutsu?
He didn't move one muscle as he waited to see what his students would come up with next. Knucklehead had vanished after his failed attempt, and he couldn't find Broody anywhere. Pinky wasn't near him either. He stood there for about ten minutes before boredom got the best of him. He was in the process of getting out Icha Icha Paradise when he heard a rustle in a bush about six feet away from him. He couldn't throw a kunai and risk killing a fresh genin, no matter how insane, so he started to sneak over in the direction of the bush.
He had taken three steps. Three steps was all it had taken to walk into disaster. He didn't even hear a snap to know the trap had activated. One moment he was walking toward a bush, the next he was covered in sparkle glue. He stumbled back in surprise, and was attacked by cans of hot pink spray paint. He couldn't even tell which way he went after that, but he knew he went down when he fell inside a hole. His mind was reeling, and he watched as a figure, silhouetted by the sun, came to stand in front of him. He didn't even react as the person took the bells.
"Wow, I just put those up for fun. Who knew they would be so helpful!" Kakashi felt something tickle his nose, and looked down to see a dandelion necklace on him. He laid his head back with a groan.
"Do you think it was too much?" Naruto asked.
"Maybe, he's obviously survived a lot, so he still has a chance." Sasuke replied.
"Should we take him to a hospital?" Sakura asked.
Kakashi came to with a moan, his head was killing him. Upon opening his eyes, he saw why. He had been tied to a wooden post, upside down. All the blood was rushing to his head, and the light hurt every time he opened his eyes.
His students stood in front of him. His evil, demonic, masochistic students. Naruto and Sakura held the bells, though Kakashi was sure it had been Sasuke to get the bells. He had had a nightmare while he'd been unconscious. It had mainly consisted of cats, dandelions, and an evil little Uchiha laughing in the background. Oh, wait, that had actually happened. He'd been able to come to for a couple seconds, and what he'd seen had made him immediately close his eyes.
"You still don't pass," he said. Though his meaning was probably lost on his students, who were all chatting about how much fun the mission had been. Fun. Gosh, Kakashi hated that word right now.
"Huh? Oh, how come Sensei? We beat you, we got the bells, and we just finished lunch." Sakura stated. And Kakashi has thought she was kind hearted.
"Because one of you had to fail." Maybe he was being petty. He just didn't want these kids. He really didn't want them.
"You're the one whose tied up." Kakashi had to stop himself from trying to use his sharingan on the dark blue and black haired boy in front of him.
"But there are only two bells, and three of you. Your objective was to get a bell from me, not disable me." He was literally praying that he did not get stuck with these psychopaths.
"Well, if that's the case, I don't want a bell. We wouldn't have completed the mission without each other. We need to stick together as a team, cause that's the only way to stay alive. Never, ever abandon your teammates. It will only lead to a life of regret and misery." Kakashi's eye widened as he heard the Sasuke, an Uchiha of all people, lecture him about comeradere. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto and Sakura nod in agreement.
Darn it, now he had to pass them.